Rubber Side Down: XTerra Canmore Race Report

XTerra Canmore was my "A" race for the year.... but in the weeks prior to race day, I was having a hard time feeling "settled" about the event. After racing in Maui last year, I knew that coming back here would make me nervous - of course I want to repeat at Maui! But would I get a spot, can I improve again by leaps and bounds to make the qualifier? And we had a busy summer planned out, some back country hiking, lots of mountain biking, time with the kids, time with friends, work is busy and overly stressful, family pressures.... would it all come together? It took until the Wednesday before the race to feel like I had a good headspace for this race.

Boy, would I need it!

The weather forecast conspired against us: cold and rain in the forecast. And the drive to Canmore on Sunday morning left me questioning just how much of the bike course I would have to walk, as it was thumping down rain. I made some decisions and some promises to myself: above all else, be safe, and, of course, have fun!

I was racing with The Husband and a good friend Erin W. The Husband has done an amazing job learning to swim over the past two years, and this is his first solo triathlon - big time shout-out and congrats to him on this event! We had just enough time to prepare T1 and T2, walk through the race meeting and get on the bus.

There were several Spin Sisters racing both the Sprint and Competition course, so we chatted and warmed up before the swim. I did the warmup that I had planned, felt confident in the water, felt ready to go.

Unfortunately, my swim just wasn't up to par today. I cannot make sense of the why's and how's, but along the way my swim was just slow. I could feel how slow it was and tried to focus on technique, on breathing, I tried lots of tricks to get moving. Total swim time was 33min - about 2 min slower than last year. Grr.
2014 Swim: 33:46
2013 Swim: 31:42

My T1 was much improved over last year - my new HUUB wetsuit is awesome, easy to take off, I love it. I was smoothly and quickly on my way.
2014 T1: 4:12
2013 T1: 6:11

Surviving the wet trails - rubber side down!

Once on the bike, I knew that I had 2km of uphill pavement to ride before starting the climb at the Canmore Nordic Centre. I needed to stay steady and focused, settle into the bike, and not burn any matches before I even got started. My legs were feeling zippy, and I was gaining on some of the crowd ahead of me. And when I got to the Nordic Centre, I continued to pass people. As each of them fell back, I did a mental systems-check: I'm not usually in the passing lane, so I did a conscious check of my body with each rider and discovered I was in fine form so pressed onwards. The climb up to the Laundry Chutes was over faster than I remembered, and we were coming down some slippery, rooty, rocky single track. There were riders all over the place; in fact, all day long, riders were slipping and sliding across trails. I exhaled and rolled forward. I know the lines to ride, I know where the tricky parts show up and can be prepared, my experience with this course was to my benefit today, it was a safe and FUN ride! I leap-frogged with fellow Spin Sister Liz (who was part of an all-female team) for most of the first lap, but pulled ahead for lap 2. Lap 2 was even more fun, as I continued to pass people and confidently rode the trails. It was the perfect ride for those conditions, I kept the rubber side down and left my legs in good shape for the run.

"Race Face" starting lap 2

Total bike time: 2:08 - an improvement of 3 minutes over last year and done on a slippery course!
2014 Bike: 2:08:05
2013 Bike: 2:11:39








T2 was almost quick and smooth - but I forgot to grab the mandatory bear spray canister off my bike so had to go back for it.  Oops.
2014 T2: 1:05
2013 T2: 1:30

I promised myself that this run course was going to hurt, that if it didn't hurt I wasn't running hard enough and to get it in gear.
And let me tell you, it hurt. I kept my feet moving at a "run" motion for almost 7.5km. There was a hill, oh Lord there's a hill. It needed a short walk break. Erin W sassed me as she ran past, so I put it in gear. And I saw a woman about .5km behind me, she looked roughly my age and dammit, I wasn't going to let her pass me. So at the 8.5km mark, I turned it up another notch. I don't exactly remember the trail, the people, or the scenery. I simply ran. My legs hurt. Oh look, The Finish Line. I made it. It was a blur, I tried not to cry, and I tried not to fall over. I'm so glad both The Husband and Erin were at the Finish area, they propped me up and gave me a hug. I love racing with "my people." Total run time: 1:15.
2014 Run: 1:15:04
2013 Run: 1:16:

Crossing the Finish Line

Overall time:
2014: 4:02:08
2013: 4:09:38
That means I shaved 7 minutes off my time from last year on a slick course.  Holy smokes!

Is it enough to return to Maui? Maybe - I placed 4th, I am super proud of my effort, I know that my legs are empty and that I raced hard.  One of our very pregnant friends Laura commented on my "race face" - so focused and concentrated. She's right, I was in the moment, racing hard, and, honestly enjoying every second of it. What an incredible high! Maui would be amazing, and if I'm offered a roll-down spot, of course I will take it. Time will tell. In the meantime, I am very pleased with my race, and ready to hits the trails with some friends for a few more rides this season. Happy trails!