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.

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!

XTerra Victoria: time to go off-road!

Pre-Race
XTerra Victoria is no doubt on of the most beautiful courses I have raced: luscious forest, soft loamy soil (with some big rocks for good measure), warm lake, challenging course.  And Race Director Monique is amazing, she hosts a first-class race - way to go! I didn't take a supporting race crew (AKA The Family) with me to this event, so no pics in this post, sorry to disappoint, you will just have to take my word for it, this course is a beauty!

I chose this race for a couple of reasons: it's approx 6 weeks prior to XTerra Canmore so it will help me to gauge fitness and readiness, and it's also a Maui qualifier, so you never know what can happen on race day!

I arrived in Victoria on Thursday, having driven from Calgary all day and taken the ferry crossing, one of my favourite relaxation exercises.  My goal for the next two days was to check out the course, prep and rest for race day.

On Friday I headed out to Durrance Lake, approx 25 min north of the city. I had studied the maps before hand, but wasn't prepared for the knotted mass of trails in the area! After a few mis-starts, I was finally on a trail, no wait, maybe it was the trail that I just passed, yes, keep rolling.... you get the picture. On race-day it was much better marked with chalk arrows.  The course was rooty and loamy with big rocks that, as Mel McQuaid pointed out, are meant to roll up and over. Seriously? It looks like a rock wall! Of course, she's right, that's why I paid good money for my front fork. I mastered a couple of the lines that she highlighted, it came in handy on race day, thanks Mel! Two laps of the course were plenty - not enough to know all the drops and tricks, but enough to wear me out for one day.

I returned to the lake on Saturday to check out the run course - love it, more on this later - and swim in the lake. There was chatter about the lake being too warm for wetsuits, so I hopped in with just my bathing suit.  It was perfect!

Race Day
I woke up nervous. It was raining, so I worried about a slippery course, and I just couldn't settle.  So I tried to methodical things: finish packing the truck, tidy the condo, attempt to enjoy my breakfast (ha!), drive out to the lake. For some reason, I thought the race started at 9am.  As I was casually pumping my wheels, a fellow racer pointed out that transition was closing in 10 min.  10 min! I headed to Transition immediately, where I learned that the race was starting in 25 min! EEK! I never make these rookie mistakes!

The Swim:
LOVE LOVE LOVE my new Huub Wetsuit. It fits well, no arm restriction, easy to strip off.... and due to the rain, the water had cooled off so it was a wetsuit-legal race. I jumped into the mix of the swim, maybe I started a bit too quick, I had to pull back on pace at the first buoy, but the winter and spring coached swim lessons rang in my head (yes, Ed, I can hear your voice inside my head, kinda spooky and inspiring at the same time): smooth your stroke, work on the front end of your stroke. I stayed with the pack most of the way around the first lap, but could feel my breath getting ragged, so I opted to stay smooth and aim for efficiency. The second lap was better, still had lots of people around me, and I didn't lose much ground.
I think the 1500m course may have been a bit short, as my swim time clocked in at 21:54.

T1:
OMG - my wetsuit is amazing! It came off my arms in the first try!  Quick to put on helmet, sunglasses, socks and shoes - I didn't spend much time here, not much to report.

The Bike:
The initial climb is a long fire-road, approx. 10 min of climbing, with a couple of loose sections in it, entirely rideable, it's about having the fitness to ride it well without burning out the legs for the technical sections that follow. I ended up behind a 25-year old male rider, whose adrenalin was running high so that he exaggerated every move, which meant he bailed off his bike on the smallest of features and had one endo that was quite spectacular.  This translated into me putting down my foot more frequently than I had planned and ignited my mental "oh shit" factor.  I knew that I had to drop him so that I could continue to ride MY race, not his. Finally, towards the end of the first lap, it opened up enough for him to give me space to pass, I didn't see him again all race and I was able to ride more smoothly and confidently. The second lap was quieter and faster: I knew I had lost time behind the other rider, I knew that the fireroad on the second lap was slow, but I persevered and my Garmin tells me I had a negative split by almost 12 min on the 2nd lap. The goal of today's bike was simply a vehicle to get me to the run.
Bike time: 2:10:55.

T2:
In and out, remember to have quick feet to start the run. Go!

The Run:
The first one km of the run course snakes thru the thick forest, it's pretty flat but has lots of roots so you need to pay attention. I tried to gain momentum, keep the feet moving quickly, the legs didn't feel burnt out from the bike so I opened up a bit more than usual. The massive hill from 2-3.5km is also known as The Beast. Yes, I needed to slow to a walk, the pitch was steeper than most staircases! But I was able to get the legs moving again at the top fairly easily. The downhill of the run was tricky, very technical with loose soil, lots of big rocks and drops, but very fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the run on this race, even lap two when I was getting oh so tired. Lap 2 went well, again, I kept reminding myself to open up the legs and push forward a little bit faster, and I'm pleased that I had the mojo to keep going.
Run time: 1:12:39

On hitting the Finish Line:
Overall, pleased with my effort. It was a tough course, I am un-used to riding West Coast trails, and I had a solid run.  It wasn't my best race, in fact I'm almost ready to declare it "average," but there are a couple of things that I learned:
- use the bike as a way to transport you to the run, then go push your pace a bit.
- the focus on running early in my season makes running in a race much more enjoyable and while I'm still working on speedy trail running, trail running at the end of the race is fun.
- I can mentally identify when I need to stop riding someone else's race and take action to get myself back on track.
Finished 5th in my AG, 57 out of 62 racers.
Total time: 3:48:49

What's next? Back into training, will have some fun riding in Revy later in July and again in Fernie in August, all to prep for XTerra Canmore on August 17.

Happy Trails!

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)

Race Report: Wasa Lake Olympic Distance Triathlon, June 9, 2013

Before I get to Wasa, let me point out that I ALSO participated on a 4-woman team at the Giver8er Mountain Bike Enduro on June 2, 2013.  It didn't simply RAIN that day, it rained almost all week prior, AND poured down like a monsoon most of the day.  That morning was a bit drier - in fact, I managed to squeak out the second team lap with only a couple of raindrops.  But the trails were beyond muddy.  Quagmire.  There was a log across the trail, I attempted and got bucked off, my front tire simply slid sideways.  Then, at one point, I decided that riding the narrow bridge would be reckless, so, to avoid injury, I hopped off the bike and proceeded to walk across the bridge.  Bad decision: I must have looked like a cartoon character who stepped on the banana peel. I came crashing down on my tailbone on the edge of the plank.  I sat and cried, it hurt so much.  Eventually (my Garmin says 2:30 later), I got up and back on the bike - no problem spinning, but the minute I put torque on the pedals, excruciating pain spread across my back and down my legs.  Ouch.  The rest of the lap was uneventful, but much slower than I'd have liked.  All week long, I hobbled around, flinched at changing direction, used heat and ice, tried to keep my tailbone from sending massive waves of pain across my back and control the dull ache that settled into every waking minute.  (postscript note: it hurt for more than a week, so I eventually went for x-rays; turns out, I broke the bottom bone in my vertebrae - ouch!)

So that left me feeling uneasy about Wasa.  Would I be able to pull off the race goals that I set?  

Wasa race goals:

- execute my race plan

- finish with a smile - exhausted and spent, but smiling

- negative split my run, stretch goal: aim for sub 55 min

- rock-solid bike

- smooth swim

- nutrition dialed back in for racing (no more overheating and weird electrolyte imbalances - see Vegas for more gruesome details) 

- stretch goal: PB this course (I've race here before!)

Swim

Wetsuit felt pretty good today!  I struggled into it with few hiccups, it even felt okay around my neck.  I saw my girls on the beach, them gave Mum a big set of hugs, always a good luck charm.  I tried to stay with the pack but out of troubled water.  Mission accomplished, but I just didn't feel as smooth as I wanted, maybe there was a chop heading out, maybe there was a bit of a wind, but the swim across the back side and then return to shore felt smoother and faster - and it was.  It just took me a while to get settled.  It think the course is also a bit long, by approx. 75m, maybe it's just my poor sighting? 

Swim time: 35:55 (which includes a run up from the beach to T1, although I wasn't running!).  I pressed Lap on my Garmin when I exited the water, it reads 33:48. 

T1

What a disaster!  I couldn't sit properly to remove my wetsuit, pain pain pain.  It took time for the wetsuit strippers to help me, and changing from swim to walk, sit to walk was terrible.  Bending to put on bike shoes was painful. This transition zone ate up a lot of time.  

T1 time: 3:26.  My Garmin gave me 5:50 for T1, as it included the long run up from the beach. Small differences, same result: too much time in T1.

Bike

I got rolling, and once situated on my bike, pain disappeared.  My legs felt strong, full of energy.  I decided to use my Garmin Edge 500 to track watts and consistency in my post-race analysis.  I haven't raced with a power meter before, so wasn't using it to pre-determine my output, just a curiosity for me. As it turns out, I had a superb ride!  Best time for me on this course in several years, solid, consistent pacing, hit E4 and sustained it nicely.  I even started to pass people!  This is a new phenomenon for me, I usually hold my own pace and stay steady; but today, today I was passing all kinds of racers!  Maybe my slow T1 put these other racers in front of me and I was simply catching up, but man, it felt good to see my fellow age-group competitors fall behind.  And I still felt strong on the bike, so I kept on pedalling.  In Coach Jack's words, "you didn't burn any matches here."

Bike time: 1:20:14 (this is a 6 min. improvement over my bike time on this same course, same weather conditions!)

T2

Once off the bike, even while walking through T2, the transition from seated to upright caused more pain, making my total time in T2 long.  I moved as smoothly as possible, no wasted movement, but I was in slow motion. 

T2 time: 2:53

Run

Here is the cool part: I've been trying to work on my running.  I know it's my weakest of the three disciplines, and I tend to lose a lot of ground on the run.  I've done hills and speedwork, long distance, increased frequency, tried to be a good athlete and do the prescribed running.  You know what? It paid off!  The first kilometre wasn't pretty: adjusting to a run was painful, I really, really had to pee so pulled over into a portatoilet, and then had to adjust to a run again.  But after that, I just kept on running!  In fact, I held a solid pace all the way thru!  AND! I was passing more people!  At one point I remember my Garmin showed me a split for the previous kilometer and I had to do a mental check on whether I could sustain the pace or keep pushing.  I was nervous about my back, so I didn't fully exhaust myself until the final kilometer. I had been playing leap frog with another racer all day, and I knew that she was in my age group. I pulled out all the stops in the final kilometer, passed her, and kept on going.  The Finish Line was sweet!

How did the race stack against my goals?
-  race plan execution - check!
- I promise I finished with a smile, and the catcher at the Finish Line had to hold me up for a few seconds, and my eldest daughter kept asking if I was okay - check!
- YES! I negative split my run!!! Came slightly shy of stretch goal, I think the pitstop ate up 30sec, and adjusting from walk to run cost me time too - it would have put me very close to stretch goal today.  Check!
- rock-solid bike - check!
- smooth swim - almost....
- nutrition dialed in for racing - check!
- PB this course - check!
My race was strong, in spite of the injury.  I'm back on track for racing again, it feels great!

Next stop: XTerra Canmore August 4, 2013

(sorry, no pics this post, v boring, couldn't find any in race-day stack)

Racing on the Moon: XTerra Lake Las Vegas, April 13, 2013

Viva Las Vegas!

Wow, I was super excited to test out my skills and fitness at the XTerra US West Championship in Lake Las Vegas on April 13, 2013.  I trained hard all year (and the year before) and wanted to see what I could achieve.

Here's how it all went down....

.... 9 awesome women (Carmen, Kristal, Tara, Melinda, Diana, Brenda, Dee, Sandy and me!) headed for Las Vegas on Thursday.  These girls are "Vegas-Veterans" - they know which casinos to play, where to eat, what to do.  They all scoffed at my regimented schedule (eat, workout, eat, sleep, repeat), lack of alcohol, and general ants-in-my-pants nervousness.  They were a great way to relax and laugh with when I started having doubts.  And if not, Kristal was willing to slap me.

Carmen & Kristal: these ladies know how to make the most of an airplane ride to Vegas!

We arrived on Thursday, I promptly headed for Lake Las Vegas.  I rebuilt my bike without any issues (yay me!) and headed out on the bike course.  Wow, it was hot.  At 2pm the temperature read 28C.  And the course was surprising: lots of gravel roads, some exposed single track, and lots of washed out sections.  I heard that the rains had really turned this course into a technical ride.  Outside of the wicked steep uphills (yes, I pushed my bike uphill a LOT), I was comfortable riding most of the course.  I learned how to ride soft soft gravel (just keep pedalling), descended large boulder fields, and soaked up a bit of sun.  I wore my camel back full of water and sucked it dry in one lap.  The only section of the course that made me pause was the cement-hard creekbed, I just couldn't find the line.  Other than that, the first day was a success.  I saw some lizards, geckos, and one snake.  Kristal said they were lucky omens.

The Dreaded Creekbed: hard as cement, and a tough line to follow

I returned to the bike course on Friday morning, keen to ride one more lap so that I could pick better lines and be race-ready. Again, it was around 27C and the day was hardly getting started.  There were more people on the course today, I managed to ride a couple of wheels but still couldn't figure out that creekbed.  And then I started to do some math: at my current pace on the bike I worried that I wouldn't hit the bike cut-off.  It was going to be really, really tight.

All night I was nervous, the girls were ready to ditch me.  I texted Coach Jack (he thought I was crazy and underestimating my ability).  I texted some girlfriends back home (they thought I was crazy and underestimating my ability).  I chatted with Ryan while he was skiing fresh pow at Sunshine (he thought I was crazy and underestimating my ability but said he loved me and to go do my best).  I worried and fretted about the bike cutoff.  After a wonderful meal at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, and I went to bed early.

Race day dawned hot.  I arrived early to see the Sprint race start at 8:30am.  The race announcer kept describing the cold water (57F) and referred to the bike/run portions as "racing on the moon" - an accurate description of the terrain.

Racing on the Moon

The Championship course had a late start: 10:30am.  That meant riding through the hottest part of the day.  By 9:30 the wind kicked up, and not just any breeze, a virtual convection oven windstorm. Some of the pro's commented post-race that they had a tough time staying on-course, it was very, very windy on some of those ridges.  And the wind would get worse as the day progressed.

Let's go do this!  Race day ready.

The cannon sounded at 10:41 for the women's start.  The water was delicious.  I grew up swimming in Lake Superior withOUT a wetsuit, so while some competitors found the water cold on the face, it felt wonderful to me.  This was quite possibly the best triathlon race-day swim I have experienced.  I swam smooth and strong, good sight-lines, found some feet to draft, stayed out of troubled water, and enjoyed the course.  The swim back towards transition was into the wind, a bit of chop (nowhere close to the training I did in Lake Winnipeg with 18" waves a couple summers ago!), but still smooth swimming.  What a great way to start my race! 1500m went by quickly and smoothly.

Sprint Swim start at Lake Las Vegas

T1 went okay - it was crowded on the exit ramp so I lost some time, and my wetsuit is always a challenge to strip off (my feet get stuck).  Otherwise, I was still in good company with other racers, operating on the "smooth is fast, fast is smooth" principal.

The bike course was busy!  I had managed to stay with a good cohort and was able to ride some wheels up the road and first couple of hills.  No real bottlenecks as the wide gravel roads accommodated lots of riders.  And then the wind hit me.  Despite keeping a cold camel back on my back and sipping water, and consuming nutrition, I could feel the energy drain out of me.  I kept consuming water and nutrition, hoping to stave off bonking - I had more nutrition in T2, ready and waiting.  Lap 2 seemed lonely and empty - I couldn't find other riders, I don't remember when they left me, but suddenly I was riding alone.  And it was so windy.  The  crosswind was dangerous, and the downhills needed pedal power.  I was spending energy that I just didn't have.  Keep pedalling.  The ride down the road to T2 was wobbly, but I made it.  I made the bike cutoff - all my worrying was for naught!

T2 was weird, I knew that I needed to put on my running shoes and get moving but couldn't get myself in gear.  Somewhere along the way, I realized that someone named Troy was talking to me, assuring me that he was going to take care of me.  And then I realized I was in the medical tent and strangers were looking very concerned in my general direction.  Apparently I kept falling down in T2, and was wandering around looking lost.  They diagnosed heat stroke and pulled me from the race.

I tried to make light of it on Facebook: Canadian girl with alabaster skin and ginger hair + 34C desert heat plus convection oven winds = heat stroke.  Heat stroke sucks.

Desert Racing

In the post-race analysis, Coach Jack wonders about hyponatremia: I consciously drank extra water in the days leading to the race, I ate more than my planned nutrition during the race and yet still felt hungry, I consumed more than my planned liquid intake during the race, I had a massive headache, I was vomiting, I was disoriented, my HR didn't have a big spike at the end (signalling over heating).  The symptoms could fit either heat stroke or hyponatremia; I'll never really know, but it gives me perspective for my next race.

DNF is a tough blow: physically the heat stroke left me flat and achey, bloated fingers and dry mouth from all the dehydration, but I will recover; mentally I'm pretty bummed out because that was my big race for the year, but I've already got 2 more races on the books, so I've got a come-back plan.

Watch this space for more exciting race reports over the spring and summer!