ARC 2016

Packing up at Boys' High on Friday morning.  It seemed like Noah was going to pop into view at any moment...

Link to last year's ARC (Adventure Race Coromandel):  ARC 2015
Last year was the first time that I served as support crew for an adventure racing team!  I've done it quite a lot since then, but obviously still getting the hang of it, since one of the most noteworthy events of the race (for me) was missing our team at the first transition point!
Lots of other unique things happened on this race...

The parking lot outside the Fat Pigeon Cafe in Piopio - 19 Ferraris!
Calum, Sam, Josh

Gorgeous 5-hour drive to Coromandel.
Race briefing at 4PM on Friday.

Race started at 6AM the next morning:

• 34 K mountain bike, 
• 5-8 hour orienteering trek with river crossings, 
• paint balling through an assault course with snipers,
• rifle shooting, 
• and then a 4-6 hour rogaine on mountain bikes.

We missed our team at the first transition!   Luckily, we have a big team, and some of the other support crews had taken a quicker back road, and they were able to send our boys off!
I took this picture from inside MAVY, looking past Mike and Keith to Richie McCaw,
whose support team parked right next to us! His thigh muscles were amazing!

another transition point

Oak shooting 5/5

  

after the race

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Everyone's legs look the same after a race.  

Comparing routes and choices

Then a swim and a "mean feed" at the bach

 

At the debrief session later that night, 3 our of the 4 boys on Oak's team said that "beating our support crew" to the first transition point was their highlight of the day!  (It made them feel fast . . .  they WERE fast!  They came in 30 minutes before the estimated minimum time, and far and away the first out of any of the teams to arrive at the first transition point)