XTERRA West championships recap

This is how my preparation looked like in 2013 before my first XTERRA West race:

I biked a lot. On a spin bike. I also ran a few miles and swam even less. 

In the race in 2013 I had an OK swim then a bike where I started cramping during the second loop. The run was even worse even though that should be my strongest leg. I had the worst cramps ever. One time, after a long downhill stretch, I had to come to a full stop and stretch for a good minute or so and when I finally thought I could go my muscles seized up again. With only 2 miles to go and many of my main chasers ahead of me I could not climb make up the ground I lost. I promised myself I will learn from this rather painful experience and come back in 2014 not only stronger but also smarter, more prepared. 

My 2014 prep looked like this:

Well, in September, 2013 I was struck by a pick-up while doing my last hard training ride before the XTERRA Nationals in Utah. After spending 2 days in the hospital with multiple fractures, collapsed lungs and scars that are still clearly visible I started on the long process of getting back in shape. 

In a few weeks I was biking, a bit later I already running. Nothing special, of course. It was done all at a rather leisurely pace. I didn't go near a pool until 7-8 week after. My right shoulder didn't cooperate for a while. Extending my arm overhead, holding a kickboard in water, or even keeping anything heavier than a smaller in my hand was just too much to handle.
Slowly the pain went away, I was able to ride more and more. Didn't really focus on running much but it also came back. I spent more time in training than ever before. Months into the new year I felt I was at the top of my game. I felt invincible again, just like in 2011, when I thought I will run ultramarathons.. That ended with a torn meniscus, months without training and even more time with recovery. 
Come April I was super excited going to Vegas. My weapon was that experience a year before, the belief of being smarter, a full suspension bike and a flight to Vegas versus a 20+ hour drive across the US. 

As you may have read in my previous post I missed my flight. That messed up my plans a little bit and I had less than ideal time to learn the exact same course as last year. 

Pre-riding the course was my first experience on a mountain bike since 2013 August. No joke. It felt a lot different than my triathlon bike I did all those miles of trainer ride over the winter. On your trainer you don't have to worry about hitting a basketball sized rock, riding through deep sand, and it's also very difficult to simulate 20% inclines.. I spent a lot of time in the pool over the winter working on my technique. Although the black line on the bottom will never replace the green algae, the 50 degree water, or the compression you feel when wearing a wetsuit I felt I was a better swimmer. I remembered most of the course on the bike and I was confident I would have a good showing on my first race back.
By Sunday at noon I was back on Earth. 

Again, I nearly missed my start. By the time I got down to the water all swimmers had to be out of the water. No warm up for me. 

The swim was worse than I expected. My initial surge and willpower to stay with the faster age groupers quickly turned into a race to just survive the 1500m. I slowly faded. Although I did swim a faster "true" 1500m than ever before it wasn't what I dreamed of. On the bike I thought I had my pace and my heart rate under control but in reality I was going nearly all out. I wasn't holding it back at all. I passed a lot of riders than a few caught up to me. Then even more. By the end of the ride I was spent. Riding in the desert is not my 55 degree temperature basement with my laptop open in front of me and one of the past year's WTS race going in the background. Yes, I watch triathlon to keep myself motivated enough during those boring 3 hour rides..
Once off the bike I knew I wasn't going to shine. It took me rather long to pick up my cruising speed and by then my muscles started to give up. After the mile-long uphill, on the way down my hammies said they've had enough. I just passed a fellow Canadian friend (North Dakota is like Canada, eh?) when I had to come to a full stop to stretch my legs. From that point on it was more of a fartlek run with faster sections going uphill then a slow and careful, recovery sections on the way down. I must have passed a dozen of age groupers with the last one (eventual 5th place overall finisher) just about 3/4 mile to go. Mission: run the last 1km all downhill at full speed to hold off another racer while avoiding the almost unavoidable cramping. I was probably a funny sight when I ran with straight legs at times.

Lesson to learn: 

Do not trust airline companies. Get to the airport early enough.

Never have high expectations for your first race of the season. 

Don't think that just because you feel fast in the pool you are fast in the lake, too.

Riding indoors will never replace those outdoor rides even if the intensity is lower.

Set-up transition early enough so you can warm-up in the water. 

Think twice. Always.

In just 9 days I will take on Pelham, Alabama. 

No high expectations.

I go there to win :)

Cheers,

Dan