XTERRA Nat'l Championships

XTERRA National Championships. A day, a venue, and a race of nothing other than epic proportions. There were celebrities among the participants, age groupers, physically challenged athletes, and people who had no clue as to what they were doing. There was laughter and nerves, tears and joy. This is a race that will forever go into my own record books.

I woke up race morning confident and excited. To be honest there were no butterflies or nerves. I knew what I had to do and I knew that I had the training and the skills to carry me through to the finish line. I had every known advantage over this girl pre-race. I was acclimated, knew the course really well, and had raced far more than she did. But a race can be won or lost by anyone on any certain day, the statistics don't make the slightest difference.

I started the swim at the front as usual. Swimming in a long-sleeve wetsuit for the first time was weird, even though I felt like I was gliding through the water. My arms started to fatigue earlier than normal so instead of lots of strokes I made long, more powerful movements through the water. Halfway through I was feeling great, finally settling into a rhythm. I must admit that this was the most chaotic swim I have ever been in. People were swimming over top of my legs, hitting me in the face, and punching me in the gut. I guess that's the consequence when swimming with 500 people.

Out of the water, got the wetsuit off without much of a problem and was out of T1 onto the bike. The first uphill I got passed by everyone and there mother (I guess the 4 weeks of lots of riding is still beat out by being native to the mountains). I didn't panic, kept my calm because my body felt good. First descent. YES. Now that is where I could get into my comfort zone. Amazing. At this point I was passing people on the bike (who would later pass me on the climbs). I guess being a fearless idiot sometimes pays off. This was the longest and quite possibly the hardest bike course I have ever done. Not because of technical terrain but because of all. the. climbing. 4400 feet of vertical on this course, but I guess it was worth it with the descents. Who doesn't enjoy flying down the side of a mountain, on a piece of metal with two rubber wheels? Sounds like a good time if you ask me.

Well I suppose being too fearless in this instance is what got me into trouble. I was flying down these switchbacks and jumps and had just passed a lady when I approached another switchback. Same method as the one before. Go wide to the left then cut in at the apex of the turn. Well too much speed and too much loose dirt and I bit it hard. Road rash down the right leg and right arm, face covered in mud. Picked up my bike, a little rattled and was determined to make up the time I lost. Three miles from transition the cramping started. Inner thighs, VMO, calves. Out of nowhere it hit me. I told myself to embrace and to suck it up because I was almost home. Going down into transition my leg were cramping more than ever. I attempted to get my feet out of my shoes (to do a flying dismount), got the left foot out and then when trying to get the right foot out my leg cramped, the officials were yelling at me to dismount and I hit the brakes on a gravel road and was thrown from my bike. In front of who knows how many people. I knew I was bleeding but didn't realize how bad the gash actually was. I walked my bike into transition, disoriented and crying, I think more due to shock and embarrassment than to actual pain.

                                      (This is what leg looked post-race, it really hurt by this point)

I racked my bike and tried to stay composed as Chip ran next to me out of transition. I couldn't even look at him because I knew it would break me if I gave into the pain, the embarrassment, and the fear that had completely overtaken me. Those next 6 miles were the longest of my life. I really thought that I would never get to the finish line. I tried to just make it from aid station to aid station, running occasionally. I keep telling myself to "embrace the suck," that I had worked too hard and too long to give up on my dream when it was really getting hard. I met up with a familiar face on the run, my riding buddy Jared. We talked and "hiked" together and then he was off. It helped immensely to see someone that I knew when I was at my weakest. The last mile and a half I ran. I had run so many mile sprints before that I could make it through this no matter what. I ran into the finish with blood everywhere and tears in my eyes, with a time of 5:05:33. Far off from what I had hope for, but towards the end it was purely survival.

 I was overcome with joy to see the people who meant so much to me waiting at the finish-line. The people who came and cheered and the ones who were cheering me on at home are what got to to that finish-line.

Let's just say this race will not soon be forgotten. What a fantastic day. Including a 4 hour ER visit, 10 stitches, and a knee brace. But so many laughs, along with many profanities, pain, blood, tears, and happiness. I accomplished what I set out to do at the beginning of the season.

Swim. Bike. Run.

4 days. Wow I can't believe that my time here has gone so fast. It seems like yesterday I had just arrived and now it is almost time to pack up and leave.

It's gut check time. Time to prepare my mind and my body for the upcoming Saturday. Time to put all those long, hard training sessions to good use. To test out this old body and see what kind of engine is under the hood.

This race symbolizes more than a few wins this season. More than having a good swim or a decent bike. It symbolizes all the training sessions that happened before 5am. The training sessions that couldn't be completed due to physical fatigue or mental brokenness. The training sessions that were hard and the sessions that were fun and light. The training sessions that broke me and the ones that made me stronger. This race will not define the person that I am or the person that I am to become. This race will be like any other race that I have done before. Same pattern, just as significant as the one that came before it. The only thing that is different with this race is the name that it possesses.

This is still a race of three disciplines, swim. bike. run. Although there might be a few big names among the list of participants. This is still a race that will be won in the field of battle, not by a list of statistics.

The essence of this sport is individual but yet still encompasses such a sense of camaraderie. I race for the people back home who are cheering me on. I race for my family, the ones who so badly want to be there but can't. I race for my Utah friends and family, the ones who have graciously accepted me into their lives. I race for all the people who believed in me. I race for the people who will be among the crowd. And I race for myself. To each day show myself what I am capable of and how happy the sport of triathlon has made me.

I race because I love the challenge. The insurmountable obstacles that are thrown in your way. I race to prove to myself than I am stronger than the day before. I race for fun, I race for excitement and most of all for happiness.

Top Things Learned From XTERRA

So I have decided with my last race upon me to come up with and share a list of things that I have learned from racing XTERRAs over the past 6 months. Hopefully some of this information will be helpful to you, put a smile on your face, or maybe convince you to race one of these adrenaline pumping gut-wrenching races.

1. When braking make sure to squeeze slightly vs slamming. Slamming may result in a face first over the handle bar action (guys this usually does not impress the ladies, just sayin').

2. In the even of a wreck, get up brush off the dirt, and check for witnesses. They'll be needed later to validate the awesomeness of your story.

3. The more blood, the better the ride. (Or worse, I guess it all depends on your own standards).

4. When dressing for a ride/race the holey-er, more torn-up clothes the better. It makes you look like you know what you're doing.

5. When choosing a bike to ride it is best to go with something lightweight and maneuverable. It makes the climbs that much easier and the downhills that much sweeter.

6. Using the words like "gnarley", "wicked" and "sick" will get you quite far in the mountain biking world. You might even be considered cool with proper usage of these words, so choose wisely.

7. When attempting a drop keep your weight back, feet firmly planted on the pedals, and eyes ahead on your obstacle. Nothing is more embarrassing than flying down with your legs flailing to the side, butt planted firmly to the seat, screaming as your bike goes flying into the weeds off the side of the trail.

8. Wear a helmet. All the cool kids are doing it these days.

9. Never try and make a road bike into a mountain bike. No matter what kind of tires you put on it. That is just an insult to the breed.

10. Never ever try and pass someone on a single-track unannounced coming up to multiple trees. There are going to be consequences for all parties involved. Especially the rider who ultimately hits those trees.

11. Trees will ALWAYS stay firmly planted in their position. Always.

The Longing to Do More

15 days. That is all that stand between me and and the biggest race of my short racing career. At this very moment I do not feel anxious or nervous or scared or excited. I feel tired and sick and thoroughly exhausted.

I begged for a workout plan this week. I begged and pleaded to have structure. Then it was given to me and look what happens, I can't pick myself up off the floor, quite literally. It is like it comes out of nowhere. This draining feeling this inhabits my body and takes control. I have no power. No energy.

I feel like it has been an eternity since I have been on my mountain bike. An. ETERNITY. It's been 3 days. Ha. That's how awesome the riding and the trails are up here. If I could describe them I would, but my words wouldn't do them justice.

I want so badly to have the energy to train and to train well. I feel like I have a few good days here and there and then I have a string of bad days. How can I expect to really compete at a high level when I am so zapped of energy?

Insomniac

Insomnia: chronic inability to fall asleep or to  remain asleep for an adequate length of time.

So I have come to the conclusion that insomnia is something that I could quite possibly have. My sleeping problems have been going on for months, and they seem to get worse during heavy loads of training. I find it odd that after a strength set, a swim, and a mountain bike ride my body is still awake. Not only awake, but restless, not necessarily full of energy. Quite the opposite in fact, my eyes burn, I can't keep from yawning and I am physically run down. But yet I lay here completely wide awake in the middle of the night unable to obtain this "shut-eye" that I so desperately need. 

What a great couple of days it has been. Caught up with some old friends, rode my mountain bike some more, got stir-crazy because GPP wasn't open. You know, all the norm. 

Had a good swim this morning. So to say I have neglected my swimming and running since I have been here is an understatement...a big one. I swam today for the first time in oh, two weeks. Whoa were the lungs burning! Felt a little weird in the water to be honest. But it was such a great feeling to get it done and accomplished. Did some GPP which kicked. my. butt! Love it! Then onto a mountain bike later in the afternoon.

So I had an amazing couple of rides this past weekend, so I guess it was just in due course for me to have a bad ride. I guess. Maybe. I rode out in SLC with a couple of friends. I was way off my game. So far off I....oh we can just leave it at that. Lungs were hurting, legs were burning, and I couldn't get into a rhythm. Had my first crash (sorta) since I have been here. (No big deal...tires just slid out, minimal amount of blood, if any). Finished it alright I suppose. Thank goodness it was downhill and then on the road. Ha. But all in all it was a good time catching up with friends.

Oh did I forget to mention I dyed my hair today. Well the bottom-side anyway. Black...and it looks freakin' sweet.

I'm training with the University of Utah tri team in the morning. Maybe I should say a prayer now that I don't get my butt kicked too bad, right?

A Ride of Epic Proportions

 I look up to the mountains everyday and I cannot get over the beauty that I am encapsulated by. To be honest, I don't think that this landscape will ever get old, ever. It makes for the most magnificent mountain biking that I have ever experienced in my short little life. To look below you on a trail and see canyons with waterfalls and rivers flowing through them. The serenity that it brings. The smell of the pine trees and the dirt, yes the dirt...it really does smell good.

I have come across more mountain bikers, runners, roadies, and outdoor enthusiasts in my two weeks here than I think I have ever come across in my entire life. I'm pretty sure on my ride today I passed something like 25 bikers all out on the same trail. Can you say awesome?

I feel like every day it is getting easier to breathe...finally! I think I am starting to get used to and enjoy the altitude maybe a little...did I really just say that? I went out on a ride this morning. It was crisp, cool morning...only 52 degrees. A little cold by my standards, but the perfect riding weather. The ride was tough but so much fun. I'm pretty sure that the first 6-7 miles were all uphill. And I mean straight up. The kind that not only get your legs burning but your lungs burning as well, know what I am talking about?

Those climbs were all made worth it with the downhills. I have never experienced such as exhilarating and fast downhill section like this. It had to have been 4 or 5 miles all the way down. I guess all that climbing amounted to something. The descents were rocky and smooth...even and unstable. Controlled yet uncontrollable. I swear there were some sections where I almost ate the dirt. Going a little too fast down some technical terrain, but I managed to avoid the crashing...for now. There were even parts where my arms were literally numb, I really thought they might come out of the sockets.

We finished the ride back at the base of Snowbasin where we started. 14 miles, no blood was drawn, many laughs and jokes were exchanged. I'm pretty sure I couldn't have asked for a better ride with some pretty awesome riders to share it with. What a great day, now to finish it off with some GPP...