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?

Who needs a map!

Today I turned a corner in my running. No, I didn't reach a personal best or my longest distance ever. Nothing so obvious as that. Instead I gave someone else trail directions.

You have to understand how big a moment this was for me. When Jen and I first started trail running we got lost on almost every outing. We had a map of the area with written directions for the race course we were training for, but they weren't enough. Something would always trip us up. The worst was in winter when we turned a short run in chilly weather into a two hour trek through snow and ice. It started snowing after we left and we kept making wrong turns.

We have run the same routes for ages, but I always relied on Jen to know where we were. I'd tell her which way to turn, but back the suggestion up with the disclaimer that as long as I think it is one way we should really turn the other. Recently I went running with another friend and although we were on a course I had run countless times, I managed to make a wrong turn to take us almost 2k out of our way. Then on a 6k loop where I'd always run counter-clockwise I took us clockwise - up a huge hill - and didn't even realize my mistake until half way around.

Normally I wouldn't publicize my lack of direction, but I think I may have it beat. Today I ran across two girls on the trail who looked confused and I offered them help. They were about as far as they could get from the parking lot they were looking for. As I carefully told them how to get back I realized I really did know what I was talking about. Once I'd explained the way, I took off in the opposite direction from the girls. The trail loops and I ran into them again about 20 minutes later. They were heading in the direction that I told them to go and would soon be returning to their car.

While the run as a whole wasn't the greatest - the heat was once again kicking my a$% - I gained a little confidence from knowing that I'm at least finally past the point of getting lost.