Question:Are distances fixed already, and race format? Long single laps, or multiple
short one? Maximum participants?
Answer:
Training for this has been interesting. I just sort of took a little
time off after my last triathlon in mid-Sept., then got on the
rollerskis for a while with easy workouts geared toward technique, then
just started back a little bit with my biking on snow (I ride to work
and around town, so it was no big deal) and running (but on snow). I
feel pretty good on skis now too, having been on snow pretty much
continuously since Thanksgiving. I've done a couple of xc ski races
(7km classical and a 15km skiathlon) that both went well. I gotta be
sure not to get sick now.
I've never done a real "standard" winter triathlon, but we have the
king of all winter multisport races here in New Mexico with the Mt.
Taylor Quadrathlon (www.mttaylorquad.org), which I've done three times.
Unfortunately, this one doesn't really put a serious emphasis on
technique-oriented skiing. It's more of a slog up a mountain with
skins on, then a crazy ski back down a different route that rivals the
Hannenkam in Kitzbuhel.
Winter multisport is a kick in the butt compared to regular triathlons.
They really add a level of difficulty and almost frustration, which
requires the competitor to be patient. The Mt. Taylor Quad races from
Grants, NM at 6,000 feet, up to the top of Mt. Taylor (the Navajos call
it "Tzo Dzil," Turquoise Mtn.) at over 11,000 feet, then back down
again. It's a blast, but with the slog up on foot, skis, and
snowshoes, it's more of a foot race than one that involves a lot of
skiing ability. I do like the 21km bike up to the first exchange, and
then back down to town at the end.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the winter triathlons in Colorado. I'm
training hard and hope to do well. I figure I have a good shot at
doing well since I'm a good xc skier as far as multisport athletes go,
and a good multisport athlete as far as xc skiers go. I hope the
combination of slightly higher than mediocre ablilities in each pays
off =) I'll post a race report on the website after I get back from
that weekend (January 13 & 14).
They have been competing in winter trathlon late winter up here in a few
years. It goes ski, bike, run; the opposite of what you mentioned above.
Maybe you should come visit for 'The Norseman' in summer?
Supposedly the toughest 'regular length' triathlon in the world:
Swim a west coast fjord, bike across multiple mountains, then finish
with a marathon run that ends with a full mile (190 to 1853 m) elevation
gain.
My sister's son Christian tried it recently, he stayed around 10th/11th
place until the middle of the marathon when he had to throw in the
towel: He hadn't been able to eat/drink nearly enough during the bike
ride.
I share your plans. I hate you for the snow under your feet.
I'm a pretty accomplished mountainbiker myself, especially when things get a
bit technical such as on snow. I know it sounds cocky, but when I someday
enter a WT and I do not put the best time in for the bike leg, I'm doing
something wrong :-)
Running is something I demand and expect from myself to be doable. I need to
do it to get fit for XC anyway, so the whole package sounds perfect.
I read a report by a triathlete who had never XC'd, but had had a few
rollerski outings as preparation for his first WT. Just some skiing the days
before I seem to recall.
I hope not more multi-sport athletes find out about WT, from what I read the
level of competition is shooting up?
Yeah, European winter triathlon is a little different (at least
sometimes; but I think they're standardizing with the run/bike/ski
format now?) and has a lot of great athletes. I think it takes more to
be good at the xc skiing than the other two events, so it's seems best
to come from xc skiing background. I have found that xc skiers have
the best all around ability in many sports, due to their need to
cross-train in different disciplines all year. They are also more
careful and methodical about their preparations than other athletes.
This is where Europeans often have the advantage over us Americans. We
know so much about preparing for endurance sport, but I think most of
us are not careful and just do what is most fun or what we get pushed
into doing. Also, I've noticed that we get too competitive with each
other on group workouts, but Europeans are much less concerned about
competitiveness in group training and often dislike training with us
Americans.
Coming from a cycling background, I had to really rethink my training
when I began getting into xc skiing and triathlon. I would say that in
some ways, I'm a better athlete now, but I can't ride a bike quite as
fast anymore =)
I think we will get a few triathletes from the Colorado area to do the
two races I mentioned, but mostly, I'll bet that the bulk of the
competitors are either mtn. bikers who skate ski in winter and/or xc
skiers who can mtn. bike/run in offseason. Probably our best guy is
Josiah Middaugh, a Colorado guy who has been Xterra World Champion and
is a good skate skier. He has been the perennial winner at the Mt.
Taylor Quadrathlon (mentioned in my first post) and is a pretty good
"regular" triathlete as well. I suspect he and a few other Colorado
mtn. bikers will be the toughest competition.
We Americans need to get serious about this sport if we want to compete
with the Euros and do well in the Olympics if it is included in 2010.
Thus far, we haven't sent anywhere near our best guys to the world
championships. The first real guy to do it was Jimmy Archer, from my
town of Los Alamos. He's a good Xterra guy (8th in world champs), but
just an "ok" xc skier in comparison. Last year, we sent some guys from
Boulder, CO, who are decent master's skiers, but weren't really fast at
running or mtn. biking. I think Middaugh also went, but didn't do that
great for some reason.
Even Ned Overend (Durango, CO), the mtn. biking legend (world champ)
has been the US National Champion at winter triathlon in 2001. He beat
Mike Kloser (Vail, CO), who was also a mtn. biking pro legend. I race
against both of these guys in xc skiing and they are tough to beat.
Ned is now over 50 yrs old, but is still able to compete with the top
level and even win sometimes. We had a world cup mtn. bike race here
in New Mexico last year, and he placed 17th on a brutal course -- he
was 50 yrs old!
I live in a great place for training. The weather is ideal for many
sports. We can xc ski, but have lots of sun, and the summers are
great, as it's not too hot, and very nice in the mountains. My
girlfriend is from Russia, so we have a lot of Russian and Ukrainian
triathlete friends that come live with us to train.
One guy, Andrei Yastrebov, was once a member of the Soviet xc ski team
in '89 and '90 (he was young). He is Ukrainian and after the fall of
the curtain, he said the support just fell apart and he pretty much
quit xc skiing because they couldn't compete with the guys who could
get nice stuff and the high-fluoro waxes. He had some funny stories
about this. Anyway, he's now an Ironman triathlete, having won a
couple of the Ironman series events, one in Europe (Austria?) and one
here in Wisconsin. He did the winter triathlon when it was in Czech
Rep. and did quite well. Now, he wants to go back and try for the
Olympics in 2010, as he is probably the best suited guy from Ukraine.
He tried to come back to train with me here in Los Alamos for the
winter, but he has twice over-stayed his visa here in the USA and they
wouldn't let him come back until next year. He is a little depressed
about that, as he really wanted to ski here and Colorado.
Terje, I know about the Norseman. It is on my "to do" list! I REALLY
want to do it and think I could do pretty well. I like races like
that.
I saw that Rune Hoydahl won it a couple of years ago, and Bjorn
Andersson (Swedish triathlete pro) won it last year. I heard that
Hoydahl paid a guy off on the run so that he could win it, and that
this other guy (also Norwegian) was clearly not running hard by the end
and that Hoydahl was really dead afterward and was so tired two weeks
later that he got beaten in the mtn. bike Birkebeiner. That's the
story I got, anyway. Who knows if it's true?
I can say this: Bjorn Andersson is crazy with his Ironman bike splits.
He would rival most professional cyclists. But, he can't run
afterward. I passed him in Ironman Florida a couple of years ago after
he put in a bike split 20(!) minutes faster than me -- and I've been US
national time trial champion twice, Pan Am Games gold medalist, won
many European time trials, etc., so I thought even the top pro wouldn't
beat me by much. I thought I rode quite well that day, but he put the
screws to me and I was just astonished. But, I realized I was thinking
about running a marathon afterward and he didn't seem to care. He had
leg cramps pretty badly when I went by him (you know it's him with all
of his Craft sponsorship), and he had a 10-minute head start due to
starting with the pros. That means I caught him for over 30 minutes in
the marathon alone, or even more, since he is also a very fast swimmer.
At any rate, I was surprised that he kept himself together to win the
Norseman.
Well, Jan, good luck with your training and winter triathlons. Perhaps
we'll cross paths. Let me know if you ever want to come here to train.
Can you tell I'm off work? I've written more in the past week than the
past year combined -- sorry for the long postings.
It's snowing very hard here again, with almost a meter of new snow
overnight. I'm procrastinating, as I have to go fire up our machines
to pack it and groom now...
