Tri Club in San Diego - Post #2 Victor+Carol

Curtis, Nick, Dave, Victor and Lawrence took the day off from their nocturnal Chippendales gig at the Rio to do the San Diego Tri - way to go boys!!




There were quite a few participants from our club and our community that did San Diego last weekend. We will post reports as we recieve them.



Victor R writes: LV tri club invades San Diego

Last weekend (June 29) the San Diego International triathlon took place in the city by the border. This is one of the premier events in the west coast as upwards of 3000 athletes participated with perfect weather, superb organization and a venue to die for. Pros as well as age groupers shared one of the best race days I've ever seen.

The swim took place in San Diego harbor, calm waters greeted the entrants, water temp was a balmy 74 degrees, wetsuits optional, no sharks!!! The bike course was fast with a few 90 degree turns, a minor hill and some grades towards the turn-around. Wind wasn't a factor but you could feel a breeze heading back to T-2. The run was pancake-flat taking the runners on a trek alongside the harbor ending on the other side by Anthony's Grotto restaurant. Just before the finish line you could see the USS Midway, a WWII aircraft carrier with its many jet fighters resting on deck. That was breathtaking, but not as much as the run itself. The party at the finish was fantastic, live band, several vendor tents, massages, plenty of drinks, food and surprisingly, the results were posted immediately!

I hooked up with my friend and tri club member Lawrence Rossetti, who was responsible for me racing this wonderful event. We rented a van and headed out to SD early Saturday morning. We wanted to get there early and enjoy the festivities, check out the bike course and slide into the pool at the hotel.

We were invited to join other club members for dinner at a little italian restaurant in Old San Diego near Barrio Logan. After getting ready and driving in circles for a while, we arrived at the quaint hole-in-the-wall eatery. The line was humongous, it snaked all the way around the building, I was hoping I didn't have to wait. Lawrence just walked through everyone and I followed, dirty looks everywhere.

Once inside, I was pleased to see that we had a table reserved, Curtis and his wife arrived early and secured a corner of the room. I was introduced to everyone, I had no idea there were so many members racing the following day. At the table sat Nick Gallagher and his lovely wife, Dave and Carol Browning, Curtis Ching, his two daughters and his better half, the waitress was waiting for Lawrence and I, she said: "Gents, what would you like to drink?" The place was packed with little room to even slide back your chair, fantastic atmosphere, the food was incredibly tasty, and best of all, the company!!! After ingesting some tasty appetizers, they main course arrived, you can smell the garlic and olive oil, yes, I was in culinary heaven!!! We all consumed as many calories as possible as they would come in handy the following day. After dinner we all sat and chatted outside an ice cream parlor, the weather was cooling rapidly, we were all ready to retire......

Race morning was a bit overcast, cool and humid. It was impossible to find any one at the start as everyone had a different transition spot, athletes everywhere getting ready. I shook hands with Lawrence and he headed out to get suited up. Two hours later, we all gathered at the finish line and talked about our experience. It was a great event, I would recommend it to anyone as an "A" race, it doesn't get any better!!! The LV tri club was well represented, you could spot our colors from afar and the "better halves" were cheering us on on the run course...........We thank you!!!............

I was asked to gather results from our members as well as other Las Vegas participants, here we go. In the sprint disatance I found only four LV residents: MONICA MACCAUX (25-29) finished with a time of 1:22:28. RUSSELL AARON (20-24), 1:13:30. DONG-KYU KIM (20-24), 1:16:31. MARK KAPLAN (55-59), 1:36:15. In the international distance I found quite a few more LV residents and club members. Let's start with club members. LAWRENCE ROSSETTI, 35th in age group (35-39) with a time of 1:58:32. DAVE BROWNING, 34th, (35-39), 1:58:18. CURTIS CHING, 61st, (35-39), 2:10:30. NICK GALLAGHER, 24th, (45-49), 2:04:17. VICTOR RODRIGUEZ, 1st, (50-54), 2:01:05. The others were: VICTOR LEACH, 52nd, (40-44), 2:11:09. SEAN TRUCHARD, 18th, (45-49), 2:00:59. VANCE SUTTON, 14th, (45-49), 1:58:16. THOM REILLY, 46th, (45-49), 2:14:38. JAMES LOCKHART, 5th, (55-59), 2:04:23. LEXI TEJEDA, 4th, (50-54), 2:23:00. JAMES LAYDEN, place unknown, (30-34), 2:23:09. And finally, TIFFANY VINCENT, place unknown, (20-24), 2:07:33.............

The next event will be the Flagstaff triathlon taking place on July 20. This competition is provided by Eddie Carlin of Mountainman Events which promotes the LV Triathlon to be held on Sep 28. I'm looking forward to Flag and hope to see many members of the club competing in the high loftiness, cool air of northern Arizona. Thanx for reading and I'll see you training.............Victor Rodriguez

Carol Browning Writes:

I could have Dave (#366 above) write a blurb about the San Diego International Triathlon but I thought it might be pretty cool to hear about it from the perspective of a supporting wife. Having done the race last year it was a little bittersweet watching from the sidelines. Even though I was bummed I couldn’t do the race this year for medical reasons, I was very excited to watch Dave and the rest of the tri-club race their hearts out. If you have never done the San Diego race before and are thinking about doing it, I highly recommend it. It is a fun, fast, and exciting event.
First of all, even though Dave and I trained last year with the club, we actually became members this year. It is a very close nit group and would encourage your friends and family to join. It can be a little nerve racking showing up at an out of state event and not know a single person. The tri-club goes out of their way to make sure team members are contacted. The Club organized a pasta dinner the night before the race at Filippis in Little Italy (section in downtown San Diego). There were 10 of us that participated and it was a lot of fun. At least for me anyway… Since I wasn’t doing the event I got to drink plenty of Chianti with Curtis’ (#370 above) wife Jacqui. J J J I guess you can call that carbo-loading! We couldn’t get enough of the mozzarella and tomato salad (the tomatoes must have been void of salmonella because no one got sick – thank goodness! – just thought about that now….)

On race day, it was a very comfortable 65-70 degrees and not a ripple was found on the calm water. The event took place in the Harbor right across the street from the airport. It is always a very well organized event. For all those who are nervous as hell about the swim, no worries, as this year you could ask for a swim buddy. All you needed to do was look for a swimmer with a powder blue cap and they would help guide you through the water. Pretty awesome huh? What is special about these swimmers is once they were done with helping others they would get right back in the water and do it again. We are talking doing anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 meters each when all is said and done! I want one of those next year!

The transition to the bike was right by the water and the ride was slightly challenging as you road uphill all the way to Cabrillo National Monument. But the cool thing about this is once you made it to the top (oh, and looped twice around the monument), it was all downhill from there back to transition. The run is the best part. We are talking flat, fast and gorgeous scenery to view. You run along the harbor and pass cruise ships and eventually make your way into Seaport Village to the finish line. This is where I got to hear Lawrence (#437) tell me he did not re-fuel during the race as he was still full from the pasta dinner the night before. Are you hungry now Lawrence?

All the tri-members who participated did an awesome job. It was great seeing not only Jacqui and the girls and Serena cheer for Curtis and Nick(#631) (and of course me for Dave) but everyone supported each other. I can’t believe Victor(#753) (or Vincent as I like to call him – for some reason can never remember his name) who had wrecked just a few weeks ago did the race with road rash, bandages, saran wrap and all!! A big shout out goes to all the supporting family members and friends at the event. I thought it was pretty cool to see Serena with baby in tow running and taking pictures of Nick. And a big thank you for Jacqui and Curtis’ girls for waking up early so Curtis could actually get to the race on time! WAY TO GO LAS VEGAS TRI-CLUB TEAM!!

Geek Review- Value of Computrainer Ironman Video: Dave C

Fellow triathletes I am not trying to promote anything here, I am not an elite athlete, I just want to do the best I can given my limitations. This is a tool that helped me and I need all the help I can get. I was surprised that I had one of the better bike splits from our community - my confidence and timing was certainly much better than it would have been without it. I sent this message into Computrainer after completing IM CdA:

Hello Computrainer,

I was one of the first people to order the video software when it came on the market. When I called to inquire about customer satisfaction guarantees, your bottom line statement- if your not satisfied - sorry. Not very reassuring.

I have had problems in the past with the computrainer software so I was leery. The good thing is that I have always gotten customer support. I went ahead and paid I think about $100 for it.

With all of the above said - this is without a doubt the best add on for this machine. When I finally got it installed it was great. I knew that the course had been changed and it was now "more scenic" which is generally a code phrase for hillier and it was far more hilly.

I loved the fact that it had been filmed on race day so I knew where every aid station was, I knew every turn, every incline, every landmark. When I drove a portion of the course before the race I saw a deer just about in the same place it was on the video.

It was critical that the grade was posted on the read out as I rode because the video can not fully show you what the hill looks like. That was the biggest difference between the course and the video - but it wasn't that surprising. The other difference was the wind at the end. I guess that is fairly typical of the course, you might want to have someone write a course guide to go along with the product describing typical conditions, or put in a wind direction and speed factor.

I did this event a couple of years ago so I knew we were riding the run course - there are probably a lot of people that did not know that. You might want to film the run course and include a ride on that in future versions- why not it is probably a fairly easy thing to do and would be very valuable to your customers.

I am the president of the Las Vegas Triathlon Club and I put an announcement on our website that if anyone wanted to come to my house and try the software+computrainer out they were welcome.
http://www.sntriclub.com/tribb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=618 I only had one taker John Vigil pictured in the photo. He agreed with me after the race that this was a great help. I had to put up with kidding from people who think trainers are stupid or from people who think the only kind of workout is an interval workout.

The Computrainer comes with software that features robot bicyclists in front of repetitive fake scenery the whole set up is boring. The video software was the missing link; I was able to go on an "enjoyable ride". I trained for 3+ sometimes without getting bored; I trained while it was still dark. I liked it so much I would turn off other things; I have another monitor with the Tour on it next to my computrainer - I had to turn it off because I would rather ride this course video without distraction.

I am 58 - I am a serious participant but not a real competitor, I generally finish in the top half of my age group. This was a great training tool and it really helped.

Ironman Coeur d Alene 1: Dave C.

This is a first post - hopefully other participants will send my their stories and we can get them on the blog. send them to citydave@cox.net check out Johnny tri on the club blogger page http://1stepcloser2im.blogspot.com/.

Ironman is a franchise, a brand. If you enter one of these events you are basically guaranteed that it will be a quality well supported event. Ironman Coeur d Alene was no exception. There were great pre race activities including an athlete dinner; on race day there was an aid station every 10 miles on the bike and every mile on the run. You had volunteers helping you take off your wet suit and helping you change into your bike and run gear. As you left the changing tent they put sunscreen on you, at the end of the race they put me on a cot, covered me with foil blankets, and gave me a massage and pizza.

I arrived 3 days ahead of the race so I could do a little sight seeing and check out the course. I rode about 15 mile of the most difficult part of the bike and swam twice. The first day I got in the water it was 53 – it was ice cold at first until blood stopped circulating in the exposed parts of my body – my face and hands. Two days later it had warmed up 4 degrees and it was cool but comfortable.

They changed the course last year and now it is “more scenic” code words for it is hillier and more difficult. I tried to save some energy on the bike knowing I had the run ahead of me but it was hard the course was very hilly and you can’t hold back that much when you are going up a steep incline. It was a two loop course, each loop being 56 miles. I did great on the first loop but slowed down on the second because the wind really started to blow. You had to work just to go down hill – that sucks after 95 miles of up and down. I have the best tri-bike and wheel set up in the business so I had everything I needed for a good race. Chris my son and cheerleader managed to time it just right and cheered me on every time I passed through town – thanks Chris!!

I am an experienced - not talented - aging athlete 2 Ironman -19 Marathons, 12 half IM, many Olympic Triathlons. My average marathon finish has dropped from 4:10 to 4:30 over the last 8 years.

I have trained for all of the Marathons, and Ironman events, each one has been a struggle at some point but the grand-daddy of the struggle events is the Ironman. I trained - Biked 112 miles 4 weeks out and Ran the 20 miles 5 weeks out and all of the other stuff we do.

Still on race day I was cooked as I left the bike-to-run transition, now what. Here is what I did and it may be helpful to some of you. I quickly determined that I must have a plan; I worked on a run walk interval; I tested a couple out. I finally figured that if I ran 2 minutes and fast walked 30 seconds that I could sustain that for a while - maybe a long while – how long you never know. It was small enough so that even when I felt I couldn’t make it all the way through my second minute I could push myself. Can you believe someone has to push themselves to run a full two minutes – it was no joke for me. I did that for the next 23 miles or 4:45 min or approximately 130 times (I ran most of the last 3 miles). It got me through again; I was able focus on something other than my exhaustion. Advice from the old guy - think about creating that sustainable interval next time you have "had it" and keep rolling down until you get to the point where it works for you.

After my mental workout on the run I passed at last though the finishers chute. Chris was yelling and screaming and cheering me on the last block. As I passed though the chute a volunteer took my arm and asked how I was feeling. I said I would like to sit down. They brought me to the medical area and sat me down asked me if I wanted any pizza. I just wanted to barf. They kept checking on me Chris showed up but they wouldn’t let family in so he waited and watched. After about 10 minutes they helped me up and I tried to make it to the exit but I was too nauseous so they put me down on a cot and signed me up for a massage. A few minutes later they led me into the massage tent (my first time ever in an event). It was unbelievable how much better I felt afterwards! I was able to down 2 beers back at Carlson Race Headquarters - Motel 6.

Disneyland, Utah SG, Club Members Get Results: Victor R

Club members in action, great results!!!

On the weekend of June 14-15, several club members were in action in SoCal and Utah as well. Let's begin with the DANSKIN All womens triathlon held inside Disneyland in sunny Anaheim, CA. This is an unusual event as it was held in its entirety inside the park. As I understand, the swim was a bit sketchy due to the size of the lake, the "washing machine" was clearly in action due to the narrow channel they provided, the bike course was slightly better, at least there was no traffic to deal with. The run course was smooth and flat, with little trouble from the unexpected.

The park was closed to spectators, there were no fans cheering on the athletes, however, some local characters made their way into the park, they rooted, cheered, and screamed encouragements to the brave women. I believe their names were: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and those seven little guys, you know what I mean. The three lovely ladies that ventured to this event were: Annette Powell, Lisa Job and, Coco Salah. This was Lisa's second tri of the year as she participated in the Iron Girl held in Lake Las Vegas on April 5th. Annette and Coco signed up for Iron Girl, unfortunately, both were injured and had to withdraw. Both first timers, they were eager to compete and I must say, they did a lot of training in preparation for this event. Lisa, having a bit more experience, trained just as hard and the three headed out to SoCal in search of results. That they did, and I'm proud to report that Lisa finished 22nd out of 179 in her age group, (35-39), 107th of 1332 overall, her final time was, 1:06:43. Annette claimed 12th out of 132 in her age group, (40-44), 90th of 1332 overall for a final time of, 1:06:01. Coco placed 45th out of 179 in her age group, (35-39), 227 of 1332 overall for a final time of 1:10:09. Coco's rig happened to be a mtn bike retrofitted with slick tires, hardly a speedster to say the least. She still placed high overall despite the disadvantage and I wonder how much better she could have done with a TT bike.......Stay tuned, she's getting a new rig in August for her B-Day!!!...........

The other club members ventured out to St. George for the Utah Summer Games tri. The players were: John Harrington, yours truly and a few others. We debated about doing this event because it's geared towards Utah residents but, we decided to participate just for fun and experience.

There were no other worthy events on the calendar and the proximity was clearly a plus, only a two hour drive, couldn't pass it up. John signed up for the sprint distance to round up his points for the trifecta, and by virtue of high placings on the previous tri's, he has locked up first place, way to go!!! John was inspired by a new toy he picked up two weeks ago, a slick new Cervelo P3C. The new rig carried John to a new PR for the course, a scant minute and a half faster not to mention that he also had a PR on the run, what brand of shoes did you run with? John claimed 2nd in his age group, (45-49), out-of-state, 9th overall. I had a decent day, everything went well and the end result was better than I expected. I finished on top in my age group, (50-54), out-of-state, first with the Utah residents and 3rd overall in the Olympic group. I had the top bike time in the age group and the 4th best overall. I'd like to thank my training partners for pushing me to the limit, John, Lisa, Annette, Coco, and Lawrence Rossetti, I owe you guys.....

Other Las Vegas notables in motion that day were: Karen Lasko, 1st in age group, olympic (45-49), 7th overall. Hans Devouassoux, the "FISH", smoked the competition coming out of the water in first place. Hans was a member of the french swim team in 1988, swimming for his native land, New Caledonia, a french colony. Hans clawed his way to 3rd in his age group, olympic (35-39), 15th overall. Jessica Fasulo, a new member of the tri club, sizzled her age group, olympic (25-29) to a top spot on the podium, 8th overall. Jon Burkhardt took second in the olympic (50-54), 20th overall. Jon is a member of the tri club as well...........It was a good weekend for the club and its members, we all brought back some hardware and countless stories, had tons of fun, no mishaps, learned a bit about ourselves and the other competitors, made friends, laughed and carried on, that's a full day!!! Hope to see you all at the mini-tri this coming Sunday, June 22nd, it will be a great event and we want to thank our sponsors for putting it together for us.

The San Diego International tri will take place on Sunday, June 29th. This is one of the biggest tri's on the west coast topping out at 3000 athletes, hope to see you there...........Thank you for reading.................Victor Rodriguez

Battle at Midway Report: Stefanie Frank

The Battle At Midway
Midway, Utah
June 14, 2008
1500 meter swim, 23 mile bike, 5.92 mile run

It is hard to believe I am sitting here, ready to write this race report. I signed up for this race last fall, after being drawn in by the pictures and writing on the website. I talked with Glenn, asked him if we could make BAM a destination race and birthday weekend (his birthday was June 13) and he was all for it. At the time I signed up my confidence was pretty low – I had decided not to do the Half Silverman, and was floundering around wondering if I had what it takes to succeed in this sport. But somehow, underneath all that, I believed I could do it. I believed that ultimately I could put together a successful triathlon, and eventually learn to race. And this weekend showed me that I am well on my way. This was an “A” race for me. And a breakthrough in so many ways.

Pre Race
It’s about a six hour drive up to Midway and we arrived at our hotel a little after 11pm Utah time on Thursday. The next morning we got up early and scoped things out. I did not sleep well Thursday night and was actively stressed. I tried to hide it but it was totally there and I was worried it would affect my race. We drove the bike course first. It was absolutely gorgeous. The scenery up there is nothing short of remarkable; snow capped mountains and greenery. Small town feel with very little traffic. The course was flat. The couple of “hills” that it did have could only be described as “easy rollers.” The course wound around the outskirts and through the town of Midway, ending up at Soldier Hollow, a stadium that was built for the 2002 Olympic Games. Cross country Olympic athletes finished in that stadium. There is a long line of American flags that line the finish chute. It is one of the coolest race venues I have ever seen.
After driving the bike course we went to Deer Creek Reservoir so I could do my short pre race swim. By this time it was really windy and the water was a bit choppy. It was also pretty cool out. I did not want to get in the water (the stress was really doing a number on me and I was annoyed – I wanted to have a good time damn it!). Glenn told me I should get in and I said I just wanted to skip it. Then we saw another athlete arrive and get out of his car carrying a wetsuit. His wife/girlfriend was with him, carrying his gear bag. So I bit the bullet, suited up and went in. The water felt like Lake Mead in April! Forget 56 degrees – we’re talking low 60s! I was so delighted that I swam straight out into the chop, relaxed and let the small waves wash over me, getting my breathing into a rhythm with the water. After a few minutes of this I turned around and sighted on Glenn to swim a straight line back.

Since Deer Creek is very near a highway there was no practical space to get my short ride in, so we packed up and drove to a spot on the bike course where I rode a quick couple of miles. Amazing how quickly the miles click by on a flat clean course. I got into the aero position. It seemed to work. Who knew?? After the ride I did a quick run and my mood had done a complete 180. I still felt the nerves but they were more manageable now. We ate lunch and then went to packet pick up and then went to T1 next to Deer Creek Reservoir to turn my bike in. I have never left my bike overnight before – I wasn’t worried. On the contrary, I figured it would be one less thing to schlep in the morning.

Right after checking in my bike I got a text from Bobbi: We’re here.
Our good friends Bobbi and Jerry had flown up in their Seawind and landed at neighboring Heber airport. They came up to help us celebrate my “A” race and Glenn’s birthday. Little did I know what a great time was to shortly follow!

Race Morning
I slept badly again Friday night and had to really force myself to eat my pre race breakfast. We picked up Bobbi and Jerry in the lobby at 5:30 am and were on our way to Soldier Hollow. I was basically on auto pilot while the nerves were doing a number on me. It sucked. Once at Soldier Hollow I dropped my run gear in T2 and then we had to board a bus which would take us to T1 and the swim start.
Standing in line with Glenn, Bobbi, Jerry and the other athletes I started to feel a little better. I allowed myself to finally be thrilled that Bobbi and Jerry were there to share this race with us and that Jerry was going to be taking photos! Bobbi had brought three AIRHORNS for them to use on the course. Holy cow I was never going to have to wonder where they were!
Standing in line with the other athletes and spectators I also remembered what Coach had said to me after Rage:
You have done the same training as everyone else. Be proud of who you are.
Damn straight! I have a great coach!
We could quickly see that the transportation was a cluster. I was getting nervous about getting to T1 in time to get set up and pump my tires. Where were those damn busses?? Finally two busses pulled up and volunteers asked the spectators to let athletes on only so that all the athletes could get to T1 on time. So I took my gear bag from Glenn and boarded the bus. Got to T1 with just enough time to set up my gear, put on my wetsuit, get body marked, and NOT find a pump for my tires. They had told us repeatedly to not bring a pump to T1 that there would be plenty on hand! These two issues, the busses and the lack of pumps, is the only complaint I have about this race. I felt there should have been one more bus and they could have run them a bit faster. As for the pump, well next time I will bring mine. Worst case scenario if I lost it I only paid $14.99!

The Swim

The thermometer on Glenn’s truck said 38 degrees as we left the hotel. Thankfully, the air was still and calm, as was the water. As I made my way down the steep ramp to the beach, the coldest part of me was my feet; they were freezing!! Standing on the half frozen mud/sand was very uncomfortable! As we stood there waiting for the pros to start I heard the AIRHORNS. As I looked over to the spectator area, Jerry pulled out the camera and took a picture of me waiting to start. The three of them were cheering and calling my name. WOOT! Great energy, great confidence, I was ready!
After the pros went off I got in the water briefly for a very short warm up. Five minutes later they were counting down for our start. All of the women started together, along with the Elites. The cannon went off, I took a breath, and started.
The conditions of this swim were very similar to those at Rage, but I did not feel as focused. I was moving well and saying my keywords, but something felt not quite there. I can’t put my finger on it exactly. The course was well marked, and after I was warmed up I had no problems sighting. Just before reaching the turnaround buoy, the water began moving pretty rapidly. Thinking the wind had probably whipped up, I looked up to assess the situation. It was totally NOT the wind but a whole pack of men from the waves that started after me! Cool! I felt a hand in the middle of my back, then the guy immediately changed course and swam around me. I thought that was cool – I didn’t get swum over!
I seemed to stop and start a bit more than at Rage – had trouble sighting on one buoy due to the sun. For the second half of the swim I was surrounded mostly by men, which did not surprise me. I figured most of the girls would be ahead. Reached the second turn buoy (of this triangular course) and thought WHEW, almost DONE. When my head popped up again, I was next to two girls who were conversing about how this was a cold swim.
Cold??? I call low 60s refreshing, not cold. With that, I put my head down and made the final push to the finish. I could hear the announcer, the music, see the big swim finish inflatable and reiterated in my head that I was nearly done!
This felt like a fifty minute swim. Sometimes though, what we feel and what the clock says are very different. I was not wearing my watch and only when the official results came out on Sunday would I learn my true time:
42:48
Yes folks, read it and weep. I sure did. My best open water 1500 meter swim time to date shattering my previous times by 7-9 minutes!
(my Rage swim time was combined with my T1 time for a total of 56:xx – I figured probably 50 or so of that was actual swimming. Before that my best and only time was 51:xx at the Lake Las Vegas Triathlon)!

T1
Bobbi told me later in the day that when she saw me enter T1 I looked flustered. I told her this was for two reasons: 1) I was concerned about having a smooth transition and 2) I was concerned about my tires being potentially under inflated. Once I was out of my wetsuit, time seemed to slow down while I got myself together. Transition was smooth, but a bit long. Coach said next time we will poke me in the butt to get moving! I was pleased to see there were at least two women also in transition. I beat them out of there!
T1 time: 4:46!

The Bike
Something changed the moment I got on the bike. Some mojo and focus that I thought was missing in the swim showed up and hitched a ride. This was the best ride I have ever had anywhere, any time EVER. EVER! Everything went right and the moment I got on the bike and started peddling I forgot that I had been worried about my tires.
Coach had told me to ride aero in the flats. I had discussed with her the fact that aero is uncomfortable for me, particularly in the crotch area and I told her more than once that I did not ride aero at all because of that and because of all the hills that I ride on. I will get another fitting after BAM and blah blah blah . . . . .
Coach, however, would not let the aero issue lie. She said, “I would like you to stay aero on the flats.”
Um, what part of what I explained to her does she not understand??? To her credit, she also said, “If this hurts your crotch obviously don't do it but picture yourself not seated in a chair but almost rolling forward on your crotch and sitting that way on the seat.”
FINE.
I tried it.
It worked.
I remained aero the whole time with minimal discomfort. I sat up for the turns, the couple of wimpy hills, and the times I would drink. Otherwise I was aero and spinning 85+. I could feel what a huge difference it made. My confidence grew with every pedal stroke.
Three or four women passed me but I didn’t care. I thought “yay I beat them on the swim and I AM AERO!”
I saw the truck parked on the side of the road a split second before I heard the AIRHORNS and wild cheering! First person I saw was Jerry snapping a picture! I think I grinned from ear to ear I was so happy! Happy they had found me on the course and happy I was doing so well.
For the first time I was riding my bike as it is meant to be ridden. It is amazing what can happen if we just stop getting in our own way. In talking with Coach after the race we agreed that this is HUGE for my Silverman training. I know I can ride faster now. And my legs will get stronger. I am PUMPED! I also had to acknowledge that my “problems” with aero were likely all in my head. I mean, what else would explain this huge breakthrough? I didn’t change my saddle or get a new fitting! Coach said the head can be a very dangerous thing. Then I said it can also be very POWERFUL and that I think there is much I can do yet in this sport. She agreed. Like I said she’s a great coach! J
Guess I had to go up to Midway to learn this.
TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Bike time: 1:38:55
(the course was 23 miles so this averages just under 14mph. Prior to this my best average that I am aware of was around 12.5mph)

The Run
I could hardly believe it was time to run already. Riding up the “hill” that led into T2 my legs had never felt fresher after a ride. The AIRHORNS and wild cheering welcomed me into T2. Glenn asked me how I was feeling. I said GREAT!
While I was changing my shoes I overheard Bobbi telling Jerry to take a picture of my butt! The jury is still out on that one as I haven’t received the photos yet! Can’t wait though – I think he took almost 40 photos!
When I left T2 I actually had to hold back because I felt I was in danger of going out too fast.
Yeah. I know. Read it and weep!!!
I sure am.
The run course was gorgeous. It was tougher than the graph on the BAM site makes it out to be. There are several short, but very steep hills. From the beginning I was breathing pretty hard but kept steadily pushing it. My goal for the run was to push out of my comfort zone and negative split the course. I achieved both of those goals. The run course (mostly trail with some asphalt) weaves among the trees, grass and bushes around the stadium and the athletes are actually visible to the spectators throughout much of the course. Bobbi and Jerry brought binoculars and Glenn told me later they were able to keep tabs on me. I concentrated on running strong, with good form, and pacing consistently, walking only through the aid stations.
Just after the mile five marker I heard an AIRHORN and saw Jerry standing on a bridge that was just off the course, snapping a picture and giving me lots of encouragement. It was here that I was starting to really struggle. That last mile was tough. I walked a few paces up the last steep hill. Glenn saw me walking and they sounded the AIRHORNS. I don’t remember hearing them at that point but I’ll take his word for it. J
Running down the finish chute with the line of American flags on my left and spectators on my right was the best I have ever felt finishing a race. To top it off the volunteers were holding up a race tape. I got to bust through the tape!! WOOT! I think I put my arms up but I don’t really remember. The pictures will tell that story.
Run time: 1:14:53

Immediately after I crossed the line I heard an AIRHORN and Jerry snapped a photo. I found Glenn and gave him a big hug and started to cry and laugh at the same time. It was emotional for me, to race in such idyllic conditions, in such beautiful scenery, and finish in an actual Olympic stadium, with my husband and two best friends there to cheer me on, knowing that I was having my best race. It reminds me that I could not do this sport without all of the support I have, especially from Glenn, and that I have come such a long way in my training and with my mental game. I have Coach also to thank for this. She will say I did the work, which is true, but it takes a great Coach to help bring out someone’s potential.
I am grateful.

Thanks so much for reading.

Diamond Kids Triathlon Report - Dave Reichert

A note from the field…by the LV Tri Club VP Dave Reichert.

Saturday June 7th the fine people of Las Vegas Cyclery put on the Diamond Kids Triathlon. I was lucky enough to A. Dodge a Bullet at home (my wife was hosting a garage sale for 4 families at our house) and B. Load up my 11 month old son and take a scenic drive on a road that has been as source of some serious pain on my bicycle and head out to Blue Diamond.

When you drive into Blue Diamond you are about as far as you can get away from the strip in a literal sense. This is a small town nestled in the outskirts of the most notorious city in the US. It’s hard to find the sin in this city and it’s the perfect backdrop for the kind of emotions and experiences that are taking place in its pool and on its trails and streets this Saturday. Mother Nature pitched in with perfectly blue skies and mild temperatures.

I was late getting there and the race was in full force. As I pushed a stroller with my son piled in (just up from a nap) I could hear the announcer over the PA but drowning her out I could hear shouts of parents, friends and of course little kids having a blast! A local news anchor supplied the voice over the PA (didn’t catch her name) and a DJ was also playing music. The pool was empty, (did I mention I was late?) but the streets were filled with cyclists and runners.

Some of the kids were about as serious as athletes twice their age; others seemed to be like me enjoying a great Saturday morning having fun. I saw a couple walking behind their daughter who, by the way, was riding a tricycle. Other kids’ bicycles had tassels hanging off the handle bar grips. There were two volunteers assisting a rider that recently fallen. I saw and caught up to some friends whose kids were racing.

I had five ponies in this race. A niece, a nephew and three of my best friend’s kids were all racing today. I came to realize that I also knew 4 other kids that were racing when I saw them I shouted encouragement along with their parents. My son was mesmerized by all the bikes the loud noises and tons of kids having a great time. There were over 170 kids that raced Saturday. I think the entrants alone doubled the population for Blue Diamond that morning not to mention all the parents, friends and volunteers. It was hard to tell who was having the better time, the kids or the parents. I know I was having a pretty good time taking it all in.

So when I had to leave I was a little disappointed; Saturdays for me are work days. So on the drive back I took a little time to figure out what I enjoyed the most. I’ve always loved kids so that was easy. I thought the event was very well run and so I had to keep thinking. The conclusion that I came to was that I enjoyed the experience those kids were having the most.

Of the 9 kids I knew in the race 3 of them podium’d in their age group. One of them won his age group (get this; this was his first triathlon and he finished the short course in just over 16 minutes!). But he wasn’t my favorite story. My favorite story was his sister’s 3rd place finish. She is a beautiful swimmer and struggles with running and cycling. Her brother is a nationally ranked BMX rider (#1 in the nation last year for 5 year olds) and she, I feel, has always been a little overshadowed by his accomplishments. So when I saw her face as she finished her first triathlon it was a great reminder of why I love our sport. Just finishing is a major accomplishment. Top that off with a call from her Dad obviously BEAMING that she took 3rd in her age group and won a trophy; you just can’t help but feel your own pride of belonging to a sport that literally changes lives.

My hat’s off to the event organizers and to all the volunteers who made it possible for little kids to have a great story of how; before lunchtime, they had already swam, cycled and ran in race that boosts their self esteem and makes them stronger and healthier for the experience. Let’s see you do that with a video game!

Club Members place at California Time Trial: Victor R.

Club members ride TT, bring back results!!!

This past Saturday (June 7) the Ca/NV state team time trials took place in the quaint little community of Lake Los Angeles. No, it's not near LA at all, it's located 12 miles east of Palmdale and there isn't a lake in a 50 mile radius!!! Actually, the location is perfect for time trials, high desert, long flat roads, minimal traffic and if your start time is after 9am, you're going to fight a head wind, a tornado or some kind of weather phenomenom somewhere in the 40K long course.

I hooked up with Eric Knutsen and his champion wifey Colleen who owns quite a few medals from past time trials. We all piled up in this great big black Suburban, filled to the hilts with bikes and equipment. The other passenger wasn't going to race this weekend, his racing days are over, retired and having the time of his life, his only purpose in life is to eat, rest and what comes after eating........ Who is this character? Well, he's a grayhound Eric and Colleen adopted a year ago..........Magnus the magnificent!.........The rest of the members piled up in a great big white Suburban, also filled to the top with equipment and an unusual traveler, a 6-month old Doberman Pinscher who answers to Belle...... We're in like Flynn with PETA!!!......

Oh, the humans were: Kim Watson, Julie Cutts, and Maria Cleveland. Let me paint the picture, the ladies participated in the 4-person team TT, Eric and I slithered into the 90+ (combined ages, no! we're not old!) two-man TT, and the K-9's gathered all of the attention. Want to meet your soul mate? Get a dog!!!...........

The trip took the better part of 4 hours, during the lengthy trek, we discussed the stragety required to medal and after countless inputs into the computer, the final answer: GO HARD!!! Kim and the rest of the gang (white Suburban) somehow could not figure out the directions given by the onboard GPS, took a wrong turn and were heading back to Vegas, and the darn thing talks to you!!!....Go figure! After checking in at the mighty '6', we did a little more strategy analysis on the lap top, the other final answer was: GO HARDER!!!...........

Tom Bodette woke us up at 5:30 am, our start time was 7:48am and the ladies scheduled for 8:05am. On the way there, we raided the local Starbucks, fueled up with some strong caffeine, inhaled yogurt, bagels and headed out to register and warm up. After finding a spot to park, we set out the trainers, fed the D. O. G.'s and began our quest. I was cranking out some wattage on that trainer trying to loosen up, after a half an hour, I worked up a nervous sweat. Eric was busy setting up his bike and everyone else's bikes, he had no time to warm up. The officials were calling our number, number 19 to the line, he whined, it's HAMMER TIME!!!.......

I started out in front to give Eric time to warm up. I was folowing directions Eric tactically taped to my top tube, everything was going according to plan. We carried our strategy to the letter 'T' and the end result was good. The ladies had their own plan and their result was even better. Capt. Colleen piloted the group to a scorching ride! Eric and I claimed a respectable 3rd out of 9 teams, 50:34 for 40K, average speed, 27.8 mph, we were on the podium........mission accomplished!......The ladies topped the field and claimed their gold medals and a state champ jersey, 52:40, way to go!!!..........

The trip home was very pleasant, Eric drove, Magnus slept, Colleen watched a DVD and I mumbled nonsense to keep Eric entertained. As far as I know, the white suburban made it home or, did they? GPS?.......Anyway, that was our weekend. This coming Saturday, John Harrington and I are heading to St. George to take part in the Utah Summer Games tri, John is doing the sprint distance to round up his trifecta, I'm indulging in the olympic. Eric and Collen are taking the weekend off from racing, I'm sure they will be busy training for the next event. Lisa Job, Annette Powell and Coco Salah will be doing the Danskin All-Ladies tri held in Disneyland, CA. This will be Coco's and Anette's first tri of the season and Lisa's second. Stay tuned for results from Cali and Utah..........Thanx for reading............Victor............The only race you can't win is the one you don't enter!!!

Reno Tahoe Odyssey Adventure Race: Dave Carlson

We triathletes are really endurance athletes with a potential array of possibilities. Here is one....

I had a great time with the family and new friends from the engineering firm kimley-horn (KH) this weekend at the Reno Tahoe Odyssey adventure race a 178 mile around the clock event.

Nikki, my daughter, was on another team “hot cross buns” she doesn’t really know where the name came from. The team was composed of her friends and a mom and dad they did great. She ran the first section so hard that she barfed – but kept running – that’s my girl.

My team of 12 which included two (KH) vans made it through with a couple of glitches that we worked out along the way. When you are running day and night on a marginally marked course things happen including getting lost for short periods and missing hand-off points occasionally. We did both. We slept twice for a couple of hours - once on Walmart parking lot islands.

Chris, my son, was on my team and in our van – he had the hardest segment in the race a 7 mile run over a steep mountain trail. He did great but messed up his heal and was unable two run his last two segments - our teammates took over for him.

Running at altitude is interesting and mentally challenging – you feel like your lungs are on fire so you think - I can’t keep going like this – but your legs are not that effected. So the trick is to mentally separate the two and keep hammering the run.

New Zealand Dynamo: Dave Wignal

The New Zealand Blonde Dynamo

President of the Las Vegas Triathlon Club Dave Carlson sent me an email introducing me to a former Pro triathlete Karen Williams from New Zealand who had contacted him through the Tri Club website. He thought I could help because she was requesting locating a 58 cm bike to train on while she was in town. For those of who who don't know, that would mean she was taller than six feet. I'm the better part of 6' 5" hence the thought by Dave I might be able to find her a bike. Turns out it was a typo and she actually needed a 48 cm bike. That makes her about 5' 2". Luckily I was able to find her a 48 cm Trek for the time she was here.So I started talking to her via email, found out where she was staying and how long she was here in Las Vegas and got an idea of what she wanted to do while she was here.

I decided that since I have 2 unused bedrooms in my house in Summerlin to offer her one of them for the 10 days she would be in town. We also arranged to meet at the airport when her flight arrived. So there she was outside the baggage area when we encountered one another. A more fit 5" 2" 52 year old woman I haven't seen other than at Ironman.

Karen had entered the AFLAC Triathlon at Lake Las Vegas and had a list of things to do while she was here. The first was to "Not waste time." She didn't. This woman went from riding the bike I found for her the first morning, shopping for food, to riding the bus down to the strip and walking around all day to riding the bus home, did a run/walk with me, took a shower, a nap, ate and off to a club and returning about 12:30 AM, I think, I was asleep. Next day she Ran 8 miles, rode 6 miles to 24 hour Fitness where I had arranged a 2 week pass for her, swam and worked out for 3 hours, rode home again, freshened up and went to town again. Literally everyday was like this. She is an avid dancer and explored some of the dance scene finding the best was a Sunday evening at a church on Charleston near I-15. She also teaches dance and participated in the dance classes at 24 hour.

That first Saturday we rode through Red Rock and out to Hwy 160 for a 70 miler. That night we went to Primm for Merle Haggard and stopped by Mandalay Bay for a walk around afterwards. Sunday we went out to Lake LV, swam 1000 meters across the lake and back to get a feel for the water and rode 20 miles getting a feel for the area. When we got back she ate, freshened up and went out for the evening again.

Last year she had a front tire blow out at 30 mph on a curve while racing a half Ironman that dumped her on the pavement and slide onto the gravel edge road rashing her left thigh. Her boy friend came along with another wheel, changed it out, told her to "Go Love", ran one of the fastest half marathons of the day and finished in the top three. As a result of the crash she was very apprehensive about descending on the bike but said that was OK because during the race she wasn't planning on going really hard. She had knee surgery last fall and was just returning to run training full time although she complained of a sharp pain at certain angles while she ran.

Karen has placed in the top 3 at the World's and top 2 at Ironman. She held the age group record at Ironman Canada for several years too. She is also a member of the New Zealand Ironman Hall of Fame having done that event 14 times.After a full week of training, sight seeing, and going to various piano bars and clubs at night on her own, we drove out to Lake LV for the tri. She has the practice of being among the first to get into the transition in the morning so the whole time leading up to the start is elongated, hates to feel rushed. Well we were first and it was completely dark save for the street lights. It was fun to support and observe all the things that go on before, during, and after the event. When it was all said and done she had come out of the water more than half way into the group that started 5 minutes before her, was in the top twenty off the bike having overtaken many who started as much as 15 minutes earlier.

She did the International Distance finishing first in her age group by 30 minutes, 10th amateur overall, and 6 minutes behind the pro women.A friend had invited me to run that morning but I told him I was going to an all women's triathlon. He said "Good strategy." The race itself was poorly laid out at the only transition area for coming and going on the bike and worse for the runners who doubled back through the area on the way to the finish. The congestion encountered by the athletes with supporters, volunteers, each other, the public, and traffic access to the hotel was very inconvenient and dangerous at times. I ended up working the last corner into the transition off the bike with a woman who runs a very successful race in Lubbock, Texas. She and her husband's Buffalo Springs Half Ironman has been going on for nearly 20 years and is an Ironman Qualifier. She was also critical of the lack of organization of the event.

I was able to shadow Karen during the swim, catch her at the transition zone, and get several pictures of her on the run including the finish. After she had come across the line she came up to me and said, "you'd have been so proud of me. I didn't ride the brakes on the downhill like at Red Rock. It was more like, here I come, get out of my way." Having done many many tri's in the past, I enjoyed hearing the enthusiasm in her voice as she described different areas and people she encountered on the course.

The next day her left knee was swollen. Since she has been back in New Zealand she has gotten some very troubling news about her knee. Turns out that the training and racing had caused a sub condyle fracture in both the end of the femur and the tibial platform on the medial side. That means in the main weight bearing area of the knee, the smooth hard surface that rubs on the cartilage in between the upper and lower leg bones has disintegrated because the fracture causes loss of blood to the condyle. The condyle essentially dies and degenerates. The whole of the weight bearing area of her knee is undergoing non reversible degeneration. While she can't run and walking without pain is a problem, she can bike and swim. Her biggest concern about this however is the emotional struggle she finds herself in not being able to do what she has spent 20 years doing and at which she has had exceptional results.

You might wonder why this particular amount of injury for what was a normal week of training and racing. As I have found out myself, there is that last run. That last time when you are just running tirelessly at an elevated pace, no fatigue, no pain, only looking down the road, having that feeling of "This is why I run." She ran about 35 K while she was here and had talked about some knee discomfort but that by lowering her stance slightly she could run pain free. When you consider even if she had a one meter stride length (her's is actually shorter) to run 35 K she took 17,000 strides with each leg. That is 17,000 times the impact of the foot strike went up through her knee. Because the condyle and meniscus were compromised from earlier trauma and surgery, the impact of the foot strikes were being absorbed by the boney structure which fractured under the repeated stress. Karen hasn't come to grips with this yet. So while I have made a wonderful new friend she has experienced a life changing injury. There is a knee replacement option but a hard option to be thinking about.

If you have the inclination to contact her I have included her email address.

kd.w@hug.co.nz

Karen former New Zealand Pro Triathlete visits Vegas

MY WONDERFUL TRIP TO LAS VEGAS APRIL 2008

I am a triathlete from Auckland, New Zealand having raced for New Zealand for approximately 23 years. I have competed in 28 ironman, around 60 half ironman and have lost count of the standard/shorter distance events that I have done. As well I have competed in many endurance events, marathons and cycling races. My other love is dancing; all styles and I have previously competed in Australia winning gold and silver medals/trophies.

Back in March I emailed the Las Vegas Triathlon Club asking for information on renting a bike during my two weeks stop over in Las Vegas and local training rides, group rides etc. “Fortunately’ for me I hit the wrong key and said I was looking for a 58cm bike frame – rather than the 48cm that I ride!! Fortunately because Dave Carlson (president of LV Triathlon Club) forwarded my email to the tallest local triathlete David Wignall.

I received an email back from David and from that initial contact I was invited to stay at David’s home in Summerlin.

I had previously been to Las Vegas on three separate occasions some years previously. Twice just to ‘do the shows’ and once heading through to Lake Tahoe and surrounding areas in a motorhome.

Approximately three weeks prior to my departure from New Zealand I received an email from the Las Vegas Triathlon Club informing me of the Aflac Iron Girl triathlon to be held at Lake Las Vegas on 12 April. I changed my flight details to make sure I would be in Las Vegas for this event.

Unfortunately back in December 2006 I was clipped by a concrete truck while out cycling in Auckland. Thankfully no broken bones but severe bruising/injuries. I continued training and racing through the New Zealand season, finishing off with the Taupo Ironman in March 2007, before heading back to my second base, Gold Coast of Australia. I remained there for training and racing until November 2007.

At this time I returned to Auckland. During all this time I was still having niggly knee problems. I visited my GP and was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon who organized an MRI scan and then decided on arthroscopy surgery just to tidy up some cartilage. After all the years of racing I have been extremely fortunate that I have never had knee problems, and have had very few injuries throughout. Other than when cars/trucks have decided to try and ‘shorten my lifespan’! Oh to be a 6’ bulky, tattooed, angry male when I come up against these aggressive motorists who have an unhealthy attitude towards cyclists – instead of a 5’ 2” tiny female!!! My fist wouldn’t do too much damage to anything. Day after surgery I was feeling great. With five days things seemed to be going pear-shape. To cut a long story short – surgery has caused serious damage to my knee/leg. During the next five months I did not realize how serious things were. I was backwards and forward to Doctors and Specialists. None seemed to take me seriously. After three MRI scans seemed to show ‘nothing outstanding’ I was even told it might be psychosomatic. Finally one surgeon said to ‘head off on my trip to the States and to contact him when I got back’.

Arrived in Las Vegas airport on 2 April after the 12 hr flight to Los Angeles and the short flight on to Las Vegas.

David kindly offered to pick me up from the airport. Unfortunately he was at one end and I was at the other end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After an hour standing out in the cold wind with just a t-shirt and short skirt on, looking for any very tall male, I took off to find a phone box, some coins and David’s number. Spoke to him and we finally met up.

The drive from the airport down through Las Vegas Strip was so exciting. All lights were on and the atmosphere was just so alive. The tiredness that I had been experiencing just disappeared. For those of you living in Las Vegas, like with everything, you become blasé to the nightlife. But for me arriving back after 10 years it was such a buzz.

Stopped for a meal before heading to Summerlin.

David had kindly spoken to a friend of his who loaned me their small bike. Perfect little bike set up for a female. Very different from my own but having anything to ride was just wonderful.

My next few days was spent cycling to the local 24 Fitness Centre on S Rainbow where I worked out each morning and did a little swimming. Chris Escamillia (membership management) was very supportive and extremely professional. As was all the staff at the centre. I would strongly recommend this facility to anyone as the atmosphere and friendliness of all the staff as well as all the members that I came in contact with. I loved chatting to so many elderly – and I mean ELDERLY – members who go to the centre every single day. I found that truly inspiring. I have travelled extensively for many years and I would have to honestly say that this was the best centre I have ever had the pleasure to visit and work out in. I was still not running other than a gentle walk/jog for 20mins or so every second or third day. Other than that I had not really run since December 2007.

After training each morning I would catch a local bus from Summerlin through to a pretty ‘dubious’ area where I did a change-over of buses to head to downtown Las Vegas. There was times I was the only white person on the bus!! You can imagine the attention I received. 90% was just great. 10% a little scary….. I would walk the streets and wander through the many casinos throughout the day just loving the vibrance. Not being a gambler I did not make my fortune while there!

I would head back to Summerlin late into the afternoon in time to catch David as he arrived in from work before he headed out training. And I would get myself showered, dressed and head out again (kindly being offered David’s car since he did not think it was too safe to be bussing around late at night) to check out bands, music and dancing each night. One particular evening I was quite late leaving downtown Vegas on the bus. It had just got dark and when I got off the first bus to do my change over I had to wait quite some time for the next bus. I seemed to be the only white persona round! While waiting at the particular bus stop three very large black males came over and started talking to me. Asked me where I was from etc….. I was a little ‘concerned’ at this time with my safety so looked around to see where I would ‘run’ if I had to. I then said to these three males: “Oh I am from New Zealand, I am here representing New Zealand in the world self defense championships which are being held in Vegas”. One of the guys said ‘oh you don’t look like you do that stuff’. My answer: “and that’s why I win all the time’! Shortly after this the bus arrived and all three wished me all the best and said goodbye to me.

I was fortunate to see three shows with David which were brilliant. I also had the pleasure of heading out on the back of David’s motorcycle through wonderful areas of Hoover Dam, and out through the Lake Mead areas. It was just fantastic.

Also had the pleasure of meeting Randy McGhie from McGhie’s bike shop. THANK YOU Randy for your help and information. Sadly you were not able to sell me a bike which is what I needed! The store is one of the best I have been in for a long time. And all staff were so friendly and helpful. Especially compared to other bike shops that I visited while there… I did not find any of them helpful at all!!! Keep up the good work Randy.

Had entered the Aflac Iron Girl Triathlon just prior to leaving New Zealand. Had decided that I could swim and I could cycle. And if necessary I would just walk the run.

Approximately 1,200 women competed in this event. And this was the first time I had ever competed in a women’s only race. I have always had the attitude that I would never be impressed if they had just all male races so refused to do an all women’s race! Until now… The atmosphere, enthusiasm, comradery I experienced during this race was something that will stay with me forever. The start of this race was delayed for a very long time due to ‘traffic issues’ I think. There was no ‘riot’, there was no anger, there was no screaming or yelling. Everyone just took it in their stride. Organisers no doubt were working hard behind the scenes to get the problems sorted. And all the competitors realized this. Everyone just chatted with each other, sat around and just waited. And waited. And waited. So many of the women had their husband/partner/children with them so just remained with them during the wait. Finally the waves started and the race began.

I had a great race. And pushed myself to run the 10kms. Finished in 10th place overall and won my age group. Great result on a borrowed bike, old gear that I had thrown in the suitcase rather than any good gear – and no running for so many months.

I would strongly recommend this event to ALL WOMEN. To see so many shapes/sizes/ages out there doing their thing was humbling to say the least. For so many of these women it was the first time doing something like this. And what a challenge for them. The excitement of seeing them cross the finish line will remain with me forever. To so many of these women it is the start of a new stage in their lives. So often it is hard to make that first step to change a person’s life or lifestyle. But once a woman succeeds in completing one of these events it is like a turning point for them. In all areas of their lives. THANK YOU to the organizers and sponsors of this great race. And a very big thank you to all the volunteers and the sponsors who put on the expo. It was great for women and their families.

Sadly my Las Vegas stay came to a close on 14 April when I flew to Los Angeles, supposedly to spend two weeks doing the tourist things and visiting an elderly friend of mine.

Unfortunately things did not work out as planned.

On the third day in Los Angeles I was admitted to the local hospital with a concern that I had a blood clot in my left leg. The knee and leg had blown up so badly that I was not able to walk. Even sitting was unbelievably painful. After 10hrs and an ultrasound the hospital discharged me and cleared me to fly back to New Zealand.

I have now been given all the bad news from the latest MRI scan – and a second report on the previous MRI scan that was done prior to my trip. None of the news is good and sadly I may have done my last ever race. I may never run again, may never be able to dance competitively again, am now not even able to walk normally. And all this looks like being permanent.

I have my wonderful experience in Las Vegas to look back on which will always remain with me.

To all of you: MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY SINGLE DAY. Do as much as you can and put off NOTHING. Remember; you may not be able to do whatever you put off at a later stage….. Stay fit and healthy and make the most of that. Even being fit and active does not stop unforeseeable things occurring.

To everyone who made my stay in Las Vegas so memorable – THANK YOU.

Karen Williams
Auckland, New Zealand

Tony's Day on River Mtns Loop

Tri Misadventures
Sub Title: Monday’s Tri Practice: Cycling River Mountains Loop Trail by Tony Taylor (an 68- or 69- years old tri guy - see endnote #1)

19 May 2008

It started out o.k., except for the should haves: I should have got all my stuff together the night before; I should have used my cycling checklist Monday morning.
On Sunday (the hottest day to date of this year) I decided that Monday was the day to cycle the full River Mountains Loop Trail for the first time this year; I wanted to get an early start before it got too hot and it wasn‘t too windy. Since I live in Boulder City, this would be a door-to-door, solo ride.

I got up and was out the door before 0600. I was trying a new-to-me, but not new bike helmet. I jury rigged a visor on it, and my sunglasses wouldn’t go all the way up; it was a bit annoying, but I wasn’t going to go back home and get my regular helmet.

I was o.k. for the first 2.10 miles; then going downhill by the Nevada Welcome Center (at about 35 mph), I hit a rock that went ping-clunk. At 2.11 miles, I realized I had a flat (later determined to be a pinch flat). Hey, the good part is that I didn’t crash. The bad partS are: my computer blew off (see endnote #2) AND I forgot my bike bag with spare inner tube. I muttered to myself, "OK, Go find your computer before a car runs over it." I took off my cycling shoes and jogged dejectedly UP the hill. I found a nice shiny cell phone - and attached the battery cover … it works and the first entry is "Mom’s cell phone." (Curiosity question to self: How does loose a cell phone while driving?) As much fun as this was, I was still frantically looking for my bike computer. I chucked offending rocks off the road, turned around and went back to my bike. Lo and behold, I find my computer! It works, but looks the worse for wear.
I phoned "rescue one" alias my wife (who is NOT a morning person and it‘s now 0640). I nicely ask for pick up and told her I was at the same place she picked me up before when I had two flats a few years before.

In the mean time a "Lady in Black" (she was wearing black cycling clothes) asked if I needed help. I must have looked funny ‘cause I got bored waiting, so I took the bike’s front wheel off and skinned the tube out. There I was: tire laying there, helmet off (I tore the offending visor off), shoes off standing in stocking feet, and since my water bottle fell over, there was water spilling on hissing asphalt … get the picture? (I wasn’t mad, but kind of fatalistic … I hadn’t had bike problems for quite awhile so it was my time.) I think I said I was beyond help and my wife was coming. The Lady in Black circled me on her bike and said, well it’s MONDAY (that didn’t sink in real fast since I’m retired and have a legitimate reason not to know what day of the week it is). We chatted, she continued circling (she was in training and I guess stopping wasn’t an option, or I looked dangerous and she wanted to be prepared to make a quick get away). You’d never guess what she is training for - water ski racing! (See endnote #3 as I don’t want to sidetrack this story line.)

I was gallant and offered to take my rescuer out to breakfast (we usually have exciting things like toast, fruit or cereal at home) - she surprised me and said no thanks (she’s polite … and remember, she’s not a morning person). Well that took away my excuse of not continuing my ride saga.

When we were home, I gave the "found" cell phone to my wife (she likes to solve problems) and asked if she could contact the owner.

My next plan was (still trying to beat the heat) to continue on my back-up bike, on which I had just re-attached my aero bars and test rode around Boulder City. (See endnote #4.) I drug it out of the shed only to find it had a flat rear tire!

O.K. back to my original bike - put in a new tube. Bathroom break (yeah like you want to hear this) and hit the road again (not the best choice of words!).

This time it all turned out well. I completed the 38.24-mile loop in 2 hours 53.48 minutes, with a maximum speed of 40.9 mph, and an average of 13.2 mph (those who know: 3 sisters are in this route). No, the loop is not complete (so I used road shoulders when I have to), but it’s getting closer.

On the plus side:
-I completed my mission.
-I didn’t loose my cool.
-My wife found a happy mother of a daughter who lost her cell phone (See endnote #5 for more fascinating details!) and I took my mountain bike (green energy/anti-global warming) to the post office and sent the cell phone on its way to Georgia.

All in time for lunch!

Endnote 1: I’m short (5’ 8"), slight, and have grey short-cropped hair (not bald). I’m 68 in human years; 69 in triathlete years. Triathlete have their own culture: age is based on how old you’ll be on December 31 of the current year. This is the easy part of tri culture, the terminology took me a while; for instance, T1, T2, bricks, intervals, fancy bike names, gear ratios, swim jargon, triathlete celebrities, sprint, Olympic, intermediate, etc. I’m low tech, low cost, local tri guy. With a few exceptions, I don’t invest in far away exotic trips.

Endnote 2: bike computer. The doohickey (note my hi tech tri language) lock/release tab that holds the head to the holder broke off. I phoned Cateye’s 800 number and got a free replacement holder. Hah (if you are an uninformed bike computer person), you think this is easy. I’m old fashioned and have a wire computer, which means taking all the wires off that were held on with band aids, electrical tape, zip ties …, including the cadence sensor. Yuk - I put off replacing it correctly, so it fell off.

Endnote 3: My friend, the "Lady in Black" is training for a water ski race in the Belgium Canals this July!? How does one do that? How wide are the canals? How fast will you be going? (I got some answers on 23 May: 60-70 miles per our, depending on conditions; they will rent a ski boat and her husband will drive it; it’s a diamond race [sorry no explanation] and is probably a European championship, but is open to international entrants; and doesn’t know how wide the canals are.)

Endnote 4: I was very aware that switching from one bike to another would test my brain cells … as it did the other day when I rode my old bike with the shifters on the down tube (see I threw in fancy bike terms to impress you) and I was trying to shift like I was my newer bike where the shifters are on the brake levers. When I got back on my newer bike, I couldn’t find the shifters.

Endnote 5: The lost cell phone owner. My wife tried to use the "found" cell phone to call "mom," but it won’t connect, so she used her cell phone. The happy, excited mom said her daughter was traveling alone cross country from California to Georgia, but didn’t know where she lost her new cell phone. We got the daughter’s address and sent the phone that day.
* I’m usually curious about a writer who’ve I read, so if you don’t know me, this may help (or confuse) you. If you don’t care, quit reading. I help out at tris (read volunteer/work).
If I do a good job, I may get freebies or talk my way into complementary competing in the tri (thanks Brogg Sterrett, Frank Lowery, Eddie Carlin …). I really volunteer for the athletes and for the excitement. Tris are logistical - they consist of three different sports (swimming, cycling, and running) with basic challenges: guts, stamina, patience, and over coming mental, physical exhaustion. It’s fun to facilitate, watch, and participate.

The end.

BBSC Endurance Sports Background by Tony

BBSC Endurance Sportsby Old Tri Guy Tony Taylor (68-69 years old) - volunteer, sometimes participant 20 May 2008

If you've heard of BBSC (Endurance Sports), did you ever wonder what the heck "BBSC" stands for? When I first met Brogg I was unsure about how to pronounce his name. His name kinda reminds me of a character in the old 'Lil Abner cartoon (hope that's politically correct . it shows my age). I asked Brogg what BBSC stands for. The answer: it the first letters of his, his wife's, and his first two children's names. (Their third son was born after Endurance Sports was named.)

I like to volunteer for tris and runs - I'm retired and I find it's better and more fulfilling than a gym workout. One reason I like to volunteer for Brogg is that I like his family. While volunteering for some of his events, I would bump into people who were introduced as Brogg's family members. I finally put it all together (sometimes I'm slow), that Brogg's family is actively involved with his events. I was so impressed about how they all helped out.

Here is the family: (it's polite to list ladies first . my Mum and Dad [both British] told me so) Mom is Keene; Dad is Greg; sisters are Entity and Aubrion (neat names and different . I have trouble spelling and pronouncing Aubrion too). Aunt Kathy (Keene's sister) and Grandma Mary also help out.Grandma Mary grew up in Nelson, Nevada while it was an active mining town.How's that for history?! When I'm at Brogg's tris I try to let everyone know that this is a family affair and introduce the triathletes to Brogg's extended family. I'm proud to know them.