We returned to the start of stage 2 for the Ultra (3 day) and Diamond (6 day) athletes prior to race start. The athletes were sleeping in orange dome tents with a stove inside to keep them warm. The only complaint I heard was some of them didn’t bring a sleeping pad so they slept on the snow.
To demonstrate toughness, Race Director Scott Smith and one of the official camera photographers, Morten Hilmer from Denmark slept outside with no tent. I heard the temperature on the lake hovered around – 30 C.
I spoke to some of the athletes and volunteers about yesterdays very tough, ugly and brutal stage. Their comments are not pretty:
RN 415 – Took over 9 hours to finish the stage with his wife, didn’t eat enough and had a cold coming on
RN 418 – Why would a man my age (50) do a race like this? He was still questioning himself when I left him
RN 404 – I slipped off my sleeping mat last night and was cold until I realized what happened. Being from England I have never done a marathon or skied before but I chose to do the 6 day Ultra with skiis.
A Volunteer was told by one of the racers, stage 1 was soul destroying.
The French athletes are doing well, they seem to be a hardy bunch with a ton of experience in this climate. The Italians are down to their last athlete due to equipment issues and the weather which is also beating on everyone. Another morning issue is frozen bindings RN 202 and zippers on the equipment bags.
If you check the stats from stage 1 some of the athletes were coming in after 13 hours of racing which would have been the cold night but a great time to see the Auroras. The volunteers insured everyone was cheered to the finish line and taken to a warm tent and given hot fluids.
Positive energy was the theme of the morning. This most likely was the way to forget about stage 1. The best line I heard was from a RN 225 a Yellowknife female athlete who was doing the Ultra race with her boyfriend and said the two of them were enjoying the 3 day tour. Just before heading out to the course, she smiled at her boyfriend and said “ I have a surprise, peanut butter and marmalade sandwiches today!” You should have seen his smile through his wind burned face.
Today’s forecast called for a minus 21 C temperature with sunny skies and light winds and for once they were right. However, not mentioned is that the trails have 4 inches of fresh unbroken snow.
Interesting tidbit from a Yellowknifer, when the temperature is minus 30 C or colder, school kids are permitted to have indoor recess. Wow!
After the athletes left Powder Point we were off to meet them at a road accessible checkpoint. The first athletes to arrive were a pack of 4 men. They were the leaders from stage 1, 2 from the Ultra and 2 from the Diamond that were working together. One of the best parts of an extreme endurance race is all the sugar you get to eat. When they stopped to re-fill their water bottles, all you could see them consume was high calorie energy bars and gels. A later athlete indulged in cut up sausage and cheese.
The only complaint we heard from the athletes was with the changing conditions from yesterday to today was that the skiers kept having to change their wax selection. I was even a pit crew for RN 202 while she ate and drank tea. She had a positive non rush attitude yet she was kicking some young female butt chasing her.
The remainder of the athletes had a united theme of being thankful for the weather conditions of the day and that for day 3 they were headed back to Yellowknife and in past Rock and Ice Ultra races, you have a tailwind to take you back to civilization.
As always a bit of laughter to end this blog, our Media Host Brian Desjardins has pretty well decided this media team I am honoured to be a part of is like “herding a bunch of cats.” Whenever we stop we are like a bunch of caged animals, the doors open, the videographers and photographers dash out looking for the best angles, if there are athletes in the area I’m on my way to get a quote and Brian is just getting out of the van shaking his head. More about this comedy cat team later. A hint, you know when a team has bonded when the Aussie is playing the pull my finger game.
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