XTerra World Championships Race Report Part 1: The Road to Maui and Pre-Race Prep

Mid-August I was notified that I earned a spot at the XTerra World Championships in Maui, held Oct 27, 2013.  Wowzers!!!  This is one of my bucket-list races, it comes on the heels of a solid season of riding and training, perfect timing!  And, don't forget, it's held in MAUI!!!

Coach Jack ramped up a great program to get me ready, lots of intensity, lots of time on trails, and lots of time in the pool.  My average pool workout was 2800-3000m to prep me for the 1500m ocean swim.  I was instantly nervous about the swim, worries ranging from huge waves to jellyfish, to no wetsuit, and, thanks to my mother, sharks (it was the first thing she mentioned upon hearing that I was racing in the ocean).

I managed to get some fun riding in the mix too: I went to Rossland BC with friends for a long weekend of riding, which included the Seven Summits trail. 

Ready to shuttle the Seven Summits Trail in Rossland

Buff trails and lots of sunshine on Seven Summits

One of Seven Summits

I also entered the Grizzly Mountain Events 50km Mountain Bike Enduro in early October as prep for the race; I raced solo.  It was a cold start, but fun to race with the pack.  I treated the event as a tough training ride to test out nutrition (I'm experimenting - successfully! - with eating real food during races) and I enjoyed hugs from my kids at each lap.  I was pleased to finish 3rd in my age group.

Food and hugs at the end of each lap

I kept riding each weekend, long runs too.  Thanks to Mark S and John E and Ryan and everyone else who was able to keep me company on the rides in Canmore and Bragg Creek and Banff - the weather held off for us, it was crispy fall riding at it's best! My biggest goal pre-race was to arrive at race day injury-free - success!!

My IBM colleagues and clients were super supportive of my endeavours - they patiently listened to tales of trails and poked fun at the Gucci designer bags under my eyes.  They think I'm crazy, but loudly cheered me on the entire time.

I boarded the plane to Maui on Wednesday prior to the race.  A small delay getting into SFO left me sprinting for the connector to Kahalui - I made it! The attendant at the door set the tone for the trip: "Relax and breathe, you're going to Maui." Yahoo!

Upon arrival in Maui, I hit the local Safeway, and drove the coast (in the dark) to arrive at the Kapalua Villas in West Maui (a beautifully appointed condo on the golf course).  I assembled my bike as best I could (thanks for bending the rear rotor and locking my brakes UNITED AIRLINES - ugh, what a horrible experience of shipping my bike with them), cooked up some food for race day (and race prep) and went to bed.

I woke up in paradise. 

Sunrise view from my balcony at Kapalua Villas

My first order of business was to pick up my registration packet at the Ritz Carlton.  Race number is 809, there is a healthy list of women in my age group, some cool stuff to pick up and check out at the Race Expo, and a good selection of memorabilia.  I was able to browse around while the on-site mechanics tended to my bike.

I was so excited to check out the race course!  I was still nervous about the ocean, so I decided to ignore it for now, and climbed on my trusty steed to do a lap of the bike course.  The climbing started immediately out of T1 and continued for a solid +3 miles!  The course had a few roots to bump over, the ground was sandy and loose, the uphills were relentless.  I took a breather at the top of the first climb:

Top of the first hill climb, looking back to the Ritz on the ocean.

From here, the ride followed a ridge, then a short technical descent, followed by a very big climb.

Meadow at the top

Trail heads into the valley along an ever-narrowing ridge before descending the lush forest.

Racing in paradise

I mentally broke the ride into three sections: a long climb UP for approx 7 miles, fun descending and a long downhill on a dusty road (it made my bike sound horrible! it creaked and squeaked over every bump!) for another 7-8 miles, and another long climb that twisted and turned through the trees on a hiking trail (read: not built for mtn biking so off-camber and not banked well) before the final downhill into T2 for a total of 20 miles.  I bailed out once on the final section when my front wheel hit the sand - but I was lucky, the woman around the corner was rewarded with a broken jaw!  The heat was oppressive, so I took my time on the pre-ride, I could see others speed past and later found them huddled under the shade to recover.  I knew that part of my plan would have to be about moderating my body temperature and taking in enough fluid to allow for a strong run.  The run course follows the bike for the first half, then circles a small lake before coming back downhill - I didn't anticipate anything out of the ordinary on the run course, so played it safe and ducked out of the heat before fully exploring the run course. 

Overall, the pre-ride was a big success: I was primed and ready!

I woke at 4:15 on Friday morning to participate in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony to welcome the day and cleanse the soul.  E Ala E - look to the source.  In the dark, dusky morning, approximately 75 racers gathered to learn a bit more about the stunningly beautiful Hawaiian culture and participate by walking into the ocean.  The surf was pounding, it was dark - so I dove into the ocean for the first time and emerged as the sun began to light the sky.  It was stunning and meaningful and spiritual.

The following days were productive: I finally dipped my feet into the ocean on Friday for a 20 min swim in a protected bay with lots of snorkelers around for company - I was nervous and decided there was safety in numbers.  The water was amazing! So clear and blue!  I could see the coral and rocks and fish, it looked like Finding Nemo!  And I felt light and smooth in the water - gotta love salt water!  It gave me the confidence to tackle the waves at DT Flemming Beach.

XTerra hosted a series of "University" sessions with the pros, where we could listen to them talk about race tactics and ask questions.  The sessions were helpful, in that it helped me understand the race course a bit deeper, and it underlined the need for proper hydration and nutrition, in that order.  Canadian Pro Danelle Kabush offered good insight on the run course, keep your feet light when running the sand, shorten your strides a bit.  I especially enjoyed Canadian Pro Christine Jeffrey's comments about sand in your suit: "Consider it a loofah, people pay lots of money for loofah treatments, consider it a bonus."  She also invited us to the beach for an impromptu lesson on waves, how to enter and exit the beach safely.  The surf at this beach was much more aggressive than the other bay that I swam in, although everyone agreed that it was much more tame than 2012 (where effects of the tsunami in Asia caused evacuations and big waves on race day).  I left the beach feeling READY.

Stay tuned for my report on RACE DAY coming soon! (I'm waiting for some pics)