tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16616742196505476592023-11-16T03:57:51.272-07:00On-Road to Off-RoadThe occasional ramblings of Pro Triathlete Branden Rakita and his journeys of swimming the rivers, lakes and oceans and running and riding the roads and trails around the world. www.brandenrakita.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-6989337923792004962017-06-01T19:03:00.000-06:002017-06-01T19:09:08.086-06:00XTERRA Alabama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Race Equipment and
Setup:</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Bike: </span><a href="http://www.procyclingwarehouse.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pro Cycling S-Works
Epic</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> with </span><a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/1x-sram-xx1-gxp/"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">SRM XX1 Eagle
Crank</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><a href="http://www.effettomariposa.eu/en/products/caffelatex-family/caffelatex-sealant/"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">90ml of Effetto
Mariposa Caffelatex</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Sealant, 22.0 psi Front, 24.0 psi Rear, 2.3 Fast Trak <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Helmet: </span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL522202US"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">Rudy Project
Windmax</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Glasses: </span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP394076-00S1"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">Rudy Project
Tralyx</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP397380-0000" target="_blank">Impactx-2 Photochromic Clear</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Run: </span><a href="http://corunco.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">Colorado Running
Company</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.inov-8.com/row/men/shoes/trail-running/x-talon-212-mens-trail-running-shoes-black"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">Inov-8 X-Talon 212</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Race Nutrition: </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/111060397297927624606"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">+First Endurance</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">Triathlon
Nutrition Plan</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 1 serving of <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/efspro\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">EFS Pro</span></u></span> + <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/endurobites\.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/beta-red-performance-formula\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">Beta Red</span></u></span>, and 20oz of water<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/endurobites\.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/enduro-bites-dark-chocolate-espresso\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">Enduro Bite Dark Chocolate Espresso</span></u></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">
3 Capsules of <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/prerace\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">PreRace</span></u></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Bike: 2x24oz bottle with 4 scoops <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/efspro\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">EFSPro</span></u></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> 2
servings <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/efs-liquid-shot\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">EFS Liquid Shot</span></u></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Run: 1 serving <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/efs-liquid-shot\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">EFS LiquidShot</span></u></span> and on course
hydration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Post Race: </span><a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/ultragen.html"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 13.5pt;">Cappuccino
Ultragen</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/refer\/?st-code=MDB\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: purple;">First Endurance VIP Friends Discount</span></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After the travel and races in Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica it
was great to be back at home in Colorado for six weeks and be able to put in a
solid training cycle before XTERRA Alabama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After those early races I was sitting in 2<sup>nd</sup> overall in the
XTERRA Pan Am Series with Jean-Phillip ahead of me but had to race well to keep
from guys like Josiah from catching me later in the year once they had more
results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was a bit wacky
with some snowstorms and cooler spring weather, which did not help trying to
prep for the heat and humidity that we would experience this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the last few years of cooler and rainy
weather racing at Oak Mountain we were back to the normal, it wasn’t the worse
it has been but it was tough on everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The warm temps did heat the lake up and made for a perfect non-wetsuit
swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many guys this was the first
race of the year and it was the best chance to see how strong everyone was and
the field was stacked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVO5v6T7DCXIkgz4DkWUSDhba7-dzdbWX_f4hT3CPlN1uDACjYXkkG-MhPm3qCKrNADVYI63Zt8-NjVhbPy2UwQol2FihiNGbIYhqMu7l6kdhbLt8ZLh37ZJ0tuBGVHit1dibCwyArIb_G/s1600/Swim.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1000" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVO5v6T7DCXIkgz4DkWUSDhba7-dzdbWX_f4hT3CPlN1uDACjYXkkG-MhPm3qCKrNADVYI63Zt8-NjVhbPy2UwQol2FihiNGbIYhqMu7l6kdhbLt8ZLh37ZJ0tuBGVHit1dibCwyArIb_G/s400/Swim.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t have the best start speed but can hang tough and tagged on
to the back end of the front pack and settled in working to conserve energy but
also I had to keep aware to make sure no gaps opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right at the end as we were weaving our way
through the back end of the amateur field a small gap opened up to a group of 3
as a few guys started to fade ahead of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pushed the last part of the swim to keep the gap small and was able to
speed through transition and moved in to 3<sup>rd</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mG7ncZuK9zlKskStKiRVqrwlI0bf9ohNGh82pn8IzBliwfkvVGnK-299X_nbK_fe6BqM2sn-gg8l1MmgWlMtwD_dyX6rtTh76SaXoroWu8V_SpyjO-YDMZfd_ppLqiAFS50aPZMCa7ks/s1600/Bike+w+German.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mG7ncZuK9zlKskStKiRVqrwlI0bf9ohNGh82pn8IzBliwfkvVGnK-299X_nbK_fe6BqM2sn-gg8l1MmgWlMtwD_dyX6rtTh76SaXoroWu8V_SpyjO-YDMZfd_ppLqiAFS50aPZMCa7ks/s400/Bike+w+German.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tight racing with Veit throughout the course</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Karsten had a small gap off the front and Veit Hoenle was right in
front of me as we rode the short distance to the trails, I tried to get ahead
before we hit the singletrack but just missed and then at the quickest
opportunity passed Veit, and tried to work to catch up to Karsten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple miles in on a short dirt road
section Paco Serrano flew by and I had no chance to catch his wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Viet was strong and rode back up to me but I
made sure to get back ahead of him when we jumped on the trails again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to ride as smooth as </span>possible on the trails</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPTTKy8HWxqlirBkDJ0ihJdXPqz1bIX5fHNW2Ok15rCLj9xAOo_ErjKPMCNyxIQQmSwQMcdX8uYwiZv37tdcmexehyphenhyphen3OvcsVo3uznM_3A3ChCtlz9IgEuFAhP93G9hWS-LPP1Vf3fkKEc/s1600/Bike+Corner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPTTKy8HWxqlirBkDJ0ihJdXPqz1bIX5fHNW2Ok15rCLj9xAOo_ErjKPMCNyxIQQmSwQMcdX8uYwiZv37tdcmexehyphenhyphen3OvcsVo3uznM_3A3ChCtlz9IgEuFAhP93G9hWS-LPP1Vf3fkKEc/s400/Bike+Corner.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Rudy Project Tralyx and Photochomic clear lens were great for the low light.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
in Oak Mountain, if you rush you make small mistakes and those
will cost you time, since I was trying to play catch up I was making small
mistakes and continued to loose little bits of time to Karsten and Paco on the
twisting single track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once on the dirt
road climb I had to keep the pressure on knowing that Josiah would be coming
hard and there were a bunch of strong riders in Brian Smith, Chris Ganter, Ryan
Ignatz and Kieran McPherson that would be working together chasing as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About half way up the climb Viet
caught me and I tried to limit the gap <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2VXsCi-ICut1sIXd2mbkPfIvv8wXteIS4WTR_c-f-oQANecNNefoYk0PxO4jBa2JVWOkUwu-YNPF7CC_c6ze0oZG6WlK2FnCkoZBl38WPosrbwP15sk82sS3DHa-2PNKKf5zivpbeeT9/s1600/Bike+Charge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2VXsCi-ICut1sIXd2mbkPfIvv8wXteIS4WTR_c-f-oQANecNNefoYk0PxO4jBa2JVWOkUwu-YNPF7CC_c6ze0oZG6WlK2FnCkoZBl38WPosrbwP15sk82sS3DHa-2PNKKf5zivpbeeT9/s400/Bike+Charge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
as we continued up the climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About ¾ of the way up Josiah caught me and I
just didn’t quite have it to stay with him the last bit as it would have been a
great wheel to sit on across the top of the ridge before the next single track
section through Blood Rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Josiah
caught Viet right at the top and Viet had the pleasure of sitting on Josiah’s
wheel on the dirt road climb across the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried to use the 36 tooth ring on my SRM crank to my advantage and
powered along but Josiah is so<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRujUfPvGJE9NiMXGpSKFIyG0Auf6bth5iGv16ga-YlUJAGpn1L0HO3j-iQzfEx66fNnF0VJz3dJfNql3oJYPYqIMyp8LJ74_QMUYFch9B8eUVwK634CKEna5HTwL3v0PXiDS4kc3Qxyef/s1600/Bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRujUfPvGJE9NiMXGpSKFIyG0Auf6bth5iGv16ga-YlUJAGpn1L0HO3j-iQzfEx66fNnF0VJz3dJfNql3oJYPYqIMyp8LJ74_QMUYFch9B8eUVwK634CKEna5HTwL3v0PXiDS4kc3Qxyef/s400/Bike.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
strong there was little I could do to close that
gap down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I nailed the trails through
Blood Rock and down the descent, before hitting a new change to the course
hitting the flow trail of Jekyll and Hyde.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I managed to catch sight of Viet and knew that I could catch him as the
rest of the course demanded better bike handling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued to make small mistakes here and
there thought and it took me until the very end of the course to finally catch
him just as we entered transition.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6259gpVPik9OMqBlpUqrUAvCJuL3nl4J8kS68GoXZCIp3VzVBb0Y5cmH3QCVZlkyMS4ENP4c8KZrysiU2CsU5mgnqi3Jq4vp2I4q9V3aYylv7TimpFCUNnOncr8vipLmEU1YZzvcLUFh/s1600/17Bama.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1280" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6259gpVPik9OMqBlpUqrUAvCJuL3nl4J8kS68GoXZCIp3VzVBb0Y5cmH3QCVZlkyMS4ENP4c8KZrysiU2CsU5mgnqi3Jq4vp2I4q9V3aYylv7TimpFCUNnOncr8vipLmEU1YZzvcLUFh/s640/17Bama.tiff" title="Power file from SRM PC8 XX1 Eagle Crank" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power File from SRM PC8 and XX1 Eagle Crank</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtrmbevZTe1h0Tk7u1fubsbYQIoWUIAunYTYFO1z8TzebOHp2jxFMTBTcUeMYwUUisDYrmcXhgZYn1hEJPHvPWg6gu7Ixy0qHFzxKc5R547YMbyU6LonTvemKg-CplzWcvI2jZ1niREX6/s1600/RunFront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtrmbevZTe1h0Tk7u1fubsbYQIoWUIAunYTYFO1z8TzebOHp2jxFMTBTcUeMYwUUisDYrmcXhgZYn1hEJPHvPWg6gu7Ixy0qHFzxKc5R547YMbyU6LonTvemKg-CplzWcvI2jZ1niREX6/s400/RunFront.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traction was never an issue with my Inov-8 X-Talon 212.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtrmbevZTe1h0Tk7u1fubsbYQIoWUIAunYTYFO1z8TzebOHp2jxFMTBTcUeMYwUUisDYrmcXhgZYn1hEJPHvPWg6gu7Ixy0qHFzxKc5R547YMbyU6LonTvemKg-CplzWcvI2jZ1niREX6/s1600/RunFront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtrmbevZTe1h0Tk7u1fubsbYQIoWUIAunYTYFO1z8TzebOHp2jxFMTBTcUeMYwUUisDYrmcXhgZYn1hEJPHvPWg6gu7Ixy0qHFzxKc5R547YMbyU6LonTvemKg-CplzWcvI2jZ1niREX6/s1600/RunFront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtrmbevZTe1h0Tk7u1fubsbYQIoWUIAunYTYFO1z8TzebOHp2jxFMTBTcUeMYwUUisDYrmcXhgZYn1hEJPHvPWg6gu7Ixy0qHFzxKc5R547YMbyU6LonTvemKg-CplzWcvI2jZ1niREX6/s1600/RunFront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><style>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I headed out in 4</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> only 2 min down from Paco, Karsten and
Josiah and knew that I would need them to really blow up in the heat to catch
them. Viet ran strong and passed me in
the first mile and opened up a little gap but once we got on the trails and
small hills and the heat were taking a toll and I stayed steady and cool
carrying a iced bottle of EFS Pro and passed him back and put in a little surge
so he would not stay with me. I really
pushed the sections of the run when the footing was trickier to continue to
gain time. At the start</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijv_QPi9C75Dfw8zpnQyHl2Vt_JeEip7TU2z7aEFXfwGl5WukfXHHfmSLVhzFUvDBHp75RWcJPHCZqNCukkymbqeOrnAHZOLaD5BD9ARsYEKZE8ykLujjBxy8Y_YzQ9taoNGohxOAjgsfE/s1600/RunSide.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijv_QPi9C75Dfw8zpnQyHl2Vt_JeEip7TU2z7aEFXfwGl5WukfXHHfmSLVhzFUvDBHp75RWcJPHCZqNCukkymbqeOrnAHZOLaD5BD9ARsYEKZE8ykLujjBxy8Y_YzQ9taoNGohxOAjgsfE/s400/RunSide.JPG" width="400" /></a>of the second
lap Brain Smith was flying and cruised past me I did my best to stick to him
but he was on his way to the fastest run split that day and I had to stay sensible
in the heat and not blow up. There are
more and more racers on the course and I used everyone of them as little
carrots to keep pushing and focused on catch the next one ahead as quick as
possible. I was happy to make it through
without feeling the heat that bad and held on to 5<sup>th</sup>. I took over the lead for the Pan Am series
and will be racing as hard as possible to keep that spot, there is a lot of
racing left and anything can happen.
June will be bring more training races around Colorado before heading to
Victoria BC Canada for the next XTERRA in July and that will be followed by
XTERRA Beaver Creek the following Saturday.<!--EndFragment-->
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0200 Terrace Dr, Pelham, AL 35124, USA33.3250062 -86.7581963999999743.480477699999998 -128.06679039999997 63.1695347 -45.449602399999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-51493083485669438662017-04-11T12:00:00.005-06:002017-04-11T12:00:44.957-06:00XTERRA Costa Rica<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">Race Equipment and Setup:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: <a href="http://www.procyclingwarehouse.com/">Pro
Cycling Epic</a> with <a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/1x-sram-xx1-gxp/">SRM XX1 156Q
Crank</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.effettomariposa.eu/en/products/caffelatex-family/caffelatex-sealant/">90ml
of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</a> Sealant, 22.0 psi Front, 24.0 psi Rear, 2.2 Fast
Trak <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Helmet: <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL522202US">Rudy Project Windmax</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glasses: <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP394076-00S1">Rudy Project
Tralyx</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: <a href="http://corunco.com/">Colorado Running
Company</a> <a href="https://www.inov-8.com/row/men/shoes/trail-running/x-talon-212-mens-trail-running-shoes-black">Inov-8
X-Talon 212</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Race Nutrition: <a href="https://plus.google.com/111060397297927624606">+First Endurance</a> <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan">Triathlon
Nutrition Plan</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 1 serving of
<a href="https://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efspro.html" target="_blank">EFS Pro</a> + <a href="https://endurobites.com/collections/frontpage/products/beta-red-performance-formula" target="_blank">Beta Red</a>, and 20oz of water</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://endurobites.com/collections/frontpage/products/enduro-bites-dark-chocolate-espresso" target="_blank">Enduro Bite Dark Chocolate Espresso</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 Capsules of <a href="https://firstendurance.com/nutrition/prerace.html" target="_blank">PreRace</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 2x24oz bottle with 4 scoops <a href="https://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efspro.html" target="_blank">EFSPro</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2
servings <a href="https://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efs-liquid-shot.html" target="_blank">EFS Liquid Shot</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 1 serving <a href="https://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efs-liquid-shot.html" target="_blank">EFS LiquidShot</a> and on course hydration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Post Race: <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/ultragen.html">Cappuccino Ultragen</a><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<a href="https://firstendurance.com/nutrition/refer/?st-code=MDB" target="_blank">First Endurance VIP Friends Discount</a><br />
<br />
XTERRA Costa Rica<br />
After a few years I returned back for XTERRA Costa Rica, it was a great experience the first time and I was very happy things worked out to make back this year. Once significant change I made was flying in to Liberia instead of San Jose and when you do this race that is the only way, it saves you a minimum of 6 hours in a car. I was very happy about that after all of the travel that I had done in the preceding two weeks to Argentina and Chile. The XTERRA Costa Rica crew had made some great course changes to the bike since the first year as well. The race is very hard due to the very hot and pretty humid climate and the first year there was a tremendous amount of hike-a-bike and one very steep hill you were crawling up and trying to drag your bike with you. They changed the course and there is one very steep hill that if things pack down just a bit would be ride-able but it is a very manageable hike-a-bike. They added some new sections of trail and fun, so if you did the race in 2014 I highly recommend you go back, it is still tough but you will enjoy it a bit more.<br />
The water is beautiful and a perfect temperature for a non-wetsuit swim that is just a touch chilly when you get in but it feels great once you start swimming and with a high of 99 anticipated for the day being a bit cold out of the water feels pretty good. Because of the high temps we were off running to the water at 6am but it was definitely welcomed with how hot it would get out there. The plan was the same get on Jean-Philippe’s feet but he started far left and I started far right and I just missed them after clearing the field after the start. Ian King, Billy Gordon and I swam through the first lap and JP was about 15 sec up so we were staying closer than in Argentina and Chile. I felt good and lead through the second lap and ever so slightly managed to shorten the gap to JP just a little bit, about half way through the lap I felt a few funny bumps during my stroke and could see some jellyfish floating around. I was happy that it was only a few of them and not the thousands we were swimming through a few years before. The current right at the shore was very strong and our timing was off and it was a big struggle trying not to get pulled back in. Running to the bikes we were only about 10 sec down from JP.<br />
<br />
Ian and JP got out quick and were riding to the beach and I laid chase to them, trying to find the hardest packed sand to ride on as we rode along the beach. I slowly closed the gap down and we started the hike-a-bike together about half way up we heard someone charging from behind and Josiah was motoring us down. We peaked over the top Josiah took the lead, with me behind, he got a stick stuck in his wheel and had to stop and I pushed on knowing it would not be long till he would be powering back up to us. JP and I rode together and we jumped back on Josiah’s wheel when he went by and focused on just sticking there. Josiah slowed on a corner and when he accelerated out of it neither one of us could match it and he slowly powered away. We continued to work together to try to keep the pressure on and limit the gap he would get, a few kilometers later Kris Coddens rode his way up to us and powered away as well on the next hill. Through the remainder of the ride JP and I continued to work together, I was more powerful on the flats and led much of it but JP would always be willing to put in as much work as possible. We had a common goal to limit our losses to the front and to expand our lead on everyone else. I knew I would like to get away from JP before the run as he has been quicker in the last two races but I was not quite strong enough on the flats to do so. A big blessing through the race was that it was mostly cloudy and it kept the temperatures much lower and the sun from beating down on us though the bike, which is pretty well exposed for much of the course.<br />
I grabbed my frozen bottle and bag of ice in transition to help stay cool and JP was able to get a gap to start as we headed up the hill on the run out of transition. My legs were not going very well up the hill and JP easily ran away from me. I did see Ian King and Ryan Ignatz come riding down the hill and knew that I had to run hard to keep them at bay. Ryan has run me down a number of times and I didn’t want it to happen again. Once I was able to get the legs going on the downhill I felt much better and was able to tick things over and just continued to run scared. On my the second lap of a small loop in the middle of the run that the Olympic distance did twice a sprint racer, Sebastian Alfaro, was just entering the loop. We ran together and were able to push each other and it helped keep the pace high. The last 1.5 km’s of the run are tough on a sandy road that is relatively hard packed for most of it but there is a section about ¾ of the way through that is just running through soft sand. It is brutal at the end of the race but we charged along, after I got through the soft sand I took a look back and saw Ryan coming. I really pushed that last little bit in and thankfully for the first time really started to feel the heat of the day. I held strong and finished in 4th and Ryan was not far behind in 5th.<br />
<br />
Sorry I don't have any photos her is a link to a few:<br />
<a href="https://augustteague.smugmug.com/XTERRA-Costa-Rica">https://augustteague.smugmug.com/XTERRA-Costa-Rica</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/XterraCostaRica/photos/?tab=album&album_id=723431351172549" target="_blank">XTERRA Costa Rica</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-15417939339047676792017-04-07T22:40:00.002-06:002017-04-07T22:40:31.774-06:00XTERRA Chile<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Race Equipment and Setup:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bike: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.procyclingwarehouse\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Pro Cycling Epic</span></span> with <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.srm\.de\/product\/powermeters\/1x-sram-xx1-gxp\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">SRM XX1 156Q Crank</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Antiflat Protection: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.effettomariposa\.eu\/en\/products\/caffelatex-family\/caffelatex-sealant\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">90ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</span></span>, 22.0 psi
Front, 24.5 psi Rear, 2.2 Fast Trak <o:p></o:p></div>
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Helmet: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.e-rudy\.com\/en\/products\/detail\/HL522202US\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Rudy Project Windmax</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Glasses: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.e-rudy\.com\/en\/products\/detail\/SP394076-00S1\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Rudy Project Tralyx</span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Run: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/corunco\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Colorado Running Company</span></span> Inov-8 X-Talon
212<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx<o:p></o:p></div>
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Race Nutrition: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/plus\.google\.com\/111060397297927624606\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">+First Endurance</span></span> <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/sports\/triathlon\/branden-rakita\/\0022 \\l \0022plan\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Triathlon Nutrition Plan</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 1 serving of
EFS Pro Lemon, 20 oz bottle of water<o:p></o:p></div>
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3 Capsules of PreRace<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bike: 24oz bottle with 5 scoops EFS Pro
Lemon<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20oz bottle with 4 scoops EFS Pro<o:p></o:p></div>
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2
servings of Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 1 serving of Vanilla EFS Liquid
Shot and on course hydration.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post Race: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/ultragen\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Cappuccino Ultragen</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After a brief time touring Buenos Aires after XTERRA Argentina it
was time to head to Chile and get ready for the race there just south of
Santiago near the vineyard region of Maipo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a dramatic change from the barrenness of Argentina racing through
the vineyards plump with grapes and up and down the surrounding hills through a
few farms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swim was in a pristine
and very new waterskiing lake, though the lake is not very deep, the chilly
nights and cool mornings provided a wetsuit swim for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone who raced in Argentina had come over
to Chile and then a number of ITU road guys from Chile were racing as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest threat was Felipe
Barraza who had proven himself at Pan Am Champs with a top 5 finish there and a
good race at worlds as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ITU crew
took the swim out much faster than last week the speed was just not there to
stay on their feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ian King, Julien
Buffe, Gonzalo and I swam close to each other and exited the water a little
less than a minute down from the front pack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMd-QJq0iBcqpXAE3u8oFjh6-ZSFtgwEk2bmrFbqTwwpe_fBkZw5PLve5ycabdwvOEWH3QZro6lS6pRaPZXF8Tww4-3OyEuA-n01p2v-cGvLNFGL-V_Dfi4hxXXMy71XBACHnmxZSq_2mR/s1600/Swim1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMd-QJq0iBcqpXAE3u8oFjh6-ZSFtgwEk2bmrFbqTwwpe_fBkZw5PLve5ycabdwvOEWH3QZro6lS6pRaPZXF8Tww4-3OyEuA-n01p2v-cGvLNFGL-V_Dfi4hxXXMy71XBACHnmxZSq_2mR/s640/Swim1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ka0BlPSjUQK_j29tfbGS5vEu4wX_HMCqmLTIWRsaE02IcEmoJOJP0q3B4ePQAn2BOdcAW4b33bX5JURksV5LOP8zd-02hqGxOEpSvcKO3A1oMIMu4Z_2wDw9eBZdKJPDrbe9qHjVZH8g/s1600/BikeHill2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ka0BlPSjUQK_j29tfbGS5vEu4wX_HMCqmLTIWRsaE02IcEmoJOJP0q3B4ePQAn2BOdcAW4b33bX5JURksV5LOP8zd-02hqGxOEpSvcKO3A1oMIMu4Z_2wDw9eBZdKJPDrbe9qHjVZH8g/s640/BikeHill2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUdZ8Pf7rF1ymrVScqebmmuvPulN8WesorJRHNxNZy4CTjWk2gnX5pZkMw0i4g-PbfvpFMG9Owyl-iYe8vO-ndGWLLlGdpSksxyNCX2zKyA16RGj5gDlkbfHOXivSiNYYwhWuLc38hk8C/s1600/BikeFinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUdZ8Pf7rF1ymrVScqebmmuvPulN8WesorJRHNxNZy4CTjWk2gnX5pZkMw0i4g-PbfvpFMG9Owyl-iYe8vO-ndGWLLlGdpSksxyNCX2zKyA16RGj5gDlkbfHOXivSiNYYwhWuLc38hk8C/s320/BikeFinish.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The bike started through a flat stretch and I was able to get a
bearing on where everyone was and settled into a strong rhythm and my legs felt
better than last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a couple
km’s the course gets brutal and head up a 15% climb for a kilometer with a
short hike a bike section, Gonzalo and I rode together through the first climb,
down a steep descent in a controlled fishtailed slide and then worked together
through the next flat section through a vineyard to the next climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The climb was not quite as steep as but it
was much longer than the first one and Gonzalo was turning the pedals
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My legs were moving much better
than in Argentina and I rode a solid rhythm and climbed my way in to 4<sup>th</sup>
by the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was not much technical
but the small short sections certainly caused some of the road guys problems on
a rocky and rolling hill section before bombing down the other side of the
hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little over half way through
there was a second hike a bike section and Felipe Molletta was riding his way
to the fastest split and through the field and charged past me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last climb was almost as long as the
first but a gentler grade but let legs were taking a toll from the steep
climbing before and it was a slow suffer up the last climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held strong down the last descent and got
the legs to move well riding through the last flat section winding through more
sections of vineyards and entered transition in 5<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZI9gzOKMfq4epxhgoonNW7YHWgul2dR1Q_Y19lfsxGO7awlfIXJsC_SVQWgi5lX7x6No6RnqhMs44qt6HwM8scyVM3y8U_XzmHouForjpdUSc3bV1ICRRUU3epHOOIWx4xOU0JgCZDlSB/s1600/RunHill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZI9gzOKMfq4epxhgoonNW7YHWgul2dR1Q_Y19lfsxGO7awlfIXJsC_SVQWgi5lX7x6No6RnqhMs44qt6HwM8scyVM3y8U_XzmHouForjpdUSc3bV1ICRRUU3epHOOIWx4xOU0JgCZDlSB/s320/RunHill.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9gJOOL0ksq-pSaYyEW5-_sonVIbF5ORuMc2JG7JwW4uhqob4XIpyDJDAflNvv7DY6RhUSD6CaBOSa7_l7oMawSeMv84CnJEK93Cf6wQ6Yyth2KSU8907Jqoxg6XII-jnGoXIBU8_I636/s1600/RunFinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9gJOOL0ksq-pSaYyEW5-_sonVIbF5ORuMc2JG7JwW4uhqob4XIpyDJDAflNvv7DY6RhUSD6CaBOSa7_l7oMawSeMv84CnJEK93Cf6wQ6Yyth2KSU8907Jqoxg6XII-jnGoXIBU8_I636/s320/RunFinish.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">The legs really came around after a miserable run last week and I felt
great off the bike and was running well.
The run mimics the bike for a while at the beginning and it is easy to
get a good check on your competition as we wound our way through the flats for
the first few kilometers. Maxi Morales
was the next guy back and I knew he could run, he was 8 minutes quicker than me
in Argentina but I was able to get some splits to him on the flats and we were
running the same pace and I got a huge boost in confidence. Following the bike we went up the very steep
climb and I felt good and kept the legs turning over but Maxi was quicker and
was closing the gap. We both descended
like rocks down the steep hill, the Inov-8 X-Talon 212 were perfect for grip
and I didn’t slip or slide at all going down the 30+% degree slope but Maxi’s
small stature helped him maneuver a bit quicker on the corners and he caught me
by the bottom. We were both hurting but
he had a little more in the tank and just slowly pulled away from me. I was hoping that I could reel him back in
but the legs were fading, I held on for 6<sup>th</sup> on the day. Overall it was a much more positive race than
Argentina in how I felt on the bike and run, there were just guys that were
stronger on the day. I have not met the
expectations I had set for myself on this trip and I have one more race to do
what I had set out to and it is going to be very challenging.</span><!--EndFragment-->
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-52091974815644859562017-03-31T20:19:00.001-06:002017-03-31T20:19:09.934-06:00XTERRA Argentina<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On the eve of XTERRA Chile I figured I should get this out there.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
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Race Details:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bike: <a href="http://www.procyclingwarehouse.com/">Pro
Cycling Epic</a> with <a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/1x-sram-xx1-gxp/">SRM XX1 156Q
Crank</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Antiflat Protection: <a href="http://www.effettomariposa.eu/en/products/caffelatex-family/caffelatex-sealant/">90ml
of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</a>, 22.5psi Front, 24.5psi Rear, 2.2 Fast
Trak <o:p></o:p></div>
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Helmet: <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL522202US">Rudy Project Windmax</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Glasses: <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP394076-00S1">Rudy Project
Tralyx</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Run: <a href="http://corunco.com/">Colorado Running
Company</a> X-Talon 212<o:p></o:p></div>
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Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx<o:p></o:p></div>
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Race Nutrition: <a href="https://plus.google.com/111060397297927624606">+First Endurance</a> <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan">Triathlon
Nutrition Plan</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 1 serving of
EFS Pro Lemon, 20 oz bottle of water<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 Capsules of PreRace<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 2 - 24oz bottles with 5 scoops EFS
Pro Lemon in each,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3
servings of Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 1 servings of Vanilla EFS Liquid
Shot and on course hydration.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post Race: <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/ultragen.html">Cappuccino Ultragen</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
XTERRA Argentina<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has been way to long since I have updated the blog so here is
to hoping I am starting on a right foot this year, I think I say this every
year in some form. I ended 2016 with a
big trip to Australia and the ITU Cross Triathlon World Champs and then going
on holiday in New Zealand, 2017 is the opposite with a big trip to start the
year with a three-week trip to XTERRA’s in Argentina, Chile and Costa
Rica. I had been to South America one
other time with a trip to XTERRA Brazil a while ago and was excited to see a
couple new countries before returning to Costa Rica.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the best parts about racing XTERRA’s is they will take you
to places that you would not really think to go and experience and that is
certainly the case with the race in Argentina just out side of San Juan at
Dique del Ullum. It is a unique
landscape at a man made lake with the foothills of the Andes on one side and
the race venue is in a barren desert with hills and ravines all over. Being in South America in March it is the
tail end of their summer and the temperatures were still very warm and the lake
was warm as well for a nice non-wetsuit swim.
I started well but could not catch the feet of Jean-Phillepe or Julian
Buffe. The first open water swim of the
year always feels long to those of us that do not have the opportunity do it in
the off season, but the crew at XTERRA Argentina set a perfect and accurate course. I worked to stay as smooth and efficient as
possible and not let JP and Buffe get to much time. I lost about 45 secons and exited the water
in 3<sup>rd</sup> with Gonzolo Tellechea just behind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bike is two laps and very reminiscent of the old XTERRA Vegas
course but a lot more fun. After a loose
gravel ride around the edge of the lake we reached the trails that are short
punchy climbs then twisting descents down the ravines, with pumping rhythm sections. The legs struggled to fire smoothly and I
need it with all the moon dust and loose gravel and sand, Gonzolo was floating
across everything and I was fighting to keep the bike going and you can’t fight
the bike and try to power through in these conditions. After he got away I was in a back and forth
battle with Julian for most of the ride.
There is a brutal steady climb a dry riverbed in loose sand and gravel that
really zaps the legs and I continued to struggle just feeling like I was
sinking to the bottom while others were floating on top. The climb does earning a fun twisty descent with
sets of whoops and but on the first lap I could not get in to a good flow. On the second lap Maxi Morales floated by on
the loose gravel and sand. I did get
into a good grove and found the flow of the trail and managed to really break
free on the last section and earned a little gap heading in to the run over
Julian.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The temperatures were climbing and there is no respite from the
sun on the barren course, I grabbed small icy bottle of EFS as I started the
run to keep hydrated and cool from the inside out. The run is very hard and a lot of it is a sort
of choose your own adventure as there was rarely a defined trail. Trudging up a dry riverbed that seems to
never end, there are a mix of red bags and the red XTERRA arrows lining the
course giving a guideline of where to go.
I kept my head up trying pick the shortest line but trying to find the hardest
packed earth as I went from one bag to the next. After a dismal stagger up the river bed I
finally reach the peak, I used every bit of traction my Inov-8 X-Talon 212
provided on the steep dusty rolling hills along the top before and heading down
another dry loose gravelly river bed spotting one red bag to the next while avoiding
long spine cacti. I was never sure where
I was until the last kilometer of the run and it was a very welcome sight. I was grateful that I did not have to battle
anyone coming up from behind and crossed the line in 4th.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-22046780041685335292016-10-31T22:38:00.001-06:002016-10-31T22:38:35.026-06:00XTERRA Dominican Republic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Race Details:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Pro Cycling Epic</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">SRAM XX1 156Q SRM Crank</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Antiflat Protection:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">90ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</span>, 21.5psi
Front, 24psi Rear, 2.2 Fast Trak <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Helmet:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Rudy Project Windmax Helmet</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glasses:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Rudy Project Tralyx</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">Colorado Running Company</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>X-Talon 212<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Race Nutrition:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink">+First Endurance</span> <span class="MsoHyperlink">Triathlon Nutrition Plan</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pre-Race: 24oz of EFS Pro
mix of Lemon and Cumber Flavors, 20 oz bottle of water<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 Capsules of PreRace<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 2 - 24oz bottles with 1.5 packets of EFS
Pro Lemon in each,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 servings
of Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 1 servings of Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot and
on course hydration.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post Race: 1 Serving of <span class="MsoHyperlink">Cappuccino Ultragen</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
XTERRA Dominican Republic<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL7_cUJ4hAMCZFaHUr8Va0pYKERj4Wnv93mlWX9_iSYszlac4KaB_vHitwkD7tH9mI9n545jr6fCE5vd2zinQgoOGo4raYUoDHtl2emGdH_-d2vkXpb9CN7M6Lr3Zc6shzRn1-Ug0-nKs/s1600/Transition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL7_cUJ4hAMCZFaHUr8Va0pYKERj4Wnv93mlWX9_iSYszlac4KaB_vHitwkD7tH9mI9n545jr6fCE5vd2zinQgoOGo4raYUoDHtl2emGdH_-d2vkXpb9CN7M6Lr3Zc6shzRn1-Ug0-nKs/s640/Transition.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y9yhEI5V6MThyYc3sLR5LFaopoOY7n3VhlUIfkLaD1HmO8lwcnHiBXYpTTnON13_P9NJ9sodQXTClIplnknRwJyFhV4-wv0vZIn2mbFYWt3vcEg3PU8HRMUeyo-Vae9etv6ljg3nniw8/s1600/Start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y9yhEI5V6MThyYc3sLR5LFaopoOY7n3VhlUIfkLaD1HmO8lwcnHiBXYpTTnON13_P9NJ9sodQXTClIplnknRwJyFhV4-wv0vZIn2mbFYWt3vcEg3PU8HRMUeyo-Vae9etv6ljg3nniw8/s640/Start.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No pictures do the waves justice, but this does show how rocky the beach is.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">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.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmqwvGlst7OaIgwfCGZVSV5nrAUeQFzjO3cFO9vS2plGrTDob9UWACC3B7Fjf0r8WyDkwLITqX6QRfXYajQtQsBh98HE6UYeCkJO4szaez4JGTM6JefjFS6jrXpElYXKD44HhMD26qqSf/s1600/WaterExit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmqwvGlst7OaIgwfCGZVSV5nrAUeQFzjO3cFO9vS2plGrTDob9UWACC3B7Fjf0r8WyDkwLITqX6QRfXYajQtQsBh98HE6UYeCkJO4szaez4JGTM6JefjFS6jrXpElYXKD44HhMD26qqSf/s640/WaterExit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2q3zYPGMi1duGDH-E2pyyHkq6BirKuwrxRFegiUN0tag4TM8qYx2LnVGNJvU6DQSWBY2OTmXORaQe98LDL0E8W2bpv7FbBSu1D7npmcQO7rIN7Hj7iJrqa6PDqUHi2M4IvjnhrEYiNti/s1600/BikeSeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2q3zYPGMi1duGDH-E2pyyHkq6BirKuwrxRFegiUN0tag4TM8qYx2LnVGNJvU6DQSWBY2OTmXORaQe98LDL0E8W2bpv7FbBSu1D7npmcQO7rIN7Hj7iJrqa6PDqUHi2M4IvjnhrEYiNti/s400/BikeSeat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YTXF0qYlvovJzXw9WiewetIzs21u43tnRD3lC1n2bDArb_nu5Lo-7gYXePnrXocTD98k1uQBtHtxmBPSf-AHwkrnH87no7g_IbAwfNq2mARhWQaVVfIX1QH6yphaSTylPc1qsNXcECig/s1600/Stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YTXF0qYlvovJzXw9WiewetIzs21u43tnRD3lC1n2bDArb_nu5Lo-7gYXePnrXocTD98k1uQBtHtxmBPSf-AHwkrnH87no7g_IbAwfNq2mARhWQaVVfIX1QH6yphaSTylPc1qsNXcECig/s400/Stairs.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We rode the staircase in the pre-ride but not in the race<br />
it is steep and there is no slowing down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
but <span style="font-size: 12pt;">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 </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">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.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iCKzx_rhy9bQS6w5TIxauFQPqCN00mrVlG-KQBieRX0jljmpUmrY6utVq-Kkx75Jd2oagObjyitDoA-3yU9k3n0_qxbXf3tFztnduJ6eV6Z5KXysfNQccV0iyJ0nwAimeXrp5JTLaftQ/s1600/BikeClimb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iCKzx_rhy9bQS6w5TIxauFQPqCN00mrVlG-KQBieRX0jljmpUmrY6utVq-Kkx75Jd2oagObjyitDoA-3yU9k3n0_qxbXf3tFztnduJ6eV6Z5KXysfNQccV0iyJ0nwAimeXrp5JTLaftQ/s640/BikeClimb2.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">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 </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqxrMUw2htmG3bBwdAF4w9A-eqg5hLXNCSwJbfphKKanQ1TFwu8bbvI1N-ASZSWYWcwXcptwBGMl2fY-NIddsN1akL_8oaxd9iymFMtOyuk0da_l6ROUalpt1Q4ZZOmip-nvGQtyczwZn/s1600/Bikeclose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqxrMUw2htmG3bBwdAF4w9A-eqg5hLXNCSwJbfphKKanQ1TFwu8bbvI1N-ASZSWYWcwXcptwBGMl2fY-NIddsN1akL_8oaxd9iymFMtOyuk0da_l6ROUalpt1Q4ZZOmip-nvGQtyczwZn/s320/Bikeclose.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9zgAZvjZ-tZoLnD3pJFYg7bNy1_TjwRsGe19HZyOjeSYNIhBDX-nQwhEXnWw25XY9cdsPmGSbKhLaC4luORrPWNS7duYrWhan4jNspbCPuOcKXSNhTd3Axq_WtqnJN9gXEr1Ey5vvDJd/s1600/BikeDH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9zgAZvjZ-tZoLnD3pJFYg7bNy1_TjwRsGe19HZyOjeSYNIhBDX-nQwhEXnWw25XY9cdsPmGSbKhLaC4luORrPWNS7duYrWhan4jNspbCPuOcKXSNhTd3Axq_WtqnJN9gXEr1Ey5vvDJd/s320/BikeDH.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reward after the climb, you can see the Caffelatex Espresso right when I lost it below my right foot (leftside)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWu5hp-XaTWzfZSlnkRMtHaE-WqZiBRAPA_GGCeBsPHmfQ2WwYR03pV2se5xLvusNtUmjIrADuESEiT1fJ2syabA1MbVrBOspLsGlwdMKLYiTXo4xzRpc748CzJ-i7jfSZdbLtNvhEhFD/s1600/Bikedown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWu5hp-XaTWzfZSlnkRMtHaE-WqZiBRAPA_GGCeBsPHmfQ2WwYR03pV2se5xLvusNtUmjIrADuESEiT1fJ2syabA1MbVrBOspLsGlwdMKLYiTXo4xzRpc748CzJ-i7jfSZdbLtNvhEhFD/s400/Bikedown.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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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 2<sup>nd</sup> behind Rom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rqHaYOIlSLsDKsjXii9lvoqbx4wmXC5hUzuOxWBSd2CJpJv2Uft4WGb1Wo7ya8nv6iJ42mOD9HeV8XIDObI7fMqBBWHuCOPqRtfhSNp5enYerjmwHzHoNq59fhPuZe3tDgAo3vRfzcVx/s1600/XTERRA+Dominican+Republic+16.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rqHaYOIlSLsDKsjXii9lvoqbx4wmXC5hUzuOxWBSd2CJpJv2Uft4WGb1Wo7ya8nv6iJ42mOD9HeV8XIDObI7fMqBBWHuCOPqRtfhSNp5enYerjmwHzHoNq59fhPuZe3tDgAo3vRfzcVx/s640/XTERRA+Dominican+Republic+16.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM Powerfile and elevation file from XTERRA Dominican Republic (not sure why the elevation isn't symmetrical)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
The post race party at the finish line with the
wood fired pizza oven and </span>barbecue<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> was great to get refreshed. The awards were back up at Casa Bonita were
we got to sit and relax at the infinity pool for the awards. This is truly a brilliant place for a racecation.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVj4TqPt1tsevd8duBqg4yXO1cHtzUBP5FL5qdk3yY6Idn0f_zxDqYiSaRQAZaFCU7DPYQ8mK396LE1xvyZWG2QolIxH5fH12NX1k96lsWEcPrcRUVJxzKshGwaWzpcZZpxDdyHkex7xiC/s1600/Podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVj4TqPt1tsevd8duBqg4yXO1cHtzUBP5FL5qdk3yY6Idn0f_zxDqYiSaRQAZaFCU7DPYQ8mK396LE1xvyZWG2QolIxH5fH12NX1k96lsWEcPrcRUVJxzKshGwaWzpcZZpxDdyHkex7xiC/s640/Podium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5-Ryan Ignatz, 3 Kieran McPherson, 1 Rom Akerson, 2 Me, 3 Josiah Middaugh<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-91033493249903074062016-08-15T22:57:00.005-06:002016-08-15T22:57:58.078-06:00XTERRA Beaver Creek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Race Details:<br />
Bike: Pro Cycling Epic with SRAM XX1 156Q SRM Crank<br />
Antiflat Protection: 90ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex, 21psi Front, 25psi Rear, 2.2 Fast Trak<br />
Helmet: Rudy Project Windmax Helmet<br />
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx<br />
Run: Colorado Running Company X-Talon 212<br />
Glasses: Rudy Project Noyz<br />
Race Nutrition: +First Endurance Triathlon Nutrition Plan<br />
Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 1 Single serve packet of EFS Pro mix of Lemon and Cumber Flavors<br />
3 Capsules of PreRace<br />
Bike: 2 - 20oz bottles with 1.5 packets of EFS Pro Lemon in each,<br />
2 servings of Kona Mocha/Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot<br />
Run: 1 servings of Mountain Huckleberry EFS Liquid Shot and on course hydration.<br />
Post Race Cappuccino Ultragen<br />
<br />
XTERRA Beaver Creek<br />
A couple weeks later I was on to the closest thing I can call a hometown race being in Colorado. It also starts the beginning of the mountain courses with all the remaining courses on the Pan-American series all have a lot of climbing involved. Being that Colorado is a training hotbed for triathlon in general, racers come out of the woodwork and race Beaver Creek since it is an easy drive. This year was no exception with some very top name road guys racing their first XTERRA and a few guys that do 1-2 XTERRA’s a year that are very talented. This also changed the dynamic of the race a bit over the XTERRA in Alabama and Milton where there was a group of 2-3 of us in the swim to now a very solid group of 7-8 guys to push the pace from the gun.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWymN499av0iMve5o-sBMsIsjhlXLr_B7CzcfaRYiji3sPXNt6Uo0oPN0AuoYbNVlms8oA1nSmwVO2Jqjkkv4bnzo-tEeda6ccCABHZ1wQSOfn5hslVqYQq7rSaDKFJp6bL5M5X_uGh5l0/s1600/SwimExit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWymN499av0iMve5o-sBMsIsjhlXLr_B7CzcfaRYiji3sPXNt6Uo0oPN0AuoYbNVlms8oA1nSmwVO2Jqjkkv4bnzo-tEeda6ccCABHZ1wQSOfn5hslVqYQq7rSaDKFJp6bL5M5X_uGh5l0/s640/SwimExit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a great effort in the swim but when nobody else wants to lead. PC: Jesse Peters/Backlight Photo<br /><a href="http://backlight.zenfolio.com/f1007519761" target="_blank">More Photos from XTERRA Beaver Creek</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Leave it to the roadies showing up to do a gradual forward drift of the start line during the countdown to the gun, I took my normal position and got away clean on the side with Brad Zoller and happily slid back to draft him after clearing the dock. Normally I take 10-20 hard strokes then settle in but I couldn’t get comfortable and find my stroke and breathing was difficult. Brad built a small gap and it stayed steady through the swim. I knew I wasn’t swimming fast but no one behind me wanted to take the lead and catch Brad so I just cruised at what was comfortable.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvAKW8SOBff4LROa_4IQN9fho-Pd86PPFx_PAvlAMQ8hgBE9h5naPCKppd5uZKaKss6T-Kipr1J3-RpEvB3DL8DALoVNeipJVYm22nvAj0aQH7TWEEbT4i1FaHT3wLfaC8fNt2js8hkIX/s1600/Bike+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvAKW8SOBff4LROa_4IQN9fho-Pd86PPFx_PAvlAMQ8hgBE9h5naPCKppd5uZKaKss6T-Kipr1J3-RpEvB3DL8DALoVNeipJVYm22nvAj0aQH7TWEEbT4i1FaHT3wLfaC8fNt2js8hkIX/s640/Bike+close.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At switchbacks to the road, with Sam Long on my wheel, he surprised us all, great race from him<br />PC: Backlight/Jesse Peters</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p5M1XjDUdZPSf9bHS0iTx1bHS6kHMmwjYeH_4yJuv1vlFukJ6aNTSRHFSmwFYo7xWbk_8UIOe7vmaJjpWwm9zeiWKVcEgsWhyqcefY4v0t8d9glqCMu1ieVhwpoOONRRg1aLjazSp6n4/s1600/BikeCork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
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I headed out on the bike in second and passed Brad shortly there after and was joined by Ben Hoffman, Rom Akerson and Leon Griffin. I think all of us were feeling a bit off as I knew I was not 100% on my game but they were not accelerating away from me at all and it was a very slow gap to open. Just before the cross over point of the bike Josiah rolled up to me with someone else in tow and continued to roll away. Once on the short road section I got a gauge on Ben, Rom and Leon and knew I needed to overtake Leon before we started the downhill to start gaining time on him and by the top of the climb I managed to catch him and took off downhill. It is not very technical but you can still open up some time on the switchbacks down Arrowhead. I pressed on hoping to keep close to the 4 guys up the trail on the traverse on Village to Village trail trying to not let Leon catch back up. Everything remained the same through the end of the bike and I headed off in fifth knowing it would be a tough task to catch anyone ahead but also wanting to preserve a top 5.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p5M1XjDUdZPSf9bHS0iTx1bHS6kHMmwjYeH_4yJuv1vlFukJ6aNTSRHFSmwFYo7xWbk_8UIOe7vmaJjpWwm9zeiWKVcEgsWhyqcefY4v0t8d9glqCMu1ieVhwpoOONRRg1aLjazSp6n4/s1600/BikeCork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p5M1XjDUdZPSf9bHS0iTx1bHS6kHMmwjYeH_4yJuv1vlFukJ6aNTSRHFSmwFYo7xWbk_8UIOe7vmaJjpWwm9zeiWKVcEgsWhyqcefY4v0t8d9glqCMu1ieVhwpoOONRRg1aLjazSp6n4/s640/BikeCork.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The decent down Corkscrew PC Backlight/Jesse Peters</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUPhSAwd2bySCrf8LTP77BgLLg9TvJHUo2hN85cWbSMYMx2IQROxqmtVJVZwCFkgKNtvuI6O9KUoSXYTam_kXz1GtVaUT0Vlfye9HRFiySetrXvD7pdzdvASzbE9O5pstwi8ZDxJ_ei7H/s1600/XTERRABeaverCreek16.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUPhSAwd2bySCrf8LTP77BgLLg9TvJHUo2hN85cWbSMYMx2IQROxqmtVJVZwCFkgKNtvuI6O9KUoSXYTam_kXz1GtVaUT0Vlfye9HRFiySetrXvD7pdzdvASzbE9O5pstwi8ZDxJ_ei7H/s640/XTERRABeaverCreek16.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM PC8 Powerfile from XTERRA Beaver Creek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjZ-vFOmRfpoTOUTflGyU1ntv_nLO6OA6qwCVPAA8plgsWCiJuyL5yxRY3LcvLul8WCCZgfdZ0jYG_AdfjH3QpkhpIQxaRsj-l961Od0ieFV8HZya0fdv2w6w_E05pKkEYo2JoZIuk66k/s1600/Run+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjZ-vFOmRfpoTOUTflGyU1ntv_nLO6OA6qwCVPAA8plgsWCiJuyL5yxRY3LcvLul8WCCZgfdZ0jYG_AdfjH3QpkhpIQxaRsj-l961Od0ieFV8HZya0fdv2w6w_E05pKkEYo2JoZIuk66k/s400/Run+Top.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the Aspen Glade climb PC:Backlight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjZ-vFOmRfpoTOUTflGyU1ntv_nLO6OA6qwCVPAA8plgsWCiJuyL5yxRY3LcvLul8WCCZgfdZ0jYG_AdfjH3QpkhpIQxaRsj-l961Od0ieFV8HZya0fdv2w6w_E05pKkEYo2JoZIuk66k/s1600/Run+Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
I managed to preserve things for about a mile before Leon rolled by, I kept things in check for the first 5k and the legs were feeling good on the downhill and was hoping for a stronger 2nd half of the run. The legs would not respond as well as hoped on the second climb and he opened up the gap more. I was glad to have gapped the other guys behind on the bike as I needed the time over guys like Greg Bennett and was able keep things rolling and finished 6th<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUbs1tS7x-WvGc1H02FjxoZbfFqGMwn0p_BS6oq9o1NQbM_dSF4zCxl48VEWC5p9hukGZQGhACEbnGhhOgk54gC68AcOw4Zzp3scbzl1XuTz36xqvVyAjWgE-dTrlsxJlUgo5-3YKEkOL/s1600/Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUbs1tS7x-WvGc1H02FjxoZbfFqGMwn0p_BS6oq9o1NQbM_dSF4zCxl48VEWC5p9hukGZQGhACEbnGhhOgk54gC68AcOw4Zzp3scbzl1XuTz36xqvVyAjWgE-dTrlsxJlUgo5-3YKEkOL/s640/Run.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In to the finish in 6th<br /><br /><a href="http://backlight.zenfolio.com/f1007519761" target="_blank">More photos of XTERRA Beaver Creek from Backlight/Jesse Peters</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-51024486397957457692016-08-15T09:48:00.001-06:002016-08-15T09:48:23.325-06:00XTERRA Mine over Matter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Need to get a little caught up, so a few race reports will be coming over the next couple days, first up XTERRA Mine Over Matter in Milton, Ontario (that is Canada for those geographically challenged)<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
Race Details:</div>
<div>
Bike: Pro Cycling Epic with SRAM XX1 156Q SRM Crank</div>
<div>
Antiflat Protection: 90ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex, 22.5psi Front, 26psi Rear, 2.2 Fast Trak </div>
<div>
Helmet: Rudy Project Windmax Helmet</div>
<div>
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx </div>
<div>
Run: Colorado Running Company X-Talon 212</div>
<div>
Glasses: Rudy Project Noyz</div>
<div>
Race Nutrition: +First Endurance Triathlon Nutrition Plan</div>
<div>
Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 1 Single serve packet of EFS Pro mix of Lemon and Cumber Flavors</div>
<div>
3 Capsules of PreRace</div>
<div>
Bike: 1 - 24oz bottle with 1.5 packets of EFS Pro Lemon in each,</div>
<div>
2 servings of Mountain Huckleberry EFS Liquid Shot</div>
<div>
Run: 1 servings of Mountain Huckleberry EFS Liquid Shot and on course hydration.</div>
<div>
Post Race: 1 Serving of Cappuccino Ultragen</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
XTERRA Mine over Matter</div>
<div>
This is very late but want to still get the word out about XTERRA Mine over Matter. It is a bit different as it is a very fast race with a slightly shorter swim like Richmond as well, but the bike is shorter as well the roots and rocks and powdery dirt in dry conditions were very much like Richmond. Then you have the full length run to top things off. Keep in mind for anyone who should venture up there in the future they do not follow the XTERRA rules that the US series races are run under. In Canada they more closely follow the ITU rulebook. Keep this in mind in the event of a non-wetsuit swim as swimskin/speedsuits are not allowed unless you are willing to wear it for the entirety of the race, this may affect your choice of race kit! I was wishing that this was more public announced and decided upon well in advance of the race instead of the Wednesday before when many of us had travelled to Milton. I mention this because it did affect me, but thanks to Karsten Madsen and it being his hometown race he was gracious enough to loan me an old one piece suit that is quicker in the swim than my two-piece kit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHy-IFIjp3BqT1vYElYF0H5NJrd3dE5jASj6b74QOjw5xck96y2Mo1FGoJ92uhuWqACCvJ8Ab4cZJvuBauC1SZMrTBdcYKsi83D_KKpMH37QHbRJ81FcJeyr2ZclqCwo0BQXbWZrChGql/s1600/DSC00551.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHy-IFIjp3BqT1vYElYF0H5NJrd3dE5jASj6b74QOjw5xck96y2Mo1FGoJ92uhuWqACCvJ8Ab4cZJvuBauC1SZMrTBdcYKsi83D_KKpMH37QHbRJ81FcJeyr2ZclqCwo0BQXbWZrChGql/s640/DSC00551.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
The swim is in a quarry pond and was a 1 loop, 1000m affair and it was fast and furious, I knew Karsten was going to be gunning to take the win as there was some added pressure being his home course and his family and friends were out in force supporting him. He took it out fast and an old racing buddy Sean Bechtel and followed on his feet. Sean let a gap open up and I never had a chance to close it down and just tried to keep the damage to a minimum. I did until it seemed like the last stretch when all of a sudden the gap went from what I was holding to 10 sec jumped to over 20 when I got on the bike.</div>
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Karsten knows these trails better than anyone and so I knew going in that I needed to do 1 of two things, either get on the trails ahead of Karsten and hold him off as long as possible or be right with him and try to hold on as long as possible. The gap he created in the swim didn’t let either of these things happen and I was left to do my best to not loose to much time and try to maintain second. I felt like I was riding pretty well but about ¾ of the way through Sean who is a local boy as well caught me and I used him to help guide me through the rest of the bike.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhOePBVVLHEbtk6zN5q4GCRNoFSgWMXgZSk8atVqf72lHA7lZQ3375fyswE9UrDYdwuzgNV9Aazecy_ycawUnL5MjlfS9OUZ8j4r_wgZmemth1WbfDLURiw3y97is8rR-AOpCKb4MDcRq/s1600/XTERRAMOM16.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhOePBVVLHEbtk6zN5q4GCRNoFSgWMXgZSk8atVqf72lHA7lZQ3375fyswE9UrDYdwuzgNV9Aazecy_ycawUnL5MjlfS9OUZ8j4r_wgZmemth1WbfDLURiw3y97is8rR-AOpCKb4MDcRq/s640/XTERRAMOM16.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM.de PC8 Course Profile from XTERRA Mine Over Matter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
We came off together and headed out on the run. I was happy to quickly assume 2nd and felt good running but knew that I had to keep the pressure on; not to catch Karsten as he had built a lead that would only be lost with an epic meltdown, but to hold off Chris Ganter. I felt good and was steadily rolling through the run but he ran me down at about 7k. I pushed to stay with him as best as I could and was holding strong only just a bit back from him, until things flattened out a bit more on a lap around the lake and he opened things up a bit and I finished off the day in 3rd Not to bad of a day, some small mistake were made but overall it was another solid race.</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5RIZgB5OtQBdI57S_aqyWtuS46mD65TyTppAjivrpwcdV3NO2XV6_i7mex7LWzaBF-4qvsG_OUjOstm1_KCS-rrTnkhAwPjyptKNdYrkPj9ZOId9CHqxisXkihLOyuCh-ebOMKZ9LPTy/s1600/DSC00608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5RIZgB5OtQBdI57S_aqyWtuS46mD65TyTppAjivrpwcdV3NO2XV6_i7mex7LWzaBF-4qvsG_OUjOstm1_KCS-rrTnkhAwPjyptKNdYrkPj9ZOId9CHqxisXkihLOyuCh-ebOMKZ9LPTy/s640/DSC00608.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top 5 Women - 5 Debby, 3 Maia, 1 Suzie, 2 Joanna, 4 Katharine<br />Top 5 Men, 5 Sean, 3 Me, 1 Karsten, 2 Chris, 4 Alex</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-38773271805791933692016-06-24T08:15:00.001-06:002016-06-24T08:15:11.488-06:00Boulder 70.3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Race Details:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.procyclingwarehouse\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Pro Cycling SHIV</span></span> with <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.srm\.de\/products\/srm-powermeter\/3dplus\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">QARV Rotor 3D+ SRM Crank</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Antiflat Protection: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.effettomariposa\.eu\/en\/products\/caffelatex-family\/caffelatex-sealant\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">30ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</span></span> in
each tire <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Helmet: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.e-rudy\.com\/en\/products\/detail\/HL530102US\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Rudy Project Wing57 Helmet</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glasses: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.e-rudy\.com\/en\/products\/detail\/SP394076-00S1\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Rudy Project Tralyx</span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.corunco\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Colorado Running Company</span></span> NB 1400<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/plus\.google\.com\/111060397297927624606\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">First Endurance</span></span> <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/sports\/triathlon\/branden-rakita\/\0022 \\l \0022plan2\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Triathlon Nutrition Plan</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 4 scoops
of <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/efspro\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">EFS Pro</span></span> mix of Lemon and Cumber Flavors<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 Capsules of <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/prerace\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">PreRace</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 2 - 24oz bottles with 5 scoops
of <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/efspro\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">EFS Pro</span></span> Lemon in each<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 Bottles of watter<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3
servings of Kona Mocha <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/firstendurance\.com\/nutrition\/efs-liquid-shot\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">EFS Liquid Shot</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/endurobites\.com\/why-enduro-bites\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Enduro Bite Dark Chocolate Espresso Bar</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 2 servings of Mountain Huckleberry
EFS Liquid Shot<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2-3 Cups of water or on course hydration per
aid station.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Post Race: 1 Serving
of <span class="MsoHyperlink">Cappuccino Ultragen</span></span><br />
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well to keep things updated before my next XTERRA here is a
little recap of Boulder 70.3. Some times
I don’t have to travel very far sometimes to race against some of the best
athletes in the sport and the men’s roster for Boulder is always strong with it
being a very popular spot for the roadies.
I prefer a location where you can have better access to mountain bike
trails though. The race is at the
infamous Boulder Reservoir. I have raced
there on numerous times at the Boulder Peak Triathlon that was a great Olympic
distance non-drafting tri when under the directorship of Paul Karlsson and later
Barry Siff. Barry as well started the
5430 Half, which is now this race, Boulder 70.3. There are a few things about the res that are
constant, it is flat, there are minimal trees to provide shade and without fail
it is always hot. The benefit to it
being warm is that the water warmed up just enough for it to be a non-wetsuit
swim, which I was thankful for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I chose to start a bit further to the left, which may not
put me in the middle of the bunch to get a faster pair of feet at the start,
but I do get cleaner water and less fighting with other athletes off the
line. I was sitting at the tail end of
the front pack and felt that the group had settled in but someone a few people
in front of me let a gap open up and there was no closing it back down. As has typically been my style in the swims
this year, I steadily got stronger through the swim and moved my way forward
and lead the chase pack of the swim and ended up about a minute and fifteen
down from the main front group.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Each race is a learning experience and I have really learned
that the first part of the bike in any half distance race always starts very hard
before people settle in, it was something I had been working on and put into
play. Unlike racing Galveston 70.3 and
at Wildflower I maintained contact with the other guys and helped push the pace
and found myself riding with Leon Griffin and Justin Metzler. There were a few guys that were riding
stronger and we could not stay with but others we were catching through the
course of the bike. With the steadily rising temperature I was sure to keep
well hydrated and went through my standard two bottles of First Endurance on
the bike as well as two bottles of water instead of the usual 1. I lost contact with Justin and Leon on the
climb on Nelson road but was stronger on the last quarter of the ride and
closed the gap back down as we entered transition. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was nice and toasty by the time I was starting the run
and felt bad for those amateurs that were just heading out onto the bike course
as I was coming in. I spent some extra
time in transition grabbing ice, a cooling towel, a frozen bottle of water and
a frozen flask of First Endurance Liquid Shot to help me stay cool during the
run. The legs responded great at the
beginning of the run and it made me question if I was running too fast to start
and that I would blow up later. I knew I
had to trust the training Derick and I had been building through the year and
kept the pressure on. I was sure to grab
2-3 cups on water or electrolyte drink at each aid station to help cool down
and stay hydrated. I was steady and
maintained my pace and picked a few people off over the first lap of the run. The lack of shade became more and more
evident on the second lap but I was managing the heat well keeping cool though
I know my pace had slowed some I know everyone else was in the same
situation. Once in the last 5k of the
run I needed to just keep the pressure on and try to pick up the pace, I gained
extra momentum when I could see that I was closing down on a few guys ahead and
picked off a couple more guys before the finish and had only been passed by 1
guy during the run. I finished in 15<sup>th</sup>
and it was definitely the most solid 70.3/half iron distance race I had put
together and gives me a boost of confidence that I can race that distance. After a few recovery days and some quick
opener workouts I am outside Toronto for some more fun racing at XTERRA Mine
Over Matter tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-44058528519896489892016-05-30T23:19:00.001-06:002016-05-30T23:19:00.766-06:00XTERRA Oak Mountain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDugUjeX1Au1FKoTJiy6bKRfDAixtzqAaj7pbptA2kCo6A3CHuGUVYMpCa6kLAbOKUmlGoYZRLHq7Sed4gHNGfv8tybbmimRU0xoibpGiKYO1QQCCsbtjUUwbnbQJTMHOm21OHlfcJtX-w/s1600/Da+Guys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDugUjeX1Au1FKoTJiy6bKRfDAixtzqAaj7pbptA2kCo6A3CHuGUVYMpCa6kLAbOKUmlGoYZRLHq7Sed4gHNGfv8tybbmimRU0xoibpGiKYO1QQCCsbtjUUwbnbQJTMHOm21OHlfcJtX-w/s640/Da+Guys.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are all friends before the gun goes. A few of the great friends I get to race against, missing a few that have moved on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Race Details:<br />
Bike: Pro Cycling Epic with SRAM XX1 156Q SRM Crank<br />
Antiflat Protection: 90ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex, 22.5psi Front, 26psi Rear, 2.2 Fast Trak<br />
Helmet: Rudy Project Windmax Helmet<br />
Glasses: Rudy Project Tralyx<br />
Run: Colorado Running Company X-Talon 212<br />
Glasses: Rudy Project Noyz<br />
Race Nutrition: +First Endurance Triathlon Nutrition Plan<br />
Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 1 Single serve packet of EFS Pro mix of Lemon and Cumber Flavors<br />
3 Capsules of PreRace<br />
Bike: 2 - 20oz bottles with 1.5 packets of EFS Pro Lemon in each,<br />
2 servings of Mountain Huckleberry EFS Liquid Shot<br />
Run: 1 servings of Mountain Huckleberry EFS Liquid Shot and on course hydration.<br />
Post Race: 1 Serving of Cappuccino Ultragen<br />
<br />
This is one of the must do races in off-road triathlon, now XTERRA Oak Mountain with the new XTERRA Pan-American Series. It is an honest course and a lot of fun and there are 3 different distance races to allow you sample what off road triathlon is all about. I promise it will put a smile on your face during and after the race.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdpPRdlNVjalxcYcQOpachyD0KyYPLMQ45bHwq6TkT5KK7QNrI4fndesSTosgOFvGv8S6Uc7NxwaWo6r9przWj1NX4KwVORaOXKTayBEtK4bYPtadiDz3v6fN7zsex_1sdRNddxr21qAT/s1600/PaulMitchell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdpPRdlNVjalxcYcQOpachyD0KyYPLMQ45bHwq6TkT5KK7QNrI4fndesSTosgOFvGv8S6Uc7NxwaWo6r9przWj1NX4KwVORaOXKTayBEtK4bYPtadiDz3v6fN7zsex_1sdRNddxr21qAT/s640/PaulMitchell.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great to be back at XTERRA with the Paul Mitchell Cut-a-Thons, all proceeds were donated to the Desantis 16 in 16 in which benefits the Challenged Athletes Foundation. PC:Jesse Peters/Backlight/XTERRA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of the joys of off road racing the weather and trail conditions can drastically affect the race, on an pre-ride on Wednesday we started in dry conditions and ended up in a rainstorm. This took the trails from dry and a bit loose to tacky dirt with slick roots, rocks and bridges, and the way you ride loose dirt compared to slick roots is entirely different. It was a wait an see game to see if more rain would come and keep things slick or if it would stay dry. We have raced in the rain here a few times and I knew that I would have a bit of an advantage over some other guys as I had gained confidence riding the Oak Mountain trails in wet conditions. Over the next couple days the weather evened out and the trails turned to hero dirt, where the dirt is perfectly tacky, not to dry but not to wet, it’s just right.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWhXbqLuaO0YYh7zAJIKh0EUFSgPf_7TUIC3Bpab-AMNO4lQm6l6ZrcIw1JNFSUfb3s2ImUJKRzVHkSUBWgWd7hwT4UMpwhiwrLOX5sM0N5yh37yN-DUYoBDsYpfKSKXFgtFaGbdizHRt/s1600/Swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWhXbqLuaO0YYh7zAJIKh0EUFSgPf_7TUIC3Bpab-AMNO4lQm6l6ZrcIw1JNFSUfb3s2ImUJKRzVHkSUBWgWd7hwT4UMpwhiwrLOX5sM0N5yh37yN-DUYoBDsYpfKSKXFgtFaGbdizHRt/s640/Swim.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Exiting the water between laps on the swim. PC: Jesse Peters/Backlight<br />
The swim was ideal, calm flat lake with no wetsuits; my plan was to get out fast with Mauricio Mendez and Karsten Madsen and then settled into a good hard pace. Things started well but Mauricio never settle he just held the same pace from start to finish and with Karsten and I trying to work in to his draft he got a gap and slowly opened things up. I pushed the chase but Mau was to strong and kept edging away.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzweBeWtTSr7thzrtVoCwFHOiVdrVjPu_6mWS-r_aNo9_0LkGEfppe7V1BZJEJ3rukYogu1EgK-ov8Y_0lhFdxsaeVyDEmDg8TgHX_GTfZRItBUeeFS6eOrxfMqlJuMnMYhPEbiYyE2u3E/s1600/Bike+Karsten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzweBeWtTSr7thzrtVoCwFHOiVdrVjPu_6mWS-r_aNo9_0LkGEfppe7V1BZJEJ3rukYogu1EgK-ov8Y_0lhFdxsaeVyDEmDg8TgHX_GTfZRItBUeeFS6eOrxfMqlJuMnMYhPEbiYyE2u3E/s640/Bike+Karsten.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Karsten and I hitting the trails in chase of Mauricio, basically the way the bike looked through the entire leg.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJeZP1Qf9QDiwuC0lE31Antz0xGUhgOFWMfodSq8ZTgFBk7vEHM-q7u1LK6LlJc73wyIDQ6Q2fc8VIRftTlp5mTwG5f2C54FV7fVNWGpBr7oDkginigFGRW0NB7NsSuFwrfoiQtfXpzpK/s1600/BikeEarly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJeZP1Qf9QDiwuC0lE31Antz0xGUhgOFWMfodSq8ZTgFBk7vEHM-q7u1LK6LlJc73wyIDQ6Q2fc8VIRftTlp5mTwG5f2C54FV7fVNWGpBr7oDkginigFGRW0NB7NsSuFwrfoiQtfXpzpK/s640/BikeEarly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Exiting the water about 40 seconds down, my thoughts were to just chip away at his lead due to the technical nature of the course. Karsten and I hit the trails and were riding well until I bumbled up things on a rooty corner and a gap opened between us. Being just that bit separating us help both of us keep pushing on the bike but as we kept getting further along with no sight of Mau, I was apparent he upped his technical skills an it would be that much harder and less likely we would catch him. On the main climb Josiah caught us and cruised through in the hunt for Mau but there was little I could do to try to keep pace with him. Through the rest of the bike Karsten and I continued to push still with a 10-20 second yo-yoing gap between us through the rest of the bike and entered transition a little less than 3min down from the leading duo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3lDSuPXjqUeWE14FAX7J_CUDwa8jhCfFVNsHfxSChJ1f_9KfdVg-2LIaDcD3d3w2beVrQj3NPVzXej9BGqnEuXK-R0Fcfzm4_YVi_JeFPx3LIr14F7rFjKIaVEaXzSDFRLkEqWPwbiiV/s1600/BikeAir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3lDSuPXjqUeWE14FAX7J_CUDwa8jhCfFVNsHfxSChJ1f_9KfdVg-2LIaDcD3d3w2beVrQj3NPVzXej9BGqnEuXK-R0Fcfzm4_YVi_JeFPx3LIr14F7rFjKIaVEaXzSDFRLkEqWPwbiiV/s640/BikeAir.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
You do not get to have this much fun in any road triathlon. PC: Jesse Peters<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiY9Og_HOhjkMV4dp7FX38axQBj9-f8shEk3pbJzMXbop4Km6Zl4-eg2esMzhv0AtAAOzkwqnbw1d9tFShY7nD0NV0Ryhs7uu-kDY52Uc8jug462hq3CNWQr5sNQuRG0fc9NYs_StO0DY/s1600/Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiY9Og_HOhjkMV4dp7FX38axQBj9-f8shEk3pbJzMXbop4Km6Zl4-eg2esMzhv0AtAAOzkwqnbw1d9tFShY7nD0NV0Ryhs7uu-kDY52Uc8jug462hq3CNWQr5sNQuRG0fc9NYs_StO0DY/s320/Run.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On the run I worked to try to keep an even gap behind Karsten but he gradually edged away and I was running scared. I was very happy to have kept a good gap on Chris Ganter and Cody Waite through the bike but had to hold through the run, this is where the mental part of racing comes. I had to keep focus forward and not worry about what was going on behind me, as I started the 2nd lap of the run a fast amateur started his run with me and I was able to use him as a carrot to help push me through the second lap. With about ¼ mile to go I managed to sneak a look back and see that Kieran McPherson was flying and I really had to push the last bit in.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3e0NdbTyXwpAsQ7sHi9V1Tysa-uECG-mLkpA7rfWhAx8bd_TyJDdoRDZY57MBFqAWzpa_K74yvi-aim9V3gMOoCwbWax-XA0jjqt3yJB1iR32344U2Utdl7f_tfdhK2lBlqQQu7ChOk0/s1600/Finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3e0NdbTyXwpAsQ7sHi9V1Tysa-uECG-mLkpA7rfWhAx8bd_TyJDdoRDZY57MBFqAWzpa_K74yvi-aim9V3gMOoCwbWax-XA0jjqt3yJB1iR32344U2Utdl7f_tfdhK2lBlqQQu7ChOk0/s400/Finish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Happy to put a solid race behind me after a couple tough ones on the road.<br />
I managed to find that little extra gear and hold my 4th position through the finish. Though I wanted a little higher finish it, I really could hold my head high walking away from the race as it is the most complete race I had put together in Alabama and overall and will help in building into the next few races.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfitA9GDqW2NO9l5CQx8mvVuxfxK9H9x3Tjfo64oocCMcjAVWip15uNyJVed0eQV66dlZPsKoJMYFzH1qCD4Ri5kIk2V6pmE2q5YiHsJKMhqbQ3yM2SRTo2_TFOsYM00BbboqOwiuyBtn/s1600/Podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfitA9GDqW2NO9l5CQx8mvVuxfxK9H9x3Tjfo64oocCMcjAVWip15uNyJVed0eQV66dlZPsKoJMYFzH1qCD4Ri5kIk2V6pmE2q5YiHsJKMhqbQ3yM2SRTo2_TFOsYM00BbboqOwiuyBtn/s640/Podium.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Poppin Bottles, congrats to Josiah Middaugh and Suzie Snyder for their respective wins. PC Jesse Peters.<br />
<br />
Check out more photos from <a href="http://backlight.zenfolio.com/f785863623" target="_blank">XTERRA Oak Mountain</a><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-6260581635760664672016-05-19T22:02:00.001-06:002016-05-19T22:03:35.372-06:00Wildflower Long Course<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Race Details:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: <a href="http://www.procyclingwarehouse.com/" target="_blank">Pro Cycling SHIV</a> with <a href="http://www.srm.de/products/srm-powermeter/3dplus/" target="_blank">QARV Rotor 3D+ SRM Crank</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Antiflat Protection: <a href="http://www.effettomariposa.eu/en/products/caffelatex-family/caffelatex-sealant/" target="_blank">30ml of Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</a> in each tire </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Helmet: <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL530102US" target="_blank">Rudy Project Wing57 Helmet</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glasses: <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP394076-00S1" target="_blank">Rudy Project Tralyx</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: <a href="http://www.corunco.com/" target="_blank">Colorado Running Company</a> TrailRoc 245 and NB 1400</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Race Nutrition: <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111060397297927624606" target="_blank">+First Endurance</a> <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan2" target="_blank">Triathlon Nutrition Plan</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pre-Race: 24oz Bottle of 4 scoops of <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efspro.html" target="_blank">EFS Pro</a> mix of Lemon and Cumber Flavors</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 Capsules of <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/prerace.html" target="_blank">PreRace</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 2 - 24oz bottles with 5 scoops of <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efspro.html" target="_blank">EFS Pro</a> Lemon in each,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 servings of Kona Mocha <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efs-liquid-shot.html" target="_blank">EFS Liquid Shot</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 <a href="http://endurobites.com/why-enduro-bites/" target="_blank">Enduro Bite Dark Chocolate Espresso Bar</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 2 servings of Mountain Huckleberry EFS Liquid Shot and on course hydration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post Race: 1 Serving of <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/ultragen.html" target="_blank">Cappuccino Ultragen</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is always a blast heading back to a race you have not
done in a while, the memories of past experiences, seeing the changes within
the race and getting to catch up with friends you may not have seen in a
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was certainly the case heading
back to race at the Wildflower Triathlon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The experience of racing at Wildflower is like no other triathlon and it
is something that you really need to experience and I regret not heading back
to race since my last time there in 2006.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXz6CFKlGDLP3eEXbnJq8IOeYahezgVqC4_1gnkKMkv8MJJNCU90pYg8m_77ftWNlQ8JaNhBDwoAnaoTcos6DumhM7TXFCosjtJAAJOdcc9mWOLCm-Z2tj6Dys5VPD9aVm_XXry_gSzbpQ/s1600/promeeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXz6CFKlGDLP3eEXbnJq8IOeYahezgVqC4_1gnkKMkv8MJJNCU90pYg8m_77ftWNlQ8JaNhBDwoAnaoTcos6DumhM7TXFCosjtJAAJOdcc9mWOLCm-Z2tj6Dys5VPD9aVm_XXry_gSzbpQ/s640/promeeting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting instructions and trying to remember which set of non-drafting rules we were racing under. KAORIPHOTO.COM </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6sDBq6zVjk2ZgoFteXPxENV5YvzYy6KTUAsMIJwWHxe7tkRu-t8T3QTumsovvE0lfnZHW9VadsFZw7U72IVyhyphenhyphenPPLd1Somdukmnn5IRAnyitW5ntxaCWtNnoz0LUVlCV4VOllbVhyDQE/s1600/Cargona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6sDBq6zVjk2ZgoFteXPxENV5YvzYy6KTUAsMIJwWHxe7tkRu-t8T3QTumsovvE0lfnZHW9VadsFZw7U72IVyhyphenhyphenPPLd1Somdukmnn5IRAnyitW5ntxaCWtNnoz0LUVlCV4VOllbVhyDQE/s400/Cargona.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wouldn't be right if I didn't have one pre race issue, thank you <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/115647537196299936876" target="_blank">+Effetto Mariposa</a> for the #Carogna tape, making tubular tire set up a breeze, installed a new tubular in 10min, and was set and ready to ride the next day. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The biggest change due to the drought the last few years is
the necessary change to a swim, run, bike, run format due to having to move the
swim from the Lynch camp area to Harris Creek where there is actually
water. It was a bit of a shock driving
down Lynch Hill when I arrived at the venue and seeing what looked more like a
pasture than a lake bed. All I can say is
that Tri-California, the event organizers, have done a fantastic job in working
with the conditions they are presented with and still put on the best half
distance triathlon out there. <o:p></o:p>I was a very unsure how I would react to the swim, run, bike, run style of the race but in the end I very much enjoyed it. It is nice to have things changed up now and again and racing this format certainly provided that.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUma9EvDXvZrE9bh48bhTx87lpOKGGXPBt2w8VdrWV6a7PgjX0QDgJRT9OPHrV6S733mHcoCIyodZNAOBC6opYPAxxKz1Wlv5HsnCEj39MMraqHXN3JjAgVOD4h8FeZl-KzsBjiHq5tOv8/s1600/start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUma9EvDXvZrE9bh48bhTx87lpOKGGXPBt2w8VdrWV6a7PgjX0QDgJRT9OPHrV6S733mHcoCIyodZNAOBC6opYPAxxKz1Wlv5HsnCEj39MMraqHXN3JjAgVOD4h8FeZl-KzsBjiHq5tOv8/s640/start.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start between the docks, silver cap on left side, didn't even realize it but was given correct cap then told needed other cap in pro meeting. KAORIPHOTO.COM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One thing that has not changed is the tight
swim start between the boat docks, it causes a bit of a melee at the beginning
but once past the end of the docks it opens up and you are able to get in to a
rhythm and that is what I was able to do.
I found a comfortable position in the pack and was able to cruise along
and found myself feeling stronger and stronger and slowly moved up the
pack. About halfway on the way back in I
found myself leading the main pack, not far from two guys that had gotten off
the front.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming out of the water behind Matty Reed and Ben Collins just to my side. KAORIPHOTO.COM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGF30rOLpTGIfhNhpGR2YmGm87cCFNyCHAqvYZ6DDiabaBPIf04TY9ivTbYRxZCRB1yGlDxd2Cml4R7CuUpq2CwAAsAQpHD2yaucag6-L845m6zv5xzq5ecZzLnC2mhjNjKDSBFPkhJUlD/s1600/2milerun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGF30rOLpTGIfhNhpGR2YmGm87cCFNyCHAqvYZ6DDiabaBPIf04TY9ivTbYRxZCRB1yGlDxd2Cml4R7CuUpq2CwAAsAQpHD2yaucag6-L845m6zv5xzq5ecZzLnC2mhjNjKDSBFPkhJUlD/s320/2milerun.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towards the end of the first 2 mile run to the bike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Once out of the water I had a
great quick transition and lead the charge up the boat ramp but I had company
quickly with the likes of Jesse Thomas, Matty Reed, Terenzo Bozzone, and Ben
Collins coming up quickly behind me. I
felt great running and maintained a good position in the pack and felt like I
was set up well headed on to the bike.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaSDhb0H_ppT3Fzyd-o92Z_jBV9RkqmskX95evkYu6hcnEa7R60Z10sOqLn6vh9Kv02NgjdlememgFfKnzRPlZIH-GvCdsk7mRtfP9fqGwzUXuk5DJCj74ormcCPahghwhj68MJD-hEG8/s1600/Bikebridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaSDhb0H_ppT3Fzyd-o92Z_jBV9RkqmskX95evkYu6hcnEa7R60Z10sOqLn6vh9Kv02NgjdlememgFfKnzRPlZIH-GvCdsk7mRtfP9fqGwzUXuk5DJCj74ormcCPahghwhj68MJD-hEG8/s640/Bikebridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Across the bridge before heading up.... KAORIPHOTO.COM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though I felt like I was moving well, it was never good
enough and one after another guys passed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I kept asking for more power from my legs but it never happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The course is an honest one which is
something I really enjoy about it, there is no place to really hide or just sit
in the pack and cruise along, unfortunately it was showing that I did not have
what it took that day.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgp2eSjlXMMuXV78MrTLdRxL-j4bDv6YulvwaIO-AIy9UJXGNtMkJcblS9AoyzbcK2o_PvmW4gbdIo9_Oca5C-ZyNLQqSMORdb3mWKpTduDp7FwLZxHg58aRvY11TngiwSLKE_3ECydPk/s1600/NastyGrade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgp2eSjlXMMuXV78MrTLdRxL-j4bDv6YulvwaIO-AIy9UJXGNtMkJcblS9AoyzbcK2o_PvmW4gbdIo9_Oca5C-ZyNLQqSMORdb3mWKpTduDp7FwLZxHg58aRvY11TngiwSLKE_3ECydPk/s640/NastyGrade.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....Nasty Grade, had no idea that there were that many people not far off from me. KAORIPHOTO.COM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vH5FuRNW9Ymvw5IJA6b_ATU1WdASTFOReWQdrHYP4LvSLP0X9fkqKEAn2_x9xitXc6oazT-MIDDLSWJa_cY97RW6l0MF_983oUzQjCwVph5hPCfayzcFKFe4omZpQ_kFXYuhJYGyk3R-/s1600/T2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vH5FuRNW9Ymvw5IJA6b_ATU1WdASTFOReWQdrHYP4LvSLP0X9fkqKEAn2_x9xitXc6oazT-MIDDLSWJa_cY97RW6l0MF_983oUzQjCwVph5hPCfayzcFKFe4omZpQ_kFXYuhJYGyk3R-/s320/T2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T2 on to suffer more on the run. KAORIPHOTO.COM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once on to the
run I was hoping the legs would respond well and I would feel as good as I had
during the 2-mile run from the swim to the bike transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly had glimpses of that but overall
things felt a bit flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was definitely
happy that the run was only 11miles at the end instead of the normal 13.1 as
the last couple miles the legs started to tighten and I started to slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last mile running down Lynch Hill is painful
when you can’t run as fast as you would really like but I made it down and
crossed the line in 17<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
the result I was planning on and I definitely have some unfinished business at
Wildflower and look forward to heading back and racing again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAe0f7DFHk7JcSMjAS_mAjy7CJywD1qmlUxnOyu5MOnLgWJM8ZX7YeGu-4CrO5mi0kLRv8bQW4i6faK_jziKJx_-fV-KTuZg7mzRCM823YXcxt2Wen0RXd-qqMLaQixlE-WoN3pp3noKV/s1600/Wildflower2016.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAe0f7DFHk7JcSMjAS_mAjy7CJywD1qmlUxnOyu5MOnLgWJM8ZX7YeGu-4CrO5mi0kLRv8bQW4i6faK_jziKJx_-fV-KTuZg7mzRCM823YXcxt2Wen0RXd-qqMLaQixlE-WoN3pp3noKV/s640/Wildflower2016.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM PC8 Data File - Avg Power 280, NP 292</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-12335814316371730732015-06-17T14:30:00.002-06:002015-06-17T14:30:36.984-06:00XTERRA East<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Capping a very busy first half of the season was XTERRA East
in Richmond, Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is another
favorite as it is an urban adventure race for us and the conditions have
changed each year making things unpredictable but it is what makes off-road
triathlons the best format.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As has become tradition for me I stayed with Jon and Patti
and I can’t thank them enough for everything that they have done and helped me
with over the last few years as my host family at the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are half the reason I come back to the
race year after year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The real test of the event this year would go back to the
weather but for the hot and very humid conditions as opposed to the rain, I was
thankful for a dryer course than what we have had the last couple years, but
some suffering was definitely in store due to the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The great part is that have gradually warmer
and warmer and more humid races in May starting in St. George and ending in
Raleigh I really felt like I was adapting more and have been able to nail down
my First Endurance nutrition.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTG53b1TAiQwHAzoXDiWV21qZxWRnwapvFSM5nTbSzZpDK18SyJdrsv1Yl-dV6YPjKXatVYtyKSiB2pU8BonqM0LpdSA5iZvPGkwGoH7j1yJiDl-9i1fU_7dOCJNHNQ4o0EJaHeT1qjd9/s1600/xterraU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTG53b1TAiQwHAzoXDiWV21qZxWRnwapvFSM5nTbSzZpDK18SyJdrsv1Yl-dV6YPjKXatVYtyKSiB2pU8BonqM0LpdSA5iZvPGkwGoH7j1yJiDl-9i1fU_7dOCJNHNQ4o0EJaHeT1qjd9/s400/xterraU.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzie and I dropping some knowledge at XTERRA U</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The swim was interesting as always, the water level was
slightly lower this year in the James River so running a ground on boulders and
hitting your hands on rocks was a much more common occurrence, the current was
not as large a factor but it would still play a role. Though I had good speed off the line
something wasn’t clicking and I lost ground to a small group up front, I
continued to slip backwards after the first turn buoy when we then ran on a
sand bar to the next turn buoy.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW14S3D4VH1f8CaMRJCcDLwrmDiqfY4hs46QUPt9Oi8ELdFqpA7BNyRLEBzVTdWvR9_b8TwPTlGPbhFvceNazNuVOr7lZupnhhpjYvZ7v9sf-p5z084L9-SN71B3aMlhqjsd4_1zYYWeKP/s1600/swim-run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW14S3D4VH1f8CaMRJCcDLwrmDiqfY4hs46QUPt9Oi8ELdFqpA7BNyRLEBzVTdWvR9_b8TwPTlGPbhFvceNazNuVOr7lZupnhhpjYvZ7v9sf-p5z084L9-SN71B3aMlhqjsd4_1zYYWeKP/s640/swim-run.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the "Swim" in the James River at XTERRA East, I am in the middle right of the photo (XTERRA)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IrctCWwigcTHizS9KjQ8TlV36HFDvwadrdMolwBNf-cgSY6xMJfH8YLyeqp0Lsp9yWcUupw3nlbyZtsVtv0f17YFO95tRGAcI2jmyfPVzDGr2BYVW2ECn6Tk11rekgonxnuOKeW44bRp/s1600/Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IrctCWwigcTHizS9KjQ8TlV36HFDvwadrdMolwBNf-cgSY6xMJfH8YLyeqp0Lsp9yWcUupw3nlbyZtsVtv0f17YFO95tRGAcI2jmyfPVzDGr2BYVW2ECn6Tk11rekgonxnuOKeW44bRp/s400/Creek.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New section on the bike after a bridge washed out last year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After
diving back in I nailed the next leg with the current perfectly and cruised
back up ahead of the faster “run-swimmers” and closed the gap to the front
group. I dove back in and again took a
smarter line after the run across Bell Isle and continued to close some
distance down on the front and started opening a bigger gap to the guys
behind. Once out of the water and after
the long run to transition I was about 25 seconds down to Craig and Braden
Currie, but was just behind Brad Zoller and Ben Collins as I started the
bike. I hammered the first section
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyv_5Y9zBX2BdFYN7_eCUN_EHaJwc_CTYBdxqA1fiD6rOoeYJD5LnCPtIgT0HmJjB-ucXwhgkQPOTXUh-2Ap2dCrMwsCGRc44VrNx4DILhPiZ6yNtbAszIKTOWguKfRg3Aroi5_ec5r2b/s1600/bikeramp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyv_5Y9zBX2BdFYN7_eCUN_EHaJwc_CTYBdxqA1fiD6rOoeYJD5LnCPtIgT0HmJjB-ucXwhgkQPOTXUh-2Ap2dCrMwsCGRc44VrNx4DILhPiZ6yNtbAszIKTOWguKfRg3Aroi5_ec5r2b/s640/bikeramp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up the Stairway to Heaven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR3A2-Zi7dJAn0AaYd3Off-Kmq-yCpfApefwcbm0CnxKQ0ya4aV1V02dxqd2lzcBHNz8kR1-jWx-I9bn9Mu0MPqjcDTucv4RykNScBs62IxTSs0sKeh74m3XDI6v3x9iRnCaANIO5MgLR/s1600/bike-mouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR3A2-Zi7dJAn0AaYd3Off-Kmq-yCpfApefwcbm0CnxKQ0ya4aV1V02dxqd2lzcBHNz8kR1-jWx-I9bn9Mu0MPqjcDTucv4RykNScBs62IxTSs0sKeh74m3XDI6v3x9iRnCaANIO5MgLR/s400/bike-mouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mardi Gras on the Rock in Richmond, simply the best<br />spectators coming out and heckling and supporting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
across the Lee Bridge using a legal sneaky Conrad Stoltz tactic to help get me
to the singletrack first. Thankfully I
was riding much better than I did pre-riding and the legs were moving. Josiah and Olly Shaw caught me not to far in
the Forest Hill loop and after finding a good spot to let them by jumped on
their wheel. Unfortunately a bumble by
Josiah on an uphill switch back caused me to have to dab a foot and a small gap
opened. I chased hard to catch back but
could not get back on. I continued to
ride strong and remained close but the guys were slowly putting time on me
ahead. It was already a warm day and it
continued to get hotter and nutrition</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULXjW8llRNeXjLDNHCjoYOqdCforoXldJOxSoniaRPze1GS5X8c1pAfbaFh7IStnNp5gOsQIaPstxvg4P8fDCNbQmcJk2kfQRRztoLyPCycfb-N35KeiuXzzY48FnsZ-VsurpbUuZ7WEi/s1600/bike-karsten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULXjW8llRNeXjLDNHCjoYOqdCforoXldJOxSoniaRPze1GS5X8c1pAfbaFh7IStnNp5gOsQIaPstxvg4P8fDCNbQmcJk2kfQRRztoLyPCycfb-N35KeiuXzzY48FnsZ-VsurpbUuZ7WEi/s400/bike-karsten.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karsten and I pushing each other to catch the front group</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
was going to be very key. Over the course of the bike I downed two
large bottles that had 5 scoops of EFS Pro in the Lemon Water flavor with about
100 extra calories from the EFS Liquid Shot Kona Mocha each and the taste was
good. The flavor and sweetness is low
so it I do not have any stomach issues.
I mix the Liquid Shot in the drink because there are not many spots to
take in nutrition and it helps simplify getting the calories and electrolytes
in. Through next lap of the bike
Karsten and I played leap frog until he really felt the heat and I started to
open up a gap, and I wanted every second I could get as he had started to
really put races together and was going well.
I was very thankful to feel like I was getting stronger through out the
bike. It was very encouraging to get that
feeling after having the fading feeling the last couple years. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXCA7CGHn-uWnUCFZ8XCFfMQoCell2bK7GLXHmnMLxUv7FQO6yUKShOaN2OZ_9ExWqxpywjuaGpycVSCmLo4LO8ob9_nu4wmS05w0K_5FMZdD_Sph3jnC9r9dF8LMF94T0p-YUm5Rinyt/s1600/15XTERRAEast.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXCA7CGHn-uWnUCFZ8XCFfMQoCell2bK7GLXHmnMLxUv7FQO6yUKShOaN2OZ_9ExWqxpywjuaGpycVSCmLo4LO8ob9_nu4wmS05w0K_5FMZdD_Sph3jnC9r9dF8LMF94T0p-YUm5Rinyt/s640/15XTERRAEast.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM Power Graph of 2015 XTERRA East</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk6QrfzSesNg7XE4vSQOxw5OEvSZkI7P-RTgCoddmhPF1wpScFCzsRS1BN_XeFGCvVIU1zqvEEBf9g9J5Jk8bs9DjXS5gktddWImrfAIh9jrdzvefo3ZNWryY6i_jZTRU-JLu14SEpcZE/s1600/run-ganter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk6QrfzSesNg7XE4vSQOxw5OEvSZkI7P-RTgCoddmhPF1wpScFCzsRS1BN_XeFGCvVIU1zqvEEBf9g9J5Jk8bs9DjXS5gktddWImrfAIh9jrdzvefo3ZNWryY6i_jZTRU-JLu14SEpcZE/s320/run-ganter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being hunted down by the on fire Chris Ganter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A flat and lost CO2 took Olly out of the race and I headed
off on the run in 4<sup>th</sup> knowing that there were fast runners
behind. I barely had time to get my ice
bags settled to help stay cool before Ryan Ignatz blazed by, I did well
limiting my losses to him for a while but he slowly crept away. I reeled Craig back in slowly only to then be
passed by Chris Ganter shortly there after.
I kept him in sight and was confident in my pacing and nutrition and
knew that with the heat he could blow at anytime if he was not on top of his,
the only issue is that he is a First Endurance athlete as well so it was
unlikely. Over the last section of the
run I kept my pace high until I knew that I was not going to catch Ganter and
that I was not going to be caught and cruised the last little bit in for 5<sup>th</sup>.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I was very happy to put the whole race together and be solid
very all the way through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really have
to thank Danelle Kabush for strengthening the mental side of my racing this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a dramatic difference
staying focused, in the moment while and most importantly very positive through
the race.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBxWkIJ7ZQ9uSu3k99pUUIXiCRmt5uTfJVlJhktflIBmMtUsmfs0602K5SBhM20Re8DEbkopcfouTr7rPQ9ceqs3fKoMtV-eTeTgpUcUu8CW-sNQMzPMbNhqWhymueZKCORo2SNoh0x59/s1600/PaulMitchell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBxWkIJ7ZQ9uSu3k99pUUIXiCRmt5uTfJVlJhktflIBmMtUsmfs0602K5SBhM20Re8DEbkopcfouTr7rPQ9ceqs3fKoMtV-eTeTgpUcUu8CW-sNQMzPMbNhqWhymueZKCORo2SNoh0x59/s640/PaulMitchell.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a fast and styling racing cut thanks to the Paul Mitchell crew at the XTERRA race.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-15061829707516998252015-06-10T16:33:00.002-06:002015-06-10T16:33:18.234-06:00Racing Through May<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Quick update as to the last couple of weeks as they have
been busy and will continue to be that way till well into June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bri and I enjoyed a day with friends in Las Vegas
and saw the Cirque du Soleil show “Love” before she had to head home and I had
a quick drive to St. George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
the second time I had races the 70.3 in St. George and I was looking forward to
competing against another deep talented field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t thank Dave and Kim enough for hosting me for the entire week
leading up to the race, they made everything very easy and it was great to
catch up with the whole family.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The swim in Sand Hollow is great, nice clear cool waters to
begin a very challenging and possibly hot day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tucked in at the tail end of the front group
but the pace was very fast and it was strung out single file.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About three-quarters of the way through I
started to come unhitched and a small gap opened up and the group was
splintering into small groups over the final stretch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I forced the first miles working to close the gap down and
get in a group and work with some guys to make our way to the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not making any in roads and had one guy
sitting on my wheel and though from reports from other athletes and a
photographer he was much closer than he should have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued just to push the pace and at
about 35 miles Ben Hoffman, Luke McKenzie and Trevor Wurtele caught us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked in to their group and we were riding
strong going into Snow Canyon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
ascent of Snow Canyon my legs just would not respond and I didn’t have the
power to stay with them up the climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
slowly lost ground as we entered T2.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Out on the run it took a mile before I felt like I really
hit my stride but it came around and I felt good climbing the first 4 miles on
the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really felt like I settled in
to a very good hard pace and continued to roll through 9 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could start to feel my legs tightening up
about the same time Victor Del Corral had caught me and could not match his
pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the steep downhill legs really
started to tighten and over the last 2 miles it was a mental struggle as it is
a perfect stretch of road to just let the legs fly on the gradual downhill but
I couldn’t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a half mile from
the finish Evert, who had to rightfully serve a drafting penalty, caught me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Across the line I was 18<sup>th</sup> and it
was a decent effort, I still have some lessons to learn and some strength to
gain in racing over the half ironman distance. Sorry no pictures of the race just my power file graph.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcixXWBAhuNQahPsGNXG7TXfHP_tQD_M6ArYRFqp1p-1DbgdWtVwefwwaqS0x2OohQsFiHDy_Cw5Uy6r0NM-nK97cOGzZ8PCFxHK2XW4bngkOIduHi9XsWimgP1Tx81XxnmBsgxQQcj00/s1600/15StGeorge.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcixXWBAhuNQahPsGNXG7TXfHP_tQD_M6ArYRFqp1p-1DbgdWtVwefwwaqS0x2OohQsFiHDy_Cw5Uy6r0NM-nK97cOGzZ8PCFxHK2XW4bngkOIduHi9XsWimgP1Tx81XxnmBsgxQQcj00/s640/15StGeorge.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM Powerfile from IM St. George 70.3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7oeifluVQpyTCfhHPYO65m8jYP6lP7LLUEol85BalEGIz_0s00upi8Ji2Z0SzVnecepfI1AYXJvwfKAIGaNhe_yv-_FURw3r5wr8yfZ0ARQvyPg_78ltpY1xUrwsFZj64tPIahYoLCV7/s1600/DSC_9410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7oeifluVQpyTCfhHPYO65m8jYP6lP7LLUEol85BalEGIz_0s00upi8Ji2Z0SzVnecepfI1AYXJvwfKAIGaNhe_yv-_FURw3r5wr8yfZ0ARQvyPg_78ltpY1xUrwsFZj64tPIahYoLCV7/s320/DSC_9410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the chase group behind Craig after the first lap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After St. George I was finally headed home to Colorado Springs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just enough time to get unpacked and
slightly settle back into my training and work routine at Pro Cycling before
heading off to the next race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
always a fun time at the XTERRA’s and the Southeast Championship is one that we
all enjoy on some spectacular trails in Oak Mountain State Park. Thankfully
after two mysterious wetsuit swims when the water was plenty warm we got an
accurate call that it would be a non-wetsuit swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Craig Evan put on a swim clinic for everyone
and had a massive lead out of the water with three others and myself chasing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixF8ZnpPkEeZbq2Nqq2KPM6UwNy8KK1eoZFLcFIpBe97MuRDlfvGYofVt-dBE5KHFZa5lB_M9wnLUYThixCHz2Y4bSIACTPr1F_dcMjEcqZYr4cPo1njsEZBG4wAYsS2hpsiWrEcOnlVMt/s1600/DSC_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixF8ZnpPkEeZbq2Nqq2KPM6UwNy8KK1eoZFLcFIpBe97MuRDlfvGYofVt-dBE5KHFZa5lB_M9wnLUYThixCHz2Y4bSIACTPr1F_dcMjEcqZYr4cPo1njsEZBG4wAYsS2hpsiWrEcOnlVMt/s320/DSC_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a>We were not lucky enough to have a dry bike course though as
rain the night before made the roots slick and caused havoc through the
field. I rode strong but small mistakes
caused me to loose time to the guys ahead and I just had to focus on really
putting down the power when the trail opened up. Karsten Madsen was having a smashing day but
some unlucky mechanicals allowed me to move up one spot but showed that he will
be a force in races to come. Chris
Ganter continued to show his improvement and it was not a fluke in Vegas and
caught me about 15miles in, I locked on to his wheel but due to a minor
mechanical I lost his wheel. Over the
last few miles Olly Shaw caught me and I headed on to the run just behind
him. He stuck about 10-20 seconds ahead
of me the whole run but could not close the gap down. I held strong enough to hold off a few guys
charging from behind for 6<sup>th</sup>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwN-8qqvCoSnmCfbJsIHSrNL1vQo6D8eG96ckv1O1YtMvZwQqxENLhj2ybOMVj4DjPzVEVpVJP-4FC92M9ypcSHu3MHOt0d1hqLMglT-WzRxMODUb_BsSxXdy7qcy3N8ykjYXEa_HfeDt/s1600/15XTERRABama.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwN-8qqvCoSnmCfbJsIHSrNL1vQo6D8eG96ckv1O1YtMvZwQqxENLhj2ybOMVj4DjPzVEVpVJP-4FC92M9ypcSHu3MHOt0d1hqLMglT-WzRxMODUb_BsSxXdy7qcy3N8ykjYXEa_HfeDt/s640/15XTERRABama.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM Powerfile XTERRA Southeast Champs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnO6KzvAwsXeGlx5sh8236g-vS7KRxz-lOXwbK7FDTuFL22xHhIqjflrram3iLNQsDEP7KLVqRiKWyytUt0AowrYc6AUMkd8_uqcs-CZR9reM6UZrvBuHErYFimOTTSZfAGCF37T56yLA/s1600/DSC_0661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnO6KzvAwsXeGlx5sh8236g-vS7KRxz-lOXwbK7FDTuFL22xHhIqjflrram3iLNQsDEP7KLVqRiKWyytUt0AowrYc6AUMkd8_uqcs-CZR9reM6UZrvBuHErYFimOTTSZfAGCF37T56yLA/s320/DSC_0661.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In chase mode to try to catch Olly ahead.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJsvvq855LExMBKOLfmlexU-wKq_oqHR8w1YhVrzgmhuaYDmp3f0iyLERZqGP83xkuqpsMtFBvihqLnPrpCw4COkT2mNVb_rlr4gAyw7VB5ee3oznSg13YiFqezZkg55kffvxm43urF19/s1600/2015-05-31+12.47.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJsvvq855LExMBKOLfmlexU-wKq_oqHR8w1YhVrzgmhuaYDmp3f0iyLERZqGP83xkuqpsMtFBvihqLnPrpCw4COkT2mNVb_rlr4gAyw7VB5ee3oznSg13YiFqezZkg55kffvxm43urF19/s400/2015-05-31+12.47.45.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George and I post Raleigh 70.3, can't thank<br />him and his family enough for the homestay<br />and support through the weekend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last race in May was my first trip to North Carolina for
IM Raleigh 70.3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a lot of quick
turnaround over the last month with races every two weeks but would be a good
test as to how well I had rested between and while hitting a few quality
workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I swam strong but was about
1min off the lead after another guy let a gap open early in the swim and I
couldn’t close it back down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
great on the bike and was able to tick things over and picked a few guys off
and only Andreas Dietz who smashed everyone on the bike passed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in 4<sup>th</sup> for the majority of the
bike but two guys latched on my wheel after I passed them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the last aid station on the bike I settled
in behind them to try to “refresh” my legs, it can feel easier riding behind
people even though you are not drafting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found out that there was a draft marshal with us so I knew everyone
was riding legally for the last 45miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt really good starting out on the run and over the first 3 miles
things were going well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then my glutes
started to tighten up and my running stride started to shorten to a jog and at
points felt like a shuffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a big
disappointment as I was really hoping that I was going to put together the
whole swim, bike and run in a half ironman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Slowly and steadily guys passed and I ended up 12<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still a great trip, I had a great home
stay with George, Kim and their kids and still got to see and experience a bit
of Raleigh and what a city it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9C3rpvd2zviFwbLeUl8U29SeTA0Lj7czq-1bVoHWqr6uo5au7JcotuQy7RmZRfLKE23jU38wUG3hz-2k9vkxi26SiCTHZKzyEQc8QMkGtzHeRnE2pUNfB9kYn409vZssCMrCAc8qbpQN/s1600/15Raleigh.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9C3rpvd2zviFwbLeUl8U29SeTA0Lj7czq-1bVoHWqr6uo5au7JcotuQy7RmZRfLKE23jU38wUG3hz-2k9vkxi26SiCTHZKzyEQc8QMkGtzHeRnE2pUNfB9kYn409vZssCMrCAc8qbpQN/s640/15Raleigh.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM Powerfile from Raleigh 70.3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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No rest for me though as I am on the road again for the last
race of the first part of the season at XTERRA East Championship in Richmond.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-6134189738049369022015-04-28T23:13:00.001-06:002015-04-28T23:13:08.326-06:00RR: XTERRA West Champs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5d4yxDDZerAK0Y-WF4lRcNVTv5BJceZP59ZfD3B5q_acJWvQGYYdXk4kbw4iyHA-RVc9fM2kBgOIs_hU6k4yxizH9QdNXoaLt5Zmpsi3m1Gf-9kDhyphenhyphenxYd0vIltz1PUlJMqtDoSgSkKh-h/s1600/DSC_6475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5d4yxDDZerAK0Y-WF4lRcNVTv5BJceZP59ZfD3B5q_acJWvQGYYdXk4kbw4iyHA-RVc9fM2kBgOIs_hU6k4yxizH9QdNXoaLt5Zmpsi3m1Gf-9kDhyphenhyphenxYd0vIltz1PUlJMqtDoSgSkKh-h/s1600/DSC_6475.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to be back racing with the gang (PC: XTERRA)</td></tr>
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The big ones are underway, after a great winter in Tucson training it was time to start a rather lengthy road trip back to Colorado, first stop was in Las Vegas for the XTERRA West Champs.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMUSOAsHsEuK9YIw4VRNDxhA9T5dHhi6Sdx8lgEJFQWqFfSVHkIx4ehl2uKswI_DSNLHEkn2ZoKGLQ7P0ok03tFSNs7GEJ4Wd6kI6f9PSYSDyk1P8iH16i0c6i4THUB9mxMOEdLjm6F1z/s1600/DSC_6346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMUSOAsHsEuK9YIw4VRNDxhA9T5dHhi6Sdx8lgEJFQWqFfSVHkIx4ehl2uKswI_DSNLHEkn2ZoKGLQ7P0ok03tFSNs7GEJ4Wd6kI6f9PSYSDyk1P8iH16i0c6i4THUB9mxMOEdLjm6F1z/s1600/DSC_6346.JPG" height="143" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed out for a pre-ride. (XTERRA)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQp5vK-IkoU8l-oTi53jl6R05NXdm-LD-sfzGvVyBbqaIUaGpGnPbJdIuu0dzaLqFhQRm1diEketif7LMD5rM69aaND0nM8LiaHu7ZLN8qKVK_4UKit2oAof7so20Jy006PGNfpjjFZm6r/s1600/11078091_10153849400411110_4454897413137766757_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQp5vK-IkoU8l-oTi53jl6R05NXdm-LD-sfzGvVyBbqaIUaGpGnPbJdIuu0dzaLqFhQRm1diEketif7LMD5rM69aaND0nM8LiaHu7ZLN8qKVK_4UKit2oAof7so20Jy006PGNfpjjFZm6r/s1600/11078091_10153849400411110_4454897413137766757_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spread out front group, I am tucked in there somewhere.</td></tr>
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The weather was cooler leading up lead to the race and with a cloudy cool morning it was a <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/102161213245291778717" target="_blank">+2XU</a> X:3 wetsuit swim as expected. A number or old road tri friends showed up to race and made for a large front pack on the swim, I got out well and got the arms moving and settled in trying to conserve but making sure that no one was going to get away. Ben Allen as usual did get a little gap on the group by the end and the chase was on as we mounted the bikes headed for the lunar landscape course on the bike.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1-XkC6qAKiODj0a6WkSZ4tdADjpTHCKdzWxeNXTvYFQsIVPXvHxK6BR7is59RHjCS5FNb_xMxHkDYKRJElRk3M0jSpqA_bhRV9zXlE2anP2W5l7UBD5dK0yUeUCGkityHsVoV0RErs-N/s1600/DSC_6861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1-XkC6qAKiODj0a6WkSZ4tdADjpTHCKdzWxeNXTvYFQsIVPXvHxK6BR7is59RHjCS5FNb_xMxHkDYKRJElRk3M0jSpqA_bhRV9zXlE2anP2W5l7UBD5dK0yUeUCGkityHsVoV0RErs-N/s1600/DSC_6861.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up one of the early climbs, still had the Rudy's with me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkTDO3mrvtvsX7gFzZ0ic6GH6zp19POvzWi-Oxx8V9QbcCWOB04JodvSWRoc4NqtvaNJpwMZ7H04afsyEwNcVPt89Uqz1-7PNQRvX3Zw_v1n3_9nu_Ut1xKq3Z5PGgU8zog448WVLFImj/s1600/DSC_6997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkTDO3mrvtvsX7gFzZ0ic6GH6zp19POvzWi-Oxx8V9QbcCWOB04JodvSWRoc4NqtvaNJpwMZ7H04afsyEwNcVPt89Uqz1-7PNQRvX3Zw_v1n3_9nu_Ut1xKq3Z5PGgU8zog448WVLFImj/s1600/DSC_6997.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky river bed, just about to loose the Ergomasks.</td></tr>
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I managed to transition quick and was quickly into 3rd and charging to catch Ben and Francisco Serrano. I really attacked the first lap of the bike trying to catch up and put as much distance as possible between me and Josiah who would be charging hard from behind. I stayed steady and really pushed the hills but was a bit more tentative on the looser downhills than I should have been. With the cooler temps it is easier to forget but just as critical to get your nutrition and I did a decent job getting down a bottle of <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111060397297927624606" target="_blank">+First Endurance</a> EFS Pro nutrition on each lap. Josiah caught me about three quarters of the way through the first lap and I immediately latched on his wheel and stayed with him up a decent little climb, unfortunately I had lost my <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/113253373255258209714" target="_blank">+Rudy Project</a> Ergomask's earlier in the race and once we were on the dusty trails along the fingers of the lake I had to back off a bit so I could see and not ride into the lake. Thankfully Josiah didn't get away that quickly and it was a nice confidence boost. The second lap was a bit tougher but I kept pounding away, focusing on sections of the course at a time breaking things up. About half way through Chris Ganter caught me a bit by surprise, I knew he was a guy that could not be over looked as he had been getting better and better through out last year and knew that he had some solid training behind him coming into this year. He races smart and I didn't get a chance to latch on to his wheel, I kept chasing hard but he opened up about a 30-40 second gap by the time we reached transition.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2P14z24x-a32n0pQ2RYjoXa-5kQ1ltInTGm7X3FqMst2hWYx016BLkv9EdScp4L7icX0F6BMYwfthxt-NDhsu-616RzTVYkpBE464LyOW7mpPBKtIyw3nWU2jEmL0mT-e9wqXKmN-zBz/s1600/DSC_7383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2P14z24x-a32n0pQ2RYjoXa-5kQ1ltInTGm7X3FqMst2hWYx016BLkv9EdScp4L7icX0F6BMYwfthxt-NDhsu-616RzTVYkpBE464LyOW7mpPBKtIyw3nWU2jEmL0mT-e9wqXKmN-zBz/s1600/DSC_7383.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlC8l9kenUqCkk1aXs8_Owh3amtPQmCuQvB9F6PPtmpMnp_KkgQ8EAg911QRAddRIrpDohYRn7tmE-oOCvCjknMxJHB2DAQBCvFDKiY4x4dsnRYHzXZoXrkczF3VzsvtDnEtkvk-neZgbY/s1600/15XTERRAWest.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlC8l9kenUqCkk1aXs8_Owh3amtPQmCuQvB9F6PPtmpMnp_KkgQ8EAg911QRAddRIrpDohYRn7tmE-oOCvCjknMxJHB2DAQBCvFDKiY4x4dsnRYHzXZoXrkczF3VzsvtDnEtkvk-neZgbY/s1600/15XTERRAWest.tiff" height="386" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.srm.de/" target="_blank">2015 XTERRA West SRM Powerfile</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDc39C2MLpDZC8SQ2_sEYxsqsxh1-Frk1txhoCG3XMYWVv32xMUA__pxoGL6aEHGuG2EjINLR3ghjdu3DU-97fX8-7hjBPRjzdwAM4kGAaCtJgAVOGIxSizHgvv3xxbB-RWf7NNuEGnlK5/s1600/DSC_7440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDc39C2MLpDZC8SQ2_sEYxsqsxh1-Frk1txhoCG3XMYWVv32xMUA__pxoGL6aEHGuG2EjINLR3ghjdu3DU-97fX8-7hjBPRjzdwAM4kGAaCtJgAVOGIxSizHgvv3xxbB-RWf7NNuEGnlK5/s1600/DSC_7440.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof that the run is getting stronger, both feet off the ground.</td></tr>
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I grabbed my flask of <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111060397297927624606" target="_blank">+First Endurance</a> Liquid Shot as I headed out of transition Craig Evans and Karsten Madsen were coming in and I knew they would be chasing hard. I was stoked I felt great going out on to the run and focused on holding a nice steady pace for the first half. Once the larger hills were behind I really started to turn it on as I could see that I was pulling back time on Ben Allen but Chris but he was pulling away a bit. I slowly cranked up the pace really focusing Ben and knew he was suffering. About a mile out a friend told me he was cramping bad and I responded pushing harder through the last uphills. </div>
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Once I hit the last downhill segment on the pavement I was in a full on sprint to catch Ben. At the line we were separated by three seconds, Ben just held strong to hold me off and I crossed in 5th.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbK_W0NGptgXnYdtjpq9SMGpBCxrgng33CH54yOJx7OyEcupdY4DmW_MstoMKB8aO1icB_sFC5DI10v8pInbFUVPeKamF33OMgqryLUQaGuKH8wnGcmqaX2rvd-BNKytHyiwtqRNeB1Vg/s1600/DSC_7650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbK_W0NGptgXnYdtjpq9SMGpBCxrgng33CH54yOJx7OyEcupdY4DmW_MstoMKB8aO1icB_sFC5DI10v8pInbFUVPeKamF33OMgqryLUQaGuKH8wnGcmqaX2rvd-BNKytHyiwtqRNeB1Vg/s1600/DSC_7650.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always great being back racing at XTERRA a great family of racers<br />(L2R-Ryan Ignatz, Francisco Serrano, Me, Josiah Middaugh)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOEmyV-oCSFxo2CcupmcN94WS5UjcT3IwRIjE92Ie8682D8ab4e0ua3jmxcuDVYUPiKP20d3ydKW-VhqWx-Bic_Zljgss_moQfrX9-3jQlvlORpTnlBDGTQfceCOJZwxw1CJxcQVArnqy/s1600/DSC_7766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOEmyV-oCSFxo2CcupmcN94WS5UjcT3IwRIjE92Ie8682D8ab4e0ua3jmxcuDVYUPiKP20d3ydKW-VhqWx-Bic_Zljgss_moQfrX9-3jQlvlORpTnlBDGTQfceCOJZwxw1CJxcQVArnqy/s1600/DSC_7766.JPG" height="460" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always good when you can post a pic of the podium (L2R-Ben Allen 4th, Josiah 3rd, Francisco 1st, Chris Ganter 3rd, Me)</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was a great first hit out of the year and though I would have liked to of placed a bit better I walked away from the race very positive about how I had competed and raced especially mentally through the race. This is a bit of an easy week of training as I am not in St. George for the North American 70.3 Pro Championships, it is a world championship caliber field and it will be a great battle on Saturday.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another reason to be grateful the <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/100779633460807431055" target="_blank">+XTERRA</a> America Tour has started is the Cut-a-thons at the races that Paul Mitchell hosts. It is a great cause, you get a free hair cut they ask for a $15 donation and all of it goes to the <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/108616936726103087845" target="_blank">+Challenged Athletes Foundation</a>. Paul Mitchell is also extremely enviromentally focused as well and during Earth Month (April) they are planting trees with Reforest Action. If you race an XTERRA this year Paul Mitchell will plant a tree in your honor, if you are not racing one they will plant others if you go to <a href="http://www.paulmitchell.com/reforestaction">www.paulmitchell.com/reforestaction</a> click through the links and use either code SPORTATREE or XTERRAME</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4uKyPgPwyp1INxPZORXSNgOJcyvDmAY3KrHorGlNP-7XHmT412gr0tc4WxGaVUlnyJXzNzT7mpAaFY17WmC_0aZLA0lanUIIidIYHlKbzrgU7uvYjqOtKaaJC8t21loHhcXIghM6x8uE/s1600/DSC_7723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4uKyPgPwyp1INxPZORXSNgOJcyvDmAY3KrHorGlNP-7XHmT412gr0tc4WxGaVUlnyJXzNzT7mpAaFY17WmC_0aZLA0lanUIIidIYHlKbzrgU7uvYjqOtKaaJC8t21loHhcXIghM6x8uE/s1600/DSC_7723.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my mop cut down to race style thanks to Kalena, Ross and the Paul Mitchell Crew</td></tr>
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Race Details:<br />
Race Kit: <a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon.html" target="_blank">2XU Custom Teamwear Long Distance Tri Top and Compression Tri Shorts</a><br />
Swim: <a href="http://www.2xu.com/mens/triathlon-wetsuits.html" target="_blank">2XU Project X:3 Wetsuit</a>, <a href="http://www.2xu.com/nav/cat1/mens/cat2/mens_sport/cat3/mens_sport_swimwetsuits/sport/swim/cat3/mens_sport_swim/cat4/mens_sport_swim_accessories/0" target="_blank">2XU Race Goggles</a><br />
Bike: <a href="http://www.procyclingwarehouse.com/" target="_blank">Pro Cycling</a> S-Works Epic with <a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/1x-sram-xx1-gxp/" target="_blank">SRM 1xCrank</a> (PWR Avg 270, NP 306)<br />
Tires both with 80ml of <a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/Bicycle-Tire-Sealant-and-Injectors_c_72.html" target="_blank">Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</a><br />
Front: Fast Trak Control 29x2.2 @ 23psi<br />
Rear: RaceKing Protection 29x2.2 @ 26psi<br />
<a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/filter/category/helmets" target="_blank">Rudy Project Windmax Helmet</a><br />
<a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/filter/category/sunglasses/sub/sport%20collection" target="_blank">Rudy Project Ergomask Glasses</a> (till I fumbled them putting them on)<br />
Run: <a href="http://www.corunco.com/" target="_blank">Colorado Running Company</a> TrailRoc 245<br />
<a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/filter/category/sunglasses/sub/sport%20collection" target="_blank">Rudy Project Noyz Fluo</a><br />
Race Nutrition: <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan" target="_blank">1st Endurance Triathlon Nutrition Plan</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-69781848469471640632015-04-14T22:52:00.001-06:002015-04-15T09:17:17.428-06:00Marquee Tri and what lies ahead.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr-nAXmnFaCI6LUfExaP60kzChYkv8eGyQFjB4SMKmnxgXiLmfE9mvNppO9T9pSZWfMXx7njYZcnWAmle0tg9bJCl5CoOftSGjNUrf555MiUsv1oNyOEr2kMdp19OqkzqUhYK49SCbyNi/s1600/2015-04-10+11.14.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr-nAXmnFaCI6LUfExaP60kzChYkv8eGyQFjB4SMKmnxgXiLmfE9mvNppO9T9pSZWfMXx7njYZcnWAmle0tg9bJCl5CoOftSGjNUrf555MiUsv1oNyOEr2kMdp19OqkzqUhYK49SCbyNi/s1600/2015-04-10+11.14.59.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refreshing the Caffelatex with 30ml in each wheel after 2 years.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">The Lifetime Fitness Marquee Triathlon was Sunday and was the last little rust buster for me before the season gets going. Unlike the previous few races of just rolling into the races, this one I went through a more typical routine the night before of getting things ready and getting to bed earlier for the early start. I broke out the race wheels and refreshed the tubular tires with 30ml </span><a href="http://www.effettomariposa.eu/en/products/caffelatex-family/caffelatex-sealant/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> of sealant, it is a very quick and easy insurance against having a flat tire ruin a race. Thanks to the stability of Caffelatex I only need to do this maybe once every 1-2 years, so depending on how much you race and the tires, you could easily wear out the tires before you need to refresh it. </span></div>
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The swim was in Tempe Town Lake and the weather had cooled things off enough to make it wetsuit legal. I would have preferred non-wetsuit but it was good to get in my <a href="http://www.2xu.com/x-3-project-x-wetsuit-mw3415c.html" target="_blank">2XU X:3</a> in preparation for the next two races that will likely be wetsuit legal. The race was an amateur race but there were a couple other pro's there using it for the same purpose I was and I would have some good competition with Pedro Gomes and Tyler Jordan. I swam well leading out of the water and put 30 seconds on Pedro and a couple minutes on Tyler.</div>
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I transitioned quick tossing on my <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL530001US" target="_blank">Rudy Project Wing57</a> and jumped on my bike. I did not position my <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP304069POR1" target="_blank">Ergomask</a> glasses well on the bike to put on and they fell off the bike and I rode straight over the lens. A volunteer ran and grabbed them as I turned around to grab them and told me they were broken, I saw the pieces from a far, he said he would get them to lost and found and I could get them later there, and I took off on the bike. The course was a two loop bike, on the first I had smooth sailing with a clear course and really pushed, unsure for the first 8 miles if I was gaining or losing ground to Pedro. I clocked an estimated split of about 1:15 or so on an out and back that I was ahead and was hoping to put more time on him. The second loop was a bit messy though as more athletes from later waves were headed out on to the course. There was a lot of dodging athletes and trying to be a good representative of what you needed to do on the course with the narrow lanes of staying to the right and only moving just enough to the left to pass. On the out and back section I was able to spot Pedro again and estimated I had maintained the gap around a minute ten with only a few miles left to go and worked on continuing to use the other athletes to slipstream further ahead. I had a smooth transition to the run and hoped was moving well enough to hold Pedro off.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBcaTSl3Zlb0sOKIWW9Lxc1NSNcY6CPUMmY-5SRszfn3oNVStU91_JtoAGwi5KzKOpXJCKPZkLxPuGgEA1-BqDIHIEKyCuNFBqTUidnD8P8JRiSVrtyyEOsyd1rnsNyUx2Yo8rftfxiTs/s1600/15Marquee.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBcaTSl3Zlb0sOKIWW9Lxc1NSNcY6CPUMmY-5SRszfn3oNVStU91_JtoAGwi5KzKOpXJCKPZkLxPuGgEA1-BqDIHIEKyCuNFBqTUidnD8P8JRiSVrtyyEOsyd1rnsNyUx2Yo8rftfxiTs/s1600/15Marquee.tiff" height="385" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.srm.de/" target="_blank">SRM Power Graph</a> for the LTF Marquee Tri</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00KELWghXsDbvz3Jt3pVr50KSsHI9xyS__Q1X5AK6-Oxs4EDcwWXU4jACDyq88PZhWetVoSnRcG4SJt8OSqxoGBzDHFdQiMaY17NfTJihQcZXjDpBaudjrWtgQ4JOnZwfASEoknkH3GZk/s1600/bazu-5329434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00KELWghXsDbvz3Jt3pVr50KSsHI9xyS__Q1X5AK6-Oxs4EDcwWXU4jACDyq88PZhWetVoSnRcG4SJt8OSqxoGBzDHFdQiMaY17NfTJihQcZXjDpBaudjrWtgQ4JOnZwfASEoknkH3GZk/s1600/bazu-5329434.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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I had done well on my nutrition thus far in the race taking in all of my <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efspro.html" target="_blank">First Endurance EFS Pro</a> and a good swig off of my <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efs-liquid-shot.html" target="_blank">EFS Liquid Shot</a> flask during the bike. I felt strong and my legs felt like they were turning over well but I was not moving quite fast enough as on a few sections of the two lap run I could see Pedro was gaining on me. Towards the end of the first lap he caught me, I made a little surge to stay with him but did not commit to it hard enough and he pulled away. I kept pushing though the second lap and used the other athletes that were on course as carrots to keep gaining ground and keep Pedro as close as possible. I did not know that Tyler Jordan was gaining on me and closing things down. I crossed the line in 2nd and found out later that Tyler was only 10 seconds behind. Overall I smoothed out my transitions and my effort on the swim and bike were right on. The run was not up to par with my training and I need to work on the mental part of my run a bit more. It was great having Spooner Physical Therapy there after to help loosen my left glute and hamstring out which was a bit tight on the bike. I got my Rudy Ergomasks back after the race and the best news is that the lenses did not break, the removable ear piece came off and there is a good scratch on the lens, as to be expected riding over them, but with <a href="https://www.rudyprojectusa.com/warranty.php#lenses" target="_blank">Rudy's Replacement Lens Guarantee</a> I will have clean clear vision at the next race. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0wADAid7jvhSq_bjWwvCay-rgyLe7jNVjYnMX0Y2gEkOwZPvPOLeImaZbYNhn94Q3LpzNjG0wR4xpgg5kBfdsgFFiDlGSDwpnJDFhNmpRGg_XhTA5jJNuyq2ucwKBvDMOkF8o11TIBbe/s1600/bazu-5331051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0wADAid7jvhSq_bjWwvCay-rgyLe7jNVjYnMX0Y2gEkOwZPvPOLeImaZbYNhn94Q3LpzNjG0wR4xpgg5kBfdsgFFiDlGSDwpnJDFhNmpRGg_XhTA5jJNuyq2ucwKBvDMOkF8o11TIBbe/s1600/bazu-5331051.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi705XZJXLi8OE44y6zOV3Gr4G-IftGDl_w4Cjz7OaX2y0m_C3P4KGUuNuhk4GLmpE9mP5uQF402o4G-wGTzKAtNPPKEaYRf1s2sPBoKMo7964Z2cnPtSGolUbn4PfmAarg9mUOwCXJ6OaC/s1600/2015-04-13+08.40.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi705XZJXLi8OE44y6zOV3Gr4G-IftGDl_w4Cjz7OaX2y0m_C3P4KGUuNuhk4GLmpE9mP5uQF402o4G-wGTzKAtNPPKEaYRf1s2sPBoKMo7964Z2cnPtSGolUbn4PfmAarg9mUOwCXJ6OaC/s1600/2015-04-13+08.40.14.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qctmwFU3uOaqyBO3BrzK0XViOwhursdbXY2dKN-IqaZUJfBY4XQ5EBSLMXiDSm7a8v33YCCOeh_Q0g3JiR1xiciTFWFmxVFy2C0Yd2Gnoax1buBUo1Yw_JdiSMtyrk3KEzIdzu3uU8bu/s1600/IMG_3276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qctmwFU3uOaqyBO3BrzK0XViOwhursdbXY2dKN-IqaZUJfBY4XQ5EBSLMXiDSm7a8v33YCCOeh_Q0g3JiR1xiciTFWFmxVFy2C0Yd2Gnoax1buBUo1Yw_JdiSMtyrk3KEzIdzu3uU8bu/s1600/IMG_3276.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I now have a week left in Tucson before leaving my wonderful winter training grounds in Tucson and the real racing begins. It will be a solid mix of XTERRA and half ironman distance triathlons through the year. Below is where you will be able to find me this year there are a couple races later in the year that may change. Let me know what races you may be at and best success with your seasons as well.</span><br />
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4/25 XTERRA West<br />
5/2 IM 70.3 St. George<br />
5/16 XTERRA Southeast<br />
5/31 IM 70.3 Raleigh<br />
6/14 XTERRA East<br />
7/5 Challenge St. Andrews<br />
7/18 XTERRA Mountain<br />
8/1 XTERRA Mexico<br />
8/16 Challenge Pocono<br />
8/30 Challenge Maine<br />
9/19 XTERRA USA<br />
10/4 IM 70.3 Silverman<br />
10/18 Challenge Rancho Cordova<br />
11/1 XTERRA World Championship</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-9064690346235168902015-04-09T13:55:00.001-06:002015-04-09T13:55:22.092-06:00Lets get the ball rolling, what has been up for the past 4 months<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Have been silent for quite some time and frustration will do that. After a less than desirable race at USA Champs last year and a horrific performance at XTERRA World champs it took some time to come back around. There was a lot of self reflection and over analyzing trying to figure out what was going on and why I was not connecting some great training to my racing. Derick and I decided that we needed to change things up a bit and took a bit longer break over the winter before heading in to any structured training and focused on more mental training for the first part.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltxC6P9gy4NLfxIf0LhHsl8loe2Q4iWoZrud_h-erwgvNw7yMmnoiHGR8FG34Of-zC282p25M9suTpboJn-re936MvOst1cJ73sliJRuCEgI4OCLVLOswnzEZEOXEzPTlayKJNrqRNrln/s1600/IMG_20150321_190350_935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltxC6P9gy4NLfxIf0LhHsl8loe2Q4iWoZrud_h-erwgvNw7yMmnoiHGR8FG34Of-zC282p25M9suTpboJn-re936MvOst1cJ73sliJRuCEgI4OCLVLOswnzEZEOXEzPTlayKJNrqRNrln/s1600/IMG_20150321_190350_935.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>What I wouldn't miss is heading back down to Tucson to train over the winter and just after the New Year I headed down to start getting back into some solid training. Tucson is an excellent place to come in the winter for training, it doesn't take long to learn some basic training routes and then you can branch off from those and explore more of the area. There is a great masters swim group at the University of Arizona that offers 3 practices a day Monday through Friday and one on Saturday. There are a few group rides the most notorious being the "Shootout" on Tuesday and Saturday. It is a hotbed for cycling and there are many national and world class mountain and road pro cyclists on US Continental to UCI World Pro Tour teams that come down and train and the group ride on Saturday grows from about 50 during the summer months to over 200 in the winter as guys and gals are down putting in the miles. So it isn never hard to find some one faster than you that will help you push your limits. Tucson has been improving its network of mountain bike trails over the years and there is and increasing number of options each year, the only downside is that they are a bit more spread out than the trail options in the Springs, but there are a great network of bike paths and bike lanes to get around easily. Those paths have been great for running as well, with the Santa Cruz and Rillito River Paths for some great flat open paths for pace work or up in the rolling hills of on the west side roads in to Tucson Mountain park for close trail running. I have also been playing a bigger focus to some strength training over the winter as well.</div>
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<span id="goog_1106656994"></span>I have been steadily building over the past couple months and doing a few random races here and there as well. Started out with the Sun Run 5k to get an idea of where my run fitness and speed was at in early January and over all the run went well. Only issue is that about 2.5 miles in the course crosses and intersection and the police were there doing their job but a guy riding was on the wrong side of the crosswalk right as I was turing to cross the intersection and our shoulders collided and I went spinning through the air something like this:</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GCtQUzHLyAs/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GCtQUzHLyAs?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Took about 30 sec to gather myself grab my <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/" target="_blank">Rudy Project Agon</a> glasses that went flying, check to make sure the rider was okay and then continued on to the finish. With that taken into account I was pretty happy with my overall time and how it ended up. We kept the training rolling and kept racing as well. Part of the mental aspect that I have needed to work on has been in races and makings sure I don't give in and to stay with guys when they pass me and after working on some goal setting and some of the mental pieces in training I applied it to racing. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJq0o8gB56ML9cG_NHWF9211rCp8YOaCKXJ6yfyVleFUfbVzW8l_C20H8z-7-BJfFW7l8IUGHg8-vRR2XkVtuMjbfoZv8UzwaQVz3vOT1UskGhz2aqN8vKEFr6wIZJlnyJb3MAWVgP7Nmb/s1600/1509265_10152551003766196_687469973654522912_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJq0o8gB56ML9cG_NHWF9211rCp8YOaCKXJ6yfyVleFUfbVzW8l_C20H8z-7-BJfFW7l8IUGHg8-vRR2XkVtuMjbfoZv8UzwaQVz3vOT1UskGhz2aqN8vKEFr6wIZJlnyJb3MAWVgP7Nmb/s1600/1509265_10152551003766196_687469973654522912_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the fight for 2nd less than a mile in.</td></tr>
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The next race was the Sunrise at Old Pueblo 4 Mile, it was a race I won last year and was hoping to keep that rolling. One guy was too quick and there wasn't a chance of staying with him but I had a great battle for 2nd with another guy. He really forced the pace for the first 2 + miles and made things uncomfortable for sure but I knew that I couldn't let him go I would give it everything to stay with him. He cracked slightly at about 2.5 miles and I was able to get a small gap on him but he was holding very strong and I had to keep pushing. I managed to hold him off and took 2nd.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcO9F4a1bUspWeBk4wQtuX_eAjeWFTee2FzEM3J9XT8IUZ8J1Uh4sMrxU_oq10LslB_JXynZyWhTvy1pHhPe2Zo20wc9gymLBE8-ft7FjmyTCbPOQW7erzK9nxp-BmzEfYRUdgJHHRvb9/s1600/10918970_534392493329922_7939688659855155418_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcO9F4a1bUspWeBk4wQtuX_eAjeWFTee2FzEM3J9XT8IUZ8J1Uh4sMrxU_oq10LslB_JXynZyWhTvy1pHhPe2Zo20wc9gymLBE8-ft7FjmyTCbPOQW7erzK9nxp-BmzEfYRUdgJHHRvb9/s1600/10918970_534392493329922_7939688659855155418_o.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just past 3 miles in 2nd but 3rd is just lurking, can see him just off my hip.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRKNsynW180ZfUjFHGMqz-yNpQVMxfgiVe2YabltwT_V-iSsES8tIHNQ88Gw9KCTsTaulg2A95oyhbSDPMNK0SwjA2HuIp8tcedAl9y2YF0w0KARZBHPM14-FzlTar45Mec_K__joZae2/s1600/IMG950182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRKNsynW180ZfUjFHGMqz-yNpQVMxfgiVe2YabltwT_V-iSsES8tIHNQ88Gw9KCTsTaulg2A95oyhbSDPMNK0SwjA2HuIp8tcedAl9y2YF0w0KARZBHPM14-FzlTar45Mec_K__joZae2/s1600/IMG950182.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off on the 2nd run (PC: Deb McMullen)</td></tr>
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Next up was another race that was advertised as an 8k, once it was all said and done it was more about 5.5k. I guess that is what you get when a fraternity act as the race organizers and they are just trying to copy maps off of mapmyrun.com. Around this same time I had been working on getting all the pieces of my new mountain bike together to build it up and it was almost 100% complete. I can't thank Logan enough for loaning me his drive train since the parts I ordered were held up at a shipping yard in San Diego while the workers were on strike. With the bike up and running I headed up to Scottsdale for the <a href="http://www.desertclassicduathlon.com/" target="_blank">Desert Classic Duathlon,</a> it is a great race that has been held for quite a while and Angie and her crew at Chasing 3 did a fantastic job putting it on. They offer two events, a standard road duathlon and an off-road version, they both used the same trail run at the beginning and the end with the chosen road or mountain bike leg between. I elected for the off road even though I had only been on the mountain bike 3 or 4 times to test things out. There were some quick runners which gave a great opportunity to really work on chasing and staying with other athletes.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2IpAhozIxh6Tx0S29KVAYuv86bWzeI-neN5p0GZ2eDUwgSwHROaWB1az-7THcVyW0AOnjQzsd8AzTcRPr7ALgYbvOjpMmFZTVdA5zEtinfR2ptV7nNTTUG7rRFEi21Ep7f7DgWhdhx32J/s1600/IMG_20150301_104222_785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2IpAhozIxh6Tx0S29KVAYuv86bWzeI-neN5p0GZ2eDUwgSwHROaWB1az-7THcVyW0AOnjQzsd8AzTcRPr7ALgYbvOjpMmFZTVdA5zEtinfR2ptV7nNTTUG7rRFEi21Ep7f7DgWhdhx32J/s1600/IMG_20150301_104222_785.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feels good to be on the top step.</td></tr>
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On the mountain bike I had a good lead and really tried to focus on really pushing the pace since I didn't know who was behind me. About half was through the bike a local mountain biker caught me and it really made me have to push and attack the course more to stay on his wheel and not let him get away. I stayed with him all the way back to transition and then took off on the run. There were other road duathletes out on the run as well and I was able to use them to focus on and try to catch. I was slowly reeling in 3 guys ahead and was going to make a big push in the last 3/4 of a mile to catch them when boom I hit the ground. I had tripped over a rock, after a sec gathering myself I took off to the finish but lost the opportunity to try to catch the guys ahead. It was still very nice to take the win and start to get the flow of going through transitioning between the sports again.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzxUCrpru10MzekcMct0j1dD4joe3x8JiI8w4ouOULTi454bsdid7rKgE0B-_xrjJeUYc6Ile5FpGxbVZM5gBfbsCQLZ0cQ8tODO_bI95SZBCNePm2yqoEKvicUdTIPHbDroRaOAL4RZA/s1600/IMG_20150313_193420_224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzxUCrpru10MzekcMct0j1dD4joe3x8JiI8w4ouOULTi454bsdid7rKgE0B-_xrjJeUYc6Ile5FpGxbVZM5gBfbsCQLZ0cQ8tODO_bI95SZBCNePm2yqoEKvicUdTIPHbDroRaOAL4RZA/s1600/IMG_20150313_193420_224.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sampling 1st Endurance & Enduro Bites </td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a few more weeks of solid training I headed back up to Scottsdale for the Fat Tire 40 Mountain bike race. At packet pick up I got to meet a lot of the racers some very experienced and some that were just entering the sport as I did a sampling and demo of the <a href="http://www.firstendurance.com/" target="_blank">First Endurance</a> and <a href="http://www.endurobites.com/" target="_blank">Enduro Bites</a>. It was a great time getting to listen to some of the other products that athletes were using and any issues they had with them and letting them try the new EFS Pro hydration sports drink and take samples of EFS Liquid Shot and Ultragen Recovery Drink. They could also try the Dark Chocolate and Espresso and Fig and Dark Chocolate energy bars from Enduro Bites. The race overall went well, I mainly need to work on my hole-shot sprint at the start so I don't get trapped to far back. I was in the lead group but the 3 strongest guys got away out front and I had to battle my way past a few guys to try to catch up but it took too long to get around and they opened up a gap that I couldn't close down and they were working together and going well. It was a good hard effort unfortunately I rode all alone but I was getting more and more comfortable technically on the bike.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxb_ORUyIl-Z-mVi_mpOvsKiobCt_LVrcOpU_GdVq6V05cMedXd46kKajO3EP0SX4tFeMkA81x5c25QpzEyLR2c5pUysQNIPDQEPIXgnkCxD4huj00K8O3jmI3TYYEVq51cwBA_t2eOZr/s1600/2015-03-29+07.38.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxb_ORUyIl-Z-mVi_mpOvsKiobCt_LVrcOpU_GdVq6V05cMedXd46kKajO3EP0SX4tFeMkA81x5c25QpzEyLR2c5pUysQNIPDQEPIXgnkCxD4huj00K8O3jmI3TYYEVq51cwBA_t2eOZr/s1600/2015-03-29+07.38.22.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> TriZona Sprint Triathlon, T1 on the rough of the golf course.</td></tr>
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I was continuing to string together some great training and the new 10 day/3 day plan Derick had adjusted my training to was really going well. After the struggles last year we needed to at least try a new approach in my training and after a bit of an adjustment period I really began to understand the process. I have always been able to string together some great volume for weeks on end then take a rest week then do it all over again but we both felt that I was slowly digging myself into a hole. So we made the change and I am working really hard over a 10 day period and then taking 3 days of rest/light movement and the results are showing. The first triathlon of the year was at the <a href="http://www.trizonatri.com/sp-home/" target="_blank">TriZona at Starr Pass</a> two weeks ago, it is a unique event that is a must do. Barry and Jodee Siff of 5430 Sports put it on and it is a great low key event. It starts like no other triathlon out there, down the waterside at the JW Marriott Resort at Starr Pass then two laps AGAINST the current in the lazy river, it was and absolute blast. I headed out on the bike and had my work cut out for me as Olympic Mountain Biker Todd Wells was doing his first triathlon so I knew his bike would be very strong and I really had to swim and run well. The three lap bike is very challenging rolling hilly course, I felt good as it was the first really big effort on my TT bike this year. Just at the end of the bike Todd went by, after a bit of a smoother transition I headed out on the run just ahead of him. Because of the time trial start I needed to finish 40 seconds ahead of Todd to take the win, let it be known that Todd can run as I was only able to just barely out run him. I was first across the line but Todd kept me close enough to take the win.</div>
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The winter has been great being down in Tucson and I have been staying down here a bit longer than normal as I am house and dog sitting for some friends that are over in Italy, one is a lecturer for the University of Arizona and had the opportunity to go over and it couldn't be missed. It has worked out as a great trade that I get to be down here and train while they get to go on a grand adventure and work a little on the side too. The only negative is that I am in Arizona for 4 months and it takes me away from Bri. She makes some adjustments at work and comes down every few weeks for a long weekend and we get to have some fun. She joined me in racing at the Sunrise at Old Pueblo 4 miler, took on a 6 winery (out of 11) tour around Sonoita, went on a mountain bike ride together for the first time and had a blast using Hunter and Aimee's cruiser bikes riding around town to get to dinners and events during the year. By far the best weekends are always these ones.</div>
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Only have two more weeks down in Tucson before a start the journey back to Colorado. I am doing one more tune up race at the Lifetime Fitness Marquee Triathlon in Tempe this weekend before the big events start. I will head up for the first XTERRA of the year for the West Championship on April 25th in Las Vegas and then head to St. George for the Ironman North America 70.3 Championship the following weekend. It has been a great few months and I always enjoy my time in Tucson but I will enjoy being back home in Colorado.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-35508154423307059952014-09-07T21:37:00.000-06:002014-09-07T21:38:10.430-06:00XTERRA England<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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XTERRA England<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Race Equipment,
Setup & Nutrition</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Clothing- <a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/long-distance-tri-singlet.html">2XU
Long Distance Tri Singlet</a> and <a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/compression-long-distance-tri-short.html">Compression
Tri Shorts</a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Swim - </span><a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2XU Race Goggles</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, 2XU X:3
Wetsuit</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bike - </span><a href="http://procyclingwarehouse.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pro Cycling</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> SW Epic, </span><a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rotor 3D+ SRM</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> w/</span><a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">38-27 Q-Rings</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/tire-sealants"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> in Ground
Control 2.3, Front 23psi, Fast Trak 2.2 Rear 27psi.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project
Windmax Helmet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP043967ORC"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project Agon
Sunglasses</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Run - </span><a href="http://corunco.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Colorado Running Company</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Trailroc 245</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;">Nutrition - </span><a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan"><span style="background: white; color: red;">First Endurance Off-Road Nutrition Plan</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saving the best for last, the final race of my XTERRA Europe
tour was in England and at the Vachery Estate near Cranleigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race went through some turbulent times to
be held but thanks to the hard work by Sam Gardner, Richard Stannard and a few
local friends, in the weeks leading up they build one hell of a course, and
with additional help from Dave Nichols who was helping while attending the
other XTERRA European races pulled together a very well organized affair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t thank Sam, Susan, Abby and Zach enough for the
support through the week leading up to the race, with a place to sleep,
transportation and food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only hope
that I helped out some going into the race and didn’t make things harder.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot of organizers could learn from what Sam did in
creating a great 15km loop course and building and clearing the better part of
10km of those trails in the few weeks leading up to the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was some great technical singletrack that
everyone could ride and the faster you went the harder it got.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately I did not have the best lead up
to the race as a few days out I developed a head cold and had some body aches
and wasn’t able to pre-ride as much on the course as I would have liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent a few days on the couch trying to
keep the strength of the cold to a minimum.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqndf22JXU0tudMlRivXF31VHFGq5DbHFMDM4Zl9jfNj563y_06lK1UCATZw7O7TPjuNFEk8fH-1Kxketjx5bUR3zm6Pe7WBmwpKxDD79w1JdfrE6t8bPYwcjf-l1dg4utjoGRBBTEyVHW/s1600/SwimExit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqndf22JXU0tudMlRivXF31VHFGq5DbHFMDM4Zl9jfNj563y_06lK1UCATZw7O7TPjuNFEk8fH-1Kxketjx5bUR3zm6Pe7WBmwpKxDD79w1JdfrE6t8bPYwcjf-l1dg4utjoGRBBTEyVHW/s1600/SwimExit.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to get my 2XU X:3 off with Conrad on my heels as always (Photo Credit Trey Garman/XTERRA)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A number of road guys showed up to try their hand at the off
road stuff and it made for a large front pack in the spring fed lake, the water
was super clean even through it looked like ice tea and very crisp making for
another go with my 2XU X:3 wetsuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
followed the same protocol that I had in Czech and Germany and lined up next to
Ben Allen and followed his lead out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
settled in to the group but could tell that I was just a bit off and had only
one gear after being a bit under the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was able to settle in at the tail end of the pack and at the
turnaround moved up a few spots only to then notice that a gap had formed and I
didn’t have the extra gear to close things down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stayed steady on the way back in and hoped to
be able to not get caught behind to many guys on the tight singletrack.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEY7AA86EjFzWQ6ojD6eDG_Z99sxPyA9f36vqf-v99V8U_7caKAx6_hubIixl9oyT5Ma_z7XExWa59rVa9JjCC7rXPFUZBibJoY0hB5HcT0puQmQHMpEr38guY6xx3-LfJzbDc8Dh0hwB/s1600/bikecharge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEY7AA86EjFzWQ6ojD6eDG_Z99sxPyA9f36vqf-v99V8U_7caKAx6_hubIixl9oyT5Ma_z7XExWa59rVa9JjCC7rXPFUZBibJoY0hB5HcT0puQmQHMpEr38guY6xx3-LfJzbDc8Dh0hwB/s1600/bikecharge.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pushing my SRM Power as much as possible on an engine limited day (Photo Trey Garam/XTERRA)</td></tr>
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Due to the nature of the start of the bike I elected to put
gloves on in transition, as it would be very hard to get them on and into my
shoes before the singletrack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
definitely lost a spot or two and wasn’t able to get on Conrad’s wheel but I
was not going to stay there long anyway as I had one gear on the course and
there were a lot of pace changes necessary to ride fast and hard on the
course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not pre-riding definitely my
speed on the course but I think my body was holding up better due to the
increased rest going into the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
worked my way up and past many of the roadies who were</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8ltA7Rv4cWAPvilnOqKHHyDGgCRPti8l-PTLoI7BGRvgsb4mo92ISeAm8pHwfDQV6-tLBeayqjN3-PZuz1LLGlwp9GC_vlIjB6PqfuiU0iPpoFwCUxhMsjVb9EsXysfp0zXkxwMwuTxL/s1600/bikebridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8ltA7Rv4cWAPvilnOqKHHyDGgCRPti8l-PTLoI7BGRvgsb4mo92ISeAm8pHwfDQV6-tLBeayqjN3-PZuz1LLGlwp9GC_vlIjB6PqfuiU0iPpoFwCUxhMsjVb9EsXysfp0zXkxwMwuTxL/s1600/bikebridge.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost to the run (Photo Trey Garman/XTERRA)</td></tr>
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having some problems
negotiating the singletrack. I think
worked my way up to about 4<sup>th</sup> or 5<sup>th</sup> before some of the
good mountain bikers but slower swimmers started to cruise by me and that was
when it was really evident I didn’t have that extra gear to stay with
them. I tried to ride smooth and steady
on the course but it was really frustrating going along and feeling like I was
hauling an anchor behind me. I did have
an absolute blast riding some great trails and that was a welcome change after
the last two courses. I rolled into
transition just inside the top 10 and was hoping to hang on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfC_LX0ucCYgIYE7JgOKtrSvrntCr9mtuXblb7pnwfyMajyfeHuToSvnZfSaIs13FhKmkpvdiu7vaVARm2NmgMSFJwR8S_-03QQ3fFntb_-VbBwyWjW26umJlqJVTKCuDKwX1ZEIZlY_x/s1600/14XTERRAEngland.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfC_LX0ucCYgIYE7JgOKtrSvrntCr9mtuXblb7pnwfyMajyfeHuToSvnZfSaIs13FhKmkpvdiu7vaVARm2NmgMSFJwR8S_-03QQ3fFntb_-VbBwyWjW26umJlqJVTKCuDKwX1ZEIZlY_x/s1600/14XTERRAEngland.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wwe.srm.de/" target="_blank">SRM Powerfile</a> from XTERRA England</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The first section of single track is a blast as
you hit the first of two water jumps and then immediately have to pick a line
around a bog, last year they went straight through it but is was in a bit worse
condition this year so they routed us around the edge through some soft mud
that if you stepped in the wrong spot you could loose your shoe. I felt good running but felt like there was a
limiter on me and could only move so fast.
I was holding a steady pace but one guy cruised by and there was nothing
I could do. Towards the finish of the
two lap run you encounter the second stream crossing and shortly there a log
jump, I hadn’t seen this part of the course and chose to go a bit out of my way
to run across a log across the stream. I
started the</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaj4cyKhyIjFfhP3LAxFfNXsF9UfQoAMiFW0LC-JMOJEZSZdFlTQZ8gBVC_QNzj-l21FfF1lNBxspZ2lccHnqTEXZMbLtJ5s1ENYS7NNfc-8-2dbJAhvzXYcoe_5OrwCToRMwZeCE-OYCP/s1600/runfern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaj4cyKhyIjFfhP3LAxFfNXsF9UfQoAMiFW0LC-JMOJEZSZdFlTQZ8gBVC_QNzj-l21FfF1lNBxspZ2lccHnqTEXZMbLtJ5s1ENYS7NNfc-8-2dbJAhvzXYcoe_5OrwCToRMwZeCE-OYCP/s1600/runfern.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last bit in the forest before the field to start the 2nd lap or head to the finish (Photo Trey Garman/XTERRA)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> second lap and got a good idea of how far back the next guys were
and knew it would be a hard battle to hold on. About halfway through the lap I could hear the
footsteps behind me but he didn’t make the pass, just as we started a little
grinder of a hill. I knew he pushed hard
to get up to me and wanted to rest just, I stuck it to him and pushed the pace
up the hill and opened the gap back up.
In the last section of single track through the woods through not seeing
it ahead of time cost me and at a muddy section he took a quicker line and at
the last water crossing he made the jump while I ran the tree and he was ahead
of me. I pushed but he had better leg</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JCPxvUU2cxxKElsZ_r1gqz0atLsgikDn3VoOhba0WHHFVz0Tiw_aBeavaaZwtEW9z6aZyQrSCPNC_OHvj7GEasbKgzHdgAaTfVKT8ODX2ZxfVBy7yRTlsxyPFyiNRL1VOQcD6KTr9N9p/s1600/runlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JCPxvUU2cxxKElsZ_r1gqz0atLsgikDn3VoOhba0WHHFVz0Tiw_aBeavaaZwtEW9z6aZyQrSCPNC_OHvj7GEasbKgzHdgAaTfVKT8ODX2ZxfVBy7yRTlsxyPFyiNRL1VOQcD6KTr9N9p/s1600/runlog.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up and over (Photo Light Trapper.co.uk <a href="http://www.lighttrapper.co.uk/index.php?language_count=0&module=search&pId=100&media_type%5B%5D=RM&media_type%5B%5D=RF&keyword=x7&imageField.x=6&imageField.y=7" target="_blank">see others here</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> speed in the end and I came across the line in 12<sup>th</sup>. It was a tough way to end the trip not racing
at my best but it was what I had in me that day. I have taken some time to recoup and rest
before a little push going into USA Champs that are two weeks away now and then
a bigger push into Worlds at the end of October.</span><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSezMj_2ARspSI7g7bOEIChcMyoPQmibx_UejD_E6CwDHthhxuyv_depAR2qd_rJOzb5l6NESHHAh9UoH5l2pSh7ztwgDPe2MoaTVatVcRM-U3U_eT3S50TT4zPFxtiTx1vZhaAjuYPML/s1600/runback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSezMj_2ARspSI7g7bOEIChcMyoPQmibx_UejD_E6CwDHthhxuyv_depAR2qd_rJOzb5l6NESHHAh9UoH5l2pSh7ztwgDPe2MoaTVatVcRM-U3U_eT3S50TT4zPFxtiTx1vZhaAjuYPML/s1600/runback.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the field headed for home (Photo Trey Garman/XTERRA)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-83404636699180499432014-08-28T10:09:00.001-06:002014-08-28T10:09:47.126-06:00ITU Cross Tri World Champs/XTERRA Germany<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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ITU Cross Tri World Champs/XTERRA Germany<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Race Equipment,
Setup & Nutrition</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Clothing-USAT
Supplied National Team Race Suit</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Swim - </span><a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2XU Race Goggles</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bike - </span><a href="http://procyclingwarehouse.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pro Cycling</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> SW Epic, </span><a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rotor 3D+ SRM</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> w/</span><a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">38-27 Q-Rings</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/tire-sealants"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> in Ground
Control 2.3, Front 23psi, Fast Trak 2.2 Rear 26psi.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project
Windmax Helmet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP043967ORC"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project Noyz
Fluo Sunglasses</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Run - </span><a href="http://corunco.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Colorado Running Company</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Inov-8 Trailroc 245</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;">Nutrition - </span><a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan"><span style="background: white; color: red;">First Endurance Off-Road Nutrition Plan</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ITU Cross Tri World Champs/XTERRA Germany was the key
race for the trip the field was one of the largest pro fields with almost 70
guys including the U23 racers and extremely talented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going into the race the big question was the
weather it was off and on rain all week and we weren’t exactly sure what the
weather would be on race day but when the day arrived it was heavier spots of
rain mixed with periods of sun, which made for the wettest and muddiest course
possible. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBauieW2LVfCDq6v4T1LMvj-QORYlVOQ68rcIz1j1Bd_Z6VlW9ql10D7LxdElYLgqjGFBPPPQ2cwXh1vXahYVj9C1_bS_oM179LmS9EwWvU39DwzknTrNUx8K0Wjh4zdqhFTgsBF5huHsc/s1600/prestart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBauieW2LVfCDq6v4T1LMvj-QORYlVOQ68rcIz1j1Bd_Z6VlW9ql10D7LxdElYLgqjGFBPPPQ2cwXh1vXahYVj9C1_bS_oM179LmS9EwWvU39DwzknTrNUx8K0Wjh4zdqhFTgsBF5huHsc/s1600/prestart.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a good laugh with Ben Allen on the line before the start.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Through the rain and cloudy skies leading up to the race the
water remained just warm enough to have a non-wetsuit swim which suited
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well with the ITU rules governing
the race we would get called up according to our world ranking which is based
upon the previous years ITU Cross Tri World Champs and I would be called up 10<sup>th</sup>
and slotted in right next to Ben Allen and Ruben Ruzafa which was perfect
having a strong swimmer on one side and a weaker swimmer to the other to get
out and on to feet immediately and have some open water to the other side.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfmIUI2dfWKVm2-sCEzGb_mbM58OLxVl63sUx5DSGKsAB59rl0h8Ldx7fHlolVzyRqku_jTfARHKS2J7IG6kSbzbobpCebbOkAHaiD-YDIMWBzxx8oSBNZPe7xjxmm0RHuNAasV5M7Hue/s1600/Start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfmIUI2dfWKVm2-sCEzGb_mbM58OLxVl63sUx5DSGKsAB59rl0h8Ldx7fHlolVzyRqku_jTfARHKS2J7IG6kSbzbobpCebbOkAHaiD-YDIMWBzxx8oSBNZPe7xjxmm0RHuNAasV5M7Hue/s1600/Start.jpg" height="419" width="640" /></a></div>
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It worked perfectly as there was a
“directional” buoy about 75 yards from the start that we had to turn at to head
to the first official turn buoy. The
arms turned over well and I felt very strong cruising in the swim. In what seems like an automatic Conrad and I
were at each other’s side half way through the first lap and I eventually made
my way up to the head of the chase pack and back ahead of Ben Allen
surprisingly. There was a small group of
3 in the front then Craig floating in the middle then the group I headed up
behind at the end of the first lap, I kept the pressure on trying to bridge to
Craig but couldn’t quite do it and exited the water in 5<sup>th</sup> about
1min to the front and 10-15 sec from Craig but I had Conrad, Ben and Braden
Currie all out the water on my feet and a great group to work with on the bike
during the first 5k of gradual uphill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CJ_PKUAp0BqUvJcbz8i5WpviacGQ62D8zye0m5XNxIEZDrFmJ9p7S-CFuM1rEzochy7Y95NhOjzqS47nNFidHJvr6DGZqfbEQQTZ8i3JYc3K6pr2JcvosJWnHYVJuqxEz8OhhWeaqcma/s1600/transition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CJ_PKUAp0BqUvJcbz8i5WpviacGQ62D8zye0m5XNxIEZDrFmJ9p7S-CFuM1rEzochy7Y95NhOjzqS47nNFidHJvr6DGZqfbEQQTZ8i3JYc3K6pr2JcvosJWnHYVJuqxEz8OhhWeaqcma/s1600/transition.jpg" height="422" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craig and Faris Al-Sultan headed out and me in the background headed to my bike.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conrad blew by quickly out of transition and I could not
attach myself quick enough to his wheel and was just off him on the first
section and I worked as hard as I could to close the small gap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled Craig back in and Braden went by
shortly there after and pulled to the front and we had a good train going up
the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The legs were feeling better
than in Czech but as the climb gradually got steeper Michi Weiss cruised past
and Ruben was not far behind, Braden made the jump to Ruben’s wheel but I
didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued to head up the climb
steadily as they slowly cruised away.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqS9YrFg-hnlDbdSutLwFgYoeJGnLpFkZ3gbYIjgbwwnelJlJ0dvrfXn0XQ7PbrY6qCoqSJ18X7wBk-Z-4skScN8al5k8vtzrZTJRrs7-M21bltr-uOSTIKnh2VVR5dbRqtYefD4UNfs0/s1600/bikemount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqS9YrFg-hnlDbdSutLwFgYoeJGnLpFkZ3gbYIjgbwwnelJlJ0dvrfXn0XQ7PbrY6qCoqSJ18X7wBk-Z-4skScN8al5k8vtzrZTJRrs7-M21bltr-uOSTIKnh2VVR5dbRqtYefD4UNfs0/s1600/bikemount.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite hilarious as Conrad and I seem to have a lot of twin pictures like this where we are doing the same thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We
then reached the first actual dirt parts and things that actually resembled
mountain biking about 9k in to the course and saw how sloppy and muddy the
course was after the 500+ amateur athletes had raced on it that morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very happy to have left the caveman
water jug mud flap on the bike from the Czech race the previous week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully the mud didn’t stick to the tires
that bad and traction wasn’t horrible climbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were slick sections but with some basic maneuvering you could keep
going, the first descent it was a quick lesson to stay off the front brake
entirely and let the bike skip across the top of the roots and get back in the
dirt where the tire would grip.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2G0fCYSIMtVuwZ1ZZFYK9ONuCApXa4X2S69cqSjHtL8D6SKprcsu90sOUD68Gy1jtqMSnTyYOejLBrhRDjEPXFdutR9NfVkZmbBjNiQVQeDk7EKic5J8IPIBiwREd2Iuf4Ze-_8h-gOp/s1600/biketrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2G0fCYSIMtVuwZ1ZZFYK9ONuCApXa4X2S69cqSjHtL8D6SKprcsu90sOUD68Gy1jtqMSnTyYOejLBrhRDjEPXFdutR9NfVkZmbBjNiQVQeDk7EKic5J8IPIBiwREd2Iuf4Ze-_8h-gOp/s1600/biketrain.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The train, Braden leads with me on his wheel (10), Craig tucked in there along with another mystery athlete.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
slower you went the longer the front tire would be on a wet slick root and it
was easier to go down. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The steepest
section was very rooty and rocky and with the wet conditions was unrideable and
we were all left hike-a-biking for about 1k then still had a good 2km’s of
climbing to the summit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once at the peak
of the course I hit the downhill hard flying past people taking back a over a
minute to some of the guys that had passed me on the climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was difficult maneuvering at times as the
race organizers had decided to send the elite women off 20min before the men
and we started to catch them before the descent and then was trying to be
respectful but still go full on past them on the descent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the rest of the bike it was more of
the same flying past guys on the descents and trying to minimize losses on the uphill
sections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting off the bike everyone
was coated in mud head to toe and nearly unrecognizable but was thankful for
the sponges at the start of the run to wipe some of the mud off and get clean
drinks of water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskTd24UbYceK9OgnlXJgFemjVsDlaZrmbWKUOEMvei8lO643po01JcZdk9Q00ACeAjDROqWSxBXCzfatCDENGgZEYHpWI1bU11AA8w396GUojjm5M1CJH3D6xxr88cXieKQjchAurhT9g/s1600/14ITUCross.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskTd24UbYceK9OgnlXJgFemjVsDlaZrmbWKUOEMvei8lO643po01JcZdk9Q00ACeAjDROqWSxBXCzfatCDENGgZEYHpWI1bU11AA8w396GUojjm5M1CJH3D6xxr88cXieKQjchAurhT9g/s1600/14ITUCross.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 ITU Cross Tri Worlds <a href="http://srm.de/" target="_blank">SRM Powerfile</a> (Wet and muddy course caused issues at times)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I stared the run well and really felt like I was moving well
till guys started flying past me again, the legs just didn’t seem to want to
turnover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thankful the run was not
quite as muddy as the bike, there were a few slick sections but nothing like
the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit the deck once on at the
top of a shallow downhill since I didn’t understand what the volunteers were
yelling at me in German that it was very slick mud right where I was
headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I plugged along until about 7k
and that is when the lights went out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was an immediate bonk, no warning just all of a sudden I was shuffling along
and having a hard time holding a straight line running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately in the rush to set up my
transition when the rain started I neglected to put my First Endurance Liquid
Shot flask with my shoes and they had only water on the run course and had no
way of getting in extra calories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
a slow last 2 k losing three minutes from what I would guess and I stumbled across
the line in 29<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
very bad end to a marginal day.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-4460552351147744182014-08-27T09:34:00.001-06:002014-08-27T09:43:05.615-06:00XTERRA Czech<div class="MsoNormal">
XTERRA Czech<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Race Equipment,
Setup & Nutrition</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Clothing-</span><a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon.html"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2XU Custom Compression Long Distance
Tri Shorts and Singlet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Swim - </span><a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2XU Race Goggles</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, 2XU X:3
Wetsuit</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bike - </span><a href="http://procyclingwarehouse.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pro Cycling</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> SW Epic, </span><a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rotor 3D+ SRM</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> w/</span><a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">38-27 Q-Rings</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/tire-sealants"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> in Ground
Control 2.3, Front 23psi, Ground Control 2.1 Rear 26psi.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project
Windmax Helmet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP043967ORC"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project Noyz
Fluo Sunglasses</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Run - </span><a href="http://corunco.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Colorado Running Company</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Inov-8 Trailroc 245</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
1<sup>st</sup> Endurance Visor</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nutrition
- </span><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan">First Endurance
Off-Road Nutrition Plan</a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5r7H9CP_74Z-odX97edtOXsuCjI33g9HSwqKcItVw5W-EgygpQiDc8P6Xx_B1XA8QVjX6uohBKG5TQft3v1EjoTq6qXCm8Z8dJyoQso_VouZBtNe1ypagmRojOCbhZKQAm7ddGt6wC6dB/s1600/preswim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5r7H9CP_74Z-odX97edtOXsuCjI33g9HSwqKcItVw5W-EgygpQiDc8P6Xx_B1XA8QVjX6uohBKG5TQft3v1EjoTq6qXCm8Z8dJyoQso_VouZBtNe1ypagmRojOCbhZKQAm7ddGt6wC6dB/s1600/preswim.jpg" height="422" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first of a three race trip to Europe this year started
at XTERRA Czech, it has been on my list for a while as the former
Czechoslovakia is part of my heritage, however after break up to Czech Republic
and Slovakia, my family came from Slovakia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a unique race course as it is the only net downhill bike course
that I am aware of on the XTERRA circuit, there are a couple net uphill bike
courses with Mountain Champs in Beaver Creek and USA Champs in Ogden.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT4XgcpwUTAmnIQs9X_ZViw72-di2rI1xo38EL6kOYr9HnYVnnAE23bfIj7DpN8Gfwnm6PlK3TOKMhR_289QWZuBw3NkzcjKaic_R6MT4AjhSsMc1lg1nUyPnS8uWbxcM45_gQuvExoiG/s1600/swimexit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT4XgcpwUTAmnIQs9X_ZViw72-di2rI1xo38EL6kOYr9HnYVnnAE23bfIj7DpN8Gfwnm6PlK3TOKMhR_289QWZuBw3NkzcjKaic_R6MT4AjhSsMc1lg1nUyPnS8uWbxcM45_gQuvExoiG/s1600/swimexit.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCgboJZgLcjgX7TmVqkWMwVtOFEuoSPEK1wb0EO-zxPOg_wduPyX7BZwct00VkISHySnBCAR6UqVy57bbe9h5-Q__O0cSm6Dvy5Xg1Np9yvD4xlNBFZNnoxykmPzbL-BiwljWOxStJLiz/s1600/t1exit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCgboJZgLcjgX7TmVqkWMwVtOFEuoSPEK1wb0EO-zxPOg_wduPyX7BZwct00VkISHySnBCAR6UqVy57bbe9h5-Q__O0cSm6Dvy5Xg1Np9yvD4xlNBFZNnoxykmPzbL-BiwljWOxStJLiz/s1600/t1exit.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The swim is in a beautiful lake about 15km from the town of
Prachitice, though the water is the color of ice tea it is refresh and
clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water temp allowed for the
use of my 2XU X:3 wetsuit and I smartly positioned myself next to Ben Allen on
the start line and took off trying to hold his and Braden Currie’s feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were two amateurs that started fast as
well in the mass start and I was behind the one that started to fade and lost
contact with the front three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben got
away and had a lead out of the water with Braden second 20 seconds back and I
was about 1min back from him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3foibXfudBPp382HJnI8nQa4GggSFKgvs1H2ByGaaIm7wQVOdPgUA11Y9V8CSDf4bUIRw-mjVHOOBGujNt0e_z0hujzMM-XyHjA9hCMqJ9prFjLzH5pz3HU9Fb-vezMzcWmxIixV7dMxc/s1600/bikeflat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3foibXfudBPp382HJnI8nQa4GggSFKgvs1H2ByGaaIm7wQVOdPgUA11Y9V8CSDf4bUIRw-mjVHOOBGujNt0e_z0hujzMM-XyHjA9hCMqJ9prFjLzH5pz3HU9Fb-vezMzcWmxIixV7dMxc/s1600/bikeflat.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I started hammering on the bike and felt like I was riding
pretty decently until Ruben Ruzafa and Alexander Hass rolled up on me about 8k
in to the bike and they were flying. It
was a flatter dirt and road section and I jumped into the draft, then on the
next hill though they looked effortless and I felt like I was pushing a tank up
the hill. Josiah cruised by shortly
there after in pursuit and the hill was open enough that I could see Ben and
Braden just ahead and we had definitely closed the gap down on them. I was unable to maintain contact with anyone
on the hill but kept the pressure on but the legs just weren’t turning over and
I didn’t feel like I was producing the power that I have. On the second half of the course I struggled
on the few steep climbs and Jan Kubicek caught me just as we peaked out before
a fast traverse on a road before the last descent back to town. I managed to stay with him using the descents
to my advantage but he would slowly creep away on any hills.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0vSAGj4NLuNLFQvWTT9xRqgVfdsRTqOD_JCmhbKIS1XVKEhwNOFo0_piT_x0HAvDvq_Txfox0mJ9pi5yKI9j2qLjx2ufmH0bYPBZwTpog7sONSUHg8obPoA3Bvi5Fv4G0S3xFWKGtqX3/s1600/bikepillbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0vSAGj4NLuNLFQvWTT9xRqgVfdsRTqOD_JCmhbKIS1XVKEhwNOFo0_piT_x0HAvDvq_Txfox0mJ9pi5yKI9j2qLjx2ufmH0bYPBZwTpog7sONSUHg8obPoA3Bvi5Fv4G0S3xFWKGtqX3/s1600/bikepillbox.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old WWII Pillbox on the bike course, a different one that I didn't know was there till I saw the pic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPsN4o62ZFs1Sf1i68fDrCvbdScH2HIaq8PZ_r3UlAqusJR2AT8-zyNHsC7t3e0s3QMXhTqWqojVQEzSa8-URLnge_4L8IDmcZHOyYRlEvqk_5z2CAghvhWO7AICBvSNeQ0XEYJ1MtxN5/s1600/bikedrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPsN4o62ZFs1Sf1i68fDrCvbdScH2HIaq8PZ_r3UlAqusJR2AT8-zyNHsC7t3e0s3QMXhTqWqojVQEzSa8-URLnge_4L8IDmcZHOyYRlEvqk_5z2CAghvhWO7AICBvSNeQ0XEYJ1MtxN5/s1600/bikedrop.jpg" height="640" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of a couple fun very short fun bits on the bike.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmEWHzOcv9ef4ffLltwtAAcsuRzTXXutijnqQ3ZYuyxnY6XYMDO2O9vW2ukWGeWasUAJDiLEbtqoDAeZU0mPS6MKltLC28WQep0RVlTWby_Y5q20PuHsEjbb1VGpsLe4G0i_0ThbmrhW9/s1600/14XTERRACzech.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmEWHzOcv9ef4ffLltwtAAcsuRzTXXutijnqQ3ZYuyxnY6XYMDO2O9vW2ukWGeWasUAJDiLEbtqoDAeZU0mPS6MKltLC28WQep0RVlTWby_Y5q20PuHsEjbb1VGpsLe4G0i_0ThbmrhW9/s1600/14XTERRACzech.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 XTERRA Czech <a href="http://srm.de/" target="_blank">SRM Powerfile</a></td></tr>
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We hit T2 together and headed out on the run with a couple
other guys right on our heels. The legs
were moving well but the other guys were just a touch quicker out of the gate,
Jan and one of the other guys continued to pull away but the third guy was
struggling a bit on the uphill but was able to open thing up on the
downhill. I knew that I needed to stay
close and make a charge on the second lap of the run on the uphill and get a
slight gap. I slowly closed and was a
couple steps behind but just couldn’t get by the last little bit and I couldn’t
keep pace on the downhill back into town.
It was a tough struggle and ended up crossing the line in 8<sup>th</sup>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little log jump on the run course.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-15731551704687362272014-07-22T09:19:00.001-06:002014-07-22T09:19:49.480-06:00XTERRA Mountain Champs<div class="MsoNormal">
XTERRA Mountain Champs<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Race Equipment,
Setup & Nutrition</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Clothing-</span><a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon.html"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2XU Custom Compression Long Distance
Tri Shorts and Singlet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bike - </span><a href="http://procyclingwarehouse.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pro Cycling</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> SW Epic, </span><a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rotor 3D+ SRM</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> w/</span><a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">38-27 Q-Rings</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/tire-sealants"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> in Fast
Trak 2.2 Tires, Front 23psi, Rear 28psi.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project
Windmax Helmet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP043967ORC"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project Noyz
Fluo Sunglasses</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Run - </span><a href="http://corunco.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Colorado Running Company</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Inov-8 Trailroc 245</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
1<sup>st</sup> Endurance Visor</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nutrition
- </span><a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">First Endurance
Off-Road Nutrition Plan</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The XTERRA Mountain Champs is always a brutal one and higher
altitude, non-stop climbing and some punishing downhills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some last minute prep thanks to SRM and
Pro Cycling to get my bike dialed in all was set to go.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EW0uwxxb744" width="640"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Live Broadcast Interview With Good Morning Vail before XTERRA Mountain Champs</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pL41clA0AGW-0r48f0bKeA1FA__lxlhPd82LV-v_8_R22PKGbJhUEOeXC3VO21cULcHVMbTVfPcQ-gbY6U2p2FJpNs0s_Plvsr8e4o7yv7JgPx7w-Is9gRDOCz5n3x9D4_xCBr661koW/s1600/Set+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pL41clA0AGW-0r48f0bKeA1FA__lxlhPd82LV-v_8_R22PKGbJhUEOeXC3VO21cULcHVMbTVfPcQ-gbY6U2p2FJpNs0s_Plvsr8e4o7yv7JgPx7w-Is9gRDOCz5n3x9D4_xCBr661koW/s1600/Set+Up.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzie Snyder and I setting up T2 early, the run course goes half way up the mountain behind us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At 7500 feet I approach the swim at bit differently, with a brisk 67 degree water temp it was a 2XU X:3 Wetsuit day, from the gun I
started hard for about 10 or so strokes to get into some clear water then
settle into a nice steady rhythm and pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a decent group that continued going hard and opened a
30-second gap on me at one point in the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t panic and over the two laps of the lake and a few of the
athletes popped off of the front group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After exiting the water and jumping on my bike I was only 5 seconds down
from the front group and began to gradually close the gap down Mauricio who
what out front.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbjq5e_J4aBNXKxB6Y4sV-LD_-cWKkh_tKINJaPZYD3dS4zQ6MxmZoGswVbgSHLScJfmFuB5GLKK-mKe02YFdH2CjE7MO-dHZBOFYVc9u0dy6xQUxhQPVGeXettm2ryyRgYswCr60WrI1/s1600/bike+climb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbjq5e_J4aBNXKxB6Y4sV-LD_-cWKkh_tKINJaPZYD3dS4zQ6MxmZoGswVbgSHLScJfmFuB5GLKK-mKe02YFdH2CjE7MO-dHZBOFYVc9u0dy6xQUxhQPVGeXettm2ryyRgYswCr60WrI1/s1600/bike+climb.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere on the long climb up Beaver Creek, SRM just saying more power!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With a 2000 foot ascend ahead I settled into a good steady
rhythm with Ben Hoffman and slowly chipped away at the gap, about 3miles in
Josiah, who has really improved his swim over the course of the year, cruised
on by, I picked up the pace to stay with him and use him to help close the gap
to Mauricio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was clicking
well for him and I was just a touch off form and could only stay with him for a
very short period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mauricio tried
as well but Josiah steamrolled up the climb leaving us in his wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 4 miles Ben and I caught Mauricio as we
continued to climb a mile-paved section before starting the last dirt ascent
before the start of the downhill.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyo9izOHho1OKqE2aLV1SLfY39C3oEMDH395IUtmbdc0pOuJnqL255SDmaC36QBZYcVfLFXlzWSGHipugj2bcTZWIWYpm-Vsx-VVvugl0B09KPJwWotei60nyZrOXxDfRXbWBonmZWdVn/s1600/switchbacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyo9izOHho1OKqE2aLV1SLfY39C3oEMDH395IUtmbdc0pOuJnqL255SDmaC36QBZYcVfLFXlzWSGHipugj2bcTZWIWYpm-Vsx-VVvugl0B09KPJwWotei60nyZrOXxDfRXbWBonmZWdVn/s1600/switchbacks.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mauricio, myself and Ben headed up the switchbacks before the paved road ascent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was
working on getting my First Endurance EFS in as much as possible but something
I ate or drank to much before the race had caused my stomach to cramp and even
when it felt better every time I put a small amount of liquid in my stomach
would cramp up. Ben put in a small
effort on the paved section that I couldn’t follow and new comer Ryan Petry
went after him has well. Mauricio was on
my wheel like gum and we soldiered on up to the peak of the course at 9300
feet. I knew that I could open up a gap
on Mauricio and close the gap to Ben and Ryan on the downhills and more
technical sections of the course, I closed to with in 30 seconds of Ben and
Ryan but they battled up ahead and as we traversed the Village to Village trail
across the mountain.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtXiCh2kpfiyN_hAw92fZGRWPLEJIMz0reYbMge6TNyyBp3GFHuM65nAZvFItZ1EN362BHlL8kCxYAjK27V5N4WY5RfwUwyQO0NrIaYc0_4wtXdUajMYmY9ibzFex9Snyhz-6XNjTYprE/s1600/crossover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtXiCh2kpfiyN_hAw92fZGRWPLEJIMz0reYbMge6TNyyBp3GFHuM65nAZvFItZ1EN362BHlL8kCxYAjK27V5N4WY5RfwUwyQO0NrIaYc0_4wtXdUajMYmY9ibzFex9Snyhz-6XNjTYprE/s1600/crossover.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the crossover on Village to Village trail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I tried to take in my hydration but my stomach was
not cooperating and they continued to put small amounts of time in to me on the
flatter sections while I closed on the downhill and technical sections. As I started the run they had a little less
than a minute on me.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyV0-eaxAZknbxrApadesmjGEEgUbY0SrKoGfZl84V_GbwZ_V9EXBUcq3CoDHLgh-xHkL_U0ort7nikFNltxcxTZfPlLJNUu_o5iwqwxD-JRd_9o2cSoufWk8qO3OR8u1i21NQCwR5C0Ym/s1600/14XTERRAMtn.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyV0-eaxAZknbxrApadesmjGEEgUbY0SrKoGfZl84V_GbwZ_V9EXBUcq3CoDHLgh-xHkL_U0ort7nikFNltxcxTZfPlLJNUu_o5iwqwxD-JRd_9o2cSoufWk8qO3OR8u1i21NQCwR5C0Ym/s1600/14XTERRAMtn.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM Powerfile of XTERRA Mountain Champs, lots of climbing very little descent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The run is tough no matter how strong you are, there is
almost 1500 feet of climbing over 5.5miles and it is done over the course of
two long climbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started out pretty
well and felt like I was ticking along okay, how ever I am not sure if the lack
of hydration or calories or if my legs were just not there I started to fade
just after the first aid station and my stomach was not any better even when I
tried to sip on a small amount of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just before the start of the downhill from the first climb Mauricio
passed and I did what I could to keep the legs turning over but I was slowing
to a shuffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once on the next I
steadily hear the footsteps coming from behind as Alex Modestou and Ryan Ignatz
passed on the way up an interminable dirt road climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping that I would be able to open up
the legs on the descent down to the finish but was not moving well enough as
Chris Ganter flew by and I struggled in to the finish in 8<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was well off what I was aiming for and
what I am capable of.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGpKCZI3mZv7aUFvol7MQ6kXiLsU0Ze3n-sDEwb2Tdf1Vj4i6ct66fjfgEvtDUfK7k4-AK2Cv8XQ8GcInDLjgUiX7_Vcw0C03mOI2bMHbxBlnWqnHo84gSiBar100QYgE9samtks0JR14/s1600/PM-CUT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGpKCZI3mZv7aUFvol7MQ6kXiLsU0Ze3n-sDEwb2Tdf1Vj4i6ct66fjfgEvtDUfK7k4-AK2Cv8XQ8GcInDLjgUiX7_Vcw0C03mOI2bMHbxBlnWqnHo84gSiBar100QYgE9samtks0JR14/s1600/PM-CUT.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting aero for next weekend thanks to Paul Mitchell and the Stylists from the Colorado Springs School.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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No rest though another chance to show off all the work I have
been putting in as I am headed to Calgary for the 70.3 race this weekend.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-48447217541947539342014-06-28T23:18:00.001-06:002014-06-28T23:18:56.573-06:00XTERRA East<div class="MsoNormal">
XTERRA East Champs<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Race Equipment,
Setup & Nutrition</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Clothing-</span><a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon.html"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2XU Custom Compression Long Distance
Tri Shorts and Singlet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Swim - </span><a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2XU Race Goggles</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, 2XU Swim
Skin</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bike - </span><a href="http://procyclingwarehouse.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pro Cycling</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> SW Epic, </span><a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rotor 3D+ SRM</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> w/</span><a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">38-27 Q-Rings</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/tire-sealants"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> in Fast
Trak 2.2 Tires, tire pressure unsure, too high though.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project
Windmax Helmet</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP043967ORC"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rudy Project Noyz
Fluo Sunglasses</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Run - </span><a href="http://corunco.com/"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Colorado Running Company</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Inov-8 Trailroc 245</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
1<sup>st</sup> Endurance Visor</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 13.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nutrition
- </span><a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">First Endurance
Off-Road Nutrition Plan</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
XTERRA East Champs in Richmond has been a hard one for me to
crack in the past and really put everything together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a fantastic race with a unique feel as
it takes place in downtown Richmond, though at many places on the course you
would think you are in a great forest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully we were not dealing with a tropical storm passing
over this year to set the river at flood stage and canceling the swim we still
had some good storms pass through the area in the days leading up to the race
to put the river at is highest point while I have been competing here and
adding a very dynamic element to the race with the currents in the James
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had all done our research
studying the river and with the swift current started much further upstream
than normal to not be fighting but using the current getting to the first buoy.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YY3Stjry6OcjWtPCai7n2imQRkSm6aGyq0QIAopNuG2UPkNiYezsoZE9HSqU9QB-hG6-Sn34H_cIiSsL4vlQVeDdvjgUVnERRKy1f1CcEuILyIAFZp4JF8LJn3bR4zhOVoWTsJR20S2Q/s1600/swimstart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YY3Stjry6OcjWtPCai7n2imQRkSm6aGyq0QIAopNuG2UPkNiYezsoZE9HSqU9QB-hG6-Sn34H_cIiSsL4vlQVeDdvjgUVnERRKy1f1CcEuILyIAFZp4JF8LJn3bR4zhOVoWTsJR20S2Q/s1600/swimstart.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a fanatic start as with only 150m to
the first turn buoy it would still be crowded as an order would not be set
yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mayhem continued on a upstream
leg to the next buoy as we all tried to swim close to an island to get out of
the current to reach the next buoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Josiah pulled a very cheeky move and scouted a sand bar a bit further to
the right and sprinted up the buoy before diving back in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we headed to the next buoy the jostling
continued and I was not happy with my position being crowded and bumping around
with everyone so I saw over Josiah’s legs and on the subsequent stroke grabbed
his shoulder and pulled him straight behind me, sorry Jo it gets a bit rough at
times at the front can’t count how many times I have had that happen to
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to find free space after
that and started to settle in as we headed on to Belle Isle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the quick run across and diving back in
is where the real battle against the current began, a few of us understood that
there was a buoy in the middle that we needed to stay up stream of, not all of
us got that message apparently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
current was very strong and it was a battle to stay upstream of the buoy and
added a dynamic to the race, with the currents people were all over the place
and there was no pack like in other swims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried to close the gap down that Dan and Craig had opened but in the
end started the bike about 25 seconds down from them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvgjjU-kNzvy54I3uyyCVwsH_7o4R8hPCxjVm3-qWHdgsRVuLnVn_6IB3CNYvqW3ZfHpLrnhxCqAgvLhLs8rn4PqfyXbW2PoStHl_FxVMz9VbwOS2LeWHeyJgfXn4UNEv_he7r5uWkwEy/s1600/CornerBike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvgjjU-kNzvy54I3uyyCVwsH_7o4R8hPCxjVm3-qWHdgsRVuLnVn_6IB3CNYvqW3ZfHpLrnhxCqAgvLhLs8rn4PqfyXbW2PoStHl_FxVMz9VbwOS2LeWHeyJgfXn4UNEv_he7r5uWkwEy/s1600/CornerBike.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With Conrad on my feet out of the swim I had one objective
and that was to be on his wheel when he caught up on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in good position till he too pulled a
cheeky move and rode the sidewalk across the bridge slightly cutting the
distance as the bridge curved around to the trails similar to running on the
inside lanes of a track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just missing
his wheel as we hit the single track I did sneak by Mauricio and hoped to open
up a good gap on him before the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately I was not riding my best technically and struggled to ride
smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mauricio did a fantastic job staying
within striking distance and when it was about strength instead of technical
ability he would claw his way closer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brad Weiss rode strong and passed me but he helped Mauricio claw his way
closer and after a couple mistakes on my part in the raucous rock garden having
to reset my chain he moved back ahead of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried to settle down and ride smooth but it just wasn’t happening
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Josiah passed bay just before
starting the Northbank bringing Karsten Madsen with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karsten was riding strong as well and on
another mistake on my part passed by and I was just trying to keep him in
striking distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rode a bit better
on the second lap but was tentative trying not to make mistakes that would lead
to me putting a foot down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held my
position and managed to close the gap down on the second lap and left transition
right with Karsten and Mauricio.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The goal with any run is to limit losses to Mauricio and I
took off trying to use him as a carrot up ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It worked for about two miles till he was out
of sight at the Mayan staircase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
continued to push and the legs kept a good rhythm but after picking my way
through the dry river bed and feeling my position was secure I definitely
backed things off and cruised in to finish 7<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a tough one to take as my fitness and
ability are better than what I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are always off days you just never want them to actually happen. I
have put together a lot of really good races this year and now get a chance to
put together some solid training heading in to Mountain Champs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-44241399503648630892014-05-20T10:17:00.002-06:002014-05-20T10:17:28.415-06:00The Double: XTERRA Southeast<div style="text-align: justify;">
When my coach Derick, at Durata Training, and I came up with my race schedule at the beginning of the season we decided that I would race the Rev3 Series along side the XTERRA series. To maximize the potential for Rev3 that meant that I would race on back-to-back days, XTERRA Southeast Championship on Saturday and the Rev3 Knoxville Championship on Sunday. I had raced back to back before in 2006 with the Tri Cal Pacific Grove Triathlon and LA Triathlon and last year in the BE Series race and knew the pain, suffering and logistics of racing twice in a weekend. What was different was the length and challenging courses that these races had. XTERRA SE is a 0.9mile swim, 20mile mountain bike and 6mile run and Rev3 is a rather odd 1.2mile swim, 40.1mile bike and 9.8mile run. It would be a tough weekend no matter if the conditions were perfect, what was an immeasurable help was having, my love Bri along my side to go through the absolute craziness with me. She went above and beyond in being my Sherpa, support crew, cheering squad, coordinator and chauffer from the start of the first race until the car was packed the final time. I can’t thank Craig Evans enough as well for his support through the weekend, for not just the use of his car for the trip, airport shuttling, and awesome crawfish dinner to close out the trip but for his friendship and unselfishness to always help me and anyone else improve and learning how to ride his XTERRA course even through we are competing against each other.</div>
<br />
XTERRA Southeast Champs<br />
Race Equipment, Setup & Nutrition<br />
Clothing- <a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/compression-long-distance-tri-short.html?___SID=U" target="_blank">2XU Custom Compression Long Distance Tri Shorts</a><br />
<a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/long-distance-tri-singlet.html?___SID=U" target="_blank">2XU Custom Long Distance Tri Singlet</a><br />
Swim - <a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html" target="_blank">2XU Race Goggles</a><br />
<a href="http://www.2xu.com/x-3-project-x-wetsuit-mw2301c.html" target="_blank">2XU X:3 Project X Wetsuit</a><br />
Bike - <a href="http://www.procyclingwarehouse.com/" target="_blank">Pro Cycling</a> SW Epic, <a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/" target="_blank">Rotor 3D+ SRM</a> w/<a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980" target="_blank">38-27 Q-Rings</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/Cafflatex-1000-ml-synthetic-latex-tire-sealant_p_74.html" target="_blank">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</a> in Fast Trak 2.2 Tires, Front 22psi, Rear 25psi<br />
<a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US" target="_blank">Rudy Project Windmax Helmet</a><br />
<a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP044043MW" target="_blank">Rudy Project Noyz Fluo Sunglasses</a><br />
Run - <a href="http://www.corunco.com/" target="_blank">Colorado Running Company</a> Trailroc 245<br />
Nutrition - <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan" target="_blank">First Endurance Off-Road Nutrition Plan</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfkVvCz6KtjOBHQq_BFme5QE-Gw6CnhZELT-cbEpC4yAmL-kIW1EfUHB3ccBYyiES-Z3Y_cYsOvKxMJ8h3m-TKgAB4rad2yez-xAT-Xh6Rc3sDQYFOl9qhfgw9O6YWRoL6LydIhFVOtKS/s1600/CJ+Swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfkVvCz6KtjOBHQq_BFme5QE-Gw6CnhZELT-cbEpC4yAmL-kIW1EfUHB3ccBYyiES-Z3Y_cYsOvKxMJ8h3m-TKgAB4rad2yez-xAT-Xh6Rc3sDQYFOl9qhfgw9O6YWRoL6LydIhFVOtKS/s1600/CJ+Swim.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo bombing Chris Jeffery after the first lap of the swim.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After two days of perfect temperatures and dry conditions it was an unexpected dark stormy morning to which we woke and with a light rain completely changing the conditions of the course. The magic XTERRA thermometer measured “64 degrees” presenting a wetsuit swim, thankfully this year I was prepared for it unlike last year. Though I needed to race each race as if each were the only one that weekend there were certainly ways I could try to conserve as much energy as possible as well and the first step was successfully accomplished in the swim. As soon as the cannon blasted I jumped straight on to the feet of Dan Hugo, Craig, Mauricio Mendez, Flora Duffy, Sean Bechtel and drafted through the entire swim in the lead pack and into transition.</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRSAW0OkO1GpwSrV0E5CziE0BsEPtJuftqw2W_W3SwyLZSasV4avf4UEdeZE0MKfu-Vf5ZBMaeOvezh0CdTZuh4PKk08h8KKchvNpDbAZsPdRF_AQFURszbt_xOsc7oggYMGIjqLXCmAH/s1600/CraigMeBike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRSAW0OkO1GpwSrV0E5CziE0BsEPtJuftqw2W_W3SwyLZSasV4avf4UEdeZE0MKfu-Vf5ZBMaeOvezh0CdTZuh4PKk08h8KKchvNpDbAZsPdRF_AQFURszbt_xOsc7oggYMGIjqLXCmAH/s1600/CraigMeBike.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect position photo bombing Craig as we hit the Oak Mtn Trails</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the bike I found my target position right on Craig’s wheel right as we hit the trail and the only focus was to keep the master right in front of me through the ride. Though the wet conditions did make the roots and rocks slick and the wood bridges like ice there is one constant in how you ride the trails at Oak Mountain, you attack them and that is exactly how I took to the course. Craig was on a singular mission to catch Dan who what ahead and riding like his bike was on rails, I was following as close as possible but he slowly crept away. I was superbly confident in my riding and continued to rip along </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmQ5K7oiXo8WSBiJFtKeCi1XorkhBYs9qoAt24koTCPiUkL4_YHyCqPVoB7Ms6cPKlYe38gIcLYffn5DTnGQARdpp1Bo3COiW7-2Y2YHJJmvHCb0B5MXGWZP9lHHGuDqLFiv8Hwq6YLWI/s1600/BloodRock+Josiah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmQ5K7oiXo8WSBiJFtKeCi1XorkhBYs9qoAt24koTCPiUkL4_YHyCqPVoB7Ms6cPKlYe38gIcLYffn5DTnGQARdpp1Bo3COiW7-2Y2YHJJmvHCb0B5MXGWZP9lHHGuDqLFiv8Hwq6YLWI/s1600/BloodRock+Josiah.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blood Rock photo bomb of Josiah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
better than ever hoping to distance myself from the young stud Mauricio, Brad Weiss and Josiah. At the base of the jeep road climb I was super encouraged to hear that I was only 60 seconds down from Craig and Dan, the closest I had been to the front of the race at that point ever and charged the climb harder than ever. On the climb the darkness closed in and the skies opened up for a good 10 minutes. On the rolling section along the top Josiah and Brad had caught up and latched straight on to Josiah’s wheel over to the descent of Blood Rock. With the slick conditions it is best to keep a short </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuJI9k0eX_VafgNJCg4bXqVdmuUkMEyOt-DgGz4foOenxrWq8pAUN69gfX46gi-QYtBP9lwZkCyoYyMvnpR5wB5HJDylnbYEbjB5di-HFnLGf84Qir4Vy5FVNyzy-2GpKrFF-Gg_yWe06/s1600/BloodRock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuJI9k0eX_VafgNJCg4bXqVdmuUkMEyOt-DgGz4foOenxrWq8pAUN69gfX46gi-QYtBP9lwZkCyoYyMvnpR5wB5HJDylnbYEbjB5di-HFnLGf84Qir4Vy5FVNyzy-2GpKrFF-Gg_yWe06/s1600/BloodRock.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ripping Blood Rock to stay with Josiah.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
distance between you and the rider in front of you incase of mistake and you need to adjust and get around. I had a small bobble but stayed on my</div>
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ga3daAnV8h_asmx54PBZOyJ0xxFN2tG3PZE-o2dm_wbNFGHMpsgFBx1XKHVJStVMIZ-bTzE4uxJr7xJlY2WsgmZeppxaCpOp5tX5wqU0A-UVWYSHVcQncruDwZXAvLke3erkKWomh3rR/s1600/DownJosiah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ga3daAnV8h_asmx54PBZOyJ0xxFN2tG3PZE-o2dm_wbNFGHMpsgFBx1XKHVJStVMIZ-bTzE4uxJr7xJlY2WsgmZeppxaCpOp5tX5wqU0A-UVWYSHVcQncruDwZXAvLke3erkKWomh3rR/s1600/DownJosiah.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
bike, Brad was too close got jammed and had to put a foot down and there was a gap between us. I descended like a mad man closing the small gap to Josiah at the base of Johnson's Mountain. On one of the wood bridges I don’t even know what happened but my wheels went straight out from under me and hit the deck. I remounted my chain and got going a bit shaken, Brad was right back up to me. It took a bit to get my wits about me and start to ride hard again after sliding out but I had to stay with it as Brad took the opportunity and jumped ahead. Through the last section of the course I was able to attack the course but stayed relaxed and closed the gap to Brad and we hit transition together, we had lost about 2.5min to Craig, Josiah was 1 minute up and Dan was about 40 seconds up.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVQdjmziD8BDfmrIr50hZJEbNOAtg7dBzo37PmKQF39IcqFb-4AuKFUaxd5R-TCVe_fUjtN83eEXvqaBpBXFCsmo77M8rUmtYnM3abblEsW7nRSLMbFr-F4eeqHSTV-53WfyAib7M5acH/s1600/14XTERRASE.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVQdjmziD8BDfmrIr50hZJEbNOAtg7dBzo37PmKQF39IcqFb-4AuKFUaxd5R-TCVe_fUjtN83eEXvqaBpBXFCsmo77M8rUmtYnM3abblEsW7nRSLMbFr-F4eeqHSTV-53WfyAib7M5acH/s1600/14XTERRASE.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SRM Powerfile of XTERRA Southeast Championships</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the run I had Dan in sight and the legs were flying along well and reeled him in the first mile. About two miles in Brad passed but stuck fast about ten seconds behind for the next few miles, using him as a carrot to pull me along. I knew I wasn’t safe as Mauricio’s speed on the run is unmatched by anyone and I didn’t have any idea of how far behind he was. With about a quarter mile to go I heard the dreaded light quick footsteps and he cruised past me, it was a bit crushing. I cruised in able to see that he nearly caught Brad as well in the finishing straight, crossing the line in 5th only 12 seconds out of 3rd place.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmWJWWQopwIcgAJRdaWwu6mV6EBTjet7rmHQx5ETFW42dJpPdV5PMV88HkjSFsRKvldzOGxlESjbjRSuqB9aWL2A2nLCPFyGnFMsBt1iDNkXfZJlDknlb0WQAP4sIGhpRoOUh2b3i7m1q/s1600/Finish+Mauricio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmWJWWQopwIcgAJRdaWwu6mV6EBTjet7rmHQx5ETFW42dJpPdV5PMV88HkjSFsRKvldzOGxlESjbjRSuqB9aWL2A2nLCPFyGnFMsBt1iDNkXfZJlDknlb0WQAP4sIGhpRoOUh2b3i7m1q/s1600/Finish+Mauricio.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congratulating Mauricio after a close finish, this kid is the real deal, so young and talented, sky's the limit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
It was my best effort and performance at the Southeast Championship and went to show how the smallest things can really change the outcome and sometimes those small things are out of your control.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC68wSSuUF6jzCHI_KJH4mI_LpcUzjQw9M4N7lDWM2YkVPbI40V9l3-F9PRqUd0davGA2OAJ-LVXOLL5xy9tIkMurj93-X58JfOlwTy1IbGEncYGg3RHMbukuy5IBwgrm9qlQVZCZFJD2x/s1600/Podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC68wSSuUF6jzCHI_KJH4mI_LpcUzjQw9M4N7lDWM2YkVPbI40V9l3-F9PRqUd0davGA2OAJ-LVXOLL5xy9tIkMurj93-X58JfOlwTy1IbGEncYGg3RHMbukuy5IBwgrm9qlQVZCZFJD2x/s1600/Podium.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 XTERRA Southeast Championship Men's Podium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Race report is on the way from the Rev3 Knoxville Championship.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-61547267766194626102014-05-08T09:25:00.000-06:002014-05-08T09:25:02.306-06:00St. Croix 70.3 <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Race Equipment, Setup and Nutrition<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Clothing – <a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/long-distance-tri-singlet.html?___SID=U" target="_blank">2XU Custom Tri Singlet</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/compression-long-distance-tri-short.html?___SID=U" target="_blank">2XU Custom Compression Long Distance Tri Shorts</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Swim – <a href="http://www.2xu.com/swim-skin-mt2693d.html" target="_blank">2XU Swim Skin</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html" target="_blank">2XU Race Goggles</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bike – <a href="http://www.procyclingwarehouse.com/" target="_blank">Pro Cycling</a> Shiv Pro <a href="http://www.srm.de/products/srm-powermeter/3dplus/" target="_blank">Rotor 3D+ SRM</a>, <a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=256998840&prodid=153391320" target="_blank">53/39 Aero Q-Rings</a>,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">50ml of <a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/Bike-Tire-Sealant_c_19-2.html" target="_blank">Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex</a>
Tubular tires at 100psi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521902US" target="_blank">Rudy Project Windmax Helmet</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP300306S3" target="_blank">Rudy Project Airblast Sunglasses</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Run – <a href="http://www.corunco.com/" target="_blank">Colorado Running Company</a> Inov-8 Road X-Treme 208<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP045906X" target="_blank">RudyProject Noyz Fluo Sunglasses</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/logo/visor.html" target="_blank">FirstEndurance Visor</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Race Nutrition – <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan2" target="_blank">Half Ironman First Endurance Triathlon Nutrition Plan</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<a href="http://endurobites.com/" target="_blank">Enduro Bites Dark Chocolate and Espresso Bar</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-Hot conditions 2 iced bottle in
hand starting run</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The St. Croix Triathlon is one of a few triathlons that are definite bucket list races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In its 31<sup>st</sup> year it has been a race
that I have thought about doing but with the typical hot and humid conditions
it is a race that I try to avoid, however with it being more about strength and
less about speed it did suit that aspect to me more than other courses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One benefit I had on my side is that with
racing St. Anthony’s the week before I had been in similar conditions for a bit
of time heading in and was hopefully that I had acclimated some to the climate
before the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a number of
other guys that made a similar trip combining St. Anthony’s and St. Croix and
it would be great matching up against them again over different conditions and
hopefully make some strides.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-McVlyZfNl4qeA1DbHxG2MwLm7g0lHlQmey_F7pK4nrHJB5BqsHZk8Rsn8Qnmhv8tJVQ7MSOyOF0ZUsA_pvxpIHcTuHX7btRiZo-eqDbDbG_HdFGYr0VFM1NWUMKivqpRioibhbRbmYz0/s1600/SwimStart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-McVlyZfNl4qeA1DbHxG2MwLm7g0lHlQmey_F7pK4nrHJB5BqsHZk8Rsn8Qnmhv8tJVQ7MSOyOF0ZUsA_pvxpIHcTuHX7btRiZo-eqDbDbG_HdFGYr0VFM1NWUMKivqpRioibhbRbmYz0/s1600/SwimStart.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diving in to the coolest conditions of the day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I was thankful for the early start in the warm clear waters
of Christiansted Harbor, it is a unique start you have to swim about 200m over
to a small cay, for the on beach start at the Hotel on the Cay, I lined up
again in a similar position near Tim O’Donnell and Josh Amberger who I knew
would be the guys to follow on the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As with St. Anthony’s a similar scenario played out, I was right with
them and on their feet to the first buoy then the field all collapsed on itself
at the first turn 150 meters off shore and the melee ensued of trying to find
clear water behind fast feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
everyone found their place a group of 4 had gotten away and I was mixed near
the lead of the chase pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
slightly choppy and the group was moving all over the place until we reached
the far turn buoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On that way back in
to shore we were swimming with the chop, my stroke came together and about
halfway back in I led the group back into T1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had no idea of whom I was swimming with, I just hoped that I would
have some strong guys to “work with” on the bike and was in a great place seeing
Greg Bennett, Richie Cunningham and Ruedi Wild donning their helmets at my side.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmI8HECZ8TKfyzTJqq-xbDu1jmFW43G_opOD-sPv-Bhxq21SWutYv2d-ZCU7vIhZPHkCvJgmylwPg03vTASCbxk7ZUGK8DosK363wWAeBAU26ASQ3HnpRVoD_Rq44eFkMiIVwhZnUe_x3/s1600/181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmI8HECZ8TKfyzTJqq-xbDu1jmFW43G_opOD-sPv-Bhxq21SWutYv2d-ZCU7vIhZPHkCvJgmylwPg03vTASCbxk7ZUGK8DosK363wWAeBAU26ASQ3HnpRVoD_Rq44eFkMiIVwhZnUe_x3/s1600/181.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing it in off the bike.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Since we were 45 seconds down on the lead group the only way
to catch them would be to work with these guys and so it was able to get
settled in right away on the bike and not have to go chasing like mad as I did
in St. Anthony’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I led the chase
through the first six miles before the other guys came around and I settled
into a good legal position to take advantage of the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unfortunate part was that I was behind
guys that were a bit lacking in their bike handling skills and we were going
around some corners painfully slow for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once on the road out to the infamous Beast I carried momentum on a
particular twisty section and hit the front again trying to take advantage of
my strengths on the more technical areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQGnPQYwuVKkr6O6jzoHO7lcW4KIpkbpVDXJhdEb6mq-cZC2gARPZMT30YR6MQj-GerFgm-7Ad39L-vV8Rv-5b50IvqMPqV0t3eU7dF5K-MRuRc2zqBS3V37z5BM9YJ-8znZbTSnssNd2/s1600/183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQGnPQYwuVKkr6O6jzoHO7lcW4KIpkbpVDXJhdEb6mq-cZC2gARPZMT30YR6MQj-GerFgm-7Ad39L-vV8Rv-5b50IvqMPqV0t3eU7dF5K-MRuRc2zqBS3V37z5BM9YJ-8znZbTSnssNd2/s1600/183.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed into T2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was riding very comfortably but still trying to push the pace and I
seemed to be setting a good pace, as the other guys didn’t come around me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Beast is 7/10ths of a mile long, climbs
600 feet, averages 14% with a low of 5.5% and the steepest pitch is 26% if you
take the tightest line around one of the switchbacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
headed up slowly one by one the four other guys rode on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not exactly sure why but the legs just
wouldn’t produce the power with the gearing I had on the steep slopes and thus
when I peaked out over the top I then had to start the mad chase to regroup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The descent back down is a bit technical and
I managed to close things down a bit with the corners but I needed more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the top of the Beast you are 21 miles in
and nowhere near done, I kept the group in check about 20-30 seconds ahead and
hammered on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I focused on my nutrition,
as I knew that as the run came it would be critical to be hydrated and ready to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every 15min I focused on taking in
some calories and liquid, alternating between <a href="http://firstendurance.com/nutrition/efs-drink.html" target="_blank">First Endurance EFS drink</a> or
water and one of the squares from the <a href="http://www.endurobites.com/" target="_blank">Enduro Bites bar</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After about 22 miles the chase had taken a
toll and the elastic finally snapped and I lost sight of the group. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the final twelve miles I caught Ben
Collins who was having some issues only to lose the spot gained to Tom Lowe who
was keeping the pressure on the pedals better than I did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSjxAul6BjCWUEHUv4STfOCTHKZ52Kf5aDLuGKDiiLezqreUwBwYoYFw9d-BBOSA9dQV32ClOA7Q9pBpgkaVMn6v0uhNJHAACH0-dMfzCsCLNQgmJnjRT5Yac06vhKipuECW-xTTwn2ZC/s1600/14StCroix.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSjxAul6BjCWUEHUv4STfOCTHKZ52Kf5aDLuGKDiiLezqreUwBwYoYFw9d-BBOSA9dQV32ClOA7Q9pBpgkaVMn6v0uhNJHAACH0-dMfzCsCLNQgmJnjRT5Yac06vhKipuECW-xTTwn2ZC/s1600/14StCroix.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.srm.de/" target="_blank">SRM Powerfile</a> from St. Croix 70.3-Pretty easy to pick out the Beast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Once into T2 I knew it was about staying as cool as possible
and going hard but being a bit conservative on the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a bit more time in transition to don
my visor and Rudy Project Noyz with the darkest lenses I have, the photolaser racing
red, to make things as dark as possible, and grabbed two bottles of ice in a
small cooler at my spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The legs were
not particularly snappy heading out but I was moving all right and with the
conditions as they were anything is always possible to move up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aid stations, spectators and volunteers
along the course were incredible and kept the motivation high even with no one
insight ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally got a glimpse
of one of the other guys about 4 miles in and had reeled him in by the 5 mile
mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very grateful for race
director Tom Guthrie having an aid station on the course every kilometer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed like dropped the equivalent of a 10
lb bag of ice down my 2XU compression tri shorts through out the run but I was up
for anything to stay cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the second
lap of the run there were a lot of athletes starting their first lap and I used
them as dangling carrots in front of me to keep my pace up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between 7 and 8 miles one of the other pro’s
caught me and I didn’t have any response and focused on my own plodding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The feet kept moving but they slowed quite a
bit on the hills through the Buccaneer Resort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With about a mile left another pro came up along side and I put in a
good effort to stay with him and managed to stay there for about 30 seconds
before he notice I locked on to him and put in another surge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had nothing left and started to crack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know it at the time but he was just
finishing his first lap and I was staggering towards the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the last half mile I started to get
tingling in my fingers and the legs really started to waver but I just managed
to get across the line and out of the way before the women’s winner
crossed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The legs were no longer
functional and the guys at the line helped me to the med tent and I got an IV
to start the recovery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCTB7_kkfitpsYhWSYTqyZk_fU2cxJRxbMvDuwV-95XoYOXBaT4erbhaav9H7EhPnLEvfIeeE0R_b2ehJrq-4Z1q8TinevTvARes5cY_TkOwqeW_e-0UQHZL-H5_1kpQQ1PQNj0DTSefa/s1600/198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCTB7_kkfitpsYhWSYTqyZk_fU2cxJRxbMvDuwV-95XoYOXBaT4erbhaav9H7EhPnLEvfIeeE0R_b2ehJrq-4Z1q8TinevTvARes5cY_TkOwqeW_e-0UQHZL-H5_1kpQQ1PQNj0DTSefa/s1600/198.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed out on the run, that slowly slowed to a crawl.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I crossed the line in 10<sup>th</sup> against a
very strong field of athletes, my confidence is continuing to build as I am
putting together races better and better and I have gained a lot of strength
from them. It will be a very big
challenge in two weeks but also nice to be playing on the dirt at XTERRA
Southeast Championship I will then head to Knoxville immediately afterwards
with some, actually a lot, of help from Bri and race in the Rev3 Championship
the following day.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks to Michelle Vaughn for all the race pics and support throughout the weekend.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-38310197123865912842014-05-01T13:30:00.000-06:002014-05-01T13:43:03.501-06:00RR: St. Anthony's Triathlon<div class="MsoNormal">
Race Equipment, Setup and Nutrition<o:p></o:p></div>
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Clothing – <a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/long-distance-tri-singlet.html?___SID=U" target="_blank">2XU Custom Long Distance Tri Singlet</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon/compression-long-distance-tri-short.html?___SID=U" target="_blank">2XU Compression Tri Shorts</a></div>
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Swim – <a href="http://www.2xu.com/swim-skin-mt2693d.html" target="_blank">2XU Swim Skin</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP043967ORC" target="_blank">RudyProject Noyz Fluo Sunglasses</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Race Nutrition – <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan" target="_blank">First Endurance Olympic Triathlon Nutrition Plan</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Warm conditions had iced bottle to hold and drink at start of run.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Back on the road in more ways than one for St. Anthony’s
Triathlon in St. Petersburg Florida to start a two-race trip that would then
follow with the classic St. Croix Half Ironman this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. A’s is always one of the largest and most
competitive Olympic distance non-drafting tri’s in the world and the field is
always stacked.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw0tFb0Q02LhyphenhypheneEeV8K6N1WO22dX8C0ulURBSAhBlFwq7co6Ch5G4NPwlBY4BxDelUnAohLC58CRNF7xMSSiOZ2aAnlc89Dzy5MObPhYBzmagIVHnX7h_z6cDUhVDhR3QctcVXAwcWsQQ/s1600/transition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw0tFb0Q02LhyphenhypheneEeV8K6N1WO22dX8C0ulURBSAhBlFwq7co6Ch5G4NPwlBY4BxDelUnAohLC58CRNF7xMSSiOZ2aAnlc89Dzy5MObPhYBzmagIVHnX7h_z6cDUhVDhR3QctcVXAwcWsQQ/s1600/transition.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site of the early morning prep thanks to Nils Nilsen for all the photos <a href="http://n2photoservices.com/">N2PHOTOSERVICES.COM</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGmx9aAO64WZ9LKIfTNwUtDfUNh3_1optVVyx607L-9r16aTIjjfVoXtVXGD0sNyR8xhkmzTjwqMJ74Ez73A15E92URo_8ejhK-w-GLgLByLXfMmvlRKrVquKcfU8Z6l0f-DHzXIrR1Fr/s1600/prestart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGmx9aAO64WZ9LKIfTNwUtDfUNh3_1optVVyx607L-9r16aTIjjfVoXtVXGD0sNyR8xhkmzTjwqMJ74Ez73A15E92URo_8ejhK-w-GLgLByLXfMmvlRKrVquKcfU8Z6l0f-DHzXIrR1Fr/s1600/prestart.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling fast in the new <a href="http://www.2xu.com/swim-skin-mt2693d.html">2XU Swim Skin</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The swim in this race is
crucial as with the flat course on the bike a pack forms and it is a legal
“non-drafting” bike then a fast flat run.
I positioned myself near Tim O’Donnell who will be in St. Croix too, and
started well and stayed with him for the first bit before everyone decided they
wanted to be in the same place in the water and it turned in to a big washing
machine for a bit. I fought hard for the
first straight and was right at the tail end of the front pack. The water got rougher as we headed away from
shore but I managed to stay tucked right on the tail end of the pack as it
spread out. On the last straight headed
to shore if felt like I was on a treadmill going nowhere and I lost a bit of
contact with the group. I exited about
10-15 seconds off of the group and had have a speedy T1.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7HytiXyC2bp454QgPtBbfZlRkk3ZuHQpGCbYJlXzE-cjUYdXulBTr7Kq3qGoVQMdWkhY4_WkbAIOYnxUQItIxzXVxVCtzBm-z4e_sQLNTcRxZc3Cy41wicHQkojin3MFGil6zjVgbYLY/s1600/bike+early.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7HytiXyC2bp454QgPtBbfZlRkk3ZuHQpGCbYJlXzE-cjUYdXulBTr7Kq3qGoVQMdWkhY4_WkbAIOYnxUQItIxzXVxVCtzBm-z4e_sQLNTcRxZc3Cy41wicHQkojin3MFGil6zjVgbYLY/s1600/bike+early.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammering about a mile in trying to catch the front pack.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I jumped on the bike sort of got my feet in my shoes and
hammered across the cobbled road trying to regain contact with the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rode the first 5 miles before settling that
I was not going to be able to catch them and finally strapped my shoes down and
pressed on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rode hard but knew I was
losing time to the pack of 17 ahead that even though they were riding in a
legal non-drafting position you were still getting draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the heat and humidity I had to stay
hydrated and focused on getting down my bottle of First Endurance EFS drink and
EFS Liquid Shot.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8zYwzghNK64BzMqrdGMu_xTrrPmSHfszy4bBzsTxl6ibO9yXRLIPdJvaN8FKofWOnNjQQOuKpTUmms9BBrB-GgOuLjwYqwttLvYP2XuXXmggQPBX8l0ZsVeOcow83oOe5xbx_vak54QX/s1600/bike-loop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8zYwzghNK64BzMqrdGMu_xTrrPmSHfszy4bBzsTxl6ibO9yXRLIPdJvaN8FKofWOnNjQQOuKpTUmms9BBrB-GgOuLjwYqwttLvYP2XuXXmggQPBX8l0ZsVeOcow83oOe5xbx_vak54QX/s1600/bike-loop.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed to the golf course loop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a loop around a golf
course a small group that was about 15sec back out of the swim caught up and I
mixed in with them trying to ride in a non-drafting position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is crazy how much easier it is when I was
a few people back from the front of the group to maintain the same speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cruised back to T2 having lost about 90
seconds to the lead group and sped off on the run.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3JCU51GpJwN5kk4WWRGf5RSOW3vNewLr2pUKIZbTXWOwKmwm2BJGwTrzwQsMts8THR66QpBIt-R1gcIHXNiiPQ6fGcT4q8QVefP6GPIzPSRKrmiNyvxSsnphHGVVIlPwnfx4d0n13eHD/s1600/bike+late.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3JCU51GpJwN5kk4WWRGf5RSOW3vNewLr2pUKIZbTXWOwKmwm2BJGwTrzwQsMts8THR66QpBIt-R1gcIHXNiiPQ6fGcT4q8QVefP6GPIzPSRKrmiNyvxSsnphHGVVIlPwnfx4d0n13eHD/s1600/bike+late.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.n2photoservices.com/" target="_blank">N2Photo</a> capturing me in full flight headed back to T2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRp1ro8bafP2dJ8npKSq5BE-V7MANwUXMvc4Ld9xKNctjJzf_CbIWQdSLAgxVIokNrMqXM9VMdRnjMt9jUkIbT2HN_0omfItz6cp4Bq6Spl_bnABVjAC38ZLNhOoS3P2Rx9XBkr6_KST0/s1600/14StAnthony.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRp1ro8bafP2dJ8npKSq5BE-V7MANwUXMvc4Ld9xKNctjJzf_CbIWQdSLAgxVIokNrMqXM9VMdRnjMt9jUkIbT2HN_0omfItz6cp4Bq6Spl_bnABVjAC38ZLNhOoS3P2Rx9XBkr6_KST0/s1600/14StAnthony.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 St. Anthony's <a href="http://www.srm.de/" target="_blank">SRM Powerfile</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2nbqiefk1pAApI4L5ezakkC9rrSnc1DLBKerc-mYMPBKHAw_kbMmviHyyEFTBAdCcHROnuI0MlIBeiDnp6HIABnqppHpSGWW0ad50dwaeEwEUBwfbsDn6EMxlQP8dV6zXuXo2b0HXoSO/s1600/Finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2nbqiefk1pAApI4L5ezakkC9rrSnc1DLBKerc-mYMPBKHAw_kbMmviHyyEFTBAdCcHROnuI0MlIBeiDnp6HIABnqppHpSGWW0ad50dwaeEwEUBwfbsDn6EMxlQP8dV6zXuXo2b0HXoSO/s1600/Finish.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a>The group I was with were all very quick runners and I was off
the back shortly, I felt like I was running well and maintaining a good fast
pace but didn’t have the same speed they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I maintained a good consistent pace through the run and got some nice
confidence in seeing how late it took before I started seeing people come the
other direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the turnaround I
got to see the massive gap to the next athlete and could have shut it down but
you never know what might happen ahead and I could still use this race as a
good workout to help build, strength and speed and adapt to the head and
humidity and racing hard. I came across the line in 25<sup>th</sup>, a couple places
better, a few minutes faster and closer to the winner than last year. It was a nice confidence boost for racing in
St. Croix this weekend and I look forward to mixing it up on a very challenging
course.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-39555289121969407822014-04-19T23:52:00.003-06:002014-04-19T23:52:45.030-06:00XTERRA West Championship<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Race Equipment, Setup & Nutrition</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Clothing-<a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon.html" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">2XU Custom Compression Long Distance Tri Shorts and Singlet</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Swim - <a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">2XU Race Goggles</a>, <a href="http://www.2xu.com/x-3-project-x-wetsuit-mw2301c.html" target="_blank">2XU X:3 Project X Wetsuit</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Bike - <a href="http://procyclingwarehouse.com/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">Pro Cycling</a> SW Epic, <a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">Rotor 3D+ SRM</a> w/<a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">38-27 Q-Rings</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/tire-sealants" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</a> in Fast Trak 2.2 Tires, Front 22psi, Rear 26psi</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">Rudy Project Windmax Helmet</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP043967ORC" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rudy Project Noyz Fluo Sunglasses</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Run - <a href="http://corunco.com/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">Colorado Running Company</a> Inov-8 Trailroc 245</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="http://www.2xu.com/run-visor-ua1150f.html" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">2XU Run Visor</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Nutrition - <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">First Endurance Off-Road Nutrition Plan</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a sub par performance at XTERRA Costa Rica, I was looking to turn thing around at XTERRA West Champs at Lake Las Vegas. My confidence in my ability to race well has been pretty low since I hadn't been translating the all of the great training I had been doing after buckling down and really nailing ten solid weeks of training in Tucson over the winter. West Champs was just as much proving to myself that I could put together a very solid race and make myself really dig deep and suffer as it was to place well in the first race of the XTERRA US Tour. On top of that the race was also the qualifier for the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship in Germany in August and there were a number of guys gunning to get a spot on the team.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The lack of any real technical aspect to the bike course, there isn't a real need to ride it to much and I chose to keep the trip as short as possible flying in Saturday, after a quick lap of the two lap bike just got confirmation that it was a bit loose, but enough people had ridden it that a "trail" had formed and you just followed along. One of the crazier bits about this race is the water, XTERRA reported the water temp on Wednesday at 8am (race time) at 54 degrees, I jumped in Saturday afternoon and it was easily right around 70 degrees with warmer and colder pockets around the course. It seemed highly possible that it would be a non-wetsuit swim however race morning arrived and as is typical for the lake the water cooled down and was right around 60 degrees when the gun sounded.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was a cramped start and I was bottled in to the pack from the beginning as Craig, Dan and Mauricio got away and opened up a 25 second gap through the first lap as managed to reach the head of the chase pack as we started lap two.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbi1TeR6vcpBIeE1vugwXFoO9aeVLImG17LHIWEtDKF2zvmO37NeZht_nNKksYhcFUNqXdbCwT3-p_4pBOhhbKENUf0-dhuh_5eaPOP4kmNYS-TKD1tx86UNsJausCTur0ZGqiwiMT6QF/s1600/swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbi1TeR6vcpBIeE1vugwXFoO9aeVLImG17LHIWEtDKF2zvmO37NeZht_nNKksYhcFUNqXdbCwT3-p_4pBOhhbKENUf0-dhuh_5eaPOP4kmNYS-TKD1tx86UNsJausCTur0ZGqiwiMT6QF/s1600/swim.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Beach run between the two lap swim, <a href="http://www.2xu.com/x-3-project-x-wetsuit-mw2301c.html" target="_blank">2XU X:3</a> wetsuit was phenomenal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Leading the chase pack straight and fast, I closed the gap down to 10 seconds to the trio ahead as we entered T1. My 2XU X:3 wetsuit slid straight off and I was on the bike in the mix with Dan and Craig. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unfortunately I didn't get into my shoes cleanly and lost their wheel as we headed toward the dirt. On the first climb everything was clicking well, the legs were spinning and I passed Craig as Dan and Mauricio kept a steady distance ahead. On the next climb Brad Weiss was flying up the hills and I knew I needed to keep in close contact as I would have better power on the flats. Through the remainder of the first lap Brad, Craig and I stretched and closed like and accordion depending on if we were climbing or on the flats. Mauricio was always just in the distance but we were closing the gap down after he lost contact with Dan who was flying away from all of us. As we began the second lap Brad took off and shortly there after Josiah flew by without any notice and there was no chance of catching his wheel. I soldiered on keeping Mauricio in sight, after Brad and Josiah blew by him, with Craig chasing hard and yo-yoing off of my wheel. I nailed the line on the rocky river bed and with Mauricio running it I was right on his wheel when he remounted.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rIRqK-wP3HugwjxsDUdKGedCdXrhbWh0nfKH2XrDHdL1S9blpEWLPlSp6rSnB2toXc20JeOOWPgqJln9B5ozcHgIREGER-juziFhz1NJoE9Hhv1APnSJjckQhmXHiRA7TSlEfBuNhEat/s1600/bike-wash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rIRqK-wP3HugwjxsDUdKGedCdXrhbWh0nfKH2XrDHdL1S9blpEWLPlSp6rSnB2toXc20JeOOWPgqJln9B5ozcHgIREGER-juziFhz1NJoE9Hhv1APnSJjckQhmXHiRA7TSlEfBuNhEat/s1600/bike-wash.jpg" height="414" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Riverbed, it is all about pump and flow, let the bike move beneath you, <a href="http://www.leelikesbikes.com/" target="_blank">Lee Like's Bikes</a> Kung Fu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There was a bit more stretching of the elastic band between Mauricio and I before the last bit of "single-track" along the edge of the lake where in the soft loose conditions that I am very familiar with riding in Colorado Springs and Tucson, I finally got by the very speedy youngster.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9b9HjfjLAXzX2iENDciZ4tbqEWGn6g1T-N_J_EK7dw9BiPfsFySPGcdpI_nVAKO1dPpXchsyTktNUzHzUg6H-jSb9vCx6mCy0sNJBYymtH2JRnh3I2BUe1zqj0GRuYU6tuqHaYExw-me/s1600/bike-mendez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9b9HjfjLAXzX2iENDciZ4tbqEWGn6g1T-N_J_EK7dw9BiPfsFySPGcdpI_nVAKO1dPpXchsyTktNUzHzUg6H-jSb9vCx6mCy0sNJBYymtH2JRnh3I2BUe1zqj0GRuYU6tuqHaYExw-me/s1600/bike-mendez.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The "single track" section at lakes edge, Mauricio Mendez holding strong and Craig not far behind.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In a surprise sighting Dan was sidelined dealing with fixing mechanical issues and Mauricio, Craig and I stayed together through the end of the lap and all entered transition together.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJIAiKEB7lyG8xGVHSty36dgaekfoKwR4J3vE9Jkue3vJXE7EG74Inoq5e50H90TTA6EPiu2oGC7kCF3uj4Eg7-S7IekHv04BoJ0udMF0dFiZ4VN004-5P6PR8E2DQzyUBAgMfdSxqNow/s1600/14XterraWest.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJIAiKEB7lyG8xGVHSty36dgaekfoKwR4J3vE9Jkue3vJXE7EG74Inoq5e50H90TTA6EPiu2oGC7kCF3uj4Eg7-S7IekHv04BoJ0udMF0dFiZ4VN004-5P6PR8E2DQzyUBAgMfdSxqNow/s1600/14XterraWest.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">XTERRA West Champs <a href="http://www.srm.de/" target="_blank">SRM PC7 File</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We were fighting for 3rd behind Josiah and Brad ahead but in all reality Craig and I were fighting for 4th as Mauricio had everyone out classed that day on the run. I made a effort to stay with him but it was not going to happen. It was a great confidence boost though that the gap was very slow in opening up and for the first 2 miles I could used Mauricio as a carrot up ahead and after loosing 5 minutes to him in Costa Rica on a shorter course I only lagged by a little over 2 minutes here. I had battle through the run with Craig nipping at my heels, he would gain a bit of ground on the hills and I would stretch things out slightly on the downhills and flats. I don't think we were every more than 20 seconds apart the entire race but managed to hold him at bay to take 4th.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuzNsQYnAC9_B_TdDuQzu07Q4uRDasdsI6J7M2HVWsthuH_yT1WnwbN0a6A1sxPVvBkcPKaODVCZplg5pUCAYeWuG9GzoIOi4A1hZU-rPHFZQqBRWAJE6YPq38yCLu6mUrSdDA_lxiGMe/s1600/podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuzNsQYnAC9_B_TdDuQzu07Q4uRDasdsI6J7M2HVWsthuH_yT1WnwbN0a6A1sxPVvBkcPKaODVCZplg5pUCAYeWuG9GzoIOi4A1hZU-rPHFZQqBRWAJE6YPq38yCLu6mUrSdDA_lxiGMe/s1600/podium.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">4th Suzie & I, 2nd Emma & Brad, 1st Flora and Josiah, 3rd Shonny & Mauricio, 5th Chantell & Craig</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Regardless of place it was exactly the type of race I needed to have, proving to myself that I could race, and I could suffer and be in the mix. I know that I will need to endure more pain and suffering to continue to move in my desired direction but it just feels good to put it all together. Next up are a couple of road tri's back to St. Anthony's then on to St. Croix for a half ironman.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1661674219650547659.post-81760133434951628132014-04-02T00:18:00.006-06:002014-04-02T00:18:57.522-06:00RR: XTERRA Costa Rica<div class="MsoNormal">
Race Equipment, Setup & Nutrition</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clothing-<a href="http://2xuteamwear.com/view-range/triathlon.html">2XU Custom Compression Long Distance Tri Shorts and Singlet</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Swim - <a href="http://www.2xu.com/2xu-race-goggles-uq1862k.html">2XU Race Goggles</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike - <a href="http://procyclingwarehouse.com/">Pro Cycling</a> SW Epic, <a href="http://www.srm.de/product/powermeters/2x-rotor-mtb/">Rotor 3D+ SRM</a> w/<a href="http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=153391220&prodid=255931980">38/27 Q-Rings</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.cantitoeroad.com/tire-sealants">Effetto Mariposa Sealant</a> in Fast Trak 2.2 Tires, Front 22psi, Rear 26psi</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/HL521901US">Rudy Project Windmax Helmet</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/en/products/detail/SP293898-FFF2">Rudy Project Agon Sunglasses</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run - <a href="http://corunco.com/">Colorado Running Company</a> Inov-8 Trailroc 245</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.2xu.com/run-visor-ua1150f.html">2XU Run Visor</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nutrition - <a href="http://firstendurance.com/sports/triathlon/branden-rakita/#plan">First Endurance Off-Road Nutrition Plan</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Hot conditions picked up 3rd bottle of EFS at aid station</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
One way to kick off the season is with a nice destination
race, it generally involves warmer weather, sun and sand and XTERRA Costa Rica
certainly delivered on all fronts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
race was held on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast at the beautiful Reserva Conchal, a
resort area with a private wildlife preserve.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It was a beach start on Playa Conchal, before diving into
the nice cool waters, which were an apparent jellyfish preserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was quickly on to the feet of Leonardo
Chacon and was comfortable in my position and effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the first buoy, there was a small group of
four in front and I thought I was at the tail end of the group but when I did a
quick sight for the next buoy a seemingly massive gap opened up and I was left
sprinting again to catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the
draft of the group is when the jellyfish became more and more apparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not talking about just a few here and
there had to be thousands in the waters that morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You were lucky to take a stroke without
hitting one, it was much more common to grab, brush or stick your hand straight
into one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have ever raced the
Pacific Grove Triathlon with its Kelp Crawl, replace the kelp with jellyfish
and that is what the swim was like, it will remain to be seen if XTERRA Costa
Rica will have the Jellyfish Crawl swim each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the first lap there was a
group of three up front then a gap the guy that had allowed the gap to open
then took off then me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I closed the gap
down to him on the way to the first buoy and we swam together trying to close
the gap to the front group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way
back into the beach, the jellyfish seemingly all gathered together and it was
like swimming through a ball pit at a playground at times.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6YKRAzdP4gyeDDBi40iUj3Zr2d2PA89pm8xAQXhEVjOGjysMo6f1pyRw-InpukWjhHIFHC_oWf2YB9531YzoOeSZM2C8Ek0u3D5YwT7-DIB7JMOEaXhyW9NFT5qWE7exAw465cM49SSS/s1600/IMG_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6YKRAzdP4gyeDDBi40iUj3Zr2d2PA89pm8xAQXhEVjOGjysMo6f1pyRw-InpukWjhHIFHC_oWf2YB9531YzoOeSZM2C8Ek0u3D5YwT7-DIB7JMOEaXhyW9NFT5qWE7exAw465cM49SSS/s1600/IMG_3456.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rom Akerson, Me, Leonardo Chacon at the start.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I entered transition as Craig Evans and Leonardo Chacon were
exiting and very snappily was chasing after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The loose sand road made it difficult to put the gloves and shoes on
while riding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we hit an open beach
area and had to dismount and run across the soft sand I fastened the last
shoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I struggled in the sand and tried
to mount too early only to have to get back off and run a bit further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully the temperatures were still cool
and it was still pretty shaded early on the bike but I knew that it was vital
to continuously get in my First Endurance EFS so I wouldn’t experience a melt
down later on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once of the sand I was
focused on trying to get glimpses of the guys ahead as we started the ride-able
part of the first climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew Mauricio
Mendez was not far head but the nature of the winding course made getting
glimpses of people very hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did spot
him when we hit the first hike-a-bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
hike would spike my heart rate and I would try to recover as quickly as
possible on the short descents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rode
cleanly through the one small technical step section and then elected to
dismount for the entire very loose, narrow stepped path back down to the ocean
for a quick ride on some hard packed sand before heading back on to a rolling
dirt road section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Josiah caught me and
I tried to stay</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UP1YYvnxji2sAMoKPp-srCn1dawoAesUDU8J35eQd7T8ygn_LrhWkq6yRbj4nppeSuS9O_YdompaX09Xx46DPK-xuugaWM_F2ssl4rgR89oB1Nu7E2IBoWgX0v39G5JgY_Ml-yCBPnPe/s1600/josaiah_me+pre+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UP1YYvnxji2sAMoKPp-srCn1dawoAesUDU8J35eQd7T8ygn_LrhWkq6yRbj4nppeSuS9O_YdompaX09Xx46DPK-xuugaWM_F2ssl4rgR89oB1Nu7E2IBoWgX0v39G5JgY_Ml-yCBPnPe/s1600/josaiah_me+pre+bike.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josiah and I pre-riding (Photo J. Andres Vargas - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stereonauta/sets/72157643146181573/">More XTERRA Costa Rica Photos</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2282d7UIZvjPz7kPDLyQTeeZJ3o_vyEjdttTSxm1nVrVFUgvYS_DQUb32wbKa2nYTz-gw5mHpGp7m5-tlFLegigEQHyKyFg4XzZe6siBOi2zjbcOG90TYJE1KTOGzgD6NX9IjTi4jvDc/s1600/Leo+Hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2282d7UIZvjPz7kPDLyQTeeZJ3o_vyEjdttTSxm1nVrVFUgvYS_DQUb32wbKa2nYTz-gw5mHpGp7m5-tlFLegigEQHyKyFg4XzZe6siBOi2zjbcOG90TYJE1KTOGzgD6NX9IjTi4jvDc/s1600/Leo+Hike.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leo Chacon on one of the hike-a-bike sections (Photo J.Andres Vargas)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
with him but just didn’t quite have it as he slowly got
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had helped pulled Rom Akerson
up to me as well and we went back and forth before I started opening up a gap
on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race organizers allowed us
to have a personal bottle at the aid station and it was perfect to help get a
fresh cold bottle of First Endurance EFS as the course was much more exposed
and the temperatures were much warmer than at the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a fairly short lollipop section of the
course is where I started to struggle especially with four hike-a-bike
sections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first one was the worst it
was at least 200 meters long and over a 60-degree slope at the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rom caught me and we stayed together on the
descent but on the next 3 hiking sections he opened up a wider and wider
gap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very thankful to get off of
that loop and back to riding. Sebastian Neef caught me on the road and we
worked together heading into the last soft dirt section of the course before
transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We closed down the gap to
Rom and caught him at the base of the last hike a bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could not stay with them running the bikes
and they opened up a small gap at T2.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCYjVk2Eoy-Bnv99pqNvIgykQDiYb9H0vdZpq5G1HwSMqzC5vT-kJ19RkH0bd6ExOhA2w6p3oTqXTf64mkf8V8Lb3Npgu0ScDX-M8qijG8fznQCSaVaDokBugQ7I-ZNvYGMm_RsrbYCnP/s1600/14XTERRACostaRica.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCYjVk2Eoy-Bnv99pqNvIgykQDiYb9H0vdZpq5G1HwSMqzC5vT-kJ19RkH0bd6ExOhA2w6p3oTqXTf64mkf8V8Lb3Npgu0ScDX-M8qijG8fznQCSaVaDokBugQ7I-ZNvYGMm_RsrbYCnP/s1600/14XTERRACostaRica.tiff" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">XTERRA Costa Rica <a href="http://www.srm.de/">SRM power file</a> - Note Hike-a-Bike sections, uphill with no power (green line)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I headed on the run with two bottles of ice in my hands, and
a bag of ice in my shorts to help against the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bottles were excellent as I could grab a
drink as the ice melted along with the remaining EFS Liquid Shot from the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I charged the first hill on the run and the
tricky footed descent to get to the reserve where we ran two loops on twisty
path with howler monkeys and birds in the trees all around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first loop seemed to take forever and the
second lap went by very quickly, unfortunately I was not closing down on anyone
ahead on the long road and loose sandy section back into the finish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK1geNqJjr08_y5m_QucUnkY1dgnOIDGpAaXF-44UTgE8egJ1EXz0RaJIKJL_FnXskZCFhrLrUYn9uPOIHo0Afi3EAO14CcHgH5zTjK2ikdx2YJTIuWjRN0mfdE_f_7MZO9tyJWdIM4dl/s1600/run_xterra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK1geNqJjr08_y5m_QucUnkY1dgnOIDGpAaXF-44UTgE8egJ1EXz0RaJIKJL_FnXskZCFhrLrUYn9uPOIHo0Afi3EAO14CcHgH5zTjK2ikdx2YJTIuWjRN0mfdE_f_7MZO9tyJWdIM4dl/s1600/run_xterra.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to stay cool with two bottles of ice on the run (Photo XTERRA - Kahuna)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I crossed the line in 7<sup>th</sup> definitely disappointed
with my placing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the strongest
field of the three XTERRA World Tour races that weekend, but I felt like I lost
a couple of places because of all the hike-a-bike sections on the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is part of what off road triathlon is
though; the course is just as much something you are battling as the other
athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a couple weeks of work
before the US XTERRA Series begins, we are all in in Vegas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJzdAJjp1m4H173h7W0ppF4uPCcNhMQdtkSGGPwfEetwKiQQz9YAr1SXz1yQzZ895zjbgRcuzY5iywNrZyZW-BHa_53woaqTOqXDTiVlCdhBGYQ8B51PiJpilAcACPihNW00EfRMYrnTh/s1600/IMG_3469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJzdAJjp1m4H173h7W0ppF4uPCcNhMQdtkSGGPwfEetwKiQQz9YAr1SXz1yQzZ895zjbgRcuzY5iywNrZyZW-BHa_53woaqTOqXDTiVlCdhBGYQ8B51PiJpilAcACPihNW00EfRMYrnTh/s1600/IMG_3469.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post race ice bath with 5th place podium and race day birthday boy Craig Evans, always good times with him at races. </td></tr>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09719375195569520879noreply@blogger.com0