Giddy Winners at Yough Xtreme 2012

Written by Jared Macary | Race Date: May 5, 2012 | www.americanadventuresports.com

Vitals

The 10-hour Elite Yough (pronounced “Yock”) Xtreme adventure race by American Adventure Sports was in its 13th year on May 5th, 2012.  The course set by race director Doug Crytzer offers 60+ miles of trekking, biking, and Class I whitewater throughout OhioPyle State Park in OhioPyle, Pennsylvania.

Having earned myself a 3rd place solo finish in EX2’s Rocky Gap (may it R.I.P.) last fall, I wanted to again test myself by undertaking a longer solo effort.  From 8 AM to 6 PM I boosted my own morale, kept myself entertained, and took care of my boo-boos.

I was very excited to do this race because last year when I raced with Barry, Michelle, and Kelly, the whitewater paddle was extracted from the race due to high water.  In exchange, we paddled the reservoir.  That paddle left something to be desired.  I wanted to do whitewater in a race, and I knew that the mild winter would allow me to paddle the Middle Yough this year.  I learned however, that in gaining the whitewater paddle this year, I had forfeited the O-course toward the end of the race.  The race I found myself engaged in was fairly linear and did not require much navigation at all, making it more about speed than strategy.

Experience

The lowest point of the race for me was seeing the soon-to-be-second place solo racer pass me on the uphill and maintain that lead.  To his credit he had more in the tank than I did.  My attempts at strategy didn’t pay off in the long run.  This is a part of any race.  I knew that if I just stayed the course and raced my own race, I would continue to enjoy my experience.  Besides the best part of the race was before me – barreling down the Baughman trail that I had trekked twice, one of which was with my bike.  I flew down the the wet, muddy trail from the top of the ridge to the finish line.  I maintained confidence, focus, and determination avoiding dangers along the way.

Course

The race began with a short out-and-back trek to separate the mass of racers at the starting line.  After CP2 I hopped on my bike to the Baughman trail.  I interwove trekking and riding until I reached the ridge.  I then biked to CP3, dropped the bike, and jogged to CP4.  I descended a steep slope to the towpath and ran to the paddle put in at CP5.  I paddled the Middle Yough for about 1 hour 45 minutes to CP6.  Following a very quick transition, I trekked back up the Baughman trail to CP7, where my bike lay.  I biked to CP8 and then to the finish line covered in mud and smiling.

Recommendations

If you have not done the Yough Xtreme race, do it.  You’re guaranteed a safe, fun race.  However, having tackled the race twice, I would not do this race again.  The linearity of the race doesn’t interest me as much as a non-linear race requiring more strategic decision-making.  In addition, race design does not alter much each year, as I am told by peers.  If I’m going to pay $140 to race I’d like a little more diversity and adventure.

Shout-Outs

To Barry for allowing my precious hands to utilize a dry pair of full-fingered gloves during the paddle section, and for granting me a spot in his campsite for the night.  To AAR for hosting a smooth and safe course with lots of great prizes to choose from.

Results

I came in 3rd place for Men’s Solo at 8 hours 38 minutes (the second place finisher arrived at 8 hours 30 minutes).  Michelle came in 1st for Women’s Solo.  Barry, Victor, and Amber came in 3rd for Co-ed 3-person.  I arrived ahead of my other THT peeps.  I was pleased to be present to welcome them toward their finish.

Lessons Learned

• The helmet leash on my Osprey Talon 11 was a great addition, holding my Specialized hard hat in place for a soundless smooth trek.
• Sweet and salty is important.  I dumped some Mountain Berry Clif Shot Blocks into my nut, seed, & pretzel mix.  Over the course of the race, the savory pieces clung to the shots, coating them completely.  Chewy and crunch goodness.
• Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel was like warm apple pie in my mouth.  Yes, I said it.
• Trust your instincts and keep going.  In descending a sharp slope to get to the paddle leg, I bush-whacked through uncharted territory with several teams. As these team members mulled path options with me on their heel, I found myself accepting their contemplation.  That is, I’d weigh their option as if they were my own.  While teaming with others not in category may have its place, this, for me, was not the situation.  I quickly diverted from teams whenever I came into contact with them.  I made quick decisions and kept pushing through the wet under-brush.  Sure enough, I was in the water and on my way faster.
• Be selfless, if you can afford it.  That statement sounds dodgy, and perhaps it is.  But I witnessed Michelle, an exemplary racer, picked up another racer’s helmet and carry it from the bike transition to the paddle transition.  Michelle knew that a racer would need that helmet in order to get on the water or risk disqualification.  Would she do it in another, more competitive race?  Perhaps not, but she did it this race.

Ready to Rock. And Rock We Did.

Submitted by Jeff Nicholson | Race Dates: April 21-22 |  http://www.rev3adventure.com/race/2012-epic-adventure/

Vitals

Rev3′s Epic provided my teammates and I our first outing together this season.  Our contingent consists of  Michelle Faucher, Aaron Bernard, Bryce Read, and myself.  Our goal was to work out team dynamics in preparation for the Untamed New England 4-day Adventure Race taking place in Maine this June.  Epic also helped prepare me for a string of 24-plus-hour races on the calendar for the summer.  Michelle served as primary navigator with myself, Aaron, and Bryce playing mixed support roles.

This race was Rev3′s 2^nd Epic race.  Some of the best adventure racing teams in the nation arrived at the starting line at 9:30 AM and set off for the next 26-hours of trekking (30 miles), biking (60 miles), paddling (12 miles), and one challenge.  The challenge consisted of attaching ourselves to a rope with zip ties and going up, over, and through a series of picnic tables one teammate at a time.  By the 12 PM finish the following day, we had a pretty good grasp of Andy Guest State Park, the George Washington National Forest and areas surrounding Luray and Front Royal, Virginia.

Experience

The lowest point of the race for me was climbing down a rock outcropping around 2 a.m. and falling onto my left hand.  At the time, I didn’t realize why it was so painful.  A few days later I discovered that I had broken it.  When it happened, I just sucked it up and kept moving to the finish line. I forgot all about the pain while experiencing my highest points of the race, and there were two:  a) learning, at the finish line, that we had at a minimum secured a top five finish in our division, and b) collectively realizing that our team meshed really well and had a great time because of it.

The lowest point for the team were 4 mechanicals during the bike sections.  More specifically, two broken chains and derailleur issues.  We quickly fixed the mechanical issues due to everyone on the team either having the right parts or the expertise to fix the bikes.  Once fixed we were able to make the time up because no one dwelled on it.  We just kept our heads up and pedaled hard through the sections.  The mechanicals were totally forgotten as we flew down the backside of Veach Gap knowing we were close to the end after a hard slog.

The moment that stays with me from the race is passing a team on the paddle that was in the water with their canoe and all their gear sinking right in front of them.  The looks on their faces were of dread and great memories all rolled into one.

Recommendations

Epic is one of the first local 24-hour races of the season and is a great way to get ready for the rest of the season. I will definitely try to add this race to my calendar next season, as I thought it was well put together and had excellent mountain biking, trekking, and paddling through one of the best parks in the area.

Shout-Outs

Big shout outs the Rev3 staff for putting together a great race.  Word up to  Andy Bacon, Charlie Roberts, Mark Latanzi, and Jen Moos of Odyssey/ImOnPoint for pushing the pace of the race. Also a big shout out to Shane Hagerman for keeping moral high and taking great pictures! Finally to Spokes, Etc. for sponsoring us which allows us to do what we enjoy – adventure racing.

Results

TeamHalfWayThere/Spokes, Etc. scored a 4^th place finish in the coed elite division

Lessons Learned

• Don’t trust a chain with a link down after a grueling 13-hour mountain biking race the weekend before. My bike now has a new chain.
• The more real food I eat in the latter part of the race the better I feel.  I realized I wanted to eat everything Bryce was carrying because it didn’t look like a power bar.  So, this race I packed plenty of real food consisting of pizza and salami, ham, and cheese wraps, and the occasional cliff bar.  Nutrition bars become intolerable and hard to get down.  I will still carry some bars and gels due to their big calories and small size, but will rely more on real food throughout my races.
• Putting large amounts of time in the saddle training pays big dividends in the middle of the night climbing a 2 plus mile switch-back up a mountain after snagging an optional CP. Seems like a no brainer, but I’m very happy that I still had energy after the night mountain biking section.
• Teamwork is the main and most important part of adventure racing. I have had the pleasure of racing with other members of the team, but this was my first in the 4-person coed division and I quickly realized how team dynamics could make or break a race. I am happy to say we had a great dynamic and I am excited for the rest of our season together!