2021 HARD FALL AR

2021 HARD FALL ADVENTURE RACE

Race report courtesy of Kit Vreeland

Executive Report: “Ride with Gratitude” – Kingdom Trails slogan

I would like to start my race recap with a land acknowledgement: the Hard Fall brought racers through the beautiful Northeast Kingdom, the ancestral and current homelands of the Abenaki who have stewarded this land for thousands of years. For more information on native lands, you can search by town or zip code at https://native-land.ca/.

I am beyond grateful for all the hard work and energy from the GMARA, the RD Tom Martin, and the volunteers, and of course thankful to the landowners and local organizations that were essential in making this race possible. Highlights include spectacular Vermont leaf-peeping, cliffs and whitecaps on Lake Willoughby, corn mazes with giggles galore, quesadillas from the food truck at the Village Sport Shop, so many reflective eyes joining us on our hike, a beaver that swam under our canoe, and crossing paths with an abundance of good friends and racers along the way to close out the race year. I find my identity in the AR community, and I am forever grateful to all the wonderful people with whom we share the joy of racing and adventuring. THANK YOU Cliff and Evan for teaming up with me for this unforgettable experience in the state I call home.

Pre-Race
Noting last-minute changes to many other teams, along with the predictable gremlins causing pre-race mishaps, it was clear that very few teams were headed into this race 100%. We decided to level the playing field by flaring up Cliff’s back injury and infecting the lead nav with strep throat the week of the race. “A good ibuprofen + antibiotic + Dayquil + caffeine + electrolyte cocktail does a body good,” they say. (See vomit-risk later in this write up…)
But we were determined to race with the primary goals: 1. have fun, 2. race sustainably, 3. meticulous navigation, and 4. if none of those happen, have fun anyway. Evan and I were stoked about adventuring in the Northeast Kingdom, having frequented the Kingdom Trails. As always, the pull of adventure outweighed what others (outsiders?) may consider common sense… I think that describes the experience of every adventure racer, right? I love our AR community: solidarity in the healing power of adventure includes the “healing powers” of sleep deprivation, hunger, physical and emotional exhaustion… preaching to the choir.

Maps and Strategy
Saturday morning check-in at 7:00am – I love a good late start! We had 2 hours with the maps before loading busses to the start, and a quick overall preview clearly revealed this course was definitely not clearable by our team within 24 hours. All the tickly happy feelings coursed through me at this revelation. I love rogaines, and when the importance of strategy is intensified compared to fitness. We at Strong Machine will never be the most fit at a large race (we are aware of our genetic dispositions, but thank you mom and dad for other gifts you endowed). This was also my first opportunity to be the lead navigator in a 24 hour race. I’ve honed my strategy in many 12-hour races with relative success, so I was grateful for the reins, trust and confidence from Evan and Cliff. Information gathering about the course and consideration of team strengths and weaknesses commenced:

Our collective strength is in biking, and with a leg up on local knowledge of Kingdom Trails.
Opening Trek: controls were worth different point values (25/50/75/100), with the requirement of 100 points to get 1 CP. Clarification: you have to get multiple controls just to get 1 CP. Considerations: significant elevation gain requirements, distances, having to nail nav for multiple controls in order to obtain 1 CP, and Cliff’s back flares mostly on uphill foot travel. We can get more CPs biking in Kingdom, as well as in the later small treks, than we can in this opening section. Strategy: drop most of these points, save the elevation stress, back pain, and time for obtaining other CPs.
Biking in Kingdom Trails: we plotted a few different routes for 1. clearing, 2. adapting based on time/conditions/fatigue. Evan’s memory and experience on the trails was instrumental in deciding routes, and we can’t overstate how fortunate we were to have this home court advantage.
Paddling: also a collective strength of ours. The first paddle on Lake Willoughby was straight-forward with no CPs. The closing paddle on the Passumpsic River was long and windy, and local knowledge of little recent rainfall led us to believe the river would be low and slow (couldn’t have been more accurate). I stressed that this would be a much longer paddle than it looks, and we would have to get there before the cut-off to get those low-hanging fruit trekking points along the way. (Cliff spent most of the time catching up with Kate, who had just completed the most grueling and astronomical feat to be accomplished in AR by full-coursing the AR World Championships in Spain. Words can’t express the awe and how proud we are of her. This tidbit also serves to enlighten how Cliff was a bit checked out during map prep, and immediately upon his return, he looked at the paddle and started recommending cutting off C-curves by portaging. Evan and I entertained him for a while but our mental energies linked and we were in clear, unstated agreement that there would likely be no such strategy, knowing the type of boats GMARA uses (heavy, bulky), the river bed terrain, and fatigue factors. Sorry, Cliff, we did proverbially roll our eyes but they were filled with love too!)
“Mystery section”: We used g-maps earlier in the week to scout the land around the race area (like Rootstock, we also considered the dog-sledding sponsors and wondered…?); we found a corn maze. With childish anticipation, we then decided that if the corn maze was not the mystery stage, then we would be unduly disappointed and the race would be ruined. We were sooo excited for a Vermont corn maze, and we were not let down!!! There were no time estimates for this “mystery”, and so we also considered this in our pre-plotting of options in Kingdom Trails.

Side-bar
Okay, I know there are already plenty of side-bars in the above, but this is my first ever race report so I’m taking privileges. I just want to acknowledge that the above sounds a bit hubris-y (to me at least). I’m not usually one to tout success, but here’s the truth:

We had local knowledge which was quite valuable.
We processed a lot of information with accuracy, based on a lot of collective race experience.
We made a very calculated plan, with flexibility, and we stuck to it.
The stars aligned to let us execute our plan. 🡨 This is unspeakably rare in AR and we are so grateful we finally experienced it!!

Spoiler alert: our efforts resulted in the overall win of the GMARA Hard Fall. My teammates are helping me to name the role that we played in this success, to try to lessen the imposter syndrome that sits atop my bike and stares down at me all of the time. Among the first statements I said during the team debrief was that we were “lucky that we won”, to which my teammates admonished and encouraged a different POV: we belong on the podium of this race, always because of a bit of luck, but also because we executed. And I led the team with diligent navigation and decision-making, with the invaluable support, input, and confidence from Evan and Cliff every step of the way. (Those last sentences just crushed the walls of my comfort zone. Send them to print before the imposter negates every good thing this woman is capable of.)

The Race
Short and sweet section, followed by the long and salty version if you feel like endeavoring to read!
The Race: Short Version (skip this and go to the long version if inspired)

Paddle: Lake Willoughby, ~ 1.5 hours of headwind and white caps. We were drenched and I almost popcorned out of the boat. We spent some time exchanging chit-chat with Rootstock and NH Trail Vets before stopping at a dock to dump water. Pretty wild start to a paddle dubbed in the pre-race as “scenic flatwater”, although we heard other teams’ wild included swimming.
Trek: Willoughby State Forest. We took advantage of some trails and the CCC road to make good time and nail the CPs we decided to obtain, securing “300 points” for 3 total CPs. We spent 1.5 hours in the woods for 3 CPs, or 30 minutes per CP. We knew we could get a better payoff for our time in other stages.
Bike: Quick ride through CP1 to the “mystery stage!”
Mystery stage: biking Corn Maze (2 sections) followed by walking Corn Maze! By far my favorite section, and I don’t know if we’ve giggled and enjoyed a section as much as that! Seriously, we had more fun than any of the children were having.
Bike: KINGDOM TRAILS! Thank you, Tom and GMARA, for getting permission to ride here. We hit almost all the goods at KT, including the Village Sport Shop food truck for quesadillas. We ultimately found our way uphill riding to BP1 off Wilder Way, and across Burke on the CCC Road. Vomit-risk reared its full ugly head here, and I had to ask my teammates to stop to let me breathe through it. Re-evaluating our race here, Evan and Cliff reiterated that we were racing #1 to have fun. We finally made it to the Red Trail, where we crossed paths with Rootstock pushing their bikes up this trail. That was a nasty hike-a-bike trail. Rootstock was the first team we had seen since we left the Corn Maze… didn’t see a single other team in all of Kingdom Trails! Their presence is always a boost for smiles and a friendly word. Finally, some downhill made quick work to get to TA4.
Trek: Victory State Forest. We took our time in TA4, Evan and Cliff got some hot food and I tried my stomach with some Coke. Getting a map in my hand perked me up and distracted me from some of the discomfort, and we were off to nab 5 more CPs. A fair amount of elevation here, with our own cut-off looming to get to the boats early, had us strand 5 points, worth 7 CPs (two were bonuses).
Bike: We put on layers to prepare for the fast downhill bike and what was sure to be a cold paddle on the Passumptic River
Paddle: Passumptic River w/ portages and a mini-trek. We got on the water by 3:30, and the dark night made slower travel of the low river. There was fog rising up from the water that reflected on our headlamps, and without sight we stranded our boat numerous times in the shallows. Cliff was a godsend here, sacrificing his feet to the cold waters and rescuing us time and again. We arrived in decent spirits at the Way Point to the Lyndon State Forest, and while the supplemental State map made absolutely no sense to us, we relied on bearings and topography to make quick work of this section, getting 3 CPs in less than an hour. The dawn was making its presence known and our spirits were rising with the light.
Change of plans: two portages later we were surprised with a change of race plan. We were being pulled off the water and given our bikes, told to skip the last paddle CP and head straight to TA6. The race was too long and too many teams would likely miss the finishing cutoff.
Trek: The change of plans gave us time to get the final trek CPs. We set a hard cutoff for returning to our bikes to get to the finish on time, and made quick work of these CPs.
Bike: to the finish, following the yellow path on the map. Family and friends await!

The Race: Long Version, Hard Fall Expedition Race edition

Paddle: Lake Willoughby. About 1.5 hours of headwind and white caps splashing into the boat. In the bow, I was drenched and worried about getting popcorned out. We spent some time exchanging chit-chat with Rootstock and NH Trail Vets before stopping at a dock to dump water. Pretty wild start to a paddle dubbed in the pre-race as “scenic flatwater”, although we heard other teams’ wild included swimming. The scenic part was absolutely accurate as the cliffs of Pisgah and Mt. Hor towered on either side of us, the sight and smell of fall foliage, and the beautiful mid-morning sun set the stage for an absolutely stunning race.
Trek: Willoughby State Forest. We took advantage of some trails and the CCC road to make good time and nail the CPs we decided to obtain, securing “300 points” for 3 total CPs. We spent 1.5 hours in the woods for 3 CPs, or 30 minutes per CP. We knew we could get a better payoff for our time in other stages.
Bike: Quick ride through CP1 to the “mystery stage!”
Mystery stage: biking Corn Maze (2 sections) followed by walking Corn Maze! I don’t know if we’ve laughed so hard in a race before. By far my favorite section, and mainly because Cliff and Evan got a good chuckle at my expense. Somehow Cliff managed to watch me do the same “dead-end” circle multiple times, while partner-in-crime Evan just followed me around and around. Evan left the maze a few corn husks heavier, and Cliff got to ponder the meaning of the word “dibbler”, and “dibble it”, and the like. The maze was filled with young children in unicorn costumes, we were complemented on our “racer” outfits, told by ecstatic little boys where the “horse” and “pig” were (too bad we were looking for CPs), and had a nice walk since the maze was technically not open to racing yet.
Bike: KINGDOM TRAILS! Thank you, Tom and GMARA, for getting permission to ride here. There were 18 CPs in Kingdom Trails, plus 2 Bonus CPs worth 2 each for a total of 20 CPs. We hit almost all the goods at KT. Coronary->Fence Line->River Run->Village Store. Potable water, a working toilet, and quesadillas… great refreshing stop here! New T->West Branch->Bare Back->Culvert->East Branch… ultimately to a high point at Heaven’s Bench for an early evening view of the waning sun and a couple photo ops. We headed to Kitchel’s, quick bop up Last Call, then Evan led us to Ware’s Davis and on up to BP2 past Cliff’s favorite trail: Farm Junk. We attempted CP21 on Moose Alley, dropping our bikes at the base so not ascend this downhill trail on bikes, but ultimately were penalized this point anyway. I get it, kind of.

We had raced only 10 hours at this point and it was unreal to all of us. Time pulled a weird cloak of confusion over us, and as I read Abby’s report from Rootstock, it sounds like we weren’t the only ones.
Up, up, and more uphill riding to BP1 off Wilder Way, and across Burke on the CCC Road. Vomit-risk reared its full ugly head here, and I had to ask my teammates to stop to let me breathe through it. I knew if I started vomiting, our race would be over. I believe there was conversation to this effect: “Evan don’t fart. If you fart it will make me vomit, and if I vomit, I’m not going to stop. And if I don’t stop vomiting, we’re not going to finish.” (Courtesy addition of Cliff). Re-evaluating our race here, Evan and Cliff reiterated that we were racing #1 to have fun. It was here I stopped taking any caffeine, and limited my intake of food to attempt to control the discomfort. Cliff helped advance us to the Red Trail by pushing my bike, and we descended the hiking trail with the hopes it would lessen my heart rate and make me feel better. Crossing paths with Rootstock pushing their bikes up this trail did indeed make me feel better, as I realized it could be worse for us right now. That was a nasty hike-a-bike trail, I did not envy their route choice. Rootstock was also the first team we had seen since we left the Corn Maze… didn’t see a single other team in all of Kingdom Trails! Their presence is always a boost for smiles and a friendly word. Finally, some downhill biking made quick work to get to TA4.

Trek: Victory State Forest. We took our time in TA4, Evan and Cliff got some hot food and I tried my stomach with some Coke. Getting a map in my hand perked me up and distracted me from some of the discomfort, and we were off to nab 5 more CPs. A fair amount of elevation here, with our own cut-off looming to get to the boats early, had us strand 5 points, worth 7 CPs (two were bonuses). My only regret of the course is that we didn’t head for BP4, but at the time, the extra 250ft of elevation and 500m of travel seemed daunting. Sounds so silly right now, but I know we are lucky that decision didn’t bite us at the end.
Bike: We put on layers to prepare for the fast downhill bike and what was sure to be a cold paddle on the Passumptic River
Paddle: Passumptic River w/ portages and a mini-trek. We got on the water by 3:30, and the dark night made slower travel of the low river. There was fog rising up from the water that reflected on our headlamps, and without sight we stranded our boat numerous times in the shallows. Cliff was a godsend here, sacrificing his feet to the cold waters and rescuing us time and again. I won’t mention the time he fell asleep? and drove Miss Daisy right into the massive crooked limbs of a downed tree, and we all had to Matrix our way around the labyrinth of limbs pushing our canoe and bodies around. We arrived in decent spirits at the Way Point to the Lyndon State Forest, and while the supplemental State map made absolutely no sense to us, we relied on bearings and topography to make quick work of this section, getting 3 CPs in less than an hour. The dawn was making its presence known and our spirits were rising with the light. At this point, I knew we were on track to make the race cutoff, but would likely miss the final trek points. I was surprised at the length of this paddle, and reflected that many teams would likely be late to the finish since we were one of the lead teams on the water.
Change of plans: the same previous thought was not lost on the RD and crew, and two portages later we were surprised with a change of race plan. We were being pulled off the water and given our bikes, told to skip the last paddle CP and head straight to TA6.
Trek: The change of plans gave us time to get the final trek CPs. We set a hard cutoff for returning to our bikes to get to the finish on time, and made quick work of these CPs. Although not as quick as VERT, whom we saw running at a clip on the trails past us. I didn’t even know who they were until that moment, and we started gritting our teeth and wondering if that competition would outshine us on the podium. They looked real fit and did not show signs of fatigue… yikes!
Bike: to the finish, following the yellow path on the map. Take a left out of the TA, Kit! Oops, my first real misdirection and it was at the very end. A quick recovery, but it allowed just enough time for Rootstock to seize the glory and pass us at the finish. Damn they are fast.

A good breakfast, Kingdom Coffee, friends and race stories capped off the morning, and while I vow to never race that sick again, I am so grateful that for this time, I pushed the boundary. The course was perfect, we stuck to our plan and strategy, and the stars aligned to allow us to execute our plan. Evan and Cliff were the BEST teammates to experience this race with, and I can confidently say this was one of my favorite races yet.