Humpty Dumpty had 3 great big falls.

Pre-able:
45 minutes before the start, lightning flashed ominously over that big lake next to Milwaukee, and pretty soon rain came down in buckets. Swimming was not meant to happen. We were to do a duathlon instead- 3k run, 30k bike, 10k run. The change of conditions was exciting and it was my first wet Xterra. Most people huddled under the Xterra tents watching the sky pour. The more serious athletes warmed up in the rain, and some (the clever/ prepared ones) used the time to make quick tire changes. I had some bike issues, and the local Specialized mechanic did a quick rear suspension swap in the rain. If I  had mud tires with me, I would have thrown them on, but alas, fast, dry condition tires with little baby side knobs (needed for steering in mud) were going to have to do the job.

Tumble #1
Fat FootWarming up I did some strides. Running at full speed on a grassy area, I stepped into an open irrigation box, rolled my ankle, and fell like a sack of potatoes. My ankle really hurt, but after a few big words and some tentative steps and I felt ok. The race must go on. Afterwards I learnt  it was a 2nd degree sprain with some partially torn muscles and ligaments.

The cannon boomed and the pros stormed off. Staying with the leaders was crucial, and I rode the bus comfortably.

Once on the bike, 6 of us rode the flat tar and gravel roads behind Brian Smith, a new Xterra pro, who came over from Mountainbiking. Just before the first singletrack section I moved into the lead and got ready to throw down.

Tumble #2
Not Popeyes HamstringI took the first slight corner fast, and could feel the tires drift a little- “ah, not too slippery”, I thought. Already had a gap… The next turn was slightly sharper- actually a fork in the trail, that split both sides around a young tree. I turned, but we went straight. The trail was slippery as snot and I hit the tree at about 30km/h. The tree shaved me clean off my bike. Bike went to the right, my Clif Shots and I were scattered in the mud to the left. Point of impact? Inner thigh.- fortunately low. The thought of a broken femur crossed my mind, but I was already up and riding, so it couldn’t be broken. I looked down and already there was a big welt rising under the purple lines.

Shaken but not stirred, I rode more carefully, caught the leaders, and decided to “just” sit behind Brian for a while- He was riding well, he seems to have good tires, but more importantly, I could judge how slippery the trail was by watching him slide. I was still planning on how, once the trail opens up, and my leg hopefully throb less, I’d dump him, and make some time.

Tumble #3
Fat LipFollowing Brian onto a narrow wooden bridge my bike suddenly disappeared beneath me. I didnt turn, I didn’t touch the brakes, nothing. One moment it was there, the next it was gone. All I remember is the “thud” of my head hitting the railing on the way down. And the back wheel spinning like crazy as I lay there stunned. Must have lost touch with reality for a while there because I went from 2nd to 7th without realizing so many people passing me. Also, the fall knocked my gears in 1st and I had to use a mixture of force, sweet talking and yanking on cables and derailleur to get it to shift again.

By then, all I wanted was my mommy. If I fell one more time, I’d be ready to cry.

The rest of the bike leg I just rode with Brent and Paco. I tried to get away a few times, but I’d slide into a lapped rider that’s bogged down, just to get caught again.

After that I pretty much switched to “survival mode”, and just followed doggedly.

We started the run in 5th, 6th and 7th,  3 min 30 down . The other two took off right away, and I hobbled along, hoping things would hurt less sooner rather than later. The inside of my leg wobbled like a mound of jelly when I ran, (especially anything resembling a downhill) and my ankle, which had a numb pain, loosened up  (or deadened completely) and I’m happy to say I was cooking the last 2 miles, almost sprinting down 6th.

The medical tent was carnage. Paco, Brent, Brian and we were only 7 finishers so far! I saw my ankle bulging like a tennis ball and my heart sank to my shoes. Xterra President Janet Clark is a very competent ambulance driver and Brent and I were roomies at the hospital. The nurses spoilt us with polony sandwiches, cream puffs, (and lengthy demos on how to eat a cream puff without spilling cream) sweet bad coffee, X-rays for me, wound scrubbing and a healthy dose of stitches to the huge gash for Brent’s knee.

The verdict was “not broken”, and  I hobbled out on crutches. Nyberg carted us home and somehow we squeezed 3 very dirty and broken bikes in the back and 3 very dirty and broken athletes in the front of a family car. Wasn’t so funny then.

Rick Cruse – XTerraThis story was written 10 days later on my way to the next Xterra in Ogden, Utah. With intensive Kiatsu (thanks Brad and Shad) and massage (Mark and Tana), I managed to ride my bike and start swimming 5 days after the race, I ran once, but something under my heel hurt and I’m not planning on running till race day, Utah.

Determined to finish this tragic comedy on a happy note, here is a good story:
My first bike ride back from injury a Yellow jacket flew into my mouth, and before I could spit it out, it gave me a quick love bite! Incredible, but true…

IN AFRICA, THEY BREED US TOUGH !

Conrad

OGDEN/SNOWBASIN, UT – A pair of Victoria, B.C. bred pros – Mike Vine and Melanie McQuaid – won their respect divisions at the aptly named Nissan Xterra Mountain Championship at Snowbasin today.

Amazingly perfect weather – clear blue skies and temps in the mid-80’s – greeted 600 competitors representing 30 states and six countries as they took on a 1-mile swim in Pineview Resevoir, a 17-mile mountain bike that climbed 3,000 feet up to Snowbasin, and finished with a 6-mile mountain run.

It was an uphill battle for the entire field today and nobody handled it better than Vine, who picked up his first win in what to this point has been an injury-and-mechanicals plagued season. His last victory was a year ago at the Mountain Champs in Keystone.

“Was there any doubt?!” Vine jokingly exclaimed to a big crowd at the incredibly beautiful Snowbasin Ski Resort in Northern Utah as he received his $2,500 first place check and trophy.

There was actually quite a bit of doubt through midway on the bike because Conrad “the Caveman” Stoltz was powering up the long gradual climb like no one else. More than halfway through the bike leg Stoltz had probably two minutes on the next closest rider – Michael Simpson – and more time than that on the chase pack that included Seth Wealing, Vine, and Andrew Noble.

As his luck would have it, Stoltz was chugging along “uphill 5mph” when something punctured his tire. It was one of the rare flats on the day and it cost him three or four minutes…and his mojo.

“Ahh, Stoltz,” the two-time XTERRA World Champ was overheard saying quietly to himself in his uniquely South African accent. “Stoltz. Stoltz. Stoltz.”

A few minutes after it happened Simpson went by (but not before dropping off a can of air so Conrad could get going again … for which Stoltz kindly gave him a push to get his momentum back). Simpson jumped into first for a while before Wealing and Vine reeled him in.

At about the 25k point just before the bike course hit its summit – in yet another example of camaraderie and sportsmanship – Wealing gave way to Vine anticipating that he’d be bombing the downhill more fiercely.

“Still a little shaky on the downhill,” said Wealing, who missed seven days of training in the past couple of weeks before getting a bunch of stitches removed from his thigh (a consequence of a sharp tree branch).

When Vine hit the downhill section of the bike there was no stopping him, or catching him, as he out split everybody in the race on the run.

“I was running scared on the bike and the run,” said Vine, who had the best bike (1:28:08) and run (30:12) splits.

“This course suits me really well with the climbing and altitude, and I felt great on the run.”

Wealing wheeled out onto the rocky uphill trail run in second about a minute back and stayed in stride for second, which boosted him from No. 5 to No. 2 in the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series standings heading into the finale in Nevada.

Stoltz and Simpson headed out on the run together and stayed tight through about the first 3k until Stoltz took a spill and Simpson took advantage.

“I think he was quite hurt but he said he was O.K.,” said Simpson (Note: Stoltz was running on a heavily swollen ankle from when he turned it before the race in Milwaukee).

Reminiscent of his gutsy performance just a couple of weeks ago at the Midwest Championship Stoltz persevered and held off a hard-charging Andrew Noble for 4th place.

Noble, who turned 41 today, was only one-second behind Stoltz and picked up his fifth straight top 5 – the only men’s pro to do that this year. He dropped one-spot from 2nd to 3rd in the Series.

The one constant in everyone’s story today were the adjectives, “Beautiful, Amazing, Gorgeous, Fun, Tough”.

Simpson said “I love this area, it’s gorgeous. I was blown away, this is as pretty a racecourse as I’ve done. I was really happy to do it and definitely coming back last year.”

Vine backed him but using his own words “This place rules! It’s Fully Worthy!”

In his first XTERRA this season (after becoming a new Dad) Greg Krause had a great race and finished 6th.

WOMEN’S RACE

With her back against the wall in a must-win situation two-time XTERRA World Champion Melanie McQuaid nailed it. She led from near wire-to-wire as she overtook swim leader Janae Pritchett early in the bike, built a big lead and ultimately finished more than four minutes in front of rival Jamie Whitmore.

What that means is now when the two meet in Nevada on October 1 it will be a true head-to-head battle for the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series title. If McQuaid wins in Tahoe she’s the champ, and likewise for Whitmore.

“I wanted to prove I could win at altitude heading into Tahoe and I did that,” said an exuberant McQuaid. “Jamie is fast and Janae and Danelle are fast so you have to be on your game to win and today I was.”

Indeed. She came out of the water about a minute-forty ahead of Whitmore, put another three minutes on her during the bike, and ran at the same pace.

“In order for her to be a contender in Tahoe she had to win this race so I knew it was all or nothing for her and she brought it today,” said Whitmore. “Usually I don’t lose that much time on the swim to her, and on the bike I can usually recover but my legs just didn’t want to turn over.”

Melissa Thomas, at home in the mountains and on long power climbs, put up her best performance of the season to take home 3rd place and move her up three spots from 9th to 6th in the Series. Danelle Kabush was steady all day and finished 4th and Janae Pritchett was close behind in 5th.

The accolades for the course and the scenic Ogden Valley with its vast expanses and majestic mountains rang loud from the women’s field as well.

“With the altitude here and how friendly the people are and the great facilities that exist here this would be an incredible place for triathletes to train so I can see as people become more aware of how great Utah is this could become the next Mecca for endurance sports…it’s gorgeous,” said McQuaid.

“Win or lose this is a great place and I had a blast enjoying all the people and the parties,” said Whitmore.

“I saw a Moose pre-riding earlier this week and today I heard stuff moving around in the bushes but I’m not sure what it was. There’s all kinds of wildlife here,” smiled Thomas.

The XTERRA community has clearly embraced the new home of the Mountain Championship and chants of “can’t wait till next year” filled the post-race festivities in downtown Ogden (which included Taste of Historic 25th Street food booths, a highlight video from the race, and the music of Mat Kearney).

From: XTerra Planet

Contact: Trey Garman 808-216-8606

By Conrad Stoltz -2005

For the first time in many years, I didn’t make any real New Years resolutions. I used to, but for some reason I put it off as one of those foofy things we like to do during the follies of the Festive season; like opening crackers at Christmas lunch.

After a long, tough 2004 with quite a few disappointments, I took my recovery season seriously and just breezed though life- lazily coming out of my off season, haphazardly starting training for the upcoming season, slowly morphing into what seems to maybe one day  become a fire breathing, ass kickin’ World champion triathlete again. Maybe, couldn’t say if or when.

New Years day came, and I started “serious” training like I always do. I trained so seriously, I even went on a “training camp” with friends near Clanwilliam for a week, and in-between these “training camps” I went crayfish diving with friends, I painted my house, and even bent my serious training beliefs to such an extent that wine, beer and bread was ok whenever it was within arms reach.

I was just going through the motions of training seriously. Logging the hours, sweating the sweat, waiting for the Christmas pudding bum to show signs of returning back to normal. I wasn’t feeling that burning hunger I get when training to be a champion. Working to become faster, stronger and more skillful everyday.

Mid January a friend called and we met for coffee. His expression looked serious, when he paused to gather courage, and took a deep breath before he started, I knew he wasn’t going to talk about the weak dollar. We had a good talk. Actually, he had a good talk. I had a good listen. The essence of the talk being: “Conrad, do-not-throw-it-away.” “It” being my God given talent to be a fast triathlete. It is a wonderful, yet fragile gift to have. Throwing such a gift away by painting my house, becoming an “uber crayfish diver” or enjoying fine wines at the wrong times is a shame. Slowly it dawned upon me: I am what my new Years resolution is: Empty.

Athletes have a very small window of opportunity, time wise. I can paint my house in the off season, but now is a time to make most of my talents.  For within a handful of years my “best before” date will be over, and financially, I would have to provide for a family, and live the rest of my life with what I had made during these few critical years. I have matric (the old one, at least) and a few other lesser talents, but more than anything else, when I am an old ballie, sitting on the stoep, sipping coffee, I would not be able to be at peace with myself knowing that I wasn’t the World Champion when I could have been.