This race had some stiff competition. All the fast people want to race the highest elevation venue on the Xterra circuit. Top elevation of 9,775' was reached while summiting Strand Hill during the mtn bike (good thing I was on my Yeti). My division alone went off in the first wave with the realatively large pro field. This race along with Granite Bay have been my most satisfying.Swim: started strong, drafted well during the middle half, then passed and took it on in strong. Felt some cramps trying to sneak in towards the end and while exiting the water, so I took it a bit slower into transition than my usual charge.
T1: Had a good transition for me. No real snags, could work on the heel of the bike shoes folding in.
Bike: The course was interesting in that there was a lot of road and fast dirt road (hardtail), but the off-road was brutal (suspension). There was a mile long rock-garden (more like a quarry); mostly uphill, which was all slicked up from the prior evening's dramatic lightning/hail storm. A lot of walking & found myself wishing for a $5,000 walking stick instead of the Yeti. Narrow single-track riding with a few surprises around corners, and a deep over-the-cranks water crossing (gotta ride it). A real local's course, but aren’t they all? I went with suspension and was glad.
T2: Good for me. However, I still tried to run out the bike exit.
Run: I’ve found the run is a matter of "guts" (thanks Jameson). I try to leave mine on the course.
Finish: A lot of hard work and finished just outside the top 3 "hardware," AGAIN!!!
Race Results
Division: 4th of 29
Overall Male: 17th of 104
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