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It is a recovery day for me today which has me amused as it is by far the NICEST day we have seen in Gunnison so far this year for riding. I’m tying myself to indoor chores ‘ to maintain some discipline’ and stay away from training.

I am going to write this post on behalf of me ( Jenny Smith) and Brian Smith ( my husband) in part because Brian is always somewhat ‘uber’ busy and also because his ‘wintering over’ season has been far more interesting than mine.

Brian’s XTERRA triathlon and mountain bike racing off season included 1 x 2009 World XTERRA championship ( his 2nd Winter Xterra World Champ in a row) 1 x 2009 USA winter triathlon national championship, a 12th at ITU Winter triathlon world championships, and numerous Randonee skiing races, some wins and alot of 2nd places.

 The 2nd place’s are frustrating and have the damn it factor. Often they occur due a mistake or a mechanical ( skins that get wet and don’t stick) a crash, usually they are by mere seconds, and the ‘too bad factor’ is that not only do you not win, but the COSMIC series give awesome prizes to first place. For example Brian was second in the Monarch ski area Cosmic event, the winner won a great CAMP pack ( think $200) and Brian won a t-shirt ( think .. how many t-shirts do we all have) Its like a booby prize.

Brian has now had oh! 3 weeks of off season. Our first MTB race is in Fruita, Co ( Mountain states # 1) this coming weekend. We are following that with a full slate of US cup Xterra events. The West Championships is Henderson, Vegas may 2nd. His solution was 3 weeks of no intensity and a weekend of MTB riding in Grand Junction with Rad Ross Schnell. Brian called very excited .. “I love riding with Ross, he’s dropping me on a 6×6 inch bike uphills”.

Me? I have changed it all up. Post Xterra World Championships 2008 I changed coach, I’m being coached by Dara Marks -Marino ( www.daramarksmarino.com) I love her. I have a swim coach ( Brandyn Roark-Gray). I want to improve from a professional mountain biker doing to Xterra triathlons into a rounded Xterra triathlete. I have been working really hard on swimming. I even dreamed of swimming the other night! I am so obsessed with it. I like the technical aspect, as much as it frustrates the living daylights out of me it is also very stimulating and challenging!

Brandyn and I started our own company snrgymultisport. We are coaching and running training camps for mountain biking/ swimming/ and triathlon. Its so great. A massive learning curve, and we offer somethiing special. Between us we are professional mountain bike, run, and swimmers.. Bran is co-coach of the Four corners Swim team, a USA Olympic trials swimmer and a triathlete. Our blend of co-coaching is providing our athletes with a complete understanding and cohesion of all three sports. It is stimulating and challenging. I’m as into our company as I am my personal athletics. LOVE it! Below are Brian, Brandyn, and I. At our first clinic. Instructor’s for Snrgy Xterra Camps.

I also went home for a training/visit. I am a New Zealander and when I  got to Auckland Airport, I realised how much I miss/enjoy/ cherish home. The people/ culture/ food/ amazing.

Visited my family, friends, rode, swam, ran, drank too much wine, ate alot of good food, even more good fish, rode a couple of great races. I say rode .. as holy cow.. 3 weeks on the bike did not prepare me for the Anaconda Odessy in Australia, got my butt kicked, by 10-000 ft climbing in 100k, 90 degree heat, and in shape competition. Whew. Have you ever noticed how its the hurting days when you get mechanicals too? My front brake squealed like a madman for 30k.. 30k!

I also raced the Karapoti classic. New Zealands longest running MTB race, CRAZY. Capped at 1000 people it starts on the edge of a river crossing. Rain this year meant chest deep water and I’m not exaggerating. As the record holder and with 5 weeks of riding I was feeling good and very motivated. A flat tire 9 minutes into the race.. put me out of contention,  I did finish 3rd and had a Blast. It is hands down on my top three list of races. River crossing’s and all. 100%  NZ.

Anyway, Its spring in the US now.. beautiful outside, happy rides, happy trails and enjoy!

Jenny Smith.

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Posted under MTB: ENDURANCE, NON-BIKE, OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON, XTERRA

Hey all.  Brian Smith here in wonderful Gunnison, Colorado.   My wife Jenny and I are enjoying our tiny window called  ”off-season”.   We currently have snow flurries and its 40 degrees.  I am trying to get excited to run an hour and head north for some early season skiing.  Maui seems like it was years ago already, maybe even another planet.  Time to get the snow bike up and running andstart nordic/randonee skiing.  Any of you that has access to randonee equipment you should check out the Cosmic race series that Pete Swenson and Monique Merrill put on.  www.cosmicski.com  They are a lot like mountain bike races on skis.  Same race time and elevation gain.  Quite a hoot.

The date for the USAT winter triathlon nationals has been pushed ahead 4 weeks as it overlapped with the ITU Winter Triathlon Worlds.  These events are a lot of fun as well.  Trying to skate ski after running and biking in snow till you see stars.  What could be more fun?   I have these funnew toys called rollerskis I picked up after Maui.  Hopefully I will be ahead of the game once we have some good track.  Salomon has been very kind to us this season.  We both have complete kits for skate and classic skiing.  We have to be sure to make the skis go fast as well! 

Our dog Max is helping to keep up our running fitness.  He completely trashes the house if he gets left behind.  He isn’t all fun and games as his nickname is “nightmare dog”.  We have to brush him 3 times a day or we will have a new shag carpet each day.

Sorry I don’t have any pictures.  I promise to have some for my next post.  Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.

Brian

(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)

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Posted under NON-BIKE, OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON

Brian and I race pro XTERRA and Mountain bike and this year it has meant for a great but looong year. My 2008 started in earnest in February with a trip to Australia, the Ottway Odyssey MTB 110km race ( which I highly recommend as being one or the best organised races I’ve ever done), followed by the Absa Cape Epic in March…..My season ended in Earnest Oct 26th with the World XTERRA Championships 10 months later, so to say I was excited for the Xterra finish line would be an understatement. However we have a great life, love what we do and feel really lucky to compete in our chosen Sports.

This post is really timely then. We’ve just returned home from Hawaii, I’ve started my off season. I work as a personal trainer and coach, I’m very excited to spend more time with clients and in the gym. We live in Gunnison, CO.. one of the coolest ie: coldest places in the US. It makes for creative training which I think you’ll enjoy reading about.

Brian works full time as a community support specialist w/ adults with disabilities, He is the 2008 Xterra Winter World Champion, a randonee racer, nordic skier, winter triathlete ( 2x USA winter triathlon representative) so his ‘off season’ has just begun in full swing, on Saturday we surfed ( or at least tried to!) in Kauai, HI. On Tuesday Brian rollerskied  and on Wednesday he crosscountry skied in 12 inches of fresh snow on Kebler Pass above Crested Butte, CO.

Brian’s annual white rim birthday ride takes place in Moab next Saturday Nov 15th. We are attempting to turn our Trek 9.9  hardtail’s into single speeds in time. If you’d like to join, leave a comment and I’ll get in touch w/ you. It’s self supported, a ton a fun, in its 6th year.. we’re looking at a group of about 20 riders right now.

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Enjoy

Jenny Smith.

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Posted under MTB: ENDURANCE, NON-BIKE, OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON, XTERRA