Trashed: When
things go bad and the paddler gets tossed around like a rag doll and spit out
by the river. Not usually life
threatening, but not very pleasant. Source: watergirlsatplay.com
Long overdue race report from Xterra Whitewater...
Pre Race:
With a family vacation in South Carolina scheduled for the second half of July and racing opportunities being a bit thin during the beginning of the month due to the July 4th holiday, it seemed like the off-road triathlon, Xterra Whitewater, near Charlotte, NC on July 18th would be a great opportunity to get a race in en route to seven days at the beach. It was held at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which offers “700 acres on the Catawba River for guests to enjoy whitewater rafting and kayaking, flat water kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, rock climbing, zip lines, ropes courses, canopy tours and 25+ miles of mountain biking trails.” From the race’s website, this USAT triathlon promised to test my swimming, mountain biking and trail running skills in a rugged off-road environment. “Off road” = more chances to get hurt. Great, sign me up.
Here is the official course description: The race begins with a 1K flat water swim split between the Catawba River and our man-made channel, followed by 23K on mountain bike across all difficulty levels of the USNWC trail system, and concluding with an 8K trail run to cross the finish line.
JMac and I drove down to Charlotte on Thursday. We spent Friday visiting some friends in the area and eventually made our way to the Whitewater Center midafternoon to check out the course and pick up my race packet.
There is no entrance fee to ride the mountain bike trails at USNWC. Rather, MTB guests pay a $5 parking fee, unless they have an annual parking pass. When we arrived at the park, it was hopping. There were lots and lots of people partaking in the many activities offered by the center. We located some restrooms, changed into our cycling kits, purchased a bike trail map from the gift shop and got on our way.
After comparing the race course map to the trail map, we figured out a good starting point to maximize seeing the bike course. I have only a limited amount of experience mountain biking in North Carolina, having ridden a wee little bit at Bent Creek and Dupont. But based on my understanding of “North Carolina single track,” I would say the MTB trails at USNWC are atypical of North Carolina. They’re hard packed, flowy, and sandy with no significant climbs or descents. This isn’t to say they’re easy. But rather, they are very tight and windy with lots of sharp turns, often into a short, punchy climb or descent, with roots and loose pine needles thrown in for good measure. For any local NE Ohio readers out there, I would say they are very comparable to the trails in Medina at Huffman and Reagan Park, but with sand. JMac and I ended up pre-riding about seven miles of the course. I had hoped to ride more but between frequent stops to confirm we were still on the race course and not a side trail and the insufferable heat, it was in the mid 90s, I was getting worn out. We shut it down and took a walk around the park trying to figure out the swim and run courses.
Packet pickup was a snap. The only disappointment was that my women’s specific race t-shirt wasn’t available due to some sort of mix up and instead I received yet another men’s t-shirt doomed to a life in the bottom of my dresser drawer. Note to race directors: I am not a small man! But I digress.
Race Day:
After an early bird breakfast of instant oatmeal and fruit, courtesy of the Fairfield Inn Northlake, we left for the park. Arriving early, I was able to nab a decent spot in transition and get set up. The sun was out and the temperature was already rising. I did a light run to check out the “whitewater” part of the swim, now completely flat in the manmade river. During this time, the race organization continued to make announcements including the fact that all racers were to have a red swim cap. Hmmm. I had been given a white swim cap with the USNWC logo. I checked with a Check In Person and he said I was fine with the cap I had been given. Okey dokey.
About a half hour before go time, the race director began herding us to the swim start. The swim portion of the race was actually in two parts with a ¼ mile trail run in the middle. Race organizers suggested bringing an extra pair of running shoes for this portion. So I wore an old pair of running shoes over to the swim start in the Catawba River and left them for the mini trail run between the swim legs. With the water temperature in the 80s, this was a no wetsuit swim. I warmed up in the very warm water while everyone gathered for the in water start. Just before the start, the race director went through a series of race reminders. He then announced that the racers who had been given the white swim caps (i.e. me!) were the first winners in a series of door prize giveaways. My prize? A coupon code for a new pair of La Sportiva shoes. Excellent!
We lined up across the river. Our route was down the river and around a buoy, which for some unknown reason, was placed really close to one side, back up the river past our starting point and around another buoy and then across the river in a diagonal line to swim start/finish #1. I placed myself to the far side of the river, away from the crowds. But when the gun went off that didn’t seem to matter. Large men materialized out of nowhere to swim over me. Sigh. The first buoy caused a huge traffic jam as everyone was forced to funnel into a very narrow area to get around it and start down the other side. But after that, traffic seemed to thin down some. I settled into a groove and without too much excitement, I was back to the start and heading up the stairs to grab my shoes.
While not everyone wore shoes, I would highly recommend it. The trail surface is hard packed dirt but there were definitely rocks. Then, once you exit the woods, you are on a gravel path. You could stay on the grass for this part, if needed, but it was just as easy to put on the shoes. Arriving at the manmade whitewater river, now flat water, thank goodness, I pulled my shoes off, left them at the designated shoe drop and jumped in and swam across to swim finish #2.
One thing I had neither practiced nor considered was trying to swim coming off a run…it took me a few seconds to get my swim breathing under control. The second swim was pretty cool as I could see the hydraulic equipment placed beneath the water which would be pumping whitewater in just a short time after the last racer exited.
True to its word “rugged”, to exit the swim, everyone had to pull themselves up on some large rocks and then cross to the transition area. I was only one leg in and had already swam, ran, swam and rock climbed?
After an uneventful transition I was onto the bike. I rode the gravel path around the manmade river and entered the single track in a group of about five to seven people. In the past, this would have terrified me, particularly on a trail that I had only ridden once. But with a little more experience now, I resolved to ride hard, forcing anyone who wanted around me to pass on their own accord. And I was able to maintain my position for the most part, being passed by a few and passing a few myself.
With just a few miles left to go, I was feeling like a whitewater kayaker getting trashed in a foamy river and was ready to be done. It was hot and felt even hotter to me after the incredibly mild summer we had had up north to that point.
I had consumed almost all of my Osmo and was down to sucking drops out of my Camelbak. Fortunately, after this the trail turned into some nice double track. Unfortunately, it turned into some nice double track which allowed racers behind me with more energy to catch up and pass. The trail then dropped us onto one final section of fun single track where we whizzed along under the hum of zip lines above us. Then we were back to the gravel road and transition.
Based on how my legs were already cramping, I knew the 8 km trail run was going to be a painful slog. I followed the gravel path back out around the whitewater river and up and down and across the gravel parking lot in the now completely blazing sun. Ugh. Shortly after entering the woods, I began a walk/run routine, walking anything remotely looking like an uphill and jogging the flats and downhills. Despite my misery, I have to say the run course was a very fair offroad run. It had some short climbs and descents but mostly meandered through the woods. I wasn’t the only one suffering in the heat, though, coming across several runners who were in worst shape than I. I muscled out the miles and turned for the finish line. Even the run to the finish was incredibly painful in the blistering sun.
Poor JMac got to witness almost the whole thing, taking pictures and being the faithful supporter on course. Local brewery Noda Brewing was at the finish and gave every entrant a tasty beer as they crossed the line. Although it was tasty, my stomach wasn’t ready for it and JMac got to enjoy my beer for his efforts.
Conclusion:
Despite my rather lackluster performance, this was a great race and I would happily recommend it. It was very well-organized. The course was very clearly marked and very fair. While some of the mountain bike trails are labeled difficult, I think they would probably be considered medium difficult in other areas. There are no significant rock gardens or other difficult obstacles on the bike course. The post race food was a pleasant surprise of veggie quinoa wraps and fruit. And don’t forget about that beer! For the fast among you, there were actual prizes for the top finishers…I believe Suunto Ambit sport watches were given out. Not too shabby. Finally, there are a ton of activities going on at the center so the family can do something besides watch you race, not that they would ever want to do that.
For me personally, this race served as a reminder to be weather strategic in my race selection criteria. While one can never guarantee the weather, I don’t race well in the heat and need to plan accordingly as best as I can. Also, I’m happy that I didn’t willy nilly concede my place to anyone on the bike. I have a habit of asking people if they want to pass me on single track and this invariably leads to no good. Finally, this was my first non-wetsuit swim in a long time and although the water was completely flat, it was a nice reminder that I can swim in open water without one.
Special thanks to my local bike and run shops and team supporters Bike Authority and Fleet Feet Sports. I also have to give a special shout out to Sound Probiotics for helping to keep me healthy—90% of your immune system is in your gut! And finally, thanks to JMac for his support and all the great pictures from the course. Until next time, work hard, play harder.