Sunday April 13, 2014 Lake Las Vegas, Nevada
Like racing on the moon……that was the text printed on the front of the Xterra
race guide we picked up at check in.
Kasia and I were pumped to head to Vegas for the weekend and test our
luck at Xterra. Las Vegas is definitely
one of the most amazing cities in the world; like an adult playground with
anything you want….including some fun off-road triathlon. Xterra triathlons are to me the most fun and
exciting triathlon type by far. A swim
(1500 meters) mountain bike (30k) and trail run (10k). The best part is being on the dirt and
trails.
Got to Vegas late Friday night and checked into our hotel. Next morning loaded up the truck for Lake Las
Vegas for some course recon. We have
raced here before back in 2011. The
course is slick. There are no trees,
steep climbs, and loose dirt. Not the
sticky kind but the kind that makes you real unsure in the turns. While pre-riding the course I noticed at about
every turn a wheel track heading off trail.
The air was hot and dry and felt good.
The only worry was the water temp.
Saturday they said it was 54 and wetsuits were mandatory. After checking in and pre-riding the course
we opted out of a pre-swim and headed back to our hotel in Las Vegas. I had swam in cold water before and was
prepared thanks to my new Matuse wetsuit.
Last time we raced we stayed out in Lake Las Vegas and really didn’t
like it. It is nice, but dead out
there. Golf courses, hotels, and
houses…..that’s about it. Not a lot of
food choices either. This time we stayed
downtown and loved it. We ate dinner and
headed back to the room to prepare and rest for the following day. Xterra starts after 8AM so there was no need
to set the alarm clock too early.
We woke up to strong winds.
Winds at dawn usually mean it will be a windy day. After checking out and loading the car we
were off to Lake Las Vegas. It was
windy! At least I would not have to go
aero out on the road and get beat up.
After setting up transition and saying hi to Greg and his wife we headed
down to the swim start. This was Greg’s
first Xterra and he loved it. He will definitely be back for more.
Kasia did the sprint triathlon so she went off right after the
pro’s. I got to watch her get used to
the water temp, practice swim, and then head off. I love
that they use a small little cannon like Ironman to start each wave. After she headed out on her swim I got in the
water to warm up. To my liking the water
was not that cold. The wetsuit felt
awesome. We have swam in much
colder. I bet it was 58 or so. Swim was good but it was tough to sight due to the rising sun. I
always say the swim is the easy part. It
is not my strongest part but I enjoy it and always feel fresh. I knew I was nowhere near the front of the
swim so I was content to race my race and have a good time. As I was approaching the beach I was getting
excited to get on my bike and hit the dirt.
Before I knew it I was running up stairs to the bike transition.
Getting on the bike is always a good time, especially in a race. The feeling of leaving transition still wet
and fresh feels amazing. Something I
will always love. After a short stint
of road I was on dirt and loving it. The
wind was strong once we left the protection of the buildings…..blowing gusts of
dirt in everyone’s faces. The first
half of the course has the toughest climbs.
Climbing is on ridge lines and everyone was getting blown all
over the place. The wind was sucking all the moisture out
of me. I decided to carry two liters of
Cytomax and was I glad I did. I drank it
all and grabbed two water bottles on course.
It was dry and hot, not something I was used to living in San
Diego. But it was fun and I liked
it. After the climbs in the early part
of the race you descend into a wash that is filled with sand. Kasia took a spill here while pre-riding the
course the day before. My 29 inch wheels
really helped keep momentum during this part of the course. Picking the right line was key. Out of the canyon, a couple more climbs, then
some sweet single track next to the lake.
Got through the first loop and was ready for the second. I kept reminding myself to take it easy in
the turns and not fall. I guess I jinxed
myself. Just as I finished the big climb
on my second loop I crashed on the downhill.
It happened so fast. My front
tire slipped out in the turn. It knocked
the wind out of me and I was still clipped into the bike as I came to a sliding
stop on my right side. It was a tight race
course so immediately I was worried about people running me over. I was lying in the middle of the trail. I clipped out and moved over the side. It took a few minutes to get my wits about me. Bars and saddle were twisted but bike was
ok. Moved the saddle straight and
checked myself out. My right forearm was
bleeding and my right shoulder/back was hurting along with my hip. I also ripped a hole in my brand new Nytro
Breakaway tri kit shorts……grrrrrrrrr.
Got back on the saddle and continued on.
This is the first time I have crashed in a race before. It sucks. I sprained my left wrist in Utah
early this seasons snowboarding and this fall re-injured it a bit. The second lap was tough but I managed to
ride the rest of the course and head into T2.
I drank every bit of liquid I had on me.
This lap was definitely not as good as the first one.
My wife and I have been training for the upcoming PCT 50 and Tahoe Rim
100 mile race so I was stoked to get running. When I got into T2 Kasia was there taking
pictures. She had already finished her
race and was now cheering me on. I
decided to take my water bottle with me since it was so dry, hot and
windy. I was glad since aid stations
were spread out by a couple miles. I
felt good starting the run but as I started to climb I could feel my hamstrings
tightening up. At first I thought
nothing of it but it quickly changed to a full blown cramp. First my left hamstring cramped, then my
right. I had to stop running and
stretch. Cramps suck and hurt too. I definitely did not take enough
electrolytes on the bike and was now paying for it. Standing there watching people run by sucks
bad. After a few minutes they released
and I started to walk up the hill. I
like challenges and this was one of them.
I felt good energy wise and the hills were not too hard to run, my body
was just not cooperating. As I reached
the top of the first climb I started to run again and thankfully did not have
any other cramps. When I reached mile 3
I really started to feel good. The rest of the run was great and I had no
more cramps.
Compared to recent events this was over in a blink of an eye. When I got to the finish line Kasia was there
taking pictures. I was bummed I missed
her medal ceremonies. She got 1st
place in her age group in the sprint race.
Even though she was terrified of the bike, she pushed through and gave
it her all and ended up bringing home our only medal. I am really proud of her and what she has
accomplished. Without her support and determination
we wouldn't get half the stuff we do done.
I ended up 15 of 19 in my age group. Not my best performance but after the crash and the cramps
I was glad I was able to finish and live to race another day. I gave
it my all and never gave up. This was my first crash in a race and
probably won’t be the last.
Swim :29:29 Bike
1:51:36 Run 1:00:51 Total: 3:21:56
It really makes me want to get better at mountain biking and trail
running. Xterra races are by far my
favorite and I look forward to the next one. For now I have Ironman St. George in little over a week. Cannot wait to be back racing in the desert.
