User Tools
Sidebar
Re: Length of the Lake race
Reivers Dustin
07/08/19 #25170
So LG talks me into this. It'll be fun, he says. So we drive north. And we drive some more. Gosh, sure is a lot of trees up here. A lot of dead ones. There was pine beetle going on then. After a long while we get there and it's fun. We meet people who paddle and it all looks like the Great White North. Mark and Rick showed up like they were supposed to. We haggle over which team (LG & RD or Rick & Mark) do which legs. I just agree with everyone.
Don't remember who goes first, but it seemed like the first leg was a long ways. No wind, but they said it might take a while for wind. Then there's some more driving. Then there's some more paddling. The wind was contrary, but they said it sometimes is unpredictable. Then there's some more driving. Then some more paddling. This time it's … well. it's not normal. The wind is in our face. Not fierce wind, but the rollers are really big.
I'm in front. I'm thinking LG should lose some weight because I can't reach the water. Oh. That was a big wave. Cause then I'm up to my chest in water and LG is up in the air. We give over to Rick and Mark. We drive some more. Now that I'm able to look at the lake from the road. Whooley Shit Ahoy Mate. Big monster rollers going the wrong way. I don't look any more. we gotta do the last leg. I'm gasping for air when Mark and Rick come into the hand off. LG says, c'mon it'll be fun. we're in the lead. Hell. What am I gonna do .. walk home?
The last leg wasn't quite so big, but now we could see why the rollers were so big. That is one hell of a long lake. By this time I knew the routine. If I couldn't reach the water (because the boat was so launched on a wave) I just kept the stroke rhythm. I was tired. Nothing mattered. LG said when we landed we were supposed to “kiss the peach” at the end. Somebody needed to kiss my ass first by then. We staggered an shore and sure enough we finished first. Mark and Rick showed up late.
I guess they stopped by the morgue first since that was a higher probability. Found out later that there were many, many DNF's. A couple of OC-6's broke up and people had to be pulled out of the water. We get to the awards diner and people are kinda moving away from our table. We sat through quite a few OC awards, then finally they give first place finisher award. It was quite understated. They gave the four of us a bottle of imitation maple syrup.
I don't remember the ride home. I was hammered flat. Went to the doctor with weird pains. After the second visit he diagnosed Shingles. My wife is convinced I beat myself down enough for the opportunistic virus. If anyone is still reading, I like this race. If the winds would have been right, it would be epic. It was well organized, fantastic venue, fun people, and really a giant event. This should be on everyone's bucket list. Maybe towards the end.
