Off Road Triathlon Training

XTERRA Richmond

With XTERRA Richmond right around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to devote this month’s column to preparing for this race. For those who don’t know, XTERRA is the most popular off-road triathlon series in the world. The XTERRA East Coast Regional Championships have been held in Richmond for the past several years and will be held on June 20th in Richmond this year. Richmond is one of the most popular races on the circuit with its unique urban setting and perfectly groomed, technical trails due to the amazing volunteers we have here in Richmond. This article will explore the race and better prepare those racing for race day.

Before I get into the actual course, we need to discuss The Weather. XTERRA Richmond is almost always one of the days of the year, as if it is not already tough enough. How you handle this heat will make or break your race. Nutrition is your best defense mechanism. You will want to make sure you hit three key nutrition variables: 24 ounces+ of quality sports drink, 600-1000 mg of sodium, and around 300 calories PER HOUR of racing combined with your total intake. If you are low on any of these key variables, your race will suffer. If the humidity is high (above 50%), I suggest also pouring cold water on your head whenever possible to keep cool; if low, let your sweat cool you off naturally instead.

The Swim is true XTERRA style – completely dependent on what Mother Nature delivers us. If the river is up and the current flowing, it makes for a very tough swim and XTERRA will probably adjust the course slightly to make it safer. Regardless, you will need to know how to swim in a current. When swimming cross current, make sure you aim higher than the point you are swimming to and swim across but slightly upstream; otherwise, you will end up downstream and have to swim back up. When swimming up-current, increase your stroke turnover to minimize glide as you will be pushed back between every stroke with maximum glide. When swimming down-current, do the opposite and stretch out your stroke placing greatest importance on being as hydrodynamic as possible. Also, try to find the sections of the river where the current is flowing the least when swimming upstream – most notably right beside the island if doing the sport distance. Always expect the start of the race to be the fastest so practice going hard at the beginning of your swims and then settling in. Also, you should spend the last few minutes of the swim preparing for the long run to transition by kicking a little more which brings oxygen to the leg muscles to set you up for a great run.

The Bike is one of the best courses in the country. There is a mix of just about everything. With Forest Hill’s new format, the course should be faster than ever. XTERRA racing is about racing smooth – if you try to muscle it and hammer all out, you will fade in the end. Instead, scale back the intensity slightly so that you can get through everything technically. If you push super hard but wreck at every technical section, you will only be left with wasted legs for the run and a slower time. Don’t get me wrong, you got to race hard but let your technique be the gauge and keep the intensity at a level that you can still be technically strong. The bike is your time to fuel and really hit the numbers I mentioned in the weather section. Plan this out and make sure you know exactly when you will drink (and eat). You can race this distance on just fluids and potentially gels if you have practiced, but you need to make sure these will allow you to hit the key numbers I mentioned above.

The Run is less technical than the bike with sections on the road, fire road, trail, and over the rocks. If you fueled correctly and raced at the proper intensity on the bike, you have set yourself up for a great run. The beginning of the run is the least technical and gives you a chance to get your legs under you. Focus on taking deep breaths and keeping leg turnover high on the first couple miles. The first real knife in the quads will come with a short stair climb followed by the Mayan Ruins about a ½ mile later. The Mayan Ruins are a steep 80 foot vertical climb that brings pros and amateurs alike to their hands and knees. Don’t kill yourself here as you will want to come off the top with a little left to find your stride again as soon as possible. After this, you will get a mix of trail, road, and downward stairs before coming to the river crossing which is a highlight of the race. A course will be marked which is typically the fastest route across. This section ends with a short climb up a ladder to Belle Island where you will run a trail section before crossing the bridge and finishing on Brown’s Island. Once you get off the bridge, it is time to start lifting the pace for the finish.

XTERRA Richmond is one of the toughest and most fun races you will ever do. Race hard but also take in the experience as there are few races in the country like it. Good luck to everyone racing!


Michael Harlow is the founder and head coach of Endorphin Fitness (www.endorphinfitness.com) where expert coaches get some to their first finish line and others to their finish line first. You can contact him at michael@endorphinfitness.com.