Xterra Richmond Pre-riding

After getting to Richmond on Tuesday, Craig and I stroked the tiger in the pool, and made our way round the run course in humid temperatures still hovering above 100 at 6pm. But as always, the demons of the unknown get laid to rest the more of the course is known, and seeing some of it on the run was soothing to the worried soul.

(The run crosses the rocks in picture, and the bike crosses the bridge)

Wednesday morning we joined the ‘Boulder Group’ at Brown’s Island, Down Town Richmond, to do a ride with a coffee stop at the Crossroads Coffee Shop. The coffee didnt happen, as the riding was too good, too gripping, too frightening, and demanding of all attention.

(Mike Vine, Conrad Stoltz, Will Kelsay, and company…)

(Nature calling in the city centre)

The ride covers 30km of forest/urban trail on the bank of the James River. It’s a green belt not much wider than 100m and how some of the best trail is laid out in such a small surface area is nuts. Tens of hairpins weave riders back and fourth through lush forest thicket, on the trail system that has won the ‘best city trail system’ for the past three years. And rightly so.

I was panicky, with so much to remember on the most technical course I’v been on. I kept getting my gearing wrong, coming round blind corners into the steepest 10m of climbing, or some urban drop in, or rooted corner. Its a physically demanding course, and I’ll be out the saddle more here than anywhere else, trying to maintain momentum over the short ups and downs. But after getting round a second, and third time, I’ve exchanged anxiety to excitement for a course that will test riding in every way. I feel there is plenty time to show form, to power climbs, to corner well, with high risks of flatting. I did in one of my many mis-shifts snap my chain. Something I’ll try avoid on race day… And that could be a risk factor.

(Conrad dropping into a rock stair section)

(Mike waiting for the group in Forest Hill)

We got hauled over after one lap, for some press Q&A, while getting in some lunch and drink before the second lap.

(Conrad, Mike, Danelle Kabush, myself, Craig, and Christine Jeffrey’s)

The run is 10km of fast flat urban running, starting on curb-sides and concrete pathways, before getting on a river crossing over the rocks in picture one above. An unmarked, choose your own line, traversing some boulders and mud pools, before finishing with two small climbs, one over a hill the bike goes over as well, and one over a hanging suspension walk way to finish on fast tar.

The swim could well surpass the bike and run for fun and the unusual. It’ll be a shorter than usual 1000m swim, in a shallow river where swimmers will be able to dolphin dive and run big sections going across the width of the stream, before running across a small island, diving back in, and swimming perpendicularly to the current till reaching the original bank, turning to swim with the flow and then exiting under the train tracks for a long run to T1. Should be out of the ordinary, and unfortunately doesnt favour my current swim form as much as the lesser swimmers on the circuit. But I feel with the amount of biking to come, it should be insignificant not being able to stretch the field as much.

I’ve grabbed for some aggressive tires, feeling I need aid in the loose corners. The whole course is a corner. And I doubt higher rolling resistance will be much detriment here. I slowed the rear rebound some, but the rest is same old, and hoping I’m set for another good result.

Temperatures have eased off after Tuesday’s manic high, and is steady around the high 80’s. We’re off at 9am, and shouldnt have the heat be as much a factor as with Temecula and Alabama.

The body is feeling great, and has recovered well from last weekend’s Xterra in Alabama. Ruth is keeping the seems from coming undone with some great massage, and there arent any ache’s and pains, other than from my spill on the run yesterday…

Nothing special, just tripped over my own feet I guess. I do it all the time. A small bit of skin off my palm, and some grazing and bruising on the right knee. Just enough to embarrass the ego.

(This is one of the hairiest drop in - made to look easy by Will Kelsay)

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 14th, 2008 at 1:06 am and is filed under Conrad Stoltz, Craig Evans, Mike Vine, Pre-riding, Will Kelsay, Xterra, Xterra East Championships, Xterra Richmond, Xterra Richmond Course. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.