First Xterra Race

And last Sunday marked my first foray into Xterra racing. Probably not my last but wow - a brutal introduction. Mountain biking is a rollercoaster of physical endurance: cruise, admire the beauty, feel the wind on the downhill, smile, think this is going well, hang on for dear life hoping not to jam into a root and launch off a single track, hit hill, lungs heave, legs barely turn, suck down wind in great gasps and avoid inhaling a family of "no-see-ums". Try not to give in to little voice that says "just walk it." Give in anyway. Continue to gasp for air. Walking almost not any easier.

(Tina's bike with salt tabs and Advil carefully taped down by Troy)

Troy and Dana had committed to race Xterra del Valle early on while Tina and I lollygagged for a bit before throwing down and signing up the next day. Long course was a 22 mile bike, short was 13 - didn't seem worth the registration price to do short. Sure, I hadn't mountain biked in almost a year and Tina didn't even have a mountain bike at that point, but you know, like Rick says, the body goes where the mind wills it. The mind was strong at that point. And then I rode the course maybe 2 weeks out. Hills and heat. Lung-choking, dust-sucking hills roasting under the sun. The body was now fighting back. How was I going to do 22 miles of this if it was not the beginner-friendly course I'd imagined? From both Jessica and Tina I'd heard that Xterra bike courses could be brutal. But I thought Livermore - how bad could Livermore be? I couldn't find anyone who'd biked there or much information on biking there at all on the discussion lists.

(Troy prepping pre-race)

But then my friend Bob who'd signed up for the short course noticed that the race distances had changed on the Web site. The long was now a 17 mile bike and the short was something like 7. And just like that it seemed all the more agreeable and I was back on target. Body goes where the mind wills it.

(Bob pre-race)

We met early at Dana's house to carpool in Troy's car - 4 bikes extended out on the bike rack, a cargo area filled with gear, eating almond butter and banana sandwiches, and fig bars, pondering Cheyenne's race start that same morning for her first 50k trail run. Through the reg line, into the transition area, we racked our bikes, Body Glide-d and sunscreened, did last minute checks on our gear and headed down to the water for the start. The sun was already starting to beat down as we stood on the beach melting in our wetsuits. Dana lined up closer to the front while Tina and I positioned ourselves just to the outside near Troy. Again, all the little race-day anxieties bounced around in my head - the nervous race start energy. Would I survive the bike? And then the gun went off and we were in the water. Once I found my pace I had a perfect line. 2 laps around the buoys with a quick sprint across the beach between them and we were done with the first leg.

(Dana pre-race)

I came into T1 just as Dana was starting off on the bike course and Troy was pulling his bike off the rack. Running out of the area with my bike I heard someone say "You're top ten women" and I had to smile. You gotta love it when sisters are out there encouraging you like that. As I would discover, there aren't many of us in Xterra so top 10 is like top 50% but you know, it's still nice to hear. 1, 2, 3, maybe 4 women passed me in quick succession over the next 30 minutes. No matter. I was going as fast as I felt comfortable on the singletrack and was more than happy to move aside if someone asked. I immediately discovered that the course I'd ridden on my own wasn't exactly the race course. So I was in for some surprises - some good, some bad - avoiding a few nasty hills I remembered but tacking on one brutal and long section that we had to do twice. Still, I was feeling confident the longer I was out there. Once I finally gave in and walked a hill, it got easier to unclip and walk if I felt the need. I didn't want to burn out before the run. Whereas my goal had been to "not have to walk" I quickly reassessed and modified my goals. Good life lesson stuff here, right? I mean, if you see you're going to fall short, reset your sights, reset your focus. Or should that have been reset your determination and work harder? Hmmm. I like to think that I perservered but wisely.


I finished the first section and did both the middle loops catching up with Dana somewhere as we chatted for awhile. Push, roll, brake, walk, repeat. It was hot and dry - my water was now warm from the sun and my lips were chapped. But my sights were set on T2 looming in the distance as I crested one more hill and then another and then there was just one last sharp downhill. It was almost over and I'd survived. Elation! I was fired up. The run would be awesome on this energy! And then...unbelievably, cruelly, a volunteer sent me off to the left, AWAY from the parking lot where another volunteer gestured up a hill and said "one more." And I said, "You're kidding, right? I'm long course." And he said, "It's long course. You got it." No, no I definitely did not have it. I'd mentally visualized stopping, throwing down my bike and heading out on the run. What lay before me was a long grind of a hill, not exceptionally steep, just long and unplanned for. And then I remembered the first course map I saw on the race site. It had one loop that went up and down like a giant U from the transition area and it was supposed to be the start of the race to help thin the field out to keep congestion down on the singletrack. This was that U. Up, up, up, up and one more steep pitch that required walking up and then it was down, down, down. That was it. A big, life-sucking U.

Still, all that being said, it was just as sweet to come into T2 knowing that the worst was behind me. For real this time. I jumped out on the run as the sun continued to bake the course. It was a pleasant rolling first mile - I passed Bob coming back from his run on the short course - before delving off down the middle of a stream/creek. Every 10 or so yards a colored plastic tie hung from a tree or a bush indicating the way - it was right down the middle of the water. It was awesome - it was a perk to the feet and legs, a cooldown, splishy splashy fun on a hot, hard day. I felt like I was adventure racing, looking out for my next marker, leaping over boulders, splashing down in the water. Up an inlet the course guided us, back on to dry land and then onto trail. I started to pass people on the uphills - some women, some men. Maybe I'd find my way back to the top ten spot after all. I felt great. All those Saturdays of trail running were at work. Finally the long downhill back to the lake where the finish line stood on the opposite side. It was getting hotter and now I was starting to feel tired, but once I crossed the stream I knew it was just a rolling last mile to the finish. The beautiful, wonderful finish.

(Top 3 women, 40-44! I'm on the right. Also known as last place in my AG.)

I cruised in just under 4 hours - had no time goal so that seemed fine. 3rd in my age/sex group! (Of 3.) Top 15 women! (Of 26.) Troy finished earlier (Top 10 in AG!) and was racking his bike back on his car. He returned just in time to see Dana finish (2nd in AG! Of 4.) and a little later Tina (3rd in AG! Of 4.) All the ladies of the podium! Tina got sidetracked on the running course and ended up repeating part of it before finding her way back to the finish and still - PODIUM! We each got a pint glass for our top AG performances except for Troy who unfortunately is in an ass-kicking AG (2nd place overall was 40-44 yr old) and crushed all of our times.

Of course, as always, the minute it was over the suffering was forgotten and all that was left were thoughts of an exceptionally awesome day all around. It was great to caravan with friends, to get ready together, see each other on the course, share stories of our day, recount the highs and lows, share a post-race meal. I ran into an old friend/racing buddy - Linda Lindsay - who I've gone up against at many races over the years; who I always beat in the swim but who absolutely annihilates me on the bike. She looked stronger than ever and finished well ahead of me as usual. Nothing but admiration and awe for you, girl.

(Linda and me)

It was great day because I got to share it with great people, and see an old friend, and nab a pint glass with a 3rd place on it, and drink a beer post-race, and swim in perfect conditions, and do something different! What more could anyone ask for? I jumped into the car with my fellow Xterrarists and off we dashed to try and catch Cheyenne's finish at the Redwood Trails 50k. No time to linger in the glory of our Xterra adventure.

(Xterrarists Troy, Dana and Tina)