Newsletter highlights bike crash costs, triathlon races
1. September 2012
Thank You to those who con-
tributed to Newsletter!
Have a race report, good read
article, recipes to share w/ the
club for Newsletter. Send to
Alibubba118@hotmail.com
View Back of the
Priest Lake
Pack Marathon
Olympic Recovery
My Experience Pg 12-13 Success
Food Scenic
Pg 4-5 70.3
Half Pg 20-21
Pg. 6
Pg 9-11
Pg 16-19
Race
Cost Worth a Tri… the Recipes, BOD &
of
River Calendar
Bike Crash Pg 7-8
Pg 14-15
Pg. 2-3 Pg. 22-24
Welcome your New Board of Directors for the next 2 years...
Roger Thompson—President
Greg Gallagher—Vice President
Jarod Crooks—Treasurer *New to Board & Position
Jessi Thompson—Secretary
Eric Byrd—Membership Director *New to Position
Meghan Faulkenberry—Mentor Director *New to Board & Position
Jenn Little—Clothing Director *New to Position
Natalie Gallagher—Social Director
Alison Stitt—Newsletter Director
Rene Guerreo—Website Director *New to Position
Melissa Skelton—Sponsorship Liason *New to Board & Position
A HUGE THANK YOU for the previous directors who have put so much work
and TLC into this club serving on the Board… Tiffany Byrd, Ben Greenfield,
Danielle Warnock and Adam Little.
1
2. THE COST OF A BIKE CRASH by Sharon Underwood
One of many things I learned after my bike crash was the multitude of people whom have had worse
crashes than mine. I was fortunate to not have suffered worse injury. Given all of this, I was shocked
at the bottom line. Below I outline the financial cost that incurred.
I was racing a half-iron race and was going down a long steep incline. I was tucked into a fast aero
position trying to maximize my speed. I don't recall what precipitated the actual crash but my Garmin
GPS indicated that I was traveling at about 45mph when I went down. My body rash and helmet
scrapes indicated that I flipped from one side to the other before landing by the side of the road. Two
of my front teeth went through my upper lip in the process. From the looks of it, my helmet did a very
good job of protecting me from more than a mild concussion (multiple. I figured all of this out later.
At the time, I just saw blood and did a body scan that seemed to indicate nothing was broken.
Volunteers were quickly beside me and I said “nothing's broken, I want to keep riding”. One volunteer
put his hand firmly on my side to hold me down and pointed at my left shoulder which is when I
noticed that my collarbone jutting up at an odd angle. I still wanted to keep riding which is when
someone else whisked my bike away. Someone else, an EMT I think, came and checked me out and
determined that I would be riding back in an ambulance. I don't recall anyone asking my opinion
about that but I'm not sure I was the best shape to be making those decisions. I was still lying there
mesmerized by the blood and trying to calculate how much I could safely loose through a 13.1 mile
run when ambulance arrived and I was whisked away on a body board. What resulted was a multi-
tude of road abrasions over my face, legs, shoulders and hips. CT scans were done in the ER of my
head, spine, and hips. My wounds were treated, and my lip was stitched. The orthopedist in Spokane
confirmed a grade-III shoulder separation and recommended PT. I saw my dentist on an emergency
visit the next day to help remove the bits and pieces of my teeth and he referred me to an oral sur-
geon. I believe the phrase often used here is “Cha-ching!”.
That was an overview of the accident-- and like I said, not all that bad compared to many others.
Below I have outlined how this one incident added up to a lot of dollars. Being self-employed, I
choose to only have major medical and, in this case, I am fortunate because this was deemed an
accident or trauma covered by that insurance.
2
3. Here are the numbers:
Billed Amount Adjusted Amount Primary Ins. USAT Ins.
Ambulance $2041 $1530.67 $298.31 $748.53
Pharmacy $179.58 $179.58 $10.21 $169.37
Emergency Room $8366.63 $5642.55 $3683.29 $1327.8
(multiple CAT scans
and stitches)
Dentist $4406 $4302.00 $2754.00 $918
Oral Surgeon $5113 $4389.92 $1993.28 $2247.39
My Primary Doctor $569 $341.31 $255.97 $0
Orthopedic Doctor $236 $169.58 $127.18 $0
Physical Therapy $826 $504.88 $378.66 $126.22
Plastic Surgeon $1890.2 $1045.93 $784.44 $43.28
________________________________________________________________________________
Plastic Surgery outpatient surgery hospital cost still to be paid is about $8991 (likely to be covered)
The oral surgery resulted from loosing two front teeth and having implants to replace them. The plas-
tic surgery was on my upper lip where my two front teeth went through it. In the ER, the lip apparently
was not sutured wound sufficiently, resulting in some unwanted drooling and a long bluish black scar.
The amount that includes part of the surgery still under review comes come to about thirty-two
thousand dollars. Thus far, including the already paid plastic surgery, USAT has paid $5580.59. That
is quite a savings to me. Thus far, my out of pocket expense has been $250. Those are some very
sobering numbers and more so given all the horrific accidents I have heard about that were worse
than mine. Hard to believe, but yes, I was very lucky in many ways. To have had insurance, to be in a
USAT sanctioned event, and that I didn't do far worse having gone down on pavement at 45mph.
What some of you may not know is that through USAT you can also buy insurance to help
cover all those training accidents. What some of you may not know is that I would not have even
known to inquire about the USTA coverage had not a fellow competitor mentioned it-- she went down
in LakePlacid when a pedestrian crossed her path. Accidents happen. Mention should be given to my
husband who was so generous to have offered to pursue all of the-
se payments, which meant countless hours on the phone to provid-
ers and insurers. As a side note, I know all of you are holding your
breath and asking “but what about the BIKE?” Well, the total cost of
repairing the bike was.... $15. Yes, it was virtually unscathed. Now
you can breathe that sigh of relief, as did I :)
3
4. Roger Thompson won the third annual Priest Lake
Olympic distance triathlon on Saturday morning
whereas I finished 23rd overall and placed 4th in
my age group. After the race, we jumped in the
car, he with his wife, Jessi, me with my fiance,
Melissa and drove 4 hours north to cheer on a
number of Spokane area athletes and fellow Timex
teammates, Kyle Marcotte and Dave Orlowski at
Roger Thompson Ironman Canada.
Wins Priest Lake For those that don’t know, Priest Lake
has one of the most scenic venues you’ll
Olympic
ever experience. The swim course starts
By Dave Erickson in front of the Hills Resort Lodge on the
www.timexblogs.com very South end of crystal clear Priest
Lake in Northern Idaho. The course is a U shape consisting of 3- 500m
sections . The exit is on the south side of the furthest North dock. The water on Saturday felt warmer
than the low 50′ s air temperature. The swim start was broken up into 4 waves. I was in the first wave
along with Roger.
Roger was first out of the water and first onto the bike. Infact, Roger led the entire race.
The road bike course is a fairly flat out-and
-back loop with spectacular views of the
Selkirk Mountains and the Panhandle Na-
tional Forest.
It’s funny, the inaugural Priest Lake triath-
lon was my first ever triathlon video re-
porting effort. See links below. I drove up
from Spokane in 2010 to watch some
friends race and ‘practice’ race report-
ing. Not my most complete reporting job
but I guess you could say it’ll all worked
out in the end.
4
5. The run more or less a gravel-dirt service road with a short climb inside the first two miles.
In the end, the swim was measured long, the bike was about 2 miles short and the run was right on. Sor-
ry, no three bears.
Roger’s times are as fol-
lowed: 24:01 swim, 51:08 bike
and a 37:20 run split.
I swam the course in 29:33,
bike 1:00:44 and ran a 49:02.
Again, I was very happy with my Helix Blueseventy wetsuit. So comfortable, especially around my arms
and legs and extremely easy to unzip. Saturday was my first time racing in my new Timex tri-suit and it
rocked. In the words of Ace Ventura, it fit ‘like a glove’. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it
was on the bike. I should have tested it first but I got kind of busy. And according to the timing results, I
had the second fastest T2 time overall in the Olympic distance race (36 seconds). I think I can thank my
Yankz speed laces on my KSWISS Kwicky Blade Light running shoes.
Never miss an update by following me on twitter @IMDaveErickson and see more than 800 original swim,
bike, run and athlete interview videos on my Youtube Channel, please subscribe to receive new video
notifications!
5
6. The 30-45 minutes following a workout is a critical
time to nourish your body for proper recovery. Re-
covery includes muscle building, replacing your en-
ergy stores and preventing post workout fatigue
and muscle soreness. This is particularly important
if you are involved in two-a-day workouts or back Recovery foods that
to back games. Ease Sore Muscles
Active.com—Kait Fortunato
Here are some tips to help aid recovery.
DON’T FORGET CARBOHYDRATES It is
common for athletes to refuel after a strength or endurance workout only with protein.
However, without a source of carbohydrates post-workout, your body will not be able to
produce insulin, the hormone that drives muscle building. Carbohydrates also help to re-
place muscle and liver glycogen to refuel your energy stores. The current recommendation
is a ratio of 2:1 carbohydrate to protein following strength workouts and 4:1 after endur-
ance workouts.
AIM FOR ANTIOXIDANTS Antioxidant rich foods help reduce inflammation and de-
crease muscle soreness. One of the easiest ways to get an adequate amount of antioxidants
and carbohydrates is by drinking tart cherry juice. Research shows that drinking tart cherry
juice aids athletic performance and comes highly recommended for recovery foods. Fol-
lowing juice consumption with a form of protein would be recommended. Ginger and tur-
meric are other sources of food high in antioxidants.
TRY LIQUID MEALS Exercise can often act as an appetite suppressant and many ath-
letes find it hard to stomach food post-workout. Liquid meals are often more appealing
and easy to bring with you. G2 recovery drinks, protein shakes with some fruit mixed in, or
tart cherry juice with a serving of protein are complete liquid meals that can be consumed.
Liquids are also more readily available and therefore digested more quickly than solid
foods.
PLAN AHEAD To ensure you have enough food to fuel you through your day and to
help you recover, it is important to plan ahead. When planning meals and recovery snacks,
keep in mind the kind of exercise, the location and the duration of the exercise. Waiting
until after you've returned from a workout or race is often too late to reach optimal recov-
ery status. Skipping the post-workout snack can often cause you to overeat at your next
meal.
6
7. WORTH A TRI… by Amy Wilcox
My journey began when my daughter’s fourth grade teacher was telling me a story about following through
with children. She had promised her daughter she would play “Polly Pocket” for a half an hour and was re-
minded of her promise at 8:00 PM, just as she was supposed to be getting on her trainer for a four hour
ride training for Ironman. I remember thinking “she is crazy… and very determined… and cool!” Yes, I
am talking about Jessi Thompson.
A year later after Jessi coached me through my first marathon; I decided I was ready to give triathlon a go.
On my 37th birthday I announced to a dumbfounded husband that the year I turned 40 I was going to do a
half ironman. At that point in my life I didn’t know how to swim and hadn’t been on a bike in 13 years…
I turned 40 in May of this year and am the very proud finisher of a 70.3- half iron distance race. Getting to
the finish line was quite a journey and even took a few tries due to crazy weather. I can’t lie, it made the
finish that much sweeter! I could tell you about my times, transitions, thoughts and feeling along the
course- but for me personally that is not what the race represented. It was during this journey that I
learned more about myself and life in general.
You can teach an old dog new tricks!
I remember sinking to the bottom of the pool like a brick on my second night at masters- Kevin nearly
jumped in. I was in pain for weeks as I learned to swim and people thought I was insane. But I have come
to love swimming and am grateful that I feel confident and strong in the water.
Biking was hilarious! Robin was ashen as she watched me
carry my bike out of the store grinning ear to ear. “Please
don’t just try to get on and ride until you have practiced clip-
ping and unclipping for at least a week” was her plea. Hay-
den 2011 was my first ever triathlon. I squealed in fear every
time I passed someone (which wasn’t many!) and was inter-
nally screaming my guts out when I had to stop, unclip and
dismount! While I am still having my ups and downs with
the bike- I can ride well enough to race without putting the
fear of God in those around me!
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!
One of the days I was supposed to get in a 3.5 hour ride fol-
lowed by a 30 minute brick stands out in particular, it went
something like this:
On the driveway pumping up my tire, I broke the stem and
7
8. flatted. Determined to change it on my own, I proceeded and 30 frustrating minutes later accomplished
the task. I finally got on my bike only to realize that I was in the wrong gear to head up the big hill just off
the driveway and had a glorious crash in the middle of the road. My girlfriends stifled their laughs and
asked if I wanted to go clean up before heading out. With a bloody knee, elbow and ankle along with a very
bruised ego- I crankily shouted “let’s just go!” During that ride I dropped my chain twice on hills and had a
lovely tip over into the weeds at a stop sign. I gave it up and decided to turn back and just take my run.
When I got to my car and pulled out my bag, I only had one running shoe! GRRRRRRR!!!!!
I felt like I wanted to kick my bike to the curb and to hell with the running. But the next day I got up and
did what I was supposed to… which was more biking and running! And after a week or so, I was able to
get over the frustration and move on. Looking back, I learned that when the going gets tough, I CAN and
WILL keep going!
I am a nicer person when I work out! People always refer to me as the smiler and I am a generally happy
person. But, when I am upset it eats me from the inside. When I work out really hard, I can shed every-
thing that’s eating me up. I spit, sweat, swear, yell, pound, blow snot out of my nose and just get dirty and
mad! When I am done, I feel like my happy self again! I usually have an easy solution for problems and can
let go of petty things.
I understand the importance of my team!
I can’t give enough thanks for all the people who supported me through this journey, but it was my team
that carried me! The encouragement on and off the course, the fun workouts, the “inside information”
about crazy things like glide, gel and of course butt paste, appreciating the sheer joy of a teammate as they
tell you they were able to poop before the race start, the
amazement I get out of seeing all of these “somewhat” normal
people become superstars on the course, the pushing when I
needed it, and most importantly all the laughter, joy and
goofiness that happens every time we’re together!
Mentally and physically I am a stronger person. I feel like I
can do anything I set my mind to in work, sports, volunteer-
ing and life in general. I have such a deep rooted appreciation
for an amazing husband who took on a whole lot so I could
achieve my goal, and awesome kids who gave up things that
they would rather be doing to cheer me on and support me.
The smile has not left my face since crossing the finish line. I
love this sport and would tell anyone who asks: you’ll be a
better person for it so yes- It’s worth a Tri!
8
9. ….…..MY EXPERIENCE by Rosi Guerreo
"The road we are on will have hills and valleys. There will be storms along the way and
beautiful sunshine's. There will be times we must go where we haven't gone, and in doing
all of this we will discover more about life, others and ourselves."
Training for Lake Stevens 70.3 was a major undertaking. Last year I
chose not to race so Rene could pursue Ironman Cd'A. When training
began in September '11, I felt like I was at ground-zero, having never
really "trained" for a tri, and completing only a small number of shorter
tri's (2 Olympics/2 Sprints) up to this point. However, after see-
ing Rene's incredible Ironman journey and outcome, I really
felt compelled to at least attempt half the distance.
I joined Tri Fusion, aligned myself with athletes that could assist and advise, read Tri-books, wrote out daily/weekly sched-
ules, learned about heart-rate monitors, zones, threshold, fuel, and I continued with proper nutrition. Reflecting back, I
have a new-found appreciation for all endurance athletes - training, racing and everything in between - it is a BULL WITH
HORNS!!! I came into this 10 1/2 months ago, naive, inexperienced, but super charged and excited. There were many ups
and downs, sometimes more downs then ups - but with it, I learned how truly committed and dedicated one must be, eve-
ryday, to get the body, mind and spirit aligned. Being a busy mom of two young girls, a dance mom, a full-time college music
educator, and having a daughter who landed the lead role in her musical school play (among a zillion other things) was a bit
"uber-much" to juggle this year, on top of all the rigorous training. Through it all though, I had an amazing support crew and
my life seems more complete. I have NO regrets. I am a better individual. I am FIT! But.. I also know that I have a lot more to
learn about myself, my capabilities and even my limitations in this sport.
So, here's to my experience of Lake Steven's 70.3…
One of the first highlights I recall on race day was on the beach, prior to our
wave-start. I was waiting with Erica, Natalie and Tricia... we were all in Wave 10,
Women 40-49 with bright yellow caps. No one said very much, we were all fo-
cused, thinking about the day ahead, and I remember looking down at our pretty
painted toenails thinking, "dang, we even prepped our toenails!" That morning,
Rene told me not to underestimate my ability as a swimmer and if I felt confident
enough I should start at the front of the pack of 75+ swimmers. And... so I did. We entered in the deep water off the
dock - there were 3 minutes in between each wave start until the gun went off... that was a long 3 minutes. I dunked my head
several times, made sure my goggles weren't leaking and treaded water - my heart POUNDED, but I was ready! 3-2-1... I
heard the gun and never looked back…
...the SWIM itself was incredible. I loved ALL of it from start to finish. I started
out smooth and easy and decided to race at 75% effort - I didn't want to jolt
the lungs and wanted to ease into a very long day ahead. I came out of the
swim feeling way too good, knowing instantly that I had probably swam too
conservatively. Looking back, I know I could have given more on the swim, but
these are the things that I'm told to learn from and improve upon.
The BIKE in one word was INSANE!!! I could write a book on this entire expe-
rience alone. Even though I felt VERY prepared for the bike course going
into race day, it still brings back chilling memories of how mentally tough it really was. Bike has always been my strength. I
logged over 2600+ miles on the bike this year and even rode the LS course at the end of April. When I previewed the
course in April, I was hesitant on the windy downhill terrain, so I learned exactly where I would need to be more cautious.
9
10. But... what I wasn't prepared for on race day was the downpour that occurred within the first 42 miles. Unfortunately, I am
prone to repeated bronchiole/lung infections and cold air or rain seems to exasperate it. I was told to avoid riding in the-
se conditions if I wanted to make it to the start line. I had endured a 6-week setback in early spring with major health relat-
ed lung issues. So whenever it rained outside or temperatures fell
below 60F, I opted for the trainer in hopes to protect my lungs. As
athletes we know that weather is a major component out of our con-
trol. And... we are told to train in ALL types of weather, regardless
of the wet/hot/cold/windy climate. It was a gamble I took, knowing that
in Lake Stevens it is highly unlikely a day goes by without some kind of
precipitation. Heck, look at Boise 70.3 and what the athletes en-
dured there. I was hoping LS wouldn't provide the same. But here I
was, riding in the exact conditions I was told to avoid. Talk about
entering the unknown. I knew I had only one choice but to keep go-
ing and endure what everyone else was.
For me, the bike became a long and lonely 3+ hrs. with only the racers to pass or be passed by. When I first exited out
of T1, I felt great! I was on top of the world. My swim was effortless. My energy was HIGH and I wanted to ignite on the bike.
It never even dawned on me what lied ahead - I was just in-the-moment, elated about my swim and ready to ride the 56 hilly
miles in record time as I had envisioned weeks ago. It wasn't until mile 3 that I realized the weather forecast ahead. I felt
rain. I looked up at the dark clouds and with NO sign of sunshine ahead, I instantly knew I was in for a long, challenging haul.
And so it started - the relentless rain, water streamed off my helmet, sunglasses drenched. My feet felt incredibly cold and
eventually went numb, and I desperately wanted to wring the water out of my bike gloves. I can honestly say that I have nev-
er really ridden, yet alone raced, in these conditions. I was inexperienced and it didn't take long for me to realize that I
would soon be out of my element, especially on what I considered a rather technical and challenging course. I tried not to
think about the slick roads, and all the downhills ahead. I struggled to stay calm and with each passing mile, I told myself to
deal with whatever came my way when the time came.
There was a moment on my bike when I realized that even my quads, calves and hands were frozen - I shivered. I thought
about the other riders and how they must have felt. I followed my teammate for quite some time until I could no longer hold
on. She was torpedoing through the wind and rain like a WARRIOR and I tried to convince myself that I could do the same.
"Just follow Natalie and all will be well". That lasted until about Mile 18. I looked at my Garmin and realized I road 18.3 miles in
one hour! I thought to myself, this isn't so bad, I'm averaging 18.3 mph and it's RAINING!!! NO problem, I can DO THIS.
Then came Mile 22! This is where EVERYTHING changed. There was a steep downhill with two sharp curves when right in front
of me a biker crashed. It scared the living crap out of me, that image, and then everything happened so quickly - I looked
ahead of me and before I knew it I approached the same curve and began sliding too - in that moment I thought, "oh no,
here I go, I didn't brake in time, I'm going to wipe out too, like the guy in front of me and my race will be over". I literally
whimpered as I tried to gain control of my bike, I didn't want to slide, or crash, I just wanted to make it around the slick
curve. For the life of me, and I don't know how I did it, but I somehow was able to safely take the curve wide while apply-
ing my brakes oh-so slowly. My heart beat fast, and I was really scared. I thought, "this is not what I had signed up for, it's
not suppose to rain, all week prior to the race the forecast predicted mid-70's, no rain, no slippery roads". A couple
minutes passed when from opposite direction came TWO fire trucks and one ambulance full-speed ahead, their sirens/
lights blaring directly at me. The echo of those sirens still haunt me today. All I could think about was that crash. Did he have
kids or a family waiting for him at the finish line? I did, and that's all I could think about - my girls and Rene and all my friends
who came to see me conquer my goal. With every steep curvy downhill that preceeded, I was more terrified - I started to
apply the brakes down every hill, bikers passed me where I could have increased my average mph. My mind raced into un-
healthy scenarios - I knew I had to somehow muster through these mentally dibilating fears. I yearned to get off my bike and
walk. Seriously. I saw other bikers on the side of the road, some with flats or needing repairs, others who had also
10
11. crashed. Talking quietly to myself was no longer an option. I started chanting out loud, two words that I repeated over and
over... "trust yourself, trust yourself". And this became my new-found mantra with every downhill thereafter.
On a positive note, I welcomed the demanding climbs, and even the windy curves on the
flats, because it was then that I felt most in control and able to temporarily warm my body. I
passed several riders. Eventually the rain stopped by mile 43 and I immediately felt serenity -
my nightmare had ended - I didn't crash or get injured. I even tried to gain some time
by climbing faster uphill and toward T2, but looking at my Garmin, I knew I had sacrificed too
much on the downhills to make up for lost time.
One of my favorite quotes I tell myself when I can't change what's happened is, "it is what it
is" and for me, I was just elated to have survived the bike. "Safety over speed" was my oth-
er mantra. When I arrived at T2, I could hear my fan-club cheering. My girls, friends, nephew
and his wife - they were all screaming and Rene's enthusiastic "Gooooo Rosi" never sound-
ed so welcoming. It was exactly what I needed to continue forward. I was once again driven
and eager to close the chapter on the bike and begin my 2+ hour journey with a half mara-
thon run.
In T2, while changing my soaked socks for dry ones, I noticed my feet were literally WHITE!
It took until mile 5 in the run to actually feel them. I welcomed the run with open arms. It
was ironic, because this was the leg I had thought would be the toughest for me - but,
seeing all of my friends cheering and my teammates racing, made all the difference. Nothing
could be better than being on my feet again - and, the sun started to shine. I remember
having to go to the bathroom during the entire run, but opted not to - there were wait-
ing lines and I couldn't imagine what I would find in there.
My run was steady but surely with 2 repeated loops. I mustered my way through the 2nd por-
tion of the run only to collect myself near mile 12 knowing I was finally heading into the finish
shoot! Mile 12 was truly euphoric. I could hardly feel my legs and although my body was en-
tirely spent, I felt a sense of calmness, an effortless sensation that ran through my entire
body. I arrived at a place in my soul I had never felt before. I embraced this moment for all
it was worth - having waited so long, almost a year in the making... and in that mo-
ment, nothing mattered - all the hours of training, the endless trials and tribula-
tions, all the mental and physical feats to overcome - it didn't matter... because
this journey had finally reached an end... the FINISH LINE.. and... I DID IT!!!
What I have learned most over the past year in preparation for Lake Stevens Iron-
man 70.3 is that greatness and success comes from within. Your own perception
makes anything you do great and successful - and it is always experienced unique
from anyone else. We all embark on our own accord to the start line of anything.
What's important to remember is to take that chance, step out of the box, do
something new or different that's exciting - it will certainly keep the body and
mind challenged and the spirit ALIVE!
I am so very blessed and grateful for my amazing support crew: Rene & James (my
"coaches"), my two sweet girls, ALL of my friends, family and Tri Fusion teammates that
encouraged, inspired, supported, and worked out along side with me!
A BIG THANKS for being such a big part of my 70. 3 experience! xoxo
11
12. VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE PACK The race was organized by
Fairchild AFB, at their
By Cindy Theil
Clear Lake "resort." Quotes
because the RV spots are
lined up like a parking lot instead of like campsites. To me, that really doesn't say re-
sort...but I digress.
Anyway, this lake is at the bottom of a very steep hill, which meant the first part of the
bike race was up that hill, and the first part of the run was up that same hill. It was really
demoralizing. You're already tired, then you have to drag your tired butt up that hill
twice!
I think I was the oldest woman in the race (it was mostly
active duty military). I talked to a guy who was 62, but
most of the participants were under 30. I had to engage
in a lot of self-talk and praying to get through it. I knew I
had not really trained adequately, and this was really just
a test to see how much I might be able to stress my foot.
I have been training in a pool and didn't do any open
water swimming before the race. I knew the lake would
be slimy gross, so I decided to subject myself to it only
once. The swim was 600 meters---"out to the pontoon
boat and back." This is what it looked like from the
beach, more like 600 miles. This was the beginning of
the self-talk and praying.
Then, about 100 yards into the swim I accidentally swallowed a mouthful of lake wa-
ter. OMG! I don't even want to know what pathogens/toxins I ingested. Lots of self-talk
and praying.
Well at least I wasn't the last one out of the water. I hung with two other women. Al said
there was a guy making the turn at the boat when we arrived at the shore.
A rather pompous guy had left his bike and crap on the ground by the bike racks, in-
stead of racking his bike like everyone else. I paid him back in my own little way. I
spilled water on his stuff. I may have wiped my feet on his towel before I put my socks
on.
Then it was onto the bike and up a very steep hill from the parking lot up to the road. I
almost had to get off and walk my bike to get to the top. Great. So I start the bike ride
12
13. flustered and tired from the hill challenge. More self-talk and praying. The bike ride was
pleasant for the most part, except for some curvy hills, or hilly curves about 3/4 of the
way from the start. I had been going 12-20 mph throughout the rest of the course. I
dropped down to 6 mph in this area of the course, and engaged in more self-talk and
praying, especially because this was only my first of two
loops.
I wasn't feeling too bad at the end of the bike ride. I didn't
have any desire to run 3.1 miles, but I wasn't feeling too
bad. I walked up the "hill of death" back to the road, then
just picked out landmarks to run to, walked a little, ran a lit-
tle, until I finally made it to the finish. I'm pretty sure I fin-
ished last, but Al told me he
saw people drop out of the
race. He also told me a wom-
an who was near the finish
line as I was plodding toward
it told him she admired me for
persevering and putting one
foot in front of the other to finish. Me too.
Although some would be disappointed with a
"race" (outing) of this quality, I am happy because 1) I did-
n't give up, and 2) my bum foot held up to the beat-
ing. This gives me hope that I can make a "comeback" to
triathlon, as long as I don't overdo things and re-injure my-
self.
There is a P.S. to the view from the back of the pack…
I did the Medical Lake Kiwanis "Mini" Triathlon the following weekend. My goal was to
finish in less than two hours without hurting myself. I paid no attention to anyone else in
the race and just did the best I could. I felt great the entire time, and even ran at least 2/3
of the run portion. I was only 5 weeks into my 8 week "Ease into 5K" program and did
not want to set myself up for an overuse injury. I finished in 1:35:06, still feeling great. I
know that is a really slow time, but I'm happy. I wasn't even sore afterward! I am so ex-
cited! I gave myself a couple days off and then went away for a few days with Al.
A couple we are very good friends with watched and cheered. When I got close to the
finish, our friend Stormy was cheering me on. I asked him if I was last and he said "Not
even close! There are at least 30 or 40 people behind you!" I had to dig a little deeper to
sprint to the finish to show him how much his encouragement meant to me.
13
14. Before a triathlon race, it is always nice to do the swim course or a por-
tion of it before race day. In this case the day before was packet
RACE pickup so I was able to swim ~150 yards and the finish. The swim
finish is up a ramp onto a dock for this race so it was a good remind-
the er of what I had to do when exiting the water.
RIVER I did this race two years ago and it was the first time I got on the
podium for a triathlon. I placed 3rd and a guy named Brian Read
placed 2nd. Brian was also doing the race again so I was able to chat
with him while setting up our transition. During the swim I had my eye on him
because I knew he would probably be in the top five since I noticed he also raced this
last year and did well. As we started the swim I decided to draft behind Brian to con-
serve energy. About 300 yards into the swim he started to slow down so I started to
go around him then he picked up his speed again, I got behind him again. Then at the
half way point he slowed again so I went around him and took off. I knew I needed to
get out of the water near him or before him. I ran up transition and heard cheers from
my family, cool!! I took my wetsuit off on
the black mesh material pathway near
the bikes since transition was on dirt. I
noticed at least one other bike was gone
from someone who is in my age group!
Yikes!
2010 Swim: 14:48
2012 Swim: 13:09
2010 T1: 1:50
2012 T1: 1:12
Got on the bike and I was off! I red-lined the whole time. I passed many other bikers
since some get on the course before us and some after due to the wave starts. The on-
ly person that passed me was Tim who is
in a younger age group than me. He said
something as he passed but I couldn’t
hear what he said. I tried to stay as aero
as possible and pedaled hard! The course
is three loops and it was GREAT to see
and hear Rosi and the girls cheering for
me each time I passed transition area. I
felt good on the bike and was happy to
transition to the run. There was one bike
already racked (from my age group) so I
knew there was someone in front of me.
14
15. 2010 Bike: 00:29:19
2012 Bike: 00:29:29
2010 T2: :50
2012 T2: :44
I saw two guys in front of me and with-
in a mile I caught them both but unfor-
tunately neither of them were in my
age group. I was pretty tired and
started to warm up as the sun started
do get warmer. I felt good the first mile but then I started to feel fatigued. I have al-
ways considered my run the strongest leg of a triathlon, but I wasn’t feeling it today. I
felt I should be running at 7:00 pace but at times I was running slower. At about 1.5
miles in a guy from my age grouped passed me, darn!! I couldn’t respond… I was in sur-
vival mode. I was breathing hard, uncomfortable but I KEPT GOING!! There are many
turns (too many!) near the finish and I couldn’t wait. I looked back and didn’t see any-
one, but as I neared the last 150 yards I pushed as much as I can. I didn’t notice but Bri-
an (who beat me two years ago) was right on my tail. I only beat him by 4 seconds!
2010 Run: 22:12
2012 Run: 22:27
2010 Finish Line: 1:09:00
2012 Finish Line: 1:07:01
I am so happy to be healthy enough to race triathlons and it was great to see so many
friends and acquaintances out there on the course Tri-ing. It is also great to have them
competitors who give you motivation to push harder and go faster. A big thanks to Rosi
for taking pics and the kids for the huge cheers!
Rene Guerreo
15
16. SANDPOINT SCENIC HALF
By Meghan Faulkenberry
Jayne Anderson turned to me as
Bryan Rowe drove us all to
Sandpoint. “You know what? Forty
weeks from today, we’ll be rac-
ing Ironman Coeur d’Alene.”
I sighed. Forty weeks. That’s
it. Just over nine months to go and I’ll be bracing myself to conquer the
biggest race of my life. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day
of the fortieth week out, than with two great people heading up to one
great town for one of the best half marathons this area has to offer. They
don’t call it Sandpoint Scenic Half for nothing. A close second to Coeur
d’Alene, it has to be one of my favorite towns to visit, even if most (if
not all) of the times I’m in Sandpoint are because of a race or event I’ve
entered.
Attempting to will my legs to run again after suffering through a humbling
run in Vegas, and encouraging my body to recognize what normal tempera-
tures feel like, my recovery week after Worlds has finally ended. My 6
weeks of marathon training have quickly begun. Last year on this weekend,
Mother Nature shrouded Sandpoint in clouds and a cold drizzle. I remember
driving up with Rene Guerrero, peering through the windows of my car, beg-
ging the rain to stop. By the speed of my windshield wipers, it soon sunk
in that getting soaked would be inevitable.
This year, sunshine warmed our faces as Bryan, Jayne, and me walked over
to packet pickup, a table surrounded by vendors with coffee, SunRype fruit
strips, Clif bars, and Ruby’s Lube (for all your chafing quandaries). Vol-
unteers readied the post-race food table, laden with an assortment of
fruit, cheese, bagels, cookies, and pretzels. If this race’s scenic course
doesn’t sell you out on a great event, then the food table certainly does!
16
17. A handful of familiar faces greeted me as Bryan and I waded into the crowd
running the new half marathon course. The national anthem was sung (quite
well, actually) and within two minutes, Eric Ewing from Milliseconds Tim-
ing had us off and running.
So here’s the deal. The goal for the day seemed simple enough: start the
first four miles at 7:40 pace, ramp up the middle 4 miles to 7:30, and run
the final 5 miles at top marathon goal pace of 7:20. Bryan and I—despite
our aching bodies (his as a result of being 2 weeks post Ironman Canada
and nursing a bruised lung)—did a stellar job of running the first four
miles at a consistent 7:20min/mile pace. Well played, Meghan. Well played.
As you may imagine, the plan for the rest of the run changed slightly.
Now, it was all about holding that pace, which ended up being a bit of a
challenge as the race progressed. Bryan and I just passed mile marker 4
when the first guy flew by us on his way back to town. I can’t remember
exactly what Bryan said, but I remember being incredibly surprised that
what he did say didn’t include a swear word. What went through my head
certainly did.
Not 6 guys behind the leader, James Rich-
man passed us on his way back, too. I
thought it kind of early for people to be
looping back so soon, as last year’s
turnaround occurred exactly at the half-
way mark. You can imagine my surprise
when Bryan and I turned back toward
Sandpoint just a little over 5 miles into
the run. Either those volunteers mis-
judged the distance and we would be run-
ning a short half marathon, or they added
something to the end that would make for
a serious mental nightmare with 5k left
to go. (More about this later.)
Jayne ran alongside Jenny Yoakum and Jessica Fitzpatrick, imparting smiles
as Bryan and I busted our butts trying to keep our pace. My legs started
17
18. screaming by mile 7, so I decided to resort to distractions and noticed
the scenery this course is named for. Paved trail. Large, open fields.
Grass. Red and yellow leaves. Fall. I was pulled out of my distractions
when Bryan and I passed a guy, still on his way to the turnaround, who
kindly noted I was 10th woman. Spurred by the comment, Bryan turned to me
and said something I don’t remember. I did notice a getup in his stride.
Nice comments bring out the girl in all of us, I suppose.
We approached the bridge that spans
the river we’d swam across for the
Longbridge swim two months ago. The
headwind that slowed our pace also
did a number on the water. I suddenly
felt incredibly grateful to be run-
ning across the bridge instead of
trying to swim through the waves be-
low it. We gutted out an entire mile
(and then some) over the bridge, mak-
ing a nice barrier for one gentleman who found refuge in our wake. Last
year at this point, just one mile remained before the finish line. This
year? We hadn’t even made it through 10 miles. And that’s when she passed
me.
Craig Thorsen: “So what are you going to do when she passes you?”
Me: “Let her go. I’m not racing tomorrow. Tomorrow is all about
training for a bigger day, for a bigger race in Tri Cities 6 weeks
from now.”
Craig: “Good.”
I have decided Craig knows me all too well. He asks me all the right ques-
tions. He feeds me just enough detail. He imparts knowledge only a sea-
soned mentor could know. Yesterday, during our bike ride, the topic of the
race came up. Of course he wondered how Miss Competitive would tolerate a
girl passing me when the aim of this “race” was to serve more as a train-
ing “run”. Well, Craig? I let her pass me. I friggin’ let. her. pass. me.
We made that final turn toward the finish line, when volunteers smiled and
cheered, only to motion us off to the left on some tangent that was to
18
19. serve as our final 5k of torture before we could cross the finish line.
They had no idea what a mental disaster they caused. Nonetheless, we did
as were told and forged ahead on new trail. Again, I needed a diversion
from the tiredness in my legs and tried to concentrate on the scenery. The
water to my left looked like glass, and a green canoe with two occupants
took advantage of the conditions to hang alongside the trail. James again
passed us on his way to the finish line, having already made the turna-
round. I started counting girls headed back my way. One wore all black,
one skimmed along in a bright turquois tutu, and one…
Her. Just ahead. In pink. The girl who passed me at mile 9 ran just 10
yards ahead as I approached the turnaround. We rounded the turn together,
and for some reason, I beat her out of it. I ran the same pace I’d ap-
proached the turnaround in, and I looked nowhere but forward as I finished
that final mile before taking the left turn toward the finish line. Let’s
just say she crossed the line after I did, even when I ran a controlled
7:24min/mile pace that final 3k. (All for you, Craig. All for you.)
Another Scenic Half Marathon
rests in the books; another age
group win to my credit. Bryan
enthusiastically looks forward
to racing the Tri Cities Mara-
thon with me in 6 weeks after
having successfully run 13.1
miles without succumbing to a
broken lung. The post-race food
tasted just as good as it looked
before the race. Yet it was the water. I couldn’t take my eyes off the wa-
ter table, covered by cup after endless cup. It took everything I had to
keep myself from grabbing at every one, using several to douse me, drench
me. Others I’d use to quench thirst I didn’t really have. Why aren’t peo-
ple throwing water at me? I’ll never look at water and ice the same way
again, not after what I remember from last Sunday, the wave of cool relief
water and ice provided from the heat of Vegas. Yet a marathon beckons.
Let the speed work, the tempo runs, the 20-milers begin…
19
21. 4. Hit the hills
Once a week during the first half of your training, run the hilliest route you can find. Hill work builds leg
strength, aerobic capacity, and running economy (how efficiently your body uses oxygen), which gives you
the strength and stamina to run faster later in the program.
5. Alternate hard and easy
If you don't push yourself, you'll never develop the ability to run farther or faster. But if you don't rest
enough, you'll burn out or get injured. Follow speed sessions or long runs with an easy run or rest day,
and every few weeks cut back your mileage by 20 percent. These recovery periods allow your body to
repair and rebuild damaged muscle tissue, thereby helping you get stronger and more resistant to fatigue
at faster paces and longer distances.
6. Remember to cross-train
cross-
When you run, your muscles, joints, and connective tissues absorb a lot of shock. Cross-training gives your
body a break from the pounding while maintaining your cardiovascular fitness. Yoga, Pilates, and strength
training promote recovery, build muscle, and develop a strong upper body. Swimming, cycling, elliptical
training, and rowing improve your aerobic fitness (for more ideas, try these 4 Workouts Borrowed From
Other Sports).
7. Measure your effort
Go too hard on easy days and you won't have the energy for speed sessions and long runs. Go too
slow during hard workouts and you won't push your fitness to the next level. Use pace, heart rate, or the
talk test to ensure you're working out at the right intensity and reaping the intended benefit of every run.
8. Turn it up
Even marathoners looking simply to finish should do speedwork. Running fast builds cardiovascular strength
by forcing your heart to work harder to deliver oxygen to your leg muscles, which, in turn, get stronger
and more efficient at extracting oxygen from your blood. Speed sessions raise your metabolism, increasing
calorie burn even after your workout. Turning your legs over at a quicker rate also sheds sloppiness in
your stride--you'll run more efficiently and it will take less effort to run fast.
9. Run at race pace
Spend time practicing your goal speed during training and it will feel like your body's natural rhythm come
race day. Mentally, logging dozens of miles at race pace will help you feel more confident when the starting
gun goes off.
10. Trust the taper
In the final three weeks before race day, drop your weekly mileage by 25 to 50 percent, but maintain the
intensity of race-pace runs and speed-work. Many runners fret that they'll lose fitness. But a 2010 study
by researchers at Ball State University found that runners who maintained speedwork but dropped their
weekly mileage by 25 percent three weeks before race day lost no cardiovascular fitness, gained muscle
strength, and improved their race times.
21
22. INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups low-fat oat bran muffin mix (1 box, I used FiberOne)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup walnuts (or other favorite nuts) chopped
3 cups fresh berries of your choice
1/2-3/4 cup sugar
Fruit & Oat Bars
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Microwave berries and sugar
for two minutes, set aside to let cool. Place butter, muffin
mix, oats and nuts into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Press
half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x
13 pan firmly. Spread the berries mixture over the top even-
ly. Top with remaining crumb mixture and press until
firm. Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly brown, mak-
ing sure not to over bake. Cool completely and cut into
bars. Delish!
22
23. Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 medium zucchini (1-1/4 pounds)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) low-fat cream-style cottage cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS:
• In large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in some olive oil.
Add beef and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to boil; simmer, uncovered, for 5
minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 1/4-in. slices the long way. In small bowl,
combine cottage cheese and egg. Dust the tops of the zucchini slices with
flour (this will keep the dish from becoming too watery). In a greased 3-
qt. baking dish, place half of the zucchini. Top with cottage cheese mixture
and the meat mixture. Repeat layer of floured zucchini. Sprinkle
with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with ad-
ditional cheese if desired. Let stand for 15 minutes before serv-
ing. Yield: 6-8 servings
23
24. The Board of Directors, Sponsors and the Calendar of Upcoming Events….
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• ERIC BYRD ~ MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
• JAROD CROOKS ~ TREASURER
• MEGHAN FAULKENBERRY ~ MENTOR DIRECTOR
• NATALIE GALLAGHER - SOCIAL DIRECTOR
• GREG GALLAGHER - VICE PRESIDENT
• RENE GUERRO - WEBSITE DIRECTOR
We would like to • JENNIFER LITTLE - CLOTHING DIRECTOR
extend a • MELISSA SKELTON ~ SPONSORSHIP LIASON
generous Thank • ALISON STITT - NEWSLETTER DIRECTOR
• JESSI THOMPSON - SECRETARY
You to our truly • ROGER THOMPSON - PRESIDENT
amazing
sponsors!!
September /October 2012
J Oct. 6 Portland Half/Full
Training Opportunities: •
Marathon
• Whitworth Masters Swim, of-
fered FREE to Tri Fusion MEM- • Oct. 13th Leavenworth Half/Full
BERS every Sunday am. Sign Marathon
up on the forum as limited spots, • Oct. 14th Spokane Half/Full
and confirm times. Marathon
• Continue to post & check for • Oct. 28th Tri-Cities Full
any training swim/ride/run on Marathon
the Forum, Facebook page and/
• Nov. 25 Seattle Half/Full
or send out an email! We en-
Marathon
courage all of you to post your
workouts there as well! • Dec. 2 California Int. Full
Marathon
Upcoming Events:
Check the forum for upcoming
Greenbluff social event Next Membership Meeting:
October 17th Twigs North 6:30pm
Races:
REMINDER: No Meeting in Novem-
Check Forum “Races” for other post-
ber or December
ed events. Also find lots through
Race Rag , active.com & various
online sources.
• Sept. 22nd Priest Lake Half/Full
Marathon
• Sept. 29th Wild Moose Chase
25k
• Oct. 6 Colbert Half Marathon
24
