It was s few weeks later and I was in Las Vegas. A quick change of plan and I was canceling the Club La Santa trip which was the same time and trying my hardest to get to Vegas. A week before the flight the Volcanic ash was over Britain then Europe and the chance of getting there was slipping away. Then came the day of the flight and of course it was cancelled!! I then made it my mission to get there my next flight was Friday. Then the airspace opened on the Tuesday evening so I called the airlime on the off chance that there was a flight, I got one for that next morning at 11am the first flight out!!
I had to pack really quickly and then there was the bike. my bike you was broken and I had no way to get it fixed before and during my trip. ( Cannodlae lefty being the culprit)
So I had to leave the country without bike, That itself felt strange. But I had no choice. luckily I was to stay with Shonnny Vanlandigham who had contacts with bikes. She had her bike mechanic at Veags whom had a spare bike I could borrow.
When I got to Vegas it was cold and raining!!! Seems that everywhere I go around the world that is the scenario!!
THE FIRST DAY WAS an interviewe by the race director Trey and posted on the Xterra faceboook page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/XTERRA/139989526109
So onto the race itself. A wet suit swim of 62 degrees a little chilly but not as bad I’m used to. !AND only 1 lap this time and the pros went off first. The swim went well was out of the water with the first pack of girls.
Hopped onto my Santa Cruz Blur kindly lent to me by Chris who was Shonny’s mechnic ‘s girlfriend Adreinne. Thanks very much guys!!!
This bike can move, all was going well for the first few miles and on the first big climb first Shonny overtook me the Renata close behind.
I was then on a tricky loose sandy descent and my front wheel wiped out and I was over and out again I checked myself and found that I was pretty ok. The bike was a little backwards so had to strainghten it all out, lost my water bottle too…So of course I WAS OVERTAKEN AGAIN BY TWO OTHER GIRLS..Still was in 7th postion but by the end of the bike I was in 9th. I got off the bike and once on the run my quads immediately cramped so had to slow down somewhat. Then there was a dance that occured between me and another pro girl all the way round the 10km course we battled backwards and forwards until near the end she surged forward and got away.
I was happy with top 10 however. All I needed to get into the next US series FREE!!
Yes that’s right FREE.
Now I am in Durango doing some good solid MTB’ing with the expert Shonny Vanlandigham. Lucky me.
