Sun, sand and suffering- Xterra style.

Well it feels like a long time since I got to Maui in Hawaii for my World Championship experience in Xterra Triathlon. From one extreme to another; June this year was spent in Vancouver in 8 degrees and rain in the World Champs Sprint event and now in the upper 80′s and sun sun sun.  Race day was so very exciting. I have never experienced that kind of frenzy USA style at a triathlon before, over the top but really positive and great fun.

I also had an interview with Xterra.t.v. a few days before the race which was so much fun,  we all were laughing so much in the studio..then it was down to being serious as the build up commenced.   Staying at the race host hotel the Maui Prince it was nice to see the event from the balcony which overlooked the finish area. I was panicking about the mass start in  the swim and had a bad training swim two days before. Then an amazing thing happened….I came across a turtle who seemed to be swimming with me, we swam for a while together, I stroked his shell and he just melted away into the blue depths. I then felt absolutely fine in the water and all my anxieties dissipated.   Local legend has it that it’s good luck if a turtle makes contact with you here. It certainly helped.

Race day was hot- even at 8am. BUT the atmosphere was amazing. I loved the swim even with the mass start, I stayed to one side and went out slow away from any swirling mass of arms and legs. However I was out before some of the professionals as I heard them call names whilst I was in transition. Did a good time thanks to my coach Julie who lent me one of her ‘go faster’ swim skins. Now the bike leg was hard!!!!All up hill and rocky. I was overtaken by….well everyone I think. Thanks guys and girls.!!!! But thanks to Russell from Cannodale as the bike he lent me was fantastic, it went over everything that the volcanic mountain chucked at me, whilst fellow cyclists were falling all around me, I was intact and my bike glided over even the toughest of the rocks and tricky sections. But I had to save some energy for the mass of tv cameras on the course that seemed to pop out of knowhwere or sneak up behind you when you least expected, like on a steep climb that you wanted to walk…as for the crazy and huge deer that suddenly shot across us 30mph stopping for no one…ouch if they hit you. Actuallly I saw a lot of ouches out there and for once it wasn’t me!!!! I’m still healing from the last big fall…. ..     then after what seemed like two days of climbs and bouncing around over lava rock came the run, even hotter and hillier. That’s when I OVERTOOK  well it seemed like it, oh until the beach section then it all went horribly wrong. I could have stopped there and then to join the numerous boogie boarding teenagers in the sea and I was just about to when……oh oh quad bike with camera again…quick look as if you are fine,,,mmmm who am I trying to kid? I was almost dead. Or near to fainting, the only thing that got me through the last mile was two lovely people: an American lady and a German whom I beat in Xterra Uk which he kindly told me as he picked my sad arse up off the sand , (yes yet another trip in the spooky forest that was my third) BUT I made it in one piece home  and dry (well wet and sandy) and even managed an Einsein quote to the camera in the finish area.

That was one tough race. Never again? Watch this space. Oh you want to know how I did ???      I managed to beat 4 Pros to come 5th in my  age group. I know weird eh? Room for improvement I think. These USA girls are FAST. But I like a challenge…..I know what to work on for next year. And it begins with MTB!!!!