Kris at XTERRA Tamecula

So this past weekend Kris flew down to California to participate in the XTERRA West Championships. This was his first XTERRA in the US, he did one last year in Canada. For some strange reason he had a wild hair to sign up as pro. I guess if you are pro Mountain bike you can race pro at the XTERRA's. I thought he was crazy, but there is only cash for the pro field. I will let him tell you about his race........


Well the race::: I got the LA and drove to the site. When I got there it was 90+ degrees and hot and dry. I got all my pre race stuff and rode the course. It was a whole lot of single track that the next day during the race I would pass 154 age group racers after I gulped and sputtered through the windy swim with some minor breaking waves. So the first day there was hot and I slept amazing considering the LA freeway was 40 feet from my window at the hotel that was on the beach. Well the otherside of the hotel was on the beach at least.
Race Day: I got there early and talked with the race crew and suddenly was signed up for PRO. Mind you I have done one Xterra, two offroad sprint Tris and one road tri. I was slightly over ambitious. The evil of money paid twelve deep was my motivator. In four hours I would find out that 20th really does not payout any cash for the pro field.
The race started with me swimming. This is odd for me since I had not been in real water before this year. And no, the 40 degree, 30 foot swim trying out the new Xterra wet suit in Sacheen Lake does not count. I hit the water hard and then started climbing and clawing onto the pro women at the back of the field. I got out to the right side and had not more thrashing feet at my head. When I sighted for the bouy I noticed it was no longer in front of me and was replaced by reeds. The bouy was due left 30 degrees and the pack was 100 feet to my side. Yes I realized I can't swim and think at the same time. I decided I should stop holding my breath now and actually learn how to breath in open water, at least when my head is above water. Needless to say I did beat one pro male swimmer and he later was cheering me on from the sidelines wondering what crazy fool would still try to finish when 180 other age group swimmers including the whole mens and womens pro field were ahead.
The bike. Lets sum it up with this. I get on bike after two minutes of trying to put on wet socks and finding out my helmet goes on with the straps under my chin not behind my ears. Yes it was backwards. (Note to self: learn how to swim). Once on the bike, while climbing the first hill I noticed it was all age groupers around me. I decided to give them a break and run up the first hill passing most of them the honorable way. Well after numerous people shuddering at the pounding I relentlessly drove into the mountain bike hills I came out to finish the bike and start the run in 26th place. Not bad 154 people in 20 miles of single track. That equates to 7.5 people per mile.
The run: Well for most of it I just stood there and let the scenery and most the people pass by me. I cheered them on and got them gatorade and GU. I then noticed I was still running and not on the side of the course. The heat stroke had hit home. I ran and sputtered up two 1000foot hills and once on top decided it was faster to roll in a ball down than run. When I ran to the finish they gracefully told me I was not quite done and needed to continue running for 1.8 more miles. after 56 minutes of running I had lost 40 places overall and finished in around 66th.
It was all fun. Especially the horses on the single track leg of the run. Yes I will be back in the Tri saddle in a month in Oregon. My next offroad Tri.