2014 Xterra West Championship Race Report

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 1^st 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.

The North Face Gore Tex 50 Mile Race Report

Saturday December 7^th, 2013 Golden Gate National Recreational Area, California

This past weekend Kasia and I ran our first 50 mile race and it was awesome.  Getting out on the trails in nature is one of my favorite things to do period!!! And getting to do it with my wife makes it even better.  Ultra Marathons are the hardest physical thing I have done so far…..They are off road and not flat.  Very far from flat….in fact they are up then down then up then down and so on for however far they may be.  I felt this week like the first time I ran the marathon.  My quads are shot big time.  It hurts to walk downstairs and all day at work everyone asked me why I was walking funny.  I then had a fun story to tell them.  I ran 50 miles.

This year is special for the both of us because for the first time both of us are sponsored and racing for a men’s and women’s triathlon team.  Kasia is part of the Elite team sponsored by Active Angelz and I am part of the Men’s Nytro Breakaway Training team.  Many thanks to our coaches and sponsors that make this whole dream we live possible.  Nutrition is my fourth sport and Cytomax really hooks our team up.  Energy Drops, Cytomax Sports Drink, Monster Aminos & Protein really helped make our bodies as strong as possible.   And we needed every bit of help we could get.

Over the past couple years my wife and I have been dabbling in ultra-marathons.  We did our first 50K in Big Bear at Endure the Bear in 2011.  We ran that race together and it was brutal.  Kasia was fighting an injury and did not have the best experience.  We ran/hiked the Rae Lake Loop that summer with our friend Christian (45 miles unassisted).  That was awesome and cemented my love for running above the timber line in the sierras.  Something I look forward to every summer.  Then we did Noble Canyon 50K last year.  We tried to get into the NF50 last year but it was already sold out and now I know why.  This course is super sic.  It is located just north of San Francisco in the Marin headlands.  Some place I have always wanted to explore after visiting Muir Woods last year.    This past summer after running from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite to Mammoth Lakes (35 miles of PCT love) we decided to sign up again and test our bodies at the 50 mile distance

We flew into SF Thursday after our flight was delayed 1.5 hours.  That sucked.  Got our rental car and headed downtown to the Hyatt at the Embarcadero in SF.  One thing we noticed is that it was cold…….way cold.  That brought back nightmares of IM Tahoe this past year.  But at least we didn’t have to swim then hit the bike in 40 degree shade.  Next day headed to the North Face store downtown and checked into the race.  Got our numbers, timing chip, and tech tee (which we gave right back to get printed at the finish line).  Afterwards we spent the afternoon shopping in downtown SF, getting some dinner and relaxing in our room. 

Next morning our alarm went off at 2:30 AM for the 5:00AM start.  I always hate eating food really early in the morning.  The anxiety plus the food does not feel like a normal day.  Kasia has no problems but each bite for me is a struggle.  The excitement for some reason takes away my normal appetite for some reason, but I know I need fuel so I power down a bagel with peanut butter and part of a chocolate croissant.  A couple cups of coffee later and we are headed to the start through an empty downtown SF. 

Got to the parking lot and hit the shuttles and before we knew it we were at the start.  The race start felt empty compared to triathlons.  Tents felt spread out thin.  I wish they would have had a big tent with lights because we it was cold (30’s) and dark.  We had to use our headlamps to pack up our bags for drop-offs.  There were 4 places you could pick up your bags at.  Two aid stations you went through twice.  We decided to pick ours up right after ascending from Stinson beach up the Dipsea Trail at mile 30.  Dean Karnaze was at the start line giving high five as we left the finish line. It was a surreal experience with all the lights.   

There was a line of headlamps strung out after the start.  It stayed dark for over an hour…..it was cold until we started our first ascent.  When we reached the top the lights of Sausalito were visible below the ridgeline and when we hit a Eucalyptus Forest the lights of SF were visible.  It was awesome to be running through the forest with the city in the background and my wife next to me.  Kasia was the only one I knew at the race and my plans of taking off and running my first 50 miler solo were leaving.  We had trained together for this.  Mile after mile, day after day, hour after hour and now we were in the moment…… racing.  She asked me to stay with her till it got light and I agreed.  I was already thinking I may want to hang with her and experience this together……kind of finish the journey together.  I am a lucky guy because my wife is generally down to try anything.  Just after the forest ended we started the first descent.  My little light on the front on my cap barely lit the way and Kasia always has a tough time descending so I hung behind her and made sure she got down safe.  6 or so miles later we looped back to the first aid station we had already passed.  They had no food, only drinks, so we took a drink and headed back out into the dark trails.  Instead of taking the road or climb we just took up to the forest we took a left and headed north.  This was the start of us moving far far away from the start.  The start of our adventure.  Dawn was breaking on the horizon.

Wrapping your head around running 50 miles for the first time is big.  Really Big.  Neither of us had ever done it.  I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t a little anxious and nervous about it before…….but something changes after a race starts.  We had trained for this.  We were ready and the miles just start to fly by because everywhere you look is pure beauty.  I love running early morning …..Its pure and only the hardcore people get it.  Once you taste it you want more.  Sunset is spectacular too but night falls shortly after.  Sunrise on the other hand is just as beautiful but follows with brilliant warm sunshine…….the stuff that makes superman strong.

As sun broke we hit the coast and I couldn’t help but take a few pics because it was stunning.   A line of runners spread out down the coast.  You could see the trail zig zagging down closer to the beach.  I kept telling Kasia how awesome this trail was…….it was when the alpine glow sunrise hit her I decided I would stick with her all day and finish what we started together. 

A few miles later at the top of a hill Muir Beach came into view and again I was inspired by nature….it was beautiful.  What an amazing place to do our first 50 miler…..bummer it was cold.  But at least the sun was going to be out and that offered me some comfort. 

I ran in gloves all day…..taking them off for only the climbs where I would warm up for a short period of time.  After Muir beach we climbed a long hill that kept growing turn after turn.  At the top we hit another aid station and I saw one of the leaders about to the hit the 30 mile marker.  Kasia and I were about to head out on the out and back…….the furthest we would go from the start and finish.  Shortly after we left the aid station we went into the forest and I just enjoyed every second of running with Kasia through this lush forest with beams of sunshine penetrating down to our level. 

The out and back of this race is sweet single track with views of Stinson Beach below but it is also the most dangerous because you have runners going both ways and we had runners coming at us head on the whole way.  Out and back we dealt with some not so nice people that thought they had a chance at winning and other very nice people that did not want to die. 

Once we got off the out and back we descended into the sweet little town of Stinson Beach.   Switch back after switchback we descended.  At this point between mile 20 and 30 I started to feel my quads and legs, but I was stoked to be doing this…….I was in the moment enjoying it with Kasia.  We chatted the whole race…..she has come so far since we first met.  She inspires me with her determination and growth.  She just keeps getting better and better and always has a great attitude. 

The climb out of Stinson beach on the Dipsea Trail flew by and before we knew it the views were back.  Once we reached the top we hit the aid station we saw the pro at earlier.   Man that guy was flying.  We munched on some ruffles and M&Ms which tasted so good.  Also drank a cup of chicken broth which was also nice because of the warmth.  A couple cokes later and we entered Muir Woods and the mystical forest I had been looking forward to all day. 

The Redwoods started appearing here and there but when we reached the bottom of the valley where the river made its way down the mountain was where the big Redwoods covered in green moss lived.  It was so fun to be running through such an awesome place.  It felt like Endore in Star Wars.  Last year Kasia and I hiked here and had an awesome grilled cheese sandwich (Marin Melt- Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam Cheese, Pt Reyes Farmstead Cremery Toma Cheese, and Rustic Bakery Sunflower Loaf Bread) with tomato soup at the Muir Woods Forest Service restaurant.  If you are there check it out……definitely worth it…..soo sooooo yummy. 

From the past visit I knew we would climb out of the forest and into the sun along the ridge.  Before long we found ourselves making the climb.  When we broke out of the sun I got a recharge.   It was later in the day but the sun still provided some warmth.  Muir woods was chilly.  Glad to have that behind us. 

Time to move closer towards the finish.  As they say what goes up has to go down and we hit the end of the sun trail and started our descent down to the next aid station next to the the parking lot for Muir Woods.  The downhill hurt.  Switchback after switchback.  Started to make friends with other runners we had been running with all day.  No matter what we kept running and before long we entered the aid station.

Looked for M&Ms but they only had skittles.  Bummer….They did have potato chips and coke so took some down and headed back out with Kasia.  There were a couple runners sitting down in blankets looking not so good.  They probably didn’t make it.  Next section to Muir Beach was flat and very welcomed.  That was just what we needed.  Kasia got in front of me and set the pace.  We didn’t say much for a while until we got closer to the town.  We crushed a couple miles at a descent pace.  The race up until this point had been really hilly (This is not a flat course).  It is a very hilly course but not very technical except for the out and back.  Muir beach aid station welcomed us in with cow bells.

At this aid station one of the race directors was getting headlamps ready for the upcoming runners.  He said to us “You guys will make it right before it gets dark”.  That was comforting as the sun was starting to set in the west.  Right out of this aid station is a big climb.  It is a fire road cut in some places straight up the hill.  A couple mountain bikers passed us.  I thought to myself how fast I could crush miles on the wheels…..and then I thought how fast I could crush these hills if I was fresh.  I started to day dream about what my legs felt like at the start.  I was trying to think of anything but being tired and feeling the pain in my quads and legs……but we pushed on.  Past 35 miles was new to us this year.  The summer run was less than 35 by a mile or two.  In training we went up to 35.  So when we hit 35.1 I was a little excited.

Now we could count the rest of the race in aid stations.  Two left.  We strategized what we would eat at the next aid station hoping they had ruffles and M&Ms.  The descent to the second to the last aid station really hurt but we did it.  This was a big aid station with everything we wanted.  We filled up and hit the road.  We didn’t spend very much time in any aid station.  Only what it took to fill my camelback and eat what we wanted.  At this point we were not liking the hills anymore.  We wanted to be done but less than five miles to go.  The last hill went on for what seemed like forever.  Bend after bend, more and more, but as we crested the top I recognized we would go through the eucalyptus forest we went through right after the start.  We were almost done.  The end was in sight.  When we ran through the forest I could see the city lights once again and was energized.  One more descent and a little climb and we are done.  During the final descent the sun set and when we hit the bottom it was dark.  We had run all day.  I mean we ran during every second of light.  Run, eat, drink, run, eat, drink, etc…..all day. 

We approached the finish line with one guy in front of us so before we got into the light I congratulated Kasia on an amazing effort and had her wait up a sec so the guy could have his own moment.  We then ran across the finish line together holding hands in a time of 12 hours 39 minutes.  It was awesome to experience our first 50 mile running race together and what an amazing place to do it.

I never saw the start/finish area in the light.  Only in the dark.  There was no food and no beer (bummer), but we did find some coffee which was awesome.  The coffee was warm and it was super cold now that we had stopped moving.  We got our finish line bags and changed into some warm clothes and headed to our car.  The heat and the seat on the bus/shuttle felt so good.  When they dropped us off at the car I ran over to the rental car and started it up and revved the engine to about 4K.   The heat started pouring out of the vents minutes later.  We sat there as the car warmed up reflecting on what we had done that day.   After we got comfy we drove back into the city back to our hotel in Embarcadero.  We parked the car and hobbled through the lobby to our room.  We dropped off our stuff and turned right around back to the hotel restaurant.  The food tasted so good.  The beer even better.  We grubbed pretty quickly and headed back to our room.  We were beat big time!  Kasia fell asleep sitting up.  I tucked her in and hit the sack.  I was out immediately!!

We both slept like crap.  Tossing and turning with pain in the legs.  Dawn came what seemed quickly.    

We got up the next morning and hit up a SF favorite of ours…….Ike’s Place (sandwiches).  We ate them in the car where it was warm.  They were so good!!!  I love that place.  They have killer GF bread that Kasia loves. 

Afterwards we hit up twin peaks for killer views of SF.  I have always wanted to check that place up and the views were worth it. 

After chilling for a few we headed back to the SF airport to drop the rental car off and catch our flight.  One thing that is awesome about living in San Diego is coming home.  I thought it would be warmer and feel great but when we landed we found it chilly as can be.   But it felt good to be home.

Like most endurance events you do for the first time it takes a little for the whole experience to soak in.  It has soaked in and we want to try that distance again.   We are thinking about signing up for the PCT50 for 2014.  Registration opens January 1^st    This time I will run solo and see what time I can post.  It occurs the weekend after Ironman St. George 70.3.

Who’s in?????