Xterra World Championships

Very pleased with my 7th place at the 2011 Xterra World Championships and being the first American Woman! I was excited that the course changed venues simply because I wanted to see and experience a different part of Maui. The new course in Kapalua was less technical than the old course but was just as demanding with lots of steep climbing on both the bike and run.

My super supporter Doug made me pose for the camera for some "scenic shots"

SWIM- The new swim course was in a less sheltered area than the old course and all the "real swimmers" were looking forward to big surf. The two days before the race there were good sized waves but nothing too scary for this "always worried about sharks" kind of ocean swimmer. Race day the water was about as smooth as a lake but that didn't prevent me from almost drowning. When 675 people start together on a small beach there is no way to avoid some level of chaos. The bottle neck at the first buoy was so bad that I had men swimming on top of me and pushing me under the water. Panic ensued for me and I had a vision of being pushed under water and not being able to get back to the surface. I stopped and screamed loudly for everyone to "stop it". Well, nobody stopped being aggressive and I had to doggie paddle my way around the first buoy and find a little bit of clear water to regain my composure. I stayed with a group of women for the remainder of the 1st lap and was able to pull ahead of a few of them on the second lap. Coming out of the water into T1 I had no idea how many women were in front of me. In T1 I saw Suzie, Emma and Renata and knew I would need to get moving quickly on the bike.

BIKE- I only was able to pre-ride the first 4 miles or so of the course, as I didn't think it would be smart to try and ride the whole thing 2 days before the race. Doug was able to ride the entire course for me and warned me to pace myself and not be too ambitious on the first few climbs to avoid blowing up on the upper climbs. I'm so glad I listened to his advice as the climbs were indeed long and steep. My performance on the bike was good but nothing to write home about. This time of year gets hard for me as there are very few hours of light before and after work for me to get longer rides in. I think next year I'll have to suck it up and get on the trainer or do some big night rides to be able to maintain my bike power and fitness until Worlds. I still climbed well and felt strong but just lacked that "perfect feeling". Renata remained ahead of me on the bike from the start and I never saw her again. I passed Suzie early in the bike and fell behind Carina and Danelle who both looked very strong when they passed me. I could see Specialized teammate Emma for most of the bike but she and I were clearly going the exact same speed and it wasn't until the last 4 miles that I caught and passed her. The downhill sections were not technical except when I was behind a pack of men and was left riding in a red dust cloud so thick that I couldn't see at all. My biggest focus on the bike was hydrating and this was something that I executed perfectly. I drank my entire Camelback, a large bottle with Infinit and about half a small bottle of water at both aid stations.

RUN- I was feeling strong coming out of T2 but didn't know what to expect on the run other than a long climb and long descent. I was told I was in 9th place and that 5th place was only 2:30 ahead. If I honored my roots as a runner and my abilities I thought I could maybe make up that 2:30 and get on the box. I passed fellow Coloradan Kelly Cullen within the first mile and could tell the heat was not agreeing with her. She was one of many that were slowed by or fell victim to the heat. Fellow Specialized rider Melanie was leading and had an assumed victory until she collapsed within a few hundred meters of the finish. This was heartbreaking to hear yet amazing to see someone push themselves above and beyond their limits as an athlete in pursuit of excellence. I didn't pass any other women on the run and assumed I was in 8th place. At the top of the climb I saw Emma was not far behind me and I kept pushing the downhills hoping to get away. My focus for the last 3 miles of the run was centered on my breath and not the fact that my quads were cramping up with every step. When I got to the last 1/2 mile of the run I heard I was in 7th. Through the stream bed and onto the beach sections I could see the 6th place girl in front of me and thought for sure I could catch her. I tried to pick up the pace but I felt like I was running in slow motion. This was confirmed when Doug was able to keep up with me. The last bit to the finish was up a steep grassy hill...cruel to say the least! Up this hill my stride got a little wobbly, I did some weaving and I wasn't sure I'd make it for a brief moment. Luckily that moment was about 50 feet before the finish line and I did indeed make it as the 1st American and 7th overall!

The beach run and the hill to the finish were brutal

Congratulations to Women's winner Lesley who was very deserving of her victory on a tough day! While the race was missing last year's Champion Shonny as well as Julie (both out due to injury) the field was stacked and fast with the addition of some ITU girls. It is so exciting to see how fast the women continue to get and hopefully we are making the races more interesting as the "battle for the box" gets closer.

Wow, all that dirt makes my teeth look really white. Not sure my brain was working in this picture.

Huge thanks to all my sponsors for their support this year! Specialized, you make the best hardtail 29er a little 5'3" girl could want! Native, you are a super fun company to partner with and I always know I have the most styling shades on! Honey Stinger, I could eat your chews for dessert. In fact, I sometimes have to resist the temptation to do just this! Infinit, my custom drink blend leaves me strong, even in the hot, humid Hawaii climate! NoTubes, the super light and durable wheels are genuine pieces of artwork! Avia, your shoes leave me blister free and fast! Squadra, what can I say, your kits make me look good (and are super comfortable)!

I'm happy with another great season of racing and look forward to building upon my success next year! However, if you need me in the next few weeks I'll be at the gym reading a magazine on the eliptical machine.

Run, Sara, Run

The last two weekends I took advantage of some local cross country races to take me back to my roots and boost my speed factor. I have such fond memories of high school cross country...running down "potato chip alley" (a path of crunchy leaves), taking cookie breaks at friends houses along our routes and getting stuck in a blizzard on the way to the State meet to name a few. I've come to rely too much on my background of running and always end up neglecting my run training a little. Nothing like a few hard races to get me back on track. Last weekend was the CU Rocky Mountain Shootout where I toed the line with lots of fast college girls. I ended up 27th in a talented field and had the post race hack to remind myself how painful a 23 minute race is. Today, I ran the Coal Creek XC race and 38 minutes proved to be equally painful. I did take the win and came home with a case a beer to ease my aching muscles.

Some photos of my 23 minutes of pain:

A Few Nationals Photos

Photo Credit: Xterra

Photo Credit: Kristen McFarland

Xterra USA National Championships

Xterra USA Nationals was made super exciting this year by the appearance of Lance. The hype was a little much at times but the crowds were amazing! Never in an Xterra have I seen spectators at so many places on the bike and run. Thanks Lance for making our sport a little more known! Also, thanks to all my great sponsors for the support throughout the year: Native, Specialized, Infinit, Avia, No Tubes, Honey Stinger and Squadra!

Doug's good childhood friend was getting married last weekend so he was partying on the East Coast, leaving me without my favorite travel partner or mechanic. Congrats Fran and Candice! Sorry I couldn't be there! After a long solo drive on Thursday I rode the new part of the course and had to stop several times to enjoy the spectacular views. Friday was spent relaxing and doing some light pre-race workouts.

The Xterra Nationals course should be perfect for me as there is so much climbing. Turns out for the last 3 years the trails around Snowbasin and I don't get along as well as we should. I finished the day in 8th with the 5th place podium spot I was gunning for only about 2 minutes ahead of me. Here's a quick break down of the day:

Swim:

For the first time the pros got our own wave and started 30 seconds before the amateurs. I started the swim next to many women and just a few places down from Lance. It seemed like we would have a direct line to the first bouy but the blinding sun led us astray way to the right. Or maybe it was the excessive number of kayaks and boats that caused us to get lost. Anyways, I managed to get back on course and had a good swim hanging with a small group of pro men. I came out of the water in 6th, which is great for me! I'm sure it's against all coaching beliefs but it seems the less I swim the faster I race.

Bike:

This is where I should shine on this course based on my skills. Not so, this year though. Don't get me wrong I was still fast but somehow I just didn't have the power in my legs that was there a few weeks ago. I passed Suzy about 3 miles into the bike and knew there were woman chasing me and probably not too far ahead of me. I was trying to pick up the pace but kept finding myself feeling "off". After being passed by Danelle, I held my 5th place spot on the bike until the top of the Sardine climb, when Shonny (aka the toughest woman out there racing with a torn ACL) passed me. I knew Emma was right behind me and we ended up riding into transition together. I must say Emma and I look good in our almost matching kits!

Run:

I had a less than speedy transition because of the obnoxious buckles on my bike shoes. I'm hoping to get a pair of the Specialized TriVent Terra shoes to help me speed out of transition like a bolt of lightening. Out of transition I could see Shonny, Christine and Emma all right in front of me. Once we were up the super steep hill and to the singletrack they pulled away and my legs would not respond when I tried to pick up the pace. And I can't believe that I ate it not once but twice on the run again. The first time was a minor spill about 1.5 miles in and the second was a little more painful at about 3 miles. I jammed my big toe on a rock and thought I might have broken my toenail off. Then, I started to feel what I assumed was blood in my shoe. As always, whether it's a good day or bad day I did my best and made my way to the finish, coming across the line in 8th. I took my shoe off to see a very bloody foot. The medical staff thought a few stitches would be a good idea but I suggest a little glue instead. Thankfully, they agreed this would be adequate.

Not my best day but it is pretty amazing how fast all of us ladies are and the races are getting more exciting because we are so close. Congrats to Specialized teammates Mel for taking the win and Emma for getting on the podium in 5th. See all you speedy ladies in Maui!

What the?!?! - Xterra Canada

Doug strongly encouraged me to race Xterra Canadian National Championships which are conveniently held in Whistler, his dreamland of big mountains and endless mountain bike trails. Doug assured me he would be a great support for me if I went to this race. And, indeed he was a great support, but nobody could help me enough with the challenges of this race. This race was arguably one of the toughest Xterras out there. I knew the course would be challenging but after pre-riding one lap I wanted to cry. The course was two laps of 9km. Doesn't seem that long right? Hmmm, seems to have taken me two hours to do this during the race. Raised bridges, big old roots, raised bridges, oh did I mention all the skinny bridges. Not good for this girl who is still relatively new to mountain biking and has a small fear of heights. After digesting the course I went out for another lap on Saturday and actually started to have fun. I was clearing and able to ride about 95% of the course and was feeling confident. The pictures below are a small sampling of the many bridges on the River Runs Through it Trail that was part of our 9km loop.

On to race day. We swam two loops and the way out was straight into the sun..not fun. It was disheartening when we got close to the first buoy and the whole group I was swimming with cut the buoy in a major way. I ended up swimming backwards to ensure I went around the first buoy rather than following the masses on their shortcut. I still managed to almost catch up to some of the group that I was with and was the 3rd woman out.

I opted for my Specialized Era since I didn't know exactly what the course would be like and for me more suspension is usually better. My bike worked flawlessly. It was all about the operator having a rough day that caused me to move backwards in a hurry. Trying to ride the course at race pace was very challenging for me and I messed up so many times on sections that I rode perfectly the day before. I hate to say it but I was a mental weeine and really struggled to keep my head on straight. I kept trucking along and "survived" the bike hoping that I could at least have a fast run. And indeed I was running fast until bam I fell really hard on my right side and jammed my left foot into a big root. I told myself get up, shake it off and focus so that doesn't happen again and then bam again I went down this time wiping some skin off my left hand. Seriously, I thought I was a runner. The course was so hilly and full of rocks and roots that I think the trail beat me down and my hip flexors did not want to lift my legs up anymore. In the end I passed one girl on the run but wasn't close to catching anyone else. I ended up 6th on what was one of my roughest days since starting Xterra. Yes, I was bummed to say the least. However, I had to put it all in perspective. I am so lucky to have the ability to maintain a job and a sport I love, I have great friends and family that encourage me along my journey and heck I still had 3 more days of vacation in Whistler to enjoy.

Doug and I hit the slopes of Whistler for some downhilling and I left feeling confident that yes, I can ride a mountain bike. I'm a little worried that I liked dowhilling a bit too much and want to get my hands on a proper downhill bike.

Doug hitting a big drop

Me getting some sweet air

Next up is Xterra Nationals in Ogden, Utah. To say I'm excited is an understatement! My mountain goat climbing skills will come in handy and the S-works 29er will be a superb weapon of choice.

Sunday on Lookout

Super exciting Sunday hanging with the crowds on Lookout Mountain watching the US Pro Cycling Challenge. The energy was unbelievable! Here's to hoping it comes back for years to come. Highlight was a young boy, maybe 7 years old, on a mini-me road bike being told by his dad to "dial it back a litte" as he raced up Lookout. He was hurting his old man and loving it...wish we had a video of it.

Xterra Lory Win

Last Saturday I headed to Lory State Park outside Fort Collins for Xterra Lory. After doing the math and realizing I had to get up before 4:30am to make the 7:50 start time, I wsn't that excited. I was happy that fellow mountain biker Erin Huck tried her hand at Xterra and we got to spend the pre-dawn hours driving together.

The water temp was 75, which meant no wetsuit for me. Luckily, I threw in my fastskin (aka my sausage suit) into my bag was able to wear it over my kit. The swim took us directly into the rising sun on the way out. Thankfully some kind men lead the way for me and I stayed with a small group the entire swim. I was the 2nd woman out of the water only a few seconds behind Tracy Thelen. The bike was flat, swoopy and fast. Tracy and I played cat and mouse on the first lap of the bike and I managed to pull ahead and get a gap on her on the 2nd lap. Considering the course did not suit my strengths I was happy with how I did and I got some great practice at fast cornering. The S-works 29er was like always fast and fun!
I had no idea what the run course entailed other than we were promised some amazing views. The run went up, up and up some more via switchbacks for about 2 miles and there were indeed some beautiful views of the lake and very blue sky all around. After finally getting to the top there was a fast downhill to a somewhat flat stretch to the finish. I knew that Tracy was behind me and that I needed to focus on the run to maintain my win. I managed to have both the fastest bike and run time for the women and was not far behind many of the men, a good mental boost going into Xterra Canada and USA Nationals. The highlight of the race was the huge Slip n Slide at the finish line. I made sure to pick up my pace as I crossed the line to ensure good Slip n Slide form. I ended up making it to the end and was startled that I was dumped into a pool of water. Yeah, I got some compliments on my excellent Slip n Slide skills...and to think I never had one of these growing up. I'll try to find a picture and post it. Thanks Without Limits for putting on a great race!

Indian Peaks Xterra

With several tough cases right now at work my blogging has been on the back burner. Long days have left me emotionally drained and physically tired. Training gets done, but blogging not so much.


Two weeks ago was the Indian Peaks Xterra. I love this race for several reasons, it's literally in my own backyard about 40 minutes from my house at Eldora ski area, the course is super fun and the race director always puts on a good show. Last year I won this race and knew I was in for a tough race this year with Kelly Cullen toeing the line with me. Well, toeing the line isn't the best description as the race is a time trial start so you don't ever really know how you're doing. The race director, Paul, insisted that I get the privilege starting first since I was the defending champion. So, I jumped in the cold lake first and was passed by 3 men in the swim and Kelly caught me right at the end. I've been doing some mental work around my performance in open water swims and was pleased that I had a much improved swim than I have been lately. I'm convinced it's because of the Brainspotting I did with my clinical supervisor (Google it if you're curious).

After a long run to transition (4 plus minutes long) Kelly and I were off on the bike. I opted for my Specialized Era to take advantage of the full suspesion on the somewhat rocky course. I figured I'd get pretty beat up on my hardtail and I tend to ride better when I'm not frustrated by being bucked around by rocks, Doug can attest to this. It was great to have someone to push me on the bike. Kelly and I rode together the first lap of the bike playing a game of cat and mouse. On the second lap I lost a little steam and Kelly was suddenly out of my sight. I still ended up biking over 2 minutes faster than last year, so no complaints here. Coming into T2 I knew Kelly was ahead of me and the only way I was going to beat her was to catch her and put time on her. I quickly put on my Avia Bolts and was off but no such luckin taking over the lead, as I found myself in "no mans land", unable to see anyone in front or behind me. There is one point on the run that is out and back and I could see that Kelly had a few minutes on me. As much as I tried to pick up the pace after this I had to accept that this year is Kelly's year and cruised home to take second overall. It is great to see several new pro women on the Xterra scene from Colorado...it's exciting!

This was the second year I have helped the race director with a pre-ride of the course a few weeks before the race. Just like last year I really enjoyed helping to provide the newer women with a safe, comfortable and encouraging introduction to Xterra...it is very rewarding to me! Next up is Xterra Lory next weekend.

Xterra Mountain Championships

The Xterra Mountain Championships is one of the toughest courses on the circuit and also happens to be my favorite. This year I managed a 4th place finish in a strong field of women and took over 4 minutes off my time from last year.

My swim was less than stellar and I came out about a minute behind a big group of girls. I was disappointed with my swim but not worried because I am part mountain goat and the straight uphill bike suits me well. I quickly passed many women in the first two miles of the course and moved up into 2nd place. I could see Melanie ahead of me and was inching closer to her with Kelly Cullen right on my wheel. I always gauge how I'm doing on the bike by how long it takes Shonny to catch me. I got to where she passed last year and still no sign of her. I kept thinking "Shonny should be coming by any minute". Well, turns out I continue to get faster on the bike and she didn't catch me until the top of the paved road section. When she caught me we rode together passed Mel and continued riding together until the top of the climb at which point she pulled away from me. Mel, Kelly and I continued to play cat and mouse the entire rest of the bike course. With about 3 miles to go on the bike my stomach started cramping up and I slowed a bit to see if I could get it to relax before the super hard and hilly run. I came into T2 in 4th and knew if my stomach cooperated I could run some girls down. No such luck with my stomach behaving. I managed to get through the first big climb but it was running the first long downhill that put me over the edge. I resorted to walking some, a few stops to try to rub the cramping out and thoughts of "can I keep going?" crossed my mind. Of course, I kept going and was hoping that nobody would catch me. Thankfully, I had a big cushion of time off the bike and wasn't caught on the run leaving me in 4th at the finish line and only 25 seconds behind 3rd.

Shonny took the win, Mel second, Kelly Cullen 3rd, me 4th and Emma in 5th. Yep, that's all three Specialized Xterra girls in the top 5 (Mel, me, Emma). Nice work ladies! While I wanted to be closer to a WIN I have to be proud of being only 5 minutes behind last years World Champion, Shonny. I'd say it was a pretty good day for this social worker by day and professional triathlete by wee hours of the mornings and weekends.

Thanks to all my great sponsors, Avia, Specialized, Native Eyewear, Infinit, NoTubes, and Honey Stinger! I feel like I'm on the cusp of a really great race and hoping it will happen at Nationals!

4th of July Weekend Re-cap

A little delayed update but better late than never. Our 4th of July weekend started Saturday with a drive to Steamboat to stay with some of our good friends and their two little boys who escaped the heat of Tucson to the more reasonable climate in Steamboat. Saturday and Sunday were spent with a little bike ride around the Stagecoach reservoir, Smores around the campfire (it's pretty entertaining to watch a 4 year old make their first Smores), a failed fishing trip and lots of playing with Legos and blocks. A little more on our fishing trip. Our friend Jamie assured us we would catch trout at this great lake above Yampa, "yeah my brother caught like 6 fish in 6 casts". Sounds great right! Well, after about 60 casts Doug, Jamie nor I had caught a single fish. The 4 year old was not impressed by our returning home with no fish.

Monday we got up early and drove to Breckenridge for our annual 4th of July tradition, the Firecracker 50. We race this the "more fun way", as a team with each of us doing a 25 miles lap. This year it was each of us doing a 27 mile lap due to some course changes. I debated between riding my S-Works 29er and my Era and ended up opting for the 29er. I was worried I would take a beating on the hardtail over some of the rocky parts. Some parts were a little rough as I expected but in the end I think the 29er was the fastest choice given the climbing and long road sections. I had a smooth ride and felt fast the entire race, except on some tight singletrack sections where I was stuck behind men who were doing the whole 50miles and weren't going as fast as I wanted to. We took the Coed Team title for the 3rd year in a row. No big money or prizes but simply our fun 4th of July tradition.

This weekend is the Xterra Mountain Championships and I'm excited to be healthy and ready for this race. The course is great for me, climbing, climbing and in case you didn't get enough a little climbing at the end.

Racing, Racing, Racing

The last week has been a busy one and I managed to crush myself at a CU short track race, the Winter Park Super Loop XC and a Stroke N Stride (minus the stroking due to lightning). Good results in all events, 3rd in the Short Track, 2nd in the XC, and 2nd (got beat at the line) in the 5K Stride. Too busy for many words so pictures will have to suffice.

Short Track

Winter Park Super Loop XC

Celebrating the podium by myself since all the other women took off

Brr, it's cold on the top of Trail Ridge.

Stroke N Stride

Winter Park Hill Climb

Winter Park has a well run super fun mountain bike series that starts off each year with a true suffer fest...the hill climb. Nothing makes your legs and lungs burn like 5.2 miles all uphill race starting at 9,080 feet and ending at 11,142 feet. I was super excited for this race because it was my first race on my Specialized 29er. The race went out hard and my first thought was oh dear, I'm going to blow up. I was patient and knew that very quickly women would start coming back to me. Sure enough before the first mile I was in the lead and held it to the end for the win. Check out these pictures to see just how much snow is still up there:http://www.mountainmoonphotography.com/Cycling-5-dollar-downloads/Mountain-Biking-2011/Winter-Park-Hill-Climb-2011/16291074_2dsQ8#1333006154_kRVxZP7

Beti Bike Bash

The 40 minutes of uphill suffering at the hill climb just wasn't enough suffering in one weekend for me so I headed to the Beti Bike Bash at Bear Creek State Park the next day. I was super excited about this event because one of my amazing sponsors, Stan's No Tubes, was a huge supporter of this women's only mountain bike race. Stan's provided prize money that in turn attracted some of the best riders. It was a mini World Cup race with Georgia Gould and Katie Compton int he mix to name a few. The course was not technical at all and was a super fast power course, perfect for my hardtail 29er! There was no place for rest and it was all out for 1 hour...a really long short track race basically. I faded a bit on the last lap but until then I was right in the mix (minus Georgia, Katie and Erin who had a good lead on the rest of us). I ended up 9th in a super stacked field. It was so great to see so many women on mountain bikes! Hopefully, some will see that mountain biking is where the fun is and come back for more! I know I'll be back at the Beti Bike Bash again next year. Thanks Stan's and Team Yeti Beti for putting on a great event!

Neat picture of Rebecca Rush and I representing Specialized