Race Details:
Bike: Pro Cycling Epic with SRAM XX1 156Q SRM Crank
Antiflat Protection: 90ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex, 21.5psi
Front, 24psi Rear, 2.2 Fast Trak
Helmet: Rudy Project Windmax Helmet
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx
Run: Colorado Running Company X-Talon 212
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx
Race Nutrition: +First Endurance Triathlon Nutrition Plan
Pre-Race: 24oz of EFS Pro
mix of Lemon and Cumber Flavors, 20 oz bottle of water
3 Capsules of PreRace
Bike: 2 - 24oz bottles with 1.5 packets of EFS
Pro Lemon in each,
3 servings
of Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot
Run: 1 servings of Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot and
on course hydration.
Post Race: 1 Serving of Cappuccino Ultragen
XTERRA Dominican Republic
When I saw the new races on the XTERRA Pan American circuit,
Dominican Republic really stood out as one that I wanted to do and I can’t
recommend enough that you go and race as well.
For a first year race it was well run at a spectacular venue of the Casa
Bonita Tropical Eco-Lodge. The staff and
management did everything they could to provide the best experience possible
for the racers and I know it will only continue to get better the more the race
goes on.
As a first year race we didn’t know what to expect going in but
the XTERRA DR crew did a fantastic job using what they had at their disposal
for the course, most importantly they have the vision and desire to continue to
keep adding more trails and keep improving the race experience.
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| No pictures do the waves justice, but this does show how rocky the beach is. |
The race is a beast, with the ocean swim you
never know what you will get and on race day it was better for surfing than for
swimming that is for sure, as guys were tearing up the waves 200m down the
beach from the swim start. It swells
were huge and I was very grateful that we were not having to swim through to
many breaking waves. The start was
brutal on a rocky beach as the waves tossed rocks around and you just had to
commit and get in to the water. Once you
were past the beach break it was not smooth sailing though as there was
probably a 15 foot difference between the bottom and top of the swell so it was
very tricky to sight the buoy and the currents made it very difficult as
well. I tried a couple times to surge
and get ahead but I was only putting out more effort with no noticeable
gain. I stayed tucked in the front group
and did what was necessary to not loose the group.
Once out of the water I got a good sense of who was around
me; and it was two local guys, and Rom Akerson.
We hit the bike and my plan was to work with Rom and try to stay out
front as long as possible. That plan
went quickly out the window with the surprise of Josiah going by 400m into the
bike; he swam well and was only just off of our feet. It was a quick change in mindset and the only
thought was getting on his wheel. The 3
of us rode together to a steep staircase that is ride able
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| We rode the staircase in the pre-ride but not in the race it is steep and there is no slowing down. |
but for the safety
of the entire field of competitors the right call was made that we would have
to dismount and run/walk down the steps.
There was a grass siding that I knew the bike shoes would get better
traction on and planned on running down that, Josiah had the same idea and was
a bit more fearless about it and managed to open a gap running down, leaving
Rom and I chasing. We managed to close
the gap a little bit since Josiah had to stop to open up a gate but then we
reached the hill he really started to open things up. The hill is brutally steep, you gain about
1000ft in less than 2 miles, everyone is really crawling along up the hill, and
many had to walk. One saving grace was
the cloud cover otherwise it would have been even tougher with the sun beating down as you were going 3-4 mph up hill. To make things a bit tougher there was after a short downhill section it was then a steep hike-a-bike to zap the legs a bit more before you finally go to head downhill.
Rom dropped me
chasing Josiah and tried to keep him in sight and worked to stay ahead of
Kieran McPherson, as I knew I needed time on him heading into the run. The couple river crossings on the bike were
great to help stay cool. The good and
bad thing about the course is that is two loops, you get great encouragement
from everyone coming back through near transition but at the same time you have
to go up the hill again. The second time
is always a bit tougher but I mentally used the short sprint athletes that had
started later as little carrots to catch as I was riding, I felt like I rode
the climb stronger and hit the downhill hard.
About half way down I saw Josiah stopped with a flat, he asked for Co2
but unfortunately on the first lap my Caffélatex Espresso (a Co2 and sealant
that I carry to fix flats) had shaken loose and I didn’t have it any thing else
with me. I was lucky not to flat after I
lost that, flats and mechanicals are part of racing and it can happen to anyone
you just have to make the best of it and in my case I had to use that to try to
gap Josiah so he wouldn’t run my down. |
| The reward after the climb, you can see the Caffelatex Espresso right when I lost it below my right foot (leftside) |
I came in to transition a few minutes down on Rom and didn’t
know how quickly Josiah would have gotten going I just pushed on. The run course is the “easy” part if you want
to call it that, though there is not much climbing it is still a gradual climb
for 5k and it grinds a way at you before coming back in. I focused on staying hydrated and was very
happy that the run was well shaded in the trees, there were a few times I still
considered jumping in the crystal clear cool water of the river that we run
besides. I managed to keep things
together well and held my position and finished 2nd behind Rom.
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| SRM Powerfile and elevation file from XTERRA Dominican Republic (not sure why the elevation isn't symmetrical) |
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| 5-Ryan Ignatz, 3 Kieran McPherson, 1 Rom Akerson, 2 Me, 3 Josiah Middaugh |
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