Training for Buff Creek

Well it's only 38 days away which mean I have 4 weeks of hard training and a week of taper/carb loading until I find myself at the start line for my 3rd triathlon, 2nd at Buff Creek(124 out of 154 in 07). My goals are to demolish my previous efforts time as well as JAK's time set. I don't think it will be realistic to podium at this race as it is the 2nd biggest XTERRA this summer next to nationals. 3rd in the 25-29 AG took 18th overall last year so as I will be trying to crack to top 75(or top 50%) those guys will be out of sight.

More on training later.

Stolen Bikes

So I took a while to post the race report mostly due to the fact that the biuke I raced got stolen. This bike meant a lot to me, I built it up over the duration of rehabbing my knee then it became a true project/race bike. I sanded and painted the frame, started with the drivetrain, Race-face Evolve XC X-type Crankset and BB, SRAM 990 9spd casssetter and 9Spd pwerchain. Next came the wheels and tires, Sun Rhyno lite rims and Panaracer Fire XC Pro's, got a sick deal on craigslist(also may have jinxed the bike with stolen parts...I'll never know). Then I threw on some Avid BB7 mechanical disc's on the front and BB5's on the rear(with an adapter for the Gary Fisher frame). I picked up and LX rear de-raileur online and an SLX front derailuer at university cycles, along with all necessary cables and housing. I used the stem and handlebars of my old Jamis and threw on some new Oury grips. Seat Post and saddle also came of the old Jamis and this thing was ready to go(see pics in post below). and alas it was taken from me while moving, I left it outside on teh 3rd floor outside the front door and bam, gone. Should have never left it out of my sight, that's the lesson learned but man does it feel shitty.

Race Report

It has now been about 4 weeks(ed-thats when I started the write, man im a slacker) since crossing the finish line and about time to sum up the experience as I have now had time to let the feelings and settings and happenings of that weekend to sink in completely.

Got up early a bit nervous and mostly anxious. Had some Oatmeal, a gatorade and powergel, only carbs right now as I loaded up with protein and lots of carbs over the past few days I am just trying to squeeze in the last few now before the race.

As I setup my area in the transition space I see others put there shoes locked into the snowshoes prior so when in the transistion you can just slip the shoes on and run away, so I decided to do this as well.

In the pre-race meeting last years winner advised of tire pressure between 10-15 psi, now based on what the course maintenance supervisor said the course should be hard therefore I opted to go with a much higher psi, that turned out to be a mistake...

The race starts off downhill and I used this as an opportunity to get ahead of some off the riders who I knew would be stronger on the climbs than I would. It was crazy, people were sliding all over I saw a person go over the bars and I saw another chick go straight into a tree when the trail got off camber, man biking in snow was so much more challenging than I imagined, picture biking through deep sand except its cold and wet. Needless to say I posted a much slower time than I expected.

Next was the 5k snowshoe and it was actually a lot easier/faster than I anticipated, running through the woods in snowshoes ona beautiful day is fun by itself but mix in the competitive atmostphere and the backdrop of Snowbasin and I was having a blast.

By the time I got to the run my feet were soaked and since I didn't bring extra running shoes I was just going to have to deal with the 5k with soggy feet. The run covered some of the same track as the bike but then broke off into 2mi out and back. So remember how I said biking on hardpack was like deep sand, well the running was too and the fact that it was a little later and a little warmer the snow had gotten even softer. I never would have predicted that my snowshoe was going to be so much faster than my run but thats what happened.

Finally the ski mountaineering leg, I had been practicing taking my skins on and off while still locked in and it paid off. There was only one person in my view when I left the transition area and I was determined to catch him. Once I rounded the first corner I saw a few more competitors. I had no idea if there were in my age group or not but I was gonna catch 'em. I encountered one problem at the tope of the first and longest hike, my left hip flexor was in pain and each step seamed to hurt a little bit more. But once I got to the top and ripped the skins off and bolted down, I had gained on the next guy infront of me and the adrenaline from flying down the mtn alleviated some of the pain. On the 2nd hike I smoked the guy near me and it turned out he was in my age group. At the next transistion area I ripped the skins off again while still strapped in and passed another guy who also turned out to be in my AG and sped down through the gates. On the last climb there was 2 guys in front of me(they both turned out to be in the 30-39 AG) and I almost caught them on the climb, but one of the guys had cross counrty skis and I flew by him on the final down crossing the finish line at 3:58:36 and in 3rd place in my AG!

Worked, is probably the best word I can use to describe how i felt after the race, but due to proper fueling and preparation i did not run into the same problems I had at my first XTERRA almost 2 years ago. Now it's time to turn up the prep for Buff Creek!

3rd place in 20-29 AG!

And I made it in under 4 hours(3:58:24) so I hit both my goals for the day, sweet.

Compelled

What is it that drives man to explore uncharted territories, take on incredible burdens and risk life and limb just for adventure? Is there an equal and opposite reaction for everyone of these people who yearn to get out and explore there is someone content to sit on the couch and turn off their brain and become a part of the scenery?

Is it the American Dream? Is that what each one of us is purseing in our own devious way? Does the man on the couch have the same shot at the dream as the one out on the road? Who's to say.

It may still be out there, or it may have died along with Hunter Thompson, the last great true American...

Less than a month...

...until the XTERRA Winter World Chamionships...

The bike is finally together, the snowshoes are ready, the skins still need to be re-glued and I should probably get some new running shoes. I've been doing lots of biking and not nearly enough running. I know this yet I still find excuses to get on the bike instead of run, oh well I guess I will be suffering in the race and maybe then I will learn to train right to meet my goals.

10k Mtn bike, no prob I am set. 5k snowshoe, will be interesting as I haven't gotten to do too much snowshoe training due to lack of snow in Boulder. 5k run, no problem. 10k Ski mountaineering, the downhill will be fine its the up thats gonna get me...

Surrounded by Madmen

The trip to the Eisman hut was interesting. Tiring, smile inducing, whiskey sluggin, powder sloughing and interesting. The hut was perched at 11,180ft above sea level and 9.5mi from the Redsandstone Creek trailhead. Now with snowmobiles we were able to get within 1/2mi of the hut and the hike was short but intense, hiking through powder with a loaded pack is less than fun.

The weather was amazing, bright blue skies and snow capped peaks as far as the eye can see. But with Temps hovering above the 40's the area was primed for avalanches. We could already see a few natural slides had broken off by the time we got to the hut just after 10 in the am. We decided to stick to the Northeast facing faces to avoid any slides, natural or skier triggered. Got some great turns in and built a few jumps just playing around in our winterwonderland.

When we got back to the hut we met a few other skiers and boards touring in the BC, we also met 3 guys who got caught in an avy that day, all 3 guys were buried or partially buried and one guy was 9ft deep in a tree well. I am glad they survived but man were they in the wrong area. I am not the most experienced but even I know better than to go near where they were. I understand the desire to get out and schralp the untracked pow pow but its not worth risking life and limb when there is pow in much safer areas...

http://avalanche.state.co.us/pub/accidents_co.php?accident=20090116