We were expecting the BRMAR IV to be the same course as last year and anticipated an 8 hour completion time. Surprise! Some changes to the course made it longer than the previous three races. Racing together was our usual 50-Somethings team; Vernon, Cathy, and Zach. This race Mike Dillon was our support person. As usual we were the oldest of the 86 teams competing in the race, which was the largest field ever. The combined mileage for the kayaking, mountain biking, and trail running was over 35 mountainous miles and there were four special events and a river crossing. Race day weather was perfect.
The race started as always at the Shackelford Bridge with a 2.5 mile run over one side of a mountain and down the other side. This year instead of going to the kayaks we did another 4-mile run on the steepest terrain we would experience all day. That added an extra hour to our time. For the kayaking the water was as cold as usual and much higher than usual due to recent rains, so the white water was bigger and faster than usual. We did well on the first section of the kayaking, arriving with no problems at the river crossing and our first special event, the12-foot wall. Although the river was only two feet deep at the crossing, the current was extremely powerful making the crossing over and back very difficult. Before crossing back over we had to retrieve our team number that was suspended about 12 feet in the air. Once we returned to the other side we zipped over the wall in less than a minute.
The second leg of the kayaking which included the Aska Rapids was longer than the previous year. Unlike the previous year we had no problems with the rapids and managed to stay in the kayak throughout the entire section unlike most teams which went swimming. We did experience some frustration when we became stuck on rocks several times. The entire kayaking took about two hours. At the end we had to carry the kayak uphill for a quarter mile to Turkey Farm. Our feet and lower legs were numb from being in the cold water for so long we could barely move up the hill. After dropping off the kayak we completed our second special event in less than 10 seconds and went to the transition to change to dry clothes. Then it was off on the bikes.
Both biking legs were 6-7 miles long mostly on narrow single-track trails with very long and difficult climbs with a few downhills mixed in. We made it through both bike sections without a crash for the first time but not Vernon. He crashed and got a flat at the same time. We were hoping to complete the bike section in about two and a half hours, but with the crash and flat it took us closer to three hours.
At the end of the bike we faced the next special event, the wire traverse. Although many teams had problems with this event, we were easily able to cross with our “treasure” in less than a minute. Our treasure was a gallon can filled with concrete). We transitioned to our last leg, the 11+ mile run. We were maintaining a very fast pace and Vernon was experiencing some difficulties so we left him at Weaver Creek, the half way point and completed the last section in less than a hour and a half passing five teams in the process. We were flying. At the finish line we had to get the two of us over slippery mountain. Like all the special events that day we zipped over and down.
We crossed the finish line in 10 hours and 50 seconds in 59th place out of 86 teams!
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