So I did my first Xterra at Snow Valley this weekend…damn fun and fuckin brutal! Being my first one, I didn’t want to blow up…besides, its at altitude…so all day Saturday I kept telling my self, controlled pace, controlled pace. See, I’m a fish, so I love taking out the swim, hammering the bike, and then doing my best impression of a turtle on the run. I knew that strategy wasn’t going to work. I didn’t go up on Saturday to scope out the course…I wish I would of.
Got up at the ass crack of the day (that’s 3am), to make the 2 hour drive up to Snow Valley Ski Resort from San Diego. Had all my shit loaded the night before, so I just had to get up, eat, take a dump, and leave. No traffic on the drive up, I think 4:30am on Sunday is the only time this phenomenon happens in SoCal. Got there, registered, met a friend that camped the night before and did some recon on the course…all he said was steep, very steep. Got my first transition area read, then got the bike and all the swim stuff ready, getting ready for the ride up to the start. Should be a good little warm up…
…now, when I was thinking steep, I wasn’t excepting “straight up the ski slope”. Ok, so it wasn’t straight up, it was straight up the service road. We had to ride up the longest hill to get to the start. Rumors were its 1000ft gain in 2 miles. Thank god we did so I could see how long it really was, otherwise I would have tried to power up it. Way more warm up then usual…but it turned out to be a good thing (need to warm up is the lesson). Decide to go without a wetsuit, since the water was so warm in the private lake, and headed to the start.
Ok, here is where I get the first Xterra experience…EVERYONE was chatting, laughing it up, just shootin the shit before the start. Much more laid back, fun loving…it was pretty cool. This theme would continue throughout the race.
Swim went awesome…first time I just picked some feet and draft the whole way. It’s really hard for me to hold back on the swim, but I forced myself. Water was perfect, probable 68, about 6 ft of visibility, so you could follow feet without lifting your head up. Felt long and strong. So swim workouts are going well. 3rd out of the water, 12:xx for the 1000m swim. Hopped out of the water, and had the worlds slowest transition. Socks and wet feet don’t mesh well. But I was purposely slow, as I knew this was a long day, and I wasn’t in contention anyways.
Bike went crappy. I haven’t been on my mtn bike for almost a year, so my skills are seriously lacking. I have the legs though, so that saved it a bit. To the top of the mtn we went on the bikes, hit some nasty sand at top. Almost lost it a couple of times, but thankfully I was in the right gear to power through, then came the downhill. Lack of skills and time on the mtn bike made me VERY slow on the down hill, especially since it was straight down the mountain. Got passed by lots of people there, since I was in Wave 1 and about the 5th guy out of transition. Most people that passed called out “on your left”, or “thanks” as they flew by, which was cool. Across the bottom of the resort and up the long hill. Spun all the way up, was pacing again scared I would blow up on the run. Top sand section was better the second time around after lots of people. Same with the down hill as I now knew the lines a little better. 1:05 for the 10 mile bike, which I was more then happy with. Another slow transition and off for the run…more like walk.
Started the run actually running, even the steep sections. About 20 minute into, we go up the same hill we did on the bike. Ok, that’s it, I am walking, no shame in that. I figured I would fast walk/hike up this beast, and then blister down the hill, catching some peeps that blew up. Long walk to the top as the run was basically 2 miles straight up, then 2 miles straight down. Lots of people past me going up, lots started walking, lots blew up BIG TIME. Thankfully I wasn’t one of them. I hit the turn around, and kicked it into gear. I was screaming down the hill, sometimes out almost out of control and had to slow down. Caught a bunch of people on the downhill, and right at the bottom caught up with the guys in 3rd and 4th in my age group (didn’t know at the time). Hit the last uphill, and started walking. From behind me I heard “I’ll jog if you do”, so I start jogging. It was the guy that would 3rd in our age group, and we powered up the hill, slowly, encouraging each other the whole way, ran into the guy that would get 4th in the age group, and dragged him along to the top. Thank yours at the top, and then off to the finish, they dusted me over the last 1/2 mile, but I was spent, and just enjoying the race. 50 minutes for the 4 mile run/walk.
2:02:51 total, for 5th in my age group. Overall I got to say, these events are awesome! The atmosphere, the people, the brutal course. I will definitely be back for more of these…after I get a new mountain bike. Mine was killing my back on the climbs…besides, I am always looking for an excuse to get a new bike!!!
-bcreager