OK My gf and I did a lot of preparation for this race. She had never done this event before and was freaking out the week before the race. So Tuesday we practiced rollerblading that went great. Thursday we walked the really cruddy section that we would have to mtn bike. We saw KBO and Bingerunner doing a training run with their team. Oh we saw KBO on the Tuesday as well. Apparently there are only so many places in Winnipeg to train. lol. It was really really wet but I was determined to use my road bike cause 95% of the course was road. As a concession I decided to ride without my cycling shoes and wear running shoes. I would give up some speed but still be faster than MTN bikers.
Friday we rode and walked in the Assinboine Forest because KIm and had never ever been on those trails. Now she was calmed down. I felt prepared as well except I knew that I would have to follow a map for the orienteering part of the race. I am hopeless at following a compass and map. Kim however is great at that. My backup plan was just to follow her if I got lost. The very last thing we did was ride over the hard packed dirt road with our bikes. By this time Kim had bought special tires for her Mountain Bike. Slicker than knobby but still rough treads on outside. I was still going with my Roadie and wearing running shoes. We did the Dirt Road and gravel road and everything was fine.
Race day came and we got lost a few times putting our stuff at different transition areas. My anxiety levels were increasing. Kim stepped on the gas and we made it there 20 minutes before the race.
I almost tipped the kayak when I first got in. That water was COLD. There was ice in the way of the race and they changed the course. Well I got stuck on the ice being on the edge of the pack. Then I got blocked by two boats that crashed together. It was like the Wild West out there. I saw Kim ahead of me. (no one got in her way) Also she is just good. I paddled like heck to catch up and I got blocked again. Finally near the end of the kayak I started to catch up again I think she was getting tired and ran into some ice as well. Getting out of the kayak my shoe came off in the mud. I pulled the kayak more onto shore and emptied out my shoe and put it back on. Kim and I had agreed to help each other with our kayaks days before but she did not need any help at all. I got to the boat drop off a bit ahead of her and took off.
After the kayak there was a run on a well marked trail to Assiniboine Forest and the start of the orienteering. I flew down the trail and passed a lot of people. AT first I thought I was like in 3rd place. But after I got my map and started looking for checkpoints I saw someone I knew that I was sure would be near the top. I asked Al how many checks he had and he said he needed one more. I was like Darn I have only 2 so far. So I actually found the the checkpoints fairly fast. Then more problems. I had helped others find some checkpoints but I could not find the official Orienteering finish point. After wandering to far edge of the forest and back I gave up. When I came out to the Rollerblading transition I found Kim getting her blades on. Wow she was doing really well. Someone told me I was the First Master Man. I knew that did not include the 10 minute peenalty I would probably get for missing a checkpoint. She took off ahead of me. I put on my knee pads and wrist guards and helmet. Things Kim eschewed for speed in transition. My plan was to push limits of my skating ability and I wanted to be protected instead of cautious. I passed a lot of people I knew I had to push it cause now I had to beat the 2nd place Master Man by 10 minutes. I got to the end of the blading but I had problems getting my skates off. (I have weak thumbs).
Actually I just had to push a little button but I was trying to push back instead of down. grr.
Next leg was running it was all downhill simple running this is my thing. I took advantage and ran as hard as I could but boy did that hurt.
I got the bike transition and said hi to some people i knew. I told them how my day was going.
I got on the bike and felt great. This was easy. I hit 40km on the early part after one stoplight. I was extra cautious around some sharp corners. I passed a few mtn bikers but not many. I caught up to one guy on Park back where the course doubles back at the rollerblading transition. He drafted off me on his mtn bike. Then he passed me when I missed a turn. I got him back at a stoplight and then ditched him by getting through a stoplight while he got caught with the red. 
I was pushing hard but there was no one around. I turned onto the hard packed dirt road and pushed hard. I just prayed I did not get a flat. There were some big ruts and it was tricky staying in the bigger smoother ruts. I got greedy cause I saw some bikers I was cathing in the distance I moved acros the road to a more clear rut but in the process I went down hard on another rut. 
I got up and got back on and the pedals just spun. My chain was off. 
I get the chain on and then get going and who shows up the guy I left stuck at the red light. Karma is a Witch. 
Well I stay ahead of him still I am much faster on hard packed road with my roadie. But when we got to conservation property where we get into the wet stuff, he just left me behind. I could not ride at all. my tires just sank and they would not roll. I carried my bike but I was tired and I was walking. Then I could see a course Marshal and I knew the gravel path was just ahead and picked up my pace. I cleared my tires of mud with my fingers as best I could and the tires reluctantly got rolling. I went along the gravel path but there were people with strollers on the trail and you could not go fast. I finished fast the last 100m and was happy I had made it.
They had 3 waves of racers so even though I was in top ten for sure in my wave I had no idea where I would end up. The good news was after I had talked the RAce Director about my mistake in the oreiteering and I was told there was no penalty for missing the finish checkpoint if I had the 5 checkpoints I needed.
Wow that was huge relief.
So at the end of the day I got a big shock
when in the Mens Master Category they anounced me first place. And Kim my gf came 9th place in the womens race in her first try. It was an excellent day despite the gloomy weather. Now I just have to get over my soreness and let my scrapes and bruises heal. I have a half marathon on Sunday. 
Awesome job, Ed ... 
