I won a free entry to this one during a random drawing at the Crested Butte race, which is what got me going here. I was tapered and going crazy all week 'cause I just couldn't wait to lay it on the line for this would be my last chance to purely qualify for the World Champs in Maui. Xterra originally listed the bike leg climbing gain at 1800' so I figured "no problem." My intel and research put the Snowbasin upper loop at 6mi that contained the most technical aspects of the course. So, I set off to pre-ride that section at 9am on Friday, the day before Saturday's big race. As luck would have it I met up with pros Mike Vine and Andy Noble who had the same notion. Mike took off to check it out from the finish backwards & Andy & I began the pre-ride. At that point, I really couldn't be happier. I was looking to ride for an hour max, but an hour into it the climbing was getting insanely steep and I was getting worried. The preride was actually 12mi & took 2hrs, which was just too much.
Race Morning: Waking heart rate 10 beats higher than usual. Hmmm, not good, but this can also be nerves and I felt good, so lets get going. This race was a bit of an exercise in set up strategy due to the 1/2hr distance between the swim-to-bike transition at the lake and the bike-to-run transition at Snowbasin ski resort. Good thing my setup plan worked because if something was forgotten there would be no time to take a shuttle bus back to parking and impossible to make the start.
Swim 1500m (incl transition) 27.10 (2x750 with a 30yd shore/gravel run between): Good starting position up on the left and took it easy to the first buoy then started to pick it up. Also started inhaling some outboard engine fumes from the Sheriff boat idling too close while trying to contain the swim course, yuck! The fumes passed and I came in to shore feeling good and a quick trans had me heading out on the bike in a flash.
Bike 16.8mi (incl transition) 1:50.36: The first part of the bike leg has about 1/2 mile of road and there was backed up auto traffic. I was with four fast riders and we were all drafting each other and passing cars. There's a sharp turn over the dam and wow, I was going fast and just missed slamming into a school bus. Whew! "Wake up XTEric, you've got a some climbing ahead." Legs just fine and I was feeling good, riding well & passing, that is until I got to Snowbasin where the climbing really began. Rocky, loose, steep, dusty, switchbacks, up, up and up and more up & when I thought there was no more up there was plenty more up. About half way up the ski resort was all my legs had left after over-preriding yesterday. Even so, this was still the toughest bike leg I've raced, period! I found myself getting pissed off at the course just to hammer my way through it. The downhill was short, but punishing. I could sense I was drawing near the end finally, and with just a few more pounding switchbacks to go, all of a sudden a rider comes out of nowhere, flys through the apex and wipes out hard right in front of and blocking me! I don't know how he didn't strike me out, but I'm like, "now it's time to get out of the way!" He drug himself aside and I made it into transition relieved to get off my bike.
Run 5.9mi-41.46: During the Trail Run clinic on Friday the pros described the run as 5mi up and 1mi straight down. The first mile was definitely up and I was expecting more up, but it really never came. It was more like flat on top with a couple power climbs then the steep 1mi down. I found myself at the finish line feeling like I had more left in my run-tank. That's me in the background nearly lapping one of the 1/2 distance finishers.
I talked to the directors afterwards about the bike climbing and found out that Big Kahuna Dave (race director) was not happy with the original bike course so more climbing was added at the last minute. This put the final bike climbing gain at 3000'. The couse designer said he wouldn't even want to ride the course and when he said it was only 16.8mi I challenged him saying, "No way, I'm checking my bike computer." Bike comp said 16.65mi. There were 53 DNFs and it takes a lot for me to say it, so you know it was grueling.
No World's qualification with a 6th place, but Odgen UT stole the show when it comes to venue, special perks and just feeling welcome. The whole downtown square was Xterra and the awards were held in an outdoor amphitheater. Good food, GIANT big screen with video from the day of racing, followed by a concert had me feeling that this post race event was better than Nationals or World's. No kidding.
If you look closely at the "Next Race" pic below taken from Snowbasin resort, you can see the lake way down in the background.
Race Results
Division: 6th of 45
Overall: 51st of 318
Race Morning: Waking heart rate 10 beats higher than usual. Hmmm, not good, but this can also be nerves and I felt good, so lets get going. This race was a bit of an exercise in set up strategy due to the 1/2hr distance between the swim-to-bike transition at the lake and the bike-to-run transition at Snowbasin ski resort. Good thing my setup plan worked because if something was forgotten there would be no time to take a shuttle bus back to parking and impossible to make the start.
Swim 1500m (incl transition) 27.10 (2x750 with a 30yd shore/gravel run between): Good starting position up on the left and took it easy to the first buoy then started to pick it up. Also started inhaling some outboard engine fumes from the Sheriff boat idling too close while trying to contain the swim course, yuck! The fumes passed and I came in to shore feeling good and a quick trans had me heading out on the bike in a flash.
Bike 16.8mi (incl transition) 1:50.36: The first part of the bike leg has about 1/2 mile of road and there was backed up auto traffic. I was with four fast riders and we were all drafting each other and passing cars. There's a sharp turn over the dam and wow, I was going fast and just missed slamming into a school bus. Whew! "Wake up XTEric, you've got a some climbing ahead." Legs just fine and I was feeling good, riding well & passing, that is until I got to Snowbasin where the climbing really began. Rocky, loose, steep, dusty, switchbacks, up, up and up and more up & when I thought there was no more up there was plenty more up. About half way up the ski resort was all my legs had left after over-preriding yesterday. Even so, this was still the toughest bike leg I've raced, period! I found myself getting pissed off at the course just to hammer my way through it. The downhill was short, but punishing. I could sense I was drawing near the end finally, and with just a few more pounding switchbacks to go, all of a sudden a rider comes out of nowhere, flys through the apex and wipes out hard right in front of and blocking me! I don't know how he didn't strike me out, but I'm like, "now it's time to get out of the way!" He drug himself aside and I made it into transition relieved to get off my bike.
Run 5.9mi-41.46: During the Trail Run clinic on Friday the pros described the run as 5mi up and 1mi straight down. The first mile was definitely up and I was expecting more up, but it really never came. It was more like flat on top with a couple power climbs then the steep 1mi down. I found myself at the finish line feeling like I had more left in my run-tank. That's me in the background nearly lapping one of the 1/2 distance finishers.I talked to the directors afterwards about the bike climbing and found out that Big Kahuna Dave (race director) was not happy with the original bike course so more climbing was added at the last minute. This put the final bike climbing gain at 3000'. The couse designer said he wouldn't even want to ride the course and when he said it was only 16.8mi I challenged him saying, "No way, I'm checking my bike computer." Bike comp said 16.65mi. There were 53 DNFs and it takes a lot for me to say it, so you know it was grueling.
No World's qualification with a 6th place, but Odgen UT stole the show when it comes to venue, special perks and just feeling welcome. The whole downtown square was Xterra and the awards were held in an outdoor amphitheater. Good food, GIANT big screen with video from the day of racing, followed by a concert had me feeling that this post race event was better than Nationals or World's. No kidding.
If you look closely at the "Next Race" pic below taken from Snowbasin resort, you can see the lake way down in the background.
Race Results
Division: 6th of 45
Overall: 51st of 318
