Roger Bivens at the Deuces Wild podium
Dick Morgan
Rodger Bivens was recently awarded the Western Regional Xterra Championship for his age group for the year 2015. The Xterra triathlon consists of an open water swim event followed by a mountain bike ride and then a trail run. Distances for the race vary but usually are commensurate to an Olympic distance road bike triathlon with a 1500 meter swim, a 30 to 34 kilometer off road bike and a 10 kilometer trail run. The most challenging part of the Xterra is the mountain bike portion. Each race course is unique in its design and will generally include steep ascents and declines, technical single tracks and negotiating rocks, tree roots and other obstacles. If the environment is rainy or wet, then riding through mud becomes a must.
A competitor in sanctioned Xterra races receives points based on a podium finish—first, second or third. The higher the finish, the more points earned. As a result of his performances during this year, Bivens earned 150 points for his age group (70 to 74), which gave him the championship for the Western Region.
His last Xterra race of the year was the Xterra Rockhopper, which took place October 11, 2015, in Tempe, Arizona. The swim was 1000 meters in the Tempe Town Lake. The mountain bike, of 13 miles, was on the trails of Papago Park right next to the lake and the trail run of 3.5 miles was also in the park. The race started at 7:30 a.m. and it was forecast to be an extremely hot day. The turn-around in the swim placed the swimmers facing into the ascending sun, making it difficult to see the buoys. For the mountain bike, Papago Park harbors some steep climbs and descents and a mixture of loose rocky single track, making technical handling skills important. The trail run was also in the park on much of the same kind of terrain. Bivens negotiated the course in good fashion, with only one slight mishap on the bike (nothing serious) and ended up placing first in the 70 plus age division, some 15 minutes ahead of the second place finisher.
Now, it is on to planning for next year’s races as he moves up to the next age group.