Xterra World Championships - Maui - 2014
Here we go on the whole week in Maui. It was a great trip and I'm looking forward to qualifying again next year.
Tuesday:
I arrived around 9pm and after almost 20 hours of travel, I was ready for some sleep! I picked up my rental car and was happy the bike box fit in the back. I'm lucky they had a hatchback where the seats folded down. I headed to my hotel in Lahaina and checked in to the Lahaina Shores. It wasn't the most fancy hotel, but it was super nice for the price! I would definitely stay there again.
Wednesday:
The morning view from the hotel was fantastic! The mountains made for a great sunrise.
I got my bike put together and headed to Kapalua to ride the course and check in. The packet pickup was really easy! There was no line so it was pretty quick. I put my race number on my bike and rode over to the trails. It was starting to sprinkle when I got there, but I figured the trails would be ok. The second I got to the dirt, I was sliding all over the place! When the dirt gets wet, it's like biking on slicks. I rode the first couple miles, but was told the course was closed so I headed back down thinking I would try again the next day. Other than the slippery ride, it was an uneventful day. I headed back to the hotel and started recovering from the travel.
Thursday:
I decided to head to the course to try and ride it again so I got there a little earlier just in case the rain started again. Little did I know it had rained all night and drenched the course. I started the ride and got a little further than yesterday, but a little over three miles in I decided to take the short course and ride the last few miles of the course instead since it was still really sketchy. I got back to the race venue and decided it was time to swim a little so I headed to the beach and practiced. The water was really nice and you could see pretty far in the water. I relaxed on the beach for a bit and enjoyed watching all the other athletes practice their swims.
Friday:
I decided to do nothing on Friday, but I got a chance to check out the restaurant/bar next to my hotel and they had awesome grilled fish tacos. I went there again on Monday and I wish I had a chance to go again they were so tasty!
Saturday:
I got a chance to go see Yaro and Josiah and we started the day with a swim. It went well and we got to practice our beach starts. I'm glad I did this because I lost my goggles a few times and had to reevaluate my entry system. They taught my to put my goggles on under my swim cap so I tried that and it was much more successful.
Later in the day, I did a short bike ride on the road to open up the legs. I rode north on the main road and enjoyed the scenery. Can't beat riding next to the beach.
I got back to the hotel early and made sure I had everything in order and got to bed early. This was easy because I was still operating on Florida hours!
Sunday:
Race Day! I got up and did my normal breakfast routine. I like to be up three hours before the start to eat, but with the time difference, I was up about 4 hours early and feeling pretty good. I drove over to the venue and got setup (I was the first person there....a few people may laugh at this).
The Swim - This was by far the toughest swim I have ever done. I have never felt so many elbows, fists and legs hit my body. I started in the front row like usual, and next year I hope I can swim just a little faster to get in front of all the madness. Someone ripped off my chip (not sure it was intentional, but it felt like it was and I even had it safety pinned), and this instantly changed my frame of mind. I let it bum me out more than it should have. I was worried people at home would think I dropped out when they didn't see my splits. I was also thinking I would not get my splits. I found out later that they manually enter the race numbers at the timing mats, but I didn't know this at the time. I tried to keep my spirits high, but it was hard.
The course was an 'M' shape where you do 2 V's and in the middle you get out of the water and run a little on the beach before you reenter the water to finish the second V. There was a lot of swell so getting in and out of the water was tough depending on the timing. The swim thinned out a little by the second turn and it was a little more enjoyable to T1.
The Bike - I knew the course was going to be hilly, but I had no idea what was in store for me. Luckily the course had mostly died up (except for a few mud puddles), so the trail was not slippery and the conditions were great! I'm usually pretty good at pacing myself, but I went a little hard the first three miles and I paid for it till about mile 12. It was hot and I suffered. My heart rate was high and I tried to get it under control. After a few downhills, I was finally starting to feel ok again and I finally stopped getting passed by other bikers. Towards the end of the bike, just when you think the uphills are over, they throw another one at you...then another...then another.... It was challenging, but fun. As I pulled into transition and sat up, I realized my back hurt from not a lot of time on the Mountain Bike and I knew I was in for a hard Run.
The Run - I walked on this run course more than any other. My back was super tight from the bike so I couldn't stand up straight for the first couple miles. Once I was able to stand up all the way, I ran the rest of the way and was feeling pretty good. The first 5k is all uphill so either way it was going to be slow and rough. And again, just when you think the second half is going to be all downhill, it also has its fair share of uphill. To make matters worse, they ended the run course on the beach and flagged it off so you had to run in the soft sand. I knew this was coming so I had spent quite a bit of time running on the beach in Florida to prepare. When I ran up that green grass and crossed the finish line, I had never been happier to be done with a race.
It was a great experience, and I'm happy to know what to expect next time so I can prepare better. I will definitely be spending more time on the Mountain Bike and hopefully do some traveling to get in some hill training.
Results - 3:19:26
176/738 overall
24/56 in my division
5th American in my division
Just when you think the day is over...it's not! They have a Halloween party in the evening and everyone is required to dress up. I didn't know this until I talked to a couple others so instead of getting to take a nap, I went out looking for a Halloween costume. I finally found stuff I could make work and went to the party. Everyone was super fun and there were awesome costumes! I wish I would have taken more pictures. They had a contest and two guys dressed as the Ambiguously Gay Duo won. It was super entertaining watching them do their 'routine'.
Monday:
After being in Hawaii so many times and never diving I decided it was time to check it out. I contacted a guy named Scuba Mike and he was awesome. We setup a private dive and I got a chance to try out an underwater scooter. You basically just hold on and it drags you quickly through the water so you can cover more ground. We got to see so much, it was awesome. Lots of turtles and reef. Also saw a barracuda as big as me!
Tuesday:
Nothing more exciting than ripping my bike back apart, packing it up and heading to the airport! It was a great trip! Looking forward to next year.
Tuesday:
I arrived around 9pm and after almost 20 hours of travel, I was ready for some sleep! I picked up my rental car and was happy the bike box fit in the back. I'm lucky they had a hatchback where the seats folded down. I headed to my hotel in Lahaina and checked in to the Lahaina Shores. It wasn't the most fancy hotel, but it was super nice for the price! I would definitely stay there again.
Wednesday:
The morning view from the hotel was fantastic! The mountains made for a great sunrise.
I got my bike put together and headed to Kapalua to ride the course and check in. The packet pickup was really easy! There was no line so it was pretty quick. I put my race number on my bike and rode over to the trails. It was starting to sprinkle when I got there, but I figured the trails would be ok. The second I got to the dirt, I was sliding all over the place! When the dirt gets wet, it's like biking on slicks. I rode the first couple miles, but was told the course was closed so I headed back down thinking I would try again the next day. Other than the slippery ride, it was an uneventful day. I headed back to the hotel and started recovering from the travel.
Thursday:
I decided to head to the course to try and ride it again so I got there a little earlier just in case the rain started again. Little did I know it had rained all night and drenched the course. I started the ride and got a little further than yesterday, but a little over three miles in I decided to take the short course and ride the last few miles of the course instead since it was still really sketchy. I got back to the race venue and decided it was time to swim a little so I headed to the beach and practiced. The water was really nice and you could see pretty far in the water. I relaxed on the beach for a bit and enjoyed watching all the other athletes practice their swims.
Friday:
I decided to do nothing on Friday, but I got a chance to check out the restaurant/bar next to my hotel and they had awesome grilled fish tacos. I went there again on Monday and I wish I had a chance to go again they were so tasty!
Saturday:
I got a chance to go see Yaro and Josiah and we started the day with a swim. It went well and we got to practice our beach starts. I'm glad I did this because I lost my goggles a few times and had to reevaluate my entry system. They taught my to put my goggles on under my swim cap so I tried that and it was much more successful.
Later in the day, I did a short bike ride on the road to open up the legs. I rode north on the main road and enjoyed the scenery. Can't beat riding next to the beach.
I got back to the hotel early and made sure I had everything in order and got to bed early. This was easy because I was still operating on Florida hours!
Sunday:
Race Day! I got up and did my normal breakfast routine. I like to be up three hours before the start to eat, but with the time difference, I was up about 4 hours early and feeling pretty good. I drove over to the venue and got setup (I was the first person there....a few people may laugh at this).
The Swim - This was by far the toughest swim I have ever done. I have never felt so many elbows, fists and legs hit my body. I started in the front row like usual, and next year I hope I can swim just a little faster to get in front of all the madness. Someone ripped off my chip (not sure it was intentional, but it felt like it was and I even had it safety pinned), and this instantly changed my frame of mind. I let it bum me out more than it should have. I was worried people at home would think I dropped out when they didn't see my splits. I was also thinking I would not get my splits. I found out later that they manually enter the race numbers at the timing mats, but I didn't know this at the time. I tried to keep my spirits high, but it was hard.
The course was an 'M' shape where you do 2 V's and in the middle you get out of the water and run a little on the beach before you reenter the water to finish the second V. There was a lot of swell so getting in and out of the water was tough depending on the timing. The swim thinned out a little by the second turn and it was a little more enjoyable to T1.
The Bike - I knew the course was going to be hilly, but I had no idea what was in store for me. Luckily the course had mostly died up (except for a few mud puddles), so the trail was not slippery and the conditions were great! I'm usually pretty good at pacing myself, but I went a little hard the first three miles and I paid for it till about mile 12. It was hot and I suffered. My heart rate was high and I tried to get it under control. After a few downhills, I was finally starting to feel ok again and I finally stopped getting passed by other bikers. Towards the end of the bike, just when you think the uphills are over, they throw another one at you...then another...then another.... It was challenging, but fun. As I pulled into transition and sat up, I realized my back hurt from not a lot of time on the Mountain Bike and I knew I was in for a hard Run.
The Run - I walked on this run course more than any other. My back was super tight from the bike so I couldn't stand up straight for the first couple miles. Once I was able to stand up all the way, I ran the rest of the way and was feeling pretty good. The first 5k is all uphill so either way it was going to be slow and rough. And again, just when you think the second half is going to be all downhill, it also has its fair share of uphill. To make matters worse, they ended the run course on the beach and flagged it off so you had to run in the soft sand. I knew this was coming so I had spent quite a bit of time running on the beach in Florida to prepare. When I ran up that green grass and crossed the finish line, I had never been happier to be done with a race.
It was a great experience, and I'm happy to know what to expect next time so I can prepare better. I will definitely be spending more time on the Mountain Bike and hopefully do some traveling to get in some hill training.
Results - 3:19:26
176/738 overall
24/56 in my division
5th American in my division
Monday:
After being in Hawaii so many times and never diving I decided it was time to check it out. I contacted a guy named Scuba Mike and he was awesome. We setup a private dive and I got a chance to try out an underwater scooter. You basically just hold on and it drags you quickly through the water so you can cover more ground. We got to see so much, it was awesome. Lots of turtles and reef. Also saw a barracuda as big as me!
Tuesday:
Nothing more exciting than ripping my bike back apart, packing it up and heading to the airport! It was a great trip! Looking forward to next year.
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