The Blog....

Active Chix!

2009-05-23T16:20:00.002+10:00

As you can clearly see it's been a while since I've updated my blog, and there's a couple of reasons behind that! Firstly, it's been a little quiet on the racing front as I was in need of a bit of down time for some R&R. My heart surgery last year took a fair bit out of me both physically and mentally, and I pushed through to finish the season off and take the Anaconda national series title for the third year straight. A successful year despite a few rather large hurdles, including a fractured fibula which I raced on for 6 weeks to make it to season end. So a nice christmas break, a lot of physio, and now I've been back into some good solid training since March and feeling healthy and fitter than ever!

Secondly I've been preoccupied with another project, that being the title of this blog, Activechix.com - this is my new website/business concept which is due to be launched in the coming weeks. It's been a long time coming and I can't wait to get it live and see what response I get. Please check the site out in the coming weeks to find out the full story!

My own personal website will now take over this blog, so in future please visit www.christiesym.com to find out all the latest news on the racing front, or www.activechix.com to check out my new project.

Back to website construction (and everything else that goes with building a website!)

Christie

Anaconda National Series Race 3 – Geographe Bay, Western Australia

2008-11-07T11:10:00.004+11:00

The trip to Western Australia is one of my favourites, the southern coastline is beautiful and a location I have grown to love since first visiting in 2006. The trip across always reminds me of how big Australia really is, taking 12 hours from door to door from my home in Sydney, it is always a relief to finally arrive. Dunsborough never disappoints and turned on the weather again for the 1600 athletes tackling the annual Anaconda event. Consisting of a 1.8km ocean swim, 14km ocean paddle, 15km coastal run, 25km MTB and 2km beach run as either solo, pairs, or relay teams of 2 – 4; a world record number of competitors by all accounts for this type of race. Having won the previous two events in 2006 and 2007 this was my first chance to have a crack at three out of three races in the same location, and not having been achieved before it was my goal leading up to the event, placing a little extra pressure on my shoulders. With one of the largest women’s fields ever assembled I had a number of competitors hoping to prevent this, including former national iron-woman champion Kirsty Holmes, international adventure racer and close rival Deanna Blegg, local Olympic rower turned adventure racer Sally Newmarch and local adventure racer Joanna Fisher. The size and quality of the women’s field is ever improving which is great to see and fantastic for Adventure Racing in Australia.

Western Australians love their sport and travelled by the carload 3.5 hours south of Perth to compete, support their family and friends, and to check out and be a part of this record-breaking event. For the interstate competitors it was a slightly longer journey to the Western coastal town of Dunsborough, myself arriving in the early hours of Thursday morning. Being eaten by a shark is my greatest fear, and swimming solo in a black wetsuit in waters known for Great Whites isn’t something I would normally willingly choose to do. Nonetheless I missed the group swim Friday morning while off on a school visit to promote the event to local children, so after about an hour of persuasion from those around me I entered the water to swim for about half that time. Much to my disbelief I didn’t get eaten, although am not in any rush to do this again.

A stomache problem kept me busy in the days leading up to the event in a way I’d prefer not to describe; despite this I felt a little tired but otherwise ok and so decided optimistically that at least I may lose a little weight as a result. My ankle that I had injured two weeks prior at the Australian G4 trials also remained untested, and I was a little nervous that I had travelled across the country for a race that I was going to be unable to perform as I wished. Regardless I was here, and so decided all I could do was to make the most of the circumstances. I have been training under the guidance of my new coach for the past 6 weeks, Andy Budge from Trysport in Perth, and feel that my approach to training has lifted to a new level. Andy’s program and support has allowed me to focus on the task at hand, and taken the pressure and stress of writing my own program off my shoulders. I am looking forward to working with Andy in the future and taking my training and racing to a new level.

Epic Kayaks Australia provided my ski with a brand new Epic V10L Performance hand delivered to my accommodation by Wayne @ Kayaks-4-U Mandura; many thanks to Wayne for driving both mine and Richard Ussher’s Epic’s 2 hours down the coast on Thursday so we could do some training. A big thank you also goes to Darryl from Shotz nutrition, my newest sponsor providing my training and race fuel. The Shotz crew were well represented with the male and female teams claiming first in their respective categories, and the males first overall in a new record time. Go Shotz Nutrition!!

Sunday morning arrived and I awoke with remarkable ease at 5am, notably thanks to being organised the day prior and getting to bed nice and early. The starting area was alive with anticipation, excitement and pre race nerves as competitors littered the beach by the Old Dunsborough boat ramp. Listening for the sound of the starting horn, like children eagerly awaiting Christmas morning, competitors shifted left and right along the beach trying to find the optimal starting position; the shallow water entry had partially submerged rocks scattered under thick weed making the initial wade a little precarious. Race director John Jacoby smelt trouble before it arrived and started the race with a loud horn, silencing the nervous chitter chatter and replacing it with the sound of flailing arms and legs as competitors fought for a good position around the first buoy 200m off shore. With the swim being my weakest leg I am always glad to exit the water, if not a little nervous of the news that will await on the beach, and Sunday was a little disheartening with two of my biggest rivals ahead and paddling long before I had finished swimming.

Not wasting any time I dragged my V10L over the sand bar and jumped in to start paddling through the weed, the blood staining my foot well evidence of the dozen or so cuts on my feet and toes from the partially submerged rocks also on the swim/wade exit. Paddlers stretched along the coast as far as I could see, and the lack of wind and swell meant we would be working for every km of this paddle. I found myself without assistance for the majority, until finally a couple of doubles came through as we approached Bunker Bay, allowing me to grab a ride for the short stint left. I had passed 6 of my competitors on the paddle and arrived on the beach in 2^nd position where a friend from Sydney grabbed my ski (thanks Cam!) and informed me of the 12-minute deficit to Kirsty, news I had half expected but at the same time proved mildly concerning. I had chased down larger deficits before and so put my head down and focused on my own race.

It is impossible to describe the technical nature of the run leg, so you’ll just have to take my word for it and use your imagination. Think leg sapping stretches of sand, narrow overgrown tracks winding up the side of coastal cliffs, and loose jagged rocks protruding at every possible angle . . . a nightmare for anyone with any sort of foot or ankle injury!! I began running and although moving along OK knew I was running well below par, with confirmation of this coming less than half way when Deanna caught and passed me just before having to negotiate the water jump, which although only small, caused increasing chaos as the race unfolded with the surges sucking in and out of the channel we had to swim across. I was struggling to focus at this stage, with my race head was off somewhere else, which was concerning at this stage of the race with such a large gap to first place. Struggling on the uneven ground I managed to finish the run off with my ankle still intact, although well down on my rivals at transition 3. Having lost two of my fuel bottles on the run I was desperate for fluids, guzzling the “emergency” water placed at my bike and took off in pursuit of both Deanna and Kirsty.

My bike leg has proven crucial in many an Anaconda race before, and leaving transition I received the devastating update that Kirsty held a 14 minute lead, a big ask, but definitely achievable. The bigger threat in my view was Deanna, who had 3 minutes on me and is a strong rider. I thought I was asking the impossible, but just put my head down and rode in pursuit as I have many a time before. Passing many team riders and a couple of solo males my confidence began to rise, and before long I caught and passed Deanna, moving into 2^nd position. The long, windy single track brought with it new hope around every corner, only to be shattered when the magic number, Kirsty’s race bib “103”, failed to appear. Pushing on undeterred, with only a few km’s to go I finally caught a glimpse of a rider remounting their bike after an obstacle just around the next corner, and sure enough it was “103”. Excited and filled with new energy I exchanged some quick encouragement before riding through the final twisty, obstacle strewn single track, continuing to take some risks to consolidate my lead. Approaching the final transition it was a quick dismount before running the final 2km’s down the beach to the finish chute, looking over my shoulder the entire way despite being told I was clear.

Enjoying the hard fought victory I savoured the moment, taking the time to high five the crowd lining the finish chute, including some of the local kids I had visited two days prior for a school visit. Kirsty followed in 2^nd place 4:20 back and Deanna just over a minute behind in 3^rd, an exciting finish and the closest finish for the top three women in the series ever. There’s little time for recovery as I head off to the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge in just under 2 weeks, partnering Mark Webber himself, followed shortly after by the final race of the series in Lorne, Victoria. Perhaps a little too much on my plate this month but I can look forward to some good training from mid December, and feel fortunate to have so many opportunities arising at present.

Christie x

Emotional victory after return from heart surgery

2008-09-01T15:03:00.012+10:00

With my recovery from heart surgery less than a month ago a little up and down, the prospect of racing and defending my previous years title at the Forster Anaconda Adventure Race was looking a little bleak. I so desperately wanted to race and win, but my mind wasn't really coping with the thought and my body felt well below par. Last week went a little like "yes I'm racing" in the morning to "No I'm not" in the afternoon right through to Friday. Eventually I made the call to drive up to Forster, do a few radio and television interviews, and see how I felt about it all come Friday evening.

As soon as I arrived in Forster I had made a decision. I was pumped and ready to race. I would play it conservative throughout Saturday, see how the body was feeling, rest up and hope to be recovered enough to back up Sunday. The media interviews fired me up even more, and by the afternoon I was jumping out of my skin. It had been a long break since my last individual race, last November to be precise, and I was just hoping that I could remember what I had to do.

Saturday morning rolled around, wetsuit on and I was ready to start the 3km run to the first 2.5km swim of the race. The run went well, sitting comfortably on Deanna's shoulder, a strong and experienced competitor who I believe will be my biggest rival this season. Deanna had made the call to skip the wetsuit for the first run and swim, so I was a little surprised to be running with her so early on. The swim went without too much complication, despite missing a stray buoy on the way into the finish chute, but a quick detour corrected this without too much time lost.

Into transition and the news camera asked for some comments, I had a quick chat then remembered that I was racing and should get out of my wetsuit for the paddle (conversation is probably the strongest discipline in my racing)! Onto my ski I had a few girls to chase down, including close rivals Kim Beckinsale, Deanna Blegg and Wendy Wilson. Conditions were calm, a shame seeing my Epic V10L Ultra is the perfect craft for rough downwind conditions, although I managed to cause some damage to Deanna and Kim, not quite making up the deficit to Wendy. Getting a nice wave into the beach landing I was soon on the MTB and off to chase down Wendy, whom I caught within 5km. Everything going to plan, I decided to push on but save a little in the tank for tomorrow, taking into account the fact that I wasn't really quite ready for such a demanding race just yet.

Then the sky came crashing down as disaster struck. A stick got lodged in my derailer and ripped the whole gearing off my bike, rendering

it useless and beyond trail side repair. In a desperate attempt to stay in the race I threw the bike on my shoulder and ran 4km or so, before stopping trail side to try and sort out the mess so I could at least wheel it along beside me. After about 20 minutes of running, cursing and absolute despair (yes there were tears!) a training partner of mine, Simon, who had experienced mechanical issues of his own earlier on in the bike, pulled up and tried to help sort out the mess. 5 or 10 minutes passed and Simon told me to take his bike and chase down the girls to try and minimise the damage I would have to make up on day 2 of racing. A bit of a debate followed, but I gave in and took up Simon's very kind and generous offer taking off on his bike to chase down my rivals. Fueled by emotion and despair I rode hard and came into the next transition in 3rd position. The final run would prove to be crucial and I took off on a mission, hoping to minimise my losses. The run course had changed from 2007, and boy what an adventure, through swampy grass, shoulder deep in water at times, scrambling up over a waterfall, and dodging lake side boats, fallen trees and branches. My calves were pretty stiff after having run in bike shoes and I was seriously doubting my speed, although arriving at the board paddle 2/3 into the run I was informed that Wendy had just started the paddle and Deanna was half way across the 500m lake crossing! Head down, arms aching and really just wanting to go to sleep I paddled as hard as I knew how to arriving on the other side and resuming chase on foot. With Wendy in sight I reeled her in over the next km and ran like Forrest Gump in pursuit of Deanna. Although closing in, the finish line arrived just after spotting Deanna, finishing a minute in arrears. Depleted well beyond what I had planned for it was now time to try and get my bike repaired for the second day of racing less than 24 hours away.

Jim from Great Lakes Cycles came to the rescue, resurrecting my bike and even lending me his own rear derailer for the following day of racing, a very generous offer and one I appreciated immensely. With stress levels reduced dramatically it was off to our apartment to rest up and recover for the afternoon.

Sunday morning involved waking up stiff, sore and tired. The pain I was about to put my body through was far too much to comprehend just now, and my race head wasn't really feeling up to the task ahead. Arriving at Seal Rocks the dramatic weather change from Saturday had stirred up the seas, making the swim look quite daunting to say the least. Race plan: Survive the swim, run hard, bike harder, and see what was left for the paddle and final 3km run to the finish.

I had accurately predicted the swim conditions, swallowing enough sea water to fill a large fish tank and having a very close call swimming around the rock exposed reef, having difficulty spotting the buoys due to the rough conditions. Stepping onto dry land was a relief I can't really describe, with this transition my longest all weekend while I recollected my stomache and settled my nerves. OK, lets start racing!

Taking off up the first hill it took a km or so to get my running legs, and then I pushed forward in chase of Wendy and Deanna, both about 4 minutes ahead. Finding a good rhythm, I didn't feel that crash hot but as with yesterday my body just kept on giving and by 2/3 of the run course, the dreaded sand hills, I had caught and passed Wendy. Confidence up I pushed on, arriving into the bike transition 3 - 4 minutes down on Deanna.

With the bike being my favourite leg I was excited, focussed . . . and oh so very tired! Once on my bike I immediately noticed my lack of power . . . this was going to be a long, slippery, muddy 30km MTB. Keeping my bike in one piece certainly helped today, and it was a case of get as much energy in as possible while pushing forward in pursuit of Deanna. I enjoyed the tough conditions, careering almost out of control around slippery turns and riding through thigh deep creeks! Nearing the end of the bike there had been no sign of my rival and I was starting to doubt my chances, although upon entering transition I was informed Deanna was just taking off on the paddle leg. With renewed hope fighting off extreme fatigue, I fought with my race bib to get my life jacket on underneath before taking off on my Epic V10L Ultra. I caught Deanna within 2km, had a quick exchange of good lucks and paddled on to try and put enough space between us to try and secure a victory. My mind was wandering off into dreamland, my body exhausted, a maze of sand banks to dodge and not enough left emotionally to deal with everything going on, the finish couldn't appear soon enough. Finally, the transition came into sight, with a kind paddler behind directing me through the best deep water channel to arrive on the banks of Tuncurry. Out of the ski, onto dry land yet again, and everyone yelling and cheering, it was all too much to process as I changed into shoes and tried to drink the fluids forced into my hand. Thanks to everyone for reminding me I had to run!

3km to go, running on empty, the only thing pushing me to that finish line was the hunger to win. Never before had I wanted a victory so much, and I wasn't about to give it away, so I willed my legs through the final km's. Finally arriving onto the beach, finish line in sight, looking over my shoulder, running in fear of losing a victory after such a tough battle all weekend, I could hear the screams of my friends and family telling me to "run, and stop looking behind" . . . it was all a blur as I scrambled up the sand bank created by the erosion of recent high seas, nearing the final finish chute, only hearing the crucial words "you need every second" . . . with no time for victory salutes I dashed across the finish line, overcome with emotion and relief! I had finished a race I never expected to complete, and I had won. The minutes deficit from Saturday passed, and Deanna crossed the line only a minute later. One minute separating us after 10.5 hours of racing, what a battle!

Tears flowed freely, decorating my mud stained face, as my closest friends and family shared in a moment I won't be forgetting any time soon. To win after having been on an emotional roller coaster this past month . . . no words can do justice.

I owe my victory this weekend to a few people in particular, and so my most sincere thanks to Simon Manson, who gave up time in his own race so that I could achieve this goal. If Simon hadn't given me his bike when he did, this moment would never have been (just a quick mention that Simon still managed to win the Vet's class!). To Jim from Great Lakes Cycles, who kindly resurrected my bike for Sundays race, giving up his own time and parts off his own bike. To my family Mum, Dad and Mike, for supporting me all weekend, putting up with my frustration and despair on more than one occasion, and not letting me slow down during the toughest moments, and to all of my friends and supporters who cheered me on over the weekend and for sharing in my victory. A huge thanks also to my sponsors who have stood by me during these recent hard times, Epic Kayaks for my V10L Ultra, City Bike Depot for my Pink Yeti MTB (sorry about the damage!), The North Face, AYUP Lights and Jaggad.

Although the best part of the weekend was not the victory, but the confidence gained from my ability to step up and perform despite a disrupted race lead up. I am looking forward to the rest of the season, and am eager to get back into some solid training over the coming months.

Train smart, step outside, and see you all at the next event.

Christie x

Straight to the heart of the problem

2008-08-06T18:14:00.004+10:00

Last week I was diagnosed with a heart condition called ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life threatening electrical fault of the heart that has been present since birth. Although I have experienced the episodes caused by this condition in the past with varying degrees of severity, I have turned a blind eye to the problem for a number of reasons. Firstly, I thought it was my asthma. Secondly, I thought if I ignored it enough it would just disappear. Thirdly, I was in denial that something could be wrong. It took a very scary episode to wake me to my senses, a slap in the face by my own mortality, to seek expert medical advice.

Within a number of days I transitioned from visiting a cardiac electrophysiologist with no expectation of a diagnosis any time soon, to having surgery to correct the condition, and then home again and pinching myself to see if it was all just a dream. The procedure, an electro physiology study (EPS) diagnosed the location of the electrical fault in my heart, and then a radio-frequency catheter ablation was performed to correct the fault. Sounds very high tech, I know, trust me it was mind blowing what my doctors performed in just 90 minutes. I am forever grateful for their expertise, and expect a full recovery and re commencement of training very soon.

The bad news is that I will be missing the first series of the Adventure Racing National Series on the Gold Coast, a race I have won back to back in 2006 and 2007. This is very disappointing news, especially seeing that I feel I have been in my best form ever. On the flip side I am very grateful to have found a solution to a problem that has plagued my training and racing over the past years, especially so in 2007. I am hoping to return to competition in time for the 2nd race of the Anaconda Series in Forster at the end of August.

A big thank you to everyone including my sponsors, especially Epic Kayaks who have just come on board and have been very understanding, my family and friends for your support during this difficult time, I feel so lucky to have such great people supporting me.

I am looking forward to getting back into the training and racing, am more motivated than ever before and hope to see you all at Forster on August 30/31.

Christie x

WINNERS - Mountain Designs Geoquest 2008

2008-06-10T22:07:00.004+10:00

WINNERS are GRINNERS . . . this saying pretty much sums up the June long weekend for Team APEX. In my previous post I stated that I wanted to post a win at this annual event of physical and mental exhaustion, suffering and sleep deprivation, and this is exactly what we did. Leading from start to finish team APEX opened up a 1.5 km lead on the first ocean paddle and never looked back, surprising race organisers throughout the race by smashing estimated times for most legs.

Although as always with adventure racing not everything went to plan, and we faced some stressful situations and hard times out on the course throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning. Never the less the team overcame these issues to hold onto the lead and take victory just before 12 noon Sunday, a little under 29 hours of racing.

This was my fourth attempt at the Geoquest and with ever improving positions from 7th 2005, 4th 2006 and 2nd 2007, I was putting everything towards taking victory in 2008. A very satisfying win for the team, and a great return to health and fitness for myself after a very tough 6 months of illness. I just enjoyed this race so very much, felt strong from start to finish, and shared many a great laugh along the way.

Thank you to my sponsors AYUP lights, The North Face, City Bike Depot, Jaggad and Oceanpaddler.com for their support.

It's on and up from here as I am very excited to have raced strong and come out healthy the other side. See you all at the next event, Christie x

Mountain Designs Geoquest

2008-05-26T13:04:00.003+10:00

I line up for this race each year for a few reasons:
1) It is in NSW, my home state, and I like to suport "local" races
2) It is percieved to be the premier Australian adventure race, therefore receiving a high level of interest from the AR community and those interested in AR. This provides a good opportunity for me to promote my sponsors who suport me in my training and racing throughout the season.
3) There is always some good competition, so it is a tough race and a great hit out with my team mates.

So there you have it, that's why I'm lining up again for the fourth year running (I get asked on a regular basis what prompts me to enter a race where participants suffer sleep deprivation and extreme physical and mental exhaustion!).

Not to mention the intrinsic satisfaction of completing such an event successfully with your team.

Based on the NSW North Coast, Emerald Beach to be precise, we will be paddling, mountain biking, running and climbing on an undisclosed course with a time limit of 48 hours. Navigation is key to a successful race, as is team synergy, good nutrition, a committed support team and mental toughness.

I am yet to post a win at this particular race, and so will be racing hard in 2008 for this. With ever improving results from a 7th in 2005, 4th in 2006 and 2nd in 2007, I am hoping that we can continue our improvement this year.

Aside from the many teams that will also be competing for first place, there are a number of first timers that will be tackling the course, some adventure racing virgins. I wish them the best of luck and hope they too become addicted to this fantastic sport.

Special thanks to my sponsors who have provided continued support for my racing pursuits:
AYUP Lights
The North Face
City Bike Depot
Ocean Paddler

Racing begins on Saturday June 7 and live updates can be found on www.gar.com.au
I hope to be updating my blog on Sunday night from our holiday house by the fire! (fingers crossed)

Happy adventures!

Christie

It is the experience that counts . . .

2008-04-14T09:05:00.014+10:00

Well my updates didn't quite go to plan, and neither did our race. Most importantly though I left this race satisfied and absolutely content with the attitude we adopted throughout the week, and held right up until the finish. Hugh and I endured a tough, punishing week over what was the most difficult and longest course I have ever attempted, in a less than optimal condition with myself ill the entire race. I am happy to say that my preparation for the race was good, and that my condition last week had nothing to do with my previous illness, but was a nasty virus that a handful of athletes suffered from for most of the week, which accounted for a number of drop outs in the top ranking teams by day three. Hugh managed to pull me through until the final ride on day four, 47 hours into the race, where we made a very difficult decision to miss the final 4 hour mtb leg and rest up for the final stage the following morning. We were still running in 7th position when we pulled out, and I don't think I need to explain how that feels now.

The bad news is that we were now racing as an unranked team. The good news is that we finished the next day in 4th position overall, our best result the entire week. Most importantly though for us was not the end result, but what we had achieved throughout the race. The limits that we tested, the friendships that we made, the spectacular places we visited, and the skills and knowledge that we have added to our experience. Last week was not just a race, but a journey that we will never forget.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone that supported me in any way in the lead up to this race. All of my family and friends that stuck by me when I was sick late 07/early 08, my training partners for helping me get back into shape in time for this race, and to my team mate Hugh for never giving up on me. To my sponsors, The North Face, your gear kept me dry and warm the entire week, AYUP lights which never let me down in the darkest stages of the night, Oceanpaddler.com for getting our new adventure race double organised in time for the race (on which we clocked fastest paddle time on the final stage!) and City Bike Depot for looking after my cycling needs and providing continued support.

So now with more experience under my belt, I will concentrate on recovering and enjoying the rewards a tough race like this will present. This race has allowed me to reassess my training and my future goals, and I am looking forward to stepping up another level in the future as I take on new challenges.

Never stop exploring...

Christie

The race as it unfolded - a brief account

Tuesday - Prologue

Hugh and I started the week well, with a 6th place overall (2nd mixed team) in the opening days prologue, with a fast and furious 3 hour stage that went well over the expected 1.5 hours. Hugh was feeling strong, thankfully, which made up for myself not feeling so great at this early stage and suffering more than expected with some asthma. Racing at altitude in Falls Creek was definitely tough. Although happy with our high placed finish amongst this competitive international field, we returned to our accommodation to prepare our maps and rested up for the 12 hour stage the next day.

Wednesday - Stage 2 (Falls Creek to Mt Buller)

Not unlike the prologue, todays stage started fast and furious with the collection of two checkpoints (CP's) on bike, before being given the CP card for the remainder of the stage. Off to ascend above the tree line on our bikes, we encountered snow on the ground towards the top, and a rather bumpy ride across the ridge and down the other side. Here at the base of the valley we dropped our bikes and began our trek up Mt Bogong, the highest mountain in the area. The views up here were spectacular, and I regret not taking a camera! It was on this ascent that I had some foot complications, and managed to blister my right heel quite well. Not a good start to the week, but some strapping tape would have to hold it up for the remainder of the race. My first major lesson of the week, look after your feet!

A tough off track descent down the other side of Mt Bogong to a hut on the river went well, with Hugh's navigation spot on, although the climb out was a little slow and tedious with my energy levels hitting a low that was to continue in waves for the remainder of the week. Finally returning to the bikes we made the trip back along the rail way (a rather tedious section of trail) to Bogong village where we completed an orienteering section with a ropes challenge. A little scared of heights I have managed with practice the abseils of cliffs and ascent of rock climbing walls, but walking over tight ropes and suspended wobbling boards was a new challenge, and one I was happy to complete!

OK back onto the bike we then summitted Big Hill, a gnarly climb that seemed to have many a bike shoe footprint most of the way up. Hugh and I were feeling strong here and managed to climb the entire way, although I did have a lot of assistance from Hugh with the tow rope out for most of the climb. Having collected the CP from the high point we began what was a highlight of the race, the massive descent into Mt Buller, which finished with half an hour of single track on a marked course, with some steep drops and fast burms, to then finish by completing a lap of the BMX course and crossing the finish line. 3rd placed mixed team today behind international professional teams OrionHealth and Hotteams.co.nz, we were happy with a solid effort despite some difficulties throughout the stage. Time to rest up for the biggest stage of the week, a 30 - 48 hour race from Falls Creek to Omeo tomorrow.

Stage 3, Thursday/Friday - Falls Creek to Omeo

A freezing morning greeted us for a 5.30am paddle/run start where we were to collect various checkpoints around the lake. A fast start on our custom made Adventure racing surf ski saw us with a good advantage, although we were outdone by a couple of teams who decided to split up and pick up most of the checkpoints on foot (this was allowed for this leg only). 1.5 hours later we were back on foot for a 3.5 hour run through some spectacular country down along a tight single track traversing around Mt Nelse. Again Hugh was feeling very strong, but with myself suffering from some stomache issues again early on (keeping food down was not going so well) we knew we were in for a long day. The run went quite well, with no teams catching us on our way down to Big River, and with many teams running along an out of bounds HWY we found ourselves in 3rd place overall at the next transition.

Although all didn't remain so well, and by the start of the next MTB, a 5.5 hour ride up over Mt Wills (1750m) and back down to Hinomunjie Bridge on the Mitta Mitta River, it was apparent this was going to be a very testing stage for the two of us. A hill like I have never seen before soon appeared in front of us, and this is where the true test began. It's hard to describe what your body can go through in an adventure race, but imagine being sucked of all your energy, when all you want to do is lie down and die, you can't even walk straight as you are so light headed, and you are out on a race course with your team mate and the last thing you want to do is let them down. Hugh towed me along for a good 2 hours, while I tried in vain to get some food down. We were passed by our nearest rivals, falling back to 4th place, although with some wicked steep and technical descents approaching it wasn't long before we were back into 3rd position. Feeling a little stronger we maintained our position, until a tyre puncture saw us drop back again into 4th place.

With dark fast approaching we were ready for the river section, with a 3.5 hour paddle down the Mitta Mitta river. It was here that our river layup ski would get a workout, and a part of the race we had eagerly anticipated. Collecting the CP at the half way mark in the light, our ski had held up well to this point. Now with dark upon us, we used our AYUP lights to navigate the second half of the river. Completely waterproof and submersible to 5m, the AYUP's were the perfect light (yet again) for this paddle, and provided enough light so that the night didn't slow us down. Not far from transition though we encountered a team in trouble, Blasters.com were on an island in the middle of the river with a great fire burning for warmth. Andrew was suffering from what was at first thought to be hypothermia, so we assisted in getting him warm while we worked out a plan to get some assistance. An hour later we left to seek help, leaving warm clothes and food behind with them. (Andrew was later found to have a virus and had to pull out of the race. He has recovered and all is well).

Now for the monster leg of the race, a trek with some tricky navigation, thick undergrowth, and a fastest expected time of 9 hours, this was going to be a crux leg. With my cough and asthma deteriorating quickly, we knew this leg would be tough, but set out with good intentions to finish as quickly as possible. Running into team Hardtale early on we joined up with Matt and Ant to complete the trek, which involved a number of steep ascents to over 2000m all off track. Thick vegetation, sharp blackberry bushes, and slippery terrain underfoot provided a challenge, and we finally crossed the cold river to Ferny Flat in 5.5 hours. Here we crossed over teams further back on the course, as this was a multiple CP, one which we had passed earlier on on the river paddle. More steep climbs, plenty of bush bashing, and many CP's later and the sun came up for our final 15km or so up over a ridge and back down to the river to the transition at Anglers Rest. My condition deteriorated during this final stage of the trek, and it was 18 hours after leaving Taylors Crossing that we arrived in Anglers Rest, completely drawn of all energy stores, that our day came to a stop when it was decided that my condition was too poor to continue. Pulling out of this leg was by far the hardest aspect of the race, and a decision that you know at the time you will have to live with forever.

Stage 4 - Buchan Caves to Lakes Entrance

Waking up stiff and sore (not to mention an hour earlier than planned by mistake!) we arrived at the start a little unsure of what the day held for us. With maps handed out at the start of this stage, we were already on a back foot as most teams had support crews that were able to prepare maps for their teams. Unfortunately our support had no experience with this, so we had to prepare our maps on the move. We began with an orienteering leg of about 1 hour, a scenic run around the Buchan reserve trails, past the falls and some local wildlife. The legs felt great at this early stage (surprisingly) but we were a little rusty on the navigation. Hugh holds his job as navigator very seriously, and that is why he is so good at it. Sometimes though he needs to give himself a break, after all we had been through the past week our brains were tired, our bodies exhausted, but we still managed to return back into transition in the top 10.

Onto our bikes and a race to the Buchan caves only 5km away, we climbed down into the darkness to locate the two hidden CP's. One we found easily, the other evaded us (as it did many others) for far too long. The cave was spectacular, we just saw too much of it!

Back onto the bikes for a 3 hour ride up over what now seemed like a small hill after the mountains we had been ascending all week, and down some more wicked ascents on our way to the final leg of the race, a 2 hour paddle to the finish. Catching 3 or 4 teams in transition, we were looking forward to this leg, paddling out through a river, onto the lake, and portaging across the sandbar and into the ocean. This is where our ski is at home. Collecting the final CP on a reef, we expected to see the surf club tower marking the finish line within 3km, but some missing map extended this final paddle and was more like 8km down the beach. Tired and hungry (yes that is the first time I think I said that all week!) we paddled the final km's to the finish line, to be greeted with a final 500m run over the line.

To finish what is now the longest, toughest race I have ever entered is a fantastic feeling. To finish despite things not going even close to plan is amazing. A little overwhelmed by the immensity of the whole week, it is now time to rest up and let my body recover, as it sure needs it.

Thanks to John and the team at Rapid Ascent for organising such a fantastic, challenging race; I will be adding the Keen Adventure race to my calendar in 2009.

Christie

Countdown . . . KEEN Adventure Race, Alps to Ocean 2008

2008-04-01T16:15:00.000+11:00

Well the race is now only 7 days away, and I am getting excited.

I have waited an entire year for this race, and what a year it has been!

5 out of 5 individual Adventure racing victories, 2 team victories and one second. Not to mention my trip to China in November for the Adventure reality TV series "The Crunch", where I was successful in falling very ill and remaining very ill until February this year.

Character building . . . apparently! Enough history let's get on with what's happening at present.

I will be teaming up with Hugh Stodart, one of my regular team mates and training partners on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Hugh joined me in a very close Geoquest in 2007, where we were pipped for 1st place after 30 hours of intense racing. Hugh was crowned the Australian 24 hour solo Adventure Racing Champion in September 2007, and is also itching to race.

Only having resumed training a little over 6 weeks ago, I must admit to being a little nervous about my current physical condition. Hugh is an extremely talented adventure racer, and is well known for his determination and ability to push himself beyond his limits. Never the less we are entered and very excited about racing amongst some of the most successful adventure racers in the world. My training has been going well, and I am happy to say that I am in better condition than expected at this stage.

Current world champions Richard and Elina Ussher will be the red hot favourites, with OrionHealth.com mixed (3rd place World Champs 2007) consisting of Stuart Lynch and Anna Berthelson not far behind on the odds. Not to mention 2007 winners Atenah Merrell NZ (Ian Edmond and Nora Audra). There are also a number of Aussie mixed teams that will be looking for an opportunity to show their class. The question posed to Hugh and I is not how well favoured we are against these teams, but how far we are able to push them on the course during the 5 days of competition next week?! We are pumped and ready to race!

I will be updating this blog in the lead up to the race, which begins next Tuesday 8th April.

Please stay posted for race updates that I will be posting along the way.