Xterra East Coast Championship, take 2

Over the weekend I competed in my first open water river triathlon.  I’ve done an off-road tri that took place in a lake, but this and that were two completely different things.

Before I get to the race, I should tell you what happened before I even got to the race.

I was cleaning up/tuning my bike the day before the race.  I cleaned the chain, checked the tires, and gave the bike a nice shine.  As I was taking off the rear wheel, my derailleur came off.  My first thought was, “What the heck?”  It turns out that the bolt holding my derailleur hanger onto the frame was sheered off.  I did what anyone would do in this circumstance and panicked.  My fears were soon allayed with a call to Gonyo.  He told me how to fix it and it was fixed in only a couple minutes.

Earlier that day I went to pick up my packet.  I had to show an ID and my USAT card.  I pulled out my card and it expired on 5/31/2009.  They wouldn’t believe that I had renewed, so I had to pay the $10 daily fee and try to find my card at home.  Apparently, USAT had sent me 2 cards that expired on 5/31/2009 and none that expired 5/31/2010.  After 15 minutes of searching (USATriathlon.org website sucks), I found how to print my temporary card (had to use Google to find it).  I showed this the next day and got my money back.

I also managed to grab the wrong number.

On to race day.

It was a really nice day for a race.  It was cool in the shade and still nice in the sun.  I hung out with Susan and her friends before the race started.  We watched as the fastest swimmers in the Sport Group took off and were quickly pushed downriver.  These being the fast swimmers, they adjusted and made quick work of the swim.  Shortly after that, Susan’s group took off.  I couldn’t tell which one was her, but they all looked good.  In 7 minutes the first Sport swimmer was back.  Sport did ½k swim while my group (full) did 1k swim.

I was paying careful attention to any swimmer that was slow, or visibly having difficulties.  I’m not a good swimmer and I know that.  I’ve only been swimming for 3 years and don’t swim often enough.  I saw at least one person quit during the swim and I saw 6 or so others holding onto kayaks.

Before I knew it, the pros in my group left.  They were fast.  Seemingly only moments later the announcer said there was 30 seconds for my wave to start.  I guess I should have been closer to the water because when they said that I had to hurry over to start.  Because I was rushed, I didn’t get to rethink what I was getting ready to do and back out.  On my way there I slipped and fell in the mud, as I did that my wave started.  Here I am rushing to start and I fall and the next wave is trying to get out of my way so I can start late, what a goof!

I finally start swimming and I notice immediately the current is strong.  It’s much stronger than the last time I swam in the river, over a year ago.  I’m supposed to swim to the eastern tip (downriver) of Belle Isle.  When I get in the water, I start swimming for the western tip (upriver), knowing that the current will drag me back.  This worked for all of the other swimmers, but since I am so damn slow, it didn’t work for me.  About halfway to the island between the shore and Belle Isle, I had to rest.  I was exhausted, worn out, beat down, (add your favorite synonyms here).   I found a kayaker close by and grab onto the kayak.  James was his name, and we were fast friends.  He tells me he will keep me in place, but won’t advance me since he doesn’t want me to be DQed.  After 4 minutes I start swimming again.

I would repeat this cycle many times.  Swim my ass off, take for a break, swim my ass off, take for a break…

As I was watching the swimmers in front of me, I saw them taking rest breaks just off the island where they could stand.  I was really trying to aim for these rest areas.  Unfortunately, I was too far downriver from them.  There was another group behind me and they started passing me very quickly, even the slow ones.  I watched where the slow ones stood up and I aimed for those places.  After what seemed like hours, I made it to a place I could stand up just downriver from the island.  This is where I first thought about quitting the race.

I was almost halfway to Belle Isle and I was worn out.  I had a large section of water in front of me and honestly didn’t think I could make it.  I thought about the people on shore looking at this goof getting passed by all of the swimmers that started after him.  I thought about my wife looking on and I just couldn’t quit.

I jumped back in the water and swam hard.  I guess I swam for 10 minutes before I needed another rest on the kayaks.  After 2 minutes of rest I swam for another 8 minutes or so, more tired than the last break.  As I rested on the kayaks I seriously considered quitting.  Twice I said, “Eff it…”, but I didn’t add the second part, “I Quit”.  I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t say those words.  That’s not me, I’m stubborn and I don’t quit.  I really wanted to quit, but I wouldn’t let myself say those words.

Around this time the guy whose kayak I was hanging onto told me I need to stop swimming towards the dam and swim towards the buoy.  I gave him the no-sh#! look.   That’s what I had been trying to do!  

I started swimming again and a mega-super swimmer volunteer guy (Jason) came out to meet me.  He is a really good swimmer and with flippers and hand fins, he really was a fish.  I took another break and Jason told me to follow him.  He said I was almost out of the current and he would point me the rest of the way.  I did just what he said.  I think he was doing the side stroke and I’m barely able to keep my head up following him.  Finally he says, you can stand up here.

Never have I heard a better thing in my life!  I stood up downriver of the buoy.  All I had to do was walk up to the buoy and swim a little around it.  I kept swimming upriver around the buoy and it was a lot easier.  Then Jason said I could just keep walking because it was shallow.  He didn’t have to tell me twice. I walked the last 200 feet to shore.

Once on Belle Isle you are supposed to run (I walked) up to the pedestrian bridge and then swim back across the river.  When I got back to the water’s edge the Kayakers there told me to keep walking upriver as far as I could before swimming back.  Just as I was getting ready to swim again, my right calf started cramping.  At this point I was 36 minutes into my race and hadn’t had anything to drink and was dehydrated.  When I told James my calf was cramping he said something, and because of the water in my ears and my swim cap, I thought he said I was done.  I started to get upset because at this point I really wanted to finish the swim.  I did the hard part, they can’t make me stop!  Luckily he didn’t say that. So after I stretched I prepared to swim again.

There used to be a lower bridge across the James River under the Lee Bridge.  The piers are all that’s left of that bridge.  Between the first few piers the current is fast.  Directly beside them the current is super fast yet behind them it’s calm in the eddy.

From pier to pier I swam my ass off.  Jumping into the water and swimming at a 45 degree upriver angle, I still wasn’t able to hold my ground.  Each time when I arrived in the eddy, I had to swim back to the pier.  Once on the pier I would move around to the upriver side of it to jump back in the water.  All through this section my legs were cramping.  It really sucked, but I couldn’t stop, I had to keep moving.

Once I reached the third pier, the one with the tree growing out of it, I was told I could just swim directly to the shore and with the current’s help, get to the finish.  James said I could even breaststroke the rest of the way back.  And that’s what I did.  I did the breaststroke and a relaxed freestyle and cruised back across the river.  I still wanted to take breaks, but I didn’t and just kept swimming.  

I came ashore and was exhausted.  There was a volunteer there just for me.  She helped me find my flip-flops – not too hard because they were the only ones left.  I put them on and turned and saw Carrie and Alex.  I’ve never been happier to see them in my life.  I walked over and gave them both a good James River kiss.  I have to admit that I got a little emotional at this point.  Seeing them after what I had been through made me get ‘something’ in my eyes.  It was a physically and emotionally draining event.

That swim was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.  It was supposed to be a 1k swim, I know I swam a lot longer than that.  My swim time was 54 minutes by my watch (official time includes running back to transition).  Oh yeah, I was last in the swim.

Carrie told me that she was worried about me.  She had looked and my bike was THE ONLY BIKE IN TRANSITION!!!  How crazy is that?  By the time I got to my bike there were Sport riders coming in and I had to run my bike around them to get out of the transition area.  I ran into Dave “The Big Kahuna” in transition.  He was directing me out on the bike.  Into his walkie he said, “The last rider is coming out, get the sweeper to follow him.” I turned around and said to him, “Tell your sweeper I’m going to drop his ass.”  He looked surprised, then laughed.

Because of my cramping during the swim I had to take it easy initially on the bike so I could take in fluids to prevent more cramping.  From the start I was able to ride strong, but I couldn’t push it.  As I got off the pedestrian bridge, I saw Cass and Brad; they seemed surprised to see me.  When I saw Jessica on Belle Isle it looked like she was relieved to see me.  Apparently, everyone was wondering where I was.

I stopped at the water stop at Reedy Creek.  My water bottle was still frozen and I needed something more.  Another rider dropped his water bottle there so they gave that to me.  I finished that bottle after I entered Forest Hill Park (after about 1.5 miles) then I started to open it up on the bike.

I cleared Reedy Creek in both directions and that was cool.  My sister, her husband and my nephew were all volunteers and cheered me on as I went through.  Wow, can Kris yell!

I got up to the 42nd street parking lot and turned left as usual and then realized that the route was changed.  I turned around and saw some woman running towards me.  After a moment I realized it was Sarah.  She stayed with me for a minute giving support and then I passed Dave, her bf, and sped up.  I was feeling really strong on the bike at this point.

I floated through Forest Hill and didn’t have any difficulties.  It was a better ride than normal.  It’s possible that’s because I had a fully attached rear derailleur, but who knows.

Coming back out of Forest Hill my sister was once again yelling like a cat lady.  She calmed down enough for me to hand off that empty extra water bottle.  Through the tunnel I saw my nephew and brother in law and the upcoming rock face out of the creek.  I wanted to make sure my nephew saw me clear that rock face so I sped up a lot and shot right up it.  I hope he was impressed.

At 22nd street bridge I saw Snider.  He had a few words of encouragement as I passed by.  I think he said there were riders just ahead of me.  I rode down the stairs and saw Ben at the bottom.  I told him I was last and he said I was kicking butt.

I passed my first rider just after 42nd street Bridge.  After that I passed another 9 riders.

When I got back to transition I saw The Big Kahuna again and said, “I told you I was going to drop your sweeper.”  He looked at his watch and then at me again.

Susan was there to greet me as I came off the bike.  She slapped me five and cheered me on.  In the transition area the winners of my race were already packing up there gear, it was depressing.  Then I heard Susan again and she helped me focus and got me back out of transition and onto my run.

The run was uneventful.  I was able to keep a strong pace and ran everything but the hills.  I passed back by Snider and he seemed to think I looked better this time around.  I passed by Ben and told him I wasn’t last anymore and he laughed.

When I saw Jessica for the last time I’m Belle Isle, I told her I was walking the hills.  She replied, “Yeah, walking the hills!”

I passed a few folks on the run, for the most part, there weren’t a lot of runners left on the course.

This was my hardest ever race because of the swim.  The rest of the race was actually pretty good.  My tri suit was awesome and kept me cool the whole time.  I got a little chaffing from the zipper, but it wasn’t bad.  My white shoulders and back didn’t do as well and I have the burns to prove it.  In fact, my upper arms are burned except for where my number was, so you can still see my number on my arms.  My arms are sore from swimming, and my feet from all the rocks in the river and that snuck into my shoes.  My right knee is sore – I don’t know why – and my Achilles is still bothering me.

During my swim, I was sitting on a pier, catching my breath before I started out again.  I had an audience of 3 or 4 kayakers around me.  I told them this is going to be one of those things that I will look back on and will be really proud of accomplishing and I couldn’t wait to look back on it.  Now I look back and I am really proud that I did it.

For all of you who use me in this sentence, “If Scott can ______ then I know I can do it,” please feel free to add this event to your list.

Thanks to all the volunteers and supporters out there for the race (in order that I saw them): Carrie, Alex, Cass, Brad, Jessica, Ben, Pete, Kristin, Sarah, Dave, Michael, Snider and Susan.  And thanks to James and Rob the kayakers and Jason the Fish for getting me through the swim.  And a special thanks to Xterra for coming back to Richmond!  To me as a competitor, the race was of the same caliber it’s always been.  Awesome job again!

I wanted to post my results, but Xterra completely hosed them up.

I think my swim time was 1:00:42.  The second slowest swimmer took 34 minutes.  By the time I finished they had blocked off the entrance for swimmers back into the transition area.  So I ran across the exit to the run, instead of the entrance into the swim.  They marked that time as my bike time instead of my swim time.  I have no transition times and my run time was 2:54.  My bike was actually around 1:32:00.  I probably had 10 minutes total in the two transitions so my run was around 1:11:00.

Double Du, National Off-Road Duathlon and National On-Road Duathlon In One Weekend

The Challenge:

Complete the long course Off-Road Duathlon Saturday and come back Sunday and complete the long course On-Road Duathlon.

Day One:

I always tell people, don’t do anything new the night before a race.  So, what do I do?  I do something new, I go out and drink grape juice the night before and the morning of my Off-Road race.  The results were disastrous and race was almost bagged before it started.  After some help from modern day medicine, I was able to cowboy-up and compete.

It was hottttttttttttt!

The race start was all in one wave.  It was a mob start with people flying past me like it was 50 degrees outside.  I went slow, knowing full well I would pass some of these folks again.  We had a lot of shade running across the pedestrian bridge and on Belle Isle.  I didn’t have any water with me and that really sucked.  I was down on water already because of a rough morning and I was getting worse.  On the run, I passed 8 people who started out too fast and faded.

Finishing the run I saw Susan cheering me on.  She was a welcome site after a tough run.  Coming into transition all I could think about was my water.  My camelback was half full (another rule, bring more than you think you will need), but it was still cold.  My water bottle with my electrolyte was warm and not quite tasty anymore.  I started out fast and drank too much too quickly and felt nauseous.

A goal I set for myself was to ride the 22nd st. stairs.  I chickened out of riding the chicane at the top and ran the first flight.  After that, I rode the rest of the way down.  It’s MUCH faster riding than running.  On the gravel road I didn’t see anyone.  I know I was slow on the run, but there wasn’t anyone in sight.  I didn’t see anyone until I got back on the trail.

After 42nd st. bridge I was surprised to see Becky and Jessica.  Apparently, Jessica was volunteering and Becky was just yelling loudly.  Another great pick-me upper right when I needed it.  Now if I could only find another biker…

I did manage to find and pass a couple people eventually, but clearly, I was in the back after my run.  As I came through the tunnel I saw Carrie, Alex and my sister.  They cheered me on so loud they made Alex cry.  I decided to interpret his crying as ‘cheering’ and thanked him as I passed.

Through Forest Hill Park I passed several folks, I had passed 12 riders when I got a flat.  I ride tubeless upfront and I hit something on the concrete wall/step up and my Stans gunk was all dried up.  I tried riding slower, hoping to make it to my family before I changed the tire, but I started getting too loose in the turns and had to fix it.  The change went smooth until I screwed up my CO2 and had to wait to get one from another passing rider.  After that, I sped back up, but my original gusto was lost.

Most of the people I passed earlier passed me during my flat and for the rest of the ride I only caught and passed a few of them.

Coming back into transition I was dreading having to run again.  I was torn between catching some people and taking it easy for Sunday.  I ended up trying to run fast then faded.  I ran over a mile to start and then walked and ran.  I kept that up until the pedestrian bridge.

I was walking across the pedestrian bridge when I started feeling woozy.  I thought back to that lady at the Monument Ave 10k a couple years ago that stumbled around until she fell to the ground.  As I was thinking that, I noticed other people were wobbling too.  Then I realized the bridge was moving and that it wasn’t me.  I was worried for a minute there.

Knowing that I wasn’t going to pass out, fall off the bridge, and cherish the cold water until I drowned, I kept running.  I alternated running and walking to the finish.  At the finish they called my name and put the coldest towel I’ve ever felt on my back and shoulders.  I thought I was going to pass out right there.  They kept asking me if I was ok, and I kept saying the towel was really cold.

With the race over, I headed home to eat and drink and try to regain the 5lbs I lost during the race.

Day Two:

The On Road portion of my weekend started off on the wrong foot when I realized I left my gels at home.  Luckily, I grabbed a pack of Shot Bloc on the way out the house, so that would be the food for the day.  Then after parking, I left my running water bottle on the top of my car.  This was how I was going to run with to ward off the dehydration demons.  Again I was lucky, as Jessica, the walking champ, went to go grab it for me (I think she walked 6 miles on Sunday).

Before I forget, it was hot before the race started.

I thought the run on Saturday started fast, that was nothing compared to Sunday.  I was alone, with no one in sight in front of me, 1 mile into the course.  I know I was running slower, but seriously, dropped like a rock at 9 minute pace?  I say 9 minute pace, but I wasn’t really sure.  The first mile marker came at 5 minutes into the run (yeah right!), the second at 18 minutes, split the difference ~ 9 min/mile.

The run was hot, like I thought it would be.  There was some shade by the flood wall, and maybe a cool breeze off the river here or there, but mostly just hot.  I was passed by the ladies that started 5 minutes after me before I had gone 3 miles.  I had to keep reminding myself I needed to keep my speed in check and that my goal was simply to finish.

I ended up walking some on the first 10k.  It was towards the end of the run and frankly, I was surprised at how little I walked.

The road ride was nice.  Sure, they start you going up a steep hill, but it’s a short steep hill.  The payoff is a fast and long downhill.  I nailed that hill and passed a few other folks that seemed to be riding their brakes.  Thinking back later, I don’t think I hit my brakes once until I dismounted at the end of the ride.

I saw Carrie and Alex at the bike turn-around.  I yelled ‘Alex’ and he watched me as I rode past.  Each time I circled around I would yell for him and most of the time he would watch me.

Did I say it was hot?

After learning that keeping a cold bottle attached to the bike while you run produces a warm bottle, I decided to freeze a water bottle and an electrolyte bottle.  They were perfect and even slightly frozen when I started the ride.  By the end they were warm though, but still wet.  The hill at Reedy Creek was tough and only got tougher as the day wore on.  On the last climb, my left quad started getting funky.  I backed off my pace on the hills and made it back without cramping.

For the last run… I walked.  I walked into transition and just kept walking.  It’s possible I could have run, but I wanted to finish at this point, getting across that line was my entire goal.  I ended up walking with a guy in my age group for 1.5 miles.  With about a mile to go, I started running.  I ran most of the rest of the way back.  I walked the little hill up from Tredegar St. to above the parking lot and ran in from there.

Becky and Cass greeted me as I ‘ran’ up the hill to the finish.  When I passed them the first time I had been getting ready to walk up that hill, but I couldn’t since they were cheering me on.  This time they gave me a strong boost to the finish and helped get me the rest of the way.

Oh yeah, it was hot!

The post race food and drink was a buffet compared to after the Off-Road race.  For the On-Road we had made-to-order soft tacos, pizza, drinks kept in ICE!  For the Off-Road, we had warm Gatorade, bagels and bananas.  That difference really made me mad.  No cold drinks after a hot race like that was stupid.  After the Off-Road race they told you to come back the next day for the post race party stuff.  How about some pizza on Saturday too?  It was upsetting to experience both and to see how differently the two events are treated.  Clearly the Off-Road event is the red-headed step child.

Numbers

Off Road:

3:39:54, 59/81, 16/17 in age group

1:04:38 10k, 9:28 pace* – 67/81, 16/17

2:08 T1

1:42:32 bike, 9.5 mph – 48/81, 14/17

1:22 T2

49:16 5k, 15:52 pace – 61/81, 14/17

On Road:

3:15:02, 825/885, 72/74 in age group

1:04:48 10k, 10:26 pace* – 844/885, 73/74

2:34 T1

1:25:53 bike, 16.5 – 685/885, 69/74

1:58 T2

39:52 5k, 12:50 pace – 864/885, 73/74

* Note how I took 10 seconds longer on the On-Road 10k, yet my pace was a full minute slower.  The mileage was off on one or the other.

Total mileage: 18 miles running, 37 miles biking

Poor Farm Enduro

It was a really nice day for a race. I thought it would get too hot, but I never got hot at all.

The course was nice. I liked how many flat sections there were. It was nice to be able to recover from the hills.

Only one section of the course was wet and that got really muddy towards the end of the day. The first 3 times I went through the puddle – about 10ft long to start – I hit it full speed. After that I tried to change how I hit it so my disc brakes wouldn’t get so gopped up. On my 5th time through, I got mud in my eye. That sucked. I think it grew to 20ft long at the end. Every other bit of the trail was sweet. I only put a foot down to let faster riders pass.

Rick and I started out together and were on our 3rd lap when we separated. He started cramping, so I gave him a water bottle and kept going. He was able to recover enough to feel good and start riding again. Apparently, he was trying to catch back up to me when he crashed and had to stop racing. When I last talked to him, he was in good spirits, no broken bones, but a lot of pain.

I ended up with 6 laps in 5:05 ride time; I think it was 5:30 clock time. Each lap was 7 miles, so I ended at 42 miles. This was my second Enduro MTB race. My first was two weeks ago. Then I did 6 laps of 6 miles. So I increased my mileage 6 miles. My food and hydration were much better this time. Cold cookies are better than warm ones! I drank a lot more frequently and only had a whiff of a cramp on the last climb on my last lap.

The two problems I had were a numb left big toe and an achy left arm. My left grip is slightly higher than my right grip and that difference made my left hand hurt over the last two laps. My big toe went numb after getting dunked in water in that big mud puddle I mentioned above. I didn’t get feeling until 30 minutes after the race.

One section I really liked was on the fireroad-ish section near the end of the lap. I loved bunny hopping the two log crossings at speed. Very cool.

One last thing. My Nephew came in 3rd in the kids race. I didn't get to see it, but I heard he had a blast.

Xterra East Championship Relay, take 1

I teamed with two other racers to form a relay team for the full XTERRA race. I work in the same building with both of the relay ladies at SunTrust. Jessica is a swimmer extraordinaire and this was her first open water swim race. Becky is a trail running enthusiast and loves running the same trails where the race took place. I was on the bike riding the same trails I (try) to ride weekly. The race and recap are swim, bike, run. These are our recaps… DUN DUN (Law & Orders sound)

Jessica's race recap:

The swim was so much harder than I thought it was going to be.

My wave was the last to start. I swam pretty hard out to the island which is where I caught the stragglers of the wave before us and I started to get kicked around. There was a bottle neck trying to get around the 1st buoy. It was there that I started swimming breaststroke to avoid the people's kicks in front of me. In retrospect, that was probably worse because then the rest of my wave was on my heels and I was getting kicked and hit from all directions. I was essentially trapped! I had to choose whether to try and swim over people like the people behind me were trying to do or avoid people. I opted for avoiding people. Swimming breaststroke allowed me to stay with the people in front of me and to see where I was going, both of which I found really rather appealing given the situation. Probably not a good attitude for a race but hey this was my first ever open water swim.

Once I got over to the island, I had to climb out of the water and into the mud, go for a short jog and then get back in. At this point running over the bridge was looking like the best option but I figured I'd gone this far maybe I could at least get in front of some people and start swimming. I found an open lane and was feeling good for about 4 strokes when bam, a rock, then another and another and another. I think there was probably a reason it was an open lane but hey what can you do? It was then I decided to give up completely on freestyle and resorted to a stroke I'm going to call the Rocky River Belly Crawl. It involves pushing yourself across the river on your hands while having your legs scratched up by all the jagged rocks below. I highly recommend it.

It wasn't until the last two buoys that I was able to swim a little. In my excitement to finally be able to swim I went out a little harder than I should have and tired pretty quickly. Resorted to breaststroke for the last little stretch and finally emerged from the water.

But sadly I wasn't done. I still had to run to the transition area so Scott could get going. Let me just say, it might have only been a ¼ of a mile but it felt like a 100. And of course I had to make it just a little further by running down the wrong row of bikes. I had no idea running after swimming would be so hard! My hat is off to all those people who kept going. But me, I was done! J And that was my favorite part.

I'm somewhat glad I did it but please keep in mind I'm saying that before all my lab results come back from all the water I swallowed when my head got kicked so maybe I should withhold final judgment.

Scott's race recap:

This was my first ever Sunday race during the James River Adventure Games weekend. I am a veteran of the Urban Assault mountain bike races that takes place on Saturday and wanted to try my hand in a Sunday race this year.

We were told not to put on our helmets until we 'tagged' our swimming relay person and I think I am the only person to follow the rules. As soon as I was tagged I threw on my helmet and took off on a run out of the transition area. I had no idea how many people were ahead of me, but I knew at least one relay person was ahead of me. There were a couple relay folks on the wrong bike rack so it was difficult to tell who was in front of me. One thing I did know was I was going to pass a lot of people.

I made my first pass coming off of Brown's Island and passed a few more before I got to Belle's Island. Knowing all of the trails as I do, I was able to pick pretty easy areas to pass for the most part and only was hung up on other racers a couple times.

By the time I left Belle I had passes some 18 riders. One rider I passed, Ted, is a SunTrust worker in my building. I would see him again in Forrest Hill Park.

I hauled as much butt as I could on the gravel road. I wasn't sure of my speed since my computer magnet was not aligned properly and was not tracking my speed. On the gravel road I was passed by a couple folks who moved by me as if I was standing still. I had hoped to draft on the gravel road, but there was no one moving my pace to draft. Someone did draft me for a bit though.

Once back on the Buttermilk trail, I continued my fast pace and also continued passing other racers. When we came up to the brick faced climb I knew I could climb it and yelled for the walkers to clear my path. I made it up and was riding the dirt above it when my tires spun out in the dust. I heard a 'You disappoint me Terbush' from behind me and found out it was Dauley catching me from behind. We both were forced to run up most of Big Clay Hill since it was chock full of walkers. I never saw Chris again.

Coming back down the railroad tie downhill I was chasing a guy who took a really bad line and had to jam on the brakes before going off the side of the trail. He yelled that he didn't see my line until I passed him.

The rest of the way to FHP I backed off since I couldn't pass the two riders in front of me and they were going slow. I didn't climb out of the tunnel into FHP. It was full of walkers and I don't know if I can make it on a clear day with someone pushing me.

On the narrow concrete bridge I had to dab because they had a cone on the bridge where I normally ride. Who puts on cone on the narrow bridge? Did they think we thought the trail took a shortcut over the side into the creek?

The long climb to the parking lot did me in big time. I went out way to hard and was starting to pay for it. I took a GU on the gravel road and that hadn't hit me yet. I was dragging ace big time. Ted caught me early in FHP and was as surprised as I was to see me. He got in front of me and every chance he had he let me pass him. He wanted me to get my butt moving, as did I, for a while there I couldn't. I rode everything in FHP, not everything fast though. I passed people on most climbs even though I felt like poop. I really dug the encouragement from the other riders I passed riding while they walked the hills. It was that encouragement, Ted's forcing me faster and a conversation from some guy who thought he knew me and was racing against Bill Swan that got me through my funk. By the time I was finishing FHP I had my steam again.

For the first time ever I rode the trail into the tunnels from FHP. I kinda had to with my sister and neighbor there cheering my on very loudly. My sister said she saw the curse words I was mouthing as I rode the obstacle. I cleared it though… it was surprisingly simple.

I rode through the tunnel and decided I would ride the rock face back out of it. I've never fully cleared the rock face. There were two riders walking it when I called them off and shot up the rock face so fast I felt like I almost caught air. What a rush!

The rest of Buttermilk was pretty much normal. I passed a couple people and was passed when I got caught behind walkers on easy hill climbs. One lady passed me back when I was caught behind walkers. I got back on her wheel just as we came to the 22nd street Bridge. I followed her as she rode down the stairs and onto the bridge. I wasn't sure I was going to ride that section, but since I had someone to show me the way, I went ahead and rode it. Neither of us rode down the stairs.

I took another GU on the gravel road back to the 42nd street bridge. Again, I didn't have anyone to draft and again I was passed by some really fast muthas. I saw Ben stationed at the 42nd street Bridge and got some needed encouragement and that was out onto Buttermilk Heights.

The first creek crossing out onto Heights has always been difficult for me because I made it out to be a lot harder than it really is - what I call a mental block. I passed one fellow there that had second thoughts at the entrance; I squeezed past him and rode across the creek. I passed another guy on the hill climb afterwards and then almost wiped out when I lost my wheel further up the climb.

I quickly outdistanced the people behind me and ran smack dab into another 6 pack of riders. The last section of Heights is narrow with little room to pass, so I didn't until I was climbing out from under the Nickel Bridge.

Northbank found me pretty lonely. I had one person in front of me and I drafted him across the bridge. I was going to pass him, but had to stop when I picked up a branch in my wheel. I passed a couple more riders by the time I got to the stump dump; there weren't a lot of people in front of me to pass. On the last section of trail before Dominion, I saw Rick taking pictures; hopefully I didn't look too ragged there.

After Rick, I had two more riders that I could see in the distance in front of me so I set my sights on them. After the fence I was behind a girl and guy riding side-by-side so I split the two and kicked it into high gear to gain some more time. I didn't see anyone else until I got onto Tredegar Street and that guy was far ahead. I put the bike in the big ring and reeled him back in and passed him just before the transition.

I ran the bike to Becky, slapped five and just about collapsed. I said I was going to leave it all out on the course and I think I did. My ride time of 1:36:15 (based on my timing) and pace of 10.47 was 1 mph faster than I've ever ridden the JRPS trails. Out of the 5 obstacles I never ride downtown, I rode 4. It was a great ride!

Our finish sheet said our team came in 3rd of 5, the web results show 4 of 9. Our time was 2:54:41. I am very satisfied with our results and how we all did. It seemed like everyone had a fun time and will have some stories to tell of the day's events.

Becky's race recap:

I never get my toe on the start line. For years I have been 'training' for races I never run. Injury, illness, you name - all just symptoms. Underlying cause, plain old chicken. With a little more than a weeks notice, I get an invitation to run the third leg of the Xterra East Championship Race. I was plan 'B'. Plan 'A' was unavailable. Figuring if you are second choice, expectations can't be that high - less pressure - ok - sign me up. Team "I'm with Stupids" was born.

I arrived at 6:30am. Then the waiting began. The race started at 8:30. Jessica had to swim. Thank goodness I did not have to do the swim. I am like an epileptic seizure victim on crack when it comes to swimming. Some good Samaritan would have probably mistaken my freestyle for a near drowning, selflessly rescued me from the cesspool of a river and gotten team "I'm with stupids" DQ'd. Jess and Scott were smart not to ask me to swim. I waited on the shore to point out Jessica's sneakers so she could make the run back to the transition area. Just an aside to the man wearing the all white tri suit…. Maybe you should consider a black one… Just a thought… ahhhhh… My eyes!

Jessica had a strong swim, but I am concerned about the long term health implications she may have from the open wounds she got on the rocks in the river. I recommended a strong antibiotic and a lot of alcohol. I plan to carry Lysol in the event we cross paths in the near future…. Just in case….

I didn't see the transition between Scott and Jessica, but I am sure she finished strong. Back to waiting. In my mind I knew I needed to get out of the sun and off my feet, but I was too anxious. 9 trips to the port-a-potty later (just as terrifying as the flesh eating bacteria lurking in the James), I was ready for Scott to return and start my run. Oh, but wait, could I squeeze in one more pre race anxiety pee? I was running out of the transition area to use the bathroom one more time and all the volunteers got really excited thinking I was starting my leg of the race. When I jumped the barrier to head towards the bathrooms, they all started yelling to me that I was going the wrong way. I felt the compulsion to tell then exactly where I was going… it was a really awkward moment for all involved.

I was really excited when I saw Scott come up the last hill and into the transition area. He had a great ride and now the pressure was on. I passed one person on the way off the Island, but I wasn't on the gravel for 10 seconds before I could hear loud, fast footsteps barreling down on me. It turns out, Scott and Jessica had done such a solid job that I ended up on the run course with some of the top women amateurs. Great. This should really help my confidence issues. It was hot, but I felt pretty good. I passed a couple of folks on my way to the Mayan ruins. I almost plummeted to my death (not really) at the top of ruins - OK, I just lost my balance a little, but of course there was a crowd - no worries…. Nothing injured by my pride. I passed a couple of runners on the sidewalk behind SunTrust, one woman on the grassy pass after the Lee bridge and a big man at the bridge to the stairs down to the service road. I hate the service road. It's long, gravely, very little shade, flat, boring. I kept my head down so I didn't have to see how far I had to go.

Ahh, finally, single track trail. My favorite. Shade! I love the trail. I felt so much better. I was able to open it up a little bit heading back to the river crossing. I was bit directionally challenged when it came to crossing the James. I kept having to stop and look for the signs. Then I found myself in someone's way. They were not pleased. Once I was passed, I offered encouragement to the athlete - it was returned with a "do I even know you" comment. Forget it. I hope you slip on slime. (Not really)

I enjoyed being on Belle Island, but got really nervous as the time kept passing. I was thinking, if I don't get off this island soon, Scott and Jessica are going to kill me! On the stretch from the foot bridge back to the finish a man told me to reel in the guy in front of me. Are you kidding? He has the number 15 on the back of his leg (that's his age group!) I could be his mother…. OK - I'll try. All I needed was about 10 more feet. Next time.

I did it. It's done. I put my toe on the line. I actually enjoyed it. 3rd for Mixed Relay's and 4th out of 9 relay teams. Not too bad for a racing chicken.