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Friday, December 21, 2018

Break On Through! Interview with Local Pro Skye Moench


Local pro triathlete Skye Moench (rhymes with "launch") had an outstanding 2018 season. We thought we'd catch up with her to get a recap on her year of training & racing around the globe. Thanks for the time, Skye!

Can you give us a quick rundown of your 2018 races & results?

 This was my first year racing on other continents, getting on some Ironman professional podiums, and going under 9 hours in a full ironman (IMAZ)! Here’s a full list of my races and results from 2018:

  • February 4 - Hell of the West (Australia) - 2nd
  • February 25 - Gold Coast Triathlon (Australia) - 2nd
  • April 7 - Ironman 70.3 Oceanside - 9th
  • May 20 - Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga - 4th
  • June 10 - Ironman 70.3 Switzerland - 3rd
  • July 8 - Ironman European Championship - 7th
  • July 29 - Ironman Switzerland - 2nd
  • September 9 - Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz - 3rd
  • November 18 - Ironman Arizona - 4th

What was the highlight and lowlight from all your racing this year?

 The highlight was performing at a higher level than I ever have before, including my first pro podium at Switzerland 70.3 in June. I had been working with Cam a few months at that point, and while training was going well, I didn’t know what to expect after traveling across the world and hitting the start line with women I mostly hadn’t raced before. Turned out that some jet-lag-forced sleep and delicious Swiss bread made for good race day for me.


The lowlight was making the decision to not race Indian Wells 70.3. I LOVE Palm Springs and that race was on my radar since they announced it last year. I was signed up for it, but after racing Ironman Arizona three weeks prior, I had to listen to my body and take the rest it needed instead of trying to squeeze out one more race. There will always be another race. :)

 How would you summarize the season overall? Would you call it a breakthrough year?

 This season showed me that I am capable of becoming a top performing professional triathlete. While 2017 wasn’t a bad year, I didn’t perform at the level I expected of myself, so a small part of me was starting to question whether or not I had it in me to be a top level athlete; this year has again validated my pursuit of triathlon. This season was also about doing things differently. From working with a new coach to the amount of travel and racing I did, things changed quite a bit for me! This year was certainly a breakthrough based on results and having it renew my confidence, but there are more breakthroughs to be made. :)


What are your race plans and/or goals for next year?

 There are no set race plans yet, but I will share what I’m up to on social media! I do anticipate racing in the USA and in Europe again. However the plan unfolds, the goal is always to improve and get to the next level. Kona qualification is obviously the big target for long course professionals, but day-to-day we are focused on working hard to show up when it comes time to race.

 What's your current coaching situation, and how did you connect with him/her?

 Cameron Watt is my coach. He’s based in Brisbane, Australia, and our group is called The Hills District (@thehillsdistrict). I met Cam in 2016 when he and Sarah Crowley came to Park City to do some altitude training - they joined the BAM group for some sessions that summer. They came back in 2017 to do some more training and racing here, and over the course of that time we all became good friends. I wanted to mix up my winter training in 2018, so I went to Australia in February/March to train with Sarah and ultimately Cam’s whole group. I was still working with Wes at the time, so he guided my workload, but I did a lot of the Hills District training. I really enjoyed the training and I felt like making the switch to Cam was the next step for my progression as an athlete. I started with Cam after I returned home in mid-March of 2018.

Cam has helped my progression in a lot of ways, even outside of giving me great training plans every day. We’ve worked on my bike set up and race nutrition, among other things. On a day to day basis the training style really suits me. Cam’s ability to give me very specific tools and cues to improve my form has been extremely helpful, especially since I’m not in-person with Cam every day. Outside of his direct coaching and advice, being part of his hills district group (even if I’m in the opposite hemisphere some of the time) has helped to elevate me mentally because the group of professionals as a whole is trying to improve every day.

 Who are some fellow pros you find yourself regularly battling on race day? What were your 2-3 most epic race battles of the year?

 That depends which part of the race it is. I raced Heather Jackson a few times this year, and we seemed to find each other in the swim. I think we both probably slapped the other person in the water at least once, accidentally of course. (Sorry HJ!) Since I did a lot of racing outside of North America this year, I was able to race some women who I had never faced before, which I enjoyed.

 Epic race battles probably happened over in Europe. Ironman Frankfurt (the European Championship) was “the battle of the porta potties” for me and Rachel McBride toward the end of the marathon. She was in and out of the toilet (I made one toilet stop myself) yet she came from behind in the last 400m of the marathon and made a fast and final pass. I had no idea she was behind me because last I knew she was ahead! We finished 6th and 7th. I learned a lot from Frankfurt :).


Three weeks after Frankfurt I did Ironman Switzerland, and that was somewhat of a battle. I was running in 3rd place for almost the whole marathon, but in the last few kilometers I saw Annabel Luxford just up the road. I knew I could make a pass before the finish if I stayed strong, so I dug deep and went for it! I was running a bit scared once I made the pass because I knew anything was possible, but that one ended in my favor.

 What was your general experience training and racing overseas?

 I was in Australia for about seven weeks, and Europe (more specifically, Switzerland) for about eight weeks in June and July. I was there training with The Hills District group in both places - you can go check out @thehillsdistrict instagram to see who that consists of.

 Training in Australia was extremely hot and humid, but I love the heat, so it was a great alternative to being home in the Utah winter! Getting used to riding on the left side of the road was a first for me, but I left feeling pretty comfortable with it. It was also a lot of fun to be immersed in the Australian culture and language. I had to think fast to keep up with the Aussie way of shortening words and different commonly used words. (Soz!) I was so grateful to be welcomed by so many Aussie friends there. I loved it.


Training in St. Moritz, Switzerland was absolutely amazing. Coming from such a beautiful, mountainous place as Utah, I’ve become a bit of a mountain elitist, but Switzerland was unbelievably gorgeous. The whole town became an elite endurance athlete mecca, which was a cool environment to be in. I got to meet some of the USA Olympic Track and Field athletes whom I closely follow - I like to think I played it pretty cool and didn’t fan girl too much :). St Moritz was also a great opportunity to meet and train with some of the other TriSutto athletes who made St Moritz home for the summer. Not least of all, I was able to experience European racing. Triathlon is a MUCH bigger sport over there, and it shows in the way races are conducted, celebrated, and supported.

 Specifically where did you see the biggest improvements in your training & racing this past year? Was part of it also mental in terms of confidence that comes from experience?

 I’ve improved all around this year, but it’s easy to quantify how much I’ve improved in the swim, especially training in the pool. When I’m swimming alone in Utah, I use the digital clock at the pool as my training buddy. It never lies, and it always pushes me. In racing, my favorite “biggest” improvement has been my 70.3 run speed. Believe it or not, my background is running (I ran a marathon when I was 16!) yet I struggled to produce run times I felt capable of since truly dedicating myself to triathlon. So I’m looking forward to further improving that for all distances. Overall I feel really well-prepared for race day (whether 70.3 or Ironman) and feeling strong and fit makes going fast on race day a bit easier.

Experience (in terms of more time in the sport) may have helped to make for smoother race mornings, but my specific experiences this past year have absolutely built and reinforced my confidence, both in training and racing. I feel more confident in myself and in my training which of course carries over to my performance on race day.

 What 1-2 types of workouts do you look most forward to in your training regimen and which 1-2 least look forward to?

 In one way or another, I love it all! Sometimes my favorite workouts are the ones I get to do a lot of math for - push myself hard plus calculate rest times and when I start next - does it get any better?! That’s the accountant talking :). But really, I look most forward to hard run workouts on the road or on the track, and I look least forward to treadmill run workouts. Die hard road runner over here!


Anything else you'd like to share?

 Just a big thank you to the Utah triathlon community for the friendship and support! I’m always so impressed with how many people get going in this sport, no matter age or physical circumstance, and that is truly inspirational. I love when I can get out to local races to be a part of that exciting Utah tri buzz. :)
UTAH TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2019 DETAILS --> SEE POST HERE !!!




Below are links to all the races in the 2019 Championship Series:

Below are links to all Challenger Races:




We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising a 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.


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Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Got the Goods! Interview with Nick Dorsett


Nick Dorsett was dominant on the local scene in 2018, notching overall wins at Salem, Daybreak, East Canyon, and Kokopelli, 2nd's at Echo and Jordanelle, and a 4:24, podium-placing performance at Ironman St. George 70.3. Here he talks about the Utah tri scene vs. other states, his biggest local rival, and whether or not he has the goods to go pro.

 Thanks for the time, Nick!

 ps. Nick is nearing completion of his Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the U, and his dream is to work in the bike industry... if you can help him network with the likes of Enve, Reynolds, Specialized, or others, let's try to keep this guy in state!


What’s your athletic background and how did you get into triathlon? Where have you lived before coming to UT, and when did you move here?

 My athletic background is primarily in swimming with some running thrown in as well. I joined a summer league swim team when I was 8 and started swimming year-round a few years after that. Once I hit high school, I ran cross country and swam all four years, also doing track my senior year. I got started in triathlon the summer before my freshman year of high school. My dad and brother wanted to do a race as a team, and they wanted me to swim for them. I thought the experience was so cool that the next year I did the race solo, and have been hooked ever since. I grew up in Washington state, and moved to Montana to do my undergrad. I graduated in 2017 and moved to Utah that August to start grad school.
East Canyon

 What races did you do this year, and how would you summarize your season?

 I started my season this year racing the Lake Havasu Triathlon, our collegiate conference championship. I went on to do Salem, Collegiate Nationals, 70.3 St. George, Daybreak, East Canyon, Echo, both the sprint and Olympic distance races at Age Group Nationals, Jordanelle, Kokopelli, a draft legal sprint at the Oktoberfest Tri, and Pumpkinman. I also did the Sugarhouse Crit, my first ever road race which was a blast.

 What was the highlight and lowlight from all your racing this year?

 The highlight of my season was definitely my finish in the sprint race at age group nationals. 4th in my age group and 7th overall was by far the best finish I’ve ever had at a race of that caliber. This was also especially good after the low point, which happened the previous day in the Olympic distance race. I thought I had a chance for an even better finish there, but two flats left me on the side of the road for an hour.
Nick is the reigning Championship Belt holder for
the M2024 age group


 What are your race plans and goals for next season?

 I’ll be graduating this spring, so most of next season is an unknown for me. Right now I’m planning on doing a U25 draft legal race in Clermont in early March, travelling to Lake Havasu City in mid-March for our collegiate conference championship race, and then racing Collegiate Nationals the first weekend of April. After that we’ll see.

 When did you realize you had the goods to shoot for a pro card? Was there a specific race and/or moment when that became a goal?

 Not sure I actually have the goods yet! In my very first tri, I remember seeing a local pro flying out of the water and taking off on the bike and thinking “man, I really want to be that guy someday.” As time has gone on, I’ve gotten faster and am seeing that it’s a possibility at least. I’m also pretty competitive, so if I have a chance to race at that kind of level I’m going to go for it.


How would you compare the Utah tri scene to other places you’ve been?

 The Utah tri scene is way more vibrant than either Washington or Montana. Not only are there a lot more races, but going to the races it seems like everyone knows each other and it’s clearly a pretty tight-knit community. I’ve also really appreciated everything Wes and BAM have done to help me with getting the collegiate team at the U going. I put out some feelers to see if anyone was interested in joining and he pretty much immediately jumped all in to help us out.

 Have you developed any friendly rivalries on the local scene? Who can give you a run for your money at any given race?

 My biggest rival this season was definitely Jorge. I was really disappointed to not have been able to race at Brineman, because after seeing his times there I think we would have had a really close race. A few months ago, Colorado pro Ernie Mantell moved here, and after doing some training with him I’m really excited to race head to head next season.

Jorge de Amorim Filho on his way to winning the
2018 State Champs race at Brineman
How far through your studies are you, and what companies do we need to help you network with to keep you in state?

 I’m just finishing up my third semester of my Master’s (Mechanical Engineering), with one more to go. Working for a bike company has always been a dream job of mine, and this is a good place to do so, with Enve, Reynolds, and Specialized among others in the area.

 What are your 3 favorite local races you’ve done and why?

 Of the races I did this summer, I think my favorite was Daybreak. The point-to-point swim there was really interesting and it was probably my favorite run course of all the races. Second favorite was Kokopelli, not sure if that really counts as a local race although it is in the Championship Series. Can’t really go wrong with St. George, it’s just gorgeous. Third favorite race I think was Salem, with a really solid course for each leg.
Salem, site of the State Champs race in Sep 2019,
is open to all abilities and experience levels

Anything else you want to share?

 I just want to say that I think everything you do to promote local racing is awesome, and thanks for everything you do. Also a huge thanks to Wes for both his help with the collegiate team and for coaching me. I wouldn’t have had anywhere near the level of success I’ve had without him.


UTAH TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2019 DETAILS --> SEE POST HERE !!!


Below are links to all the races in the 2019 Championship Series:

Below are links to all Challenger Races:

We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising a 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.

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Monday, November 26, 2018

Utah Triathlon Championship Series 2019 - FINALIZED


Below is a summary of the Utah Triathlon Championship Series for 2019. Please scroll down for additional details as well as registration links. See you at the races!




Overview
  • Like 2018, the 2019 Utah Triathlon Championship Series will consist of 10 local events from March - September, in addition to a State Championship race & party welcoming all abilities and experience levels
  • The State Champs venue rotates annually. TriUtah's Brineman hosted in 2018, with RaceTri's SALEM STATE CHAMPS hosting in September 2019
  • NEW FOR 2019, each event in the series will have ONE distance that counts towards rankings, season awards, etc. For example, the Olympic distance has been chosen as the official series race for Echo.
  • The intent of this is two-fold: 1) it builds prestige for the official series races, and 2) there's less "pressure," no results analysis, rankings implications, etc, for the non-series distance(s). This would be a good option for someone who just wants to come out and enjoy the day, someone coming back from injury, using the race as a training day, etc.
  • We hope that this format will continue to grow participation across the board, as people can self-select races according to their goals and what they want to get out of race day
  • The current breakdown of Championship Series races is 2 Sprints, 6 Olympics, and 3 Halfs
  • In collaboration with RaceTri and TriUtah, we worked super hard to get the Salem State Champs and the Brineman Half on different days... unfortunately it was to no avail due to local city conflicts, but both will be great races.
SALEM STATE CHAMPS!!  (Sep 7, 2019)

Based on 2018 participation, here are the races comprising the Championship Series for 2019:



1) March 30: ICEBREAKER - SPRINT

2) May 4: ST. GEORGE 70.3


3) May 18: SAND HOLLOW - OLYMPIC

4) June 1: DAYBREAK - OLYMPIC
5) June 8: EAST CANYON - OLYMPIC

6) June 22:  THE UTAH HALF 
  

7) July 13:  ECHO - OLYMPIC


8) Aug 10:  JORDANELLE - OLYMPIC
9) Sep 7: SALEM STATE CHAMPS - SPRINT


10) Sep 7: BRINEMAN - HALF


11) Sep 21: KOKOPELLI - OLYMPIC



Structure (same as last year)
  • Similar to European soccer (eg England's Premier League), the Championship Series will include a system of "promotion" and "relegation"
  • This means a max of 2 races NOT in the Championship Series (aka "Challenger Races") one year can be "promoted" into it the following year if they out-draw races currently in the series
  • In that example, the races currently in the series would get "relegated" AKA bumped out for the following year
  • This way, the tri community as a whole decides what races make up the Championship Series any given year… it's up to RD's to promote their races and athletes to support the races they choose
Awards (ditto)
  • Utah Tri Buzz rankings, age group awards, Most Improved and other swag for the season will be based on the Championship Series (average of top 3 races like previous years)
  • We also want to continue driving a local culture of volunteering at races & supporting each other; it's expected that each participant will volunteer at least once (more if you can), and those who go above and beyond will be recognized for their efforts!
  • You don't have to race Salem State Champs to qualify for season awards. However, the rankings system will include a significant points bonus for those who do race the State Champs. This was enough to move the needle at Brineman 2018 in a few age groups!
  • There will also be awards from the host race company for the single day State Championship race

In summary, should be fun!

Below are links to all the races in the 2019 Championship Series:

Below are links to all Challenger Races:



We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising a 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.
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