To succeed in life, one must prepare.
As the great UCLA Basketball coach John Wooden said, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
That’s why most people brush their teeth so as to not scare friends or family.
This includes thorough research and preparation for physical challenges that transpire in trying conditions. This includes physical activity in trying conditions is a must, especially when warm Cayman Islands weather is involved at 11:00 in the humid morning.
If the following slip of scratch paper, the one that I scribbled on ten minutes before participating on leg 6 of the off road 50K Ultra-marathon is any indication, I was quite prepared.
Detailed Directions for Off the Beaten Track 50K Ultra-marathon
Several days before the race, my colleague Jody from work assembled a rag tag array of teachers during a school meeting that would become a legendary set of trail runners known as the CIS Trackers. Not to be confused with any team that might finish in first place.
Here is a selection of directional highlights:
Travel back down the road towards Hurleys. Cut around the gate/fence leading to a trail at the back of the Kings Sports Centre and out on to Crewe Road.
After the last bend on Alto Way, cut through the laundry area to the side of the third house (Under Construction) and carefully step down off the back porch on to the brush behind. Travel through the yard towards the blue flag and follow the flags through the next trail. (Blue flags were not flapping in the wind patriotic sized flags, but more of your 2 X 2 inch blow your nose sized flags)
At the end of the Airport runway take the trail marked by a blue flag and run onto Printers Way.
Follow the blue flags through this bush area. You will pass between abandoned shacks and cross the grassy area to the tree line. Follow the blue flags through this bush area.
Winding around some small lakes take this trail carefully. Some areas can be tricky for your footing. This trail will take you up a bank into a disused automotive dumping area, follow the flags to the large yellow JCB and take the bank up to the fenceline of the Port Authority. Follow the fenceline along until the barbed wire and then turn off the track into the bush at the blue flag.
Continue all the way up Seymour Road to the entrance to the dump. Do not take this entrance but continue along the road to the right of the dump. Before you hit the barrier/gate you will see a pedestrian gate on your right. Slip through this gate and run to the far side of the yard. There is a roll-back gate to come out.
Well done, you have completed OTBT 2016!!!
Off the Beaten Track 50K Ultra-marathon Survivors, I Mean Finishers
As you can pull from the above directions, my three very brief notes did not provide the necessary detail that I needed to avoid getting lost two times. I positively would have gotten lost many more if it weren’t for the friendly volunteers out on certain parts of the route.
Next time, I will be a bit more prepared . . . or at least have better instructions.
