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Source: Conrad Stoltz
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Who needs existing lines? I make my own and stay off the brakes. Rich Cruse, XTERRA

"It takes 3 weeks for your body to adapt to new stimuli"* Whether it is a new diet, a new training load, altitude, or those unpadded carbon racing seats. If it doesn't kill you in the first 3 weeks, you'll be a strong survivor.

Its been 3 weeks since I have progressed one step past the "jog 20 minutes today, and if your injuries are ok, you can try to cycle 20 min on the trainer the following day." So some degree of fitness may make its appearance soon.

Kevin Conner is the coolest home stay in the whole of Richmond. He is known for (amongst other things) his post race party, where he makes gallons and gallons of home made ice creams and sorbets. Delicious. He is also known for having only 2 house rules. The second one is "after 9 pm I sleep and no one makes a peep". And rule number 1 is not within the scope of this story, but it has to do with the hot tub, and what does not happen in there.

It was my 4th year staying at Kevin's house and by race day we were 6 guests at Casa de Kevin. Brent McMahon and I shared a room. (He slept on the floor and I got the waterbed- by default, but yes, he is a very polite and friendly young Canadian)** However, the others quickly dubbed our room the "Brokeback Room".

Dunno why. Anyway, Brent and I took turns cooking delicious meals, got gold membership for time spent at the local coffee shop and he, (being the handy one of the two) spent hours fixing and lovingly truing my wheels. Earlier in the week we smashed a few big swim sets in the pool. Ok, Brent smashed the swim sets, and the swim sets smashed me. Anyway by Race day -1 we were buds.

Buds pre riding the course.

But Race Day was a different story, and the gloves came off. (I could see it in his eye when we woke up) I applied my not often used "Plan B" swim tactics which involved riding Brent's wave and swimming over his legs once or twice. He didn't like it and got rid of me at the first opportunity. I don't blame him. Thereafter I was up to my own devices, but fortunately the swim was technical and short. I read the strong currents right, dolphined the sand banks and ran over rocks. (Caveman feet can run over anything) I limited the loss to 38 seconds, got on the bike and hit the "Turbo Boost " button.

Felt great on the flat stretches and envisioned pedaling Power Cranks. (Big gear + big power delivered smoothly= breakneck speeds) Caught Brent early-ish and he commented on my swim tactics. I responded something like: "I try to ride your wave as well as I can, and you try to ride on my wheel as well as you can" Fair trade. The race is on.

The super fun, technical course that twists through downtown Richmond's James river trail system was in good nick, with numerous wooden bridges, rooty sections, rocky sections, twists and turns. I wasn't impressed with my technical skills that day and surely rode faster in training, but by the end of the bike I had a 2 minute something lead on Brent and 4 or 5 minutes on current World Champ Nico LeBrun from France. I had no idea of the splits and started the run at a steady lope. Lessons from the past taught me that this run course will break you if you try to nail the flat first few miles. The heat and humidity was yet again stifling. (as in high 90s) High noon and a good time for dieing. Or killing.

I saw the lone first water point in the distance and licked my parched lips. Coolers and cups at the ready, but no one in sight. Just when I thought this water point was self service, I saw dem home boys chillin in da shade of dem trees nearby. Dey strolled slowly over to dem cups and damn, dey sure had great timing because we reached the table at the same time! Maybe dem low ridin pants slowed dem down. And also de BLING! Knowing that a miscommunication was a matter of life and death, I used my best Southern Home Boy Accent and hollered my request: "Waddur!"*** I took a wild chance and added: "Wi' ICE"

I grabbed two cups from dem volunteers and de homey relied: "Dere ain no ice in dere."

"Dere ain no ice in dere!" My day was made. Over the next few hundred meters, while I enjoyed my warm water "wi' no ice in dere", I worded this paragraph for this story. Doh, dis place has culture!

About a kay after scaling the Mayan Ruins I got my first split. "1.20." So I wonder "Did I have say, 1.30 off the bike and am running well, or did I have 5 minutes off the bike and can expect to shortly see a huffin and puffin Brent or Nico blow my house down?"

Nothing I could do except lope along at my pace. Last week I lost 5 minutes on a hilly course, but his time I had new inspiration.**** I kept my chin down, breathed Pilates and felt a power coming from deep inside. The ground passing under my feet became a blur, I bounded from one boulder to the next. I broke the tape first. Brent was 1.10 back. I ran fast, I beat the heat. I found strength.

Fitness is overrated. So is talent. Equipment is superficial. That power I found deep inside is what makes big things happen.

Can I feel that power any time any day?

Can you?

C

*Conrads 3rd Law of Training.
** www.brentmcmahon.com
*** The South African pronunciation for "water" would definitely fall through the culture gap. We say the "t" like the first "t" in "tight."
**** 2 Weeks ago my dad had part of his cancerous colon removed, and is going for his first chemo today. This race was on Fathers Day, and I dedicated my win to him.

RESULTS FROM WWW.XTERRAPLANET.COM

PLC NAME DIVISION SWIM BIKE RUN OVERALL

1 CONRAD STOLTZ #10 PRO :14:43 1:10:56 :37:03 2:02:42
2 BRENT MCMAHON #1 PRO :14:08 1:14:04 :35:39 2:03:51
3 NICOLAS LEBRUN #16 PRO :16:40 1:13:31 :35:46 2:05:57
4 ANDREW NOBLE #3 PRO :15:36 1:14:52 :36:12 2:06:40
5 DOMINIC GILLEN #7 PRO :15:49 1:14:18 :37:15 2:07:22
6 BRIAN ASTELL #8 PRO :17:54 1:13:18 :36:44 2:07:56
7 SETH WEALING #2 PRO :14:45 1:18:17 :35:13 2:08:15
8 JUSTIN THOMAS #4 PRO :16:42 1:14:53 :37:02 2:08:37
9 BRIAN SMITH #5 PRO :19:16 1:12:31 :37:13 2:09:00
10 RYAN IGNATZ #6 PRO :16:59 1:17:53 :37:47 2:12:39

Conrad Stoltz
They call me "the Caveman." I am: 6ft 3, weigh 85kg, 32 years old. Professional triathlete for the past 14 years. I am an African. (Gets me funny looks in America). I am also: Two time Olympian, two time Xterra World Champion, (off road triathlon) 5 time All Africa Triathlon Champion and 5 time South African Triathlon Champion... Learn more about Conrad at ConradStoltz.com