Summer 2015 Race reports to date - couple of Xterras, Erock, Silver Rush and a couple from last season

Yup, things got busy and i forgot my computer password. Hate when that happens. Anyways, 3 days ago while reading all of the commentary from JB'ellows and diesel's race reports WB tells me ive been slacking for not keeping up my blogs after i did so well last season. This made me super angry because i know shes always right and two she called me a slacker. Game on!
So, after i quickly looked at all possible future races and my schedule for the rest of summer i quickly added as many races as i could, 1. So, here's the mid summer recap....
To get back to the basics of why i write these stupid things i do it for two reasons. 1. so when im 60 i can say...yeah i slay'd that. 2. to motivate those that are looking at racing or races ive done or to provide insight into my very strict and comprehensive race training regimen which includes beer and pizza. Ill also throw in a 3rd, which is just to keep the strava crew satisfied because you guys love details and data.
Quick recap:
End of last season
August: Xterra Buffalo Creek 3/20 AG 2:33; 213 competitors. 27th Overall. Swim - 130th overall Bike - 19th overall Run - 14th overall. Doggie paddle, HAMMER, HAMMER as we like to say around these parts

Cougar Slayer - unsanctioned underground 70 milefree mtb race from Nederland to Boulder. 7:30 but DNF - missed a turn up Arkansas mountain. Since this race is minimally supported you must use your own GPS for navigation and i unfortunately missed a turn with less than 10 miles to go. Definitely some of the gnarliest terrain ive ever raced. Kuddos to John and his buddies to find these ridiculous trails
September: Mountain Chile Cha Cha 1/2 marathon 3rd Overall 2nd AG 1:35. Ran with WB who was 1st overall F. This was our "honeymoon" so we figured we should make this sucker count. The green chile festival at the end was a huge bonus.

November: 25 Hrs Frogs Hollow, Hurricane, UT. 5 person coed: 3rd place. Team "Shot Skis"
Team members: Tom kirschling,  and some Utah ringers we purchased  -Chris Blike, Paul and Carly Uuohlt
Since this was near Halloween, costumes were required.

Febuary: Japan. Not a race, but one hell of a great trip

May: 18hrs Fruita - Team Might Need Stitches 7/28 teams 6 person coed

Colfax Marathon Team Relay:1st place Corporate relay 

Team members: WB, Sankoff, Kerry Mason, Bonnie Kaplan, K2

June: Erock Sunrise to Sunset MTB Race Team DGBG 3/29 Team Members: WB, Sankoff the Canadian Crusher/MTB Slay-er, Brian Jekich who activated sick call to race, K2

handpresso anyone?

July: 

Silver Rush 50 w/WB 6/24 in her AG, 180th overall. 12th overall female. 5:35. Longest ride shes ever done and absolutely crushed it. Fantastic weather and great crew who also rode it. Jekich again activated sick call for this

squirrel power

Xterra Beaver Creek Mountain Championships: 6/12 2:42. Faster than last year by 1 and a half minutes but with a much slower swim, faster bike and slightly quicker run. Only 2 minutes behind b-dogg.

Swim: 152/181; Bike 28/181; Run 28/181 = doggie paddle, HAMMER HAMMER

Felt like a celebrity as both Byyny and WB got Maui qualifying slots though. Basically team DGBG is taking over the world.

Xterra Snow Mountain Ranch

6th overall, 1st in AG, 3rd AGer overall. 2:00:42. 

Swim 17:52 (37/67) Bike 1:11 (5th/67) Run 29:09 (3rd/67) =  doggie paddle, HAMMER HAMMER

Since this was my most recent race and i can remember more of it than any of the others i will elaborate a bit more on it. 

Prerace: didnt decide to do the race until my alarm went off at 5:55 saturday morning, needed to be out the door by 6 to make it to the venue to register. Wasnt sure i even wanted to do the race since i knew my swimming was going to be horrendous. I have only swam once this year, XTERRA Beaver Creek, for which my swim was pathetic so i wasnt overly thrilled to go swim again. Plus, when you get out of the drink last, you have to then destroy yourself to catch everyone on the bike and run (see Breyers IM Boulder RR). Anyways, luckily WB tells me that if i get up and go ill be glad i did by noon and Tom was racing winter park that day so i figured i have no excuse to not get my but out of bed and go.

Swim: very cold water up at elevation. low 60's i would suspect. Immediately vagal and then panic as i cant catch my breath. Let the entire field go in front of me and then i try and settle in for my 1000 meter swim. Spend the entire swim thinking about how hard i have to crush the bike and run, this evokes even more anxiety and i again panic and forget how to breath while doggie paddling. apparently there are worse swimmers than me out there, until they beat me next year. 

T1: on par, ~1:30. anxious to get the heck out of there to destroy some singletrack

Bike: hammer with a side of hammer. feeling the 30 miles wb and i put up the day before in Nederland on the cougar slayer course. my typical taper. Manage to drink a bottle of water on the 14mi course. Pass everyone and learn at the end of the bike im in 6th place. 

T2: quick ~50 seconds but 2 people come in right behind me..thinking to myself just tie those damn laces and get the heck out of there to crush the run

Run: havent run in a week as i had a little plantar fasciitis. Set cruise control at 7:30's/mi and dont see anyone in front or behind the entire time. 

Overall - pretty happy with my bike and run as that is what i know how to do. Dont need a nutrition plan in a 2-3 hour race luckily. If i had to i would eat fig newtons, if someone offered me a beer on course i would drink it. Good reminder i need to swim in the off season and swim during the season. Maui goals for next year. 

Always have to love the dig deep sports races as they provide some delicious beer at the end. RD Paul Karlsson always sets up and interesting course that has you bush whacking through chest deep grass but with profiles that dont kill you with super long climbs on either the bike or runs. hopefully i can find my swim goggles in the next month or two to practice my swim.