by Jess Evans
May 21, 2019
Luckily, I have had few equipment malfunctions during races. But, as is my habit, I worry I will be less prepared to handle the malfunctions that will inevitably occur.
My most recent malfunction was with my water bladder. After my 700 mile bike trip from Canada to Montana in 2015, I decided to put a water filter in my hose to save time when refilling my water bladder with natural water. Water purification tablets may require as much as a 30 minute waiting period. That is too long! The filter idea worked well for the most part. It was a bit cumbersome at times, but mostly met my needs. I had read that it would work for 1,000 gallons of water filtering. Perfect! I knew it would take me a long time to get through 1,000 gallons. Therefore, I used it happily for 3 years. Then in the middle of a 4 day race, on day 2, my filter failed. I could no longer get any water through it. We had finished our overnight paddle and were standing in the rain at a TA switching to a bike leg when I discovered my loss of water access. I tried removing the filter and putting the nipple on the end of the cut hose, but the hose was too short for me to drink. I would have to take my pack off to drink every time. I got a bit frazzled trying to figure out my water situation and was wasting time while my teammates were done with their transition activities. After them offering to help me gather my things and me insisting I do it myself, we came up with a solution. I would carry water bottles, one of my own and one of a teammate’s. A simple solution but not one I liked because of the lack of convenience. A bladder and tube are much easier for accessing water often. My teammates patiently helped get me through that minor meltdown and equipment malfunction.
There are any number of malfunctions that can occur during a race that may require creative thinking or getting out of your comfort zone. Your lights may fail in the middle of the night. Numerous bike issues may occur: chain break, derailleur break, brakes failing, flat tire, and so on. Wardrobe malfunctions are always a possibility as well. During one race, I thought I lost my gloves; I absentmindedly put them in a different pocket. I had to resort to using my extra pair of wool socks to keep my hands warm on the fast and cold down hills on the bike. My gloves showed up a few hours later, but I discovered that my wool socks were a perfect substitute. During the 2nd day of a six day race in Wyoming, my shoes were hurting my feet so bad, I opted to take them off and walk barefoot (with socks) for a while. I could have continued on into the second night like this except that the small rocks were starting to hurt my feet. I have contemplated carrying my crocks or sandals in races for that reason. If you carry your running shoes while on the bike legs, it is possible you’ll lose a shoe or two. The rest of the race you’ll have to wear your bike shoes, which is not too bad if they are comfortable to walk in. I lost my right shoe during the Breakdown one year, but luckily, found another right shoe in the woods and used that the rest of the race. It worked out quite well. Good karma, I guess.
Many various malfunctions could happen during a race. Trying not to get too frazzled and letting your teammates help you sort out the situation is probably the best way to handle it. Because we are adventure racers, we are used to pushing through discomforts. As long as you keep plodding along, even with your malfunction, you’ll reach the finish.
