The best part of this race is that it's so close to home, which means my family & close friends show up to cheer me on. The town in general seems 
to want me to do well too. Needless to say, it really helps when I'm digging deep for energy! Another part of the fun is the newspaper coverage I received. It was super with the front of the sports page plastered with a huge picture of me racing my bike around a enormous granite wall on the Flume Trail. There was also a swim pic of me exiting the water at a Vashon Island WA Xterra. Very cool! Thanks for all the support & pics to Chloe & Ben, Jen, John & David, Grable & Phil, Rachel & Anny.
.93 Mile Swim (includes 3min run to transition): 30.54
Although I woke up with a scratchy throat on Saturday, which only got worse by Sunday morning & had gear shifting problems (could not use rear big cogs 2 or 3), I had the Fastest Bike Split in my division: 1:51.34. The trail conditions were cold, with slippery patches of snow & ice from the snowstorm a day earlier. I nearly crashed my mountain bike on the Flume when making fast turn by granite wall- I cut it too close & scraped off my bar end. Yes that was the same granite wall from the newspaper picture!
21.7 Mile Mountain Bike: 1:51.34
6.1 Mile Trail Run: 46.05
My third place podium position was stolen from me in the last ¼ mile of the run when I was passed by the South West Regional Champ & before I processed what happened he put a 40 yd gap on me. I started to reel him in but there just wasn’t enough run course left before the finish. I gave it my all & barreled into the crowd at the finish. I ended up finishing 4 seconds behind him.
Overall: 43rd of 314 (including pros)
Age Group 40-44: 4th of 26
Total Time: 3:08.33
Here are the top ten finishers from my 40-44 group:
1--Scott Zavack---LOS GATOS,CA-----:27:17----01:54:10----:43:12----3:04:39
2--Bruce Gennari--BRENTWOOD,TN-----:24:40----01:57:33----:43:17----3:05:30
3--Geoff Jones----SAN FRANCISCO,CA-:29:16----01:53:28----:45:45----3:08:29
4--Eric Ronning---INCLINE VLG,NV---:30:54----01:51:34----:46:05----3:08:33
5--Peter Hanson---MINNEAPOLIS,MN---:29:33----01:58:31----:44:45----3:12:49
6--Jeff Landauer--ROSEVILLE,CA-----:33:12----01:52:57----:47:16----3:13:25
7--Bruce Rogers---BEND,OR----------:33:39----01:54:56----:45:46----3:14:21
8--Eric Edgerton--AZTEC,NM---------:30:24----02:00:57----:48:34----3:19:55
9--Tom St.Clair---TUMWATER,WA------:30:46----02:14:37----:40:39----3:26:02
10-TODD Gottfried-VALENCIA,CA------:38:26----02:02:29----:45:28----3:26:23
I’m happy with my performance. More rest than usual leading up to the race helped. I finished with the same time as last year 3:08.33, however, the run course was longer than last year. My big advantage ended up being on the bike, which I’m so pleased with. It almost makes me feel better about losing 3rd place by 4 seconds.
If you read this far, you probably know that after the race my sickness hit me like a ton of bricks. I've been sick for a week now with no training in sight. World Champs in Maui will be just for fun & not for speed.
My 2006 Results AG 35-39: 6th of 32
Swim: 29.26
Bike: 1:57:02
Run: 42.21
Finish: 3:08:49
From the National Championship Website:The XTERRA USA Championship is the culmination of a series of more than 50 qualifying events across the US that award points to the top athletes in XTERRA's eight regions. The XTERRA USA Championship is open to qualified amateur athletes from the US. Non-qualfied athletes can race on the famed championship course by signing up for the XTERRA Nevada race, which takes place the day before nationals.
USA Championship Race Course: 1.5K SWIM / 32K MOUNTAIN BIKE / 10K TRAIL RUN
The SWIM: The Big Kahuna's cannon blast signals the start of the swim in the crystal-clear waters of Lake Tahoe. XTERRA competitors hit the water for a 1.5K swim: two laps of a 750-meter course are followed by a quick sprint to a grassy area for T1. (WETSUITS MAY BE REQUIRED! According to USA Triathlon regulations, wetsuits must be worn if water temperature falls below 57 degrees. Wetsuit policy will be posted in the XTERRA Expo the day prior to the race.)
The MOUNTAIN BIKE: (Cut-off time is strictly enforced. Competitors will be pulled from the bike/run transition at 1:30pm) The second leg is a grand, single-loop 32K mountain bike for both XTERRA and XTERRA Nevada competitors. Following a short, paved section through Incline Village, competitors reach the trail heads at the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park where the real race begins.
Sixteen hundred vertical feet of climbing welcomes competitors on Tunnel Creek Road. Riders ascend three miles to the Flume Trail, one of the most scenic mountain bike trails in the world. The Flume is known for its grand views of Lake Tahoe's azure blue waters and mountain peaks to the south and west.
Riders who get distracted by the view might end up casualties of this 4.4-mile section of single track, which includes two mandantory dismounts to cross rocky outcrops. After The Flume, a short challengeing ascent leads to Marlette Lake and the start of another leg-burning climb.
Reaching the south end of the lake, riders switch to granny gear and head up Hobart Road. There are a few sandy sections along the way. Next is a short, big-gear roll and a left turn onto Tahoe Rim Trail for 6.6 miles of Tahoe's finest single track.
Just past the Twin Lakes, turn left to Tunnel Creek Road for a fast and furious descent across all kinds of terrain: sandy sections, riparian areas with great traction, high-speed lanes and a few water bar whoopdies. This section will either showcase riders' descending skills or throw them over the handlebars.
At the end of Tunnel Creek Road things flatten out as you return back on Lakeshore Drive to Village Green and T2.
The TRAIL RUN : The final leg is a 10K trail run for championship competitors. The course starts out of transition along a wide soccer field. Championship competitors do two laps of this 5K course.
This run course has more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel. Just when you think you have a rhythm, mother nature will put a fallen tree or a boulder or four different creek gully crossings and two log crossing smack in your way.
The course is tight and runs among giant pines with numerous switchbacks where you'll be able to see what your competition is up to.
Half-way through you'll come back to the main compound where the crowd will cheer you on. First time around we'll give you a bracelet: the second time around, show it to me and we'll send you home to the finish. And you'll be happy to see it.
