TRIATHICA MEMBERS AND FRIENDS RACE RESULTS
There were tons of races weekend before last and we would like to congratulate all our athletes and friends who competed. Here are some members and friends of Triathica who competed last weekend along with their race times, placement in age group, and percentile in age group.
For many of these folks, this was their first triathlon. Just finishing is a great accomplishment, regardless of finish times. Great job everyone!
Ironman Wisconsin
50 – 54 Male: Larry Davidson 7/170 (4%); 11:06:46
Lake Las Vegas Sprint Triathlon
25 – 29 Female: Keisha Dejong 1/19 (5%); 1:37:42
35 – 39 Female: Cynthia Hill 2/16 (12%); 1:38:26
Lake Las Vegas Olympic Triathlon
30 – 34 Male: Jordan Dejong 1/7 (14%); 2:38:32
Malibu Triathlon Olympic
40 – 44 Male: Mark Chavira 46/105 (44%) 2:44:25
Malibu Triathlon Classic
45 – 49 Female: Nancy Higbee 70/76 (92%) 3:01:24
World Sprint Championships
16 – 19 Male: Kevin Cowell 45/55 (82%), 1:08:16
25 – 29 Male: Greg Moe 8/51 (16%), 1:04:31
35 – 39 Male: Stu Lowndes 39/59 (66%), 1:08:47
40 – 44 Male: Mike Collins 4/56 (7%), 1:03:47
45 – 49 Male: Sam Sunshine 58/72 (81%), 1:14:14
50 – 54 Male: Brian Smallwood 18/53 (34%), 1:10:38
50 – 54 Male: Russ Jones 19/53 (36%), 1:10:44
55 – 59 Male: Kim McDonald 1/42 (2%); 1:06:00
55 – 59 Male: Bob Kinney 6/42 (14%); 1:12:20
60 – 64 Male: Peter Hoyt 5/26 (19%); 1:13:45
65 – 69 Male: Richard Lewis 2/15 (13%); 1:21:20
25 – 29 Female: Sara Davis 10/40 (25%); 1:11:55
40 – 44 Female: Julia Juliusson 3/35 (9%); 1:11:38
55 – 59 Female: Sheila Nicholas 11/21 (52%); 1:30:43
FREE GROUP WORKOUTS (Week of September 21st)
All of our group workouts are free to members and non-members, so come on out!
We want everyone to enjoy our group workouts but we should clarify the intent. The intent of the group workouts is to “workout.” Yes, it includes a social element. Yes, your Triathica host is happy to give you tips. But please be aware that everyone there is attempting to get a workout in at his or her own pace. If we all go at the slowest person’s pace many people won’t be getting in a proper workout. We will attempt to pair you up with another athlete so you’re not left alone.
Week of September 21st
Event: Group Swim
Place: Triathica flag at Big Corona near the lifeguard station next to the jetty
Day: Wednesday, September 23rd
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 3 loops around the buoys
Event: Group Ride
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Saturday, September 26th
Time: NO GROUP RIDE THIS WEEK! (OC Triathlon)
Planned Workout: NO GROUP RIDE THIS WEEK!
Event: Group Run
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Sunday, September 20th
Time: NO GROUP RUN THIS WEEK! (OC Triathlon)
Planned Workout: NO GROUP RUN THIS WEEK! (OC Triathlon)
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Big Corona – Corona Del Mar From the 405 N take the Jamboree Road Exit Make a left at Jamboree Turn left at Macarthur Boulevard Turn left on to CA-1 Pacific Coast Highway Turn Right on Marguerite Turn right on Ocean Boulevard Park at the beach ($8.00) or on the street (free) |
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Triathica – Triathlon Training Center From the I-5 Freeway: Exit Bake Parkway and head east for about 4 miles Make a left on Rancho Parkway South Turn right at the 3rd driveway 2nd building on your right Triathica is in Suite B on the right side of the building (Automotive Associates’ building) |
RACE REPORT: ITU SPRINT TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Julia Juliusson
My name is Julia Juliusson, and I am at the end of my third year of competition in Triathlon. I compete in age group 40-44 for women. I am now 44 yrs old and have the pleasure of competing against all the young ones in my age group.
This year has been the greatest year of competition in my life, which resulted in the national title for my age group in sprint triathlon and then the bronze medal in my age group at Worlds in Brisbane, Australia. All this after missing 6 months of competition in 2008 because I tore my right achilles tendon in half and had surgery to repair it. My experience at Worlds made all the hard work of coming back from that injury so incredibly worthwhile. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
I arrived in Brisbane on Monday Sept 7th after a 14-hour flight to Sydney where I had a short layover that my bike seemed to miss. I got delayed for hours in Sydney waiting for my bike. I arrived around 12:30 local time in Brisbane that Monday to be picked up by another athlete from Wisconsin (Heidi) who I was going to room with. She had arrived two days earlier and had managed to rip off the left hand side of our rental car. Apparently learning how to drive on the opposite side of the road in Austrailia is harder than it seems. We laughed and I told her I had no interest in driving the whole time we were there, or we would all surely die.
Everything is in reverse in Aussie land, including swimming laps in pools where you swim up the left lane and back down the right. We were given stern warnings by race officials that passing people on our bikes MUST be done on the right, or we would be disqualified. This ended up being tough to follow in the heat of the actual race!
We picked up two other athletes also rooming with us. Russ Jones from California and Jason Peterson from Ohio. We proceeded straight to the hotel to drop off our gear and went grocery shopping. All athletes care about is food right? The bad news was that food is really expensive in AUS. We bought breakfast food and snacks and some alcohol (not a lot), which cost close to $400. Wow, what an eye opener.
Later, we assembled our bikes and tried to stay up as long as we could and passed out early Monday night to try and change time zones.
Tuesday was all about checking out the course on our bikes and checking out the swim in the local bay. By the way, we were now in surfer’s paradise, about an hour from Brisbane on the coast. The race venue was about two miles from our hotel along the Gold Coast Highway, much like PCH here. The swim was in a protected bay/marina area so no waves to deal with, just a slight current. What we did have to deal with were sharks!
We went to the swim venue on Tuesday and ran into a race official who told us to be careful and not to swim at dusk because the area is known for Bull sharks. Bull sharks that eat people! Just two days ago they had seen two sharks swimming in the same area as the swim venue. It was only 9:00 a.m. so we took our chances and swam the course, biked the course and ran part of the course. We then went to play around in Surfer’s Paradise and went back to our food and spirits!!
Wednesday was the ITU Aquathon World Championships. Ironically, no one had to qualify for this race. They invited every triathlete to race it to preview the swim and warm up for our race. Naturally, we all signed up.
The Aquathon was a 1.6-mile run followed by a 1000-meter swim followed by a 1.6-mile run. I had never done a race this way with the 5K split like that, so that was interesting. It’s different to run into the water with your HR so elevated. I managed to run a 6:45 pace first run leg then got in the water for a 17 minute swim (the course was long) then ran a 7:00 pace for the last half. I managed to place 9th in my age-group; not bad for a warm-up race. Only problem was that it was freezing. They called it a non-wetsuit swim. The water was probably 65-67 deg F; it was very nippy.
Thursday was the only non-race duty day. Just R & R. We took an hour drive south to Byron Bay, an old hippy beach town that many people in the states who had been to Australia told me about. They said it was a “can’t miss” place to go. It was truly a beautiful beach with great cafes and shops. We drank, ate, laid on the beach, and enjoyed each other’s company.
Friday, we could tell the race jitters were beginning to set in. I had to go to packet pick up. I had to do short intensive burst workouts in all three disciplines. I needed to make final tweaks to our bikes. I tried to relax, but everyone felt a little nervous.
Saturday was all about going to the race venue to watch the Olympic distance races and see how many people were drafting. We had been told ITU officials were very lax when it came to drafting. The course was narrow, flat and fast, perfect drafting conditions. We saw many men drafting. Mostly the women were honest and there was not much drafting!
Team USA met on Saturday. USAT officials told us not to draft and only to pass on the right. Then we had bike check-in for the night, which I love! I hate to deal with the bike in the morning. It’s so nice to get to transition and have it all good to go! Next, it was time for a great meal. FYI, if you go to AUS, the meals out are just as expensive as the store. It was like $40-$50 for an entree. After dinner it was early to bed. 
RACE DAY: Up at 4 am and I am feeling good. Still, it’s very hard to stuff down the oatmeal. Walked out the door at 4:45 a.m. and drove to the race venue. I got in the transition by 5:15 a.m., set up my gear, then went for a 15-min run. Next I went down to the water, swam for 15 min (longer than usual for me), then realized they were starting the waves. I ran to my place in the chute. The race started at 6:45 a.m. local time and my wave went off at 6:55 a.m. It was the first race that I had where they sent all the women first.
I lined up on the shore, the horn went off, and I ran forward into the water only to step into a pot hole and completely fall. I could do nothing but start swimming when normally I would have dolphined two or three more times. It was not a great start and it was a full contact sport after that. I got elbowed and kicked many times. I paced it to the first buoy then turned right and started to pick up my pace.
I caught the lead group of ten swimmers. I drafted for the rest of the race and thought wow that was not so bad. Then I stood up from the 750 K swim and looked at my watch, which said 14 minutes, and I could only curse! Turns out the lead pack went slow!! The fastest gal went 13:30 or so and I came out 9th in the pack at 14th. I should have passed these gals instead of taking the easy way and just drafting. On the bright side, I was not tired so I hammered the bike!
I had the fastest bike split in my age group. In fact, I passed everyone on the bike. I was in first place coming into T2. Then, by mistake, I ran down the wrong aisle! I had to turn back which cost me a good 20 seconds. On the run, I got passed (with conviction) by an Aussie who must have been going sub 6:30 pace. She blew by me so fast I did not even try to match pace. Then, in the middle of the run, I got passed by a Kiwi who I stayed with for a while, but eventually lost her. Turns out, I was running a 6:50 pace which, after Achilles reconstruction, was awesome for me. I simply could not hang on to these gals. I finished with a good kick at one hour eleven minutes, just 20 seconds shy of second place. First place beat us both by two minutes; she deserved her gold.
I became a bronze medalist in the 2009 World Games and I cried. Never in my wildest dreams, after surgery last year, did I think I would come this far. I have my cycling coaches and run coaches to thank. I am very blessed indeed.
In 2010 the Worlds will be held in Budapest Hungary. Never say never 
PETE AND CORRINNE UPDATE #12
Jarrett Pflieger
The OC International Triathlon is looming, but Pete and Corrinne believe they’re ready. 
If you have been following Pete and Corrinne on their journey to the OC Tri, you know they have come a long way since they started training like triathletes at Triathica. This is the final week leading up to their race, we know they will do great.
Pete had a great week. “I feel that training program that Triathica has put together has really helped me get to this point. I was able to go out to the lake again this week for a practice swim,” he said. Pete also had the chance to practice swimming in Lake Mission Viejo with the Triathica group, sans wetsuit. “I feel with the warm weather, we will not have the ability to wear wetsuits at the race,” he revealed. Last week he said he needed to work on his speed a little bit. This week he did few tempo road runs and his legs felt pretty good. He is going to try to take it easy this week and is “looking forward to a few chiro adjustments, a good massage, and plenty of rest.”
Corrinne also had a great week. She has been training a lot on the indoor CompuTrainers here at Triathica because of her broken wrist. It is close to 100% so this past week she was finally able to go outside and ride. “Saturday I thought I would try to keep it a pretty easy ride with not a lot of hills. I didn’t really want to be gripping with my hand and wrist,” she said. She wore her brace and went down Shady Canyon, around Back Bay, and back. She followed that ride up with a short run. “At first, I was super nervous and my confidence was shot,” she explained, “It was like I was on my bike for the very first time again.”
She was thinking the ride might not go well at first, but about 10 minutes into the ride, she felt like she had never fallen. Things came back very quickly to say the least. Corrinne attributes her maintenance of fitness on the bike to the six weeks spent in the CompuTrainer room. She was spinning faster than ever before and was sure she was pushing out more watts. “ I think we were going a good 18-23 mph the whole time, which for me is great, and I wasn’t pushing it too hard. It felt soooo good,” she said.
One thing Corrinne is trying to work on this week is getting better sleep. Between kids starting school, football games three days a week, practice every night, and running the snack bar for the high school, she struggles finding the time to get a solid nights sleep. She estimates she gets around four hours a night. Sleep is very important leading up to a race, so hopefully she can find the time to get some much needed rest.
That’s is for Pete and Corrinne this week. Check back next week to see how they did at the OC Tri and where they are going from here.
CAFFEINE AND ENDURANCE SPORTS: IS THE HYPE FOR REAL?
Alyson Wolfe
Endurance athletes and sleepy early morning risers have used caffeine for years. Athletes and office workers alike have used it as a way to stay alert and improve endurance. For more than 30 years it has been studied in relation to its performance enhancing ablilities and has only recently been removed from the banned substance list of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) earlier this year.
It is one of the best-researched nutritional supplements, and the overwhelming scientific evidence suggests that, in moderation, it has very few to no adverse health effects. When abused, it can cause annoying little problems such as increased urination, stomach upset, headaches and trouble sleeping. Athletes who normally avoid caffeine may experience adverse effects if they start using it as an ergogenic aid without first determining how it will affect them.
The overwhelming majority of athletes use caffeine as a performance-enhancing supplement with very few problems. Many studies have looked at the effects of caffeine on exercise and found that caffeine can delay fatigue and help increase energy levels, increase alertness and even decrease muscle pain. All these positive effects lead to workouts that are more productive, longer and often more enjoyable to the athlete. One technical reason for this is due to the effect caffeine has on the increased stimulation of the central nervous system.
The recommended dose to help enhance endurance workouts is about 6 mg per kg of body weight. The scientific literature also suggests that the risk of negitive side effects is increased if caffeine is taken in doses higher than 9 mg per kg of body weight. Caffeine is found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, chocolate, cocoa beans and cola nuts, and is often added to carbonated drinks. The average cup of coffee has about 60 mg to 120 mg, so it doesn’t take a whole pot of coffee to do the job.
Caffeine can be absorbed by the body very fast, with peak concentration reached in around one hour. The half-life of caffeine, the time required for the body to eliminate one-half of the total amount of caffeine, varies widely among individuals. Depending on factors such as age, liver function, pregnancy, and some medications, caffeine’s half-life is approximately five hours in healthy athletic adults. Women who take oral contraceptives can increase this time to 5–10 hours, and in pregnant women the half-life is roughly 9–11 hours. Therefore, in order to find your individual optimal time to take caffeine, it may take some experimenting.
Athletes engaged in heavy endurance training often seek additional nutritional strategies to help maximize performance, however as with any intervention or use of supplementation, individual responses will vary. Athletes should monitor their caffeine dosage strategy before putting it to the test in a competion. Caffeine can be a benefit to you in a race but does not replace a sound everyday diet.
OC TRIATHLON COURSE TALK
Jarrett Pflieger
Doing the OC Tri race for the first time? Did it last year, but forgot what the course was like? No problem.
Triathica is having a course talk on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. We will be doing an overview of the course and discussing what you can do to give yourself the best chance at performing at your best. You need to know where the hills and downhills are, which hills to hammer, which turns to watch out for, where to watch your speed, and how to pace in each part of the race.
The first 10 to RSVP to the course talk will get goodie bags from Hammer nutrition. Spots are filling up, so don’t wait to RSVP. There is no cost for this event.
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Triathica, 26475 Rancho Parkway South, Lake Forest
For more information please contact Jarrett Pflieger at Jarrett@triathica.com or 949.273.6223.
DO I REALLY NEED TWO GYM MEMBERSHIPS?
Ron Saetermoe
Come on Ron, are you telling me I really need two gym memberships? I get it, really. You already have a gym membership – probably to 24 Hour Fitness or Bally’s or one of the high-end clubs like Renaissance. Guess what, so do I. Absurd? I think not.
When I moved to California in 1984 I joined Family Fitness Center in Costa Mesa. They changed names to 24 Hour Fitness some time after that. Anyway, when I joined I paid an initiation fee (no initiation fees or contracts here at Triathica) and my monthly fee was . . . $5.00 per month and was locked in for life!
So my base fee to 24 Hour Fitness is $5.00 a month. I don’t know too many other people that have a fee that low. Since then I’ve upgraded to “Sport” for another $10.00 per month and then again to “Super Sport” for another $20.00 per month, so now I’m paying $40.00 a month at the Agasai Super Sport in Laguna Niguel (about ½ mile from my home). A very nice club.
I’m not planning on giving up my membership there, ever. At some point I may downgrade it again, but I really enjoy how close my club is to home and the fact that they’ve got a nice five-lane swimming pool available 24 hours.
I’m not giving mine up and I wouldn’t expect you to either. You may share the same reasons as me or have your own. For example, we don’t have a lot of the equipment that the large clubs have like stair climbers or ellipticals. Most of our current members have other gym memberships although if you’re planning on “training like a triathlete” you really don’t need another one. Here’s why:
1. Our Endless Pool allows you to get a great workout without having to know how to flip turn. Your workout will more closely resemble an open-water swim.
2. Our spin bikes allow you to train with “watts.” We’ve talked about the benefits of training with watts before in this newsletter. It’s a more scientific way to train and if you’ve never been to one of our “sweat fest” spin workouts you’re really missing something.
3. Our CompuTrainers allow you to train with watts, on your own bike. This tool is used by many of the top triathletes in the world. We’ve got six of them here that allow you to ride an actual Ironman course or compete against one to five friends.
4. Triathica has two certified coaches to assist you. We sell personal training specifically tailored to your triathlon aspirations too, but much of our assistance and guidance is free.
24 Hour Fitness doesn’t have it, Bally’s doesn’t have it, even the $150.00 a month gyms don’t have it. And for a limited time, our membership deal is $180.00 for six full months of membership (October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010). That’s $30.00 a month!
We’re fanatical about the sport here and want to give you the tools you need to complete your first race or your 100th race.
Cheers!
FREE GROUP WORKOUTS (Week of September 14th)
All of our group workouts are free to members and non-members, so come on out!
We want everyone to enjoy our group workouts but we should clarify the intent. The intent of the group workouts is to “workout.” Yes, it includes a social element. Yes, your Triathica host is happy to give you tips. But please be aware that everyone there is attempting to get a workout in at his or her own pace. If we all go at the slowest person’s pace many people won’t be getting in a proper workout. We will attempt to pair you up with another athlete so you’re not left alone.
Week of September 14th
Event: Group Swim
Place: Triathica flag at Big Corona near the lifeguard station next to the jetty
Day: Wednesday, September 16th
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 3 loops around the buoys
Event: Group Ride
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Saturday, September 19th
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 2 loops around Santiago Canyon
Event: Group Run
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Sunday, September 20th
Time: 7:00 a.m.
Planned Workout: 9 miles through Whiting Ranch
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Big Corona – Corona Del Mar From the 405 N take the Jamboree Road Exit Make a left at Jamboree Turn left at Macarthur Boulevard Turn left on to CA-1 Pacific Coast Highway Turn Right on Marguerite Turn right on Ocean Boulevard Park at the beach ($8.00) or on the street (free) |
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Triathica – Triathlon Training Center From the I-5 Freeway: Exit Bake Parkway and head east for about 4 miles Make a left on Rancho Parkway South Turn right at the 3rd driveway 2nd building on your right Triathica is in Suite B on the right side of the building (Automotive Associates’ building) |
SEPTEMBER MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL
It may be smoldering hot outside now, but in the next month or two, you can expect things to change. The days will get shorter, and the air colder. It may be hard for you to get all your workouts in due to weather or dislike of riding in darkness. That’s where Triathica comes in.
We have literally everything you need to get your workouts in, all in a cozy, climate controlled facility. Don’t let the comfort fool you. Indoor training is the perfect way to focus on your workout and your workout alone. No worrying about cars, obstacles, visibility, flat tires, waiting for a lane, wearing a jacket, etc. Everything is in a controlled setting which helps you take your workouts to the next level.
With the racing off season and winter approaching, we’re announcing our best deal to date . . . one that will probably NEVER be repeated . . . a six-month membership for just $180.00!!! This is a huge savings off our standard membership of $50.00 a month.
We know the economy is tough and many of you have been holding off on spending any extra money. However, we also know how dedicated you are to the sport of triathlon. So we’re hoping that this offer will get those of you that are on the fence to come on in and “train like a triathlete.”
Here’s how it works: Enroll in any of our four memberships from September 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009 and you will get to train here at Triathica for just $180.00 ($30.00 per month). Your fees are due upon enrollment but we do have a monthly installment option of $210.00, or $35.00 per month.
Your membership begins October 1, 2009 and runs through March 31, 2010. If you want to come in before October 1st to train you will need to buy a regular membership for $40.00 (for an “associate” membership) until October 1st (for the month of September we’re bringing back the three training zone assessments in swim, bike and run with your paid membership — a $150.00 value).
Our thought is that with winter coming and daylight savings going, you’ll want to do more of your training indoors. And what better way than with our PowerTap spin bikes, CompuTrainers, an Endless Pool, and Landice treadmills, the smoothest and most quiet treadmills you will ever run on?
Give us a call or come on in. 949.273.6223, Jarrett@triathica.com or 26475 Rancho Parkway South, Lake Forest
PETE AND CORRINNE UPDATE #11
Jarrett Pflieger
The OC International Triathlon is looming, but Pete and Corrinne believe they’re ready. 
This past week brought a minor break in the sweltering heat, but it was still very warm nonetheless. “Overall the week went OK. I felt a little out of whack with the Monday holiday,” Pete said. He participated in the group run on Sunday with the Triathica group. Normally the run goes through Whiting Ranch, but this time it went through the same run course as the OC Tri since we have many athletes getting ready for that race. Pete explained, “It was great to run the actual course and see what I actually have to do on race day. Knowing what to expect by doing the course works wonder for my confidence.”
Along with running the OC Tri run course, the group also swam in Lake Mission Viejo on Wednesday night. “Even though we didn’t get to swim the actual course, we still swam in the same lake where the swim would be. It helped to look around and get comfortable with where everything would take place on the 27th,” explained Corrinne.
Pete was a little concerned about the temperature of the water. “The water temp was fairly warm (84 degrees) and I feel if this warm weather trend continues wetsuits will not be allowed. I will continue to practice without it and if we get to wear them it will be just a added bonus,” Pete explained.
This was Corrinne’s first open water swim since she got her cast off a few weeks ago. She was taking it easy, but swam with good form and confidence. It looks like she will definitely be ready to give it her all in two weeks.
For next week, Pete plans to dial in his efforts on his running. “I said this last week, but this week I need to get serious about shorter distance tempo runs. I’m an ultra runner by trade; so short and intense distances are foreign to me. All the more reason to do them,” said Pete.
Corrinne will continue to train hard and recover from her bike crash. Her arm is nearly 100% so we are all expecting a strong performance in two weeks.
Check back next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing in their final week before the big race.
