MIKE VINE - 2008 XTERRA USA CHAMPION

MIKE'S SPONSORS. . .

Sep 5 2010 - 2ND PLACE XTERRA Canadian Nationals, Whistler BC
My big race was last weekend, the XTerra Canadian National Championships in Whistler. Having not seen the pro guys since World's in Maui last October it had me wondering how I'd stack up against some of the heavy hitters of XTerra. But whatever the outcome, I knew my fitness is decent and with this one on my home course over the rugged Whistler trails I was eager to have at it. Well, maybe not quite my home course now that I've relocated from North Van to Edmonton and it's a solid 11 hour drive to Whistler, but I still feel at home on the Whistler trails. So it all went fine and I ended up with a 2nd place finish in 2 hrs 10 min at less than a minute off the winner Coloradoan Josiah Middaugh. I'm really pleased with it... and I'd say I showed 'em on the singletrack how we do it here in BC! Quite excited about the big ones coming up now... USA Champs in Utah and World's in Maui next month.
Official race report
Whistler news article
Results with splits
Aug 15, 2010 - 1ST PLACE Doubleheader weekend Crankworx Whistler Toonie Race and XTERRA Alberta

This past weekend went well with wins in the Crankworx toonie race and XTerra Alberta in Canmore. First up was the Crankworx toonie XC in Whistler on thursday. The Whistler toonies are my fave... with mass starts of 200-300 riders and short duration of roughly 40 min, the pace is ballistic! This year I came prepared to defend my KOM prime title which is only 8 min into it. A tough 8 min though... from the gun the route heads straight up the mountain and the last 4 min is a wall of a hike a bike, straight up a ski run on Blackcomb mtn. Well i just happened to have some form on this day( you never know after driving 11 hrs from Edmo )and I flew out of the gate. By the top of the KOM prime it was 8 min in and I had nearly a 1 min lead. how about that! Geez, I'm fitter than last year when I was a full-time pro riding nearly twice the mileage. But I barely held it on the descent after a high speed crash which rattled me and then onto the Lost Lake loop, where Super D ace Matt Ryan was bearing down on me. At the finish over a 30 min clocking my winning margin was roughly 30 seconds. Next up was a 9 hr drive over to Canmore for XTerra Alberta. There were 330 racers including the duathlon and short distance races and safe to say people were feeling the Rocky Mountain high on this truly perfect 75 degree summer day. This course at the Nordic Centre was one of the best with prime singletrack covering big climbs and choice flowing descents. Must say I didn't know what to expect since it was my first XTerra since March and I've missed a fair bit of mileage since starting full time work in May. But the work on the rooftops is physical and hot and must be toughening me up! The race went well the whole way and I won in 2 hrs and 9 min. It started to really hurt by the end though( 4500' elevation maybe ? ) and after finishing I was feeling rough for quite awhile. Not used to that! There were no other full-on pros there, but granted I did win it by over 10 minutes!
Results with splits.
Next up is my big event, the XTerra Canadian Nationals in Whistler in 3 weeks. There will be top tier pros there, including 3 time World Champ Conrad Stoltz. So no slacking off for me after the local stomp here in Alberta! Vinezy

Mikey likes Saipan girls.
Saipan 2010...Nearing T2

2ND place 2010 XTERRA Saipan, Tagaman Road Triathlon, PCI Double - Micronesia

The trip to this tropical Pacific island for this early season tester is one I always cherish and eagerly anticipate after enduring the grey and wet BC winter. With the early date in March it's not so easy to be ready for one of the toughest, hottest courses in XTerra. In fact this event typically has higher humidity and heat than at World's in Maui. Regardless this fine event is a must-do with great people (Saipan has a mix of American with all types of Asian ), festivities, and a hilly course racing through the jungle. This year I must confess though that I skipped the BC winter and came already prepared for paradise with 2 months of training in Maui under my belt!
However, with the earlier race date this year in March along with early start at the crack of dawn and rain deluge on race morning, turned out there was no brutal heat to contend with... but still some of the slickest conditions you've ever seen!
I came expecting to do battle with the Brit Sam Gardner who won here last year and that's exactly what happened. Over the 1.2 K ocean swim( 300m short ) off Micro Beach I had clean sailing and picked up just over a minute cushion on Sam. On the bike the form was slightly better than last year but still I knew I'd have to limit my losses to be in contention later on the run where my form was the best. Sam was riding a new 17 lb Carbondale hardtail with a single chainring up front. This setup was clearly viable... he caught and passed me about 30 min into it. I kept pushing and was feeling alright for the remainder of the big Mt Tapochau climb, despite a bobble through the banana plantation which jammed my chain.
After cresting Tapochau where my deficit was 45 the course turns more technical with a loop around the side of the mountain with loads of descending and some slippery mud. I figured on the slick descent with my beefier setup I would gain back some time and with the wide open pedalling sections later on I would gain back more seconds when Sam spun out his single ring. Nearing completion of the Tapochau loop disaster struck - while cresting a popper climb in my smallest gear something gave out in the rear derailleur and it would no longer shift down to the harder cogs.
I dismounted wondering WTF and fumbled with it for awhile then gave up and carried on through the descent still stuck without my larger gears. Later inspection revealed the return spring on the SRAM XO derailleur had snapped. All I can say is never seen that one before.
I resumed riding and hit the singletrack descent. Still fumbling with my shifter I swiped a large lava rock boulder, leaving a couple scrapes on my forearm and fingers which luckily weren't too bad. Others were not so lucky... the Ozzie Jason Chalker, who eventually finished 3rd, was speared by a branch leaving a gaping hole in his arm requiring 6 stitches.
At T2 my deficit on Sam had widened substantially to a whopping 2:15 now. First priority on this run would be to avoid last year's slipup when running in a daze I went way off course and bushwhacked for awhile resulting in some bamboo shards embedded deep in my shin.
Heading out again into the jungle I was feeling the effort and shortly after running by Kahuna Dave Nicholas who was taking photos I went off course again... but only briefly this time. With that sorted( it cost me 20 sec ) I headed up the big hill which is a grunt. The best part of this course is the ravine descent section which has the WWII cave section... the slickest terrain is found here, with traversing and hopping over algae covered slickrock and boulders.
I flew through this section, using my newfound fleetfootedness acquired from the slick and treacherous North Vancouver trails over the past year. Emerging from the jungle, Sam was in sight at roughly 1 min ahead with 2.5 km to go. Time to pour on the power! Too bad he turned around to see me coming.
I gave it some pepper running along the beach to the finish but couldn't quite bridge up. Crossing the line in 2nd place, at 43 second behind with fastest run split was great and all, but too bad about the mechanical... I really would have enjoyed the chance to run head to head with Sam this year after he also beat me here last year. All in all though I was happy with it and to have decent form in March is no small task.
The festivities after the XTerra were some of the best with awards party right there on the beach at the Pacific Islands Club with a live band to dance along to and best parts was Bud Light and Michelob for all. Even with the Tagaman road tri the following weekend it didn't stop the racers from living it up. Kudos to the Japanese group... and of course Kahuna Dave who were in full party mode. I had roughly 10 Bud Lights... but who's counting!
The week in Saipan went by all too quickly hanging with the other athletes and my homestay family Russ and Kanae Quinn. This trip I took a visit to the neighboring island Tinian, site of a massive abandoned WWII airfield which would be a National monument if located on the mainland. However on this remote and sparsely settled island, this base which is complete with bunkers, tunnels, and bombed out buildings is sitting derelict and overgrown and completely open for exploration.
This was the biggest airbase in the world during its time with 6 X 8000 ft runways which were built for launching the Superfortress B29 bombers which brutally bombed mainland Japan.
Our run workout( with Tinian triathlete Josh Manglona ) that day consisted of a speed session running up and down one of the overgrown 8000' runways. Later I found out this was the runway 'Abel' which is the very one where both the Enola Gay and the Bockscar B-29 launched with their fateful atomic payloads.
TAGAMAN Triathlon
The next event Tagaman was a slightly longer format with 2 K swim, 60KM bike, 15 km run. This was my first crack at it and first road tri since 02, and only the second one since 1995!! But if you can do an XTerra then road tris are so simple... just go head down and giv'er!!
Being unfamiliar with the other pros who were mainly from Korea and Japan, my whole mission again was to beat Sam, and by at least 43 seconds to win the prized 'Double' title for best combined time with Tagaman and the XTerra.
For the swim start in front of the PIC resort I was proud of myself being well warmed up with the start going off at the ridiculous hour of 6:15 am!! The swim went fine, except on the first lap when I swung towards the reef and raked my fingers on 'finger coral' a number of times. Luckily that stuff's not the sharp kind that also is found out there. Swimming with a group of Koreans went alright and we exited the water with a 2 min gap on Sam. Once riding I settled in fine on the opening loop by the airport which had a few hills and turns, however that was followed by a 25 km section of flat and straight into a stiff headwind. I suffered severely here and basically watched as Sam flew by on his high-tech aero TT rig with teardrop helmet. He was totally flying. Powering the flats has never been my forte but granted here I was riding on a borrowed Specialized with clip-ons and training wheels. It was an alright bike, but over a windy and flat 60 k it was no doubt a handicap.
At T2 my deficit was a full 3 min. The 15 Km run is nearly all flat and straight... the extreme opposite of last week's XTerra run. But they were both similar length, and the legs were similarly feeling worked at T2. I didnt quite know what to expect until approaching the turnaround at 6 km I saw that I'd made back maybe 1 min. There was nobody else anywhere near, which was a relief since there were 5 guys just behind me off the bike. On the return stretch it took awhile to see him but eventually Sam appeared just up ahead. Problem is I was starting to feel it too... and my feet, despite wearing socks, were severely blistered since they were waterlogged and I'd made a rash decision to go with the flats which I hadn't used since October. and still a full 5 km to go. Soon I felt the skin break away on my arches... so now it was time for damage control and there'd be no heroic blitz to the finish.
At the end I was 47 sec behind my nemesis Sam, but happy to place 2nd and with fastest run split handily beat all the Asian pros. My placing for the Double contest was also 2nd, at exactly 1 min 30 behind over 5 1/2+ hrs of total racing time. Close, but no prize for 2nd in the Double!
After Tagaman there was again an awards party on the beach at PIC and another beach bbq the next day. Can't beat that! The bbq is the perfect way to spend the day after the big race day effort. Only problem is I was crippled and hobbling from the blisters rubbed raw and the size of a loon (that's our dollar coin in canada, bigger than a quarter for you Americans ) on each arch. but what can you do... pass me another Bud Light!

Official POSTERBOY Maui 2008

12th Place, 2009 XTERRA World Championships, Maui HI
It's a wrap now, my big season finale race was last Sunday, the XTerra World Championship in Wailea, Maui. This year I was ready to hit it with all guns blazing, after recovering from a rib injury which compromised my last race, the XTerra USA Champs in Utah. Since then I had upped the ante on the bike with repeats of the Cypress Bowl, a 30+ min road climb in North Van and knew I was prepared for the Maui heat after a number of scorching events this year( Saipan, Malaysia, Brazil, Vegas, Arkansas and more ). Training here in the West Maui's for nearly two weeks was the final prep. However as is often the case on this rugged and punishing lava rock and kiawe thorn laden course, I encountered some bike mechanicals and in the end was very fortunate to make it through and finish in 12th, the final prize money paying spot.
With a lack of trade winds during the week leading up to raceday, the humidity levels were downright brutal. I was preparing for all-out survival with extra fuelling, cooling, and hydration measures planned. On race morning we lucked out - there was a patch of clouds hovering over the venue in Wailea, and turned out it stayed that way nearly the whole race. But make no mistake... it was still tough and humidity higher than normal. Numerous race favorites later crumbled on the run.
The swim start was totally chaotic this year with a mass start of 550 people herded into a narrow start chute( in years past everyone was allowed to fan out on the beach ) I didn't quite get the jump in the first 50 meters and received some elbows and kicks, causing me to lose contact with the lead group and swim on my own the majority of the way until the last 300 meters when finally I bridged up to a group. Exiting at 1:35 off the leader was not ideal however it was acceptable... the race at this point has hardly begun.
Heading up the lower slopes on the ride I was moving up well and already into the top 10 when disaster struck - hiking up one of the many loose, steep poppers beside countryman Kelly Guest my shoe split apart( I was wearing a lightweight road shoe ). Held together only by a rivet on the toe it was flapping around the rest of the ride.. and this was at only mile 6 of 20. I carried on, soft pedalling with the one foot... thinking I was doomed to a DNF. Then, going over the top of the course, the rear shifting started to go. The rear shifter cable snapped descending the Plunge after Ned's climb. Still the bike was rideable, but stuck grinding in the 11 tooth cog for the last third of the bike, which made for a tough slog with all the hike-a-biking over the rolling and rough terrain following the Plunge.
Somehow the bike made it to T2 and now I was ready to run with my flashy green Mizuno Wave Musha's. Pushing the rest of the way I finished strong with a 45 min run split at just over 1 min off the fastest, and some consolation knowing I handled the heat and tough course this year. My finishing time was only 4 1/2 min off third and 7 1/2 off Spaniard Eneko Llanos winning time... so I would've been right in there. Also good to know the Michelin XC dry2's were bulletproof yet again on this course!
So I'm still keen as ever to return next year for this ultimate challenge. and, after a week of post-race chilling and partying on Halloween in Lahaina, Maui is the place I look forward to visiting every year.
Was great to see the depth of this field this year is truly elite with worldwide representation from everywhere... the top American men's placing was 8th.
The word for next year is there will be new sponsorship for the XTerra Series and new International venues, including a long awaited reappearance of a Pro Tour XTerra Canada event in nearby Whistler, BC which is the ultimate venue of anywhere. I'm quite excited about that!
Results -
http://www.jtltiming.com/results/x-maui09.html
see you next year,
Mike

2ND Place, XTERRA Mountain Championship, Beaver Creek Resort CO
Ann and I drove over to Colorado for this year's Mtn championship from Sacramento with a last minute arrival, only 2 days before. It worked last year so thought I'd try it again. This time though we drove Highway 50 across Nevada which is known as the loneliest Highway in the USA. I enjoyed it since it was scenic and uncharted territory... I've been waiting to do that one for 15 years after it was travelled in a movie called Roadside Prophets. However, the drive took 16 hrs... ugh. For this year the race had moved back to its rightful place, in Colorado where the mountains are the highest and the air is the rarest. Although now the venue is one valley over from Summit County at Beaver Creek Resort near Vail. I had already raced here last year when it was a Points Series venue and managed to beat all the CO guys. This year I knew would be tougher, with hometown hero Josiah Middaugh having a banner season. After racing the weekend before at the Downieville Classic All-Mountain World's in NorCal ( where I finished 10th overall and huffed a ton of dust ) I had unfortunately caught a sinus infection and by the eve of the XTerra I had a bad lung hack which kept me up for a solid hour in the middle of the night. On race morning with a decent warmup I wasn't feeling too bad though. When the race started I settled in fine which is always a good sign when you can swim at 7200' elevation and not feel like you're suffocating!! Exiting at 45 sec off the leader wasn't bad, although Josiah was right with me. dang! Heading out on the bike I was huffing with the altitude kicking in and couldn't punch it. Middaugh went ahead, although I kept him in check at about 15-20 sec for the first 15 min of steep climbing. We moved up 5 spots, passing all the swimmers except race leader Branden Rakita who had placed 2nd here the year before. Then, on a short descent, Josiah clipped a signpost with his hand and went down hard. When I went by he seemed alright, since he was more concerned with his bent wheel. So I kept chasing but couldnt quite bridge up to Rakita. By the top of the 2300' climb, at 9450' elevation, Nico Lebrun caught and went by me. I tailed them until nearing the end of the bike when I caught Rakita... I tried to ditch him on the final descent but overshot a corner and he went by... so we came into T2 together at 40 sec behind Lebrun.
On the run I moved into 2nd, but soon was feeling the uphills which were fairly tortuous. There was a one mile wide open descent in the middle section which completely rubberized my quads for the last climb which was about 1 km long... this is where I severely suffered! But I held 2nd, and finished 1:23 behind Lebrun. Hats off to Josiah who was possessed and had miraculously come back to finish 3rd... with his hand caked in blood and needing 9 stitches !!
Later on that day my wisdom tooth started to ache and proceeded to become unbearable over the next couple days as we were driving the 21 hr haul back to Vancouver. Fortunately a short visit to the dentist fixed that with tooth yanked. Looking at the removed tooth we could see a cavity going right into the core. Here's a tip of the day which I learned - have any dental problems checked ASAP since the bacteria in the mouth when they enter the bloodstream will wreak havoc... they attack the heart and can even cause a heart attack.
This was the third time I've placed 2nd at the Mountain Championship... but I did the best I could do on the day... and well I've also won it three times before( 2000, 2005, 2006 ).
Also of note Shonny V is starting to look unstoppable after she smashed the women's field, winning by 6 minutes. and only 15 min off Nico's time at 2:30 vs Nico's 2 hrs 15.
Many thanks to our homestay this year, Dan and Carmen Weiland... I sure couldn't have raced so well without their help.
Next up is a couple points Series events with the Black Diamond XTerra Aug 2 by Seattle and the Portland XTerra Aug 15. Then it's time for the International XTerra in Brazil at the Portobelo Resort area by Rio. This is a new venue from the last time I went in 2007 and I hear it's astounding. The resort is right on the beach and the course goes into the tropical jungle nearby. In Brazil, XTerra is thriving where the people are actively into outdoor exercise... even with the scorching tropical temperatures there the masses are coming out. ie there were 1000+ people at last year's event, as well as some big tv and print media coverage.

XTERRA MALAYSIA, 1ST PLACE !

Š2009 XTERRA MALAYSIA XTERRA MALAYSIA, 1ST PLACE !
Held in the jungle beach resort area of Kuantan by the renowned Teluk Cempedah beach, this new event is located only a stone's throw from the equator( 200 km away ) and serving up some seriously searing tropical heat and humidity. This race was a huge success with a sold out field of 500 enthusiastic racers, pro organization, and big-time media coverage with ESPN Asia filming a one-hour episode, as well as local networks for the news... We were watching the news coverage of the race the next day on the tv's at Kuala Lumpur airport.
Asides from first time visit to Malaysia, this trip was a prime opportunity for me to have a rematch with the Brit Sam Gardner who beat me at Saipan earlier this year. and sure enough we slugged it out, along with the upstart Kiwi Scott Thorne who recently placed 2nd at XTerra New Zealand.
So after torturous 33-35 C heat with brutal humidity over the days leading up, conditions on raceday were near ideal with overcast and a few showers along the way to cool us down to just bearable levels. With no major hills on the bike and mainly over either pavement or hardpack dirt roads, I was expecting the guys to bunch up and work together on the draft-legal bike. Surprisingly though I led the swim from the start and emerged with a hefty margin. Not unscathed though... the stinging jellyfish had shown up and got me twice. Thos buggers hurt , and peeing on it later I found didn't help either! With Sam and co well in arrears at T1 I decided I would put my head down and go for it... I was feeling good. That is until 15 km or so in riding through a palm oil plantation I missed a pothole hidden under the grass and took a dandy spill launching over the bars and slamming hard on my side at 30kph. It rattled me but no serious damage luckily although the bars were cocked at a bad angle which made cornering tricky... and moreso when the torrential rain hit about 10 min later and the clay surface turned to a full-on slippy ice rink. I made it through then approaching a pavement intersection a police officer sent me the wrong way... eventually it was sorted after a debate and going at least 200 m the wrong way, but Scott and Sam caught me here.
The last part of this course is where it's most interesting, and a bunch of vicious attacks ensued over the sandy beach and rooty, slick jungle. Scott dropped off slightly while riding the tricky section of sand by the water's edge then I gapped Sam when he chose to skirt around a rock outcropping, while I hike-a-biked over it. That's because the tide turned out was higher today and the water was waist deep for Sam ! Although a few min later Sam chased back up when it was my turn to misjudge where to hike through the soft sand from the water's edge up to re-enter the jungle.
the run loop was top notch... 2 loops consisting of a jungle section loaded with monkeys and monitor lizards , followed by a tour through the zoo, then a big jungle uphill and descent with a 1/2 mile soft sand beach section to finish the loop.
Sam had gapped me into T2 by 10 sec and gained another 5 when I put socks on. I worked to catch Sam and move into the lead on the first loop's climb, only to have the hams twinging then locking up on the descent to the beach. Sam caught right back up by lap point. We waded through a small stream emptying on the beach and here i looked beside and saw Sam dolphining through it... which he probably shouldn't have because it smelled like monkey poo! Now I was really losing my form with jello for legs and slipped out taking a spill on the wet boulders. Then, as luck would have it, starting the 2nd loop the leg cramps mysteriously cleared up and i could pick up the pace again. I surged up the climb and bounded down the steep descent bringing it home for the win in 2 hrs 13 min. At the finish it was a Commonwealth sweep with Vine, Thorne who had ran well and moved to 2nd @ :42 behind, and Gardner in 3rd at 1 min back.
In the women's race it was Renata Bucher winning it with Saipan's Mieko Carey in 2nd. How's this for random luck - Renata has also placed exactly the same as me in all 4 US Cup races this year as well.
This event was a huge success and the racers were all excited and buzzing before, during, and afterwards. Many kudos to Shazly and co for pulling this one together. There were loads of spectators, including the Royal Prince of Pahang who was enjoying it and stayed for the whole event. The race received major media coverage with numerous tv networks in attendance. For example, after flying over from Kuantan to the Kuala Lumpur Intl Airport the next day, the race coverage was playing on the tv's in the terminal there.
Next up is Richmond Virginia, one of my favorite courses on the US Cup Circuit, followed by a new venue in Little Rock AK the next week. Will be a tough travel week with 2 days in vancouver now before flying out. VA is exactly a 12 hr time difference from Malaysia which safe to say will be unpleasant!
Many thanks to my sponsors, Intense, Fox Shox, Mizuno, Michelin, Blue70, Maui Coupon Magazine, Vega.
Post Malaysia... no cracked ribs... am well insulated after excessive curry consumption.
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Š2009 Rich Cruse/XTERRA. Vegas XTerra, May 2009

May 24, 2009 2ND PLACE MICHIGAN, 3RD PLACE ALABAMA
Had a great trip to the races with a new venue in Battle Creek MI and back to Birmingham AL for the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the XTerra Pro Series. Wasnt' expecting too much in Michigan on a flat and smooth course which doesn't cater to my strengths... however I was ready to go on raceday and had a great race all around. My swim went exceptionally well, which had me right in there exiting on the tail of the lead pack with Wealing, Evans, Stoltz, Rakita, and Hugo. We had a great time battling the first few km over the high speed trails. The highlight by far - which had us nearly falling off our bikes laughing so hard - was when Seth flipped over the bars and totally immersed himself in a frigid stream crossing... when your toes and fingers are already frozen and numb in the frosty morning air that surely would not have helped!! The course turned out was somewhat technical since it was twisty enough and with such high speeds there was precise braking and shifting required which was hard to do considering our numb hands. Really it was a total blast... winding through the woods the trails there are so fast and smooth... we were letting rip.
I settled into 3rd for most of the ride with Hugo and Stoltz up ahead. My first lap could have been better since I overshot a few corners... but I avoided shoulder checking any trees which would have been a whole lot worse.
Middaugh was flying again on the bike and caught me 3/4 of the way through. We had a big pileup braking for a corner but other than that i was glad to have him there b/c he was powering the straights. On the last couple km my legs lactated out a bit and he gapped me into T2. But I was ready to run and caught both Josiah and Hugo halfway through the flat and twisting run. We passed Hugo and I spent most of the rest of the way trying to get around Middaugh, which was no small task on the narrow and overgrown trails. Eventually it widened enough and I made my move with a half mile to go. It held and I came into the finish 2nd place in 2 hrs 4 min. only 53 sec behind race winner Stoltz and a fine improvement over my distant 4th in the Vegas opener 2 weeks earlier. This is the first pro Tour visit to Michigan since year 2000 where whaddya know I also placed 2nd. So in hindsight of course I'm sure glad I went to Michigan... a great new venue and we had a fine time staying with local Pro Ryan deCook in Rochester and our homestay family the Reichert's in rural Battle Creek, where incidentally the Kellogg's and Post companies package all their yummy cereals.
With a short 6 days to the next one in Alabama we spent the week driving down through Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee with Coloradan Pro Will Kelsay. We stayed in Nashville, TN for a couple days with another pro Craig Evans and his family, who generously fed and housed several of us. Craig also arranged for us to do a swim stroke analysis with his business partner Dan Powell, who runs the Endurance Sports tri shop there and just happens to have a couple decades experience as a US Olympic level swim coach. It was really amazing... Dan lays it out clearly and concisely and lets you know exactly what needs to be done. We also helped out for an evening with a triathlon clinic for the local club... which included Jamie Whitmore who we were all glad to see again. Jamie wasn't racing but came out to do some race announcing which anyone who knows her can tell you it's the perfect job for her.
Onto the deep south in Birmingham Alabama... one of my favorite places to visit. The local racers there always show their Southern hospitality and host anyone who needs a homestay, and that includes my buddy Don who does his best to ensure my race goes well. The race venue there at Oak Mountain Park is one of the best with clean lake and big single loop course with some technicality including turns and enough rocks and roots to keep you well entertained the whole way.
and technical enough that I managed to pinch flat a front tire through the 'Blood Rock' section while pre-riding.
Shortly before the race start, there was a moment of silence for Steve Larsen who suddenly and tragically passed away from sudden cardiac arrest a few days earlier while doing a track workout. Only three weeks earlier he was racing in the Vegas XTerra finishing solid 6th after several years away from XTerra. and sadly he leaves behind a wife and five children.
When the gun went off a couple minutes later it didnt' feel quite right to be starting a race. We all tried to re-focus and race. I settled in and swam ok. The swim course was long, probably 1600 m and with no wetsuits I lost some time to the leaders... but still came out 1 min behind the lead pack. Once onto the bike I was riding the technical ok, but right away my legs were still a tad flat... still feeling Michigan 6 days before. So i was trying to keep it smooth, and work with what I had on the day. Unfortunately once onto the one climb... where i'm usually at my best , but on this day I went from tailing Josiah to well behind him at the top of this 10 min effort.
At T2 I came in tied for 4th with Craig Evans. We were a full 3 1/2 min behind Conrad who had stormed the bike in record time, and 1:45 behind Josiah, with Hugo in striking range at only 1 min ahead. The run course there settles in over the first couple miles with flat and winding terrain through the trees, however the rest of the way has a successsion of brutally steep and relentless popper hills that really bring the pain. and going down they are downright dangerous with tricky footing at hard to control speeds. Fortunately the legs were feeling better running than riding and I went ahead of Evans early on then caught Hugo by halfway through. Josiah was also running well though and I only made a few seconds on him by the end, where I finished 3rd place in 2 hrs 6 min at 1:38 behind Middaugh and 2 min 30 behind race winner Stoltz. I'm satisfied though with 2nd fastest run split, only 16 sec behind reigning European Tour champ Nico Lebrun.
So, clearly I need to work on the cycling but that is to be expected after a wet and snowy winter living in North Shore Vancouver now. I am well ahead of my last year's early season form, and I know my cycling form always improves relative to the other guys during the summer months when I up the mileage.
Up next in 2 weeks is a big exciting trip to XTERRA MALAYSIA... where I'll be facing the worst equatorial tropical heat I've seen. That's starting with the swim where the ocean temps are 32 C. uh oh!! Anyhow, with the inevitable meltdown that will occur on raceday aside, it is a beautiful area from what i've heard with fine ocean beaches and tropical jungles. I'm looking to be ready for the Maui heat at World's this year, and Malaysia will be excellent prep. Looking forward to it!!

Contact: vinemj@hotmail.com

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