Preparing for the Run

By the time you get to the run, there aren’t many things that can go wrong. Assuming that you make it through T2, The big question is “Did you hold enough back?” The most common failure at this stage is running out of fuel and bonking. To prevent a bonk, you should have an eating and drinking schedule during the bike section.

Most racers need at least two bottles of fluid per hour, and some need more. Hydration packs make it easy to drink on the bike, and many racers will also use gels to get in the extra calories needed to avoid a bonk (usually 200-300 calories per hour is enough). A few small preparations can help your run.

• Carry an extra gel during the run, just in case you feel a bonk start to come on,
• Be sure that your racing shoes are well broken-in,
• Wear socks and Vaseline your feet so that you won’t get blisters.

Pacing is THE way to avoid blowing up at the end of the race. What happens during the swim and bike will determine how you run. Keep more than a little in reserve while racing.

An XTERRA is a lot like an Olympic distance triathlon, with a mountain bike instead. There’s no ‘zone’ in the run … no mindless ‘Just put one foot in front of the other.” The run is more like the last five minutes of a bike race… that’s where you win or lose it. XTERRA is a completely different sport, and you need to race it that way.

The best defense against a race-day meltdown is to prepare everything well in advance and have a plan to deal with problems. Learn to stay relaxed. Use a positive attitude to stay in the race. Remember, the better prepared you are…the luckier you will be!

 Author Neal Henderson is an XTERRA PRO and the Coordinator of the Sport Science program at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. He teaches the XTERRA University swim clinics, and can be reached at nhenderson@bch.org.