XTerra World Championships 2014 Race Report

Just one day after telling Coach Jack that I didn’t want to hear from him until December, that I wanted to take a couple of months to relax and ride for fun, plans changed….

I received an email inviting me to the XTerra World Championships in Maui, to be held Oct 26, 2014. Wow! The opportunity to race at this world-class event for 2 years in a row is an exciting honour, and a whole bunch of fun, too. What an opportunity!

I spent the month of September in training: lots of hills, increased swim volume to develop strength in the ocean, and (did I mention) lots of hills.  I raced the Grizzly Mountain Bike Marathon, where I placed 2^nd in my AG, and was starting to mentally settle into race-mode. 

Bringing it home at the Grizzly Mountain Bike Marathon

And then sadness entered my world. My Mom suffered a stroke and passed away in mid-October. As you can imagine, my training, both mentally and physically, fell to the wayside as I had more important things to handle. And then my daughter broke her arm. Even until the morning before my flight, I wasn’t certain that racing in Maui was the right decision.

But I packed my bags, dissembled my bike and packed her up, and on Oct 22 I boarded a plane to Maui.

This year felt different for a lot of reasons. Sure, I was dealing with my family issues, and I also felt very tired, yet strangely calm. I wasn’t the “deer in headlights” like last year, I was on familiar territory. (read about last year's race in my two posts from Nov 2013: Race Report  Race Prep)

The week leading up to the race saw lots of rain on the course. It turned the bike trail into a mushy, snotty mess of mud. With that in mind, I decided that even with the changes to the bike course, I would be better off NOT pre-riding the trails for fear of mechanical damage or injury while pre-riding. Instead, I spent the time acclimating to the heat, organizing food and getting used to the ocean and run course. I stayed off-site this time, at an Outrigger condo in Kahana – it helped to avoid the bustle of the venue, it soothed my brain and calmed my body.

My family arrived on Friday night! This year we decided to add a family vacation after the race. It was quite possibly the best decision we made.

The Husband and both Daughters were signed up to race the 10k trail run and keiki kids race. The Husband put out an heroic effort, running in heat and humidity only 12 hours after his arrival. 

The Husband running hard to the Finish Line

Eldest Daughter was a rock star, the second fastest girl in her group and narrowly missing first place. 

Eldest Daughter running flat-out to the Finish Line

Youngest Daughter was required to walk due to the broken arm, but still crossed the Finish Line with a big smile. I am proud of all three – great job! 

So proud of my Family!!!

We swam and snorkeled at Napili Kapalua Beach, and dined at Merriman’s for my pre-race meal. Perfect relaxation and family time.

Race Morning

After a healthy breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast with some pineapple on the side, we headed over to the race venue. Transition was busy, I got organized and had my bike adjusted (minor issue), and then waited: without a wetsuit to struggle into, my prep time was easily cut in half! I did a short warmup, tested out the waves, and chatted with family and competitors to calm my nerves.

Settle into Transition

Strength and support from Family

Traditional Hawaiian blessing

They’re off!

The pro start went off with the canon boom, and we watched them gracefully pull away from shore. The second canon signaled the men’s start: a large swell broke on shore, and I watched the men swim UP a large wave as it crashed over their heads.  Egads. No time to get worked up, the canon boomed one last time and the women jumped into the next swell. I needed to brace myself as a wave crashed to the beach, and dove into the bottom of the next one. Whew, it was a rough entry!! Check out the video of the men’s start, the waves start around 1:00 and last for approx 1 min:

http://vimeo.com/110114060

The swim didn’t get any easier, either. I hoped that after the initial waves, the ocean would smooth out and I could catch my breath. No chance. The water was rough today, waves from all directions, it was disorienting and tough swimming. The beach run gave me hope – almost done! – but the second half was just as brutal. All swim times were slow today, but I could really feel the toss and pull of the tides. I was tired when I left the water.

2014 swim time: 37:25
2013 swim time: 35:01
23rd out of 28 racers in my AG

Half-way through the washing machine swim, ready to attack the second half.

Let’s roll

My T1 time is a bit embarrassing – I walked up the beach, walked up the lawn and walked into transition. The ocean took a lot of energy, and I wanted to catch my breath.  Upon entering transition, I noticed several bikes still waiting – so I wasn’t the only one late out of the water. I sped up my movements, keeping them smooth and clean, and exited T1 with a smile.

T1 time: 4:55

The bike course was 90% familiar: climb through the sandy trails of the golf course, up up up and more up, past the lake to the ridge, through the remaining quagmire of mud, down the tricky descent, then wait for the new trails before more climbing and one last downhill to T2. I felt strong on my bike, I could feel reserves in the legs as I pushed and climbed pitch after pitch, I stayed on my bike for sections that I know I walked last year. I descended smoothly and as fast as my daring-do would allow, then climbed some more. My mantra was “relentless” – I wanted to capitalize on my season of riding, rely on the training of the past year, rely on those crazy hill training sessions, and roll through the technical parts. I had FUN on my bike – it was a great place to focus energy, enjoy the views from Razor Ridge, and cherish the experience.

When I looked at my times post-race, I was delighted by the numbers.

Here’s a frame of reference: Ruban Ruzafa won in 2013 and again in 2014. On the bike course in 2014, despite the changes to the course, he improved his bike split by approx. 3 min. My improvement on the bike course was almost 15 min!!! I am thrilled with this result, I will never complain about a hill climbing session again. The work paid off, my perseverance paid off, and my season of riding delivered a fun ride. Nice!

2014 bike time: 2:49:21
2013 bike time: 3:03
22nd out of 28 racers in my AG

Fantastic ride on a run course

Hold on for a run to the Finish Line

T2 was unremarkable – in and out quickly, wave to the family and start “Operation Manage Your Core Body Temperature”. 

T2 - in and out - time to run!

Yes, it was HOT. I knew that the first 3 km of the trail run were not only uphill, they were also very sheltered from any breezes that would blow through. I started my run by dumping two glasses of icy water over my head, and put another glass inside my mouth. Let’s go.

Yes, it was hot.

Yes, it was dusty.

Operation "Manage Your Core Body Temperature" begins

But I knew the course – I could anticipate tough sections and prepare for them. I could estimate the distance to the next cold water stop (thanks for LOTS of aid stations with LOTS of icy water!!). Only one minor incident put me face-down in the dirt, I remember thinking: get UP! So I did, I kept running downhill. It felt like I tried to run more than last year, maybe I did. But the numbers tell me my run-time was flat over 2013 – which is entirely acceptable, considering my lack of run prep in the preceding 3 weeks.

2014 run time: 1:18:46
2013 run time: 1:18
24th out of 28 racers in my AG

Strong run along the beach

Keep running

Crossing the Finish Line

Throughout the course, I gathered energy and mental support when I heard the cheering of my kids, and saw my husband cheering for me. The course doesn’t offer many spots for spectators, but there they were, cheering loud and clear. It was amazing.

As I ran the final stretch of the beach, I pulled on some extra energy to keep the legs moving, I kissed my kids as I passed them, and pushed up the final grassy hill. The Finish Line was sweet, I was spent, I was thrilled to complete this race and I knew that my time was better than last year.
2014 overall time: 4:52:50
2013 overall time: 4:57:08
24th out of 28 racers in my AG - a tough field this year! Even though I was faster, I lost ground in the overall ranking. It's awesome to see the field improve and grow bigger. 

In the Finisher's Chute, time shown is for Pro athlete start

Last push to the Finish Line

The Support Crew

Training for a race like this requires time and patience from my family. Thank-you for supporting my dreams and cheering for me.

Thank-you to my friends, far and wide, for joining me on crazy training escapades, for listening to me talk ad nauseum about my training and for supporting my goals.

Thank-you to Coach Jack for working with my crazy schedule, and for creating a training plan that makes me stronger every day. You are a pleasure to work with.

Finally, thank-you to my Mom, who taught me that strength, perseverance, determination and the relentless pursuit of goals will take you to interesting new places, both physically and emotionally. I thought about Mom often during this race, and she gave me strength and a smile all day long. Love you, Mom.