Squiggy Dash Countown

My first adventure race will be Sunday.

Gotta admit that I'm nervous.  It's very disconcerting to go from a knowledgeable, experienced racer to a complete newbie.  I know I'm asking stupid questions.  This drives me crazy.  But it doesn't change the fact that I don't know the answer to my questions.  Will my rental kayak come with a paddle?  What gear can a borrow?  What gear do I really need?  What should I wear?  Given that I'm racing solo, how am I going to carry all this required gear?

And there is a lot of gear.  Adventure racing is just as gear intensive as triathlon.  Once again I'm relying on the kindness of friends to get me through this first race.  Riding my mom's old mountain bike.  the same bike that took me through my first triathlon.  Borrowed cheapo hydration pack.  Borrowed bike multitool and extra bike bag. Might have to use ZipLoc bags for my map case.  Ah!

On the bright side, I shouldn't run out of fitness. This is only a 3 hour race.  On the other hand, this is not a triathlon on well marked roads with volunteers at every turn handing out water.  It's me, the supplies and a map in a fairly large wilderness area.

For all of my pre-race jitters, it is fun to feel the excitement of the unknown again.