It's National Triathlon Week and like so many other industries, the event and race industry has taken a huge hit. As race directors and local governments try to find a way to hold events, USAT is behind the scenes providing resources and educational material to constituents to help them make informed decisions. Our feature interview this week is with Rocky Harris, CEO of USA Triathlon.
In Today's Show:
Announcements:
Sponsor UCAN:
UCAN is celebrating National Triathlon Week with a number of events. Check out the link in the show notes - https://ucan.co/national-triathlon-week/
Weekend Duathlon Challenge
June 27th-28th
Complete the UCAN Duathlon Weekend Challenge for a chance to be entered into a raffle to win a Tim O’Donnell UCAN Bundle. Click HERE for more details.
Coach’s Roundtable
Monday, June 29th @ 8pm ET
Join in for a discussion about how these prestigious coaches are preparing their athletes for the new world we live in. What will racing look like? How should athletes adapt their training and mindset going into them? Given the lack of diversity in triathlon, are there things coaches are doing to change that? How is the coaching landscape changing? With such acclaimed and experienced coaches, this is sure to be an informative, fun, and engaging event.
UCAN gives you steady energy so you can finish stronger. UCAN Performance Energy and Bars are powered by SuperStarch®. Use in your training to fuel the healthy way and recover quickly! Use code MHE2020 for 15% off at generationucan.com, or try the UCAN Tri Starter Pack - 50% off, limit 1 - https://www.generationucan.com/product/ucan-tri-starter-pack-50-off/
Interview with Rocky Harris:
As a lead in to our interview with Rocky, we want to start with the ride he participated in this past weekend. Their journey began the evening of Friday, June 19th at 6:30pm MT, at the Utah-Colorado border just west of Grand Junction. Their goal, to complete a 483-mile relay ride across the state of Colorado while raising money for the USA Triathlon Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado. Over the course of 483 miles, the riders averaged 20 mph, climbed nearly 23,000 feet of elevation with their highest point at Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet of elevation. Just before 8:00pm and beating the sunset, all nine riders joined together for the final mile to the Kansas-Colorado state line.
Among the riders in this event was USA Triathlon CEO Rocky Harris. We also saw that USA Triathlon Foundation Awards $110,000 in COVID-19 Relief Fund Grants. With races trying to find a path to get back open, we were curious how USAT is playing a role in this process. We were able to catch up with Rocky Harris himself.
Post Interview discussion:
Endurance News:
IRONMAN Lubbock 70.3 "Postponed"
We regret to announce that the 2020 Core Power IRONMAN 70.3 Lubbock triathlon cannot take place on June 28 due to the acceleration of COVID-19 infections in Texas. In accordance with our IRONMAN Safe Return to Racing protocol, the health and safety of our community is of utmost priority and in alignment with remarks made by Governor Abbott on Tuesday, June 23, it would not be responsible to host the event at this moment in time.
IRONMAN Group President and CEO Andrew Messick shared, “We are grateful to Mayor Pope of The City of Lubbock and his fine team of professionals, along with our long-time partners Mike and Marti Greer, for their outstanding work to do everything possible to host this race. But ultimately the COVID-19 headwinds in Texas right now are just too strong for the race to happen. We look forward to when we can return to Lubbock.”
All registered athletes of the 2020 Core Power IRONMAN 70.3 Lubbock triathlon will be receiving an email with further information. If you have additional questions or do not receive the email with further information, please contact lubbock70.3@ironman.com. In what has been a continually evolving and challenging time globally, we recognize that the change at this late juncture will come as a disappointment but look forward to providing athletes with an exceptional race experience in the future.
We are so close to racing in a COVID world! Pools are beginning to open up. Gyms are doing the same. A few races are sticking to their calendar and are appearing to be a go in the next couple of months.
But just because I am saying “racing in a COVID world” it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be business as usual. Here are my coaching tips on what to do different in your training to be ready for a race experience that too will have a very different look and feel than in the past.
Let me start with the racing guidelines that are being put out by both USAT and by IRONMAN. Knowing what will likely be different at your races will help you craft your training to be ready for them.
What's New in the 303:
https://303triathlon.com/usa-triathlon-operation-cocovid-19-a-success/
USA Triathlon Operation CO>COVID-19 a Success!
Their journey began the evening of Friday, June 19th at 6:30pm MT, at the Utah-Colorado border just west of Grand Junction. Their goal, to complete a 483-mile relay ride across the state of Colorado while raising money for the USA Triathlon Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado.
Over the course of 483 miles, the riders averaged 20 mph, climbed nearly 23,000 feet of elevation with their highest point at Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet of elevation. Just before 8:00pm and beating the sunset, all nine riders joined together for the final mile to the Kansas-Colorado state line.
The team had set a goal to raise $20,210 in reference to the postponed Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will take place in 2021. At the time of their finish, $21,568 had been raised with donations still rolling in. Donations are still being accepted at usatriathlonfoundation.org.
We're signed up for the Epic Mini and it's potentially getting a brand change…The Epic Warrior Triathlon
We have a sweet new logo that will be on shirts, medals and social media soon enough. We also have a really great theme surrounding this event that might just remain a surprise until you pickup your swag bags & shirts
The name says it all! The “EPIC MINI” Triathlon. Taking place at a central venue located in Fort Collins Colorado, this race packs a punch of fun. Choose a sprint or supersprint distance course to race! Fort Collins boasts some of the best local breweries around, bike friendly paths at every turn (the Spring Creek Trail is next to the run course) and a ton of activities all within minutes of iconic downtown – also known as “Old Town”. Don’t take our word for it – make a weekend out of this event and plan to get a little extra sight seeing done!
Video of the Week:
What The Heck? Danny Macaskill rides the new Santa Cruz ebike
Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us on social media including @303endurance and @triathlon and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!
In the race limbo that we are living in these days, cyclists, runners and triathletes are all getting creative about how to stay motivated and engaged in their sport. This week Bill's Strava-stalking pays off big with the notice of an epic 1 day ride by Clif Pro team cyclist Russell Finsterwald and Kalan Beisel.
We caught up with Russell and Kalan to talk about their 240 mile and 20K of climbing in a single day's ride. As it turns out, we aren't the only ones Strava-stalking. I was on my Thursday run with my buddy Aaron Monroe and I started to tell him about these two guys who did a 240 mile single day ride - he replied "you interviewed Kalan Beisel?" For those of you who live in the front-range of Colorado, you'll find this route absolutely fascinating (and mind boggling). For those of you not in the area, don't worry, we've got a lot of interesting information that you can apply to your riding or perhaps inspire you do an epic ride where you live!
Thanks to last week's guest, 5x Ironman champ and Spartan Pro team member Heather Gollnick. If you missed it, go back to episode #236 and hear about her crazy high racing volume and learn more about her role as head triathlon coach at Liberty University and IronEdge Coaching.
In Today's Show:
Announcements:
Sponsor UCAN:
UCAN has kicked off our Father's Day Sale - 20% off all powders and bars - see below for the link and please share if you'd like. Follow UCAN for all the great content too! Last Tuesday they had a virtual event Tuesday 8pm ET with running legend, Ryan They also had their weekly Zwift Ride.
UCAN gives you steady energy so you can finish stronger. UCAN Performance Energy and Bars are powered by SuperStarch®.
Use in your training to fuel the healthy way and recover quickly! Use code MHE2020 for 15% off at generationucan.com, or try the UCAN Tri Starter Pack - 50% off, limit 1 - https://www.generationucan.com/product/ucan-tri-starter-pack-50-off/
Interview with Russell Finsterwald and Kalan Beisel:
Kalan's race resume includes:
Russell's resume includes:
Sponsor VENGA:
VENGA Ultra Gels, gummies and the Recovery Balm use Nano Emulsion Technology to get up to 5x CBD in your Blood Stream. It's 100% THC-Free, Works Fast and the Ultra Gels make sure you get a Precise dose. Great reducing inflammation and helping you get great sleep.
“Venga!” is a Spanish for “Come on! go!
What's New in the 303:
Boulder Peak Cancelled
In the case of Boulder Peak, Boulder County is extending their restriction of 100 maximum gathering size through July, thereby forcing us to cancel the July 12th, Boulder Sports Chiropractic Boulder Peak Triathlon. Since 1991, the Boulder Peak Triathlon has experienced its ups and downs, but has always found a way to survive. This season will be no different. All registered athletes, and those who elected to transfer from the Colorado Triathlon, will be receiving an additional email with special instructions regarding their entry.
The name says it all! The “EPIC MINI” Triathlon. Taking place at a central venue located in Fort Collins Colorado, this race packs a punch of fun. Choose a sprint or supersprint distance course to race!
Fort Collins boasts some of the best local breweries around, bike friendly paths at every turn (the Spring Creek Trail is next to the run course) and a ton of activities all within minutes of iconic downtown – also known as “Old Town”. Don’t take our word for it – make a weekend out of this event and plan to get a little extra sight seeing done!
Lachlan Morton breaks Everesting record - from Cyclingtips.com
Lachlan Morton has set a new Everesting record in an official time of 7 hours, 32 minutes, and 54 seconds. Morton took the record from pro mountain biker Keegan Swenson, who took it from Phil Gaimon with a time of seven hours, 40 minutes, and five seconds. Morton averaged 254 watts over the effort. His attempt took place on the backside of Rist Canyon, outside Fort Collins, Colorado. Morton completed 42 laps of the climb to reach the height of Mount Everest, 8,848m (29,029 feet). Each climb up took him roughly nine minutes.
Endurance News:
With dream deferred, Olympic hopefuls to bike across Colorado for charity
The postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics was a necessary, but frustrating blow to athletes around the world. But with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to take lives and leave millions jobless, some Americans are using their free time for a good cause. Nine U.S. Olympic and Paralympic triathlete hopefuls are biking 483 miles across the state of Colorado in just 24 hours to raise money for charity.
Named the "Operation CO>COVID," the team is hoping to raise more than $20,000 for the USA Triathlon Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado. "Instead of racing in Tokyo, we will be racing the sun to finish our ride before sundown and raising money to give back to the community for COVID-19 relief," triathlete and paralympic hopeful Melissa Stockwell said. "It's really just us wanting to give back. Just to help out a community that we're really passionate about." The relay challenge will take place June 19, starting on the Utah-Colorado border heading east across the Rockies before ending in Kansas. The team will bike in groups of three, taking shifts while gaining a grueling 23,000 feet in elevation. Team USA did the math-- the bikers must maintain a average speed of 21 miles per hour to cross the state before a full day is up.
Athletes will be divided into three teams of three, with each person covering up to four different segments ranging from 3-15 miles at a time. The first riders will begin cycling from the Utah-Colorado state line in the evening (exact time TBD) on Friday, June 19, with a goal to be at the Colorado-Kansas state line 24 hours later on Saturday, June 20.
Toyota support vehicles will transport the rest of the athletes and their gear along the route, stopping to swap riders after each segment. The athletes must collectively maintain an average of 21 miles per hour in order to successfully cross the state within 24 hours.
The participating athletes include:
Video of the Week:
2019 USA Cycling Russell Finsterwald Marathon National Champion
Upcoming Interviews:
Rocky Harris, CEO of USA Triathlon, will join us to talk about the bike across Colorado and updates on USAT.
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us on social media including @303endurance and @triathlon and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!
We've got 5x Ironman champ and Spartan Pro team member Heather Gollnick. She's the head coach at Liberty University and she and her husband have their own coaching business IronEdge Coaching.
Thanks to last week's guest, Erin Carson of Rally Sports and ECFIT.
In Today's Show:
Sponsor UCAN:
Bill, did you get your UCAN Starter Pack yet? I've been going through it myself. Really loving drinking a bottle prior to a long run and then just carrying the hydration formula with extra salts.
UCAN gives you steady energy so you can finish stronger. UCAN Performance Energy and Bars are powered by SuperStarch®. Use in your training to fuel the healthy way and recover quickly! Use code MHE2020 for 15% off at generationucan.com, or try the UCAN Tri Starter Pack - 50% off, limit 1 - https://www.generationucan.com/product/ucan-tri-starter-pack-50-off/
Interview with Heather Gollnick:
Heather Gollnick was at the top of her triathlon career about the time I was discovering triathlon. She raced a ton as a pro triathlete and races a ton more as a OCR Spartan pro. As you'll hear she loves to train as well. As we mentioned in the intro that she is head triathlon coach at Liberty University and co-owner of IronEdge Coaching. Let's chat with Heather Gollnick.
Post interview discussion.
Sponsor VENGA:
Thanks to Jay O'Hare at VENGA for the introduction to Heather. We didn’t discuss VENGA as much as I was hoping to. We've both been trying the Ultra Gels and the Recovery Balm. There big thing is the Nano Emulsion Technology which makes it water soluble, getting up to 5x CBD in your Blood Stream. It's 100% THC-Free, Works Fast and the Ultra Gels make sure you get a Precise dose. Great reducing inflammation and helping you get great sleep.
“Venga!” is a Spanish for “Come on! go!
Endurance News:
Ironman Lubbock 70.3 is on. Check out the Athlete Guide as a template for future races.
https://ironmanlubbock.com/assets/images/2020-guide.pdf
IRONMAN Return To Racing https://www.facebook.com/IRONMANtri/
What's New in the 303:
About Without Limits and Boulder Peak? https://www.withoutlimits.co/boulder-peak-triathlon-race-info
Eight U.S. Olympic and Paralympic triathlon hopefuls, along with USA Triathlon CEO Rocky Harris and one guide for a visually impaired athlete, who will be riding across the state of Colorado in a 24-hour relay on June 19-20 to raise funds for COVID-19 relief. The ride will cover 483 miles in total distance, gaining nearly 23,000 feet of elevation as it extends from the Utah-Colorado state line in Montrose, Colorado, to the Colorado-Kansas state line at U.S. 40 and CR 57 (near the town of Arapahoe, Colorado). The route travels from the Western Slope up into the Rocky Mountains, cresting Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet of elevation before descending into the Front Range via Colorado Springs and into the Eastern Plains.
A local news station in Colorado Springs put together this quick segment yesterday: https://www.kktv.com/content/sports/With-dream-deferred-Olympic-hopefuls-to-bike-across-Colorado-for-charity-571111931.html.
Boulder’s Dede Griesbauer and Kennett Peterson dominate the IRONMAN VR10 Pro Challenge Weekend
The 10th edition of the IRONMAN® VR™ Pro Challenge saw a United States sweep with Dede Griesbauer winning the women’s race and Kennett Peterson taking the top honors in the men’s race as eight top triathletes battled it out over the course of two days. Mixing up the format, athletes took on a 3 km run through the Eagle Trail in Boulder, Colorado before hopping on their trainers. From there, athletes began their 40 km bike ride in Gerry Boyle Park on a portion of the newly offered IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman bike course, utilizing Official Virtual Cycling partner ROUVY’s augmented reality.
In the closely contested professional women’s race, Dede Griesbauer (USA) fought her way into the top spot with an impressive performance, finishing the 3 km run and 40 km bike in an overall time of 1:07:53, while Lindsey Jerdonek (USA) finished in second place with a combined time of 1:08:42. Danielle Mack (USA) took third position with a finishing time of 1:10:09 and Rachel Olson (USA) rounded out the group with a time of 1:11:19.
Colorado Classic Planning to Roll With “Made for TV” Model
Denver, CO (June 9, 2020) — In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Colorado Classic® presented by VF Corporation today released an initial statement sharing their intention to continue their August race with a revised format, a ‘Made for TV Streaming’ model.
With a new race model that limits the gathering of crowds and prioritizes the safety of riders, host communities and staff, the race organizers feel optimistic that America’s premier all-women’s professional road cycling race could successfully continue August 27-30, 2020 — pending the appropriate approvals from the State, county and city health departments.
Video of the Week:
Venga CBD Review 2020 - THC-Free CBD For Ultrarunners/Endurance Athletes
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us on social media including @303endurance and @triathlon and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!
This week we are sitting down with Erin Carson of Rally Sports to talk about: Life and business as things are starting to open up, how she's been helping athletes during this period, we'll talk about the ECFIT Launch workouts, and Erin's philosophies on strength training for endurance athletes. We'll also learn a little more about Rally Sports.
Thanks to last week's guest, Matt Bach for an education on endurance nutrition and about what makes UCAN so unique and different as an fuel source. We hoped to just share some facts because it's something that we believe in and it really is something to be experienced to really get. More on that later.
In Today's Show:
Sponsor UCAN:
UCAN gives you steady energy so you can finish stronger. UCAN Performance Energy and Bars are powered by SuperStarch®. Use in your training to fuel the healthy way and recover quickly! Use code MHE2020 for 15% off at generationucan.com, or try the UCAN Tri Starter Pack - 50% off, limit 1 - https://www.generationucan.com/product/ucan-tri-starter-pack-50-off/
Interview with Erin Carson:
Erin Carson is co-owner and operator of RallySport, a Boulder, Colorado training facility and health club. As the head coach for ECFIT she provides strength training programs for endurance athletes seeking to perform at their very best in triathlons, marathons, and cycling events. Her clients include world champions and olympians as well as everyday athletes seeking excellence.
https://ecfitstrength.com/
https://rallysportboulder.com/
What's New in the 303:
Endurance News:
Is IRONMAN Lubbock really happening?
USAT Collegiate Nationals in Lake Havasu October 16-17
USA Triathlon today announced the dates and locations for its rescheduled 2020 Collegiate Club & High School National Championships and 2020 Duathlon National Championships, both of which were initially set for this spring but were postponed due to the COVID-pandemic. Both events are now scheduled for Oct. 16-17 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, as part of the Havasu Triathlon co-hosted by race production companies Tucson Racing and 3 Disciplines (3D) Racing.
Collegiate Club & High School Nationals were originally scheduled to take place April 3-4 in Tempe, Arizona, while Duathlon Nationals were originally set for May 30-31 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Video of the Week:
Chat with Todd Lytle about his 34 year career in triathlon being president of Rocky Mountain Triathlon Club, some good stories along the way, his time living in Mexico and on a fishing boat and his plans to get ready to race Kona in February.
What I love about this interview with Todd was that even though I've known Todd (or at least about Todd) for a few years, I never "knew" Todd. For me to learn about his first triathlon, or his favorite swim course being Cozumel or his favorite bike course being Kentucky, or his Air Force experience (which was incredibly similar to mine), I would have to hang out with him a lot and it would take months if not years to collect all of those insights about Todd. It's like speed dating but virtually.
I saw him swimming on Wednesday at the Gravel Pond, before I watched the interview. Today, I've seen the interview and I know feel a kind of kinship with Todd. We're middle of the packer, former Air Force, triathlon nuts.
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us on social media including @303endurance and @triathlon and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!