ITU Triathlon World Championships: The Long Road

2011 ITU Duathlon World Championships...

2011-10-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Margaret B was among the 52 women competing on the sprint distance, 5k Run-19.2k Bike-2.5k Run, at the 2011 ITU Duathlon World Championships held recently in Gijon, Spain and she earned her 2nd World Title by winning the 70-74 age division in 2:23:31 hrs.

She had in 2009 won the ITU Sprint Triathlon World Championships in Australia and has been a fixture on Team USA in Triathlon and/or Duathlon every year since 2007.

Darlene H, another regular Team USA member, competed on the standard distance, 10k Run-38.4k Bike-5k Run, and finished 21st in the 55-59 age division in a time of 3:39:10 hrs.

Both will be on Team USA for the 2012 ITU Sprint Triathlon World Championships held in October in Auckland, New Zealand.

Watch Everybody's Finish

2009-11-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

With ratified results from the ITU Triathlon Age Group World Championships now complete, your can view the finish line celebrations and download official finisher’s certificate.

On the ITU’s Age Group Zone's link just enter an athlete’s surname or race number and it will access a personal page with full results, the streamed footage, a link to download the certificate and race photographs.

http://www.triathlon.org/agegroup/agegroup_search/

Margaret Bomberg Home Town Hero!!

2009-10-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

www.knvn.com/content/localnews/story/Chico-Senior-Citizen-Becomes-World-Champion-Tri/gSNWw60K8k256MqrfOPM4g.cspx

Margaret has accomplished so much over the years and this is the topper!!

Results from Worlds 2009

2009-09-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here are two links with resutls from Worlds -- both have searchable functions -- one shows the splits as the competitors went along on race day along with finish times (click on your name and you will get a page with just your splits) -- and the other shows all the final results and splits along with some stats from the event (click on your name and get your details) --

http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?lang=en&year=2009&iframe

http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/RaceTecResults/Default.aspx?CId=1&RId=351&EId=10

A list of age group winners, including Margaret, can be found here:

http://www.triathlon.org.au/Story.aspx?site=ta&dept=events&section=articles&content=news&item=810

http://www.triathlon.org.au/Story.aspx?site=ta&dept=events&section=articles&content=news&item=809

http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age_group_and_paratriathlon_world_champions_crowned/

A link to the official media guide:

http://www.worldtriathlongoldcoast.com/docs/Media_Guide_WTC09.pdf?call=TVRFeA==&keep=sh

Happy hunting...

Some Closing Thoughts from Sue Kamrar....

2009-09-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

The laundry is done, but not yet put away…my attempt to prolong my official and complete re-entry after a most memorable trip to Australia for the ITU World ChampionshipsWhile the race itself was incredible, it is the people who made the greatest impressions. As I settle back in here in Chico, my 13 teammates (Bill and Shawn included) are at the forefront of my mind. I don’t know how we pulled this off, really, other than we have an amazing, cohesive group with a coach who pushes and prods us to be the best we can be. I can’t stop thinking about the eclectic group we have assembled and the fact that we are in no way shape or form full time athletes. Most of us work full time, and train when we can, and still our results are noteworthy. Maybe balance is the key.First and foremost, our 72 year old world champion: Margaret Bomberg! I want to be like Margaret when I grow up. Actually, I want to be like her right now! This woman raced 3 world championship races in 5 days. And if that wasn’t enough, she was heading to Cairns the day after the race to scuba dive. What touched me about Margaret is her proud sashay to the podium. She was beaming and when she got up there, she was dancing and smiling and having a great time. If anyone deserved to get #1 in the world, it’s her. More notably, perhaps is her impact on other Team USA mem bers. After the Olympic race you could find about 5 of Margaret’s friends from all over the USA waiting to congratulate her in the finish corral, a testament, no doubt to the kind of person and friend she is. Margaret has been to 3 worlds and I honor her (and Mary Ann) for paving the way to Worlds for the rest of us. Thank you Margaret.Mary Ann: Travels more than she trains. Her 10th place finish on Saturday is a window into her innate athleticism and determination. Gaby: Our blog reporter who put a face and name to our journey. Gaby experienced injuries this year so she was not able to maximize her training. I know she had to readjust her goals for worlds throughout the year. For an athlete as gifted as Gaby, I know this was difficult. I am proud of her for her perspective on the experience, her good attitude toward the race and her unending, unselfish support as she herself struggled. What a gift.Elizabeth: This girl never rested until the week before Worlds. I hardly saw her all week, as she was napping, and resting, and hibernating. It did her good, as she had a great race. Elizabeth rode so fast on the bike that I missed her the first time around!Teresa: Our renaissance woman who raises sheep, spins wool, knits socks and rides like the wind. Not surprisingly our fastest time for the Olympic Distance. Susan: Broke her foot 6 months ago, with pins and screws and plates in her ankle. Did this stop her? NO! She dedicated herself to hours and hours of physical therapy to be able to compete in worlds and not only did she race in the Olympic tri, she did the Aquathon as well. I hear those Danes are a hard headed lot! It paid off for Susan!Joanne: Our Boston Marathoner turned lemons into lemonade. With her plantar fascitis so bad in June that she could not run, Joanne turned her attention to the bike. Her incredible success on her TTs and races in Newport and AUS were buoyed up by her willingness to press on inspite of not being able to run. The 40 – 44 age group better watch out, as I know Joanne is determined after finishing only a few minutes off the podium. Reene: My age group competitor who pushes me to beat her every time out. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I thank her for not taking our head to head competition personally. If I beat Reene on any given day, I KNOW I”ve had a good race as she is an animal out there on the course. Thanks for your contagious smile and laughter and for being our team mechanic and for hauling all the tools to AUS. Darlene: Up at 4am every morning to drive a forklift, traveling 30 min. to Chico to train after work…how does she do it? She simply PRed at Worlds. Anne: In her 4th triathlon of her life, Anne places 7th in the WORLD! I can’t stop shaking my head about that one. Kim: Kim swears she’s giving up triat hlons and is going to focus on cycling. I hope she doesn’t. When one places 6th in the world, how can one quit? I even think she is beginning to like running (she won’t admit it), now if she could only ditch the fins!Bill: A triathlon turned duathlon qualifier, and Bill gets into Worlds. I love how he was able to join us and become an honorary member of the Women’s tri club. His resilience after the death of his parents this past year is admirable. Shawn: Our second honorary member did his first triathlon in AUS. I wonder if it will be the last? Other inspirational people at Worlds: 1. The paratriathletes (need I say more?) 2. Nancy Templeton (Team USA) who broke her arm 2 weeks before the race and couldn’t participate, but donned a volunteer t-shirt and was passing out medals to finishers, 3. Kim, who loaned $100 bucks cash to Andy (Team USA) whom she did not know from anyone, so he could buy a new tire, 4. Patrick, who endured hours and hours of racing and took 900 photos of the event, 5. Australians, forever kind, happy, and pleasant folks, who truly seem to have “no worries.” 6. Parents, friends and family members supporting and cheering at home and in AUS for their loved ones (I spoke to an athlete’s mother who had traveled from Beirut, Lebanon to watch her daughter race the AG sprint for Team USA, and there were countless others who did the same, including Mary, Reene s mom, and Darlene’s family), 7. The sole competitor in the 8 0 – 84 age group who made me realize that maybe this sport is not about being the fastest, but about lasting the longest!In a few days, I won’t remember my time, place or splits. What I will remember, in the years to come, is the great time I had with all of you in AUS and the constant inspiration and motivation you have given me over the years. As Gaby said several times over the course of the week, we will have this “forever.”

Final Updated Results

2009-09-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

This year's ITU Triathlon World Championship event is now over and the updated final results are out showing how fantastic the Women's Triathlon Club girls did in Australia. The girls are now on to a well earned vacation exploring sites and places we have only dreamed and heard about.

ITU Aquathlon World Championship / 2.5k run – 1k swim – 2.5k run
Mary Ann B. (60-64) 4th -- Darlene H. (55-59) 12th
Teresa K. (50-54) 13th -- Reene F. (45-49) 23rd

ITU Intl. Dist. Tri World Championship / 1.5k swim – 40k bike – 10k run
Margaret B. (70-74) 4th -- Mary Ann B. (60-64) 10th
Susan C. (65-69) 11th -- Teresa K. (50-54) 21st
Gabrielle W. (50-54) 30th --Elizabeth B. (50-54) 37th

ITU Sprint Tri World Championship / 750m swim – 20k bike – 5k run
Margaret B. (70-74) World Champion
Kim A. (55-59) 6th -- Anne Y. (55-59) 7th
Darlene H. (55-59) 12th -- Joanne G. (35-39) 21st
Sue K. (45-49) 23rd -- Reene F. (45-49) 28th

Results from Worlds

2009-09-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

A searchable database of the results can be found at:
http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?lang=en&year=2009&iframe=

A list of the age group winners, including Margaret, can be found here:
http://www.triathlon.org.au/Story.aspx?site=ta&dept=events&section=articles&content=news&item=810

http://www.triathlon.org.au/Story.aspx?site=ta&dept=events&section=articles&content=news&item=809

http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/age_group_and_paratriathlon_world_champions_crowned/

From Joanne's Perspective.....

2009-09-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

Gaby asked us all to share our experiences, so here I go......

My feet were throbbing and I felt exhausted going from the swim to the bike and finally the run....and that was just when I was a spectator cheering on the girls during the Olympic distance tri. Actually, watching my teammates on Saturday was probably the highlight of the event for me, knowing how hard they have trained and the sacrifices they have made to get here is very inspiring! Being a Canadian, British and US citizen, I was proud to be yelling out "GO USA!!" every time they went by. By the end of the day I was wishing that the sprint tri had been first since I was already totally exhausted, but after a big sushi dinner and a good nights sleep, I was raring to go on Sunday morning.

The swim was a beach start, so I did a couple of not so graceful dolphin dives and was right smack in the middle of full on kicking, pushing and grabbing (I was very happy that Jeanne O'Regan wasn't in my age group!!). I took in lots of salt water but I managed to draft behind another pink cap and I kept hoping she was going the right way, however it seemed like there was a strong current pulling me out and I felt like I zigzagged in the whole way.

Into T1, a bit of fumbling with my wetsuit to get it off and then I was running with my bike. Unfortunately as soon as I got on my bike, the chain fell off so that cost me a few seconds, but I powered through and caught a pack in front of me. From there on, it was leap frogging all the Aussies and Kiwi's. I felt like the course officials' motorcycle was constantly behind me yelling at everyone to stay in single file which was totally impossible. I'm not sure how I made it without a penalty.

With my brand new shiny white tri shoes I was able to easily get my feet out of my shoes before the dismount line and I ran to T2. I was not looking forward to the run...my nemesis. I have hardly trained due to my chronic plantar fasciitis and running a 5K is not my expertise. I really didn't know how to pace myself and actually had to ask a fellow Aussie competitor how many laps the run was. When she told me it was only 1 lap and she didn't seem to be very out of breath, I decided to let her set the pace and I ran right behind her until I could see the final turn, when I took off, grabbed a US flag that was handed to me and sprinted across the finish line. My first thought when I was done was "I can't believe it's over already!" and I felt like I could have done it 2 more times, an obvious indication that I didn't push myself as hard as I could (sorry Preben!!) Oh well,there's always next time and I WILL be back!!

A couple of hours after my race I got to play coach and spectator again while my husband, Shawn competed in the Enticer SprintMan Triathlon, his first ever tri. I think he has a new appreciation of the sport of triathlon as he ran past us yelling out "You guys make this look easy!" He did great and I was very proud that he took this on, especially with the pressure of all the tri girls looking on.

All in all I have had an AMAZING experience in Australia. It's been an honor to compete with all my fellow Women's Triathlon Club teammates.

Preben, now I just have to work on shaving off another 8 minutes....I need your help!!
Joanne

The Team in Action!

2009-09-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

The After Glow......

2009-09-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

The happy race finishers!! Everyone had a great day.....

Coverage of Today's Event.....

2009-09-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

Looks like Preben is able to give all the details of today's racing so I can put in the video portion and some more comments from the Olympic distance race. Here is what Margaret had to say about yesterday...."Except for the swim...I evidently tried to cross the river-triathlon was typical (slow but fun). It is always pleasurable to meet agaijn all the athletes I've met before. Everyone is so supportive. Australia-this part anyway is lovely-the weather and the plants-the ocean all remind me of summers in Long Beach, California. What is so different are the birds. We are awakened by one bird that shrieks-one who is quite melodic- and one who cackles. Going to "tri" the sprint distance tomorrow."

Here is what Susan Clavey had to say...."My swim was good and smooth and lucky because I was in the water just ahead of those fast boys. Biking was a little scary because of the peletons....one boy came too close and brushed me and I almost went over. He was ticketed. I power walked most of the time for the run. All the way around it was a good race."

You will have to wait a bit for photos of yesterdays race..the olympic because those photos are on other cameras.

Here is a side note: Shawn Hughes (Joanne's husband) did the Sprint Man Enticer this morning. So it looks like just about everyone here got to race with all the opportunities.

World Champion Margaret

2009-09-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

She has put them all to shame and crossed the finish line as the new Sprint Distance World Champion. Party on Margaret.

The Racing is Under Way...3g

2009-09-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Molly Hayes in the 75-79 age divsion has finished and those of you watching will see that with most athletes finished the finish line is clear and everybody is waiting to cheer Margaret home to her first World Championship.

The Racing is Under Way...3f

2009-09-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

Bill, in the 55-59 divison, has finished his first of many World Championship races in 30th overall in 1:21:28hrs. I bet Bill will be swimming all winter now.

The Racing is Under Way...3e

2009-09-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

18:30 was Bill's swim time. Yes, we have not forgotten that he is also racing today in the 55-59 age division. That put him in 38th place, but he is a strong cyclist and runner so he will most certainly move up over the next hours of racing.

Joanne just crossed the finish line, as announced on the live webcast we are watching, moving up more spots on the run with a 22:44 to finish 21st in 1:16:40 hrs, by far the fastes time among the Chico girls.

Sue kept thing rolling with a 24:47 and a 23rd place in the 45-49 division staying ahead of Reene, who just crossed the finish line smiling all over and cozying up the the Aussiers finishing just ahead of her, with a 24:30 split in 28th. Looks like Reene saved some energy for tonight's medal ceremony party! Sue's time was 1:20:37 and Reene's 1:21:43.

Kim headed out on the run in 4th only 2 minutes down on the leaders and seconds behind 3rd. Running is not Kim's strong suit, but maybe the smell of a medal and knowing that Anne is a better runner will help keep things rolling. Anne, in 8th, was 2 minutes ahead of 9th and 10th and one minute behind a group of three.

And they both kept up the pressure to the finish. Anne ran a 26:41 finishing 7th just behind Kim with a 26:48 split placing her 6th in the 55-59 divison. Darlene also kept things rolling and held on for 12th with a 28:28 split. Kim finished in 1:22:37 as the 2nd best American, Anne in 1:26:06 as the 3rd best American, and Darlene in 1:33:17.

By the way -- For those who have followed things down under, you likely already know that the Women's Triathlon Club will be able to boast of one World Champion after today. Margaret, in the 70-74 age divsion, and in her third race at these events, will, when she finsihes the run, claim the top spot and a World Championship for the US. Way to roll Margaret...

The Commonwealth countries again dominated. As a matter of fact, if it was not for Margaret, the US would only have won the 75-79 and the 35-39 age divisons. With Margaret in the 70-74 age divsion, the US will win three World Championships for the women on the Sprint Distance. Of the 34 medals handed out the US gets 8, the Commonwealth nations get 21, and BRA and NFI each gets one, both 1st placings. But, we plan on working on a few aspects the next few years and put a stop to that dominance!

The Racing is Under Way...3d

2009-09-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

Joanne headed out on the bike in 36th, 6 minutes behind the leader, but moved up 12 spots to 24th with a split of 34:14 minutes for the 20km and headed out on the run in a pack of 10+ runners.

Sue's bike split of 37:51 dropped her to 22nd heading out on the run while Reene's 38:52 moved her up to 27th in the 45-49 division.

Anne headed out 3 minutes ahead of 4th place and just ahead of 2nd but a bit down on 1st. A 38:07 split puts her in 8th heading out on the run while Kim with a split of 36:48 has moved passed Anne and into 5th in the 55-59 divison. The foot race is on.

The Racing is Under Way...3c

2009-09-12T14:36:00.001-07:00

Joanne is first to hit the beach of the girls in 16:34 minutes as the 9th American and 37th overall in the tough 35-39 age division. She heads out on the bike in 36 meaning that her two stong disciplines are to come and she will be able to make up some serious time.

Sue, as expected, have a fast swim and is the 2nd American to hit the beach in 8th in the 45-49 age division in 14:30 with Reene in 29th in 17:18.

Then we have the 55-59 age division where Anne, as expected, comes ashore in front, in 4th as the first American in 15:20, followed by Kim in 9th and Darlene in 19th. Anne quickly get through the transition and makes up a spot heading out in 3rd.

The swim is over and the best is to come...

The Racing is Under Way...3b

2009-09-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Joanne is the first to hit the water at 1:53pm PST along with the 47 others in the 35-39 age division. As in yesterday's race, today's field is full of Aussies, 146 total to be exact, along with 37 from NZL, 30 from CAN, 58 from GBR, and 58 from the US.

A few minutes later at 1:57pm PST Reene and Sue along with the 42 in the 45-49 age division are up and they will eventually be followed at 2:01pm PST by the 43 in the 55-59 age division including Kim, Darlene and Anne.

Sprint triathlons are about going all-out and not make any mistakes in the tranistions. With the marging between finishers measured in single seconds it is easy to drop 10, 15 or more spots in no time. In a big race like this, with a large transition area with over 800 bikes (the men are also racing) lined up a few feet apart in row after row, getting lost is costly.

The run and bike here are both flat so it takes a lot of focus and mental strength to keep the pressure up. In a short race like this that lasts just over one hour there is no marging for making up lost time along the way so it is really about who wants to suffer the most and the longest.

The Racing is Under Way...3a

2009-09-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

It is about time -- the Sprint Traithlon World Championship get under way and 349 women from around the world will in a few minutes start streaming into the nice warm water and head out on a short and fast 750 meter swim - 20 kilometer bike and 5 kilometer run.

The live feed here: http://www.triathlon.org/live/

The splits here: http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?lang=en&eventid=GCage09DAd&iframe=&year=2009

Comments From The Race...1

2009-09-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

"Well...we are done!! The race was very reflective of where we have all been at. I had a fabulous swim....mediocre bike and then my fitness was marginal for the run....but I finished and had the best time I have ever had racing...it was truly a great time. Ran through transition holding my bike seat for the first time...I felt very professional. Anyway better get to blogging. Tomorrow the sprints! "

"This is quite an experience. Thanks for encouraging me to come.We race in 12 hours! Gonna go as hard as I can and hope for the best."

"Wish I could have finished under 10th place, but what can you do when there's all those ex marathoners out there. I really am going to improve on that next year. It was indescribable what it was like having us all here. At least I can bike with the best of them. Cheers! I think we're gonna party with the Aussies tonight."

" All is good. This event is amazing...so much fun...such great athletes...wonderful people and interactions with athletes from lots of countries. I love the ausie's often heard comment in their beautiful accent "No Worry!" What a great thought to keep as we go into the races...GO USA!

The Racing is Under Way...2c

2009-09-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

As the day is wrapping up a sea of people are flowing over the finish line incuding Susan who at the first run split was in 10th and at the second had dropped one spot to 11th which ended up being her finish place in the 65-69 age division. Margaret held on to her 4th spot all the way to the finish and she will by that be the highest placed from our group from day one. So we had a great first day at the Wolrds.

The US took the top-4 sport in the 65-69 and 70-74 age divisions, but as those of you who have followed, not just this event, but the sport of triathlon over the last few decades likely have noticed, the British Commonwealth, or as it is called today, Commonwealth of Nations, is still reaching out long after its world dominance has vaned to dominate the sport of triathlon.

In the age-group races it is the same story. In the international distance age-group event today these countries accounted for 25 of the 38 top-3 podiums with the US getting 10 but all but two were in the age division 65- and above with one in the 60-64 and one in the 45-49 division. The US and everybody else is slowely being pushed out. That left three podium spots, all in the "older" age divisions to split between NOR, ESP, and NFI.

And not just because Australia hosted this World Championships and had home court advantage and a large contingenet, but every year, you will note that AUS, NZL, CAN and GBR lay claim to the large majority of medals available in most large triathlons except for the big one in Hawaii.

They took 5 of 6 at the Olympics and just about most World Championships reaching back years although the Germans did well again today in the men's pro race while Mr. Gomes from Spain again failed in reaching the top spot and knocking off the Brit. The finish was one of the most exciting in years with the top-10 all racing for the line.

Tonight the pro women are racing and that event is not likely to be quite as exciting as AUS is expected to dominate although ESP and SWE might be able to give them a run for it.

Watch the pro women live tonight starting at 9:45pm.

On the site's ( http://www.triathlonlive.tv/index/free ) upper right hand side click on "forgot password" and it will get you to the sign-up link ( http://www.triathlonlive.tv/user/password ) -- where you put in your e-mail address and "age" -- they then e-mail you a link to activate your computer with a password -- then you go back to he above top web link and sign in and the feed will start running.

And -- six of the tri girls will be back in action this afternoon, Saturday, starting at 1:45pm PST in the Sprint Championship where we are counting on making a dent in the Commonwealth's dominance as we are ready to rock the world...

Watch free live feed from the Sprint at http://www.triathlon.org/live/

Follow their splits at http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?categories=W70&timingpoint=TimeFinish&iframe=&eventid=GCage09DAd&lang=en

At Festival Village Before The Race....

2009-09-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video of the group at festival village a couple of days before the race...just so you can see our smiling faces.......and feel as if you are with us.

Thanks Coach!!!

2009-09-11T21:48:00.001-07:00

I knew Preben would be the one to get the results to us not only fast but as they are happening. Wow...what a race!! That was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I feel so fortunate to have been part of it. You cannot imagine what it feels like to be in a race and have people shouting your name who you don't even know.

Here are photos of me and Elizabeth racking our bikes in the huge transition area the afternoon before the race. I will have post race photos of us later.

Preben has asked me to get a little story from everyone about their race experience and I will do that but I guess I can start with me. As I said I don't think I have ever been that nervous before a race start but I know that I had prepared as best I could and everything was falling into place. I calmed down at the swim start. The water was beautiful and the course very simple to follow so I felt confident. Everyone doing the sprint was there to wish us well at our start. I felt very emotional and hugged each of them and Teresa and Elizabeth and let them all know what an inspiration they have been to me throughout the years. I was struck with how much all these women have meant to me and what we have been through together. Tears were shed by all. That was a good release for me and helped me feel calmer for race start.

As you can see from Preben's post of the results I had a great swim. It was fast and furious and I had a pack to draft off the whole time. I enjoyed the swim very much making sure I took note of the beautiful surroundings. We swam with a current so it felt wonderful. Getting out we had to run up some deep sand which was quite tiring and I felt woozy from even the small amount of swell in the water but I knew I had a good swim and that moved me on with confidence. We had a very long chute to run up to our bikes. This is where I lost some spots as well as a bit of a slow transition....that darned wet suit. Again it was a long run with the bike to the mounting point but I felt good running holding my seat and hearing people cheer for me. I knew Teresa was close behind because I heard them announce her swim exit. I felt great on the bike just zipping along but I never noticed Teresa pass me.....this is usually a trigger for me to go faster! One unfortunate event for me was when I got swept up in a large pack of 2o year old women (yes, there were large packs of riders! yes, drafting!) Well I figured to go for it with them but they were coming to the finish turn in and I was supposed to go straight....I could not see the sign for that because I was on the inside of the pack. I ended up having to sit for two full minutes before I could cross over and continue riding....ah well.....these things happen. That cost me quite a bit. I started to feel pretty tired on the second loop of the bike which is reflective of my lack of fitness this year. I was a bit worried I would not have it for the run which has been the case for me this year. I had a good shoeless dismount off the bike and set out on my run. My legs felt like rocks and it felt as if I was barely moving. I was able to pick it up a bit but could never quite get the speed I was hoping for. Again it was wonderful to have people cheering for USA and Walters...both people I know and complete strangers. It definitely kept me going. It is a very exciting finish chute and tons of spectators and celebration. Teresa, Elizabeth, and I all finished close to each other so we were able to sit together at the end and bask in the knowledge that we were done!

I will get stories from the others and of course we still have tomorrow's excitement. Looks like some of us are going to party with the Aussies tonight....!!!

The Racing is Under Way...2b

2009-09-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

Cindy Taylor from NZL, second after the swim, is the first in the 50-54 age division to finish the 40km bike leg with a time of 1:05:42 hrs. She and Belinda Sharpless from AUS had a nice 3 minute cushion on the rest of the division heading out on the run.

Teresa, as the 4th American was 14th with a bike split of 1:08:15 and headed out of the transition in 15th. Gabrielle was in 34th with a split of 1:14:28 followed closely by Elizabeth in 35th with a 1:10:00 split. They maintained their spots through the transition and out on the run. At the first run split Teresa is still the 4th American but has fallen to 18th although she is in a pack with four other runners. Gabrielle has moved up to 33rd with Elizabeth in 35th. Teresa came through the 2nd run split in 21st as the 5th American. Gabrielle has worked her way up to 31st and about a minute behind 26th but 4 minutes behind 25th. Teresa is first to finish her first World Championship as the 5th American and in 20th with a time of 2:31:42 hrs. Gabrielle is next and has worked here wya up to 29th in 2:37:16 hrs and Elizabeth in 36th in 1:39:53 hrs. Great job in a touch tough group. Margaret Richie from Canada runs down all and beat Cindy Taylor for the division win.

Mary Ann finished the bike leg as the 3rd American and is now up to 8th in the 60-64 age division with a bike split of 1:12:10. She headed out on the run 2 minutes behind 7th and 3:30 minutes behind 4th. But at the second split she has dropped to 10th and it looks like a top-10 finish is slowely slipping away. But no, at the finish she edge out the 10th place finisher by a mere 7 seconds and will be the 3rd best placed American. Nice hustle. Lauren Binder from the USA win the age division by a mile or more.

Susan kept her 10th in the 65-69 age division after a bike split of 1:35:00 hrs so now it is just the matter of the 10km run.

Margaret finished with a bike split of 1:41:37 hrs in 4th in the 70-74 age division and is now chasing down 3rd place about 10 minutes ahead of her.

And on it goes...

The Racing is Under Way...2a

2009-09-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

A nice sunny morning and all the women are in the water and on their way after having lined up on the beach side by side for the running start into the water. The race got under way on schedule and most of the women's field has already exited the water and are now out on the 40km bike leg.

For those of you following it live on the web it is great coverage and great seeing the endless stream of athletes filing into the tranisiton and then out on the bike. We saw Gaby and Elizabeth on the starting line -- they did not wave though -- or told mom that "we are number one"?

The coverage shifted to mostly the swim and the transition and it looks like Lisa Birkett from NZL has the fastest swim time with 20:53 minutes. Gabrielle was 13th and the 2nd American out of the water in the 50-54 age division in 26.45. Teresa followed in 32nd and the 7th American out in 28:25 and Elizabeth was 53rd and the 9th American in 31:37. Gabby lost 6 spots in the transition and exited in 19th. Teresa lost 1 spot while Elizabeth gained 3 spots. Their age division has 70 competitors.

In the 60-64 age divison, with 31 competitors, Jane Leslie from GBR was out in 26:28. Mary Ann followed in 12th as the 5th American in 31:23 and she exited the transition in the same position.

In the 65-69 age division, with 12 competitors, American Peggy McDowell-Cramer lead in 30:56. Susan followed in 10th in 40:05 and headed out on the bike leg in the same spot.

In the 70-74 age divison, with 5 competitors, American Susan Bradley-Cox was first out in 31:02 with Margaret exited the water in 4th in 56:56.

Now it is on to the 40km bike leg while we watch the finish line and the first physically challenged cross the line and some live pictures of the girls riding up a smaller hill out on the bike course.

The live feed: http://www.triathlon.org/live/

The live splits: http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?categories=W50&timingpoint=TimeSplitA&iframe=&eventid=GCage09DAd&lang=en

The Racing is Under Way...2

2009-09-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

After years of training and a week of waiting the first wave in the ITU Age-Group Triathlon World Championship on the international distance, 1.5km Swim - 40km Bike - 10km Run, is about to jump into the comfy 71 degree water, a temperature just low enough to allow for wetsuits, something the not-so-fast swimmers are very happy about. The official start is at 2:05pm PST.

Over the next 50 minutes 668 women from around the world, in wave after wave, will dive into the water and head out on the super fast flat course. Gabrielle (bib #776), Elizabeth (721) and Teresa (740) started at 2:41pm PST, followed by Mary Ann (828) at 2:50pm PST and Susan (863) and Margaret (872) at 2:53pm PST. Go girls.

Watch the live feed and splits at: http://www.triathlon.org/live/

Check the results later at: http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?categories=W20&timingpoint=TimeFinish&iframe=&eventid=GCage09DAd&lang=en

The Racing is Under Way…1

2009-09-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

The ITU Triathlon World Championships host several championship events including the Aquathlon World Championship, Run 2.5km - Swim 1km - Run 2.5km.

Reene, Susan, Darlene, Mary Ann and Teresa, using this event as a warm-up race, were among the 220 female competitors in an event that, not unexpectedly, was dominated by Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, nations with a rich tradition in lifeguarding.

The Chico girls did well with Mary Ann placing 4th in the 60-64 age division in 54:38 minutes, Susan (65-69) placing 5th in 1:19:28 hr, Darlene (55-59) placing 12th in 58:24 min, Teresa (50-54) placing 13th in 46:08 min, and finally Reene (45-49) placing 23rd in 48:54 min.

Full results at:
http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?lang=en&eventid=GCAquathlon09DAd&iframe=&year=2009

The videos are alrady showing up on the web so check it out at: http://www.triathlon.org/

Live age-group coverage: http://www.triathlon.org/live/
and results (later tonight): http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?categories=W20&timingpoint=TimeFinish&iframe=&eventid=GCage09DAd&lang=en

Good Luck to Everybody

2009-09-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

Race day is coming up and back here in the US we are maybe more excited than any of you 12 (13) are. Daily we following the action from down under and the posts and pictures which helps us feel like we are there too, so keep it flowing.

How you will all later look back at this personal experience is now just up to you. You know that you put in the time and hard work it took to overcoming the difficult hurdel of qualifying for Team USA and get to compete at the Triathlon World Championship in Australia.

You are all there and ready to race. So while many others are expending negative energy you can all ignore all that and race without pressure knowing that you have reached your goal and have nothing to lose. It might not be easy, but you know what to do, have done it many time before, and can go out there and race hard, make the competition suffer, and be proud of what you have accomplished.

You can have a great and enjoy meeting all the other athletes from around the world. It will be the best triathlon that you have ever done. When it is all over you can kick back, relax, and enjoy your vacation down under. All around it will be an experience of a life-time.

For those interested you can access this link and pull up the results from the individual events:
http://www.championchip.hu/eredmenyek/detailed.php?lang=en&year=2009&iframe=

Live webcasting and live splits can be found on this link:
http://www.triathlon.org/live/

Thoughts on the Night Before the Race......

2009-09-11T02:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a bit of time to share my thoughts with everyone as this huge journey we have all been on is coming to a climax. I don't think I have ever been as nervous before a race. It has been such a long time to lead up to something it almost feels like too much for my little emotions to handle.

When I finished Nationals last year I thought tentatively of how it would be to go to a world championship and knew I should take the opportunity along with my team mates. I never knew back then that so many of us would end up going. It is amazing to be walking around here and see my friends from Chico hanging out at the coffee shop or walking down the street. In a quiet moment today Reene and I talked about where we were just a few years ago. It is definitely something to reflect on.

I feel so fortunate to have been part of this and I want to thank everyone for all the support they have given me through out this. It has been quite a year!

I will go out there tomorrow and give it my all on the course. I will remain focused and joyous and know that I have been given a chance to race with the best of the world.

Day Five Australia....The Night Before The Olympic Distance Race...

2009-09-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some more images from the race venue and to give you an idea what Gold Coast looks like. Also a few of us at Festival Village where the finish line will be when we were there to register.

Today is Friday and it has been an eventful day in that we are now at critical mass. Those of us doing the Olympic Distance race had our team meeting and went to the transition area to rack our bikes. The team meeting was handled well. It was quick and to the point and we got all the important information. It seemed overwhelming but really it has been well organized. The transition area is huge of course but easily understandable and well organized. All the athletes have to travel through the transition area the same way to avoid collisions. It looks as if wet suits will be allowed which has many relieved. The swim start though is something we have not done before. They are saying we may have to dive off a platform. It will be an adventure for sure.

So tomorrow is the big day and we are as ready as we will ever be. Teresa, Elizabeth and I will be the first ones in our group begin. Then it will be Mary Ann followed by Susan Clavey and then Margaret. Results should be posted on line but of course I will post links. Wish us well!!

Results and More from the Aquathon.....

2009-09-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a happy Darlene, Teresa, and Mary Ann after the Aquathon on Wednesday. Looks as if the Americans did very well at this event and we made it into an article by USAT!!!! Here is the link for that article which also has a link to results and photos:

http://usatriathlon.org/news/article/15752

One View From The Condo....

2009-09-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a view from the condo where we are staying.....not a great shot because it does not show how lovely and blue the water is. We actually have a 360 degree view of the area from our apt. There is a river that runs through the town with islands dotted in the middle. Every morning and evening there are scullers out rowing.

Well....gotta go...we have to get to the race venue for photos and my online time is running out....more tomorrow!!

Day Four Australia.....

2009-09-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of what the area around the race venue looks like. This race venue is very nice. The ocean air is fresh and sweet. There always seems to be a pleasant breeze.

Today we all kind of did our own thing in the morning. Joanne and Shawn got in at around 3am after driving down from the north. They had a chance to scuba dive before coming here. I went to the beach and did a nice run along the water and then went body surfing. The ocean is fantastic and warm here! Kim and Mary Ann went for massage and Reene went souvenir shopping.

We picked up our race packets today so it is all becoming more official. We are definitely getting anxious to race. Tonight we get our team photo and have a dinner/party at the race venue.

I know I promised race results from yesterday but haven't had a chance to look them all up officially. I know that Mary Ann came in 4th in her age group and Reene came in 22nd (the middle of the pack). I know it seems as if I should have all this for you along with fantastic scenery shots etc but honestly the day gets pretty filled up and I have to leave the condo to get on line. So...be patient....I can get more video and photos up.....mean while enjoy this one.

Aquathon Race report

2009-09-09T03:29:00.000-07:00

Well our first world race is over. We're sitting here ruminating over the experience of swimming almost the same distance as we will swim in our olympic distance race only no wet suits were allowed today. The run was fast and short. Renee suspicions that top half of the women were on steroids as she never did see anyone in her age category. The swim was against the tide..people were passing on both sides of the bouys. Mary Ann suspicions that there was no way they could keep track of people actually doing the correct course cause she never saw any of the winners in her age category..Where were they?? So the course was a 2.5k run, a 1000M swim and a 2.5K run.
When I(Mary Ann) wen running and diving into the water, my goggles flew off, but luckily I had followed Preben's instructions and had them on underneath my cap. Renee swears she was definitely in a rip tide at one point. Teresa had a good swim and run.

Day Three Australia......

2009-09-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

It is Wednesday here today and I think we are finally getting acclimated. Everyone is doing well getting everything ready. Besides a few problems with equipment, Elizabeth's spider bite, lost luggage the team is feeling good and ready to race. As a matter of fact a bunch are racing in the Aquathon at this very minute. The Aquathon is two legs of a 2.5k run on either end of a 1500 meter swim. The ladies participating in that are Darlene Henderson, Reene Fiack, Teresa Kludt, Mary Ann Bachus, Susan Clavey, and Margaret Bomberg. I will let you know tomorrow how that went for them.

Rumor has it that Margaret has been busy today trying to get in on the sprint race on sunday as she found out that there is no one else in her age group. Margaret never misses an opportunity to win!!

I went out for the first time today on my bike wanting to check out the race course a bit and do a swim. I started out with Teresa and Mary Ann. It was freaky at first because of the other side of the road thing but I soon got the hang of it. It was really fun seeing the Gold Coast. It is beautiful here. I see now why they wanted to have it here. I love seeing the exotic birds and plants. Anyway I ended up leaving Mary Ann and Teresa because we were on a road that was under construction and we were riding directly in the traffic. They wanted to stay on it so I veered off and ended up on the actual bike course which was very nice. I met up with a group from Tazmania and rode with them as they were also checking out the course. I gave on eof them my swim cap from Lake Berryessa this year...it is a cool one because it has Davis, California on it and says "Certified 100% Shark Free Swim". They loved it. It has been so fun meeting people from all over the world. Everyone is very friendly, especially the Australians. They are extremely welcoming.

So the word is that people are wanting some juicy stories and I am afraid we are a pretty simple group. No one has gotten too wild yet but he week is young! I did find out Reene's full given name but I probably should ask her if I can post it on the web! The group is getting together tonight to watch the sunset form the 12 story condo so who knows!! So far the wildest thing we have done is drink wine and eat heavy creams which are a specialty here.

While others are out honing their skills I am sitting here being your faithful correspondent and drinking Guiness..........it is rough but somebody has to do it.

More Photos of the Team....

2009-09-08T22:38:00.001-07:00

Checking Out The Race Site.......

2009-09-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the team on their first training day checking out the race site and enjoying the gorgeous Gold Coast sunshine. This was Tuesday....your Monday. On this day the women enjoyed some biking which meant getting used to riding on the "wrong" side of the road. It is really tough at first because you look the wrong way for traffic and you really have to think when making turns. No one has had an accident yet so we are doing all right! They also went on a swim to check out their wet suits and try out the salt water.

Margaret is pictured above in front of the transition area. Soon it will be filled with bicycles!

A Letter From Sue Kamrar.....One Small Step.

2009-09-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

I'm packed and ready to go. It feels great to have the preparing, planning and packing (Thanks Reene!) behind me. After an early morning run in lower park this morning, my head is clear. I finally had some time to reflect on this event that is unfolding.

I'm in my 25th year of racing triathlons. My first race was at Foothill College in the Bay Area. It was a tiny little race with a pool swim. I did the bike on my dad's old Schwinn Varsity 10 speed which was 5 sizes too big for me. I won the race and thus began my "marriage" to the sport. Who would have thought back then that I"d be celebrating my silver triathlon anniversary at the World Championships?

As I ran this morning I thought of my teammates, here in Chico, and those who will be traveling from all over the US. I thought how fun it would be to have an infrared satellite view of all 400 of us scurrying about with last minute packing (and repacking), shopping, and travelling. Add to that, the 2600 other athletes from all over the world and I think you'd agree we'd make an incredible web of movement if we were to see this from above. It's quite a powerful thing to think about over 3000 like-minded individuals coming together from all over the world for such an event.

I also had time to think about how grateful I am for my friends who are joining me on this journey to AUS. I would NEVER make this trip alone and to know we are all going and will be there to support each other is extremely comforting and exciting. Without the sport of triathlon to bring us together, I'm not sure I would have even MET half of these women, whom I now consider my good friends. How lucky I am. They uplift and inspire me. I wish them all good luck and good times. I am sad though, that our coach, Preben, will not be with us. He is the reason we all are headed to AUS, and I wish he could have made the trip. My race is dedicated to him and the countless hours he has spent helping me become a better person and athlete.

I am going to try to keep everything in perspective as I participate in this adventure. I'm one little tiny person in a big old universe. I"m small, figuratively and literally, and in reality, so is this race. I plan to race hard, have fun, and laugh a lot. I expect to come home with great stories and lasting memories. If I finish first (not at all likely) or last (more likely), I will relish the moment and be grateful I have had the opportunity to participate.

The clock is ticking.,,It's time to hit the road and begin this unbelievable step toward ...perhaps, dare I say it? ...another 25 years of triathlon!

Day Two Australia......

2009-09-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

We watched the sun rise over the ocean this morning! It is a beautiful day and as I sit here eating a scone the rest are out riding their bikes. Which means, yes, everyones luggage arrived last night...what a relief. We went to bed at 8:30 last night which was a s far as we could get trying to stay awake.....so we all had a good nights sleep and feel relatively "normal" today. We spent the morning putting our bikes together and everything looks good...except for Margaret who is without pedals because the person who packed her bike left them out of the box. That seems pretty minor in the big scheme of things.

I heard that Elizabeth spent a lot of yesterday at the medical area because she was bitten by a spider in the cab on the way from the airport. I think she is OK but will report more on that later.

Sue and Kim were spotted at the supermarket with brimming over the top shopping carts! Apparently they are shopping for the whole week.

At the condo we enjoyed a gourmet dinner prepared by Teresa. We are close to the supermarket so it is my turn today to go today. I am going to make us steaks tonight.

So bikes together, gear all layed out, acclimating to the time.....what else needs to be done? Thursday will be the big day to get registered and get in on the festivities.

Wait...how could I forget the fun actually begins on Wednesday when Margaret and Mary Ann participate in the Aquathon.....swim run event. More on that later!!

Live From Australia...We made it!!!

2009-09-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well we are finally here. Hard to believe after so much planning. I flew over with Margaret Bomberg. We went from Chico To San Fran to LA. In the LA airport at our departure gate were many members of USAT going to Gold Coast to race. At least 2/3 of the flight were people going to race from all over the United States and some from Mexico. Margaret wanted to make sure to let you all know that she got carded when we got beer with our dinner at the airport!

It was a pretty smooth trip for us except for having a difficult time finding Qantas airlines in LA and having to move things around constantly in my bags to meet airport standards.

We are at the condo now and have a great place on the 12th floor overlooking the ocean. We have a great kitchen, living room and balcony and we have already enjoyed a lunch together after Teresa and Reene went to the supermarket and bought groceries. We also saw Sue who was out on a little sight seeing run.

Well all is not smooth with everyone as Teresa, Reene, MJ, and Reene's mom have no luggage at all and the airlines does not know where it is. They literally have nothing...no bikes or clothes. Reene thinks their stuff went to Japan. We are trying to remain positive as it will most likely get to them tomorrow.

We are all trying to stay up all day as it is really late evening in our bodies. We were all able to sleep on the plane and so plan to stay up until a regular bed time.

While I am here at McDonalds..hmm..had to travel thousands of miles to sit in a McDonalds....how exciting! Anyway it is the only place around with free wifi so.....the rest of the gang went over to the team hotel to check on whether the rest made it OK.

More tomorrow ..I am taking pictures and will have more to tell as the week goes on. Oh, quick weather update....cool, cloudy, extremely windy.

We're Leaving On A Jet Plane......

2009-09-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

It is departure day for many of us. I leave today with Margaret Bomberg from the Chico airport. We get to spend most of the day in airports because our flight to Brisbane leaves LA tonight at 10pm. Luckily I have this blog I can work on all day!

I finished packing yesterday after a full week of work and training. I was extremely nervous about packing that bike. I did end up having trouble...I only called Reene once (almost in tears) and North Rim twice....Paul finally gave me the info I needed. I just didn't trust myself to do it right. Now I see that with the new bike boxes it is pretty simple.. I guess I will know for sure when I unpack it.

My goal yesterday was to complete all my packing so I could go out to eat with my family and then spend the evening with Billy (my husband)...I accomplished that. We met our daughters at the Cozy Diner...they are both out of the house now and very busy with school and artistic projects. It was great to spend a little time with them....

So now it is early Saturday morning and I have a few things to do and will get my stuff to the airport......more later today because I will have plenty of time to kill. I am looking forward to figuring out how to post some more video.

Packing and other stuff....

2009-09-04T09:51:00.001-07:00

Well, back to the personal stuff about ME...this is my blog after all....

Looks like I am mostly ready to go....leaving tomorrow mid morning. I am still a bit confused on what to bring to wear...will it be warm? Will it be cold? It will be in the 70's which sounds freezing from our perspective. So I guess a bit of each.

Packing the bike has been interesting as I have only done it once...I did manage to get my bike cleaned up and taken apart last night it is just not fitting neatly into the box like it did the last time. So tonight I will do that and pack and organize my remaining stuff.....again I am trying to remember to breath.

Nerves and excitement all at once!!

We got an email from Mary Ann Bachus who is already there and says it is nice and has met a couple of people she raced in Hamburg with.

So as of right now I am looking forward to resting and hoping my nerves will settle a bit...gotta remember to ahve fun!

The Age Group Events.....

2009-09-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Age Group events take place (PST is CA local time/ AUS local time) as follows:

Friday/Saturday 9/12/09:

FR 2:05 pm PST/ SA 7:05am local time: ITU Age Group Triathlon World
Championship

Olympic Distance Race 1.5k swim/40k bike/10k run

Gabrielle Walters, Elizabeth Brent, and Teresa Kludt start at (+ 36 minutes) 2:41pm PST

Mary Ann Bachus starts at (+45 minutes) 2:50pm PST

Susan Clavey and Margaret Bomberg start at (+48 minutes) 2:53pm PST

Saturday/Sunday 9/13/09:

SA 1:45pm PST/SU 11:45am local time: ITU Sprint Triathlon World
Championship

Sprint distance Race 3/4k swim/20k bike/5k run

Joanne Gilchrist starts (+8 minutes) 1:53pm PST

Sue Kamrar and Reene Fiack start (+12 minutes) 1:57pm PST

Anne Yates, Kim Agur, and Darlene Henderson start at (+16 minutes) 2:01pm PST

Again here is the link to the race site:

http://www.worldtriathlongoldcoast.com

A Special Thanks....

2009-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

I just want to take a moment to send out some special thanks to those that have helped not only the whole team get to Australia in one piece but to those who helped me with my fundraiser so I could get there. Remember that fundraiser? Well I wouldn't be going with out it!

So here goes...Special Thanks to:

John Fragoso: our team chiropractor and Active Release Therapy provider. He has kept our hard working bodies in shape.

The staff of Academy For Change: The community day school where I work. They have been our biggest fans and were instrumental in helping me raise the funds to go and they are highly supportive of the time off I need to go.

Rodney Cox: For providing so many great training opportunities and helping with my fund raiser.

North Rim Adventure Sports: Our team store for bike related issues. They have given tirelessly of their time and efforts to help us and they helped with my fund raiser.

The Women's Tri Club: All the women and Preben who are not going to worlds but have served as inspiration and support through this whole process.

And of course ALL those who donated time and energy to the fundraiser and all of our families and friends who have been our foundation.

We are proud to represent our community!!

Our Minutes of Fame......

2009-09-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here we are on TV!! A great piece on KHSL Channel 12 by sports reporter Russ Field about the Women's Tri Club that aired on Sep. 2nd, 2009 . It is really gratifying to be recognized after many years of hard work and personal accomplishments. Most of the women going to Worlds are featured here along with other members of the club. One person not mentioned is our coach Preben Nielsen, who has been the driving force behind what we do.

Only two days before we leave and 8 days until the first batch of us race.

The first live web broadcast from AUS is scheduled for Wed. (Sep 9th) at 1:00pm PST.

I will post race times, competitors, and their distances in my next post.

Latest Info.....

2009-09-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

More about us......we are fast getting more info about what we have to do when we get to Australia. We have many details to think about like when we rack our bikes for the race, when and where the parade of nations takes place, what time our wave starts, what day we pick up our race packets, what the weather will be like. Phew.....it is a lot on top of travelling for a couple of days to get there. If you want to follow more closely what the scenario is there you can check out the link to the race http://www.worldtriathlongoldcoast.com

We will be doing a couple of more workouts and have a final planning meeting on Thursday evening. I just keep trying to remember to breath!!

Team: USA!!!!

2009-08-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the team!! Or at least most of us....from left to right.....
Reene Fiack (sprint)
Anne Yates (sprint)
Joanne Gilchrist (sprint)
Gabrielle Walters (olympic)
Darlene Henderson (sprint)
Margaret Bomberg (olympic)
Sue Kamrar (sprint)
Maryanne Bachus (olympic)
Teresa Kludt (olympic)
Elizabeth Brent (olympic)

Sprint or Olympic refers to the distance of the race.

Not pictured: Kim Agur(sprint), Susan Clavey(olympic), and Bill Brent(sprint).

Now that I know how to do this there will be more photos to follow........Go Team!!

We Are Cooking......

2009-08-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy weekend for Team: USA from Chico. On Saturday we got together for a group training in our uniforms. KHSL was there to film us practicing. A piece about the team will be aired on Tuesday evening on channels 12 and 24. There was also an article about the team in the Enterprise Record this past Sunday. I have to say it was very exciting to see us all together in our uniforms. It made us all very proud of being a part of this.

A group also met at Sue Kamrar's on Saturday afternoon to practice the transition element of the race. We have learned from experience and our knowlegable coach that this is an area to shave off some overall time on your race. The transition is the points between disciplines, the swim to bike and bike to run. We have learned various ways to accomplish these as fast as possible. When we are up against our competitors we are always the fastest at transitions. This is a great area to make up time as it does not require any strength or endurance. Believe it or not races have been won or lost based on the time spent in transition.

On Sunday a group went down to Sacramento to participate in the all women Luna Bar sprint triathlon. This was a great place for some to hone their skills and gain some confidence. The remaining women either rested or participated in a 36 mile bicycle road race. The race started at Ord Bend park and circled around to Butte City and back. This was also a good opportunity for us to work on speed and concentration as the course is similiar to what we will be doing in Australia.

So as you can see no rest for the weary. This week should be spent on getting ready and a few little speed things here and there to keep us sharp.

I am working on getting some photos posted here....having trouble with it so if anyone has any hints?

Meanwhile be sure to check out the local media for our team who will be in force representing Chico and the United States!!

News Coverage

2009-08-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

As I said in a previous post our Darlene Henderson had a write up about her upcoming trip to Australia in the Corning Observer....here is the link to that article...http://www.corning-observer.com/sports/triathlon-5720-mile-challenge.html

Keep posted for further coverage of the Women's Tri Club and our Australian adventure.

Way to go Darlene!!

Another One....

2009-08-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was also given this link to try......http://www.triathlonlive.tv/index/home

Hopefully these links will help in being able to follow the action!

New Link.....

2009-08-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, It was brought to my attention that the link to follow the championships was not working so lets try this one......http://triathlon.org/worldchampionshipseries

Link to ITU site to follow race....

2009-08-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the International Triathlon Union web site.....http://www.triathlon.org/worldchampionshipseries/index.php-series

The Time is Drawing Near.....Part 2

2009-08-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

We are down to just a few days before most of us leave for Australia and 16 days from race day! Everyone is busy now taking care of all the deatils required for a trip like this. There have been a couple of meetings and lots of emails for details like packing bikes, phone service, how to handle all our baggage, visas etc.

There has also been increased interest from the media wanting to cover our story! Most recently a local television station came and filmed and interviewed some of the women at a training session. They will be coming again to take some more photos of us in our uniforms. Also our very own Darlene Henderson had an article printed about her upcoming trip to worlds in her local Corning paper.

The excitement is truly mounting as the reality sets in for all of us. I find as I tell people about our group and what we are doing there is a realization about what a big deal this is for our community and for us.

Another Bump in the Road......

2009-08-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well just when I thought things couldn't get any more difficult for me I crashed on my bike. Really I am fine, no broken bones just stiff and sore and bruised which makes training a little difficult. Is the universe conspiring against me? I would like to think so...I want to blame something! But hey if this is the worst thing that ever happens to me I am lucky.

Many of us have now gotten our uniforms which is very exciting. For me at least....it is very cool. At this point things are really winding down, a little more "training", and preparing for travel. So that is where I am at...just tying everything together and keeping my head on straight.

The Time is Drawing Near.....

2009-08-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hello All, It certainly has been a long road as I anticipated in the beginning of this blog. It has just been such an up and down experience for me this year and I have learned a lot about myself as an athlete and a person. I went down to Sacramento on Sunday to do a practice race. I was really dissapointed about it at first because it was the first race ever that I have bonked on. But I was there to practice and that is what I accomplished. I have been concerned about my performance in Australia. I have put a lot of pressure on myself to perform because I thought that is what others expect out of me. I have had a difficult year both emotionally and physically and it has taken its toll. Since I have opened up to friends about all of this and my fears of not doing well at worlds I have had an outpouring of support and love. It has changed my whole attitude about going to this race. I have had a great run for the last few years racing. It has been a wonderful time of meeting challenges and exceeding expectations. I have made a great bunch of friends and have been able to train and compete with an amazing group of women and an incredible coach. So onward from here as we draw nearer to departure time and everyone is getting ready for this trip and this race.

Thanks for listening and thanks to everyone who has supported me through this. I will continue to blog through this event as 13 of us hit the big time!

As Predicted....

2009-08-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

As I predicted Barb's Race and The Vineman were a huge success for the tri group. Jeanne O' Regan won her age group!!!! She had an incredible race and truly represents what our club is all about!! The other women who raced that day also had fantastic races. I do not have all those details at this time but will post them this week.

The energy around here is getting very exciting as we get closer to worlds and we now have such a big group going.

I just spent a week at 6500 feet on Lassen and did a bunch of running and swimming. My leg hurts if I push it too much but I have clear go ahead to go for it. So as my husband and I were talking...I am going for it in Australia.....I may be limping for a while after but I know I won't do any permanent damage.

Tomorrow I go to Rancho Seco to test things out a bit. I am back in civilization now and will keep everyone posted on our progress. I will also be able to keep you updated in Australia as everything unfolds.

Keep on Truckin'..........

This Weekend...Santa Rosa.....

2009-07-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

I am going camping in the mountains for a week so won't be back on until the 10th of August. This coming weekend is Barb's Race and The Vineman Ironman competition in Santa Rosa. Several of the women are going down to compete in the all women half ironman race and Jeanne O'Regan will be doing the Vineman Ironman at the same time on the same course....except for longer of course!! If the rest of the tri clubs competitions this summer are any indication it will be stellar weekend for the ladies.

Next weekend I am going down to Rancho Seco to do a practice Olympic Distance Race...it will be my final race environment before I go to Australia. I am anxious to see how I will do.

Ok....next time I talk to you I will be back in the valley and the countdown to worlds will begin!

The Count Is Final!

2009-07-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

Six women and one man from Chico went down to Newport Beach this last weekend to qualify for the World Sprint Championships in Australia and they ALL qualified!!! So what that means is 13 of us from Chico who train with the Women's Triathlon Club under coach Preben (from Chico Sports Club) will be competing in Australia in September. It is very exciting. I have been feeling so apprehensive about my physical condition and my desire to compete that I have lost a bit of enthusiasm along the way. The team called me right away from the race and gave me the news. I was so touched that they let me know right away. It gave me such a lift to know that all of these people kicked butt and we are all going!!

So here are the athletes and their results from the Pacific Coast Sprint Triathlon:

Joanne Gilchrest 35-39 11th 1:05:18

Reene Fiack 45-49 11th 1:10:16

Sue Kamrar 45-49 13th 1:10:21

Kim Agur 55-59 2nd 1:11:13

Anne Yates 55-59 1:18:48

Darlene Henderson 55-59 1:20:49

Bill Brent 55-59 6th 1:03:05

Nice job everyone....seriously you gave me the juice I needed to dig into my training!!

Next weekend is Barb's Race in Santa Rosa along with the Vineman Ironman....several of the athletes will be competing here including Jeanne O' Regan doing her first Ironman.

Donner Lake Triathlon

2009-07-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hi all, In Chico for a few days after being at the Donner Lake Triathlon. I was there with Teresa Kludt, and Joanne Gilchrest. All three of us are nursing injuries so none of us are running. It made it kind if weird but we were there to use the venue as training for worlds and for Joanne who is going to Newport Beach to try and qualify for worlds. In that way it was a very successful day for us. I was glad because it gave me the confidence boost I have been needing...to realize I am still strong despite the lack of training. If anyone out there wants to do one of the most beautiful and challenging races out there you should try this one....it always takes place mid July.

Sounds like there have been some exciting things happening in the cycling scene in Chico and it is the women from the tri club that are out there shaking things up. Even the guys are having a hard time shaking them off.....go girls!!

Well......training is in full swing and the excitement is building. As I have mentioned before several women from the club are headed to Newport Beach this weekend to qualify for the Sprint distance World Championships in Australia. Best of luck ladies....you have all been training hard and you are going to do great. It will be so fun to know more women will be going to Australia. We actually have a bit of a following out there in the triathlon world. When I was at Donner I talked to a couple of people who said they have been following the success of our club...pretty cool.

I'll check in again soon....stay cool peoples!

Third Annual Bieber Weekend.....

2009-07-13T12:59:00.001-07:00

Well for the third year in a row a few people came up here for a weekend of riding, running, swimming and fun. It was a small group this year which made it nice and mellow...mellow except for the riding!! Preben was truly on a mission to keep things rolling. He and Jeanne O'Regan rode 250 miles in three days. Jeanne did the last 75 with only one cleat!! She also got some running in. She will be completing the Vineman Ironman on August 1. It was incredible to watch her train this weekend. I was able to complete 150 miles of riding, a couple of swims and a short run. I am feeling more confident now about getting to Worlds and actually being able to perform. Reene Fiack was here as well..she is dealing with carpal tunnel and is not cycling these days but she is getting ready to qualify worlds in Newport Beach on July 26th. We spent time talking about how much fitness we already have after the years of training and how surprised we are at how much we can pull out. We also had fun talking,watching a movie, eating, BBQ, playing Yahtzee (jeanne kicked our ass here too!), and soaking in the hot springs. Jeanne said it best as she left..."I got great training AND had a blast doing it....." I think the only down side for Preben was not getting to watch Tour De France....we will have to figure out how to plug in next year.

So next on the agenda is the Donner Lake Triathlon in Truckee this Sunday 7/19....a few women from the cub will be there for this very challenging course. I plan to do well with my swim and transitions, I will work the bike a bit but will not run. I will be in touch from there. The summer is heating up and so are the women in the club!!

Another Bump in the Road.....

2009-07-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hi....well it has been quite a week + since I was in Bend....After spending 2 days in pain and despair and then another few days in basic despair and a little less pain my daughter came to visit. We did yoga together and massage and soaked in the hot springs together here. It was incredibly healing and through that I realized what bad shape my right leg is.... from the hip all the way down. I made a commitment then to spend an hour each day on stretching out my hip, leg, and low back. I am still waiting to get in to see an orthopedist...finally knowing I need a diagnosis. So there I am now going out each day to do a little riding, a little running and then a lot of stretching.

Well...also this is the weekend some folks are coming up here to the high desert to do some riding. While I know I can't ride with them...the speed or distance I m really glad they are coming up....it should be a fun weekend of action and relaxation.

Lastly the women who are attempting to qualify for Worlds will be headed to Newport Beach in a couple of weeks...it should be very exciting to see how these women do....We expect it to be pretty good. Also a couple of women should be headed to Donner Lake the weekend after this as well as Ranch Seco in Sacramento... Great to see so many women out there shaking it up and having a good time......till next time...and thanks for all the support from my friends.

Pacific Crest Results

2009-07-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

OK here as promised:

Half Ironman Distance

Jeanne O'Regan

2/11

6:05:49 overall time

swim: 40:40

bike: 2:53:50

run: 2:28

Half Ironman Relay Teams

1/2 (womens masters category)

Preben's Chica Masters

Gabrielle Walters swim 37:15

Kim Agur bike 2:53 (approx)

Reene Fiack RUN 2:11:27

Chico Women's Tri Club

2/2 (womens masters catgory)

Elizabeth Brent swim 42:01

Elizabeth Brent bike 3:07:14

Jennifer Mojica run 2:30

10k run

Brittany O'Regan 20 years old

4th woman overall

47:15 at a 7:36 pace

Olympic Distance Triathlon

Bill Brent

1/11

2:53:53 overall time

swim 35:20

bike 1:25:54

run 48:33

If I Can See Through The Tears......

2009-07-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I just now read Jeanne's post...so ...wow...here I wanted her to write all about her incredible performance and to gloat at her victory......I love you too Jeanne. I will make a quick aside here and say that it has been an honor to watch Jeanne bring herself up through the ranks with nothing but hard work and determination....out of all the women in the triathlon club she has been the one woman to pull out all the stops and so now the student becomes the teacher....she has become our inspiration...!

Getting to read Jeanne's post was especially meaningful to me today because I am feeling pretty down. I managed to reinjure myself pretty good last weekend....my calf muscle as well as severely dehydrating myself...I had to sleep for two days to recover and my calf has never been in that much pain. My wonderful husband who has to put up with all this crap has been massaging it for me and listening to me cry. It is really discouraging but after I get done crying and feeling sorry for myself I just have to keep plugging ahead..it is not over till it is over. So that is where I am at right now..how do I salvage this situation? I honestly know that if I did not have worlds to go to I would take as much time as I need right now to fully heal...but I DO have worlds and so I have to figure out how to handle this whole situation.

OK...so I promised you times from Pacific Crest.....they will be in my next entry. Meanwhile...for inspiration keep your eyes on Jeanne O'Regan this summer because she is HOT!

Pacific Crest....The Team Is Here......

2009-06-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

We are up here in Bend, Oregon. Eight of us converged here on Friday to get ready for a weekend of racing and training. Today we had Jeanne O'Regan do the Half Ironman as well as two relay teams. Everybody did really well..especially Jeanne who had an awesome race. We don't have any official times yet so I will post them tomorrow and let you all know.

The Half Ironman race consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 58 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. It is a very challenging kind of race because you are out there for so long.... at least 5 hours.

Now here direct from Bend, Oregon Jeanne O'Regan who completed her first Half Ironman placing second...she had an incredible race.........

I started my journey over four years ago with Gab.. A lot out of shape, a little overweight very naive. From my first triathlon four years ago, I looked over at Gab , who I had no clue was in shape, six pack, and going to place first. I decided then I wanted to beat her, little did I know I would place about forty minutes behind her, after she flatted. Gab has been inspiration, a mentor , a nemesis. Our journey together has brought a wonderful friendship. She has inspired me to grow and believe in myself as an athlete. Being part of a wonderful team, with amazing women, is a gift , a dream and something not many fifty year old woman get to ever experience. I love you Gab

News From The High Desert.......

2009-06-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all...another week here in outer space.....that is what it feels like up here sometimes....especially for a girl who grew up in the big city. Training going well. I have been sticking to the schedule which in reality is way less grueling than what it used to be when I was training for longer distances. I am feeling pretty good about my cycling. I went back to using a speedometer for this summer. I really hate using numbers because it takes the fun out of riding for me.....but I know I need it right now to have any idea of how I am doing in training....in the end it is a numbers game. Yesterday I went out to do a speed interval ride and I had a tail wind in one direction and then obviously a head wind in the other. I was proud of myself because I did the primary work in the head wind even though there was no one there to tell me what to do. I would say that is the biggest challenge...getting out there to work without anyone else there. I am very pleased that I have been running(jog/walking) and it feels good. It is giving me the confidence I need to go to worlds.

On Friday I leave for Bend, Oregon to join my team mates for a weekend of endurance fun. I am going to be on a relay team with Kim Agur (phenomonal cyclist) and Reene Fiack the running machine. I am all set to do the swim and my only fear is getting stuck in my wet suit as I have put some pudge on. We are doing a half iron man distance so I will swim 1.2 miles, Kim will ride 56 miles over Mt. Bachelor, and Reene will run 13.1 miles. I am also going to ride my bike the 56 miles over Mt. Bachelor but not racing. Other team mates will be there...Jeanne O'Regan doing the whole half in preparation for the Vineman Ironman she will do in August. Bill and Elizabeth Brent will also race although I am not sure what distance they are doing. I will report back next week.

Until next time...and hey, if anyone wants to comment so I know you are out there!!

Progress Report......

2009-06-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been here a week now and I am feeling pretty settled in. I decided I like the idea of just having a very regimented summer in terms of training. Each day I can just go out and do what I have put on the schedule from the work outs that Preben has given me. Then I have the whole rest of the day to rest, recover, eat well etc. The weather has been so great up here. It has stayed nice and cool which has made training really a pleasure.

I can feel now that I am into a steady training program that I have a lot of work to do. I am feeling pleased that my leg is holding up but it definitely is getting a work out. So I feel really challenged to get out there each day and improve my performance.

Right now I am looking forward to going up to Bend to see my homies and race with them....I only have to do the swim portion and then do my own bike ride afterward so it will be fun to see friends and get a good training in.

Well I guess that is it for this week...like I said I will check in here once a week until mid August. Meanwhile while I am not training I am enjoying the natural beauty around here.....and actually enjoying summer.

High Altitude Training....

2009-06-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all...I am now officially up in the high desert. This is my third summer up here. My husband and I have a small place in Big Valley between Susanville and Alturas. It is high desert, sage brush steppe and sits about 4,000 feet. So I am now getting into my training plan for the summer. I am glad I have a relatively specific training plan as I can just do what it is I have to do that day. It keeps me from either under training or over training. Luckily I am self motivated enough to get myself out there and do it. This is the best kind of training where I can do my "job" each day and then chill for the rest....I feel very blessed in this regard.

So what does my training consist of right now as I prepare for the world championships...you may ask? Swimming will be once to twice a week as I am not near a pool and have to travel to the lake. But I will swim for 30-60 minutes in the open water working on endurance and speed. This will be accentuated by a couple of races this summer to work on race form and speed. The running is very slow and minimal as I am just coming off an injury. Better to be able to do something rather than nothing come September. So I am jog/walking twice a week increasing the amount of time I am out there with lots of walking before and after each jog. The cycling is going well but I still have to be careful about how much pressure I put on my right leg/foot. So I am riding 3-4 times a week with two speed workouts and one-two longer rides working on different aspects of speed/form/endurance. I am also playing with the gears trying to see how much pressure I can take and how fast I can go with less gear. My coach Preben who I mentioned last time has given me these work outs to do to keep me in gear while I am up here and far away!

Well, I will only be posting once a week for the summer..or until mid August. I have to travel a bit for internet connection. At the end of June the tri team is going to Bend Oregon to compete in a few events over the weekend and then in mid July a few of us are going to Donner Lake for the triathlon. I will let you know how all that goes. Oh and last but not least a group will come up here with Preben to ride and train for a few days...it is very fun and great for me who gets a bit lonely. Till next time......

Ok I am Getting Serious Now.....

2009-06-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Well my summer vacation has officially started and it feels great! It is amazing how much more inviting my training is when I don't have to put in a full day at work also. So I went to my Open Water Swim on Saturday and it was tough. My times were slow...really slow on the one mile. I was dehydrated, jet lagged, slightly hung over, exhausted before I began the swim so I guess I feel good about the fact that I could swim 3 miles in that condition. It felt like a good cleanse and a kick in the ass to get my training for the summer underway. Idid that on Saturday and then Sunday I did 75 miles on the bike. Today I plan to run for 20 minutes with walking thrown in. It is the beginning now of trying to run after 3 months off.

I am going to get a training plan from my coach. Preben has been my coach for the entire time I have been involved in triathlon. He is the coach for the Women's Traithlon Club. He has a great approach and truly knows his stuff. He doesn't like to get talked about much but I plan to devote at least one post to talking about why he is such a great coach.

A few of the other ladies in the club kicked off their season by going down to Ranch Seco and participating in the traithlons there over the weekend. I haven't had a chance to check their results but I hear they did very well (of course). Not to brag but we do tend to dominate any local events we go to (why Preben is such a good coach)!

My next post will be from up in the mountains as soon as I get my new lap top going so... Hey, and somebody should make a comment so I know you are out there plus then I might know what you want to hear about. Until then......

Time to Get Serious?

2009-06-02T09:13:00.001-07:00

I keep thinking it is time to get serious with training....I keep thinking.....anyway, I am back from my brothers wedding which was fantastic. I actually had an opportunity to let my family and friends know about the world championships which was very cool. To my surprise my daughter was telling people what a bad ass I am...It was a proud moment!

This weekend I go to Lake Berryessa for an Open Water Swim. I really love these events because I love to swim so much and especially in the open water. I have found that going to these events gives me a bit of an edge in triathlon because I get a lot of practice with the logistics of open water swimming. If all you ever do is swim in a pool the open water can be daunting. Getting in the water with a bunch of people can be scary and you can get knocked around a bit. Then there is the navigation which can be difficult. These things can be practiced in a pool for instance to practice sighting you can swim and keep lifiting your head which is something you have to do to keep an eye on the bouys when you are in the open water. Navigatin incorrectly can cost you a lot of time in a race. so on Saturday I will be swimming in the 2 mile event and the one mile event. I plan to take it relatively easy on the 2 mile and really work the 1 mile to practice for worlds. A couple of other women from the club will be going...this swim is a good one because they have a wet suit division which is new to open water swimming. There is a purist attitude in swimmers that say it is uncool to swim in a wet suit...like it is cheating but there are more and more triathletes taking to open water swims.

Till next time....keep on trucking!!

What Now....

2009-05-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post today because I will be out of town for a few days at my brothers wedding in New York. I am not yet completely plugged in as I should be able to post wherever I am but I do plan to get a lap top this summer. Yes, my work year is coming to a close (lucky me!) and I get to go up to the mountains for most of the summer (lucky me!). It is actually a bit hard on my training and it gets lonely because I really have to train alone for the most part. However......that brings me to the fact that the tri club now does an annual trip up to my place for a weekend of training...we ride, swim, and run (and mess around a lot) in beautiful Modoc County. It is way north east in the corner of the state near Oregon and Nevada. I believe this year it will be the weekend of July 11th.

So it looks like I will have a few days off for the wedding and be back here on Monday. Till then!

Back on the Road.........

2009-05-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

I realize I have been negligent in posting entries. I got side tracked by some serious family issues. Normally no matter how bad things get my training has come first. Not because I am such a great athlete but because it is my best stress reliever. So I am very gald to be back at it.

Well June will be here soon and the more serious training will begin to be ready for worlds. I have chosen these days to ride my bike alone for the most part to avoid aggravating my injuries. It has been going well and I have been pleasantly surprised that my riding is still going pretty well. My swim training has been great and it is the one thing I am feeling very confident about. I have barely run at all for three months and that is the part that has me worried. But I will keep building up slowly and do the best I can.

The Womens Tri Club had a great trip to Mt. Lassen yesterday (Memorial Day). We were able to ride up over the summit and down the other side a bit till we hit the wall of snow. It was a beautiful day and we all had a lot of fun. It was great to see some of the newer women to the group out on this ride. I know everyone had a great sense of accomplishment.

Looks like now we will be moving into some of the early races and right now I am on a relay team for Pacific Crest which is at the end of June in Bend Oregon. Pacific Crest is a great endurance weekend with lots of events to get involved in. We have been going up there as team for the last few years competing in the half iron man distance, the olympic distance, and the duathlon. I have done the half iron man there 3 times and really enjoyed it. So I am very happy to get to do the swim for a relay team made up of me, Kim Agur (bike), and Reene Fiack (run). The bike ride for the half ironman is over Mt. Bachelor...it is truly one of the most beautiful venues for triathlon. Till next time......

The Road Seems Even Longer......

2009-05-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well, the raffle is over. I have enough money to go to Australia and my ducks are all lining up. Or so it seems. I have been dealing with injury since December and since then I make a few steps forward and many back. I keep saying if I didn't have worlds coming up I could just take a year to heal. I have done that before and although it is hard it actually has many benefits. I think the hardest thing is dealing with the mental hardship about it. Training, excercising, working out, whatever you call it is also how I cope with my life in general. I was always active as a child and I just found my way back to it. I saw that getting out and moving...especially outside cleared up a lot of my issues and it has been my friend for life.

Well, I love a challenge and I guess this is a challenge too. How do I stay positive and focused on my goal? That is what I will be working on this summer more than anything.

And the Winners Are........................

2009-05-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

Ok the moment we have all been waiting for.....Here is the list of winners and their prizes:

1. Bev George: designer watches
2. Jeanne O' Regan: a pair of Outlaw tickets and a bottle of wine from Odyssey Winery
3. Margaret Bomberg: a bottle of wine from Odyssey Winery
4. Jen Haffner:a pair of Outlaw tickets
5. Linda Zimbelman: jewlery from MaryKay Inserra
6. Linda Simmons: a three month membership to Chico Sports Club
7. Leslie Johnson: a pair of Outlaw tickets
8. Jeanine Castaldo: Massage from Janine Rood
9. Bonny Hamilton: one of a kind bag from Toba Walters
10. Mavis McGillis: a pair of Outlaw tickets
11. Maryann Bachus: free entry to 2010 City of Gold Triathlon
12. MaryKay Inserra: jewlery by Natalie
13. Ted Schwartz: pair of Outlaw tickets
14. Ruben Heredia: Astrology Reading by KozMcKev
15. Melanie Glick: a three month membership to Chico Sports Club
16. Mavis McGillis: a pair of outlaw tivkets and a water bottle
17. Patti Dart: A bike helmet and a water bottle from North Rim
18. Dave Shockley: Fused Glass Jewlery by Kathy Hill
19. Paul Wellin: 5 hour house cleaning from As Good As it Gets
20. Jeanne Forman: a pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
21. Kathy Hill: Jewlery from MaryKay Inserra
22. Tanya Heinrich: Foot Reflexology by Karyl Clark
23. Todd Ramsden: pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
24. Johnica Love: loaf of home made bread from Sheri Simons
25. Patty Moriarity: Jewlery by Natalie
26. Johnica Love: pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
27. Patti Dart: Massage from Jean Louise Green
28. Linda Zimbelman: loaf of homemade bread from Sheri Simons
29. Katie Boerner: Jewlery by Natalie
30. Camille Panaghetti: pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
31. Rebekah Ahrende: loaf of homemade bread from Sheri Simons
32. Wilbur: Jewlery by Natalie

AND THE GRAND PRIZE WENT TO JOE SANDERS: 42" Plasma Flat Screen TV!!

Congratulations to all the winners!!!!!!

Many thanks again to all who participated...the raffle was a huge success!!!!!

Keep checking in here to find out how the Women's Tri Club is progressing!!!

Raffle Update.........

2009-05-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

Once again the drawing for the big raffle is tomorrow Saturday, May 9th at Chico Sports Club at 4pm....I will be there at 3:30 selling tickets up until 4pm when the drawing will begin promptly. You do not need to be present to win. If you win a prize you will be called and I will give directions to come pick up your prize.

There will be a complete list of winners and their prizes posted here on Monday May,11th.

Good Luck!!! Thank you to all who have helped make this fundraiser a success!!

Raffle Update.........

2009-05-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ok...the Raffle Fundraiser for the World Championships is nearing the big day of the drawing!

Drawing: Saturday, May 9th at 4pm at Chico Sports Club 260c Cohasset Rd. in the deli area.

Witnesses: Chico Sports Club staff

Order of Prizes:
1. Designer watches
2. pair of Outlaw tickets
3. Bottle of Wine from Odyssey Winery
4. pair of Outlaw tickets
5. Jewlery from MaryKay Inserra
6. One three month membership to Chico Sports Club
7. pair of Outlaw tickets
8. Massage by Janine Rood
9. One of a kind bag from Toba Walters
10. pair of Outlaw tickets
11. Entry to 2010 city of Gold Triathlon
12.Jewlery from Natlaie
13. pair of Outlaw tickets
14. Astrology Reading from KozMcKev
15. One three month membership to Chico Sports Club
16. pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
17. Womans bike helmet and water bottle from North Rim
18. Fused Glass Jewelry from Kathy Hill
19. 5 hour house cleaning from As Good As It Gets Housecleaning
20. pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
21. Jewlery from MaryKay Inserra
22.Foot Reflexology from Karyl Clark
23. pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
24. Loaf of homemade bread from Sheri Simons
25. Jewlery from Natalie
26. pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
27. Massage from Jean Louise Green
28. Loaf of homemade bread from Sheri Simons
29. Jewlery from Natalie
30. pair of Outlaw tickets and a water bottle
31. Loaf of homemade bread from Sheri Simons
32. Jewlery from Natalie

And the Grand Prize: 42" Plasma Flat Screen TV from Panasonic!!!!!!!!!!!

You do not have to be present to win!
Winners will be called !!

Thank you all for your support and making this happen!!

The raffle has been a success!!!!!

Hope to see some of you on Saturday!!

The Women Part 2........

2009-05-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

So I have told you who the first group of women are who are going to Australia. The second group are the women who have set themselves up to qualify at the National Sprint Championships in July. If they place in the top of their age groups they will qualify for the World Triathlon Sprint Championships in Australia.

The next group of women looking to qualify are Sue Kamrar, Darlene Henderson, Joanne Gilchrest, Kim Agur, Reene Fiack and Anne Yates. Any of you reading this and know I have this wrong..please post a comment and correct me. I think I need a whole new blog to sing the praises of this group of women. For now though I will briefly tell you a bit about them. I will put there age groups in brackets. I also might have some of this wrong so...... Sue (45-50) is a superb swimmer with a very unique stroke...she has worked very hard this last year to become a top contender on the bike. Darlene (55-60) is a very strong and steady athlete who has completed more than one marathon. Kim (55-60) is a monster on the bike...truly the fastest and strongest woman on a bike..she is fairly new to triathlon but we know she will do well. Joanne(35-40) is an accomplished runner who has competed very well in two Boston Marathons. She has become incredibly strong on the bike wearing us all out when we ride with her! Reene(45-50) ...what can I say...Reene is one of the most inspiring, strong and accomplished athletes in our group. She has had an overall win at a Half-Ironman race and is the first in our group to complete a Full Ironman race. I could devote a whole page to her!! Anne(55-60) is also a superb swimmer who is very strong on the bike and run. She continues to grow and excel in triathlon.

Ok now that I have sung everyones praises and made it seem as if we are a group of superwomen I will tell you that one thing we all have in common is a continued drive to overcome adversity. There is not a woman mentioned here who does not deal with a myriad of life issues from just plain age to injuries, other health issues, family and job issues...all of it.

In my next post I will talk about some of that as it is a huge part of training and being part of triathlon .

Who Are the Women?

2009-05-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

As I said in my first post there are 5 other women besides me who qualified for Australia this year. First is Margaret Bomberg who has been a member of the tri club as long as I have and has already competed in two other world championships. She is now competing in the 70-75 age group and continues to be an inspiration to us all. Then there is Maryann Bachus who has also competed in a world championship. She has grown incredibly as an athlete over the last few years. She is competing in the 60-65 age group. Next is Susan Clavey who is competing in the 65-70 age group. She has also come a long way as an athlete and inspires us "youngsters" to keep going. The next two are my competetion in my age group 50-55...me being the youngest of the group! They are Teresa Kludt and Elizabeth Brent both incredibly tough women and difficult to beat. I have to run my hardest to get by Teresa...she really makes me work hard and I both curse and bless her for that!!

So as you can we are a group of mature women who enjoy training and pushing ourselves and each other to be the best we can be. We as a group have shattered some of the myths of old age and what women can accomplish. And we are just the ones going to worlds at the moment....the tri group has many more accomplished women in these age groups which will be the subject of my next post.....until then!

What is Going On This Week.....

2009-04-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi, Well it has been a busy week and this is the first chance I've had to check in. Training is starting to get more intense as the season gets into swing. There are so many opportunites these days to push yourself especially as the women in our group have stepped up their training. We have grown from a small group with a few commited athletes to a group who is not only pushing the limits on distance but are now branching out to compete nationally and internationally. So who are the other women that are going to worlds besides me? And what other amazing things are the Women's Tri group doing? Tese will be the topics in my next couple of blogs. Meanwhile I am going to give one more plug about our raffle fundraiser. I will be selling tickets up until the drawing on May 9th. I can always be contacted here at this blog and I will be selling tickets at the Chico Sports Club on Monday, May 4th, from 4-7pm. The drawing will be Saturday, May 9th at 4pm at Chico Sports Club Deli area....but you do not have to be present to win. Lastly if anyone has any questions or wants me to discuss anything in particular let me know.

A Day In The Life..........

2009-04-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

It is approximately 4 months until Worlds now and the actual training for this event is beginning. Every year has been a bit different for me depending on what part of the year I have an injury of some kind. This year I injured myself in late winter which has made my spring training a bit on the slow side. Also this years injury is more serious so it will take longer for me to get into swing. It has caused me some worry that I will not be able to prepare the way I would like to for Worlds. This is when discipline is really important. I have to be able to let myself heal and build up slowly. I have raced and trained for many years now so I trust that my body knows what to do if I don't get in my own way.

So right now I am swimming three mornings a week doing 3,000+ yards and cycling three days a week putting in around 100 miles. I have to be careful with the cycling not to over do it which is hard when all your friends are tearing around and whooping it up! I spend a lot of time riding alone...it is a good thing I find myself very entertaining! At this point you may have guessed that my injury is related to running. I have not run now for three months and am just now beginning to jog for 5-10 minutes once a week.

And as if that were not enough on top of a full time job in education, a family, a house, pets, garden, other interests, friends, there are still more components of my training. I have realized over the years that both strength training and flexibility are as important as endurance and speed so while race training I put in one day a week of core/muscle training and try to stretch every day (I will admit this is my weak link). In my busy schedule I will tend to give this up and that is my hugest mistake...I believe it is what causes me injury problems. The cherry on top are the appointments for Active Release Therapy, Chiropractor and Massage.

Lastly one of the most helpful elements of training is mental. It is hugely important to maintain my normal life. Spending time with my husband, children, and friends and doing the other things I love makes me a better athlete because I am relaxed and happy. Visualizing myself racing in top form, actually visualizing the entire race and how I am doing it enhances my abilities and puts it all together....and the best part of this is you can do it lying down!! Till next time....................

A Little Help From My Friends...

2009-04-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

So you know the basic story behind getting to compete in Australia. Now the story is how do we get there. For myself I knew that financially it would be difficult but I knew I wanted to go. Since I work for the school district I immediately thought fund raiser! This is when I truly found out what a supportive community I live in. My co-workers were the first to jump on the wagon and helped me generate ideas and even raised the first sum for me to get started. We came up with a raffle of a flat screen TV and just expanded from there.

As it stands now the raffle is in full swing. Here are the details: tickets $5 a piece, Grand prize 42"Flat Screen Plasma TV from Panasonic. The other prizes include massage, foot reflexology, Outlaw baseball tickets, 5 hour housecleaning, Astrology reading, Chico Sports Club membership, Gear from North Rim, Fused glass jewlery, Wine and many more. The drawing will be Saturday, May, 9 at Chico Sports Club Deli area at 4pm. You do not have to be there to win. Tickets will be on sale at the Wildflower Century registration Saturday, April, 25 from 2pm-6pm and at the Chico Sports Club on Monday, May 4th from 4pm-7pm. Otherwise you may contact Gabrielle (that's me) at this blog or the email above.

As I said when I began this fundraiser I found out what a supportive community I live in. Virtually everyone I have come in contact with has either donated a prize or bought and sold many tickets. I feel so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support. It is one of the reasons I started this blog. I wanted to give people a chance to be involved in the process of me and my team going to the World Championships. In future posts I will talk more about training, personal trials and triumphs and the general legistics of this whole process. Until next time......

How the Long Road Began......

2009-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, I am Gabrielle Walters a 50 year old triathlete who is now competing in my first World Triathlon Championships! I am a member of the Women's Triathlon Club. The club has been around for over a decade and I have been involved almost that long. In that time I have had the pleasure of getting to know and training with many amazing women who have accomplished many amazing things both athletically and personally. Following is a brief description of how myself and the others have found ourselves going to a World Championship.

In 2007 the Women's Triathlon Club had the opportunity to go to the National Triathlon Championships. It was the first year in many that the championships took place on the west coast. Around 16 women from the club went to Portland, Oregon to compete against hundreds of other women from around the United States. We were the largest contingent there. Three of us at that time qualified for the World Triathlon Championships in Canada. In 2008 Nationals was in Oregon again and this time we sent 20+ women to Nationals. Again we were the largest contingent. We went this time better prepared and better trained and 6 of us qualified for the Worlds in Australia for 2009.

Worlds this year will be in September of 2009 so we are now gearing up for the big event. My hope is that this blog will be a forum to share the story of this journey. Look forward to my next post and some photos!

ITU Triathlon World Championships: The Long Road

2011 ITU Duathlon World Championships...

Watch Everybody's Finish

Margaret Bomberg Home Town Hero!!

Results from Worlds 2009

Some Closing Thoughts from Sue Kamrar....

Final Updated Results

Results from Worlds

From Joanne's Perspective.....

The Team in Action!

The After Glow......

More Photos and Video.....

Coverage of Today's Event.....

World Champion Margaret

The Racing is Under Way...3g

The Racing is Under Way...3f

The Racing is Under Way...3e

The Racing is Under Way...3d

The Racing is Under Way...3c

The Racing is Under Way...3b

The Racing is Under Way...3a

Comments From The Race...1

The Racing is Under Way...2c

At Festival Village Before The Race....

Thanks Coach!!!

The Racing is Under Way...2b

The Racing is Under Way...2a

The Racing is Under Way...2

The Racing is Under Way…1

Good Luck to Everybody

Thoughts on the Night Before the Race......

Day Five Australia....The Night Before The Olympic Distance Race...

Results and More from the Aquathon.....

One View From The Condo....

Day Four Australia.....

Aquathon Race report

Day Three Australia......

More Photos of the Team....

Checking Out The Race Site.......

A Letter From Sue Kamrar.....One Small Step.

Day Two Australia......

Live From Australia...We made it!!!

We're Leaving On A Jet Plane......

Packing and other stuff....

The Age Group Events.....

A Special Thanks....

Our Minutes of Fame......

Latest Info.....

Team: USA!!!!

We Are Cooking......

More Links and Updates................

News Coverage

Another One....

New Link.....

Link to ITU site to follow race....

The Time is Drawing Near.....Part 2

Another Bump in the Road......

The Time is Drawing Near.....

As Predicted....

This Weekend...Santa Rosa.....

The Count Is Final!

Donner Lake Triathlon

Third Annual Bieber Weekend.....

Another Bump in the Road.....

Pacific Crest Results

If I Can See Through The Tears......

Pacific Crest....The Team Is Here......

News From The High Desert.......

Progress Report......

High Altitude Training....

Ok I am Getting Serious Now.....

Time to Get Serious?

What Now....

Back on the Road.........

The Road Seems Even Longer......

And the Winners Are........................

Raffle Update.........

Raffle Update.........

The Women Part 2........

Who Are the Women?