Since Utah is having its first “women’s only” triathlon on May 20th, it seems fitting to write this month’s gear review on a women’s-specific training product. Now, I know there are bikes out there with women’s specific geometries and wetsuits specifically patterned to fit a woman’s body. However, this product review is not only geared toward a training device or article of clothing designed for women, but on a company that encourages an overall positive outlook on women being active and feeling good about themselves during activity.

By the way, guys, though this gear review is not a product you can use, your should still read it – especially if you have a special female in your life that joins you…or, as is often the case, kicks your butt in the pursuit of a happy, healthy endurance lifestyle.

This month’s gear review is on products developed by the company SkirtSports, a company founded by professional triathlete Nicole Deboom in 2005. Now fondly recognized as the “HeadSkirt,” Nicole focuses her energies on designing and selling lifestyle fitness wear featuring pink-based fitness skirts. I had the privilege of meeting Nicole at the 2004 Ironman Hawaii when she was sponsored by TYR, the company I was then working for. Nicole is one of the most down-to-earth and outgoing people I have ever met. These positive character traits are evident in the company’s culture and approach to their customers. SkirtSports considers themselves to be more than a clothing company. Their focus is on the way you feel about yourself, the smile you crack when you pull on a skirt for a workout. It’s about how you hop out of bed so you can get your run done before the kids wake up, and finding other people who make fitness a priority and sharing the fun with them. And finally, it is about the feeling of accomplishing something you never thought you could.

As you might guess from the name, SkirtSports’ primary products are exercise skirts. Several skirt options are available. With colors like Blue Hawaii, Daiquiri Ice, Flirtini and Smooch, you are bound to turn heads in these fitness skirts! Several of my favorites are highlighted below.

The Marathon Girl is a 12” skirt built with a seamless TRIKS spanky or mesh brief style panties that fit like a glove. The Marathon Girl is available in SkirtSports traditional “Speedsilk” fabric as well as a new “CoolMax” version for 2006.

The GymGirl is probably the most versatile of the skirt options. GymGirl is a 13” skirt, again made with Speedsilk fabric. However, the GymGirl has a 3.5” mesh compression shorty built into the inside of the skirt. The GymGirl also has an interior pocket for your MP3 player, complete with a hole for the headphone wires to be threaded through.

The TransitionGirl is described as the perfect skit to cover your “hiney” during the bike and/or run leg of any triathlon or training excursion. It has a back stash pocket for your race-day nutritional needs and is easy to put on during a transition – just wrap and velcro and you are ready to roll.

The BikeGirl skit is patterned after the GymGirl with the added feature of the TRIKS chick chamois pad sewn into the mesh shorties. A soft silicone gripper holds the leg in place and a side mesh stash pocket is included for your storage needs. It should be noted that this skirt has a low rise waistline resulting in less irritation from the waistband running against your stomach.

Other products available from SkirtSports include fitness bras and CoolMax fitness ntees, because you need a top to match your skirt, right?! They also offer a bike jersey, technical socks, and visors.

A new addition to their product line for 2006 is the Marathon Dress. Be sure to check that out.

Some key notes about the fabrics used by SkirtSports follow:

• SpeedSilk, the “outer” fabric used on most of the skirts, is: - 80 percent Nylon/20 percent Spandex blend – similar to most of your current triathlon performace apparel
- Very light-weight and airy
- Moisture wicking

• TRIKS Mesh, the material that makes up most of the “inner” liners of the Skirts is: - Close knit mesh that provides a “barely there” sensation without being see-through
- A fabric that stays in place during activity
• CoolMax is featured in the MarathonGirl skirt for added moisture wicking benefits

SkirtSports’ Web site, www.skirtsports.com, provides a great introduction to the company. It also gives you detailed information about the girl gear it produces, including help for guys who want to purchase the right skit for their active companion. The Web site also offers monthly newsletters, a skirt forum, customer comments, and dealer information for a store near you who has jumped on the SkirtSports bandwagon. You can also learn about Nicole and the SkirtSports team.SkirtSports was the official sponsor of the 2006 Boston Marathon and will be sponsoring Utah’s first women’s only triathlon held on May 20, 2006. Women, try one of these skirts to add a new twist to your workouts!

Ryan Dolan

Popularity: 10% [?]

www.canyonbicycles.com

Editors Note: Mike Hanseen is one of Utah’s most sought after bike fitters. Athletes purchasing a bike from Mike will be fit by him or he can fit you on your current ride for a fee. Mike sends you home with your measurements upon completion. Contact information can be found on the Canyon Bicycle website (see link above).

1) What is your cycling background?

I started recreational cycling my sophomore year (1983) in high school. At the same time getting a job at a local bike store called “The Bicycle Fair” as a stock boy to pay for my newfound addiction. I’ve been in retail ever since.
My racing career started my sophomore year in college (1988). By 1990 I was a cat1 racing nationally with the 1992 Olympic trials in my sites. I qualified for the Olympic trials but obviously that’s where it ended. I retired from competitive racing in 1993.

2) How long have you owned Canyon Bikes?

8 Years, we just started our 9th season. (Now in 11th season)

3) Does Canyon have an approach to sales and selling bikes? Is there a shop philosophy?

Or shop philosophy is “every bike fits.” (Meaning any bike sold must fit the person)

4) What is your fit philosophy?

I think the most important fit philosophy I have is everyone has their own unique body requiring a specific fit. I can’t fit everyone the same.

The majority of my fits are done with what I call the static method. The static method is done on my fit cycle giving me the most flexibility in trying multiple positions testing the subjects’ flexibility, range of motion and body measurements at crucial joint intersections. I want the skeletal system to do some of the work not just the muscular system.
It’s worth it because I eliminate the guesswork from the equation. i.e. I can see what an 11cm stem with a 53cm top tube will do right then.

Some popular fit techniques used today.
· Formula
Formula fitting is the most popular method in the country to fit a bike. It is fast and fairly accurate most of the time. Measuring certain body parts then using a formula to generate a fit.
· Static
For us this is where all the love happens. The static fit lets us measure crucial angles in real-time to determine the proper fit for your needs. We are able to look at you while riding the Fit-Cycle. We can try a wide variety of positions in a relative short period of time.
· Dynamic
Dynamic fitting is the final stage of the fit. Rarely are there changes to the bike or your fit in this step. For us a dynamic fit is riding our recommended fit outside on your bike. For other shops this is their only method and is a very time-consuming trial and error method.

5) What should a triathlete expect when getting fit by you? Example….Someone wants to look like Tim Deboom or Lance Armstrong. Would you encourage or discourage this and why?

When I fit someone I ask them to be open to suggestions.
If someone wants me to fit them to look like one of there mentors they’re most likely going to be very dissatisfied with the fit. You have to remember Lance Armstrong has been developing his position for the past 15 years. It did not occur overnight. If I forced someone into a “Lance” position they would be constantly sore. I.e. if I forced you to ride 200 miles your first day on a bike could you? Would you be sore? Would you be willing to ride again? The same goes with a fit. You need to work on your position, pedal stroke and efficiency. So many triathletes will work on there swim stroke or their running stride put have they considered their pedal stroke?

Thanks Mike!!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Had I not met Sarah, life would have been simpler. Running races are much more straightforward when you don’t use up all of your energy beforehand with a big swim and ride. If you haven’t already slurped up all of your glycogen stores dry before you start the run, it’s nice and relatively easy. But this crazy triathlete I married showed me how to make the simplest of sports much more challenging and much more painful than running is on its own. I knew Sarah was into triathlon while we were dating, so after discussing our respective sports for a while, we decided to do a trade. She had to do my favorite race, which also happens to be one of the best trail running races of all time, the Wasatch Steeplechase. For the uninformed, the Wasatch Steeplechase is truly amazing – a 17-mile run on winding single-track, along ridgelines with plenty of jagged rocks to scramble over. The race boasts cool people and great prizes. It’s not too big, not too expensive – it’s just way cool. I had done the race the previous year and I felt strongly that Sarah would have the best race experience ever, apart from those crazy multisport events she did. I was sure that deep down she would be converted to the one true sport – running on mountain trails.

My side of the trade was to run the Salem Spring Triathlon. I looked up Sprint triathlon run times and scoffed. Being a runner, I was certain I could blast away the competition, with their wimpy hiking pace 5k times. Being a mountain biker, I knew I was tougher than all of those roadie types. I wasn’t worried a bit that my last swim workout was 13 years previous to that time when I was a Boy Scout, treading water and inflating my blue jeans to earn my Lifesaving merit badge. Since I was no longer a scrawny 11-year old vainly attempting to keep his head above water and no jeans were involved, I knew I could destroy this triathlon.

Salem drew near and I dutifully worked out. I did a couple of mountain bike races, I got my cyclocross bike set up for road riding, and I even set a new personal best in the half marathon. And everyday I worked on swimming too, at least mentally. Although I knew my mental workouts weren’t as effective as actual workouts, I was certain that they would help. Unbeknownst to me at the time, mental swim workouts only help your mental swim racing, especially if no actual swim workouts occur. I new I would be alright, since I had a couple of tricks up my sleeve:

1- I could rely back on my Lifesaving merit badge experience
2- My friend, April, knew somebody who could get me a cool neoprene thing they call a wetsuit, which keeps you warm and makes you swim fast for free on race day.

As you can obviously see, this triathlon race didn’t have anything to do with pride. In my mind, it wasn’t even an issue of whether I could beat Sarah in a triathlon or not. Of course I could beat her. That was beside the point. Thus, I continued my training plan as outlined above.

Race day arrived and I got my bike set up, laid out my stuff, went for a little ride, helped some people out with their bike problems, put on my race face and went for a little jog. April showed up with my wetsuit and I was “good to go.” When I put on the piece of rubber workmanship, I noticed that it had some great built-in kneepads. Luckily, it wasn’t restrictive at all on my upper body because of the deep scoop-neck, and there weren’t too many rips in it. It was a little on the large side for me, but I thought I’d be just fine. Even if my Lifesaving merit badge skills failed me, I knew I could make up a few minutes on the bike and run and still beat Sarah. With several swim strokes up my sleeve, I’d be just fine, at least I thought that until shortly before the race began, then I started getting knots in my stomach and my smirk of running superiority faded.

The race began. Several hours later, it seemed, I got out of the water with some folks that were born before the Great Depression. My alternating freestyle, sidestroke, backstroke and the dead-mans float had not served me quite as well as they did in my mental workouts. And, the scoop-neck wetsuit turned out to be excellent as a parachute, but poor as a triathlete wetsuit. I think wearing jeans would have been more hydrodynamic.

Cruising on the bike felt good, except that I had vertigo from thrashing around in the water for so long. I got up to speed, passed a few people and started to feel good about myself again. Then, while still on my first lap, a couple of dudes zoomed past me on their second lap. “Oh,” I thought. I realized that I was getting whooped in this triathlon.

My run wasn’t nearly good enough to overcome my floundering experience in the Salem Pond. So when I crossed the finish line, Sarah was already there, looking fairly well rested. My pride wasn’t at all hurt. After all, this was her sport. I was certain she wouldn’t do well in the Wasatch Steeplechase, even if she was an excellent triathlete.

Several weeks later, I strut through the finish of the Steeplechase near the front. I’m loving it! I’m in my element. I sip my Gatorade gingerly, relax and chat with some friendly folks. I decide to get comfortable, since it will be a while until Sarah the triathlete comes through. Shockingly, I hardly got a few nibbles into a bagel when she crossed the finish line with a big smile on her face. She had way too good a time! “What are you doing here?” I said, and realized I needed to marry her.

One year and not quite enough training later, I found myself keeled over with stomach cramps in the last part of the marathon in the Quelle Challenge (an Iron distance race) in Roth, Germany. The swim and bike had again take their toll, but this time I at least did some actual swim training and had borrowed a much better wetsuit and bike. This race was also the result of a trade – a 50-mile trail run for Sarah and the Quelle Challenge for me. Luckily for me, our son Noah was on the way at the time, preventing Sarah from doing both races and sparing me additional damage to my pride. Sarah cheered me on and as I jogged with her to the finish, I realized that I was hooked on triathlon.

Karl and Sarah Jarvis live in Provo, Utah with their six month old son, Noah. Karl is a science teacher and Sarah, originally from Germany, is a homemaker. Karl is currently training for the Ogden Xterra and Sarah is training for the 2007 Ironman Germany.

Popularity: 5% [?]

On April 9th at 4:00 a.m. in the desert of Arizona, I awoke for what would be the hardest physical day of my life. The rest of the house was dark as my brother and his family lay asleep. I ate my carefully calculated breakfast as the house lay silent and still. I double-checked my equipment, then checked it again as the sun lay dormant beneath the subtle skyline.

This is the life of a triathlete.

For the last three years, as the rest of the world lay comfortable and warm in their beds, I have trained my heart, body, soul and spirit to be strong – Ironman strong. As the rest of the world chose the easy route, I, like all other triathletes, chose the hard route. This is what we do.

It was 6:50 a.m. as I waded into the water of Tempe Town Lake amongst 2,000 other eager souls. The atmosphere was electric and my emotions were overwhelming. As I basked in the emotions of the atmosphere, I contemplated my journey. I thought about my very first open water swim just two short years prior. I thought about that cold and windy day as I arrived at the beach start of the Ogden Valley Triathlon. On that day, I was the only racer without a wetsuit and most certainly, the only racer without a clue. I barely finished the swim that day, as I nearly drowned just 20 feet from shore. Just two short years later, awaiting a swim infinitely greater in distance, I contemplated the outcome.

Just after 7:00 a.m., after a personal record swim, I exited the water and was greeted by the many family members and friends that came to the race in support of my achievements. As I ran to T1, I thought about all the people that have supported me in my efforts of becoming an Ironman, and all the people that doubted my perseverance and questioned my reasoning and sanity for seeking such a goal. I thought about the countless times someone asked me, “Why would you want to do that?” I thought about all the times I trained to prove the naysayers wrong. Most of all, I thought about my wife, and the endless support and countless sacrifices she made to help me make my Ironman dream come true.

It was 12:30 p.m. as I rode my bike on the long and hot 112-mile bike course through the Phoenix desert. The Arizona heat was climbing and my body was feeling the affects of the scorching sun. As I rode the course that day, I thought about all the training rides during the long, dark and cold winter of Utah, mostly on my stationary trainer. I thought about the six-hour training session that was my final century ride in preparation for this race. I thought about the physical and mental pain that I experienced that day. I thought about how easy this ride was in comparison to that day. I thought about my first triathlon where I rode a borrowed a mountain bike that I had never ridden before. Most of all, I thought about my progress since that day and how much my life had changed in those two years.

As I approached the second transition, I was again greeted by family members and friends that had come to support me in what they thought was an impossible task. The love and support expressed by them that day was overwhelming.

As I left T2, I embarked on the first marathon of my life. Yes, until that point, I had never run a marathon. During the first few miles, I was elated at my progress and celebrated my preparation for the race. I was confident that my training had paid off and my fitness was appropriate for the distance. Then, like a bolt of lightning, my situation went from great to grim. All of a sudden, the desert heat took its toll, resulting in massive muscle cramps that sent me to the ground writhing in pain. This is when my dreams and romance with Ironman met reality. From this point forward, Ironman was no longer a stranger. At that moment, I was staring Ironman in the face, and I didn’t recognize him. I thought he’d have softer features and a soft encouraging voice: “You can do it!” Well, I met the real Ironman that day and he was a stranger to me. I knew nothing about him and he cared little for me.

As my muscles contracted in gripping pain, I pulled myself off the ground and continued my marathon march. As time passed, my condition worsened, yet I had over 20 miles remaining in my journey. Miles passed and the sun fell slowly beneath the southern skyline.

At approximately 7:53 p.m., after I had been racing for 12 hours and 53 minutes, I approached the finish line and could hear the voice of Mike Riley anointing the title of Ironman to those who crossed the line before me. I knew my three-year journey was coming to an end as soon as I heard those words I had dreamed of for so long: “Ben Nadolski, you are an Ironman!”

To this day, people ask me, “Why do you train for triathlon? Why do you pack a lunch when there is free pizza in the break room? Why do you smell like chlorine every morning? When did one beer become too much? Why do you shave your legs? Why do you wear spandex in public?” The answers to these questions are prophetically simple, yet emphatically difficult to convey.

To be overly simplistic, triathlon makes me a better person, husband, friend, brother, son, uncle, and eventually, triathlon will make me a better father. Before triathlon, my daily life consisted of lazily climbing out of bed, going to work, overeating, drinking beer, watching TV, and staying up late, only to repeat the same self-destructive cycle the next day.

Today, triathlon has helped me gain control of not only my weight and health, but also my life. As a result of triathlon, I’m better able to cope with the daily rigors of life and able to appreciate the life that I have. Triathlon has changed my philosophy on life to reflect that of a spiritually happy, successful, energetic and passionate person. Everyday, I see, do, and learn things that just three years ago I would have thought impossible. Each and every day, I make progress in my life. Each and every day, I make a difference, not only in my life, but also in the lives of others.

Today, as my spirit lies peaceful and content in its accomplishments, my heart remains anxious – anxious to experience the feeling of becoming an Ironman again. As my heart yearns for the means to describe my spirit’s journey, it is consciously anticipating my future Ironman journeys,, specifically the 2007 Ironman Coeur d’ Alene.

In this small town near a calm, quiet lake, my heart will rise again. In 2007, my quest to become a repeat Ironman will begin. This time, my heart bears no wounds and my spirit brings no baggage. For triathlon is a journey of one’s spirit and Ironman is a test of one’s heart.

Popularity: 6% [?]

As an overweight fourth grader I learned one important lesson from dodge ball class– keep moving or you’re going to get clobbered. Things have changed in the twenty years since those days of eating glue and wearing ‘husky’ jeans. Now I’m a grown man with a few children of my own but when I was doing my first triathlon this past weekend I had to dive deep into my mental rolodex and pull out that memory in order to survive- “keep moving or you’re going to get clobbered”.

–Let me assuage the fears of all those who have not ever competed in a triathlon, there are no bullies and rubber balls on the course. However there was an abundance of work nerves and even a hint of pain.
Prior to the start of the race everything was rosy. My fellow racers were kind and offered encouraging words to myself and other ‘newbies’. This helped a great deal in calming nerves and overcoming pre-race jitters. Finding the registration area and transition area were easy enough, and once all my equipment was placed and the start time began to approach, my pulse quickened.

I’ve never been much for swimming- preferring the doggy paddle to any other stroke- yet the buzz in the air and the adrenaline flowing through my goose bump covered body made this first leg seem to simply fly by! A few short minutes later it was out of the pool and into the transition area. Funny how simple tasks like putting on shoes can be so simple every morning at 8 AM as one gets ready to go to work, yet after a four minute swim the task rivals juggling chainsaws in difficulty. My advice for first timers: sit on the ground- it made a world of a difference for me.

The bike and the run are still a fuzzy blur. While I can’t recall too many details one re-occurring theme is very clear in my memory- how awesome the other athletes are. I say awesome not simply because they flew by me like a train would pass awestruck sheep in the field, but they were awesome because as they flew by me almost everyone shouted out words of encouragement. Here they are my competition, my opponents for lack of a better term, and yet they attempted to buoy me up and inspire me to continue. My hat is off to all who offer such encouragement during a race. I never would have expected this type of behavior but it was great. In fact, this single act is what is inspiring me to continue to train and compete. I want to help out a first-timer by offering words cheering them on just as others did for me. Of course in order to get to that point I’ll have to learn how to get my bike to go faster than 2 mph!

After what seemed like a week or so, the bike portion concluded and once again I found myself in the peaceful transition area. With the wonderful aroma of fresh flowers and the sun peaking over the mountains I thought ‘this is a great scene. I’d like to just sit here for a few days. Let’s just go ahead and call it good’. Then came the dodge ball imagery. There is no triumph in quitting. The crowds do not cheer for those who surrender. So I side stepped the rubber ball of fatigue and began to trot out to the running course.

By this time my legs were shot. I had trained for a few days prior to the race. I had swam the competition distance (mostly doggy paddle). I had biked the race distance. I had run the mileage. Never had I done them consecutively, and now I was paying the price. While my first 18 minute mile –only slightly exaggerating- may have looked great it felt horrible. The second was similar but had the pleasant surprise of volunteers handing out water. Not only did they provide much needed fluids but they also cheered on the racers and helped me once again dodge that speeding ball of fatigue and continue racing.

The end of the run –also my favorite part of the event- was especially exciting. While I only had a small group of friends and family at the event when I approached the finish area and the announcer read my name to the crowd- which is an amazing feeling and one that should inspire everyone to compete at least once- the entire audience cheered me home. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t the first racer across the line. I was a finisher. On that day I was a triathlete and they respected that. I was proud of what I had done. I then stood side by side with the other finishers and cheered on the racers who crossed the finish line after me.

I went into the event thinking it would be tough. I returned home that afternoon realizing that the sport was not tough. IT IS GRUELING! But it is also uplifting. For me it was an opportunity to meet new people, to push myself harder than I thought I could and to simply get outside and play. Some athletes go to win, some to compete, some simply to finish. I’m sure my goals will change as the weeks pass. But looking back I say ‘great job’ to everyone who was there and I hope to see you at the next event. I feel myself remembering that encouraging slogan I learned back in elementary school: “If at first you don’t succeed- Tri, Tri again”.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Scofield Triathlon is now offering a cash prize purse for top finishers. The purse is as follows:$300 Top Olympic Man
$300 Top Olympic Woman
$200 Top Sprint Man
$200 Top Sprint Woman Information about the prize purse and event can be found by visiting www.scofieldtriathlon.com.

In Training triathlon coaching will be hosting the first all women’s sprint triathlon on May 20th , in Riverton, Utah at the South County Outdoor Pool. Distances for the USAT sanctioned race include a 300 meter swim, 10 mile bike, and 3 mile run. Relay teams are also welcome. A portion of its proceeds will be donated to Marv Marlins swim team and a charity organization. For more information visit www.triutah.com.

High Altitude Multi-Sport will present a series of triathlon training camps this summer featuring B.J. Christenson, All-American triathlete and head coach of the Westminster cross country team. Christenson will lead the focused training camps, which will take place in Eden, Utah. Participants will open water swim in Pineview Reservoir, bike train around the Eden area including Snow Basin, and run in the Ogden Valley. Red Moose Lodge in Eden has offered a steeply discounted group rate of $69/night. See page 8 for High Altitude Multi-Sport’s ad for information.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Age: 31
Favorite Food: When training, fruit or steak. After a race, ice cream!
Preferred Race Distance:Olympic–especially in Xterra races.
Number of years racing: 6

What are some challenges that you have faced in training and racing since you had your first child?
At first it just seemed like a matter of rearranging the order of how you do things. Then my husband had a surprise open heart surgery. That changed everything. Now I take any opportunity for a workout, tired or not. I went from training 20 hours a week the summer before I had a baby to maybe training 6 hours a week (on a good week) with a baby. Getting out to bike has been the most difficult. I have learned that any price for a babysitter is worth it. Racing has become more of a brick workout. I don’t feel in shape enough to feel like I can go as hard as I use to. I just go as fast as I can and hope for the best. (Knowing the little guy is at the end to give me a big hug is the best part, even if I end up at the back!) I also have it in the back of my head that we are going to have one more, so this summer is just try and get in as good of shape as I can before the next kid. Then I will try to get back into race shape.

How did you maintain your fitness during pregnancy?
I raced up until I was fivemonths pregnant. I coached cross country and ran with the kids until the last six weeks, mountain biked until that same time, went swimming about 5 days a week, hiked and lifted weights all the way through, even on the day I delivered!

What is some advice that you can give to women who are in similar circumstances (starting families and trying to maintain a triathlete lifestyle?)
Make an active lifestyle with your kids, find a babysitter even if it’s only a couple of hours a week. Even the littlest bit of workout time make a big difference in how you feel and you can still race fairly well. Racing becomes more of a fun outlet instead of a major competition. Now I just love the environment and the experience instead of the results I get in a race.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Favorite Food: An authentic Swiss Muesli for breakfast, a fine deli sandwich for lunch, Italian for dinner, Swiss dark chocolate for desert (or anytime, really!), select European pastries and, of course, any very good cookies!
Prefered Race Distance: Actually, my favorite race distance is the old St. Croix International Tri distance (before they made the mistake of changing the distances to half-Ironman) - it was 1.3 miles swimming, 32 miles biking and about 8 miles running - this distance was the closest any race director has come to creating a balanced race. I’d like to see a Utah race director put on a 2.5km,50km,15km race - (1.5 miles swim, 30 miles biking, 9 miles running) it would be perfectly balanced and give people a perfect race to use as a transition to longer races. I’d support that race for certain if anyone would create it!

Most memorable race and why?
I have many, many memorable (both good and bad) races, over different distances, in different countries, from local, down home races to the Olympic Trials… One race experience that comes to mind is the time I raced in Switzerland the week before the ITU Professional World Triathlon What made that race so memorable (aside from the mtn. top finish!) was the race directors had the bike course go smack dab through downtown Interlaken, Switzerland on a picture-perfect, Saturday, summer morning!!! The town was just PACKED with HUGE tourist buses, TONS of cars, motorcycles, tourists on foot and get this - NO course marshalls, NO road closures! SO, I actually rode down the centerline at 40+ km/hour through downtown Interlaken with traffic zooming buy on both sides and the lead motorcyclist radioing in to the race director telling him I was riding like a man posessed. Anyway, quite memorable - something which would never happen at a race in the US!

Biggest key to your success as an athlete?
I work extremely hard - very continued on page 12…ridiculously difficult some of my wkts are (mainly because I can’t coax anyone to do those wkts with me!).

Biggest challenge making a living as a pro athlete?
I’ve never made a living as a pro triathlete. If I could actually make more money doing triathlons than I spend on triathlons in any given season, I’d be thrilled! I do some fitness and performance consulting in my spare time to make ends meet. Being a pro triathlete is, for me, a quest to realize as much of my athletic potential as I can. The challenge is to see how strong and how fast I can actually become. The interesting thing is, I’m still getting faster even after 10 years of racing pro!

Has it been difficult to make triathlon your #1 priority for so many years? Yes and no. Yes, many times I’ve struggled with it because there are SO many other things in life. On the flip side, having certain races as goals has allowed me to focus my energy on my dreams. I’ll admit it has become more difficult the longer I race. After 10 years of pro racing, I’d actually like to start having a social life!

What is your favorite thing about making Utah your headquarters? Hands down, summer days in the mountains. Not much can surpass a long ride that starts in the cool of the morning and ends in the mellow warmth of summer in the mountains!

pastries and, of course, any very good cookies!
Preferred Race Distance: Actually, my favorite race destance is the old St. Croix International distance. They made the mistake of changing the distance to Half-Ironman. It was 1.3 miles swimming, 32 miles biking and about 8 miles running. This distance was the closest any race director has come to creating a balanced race. I’d like to see a Utah race director put on a 2.5k, 50k, 15k race. It would be perfectly balanced and give people a perfect race to use as a transition to longer races. I’d support that race for certain if anyone would create it!

Most memorable race and why?
I have many, many memorable (both good and bad) races, over different distances, in different countries, from local, down home races to the Olympic Trials. One race experience that comes to mind is the time I raced in Switzerland the week before the International Triathlon Union Professional World Triathlon. What made that race so memorable (aside from the mountain top finish!) was the race directors had the bike course go smack dab through downtown Interlaken, Switzerland on a picture-perfect summer morning!!! The town was just PACKED with HUGE tourist buses, TONS of cars, motorcycles, tourists on foot and get this - NO course marshalls, and NO road closures! So, I actually rode down the centerline at 40+ km/hour through downtown Interlaken with traffic zooming by on both sides and the lead motorcyclist radioing in to the race director telling him I was riding like a man posessed. Anyway, quite memorable - something which would never happen at a race in the US!

Biggest key to your success as an athlete?
I work extremely hard - very few people know just how ridiculously difficult some of my workouts are (mainly because I can’t coax anyone to do those wourkouts with me).

Biggest challenge making a living as a pro athlete?
I’ve never made a living as a pro triathlete. If I could actually make more money doing triathlons then I spend on triathlons in any given season, I’d be thrilled! I do some fitness and performance consulting in my spare time to make ends meet. Being a pro triathlete is, for me, a quest to realize as much of my athletic potential as I can. The challenge is to see how strong and how fast I can actually become. The interesting thing is, I’m still getting faster even after 10 years of racing pro!

Has it been difficult to make triathlon your #1 priority for so many years?
Yes and no. Yes, many times I’ve struggled with it because there are SO many other things in life. On the flip side, having certain races as goals has allowed me to focus my energy on my dreams. I’ll admit it has become more difficult the longer I race. After 10 years of pro racing, I’d actually like to start having a social life!

What is your favorite thing about making Utah your headquarters?
Hands down, summer days in the mountains. Not much can surpass a long ride that starts in the cool of the morning and ends in the mellow warmth of summer in the mountains!

Popularity: 9% [?]

Age: 35
City of Residence: Salt Lake City (Sugarhouse area)
Favorite Food: It’s definitely Mexican.
Preferred Race Distance: The mile! That was my event when I was a runner. Now it’s probably Olympic

Are you still racing ITU events?
Yes, I am trying to get back into a few ITU events this year. I raced the US Pro Championships a few weeks ago, mainly as a fitness test to see how I stacked up against the top guys and then allow me to gage my training for the second half of the season. Unfortunately, I had to pull out during the run due to a slight Achilles injury, but I had a great swim and bike and I’m confident in my run once this small injury is cleared up.

Share with us what it is like racing in the ITU pro scene?
It’s a lot of fun. To race against the top guys in our sport is a thrill and usually the races are in beautiful cities. The ITU pro scene is really just a small sub-sect of the larger triathlon community. You see the same guys at all of the races, of which there are very few ITU races here in the US. It’s not that much different than the Utah triathlon scene, with the usual suspects giving it their all and having tons of fun, then chit-chatting in the finish chute after the race.

How do you feel about draft legal triathlon?
I like it. I don’t get too caught up in the whole drafting vs. non-drafting debate. I just race. Draft legal racing is really fast and aggressive which suits my background. The swim is just brutal, it’s an all-out sprint and it gets rough. Then the bike is really, really intense as well. People attack constantly. You have to be technically sound for the cornering and positioning, as well as fit enough to sprint every minute or so then recover and do it all over again. Lastly the run is getting ridiculously fast. Luckily, I come from a running background so I can handle the run fairly well. All in all, it’s a fun way to spend a Saturday morning.

Are you from Utah?
No, I’m from Wyoming. Go Pokes!

Day job?
Architecture.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Age: 26
Favorite Food: My mom’s homemade turkey soup.
Preferred Race Distance:Lately, my favorite distance has been the Sprint distance, only because I haven’t been putting in the training time for the Olympic. When I am at my peak racing condition, I prefer the Olympic distance.
Number of years racing:Seven, if you count biathlons (swimming and running). I’ve been racing in triathlons for five years.

How has training been an outlet for you during the rough times of life?
Training has always been a stress relief for me, but recently times have been rough, so training has become my outlet to the world. Let me explain. My husband was diagnosed with bone cancer in December of 2005. Two weeks later he broke his leg at the site of the tumor. During this difficult time of taking care of him and two small children, training has been one of my only “escapes”. I seem to be able to handle long days of being the caregiver with much more ease than I would without training. Training has also become a great social escape for me as well. I converted four of my friends to the sport of triathlon, and they in turn got their husbands to do it with them. Between the nine of us, I rarely do a training session solo. These early morning training sessions are usually the only social interaction that I get during the day.

How has triathlon affected your family?
Our friends training for triathlons decided to be a support for my husband, Rusty. We showed our support for him in his “race” against cancer, as we were doing our own race (St. George Triathlon). We surprised him by wearing matching racing jerseys with “Rusty’s Roadcrew” printed on them during the race. Rusty was so touched by their concern and love. He thinks of his “Roadcrew” often. Triathlon has also affected our family because the triathlon usually becomes our family vacation. Last year we vacationed in St. George, Moab, Jordanelle, and Burley.

How do you fit training into your busy schedule?
I train in the morning before the rest of my family wakes up. I know that if I don’t get it done at that time, I won’t have the chance to do it any other time.

What is your strongest triathlon discipline?
Swimming. I swam competitively since I was 10 years old. I’m usually one of the first out of the water and then hope that not too many people catch me on the bike and run.

Popularity: 7% [?]