I have a list of DNFs going. I’m the one that survived all the time hacks and went 51 hours in 2014 Death Race Year of the Explorer and just kind of…drifted away. I’m the one that didn’t take the time hacks seriously enough at 2015 SISU Iron and missed Victoria’s Challenge by 7 minutes. I was so depressed and disappointed with myself that my vest got flung into the closet where it remains today.
This year I was NOT GOING TO MISS A TIME HACK, DAMMIT. Marion Powell and I even bought scooters in an attempt to garner every possible advantage. But, unfortunately several critical mistakes were made.
Mistake #1:
I didn’t check my watch battery. I missed a time hack last year because of forgetting my watch. This time, I had my watch, but the damn thing started beeping and annoying everyone during the bottom sample challenge and that was the end of that.
Mistake #2:
I assumed the weather would be hot as hell because that’s how it was last year, and that’s what the weather channel predicted. Did I bring any cold gear? No, I did not. To that volunteer who asked me if I had any cold weather gear and received hella snark in return: I’M SORRY. I was really cold most of the time. I’m pretty sure I was hypothermic at the end because I was no longer even shivering.
Mistake #3:
Being disorganized and missing my flight. Despite getting a ton of shit done that day after missing my plane, I needed that time to get my pack organized. Instead, I raced from the airport to Dave & Buster’s, threw shit out of my suitcase and into the pack and ran upstairs to be LAST to the party. Ouch!. Then, they took our packs and I never got a chance to reconfigure. I spent the entire event disorganized, barely aware of where necessary items were located. This lack of preparation led to overall chaos from which I would never emerge.
Mistake #4:
Inadequate nutrition and hydration intake plagued my entire event. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. I estimate I took in no more than 2000 calories during my entire 34.5 hours. This probably stems from mistake #3.
Mistake #5:
After last year’s run with Janice Ferguson and our subsequent failure, I read her blog and I was too emotional to really take in the lesson she was trying to share. She said, “YOU CAN’T DO THE IRON ALONE.” Because I’d been with her, I didn’t really get the message. Plus, I was never alone last year.
This year, I did substantial parts of both night hikes alone. I was with Kayla and Amber for a little while during the Waterfall hike but ended up doing the bulk of it by myself. Then, I was one of the last people to head out for the Commitment/Burden hike to the top, and I was shivering, wrapped up in a space blanket. We had to get to the top by 4:30 or we’d be cut. I was alone. Countless times I stopped and stood, staring at the ground, fantasizing about wrapping myself up like a burrito and just falling asleep right there. “They’ll find me,” I’d think to myself. And then somehow, I’d get my feet moving again. If I’d been with a buddy, I probably wouldn’t have been doing that. Having someone else to encourage and receive encouragement from is CRUCIAL. During the particularly savage inclines, I was literally yelling at myself, “GIRD YOUR LOINS!” I’d holler and then tighten everything and will my poor glutes to shove my feet up that hill. I ran into Daniel Brown and together we made the top by 4:25 a.m. I’ve never been prouder of myself because it took everything I had to make it on time.
Heading back down, I shared some of these insights with my new friend Le Roux, who saved me from sleepwalking off a cliff many times. We agreed to be battle buddies for 2017 SISU Iron. Unlike last year, I’m not ashamed of this DNF. My vest is already up on my wall of accomplishments, and I’ve decided to use last year’s vest for next year’s race.
Redemption will be mine!
Leah Erickson
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