Chattajack 2017 did not disappoint! It was a fun-packed weekend that had many firsts for me. To start things off on Thursday evening, just after checking into my hotel, I walked down to base camp to help out with hoisting a Volkswagen Bug -sized spider to the top of the event tent with some of my favorite Chattanooga and Atlanta paddle peeps.
Then it was off to a bon-fire party hosted by the co-creator of said spider and the people I consider family. It was great to see so many friends that I hadn’t seen in quite a while, some since last year’s Chattajack. It was there, that I met the girl who would be my paddle partner for the grueling 32 mile race on Saturday. Katherine and I talked about the impending weather, her trip up to Chattanooga, and traveling to Australia. We never got around to discussing drafting or strategies for Saturday’s race.
On Friday, the Southern Stoke Paddle Series had their Season Awards Ceremony on the Southern Belle Riverboat. Nearly everyone of the series winners was racing in Saturday’s Chattajack. The Southeast paddling community is full of gritty, super fun, badass paddlers – I’m thrilled to be a part of this amazing group of people. I received my 4th Series Championship medal, some cash, free entry onto all of the Southern Stoke Races next season, and an entry into the 2018 Carolina Cup.
Saturday morning started with questioning and changing my wardrobe choice at least 5 times. The prep alone for this race is always a big deal. Since we don’t have our own support boats, we need to pack all that we’ll need for the 32 miles on our bodies, or on our boards. There are safety boats out on the course, and aid stations that have water and food, but if you’re in it to win it, you’re not gonna stop. So finding that right balance of nutrition and hydration to last 5-7 hours on the water is a science that should have been perfected in the months of training before showing up on race day. For 5 years now, I’ve been using Tailwind Nutrition. I don’t suffer any gut bombs, I never bonk, and I don’t get the sugar spikes and crashes that gels often create. I don’t pack any solid food, but I do make a thick mixture of Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem for variety and a touch of protein. The combination has helped me win two Chattajacks in a row! I must be doing something right!
It was pouring rain when I got to the board staging area. I prepped my board right along side my soul sister, Kathy Summers. We silently got ready, placing Speedcoaches, attaching leashes, adding dry bags, starting Road ID tracking, and changing into our final wardrobe choice for the inclement weather. Hugs from fellow racers made for a lighter mood, but the overall atmosphere was filled with melancholy and anxiety. I’m sure 99.9% of us all wished we were listening to the crappy weather from the comfort of a warm bed.
Once at the start, it was hard to hear what was being announced. I managed to hear a 2 minute warning and paddled up river to time my start facing the right direction. By the time I got turned around the race had started. It wasn’t my ideal start, but at least I wasn’t facing the wrong direction.
2017 Heat #1 off the starting line
Posted by Chattajack 31 on Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Seconds later I heard Kathy say that she was right behind me, and then something about me being too fast. I hammered on to get out of all the turbulent water with the hopes that Kathy would catch up. Just a few minutes later I heard someone behind me and I asked who it was. She said, “It’s Kat!” At first, I thought it was Kathy saying she made it back onto my draft. I yelled back, “Kathy?” Then immediately realized it was Katherine! She told me about how she fell at the beginning and was thrilled to have caught up to me. We were only about a 1/2 mile into the race. And that is where our adventure began.
We strategized on a race plan as I hammered the first leg of what would be 29 rotations in our drafting partnership. This was the beginning of many “firsts” this weekend. I have never drafted the entire course before. I was prepared to go it alone as I had so many times before. So, for the first time I let my intensely competitive nature take a back seat and told myself to stay in our 2-person draft train to conserve as much energy as possible while still paddling a consistent pace to keep warm. It was so nice to have a break from hammering every other mile. Katherine and I worked together, slogging through the freezing rain and plummeting temps.
We were out there for 5 hours and 42 mins, but when I think back on it, it seems much, much shorter. My body was on auto pilot, and my mind was in a trance-like state. For the first time ever during Chattajack, I paddled without music. I chose to focus my thoughts inward, concentrating on my breath, creating a sense of calm amidst all the external stimuli. I let the sound of the rain pelting the hood of my jacket lull me into a state of peace. The only pain I had was in my hands – I could barely feel them gripping my paddle. My Raynauds had kicked in well before I even got on the water, so I was prepared for a grueling and painful paddle down the TN river. The neoprene gloves I had only made matters worse. They soaked up the rain like a sponge and stayed wet, trapping the freezing moisture tightly around my fingers. As misery loves company, I found comfort in knowing that Katherine was struggling through it with me.
We didn’t talk much, once about seeing Dylan Geiger heading toward the Suck Creek Sherpa/Aid Station. Another time about catching Matt Kerney and Caleb Clark. And then ultimately, we had our dreaded discussion about how we were going to finish the race. That’s not an easy conversation to have after you’ve been helping each other for nearly 30 miles. Eventually, I ended up paddling along side her and suggested we go it alone from that point on. It was tough.
I knew I had a enough left in my tank to make a solid push for the next mile and a half. I managed to clock 6.5mph for the last mile, distancing myself enough from Katherine for a comfortable final sprint to the finish.
I quickly hugged Katherine before rushing back to town to get cleaned up for volunteer duty -another first for me. It’s all about giving back, I love this race and the people who put it on, I feel it’s the least I could do.
As a matter of fact, I love this race so much, I’ve done it 5 times! And for that, there is a very special award for paddlers who complete 5 consecutive Chattajacks. “The Chattajack five year belt buckle is no joke.
Over the course of 5 years this group has seen a lot of different conditions in the gorge. They’ve forged friendships that will carry on throughout the rest of their lives, they’ve developed a relationship with their stroke that’s as personal as a family member, they know how to train for success, and they know what it means to drop head…and grind…” So very special indeed.
A huge congrats to my draft partner, Katherine, on her close 2nd place finish. And an ecstatic Hell Yeah to my Chattanooga SUP bestie, Hannah, for her super strong 3rd place finish.
A few final take-aways and lessons learned…
1. you don’t need as much nutrition when you draft
2. drafting the whole distance of Chattajack means fewer sore muscles
3. wet gloves are worse than bare fingers in wet conditions (my fingers are still tingling 6 days post race)
4. mindfulness is extremely powerful while racing
Sending a heartfelt thanks to Ben and Kim Friberg for hosting such a wonderful event – It just keeps getting better year after year. Major kudos to fellow volunteers that braved the weather out there with us, I can’t imagine being in that mess and not having the heat generated by racing to keep warm. As always, a huge thank you to High Country Outfitters for always making sure I have the right gear for every situation. And a special thanks to Michael and Sharity Nesnick of Nesnick Family and Sports Chiropractic for helping me remain injury free throughout the season.
I can’t wait for next year!
