It has been more than a week since the XTERRA West Championship in Las Vegas and I have had some time to reflect.  My early season fitness relies primarily on my CompuTrainer training at Dogma Athletica and my winter cross training in the mountains of Colorado.  Last year it seemed like the perfect recipe for success, but this year I came up a little short finishing second place.  After looking at the splits (which I rarely do), I have concluded that my fitness is very similar to last season at this time, but Conrad on the other hand is biking much stronger.  I actually think I raced better this year which is a testament to the form that Conrad is in right now.  We talked before and after the race and his off season has included more racing than usual for him and he didn’t have his typical break from training and racing.

AVIA 1,2

Out of the cold water I had some time to make up on the leaders (working on that…more to come later).  I was about 2:15 behind Stoltz and around 2:45 off the lead (Dan Hugo).  On the bike I felt strong on the climbs, but felt I was losing time in the silent parts of the course.  More time on the dirt and some mountain bike racing should solve this.  I moved into 3rd place by the end of the bike, but Conrad was riding like a man on a mission and I started the run with over a 4 minute deficit to the lead and around 1:20 behind Dan Hugo.  I caught Dan on the second long climb on the run but Conrad seemed to be out of reach and running well.  I thought I should give it all and I made up almost 3 minutes on the run.  If only the run course kept going up.  This race was a test run of the AVIA Bolt XZR and they performed flawlessly–I highly recommend them for both training and off-road racing.

What place were you in the race? Following the race we spent a week in Florida.

My nutrition for the race worked well and I finished the race actually feeling quite fresh.  During the bike I consumed two bottles of First Endurance EFS totaling 300-400 calories.  On the run I carried a diluted flask of the EFS liquid shot and took in another 150-200 calories with some water at aid stations.  I started my recover almost immediately with a pre-mixed bottle of Ultragen at the finish line.

May 19th will be the next Championship XTERRA event and it doubles as the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship.  The course appears to be almost completely flat with multiple laps in every discipline.  Although it is far from the mountainous courses that I prefer, I plan to be as ready as possible for the event with some strategic short races and workouts.  The swim will be a challenge since it will be non-wetsuit and the field is expected to be deeper with top swimmers.  It is hard to say how much can change in 5 weeks time, but I am a firm believer that every workout counts and a change in biomechanics and neuromuscular efficiency is free speed.

When things are going well, my instinct is to ride the wave, which has gotten me in trouble on more than one occasion.  Recently I had a good string of winter races, but I underestimated the recovery I would need.  I had it in my head that each race was just another day of training and I would have gone just as hard anyway.  That was good in theory, but the whole purpose of a race to to push to a higher level than what is possible in training.  I had planned out my training with some planned over-reaching, hoping that it would result in super-compensation and a new high level of fitness that I had never seen before.

Coming off the Teva Mountain Games races I was accumulating a lot of fatigue, but I wanted to push through for one more week and start a recovery week following the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon.  I think that plan would have worked had it been a shorter race, but the 3.5 hour race left me very fatigued, coupled with an 8-hour solo drive the day before and the day after.  The problem was that the following weekend was the National Snowshoe Championship which potentially could have been the most competitive race of the winter.  After a sluggish week of low intensity I somehow made it through another race but I was still completely run down.  I took another easy week, thinking I would come around since I still had one more winter race to do two weeks from the Nationals on March 11th.  It didn’t work–I found myself sick with a cold the next weekend.  I think my immune system was very depressed and it went straight to my lungs…bronchitis.

As usual, I denied being sick for several days until couldn’t sleep because I was up coughing all night.  My symptoms seemed identical to the pneumonia I had 2 years before and with the North American Snowshoe Championship in a few days Ingrid convinced me to go to the doctor.  It was bronchitis, not pneumonia (which was a relief), but I still had that final race to do.  The prescription cough syrup with codeine would allow me to sleep at night, but I wasn’t sure if I could exercise with any sort of intensity.

Unfortunately I had been in this situation before when I raced the XTERRA National Championship 2 years ago with pneumonia.  I knew that my 80 or 90% was pretty good, but still wasn’t sure if it would be good enough.  In situations like this (like I said, I’ve been there before) I always tell myself that breathing is not the limiting factor to endurance performance.  I’m not sure if that applies to a snowshoe race that is contested above 10,000 feet with ridiculous amounts of uphill.  Of course, what goes up must come down, so I decided to just keep the leader within sight on the uphills and wail the downhills, especially the single track sections.  The strategy worked and I won the Jeremy Wright North American Championship for the 8th time.

Although the races resulted in victories, I don’t want to miss the point of this example.  Races can be the most potent stimulus you will ever get to your fitness, but they can also get in the way of training.  The point is that races need to be considered more than just workouts and should be planned for accordingly.  They require more recovery time which is directly related to the duration of the event.  Over-reaching can result in an amazing boost, but it can also be risky especially when juggling unpredictable races that are not planned around your schedule.  Had I backed off earlier, I wouldn’t have had to back off for four consecutive weeks.  When you are testing that line, the higher your fitness gets, the quicker it can completely fall apart.  Most of the illnesses and injuries that I have had in the past 10 years have come at times when I was feeling invincible.

By: Josiah Middaugh

For XTERRA racing you can use much of the same gear you use on the road with one major exception- the bike. Five-time XTERRA USA National Cham- pion and 2011 Winter Triathlon National Champion Josiah Middaugh takes us through the often con- fusing and seemingly endless varieties of mountain bikes to give you a better idea of which bike might be best for you.

Mountain biking is arguably the most important leg of an XTERRA triathlon. The championship courses are designed so that you spend roughly 65 percent of your time on the bike. That is a significantly higher percentage of time than any other discipline of triathlon. That is why when you look at the top performers in XTERRA, many of them are national caliber mountain bikers and a few even world cup level. Within such an elite class of mountain bikers you will also see a wide range of body types, riding styles, and equipment choices. Some athletes have the luxury of choosing the bike best suited for each course, but for the most part the top athletes will stick with a bike that best suits their riding style for the duration of a season.

Walking into the store and checking out the bikes can be confus- ing due to the seemingly endless varieties. There are primarily four choices when it comes to bike selection: hardtail 26-inch, hardtail 29-inch, full suspension 26-inch, and full suspension 29-inch. The 26-inch hardtail is at one end of the spectrum while the 29-inch full suspension is at the other. Most people want to talk about the difference between 26-inch bikes and 29-inch bikes, but I still prefer to group them according to hardtail and full suspension since a larger wheel still does not make up for lack of rear suspension.

I think it is fair to say that the advantages of a 29er, although real, have been overstated, and that for every advantage there is also a disadvantage.

The Hardtails

The term hardtail refer to bikes that have no rear suspension. The 26-inch hardtail has the potential to be very lightweight, allows for quick accelerations, and nimble handling, but requires a high level of technical skill and produces an unforgiving, rough ride. The beating that your body takes with the lack of suspension and small wheels are not only a disadvantage on the bike course but the run leg as well. I rarely see it on the XTERRA circuit.

Gaining in popularity has been the 29-inch wheel, known as the 29er. The 29-inch wheel improves traction by an increased contact patch, which is noticeable climbing steep, loose terrain. When the big wheels encounter rocks, they seem to shrink beneath you due to a shallower angle of attack combined with the suspension. This makes it easier to maintain momentum through rough terrain. The disadvantages are due to the overall weight of the bike and the ro- tating weight of the wheels plus tires. On tight, twisty-turny courses with very short climbs, this can be a disadvantage.

I always say that you can’t beat the value of a hardtail 29-inch bike. A top-of-the-line 29er hardtail can be hundreds to thousands cheaper than a full suspension bike with the same materials and components, and it is becoming more common to see 29-inch hard- tails under 20 pounds! Many top riders were riding hardtail 29-inch bikes at the XTERRA National and World Championships. However, the big wheels don’t completely make up for rear suspen- sion, so you definitely feel the bumps and are at a higher risk for rear-wheel flats than on a full suspension. I think that many road cyclists like these bikes because they have the same wheel size and roll fast on the road, so they have a little less of that initial tank-like feel. In addition, 29-inch wheels have a much larger contact patch on the ground and have more volume of air in the tire which means they can be ridden with less air pressure which works surprisingly well in sand and snow (I rode the Felt Team 9, hardtail 29er to vic- tory at the USAT Winter Triathlon National Championship last year). Shonny Vanlandingham, and indeed most of the women’s pro field, have been opting to race hardtail 29-inch bikes.

Full Suspension

These bikes have both front and rear shocks for a smoother ride. Today’s top of the line full suspension cross-country race bikes are very versatile bikes, but come with a high price tag. They are light enough to climb well and plush enough to handle any course. My current Felt Edict 26-inch bike is lighter than my previous hardtail 29-inch bike, so I chose to race it exclusively starting in May last year. The 26-inch full suspension will take bumps better than either hardtail bikes and accelerate faster than either 29-inch bikes. I think that you will see many 29er converts returning to 26-inch full suspension this year.

That said, the full-suspension 29-inch bike is a go anywhere, do anything bike. If it is light enough, then it can be a very good XTERRA race bike. Many athletes report increased confidence both in descending and ascending. As mentioned above, 29- inch wheels will add rotating weight further from the wheel axle. With added heft from the suspension components, the weight can add up. For shorter people it can also be more difficult to get a good fit since the headset sits so high (the opposite could be said for a tall person on a 26er). Two years ago it was almost impossible to find a 29-inch, full suspension bike that was cross-country race-ready. Now, most major manufacturers are getting into the game with full-carbon bikes that are built to race. It is more bike than what is required from some courses, but if you want a bike that can handle anything, this is it.

Courses

Most courses have enough variation and the differences between bikes are subtle enough that there is no one winner. For example the 2011 XTERRA World Championship course on Maui saw the top three bike splits from a hardtail 29-inch, full suspension 26-inch, and full suspension 29er respectively. When you compare top-end bikes and high level riders, the advantages and disadvantages are usually a wash on most courses. You must supply the motor and a bike will only be ridden to it’s potential if you have the legs.

On some courses, however, there can be a slight advantage. The XTERRA National Championship in Ogden, Ut., and the XTERRA Mountain Championship in Beaver Creek, Colo., are both high altitude courses that finish higher than they start. With such long, sustained climbs a good case could be made for a hardtail 29-inch bike. The terrain is relatively smooth and carrying any extra weight would be crippling to most people. The XTERRA Canada race in Whistler, B.C. was the most technical course I have seen. With low speed roots, man-made obstacles and skin- nies, the course required constant accelerations and working the bike underneath you. It was the perfect course for a full suspension 26-inch bike. The 2011 ITU World Champion- ship was pancake flat but had con- stant bumps. A full suspension 29er would have been ideal on that course. Also, courses with wide open bumpy sections, gradual climbs or fast down- hill technical parts are good courses for the full suspension 29er.

Riding style

Do you like to go over the rocks or around the rocks? Some riders are very good at finessing through techni- cal terrain and working the bike under them as if the bike were an exten- sion of their body. This type of rider can descend well on a hardtail bike while their body provides the suspen- sion. People who still want to go fast but are less refined in their style may prefer a full-suspension bike. There is no doubt that a super light hardtail will climb smooth terrain quick by transferring pedaling power more efficiently to the rear wheel, but what if it is bumpy? I believe the true advantage of a lightweight, full-suspension, cross-country race bike is the ability to stay seated and pedal smooth while riding rough terrain. With bike frame design and advances in rear shocks, these bikes actually respond very well when you stand up and have little power lost to rear wheel bob.

Tire selection

There are several things to consider when choosing a race tire such as rolling resistance versus traction, weight versus puncture resis- tance, width, volume, and tubeless versus non-tubeless.

Tubeless tires have become increasingly popular over the last few years. A tubeless tire is a bit tricky to set up, but once on it offers several advantages. They are much less likely to flat, you can run lower tire pressures, which as I will discuss below has many advan- tages, and using sealant in the tire means that if you do get a punc- ture, it should seal itself. Look for the UST certification symbol on your wheel and tire to ensure compatibility.

Next is the tread pattern on the tire. The fastest rolling tires will have tightly spaced knobs of the same height down the center of the tire and work the best on smooth, dry courses. With very loose, wet, or very rough terrain, larger knobs with more spacing are generally better. The weight of the tire is a concern, but the lightest tire is rarely the best choice since you need a certain degree of cornering ability, traction on climbs, volume of air and puncture resistance. Most race-worthy tires will be in the 2.0 to 2.2 inch width range. Wider generally means more volume, but some tires are de- signed to be taller and therefore you can have two tires of the same width, but different volume.

To date there is no such thing as a super-light, puncture-proof tire. Show me a lightweight tire with some sort or reinforced casing and I will show you a tire that I have flatted with. For the XTERRA Na- tional Championship last season, I noticed Lance Armstrong used a razor blade to trim down

the center knobs on his tire- the same tire that I flatted on four times before with- out any modifications and with “snakeskin” reinforced sidewalls. I doubt those few grams made any difference in the race, likely made no impact on how fast the tire rolled and increased chances of a flat tire. In that same race I flatted on a beefier tire that was supposedly rugged enough to handle the entire Trans-Rockies race without puncturing (no, I’m not bitter). When in doubt, go with a UST certified tubeless tire.

Air pressure

The right air pressure can make a big difference in how the bike handles. Much of it is personal preference and you should experi- ment to find what you like. Counter to assumptions in road cycling, higher air pressure does not roll faster on rough terrain. In rough terrain, the tire needs to conform to a degree to the rocks and not be disturbed by every little pebble. Lower air pressure also allows the tire to spread out more over the ground providing more trac- tion. For these reasons the trend has been towards lower air pres- sure. In the past, a 26-inch tire with a tube on a hard tail bike was commonly ridden with over 40lbs of air pressure, mainly out of fear of pinch flatting and misinformation about rolling resistance. Take into account the weight of the rider (heavier rider more air), the volume of the tire (smaller tire more air), the size of the wheel (26-inch wheel more air), type of suspension (hardtail, more air in rear tire), and tubeless or non-tubeless (non-tubeless, more air). As a general reference, 26-inch tubeless tires are commonly rid- den between 28 and 32lbs and 29-inch tires 22 to 28lbs.

My Opinion

There is no single bike that is perfect for everyone on every course. It depends on the quality of the bike, the technical skill of the rider, power output, weight of the rider and bike and the terrain of the course. Larger, powerful riders for example will see very little difference between a few pounds so a full suspension bike is an easy choice. A smaller rider with good technical skills may prefer a bike built for climbing. Conrad Stoltz for example prefers the full suspension bike on every course, but he also rides his bike like a motorcycle (that’s a compliment if you have ever seen him ride). Take the information in this article, consider your strengths and weakness, personal preferences and trail type and find what works best for you.

Josiah Middaugh is a seven time XTERRA National Champion, personal trainer at Dogma Athletica, endurance coach, and father of three. Find out more about this Vail, Colo. resident at www. josiahmiddaugh.com.

My four week journey of winter racing ended in Frisco, Colorado at the USSSA National Snowshoe Championship.  This race served as a legitimate championship race with qualifying races all over the country.  At over 9000 ft above sea level, a clear advantage went to the high altitude athletes of Colorado.  In an attempt to level the playing field the snowshoe association voted for a race with the flattest profile I have seen for a Colorado race.  With mountains all around, the course stayed in the valley, mostly in an open, wind blown field.

To recover from 3 weeks of intense training and racing, I attempted to take the week leading into this race easy, but I was feeling like I may have dug too deep of a hole with the long race in New Mexico on the 18th.  I knew I wasn’t 100% heading into the race, but I like to think that my 90% is still pretty good.

To take full advantage of the high altitude I decided the best strategy would be to take the race out fast and serve up as much oxygen debt to my competitors as possible.  It makes for a painful race from start to finish, but my only hope was that it would negatively affect everyone else more than me.  The strategy worked and I lead from start to finish, capturing my 5th National Snowshoe Championship in as many tries.

The Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon is truly a one-of-a-kind event.  2012 marked it’s 29th year which must put it near the top of the list for a winter multi-sport event.  The races staying power must be due to the enthusiasm of the race organizers and the volunteers.  I have never done such a well-supported race.

The Quad is a 43 mile race to the top and back down the 11,300 ft. high Mt. Taylor, just outside of Grants, New Mexico.   Mt. Taylor is 11,301 ft. high.  The race constists of 4 parts; road bikes, running, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing.   Bike:  Racers begin at an elevation of 6,500 ft. with a 13 mile road race through the streets of Grants and then begin the 1,700 foot climb from desert cactus to ponderosa pine. Run:  At the end of the paved road, bikes are parked and racers must run the next five miles on gravel roads. This year, the road started out dry but turned to snow pack about half way. This part of the course will climb 1,250 feet in elevation. Cross County Ski: Runners then turn to cross-country skis to challenge the next 1,200 foot climb of the mountaineering ski course that covers two miles. Snowshoe:  The remaining one mile climb on snowshoes gains 600 feet to reach the 11,301 foot summit of Mt. Taylor where a person can see for over one hundred miles on a clear day. and then… The race is only half over. You must reverse the four events and race the 22 miles back to the Start/Finish line.

I was determined to post a good time this year, but first I had to outlast Eric Sullivan who is biking very strong and is very tough in the snow events.  His crazy light ski mountaineering gear was far superior to my skate skis and skins, but I managed ok on the ups and downs, with only one spill on the downhill ski (next year no falls).  My advantage was in the run and I posted some good splits based on some of my past years and was able to open up a comfortable gap.  However, Eric nearly ate up my lead on the downhill bike with his energy saving time trial bike and a big motor.  My choice to ride a basic road bike with no aerobars may have to be reevaluated for next year.

The race is an epic journey with every leg presenting its own challenges.  The fact that you  summit a massive mountain on sacred Navajo land adds to the mystique.  The duration is similar to a half ironman for most people so it can be a good endurance challenge for that time of year.  It will count as my single longest workout of the winter.

As challenging as the race was, the solo drive down and back was also tough on my body considering it was the end of a tough block of both training and racing.  I may have dug a hole that was a little deeper than I needed to, so time will tell if it was the overload I needed or too big of a bite to chew.

Supposedly the longest stretch of straight road in the country

The inaugural Winter Teva Mountain Games took place this weekend in Vail, Colorado and it is already being considered a huge success.  I participated in the 10k Snowshoe on Saturday night and the Vail Uphill on Sunday morning.  With big prize purses, all of the endurance events were sold out and attracted high caliber athletes from all over the country.  The 10k snowshoe event was a night event, requiring headlamps for all competitors.  With other events going of simultaneously (telemark big air, mountain bike slalom, mountain bike big air) the course designers were forced to route the race up the mountain.  It proved to be a pure test of fitness with very steep uphills and downhills all on groomed ski runs.  Scott Gall, Travis Macy, Jared Scott, and Alex Nichols were just some of the athletes vying for the podium spots.  I was able to break away early thanks to some early surges by Jared, but the course proved to be much more challenging than I thought.  I was able to hold a lead to the finish, but completely exhausted and it required my biggest effort so far this year.  Scott Gall and Travis Macy nearly closed the gap on the long downhill before the finish and Scott got the best of Travis in the sprint to the finish.  I had a bottle of Ultragen recovery drink waiting for me at the finish which would prove to be important with another race in less than 12 hours (and a Qdoba burrito).

Sunday morning, 5:00 am came up quickly, but I woke up a bit before the alarm which is always a good sign.  My body was definitely fatigued, but I had a good feeling it would respond when the time came.  I organize my training in such a way to be ready for back-to-back races with consecutive hard efforts weekly.  Today’s race was the Vail Uphill, a lung-busting climb finishing at over 10,300 ft above sea level.  I have gotten to know the route well over the past couple months, but the flip-side was that I knew exactly how challenging it can be.  To make it more interesting, there was a whole new cast of characters most of which were fresh for today’s event.  Again, I took the race out hard to get a good feel of the competition.   To my surprise I was alone after the first 5 minutes, but with only a small lead on second and third.  I kept pressing and sealed the deal with a personal best time of 32:03.  Jason Delaney was uncomfortably close in 32:22 and John Tribbia third in 32:31.  The open division of this race allowed for any choice of footwear and I chose to modify the lightweight AVIA Bolt shoe, by bolting a snowshoe cleat to the forefoot.  Here are the interesting shoe choices of the top 3 men in todays event:

With the month of February comes a month of winter racing.  I will do my best to keep my website updated as I compete in six races in four weekends.

February 3 Pedal Power Winter Triathlon

February 4 Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series (10k)

February 11 Teva Mountain Games Snowshoe Race (Night 10k)

February 12 Teva Mountain Games Uphill Race

February 18 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon

February 25 USSSA National Snowshoe Championship

The Pedal Power Winter Triathlon in Leadville February 3rd was the first event which consisted of a 5k snowshoe, 10k snow bike, and 8k cross-country ski.  Winter triathlons are a blast, but I hadn’t been doing any specific training for this event since I opted not to race in the USAT Winter Triathlon National Championship this year.  It was actually my first time on the skate skis this season and my skis hadn’t been waxed since last winter.  Luckily I was able to build a lead in the technical snowshoe and build on it in the snow bike leg to win by over 6 minutes.

One observation:  I had planned to drink one water bottle of First Endurance EFS during the bike, but when it is 4 degrees even water with lots of electrolytes freezes very quickly.  I tried to gulp down the slushy drink, but it was just too cold.  The race only took a bit over one hour so I was okay, but that’s not a mistake I want to make in a longer event.

Sunday was the second event of the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series and I was able to pull of a  victory on tired legs in the 10k event.  The race climbed for most of the first 3 miles and the second half of the race consisted of ankle-strengthening single-track.  It was a good test for the Teva Mountain games next weekend where there will be a night snowshoe race followed by an Uphill race at 7:00 am.

Living in snow country presents some unique winter training opportunities and some challenges.  Uphill snowshoeing, skinning, and cross-country skiing can be good ways to get outdoors, stay motivated, and build a big engine, but there is also a need to keep some specificity for the bike leg of triathlon.  This is where the CompuTrainer at Dogma Athletica comes in.  It’s not enough to just get on and ride though, or else you succumb to the same pitfalls of riding any bike trainer–too much slacking.  Frequent threshold testing and selecting the appropriate intensity and volume of hard work is key.  Since it is such a controlled environment, if you take advantage of that fact you can really maximize your time and take a lot of the bu!!$#!t out of your training.  That’s not to say that a 4 hour ride in a warmer environment wouldn’t be fun, but a very potent stimulus can be had in a fraction of the time.  Last week for example I rode 2 hrs 30 min averaging 271 watts, which included 5 x 12 min at 320 watts, followed by a steady 8 mile run outside.  This is considered a long workout for me, the longest I will do all month, but it’s the volume of the quality work that allows me to get away with half of the volume as many of my competitors.  Most of my indoor workouts are in the 60-90 min range with about 40-60 minutes of that around threshold power depending on which energy system I am focusing on and whether or not I performed my secret strength training before (more on that later).

Along the same lines, I also like to take advantage of the fact that I live between two great ski resorts–Vail and Beaver Creek.  A weekly workout that I like to do with some variations is a steep uphill run, downloading the chairlift or gondola.  Frequently I make multiple trips and occasionally I wear a weighted vest (although I am careful not to overdo it).  Again, this cuts out some of the junk, which would be all of the downhill running only resulting in fatigue and soreness–ok to do once in a while, but something I like to avoid.  I feel like I can get more aerobic benefit with much less distance covered and less impact.  It is hard to say whether it translates better to running or cycling, but after experiencing the run course at XTERRA Worlds last year, it’s at least close to XTERRA’s version of running.  Two weeks ago I covered 10 miles in 2.5 hrs with over 5000 vertical feet.  I never like to run much more than 90 minutes, so to be able to cross the 2 hour mark on foot is a big deal for me.

2011 proved to be a great year on the racing scene and on the home-front.  My off-season racing (is that an oxymoron?) consisted of some local snowshoe races and select winter multisport races.  It was an undefeated winter with victories at the USAT Winter Triathlon National Championship, the Jeremy Wright North American Snowshoe Championship, and the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon.

The XTERRA US series started earlier than normal and it was a demanding early season schedule with the ITU Cross-Triathlon World Championship in Spain thrown into the mix.  I started off strong with a solid victory at the XTERRA West Championship in Las Vegas, after a long winter of nearly 100% indoor bike training.  In Waco, my lack of technical riding proved to be a factor, losing about 3 minutes to Conrad on the bike and then regaining nearly all of it on the run to finish 2nd by 8 seconds.  My trip to Spain was memorable but the course was not very favorable with close to zero feet of elevation gain.  I finished 4th against some great competition and it was reassuring to see all XTERRA regulars ahead of me.  It was tough to be stuck in the drug testing room while the top 3 podium finishers were allowed to leave for the awards.  I had a hard time balancing so much early season racing with family, work, and school and felt like May was a bit of a rough patch.

In June I successfully defended my title at the Teva Mountain Games by winning the Ultimate Mountain Challenge for the 4th consecutive year.  I also dabbled with the half marathon distance with the Lubbock

Texas 70.3 where I finished 3rd in 110 degree heat.  The highpoint of July was my big win at the XTERRA Mountain Championship in Beaver Creek (finally) and a fun family trip to the outer banks.  August was a time to regroup and put in some consistent training.

In September I defended my title by winning the XTERRA Canada National Championship in Whistler.  The XTERRA US National Championship was an exciting race with a disappointing flat tire late in the bike.  I went on to finish 3rd with a strong run.  After last years multiple flat tires at the XTERRA World Championship, my primary concern was to ride bulletproof tires and allow my fitness to decide the race.  The course was tough and so was the competition, but I was satisfied with my effort, finishing 4th.

This year I decided to spend my off-season with a little unconventional training and racing.  The Spartan Race series was brought to my attention several months ago, but at the time I was too focused on the XTERRA series to change up my training or take a chance with such a random set of skills.  The Spartan Race is a competitive obstacle course race.  This particular event was 8 miles long with over 30 obstacles both natural and man-made.  Since this was the championship race, there was a prize purse of $10,000 for first place and it was winner-take-all (no cash for second place).

Although I didn’t train very specifically for the race, it did happen to work with my off-season plan with some functional strength training, easy running, and high speed treadmill sprinting at Dogma Athletica.  I could see how the training for these events could be a blast.  The events require a great combination of endurance, strength, agility, balance, and strategy.

I didn’t approach the event with any expectations other than to have fun and give it a solid effort.  I knew Hobie Call would be the man to beat and with his 15+ race experience would be a huge advantage in the obstacles.  In the early stages of the race Hobie and I raced side-by-side which made for a fun and exciting race.  Around mile 5 there was a very long commando crawl under barbed wire.  Hobie rolled on his side for the entire length (150-200 yds) so I started out doing the same.  I got so dizzy after about 30 yards that I had to go back to the elbow crawl.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but that one obstacle pretty much decided the race with Hobie putting over 90 seconds on me.  I was able to work back into the race, gaining time on the sandbag carry, the 5 gallon bucket full of rocks carry, and some tough hills, but in the end came up short, finishing second.  I had a great time and Hobie proved that he was the champion.  Hopefully I will get a chance to revisit one of these races in the future.  I highly recommend a Spartan Race for anyone looking for a challenge.