For my wife and me, training for the Texas Water Safari spans six months. This year we had a goal of achieving our first ever solo attempt at finishing the race. Unfortunately, we did not have time to train as early as we wanted. This scheduling conflict left us with only two choices. Sit out of the 2021 race year or run together as a tandem team as we have in previous years. The rivers were low as we started training about two months before the race. Then the rains came elevating both the rivers and our spirits as to how this year’s race might unfold. Over the last two weeks of training runs, we were picking up consistent speed and looking solid to achieve a goal that had been eluding us for several years. We set our aim and focus once again on a sub-fifty-hour finish.
Due to schedule conflicts, I had to miss the Texas River Marathon, which helps seat you where you start in the Safari. Starting near the front of the pack can make a difference in getting out of the pinch points with many different skill sets. We chose to embrace this and start “stern on the wall” at Aquarena Springs. The whistle blew, and the mayhem began. Getting through the first 45-60 minutes of the race was extremely tough as multiple boats try to squeeze through “dog leg turns” and advance their position. Once we moved beyond dealing with other racers, it was time to get ready for the river’s obstacles. As the day passed, we overcame each issue from rapids to dams; to even some new trees that had fallen in the last week. We transitioned to the night run, where things were running smoothly and on time.
As we proceeded into the darkness, we honestly had one of our best night runs ever. There was some concern about our placement and time, but our oldest Lauren and our good friend John reassured us we were running the best race we had ever run. We held strong through the heat of the second day, which was a killer for many teams. As we got closer to our second night run, we began to sprint as fast as we could towards the remaining rapids on the course. This area had been an issue for us in the past at night, and we wanted as much daylight as we could get to pass it. We arrived at the first two rapids with just a bit of sun left, which made passing them easier. Afterward, it took a while to make it to the last section, and as darkness engulfed the river, our nerves increased with the sound of rushing water. This location was home to our wreck two years ago. We ironed out a plan to conquer our fear of this rapid and did just that. With a deep sigh of relief, we were on our way beyond 200 miles in the race and our sub-50-hour finish.
The following section offers a few issues with turns and “sweepers,” or trees hanging over the water that can sweep you out of your boat. We pulled over for a quick 10-minute power nap and then got back on the water. A few turns later, we found ourselves at a split where we could go left or right. We chose the wrong direction based on the high flow of water, which spun us around and set us going in reverse down the dark river. We tried to correct it but could not in time before running backwards into a “sweeper.” The side of our boat dipped into the water, and we were suddenly swimming. The water was deep and rushing fast. I grabbed onto some branches and held onto our upside-down boat. In the darkness, all I could hear is Sonja calling my name in distress multiple times. I would answer back, but then there would be nothing for a second. This scene repeated several times as she was fighting the vacuum of the boat and the rushing water sucking her down. Thankfully she pulled herself out of it and ended up in my arms. Then, as she slipped from my grip, the boat shot out from the sweeper, and my branches broke, sending me down the river as well. I felt a hard thud and found myself holding onto a downed tree in the water. I climbed up it, and I could hear Sonja calling my name again. She had managed to swim to a gravel bar island nearby and told me to swim for it too. Reluctantly, I jumped in and did. Standing there with one headlamp and one paddle, we thought the race was over for us. Thankfully the boat had ended in a shallow section down the river, and we were able to find it. One of the funniest moments was when we flipped it back over; our marine speaker was still playing music!
After getting all the water out, we started to head downriver, but our confidence was shattered. It seemed like our bow light just wasn’t as bright, and we were paralyzed with fear by every little thing in the river. With five more miles to go to the next checkpoint, we chose to sit on a gravel bar until sun up. It was then that we knew the chance of making our sub-50-hour goal was disappearing once again into the darkness of the second night.
During our four-hour mosquito-infested sit-out, we contemplated what to do next. We thought, “Are we finished, or are we finishing?” Honestly, even at daybreak, we didn’t have an answer. Beaten up and bitten by more mosquitos than ever in our entire lives, we chose to at least get in the boat and paddle to see our Team Captains. After getting restocked, we paddled a little further. Then we sprinted the next 24 miles to catch up to boats that had passed us and stay awake through the heat of the early day. We moved forward to the log jams and cleared them just as a storm hit us with massive winds and rain. It was insane to be paddling at that time and feel mother nature trying to slow us down again. We persevered to the next checkpoint and bypassed it to get to the last access point before the bay. Concerned with how the bay was from the storm, we quickly got rid of all our gear and put the spray skirt on to cross it. Reports came in that it was a glass bay, but that could always change in a matter of minutes. Lucky for us, it never did. It was the calmest bay that we have ever passed. Just when you think that the challenges were over, we got stuck in a force field of both the shipping channel and high tide. It grabbed ahold of us and would not let us go. After a while of aiming offline from the finish, we were able to break free and achieve our 5th Texas Water Safari finish at near 61 hours, giving us 43rd place overall out of 143 teams.
This race is never easy, and just when you think you have something figured out, it changes. Much like life, you always need contingency plans and the grit to keep going. Honestly, we never said we were going to quit. We also never said we were going to finish either. We were unsure and undecided.
As one of my coaches use to say, “Massive Action Cures All.” So what do you do when you are unsure? You get back in the boat. You aim it down the river, and you keep it in the flow. Sitting and doing nothing is the death of all advancement and eventually the killer of all dreams and goals.
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