John Woodruff and Kim Watson won the inaugural BASH Winter Triathlon at Soldier Hollow on February 23, 2008.

Click HERE for full results.

Click HERE for event pictures.

Popularity: 41% [?]

Frank Lowery, the Nevada Silverman Triathlon race director will host a free presentation at REI in Henderson, Nevada, titled “Triathlon 101. Tri Something New ” on Wednesday, February 27th at 7pm. Lowery will be giving an in depth presentation on various topics surrounding triathlons, including:

• The History of the Triathlon
• Overview of the Distances of a Triathlon
• How to Get Started and What You Need to Race in a Triathlon
• How to Train for a Triathlon
• Types of Workouts
• The Triathlon Lifestyle

Lowery has more than 23 years of training, competing and organizing triathlons across the US and the world. He is also a 9-year coach of the Masters Swimming Program. He will share his expertise and knowledge with all attendees of the upcoming presentation. For more information on the presentation please contact REI at 702.896.7111.

Location: REI in the District at Green Valley Ranch 2220 Village Walk Drive, Henderson 89052
Contact: Customer service or Charlie Shrimplin
Cost: Free
Registration: Please contact 702.896.7111 for more information.

Popularity: 53% [?]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The old adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” will hold true for TriHive in ’08. After two great years of keeping Utah’s triathletes informed, we’ve decided to make a few changes for the future.

The first change, and most noticeable to readers will be our quarterly distribution. No longer will we publish seven issues a year. Resources are limited in creating TriHive, and the six back-to-back summer issues is an incredibly tough order to fulfill, especially when you weigh the work involved against the benefits. Don’t get me wrong, I love you guys! However, the extra breathing room between issues will be welcome, especially as I try to have a tri life of my own.

Second on the plate of changes is our increased distribution. We’ll now cover triathlon in the mountain west. This means Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. And, TriHive will be distributed in bike shops, running shops and swimming shops in these regional states. This will create more opportunities for more writers and more exposure to regional races.

The regional expansion was a “no brainer,” as we’ve covered regional events since our inaugural year. The annual exodus of Utah triathletes leaving the Beehive State to Burley, Idaho cannot be ignored. Silverman Triathlon’s Frank Lowery quickly became friends with TriHive and we offered unique Web coverage of the Silverman ’06 event. In ’07 BBSC Endurance Sports joined the Utah tri scene and TriHive became more aware of its Nevada events. Throw Vikingman and the new Boise 70.3 into the mix. There’s no doubt Utah triathletes will support these events. Add the sparse Wyoming events in for good measure.

I’m sure you’re well aware of all of the events that have invaded our region. You’re likely to have already registered for a race or two out of state. It’s time to share the TriHive love with our neighbors!

We welcome stories from our neighboring states, and look forward to sharing triathlon with you. For Utahn’s, things will likely feel the same. However, more is changing.

Yours in Tri,

Alex McKinley

Popularity: 41% [?]

Christopher, the co-founder of PK Cycling (www.pkcycling.com), is a technical columnist for Triathlete Magazine, former lead instructor for the Serotta fitting school, and performs over 300 fits a year for clients of all abilities. Some of his notable clients include Lori Bowden, Heather Fuhr, Joanna Zeiger, Chris Leigh, Peter Reid, and Levi Leipheimer to name a few.

TriHive (TH): Tell us about some of the athletes you fit, including where they were and what a better fit did for them.

Christopher Kautz (CK): We have fit athletes of all levels of ability, from those just starting out to those winning Ironman events or competing as professional cyclists. The variations in what we see with their set-up issues are across the board, ranging from bikes that are completely the wrong size to athletes who literally need 2 to 3mm of saddle adjustment or a minor cleat tweak to optimize their set-up. When going through a fit with an athlete we first discuss in depth what problems there are with the current set-up that they are aware of, flush out other problems that they may be overlooking, and then determine what we are trying to accomplish with the fitting. We cannot properly fit an athlete if we don’t know what that athlete’s goals are, as a fit needs to be specific to both the athlete’s biomechanics as well as the intended use of the bike (a professional cyclist trying for maximum time trial performance needs a very different set-up than a MOP age group triathlete doing Ironman, even if they bring similar bodies to the fit).

TH: Do you fit an age group triathlete different than a professional triathlete?

CK: In short, no. The process we have developed over the years is a methodology rather than a formula. Regardless of an athlete’s level of ability, they all need the same level of attention and detail paid to their fitting. The end fit may look very different from athlete to athlete, as the fit is tailored to that athlete’s needs, but the process used to get there is the same.

TH: How did PK Cycling started?

CK: PK was started with my good friend Eric Pardyjak in 1998 as a side project while we were in graduate school and racing as competitive cyclists. We both were good enough riders to have to compete against some great cyclists, athletes much better than us, and needed every advantage we could get. In looking for performance we both got our first time trial bikes, and actually got slower as a result. At that time, tt/tri bikes were such an unknown that we couldn’t find anyone to help us make them work right, so we decided to do it ourselves and turned bike fit into a research project. Eric was working on a PhD in mechanical engineering with a focus on fluids (most people would call him an aerodynamicist - he’s now a professor of mechanical engineering at the university there in Salt Lake) and I was doing a PhD in political philosophy and teaching research methods. We took our two areas of expertise and developed new ways of testing fit. Eric wrote software codes that allowed us to convert pictures of an athlete into their frontal area, and then predict drag changes with position changes, and I developed protocols for measuring efficiency. That foundation in the late 90s separated us significantly from what was being done in bike fit. In 2000 we started the company, and that year had clients win the national TT championship and Ironman Hawaii. I also started writing for Triathlete Magazine that year, and had the opportunity to help set up a number of Ironman winners, Olympians and professional cyclists. The aim for the company is, as it was from the beginning, to help set athletes us to perform at their best on the bike, whether that be through better positioning, equipment selection, custom frames, etc.

Aside from these foundations, we’ve continued to separate ourselves from other “experts” in a number of ways. First, by continuing to learn and improve our fitting techniques over the year. One of the primary ways we’ve done this is by teaching at the Serotta fit school since 2001 and collaborating with the other instructors there. Second, by writing for Triathlete Magazine for years (2000-2005, and currently) we’ve been very much connected to the industry and the latest trends emerging in it. Third, by working very closely with manufacturers on various projects we’ve learned a tremendous amount about frame materials, design, etc. A prime example of this would be our current project with Guru Bikes, the result of which is a limited edition PK Cycling Crono tri bike with a more advanced carbon lay up than anything else they’re building.

TH: What makes a fit good or bad?

CK: The markers for a good fit are both objective and subjective. There are objectives measures that need to be applied, within their applicable ranges, to leg extension, hip flexion, etc. These are easily measurable, as are performance gains in the real world from a good fit. The subjective measures involve improved comfort, better ability to handle a bike, and more confidence in riding. A bad fit is one that lacks these criteria, and ultimately, one with which the athlete is unhappy. A good fit results in a happy athlete, which is why good fitters get so much business from referrals.

TH: When watching a triathlon, what do you notice while watching athletes ride their bikes?

CK: Most athletes are both inappropriately set up, and have never been instructed in good technique. For example, a well fit tri bike is far more efficient when ridden in the aero bars, even on many climbs. However, if you look at most athletes, they do not spend much time in the aero bars, either because of poor fit, or because no one has shown them how to effectively ride a tri bike. A good fit includes both setting someone up, as well as helping them understand good form and technique to benefit from their fit.

TH: Will a custom fit bike make my riding experience that much better?

CK: More so than you can imagine, and the difference between a “good” fit and a “perfect” fit is everything - at PK a lot of our business is making good fits perfect. A bike that fits you perfectly from a biomechanical perspective will allow you to be comfortable, stable, efficient, and powerful. A bike that matches your biomechanics with an equally good mechanical set up will handle better due to perfect weight distribution and steering geometry, and will ride better as the tubing or carbon lay up in a good custom built frame will actually match your height, weight, and riding style.

Christopher will be available for bike fittings in Salt Lake City for athletes seeking a new bike or athletes that can’t quite get dialed in to their current bike. PK and Salt Lake Running will be offering these fittings 2 to 3 days every 6 to 8 weeks in the Salt Lake City area. Given the duration of the fittings, they are done on a prepaid reservation only basis with 3 appointments available per day at 9:00 am 12:30 pm and 3:30am. The first dates for these fittings will be February 28^th, 29^th, and March 1^st, with 1/2 the spots already filled. Contact Salt Lake Running & Multisport (801-676-0844) for booking information.

Popularity: 36% [?]

This is just a reminder that the 5th Annual Rage in the Sage Triathlon in Las Vegas, NV is set for April 19th.

Price increases for this event on MARCH 1.

With the addition of the RAGE 1/2, BBSC Endurance Sports has decided to increase the cap at 1,000 athletes. This race did sell out last year.

The 2008 RAGE offers the following distances:

Sprint distance: .75 swim/20k bike and 5k run.

Intermediate distance: 1.5k swim/ 40k bike and a 10k run.

This distance is also the USAT S.W. Regional Championship.

This year Rage has also added the RAGE 1/2: 1.2 mile swim/ 56 bike/ 13.1 mile run.

The RAGE 1/2 was also named one of two Halfmax National Qualifiers on the West coast.

This will help you qualify for the TriSports.com Halfmax National Championship in October.

You can sign up and save money now for RAGE by visiting active.com

Popularity: 48% [?]

Popularity: 28% [?]

After several rounds of course scouting at Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah – the sequence of events for the inaugural XTERRA Winter World Championship has been re-ordered so the 10k mountain bike portion will start the race, followed by the 5k snowshoe, 5k run, and 8k ski mountaineering stages.

“We switched up the order to assure the most hard-packed and firm conditions for the bike leg,” said race director Dave Nicholas.

In other updates the Weber State University Wilderness Recreation Center has been named the official outfitter for Winter Worlds - offering snowboards with boots and bindings, snowshoes, skis, climbing skins and car racks at discounted rates for race participants.

Athletes in need of gear can go online to www.weber.edu/wrc, email wrc@weber.edu or call 801-626-6373.

The Place: Snowbasin Resort
The Dates: March 7-8-9
The Website: xterrawinter.com
The Phone#: toll-free 877-751-8880
The Parties: Each night in Ogden

Registration Link

Popularity: 28% [?]

Clearfield Aquatics Center Triathlon - 2/09/08

500 yd swim, 10 mile bike, 5k run

1.Robert Kelly-53:51
2.Tom Telford-54:12
3.Dennis Judd-56:11

Popularity: 22% [?]

Richard Barnum-Reece, a Utah triathlon pioneer died January 29, 2008. Richard was instrumental in triathlons growth in Utah.

Click Here to see Richard’s obituary.

Click Here to listen to TriHive’s exclusive audio interview with Richard (Spring of 2006), months before his tragic swimming accident.

Click Here to read TriHive’s article on Richard’s life.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Free Spring Tri Mini Workshops Series sponsored by the Wasatch Revolution Tri Team. For more information, email Kim Abbott at triathlonmom@gmail.com or call 801-523-3659.

February 7th
7:30 p.m.
“Staying Injury Free” at Wasatch Running Center
8946 S State Street Sandy, UT

February 21st
7:30 p.m.
“Training Plans” at Wasatch Running Center
8946 S State Street Sandy, UT 84070

March 6th
7:30 p.m.
“What to Expect at Your First Tri” at Wasatch Running Center
8946 S. State Street Sandy, UT 84070

March 20th
6:00 p.m.
“Equipment: Go-Fast Gear” at Revolution Mountain Sports
8714 S 700 E Sandy, Utah

April 3rd
6:00 p.m.
“Basic Bike Maintenance” at Revolution Mountain Sports
8714 S 700 E Sandy, Utah

April 17th
7:30 p.m.
“Transition Training” at Wasatch Running Center
8946 S State Street Sandy Ut

Popularity: 14% [?]