Issue #16 June/July 2002

Page 2

April 20 was the big day for CU triathletes. Last September, 51 buffs started training for this day and the race of their lives—the National Collegiate Championships in Memphis, TN.

The big journey began early in the week: Tuesday afternoon the athletes loaded their bikes into trailers; Wednesday morning 10 drivers took off with all the bikes toward Memphis; and finally Wednesday night the remaining 41 competitors and a few helpers left for Elvis's home turf. Approximately 23 hours, one team run, a Denny's breakfast, and, for many, only a nap later, the team arrived in Memphis.

The team jumped in the campside pond before dusk after they discovered that swimming in the lake was not allowed. The pond, about hip deep and rather murky, had to do for the wetsuit-dressed athletes. At least everyone had an open-water swim under their belt before the big race. Friday went by quickly with two major tasks: checking out the race-course and registering. By dinnertime, camp was bustling with pre-race preparations, but it turned quiet as everyone settled in for a good night’s sleep before the big event.

Saturday morning was hot, in keeping with Memphis ’ s recent record temperatures.

By 8:30 a.m., everyone had picked up their timing chips, listened to the final waves and start times, and convened for a last team picture and the (previously banned) team cheer. By 9:20 a.m., the first wave took off a little late for their 9 a.m. start. The swim followed the lake shore counterclockwise around a few islands. The first swimmer snaked through the 75degree water in just over 19 minutes. Justin Caskey, CU’s top performer in the first wave, followed at 22:41, chasing the leaders in his strong suit—the bike. Tim O’Donnell from the US Naval Academy logged the fastest swim time of the day at 18:37. Most of CU's top athletes emerged from the water in about 20-22 minutes. After a 30-minute break to allow the bike course to clear out, the two women's waves took off. Sara McLarty, an old nemesis of Sara Tarkington's and a NCAA swimmer (she just clocked around 16:30 in a 1500 meter), came out of the water in 19:38. Less than two minutes behind her with the 5th fastest swim of the day was freshman Jaime Sisler, competing in her second Olympic distance triathlon event.

The 24-mile bike course consisted of three loops, so team spirit ran high as the athletes passed and pushed each other. The buffalo field along the side of the course didn’t hurt the CU Buffaloes’ energy either (we think we saw Ralphie!). The course was relatively flat compared to the training grounds in Colorado, though the heat and the lack of aid stations took a toll on a few athletes. Near the end of the bike, gaps between the leaders and chasers were closing. For the men, Justin Caskey had the 5th fastest bike of the day, and both he and Chris Valenti were within reach of the podium. The women's competition was even tighter. Tarkington put in the fastest bike split of the day. McLarty was about to enter her weakest leg of the triathlon only about a minute and a half ahead of runner Tarkington. The scenic (though none of the competitors noticed that day!) run CU Buffaloes Take Back National National Championships Championships by Bettina Younge Photo at top left: CU Coach Bettina Younge, Jaime Sisler, Sara Tarkington, Sunny Gilbert, and team president Will Kelsay photography by Courtney Stapleton ...continued on page 7

Page 4

Boulder’s Paul Martin is a competitive triathlete. He generally places in the top thirty percent of his age group at races. Add to this statistic the fact that he is a below-the-knee (BK) amputee and it becomes extraordinary.

Paul’s resume of athletic endeavors is extensive. He has been on the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team and was a bronze medalist at the Disabled Cycling World Championships and two time winner of the road race at Nationals. He was a member of the U.S. Disabled Alpine Ski Team and the U.S. Amputee Hockey Team. He is the national BK record holder in the halfmarathon and the 5K. He has completed several IRONMANs, including Hawaii three times. The list goes on and on.

For many years now he has been a professional speaker for groups of school children. Apparently friends and family had been urging him for quite some time to write a book about his experiences, and about a year ago he took up this latest challenge in a life that has been full of them. The result is entertaining, heart warming, and inspiring. He has a wonderful ability to get you to alternately laugh and cry with him. There are qualities about his writing which reveal that he is a novice. Yet his plain, conversational style is quite endearing. He is a regular guy telling his story. And when he does dig deep into his psyche and discusses his feeling surrounding an issue, the reader really knows it is from the heart. He tells his tale from the beginning. Even before he lost his leg he had an eventful life. He has no qualms about letting his skeletons out of the closet. And as he recounts his stories from being a steel welder high above the ground to weathering a storm in a small torn-up sailboat, there is an odd sort of tension that builds, because you keep waiting for the “accident.” There were many instances in which it could easily have happened.

Once it does, his selfdeprecating humor surrounding his misadven tures adjusting to his new circumstance will have you laughing out loud.

In the end he provides moving insights into what fateful events can do to our life paths and how opportunity can sometimes be disguised as adversity. One Man’s Leg is due to be out in October and is published by GreyCore Press. For more information visit www.onemansleg.com. -Kristen McFarland Paul Martin Tells His Story ...so far Photos: top: XTERRA Off-road Triathlon World Championship, Maui, 2001; bottom: Boulder Peak Triathlon ‘99, both by Kristen McFarland

Page 6

Widoff Second at Wildflower Cam Widoff finished second in this year’s Wildflower, the 20th anniversary of the event. By some accounts, he was cheated out of his fifth win there by a mishandling of a drafting penalty in T2. After starting the run in eighth place, he passed the likes of Matt Reed and Cameron Brown of New Zealand, Chris Legh of Australia, and cycling powerhouse Steve Larsen. Nearly breaking the run course record of 1:14:34 that he himself set in 1999, he clocked a 1:15:04 half-marathon over the rough and hilly trail course. His total time was 4:07:03. Other Colorado pro finishers included Tim Luchinske, 11th (4:19:53), Nicholas Cady, 17th (4:26:32), and Teri Duthie, 12th (4:56:56).

Tim DeBoom 4th in his Season Opening Race On the site of his IRONMAN California win last May, Tim DeBoom returned to race his first event since winning the IRONMAN World Championship in October. After finishing the swim second behind Aussie Craig Walton, Tim rode close to the front for the entire bike, with a draft marshall hovering near by. His 2:09:09 bike split was less than two minutes slower than the fastest, set by Steve Larsen (Larsen finished 10th overall). Although his legs felt a bit tight during the first lap of the run he recorded a 1:15:15, 3:49:42 total, for a fourth overall.

Cam Widoff came in 8th with a time of 3:56:10.

Williams and DeBoom Finish Strong at St.Croix Susan Williams and Nicole DeBoom both have ambitious seasons planned and started strong with second and fourth place finishes, respectively, at the St. Croix half-ironman distance race on May 5th in the Virgin Islands. While Williams (formerly Bartholomew) is starting to train for longer distances in preparation for her first IRONMAN, DeBoom is planning on a summer filled with olympic distance races. Susan led the race out of T2 but was soon passed by eventual winner Joanna Zeiger. Nicole was off the bike third, but was passed by current IRONMAN World Champion Natasha Badmann about half-way through the run and fell to fourth. In the men’s race Tony DeBoom placed seventh with a 4:18:31.

Photos: left: Cam Widoff; above: Tim DeBoom; file photos by K. McFarland w wiin nd d s sp pr riin nt ts s …

Page 7

course—one 10-kilometer loop— led the racers through Shelby Farms and along mostly paved bike trails. Valenti was suffering from the heat during the bike leg and focused on a steady run performance to finish as high as possible; Caskey and Ottersberg also knew that they had to give their best for the men’s team competition.

In the women's event, Gilbert moved into the lead but knew she wasn't home free—a wave with several strong competitors, including her teammates Tarkington, Sisler, and Wlad, as well as McLarty, were 10 minutes behind her. Tarkington passed McLarty only two miles into the race and knew she had overtaken the leader; Sisler followed suit at about mile four. Coming into the finish, the team new that Tarkington had won the women's title with a 2:10:22. Then, as Sisler, the next finisher from the second wave, came in only 39 seconds slower than Gilbert at 2:13:46, the team started to realize that their women must have swept the podium. Not much later, the entire team (minus one athlete who flatted) had, despite the heat, successfully finished the race.

In the men's race, Chris Valenti finished as the top CU scorer in 5th place with a 1:56:14; freshman Justin Caskey took 10th place with 1:58:47; and sophomore Blake Ottersberg came in 32nd place with 2:03:17. The men's team placed second overall with an average time of 1:59:26 compared to first-place finisher Navy with an average time

Lucas Llado (2:05:59). In the women's event, CU was guaranteed the win given the 1-2-3 place finish and an average time of 2:12:55. The women’s team from the University of Wisconsin at Madison was the runner-up with an average time of 2:20:03. Other top CU performers were Kerrie Wlad (2:18:31), Amber Rydholm (2:19:19) and Erin Huck (2:20:30) – in fact, together, Kerrie, Amber, and Erin would still have defeated runner-up Wisconsin in the team’s competition! For a complete list of results, check out www.besttimescct.com.

Overall, CU beat the secondplace team by over 35 minutes, earning back the National Collegiate Championship. And we have more great news—everyone except soon-to-be-pro Chris Valenti will be back next year! CU Buffaloes … ❂ 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

Page 8

Open Water Swimming Open water swimming is never boring. Whether you are an accomplished swimmer or a first timer, there is never the "same" open water swim. Variables are always changing such as water temperature, air temperature, currents, river speed, wind, waves, not to mention a possible two hundred bodies starting at the same time and trying to get to the same end point. In as minimal words as possible (I talked for an hour and a half to a group in a hotel conference room on this topic and I still could have discussed the finer points of open water swimming), here are a few pointers, which help alleviate some of your race morning anxieties. Know how to swim correctly.

Proper stroke technique can only help. The more efficient you are in the water, the less energy you use to get to a certain point at the same rate of perceived effort. Find a coach or a master’s swim program to learn, and watch, correct swim technique. It is also good to get videotaped to see yourself swim and thus give you a visual. The main principles I stress for the freestyle stroke are: * Balanced head position – the head dictates the rest of the stroke. * Don’t cross the midline of your body from hand entry through hand exit. * Pull at a 90-degree angle. This is where you get your power. Don’t worry about the sculling movement. * Breathe towards the "corner" of the pool where you are swimming to, not from. Don’t breathe back and under the armpit. * Kicking helps to balance the body, sprinting and gapping.

Know the swim course.

It is good to see the course the day before or at least the morning of to see where you are going. Warming up on the course is also beneficial. While you are on the course, you can look for landmarks to help your orientation while racing. Notice how many buoys are on the course and at what angle you must make your turn around the buoy to go to the next one. During warm up, you can also see what direction the current is going to help your race line positioning. If you are unable to warm up, then look at others in the water and see where the water is pulling them. Warming up or previewing the course allows you to feel the river or ocean bottom at the start. There is nothing more surprising then a run into the water and then sinking in a foot of mud on the fifth step. If the course is shallower in areas, use that to your advantage to have a longer run in before swimming. I had an experience once at a race where I didn’t preview the start. I positioned myself on the start line in the most direct distance to the first buoy. About three quarters of the other pros were far to my right. The gun sounded and after ten meters of running into the water, I started to swim. I breathed to my right and I still saw all of the other pros running in shallow water. They gapped twenty seconds worth of swimming with only ten seconds of running.

Pre-start and Hydration.

Oftentimes, the swim start may be a long walk from the transition area. Give yourself enough time before your wave start to get to the start line and warm up.

Also, take a water bottle with you to the race start. Not only may it be along walk, but also the race start may be delayed. You want to use this to your advan tage by staying hydrated while others with out water are losing fluids just waiting. You m a y have to hoard your water like gold so either hide it or be mean and don’t share.

Try to get in the water to warm up and loosen the muscles. If the water or air tem- perature is very cold, you might not want to get in the water. This is because if you have a long wait after warming up before your race start, then the muscles may tighten and be negatively affected com- pared to not warming up in the water. If this is the case, "swim" your stroke on land, stretch or even use stretch chords for your swimming motion.

Know where to start.

If you are new to the sport or a poor swimmer, start where you will feel most comfortable. Two good places are on the sides or in the back. If you start in the middle at the front, then you should be a good swimmer or else you are a masochist wanting to "toughen up." A good swimmer also might want to start on the ends to have "cleaner" water so as to keep good form with their stroke. If age groups start in waves, watch the waves ahead of you to see what happens to those swimmers the first few minutes of the swim. Just like in bicycle racing, drafting is effective in swimming. You can save up to 30% of energy used by drafting off of another swimmer. This is similar to being able to swim the same pace as someone who swims 5 or 10 seconds faster per 100 than you in a pool. At the start line, place yourself next to someone who is faster than you and plan to get on his feet. What kind of swimsuit or wetsuit is he wearing? What is his race number? What does his feet look like? What color Wes Words by Wes Hobson

Page 9

toe nail polish is he wearing? Your objective is to recognize and stay behind that swimmer in the race. Practice.

Get used to going out hard in swim practice with minimal warm up. This prepares the body for race day. As you get closer to races, you should do this for about a third of your workouts. Unlike long distance pool races, triathlon race starts are sprints at the beginning and only after the opening minutes does the pace become relatively consistent. Sprint starts are common because people have all of this adrenaline flowing and people want to break out of the masses to get behind a faster swimmer and draft. A great workout I use to prepare for triathlon starts is just as mentally tough as it is physically. After warming up for ten to twenty minutes do 4 X 400 where the first 200 is all out and the second half is a hard effort (surviving). The interval in between is at lest five minutes.

Do drills such as: * Head out of the water, sighting, every few strokes * Following the person in front of you, drafting * Mass swim start practice to prepare you for the inevitable jostling in triathlons. This will help you get over the anxiety of entangled arms and the occasional, yet accidental, punch in the goggles * Getting used to your wetsuit by swimming in it a few times before a race. This will help you feel comfortable in the suits instead of claustrophobic. * As in all of the triathlon disciplines, go with the motto "Train the way you race."

Know how to enter and exit the water. Valuable seconds can be gained or lost in swim entries and exits. If you are doing a run in start, again know the terrain and also know how to, when to and for how long you want to run and/or dolphin dive before swimming. Also, if waves are involved, know how to dive under the waves at the start and how to ride the waves into the finish. A rule of thumb for entering the water is to run as long as you can get the feet out of the water and then do a couple of dolphin dives before entering swimming. When exiting, swim until your stroke touches the bottom. With currents, know where to start and how to swim towards the finish so that the current helps you as much as possible. Preparedness for the swim start will ease the already anxious moments of a triathlon start. Give yourself enough time in the morning to view and make adjustments for the swim.

Congrats…you have finished the swim! Wes Hobson has competed in over 220 triathlons, from sprint- to IRONMAN-distance. He garnered 35 first places, 60 top-three finishes and 96 top-five finishes during his 12-year professional career that also included being selected "Triathlete of the Year" by the USOC. Wes co-authored Swim, Bike, Run, and created three triathlon and cycling related films. Wes coaches multisport athletes and singlesport athletes. He can be reached at whperformance@aol.com. To purchase any of his films or book, visit www.weshobsonperformance.com.

Page 11

The Gift of Health Health is an item that triathletes generally possess. Fit and concerned about physical and mental well-being, multi-sport athletes strive for the acme of a healthy lifestyle. When injury sidelines us, or a bout of illness catches us by surprise, we are temporarily reminded of the gift that health can be. But not everyone is as lucky. No matter how diligent one is in seeking out health, external forces may turn it into an elusive goal. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects individuals worldwide. MS attacks the body at the heart of its control center—the central nervous system. For reasons that are still not completely understood, the body’s autoimmune system turns against itself and destroys the myelin sheath, or insulating material that is wrapped around nerve fibers. As the National MS Society describes it, "Without myelin, signals transmitted through the central nervous system are slowed, garbled, or blocked and symptoms develop."

Those symptoms often start with numbness in the limbs or paralysis. The reasons for the onset of the disease are still under investigation. Current research is focusing on various immunologic, environmental, viral, and genetic factors that may play a role in triggering the disease. Individuals are often diagnosed between the ages of twenty and forty, with lifelong effects.

"It’s like a death without a death." This is how my mother described the disease that her sister, and my aunt, was diagnosed with seven years ago at the age of 41. A successful attorney with the federal government, my aunt had barely begun navigating her lifelong goal of service in her chosen field. And as a mother with three kids at home, she looked forward to watching them grow, graduate, and move on in their lives.

MS quickly and devastatingly brought those aspects of life to an end. In the first few years after her diagnosis, she experienced the paralysis and loss of muscle function common to the disease. However, MS soon began attacking the myellin in her brain, which abruptly affected her mental abilities. Forgetful at first, the seriousness grew to the point where she could no longer function in her line of work. As a sharp intellectual, this loss was not easy to deal with, to say the least. Imagine a successful IRONMAN triathlete cut down in her prime, no longer possessing the arms to swim, the legs to bike and run, nor the lungs and circulatory system to power it all, unable to ever again use the gifts she was born with.

Successful comebacks are inspiring—like Lance Armstrong returning from cancer to win three Tours de France and counting, Karen Smyers overcoming thyroid cancer to race again at IRONMAN… Unfortunately, the fighter often loses the battle. And MS can be a ruthless opponent.

The last five years of my aunt’s life have been a downward spiral. This past April 4 marked her 48th birthday and the first year of life in an Alzheimer’s unit of a nursing home, which provides her with the 24-hour care that she requires. She no longer recognizes her children and her husband’s face is a fuzzy shadow of someone vaguely important in what remains of her memory. "It’s like a death without a death."

Research is underway to explore the etiology of MS and develop ways to fight it. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society—"dedicated to ending the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis"—is a leader in the fight. And race director Paul Karlsson has dedicated the proceeds of the Boulder Peak Triathlon to aiding the work of the National MS Society. Karlsson’s race is one way those of us with the gift of health can celebrate it and make a difference for those who struggle for it on a daily basis. Thanks, Paul, the Boulder Peak Triathlon and its supporters! On behalf of my aunt, Susan Knight, and her family, your commitment in the fight against MS is truly appreciated, and your race will always be remembered as a celebration of her life and an annual celebration of health for those of us who are lucky enough to possess the gift.

Sound Mind and Body by Adam Hodges is our assistant editor and website developer ❂

Page 12

Just as baseball has the World Series, football has the Super Bowl, and soccer has the World Cup, the sport of triathlon has its Grand Daddy event. Its name: IRONMAN Hawaii. This article is not about IRONMAN Hawaii. Just as most that participate in the great sport of soccer spend a lifetime wondering what it might be like to play in the World Cup, most also have other dream games or tournaments in which they someday hope to compete. However, this article is not about soccer. Very much like the world of soccer, triathlon has its share of "lesser" events that, although they are not the Grand Daddy, still possess a certain mystique or fame. For whatever reason—be it tradition, a unique format, an exotic destination or the challenge they pose—these races become part of list; a list of races that someday must be done. This article is about one of those races.

For obvious reasons, each triathlete has his or her own distinct list. Formation of the list depends on many things: the triathlete’s age; the year he or she entered the sport; whether he or she is a "Dave guy" or a "Mark guy"; the favorite distance; and other difficult-tosummarize factors. Although your list might differ from mine, and mine might differ from Bill Bell’s or Paul Martin’s or Madonna Buder’s, there are certain races that by their very nature merit inclusion in a basic list that ought to be published for all to consult. I’ve taken the liberty to note a few of the events that belong on said list (they appear in no particular order): Escape from Alcatraz, Nice Triathlon, St. Croix, Mrs. T’s, St. Anthony’s, and Wildflower. I have clearly not listed all the worthy races, but rather a few just to give an idea of what we’re dealing with here.

But this article is not about any of the above races.

This article is, however, about one of the races that has held position very near the top (if not at the top) of my list for some time now. This article is about IRONMAN Canarias, more commonly known as IRONMAN Lanzarote.

Perhaps even more commonly known in many circles as The Toughest IRONMAN in the World.

Two weeks ago I travelled from Boulder across the Atlantic to the Spanish capital of Madrid. But even after twelve hours of travelling, I still had another two-hour flight ahead of me. Lanzarote is one of seven islands that make up the Canairan Archipelago. Situated in the clear blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Las Canarias, although Spanish, are off the coast of northern Africa. I eagerly boarded my flight, anxious to see one of the few parts of Spain that was still unknown to me. Compared with a nine-hour flight, two hours zips right by, and we were soon making our final descent. Looking out the window, I was stricken by what I saw. It appeared as if I was about to land on Hawaii’s Big Island, yet upon further inspection, it might actually have been a small Greek Island. Why the confusion? The scene was unmistakably Kona. The runway sliced along the coast, parallel to the beautifully colored ocean; the land quickly sloped upward away from the sea; the palm trees were bent from a harsh tropical wind; and the whitewashed buildings of the town were in stark contrast to the darker, barren land. Oh wait, that last part was the Greek Island thing. After completing my initial inspection, I concluded that this was going to be a nice place for a race.

My bike box and I boarded a big, white bus that was tattooed with huge, green letters: Club La Santa. I had decided to stay at the host hotel this time around. Sometimes I hunt for the most economical accommodation, other times I opt for a homestay, but this time I thought I’d check out this resort I’d heard so much about. Happy to be in a Spanish-speaking country, I marched up to the reception desk, ready to make use of my bilingualness. "Buenas tardes," I said. "Hello, welcome to Club La Santa" was the response I received. Come to think of it, that guy did look a little bit blonde and blue to be a Spaniard. I quickly realized that this was actually a little slice of northern Europe, nestled right there in little old southern Spain (not too uncommon really). Club La Santa is a Danish-owned resort, run by Danish folks, which caters predominantly to Danish and other northern Europeans. The fact that it is outside of the small Spanish town of La Santa is really just a technicality. Leaving the reception, I headed out for a tour of the joint. After all, if that was to be my home for the next ten days, I had better become familiar with it. It only took me five minutes to realize why many of Europe’s Big Boys spend weeks, even months at a time training there. Not only was each room actually an entire apartment equipped with a full-service kitchen, but every training or relaxing need was met just outside the door. Just to mention the highlights, I saw an outdoor, 50meter pool, a six-lane track, a weight room, a grocery store, a buffetstyle restaurant, a mini movie theater, a sporting apparel/shoe store, a competent bike mechanic, a leisure pool, a… oops, I said I’d just mention the highlights. I soon realized that I had everything necessary to have an excellent little training camp. I’d have to come back, however, because I’d be spending most of that week completing my taper and resting for the upcoming Living Large in Lanzarote Boul Boulder der’ ’s m s mos ost rec t recen ent triathle t triathlet te e tr transplan ansplant t, Michae , Michael Lovat l Lovato o, , t tak ake es on I s on IRONMAN Canarias ronman Canarias

Page 13

IRONMAN—ah yes, the point of this story.

The following few days saw me riding and running my way up and down the hills and mountains that surround Club La Santa. Did I mention that another similarity to Hawaii is the fact that this is an island of volcanic origins? It sprouted from the sea by means of geologic processes that are far too complicated to describe in this article. Regardless, because of its origin, it holds true that the island is quite mountainous. In fact, the only flat-like parts I discovered were very close to the coast. Everything else was up or down or up. I rode to and from the National Park, Timanfaya, the home of the Fire Mountains, and one of the famously intimidating climbs of the race. Quite honestly, I was undaunted by the severity of the climbs. After all, riding in Boulder affords plenty of opportunity to ride uphill. Indeed it was not the grade of the mountains, but rather the amount of climbing combined with the wind that tended to blow All The Time. In addition to All The Time, this wind blew Hard. I’m hoping that by capitalizing these words, it will help to convey my meaning a little bit more accurately. There are certain spring days in Boulder when most cyclists opt for the indoor trainer to avoid being thrown off of the bicycle and into traffic on the diagonal highway. This wind is blowing that Hard, or Harder. Harder? Yes, it is possible, believe me. I concluded that this was definitely going to be a good place for a race.

The seemingly interminable prerace week finally was coming to a close. I only felt that the week was dragging on a bit due to my intense readiness and excitement to get this race underway. I had trained, I had rested, I was there, I was ready. I was having a great time, and was truly enjoying the Club La Santa facilities, but I was ready to see race day come. Just before it arrived, a funny thing happened: the ever-important day-beforethe-race day came. I suppose that was to be expected. After checking in the bike and all the gear (that’s such a nice feeling, isn’t it?), I headed over to the press conference. I was tickled to be taking part in my first press conference, although it was a bit unfortunate they hadn’t done it earlier in the week. I spotted my nameplate on the table amongst the others. It was right there next to the woman who won the race last year, and the woman who won the race the previous two years. I plopped myself down only to be politely informed that my place was actually behind those two women, in the back row—oops! I should have known that I was a second-tier "relevant pro" (as the invitation card had dubbed us). Not a problem, I was still honored to have been invited. The conference got underway with TJ Murphy, an American journalist, posing a question to a competitor from Finland who spoke little (to no) English. Question number two was from a German reporter to a German athlete in German. I was not sure exactly what they were saying, and neither was the majority of us—there were many blank stares. After about thirty minutes of attempted translations, confused looks, and photographs, what had to have been the weirdest press conference ever came to a close. Thank goodness, it was getting closer to the race. Race morning I awoke to what seemed to be a fairly calm day. Oh wait, as soon as I left the protection of my bedroom, I realized I was wrong. It was windy, windy, windy. I jumped in my rental car and began the thirtyminute journey to the race start. Transit was easy. Parking was easy. This was going to be a nice day. At 7:00 AM the gun went off. It didn’t really matter, though, because there was a bit of a false start, and our sprint from the beach was an out-ofcontrol dash to the water. The fighting and pushing and bumping and bruising only got worse once we hit the ocean. With only about 150 meters to the first turn, things got a little tight at buoy number one. After things settled a bit, I found myself in a nice group of four or five. Based on my efforts at the gun, I assumed I was with the lead group. I later realized that my pace was far too comfortable for me to be up with the leaders. Sure enough, I exited the water as part of the chase pack, about three minutes down from the leaders. I was not too worried about the deficit, because in Lanzarote (more so than in most IRONMAN events) the race is not begun until the bike. Besides, I had just set a personal best, and swum faster than most people have ever swum: 46:24! (Ok, so the course was short, big deal.)

Page 14

And there it was: the famous IRONMAN Lanzarote bike leg. This race has seen accomplished athletes swear it off as "never again" or proclaim that "now Hawaii will be a cake walk." I was anxious to see how it treated me. I had decided to deviate from my normal strategy of riding conservatively for the first half of the 180 kilometers. I planned to go hard when I faced up hills and headwinds, counting on the recovery that would come from the down hills and tailwinds. As it turned out, this new strategy was not a bad one. What I had not counted on, however, was that during my downhill and tailwind recoveries, I would lose so much time to my competitors. Previously I had thought that I was a good technical rider, and that I descended fairly well. I have since discovered that this is not entirely accurate. In part due to my comparatively low familiarity with the course, and in part due to my poor wheel selection (front quad spokes don’t mix well with gusty crosswinds), I lost major time on the descents. It didn’t seem to affect things terribly, though, as I managed to make up most of the time lost while climbing. I then began a cat-andmouse flip-flop with three or four other top-ten riders for the remainder of the ups and downs (about 80k). To add a bit of insult to my poor-descending injury, I managed to take a wrong turn at the end of the bike ride. Ah well, I thought, it’s all just more time I’d make up on the run.

Leaving T2 in Puerto del Carmen is electrifying. The crowds are amazing, and they know it. They happily give you energy as they scream and holler at you all the way up and down their charming beach town, proving once and for all that triathlon is BIG in Europe.

The folks that created this longest running IRONMAN in Europe (this was the eleventh year) had a few crazy ideas up their sleeves. First and foremost they made everyone endure five plus hours of cycling pain and beauty (the cycling course, in addition to cutting through barren lava fields and quaint villages, afforded a few breathtaking panoramic views from lookout points with no guardrails). Next, they decided to make the 42.2-kilometer run be a quadruple out-and-back. Hmmm…not sure about that one. For me the run began wonderfully. The multi-loop course gave me an excellent opportunity to see where I stood relative to the other competitors in the race. And, since I was feeling so great, I was able to cheer for Peter Sandvang, the leader, as he ran the opposite direction. From the looks of it, he had done some serious damage on the bike, and was reaping the benefits of a nice cushion—second place was well back. Later, on my second loop, I was fortunate enough to check out the women’s race. It looked like a heated battle between Lisbeth Kristensen of Denmark, Gillian Bakker of Canada and Spain’s own Maribel Blanco Velaso (who eventually overcame them both for the win). Perhaps had I paid more attention to my own race, I would have maintained the "good feeling" I had for the first 25 kilometers. However, as it was, my negligence toward proper hydration and nutrition provided for a nice kick in the pants. From approximately 16 or 17 miles on, I suffered a painful process of blowing up. Although I felt that my fitness would have allowed me to maintain my first half’s pace, my pathetic attempts at calorie consumption denied me the opportunity to find out. I had slowed to a trot.

Nevertheless, I finished the race urged on by the hoots and hollers of thousands of screaming spectators. I crossed the line and proceeded straight to the drawing boards, hunting for the reason that I let another race fall prey to my nutritional inadequacies. Happy to have participated in a race that for so long stood enticingly at the top of my list, I vowed to return to this wonderful and challenging race. Knowing that there are other races that can fit the bill when it comes to tradition, a unique format, an exotic destination or the challenge they pose, it is hard to imagine that any one other could simultaneously deliver on all four aspects, as does IRONMAN Canarias. Is this the toughest IRONMAN in the world? To answer that question is tough (perhaps an indicator that all regarding Lanzarote is hard). When factoring in the heat, the wind, the mental strength required, the level of competition, and the unique unknown, nothing is harder than Hawaii. When just factoring in the heat, the wind, and the terrain, my opinion is that nothing is harder than Lanzarote. Relatively speaking, my experience at this distance is still slight. However, I can say that this is the hardest I have ever had to work, and it’s the longest time I’ve taken to cover the 140.6. 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. FIDOS P.O. BOX 18928 BOULDER, CO 80308 303-447-FIDO FORT FIDOS P.O. BOX 821 FORT COLLINS, CO 80522 970-226-2100 Call or write for a free copy of our newsletter! ❂

Page 16

The ninth stop of the ITU International Points Series found itself in a Caribbean paradise on Mothers Day at the 6th annual St. Kitts International Triathlon. The sister islands of St. Kitts and Nevis are volcanic islands famous for their inviting climate, amiable personalities and luscious sugar cane producing soils. Despite bearing the nickname the "Sugar City," St. Kitts is home to one of the most challenging Olympic distance courses in the world, which itself is steadily coining its own nickname, "Heaven and Hell."

The swim took place in the pristine waters of Frigate Bay. The bike course, the real gem of the triathlon, wrapped itself up and down the island’s central mountains, remnants of the island’s fiery formation. The run was staged in and about the Royal St. Kitts Golf Course, which presents its own challenges in the form of rolling hills and sandy trails. The men’s field hosted over 60 athletes in which seven of the top fifty ranked athletes were present. Included were defending champ Martin Krnavek, world number 6 Shane Reed and brother Matt Reed, 1997 World Champion Olivier Marceau, and South American star Gilberto Gonzalez, to name a few.

At three o’clock, the men’s field took to the slightly choppy, two-lap swim course and soon found themselves chasing Stephan Sheldrake.

Sheldrake powered through the swim in a time of 19:53 to be first out of the water with Shane and Matt Reed closely behind.

As guys began streaming out of the water to conquer the steep two lap course, Oliver Marceau of France came on strong out of the first transition.

Things started breaking up in the front with Marceau and Matt Reed riding together off the front leaving Bevan Docherty to fend for himself while Jarrod Brauer and Shane Reed rode together with many small groups chasing. As the men entered the second transition, it was Matt Reed and Oliver Mareau’s group effort to lead out the run with Docherty, Reed and Brauer just under a minute behind. Marceau ran strong off the bike to hold off the others while setting a new course record of 2:09:10. Behind Mareau, the race began to unfold as Shane Reed set a blistering pace in the hot conditions, posting the fastest run split a n d m o v ing his w a y up to second overall in a time of 2 : 0 9 : 2 7 .

Docherty couldn’t hold pace with Reed and settled into third (2:09:50) with Brauer and Reed rounding out top 5. The women’s field was smaller, but certainly talented. Jessi Stenstand, Samantha McGlone, Rebekah Keet, and our local Colorado girl, Nicole DeBoom all showed up ready to win. Just five minutes after the men’s start, the horn sounded and the women were off to the typical washing machine swim start. Nicole DeBoom led the way with Tereza Marcel and Laurie Hug also among the first pack. The out and back bike course with its 4 major climbs per lap didn’t seem to slow DeBoom as she attacked the course and rode solo the whole way putting 1:40 on the next chase pack consisting of Tereza Marcel, Samantha McGlone, Jenny Marine and Jessi Stenstand who posted the fastest bike split.

Jenny Marine, who trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, posted nearly the exact bike split as race leader DeBoom, but had lots of time to make up on the run. DeBoom held her off until about 8 km into the run where she was passed, leaving a wide open finish for Marine to savor in a time of 2:34:26, about 30 seconds separated from Nicole (2:35:03). Rounding out the top five, Jessi Stenstand’s fast bike split and steady run held for third place (2:37:50) with Tereza Marcel and C Co ol lo or ra ad do o P Pr ro os s R Ra ac ce e S St t.. K Kiit tt ts s b by y R Ry ya an n I Ig gn na at tz z

Page 17

Samantha McGlene not far behind in fourth and fifth respectively. "I felt pretty relaxed throughout the race. I never felt out of my zone during the swim, bike or run. I just didn’t have any speed." said DeBoom after the race. "I felt strong throughout the race which is exactly where I need to be at this point in the season." The US brought many competitors to St. Kitts as it is one of the closer ITU races in this part of the world. Of the many US competitors, Colorado brought a large crew of its own to bask in the heat of St. Kitts and enjoy the festivities the locals provided. Some of the better male finishers were Boulder’s Paul Fritzche (12th), Chris Valenti (14th), and Jimmy Archer (17th), while the stellar performances by first place Jenny Marine (Colorado Springs) and second place Nicole DeBoom (Boulder) were among the few Colorado women.

S St t.. K Kiit tt ts s I In nt te er rn na at tiio on na al l T Tr riia at th hl lo on n,, C Co ol lo or ra ad do o R Re es su ul lt ts s Women:

Men:

*USAT National Resident Team, Colorado Springs ❂ Photos: facing page, Nicole DeBoom (K. McFarland) and Paul Fritzsche (C. Stapleton); this page, Jimmy Archer (C. Stapleton), all file photos

Page 18

BIB# OVRA TOTAL NAME STATE DIV DIV BIKE RUN PLAC TIME PLACE

IRONMAN Utah Duathlon 2002 Colorado Results Hawaii IRONMAN World Championship Qualifiers in bold (some athletes may have already qualified previously)

Page 19

Page 20

The inaugural IRONMAN Utah race in Provo, Utah on Saturday, June 8th, had a very tragic start and ended up not being an IRONMAN at all. The waters of Lake Utah had turned very choppy overnight as a stiff wind kicked up in the valley from a weather front moving in. The course was an out and back loop around a jetty that stretched out about three hundred yards into the loop. As the swimmers entered the water they faced waves a couple of feet high pushing them back and to their left, towards the jetty. About ten minutes before the gun was to go off the sun rose over the high mountains to the east of town. The winds suddenly doubled and so did the height of the waves. At this point most of the athletes were in the water waiting to start.

The waters of the lake are not clear on a calm day. The heavy silt from the clay soil combined with green algae make it so you can’t see your hand in front of your face under the water.

When the water started getting rougher and rougher no one could see anything, the buoys, the kayaks, nothing. Before the gun even went off the swimmers were being pushed into the rocks of the jetty. The race was started at about 6: 53, presumably because the race officials noticed that the athletes were getting swept in while they treaded water and they wanted to let them start swimming out. The officials later said that it was because they had decided to let a false start go ahead, since they knew the swimmers couldn’t hear anything out there. Because of the wind and the waves, Tony DeBoom didn’t even hear the gun and tried to stop the oncoming swimmers based on the time on his watch.

“I never heard a thing, never heard a cannon or anything. I just looked back and saw all of these people swimming at me and I actually tried to stop them because I looked at my watch and it said like seven fifty-two. So I tried to stop people, and that was kind of worthless, so I just started swimming.”

Then things just got uglier. The strength of the wind kept increasing and as the athletes tried to negotiate the course the relatively weaker swimmers were swept into the rocks of the jetty and couldn’t even stay out on the course. Incredibly discouraged, these athletes started giving up and climbing out of the water. Spectators along the jetty helped them get over the sharp rocks. Dozens of stunned triathletes sat there and shook their heads in disbelief as they realized their race was over before it had begun. Word came from race officials that an unofficial duathlon was going to start at 9:00 for those who couldn’t make it out in the swim. Then screams for help started coming from the water and some athletes started to drag fellow triathletes in distress from the water. A kayak capsized and four people and its owner clung to it for safety. Others clung to the buoys. Swimmers who had made it past the end of the jetty were being blown all the way across the far side of the course, past the return buoys.

The scene was almost as scary for the spectators on the jetty as it was for the athletes in the water. It was chaos, and the kayakers that were there for the safety The IRONMAN That Wasn’t: Tragedy Hits Utah Above: two athletes look at each other in disbelief after being swept onto the jetty near the start of the swim; Below: competitors rush to greet their anxious families after being pulled from the water (K. McFarland) by Kristen McFarland

Page 21

of the swimmers couldn’t even keep control of their crafts in the winds. The cameraman in the helicopter said that swimmers were seen going in every possible direction. IRONMAN North America director Graham Frasier and World Triathlon Corporation director Lew Friedland came down to the end of the jetty.

"Get them out of the water, NOW!," Lew yelled into his radio as the two of them surveyed the situation.

Powerboats were immediately dispatched and started plucking people out and bringing loads in to shore and then going back out. To a degree, word spread in the water as athletes started to swim back in also. Andrea Fisher, Tony DeBoom, and the other swim leaders, however, were fighting their best to get through this leg of the race, oblivious to what was transpiring behind them. The turnaround buoy had blown away and a race volunteer out on a surfboard told them they could head back. This was before the swim had been called off. The current from the wind was so strong out that far, however, that they were swept south at least a quarter of a mile and came out of the water two jetties down from where the swim exit was supposed to be, confused as to where they even were. A pick up truck came to drive them all back over to the race area as they heard the news. “That’s the first time I’ve ever stopped, took my goggles off, and tried to figure out where I was. I knew there were fifteen hundred or two thousand people in the water, and I couldn’t find a soul. I was really ahead or really, really lost,” said DeBoom. “It was unbelievable. I had never experienced anything like that. I really feel sorry for Graham (Frasier). It was calm all week. Who would have expected that?”

Word went around that a man had died and people feared that others might have been lost. After the race it was confirmed that John Boland of California, an experienced IRONMAN participant, had in fact drowned very early in the swim. Everyone sat on the lawns of the park in shock and waited for the rest to be pulled out of the water and all to be accounted for.

Tearful and choked up, Graham Frasier got on the microphone to make announcements but could hardly speak. He said that it seemed that everyone still wanted to race, but that they had to change everything because of the time that had passed.

It was decided that there would be an approximately halfironman distance duathlon of a sixty-five mile bike and a 13.1mile run. The female pros, then the male pros would go first, according to number, 15 seconds apart. Then the age-groupers would be sent off three seconds apart, also in order of race number. Prize money and Kona slots would still be awarded.

Race favorite Tony DeBoom (Boulder) was concerned. His swim is strong and he was worried that he had lost his advantage. Besides, he felt that he probably swam three miles.

“Tim Luchinske put a real scare into me, because swimming is a real strength of mine and it’s his weakest event, so I would have come out with a much bigger buffer. I would have had a little more time than a fifteen second head start.” His wife and friends encouraged him and reminded him of his power on the bike. He raced hard and did manage to win with a 4:05:41. His bike split was two minutes faster than second place Tim Luchinske (Lafayette) who came in just a minute slower.

“I beat Tony out of the water,” Luchinske joked Clockwise from top left: Susan Williams (Littleton), Tony DeBoom (Boulder), Tim Luchinske (Boulder), (all photos K. McFarland)

Page 22

after the race. He had gotten word while out in the water that the swimmers were being called in and headed back to shore. Luchinske admitted that a full IRONMAN would have put him several minutes behind DeBoom. “Tony got cheated. He would have come out of the water in 48 and I would have come out in 54, and we both know it. Everybody knows it, so I’m glad he won.”

“It was scary out there. The only thing I kept thinking about was, you know, I’m not a strong swimmer, but I’m not weak either, and all these first-timers, they’re never going to do an IRONMAN again! I’m really impressed with how Graham handled it. That guy is unbelievable.”

He also echoed a complaint that several athletes had with the replacement format, that the odd distance bike leg was difficult to pace. “I’ve never raced seventy miles,” he said (which was what the actual distance turned out to be). “It’s either fifty-six or one twelve.” Nick Cady (Boulder) placed seventh with a 4:24:20. “I had a better bike than I was expecting to. And my run was good until about the last five K, when I started paying the price for that bike split.”

Jared Berg (Boulder) was 12th overall.

In the women’s race Susan Williams (Littleton) was supposed to be trying the first IRONMAN of her career after years of great success at the olympic distance. “I was definitely bummed because I wanted to get some IRONMAN experience. But as I was doing the race and dying on the run I was thanking God that it was not a full IRONMAN,” she laughed. A powerful swimmer, she was undaunted by the rough swim, hoping to gain an advantage over the weaker swimmers. “But I couldn’t see where I was going,” she added.

The shortened race probably proved to be an advantage to her and she almost won, managing second place just nine seconds behind Jenny Tobin of Idaho. She biked four minutes faster than Jenny and Jenny ran four minutes faster than her. Teri Duthie (Boulder) clocked a blazing 3:03:24 on the bike. She liked the staggered bike start, time trialstyle, for the replacement race. “It was a good idea. It kind of broke people up, no drafting really. And I was lucky, I got to go a few back, so I had people to chase.”

It was the fastest pro female bike split of the day and earned her fourth in the race.

Tony DeBoom would have probably had the first IRONMAN win of his life, and it has been a long hard journey for it. Yes, he won the replacement race, but the victory wasn’t as sweet, by any means. Never-theless, instead of complaining, he reiterated his support for the race organization and concern for the family of the triathlete who had lost his life.

“Considering what happened out there today, I thought they did about as good a job as they could, throwing a different race together in two hours. And they tried to satisfy everybody, which is never going to happen.”

Photos this page, clockwise from top left: NIck Cady (Boulder), Kirk Framke (Denver) (photos: K. McFarland), Jared Berg (Boulder), and Teri Duthie (Boulder) (photos: Courtney Stapleton) Photos facing page: Colorado Age Groupers Top row: Molly NIckerson, Eric Peterson, Sean Wendt; second row: A.J. Johnson, William Ledden, Jason Kaminski, Michael Bronn; bottom row: Todd Mellinger, Tim Troha, MIchael Perry (all photos Courtney Stapleton except Nickerson - K. McFarland) ❂