Sponsor News

Making It Work

January 20th, 2017 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Alex Vanias, Nordic Skier and Cyclist

I moved to Ann Arbor around the beginning of August. It isn’t the most optimal place to be a cross country skier, but I’m making it work. It took me about a month to find some convenient roads and trails to roller ski, but unfortunately after the time change in the fall I would get kicked out of said parks at sunset. Apparently downstaters are scared of the dark… Ok, I’ll go play with the cars. So much safer! It took me a few more weeks in November to find new roads with minimal traffic. I ended up finding some great suburbs with minimal traffic and nice pavement. The only annoying part about suburbs is that between 5-8pm after work, everywhere I go smells like dinner and it absolutely kills me when I’m starving a couple hours into a workout.

A quick side story; When I was searching for roller ski training spots, I came across the short track speed skating club in Ann Arbor and absolutely needed to try it out! I actually competed in a short track race in Midland before ski season. In the image below, I’m the guy in fluorescent green. I’m actually very bad at short track. It is very much a technique sport, and my VO2 helped me very minimally. It may or may not have made my skate skiing more efficient, though!

I knew ski training would be a struggle, so in October I was lucky to find a used Ski Erg. This device has transformed my training and is currently saving my season. It allows me to work my weakness even when the trails are bare, and the roads are icy. It also allows me to train with power. I have done a couple 20min power tests so far with lots of improvement. The picture below is worth a thousand words.

In December we got dumped on with snow and all the local trails were groomed and amazing. The Michigan Cup racing kicked off and I won a couple of the season openers. It was great to get that early season lung burn over with! That great snow only lasted 2-3 weeks before a series of unfortunate warmups.

Where did all the snow go?

Classic boot with full carbon sole offers superb control of the skis while remaining lightweight!

I was on the fence about going up to SISU Ski Fest the first weekend in January, but not having been on great snow in a couple weeks lead me to sign up for the race a few days before it started. The forecast for the race was a frigid -5F to 0F. It’s tough to go from 50F training all the way down to that, but I have awesome cold skis so I couldn’t turn it down. The drive to Ironwood is about 10hrs in one directions, and of course there were blizzards to drive through. On the way up I stopped my Northbound Outfitters for some wax and Fischer’s new Speedmax Classic boots (These boots are really worth the upgrade!).

The weather for SISU was looking straight forward all week- frigid cold. I planned on using my coldest, softest ski with TB1x grind no matter what. My TG1-1 grind on a stiff ski just happened to be testing the same as my TB1x at the start area. I knew using the TG1-1 was a liability, especially since it was starting to snow, but 10min before the race start I grabbed the risky ski hoping that the snow was packed and the snow would stop. The forecast didn’t call for snow until the afternoon so it was worth a shot.

ski testing at -5F

All was going fantastic and I was calm and relaxed following in the draft while I watched Matt Liebsch start opening a gap. I thought “no problem, I’ll let him do some work and then bridge up to him.” I finally got around and opened up a gap on the hills. I felt great- possibly better than last year. Then the snow started getting deep, up to 2-3” in spots. My skis suddenly felt terrible. I know everybody’s skis slowed waaay down, and I’m sure others made a mistake picking skis as well, it’s just that some skis are less slow than others in this situation. Turns out the skis I planned on using all week would have been the way to go. Lesson learned.

Matt got out of sight, and Joel bridged up and eventually dropped me. I couldn’t drink because my face was frozen. I was on the struggle bus, big time! I was actually doing V1 technique on the flats. V1 is a technique usually reserved for going uphill but that’s how slow the conditions became. In the last few kilometers I saw Cory coming up behind me. At this point the wind and snow was so bad I couldn’t see the trail in front of me. My eyeballs were so cold and I would try to ski short distances with my eyes closed to warm them up. My left eyelid wasn’t even closing all the way! In the end, I held off Cory for 3rd place. It was a good, tough race. That’s what I drove 20hrs for. There is so much to learn with ski racing which is why you don’t see many young guys at the top of races. Experience and equipment tends to trump everything in difficult snow conditions.

Limiting my losses at SISU

Unfortunately the weather is still not cooperating in Ann Arbor to do much on-snow skiing so I’ll have to continue my mix of using the Ski Erg, riding the trainer and running. Training for ski season this year has made me feel more like a fitness enthusiast than a skier! I’m looking forward to getting some more racing in and my next big test is the Noquemanon Ski Marathon in Marquette the last weekend in January!

Finding Balance

December 28th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Elaine Sheikh, Team Athletic Mentors Triathlete

I’ve talked to a lot of people lately about their triathlon training. And let’s face it, it isn’t super easy for people who have “real jobs,” families, and other commitments in their lives to get in the necessary training for three disciplines while balancing rest and recovery, as well as healthy fueling. The word I hear thrown around constantly is “balance.” How do we find a healthy balance of career, family, and sport?

Balance is a concept that tends to mystify me. Sure, in day-to-day life, it is important. However, I firmly believe that greatness is achieved by being temporarily thrown out of balance. Look at the Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence. Last year, he completed 50 iron distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 days. Was he living a life of balance? Absolutely not. However, there is no way he could have achieved something so extraordinary while living a balanced life. Collin O’Brady, a former professional triathlete, just shattered the Explorer’s Grand Slam and also set a new world record for the seven summits. Was his life balanced during this feat? Absolutely not. What am I trying to get at here? Well, not all of us are in a position where we can take 50-100 days to go do something amazing. However, what can we do? Stop shaming ourselves for living a life that is not perfectly balanced. That might training for an Ironman while working a full time job, being a dedicated parent, etc. It might be not training enough while throwing 90 hours a week into a professional career to chase another dream. No matter what your version of greatness is, it may be necessary to eschew balance for a period of time in order to achieve your goals.

So, my encouragement to you is to stop seeking greatness in “balance.”” Instead, try to explore your boundaries. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Learn how to live temporarily imbalanced lives to seek the greatness you dreamed of, and then rebound from that imbalance. Greatness is earned, not deserved.

The Not So Serious Blog

November 2nd, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Collin Snyder, Team OAM NOW Cyclist

This weekend, the most prestigious race in Michigan went down. You may be asking yourself, what could be bigger than the upcoming Iceman Cometh? Well the answer is, the 12th annual Poto Single Speed World Championships or PSSWC2016 for short. This race (it’s officially not a race –Ed.) is only open to the most dedicated of racers (people who have a Facebook account or heard about it some other way, and happen to have a single speed mountain bike –Ed). The event is held each year on the last Saturday of October at the Potawatomi trail in Pickney Michigan and draws thousands (closer to 75-100 riders –Ed.).

In the past two years participating in this race (it’s not officially a race –Ed.) I’ve earned the title of “Poto Single Speed World Champion!” twice. Based upon my past performances, Giant created a special edition rainbow world championship XTC+ complete with a ROY-G-BiV color scheme for this year’s ride arriving just days before the big day (no they didn’t, he just happen to have a bunch of miss matching parts in his stock pile that happen to complete the hideous ROY-G-BiV rainbow color scheme -Ed ) (Okay you’re right –Collin).

On the line, there were a few grand contenders, Todd Ace, Stephen Cain, and a few dark horses thrown in. The race started in a hurry. I did my best CX style start and was screaming down the opening dirt road at 150 rpm. Right before the trail head, Cain jumped around me to get first tracks. The pace was heavy, and an elite group quickly formed with myself, Todd Ace, and Jon Robul in tow. A few miles into the trail, I was feeling feisty, and made a pass around Stephen for the lead. I put a good dig in and a small gap quickly followed.

Although early, I thought this might be it as the gap increased. That’s when tragedy struck. My seat post slipped! My mechanic is fired. (Collin is his own mechanic. He didn’t use a torque wrench –Ed). With my seat about 3 inches lower than the ideal position, I couldn’t keep a high cadence in the saddle and had to stand up pretty much the whole time. The gap quickly shrank, and Todd Ace made it back on my wheel and put a flyer in shortly thereafter. He kept me honest up the hills, putting in a bit more effort than I would have done solo. After a hand full of miles of not shaking me, he allowed me to lead at the first road crossing. I kept the pace up, flying down the sketchy stair step descents. Ace being a great descender wasn’t fazed. On the following uphill, I took a line right over a big root which required me to do a bunny hop over it. Ace didn’t and smacked his front wheel hard. The next thing I hear is disappointment in his voice as he had cracked his China-made carbon wheel and slashed his tire.

My hopes of a solo victory returned. I put it in tempo mode and was thinking of a 2015 Peter Sagan World Championship style win. However, with very little sitting, those dreams fizzled as my legs faded. Up a steep sandy climb, I peer back to see Stephen closing in hot. When he eventually caught me, he didn’t even take the time to rest on my wheel and went right around. With less than a third of the race (it’s not a race, it’s a spirted ride –Ed.) to go, it looked like if I had any chance of pulling off the three-peat, I had to hold Cane’s wheel. He was running a bit easier gear than me and he knew it, so he put hard digs up every climb, putting the screws on me. In the closing mile of the trail, his home court advantage was showing. He was taking lines that were completely foreign to me, and was getting an ever slight advantage at every rock garden. When we get to the final quarter mile stretch of dirt road before the last bit of single track, Stephen had a good 4 bike length gap on me. I dug deep, seeing a heart rate I haven’t seen in some time and closed the gap right before the final 100 feet of single track.

That’s when I made my winning move. I know what you’re thinking, hard attack right? Nope. The PSSWC uses a crude form of timing. When you enter, you get a small wooden paint sample card with your name on it. When you finish, you put your paint chip through a small metal pole at the finish table. The placing of your chip determines your final placement. Bottom is first, and so on. For the past 2 years, the overall chip drop turns out to be the deceive move. Fumbling for your chip is not an option and will cost you dearly. This year was no different. My winning move was made well before the parking lot. On that final stretch of dirt road, I pulled the chip out of my back pocket and placed it in mouth for easy access. As we raced (rode aggressively –Ed.) through the parking lot, Stephen opens up his sprint and got to the general start area a half second before I did. However, with my paint chip ready and the fact I scoped out the finish area before the start, I rode right to the timing can and placed my chip on first. Although not the story book finished I hoped for, I had made it a three-peat World Championship title.

Stephen was a bit bummed with the overall outcome but eventually came around after I offered him some of my large fortune of prize money (a six pack of Pale Joe from Founder’s Brewery). Always big thanks to The Potawatomi Mountain Biking Association who puts this great event on. Finally, huge thanks to Giant for making a proper single speed bike! The new XTC+ is a blast to ride.

Now it’s time to focus on some less serious stuff, like that silly race up in Traverse City.

Editors Note: Collin Snyder takes single speeding way too seriously. While most people figured out how to use a shifter, Collin never really did. He also tends to be the king of riding ugly bikes and can turn the coolest looking bike into a monstrosity with odd color parts lying around.

Are You Ready to Powermeter Up?

October 24th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By JoAnn Cranson, Team OAM NOW cyclist

The first time another rider asked me, “What kind of watts were you pushing up that hill?” I had no idea what they were talking about. I knew speed, cadence, heart rate, distance… but watts? How would I know my watts? Then, I was introduced to an incredible tool for cycling – the power meter. If you haven’t used one yet, I will warn you… once you start, you become lost without it, like so many new technologies.

If you are like I was, you may have no idea what a powermeter is. I’ll try to explain in layman terms. Power meters measure torque and velocity to calculate power in watts. In other words, the force you use to push your foot against the pedal and how fast you can turn the crank equals the power (wattage) you create.

Power meters come in many different styles and options. You can spend between $500 to almost $4000, depending on what your goals are and what you are willing to invest. They can be installed in the crank set, rear hub, bottom bracket, chair ring and now pedals too. Because they are wireless, they instantly display the wattage on your cycling computer, providing instantaneous feedback throughout your ride. Naturally it takes some time to determine what works best for you and to make sure everything involved is compatible.

Now that you know what a powermeter is, you may ask “What good does a powermeter do”? Is it just another fancy gadget you have to figure out how to work?

In my opinion, it’s more valuable to me than my speedometer or heart-rate! I remember I use to not want to go ride when it was really windy or a hilly ride because I got discouraged with my average mph. Well, with the powermeter it doesn’t matter how windy it is, my power is going to show me how hard I’m working whether I’m going 16.7 mph or 24.4 mph.

I took a couple pictures of my cycling computer on a windy day to show the differences. Notice it shows my power vs mph (depending on if I had a head-wind or tail-wind).

Power is 274 watts only going 16.7 mph with a head-wind

Power is only 221 watts– but flying at 24.4 mph with a tail-wind

The power meter is an incredibly valuable tool for so many reasons. It measures your workload accurately and instantaneously whereas heart rates respond more slowly and are more effected by outside influences such as temperature and hydration. Post-ride data analysis allows you to review power over time so you can see strengths and weaknesses. For example, you can see from the data that you are stronger when you ride at a lower cadence, or that you climb best when you stay seated at a high cadence.

Not only can you determine your strengths and weaknesses, but you are able to individually tailor your training using power. Whether you are doing road racing, time trials, or want to stay with the faster group rides, a power meter will help you get the most out of your training every day. For example, if you want to be consistent in long rides, you can practice intervals above/under your threshold values so you can teach your body to handle it. You can learn through training what wattage you can handle before “blowing up” over a specific time period. And my favorite part is that you can clearly see as you train how your wattage continues to climb as you get stronger!!

One final and very important benefit of training with power is the ability to see clearly when you are overtraining. If you have been riding a consistent wattage and all of a sudden your heartrate is elevated but you can’t hold the watts… it’s a clear indicator that you are over-training and you need rest. This was always the hardest thing for me to see in myself before I had a power meter.

As a rider who went from “what is a power meter” to “I can’t ride without a power meter.” – I can tell you that a power meter is a great tool to improve your individual cycling no matter what type of rider you are.

“I Run 4”

September 28th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Tammy Shuler, Team OAM NOW athlete

On March 31st, 2014 I was matched with a young boy named Cainen, through a site called “I run 4 Michael”. A friend told me about the group, and that they had the same motto I had. “I run because someone else can’t and I can.” After visiting the sight I signed up. It took two months before I was matched. They gave me Cainen’s mothers contact information. We hit it off right from the start.

She was a single mother caring for a severely handy capped boy. He was 2 almost 3 years old. He couldn’t walk and was nearly deaf and legally blind. He had sever Down’s syndrome and possibly autistic. As a member of the group you are encouraged to post on Facebook, twice a week, include pictures and positive thoughts about running.

Over the last two and a half years I have been in contact, through Facebook, texts and private messenger, with Cainen’s mother Melissa. I have run more than 10 marathons, two Ironmans, two half Ironmans, a 100k, multiple other triathlons, and races, as well as all the training that goes with that, and dedicated it to Cainen through Facebook. Saturday I got to meet Cainen and his family. I was given the honor of pushing him in a “BOB” stroller at a fund raising event for children with brain cancer in Wisconsin. He is a sweetheart.

He loves the feel of the vibration and the wind on his face. His mother has lost 80 pounds during our friendship. I like to believe that these posts and encouragement had something to do with this. She has also gotten married and had another child Charley, who is a healthy active boy. fI gave Cainen all the metals I had collected over the past two and a half years. As well as some tee shirts. I think he likes them. I have a forever bond with this amazing family, that I can not thank “I run4” enough. I hope to make the Briggs & Al’s children’s run, walk , an annual event with Cainen, my buddy.

Cycling Tips From Andy

September 14th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Andy Guelzo, Team OAM NOW cyclist

When I first started on my adventure into the adventurous sport of cycling I had some wonderful people to teach me and show me the do’s and don’ts. The small tricks to cycling that most people don’t find out until it’s too late are the things that can make the most difference. Sharing those tips to the beginner cyclist is what needs to be done so that everyone can feel joy of riding to its highest level. The 3 biggest tips I can share are eating properly, getting a correct fitting bike, and finding someone or some people to get guidance from. These tricks can be used from anyone beginning to ride to someone that had been in the sport for a while and wanting to hone in their riding.

1. Eating

When I began in my cycling career eating while riding was an outside concept to me. I never thought that eating would work and not upset my stomach. Eating allows your body to keep up energy levels and keep your body from “bonking”. Bonking is when your liver can’t keep up with your blood glucose levels and the brain and nervous system run low on fuel. This in turn causes muscles to not have adequate supply of energy. When eating during a ride, it is best to start early when going for a ride longer than an hour. After about an hour is when your body starts needing to replace its fuel stores. Eating early will allow your body to keep up with digestion and supply the body with useable nutrients. Use fuel in the form of gels for the simple carbohydrates that are metabolized into glucose within the body for use in cells. Also, I carry bars for rides over 90 minutes for their assortment of carbohydrates and proteins. Having the proper nutrition will allow your body to perform the best possible.

2. Bike Fit

It doesn’t matter how fit or strong an athlete is, if you cannot put the most force possible into your bike you will not go as fast as possible. Having a bike that fits properly will also allow you to be more comfortable and be able to ride longer without causing damage to your joints. Just like any other machine, if the person working it cannot use it comfortably it will not be used with maximum efficiency. Most local bike shops have some kind of fitting service, 3rd coast cycles in Hudsonville for example has everything you need to be fitted properly. They can fit the bike to your exact body specifications. I cannot stress the importance of a bike fit because I believe that it is the single most important “upgrade” you do to your bike to go faster.

3. Don’t do it Alone

It doesn’t matter if you want to just ride for fitness or if you want to race, group riding is one of the best training tools out there. Other people will be able to push you to go faster and go further than you normally would if you were on your own. Riding in a group will make it easier to meet new people. Most groups have at least one person that has been riding for quite a long time. These people have a special heart for the sport of cycling and want to share as much knowledge as possible. These types of people I find are not looking for a reward of payment. What they want is to see their love for the sport move into someone else who is just starting out in feeling that same passion. A mentor like this can usually do more than any other person you will meet. For me, Athletic Mentors coach, Team tech guru, and all around fantastic road trip driver Terry Ritter has been this person for me. The friendship and bond created will be one that will go on forever. His passion for the sport and the growth of up and coming riders leads too much more than just doing well in races. It leads to a life time attraction to wanting to ride a bike. To take this further, getting in contact with a personal coach to work with you on a training plan to reach your goals is even better. Having a coach will give direction and make reaching goals more possible.

Slow and Steady.

September 13th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

— By Collin Snyder, Team OAM NOW cyclist

This year has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. When the season was in its early strides, I was already showing signs it was going to be a good year. I put the time in over the winter and dividends were coming in. Then right when it started, it ended. On a training ride, I broke my kneecap (non-displaced patella for you medical people), putting the brakes on all plans for the year. Seven weeks later I was on the bike, but nowhere close to where I started. In fact, my first week back, it was hard to do a ride over a 20 minutes 🙁

I re-adjusted my expectations, and decided to just roll with the punches and enjoy the summer racing. Due to the still weak knee, I decided to do Lumberjack on a geared bike. This is so unheard of for me, I actually had to buy a rear MTB wheel that wasn’t single speed dedicated. I raced and struggled. The results were similar on the road. I showed up, put my all into it, but it just wasn’t there. To make matters worse, not longer after Lumberjack, I broke a rib in another crash. This just wasn’t my year.

In mid-August, I took a little break from the road to race a bucket list race; the Breck Epic, a 6 day MTB stage race in Breckenridge Colorado. My rib was healed, I had some training under my belt, but I really didn’t know what to expect. The race ended up living up the hype. Being from Michigan, I just wanted to finish. I raced smart everyday, always metered my efforts with the altitude always at the back of my mind and bottom of my lungs. In the end, I finished 16th in my age group for the six days, and had a top 10 on the last day.

When I came back, I wanted to use my re-found fitness while it was still around. With shifting of some of the races this year, Labor Day weekend was free for me to head out of state to race Shenandoah Mountain 100. This is a race that I’ve raced five times prior, with my last experience in 2013 soured by the remnants of a hurricane which dumped heavy rain for a majority of the race. This year, I was just going to have fun.

When the race kicked off, as always it started fast, but this year, I decided not to kill myself and watched my single speed competition struggle to hold onto the likes of Jeremiah Bishop’s wheel while spinning at 190 RPM. This is a big change for me. Normally at these NUE races, I kill myself at the beginning, get in a good position, then slowly fade and then struggle to stop the bleeding as fresher competitors pass like I’m standing still.

I rode my pace up climb 1 and 2 of six without seeing another single speeder. When I reached the bottom of the second descent, I saw a racer begging for a tube. I figured I was just riding my bike and I had a tube on me and another about 10 miles up the road at the next aid station, so why not stop and help him. Good karma right? Helped him out, took a nature break, and was on my way.

Going up the fifth climb, also affectionately known as “The Death Climb” due to the fact its about 18 miles long, I rode my pace. Slowly, one by one, I started passing people. Most were geared, but four were my single speed “classmates”. As I reached the top and started going down, I pass a guy messing with his bike who then realizes I’m a single speeder also. Panic sets in (for him), and he puts it in high pursuit, bombing down the 5 mile, super rocky, 2500 ft decent. He passes me like I’m standing still. Although I’m a good descender, I’m still a flat lander, so I ease off knowing I want to live to see another day. Midway down the trail, there’s a short climb which the SSer comes back into view, and he’s walking up it. I manage to scale it without walking. With one more 25 minute climb to come in the closing miles, I know I’ll have him.

I make it down to the bottom safely, reach the last aid station, take a NASCAR style stop, and I’m in hot pursuit. When I get to the start of the last climb, he’s out of sight, but I do a steady tempo, never becoming impatient. Although slow, it was faster than I’ve ever gone up that climb in the 5 other editions. I actually had gas left in the tank, what a concept! Midway up the climb, I see him, and he had nothing left. The grade was too much for his blown up legs. I put a poker face on and stand up to “dance on the pedals” as he hiked next to his rig. As I pass, he says he’s got nothing left and congratulates me on my effort. I ride safely up and down the last mountain, and roll in nearly 25 minutes faster than my personal best. I place third in the Single Speed Class, beating my previous best by 8 places.

This race really mirrors my recovery. I re-adjusted my expectations, aimed for fun over results, and sure enough, I managed to accomplish both. Sometimes it’s a bunch of crappy setbacks that makes you step back and realize why you’re in this sport to begin with. This mindset will continue into cyclocross season where another training disruption is imminent. My wife and I are expecting our first child, about a month before Iceman.

Wrapping up the 2016 Season

September 6th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM NOW triathlete

As August rolls around, there is an abundant list of great local races. So many, in fact, you could race every weekend in August, both Saturday and Sunday on some weekends. I like having so many options, but how do you choose? One long standing local race is Shermanator. The Shermanator Triathlon is a fund raising event for the Community Scholarship Program of the Sherman Lake YMCA in Augusta, Michigan. With the saturation of local triathlons to choose from, Shermanator has seen the race participation decline over the years. But as the participation has declined, this race venue has only gotten better. At one time, this venue had the weediest lake I have ever had the opportunity to swim. With the weeds so thick in places, you could grab them and use them to pull your way through the water. The country roads on the bike course had been patched and re-patched numerous times. With the possibility that some holes hadn’t been patched at all, riders had to use extreme caution on the bike. Over the last few years, there have been numerous changes on the swim and bike legs of the race. With a weed abatement program that has been put in place in the lake, I never saw or felt a single weed! The bumpy roads have all been repaved making it a super fast course for a Sprint Tri. Shermanator is also an unsanctioned event; therefore, it is always wet suit legal.

Kathy prepares to dismount during the Sherminator triathlon

Kathy prepares to dismount during the Shermanator triathlon

After focusing on long distance races the first half of the season, I shifted my training focus on building speed for the Sprint races at the end of the season. I have had several top finishes at Shermanator over the years, but an overall win has eluded me at this race. One advantage to racing local is you know your competition well going into the race. I knew I needed to keep the swim close, make up as much time on the bike as I could, and hope it didn’t come down to a foot race on the run. Unfortunately, that is how it played out and I had a 30 second deficit as I started the run leg. While I gradually reduced the deficit on the run, it wasn’t quite enough and I missed the win by 16 seconds.

So, still in search of the big W this season, I made the last minute decision to race Three Rivers Tri. This race played out similar to Shermanator and, sadly, I was not able to keep the swim close enough. I made up the deficit on the bike and was able to exit T2 in the lead. However, the lead did not last long and I was quickly over taken on the run. I wound up second overall to a woman visiting from Pennsylvania. She was racing Three Rivers as a warm up for the Full Ironman at MiTi the following day.

While I was not able to walk away from the 2016 Tri Season with a win, I was, unexpectedly, able to walk away with so much more. During the awards ceremony at Three Rivers, my sister pointed out a 13 year old finisher that had been racing alongside her. We listened as they called her 15 year old sister to the top position on the podium. We expected to hear the younger sister’s name called next, but no more Age Group names were announced. We watched as the young girl walked away with a look of disappointment. It turns out Age Group awards were only given to 14 and older participants. While she had actually finished ahead of her older sister, she would not be receiving an award. That weighed on me as I walked away from the awards presentation. I ran into the 2 young girls in transition as we were picking up our gear, and it hit me as to what I needed to do. Three Rivers marked my 55th triathlon. I have a basement full of medals and trophies and this young girl did not deserve to walk away empty handed. She was a winner and ought to be recognized! I walked over to her, took my medal from around my neck, and told her I wanted her to have it. She initially said no, but I didn’t give her much choice in the matter, and placed the medal around her neck. She told me this was her very first triathlon and I told her I wanted her love the sport as much as I did.

Kathy competes in the run leg of the 3 rivers t

Kathy claiming second place in the 3 Rivers Triathlon

As I drove home, I felt a totally different sense of victory. A win doesn’t always mean finishing in first place. Sometimes coming home with no medal at all, can be the biggest win of them all.

Picking the Right Triathlon Distance

August 24th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Todd Anthes, Team OAM NOW triathlete

Many a triathlete, including some more seasoned than others, have probably thought about how to choose the right race distance. The typical races are usually a close variant of one of the following:

1. Sprint (0.5mi swim, 12.4mi bike, 3.1mi run)
2. Olympic (0.93mi swim, 24.8mi bike, 6.2mi run)
3. Half Ironman (1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run)
4. Ironman (2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run)
5. Ultra (anything longer than Iron distance)

I can’t speak to the ultra-distance, as I don’t have that much patience, or training time, but I can speak to everything from Iron distance on down.

The first “rule” is that you don’t start with an Iron distance race. A proper build-up to competently undertaking an Iron distance event is likely a multi-year build of training intensity and volume. There are probably a few exceptions to the rule, but they are not you. Athletes come to triathlon for many reasons including the pursuit of variety in training; an injury in one of the disciplines in which the athlete concentrates (i.e., mandated cross-training); a friend or family member introduced the athlete to the sport, potentially through a triathlon relay; or simply the challenge. A smart move is for an athlete start with a sprint or Olympic distance event, most likely a sprint. Even if the athlete is a seasoned participant in one of the three disciplines, putting all three events is a challenge . . . especially if you are new(er) to one of the three. The sprint distance is a great way to break the seal of triathlon and become introduced to transitions, pacing, and nutrition. Maybe a first year triathlete could race 3-5 sprints distance events over a first triathlon season culminating in an Olympic distance event.

Another consideration, if not a recommendation, is where to race. Some athletes find great comfort racing close to home for a sense of familiarity, including being able to sleep at home. Other more adventurous types might prefer the buildup to a destination event. And female athletes might even like to start with and all female event.

Building a “Olympic” season might not mean you are done with the Sprint distance. A strong recommendation is to race multiple distances in a season when you are starting out for different kinds of efforts, as well as to see what distances suit you. So, if your second or third season finds you branching out to finding success at the Olympic distance, your race and training schedules should not ignore the harder, shorter efforts found in the Sprint distance.

The jump 11402325_1005310922812895_6598962946855189003_o from racing Olympic distance to Half Iron is a big one. I suggest a season dedicated to a build where you start with a solid training plan, and ending with your Half Iron event. A lot changes when you increase your longest race distance by 100%. Such a jump in distance requires, more precise training and recovery, nutrition, support at home, sleep, and a number of other things.

If you take the jump from ½ Iron to Iron, it makes sense to do this over a number of seasons. The quickest “proper” or measured jump to Iron might be a four or five-year span, with the last two years racing multiple ½ Iron events in a season. I know the die-hard athletes to whom rules don’t apply will ignore such advice, but even a runner will tell you that if you are a 5K runner and want to try a marathon, if you want to be able to progress beyond the goal of finishing (a notable goal in itself) and truly race the distance, a training plan that allows your body to adapt to the longer stresses is advisable.

Not everyone feels the need to climb the ladder of triathlon distances, but if you do, give your body and mind the proper base before climbing too fast. And do yourself a favor, do a ton of research on the topic, or better yet, consult a qualified coach.

TransRockies Run: Summer Run Camp for Adults and at Least 10 Reasons You Should Consider it

August 22nd, 2016 by Erin Young

13895525_10153954939079217_7824321277672351084_n

All 500+ runners pumped up and ready to start the 120 mile journey from Buena Vista tomorrow.

I don’t even know how to start explaining the TransRockies Run. How do you sum up 120 miles over six days, with 20,000 feet of elevation gain? My objective here is for you, my reader friend, to believe that you can do such a thing. Because it’s true. And for you to understand why you would want do such a thing.

13902637_10154481386069962_8701462926743193608_n

Team OAM NOW athlete with the King… Max King. If you don’t know who he is, just pick up any Trail Runner magazine and you’ll find him 5 times.

TransRockies is a unique experience. Starting at Buena Vista, CO already at 7,965 ft elevation, the event kicks off the night prior to the start with a race briefing. Run by Canadians, the tone is set, and from here to the infamous “Stage 7”, everyone here, came to have fun. Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors athlete and TRR finisher, Tammy Shuler advises, “Talk to everyone and don’t take the event too seriously.” You’ll be disappointed if you do. For the next 6 days you are camping under the Colorado stars. Some nights have music, a campfire, s’mores, and even a beer mile for you elites, but every night has showers, dinner, and a slideshow of pictures of the day. There is a shady hangout, post run, where you rub elbows with the elite (Max King and Nikki Kimball are two of my favorites!), and meet people from around the world. This year, there were over 20 countries represented! The people you meet here are people who are good to the core. People who remind you that the world is kind and happy. People who share their chapstick and Body Glide. Read the rest of this entry »