Solo Performance on this one: Garret Bean made his way up north for this one while several friends came by to check out the event. Unfortunately for the friends, once the racers took off they would not return for near 8 hours. The race started strong, with a quick trip up to the first checkpoint on the bikes. At the first checkpoint, there was an optional orienteering course consisting of 5 points off the beaten path. After nearly half of the race opted out of it, the remaining racers completed it after approximately 45 to 60 minutes. After that it was back on the bikes to the water. A windy day on the lake shortened the course, and the 5 mile kayak through the whitecaps on the lake, proved difficult for many.
Back on the bikes, but because of the difficult kayak and optional orienteering course, racers were spread out all over the place. No one quite had a grasp on their place and who was in front or behind, so people just pushed on. On the way to the main orienteering course, bikers had to ascend what felt like thousands of feet in the thin air to get to some of their checkpoints. Bean's chain broke in two spots, costing him valuable time, but he pushed on to the orienteering course with some catch up to do.
The O course was tough, with hours of bushwhacking and searching for distant checkpoints. Back onto the bikes, and after two flats, Bean was finally moving again. He managed to edge his way in front of a couple more people and then turned in is passport and hoped for the best.
Complimentary beers and massages after the race, cool swag, great people to hang out with, and finding out that he placed second in the solo division and fourth overall made the race well worth the effort and the training.
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