#triathalons

I took the kiddo swimming in Berlin. Our hotel had a pool in the basement. Very standard in European hotels. And they tend to be small, like 10 x 3 meter pools, meant for laps. As I was showering afterwards I found myself thinking about Wildflower. I suppose because the last time I was swimming laps in a European basement pool, I was training for it. Wildflower is a triathlon in California. It’s…

courtesy XTERRA USA

Ogden/Snowbasin Resort, UT (September 21, 2013) – The 2013 XTERRA USA Championship proved that there is no specific formula for success, especially when it comes to XTERRA experience.

Leonardo Chacon took the overall title in his first appearance at the XTERRA USA Championship, and just the third XTERRA race of his career.

Meanwhile on the women’s side, Lesley Paterson captured the title for the second consecutive year, continuing her amazing streak of XTERRA victories.

The 2013 XTERRA USA Championship was staged in picture-perfect conditions on Saturday at Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah. The off-road triathlon consisted of a 1,500-meter swim, a 28-kilometer bike and a 9.8-kilometer trail run.

CHACON OUT-RUNS MEN’S FIELD

Although it is called the XTERRA USA Championship, the pro start list featured an international cast of stars. One of them was Leonardo Chacon, who participated in the 2012 Olympics and is considered a triathlon legend in his home country of Costa Rica.

His XTERRA experience, however, was limited to a fourth-place finish at the XTERRA World Championship last year in Hawaii, and a victory at the XTERRA Mexico Championship this year.

To make up for his relative lack of off-road experience, he trained in the mountains of Costa Rica. In particular, he found a trail that matched the elevation levels of Snowbasin (start at 4,900 feet above sea level, and reaching a peak of 7,300 feet).

“I’ve been training for this many months, like five to six months, improving my techniques,” said Chacon, 29. “Now I’m very happy I can be with these fast guys up there.”

Chacon said his first XTERRA experience in Hawaii last year sparked his desire to improve on that fourth-place showing.

“When I did XTERRA last year in Maui, I started thinking about improving my technique and see if I can be with these guys,” he said.

Chacon completed the course in 2 hours, 32 minutes, 31 seconds – including the fastest run split at 39:57.

He came out of the swim just seconds behind Australia’s Ben Allen, and had the lead for the first half of the bike leg. XTERRA veterans Conrad Stoltz of South Africa and American Josiah Middaugh (Vail, Colorado) eventually passed Chacon in the second half of the bike. At that point of the race, Chacon said he was content just to stay within sight of Stoltz and Middaugh.

“I knew I could run a bit faster than them, and I attacked,” he said of his run split.

Chacon and Middaugh were shoulder-to-shoulder midway through the run course before Chacon eventually turned it up in the final two miles and took the win by 57 seconds.

“I thought I had something in the tank, but I didn’t,” said Middaugh, who won the USA Championship in 2012. “Reached for it and it wasn’t there. I thought I was running the downhill stuff pretty good, but I was bonked and tired that last mile.”

Middaugh finished in 2:33:26, and his second-place showing was enough to net him the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series championship – his first in 10 years on the tour. “It’s been a long pursuit for this title,” he said. “Glad it finally worked out.”

Spain’s Ruben Ruzafa – another of the international stars to show up at Snowbasin this year – finished third in the USA Championship. It was his first time racing at the USA Championship, and just his second appearance in an XTERRA race in the United States, following his 2008 XTERRA World Championship victory in Hawaii.

Ruzafa finished in 2:33:55, including the best bike split of the day at 1:21:37.

The 40-year-old Stoltz placed fourth in 2:35:45, and said his racing style is not suited for the course at Snowbasin. “For me to beat them on this course, I need to have 110 percent performance and they need to have 90 percent performance,” he said.

Fellow South African Dan Hugo was fifth at 2:37:17, and said he enjoyed being part of the lead pack for most of the race. “This is what we want to see,” he said. “I thought it was going to be five guys within 90 seconds, and it was pretty close to that off the bike, and then Chacon opened it up a bit.”

Rounding out the top 10 were, in order: Ben Allen (Australia), Bradley Weiss (South Africa), Nicolas Lebrun (France), Branden Rakita (Colorado Springs, Colorado), and Ryan Ignatz (Boulder, Colorado).

Lebrun, a two-time former winner of the USA Championship, has announced his retirement from competition, so it was likely his last time racing on the course at Snowbasin. When asked what he would remember of the course, he replied: “Every part. I took it easy and enjoyed the race.”

Chacon received $2,500 for the victory, but said the victory goes much deeper than the title and the check. “If I train hard coming from a small country as Costa Rica, I can make my dreams come true,” he said. “With this, I can show to the people in Costa Rica that we can do it.”

PATERSON CONTINUES XTERRA SUCCESS

There was a point early during Saturday’s race when Lesley Paterson actually thought she was having a “horrible” day, thanks to lingering effects of a cold she carried into the race. That she went on to beat the women’s field by 43 seconds to win the XTERRA USA Championship for the second consecutive year shows just how dominant she has been in the past two years.

Paterson, 32, turned in the fastest bike split among the women and then held off 2012 Olympian Barbara Riveros (Chile) on the run to take the win. Paterson, who is originally from Scotland but now resides in San Diego, California, has now won the last two XTERRA USA Championships and the last two XTERRA World Championships.

She has also won numerous races in between, and thus also took home the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series title for the second straight year.

“It was a tight race, there were a lot of good girls here,” Paterson said. “It took me a good half the race just to get into it.”

Paterson came out of the swim in fifth place, but surprisingly got passed by several others during the first half of the bike course. “The legs just felt horrible,” she said. “We were at Wheeler Canyon and everyone was passing, and I’m a climber. I was like ‘what’s going on?’ ”

Once Paterson got into her rhythm, it was over for the other women. By the end of the bike leg, she was ahead by more than a minute. Her winning time was 2:53:21, including 1:36:38 on the bike leg.

Riveros made up some ground on the run, but was never within striking distance of Paterson. Riveros finished with a time of 2:54:04, including the best run split at 43:26.

“I knew she would catch me on the bike leg,” Riveros said of Paterson. “I tried to keep  up, but altitude is another factor here so you have to manage yourself.”

It was just the second XTERRA race for Riveros, and she placed second to Paterson both times (also at the 2012 XTERRA World Championship in Hawaii).

Chantell Widney from Canada placed third in her first appearance at the USA Championship with a time of 2:56:41. “This course really suited me with just tons of climbing,” she said.

Widney finished the bike leg in fourth place, and said she could see Riveros ahead, but realized the gap was too significant. “I was just hoping to maintain third,” Widney said.

Emma Garrard from nearby Park City, Utah, placed fourth in 2:59:07 for her best showing at the USA Championship. She did not participate last year while on a maternity break, and finished fifth in 2011.

“It’s definitely one of the strongest fields I’ve been in,” Garrard said. “Just to be able to race with all the other women on the bike was pretty awesome.”

Danelle Kabush from Canada was fifth, followed in order by Carina Wasle (Austria), Suzie Snyder (Fredericksburg, Virginia), Melanie McQuaid (Canada), Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colorado) and Christine Jeffrey (Canada).

MIDDAUGH, PATERSON WIN XTERRA U.S. PRO SERIES

Josiah Middaugh and Lesley Paterson capped off remarkable season’s on XTERRA’s pro circuit. Paterson went undefeated, while Middaugh’s only blemish was his runner-up performance today. They each received a check for $10,000 for the series title.

Shonny Vanlandingham and Josiah Middaugh took home the honors of XTERRA USA National Champions for having the best seasons of American’s on the tour.

BALZER, GRUBER WIN AMATEUR XTERRA USA CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES

The XTERRA USA Championship is not just about professionals. In fact, the age-group competitors make up the bulk of the field, and the two winners of this year’s race epitomize the amateur spirit.

Matthew Balzer from Reno, Nevada, was the top overall amateur with a time of 2:49:50. He finished 12th overall, topped only by 11 established professionals.

“Ecstatic,” said Balzer, 32. “It’s been a goal for the last two years. I had to deal with some (foot) injuries last year, so I really wanted to come out strong this year.”

Balzer,, a former professional triathlete, took the lead in the amateur field early in the bike leg and stayed in front the rest of the way. He said he figured he was in a good position when he saw only the professional competitors with him in the bike-to-run transition.

Despite the impressive victory, Balzer said he has no intention of returning to the professional ranks. He already owns two businesses in Reno – the Reno Running Company and MMS West (a mailing/shipping company). He also has a wife and two young daughters (8 and 5 months).

“I have an amazingly supportive wife and two young girls, so I’m happy with where I am,” he said.

Cole Bunn, a 17-year-old high school student from Bettendorf, Iowa, was the second amateur with a time of 2:51:11. He came in right after Balzer, good for 13th overall.

John Mezger from Colorado was third in 2:53:57, and Bryce Phinney from Arizona was fourth in 2:57:15.

In the women’s amateur race, Elizabeth Gruber from Redding, California, took top honors with an all-out effort. She finished in 3:11:13, and rallied from a deficit of more than four minutes out of the swim.

“I had no idea I was in first,” she said. “I was in the medical tent for more than an hour after the race, and I didn’t know where I placed.”

Gruber, 23, was 12th overall among all females, and collapsed after crossing the finish line and needed fluids to replenish her body. “I think it’s still unreal,” she said. “I don’t know if it will ever hit me.”

Gruber is a nursing student at Loma Linda University, and was surprised that she finished ahead of standout teenager Hannah Rae Finchamp. “I was like seven minutes behind her at the West Championships, and that was the closest I ever got to her before today,” Gruber said.

Finchamp, who won the XTERRA USA and World amateur titles in 2012, placed third this time in 3:14:51 and won the female 15-19 division for the third consecutive year.

Julie Baker from Sonora, California, placed 14th overall and was the second female amateur in 3:13:28.

Of note Cindi Toepel won her 9th XTERRA USA Championship title, Tom Monica his fourth, it was the third for Hannah Rae and Craig Vogstberger, and the second for Gruber, Gonzales, Colbert, Signoretty, and Karstrom.

Here’s a look at this year’s champs:

This article was sent to me by Runners World today, and I found it interesting in light of 1) my recent subbing of a long run with a cross-training (cycling) activity, and 2) that I've stopped strength training for marathon training.

As you'd expect, the findings are inconclusive at best.

I'd want to think that exercise was like a balanced diet; you need lots of diverse foods to make sure you were getting all of your nutrients. But I guess that is not the case.

These days most of the people I train are into "fitness" versus the old days when everyone wanted to be jacked! I think it's the same the world over judging by how many ellipticals you see in most gyms and  how many power racks you do not. I guess it makes sense most people don't care about being strong they just wanna look good naked! So if everyones into fitness why do we need heavy weights? Well if your absolute strength increases you can use more weight on your fitness exercises. "So? I don't care about moving weight, I just wanna look toned and burn calories" you say? Well check this out: Lets look at it using basic physics: If your max squat is 400 lbs you will be able to do your reps with 300 lbs no problem. 300lbs x10 reps x3sets=9,000 lbs of work. Now if your max squat is only 200 and you are doing your sets with 150lbs x10reps x3 sets=4,500lbs of work. Leaving out all the other variables and benefits of being stronger and concentrating merely on the work performed. Which is going to burn more calories? 9,000lbs of work or 4,500???????? Using one of my favorite crcuits as an example lets compare 2 athletes Jason and Jim. Jason is a powerlifter who watches his diet and stays very lean at about 220. Jim is a tri-athlete who also lifts weights and weighs about 175. They both carry about the same amount of bodyfat (around zero-lol) but Jim spends about 3 times the amount of time working out as jason. They both eat a very similar diet, their calories almost identical. How is this possible? Jasons muscle mass burns much more calories at rest than Jim and when they train cardio Jason's body is burning more calories than Jims because it takes more calories to move a bigger body through space. Also, they both train conditioning with the following circuit:

Kettlebell thruster, Kettlebell Swing, Pushups with weight, pullups 5 rounds of 10 reps each.

Jim's Weights: 25x10 50x10 200x10 175x10=22,500 lbs of work in 5 rounds.

Jason's Weights: 50x10 96x10 265x10 220x10=31,550 lbs of work in 5rounds.

I hope this simple math convinces you of the need to increase your limit strength. Jim sees the need and is constantly trying to improve his limit strength as well. Conversely, Jason is always trying to improve his conditioning. Even though they are on extreme ends of the spectrum in relation to their athletic goals neither will overlook the importance of being well rounded physically.