Christmas List 2009 by Heather McNamara

Dear Santa,

Unlike my friend and fellow team mate Becky, I have not been very good this year.  I have been terrible about household chores, putting off things like grocery shopping and laundry so I could train.  I didn’t work much, and what little earnings I had I spent on frivolous items, mostly workout clothes and tri-gear.  I wasn’t around much for friends or family, and when I was I was either exhausted or busy planning for my next race or training session.  I also missed a lot of church, and didn’t visit my mom nearly as much as I should have.  

But I wasn’t all bad in 2009.  If one of my kids, my husband or a family member or friend needed something I was there for them.  And, what little work I did do involved serving others, whether it was for the non-profit soccer club I work for, or my pilates students that faithfully attend my weekly classes.  And, even if my house isn’t the cleanest it is warm, stocked with food (even if I didn’t prepare it!), and full of laughter.  I’m also here every morning to see my daughter off to school and home every afternoon to welcome her with a hug and snack.  So maybe I was a teensy bit good after all. 

That being said, here is my Christmas list for 2009:

Discipline.  Whether it’s about food choice or training, please give me the discipline to do the right thing.

Limitless energy.  I’d love to be able to log in a 20 hour training week and not think twice about doing it again.

Better technical skills on the bike.  I want to fly over obstacles and lean into tight switchbacks and make it look easy.

Better swim technique during races.  Why is it in the pool I glide with effortless ease, but in a race my stroke deteriorates into what could be described as ”painful thrashing”?  

Faster legs.  I figure since Becky asked for these you might as well bring a set for me, too.

Patience.  I seem to have less of this as I get older.  Must be a “as we age we have less time on earth to get it all done” sort of thing.

And of course, health and happiness for my loved ones.  This is a given since without it all the gifts in the world are meaningless.

Thanks Santa!  And have a very Merry Christmas!

Your friend Heather

by Heather McNamara

As I sit here at home on the eve of Xterra World’s, I think about a season that ended one race too short, and my team mates who are at this moment in Maui fine-tuning brakes and packing transition bags in prepartion for their final race of the season.  It is hard to be upset for long, about not being there.  Things change, life happens, schedules are re-arranged, and Greg and I are welcoming fall in the midwest instead of swimming in the ocean blue.  But as I reflect I begin to think things are as they should be.  The early end to a season allows extra time for healing.  Mental healing, as we deal with the loss of my mother-in-law, but physical healing as well.  A year of stepped-up training takes it’s toll, and I have spent almost a full year of managing low-back and hip pain.  I am looking forward to seeing what benefits rest will yield.  As I wish everyone in Maui a good race, I also think back on the things I’ve learned in 2009.  Here they are, in no particular order:

10.  I know nothing.  About serious training that is.   This year I found out  there is more to being successful than just logging in laps and miles.  There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about it.  Hopefully in 2010, with a little help, I will be able to figure it out.

9.  Full-suspension moutain bikes are awesome!  What the heck was I waiting for?  My Specialized Era made me a better rider.  Specialized has really figured out how to “go-dual” in a big way.  The benefits of full-suspension include improved balance, control and comfort among others.   And the bikes are lighter than ever.  So if you consider yourself a purist and are still rockin’ the hard-tail, stop being ridiculous and invest in a dual-suspension ride.  You won’t be sorry.

8.  It’s ok to rest.  Why is this one so hard?  Even now, as I’m attempting to let my body heal, it is hard to grasp this concept.  I have learned the hard way that rest is as important to a training plan as hill repeats and bricks.  Embrace the rest day.

7. Commitment to being your best is a 24/7 deal.  It requires planning, organization and follow-through.  It also requires a very supportive and patient family!

6.  Cross train.  Seems obivious.  After all, cross-training is automatic with the sport of triahtlon, right?  Maybe so, but it goes beyond just swimming, biking and running.  Mountain biking improves with logging miles on a road bike, and vice-versa.  Strength training increases muscle mass protecting bones and joints.  Yoga and pilates enhance flexibility and strengthen the core, thus allowing for better transmition of force through the body, while also improving posture and reducing injuries.   One or two of these alternate workouts each week will yield many benefits so fitting them into a training plan is key.

5.  Have confidence in yourself.  Another no-brainer, right?  Strong competitors have confidence, but for some this can be a difficult concept.  For 2010 I have vowed to stay focused on MY training plan, MY events, MY gear, and MY-self!  (Let’s face it, a certain amount of narcissism is required for triathletes!)  Seriously, though, nothing de-rails the train ride of confidence faster than comparing one’s own workouts and times with someone elses.  In some cases, a nice set of blinders can be a good thing.

4.  Personal grooming is over-rated.  Who has time for such trivial activities with multiple daily training sessions?  I have found  the relationship between amount of time spent training and standards for personal appearance are inversly proportional.  This becomes obvious when showering, doing one’s hair, and putting on “real clothes” feels like getting dressed-up.

3.  Competition brings out the best, and worst, in people.  For karmic reasons I intend to focus on the former over the latter.   People can get silly when driven to win, but I’ve witnessed great selflessness too.  And besides, embracing the positive in thoughts, words and actions is a great balance to all the narcisism (see #5!).

2.   Poor nutrition comprimises training and recovery.  Fueling during races maximizes performance.  When it comes to nutrition there are no shortcuts.  Putting energy into training without putting thought into nutrition is a waste of time.  Take the time to think things through and be prepared.  A nice stash of Pro Bars doesn’t hurt either!

1.    Joining a great group of people to train and race with adds a huge positive element to one’s season. For me, Melrad 2009  created a whole new dimension of the sport for me.  Being part of such a great group was huge motivation and an extra treat when we got together for races.  It provided an outlet for feedback and support, and created lasting friendships with people who have a common interest.  So get your essay started and stay tuned to Mel’s website, www.racergirl.com for details on Melrad 2010! 

That’s it-my top 10 lessons of 2009.  I will keep this list handy as I prepare for next season and what lies ahead in 2010.  Happy training!

Xterra Nationals; Ogden, Utah; 2009

I knew there would be lots of hills.  I knew there would be lots of climbing.  So why then, is it that I wasn’t prepared for all the hills and climbing?  The 2009 course for Xterra Nationals at Snowbasin Ski Resort in Ogden, Utah had me wondering “Why am I doing this?”  I didn’t come in unaware, as mentioned I had heard and read plenty about the course.   But once I was out there pedaling away, mile upon mile, I knew my personal goal for time was going to be tough to meet.  There is something about hearing “on your left….on your left……on your left…..”  (as riders prepare to pass) literally a hundred times, that can really mess with one’s race mojo!  (“*Bleeeeep*in’ pass already!” was my silent reply.) 

Altitude is a funny thing.  This race was at altitude, climbing to a max of over 7500’ on the bike alone. But I was never gasping for air.  I never felt that lung burning “freeze” I’ve experienced in other altitude events.  Instead, my legs just felt useless.  At Xterra University the day before the race, where pro athletes talk about the course and give advice to us mere mortals, uh-err I mean amatuers, I made note of the confirmatory head-nods around me in response to Melanie’s casual remark that the course is “totally ridable, mostly middle chain ring stuff”.  Middle chain ring? Ha!  I made good use of my small chain ring for sure.  There were a few downhill sections, brief as they were, with some loose rock, switchbacks, and larger stone.  I felt great on those, easily manuevering through tight turns on my super tricked-out and WAY sweet Specialized Era, even catching back up with some of the “on your left-ers”, but my gains were short lived as the path quickly went back uphill and there I was again, spinning away.

Eventually the bike ended up back at transition, only to continue it’s uphill course for a few more miles, traversing ski hills before giving way to the run.  I even got to see the top two pro men racing in to the finish as I biked past (Nico Lebrun narrowly outran Conrad Stoltz for the win).  But if riding up the mountains had been hard, then the run up ski hills was excruciating!  My legs were unable to function efficiently up many of the hills so I was forced to walk a good portion of the run.  Believe me, this is NOT something any Xterra competitor does if they don’t have to!  Again, I was fine on the downhills, but unfortunately  there weren’t enough of those for my liking!

During the final downhill portion of the run leading into the finish I passed a  young woman who had been running near me most of the run.  She would pass me on the ups, I would pass her on the downs, and we traded back and forth that way for probably 4 miles at least.  “Where you from?” she had asked.  “Michigan, you?” I replied.  “Louisianna” was her response.  Ah, a fellow flatlander!  We bonded in our pain.  As we finished the race within seconds of each other I looked back and her boyfriend had swept in to greet her.  My own husband was waiting for me.  He told me “Oh that guy just proposed, and she said yes!”   The young couple embraced each other dirt, sweat and all.  Now that’s true love!

Every race is a memorable experience, and Xterra Nationals 2009 was no exception.  While some memories may be about pain and discomfort, most are of challenges that were met, accomplishments that were earned and about a day of adventure that leaves one asking, not “Why am I doing this?”, but instead “When can I do it again?”  J

It’s no secret-competing in Xterra is hard.  The physical toll of training and racing is something Xterra athletes know very well.  But the challenge isn’t always just physical.  Mental aspects of the sport can wear one down as quickly as the run course up a ski hill in the Vermont Xterra Northwest Cup.   Keeping proper perspective and attitude throughout race season, and the year, is crucial for maximizing all the benefits of a rigorous training plan.

Take the internet for instance.  Athlete blogs and status posts abound recounting 5 hour mountain bike rides followed by long runs in mountains, 4 a.m. swim workouts with 4 p.m. track sprints, PR’s on 10k’s, and more.  Knowing the activities of fellow competitors can be motivating to say the least.  But when notions of a recovery day are put to rest after reading about super-achievements of others, proper perspective is lost.  Without perspective one becomes vulnerable to the ill-effects of over-training.  I realized (way too late) that comparing my training plan with anyone else’s is a mistake.  Months, if not years, of solid training are behind a 20+ hour week of swim, bike and run sessions.  Staying on the correct training-plan course is key for performance on the Xterra course.  So while I am still motivated by posts from friends and elite athletes, I do my best to keep it all in perspective and stick to my own comparatively modest plans.  High level performance develops by building strength and intensity over time, not over-night or even in one season.

Deciding what equipment and gear to use can also be a mental distraction.  The amount of information available regarding mountain bike tires alone is daunting, much less all the other choices to be made when selecting gear. Technology has provided so many tools for athletes that deciding what is necessary, beneficial, or frivolous can be an impossible endeavor.  There are GPS systems to track and record workouts, high-tech fabrics for super fast clothing, shoes for any whim or requirement, and bikes that defy physics!  Wading through websites, articles and overheard post-race conversations about gear can be mind boggling, not to mention the astronomic amounts of money that can be spent.  Is a $600 investment for a speed suit worthwhile? (maybe)  Should I go tubeless?  (yes)  And what the heck is a “29er”? (if you’re short don’t worry about it!)    Again, the seduction of it all is enticing.  The trick is to stay confident with what one has, and not get sidetracked by what the other guy is talking about.  A power-hub measuring power output on the bike is a great tool, but an intense training session will provide physical benefits whether exertion is estimated on a mental scale of 1-10, or read in kilowatts on a fancy device.  Worrying about not having the “latest and greatest” is a waste of energy no matter how it’s measured! 

Mental fitness is just as, if not more, important than the all the physical and technical aspects of competition.  The latest technology and the best training plans won’t go far without the right perspective.  Having the proper mental outlook is key in bringing all the physical efforts of training together.  That focal point on the horizon is not the end.  It is the beginning.  It is the start of a new journey and a new set of goals.   Maintaining the right attitude, focus and perspective is the best path to get there. 

“I’m waiting to hear the yee-ha” my mother said to me recently,  “I’m not hearing the yee-ha.”  “Oh it’s there mom, it’s there” is my (perhaps unconvincing) reply. 

It can be the hardest thing in competitive sports, maintaining the “yee-ha” factor. It is all too easy to forget what the original attraction to (insert favorite sport here) was.  Hours of training, tired body, aches and injuries, travel and nutrition plans, laundry (oh the laundry!) it is never ending.  But in Xterra, as easy as it can be to lose that joy, there is the opportunity to regain it ten-fold at every turn, hill or mud puddle.  Perhaps that is what keeps us all coming back, race after race, year after year.  There are so many surprises in this sport that can be found in the smallest things.  And when one comes up unexpectedly, that’s when you find yourself suddenly saying “Yee-ha!”

The first surprise for my husband and me came early this year when we were both accepted on the Melrad Racing Team.  Twenty amateur tri-athletes, hand-picked by Melanie McQuaid herself, the top female pro in Xterra, it was an unbelievable dream come true.  A dose of super concentrated yee-ha to say the least!  It only got better from there, as our sponsors began sending us supplies we would need to be our best.  “Just like the pros but without the pressure!” is what Melanie told us.  That is how we felt, too, as we received Specialized bikes, Gu, Pro-bars, Bell Weather gloves, Lazer Helmets, Sun Dog eye wear, Pactimo tri-kits, Profile Design wetsuits, TYR gear, Nathan bags, and Avia shoes-lots and lots of Avia shoes!  (Including Conrad’s Avi-Stoltz which, I must say, is awesome!).  Yee-*ing-ha!”  2009, off to a great start!

As the season commenced I became aware of how many other surprises there are to be found in Xterra.  They range from small and mundane, to profound.  One of the smallest, but nicest surprises for me this season, was at the Midwest Cup in Battle Creek Michigan.  Approaching transition for the second loop of the run I hear a voice cheering me on by name.  To my surprise it is Melanie herself, there with a smile and encouragement to spur me on.  Imagine that, a pro cheering ME on!  Perhaps it was the jolt I needed to push myself and catch the woman (in my age group) who had passed me on the bike earlier.  Nice surprise made even better as I felt strong enough to overtake her and disappear around the next turn.  Similarly, at the Northeast Cup in Vermont, I was spurred on by Conrad’s cheers in transition as I headed out for the run, a grueling course that seemed to be all uphill until the final section straight down to transition, after legs are totally spent and barely able to support serious downhill running.  In addition, a birthday greeting from Will Kelsay that morning was another nice surprise.  And the friendly woman who rode with me back to the main road on the pre-ride?  Shonny Vanlandingham! Pros in Xterra are the BEST!  What other sport can regular age groupers compete with top athletes, be cheered on by them, and get a chance to ride with them too?!  Xterra is uniquely special in that regard.  Definitely yee-ha worthy!

There are often unpleasant surprises in Xterra, but a true Xterra competitor will turn adversity into achievement.  Mud, hills, rain, cold, heat….seasoned Xterra athletes have experienced it all.  But accomplishments are earned not granted, and sometimes just finishing a race can be a surprise.  At the Mid-Atlantic Cup in Richmond, Conrad Stoltz  seriously injured his foot while moving a buoy at the start of  the swim in the James River.  Pros and amateurs alike stood around in amazement as blood squirted from a gaping wound seconds before the start.  The canon went off and so did Conrad, where he proceeded to win the race with a bleeding wound that required 7 stitches!  Conrad surprised us all that day to say the least.  Yee-ha Conrad!

Pro’s aren’t the only ones who finish under ridiculous circumstances.  Fellow competitor GL Brown completed the Midwest Cup this year after double flatting at the start of the bike and returning to transition to scrounge up 2 tubes and air to make the repairs. After losing copious minutes in the quest, GL continued the race and ended up finishing for valuable points needed to qualify for Nationals!   Did I mention GL is in the 65+ age group and has been doing Xterra since it began?  Yeeeee-haaaa GL!  Next time I feel like giving up I’ll think of you!

But the one surprise about Xterra that amazes me most happens at every race, and shouldn’t even really count as a surprise because it happens with regularity and is really quite predictable.  It doesn’t matter if it is the smallest point series race or the National Championship event.  It doesn’t matter how I race or where I finish.  Xterra is a family.  A family of strangers and friends, pros and amateurs, organizers and competitors.  We all come together for a common purpose, the “event”.  But that is just a pawn, an excuse.  A reason for us all to shout “Yee-ha”!   Hear it now, Mom?” J