Issue #8 Oct/Nov 2000

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What was it like to get to the San Diego processing center for all of the U.S. Olympic Team? “It was kind of chaotic. Processing itself was like a twelve step process. When we got there we checked in and stayed on a military base, which was kind of interesting in itself. But we got up at 7 a.m. because you could start processing at 8 o’clock and it was first come first served, so we wanted to get there early … They gave you a shopping cart, and you walked through and they just started filling the cart...like outfits and uniforms... Then they had an alterations room, and a team photo room, and you had to sign all these banners. Then they had all this stuff you could sign up for, for over in Sydney. An example was AT&T. They had a hospitality restaurant that you could go to any time of the day from 6 a.m. until midnight. It was a buffet, free drinks, free food, and you could put people on your guest list...After that we went to the airport, took off and went to L.A., and that night we flew all the way to Sydney. So it was a really long day, a really long day.”

So when you got to Sydney, did you first go to the athletes village? “The security was overwhelming because when you got to the airport, we couldn’t go outside until we had all this security with us, because we were the U.S. Team … So we went through that whole process, and had to load our stuff up again and our stuff was taken to the Olympic Village and we got to see where we were going to stay but we weren’t moving in there yet. It was actually the first day that the Olympic Village was open, so it was kind of surreal because not very many people were there yet. It was a giant ghost town. The cafeteria was seriously about a square mile big and there were about a hundred people in it...So we had dinner there and we loaded our stuff up onto yet another truck and drove down to Wollongong, which is like an hour and a half to two hours south of Sydney right on the coast. That’s where we stayed for our camp, for like a week and a half … The triathlon community was really into us being there, and they had dinners for us and showed us around and took us on rides and runs, and we also swam at the university pool, which was a fifty meter pool. There were five fifty meter pools in a town the same size as Boulder. It was typical Australia. Swimming is a real big deal... During our stay there we came up into Sydney the first time on a Sunday to go over the course. They actually closed the entire course down. It was pretty crazy, because when we went to the course on that day there was tons of media, of course, but also there were a couple of thousand people there just to watch us train … Everywhere we went before the race we had security...They were kind of like Secret Service guys with the things in their ears...They saw us as being Americans as targets … And the commentators were practicing that day also and were doing a mock race. It was funny listening to them because they would be saying really funny things like ‘Oh Ryan Bolton, it appears that he’s been eaten by a shark! But no! Here he comes out of the water missing a leg!!’ ... Then we went back to Wollongong but had to come up again on Wednesday for the pro meeting. It was a very standard pro meeting, kind of a lot of tension in the room...Got up on Thursday morning and came back up to Sydney...We didn’t move into the Village yet. We stayed downtown. … It was really close to the course...On Sunday, after our race, we moved to the Olympic Village...They didn’t want us in the village ahead of time...also it was quite a ways from the race course.”

When did Joe (coach Joe Friel) get there? “He came over on the same day that we came, but on a different flight, so he actually showed up in Wollongong on that first day when I got there … It was awesome to have him there because Michelle was the Olympic team coach, of course, but she ‘s not my coach. She was good at figuring out where stuff was and getting stuff done. Tim Yount was very good with that, too. It was good to have Joe there because he knows what ‘s affecting me and what’s not affecting me, and what I need to do and what I don’t need to do … He left the day after the race right away, because he, like you, had to be in Hawaii, and he had to get home first to take care of all his obligations … Having him there was invaluable … He was partly the reason why I was there.” How long have you worked with Joe?

“Since the beginning of ‘98 … He has worked out great for me. And I think he will for a long time to come.”

So you are going to continue working with him?

“I think he will be, if anything, even more of a benefit to me now, moving up into longer distance racing. His specialty is cycling … I can honestly say that I cannot ride with those guys [IRONMAN specialists] An Olympic Experience... Interview With Ryan Bolton continued on page 8 … photos this page : Ryan Bolton at Olympic Trials (by K. McFarland)

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The Gift: The Olympic Debut The world-wide triathlon community has received an amazing gift. The gift was the Olympic debut of the sport. It was given by the dedicated athletes who trained for years and raced their hearts out, giving us an incredibly exciting competition in both the men’s and women’s events. It was given by NBC, who gave the new sport almost undue prominence by showing both races in prime time Saturday and Sunday evening slots in a country where the sport is still relatively obscure. And it was given by the local Sydney Olympic Organizing Committee, the ITU, and its local race organizing committee who located the event in such a spectacular and well-known venue that it couldn’t help but be the center of attention for that first opening weekend of the games.

There was quite a group of athletes assembled for this monumental time. There were 48 women and 52 men. Certainly the elder statesman of the sport was Rob Barel of the Netherlands. At 42 years old he was 7 years older than the next oldest male competitor. After 18 years in triathlon he had competed in 261 races in 31 countries with 120 wins including Long Distance Worlds and the European Championships. How fitting that the Olympics were his final race before retirement. The oldest women were the famous Mouthon twins, Beatrice and Isabelle, of France, true veterans of the sport also. So there I was glued to my television set as Sheila Taormina blazed through Sydney Harbor way out in front of the rest of the field. As she ran into T1 grinning from ear to ear, right arm high in the air waving to the enormous crowd, the cameras captured one of the most precious moments of the Olympic Games. Her unbridled joy at that instant was so evident and powerful that her smile is indelibly etched in my memory forever. She was a veritable poster child for Olympic Triathlon. I had inadvertently checked my email that morning. I meant to skip it and be in suspense for the tape-delayed broadcast, but I knew the outcome ahead of time after all. It didn’t matter one bit. There was so much to watch and be excited about: the beautiful venue, challenging course, crowds lining the whole route (some estimates counted 300,000, and that doesn’t include ticket holders in the stands!) and “our” girls gamely putting up one hell of a fight. The coverage was great. It had NBC’s melodramatic IRONMAN stamp all over it, but this time it was more appropriate than ever. Lisa Lax, coordinator of NBC’s IRONMAN broadcast, and the voice of Al Trautwig made the presentation comfortably familiar to longtime triathlon viewers. The amount of coverage was a pleasant surprise, too. We had all hoped for some decent exposure, but didn’t expect to see most of the race unfold start to finish. There was nearly an hour of time devoted to the women’s race. The men’s race had less total time and more interruptions, but it still was close to 40 minutes of air time. We can probably give a measure of thanks to Mike McCarley, NBC’s p.r. man, who just happens to have left that same position at USA Triathlon earlier this year. It is good to have friends in high places.

Millions of Americans now know what triathlon is for the first time. Nothing else could have accomplished that. That’s quite a gift.

Intervals Along The Way Above: Sheila Taormina, top right: Joanna Zeiger, bottom right: Jennifer Gutierrez; all photos at Olympic Trials, by K. McFarland

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It's 7am and I walk out my hotel door to go for my morning jog. I am amazed to see that the streets of sydney are already abuzz. Some people extending their nights carousing into the day and most others on their way to getting prime viewing real estate for the first ever Men's Olympic Triathlon. Yes, thousands of people already in motion at this early hour. Eager to get in a good spot to witness this historical event. The day before the world was introduced to triathlon via the women's race. Now, even more people wanted to be a part of this great new spectacle.

By the time I had finished my run and had made it over to the Sydney Opera House, thousands of fans had secured their spots and begun the now famous cheer of "aussie, aussie, aussie, oi, oi ,oi". The sounds of the crowd were deafening, the excitement contagious while the athletes all seemed serene and focused, the day of their dreams has arrived.

I had bought tickets to the Sydney Opera House stands, myself and thousands of others. This spot overlooks the transition area and farm cove, the stage of the swim. There was a gigantic tv screen strategically placed in front of our seats where we could watch every piece of the action all over the course. I knew this would be two of the best hours of entertainment one could imagine. The race began, and we all held our breath, feeling sympathetically the nerves and excitement of the athletes. The swim was like most other World Cup races, a long string of athletes. No one, even the fishlike Craig Walton, could break away.

About 40 or so athletes exited the choppy water together.

It was a race to the bikes, everyone keeping close eye on the expected players, those who could change the race, break away on the bike and be a danger.

Once on the bike, the pack formed. Craig Walton attempted a few breakaways with some other athletes including Simon Lessing and Joachim Willen from Sweden. Their great efforts however, only led to the pack working that much harder in pursuit and denying them their freedom each time. The pack of 40 was a sight to see. Going at fast speeds through the narrow streets of Sydney, one couldn't help but worry about the possibility of a crash.

Towards the end, Conrad Stoltz and World Champion Olivier Marceau broke away from the group. Their move went uncontested, with the pack deciding not to go after this threat. Surprisingly, the heroic efforts of the two rewarded them with a one minute lead coming off the bike. A good cushion for two athletes not well known for running strength. Marceau took off on the run , with Stoltz running hard but falling off the pace. The rest of the pack arrived with our Colorado based American crew. I yelled out words of encouragement, knowing our guys had a great shot at getting in the hunt if their natural talents permitted them to. All the favorites were in this pack: Lessing, Robertson, Gaag, etc. It was going to be a dog fight out there a dog fight at this point for KRISTEN MCFARLAND / FILE PHOTO Siri Lindley on the podium at Olympic Trials after earning her spot as alternate. Gold Medalist Simon Whitfield T Ta al le es s o of f S Sy yd dn ne ey y. .. .. .. .

T Th he e F Fi ir rs st t O Ol ly ym mp pi ic c M Me en n’ ’s s T Tr ri ia at th hl lo on n . .. .. .b by y U U. .S S O Ol ly ym mp pi ic c T Te ea am m A Al lt te er rn na at te e S Si ir ri i L Li in nd dl le ey y

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3rd place, unless they could first hunt down the top two.

As the run went on, Marceau and Stoltz were caught by Stephan Vucovich from Germany, Simon Whitfield from Canada and my training partner from the Chech Republic, Jan Rehula. The favorites and our American men were back a ways, feeling the results of a hard 40km ride.

As the race really began to take shape, Vucovich took the lead. The leading trio remained in close contact, as anything could happen. The excitement in the crowd was contagious, the energy intense, everyone was loving the day, loving being apart of history. Each athlete was out there giving their all, being the best that they could be on this day, taking in the event and appreciating their place in it. It came down to a sprint to the finish with Canadian Whitfield taking charge and accelerating to the finish with amazing speed and determination. In tears at the finish, his dream had come true. Vucovich was second, Rehula third and all three the happiest people on earth at that moment. Our Americans, although not having their best performances all put in gallant efforts and gave it their all with the goods they possessed on the day. We cheered them in and praised them for all the great effort they have put in to get here. Proud to be an American, we waved our flags and welcomed them over the finish. A great day, that will go down in history and will remain a fond memory for all.

APEX COACHING Providing expert individual coaching to all endurance athletes.

Neal Henderson, MS, CSCS USAT Certified Coach (303) 875-5751 Email: apexcoach@uswest.net Web: http://www.users.uswest.net/ ~apexcoach "On the day of victory, no one is tired" -Anonymous U.S OLYMPIC TEAM RESULTS: Women:

(Greenwood Village) Men: 17. Hunter Kemper 1:50:05 (Colorado Springs) 25. Ryan Bolton 1:50:52 (Boulder) 40. Nick Radkewich 1:53:44 (Colorado Springs) ❂

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today. I need a year of miles, and Joe will help out with that … I like that type of training … In World Cup racing it’s almost a passive part of the event.”

So tell us about the race. “I actually slept very well, which always helps … We got there and went through the standard warmups. The only thing that wasn’t standard was that the course was already lined a few rows deep of people, so you could already tell how crazy and chaotic it was going to be. Its very typical to a standard World Cup race … The only thing that was different was that they introduced us and we had to walk in front of the grand stands, in front of the tv cameras, then out on to the pontoons. It was somewhat nerve racking but really not any more than a normal World Cup. In the Olympics its kind of easy because you just know that no matter what happens you’re just going to go hard. The Olympic Trials was actually a more nerve racking race because there were strategies to be played out … In the Olympics my philosophy was that if I’m behind on the bike and we’re not making up any ground on the front pack I’m just going to go solo, go for it, try to catch them, because it’s the Olympics. What have you got to lose? ...”

Did you talk to any of the other athletes about drafting strategies, like the Swiss ladies did? “No. It’s kind of unspoken. Its just like bike racing, guys in a group. I thought what would happen in the Olympic races is that everyone would want to get to the front pack and no one would become apathetic. In world cups often if you’re in the second group sometimes people will become apathetic and people start not pulling … In the Olympics I was pretty sure that everyone would go hard and everyone did. We got on the bike and we started rotating and riding hard right away. And I was in the pack in not much time at all.

I had a decent swim... I had a really good start. We’ve been practicing dive starts. And I was kind of in the middle of the group but I was surrounded by really fast swimmers, so I got on really good feet fast...Craig Walton was about two people over from me...By 500 meters, which was the first buoy, right hand corner, I was in mid-pack... I knew I was in a safe area. If I just held on and stayed strong I would be in good shape … I got my goggles knocked of once, but in a normal world cup that can happen five times...I came out of the water, felt that I had a decent swim, I had a decent, not a great, transition, hopped on the bike, and got with a few guys right away. Actually I got with the guy who was second. He came up from behind me and he was riding really strong...By lap two and a half we were in the front group... By the time we got there it was probably 25 people. But by the time we got to the 6th lap it probably grew to 35 people... It was most of the field... Unfortunately, on the last lap, probably a little more than half way through … there’s a really short, steep grade, and I was sitting three or four rows back and the front guys just totally sat up...and the second row ran into the third row, the third row ran into me, and there were about six of us that ended up almost grinding to a halt and then falling over, because we were just on top of those people. I got road rash all over my right hand side and there were bikes piled up on top of me. By the time I got up and got back on my bike the pack was gone, and there were three of us left. My brake hoods were all messed up and I was totally bloody. The only person that I recognized, that I remember being around me, was Gilberto Gonzalez, which I thought was a bummer for him because I know he’s a really good runner and I’m sure he was thinking the same thing as me. On the sixth lap of the bike I’m thinking ‘okay I’m in the front of the front pack, my legs feel good, I got here pretty easily, I’m ready to run hard’...I just put my head down and went solo, hard. By the end, right at transition, I was catching the end of the pack again...came into transition and put on the running shoes and started running and I was blown, pretty lactated. I was hurting from just going hard on the bike...Took off running and tried to get myself going and I was having a hard, hard time. But I was telling myself ‘this is the Olympics, just keep on going hard’. On the first lap I really held steady ground, I wasn’t making up any ground, which is frustrating, especially when you’re a runner. And then on the second lap I started moving up, which was good. I started catching people. I think it was ‘cause I was kind of getting my legs back under me. I probably passed five guys in the last mile. Crossing the finish line it was kind of a goofy feeling. I didn’t know how to feel. I was like, ‘I went down. I could have been there’ but you never know if you could have been there. My legs on the run felt like hell, and I don’t know if they would have felt that way if I wouldn’t have wrecked. If they would have I would have maybe been in the top ten, but I wouldn’t have been in the top three. All the what ifs start playing in your mind right away. But I was psyched, it was a crazy experience. On the run it was just deafening the entire way, with people screaming.” When you went to Sydney, what were your expectations for the race? “I think I would have been happy with a top ten finish...But really, as far as satisfaction goes, just being there was good … You realize that, hey, you are right there, and this is the highest level that there is. You realize that you have the potential to be that good.” It sounds like you don’t have any disappointment.

“No. More perspective than disappointment...If you go into a race and you feel like you gave it what you can give it then you’re going to be happy even if you get last place. I felt like I gave myself to the race...When I crossed the finish line I was happy and content. The most important thing is feeling good about what you put into it.” ❂ (continued from page 2..)

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Place Time Name City Plc/Total Cat Swim Bike Run

IRONMAN CANADA : COLORADO RESULTS AUGUST 27TH, 2000 PENTICTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA

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wind sprints...

Siri Wins Her First World Cup Siri Lindley (Boulder) resoundingly proved her World Cup abilities by finishing second place at the Tiszaujvaros, Hungary ITU race (1:55:18) on August 6th and then winning the ITU Lausanne, Switzerland race the following weekend on August 12th.

Placing ahead of Brigitte McMahon, Michellie Jones, and Magali Messmer, the three medalists at the Olympics a month later, Siri showed the triathlon world that her alternate position on the U.S.

Olympic Team was perhaps detrimental to our chances of gaining a women’s medal in Sydney.

Magali Messmer of Switzerland went off the front on the bike, which was a six loop course with a hill. Siri was in the lead pack behind her. On the 2nd lap of the run she took the lead and cruised to a victory 35 seconds ahead of McMahon and a minute in front of Michellie Jones. Olympian Sheila Taormina Speaks to Nederland High School U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team member and former swimming gold medalist (4 x 200 freestyle relay) Sheila Taormina visited Nederland to give an inspirational talk to students. Her twin brother, Steven, lives in the mountain town up the canyon from Boulder. She told the students of how she had gone to three Olympic Trials, in’88, ‘92, and’96 before finally making the U.S. swimming team. She explained that she had been defeating herself mentally over the years and how her coach had to teach her to focus on the positives and the things she could control before she was to succeed.

When she started training for triathlon just a short year ago, Sheila had the internal confidence to know that she could learn to run even though she had no experience.

Her hard work landed her in first place at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Dallas last May. She led the swim leg of the Olympic women’s race and finished a very strong 6th. She has plans to make the U.S. Team in 2004, which would be her third Olympic Games. Paul Martin Named to U.S. Paralympic Team Boulder’s Paul Martin, a below-the-knee amputee, will participate in the paralympics in Sydney in Track Cycling. Paul has been a triathlete for years and is a two-time IRONMAN Hawaii finisher (11:22:49 in 1999). He has competed in the New York City Marathon as well. (photos this page by K. Mcfarland) Seagate Triathlon, Sept. 17, 2000 Pacific Grove, CA 1.5K/40K/10K 3. Marcel Vifian (Boulder) 1:54:26 7. Andy Johnson (Boulder) 2:00:21 NATS Madison, Wisconsin August 6, 2000 1.5K/40K/10K 2. Nick Radkewich (Co. Springs) 1:54:13 3. Gail Laurence (Manitou Springs) 2:06:04 NATS Rye, New York Sept. 17, 2000 1.5K/27 mile/10K 3. Paul Fritzsche (Boulder) 1:34:05 DANNON DUATHLON SERIES Huntersville, N.C., Aug. 12

Naperville, IL, September 17 5K R/ 30K B/ 5K R

LINDLEY

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The famous Blackcomb Mountain of the Whistler Ski area in British Columbia provided a breathtaking and technical course for the first XTERRA outside the United States. After the two loop swim in Lost Lake, Kerstin Weule (Evergreen) was the first woman into T1. She would go on to win by three and a half minutes to take her fourth victory in a row for the series. Ned Overend (Durango) clocked the second best bike split of the day but slipped to fourth overall on the run. Jimmy Archer (Boulder) and Pat Brown (Boulder) finished 6th and 7th, respectively. The next weekend the athletes headed south, back into the States, to Hood River, Oregon. In this race Kerstin would have her 4 win streak broken by Jody Purcell of Australia, who was herself winning her fourth of the series. In the men’s race Jimmy Archer and Pat Brown would finish together again, but a little farther back in 8th and 9th.

XTERRA presented its second international event on September 3rd. The race was held at Exmoor Castle, West Somerset, England. Kerstin Weule was the only regular series pro in attendance and she blew away the women’s field, winning by eight minutes. The Half Moon Bay race in California brought out all of the regular Colorado contingent, with some great results. Kerstin won yet another one, her sixth, and Ned pulled off a second place finish. The last race of the regular ten stop series was at San Dimas, in southern California near L.A. Kerstin had an unresolvable mechanical and could not complete the race. Wes Hobson, after a tenth the previous week in Half Moon Bay, came in a strong 4th leading in to the series finale in Maui.

XTERRA SERIES ROLLS ON, GOES INTERNATIONAL Whistler, British Columbia, Aug. 13 1.5K/30K/10K

Hood River, Oregon, Aug. 20 1.5K/30K/10K

Half Moon Bay, CA, Sept. 17 1.5K/27K/10K

San Dimas, California, Sept. 24, 1.5K/30K/10K

The Mrs. T’s Chicago Triathlon was again the race designated as the U.S. Pro Championships this year.

The largest triathlon in the U.S., it draws over 6,000 athletes and has a huge expo. Located in picturesque Grant Park on the shore of Lake MIchigan, the run consists of three laps through the park and the bike leg is through the downtown city streets.

Although the foreign pros dominated the men’s race, taking the first four positions (Chris McCormack of Australia won) and Michellie Jones of Australia came in first for the 7th time, most of the best U.S athletes were there, including a large Colorado contingent of pros. Marcel Vifian (Boulder), not well known but a representative of the U.S. at dozens of ITU races over the years, came into his own with the race of his career by placing top American and taking the Pro Champion title. Tim DeBoom (Boulder) was right behind him by only a single second to take second. The two traded the lead on the run a few times.

DeBoom’s result was especially sweet in that he had not even rested for the event, preferring to keep on his training schedule in preparation for the Hawaii IRONMAN. Wes Hobson (Boulder) was 27 seconds back to finish 3rd in the U.S. standings. Nick Radkewich (Colorado Springs) and Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs), both leaving for Sydney following the race, were advised by coaches to not focus too much on the race and came in 8th and 9th Americans. Other Colorado men included Cam Widoff (Boulder, 15th), Paul Fritzsche (Boulder, 17th), and Kevin Carter (Colorado Springs, 18th).

On the women’s side Boulder’s Siri Lindley was edged out by Joanna Zeiger by only 9 seconds, taking second place. The ‘98 Pro Champion, Siri had the fastest run time of the day, a blazing 5:35 pace. Nicole DeBoom (Boulder) finished 8th U.S. woman and Gail Laurence (Manitou Springs) 13th American. PHOTO COURTESY OF USAT COLORADO MEN SWEEP U.S. PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS VIFIAN DEBOOM JAMIE JANOVER

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Multisport Coaching with Peak to Peak Training Systems Offering comprehensive, individual coaching for triathletes and duathletes of all ages and abilities. The physiological, psychological and nutritional aspects of multisport competition are emphasized in each individual program. Check out Peak to Peak Training Systems for your coaching and nutritional needs at: www.peaktopeaktraining.com Veteran race director Jack Caress and the Pacific Sports Marketing staff worked for years to plan a world class triathlon in Los Angeles. They secured both the city and a national smoothie and juice franchise company as title sponsors for the first Jamba Juice City of Los Angeles Triathlon.

With the city as a lead sponsor the course was entirely inside the borders of L.A. and encompassed many of its most famous landmarks. The swim started on the sandy shore of Venice Beach, and the warm late summer Pacific waters were calm and required no wetsuits. The race route included Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. T2 was downtown and the run leg went up the hill to Dodger Stadium and returned downtown for the finish.

The impressive list of sponsors enabled Caress and company to put together a $100,000 prize purse that offered up $20,000 for first, $10,000 for second, and $7,500 for third paces. They also contracted with a local television station who signed a 4 year commitment to broadcast the event.

The race was September 10th, a week before the Olympic Triathlons. Most of the short-distance heavyweights in the triathlon world who were not at the Olympics were there. The Australians Chris McCormack, Greg Bennett, Chris Hill swept the men’s field. Wyoming’s Barb Lindquist, who had been heavily favored for a U.S. Olympic Team spot but had a DNF at the Dallas trials, took the women’s race. Coloradans Wes

with high hopes of taking a piece of the pie, but had trouble competing in such a powerful field. Jamba Juice Bucks Bring Big Names to LA Triathlon F.I.D.O.S. is Friends Interested in Dogs and Open Space "Dogs shall not be allowed on Open Space except where specifically permitted. Where dogs are permitted on Open Space, they shall be on a hand-held leash." These words are quoted from the Draft Long Range Management Plan of 1994 for City of Boulder Open Space. Thanks to the dedication of FIDOS volunteers' efforts this never became a reality. Instead a privilege was created for responsible dog lovers known as "voice and sight". It means that your dog must be within your sight and under verbal control at all times.The work continues with every new land acquisition, and every proposed change of visitor usage. We are striving to create voice and sight areas in County of Boulder Open Space, where dogs presently must be on leash. Join us in being heard as the civil and equitable voice of responsible dog lovers on the Front Range. If you have a dog on the Front Range, you should belong to FIDOS. Call or write us for a free copy of our newsletter.

FIDOS P.O.Box 18928 Boulder, CO 80308-8928 (303) 447-FIDO http://bcn.boulder.co.us/ community/pets/fidos FortFIDOS P.O. Box 821 Fort Collins, CO 80522 (970) 226-2100

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The Boulder Peak Triathlon—a perennial must-do event for Colorado triathletes— changed its name for the 2000 edition on July 30th at the Boulder Reservoir. And a Boulder Peak Triathlon by any other name would still be the same… The same challenging course. The same deep field. The same amount of fun.

Boulder triathlete Cisco Quintero summed up the popularity of the event, "The Boulder MS Triathlon is the highlight of the year for the Boulder triathlon community." This year, the event drew 1,350 competitors and 250 volunteers. "By far, this was the smoothest race in years," said race director and co-founder Paul Karlsson. Karlsson and Dave Jensen started the race in 1992 to fill a conspicuous void in the Colorado triathlon scene. The training grounds of Boulder, arguably a city with a per capita record of world class endurance athletes, did not host a major triathlon. Running had the Bolder Boulder. Cycling in previous years had the Red Zinger Classic and Coors Classic. But until 1992, triathlon lacked the equivalent. The goals for the race in 1992 were twofold—to fill a field of 1500 competitors and to become an IRONMAN qualifier. After several years of attracting top level competition and providing a quality, challenging event, Karlsson achieved both goals. In October of 1999, Karlsson married Robbie and the goals for the race gained a new focus. The name change to this year’s Boulder MS Triathlon reflects his commitment to raise money for the fight against multi ple sclerosis and to make people more aware of the disease .

T h e inspiration comes from his wife, Robbie, who deals with her own battle against MS. This year, the race raised $7,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. After paying off expenses from previous years, the event is now debt free and aims to contribute significantly more towards MS in coming years. As for the name, well… Boulder Peak is firmly ensconced in the psyche of the triathlon community. Next year, the race will again be called the Boulder Peak Triathlon (not that anyone ever stopped call- ing it that.) Officially, the name will be the Boulder Peak Triathlon and Duathlon to Benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

While 90% of the turnout this year consisted of Coloradoans, the race also drew competitors form 38 states and nine countries including Hong Kong, International Field Heats Up Boulder MS Triathlon Top local (and top U.S.) finisher Wes Hobson By Adam Hodges FILE PHOTO

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Argentina, and Japan. "We were very happy with the turnout," said Karlsson. "The pro field was super deep." Karlsson attributes this to the race’s location in Boulder and the infamous bike leg that climbs over Old Stage Road. Mike Pigg, who holds several Boulder Peak victories, considers the bike course one of his favorites. Conrad Stolz, a member of the South African Olympic Team, posted a time of 1:56:58 to win this year’s men’s triathlon. Second place went to Marc Lees, a Formula One racer, who also took both the swim prime (first out of the water in 18:40) and the bike prime (first to the top of Old Stage.) Local favorite Wes Hobson claimed third overall. The tough men’s field also included Ken Glah in 4th place, last year’s winner Kevin Carter in 5th place, and Mike Pigg in 6th place. The women’s triathlon shaped up to be a tough contest as well. Haruna Hosoya, a member of Japan’s Olympic Team, claimed victory with a time of 2:11:00. Colorado’s Kirstin Weule finished second and was the first to charge to the top of Old Stage for the bike prime. Jennifer Gutierrez, also from Colorado and a member of the United States Olympic Team, took third overall after snatching the swim prime in 20:29. Andra Boyle finished fourth overall and the former collegiate champion from CU, Teri Duthie, took fifth. In the duathlon, Boulder’s Eric Schwartz claimed the men’s title in 1:39:42. Chris Tolonen and Andrew Holton took second and third, respectively. The women’s duathlon saw a battle for the top spot as Inge Schuermans-McClory edged out Sue Latshaw for the victory in a time of 1:52:43. Kerrie Wlad took third.

Athletes were treated to great race conditions—a water temperature of 72 degrees and the only day in the two weeks surrounding the race not to rise above 90 degrees. Nevertheless, the exposed run made things hot and athletes used 2,000 pounds of ice at the aid stations!

As for the future of the Boulder Peak Triathlon, Karlsson said he aims to keep enough prize money to bring back the pros, but wants to keep the emphasis on providing a quality race for the age groupers. In the works for next year is possible designation of Boulder Peak as the national team championships. ❂ MEN:

WOMEN:

Boulder MS Triathlon July 30, 2000 Boulder, Colorado 1.5K/ 40K/ 10K Top 15 Results (Overall)

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Women 15 - 17 Swim Bike Run Total 1 BALL, LINDSAY M 0:16:07 0:55:30 0:52:46 2:04:23 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

Women 45 - 49 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 50 - 54 Swim Bike Run Total

Women 55 - 59 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

TRI-GLENWOOD TRIATHLON SEPTEMBER 10, 2000 GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO .5 MILE / 15 MILE / 5 MILE

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11 GALLAGHER, RYAN P0:30:00 1:08:27 0:56:19 2:34:46 Men 30 - 34 Swim Bike Run Total

Men 35 - 39 Swim Bike Run Total

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 WHITFORD, DON 0:19:52 0:48:38 0:43:12 1:51:42 2 HARDIN, JOHN 0:18:42 0:57:34 0:47:14 2:03:30 Men 65 - 69 Swim Bike Run Total 1 STURTEVANT, JOHN 0:20:59 0:55:14 0:48:05 2:04:18 Men 70 - 74 Swim Bike Run Total 1 PULS, GERALD E 0:30:00 1:08:49 1:12:57 2:51:46 TRI-GLENWOOD RESULTS (continued)

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NAME CITY DIVISION SWIM TR1 BIKE MPH TR2 RUN PACE TIME OVERALL/DIVISION

NINE COLORADANS QUALIFY FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT AGE GROUP NATIONALS St. Joseph, Missouri hosted the Mrs. T’s Pierogies Triathlon National Age Group Championship on September 9th. St, Joseph is on the Missouri River north of Kansas City. The swim was in Lake Contrary, an oxbow lake, and the bike course was through the city and completely closed to traffic for the race.

The top 6 male and female finishers in each five-year age category qualified to go to the 2001 world championships to compete in the amateur division. The world championships will be held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on July 23rd, 2001. Although the ITU World Championships for pros is draft-legal, the amateur race is not.

Athletes qualify to compete at Nationals by placing in the top 3 of their age group or the top 25% overall in any USA Triathlon sanctioned event. There will be over 740 sanctioned races in the U.S. this year. Alternatively, placing in the top 5 in their age group or the top 33% overall at a regional championship race will qualify the triathlete for the Championship. 810 athletes competed in the race. There will be a second qualifier on June 3rd, 2001, in Lake Placid, New York.

For more information contact USA Triathlon or log on to www.usatriathlon.org. ❂

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Plc Bib# Last First City St Age S Total Time Swim 1.2mi Bike 56mi Run 13.1mi

H A R V E S T M O O N H A L F I R O N M A N

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THE CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES " A Holistic Approach to Physical Therapy " Traditional and non-traditional Physical Therapy Rolfing Massage Therapy Pilates " Free initial consultation Insurance billing available " 303.447.9939 1295 South Broadway, Suite B Boulder, Colorado 80303 Harvest Moon results continued...

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September 10th dawned cool, a hint of the coming fall, yet with the promise of another hot summer day to test triathletes. The sun, swollen like a harvest moon, crept above the bare hills east of Aurora Reservoir as three hundred triathletes and duathletes prepared for a morning of hills, wind, and sun. The triathletes faced a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. The duathletes swapped the swim for a 5K run. At 7:30, the first wave of triathletes dove into 70 degree water to start a slightly long swim. The first green cap from wave one exited the water in 29:45, but Nick Cady, who started in the second wave three minutes back, exited shortly thereafter in a time of 27:28.

Denver ’ s Edward Melanson, who started way back in the fourth wave , claimed the fastest swim split of the day in 27:07. The first woman to hit land was Breckenridge triathlete Jari Kirkland, a former collegiate swimmer and X-Terra competitor competing in her first halfironman event. Kirkland swam a time of 30:53.

Meanwhile, the duathletes started their 5K prologue to determine the pecking order going into the bike.

Short distance specialist from Boulder, Andy Ames, showed his 5K talent against Wichita duathlete Vince Luebbens before entering T1. Paula Nickel, a triathlete from Fort Collins who hasn’t been spending much time in the water, separated herself from her main competitors Jennifer Arnold and Cindi Toepel.

Someone unfamiliar with the farmland near Aurora Reservoir might mistakenly assume it to be flat, an easy place to bike.

Mistakenly.

The exposed terrain on the plains east of Denver might lack the large elevation swings that make the vistas of the Rockies to the west so inspiring, but the high plains certainly don’t lack rolling hills. Or wind.

A strong wind blew from the southwest and pushed the cyclists out of T1 as they left the gates of Aurora Reservoir and headed east along Quincy Road. At the end of Quincy road, the cyclists turned around and were greeted with a two and a half mile stretch back to Watkins Road and their first real taste of the wind that would haunt the bike course on the return to T2. By the turn north onto Watkins Road, Nick Cady had made his way around the rest of wave one and started hunting down the duathletes. Meanwhile, Troy Theodos, coming off a 5th overall performance at the Vineman IRONMAN four weeks before, searched for his legs. The undulating terrain of Watkins road led the athletes north to I-70, which paved the way to the sunflower fields of eastern Colorado. Big chain rings and small cogs were a must along this fast stretch with an upper speed limit of 75 mph. The cyclists exited I-70 in Bennett where the temperature sign on the bank read 79 degrees. The sun was rising, though, and a treeless run awaited the cyclists. Heading into the wind along Highway 36, Cady caught up with duathletes Ames and Luebbens. The three were separated by mere seconds until they turned south on Watkins Road to find the path back to the reservoir littered with climbs. Along Watkins H Ho ow wl li in ng g a at t t th he e H Ha ar rv ve es st t M Mo oo on n By Adam Hodges

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Road, Luebbens hammered into the wind and broke the group. Ames suffered and thought about "riding back to the transition area and calling it a day." Cady, who decided the day before during a training run to sign up for the race, tried to bridge the distance between Aimes and Luebbens. Meanwhile, Theodos had found his legs and began to move up on the leaders. In the women’s race, triathletes Karen Grabau and Robin Waterwoman, and duathlete Paula Nickel waged their own battles against the course.

At T2, duathlete Luebbens showed himself first. Triathletes Cady and Theodos soon followed. On a slightly short, albeit challenging course, Theodos logged a bike split of 2:20:21, the fastest among the leaders.

Cady headed out onto the exposed run looking for a positive note on which to end his season after a disappointing DQ from IRONMAN Canada two weeks before. In Penticton, Cady returned to the bikerun transition to find his running gear confiscated by race officials after he was hit with a questionable center line violation (on a narrow country road with no painted "center line.") But in Aurora, a short drive from his home in Boulder, Cady would not be denied an opportunity to suffer through the hot, dry run around the reservoir. After returning to T2, duathlete Ames felt better and decided to give the 13.1 mile run a shot. For Ames, a quick runner, this means catching people and putting distance on those behind him. Ames caught triathlete Theodos by the run turnaround and Cady at mile ten. However, the gap between Ames a n d Luebbens was too great and Luebbens cruised in for the duathlon victory in a time of 4:11:56. Ames crossed the finish line second in 4:16:23. Third place in the duathlon went to Robert Schumacher in a time of 4:40:54. In the triathlon, Cady crossed the final hills and clenched the victory in a time of 4:27:03. Edward Melanson, a 37 year old triathlete from Colorado, moved up from his starting position in the fourth wave to grab second overall in a time of 4:28:07. Troy Theodos came in third with a time of 4:31:27. The women triathletes battled through the hot temperatures which had risen into the mid 80’s by the run. Karen Grabau won the triathlon in a stellar time of 4:49:14 followed by Robin Waterwoman who finished under the five hour mark in 4 : 5 9 : 3 8 .

Boulder’s Cindi Lehman finished third in 5:14:25.

Lehman considered the race to be "my redemption after a tough

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season. All three legs were pretty even for me today and I felt really good on the run." In the women’s duathlon, Paula Nickel ran to victory in 4:51:53. Nickel, a Fort Collins triathlete taking a break from swim training in order to meet her busy schedule as mom, said, "The bike was windy and never flat. Hard." Jennifer Arnold took second in the duathlon in 5:11:00, followed by Cindi Toepel in 5:12:49. And the most important winner of the day was the Harvest Moon Half - IRONMAN.

The firstyear race filled a void in the Front Range. It’s timing at the beginning of September allowed many athletes to use it as a finale to a summer of racing , while area IRONMAN qualifiers used it as a tune - u p for Kona.

Paul Rapinz from Boulder, who finished 5th overall and qualified for the Hawaii IRONMAN this year at IRONMAN USA in Lake Placid, said the day was "good training for Hawaii. The wind was punishing and the hills and heat were ideal preparation." Rapinz, who will be racing in Kona for his second year in a row, added that race director "Darrin [Eisman] always puts on good events. It was a great day."

And first year pro Nick Cady was happy to end his season with a win. After starting off the season and his pro career with a 10th place finish at the Wildflower Half-Ironman in May, Cady looks to focus more on short course races next year.

T h e Harvest Moon also saw scores of athletes competing at the distance for the first time.

Wi nner of the women’s 20-24 age group , Jari Kirkland, found that "the swim and the bike were easy but the run was harder than I could have imagined." Kirkland will travel to Maui in October to compete in the X-Terra World Championships. And ultrarunner Alex Wolfe from Nederland found the toughest part of his first half-ironman to be the first three minutes of the swim. "Once I got away from the crowd and started swimming, I felt fine," said Wolfe. Wolfe skate skis throughout the snow season and hopes to get into next year ’ s IRONMAN Canada.

"Our goal was to put on a quality, fun event while keeping entry fees l o w — I believe we’ve succeeded," said Harvest Moon race director Eisman. PHOTOS THIS PAGE: Top right: Women’s winner Karen Grabau (36, Littleton); Center: Troy Theodus (Boulder, 3rd place overall), part of Team Irongirls (Denver), and Armando Galarraga (Boulder), Bottom: Team Friends (2nd place team, Boulder) FULL RESULTS START ON PAGE 18 ❂