Posts Tagged ‘clif bar’
XTERRA run course- Beaver Creek, (near Vail) Colorado. I pre rode the bike and run courses 2 weeks before the race and snapped these pix I’d like to frame one day when we have a home.
I havent blogged about it yet, but last weekend I raced Boulder Peak 5150, 6 days before my 1st Beaver Creek XTERRA Mountain Champs. I raced 4 or 5 pain & adrenaline filled XTERRAs on the dazzling (in many ways) ski slopes of Keystone ski resort- between 9000-12000 ft alt -the kind of place where Ned Overend roams free.
On the drive up from Boulder, Liezel (jokingly) modeled her new Suunto Core Alu Pure White and Oakley Immerse sunnies on top of Loveland pass CO.
With only 6 days between races, recovery training is obviously the order of the day. Did a fair bit of scenic Boulder riding with Liezel on her new Ruby. Our friend and Specialized mechanic Dylan joined us for a coffee shop ride to the town of Hygiene. No pun intended.
Husband and wife training camp – Flatirons CO.
We drove up in the Specialized Team truck 3 days before the event and once in Beaver Creek we did the usual pre race routine:
– Pre ride the course with friend/colleague/boss/mechanic Dylan van der Merwe:
Drove the Specialized truck up the 3200ft climb to avoid wringing an hours’ climbing at 9000 ft out of my legs. We then rode the downhill one last time. (On the drive up we got pulled over by a guy in a pick up truck for a “Super Fan” photo of the Red monster)
This course is not technical, but has a nice 5 minute singe track section: Click here for YouTube video of the one single track section from Caveman perspective:
More things to do during taper:
– Have a braai (BBQ) at your #1 opposition Josiah Middaugh’s house. Lots of Avia shoes in the doorway. Pretty much open party.- the camaraderie says a lot about the XTERRA family. (the brownies werent even laced with laxatives…)
Josiah is a fearsome competitor as it is. But this course is just 2mi from his house- meaning he’s used to breathing fake “air” and more importantly, he knows how to go uphill fast! Oh, and just seeing his “Josiah Face” during a race is enough to trigger the “Fight or flight” response!
– Entertain VIPs: We were much honoured to have Specialized road triathlon mega star Ben Hoffman make an XTERRA cameo:
Who knew tires could shine that bright? I think the product is called “Sonfagun”. Seriously.
– Watch the local Rodeo.
The 3 man Burro barrel race was almost as spectacular as the bull riding.
Back to business:
For Specialized Racing mechanics Dylan (Boss) van der Merwe and Joe (Spider Monkey) Devera “getting the bikes ready” is not what triathletes are used to. Its not a quick wipe with the hotel towel, chain lube and tire pump. These guys come with a Mountain bike World Cup approach. Full Team truck- Full Monty. Every bike gets stripped and rebuilt- fresh parts where needed, fresh tires, fresh cables, fresh grease, fresh Lock-tite, fresh alles. For the massive amount of climbing I switched to lighter grips, lighter tires, no Command Post, but after weighing pedals and shoes decided to not go with the road shoe /pedal combo.
Dylan van der Merwe in blue (Stellenbosch, South Africa) works with Specialized triathletes and Mountain bikers at events around the globe and is going to the London Olympics to support our athletes. To top it off and used to be quite the triathlete- on and off road. Joe Devera “Spider Monkey” used to be a full time sponsored rock climber (often living in a VW van), worked on various road cycling teams, including the Mavic Neutral Support Team before wrenching on Specialized MTB and Triathlon teams.
Spend some time on iamspecialized.com and see why Specialized Racing is the best racing team across all disciplines.
But if your hotel has no garden hose, a good bike wash starts in the shower. Dylan washed 3 bikes as part of his pre race prep. Here is my version in Spain 2011: Bike Shower.
The race:
After getting pounded in the swim by 2,40 at Boulder Peak, we unleashed “DefCon 4” swim training, ok, in 6 days I only had time for 1 DefCon 4 session- but half the speed is attitude anyway – by XTERRA time I was good to go. Swam with the leaders no problem. Craig Evans, Branden Rakita & Ben Hoffman. The new Blue Seventy Helix wetsuit and Vision goggles helped get the job done. Note the looming ski slopes in the back ground. Intimidating stuff.
Did I say the bike climbed A LOT?! 3200ft straight up. (about 1000m of alt gain in 35min) Starting at 8100ft. Not 1 second of free wheeling (or even soft pedaling) in the 1st 35min. So pacing is crucial. The recent road tris helped me get used to the sustained effort (also called “pain”) of the TT effort- as opposed to the hit and run efforts on the “normal” MTB ride.
At least the course is really really scenic. That is if you can see past the black spots and flashing lights. Took this pic during pre riding when I could see and think and breathe all at the same time.
My dietician and chef (Liezel) has been mixing the “Power mix” a bit leaner the past few weeks- fewer M&Ms in the trail mix. The season of Flatland Racing is over and Climbing Season is officially open. (XTERRA Utah and Maui also climbs a lot) So power to weight is crucial. No point trying to take the weight off the bike – its light enough already- its gotta come off my backside.
Photos below by Rick Kimmel from Stumbling towards Greatness
Since the Luckstone XTERRA in Richmond, athlete tracking by GPS has been all the rage. You can see the GPS unit on my number belt. It doesnt swim yet, but people can track all the athletes live online. Pretty cool with todays’ social media & technology making the world a global village.
Ben Hoffman is taking a mid season break (from IM and 70.3 racing) and gave XTERRA a whirl. Without pre riding the course he did great to finish 3rd behind Josiah. Expect to see him in Maui for Worlds…
Judging by my “Josiah Face”, you can see the run was really really tough- basically 2.5km vertically up – so steep, I walked 4 times- and 2.5km straight down. Twice.
Looks like I’m “parking a tiger” (throwing up) in the bushes- felt like it- but I was power walking up one of the steeper hills. I find walking the really steep parts is almost as fast as running, but your heart rate stays lower, so when I get to a flatter section I can run at a good pace right away.
Liezel looking down the trail to give splits- after the bike I had a 2;30 gap on Josiah, lost 50″ on the 1st climb, but then held the gap over the last 5km- winning by 1.20.
Results by JTL Timing:
1 Stoltz, Conrad :18:25 4 :00:42 1:08:15 2 :00:49 0:38:54 8 02:07:05 1 2 Middaugh, Josiah :19:24 8 :00:46 1:09:25 3 :00:46 0:38:03 5 02:08:24 2 3 Hoffman, Ben :18:31 5 :00:51 1:12:19 6 :00:52 0:38:07 6 02:10:40 3 4 Henestrosa, David :19:22 7 :00:47 1:12:21 7 :00:50 0:37:30 3 02:10:50 4 5 Waite, Cody :20:55 23 :00:47 1:12:04 5 :00:52 0:39:19 9 02:13:57 5 6 Ignatz, Ryan :20:51 21 :00:42 1:14:22 9 :00:52 0:37:20 2 02:14:07 6 7 Smith, Brian :23:28 61 :01:28 1:11:21 4 :00:57 0:36:58 1 02:14:12 7 8 Rakita, Branden :18:24 3 :09:21 1:06:22 1 :00:47 0:41:56 18 02:16:50 8
For one day Colorado’s second language was Afrikaans. The mountain was crawling with South Africans: Other than Liezel & Dylan (pictured) finished 3rd in the Sport race there was also a very vocal Melt Swanepoel (racing the US Marathon MTB series) Dewet Marais (from Squirt lube), Brad Weiss (DNF – says the altitude bowled him LBW) the guys from GU South Africa vacationing, and few families spectating.
6th XTERRA win this summer.
Race report from XTERRA’s
Trey Garman:
[For Stoltz, not altitude, not abear, not even Josiah Middaugh – a mountain master on his home course – could disrupt his perfect 2012 season. Stoltz started the year with a win at the XTERRA South Africa Championship, then swept through the XTERRA regional championships in Nevada, Alabama, Virginia, & now Colorado to bring his unprecedented XTERRA all-time championship wins total to 47.
“I must admit it was a very pleasurable experience,” said Stoltz, who raced here at the XTERRA Mountain Championships in Beaver Creek for the first time today. “I didn’t expect to come up here and have fun but it was a lot of fun. The course is beautiful, and I was amazed at all the spectators even out in the middle of the forest. I saw a black bear up there while I was racing. I heard some branches break and I could see it getting away and Josiah saw it too. So, it was very memorable. I was really surprised at my win. I thought Josiah was going to take it, because beating him on this course is really tough so I think I had a very special day. I have to thank Specialized who put a lot of time and effort into my bike.”
Stoltz came out of the mile-swim in the 66-degree waters of Nottingham Lake on the heels of leader Craig Evans and Branden Rakita, with Ben Hoffman directly behind him and David Henestrosa and Middaugh a minute back.
By the three-mile mark, and after the first of nearly four-thousand feet of climbing from the lake which sits at 7,400-feet, Stoltz led by a minute with Hoffman and Middaugh chasing together. At mile 10, Middaugh moved into second but hadn’t closed the gap and by the bike-to-run transition Stoltz, who had the fastest bike split of the day in 1:09:46, had more than a two-minute lead.
“When you put together a good race and get beat it’s not because something went wrong, it’s just that you’re not fit enough,” said Middaugh, who has now finished runner-up to the “Caveman” in three of the last four races. “Conrad had an awesome race and kudos to him for having that fitness and power that I’m going to be looking for in the next few months.”
Ben Hoffman had an incredible race in his first major XTERRA, and by the looks of his post-race grin it seems certain not to be his last.
“It was awesome today, I’m fired up, had fun out there,” said Hoffman, who had quite the support crew with the Specialized team in full force. “I think most people hear XTERRA has a little more laid back vibe and fun atmosphere and being here definitely confirmed that for me. Seeing it firsthand; the volunteers are psyched, it’s a well-run race, well-marked course, and super challenging but fair, an honest course. There’s no hiding here, it’s what you got on the day.”]
After his 3rd place in the Sport race Dylan slammed a gallon of Chocolate milk and was back on the job cleaning bikes.
I learnt another wrenching trick- when washing the bike with degreaser, cover the brake pads with paper towel to avoid fowling the brake pads.
The day after the race Hoff and I went for a recovery spin on the mountain and did some hunting gathering while we’re out there…
If I had not been there myself, I too may not believe that the 5150 New Orleans actually happened. ZERO press from 5150. Not even on their own website. You’d think they’ll have someone paid to promote the event? I’m a 2 man band (with the Cave Missus) and even our small operation has a paid employee who blogs about 5150.
So no more waiting to see if there is a pic of my zippy Specialized SHIV. (I’m actually eager to see my position and aerodynamics on the bike)
So we have to do with the trusty old iPhone pix:
N’Awlins is HOT!!
The ice bath at the finish was the best thing all week. N’Awlins is so hot, when you walk out the door, you’re immediately drenched.
After about 4 or 5 years away from any serious road triathlon racing the Caveman dipped his toes into the 5150 scene at New Orleans.
The reason for 5150 is: “I want to qualify for HyVee and kick ass”
The reason for New Orleans is: “It is in the same time zone as XTERRA Richmond, 2 weeks ago, and we dont have a home right now, so we may as well hang with friends in Richmond and train. (and get specialist injury rehab) After 2 weeks of daily intensive rehab for some calf issues I’ve had since THAT cut foot and infection.
With hurricane Debby over Florida and some strong winds pumping over New Orleans, there was talk that the race would become a duathlon. So we were lucky to have a swim but not lucky enough to get a swim warm up. This put a major spanner in the works- so I did 2×10 ladies’ push ups instead- trying to get blood into my arms. (When I woke up the next day, the 1st thing I felt was my sore pecs- from the ladies push ups or pumping a tubular to 120 with a mini hand pump?)
I swam badly with the cold (sore?) arms, chocolate dark choppy swell and sun seemingly shining straight out of the buoy itself. Lost 2.20 to some Bird whom I outbiked by 12 minutes, but importantly, lost about 60″ to guys I should be able to swim with. And lost another 50″ on the 1km run from the swim to T1. I put on shoes for the short run to pamper the calf.
Upon exiting T1 Liezel did not have enough fingers to show me how many riders were ahead of me. They looked like ants up the road. I put it in the Big Dog and sat at Ian’s guesstimated wattage. Quickly caught a few guys but when my heart rate went down to 140s I dropped a gear or 2 (put it in the Great Dane I guess) and the ants came back much quicker. I thought I was catching the mid packers as I was flying past them, but when I saw Liezel at 20km she only needed 1 finger to show me the number of riders ahead. (Cant hear splits with the aero helmet and rushing wind) 40″ behind David Thompson- a strong biker I was told by “someone in the know” would ride about 380W. That SHIV is just amazing, I was flying through the field, despite the strong side winds I could stay on the aero bars, used the Specialized Fuelselage drinking system inside the bike frame- stuffed with ice, I think my position is good (havent seen it yet) and those new red Specialized Trivent shoes with magnets and heel opening is lighting quick.
I came off the bike with a 25″ lead, not enough. I havent run on road or dirt in 2 weeks- nursing a calf injury- I only ran little bits on the Alter G while getting intensive treatment from Megan Presby at Advanced Orthopedic Center in Richmond, VA. I ran steady, tried to stay cool and hold off the little guys but slipped to 4th. Not a bad race, the result so so, my calf held, but I know where I can save chunks of time and immerse further into roadtrigeekdom. When do I earn my right to get a 5150 tattoo?
I didnt know any of the athletes- must be the generation gap… so it was hard to plan my race and strategize. When I saw an Aussie in a speedo running at a good clip something rang a bell. (Check out Tim Reed aka “the Bugdy Smuggler” blog here) Made some new friends at the finish. Chris Foster is a fast runner, despite the run time. (It was humid, windy and there was an extra km after the swim) A good lot, the young crowd. Even met a Saffa on the rise. Travis Johnston.
We wallowed in ice tubs and I’d ask the other guys: “Where are you from?” “Boulder” Oh, me too. Well nice to meet y’all. Guess I dont spend enough time at the pool or on the track to know the skinny tire guys.
I used my Suunto Ambit GPS and heart rate so I could gather data for my coach Ian and future training reference.
Started my Suunto on the run from the swim. Bike leg ended at 55min. You can see how I eased up last few km to freshen up for the run. On the run I felt like overheating when at 160, so backed off a little, but with 2km to go I saw the Budgy Smuggler coming and poured on the pain, but it was too little too late. Was fun to see Tim hurting too though. Once he had 10m he did the look-over-the-shoulder every 10m. Racing in the heat sucks.
The only useful info from the 5150 site:
I’m used to the number 1 at XTERRA, but it was a big honour to get the no 1 at my first 5150. Had to read the manual to see which side of the woody woodpecker helmet goes in front. Havent done a big road tri since Wildflower about 4 years ago when Charlie DQed me for using this very same helmet (without me knowing till 3 days later) because he “couldnt find it on the internet.” Of course he couldnt, it was newly released. A bit like the new Specialized McLaren TT helmet released yesterday: Youtube video
Putting the finishing touches to my transition at 6.30am- the earliest race start I’ve had in YEARS. (XTERRA starts at a more civilized 9 or 10am)
I dont have good pix of my zippy SHIV Tri here, but now that we know at 5150 you have to BYOP(ress), Liezel will take photos at my next 5150 at Boulder Peak. (in 7 days)
I cant say too much about the power file other than I was quite happy with the numbers. It has been quite a work this past summer dialing my TT position to maximize power output without sacrificing too much aerodynamics. I’ve done a few TTs (Like South African TT Champs blog) so we knew more or less what W I can hold for 40km, but what about the run? Was a bit of a guessing game and a fun new project for Ian and I.
New toys: Quarq Cinco OmniCal, 54/39 Rotor Qrings and Specialized S works cranks. I also discovered that one can remove the Specialized cranks with a Specialized multi tool and the special Trox tool- no need to carry a socket wrench. Perfect for hotel room wrenching! Ok, the fit is not 100%, but thats better than my usual tools- usually includes a big rock and something like a cork screw.
In the quest to save on luggage I didnt bring a floor pump. Traveling to an XTERRA and a road triathlon on the same trip become a logistical nightmare so I tried to cut out the heavy floor pump- Caveman wrenching I wouldnt recommend: Pumping a tubular tire to 120 psi using a crack pipe and a Mountain Bike mini pump. By the time there was decent pressure in the tire, my biceps and pecs were cramping- no wonder I lost 90″ in the swim!
Due to the lack of pics of the race- here are some other pix from NOLA. (New Orleans Louisiana)
My Princess. Tres Francais. Brought back special memories from my 6 years racing triathlon in southern France back in the 90s…
Scars and memories from Hurricane Katrina apparent everywhere…
A LOT of water, the Mississippi. The biggest river in South Africa- the “Mighty” Orange- you can walk through, if you choose your spot well…
The old and the new. Was wondering what people here did before the invention of the air conditioner. Then came to the conclusion: Southerners arent “slow” (like people warmed us), THEY ARE HOT.
Our hotel was this cool old restored Cotton Mill factory from 1903. And quite affordable. Hampton Inn on Convention Center Blvd
The local N’Awlins folk is a VERY colourful lot- most of them will claim some kind of French and or Cajun ancestry and throw around family trees and even say a few French words to prove it.
We really enjoyed the people watching!
TEAM X-T.R.E.M.E – “Train, Rehabilitate, Empower, Motivate and Endure.” Jeremy Soles, a former Sgt. in the United States Marine Corps founded the Wounded Warriors team. They participate in extreme events wearing gas masks, cutting their oxygen intake to as low as 20 percent. But to some, the gas mask is the smallest of hurdle to overcome…
Cpl. Todd Love lost both legs and an arm in an explosion. The doctor wouldnt let him parachute into the XTERRA Richmond start this year, so he “just” did the swim. And then his comrades carried him for the entire bike and run legs in a specially made backpack…
Sgt. Johnathan Mozingo, also a Marine, has served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mozingo who did the bike and run legs, was wounded during his last tour in Afghanistan and lost part of his left leg below the knee.
In a gas mask at 94deg F and high humidity…
Sgt. Johnathan Mozingo
Enter the Caveman. Avia Mantis racing shoes, Oakley Radar, 8x Clif Shots, Suunto Ambit GPS, Specialized Fast Trak 2.2 Control tire, Stuffitts shoe savers, Squirt chain lube, Cool Points on ice and Luck Stone race number belt with GPS tracker for live feed. Seems quite pathetic in comparison…
Seems like there’s another knuckle dragging Cavemanoid in the James river… Turned out to be my swimming buddy Branden Rakita. (R) We trailed froth footed Craig Evans by about 45″.
Photos by Jesse Peters.
Amazing series of XTERRA fotos by Jesse Peters http://backlight.zenfolio.com
jesse@backlightdigital.com
Craig Evans carried great form (despite all the salads!) and was eager to back up his 2nd place at ITU Cross Tri Worlds 2 weeks before. However, he stuffed up a low, wood bridge crossing and ended up in the trees. Laughing, I yelled at him to “get a guide dog.” My turn at getting abuse is lurking around every corner, so you have to get it in when you can!
In the top left corner you can see some of the many Luck Stone volunteers on the course, streaming live video through the iPad and doing twitter feed. There were 4 big screens at T1 for spectators to see video footage, follow twitter and live GPS tracking of each pro athlete. Of course the feeds also went out on the interwebs so folks in South Africa could follow more “closely”.
This Richmond course is so much fun- it has become rougher than it was 2 years ago, providing a good balance of speed and skill. I think this is the epitome of XTERRA racing (now that the swim is almost 1500m) and I think everyone who loves racing XTERRA should give this one a whirl…
I used the Specialized Sworks 29er Epic with Command Post – to drop the saddle in the drop offs and hairier corners.
Tip of the month: Biting your tongue improves mental focus. Kids, dont try this at home!
There is not a lot of place for pedaling on this course, so when you can, have have to push the big thing!
Sgt Mozingo and TEAM XTREME
Yup, it takes all sorts…
Just a glimpse of the madness on that narrow rock ledge. Imagine loud bull horns, bells, cheering, beer spraying even more crazies lurking in the woods. I think the local cycling posse calls themselves the “Leghorns”.
Scenic city racing in Richmond.
One moment in the city, the next in thick jungle and maybe “swimming” in 4 inch deep river water…
If you dont do your home work to scout the course, you could find yourself between a rock and a wet place… (Who has the pic of this Mister Anonymous (also the coach of a famous pro athlete’s we wont mention) on his side, swimming in this calf deep water?)
Cool Points in hand to keep the 94deg F under control.
Trying not to ruin my legs on the Mayan Ruins.
7 Wins in my last 8 starts in Richmond. My 10th Richmond XTERRA.
Loving support from my wife. Spectating is an endurance sport in itself…
Josiah Middaugh had some bike troubles but came back with a strong run and caught Craig Evans in the last mile.
Craig gave it all…
Thanks to the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, home stays and my lovely wife…
Will Kelsay backed up his breakthrough performance -6th at Cross Tri Worlds with a 4th in Richmond. Welcome to the podium Will! When I get back to Boulder we do some GoPro pool time?
A special thanks to Specialized Racing mechanics Dylan van der Merwe and Joe Devera for pimping my ride every day of the week.
We had a fair bit of press- here an interview with CBS.
On Thursday before the race I had 4 press commitments:
– 5 minutes live on CBS 6 Morning Show at 9am. (which took 2hrs),
– XTERRA Press day at 12.
– ESPN Live Radio at 4
– Shop appearance and poster signing at 3Sports (Richmond Specialized dealer) from 6-7.
Between all the driving and getting lost, fitting training and recovery in, gets tough.
A special thanks to Charlie Luck from Luck Stone quarries for their continued support. Lets keep “Crushing it!”
L-R: Will Kelsay (4th) Middaugh (2nd) Caveman (after I broke the 1st (of 2) glass and stone trophies) Evans (3rd) Rakita (5th)
Liezel and I were especially touched by TEAM XTREME and what they are trying to ccomplish. Todd has 1 arm and no legs but he rose to the challenge and is now swimming and further competes in the back of his buddy’s backpack. (hopefully he’ll tandem parachute to the swim start next year)
You have 2 arms and 2 legs and you’re looking for a reason to get off the couch and someday see your feet again?
I will think twice about feeling sorry for myself next time I have to go train in rain or snow, or PUSH when the going gets tough…
For more race details I quote from XTERRAs ace report by Trey Garman:
[In a city with such a rich and colorful history it’s only appropriate that the sports most experienced stars stole the headlines. For Stoltz, who “lost his heart to XTERRA in Richmond” back in 2001 it’s his seventh win in eight years.
“I just love Richmond, the course is amazing and really suits me,” said Stoltz, who had the fastest bike split by far in 1:21:00 despite doing an extra little out-and-back section that no one else did.
“On the first lap I caught Craig (Evans) and then five minutes later I caught him again. I wore out 3 sets of legs and 1 set of tires pre riding the course- turns out a section had changed since when I went pre-riding, and on race day I dont look for arrows,” Stoltz explained.
“He did the old course out-and-back,” said Evans, who followed the correct route. “It was funny because a few minutes later I hear this loud chain slap behind me and thought, oh man Josiah or somebody is riding great and then Conrad comes by and says “where’d you go” and I said “I went straight, where’d you go?”
Evans tried to stay with him the second time around but conceded “he’s in a whole different league right now.”
On the second of the two 10-mile twisty, turny, tree and fanatic-fan filled roller coaster ride of a mountain bike course Stoltz followed the right arrow and got into his groove.
“First lap my head wasn’t in it, I wasn’t focused because I was trying to figure out where I went wrong. So, on the second lap when I saw the arrow, it all made sense, I could focus was just flying, pouring the power on in the pedaling sections and railing the technical sections. It was so smooth and so much fun. There was a lot of spectators on the cliff- all in costume, yelling, spraying beer and dancing around. It was like riding through a circus. It’s such a fun race, really the epitome of XTERRA.”]
—–
Love the pic of Boise pro Adam Wirth and his son Mac riding to race start. Mac has his feet on top of Daddy’s, so he is helping put down the watts! It seemed like an amazing father & son get-away week. They “pre ran” parts of the run course together, Mac did the kids race, watched the pros (knows us all by name) and didnt miss an expo or a beat all week. What a cool sport to get your kid involved in. As opposed to baseball where all they do is chew, spit, scratch and wait. And the “role model” is Barry Bonds…
We miss you, get well soon Dan!
Grateful and proud to win another World title…
The ITU and XTERRA partnership was great to see, the racing was fun, safe and fair. The multi lapped course for the pros made for great spectating and made media coverage. I think off road triathlon would make a great Olympic sport -hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
Click here for YouTube highlights of the men and womens’ Pro races.
For once in my career, according to ITU protocol, I was called up to the start first. (as defending champion) During my ITU World Cup days (When I was ranked between 15th and the 70s) I had to scramble for a start spot next to the slow hacks and/or crooked/violent swimmers.
Oak Mountain State Park is the perfect triathlon venue. Stunning lake, great trails and good facilities. The age groupers got to ride the best (BUMP) trail- where the XTERRA has been held the past 6 years- and the pros did a 3lap course on smoother, more groomed trails through tight woods. The lapped course may not have been as much fun as the BUMP route, but it offered great spectating possibilities and showcased the sport well.
The Pro bike course looked “easy”, but it was really hard to go fast- as Josiah Middaugh’s facial expression and creative line proves. Check out this amazing series of photos by jtalbot– the expressions shows the intensity of off road triathlon…
Being 6ft2, (high center of gravity in corners) and (in)famous for my “point and shoot” methodology, I dont consider myself as “the King of Cornering” (thats Greg Minnaar, whom I rode Sani2C with) and with all the cornering on this course, there was not a whole lot of pedaling to do. But somehow the time gaps after the bike was much bigger than I’d anticipated: Evans at 50″ Stannard + Rakita at 3.30, Thibodeau and Bechtel around 4′, Chris Leigh at 4.30 and Middaugh at 5′
pic by Emma Garrard
Hauling the mail with Evans. I pre-rode the course with Craig about 10 days before the race, and realized he’s got it all dialed in. He can swim, he can corner, he knows the course really well (its a hard one to learn- as almost all of the 600 turns look the same) and he is really fit. He was so comfortable in the corners that he ran the Specialized Renegade 1.95 tires front and rear. I didnt have the guts to ride the smooth, fast Renegade in front and opted for the Fast Trak 2.00 with more grip in the front, as the corners got more and more gravelly with all the traffic and hot, dry weather. I also went with the Specialized Command Post which I have put to good use on this kind of course before. Its a telescopic seat post which, with the push of a button, allows you to drop your saddle height in the corners.
Day before the race I spent time re reading my favourite MTB Skills book: Mastering MTB skills by Brian Lopes.
“Carve flat turns” was by far the most relevant topic:
In the pic below I managed to stay off the brakes and you can see how how soft the tires are, fighting for every bit of traction as I try to “cram the tires into the ground”. Cornering will forever be “a work in progress”
Pic by JTalbot’s photos on smugmug
The “piece de resistance” of the age group course: Blood Rock. Here our Alabama home stay Casey Fannin makes it look easy. Casey is a machine- he won his 50-54 age group by 13 minutes!
Pic by Emma Garrard
Having a comfortable lead on the run allowed me to enjoy the racing, scenery and spectators. I was using the new Avia Mantis racing flat- a great shoe which will be my go- to racer in the future.
Winning sure is fun- especially under your countries’ flag.
In my hands you’ll notice my Cool Points, frozen sachets designed to keep your core temperature down during hot races. Here in Alabama we’ve had some rillers- due to high temps and humidity, fortunately it wasnt too hot this time round, but staying cooler is never a bad thing.
I’m truly blessed to be able to share these amazing experiences with my wife Liezel. She’s plays a huge role in my successes. And will even take a sweaty hug at the finish line…
Great to see Carla van Huyssteen on the podium at Worlds! (3rd) The 1st time I saw her run, (2005) I told the stranger next to me “this girl has talent!”- and it turned out to be her dad, South Africa rugby legend Gerrie Germishuys. Leslie Paterson backed up her XTERRA World title from 2011 and Aussie tough guy Chris Legh dodged all the trees on the bike and ran into 3rd. Craig Evans had the performance of his life. Coming down the finishing chute that is! His race result was ok too. Usain Bolt could learn a few moves from this guy: Evans’ moves at the finish. (at 6.20)
The young South Africans especially rose to the occasion- Bradley Weiss won the Elite u/23 World Title, (and overall Age Group race) Bradley Schuit won the Junior Men’s and Charne Prinsloo was 3rd in the Junior Women’s. A testament to the health of XTERRA racing in South Africa. Thanks to Triathlon South Africa for putting a lot of effort into sending a team and supporting our young sport. See TSA race coverage. and more RSA results.
Thanks a lot to Joe, Jeff and Sandy from Specialized who brought “the Team truck”, their amazing support (and laughs) – my S-works Epic 29er and equipment was faultless. And cleaner than out-of-the box equipment every time I threw a leg over.
It was touch and go or Liezel took off in “our new car”. The only vehicle which makes my XL Epic 29er look small…
Also thanks/welcome to Dewet from Squirt lube, who is an Official XTERRA Partner from this year. (Keep your eyes open for the “Squirt- win a flight to Maui competition” coming soon.) I think Dewet put more miles onto this bike course than any racer did… “Testing product”
Glad to see USADA was there for Drug testing. So far I have been tested at XTERRA Grabouw, ITU Cross Triathlon Worlds here in Bama and I was placed on the ADAMS anti doping whereabouts list. I think its important to make it clear to tainted athletes (sometimes from other sports or anyone who may consider cheating) that off road triathlon is not a “safe place” to further your pathetic “racing” career.
Liezel and I were in Bama 2 weeks before the race and did some fun training together. (If she rides the Roubaix and I the MTB, we’re the same speed. Conveniently, she (kind of) fits on my bikes- so we drop the seat and share)
Pre race interview with XTERRA.TV
From the comfort of the Specialized tent, Hal Richardson (the official massage therapist of the USA track & field team for the 2012 London Olympics) from Birmingham did some much needed massage the week before and came to the Specialized tent to help loosen up and more importantly -zap sore spots with his $20 000 Alternating Magnetic Therapy machine.
We’re in Boulder at the moment, getting ready for XTERRA Richmond VA. I’m spending a fair bit of time on my UCI illegal SHIV, as there is maybe a Boulder Peak Triathlon in the pipeline. ( a race I won 4 times and had the course record from 2000)
In Boulder everyone asks newcomers 2 questions: “How long are you here for?” Prolly most of summer. And “where are you staying?” For now we’re staying with our incredibly adventurous friends, Chris and Erin Ratay. Whom I met in Lydenburg South Africa, (because of their KTM 950 with Colorado plates) on one of their motorbike trips around the world. Check out their amazing lives: Work hard, play hard. Sounds familiar…
Download this Meet the Moment I created for Clif Bar.
Visit the “Meet The Moment” page here and create your own postcard.
Clif Bar will donate $5 to a charity of your choice. (I chose IMBA)
Here is Clif Bar Athlete Experience Manager Dylan Seguin’s moment:
