After the pre-race meeting it was time to head to the pool.  Thankfully I had a support person with me, so I was able to keep my warm clothes on until getting inside; I was not looking forward to running out to transition while wet.  The pool was great; temperature perfect.  I’d never swam in a 50 meter pool before.  I did a little bit of warm-up swimming then lined up with the other group 4 swimmers.  Watching the good swimmers was awesome.  My turn came and in I jumped.  I did get stuck behind some slower swimmers a couple times, but it didn’t slow me down all that much.  Overall I was very happy with the swim.  

 

The bike course was pretty good.  The first mile had a tough hill but after than it was pretty flat, then slightly downhill.  The shoulders were nicely cleared, and the potholes and rough terrain were well-marked.  There were volunteers at every intersection and police officers at every stoplight doing traffic control, they all did a great job.  This was only the second time I had ridden my new bike on the road, and I felt pretty good.  

Written By Brian Szydlik

The winter is technically over.  I think. Time for everyone to come out of their hibernation dens.  I hope .  Unfortunately, most of us did not have any Canary Island, Southern Hemisphere, or Panama race vacations planned for this winter so we just endured the Utah cold up on the slopes, at work, and indoors on a boring trainer while sneaking in a few bundled up rides outdoors.  As for me, I am a self-proclaimed wuss when it comes to riding in the cold.  Thus, I counted the days to Spring and “The Coveted,” Icebreaker Sprint distance Triathlon.  I have only been living in Utah for a little over a year as I recently moved from the East Coast.  See I was a Sea Level Weenie as I was told; and was rudely introduced to the USAT Rocky Mountain Region geography last year with less Oxygen. However, a REFRESHING family of warm hearted athletes all over this Salt Lake Valley were and are more than willing to show me the ropes on how to breath like a “fish” here at altitude with less.

Since I am such a wuss when it comes to the cold, why in the heck did I sign up for a race called the “Icebreaker.”  I guess because optimisim is good and hoped it was figurative and not literal.  Plus, I had to have something on my calendar or else there is a very good possibility I would have spent all winter at In-and-Out Burger, my other den.  Seriously.  The gamble paid off.  AND WOW, did RACE TRI deliver some great weather, in a surreal venue, and a flawlessly managed race in American Fork!  I call yesterday a HUGE success and a great way to say good-bye to winter and hello to the start of a great year.  More than 220 others with double the spectators and family felt the energy from Race Tri also, and decided to come on out.  AND BOY, was the ENERGY LEVEL genuine and very HIGH! 

The 2012 Season is here!  Give me a second to paint the venue here from my perception: 

How in the heck would Race Tri herd a Battalion of volunteers out of their dens into possibly another den that was colder?  So, in my opinion, it starts at the top.  With the leadership and culture of the organization.  Wow, and was this organization packed with energy, competence, and pure love for the sport.  Race Tri magnetized great people and volunteers to help deliver a successful event.  Two hours before kick-off, wide eyed, and fully energetic volunteers started to show up.  And I saw this with my own eyes, these people were fired up!  It wasn’t just the cool yellow shirt…these people just wanted to help serve the sport.  You could feel it.  The energy, even two hours before the race was palpable.  I grew up playing baseball so it was very cool to see the “race headquarters” under the lights in shallow center field of city baseball field.  When I was little, I used to count down the days till the opening day of baseball, and I remember feeling like a kid on Christmas morning at the ballpark while we stood during the national anthem while the smell of popcorn, cracker jacks, and fresh cut grass loomed everywhere.  Aaron Shamy, the Race Director, was “shakin and bacon” and was greeting several athletes and volunteers by name as we all arrived at the “ballpark.”  What a great way to start a season, eh? (No, I am not originally from Canada, although I do think it is cool to state rhetorical statements that sound like questions).

So right on schedule, Aaron and Race Tri, began the pre-race briefing.  Race Tri’s pre-race briefings are different.  They are genuinely welcoming, motivating, timely, and personal.  In a very brief but brilliant way, Aaron welcomes athletes from all over the country, puts things in perspective and humbly informs the group of local returning athletes vying to better themselves from a year ago.  Then snap, “everyone get to the pool!!!!”

The crowd scatters and marches with a sense of well instructed purpose and within 15 minutes, everyone is lined up by swim time ready to get the party started.  Heath Thurston had the honor of kicking the season off, and rightly so.  This guy powers and glides through the water (and who broke his bike’s crank bolt?).  For the rest of us,  it was just a smattering of splash and hypoxic pain.  And that went for the swim too…. 

The real story is that it was impossible not to notice the energy, the joy and pure power of this sport in action today.  As the lead pack of runners came to the halfway point on the run, several teenage kids leaped for joy.  Again, the energy was infectious.  We all ran like we were being chased.  I certainly was as it turned out…by a great athlete that would eventually set a course record.  Congratulations to Dave Warden for lighting it up.  Hats off for Jameson King for burning all of our legs up on the bike!  

 Congratulations to Amber Foster who was gracious in her OA female win!  Congratulations to ALL athletes who clamored out of their own dens to compete with themselves and to lead by example in terms of showing their families that it is cool to wake up early in the morning to swim, bike, and run…to be fit, to reach a goal, to run for him or her, to escape, to find out how the engine is running, to lose weight, to do, to live, to ?  It was just a great way to start spring.  Yeah, Spring is cool. 

 The snow capped Wasatch Front towered over perfect temperatures in the valley below.  Big thanks and a huge shout out to Someone for ordering this day up!!!   

It certainly was an honor to compete and be a part of “opening day.” 

See you next year for sure.

Respectfully,

Brian Szydlik

____________________________________________

Brian Szydlik is a seasoned triathlete who placed 2nd overall in the 2012 race with a time of 00:53:48.4 Szydlik ran the second fastest Ice Breaker time that has ever been completed. Coming in just 22 seconds behind 2012 winner, David Warden.

For those of you who make a habit of Triathlon’ing and competing at events we believe you deserve a little support and recognition! Go for it and you will receive 15% off the events when you sign up for all 3. Run a Sprint, and Olympic and a Half with RaceTri and you can be eligible for the Triple Play!!!

To participate in RaceTri’s Triple Play Series complete all three events and you’ll be eligible for a special award presented at the end of the Series at the UTAH HALF.

• Salem Spring Sprint
• Rock Cliff Triathlon (Olympic)
• Utah Half Ironman

 In addition your name will be immortalized on a special webpage dedicated for TRIPLE PLAY finishers. Preferred parking permits for the Salem race will go to the first 15 TRIPLE PLAY sign ups.

To participate in RaceTri’s Grand Slam Series. Complete all four events and you’ll be eligible for a special award presented at the end of the Series at Yuba.

• Salem Spring Sprint
• Rock Cliff Triathlon (Sprint or Olympic)
• Escape from Black Ridge – Herriman Triathlon
• Camp Yuba (Sprint or Olympic)

Register through the website and when you’ve got all four races in your cart input the code: “GS2012″ to receive a 15% discount and be eligible for the Grand Salem Award.

Completing the sprint or olympic distance in the Rock Cliff or Camp Yuba races has no effect on your standing to receive the Award. In addition your name will be immortalized on a special webpage dedicated for Grand Slam finishers. Preferred parking permits for the Salem race will go to the first 15 Grand Slam sign ups.

Heath Thurston with an 3 Minute lead out of the water at the Utah Half Ironman 2010

Winner of the 2011 Salem Spring Triathlon, Heath Thurston will be hosting an open water Swim Clinic at the Pleasent Grove Res. Heath is an expert multisport athlete. While he excels in all the disciplines of triathlon he will be the first to admit that “THE SWIM” is his strong point. Almost always the first one out of the water Heath has perfected the discipline of open water competition. On Tuesday night Heath will review the swim course, open water techniques and race day strategies. Bring your wetsuit and goggles, its your chance to have your stroke analyzed by a Pro. You do not want to miss it! For those who attend the clinic they may pick up their race packets afterwards. You may also pick up your race packet for the UTAH HALF IRONMAN at SBR in Orem on Thursday, Friday night from 6-8pm or on Saturday race morning before 6AM.

When asked what he does Heath responded “I train as a Professional Triathlete myself then I coach other athletes as well, mostly in the swim. My wife and I also have a corporate wellness program that we do for businesses in the [Utah] valley. I love doing Triathlons and coaching other people to see their potential in the sport and get them to have confidence in swimming biking and running to do there first Tri.

We are happy to report that Winder Farms will be at the swim clinic to offer a chocolate milk recovery drink after your swim workout. Furthermore a special offer for the Utah Half Ironman participants only. You are going to love it!

 Like the bike course, the run had its share of hills. It was a single loop course which is what I usually prefer. For some odd reason the two loop and out-n-back layouts are mentally tough for me. I enjoyed the run with all the curves it threw at me.

All in all, I had a great time at the Black Ridge Triathlon and would readily recommend it to anyone who asks about it. The open water swim is much less intimidating than others in which I have participated. The bike course had a great climb with a long rewarding descent. The run had hills and some great flats for chasing. I definitely plan on racing again next year.

Christopher Hoerter finished 8th place overall with a time of 1:14:22.7

Herriman BlackRidge Triathlon July 30, 2011

More information about the ESCAPE from BLACK RIDGE TRI

See more photos from the BLACK RIDGE TRI 2011

Heath Thurston with an 3 Minute lead out of the water at the Utah Half Ironman 2010

Winner of the 2011 Salem Spring Triathlon, Heath Thurston will be hosting an open water Swim Clinic at Black Ridge. Heath is an expert multisport athlete. While he excels in all the disciplines of triathlon he will be the first to admit that “THE SWIM” is his strong point. Almost always the first one out of the water Heath has perfected the discipline of open water competition. On Tuesday night Heath will review the swim course, open water techniques and race day strategies. Bring your wetsuit and goggles, its your chance to have your stroke analyzed by a Pro. you do not want to miss it! For those who attend the clinic they may pick up their race packets afterwards. You may also pick up your race packet for the Herriman Tri at SBR in Orem on Thursday night.

When asked what he does Heath responded “I train as a Professional Triathlete myself then I coach other athletes as well, mostly in the swim. My wife and I also have a corporate wellness program that we do for businesses in the [Utah] valley. I love doing Triathlons and coaching other people to see their potential in the sport and get them to have confidence in swimming biking and running to do there first Tri.

                Out of all the injuries I see, this is the most common among runners and non-runners alike.  For some it is a short-term problem and others it is a life-long struggle.  Runner’s Knee is usually associated with an increase in activity.  This can be increased mileage, increased hills, or just over-doing it on one particular day.  Pain is often worse after exercise.  The pain can be felt on any side of the knee, but most often on the front.  Pain is worse after getting up from rest, with sitting for a while with your knees bent (the Theatre Sign), or with going down stairs. 

                So what causes it?  The answer is really in the name- Patellofemoral (meaning knee cap and thigh bone) Syndrome.  It is essentially a problem with alignment.  A good comparison is that of a rope in a pulley.  If the rope stays in the center of the pulley then everything runs smoothly, but if the rope is pulled off to the side then there can be uneven wear and fraying of the rope.  The knee is just the same.  There is a groove in the bottom of the thigh bone that acts like a pulley.  The knee cap, its tendons, and the quadriceps muscle act as the rope.  So, if the alignment of the knee is off, then there is uneven wear under the knee cap, causing inflammation and pain.

                There are a variety of things that can contribute to runner’s knee.  Some of these issues cannot be changed like the bone anatomy, the tightness of ligaments, and how ‘knock-kneed’ you are.  Others can be influenced like muscle strength, foot arch, and pelvic alignment. 

                The mainstay of initial treatment is relative rest, strengthening of the thigh and hip muscles, and anti-inflammatory medications.    Other treatments of benefit are bracing, taping, and pelvic adjustment.  Rarely, is surgery a considered option.  So, if this sounds like something that you may be dealing with I would suggest taking a step back on your training and search the web for ‘Patellofemoral exercises’.  It will take 2-4 weeks to see improvement with these exercises.  If these are not helpful, pay your friendly neighborhood sports medicine doctor a visit.

Matt Evans, MD

Dr. Matt Evans is a sports medicine doctor practicing with Utah Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. He lends his expertise at RACETRI events by patching up road rash, helping athletes overcome hypothermia, dehydration and with his team runs overall triage at the race. More than a medical expert Dr. Evans is an athlete who has completed triathlons. Do you have an injury or sports medicine question? Find Dr. Evans near the finish line for an exam & expert advice.

See his Full Bio by clicking here

Schedule an appointment by calling the number here

I knew that if I wanted to win this thing, I needed to push the swim a little harder than usual. There were some great bikers and fast runners in the field and my best chance to win was to lead from start to finish. That was my goal. I felt good on the swim and found myself pretty much alone after the turn-around buoy. I was hoping this meant that I passed a few guys rather than that everybody was way ahead of me. 

T1 was rather uneventful although surprisingly slow. Not sure what I was doing in there for so long. I noticed that most bikes were still on the racks, which tends to be a good sign. I tried to keep a steady yet fast pace on the bike. This was a sprint after all and there was no need for pacing. I kept trying to convince myself that this is supposed to hurt the whole time. It is always fun to get passed by a bunch of the fast guys, knowing that I beat them out of the water. If only I could hold on a little longer…

I was happy to make it off the bike still in 1st place.

I was having some trouble in T2 trying to stay balanced while putting my running shoes on. Maybe having Chris Black, the awesome photographer that shot all of these pictures, right in my face was making me nervous.

The run was actually really lonely. The fast guys were all pretty much out of sight and I did not see any other runner until one flew by me right before the finish. Luckily, it was not a girl. Staying focused is a little difficult when it does not feel like you are actually racing but knowing that Jeanette and Kara were catching up scared me enough to keep up the pace.

It was great to see so many friends and family at the finish line. Thank you for all your support and love. It means a lot to me.

Huge congrats to all the other finishers out there. It is a pleasure and honor to be racing with you all. Special congrats to my great friend, Jen Wilson, who survived her first open-water swim and then blazed through the bike/run and finished in the Top 10. You are my hero!

A big thank you to RaceTri for a fantastic event, PowerTri, and HT Training. I could not be doing it without your help!

Sarah Jarvis holds on to her title as “Queen of Salem” … who will come and challenge her next year? Will it be you? Win, lose, or draw by the end of it all Sarah will certainly learn your name and call you friend; Good Form Sarah – We are honored to have you come race Salem.

When I was initially told about the bacteria problem, I was told that measurements taken after rainstorms were likely to produce higher numbers and be more contaminated than normal because of all the runoff from peoples yards and just general muck.

So when I heard that the state would be testing the water again yesterday, I was kind of nervous about it due to all the rainfall, but then I go the results.