We Got Lost

I know the race was called, "Don't Get Lost", but we did anyway!

Last weekend, Jen and I signed up and for a 10km orienteering trail run. We did it because next weekend we are doing a 25km orienteering trail run and we thought we should have an idea what this kind of running is all about. We found out - the hard way.

It was the day before Hurricane Sandy was to hit the East Coast and winds and rain were already here, and it was cold. We showed up early for a mini-clinic in navigation. Did I mention we had never used a compass before? Armed with a 20-minute class and a few YouTube videos we set out. I have to say check points one to seven went pretty well considering we had never done anything like this. But at number eight it all fell apart. An hour later we gave up any hope of finding number eight and thoroughly drenched and frozen to the bone, we headed back. We got three more check points on the way in, one thanks to Ralph - Thank you Ralph! And three-and-a-half hours after starting, shivering, we took our first DNF.

It sounds like hell, I know, but actually, it was a lot of fun. In many ways I'm looking forward to the longer run on Sunday, even though I'm terrified it will rain the whole time. But barring that, I think it will be great.

Highlights from our Peak-2-Peak Enduro:

1. Finding the first check point on our first try. Yay for us!

2. Bush wacking from number three to four (not a good idea, by the way). After pushing our way through burrs and thorn bushes, we found the creek on the map. Jen yells, "We found the creek!" followed by, "Correction, we are IN the creek!" Four soakers later we are across the marsh and forcing our way through more thorns.

3. Finding out that the darkest green areas on the map mean "impassable" after our pants are completely covered in burrs and scratched by thorns.

4. The salted almonds that tasted like the best food ever.

5. Being thwarted by a streamer hanging from a tree on the top of a hill we were convinced was number eight. It wasn't.

6. Knowing we were out of our league and this was less than half the distance we were signed up for in the next one.

7. Learning lessons, like not running off into the bushes looking for streamers. Instead, we need to follow "hand-rails" and know exactly where we are at all times.

While it was an experience, I'm not too worried about the 25km run coming up. We have a third member of our team who know what he is doing. And we are experts now too, right?