One special thing in this race is that there are people who only race in one stage, then there are people who race toghether in a relay teams and finally the top category, the people who race all the stages against the other ones. I did this last one.
I started hard in bike, I finished the first stage in 5h28', 180km and 1700m uphill entering the 6th position. I did it thinking about the next mountain run. It started at 14:30, maybe arround 35Cº in the shadow. It was basically 16km in a long and sometimes hard uphill of 800m and then a long downhill in a bad pavemented road to the sea. I started to run easy, maybe in the 30th position. I was on 160 ppm advancing a lot of people under the sun, and when I arrived on top, they told me that I was 5th. I kept this position in the long downhill to the sea, and I just lost one place in the lasts flat kilometers. It was hard! Then, just to arrive, I prepared my surf-ski and I ate a big "jamon" sandwich. I had one hour to rest, befors the start. We had to sail 16km across little waves and wind to the first day finish line. The start was fast, I couldn't follow the first one but I staied with the second and the third one, and in the 10 km I started to push and I get the second position for the last section in the first day. I was already the first one in the wolf category with a cupple hours advantage, and I also had the best time than the first team relay.
The second day started early. At six in the morning, in the dark, we got in our kayaks to paddle 24km agains the river but in a flat water. I had some problems because the river plants tied on my orse, and I had to jump into the water several times to take it out, because it was a big effort for me to pull it. Anyway I arrived 3rd in the next transition, where I put on my running shoes and then we started to run a half marathon to the top of Moncaro, 1200m peak in a pavement road. It was a hot day, again, and we run drinking a lot of water to the cloudy top. I finally spent 2h17' to do it, and then I was happy, because it just remain one stage. The last mountainbike race: 110km and 1800m. I started it like always, in a soft rythm. I was arround the 40th position in the 30k, when I asked my legs more power... and they gave me it. I started to advance people untill the 15th position. I push hard after a full weekend to try my shape, and the result couldn't be better. Finally I cross the finish line, and I broke the best time of that race in more than an hour. I spent 21h10' to do it all. Before the race I thought to do it in less than 20 hours. Now I think that it's really dificult to do it, maybe if anytimes any member of the "adventure race tribe" come here could do it, but I will also try it against him!!
I hope to see you in the Idaho expedition race: http://www.expeditionidahorace.com/
