2009 USARA Nationals

Good race, bad results. We worked well together and had a great pace when we were able to do work. Fitness was never an issue for us, we were fast and could pick it up when we needed to. Mechanicals and rookie mistakes got us in the end. We did not deserve to win... GraniteAR raced a good race and are the new National Champs, well done guys!

Here are our cliff notes from the race:

• -It rained 5" the day before the race so everything was under water and real wet/muddy.
• -Race started almost on time at a cool location.
• -Hammered out to lead on bike
• -Got flat tire
• -Hammered back to peleton
• -Got flat, found torn tire in tread (Not sidewall). Used a bar wrapper and duct tape to fix.
• -Hammered on Canoe, forgot to get CP 5 when we paddled past it.
• -Portaged 2 miles in kick ass recovery move with canoe, finished 15 minutes out of first
• -Bike, run, bike, flat, run, 2 Flats (Mari and RVG), switch RVG rear tire with Mari's front tire, problem solved.
• -Mud bog on bikes
• -RVG birthday celebration begins at midnight
• -Realized we did not bring second map, poop pants, then wait for team to follow on a large out and back section.
• -RVG got attacked by an armadillo on his bike. Almost decapitated critter with rear spokes.
• -Swam to an underwater earthen dam at 3:30am. RVG finds large snake in water under control flag, mostly likely poisonous type that likes the south. Glenn Tells RVG to throw a stick at it an get going
• -Crawled, bushwhacked in swamp and thorns for 2 hours, nearly found the CP and started over again. Glenn finds snake in another bog and runs away the wrong direction while RVG suggestes that Glenn just throw a stick at it a press on.
• -Hammered the mud bog.
• -Finish, eat, sleep, eat waffle house, sleep, last team at party since our room was next door.
• -Road trip after party to Gainseville with CPZero for Ice Cream.
• -Try to go to a cowboys game after dropping MC off at airport. Instead G goes to church at the hilton with Rev Jeremy and I people watched in the lobby.
• -Go to tequilaria to night cap in DFW airport.