XTERRA EX2 Off Road Duathlon - DuathlonXterra

Once I realized what the course was going to be like, I realized that I was in for a LONG day. I had to climb Emitt's Revenge twice more on the bike (how the hell was I going to ride up that) and then again on the second run. Oh my gosh, I wished I had swam. Swimming would have been easier.

Nothing, I've done quite a bit of trail run training so this wasn't too bad. I started at the back of the pack but ended up passing several people.

Had a hard time getting my shoes clipped in, luckily I didn't have that problem the rest of the race though.

Don't know my time but I think this was okay.

Guessing on time again here...I know it was over 2 hours. My first bike lap was really tough, I had the pros passing me initially and then I had the faster age groupers passing me later. I was over by the side of the trail quite frequently. I know my first lap was way slower than my second. A few laps into the first lap I was pushing my bike over some really tough rocks or pushing my bike up Emitt's Revenge and I started to think, I may not be able to finish this race. This is really hard, sweat is pouring off of me, and I was really concerned about injury. I made it down one really steep descent that was really scary (I was proud of this) but I whimped out on a lot of the other stuff so I could let people pass.

About mile 5 I fall on this technical rock section that I took way too fast. Luckily I wasn't hurting at all, when I hit the rock it literally stopped me dead in my tracks and I went over in slow motion. Not bad at all. Then I met up with Sherry who had just taken a really bad fall and we're on this really skinny single track with a cliff to the left going up and a cliff down to the lake on the right. We had to keep pulling off to let people by. Which meant clipping out, pulling our bikes over into the woods without falling over ourselves, and then putting our bikes back on the trail and clipping in before more bikers come through. We were pretty much at a standstill for about 5 minutes there.

I rode with Sherry for a while for the first part of the second lap. At the first tough part I almost fell off the right down this cliff but luckily I caught myself in time. I had to pull over to let my adrenaline levels return to normal and get my HR under control (same area I had seen so many other people go down on during the 1st lap). This was much better than the first, though we had to contend with some fast runners who were passing us right and left (we shared the course with them for the first 3 miles, all the way up Emitt's Revenge). One of the runners started coaching Sherry and I on strategies for descending and for riding over the rougher sections. We really appreciated it! And then she smoked us! I then started to realize that I could probably ride some of the more technical portions that Sherry was walking so I went ahead thinking she'd catch me on the run. At the very end I passed Francis who was walking her bike b/c she had broken her chain! Such a bummer!

Ride my own race, probably shouldn't have stayed with Sherry for as long. Though we convinced each other to finish the race which was key to my finishing at all! Oh and more mountain bike training, the more technical the trail the better.

Marking this as good b/c I am still somewhat of a novice on the bike and given that I think I did a good job of balancing staying out of the way but still getting through the course somewhat efficiently (and safely).

I found out later that someone broke their arm, broke their ankle, I was just glad to have made it through injury free!

Started the run but then went back to drink some more water and have a gel. I knew the 1st aid course wasn't until after Emmitt's Revenge.

Emitt's Revenge once again, I passed a few people and then ran most of it with a couple people who I kept leap frogging with. I definitely should have worn my race belt, I was sweating profusely and starting to get a pretty intense headache in between aid stations (only two on the course). I chugged down the gatorade and water and gu at the aid stations.

About mile 3 my left leg started cramping intensely, aid station wasn't until 4.5 so I limped along on it. I know exactly why I had cramps in my leg - when I descend on the bike I always have my left leg in front and it is tense as can be on the tougher descents.

Learn to descend with my right leg in front on the bike. Try not to be so tense on the bike! Bring my race belt!

Never saw Sherry on the run course, looked for her after the race, I hope she finished safely!

Waited in line for food for a LONG time, HUGE line. Someone else in line got a bench and he and I sat on the bench next to the line and kept moving it as the line moved up. The awards ceremony was going on at the same time and he and I were both called up for our medals! That was pretty cool - it was the lucky bench! He got 2nd in his age group, I got 3rd.


Mountain biking skills!!!


Course was hard, not as many aid stations as a normal on road tri, this is to be expected for an XTERRA race, I would recommend this to anyone, racers were very friendly (the guy who won had this huge red mohawk), only a few people took themselves a little too seriously. This is more of an adventure than a regular on road tri, I liked the atmosphere much better, more supportive, no one complained, and everyone stayed for the awards ceremony.