Rocky Mountain State Orienteering Championship July 2014

Fox Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado

PWild from Team Lupine Racing USA, competed in the 35+ division of the State Championship doing the advanced green course.  Here are her thoughts from the race.

I showed up about 1 ½ prior to race start to be able to get ready and to make sure I didn’t hit any traffic. I spent time talking to fellow orienteering racers and was really wondering why JZ signed me up for this.   So here goes…..  I line up at 11:45 and the start time was 12 but they let people go as soon as they were ready.  So you punch start with your electronic punch and then you are able to turn the map over and start.  I quickly took my barring to number two(we started at 1) and took off running.  Leap frogging from tree to tree and got number 2 at the bottom of a re entrant.  I took my bearing again and off to 3 I went.  I over shot number 3 by 200 meters, ran right past it.  Doubled back to my hand rail and found it, that took extra time.  Darn it!  Locked in number 3 and then I over shot number 4, again!  Dang it.  Thinking to my self, relax, you can do this and stop over running everything.  So FOCUS PWild took over and I nailed the rest of them!  I was thankful that one of the numbers had water at it, and quickly poured a small cup and drank it! Thank you!  It was a HOT Sunny course, good time!  As I sat at the finish line enjoying conversation and some snacks out of the sun I hear them call my name… …Paula Pearson, Congratulations you have won The Gold Medal in your division at the Rocky Mountain State Championship!  I was so surprised!   Great day! 

Punch and GO!   

11 Hours Of ERock “Sunrise to Sunset” 2014

11 Hours Of ERock “Sunrise to Sunset” 2014

       Yes another Solo Female event!  I was really disappointed this race changed to 11 Hours instead of its traditional 24HRS.   Going into the race I decided that I need to race Light(no pack) and really stay up with my Hammer Nutrition during the event.  This was a 8 mile loop closed course so I was able to reload my bottle on each lap or every other lap if needed.  We set our canopy up on the course just past the first turn, worked out perfect!  Even with the changing weather conditions from sun, rain, hail, WIND!  LOL  The solo line up was pretty long Men and Women and I just wanted to finish near the TOP, riding against the Colorado Native Pros.  Yea……my work was cut out for me.  JZ was riding too but decided to stop half way and support me the rest of the event, he just came off the Gunnison Growler Mountian Bike race the weekend before.  Let me tell you I went out FAST!  I have raced hard before in Team events, but this SOLO event took a beating on me.  My legs started cramping 6 hours in so I had to start climbing the hills just to flush the legs out of the saddle.  JZ increased my Hammer Electrolights each lap and encouraged me to continue during my 15 second stop to switch bottles.  I PUSHED on with pain from every part of my body, my lower back was screaming!  I got several encouraging words from riders on the course, that was up lifting!  There were also Team Relays going on as well.  As I raced my butt off, the time was counting down, JZ would not tell me “where” I was in the pack.  

  He just kept telling me “one more”…”you can do this”……..”one 

 more”…..”get going”…….and OFF I went.  Another lap, another lap….at 10 HRS and 20 minutes it was over…..OVER 100 Miles (crushed my 24Hour Lap Time from last year) I placed 4^th behind 3 pro Solo Colorado Female Riders and about mid pack to the Solo Men Riders.  Jason reminds me that I did well, I really wanted Podium and raced like I wanted it!  Maybe next year….”Well done PWild!”