Kathmandu Adventure Sprint - Royal National Park, NSW
Sunday 25th June 2006

As in life, when you are a virgin, you keep it pretty quiet; when you have ‘done it’ you feel pretty smug and proud of yourself; the next day you want to tell all your friends; and from then on you just want to keep doing it and to get better and better.

So it is with Adventure Racing.

The Kathmandu Adventure Series at the Royal National Park was my ‘blooding’. In front of 399 other adventure racers, I admitted that I was a virgin and had no idea of what I was getting myself in for. Fortunately the weather was smiling on me and the rest of the competitors as we donned our racing bids (took me a few minutes to work out the difference between the back from the front – there was none!) before we took the buses to the start of the race at Heathcote. After a short briefing, we were off racing along the running tracks in search of the first 3 checkpoints. Lesson 1: just because other competitors are coming towards you on the same track doesn’t mean you are heading in the wrong direction – they just have a different strategy!

This was a bush runner’s paradise: single track, undulating course, bit of dodging and weaving, crashing through streams, listening to birds sing….. oh, sorry that wasn’t a bird, that was one of the male teams trying to locate the other team member!

All too soon, we were spat out into Audley’s Weir and told to pick a canoe! With paddle in hand, we launched ourselves down the boat ramp onto the river and hoped that our distant paddling skills hadn’t deserted us. At a different time (and different company!), this would have been a very romantic scene, but by this time, my more experienced team member knew where our competitors were and Lesson 2: a quick transition is a good transition.

Up, up, up to the Visitors Centres to collect our bikes and we were off along some fabulous tracks in search of more check points. The tracks were mostly wide and easy to follow with a few technical downhill bits. Team were now well and truly into their stride, grabbing quick check points, assisting those that had already run into technical problems, and enjoying the mental and physical challenges that were being presented. The Hike a Bike presented Lesson 3: Once your feet are wet, they can’t get any wetter. Walking/running through puddles can be a very rewarding experience!

Checkpoint 15 proved the most elusive checkpoint of all, but had we checked on all clues, we would have seen we were searching at the wrong water hole. Lesson 4: Trust your instincts and look at all clues.

Next was the Community Stop and what a brainwave that was on the part of the organisers. Each team had to move 3 buckets of top soil onto the designated garden bed, or similar activity, before locating other check points around the Retirement Village. This was a real mental challenge at this time of the race, and we certainly got no help from the member of the retirement Village. They thought we were absolutely mad, and at this stage, I just wanted to share their cup of tea and cake. The walking frames were looking very inviting. Lesson 5: Don’t laugh - we will all be there one day!

Back on the bikes, as once again we wove our way through the trees, following paths, peddling through puddles, and generally having the time of our life. It is an unusual experience to be competing against so many people that were heading in so many different directions.

After we retraced our steps through the hike a bike (that was SOOO muddy), we got to cycle down the road to Audley’s Weir and then the final leg which was the Kayak. Apparently the hard plastic kayaks used this year were a lot more popular than the inflatable kayaks used last year, and I was told by the kayak volunteer that I got one of the faster kayaks, but I think he just told all the girls this. Lesson 6: Never believe the volunteers on the final leg – they only tell you what you want to hear!

I had the time of my life on Sunday. It was fun; it was challenging; some of it was difficult; parts of it were painful; most if it were inspiring. All the I met were very down to earth; the competitors are fun, the volunteers were amazing; the BBQ was just sooooo good; Gary’s speech was short!!!!; but most of all, I’m not a virgin any more, I have the photos to prove it; and I will be getting better!

The Endorfiend Sisters