Race Day - Part Drei

So, where were we? Oh, that's right..........exhausted and weary! At least we weren't lost. We faced a big decision at checkpoint 4. Trek for 26 miles or get back on the bikes and pedal 15 more miles to the next checkpoint on the "short course". As unappealing as the idea of getting back on the bikes was, humping 26 miles up and down hill, with one team member nursing a sprained ankle, was even less appealing. Begrudgingly, we decided to subject our sore backsides to 15 more miles in the saddle. After a quick meal and rest, we filtered water and headed out for checkpoint 9, following winding back roads. Some time around 4:00 a.m. I began to fear that I might fall asleep while riding my bike and either go burning into the woods, or take out one of my team mates riding near me. Neither would be good or remotely beneficial. We pulled into a church parking lot and made ourselves cozy, right there on the asphalt, using our packs as pillows. By this time in the morning, it actually began to feel a bit chilly, so the asphalt felt great. We managed to sleep for about 45 minutes before getting up and finishing the ride to checkpoint 9. The sleep was very good and very necessary. As we checked in at checkpoint 9, we changed into our regular shoes and pulled the map out to plot our way to the next checkpoints. While we were doing this, we witnessed two of the three teams that would eventually finish officially run into the checkpoint and exit just as quickly, leaving us all feeling just a tad demoralized. It's also probably safe to say that those "Premier Teams" didn't stop and take a 45 minute nap on the course. The morning sky was just beginning to show signs of daylight breaking as we stared at the map and tried to figure out how we were going to bushwhack 10 plus miles to the next two checkpoints by the 7:30 a.m. cutoff for the canoe leg. As we were pondering this dilemma, we noticed another team, who was down to three members after dropping one man in the middle of the night, sitting there. They told us that they had already gone out on foot in search of checkpoint 10, bushwhacked up and down hill, got lost and decided to return to 9, where they threw in the towel. As the four of us stood there with the knowledge that we could find ourselves in the same boat, possibly out of food and water, exhausted beyond belief, and lost in the woods, we made the ego crushing decision to hand in our passport and remove ourselves from the race. Our race was over. As we all stood there, looking at each other for a long while, we finally agreed that our decision was sound and right. None of us are "quitters" by nature. We wouldn't have been there together in the first place, putting our minds and bodies to that sort of test if that were the case. DNF are three letters that none of us are accustomed to seeing on race results. Considering the difficulty of the terrain, the crazy heat and the fact that only three teams of thirty six officially finished, we're actually okay with that. The whole experience only made us better and stronger, and we will no doubt return next year. I will finish this post by saying that I have nothing but respect and admiration for my three fellow team mates. Great job guys! "Thrive Outside"