Merry Xmas
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Xdurance Sports will be back after the holidays with more content, reviews, and news. Until then, be safe and be merry.
-XS
More US Cup Races Added
According to XTERRA, the Southeast and Northwest Cups will be added to the schedule shortly.
April 25 – XTERRA West Cup, Lake Las Vegas, NV
May 23 – XTERRA South Central Cup, Waco, TX
June 6 – XTERRA Northwest Cup, Farragut, ID
June 13 – XTERRA Southeast Cup, Pelham, AL
June 20 – XTERRA Atlantic Cup, Richmond, VA
July 17 – XTERRA Mountain Cup, Beaver Creek, CO
Dave “Big Kahuna” Nichols has confirmed the imminent demise of the Midwest and Northeast Cups due to poor attendance and lack of sponsorship. Kahuna mentioned the possibility of increasing the points for races in those regions and/or finding new venues.
US Cup Races Confirmed
XTERRA has comfirmed dates and locations of four of the XTERRA US Cup Races. The most significant news is the South Central Cup moves from Little Rock, AR to Waco, TX. There is still no news regarding the remaining cup races, although there are rumors that there could be major changes to the Northeast and Northwest Cups.
April 25 – XTERRA West Cup, Lake Las Vegas, NV
May 23 – XTERRA South Central Cup, Waco, TX
June 20 – XTERRA Atlantic Cup, Richmond, VA
July 17 – XTERRA Mountain Cup, Beaver Creek, CO
View From The Top: Eneko Llanos
Three-time XTERRA World Champion
XS: Why do you race XTERRA? You’ve made a career racing ITU and Ironman and do very well. What is the attraction to racing XTERRA?
EL: I like racing offroad. I like riding my mountain bike and running on trails, so when I first finished an XTERRA I knew this kind of racing was one of my favorites. Apart from that I like the atmosphere at XTERRA races, it is fun.
EL: It is hard to pick only one, but my win in 2007 at Ironman Lanzarote is very special for me.
Eneko Llanos's XTERRA-winning BH Trail Hunter
XS: Can you talk a little bit about your bike set-up in Maui? I think you were the only one there riding a BH.
EL: I was riding the new BH Trail Hunter. It is a full carbon full-suspension bike. I had a great feeling with this bike, it is light and gives a lot of traction on the climbs and is very fast and stable on the downhills. I honestly think it is the best I could have for Maui.
XS: For you, what is the hardest part of the Maui course?
EL: Not to have a flat or broken bike. I have had two broken tires and a broken chain in the past, this bike course is hard for the bikes.
XS: What were your training sessions between Kona and Maui?
EL: I just tried to recover from the Ironman, so not much training during those days and a lot of time on the beach and eating good food.
XS: During the year, do you do any XTERRA specific training or is it mostly Ironman training?
EL: I like to ride my mountain bike once every week or every two weeks. I do it for fun when I am tired of my road bike, but apart from that nothing really specific for XTERRA.
XS: What is your race calendar for 2010? Will you race any of the XTERRA Europe races?
EL: I am working on my racing schedule right now. I will race in Kona and Maui again for sure, the rest I still have to decide.
Favorite color? Blue
Favorite food? Vegetarian food
Favorite drink? Carrot juice
Favorite movie? The Big Blue
Favorite book? Flow
Favorite race? My city triathlon, Vitoria-Gasteiz
Favorite sport other than triathlon? Surf
Favorite place to vacation? Canary islands and the Pyrenees
Website: http://www.enekollanos.com/index.html
Sponsors: Spiuk, AVIA, BH Bikes, Basque Team, Hed, S.V.C., Sailfish, Mule Bar, Polar, Ascentium, Bulletvan
Big News From XTERRA Canada
XTERRA Canada has announced XTERRA Alberta Off-Road Festival will be held August 14-15 at the Canmore Nordic Center, a former Olympic venue. Registration in now open. They have also announced, via their Facebook page, that they’re negotiating with Whistler to host XTERRA Canada on the weekend of September 4-5. More details to come on the World Tour event.
XTERRA 2010 Schedule
Some confirmed dates for the America Tour events (Updated 12/04):
April 17 – XTERRA Red River, OK
April 24 – XTERRA West Cup, NV
March 28 – XTERRA Real, CA
May 1 – XTERRA Epic, LA
May 2 – XTERRA Gator Terra, LA
May 2 – XTERRA Uwharrie, NC
May 8 – XTERRA Del Valle, CA
May 23 – XTERRA Waco, TX
May 30 – XTERRA Smith Lake, NC
June 5 – XTERRA Four Corners, NM
June 19 – XTERRA Solstice, OR
June 26 – XTERRA Tahoe City, CA
July 11 – XTERRA EX2, MD
July 17 – XTERRA Hammerman, AK
July 18 – XTERRA Sky High, NY
July 24 – XTERRA DINO Versailles, IN
July 25 – XTERRA Wild Horse Creek, MT
August 1 – XTERRA Snow Valley, CA
August 1 – XTERRA Panther Creek, TN
August 1 – XTERRA Race at the Rez, VT
August 8 – XTERRA Iron Will, AR
August 8 – XTERRA Indian Peaks, CO
August 14 – XTERRA Portland, OR
August 14 – XTERRA B.O.L.T., NE
August 14 – XTERRA DINO Logansport, IN
August 15 – XTERRA Alberta, Canada
August 15 – XTERRA Camp Eagle, TX
August 15 – XTERRA Stoaked, NH
August 22 – XTERRA Lake Placid, NY
August 22- XTERRA Austin, TX
August 22 – XTERRA Charlottesville, VA
August 28 – XTERRA Lake Tahoe, NV
August 29 – XTERRA South Central Cup, AR
August 29 – XTERRA Lory, CO
September 5 – XTERRA Canada
View From The Top: Lesley Paterson
XS: You seem to live a very busy life with your career in the movie industry and racing as a professional triathlete. How do you balance everything?
LP: Man, is it tough to balance?! Sometimes it gets very overwhelming but I do find that one helps the other. The creativity and artistic side of the film business keeps me mentally occupied, while doing all the training and discipline it takes to do all that training provides some good skills for the film business…
However, last winter in particular was super ridiculous as I was working full-time in a bike shop to earn my keep, while putting in a ton of training, coaching ten athletes, and trying to keep my film stuff afloat. I would get up at 4:30am, train in the dark with my lights on, get to work at 10am and stand up on my feet all day. During my breaks, I would take conference calls for my films (take them in the bathroom if I was still on shift!), then finish at 6pm in the shop, do another training session, coach for an hour and arrive back at home around 8:30pm. I’d have dinner, write some coaching programs and fall into bed at 10pm. 7 days a week! Now, it’s a little less manic without working at the bike shop but I’m still managing to fill the hours up!
XS: Maui is a tough course, but seems to suit your strengths (solid swim and bike and strong run). Did this year’s race plan out as you expected?
LP: Yes, it did. I knew it was all going to be about the bike for me, so if I had a strong one, I could be in contention. I got a new coach last year (Vince Fichera) who has really worked on my biking I took 15mins off my time from last year, so that’s what made the difference. The race in general went well for me and I felt strong throughout!
XS: What are your key workouts in the lead up to your big races?
LP: Group road rides with Cat 1 and pro men – there’s plenty of them in San Diego and I suffer like nobody’s business when trying to hold one of their wheels, as they get totally bummed when they can’t drop the wee Scottish lassie!! Also doing long dirt climbs up in the mountains of San Diego – Palomar, etc.
XS: Some of the longtime Xterra pros were saying the bike course was more tame this year, helping the bikers with less technical skills. With that said, is Dibens beatable in Maui?
LP: Yeah, it wasn’t too technical a course but I was prepared for anything that came my way…it suits my style of riding, no doubt! I think it will take a lot to beat Dibens, as she is total class! However, for me, it’s all lost on the bike. I knocked 15mins off my bike time this year compared to last year, so if I can get another 5-6mins over the winter then I could be close ; )
XS: Can you talk a little bit about your bike set-up for Maui? And if you have a picture of it, I’d like to add that to the article.
LP: I was sponsored this year by Ellsworth Bikes and they were very helpful getting me set up for the race. It’s a dual suspension bike that I rode pretty firm. The new thing for me is figuring out tires and tire pressure. I ran tubeless with a psi of 21 on the front and 24 on the back. Pretty soft but it gave me good traction on the rocky/sandy terrain.
XS: What are your plans for 2010? Will you race a full Xterra schedule? Will we see you on the roads (70.3s)?
LP: Yeah, I wanna try and hit up more of the US Tour this year, as well as maybe going for the European Champs. I am definitely going to do more 70.3s because it is good exposure and they’re super fun. I’m hoping to get a sponsored TT bike this year, which will be cool. All my other road triathlons have been done on my seven year old aluminum Specialized road bike with clip-ons!
Favorite color? Orange
Favorite food? Chocolate- is there anything else?
Favorite drink? Cuppa tea with chocolate to dip in it!
Favorite movie? Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart (of course)
Favorite book? All Quiet on The Western Front (we own the rights and have adapted it into a screenplay)
Favorite race? The ‘Crags Race’ in Scotland – it’s a hill race on New Year’s Day and you get a 6-pack of beer if you win! You have to talk all the way up the hill even if you’re maxed out!
Favorite sport other than triathlon? Rugby – I played it for 4 years as a youngster with all the boys. Guess I like to get dirty!
Favorite place to holiday? Scotland – ‘cos I don’t live there anymore!
Website: www.braveheartfitnesscoaching.com
Sponsors: Skinfit, Compex, Drymax Socks, Ellsworth Bicycles
Gear Review: nuun
If you’re like me and trying to control the weight this off-season or have a sensitive stomach to sugar-laden sport drinks then you should be drinking nuun Active Hydration ($6.50 for a tube of 12 tabs). nuun is an electrolyte tab that you mix with 16oz /500ml of water…it dissolves and makes a sports drink without any sugar or calories. It contains a bunch of sodium, some potassium and calcium and little bit of vitamins. When mixed with water, it has a light fruit flavor (lemon-lime, berry, citrus, orange ginger, banana, and cola with caffeine) and even tastes good when it’s warm. If you have sensitive taste buds, you might not like the saltiness or aftertaste. I find that if I drink more than one bottle during the day, I feel bloated. I actually use nuun year-round, especially on training rides less than 2hrs when I’m not too worried about caloric intake and before I run or swim because it doesn’t mess with my sugar levels. I also find it works great when I travel. First, it makes the water taste better and second, I’m able to stay hydrated during longer flights.
nuun Active Hydration
Final Tally: 4.5 out of 5
Summary: Awesome for what it is and isn’t but the taste may not agree with everyone.
View From The Top: Thomas Vonach
Thomas J. Vonach, a 37 year old from Schwarzach, Austria won the 35-39 age group at the 2009 XTERRA World Championships. Vonach is better known as a road triathlete, having qualified for the Ironman World Championships 8 consecutive times, and being the boyfriend of triathlon superstar Yvonne Van Vlerken. Earlier this year, he won his age group at Ironman Malaysia in 9:07. However, this powerhouse also has an impressive XTERRA resume, including the Kona-Maui Double in 2006, three 3rd place and two 2nd place finishes in Maui. He was gracious enough to answer some questions about his training and his attempt at the 2009 Double.
XS: During the year, how do you balance Ironman training with XTERRA training/racing?
TV: We live in Austria and as you all know it is one of the best spots in the world for mountain biking. Of course, most of the training I did this year was focused on road-triathlon, but I try to involve some MTB-sessions into my training. A lot of road bike sessions are with a lot of climbing in it, which also helps me when it comes to XTERRA racing. To be hones,t the specific preparations for the two XTERRAS I did this year were pretty low-key. For Maui, I had an extra week of good training on the MTB as I didn´t finish Kona, which saved my legs for more workouts and a better preparation than if I would have raced for the Double.
XS: You attempted the double this year but Kona didn’t go as you planned. What were your training sessions between Kona and Maui?
TV: First of all I was pretty down because of how Kona went. It was my eighth consecutive race there and I wanted the Double badly. On Sunday after Kona, I unpacked my MTB and on Monday I was out for a ride already and then my desire and motivation came back. I did some rides on the Coffee-road, the belt road above Kona with some climbing, but all on tarmac. Swimming and running included a lot of hard and fast stuff. I could do that as I was fresh and this was probably the key to have the speed and the legs for the title in my age division. Then over in Maui, I had enough time to get in the dirt. Regarding the technical skills, I did one very demanding ride in Kona and the fact that I was a gymnast helps me with the rest when it comes to balance and reaction…
And I would like to mention that it was such a great experience to come to Maui again, meet the XTERRA family and enjoy the vibes there. It did show me where I should race more in the next season. I am a little fed up with the road triathlons, especially because of the increasing drafting. Things that you don´t have to deal with at XTERRA races…!
XS: Do you have key workouts leading up to a big XTERRA race?
TV: I do some rides where I mainly focus on climbing and downhills on the MTB and off-road. The endurance is there from Ironman training and so I can only focus on the very specific parts like off-road biking and trail runs. It´s funny, every time I am running over stones and rocks it reminds me of being a small kid and playing on the stones that are along the smaller streams where we used to go for a swim with our parents. I spend endless hours jumping and running over the bigger and smaller stones sticking out of the water trying not to fall in. Whenever I run on terrain like that, it feels like my body switches to cruise control and remembers this.
XS: You are trained by Mark Allen On-line. How has his training helped you and how is it different from what you have done in the past?
TV: I used to train with Mark in the first half of 2009. Then my former coach Mario Huys was back as the head-coach. I have been training with him now for seven years and he knows me very well. Yvonne van Vlerken, my girlfriend, is also coached by him since 2007. And XTERRA Maui 3rd place Michi Weiss since 2008. Mark Allen is our consultant when it comes to training now and guides us through the year, while Mario is there for us nearly around the clock. Yvonne needs that and I also enjoy the close communication with him. This works best for me!
I am generally doing more quality workouts now. Very important when you age and you want to stay competitive. This applies to XTERRA racing as well as to the half- and full distance in road triathlon. Keeps you sharp!
XS: When did you take the lead in Maui and when did you know you were going to win your age group?
TV: When I came back on from the bike I was around Sam Gardner just before T2. So I knew I must be doing OK. Yvonne was out on the course working for media and taking pictures for the Austrian and Dutch coverage. When I passed her on the run after 2km, she told me I was 2nd but that I had 2:30 to the leader. This was quite hard news but also a big motivation. I thought that it´s now or never for me and pushed so hard I nearly started to throw up. Then on Makena I was surprised to already see my man with the 35 label on his calf. He was really struggling in the boiling heat. I passed him and knew that he wouldn´t respond. And I also knew that Spooky Forest and Salt and Pepper with the rocks were just ahead of us. If I would have needed it would have been there to decide the race. The last 2km did hurt but it was such a great feeling to enjoy the time to the finish. I will never forget it.
XS: For you, what is the hardest part of the Maui course?
TV: I think the climb to The Plunge is pretty demanding because you know that after the downhill there are more climbs waiting for you. This year, the run was pretty tough for me as I had to push so hard. Maui is hard, but I think if you are coming from Ironman you bring a lot of stamina with you. I generally think Maui is the best course to have the world championship. It´s brutal, fair and has a unique spirit!
XS: Can you talk a little bit about your bike set-up in Maui?
TV: I am riding a Simplon Stomp carbon full suspension with a Shimano XT crank and v-brakes with SRAM Gripshift and shifting group. On Maui, I choose heavy weaponry for the the tyres with WTB Weirwolf and Slime-tubes. This is for sure not the lightest gear, but (please knock on wood) in five XTERRA Maui I never had a flat tyre. I also run a little more pressure than usual to be safe in the fast downhills with the rock and bumps you hit.
Mountains or beach? If the weather is nice and warm, the mountains
Summer or winter? Summer, if possible all year-long : )!
Beer or wine? Wine, Austrian white Wine. Nothing better!
XTERRA or Ironman? XTERRA
Full suspension or hard tail? Carbon-Fully
Where did you go on your most recent holiday? Looks like Yvonne and me are on holiday all year. But the last holiday where we relaxed and just hung out were a year ago on Kauai at our friend Lenny Gredel´s house. So it´s about time after the last race at the end of November…!
What is the most recent album or cd or music download you purchased? The best of Robert Cray
Favorite sport(s) other than triathlon? Ski-touring, cross-country-ski and Kayak.
Website: www.trivonach.com
Sponsors: Schelling Anlagenbau, Land Vorarlberg Sport, Blue-Planet Flugreisen, Rauch Fruchtsafte, Skinfit, Veltec, Biestmilch, Zipp, Rudy Project, XTERRA Wetsuits, Zoggs Goggles, DJ’s Bike Shop, Vonach Gerhard Consulting, Schnetzer-Richtige Schuhe, Headsweats, Rudi Prag, Zahnarzt Kirner, CEP
XTERRA Returns to SoCal
After a year absence, XTERRA is returning to Southern California in 2010. XTERRA Snow Valley, held at the Snow Valley ski resort about 80 miles east of Los Angeles and 100 miles northeast of San Diego, was canceled in 2009 due to the poor economy according to the race’s website. The 2010 edition of XTERRA Snow Valley is set for August 1st.
