Happy New Year, BTC! We may not have a host A-races to report on just now, but there is nevertheless a lot happening within our sport and club, and this January Beat issue is loaded with great content to scroll through, so take your time to digest it all! Don’t miss Jay and Sally’s individual reports on IM Cozumel, each sharing a unique perspective. While they focused on the same race, same day, their personal, conversational styles include fun references to one another (as well as great testimony for Coach Mike Ricci) and different highlights to jointly achieve a really vivid picture of tough racing in sunny Mexico. Also be sure to read Graz’s message for new information about club programs, calendar training and nutrition ideas, notes and tidbits, and a spotlight on our newest platinum sponsor, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition. In addition to hosting our next club meeting on January 11th, Max Muscle will follow up with a kick-off party, so save the date! We’re adding a new membership section at the end of each newsletter, too: in addition to welcoming new members, we’re posting reminders to those whose memberships are due to expire in the upcoming month, so you can plan ahead and continue to enjoy the many benefits of the club. Please continue to send ideas, photos, and comments for future newsletters to mcmillan.w@gmail.com. Cheers!
Letter from the Prez
I am very excited about the 2010 season. The Boulder Triathlon Club has a fantastic board going into the year, and we are gaining a lot of momentum with some new programs rolling out soon. On January 11th, we will be having our first Club Gathering of the year at Max Muscle, at 1631 28th St. We’ll be introducing the great benefits they will be providing to club members as one of our new 2010 platinum sponsors. In addition, we will be introducing all of our 2010 sponsors. We will also be debuting a new points competition for the Boulder Triathlon Club that will provide a little bit of internal competition and motivation for the 2010 season. Don’t miss this 1st meeting as it will give you a lot of insight on what’s coming up in this new year.
We ended 2009 with a terrific banquet at George’s in Boulder. For those of you unable to attend, it was a fantastic venue and a great time. We recognized BTC Members of the Year, Dave and Wendy McMillan, for their great contribution to the club in 2009, and toasted our Sponsor of the Year, Studio1Dental, for all their support during the season. We also recognized Adrenaline Tri-Sport, 5430 Sports and Studio1Dental with great appreciation for sponsoring the end of the year banquet. See the full listing of awards in the 2009 BTC Awards column in this edition of BTC Beat.
We continue to participate in the USAT team challenge that occurs across the country, and would like to get as many club members involved in this friendly competition as it is fun and gives all of us a little motivation to train during the cold months. Please go to http://teambtc.org/modules.php?name=usat_challenge and start logging your miles!! Happy training, Happy New Year, and see you in 2010 as the BTC Beat continues.
~Graz
RACING
Congratulations to everyone as always on great performances and sporting accomplishments! We are smack in the midst of a quiet time, but there are always some highlights worth sharing! Tell us your PRs and achievements…or, please brag on behalf of your modest and amazing friends!
Congrats to Chuck McCash, for doing the Mendoza, Argentina 10k FundaVita (cancer fundraiser) in 45:30 after a treacherous Aconcagua attempt, which involved 79 miles of trekking. As far as we know, 10K was accomplished with all 10 toes intact. 
Belated congrats to Tressa Farrell, who, like fellow BTCer Pam Buderus, snagged a lottery slot for Kona, finishing in 12:57!
Luck To:
All the Phoenix marathoners and half marathoners (again…but keep the luck flowing, we’ll take it!); we’ve got a great BTC crowd going!
Half: Derek Ciccito, Anne McDonough, Tressa Ferrell, Leena Figall, Jay Lochhead
Full: Artie Sandman, David McMillan, Wendy McMillan, Denise Farley, Brendan Dillon, Melinda Rider, Quentin Rider, Dave Miller
50K: Barry Siff
…and all other racers in January events!
Athlete Updates: IM Cozumel, 2 Perspectives
The Newbie (from first-timer Sally Dyer)
My First Ironman…
This story starts in August of 2008 after I finished my first 5430 long course race and was still high as a kite when Jay Lochhead says to me… ‘IM Cozumel would be fun, I just signed up and you should too’. So I did.
Fast forward 65 weeks to race week…the support of friends, family, BTC’ers and the D3 training group boosted me up even before I got to the start line. The timing was fitting, being Thanksgiving week, as I really gained perspective on all that I have to be thankful for in my support system and my health. Thank-you so much, everyone.
The real excitement kicked in with our arrival at DIA, ready to travel to the race a mere 66 weeks after the sign-up. Instantly a band of triathletes began to form around this event. It was immediately evident who was going for the race. We all had our bikes in tow and I am sure that Frontier Airlines has never traveled with that many bikes on one plane. Most people were clad in some historical Ironman race shirt or jacket. Some were tattooed and all were chattering about their accomplishments and the excitement of going to the warmth of Mexico.
The island of Cozumel was abuzz with ironman energy that carried through the entire weekend. The weather was warm and windy. The wind proved to be the biggest threat to our day and canceled the swim practices up until Saturday morning. There was talk that the swim possibly being canceled if the choppy seas did not subside. But the weather gods were on our side, and the Sunday morning was glorious. The seas were calm the sun was out and we were ready to go.
After the dolphin show ended we headed out towards the in-water start. Graz, Jay and I had all walked down together to jump off the pier into the water. Once in the water Graz and Jay disappeared and I said to myself “ok, here you go it is race time”. I tried to find a start place but learned quickly that this is an impossible situation. We were all bobbing around under the pier and the strategy to start was to swim close to the shoreline against the current. I decided to venture out alongside the pier where I found Jay and we started the race clinging onto a chain link fence. We were off!
In a word: the swim was great! Beautiful water, sea life and lots of space. This was the opposite of what I was expecting. The second turn buoy was jammed with people but after that it was wide open fast moving water. Sighting was made easy by clear water where you could sight above the water as well as below. Unlike the Boulder Res, under the surface you could see the buoy anchors. The swim finished fast with only a few jellyfish stings to complain about.
Off on the bike now to ride 3-loops of a gorgeous bike course. The bike course was essentially divided in thirds, with the first section on an average road lined with tropical trees and hedges and a slight headwind; the middle third was some of the most breathtaking coastline you have ever seen with waves crashing on rocks and the sea pressure releasing through blow holes. Really unbelievable. That stretch had a continuous cross wind, but the wind was so soft and comfortable it was not too noticeable. The final third of the course was through town with the entire island population out cheering as if it were the Tour de France. What a thrill it was. My nutrition was sub-optimal on the bike, so I had bad stomach cramps on the second 2 laps I needed to work out so that I could run. There is a lot to learn for this race, and nutrition tops the list. I continued to fuel on GU gels and some PB and Honey bagels that I made, but hydrated almost exclusively with water. I tried to no avail to pee on my bike but I just could not make it happen, so I stopped at an aid station. After that my electrolyte balance seems to come into control and by T2 I was ready to run.
I told myself “hey now you only have a marathon and you are done”… never before have I ever been so happy to run a marathon. This would be my third in about 2 years. I can remember thinking how the distance really did seem short. It is weird what your mind does during this type of race. I saw my family and Leena cheering me through T2 and off I was on the 3-lap run course. I was so happy to be on my feet standing upright… I am a biped after all.
Again, the town’s people were amazing. Cheering and pushing me along. Through the course of the run I remember thinking… “Just keep running, these people did not come out here to watch me walk”. I had a great run (I run slowly so that helps make it nice). I kept the pace steady as I was waiting for that feeling of not being able to take another step which never came. Three laps around and I headed for that glorious finish. I had been passing people on the run which I have never done in any prior race. That aided my ambition to just keep running. As I was headed to the finish line there were 2 people in front of me and I was holding up to see if they were heading to finish too. My hotel neighbors (who were from Canada; there was a very international crowd at this race) advised me to relish this first finish experience and allow space for me to finish without a crowd of people. So I was delighted when the 2 people in front of me turned to go back out on the run course and I headed to the finish chute. It was hard to keep my pace slow, the energy, the crowd, the accomplishment… what a (insert favorite expletive here) rush.
It was an indescribable feeling finishing this event. The emotion of the journey to the start capped off by the long day of getting to the finish. I finished in 12 hours and 37 minutes. I was not wearing a watch nor were there clocks on the course beyond the swim exit so I did not really know the time. I had expected to finish between 13:30 and 14:00 so I was thrilled with my results… but I know I can do better still.
I will race Ironman again (coach Ricci was right about that… he says ‘no one only does one Ironman’). I would love to go back to Cozumel too. The recovery method of lounging by the beach having a margarita can’t be beat.
Newly Established Veteran (from 4-time ironman in 2 years Jay Lochhead)
I signed up for Ironman Cozumel in the summer of 2008, pretty much right after a great 11:33 inaugural Ironman at Coeur d’Alene. I was psyched! Little did I know that CDA was a bit of beginner’s luck and I would have two 1230+ days between then and this race. Both of these included long walks in which I questioned my physical and mental abilities as well as whether Ironman was a reasonable sport for sane people (the jury is still out on that).
Fortunately, my coach, Mike Ricci from D3 Multisport ( www.d3multisport.com ), was able to get my head back in the game as I got training for a fourth Ironman in two years. Mike thought I was capable of doing more than finishing my day with a long walk. He’s probably not the coach for you if your idea of “success” includes chatting it up with your friends from mile 15 to the finish about how great your swim felt or how fast your bike split was. If you want to do the entire Ironman, look him up (or a fellow D3 coach).
Cozumel, an inaugural Ironman in a foreign country…yes, there were a few logistical issues. The run and bike courses and transitions changed at least twice leading up to the race. Gear bags weren’t ready at registration, “Come back tomorrow” they said. The town was still removing speed bumps and making road repairs until literally the day before the event. Crews were paving the road across from T1 as we racked bikes on Saturday.
Cozumel is known for being windy, and windy it was! The practice swim on Friday was canceled due to high winds. Locals assured us that the winds would calm down for race day…I was thinking “Yeah, right”. But a smile came over my face as I awoke Saturday morning to calm seas. A practice swim revealed that current would be a slowing factor for the start of the swim, but would help push us along the longer straight segment. Another shorter segment back to the finish would be closer to shore and be protected from the current.
Race day:
Beautiful weather! The ocean was calm, the sun was warm but not hot, and the winds were pleasant. WoooHooo! There were some Mexican festivities and a dolphin show before the start. Nice touch. Once we all got into the water the swim start was not at all chaotic, everyone was nice, plenty of room, no contact at all (just kidding). It was typical IM. Prior to the start I found a place to keep away from the melee under the dock, clinging to the chain link fence that housed the dolphins. “How smart I was”, I thought…then I looked left and there was fellow BTCer Sally Dyer. “Also very smart” I thought to myself. The swim was pretty easy and I was able to see check out the SCUBA divers, fish, and stingrays. I stayed close to shore and out of the current as much as possible, taking the first buoy wide. This made for a longer route, but nobody was climbing over me or vice versa. It was easy work and I climbed up the stairs in 1:04 (10 minutes ahead of any predicted time). Gotta love currents when they are in your favor!
T1 was smooth and quick. Rinse off, gear bag, bike, sunscreen, and on the road. Easy, easy, easy…hold back, hold back, hold back. I took it out slow and rode easy. What some called “brutal cross winds” seemed like a pretty routine day on Route 36 in Boulder. Did I mention that I love living in Colorado? Around 30 miles into the first loop I started to feel my rear tire going down. I rode another 10 miles with it low, debating what action to take. In hindsight it is obvious. I should have changed it earlier. It wasn’t helping my riding and I could have ruined the tire or rim. I finally stopped and felt the tire…hmmm, still a little pressure. I hit it with a shot of CO2 and tried to hand tighten the stem and hope for the best. Good idea…maybe? No dice! Five miles later the tire was flat again. This time I begrudgingly stopped to change it, knowing there was no option. Oddly, I was able to focus very clearly on the solution and change the tire instead of concentrating on the hundreds of riders flying by (Mike Ricci was in my head “Focus on what is happening right now, not what happened 10 minutes ago”)
Once I was back on my way I rode my race, not falling into the trap of trying to make up time. Sure enough, sticking to the plan worked (amazing, huh?) and I found that the steady effort allowed me catch and ride through all of the riders I recognized from prior to the flat tire. As others faded in the later miles I pedaled steadily by, gaining spots.
On top of feeling good as a result of passing people from mile 90 to the finish I got off the bike feeling totally fresh. Scary fresh.
An uneventful and quick T2 and I was out on the run. I probably made a mistake when I blazed (relatively) out of T2 at a 7:40 pace. This wasn’t in my race plan, 8:30’s were. I backed off quickly and settled into an easy, almost too easy, 8:22 pace for the first two laps. I remember at the end of lap one saying “Only two more loops!” to a guy. He didn’t seem to take that comment too well.
Things can change in endurance races. They did. As I headed out on the third loop things got more interesting. The easy early miles gave way to quad pain and momentary doubts. For the first time I recognized that I was on pace to break 11 hours. I would not get this close to that goal and be denied. But, at mile 24, the mental insanity that sometimes takes over ones brain in Ironman (Ever peed yourself on purpose when you weren’t racing triathlon?) made me consider walking. I walked for a few feet, with the crazy thought that I could walk the last two miles and still break eleven hours. Then, as if by some divine intervention, a guy next to me says with a strong Mexican accent “What we are doing now; Eeet is stupeeed”. I looked at him and said “Damn, you’re right” and started running again. (I question now whether that guy was really there or if it a hallucination)
My quad pain made me wince every time a foot hit the ground, but I would not walk. As I rounded the turn into the finish chute there was that “damned” euphoria. Again I felt it. There was no pain; there were no second thoughts, no regrets for flat tires or for earlier considerations of walking. I felt that feeling, the feeling that endurance athletes chase, and the feeling of what IT is. That feeling to know that you have done what few dare to attempt. The feeling that you have done what you know you can do – not what you might do, or what others say can not be done. That feeling of what it is like to be an IRONMAN! (BTW, not that it is important; I finished in 10:45, a 48 minute PR)
When asked “Would you race IM Cozumel again?” I would say “Yes”. It is a great destination, super people, and the course is flat and at sea level. Weather could be a factor, but it can be in any Ironman. By the way, it is still open for registration.
Mark Your Calendars!
Upcoming Events
January
9-Swift Skedaddle Snowshoe Race – Raven Nordic Center – Silverthorne, Colorado – 10:30 a.m.
10-Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure #1 – 5K/10k – Beaver Creek Resort/Creekside Park, Colorado
13– REGISTER for the Triple Bypass! Registration for the July 10, 2010 race opens at noon on active.com!
16- Frosty’s Frozen 5/10 mile, Chatfield State Park, Littleton
17- Tennessee Pass Cookhouse/Colorado State Snowshoe Championship – 5K/10K – Tennessee Pass Nordic Center – Ski Cooper – Leadville, Colorado – 10:00 a.m.
20- Eldora Nighthawks Wednesday night ski and Showshoe series begins!
23- Chilly Cheeks Duathlon #2, Denver
27- Eldora Nighthwaks race series #2
Athlete Profile: VP Warren Schuckies
- Years competing in tris: 24
- Favorite pre-race meal: Bagel with peanut butter or a tiny bit of Oatmeal
- Favorite sporting accomplishment (any sport): First Ironman! (Florida 04)
- Biggest Tri Mistake/lesson learned: I tried to hang on the feet (in the swim) of my buddy who went to the Olympic Trials. At the turn around I was completely wasted! He came outta the water first. ME……not so much!!
- Favorite run/ride route: My favorite run route is in Solana Beach up the 101 to Swami’s in Encinitas and back thru the camp ground and then the beach if the tide is out. My favorite ride route was in Colorado Springs out Hwy 24 towards Limon and back. While it was just a straight boring out and back (100 to 120 miles), it so prepared me mentally for an Ironman distance. There are many more pretty rides out there but that always stands out for me.
- Favorite recovery food: Smoothie with just about anything I can fit in the blender.
- Goals for next season: Get Faster Still.
- Favorite race: Vineman Half, Alcatraz Challenge (swim/run); LOVE the Stroke and Strides
- Something surprising about Warren: NEVER CONVICTED! : )
Congrats to 2009 BTC Award Recipients!
- Athlete of the Year – Sharon Hooper
- Most Improved – Jon Haukaas
- Rookie of the Year – Jeff Kinsey
- Volunteer of the Year – Jayme Margolin
- Participation Award – Charles Garabedian
- Member of the Year – Wendy & Dave McMillan
- Sponsor of the Year – Studio 1 Dental
Sponsor Spotlight: Introducing Max Muscle Sports Nutrition of Boulder
As the Official Nutrition Partner, Max Muscle Sports nutrition will provide customized nutrition planning to members of The Boulder Tri Club and those interested in a more simplified, integrated approach to healthy eating. Max Muscle Sports Nutrition of Boulder takes a comprehensive, customized approach to not only lifestyle nutrition, but athletic nutrition as well. As an organization that focuses on wellness, sports nutrition, recovery, and education, Max Muscle of Boulder is helping define how active persons view and use nutrition with respect to their athletic and lifestyle goals. For more Information, visit: www.MaxMuscleBoulder.com and take advantage of your member benefits to ring in the New Year!
Ironclad Resolution: a training and nutrition combo
-Amanda McCracken and Wendy McMillan
Heading into the new year, we can all get revved up once again to resolve to be better, fitter, faster, kinder, and healthier. One way to work at achieving all of these and more is, of course, tri-training. Whether you train alone or in a group, time spent pounding the pavement or even better, trails, contributes not just to your cardio fitness, but your personal reflection and perspective too. But anyone who runs, except for perhaps the odd abnormality and enigma the rest of us can’t help but be jealous of, eventually discovers that running in particular can really deliver a beating, too. One of the casualties can be your iron stores, particularly for women; this is even more significant when training at altitude.
Just like any potential injury, if you don’t do preventative care and monitor the situation, you are more susceptible to problems. Anemia is no different. By definition, anemia is when one’s hemoglobin levels fall below what is normal for that individual’s age and sex, thus resulting in a lack of oxygen carried by the blood. Perhaps the most commonly known culprit for anemia is an iron deficiency in the body. In this case, there is not enough iron to make adequate hemoglobin, the carrier of oxygen. One type of pseudoanemia, commonly found among runners is appropriately called footstrike anemia (hemolysis). According to a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association(JAMA), footstrike anemia is “caused by the pounding of the feet on pavement…Symptoms include an increase in plasma with disintegration of red blood cells, and in long-distance runners, gastrointestinal blood loss.” Following a good diet (eating plenty of meat and poultry, ingesting plenty of vitamin-C sources, and avoiding coffee and tea which inhibit iron uptake) is an excellent way to stay on top of the issue. However, if you are already feeling the effects of iron-deficiency anemia (extreme fatigue, nausea after aerobic activity, ice craving, decline in athletic performance), you’d better seek out the advice of a doctor. Once your iron stores have dropped too low, eating a huge spinach salad isn’t going to boost your performance back to where it was.
Here’s an easy, lightened up lasagna, brimming with iron-rich foods like lean beef, spinach and whole grains, and great for both pre and refueling those tempo, interval, and long run workouts.
Lean Beef, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound ground lean beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (26-ounce) jars low-fat marinara sauce
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 8 cooked lasagna noodles
- 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey, onion, and garlic; cook until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add mushrooms and marinara sauce, reserving ½ cup sauce; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Combine cottage and ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan, basil and oregano, pepper, and spinach; stir well.
Spread reserved marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over marinara; top with cottage cheese mixture and half of the mozzarella. Spoon half of the meat and mushroom mixture over the mozzarella. Arrange the remaining noodles over turkey mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture and mozzarella.
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Tidbits
- Word on the street is a lot of Boulder folks are IN for Alcatraz, including Mike Ellis, Charles Garabedian, Craig Wilson, and Christy Wilson! Congrats guys! Anyone else? Let me know, and we can get an e-mail list together for you.
- Most dedicated USAT challengers of the month are Mike Ellis, swimming to 8th swim place overall with over 54 miles swum in December, and Stephanie Murphy, who logged over 700 miles on the bike last month and stands in 9th place for overall miles currently!
- There’s a good crowd of BTCers trying for Leadville Race Across the Sky this year, including Chuck McCash, Charles Garabedian, Derek Cicchitto, Dave McMillan, Tim Barnett, and Steve Pyle. Good luck to all–hope you get in!
Part-ing Shot
Guess whose mullet?
a) Richard Streeter
b) Dave McMillan
c) Neil Smith
The hairy truth will be revealed as next month’s athlete profile. E-mail your answer, plus feedback and ideas for upcoming issues to Wendy at mcmillan.w@gmail.com.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
A warm welcome to new members! Thanks to our organized and efficient secretary, Pam, for providing a list!
- Kevin Houghton
- Janel Sexton
- Elizabeth Larson
- Tricia Dixon
- Rosella Cadel
- Joan Kozdeba
- Laura Riviera
- Arva Terry
- Tona Fox
- Tim Barnett
RED LINE ALERT: Just a heads up, the following memberships are expiring in January. Please renew soon to continue taking advantage of all the great benefits of BTC!
- Pamela Robbins
- Jen Foley
- Sarah Viewig
- Adam Hodges
- Jim Buderus
- Jeffrey Kern
