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Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri - TriathlonOther


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Show Low, AZ
United States
TriSports.com
95F / 35C
Sunny
Total Time = 4h 25m 23s
Overall Rank = 89/89
Age Group = W25-29
Age Group Rank = 8/8
Pre-race routine:

We drove up to Show Low from Tucson on Saturday morning and were able to get a campsite with hookups for our little RV at Fool Hollow Lake campground. It was a nice little campground with trees for shade, restrooms, and showers. We were able to ride our bikes from the campground to the race site, where I picked up my packet and went to the pre-race meeting to get info on the course. Afterwards we went back to the RV, changed into bike clothes, and pre-rode the MTB course. I took it pretty easy on the pre-ride, as I didn’t want to tire myself out too much before the race. The Deuces Wild course was more fun than the AZ Desert Xtreme XTERRA course because it was more scenic, and had more obstacles. There was one large climb, but after that the descents were fast, and there were several log crossings. Most required carrying the bike over, but the ones that were about 8” or so in diameter I rode over. After the ride we got back to the campsite for some pasta dinner, and I finished organizing my stuff for the race. I was going to ride my bike to the race site in the morning, so I got everything to fit inside my transition bag.

Race day morning I got up, ate some breakfast and finished getting everything together. We rode to the transition area where I racked my bike and set everything out. After that I visited with a few folks, and even saw Joyce from Tucson Tri Girls who was going to be out on the bike course.
Event warmup:

At about 7:45AM I got my wetsuit on and got in the water. The entrance to the lake was on a boat ramp which was pretty small, so it was crowded. I waded out to the water and proceeded to kick a rock, which caused a nice bruise on the top of my left foot. I swam out a ways, and came back so that I would be able to be out of the water before the guys took off. Luckily for this race we were separated into 3 different waves: relays, men, and women. There were only about 30 women or so, so it was less crowded for us.
Swim
  • 22m 11s
  • 800 yards
  • 02m 46s / 100 yards
Comments:

My first open water swim race was the AZ Desert Xtreme XTERRA, which was 1600m. This course was 800m, and looked a lot shorter. I was glad for that. I stood in the group of women and talked to the gal next to me. This was her first OW swim race, and she looked a bit nervous. I told her to just go from buoy to buoy, and before she knew it the swim would be over. She thanked me for the encouraging words, so I hoped that helped some.

The gun went off and we started swimming. At first it was tough to find an open spot and not run into the people in front. Because I was trying to get to clear water I went out too fast, and lost my breath. Plus, I was definitely feeling the 6300 ft elevation. I wasn’t even to the first buoy and I needed to flip over on my back to breathe. After the first buoy I finally settled down and was able to swim somewhat normally. There was another gal next to me, but she kept zig zagging everywhere. Finally she pulled up to breastroke, so I took that chance to pass and get to clear water. After that I saw a few stragglers from the men’s group. One guy was in the middle of the buoy course, and a gal on a surfboard went over to get him. I was surprised that I was catching up to some of the guys because I am not a fast swimmer. I rounded the last buoy and saw a gal in a full wetsuit up ahead. I slowly reduced the gap between us, but she got out of the water a few minutes before me. As I approached the boat ramp I reminded myself that it was faster to swim than run, so try to swim as far as possible. I stood up in knee deep water and climbed out, stepped on the timing mat, and ran to the wetsuit strippers. My sleeveless wetsuit is pretty easy to get off half way, so I was ready for them. This was my first time going through the stripping area, and boy were they a bit over zealous. I sat down and 2 people grabbed the top of my wetsuit and yanked hard. They yanked so hard that I went zipping down the carpeted path. So the one gal grabbed my arms while the guy yanked again and got my suit off. Thankfully, no rug burns from that experience. As I made my way up to T1 I could hear several people yelling "Go Tri Girls!" So wearing the purple club jersey is definitely worth it!
What would you do differently?:

Warm up more before the swim.
Transition 1
  • 04m 4s
Comments:

We had a bit of a run to get up to T1, so when I got to my bike I took my time and tried to catch my breath. I draped my wetsuit over the bike rack bar, directly over my helmet and sunglasses. So I had to dry my sunglasses off. At least this time I didn’t forget to undo the Velcro of my bike shoes. I got my Camelbak on, grabbed my bike, and was off to the bike mount. We had a bit of a ways to run to get to the mounting like, so I was glad I had SPD pedals and cleats. I stepped on the timing mat, and jogged up to the line and did my running cyclocross bike mount.
What would you do differently?:

Pay more attention to what a dripping wet wetsuit will drip all over.
Bike
  • 2h 07m 15s
  • 15 miles
  • 7.07 mile/hr
Comments:

Having pre-rode the bike course the day before was both good and bad. Good in that I knew what to expect and what lines to take, bad in that my legs were still tired. The bike route left the transition area up a paved road, where we hopped a curb and got onto a dirt trail. After that we intersected a powerline road at a water tower. I saw Joyce from Tucson Tri Girls there, and headed down the powerline downhill. I took that at full speed, and reached 30mph on my hardtail. Woohoo! That was fun. Of course I would have to climb the same hill to get back to T2, but oh well. After the powerline we got onto a paved road for a short bit, then turned onto another dirt trail that took us through a culvert. The volunteer that was directing us there was cool because he called out your race number as you went by and gave encouraging words. After the culvert we went through a construction site, and then were finally into the trees on a jeep road. Everyone got past me at this point (the 8 people that I came out ahead of on the swim), and the course sweeper guy caught up and followed along behind me. At first I thought he was another racer, and wondered why he didn’t pass right away. But then I noticed his volunteer shirt and realized he was sweeping the course. Of course, at this time I had to pee, and was wishing he’d just go away so that I could duck into the bushes. I like my mountain bike and I’m not going to pee on it, and I try to avoid being an exhibitionist. We passed some other course volunteers, and he stopped to chat with them, which gave me a chance to ride ahead and get a much needed restroom break. With less ballast I was able to ride a bit more comfortably.

We got into the sections of forest that were burned by the fire, but there were lots of green plants and colorful flowers along the way. Then we got onto the longest climb, and I had to walk it towards the end. Not enough legs and lungs. But when it flattened out I got back on because I knew the next couple of sections were either flat or downhill. I took the downhill sections twice as fast as the pre-ride, and my little hardtail skipped over the rocks and ruts. I LOVE fast and technical downhills. I just had to re-calibrate my riding style for the hardtail rather than the full boinger Santa Cruz Bullit. I found my flow and sailed, cleaning every downhill section. I passed one volunteer in the middle of a downhill, and he mentioned “You might want to slow down as there’s a sharp turn ahead.” Slow down?! Ha! Gravity is my friend at this point so I’m not slowing down for anything. I knew the curve he was talking about and railed it. Shortly thereafter I caught up to another Tri Girl and yelled “Keep it up! You’re doing great!” as I passed by.

After that the course hit some grassy sections, with short climbs and downhills. I knew one of the shorter log crossings was coming up. There was a log about 8” in diameter laying across the trail right after a short uphill. On the pre-ride I messed it up because I didn’t take enough speed up the hill and the back wheel got caught on the log. This time I powered up the hill and carried more speed. I got to the log and lifted the front wheel and timed the pedal stroke just right and powered the rear over. I was so happy about clearing the log that I took a wrong turn right after that! I was following wheel tracks, so a bunch of people had done the same thing. I quickly turned around before getting off trail too far.

Next was the forced dismount area. The course went right through a field of downed trees. First you had to lift your bike over a huge log, then duck UNDER the next log, and then back over another log. It was truly in the spirit of XTERRA. After that area the course flattened out, with several sand crossings. Thanks to the pre-ride I knew what lines to take to get through most of them. I did have to walk a section of sand right by a pond that was very soft and similar to beach sand. Then we hit the cinder dirt road that had gradual ups and downs, so it was a chance to go fast as well as get more fluids. The other Tri Girl caught up to me at this point and we chatted a bit before making the turn off of the road. They had a volunteer there to caution everyone on the deep cinders just before the dirt road to the right. I was ready for it, and selected my gear before hitting the patch of deep cinders. It was a lot like riding through a wash, just with cinders instead of sand. I had selected the correct gear and powered through without loosing too much momentum. The dirt road after that went downhill, so I was able to fly again. We made a turn to the left, and were back on the Jeep trail that we had ridden earlier. My only other dismount came on the climb on the powerline road. There was a photographer at the top of the hill and he was aiming his camera right at me. “Mountain bikers don’t like to walk their bikes so I’m probably not going to buy that picture” I told him. “I’ll get a pic of your face then” he said, so I tried to muster a smile in between trying to catch breaths.

I got back on the bike and passed Tri Girl Joyce again at the watertower, and she told me to go straight past the tower and down the hill. Hmm…I seemed to have missed this part on the pre-ride. The downhill was fast and steep, and had a sharp left turn at the bottom. I controlled my speed at the bottom and railed the turn and got onto the last section of trail. This part had several smaller logs about 6” in diameter. I went ahead and rolled over all of them and caught up to the last group of volunteers on the bike course. They directed me to a jog that the trail took up a little hill with a turn. After that it was back on pavement and into T2.

What would you do differently?:

Drink more Spiz while on the bike. It's tough to get cals in while mountain biking over rough terrain. But Spiz worked better than gels.
Transition 2
  • 04m 34s
Comments:

I did my running cyclocross dismount just before the timing mat and crossed the mat. At that point I saw my friend Johnny from Tucson, as well as my husband Zac. The people that were in T2 were already done with the race and picking their stuff up, while I still had the run to do. I took my time and got my shoes and hat on, and grabbed a stick of chapstick and a Clif bar and stuck those in my rear jersey pocket. I always carry chapstick for the run because it works great on your lips, but also works as emergency Bodyglide for any parts of my arms that chafe while running. Luckily I had a bottle of sunscreen in T2, so I put 2 long stripes down my arms and rubbed it in as I took off. This was the smartest decision that I made all race because at this point the sun was HOT.

The volunteers just past the transition area had bottles of water, so I took one, and they also hosed you down which was great. I must’ve been enjoying the cool water too much because I went the wrong way out of T2. I walked up to some volunteers that were directing people off of the run course.

“You missed a turn so go down this hill.” One of the volunteers said.
“Did I miss a timing mat?!” I asked.
“Hmm…maybe you did.” She said.

Thankfully I turned around and went back and found the timing mat. If I had gone down that hill I would have not only missed getting my time logged, but that also would have cut the run course and I would have been DQed.

What would you do differently?:

Know how to get out of T2 and onto the run course. Thank goodness I didn't listen to that volunteer and went back to do it correctly.
Run
  • 1h 47m 16s
  • 4.5 miles
  • 23m 50s  min/mile
Comments:

After a short stint on the pavement we reached an ATV trail. It was at this point that I had one of the worst cramps in my gut ever. It was just to the right of the bellybutton, so every time I tried to run the shock of my right foot hitting the ground made the cramp worse. So I had to walk. I had my water bottle in my right hand, so I put it on my head, trying to stretch out the cramp. I tried everything…breathing deeply, stretching, massaging the area…nothing worked. Even walking was painful, but I couldn’t go any slower than that.

Then things got bad when I reached “The Eliminator” hill climb because I bonked right in the middle of the climb. I was out of gas. So I found a shady spot and actually sat down and got the Clif bar out of my pocket. My hands were shaking as I tore open the wrapper, so I just sat and ate the bar and drank water in the shade. It was at this point that I wondered if I was going to finish. I wasn’t even a half mile into the 4.5 mile trail run.

The bit of rest in the shade helped, and I was able to get back up and keep walking. All I knew was that I didn’t want a DNF next to my name, even if it meant walking the entire course and finishing several hours later. So I went into survival mode and told myself that I wasn’t going to stop walking until I got to the finish line.

At the top of the Eliminator I came across another photographer, and he said the first aid station wasn’t far. So I got a 50/50 mix of water and Gatorade put in my bottle, along with some ice and set out on the course. I had a long way to go and it was freaking hot out. It was torture to walk along the lake, and see my campsite just on the other side of the lake. A hot shower, food, and my A/C cooled RV were waiting on the other side of that lake. But I had to finish the run course before I could get there.

About Mile #3 I came up to another aid station. There was a nice guy and a little girl (about 10 yrs old or so) manning that station.

“You want Gatorade?” the little girl yelled to me.
“No…I’ll take water though.” I yelled back.
“You want one of these gels? It’s strawberry!” She yelled.
“No…I’m ok.” I said.
“It says it makes you run fast. It says so right here on the package.” She said.
All I could do was muster a chuckle at this comment.

The aid station guy knew I was the last racer out there, so he took my bottle and dumped out the hot fluid and refilled it with the 50/50 mix. The little girl offered to throw water on my back, and I took a cup and dumped it down my face and front. I could tell that throwing water on the racers was that little girl’s favorite job of the day. “You only have another mile to the turn around” the aid station guy said.

I continued to chug along, forcing a trot that made me look like I was 100 years old. But I was moving forward and that’s all that mattered. I came up on the turn around point, and said hello to the volunteer that was there. I was now officially on my way to the end of the run course and the finish line. I came back upon the same aid station with the guy and the little girl, and told them I was thankful they were still out there on the course and had fluids for my bottle. I had heard of several horror stories from other triathletes in other parts of the country that were the last finishers of the race and the aid stations were packed up early by the time they came through. Having fluids in my bottle was my lifeline at that point. The guy was very friendly and put plenty of ice in my bottle, and with another splash of water on my back from the little girl, I was on my way.

I slowly trotted along and at least had the ATV traffic to keep things interesting. They were already going back and forth, picking up the volunteers and aid stations. About half an hour later the guy and little girl that were at the last aid station rode by on the back of an ATV. “Look, there’s that girl you threw water on” The guy told his daughter. “You’re almost there!” he yelled to me.

The course sweepers also caught up to me, and it was nice to chat with them a bit. I felt bad that I was keeping everyone out on the course and preventing them from getting to their lunch, but I couldn’t move any faster. I finally got to the new section of trail that kept the racers from having to go back down the Eliminator. I trotted down a hill, and after that had to cross the shallow part of the lake. It was muddy water that was about knee deep, and there was no other way around than to go straight through. So I splashed my way through the water, amazed that I was wearing a wetsuit in it earlier that day.

The last stretch was the trail that followed the lake and then led up to the parking lot area. We had to climb a bunch of stairs to get up the hill, which just killed my already twice dead legs. But it felt good to get on the pavement and the coned-off area that led to the finish line. The nice part was that they took time out of the announcements to announce the last racer (me) crossing the finish line, and hearing everyone cheer. There were a ton of volunteers clapping as I approached the line, and once again I saw Johnny and Zac there with their cameras ready. With the final chirp of the timing mat I was finally done with the race, and the official last racer to cross the line. The volunteers there were great, and got me water, a popsicle, and took my number tear-off and timing chip before I had a chance to forget them. Even though I was the very last finisher, it felt great to have finished the race.

What would you do differently?:

Not bonk! Probably need to get the nutrition plan on the bike figured out.
Post race
Warm down:

We hung around for the raffle afterwards, but I started to feel bad and wanted to head back to where there was air conditioning and shade. The worst part was having to get back on my bike and ride back to the campground. It was only 1.5 miles, but that was the longest 1.5 miles. I had no energy left, and it took everything that I had to pedal to the downhill. After that I coasted, but there was no way that I could pedal up the last paved hill to the campground. I grabbed a hold of Zac on his bike and he towed me up the hill. I didn’t care how stupid it looked. I got to the RV and took a nap, and ate a bit of food to get enough energy to get to the showers. After that I felt much better. We had lunch and then set off for the drive home, and I slept through most of that.

Being the last finisher wasn’t that bad. I was able to chat with the volunteers on the course, who were all great. It was a really fun event, even though a heat wave had passed through that weekend. But it could have been worse. We could have been in Tempe for the Olympic distance tri that was going on the same day, and word was it was 112°F there.

Big thanks to all of the volunteers that helped out, and the sponsors that made Deuces Wild a great event!


What limited your ability to perform faster:

Bonking on the run, heat, and elevation.

Event comments:

The Deuces Wild Triathlon Festival is a very fun event! The folks at TriSports.com do a great job putting it all together!




Last updated: 2005-04-25 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:22:11 | 800 yards | 02m 46s / 100yards
Age Group: 6/8
Overall: 0/89
Performance: Below average
Suit: Promotion Women's Fluid Drive Sleeveless
Course: Rectangular course in Fool Hollow Lake.
Start type: Wade Plus:
Water temp: 68F / 20C Current: Low
200M Perf. Bad Remainder: Below average
Breathing: Bad Drafting: Bad
Waves: Navigation: Below average
Rounding: Average
T1
Time: 04:04
Performance: Average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? Yes Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: Yes
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
02:07:15 | 15 miles | 7.07 mile/hr
Age Group: 8/8
Overall: 0/89
Performance: Average
Wind: None
Course: Trails in the White Mountains.
Road: Rough  Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Below average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 04:34
Overall:
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike Good
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Average
Shoe and helmet removal Average
Running
01:47:16 | 04.5 miles | 23m 50s  min/mile
Age Group: 8/8
Overall: 0/89
Performance:
Course: Trails around Fool Hollow Lake.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2005-05-28 1:28 PM

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Elite
2553
20005002525
Tucson, AZ
Subject: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri
Photos from the race are posted here in my BT album: Deuces Wild XTERRA photos

Edited by PirateGirl 2005-05-28 1:40 PM


2005-05-28 2:23 PM
in reply to: #164937

Elite Veteran
781
500100100252525
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri
I mean this in the nicest possible way, but reading your RR scared the stuffing outta me! Your bike handling skills sound amazing.

Sorry to hear about your bonk. I don't know much about nutrition on the bike but it sounds like it was a tough day. Great job on finishing. Congrats!
2005-05-28 5:40 PM
in reply to: #164937

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Elite
3223
20001000100100
Hendersonville
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri
Wow, I'm impressed with the way you finished the race. You've got guts, girl! The great thing about any race is that you learn from it, good and bad.
Thanks for the great race report and congrats on pushing yourself so hard.
Jessica
2005-05-28 7:29 PM
in reply to: #164937

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Expert
1152
10001002525
wrightsville beach, North Carolina
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri
Rack up 100 points for perserverance!!! You did it!!!
2005-05-29 6:00 PM
in reply to: #164937

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Master
1494
1000100100100100252525
Kingston Ontario
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri

Wow!!!! You are totally to be commended for finishing that race!! I am totally inspired at your determination and will

Jen

2005-05-29 8:16 PM
in reply to: #164937

Subject: ...
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2005-05-29 10:41 PM
in reply to: #164937

Expert
683
500100252525
Denver
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri
Most comprehensive race reports on the web, and always fun to read!! Way to stick it out and put that baby to bed!
2005-05-30 11:58 AM
in reply to: #164937

, Alabama
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri

WAY TO DIG DEEP!  DFL always looks better than DNF!!  Congrats on a tough race well done.

Sharon

2005-05-30 4:43 PM
in reply to: #164937

Elite
2553
20005002525
Tucson, AZ
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri
Thanks everyone! Finishing last was rubbing me just a bit...not much but, you know. But it's better to finish than not!
2005-05-30 4:55 PM
in reply to: #164937

Elite Veteran
781
500100100252525
Subject: RE: Deuces Wild XTERRA Tri
PirateGirl, don't worry about that at all. For the record, I probably would have finished first--at just about the first pedal stroke off-road.
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