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.

XTerra World Championships Race Report Part II: Racing in Paradise

I woke on Sun Oct 27th with a spring in my step and a huge smile on my face.  I had carefully followed instructions on pre-riding and training in Maui, avoided the sun and stayed off my feet, eaten carefully, hydrated appropriately (so I hoped!) and managed to get a good night's rest.  Race day is here!!!

Spin Sisters Race kit for triathlon

Proudly wearing Spin Sisters Colours on Race Day

 I ate a reasonable breakfast taken from The Feed Zone, "Allen's Rice Cakes."  I tried to add 2 more scrambled eggs, but quickly discovered my tummy just wouldn't tolerate more.  The butterflies had arrived!!!

I easily arrived in Transition, set up my bike, made the rounds of port-a-potties, and realized I still had an HOUR to wait!!  I hadn't factored OUT my wetsuit: I am so used to struggling into the wetsuit and warming up in colder climes, that I suddenly had extra time to watch the crowd and soak up some nervous excitement.

Once on the beach, time sped back up again, we were marshalled to the right-hand side of the beach (yes, I made it onto the blooper reel when my swim cap popped off the top of my head - my kids saw it on the web-feed).  I practiced entering and exiting the waves, I swam for 5 min to warmup my shoulders, then headed back to shore for opening ceremonies.

The Swim
The Pros started at 9am, Men after a 2 min interval, Women after another 2 min interval.  Entry into the ocean was smooth, no lost goggles.  But swimming into the waves and trying to sight the buoy was tough!  I must have been sighting at the lull between waves, I would go for several attempts and still be in the trough of a wave.  It made the swim away from shore feel long and I wondered if I was lost! Luckily I stayed with feet almost the entire swim, right in the mix of people, so my fears of being alone in the ocean soon vanished.  500m out to the buoy, 500m back to shore - the return trip felt smooth and fast!

Quick Beach Run, still in the mix

A quick run on shore, through the sand, around the flags, dive back into the ocean for 250m to a second buoy and then 250m back to shore.  The second buoy came up fast and suddenly I was on terra firma looking for the chute to T1!

 Swim time: 35:01, 18th out of 25 in my age group.

T1
It was a LONG run UPHILL to T1!  I loved my Blue Seventy Swim Skin - the tear-away zipper and easy exit beats a clumsy wetsuit hands down!  I was out of my swim skin and working on my helmet and shoes, even with the long distance from the ocean to T1, I was outta there in approx 4 min!

The Bike
The initial climb was tough, it took some guts, it created a sweaty mess, and I tried to keep my head: drink, eat, pace.  Before long, I was at the ridge, and that's when it hit me: THIS IS FUN!!! I distinctly remember thinking that bouncing along the rainforest above the ocean, PASSING PEOPLE, riding short technical sections, enjoying the feel of the race, I was having a BLAST!!! The bike course is not too technical, lots of hills, but I was able to pass people unused to mountain biking on the descents, and the long dirt road downhill was a great place to catch up with some of the men who didn't like the loose dirt.  I reminded myself to trust the bike, keep rolling, feather the brakes, and enjoy the ride.  Whew, it was amazing!!!  I drank all of my camel back (frozen the night before, it thawed perfectly and provided cool water for my ride, complete with Ultima for electrolyte balance), and ate all of my rice concoction, just enough fuel to keep me going.  The final climb had some weird moment: I remember thinking that I could certainly use a rocket jet-pack on one of the hills, and I remember thinking about a Star Wars phrase: there is no try - do or do not.  I recalled the theory of hill work: sure, you can push your bike, but it is more efficient to ride the hill.  So I did - I let my legs spin uphill, knowing that there would be time for them to recup before the run.  I raced hard, I raced happy - it was a perfect combination of training, effort, and execution.  What a perfect ride! 

Filthy Dirty and Loving Every Minute of It!  Race Hard, Race Happy!

 Bike Time: 3:03, 17th out of 25 in age group.

T2:
Quick transitions, that was one of my goals: rack the bike, swap the shoes, grab a hat and GO.

The Run:
The first half of this course is a suffer-fest: uphill, follow the same track as the bike course; uphill for 3 miles.  Egads.  I made myself a promise: run all flats, all downhills, stop at all aid stations (one every mile), and suffer the uphills whenever possible.  The aid stations were just in time: I started overheating roughly 100m before an aid station popped up, whereupon I would grab 2 waters: one to drink, one to pour on the back of my neck to lower body temp.  I brought 2 gels with me, consumed them both along the way, and, thankfully, my tummy tolerated them.  My strategy worked, I started to pass people, even at a quick walk, and I was making decent time.  A short journey around the a small lake, then the downhill run began.  It was winding through the trees, watch your feet!, and relentless downhill.  Another runner pointed out we were on the way home, and if we pushed through, could make it under 5 hours.  Really? I did some mental math and kept pace, just off her shoulder.  We weren't in the same age group, and we struck up a winded conversation, I believe we both drew motivation from our short run together.  My quads began to quiver, and the short, very steep uphill 1 mile from the beach was a killer; my new running buddy pushed through, I needed a quick walk to the top.  Once over the top, I willed my legs to run, quickly descended to the beach and reminded myself to look for wet sand along the water's edge, and to use short, quick steps.  I suffered on that beach, but kept running. 

Race Face on the Beach: focused, running, determined.

 It was hard, it was biting into my legs.  I hit the grass, only 100m to the finish line, pick up the pace, keep running, and... FINISHED!!! I am so happy that my kids watched me cross the line on the web-stream.  Crossing the line was full of joy in accomplishment, it was a special moment.

Run Time: 1:18, 18th of 25 in age group

Notes on the Finish Line
This Finish Line felt as sweet as IMC two years ago; a bucket list race in a dream location, a wicked training plan that evolved into a winning race plan that was executed to demonstrate endurance, strength, and dedication.  I loved every minute of this race, it tested my physical and mental limits.  There is nothing else that I could have done on that day to achieve a different result.  It was an amazing, perfect race day.  

Crossing the Line with Determination and Strength

Overall results:

Total time: 4:57:08 (dream goal was sub-5 hours)
18th of 25 in my age group
144th of 215 women who started

Many thanks go to my husband and kids, who supported my time away from the family to train and focus.
Thanks to friends who think I've either disappeared off the earth or are tired of riding the same trails with me.
Thanks to colleagues and clients who listen to tales of trails and provided encouragement along the journey.
Thanks to Spin Sisters, you crazy group of women mountain bikers who inspire me with every ride.  
Thanks to Coach Jack for patience and talent designing the perfect training program for me.

What a wonderful world!

XTerra World Championships Race Report Part 1: The Road to Maui and Pre-Race Prep

Mid-August I was notified that I earned a spot at the XTerra World Championships in Maui, held Oct 27, 2013.  Wowzers!!!  This is one of my bucket-list races, it comes on the heels of a solid season of riding and training, perfect timing!  And, don't forget, it's held in MAUI!!!

Coach Jack ramped up a great program to get me ready, lots of intensity, lots of time on trails, and lots of time in the pool.  My average pool workout was 2800-3000m to prep me for the 1500m ocean swim.  I was instantly nervous about the swim, worries ranging from huge waves to jellyfish, to no wetsuit, and, thanks to my mother, sharks (it was the first thing she mentioned upon hearing that I was racing in the ocean).

I managed to get some fun riding in the mix too: I went to Rossland BC with friends for a long weekend of riding, which included the Seven Summits trail. 

Ready to shuttle the Seven Summits Trail in Rossland

Buff trails and lots of sunshine on Seven Summits

One of Seven Summits

I also entered the Grizzly Mountain Events 50km Mountain Bike Enduro in early October as prep for the race; I raced solo.  It was a cold start, but fun to race with the pack.  I treated the event as a tough training ride to test out nutrition (I'm experimenting - successfully! - with eating real food during races) and I enjoyed hugs from my kids at each lap.  I was pleased to finish 3rd in my age group.

Food and hugs at the end of each lap

I kept riding each weekend, long runs too.  Thanks to Mark S and John E and Ryan and everyone else who was able to keep me company on the rides in Canmore and Bragg Creek and Banff - the weather held off for us, it was crispy fall riding at it's best! My biggest goal pre-race was to arrive at race day injury-free - success!!

My IBM colleagues and clients were super supportive of my endeavours - they patiently listened to tales of trails and poked fun at the Gucci designer bags under my eyes.  They think I'm crazy, but loudly cheered me on the entire time.

I boarded the plane to Maui on Wednesday prior to the race.  A small delay getting into SFO left me sprinting for the connector to Kahalui - I made it! The attendant at the door set the tone for the trip: "Relax and breathe, you're going to Maui." Yahoo!

Upon arrival in Maui, I hit the local Safeway, and drove the coast (in the dark) to arrive at the Kapalua Villas in West Maui (a beautifully appointed condo on the golf course).  I assembled my bike as best I could (thanks for bending the rear rotor and locking my brakes UNITED AIRLINES - ugh, what a horrible experience of shipping my bike with them), cooked up some food for race day (and race prep) and went to bed.

I woke up in paradise. 

Sunrise view from my balcony at Kapalua Villas

My first order of business was to pick up my registration packet at the Ritz Carlton.  Race number is 809, there is a healthy list of women in my age group, some cool stuff to pick up and check out at the Race Expo, and a good selection of memorabilia.  I was able to browse around while the on-site mechanics tended to my bike.

I was so excited to check out the race course!  I was still nervous about the ocean, so I decided to ignore it for now, and climbed on my trusty steed to do a lap of the bike course.  The climbing started immediately out of T1 and continued for a solid +3 miles!  The course had a few roots to bump over, the ground was sandy and loose, the uphills were relentless.  I took a breather at the top of the first climb:

Top of the first hill climb, looking back to the Ritz on the ocean.

From here, the ride followed a ridge, then a short technical descent, followed by a very big climb.

Meadow at the top

Trail heads into the valley along an ever-narrowing ridge before descending the lush forest.

Racing in paradise

I mentally broke the ride into three sections: a long climb UP for approx 7 miles, fun descending and a long downhill on a dusty road (it made my bike sound horrible! it creaked and squeaked over every bump!) for another 7-8 miles, and another long climb that twisted and turned through the trees on a hiking trail (read: not built for mtn biking so off-camber and not banked well) before the final downhill into T2 for a total of 20 miles.  I bailed out once on the final section when my front wheel hit the sand - but I was lucky, the woman around the corner was rewarded with a broken jaw!  The heat was oppressive, so I took my time on the pre-ride, I could see others speed past and later found them huddled under the shade to recover.  I knew that part of my plan would have to be about moderating my body temperature and taking in enough fluid to allow for a strong run.  The run course follows the bike for the first half, then circles a small lake before coming back downhill - I didn't anticipate anything out of the ordinary on the run course, so played it safe and ducked out of the heat before fully exploring the run course. 

Overall, the pre-ride was a big success: I was primed and ready!

I woke at 4:15 on Friday morning to participate in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony to welcome the day and cleanse the soul.  E Ala E - look to the source.  In the dark, dusky morning, approximately 75 racers gathered to learn a bit more about the stunningly beautiful Hawaiian culture and participate by walking into the ocean.  The surf was pounding, it was dark - so I dove into the ocean for the first time and emerged as the sun began to light the sky.  It was stunning and meaningful and spiritual.

The following days were productive: I finally dipped my feet into the ocean on Friday for a 20 min swim in a protected bay with lots of snorkelers around for company - I was nervous and decided there was safety in numbers.  The water was amazing! So clear and blue!  I could see the coral and rocks and fish, it looked like Finding Nemo!  And I felt light and smooth in the water - gotta love salt water!  It gave me the confidence to tackle the waves at DT Flemming Beach.

XTerra hosted a series of "University" sessions with the pros, where we could listen to them talk about race tactics and ask questions.  The sessions were helpful, in that it helped me understand the race course a bit deeper, and it underlined the need for proper hydration and nutrition, in that order.  Canadian Pro Danelle Kabush offered good insight on the run course, keep your feet light when running the sand, shorten your strides a bit.  I especially enjoyed Canadian Pro Christine Jeffrey's comments about sand in your suit: "Consider it a loofah, people pay lots of money for loofah treatments, consider it a bonus."  She also invited us to the beach for an impromptu lesson on waves, how to enter and exit the beach safely.  The surf at this beach was much more aggressive than the other bay that I swam in, although everyone agreed that it was much more tame than 2012 (where effects of the tsunami in Asia caused evacuations and big waves on race day).  I left the beach feeling READY.

Stay tuned for my report on RACE DAY coming soon! (I'm waiting for some pics)