30 Days of Jay: Dawn to Dusk

Finding inspiration and strength from the early 2000s girl group, 3LW (aka: 3 Little Women), 3TL (aka: 3 Tough Ladies) was born in the Spring of 2012. I can't speak for the rest of the girls but I can personally say this was and is one of the hardest physical and mental challenges I've ever put myself through. The Dawn to Dusk Adventure race is also, easily, one of the best races I've ever completed. When Jamie invited me to compete in this race, I had no idea what I was getting into. I'm very thankful she pushed us all to do this and that I got to experience this bitch of a race with her.

"Dawn to Dusk" is a 12-hour adventure race typically held in San Luis Obispo, CA. It's a self-guided race, by that I mean that we were not designated to any specific trails/routes. With simply a map and a compass, we were challenged to race to various check points throughout San Luis Obispo. No cellphones or gps devices permissible. Failing to make the check points was not only a forfeit or time penalty, it was our only access to fresh food and clean water. Away from said check points we were completely dependent on the camelbacks and power bars on our backs.

I found an email from Jamie detailing our journey:

Kayak Total (includes pulling the kayak through the stream) - 6.6 miles

Run Total (includes carrying the kayak) - 16.8 miles

Bike Total (includes nothing related to the kayak) - 20.1 miles

Grand total: 43.5 miles

This adventure didn't come without struggle. There were cuts, spills, wipeouts, lots of sweat, and too many bruises to count. Megan had basically broken her ankle a month or so before the race. I had to abandon a broken bike after flying over the handlebars. We almost gave up in a delirious and misguided 10 mile run through rolling hills, and still, we kept running. Through it all, we were the first all-female finishing team.

Of all the adventures and challenges I've tested myself against, this will forever be a favorite of mine. For that, a huge thanks goes to Jamie for pushing us all to not only sign up, but to crush the race.

Bleed black and pink. 3TL