Multi-Sport

By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM Now Triathlete,

One week prior to USAT Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I found myself facing some complications. First of all, I was headed to the emergency room in the middle of the night with acute abdominal pain indicative of either a) the onset of gastroparesis, a condition that nearly killed me in 2011, or b) appendicitis, which would require surgery. In either case, I was well aware that my ability to race the next weekend was in jeopardy. However, the doctors were unable to find anything wrong, and as my symptoms resolved to random bouts of dizziness, nausea, and gastric cramping throughout the week, I decided to race. Secondly, my plans for carpooling and sharing a hotel had fallen through. I contacted teammate Brian Reynolds to see if I could possibly carpool with him, and he graciously agreed. Friday morning, then, we met bright and early, picked up Brian’s dad, and headed to Milwaukee. I had no idea how well I would be able to race, but I was certainly ready to give it my best shot!

We arrived in Milwaukee with plenty of time to pick up our packets, check our bikes into transition, and go for a quick 2.5 mile run to loosen up after a long day in the car. Then we met up with a friend of mine from Michigan State Triathlon and her family to get our pre-race pasta dinner.
The next morning, we needed to get to transition at 6:30 am, despite the fact that Brian’s wave was at 9:02 and mine was 10:12. We walked to the race venue, then I quickly lost contact with Brian. I found a couple of friends from the MSU triathlon team, and we laid around under a tree to relax until around 9:30.

As usual in Milwaukee, the swim starts with a countdown, followed by the statement: “You are now in the hands of the starter” and a heartbeat sound effect blared over the speaker system. The heartbeat made my heart sink and a rock settle in my stomach every time it played, so when I was in the water with my hand on the pontoon, I was prepared for the sensation. The heartbeat seemed to play much longer for my wave than it had for previous waves, but eventually the starting horn blew and I let go of the pontoon and shoved my way into the melee of over 100 women, attempting to sprint towards the first buoy. The problem with having so many women line up in one row was that when I started to swim, I was actually crawling over other women. With each “stroke,” instead of slicing through the water, I was actually pushing off the shoulders and backs of the women around me. Soon though, I was actually swimming and tried to settle into a good pattern of breathing and sighting. After swimming under the famous bridge that forced everyone to funnel in together to pass, the swim wasn’t bad and soon I was sighting the beach. I came out of the water hot on the heels of a friend from MSU, and breathlessly gave some encouragement as I ran past her… and promptly slipped and fell on the wet grass turning into transition. I bit back a frustrated yelp and continued trying to get my arms free of the wetsuit. Still, my transition wasn’t overly clumsy and once I hit the bike course, I was ready to rock and roll.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Roxane Kippen, Team OAM Now Triathlete

The Dirty Burg  Trail Run took place on what started out as a cool sunny morning at the Cannonsburg Ski Area. It is the summer event put out by Switchback Endurance, the race directors of the very popular spring and winter trail races at Yankee Springs State Recreation Area. The Dirty Burg offers 5K, 10K, 20K and 50K trail races and punishes runners with a finish up and back down the ski hill on every lap. Sounds fun, right?

Being an off-road triathlete, I do most of my running on trails, so a trail race is a nice motivator to get me out for a hard run. I have participated in several of the Switchback Endurance races in the past so I was confident that a well-managed event was in store at The Dirty Burg. Race directors Kim Owens and Phil Stapert did not disappoint and provided a well marked, challenging course for a mid-July tune up.

Fortunately, I only had to race one 10K loop and had to tackle the steep run walk up the face of the ski hill and clambering decent down once.  It blew my mind that some racers were doing that up to 5 times for the longer races.  It was even more mind blowing when I was half way through my measly one lap race, and the leader of the 50K race, on his 5^th and final lap, blew by me on the trail like I was standing still.  The only part of the race where I was actually almost standing still was half way up the ski hill, when I could no longer muster what looked like a run.

The start times for each distance were staggered which allowed for a very rare race day with no alarm clock necessary for me.  This beats a 4am wakeup call for a triathlon any day!  The 10K trail race started at 9am and temps were in the low 60s with relatively low humidity.  It doesn’t get much better than that for the middle of the summer.  The field was pretty small, so I decided I needed to go out hard and see if I had any challengers in the women’s field.  I’d either pull someone along with me or put a discouraging enough gap on the others that they wouldn’t bother trying to work their way back to me in the latter part of the race.  The trail begins ascending immediately upon entry to the single track and goes straight up for about a ½ mile before reaching the top.  That part of the trail is appropriately named “Up the Gut.” I charged up the climb harder than I ever had before and, once I reached the top, I did not see anyone near me.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM Now Triathlete

After my last race in the cold and the rain, I was asked whether I was happy and if I had fun. At that moment, it was hard to answer. However, I thought about that question often over the next 2 weeks leading up to the Clark Lake Triathlon. I have only raced at Clark Lake one other time and that was 7 years ago. So, my goals going into the race  were to improve on my previous time, have fun, and most of all be happy. The next time someone asked, I’d be prepared.

Upon arrival, I quickly discovered the size of the field had decreased since 2008 as there would only be 1 wave start for the women. I prefer a single wave start because I can see what place I am in during the race. I was happy! In addition to my preferred start, the roads were finally dry on race day and I was able to top off my tire pressure. I was happy!  Then, the transition had pre-designated spots by race number.  I was assigned a great spot near the Swim In/Run Out. I was happy!

Because Clark Lake is shallow and warms quickly, it has a good chance of not being wet suit legal, but with the cool summer we have had so far, the swim was wet suit legal. Again, I was happy!

The women were the last wave in a 3 wave start. As a result of two swim waves starting before us, the water was stirred up and I found I had a hard time settling in on the swim. I had to alternate between freestyle and backstroke. I found myself quickly losing my “have fun/be happy” mantra and had to dig deep. As I came out of the water, I found myself way back in the field of women.  I knew I had my work cut out for me on the bike.

The bike course is known for some rough sections of road and those roads have not improved over the years. Therefore, they turned the bike course into a 2-loop course. The 2-loop course consisted of mostly smooth roads with a few gentle rolling hills. On my first lap, I found myself behind the lead men who were completing their second loop. I was able to maintain a similar pace to the lead men for 3-4 miles. I recorded the fastest female split on the bike and came into T2 just behind the lead female. Now, I was happy! Because I have done several races with the lead female, I knew she was a fast runner and I would not be able to catch her during the run leg, but hoped I could maintain my position near the front.

I exited T2 with the 3rd place female and  quickly discovered she was a fast runner as well; I was dropped to 3^rd place.  The run course features flat, paved roads that run alongside quaint lakeside cottages.  The people of the neighborhood were out cheering on the runners with signs and hoses creating a fun atmosphere. The women’s field consisted of many fast runners.

Despite running just under my goal pace, I was caught by 4 more women. I was able to finish as the 7^th overall female and 1^st in my age group taking more than 9 minutes off my time 7 years ago. I was happy! 

By Roxane Kippen, Team OAM Now Triathlete

Team OAM NOW Multisport athletes have been reeling in the podium finishes this year and are on track for another phenomenal season of performances.  However, not every race goal involves standing atop a set of steps.  Sometimes we race just for fun and sometimes we race to train.  The T Rex 10 Miler and Wimpy 8K Trail Run on 4^th of July was a combination of both fun and training for five of our multisport ladies.

Training plans include some high intensity days that can, oftentimes, be substituted with a race. For me, it is definitely easier to go out and do a hard run with a group rather than by myself or just one or two others.  Choosing to do a race in place of a hard training day allows an athlete to focus on the training without all the stress of race day.  It also gives an opportunity to test one’s limits…how much of a gap can I close in the last mile of a run? How hard can I push on climbs and still maintain decent speed on downhills and flats? If I go out hard, how long can I hold that pace?  You’d be surprised by the things you can learn from doing B & C (lower priority) races that you can work to improve for A races.

There are a growing number of events available from which to chose, especially for running, so it is not hard to find a lower key race to mix up your training venue.  The T Rex 10 Miler and Wimpy 8K Trail Run is held at Fallasburg Park in Lowell, MI every 4^th of July.  It is a pretty challenging course with some technical single track trail and some big gravel road climbs.  Course signage, with T Rex cutouts, were a reminder not to take things too seriously though.

I chose to race the Wimpy 8K (just under 5 miles) to help teach my body to run fast on tired legs.  The day before the race, I rode 30 miles of trail on my mountain bike which left me a bit fatigued.  Amy Kimber, Cheryl Sherwood, Erin Young and Raquel Torres all ran the T Rex 10 Mile race.  Amy decided to do the race the night before, Cheryl had ridden 100+ miles the day before, Erin is training for a 100 miler while still regaining her fitness after having a baby a few months ago, and Raquel was just wrapping up a very hard week of training.  Clearly, winning was not the name of the game.

Our goal was to have fun and get in a quality training day and we all accomplished our mission.  While I did end up walking part of a huge climb on a gravel road (this same climb is one of the first on the Lowell 50 course), I did push to close the gap on a female runner ahead of me on the return route to the finish.  I’d say it took me a half mile to close the gap, up and down the gravel road, but then I really struggled to stay with her for the last mile in the trail and my legs just didn’t have what it took to pass.

Trail running is a great alternative to the constant pounding of pavement.  It also builds hip and ankle stability and leg strength.  Although, it does take a bit of concentration to maneuver around trees, over rocks and roots and up sandy hills.  Raquel is a new trail runner and said the obstacles were definitely a challenge for her, but she is looking to improve her run and focusing on adding some running races to her training.

The T Rex was a very well-run event with no fancy chip timing and, in turn, no crazy expensive race entry fees. Post race refreshments included a make your own snow cone station along with a giant table full of raffle prizes.  I’ll definitely be back for this one.  Mid-July the multisport team kicks it back up a notch with several Michigan races.  Keep an eye out for us at Tri del Sol, Clark Lake Triathlon, Little Traverse Triathlon, Caseville Triathlon and Tri Allegan.

By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM Now, Triathlete

The morning of the Grand Rapids Triathlon started out at 4 am for many members of the Team OAM Now. Like last year, it was raining steadily as athletes set up the transition area. For those of you who have never had the distinct pleasure of setting up transition in the rain, it really is an experience. Forget about using electrical tape to attach gels to your top tube – nothing sticks. Your towel and shoes will be soaked if you don’t have a trash bag to cover them. If your helmet has an eyeshield, anticipate it being wet and impossible to see out of. I’ll admit, after my sub-par performance at Big Fish Triathlon in Ortonville two weeks prior, where I did the Olympic aquabike in 45 degrees and pouring rain, I was less than thrilled for another rainy day aquabike. At least my hands weren’t numb as I got into my wetsuit this time!

The Grand Rapids Triathlon is one of the biggest tris in the state. Team OAM Now/Athletic Mentors is one of the sponsors of this race. As such, we had a tent at the expo the day before the race. It was great to catch up with teammates before race day. As we handed out hot/cold packs, granola bars, and fliers, I learned that most of the multisport team racing would be doing the half-iron distance. The more the merrier, right? Plus, that meant that I would probably see some friendly faces as I entered the water in the first wave at 7 am. However, as I lined up in the corral to get in the water, I didn’t see any of my teammates. No worries though – I hung out with some friends from Grand Valley State University, where I did my undergrad, and hoped everyone from Team OAM Now was in place and ready to race!

The swim was uneventful and I hoped that, like last year, it would no longer be raining when I hit the road on the bike. To my minor disappointment, it was still sprinkling. The roads were, for the most part, decently drained and I only had to weave around several large puddles. I felt good on the bike though and, with the exception of needing to wipe off my eyeshield every mile or so, I wasn’t hampered by the rain.

I didn’t see any Team OAM Now members until just before the turnaround. I saw one man coming towards me and I racked my brain to remember who it could be. I settled on Brian Reynolds. As I rounded the turnaround, a volunteer told me I was the second female. I saw Raquel Torres less than half a mile back. She had started two waves after me, so had made up ten minutes on me at that point. She passed me within the next mile and we exchanged a few words of encouragement. Next thing I knew, Kaitlyn Patterson, who started in the same wave as Raquel, flew past me. I was going a bit over 21 mph at the time, so knew she had to be going at least 24. I made a mental note to attempt to mountain bike more and see if it turned me into a beast on the bike like her! Kaitlyn hasn’t been doing a lot of triathlon training as she has spent the year racing mountain bikes, and yet, there she was, dominating a half-iron tri on the road! Not long after Kaitlyn passed me, I was passed by another Team OAM Now male, who I decided was probably Todd Anthes. At that point, I was out of water, my hip was completely cramped, and I was in too much pain to pay attention to people coming up on the other side. I missed a few teammates, but all I could think about was finishing at that point! I was passed by another woman in the aquabike, Kim Albin. She’s a strong cyclist and I tried to stay with her, but it wasn’t happening for me. (My heart said go, go, go, but my body said no, no, no – although I think the actual song has those two things in reverse…) My focus was then to just hold off the women behind me to preserve a podium place in the half aquabike. The finish line couldn’t come fast enough!

After the race, I immediately found an icepack for my hip and tried to waddle around awkwardly to find my friends and teammates. Overall, I had a decent race, although I would have liked to have been able to finish the bike as hard as I started. Regardless, Team OAM Now had a lot of podium places, and I was proud to be one of them despite my injury. Most notably, Team OAM Now had the top 2 females in the half iron distance! Kaitlyn, who remember, has been focusing on mountain bike training, won the half iron with a stellar time of 4:30! Raquel was second, pulling the awesome time of 4:38 in her first ever half. Brian went 4:10 in his first half, which was good for fourth overall and first in his age group. I think I’ll keep hanging out with these fast folks in the hope that some of their speed rubs off on me!

Sprint
Chuck Grzanka– 1st AG
Paul Raynes– 2nd AG

Sprint Relay
Mike Steele– 1st OA
Michelle Olson (Elite Club) 1st OA

Half Aquabike
Elaine Sheikh-3rd OA

Half

Kaitlyn Patterson– 1st OA
Raquel Torres– 2nd OA
Brian Reynolds– 1st AG, 4th OA
Todd Anthes– 3rd AG
Michelle Dalton– 9th AG

By Brian Reynolds, Team OAM Now Triathlete

Typically in a triathlon athletes are only suppose to be soaked during the swim leg. However, May 30th, at the Double Time Triathlon, I was soaked during the bike and part of the run as well.  It was my first rainy triathlon experience.  

On the morning of the race, the weather forecast showed a 60% chance of rain which made me think more about the rain than the race.  I did not prepare any special equipment for rain beside a rain coat, which obviously I did not wear during the race.  When I got to the race I saw several familiar faces from Team OAM Now, my Kalamazoo Masters swim group, and past participants I’ve encountered at other races. There were over 40 competitors in the triathlon.

Ten minutes before the swim, the rain started to come down hard, though it did not phase me much since I was already wet and in race mode.  When the horn went off, I sprinted to the front of the pack. About 50 yards into the swim, I could spot on my left the one and only Raquel Torres. I knew Raquel was a strong swimmer in the field, so I got behind her to draft.  Isn’t that what teammates are for? Teammate Paul Raynes thought the swim was interesting with the sound of heavy rain. After the swim, it was a long transition to the bike.  The rain was still coming down hard, so I had to be very cautious on the bike. The bike was a 11.3 mile, one-loop course which was mostly flat with several potholes within the first few miles.  Unfortunately, Michelle Dalton’s husband James crashed in the early miles of the bike leg after hitting a deep pothole which was covered with water.  Michelle stopped her race to help James.  Several OAM teammates and I encountered potholes, but thankfully there were no crashes. While the rain gradually let up during the bike leg, I credit it with taking my mind off the race and helping me relax.

I felt pretty good on the run and receiving encouragement from both competitors and spectators along the out and back course felt great.  Paul (Raynes) was happy to have dry feet during the run because he remembered to cover his running shoes with a plastic bag. Paul see-sawed back and forth with Matt Gunderson on the bike (no drafting) and they were able to pace together for about half of the run. Whenever you can stick with teammate for that much of the race, it’s great to have the support and encouragement.

Overall, it was a good day for Team OAM.  Below are the team results:

Brian Reynolds – Overall Tri Winner

Cricket Howard – Overall AB Winner

Matt Gunderson– Overall DU Winner

Paul Raynes – 1st AG

By Roxane Kippen, Team OAM Now Triathlete

Hold on a minute, isn’t triathlon just three disciplines? Yes swim, bike and run take up the majority of the race, but there are these precious seconds, or for some, minutes where you have to wiggle out of your wetsuit and put on a bike helmet (T1) and change from bike shoes to run shoes (T2). While time spent in the transition area may not be long, how wisely you use that time could be the difference between being on the podium or wishing you were.

With triathlon, there are usually a few “I could have been faster if I had only: sighted better in the swim so I wasn’t weaving all over the course, or not pushed so hard on the bike so I had solid legs to run on, or pushed harder on the run so I didn’t get caught in the last 100 meters.” What people might not realize is a good transition time can often make up for small mistakes elsewhere.

I’m not the fastest swimmer in the field, but I hold my own. However, my T1 transition is quick and efficient and usually sets me in great position heading out on the bike. In fact, I can generally make up anywhere from 15 to 30 second deficit from a slower swim with a fast T1 time. My transition times are always among the fastest in the women’s field and I actually posted the fastest T1 and T2 times out of both men and women at a race last summer.

Is transition a special talent I possess? Does a fast transition matter? Transition is a skill, just like swimming, and it can be practiced and improved. Transition does matter, as I have seen many a podium spot slip out from under athletes, because they did not prepare well for their entire race. When races are decided by less than 30 second gaps, you’d better believe 30 extra seconds in transition can cost you a win. So how do you get good at it? Like any other discipline in triathlon, you need to practice. Below are some rules and tips for how to shave seconds and maybe minutes off your next race.

Rule #1 – BE ORGANIZED
Organization is critical to a fast transition. You don’t get a lot of room in transition. Typically, one rack will have 8 bikes, so you need to be organized and keep only what you need in the transition area. Do not leave your duffle bag or backpack in the transition area. It will get in your way and it will get in the way of other racers by creating a road block when trying to un-rack and re-rack your bike.

Read the rest of this entry »