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Xterra Snow Valley
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Xterra Snow Valley - TriathlonOther
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 Swim
Comments: Started out great. Felt really good. Really enjoyed the wash-rinse-spin cycle treatment at the start. Didn't bother me a bit. First 200yds, fine. Top shape. Then it hit me. I am not breathing well at all. I remember the admonishment on the tag that I just removed from my new, top-secret, shiny, super-cool wetsuit which says "Practice swimming in your wetsuit!". Oh yeah. Maybe I shoulda done that. I am clearly not used to breathing in this thing and I momentarily take time off of panicking about my gear to get busy panicking about imminent asphixiation. I stop really swimming and start to breast stroke meagerly, pathetically. Breathing, the more I worry about it the worse it gets and it is literally impossible to get a good breath of air. At this point I start breathing faster and I quickly realize that I am hyperventilating. Three possible scenarios. Quit, keep going and drown, or stop and see if I can catch my breath. After a brief preview of me shamefully explaining why I quit to my 17 yr old son, parents, wife, etc., I decide against the deliberate DNF. Forward motion, under the circumstances, is completely out of the question. This makes it too easy. I'll sit here until I catch my breath. It never happens. Breath or no breath, we'll try a little forward motion then. Pathetically slow breast strokes. I am breathing like a panting dog. I draw the attention and concern of other swimmers, spectators, and fianlly the race marchall in a kayak. This because I briefly entertain the idea of trying to strip the wetsuit off amid-swim, but then realize that given my current state, it may be restricting my breathing but it is DEFINITELY the only thing keeping me afloat. Besides, as it turns out, raising my hand above my head to undo my zipper atracts kayaks kinda like raw meat attracts killer sharks. These race organizers are nothing if not attentive. Slow steady breast stroke, head out of the water the whole way. Fine, I'll face it, more of a dog paddle, really. Definitely not my proudest moment. I have no idea how I have managed, but I am nearing the beach exit. To my total astonishment, I am not the last of my wave out of the water. Not even close. What would you do differently?: Oh, i don't know, maybe PRACTICE SWIMMING THE DAMN WETSUIT BEFORE THE RACE NEXT TIME. It's not that the wetsuit dosn't fit, it's just that I am unnaccustomed to having anything around my neck while swimming. Please don't call me stupid.  Transition 1
Comments: Based on last years results I don't think this race gives transition times. There were no timing chips, just a pull tag given to a guy with a radio who reads your number to someone as soon as you get out of the water. Believe me, i got out of the wetsuit in a hurry. QR has this really cool feature where you yank on the zipper pull and it releases the whole zipper completely. I was pulling on that thing like I was in a tug-o-war contest from the moment my feet touched the beach. I had the wetsuit around my waist by the time I got to my bike. I ripped that thing off and threw it in the dirt (I was pissed at it anyways). For all the panic, I did a good job laying out my T1 gear. Maybe three minutes, maybe less. I am happy with it. What would you do differently?: I would take better note of where my spot is or leave something more distinct to mark it. I was about to turn around thinking I went too far when I saw my bike right in front of me. No lost time, but only by luck.  Bike
Comments: I feel good to be out of the wetsuit and my clothing was nice and wet and cool. Attitude has improved immensely. I am happy to have survived the swim and have now shifted into "I just want to finish" mode. First evidence of potential "good time" right after T1. Some problems with my front derailer. At some point I have to stop and manually pull my chain off to get it onto the small ring. Fortunately, the race director saw to it that I would really only need the small ring most of the time. This is a ferocious grade. I learned two things. First, I can ride my bike up this stuff in granny gear at 3.4 mph. with a HR of 170 plus. Second, I can walk my bike up this stuff at 2.7 mph (along with the preponderance of other racers around me) with a heart rate of....significantly less than 170. Again, I am taken back by everyone's kind words of encouragement. It's contagious. I even offered my spare tube and patch kit to a guy with a flat. He passed me later.......indignant? maybe. I start smiling. I can't help it. I am also taken back by the amount of crashes. I saw several people get seriously hurt and felt compelled to stop and help one guy who fell right in front of me and wouldn't stop bleeding. I ended up getting the next race marshall to check on him. He also passed me later. At least he was OK. Lots and lots of bad spills. What would you do differently?: I would practice hills a hell of a lot more before attempting another Xterra. From what I understand from other racers, this is not out of the ordinary. Transition 2
Comments: I wore my running shoes with platform pedals on the bike which really cut my T2 time to almost nothing. This turns out to be the right choice. On this course, there were several times when I needed to stay and the bike needed to keep going..... This is tough to do with clipless shoes/pedals. I know it helped me avoid several potential crashes. What would you do differently?: Nothing. Two days of panic about gear certainly helped my preparation. I even packed a bottle of water at T2 which I ended up running with. Gasin, this was the right move.  Run
Comments: Call it "walk" or "hike" comments please, with sporadic bursts of occasional running. The "run" starts with a long uphill. This is not too out of the ordinary for a trail run. A short downhill follows. I'm still smiling though. I suspect I may actually finish. Then there is a more severe uphill which paralells the ski lift towers (read:steep). Before I know it, the fabled aid station at the 1.5 mile mark appears, mirage-like in the distance and just as I am bottoming out on water. I would partake......I would partake..... Then the world turned seriously vertical. This is way more "crawl on all fours" than "run". Up, down, way up, little down, way-way-way-way-up, not nearly enough down and suddenly I find myself at the rumored 3 mile aid station. Gatorade? yes, please. It is after the 3 mile aid station that I know for sure I will make it. It isn't gonna be pretty but It's gonna get done. I can't get the smile off of my face, which can now be upgraded to foolish grin. I run the last mile faster than I've ever run, beaming like a jackass the whole way. 3:06 and some change. What would you do differently?: A lot more trail running during training. I'm sure this course is not that out of the ordinary for trail runs. Sure seemed more like mountain climbing to me though. Post race
Warm down: Can't remember. Too euphoric. Smile subsided later in the evening. What limited your ability to perform faster: Experience, training, preparedness, fitness, genetics, talent. I could go on....... Event comments: "Xterra is an extreme event......I just don't want to see you get discouraged..... maybe try a local sprint race and THEN attempt an Xterra....." All very, very sound advice as it turns out. This was too much. I am thrilled that I finished despite the fact that my time was unimpressive. I was badly fooled by the distances. 1000m swim, 11mi ride, 4mi run? In training, I can do that without breaking a sweat at this point, and did! in less than 1:50..... on flat land, at sea level, with no crowd. Ridiculous grades, 7,000 ft. plus elevation, trails whose surfaces resemble moonscapes....... Last updated: 2006-07-29 12:00 AM
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 2006-08-07 11:59 PM |
Regular  63  So Cal. |  Subject: Xterra Snow Valley |
| 2006-08-08 10:41 AM in reply to: #505030 |
Master 2629   brummie land | Subject: RE: Xterra Snow Valley hilarious wonderful race report - congratualtions on your first tri you crazy man!
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| 2006-08-08 12:28 PM in reply to: #505030 |
Extreme Veteran 498 Montana | Subject: RE: Xterra Snow Valley great race report...I too just attempted my first triathlon and it was a short xterra- 400,7,2.5mile run....holy cow, huh? Ours was on a ski mountain too...lots of bike crashes, walkers on the run, etc.... I was just like you with a smile on my face the whole time. Way to go. Your next flat tri will be a breeze!
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| 2006-08-09 2:35 PM in reply to: #505030 |
Master 1901 Central, IL | Subject: RE: Xterra Snow Valley You are officially a "Tri-god"! You've done an Xterra. Wow! And for your 1st tri. Almost impossible. Were you on synth-testostrone at any point? (just curious) Great race report. Great attitude. Everything after this will be down-hill, or at least flatter! Nice job!
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| 2006-08-11 11:07 PM in reply to: #505030 |
| Member 11 | Subject: RE: Xterra Snow Valley Christian, Congrats on a finish. Xterras are not easy. To make you feel better, your were probably out of breath during the swim because of the altitude, not your wetsuit. I did an Xterra at Big Bear a couple of years ago, and I had the same exact problem, even though I was use to swimming in a wetsuit and had swam a lot that summer. I have never been so uncomfortable in a swim, would swim 10 yards, rest, then breaststroke 20 yards, rest, etc. |
| 2006-08-15 7:55 PM in reply to: #505030 |
| Extreme Veteran 464 San Clemente, California | Subject: RE: Xterra Snow Valley Fantastic report! I'd have to agree that your swim problems were due to elevation, at least I think mine were. I'm a solid swimmer at sea level, and have done over 20 tris, but had to breast stroke this one. I couldn't figure out what was going on with my body until later! BTW, probably the toughest tri I've ever done, including 3 half irons! |
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United States
Mountain Multisport
70F / 21C
Sunny
Overall Rank = bop/300?
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 20/20
PREFACE: THIS IS MY FIRST EVER TRIATHLON OF ANY KIND.
To be fair, I was warned by several BT'ers to attempt something, anything, other than Xterra for my first tri.
My pre-race routine: Panic, some excitement, but mostly panic.
Arrived at 6:30 for 9:00 start. Checked my gear to make sure I didn't forget anything. Went through body marking. Checked gear again. Set up T2 real quick. Checked gear again, twice. Embarked wth wife on hike to T1/lake checking gear approximately every 200 ft. It took much courage not to quit while hiking to T1/Lake/start. It's about a mile or so with about a 5,280 ft elevation difference (or maybe 1,000 or so). My heart rate is already way higher than I planned for it to be the entire race. Wife skipped her workout for the day stating, "this is better excercise than anything I'd think of doing at the gym." Check gear fifteen or sixteen more times. Set up T2. Quick couple of gear checks (glances, really, no fettish here). Walk about 1/4 mile to swim start. Panic more because I can't check my gear. Wiggle into sparkling new, never been used, black-n-blue, bitchin, top-secret, double throwdown QR Hydro wetsuit. I feel like I look good, so I feel good. Think about gear real quick, stop feeling good and panic.
Amidst the panic about the gear, I am taken back by how considerate and friendly everyone is. One of my T2 neighbors evidently didn't check his gear one hundred and thirty six thousand times like I did and left his cycling and running shoes down at T2. At least two other racers offered their reef shoes or warmup shoes to help out. Everyone is very positive and supportive. I should be positive and supportive, but I have my gear to worry about.....
I don't sleep the night before because I can't decide whether to wear my singlet under my wetsuit or to try to put it on over my wet shoulders after the swim. I manage to work this whole "to wear or not to wear" conundrum into a dream which recurrs in various iterations throughout my fitful sleep. Everyone I know has at least a cameo appearance in this run-on dream. In one version I get laughed out of school for being a dork and a loser who wears his singlet under his wetsuit. In another I get my a$$ kicked by the local bully and he steals my lunch money because I was stupid enough not to wear my shirt under the wetsuit.......
I am truly disturbed. I end up wearing it under the wetsuit. This was the right choice.
Pre-race loudspeaker quote from the race director, "Open water swimming is dangerous. Mountain biking is dangerous. Trail running is dangerous. You guys, this is dangerous!, YOU SHOULDN"T BE HERE, it's dangerous!"
I owe him a thank you card or something. When I get done laughing, I am less nervous and the panic stops.
A quick (as it turns out, far too quick) swim out to first buoy and back, then return to the business of panicking.