Las Vegas Half IM on the road to IM AZ
September 30, 2009
Last weekend six tri-clubers on a road trip to Sin City competed in the 11th running of the Las Vegas Half Ironman located in the beautiful Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The swim started at Boulder Beach with the transition area next to the water. The water temperature was 78 degrees (still wetsuit legal) with the a rectangular course passing the Sprint and Olympic buoys along the way. The bike was a fantastic mountain desert landscape ride newly paved road that circles around the lake with constant rollers while gaining elevation until the turnaround.
The run is hard with the first couple of miles on loose footing dirt and the rest a constant uphill challenge going through six tunnels on the historic railroad trail. By the time some of us started our run the brutal heat reached temperature recorded up to 102 degrees. The field started with 115 participants but only 89 made the finish line. Kyle Visin, 4:46:48 was first in his age group M25-29 and 2nd overall! I saw him flying down the run course as I just started my IM shuffle up the hill and was wondering if he knew it was hot. Kyle never ceases to amaze me and his beautiful cheerleader and team photographer, Shannon was there to wave and shout us out of transition. President Dave Groom, 5:24:53 was 13th overall and 1st in his age group M60-64 (setting the course record) just edging me out by only an hour (I was late on my kick). Dave was also 2nd overall on the bike leg and scored the fastest time for everyone over 45. I, however, was the oldest person to finish. Josh Shultz, 5:29:00 was second in his age group M30-34 and 15th overall accomplishing this on a chronically painful left knee. His blushing bride, Karen Schultz, 6:20:17 2nd in her age group F30-34 was 2nd overall in the swim behind Kyle. Asking the usually demure Karen for a race report she said “yeah, it was F##king Hot!”
We all did this event because it was on the road to Ironman Arizona in November. Frankly we had a very good showing evidences of the battered locals asking who are those SB people and where are they from..South Beach? The real excitement began afterwards….see Karen and Shannon wanted….oh, I forgot ”it stays in Vegas”.
Sandy
Here is a word from Kyle:
Las Vegas Triathlon Race Report
When I was planning my season at the beginning of the year I knew it would be a good idea to get in one last tune up race a couple of months before I headed out to do IM Arizona. As I was searching for a half do around this time I stumbled upon the Las Vegas Triathlon. It was within driving distance, small in size and best of all Shannon’s parents live 15 minutes for the race site. So I decided to sign up not really knowing anything else about the race.
Because I am currently so preoccupied with my IM training and because this was a C priority race for me I really didn’t give it to much thought. I went in with no taper or rest, I had no idea what the course was like, and the projected high for the day was 102 degrees (record high for this time of year). So needless to say I had no idea what to expect. My only goals for the day were to practice my IM nutrition in race conditions and not thrash my body too bad. If you know me you know I usually have precise time goals set for each leg so it was really nice to just do a race for the fun of it!
Race morning was glorious! If you like the desert this race is for you. It was warm and magnificent to watch the sun rise over the mountains. This race was very low key compared to what I’m used to. Everything was on a much smaller scale and people just seemed much more relaxed and friendly then I’m used to (maybe it was just because I was more relaxed??).
I don’t think the swim could have been more perfect. At 6:30 in the morning Lake Mead was glassy and warm (78 degrees). You definitely didn’t need a wetsuit but I chose to wear my long john so I would be a bit faster. The course was a large rectangle and they let you start waist deep in the water. It was nice not having to sprint down the beach for position. It felt more like I was in a swimming in a pool then open water. My swim went well and I’m not really sure how it happened but I ended up being the first to exit the water (I guess no solid swimmers showed up). It was a quick 100 yards up the boat ramp to T1.
I got out on the bike and in the first few miles it was obvious that this was going to be a bit harder course then I was anticipating. There was really nowhere to go but up out of the lake basin. It was an out and back course that had a lot of rolling hills. There weren’t any really steep hills but you could definitely tell you were climbing away from the lake. I think the net elevation gain was around 2,000 feet but most of the climbing was in the first half which made the second half seem really fast. I was passed at about mile 10 but besides that I rode most of the course with nobody in site. I caught myself numerous times just staring at the shear beauty of the landscape. I had to keep reminding myself that I was in fact in a race and I needed to keep on pace. Towards the second half of the bike it started to warm up a bit but because it is so dry out there it didn’t seem hard to stay hydrated. I always felt thirsty. My nutrition and hydration seemed to be spot on at the end of the bike and I was back in T2 before I knew it.
With nobody in T2 I think I took a bit more time then I normally would have and was actually looking forward to the run. This run course was like nothing I have ever raced on before. About half of the run is on pavement and the other half is on the Railroad Tunnel Trail. This trial was originally built to haul materials when they were building the Hover Dam in the 1930’s. There are 6 rock tunnels that you run though. The tunnels are huge and the path is very well maintained. It was nice to have a few patches of shade as the temperature started to get into the mid 90’s. Once again the fist half was almost all uphill as you climb about 750 vertical feet away from the lake but the second half was mostly down hill which was nice. I set a solid pace for the first half of the run but at the turn around I realized that the guy in front of me had almost 15 minutes on me and the guy behind me was more then 10 minutes back. At that point I took the wise advice of “surrogate” coach Fred and decided not to push hard and just cruise the second half of the run. Nothing to gain and nothing to loose but your body!!!!
Overall it was a really great race. The one thing they could improve on is the aid stations, but then again it was a smaller race. If I did it again I would probably bring more of my own aid (especially electrolyte) on the run course. I would highly recommend this race to people looking to branch out of the local scene a bit without having to go too far. They also offer a sprint and Olympic race so there is something for everyone. Who wouldn’t want to go….. IT’S VEGAS BABY!!!
Race Report, Ironman Wisconsin – 2009 by Craig Adams
September 24, 2009
Race Report, Ironman Wisconsin – 2009
By: Craig Adams
Location: Madison, WIDate: September 13th, 2009
For some reason one year ago, I thought it would be a great idea to buy myself an entry into this race somewhere in the Midwest and that it would an excellent way to bring my brothers and sister together as a family reunion. I figured it would an interesting location (not having ever stepped foot in this state) and that while it is touted as a very tough race, that it would be feasible to accomplish with the typical training terrain we get to enjoy so well out here in Santa Barbara. It also seemed like a good idea at the time since my foot was getting better after a bout of Plantar Fasciitis, so I had a good year to get my running shape established.
Well, some things don’t always work out as you hope, and the fascia animal returned in the spring and never really let up, but as stubborn as us triathletes can be, I persevered and went through with the commitment. After all, I did say this was going to be a family reunion, so I should at least put on an aqua-bike showing. Nonetheless, I trudged forth, kept up with the swim and bike training, and maintained a minimal regime of run training and sought extensive help from Amanda (and Jeff) at Elite Performance. Preparation as complete as it was going to be, I went on to the cheese capital, and what I found was an interesting mix of awesomely warm water, beautiful but humbling terrain, and a fan base that absolutely cannot be rivaled. My 48th birthday turned into a truly memorable one.
As it turned out, my sweet and supportive wife (Diane) unfortunately had to stay behind for other commitments, but I did collect a fan base of my brothers (Dwayne and Bob) and my brother’s wife (Sandy), my sister (Terri) and her husband (Tom), along with my primary training partners (Corey Evans and Amanda Kirby).
The trip began with a flight to Chicago and a brief visit with my sister and her family, then off to Milwaukee for a brief visit with Amanda’s family. Then upon arrival into Madison, I got the pleasant surprise that my nice-in-law, Dani, was in town for business, so I got an excellent opportunity to have a visit with her. She had to return home the next morning so was not able to be part of the fan group.
I got the check in process completed on Friday afternoon at the Monona Terrace, which is a convention center like complex overlooking the lake. This place offers a few large conference rooms for all the expo activities, areas for the athletes to change, a large parking lot for the bike racks with plenty of additional space for parking, and a great center for spectators to watch and simply hang out. It is well suited for this event.
All I had to do on Saturday was drop off the gear, when Corey and Mandy arrived Saturday morning. After gear drop, we went to the town square to enjoy a breakfast and found it to an interesting mix of many IM athletes and their families and even more University of Wisconsin Badger football fans.
Having the Saturday afternoon to kill, Corey, Mandy and I decided to be entertained with the game against, ironically, the Fresno State Bulldogs. I remember seeing them play against UNLV many years ago and vividly remember being impressed by their fan base and marching band. This team is known to have an excellent fifth quarter. The game was no disappointment, and went into double overtime with a Badger victory of 34 to 31 by a successful field goal. As we left, we witnessed a most impressive river of red flowing down the streets and occasionally eddying into many various tailgate parties we elected to not partake (No, I hate to admit, but no tail-gating for us).
Afterward, we took a leisure cruise around Lake Monona (the mid-sized lake) through the UW campus and around Lake Wingra (a relatively small lake). My race bike was in lockdown, so I just rented a comfort bike rented from the campus bike shop. Some purest would probably squawk at this, but it helped to calm nerves and pass the time, besides I really never worry about the bike legs unless it’s a hammer session.
Later that evening my brothers and sister arrived and we got to enjoy one another’s company over dinner. Here was the one thing I really didn’t want to do, WALK. We walked about 1.5 miles to find our dinner spot.
Finally it’s race day. The weather prediction earlier in the week was for thunderstorms and a high of 68. What we got instead was an absolutely most beautiful day that I have ever remembered for a race (with maybe the exception of San Diego races many years ago). The water was a pleasant 75ish temperature and glassy conditions. This race has a water start, so if you tire of treading water, you may need to grab something…or better yet, let your wetsuit be your PFD and just relax and float. The swim was a typical IM swim with plenty of good beatings, traffic jams, and road kills (Nite Moves is great training for these). What is unique is the Monona Terrace being full of spectators and seeing them from the water, and how that kills the long doldrums of this length of swim. I thought I’d scored a sub-hour swim (55 minutes on my watch) which I thought too good to be true, which it was as my watch lap button had been bumped.
After the swim and getting your wetsuit stripped, you run up to the Terrace using a parking lot corkscrew, then go into the terrace halls to get your T1 bags and then into the appropriate rooms to change, then out to the parking lot where you have volunteers rub you down with sunscreen, then you’re given your bike. At this point I managed to see Corey and Mandy watching and threw them a wave.
The bike starts by going down the corkscrews on the opposite end of the Terrace then heads out along a bike path way off to the Southwest section of the town. The terrain starts easy enough and you feel as though there is no real challenge. That’s a tease, as about mile 30 you start the various hills, and some of them get to be relatively tough, especially if you’ve put in a little too much power leading into them. However, you are rewarded with spectacular grandiose views of the classic Midwest farm county. I must say, I have never seen such pristine farmland anywhere else in the country. You do make two 37 mile lollipop loops and attack two significant hills twice in each loop. Then on the return leg, there’s one good hill climb for good measure. Upon return, you get the delight of going back up the corkscrew.
I did make the mistake of using a little too much power early, and suffered a little cramping on the second loop hills. By this time of day, it was well into the 80s and a bit humid, so my hydration was a little on the low side despite efforts to increase it. I also made a mistake of taking in my last nutrition a little late and suffered a slow down at about mile 105 but got it back by the end of the ride. In the end, I scored a sub six hour bike.
During the T2, I had the most impressive experience on a triathlon ever. A supporter saw that I was stretching my calves and he just laid me down on a massage table and worked an active facia release. I knew the run is not my strong event, so I could use whatever help possible. Other than that, it was a typical frantic exchange of gear.
The run is two loops basically starting at the Terrace, then around the Capitol building (which is adjacent to the Terrace) and meandering through the UW campus with a brief jaunt through the Camp Randall football stadium, over a nasty hill at miles 4.5 and 17.6 then a return almost to the Capital at miles 6 and 19. It then takes you on a tour along a bike path along the Lake Mendota (the large lake) shoreline, and then turns back through the campus. The mass of spectators is unlike any other triathlon I’ve ever seen. Granted Coeur d’Alene has a fantastic crowd and its own status of spectator friendliness, but this was absolutely incomparable. The crowd really does a most awesome job to carry you through the run.
I had actually felt pretty good considering the effort put out on the bike, but it was seeing my brothers and sister that fueled the fire. Seeing them cheer was the most miraculous boost I’ve ever experienced. That lasted for a whopping four miles, but the temperature of the day was at it’s highest and upon hitting the first big hill climb, I started cramping pretty bad and feeling some hot spots in the toes, and just had to start dealing with the fact that I’d be doing quite a bit of walking. I walked the hill, and had a boost getting through the next section full of fans, but the run along the bike path was tough with the cramping. This was the longest section of walking but I worked on hydration until the cramps were brought under control, which actually lasted a few miles. At about mile 10, the cramps seemed to be subsiding and I could get in about 4 minutes of running with a minute walk rest, so this became essentially the new strategy.
I made it back to the Capitol and once again found my family members cheering me on, then my friends Mandy and Corey as well. My brother paced me for about five minutes (despite the USAT rules) to the halfway point. On the way back out, I found my brothers together with Mandy and Corey and actually stopped for a few minutes to let them know of my strategy and approximate times I’d be seeing them again. The sun was no longer blazing, so I could actually maintain my strategy and a couple of times actually extended the run duration to 9 minutes, but that seemed to be a bit much, so I simply went back to the plan.
Running with brother Bob
At his rate, with my time summation as I interpreted, I thought I could still break 13 hours, so I diligently tried to maintain a 10-11 minute pace when running. As the temperatures got a bit cooler, I found that I was actually improving pace and was finally actually passing others. As I finally approached the finish, I once again found my brothers and sister proudly cheering me on. Once again, my brother Bob started pacing along with me, and my other brother Dwayne was breathlessly running also running alongside to shoot pictures. I had to dig up some mental acuity to tell him how to get the flash working. Then I witnessed something I had never seen before, my SISTER, Terri was actually running too, then I noticed HER HUSBAND, Tom, was also running. These were unbelievable to me. As I approached the finish, I checked my watch and it looked as though I may still be breaking 13, but the sign read 13:12:20 – OH WELL!
It turned out that the error in my interpretation of the swim split (13 minutes) was just that difference, which was probably an inadvertent contact with somebody’s hand in the water at about the first turn. In the end, I think I had almost the same time as with Arizona three years ago, and was over an hour slower than my best time with this distance. I just barely squeaked into the upper half of both the overall and age group standings. However, with getting my family together like this and getting them fired up with maybe just a little inspiration in the sport, I consider this one my greater finishes.
My lessons learned from this experience were 1) watch the dehydration it’s always ready to pounce on a warm day, 2) nutrition is probably better to be a little on the high side and 3) keep up a good attitude – the crowd loves it and gives you back double in encouragement.
The field was interesting with people from all over the place. The locals definitely dominated the general field and it was fun to watch them get cheered on. Another interesting experience was the camaraderie from our rivals in LA Tri-Club (they had a relatively good sized turnout). It was also interesting to find out that the women’s winner, Amy Marsh, was a college teammate of Karen Egerman-Schultz. Oh, those hot spots, they turned out to be some sort of Lake Monona Leaches. And that fascia thing, well it didn’t bother me again until I did a short run ten days later???
Blisters (Leaches)
Craig Adams Footed IM Wisconsin
September 21, 2009
On September 13th Craig Adams completed the eighth running of the challenging Ford Ironman Wisconsin in the beautiful capital city of Madison in 13:12:22! The two loop swim takes place in the typically warm waters of Lake Monona. The Monona Terrace provides a great birds-eye view of the entire swim course for the hoard of spectators watching 2200 athletes going up the transition ramps. The bike course is both scenic and tough, while their aren’t many long climbs on this ride, there are very few times when the athletes won’t be going either up or down on this rolling course. The marathon run goes through the University of Wisconsin campus, including a loop around Camp Randall Stadium, which provides an abundant spectator base as the students cheer. The day even finishes up in style thanks to the finish line that’s overlooked by the beautiful Capitol building in downtown Madison.
The thrill of victory…and the agony of de’ feet!
I saw Craig at Reef and Run just before he was leaving for Madison. He said he will be sending me a race report and I said for what, what did I miss? He said that he had paid the many $$$ for IM Wisconsin and decided to spend more money to go to save the money he already spent. This logic had a familiar and current ring. We are all glad he decided to go and proudly brandished the Santa Barbara Tri Club logo across the finish line as he completes his fourth Ironman. Craig is working on his full report which will be added to this posting very shortly. For now we end with a photo of Craig’s left foot (he calls them lake leaches)! Sandy
PS Craig ask to include the top 5 overall finishers:
Men:
1. RAYNARD TISSINK, SA 8:45:19
2. CHRISTIAN RITTER, DEU 8:50:34
3. RAIMO RAUDSEPP, EST 8:51:30
4. KONSTANTIN BACHOR, DEU 8:53:31
5. CHRIS MCDONALD, AUS 8:56:47
Women:
1. AMY MARSH, Austin, TX 9:43:59 (College teamate of Karen “torpedo” Schultz)
2. IRENE KINNEGIM, NLD 10:01:34
3. HILLARY BISCAY, Tucson, AZ 10:02:58
4. ARIANE MONTICELI, BRA 10:05:37
5. ALI FITCH, AUS 10:09:29
Pacific Grove Triathlon…Sea and Weed
September 16, 2009
Elite and amateur triathletes flocked to Pacific Grove last weekend to participate in one of the most scenic triathlons in the world. The Triathlon at Pacific Grove boasts ideal weather for their triathlon, cool and misty at dawn with sun by mid-morning and an average high temperature in the mid-70s. The course begins with the famous “Kelp Crawl” swim with swimmers often accompanied by Sea Otters and Sea Lions. The looped bike and run courses lie along the Pacific Grove coastline surrounding Lover’s Point with a breathtaking view for the participants to admire as they push themselves to the limit.
Mentioned in the media was a California resident Derek McGinnis 01:29:51, a veteran of the war in Iraq who sustained traumatic brain injury, extensive shrapnel wounds, damage to his eye and amputation of his left leg above the knee competed in the Sprint course. McGinnis, an Amputee Advocate for the American Pain Foundation, said “it is critical that the barriers preventing access to appropriate pain management be addressed.”
Olita Layton, our own professional pain manager ( I didn’t intend this segue), crossed the Olympic course finish line at 02:49:21 and a very impressive 4th F35-39. Also another Santa Barbaran, Jon Clark 02:19:56 had a nice 5th place finish M45-49.
I hope to see Olita very soon and ask her to describe the kelp crawl and to give her a big high 5 for continuing her great season.
Sandy
PS Olita just sent me her race report:
Triathlon at Pacific Grove Olympic Distance
September 12, 20009
OVERVIEW: Waves started at 7:15 and were 15 minutes apart due to the multiple lapping course. Two laps on the swim in which you had to get out and run around an old anchor on the beach, four 10k bike laps, and three run laps. My female 30-39 wave started at 9am. Great atmosphere, with race chip, so in addition to the standard splits, transitions times; there were even lap splits. Pasta, fruit, and snacks afterwords. Powerbar products and water on the course.
SWIM: In contrast to my normal confidence on the swim, I was very nervous about the water temperature, which turned out to be 57 degrees. The kelp was barely an issue. The major obstacle was getting around all the swimmers from previous waves. Even more-so, I finished my first lap and started the second just as the next wave of swimmers started… MORE kicking feet to avoid, more elbows to avoid, but I survived the cold and the large number of people in the water at once coming in 5th in my age group. I wore neoprene socks which prevented my feet from getting numb and cold, and protected them on the run to transition.
TRANSITION 1: However, my hands WERE numb and I felt like I had a slow transition due to difficulty getting the wetsuit off with numb hands, but my first transition time turned out to be decent as the 7th fastest time in my age group.
BIKE: The most beautiful bike course I’ve ever seen in my life! I could’ve done four MORE laps in that scenery! flat to slightly rolling with 180 degree turns at each end of the out and back course. 95% humidity, 55 degrees at 7am, 57 at 9am… same temperature as the 57 degree water! Damp roads from mist, well swept closed course. FUN!! I felt strong and controlled the whole way. LOVED the looped course which allowed me to monitor my fluid and fuel intake more easily. Had great pacing with practically equal lap splits. My second-hand carbon fiber Ruby Pro just wanted to GO! I placed an AMAZING 6th place in my age group on the bike, which is unprecedented for me since it’s my worst sport.
TRANSITION 2: I zipped out of T2 in one minute and 54 seconds.. my best placed split of the race: 2nd!
RUN: This weekend I felt AWESOME on this 10k with three loops along coastal running path and Ocean View Blvd. Easy to pace, not as flat as Ventura Tri For Life, but one of the flattest courses I ‘ve run. For some reason all the running splits seem slow (50:51 for me), but I jammed, getting 5th in my age group. Which I’m very happy with considering it equals the place I earned in my strong sport (the swimming split).
Thank you to my hubby, Matthias for his support and encouragement, and for feeling the pain with me in the many workouts that he did to keep me company. Thank you to Mateo Mercur, my coach, who not only scheduled detailed workouts specific to my needs, but cheered me on, built up my ego, and taught me safety and confidence on the bike.
Our Stars at Malibu Triathlon
September 16, 2009
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Hundreds of athletes took part in the 23rd annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon last weekend raising an astounding $1,010,719 for the pediatric cancer research at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Zuma Beach played host to some of the world’s finest athletes, celebrities and philanthropist on Saturday, September 12 with the challenging Olympic course with a 1.5K swim in the Pacific Ocean, an 40K bicycle ride along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway and a 10K run along the pavement and sand of Zuma and Trancas beaches. On Sunday, September 13 was the paparazzi special Classic course with a half mile swim, 18 mile bike and a 4 mile run. There were several Hollywood celebrities the likes of Terri Hatcher, Jennifer Lopez, Felicity Huffman, Mario Lopez and Mathew McConaughey. However none of these stars are as bright as our own Stephanie Tanimoto 01:50:24 who won her age group F20-24 in the Classic along with John Herzog 01:39:05 13th M45-49 (see race report below). More shinning light came from the Olympic course members of Emily Hatton 02:56:49 and Ali Aghayan 02:58:04 and our super novas Desa “unstoppable” Mandarino, Danielle Harper and Nanette Bercu winning the Women’s Relay division in a blazing time of 2:15:28 and they all look better than Teri Hatcher.
Once again my bud, John Herzog comes through for me with an excellent race report:
I did a 1:39:05, 13th out of 152 and 149 overall! The ocean was absolutely beautiful that day. Crystal clear and clean turquoise blue and 68 degrees. The swim was fast with a nice current. I came into swim transition in 15:07 so I was stoked. The bike was SO crowded. With over 3000 people of varying skill levels it was quite an interesting bike. Very nice having PCH lanes closed for the race. I hammered the bike as hard as I could since it was only 18 miles. I felt good about a 48 minute time with all the traffic and 3 miles in a parking lot with speed bumps! Zuma Beach parking lot is LONG! I transitioned well and was ready to run 7:10 pace for the four miles when my lack of stretching, foam rolling, and PT exercises caught up with me. I barely managed to run sub 8 minute pace. Pathetic. Goes to show how much difference that extra work can make. I’m following Coach Swan’s orders (might as well since I paid him) and doing the stuff he tells me! Carp here we come!!
John is a bit too hard on himself, he is having a tremendous year. Congrats to all our Malibu athletes for making us beam with pride.
Sandy
Beth Bailey…Triathlete, Mom, Business Woman!
September 10, 2009
Name: Beth Bailey
Years in Triathlon: 12
Employment: Used to be an Engineer, then a Consultant. Now have started The Kiddo Company (www.kiddofood.com) with a mission is to offer natural, healthy foods that are fun and easy to eat. We are working to launch at Whole Foods in Fall 2009!
Family Life: Husband Jeff (you know, the big tall guy!) and 2 girls, Mary Jane (5 1/2) and Vivian (4). They are fun!
Athletic Background: My main sport was springboard diving. I competed from age 7-17 and coached for 6 seasons. I then tore my ACL my senior year of high school which crushed my diving hopes. In college I switched to 8-oz curls and intramural soccer (both very big sports at
Favorite Race and Why: Mrs. T’s Chicago Triathlon 1997. My first “big” race, very exciting with all the people around, and just fun to travel to.
Worst Race and Why:
This Year’s Goals: To rid myself of the plantar fasciitis that has plagued me all year.
In 5 Years I hope to: Still be doing races! I love it. Although I always dream of training just a BIT more each season…
Something Most People do Not Know about ME: I cut my own hair. I just don’t have the time to go sit in a salon!
Next Meeting is Friday not Thursday
September 9, 2009
Just a reminder that the next Tri Club meeting is Friday September 11th at the East Beach Grill on Cabrillo. We will start with a group ocean swim at 5.45pm for anyone interested. Last year we had about 30 people do the swim. This year the water will be warm ( about 66 degrees last night) and hopefully not too bumpy. After the swim it’s wine-tasting, dinner and a fun program with a Hawaiian theme. Wear your Hawaiian shirts and dresses, flowers in your hair, sarongs, bikini’s but no lei’s please!
Dinner starts at 6.30-6.45pm with the program to follow. It may get a bit chilly as the eveing progresses so bring something warm just in case.
Ironman Canada…Craig S, Lee C. & Dan M.
September 3, 2009
The cannon called “Maranatha” started this years Ironman Canada at 7AM last Sunday when 2,600 athletes embarked on the long day that includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run in Penticton, British Columbia. Since it began as an “ultra-distance” event in 1983, Ironman Canada has been a popular fixture on the triathlon “map”.
The race starts at Okanagan Lake Beach, which offers one of the widest swim starts of any Ironman race in the world … a necessary feature since there were more people heading off at once than any other Ironman!
After exiting the water the riders start the bike course with a gradual climb up Penticton’s Main Street. Apart from one significant hill at about the 10-mile point (McLean Creek Road), the first 30 miles of the course are relatively flat or downhill. It is one of the most beautiful bike courses in the world – the athletes enjoy incredible views of mountains and lakes almost throughout the ride — but all that great scenery can distract the riders from the task at hand — getting through those major climbs and descents!
Like the bike course, the run course is incredibly beautiful, but it also has its challenges! Even with the thousands of athletes, spectators, and volunteers that line the course, it is the beautiful scenery along this run course that stands out. The wonderful views provide a welcome distraction to the pain of the race!
My wingman, Fred Maggiore informed me of the three SB Tri club members that competed, here is his comments:
Hey Sandy, if you’re looking for something to do in your “spare time”, yeah I know, we all have lots of that!, you can check on the three SB boys who all finished IM Canada; Craig Spreadbury 10:48:29 37/220 M30-34, Lee Carter 11:46:54 37/236 M50-54, and Dan McCluskey 10:21:22 3/236 M50-54, and Dan qualified for IM Hawaii! I believe, it’s his fourth time qualifying, after finishing 3rd in his AG. Good on them I say, Fred
Thanks again Fred for your report. I heard that one of the boys will be sending in a personal report so stay tuned. In the mean time lets have three cheers for Craig, Lee and Dan!
Sandy