Time to update a little!

Last year was a learning year full of fun and challenges. I was able to race enough races to qualify for Nationals in Ogden and then I headed to Maui for XTerra Worlds. What a BLAST. However, that's just too much to review so we'll start over again with this year and try to keep it more updated! Hope that's okay for my 2 or 3 readers....

This year started with a BANG at XTerra West Championships again in Las Vegas. Last year this was the race where I qualified for Worlds. This year I was returning to see if I have made improvements on the mountain bike. Every XTerra course is unique in terrain, obstacles, temperature and even distance. I was excited to try an event that I started this journey on and have a comparison.

This is XTerra's 20th year so the field was stacked with people wanting to qualify for Worlds. The competition was confident enough to fly from all over the country and even from outside the country to throw their "hat into the ring". I recognized right away I wouldn't be qualifying. This took a lot of pressure off me and actually made me relax and enjoy the whole XTerra atmosphere. Everyone is friendly, supportive, competitive, and actually pretty chill. Until the gun goes off!

I went early enough to pre-ride the course and noticed right away that I was handling the loose gravel downhills better than last year. At the bottom of each hill, however, there is a collection of sand. If you don't keep the handlebars pointed straight, the bike comes to a complete stop and does a little jack-knife kind of move. I was trying to listen to suggestions so I could get through these patches without slowing down too much or falling. Without much success.

The day of the race, I get super excited to swim. Open water swimming is like trail running. But only on race day do you get to do it. No boats (except for support) and I get to swim and swim. Unlike Ironman races, at XTerra, you typically do two laps with a beach run between laps. Last year I couldn't wait to try it. It's harder than it looks to stand up, get your equilibrium, run, and than jump into swim again. The Heart Rate really spikes. However, now that I've done it a few times, I'm good with it. I just look like a dork in the pictures!

I came out of the water in a pretty good position. The course had been changed from last year and the run to the bikes was a little longer. I'm still having major struggles getting out of my wet suit and need to figure this one out!

I was off on the bike and right away had people passing me. This always causes me an undue amount of stress. Eventually, I calm down and concentrate. When Mountain Biking, this is imperative. I don't think about being tired, hungry, thirsty, what's for dinner... I can only think about "light hands, heavy feet." That seems to take care of everything else. The one problem lately is that my hands/fingers are always hurting. I have to be careful on long rides to not grip my handlebars!

This year I made it over obstacles I had to walk for last year. There are two particularly weird places and I was proud to ride them both. Even that weird natural cement section. You'd have to be there to understand, but riding super technical flat mesas has helped me handle it.

I was doing well, but knew I was in the back of my own category. Still, I had others around me and that made me stay focused. I came off the bike 17 minutes faster than last year, which is almost completely due to my improved skills on my Specialized Epic.

Quick change in transition (or not so quick), I was off on the run. It starts uphill on a paved road before turning back onto the bike course that we've already seen twice. I had people in front to focus on and kept trying to close the gaps. It was a great game of cat and mouse because right away I knew I was also a mouse to a very skilled trail runner coming behind me.

In Vegas, the terrain lets you see behind and in front for a long way. It's deceptive because you can't really tell how much ground you are making up or losing, but it keeps you pushing. I was very happy with my run, but did have to walk a few uphills at the end. I hate to admit it, but I was just getting tired. In the last mile, the cat caught and then passed me. I held her off as long as I could!

In the end, I was also 16 minutes faster on the run than last year. This is purely because last year I was so wasted after the bike, I walked most of the 6.2 miles. Over all, I was ecstatic to realize how much I improved since starting this 1 year ago. I was also impressed with the level of competition in an XTerra. It seems people my age don't just join this crazy sport. They stay on the roads!

And no matter what, even if I am in the back of the pack, I am grateful to have finally found something that I truly enjoy doing. Not enjoy because of the challenge, or whatever... I find myself having "Disneyland kind of fun" out there. That's what I call this particular type of fun. Disneyland Fun!