It had been a few years since I raced an XTERRA trail run, and I'll be honest, I missed it. XTERRA has always been able to take their cool mountain community vibe and inject it with some polish, such as a blazing finish line chute full of top notch sponsors, professional prize purses, enough events for the whole family to get dirty, and a post-race video worthy of sharing. Even in this world of barbed wire obstacle and tough mudding insanity, XTERRA successfully sticks to their roots and consistently wins the hearts of a loyal group of outdoor warriors. The events are long enough to hurt, but not so long you can't spend the afternoon meeting people and sipping beers at the end. When I saw a weekend free up that would allow me to head to Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah, for the XTERRA Triathlon and Trail Run National Championships, I was eager to get reacquainted!
(Mario Mendoza tackles the 2014 course)
On the flight up, I found myself excited to shift into the different gears required for a half marathon (21k) trail distance. After ultra training most of the year, it seemed like I was going to have to go at "ludicrous speed" just to keep up with the likes of Patrick Smyth (2x XTERRA World Champion, 2015 US Mountain Running Champion), 2015 NCAA 5k Champ Travis Morrison, 2015 St. Louis Marathon winner Richard Chelimo, and defending champion and 2x Olympic cross country skier Liz Stephen. It would be a good shake up the ultra training!
(Sharing a beer with Josiah Middaugh after winning his 10th national title)
I arrived in time to watch the last of the XTERRA Off Road Triathlon National Championships, and watch the amazing bike skills these athletes have. And they can still head up into the hills and clock 6:30 min/miles! You could tell these athletes were stoked to punch their ticket to the world championship in Hawaii. A few were doing the double and would be back for the Trail Run the next day. Yup, these are my people!
(perfect day, ready to run)
Come race day, the weather was ideal and cloud free, and the single track beckoned the ~250 runners to come play. As the cannon sounded, we headed around the roads before tackling one of two big climbs. First mile was a 5:50 min/mile, and I was in 40th! This is a fast group.
(the cannon fires, and we are off!)
(Alayna Szuch - 11 years old, and killing it!)
I could feel the 6k-8k foot elevation pulling at my lungs, but when the race is this short, you basically have to charge the whole thing. I took the first climb with Alayna Szuch, an 11-year-old that was holding onto third Woman overall, and showing no signs of slowing. Incredible!
(the single track is fast!)
The dry single track was well groomed by the mountain bikes, providing a fast course with lots of banked turns. I was picking up places on the downhills and straights, my inov-8 X-Talon 212's proving to be the right shoe for nimbly jumping from mud to rocks, but wow, I just could not adjust to this fast pace! I swore I was one step away from a swan dive into the Wasatch canyons. As I looked ahead at the group of runners charging into the second hill (mile 6), it was clear the track runners had a special advantage with their speed and ability to come quickly out of switchbacks. I spotted some likely Masters runners ahead, so made my way up to them as we crested Sardine (mile 8) and ran the ridge line.
(breaking through to the ridge line on Sardine)
The Fall colors lured us off the ridge and into the final long set of switchbacks. I caught up to Wilhelm Northrop, who was the winner in my age group last year, and stuck close to him knowing his course familiarity (4x finisher) was better than mine (nada). As we hit one mile to go, I had enough to push past him in the final climb, only to learn that climb was A LOT bigger than I had thought. Darn you, announcer that sounds so close! But I pressed through, and crossed the finish in in 1:36:59 for 20th place, turning and thanking Wilhelm for his help. It turned out to be much slower than his finish last year, as he has been focusing on cycling this year, but it sure felt fast to me.
(Wilhelm sets the pace)
Patrick Smyth (1:13:55) handily won, holding off Travis Morrison (1:17:29) and Flagstaff's Mike Popjoy (1:21:07), while Liz Stephen (1:28:39) brought home a convincing win. The 11-year-old I passed, Alayna Szuch (1:45:32), held on for an impressive 2nd overall! She was one of a dozen truly outstanding young kids in here mixing it up in the full 21k...there is no doubt this sport is building the future of trail running. (all results, summary of race and national championship)
(yeah, finish!)
(Patrick Smyth and the Top 5 Men)
(Patrick catches up with fans, while Travis wonders what the hell I'm doing)
(The future of our sport...how cute are they?)
I managed a 2nd for my Age Group, behind a blazing fast Donnie Gray from the local Salomon team who had me by three minutes thanks to his amazing climbing skills. Yeah, gonna have to tune in that training to beat these mountain goats. But also great fun to meet so many new runners and see all these young speedsters. The Szuch family managed to have three wins, with Alayna, Mom, and brother taking national titles before heading off to soccer practice. Many age group winners had won their age group in the triathlon the day before, including 71-year-old James Meskimen from Truckee, CA, donning his Ironman Lake Tahoe buckle. Yup, these are serious mountain athletes right here. It is great to celebrate a wonderful day in the sun with them.
My thanks to the XTERRA family and their amazing volunteers for putting on a world class race. It was great to see you again!
XTERRA is moving their 21km trail run national championship to Utah, and shifting from August to late September to coincide with the XTERRA off-road triathlon championships. Sounds like great weekend of fun in the dirt!
I know some of you were saying the course in Bend, OR, wasn't mountain enough for a national championship - you will certainly get your fill here! Plus you can probably count on a lot of the Bend locals to stay put for the Flagline 50k (Max King?). XTERRA says they part with Bend, OR, on good terms.
BTW, how awesome is the guy in their promo picture? BGID...Beards Getting It Done.
SD
[press release]
Ogden / Snowbasin to Host 2011 XTERRA Trail Run Nationals
The 2011 XTERRA Trail Run National Championship half-marathon is moving to Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah, on Sept. 25.
Located just 35 miles north of Salt Lake City, and just up the road from the adventure capitol of Ogden, Snowbasin is easy get to and an increasingly popular adventure travel destination. It also has an incredible collection of trails, which are nothing short of spectacular in late September as the fall colors start bursting in an array of red, pink, orange, green and yellow.
The race will be held one day after the XTERRA USA Championship of off-road triathlon, creating the ultimate XTERRA racing weekend.
The championship race is again a half-marathon, and will start and finish at Snowbasin Resort - a world-class ski resort that hosted the downhill and super G races for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and most recently served as the final stop of the Winter Dew Tour.
All 2010-2011 XTERRA Trail Run Series regional champions, like the recently crowned Arizona Trail Run Series Champs, earn a comp entry into Nationals and runners from the 12 respective regions in the U.S. Series can now focus on Snowbasin in Sept. as one of their goals.
The championship race is open to the public and no qualification is necessary, so one and all can challenge the best-of-the-best trail runners and race for a national championship.
As the final event of the 70-race XTERRA U.S. Trail Run Series, the race will be filmed for a nationally syndicated XTERRA Adventures TV show.
The half-marathon championship race will be accompanied by 5km and 10km trail runs along the same run courses that the XTERRA Utah short and long course triathletes ran the day before. In addition to the races, XTERRA will host an expo in downtown Ogden with free kids races, vendor booths, a Paul Mitchell hair cut-a-thon for charity, and evening dinner parties.
"We are terribly excited to bring our entire XTERRA Tribe together in Utah this September, the energy level is going to be off-the-charts," said Janet Clark, president of TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA. "Ogden and Snowbasin are proven winners - between the facilities at Snowbasin, the great restaurants and atmosphere along Historic 25th Street in Ogden, and the unbelievably supportive community - we couldn't have asked for a better situation."
2011 marks the fifth year XTERRA has hosted a trail running national championship race. In the inaugural season of 2007 nationals was a 10km race at Incline Village, NV. In 2008 XTERRA switched the championship distance to the 21km half-marathon, and moved to Bend, Oregon, who played host to the past three trail run national championship races from 2008-2010.
The XTERRA USA Championship weekend is sponsored by the Utah Sports Commission, Paul Mitchell, and XTERRAVitality.com. Sponsors include GU, Gatorade, Zorrel, Snowbasin Resort, GOAL Foundation, MediaOne of Utah, U.S. Forest Service, ENVE Composites, KSL TV, and the XTERRA Alliance - Wetsuits, Gear, Cycling, Fitness, Flex, and Footwear.
I returned to the Hawaiian islands one last time this year to join 1,500 trail runners for the third annual XTERRA Trail Run World Championship at Kualoa Ranch on Oahu. This 21k/10k/5k race is becoming a very big deal, and has grown over 50% this year thanks to the 60+ races in the XTERRA Series pulling runners from all over the world and the reputation of a challenging course with $10,000 in prize money. My Dad and I saw an opportunity to get some beach, sun, and fast trails so we made it a "dude's weekend" to retreat from winter on the mainland.
(Ahhh...Waikiki)
It was great to have a few days of one-on-one time with the old man prior to the Sunday race. The Outrigger Reef hotel at Waikiki was a splendid location for "acclimating". I often forget our standard family get-togethers provide few venues for deep conversations, much in thanks to eager grandkids, the ever-ringing cell phone, and the matrix of in-laws and siblings time slicing the few remaining hours for rapid fire catch ups. The beaches of Waikiki offer a contrarian repose, with a trifecta of sun, beach, and mai-tais that can eat an afternoon with one gloriously random conversation. These long stretches of quality time, engaged and listening, inevitably unearth new stories and perspectives that permit us to appreciate the men behind the roles of father and son. Time is a wicked cool gift.
(At the start)
(A few clouds for cover, but still a hot day)
Come 9am on Sunday, we arrived relaxed (and quite possibly over-acclimated) for the 12.9 mile romp through the stunningly beautiful Kualoa Ranch. Nobody was allowed to preview the course, so the starting area was abuzz with new runners getting tips from experienced runners like Max King (2-time defending champion), Fujio Miyachi from Japan (5th last year), Christian Friis, Cristina Begy (defending 35-39 age group champ), and George Taylor (75 yrs old and 2x age group champion). Max had some new challengers this year with Brandon Mader (who rocked the Alabama XTERRA Series), Oregon's Tyler Davis (5th at Nationals), and the US Navy's Will Christian all in top form. The Women's race was wide open, with most people putting their money on Sally Meyerhoff after her 2009 American Record in the 10-mile (54:38), or reigning XTERRA Triathlon World Champ Melanie McQuaid.
(Posing with Team XTREME)
(Seriously bad ass Team XTREME, photo courtesy of Eric Wynn/XTERRA)
As I was warming up, I got to meet Team XTREME, a group of military men running the race in full gas masks to raise awareness for military members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The masks create 20-25% oxygen resistance, which is, as stated by founder Jeremy Soles, "not nearly as difficult as living with Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD, or learning to walk again with prosthetics". Wow. There's a little perspective for ya.
At 9:15am, the gun went off and Will Christian, Tyler Davis, and Max King led the pack up the first set of hills. I settled into 25th or so, just behind Sally Meyerhoff, trying to keep my cool in the early miles. Behind me was a snake of runners that seemed to stretch to the sea.
(600 trail runners take on the 21k distance, photo courtesy of Eric Wynn/XTERRA)
(The cannon sends us off!)
(Cruising up the first valley, photo courtesy of Eric Wynn/XTERRA)
(Will Christian, Tyler Davis, Rivers Puzy, and Max King set the pace, photo courtesy of Eric Wynn/XTERRA)
At mile 2, the course took a new turn, heading up into the Valley to connect to some single track. We saw backdrop scenes from the TV show Lost, and films such as Fifty First Dates, Jurassic Park, and what looks like to be a new film about the Lost City of Atlantis. The single track came suddenly, and forced the pack to spread out; I was fortunate to be a few steps ahead of Mark Speck, my likely competition for the 40-44 age group. When we exited the single track to head out towards the ocean (mile 4), I had gapped him by a minute, but had also been gapped significantly by those ahead of me. Oh, cursed single track, you giveth and you taketh away!
(Climbing up to the single track)
By mile 5, I was drenched in sweat from the breeze-less stretches of fire roads that baked my pale white body. It felt like we were running all alone in the thicket, but any clearing would quickly show us that there were folks just ahead and on our tail. Single track may spread us out, but fire roads bunch us back up! I wonder what is around the next corner?
(Richard Burgunder leads a group up an early climb)
(Using my 180-degree swiveling ankles to tackle the lava, photo courtesy of XTERRA)
The views were spectacular, and the trails much dryer than previous years. I took in as much water as I could at the aid station (mile 7) before passing some horseback riders and tacking the big climb. The long exposed stretches quickly drained me, and I had to slow to a walk to keep my composure. Try not to strain that neck looking over your shoulder, Scott!
(Even the fire roads were lush)
(How crazy are these views?)
About a half mile up the 15 degree ascent, I came to a complete stop to allow the tunnel vision to fade away. Hmmm, same spot at last year! I guess that course knowledge isn't doing much to help me avoid the overheating. I got passed by a few people, including Mark Speck who was one of the few brave souls running everything, all of whom put a hand on my shoulder to make sure I was okay. Once the vision was back, I snapped to and charged up the hill again.
(And here is what photos look like when the tunnel vision kicks in)
(From the thicket to park-like clearings)
The back side of the mountain (mile 8) was much more dry than last year, so it was easier to control my speed on the descent (unlike Meyerhoff - be sure to check 3:35 in the video a the end of this entry for her epic spill off the mountain). I charged through the last of the fire roads in hopes to catch Mark Speck, but the clearing in the single track showed that he (and three others) were out of reach.
(Along the top ridge, then down the other side, photo courtesy of Eric Wynn/XTERRA)
(Descents steep enough to need a rope! Photo courtesy of Eric Wynn/XTERRA)
There was nobody behind me, so I cruised in at 1:35:41 for 18th place, 3rd in age group. I was just in time for the kids race! Check out the video...it's the future of trail running coming at ya! Such amazing energy.
Max King (1:16:36) made it a three-peat, despite recovering from the flu, with Will Christian (1:17:56), Hawaii's Rivers Puzey (1:20:54), Brandon Mader (1:21:48), and Tyler Davis (1:23:07) taking the top 5 slots. Sally Meyerhoff (1:28:58) recovered from her mountain spill to win the Women's division and pick up the $2,000 check, pushing so hard that she was whisked away to medical soon after crossing the finish (she's fine). Hawaii's Kim Kuehnert (1:36:52) and Melanie McQuaid (1:38:11) finished up the podium. [results, press release]
(Max King)
(Sally Meyerhoff)
(Into the finishing chute!)
Before I could even gulp my third Gatorade, I heard them announce my Dad's name at the finish. He did it again! An amazing 1:56 for a clear win in the 65-69 age group. Once more, I am happily upstaged by my father - age group wins at XTERRA Nationals, USATF Trail Championships, and now XTERRA Worlds. He has set the bar quite high for my debut in the 65-69 age group...thank God I still have a few years to train!
(Larry Dunlap, WORLD CHAMPION!!!!)
We sipped some beers at the finish, making lots of new friends, then headed back to Waikiki to swim with a sea turtle and watch my Dad's legs cramp in crazy sporadic patterns. Throughout the next day and flight home, we overheard trail runners talking about their amazing experiences and how they want to "step it up" to even bigger distances. XTERRA is doing a great job feeding this sport! Then again, how could you not with such an epic adventure.
(Top 3 finishers, men and women)
(Tyler Davis helps raise money for CAF with a haircut from Paul Mitchell)
My Dad and I didn't need to say much as we headed to our respective homes, for we had enough beach and trail time to say everything. I am lucky to be able to share these experiences with him, particularly because it was the time he graciously spent with me as a kid that led to my deep passion for the outdoors. Once again, the gift of time yields immeasurable fruits.
And I couldn't be more proud of my World Champion Dad! Such a perfect way to cap the season.
My thanks to Janet, Trey, Emily, Dayton, and the fabulous crew at XTERRA for another extraordinary event. You guys make it easy to add adventure to our lives.
Mele Kalikimaka! (Happy Holidays)
- SD
[PS - Check 4:55 in the video above...is my Dad throwing an elbow at the finish? ;-) ]
Last Saturday, I had the great pleasure of joining 650 trail running fanatics for the party known as the 2010 XTerra Trail Running National Championships in Bend, OR. This was the third running of the event, and was the biggest XTerra championship to date, with runners from over 30 states coming to check out the fast and furious trails up and down the Deschutes River. Bend, OR, played the perfect host, dishing out great running weather, a variety of post-race activities, and enough fast runners to keep things lively in every age group from 7 to 75+. What a fantastic time!
Sophie (my four-year-old) and I flew up to meet my Dad and step-Mom, and we were happy to hear that Dad brought his Inov-8 X-Talons, unable to resist the calling of a 13.99 mile romp through the woods. Sophie had her sights set on the kids obstacle course, as well as the Bend Fall Festival going on downtown that promised pony rides and face painting. Sophie is all about XTerra, having started a collection of kids medals and memories to last a lifetime.
(Dad and me at the start)
(Hanging with Lars)
The weather on race morning was just right - cool, cloudy, and a hint of rain to keep the dust levels low. We gathered at the start with Washington trail runner Lars Larson, local fast guy Sean Meissner, ultra world champ Kami Semick, XTerra star Derek Schultz, and Fujio Miyachi from Japan, and commented on how the number of gazelles warming up in the parking lot suggested a fast race this year. Two-time defending champ Max King was back, as was defending Women's champion (and 2010 5k national champion) Lauren Fleshman. They both had plenty of competition, known and unknown, and were here to take this seriously.
(I catch up with Sean at the start as Lauren gets her race face on)
(Max King is ready to roll!)
(Defending champion Lauren Fleshman)
I was feeling pretty good during the warm up, although a bit tired from the two-a-day Ironman training that has become the staple for the October 9th showdown in Hawaii. How do these Ironmen do it?!? In the last month, I've fallen asleep at a stoplight, woken from a swimming dream to freestyle stroke right off onto the floor, and gone up one jacket size from lats that look like I'm smuggling a manta ray. Guess it's time to see if all this cross-training helps the trail running! My Dad, Larry Dunlap, was fresh off a foot injury, but had a good base of fitness from running, hiking, and cycling through the summer like only a retired guy can do. We gave each other a good luck hug and readied for the start.
(Leaving Old Mill and heading down the river)
When the cannon went OFF, we instinctively got the hell out of there and tore through the Old Mill District to the first section of bike path. I cruised along with Sean Meissner, Fujio Miyachi, and Mike Olsen and settled into a 6 min/mile rhythm. Up ahead, there were already two packs of runners, with Max King running 5th or so in the first pack, and Lauren Fleshman tucked behind Michele Suszek like a track-trained hunter in the second pack. We crossed the bridge and hit the first section of dirt, and everyone spread out before the single track.
I remembered from last year not to get too crazy until I hit Haul Road (mile 3), so I bid adieu to Sean and the gang as they tore it up and over the roller coaster hills along the river. About a dozen more passed me in this section, but I was able to turn it up once we got to the flat section of Haul Road and pull them back in. I pulled up behind Fujio and Dylan Johnson, a wicked-fast 16-year old up from Dripping Spring, TX. They kept the pace fast - right about 5:50 min/miles - but the front packs were still putting time into us at a crazy rate.
(Indya Bull, hitting the single track)
(Enjoying the switchbacks!)
(Fujio and Dylan pace up the fire roads...)
(...then hit the single track)
Mary Colburn from Culver City, CA, joined our little pack as we peeled off the dirt roads and into some more technical single track (mile 5). Fujio and Dylan were amazing, never losing time, and the rest of us just tried to keep up as they hopped through the brush and lava rocks. Once there was a longer section, Mike Olsen, Mary, and I would let our strides open up and reel them in. The sportsmanship was top notch, and everyone was happy to trade off to keep the pace high.
(Mary Colburn leads Mike Olsen up the lava road)
(nature at it's best)
(Sean Dunlap sets the pace up front...go Team Dunlap!)
We cruised along the top of a rocky ridge (a new section from last year) before diving down a chute and heading back along the river (mile 7). Mike Olsen found a whole new gear and I swore I heard the Roadrunner "meep! meep!" as he left us in a dust cloud. Dylan and I paired up to try and keep him in sight, trading off the lead over the last climb into the lava fields. Before long, we were back on Haul Road (mile 10), covering the first 10 miles in 62 minutes. Wow! This course is seriously fast.
(Dylan races down the single track)
(The very lively aid station volunteers)
A sprinkle of rain kept us cool, as costumed volunteers handed us one last gulp of fuel to push through this fast section. I got excited about using these long straightaways to bank some time and maybe, just maybe, average a 6 min/mile pace for the whole race. I did my best to work my arms as much as I could - those manta ray lats must be good for something! I pushed it up to 5:40 min/miles to bank some time for the upcoming switchbacks, and found myself alone as I trucked down to the river.
(Rachel Edelson heads down the river)
(Max King hits the turbocharger)
(Arnauld Decarsin, in from France, cruises along the river)
I pulled in one more runner along the last, fairly flat section, and charged the last mile in 5:30. It sure felt good to go fast! I crossed the finish in 1:28:14 for 23rd, considerably faster than last year, but not nearly fast enough to get a spot on the podium. Alas! I guess XTerra is officially a place for the Fast People. No worries though - it was so much fun!
(Victory #2 for Lauren Fleshman)
I did a cool down run with Mary (who got 3rd woman overall) and Sean Meissner (18th, and easily the best trail/road rash of the day), as we contemplated the incredibly fast times of Max King (1st again in 1:15:57) and Lauren Fleshman (1st woman, 10th overall, 1:24:24) and a field that required a sub-6 minute mile pace just to crack the Top 20. If anyone thought XTerra was a secret before, it ain't a secret no more!
(Sean shows off his souvenir)
(Don Hildebrand repeats his win in the 75+ age group)
I returned to the finish to try and catch a photo of my Dad, but he was already done! His 1:52:44 was good enough to win his age group and keep up the Dunlap name (Sean Dunlap from North Carolina also had an impressive 1:33:00). As I closed in to get a photo of him on the podium, some super-master runners next to me just shook their heads, saying how the next guy was over 20 minutes back. It was so cool to say, "yep...that's my Dad!". I couldn't have been more proud, and immediately filled his heads with thoughts of the XTerra World Championship in Hawaii in December. The awards ceremony was great fun, particularly when 7-year-old Zoe Allen got up to receive a special award for finishing the whole 13.99 mile race in 3:03, exclaiming "it's so much fun!". We will certainly be seeing her on the trails again!
(Zoe Allen, -year-old rock star!)
(Dad tops the podium!)
(Fujio and Max pose with a friend)
We spent the afternoon smiling our way through the Bend Fall Festival, giving Sophie her fair share of face painting, pony rides, and petting zoos. This is such a great summer town! I headed out the next morning for a casual long run, and soon found another race in progress, the Bigfoot 10k, with many of the same faces from the day before (and Max King winning, natch). They live the good life up here, that's for sure.
(Sophie the silver kitty)
(XTerra is easily the most kid friendly race around)
A big THANKS to the XTerra family for another top notch race (you can see more photos, including many I stole for the above, here). Nobody puts on a show quite like these guys, and if you haven't tried it, I highly suggest going big and sticking Nationals or Worlds on your calendar before they become qualifier-only events. I know I will be back for sure.
