Bonnet Bay Freaks::

Coming from a triathlon background and after dabbling in a couple of rogaine's and trying to get into this race over the last 2 years, we finally got to the start line of our first adventure race. After reviewing the instructions on checkpoints and the maps we plotted our course. Being on the grey course, we thankfully had the mountain biking as our first leg... not so muddy. Being local to the area, Lady Carrington Drive has been a large part of ironman and other triathlon training programs over the years for long runs and this was the first time we'd mountain biked it. It was the muddiest I'd seen it, so I imagine last years crowd had even more mud to contend with. All checkpoints were collected on the way to the turnaround and we headed back to the transition, where I wish I had taken note that the TA on the map meant transition. This novice error would cost us later.

We were head to head with another mixed team at the end of this leg and headed over for the canoe. I'd always seen people in the river and wondered what it was like. It was over pretty quickly, got a few refreshing sprays of fresh water from the wife, Rachel... perhaps a subtle need for some deoderant! From here it was time for the run section. The honeymoon track was its typical self, water pooled a few sections but overall pretty good. The CCH log signified we were almost at the top and we were going along well. The run to grays point was quite scenic and a section of the park that we don't usually run in, so it was great to explore.

We were the first mixed team on the grey course and just had to have a good paddle. We boarded the kayaks, picked up CP19 in quick time then made our way for home. It was only a short time later we worked out our advantage of the mountain biking now meant a harder paddle back into the wind. Having not kayaked before it was all a learning curve. We're either very strong on the Right side or the tide was on the way out as we very often needed a couple of extra Lefts. Not realising that TA meant transition, I had marked up that we'd hit a beach at CP20, which I had assumed would be with a whole heap of other kayaks and then run to the finish... ah the novice! After paddling past what I had thought would be CP20 but not seeing other kayaks I wondered why the map writer person would have put CP20 half way between CP19 and the finish line but there be no other kayaks... and that would be because it wasn't the TA, it was a CP!

Anyway, we finished off the paddle still wondering where CP20 was. We brought the boat up and finished all happy to have finished our first Adventure Race as the first mixed team on the grey course. I asked who's got the punch for CP20 and it was here I'd worked out my error... you IDIOT!!! Being a little low on blood sugar I had a bit of a hissy fit, threw the map (maybe I just dropped it), got a cup of GU20 and proclaimed, well what a waste of a day. I thought we would be disqualified. Thankfully Rach had read that part of the final instructions and said, "we'll just get a penalty you idiot"... thankfully idiot was all she used! Thought it may have been 5mins penalty but on checking last years results realised it was 30 mins... doh! We could have run back to CP20 and back in less than 10mins if I'd 'clicked' prior to us crossing the line. Not sure that would be in the rules, but too late anyway. Cudos to the food people, the burger certainly helped!

We had great fun, have learnt a lot from the planning and navigation error and are looking forward to the next one. Being close to the river we're looking to get a kayak and do some training so we're more competent for the 24 hour race in September... bring it on!!!!

Adam Watson - half of the Bonnet Bay Freaks