It’s Saturday, race morning and Dave and I are driving up to Tahoe City at 1:15AM. I know, you’re thinking what the heck??? This is one of the problems with working people. Some get off of work at 5:00pm and have a longish commute back home and if you have ever tried driving to Tahoe on a Friday evening….well, we really weren’t in the mood for sitting in traffic and wasting money for a motel and maybe getting 4-5hrs of sleep in the long run.

So off we go and thank goodness we’re a pretty good team in the car. I don’t drive long distances very well but I am a great passenger. I kept Dave from falling asleep and provided the music to go along with the four hour drive.  I always try and talk about a controversial subject so that it keeps our minds ticking.  We get into some heated arguments even! I made our breakfast and took it along in the car. We ate at 3:00a.m.

Parking is always great, next to T-1,2 actually. We got our registration/goodie bag after we took a 20min cat nap.  Did all the usual pre-race stuff and walked down to the lake to start the race at 8:00.

Swim: Two laps w/o the beach run since there is no beach per se. Water temp was around 54degrees or so. Yes, that’s pretty cold but the water was nice and clear.  The more painful part is walking out to the buoy to start the swim. Water level was below the waist at the start and as you get into the water, you walk on top of rocks of all shapes and sizes. My feet tend to be tender and so each step was not comfortable.  The swim went well and my Profile Design Goldcell wetsuit rocked it.  It was my second swim in it and it is amazing at how flexible it is.  My hands and feet quickly went into the numb stage before we got to the first buoy.  It was a pretty calm swim for the most part in terms of not getting plugged by another swimmer.  As I started to come in on the last lap, I swam in as close to shore as possible to avoid the rock walk. I got up and started to walk but slipped on a rock and slammed my left palm into one. It hurt like the dickens too.  After the race, I noticed a few abrasions and I even bruised my big toe and sprained the toe next to it.  The run to T-1 is fairly long and up a hill of course but on the road.

Bike: The bike begins on the road and then onto the trail and up we go. It reminds me of the Tunnel Creek road climb in Incline Village. My plan was to pace well on the bike and save some for the run since we were in altitude. I got lucky and was riding behind a guy for the first lap. He was just fast enough to stay ahead so I used him as a good pacer. This course was fast, dry, and a blast. It was filled with beautiful wildflowers and I even noticed a red flowered plant that I had never seen there before. It was really captivating to me because I love plants and it was nature at it’s best today for some reason.  The trail is just gorgeous if you take some time to look at it. I couldn’t resist today. Oh, we even had some snow on the ground too!

We had some rocky sections that also reminded me of going down “the Plunge” in Maui. Keep that front tire loose, weight back and keep your speed up and lay off the front brake, right Dave? All in good fun! On the second lap, I passed an obvious beginner from the short course race and told her she was doing great. I thought to myself how awesome for her to be doing the race. Mountain biking is fun but as we all know, it takes guts to do it also.  You go girl! Heading back to the finish is a small climb too just to make your legs burn a bit. The entire course has alot of climbing but it is deceiving too at times. Seems like you are always going up on the flatter sections.  As you get back on the road, it’s a fast downhill and in a residential area…so mind your speed and watch for cars.

Run: Oh, the dreaded run. This starts on the road and up a long tough hill. Then you hit the dirt trail and keep going uphill. It’s a mix of singletrack /fireroad with alot of rocks to hop over, the occassional log to go over and  constantly watching your step. Glad I had my new Avia Avi Stoltz shoes to keep me upright on the trails. It’s basically all up and then flattens out at the top and then back down to rip up your quads. Wicked!  I felt pretty weak on the run. I’m pretty sure it was the altitude. I tried to keep my turnover fast but the legs just wouldn’t respond and I could only keep up a constant SLOW pace. It was kinda frustrating but I just did what I could do and finished with a smile on my face.  

I stretched out/hydrated while waiting for Dave to finish. Unfortunately, he got a flat near the end of the bike and lost some time but still did great. A few other folks had mechanicals out there too.  All in all, it was a great race and great day.  The mountains across the lake still had some sprinklings of snow patches and the lake was clear and blue. Tahoe is really a picturesque place with all of it’s strikingly, irresistable beauty. We ended the day with a nice bbq lunch provided by the race staff/volunteers. The chicken/apple sausage was yummy. The weather rose up to the high 80’s also. What a  summer day.

Before the awards, they had a bean bag toss for participants for $110.00 worth of goodies from one of the race sponsors. That was different and cool to do.  I ended up taking first place in my age group and got a nice beer glass and bottle of sparkling apple juice.  

Bummer I was the only MelRad rep there but I know you guys were there in spirit for me.  Next time, give me an oxygen tank to go!

Yes, we drove home the same day after the race and took our time. I really wouldn’t recommend driving up early on race morning but you gotta do what cha gotta do. Who said Xterra racers aren’t hearty people anyway?

This was truly the hardest Southeast Championship race I’ve ever done in the past 5 yrs. The weather was intense on race day. However, the worst part happened way before the race on Sunday.

I’ve heard of flights being cancelled and all the drama but never experienced it….hmmm….we got to San Jose Internat’l and waited for our 8:30am flight. Well, it never happened because the counter agent announced that the plane had a mechanical and the flight was cancelled! My eyes popped and I was freaking out for that moment. Dave got on the phone to try and rebook as well as the rest of the people there.  We had to be a little aggressive at the counter. I really felt for the agent. It wasn’t his fault but everyone was so unhappy. He was so patient and we were so grateful that he was able to find us some seats. Unfortunately, the flight was taking off 35 miles away at SFO! We were given a taxi voucher(worth over$100.o0) and had the ride of our lives. We had to reclaim our baggage downstairs( of course it took forever to get our bike boxes) and then got on the taxi. The driver must’ve been a NASCAR driver wannabee. He got us there in a mere 35min…zipping in/out of traffic of course. It was kinda hilarious at that moment. I did some crying earlier about the whole situation but then it became comical. What else could go wrong dare I ask? I had this feeling that every step towards Pelham was not going to be easy today.  And, to make it worse, it was my BIRTHDAY too.

We  boarded the plane and got the last two seats in the back of the plane next to the bathroom. It was so noisy with the engine noise, but we were on our way. Ok, time to relax but no…we landed in Dallas and literally, did a T-1 practice out of the water. Running to the next gate which seemed like 1/2mile away. I got my warm up. We made it and boarded. Check…now what? Two hrs later and we got into Birmingham airport. Got the rental car, tried to let Dave be the driver but couldn’t or we’d have to reopen the account so I was the driver.  It was 10:00pm by now and I was losing patience. Got to the hotel at 11:00pm, showered and went to bed! No more drama, please and happy birthday. It was a LONG day for us.

Saturday morning, Dave built up the bikes and we drove over to registration. Nice to see the Xterra gang. Got the usual warm welcome with hugs/kisses/sweat. It was already in the 90’s.

Hung out and listened to the Xterra University stuff with Mel/Josiah. You can always learn something new there and I’m not sure why more people don’t go to them. I confirmed things there about racing day…hydrating, pacing, check….I’m ready to roll. Forget the travel nightmare and move on! Went and rode a bit of the new added trail and then it was all about staying cool and relaxed for racing. We went to our favorite food stop there. Chik-fil-A simply rocks! The charbroiled chicken sandwich is to die for. Alot of places can learn from their customer service. We had lunch and dinner there. We got to speak to the manager there too and she was enthusiastic about the Xterra race and keeping a healthy lifestyle. Pretty neat stuff. That’s one of the reasons I love coming to this race…the PEOPLE. Everyone is so hospitable and friendly.  Everything is close by too. Hotel and food is about a block away and race site is about 15min away. Airport only 35min. What could be better? I forgot to mention that the shopping mall is pretty cool too.

Race day: Got up early to eat breakfast and digest. I always bring my special bagels. It was perfect with Justin’s peanut butter! Thanks for being packaged in the little pouches for travelling. Got to the race site. It was going to be a hot day.  Racked the bike and did a short run to “warm up.”

Swim: Water temp was at least 84degrees.  Siting is the easiest at this race. Two counterclockwise laps w/short beach run. I felt pretty good in the swim despite the warmth. Didn’t get punched or kicked. That’s always a good thing.

Bike: Took my time on the short ride along the road to get my HR down. Pacing on the bike was the plan. Trails were dry. I don’t have a chance to ride trails like this since they don’t exist in my home area. It’s fun and more mentally challenging since you are always looking around. The climb this year seemed longer and there were some pretty rocky places. I made sure I stood up to let weight off the rear wheel at times. I almost became a tree hugger according to a guy behind me who saw me attempt to go over one of the many logs. I kinda messed up but saved myself from crashing. I didn’t feel really comfy since my bike was not set up as well as I wanted for this course. My fork felt stiff too. I didn’t know what position I was in the entire time. Passed several men on the trail. A 35yr AG woman caught me and I followed her for the new added section. That was helpful to have someone to keep an eye on. The new trail seemed endless but you had to stay focused since it was so twisty. Drifting into la-la land is not recommended at this point. A few off camber spots and more logs to hop over. Finally, you get out onto the road and towards T-2. My gloves were pretty wet from the humid conditions and my grip got a bit loose at times. Oh, I forgot to mention Blood Rock section. NO, I didn’t ride thru it. I never have since I don’t get to pre-ride and practice on it enough. I walked a few other sections simply because I wasn’t ready for it. Why be foolish and hurt myself I say. It all depends on how you feel on the bike that day.

It’s always nice to hear Andrew say “welcome back.” Thanks! I was happy to be done on the bike w/o problems.

Run: I was ready, my legs were turning over well on the short road run. My plan was to keep the cadence high with short fast feet today.  A few guys passed me but by the time I got to the first aid station, one of them said he was “cooked.” That always feeds fuel to my fire as I run past them on my merry little pace. I ended up catching more “cooked” people but they were men. Where were the women? Geez, I must be way back behind them for sure I thought. I finally caught up to a girl near the end and she mentioned how I always catch her at that point. I passed as we got to the last downhill and onto the road. My legs were turning over the entire run. I didn’t even walk on the hills. That was a first. The training has helped. Thanks Mel! I ran strong on the road. I was feeling pretty good. I then saw Kahuna Dave at the turn and heard voices calling out my name! It was energizing for me. I saw fellow teammie Jo and passed her along the lake run towards the finish. It was good to get to the finish line w/o going to the med tent.

So, with the help of Ann and Jim, I sat on the chair and got iced to cool me down. Drank a gatorade endurance to avoid the cramping too. Teammie Marcus and Coach Mel soon came over and congratulated me on a nice finish. How could I slouch when I’ve got them cheering me on?

I came to this race in hopes of qualifying for Worlds. I had no idea how I finished. I was pretty worried too but really felt good about my race since I raced it smart and my body was in a happy place for the most part. My run was awesome and all the work I put into training had paid off. How cool is that to see the results? Either way, as I mentioned to Coach Mel, I was truly satisfied with my race.  Well, Marcus came back with my finisher’s card(Jim, you ARE the best timer!) and I looked in complete shock…I took 2nd!!! I’m going to MAUI. YEAH!!! Ok, the pressure was off now. Phewwwww.

I can’t tell you how great it feels to qualify. Especially when the competition is sooo hard every year. Funny thing though, I knew that this was my last race to qualify and yep, there’s pressure to do well, but during the race, I felt calm and happy how things were flowing. Why put on added stress when it won’t help you? Aging does have it’s positives. You gain so much experience and you truly appreciate what you’ve earned thru hard work. Don’t forget to have FUN while doing it too. I couldn’t have asked for a better b-day gift to myself.  Thanks Dave for the great Oakleys  and goodies. They worked well for this race!

Thanks Mel, Marcus, Rob, Jo and Emma. The MelRad team are a bunch of special people. Your support makes racing even more worthwhile and memorable.