Issue #3 Oct/Nov 1999

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The Supporting Role As I make the final preparations for the annual trip to Hawaii, thoughts come to mind of the many interesting experiences that Kona has provided me over these years. From being circled by six dolphins out by the last buoy, to taking a day to do the bike course (on a poorly fitted old rental, unfortunately) the day before the race in ‘95, I have always attempted to get an idea of what my athletes go through, the good and the bad. Last year I got hit by a car right on Alii Drive. Although most of the triathletes that I work with have been hit before, that wasn’t one of the experiences I would have chosen … But I am not a triathlete (there are many trying to convert me though). As an athletic trainer, massage therapist, and now editor, I am part of the sport in a supporting role. Doing my very best to help my athletes stay healthy during their training and be rested and ready when the time comes, I look forward to a big race day with as much apprehension and anticipation as the folks I am there with. At the beginning I am just available before the swim start in case anyone needs anything last minute. During the day I figure out key places along the course to cheer, take pictures, and try to give splits, then wait for them at the end to nurture those toasted muscles. And when midnight rolls around and I’m packing up the massage table, I have shared in both the joy of successful races and the saddest disappointment of the DNF. Though physically and emotionally drained at the end of the 18 or so hours, it brings a deep satisfaction that is very different than that of competing.

So next time you don’t get to race for whatever reason, go with your friends or family and nominate yourself for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Be there for just one or a few people, or volunteer for the whole thing. Either way, get out there and be part of it. And if you see me out there at the Energy Lab this year on a dreadfully hot afternoon run/walking a mile (or 26) in your shoes, be inspired to try mine some time. You and the athletes you help will be glad you did.

MS, ATC, CMT, Managing Editor Memories of Lake Placid A few of the athletes with whom I attended IRONMAN USA : Above left and right: Andy and Annie Fox Center right: Paul Martin and Steve Rogers Bottom left: the post-race massage tent Bottom right: the editor after 11 post-race massages and some desperately needed food (Center and Bottom right photos by Judy Martin, all others by K. McFarland) Intervals Along The Way

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MAIL: MAIL: Letters to the Editor can be sent to the address at right, or emailed (preferable) to: letters @coloradotriathlete.com Letters pertaining to general issues in triathlon will be published in the Open Forum column, letters concerning the magazine itself will be printed in the regular Mail section. All appropriate letters will be published. Submissions may be edited for grammar and spelling.

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Is there something that you would like to speak out about?

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Garrett McCarthy was the very first triathlete I ever met. I was a fresh graduate out of the Boulder School of Massage Therapy. Garrett and his wife Martha and my path crossed as we were working on an inline skating brake assembly line. We got to talking to slave off the tediousness of this type of work and inquired about what each other normally does. He explained that he was a professional triathlete and was searching for a new massage therapist and needed regular deep tissue work.

Eager to build my clientele, I began my marketing pitch that I had rehearsed in my career class at school. Somehow it didn’t sound as smooth. Seeing that he wasn’t entirely sold, I offered him a massage at no cost. The deal being; if he liked it, he would become a client, if not, there would be no cost or loss to him, only my massage therapist ego sacrificed. He agreed and five years later I am happy to report that he remains one of my most loyal clients.

Blood sweat and tears literally sums up this man’s dedication to the sport of triathlon.When Garrett decides to do something, he gives it his all, and it would take an earthly catastrophe to put a damper on his goals. A very amiable quality. Who’s to say, but it may have something to do with his pure Irish heritage. I would say he has mastered how to harness the somewhat common characteristic of an stubborn Irishman and has used it in a positive and determined way. He spent his first five years in Ireland. Along with his father he still has many relatives residing there. He then moved to the states and attended the University of Southern California from 82-86. He was nationally ranked in swimming in the freestyle, breaststroke and individual medley. He was granted a swim scholarship to USC and after graduating he became a professional triathlete two years after graduation. At his first race in Oceanside, CA he finished a strong 9th place overall. In a race that included athletes such as; Pigg, Tinley, Scott, Allen (the big four), Lance Armstrong, Kearns, and Ricatello. Garrett has won World Cup races. Including the 1991 ITU Beijing and 1992 ITU Moscow races.

He met his wife Martha his senior year at USC and six years later they were married. Soon after that, they moved to Colorado and now reside in Louisville. In 1994 he purchased the Old Louisville Inn. Garrett says; "In a spur of the moment decision, I got some friends and family to go along with the crazy idea of purchasing the OLI, you have to have something to do after triathlon". It was a huge feat getting the place ready and G Ga ar rr re et tt t M Mc cC Ca ar rt th hy y S Si in nk ks s H Hi is s I Ir ri is sh h G Ga ar rr re et tt t M Mc cC Ca ar rt th hy y S Si in nk ks s H Hi is s I Ir ri is sh h R Ro oo ot ts s I In nt to o C Co ol lo or ra ad do o S So oi il l R Ro oo ot ts s I In nt to o C Co ol lo or ra ad do o S So oi il l by Melissa Emmer Mangum

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open for business. It had been left vacant and this, along with neglect, had taken its toll on one of the most historical buildings in the old town part of Louisville. The restoration project was endless but the finished result was well worth all the hard work. It now is a successful and busy establishment. Garrett has dreams of expanding and developing its basement in the future, which he feels, has great potential.

In 1995, at the first ITU World Cup drafting legal race held in Osaka, Japan, Garrett literally had a near death experience. He suffered severe overheating and dehydration, which led to major organ collapse. He not only hit the wall but this time he blasted through it and discovered the scary cries of his body screaming "you’ve gone too far this time". Other athletes who witnessed this event said it was unlike anything they had seen before. One athlete states, "Garrett was on the carpet only meters from the finish. One minute his arms were flailing in the air, the next, grasping the wall, his body distorted, desperate to stay vertical but eventually gravity won out and down he went". However, not without an amazing display of will and fight. He remembers that he actually felt himself leaving his body through this experience. It took him awhile to feel confident that he could push himself again without the fear of a repeat of the Osaka race nightmare.

Martha gave birth to their first baby boy, Liam, on September 15th 1998. He just passed his first birthday and there is no mistaking whose son he is. Garrett admits that his favorite junk food is both Guinness beer and anything consisting of chocolate. He doesn’t have much free time but the spare time he does have, he chooses to spend it with his family. He is currently trying to acquire as many ITU points as needed to qualify and participate in the 2000 Olympic Games. Having just missed the Olympics in swimming in 84, Garrett’s ultimate goal is to represent his native country of Ireland in triathlon’s inaugural event. Triathlon will be the opening event at the Sydney games and the first medal given. When asked what his greatest aspirations are he responded, "to be the best daddy, best husband, successful business owner, and Olympian". Garrett has a heart of gold, now he just needs a medal to match. We wish him luck…the luck of the Irish !! ❂

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XTERRA 10 Race Series Ends, Next Stop Maui for World Championships Kerstin Weule of Evergreen won all of the last four off-road triathlons in the XTERRA series to finish the season in first place in the rankings heading into the XTERRA finals on Maui on Halloween. In the first two of the races, Hood River, Oregon, and Half Moon Bay, California, she had to battle for the win, trading leads back and forth with other contestants only to make the final pass to take the win towards the end of the run. At the next race in Mountain Creek, New Jersey, she was able to easily win, coming in six minutes ahead of the next woman. In the last race in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she confirmed her first place ranking by recording yet another victory. Danelle Ballengee of Dillon pulled into 8th overall for the series with two sixth place finishes in New Jersey and California, and an 8th in Hood River. Other Colorado pros ranked in the final standings include Sue Latshaw in 7th, Pat Brown (Boulder) in 12th (5th place in Ann Arbor), and Glynde Mangum (Boulder), who came in 11th at Half Moon Bay, in 17th. Nicole DeBoom Takes Second at USTS Madison Nicole continued to gather up points in the USTS series by snagging another second place behind Julie Ricketts in Madison, Wisconsin on August 15th. Ricketts has acquired almost enough points to keep DeBoom from a chance at the series crown, but she still has hope that the championship in Oceanside in October might go her way. And this in her first pro season … Victor Plata took second in the men’s race, also behind the series leader. Chris Peeters of Colorado Springs, who won his division at Grand Junction and placed second overall, came in first in the 30-34 bracket. Old Louisville Inn Finest Lunch and Dinner Beautiful Antique Bar Guiness On Tap Live Music: Thursdays and Fridays (Irish on Thursdays) 740 Front Street, Louisville 303-666-9982 (owned by triathletes!) wind sprints

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Gutierrez Wins Top American Woman at the ITU World Championships Denver school teacher Jennifer Gutierrez capped off an excellent race season by taking seventh place in Montreal at the Olympic distance World’s. She beat red-hot Barb Lindquist, who came in 9th, and was first American across the line. In these days of heavy international competition, that can mean even more than a win in terms of sponsorships and media attention. Team mate Susan Bartholemew (LIttleton) finished 20th, but only a minute and fourteen seconds behind Jenny. That statistic alone shows how compact the drafting format races can get. Unfortunately, Siri Lindley (Boulder) rolled a tire and was unable to fulfill her ambitions for the race. She has had a spectacular year, so was certainly disappointed to lose a shot at the world championship crown.

The men came back from the race with stories of 60 athletes getting off of the bike at once and a real crap-shoot running race of a triathlon. The winning time was 1:45:25. As a result their times were about on par with the dismal sort of year that the US men’s team has been having (sorry guys).

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GOOD LUCK TO COLORADO’S IRONMAN QUALIFIERS!

Bentson, Leslie K #1445 F BOULDER PROFESSIONAL 35

DeBoom, Timothy K # 10 BOULDER PROFESSIONAL 28

Widoff, Cameron M # 15 BOULDER PROFESSIONAL 30 Total 39

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“Triathlon is the only sport where you can cross the finish line and say ‘that sucks, I hated it, when is the next one?’” … Tinley ❂ Dave Scott’s MultiSport Club will be moving to the Flatirons Health Club in Boulder. The facility, which has both an outdoor and a small indoor pool, will also be holding Jane Scott masters swim classes. Dave’s Tuesday spin classes will remain at the RPM gym. For more information contact Dave at the addresses below, or call Flatirons for membership information at 303-499-6590.

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The first of the eleven sanctioned IRONMAN distance events in the world to be held in the continental United States took place in Lake Placid in up-state New York on August 15th. This selfdescribed quaint (and in character pre-revolutionary) town was intruded upon by 1671 triathletes including 48 from Colorado. In the training days before the race, fit and scantily clad bodies swarmed over the hills and dales of Lake Placid and its environs , exploring pieces of the course and stripping the local eateries of food like an army of locusts. The town, which was the sight of two winter Olympics, has an Olympic Center with ice-skating facilities sans pareil populated with renowned coaches including ancient Russians who throw out advice to aspiring American skaters. The arena puts a little pile of Zamboni generated snow at its entrance so that deliriously happy tourists can frolic and photograph their children in summer “snow”. The highest mountain in the area is lower than Boulder in altitude so that Coloradans undoubtedly benefitted from their high altitude conditioning.

The usual pre-race business whiled away the time before the big day: registration, the parade of nations, and the check-in of equipment. One of the more interesting events was the 50 yard swim and 1k run Splash and Dash for kids, on Thursday. The grim determination on the faces of even the youngest differed surprisingly little from that on the IRONMAN contestants at the finish line. At the orientation some of the pre-announced rules were changed.

Much to the chagrin of those who brought knee pads, crawling was deleted as the third mode of locomo tion in the r u n ( except for the finish line crawl “for the sake of publicity). The exposition, the transition area, and the finish line were located in the Olympic speed skating track. At first the cooling system pipes underneath the oval caused some problems for the timing chips but this problem was solved before the athletes clamped the chips to their ankles and the ID bracelets to their wrists in the bondage ritual. The 5 am race day check-in for marking, disposition of the special needs bags and transition area preparations was followed by the march to Mirror Lake for the start. Here, for some reason, many little boxes of Kellog’s Smart Start cereal were pressed into the hands of the nervous contestants. Someone suggested sprinkling the flakes upon the waters of the lake to propitiate the great alligator whose semblance floated in the distant waters. The mass start of over 1500 contestants roiled the waters and spoiled its mirror like qualities. Overhead hovered a helicopter capturing in pictures the frenzied start of this so-called noncontact sport. The shores were lined with cheering spectators as the first of the two loops began. The short sprint to the second loop took only several seconds. The first swimmer emerged in a little under 50 minutes and soon a steady A Day in the Country by the Extinguished Professor D. Meritus

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stream was running the several minutes to the transition area over a small hill. Enthusiastic strippers whipped off with gusto the wetsuits either at the swim exit or in the transition tent. The transition tent offered many amenities, among them an ingenious pissoir consisting only of a long and slotted polyvinyl pipe draining away gallons of urine. The bike leg started innocently enough with some downhills into the town. Then came six miles of cascading ascents, reminiscent of salmon ladders, which never allowed cyclists to settle into a steady pace. The six mile descent into Keene was supersonic and scenic, if one had time to view the beautiful rivers and forests of this ancient mountain range. The inhabitants exhibited a most colonial character. Indeed, it would not have been too surprising to see a Green Mountain boy hefting his musket along the roadside.

Moreover, most of the locals enthusiastically dispensed all manners of food ,even if not at the aid stations. Water, electrolyte drinks, power bars, bagels, bananas, oranges, cookies, gu, fruit rolls, and leftovers from Sunday’s meal left some triathletes weighing more after the bike leg than before. One man, satanically dressed with horns, a red suit, and a pitchfork, warned cyclists of the hazards of not attending church on Sunday. The rolling hills continued with a particularly uncomfortable ascent back to Lake Placid for the beginning of the second round. The cheering and encouragement was thunderous as the cyclists navigated through the crowds of the town and one thought only of the pain of another loop. The second loop added another exciting challenge as the wind came up. The final ascent into town left even the pros somewhat beat as the marathon run loomed ahead. An unusual perk of a massage before the run was offered to those who felt they could not even walk. The run was also a two-looped affair and again was of a difficulty which many rated as beyond that of IRONMAN Hawaii. Several top athletes dropped out during the run. But somehow 1380 people managed to get to the finish line before midnight and after Thomas Hellriegel’s 8:36:59 finish. The Germans took the first two top male places. Heather Fuhr led the women in.

The top Coloradan finisher was Andy Fox (9:50:34, 23rd overall). Paul Martin, in the 55-59 age-group, has been training extensively with Dave Scott and did a 12:37:33. Justin Dore, former top performer of the CU triathlon team, ran as a pro and almost broke ten hours with a 10:01:43. Jinger Gottschall, also a member of the CU team for many years, put in an outstanding performance (11:39:07) for her first IRONMAN and qualified for Hawaii. Other CU team members,all doing their first IRONMAN, performed remarkably : Jeff Mitchell (10:38:14), Neal Henderson (10:55:51), and Steve Luckey (12:11:44).

IRONMAN USA is scheduled to take place at Lake Placid for at least the next four years. Many contestants immediately signed up for next year’s event and began began training for their return to this beautiful and difficult allAmerican venue. ❂

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1415CL HECKMAN, STEVE C. LOUISVIL USA 294/298 M30-34 1421 DNF SMITH, SHERRY BOULDER USA 55/56 W35-39 1422 DNF DREITLEIN, JOE BOULDER USA 3/3 M65-69 IRONMAN USA Results, August 15th, 1999 Lake Placid, New York

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Louisville Legacy Triathlon August 29, 1999 .5k swim 15 mile bike 4 mile run

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Women Team Swim Bike Run Total

Women 15 - 17 Swim Bike Run Total 1 MOYER, BETH 0:12:56 0:56:36 0:50:22 1:59:54 Women 18 - 24 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 25 - 29 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 30 - 34 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 35 - 39 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 40 - 44 Swim Bike Run Total

Tri-Glenwood Triathlon Results September 19, 1999 Glenwood Springs, Colorado

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Women 45 - 49 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 50 - 54 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 55 - 59 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 70 - 74 Swim Bike Run Total 1 SKIPP, BETTY 0:24:01 1:03:20 1:08:09 2:35:30 Men Team Swim Bike Run Total

Men 15 - 17 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 18 - 24 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 25 - 29 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 30 - 34 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 35 - 39 Swim Bike Run Total 1 WERTHEIM, CHARLIE 0:12:57 0:36:33 0:30:03 1:19:33 2 MELANSAN, EDWARD 0:10:25 0:38:33 0:34:12 1:23:10 Tri-Glenwood Results, continued

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Men 40 - 44 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 45 - 49 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 50 - 54 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 55 - 59 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 60 - 64 Swim Bike Run Total 1 HARDIN, JOHN R. 0:18:26 0:54:41 0:44:25 1:57:32 Men 65 - 69 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 70 - 74 Swim Bike Run Total 1 PULS, GERALD E. 0:30:00 1:02:20 1:00:50 2:33:10 Mixed Team Swim Bike Run Total

Men 40 - 44 Swim Bike Run Total MITCHELL, SCOTT 0:15:23 No Time BEVINS, BILL No Time Women 40 - 44 Swim Bike Run Total STEVENS-CLEMENTS, MICHELE 0:18:57 No Time Men 30 - 34 Swim Bike Run Total GILBERT, JIM No Time Tri-Glenwood Results, continued

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Following in his older sister’s footsteps, 14 yearold John Turtle of Littleton took top honors in the Senior division at the Ironkid’s Bread National Championships on September 12th in San Antonio, Texas. His older sister, Carolanne, won the girl’s senior division back in 1988. All four of the kids in his family have raced in the Ironkids Triathlons over the past 15 years. He also participated in three other events in the six city national series, Louisville, Colorado, Sacramento, California, and Wichita. He won his division in all three of them as well. For his group, the distances were a 200 yard swim, a six mile bike leg, and a one mile run. John broke the record at nationals with a 24:37. A cross country team member at Dakota Ridge HIgh School, John also swims with the Denver Tops swim club year round. He entered his first triathlon at the age of 7. He plans to continue doing triathlons and is considering attending a university that has a team to join. He hopes that there will be more colleges to choose from with triathlon teams after the 2000 Olympics. When asked why he likes triathlon, he simply replied, “cause they’re so much fun.” ❂ J Jo oh hn n T Tu ur rt tl le e W Wi in ns s J Jo oh hn n T Tu ur rt tl le e W Wi in ns s I Ir ro on nk ki id d’ ’s s N Na at ti io on na al l I Ir ro on nk ki id d’ ’s s N Na at ti io on na al l C Ch ha am mp pi io on ns sh hi ip p C Ch ha am mp pi io on ns sh hi ip p Thanks to John’s mom, Nancy Turtle for the information and photos

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The 15th annual Tri-Glenwood Triathlon marked the end of the triathlon season for most northerners.

This is a fun triathlon which a pro like Jennifer Gutierrez enters (and wins) yearly to renew the basic ideals and spirit of triathlons, a primordial evocation of the human evolutionary constitution.

At six a.m., contestants began to gather in the chilly morning. There was a slight drizzle as triathletes arranged their transition gear to sop up the rain, hoping that the water would not puddle in the bicycling shoes. There were six waves of swimmers separated by 25 minute start intervals. In the lobby of the hot springs pool, an odd agglomeration of human body sizes, shapes, and morphologies gathered like a congress of aliens at a Star Wars cantina. Glenwood triathlon invites, more than any other event, such diversity. The usual pre-race banter about little sleep and throwing up dominated the conversation.

When the time came to exit to the block length hot pool, the nearly naked bodies turned a pale blue and most chose to lobsterize themselves in the very hot therapeutic pool adjacent to the main pool. The swim in the relatively cool (upper 80’s) long pool consisted of seven lengths where the swimmers could imbibe the sulfurous waters from hell. The short run to the transition area revealed that the rain had stopped and dry clothes were available for the expected cool bike leg. The bike course in this approximately sprint length triathlon is along I70, which the race An Autumnal Rite of Passage by the Extinguished Professor D. Meritus Winner Dick Bouma Spirits were high as the Tri-Glenwood Triathlon got under way in the beautiful and historic town of Glenwood Springs on Sunday, September 19th. An unusual race, the Tri- Glenwood holds the swim leg at the 109 year-old Hot Springs Lodge and Pool, the grand landmark that founded the town. The Ute Indians named the spring “Yampah,” which is translated as “Big Medicine.” It flows at an amazing three and a half million gallons a day and exits the ground at 122 degrees. The highly mineral water is first fed into a hot therapy pool that is about 104 degrees, then let into the large pool which hovers around 90 degrees (no wetsuits here!). More like an open water swim, the 405’ x 100’ pool allows for group starts with just one set of buoys down the center to make a loop-type course. With the swim completed in just seven lengths of the pool, the venue is much less restrictive than the usual lane format of most pool swims.

The bike and run course are also memorable in that they meander along both the Colorado and the Roaring Fork Rivers. For the most part a very local triathlon, you can hear the spectators cheering for nearly everyone by name, many of them beginning triathletes. However, the longevity (15 years running) and friendliness of the race also draw some very competitive agegroupers and a couple of pros to keep things fast paced. -K.M.

Big Medicine Triathlon?

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director warned “will not be closed to traffic,” to nobody’s surprise. The out leg is slightly downhill and leeward and always fast (30 mph can be averaged by the strongest). The leg back is, of course, uphill and windward and disabuses the cyclist of superhero intimations acquired on the out leg. Transitioning to the run, the triathletes ran over the footbridge over the Colorado River, into the town, circulated the headquarters at the Hotel Denver and headed up the trail which looped the Roaring Fork River for the five mile run.

The volunteer staff provided outstanding support for the participants. They were programmed to shout out “good job”, which encouraged even those who barely were making it. A dictionary of typical triathlon phrases would be useful to beginners. Here is a brief version: “Good job” = “You’re still alive and that’s surprising.” (from the volunteers) “Good job” = “Boy, am I better than you.” (from the racer who just passed you) “It’s all downhill from here.” = “There are some hills coming but its best you don’t know.”

“You’re almost there.” = “There’s still a hell of a long way to go.”

“Nice stride” = “Your running is lousy. How in the world do you ever get through the race?”

The finisher runs a gauntlet of cheering crowds in front of the Hotel Denver and has the option of eating and drinking to surfeit and being massaged back into sensation. There were some 250 finishers, including many first timers. Charlie Wertheim, organizer of the race, race director, triathlete, and general factotum, came in a very close second

women’s division over all as well as being first in the swim, bike, and run.

The awards ceremony and outstanding barbeque was delayed for some time because the heavens opened up and dumped torrents of rain for hours after the race. Contestants gathered in Sayre Park, crowded into the gazebo in a closepacked hexagonal lattice. As usual the awards were mainly pottery which is locally crafted. If you do enough of these triathlons, you eventually can acquire a complete place setting. The first placers choose the big ceramics; the second, the next size; and the third the baby sizes reminiscent of the story of the three bears. In keeping with the special spirit of this triathlon as a recruiter of triathletes, the first timers qualified for special prizes.

Jennifer Gutierrez, as is her wont, ceded the first place prizes to the runner-ups.

This triathlon captures more than any other what triathlon is all about.

Photos this page: Jenny Gutierrez of Denver, top American woman at the ITU World Championships, wins the women’s race and places third overall Back cover top left: Race Director Charlie Wertheim sprints in for a close second (all photos: K. McFarland) ❂

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TRI-GLENWOOD TRIATHLON September 19, 1999 Glenwood Springs, Colorado