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Dominate Xterra Keystone
Keystone known to be among most demanding courses on Xterra circuit
Keystone, CO - July 19, 2003 -- Pro Triathletes Steve Larsen and Jamie Whitmore took the Men's and Women's titles, respectively, on a technical course with altitudes topping 11,500 feet. Larsen bested two-time world champion Conrad Stoltz, who has not lost an Xterra race in two years.
Exiting the water 45 seconds behind the lead pack, Larsen chased Stoltz until halfway through the 2,000 foot single track climb. Larsen swiftly passed Stoltz and added another two minutes to his lead before the climb topped out at 11,850 feet. Larsen held his lead on the 11K trail run, crossing the finish line nearly two minutes ahead of Justin Thomas and three minutes ahead of Stoltz.
"I loaded with Optygen for the week leading up to the race and felt like I could push my limit all day," said Larsen, noting that he never felt a loss of power. Larsen, who has been using Optygen consistently for six months, said he is pleased at its ability to help him adapt. "It seems Optygen helped me acclimatize quicker than normal to the altitude," he said.
In the Women's race, Jamie Whitmore won her fifth Xterra Championship race in a row, although Keystone was her most decisive win yet with a finish seven minutes ahead of second place Jenny Tobin. Since starting her Xterra Triathlon career, 2002 Xterra National Champion Whitmore has accumulated eight wins in ten tries. "My goal is to win the 2003 Xterra National in Lake Tahoe and finish the season with a World championship title," she said.
Xterra Kestone was Whitmore's third race in a row while using Optygen, having won all three races. "I felt like I was racing at sea level," Whitmore said after the race. She noted that she's been using Optygen for six weeks, having done a loading phase for the week leading up to the race. "During the swim, I felt comfortable and never went hypoxic. I felt strong all day," she said.
About First Endurance:
First Endurance, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, was founded by a cyclist and a triathlete, both racing fanatics. Focusing solely on the development of high-performance endurance formulas, the company is based in innovation and has a commitment to research and quality. First Endurance proudly sponsors the Navigators Professional Cycling Team, the US Telemark Team, the First Endurance Cycling Team and the First Endurance Triathlete Team,. For more information, log on to www.firstendurance.com