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!