 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
About Emily
I was living and training in Aussie in 2003 after over a year of travelling, and was planning to return home to Canada after the year's finish. However, before doing so, I had heard about the Speight's Coast to Coast . Being an icon of an event that it is, I thought I had better come over to New Zealand to race before going home. In the month prior to the race while I was training, I was also baking my cookies to use in my training, and give to friends. I had always been encouraged to should sell these cookies because everyone loved them so much and no other product as good was available.
I had a tough experience in the 2004 Coast to Coast because of the extremely
bad weather, but I still survived in the race and was 3rd in the Women's
Longest Day! After the race, I had a conversation with race organizer
Robin Judkins drinking tea and discussing life. I thought about living
in New Zealand, and told Robin that I had always wanted to run my own business
like my Dad did. But since my Dad had passed away, I could not go
to him for advice anymore. So with the help from Robin and Len Smyth
from Topsport Kayaking, they gave me the mentoring I needed to start marketing
and selling my Em's Power Cookies® sports cookies
At first, I was renting kitchen space from a local business, baking as many
cookies as possible and delivering them on my bike, as I did not have a
car! But now I have some help from a local bakery and a slightly more
advanced delivery system! However, because I must also train, you
might see me racing around on my bike promoting my cookies just the way
I started!
I entered the 2005 Coast to Coast once again! I placed a close 3rd
in the Women's Longest Day! Thanks to my cookies - they are what I
personally train and race on!
As Coast to Coast organizer Robin Judkins says, "They're bloody brilliant!"
I hope you feel the same!
Emily Miazga
Emily's Profile
Emily was born in Canada and went to university in the USA where she ran
collegiate track and cross-country and earned her Master’s degree
in Dietetics and Nutrition. After practicing as a Clinical Registered
Dietitian in Oregon, she left her job to travel, and stumbled into adventure
racing when she had an opportunity to participate in the 2002 Mild Seven
Outdoor
Quest. There, she met her Australian teammates, moved to Aussie to
train and race. After her time in Australia, Emily came to NZ and
now resides in Christchurch, where she is training, racing, and marketing
her Em's Power Cookies® sports cookies. Through her experience in
nutrition, Emily has given many public speaking engagements, local TV interviews
on nutrition, and has also taught cooking classes for TV and in the classroom.
Race Experience:
1st Mt. Isobel Challenge, NZ,
2005
1st Lees Valley 75k Mtb Bike Race,
NZ, 2005
1st Crazyman Multisport Race,
NZ, 2004
1st Flight Centre 100km Mtn Bike
Epic , Australia, 2003
1st Teva AR Sprint Series, Brisbane,
Australia, 2003
1st Norwegian 54km Mountain Run,
Norway, 2003
1st Triathlon Champs, Sask, Canada,
2000
2nd Portage Race, NZ, 2004
2nd Gloucester Mtn Man Tri, Australia,
2003
3rd Speight's Coast to Coast
Longest Day, NZ, 2005
3rd GeoQuest 48Hr Adv Race, Australia,
2004
3rd Speight’s Coast to
Coast Longest Day, NZ, 2004
3rd Sydney Max Adventure Indoor
Race, Australia, 2003
4th Outdoor Quest World Multisport
Teams, Borneo, 2004
6th NZ Xterra Tri Champs, NZ,
2003
6th Oregon USA Cyclocross Series,
USA, 2001
7th Karapoti Mtn Bike Race, NZ,
2004
7th Raid Series, New Caledonia,
2003
9th ITU Triathlon, Canada, 2000
Professional Experience:
Master of Science, Clinical Nutrition and Food Management, 1998
Bachelor of Science, Dietetics and Food/Nutrition, 1997
Credentialed by the American Dietetics Assoc. & American Assoc. of Diabetes
Educators
4 years clinical experience, inpatient and outpatient education
Multiple appearances local TV news in Eugene, Oregon as nutrition consultant
Other:
Collegiate track and cross country runner
Backcountry telemark skier
Mountaineer/rock climber
Mild Seven Outdoor Quest, Borneo, 2002
2004 Coast to Coast Story
By Emily Miazga
When one embarks on a journey of travel and adventure as I have, I believe
it is a safe assumption to state that you never know what you will find
yourself engaged in. In fact, one may even be as abruptly surprised
as I was, whilst lunging my numb body into the icy waters of the multiple
river crossings in the New Zealand Coast to Coast Race. The historical
day on February 7, 2004, was indeed, my awakening.
This story begins back when I left to travel over 2 years ago. I
was once a “normal” athlete that took part in relatively sane
events such as 5k road running races, or even slightly more risqué
triathlons. My friends and I used to occasionally talk about more
extreme adventure events in wonder and awe, not really knowing exactly what
they entailed. One of my so-called friends who travelled New Zealand,
had heard something about a race called the
“Coast to Coast”, in which athletes crossed the South Island
from the west side to the east side, finishing in Christchurch all on their
own power.
“What a bunch of psychos!” I thought. “Who would
ever want to put themselves through the torture and pain of such an event?
For goodness sake, if you want some spice in your life, go for a hike
in the woods for a day, or maybe even two!”
This race involves cycling, mountain running and river paddling, and it
is not for the faint-hearted. Participants have a choice of doing
the course in either 2 days as individuals or teams, or in one day, aptly
named, “The Longest Day”
which is meant for the elite professional athletes to take on. These
people exert their honed and sinewy bodies across the Southern Alps in times
ranging from 11 to 15 hours to vie for the championship title.
The concept of it all seemed insurmountable to me. However, as you
all know, things change. Since travelling, I have fallen victim to
this silly sport of "multi sport" and the quintessential race
that defines what it is all about, is, in fact, the Speight’s Coast
to Coast which is considered the world solo multi sport championships. So
here I am in New Zealand and I have completed my very first "Longest
Day" Coast to Coast; I think I have lost my mind.
I came over to New Zealand from Australia just after the New Year to prepare
myself. I had been training for the previous 6 months full-time for
other races, so I was relatively fit, but the course is such that if you
had never been on
it before, required a certain degree of review. In particular, the
mountain running section where athletes had been known to get lost in past
years, as well as the river paddle section, both needed extra attention
in training. The race was Feb 7, so I had just under a month to familiarize
myself with what I was going to be up against. My strength was in
mountain running and my weakness was the paddling, as I was quite inexperienced
in white water, especially in the multi sport kayaks. New Zealanders
are quite the pioneers of this type of racing and consequently, over the
years, they have actually engineered and developed long, skinny, and very
unstable, racing kayaks that are nearly impossible for the novice to handle,
but slice through the water like a hot knife through butter in the hands
of a professional.
The race breakdown synopsis involves a 3k run from Kumara beach on the west coast, to the start of the 55k cycle. The athletes then bike to Arthur’s Pass and then run 33k over the mountains and Goat’s Pass, which is rock dancing, boulder-hopping and river crossings the entire distance. Then they get back on their bikes and ride 15k to Mt. White Bridge and the start of the 67k river paddle to the Gorge Bridge. Then finally they start the last, arduous 70k cycle to Christchurch. The winning men take around 11-12 hours and the women around 12-13 hours.
This year was the 22nd annual running of the event. In the 2 day
race, which most people choose, there were some 800 entrants. The
Longest Day had 143 entrants, including myself. Most people try the
2 day race before ever
thinking about the Longest Day. However, because I didn’t live
in New Zealand, I didn't have the luxury to torture myself year after year
in the two day course in preparation for The Longest Day. I came here
with a specific purpose to race and I was intending to be here for only
a finite period of time, so I had to jump in full-throttle my first Coast
to Coast.
Going back to my arrival in New Zealand to train.... I cannot say
that I have ever been more welcomed anywhere than what I was in New Zealand.
Within the first couple days in Christchurch, I already felt at home.
Getting ready for such
an event is a huge logistical feat. You must organize your gear, and
there is plenty of it: bike, bike shoes, kayak (getting the correct kayak!),
kayak booties, dry bag, duct tape, running gear, emergency first-aid kits,
emergency extra
clothing, race food, helmets, life jacket, bike lights and reflectors (the
race starts in the dark), mechanics of bike, and on and on. You must
also organize a support crew, which involves the people who traipse after
you during the actual race, carting your gear and food from one transition
area to the next, like a travelling circus. Basically they are your
life- line during the race. Oh yes, and you must train!
All of my friends in New Zealand, as well as the guys from the kayak shop and the bike shop were awesome in giving me support and encouragement! I even had media attention as an international entrant and "threat to the title". Ha, if they only knew that my biggest challenge was getting used to my kayak and learning how to paddle that bloody thing down the river! The river takes several hours of the race and it is crucial to be proficient in your kayak. I was a novice having never paddled a multi sport boat before; therefore, I had some things to learn! The river was flooded the first week I was in New Zealand, so I couldn't practice on it. I was able to train on flat water in Christchurch which was good, but not the same as the river. When I was finally able to get on the river, I realized I had my work cut out for me. The river was quite tricky and technical having many elements to contend with: class 2 rapids, the “rock garden”, the “gorge”, eddies, and boils. All of these challenges would spit any beginner out of their boat before they could say "look out for that rock…paddle, paddle, paddle!!!!” Needless to say I took many swims in my training, many cold swims! And I hate swimming. Period.
When you fall out of your kayak, you must swim to the side of the river, making sure you don’t let go and lose your kayak or paddle, dump out the water, get your courage to return, and get back in the boat and carry on. It is demoralizing and a huge drain on your confidence when you fall out of your kayak. The river is powerful and dynamic and commands respect. It certainly got my attention. Ten days before the race I didn't think I could compete. I was so intimidated and thought I was in over my head. I thought, "What the hell am I thinking I can do such a race??
These New Zealanders are born and bred to run over rocks and paddle torrential rivers. I'm just a girl from the flatlands of Saskatchewan Canada - WHAT AM I DOING HERE!!??"
Len. He runs the Topsport Kayak shop. He saved me. He
said, "Right. You need to be in an Eclipse kayak (more stable
type of racing kayak) and you'll be fine". He hooked me up with
one of these boats a week before the race,
which is a near impossible thing so late, and he took me out on the river
and gave me some 1 on 1 instruction to make sure I was competent and confident.
I knew what I had to do, and that I needed to take a step back and
not let the pressures of the race, the river, or the media shake me. But
somehow, having Len's help gave me something extra - like what only a mentor
or even father figure can give. I was going to race The Longest Day.
Wait a minute, does that mean that I am now a psycho!?
Thursday February 5 - my crew of 3 friends arrived from Auckland. I
could not have ever done the race without them because they made the race
happen. It was quite comical to find that they were very worried about
making a mistake
and that it would affect my race. Little did they know that the job
of the support crew was probably even more stressful than the person racing!
I read about how to learn to help organize the support crew and one
of the first rules was to
“be nice to your support crew”. Also, in the race brochure
there was a note to the crew warning them that on race day, their athlete
may “become possessed with the devil” and “to humour them
at the time but make their life a living hell
after the race”. I did not want anything like that to happen
because I wanted the whole experience to be a positive one for myself as
well as them. So I made my own rule in telling the crew that any possible
mistake they may make
would be my mistake in not preparing them properly. In the two days
we had before the race, we went through written instructions, practiced
transitions, poured over equipment and maps and even watched videos of previous
Coast to Coast years. We were ready!
Saturday Feb 7. This was race day. It was windy and rainy.
We had to get up at 3:45am to have time for breakfast and get to the
start line before 5:30am and the start at 6:00am. It was dark and
there were spotlights from the helicopters over head searching through the
cold air, passing over the confusion that was brewing below. Sand
blew into my eyes causing me to blink and blink until it was gone. There
were photographers and TV crews everywhere. The athletes were anxiously
jogging around, warming up and performing their pre-race rituals. I
went to the water’s edge to touch the Tasman Sea in my own sentimental
moment, hoping that I would make it in one piece to the other
side to touch the Pacific Ocean at the end of my day. As the minutes
counted down to seconds, Robin Judkins stood up on his rock, loudspeaker
and bull-horn in hand, as he had for the previous 21 years of the Coast
to Coast, and
prepared himself for his own ritual of starting his race. Thirty seconds…ten
seconds…hoooooonk. And we were off, scrambling in the dark from
the sand, up the boulders and to the gravelled road. The first 3k
run from the beach to the bikes was very fast, much faster than I had expected.
I did not feel very good which I think was due to my nervousness.
I was about mid-field and the top girls raced ahead of me. I
worked hard on the biking section, chasing with other men and caught the
pack with the top girls. Instead of sitting back, relaxing and drafting
behind the other riders, I kept pushing up front with the guys which was
a rookie mistake. The other top girls who were much more experienced,
sat back and did no work so they were fresher for the upcoming 33k mountain
run.
The transition to the mountain run was crazy and chaotic, but I was first
through for the women. However my legs and feet were cold and numb
and wouldn't respond when the other two girls ran past me like a pair of
gazelles. I didn't let that shake my race plan; I could only run my
own race after all. It was pouring rain and the rocks were ultra-slippery
and the river crossings as we ran up the Deception River were so deep you
had to be careful not to be swept away. I was freezing cold and wet.
The only thing that kept me warm was to pee myself. The 4th
woman, who was the eventual winner, passed me about 30 minutes into the
run and she looked very strong. She has won several world class events,
and could even be called the number one woman in the world in multi sport
with the amount of experience she has under her belt. As we neared
the top of Goat Pass, the course was unrecognizable because the
water was so high. I had to link arms with the guys around me in order
to make the multiple river crossings safely. We arrived at the top
in hypothermic condition. I was not sure that I was not hypothermic,
but I kept going. When I got to the end of the run, I was absolutely
buggered, and my hands were swollen from the cold. I was 1 hour slower
than my goal time of less than 4 hours; I took nearly 5 hours! I had
to ride my bike on 15k of hills and cold rain to the kayak. I was
seriously worried about the condition of the river with all the rain and
was concerned, and even hoping that they were going to cancel it. When
I got to the river, I learned that several top people were dropping like
flies, people behind me were getting plucked off the mountain run by helicopter
and they were closing the river in less than
a half hour. I was in 3rd place. My crew had to coerce me to
get on the river.
The weather actually settled down and the paddling was quite relaxing.
At least my legs were getting a break. Nearly 5 hours later
I completed the paddle, and surprisingly had an awesome time. The
only problem was that over the last hour, I was low in my energy, getting
cold and my bum was really sore. My crew dragged me out of my boat
and helped me up the hill to my bike, shoving food into my mouth as we carried
on. I could barely move my legs, and I had no idea how I was ever
going to ride the 70k to Christchurch! But knowing that I was one
of the survivors and I was in 3rd place, I had no choice but to carry on.
Quitting wasn't an option. Besides, there was no way my crew
would let me stop! They were so excited for me that their energy was
infused into me. The last ride was boring, flat and painful and I
was alone. I took my time. I made it to the end in just less
than 15 hours. On that last ride, I
remembered thinking about Kathy Lynch who was the New Zealand legend who
has won this race 6 times and said, "The Coast to Coast will make you
grovel". If there ever was a definition of grovelling, I was
it.
I rode into Sumner beach in Christchurch to be greeted by my crew and race
director Robin Judkins with a can of the sponsor's beer, Speight's. It
was a yummy and well-deserved beer! The feeling was great and I was
so happy, yet
my body seriously hurt. I said to my crew, "I don't think there's
a need for me to ever do that race again." They laughed and embraced
me (and held me up). I went to the water to touch it, as I had 15
hours earlier on the west side of the country. What a day.
The Longest Day!
The next night was the post-race party in downtown Christchurch. It was a time where the true athletes came out! I was greeted by everyone with congratulations for finishing my first Coast to Coast as the 3rd woman in historical, epic weather conditions. Out of 143 starters, only 42 finished! Many of the athletes at the party were taking full part in the laughing, the amazement about the race, the sharing of stories, and of course the festivities of beer-sculling contests while standing on the table tops! Some of the fastest athletes were also the best beer-drinkers and I must say that I was no disappointment in that arena. After sculling my beers, I received more congratulations for my beer- drinking abilities than for my result in the Coast to Coast!
When people ask me why on earth I put myself through the pain of this type of racing, I must say that it is because of the satisfaction I get out of challenging myself in seemingly impossible circumstances and coming out a true winner, knowing in my mind that “I did it!” But most of all, it is about the people, and the best part of the race is the after party! To be a part of that day was an honour, so “cheers” to Coast to Coast and what it is all about!
|
