I have to keep pinching myself to realize that in fact I am here on Maui as a part of my job. GU Sports is a proud sponsor of the XTERRA World Championship, and I’m here to witness the race and participate in a partners’ conference for all of the sponsors and race staff. What I’ve learned, though, is that I’m really here to be warmly welcomed into the XTERRA family, a group of wild, fun, frenzied individuals who I’ve easily come to adore in just a few short days.
I have yet to meet many of the actual athletes, and certainly hope to do so over the remainder of the weekend. So far I’ve just been enjoying the unique hospitality of the XTERRA crew, a truly wonderful group of people devoted to making every aspect of the XTERRA experience a damn good time.
This morning as I waited for a new found Kiwi friend to join me for a moonlit run (it was 5:30 am and still dark, but the moon was full to bursting), I read through some of the history of XTERRA displays in the hotel lobby. The inaugural year for this race was 1996, when it was briefly named Aquaterra, and I was thrilled to read through the competitor list. There was Michellie Jones, the first ever XTERRA World Champ, along with 100 or so other triathlon legends. Some of these athletes are still racing strong today, while others have gone on to become coaches, mentors, race directors, and announcers. But for the most part they are all still involved in some way in this quirky sport that inspires so many of us above and beyond the race course.
The race takes place on Sunday, and I am so looking forward to the drama and excitement that is sure to unfold. Meantime, tomorrow morning I will tackle a challenge of my own, the Makena Beach 10k Trail Run. It’s the full XTERRA run course and it promises to be a doozy. I’ve actually started plugging my ears whenever course veterans begin to describe it, hoping for some sort of what-I-don’t-know-can’t-hurt-me immunity. Regardless of what happens, I know it’s bound to be a good mix of pleasure and pain, and I’ll celebrate with my XTERRA family at the finish!