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 Swim
Comments: I started out at a moderate pace and just tried to maintain it through the whole swim. Sighting went pretty easily this time - almost every time I took a look I was right on course. After the 2nd buoy I noticed that I could draft - something I've never done before. I got on this guy's feet and he pulled me right into shore. On the second lap I found another pair of feet and stayed with them almost all the way to the transition. It made a huge difference. This was my best swim ever! I finished in the top half of the field for the first time, and never felt panicked or uncomfortable. I was certainly working hard, however, and had trouble controlling my breathing as I came out of the water both times. What would you do differently?: Swim more! Since the end of May I haven't done ANY swim training. My last three swims were 1. the Moab XTERRA, 2. the Boulder Stroke & Stride, and 3. this race.  Transition 1
Comments: Once at the transition area, I was pleasantly surprised to see both Mark and Lisa still there. To save time, I skipped both socks and gloves for the bike. I had planned to wear both originally. What would you do differently?: I don't feel I wasted any real time in T1, but I'm sure more practice would cut some time.  Bike
Comments: Leaving the transition area, I was completely anaerobic and due to the steep climb right off the bat, I could not settle down to a reasonable pace. I had a wicked side cramp and my breathing was hyper and nearly panicked. This is a strange feeling for me, and I think the swim must have been harder than I thought. After cresting the first hill I tried to get into a rhythm and recover a bit without losing any places, a difficult task with riders breathing down your neck. I caught Lisa 3/4 of the way through the first short loop, wished her luck, and cruised back through the finish area to start the long loop. I gradually started reeling in some racers, and caught Mark after about 20 minutes of riding. It was a slow pass, as we were climbing a dirt road at the time and Mark is a strong rider. The trail kept alternating between climbing and descending, mostly on singletrack, but the general trend was definitely uphill. I still hadn't caught Molly, so I knew she was doing well. As it turns out, she only had a two minute lead starting the bike. She was holding on to it bravely. I rounded a bend and there she was, grinding away on another climb. I yelled some words of encouragement and tried to muster the energy to pass. The trail became more technical. First we encountered a steep rocky climb that many walked. Then we finally reached the big descent. The trail was fast and twisty, then became slow and very twisty, with lots of rocks and roots to mix things up. I got stuck behind a couple of riders on the tightest sections of singletrack, but got around them after a few minutes. The trail finally opened up and it was a blazingly fast ride back to T2. As I pulled in, I noticed there were only six bikes there already! I had moved from 23rd place into 7th overall. But I had no time to celebrate, as two or three racers pulled into the transition right behind me. What would you do differently?: Try to avoid blowing up on the first climb somehow. Transition 2
Comments: As I switched from bike shoes to running shoes, I was worried that without socks, my running shoe insoles would get bunched up under my feet like they did in Moab. This did not end up being a real problem, luckily.  Run
Comments: Shortly after starting the run, a guy in the 40-45 division blew past me on the first hill. I could see there was no point in trying to catch him. I just tried to keep my slow plodding run going. I would try to kick it in a notch on the second lap. Halfway through the first lap I was passed again, this time by a tall, skinny guy in my age group. He built up a 30 second gap rather quickly, but as we started rounding the south side of the lake I noticed it was not increasing. On the steep rocky section of trail at the far end of the lake, I passed a racer who was clearly not accustomed to running this type of terrain. He was picking his way slowly down the rocks, while I still managed to trot, although my legs were feeling like rubber at this point. One more time up the steep hill to start lap number two, and I was hurting. As the descent opened up into a beautiful meadow I suddenly saw a group of five runners ahead. A second later I realized that they were actually on their first lap, not their second, so I really couldn't "catch" them. Just as we hit the lake again, a 29-year old blew past at a pretty good clip. I tried to stay with him, but my legs just didn't have it. I survived the final rock garden and finished it out. The next two guys in front of me were less than 40 seconds ahead. What would you do differently?: Nothing, except more run training of course! Post race
Warm down: I immediately grabbed an apple juice and sat down. That was done quickly, and I started in on a large bottle of water and a Sunkist. Next was the beer. In retrospect, I must not have drunk enough on the course! I cheered on Mark, Molly, and Lisa as they crossed the finish line. Mark took 4th in his age group, while Molly and Lisa each took first in theirs. Molly was 2nd overall Female, and had actually been in the lead at the end of the bike. We all jumped in the lake to cool off (and clean off the bits of cow poo that were cemented to various parts of our bodies) and then we enjoyed a delicious barbecue provided by the race organizers, complete with plenty of Bud Light and Busch. For the entertainment portion of the evening, an eclectic old guy brought out his collection of animals, including a chicken, an alligator, and a 15-foot python. Everyone gathered around to enjoy the spectacle. We finished the evening with s'mores around the campfire. What limited your ability to perform faster: I definitely needed to drink more on the bike. I actually tried near the end of the bike section. We had been riding in cow terrain, and the last time I grabbed the hose of my Camelbak and stuck it in my mouth, I made the unhappy discovery that the nozzle was covered in cow poo. That's when I decided to stock up on fluids at each aid station on the run instead. Event comments: This was a very well-run race in a gorgeous setting. It may be off the beaten path, but the Black Hills are a place that should not be missed. We found some excellent singletrack the next day for a great two hour ride before making the drive home. Recommended stops - breakfast at the cafe in Cheyenne Crossing, mountain biking at Old Baldy or Big Hill trail systems, camping at Iron Creek Lake. Things we didn't do (but would be high on the list): see Mt. Rushmore, rock climb Spearfish Canyon and/or Devil's Tower and/or the Needles, fishing, cave exploration (there are many). Profile Album Last updated: 2005-07-19 12:00 AM
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United States
ICORT
93F / 34C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 9/59
Age Group = M 35-39
Age Group Rank = 3/12
Drove up from Boulder Friday night with our friends Mark & Lisa and my wife Molly. Mark works for the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), and we scored the use of one of their sweet Outbacks for the weekend.
Just after hitting the Interstate, we heard a thump on the roof of the car and looked back to see one of our front wheels chasing us at 75 mph. Cars and 18-wheelers were swerving to avoid the runaway Crossmax wheel. We pulled over and luckily another driver pulled in right behind us to let us know where the wheel had gone. It had traveled off the right side of the Interstate, across the two-lane access road, and down to a pond. Without the helpful driver, we might never have found it, and amazingly, it was in perfect shape!
Back on the road, we made good time until we nearly ran out of gas, discovered that all the gas stations in Cheyenne had no electricity (and therefore no working gas pumps), missed a turn, got pulled over by a cop for speeding, and sent a suicidal bunny to bunny heaven.
We stopped for the night at the lovely Pines Motel in Newcastle, Wyoming. They had a nice suite for us with separate rooms, a kitchenette, and cable TV, but no OLN! Our Tour de France addiction would have to wait until Monday.
The next morning we crossed the state line into South Dakota and soon we were chowing on a hearty breakfast at Cheyenne Crossing, a historic little place in a corner of the Black Hills. After breakfast, a short drive on dirt roads took us to the race site at Iron Creek Lake, where we checked in and set up camp under some tall trees in the shade.
The race didn't start until 3 PM, so we rested and set up our transition areas. I pre-rode the first 2-mile loop on the bike course, then ate half a Power Bar and tried to stay hydrated.
At 2:30 I went down to the lake and put on my wetsuit in the sweltering heat. Many racers were choosing not to wear a wetsuit, fearing they'd overheat in the reportedly 78 degree water. I knew I needed all the help a wetsuit could give me, but Molly went without since she's a great swimmer.
I struck out on my warmup swim toward the first bouy, and realized visibility was actually quite good once free of the muddy shoreline. After a five minute swim, I noticed the pre-race meeting was happening and returned to shore.
I downed one gel and got set up on the far left side of the field for the in-water start.