Last race to end the season.

What do you do after a DNF in the most important race in your sport? Right, you cry a little & stay down for a week, you know I’m a normal person just like all of you!
But then its time to pick it up again, think positive, get your energy back, get moving and find yourself an exiting goal to focus on.
After a bit of training I flew to Maui, for the main reason to watch Thomas compete in the Xterra World Championship.

But also to just have some fun before starting a couple of weeks of training for my next Ironman. ....and fun I had. Saturday before the Xterra WC there is a 11 km trail run ( http://www.xterraplanet.com/xduro/makena.html )
The XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run is the same run course that the triathletes have to conquer the next day. That is if they survive the rough swim and the challenging bike course... It promised to be an exiting race in the women's field. Cindy Anderson, the winner of last year, was standing at the start line and fired up to defend her title. She’s the reigning Xterra Trail-Run World Champion and for that reason not somebody to underestimate.

For me it was a first time experience but of course I have 9 years of running-competition and duathlon race experience. When you think all ironman athletes are slow on short course, then you´re mistaken:-) My speed came handy, especially on the down hill parts I could power down a bit faster then Cindy. The heaviest part of the race was a long stretch on the beach at Makena. I felt strong and could use my experience from racing beach-runs in the Netherlands. I won the race in 46 min., 2 min. ahead of my competition and 5th overall in the 500 athletes field. But the most important thing: I had so much fun diving below trees, jumping over rocks & running down hills as fast as my legs would go.
It was amazing!!!!!!! I had a little sniff of Xterra racing and I have to say I’m so sorry I’m not good in riding my mountain bike. Not yet...!!! Maybe I will give it a try somewhere in the future.....,hhmmm,yes maybe, you never know:-). Have to ask my sponsor Veltec for a good bike......(I’m already thinking ahead...)

Back to the more important part: Thomas raced the next day and for the 1st time in his career he became World Champion in his age division!!! We were both so happy. He had a good swim, the new Xterra speedsuits that we have are really fast and Thomas always seems to have his best swims in the ocean.

He had a strong bike and that got him in a good position for finishing it off with a great run!

We are back in Kona now and I’m happy that we have some more time here on this beautiful island. The training is just perfect and I love the swim training sessions at Kona Aquatics. Steve Borowski, our swim coach, is great and I also love the open water swims with Robin and her husband Frank. Robin is an amazing swimmer and she’s really helping me out in the open water. On most of our swims we will see dolphins, manta rays  and all kinds of other beautiful sea-life. I’m happy to report that I didn’t see the big shark again. As you could read on twitter and facebook, Inge a friend of mine and me saw a 2,5 meter shark while we were out swimming a couple of weeks ago.

The end of the season is getting closer, a last big race on another beautiful island before getting back to Europe for my "winter- sleep". Time for resting, sleeping and visiting my sponsors that supported me so well the whole year. Back home the rain and cold is waiting for us, the snow is already coming to make all the people besides triathletes happy :-)

Almost forgot, tomorrow is my birthday...in Europe it already is as I am writing this. Here in Hawaii I have to wait one more night...

All the best,
Yvonne