Issue #18 Oct/Nov 2002

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In its second incarnation, the 5430 Triathlon seems to have found its winning formula, with the addition of a half-iron race and a new loop bike course designed with input from Dave Scott. A total of 450 athletes competed, including 130 in the full iron-distance race, 200 in the half, and 34 relay teams. The full iron-distance competitors were the first in the water at 7:00am. After completing two laps in Boulder Reservoir, Tony DeBoom exited in 51:10, followed eight minutes later by Robert Krause of Wilson, Wyoming. The first woman out of the water was Shannon Kerth of Highlands Ranch in a time of 1:03:40.

DeBoom went on to ride a blistering bike split before calling it a good training day in preparation for Hawaii.

"It’s a great way to train," he said, "having people handing you water bottles every ten miles." A lack of sodium and his hard effort on the bike nevertheless left DeBoom with severe cramps and a trip to the medical tent. Meanwhile, the half-iron competitors went off at 9:00am and were well into the run while the iron-distance racers were out on their second loop of the bike course.

First out of the swim in the half-iron race was Wolfgang Dittrich, a familiar name in triathlon. More than once he was first out of the water at the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii. The retired German triathlete now living in Boulder clocked a time of 24:18. Sean Wendt of Golden and Kirk Framke of Denver followed over the next two minutes. Sixth into T1, and the first woman, was Boulder’s Elizabeth Anderson in 27:25, with Erika Leetmae of Denver on her shoulder.

Out on the bike, Dittrich found a comfortable rhythm and carried his lead into T2 and then out on the run course. Boulder’s Jared Berg moved his way up on the bike course and entered T2 in second position behind Dittrich. Third into T2 was former cyclist Michael Larson. Larson, inspired by brother Steve’s success in their new sport of triathlon, successfully played catch up after a slow swim to clock the fasted bike split of the day by over six minutes with his 2:11:02. Over the next six minutes, Kirk Framke, Garrett Ianacone, Paul Armstrong, Kevin Dessart, Kevin Gingras, Nathan Kirkland, and Kenny Leader filled in the top ten spots as they filed out onto the run course’s dirt roads. In the women’s race, Anderson rode away from Leetmae and settled into a lead she would keep for the rest of the race. Behind Anderson, Tracey Schefler, a Canadian working as an oncologist in Denver, took over second position heading out on the run, fol- Five Thousand Feet Above Sea Level: B Bo ou ul ld de er r’’s s 5 0 T Tr ri ia at th hl lo on n IRONMAN distance winners: Shannon Kerth of Highlands Ranch & Craig Greenslit of Berthoud by Adam Hodges, photography by Courtney Stapleton

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lowed by Samantha Kenney of Duluth, Georgia.

The men’s race saw more jockeying for positions out on the run course. Dittrich, having led since the beginning of the swim, still owned that position at mile-12 of the run. However, a flying Kirk Framke was sneaking up from behind. Catching Dittrich in the last mile, Framke ran to the finish to clock a 1:20:15 run split and take the win in 4:11:26.

Framke crossed the line glad to have a good training day under his belt in preparation for Hawaii in a few months. "The weather was perfect," he said, noting the more bearable conditions than at last year’s race. Still, he remarked of his win, "I did not expect this." Dittrich, now 40 years old, was visibly happy with his performance after away from the racing scene for many years. "I didn’t know Kirk was there," said Dittrich. "But it wouldn’t have mattered, I didn’t have anything left at the end." Rounding out the top three was Jared Berg in 4:17:18. Originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Berg will be competing in the upcoming IRONMAN Wisconsin. Then, he and his wife will be leaving their residence in Boulder to move to Minneapolis where she will attend chiropractic school.

In the women’s race, the order arranged out on the bike course prevailed as Anderson ran to victory in 4:42:40, followed by Shefler in 4:48:42. Kenney came in third with a time of 4:55:07. "It’s great to race out here since we train on this course a lot," said Anderson, who recently graduated from CU’s teaching program and plans on working part-time while trying to make a go at her professional triathlon career. And as the half-iron racers filtered across the finish line, a long day remained for the iron-distance competitors.

Fraser Roberts of Boulder led the charge into T2 with his 5:15:29 bike split, followed by Guillermo Boza of Costa Mesa, California. Next into transition came Brian Johnson, Paul Vanderspeck, Kevin Edwards, and Dennis Gournic. The women’s race was shaping up in a similar fashion to the halfiron women’s race. Kerth, having led out of the swim, maintained her position throughout the bike and took her solid lead into the marathon run. Likewise, Lynn O’Donnell kept her second place position into and out of T2. Out on the three loop run course on the roads surrounding the reservoir, the men’s race began to shuffle the deck. Craig Greenslit of Berthoud, eighth off the bike, steadily made his way into the lead. "I started picking people off," said Greenslit. And soon he found there were no more to pick off. Instead he came upon course marshal and last year’s winner Dennis Meeker who had the duty of riding his mountain bike with the lead runner.

In only his fourth triathlon and first at the distance, Greenslit’s running background paid off. Although he was hurting on the last lap of the run, he found the finish line for the win in a time of 10:04:46, also posting the fastest run split of the day in 3:21:46.

Greenslit, an engineer, moved to Colorado six months ago, leaving Corpus Christi, Texas. "I went to school in Wyoming, though," he said, "so I’m accustomed to the altitude."

Second across the line was Matt Adams of Longmont, whose 3:37:07 marathon propelled him through the field of racers ahead of him in T2. Adams posted an overall time of 10:34:40. Brian Johnson of Arvada rounded out third in 10:42:36. In the women’s race, Kerth took her lead into the finish chute, clocking a winning time of 11:16:05. Having biked at a faster than usual pace, Kerth wasn’t sure if she could hold her lead to the finish line. "The run is usually my strength," said Kerth, "but it was the hardest part today!"

Holding second place and crossing the line in 11:24:47 was O’Donnell, greeted by her husband and two children. O’Donnell had set a personal goal of breaking twelve hours and ignored her position in the race to focus in on that performance. It paid off. In third for the women came Carol Murphy of Louisville in 12:16:41. above: Matt Adams of Longmont (2nd place, full IRONMAN); below: Wendy Rein of Boulder (4th place, full IRONMAN) ❂

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H Ha al lf f- -i ir ro on nm ma an n D Di is st ta an nc ce e R Re es su ul lt ts s: : OA Place Name town Swim Trans Bike Trans Run Final Sex InSex AgeDivPlace MEN

WOMEN

0 T Tr ri ia at th hl lo on n: : A Au ug gu us st t 2 5t th h, , 2 2 B Bo ou ul ld de er r R Re es se er rv vo oi ir r i ir ro on nm ma an n d di is st ta an nc ce e r re es su ul lt ts s ( (2 2. .4 4 m mi il le e s sw wi im m, , 1 2 m mi il le e b bi ik ke e, , 2 6. .2 2 m mi il le e r ru un n) ) TOP 10 MEN AND WOMEN OA Place Name City Swim Trans Bike Trans Run Final Sex InSex Ag DivPlc

_ _ _ _

BELOW: CHARLENE BOUDREAU, RUNNING TO T1, WINNER CRAIG GREENSLIT WITH RACE DIRECTOR BETH SPIEGEL

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w w ii n n d d s s p p r r ii n n t t s s … Nicole DeBoom Takes $7000 Second Prize at City of L.A. Triathlon Mrs. T’s in Chicago had been a disappointing race for Nicole. Although finishing 6th , she had started doing the longer, slower training in preparation for Hawaii during the week before the race. “I went into it thinking maybe I could still have a good one but it just didn’t happen. It wasn’t there. I was heavy and I was slow.” Two weeks later her training, particularly her lifting, had changed some and she didn’t feel as flat when it came time to race in L.A. “I didn’t really change anything (specifically for the race) because these races weren’t ‘the goal.’ L.A. ended up just being a better race fitting in with the training I was doing for IRONMAN.” The third City of Los Angeles Triathlon had a big prize purse, but some big competition also, with superstar Barb Lindquist hot off her Mrs. T’s win in Chicago and veteran Karen Smyers both in the field.

“I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew that I liked that course judging from the year before. I had kind of a breakthrough run there last year. I ran as well as some of the best runners in our sport. So I knew that course possibly suited me if I was strong and feeling good.”

T h e olympic distance nondrafting race starts at the famous Venice Beach. It passes many landmarks along the course and even includes Hollywood Boulevard on the bike leg. Nicole was third out of the water behind Lindquist and Julie Pittsinger and then quickly moved into second on the bike. Catching up to Barb wasn’t in the cards, though. “I never saw her. So I just went as hard as I could. And I was basically trying not to look behind me because I had no idea how fast I was really going.”

Smyers wasn’t far behind, but Nicole ran a strong 10K just a half a minute slower than Lindquist's to seal her second place. Schwartz Second at Duathlon National Championships Boulder’s Eric Schwartz placed second at this year’s Dannon Duathlon National Championship. The race, on July 14th, was in Carlsbad, California. Coming in behind three time national Champ Greg Watson, Eric clocked the fastest second run of the race with a 17:22 split over the 5K distance on the 10K run, 40K bike, 5K run course.

Siri Lindley Takes Another World Cup and an ITU Points Race Lindley was lucky in Switzerland, adding two more international wins to her evergrowing list of International Triathlon Union victories. On August 18th in Geneva she ran away from the competition with a three minute gap over the second place finisher at the Triathlon de Geneva ITU Points Race. Then it was to Lausanne, where she won her very first World Cup in 2000, and defended her title last year. It was her race again, but only by a mere 15 seconds gained on the run.

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CT: So ten years ago was your first IRONMAN race?

Tim: Yup.

CT: In Kona?

Tim: Oh ya.

CT: How long at that point had you been doing triathlons? Tim: That was my first year. It was probably, I think, my third race, fourth race; somewhere in there. CT: How old were you?

Tim: 21 CT: How did you qualify to get to Kona?

Tim: I qualified at Memphis in May, an olympic distance race. I just went down there kind of on a whim, just by myself. I drove down before finals of school and said, “well, I’ll give it a shot.” I ended up winning and qualifying. I won the overall agegroup. I was racing age-group and I think I was fourth or fifth time over all. So I took the slot and said I’ll go. I was not sure what I was getting myself into.

CT: So that was the second triathlon of your whole life?

Tim: Memphis in May was my second triathlon.

CT: Do you remember what made you start doing triathlon?

Tim: I was kind of burnt out on swimming and I had some friends and a swim coach that had done triathlon. And I just, I think I still wanted to be really physically fit and still had a bit of a competitive nature, and thought I’d give it a whirl. I had done one the year before, and did it and said, “well that was fun.” Then over the winter I kind of got the bug again and really trained through the winter. By training in mean I continued to run and rode more in the wintertime than I ever had. Then went to Memphis in May first thing in the Springtime. CT: At this point, when you qualified for Kona, had you thought about going pro yet? Had you even thought about it?

Tim: No, not at all. I didn’t even really know. I didn’t know the top guys in the sport.

I didn’t know that it was possible. I didn’t know much about it. I was just doing it as kind of just an activity. CT: Do you remember what you felt like before you got to Kona in anticipation of the race?

Tim: I was really excited just to do the race. It was great because there was no pressure. All I wanted to do was finish. I wasn’t worried, really, about finishing, but I was more like, “I just want to finish,” and say that I’ve done this thing. Going into it I had no idea what I was doing trainingwise and so that was, I think, the biggest eye-opener. I mean, I did fine. I swam great and and rode fine and walked and ran the run and ended up with 9:45 as my time. So it was pretty good, but considering the training I did, looking back I think that was mostly on talent (laughs). CT: Had you even done a half (IRONMAN) at that point? Tim: I had done one half, and it was a bad experience. It scared me. CT: Was it after the Memphis in May?

Tim: Yes. And it scared me about Hawaii. I was like, “Boy, I don’t know if I’m up for this.”

CT: Which one was it?

Tim: Well it wasn’t even a half it was the Springfield Ironhorse (in Illinois) so it was only a ten mile run and a forty-five mile bike. Only the swim was a half, or a little longer than half the distance.

CT: So that made you nervous before you got to Kona? Tim: Ya, I did okay there, at Springfield, but it was, I just finished and collapsed. I crossed the finish line and like two minutes later I think I was asleep. Just sleeping I was so tired. (laughs) So that kind of spooked me. It didn’t make me train much harder but I just said, “wow, this is going to be tougher than I thought.” CT: Was Tony there?

Tim: No, the first year I did it all on my own. He was still in the military. CT: And he started doing them with you after you had done that first Hawaii?

Tim: Yes.

CT: When did you arrive in Kona that first year?

Tim: I think I got there a little bit over, like eight or nine days before, like the Thursday of the week before. That’s changed on and off over the years and now I kind of have a system down. But then it was more like, “hey, I’m goin’ to Hawaii for a couple of weeks and hang out.” CT: So did you have any special pre-race experiences that week? Tim: I probably just trained way too much, got caught up in the hoopla. I had one friend who showed up who I had met at that Springfield Ironhorse race. He was there, had gotten there even a little earlier than me. And he had already talked about how he had ridden the whole course and I was like, “Well, lets go do it!” (laughs heartily). You know I hadn’t even done that in training. But I didn’t ride the whole course. We just rode a ways out and I was like, “I better turn around. I’m gettin’ tired.” We ended up riding like three and a half hours and I think that was close to my longest ride.

CT: Ever?

Tim: Ya (more laughs).

CT: So what was your experience like in your first race? Tim: It was great. I think I came out of the water in like fifth place, because I was just coming off a swimming background. Then I proceeded to get passed by at least a hundred and fifty people (laughs). And then I got on the run and it was one of those good experiences where I kind of hooked up with a person on the run and kind of walked and ran with them for most of it until just finishing by myself. That person is still a friend of mine today. That person I met on the course.

CT: Who is it?

Tim: Luis Vargas. It was a really good experience. And just crossing the finish line, I was happy and it was just a lot of fun. I had a really good time. CT: Do you remember what you finished?

Tim: I think I was like, I want to say 140th. Somewhere in there, I know the time was right around 9:45. 142 maybe. It wasn’t bad. It was a lot of fun. I beat all my friends who were there with me, so that was a good thing (laughs)!

IRONMAN World Champion Tim DeBoom Talks About His First IRONMAN Hawaii, Ten Years Ago ❂

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: Training~ Be Like My Dog! My dog, Doccer, and I went for a thirty-five minute run today on a mountain trail near my house. While we ran side by side, I thought how we athletes should be like my dog. Here are a few examples we can take from Doccer to help us with our training. Doccer never complains. He is up for any type of workout without asking will it be hard, will it be hilly or will the water be too cold? Doccer has a high level of mental and physical pain tolerance. Sometimes, when wrestling, we will accidentally head butt each other. He continues to scrap with me while I am writhing in pain from the WWF style hit.

Doccer has had two elbow surgeries, on each elbow, before being a year and a half old to correct some genetic defects. A French veterinarian orthopedic specialist, visiting for a week to teach a procedure at Colorado State University, performed a unique operation by breaking several bones in Doccer’s elbows t o allow him to be as "pain free" as possible. Doccer was selected for this procedure because of his severe conditions. His hips aren’t great either, but my wife and I weren’t going to have his hips in a cast for a year. Needless to say, Doccer may not be pain free while training, but he sure seems to enjoy running and swimming whenever possible.

Now, let it be known that Doccer is not tortured. As a matter of fact, he sleeps with us on our bed every night. We give him regular massage, glucosamine and aspirin if we feel like he needs it. He gets naps throughout the day and dreams of his next workout as I observe his paw movements and breathing rate. We never force Doccer into a training session and we don’t train him excessively. For example, his long runs are our hikes and he only runs in the morning if the day will be hot. The point is, he never questions the workout because he LOVES DOING IT!

Doccer is agile of foot. He has never sprained an ankle…and he has four of them. He is focused on the task at hand and not allowing his mind to wander, with the exception of the occasional squirrel. You never have to ask him twice to get in the water. He doesn’t sit around the edge of the water pondering what he should do or talk with a friend until the Master’s swim session is half over. He crosstrains regularly with swim/run bricks. He has great entry and exit skills for transitions. I can’t say Doccer has the best nutritional discipline. He eats anything. However, in my non-scientific opinion, he must have one heck of an energy system. He can go for a run just after eating breakfast or even if he has hunger pains. I also think he can sustain a high level of performance above his anaerobic threshold. Even at 11,000 feet, he doesn’t slow down. Doccer is always available, never complains and is willing to try almost any type of new training idea. If you are ever in doubt or not having fun with your training, think about my dog, Doccer. Keep Tri-ing, 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. Wes Words by Wes Hobson Below: Doccer ‘recovers’ from a workout

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When Amanda Gillam arrived in Boulder last December, she was embarking on a journey into the unknown. She had just left her home of the last six years: Baltimore, Maryland. She had given up a job that enabled her to spend the better part of her days training for triathlon. At the onset of the journey, the then twentynine-year-old found herself in a beautiful place that was internationally known as one of triathlon’s top training grounds. And although she greatly missed the life she left behind, she was anxious to begin a new life in a new area with a new set of goals, dreams, and aspirations. She was ready to discover Boulder and to see what the new environment would do for her triathlon racing and training. Several months later, and after numerous podium finishes at some of the nation’s most competitive races, Gillam has seen a change in some of her goals, a modification of her race schedule, and a new perspective on training in Colorado. Following is an interview Amanda gave to Colorado Triathlete: How long have you been here in Boulder? Amanda Gillam: Since December of 2001.

CT: What was it like moving here in December?

AG: It was cold.

CT: Did you find it tough to adjust to winter in Boulder? AG: It was frustrating running, because I could never get my breath. It was frustrating swimming, because I felt like I was always going to drown. The only thing I really did enjoy was biking, but I couldn’t even talk because I was always out of breath. CT: Beginning the season, what were your goals for the year? AG: I wanted to Hawaii IRONMAN, but otherwise I didn’t really have any expectations. I just wanted to have a good year.

CT: At Powerman Alabama you finished as the top amateur, and were sixth overall, How did you feel after that first race of the year? AG: I was excited, I was really happy. It was the first time I had ever won that race, it’s a hard course, and I was excited to win.

CT: Did you feel like you were prepared to do as well as you did? AG: No. I felt like my training was terrible because I really found it difficult to get used to the altitude.

CT: Did you feel the benefits of training at altitude while racing in Birmingham?

AG: I’m not sure. I did better than I expected considering my training, so I think I initially attributed that to having come down to sea level.

CT: Your second race for 2002 was the St. Croix Half IRONMAN, which you have won the last two seasons. Going into that race, what were your expectations? What were your goals?

AG: I wanted to win that race again. I wanted to uphold my little tradition from the last two years, and to qualify for Hawaii.

CT: Having once again finished as top age-grouper, this time you finished ahead of some notable pros, like Karen Smyers and Fernanda Keller. Did that bolster your confidence?

AG: A little bit because they had both beaten me in prior years, so it made me feel like I was doing something right with my training.

CT: Did that make you begin to think you could be competitive at the professional level? AG: No. I talked to Karen after the race, and I knew that she wasn’t very fit. Because when Karen is fit I don’t think many people can be her. She had talked about how she was trying to have a baby, and that she hadn’t been training that much. And Fernanda is A At th hl le et te e P Pr ro of fiil le e: : A Am ma an nd da a G Giil ll la am m

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awesome at IRONMAN distances, and I knew she was getting ready for Brazil, so I didn’t know how tired she was. CT: Having qualified for IRONMAN for the third year in a row, did preparing for Hawaii become your primary goal for the season? AG: For the first half of the season, yes. I love IRONMAN. I wanted to improve upon my time from last year, and have a better race. But I feel like last year I had an awesome race, and in order to have a better race this year I would have to work a lot less and train a lot more, and I didn’t think I would be able to do that.

CT: Two weeks after St. Croix, you participated in the Memphis in May Triathlon. How did racing a flat, fast Olympic Distance race feel after completing a hot and hilly Half?

AG: It felt hard. It was fine; I just didn’t have any leg speed. CT: Your next test came three weeks later at the World’s Qualifier in Lake Placid, NY. Tell me a little bit about that race.

AG: It was a great race for me. I won the race. I came out of the water four minutes behind the leaders, and I caught just about every single person on the bike. And I caught two more girls on the run, with three miles to go. The conditions were horrible, but I find that with bad conditions I do better because everybody else is so worried about the weather. I just don’t worry about that stuff, I just go out there and race.

CT: Having won one of the most competitive amateur races in the country, did the confidence you had in your training change? AG: As the months went by I didn’t know what to think. I was totally unable to train like I had in previous years because of my work schedule. But evidently I do a little better when I’m doing a million things at once. I focus better when I have lots of things to do during the day, and I always get things done; versus when I don’t have a lot to do, I don’t get everything done. CT: Knowing that you qualified for ITU World’s in Cancun, and knowing that the race falls three weeks after IRONMAN Hawaii, did you begin to question your goals for the season? The schedule you had made?

AG: No, I still planned on doing both of them.

CT: Two weeks after racing in New York, you returned to Lubbock, Texas for Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon, another challenging Half IRONMAN. This was your first race this season in which you did not finish in the top one or two spots, how did you feel after that event?

AG: Terrible. I was never really sure I wanted to do the race. I had done several races in the last few weeks and I wasn’t totally motivated to go down there. Ultimately some friends talked me into going, but I learned that if your heart isn’t fully into a race, chances are slim that you’ll do as well as you’re capable. CT: Realizing that you were not going to have the time to adequately train for the longer races, was it difficult to consider skipping IRONMAN Hawaii this year? AG: Yes, I enjoy doing IRONMAN Hawaii. Especially now that it’s coming up, I wish I were doing it. But it’s ok to skip a year here and there. CT: You participated in the Denver Danskin Triathlon on August 4th, had you ever done a Danskin before?

AG: Yes, in Baltimore in 1997. I participated as an age-grouper; it was one of my first triathlons. CT: What were your perceptions of that event?

AG: It was much bigger than when it was in Baltimore. It was really cool to see everybody out there: the firsttimers, the elite and everyone in between. Sally Edwards is really good at reminding us that we’re all out there to have a good time.

CT: The following Sunday was the Boulder Peak Tri, how did you like racing on back-to-back weekends? AG: It was fine for me. With the short-distance racing it doesn’t matter. CT: You had a great race in Boulder; once again you finished as the top amateur, and had the second fastest time of the day. What do you remember most about that race?

AG: Being on the bike and going as hard as I could. Then having dudes jump on my wheel, trying to pass me back, then having to pass them again. This happened toward the last five miles of the race. I had a lot of those issues, but that always seems to happen.

Some of Amanda’s Achievements This Year: First Place Woman: Age Group World Championship Qualifier, Lake Placid, N.Y.

First Place: Danskin Denver Top Amateur: Boulder Peak Triathlon St. Croix International Triathlon Powerman Alabama Duathlon

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CT: Did your Boulder Peak race give you a nice mental boost heading into Age Group Nationals? AG: Yes, I was totally psyched. I wanted to do well at Nationals, and that was an excellent race to prepare for it. I was totally pumped up, I was ready, and I went into Nationals completely rested; I just didn’t have a good day.

CT: Did not having the day you expected discourage you, or were you encouraged to have another podium finish?

AG: I felt like I did the best that I could do on that day. I had a bad swim and the course was long, so that hurt me. I had a good bike, but I was flat for the run. It was a little discouraging. CT: Although your next big race is the ITU Duathlon World Championships, you’ve been spending several hours in the water lately, what has gotten you so immersed in swimming?

AG: After Stroke and Stride, I talked to Grant Hollicky of Rally Sport. He offered to let me swim with his 13-andunder junior team. So I’ve been swimming with them five to six days a week. CT: How have you been enjoying that?

AG: I love it. I really like the kids. CT: Where is your confidence level heading into Du’ World’s? AG: I don’t know. Whatever happens, happens. I haven’t been running and biking as much, but we’ll see. CT: To close out the season, you’re heading down to Cancun (ITU World’s) instead of Kona, are you happy with your decision to forgo IRONMAN? What are your expectations for World’s?

AG: Part of me is sad. But I’m just going to think of Cancun as a vacation. My expectations are just to go out there and have fun.

CT: And finally, many of your 30- 34-year-old counterparts (both here in Colorado and across the country) are dying to know: will you be graduating to the professional ranks in 2003?

AG: It is still too early to say for sure. I want to spend the next several months working on my swim. I need to feel like I’m going to be competitive across the board before I make the transition to professional racing. I will also need to find more time to train. Trying to blend a full-time job with a full-time training schedule would be very difficult. You’ll all just have to wait and see… CT: Thank you for your time, and those of us at Colorado Triathlete would like to wish you good luck with the remaining races of the season.

Interview by Michael Lovato

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Danskin Denver Women’s Triathlon 8/2/02 Sprint Distance (.75 K/ 20K/ 5K)

Tri Glenwood Glenwood Springs, September 8, 2002 824 meter swim, 15 mile bike, 5 mile run OAll Age Age Name City Overall Pos. Pos. Time Men

Women

Snow Mountain Ranch Duathlon Winter Park, Colorado September 7, 2002 5 K Run, 15K Mountain Bike, 5 K Run OAll Age Age Name City Overall Pos. Pos. Time Women:

Men:

2002 Tenderfoot Triathlon Salida, Colorado September 21, 2002 .9 MI SWIM / 25 MI BIKE / 6.2 MI RUN OAll Age Age Name City OVERALL Pos. Pos.

Men:

Women:

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Boulder Peak Triathlon and Duathlon August 11, 2002 TRIATHLON AGE GROUP WINNERS: 1.5 K SWIM / 42K BIKE / 10K RUN AGE GROUP NAME TIME OA PLACE

TRIATHLON: TOP PROFESSIONAL RESULTS Div. Place Name Division Swim Bike Run Total Overall Place Men:

Women:

DUATHLON RESULTS: 5K RUN / 42K BIKE / 10K RUN TOTAL OA OVERALL: TIME PLACE

AGE GROUP WINNERS:

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For the second year in a row Lake Tahoe was the site of the Nissan XTERRA USA Championship. This year’s Championship was a culmination of a series of 31 qualifying events across the US that awarded points to the top athletes in XTERRA’s 8 regions. With over $80,000 on the line and major network TV coverage, the Nissan XTERRA USA Championship has become one of the most prestigious triathlons in the world. The best of the best were invited to compete in Lake Tahoe and battle for the title of USA Champion. The state of Colorado was well represented in both the professional and amateur races with over 20 racers qualifying for this prestigious event. The city of Boulder, Colorado had more athletes qualify than any other city in the nation with 9 people.

Leading the way in the men's professional division was point series leader Conrad Stoltz from South Africa who is living part-time in Colorado Springs and training at the OTC. Two other Colorado athletes who were in the Top 10 going into the Championship were Pat Brown (5th) from Boulder and Ned Overend (9th) from Durango. Other Colorado professionals in the race were Jimmy Archer, Josiah Middaugh, Mason Rickard, Neal Henderson, and Grant Holicky. Anke Erlank was the top ranked female from Colorado going into the Championship in 3rd, she was followed by Evergreen’s Kerstin Weule in 4th, XTERRA newcomer Melissa Thomas of Boulder in 5th and Katherine Zambrana in 10th.

At 9 am the Big Kahuna blasted the cannon and athletes dove into the crystal-clear waters of Lake Tahoe. Competitors had a 1.5k swim which consisted of two loops of 750-meters followed by a quick half-mile sprint to the transition. The second leg was a grand single-loop 32k mountain bike with over 2500 vertical feet of climbing. Racers were treated with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe from the famous Flume trail, one of the most scenic mountain bike trails in the world.

The final leg was a 10k run in and around the picturesque town of Incline Village. This run course had many twists and turns, river crossings, logs to balance on and about every type of obstacle you could imagine.

Winning the Championship for the second year in a row and the accompanying point series was Conrad Stoltz. He won every XTERRA event this year and took home one of the richest pay days in all of triathlon. Stoltz stood in front almost the entire race. After exiting the water in third, 20 seconds behind American Kerry Classen, he chased him down two miles into the bike course and started the climb without a challenger. From there he came out of the biketo-run transition with over a four minute lead that he extended on the run. Clearly after Conrad’s performance in Lake Tahoe, he is the heavy favorite going into the World Championships on October 27th in Maui.

The legendary Ned Overend posted the fastest bike split of the day and finished third overall behind Canadian Mike Vine making him the US XTERRA Champion. Tyler Johnson and Dominic Gillen rounded out the top 5. Colorado athletes cracking the top 20 were, Pat Brown 11th, Jimmy Archer 13th and Mason Rickard 18th. In the women's race, Jamie Whitmore solidified her dream season with her third XTERRA title of the year and the big payday with the Pro Points Series and National Title payoff. She clearly showed that she was the best biker on the tour by posting the fastest bike split of the day after coming out of the water well behind the leaders. Australian Raeleigh Tennant showed that her second place finish last year was no fluke and again took home the silver and Canadian Melanie McQuaid hung on for third. Boulder’s Melissa Thomas continued to impress with a 5th place finish. Other Colorado athletes in the top 10 were, Kerry Barnholt 6th, Kerstin Weule 7th and Anke Erlank 10th.

On October 27th athletes from around the world will converge on Maui to compete in the Nissan XTERRA World Championship. With over a $105,000 prize purse, the World Championship is the second richest triathlon in the world. Many Colorado athletes will be there trying to bring home a piece of the pie and the World Championship title. by Pat Brown The city of Boulder, Colorado had more athletes qualify than any other city in the nation with 9 people.

Above: Conrad Stoltz (file photo, XTERRA World Championship 2001; McFarland) Stoltz Repeats at XTERRA U.S. Championships in Tahoe

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The town of Nice on the southern coast of France has been hosting a triathlon for twenty-one years now. It has long been known as the oldest official triathlon in Europe, and was reportedly created by some folks that were awestruck by the inaugural Iron Man staged by a dozen or so crazies back in ’78. Although its fame, tradition and mystique have not quite reached the magnitude of the IM world championships, the International Triathlon of Nice maintains a certain lure that manages to draw one to two thousand participants (and many more spectators) year after year. This year the Nice Tri was once again selected to serve as the ITU Long Distance world championships. With said designation the organizers had little trouble attracting two thousand triathletes, all anxious to tackle the choppy 2.5mile swim, the challenging and treacherous 75-mile bike, and the flat but windy 18.6-mile run. Drawn by the challenge of a difficult race, a slot on Team USA, and the desire to visit the French Riviera in late September, I made the trek across the Pond to see what Nice had to offer. Although I had been warned by many to avoid participating in a race "so close to Hawaii", I shirked off all warnings claiming that there was plenty of time to recover, and that travel was something that little affected me—I enjoy it, it’ll be no big deal. Without spoiling my story’s ending, I’ll say that at least I was halfright.

Following the advice of pastwinner, Peter Sandvang, I arrived in Nice early enough to preview the bike course several times prior to race day. Among veteran triathlon racers it is a well-known fact that the bike course in Nice was created in true Tour de France style. It’s lengthy, switchbackladen climbs were precursors to their technically demanding, curvecrazy, screaming downhill counterparts. To ride well in Nice requires strength on the ascents and courage on the descents. To be at the front means to have the confidence in your abilities to handle the bike and the nerve to execute.

In the several days prior to the event, I continued training, all the while gaining familiarity with the technical course; attempting to "memorize" as many of the curves and loops as possible. Knowing which turns required a tap of the brakes, and which ones were soft enough to blast through without losing momentum. As the days progressed I became more and more excited. I was convinced that this was going to be one of the most fun bike segments of any triathlon I had done to date. As my excitement grew, likewise increased my confidence. I felt that with my abilities to ride uphill, and my newly found descending prowess, I would be unstoppable across the 120 kilometers. Had I only given a bit more attention to my preparation to those other two segments… the swim and the run were they? On race day the extraordinarily long transition area was filled with hundreds of athletes, who seemed to be speaking in hundreds of different languages. I ambled toward my bike, listening to some folks discuss what we were to do with the large plastic tubs each of us had positioned by our bikes. Do our things go in or on the box? It seemed that the instructions were a bit jumbled in the translation from French. Darn prepositions! As the full moon began to dim and the sun began to rise, most of the competitors made their way to the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean. Our start time was 7:15, and the time was drawing near. Once the horn went off, little of what happened for the next hour is worthy of mention. Suffice it to say that during that swim I sank to the very depths of my worst-swim nightmares. I surfaced (and awoke) to find that I had a sizeable deficit, both time-wise and placement-wise. I therefore tackled the bike with a bolstered enthusiasm. If I was to turn the race around, it was going to have to happen on the bike.

Starting the bike in fiftieth place has its advantages: passing, lots of pass ing. I began counting at the base of the first long climb, and once I reached the summit, I had overtaken nineteen racers—things were turning around. At the bottom of the first technical descent, only one chap had overcome me, and he was not able to drop me. It seemed that my preparations were paying off. Fueled by my strong dislike of drafting triathletes, I pressed ahead, eager to drop the hangerson that managed to gain ground on the downhills. Returning again to the mountains, I succeeded in moving myself up another ten or eleven spots. Things were definitely get- A N Ni ic ce e Trip ITU Long Distance Worlds by Michael Lovato

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ting better. Swim schmim, at that point it was all about the bike. In the closing kilometers of the ride, I experienced something that I never thought I’d see in a major triathlon. As I approached an intersection, I raised my hands to inquire which direction we were meant to proceed. As a reaction to the official’s response to my request for assistance, I nearly fell off my bicycle. Rather than wave his green direction flag in the proper manner, he mocked me by returning my same gesture. As he raised his hands in like fashion, I stared unbelievingly into his face—thanks for your help.

Fortunately, I picked the right turn, and found my way back to transition. Leaving T2 I was encouraged to see that I was not terribly far back from some of the top racers. It seemed that my bike ride had brought me back into the race somewhat. I donned my American flag visor and hit the pavement. I had thirty long kilometers to fully turn my race around; I still had hope. Following my well-planned strategy, I eased into the run, hoping to set myself up for a strong finish. Much to my dismay, I discovered after fifteen k’s that I was not able to turn it on as my strategy had dictated. (It seemed I needed some better strategy.) I modified my race plan to one of maintenance. If I was not going to have the snap necessary to drop my pace, I better at least stay steady. After all, if I could keep this position, at least I’d finish respectably near the top, and perhaps I could be the first member of Team USA to cross the line. Approximately nine and a half miles later, I neared the finish line. Rows and rows of spectators were there to greet the runners. Many were waving their countries’ flags and most were cheering for us by merely yelling out our nationalities. It’s incredibly inspiring to hear "go USA" and to know that they’re trying to encourage you to cross that line. As I closed in on the final stretch, I succumbed to the urge to high-five everyone I possibly could. Although I had met my goal of being the top American, by finishing in 33rd place, I had fallen well short of all of my expectations and overall hope for the race. However, regardless of my finishing position, it seemed that each of the hundreds of people lining the finish area was either unaware of or unconcerned with my placing— they were there to cheer. And cheer they did.

Preparing to leave France I reflected on my trip. As I packed my bike and later dragged it to the bus stop, I considered my adventure. As I mentioned earlier, I had been warned numerous times to be careful doing a race so close to Hawaii. The questions were posed: Would there be enough time to recover? Would the travel be too much? Confident in my ability to recover and sure of my travel habits, I paid little attention to those warnings. Also as I mentioned earlier, I found that I was only half-right. Without changing this story into one better suited for a travel magazine, and without further lengthening an already lengthy account, I must add a few details of my journey home… I left my hotel in Nice at 2:00pm on Monday, September 23rd. I then proceeded to catch a bus that was thirty minutes late (due to bad weather). This delay was the first in a chain of events that included (but was not limited to) the following: two missed flights, a cancelled flight, being caught "sneaking" into business class, a missed connection, two nights in hotels, a lost suitcase (airline’s fault), and a lost bike case (also airline’s fault). These events were solely responsible for my return trip (from door to door) lasting an amazing fifty-three (53) hours. And those fifty-three hours were solely responsible for my admission that perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to travel. But all in all, it really was a Nice trip.

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! ❂

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Early on Sunday morning, August 11 there were many signs that a beautiful day awaited the 1200 plus athletes that were to take the waters of the Boulder Reservoir for the 11th annual Boulder Peak Triathlon. Among these indicators were the half a dozen hot air balloons that peppered the eastern sky. Their presence belied the cool temperatures that greeted the competitors as they readied their bikes, their running shoes, and their goggles for the popular late summer classic. Another dead giveaway was the lack of even one solitary cloud overhead; a state that would later aid in creating some of the driest, hottest conditions the race had ever seen.

Prior to the start of the race, age-group triathletes and duathletes prepared themselves for a morning of challenging of running, biking, and swimming (or running). While they did so, seasoned veteran of the sport, Wes Hobson, worked the microphone in the true style of the favorite Sportscaster Greats. His humor was a helpful touch in easing the tension most of the participants, many of which were first time racers, were feeling. As wave number one departed (the duathletes), several of Boulder Tri Club’s finest were preparing to jump into the 74degree water.

Included in that group was Cisco Quintero who was partaking of the day’s festivities as a tune-up for IRONMAN Canada. In spite of having to deal with changing a flat tire prior to starting the race, Cisco’s attitude was characteristically humorous. His plan for the day: "to kick some ass… but enjoy." Pre-race instructions called for the first wave of swimmers—the women aged 30-34—to head directly into the blinding sun, heading left of the sailboats, right of the first buoy, and toward the turnaround which was somewhere out there… they were assured. Some nineteen minutes later, the first women exited the water approximately five minutes ahead of eventual top amateur, Amanda Gillam. From that point, Gillam maximized her biking prowess en route to notching the fastest ageby Michael Lovato photos by Courtney Stapleton Conrad and Nicole Defend Their Titles at Boulder Peak

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group bike time of the day. From T2 to the finish tape, Gillam was able to enjoy a comfortable lead on her way to victory in her first appearance at Boulder Peak. On the men’s side, Timothy O’Donnell ripped through the water in a day’s best of 17:39. He left the rest of the 20-24 age group in the dust while biking 1:04.20, and managed to top the amateur field for overall honors by running the 10K in 35:40.

Although both of the a g e - group winners enjoyed the benefits of wetsuit aided swims and slightly cooler temperatu re s , the day’s top amateurs ’ times placed them second and fifth amongst the pro women and men respectively. As the age-group dust was settling, the professionals were readying themselves for the Clif Bar Challenge, a format that pitted some of the sport’s best women against their male counterparts in what had become the most competitive Boulder Peak on record. As eleven pro women entered the water, prepared to vie for a share of $17,500, some thirty men were anxiously waiting for their chance to nab a bit of dough—their start time: 9 minutes and 42 seconds later. In addition to the prizes awarded to the top ten men and women, a $1000 bonus would go to the first person across the line. Exiting the water first for the women was USAT Resident Team member, Susie Gallucci. And hot on her heals was local favorite, Nicole DeBoom whose pre-race goal was to duplicate last year’s feat of being the first to summit Olde Stage Hill. Knowing a nice bonus would be awaiting her, she weathered cramping legs to grab the lead just after reaching Jay Road. After "just getting over the climb", Nicole maintained the lead t h ro ughout the rest of the bike. Starting the run she determined it was going to be a day to work on her run technique.

Knowing that she might be facing a rough go, she focused on taking small steps and not letting more cramps form.

Admitting she did not have a good run, she noted that the heat might have had something to do with her struggles. Milling about the finish line, pleading for more water, and just before she doubled over to take a lungfull of asthma medicine, she commented: "this was the driest my mouth has ever been in my life by far." Regardless of her dehydration, Nicole was able to snag top honors for the second year in a row. Swim leader, Susie Gallucci, held off all other female competitors to finish second ahead of Florida’s Allison Hayden. Teri Cady of Boulder and Santa Fe’s, photos, facing page: Nicole DeBoom and Conrad Stoltz take the wins; this page, top: Tim DeBoom, Susie Galluci, and at left: Tim Luchinske

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Mary Uhl, rounded out the top five.

The men had their work cut out for them. And although they were doing well, only two guys managed to crack the top five off the bike. Fortunately, being within five minutes of the lead proved to be close enough for the males to take the Clif Bar challenge. A mere one minute and forty seconds after Nicole had left for her ten-kilometer jaunt on the dirt roads of the reservoir, 2000 and 2001 champion Conrad Stoltz began his hunt. He stalked and caught Nicole in just over a mile of running. Soon after she asked herself what her chances might be to hold everyone off, the South African who lives and trains in Colorado Springs blew by her. As Nicole modified her goal of being first across the line to being first woman across the line, Conrad focused on holding off a charging Tim DeBoom. The 2001 version of this race saw the current IRONMAN World Champion whittle away Stoltz’s lead down to the bitter end, coming up short by just seconds. This year a less dramatic outcome awaited the duo.

Stoltz, who two weeks prior had dominated the Keystone XTERRA event, exploited his strength on the bike. Just as his wife had noticed on the run, Tim DeBoom saw first hand just how fast Stoltz was moving. Making up for an atypically slow swim (in part due to finding he was unprepared for a non-wetsuit swim only moments before the gun went off), Stoltz went for the gusto as soon as he left transition. DeBoom pointed out that while still on the Reservoir Road, "Conrad passed me, and he was just flying. Unbelievable!" His efforts moved him past DeBoom, and eventually into first place. As soon as he took the lead on the bike, Stoltz never looked back. Although he claims that he’s not a good climber, he managed to follow his standard philosophy that meant "going hard on the bike in order to form a comfortable lead, so that I can sort of control the run." He did just that, as he mangaged to finish almost two minutes ahead of two-time runner-up DeBoom.

The now three-time champion, pleased with his overall efforts had plenty of praise for Boulder’s challenging short course event. He commented, "this is one of my favorite races, it is also one of the first races I ever did in the US, and I’ve always had a good experience here, so it’s a fun race."

Having travelled up from the Olympic Training Center to test his form prior to heading to some of the large national races, such as Mrs. T’s Chicago Tri, Stoltz agreed with the DeBoom family that races in their own backyard are often the most enjoyable. He added: "It’s a good atmosphere. My friends are all here and my coach comes out. It’s good to have everyone around." Tim echoed this sentiment by mentioning how much he has enjoyed photos this page, top: Brian Fleischmann, Elizabeth Anderson; right: Tony DeBoom; facing page: Teri Duthie Cady and Cam Widoff

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doing some of the local races prior to beginning his IRONMAN Hawaii build-up. Although he admitted that “it just hurt; this short stuff hurts, almost worse than Hawaii", his love for racing had him happy to have been out there. Having not raced a triathlon since June, he added that the day revealed to him that in spite of his "old school" getup (a pair of tri bottoms, but no top) and having "felt like ____", he’s really looking forward to Hawaii.

Behind Stoltz and DeBoom, Brian Fleischmann, of the OTC resident team, posted a solid run to finish third. Fourth and fifth place went to two more local heroes, Tony DeBoom and Tim Luchinske. Closing out the top ten were past BPT champion, Cameron Widoff, in sixth; short-course specialist, Paul Fritzsche in seventh; Argentine transplant, Eduardo Sturla in eighth; Kiwi IRONMAN stud, Bryan Rhodes in ninth; and newlywed, Nick Cady in tenth. All in all, it was a great day for Colorado athletes, some of whom are permanent residents, others of whom are astute enough to know that Colorado is unbeatable when it comes to summer training. Colorado’s own shared equal success on the duathlon front as well. Amongst these runners and bikers and runners, two top-notch, elite runners came out to show that they have what it takes to excel in the world of multisport as well. On the women’s side, Kaite Blackett a member of the Fleet Feet Triathlon team and current aspirant to the US Olympic marathon team, handily defeated her rivals to take home her first ever Boulder Peak Duathlon title. In finishing tenth overall amongst the men, Katie made use of a quick first 5K to distance herself from the field. In spite of having done very little cycling in the last several weeks (due to her concentration on marathon training), she maintained her lead on the bike only to create more of a gap on the final run. Her sub-40 minute 10K left her four and a half minutes ahead of second place finisher, Kerrie Wlad, and nearly thirteen minutes from Maria Hopp, who finished third. On the men’s side, former professional runner Sam Wilbur took home the first 5K of the day in a respectable 15:15. Having competed in the Olympic Trials in steeplechase in both 1996 and 2000, Wilbur was no stranger to the challenge of a tough run course. He attributed much of his success across the dirt road to his familiarity with the terrain: "I’ve done the running course at least 200 times in my life." And because he lives just down the street from the Res, he had managed to cover the bike course at least twenty to thirty times prior to making his assault on this, his first Boulder Peak Duathlon. His "home-court advantage" allowed him to suffer through a 32:36 second run, to place him over six minutes ahead of second place finisher Chris Tolonen of Seattle. Securing the last spot on the podium was Cortino Garcia, a few minutes behind second place, but only seconds ahead of his sprint-finish rival, Jason Koop. When prompted to comment on the possibility of that being the last ever Peak Duathlon, Wilbur echoed the words of many great duathletes before him: "duathlon is a growing sport, and I can’t swim." Results on page 15