| July 18-27 | | | | struggle up another granny gear climb along a dreaded |
| A small window of light emitting from my Led, barely | | | | power line trail. As late afternoon approaches, we are |
| guides me through the forest floor. Relentless | | | | elated to exchange our bikes for double kayaks. As |
| mosquitoes still hover around me waiting for their | | | | we launch our boats into Lake Superior a yell appears |
| chance at some of my blood. With each step forward | | | | from a distant cabin, "get your sails up, its rippin out |
| the thick brush hammers my beaten shins. Only twelve | | | | there"! We kindly oblige and before we know it, we |
| hours in to the Eco-Challenge North American | | | | have taken a 20km chunk out of the 180km paddle. |
| Championships and I am already questioning my sanity. | | | | Traveling at night is something few humans do. During |
| Hours earlier I and my Helly Hansen/ Water Tower Inn | | | | an Adventure Race, it is these times that we cherish |
| teammates were joking as we enjoyed the beautiful | | | | as well as curse. If not for the dreaded sleep |
| surroundings from the comfort of a CN Railway car. | | | | monsters, that are constantly reminding you that sleep |
| As we cruised north, it was clear why Race Director | | | | is not an option but rather a necessity, it would be |
| Steve Menzie and Coarse designer Rich Marshall had | | | | easy to keep going. However, as you try to push the |
| choosen this exquisite area. The thick forests in this | | | | sleep envelope your body seems to rebel by inventing |
| region are legendary and only open up as they drop | | | | tricky hallucinations and causing you to have the silliest |
| onto Lake Superior, known for its hazardous conditions | | | | of conversations with yourself and your teammates. |
| as well as its beauty. Hoping from the train and making | | | | Our first sleep came on Tuesday morning as we |
| our way east off the start line across the Agawa | | | | beached our boats on the rocky shoreline, wrapped |
| River was a harsh wake up call for all 40 teams from | | | | our wet bodies in our space blankets and lay down in |
| across North America. | | | | the dirt. Sheltered from the wind I slept like a baby until |
| Soon all teams would be locked into their own | | | | the horrible sound of Bobs alarm reminded me that 45 |
| personal battle against Mother Nature. | | | | minutes was all the sleep I would be getting tonight. |
| Digesting a coffee crisp, I follow the lead of Bob Millar, | | | | Getting up is always a shock as you try to shake the |
| our navigator. Trish Westman and John Shoust round | | | | coldness from your body and continue on. |
| out our team that now sits in third place. As we | | | | Over the next three days, we would travel over |
| stumble out of the bush and onto a logging road that | | | | 200km by bike, canoe up the Montreal and Cow |
| will lead us to Check Point 1 we let out a big cheer. It is | | | | Rivers and push our bodies to the limit. Our total sleep |
| 2:30 am Monday morning and we do not have much | | | | would amount to 1 hour per 24 hours of racing. At |
| choice other than putting our bikes together and "hittin | | | | checkpoints, volunteers could not believe our |
| the road." The cold air forces us to hurry and soon we | | | | enthusiasm. Little did they know that enthusiasm, was |
| are on our way. A golden sunrise greets us as we | | | | all we were running on! |