Richard Burgunder – Professional Extreme Athlete » XTERRA Trail Run

XTERRA Japan Championship Preview

rburgunder — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:56:39 +0000

In less than a week, the 5th annual XTERRA Japan Championship will kick off in historic Marunuma Kogen, Japan! The world class off-road triathlon and 30km trail running championships will be held in the majestic Marunuma Kogen (sometimes known as ‘Malnuma’), located in the northeastern area of Gunma Prefecture. With the magnificent Mount Shirane as a background, Marunuma Kogen is well-known as offering excellent skiing and outdoor adventure. The surrounding area is also full of ancient history, especially the town of NIKO. There will be a lot of elevation gain as the course goes up several steep climbs throughout mountains, open fields and dense forest. Last year, several hundred athletes from all over the world participated in the off-road triathlon, 10km, and 30km events. This will be my 5th XTERRA championship level event that has been highlighted by strong finishes at the 2008 and 2009 XTERRA Trail Running World Championships and winning the title of 2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion.

Marunuma, Japan

Mount Kusatsu-Shirane

XTERRA Japan Championship Preview:

This year’s race will feature quite a few elite and amateur athletes from all over the world, representing numerous countries. The event has grown tremendously over the past several years, and a diverse, strong field is expected.

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, August 28^th

XTERRA Japan Championship
SWIM: 1200m / MTB: 25km / Trail Run: 10km

XTERRA JAPAN DUATHLON
1ST RUN: 1.5km / MTB: 25km / 2nd RUN: 10km

XTERRA RELAY
SWIM: 1200m / MTB: 25km / Trail Run: 10km

08:30- Registration
10:40- Mandatory Briefing
12:10- Championship & Relay start
12:20- Duathlon start
17:30 Course Closure
18:15- Award Party

Sunday, August 29^th

XTERRA TRAIL RUN
Trail Run: 30km

XTERRA light TRAIL RUN
Trail Run: 10 km

XTERRA KIDS&LIGHT
SWIM: 200m / MTB: 4km / Trail Run: 2km

XTERRA FAMILY WALK
Walk: 5km

05:30- Trail Run Registration
06:30- Trail Run Mandatory Briefing
07:00- Trail Run start
07:10- Light Trail Run start
07:30- Family Walk start
08:00- Kids&Light Mandatory Briefing
09:00- Kids&Light Start
11:30- Kids&Light/Light Trail Run Award Ceremony
15:00- Trail Run Award Ceremony

For more information, contact Mai Chiku at XTERRA Japan.

Mai Chiku
XTERRA Japan Office
office@xterrajapan.net
c/o ATHLONIA Corp.
1F, 17-10 Sarugaku-cho,
Shibuya-ku, TOKYO
JAPAN 150-0033
TEL: 03-6277-5131
FAX: 03-6277-5132
URL: www.athlonia.com

http://www.xterrajapan.net

About the XTERRA Trail Run Series:

XTERRA is on a mission to produce the most recognizable, enjoyable, root slipping, mud hopping, tree ducking, river crossing, hill climbing, dirt on your shirt, sweat in your eye trail runs this side of Grandma’s house!

More than 50 races across the U.S. comprise the XTERRA Trail Run Series and offer age group athletes the opportunity to become regional champions. We’ll also crown National Champions in Bend, Oregon on September 13 and World Champions in Hawaii on December 6.

Along the way XTERRA Trail Runs give back to the community by involving not-for-profits as beneficiaries at our events.

TEAM XTERRA Trail Run (XTR) Ambassadorship

rburgunder — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:55:44 +0000

As of May 10, 2010, I’m very excited to announce that I’ve been named the first member to TEAM XTERRA Trail Run (XTR) Ambassador Program. The XTERRA Team Ambassadors are a select group of amateur athletes from across the US. They embody the soul and spirit of XTERRA. Through their daily activities, their love of the outdoors and their zest to live more, these avid supporters define the XTERRA lifestyle. Being part of Team XTERRA is a tremendous honor and a humbling experience. Since being introduced to XTERRA in 2008, through my friends Michelle and Brody at XTERRA’s Nottingham Xduro, I’ve fallen in love with the extreme sports nature of XTERRA Trail Running, and the amazing people who make up the XTERRA family. Over the last couple of years I’ve made some great friends, met many interesting people, have had the opportunity to travel extensively to exotic places that I otherwise wouldn’t have had visited, and have gotten to know the Team Unlimited staff on a first name basis. I’ve had many exhilarating experiences since competing in XTERRA’s Trail Running World Tour, for which I am grateful. You can view my XTERRA Ambassadors bio at XTERRA Community.

ABOUT XTERRA TRAIL RUNNING

More than 50 races across the U.S. comprise the XTERRA Trail Run Series and offer age group athletes the opportunity to become regional champions.

The 2010 XTERRA Trail Run Series features runs across the country ranging from 5km to 25km.

The Series is grouped into geographic regions, and each region has anywhere from 3-to-7 races that runners can compete in and accumulate points towards their regional championship.

Regional Champions are awarded free entry into the XTERRA Trail Running National Championship – an off-road half-marathon to be held in Bend, OR.

There are also several Xduro’s (endurance trail runs ranging from 18-to-42km in distance) in the U.S. and each one qualifies runners to compete in both the XTERRA Trail Running National and World Championship events.

XTERRA trail runs have also gone global with off-road half’s in such exotic locations as Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. At the end of the year, runner’s from all over the world will unite in the majestic Kaaawa Valley at Kualoa Ranch on the island of Oahu for the ultimate Xduro – the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship on December 5, 2010.

Since racing in the XTERRA Trail Run Series, there’s been many highlights. They include:

XTERRA HIGHLIGHTS:

2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion
4th Male 30-34 at 2009 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship
33rd OA at 2008 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship
2x Top 20% finisher at XTERRA Trail Running World Championship
2x Top 20% finisher at XTERRA Trail Running National Championship
Competed in 8 events in six different states in 2009
Competed in 9 different states since 2008

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS:

XTERRA Planet Magazine “Tracking the Tribe: Ambassador Rich” Featured Athlete [6/2010]
First athlete named to the XTERRA Trail Run (XTR) Ambassador Program [5/10/2010]
XTERRA Trail Run Worlds Press Guide Featured Athlete [12/6/2009]
XTERRA Trail Run Nationals Press Guide Featured Athlete [9/13/2009]
XTERRA Trail Mix Newsletter “Runner Spotlight” Featured Athlete [6/10/09]
XTERRA Trail Run Worlds Press Guide Featured Athlete [12/7/2008]
XTERRA Trail Run Nationals Press Guide Featured Athlete [9/27/2008]

XTERRA Planet Magazine “Tracking the Tribe” Featured Athlete – June 2010

One of my greatest XTERRA experiences has been being crowned the 2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion, where I won the Men’s 30-34 age group, and also the overall series points total. Another fond memory of XTERRA Trail Running has been the amazing experience of competing at Trail Run Worlds twice, in both 2008 and 2009. For me, the inaugural XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, held in 2008, was highlighted by finishing 33rd out of 358, or the top 10% overall. While my overall performance at the 2009 World Championship wasn’t as strong, I did manage to finish 4th out of 36 in the men’s 30-34 age group, as the second American, respectively.

RACE GOALS:

Some of my future aspirations, when it comes to XTERRA Trail Running, include, but is not limited to, winning several regional championships, and being a top 10 finisher at World Championships. I’d also like to medal in my age group at Trail Run Worlds. Additionally, my focus will be on the XTERRA Trail Running World Tour while educating, encouraging, and informing others about XTERRA – Trail Runs, Off-road Triathlon Races, Foundation, Gear and other XTERRA products.

I hope to see you at an XTERRA event sometime soon! Live More!

Learn more at http://www.xterratrailrun.com

2009 XTERRA Trail Running World Championship

rburgunder — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:55:19 +0000

For the 2nd consecutive year, I had the extraordinary opportunity to compete in the XTERRA Trail Running World Championship held at Kualoa Ranch in Oahu, Hawaii. This year’s event brought together a world-class field of 1,100 runners from 35 states and nine countries participating in the 5k, 10k and 21k World Championship races, which were a benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Hawaii. The 21k course was extremely challenging, but also very beautiful as it featured several pristine views out into the Pacific Ocean and surrounding Ka’a'awa Valley. The most brutal part of the course was that it featured 3,000 feet of elevation gain and many extremely steep ascents. The terrain was vast, from dirt roads, grass fields, technical muddy single track trails and even through the dense rain forest of Hakipu`u Valley at Kualoa Ranch.

Ka’a'awa Valley, Kualoa Ranch

As compared to the 2008 race, the conditions this year were much more difficult. On race morning, it was very hot and the sun was out in full. Despite the course being slightly shortened, it also proved to be more difficult with the addition of several long and steep climbs.

The start was fast, very fast, as we quickly descended down a small hill and then hit the first series of climbs about 1200 meters into the race. I had a very strong start and felt great, until I hit the second hill. At this point, I began to have some cramping and stomach issues. Over the next couple of miles I worked through them and then got my rhythm back about six miles into the race.

The Mountains Surrounding Kualoa Ranch

Volcanic Origin Mountains

The second half of the 21k World Championship race proved to be the most grueling, as were hit several steep climbs that eventually led to a single track trail through the rain forest. This has always been one of my favorite parts of this race since it offers everything that make’s XTERRA what it is, and showcases a breath taking view out into the Pacific Ocean! Just like last year, I was so tempted to stop for a while to appreciate the amazing views of the numerous small old volcanic islands that were clustered all over the coast of Oahu.

After breaking out of the rain forest, runners are greeted by a long and steep decent, followed by a couple of miles of single track trails through fields, some small streams, forest and a downhill sprint to the finish.

International Flags

The Finish Line

Coming out of the woods, I put my kick in and came through with about the same time as in 2008. While it might not have been the finish that I was expecting, I was pleased despite my struggles throughout the early portion of the race. I ended up finishing 67th overall and 4th out of 36 runners in the Men’s 30-34 Age Group. The field was definitely much more competitive than last year and the overall experience was amazing.

Me, Post Race

Angel and I

Me, Post Race

Angel and XTERRA All-Star Athlete, Amy Eck

Angel, Post Race

Angel and I spent about a week in Hawaii and were fortunate to experience many of Hawaii’s treasures. Prior to World Championships, we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and swam with three beautiful sea turtles and countless numbers of exotic fish, including a Puffer fish. Snorkeling in one of the most exotic reefs in the world was an exhilarating experience, despite having to swim through heavy current and maneuvering razor sharp coral.

Hanauma Bay

In addition to spending a day at Hanauma Bay, we also walked and ran on Waikiki Beach and got to experience the massive 40-foot waves on the North Shore. This was the first time in years where the world famous “The Eddie” surfing tournament was held due to the change of ocean currents generating immense swells over a couple of days. The competition attracted the best surfers from around the globe. The waves were a truly spectacular thing to witness.

40-Foot Waves, The North Shore

Surfers, The North Shore

Three Tables, The North Shore

Sunset Beach, The North Shore

The Quiksilver “Eddie Aikau” big wave surfing event

Me, The North Shore

Angel and I, The North Shore

Waikiki Beach

Angel and I, Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach

Diamond Head

Waikiki Beach

The North Shore

XTERRA Staff Janet Clark, Emily McIlvaine and I

Special thanks to XTERRA for hosting another spectacular event and my sponsors, friends and family for all of your support through this amazing race season, XTERRA athlete Rachel Cieslewicz for not letting me give up early into World Championships when times were tough and all of my supporters and fans – If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Thank you PowerBar for all of the great nutrition products and the Gel Blasts have saved the day more than once this past season! Thanks SUGOI for making high quality competition gear; I loved the RSL Top that I used at Worlds. Thank you Deepak for your very professional and stellar athlete travel services. If anyone is ever looking for high quality and very reasonable travel to an exotic race location, make sure that you check out Premium Plus Sports. And thank you to my sports agent, Allen, at Platinum Sports Entertainment Group, Inc., for your diligent hard work in helping my athletic career excel.

2009 XTERRA Trail Running World Championship Preview

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:53:00 +0000

In less than a week, the 2nd annual XTERRA Trail Running World Championship will kick off in beautiful Oahu, Hawaii! The world class race will be held in the majestic Kaaawa Valley at Kualoa Ranch, located on the northeastern side of Oahu. There are over 3,000 feet of elevation gain as the course goes up several steep climbs throughout mountains, open fields and tropical rain forest. Last year, more than 800 runners from 32 states and eight countries participated in the 5, 10, and 21km events. I finished 33rd overall out of 358 runners and am seeking a top 10 finish this year. To add to the excitement, my girlfriend Angel King will also be competing in the World Championship race. This will be my 8th XTERRA event of the season that was highltighted by winning the title of 2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion.

Kualoa Ranch

XTERRA Trail Running World Championship Preview:

This year’s race will feature quite a few elite athletes such as Max King (2x XTERRA Trail Running National Champion and 2008 World Champion), Ben Bruce (Runner-up at XTERRA Trail Running National and World Championships), Heather Fur (Ironman World Champion), Cindy Anderson (2008 XTERRA Trail Running World Champion), Melanie McQuaid (3x XTERRA Triathlon World Champion), Richard Burgunder (2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion) and many more.

Max King and Ben Bruce

King is a three-time member of the Team USA World Cross Country team and both he and Bruce ran in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the Olympic Trials.

Registration and Packet Pick Up:

The event is open to everyone. Registration will be open until December 5th and all levels of runners are welcome to compete.

Online registration will close and mail-in entries must be received by Wednesday, December 2. Packet pickup and walk-up registration will take place on Saturday, December 5th from 10am to 6pm at the Waikiki Beach Walk. There will also be packet pickup on race day at Kualoa Ranch starting at 7am, sorry no race day registration will be available.

This year we are offering a discount for Active Duty Military. Valid ID must be shown at packet pickup.

The first 900 runners total from all races (5/10/21km) will receive a t-shirt

For more information, contact Emily McIlvaine at XTERRA/Team Unlimited.

XTERRA/TEAM Unlimited
720 Iwilei Road #290
Honolulu, HI 96817
P: (808)792-2611
F: (808)538-0314
emily@xterraplanet.com
www.xterraplanet.com

About the XTERRA Trail Run Series:

Along the way XTERRA Trail Runs give back to the community by involving not-for-profits as beneficiaries at our events.

2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion!

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:23:00 +0000

What a season it’s been so far! After finishing in the top 10% overall last December at the XTERRA Trail Running World Championships held in the majestic Kaaawa Valley at Kualoa Ranch, located on the northeastern side of Oahu, Hawaii, I was poised to make a run at an XTERRA Trail Running Regional Title and a top 10 finish at Worlds. Despite minimal training and prolonged injuries and illness last fall, I came out all right, but had a lot of room for improvement. At the start of the 2009 XTERRA season, it was my goal to start it off with a bang and obtain my goals.

2008 XTERRA Trail Running World Championships

2008 XTERRA Trail Running World Championships

My first couple of competitions this year included the world famous Empire State Building Run-Up where I PR’ed with a time of 15:01 after three consecutive years of being invited to compete in that race, finishing 2nd All-time in the Cathedral of Learning Stairclimbing Endurance Challenge, held at the University of Pittsburgh and coming in 6th (1st Male 20-29) at the JC Stone 50k in Pittsburgh, PA. I came up short of my expectations in all of these events, and this was frustrating. I was hoping for a sub 14 in the ESBRU, a sub 3:30 at JC Stone, and to break the unofficial world record of 101 at the CoL Stairclimbing event. Despite nutrition issues at CoL, I was able to still climb the stairs 71x in 15 hours and 34 minutes. At JC Stone, I was running neck to neck with the leader through 20 miles and on pace for about a 3:30, until I suffered from some cramping issues over the final 8 miles. Throughout the remaining of March and early April, my training greatly improved and I was in tremendous shape with an extremely sharp competitive edge.

However, only days leading up to my first XTERRA race, I took a bad fall while running some trail intervals and broke several ribs. I felt OK for the first couple of days after the fall, other than some bad bruises and open cuts. But this would soon change and I’d be faced with some unexpected hurdles.

XTERRA Race #1

XTERRA Muddy Moose 22km

Location: Wolfeboro, NH

Date: April 26, 2009

The XTERRA Muddy Moose 22km was the first race of the New England Trail Run Series. This race was held in Wolfeboro, NH and the course was a single loop that went through bogs, logging roads, single track trails, vistas and a lot of rocks. I knew that my hands were tied coming into this race. Just days prior to the event, I had a bad fall that resulted in broking several ribs, bruising my knee and both arms. It was difficult enough breathing, but I also had a lot of pain in my legs where my skin was ripped off from the fall.

A runner sprints towards the finish line

At the start of this race, I decided to go out hard, very hard. Since there was also a four mile event that started at the same time as the 22km race, it was difficult not too go out hard. I jumped out in front early and ran with a small group of others for the first couple of miles before some severe pain set in my chest. Backing off some, I ran a more relaxed race but still help 6th place through 12 miles. With two miles to go, I began having a lot of trouble breathing and my body was shutting down. I could barely run and I knew that my lead over the rest of the pack wasn’t anything too great. Not to my surprise, I was passed over and over again. Within a matter of minutes, I fell down to about 25th place. I tried to make the most of the final miles, and struggled to the finish in 28th place overall. This was definitely not the way I wanted to start my XTERRA season, but still good enough to automatically qualify for Nationals.

Regardless, the course was insane, extreme, and totally hardcore. A lot of it was ankle or knee deep in mud, and those hills were serious. It was a very competitive race and a great venue overall. I loved the course, the competition, the area, but it just wasn’t my day. Following the race, I left for Mt. Washington and tried to climb to the summit, but there was way too much ice and I was in too much pain. Over the next couple of weeks, I took a lot of time off, endured a lot of pain (especially getting out of bed in the morning) and finally started to heal about a month later.

Place: 28th (5th Male 25-29)

XTERRA Race #2

XTERRA Richmond Cup Xduro 21k Trail Run

Location: Brown’s Island, Richmond, VA

Date: June, 2009

The XTERRA Richmond Xduro 21km Trail Run was part of the Mid Atlantic Cup weekend, held on Brown’s Island in Richmond, VA. This race consisted of a technical course that went through single track trails, climbed over an ancient Indian tribe village, along the James River and over a couple of bridges.

Course Map

The Start

There was a very competitive field of over 600 runners in this event and the start was fast. I led the race though the first couple of miles, but wasn’t expecting such a flat, fast course at first. I did gain ground later in the race and secured a 12th place finish, respectively.

Place: 12th (4th Male 30-34)

Finishing Strong

XTERRA Race #4

XTERRA Hibernia Park 8k Trail Run

Location: Hibernia Park, Coatsville, PA

Date: June 18, 2009

The XTERRA Hibernia Park 8k Trail Run is the 3rd race of the Philly Trail Run Series. Being only an 8k, this race would require a completely different strategy than the others and also more speed. On route to South Eastern Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh, there were numerous storm and flood warnings posted, including a tornado watch. This was actually kind of exciting in a way, and I was looking forward to a ‘real” adrenaline pumping cross country race that would turn out to be a mud pit.

Nasty Weather

The trip out was rainy, but I ended up meeting my friends Michele, Brody and Brian and we toed the line with the rain coming down hard. There were some stars in the mix, mostly from the Philly area, and this race ended up being much more competitive than I ever thought. After a brief sprint through the field, we ended up on a narrow single track that was saturated and extremely muddy. Everyone kept going down and it was tough to get any kind of stride going. The course was fun, exhilarating and even included a “swim” across a flooded stream!

The race to the finish was tough, consisted of a long, but gradual uphill climb on a soaking wet dirt trail and rain pelting us. I stayed strong, dug deep and held off a couple of challengers for a 7th place finish.

Place: 7th (3rd Male 20-29)

XTERRA Race #4

XTERRA Sugarbush Northeast Cup Xduro 21k Trail Run

Location: Sugarbush Resort, Sugarbush, VT

Date: July 12, 2009

The XTERRA Sugarbush Xduro 20km Trail Run was part of the Northeast Cup weekend held at the Sugarbush Resort in Sugarbush, VT. I was really looking forward to this race all year and was eager to race. After spending a week at my camp for the 4th of July in the mountains of PA, I ventured north to the Green Mountains and Sugarbush, VT. My trip up was quite exciting, and included a near head on collision with a large Moose off of highway VT 100. XTERRA let us camp on the mountain just a couple hundred yards from the race site, which was awesome. It was a windy night and my tent swayed often, but I was able to get a good night sleep and woke up ready to race.

XTERRA Northeast Cup

About 20 minutes to the start of the race, I encountered a major problem that was totally unexpected. As I was changing into my race gear, I had the car trunk open with my keys laying on top of my backpack. Then suddenly, a huge gust of wind came out of nowhere and my truck slammed shut! Due to how my car alarm is set up, the driver and passenger side doors both automatically locked up and I was now locked out of my car minutes before the race! This put me in a position where I’d be forced to race on a very technical, steep and muddy half marathon distance trail race with old training shoes, no watch, sunglasses and sunscreen. I frantically went around asking shoe vendors and others if they had a pair of race shoes that I could use, but nobody had my size. Less than 5 minutes before the race, I almost decided to scratch. I didn’t want to risk a bad performance, but deciding to compete in this race under less than ideal conditions was a decision that would later prove to be crucial, and in a good way.

One of the ski slopes that we ran

The Finish

Shortly after the start, we immediately proceeded up the mountain. The climb was extremely steep and the trails were technical. The surrounding scenery was absolutely beautiful, but the last couple of miles of the race were delusional. With about three miles to go, we passed by the finish, made another steep climb and then headed down an access road. Thinking that was the home stretch, most runners picked it up, only to find out that there was a sharp turn and another very steep climb before we actually headed down the ski slop to the finish! I was in 10th through most of the race, but gained three sports over the last couple of miles, including out kicking a good runner down the home stretch to secure a 7th place finish. I also won the Men’s 30-34 Age Group, which would turn out to be extremely important in the overall points standings come August.

Place: 7th (1st Male 30-34)

XTERRA Race #5

XTERRA Bear Creek Xduro 21km Trail Run

Location: Bear Creek Mountain, Macungie, PA

Date: July 19, 2009

The XTERRA Bear Creek Xduro 21km Trail Run was a very competitive race and the Philly Series season finale, held at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, PA. I had a great feeling about this race since early in the season and was looking forward to seeing some of my college and XTERRA friends there. After visiting a friend in Bucks County for the weekend, I headed up to Bear Creek early Sunday morning and ready to race.

This course consisted of a tight single track loop on the mountain that we did twice. The start was blistering fast as we heading down a field and around a couple of ponds, before a long and technical climb up the mountain. I decided to go out very hard in this race and build a gap between myself the most of the other runners. By the time I hit the summit, I was able to put a nice gap between myself and the rest of the field. Now, I just needed to catch up with the leaders. Not much changed during the first loop, but come the second one, I was slowly able to catch several runners, including two in the final half mile. After a very strong second loop, including a negative split, I was able to hold onto a 4th place finish, respectively.

Place: 4th (2nd Male 20-29)

XTERRA Race #6

XTERRA STOAKED 16km Trail Run

Location: Hanover, NH

Date: August 8, 2009

The XTERRA STOAKED 16km Trail Run was held at the world class Dartmouth XC Facility in Hanover, NH. This was a HUGE race for me because the XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion title was on the line. Despite my poor performance earlier in the season at Muddy Moose, I was currently in 1st overall in the points standings (thanks to a strong race at Sugarbush and also winning my age group). Regardless of how I did in STOAKED, I still pretty much had the points title wrapped up. I just needed to finish relatively strong, try to place in my age group or finish respectively within it. This was an exciting weekend for many of reasons other than the fact that the title was on the line. My buddy McKinley took the trip with me and we also intended on climbing Mt. Washington the next day.

Storrs Pond

Due to the location of this event, I knew that the competition would most likely be very stiff. There’s many exceptional trail runners in New England and many of them in this particular area. The course looked tough and I heard rumors that there was a ton of ankle to knee deep mud. What I didn’t realize, was that the course would start off by going up an extremely steep mountain followed by several more smaller climbs. While standing on the line, I saw a couple of familiar faces from Sugarbush and other XTERRA events. Once the gun went off, I went out with another runner who won Sugarbush and we led for over a mile. However, I immediately realized that I didn’t feel as strong as I did in past races and slowly started to back off of the lead. My legs felt dead and my body exhausted. I knew at this point that I wasn’t going to have a knock-out race, so I just tried to position myself into a relaxed pace and decent finish. Over the next couple of miles, things only got worse as I was passed by many more runners and now barely in the top 20.

5km to Go

Just like in most other races, I started to get my rhythm back later in the race. With about 5km to go, I started making a couple of moves and passed a handful of runners and held off any other challengers. It was a sloppy race for me, but I still managed to finish well in the top 20 percentile and most likely secure the XTERRA New England Trail Run Series points title. I thoroughly enjoyed racing on the STOAKED course and it was an intense race that had a great mixture of terrain. The Dartmouth Cross Country course is definitely pretty hardcore and I’ll be back next year!

Place: 19th (7th Male 30-39)

Regional Champion!

With the XTERRA regular season now over with, I waited on confirmation of whether I ended up winning the regional title or not. To my excitement, I received official confirmation and was officially named the 2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion! I just didn’t win the age group title, but also had the highest accumulation of points for all men. This was great news and all of the hardwork has paid off. Now, it’s time to focus on the XTERRA Trail Running National and World Championships.

Special thanks to my family, friends, teammates, sponsors and all of the great people at XTERRA/Team Unlimited! Thanks again for all of the support. You guys all rock!

See you all in Bend!