Monthly Archives: October 2011

Xterra World Championship Race Report

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Awwww, Maui! Even though every year is a majorly important “race-cation” for me, I couldn’t help but stay pretty relaxed leading up to the race with a condo on the water with a lanai view like this…..

View from our Kahana condo with amazing sunsets every night!Steps away from the beach of the Lanai, take your pick!

And my two cutie pies having so much fun with my parents and husband along to help out….

Zoe and Nico enjoy their new inflatables in the pool with Grandma

With all the anticipation and hype surrounding the the new Xterra Worlds venue in Kapalua in West Maui, I was pleasantly surprised and downright excited for the race on Sunday by the time I had seen the whole course and race morning arrived. Many had said it was a good course for me and I was in full agreement! Well, the big day has come and gone, and even though I made the podium in 5th position, which was satisfying, overall I have to admit I am a little disappointed and expected more of myself. Here is how my race day story unfolded….

As I’ve heard many say in the world of triathlon, you can’t win the race in the swim, but you can lose the race in the swim, or at least I would agree you can put yourself out of contention in the swim. For me, the swim is the crazy, unpredictable part. You can be going great in a pool, but an open water swim with 670 some other people in slightly rough, ocean water with a strong current can be a tough one to navigate. I started the race in the middle of the line up on the beach, and got off to a pretty smooth start. As we neared the first buoy the chaos thickened, and I was punched in the head several times by some guy as I was working on my swim agressiveness and trying to herd him left in order to make the buoy. The current was pushing the whole pack too far left of the buoy so I arrived right in the middle of the angry lady on the surf board (ha!) yelling at everyone to get around the buoy. I obediently treaded water around the buoy trying to keep my head above water, while many others did not make it around and chose to or were forced to cut inside. Maybe there is a better way? Pontoon buoys? Maybe not making all the amateur racers wear swim caps the same color as the buoys could be a start to help sighting too? Anyway, after that crazy slow up at the first buoy I was swimming clear and managed to swim a straighter line back to the beach for the short sand run before lap number two. In the end I came out of the water at least two minutes slower than I would have liked and 5 minutes down on the top Pro women contenders – ouch! I would love it if the Pros could have a fairer and separate start like we did at the US Champs – but enough of my swim rant!

The masses are off, many drifting way too far left of the first buoy!

Off onto the bike, I had some passing to do! After patiently riding out a few bottle necks in the first few miles of twisty single track, and a quick stop to yank my seat back into place after the nose jacked up when I sat down too hard over a bump (whew!), I found my rythmn. The climbs were tough but all rideable, there were bits of fun twisty single track, shaded “jungle-like” sections, fast downhills spattered with small rock drops, grassy humps, red dust bowls, and smooth, super highway speed sections, nothing super technical by mountain bike standards but a good variety of everything, and just plain tough! All I did the whole ride was pass people and try and keep my lightweight self on fast wheels on the downhills. J-F gave me a split with 5 miles to go and I was disappointed to hear I was only in 9th at that point. I gave it all I could to T2, and luckily had a solid day on the bike with the 3rd fastest bike split of the day.

Coming in to transition at the end of the bike

I headed onto the run in 8th position just behind Erin Densham, a 2008 Triathlon Olympian from Australia. I thought great, she’s gotta be a fast runner so we can work together. And we did for the first mile or so going back and forth up the long uphill on the paved golf path but unfortunately once we hit the dirt she fell behind and I never saw her again. The run climbs were brutal and hot with only slight reprieves on soft grass, and dirt with plenty of fun non-stop cornering through tall shrubbery and trees. Up ahead I could see Carina Wasle of Austria, and eventually caught her before the top of the climbing. Once the long downhill sections started just before mile 4 I was having some difficulties really letting it go as I was getting a bit bonky and uncoordinated. With no one in sight, J-F (who was all over the course, bless his dehydrated self that day!), yelled at me to keep me running up the last VERY steep pavement climb before hitting the long single track descent back down to the beach. After making it across the rocky river bed and short beach section, I pushed up the last, long and grassy climb to the finish. I had to squeeze around the medic team hovered over a collapsed Melanie McQuaid about 300m from the finish. Unfortunately for Mel she came close to pacing her 110% effort perfectly to take the win but was overtaken by a system malfunction before she made it there.

The painfully slow, sandy, and HOT run across the beach!

With one past World Champion down for the count, and another two past champs out with injuries (my Luna teammate Shonny, last years champ out with an ACL tear and 3X World Champ Julie Dibens out with a foot injury), the 2011 title was wide open for a new winner, and my hat is off to the speedy Scot, Lesley Paterson for her amazing day and win. With a great day in all three disciplines, she charged to the finish with a smoking fast run that even outsplit the men’s champion of the day, Micheal Weiss!!

Womens podium – myself (5th), Marion Lorblanchet (2nd), Lesley Paterson (1st), Helena Erbenova (3rd), Renata Bucher (4th)

The same podium all cleaned up for the Awards banquet

All in all, as much as it was a sufferfest, it was motivating and I think I can even still say, fun to race a new Worlds course. With what I feel was a sub-par day I feel motivated to go back and give this same course another go a year from now! Thanks to my family for their support at this race as well as the LUNA team, and our team mechanic, Chris who was there to have my Orbea Alma 29er in perfect working condition. He also raced and bravely overcame a panicky swim to finish his day in the top half of his extremely competitive age category!

Congrats to everyone I know who put up great battles on this new, extremely challenging course! Many Canadians rocked it out there with lots of podiums – congrats to my Coach Cal who took the 40-44 World title AND to fellow Canadian and mom, Brandi Heisterman, who came an impressive 9th in the Pro women in her second ever Xterra and you can check out here story too on her blog!

Also get a look at the course by checking out a great 10 minute recap video of the race here.

And full results can be found here.

Now its no rest for the weary and jetlagged. I’m back in Calgary and have two weeks to recover and try and maintain some fumes of fitness for ITU Long Course Worlds in Las Vegas on November 5th….hmmmm, what will it be like to pin it for a 4k swim, 120km bike, and 30km run all in one day? Stay tuned for the final race report of 2011 still to come….

What to THINK so races go by in a BLINK!

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It was early June in Buffalo, New York during the 1500m heats at the 1998 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. As I ran I heard my 800m split time – 2:10 – only 2 seconds slower than my best 800m race time that season but I didn’t care. I just went with it and was feeling great. Then we were through the bell lap, around the bend and with 300m to go, usually too early to start kicking I couldn’t hold back any longer. My legs were begging to unleash another gear and I started a long kick towards the finish. The entire closely matched pack seemed to surge towards the finish together and it was a photo finish between five of us. It was the most effortless 4 minutes and 18 seconds I had ever run.

I recently finished a popular and well-known book in my to-read list called Blink by Malcom Gladwell. His well researched stories site examples of “thin slicing”, snap judgments, listening with your heart, and following your intuition in contrast to deliberate, fully thought out decision making. It got me thinking about how peak performance in sport is related to the ability to just trust what was termed in the book as our, “adaptive unconscious.” On race day, the work is done, the pre-race thinking and strategizing should be mostly decided. It is time to trust all the hard work, the training, the “studying” you’ve done and trust your experience to take you through each moment. When we can tune into that zone where we let our adaptive unconscious guide us, we make decisions before we’re even conscious of why we’re doing them.

So when is it important to really think about what you’re doing in sport? And when is it important to just go, keep things as simple as a blink, just trust your feeling?

I was observing the short track speed skaters in Calgary the other day as they were focused on praticing starts, which are particularly important for the 500m distance they race. They had instant video feedback on top of coach and teammate suggestions for how to tweak things. It was a practice they could break down their body position and try different things. A time to really THINK about what they were doing. Of course, come race day, it will not be the time to be adjusting race start position, it will be the time to just “put it all together” and GO when the gun goes off.

Achieving peak performance more consistently in sport is much like becoming an expert on yourself and your sport. To know yourself and your sport well enough to be able to make decisions in a blink during performance means doing much of the thinking beforehand. Thinking beforehand means preparing yourself mentally and physically for race-like conditions in training, methodically experimenting with technique, equipment set up, and pacing while training. At a race it means getting to know the venue, having a plan A, B, C etc for race day, being prepared for ANYTHING and ANYONE! Unfortunately, potential great performances sometimes get interrupted by unexpected scenarios or conditions that cause over thinking and overanalyzing, instead of just quickly refocusing, and maybe even resetting the goal for the day with the most positive focus possible.

Focusing on a few key, simple things on race day can get you in the zone to get your best effort in, AND be over the finish line in what CAN feel like a blink! When I think back to my 1500m race at the very end of my track running career for the University of Washington Huskies described above, it was after 12 years of running and racing on the track. Peak performances like that didn’t happen every day but with enough practice and experience – I’m guessing I’d run at least 100 1500m races to date at that point – it was the perfect opportunity against optimal competition to run a personal best. With the right preparation I was able to focus on many of the ingredients that characterize a peak performance -confidence, optimally relaxed and calm yet focused and alert, positive, looking forward to the competitive challenge, ready to trust my instincts in the moment, and perhaps most importantly – ready to have some FUN!!

One of the few times an Xterra run has felt almost effortless, the 2008 World Championships

Athlete-Mom Interview: Madelaine Bate

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Madelaine or “Maz” and I met while racing the Canada Cup mountain bike races about 10 years ago! Since then she has become the mother of 5 year old Eva and 2 year old Liam. While living in Calgary with her husband Lonn, who has also remained very active and competitive on his bike as well, Madelaine has continued to stay fit and set challenging and compeitive goals mountain biking and running! She recently went on a solo adventure to compete in the Commonwealth Mountain Running Championships in Wales! After running a blazing 3:10 at the Boston marathon in April she will soon be off to conquer the marathon distance again in New York City on November 5th! Here is what she had to say about how her athletic journey has progressed and evolved into motherhood….

1. Can you tell me a little about your athletic/competitive background before becoming a mom?

Starting in Grade 3 I became a competitive runner and cross country skier.  I competed in biathlon through my late teens. I was a member of the Junior National Biathlon team and competed at the World Junior Biathlon Championships in 1992.  I enjoyed adventure racing in my mid to late twenties before discovering a love for mountain bike racing. I raced my mountain bike at the elite level for about 5 years before I had my daughter.  I continued to race some enduro mountain bike races post partum and still do when I feel like it.  Presently I’m running road marathons and I am planning to run some off-road ultra marathons in 2012!

2. What motivates you to keep setting athletic and/or competitive goals since becoming a mother? Is it different than pre-kids?

It’s fun!  I love it!  I feel inspired! I’ve been competing for about 30 years- it’s something that I’ve always done and enjoy.  I have a passion for competition and I love to push my body.

3. How do you balance training and/or racing with your family?

I go out for early morning runs (morning is a good time for me) before my husband goes to work.  We own a chariot!  It’s amazing how active you can be with one.  My family (especially my husband) and friends are very supportive.  I’m also active as part of the work I do, I teach cross country skiing & a spin class.

4. Did you train during pregnancy? What was your approach?

I wasn’t on an official ‘training program’.  But I did keep very active throughout.  I did what felt good.  I cross country skied, roller bladed, mountain biked (at Nose Hill Park close where I live in Calgary), hiked, and walked a lot.  I continued to teach skiing & spin classes until about 6 months. My approach was to do what feels good and listen to my body.

5. Any advice you would give to other moms trying to stay active (or even competitive) while balancing kids?

Take care of yourself, get enough rest (easier said than done), eat good quality food and do something that you’re passionate about.  Don’t rush into ‘training’ post partum because your body will take a while to fully recover. It’s also such a short time that your kids are young so be sure to savour it!  Enjoy those precious moments, as there will always be another race : )

Maz at the end of a grueling 25km trail running race in Canmore!

When Less is More!

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My coach and I finished our second workout of the day today keeled over and sucking wind. At the top of the narly, steep hill in the rain soaked woods Cal exclaimed, “I am VO2 maxed!”. Once we caught our breath and started heading back down the hill, we chatted about how it is that time of the season, now under 3 weeks out from the Xterra World Championship, when it is mainly about high intensity and getting sharp. Hence, the reason I was feeling pukey for the second time in one day, first on the bike and then running! It is the transition time where training takes less time, but the effort is more, maximally more some days!

The race season can be long. With my first race each year being as early at late March and usually finishing up by the end of October, there are many ways I’ve followed the principle of “less is more” in order to arrive at the end of the season at the most important races feeling as fresh (mentally and physically) and fit as I possibly can. Here are the top ways I like to apply the “less is more” motto as an athlete….

1. Its not the end of the world to throw a training day out! This is what my brother Geoff reminded me of every so often when he coached me in my mountain bike racing days while at grad school in Ottawa. Whether it be due to the accumulation of outside stresses, feeling on the edge of getting sick, losing too much sleep as the parent of young babes, or feeling under recovered, throwing a day of training out never hurts once in awhile, and is WAY better than losing up to a week due to being sick!

2. Applying “Less is More” is a personal thing! Learning to respect when less is more for you personally takes some trial and error, good self-awareness developed over time, and trust in the purpose behind the type of training you’re doing (another reason a coach can help you maximize that time!). Unfortunately a number of athletes believe if they just do more than their competitors, and do the maximum amount of training that they can then their “hard” work will pay off. Learning to balance the quality of training versus the quantity at the appropriate time of the year on top of balancing the overall training load with work, school, life, and/or family is a fine art that takes practice, and wisely erring on the side or “less is more” from time to time can be the key to staying healthy and seeing overall improvement.

3. Racing less for more motivation! I’ve definitely had race seasons when I reach the final month or more of racing and I’ve felt like I’m just going through the motions. The drive to compete and push maximally at the end of a long season of racing can be tough if you don’t pace the race season. Figuring out what is optimal for you as far as number of races to enter, and how much time to spend away from home racing can make the difference in ending the season without feeling like your competitive fire has burned out! Pacing the season sometimes means opting of fun local races (since there are SO many in the Calgary-Canmore area!) in order to take real breaks from the emotions of racing.

4. Sleep – less can be more! If there is anything I’ve learned since becoming a parent its that I’m capable of a lot more on less sleep than I ever thought I would be! In my early days with my firstborn, Zoe, I often felt like I’d rather take a nap than get out the door and train. But once I got going, most of the time I would feel great. And the workout would leave me with more energy than I started with! Of course, in line with point number one in this post, once in awhile a nap is more important than completed a training session. I’ve learned not to sweat it when I’ve been up feeding or changing diapers too many times in one night, and because I no longer have control over what time my “child” alarm clock will go off in the morning! 🙂 And as for sleep before races we all know that how much sleep you get the night before a race isn’t nearly as important as the sleep you get two night’s before! And getting up early on race morning can be a good thing to wake up your body!