Ever In A Rush.
After working both jobs Tuesday July 14th, I rushed to Comox for the Tuesday time trials. Why do people have to drive so slowly when you need to be somewhere. I managed to get to the spit with about 10 minutes to get my boat off the car and loaded. Rob was there and gave me a hand getting set up in time. We all synchronized watches, and get told the course for the evening, leaving less than 10 minutes to wait before my start time. Being that I had not finished the course a couple weeks before due to an impromptu swim, I got to start with a canoe paddled by a couple of dudes. In my haste getting ready I had left my wing paddle by the car, run back and grab it. Check my watch, 5 minutes to get in my boat and warm up. Hop in my boat and start to put on my spray skirt, which picks this time to be a stubborn mule, not wanting to go on. One of the other paddlers comes over to give me a hand and reminds me that I have 1 minute to go. So much for a warm up.
Here We Go.
I check my watch time to go, start heading out to the first marker, a red buoy. Man how far is that buoy, is it all the way to Hornby Island? Pass through a kelp bed just before the buoy and wondering where is everybody, I figured I would have been passed by now.
Am I Lost?
Round the buoy and realize I am way out in front and don't actually know where I am going, they said a green buoy near the shore out from the spit. Look way out and can't really make out anything on the water as we are heading into the sun. I'm hoping it is by the far shore and make haste. A few minutes later still can't tell where I am going and tentatively look back, I think there are boats heading the same way but not even close to passing me. In the distance I can finally make out something buoy like on the water and something larger like the first buoy but is it on land, I can't tell. Finally round a small black buoy, they said it was green, maybe it is that bigger object. Is it on the water is it green? I don't want to be looked as at a cheater, time to inspect. Well turns out it is a big green buoy, success, only wasted a little time with that small black buoy. Wait there is another buoy, hmm guess I better make sure I go around that one too. It's at this time I realize nope the big green one was the one, that was a waste of time and the canoe is making up ground. Time for a dash to the spit.
Home Stretch.
Start to get pushed out by the river out flow as I pass a sailboat with people cheering me on. I'm starting to think I can hold everybody off, I'm not about to look back. All I know is I don't want to hear paddles hitting water. As I get closer to the beach I'm trying to count the phone poles to determine the 6th one out as it is the finish. One two three four, dang start over, there it is #6 paddle hard I'm not getting passed this close. Off comes the spray skirt, hop out and run to shore, stop the watch. 55 minutes, wow I held everybody off. Sweet, I get to start later next week and don't have to be the rabbit. Tara met me at the finish hoping to get some photos but happened to be on the other side of the spit thinking we were coming in the inside. I wonder who told her that? How was I supposed to know, that was the course I was told about weeks ago. Turns out the big green buoy was the right one and managed to do a bit extra and still hold everybody off. I guess I have a little sandbagging done for next week. I talk to Rob after he got in and found the course was a little over 8km, 2 km further than Jericho Oceanman. Nothing like a little confidence. Time for beer and chips.
Sometimes the rabbit wins.
No comments:
Post a Comment