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Random Thoughts

August 6, 2003 Writing a running commentary is a little like raising a kid, after a while it will take on a life of its own. But if this entity experienced less nurturing in 2003 than in year-one, it certainly wasn't planned. I can conveniently unfold my shopping list of excuses and rationalize it away, or maybe its just going through the terrible twos. Whatever the case, it's time to breath some life into this beast.... Ok, the TDF is behind us. I have no novel insights or "Liggettisms" to spiel. It's all pretty much been broadcast or written about this years tour. The overwhelming feeling that I'm left with in its wake is that I have to wait another whole year for the next one.... TV and sports have developed a symbiosis that is nearly marriage-like. While this relationship has evolved most highly around stadium events, national pastimes, and billion dollar broadcast rights, the TDF coverage proved it feasible to have a 2000 mile, 3 week stage for the cast of characters to play out their drama, and still do a remarkable job of placing the viewer in the middle of the action. Whether a 3-hour football game or an 83-hour bike race, conquering broadcast logistics has proven little challenge any more. So, when will live broadcasts of sprint or Olympic distance triathlons that the pros routinely knock out in under two hours become a regular reality? When the dollars are there, you say. That argument may hold some validity, but the sport can "show them the money." The dollar signs are there for all but the blind to see. Participant demographics, one-day event fills, iron-fever, and world wide interest in the sport are but a few indicators. The same day coverage of the Life Time Fitness Triathlon and broadcast of the Sidney Olympics triathlon were the closest things to live as we've yet to see. Some say, that televising triathlon lends itself to the creative whims of TV production companies for a slick, time-controlled package rather than the slowly evolving drama of racing in real-time. I say, it's time for some TV network, any network with vision, to step out and step up.... Speaking of the Life Time Fitness race, the nearly 10 minute "equalizer" essentially boiled it down to a predictable two-party race, Barb Lindquist and whichever male would be chasing her this year. The intention was obviously to create a mano on "womano" sprint finish, but, what if they individually equalized all the pros, male and female alike?.... If you are a resident cyclist in Wildwood, you are living in heady times these days. As the city of Wildwood judiciously reinvests its tax revenue in infrastructure, one by one the old chip and seal roadways are being transformed into an interconnected web of sealed asphalt. For those of us who have ridden the far west county rough stuff for years, don't rouse us from our apparent REM state. I managed a conversation with the paving crew and the Wildwood supervisor who professed a goal of having the best roads in Missouri by 2005. If I may take him at his word, then between the topography and riding surface, I boldly predict that Wildwood will surely become the local cycling Mecca....

July 9, 2003 By this point, I certain that many wondered if I’ve had any thoughts, random or otherwise, for the last several months. This page had become a fallow field and that I can not deny. I prefer not to term the down-time a sabbatical, but rather, use multisport-speak and merely call it a taper. So, by gathering various scribbled bits of paper, sorting through scattered floppy discs, and recalling deeply embedded mental notes, in truly random fashion I will resurrect this mildly insightful, usually opinionated, and marginally entertaining column of thoughts.... Watching stage-one of the TDF live was uncomfortable for this viewer. The finishing sprint culminated in a cascade of cyclists going head over heels to the pavement. Having done the same all too many times the last few years, I squirmed during the replays.... Am I being too sensitive or has driver-hazing of cyclists been ratcheted up? It seems lately I can’t do a ride without some yahoo or car-load of teens harassing me. I don’t think I’m alone on this one. If given three wishes, and after wasting the first two selfishly, I would use the third to enact legislation that would sentence negligent drivers convicted of hitting cyclists to minimum prison terms. Is that harsh? You bet it is, but something drastic needs to be done to turn this tide, in my opinion.... The one-mile stretch between the north end of the Riverfront Trail and the Chain of Rocks Bridge will be connected by a paved extension in the not too distant future. This will alleviate the need to join the 18-wheelers on Riverview to reach that span. When complete, one will be able to ride from the Arch to Alton completely on a paved bikeway.... Kona-bound triathletes wishing to at least partially recreate Queen K conditions can pick any hot summer day and do a four-five hour ride on the Great River Road. The shadeless, windy conditions you encounter there might give you a little taste of the Big Island ride.... It’s safe to say that triathlon season here in the Metro area is in full stride, but brief look back from the beginning is in order to free-up some observations. It all started with HalfMax, if you discount the Steamboat Classic, Race For Sight, and Memphis in May triathlons as local events. Hopefully without sounding too redundant, let me say that I think the foundation has been laid for what could be the, future, signature, local, multisport event. While some may have a 20-year history to bank upon or unique appeals that draw annual fills, I don’t think any have the potential to impact the sport locally like HalfMax. All the pieces seem to be in place for this to morph into the monster event our tri-community has craved and deserved. A first-year event, heck any event, is not above tweaking. HalfMax race management has already taken that task to heart for the 2004 version and it seems to me the only force capable of reining this in would be if our attention-deficit-syndrome-society loses interest in the sport, and I don’t sense that happening any time soon.... Another local multisport feel-good story is the RecPlex Triathlon. Its sophomore season saw race management grow the event by 60 percent. Currently in capable and creative hands, I envision the event becoming the dominant pool-swim metro triathlon next season, perhaps with Wood River being a close second. The participant numbers already bear this out to some extent. Drawing bigger fields and improving the event usually have an inverse relationship, that is, one at the expense of the other. They don't have to be diametrically opposed concepts and I predict the 2004 RecPlex Triathlon will underscore that notion. I secretly gloat because my feeling for years that it would be a great venue became a reality.... When the news was being dominated by events in Iraq, I often wondered if there might be some lessons we endurance athletes might take from all the strife and struggle. Not being one to trivialize Iraqi real life hardships by equating them with sports, I still thought there might be some parallels worth exploring. The obvious metaphors jumped out at me: Saddam’s "marathon" of terror, the coalition’s "race" to Baghdad, etc. These seemed contrived. It wasn’t until the statue was brought down in Baghdad, unleashing a wave of unabashed exuberance not expressed by those citizens for decades, that I found it. The pure, raw emotion released after years of endless repression was a marvelous thing to behold...freedom. Its the same empowering emotion we experience while training or racing, though most often unconsciously. Liberated, if only temporarily, from the issues and turmoil in our personal lives, the time we spend spinning pedals, flipping turns, or putting one running shoe in front of the other imbues us with a sense of freedom easily taken for granted. The next time the sweat stings your eyes or the lactic acid burns your thighs, smile....

March 9, 2003 One of the perks of having this website is interacting with manufacturers whose nutritional products are designed to improve our performance. Let's face it, besides depositing a ring of sweat on the high school track doing quarter repeats, nutrition is another means of increasing speed, strength, and endurance. Many manufacturers recognize the direct contact webs like this have with their potential customers and welcome this grassroots exposure of their product, all of which leads me to an energy drink company called VAAM. After an initial inquiry, they are sending me some of their product to try and ultimately review. You may have heard of them a few years back by the name Vespa. VAAM is an acronym for Vespa Amino Acid Mixture. Mixing that first packet should prove interesting as the key ingredient is none other than giant Japanese hornet stomach juice. Apparently these oversized insects can fly an amazing 62 miles a day by metabolizing fat in a way we humans can only dream of doing. While this may not be quite the same as eating live grubs, I'm beginning to think it may qualify as my Survivor audition...... I viewed the The Competitor Magazine Endurance Sports Awards broadcast on OLN and experienced more range of emotion from its thirty condensed minutes than from a lifetime of Hollywood award shows. First of all for you gals, though he is happily married to Nicole, you will be pleased to know that tri-stud Tim DeBoom looks just as good in formal attire as in his race singlet. Will Ferrell of SNL fame won the celebrity athlete of the year award and broke everybody up when he stopped mid-acceptance to top his energy stores by downing a gel. He continued by commenting on how endurance sports have opened his eyes to a whole new world, "I've shaved body parts I didn't know I could shave...I've had diarrhea at certain points in my life that I didn't think I would have..." The unmistakable highlight of the show though, was cycling great Davis Phinney’s noble presence. His self-deprecating humor made light of the visible effects of his Parkinson's disease. He went on to bring the crowd its feet with an articulate and inspirational message of patience, belief in self, and the celebration of small victories in life....... Speaking of range of emotions, allow me the indulgence of relating a personal experience that ran the gamut. Last summer saw me racking up the bike miles. While showering after one training session, I couldn't help but notice a dime-sized red blotch that stood out against the pale skin of my left hip. A little sensitive to the touch but not itchy, my initial alarm eased a little. Must be an allergic reaction to something, I surmised. Sure enough, within days it began to fade and with it my worry, that is, until a week later another appeared very near the original one. I got concerned this time, almost scared. The litany of cancer early-warning signs fast forwarded through my mind. It happened to Lance. None of us are immune. I'd better have these things checked out. As the days passed and the degree of redness of this second warning sign diminished, my denial battled the residual nagging doubts. This was definitely weird, but they really weren't painful and it wasn't as if a mole had turned purple. Must be an allergy, I steadfastly maintained. It was then that a third blotch appeared. Resignation took hold, done deal, I'm making the appointment. The following day as I prepared with fluid and sun-block for what was to be another hot, sunny ride of equal parts exercise and mental therapy, I fixated on those three red spots and feared the worst when I pulled my favorite cycling bibs up and watched the dime-sized tear in them align itself over those three red spots......

March 2, 2003 So I guess the big news these days is how high the bidding on ebay may go for those 20 Ironman slots. Great, that’s just what my fractured athletic-ego needed. It was bad enough not getting a slot because I wasn’t good enough. Now I have to suffer the indignity of not getting one because the other guy has more money too. When some fortunate 500 CEO instructs accounting to use $100,000 of their 20 million dollar advertising budget so he can wear the company logo down Alii Drive, or some bored billionaire in a velour warm-up decides to do one of those TRIATH-A-lONS, it may generate a whole new wave of interest in the race. We’ll be home, of course, glued to the webcast, rooting for the guy to miss the 17-hour cutoff. We’ll have a well-placed mole in Hawi with a fanny pack full of tacks. We’ll have similarly iron-challenged athletes, sympathetic to the cause, lurking near the Natural Energy Lab. They’ll be poised to tackle him if it appears he might actually make it. Now that will be entertainment… Anybody else ready for spring or is it just me? If I ever get my bike back outdoors I may do a Forrest Gump. So if you pass me in your car somewhere near Pueblo, Colorado, please turn me around… The snow isn’t all-bad though. I caught one of those idyllic winter workouts recently. You recognize it immediately and your senses sharpen. You savor the moment in small sips--- It's that neighborhood run, a quiet evening with no cars, light snow falling, an occasional flake alights on your eyelash, the still air crisp but not cold, all sound muffled but the waffle-crunch of your shoes in the snow pack, halos of street light reflect a million diamonds sifting down, an occasional whiff of someone’s warming fireplace reaches you, you feel the near perfect heat exchange between your body and the elements, you sense you can run forever--- winter has its moments too…

Feb 27, 2003 A few readers have zapped me inquiries as to whereabouts of my soapbox. So, it’s been dutifully dragged out of the closet once again and as I stand atop it surveying the local multisport landscape, I halt to regain my equilibrium. It’s either a swim-lane induced inner ear infection or the spinning sensation caused by a million swirling details that have me swaying. Only a few months ago did this column fret about an impending winter lull. Visions of my twirling thumbs over a cobwebbed keyboard haunted me. As it turns out, nothing could have been further from the truth. No complaints, mind you, the less desired alternative was hibernation. January went off like a rocket and things haven’t slowed since as events materialize seemingly daily - races, clinics, seminars, gatherings of all ilk. The next 35 weekends hold more promise for metro multisport in terms of volume and variety than in any previous year I’ve witnessed. Even more remarkable is the fact that this phenomenon flies in the face of a general economic down-turn and political uncertainty. Perhaps we aren’t registering for races with discretionary dollars after all. Those cancelled checks and credit card statements may actually represent lifestyle expense. Regardless of label, dollars are being spent and race organizers have both recognized this and responded with a buffet of events. These are definitely the best of times, so this is for all of you young whipper-snappers out there (in my best crotchety voice),” Why, I remember when we only had one local marathon..…triathlons didn’t exist..…and the words mountain and bike weren’t used in the same sentence.” OK Pops, you say, we get the message. Well, it shapes up to be an awesome year, but looking ahead at future memories to be made inevitably turns me 180° to the ones tucked away in dusty training logs and yellowed newspaper clippings. Local races have come and gone like so many comets, at first dimly appearing, suddenly flaring, and then disappearing into the darkness. How many can recall the Old Appleton triathlon?…. Here was an event whose profits were earmarked to repair a bridge that remained eerily unchanged year after year, but we didn't mind. We entered the water by either doing a low-trajectory cannonball off the steep bank or opting for the tree rope-swing and more altitude. We waited patiently in the ice mud of Apple Creek for what seemed an eternity until the Old Dutchman sent us off. We swam up the narrow stream then down, compressed like a school of thrashing salmon. We exited the murk by clambering up a makeshift ladder of pallets to T1 and rode off on a longish bike-course through southern Missouri towns awakening to church bells. The run was cross-country. Over the creek bed, through the wooded, rocky hills, emerging into bright sunlight, and along freshly cut swaths in the open fields we panted and stumbled. Hand written placards good-naturedly taunted and teased us along the way. After all the athletes were in, the awards ceremony was characterized by oversized trophies and enough schwag so that everyone took home some loot. We returned every year until it flamed out, but never forgot it....... 2003 will be many things, but most of all I hope it creates some future good old days like the ones we had way back when........ Moving first one foot to the floor, then the other, I step down from my perch and nostalgically put my soapbox away.

Jan 30, 2003 I hope you caught the XTERRA World Championship telecast. The show absolutely rocked. Great soundtrack, creative camera work, and fast paced, are just three descriptives that easily come to mind. The airing really gave the viewers a feel of just how tough and potentially dangerous the razor-rocked course can be. And, as if Maui didn’t offer enough stark natural beauty, having Miss Hawaii competing in a completely different kind of swimsuit competition was the icing. I give the broadcast a rating of five volcanoes out of five........It appears that an “I-70 triathlon corridor” is shaping up nicely with events now found in rapid-fire sequence at the St Peters, O’Fallon, Lake St Louis, and Innsbrook exits........my apologies to Jerry Wolfmeyer, Race Director of Alligator’s Creek Triathlon for my posting the wrong date to his race the better part of a day. My only saving grace was that at least they would have been a day early rather than late. My bad !.........In the interest of supporting all the local races, I’m flirting with the idea of creating an unofficial or hopefully official race series out of the Metro area events. The basic parameters would be something like: 1) require participation in a minimum number of events 2) use a weighted point or a simple place system 3) reward overall and age-group winners. 4) Include most or all of the following 10 events: Race For Sight, RecPlex, South County, Babler, Lake St Louis, Wood River, Alligator’s Creek, HalfMax, QuarterMax, and Ultramax. This has not been proposed to any of the race directors for their involvement, though most would probably welcome any effort to encourage more athletes to do their event. I’ll kick the idea around with some of them and see what becomes of it. Does anyone else remember way back when South County, Babler, and Wood River comprised a mini-series? There is some precedent in this.......Now that local triathlon is in robust health, what happened to duathlon? Thankfully, we still have the four, solid, east-side races at Hillsboro, Highland, Fairview Heights, and Millstadt. It would be sweet to have someone find an open weekend and do a big time duathlon in St Louis or St Charles........For us mountain bikers, there is a possibility that XTERRA may come to Missouri. As I understand it, things are in the preliminary stages with nothing set in stone just yet. I’ve got to hold my breath on this one though. That would be quite the catch and would put a awesome final touch on what shapes up to be an extraordinary year in the Metro.

Jan 24, 2003 It’s been another typical January in St Louis, the weather has fluctuated wildly and three new local triathlons were announced. Boy, did that manage to get everyone talking? I haven’t heard that much buzz since a bee managed its way through my helmet vents. Largely due to the Half & Quarter Max tris nudging their way into the area calendar, the announcement of the Alligator’s Creek Tri scheduled debut in August, and a flexible RecPlex race director, plus the old standards, metro triathletes will have a wealth of local choice in 2003, and that’s something to be excited about. Time will tell if we’ve reached critical mass or found a comfortable equilibrium, but I tend to think it’s the latter........ If you’ve visited the ITU’s website lately, you may have noticed their effort to capitalize on triathlon’s groundswell. The race highlight videos and interviews that were freely downloadable last year are now subject to an $8/month subscription fee. Good luck Les........ Another media foible, in my opinion, was NBC’s mishandling of their IM World Championship show. Ok NBC, first take an Emmy winning show and not air it in its entirety, then to placate howling IM fans, re-air the show only to let it get tackled by an NFL playoff game. Too bad the first rate production and emotional storylines got second class treatment by their programming department. Hopefully, this year’s 25^th anniversary show will fare better.........Well, I continue to get emails of support and encouragement from many readers, which leads me to believe that I may still be on the right track. Sponsor inquiries are on the rise and of course that’s heartening. So what now? After seemingly infinite amounts of spreadsheet analysis, business model development, and insomnia, I’ve decided to take the website to the printers. The survey I conducted last year about publishing a magazine version of SBRStL netted some interesting replies, and I did reflect on all of them. This website serves a specific function and its immediacy is not replicable in a monthly mag, so I have no intention of dropping it. By the same token, I have no intention of duplicating it. The printed version would serve as a corollary to the web. Think of it as ESPN and ESPN The Magazine. Yeah, right!, you say. I disagreed with some who observed that the paper medium is dead or dying a rapid death. I prefer to take the long view of a pulp version, that it may reach extinction in some future world, but that is decades down the road. I’ve long felt that a quality magazine of local flavor was noticeably absent from the metro landscape, much like the missing local-multisport-web-presence was until a year ago. With a million and one details to iron out, and given that the magazine's viability lies in the willingness of advertisers to support it, no one is turning page-one just yet, but suffice it to say, this is the course I’m plotting. It’s not about ego. It’s not about money. It’s about the athletes........

Dec 12, 2002 Well here we are in December at the cross-roads, which is eminently better than being in the cross-hairs, looking back from whence we came in 2002 and looking ahead to new roads. The past twelve months were often times hectic, occasionally surprising, and never boring. The next twelve should offer much the same with an occasional twist here and there just to keep us on our toes. Perhaps a brief stroll down the 2002 metro area memory lane is in order to touch upon a few key moments, names, and events. Ah yes, I remember as if it were just yesterday......... Late January saw me with keyboard, endless pots of coffee, and a 1000 page manual. Soon thereafter this web was launched with little fanfare and great hopes. Nearly a year later, it has a little fanfare and greater hopes...... The intervening months witnessed an unprecedented rise in popularity of triathlon at all distances but particularly ultra. Capitalizing on that phenomenon, the inaugural UltraMax triathlon took place in the Lake of the Ozarks and easily got my vote for regional race of the year...... Closer to home, the established Metro area triathlons experienced sellouts as has been the status quo for several years now. There were arguably some rough spots, but if this web's presence actually carries any weight in the collective minds of the local race-director consortium, then perhaps those issue will be addressed next season. Overall, most events came off as well as could have been expected...... The St Peters Rec-Plex pool, the finest swim facility in St Louis, finally hosted a triathlon. Under-attended in its first iteration, the 2003 edition should be a no-brainer rival in participation-numbers with the other local sprint tris...... Now to exorcise some 2002 demons, impressions I just couldn't seem to get out of my head : UltraMax - homerun in first big-league at bat, Lake St Louis - strike out in 20th at bat, South County Tri - the giant flock of geese on the run course, Babler Beast - bike course closed to traffic, yes!, Wood River - a medical evacuation before the race even started, Ironhorse - more water woes, TC Biathlon - race director needs to bookmark my event calendar, St Charles YMCA Biathlon - on, off, on again, off again, Rec-Plex Tri - very nice run course, Millstadt Biathlon - a proud tradition, Highland Biathlon - the fog, Tuesday night crits at Gateway - they rocked (despite my crash), Monday night training rides in St Charles - hammerfest, Tuesday & Thursday night rides from Marquette HS - brutalus maximus, Me not racing multisport in 2002 - sucked large, Watching you guys and gals from the sidelines - (with all apologies to MasterCard) priceless...... There were so many athletes who put it on the line, represented our community well, and encouraged the newbies, that it would be impractical to list them all. Topping the list may be that fine wine, Mark Gowler, who uncorked wins at Babler, Wood River, and LSL, showing that for someone who raced in the first local triathlon, aging and improvement can go hand in hand. The honorable mention list is extensive. Pam Quarenghi was well on her way to a monster season when a series of misfortunes struck. Dee Dee Kohn was another athlete who didn't let an additional birthday candle slow her down. Alicia Hamilton at times looked poised to make her breakthrough. The men's side had Ben Nelms come within a whisker of a half-iron championship then lead the local charge at IM Wisconsin by flirting with the 10 hour mark. Tim Sandfort went to nationals and brought home a team USA slot for worlds. The metro sent a small but solid contingent to Kona where Mike Bub, still went 10 1/2 hours after flatting. Doug Hilbert and Steve Maas went to long and short course duathlon worlds respectively. Rick Barnes had an impressive season. Rick Mann and Tom Jackson already have 2003 Kona slots in their hip pocket.......... and I'd like to thank the Academy. Oops, wrong speech........ so what lies ahead? That is, after my email from all the worthy individuals I failed to mention. First things first, we've had enough automobile/bicycle confrontations. No more please. Secondly, I predict you will see some amazing things in '03 performed by remarkable athletes who do it for the love of sport, not cash or ESPN face time. Thank you and here's my address. SwimBikeRunStlLouis.com

Nov 13 Has it really been three weeks since my last confessional? Granted, the local multisport scene is ready to chill both literally and figuratively for a while, but it's certainly not as if nothing has happened in that span. A belated but heartfelt "very nice work" to Mike Bub, Keith Owens, and Kevin Seelman for the way they represented us at the Ironman World Championship. I followed all of them closely on the webcast amidst an amazing array of personal triumphs. It became an extraordinary time of personal challenge for Lou Di Guiseppe. On a day where everything leading up to it pointed to a personal best performance, a ruptured disc brought an abrupt halt not only to his Iron dream but to merely walking as well. When coupled with fellow IM qualifier and newly wed wife Pam's (nee Quarenghi) broken elbow of a few weeks earlier, it would have been easy and understandable to say "that's it, we quit." In an email Lou related to me the circumstances they've endured as a couple the past few weeks. I think that when I read it my monitor was smoking. He made it abundantly clear they are determined to fight through this. I have no doubt they'll both be back stronger than ever........ In life's cruel joke #2, what if you had been in the best shape of your life, been running 100 mile weeks, tapered for a marathon in which you had a legitimate chance of qualifying for the men's Olympic Marathon Trials, was running comfortably with the lead pack, and then inadvertently stepped on the heel of the runner ahead and pulled your hamstring? That's exactly the fate that befell Mike Farrell at the Marine Corp Marathon. In a incredulous course of three weeks time, three of our top local athletes were bit hard by the injury bug. I say we wipe the slate on 2002 ..... Ironman Florida took place in the three week shadow of IM Hawaii. Two performances of great worthiness belonged to Thomas Jackson and Rick Mann, both from metro east and both who went sub 10 hours and earned IM Worlds slots for 2003. Nice to have that locked up before the first of the year. Wow........ Since I'm singing the praises of local blood, let me make one more observation. Until lately I didn't realize how many truly good marathoners the metro has spawned and I'm talking about sub-three hour efforts........ As many of you may have noticed by now, the updates have been scaled back to 6 per week at the suggestion of a wise reader. This will likely be the case until next spring unless I really have nothing to write about or until the readers stop visiting, whichever happens first......... Out.

Oct 21 The weekend proved to be an interesting one. While we homebodies found cooler temps dictating our outer wear, a few local denizens were basking, or perhaps more correctly, toiling in the heat of Hawaii. That train of thought leads me to the weekend media. The Ironman World Championship is the first multisport event to fully embrace the world wide web. Their coverage Saturday was nothing short of a cutting edge tech-tutorial as they utilized the combined technologies of streaming video, GPS, and chip timing unlike any other triathlon before. For all the criticism the Ironman organization may have taken on various other issues, you must admit they have pushed the proverbial envelope in real time web coverage. This is not without one inadvertent snafu though. For many of us, the emotional highlight came as Tim DeBoom entered the marathon with a time margin to make up on the leaders. He cranked out 6 minute miles and ate away at the deficit. Would he overtake them or explode? As the moment of truth arrived and he finally approached Thomas Hellriegel for the pass, the hellicam picture broke up. The producers cut away and back several times but could not get a clean video feed. Ironic that in 17 hours of coverage a missing 17 seconds proved so costly. Aside from that technical difficulty, it was tough to find fault...... OLN supplied us with two televised triathlons over the weekend. Inexplicably, they aired the Gulf Coast Triathlon on Saturday without posting it on their web site TV schedule. If you were lucky enough to catch it, you saw some of the best triathlon swim camera angles ever. On Sunday they brought us Ralph's California Half Ironman. During the broadcast of this taped, Triathlon TV production, I did a double take when the announcer referred to Ironman Hawaii as the 144 mile event. Rewind. Yep, he said it. Let's see, 2.4 + 112 + 26.2 = 140.6 I guess he was having a bad math day...... I spent Saturday in Millstadt at the Pumpkin Tour Ride and Sunday doing the Big Chief Ride in Wildwood. It was a study in contrasts. You may recall a blustery, overcast Saturday morning. I gave it serious second-thought but said what the hay and broke out the outer shell cycle garb. Apparently most others had the same second thoughts and stayed home. It was the least attended ride I have been on in quite some time which was unfortunate as the rain stayed away and the route was good. Sunday's 10am start at the Big Chief ride saw the thermometer in the 40's. I had familiar misgivings, but living a mere two miles from the start point, I rode over to satisfy my curiosity about the attendance. There were more than a 100 appropriately attired cyclists readying themselves for what I thought was one of the best rides of the year. The long route was only 35 miles, but devious event coordinators seemingly chose every major climb in Wildwood. They also made it a point to include Rieger road on the route, perhaps the best stretch of asphalt in west county. While the hills posed immense challenge, it was a gigantic pumper truck from the west county FPD taking up virtually the entire country lane which met us head on, that got our adrenalin going. Barely squeezing by it as he rounded a twisty section of road was heart thumping. Needless to say, that was the last thing we expected to encounter. Surviving that and the lactate building, small chain-ring terrain was a memorable experience...... Meanwhile, back in my subdivision the police are cracking down on speeders, a worthy use of our tax dollars to protect runners and cyclists as I view it. To this end they have stationed one of those radar stations that zaps you and displays your speed, for informational purposes. While doing my neighborhood run, I thought if would be fun to clock my running speed. When the coast was clear of cars, I lightly jogged through its line of sight. I wasn't aware I could run 14 miles per hour so easily which equates to a 4:30 pace. Maybe a world record or two is within my grasp after all.

Oct 18 Well, here we are on the eve of the big dance in Hawaii. A few of the top guns are staying home, but for the most part the field looks incredibly competitive again. Will it be Deboom and Badmann repeating? He may have a rougher go defending than Natascha who should win back to back to back titles, but Kona can be beautiful, cruel, and unpredictable. It will be fun to follow as it plays out on Ironmanlive.com......The metro area will send fewer participants than in years past, but will be competently represented. It is remarkable when you think about it, that while the St Louis area is inarguably venue-challenged, it has developed a surprisingly large core group of a 1000 or so triathletes from which many have gone on to compete in national and world championships. Local triathletes apparently don't let a minor detail like a short supply of lake water deter them......While the triathlon eyes of the world are focused on the south Pacific, the Great Floridian Triathlon staged this weekend slides under the media radar. Even though it isn't an IM qualifier, in the same vein as Ultramax, that shouldn't diminish the sense of accomplishment anyone there brings to the finish line after going 140.6 miles. The venue in Clermont is ideally suited and hosts numerous triathlons throughout the year. I hope our locals competing, take the time to check out the USAT training center situated nearby, as should any triathlete heading to Florida......The other concentration of world class multisport athletes on U.S. soil will be in Alpharetta, Georgia as duathletes converge for short course world titles. The elite there are far less than household names as their triathlon counterparts in Kona, but they are never the less unbelievable athletes. Check them out at duathlon.com....... I could have accepted press credentials for Ironman, but justifying the expenditure of time and money for limited payback seemed a stretch, particularly in this web site's early growth stage. Perhaps 2003 may offer an opportunity to journalize or by some twist of fate participate in that amazing event...... To expand a bit on the web site growth, as I write this the YTD visitor count has topped 10,000 with more than 35,000 page views. I confess I had no idea to what degree the site would be accepted when I innocuously launched it back in February. Of course I had high hopes and even as the traffic-less first few months passed I still believed I could make a go of it. I now feel somewhat vindicated by the growing usage numbers but especially by all the wonderful emails I have received from everyone. I want to express my gratitude for your support and promise my commitment to continued improvement in the site.

Oct 2 A few days have passed since Ultramax and with it time to assess its impact. Staging an event of this magnitude is a tall task. The wide geographical spread and extended duration are major concerns. Housing, meals, medical, and a hundred other priorities converge on the race directors. As racers, it's easy to become blasé as we attend events. We assume that all aspects will be handled proficiently and professionally, and if not, any shortcomings will eventually surface. Without sounding too patronizing, let me go on record as saying that Mark Livesay and John Snitko took care of the details. It was evident they had done many iron distance races by the attention given to all matters great and small. I think any athlete who attended was rewarded with a complete iron experience. Is that to say it can't get better? There remains some tweaking to do, but the foundation is set. The only complaint I had was that I had to hold my camera instead of my aerobars......... I rode the Flat as a Pancake Century on Sunday. Little did I realize how prominent a theme that would become. Between the bird that miraculously avoided being flattened like a pancake on my windshield during the drive to New Baden, the squirrel who came within inches of becoming flat as a pancake by my bike, and some of the hundreds of thousands of grasshoppers on the route who became flatter than a pancake by our wheels, there seemed no end. And, oh yes you guessed it, I flatted as well. Beyond the thematic episodes, the food was interesting. The New Baden Lions, bless their hearts, catered lunch. The best way I can describe their repast is to tell you that the food at the Firecracker 100 century back in July looked like a cruise ship buffet line by comparison. Whatever AYH paid these nice fellows may have been too much. Instead of chips and lemonade, I would have been happy if they would have just stuck with the theme and served up pancakes.......... In the continuing saga of the Olivette Bikeway, the Post had an article in Monday's edition that I read with interest. Several residents expressed reservations about the viability of this dastardly trail. One woman was quoted as saying that she was worried about potential crime, trash, noise, and trespassers. Now that describes we cyclists accurately, the hooligans that we are. I hope she was referring to the neighborhood juvenile delinquents and not us, but somehow I doubt it. Another dissident voiced the concern that the bikeway would diminish the peace and quiet. Funny, those were always two things I sought with my bike....sigh.

Sept 23 With a couple of weekends interspersing this RT's from the last, I've had a chance to reflect, however shallowly, on all matters of local endurance. Having been to 2-3 events most weekends for the better part of the year, I really wanted to witness something a little different. No offense to the two-legged athletes who might be reading this, but I was happily taken by the Canine Carnival 5k. While not a particularly competitive event from a racers point of view, it was for and about man's best friend. Watching these quadrupeds race in relays, catch Frisbees, and perform many other feats made me feel, alas, athletically inadequate, but was a blast non-the-less......... In the "You'd Think They'd Know Better" department, CBS broadcast the Escape From Alcatraz T-R-I-A-T-H-L-O-N yesterday. Not one, not two, but three times during the football post-game show, their promos mis-spelled the word by inserting the dreaded second "A." Then after all the hype, they join the tri "in progress" and truncate nearly half the show. Very weak effort by a lame-brained network and you can bet they know how to spell Survivor........ Yesterday's Lewis & Clark races were outstanding from just about every perspective. As is usually the case, FleetFeet did a great job. Community support, police, spectators, athletes, weather, etc. were all top drawer. I suspect this Fall Marathon can be staged in 2003 as well since the St Louis Marathon will be a Spring-time affair. That coupled with the huge turn-out are compelling reasons to consider it. As for the race itself, I chatted a bit afterwards with a couple of the winners. The easy-going and diminutive Tom Whalen was anything but that on the course as he displayed the heart of a lion, stayed the course, and won convincingly. Mike Farrell continued his 2002 excellence and is charting new waters with middle and long distance events. His 100 mile training weeks paid dividends for him on Sunday at 13.1 miles. Look for him to ultimately make waves at marathon distance........ No way I overlook IM Wisconsin. Having talked with a number of athletes upon their return from Madison, the consensus was very favorable. Most were amazed by the spectators and likened sections of the bike course to scenes from the TDF where the crowds line the road on both sides narrowly allowing the passing athletes through. Talk about adrenalin?........ The last weekend of September brings us at long last our own Iron-distance event, the Ultramax triathlon. Though not an IM qualifier, and perhaps not really interested in being one at this time, it offers a bargain-priced Iron-distance experience with no scrimping. Let's face it, how many athletes actually go to an IM qualifier with a realistic expectation of making it to Kona. It's generally more a matter of the experience for the majority of us age-groupers. I hope Ultramax is a great success and becomes a fixture. It would serve us and the sport well here in middle-America.

Sept. 12 I received a few emails regarding my assessment of the Ultramax bike course. Most said they just couldn't make it down there to check things out. Well, Tuesday I think I stumbled upon a solution. I ended up doing an 80 miler on the roads that comprise much of the Dog Prairie ride out near Josephville, St. Paul, and Old Monroe. Trust me, the terrain there is remarkably similar to the 112 miles in the Ozarks. If you make that your long ride, you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect........ It looks as if Tim Sandfort raced with enough zeal at Nationals to qualify for worlds in New Zealand next year. And how about Rick Barnes going out to the City of Los Angeles Triathlon and kicking California butt with a 12th overall finish out of 999 athletes. Awesome work you two........ Ironman Wisconsin chatter seems to be revolving around its bike course. Word in their chat forums is that a two mile hill section of the course has recently been pea-graveled and that some descents have sharp turns at the bottom. They also make mention of a cow crossing and the trail of souvenirs left behind. Probably wouldn't hurt to drive the course when you get there. If it were me though, I would be less concerned about the bike course and more worried about getting 375 bucks worth of event. The entry fee for IM NA events seems to be a victim of classic supply side economics. With Iron Fever reaching epic proportions, how long until $500-750-1000? No wonder so much attention is given to IM CEO contestants, soon they'll be the only ones able to afford the cost of entry. All sarcasm aside, best wishes to the local entourage making the trip.

9-11 On what will forever be a solemn day of remembrance, I think each of us can look back and recall exactly how we felt as those horrific events of a year ago unfolded. Initial shock, the utter disbelief, fear, loathing, numbness, a sense of helplessness, sorrow, depression.....the emotions coursing through the American consciousness were immediate and powerful. Through it all, American resolve ultimately surfaced with a sense that no obstacle is too great. True, we've traveled a long, long way in the past twelve months but the road has no obvious end, no clear cut resolution, no finish line. Have we seen the last of these cowards? Nope. Will they see any quit in us, not bloody likely. This confrontation will be a marathon and the best we can hope for is to just make it one step at a time.......... Now there's been a lot of rhetoric the past twelve months about who exactly the real heroes in life are and what defines them. There exists little debate that the individuals protecting our "day to day" are worthy of the title. They may not be called upon to put their lives on the line often, but the possibility exists daily. The events of last year allowed us to rediscover these hidden heroes. All of this got me to thinking, it is an appropriate analogy for what this web has tried to accomplish. The professional superstars in sports are easy to spot. Television, radio, and newspaper conspire to make their exploits and big bucks unavoidably visible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against getting rich from your childhood dream, it’s just that maybe 1/100th of 1% of the population even gets a shot. But you have to hand it to someone whose passion for sport isn’t dollar driven, like the Olympic spirit used to be way back in the dark ages. The uncompensated guy or gal who sets out in the predawn darkness for that 5am swim or the bundled athlete logging miles in sub-zero temperatures are driven by forces capitalism doesn’t understand. That makes them heroes in my book. This web has tried to enlighten and amuse its readers with a balance of timely news and information. It's attempted to keep you apprised of most upcoming events and provide thoughts of some completed ones. Product news, training tips, and other evolving departments have hopefully kept you up to speed. And with a little luck, along the way managed to find some hidden heroes............

Sept. 4 So, today another installment of "As the Chain Ring Turns." When we last left you, it was predicted here that there would be much LSL post-race discussion. Little did we anticipate the wealth of subject matter. Between the circumstances I witnessed Saturday and the details I later learned, let's just suffice it to say that I am saddened. I want so much for this event to realize its potential. It was as frustrating as watching the Ram's high octane offense suffer from fumble-itis. Then, what to do? I certainly don't have all the answers, but I think the first step in this maze is clear. As I've confided to some in email responses, LSL needs to find a race director that thinks, at least partly, like the athletes. What does that imply? Well, for starters I can tell you a few things it doesn't mean : radio remotes, breakfast burritos, a home remodeling booth, or an armada of motorcycles. As well intentioned as these may be, they fail to meet the central point of this diatribe, "think like the athletes." What do we want as participants? Naturally, all we can get. What will we settle for? That's pretty straightforward, only three requirements really : safe, challenging, and reasonably priced. A triathlon is not a softball game, picnic, or family concert in the park. It is a specialty event with unique demands. As such, it requires a race production effort that completely addresses the three basics before the minutia of post race food, booths, etc. Until this event gets that through its head, it will continue to lose local elite athlete participation, flirt with catastrophe, and live in the shadow of its once glorious past. What do you think ? ............ Hat's off to the guys and gals who ran the marathon Monday in Columbia. Those hills and that heat must have been quite a challenge. Along the lines of 26.2 milers, it's looking like the Lewis and Clark Marathon is heading for a nice turnout. I know Dave at FleetFeet has performed some major hoop-jumping to get this event going. He earns our kudos for filling in a Fall scheduling gap when the St Louis Marathon was rescheduled to next spring as part of the women's Olympic Trials........ Well, as we head into September, triathlon season is making its stretch run. NEMO, Trail of Tears, IM Wisconsin, and/or Ultramax will close it out for most of us, unless of course you've got a ticket to Kona. The holy grail beckons five local triathletes as most of you know already. I will unabashedly admit that the only way this Ironman wannabe gets his toes in the sand of Dig Me beach as a racer, will be through the back door of the lottery. No pretensions. All of which brings me to local lottery winner Kevin Seelman. All too often the lottery slots are awarded to random applicants who probably have no business with their name in the hat. It's refreshing to see a slot go to someone with talent. I've watched his race results all season and know he'll do well, but his "real triathlete" status was confirmed in my mind when I attempted to reach him by telephone on a Saturday afternoon only to be told by his wife that he was sleeping. Good luck Kevin and the rest.......... As mentioned previously, the end is nigh for this racing year. It leaves me wondering what the heck this web will do until we crank it up again next spring. Will I spend those winter months writing fascinating treatises on the benefits of the wind-trainer? Should I take a tip from television and have reruns? How feasible is an Australian winter home and the launching of SwimBikeRun-Melbourne? Those and other pressing issues to be covered in the next RT's ........ out.

Aug 26 Where have all the pictures gone, the more vain among you may ask? A two week hiatus from posting your mugs wasn't intended, just the way circumstances worked themselves out. As an alternative I've pasted my own countenance above. So, if your screen is still intact, let's move forward........ A huge weekend just passed. Mrs. T's, Ironman Canada, and the Boulder 5430 Iron and Half-Iron Triathlons in aggregate drew nearly 12,000 participants. Applying some conservative math to that figure yields some interesting results. At $2000 per copy, that's 24 million in bikes. If they trained an average of 10 hours per week, you would have to work out for 13.5 years nonstop to equal the group's weekly output. Assuming each athlete biked 100 miles per week, that's the equivalent of two and a half roundtrips to the moon. Anyhow, you get the idea. August 23-25 was large........ The last time I saw that many bikes in one place was, well, last night. I attended my first Moonlight Ramble and was part of the 10,000 plus throng. Years past always found me eschewing the event. My reasoning had been not unlike other stay at home types, amateur night. It is true to an extent, but moreover, it is a celebration of the bike. You ask any number of triathletes what leg of a race they dig the most and I'm certain most would respond "the bike." I brought that passion to 15th and Market along with my mountain bike. I saw road, mountain, hybrid, recumbent, three wheeled, four-wheeled, tandem, low-rider, and virtually every other variation of the bike you can imagine. There were the proverbial kids of all ages and some up well past their bedtimes. Photo ops were abundant, however adequate lighting was not. Unfortunately, no pics to post. Will I go next year? If I don't have to set my alarm for Sunday morning, then definitely........ In my efforts to assemble a Metro Champions page, I have encountered the full range of race-director emotion from pride to indifference. Most want to help but have no records or knowledge of their whereabouts. One was totally indifferent to his race's heritage. Then there was Joel Mueth who directs the Millstadt Biathlon. He is sending me the winners for all 14 years. In fact, when you do his race this year, you can see all the names and times inscribed on a plaque there. Now that's what I'm talking about......... If you're looking for something to do Friday night, I highly, highly recommend checking out the Gateway Cup at Lafayette Square. It's criterium racing under the lights, on a very fast, wide cornered course, in a tres cool neighborhood, and it doesn't get much better than that. At least get a taste of this exciting sport then go to bed early for the triathlon Saturday morning. Of course there's the Saturday., Sunday, and Monday stages to attend too........ Good luck to all at the Lake St Louis Triathlon where Mike Bub will be gunning for a three-peat. You gotta admire the guy. Here's an Ironman caliber triathlete, training for Kona, not blowing off this event. He is facing though, stiff challenges from the steamroller that has been Mark Gowler this year and Ben Nelms. The men's side should also see Kevin Capps, who at the ripe old age of 14, make his breakthrough into the top 10. The ladies' race appears to be a battle among Dee Dee Kohn looking for back to back titles, Alicia Hamilton who is having a very fine season, and Pam Quarenghi the 2000 champ who is tuning up for Ironman Hawaii. All in all, there should be much fodder for conversation at Lake St Louis this year.

Aug 20 Situation status quo : verbose webmaster with ample subject matter. Where do we start? First of all let's give the athletes who went to the Pigman Half Ironman Triathlon their due. 39 finishers : 29 under 6 hours and 12 under 5 hours. Keith Negri led locals with a very nice 4:33:57 as 8 racers managed top-5 finishes. Alicia Hamiliton's 5:19:28 earned her 2nd in the 20-24 age group. I'm not certain how many of among the group who traversed to Iowa had found a long-course to do between the Ironhorse Triathlon that wasn't and Sunday, but it appeared that some may have vented a little bottled-up, long-course frustration with outstanding performances. Great job all. While most journeyed north to race, Ben Nelms took an opposite tack. His 2nd overall at the DeGray Lake Half Ironman in Arkansas on a very tough course was the performance of the weekend. This imposing venue will host Long Course Nationals for 2004/2005. Segue to this year's Duathlon Long Course Worlds in Austria. Doug Hilbert's 16th in the 20-24's was outstanding. I received his remarkable email from Vienna that related daunting race conditions in the 9-50-4.5 mile, run-bike-run. How about a race day 30 degree temperature drop, rain, wind, hail, a bike course with brutal climbs, 60 mph descents, and racing against the top age-group duathletes in the world. Sounds like fun, Doug............ The Lake St Louis Triathlon lies ahead and this lone voice in the desert has a few gnawing thoughts to get out my craw. Having spent many hours poring over micro film trying to assemble to factual recounting of its past 19 years, I'm gaining a little more insight into and respect for the event. It is one that deserves careful cultivation to restore the past prestige it once held among Midwest Triathlons. I fear that it has de-evolved into a revenue generator first and an event second. I'm all for race producers making money, be they companies or communities. No profit = no race. That equation stands to reason. My point is this. Let's tune in more to the people who put out the entry fees, without which there would be no profit. It wouldn't require major reconstructive surgery, just a tweak here and there. 1) Get the event USAT sanctioned. 2) Make it true Olympic distance. 3) Drop the arbitrary age groups in lieu of generally accepted ones. 4) Grow the field to yesteryear's proportions of 1000 plus. 5) Keep the event by the hospital and in the big lake where ample room exists to accommodate an event of that magnitude. 6) Get up to technological speed with ChampionChip timing. 7) Get all the top local triathletes in the race even if that necessitates offering them wild cards slots after registration has closed. OK, so you say that's more like a 100 lb torque wrench than a tweak. Hey, I am the first to admit that it's easy to sit back and critique, but if you're a triathlete, these seem obvious issues that need addressing. The pool swims are fun, but this is the one, local, real-deal triathlon we have and as such should be given the respect it's due.

Aug. 12 For someone like myself who wonders aloud about triathlon and its local future, it was reassuring to find that 143 metro kids took part in the IronKids Triathlon tour as its passed through St Louis. This strong turnout nearly equaled the adult field at the inaugural Rec-Plex Triathlon held back in June. It was disappointing that the race coincided with the Babler Beast. I would have enjoyed sharing the kids' energy and enthusiasm....... Last week found me over at SIU-Edwardsville for the Mud Mountain Cross Country 5k and one mile races. Talk about enthusiasm? It seemed that most of the local high school cross country teams used this event as preparation for the upcoming season. It was my first exposure to SIU's cross country course. Laid out over the seemingly endless tract of land that comprises their campus, it is one of the finest courses I have set foot upon in a long while. With well-groomed, varying terrain, it is beautiful and challenging. If you enjoy the occasional diversion from road running, this is a definite don't miss next year. I also managed to find three-time Olympian Craig Virgin in the crowd sharing his storehouse of running knowledge with future gold medal hopefuls...... Saturday brought the Wood River Triathlon back to the forefront for a day. This race has remained unique among local triathlons with its criterium-styled bike and run courses. This spectator-friendly format resembles the type the pros use on the ITU grand prix circuit. Granted, the faster bikers may have to weave through traffic a bit more, but family and friends get a real taste of the bike leg not found on "out and back" courses. The race also starts with a single file pool entry. Some athletes were quick to point out that they were unaware of their start times until race day. Next year, it might be wise to post assigned race numbers online prior to race day. This may eliminate missed swim starts, of which there was at least one, and not require all the athletes to set their alarms for an ungodly early hour. One amusing observation I made on the bike course was the futility with which the water station personnel were trying to hand cups of water to the bikers as they whizzed by them. The race itself witnessed a reaffirmation by Mark Gowler that last weekend's win was no fluke. He tore through the field and finished with a 3:25 pad over second. It may be argued that some of the local heavy-weights were not present, but with no apparent weakness in his game, I suspect Mark would have vied for the win none-the-less. The women's side had out-of-towner Eva Gerhardt of Chicago come in and wrest the title from the local ladies. On a sober note, we all wish a speedy recovery to the biker who was just passing through and prior to the race got tangled up in a displaced bike rack. He took a nasty fall and was transported out by medics. Get well soon...... Triathlon got a double-shot of exposure as two Ironman events were televised Saturday. NBC re-broadcast the 2001 Hawaii Ironman World Championship. ESPN2 on the other hand initially intended to show Ironman Utah. They replaced it with IM Austria and probably with justifiable cause after the tragedy that occurred there...... Upcoming high-profile races are a big part of the remaining August calendar. The Pigman Half Iron Triathlon will see a contingent of over 50 metro-area triathletes trek to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to compete August 18th. The USAT National Championship will take place this month in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Local results will be published on this web after the race. Mrs. T's draws half the tri world to Chicago for a weekend with no shortage of locals taking part. And finally, we want to wish Doug Hilbert of Chesterfield and Steve Maas of St Charles good luck. Doug ventures to Austria as part of the US team to compete at Duathlon Long-Course Worlds, while Steve travels to Georgia for Duathlon Short-Course Worlds...... The roster of Kona-bound triathletes in October includes qualifiers Louis DiGuiseppe, Pam Quarenghi, Mike Bub, Keith Owens, and lottery winner Kevin Seelman.

Aug 6 Another weekend, albeit a steamy one, has passed and with it some interesting developments in the local multisport scene. Most notable among events was the Babler Beast, so I'll start there. Mark Gowler took time out from his bicycle road racing to deliver a setback to the local multisport youth movement on Sunday. He did us masters proud by deferring the official torch passing on to the kids with a 46 second margin over 2nd and a huge 5 minute cushion over third. Way to go Mark.... The women's race was incredibly close with Alicia Hamilton, Julie Smith, and Laurie Ott finishing within 24 seconds of one another. It would have made for great race drama if they had been in the same wave, but given the format and the fact that they were in three different age groups, that was rendered impossible. Very nice effort ladies.... I tried to coax the Babler Race Director for over a month prior to the race into making the waves age groups, to the extent that they could, but that idea didn't take hold. Maybe it's something the pool-swim tri's can do next season. I'm still convinced that it can be done and that the racers would love it.... Race day highs and lows : I thought that the way traffic entering Babler Park was routed away from the bike course was outstanding. Very good planning. I was a little surprised though that many racers didn't pick up on that fact and still rode on the far right instead of the inside left.... The weekend offered very high heat indices, thus hydration was ultra-critical. I have to pan the water stations. Handing profusely sweating bikers sealed, screw-capped bottles of water was less than ideal. Sweaty hands struggled to open them, the bottles didn't conform to their cages, and there were few shirt pockets in which to stash them. I recommend switching to cage-bottles during the bike segment next time. On the run leg, the bottle idea only created a trail of discarded half empties along the run course. Cups would have been the way to go. At least I had plenty of H2O with which to hose down the runners as they passed with the 30 or so bottles I picked up.... One lasting impression I took home Sunday emanated from the bike course with everyone blasting down that hill at high speed. As a rider, you don't get a sense for the sound you create. As a bystander, not only are you witness to a spectacular sight but you are exposed to a chilling auditory sensation that could be heard/felt all the way over on the run course. It was amazing.............. I hope sleep deprivation didn't transform me into a Nancy Negative for the triathlon early Sunday. The Starlight Bike Ride took off at midnight Saturday along the trail system at Creve Coeur Lake. It was quite a sight to see hundreds and hundreds of glowing, Halloween-like tea candles in weighted down paper bags lining the route in otherwise pitch black conditions. It was eerie. I would of had to grope through the darkness but fortunately I remembered my flashlight. Yet I still came within inches of stepping on a black snake. Even without wearing my heart rate monitor, I can tell you I spiked to 140 bpm. Off in the distance the line of head-lighted (required) bikes could be seen snaking (no pun intended) its way along the asphalt trail. It was a remarkable experience. A must-do fun ride for next year............ Any locals among the 6300 triathletes taking part in the Mrs. T's Triathlon weekend later this month? That number is staggering to me and seems to grow every year. They do a unbelievable job of race production but as of yet haven't managed an to get an appearance by the inimitable Mr. T............... see you at the Wood River Tri.

Aug 3 Bouncing from one event to another : While photographing "the little triathlon that could," (aka : Ballwin Triathlon), I couldn't help but notice the tremendous job of traffic control performed by the police. The urban bike course traversed some busy roads not accustomed to seeing so many two-wheelers, perhaps other than Clayton Road. I managed three laps in the car and watched first hand as the motorcycle brigade kept things under wraps. Great job guys.......... The Pedal and Pound was held at Babler Park. It was an immensely enjoyable experience for the participants but for one notable exception who wiped out on a high speed descent. I still don't have his identity but I know we all wish him a speedy and complete recovery! At the risk of sounding like my parents, be careful out there. With the Babler Beast offering 40 mph+ downhills, keep your focus on your line and scout for holes and debris before your wave start. A helmet and Speedo provide little front line defense........ I know I alluded to this situation briefly in my update section so sue me if I'm being redundant. The Touring Cyclist Biathlon was on the calendar for months but still fell victim to a scheduling conflict with the same day Ballwin Triathlon. Most multisport athletes do both types of races, but given the relatively few triathlons in the area, it became apparent where they'd go if given the choice. I hope next year TC can find a weekend to call their own. The last thing we want to do is lose an event......... And now for an event faux pas or two. After looking over the web site for still unposted results from the July 20th Mexico YMCA Sprint, Cycle, and Swim, I was amused by some registration information. The 5k run, 10k bike, 500m swim was primarily intended to be a relay race which is kind of funny in itself, but they also offered "ironman / ironwoman" solo entries. Ok, I understand Mexico is a small town and I realize that the race is for beginners, but if you're a triathlete, you gotta laugh at the use of those terms. Plus, if they only knew of the litigation that threatened Ultramax when that event initially made use of the word "ironman", they wouldn't even dream of it.......... This one is worthy of Jay Leno's Monday night Headlines segment. The Show-Me State Games are a wonderful series of myriad sporting events mostly for Missouri residents of all ages. In the case of their Duathlon, they may have carried it a bit too far. In the Entry Book, the age groups listed for the 5-mile run, 20-mile bike are the usual ones found in five year increments. It gets interesting as the brackets continue upwards.....70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95-99, 100 and over. Now I'm all for the Senior Olympics, but I know 20 year olds that can't go 5 and 20, much less 100+ year olds. Unless Columbia, Missouri has discovered the fountain of youth, this is a hilarious but obvious computer glitch........ At the opposite end of the age spectrum, I want to welcome the Ironkids from all over the country who are visiting St. Louis this weekend. You are the future of triathlon and we wish you well. Keep cool and I hope you have fun during your stay. (CMA disclaimer : SBR-StL critiques were delivered without malice while I continue to support and encourage all events and their efforts).

Aug. 1 I was apprehensive about responding to reader criticism. Would I sound defensive, resentful, or foolish? After a week of reflection, I felt it was time to release my steam valve a little, respond, and move on. Far be it from me to belittle any multisport event. An organization that produces a race undergoes tremendous pressure to stage a safe and rewarding experience for a reasonable entry fee. There exist so many variables in that equation, it's a wonder more race days don't spin completely out of control. To wit, Ironman Utah reached that unfortunate nadir this year with tragic consequences. So, with the complex challenge of race production in mind, I am inclined to cut a great deal of slack to individuals and/or organizations who undertake any endeavor that promotes fitness and fun. Now for the disclaimer. As webmaster of this site, I have autonomy and complete editorial control over the content that gets published. Let it be known that I take the responsibility seriously. It is not my intention to shape readership opinion in one way or another about any event or issue. I will, however, occasionally inject subjectivity into the writings you find here. I am not naive enough to expect everyone to agree with my thoughts and perspectives. I am totally confident that 99% of the eyes on these pages have minds behind them sufficiently strong to formulate their own judgments on any topic raised. If you have a dissenting slant and wish to air it, I will not shy away from publishing it. In dealing specifically with the safe water issue, it is a conundrum that will increasingly affect the future of triathlon as well the water-drinking world at large. Lets hope we can find some answers. As for me, if I can raise reader awareness a notch in my corner of the world, even at the risk of offending some, I can live with that.

July 21 OK, no more Mr. Nice Guy. You athletes are way too camera friendly. I'm bringing my "shrub" and "deer" disguises to the Babler Beast. I'm gonna catch you racers blowing snot and puking. Now those will be photos to post.......Tour de France mid-race observations : Hope US Postal has more than a one year contract on Roberto Heras because every other team in the tour, especially ONCE, will offer him huge money in the off season. Laurent Jalabert is wearing the "King of the Mountain" jersey which is kind of a joke because every one watching knows Lance rules the Alps and Pyrenees. Le Tour TV coverage is shaping up just like last year, viewers are subjected to the same half dozen commercials for three weeks. At least run variations on the theme instead of beating them into the ground. Even if I could afford a Lincoln Navigator, there's no way I buy one after that ad "nauseum" campaign. Thank you God for my commercial zapping Tivo........Speaking of television race coverage, if you watched the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon, what was the deal with their motorcycle cameras? Every time, and I mean every time they went to them, the picture broke up. If they can put $180,000 in the prize purse, how about an extra couple of grand on cameras that work........Elbow update : for those of you who didn't know that an asphalt road rearranged my elbow July 2nd, I thought I'd let you know how it's going. Note to self : make next out-of-towner a road trip, as my orthopedic guy has made getting through the airport metal detectors impossible. I'm not saying I have a lot of screws in me, but I'm contemplating a career in the hardware business...........I've already told them this, but as a couple, don't you think that Louis Di Guiseppe & Pam Quarenghi qualify as the "Peter Reid & Lori Bowden" of St Louis? Name me another local couple as accomplished..........If anyone reading this is interested in how to get free running shoes, email me and I'll give you my secret. Tip, size nine gets the best results........keep cool and stay fit.

July 2 My running pace chart only goes as fast as 4:45 per. With Mike Farrell's 14:19 run at the Kirkwood to Webster 5k in mind, perhaps I should adjust it. Incredible effort Mike. Maybe I can beat him at the Fair St Louis 10k with my 25 minute handicap......Why is it that some regional and even national level events, with sophisticated web sites and timing systems, are so slow about posting results online? In the information age, speed of data-delivery is king......The Firecracker 100 was held last weekend. We departed from Staunton, Illinois under clear, blue skies and pedaled a wind-assisted first 50 on remarkably smooth and well marked roads. Vehicles were nearly as scarce as the clouds. There was copious amounts of food, but curiously offered mid-ride. Lest I sound like a chronic complainer, let me merely suggest that offering the meat and pies at the end of the ride and perhaps the lighter stuff ( e.g. fruit, energy bars, and fluids ) in between kinda makes more sense, but otherwise a very good event......The metro area needs a signature multi-sport event on a grand scale. A St.Louis International Triathlon and/or Duathlon of Olympic-distance proportions that pulled participants from out of town would be a huge success when coupled with the 800-1000 local athletes who'd toe the starting line. The biggest hurdle for a triathlon may not be drawing a field or securing sponsors, but finding a venue. A duathlon may have a more realistic chance of becoming a reality.......If anyone reading this has some thoughts to get off of their chest or insights to share, email them to me and I'll post them in a sort of "readers strike back" column.....have a safe holiday and train smart.

June 17 Wouldn't it be awesome if the Fair St. Louis organizers could arrange for the Fair St. Louis 10k to finish before 500,000 people by the arch? I would fight the traffic and pay extra for that thrill.......... The Race For The Cure managed to draw as many people as all the rest of the local swim, bike, and/or run events combined year-to-date...... Has anyone looked into the possibility of a lake-swim triathlon at any of the other water holes in the area? Lake Sherwood and St. Albans come to mind......The residents of Columbia, Illinois win. I won't be riding there anymore after a recent TC ride. The street-marking ban still made navigation with maps incredibly awkward and the belligerence of some vehicles was unfathomable. Sorry, but I've still got too many miles left to ride to become a fatality statistic........ I'm still jazzed about the crit series at Gateway International Raceway. Aside from the Tuesday night training races, perhaps next year it could also be the site of a major criterium and/or time trial event or Duathlon. Parking and seating would be non-issues and the spectators wouldn't lose sight of the racers. It would be like a huge outdoor velodrome. Mike at Big Shark, if anyone can pull that off .......... I'll share a bike tip given to me the other day. When riding with the sun at your back, use your shadow to check your form. That darkened figure ahead can show you if your shoulders are relaxed, arms are bent, and if the elbows and knees are in........ Why can't the pool swim triathlons have age-group waves? If you race directors can't figure that one out, email me, I'll answer all of your objections The athletes would love it..........that's all the ranting for now.