The Boys at the Big Island..Hawaii Ironman
October 12, 2009
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Last weekend’s Hawaii Ironman saw 1,770 athletes officially start the race in an attempt to conquer the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run on the Big Island of Hawaii. Weather conditions for the 31st anniversary of Ironman were hot, with temperatures reaching well above 90 degrees Farenheit during the bike and run portions. Competitors represented more than 48 countries and all 50 states and ranged in age from 20 to 80 years old. Australia’s Craig Alexander and Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington defended their titles at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Alexander added a second consecutive World Championship title to his resume, while Wellington added a third. Wellington’s overall time of 8:54:02 broke the course record set in 1992 by Ironman icon, Paula Newby-Fraser. Our own Vic Birtalan made us old guys proud with a 14:17:14 and Dan McClusky recorded 11:38:06 while Gary Maxwell 12:31:33 provided a quick race report as he was preparing to return home from Hawaii. Here is his report:
What a glorious adventure. After a week of lighter than normal winds, race morning provided the usual challenge on the Queen K for the bike leg. Head winds both directions, but especially coming back after the descent from Hawi – until a few miles north of the Airport. Then the winds lightened and I was able to pick the speed back up again – didn’t help the average much but was a good psychological boost. Spoke with several Hawaii IM veterans after the race who described the winds as an “average” year, but hot. I noticed the winds but not really the heat on the bike.
For me the beginning of the run along Alli was actually overcast though still hot and humid. Training runs along that part of the course earlier in the week had seemed much hotter. Back up Palani and onto the Queen K again the run was back into the sun – at least while the sun was still up. GI issues during the first 17 miles of the run had me into the Porta Johns on four different occasions. That – plus stints of walking after the Energy Lab really padded my run time. I think all the foot soaking at the aid stations helped produce blisters right on the balls of my feet. Should have just kept running, it hurt either way. Next time I’ll know just to suck it up.
And finally the swim – a VERY long time in the water. From the turn around back to the swim exit I was side by side with a guy who was doing a heads up breast stroke – not a competitive stroke – and no way I could pull away from him. Tried to remember everything anyone had ever told be about body position or stroke mechanics and nothing made a difference – I was just flat out slow. Made for a very long day. Good thing I’m signed up for a swim clinic this coming weekend.
Coming onto Alii drive with it’s crowds, music and history was spine tingling. Over a mile away you can hear the noise at the finish. In spite of everything I found I had a smile on my face that just wouldn’t go away. I owe the entire club a big thanks for all the support and advice I received in preparation. It definitely helped get me to the finish line.
And finally, there were times during the race when I was wondering why I’d ever signed on for this. By the finish I was hoping I might qualify again so I could improve on one thing or another. It can really suck you in.
Gary
Here is Vic’s race report:
The conditions were as reported by Gary, although I thought the bike was hotter than usual, the swim a little more choppy on the way out, than usual. I had a couple of issues during the race that affected my finish time, primarily, I did not follow good pre-race protocol by hydrating for several days prior to the race, hence I had some severe cramps on the bike that never really subsided, the cramps started around mile 85 and are really something that I have not experienced in the past. Secondarily, and most significant was that after arriving in Kona I noticed the symptoms of a cold, sore throat, running nose. Anyway the bottom line is that I was not 100% for race day. As Gary so accurately stated “just have to suck it up and keep going”.
Vic
Gary’s splits and video finish:http://liveupdate.ironmanlive.com/ppv/wmf.php?rid=261&bib=340
Vic’s splits and video finish: http://liveupdate.ironmanlive.com/ppv/wmf.php?rid=261&bib=265
Dan’s splits and video finish:http://liveupdate.ironmanlive.com/ppv/wmf.php?rid=261&bib=482
Nice going Gary, Vic and Dan for another inspiring well earned goal. Thanks goes out to Gary and Vic for sending in their race reports while they are unpacking and returning back to their normal lives!
Sandy
Tri Club meeting tonight at the Santa Barbara Athletic Club
October 8, 2009
This weeks meeting tonight will not be at Hazards it will be at the Santa Barbara Athletic Club starting at 6.30pm. Hope to see you there?
Taj Talks Tinley’s
October 6, 2009
October 3rd and 4th the Scott Tinley’s Adventures series of races were held at Lake Lopez, just outside Arroyo Grande (1 hour north of SB). TriCalifornia is the group that puts it on. TriCalifornia is well known for putting on Wildflower, Escape from Alcatraz and a few other quality races. The Tinley’s race weekend is VERY similar to the Wildflower race weekend….multiple races across 2 days, camping, and don’t forget the exorbitant race prices! However, I love Tinley’s because it’s about 1/10 of the size of Wildflower….probably 500-700 athletes total, across all of the races. The general feel is much more laid back. Plus, I love to camp so this is definitely my favorite race weekend of the year. It also might have something to do with the fact that I can actually podium at this race. I’ve been 5 of the last 6 years….4 of those with my TRI partner in crime, Sarah Claus (former and returning next year SBTC member). A handful
of other people joined us this year, including Lars Mininni, Melissa Wright, Kelly Knowles 1:51:45 F40-44, Peter Neilson 2:38:40 4th M35-39 and 1:37:59 8th M35-39 , Sue Beatty 01:12:52 1st F45-49 and Sarah Mandes. Amy 01:12:42 1st F35-39 and Dave Yamate 01:20:33 5th M35-39 drove in just for the onroad sprint race on Saturday and Craig Adams 01:45:59 2nd M45-49 and his wife Diane came up Saturday evening for the offroad race on Sunday.
The Events…. There are 8 races to choose from, yes EIGHT!!
On Saturday there are 4 different Onroad Triathlons….
Long Course – 1.5 mile swim, 48 mile bike, 9 mile run – There was a sizable purse for the pros in this event
Olympic – 1 mile swim, 26.2 mile bike, 6 mile run
Sprint - 1/4 mile swim, 12.2 mile bike, 3 mile run
Kids – 200 yard swim, 4 mile bike, 1 mile run
and 2 different offroad time trials
2 mile mountain bike time trial
1 mile mountain bike time trial (actually 1.5 by my GPS
and 3 Offroad Triathlons
Long Course (Extreme) – 1/2 mile swim, 17 mile bike, 6 mile run
Sprint Course – 1/4 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run
Plus there are 3 competitions that are a combination of 3 of the races above….
Tinley’s Toughest….Both Long Course Triathlons and the 2 mile Time Trial
Betsy’s Buffest….Olympic Onroad, Sprint Offroad, and 1 mile Time Trial
Terry’s Toughest… Sprint Onroad, Sprint Offroad, and 1 mile Time Trial
So you get the picture….there are quite a few different events to choose from to satisfy both the road triathletes/cyclists and the mountain bikers.
Race Morning #1….Wow, what a beautiful day. Clear skies with a little chill in the air. Sarah C., Peter, and I are all racing in the Olympic distance triathlon today which starts at 8:30. As we pack up our tri gear and head down to transition I remind Sarah NOT to lock her keys in her car like she did 3 years ago with her transition bag still in the back of the car. (What would you do? Break your side window at a cost of $250 OR give up a race that you just paid $150 for? Well, like any dedicated triathlete, Sarah broke her window).
The Swim…. the swim was beautiful. The water was warm and clean (no gas smell on the water like at Wildflower). My swim was a little slow…I blame it on the sleeveless wetsuit that I decided to wear at the last minute…don’t remember why. Coming out of the water and running up the boat launch ramp I remembered how much I hate this transition….really rough pavement, serrated actually for better traction for vehicles. Not designed for running on cold, bare feet.
The Bike… The bike course is a really, nice, rolling course. There is really only one long 1/2 mile hike below the Lopez Lake dam. Fortunately it’s not very steep because my bike training on hills was nonexistent this year. After the race I heard that one cyclist was actually kicked off his bike by a deer that got in his way! Unbelievable!! Another cyclist went down because a flock of wild turkeys got in his way! Man, Mother Nature is trying to tell us something. I definitely heard a lot of sirens on the bike portion of the race….never good news.
I began to get a little worried when my Garmin GPS got to 25.5 miles and I still hadn’t reached the campground. I thought I was doing an International distance race (24.8 miles). After the race I learned that it was exactly 26.2 miles, same as a marathon, odd.
The Run….The run is brutal. Well, over half the course is rolling hills, with 1 hill that’s 150 feet of elevation gain. I actually walked the very top all 3 times I had to run the course. The one nice thing is that all men start together and it’s an out and back course so you can see your competition. Fortunately, I was several minutes behind the next fastest guy, so I wasn’t tempted to burn myself out (after all I have another race tomorrow). And I didn’t really have anyone threatening to catch me. So I was able to cruise the run a bit and save myself for Sunday’s race. I ended up finishing 2:26:01, 6th overall (out of 114 finishers) and 2nd in my age group. Peter finished 2:38:40, 13th overall and 4th in age group. Sarah C. finished 2:50:46, 7th woman overall and 3rd in her age group.
OK, fast forward through the awards ceremony, the post-race beers, the 1 mile mountain bike time trial (awesome course), the incredible pasta dinner Lars and Sarah cooked up, more post-race beers (or are they pre-race beers now that I’m racing again tomorrow morning?), falling asleep in front of the campfire….you get the picture.
Race Morning #2
Peter, Craig, Kelly and I are all signed up for the Sprint and Sarah C., being the stud that she is, signed up for the Extreme. We’ve always done the Extreme bike course in the past, so it seemed only natural that we would continue it. However, they rearranged the “Toughest Competitions” such that the Tinley’s Toughest series now includes the almost half-ironman distance race on Saturday!! No Thank You. I’ll stick with the Olympic distance. So, the next best “Toughest Competition” was Betsy’s Buffest, which of course includes the Sprint Offroad race. Peter and I will be vying for the title of Betsy’s Buffest!!
The Swim….1/4 mile…it sure looked short. swim out to 1 triangle buoy, right shoulder, 50 meters or so then right shoulder another triangle buoy then come straight in. It barely looked like 200 yards. haha…man that was the longest 6 minute swim of my life! It felt like 15 minutes. This is why I don’t race sprints. Finish the swim to get to my favorite swim-to-T1 run….ouch!!
The Bike…2 x 6 mile loops around the campground. Did I mention it was cold? It was 37 degrees that morning with an 8am swim start. Why I didn’t bring gloves or at least arm warmers I’ll never know. I actually considered dropping out of the race because all I could think about was my frostbitten hands. I couldn’t feel my feet but for some reason that didn’t bother me. And to top that off, my rear tire clearly had a slow leak. All right, enough bitching. The bike course was a BLAST! Slow, steep single track climbs, followed by long bombing descents with hairpin turns around oak trees, followed by a quick hike-a-bike up a really steep short, sandy hill. My favorite part is where you ride through a huge sandy section on the lakeshore….really deep sand that’s tough to get through and there are like 50 people standing there cheering you on. It’s definitely one of those races where you sort of forget you’re actually racing and you just
enjoy the ride. It’s a great place to ride or trail run if you’re ever in the area.
The Run….5K…well, it’s the same run as yesterday, only 1 loop. Still had to walk at the top of the big hill…brutal! Once again, I didn’t have anyone in sight in front of me or behind. Dammit, no rabbit to chase down.
Once again, I finished 6th overall, but this time I was 4th in my age group. Always a frickin’ bridesmaid!! that’s the story of my triathlon career. Peter finished 8th in our age group. Craig and Kelly both finished 2nd in their age groups. Sarah C. kicked ass on her Extreme course and finished 1st in her age group and 3rd woman overall. Nice job, Sarah!!
I’ll definitely be back next year. The weather was beautiful, the company was entertaining, the libations were tasty, the food was great, and the race was well put on. What more can you ask for?
SB Tri Club definitely took home some hardware, but I won the best title of all….I’m proud to say I am Betsy’s Buffest!!
Taj.
I was stressing on this race report because I didn’t know what tri club members were participating, the participation list was not working on the web site and there were eight events to filter through. I was very relieved and overjoyed when I received this excellent and comprehensive report from Taj. His report was so good, maybe too good, that I’m thinking of putting him up for PRRO, Permanent Race Report Orderly for 2010! Thank you very much Taj, it was well worth the wait!
Sandy
PS I did the bolding and added some results, If I missed anyone let me know sandy12145@aol.com
Carpinteria Triathlon…Too much fun!
October 2, 2009
The 12th edition of the Carpinteria Triathlon took place last Sunday in the quaint seaside ”world safest beach” town. 1000 participants took on the Sprint course, 500-meter swim, a 15-kilometer bike, and a 5-kilometer run and the more challenging Olympic course, 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride, and a 10-kilometer run. The swim started at Carpinteria State Beach in calm but foggy waters. The bike course, an open course and large loop, travels along the foothills offering some spectacular ocean views. The run course, also an open course, winds through some quaint Carpinteria neighborhoods and is a mostly flat loop. The Carpinteria Triathlon is a benefit event for the City’s Parks & Recreation youth programs. Proceeds will help to provide scholarships and additional equipment for programs such as After School at the Pool, Aqua Camp and Junior Lifeguards.
The SB Tri Club was well represented with over 40 members competing, here is how they made out:
Sprint Course by finish order:
Fred Maggiore 58:25 2/28 Men_50-54, Matthew Trost 59:48 1/26 Men_40-44, Liz Groom 1:03:07 1/33 Wom_35-39 and 2nd overall, Konner Plymire 1:04:43 5/12 Boys_15-19, Desa Mandarino 1:06:55 2/33 Wom_35-39, Amy Yamate 1:08:05 3/33 Wom_35-39, Walker Bell 1:09:26 1/1 Boys_11-12, Gareth Seward 1:11:01 5/25 Men_30-34, Kristi Converse 1:11:33 4/34 Wom_30-34, Paul Bullock 1:12:39 12/26 Men_40-44, Mark Polomski 1:12:47 13/28 Men_50-54, Amelia Nuding 1:14:25 9/34 Wom_30-34, Janice Maggiore 1:17:42 1/13 Wom_55-59, Jack Bianchi 1:18:28 1/2 Men_65-69, Paul Gifford 1:18:34 17/26 Men_40-44, Tokie Shynk 1:19:33 2/23 Wom_50-54, Sasha Haddad 1:21:44 14/31 Wom_25-29, Irwin Teichman 1:24:55 4/7 Men_60-64, Ann-Marie Donnelly 1:40:12 33/41 Wom_45-49.
Olympic Course by finish order;
Taj Hudson 2:18:03 4/31 Men_35-39, Brian Zant 2:22:57 4/29 Men_30-34, Cameron Sublett 2:24:05 4/22 Men_25-29, Fredrik Rosvall 2:29:49 8/29 Men_30-34, Jason George 2:30:19 11/31 Men_35-39, John Herzog 2:32:31 6/39 Men_45-49, Andrea Stouffer 2:33:14 1/18 Wom_40-44, Danielle Lipski 2:33:39 3/18 Wom_30-34, Zachary Komon 2:34:08 10/29 Men_30-34, David Parker 2:35:57 13/39 Men_45-49, Jefferson Bailey 2:36:13 1/9 Clydesdale, Mariann Thomas 2:37:56 1/14 Wom_45-49, Karl Weis 2:38:52 19/39 Men_45-49, Sue Beatty 2:39:14 2/14 Wom_45-49, Ricky Ho 2:40:46 15/29 Men_30-34, Jonathan Lewis 2:41:13 3/14 Men_55-59, Robert Jensen 2:41:26 20/31 Men_35-39, Jan Dinmore 2:42:56 1/10 Wom_50-54, Cynthia Yee 2:45:51 4/14 Wom_45-49, Sarah Mandes 2:45:51 5/18 Wom_30-34, Jerrett McFarland 2:46:22 26/39 Men_45-49, Kelly Knowles 2:47:43 10/18 Wom_40-44, Cyndi Aghayan 2:49:47 11/18 Wom_40-44, Richard Konoske 2:52:17 13/17 Men_50-54, Michelle Konoske 2:55:47 6/14 Wom_45-49, Greg Russell 3:06:29 27/29 Men_30-34, Ali Aghayan 3:07:09 32/39 Men_45-49, Rosie Thompson 3:16:49 2/2 Wom_60-64.
All 16 SB Tri Club Podiums for both Sprint and Olympic:
Fred Maggiore, Matthew Trost, Liz Groom, Desa Mandarino, Amy Yamate, Jack Bianchi, Tokie Shynk, Andrea Stouffer, Danielle Lipski, Jefferson Bailey, Mariann Thomas, Sue Beatty, Jonathan Lewis, Jan Dinmore, Rosie Thompson, Walker Bell and Jan Maggiore.
I received two very good race reports from Andrea Stouffer and Rosie Thompson:
Another “A+” to all of the wonderful people who put on the really great Carpinteria Triathlon (sprint and Olympic distance courses available, as well as relay on the latter). For any of you who have not experienced this triathlon, I highly recommend it for your calendar next year.Just as last year, we all suddenly woke Sunday am to the foggiest day of the year in Santa Barbara County. That can be particularly troublesome on the swim, when you cannot even make out the first buoy from shoreline! That being said, the swim course was excellently organized with lifeguards to route us out, and lots of big beach ball buoys along the way, completely visible once in the water to mark the course out. Water was probably circa 65 degrees, with some occasionally big swells and waves along the shoreline to keep things fun.I heard the organizers were 50 volunteers short. That was nowhere evident in the enthusiasm and support getting going and moving thru the course. And where there were not always people to spot some tricky bike points (e.g., midpoint of Greenwell downhill), the course was excellently marked at every single pothole and danger spot. The CHP and volunteers were great at all intersections, and we never had to stop once on the bicycle (unless perhaps you were one lucky enough to get stopped by the train. Simply no getting around that one.)The fog stayed around long enough to keep us all nice and cool on the run, it really was a perfect weather competing day.Thanks so much to Craig and Diane Adams for bringing our banner and a table and chairs, and especially, that humongous ice chest of fresh brews and sodas. We had a humongous group of us SB Tri clubbers who hung out on the lovely lawn thru the award ceremony – - -to celebrate and take home the very large amount of hardware won by our members on the two courses. Congrats to all. And thanks for sharing such a great day together!
-Andrea
Hi Sandy, The Carp Tri was well done as usual with a big turnout from SBTC. The fog was very dense early, like last year, but the swim course was well marked with lots of brightly colored buoys so it was easy to stay on course. The water temperature had dropped some with only a few small patches of warm water, and there was some surf. I competed in the Olympic race and hoped to better my time from last year. The bike course was challenging, especially when my sunglasses kept fogging over (mostly on the outside). I wished that I had windshield wipers on them at times, like going down Greenwell where I wanted to see the potholes so I could avoid them. The run course is nice in that part of it is on trails and not pavement. My wave started at 7:48 AM as the fog started to lift, at least enough to see the first buoy from shore. I had a great race, set a new PR approximately 10 minutes better than last year, so I met that goal, and finished second in my age group. SBTC really ROCKED!!! We had so many podium finishes!!
Rosie
The Carpinteria Triathlon is near and dear to my heart. It was the first triathlon I ever did two years ago and it was my best one last year. While we were driving back from the Las Vegas Half we all pledged to make next year’s Carp…it is just too much fun to miss!
Sandy
PS I’m very sorry if I missed anybody…please let me know! sandy12145@aol.com