― Dr. Seuss: Oh, the Places You'll Go!
The Race
The Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge is a five-day (stage) adventure race run annually in Tasmania by Mark Webber's Charitable Foundation. This year's race supported two charities being: Whitelion, a charity for disadvantaged youth and the Save the Tassie Devil Program. As a pairs race, I was fortunate to be racing with frequent training partner Mark Duncan under the banner of Team Rexona; one of the major supporters of the race.
This years course was set by well known hard man John Jacoby and was a true racers course. Each day was designed so that it was achievable for everyone, but with considerable time bonuses on offer for those brave enough (read: those wanting to win) to take on some epic extra kilometers that may or may not result in a nett time benefit at the end of the stage. This meant strategy and clean navigation were vitally important, and cut-off times and bonuses needed to be carefully considered when planning the day's route.
This years course was set by well known hard man John Jacoby and was a true racers course. Each day was designed so that it was achievable for everyone, but with considerable time bonuses on offer for those brave enough (read: those wanting to win) to take on some epic extra kilometers that may or may not result in a nett time benefit at the end of the stage. This meant strategy and clean navigation were vitally important, and cut-off times and bonuses needed to be carefully considered when planning the day's route.
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| Mark Webber and Guy Andrews (Team Tasmania) planning their route on Day 1, Freycinet Lodge. |
I simply couldn't to go into the full details here of the many head to head battles, nav errors, strategies, spills, thrills and hills that made up our race; it is simply too extroadinary an adventure. However, I will summarise some of the key moments of each day so you can get some appreciation of what its like, racing in your own Dr. Seuss style adventure. Or you could just sign up and race yourself next year..... ;-)
Start - Freycinet Lodge.
2km Orienteering
9km Kayak
35km MTB
6km Run incl. 100m Abseil
13km Run
6km Kayak incl. 3km Run
Finish - Saffire Resort.
Race Time: 7:49 hrs; 6th Place
“Being crazy isn't enough.”
― Dr. Seuss
― Dr. Seuss
Good times:
The highlight of any race at Freycinet will always be the paddling. Crisp, clear water in simply beautiful surroundings. The paddling here is so serene on a clear day that it was once listed as #4 on a popular 'things to try before you die' list. But we were racing(!), and had a fairly clean run on the orienteering so were just behind the French Teams Renault #1 & #2 in the main chase group with Team Pure Tasmania (Jarad Kohlar and Emma Weitnauer), Team IronHouse (Mark Padgett and Mark Hinder) and Team Save the Tassie Devil ('Ace' Petrie and Sean Mennitz).
My nostalgia moment for the day was swapping turns on the front with Beijing Olympic K1 500 Gold Medallist Ken Wallace's team wash riding us for a while, and subsequently setting ourselves up well for the day with a strong paddle (as would later become our strength for the race). Also, for those of you that have been to Wineglass Bay, running along the beach there was pretty handy too! This is a beautiful part of the world.
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| Mark and Guy (Team Tasmania) on the paddle. Behind us :-D |
The last 4km of the second (and optional) run definitely hurt lots of the teams that chased bonus time on day 1. Most of the leading teams hadn't gone back through transition after the abseil (we had) and consequently ran out of water, and nutrition. The running was constantly up / down across rocky gully lines and really hard on the quads after some significant climbing throughout the run. In the end, I was pretty glad when we hit the water for the final paddle!
Take-away from the day:
On the optional run leg I foolishly decided to leave the checkpoint descriptions behind, thinking the checkpoints were on really obvious features. However, when we got there it turned out one of the major features was mapped wrongly, and hence we spent ages looking for the checkpoint because we didn't know exactly where to look. Tomorrow Mark will look after control descriptions, I'll nav!
Day 1 Links:Official Highlights Video
http://youtu.be/x_OTJCzNrF0
Team Red Bull's Video Blog
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Video/swisse-mark-webber-tasmania-challenge-2011-day1-021243134543403
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| Teams Renault #1 & #2 ascending steeply to the start of the abseil. |
Start - Fortescue Bay.
100m Swim
11km Kayak
17km Run
20km MTB
7km Run (through the Port Arthur Historic Site)
6km Kayak
7km Run
Finish - Basket Bay.
Race Time: 7:48 hrs; 6th Place (after penalties, 2nd before)
“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
― Dr. Seuss
Good times:
Day 2 was the highlight of the race for me. The opening paddle around Fortescue Bay was genuine ocean paddling and took in checkpoints at the Lanterns, the Totem Pole (a famous climbing area), secluded bays and shipwrecks. This was followed by an epic run/trek through wet rainforest to the top of Mount Fortescue, and down the other side, to collect some bonus checkpoints worth big time (or so we thought). We ended up in a tight tussle with the lead bunch again (with GAs, JKs and the French teams), but managed to pull into second with some hard running on the boardwalks over the plateau. To give you some idea how tough this leg was, it took us over 2 hours to complete the first 9km (for a 90 min time bonus), but only about 40mins for the last 8km (including another 90min bonus)!
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| Heading out of CP 1 at the Lanterns (us on the right). |
Sitting in second place behind Team IronHouse, Mark and I made a strategic decision to skip the final bonus time checkpoint thinking it wouldn't be worth the long slog to the top of the hill and back for the 40 mins of bonus. We had a good gap on Team Pure Tasmania (Jarad and Emma) in third, and the French Renault Team (4th) were last seen bush bashing through some thick coastal scrub. Unfortunately, we overestimated the time it would have taken to get the checkpoint, and rather than taking a 5-10 minute hit (thinking it would take 30 or so minutes), we ended up losing about 30 on our main rivals (it took less than 10 min). This was further compounded by a 20 min penalty for an incorrect checkpoint answer at Port Arthur to leave us 50 minutes down after finishing 10 minutes ahead. This was pretty frustrating after racing strongly all day, but what do you do? That's racing!
Take-away from the day:
Today we learnt from the mistakes of day 1, but made an obvious (in hindsight) strategy error. I'm not sure there's much too take away from that, maybe we should have planned better the night before, but I think we were caught off guard with how competitive we were today. On the whole, I'm pretty happy, that was ace!Day 2 Links:
Official Highlights Video
http://youtu.be/aAr8bb2_Nd4
Team Red Bull's Video Blog
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Video/swisse-mark-webber-tasmania-challenge-day2-video-021243134907702
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| Team Renault #2, trying to run us down after they lost time in the paddle. |
Day 3: Bruny Island
Start - Gordon Campsite.
13km Kayak
35km MTB
10km Run
25km MTB
7km Kayak
10km MTB
Finish - Allonah.
Race Time: 8:02 hrs; 3rd Place
“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from
ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all
ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”
― Dr. Seuss
― Dr. Seuss
Good times:
Day 3 we were determined to make up for the misfortune of Day 2 and were rewarded with a long first paddle leg that we could really open up on. We pushed hard from the start and eventually formed a lead group that included Team Tassie Devil ('Ace' and Sean), Team Tasmania (Guy and Darren), Team IronHouse (Padge and Mark H) and us (Team Rexona). Ace and Sean did a lot of work on the front, and Padge kept us on our toes with a few hard attacks. They ended up somehow filling their boat with water, so dropped back and Teams' Tassie Devil, Tasmania and Rexona all hit the beach more or less at once with daylight in second. Out onto the bike this meant rolling turns on the front until we split on the way to the second checkpoint.... Padge can explain where they went after that ;-)
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| Team's Tasmania, Rexona and Tassie Devil hitting TA1 in the lead Day 3. |
Tough Times:
I'll remember Bruny Island as a day for the strong men. Two thirds of the way through the run/trek/scramble we were leading the race, but got overhauled by Tasmania (Guy and Darren) and Renault #1 who were simply stronger in the terrain. Maintaining momentum whilst running through shin deep mud with sword grass above your head and fallen logs every 5 meters is not-surprisingly hard work and the strong men came to the fore. Not to mention the leeches...
Take-away from the day:
Anyone who knows me would be familiar with the fairly large and recent scar under my right knee. After over 5 hours of running on day two I was pretty keen to ensure my knee was operating as it should and do some 'pre-hab' by getting the race physio to check it out even though I didn't have any pain. Emily had a good look over it, and declared it operational, but ordered some massage for my calves that were very tight. I booked in to see Emma and was quickly sorted out. The girls from BodySystem (based in Hobart) were fantastic and by getting checked out I knew my legs were in good shape. No excuses now!
Day 3 Links:
Official Highlights Video
http://youtu.be/yzKOGX7oDIY
Team Red Bull's Video Blog
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Video/swisse-mark-webber-tasmania-challenge-day3-video-021243135353437
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| Team Tasmania (Darren and Guy) in the lead after the swim-bike-paddleathlon. |
Day 4: Hartz Mountains
Start - Kermandie Plain.
16km Run
35km MTB
4km Run incl. 100m Abseil
20km MTB
15km Kayak
Finish - Judbury Reserve.
Race Time: 7:46 hrs; 4th Place
“It's opener, out there, in the wide, open air.”
― Dr. Seuss
Good times:
Another long run leg, another epic. Day 4 opened with the entire field running past an indistinct track junction about a km into the first run leg and ending up more or less lost in the middle of nowhere. We relocated relatively quickly and along with Renault and the UK media teams, finding the junction first, and made good headway towards our run goal of the day on Hartz Peak. Its pretty amusing in hindsight though that a media team was actually leading the 'elite' race at that point in time. We again trekked strongly, through more shin deep mud and hit the plateau (over 500m higher than the start) along with IronHouse who had raced hard to catch us. In the end only a small number of teams collected all of the bonus CPs on the plateau before the cut-off and we exited the TA in second, just behind the leaders.
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| Us (Team Rexona) and Team IronHouse leading the way across the Hartz Plateau. |
Tough Times:
Day 4 was tough for me. I just felt 90% all day after missing some early food on the run. It was also the first day where the nav got more difficult. The area was extensively logged and the map was 1:100,000 scale so about 50% of what you saw was actually mapped, and not all of what was mapped was right. This saw Renault #1 and Red Bull both lose time, and me descend into a bit of constant paranioa always being a lttle bit unsure about exactly where we were. Add to that a flat tyre, and a small nav mistake that meant we had to wait at the abseil and I left the day feeling a little flat with my performance, and apologetic to Mark.
Take-away from the day:
Looking back at Day 4 I can't help but think of the old orienteering adage that you can't ever gain time in a race, only lose it. We didn't really have any massive dramas all day, but a series of little things like not being able to get my long tights off, flats, some minor nav errors, waiting at the abseil, jamming our boat into some rapids etc. all cost us time. None of these on their own were noteworthy events, but food for thought nonetheless. If you want to win, these are the things that make a difference. Small mistakes add up.
Day 4 Links:
Official Highlights Video
http://youtu.be/3_OHoMGv6RU
Team Red Bull's Video Blog
http://www.redbull.com.au/cs/Satellite/en_AU/Video/Navigation-issues-on-day-4-of-Mark-Webber-021243135542374
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| The French chasing, again, after losing time in the Kayak, again. (Bruny Island, Day 3). |
Day 5: Hobart
Start - Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart Foreshore.
Run / MTB / Paddle to 9 Hobart Peaks.
At least one of each discipline.
6 Hrs Cut-Off Time
Finish - Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart Foreshore.
Race Time: 4:33 hrs; 5th Place
Total Race Time: 35:58hrs, 5th Place
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
― Dr. Seuss
Good times:
The final day had arrived and so had the opportunity to actually do 'route choice.' Today's brief was a complete choose your own adventure where you had to collect checkpoints on 9 of Hobart's Peaks in 6 hours (or less) by boat, foot or bike. Each discipline had to be used to collect at least one peak, and that meant running in PFDs and carrying paddles to a 'peak' in order to prove you kayaked there. This was a real hoot and a great way to finish the race. Our strategy was to primarily minimise paddling, and run only those we could easily link together. The rest could be collected by bike; climbing early, descending late. Despite 6 different route choices across the top 6 teams we all finished within 10 minutes of each other, and we pipped JK and Emma by about 2 seconds. Classic racing.
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| Emma smashing it with the big boys on the Derwent. |
Tough times:
Almost surprisingly Day 5 wasn't too bad. Sure, I was pretty heavily medicated for a skin infection I'd developed on Day 4 and I suspect Mark was hurting on the bike, but overall we were travelling OK. No injuries, major crashes, or serious illness. No dérailleurs held together with cable ties or gel wrappers in slashed tyres. Not even a stomach upset (the Shotz bars, gels and electrolytes had all gone down a treat). So for all of the things that could have gone wrong, fortunately none had.
Take-away from the day:
By now we'd backed up five consecutive days of racing, but Mark commented that he was feeling fresher in the mornings than he had the day after the Anaconda race at Lorne despite the previous days racing being tougher than Anaconda had been. We wondered whether the body knew it was racing again and modified how it recovered between the two events but, I suspect we'll never know! The other related take-away is the value of good sports nutrition and its effect on performance and recovery. We'd both relied heavily on our Shotz gels, bars and electrolytes for nearly 36 hours of racing without a single hiccup. As a person who has previously had problems with other products this reinforces that if you want to race to win, its getting the little extras right that often makes the difference.
Day 5 Links:
Official Highlights Video
http://youtu.be/fI1NTqjMioE
Team Red Bull's Video Blog
http://www.redbull.com.au/cs/Satellite/en_AU/Video/Team-Red-Bull-conquers-Hobart-on-day-5-021243135782757
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| JK (Team Pure Tasmania) exiting the TA in Hobart. |
What we can take away from the race?
Positives:
What an amazing race! I think we paddled really strongly and equally had some really great run legs where we were able to compete with all but Team IronHouse. At an overall level we were also really competitive for probably four of the five days and if not for the bonus time damage on day 2 we would have been on the podium. Either way, our overall result is fantastic given the quality of the teams ahead of us (and behind us). This is even more special given both Mark and I have both had serious trauma injuries this year, and really only had limited prep for this race. Knowlesy has done a great job getting me in shape, and I couldn't be happier with how my fitness is coming along.
Its also worth acknowledging the wonderful opportunity provided to us by Rexona and Octagon to compete at this years race. The Mark Webber Challenge has been one of a small number of things on my bucket list since I very first started AR and I wasn't sure I'd ever be good enough to get a spot. So to Rexona and Octagon for giving us that opportunity: Thank you!
Its also worth acknowledging the wonderful opportunity provided to us by Rexona and Octagon to compete at this years race. The Mark Webber Challenge has been one of a small number of things on my bucket list since I very first started AR and I wasn't sure I'd ever be good enough to get a spot. So to Rexona and Octagon for giving us that opportunity: Thank you!
Areas for improvement:
Looking back there are lots of small things to improve that will gain minutes here and there, and really get the team motoring. Little things like working out faster transition strategies for mandatory gear, techniques for navigating on tourist maps (where you can't easily read the detail on the move), ways to communicate nav strategy with your partner/team when on the move etc. are all areas for thought. We don't get to experience racing in teams often so its important to make sure we improve on the little things. Practice, practice, practice.
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| Running across the Hartz Plateau, no time to take in the view. |
So, where to from here? After a short amount of time off we’re again returning to Falls Creek in January for some altitude training and some equally serious coffee drinking. My trusty Merida 96 is definitely due for a clean and probably a service at MBC after taking a fair beating in Tas, but performing beautifully as always. Beyond that it'll be back into racing with the 28k Two Bays Trail Run, and the Silva DuO AR in late Jan.
Soph's also done her fair share of supporting me at races so it'll be lap scoring duties for me for a while now that the summer track season has started. At least 5 and 10k track races are over quicker than ARs; if only AV were on time ;-)
“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss
Soph's also done her fair share of supporting me at races so it'll be lap scoring duties for me for a while now that the summer track season has started. At least 5 and 10k track races are over quicker than ARs; if only AV were on time ;-)
“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss
good report Aaron. Sounds like a quality course.
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