Training and coaching for Xterra United Kingdom

Training for XTERRA

It is strongly recommended that you ride the XTERRA Championship course prior to the event.

Julie Dibbens and Sam Gardner will be running a training camp for XTERRA UK on 11th & 12th August 2007. Below are some tips from Julie and Sam for XTERRA

How to be prepared for your first Xterra

by Driven to Tri coach and 2-time Olympian, Julie Dibens

After 8 years of road based Triathlons, 2006 saw me enter my first Xterra Triathlon, Xterra France. I had done a bit of off road running, and spent a handful of hours on a mountain bike over the winter months, so thought it would be a great way to get a good hard race in for preparation for some bigger races for me later in the year. I knew it would be a hard race physically, especially with the heat and the terrain, but what I wasn’t prepared for were all the subtle differences between a normal triathlon, and an Xterra. Come on; how different could it be....surely it’s still just swim, bike and run??? Unfortunately, I soon had to change this attitude and attempt to start learning these subtle differences to overcome the challenge of Xterra Triathlon. I’ve decided to put some of my experiences of Xterra in words below to help YOU become aware of some of these things, allowing you to enjoy the day to the max, while getting the most out of your performance.

Swim Start – This is a mass start. Nothing new I hear you say....except that it is everyone....and I mean everyone together. Men, women, Pros, age groupers...you name it. Now for some this may not be an issue, and for me, typically one of the fastest female swimmers out there, I didn't think it would be a problem. How wrong was I? But saying that, I only had myself to blame. Thinking of my usual quick start I positioned my self right in the middle of the start line, which was about 10yds from the edge of the water. As soon as the gun went I knew what a bad mistake it was, as men either side of me (and behind) pushed and shoved their way to the waters edge. Before I knew it the boxing gloves were out! I remember looking up to see about 5 pink swim caps (females) a good 20-30yds in front of me. It took me a few moments to get myself together, and I quickly worked my way into some open water and moved up through the field. Phew! I was glad that was over. Morale of the story....Know your limits and where to stand on the start line!

Transition 1 – Now in all 4 of the Xterra’s I have done the run into transition hasn’t been your bog standard 50m run. From about 100 steep steps to climb in Denmark, to a good 400m run including through a river in Guam, be sure to check this out before the race. In both of these races I opted to put my bike shoes right at the swim exit, as I new what lay ahead and it saved my baby soft feet in both cases! You may also want to put on gloves in transition and possibly a camelback, as it’s hard to drink from a bottle while jumping over roots.

Mountain Bike – If at all possible you really need to try and get out and pre ride the course. I would say that this is especially important for the nervous or novice mountain biker. This way you know what is coming, and what to expect. There will probably be parts of the course that you will have to get off and walk your bike, and this is absolutely fine, I walked almost half of Xterra France! This will also allow you to hammer the parts that you are confident on, so that you can minimize any time loss on other technical sections. During the race itself, a lot of the same things apply as with normal triathlons. It is amazing how slow we all go on Mountain bikes compared to road. It may take even some of the top pro guys close to 3 hrs to get round the 30km course. So be prepared for a long day in the saddle which means pacing and nutrition are key. Also, be aware that you are more than likely to come off and crash at some point out on the bike, if you don’t you are not pushing hard enough....well that’s what people keep telling me! Just be careful on the parts you are nervous about, and if at all possible follow someone else’s line through the technical sections.

Off Road Run – It is good to be prepared for anything out on the run. Out of the 3 disciplines, the run was the one that I was most surprised with. I really wasn’t expecting to have to negotiate my way down a waterfall in Guam, fight my way through jungle, caves and ravines in Saipan, or deal with the leg burning sets of endless steps in Denmark. Seriously, anything goes here. Again, you will probably have to walk sections of the run, and any fast runners out there will probably get frustrated with the lack of true running, but every course is a unique and daunting challenge for you to overcome.

Equipment - Ideally you will need the following:

· Swim – Wetsuit, trisuit or swimsuit, goggles, cap

· Bike – Mountain Bike (either hardtail or full suspension), Mtb shoes, helmet, sunglasses

gloves, camelback hydration pack, gels or bars, spare tubes and pump

· Run – some good off road running shoes, visor or cap if needed, race belt with race number, socks if needed

To sum up, my Xterra experiences have been all unique and truly memorable. Each course is totally different and will provide many distinctive challenges. These challenges will seem much less daunting if you are prepared and ready for them. Not only have I thoroughly enjoyed my Xterra races, but I also feel that they have made me a better all round Triathlete for a number of reasons:

My bike handling skills have improved
I can spin a nice gear if needed. You will learn this with Mountain biking whether you like it or not!
I am more aware of what is going on, and am better able to deal with the unexpected
I am a stronger athlete – tell me running up 100's of steps in a race isn't going to make you stronger
I have the belief that I can tackle anything. The thought of running down a waterfall in Guam utterly terrified me, but in the heat of the moment I negotiated my way down...almost with ease!

Good Luck in Xterra UK and I look forward to seeing you on the 11^th/12^th of August to ride the course!

Julie

Mountain bike tips for Xterra by Sam Gardner

The bike leg in an Xterra race is a lot more important than the bike leg in an Olympic distance road tri. Firstly it takes a lot longer, some times double the time of a fast 40km on road; good road cyclists can lose 15 minutes or more to off road specialists. More preparation and planning are required to get both you and your bike ready for the event. The same road bike could get you round almost every road tri in England without changing anything, however every mountain bike leg will require different tyre patterns, tyre pressures, suspension set-up and gearing possibly too.

Before the event do your homework. Email the organiser, read the Xterra UK course report I’ve written on Tri247.com! Get on forums and ask questions. Get a weather report nearer the day also.

If it is likely to be muddy you’ll want a bike that has good mud clearance around the tyres and the frame, this often means a hard tail (i.e. no rear suspension). Make sure the tyres have deep tread patterns and wide spaces between the knobbles and are slim enough to give clearance between the frame. Keep the tyres soft 30psi or less to get good traction.

If it’s going to be rocky you’ll want more suspension, possibly both front and rear, you’ll want wider tyres with smaller knobbles. Tyres will need to be run harder to avoid pinch punctures. There are also sand, roots, hard pack dirt and a host of other terrains to consider but this could be a whole article in itself.

Local bike shops should be able to advise you on tyres for all conditions and most courses will require a compromise of some sort. Ask other racers and take a couple of sets of tyres and a pump in the car to the race. Obviously make sure you know how to fit these as you might need to change a tube in the race also.

Practice your off road riding. The terrain you can ride close to home depends on where you live, but some riding even on gentle trails will help loads when you get to the race. Local bike shops can advise good routes and will often have a club ride going out on a Sunday.

Rule number one is get used to your wheels sliding a bit, on a road bike this is not good and will generally result in a crash, riding off road it is the norm in slippery conditions, relaxing and pedalling through it smoothly will actually help in most instances. Keeping as much speed as you feel comfortable with will aid your balance. Look at where you want to go, NOT at the obstacles you are trying to avoid, looking at the dodgy root or slippery rock will cause you to head for it. Top riders look a long way down the trail, constantly scanning their route far in advance. They brake early and in a straight line so they are not locking the wheels in the corner when the bike is tilted.

When climbing try to remain seated, keep a fast smooth cadence, there is a delicate balance between weight distribution when it gets steep, too far forward and the rear wheel will spin, too far back and the front wheel will wheelie. Sitting somewhere near the nose of the saddle is perfect.

If you can get to the race venue before the race try to ride a practice lap. Ride this very steadily though because a single lap course such as Xterra UK 2007 could take you 4 hours or more. Ride the difficult sections several times; sometimes it is worth walking a section because you can spot other alternative lines at the slower speed. Remember that some times the shortest line isn’t always the quickest. In the case of Xterra UK, you could go to the Driven to Tri training camp on the 11^th/12^th August and see the courses a month before the race. Techniques and trail side repair will also be covered here along with vital open water swim tuition too.

Good Luck Sam