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September 07, 2005
BAAR Brawl - CA - Feb 2005 pt. 2.5
Three months and seventeen days ago, the BAAR Brawl II, a training race event in Marin County outside of San Francisco ended for all teams except one that vowed to finish no matter how long it took...
On Sunday, May 22, 2005 adventure racing team Dirty Avocados completed the BAAR Brawl II three months seventeen days after the original start of the event. This is a simple story of team dedicated to finishing together no matter how long the wait for one team mate to recover from a race ending emergency room visit.
Roughly three hours into the February race, team member Brian Schmitz suffered a cleanly broken clavicle and had to walk off the course with teammates to the emergency room. After exiting the ER and still in pain, Schmitz confirmed to another team mate that DA would return to the course to do it over again, “we cannot let this injury stop us from finishing the course, we must have our revenge!”
The “do-over” in the case of an adventure race is quite appropriate as long as the course remains somewhat a mystery to navigators. In the case of the Brawl II, the race received many more reports than usual for any event (See Adventure Race Reports at www.zdap.com). However, two of the navigators refused to read any of the race reports and even acknowledge their existence. Those teammates who did read the reports issued warnings to the navigators, which of course went unheeded. Therefore, the Dirty Avocados team (here after referred to as “DA”) was able to enjoy a course full of adventure and Poison Oak, lots of Poison Oak.
Author’s Note: Given the fact that enough race reports have been written about this race I am going to summarize the events on the course your enjoyment of their pain and their glory. Dirty Avocados team member Mark Richardson has written a very detailed report that will be available shortly giving the play by play.
“Take Two” of the race began ten minutes before the February start had at 8:50AM. Team DA avoided the zigzagging switchbacks and ran up the hill the same way they ran up it in February, straight up to CP1 and straight down to CP2 putting them near the front of the pack before.
From CP 3 to 4, DA had cut across the Boy Scout camp just like they had done in February, but according to a troop leader ranger who stopped DA that course was no option on this day in May (They really didn’t know). They knew that one road was marked on the Tom Harrison Pine Mountain Map as, “no access”, but they did not know that the rode they were stopped on was also, “no access.”
They then biked out to and up Serpentine Trail, but with the added distance forced on them by Scoutmaster Stalin. Upon reaching the base of White Hill, they hammered their way up the Hill struggling to remain on their bikes. Will Gilmore then took a fall. “No…not another broken collar bone!” one teammate yelled. Instead, he banged his funny bone. (Little known medical fact #134: funny bones recover about 100,000 times faster than clavicles).
Somewhere between CP 5 and CP 6, on San Geronimo Ridge remained the slope that snapped Brian’s collarbone and ended DA’s first attempt at BB2. Upon reaching that site, the team slowed for a moment of silence.
At this point in back in BB2, DA had also experienced 5 broken chains and one broken spoke. These mechanical issues cost us some time, but did not damage our spirits given the skills of former bike mechanic Mark Irwin and our clever navigators. Will “yank my chain” Gilmore this time had no major bike breakdowns. But this time Adam Doti did. His front disc brake broke before they started. Though, Doti toughed it out like every good racer and rode with just his rear brake, thus, earning the nickname “Uni” for the race. Luckily for him the nickname has not stuck.
Dirty Avocado’s ride up to Bolinas Ridge from CP6 was the same of a hill that everyone else rode/walked. DA arrived at CP8 covered in their first coat of mud, which by the way is an excellent choice for sunscreens.
At the kayak transition, DA was welcomed by the excited and happy faces
of the Blue Waters Kayak staff (yeah, right!). At first, they didn’t understand why they wanted to brave the typical afternoon Tamalas Bay conditions that would keep most rational people in their beds and under their covers. DA Chief Negotiators Mark Irwin and Will Gilmore told them they had just ridden from Fairfax…on trails. After they bowed at their feat with glory, they suited the team up and sent them on our way.
Observing the race’s 10,000 yard travel rule, Mark Irwin and Mark Richardson bagged the kayak CP and they all gladly returned to the transition.
Back on their feet, DA made it to the lake CP and then their navigators made the same choice as many had done back in February. Proving that they had not read the race reports, DA’s navigators led the group west off the lake and into Poison Oak (“PO”) and Stinging Nettle hell.
Slowly, DA went down into a leafy salad of Poison Oak and thorny vines. Upon exiting, they each admired how the sunset shined brilliantly off the PO oil on their gear and the oozing blood from their thrashed limbs. The team had not race together before and therefore a few biases added to the decision making and the motivation to continue in the thick brush:
1. Sunk Cost Bias (“we have gone this far why not a little more”)
2. The Supermarket Club Bias (“look at how much we saved!”)
3. I see the end of the tunnel Bias (a.k.a. “We’re there, dude!”)
However, at least one navigator would do that again any day (and most of the team would go again in a competitive situation).
The sunset and the moon rise were enjoyed running south on a small peninsula out to Champion Point, (the optional extra credit 3 mile run). They would be the only team to take this point plus go the entire course, but that is with more than 3 months of extra preparation.
DA then executed a sneak operation to bag the CP at the farm/cult compound from the south. To lessen the chance of getting shot, mauled by guard dogs, or caught and brain washed they sent in only 3 members.
Brian Schmitz, Jen Stilwell and Will Gilmore were the conscripts choose and had little choice, but to approach the compound on a road with a full moon to their backs. They needed to find out how many nails were used in the gate or something like that. Standing at a post, Gilmore could see a lady reading in a van parked near the gate. Knowing that the pages of her book would hinder her night vision he casually walked over to the gate and began counting nails. No sooner than he had run his fingers over the gate did a tiny dog perk up and started barking and frothing. Then a larger dog joined the fun. That was their cue…to get the hell out of there! In this confused evacuation half the team went one way and half the other leading to a search and rescue operation done without the use of any lights.
Skipping ahead (not literally) stress was relieved as the team later notes that they enjoyed drinking from a stream of cool soft water on Drakes View Trail.
Several teammates slept on the walk-jog on Sir Francis Drake Drive to the transition. They had a very long transition there before heading back out for the second bike leg.
Much of the team would have to leave at Five Brooks (CP23 of 29) due to work and family commitments, but felt quite accomplished and ready for the up coming season of 24 hour races.
After that the remaining Dirty Avocados headed down the Olema Valley and rode up the steepest climb of the race, Randall Trail and then up the rolling Bolinas Ridge Trail line. At the intersection of the Bolinas Fairfax Road and West Ridge DA became witness to a hit-and-run. Aid was offered by DA, but the victims turned them down and headed off in revenge. So, off DA went into the blaring sun on top of West Ridge.
At the last check point, Laurel Dell half of the remaining DA team was having a hard time staying in the game, but gathered water at the steam and rode to the finish without a single complaint. At the finish line all were revived new again and felt a great feeling of pride having had their revenge on this course from hell.
However, after just a mile of driving home Will Gilmore stopped the car and handed the keys to Jen Stilwell who drove to the Mill Valley In and Out Burger. To this day they are both still there sleeping, in a food coma.
Mark Irwin and Mark Richardson made a good decision after some discussion to stop less than fifteen minutes from Irwin’s house in Pleasanton for a quick nap (most accidents happen within a mile of your home according to “experts”).
Adam Doti, said, “I got pulled over in Nicasio. Nicasio!!! of all places at 3:45 AM, in the middle of nowhere, on a small, winding road, out of nowhere.” Adam was pulled over by Marin Sheriff for swerving and speeding. Even with these 2 strikes, he was let off with only a warning and not even a double take on what he was doing out at 3:45 am on a Sunday morning covered in mud, with a headlamp and map clipped to his chest.
Adam Armijo stayed awake talking on the phone to his girlfriend all the way home. How cute.
Elated on his successful “do-over” Brian Schmitz had no trouble staying awake.
DA continued to suffer from Poison Oak for weeks and in fact, most team members can show you their scratch scars to this day.
Dirty Avocados (“DA”) is a Californian team with many teammates from near Yosemite to San Francisco and elsewhere in California. In February, the six team members gathered for the initial assault were Jessie Bolton, Mark Irwin, Jeff Patrick, Mark Richardson, Brian Schmitz, and Will Gilmore. Due to other race commitments plus more injuries in May the team changed out Bolton and Patrick adding Adam Armijo, Adam Doti, and Jennifer Stillwell. For more information about DA contact Will Gilmore at willisnot@yahoo.com .
While we hesitated to write a race report, we wanted to at least share our experience in an entertaining way. We also want to thank Gordon Wright, an unassuming master race director (and former prison warden, as demonstrated by his course selection) and clearly one of the most prolific PR professionals that adventure racing has today.
Thanks again, Gordon for another super BAAR Brawl! We look forward to next year’s!!
_________________
Will
Posted by adoti at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)
Ocean Blue 12-Hour - Half Moon Bay, Calif.
Some highlights and lowlights...
We actually had a very good race. There were a few challenges. Transitions were extremely fast. We probably passed on average of 4-5 teams per transition. Weather was perfect! Cool and foggy. No heat, my kind of race. Kayak we were fast passing more teams than not.
Lowlight.. my knee fired up during a beach run that almost brought me to the ground. This required us to walk at times and were passed by about 4 teams.. but later probably caught up on the ride. This beach run was a total surprise. We ran from the hillside to the back to the CP only to be told "surprise" you need to run down the beach a couple miles to that tiny tiny tiny yellow flag and then come back!
We made good choices in navigation between CPs throughout the race. We only had one screw up. The second to last CP (11?).
I passed it up and overshot it by 200 feet and by only about 1/4 - 1/2 mile. I should have paid attention to the altimeter which was spot on. Because of the heavy fog I missed the reverse fork in the road and the CP up the hill. At this point we were in the top 10-15 (1/3) of the pack and doing very well. leading the mid wolf pack. But because of the searching for the CP we were passed by about 5-6 teams. So barring this error, we would have come in 45-1hour sooner which would have put us around 15th place. Not to shabby. But that's not what happened and we came in 24th, dead middle of pack. Still darn good.
- "The Adam's"
(Adam Doti and Adam Armijo)
Posted by adoti at 12:29 AM | Comments (0)
