{"id":2551,"date":"2011-04-11T15:11:09","date_gmt":"2011-04-11T15:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conradstoltz.com\/?p=2551"},"modified":"2011-04-11T15:11:09","modified_gmt":"2011-04-11T15:11:09","slug":"caveman-loved-xterra-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conradstoltz.com\/index.php\/caveman-loved-xterra-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"Caveman loved XTERRA Las Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"conrad-stoltz-xterra-las-vegas-by-nils-nilsen\"<\/p>\n

Red Caveman. by Nils Nilsen<\/a><\/p>\n

This was a really fun race. During pre riding the course seemed easy and boring, but once you’re flying at race pace, things happen a lot quicker and the surface gets really loose and gravelly as the riders churn up the packed desert.<\/p>\n

Not too sure what happened in the swim. I think I forgot to open my hands all the way to the 1st bouy. Once I opened them, things came around nicely, but I had already lost about 1.30 to a charging lead group.<\/p>\n

Felt quite good on the bike and was smashing it. This is 29er country for sure and the high speeds made for some fun technical situations I didnt anticipate when pre riding half asleep with jet lag. Speaking of half asleep, I somehow managed to follow 2 lapped riders in front of me who had taken a wrong turn and gone off course. I remember sprinting down the hill, looking back at Branden Rakita (cool website<\/a> dude!) (in 3rd then) and thinking “today I’m gonna pump you guys”, only to see the 2 lost ones in front stop and look around with that “wheres the trail?” body language…<\/p>\n

I turned around and sprinted back up the hill, only to see I’ll join the race just in front of Craig Evan and Josiah Middaugh again. “I’ll just have to fix that problem with pedaling harder” I though. Which I did.<\/p>\n

I had a 1.40 lead off the bike and though that was enough. But on this insanely hilly run course one needs half a day lead on mountain goat Josiah Middaugh<\/a> who is from Vail, CO and has been training on a trainer exclusively all winter. (Dude, HOW?!?) Josiah also won his 403th USA National Snow shoe championship title this past winter, AND he wears Avia<\/a> AND he rides a 29er- so you begin to understand why one needs half a day lead. Imagine if he shaved his legs….<\/p>\n

Josiah and I have had very close races here in Vegas over the past 3 years and I think I never beat him by more than a minute on this course. (last year he even did a quick flat fix)<\/p>\n

Josiah is a such a nice guy, losing to him is almost fun. But I\u00a0 think I’m ok now.\u00a0 Jamie’s<\/a> 38 race winning streak is coming down soon…<\/p>\n

Its going to be a great summer’s racing. So good to see all my XTERRA friends again and I noticed a lot of new faces (and Ironman M dot tattoos) that have blown over from road tri. WELCOME TO XTERRA, GUYS!<\/p>\n

We off road lot have a saying:\u00a0 “Its not a ride till there’s blood” <\/strong>and on top of that, “If you bleed into your shoes, it was a REAL ride”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sadly, this blood was from running through a thorn bush. Coming from Africa, i know ALL about thorn bushes, but this little bush looked so innocent… The bush probably thought: “Aaah, look at this Neaderthal, he looks so innocent.” My thorn bush innocence has been violated…<\/p>\n

\"conrad-stoltz-caveman-bleeding-again\"<\/p>\n

These Las Vegas thorn bushes arent so innocent… The fresh scab is from last weeks’ MTB race.<\/p>\n

Gotta LOVE those new Avia avi STOLTZ <\/a>colours! The also look good with a touch of blood…<\/p>\n

Was great to see Taylor Seavey and folks again- he crushed the 20-24s.\u00a0 What an amazing life he’s had the past few months- check out his new blog: TaylorSeavey.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Click here <\/a>for race day photos.<\/p>\n

Again, borrowed from the XterraPlanet press release:<\/p>\n

[April 10, 2011 (Lake Las Vegas, Nevada) – Josiah Middaugh, 32, of Vail, Colorado and Melanie McQuaid, 37, from Victoria, B.C., Canada, won the pro races at the XTERRA West Championship in 2:13:39 and 2:32:29, respectively, on a beautiful blue sky day at the Aston MonteLago Village Resort in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada this morning.<\/em><\/p>\n

In each of the last two seasons here in the desert Middaugh had come close to defeating everyone\u2019s chief rival \u2013 4x XTERRA World Champ Conrad Stoltz \u2013 only to fall seconds short (by 32 seconds in \u201909 and 39 seconds last year).<\/em><\/p>\n

This year it looked like deja-vu all over again with Stoltz taking a seemingly commanding one-minute, 40 second lead into the run, however, Middaugh – fresh off a winter spent crushing the competition on snowshoes – put together a ridiculously fast run and caught Stoltz on the last big climb at about the four-mile mark and never looked back.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJosiah is crazy.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s flat, downhill, or uphill he runs the same speed \u2013 fast,\u201d said Stoltz after the race.
\n\u201cI thought I had it but this course is very hilly, and he is such a great hill runner that I needed a bigger lead.\u00a0 I was walking up that last big climb and he just came flying past.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Middaugh had the fastest run of the day, a 37:59 to Stoltz\u2019 40:47, and said he ran as hard as he could the entire time.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been snowshoe racing all winter and we run up stuff steeper than that hill so I really tried to peg it, get my heart rate going and just go for it,\u201d said Middaugh, who won the North American Snowshoe Championship and USAT Winter Triathlon National Championship in the off-season.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew the climbing was done by mile four so I had to attack the run.\u00a0 Conrad crushed the bike, and put more time on me than I had hoped for, so I had to ran as hard as I could on every climb to try and make it back early.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The outcome could have been different had Stoltz\u2019 not gone off-course on the bike and lost a minute or more heading in the wrong direction.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really my fault. I pre-rode the course and new it well but ended up following some age groupers and we got off course,\u201d said Stoltz.\u00a0 \u201cIt probably added a minute to a minute-and-a-half on the bike.\u00a0 I still thought I had it but in the end it was too much.\u00a0 But all credit to Josiah, he had a great race, especially considering he came right out of winter.\u00a0 He\u2019s got good form, it\u2019s going to make for a great summer of racing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

While Stoltz had the fastest bike split, and Middaugh the fastest run, Branden Rakita – who was the top American at XTERRA Worlds last year – had the best swim and a solid bike and run to finish third, tying his career-best (he was also third at the XTERRA Canada Championship last year).<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really tight on the bike today, with a lot of guys hanging around up front like Branden and Seth Wealing so I was worried they\u2019d sneak up on the run,\u201d said Middaugh (pictured).<\/em><\/p>\n

Former XTERRA World Champion Nico Lebrun was more than four minutes back out of the swim but made up that time with the third quickest bike and fourth-best run to propel himself into fourth place.<\/em><\/p>\n

Chris Stehula, last year\u2019s USAT collegiate national champ, had his best-ever XTERRA showing to round out the podium, while Jim Thijs from Belgium finished sixth and Wealing seventh to round out the money spots.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis course was more technical than I thought it would be,\u201d said Stoltz of the sandy, rocky, moon-like surface.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI rode it on Tuesday and it was hard-packed and I thought it would be so easy, but with all the riders churning it up over the week it really got loose and more technical than you\u2019d think, so anybody that rode well today should be proud.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n


\nTOP PRO MEN
\nPl\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Name\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Age\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hometown\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Time\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pts\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Purse
\n1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Josiah Middaugh\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vail, Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:13:39\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 100\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $1,800
\n2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Conrad Stoltz\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stellenbosch, South Africa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:14:38\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 90\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $1,250
\n3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Branden Rakita\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Manitou Springs, Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:17:46\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 82\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $800
\n4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nicolas Lebrun\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 38\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Digne, France\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:19:16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 75\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $500
\n5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chris Stehula\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 San Luis Obispo, California\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:20:13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 69\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $400
\n6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jim Thijs\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Huldenberg, Belgium\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:22:03\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 63\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $300
\n7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Seth Wealing\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Boulder, Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:22:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 58\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $200
\n8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Trevor Glavin\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 31\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 San Diego, California\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:22:51\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 53
\n9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cody Waite\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lakewood, Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:22:53\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 49
\n10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brian Smith\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 35\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gunnison, Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:23:17\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 45
\nAlso:\u00a0 Craig Evans (41), Shiloh Mielke (37), Adam Wirth (34), Brad Zoller (31), Jason Michalak (28), Karsten Madsen, Chris Jackson, Chris Ganter, Will Kelsay, Patrick Valentine, Damian Gonzalez<\/em><\/p>\n


\nMcQUAID STARTS 2011 ON A HIGH NOTE
\nIt was a tough off-season for long-time XTERRA great Melanie McQuaid having to live with the memories of an 11th place finish at XTERRA Worlds, a race she dedicated so much time and energy into. Nothing like today, then, to start the 2011 season where she\u2019d like to finish it \u2013 on the top step.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNice to erase the bad memory of Worlds,\u201d said McQuaid (pictured), who\u2019s won World\u2019s three times.\u00a0 \u201cUnfortunately you\u2019re only as good as your last race so I had to deal with that, but this is much better and anytime you can win one of these it\u2019s a pretty special day.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Fellow countrywoman Christine Jeffrey provided perhaps the biggest competition to McQuaid on this day.\u00a0 Jeffrey came out of the water with the top men and put together a strong bike that had McQuaid chasing her for most of the first 10 miles.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cChristine is riding really well and I didn\u2019t catch her until the end of the first lap,\u201d said McQuaid, who came out of the water third behind Jeffrey and XTERRA newcomer Kelsey Withrow (who later pulled with a mechanical).<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I past Christine it was hard to tell what was going on behind me because this course is really fast moving, almost criterium style, so you couldn\u2019t tell where anybody was until you came up on them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

While most expected reigning XTERRA World Champ Shonny Vanlandingham (pictured) to make her move on the bike, she was so cold coming out of the water that she never really warmed up.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the coldest water I\u2019ve ever been in.\u00a0 I was hypothermic, came out of the water in a total daze and just couldn\u2019t get it together,\u201d said Vanlandingham, whose swim split was 29:46, five minutes off McQuaid and more than eight minutes back of Jeffrey.<\/em><\/p>\n

The water temp was 62-degrees earlier in the week, but one-and-all said it was a lot colder than that today.\u00a0 \u201cIt was probably in the high 50\u2019s,\u201d said Branden Rakita, and both he and Vanlandingham said they couldn\u2019t even feel their toes until the second mile on the run.<\/em><\/p>\n

Vanlandingham actually had the second-best run split, behind only the speedy Danelle Kabush, but couldn\u2019t bridge a five-plus minute gap and was happy with second place.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jeffrey ran past mountain bike expert Kelley Cullen, who was racing in her first off-road tri, to finish in third with Cullen in fourth.\u00a0 Kabush rounded out the podium, with Emma Garrard and Suzie Snyder placing sixth and seventh, and Jessica Noyola eighth in her first race as a pro.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

TOP PRO WOMEN<\/em><\/p>\n

Pl\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Name\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Age\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hometown\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Time\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pts\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Purse
\n1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Melanie McQuaid\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Victoria, B.C., Canada\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:32:29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 100\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $1,800
\n2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shonny Vanlandingham\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Durango, Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:35:50\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 90\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $1,250
\n3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Christine Jeffrey\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 38\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Guelph, Ontario, Canada\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:37:02\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 82\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $800
\n4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kelley Cullen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New Castle, Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:38:56\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 75\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $500
\n5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Danelle Kabush\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 35\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Calgary, Alberta, Canada\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:39:06\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 69\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $400
\n6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Emma Garrard\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Park City, Utah\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:40:39\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 63\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $300
\n7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Suzie Snyder\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fredericksburg, Virginia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:43:49\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 58\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $200
\n8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jessica Noyola\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 San Diego, California\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:49:05\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 53
\n9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rosemarie Gerspacher\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Calgary, Alberta, Canada\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:49:58\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 49
\n10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tracy Thelen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 31\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Colorado Springs, CO\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2:59:37\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 45\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ]
\n<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Red Caveman. by Nils Nilsen This was a really fun race. During pre riding the course seemed easy and boring, but once you’re flying at race pace, things happen a lot quicker and the surface gets really loose and gravelly as the riders churn up the packed desert. Not too sure what happened in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[82],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n