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| Danny- Milford Track |
This week, I did something I've never done before - I was on the support crew for a 12-hour adventure race - the "ARC" (Adventure Racing Coromandel). http://www.arcevents.co.nz/arc-adventure/
We drove 5 hours to arrive at our campsite about 3PM.
When camp was set up, everyone went for a swim.
Most of the details of the race were kept secret until the official race briefing at 7PM. After getting details, each team went back to camp to plan their routes.
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| Noah's team planning their routes |
Each team was given a series of maps with checkpoints worth different points. Some checkpoints were mandatory and others were optional. Teams had to decide whether it was worth the time to go get the optional checkpoints.
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| Oak's team |
Race start time was set at 6:30AM, so we were awake by 5:00AM.
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| Early morning - sleeping bags in MAVY |
First event was a raft-building and riding competition, about 30 minutes of hard paddling/swimming.
Then came a bike ride up the coast.
Here is a photo of what the support crew was setting up while the team was biking.
Competitive teams try to keep their transitions to about 3-5 minutes, so it's a mad scramble when they arrive - changing shoes, re-filling water packs, eating as many calories as possible.
Next came a trek/run along the beach and up and down some foothills, about 2 hours. Another transition point (provided by the support crew).
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| Oak's team in transition |
Then a bike-ride into town, including a spin around a mountain bike course and a stop for some rifle shooting.
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| Danny and Calum take off on bikes |
Then another trek/run into a gorge, with a rope across the gorge and some checkpoints that required swimming in the river.
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| Noah's team |
The gorge provided one of the more exciting moments of the race. Several adults were walking up the gorge to see if we could see the ropes course, when George, one of Noah's teammates, came running back down the trail toward us with a torn shirt, yelling, "Something terrible has happened!" We all imagined the worst, but thankfully no one had broken a bone. The team had taken a wrong turn due to some ambiguity on the map, and instead of backtracking on the trail, they'd decided to ford the river. It turned out to be steeper than anticipated and gave them a good scare.
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| They came down the cliff on the left (unpictured). They had to climb up the bank on the right. |
The last leg of the race was a bike to a trig on top of a mountain. Very long ride up and then a glory ride back down to the FINISH LINE!
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| Noah's team |
This is what Joyce and Sage did most of the day...
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| Rolling around like puppies |
A memorable moment was watching Calum's leg's cramp up over and over again at the end of the race. You'd have to know Calum to know why this was so memorable - he's larger than life already.
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| Danny and Calum |
The first cramp was a crack up, with Calum's exaggerated faces and Calum-only sorts of noises, but when the cramps kept going on and on and on and on, and then switching muscles, and then back to the first muscle, etc, etc, it was terrible and funny all at the same time.
Several other kids had hilarious stories of what happens when you get a leg cramp while clipped into your mountain bike.
We got back to camp about 7:30PM and prepared a big dinner. These aren't the type of people who choose to go out to eat.
After packing up camp the next morning, we got to listen-in on an adventure race de-briefing.
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| Highpoint? Lowpoint? What did you learn? The adventure racing coach is the man on the far right. We are very thankful for him and the excellent program he has created at New Plymouth Boys' High/Girls' High. |
We missed WOMAD to go to this adventure race! I can hear the bass beats coming from WOMAD even as I write this! Here is a link to WOMAD movie that Mike made last year. WOMAD is a big deal here in our relatively small community of New Plymouth.
Books of the Week:
Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice, the Servants' Story. |
| Thanks, Jen! |
We listened to this in the car on the way to and from the Milford Track. Reminded me of Peace Like a River by L.Enger, but on a YA scale. Nice ending pulled everything together.
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| Thanks, Stacy! |
Other noteworthy events...
The last few weeks were bookended by once-in-a-life trips. Mueller Hut with Mike...
And then the Milford Track with Mike, Danny, Oak, Mercy, and our friend and district president, Harry G.
Between these momentous events, we enjoyed more normal happenings, such as....
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..."sprint" runs on Monday nights for FHE,
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| The boys run fast and try to beat their friends. We girls come along a little slower... |
...and watching Noah's volleyball.
It's been a big month, and I'm very grateful for all we've experienced. I'm also grateful now to settle in to a more regular routine!
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