LOCALadk Magazine

54 Summer 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk The Race I live in the southern Adirondacks near the start line for TATR, and have been obsessed with the Grand Depart for years. I spend long hours strategizing, honing my equipment to decrease the weight I carr y, and training—all in an attempt to do a little better each year. For me, it has also become a focal point for keeping in shape. There are challenges on TATR that seem insane at times: deep mud, downed logs to hoist your bike over, two river crossings, carr ying sufficient amounts of food, and calcu- lating water vs. time to ensure you have enough between water sources. Even with an abundance of lakes, rivers, and streams in the Adirondacks, water can be an issue when you are sleep deprived or in the zone pushing out a 100 -mile day. During my first race, in 2016, I cursed my freakishly short legs. Right on day one, as soon as I rode into the woods, I encountered one enormous log after another. Making things worse, I had thrown all bikepacking rules to the wind and packed far too heavy. This knowledge haunted me as I threw my entire 115-pound frame into pushing that 77-pound bike up ever y steep hill. The weight was an obstacle of my own making. I feared running out of water and food, because I knew that I would ride really slowly between resupply points. I carried far too much that first year. Since then I have dropped weight off my bike. I have also been able to cover more miles each day of the race as my fitness has improved. My current race setup is 52 pounds—a significant difference. By day two of that first year, however, still pushing that loaded bike uphill in the woods, I realized I would definite- ly be the last to finish; but I would finish — I was that deter- mined. By midmorning on day three I was still in the woods. Even though I hadn't yet reached the first 70 -mile resupply point at Speculator, I had decided to enjoy the ride. So I cre- ated a journal to keep myself going. I had enough food and water! Besides my short legs and weighted-down bike, I also suf- fered from a technology deficit. Not fully understanding how to use my GPS to efficiently follow the route led me off course far too many times. My determination kept me going, even when I was truly lost for 26 hours, nearly out of water and sleeping in a condensation-drenched tent after stum- bling into a waist-deep swamp. However, ever y low point on TATR (especially this one) seemed to be followed by meeting terrific people. After I backtracked down a skidder trail, then a logging road, and back to a dirt road, Bill Waite and his family took me in for the night at the Oswegatchie Educational Center. While there, they oriented me to my map, and then sent me on my way, well-rested and well-fed. In fact, all challenges paled when I met Adirondack locals, who were kind and gen- erous—trail angels often going out of their way to help me.

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