|
||||
|
October 16, 2001
by Aspen C. Emmett "Survivor" has nothing on Eco-Challenge. Last year’s expedition race, held in Sabah, Borneo, sent competitor and local chiropractor Kiviok Hight home with a case of jungle-rotted trench foot. This year, he expects to return from New Zealand with frostbite. In its eighth year, the Eco-Challenge is a relentless adventure race, lasting six to 12 days, with teams of four relying on various endurance skills, a compass and each other. The Eco-Challenge is based on the philosophy that interaction with the environment requires both a knowledge of and respect for the terrain through which the race travels. Each event is designed to have minimum impact on the land and encourages a "leave-no-trace" philosophy. Hight and Ann Motekaitis, both of Cortez, along with the two other team members from California who make up Team Bones, converged this week on New Zealand with the knowledge that they will have to brave 300 miles of rugged mountain terrain viad rafts, mountain bikes, fixed ropes, horses, and on foot. "We expect 60,000 vertical feet of climbing — the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest twice," Motekaitis said. In the past, winning teams completed the course in about six days and many other teams competed in the race with only one goal: to finish. This year, approximately 50 percent of the 75 teams are expected to battle with hypothermia and possibly drop out due to unfriendly weather conditions and near-impossible terrain, Hight said. If a team loses a member due to illness, fatigue, injury or a team disagreement, it is disqualified. The race pits the dramatic forces of Mother Nature against the skill and experience of world-class adventure athletes. The challenge transcends physical fitness and the individual; its very essence lies in team dynamics and the ability to solve problems under constant stress, including little sleep and limited food. "The race is more mental than physical," explained Hight, who is the only one on his team who has done the Eco-Challenge before. "You’ll be sleep-deprived, you’ll be hungry, nauseated and challenged more than you’ve ever been before, so you have to mentally overcome all of that. Sometimes, physically you’re so completely exhausted and you have to rely on your mental strength. Sometimes that will switch over and you’re more physically strong than you are mentally. At times, both of them will go. "Not only is it a team sport, it’s a battle within yourself — Can I make it; can I do this? At some point in the race, you’ll drop back to whatever faith you believe in and that’s what carries you through," Hight said. Despite the challenges, Motekaitis said the satisfaction that comes with competing in and preparing for such a rigorous feat is more rewarding that the potential hardships. Hight and Motekaitis train year-round for the competition, averaging two or more hours a day during the week and four to six hours on the weekend. They also compete in shorter races that test their skills in different areas. "I had a lot of skills to learn," Motekaitis said. "I had been a triathlete and swimmer but I had to learn mountain-biking, fixed ropes, mountaineering skills, kayaking and horseback-riding." Motekaitis arrived in Cortez in June from California, where she taught at California State University and did most of her training with her other two team members. The group would run hills, jump fences and wade through streams as part of their exercise regimen. "It was like fun and games; it’s not like hammering out a 20-mile run," she said. "I think that’s what a lot of adventure racers have in common — It’s a lifestyle and not so much training." Hight relies on mountain-biking and running for most of his physical strength but also gets in a fair amount of hiking during hunting season. Hight said training in Cortez has many advantages, including the altitude — something that Motekaitis has finally adjusted to. "This area provides as good training for mountaineering as you can find," Hight said. Strategy and cooperation play a significant role in distinguishing between the competitive teams and the teams who simply complete the course. "Winning teams carry the absolute minimum and average two hours of sleep a day," Hight explained. "The more you carry, the more you tire, the slower you go and the longer you’re out there. It’s a gamble." Each team has a gear box with mandatory equipment and throughout the race they have several opportunities to change out their gear: Drop off a mountain bike, restock on food or lighten the load by leaving behind a sleeping bag. "You try to go with the very least to survive," Hight said. But some of the food the competitors pack along might not be what you would expect out of such health nuts. "Of course we take the standard energy bars, but we also take Pop Tarts, Gummi Bears and Snickers bars — anything you might find palatable when you’re nauseated," she said. According to Hight, competitors use anywhere from 5,000 to 12,000 calories a day with an average weight loss of 10 pounds over the course of the race. Having a good navigator is also a vital part of the race because the most sophisticated navigation equipment the competitors have is maps, a compass and the sky. "The basic premise of it is using topographical maps to navigate yourself through certain points," Hight said. "Prior to the race you have no idea of what the course is going to be." The dynamics of a team are well-planned, Hight said, with many teams made up of people with widely varying knowledge and skills. Even then, the length of the race often turns strengths into weaknesses. "Sleep deprivation and energy depletion can make a strength a low point late in the race," Motekaitis said. Extreme weather conditions are guaranteed to be a factor, she added. Although the weather is a temperate 50 degrees ow, it’s likely the competitors will experience everything from heavy downpours and blizzards to starry nights and sunny days. Hight said Team Bones has the goal of finishing in eight days and ranking in the top 20. The winning team is awarded $50,000, but considering the team entry fee is $40,000, the prize is really something other than money. "It’s more of a competition with time and the elements and not so much a competition amongst the teams," he said. "It’s rewarding to see how far I can push myself." Hight said his chiropractic patients and local businesses have been very supportive of his racing endeavor. Anyone interested in following the race can do so by going to the Eco-Challenge web site. |
||||
|
Copyright © 2001 the Cortez
Journal. All rights reserved. |
