lindanette challenges: Dipole challenge 230 km

We are Linda and Anette (lindanette)! Kayaking enthusiasts, who like to paddle long distances on the rivers and we like competitive challenges. 

About three weeks ago we managed to register ourselves to Yukon River Quest 2020 (World's longest paddling marathon, 715 km in Canada). It was a challenge itself to manage the registration, as some technical problems appeared. Around 4 AM I (Linda) took a call to Canada and one really friendly and helpful guy helped us. In the end we appeared on 90th place in the starting list (to keep in mind that only 125 places were available).

This picture you see was taken the day after registration to Yukon River Quest  (02.11.19) as we were very excited to go to paddle right after. So it was 25 km on the Emajõe river. Preparation counts

Preparations for the upcoming Yukon River Quest 2020 took us to Lithuania last week. Dipole Challenge 2019 (230 km) from 15.11.19 to 16.11.19. 

What can we say, it was a challenge! To consider the fact that both of us had not experienced paddling in darkness and this challenge offered us around 14 hours journey without daylight. 

How it all started?

Thanks to Meelis Valgeväli we heard about Dipole Challenge. He took part in that event with his brother-in-law one year ago. This year (2019) we were not the only ones from Estonia to go there. We (Linda & Anette) and Meelis & Eero challenged 230 km and Hillar Irves (Võhandu Marathon ́s main organizer) & Raul Lepasild challenged 170 km distance.

Before making a certain decision to go to Lithuania (Dipole), we were following what the water level was doing as some upcoming stories from spring will give you an idea of what it means to paddle a marathon with the really low water level. In the end, we were lucky enough to have even higher water level on the Neris river than the previous year. This sign leads us (about two weeks before the challenge)  to a final decision to take part in this competition and start organizing all needed equipment and support. By equipment we mean almost all: kayak (different from the one we have got used to paddle, meaning WK 640 Sport instead of WK 640 Marathon), spraydecks, light with extra batteries, extra jackets (clothing), tracking devices, radio transmitter, food, energy gels, etc. We are super thankful for all sponsors and people who supported us to face this journey.

The Dipole Challenge

As we were driving through the night to reach the starting location, we were there at the right time (also wondering if we were really at the right place, but we were). We just had time to sleep a bit more and then getting ready for the race. The time between 7 am to 10 am went very fast. Making the last preparations during the last minute. But there we were, on the starting line. Our support, LTeam (Kristen and Nora) cheering on the land.

We were seven boats in total on 230 km starting line. The feeling after the signal for the start is revealing. We were ready as we were. Water flow was good, it was lovely to notice that the speed we started with was more than 12 km per hour. First, we paddled together with Meelis and Eero and one K1MEN from Latvia (Edgars). Suddenly we were ahead of them and on a leading position. We knew we had to follow a plan for eating (gaining new energy) and changing clothing (as we didn't ́t wear dry-suits) to last well till the end.

In the second check-point (Vilnius) we had our first stop for changing jackets, toilet break and some zip of food (not really eating). We spent quite some time there. During this time two K1MEN paddlers passed by and they continued without stopping. After we were back in our kayak we continued with good speed and soon enough we reached the second guy. It appeared that he had taken part from Yukon River Quest and on this challenge (Dipole) he was the 5th time participating. He ́s wise words were: on long distances like the one ahead it is not a matter of paddling really fast in the beginning but it is a matter of lasting till the end. And always when you see someone on the river who needs help it is your duty to help him. This matched with our beliefs. 

We continued with a goal in our heads to reach the rapids before it gets too dark. But time was flying and soon enough we needed to set up our light-system. It got dark. We agreed with Kristen and Nora that we will have our first real meal after rapids (in the fourth check-point). Actually, this decision might be key to what started to happen with Linda. Our feeling of being hungry appeared stronger and stronger after we had paddled for more than nine hours (if the time calculation is correct here). We had our snacks and HoneyPower energy gels with us which helped to gain some energy. Rapids' part itself was interesting. The experience to listen to the water and try to follow the best flow not to hit any rocks in darkness was a good challenge. Even if we had a chance to follow other paddlers as it would be easier to follow another light, we decided to take our own way, relying on the information that organizers had given us (to keep more on the left side of the river). In rapids part, we were the first out of three teams paddling close to each other. The leader (Edgars) of the race was ahead of us. 

When we reached the fourth checkpoint we were all together for a short time (the leader of the race and K1WOM racer Ilze, who reached the checkpoint shortly after we did - they took off together after a short pause). We had quite a long pause there. The question of what to wear (clothing) struggled me (Linda) as the feeling of being cold reached me. Neither I could ́t eat very well. I managed to eat half of the package of Tactical Foodpack (taste was good but a struggle of eating without any appetite was pressuring). Meanwhile, I changed my clothing Anette was keeping herself warm next to the bonfire. Guys took care of our extra light - attaching it well on a kayak deck (as it fell off sometime earlier). Overall it was lovely to see our people (our Estonian´s support teams joined each other and they helped us together) and after all, we were back on the river again.

Sometime later, problems with temperature caused by clothing (dry-suit, and getting overheated) for Linda forced us to stop to remove at least one layer underneath for a better feeling. For that time we had lost first teams totally. We met a guy who has shared his wisdom at the beginning of the race, from time to time.

Time got later and later or earlier and earlier between fourth and seventh checkpoint. We could notice at one point feeling sleepy or being numb started to appear. Around three o'clock I (Linda) remember asking Anette: “Have you yawned?”. She said: “yes, just did it”. I (Linda) wished and saying out loud that music would be really handy right now. But we did not take music device with us (ok, we had our smartphones, but no speaker, and we wanted to keep the battery of the phone). And the best suggestion by Anette was to start singing. It was really fun even if we did not know the lyrics very well. We could bring out many different songs but fast enough we had to change. The conclusion here was to start preparing our own list for the upcoming Yukon 😊

Singing helped us to reach to our next checkpoint with better energy. Some kind of routine started to come out in checkpoints (not the one we fully preferred, as all of this took too much time). On the fifth check-point, we put on dry shirts, took some quick bite, had a toilet break, filled pockets with new energy-gels and we were ready to continue. There was better energy for some time but as time went on, having a snack or a salt or a gel did not have a green sign for Linda. Struggles with food or anything else than liquid got a deeper struggle and personal feeling got more down. Both of us could sense at some point a really heavy feeling. We were trying to keep up the speed, but when you feel that your arms have gotten shorter the paddle stroke is not the one you prefer.

Sometime before reaching the seventh checkpoint my (Linda ́s) condition got worse as I can describe having a hammer. When your whole organism gets in pain and body movement is a real struggle. To coordinate your muscles to do something which is familiar to you gets really hard. Trying to help yourself with magnesium or salt capsule does not work because you are not able to swallow anything than your drink what you have. And next to this complicated situation you just repeat to yourself: “I love kayaking, I really do”. Here I can not be more thankful for Anette who was with me and helped us to reach our next checkpoint (with a way lower speed we could normally allow us).

In our seventh checkpoint, we spent around 35 minutes on the land. Routine was the same: dry layers underneath the jacket or dry-suit, toilet moment, and now eating early breakfast, filling pockets with energy gels and what else seemed necessary. We have to say that Tactical Foodpack gives really the best solution for having good proper food during this kind of challenge. The taste and texture is very good. But when you have a struggle with eating (really one of the worst feelings in my mind: by Linda) the best food does not bring up your appetite and thought of one bite makes you feel desperate. After eating (who did and who did not) we were ready to continue. 

The way to the last checkpoint was still painful, but a bit better than the lowest point of the race. HoneyPower gel helped Linda to be at this moment with at least some energy. Kilometers passed by guessing when one kilometer got fulfilled. Time realization was gone and some light glow aroused our senses. Is the daylight coming up? No, not yet, these were villages ́s glows.

The last checkpoint before finish took us time to get ready as I (Linda) had still the hammer feeling and the only whole setup of clothes seemed to help. Warming ourselves up in the car and changing clothes, drinking tea and pulling ourselves ready for the last 15 km did not seem too hard but still, it took a lot of time (around 45 min) as body movement was very triangular at that time. We knew that the daylight was not far anymore and this gave us also more motivation to go and finish this race. We also knew that we will go as we go. We did not have a clear vision to reach the teams who were in front of us (it seemed more impossible than possible; at that time three teams were in front of us). The goal was to reach the finish and step out of the kayak on own legs.

After the break, when we started to paddle, soon something had changed, like some kind of newborn feeling arrived. The last 15 km were interesting, also fun, as that was the time when we started to look back at what had happened. Memorizing moments in darkness, singing, being thankful for our support team (Kristen and Nora!) and all the companies and people who helped us with equipment to be here, at this moment. Pointing out that WK 640 Sport is a really suitable and very good kayak for this kind of race and Lupine lightning system is really wonderful for this dark time. And how thankful we are for 360 KRAADI for all tracking devices. Thinking over the feelings that we experienced and trying to imagine at least some clue what is going to happen on the Yukon River Quest. And then it appeared what can happen there! 😀

Daylight had arrived and suddenly Linda asks: “Anette, can you see a kayak and three guys on the left?”. Anette: “Where?”. Linda: “There, on the left, really colorful kayak and it seems that one guy is planning to slide down from that hill to the river. The other two guys are checking if everything goes well”. Anette: “I can not see anyone”. Linda: “ Well, but there they are”. We took eyes back on the river and when looking again on the left I (Linda) discovered that there were no people, but only a colorful sign of Neste fuel table. This was the first experience of hallucination. It made us laugh and we had a good discussion about what we could see on the Yukon challenge 😋. But then suddenly Anette says: “there is a kayaker close to the bridge”. This time it was a real kayaker. K1MEN class paddler with who we met many times throughout the whole race. His condition was not very good and we asked if he needed help. He told us his ok and asked us to continue. We knew we are close to the finish and if he does not show up soon enough after us, we have to ask organizers to go and check him. 

Finishing the race

It was around half past eight, Saturday morning, when we reached the finish. Being happy about finishing this race which was challenging with many different moments. It was good to step on the ground and hug our team. Together we managed it. We got good learning points for the future and proof that we do like to kayak on long distances (even if it gets hard at some point - certainly it will) and we will get ready for Yukon river Quest 2020.

Overall we finished the race in third place with a time of 22 hours and 23 minutes. 

Dipole Challenge PLUS 230 km results: 

1. Ilze Balode K1W (LV) —-------20h19min.

2. Edgars Purvinš K1M (LV) ---20h23min.

3. Linda Tetsman + Anette Baum K2W (EE)-22h23min

4. Andris Stavro K1M (LV) -----22h39min

5. Timo Kiväla K1M (FIN) ------27h53min

6. Meelis Valgeväli+Eero Valgeväli K2M (EE)-KP4--11h23min.

7. Arūnas Maciulevičius (LT) - KP2-5h

  

Dipole Challenge classic 170 km results:

1. Arnoldas Latvėnas K1M (LT ) ----16h35min.

2. (FIRST IN K2 ALL) Hillar Irves +Raul Lepasild K2M (EE)--18h22min.

3. Vilimas Varanavičius K1M (LT)--18h39min.

4. Vygantas Kleinauskas+Valentinas Žala K2M (LT) --19h25min.

5. Jokūbas Girdvainis K1M (LT)-----20h52min.

6. Wieslaw Koc K1M (PL) - - - - - - --20h56min.

7. Miglė Žėglevičiūtė+Juras Tovtkevičius K2MIX (LT) ---21h08min.

8. Inga Aukštuolytė + Edita Krušinskienė K2W (LT) ----21h48min.

9. Vytenis Butkevičius K1M (LT)----23h46min.

10. Sigitas Žutautas K1M (LT)-KP4-16h16min.

11. Jaakko Mäkikylä C1M (FIN)-KP1-3h22min.

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We are thankful for all the support and our sponsors!

Thank YOU: LTeam members (our support through the race): Kristen and Nora, World Of Kayaks, EastPole Kayaks, 360KRAADI, HoneyPower, Tactical Foodpack, Estonian Canoeing Federation, Reimann Retked, Lupine.ee, Aix Team Estonia, Seakayaking Estonia, Hannes Tähtsalu, Reeda Tuula-Fjodorov, Martin Pedai, Robert Rivik, and our families, friends, and fans!

Soon enough we will enlighten you on how all of this journey started in our lives. Stay tuned #lindanettechallenges