Issue #21 Fall 2003

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Rattlesnake Sprint Triathlon 1: Cortino Garcia 2: Robin Waterwoman 3: Race Director Jim Flint 4: Heather Lutz and Jennie Jageman 5: Tricia Downing 6: Gretta Simpson 7: Andy Johnson photography by Kristen McFarland RACE RESULTS ON PAGE 16

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The XTERRA Central Championship race held in Keystone, Colorado is a quintessential Centennial State event. Taking place between 9,000 and 11,000 feet, it’s got mountains and altitude; it’s got a chilly, 58-degree swim and a wild descent on the bike; it’s got rocks and creek crossings; and it’s got views and variety. Basically, it has many of the same ingredients that bring so many adventurous souls to the state. So it’s no surprise that when perusing the race’s start list it’s much easier to count the number of people who aren’t from Colorado, roughly 100 out of the 400, than those who are. It follows that it is also no surprise that Coloradoans do so well at the event. In the women’s pro race, Louisville’s Chantal Knapp led the way, placing third with a time of 2:39:27. For Knapp, the race didn’t start until after the swim, her weakness. "I hammered myself on the bike to make up time and catch as many people as I could, but it caught up to me on the run," Knapp said, who was in second until the run turnaround .

"There’s just no forgiveness when you’re racing at altitude . " Although she was somewhat disappointed she didn’t finish second, it’s important to note that Keystone was only her second XTERRA and that 2003 is her first year back racing competitively after a five-year, two-babies hiatus. And while some might think the 37-year-old is past her racing prime, Knapp says she feels like she has yet to reach her endurance peak and looks forward to proving it in future races. Also putting in an impressive performance was Boulder’s Melissa Thomas. Thomas placed fourth overall in 2:40:32. The kicker is she not only got a flat at the end of the bike, but she also raced with a chipped kneecap, the result of crashing in a mountain bike race four weeks earlier. Thomas said, "I was glad just to get through the run and only be passed by two people." When it came to the amateur race, it was Vail’s Lisa Isom who won the day with a 2:51:35. It was an eight-minute course PR for Isom, who was the fifth-place ama- XterraCentral Championships atKeystone story and photos By Scott Schumaker

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teur here last year, and it was also the eleventh fastest women’s time overall. "I knew going in that I could have a shot at placing in the top three, but I'd have to have the best all-around race of my career so far," said Isom. "Coming out of T2, I was exactly where I needed to be on my splits and sitting in fourth place. I passed three women within the first two miles and then fought off leg cramps the rest of the race to finish in first place." In the XY-chromosome race, the top Coloradoan depends on how you define state residency. If you define it as a South African who lives in Colorado Springs during the season but returns to his homeland during the winter, then two-time XTERRA World Champion Conrad Stoltz is your man. Stoltz finished third in 2:09:31 and is now tied for first place in the XTERRA Points Series with California’s Steve Larsen. However, if you define a Coloradoan as a full-time, all-year resident than Vail’s Josiah Middaugh is your guy. He finished ninth overall in 2:14:54, a sixminute improvement from last year when he was Keystone’s top amateur finisher. "It was a good race for me," said Josiah. "It helps that I live and train above 8,000 feet. And as a rookie pro I am still learning what I’m capable of, but I’ve improved every XTERRA so far this season and I hope I can see some more progress in the remaining races."

Denver ’s Greg Krause, 26, who has aspirations of following Josiah’s path from amateur to pro, topped the men’s age-group field by turning in a 2:22:07, good enough for sixteenth overall.

Krause, who started racing triathlons only one year ago at this very race, said he was happy with his day despite some problems, "I got chain suck right out of the transition area and I had to play catchup throughout the race. I was third off the bike but I was able to catch the first-place guy right before the turnaround [on the run]." He said he is still learning about the sport and trying to find the niche and distance that best suits him. In quintessential Coloradoan fashion, for Krause that means attempting The Double – racing the IRONMAN World Championships and the XTERRA World Championships a mere eight days apart – with only a year of multisport experience under his belt.

Photos: opposite page: pro winners Steve Larsen and Jamie Whitmore of California; this page, left: Conrad Stoltz (Colorado Springs/South Africa), above right: Neal Henderson (Boulder), right: Anke Erlank (Colorado Springs/South Africa) ❂

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6 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 PRO MEN Place Name Swim Bike Run Overall

PRO WOMEN

MEN 15 - 19

20 - 24

25 - 29

30 - 34

35 - 39

Place Name Swim Bike Run Overall 40 - 44

45 - 49

50 - 54

55 - 59 1 Dennis West :19:11 02:40:59 01:16:16 4:16:26 2 Daniel Rose :22:06 02:21:41 01:38:09 4:21:56 WOMEN 20 - 24

25 - 29

30 - 34

35 - 39

40 - 44

45 - 49 1 Barbara Peterson :20:07 01:58:12 00:58:58 3:17:17 2 Susan Bird :20:20 02:39:19 01:09:57 4:09:36 50 - 54 1 Cindi Toepel :25:03 02:29:50 01:11:00 4:05:53 20-24 Winner Will Kelsay of Boulder XTERRA central championships keystone, colorado July 20

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8 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 Triathlon Jargon 101 You know you’re part of the multisport community when you describe your races and workouts in triathlonese. Here’s a tongue-in-cheek glossary of triathlon jargon for those who still speak multisport as a second language. And for those who have fully mastered the register, some insight on what the rest of the world has in mind when you utter those words out of context.

BONK, verb This dreaded activity occurs when an athlete completely runs out of energy, usually a result of failing to suck down GELs or drink enough electrolyte replacement. A bonking athlete has HIT THE WALL, and it takes a SHOT of gel, energy BAR or perhaps a RED BULL to get the legs turning again. Not to be confused with a similar term used in British dialect, which can be translated into some American dialects as knocking boots, or doing the wild thing. A bonking athlete has little energy to engage in this other type of bonking. See related terms, TRASHED, HIT THE WALL. CRUISE, verb See to FLY and to HAMMER.

FLY, verb Synonymous with the verbs to CRUISE, HAMMER or just plain go fast…like an airplane. No security checks or squeezing into cramped seats is necessary for this type of flying, just a strong heart and lungs. GEL, noun An endurance athlete’s best friend, approximately 100 Calories of easy to digest simple carbohydrates packaged in an easy to open plastic wrapper. Flavors include everything from chocolate to vanilla to strawberry and baby-food carrot n’ peas (uh, that last flavor actually failed focus group approval). A gel can be sucked down at periodic intervals during racing or training to avoid BONKING. Not to be confused with a product sold in hair salons to keep hair in place.

HAMMER, verb Denotes the ultimate in effort, especially appropriate for describing blazing fast bike splits where one FLIES, or crushes the course. Origin can be traced to the crushing effect displayed by a hammer in the hand of a skilled carpenter, who also hits the nail on the head, metaphorically similar to what the athlete does with his effort in the race or training ride.

See related terms, HAMMER FEST, HAMMER HEAD. HIT THE WALL, verb The metaphorical act of facing one’s worst nightmare in a race situation, the point at which one feels they can no longer go on; often accompanied by BONKING. The best remedy is eating GELs and BARs, and hoping for a second wind.

PRIME, noun (Pronounced prEEm) An intermediary spot within a race where extra points or prizes are earned, e.g. being the first out of the water or the one with the fastest run split. The most commonly mispronounced word by those new to the cycling or multisport world (and who don’t speak a Romance language).

RED BULL, noun The worst tasting edible beverage ever put into liquid form, loaded with caffeine to rev up the heart and focus the mind, sugar, and for some reason, carbonation. Perhaps it is this last ingredient, along with the caffeine and horrible taste, which evidently makes it best suited as a dilution for hard alcohol. As a result, this drink tends to be more popular among the rave crowd in bars than among athletes at races. (Perhaps one would be better off sticking to coffee and Gatorade.)

SHOT, noun Used as a quantifier to specify an amount of GEL consumed by an athlete in motion. A SHOT of GEL refers to a one-serving package of approximately 100 kilocalories of nutritional value. Not to be confused with a fluid ounce serving of something that smells like rubbing alcohol often added to a mixture of RED BULL in a BAR. TRASHED, adjective A state achieved after a HAMMER fest, or hard training bout. BONKING may or may not have occurred in the process of becoming trashed, but an energy depleting effort is required, leaving the athlete ready for bed in the middle of the afternoon or a well-deserved rest day to recover. Also the state achieved after drinking too many RED BULL mixed drinks at the layman’s BAR during a night out on the town.

TRIATHLON, noun The trinity of swim, bike, and run—the foundation of modern multisport. Those who engage in TRIATHLONs are termed triathletes, and once initiated as such are required to spell the word correctly without inserting an extra a between the h and l as the layperson is often tempted to do, i.e. triathAlon (sic). Variations on the multisport theme consist of DUATHLON (running and cycling), and AQUATHLON (swimming and running). Along with PEN- TATHLON and DECATHLON, there is no extraneous a to be found in these words.

SoundMindandBody by Adam Hodges

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Why Train?

This picture tells the tale of why you should train. This was my first triathlon back in 1983, when I was 16 years old. As you can see, I was in fashion at the time with touring bike shorts and calf high socks. I also had a 27-pound Soma Sport bike to go with it. So, how did I end up looking this way? The challenge to compete in a triathlon came about through my brother, Steve, who is seven years older than I. He was a competitive swimmer and I always strived to break his swimming records growing up. He had done a couple of triathlons over the previous two years and I watched him compete at the Topeka, Kansas Tinman Triathlon in June (this race is still going on).

I was impressed with the mystic of triathlon and my brother challenged me to a triathlon later that summer. I had grown up swimming since the age of seven and I had been running cross-country and track the past three years in junior high school. I thought I would give it a try. Besides, I can’t bow down to a competitive challenge from my brother. The race we selected was the Baptist Medical Center Triathlon (which also is still running) the same summer in August.

Race day was hot and humid. The eventual high for the day was 95 degrees with almost the equivalent in humidity. Over 800 competitors toed the line in this 1,000-meter swim, 20-mile bike and 7 mile run. Steve and I ended the swim together and in the top four places. I got on my 27-pound steed and rode TWENTY miles! This was the longest ride of my life! I dropped my brother somewhere during that time and then I headed out on the death march, I mean run. I would say this was closest to one of the longest runs I had ever done at the time.

The run was devastatingly hot and humid. I wanted to walk so badly. I didn’t know where my brother was and I was running scared thinking he was on my tail since I was dragging my toenails along the ground. The picture you see is myself about 50 meters from the finish line. When my mom saw me cross the finish line she said I looked as white as a ghost and she never wanted me to do one again…I listened to her! I crossed the line and I went straight in the lake water to cool off in its 85degree temperature.

To make a long story a little bit shorter, I finished seventh overall and I beat my brother by 28 minutes. He hasn’t done a triathlon since. I keep this picture in my office and I look at it often. The main reason is that it reminds me why I train. I was so sore after that race and my skeletal system felt so messed up. I couldn’t walk for a week and I had to go down stairs on my butt because my legs would otherwise lock up. I am sure many of you have had that Frankenstein walking syndrome.

If you don’t train, then your body will rebel this way. I try to remember this, yet several times I don’t heed my own advice. I forget what the pain after the race feels like. Two other occasions where I had amnesia was the 1991 Tucson Marathon where, after taking two months off and then only training two weeks before the marathon, I decided on doing the race two days before it. I borrowed racing flats the day before. Another instance that is embedded in my brain, and body, was competing in the 1994 IRONMAN New Zealand after taking three months off from training when a friend said "Let’s go do it, I’ll pay your way." just six weeks before the race. Well, these are other stories to hash out over a cold beverage. If you train, racing is more enjoyable. If you train properly, then you race to achieve elevated goals. Go take a picture. Wes Hobson is a former USOC "Triathlete of the Year." He co-authored the book Swim, Bike, Run and he has created three triathlon related films. Wes coaches triathletes of all levels and is putting on several Wes Hobson Performance camps. For more information or to purchase any WHP products, please visit www.weshobsonperformance.com. Wes Words by Wes Hobson

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10 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 It is extremely rare to get a second chance to make a first impression. If appearance or performance or accomplishment falls short of expectations, it is often beyond our means to reform perceptions. In general we are overwhelmed by our initial encounters, and attempts to build a new version are in vain. However, on May 31st the folks of Provo, Utah and the crew of IRONMAN North America attempted to do just that. After a tragic and ultimately failed attempt to stage an IRONMAN race early last summer, Utah Lake State Park was again to be the venue of a long-distance triathlon.

Again the race would serve as a qualifying event for the IRONMAN World Championships for agegroupers, and a $25,000 prize purse would draw many of the sport’s top professional competitors. It seemed that the beautiful city, situated forty-five miles south of Salt Lake City, would have another shot at impressing the Triathlon World… Or would it?

For the first time in several years, an IRONMAN North America event failed to sell every space available. For the first time, triathlon’s eager and willing were shying away from the lure of a challenging event. With just more than half of a capacity field, it was evident that USAT’ers were reluctant to give Provo a second chance. Would those that signed up hoping to wipe away the painful memories of a race-gonebad be rewarded? Or was a similar result awaiting them? Unfortunately, the strangely shallow Utah Lake was again the target of an early morning windstorm. Race officials had determined that in order to avoid the disaster of the previous year, gusts above 15mph would be sufficient cause to cancel the swim portion of the race. In stark contrast to the previous two days, during which the lake was glassy and smooth, the water race morning was choppy and rough. After delaying the start by fifteen minutes, race officials opted to let the professionals warm up, thus allowing them the opportunity to determine if the swim would be safe for the masses. While bobbing up and down and dodging crashing waves, I had a brief conversation with defending champion, Tony Deboom. He commented that the conditions were eerily similar to those of last year, although not quite as bad. In what most pros considered a sound decision, race officials opted to cancel the swim for amateurs, yet to allow professionals to swim as planned.

With over three minutes’ lead on the second place woman, Boulder’s Monica Caplan exited the water with the lead men, notching the fourth fastest swim of the day. Swiftly moving through a long transition, Caplan continued her charge once on the 56-mile bike course. Over the first half of the bike, Monica extended her solid lead with only the top male swimmers on the day responding to her torrid pace. The flat and breezy out-and-back bike course afforded her the opportunity to place over nine minutes between herself and her nearest competitor by the close of the ride.

Leaving transition for her second-ever half marathon, Caplan, a second-year pro, left many spectators wondering just who it was that was dealing such a major blow the some of the sport’s top endurance athletes. Putting up a valiant fight, Caplan’s incredible work ethic was allowing her to fend off some of triathlon’s most fleet of foot. Determined to whittle away as much of the solid deficit as she could, Canada’s Lisa Bentley flew out of transition, en route to recording the day’s sixth fastest run… overall. Her 1:19 half marathon was quick enough to put an end to Caplan’s day at the front. Overtaking Monica at mile ten, Bentley moved on to secure the win by three minutes, nearly seven minutes ahead of third place, Heather Fuhr. Pleased with her performance, but disappointed to lose her lead on the run, Monica commented that "on the bike it was encouraging to keep the men in my sights. They worked as my gauge and I tried to keep contact A First Impression: T he Utah Half IRONMAN by Michael Lovato

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with them for as long as I could. It’s so motivating to have that carrot always in front of you." She was quick to credit the speedy Canadian on a job well done: "Lisa looked great when she passed me; she looked so fresh." On the men’s side, Tony Deboom fought through the choppy waters to exit with the day’s second fastest swim. He combined that with a solid ride to exit transition 2 in third place, seconds behind former IRONMAN World Champion, Peter Reid, and nearly four minutes down from race leader, Bjorn Andersson of Sweden. Next out of T2, with a forty-second advantage on the charging trio of Cameron Brown, Craig Alexander, and Matthew Clark, was this magazine’s reporter, Michael Lovato. With little changing at the front of the race (as Bjorn continued to maintain the lead he held all day), I began my battle with a deadly duo: Brown and Alexander. Not long past the 5K mark, I edged ahead of both, to secure a "safe" 20-second lead. Looking only to the race ahead, I managed to overcome Reid with over eight miles remaining. Another four miles down the road, I advanced past Tony to slide into second place. Unbeknownst to me, I was not the only racer to be slowly picking his way through the field. After pulling away from Alexander, Brown was still in hot pursuit. Aware of the time I was gaining on our steady race leader, Andersson, I was excitedly anticipating a sprint finish, down to the very wire.

Nearly past the twelve-mile mark, I heard the dreaded sounds of footsteps and heavy breathing. Dropping my pace to match that of the one overtaking me, I realized a ding-dong battle was at hand. Unable to match the stride of a quick-moving Brown, I conceded second place. Hopeful that my visions of a sprint finish were still a viable possibility, I proceeded to chase. Up ahead, a startled Bjorn relinquished his lead to Cameron, as he looked back to notice a second stalker: me. A sprint-finish indeed, yet a sprintfinish for three: within seventeen seconds of each other, our top three crossed the line. An ecstatic Brown, an exhausted Andersson, and a pleased racer-turnedreporter, me.

When questioned about his victory, Cameron announced that he couldn’t be happier to have won, stating that, "this is the first time in a long time that I’ve won in America—it’s great!" Bjorn echoed his sentiments by saying that, "I was happy with the race. I went for it, and had a good run at it." Holding off several charging competitors, Tony Deboom ended his comeback race in fourth, while Alexander rounded out the top five.

In the age-group corner, a time-trial start was in order for the newly formed Utah Duathlon, part II. Many of Colorado’s toughest were on hand to challenge for the coveted IRONMAN Slots. Amongst them was former pro racer, current high-school teacher, Teri Cady—qualifying for her chance to race in Kona. Also in the mix was one of Boulder’s studliest cyclists, Michael Larsen. Notching the day’s fastest bike split overall and combining it with a solid run earned him a hard-fought second place in the 35-39 age group. Having already qualified for Hawaii, Larson was content to notch GC points in lieu of snagging another slot. With all said and done, the city of Provo enjoyed its opportunity to remake its impression of the Triathlon Community. However, with Mother Nature in an uncooperative mood, a lessthan anticipated race distance, and a slew of disappointed swimmers, there will likely be no third chance to make a first impression. ❂

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12 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 Overall Gender Division Place Name Town Swim T1 Bike T2 Run Total Sex Place Age Div Place TOP 30 MEN

TOP 30 WOMEN

5430 Half Iron Distance Triathlon Boulder Reservoir July 20

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Class Rank Name Class Swim Bike MPH Run Pace Final Overall Rank

Fort Collins Club Triathlon July 20, 2003 450 yd. swim / 13 mile bike / 3.1 mile run

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14 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 Class Rank Name Class Swim Bike MPH Run Pace Final Overall Rank

Palmer Lake/Monument Triathlon July 6, 2003 .25 mile swim / 16.4 mile bike / 3.1 mile run

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Class Rank Name Class Swim Bike MPH Run Pace Final Overall

Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon L oveland, Colorado June 28, 2003 1.5 K swim / 29.5 mile bike / 10 K run

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16 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 Place Name Age City/State Total Swim T1 Bike Mph T2 Run Pace OVERALL WINNERS

TRIATHLON PRO/ELITE RESULTS

AGE GROUP WINNERS (OVERALLS EXCLUDED) MALE AGE GROUP: 15 - 17 1 Kim Fessenden 17 Lakewood CO 2:28:49 16:27 1:32 1:19:35 17.3 1:13 50:05 10:01 2 Mike Nelson 17 Superior CO 3:13:04 19:26 3:44 1:31:57 15.0 1:18 1:16:40 15:20 MALE AGE GROUP: 18 - 19

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 18 - 19 1 Olivia Jaras 19 East Haven CT 2:38:03 18:49 2:13 1:17:43 17.8 1:19 58:02 11:37 MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24

MALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29

MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34

Rattlesnake Sprint Triathlon Aurora Reservoir, CO July 13, 2003 1000 meter swim / 23 mile bike / 5 mile run

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Place Name Age City/State Total Swim T1 Bike Mph T2 Run Pace MALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39

MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44

MALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49

MALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54 1 Nancy Kern 50 Littleton CO 2:35:08 21:24 2:33 1:16:28 18.0 1:08 53:37 10:44 2 Cindy Vogels 51 Greenwood Village C 2:56:57 28:19 2:40 1:32:27 14.9 1:48 51:46 10:22 MALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59 1 Bill Herbstreit 55 Boulder CO 2:58:35 24:40 3:19 1:29:09 15.5 1:55 59:34 11:55 FEMALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59

MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 1 Bob Yost 61 Centennial CO 3:07:23 21:40 4:31 1:32:31 14.9 2:24 1:06:19 13:16 FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 1 Celeste Callahan 60 Denver CO 2:39:15 22:52 3:04 1:17:56 17.7 1:41 53:44 10:45 2 Louise Wise 60 Lakewood CO 2:46:03 18:59 3:18 1:26:43 15.9 2:19 54:45 10:57 MALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69 1 John Sturtevant 69 Salida CO 3:11:17 25:27 4:21 1:33:26 14.8 2:14 1:05:51 13:11 MALE AGE GROUP: 75 - 79 1 Gerald Puls 77 Pueblo CO 4:17:05 53:03 8:34 1:54:56 12.0 2:12 1:18:23 15:41 PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED 1 M Jon Beeson 49 Santa Barbara CA 2:27:55 17:03 3:49 1:14:56 18.4 1:25 50:44 10:09 2 M Jeff Sapper 48 Oakland FL 3:45:28 21:34 7:20 2:25:46 9.5 5:22 45:27 9:06

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18 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 I’d been leading the Mountain Extreme Triathlon (MXT), the world’s first off-road Iron-distance race held in Park City, UT on July 11, for nearly seven hours when Evergreen’s Andrew Adamowski strided up next to me with less than three miles to go. "Please tell me you’re in a relay," I said, forcibly putting one foot in front of the other to "run" up the last big hill.

"No. Are you in the lead?" he said, looking as fresh as Carl Lewis at the beginning of a sprint. "I was," I said.

"C’mon," Andrew said. "Let’s run in together and we’ll sprint for the finish line." Fifteen hours of racing had worn me out like an old pair of jeans, and Mr. Enthusiasm passing me so close to the end was ripping a hole in the remaining denim like a Ginsu steak knife. I was cranky.

"Dude, you’re going to have to wait a while because I’m not sprinting anytime soon.

"Um, Okay," he said before trotting off like a jubilant jackrabbit. If I’d had a dart gun I would have shot him in the ass.

That’s an exaggeration, of course.

He looked more like a newborn colt than a jackrabbit. But no, really, I would never wish any competitor harm, and at the awards ceremony I apologized to him for my rudeness. Andrew ran a great, well-paced race, and it would be a hell of a lot easier to diss him if wasn’t such a nice guy – the jerk. This long day’s journey had started at six AM. There was nothing to extreme about the twolap swim, which thankfully lacked the winds and wakes that had plagued IRONMAN Utah on the other side of the Wasatch Mountain Range. It was, I thought, a bit warm for the neoprene we were wearing though, and the calf cramp that hit me at the end of the swim seemed to confirm this. For the rest of the day I’d be fighting leg spasms and trying to win the rehydration battle that I’d already lost. Still, I was the first guppy out of the water – a happy way to start the day.

The bike was where the real adventure started. A spat of pavement lead to the rolling dirt roads that lead to the singletrack…oh, the singletrack. After a big climb up the side of Deer Valley Ski Resort it was mostly singletrack that took me and the 110 other competitors across the face of Park City to The Canyons. Aspen grooves, incredible vistas, whoopde-doos, and only the occasional rock garden had me whooping and ye-hawing like a six-year-old on a rocking horse. I didn’t even care when Salt Lake City’s Anthony "Wild Man" Johnson rocketed by me about halfway to The Canyons. (Plus, I figured that at the pace he was going he either deserved to win or I’d be seeing him again later in the race.) I swear those first three-plus hours of riding went by faster than Eddie Murphy’s singing career because I was having so much fun.

By the time I dropped down off the mountain, rode through the valley, pedaled up and over another singletrack section and finished the first bike loop it was closing in on 11:30. The sun was zeroing in on its 98degree high. The second, separate loop, which included forty miles of completely exposed rail trail, waited like a vulture to pick the remaining hydration from my marrow.

Idaho ’ s Dave Harrison passed me going out of the transition area and when I caught back up to him out on the rail trail I made a proposition.

"Dave, gentleman’s agreement. You don’t draft me. I don’t draft you. May the best man win." (Race officials had decided to allow drafting because it was a non-factor on the trails and non-drafting Boulder’s Scott Schumaker just misses the win at the world’s first off-road IRONMAN distance triathlon to Evergreen’s Andrew Adamowski The Mountain Extreme Triathlon 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile mountain bike, 26.2-mile trail run Park City, Utah July 11, 2003 Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad:

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would have been too hard to enforce on the rail trail.)

Despite knowing the aerobars I had gave me an advantage, he agreed. We rode together until about six miles from the turnaround where we caught Johnson, who was having stomach problems. I moved to the front while Harrison and Johnson, who was oblivious to the non-drafting pack, began working together. Twelve miles later, as Johnson’s stomach problems really began to hammer him, I began to pull away and put significant time on the duo. I was starting to have my own stomach dilemmas though, i.e.- "Damn, I think I’d feel better if I hurled" and "Damn, I need to force some calories down." After nine hours of riding, T2 was an oasis and, again, I was psyched to be the first person to pull in.

"Honey, you’re doing great," my wife, Tiffanie, yelled. "You’re in second place!" "Second?! No I’m not. I’ve been in first for over an hour."

"No. Dave Harrison came in forty minutes ago."

That was a shocker, let me tell you. Before leaving the transition area I told a race official that I was certain Harrison didn’t ride part of the course. A check of bike splits and verification that he had missed one of the last bike checkpoints confirmed my suspicion. (The race director caught up with Harrison near the end of the run and offered him a DNF, which he took.)

The two-loop run was grueling. The height of its masochism being the ski slope we had to zigzag up after coming out of the transition area. My tanks were on empty from step one and any food I could get down was heading straight out the other side. I was beginning to think that this wasn’t the healthiest thing I could be putting my body through, but I thought that if I could keep putting trudging forward that I still might win. It would be five hours until the slog was over, which, unfortunately for me, only took Andrew four hours. Yep, he’d made up an hour’s deficit when he caught me. Talk about blowing the big one! Honestly, it sucked to be that close to winning the world’s first off-road Iron-distance race. But my first goal had always been just to survive and finish that freakin’ thing. My second goal had been to finish while it was still light, which, with the last vestiges of light sneaking over the mountain, I did. To win would have been gravy, and as Meatloaf once sang, "Two out of three ain’t bad." And I thank the millions of stars shining that night that I wasn’t Utah’s Clayton Olson, who finished just over eighteen minutes before the 24-hour cutoff. That guy is the real stud. ❂

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CAPLAN 3RD IN FIRST IRONMAN Boulder native Monica Caplan had a stong ironmandistance debut, coming in third place in 10:04:21 (48:08, 5:33:55, 3:38:51). After beating all of the women out of the water, Caplan traded leads back and forth for a while on the bike with eventual second place finisher Lynley Allison. Eventually both were passed by winner Heather Gollnick. 20 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 The name Coeur d’Alene means a spike through the heart, and that was just what Michael Lovato did to the favorite at the new IRONMAN USA Couer d’Alene race. With everyone assuming Spencer Smith would walk away with the win, Lovato was somewhat of a dark horse. In nine IRONMAN races, the best Lovato had ever placed was 10th in Florida in 2001. However, a strong 30th place finish at the World Championship last year with a 4:47 bike split (only two minutes slower than winner Tim DeBoom) showed that he was going to be a stronger contender in the future. A speedy third place at the Utah Half IRONMAN (see story on page 10) the month before also proved that he was in prime race condition. He clocked a good swim leg time of 50:14 swimming at what he felt was a comfortable pace. “This was the first time in an IRONMAN where I came out of the water and felt like I had not done a thing, which was kind of nice.” Once out on the bike, he got word that Spencer Smith was going hard, hammering out a big lead. At one point he was over eight minutes up on the rest of the field, but then he couldn’t hold that pace and slowed during the second of the two loops of the course. It was very 90 degrees and windy and the conditions might have been taking a dent out of his pace. The bike course was very diverse with some solid climbs, including some “small chain ring climbs,” a technical winding downhill section, and seventy five turns on the route. There were also straight sections where the athletes had significant headwinds, and picturesque sections along the lake with lots of trees. “You never got bored,” he remarked.

By the time Michael had finished the bike he had reeled Smith in to just about a minute and a half lead. “I felt great. I really did an even effort [on the bike].” Once on the run it wasn’t long until he took the lead. “I had just gone through the three mile mark. I had seen him a couple of times already because there was about a one mile out and back at the beginning...very quickly I caught him because I think he was slowing a bit.”

The pass became very dramatic. As a whole crew of media were taking pictures and footage of the moment, Smith was mentally Couer d’Alene: A Spike Through the Heart

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crushed by losing the lead and immediately dropped out of the race.

It wasn’t over yet, however, as up-and-coming Raynard Tissink wasn’t far behind and Lovato’s hamstrings started cramping up. “It was definitely bad enough that I had to do something. I stopped to stretch twice...It was pretty nerve wracking.”

He overcame the struggle, however, to make a marathon personal record of 2:58:27, smashing his previous p.r. by eleven minutes. He ended up winning by 20 minutes.

Heading in to the World Championship it gave him some confidence. “Seeing that I was able to be tough and stick it out in those conditions gave me more confidence than anything knowing that Kona, no matter which way you look at it is going to be tough conditions.”

Once at the airport and heading home, he got a bit of star treatment. First, while going through security, he was paged over the airport p.a. as the winner of the IRONMAN telling him to please report to his plane. “I started to think something was up. Once I was on the plane as I was about to step into the lou I heard them page me and they made me go to the front of the plane. And once I was there the head flight attendant congratulated me and then upgraded me to first class, which was very exciting. Then they took me up to the cockpit and introduced me to the pilot and copilot. They pretty much tried their best, and succeeded, to make me feel like a rock star. I revelled in that feeling for quite a while,” he said laughing.

Perhaps it was just a taste of things to come. -Kris McFarland

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22 THE COLORADO TRIATHLETE FALL 2003 Success! As usual, the Boulder Peak was everything it always is; safe, organized, well attended, and of course, gruelling. However, the new course record certainly was unusually speedy. I am not complaining though; let the mark rise. If only we could all make it look so easy; it is indeed humanly possible. We’ll just have to partially attribute the margin of victory to the format, which has been in place here for some time. I won’t go as far as to say that Paul Carlson was the first to temporally match the men’s and women’s pro fields, but I also won’t say that he didn’t. Nevertheless, it’s great, we don’t have to wait for each other to finish and there is the added fanfare and incentive.

The pro fields were once again, remarkable. Wes Hobson’s opening commentating bubbled with titles like, 2-time IRONMAN World Champion, 2-time ITU World Champion, former Olympian, Olympic team runner-up, XTERRA World Champion, Peak record holder, former Peak winners, recent IRONMAN winners, and on, and on…you know the list, you were probably there.

For most of the racers, the day began early as the first age group waves broke the water at 6:30, setting off toward the rising sun. As most of us discovered, it is rather difficult to spot ‘sun-colored’ buoys in the forefront of the sun’s rays, yet somehow, 1,319 racers found their way. The waves continued until 9:26:15 when the final wave of the day, the men’s pro wave, charged out after the women’s pro field, 16 minutes and 15 seconds behind. The men’s and women’s pro wave send-off times were adjusted such that they were essentially vying for an overall title and cash prize. The adjustment was calculated using averaged results from previous Peak winners, and the men’s and women’s fields were displaced by an amount that would hopefully bring them holding each other off at the finish line. Last year Conrad Stoltz sped his way to Nicole DeBoom’s heels by mile 2 of the run, but this year Simon Lessing didn’t even find hope until the turn around. I overheard Lessing say, "Coming out of transition off of the bike, 6 minutes down, I didn’t think I would catch her." He did however, but with less than a mile left in the race. Nice work Paul, it was close. As for the rest of the field, the race was scattered. The women left the water in pairs, more or less, with Amanda Stevens leading the way up the pebbled beach to the swim-bike transition. Nicole DeBoom was close behind however and eased her way into the lead well before the heights of Old Stage, capturing the second cash bonus. In the meantime, the men were beginning to exit the water, A P A Peek at th eek at the P e Peak: eak: T The N he Nokia P okia Pro Challenge R ro Challenge Revisi evisit te ed d N Nico icole le DeBoom DeBoom

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hustling up the beach in clumps, with five out front, Bochholz, Lessing, Moffat, Rhodes, and Bevan, followed closely by Tim and Tony Deboom, Carter, Dvorak, Lovato, Valentic, Widoff, and myself. The bike leg would prove to be a deciding stretch of the race, drawing out those close groups on the swim to spotted members of some migrating constellation. Coming off of the bike, Anke Erlank, former XTERRA World Champ, had moved up to second position, but Nicole was somewhat out of reach at that point. By the time the lead men broke out of T2 out onto the exposed run course along the damn and out the reservoir aqueduct, more that 5 women had already made considerable progress by foot. Now the race would be a matter of simplified leg work, no more equipment to rely upon, only a steady leaning cadence guiding the harriers. Simon was leading the chase at this point and initially it wasn’t hopeful. By the end of the run however, the positions had shifted once again, Simon surged ahead with only a mile left to take the win, while Tim Deboom had moved up to second man and fourth across the line, behind Nicole and Anke. The rest of the field would file in shortly after in an alternating mix of men and women. And, without hesitation, the final finishers moved in on replenishment and the closing ceremonies and awards. Thanks again to Paul Carlson for a wonderful event. Pro Results: Women

Men

by Chris Valenti, Photography by Courtney Johnson Sim Simon on Le Les ssing sing T Tim im DeBoom DeBoom

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Phot Photogr ography by aphy by J Jam amie J ie Janover anover