Lisa Hurley's Race Report

It was my first go at an off-road tri! I love mountain biking, but don't consider myself terribly skilled at the technical stuff. However, I was in for a rude awakening and a "crash course" the morning of the race! As we wandered to the swim corral, a handful of the women were chatting about toughness of the bike leg. A few had come out and ridden it the week before or even a small piece the day before the race. One gal said she got into the trails and had been riding for 40 minutes & had only gone 2-miles! I knew I was in for a beating...but summoned the "bike gods" and asked for some assistance to get me out in one piece!

It was an overcast morning - my favorite! No heat stroke today...thankfully!! The men took off five minutes ahead of us, then the number of strong-willed women dove into the 70+ degree water. The swim was a leisurely wallow (for me...not a fast swimmer) alongside a few breast-strokers & one guy that was hanging on for dear life. Super manageable for even the weak at heart.
Got out of the lake NOT in "last place" (woohoo!)...and was greated by my daughter, Madi, who was helping in the transition area. That day would be one in which she would prove to be the most patience 15-year old imaginable! Thank goodness she was well entertained by her volunteer compadre! Everyone was so, super nice and helpful!!

Alright, I thought...now the FUN begins! Hopped on my well-worn hard-tail, equipped with a new rear tire and brake pads (a last-minute "good call" and cue from the local bike shop fellas!). Immediately I realized this was no ordinary whimpy mountain bike trail! Gonna have to hydrate and "gu"-up along the connectors from trail-head to trail-head... This, for me, was going to be a constant battle to stay afloat! But...wait a minute...I know what I'm doing here! Maybe not with the big LOGS in the trail (those are for the dual-suspension folk!)...Okay...and maybe I'm gonna have to cave to some of the gnarlier downhill, segments with loose dirt or the uphill with tons of rocks! I managed to finagle my way up and around most of the obstacles! But, admittedly...this was some twisted trail action, much of it with 8-10 inch rocks hogging up the center of the single-track...yikes!! ...Alright...I can do this! I looked up a few times, noticing others - both male and female - with all intention of making it out alive! One gal - in her mid twenties - was literally carrying and running her bike around by the handle bars!! That made me laugh! Either she didn't want a "bad time" or she figured, hey...this is way over my head!! ;)

Either way, we were ALL in this one together!! The fast folks were politely requesting us pokier folks to help them get by. This beautiful, technical, wooded course - complete with water-crossing (two times) - was truly "single-track"...to the point where pulling over, meant stepping off the course to let the speedsters do their thing! No worries...everyone was completely cool about this. While I didn't feel like any sort of expert...I do have a "one-ness" with my mountain bike. We go places together...but rarely has the little hard-tail taken that sort of beating! By about the midway point, I was settling in nicely. There were a number of others who were hovering around the same pace, we'd pass each other back and forth a bit. But because I'm a slower swimmer and a bit more competent at biking, it was mostly me passing those that had borrowed a bike for the adventure, or were a little more tenuous on the course. Oh, there were plenty of "close calls" and spills along the way! I've got the scrapes and dings to prove it... :) ...But, eventually, I made my way to the water for the second time!! LOVELY feeling that nice cold water soaking through my old suede high-top bike shoes!! YES!!! THIS IS THE LIFE!!...

It's home stretch on the bike now. Someone shouted "Just a quick run after this!!"...Getting excited to feel as though I was going to LIVE through the toughest bike I'd done to-date!! Just finishing the rougher, rockier segment and getting ready to hit the last, cool leg of soft dirt-trail switch-backs through the woods for the second loop. A very fun leg, a bit easier than the earlier sections. My bike and I were taking on the last bit of baseball-sized rocks riddling the trail...when...all of sudden...CLANK!!! ...What the???!!! ..My seat goes flying off my bike from underneath me (I was standing on the pedals)!! OMG...I hear the bolts and parts clatter against the rocks of the trail!! I had no idea how this happened??!! I don't remember hitting anything WITH my seat...Apparently, the torque and beating the hard-tail had taken after colliding with more rocks and roots that it had seen in one sitting finally tooks its toll! ...OMG...what the hell do I do now???!! My mind is racing...I can't just stop now!!!! Unconsciously, I gather the parts and take a look at the center bolt. It's cracked in half! I shove the pieces into my bag. One of my compadres pulls a bike tool from his bag and offers assistance. I thank him, but it's no use...I ask if he wouldn't mind letting someone know I'm without a seat. He agrees. Next order of operation...what the hell do I do with my seat? ...Leave it on the trail???? I figure I've got less than two miles to go. ...Think, Pooh, think!!... I shove the thing down my bike jersey! It's stretchy and heaven knows there's room in there!! (wink) ...Alright...LET'S FINISH THIS THING!!!...

Fortunately, the next connector trail came quickly and the kind, Black Diamond resident volunteer, with a cowboy drawl, offers to take my seat back to the transition area. He asks what I plan to do... I shrug and tell him I guess I'm gonna try and finish without it! The incident allowed a few folks to pass me, but I was sort of charged-up by the challenge. ...I end-up passing a couple back again, to my surprise, biking out-of-seat for the remainder...praying that I don't slip and send the bike through a body part! ...Thank goodness for training out-of-seat!! I had been biking the Tolt Pipeline back home on this thing...so this wasn't going to be impossible...just SLLLLLOOOOWWWW going!! Okay, bike gods delivered...out in ONE PIECE!! Me, that is...not the bike!

Bumbled my way to transition! One of the volunteers noticed the missing seat..."Oh my god, where's your seat!!???" A few kudos from the volunteers kept me jazzed-up and ready to run!! I pass my daughter, Madi, at the run-out and tell her about the bike misfortune!...then on my way! Trail running is my favorite! I'm thinking, "Alright - 10k...piece of cake!"
Heading up the hill and into the sweet, meandering trails! Awesome...I'm psyched! Immediately, I'm feeling confident and pass a couple folks. I'm thinking I should be done with this thing in under an hour. A few of us are chatting a bit. I'm asking others how they're doing...excited to be out there and alive. I'm just telling one of the other racers about my seat breaking, pardoning myself to pass a guy that looks capable of kicking my butt once he finds his stride...when my left toe catches a root and I'm face-planting into the bushes!! Immediately I feel my right hamstring screaming & I let out a yell!! About four other runners stop dead in their tracks to help (bless them all!!)..."Are you okay?"..."Do you need us to get some help?"...I requisition a hand to help me to my feet. My mind is whirling..."Can you walk?"...all I can say is, "I dunno...maybe?" One very kind soul behind me tells the others to go on ahead, that he'll stay with me! I'm hobbling along...trying to avoid the relentless trail traps underfoot. My buddy offers to carry me! "I'm a big guy...I'm sure I could carry you...really...if you need me to!" I thank him profusely and tell him I'm gonna just keep walking and see how I feel. He asks permission to pass and it's granted...

After accessing the damage I realize my hamstring is in tough shape. I'm gonna be shuffle-walking the entire 10k, at best! ...I'm contemplating quitting. A fella with a Australian accent asks me "how ya doin'?" I tell him I'm not sure I can finish...and mention the hamstring. "Awww...ya gotta keep going!"...he prods in his thick accent. (...and so it is!).

The rest of the lovely trail leg ends-up a mental test to just get 'er done! Several folks continue to saunter past me...as I chug along at a snails pace. I cringe as they tell me "good job"...pushing my ego aside. This was supposed to be the "easy part"...Oh, well...it'll make a great story!! I come through the first loop, and the cheerful volunteer women hand me my red arm band, signifying I'm officially a second looper... I ask them to pass on a message to my daughter. "Please tell her I've pulled my hamstring and it's gonna take me a long time to finish!" My friend, Tracy Brown - volunteer Gu-Girl - sees me during the straight stretches of each loop. Each time I pass her, she offers words of caution and encouragement... I'm now consumed by humility...laughing and enjoying myself.

I finally pop out of the trail near the end of the run leg...and there's Madi...my sweet, beautiful, patient daughter (and running enthusiast). "Hi Mom!...They told me you got hurt...I'm gonna run in with you!" (She's came to volunteer, but hopes to do a triathlon one day...thus her motivation for partaking in the festivities!). The cars in the grass lot are almost gone now. As they empty the lot, passing Madi and I they continue to holler...GOOD JOB!! ALMOST THERE!!!... I'm mostly walking with Madi...the cheerful volunteers encourage me to jog / shuffle to the finish... They're breaking down the transition area...but, look! There are still a handful of bikes left! Amazingly, there are a few more stragglers out there... The remaining racers, volunteers, Madi and I cheer as we slowly gather our belongings and check the results. The last few competitors complete their challenge! It was a great workout...perfect weather...what more do you want?! :-)

Lisa Hurley

Vince Partridge's XBD race report -

Vince Partridge Xterra 2010 race report

I knew the day before the race that this XTERRA thing was going to hurt a little bit, I had already crashed (ok fallen over while trying to get shoes unclipped) twice on the pre-ride with Jason Jablonski. This pre-ride by the way was one of the smartest things I have ever done before an unfamiliar race. Jason’s instruction and willingness to answer any question was invaluable for an XTERRA newbie like me. I was just hoping the 9 miles of mountain biking the day before was not going to blow out my legs.

Morning of the race was amazing, I have never been so relaxed and I attribute that to the RTB team members, volunteers and race directors. I also had no real idea of what I was in for. The water was warm and the swim was off, then things began to change when almost 160 athletes tried to get out of the water half way through the swim and run across a mysterious “XTERRA Island”. I figured I was already dehydrated when I saw Trev in a grass skirt and “Wilson” from Castaway fame sitting on the ground. My plan was to be steady and save energy for the bike and run. (Swim 24:43) Once back T1 went as well as expected, just had to focus on task at hand and don’t fumble with equipment. (T1 1:06)

Here comes the bike, or should I say specifically Mountain bike because they are not the same. In my opinion 15 miles on this course is about the same as about 43 hilly miles on the Tri bike at race pace or more in terms of feel and fatigue. I only crashed two more times on this day but a little faster this time and trees and stickers were my pillow. But who can feel pain when those endorphins I crave so much mask all. By about mile 12, I had a case of white line fever so bad I was talking to myself in my “outside” voice, but at least they were words of encouragement. The mental effort and focus involved in a mountain bike race of this nature is beyond anything I had ever experienced. I am sure this will come as no surprise to the mountain bikers out there as this is the reason people with mountain bike experience do so well in this type of venue. It really is amazingly fun to jump roots, rocks, streams, and other riders at race pace. Oh and race pace for a mountain bike rider can be around 2-3 mph for extended periods of time. So for a road Tri guy, my time on the bike made me ask myself what have I become? (Mountain bike 1:52:24) Really? For only 15 miles? You had to be there. (T2 0:59) Yeah baby!

Running time…aka leg gramps-r-us. Yes even with 4 gel packs and almost 2 liters of fluids I still cramped horribly after the first loop hill out of transition. Took me about the first two miles to work into what resembled a pace. It was much slower than I knew I was capable of but the muscles were angry. I hooked up with another competitor who provided huge amounts of encouragement. He even stopped with me when I had to stop and stretch after cramping on about mile 4. We continued talking and pushing ourselves harder each mile. He had the goal of finishing in 3 hrs 15 min or less. I took on his goal as my own and we finished side by side. He was a true testament to the character of the people who do these races. (Run 58:18) (Overall 3:14:26.8)

I finished sore, bloody and slower than I had anticipated but I gained a mental toughness that only competitors will truly know. Plus, I now have a goal to beat 3:14:26 next year. Thank you to RTB volunteers and race staff, now I totally get why XTERRA BD is #1.

Wendy Grave's XTERRA Report...

Here's my race report for Xterra: I badly wanted to do Xterra Black Diamond last year but it didn't fit into my training schedule. This year, even though I'm training for Ironman Arizona, and have repeatedly been told by my training partner that I'm not allowed to get injured, I signed up for Xterra. Yes, I realized that I had no experience racing mountain bikes, nor for that matter, am I even very skilled on a mountain bike. But I really enjoy it. And I love trail running. And it sounded like a good old, get down in the mud and get dirty kind of fun race. Besides, I think I was the only woman on our team that was planning to do it solo. And who doesn't love to be different and take on a new challenge?

Despite my training partner's fears, I didn't get injured at Xterra. Nope, instead I got injured during karate two weeks prior to Xterra. I broke my right foot in a karate incident (the guy's hip bone was stronger than my foot bone - go figure). So, my doctor puts me in a boot and tells me I can bike and swim but I can't run for 3-4 weeks. So . . . . what option does that leave me but to do Xterra as a relay? In comes my husband, Dave to the rescue, graciously agreeing to do the 6.2 mile trail run. So, I'm back in the race, even if I don't get to do it in its entirety.

Sunday morning we show up at Lake Sawyer. We run into Eric from The Balanced Athlete who takes one look at my boot and says "You're not racing, are you? Did you doctor know you meant "mountain biking" and "xterra racing" when you asked if you could "bike"?" Hmmm . . . details. Whatever. And Eric was not the only one to comment on the boot - I had many odd looks and comments from other racers and teammates as well. Whatever. Dave and I go set up in transition. Then . . . Toby announces the lake is 86 degrees and wetsuits aren't allowed. WHAT!!!! No wetsuit? No pull buoy? What am I to do? Is it too late to go back to bed? Can I kick with a broken foot? Will I drown? I try to calm down, reminding myself that I have been swimming once a week without my pull buoy or any other flotation devices. I can do this. It may be slow, it may be ugly, but I can do this. So, I walk to the edge of the water, take off my boot and join the other athletes for the swim. And I swam respectably. As a matter of fact, I did rather well. Not lightning fast, but very respectable. By the way, despite the advertising on the Xterra website, the RTBers onthe island did NOT look disgruntled. They were actually quite cheerful and encouraging. I especially appreciated seeing Cheryl's friendly face as I made my way across the island.

Once I finished the swim I took full advantage of the volunteers helping swimmers onto the shore (what with broken foot and all). I started to run to transition when my husband appeared at my side reminding me I wasn't allowed to run. So . . . I had to walk to transition. Seriously?! Walk? That is not an easy thing to do when people cheering you on saying "great job". I felt lame, but I guess I was! Into transition, I grabbed my helmet, shoes and bike (it's a pretty quick transition when you don't have to take off a wetsuit!) and head back out. I didn't get too far before I realized my saddle was way too low. I figured, if I'm going to be taking this ride easy, I might as well take the time to adjust the saddle. That was a smart move. Off I went again . . . slowly.

Did I mention how technical the bike was? Holy cannoli! I spent a lot of time putting my foot down and walking sections of the route (over logs, up hills). I had to be careful not to fall or put too much stress on my foot. Of course, the foot that I always clip out with was my broken one. And I think I ran through the stream with my bike (LOVE the photo of me carrying my bike!) - (oops, did I say that out loud? No, Caitlin, I did not run! ) So I had an internal fight over whether to do both laps or not. Was I a quitter if I didn't finish or was I being smart and keeping the bigger picture in mind. Why risk further injury when Xterra wasn't even a my big race? The important race of the year is of course Ironman.

After going back and forth, and spending a lot of time in the bushes letting other much faster riders pass me, I finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth injuring myself further just to save my stupid pride. So after the first lap, I returned to the transition area with a DNF. I stopped before crossing the mat and yelled at my husband to "Go, go, go Dave"! and he started the run. I then spent the next 54 minutes visiting with teammates and other athletes while watching the first athletes cross the finish line.

I have to say, Xterra athletes are my new idols. There is no other sport that could be harder. The pure physicality of the bike portion was unbelievable. And they were flying by me as if I was standing still (well . . . much of the time I was, but still). It was amazing. I am in awe and wish I could be that cool. I think the highlight of my day was when one of the top athletes passed me and said "There's some hardcore chick out here with a broken foot . . . oh wait, that's you!". Anyways, I digress. My husband finished the run in 54 minutes. He was tired and he was as torn up as the bike riders were. Apparently there was a log on the run which they had to clamber over, twice. He had no problems on the first loop. On the second . . . apparently he didn't quite make it and landed on his side/knee along the tree. He now has tree rash. That's a new one for me. Hmm . . .

So, to recap: With all the difficulties, pain, scrapes, wetsuitless swimming . . . we still had an AMAZING time! Thanks to Toby, Patty and Kathy for all their hard work. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers. I loved seeing my fellow teammates and having them cheer me on. It was a wonderful event. Maybe next year I'll be brave enough to try it again . . . but I may need to get a few tattoos first! Who's with me?!!! Thanks, Wendy Graves

Mike Vine's XTERRA Road Trip

Hello all,
thought I'd send a report on my latest road trip, a triple header with XTerra events in WA, CO, and the Mountain Championship in UT. Three races in 13 days which was welcome after 7 weeks without an XTerra. With 2 wins and a close 2nd the racing was a total success... think I'm back in the game!!!

First up was a new venue called XTerra Black Diamond located near Seattle. For me this was a low key tuneup race, which I always enjoy. The Pac NW needs a quality XTerra and this one is it with superb venue and ideal course with some of the twistiest mtb trails of anywhere. Best part was the organization was top notch with full community support. What a treat to finally race on some rooty and slick trails in the Pac NW. I had one decent wipeout which wedged my shin bone hard however it hardly slowed me down and I finished in 2 hrs flat, 9 minutes ahead of 2nd place... not bad with a field of 175 racers.

6 days later we were in Vail racing against the Colorado guys on their home turf at the Beaver Creek Resort XTerra. This one had a decent payout, almost as much as a USA Pro Tour event so there would be no holding back, even with the big Mtn Champs race looming 1 week later. With course designed by AR and MTB World cup champ Mike Kloser it was sure to be tough, and it was - there was 4000+' net vertical with racing at elevations from 7500' up to 9300'. Oddly I always race at my best up high, even coming from sea level. I had a great race and won. Swam my best swim of the year and fastest bike split landed me into T2 with a big enough lead to hold over the upstart Branden Rakita and the local favorite, turbo-runner Josiah Middaugh who also happens to be winner of the last US Pro Tour event in Richmond. Although... I could have been fortunate that Josiah was feeling a recent 5-day Adventure race in France.

Ann and I spent the next week in nearby Keytsone CO staying at 9300' which was fine for acclimating however trying to recover at that elevation i wasn't doing a whole lot of exercise! We should have gone to Utah sooner however staying in Summit County and riding there at the bike park for the first time in 3 years - the site of the original Mtn Championship course - was a trip down memory lane and a total blast.

So we drove to Utah on Thursday and reconned the Mtn Championship course at Snowbasin( site of the 2002 Olympics dh ski ) on Friday. While riding, Ann was stung by a hornet on the lip which became scary when her face swelled up. we're talking mutated space alien here... Hee Hee!!!
luckily not anaphylactic, just really bad swelling however she went to the hospital for a shot to be sure.

In the race Saturday I was snailbait off the swim start and figured I'd blown it coming out 2 min down on the three leaders( the last week in Vail i swam in right behind Branden Rakita, one of this week's 3 leaders ). However Conrad Stoltz, the reigning world champ and race favorite, came out only a minute ahead and even better on the early stages of the climb i could see I was gaining. I lost some ground on the middle section with a 5 min descent I hadn't pre-ridden, then continued past Seth and Branden and caught up to Conrad by the lodge at 6400'. He dug in and battled hard and we exchanged the lead several times going over the top, which was at about 7200'. Heading into the descent Conrad went ahead. Here i was thinking I would take it... it was just a matter of keeping Conrad in range until T2 then outrunning him. Little did I know. Conrad had that descent nailed( only ~800' drop to T2 but lots of pedalling and blind corners ) and surprised me with nearly a minute lead by T2. Over a short 30 min run that would be tough to catch him. So I nearly ran him down but not quite... i was 10 seconds behind at the finish. The results are actually inaccurate saying I finished 31 sec behind... the gap was 10 seconds and there is the picture to prove it. i finished in 2:21:41(not 2:22:03 like the results say!), exactly 10 sec behind. I was going to leave it and not be a weenie about it but since I found the picture I decided the results will have to be corrected.

Note this was a high profile event with 30 min tv episode which will be nationally syndicated in 2009 as part of the XTerra Adventure Series.

The big races are coming up now... USA Champs in Tahoe Oct 5 is next. A near identical course to Utah with altitude and elevation profile.

Many thanks to my sponsors... they're the best.
Intense cycles, Fox Racing Shox, Mizuno Footwear, Michelin rubber, Maui Coupon magazine, blue Seventy, Vega.

and our homestays on this trip... we stayed with great people in every town.
Matt and Kathy Morrisson in Black diamond!
Dan and Carmen Weiland in CO!
good to see Dave Clymo in Keystone after 3 years!
Rachel and Andy Waters and family in Ogden Utah!

Andrew Marsh's Race Report

XTERRA Point Series Director, Andrew Marsh, (riding to the right of RD Toby Mollett in this picture) made his way out from North Carolina to help out with XBD. Not sure if he was worried about us rookies or just wanted to get back to God's country, but we're glad he was here. He works hard!

Here are a few excerpts from his race report that you can find at http://www.xterraplanet.com/news/dsp_content.cfm?id=2276.

Check out xterraplanet for a WEALTH of XTERRA info, other great stories, and how our local athletes are doing in the points series

"How awesome was the 1st Annual XTERRA Black Diamond off-road triathlon?
For the first two answers you'll have to ask one of the truly fortunate that came out to Sawyer Lake Park to experience this race. As the 3rd question - one answer = totally!!! A stunning setting - beautiful lake - jamm'n bike - ripp'n run - and great post-race food and fun pushed this inaugural event high on to the "Don't miss this race!" list."

"With some authority it can be said that this Bike course is like no other. Epic? No - not really. It's not Tahoe's Fume Trail. Fast? No - not really. It's not quick/open like AZXTR. Scenic? While certainly pretty - no - it's not Crested Butte. What do you call 15 miles of roots, rocks, bumps, jumps, logs, bogs, short ups, quick downs, screaming straights, and a mandatory calf-deep creek crossing? The two loop format gave riders the opportunity to test their oxygen depleted memories and/or take a new line over the roots they wiped out on the first time. Technical? Yeah - but it's not over the top crazy. Fun? Depends who you ask!?! This 100% off-road, 95% single track course was a momentum killing ride that worked you over and was totally doable at the same time. We'll just simply call it ear-to-ear grin, Grade A, 210% XTERRA!!!"

XBD Impressions by Mike Vine & Keri Grosse

We asked for quotes from Mike and Keri - our male and female overall winners - about their race experience at XBD.....and because the quotes are so smashing, we are exploiting them on the blog. Maybe it will convince you to join us next year!!

Keri Grosse:

"The race was exactly as I imagined an Xterra triathlon would be - almost an adventure race with swimming in water lillys, island hopping in the fog, bike portaging through waist deep creeks and winding and sliding through a wet, mossy, rooty serpentine bike and run course. I was totally impressed with the perfectly placed volunteers and aid stations. The attention to detail was amazing with chip timing, tiki torches on Xterra island (not to mention a guest appearence by Wilson of Castaway fame). There was so much going on I forgot to gun it for the speed trap so obviously I will be back to try that. Overall I was amazed that this was the first presentation of this race as it was so well thought out. It was obvious that the race directors are athletes, have a sense of humor and take pride in their work. Thanks for the opportunity to ride in the best xterra experience I have had so far".

Mike Vine:

"XTerra BD was a great experience with its superb organization, pristine venue, and one of the most challenging mtb courses around. The people there were all friendly and enthusiastic too. I really enjoyed the mtb ride with some of the Pac Northwest's finest twistiest, tightest track... I didn't know a course could be so twisty!! Great to see a true mtb course that challenges even the most experienced riders. Actually I was hoping it wouldn't be as demanding as it was since I'm racing another XTerra in Vail only 6 days later!!!
See you next year,Mike"

Tara Brown's Epic Race Report

A short story, when compared to War and Peace, about my triathlon experience

When Alison asked on Saturday evening (8/2/08) if I wanted to do a triathlon the next morning instead of our scheduled 15 mile run, my initial reaction was “holy crap, are you kidding me?! I might drown!” But then in my mind I heard the words of a friend that I always have the option of responding to the unknown positively, too, and should try that more often. So I thought, “Okay, this will be a new experience, it’s just a workout, we’re not trying to qualify for an iron man…”

The tri was in Black Diamond and consisted of a 1 km swim, 15 mile bike ride, and 4.25 mile run. We figured it would be a nice, family, Seafair-wannabe triathlon for the people who live on Lake Sawyer. Swim a bit, bike the streets of Black Diamond, and run around the lake. Should be doable for even us measly marathon trainers.

After getting about 4.5 hours of sleep because we’d gone out dancing the night before, Alison and I arrived at registration just on time to enter the race. I started to write Alison as my emergency contact on my waiver, thought better of it, and wrote my mom’s name…then I realized, “wow, won’t she be surprised if she gets a call – she doesn’t even know I’m doing this!” (And she still doesn’t, as I write – I’m calling soon, Mom!) :) Technically they made the last call for registrations about 10 seconds before I completed my form. Dang them for breaking the rules and letting me in late.

Alison and I scanned the crowd of nearly 200 participants sporting full wet suits and XTERRA swim caps. We laughed at ourselves and hoped our spandex and sports bras would do for the swim. At least we had been given our own swim caps. About 30 minutes before the race, we realized what we’d gotten ourselves into. This was no typical, run-of-the-mill triathlon. XTERRA tris means mountain biking and trail running. WHAT?! I hadn’t ridden a real bike since I was 17, and NEVER on trails! I told Alison, “well, it’s okay if we get last because the last people in races always get cheered for the most!” As the start time neared, we began having second thoughts…and fourth and fifth…

Everyone lined up at the start line in the water. Alison and I hung out with the spectators until about five seconds before the race. We didn’t want to get cold waiting. The water turned out to feel absolutely fabulous. Therefore, I decided to stay in it longer than anyone else! Why ruin a good thing. I discovered in a few strokes that freestyle would NOT be my stroke of choice, and if I was going to make it 1 km, I’d need to conserve energy. Backstroke it was. My lack of speed allowed me time to make friends and conversation with the kayakers who made sure no swimmer was left behind. I told my new buddy, Chris, that “my name is Tara, but if I drown I’ll be an XTara.” Thank you Brown family genes… I decided to close my eyes, relax, and just stroke. When I looked up to check my course about a minute later, I was pointing almost back towards the start. Awesome. Apparently my left stroke is too strong. I hadn’t heard Chris because of my cap, so I had no idea I was swimming in circles.

When I made it to the small island that was the 0.5 km mark, Alison was waiting for me. There were tiki torches set up and some teenage volunteers dressed in grass skirts and coconut bras. “Are we having a luau?” I shouted as I swam up. “Are the Tuiasosopos there?” No, they weren’t. So we crossed the luau-themed patch of dirt and jumped right back in the water. I told Chris to stick close.

We were joined by another kayaking volunteer and a few lifeguards paddling on surfboards. I had quite an entourage, and we joked the whole way back, and I told them the story of how Alison and I had decided to enter about 12 hours prior. Chris and the other ‘yaker held up their oars in the direction of the finish so I could track better on my back. As I approached the shore I yelled, “Where’s my limo?” I had never looked so forward to running.

Alison and I crossed the first time check point and put on our shirts and helmets for the bike ride. We had no idea what we were getting into. As we left, the MC said, “Alison Gargle (haha, um, it’s GANGL) and Tara Brown are now starting their bike portion…they just decided last night to do this.” Word of our marathon training status and last-minute decision had spread. We were becoming rock stars.

We biked over a gravel road for about a quarter mile, when doom reared its nasty head in the form of the opening hill, which was nothing but tangled roots at an incline suitable for a decent water slide. As we got off our bikes to haul them up, the clearly-first-place-at-the-time (and maybe he DID win) contestant passed us and began hopping and climbing over the roots on his bike. It was amazing. He probably had a bit more experience than we. The bike portion was a 7.5 mile “loop” to be completed twice. We heard the average was about 45 minutes per loop, so we figured we’d probably do it in about twice that time, and finish biking in about 3 hours. After literally walking our bikes for the first 3 miles (we think), our spirits lagged. Isn’t biking supposed to be FASTER??? We could have run the trail faster. And in fact, we got passed by a competitor who had completed one loop and ditched his bike and was now running the second loop. We weighed this option, but didn’t want to get disqualified, and DEFINITELY wanted our t-shirt at the end of the race.

The trail was rocks and roots, hills and curves. We literally jumped into bushes with our bikes as we got passed by the top competitors. I was afraid we’d land in poison ivy. There was no room for passing on the trail. We even had to carry our bikes through water! About halfway through we were finally able to start riding somewhat consistently, still having to pull over for people to pass us. We got braver and gained more control with riding over rocks and roots. All with bikes borrowed from Alison’s parents’ neighbors! Neither of our bikes had shocks, and Alison’s had metal pedals of death. Her poor right calf. (Whoever said walking a bike isn’t dangerous never did this tri!) My bike was a bit too short for my legs, but it DID have fancy accessories like a carrying rack over the front tire. I heard later that other people found this quite hilarious; I hadn’t even noticed. Next time I’ll put a grocery bag full of snacks on there. (Did I just say NEXT TIME? No way).

When we finally finished our first loop it was such a relief. Now NO ONE would be passing us and we could go as we pleased. Certainly pulling over for people added about a half hour to our time, right? We were sure it would go quicker the second time around since we now had slightly higher than zero experience with riding the terrain. However, the first half of the loop turned out to be just as challenging and unrideable (yes I just made that up) for us. Sheesh. Just at the point where we could really get enough momentum to start riding again, the “sweeper” came up behind us. How lovely to have a trailing escort. We picked up a few other experienced volunteers along the way who followed us and provided words of encouragement as we flailed around tricky corners and moaned and groaned over every bump. On one stretch I was just motoring over rocks and the sweeper said, “Wow, you’re really tenacious” and I retorted: “Ignorance is bliss!” I had no idea WHAT I was being as we rode on that trail, other than ABSOLUTELY READY to be done with it.

We made it through with only a few hitches. Alison crashed sideways into some bushes after her foot and pedal hit a big rock and it jerked her to a stop. She sprained the top of her ankle but is such a fighter and continued to be the fearless leader that she is. I managed to bump into several trees throughout the day. Apparently they don’t disappear when you want them to (despite the fact that someone told us it was an ENCHANTED forest), and the more you concentrate on NOT hitting them, the more your handle bars miraculously aim in precisely their direction.

FINALLY we were off the trail and back to the time check point. We were greeted with enormous cheers and another announcement about how we’d just decided the night before to do this. Everyone else who had competed in the race appeared to have finished, showered, sung Kumbyah, and gotten a hair cut in the time it took us to finish the bike portion. Oh well. We still had the run! The anticipated highlight of the day! We had an escort because all of the volunteers had already left the trails. We cooked on the run, averaging about 9 minute miles for the 4.25 miles of up and down, rooted, muddy trails (plus two Gatorade stops, so really, we were faster).

As we kicked the last 100 meters to the finish, we were greeted by Gladiator-esque cheers. Kids handed us Gatorade. Photographers took our picture. The MC asked if we had any words. Alison said “Woo!” And if I had been thinking on my toes I would have said, “If only we’d done our 15 mile run like we were supposed to, we would have been done three hours ago!” Instead I could only come up with “our RUN was awesome.” That’s right folks, it took us a good 5 hours and 8 minutes to finish that bad boy. Throughout the race we had no sense of time or how much we had left, which was probably for the best. No expectations meant we’d keep going. (Plus, we had to get back somehow).

Anyway…long story…long…we FINISHED and had an amazing time challenging ourselves and laughing at how we could be such idiots for actually doing it. Oh, and while we came in last (Alison was 33rd and I was appropriately 34th out of the women), several competitors quit after the first loop of the bike ride. So we’re not the BIGGEST losers. :)

I’m so proud of us, Al.

Check that one off the bucket list!


Course website: http://xterrablackdiamond.com/index.html
Course map: http://xterrablackdiamond.com/XBD%20COURSE%20MAP.pdf
My photos: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8Abt2bZw4bNmH4
Photos from the race photog: http://conaghan.smugmug.com/gallery/5572737_EWyqx#341643672_UiCCP
We’re in: 130, 361, 362, 364, 367, 369-371, 383-390, 400, 402, 403, 732-743, 746,747, 881-883, 886, 895-900, 1827-1835, 2021-2024, 2137, 2138, 2145, 2302, 2303,