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!