So the tentative schedule came out yesterday for XTERRA. If you click on read more you will get the overview of the XTERRA Cup… which is what the old Overall Pro Series has become.
Essentially, pro athletes will do 5 of 8 races plus the National Champs in Snowbasin to win the overall tour. What do I think? Well, 8 races does make for a more “overall” feel than just 4. However, the carbon footprint of 8 races in all corners of the US is very large indeed. Especially the way it is scheduled. We are going to be criss-crossing all over the place to get this done.
That said, I am excited to be going to the new events. Nothing says “fresh start” like a completely new lineup of races. Most exciting? Only TWO are altitude! YES! Unfortunately, the most important one of all is still at altitude but I LOVE Snowbasin so I can let that one slide.
In addition to XTERRA I will race a bunch of the “Series formerly known as NORBA” to get up to speed. This year I might actually have to start with a little more pep given it looks as if we are going to giterdun starting May 2. The tentative races aren’t in this schedule but it could be a lot of events in a row early in the season. Crazy and early.
I have put a tentative lineup for 2009 up, including a couple of 70.3s that I would like to do to get myself a spot at the draftfest known as Clearwater. I want to go add another World Championships to my life experience. Road cycling, mountain biking, XTERRA, 70.3… I will have to do the trail run Worlds as well as Kona to really round it out. Then maybe next year I could do the cross worlds and the marathon mountain bike worlds as well.. haha! Just kidding. Okay so here is the schedule page…. so READ ON
March 29: U.S. Cup – Fontana, Calif. mtb race
April 19: Sea Otter Classic – Monterey, Calif mtb race
May 2 Lake Las Vegas XTERRA
May 17 Battle Creek, Michigan XTERRA
May 24 Pelham, Alabama XTERRA
May 31 Richmond, VA XTERRA (tbc)
June 6 Couer d’Alene, Idaho XTERRA
June 13: Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic – Colorado Springs, Colo. Mtb race
June 20: Little Rock, Arkansas XTERRA
July 11 Sugarbush, Vermont XTERRA
July 18 Beaver Creek, Colorado XTERRA or VINEMAN 70.3, Sonoma, CA
August 2 Ironman 70.3 Calgary, AB
August 16th Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens, WA
September 13 Ironman 70.3 Muskoka, ON
September 19 Canadian XTERRA Champs, Squamish, BC
Sept 26th Snowbasin XTERRA US National Champ
October 26th XTERRA World Champs
November 14th Ironman 70.3 World Championships
Can you say, airmiles??
Just fyi… there is some news coming down the pipeline from the Racergirl.com camp. STAY TUNED!!!