So, May 21st marked my first Xterra as an elite triathlete. I knew going into this season that the decision to race elite would be very challenging. But, I enjoy challenges, so I figured why not? Knowing my swim/bike had improved a bit since last year and with pretty big gains in my run, I was really looking forward to this event. In addition to my own goals, I was really excited to race with Steph and knew she was on track for a good performance as well.
BEFORE THE RACE:
After last year's travel woes (See
"Getting Home"), I was hoping this year would be smooth sailing. Southwest, unfortunately, was on board to dash my hopes.
Our flight to Pelham had a connection in Chicago. We were sitting near our gate, tired from the super early morning to get to the Salt Lake airport, and I heard something about a delayed flight. I wasn't sure if it was ours, but I got up to investigate. Sure enough, it was our flight. 20 min delay turned into 1 hour, and that meant a late pre-ride. Thanks to loaner bike bags from
Go-Ride and a friend our bikes made it safe and sound. After a little waiting at the Pelham airport we gathered luggage/bikes/car and set off to the hotel.
 |
| Delirious on the plane somewhere between Salt Lake and Pelham |
 |
| I thought they got rid of these things in the previous decade |
Sunset is earlier than Salt Lake, and in the dense trees it gets even darker, so we were motivated to get going quickly so that we could pre-ride while it was still light out. Steph is less familiar with these type of trails, so it was important for us to get a complete pre-ride. We barely made it, and had just enough time to take in the view of the lake at dusk.
 |
| Calm before the storm |
 |
| Sketchy "Rock Garden" spotted during the pre-ride |
 |
| Somewhere on the pre-ride after surviving the "Rock Garden" - sorry you're blurry (again) Steph |
After the pre-ride and we went to Birmingham and ate at
Dreamland BBQ. It was so good, and much needed comfort food after a long day.
The next day included quick stop at the
bike shop for some tire sealant and race nutrition, then back to Oak Mountain State Park. Little did we know that we'd get to ride Rattlesnake Ridge with
Smokin' Chris, so that was an unexpected treat. After our ride we got in a quick lap in the lake. The water was quite nice once you get past the water's edge and fend off a million little fish that nip at your feet.
After a quick lunch and pre-race briefings we enjoyed a nice dinner with the
Middaugh Coaching crew, and an old ITU Worlds (Zittau) companion - Kirk Grynwald. And finally off to bed to prepare for the main event Saturday.
 |
| Happy to be eating? |
 |
| Elite field |
THE RACE:
Body marking and transition set-up went according to plan.
 |
| Look at that focus |
The Swim:
These guys are fast. After a good warm-up, we lined up and off we went. I got beat up a little and once I was clear of the mayhem, I realized most of the pro field was ahead of me. I tried to keep the pace steady and by the end of the first lap realized I was swimming right along side my coach, Josiah. Definitely an honor to be swimming next to the world champ and to know that I had dropped nearly a minute off last year's time, but I knew that the swim was the last time I'd see him. I fumbled in transition a bit, and saw Josiah and Greg Schott take off. I actually didn't know any pros were behind me at this point, so I rode as fast as I could to see if I could catch anyone.
 |
| Josiah about to club me in the back of the head |
 |
| Rounding the corner after lap 1 |
The Bike:
I was hoping that having raced here last year and an additional pre-ride would have helped my handicap on the rooty, windy trails, but my gains on the bike weren't as drastic as I'd hoped. I pushed hard from beginning to end, but kept noticing I'd pick a bad line over a root or the wrong line around a turn. It became obvious that I was not going fast when Chris and Cody came by me and I struggled to keep pace and eventually watched them ride away. I was actually surprised to know that there were people behind me, however, so not knowing who else was back there, I continued to push. I eventually caught and dropped Greg on the jeep road climb. I could hear him behind me on Rattlesnake Ridge, but never saw him. I still beat my bike split from last year, so I guess I'll be happy with that. As always the
Pivot Mach 429SL was amazing and the new dropper kept me going fast even on the technical descents. The
Optic Nerve Vapors were a perfect choice -great visibility and no fogging even in the humidity.
 |
| Amazing weather and trails made the bike fun despite the effort |
The Run:
Hoping to capitalize on all the work I had put into my run and having a pretty satisfactory run at the road triathlon I had done, I was motivated to lay down a solid effort. This went well for the first 2 miles. Then as I was running up one of the short steep hills on the back side of the lap, I got super ill. I threw up then, and a few more times during the last 4 miles of the run, and my pace suffered. So instead of dropping time from last year I added time, and my overall time was nearly the same. The positive is that I held it together (barely) and finished before the stomach issue got worse. Wore my
Salomon Sense Ultras - perfect course for this light trail shoe.
 |
| Somewhere on the 2nd lap - put on my poker face for the photographer |
Final Results:
16th Overall and 10th pro. Not exactly what I wanted, but considering my issues, I'm happy I didn't completely detonate (until after the race). I was happy with 9th swim and 13th bike. I need to figure out why I got sick and hopefully I can show my run gains at Beaver Creek.
Steph's Race:
I'm sure Steph will recap her race somewhere, but I was super proud of her. She came here as part of her build up for Boulder 70.3, and killed it. She won her age group, qualified for worlds in Maui, and saw some pretty awesome gains in comparison to previous Xterra's she had done. Despite my stomach issues, I made sure to get a non-blurry photo of her podium.
 |
| Steph on the top step |
 |
| Xterra Worlds qualifier |
 |
| All smiles as she cruised to the finish |
AFTER THE RACE:
I suffered in bed most of the afternoon and we packed up in anticipation of our early flight the next day. I was able to rally long enough to get dinner with some of the crew, and off to bed we went.
As we arrived at the airport, the line at the Southwest counter was insane. Steph walked toward the front and found our new friend, Becca Blatt. So we jumped in and pretended to be "family". All that effort to get to our gate on time was nullified by the leaking fuel noticed by the pilot as we began our initial taxi. After notifying us of the problem, they went on to inform us that the mechanic was still in bed, and that they were deboarding the plane. We fell asleep in a corner on the floor, and a couple hours later got to actually get back on the plane. Luckily they were kind enough to hold our next flight from Dallas to Salt Lake, and after the fact gave us a voucher to use for future travel.
Back home and things haven't slowed down. Scarlett finished up school and has gone to Wyoming for a few weeks with her grandparents. Steph is continuing her preparations for Boulder. I'm ramping up volume for my Beaver Creek Championship preparations. And we are still unpacking/organizing the new house. A little progress every day.
Be sure to check out all my sponsors - Some of them have discounts, so don't hesitate to ask me if I haven't already provided a code.
No comments:
Post a Comment