Race Result

Racer:	Tiago Stock
Race:	Charlottesville Off-Road Triathlon
Date:	Sunday, August 23, 2009
Location:	Charlottesville, VA
Race Type:	Triathlon - Other
Age Group:	-- 35 - 39
Time:	2:49:53
Overall Place:	68 / 138
Comment:	technical mountain biking

Race Report:

The swim was a bit longer than advertised, but the water was great, maybe a bit warm but OK for 7:30am start. The six waves were small and 2 minutes apart, and there was little crowding. The swim is broken into two laps, with a run on the beach in between them.

This is a mountain bikers course! The course was full of roots, which were soaked and very slippery. To ride faster, you constantly had to jerk your weight around as your front then your rear tire slipped sideways, or your bike refused to get a grip over them. There were a few logs, half had alternative routes on the side. There were rocks and hills, but overall the wet roots were my nemesis. Along the very cool Virginia tree covered landscape, there were ruins of chimneys, and you rode over a few abandoned old rock walls. There was two creek crossings to get your feet wet. It was a great course, very technical, but maybe that's because of the storms that had just gone through the previous couple nights. I would have loved to have gone to camp and ride the course as a training a few times before. Since it's one big l1.5 mile loop, I wouldn't pre-ride the whole thing the day before a race though. It's too hard for my skill level to do that and be rested for race day.

The run shares part of the bike course, and it's not as technical as other trail runs I've done. There is not much to consider there.

Organization wise, it was all well organized, chip timed and well run. There was a great clinic the day before and an xterra ambassador there to legitimize the event. Awards ceremony was fast and fun. The KOA campground close to the event was fair, with a pool and wi-fi. Results posted the very next day online, and paper preliminary results posted on site.