Wednesday, February 28, 2018

BEAT THE RACE DIRECTORS!!


First of all, prices for the IceBreaker go up at midnight tonight! As a refresher, here are our Top 10 Reasons To Break the Ice. Whatever reasons you choose for yourself, come join this season kickoff race & party March 24th!

Sign up now and save: https://www.imathlete.com/



Secondly, in case you missed it, check out this fun announcement from RaceTri. Can you beat the RD??

This quiet unassuming gentleman in the grey shirt holding the microphone is one of RaceTri's illustrious race directors.

There was a time, many years ago, when he could swim, bike and run rather quickly. Then, he became a race director and got fat.



Well, the time is now - Joel Hinckley, RaceTri Race Director, is challenging you to beat him and his extra 40 pounds (and his 15 minute head start) at the Ice Breaker.

Introducing RaceTri's first ever "Beat the Race Director" challenge.

Joel doesn't even know where his bike is, can't remember how to swim (has a torn rotator cuff) and averages a 9 minute mile when he goes running. He also enjoys frequent trips to Crown Burger whenever he passes it and can readily direct you to any of Salt Lake County's Crown Burger establishments without referring to Google Maps.

But today, it is official - Joel is returning to Triathlon.

Let's see if you can beat him.

Sign up today and take the "Beat the Race Director Challenge".

Joel is also challenging Aaron to do the same at the Salem Spring (April 21st) and didn't ask for Aaron's permission to issue this challenge.



Related Posts

Top 10 Reasons To Break the Ice


Top 10 Reasons To Hit Up Salem Spring

Monday, February 26, 2018

New Utah Triathlon Team!


Intermountain Healthcare is well known for being the largest healthcare provider as well as the largest employer in the state of Utah.

What you may not have known is it's also the title sponsor of Utah's newest triathlon team.

Intermountain's recently announced CEO, Dr. Marc Harrison, just so happens to be an avid triathlete on the side.






He wanted to create a team based on the following principles:

1) Triathlon for all as a way to "LiVe Well" in a healthy lifestyle
2) No membership fees, and everyone is welcome at all team events
3) All members will have access to an experienced triathlete "mentor" to help navigate beginning and/or improving in the sport





That's the jist of what's been communicated to us so far... stay tuned for more info as it's announced, and feel free to check out this site to learn more! Intermountain Triathlon




Thursday, February 15, 2018

Killing It! Interview with Perry Hacker


Perry Hacker has shown up on our radar 3x of late. First of all, he was near the top of the list as a Most Improved Local Triathlete - 2017, followed by a strong showing at Ironman Arizona. Last but not least, two weeks ago he churned out a Boston Qualifying marathon... no big deal.

With a trifecta like that, we knew we had to track this guy down and interrogate him on his success. Thanks for the time, Perry!




Standard question: What’s your athletic background and how did you get into triathlon?

I was mostly into weightlifting and skiing/snowboarding all through high school and college, and mostly into mountain biking when I moved to Utah. I started running in 2010 when I did my first 1/2 marathon at Walt Disney World. It was the Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon which ended at EPCOT park with a large food and wine party (which was the main reason I ran the race). I was hooked after that, doing many other running and Spartan Races, relays, etc., and started ending up on the podium. I was invited by my running group to do the Spudman Triathlon in 2014. I bought a wetsuit and a road bike and started training (I hadn’t ever road biked or swam before). I LOVED it, and was hooked. I did Jordanelle and East Canyon that same year, joined the Salt Lake Triathlon Club that December and then signed up for St. George 70.3 in 2015.


Perry @ his triathlon debut - Spudman 2014

According to your Facebook page you’re originally from the east coast. What brought you to Utah and how long have you been here now?

I'm originally from New Jersey. I came here for my college senior year spring break ski trip in 1988, and immediately fell in love with the mountains, sunshine, and big open skies. As soon as I graduated I moved right back out, spending the summer mostly in Southern Utah and then got a job with Snowbird. I have been here 30 years.  

You were 4th overall on our “Most Improved Triathlete” list, which compared 2017 results to 2016. What would you say have been the biggest keys to your improvement?


Getting a coach who helped me set up a good training plan, dialing in my nutrition, and looking at the sport in a different light. Up until last year, I never felt like a “competitor.” Last year I had some good finishes in local and IM branded events, which changed my mindset. I realized that I could really progress with good training and focus and get close to or even on the podium at some of the larger races. I ramped up my training both physically and mentally, invested in a new bike with a good fit and started training with power. This made me stronger and more confident in my ability as a triathlete. 



How has the local club scene helped with your progression?


The SLTC has been a huge help. Initially, it introduced me to a whole community of people who were doing what I loved. I was so new to the sport that being able to share experiences and knowledge with so many great triathletes has been so helpful. Not to mention support at races. Seeing so many club members getting to Kona and to 70.3 Worlds as well as winning local races has been a big push for me to compete harder. The club is a great community both athletically and socially. I love helping new members get involved and love to supporting the club any way I can. I’m pretty active on the Facebook page, and love to talk to people. So I hope I help people feel welcome and involved. I recently started training with Pat Casey at BAM and joined that club. I really love the facilities, focus on training and the community that BAM has. Pat’s strong focus on holistic training, achievement and success has pushed me even harder. Not sure there is another city where you have two amazing Triathlon clubs dedicated to the success of their members.



St. George 70.3 in 2016 didn’t factor into your "Most Improved" average mentioned above (average of Top 3 races), but out of curiosity what happened on the bike? How did it feel to come back with a very solid 6:09 in 2017, and what advice would you give to rookies on that course?

Oh man, St. George 70.3 was my first DNF. It hit me pretty hard. I was in the 2nd to last swim wave, and it was raining and freezing when I got out of the water, I didn’t have the clothes I needed and by mile 15 I was frozen, shaking, and almost hypothermic. I had to stop. I got in someone's warm car and it was over. I knew I wouldn’t go back out. It took me a while to get over that. So, my goal was to go back in 2017 and not only redeem myself but to PR my 70.3 time, which I did. It felt awesome. St. George was my first 70.3 in 2015 and coming back so strong felt amazing. It is my favorite 70.3. Advice I would give: The course is intimidating but it's not as bad as its reputation. Definitely get to St. George and get some time on the course. Even if it's just once. The swim can be cold. Prepare for it. Get in the water before race day so you get a feel for it. On the bike, be steady on the uphills and use the downhills to your advantage. Despite what you might hear, there is a lot of downhill on the bike course. For the run, hill repeat training. The first three miles of the run are hard. Nothing you can do about that. Just take it easy and get to the top. It’s very much a mental game. The rest of the run course is challenging but doable. The last 3 miles are all downhill. It’s a beautiful course, take it all in. Plus, there is so much participation from SLTC and BAM, so you are never alone on the course.


found this online... how SG '16 went for a lot of people!

We see your name on the St. George start list for 2018 as well. What are your goals for this year, both at SG and for the season in general? What other races do you have in mind?

I’m super excited for St. George this year. My goals are to beat my previous time by 30 minutes, with faster times in all 3 disciplines. I am also doing Boulder 70.3, Arizona 70.3 and IMAZ. This year I'm also doing a bunch of marathons (LA, Boston, Chicago, & Big Cottonwood).


Was Ironman Arizona last November your IM debut or have you done others as well? How would you summarize that race, and what was the key to running so well off the bike? (Perry ran 4:03 to close out a 12:10 overall time)

IMAZ was my 3rd IM. I did Ironman Coeur d'Alene on my 50th birthday in 2016, then Boulder in June 2017 before IMAZ in November. I hired Pat Casey as my coach after Boulder and spent the rest of the summer focusing on my goal of a sub 12 IM. Pat helped me focus not only on the physical endurance, but the mental endurance needed for such a long event. IMAZ was a great race, almost perfect weather. I loved the swim, and came out feeling really strong and energized for the bike. Smarter bike training helped me go faster without burning my legs up. The bike had a big headwind, which I believe was the main reason I missed my sub 12. I was confident on the run. My run training was solid, and I had just come off a Boston Qualifying time at Big Cottonwood. I was shooting for sub 4 hours and pushed myself pretty hard, but unfortunately missed it by 3 min. I’m going back this year to redeem that race with a goal of 11:30.


Talk a bit more about your marathons... is it true you went 3:26 at the Walt Disney Marathon in full Pluto?


LOL, I did get a 3:26 but not in costume. I am a runner at heart. Half Marathons had been my love traditionally, but lately I've really been into the marathon distance. I've done St. George and Disney 4 & 3 times respectively. Again, I never felt like a competitor. This past year I committed to getting a BQ. I qualified for Boston last September at Big Cottonwood Canyon with a 3:16, and will be heading to Boston this April. Big Cottonwood was the perfect race. Everything fell into place and I beat my goal time by 10 minutes. My plan this year is to BQ every marathon I run (7 this year). Aside from Disney, I did the Sun Marathon on Feb. 3 in St. George and finished with a 3:26:25. I have LA, Boston, Big Cottonwood, Chicago and possibly NY. I'm waiting to see if get in. My coach is not happy with me. ;)

Perr bear??? That you???


What’s your podium for top 3 favorite local races and why?

I love Salem Spring. Great little race with a fun swim, nice 2 loop bike course and a somewhat challenging run course. It’s an easy venue and a compact single transition. Lots of local participation. Next I would say Echo. Warm water swim, fast bike and nice trail run. The race is always well attended by almost everyone in the tri community. It is easy to get to, single transition, and both the sprint and olympic courses are great. Plus if you want to camp, you can stay up the night before right at the venue. Third, I’d say, Daybreak. This race has such a great local feel. It's a great spectator friendly event, nice out and back bike course with some really fast sections, and a great run around the lake with lots of people to cheer you on.


Daybreak

Anything else you’d like to share?


Triathlon has been a huge influence in my life and my mental and physical fitness. I appreciate all that the SLTC, BAM, my coaches and the community have done to support the sport and to motivate me to continue to progress. It’s great to see the BUZZ around all the new and revamped local races this year, there are some real positive changes. I am excited for a strong and successful 2018.



Related Posts


Buzzworthy: New SUTC President Shawn Jaca

Curls For Girls: Interview with SLTC Founder Rory Duckworth

Skye's the Limit! Interview with Local Pro Skye Moench





Friday, February 9, 2018

Respect the RD! Meet the San Rafael Classic Crew


Continuing our ongoing "Respect the RD!" series, Utah Tri Buzz contributor Christopher White had the opportunity to talk with the three awesome dudes who collectively run the San Rafael Classic.

Word on the street is that San Rafael is a great race with a friendly, grassroots feel... worth checking out!


Last July I traveled to my hometown down in Emery County to compete in the San Rafael Classic Triathlon, which is held every July at the Huntington State Park. This race holds a special place in my heart. It was the first triathlon I ever did way back in 2008. I met up with race directors Wade Allinson, John Karren and Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk to talk about the race.

L to R: Greg Funk, Wade Allinson, & John Karren

How long has the San Rafael Classic been running?

JK: We started in 2007 as a fund raiser for the Emery County search and Rescue. Nobody here gets paid by anything that goes on here, everybody is a volunteer. That’s what the race was created for and that’s why we do this, to benefit the Search and Rescue.


All three of you are the race directors right? How long have you all been doing this?

WA: This is my 3rd or 4th year
JK: 9 years
GF: I’ve been the Emery County Sherriff for 7 years, part of the race for 3 years

What is your favorite thing about directing the San Rafael Classic?

WA: I like the early morning. Just before the race starts, everybody is excited and it’s just fun.


Chris at his triathlon debut, the San Rafael Classic in 2008


JK: My favorite part of being the race director is when the race is over, honestly. Another favorite part is watching the kids' race. We have an open water swim that the kids do. There are kids that are really, really fast and really competitive. Actually some of those kids are doing really well as they’ve gone through the ranks and do well competing against adults. If you look around this place, it’s a really family friendly environment. Everybody camps, everybody hangs out. It’s super low-key. Having the search and rescue here is great. This past year felt really easy, everything was dialed, everything was super smooth and everybody knew what to do. We had a lot of support, a lot of volunteers, a lot of manpower.

GF: Truthfully the best part of this race is the participants. I've been part of the race three years, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Next year is my final year as sheriff, and mark my words, I will do the race this year.

We’re going to hold you to that!

GF: You better. Whoever beats me this year gets an extra medal.

JK: We’re gonna have a competition called “Race the Sheriff.” We’ll hand out medals and if you beat the sheriff you get a coin.

Chris had a lot more energy in 2014

WA: I think what we ought to do is give him about a ten minute head start and whoever catches him first gets an extra award.

Are there any inspirational stories you can think of as race directors?

GF: I would definitely like to talk about Jana White. She's actually won this race. Her family is really close to all of us at Search and Rescue. We did participate in a rescue for them. She lost both of her parents in an accident down here. They have been phenomenal supporters of us. They show up every year and participate in the race. Kudos to Jana and Brenden White and their kids, Cooper and Cam.

JK: For me there are a lot. There are a lot of people, like you, where this was their first triathlon. I don’t know if you ever see the back end of the swim but there are a lot of people that are barely getting through this thing. For me, it’s about getting people off the couch, getting all these kids off their computers. If you look around, none of these kids are on their phones. These guys are all on their bikes, they are jacked up for this. For me that’s the best thing. Jana and her husband are really good friends of mine. We swim together, and I’ve known them for a really long time. They are near and dear to us. There are a lot of rescues that happen here so this race means a lot.


The San Rafael Classic is an official Challenger Race in 2018.
Check out this post for more details: Utah Triathlon Championship Series!

WA: What I like about this race is about two months before the race here in Emery County you see people hitting the pool, you see the road bikes start coming out around town. It’s kind of fun to see people get excited about getting out and getting some exercise in, getting on their bikes and zipping around town. It’s fun for me to see the excitement.


as a reference, only ~90 min south of Provo

Last question: why should someone come down from Salt Lake, Colorado, or wherever they come from to do the San Rafael Classic?

JK: This is the best race in the country. Bar none. If you’re looking to be competitive, there are a lot of really fast people. If you’re looking to just have a good time, there are a lot of people here, lots of family, everybody is here watching. It’s a really laid back, super fun event. We have a big spaghetti dinner for everybody. Homemade cookies, homemade rolls, and everybody camps. For me it’s the race experience. As triathletes we can be selfish. We spend time away from our families training and they suffer a little bit and they sacrifice for us to race. For me this is a little bit of payback for them. We can get away and give them a little weekend away. There are a few families like the Goates and the Bayles families, they have 30 something people coming down. It’s almost like a family reunion for them. They all come down a few days early and stay a few days late. This is the highlight of their kids' summer, coming down to the San Rafael Tri. For me what it’s about is the opportunity to hang out.

Come down to Huntington this year to participate in a great race and to support a phenomenal cause.



Learn More Here!   San Rafael Classic


 

Related Posts






Monday, February 5, 2018

TOP 10 REASONS TO HIT UP SALEM SPRING


As we did with Ice Breaker (now only 6 weeks from this Saturday) and will do for future races as well, here are our TOP 10 REASONS why you should hit up the classic Salem Spring triathlon on April 21st!




10) With the inaugural race being held in 2003, come celebrate Salem's "Sweet 16" party. They grow up so fast, don't they?

9) The first open water swim tri of the Utah season!

8) The thermal-fed pond combined with our mild winter = nice water temps. Salem was originally held in April, as it is now, and from personal experience it was plenty warm even in a thin, sleeveless wetsuit.


7) With the iconic bridge, 2 loop bike course, and a park as the venue, arguably the most spectator and family friendly race on the local calendar.

6) Second race of the inaugural Utah Triathlon Championship Series. Get a race under your belt early and set yourself up for a great season.




5) Venturing to St. George in May? Why not kick off the race cobwebs two weeks prior?


4) Utah Tri Buzz is still working through our SWAG hit list... if you've been eluding us, come and collect!


3) Great race and venue for beginners and veterans alike. Being only a Sprint distance race (no Olympic distance), there's always a competitive field, but at the same time the 800m swim in calm waters, ~12 mi bike and 5k run is a great event for beginners.




2) One of the coolest finishes around, up over the bridge you swam under earlier.

1) Aaron Shamy pre-race speech. Still #1!




So hope to see you there, and bring a friend or three.  Not racing?? Volunteer! The more the merrier, RaceTri would surely love your support.


Link to register: Salem Spring