Back to Base

We’re past the half-way point of the season now and I’m holding on to a top-five position in the Xterra USA Series. After a disappointing race in Richmond in June, I rebounded fairly well in July and landed on the podium again in Beaver Creek. It wasn’t the race I was imagining, but Beaver Creek was solid considering the lack of quality mountain training I had heading into it. I put so much effort and attention into the early season races by focusing more on speed and power, I didn’t have the climbing legs I really needed for Beaver Creek. Next year I think I will go back to my strategy of building up specifically for Beaver Creek in the early season and then rest and rebuild for Nationals and Worlds at the end of the season.

After Beaver Creek last weekend I took a few days completely off and formulated my plan for Nationals and Worlds. The rest of this week I got some low-key training in as how I felt each day. Now I am really motivated to hit it hard putting my sights squarely on Ogden and Maui. My overall plan is to return to base training mode for all of August and into September. This means big rides in the mountains, big runs in the hills and long swims focusing on improving my technique and endurance. I will have a few races in there as well for my “speed work” but other than those events, the emphasis will be on endurance and technique. A few weeks out from Nationals (mid-Sept.) I will drop the volume, add a few speed sessions to reach a mini-peak for Ogden. My primary focus however is Maui and the World Championships which will require a second blast of endurance and strength training after Nationals before tapering and peaking for the last weekend in October.

Both races, Ogden and Maui, are longer events with plenty of hills hence my focus on endurance and strength. My goal is to gradually build my “long days” over the coming weeks to set me up for success in the fall. I’m looking to improve my ability to endure the pace and not slowdown over the duration of these two events. There will be no glamorous interval sessions to boast about, just long steady days in the hills. I am feeling really good about what lies ahead.

Ready for Richmond

All set for tomorrow’s race here in Richmond. Been here all week acclimating to the weather and getting familiar with the trails. Great course out here in Richmond. Perhaps the best on the Xterra circuit. Crazy river swim with an island run on the opposite side, submerged boulders to dodge and fast cross-current angle swimming. The bike course is fast and fun, however it’s been shortened by several miles from previous years for an unknown reason. The race is right downtown and and the amount of real mountain biking trails is very cool. Tight twisty trails, rocks, techy spots, fast spots, short climbs and several urban features like bridges and staircases that you negotiate along the way. Then onto the run which starts off on the road to get over the river, then up onto the 20 foot tall flood-wall for a stretch, up the gnarly “Myan Ruin” staircase before dropping into the woods and back across the river to the finish via a lengthy slick-rock section, a ladder and bridge crossing and the final trip back over the bridge. Awesome course and promises to be a fast one with a shorter swim (1000m), bike (20k) and run (9k).

Wearing bib number 5 again, I’m expecting another solid race and looking to land on the podium again. The Seven is ready to tackle the trails and I threw on some fresh rubber in the form of Schwalbe Racing Ralphs. The low, tightly spaced knobs will roll quick over the firm trails and hook up well in the corners. Love these tires! The pro field is bit bigger here with the addition of Dan Hugo, Dominic Gillen and couple other locals to spice things up. I’m feeling pretty good today and expecting things to stay pretty close on the swim and bike and have the top 10 guys pretty close heading out onto the run. It’s possible that we will start the run right around if not under the 1-hour mark so legs will be fresher and things be less strung out and closer together. This means the run will have to be fast to hold positions and make up ground. I’m prepared to push as hard as ever on the run in hopes of a fast run split.

Podiums in Bama!

Finally cracked the top 5 for the first time this year today. Getting better with every race it seems. The temperature and humidity was disgustingly high this morning. Ninety something degrees and 90% humidity. The water was in the upper 80′s and uncomfortably warm. My warm-up consisted of a Grande Coffee Frapuccino with a few stretches in the shade under a tree. I managed a great start and found some feet on the first lap. Then surged on the second lap to make up some ground. Hit the bike hard and felt smooth and in control in the rough and twisty woods. There is a big climb in the middle of the course that I wanted to destroy and possibly bring back faster swimmers like Seth and Craig, but I just didn’t have the horsepower I was looking for today (see note below). Ended up riding in 5th place on the bike, after the first few miles, throughout the entire race. Still a good ride, but looking for better. Hit the run with no one really behind me and ran a steady pace up and down the killer steep hills while withering under the heat and humidity. Crossed the line in 5th place well ahead of my next competitor. Conrad Stoltz took the top spot with Josiah again in second, Craig Evans in third and Seth Wealing in fourth.

The only other EPC’er representing out there was Jason Hilgers. He pulled off his career best swim, proving that his increased swim training is paying off. Rolled the bike strong and moved up on the big climb on the backside of the course. The heat and humidity also worked him over pretty well, but he held strong and finished an impressive 2nd place in his tough 30-34 age-group (5th amateur) which included Xterra standout Omar Fraser who took the win and second overall amateur on the day. After the race Jason was seen pounding down a Five Guys burger and fries and topping it off with an iced mocha preparing to wreak havoc on innocent travelers in the seats surrounding him on his flight home this afternoon. After sharing a hotel with him this weekend I know what they are in for. Dangerous territory for sure. Great race Jason!

On a side note…

Big props go out to Seven Cycles for not only building a great bike for me to race, but more so for impressing the likes of Mr. Xterra, and devourer of bike course himself, Conrad Stoltz. He was oogling my bike all weekend and later was found writing on Facebook that my Seven is “Definitely the coolest bike on the course”. Pretty big comment coming from a long-time Specialized sponsored athlete. Pho-shizzle! Check it out (left). We’ll ignore the part about it needing more horsepower (although it’s true, along with better cornering skills).

Off to Richmond tomorrow with my buddy Trevor. Round four is next Sunday. Some good rest and lots of practice on the course will be on tap next week before we go at it again in the south! Bring on the heat!

CW

Vegas, Waco, Ready for Alabama

I’m having the best start to my season than ever before. Some of it is due to smaller pro fields, some of it is due to an improved swim, but most of it is due to a stronger belief in myself and my abilities as an athlete. A sixth place finish in Las Vegas and another sixth place in Waco a few weeks back, leaves me in 5th overall for the Pro Series after the first two of six events. Next up are Alabama this week and Richmond next week. If I can get through these two events unscathed and with more solid results I’ll be in prime position heading into the final two mountain races where I typically shine. Looking forward to a solid overall this year already!

I’m ready to crush it tomorrow in Alabama with my lowest number plate to date…  #4!

EPC Wins Southeast Championships in Waco

The EPC Xterra Team presented by Wheat Ridge Cyclery debuts the new race kits in Texas in at the second stop on the XTERRA USA Pro Tour. Inspired by their new Pearl Izumi duds, they raced to the team competition victory along with three age-group wins. Ed Oliver won the men’s 40-44, Kristine Gewin (in her xterra debut) won the women’s 35-39 and Danielle Kehoe continues her winning streak in the women’s 20-24 age-gorup. Nils Holtne and Rickey Tolliver both raced to third place finishes in their age-groups. The hot and humid, rolling, twisting course in the central Texas hills made for a challenging race. Everyone on the team agreed the new Xterra venue for 2010 is destined to be a classic on the championship schedule. Post race the team was seen putting down some serious Texas BBQ prior to heading to the airport! Well done EPC!

EPC Team Dominates Vegas.

The EPC Xterra Team Presented by Wheat Ridge Cyclery had a stellar season debut in the Las Vegas desert last week at the first Championship Xterra event of 2010. The Xterra West Championship brought out many of the best amateur and professional racers from across the country and after the dust had settled EPC’s “Hairy” Jason Michalak (pictured) walked away the as men’s amateur victor while finishing 8th amongst the pro’s! His incredible swimming power, continually improving mountain bike skills and steady running speed allowed him to lead the amateurs out of the water, keep the second and third place amateur males in sight on the bike and blow by them as they wilted under the desert sun in the closing miles of the run. One spectator even commented after the race saying she heard him mutter “check this shit out” as he ran past second place to take the lead with his zipper pulled down and shorts hiked up high. Well I think it’s safe to say that everyone was checking him out (especially the ladies) post race as he stood atop the podium and collected his medal. Well done!

HJ was not the only age-group victor in Vegas for EPC. Danielle Kehoe, despite a nasty head on collision on the bike, managed to gather herself and fix her bike 10 plus minutes later and continue on to finish 4th overall (20 seconds behind 3rd) in the woman’s amateur race, easily winning her age-group. She finished only 11 minutes behind the woman’s amateur winner, so there is no doubt she would have been in the mix for the win if she could have avoided that crash. Look for her to win some races in the coming months!  READ MORE

XTERRA West Championship

The first race of the year has come and gone, the XTERRA West Champs outside of Las Vegas.  (FULL REPORT HERE)  It was by far my best opening day result (6th place), which is great, but it was not my best performance. In addition, the pro field was a bit weak with only 18 male pro’s which did not include a few of the heavy hitters like Mike Vine and Dan Hugo, and others that were there were certainly not on form this early in the year. I’m happy with the result and my overall showing, but far from satisfied. This all means that I need to keep working and follow my plan to build up as the season progresses.

Down to the nitty gritty. My Race Week went pretty well. Possibly my best to date. I’d like to stick with something similar for all my priority events. Here is what I did:

• Monday- easy hour run + easy hour swim with a 1500m straight swim + foam roller & stretch + nap
• Tuesday- Masters swim at full effort + nap
• Wednesday- 45 min swim w/ a 1500m straight swim + 2.5 hour Race Week Combo (two bike-run race pace intervals) + 1.5 hour massage.
• Thursday- Travel day. No training.
• Friday- 2 hour course pre-ride + 25 min run + 15 min swim in the lake + foam roller & stretch + nap
• Saturday- 15′ swim + 15′ run + 60′ bike, all on course + foam roller & stretch

Race morning looked like this: READ MORE

Cody’s Seven Sola SLX 29 Race Bike

Here it is…

The much anticipated Seven Sola SLX 29′er I will be racing on the 2010 XTERRA U.S. Championship Series. I have about 25 hours on the bike as of now and can honestly say it is the fastest bike I have ever ridden. The 29 inch wheels fly on the open stretches and roll over the rough stuff with ease. The Seven titanium tubing provides a smooth ride with all the stiffness I need. Big fan of the Lefty fork as well. Depending on tires (Schwalbe’s of course) the weight ranges from 19.75-18.5 pounds. Pictures say a 1000 words, so I’ll leave it to the pics below.

19.3 pounds as pictured.

- CW

FLUID Recovery

I found another great nutritional product through the help of SoCal Xterra champ turned MTB racer James “I swear I’m not a tri-geek, I just like to run” Walsh: FLUID.  I have been using the recovery drink after every workout (that means up to 3 drinks a day!) for the last 6 weeks and the difference is noticeable. I am experiencing considerably less fatigue/soreness after workouts and finding my energy levels high enough to keep my workout quality high. What I’m finding to be really great about this product is that it has only just what you need right after your workout and nothing more. Quality sugars (maltodextrin and fructose) to begin replacing glycogen stores, 4:1 whey protein ratio to boost muscle repair,  sodium and potassium electrolytes to assist in restoring what you’ve lost, some vitamin C to boost the immune system, and the secret to the lessened post workout soreness, L-Glutamine. This amino acid not only boosts the immune system, but more importantly reduces inflammation and aids in the absorption of the carbs and protein at the cellular level. Good stuff! And here is the great part about this product, all this good stuff in only 125 calories per serving!

Why is 125 calorie serving so great? Well for one it’s easy to digest. There is not an overload of protein like some other product out there that cause bloating, cramping or gas. It’s light on the palate, tastes good, and enjoyable to drink. No more choking down drinks post-workout because “it’s good for me”. I actually find myself craving FLUID after my workouts! The serving size is just right for the first 30 post-workout. Just enough time to get in your shower and stretch or make your favorite real-food recovery meal. Some recovery drinks are 300+ calories and replace meals. I don’t know about you, but I love food and look forward to good recovery meals. FLUID gets me just what I need to start the recovery process and gets me through the first 30-45 minutes after workouts and I let good food take over from there. My gut is happy about this, my taste buds are happy about this and my muscles are happy about this. Solid product! Give FLUID a try yourself and see what you think.

www.livefluid.com

2010 EPC XTERRA Team, Presented by Wheat Ridge Cyclery

Heading into it’s 3rd year, the EPC XTERRA Team is continuing it’s growth and popularity heading into 2010. Presented this year by Wheat Ridge Cyclery, the team currently consists of 18 athletes divided into two categories “elite amateur” and “age grouper” where the “elite” group is expected to mentor and assist their fellow age-groupers in training, race preparation and other important advice that the less experienced racers are eager to learn. The seven elite-amateurs meanwhile are all eyeing the coveted XTERRA Regional, National and World Championship titles in their respected age-groups as well as overall amateur wins! The supportive atmosphere throughout the team makes it’s an invaluable resource for all members to train, travel, have fun and reach their goals together.

The team is lead by Endurance Performance Coaching’s head coach and XTERRA Pro Cody Waite.  While the entire team follows training plans created by Cody and/or elite-team member and EPC coach Cary Kinross-Wright, several of the athletes work closely with Cody and Cary with personal coaching to ensure they get the most out of their training and racing.”We work closely together as a team throughout the season with group training sessions where we get together to push each other and build some great friendships” says coach Cody. Over the winter months they meet for weekly indoor trainer sessions, swims, group rides and runs. “In the spring as the weather and daylight hours improve we will be heading outdoors more for some killer bike-run combo sessions designed for all ability levels to train together. They are super challenging and a good time” claims Waite. READ MORE