It’s easy to end up doing the same races every year, but with 2016 rapidly approaching Seamus Allardice would like to challenge you to enter a Fedhealth Xterra next year – you’ll thank him later.
For the uninformed, Xterra is a global off-road triathlon series, organised in South Africa by Stillwater Sports (the people behind Wines2Whales and the African X trail run). Each event consists of an open water swim, usually in a dam, a mountain bike leg, and a trail run to finish it off. For mountain bikers, the challenge is to do something different, get outside of your comfort zone and spend time in the great outdoors off your beloved bike. Plus it’s such a jol. I’ve never experienced such nervous energy as I did awaiting the starting orders of my first Xterra – the massive group of people standing neck deep in the tea coloured waters of the Grabouw Country Club dam, shivering half from cold and half from anticipation – it’s addictive.
What to Expect
Xterra races, like all triathlons, start with the swim leg. For the full Xterra distance this means a 1.5km swim, while for the Lite distance it’s a very manageable 400m swim. For most would-be Xterra Warriors the swim is the most daunting part, and so it was for me when I lined up for the Xterra Lite at Grabouw in February this year.
With 600 odd other guys (the men’s and women’s fields start separately) all churning towards the first buoy 100m out from the beach, the early phase of the swim provided me with some insight into what it must feel like to be a wildebeest crossing a croc infested river during a great migration. It’s chaos. As a surfer I’m a strong swimmer and despite taking some heavy beatings in the surf before, I’ve never panicked in the water like I did during the Xterra swim. I couldn’t get into a rhythm because the swimmers ahead of me were too slow, and while I was trying my best not to force the guys ahead of me underwater the guys behind me had no such scruples. Half the reason I want to do Xterra again is to conquer the swim – no panic next time.
So my advice is to follow the advice that everyone gives – don’t get sucked into the bunch, start out wide or hang back so you can swim in clear water without the interference of those around you. Or, if you’re a strong swimmer, back yourself and go out fast to get ahead of the pack. If you’re still nervous after putting in the training, swim with a wetsuit on, the added buoyancy will provide you with some confidence.
The MTB leg should hold no surprises for you as a reader of Full Sus. It’s the opportunity to make up places, gobble down an energy bar or gel, and settle your nerves after the swim and frantic transition. The MTB courses tend to be moderately technical, with the Lite taking on a 12.5km sprint distance MTB, while the full Xterra distance includes a 28km bike leg.
The final leg of the Xterra challenge is a trail run. Don’t expect to blast it, because it’s not flat and Stillwater Sports like to include nasty surprises like running along the sandy banks of the Grabouw dam. For the full Xterra, the race ends with a sapping 12.5km trail run while for the Xterra Lite entrants it’s just 5km to the finish.
Training
Don’t shirk on your training. Xterra isn’t IronMan; it won’t take a year out of your life and become the only thing you speak about at dinner parties, but it does require some dedication to your training plan if you want to enjoy the experience – especially for the full distance.
Make sure you put in enough time in the pool; aim to do a few long open water swims before the race, including at least one of the full swim distance – so you know you can make it. The bike leg shouldn’t be an issue for you, but if you’re training specifically for Xterra, start to lower the distance of your training rides and up the intensity to mimic what you’ll be doing come race day. The run leg for most is all about endurance, you’ll probably not have much left in the tank for the trail run on race day, so do long slow distance in training (if you’re not planning on racing that is). If you’re not a natural runner, practice getting into a rhythm during your runs so that you can tick off the kilometres with a metronomic stride, rather than slogging through every pace which will make it a sufferfest.
If you’re fit, can swim confidently and run often for cross training, you can probably wing the training for Xterra Lite, but if you can’t tick those boxes or are doing the full Xterra distance, I’d suggest joining a triathlon training group or getting an individualised training programme from a knowledgeable coach, rather than the internet.
All the Gear – Hopefully you now have some idea
Tri gear can be pricy, but you can do your first Xterra relatively cheaply to test the waters. You’ll obviously need your MTB equipment – which I’m assuming you already have – a pair of good trail running shoes and a tri-suit. Some people manage to complete the race just in their swimming costumes, just throwing on a top for the bike and run legs, but I’m loath to attempt a 28km ride, without a chamois, in wet swimming trunks.
With the swims taking place in dams, and the events being held in summer, wetsuits are not a necessity but it’s a nice option if you’re nervous about the swim. You’ll definitely need a good pair of swimming goggles too, but remember the organisers hand out swimming caps (you must wear the official race cap) as you enter the loading zone for the swim.
For the guys, you can get away with just the pants half of a split tri-suit, while for the ladies unfortunately there’s no way around getting a full or complete split tri-suit if you’d like to complete the race in comfort.
For more info scan this QR Code to view the Full Stride Xterra Kit Review.
Sus the Triathlon Training Groups
- Embark Training
Cape Town and Johannesburg
- Stellenbosch Triathlon Squad
Stellenbosch
- Eastern Cape Marines Triathlon
Port Elizabeth
Facebook: Eastern Cape Marines Triathlon
Or visit www.triathlonsa.co.za for a good list of clubs across the country.
Sus the 2016 Fedhealth Xterra Dates
22-24 Jan: Fedhealth Xterra Buffelspoort
29-31 Jan: Fedhealth Xterra PE
19-21 Feb: Fedhealth Xterra Grabouw (SA Champs)
