There are plenty of unforgettable features like the fast but technical Blood Rock section of the mountain bike course at the Xterra Southeast Championship in Pelham, Ala., the urban jungle run course along the James River in Richmond, Va., at the Xterra East Championship, and, of course, The Plunge on the Xterra World Championship course in Maui, a long, sketchy downhill section over sharp lava rock and a minefield of kiawe thorns. “You probably miss getting a flat by a quarter-inch a thousand times on the Maui course,” Appleton says. “If you’re lucky, that is.” Whereas you’re often in the aero position and following the white line along a closed section of highway in any given road triathlon, in an off-road triathlon there’s compelling excitement in every kink of the trail, Stoltz says. “You slide your bike sideways through a gravelly corner—eyes on the exit of the corner, elbows up, head over stem, weight on outside pedal, finger slightly on rear brake, thinking to yourself, ‘I wonder if [fellow pro] Dan Hugo rails this one, too?’” Stoltz says. “Then you sprint at 800 watts for 20 seconds till the forest becomes a green blur, carefully bunny-hop once, twice to get through the rock garden, upon landing, hit the brakes hard, turn sharp right into a six-foot drop. Then ‘Whoop!’ loudly as adrenaline rushes through your body, pedaling at 450 watts for three minutes through a twisty tunnel of trees. To me, that’s a lot of fun, and that’s just a quick glimpse of what happens on the bike at every Xterra.”
Gear
Swim: Although it ultimately comes down to water temperature on race day, about half of the courses in the Xterra North American race circuit require wetsuits. Otherwise, make sure your goggles aren’t going to fog up—it’s hard enough to see in the washing machine of open-water swimming, so make sure to give your goggles a quick blast of anti-fog spray or just lick the inside of your lenses before you start. Bike: You need a mountain bike. Some pros prefer a cross-country race bike with a hard tail; others prefer a full-suspension trail set-up. Bike choice depends on the course and the rider. But if you’re like most people and have just one mountain bike, then you have to be comfortable in a variety of trail conditions and racing situations on whatever bike you have. “I always say race the strengths of your bike,” says Middaugh, who races on a Felt Nine Team 29-inch hard tail. “A hard tail is typically lighter and climbs and accelerates well. A full-suspension Creek, Colo., July 17, 2010. bike is usually heavier but it will descend better and handle a Mountain ChaMpionship at Beaver ple the best off-road racing the bumpy course better. Typically those new to mountain biking the shortened sport race lets you sam will opt for full suspension to make up for some lacking technical rockies has to offer. one of the most popular races on skills. The bottom line is that you will be the fastest on whatever BlaCk DiaMonD, Wash., august 1. g technical stretches for more ngin bike you are most comfortable on.” the Xterra circuit, it offers challe One small variable that can play a big role in racing success is ambitious riders. , Calif., august 1. the post-race tire pressure. Courses with more rocks, roots and other technical snoW valley at running springs draws. less confident mountain features generally demand slightly lower pressure, whereas faster BBQ and stunning scenery are two big fire roads and double track. ostly e, m and more straightforward courses need more robust tires. bikers will appreciate the cours ugust 15. this race offers an CaMp eagle at roCksprings, teXas, a crossing during the swim), and Run: The run courses of some off-road triathlons follow relatively element of adventure (there’s a dam e whole family. flat dirt trails, but others have so many crazy obstacles that you just the venue is ideal if you’re bringing th arm lake swim doesn’t require he w 22. t cannot run the entire way. There are hills too steep to run, streams Charlottesville, va., august s top-notch. to cross, boulders to hop across, deep swampy mud to traverse and a wetsuit, and the race organization i septeMBer 25. if you’re not tah, en, u ogD ip at nsh even waterfalls to slide down. You have to know what you’re going to usa ChaMpio rs a stunning tour of ogden encounter and have a good understanding of your own running style afraid of a lot of climbing, this race offe mer. newbies should opt for sum late to decide between traditional road racing flats (like a Saucony’s Grid and snowbasin ski resort in the Type A or Nike’s Lunar Racer 2), a pair of racing flats with the added the sport distance. stability in the midsole (like Saucony’s Grid Fastwitch 4 or Asic’s GELs. DS Trainer 15) or a pair of lightweight trail racers (like the La Sportiva visit Xterraplanet.com for race detail Crosslite, Avia Avi-Stoltz, Inov-8 Rocklite 295 or New Balance 100).
Best Xterra Off-rOasd races fOr Beginner
july 2010
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