Friday, September 28, 2018

Kona Profiles #5 - Greg "Papa Bear" Peterson


The Ironman World Championships ("Kona") will be here before we know it, taking place Oct. 13th. As you know, it's incredibly competitive to qualify and a major accomplishment to do so. As we've done the last 2 years, we'll be catching up with our local Cinderellas... getting to know them as a tri community and cheering them on as they get ready for the ball!


Name:  Greg Peterson

Age Group:  M5054 

Qualified:  Ironman Foundation


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


I’m a lifetime athlete. I played football, basketball, and tennis in High School and then went on to BYU Idaho (formerly Ricks College) to play football for two years as a wide receiver. Later, after I got married and had kids, my boys and I started racing in the USRA and WORCS series desert/motocross racing. We raced for around seven years until I had a serious accident at the Tooele track during a race and was laid up for a few months. For the next couple of years I was fairly dormant and in a lot of pain from the surgeries on my shoulders, my right knee and my right ankle. At around the same time frame, we also suffered from the dotcom crash which caused a lot of financial pressures on our family. I gained nearly 75lbs as a result.



In 2006, I was on a cruise for our 20th wedding anniversary and met this guy from Nashville, TN during one of the nightly dinners. His name is David Watson. He told us about his finishing Ironman Brazil and how it changed everything for him. He and I hit it off immediately and I was really intrigued—I asked so many questions that it became annoying to him, I’m sure. But, we became very good friends and remain so today. That same year I finished my first sprint triathlon at the Ice Breaker at nearly 270lbs. I took last place (11th I believe) in the Clydesdale division and I was completely exhausted. I went home that day and slept for more than four hours. But, I was immediately hooked on the sport and committed to something athletic for the first time in years.


With the encouragement of David and my other friend Woody, I trained and completed my first IM 70.3 in 2008. Then, in 2009, having lost nearly 70 lbs I finished Ironman Florida in 12:58:15. Since that time, I’ve completed IM St. George (1X) and IM Florida (6X). I went to Kona in 2016 to watch David race (he's a 15x Ironman). One little side note is that the day of the race, I got up at 3am and ran the final 2 miles of the race on Alii Drive all the way through the finish line so I could visualize what it would be like some day if I could compete in Kona. David and his wife are traveling to Kona this year with us, such a great fitting to the journey that started nearly 12 years ago.

For people not in the know, can you explain the Ironman Foundation and how it works?

The Ironman Foundation was established in 2003 as a way for Ironman to leave a legacy behind in communities where Ironman events take place. The mission of the Ironman Foundation is: To leave the Ironman legacy through philanthropy, volunteerism and grant making by supporting various athletic, community, education, health, human services and public benefit organization around the world. I first learned about the foundation a few years ago through the Ironman XC program. Given that this is the 40th anniversary of Ironman, I applied to be part of the foundation's effort to raise money for local charities in Kona.

My personal commitment was to rally friends and others in the local triathlon community in Utah to contribute funds to the foundation. Through these efforts and the kindness of more than 80 people, $30,000 has been raised that will be granted to local charities in Kona. The benefits of these donations will be realized long after the race is over. Because we all pulled together and met this goal, I was selected to represent the IM Foundation at Kona this year. I’m really grateful for this opportunity because although there is a good chance I won’t podium (jk), I know that people who have suffered from the volcano eruptions and recent flooding will be appreciative of these efforts to help them.



What has been your game plan in gearing up for Kona? (for example, following your own plan? Help from your fast son Jake? Formal coach? Etc)

I didn’t know that I would be selected for an IM Foundation slot until the end of February so I didn’t start training until the first week of March. I immediately called Wes Johnson at BAM and asked him if he was still good on coaching me if I ever got into Kona. Quick little side note, when he and I were with Jake at the ITU World Championships in Rotterdam last year, I jokingly asked Wes if he would coach me if I ever got an invitation to Kona and he said yes. So, I was ecstatic and really humbled when he said yes because I’m an above average triathlete, but not at all in the category of athletes that Wes coaches on a regular basis.

I train six days per week. We didn’t do any vacations this year. It’s been really hard, but worth it. Wes has elevated my game to a level I’ve not achieved in more than 10 years of training—it’s pretty unbelievable that I’m at least 15-20 percent faster today across all three disciplines at the IM distance at 53 than I was at the age of 41. The foundational approach that Wes and his team takes with athletes at BAM is the key. They focus on the right training, not just putting time in—which is the biggest difference between the right coach and the wrong coach. I can’t say enough good about BAM, their approach to coaching, but also they are just good people—great friends.


What races have you done this year and how has your training gone?


I’ve competed a couple local races (Daybreak and Echo) this year as part of my Kona training, but mostly just to benchmark (B and C races) along the journey to Kona. I completed IM 70.3 Boulder in August. One thing I did differently in order to prep for Kona is changing the times of day when I train. Nearly 80 percent of all of my training this year has been in the hottest part of the day all summer. Having watched the race in 2016, I saw firsthand the winds and heat at Kona. So, regardless of speed, I wanted to be mentally prepared for the heat and the wind. It was hard at first because training in the summer heat at above 95F, my body can’t maintain the same pacing as training in the cool mornings. But, it helps you gain a better perspective into sweat rates and nutrition and all the other race day challenges. I’m hopeful that in Kona it will all pay off.

triathlon can be an awesome family affair

Are you feeling burnt out and ready to get’er done or still enjoying the process? Which of the 3 disciplines do you hate the most right now and which is most fun?

Such great questions. I’m fatigued and ready to get it done. Mostly, because I don’t think my wife will put up with one more week of training. She has been incredibly patient. One of the other great benefits of having a coach from BAM is that you track all of your training. One of the ways I stay motivated is I review my fitness levels in graphical form (training peaks) from where I was compared to where I am today. Sometimes we forget or don’t realize the progress we have made. This became a reality for me when I finished the IM 70.3 Boulder bike averaging well above 200 watts for the first time ever. Right now, I like/dislike all three disciplines equally…depends on the day.

The swim is a little bit of a slug right now because all of the work is done, it’s just about maintenance at this point…and there aren’t a lot of options for 50m pools in the fall. The 25Y pools drive me a little crazy. The bike is the most fun for me for a reason that most people wouldn’t state as their number one. My bike fits perfectly. When I first started doing full Ironmans, I had a fitting from a local bike shop, watched YouTube, and like so many others had to stand and stretch the back and neck in the last 20-30 miles of IM races. Then, I decided to go to a real professional, Jeff Sherrod at Precision Bike, to see if I could dial it in. I found out my aero-bars were too narrow by more than 4” among other things. I can’t say enough about what an improvement it was for me in terms of comfort and the ability to relax in the aero position. It’s changed everything for me on the bike. One other thing I love about the bike is seeing such great scenery. I never get bored on the bike.



What are you most looking forward to and most terrified about thinking ahead to the race?

I’m really looking forward to participating in the parade of nations (GO USA) and the celebrations leading up to the race. I really enjoy the camaraderie of the athletes—every one has a story of how they got to Kona. So inspiring. Most terrifying is having a mechanical breakdown or an illness that causes me to DNF. One year at Florida I got kicked in the head on the swim so hard that I had blood in my mouth and ended up with a concussion, then in the hospital. But, just like life, you have to take things as they come and go.

Jake hasn't done a full IM yet, but he’s one of the fastest dudes around… what advice have you gotten from him?

Jake is so chill. He knows how difficult and demanding the long courses can be. He wants me to not race Kona, but to just enjoy the experience and make it a celebration of all the yards/meters/miles that were required to get to the start line. He has been a great support. It would be awesome to return to Kona someday to watch Jake. Someone needs to honor the legacy that BJ is leaving at Kona this year.


Greg's son Jake is the 2x defending season
champ in the M2529 Age Group

What do you hope to take away from your Kona experience?

I recognize that I’m built very different than most triathletes. I’m really grateful that my body allows me to be among such great athletes. As cool as it is for me, I recognize that it’s really about everyone else. If I were to narrow it to one thing, it would be to inspire others to know they can do “hard things.” With the inspiration of my friend David, I was able to do hard things. I have many family members and friends who will be watching that haven’t swam, biked, or even walked fast in decades. I hope they find the inspiration to become lifetime athletes — triathletes.

On the local scene, what’s your podium for favorite races and why?

I haven’t podiumed enough times like Jake to know the feel of the blocks I’m standing on..lol. But, in terms of back drops/scenery, I would say Echo, Daybreak, Lake Powell (no longer around), and Salem.

Anything else you want to share?

I really appreciate the opportunity to share my experience. The most important thing I have gained from the whole experience over the past 10+ years is the friendships and camaraderie within the triathlon community. I hope it continues. In today's hectic, contentious environment, we all need something wholesome and meaningful to enrich our lives.

Thank you for elevating the “tri" scene. I know we are all very grateful.



Related Posts

Kona Profiles #1: BJ Christenson Back for #10

Kona Profiles #2: Laura Yost "Host With the Most"

Kona Profiles #3: Lee Weatherhead - The Chattanooga Choo Choo

Kona Profiles #4: Brice Williams & the Ironman Itch!

Ironman Crusher: Interview with Brice Williams





We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 2 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.

If you enjoy Utah Tri Buzz and would like to pitch in, any amount would be greatly appreciated... (there may be something in it for you as well!)

We're also always grateful for talented people who contribute in terms of time... let us know if you'd like to be part of the Utah Tri Buzz team.



Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Utah Age Group Rankings 2018 - MEN FINAL


Thank you to everyone who supported the 2018 Utah Triathlon Championship Series. Overall, participation in local races was up significantly this season, turning around a multi-year downward trend... let's keep it going next year!

The same things we said in the women's rankings apply to the men as well. We stand & applaud everyone who qualified for the Final Rankings. Regardless of individual rank, these are all people who have gotten out to race and who support the local scene.

Think about it, how many people stayed in bed while you were out testing your limits?? 
How many others are active, yet too chicken to ever toe a start line??

Kudos to everyone in the rankings... you're strong in both body & mind!

Lastly, keep in mind this is for FUN... please don't take the rankings too seriously.


The methodology is simple:

* To be eligible for the Final Rankings, must have raced at least 3 of the 11 events on the Utah Triathlon Championship Series calendar.




Round 1 (Jun): 2 race minimum
Round 2 (Aug): 2 race minimum
Round 3 (end of season): 3 race minimum (average of your top 3 races)





* The final rankings will be the basis for several “Most Improved” and other awards, not just awards for AG elites. (if you'd like to be a part of this effort, please see our message at the bottom of this post)

* Our "Top Local Racer" awards go to people who -- you guessed it -- raced the most locally. Championship Series races as well as the "Challenger Races" (below) count towards those awards.


* Like last year, we take the AVERAGE of everyone’s top 3 series races for the final rankings… this provides some incentive to get out and race often, as you can only help yourself by racing more. For example, if you have an off day, or even a dreaded DNF, that result will shake out of your top 3 average if you race 4+ times.

* We use your Overall % to calculate the rankings (which is shown in all the individual race “Results Breakdowns” we post). This is simply how you placed vs. the field - if you placed 60th out of 100 at a race, that’s 60%. If you placed 80th out of 200 at another, that’s 40%. In this case those two then average to 50%.

* Your 50% average would then be stacked up to the rest of your age group for the rankings.

* Lastly, as we said all season long, everyone who raced the State Championship race (Brineman Olympic) was awarded with a 1-time bonus adjustment to their score.










Related Posts


We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 2 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.

If you enjoy Utah Tri Buzz and would like to pitch in, any amount would be greatly appreciated... (there may be something in it for you as well!)

We're also always grateful for talented people who contribute in terms of time... let us know if you'd like to be part of the Utah Tri Buzz team.


Saturday, September 22, 2018

Utah Age Group Rankings 2018 - WOMEN FINAL


Thank you to everyone who supported the 2018 Utah Triathlon Championship Series. Overall, participation in local races was up significantly this season, turning around a multi-year downward trend... let's keep it going next year!

We stand & applaud everyone who qualified for the Final Rankings. Regardless of individual rank, these are all people who have gotten out to race and who support the local scene.

Think about it, how many people stayed in bed while you were out testing your limits?? 
How many others are active, yet too chicken to ever toe a start line??

Kudos to everyone in the rankings... you're strong in both body & mind!

Lastly, keep in mind this is for FUN... please don't take the rankings too seriously.



The methodology is simple:

* To be eligible for the Final Rankings, must have raced at least 3 of the 11 events on the Utah Triathlon Championship Series calendar.




Round 1 (Jun): 2 race minimum
Round 2 (Aug): 2 race minimum
Round 3 (end of season): 3 race minimum (average of your top 3 races)




* The final rankings will be the basis for several “Most Improved” and other awards, not just awards for AG elites. (if you'd like to be a part of this effort, please see our message at the bottom of this post)

* Our "Top Local Racer" awards go to people who -- you guessed it -- raced the most locally. Championship Series races as well as the "Challenger Races" (below) count towards those awards.


* Like last year, we take the AVERAGE of everyone’s top 3 series races for the final rankings… this provides some incentive to get out and race often, as you can only help yourself by racing more. For example, if you have an off day, or even a dreaded DNF, that result will shake out of your top 3 average if you race 4+ times.

* We use your Overall % to calculate the rankings (which is shown in all the individual race “Results Breakdowns” we post). This is simply how you placed vs. the field - if you placed 60th out of 100 at a race, that’s 60%. If you placed 80th out of 200 at another, that’s 40%. In this case those two then average to 50%.

* Your 50% average would then be stacked up to the rest of your age group for the rankings.

* Lastly, as we said all season long, everyone who raced the State Championship race (Brineman Olympic) was awarded with a 1-time bonus adjustment to their score.






Related Posts


We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 2 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.

If you enjoy Utah Tri Buzz and would like to pitch in, any amount would be greatly appreciated... (there may be something in it for you as well!)

We're also always grateful for talented people who contribute in terms of time... let us know if you'd like to be part of the Utah Tri Buzz team.



Thursday, September 20, 2018

Kona Profiles #4 - Brice Williams & the Ironman Itch!


The Ironman World Championships ("Kona") will be here before we know it, taking place Oct. 13th. As you know, it's incredibly competitive to qualify and a major accomplishment to do so. As we've done the last 2 years, we'll be catching up with our local Cinderellas... getting to know them as a tri community and cheering them on as they get ready for the ball!


Name:  Brice Williams

Age Group:  M4044 

Qualified:  Ironman Texas

Qualifying AG Place & Time:   5th   8:42:00

Splits:  Swim 54    Bike 4:30    Run 3:09



When we interviewed you last August, after you had crushed Ironman Santa Rosa, you are quoted as saying "I had already decided that this was going to be my last full distance race for a couple years." Sounds like you grossly underestimated the "Ironman itch!" Exactly how long did it take for the itch to re-manifest itself in your system?

That's actually a bit of a funny story. I asked my coach to back off my training after Santa Rosa, and I was going to do a 70.3 in Oct, back in North Carolina. Since hurricanes can sometimes crop up there at that time (as we currently see) I waited until the week of the race to sign up. And can you believe it? Sold out! So, I searched for another race on the same weekend and found the Great Floridian, not sold out. That's an interesting race - they have three race distances, one loop of their course, two loops or three. One loop of the course ends up being one-third of a full distance Ironman race, two loops two-thirds, and three loops is the full 140.6. I deliberated for a few days on whether to do the two loop race or full three loop race. In my mind, once you go 17 miles of a run, may as well go the full 26, so I signed up two days before the race to do the full distance.



That turned out to be a good thing. I really hadn't prepared for a full distance race, but also didn't really have time to worry about it, so I just went with the flow. That Saturday I ended up finishing first overall and even beat out a couple of professionals that showed up. It was then that I realized that I could do fairly well at the full distance triathlon without taking a large amount of time to train. After the race, I had a sit down with the family and asked them what they thought about the training load/family sacrifice leading up to the Great Floridian race and asked if they thought it was something we could handle a couple times a year. They were awesome and felt like it was still a sacrifice, but something fairly manageable, so I went ahead and signed up for Texas with the intent that I could even take my Kona slot were I so lucky.

Did any part of you regret not claiming your Kona slot after Santa Rosa last year, or were you at peace with it?

Totally at peace. It was the right thing for my family at that time.

Why did you choose Ironman Texas, and what were your thoughts on the venue, course & race in general?

I really like the time of year that Texas takes place, it's a Saturday race, it's usually hot (which for me is an advantage), it's fairly close to home (not a huge time zone difference from Utah) and Houston has great BBQ ;). The venue is awesome. The course is great. It was their first year using the freeway and it ended up being crowded on that part of the bike course and big groups formed up, but hopefully they will change things up next year to prevent bike drafting. I would do it again next year if the opportunity presents itself.



How did the race play out for you, and were you aware of your position throughout the day? Looks like there was an MMA style cage match going on in your age group... ultimately how many spots went to your AG, and when did you learn you had KQ'd?

During the race I had no idea where I was in my age group. I stayed close to my race plan throughout and tried not to worry what was going on with other people. With the rolling start someone finishing behind you may actually beat you in time, and I kinda feel that it's pointless to waste limited mental energy on uncontrollable things.




How did my race play out? This is a long answer, feel free to skip the boring details.


The swim was actually wetsuit legal, which, for me, is a bit of a disadvantage since my background is swimming and the wetsuit doesn't really help me as much as it does other people. I started in the front, and actually got beat up pretty good until we spread out. I lost the front pack of age-groupers, but settled into the second pack. My swim ended up being a touch slower than I expected (54:24), but coming out of the water, I let it go, and set out to have a great bike.

Once onto the bike I settled into my watt goals and nutrition plan. Things were going pretty much like I expected until...Around mile 40 or so I started getting swallowed up by a huge pelaton. My roommate at Texas and teammate, David Zimmet, was in that group of athletes and I pulled in next to him to chat about the situation. He is a strong biker and said, "look behind us". I looked back and saw a continuous stream of bikes three and four abreast, without any real breaks between them for as far as I could see. He said that he had tried several times to break out of this group, and he would just get swallowed up again and again by the same group. So, he (and I) decided that for this race, this was the way we had to bike.

There didn't seem to be any marshalls on the course to help break things up, and there really weren't any hills, so it was a "race day decision" to stay with this group of bikes and just own the drafting that we were all doing. None of us wanted to draft, but sometimes a race dishes up situations that you have to accept, adapt and move on. This was one of those situations. There really wasn't any other way to bike to your ability and not be in a draft group, just due to the large number of people on this freeway all at the same time. As we came off the freeway, things did break up better, and coming into T2 we had spread out a bit. But it was a fast bike (4:30) for me, and the legs weren't super toasted. It was going to come down to the run. Since the pelaton kinda swallowed up the faster swimmers and we all stuck together for most of the ride, all the faster guys were all coming into T2 within a few minutes of each other. It was almost like an ITU race, and we all know that the ITU day goes to the fast runners.



The run course is three loops and super fun. Lots of energy. I went out conservative for the first loop, then gradually upped the effort during the second loop and tried to hang on to that pace for the third. I had no idea when I would pass someone in my age group, but afterward I learned that I gained a fair amount of positions during the run. I think I came off the bike in like 15th place or something, and just steadily picked people off. There were a few times I wanted to slow down of course, but you just have to mentally dig deep and keep the pressure on. At mile 22 I felt a bit of stomach unsettling and slowed down a touch until if faded, then picked it back up. As I was coming into the finish area, I actually turned the wrong way and lost at least 30 seconds until someone redirected me (after that they put some cones out to make sure no one else got lost - you know your brain isn't really working well at that point).


That wrong turn ended up costing me fourth place in my age group, but you have to laugh about those things. Coming across the finish line I was shocked that I was coming in at 8:42. I didn't really know where I was in my age group, but I knew I had raced my best and whether or not that ends up with a Kona slot, is something totally uncontrollable. After regaining my composure, I grabbed my phone and checked results, saw that I was likely going to be in 5th place in my age group. Since Texas gets ~80 Kona slots, I figured I was safe to assume that I was going to be offered a slot. I had already decided to take it this year if I got one. So, I called the family and we celebrated over the phone. In the end there were 11 slots offered to my age group and I think it went down to 12th place.

What, if anything, do you plan to do differently this go around at Kona vs. last time (pre-race, race day, etc), and do you have any specific goals?

For one, I'm not going to mess with my tubes the day before. If anyone wants advice on how to get two flats early on in the bike course just ask me, I'm a pro at that. I have learned a ton since that last Kona race and am looking forward to applying the new knowledge to this next one. My nutrition plan is more simple and much better, my bike is going to be very different, and even the run has come a long way since then. Should be a fantastic race if things go to plan (but we all know that rarely happens).

I do have some specific goals in mind, mostly just controllable stuff like mental attitude, nutrition, thanking volunteers, being courteous and hitting my heart rate and wattage numbers. I don't have any time goals or placement goals. Those aren't things that are controllable anyway.



It appears you had a pretty good battle with an out of state guy (Kenny McDaniel) at the Brineman Half here locally. What did you think of that race, and what did it tell you about your fitness going into Kona?


Brineman was a fun race. The swim was perfect conditions and I was able to just focus on my form and cadence. On the bike I kept having to stop and put my chain back on. It was another beginner mistake. Changed out an old chain for a new one the night before the race, and the front chainring teeth were too worn for a new chain. Every time I pushed hard on the pedals the chain would pop off. I probably lost 5-10 min on the bike from having to pedal soft and stop and put the chain back on around a dozen times. Oh well, you learn from those mistakes. Kenny caught me at the end of the bike and passed me. Getting out to the run he was keeping a good pace, but my legs were able to hold a bit faster pace that day. After I passed him he kept dropping further back. It was a new PR for me for the half distance and I would like a crack at it again next year. I would love to break 4 hours, and if I bike to my potential I think that's a real possibility on that course.



Spoiler alert! By getting in the necessary 3+ Utah Triathlon Championship Series races (we take the average percentile performance of everyone's top 3 races) you are the new M4044 Championship Belt holder. What are your thoughts on the local race scene in general?


That's super cool. I need to somehow mount the belt on my bike when I go out on rides. I do enjoy the local races, it's fun to see friends and the whole scene is a bit more laid back than the bigger races. I will be looking forward to more of them next year.

Don't be modest here... objectively, when you're "on", are you Utah's fastest Ironman? Any friendly wagers with Jorge, BJ and others in the works for Kona?

Hah! If BJ, Jorge and I all show up to Kona at our best, I'm thinking I'm more chasing after them, not the other way around. You know we all have our strengths and weaknesses and some courses lend themselves to certain types of athletes. I do think Kona caters just a touch to some of my strengths, but it's anyone's game out there. BJ and Jorge both have more experience than I do and that counts for a lot, especially at Kona. I'll be giving it my all out there, you just never know how it will pan out. I just hope we all have a great day and perform to our best.



So... knowing your history with the Ironman itch, will you be gunning for Kona next year as well? If so, where will you look to qualify, and if not, any thoughts on what your racing focus/goals will be instead?


If the family is on board and I stay injury free I'll likely just do what I did this year: Texas, local races and Kona. I am planning on doing Oceanside this year too, and may even consider going to Boulder 70.3. It's really dependent on what family stuff is going down, that always takes precedent.


Anything else you'd like to share?

Just remember this stuff is for fun. Keep it in perspective and keep priorities straight. I really want to thank my family and especially my sweet wife Tawni. She is so willing to sacrifice so that I can participate in this sport. She is wonderful, as is all our support family and friends that help us with our journey.

Thanks also to my coach, Doug Maclean and QT2 Systems, and my sponsors, Zone3, Fusion and the Clayson Williams eye center.


Related Posts

Kona Profiles #1: BJ Christenson Back for #10

Kona Profiles #2: Laura Yost "Host With the Most"

Kona Profiles #3: Lee Weatherhead - The Chattanooga Choo Choo

Ironman Crusher: Interview with Brice Williams





We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 2 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.

If you enjoy Utah Tri Buzz and would like to pitch in, any amount would be greatly appreciated... (there may be something in it for you as well!)

We're also always grateful for talented people who contribute in terms of time... let us know if you'd like to be part of the Utah Tri Buzz team.