I am somewhat leary of anything that will soak up 30+ hours of my time in one fell swoop, unless it's sleep. Josh and I have 3 children 4 and under at home and our youngest, Julia, is only 8 months, so willingly giving up sleep is a challenge for me, when I get so little as it is. However, I was so glad that I stuck out the entire race and photographed one of the most exciting events I have ever attended. Even more impressive was the amazing attitude of every team I came across. How do you people remain so positive during all of this? For the first time since Josh began racing I feel like I have finally gotten a full picture of what adventure racing is all about. The team dynamics, the snap decision making, the encouragement and coersion to get to the finish, all add up to something a bit like day-time television, without the terrible acting.
I know you are all anticipating the photos, so I have compiled a small taste of what's to come. I will have the photos finished well before the 5/25 deadline for the results, rest assured.
Enjoy the sneak preview and check back often for the complete set!
Thank you all! And thanks to my awesome assistants Dylan and Amber Forester!
-Laraleigh Forester
Pre-Race
It was a bit shocking to see so many carriers of the Y chromosome consulting maps.
Starting Line
AKA Stampede
Top of the Falls
Some teams came to the top looking exhausted. Some turned it on just for the camera. And some may have been hallucinating from the loss of oxygen to the brain.
Bike TA
Tough way to start a race. Thank goodness they had plenty of time to catch up!
Lindsey Ford TA
Having watched Josh attach his map to his bike in many ways (some of you may remember the pvc/plexi-glass contraption) I was very interested in the gear of other teams.
Steel Bridge
I inadvertantly alerted many teams as to the location of the point by crawling out from under this bridge to early/late.
Radiation Burn
I parked myself on top of my van and used a 500mm lense to sort of spy on the teams.
Canoe CP
My nephew Dylan and I stayed here for a few hours. It seemed that no one wanted to get into the water, but once they did they couldn't stop talking about how good it felt.
Dawson Forest
I thought I would get more use out of the nightvision lense than I did, but the darn headlamps made giant glowing orbs of everyone's heads. It did keep me from freaking out while I sat in the forest waiting for teams to come by. I have an overactive imagination.
Finish
Thanks for cleaning up the forest- there are some strange things out there, I know. You wouldn't believe the places that I've seen surgical gloves.
Again- check back for a link to the rest of the photos. We may have to release them in batches, but once they are all finished you will be provided with information to access them for your personal use! Thank you again for letting me be a part of this amazing experience!
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