2009 Xterra Worlds Race Report

Swim

I'll sum this up in one word, brutal. I was punched in the eye, hit in the arms countless number of times and full on kicked in my left quad leaving me with a 'charlie horse' for the rest of the race. All the rumbling was with men in the swim, those yellow caps were surrounding me and mean. They would not start the race until everyone was out of the water so I sat shivering for 10 minutes on shore. Usually they say to get out of the water, nobody does and they start the race anyways. They had people walking in the surf with kayak paddles prodding people back to shore. I had a decent swim but not as fast as I would have liked. I came out of the water in 8th with several girls not too far behind me.

Bike

I felt strong on the bike but wasn't climbing like I know I am capable of. Men kept fumbling on the short climbs in front of me, falling off and forcing me to hike-a-bike more than I needed to. I also think I was worried that going to hard on the bike would lead to "blowup" like it did for me at Nationals. I focused on drinking lots and pushing "just hard enough". The bike is not very technical but bad things happen to people out there. It is easy to get out of control and not be able to stop since you are basically surfing on top of loose, sharp lava rocks. There are always people fixing flats along the entire course. Luckily, my personal mechanic (aka Doug) had my bike working flawlessly except for a slight chain mishap that only took me about 6 seconds to fix. I came off the bike in 8th after several position changes on the bike.

Run
I felt strong going into the run and was well hydrated. I was able to push up the hills better than last year. Doug yelled at me that there were four girls in front of me within 2 minutes. Marion passed me a few miles into the run. I could see Marion and Danelle in front of me most of the run, especially on the mile long beach stretch, but was never able to catch them. I ended up 9th in 3:15:57, almost 4 minutes faster than last year. Top five were Julie Dibens, Lesley Patterson, Mel McQuaid, Carina Wasle and Shonny V. Congrats to all you speedy women!

It's amazing how the women's field seems to get faster and faster every year. I felt I had in in me to be in the top 5, but I simply didn't have my best race. I have nothing to complain about though, I was almost 4 minutes faster, had no major catastrophes and am able to race at a professional level while maintaining full time career. I'm ready for a break...a chance to sleep in, experiment in the world of gluten free baking, finish some knitting projects that have been gathering dust since last Spring, and cross off many projects on our house 'to do list'.

Thanks to my parents and Doug for being the best fans and support at the race! Thanks to Wheat Ridge Cyclery for my Yeti, Powerbar for gels with lots of electrolytes, Perlizumi for some great training and racing gear, Xterra wetsuits for my 'sausage suit' (fastskin), Powercordz for some cables that help make my bike super light! I'm looking forward to next year and plan to come back with some serious 'fire in my belly'. I'm also excited to be part of a great team next year...I'll let you keep guessing about that one...

From paradise to snow

We made it back to Boulder this afternoon after a long trip including a night spent in the Portland airport. We came back to around 20 inches of snow here in Boulder...from paradise to snow in a day! The season has finally come to a close for me. The 2009 Xterra Worlds pro field was stacked and every woman was fast (this may be an understatement). I went almost 4 minutes faster than last year and placed 9th (the same place as last year). Pictures and race report will come I'm just too tired now.

Dear Mrs. Piggy

Ok swine flu, I know you have infected several people in my office and you have me running scared. Please stay away from me for the next 10 days. My hands are raw from many washings and being lathered in hand sanitizer. I even invested in antiviral/antibacterial wipes and wipe down my desk area daily. I'm taking lots of Vitamin C, echinachea and garlic...I hope it all works Mrs. Piggy and you don't come knocking at my door.

I always struggle to stay healthy this time of year for some reason and this year is no exception. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can make it a few more days without catching anything. I'm feeling ready for Maui and the only thing that would slow me down at this point is being sick.

Last weekend I had some less than ideal Maui prep...a cyclocross race in the snow. I bundled up in an effort to simulate a warmer climate but actually never warmed up much as it was breezy and in the 20's. Good hard effort though that was rewarded with a burger and beer! One more intense run and ride session and then it is rest, rest, rest for me.

Give me some oxygen and heat

We spent the weekend in Frisco so Doug could do 2 cyclocross races. The trip marked the first time since ski season that I went to the mountains and was not racing...crazy! I enjoyed a long ride on the Peaks Trail on Saturday and a long hilly run on Sunday. I was planning on just running along the path to Copper Mountain but then I saw a little trail and a sign talking about an old mine. So I ran up, up and up some more. I made it to the mine and was determined to get to the top but once it got so steep I had to walk I called it a day...sweet coffee was calling my name. Both my ride and run had me thinking about skiing since there was snow on the ground.

Doug makes it look so easy

I've entered the heat and oxygen period of my Hawaii prep. That weird girl running with a hat and long sleeves on a beautiful Fall day, that's me. The sweaty girl you see going back and forth between the sauna and steam room, that's me. I'm not sure how much this helps me get ready to race in Hawaii but I think there is something to it. I did the same thing last year and was not bothered too much by the heat. I'm also doing supplemental oxygen workouts on the bike and run at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. It's amazing how much harder you can make yourself go when you have so much sweet oxygenated air. Thanks to Paul and Becky for loaning me a slick tire and Powertap to use during these torture sessions! I've never used a Powertap and don't even use a heart rate monitor when I train.

My 'technology' is my Timex watch. Yep, the kind you buy at Target. This one is pretty advanced though seeing as it has 3 different alarms you can set. What the heck do you need 3 different alarms for? We'll have to see if I take to this technologically advanced training or not.

Xterra Nationals

Last weekend I had a successful day at Xterra Nationals held in beautiful Snowbasin, Utah. The hills were covered with hues of red and yellow and the weather was sunny and warm. This course is all about climbing...my favorite! The swim starts in Pineview Reservoir down in the valley. The bike climbs and climbs all the way to Snowbasin ski area, then in case you didn't get enough it climbs some more up the ski area before coming back to the base of the area. The run is a big climb, up to some 'flattish' rocky single track and then back down to the base of the area.

Right before the mayhem began

I came out of the swim in 5th(?) about 30 seconds behind eventual winner Mel. I had a great bike (11 minutes faster than last year on a slightly longer course) and came to T2 in 3rd behind Mel and Shonny. The second I got off my bike I knew I was in trouble. I had sharp pains in both quads, think a knife being stabbed into your leg. The cramps stayed in my legs the entire run and eventually my stomach cramped too. I resorted to walking a little and even had the thought of getting a ride on a moto back to the finish but I was as tough as I could be and held on for 6th place (2nd American). I was bummed that my body failed me although it was probably my own fault for not drinking enough on the bike...Doug scolded me about this as he usually does. However, I could not be happier with how close I am to the podium even on a 'bad day'! This race served to boost my confidence and get me excited about Worlds and beyond. Top five women were Mel McQuaid, ShonnyV., Lesley Patterson, Carina Wasle, Jenny Smith. So glad to be done, not sure what's with the Elvis lip

Post race we celebrated with an awesome dinner, drinks, ice cream and lots of laughter! The trip was made even more special and fun because of my travel buddies and support men. Thanks Doug and Paul for helping us on race day...it meant the world to me to have such dedicated support! I might have passed out without getting another bottle from Doug. Brian had a great race and can now stop saying that his friends girlfriends are faster than him...good work Brian! Becky had a huge smile on her face during the race and had a successful day in many, many ways! Also, thanks to all my sponsors...Wheat Ridge Cyclery, Yeti, Powerbar, Rudy Project, Pearlizumi and Xterra wetsuits.

After a long ride home complete with road closures, consumption of fast food and too many candy corn pumpkins I'm home and enjoying a rest week before a little more hard training before Worlds. Three weeks from today and I will be drinking my coffee on the lanai overlooking the ocean with my parents (Doug will probably still be sleeping).

I'm still here

Yes, I'm still alive and well! Work has been busy now that the schools are back in session. We are walking on egg shells and keeping our fingers crossed that the billions of dollars the state has to cut from the budget does not affect us. We already were told no raises this year. Honestly, I'm thankful to have a job at this point...not sure how we would be eating otherwise.

On a more exciting note my condo finally sold. Being a bit of an independent woman I thought I could sell my condo on my own. After almost 2 months of little interest I hired Botsy Phillips as a realtor and my place was under contract in about a week. Check him out if you need a realtor: http://ihomefinder.com/idx/AgentBio.cfm?cid=4081&aid=13602


On the racing front I'm feeling ready for Nationals this weekend...a bit nervous, but ready! We raced the Fall Classic in Breckenridge two weeks ago and it was a gorgeous mud fest. No, really, despite snowing the night before the weather was perfect, the course challenging and the aspens were even yellow up high. I ended up 3rd in the Pro Women after being in second until the last few miles. Last Saturday was a cross race in Golden and let's just say I'm really not good at starting hard. Watching me you would have thought I was out for a Saturday cruise on the Creek Path, "oh go ahead please, oh and you too, everyone just go on ahead, let's not fight for the hole shot". I was in dead last off the line but worked my way up through the field to 9th. I ate it going over a barrier and have a lovely blue shin now. It's not fair when the barrier is almost up to your knee and when the fatigue sets in it takes all my might to get over these. Or maybe it's because I never practice this. I was much more fortunate that my sister-in-law who now has a new neck piece like this:

Let me tell you Beth is one tough lady! She didn't finish the race but was walking around and feeding Baby Sam only to learn when she got to the ER that her C7 is fractured. Beth, we're glad you're OK...heal up soon! Life can change quickly, appreciate what you have and those that you love!

What's in your work bag?

While looking for a pen during a work meeting on Friday I pulled out a pen with a piece of moleskin stuck to it...very nice professional touch.  It got me wondering what else was buried in there.  So today is clean out my work bag day and besides a piece of moleskin I found Airborne, 2 tubes of lotion, toothpaste, Purell, 7 nice pens (I knew they were in there somewhere), last years USAT and ACA licenses, an old Comcast bill stub, 2 baggies, my reading glasses (hmm guess I should try to wear them), a little tag I was going to put on my running shoe with my emergency contact info on it, random scraps of paper reminding me to do something, my Burt Bees lipstick (yes I do put this on sometimes so I'm less likely to be mistaken for a student at the schools I visit), and best of all a gift card to the Boulder Book Store.  I think my shoulder will thank me that my bag is a little lighter and less cluttered now.

After my mid season break I'm back in the swing of training.  Yesterday Doug and I took the bus to Nederland and almost 6 hours later arrived back home.  Doug has explored lots of "secret" trails and after playing on the Nederland trails we are able to ride singletrack almost all the way back to Boulder.  I only had one slight meltdown (aka bonking) but Doug shoved some fruit leather in my mouth and I was ready to go again.  Today I did a long run and it was hot.  We haven't had many hot Summer days this year and I never workout in the middle of the day so I got my butt kicked by the heat.  Sad thing is it isn't even as hot as it will be Worlds.  I'd better start my sauna training soon.