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Contents 1 2010 Goldrush Info 2 2010 Goldrush Pictures 3 2010 Goldrush Map 4 2010 Goldrush Results 5 2010 Goldrush Reviews 5.1 Ben's Take 5.2 Stefanie's Take 5.3 Kent's Take

2010 Goldrush Info

• Goldrush 24 YMCA Adventure Race
  • Date: July 24th - 25th
  • Location: Woodstock, GA
  • Event Details: 24 hours
  • Event Description: This event can expect to see canoeing, trekking, mountain biking and navigation to collect checkpoints in a 24 hour cut-off time.
  • Event Points Category:
    • Checkpoint Tracker Day-length Race
  • Teams Registered:
    • Ben, Stefanie, Kent (recruit)

2010 Goldrush Pictures

2010 Goldrush
Team Plotting	Canoe

2010 Goldrush Map

2010 Goldrush Results

• Unofficial Ranking
• Official Ranking
• 3rd overall out of 9
• 3rd coed elite out of 6

2010 Goldrush Reviews

Ben's Take

Stefanie's Take

The Goldrush 24 hour turned out to be exactly what I suspected it would – a heavy foot race. While plotting points the night before, I kept thinking the two maps were very large and spread out. However, I did not express my concern since I do not navigate. I made one smart decision (or what I though) the night before – wearing my road running shoes at the start of the race. This came in handy because we had to run a 12 mile road run in the scorching heat first thing. After the 12 mile run, we made a different decision than most other teams as we went and portaged our canoe down to the water securing the fact we would beat the deadline for that TA. We then went and cleared the upper section of the course. We had estimated that it would take 2-3 hours to do this when in fact it took us much longer. This is the time when having on road running shoes turned out to be a mistake as it was all bushwhack. My feet paid for this the remainder of the race. We did swim down the Etowah for about 1K to avoid having to walk 4K. Time saved or not, it was the best half hour of the race. We finally got in our boat to realize Kent’s paddle had been stolen. So now it was just 2 of us paddling. Within 5 minutes of the paddle (just enough time for us to all get our shoes off and not strap anything in) we rammed a rock and the canoe bent in two. I got washed away in the current clinging to my pack. I could not stand up because of my bear feet. 3 pairs of shoes went down the river. Thank goodness for Wren and Carey who somehow saved all 6 shoes and me. Poor Ben was so upset over his canoe and Kent gave him the saddest look that said it was all over. I almost cried for him. Never fear though in AR there is always another team willing to help save the day. Team Mims the Word came and helped un-lodge the canoe from the rock and then flatten it back out. Somehow the canoe was salvaged! We were able to continue with all packs, all shoes, and all persons aboard. I was a real lazy person in the boat since I did not have a paddle. I just yelled out when I saw a rock. Tough job….We finally made it back to our car in the pitch black and took a 40 minute transition. At this point it was not even a race, but a survival of the fittest. Some great teams had already dropped out. We started what we thought was another 2 hour trek to the bikes and ended up getting lost in a spider web of trails and a poor map to follow. Needless to say, we never made it to the bikes, but got lucky enough to get out of the marshy jungle alive. Again, I believe in total we spent 18 hours on our feet. My pads are just raw.

One special shout out to my fiancé Jamin who sat at the bike transition area for 24 hours guarding bicycles. I had promised him the bike TA would be a bustling place of commotion, but unfortunately, it ended up being a sad place for folks picking up their never ridden bikes and complaining about the poorly planned race. He had such a good attitude the whole time. I was just upset not to see him at all during the race. Thanks Jamo! You are the best!

Finally, to my team mates – Kent and Ben (and honorary teammates Wren and Carey), it was a pleasure racing with each of you. Hopefully my motor mouth did not annoy you or me screaming snake or screaming when I was left alone in the dark or me screaming about those stinging nettles or anything else quirky that I do. I had a blast! You guys were all in such good spirits the entire time. Thanks for letting me race with you! Oh and super thanks for not making me take the canoe back to the car after the race. That was a life saver. I owe you all big time!

Kent's Take

This race should have been called the Goldrush Half Marathon then 48 Hour Adventure Race. Starting a race with a 12 mile road run in that kind of heat was a terrible idea, especially when they already had a shuttle in place to move the 6 and 12-hour people to the end of the run. All that aside we had a pretty good showing on the run thanks in part to the guy who hosed us down in his yard when we were on the verge of overheating. We entered the O-course in third place 7 minutes off the lead (which is pretty much just how we finished, plus a little more time).

Navigation on the the first trek was simple. I did some pre-race recon by satellite, so I knew where the best routes and trails would be. We did make one smart, though accidental, tactical decision by getting the canoe after attaining two CPs to avoid a time penalty incurred by several other teams. Deadfall in the creek made a seemingly innocuous portage horrendous. We paddled up stream a bit before deciding to go on foot to the rest of the CPs. We made good time and good decisions through these and recovered from the run. The float/swim we took back down the river was very pleasant.

Here is where things went wrong. First, my paddle was stolen. Second, sand packed, wet shoes were turning the feet to hamburger. Third, and worst of all, Ben's canoe was wrapped around an object in the middle of the river. When we hit it, everyone did everything right, leaned down stream, paddled through, but it wasn't enough. The canoe came to rest at the exact center point so it didn't get pushed either way. The object was undercut, so the force of the water pushed it down, filling the boat. We all bailed and our honorary teammates, Wren and Carey, paddled back and forth collect our gear (most imporantly shoes). The river had tremendous current at this point and folded the canoe like a "V". My heart felt for Ben, as he stood in the river letting go a string of a obscenities that would make a marine proud. Fortunately, Mim's the Word stopped and helped us pry the canoe free. As soon as it came up, it popped out and looked to be in decent shape, considering the trauma. We piled in and took off. The boat still tracked and paddled well, but as with every other part of this race, the time projections given by management were way off. We got off the paddle way after dark. We were not prepared for this, and it could have been dangerous.

After a refueling, we set off for the "two hour trek (per race management)" that took the rest of the race. Being tired and using a map with future trails on it (didn't help us then), we way overestimated how far we had been. It took us a long time to get back on the map. After we did, we made short work of our last CP and headed back. Race over.

The race had CPs for at least another 12 hours. We didn't even finish the "two hour trek". I scouted Pine Log and know that there was at least six hours there. And then there was the biking in Allatoona. But, we never even saw our bikes. The course was obviously not vetted, in part or whole. A general disaster all the way around from a RD perspective. That may be my last Goldrush.

The company of my teammates, on the other hand, was great. Stefanie talked me through my bottoming out, and I enjoyed watching her freak when she thought she was alone in the dark. I need to get a bridle for Ben, because someday he will cause me to have a heart attack. He is in another league. But, he is always patient and doesn't complain about waiting for me, at least not to me, and that is all I can ask.

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