Xterra

Dad and his friend Dawn, and our friend Katie, did the Xterra race at Snowbasin on Sunday, March 8th. It is a 10K of mountain biking (on snow), then a 5K of snowshoeing, then a 5K of running (on snow), then an 8K of ski mountaineering. For those of you that do not know what ski mountaineering is, it's putting skins (a piece of fabric that has hairs that move in one direction so that it stops the ski from sliding backwards) on the ski, then walking up, then taking the skins off and skiing down, then putting them back on, going up... Well you get the idea. The race had them putting them on and taking them off three times. Each time they came down, they had to go through gates. Anyway that you look at it, it's quite crazy and I would never do it! But they did! Katie finished second in her age category, unfortunately Dad and Dawn didn't finish. They made it in the transition for the skiing just in the nick of time (they were the last people to make it) but took too long on the ski and were kicked off the course. They made a monumental effort and it was really hard! I got tired just walking up and down the hill to the transition/start/finish area!

At the start line!

Dad and Dawn finishing the 10K bike.

Dawn and Dad starting the 5K snowshoe.


Here is Katie starting the 5K run.

This picture cracks me up. This is Dad and Dawn starting the 5K run, but it looks like they are doing a little dance!


Dawn and Dad in the last transition, after the run, getting ready for the ski. Dad is trying to recover a little.


Dawn putting her boots on.


Here is Katie (in the green) passing Carla (she smiled the whole time). Carla ended up coming in third in the age group, Katie got 2nd!


Katie at the finish! Yay!

And here is a videa of Dad coming up on the transition to the ski. He is hurting a little bit. Listen to the announcer at the end, he is saying his name and then saying that Dawn should be there soon. All day, they were coming in at the same time so the announcer knew that when he saw one he would see the other. Dawn had come in just before Dad, so she was already waiting in the transition area.

So that is the day at the race. It was a ton of fun to watch and don't know what possess these people to do stuff like this! Katie's first words when she finished was "I'm going to volunteer next year - don't let me do this again!" As you can see, it was a nice sunny day and we ended it with Frito Pie!