Little Rocking : Race Reporting
June 21st, 2009 by Dan Hugo
Xterra South Central Cup 2009
2:10:52
3rd - 4:46 behind winner Josiah Middaugh
In Stoltz’s absence, I got to roll out with number 1 for the first time. He was missed, and would have torn this rocky ride to shreds. Please keep checking my triathlonteam.org partner’s return to full health on his site.
We rolled the RV down to the race start, 10om from transition entrance, and air conned the safe haven to a polar chill. Thats where I sat, stretched, and prepped till 20′ before the 10am 100F start in 90F hot tub like viscous green pea soup. This was the 6th stop of the 09 Xterra USA Cup Series, in Arkansas - fittingly in Burns Park.
A swim often is just a swim - but this time round debating swim suit use was fair play. And perhaps I mistakenly wore mine - one would have been hot anyhow though, just a matter of figuring how much. Might have been good to flick the swim cap off at the first bouy but that would be the illegal cheekiness. Alas. I was so lethargic in the water - and that’s how the race stayed - n slow mo.
Craig Evans and Christine Jeffreys pulled some time, while Seth Wealing and I trailed leading the the rest. It took the first 10′ of riding to cool my core down to something below the boil. Josiah Middaugh was never far behind, and half way through lap one bridged across. Jo is such a stellar guy. We started passing back markers 100m into the second lap, and Josiah was doing all the “heads-up” “trail please” calls, including “two up” - a breath he did not have to offer up for my sake. Josiah is climbing so well, and on a few occasions I had to give the old self a lecturing. The entire day was a mind blow really - a battle between sense and pride and greed.
Which am I more?
I tried to repay Josiah with some time in the front on the tarmac back in to T2. I’d finished my second full bottle of drink, but was still dry mouthed and thirsty. We ran out of transition as one would start a gingerly warm up run after a big day at the office. That’s how it stayed for me, but Josiah took off to the announcement of Nico Lebrun into T2 not far behind us. I stopped at every water station, made sure I got one cup in and one cup over my head.
It was the warmest race I’ve ever done - hands down.
For all its pained headache heat, the run was stunning, taking route along the top of a sheer cliff facing the river and Little Rock in the distance. The type of running I love - loose technical trail - only this time I was loving to walk. I kept a gauge behind, and just made my way round. Nothing magical, but seemed other than Josiah and Nico, no one else was interested in much hurt.
Congrats to a flawless effort from Shonny Vanlandingham to win her first race of 09.
That leaves me with 3rd on the series. With a three week much needed training block in Truckee before racing in Vermont on the 12th of July. I seem to race well off a bit more volume, and seem to fizzle quickly if not ticking through some of Gary’s usual routine.
I’ve changed my flight, and will have only three days in New York after Vermont, and get home a little earlier on the 17th July. In time for the first Jeep Apparel Multisport race in Natal, and hopefully (pretty pretty please Bex) race Imana Wild Ride the week after with main man - Bobby Behan.
XTERRA Cup standings:
| Pl | Name | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total |
| 1 | Conrad Stoltz | 100 | 100 | 100 | 69 | 100 | DNS | 469 |
| 2 | Josiah Middaugh | 90 | 82 | 90 | DNS | 90 | 100 | 452 |
| 3 | Dan Hugo | 82 | 75 | 75 | 100 | 69 | 82 | 414 |
| 4 | Nico Lebrun | DNF | 69 | 69 | 90 | 82 | 90 | 400 |
| 5 | Mike Vine | 75 | 90 | 82 | DNS | 75 | 75 | 397 |
| 6 | Craig Evans | 49 | 49 | 63 | 63 | 53 | 63 | 291 |
| 7 | Seth Wealing | 37 | 63 | DNS | 82 | 49 | 58 | 289 |
| 8 | Brian Smith | 53 | 58 | DNS | DNS | 63 | 69 | 243 |
| 9 | Branden Rakita | 45 | 53 | 53 | 75 | DNS | DNS | 226 |
| 10 | Will Kelsay | 31 | 31 | 49 | 41 | 49 | 49 | 219 |
So this was where the real race started, after watching Cast Away in the RV; such a great film; August Rush the night before!? we headed out and about. As one does when most fatigued…
The 3to1 Pinot Noir to water ratio worked - for a while - to avoid the blur. Helped by the bestest fillet I’ve have for ages.
Thankfully home for the night was in the parkade…
The first dueling piono bar I’ve been into. Festive times. Here everyone is standing singing and saluting the milatary on the stage. Bit different to anything I’d seen before, and challenged me a little…
So from bad to worse we went.
It was when I saw the cage dancing possibilities that I figured I was in water foreign to my swim stroke - totally out of my depth. I could not figure who was checking who - just figured I needed to check the exit asap.
What all that means is: I’ve been at the airport from 8am (Craig had to get back to Nashville) - with a 2pm flight… feeling a little jaded, too faded, even with a Starbucks Fruppacino and stale muffin into the equation…
| Dan Hugo 3rd @ XTERRA South Central Cup | Summer photos in Truckee |
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Mr Consistency! Well done Dan. We (Cornel and I) are very proud of you ( not only because you skipped the cage dance possibilities
) Keep the South African dominance, love it. Shot.