“Finally!” and “It’s all about the run”

October 29, 2006 Maui, HI

1st place M30-34 (World Champion), 2nd Amateur Overall, 1st Amateur American, 24th overall

Coverage & Results: click here.
For Local Truckee News Coverage: click here.

This is the fifth time I’ve come to Maui to race the Xterra World Championship. Before this weekend, my best finish was 4th in my age group in 2000 and I haven’t been able to crack out of the top 5 since then. I’ve consistently finished the bike in great position; several times the top amateur, but always lost my position during the run. This time would be different.

Preparation
Since I had such a great spring, I was ready to finish the season with a strong result. I was convinced that I was near peak fitness for Nationals, but just hadn’t quite been ready. Therefore, I put myself through a training cram session for the 3 weekends between Nationals and Worlds to top off my preparation. Work kept me quite busy during the week, with time for only 1 run early in each week, so I was ensured adequate recovery time. On the weekends, I rounded up some friends and logged a few epic rides and runs around my Truckee home. Then I coordinated some informal masters-style pool sessions, where I brought out some tough workouts provided by my friend Kurt to ensure I suffered through some pain.

Back Pain
After trying to sleep as much as possible in a convoluted position on my flights from Oklahoma City to Denver to SFO to LA to Maui, I had some pretty sore muscles in my back. As race day approached, I went for a few short sessions to brush the dust off. While my legs felt good, I couldn’t get my back to loosen up. With two days to go before the race, I spent an evening on the foam roller and in yoga stretches and twists. As I got ready for bed that night, I realized something was very wrong; my muscle soreness was now complimented by a misaligned spine, limiting my range of motion.

The next morning, I called my friend Scott Williams, a PT in Truckee who’s worked on me many times. He explained that due to my muscle imbalances, I had popped two vertebrae out of alignment by rolling on the foam roller. Luckily for me, my friend and teammate Danelle Kabush was traveling with Heather King, a physiotherapist from Vancouver. After a brief exam, Heather laid me down on the floor and with a quick pop, adjusted my back. My muscles were still sore but at least I could move, so I took a strong dose of Advil and hoped for the best. As she predicted, I was sore that entire day before the race, but was amazed and thankful when I woke up on race day completely pain free!!

Swim Start – the perfect starting position
A small reef immediately off the beach caused the swim lineup to be a little different than normal. The most direct position was immediately next to the reef. The start line extended down the beach, gradually increasing the distance to the first buoy. I assumed the most direct line would be the roughest spot where the top swimmers jostled for position, so I moved down the beach. With a few minutes to go, I noticed that I was in the middle of a huge group. I realized I wasn’t the only one with this idea and jogged back to the best position, where the lead swimmers were lined up, with very few other racers behind them. I placed myself behind the leaders, and as soon as the gun went off, swam around the reef and put myself on the inside edge of the group. This strategy worked perfectly, and I was able to put myself into clear water all the way to the first buoy, allowing me to manage my effort and not go too hard too fast, a common mistake. I finished the swim in my usual position, but feeling stronger than usual.

No Problems on the Bike
The bike leg went well. I passed many competitors early on and put myself clear of “traffic” congestion. As a friend of mine (pro) passed me near the beginning, he gave me a few words of encouragement and advice that I would practice to the end of the race. He said “Don’t let anyone ride away from you,” so whenever anyone passed me, I did my best to stay with them as long as I could.

My tire pressure was at 30 lbs, which at first I thought was 2-4 lbs too high, as I had to struggle to keep my rear tire from breaking loose on the steep loose climbs. I rode my new Giant Anthem, with an awesome suspension design that remains active for climbing while minimizing pedaling feedback. I choose Michelin Dry2 tires, which have very low rolling resistance, many tiny knobs for grip, and a thicker casing to help prevent flats. When I began slamming into the sharp lava rocks on the descent, I realized that my tire pressure was probably just about right (this was later confirmed by my friend Chris Legh, who cracked a rim on a descent). I finished the bike in first place in my age group (2nd amateur) and headed out on the run fighting off cramp twinges in my quads.

It’s All About the Run
I kept my pace steady as I headed out on the run. I thought about the strategy Danelle had suggested the day before: 1) focus only on the immediate next objective (hill, etc) and 2) keep my eyes on the runner in front of me or even better, the runner in front of him. With that in mind, I focused on keeping my cadence high, and on attacking the immediate objective in front of me. Once that was accomplished, I charged into the next section. In previous years, I’ve always lost my position during the run. I’ve suffered problems with dehydration, energy and motivation. This year, I stayed focused and strong the whole run.

FINALLY!!!
Ignoring the pain in my feet (blood blisters under my toenails), managing my cramping quads, and maintaining my focus led me all the way to the finish line, where I was met by my beautiful, supportive wife Lisa. She was so happy for me that she almost couldn’t tell me what I already knew; that I’d finally won the World Champion jersey that had eluded me for so long.

Special Thanks
Special thanks for the best finish of my career go to:

• My wife Lisa for putting up with my training program. In the weeks leading up to the race, I have been focused almost 100% on my work and on training and preparation.
• Heather King for fixing my back the day before. I was not only in pain, but I had limited motion. With a few quick moves, Heather had me good to go and pain free for race day.
• Danelle for providing me with the running/mental tips. Her tips helped me maintain my focus and hold onto my lead until the finish
• Cyclepaths bike shop and Giant for my new Anthem frame
• SRAM, for completely outfitting my new Anthem with a Reba Worldcup, XO drivetrain and Avid Carbon brakes (and congrats to Adam and Lisa on their engagement)
• Clif Bar, for the Fast Freddie Espresso Clif Shot, giving me the juice to the finish
• Timex, and the Multisport team for ridiculous support: equipment, tires, etc