Richmond Race Report - 6.15.08

After an early morning, 4:30 a.m., we arrived at the Richmond James River Xterra East Championship. This was the first year that we decided to do the full championship race. For the past two years we have done the sport race. Shawn and I went down last weekend to check out the bike course, and at that point I was a bit scared. Some of the technical sections were beyond my skills, but I decided to stick with the championship race and just hope for the best.

At the site there was no line for body marking so as I walked in with my bike I just dropped everything and got that over with first. In at transition there was plenty of room for the bikes and no assignments, this allowed Shawn and I to park our bikes right next to each other. This is always nice because if we need something from the other it is easy to get. Everything set up quickly and Shawn even remembered to bring down the pump for me because I had forgotten to add air to my tires at the car. I had noticed the day before on our short pre-ride that my tires were a bit squishy. Shawn and I were all set up and had time for a short warm-up swim. The water was very warm, and it was not even cool to stand out of the water when we were finished warm-up. The sport race went off and Fortmann took the lead in the swim, he arrived back at the shore a short time later and was announced first out of the water - First competitor all day and first to have his name announced! It was really cool. We then had time to jump back in for a short swim to Pee Island, where all the pros were gathered and it looked like they were standing there peeing one last time before the race started. We joined...

Photo: Pee Island

Shawn and Otmani took off in the second wave, right after the pros. Sara and I took off in the fourth wave four minutes after them. The first half of the swim was pretty uneventful, though I quickly had to start swimming through a lot of older men. Once we exited at Bell Island for the short run mid-swim (an Xterra tradition) I sprinted to try to pass as many of these men as possible out of the water, I was just frustrated trying to swim through them. Then the swim got stupid, which is all I can call it, plain stupid. We had to swim back around the other side of the island and there were huge rocks everywhere. You could not see them, swam right into them. I cut up my hands and feet and at times was merely crawling across rocks because there were only inches of water above them. Between this and the masses of bodies I was now in the middle of I was completely frustrated with the swim, not an easy one to get into any kind of rhythm. I was second female out of the water, and the first must have been just a few feet in front of me, but there was no seeing her with all of the green and yellow caps around me. The announcer yelled my name as I jumped out, I quickly found my shoes and had no problem getting up to transition. Second Photo: Rocks on the STUPID swim

I sat down in transition and got my gear together, it all felt pretty smooth and I was out on the bike course. My plan was to take it real easy on the first half of the bike and to allow any eager men to get by me, I didn't want the pressure of them riding up my ass on Forest Hill. This plan worked well, though I was sucking more wind than I should have been. I got through Bell Island, the first part of the single track, and had a few guys riding behind me. I was flustered, but they set the tone for the bike. Last year I had people yelling at me to get out of the way, this guy said he was not there to win any race and wanted to have fun. He yelled this at me while we soared down the hill on Bell Island. I did wonderfully, rode every last bit of it and felt good about it. He congratulated me as we exited. It was so nice to have a cheerful competitor with me for the first part of the race. I continued to not push it and made it into Forest Hill, again all of my fears went away and I had a fantastic technical ride. I made it up most hills, and had people congratulating me for the effort. I rode the roller coaster without hesitation and did not have to exit my bike on the steep switchback, I just pulled one foot out of the cleat and made it around. I was ecstatic. The rest of the ride was cake compared to what I had thought it would be, but again I was sucking wind and had these short cramps in my calf muscles throughout the last portion of the bike. I had taken three Gus with me, and ate them all at safe spots along the bike, I drank only water - this is what I have had best luck with for stomach cramping. But I do not think it was enough, I felt a hunger pang as we entered the swim and I even mentioned this to Shawn. Lessons learn thus far in the season 1. Smith Lake - Don't take a Gu at a portion on the bike where it will send you over the handlebars & 2. Richmond - Don't not take food because there is nowhere to take it safely - So what is the happy medium!??

Also, all throughout the ride I had thick snot running out of my nose...this sucked and it never ended, how much of this can come out of my body over the last two weeks? I was blowing snot rockets left and right, once in front of the camera, we will see if they choose to upload that photo!

I exited the ride portion and saw Roxie and Fortmann, I was very glad to see Fortmann in one piece and assumed his race went well, later he confirmed it had. I got into transition, sat down again and took the time to double knot my shoes, at Smith Lake each shoe came untied on the run, I was not going to let that happen again. I felt horrible and had no idea how I was going to make it through the run, so I started and I jogged. Slowly I caught the guy in front of me and he was very chatty, I had nothing in me and not extra for communication. I was drained and I still had at least five more miles to go. It was hot, but not as hot as years past. Soon we got to the rail ties, I climbed these with another woman, and literally I had to drag myself up using my arms, my legs were not responding. I had to stop at the top, I was dizzy and almost puked, the people up there gave me some encouraging words, but I couldn't listen. I think that is when Sara came up, but I am not sure everything was blurring. If it was I tried to run again, and I kept on. She came by and looked very peppy, I was glad for her - she had an amazing run. I continued through the course and actually did run most of it. I remember a set of steps that were like a ladder that you would see on the back of an RV. We had to climb these to get up from river rock to the land level. I asked the guy if he was serious, and he just looked at me and said there was water straight ahead. Next we went on to Bell Island, I thanked a woman for helping out, as I try to do for all of the volunteers when I pass them and she replied in thanks for supplying an event for her to come out to. I was surprised by her answer, but I guess everyone loves an outdoor adventure. Bell Island is somewhat a blur, I knew I was almost there and I kept on jogging, but have no idea how I did it.

I got to the finish line and it was only 3 hours 22 minutes, I did not see this because I can really only remember being thankful that I finished. A man walked up to me and said are you all right, all I could do was shake my head no. He walked me to the spray tent, and I was wobbling everywhere, he had to hold me up. I had no idea Shawn was there, I looked up and saw him in street clothes and it didn't even dawn on me that he wasn't supposed to be. The guy asked me if I needed an IV for the dehydration, I said no, I think the needle would have made me pass out. I am a wuss when it comes to needles. sat there for a few minutes, and I ended up somehow with three bottles of water and I don't think I actually drank any of them. I got up and went and sat over under another tent with the food with Shawn and Otmani and Fortmann, I am not sure if at that point I realized Shawn had not finished, but I think we talked about. I was all of the sudden freezing and still dizzy so I went back to the medical tent. They had me lie down and put my legs up. I felt really week and dizzy, finally the doctor came over and I suggested I get some food. He brought me some chocolate chip mini muffins, I downed the package in two seconds and within a few minutes I was back to reality. Across the tent he saw the reaction it had and brought me a second, they were amazing, the best muffins I had ever tasted. Only weird thing, and I noticed this at the other races is my mouth blisters at the roof when I eat after a race. I think it must have to do with the lack of salt left in my body. So after that I went over and got the free meal because I realized that was what I needed. I had been sick for the previous two weeks so I am sure that contributed. It was not hotter than any other day out there, I just had a culmination of things all coming together at once.

A day later and I am pretty whipped up, so happy about the bike portion I feel it was a successful day. I am sure it would have been better under different circumstances, but I went in with a modest goal of 3hrs30 minutes and I hit it. Unfortunately I passed on this awful summer sickness to Shawn and he had to drop after the bike. He had a rough day, but he is always so optimistic and positive. He is great to be around when you are feeling bad, even on his worst day he was very comforting.

Congrats to Fortmann, Sara and Otmani for an awesome outing in Richmond. Sometimes during the race I wonder why I am doing this, but these will be days we will remember for a long time to come.