Maggots on the Move

Teamwork. Drama. Pain. The YES Maggots have experienced it all in their own version of Survivor – adventure races. The YES Maggot team members are Dave Garrison (publisher), Jude Isabella (editor), Melissa Ngawati (circulation manager), and Tobin Stokes (Jude’s husband and partner in pain). The YES Maggots are a motley crew of fun-loving, chocolate-loving people who like to run, kayak, and mountain bike. (The rest of the YES Mag staff also likes fun and chocolate, they are just not so keen on running, kayaking, or mountain biking.)

October 1, 2005 was our second race in the Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race series. Our first race, in March, was long and hard. And only covered 30 kilometres. The October race would cover 45 km. Whose idea was this? We all stare helplessly at each other when this question comes up. We just don't know.

The race was a combination of a 12 km trail trek/run stage with navigation thrown in (the course isn’t marked, you have to find your way using a map and compass), a 10 km kayak stage, and a 23 km mountain bike stage. While it poured during our first race, the second race day dawned clear. Whoo hoo! Dry socks are sometimes the only thing you wish for on race day.

Our first stage was the kayak. If you've ever launched a kayak from a beach, you know it's difficult to keep your feet dry. The person getting in first has an easier time (Maggots Melissa and Jude). Tough luck for Maggots Dave and Tobin. There were 114 teams (roughly 240 people). Racers in single and double kayaks waited for the starting gun – think of confetti sprinkled on the water. It was pretty. Not so pretty when the gun went off and we dug our paddles in. Most racers are not experienced kayakers and some are total paddling losers. Thankfully, the Maggots were in the middle of the pack. Hey, we never expect to WIN these races!

After an 8-km-long paddle and at least one blister (Maggot Jude's left thumb, sob) later, we hit land again. Phew. Maggot Dave had the map and we were off to find 10 checkpoints, in any order. While quite a number of racers banked their boats at the same time as us, we were quickly left on our own. That's right – it appeared we were navigating the checkpoints in the opposite direction to everyone else.

About 2.75 hours later we emerged from the bush. Taking note of how many kayaks were left on the beach, the truth dawned on our adrenalin and chocolate soaked brains: we were no longer in the middle of the pack. Okay, we did get lost once. Uh, twice. But so did other people. Maybe it was all that chocolate weighing our backpacks down.

Back in the kayaks. No worries about feet this time. We were heading 2 km across the lake and back to the bikes and our transition boxes with dry shoes and socks inside. And more chocolate.

But wait, the first of the “mystery events” was now sprung upon us. Before we could claim our bikes, we had an obstacle course to run. Ouch. Crab walking on rocks. Whose idea was that?

To the bikes. Our best sport is mountain biking. Three Maggots opted to keep their wet shoes on. Maggot Dave was having none of it. He pulled on cushy, dry socks. Put on his bike shoes. A happier Maggot you've never seen. The ride was a heady mixture of euphoria – hey, we were using different muscles, we were great on bikes, the trails were dry, this was fun – and panic. We had to ride faster. Maggot Tobin was in the lead, after five minutes he yelled out, "Keep pedalling, pedal hard!" Maggot Jude was behind him. Oh. She just made it. Then came Maggot Melissa. She made it. And then, our captain, Maggot Dave. Poor Maggot. It was a big, huge puddle. Going around it was not an option. Neither was keeping your feet dry – no more dry socks for Maggot Dave. Three Maggots heard the mournful cry of the fourth and...laughed. Hey, it was funny! Besides, he's the Most Fit Maggot. The rest of us have to keep up with him!

The biking was fun. Some parts were tricky. Some parts we hiked our bikes (this means we carried them!). But mostly the riding was, what better word to use than, sweet. Except for that time Maggot Jude – good on the bike, but not known for her daring on the downhill – decided to make the Maggots proud and tore down one of the easier hills at a fast clip. She was in the lead, setting the pace for the team when it happened. Her front tire caught some gravel. Maggot Tobin watched. "Oooh, she's still in control. Oooh, her foot's down, uh oh, she's losing her balance. Oh no...that must've hurt!" Maggot Jude sailed into the salal, miraculously missing all the sword-like tree remnants hidden by the greenery. Now THAT would've hurt. She bounced up. "I'm okay! Onward ho, Maggots." Okay, that's not exactly what she said, but that's what she meant.

After almost three hours of what Maggot Melissa called "torture", we were in the home stretch. Ah.

We wriggled across the finish line (hey, we’re Maggots, we wriggle when necessary). We finished in just over 7 hours.

Later, we danced all night.

Okay. We know what you're thinking. If you had that much energy to go out and dance, why didn’t you place higher than 90th, out of 114 teams? People, when Maggots train, they're not training for a race, they're training for life.