Momar Canada

The night before Momar in my hotel home
not a creature is stirring not even Capone.
Ok back it up. That's all a lie. First of all I couldn't sleep. But that is nothing new. But the big weight on me head of the night was my left knee injury and what a let down I will be to my teammate. I couldn't even walk up or downstairs with any sort of pressure. So the last I look at clock one am. Next almost an hour later starting to fade and Capone jumps on my chest with a long low growl. He was protecting me from an inaudible to the human ear but man eating moth. Out of bed again. Then just fear sank in. Will I just give up. Not start. 4am. 2 hours to sleep then woke up to , Jill you going to the race or what? Yes. So then and there thick thru thin I will finish the momar race. As we are I unloading the kayaking I feel more tearing in my knee. I try to stay positive and I positively hate myself and my knee ?and this is my good knee. As Dan runs the car back I hover and sit under the Momar volunteer tent eating a meatball Sandwich. Drinking a coke and whimpering about my knee. Brian's sister says "you are funny, you would never guess your an elite athlete." "I'm not." "Oh." Long awkward silence.. then we just laughed. I continued to pray for my knee instead of world peace. When we got into the kayaks I left it all out on the lake and we still were mid pack. Our 3 times leisure kayaking was no measure to this lengthy jaunt and I kept thinking I saw the turn around there would still be boats ahead. For two non serious kayakers I have to say our big muscles and strong core paid off and we made it through. Our transition was slow and all get out and it was my first let's move it. Foreshadowing to come of me dragging us down for further than a slow TA. On to the bikes. My knee hurt every pedal. This when my teammate reminded me internal dialogue wasn't meant to be heard by surrounding people. However when he did watch and realize I was in this game and not giving up he continued to give me props. Which is a smart way to keep me from wimpering. I rocked some technical downhills. I just did. My weakness was my climbing. Even though I was able stay on my bike 80 percent more on my climbs they are slow and cost us lots of time. The 2nd draw back was the hike a bike or push a bike over a 100 foot sandy hill cliff. Each step was deathly painful and I saw d run ahead and come back for me while he made it to the lip he. Started grabbing some girls and guys bikes and helping them out. As Dan's gets my bike to the top he helps a few more ladies and he looks strong I was proud. Last time killer for our team was my cleats and peddal set up. All three of those things set us back at least an hour and 15. We did not have to search for one check point because we landed on top of them. We even saw packs of people and Mac wasn't second second guessing himself he would be like this way Jill and I would follow. Dan said he was expected a couple of times he would turn and be surprised to see me or some sections on downhills he was expecting me off my either being thown or walking but instead he heard my internal dialogue again as I was praising myself. I kept saying good job. I rock. This rocks. It did feel like we would flow and then run into a section where we were hiking up and the teams would catch my gut would ache for Mac and my knee was cringing. Next came the river run which is truly a deadly combination speed. Wet rocks and a hurt knee. However the water submersion felt great. It was like a nice ice machine. I welcomed it. Then back to the bikes. I was thinking this was the longest single track in AR. My longest mt bike was the big fat at 52 miles. Most I welcoming and almost reveling in my own improvements but then again kicking myself where my knee hurts and off if our bike affected our time. Then back to the trails and then off again for a quick photo. Then on around the corner to the glorious checkpoints 14. 15. 16. My favorite part of the whole race. Swimming with a noodle in an amazing quarry. Then back on our bikes for a small ride to the orienteering. At this point my always painful knee kicked in and I just who cares and just run it. Damage is done and put pain aside. It was no sprint but with dead on nav and one purposeful checkpoint missed I was happy. My mind also switched gears from I feel so sorry for myself. Dan. Etc to everybody suffers and at a start of race and being at this point I would be hurting and I'm hear and never wished to quit but was excited to finish. Not sure taking risks like that on my body with that injury will happen again but I will not take back the experience of doing that Momar. The pain was worth it. I am even more amped to build leg strength for speed on those climbs. I'm actually going to do my first 50k. Just right after my my appt for the dr tomorrow. Oh did you know that d had stitches on his arm from a minor surgery. Yeah he didn't mention in, just saw the stitches... . back to heading to the finish line. How fun. We did a run down the hill could hear the announcements and it was a little psych out when you had to run a little fence to and small park to get their but I felt the happiness tears. No crying just welling up. Also on the orienteering we saw a group run up a hill and came back over the other side and Dan decided to bushwack put us ahead and we smacked into the checkpoint. I was about to compliment him when he turned around with the biggest grin and said I'm f-ing amazing.