The 2006 American Fork Splash and Dash Triathlon went off without weather delay despite the rainy conditions throughout the previous night in American Fork. Overcast blanketed the area race morning without any rain, giving racers cool fall temperatures to race in.

Athletes lined up along the bubble covered poolside at the American Fork Recreation Center before beginning the bike and run events. Mike Mamales of Salt Lake City was the over-all winner and the only triathlete finishing in less than 1 hour (57 minutes and 14 seconds). His nearest competitor, Eric Johnson of Lindon finished nearly 4 minutes later. Kim Abbott of Draper won the women’s race with a finishing time of 1 hour and 13 minutes, beating Tiffany Clinger by 11 seconds.

In the kids race it was McKay King of American Fork finishing first in 23 minutes and 19 seconds. Morgan King, also of American Fork and McKay’s younger sister finished in second place with a time of 25 minutes and 25 seconds.

Over 150 athletes participated in this late season event.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Tri Hive (TH): Please tell us about your events for 2006.

Shaun Christian (SC): We are going to be hosting a new race this summer. The Telos Utah Valley Triathlon on June, 17th 2006 at the Lincoln Beach boat harbor in South West Utah County. We are very excited about this venue. Utah Lake is actually pretty out there. We will be hosting an Olympic and Sprint distance courses. The bike course runs out around West Mountain were you can ride on any given day and rarely see a car. The run course is flat with a few rolling hills on the short trail section of the Olympic course.
We will also be hosting the Telos Turkey Triathlon November, 4th 2006 at the new and improved Orem Recreation Center. This is always a fun, last race of the season, to do. We had a great turn out this year and anticipated the same for next year.

TH: Will you be doing anything differently?

SC: Other than this new race, we will be keeping the new bike course that we had for the Telos Turkey Triathlon. I had lots of positive feedback from the racers. We will try and lengthen the swim to 500-600 meters. The problem with the pool swims is that get so congested even with having the swim last and it makes timing the race a nightmare.

TH: How will you address safety in 2006?

SC: We are going to be asking the Utah County Sheriff Team to help us out with the swim as well as the bike and run. The beauty of this venue is the lack of traffic on the bike and run. We held a race out there this summer for the students and staff of Telos and had three cars drive through during the entire race. We will continue to have the Orem PD and the life guards at the Orem Recreation Center help us with the Telos Turkey Triathlon. We will also count on all those wonderful volunteers who make these races possible.

TH: What are some things participants probably don’t know about being a
race director?

SC: It takes a lot of time, effort, patience, and help. We receive tons of questions via emails and phone calls for these races and it is very time consuming. These races are not cheap to put on either. Some of these costs include: insurance, venues, city, supplies, race shirts, advertisement, timing, online registration, medals, and prizes. I am grateful that I have a team here at Telos that are willing to help me with anything.

TH: What are the worst & best parts of the job?

SC: The worst part is all the prep work. The best part is watching all those Triathletes having so much fun on race day.

TH: What can participants do to make your job easier?

SC: Locating the race information online and registering early.

TH: How do you see the future of triathlon in Utah?

SC: I have already witnessed the growth this sport has had here and I love it. I believe it will continue to grow and succeed.

TH: How did you first get involved in triathlons?

SC: I volunteered at an Ironman race and I have been hooked ever since.

TH: Is it challenging finding volunteers?

SC: Yes, I always think I have enough but come race day I could always use a few more.

TH: How can someone volunteer at your event?

SC: Email us (csnow360@yahoo.com) or contact us by phone (801-368-8279). They always get hooked up with shirts and swag.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Click HERE for photographs of the 2006 American Fork Splash and Dash Triathlon.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Training in the open water is a must for any triathlete looking to make the plunge into open water triathlons. The experience of swimming in an open body of water cannot be simulated in a pool. Inexperienced triathletes must train to swim with limited vision, sighting every few strokes for guidance instead of following the tiled line at the bottom of the pool. New triathletes with claustrophobic tendencies may feel constrained while swimming in their wetsuits. The feeling of darkness below and unknown creatures lurking in the water can cause concern too. These fears can be overcome with practice! Find an open body of water to test your skills. Expect to be much more confident on race day with a handful of open water swims under your belt.

BEWARE – Use common sense when practicing in the open water. Use caution rather than risk. Below are some essential tips that can be useful when learning to swim in the open water.

- Warm-up before you take the plunge. Just like you would at the pool, it is important to loosen up your muscles and get the blood moving. The water temperature is often colder than what you are accustomed to at the pool. Warming up allows your body to be a little looser before you start your swim.

- Stay on course. Remember, there are no lane lines on the bottom of the lake. Look for landmarks to guide you before you swim and be sure to look for your chosen landmark every few strokes, just to be sure you are headed in the correct direction. Some recommend first looking forward to sight, bringing only your eyes out the water then placing your head back in and taking your breath to the side as you normally would. Experiment to find a technique that works best for you.

- Base your workout on time spent, not on how far you think you have gone. Distance may be impossible to gauge unless you have a GPS device.

- Stay near the shore at all times. The only exception to this rule is when you have a boat, kayak, or canoe following you.

- Always swim in the open water with a buddy.

- Make yourself visible with a bright-colored swim cap.

- Draft off other swimmers. Following bubbles in the water is a good indication that you have someone swimming in front of you. This is good! Swimming in someone else’s slipstream will make your swimming easier. Practice drafting off of other people in the open water so that you are used to it on race day.

- Practice relaxing while swimming. The beginning of the swim can be very chaotic in a triathlon. Take time to focus on relaxing and calming your nerves. If you do find yourself in a panic situation, find a way to keep afloat to regain your composure. Do the breaststroke for a while, or tread water until you feel comfortable again.

Below are four swimming holes triathletes frequent.

Pineview Reservoir
From I-15 in Odgen, exit at 12th Street, to Highway 39, 6 miles to the dam where you cross over the dam.
Drive for approximatly 1.25 miles. There will a parking lot on the right.

Bountiful Lake
From I-15 exit in Centerville and head east to Main Street. Turn right on Main (south bound) to Pages Lane. Turn right on Pages Lane (west bound) and continue to the city dump. Prior to the dump entrance is a short dirt road leading to the lake parking lot.

Prime swimming is located on the west end of the lake.

East Canyon
From Salt Lake City, take I-80 east to exit 134 (Highway 65) to reservoir. A dirt parking lot exsits on the nothern end of the reservor.

Utah Lake
From Saratoga Springs, take highway 68 approximatly 4.75 miles south to the Pelican Bay boat ramp.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Xterra triathlons are more popular than ever. This year Utah hosted the Mountain Championship Xterra event in Ogden. Xterra triathlons consist of a 1500-meter swim, a 30-kilometer mountain bike leg and a 10-kilometer trail run. Often times a sport distance Xterra, 750m swim, 16k mountain bike and 5k trail run, runs in conjunction with the full distance race. You should anticipate running and riding over any terrain and through all conditions during Xterra races – nothing is unexpected. The other big difference between Xterra’s and road triathlons is that Xterra triathlons are draft legal. You can draft on the swim, bike and run. This draft-legal aspect can have significant impact on your race if your goal is to stand on the podium. Competition is tough at the top end.

TRAINING
Training specifically for Xterra is similar to Olympic distance training. Swim training is the same, run training is similar with an emphasis on bursty type power, ankle stability and hill climbing strength. The bike part however is where the huge differences lie. You have to ride a mountain bike and know how to ride it hard and fast over technical terrain. This takes some preparation.

MOUNTAIN BIKE EQUIPMENT
• A high quality mountain bike is required to survive an Xterra course.
• Front suspension is a must and rear suspension is a nice option for more technically demanding courses.
• 2.0 width knobby tires inflated to 30 psi are a good starting place for rubber selection. As your off-road skills increase you can move to narrower faster rolling tires with more pressure for speed.
• A hydration pack is a good idea as it is easier to drink from than a water bottle. This will keep you fueled and hydrated for the run. Bottles can get covered in muck – off-road and certain races route the course through a cow pasture – yum!

MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE SKILLS
• Learn how to pedal smoothly over bumpy terrain. A full suspension mountain bike helps greatly with this. In training choose a bumpy trail and ride relaxed with a high cadence.
• Teach yourself basic bike repair skills such as fixing a flat tire or broken chain. With practice both can be done in less than 5 minutes and have little impact on your race outcome.
• Jump start your bike handling skills by taking a mountain bike skills clinic. The Web site, www.betterride.com offers one of the best in the region.
• Know the course. The best thing to do is to pre-ride the course. If you do not have time to pre-ride the course, get as detailed a description of it as you can. When pre-riding a course the important things to notice are available passing areas, places where the single track starts and ends, and places that are less technical where you can eat and drink. Also, look for sections that are likely to have a headwind and make drafting an advantage. Practice riding through the technical sections to figure out the fastest line. If you are not sure how to ride a section, watch a few other riders and then copy the one who looked the smoothest. Usually the smoothest rider is the fastest.

Most of all with Xterras, mentally be ready for a little adventure, rolling along some beautiful trails and having the time of your life.

Lynda Wallenfels Lynda@lwcoaching.com is a USA Cycling Elite coach and pro mountain bike racer who specializes in coaching off-road triathletes and mountain bikers. www.LWcoaching.com.

Popularity: 9% [?]