June 2015: Training Ramblings.....Showtime!

The month of June was all about the Xterra East Championships down in Richmond, the first 'A' race of the year and an Xterra World Championships qualifier. One of my season goals was to qualify for Nationals, which I did at the Jersey Devil race and the second goal was to give it my best shot at grabbing a spot for Xterra Worlds that take place in November in Maui.

Leading into Richmond I felt as though training had gone well, not great but good . I knew that Richmond would be a tough course and really challenge my technical skills as it is known as being one of the hardest on the circuit.  My race report that goes into more details is here  Being so new to Xterra I am still learning loads on the mountain bike and the skills continue to come back. It is also a good learning experience as how to train and race Xterra, it's certainly not as 'simple' as road triathlon.

So what is different about Xterra compared to road triathlon?

 - Fitness only takes you so far in Xterra, technique is key!
 - You aren't a slave to your powermeter in Xterra, short term power as well as overall pacing is critical.
 - Take nutrition when you can on the Xterra course you never know when you will get the next chance.
 - Use the draft if you can and follow the lines of the more skilled riders. No penalties for following in Xterra.

 - Trail running isn't easy, especially not after a hard MTB ride. Xterra runs aren't a walk in the park.

 - Overall strength is important, climbing over rocks, trees and up ladders create barriers not seen on your regular triathlon course.

 - The whole Xterra atmosphere is wayyyyy more laid back. Yes it is competitive but it's not about who has the most expensive bike or a personal best time. Have fun, enjoy the course and race hard.

So with an "A" race I actually tapered for the race during the week prior and took a mid-season break afterwards for a few days which lead to a slightly lower monthly volume than usual.  The tough work now begins as I build for the goals races towards the end of the season which will either be the Xterra Nationals or Worlds depending on if I get that qualifying slot!

What I am drinking this month:
Holy Schmidt Coffee: Kenya Kayu - Salted caramel, dried cranberry, golden raisin and a juicy cup with a bright candied lemon finish.

June Total: 496miles/40hrs 55mins/2468 TSS
Swim: 10.54m/5hrs 49mins/ 209 TSS
Bike: 392m/22hrs 44mins/ 1416 TSS
Run: 93.3m/12hrs 01mins/ 843 TSS