Epic Xterra

Xterra Epic 5/1/10

Lincoln Parish Park, Ruston, LA

1.2m (swim)/34.5 mi. (bike)/ 10.5mi. (run)

5^th overall/1^st Age Group

Completed: 5:07

The 2^nd Xterra race for the South Central Region is in the books. This event was the first ever of its kind in that no other Xterra Branded Event has ever offered distances of this length. Oh yes, this I like. I truly hope other Race Directors will follow this new format.

As it always does in LA it rained the day before and the morning of the race thus making the 2^nd half of the bike and all the run quite balmy to say the least.

The swim was a 2-loop course with very short beach run. I think all the racers today were more than skeptical of the distance because today’s swim was the most pleasant that I have ever experienced in an Xterra event to date, in that NO BODY WAS IN A RUSH! I have never been so close to the front before. It was nice experience to exit the swim in the top 10.

The bike was a 4-loop course of relatively easy terrain and fluid and flowing for the most part. I found myself in 3^rd by the beginning of the 3^rd lap and was feeling pretty good for the most part, but alas my favorite racing partner and close friend Kyle G. found himself feeling much better starting the 4^th lap. We rode for a bit together trying to strategize on how to catch the two pro’s just a mere 2 minutes in front of us. Slowly but surely his strategy became clear. Youth, owe what I would give to be 27 again and know what I do know. Well I know enough not to try and chase that wheel.

The run was a 2-lap course of very similar terrain than the bike. Now in 4^th and beginning to feel the effects of a possible miscalculated “To hard effort” on the bike I was a bit heavy legged when I left T2. However, leaving T2 I was told I was only down 2.5 minutes from one of the pro’s. There was a short section of woods right out of transition and then we popped out to a 300 yd fence line portion (lots of clear site), and there he was. There is no greater feeling than sitting on the heals of a pro for a mile or so and having the legs to do it……….Their is no feeling in the world WORSE than watching him pull away and leaving you with to logs for legs. Yea, so this is where my whole day started going south. Before I knew it I was stopping at water stops and walking and doing the typical race review in my mind. “Were did I go wrong”, “Why won’t you stupid legs GO?” You know? At any rate I truly struggled through the run and eventually got collared with less than a mile to go now putting me in 5^th.

Overall I am pleased with the day as far as the end result for Xterra points in Age group and am pleased to have finished as close to the front as I did, but won’t lie and say that I am more than displeased with myself for not digging deeper when I needed to. Will and want are hard things to train ourselves in.

Up next is Regional’s in Waco in two weeks.

Thanks go out to Coaches Brandon and Amy Marsh, Red Licorice Events and Performance Bikes for all of their never ending support.