Team SHOEBACCA keeps on rolling, whether it's down mountain trails or across the deserts of Nevada. In this case, Team SHOEBACCA member Tom Nelson took on one heck of a grueling event in the XTERRA Offroad Triathlon West Cup at the Loews Resort in Henderson, NV, just outside of Las Vegas.

This outdoor test of one's mettle was held on May 2nd, 2009, and featured the triple threat of swimming, biking and running. It takes more than drive and will; an adventure like this takes peak physical conditioning, as well. Tom made Team SHOEBACCA proud by placing first in his class (men's sport class, age 50-54) and 18th overall!

This tiered event sees the best of the best competing over a series of events to race for the gold. If you've seen XTERRA shoes here at SHOEBACCA.com, then you can imagine that shoes like that would be behind such a physical trial.

The event began at 6:30 am, with unusually strong winds. The swimming event was the first, and with the water temperature hovering around 59 degrees Farenheit, you can imagine that it was quite a wake-up. With wetsuit on, Tom joined around 100 people to battle the whitecaps in this tough swim.

The bike course took up the middle section of the day. This course was probably the most difficult course ridden in the XTERRA events, according to everyone, including the pro riders. The barebones ride saw no respite from the sun and wind, and was covered with sharp, jagged rocks making the ride tedious and treacherous. The rough trails were of a single-track nature, with lots of tight corners and switchbacks. This was the kind of trail that even makes the animals nervous!

With his ability to leave fear in the car and go for it, Tom was able to use several open opportunities to pass four or five riders at a time. During several downhill sections, he would just let it fly and take on the dangerous trail, and it paid off, helping him to gain much ground.

"The XTERRA Offroad Triathlon was a fun event, but you've gotta be in shape," regails Tom. "It was definitely an adventure!"

Team SHOEBACCA and SHOEBACCA.com congratulate Tom Nelson on his excellent finish, and look forward to seeing many more triumphant finishes from all of our riders!