I've raced XTERRA in a rear zip onesie with no issues. I've gone back and forth about wearing gloves, but haven't in a while. Too damn frustrating to put them on wet hands, though sweaty hands are dangerous as hell on a MTB.
Unless you've got the right shoes, nearly impossible to do a flying mount, though if the end of the course is non-tech enough, you can unbuckle MTB shoes while you ride.
I hope you've ridden the course or plan to or have a very good idea about it.

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IG: idking90

Good luck and have fun. Keep the rubber side down!
Kit - wear what you normally wear for a road tri. Gloves - absolutely wear gloves. Full fingered if you have them. The time you spend putting them on will be worth it if you wipe out - just ask Conrad...
Assuming your asking about running shoes since you should already have your mtb shoes dialed. I'd wear whatever is comfortable. It you have trail shoes and have run in them, go for it. If not, just avoid super light weight trainers. If your using bottles on the bike, make sure you are comfortable drinking on the singletrack.

I have not done that race so can't offer advice regarding the swim.

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Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com

Biggest advice........have fun.

I do not wear gloves, but I also do not use rubber grips. I use three layers of bar tape instead and this works for me. I take the time to put my shoes on before grabbing my bike. Wear whatever running shoes you usually wear. Trail shoes are better for most courses, but not a must have. I have always worn my one piece suit for racing. I just like the way it feels over a two piece kit.

As the other poster said PRE-RIDE the bike course.

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Contemplating a multi-sport comeback

yes, you are definitely going to want a second pair of shoes for the run from the river to the basin. It's not short and it's not soft and flat. You will be running on a gravel road as well, although i think you could run on the grass at the side.

Standard tri kit is appropriate. Gloves are a must for me. Too much sweat and water from the swim to be able to hold on to the grips. I wear standard mtb shoes and put them on in T1, but I also do that in a road tri as well.

USNWC is a great venue and an unusual two-part swim which makes it even better. Good luck!

-tire pressure should be consistent with terrain! 40 psi in soft stuff is no bueno.
-if you've been consistent with speedwork/intervals, you should be ok.
-I prefer racing flats/XC flats to trail-specific shoes especially when puddles are involved.

-most important tip is to have fun and go hard!

Have Fun!

Pre-ride the bike course is an absolute must (specially if you can solicit a local to ride the course with you via local cycling club)! Pay special attention to places where it's conceivable to fuel, drink, and pass. Some courses can get hairy, so I generally fuel as the course allows rather then going off a timer.

I don't do socks or gloves...though I have considered gloves. I am trying the ESI chunky grips that are supposed to work with sweaty/wet hands.

Be considerate of riders you are passing, if ridders need to pass you

Don't worry about the run transition between swim laps.

Your XTERRA transitions will be slower, but you can get them relatively close to your road transitions. I set up the transitions nearly in an identical way, with almost the exact same kit. The only change are my mountain bike shoes and my bike. I wear the same kit, and I DO NOT use trail shoes. I use the same racing flats that I use for the road, and haven't had an issue yet.

1) Normal kit
2) If you have time tomorrow, pre-ride. I am not exactly sure where the race goes for the bike but it's definitely beneficial to have some prior knowledge. WWC is not "sketchy" in any way but knowing when you can go fast and when you shouldn't is worthwhile.
3) I like wearing gloves, I've done one with and one without and it was definitely worth the time (for me) to put on gloves in T1
4) You should definitely wear shoes (for swim transition run)
5) Trail shoes are unnecessary and given trail conditions (should be perfect on Sat AM) I would think normal trainers or race flats would be acceptable

Really wish this race was on Sunday so I could do both...oh well.

I can ride some with you out there tomorrow night (after packet pick up). Just let me know if you want to. We can talk about all of this crap then.

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John Behme
Charlotte, NC

have fun. i've wanted to do that race and am going to make an effort to do it next year. id love to read a race report.

i would wear gloves and a camelback. i dont really like wearing a camelback but i think it would be too difficult to grab a bottle during a race on single track.

Gloves. Full-finger, if you have them.

Unless you know for a fact the run is non-technical, wearing trail shoes is a good idea. I'd always rather have a little "too much" shoe than not quite enough when running off-road.
YMMV.

Have fun! I need to get back out and do another XTERRA onea these days...

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float , hammer , and jog

Thanks all. I guess the bike is my biggest concern. I'm a confident bike handler, but my hands tend to get pretty sore since I don't spend much time on a mountain bike (I don't own one). I will be riding a demo (or borrowed bike on Saturday (still need to sort that out). Sounds like full-fingered gloves are a winner. I'm not concerned at all about the run--i have done 4 or 5 trail races out there in XC spikes so I feel like I have that part figured out. I guess maybe I'll bring a crappy old pair of flats for the swim's little run interlude.

Behmer, I'd definitely like to pre-ride at least part of the course, but not sure when I'll get off work tomorrow. I'll tweet you and let you know. Thanks for the help!

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I tweet!

Since you say you are not a dedicated dirtbag, I'd definitely recommend a camelback. Trying to manage a bottle on a bike you're not familiar with in a race is a recipe for a snapped collarbone.

What I love about xterra's is the lower key attitude. People will pass you, and wish you a good day! You'll pass people, and they will make room on the trail for you to get by. Thank them and tell them they have a nice bike, or a cool kit.

I do an Xterra here ( sadly discontinued this year - Indian peaks) that had ~500M run up a gravel/dirt road. I used to slip on Keen sandals, some did it in Crocs or lace less shoes. The race was at 9000 feet,and T1 was uphill, so for most people it was more of a shuffle than a run.

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" I take my gear out of my car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of of their lives shocks me. "
(opening lines from Tim Krabbe's The Rider , 1978

Kit as others have said: wear what you always do. Gloves are negotiable depending on the course. I'd prefer to wear them but on some of the easier/non-technical courses you can get away with not wearing them. Shoes on the bike, wear what works. If you've got mtb shoes great but I've seen people (some pros even) wearing road tri shoes for Xterras. Mtb tri shoes, I'd only recommend if you're all in for Xterra as they are expensive. Shoes on the run, it's dealers choice. I'm not familiar with that race so I don't know what the trails are like but I've seen people wearing and doing well in nearly any shoe they choose so I wouldn't sweat that.

Finally, have fun and be courteous. People will call out which line they are going to pass you on on the bike so move over when you can. Ride within your capabilities and get your butt over the rear wheel on any fast descent.

I could go on and on with tips but you'll pick it up quick. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice.

It's all coming together pretty well I'd say. I bought a pair of MTB shoes yesterday so that should help (have used road shoes on the MTB before, it sucked...I'll buy a MTB eventually, and for the times when I borrow a bike I might as well have some), and I borrowed a bike. I'll just need to lace up my spikes with the quick laces so that I can get them on fast in T2.

I'm not concerned about the bike course other than just my hands getting sore. I did some DH riding in Snowshoe a couple weeks ago--the Whitewater center is cake by comparison. I think on the MTB it's not confidence or fear or anything like that holding me back, but rather some wishywashy lack of urgency. Something about the way the terrain keeps you from pushing a steady pace.

My prediction for the race: I'll get out to the front on the swim, but then spend most of the bike ride going backwards (hopefully nothing awful will happen), and then make up some ground on the run. It feels weird not expecting the bike to be my strongest segment in a triathlon!

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I tweet!

Take the time now to wish your road triathlon friends all the best as you may not see them much in the future. I did my first Xterra right after Ironman Texas a few years ago and, other than filling in on a couple of relays for some friends, I have not had any desire whatsoever to race on the road again.

The culture in the off road races is so much more laid back, friendly and fun. The races are smaller and everyone is helpful and encouraging.

To your points, I would recommend gloves if for no other reason than the safety factor when you fall. I found that wearing a size or two up from your normal size makes it a little easier to get them on.

I wear a one-piece and normal race shoes. I haven't seen a course where I wished I had worn trail shoes. On the bike, some races allow you to put your mtb shoes at the swim exit. If so, take advantage of it and leave your gloves in your shoes so you can put them on as you're headed to transition.

Always try to pre-ride the course if you can. It makes the first lap of the bike so much more productive. As everyone has said, courtesy on the bike course is pretty much commonplace. Just be aware of your surroundings and who is in front and behind you and you'll be fine.

If you stick with it and do several races in your region's series, you should have no problem qualifying for the National Championships in Utah. If you get an opportunity, try to do the race. If is a first class event in a really beautiful area.

Good luck on your race this weekend.

Well, as it turns out I will not be wishing my road tri friends goodbye.

Here's a mini race report:

Swim:

The swim consisted of 2 parts--1 in the Catawba River, and one in the basin of the man-made whitewater river, separated by a short but difficult run. The swim in the Catawba was a clockwise triangle, with the long side opposite the shore. Given that there was no limit on how far out from the shore we could start, I lined up as far out as possible to minimize the distance to the first buoy. I went fairly hard from the start, got to the first buoy just ahead of the next swimmer and swam side-by-side with him down the long leg of the triangle. My legs were feeling a bit crampy (ominous) so I backed off a bit and settled in behind the other guy to see if they would loosen up...they didn't. Got to the swim exit about 10m behind the first guy, and right around the same time as the first girl. I stashed my shoes near the swim exit, jammed my feet in them, and tried to chase down the first guy. The run from the river to the start of the second swim was steep. I dropped my shoes at the bottom of the ramp and cruised the second swim.

I got passed by girl #1 in T1...my gloves were wet from the rain and were uncooperative.

I followed girl #1 out onto the bike, and hung with her before we got to the first technical bit on the course. Figure-8 trail has some wooden structures, and they were SLICK from the rain and mud. I nearly wiped out about 1 mile in, but fortunately I got my foot down in time to steady myself and managed to not fall off the little 3 foot tall bridge thing (ridden/jumped these things 10 times in the dry with no problem). Girl #1 and guy #1 were long gone by this point, and I got passed by the first couple folks soon after. I lost time on the climbs because I kept spinning my back tire. That was frustrating. After about another minute or so I wiped out the first time--my front tire slipped off a tall root and washed the front of my bike out. That's basically the story of the day--spinning wheels and slipping on roots.

Thoughts on the race, by mile:

Mile 1: Totally saved it on that bridge, gonna make up time on the 2 folks "up the trail" and be totally pro. Time to shred some gnar.
Mile 2: Passed by 2 amateur looking dudes, I was not happy.
Mile 3: Need more rear downforce (i.e more ass). Spinning tires, minor crashing, very muddy. Brake sounds like horn.
Mile 4: More crashing, crashing sucks, getting passed by a couple more dudes (getting progressively more amateur looking).
Mile 5: Shit is getting old, more tire spinning, hands are very sore, more minor spills. Not really having any fun. I would have been off the bike already in a "normal" triathlon.
Mile 6: Getting passed almost continually, tired of pulling over to let people go by. Passing people is a lot more fun. Why did I pick Xterra instead of Stumpy Creek (local road tri same day and time)?
Mile 7: Seriously getting tired of slipping all over the place. The gnar is shredding me. 95% pissed off. Stopped to raise seat height (was initially too low). Higher seat helped back pain and leg tightness, but probably too late.
Mile 8: Not having any fun at all, but too far from civilization to just quit. 98% pissed off. Raining, mud everywhere, no rear grip whatsoever. No front grip whatsoever. Very close to throwing bike off the mountain.
Mile 9: Whole bike sounds horrible due to mud everywhere, brake still sounds like horn. Got passed by girl #2. Back is sore from seat being too low, legs and arms are numb from the vibrations. Could see the parking lot, so I hopped off the course and rode in.

DNFs suck, but honestly that was one of the least enjoyable races I've done. On a dry day I'm comfortable riding the trails there, but the wet put them beyond my skill level for negotiating at race pace. My MTB skills could use some work, but the conditions were ridiculous. It looked like the guys that do mountain bike/Xterra had a reasonably fun time out there, but I did not enjoy that.

Casualty count:

1. Kiwami tri suit--the white panel on the back was orange. That mostly came out in the wash. I ripped the inner thigh during one of my uphill struggles on Goat Hill. That may or may not be fixable. The suit is now 3 years old, but it had at least 1-2 more season in it prior to my little off-road adventure.
2. Brand new MTB shoes--I bent the ever loving crap out of the ratchet buckle on my shoe. I think I can bend it back. The shoes are 2 days old and smell like raw sewage though thanks to the mud/rain/pond water concoction that sat in them for all of 90 minutes.
3. My wallet--tore up expensive stuff, race was expensive.

Adding insult to injury:

May have gotten poison ivy on my ankle during one of my crashes.

Conclusions:

Mountain biking in the rain sucks. Mountain biking in the dry is fun. I was planning to get my own bike prior to racing this event, and although I was seriously reconsidering spending another penny on mountain biking during the race, I think I'm still going to get the mountain bike and give this off-road triathlon thing another go in the future. It is REALLY frustrating being bad at some form of biking or triathlon. I need to get over that (or get a lot better) before I try this again. I think I would have almost done better if I had sandbagged the swim, come out of the water in 20th or 30th and rode with/past people closer to my ability level--getting out front on the swim and spending the whole bike ride getting passed is not fun.

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I tweet!

If they have a trail run the day or evening before it might be worth checking into. The Xterra trail run that I did was a hoot.

They do...I've done 4 or 5 of them so far this year and they have been a blast. I swear they hurt more, but they have been fun.

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I tweet!

It's funny reading yours as Behme described the bike as "fun" haha. While I know my technical skills are not up to the level I'd like them to be, that's EXACTLY why I've enjoyed doing XTERRA. We all set these expectations of ourselves on the road, i.e. "need to hold X many watts" or "keep your head low and tucked" or "take my nutrition every 15mins" etc but in XTERRA that all goes out the window. Just drinking water on the bike is ridiculously hard (unless you have a camelback). So all of a sudden you get these "responsibilities" lifted off your shoulders.

I mean that from a perspective standpoint. On the road, locally, I EXPECT to win. Others generally EXPECT me to win (or at least be racing for the win). In XTERRA all of a sudden nobody gives a shit. It's just FUN. Embrace being not good at something. Because then you have something at which you can dramatically improve.

To put it in perspective you could have been doing a 24hr mtn bike race in the pouring rain for the full 24 hours. Learning to ride a bike in the slop does take time and is a good skill to have. I know road tri guys that beat me by 8-10 minutes at sprint distance road events, so it feels good when I put 15 minutes into them at an XTERRA event.

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Contemplating a multi-sport comeback

True story, one of my first XTERRAs was Stoaked a couple years ago when it absolutely poured. I'd heard it was more of an aerobic course than a technical one, but I didn't realize just how much I would spin out on all those climbs because of the wet grass. I was also probably running wayyyy too much tire pressure as well.

To Zack, for somebody who, like me, started out with biking being the least experienced part of triathlon and gradually working it to being more of a strength on the road, playing around with off-road triathlons was like hitting the reset button to back when I was a high school swimmer/XC runner just starting out in triathlons, pissed about the fact that I spent the majority of the bike getting passed. Eventually you get better.

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IG: idking90

All benefit each other. If you can sit in your aero position and spin up a hill, you can sit on a mountain bike and spin up a hill...If you can carve on a mountain bike down a single track trail and maintain your momentum, then you can descend like mad while staying in your aero position.

You can get away with mediocre handling while riding on a tri-bike, but every little weakness comes out when your on the trail. The second you stand to climb, you loose traction on your rear tire. If you brake while in a turn as opposed to before a turn, you loose traction on the front tire...If you lean with the bike on a trail as opposed to just leaning the bike, you loose traction.

I was in a very similar place as you last year. Did my first XTERRA in June of last year, and it's the only tri that I didn't podium on over all, and I got beat by PLENTY of very average athletes, but this year, I'm only racing one road tri and qualified for the XTERRA national championships with one race. I have notices, that all of the little things that I did wrong on the bike before, I have rectified, and am now collecting STRAVA KOMs in ways that I never though I would...particularly long, fast, technical road descents. The little things that become second nature on a mountain bike carries over while in the tuck, and I'm faster now, and feel safer.

Kudos for giving it try, and I hope you try again...I particularly hope you are prepared and have a renewed set of expectations for the next one. If you end up focusing on road tris...nothing wrong with that at all, but getting out on the trails will improve your road tri ability, so you won't have any regrets.

Sounds like you had too many expectations for first time racing off road. Wet conditions change the entire nature of the course - having ridden laps under the sun and then in the downpours at 24 hour races. There's also a lot more then just putting head down and hammering - what tires and tire pressure were you running and was the bike set up tubeless? And riding things at a comfortable pace is much different when trying to ride at race pace - dry or wet. Trying to ride with more experienced mountain bikers instead of riding your own pace was a big mistake - speaking From experience.

And just being snarky - you make it sound like you decided to quit because not one but now two! girls had passed you. How much left in the bike when you rode off?

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Vale!
Tracy T
http://www.thelencoaching.com
Some light reading::: http://www.tracythelen.blogspot.com