The Blue

"The Blue" by Brandyn Roark Gray
Friday, August 21, 2009
"THE BLUE"
The spirit of XTERRA comes alive in this first-person account of a pre-race "epiphany" had by Brandyn Roark Gray in the Austrian Alps.
I'm not often one of those people defined by "one specific moment" in my life. My life has been filled with wonder and excitement and I have always found joy and contentment in the little things. But, when I arrived in Austria to race the XTERRA European Champs, my first night there unfolded into a simple but defining moment.
Jenny and I had traveled all day on the train, following two days of intense and long travel through Germany. We were tired, a bit out of sorts, and didn't know how we were going to get from the train station in Klagenfurt to the little town of Klopeinersee where the race venue was. To our relief, when we stepped off the train, XTERRA Austrian staffers Astrid and Christian were there greeting us and whisked us away in their cars which were proudly plastered with one-foot high XTERRA lettering. After showing us the transition area and the amazing run finish, (climbing 20 meters up a wooden staircase) they helped us get set up in our room for our first night in the little Austrian village. Tired and busy, they were off to do more work on the course we would be racing in three days. They were working tirelessly and we thanked them numerous times for helping us even though they had so much to do.
Then we were on our own...which in a foreign country has a myriad of feelings...a little intimidating, a little exhilarating and a little confusing all wrapped into one persons mind and heart.
What unfolded next was a serious of simple, everyday, mundane, events which in my mind, turned out to be an amazing and unforgettable experience in which I realized even more why I race and love my sport of XTERRA.
Of course, being athlete minded, we are always making sure to get in something that gets the blood moving and drives us toward our next goal in racing, we decided we needed to do a swim. Little did we know how much this simple lake swim would mean to us.
We were hot and quite exhausted and knew that spinning the shoulders and arms would feel wonderful. We grabbed our swim bags, jumped on our bikes and headed to the beach, not before stopping for some snacks at the local market. Along the way, we heard our names called from a bench on the side of the road. Nico, Phillipe and Felix had the same wonderful idea to swim and asked us if we wanted to join them. Walking and talking, we headed down to the lake together, 5 people, from 4 different countries, all brought together by one brilliant idea...XTERRA.
As we approached the lake, I noticed the sun was starting to drip beneath the rugged, Austrian mountains and was turning shades of vibrant orange and red. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the blue. That's what I called my home, the blue, the water, the wet earthen part of life that made me feel so alive. I swam since I was six-years-old, sometimes spending seven-hours a day in the pool, swimming through college, on a national team and then onto training for XTERRA. Often times I would get so sick of the water, the pain and the early mornings in a cold pool. For the last few years I haven't swam more than once a week for my training from being "burnt out" from the water. But here, in the openness of the sweet forest air, and the curiosity of a new and un-explored pool of blue, I could forget the need to "swim" and just imagined the chance to play and discover.
Of course, I was the last one into the lake, always taking my sweet time and just watching Jenny swim 100, 200, 300 yards off the beach. Then, like a 5-year-old I ran, dove and hit the blue, crisp water. It felt like a wonder-world underneath the surface, I stayed under longer than usual, swimming down to the depth of the lake. When I returned to the surface, I glanced around and Jenny and our three new friends were swimming to the middle of the sea.
"Fantastic," I thought as I swam with them. We swam to the middle of the lake and all a while I was thinking to myself, "this is amazing", "I am swimming in an Austrian Mountain lake while the sun is just settling over the horizon, all the time wondering if my new friends felt the wonder that I did. When we got to the middle, I looked up, saw my friend's faces and knew, we were all having the same experience. Everyone was happy, smiling just a little bit like giddy children; and Jenny's face said it all. She just smiled, simply, but with so much excitement and awe, I knew she felt it too. Felix suggested we swim to the other end of the lake and him and I took off. We got almost the whole way across and realized the sun was settling in for the night and the horizon was changing from fiery red and magenta to a dark blueberry color. We hesitated, then swam back to meet our friends who were about 300 yards away.
As I was swimming I realized the beauty and uniqueness of my sport of XTERRA. I knew it was special, I knew it was a family and I knew from five years in the sport it had the capacity to bring together families, elite athletes, everyday corporate professionals, challenged athletes, teenagers and grandparents, and all sorts of humans. But, being here, in an unfamiliar place, not able to communicate through spoken word, but rather through gestures, smiles and body language, I knew that there were others out there that "get it".
XTERRA is not just about racing fast, it's about racing outside yourself. XTERRA is not just about crossing the finish line first, it's about who's there with you when you cross it. XTERRA is not just about amateurs or pros, it's about true family and friends. XTERRA is not just about your country, it's about the unity our sport brings us even though we live worlds apart. It's the time we spend training and the in between spaces of life that bring us all together, it's the same undulation of emotions we all feel before, during, an after our race that emanates in our hearts.
As we swam back to shore, the sun was no longer in focus. I could make out the faint light thorough my tinted goggles and knew the night was coming. I didn't want the moment to wither and fade and I knew that even though the day was ending and our swim across the sea was almost done, I would cherish and remember this instance forever. I flipped and somersaulted through the water on my way into the beach, took one more leaping dive off the dock into the crisp blue and then headed back to dry off with my new friends. I knew they all had as much of a wonderful time as me as I saw all their faces, grinning ear to ear.
If you've had the chance to do an XTERRA event, hopefully you know what I mean when I say it's unique and true to its roots. If you haven't, I invite you to spend a day or two with us, a family from all walks of life, who honestly care about each other as people and not just as great athletes. The next time you are stressed, the next time you are anxious and running around crazy preparing for your race, stop, slow down and remember where you are, who you are with and why you are there.
And, if you have the chance, I invite you to take a swim with us, we will be waiting by the blue...waiting and excited to show you our world where we are all blessed by so much. Waiting to share with you our family of XTERRA. And if you are already here, I will see you on the race course tomorrow, in Austria, in the lake that reminded me of my love for swimming, the people I am with, and my sport of XTERRA.

August 1sts

Snrgy Multisport have been out and about racing:
Intermontane challenge: Kamloops, BC.

Brandyn Roark Gray/ and Jen Segger, won the womens team at the Intermontane challenge. 100+ degree days of 6 hours a day, 500km. Seriously impressive!

thank you for all the support this week! WE NEEDED IT! It was a long haul with one major BONK day for me! My TITUS Carbon Racer X really held up through all the riding!! Glad to be out of the heat and back to spend a little time in Squamish and time with mom and dad for a few hours, then it's 1) home 2) off to do a clinic in Crested Butte and then 3) off to EUROPE for more racing.....breath....1.2.3. So blessed...
WELL! Jen and Bran, the killer DUO WON THE INTERMONTANE CHALLENGE! It was quite the experience. More than anything.. two girls, from two countries and two totally different racing worlds came together after not really knowing each other and will leave as life-long friends...not to mention kick ass race partners and more races to come! Jen is the UP girl and Bran is the DOWNS girl..what a team!

Indian peaks XTERRA triathlon: The well attended race was the final 2009 point series off road triathlon in Colorado. It was an awesome course, fun and action packed. Hats off to the organisers for cramming in some fantastic terrain.

A time trail start 1 k swim and 5 minute run to transition preceded a rocky, challenging bike course and hilly, technical run.

Susan Petronio, with a stellar 17.35 1k swim, good bike and strong run took 10th overall women and a very close 2nd in her age group.

Jenny Smith, was 1st in the pro women.

Salida Ominium: Tim Poppe raced Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Salida Ominium: time trial, road race and criterium. The south central racing event doubled at the 2009 CO state games.

Tim capped his great weekend of racing with a win in the Criterium. Can't ask for more than that!

Brandyn reports in from day one of intermontane challenge.

Brandyn and Jen: in first place by 15 minutes.

Day 1 of 5 on the bike, HEAT was insane...106 degrees and 5:40 on the course at the Intermontane. Tomorrow is another BIG HOT day. Wish it would snow, the sun is a little much! Nap time, then dinner, then ice, then beddy.

Crested Butte/ Gunnison Xterra camp.

Crested Butte Colorado, mountain biking clinics. ( Brian and Jeff in the canal by Strand hill MTB ride)

Long Lake and Blue Mesa open water swim clinics. ( Susan and Cary at the top of the long lake access before swimming).We'd love to have you join us for a four day high altitude training camp and clinic.

SNRGY Coaches playing in Crested Butte! What a day, what great friends, what a life! 

SNRGY Multisport Xterra Camp

SNRGY Multisport XTERRA Camp.

Held in Gunnison/ Crested Butte Area Thursday August 6 through Sunday August 9th 2009.
Accommodation: Not included in Camp price however we will do our best to offer suggestions for/ and host housing/ camping options.
Bikes: are available for rental from Tune Up ski and Bike shop, Gunnison 641 0285. and The Alpineer in Crested Butte.
Clinic: limited to 10 participants.

Itinerary:
Thursday August 6:
2-6 pm. Sports testing w/ V02 max and lactate threshold. HAP ( high altitude performance) lab. with Scott Drum. Western Sate College of Colorado.
30-45 minute individual appointments.

6-8pm: Discussion of results and How to use the information in your training w/ Scott Drum.

Friday August 7:
8am-10 am : Open water swim clinic at Bay of Chickens, Blue Mesa. with Brandyn Roark Gray.

2- 6 pm: Technical mountain bike clinic at Hartman’s rocks recreation area.
Skills: Led by Jenny Smith, Brandyn Roark Gray and Brian Smith.

Mountain bike riding clinics:
Beginner/ Intermediate: led by Jenny Smith and Brandyn Roark Gray.
Advanced: with Brian Smith

Saturday August 8:
8am- 10am: Swim technique clinic at Western State pool. Led by Brandyn Roark Gray.

Noon- 3pm : Run clinics:
Warm up/ skills/ drills and strides. with Jenny Smith.
Trail running clinic led by Brian Smith.
Cool down/ stretching and Trigger point therapy. Led by Jenny, Brian and Brandyn.

Optional MTB ride in Gunnison Area.

Sunday 9th August:
9am: Long swim in Long Lake Crested Butte.

11am: Group ride 403 trail ride from long lake trailhead.

Contact us for more information and to register for the camp: snrgymultisport@gmail.com 970 596 6691/ 505 947 6546.

Crested Butte Chamber | Fat Tire Bike Week

Crested Butte Chamber Fat Tire Bike Week

Snrgy Multisport Coaches Brandyn Roark Gray, Jenny and Brian Smith are leading group rides at the festival.
Sign up for Brandyn and Jenny's ride on Thursday and Brian and Jenny's ride on Friday.

Sat the 27th: Is the Crested Butte 40 race. Snrgy Athletes Susan Petrinio, Tim Poppe and Brian Smith are all racing.

Below is some additonal info about the race:

Ahhhhhhhhh YEAH!!!!!!!! Check it out ya'll. Crank Collective (crankcollective.com) has a full map up of the Fat Tire 40. http://www.crankcollective.com/trailview.php?trailid=581&verify=a18884480814ca1f6d1ec893e42313ca0513476d Limit of 100 - the race comes out to 42.6 miles. There are forums/discussions, race details and stories, reviews, your favorite routes, you name it - check out the site. .

Any questions? You can talk to Scott Still - CB Chamber - 349 - 6438 - Scott@cbchamber.com or Dave Ochs - 349-7324.

Hope to see you there!