If I don’t write a race report does it make a race go away? If I didn’t write anything really only a handful of people would know I was racing. One of them is Jenny Smith, who kicked ass. Another is a pregnant Jenny Tobin along with Michael (who was also there racing) and a bunch of other NORBA racing types. I guess it is important to write about a race where it was tough, I was struggling, I considered dropping out after about 40 minutes but I soldiered on to finish no matter how slow I ended up going. Yep, you are only as good as your last race and the shine of World Champion form is wearing off and now the reality that I have a whole new season to kick it up a notch is upon me. I have always had spectacularly bad races to go with the outstanding good ones but it still stings when a race is forgettable. However, a lot of people put effort into my being at this race so I have to acknowledge them for their efforts and I have to send a shout out to all the talented chicks that kicked my butt. Thanks to Scott for sending emergency kit so I would not have to race naked. Thanks to BMC-Sports Garage for helping in the feed zone so I actually completed the distance this weekend. Thanks to the girls who were so friendly to me this weekend when I was in the way. I couldn’t get out of my own way let alone that of the girls trying to pass! Haha….

I am in pain. Lots and lots of pain. It is that kind of pain you are in when you are asking your body to do something it truly does not want to. It is amazing how much more it hurts going poorly than rocking out going fast. However, doing these efforts is important as pushing through a bad day makes a good day even better. So I guess having three tough days in a row is going to pay off in oh, about SEVEN months when I actually need to be going well. Keeping that in perspective is important because I really felt bad this weekend and it is hard not to get discouraged.

I decided on Monday to come to Phoenix, Arizona for the first of the NMBS mountain bike series races, mostly because the weather sucks in Victoria and I was tired of training in the rain. I have a couple of big weeks on my bike but really I have been doing a lot more run quality than bike quality this year so I came here knowing it would be tough. Of course, I did not adjust my expectations because as my swim coach Neil always says, “Don’t be alarmed if you are going fast!” Once upon a time I did very well on this course so I enjoy coming to this venue. I also have a very cool family to stay with, Kevin, Debi and Tiffany so I am feeling pretty comfy and settled. Debi and Kevin were off to Oceanside to do the 70.3 this weekend so I was left to my own devices with this race. Probably best since I came home frustrated about three days in a row…

What happened? Well, I did not go as fast as I would have liked, obviously (even the short track did not go well and usually that is my go-to) but I also need to tweak some things with my new rig to really get comfortable. I guess I have some homework to do before the next race. My races were all not great but the cross country was really bad. I did one good lap and then the next two were awful. It is actually really hard to find a lot of positives in this race other than I finished rather than dropping out. Last year I also started the season spectacularly slow so I have to say I am on track again with my slow start. Lots of commiserating with people from mountain biking who basically think “What can you expect if you are a triathlete?” but I don’t agree. I can expect a HELL of a lot more than that and riding that speed I will get my ass handed to me at XTERRAs! Haha, anyways October of last year is closer to now than October of this year so there is still lots of time.

Now I have 10 days of sunny training before I am off to Monterey for Sea Otter. I have an evening with the Phoenix Tri Club planned, some great outdoor swims, some fun trail runs and some good hilly rides on the schedule. Even though this race did not go that well I am still sticking to the plan. I have some run form to build and I am planning to have the cycling come around with some racing. A different plan from last year but I am hoping it pushes both my bike and run up to a higher level earlier in the year. I had a steady build to the end of the year last year with a bit of overtraining in the early season… this year I want to race a little more and train a little less so the early Xterra season is a bit stronger.

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Good report.
written by jk_allen13, April 06, 2007

Hey Mel, tough race but gives you good motivation for Sea Otter. Hope the weather's better than last year for you, although staying in Victoria would give you specificity if it rains!

Sometimes it\'s a win to just
written by Heather Williams, April 06, 2007

Even though I do not race on your level I know the pain. Last year I entered the Lava Rama MTB race. We gained 1700 ft in 2.5 miles and I was not prepared to do that kind of climbing. I had two 5.5 mile laps to do and knowing I was in second to last and having severe lower back pain I wanted to quit after the first lap. When I saw my boyfriend I asked him if I should drop out. His reply was do what you want, cause he dropped out of a race the month before. I started my next lap thinking this is going to hurt but I had to prove a point to not quit. At the end of the race they put dead chicken next to my name. I thought what does that mean? Well come to find out it is the slowest time of the day. Hahahah. Well cause there was only three woman in my class and I was third I won a metal, a plaque with a rubber chicken glued to it for being the slowest all day, and a nova hydration bag. Awsome I thought cause we needed another hydration bag and before the race we were talking about purchasing one. Now how rad is that. A year later the memory of that race still comes to me cause now for some reason I experience low back pain once in awhile and I can always look at my rubber chicken. So way to go Melanie for finishing on a bad day of racing. Good luck the rest of the year!! Oh when you come back to Utah there is a cool ride you must do. Right next to pineview where you swim. It is called the south shoreline and goes along the top of the peaks looking down on where you swim. Check into it.

Heather

Thanks for the perspective
written by Chad, April 02, 2007

Thanks for writing about the race, and how you did. It's re-assuring to hear a pro tell about the good stuff as well as the not so good. I'm sure things will get better as the season goes on, we all go through those tough spots. Thanks again, and good luck this year with XTERRA, and with the new BMC bikes. I checked out the bikes in the QBP catalog, and they are beautiful! I'm sure they ride great.