I showed up the day before and we set up camp, like we usually do at any of my races. I just enjoy feeling the weather I'm going to be racing at and I like to be right next to the starting line. I also sleep really well on a nice fall night under the stars. Barely made the check in then went an ate at Cracker Barrel. Ate some chicken and dumplings and tried to settle my stomach to prepare myself for the next morning. Went to bed early and woke up at 5 to drink an energy drink and eat some breakfast, some wafers and an Ensure. Then woke the rest of the gang up, wife 2 kids, sister and brother in law. Then we made our way up to the start.
It was a lot colder then I was ready for and I was really getting anxious about jumping in the freezing water especially because I had torn a couple hole in the armpit of my wet suit and I knew that I was in for some cold water in my arm pit. (Just to clear it up a little an Epic xterra is comparable to a Half Ironman Road event. Its Measured by how fast pros finish the event. Which is about 4:30 hours for a fast pro time. Its a 1 mile swim, a 33 mile mountain bike, and a 10 mile rugged trail run.) We watched the short xterra leave 30 mins before and then it was time for the Epic athletes to enter the water.
Of course the water was as cold as I thought it would be and definitely more choppy then expected. The gun went off and I started strokin. I don't know if it was the choppy cold water the hole in my wetsuit or what but I was in pain the whole swim from 100 yards on. I was breathing every stroke and completely trailing another athlete the entire race. What was kind of funny is I thought something was wrong with my swim but really I was in for a painful race from start to finish.
I transitioned into the bike pretty slowly I wanted to actually be a little bit comfortable on the 3 painful laps on the rocky 11 mile Iron Mountain loop. I also had to make sure I stopped to give my wife Melly a kiss. I wore a camelbak with all my nutrition which was some Gu's and Sport beans . There was a stretch of cement on every lap where I could really fuel up and it seemed to work well. What was unavoidable for me was the pain I always get shooting up my hands toward the end of the last lap. It was so terrible but luckily it wasn't one of those things that would not hurt as bad if I slowed down so I still kept a hard pace throughout the whole ride the only difference is I was a lot closer to crashing on the last lap.
Then it was time to go for a nice 10 mile run which included steep declines threatening to sprain your ankles and steep uphills where you can put your hands out and put them on the ground. There was also some good boulder hopping spots and a little dried up creek that offered no relief. The best part about this race was a big shock because almost always the run is my worst leg but I ended up keeping a 9 minute pace for a rough 10 mile course so I was really happy also feeling fresh enough to really push the last mile into the finish line.
This was the most important race in 2012 for me mainly because epic Xterras are worth more points then any other xterra race. Giving 100 points to 1st place and 90 for 2nd while a regular xterra gives 75 for first place so because I was able to pull out a strong showing and finished second then I got 90 points and now I have more then likely qualified for the Xterra US National Championships in Utah!
Just to clarify a little Xterra triathlons are the premier Off-road triathlon in the world with a killer world tour and an amazing world championship in Maui HI! The Xterra national and world championships have had triathletes such as Lance Armstrong, Tim Deboom, Conrad Stoltz, and Lesley Patterson. A regular Xterra is constructed to be close to an olympic distance triathlon.
So this year in 2013 I will be signing up for the Xterra national championships which are in Ogden, UT on Sept 21. I am hoping this blog will help me stay focused and maybe hold me a little more accountable to train the best way that I can. I am so excited for this year and motivated to stay on task with my schooling, while spending as much much quality time with my family as I can and train as hard and as consistent as I can.
No comments:
Post a Comment