It’s going to be a great start to the Triathlon Season! This weekend, the OutRival Racing Team is going to have a great time at the Sprint and Olympic Races at the Kemah Triathlon. Here’s the Team ORR Race Roster:
Sprint Triathlon
Allison Eden
Brandon Pounds
Connor Barry
Shannon Butkus
Melissa Rothe
Sandra Braniff
Adam Currier
Blake Henning
Cassandra Mays
Corey Oliver
Ed Wandell
Grace Benes
Guillermo Maldonado
Jesse Balboa
Jonathan Sterchy
Lance McLain
Mikey Benes
Nico Castro
Raul Luzardo
Richard Tramm
Rick Wilson
Sarah Gray
Sharon Griggs
Steve Wren
Tate Wright
Mary Kay Cooper (swim portion of a relay)
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!
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| Tate receiving his AG Award |
Numerous OutRival Racing athletes had spectacular races this past weekend, with most setting personal bests!
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| Tate Wright at Angie’s Half Marathon |
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| Amy Hackmans with Teammates |
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| Curtis Hooper receiving 1st Place AG award at BMI 5K |
Tate Wright finished third in his 35-39 Age Group at the 4th Annual Angie’s “Half Crazy” Half Marathon in Clear Lake. Tate ran over a seven minute personal best in 1:27, or 6:35 min/mile pace. Next up for Tate is the Kemah Olympic race this Sunday.
Amy Hackmans ran on a six person relay team that covered 33.5 miles of trails in Michigan. She ran nearly 8 miles on a tough course at 9 min/mile pace… in 24 degrees!! Next up for Amy is a 5K race and then a long-course duathlon. Amy is REALLY ready for some warmer weather, too!
Blake Henning raced the Law Week Fun Run in downtown Houston as part of the HARRA Spring series. As always, Blake had a strong race by finishing the 8k in 37:35. This put Blake with a 17th place finish in the 50-54 Age Group.
Derek McCoy set a personal best 5K run at the Azalea 5K Race in Mississippi. Derek ran the 5K in 10:30 min/mile pace. Derek is racing the Memorial Hermann Sprint Triathlon next.
Curtis Hooper and Don Harris had fantastic races at the BMI 5K in Conroe on Saturday. Curtis won the 40-44 Age Group in a speedy 19:22. Don Harris set a personal record for 5K in 28:17. Both Curtis and Don are racing Ironman Texas in May.
Jennifer Severns raced the Eco Duathlon in Galveston on Saturday. She finished first in her Age Group in the 2 mile run/10 mile bike/2 mile run event. Her time for the duathlon was 1:18. Jennifer is next racing the CB&I Sprint Triathlon on May 8th.
Connor Barry raced the Ronde Von Manor 25-minute crit race in Austin on Saturday. Racing on the Southern Elite Team, Connor finished third overall. Next up for Connor is the Kemah Sprint Tri this Saturday.
Way to race Team ORR!!!
*Thanks to Bill Dwyer for photos!
For those of you who don’t know Berk Clare, he has been an ORR coached athlete who raced as a Cat 5 Cyclist on the Woodlands Cycling Club Race Team. Berk had a tragic cycling accident one month ago, and is still paralyzed from his mid-section down. As you can imagine, this has been and will continue to be very challenging for him as well as for his wife and two young children. The WCCRT has set up a project to help the Clare family. The team is planning on building ramps for the doorways at Berk’s house for when he comes home next month. Hirem Bruno and Kevin Lynch (of the Woodlands Cycling Club) have made some measurements and have come up with an estimate of $1000 for 3 ramps. There is Paypal link on the club website, www.woodlandscycling.org, and the WCCRT is looking for donations to help with these ramps. Also, if you would like to pitch in to help build them, please let me know and I will let you know how you can help.
Please share this information with anyone and everyone who has expressed interest in helping.
Here is the Paypal link for donations: http://www.facebook.com/l/95f04LOJI1fGh_vnhNvfRVEYcZg/woodlandscycling.org
Thank you!
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| Alan Jaax and Jonathan Knapp |
Three OutRival Racing athletes ran the inaugural Formula Run Ethiopia charity 5K in the Woodlands last weekend. Jonathan Knapp finished second overall with a personal best 21:06. His brother-in-law, Alan Jaax finished behind him in 22:03. Robert Nelson ran 21:45! Jonathan is racing Muddy Trails this weekend, Alan is racing the Kemah Olympic next weekend, and Robert is racing the Dallas Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon. Great job and good luck guys!
The Formula Run Ethiopia is a charity run helping to provide Baby Formula for infants in need in Africa. Proceeds will go directly to helping feed those less fortunate. For more information, you can check out www.intothestreetsofethiopia.com or email Judith Clark @judithrclark@yahoo.com for details on how to donate to this cause.
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| James Engle, Time Trial at the Fayetteville Stage Race |
James Engle had a great race in Fayetteville last weekend. The three stage cycling event consists of two long road race stages plus a 6.5 mile TT in between them. James raced in the Cat 4 division this year and raced hard from start to finish. Here is an awesome race report from James:
“I went into the weekend feeling pretty good, had put a lot of miles of training in to get me ready for my first Cat 4 stage race. On Saturday the race started out pretty tame, rolling up to the base of the “hotspot” climb we were just crawling along. Climbing is my nemesis, so I made sure I was up towards the front and I easily made it up over the climb. Sat in the pack all the way around the first lap. As we approached the hotspot, I was about mid-pack and the race picked up as the front of the pack raced for the “hotspot” bonus. By the time we made it up and over the climb I was at the back. I noticed that JJ was falling back pretty quickly, so I called out to him that we could latch back on together. We shortly made it back to the group, but I had definitely burn a few matches doing so. From this point on I was only able to hang onto the back, and could never improve my position in the group. As we went through the feed zone and made the left turn, the pace picked up and I just could not hang on. All of a sudden the chase car went by me and I was on my own. I chased hard to stay close and sure enough on a short little downhill I was able to get back on. Then we made it to the right turn to head down the final stretch, there was a little rise, the pace picked up and I was done for. I kept my effort up and caught JJ and another rider. We took turns working to keep our losses down and we rolled into the finish.
The race was done and I was wore out. We were staying in a house close to the course, so some of us went back there, cleaned ourselves up and rested. It was time for the TT. My goal was to get into the top 20 and was going to give it all I had. Matt Long started 2 riders ahead of me and I told him he was my rabbit. As we cued up, I was joking with Matt, told him I wanted to catch him by the time we made it to the first right hand turn. From the start I got my speed up as quickly as possible, at this point I realized my legs were screaming and this was going to hurt. In my TT training I have learned to use my LT as a guide for my effort. I kept HR within a few beat of my LT the entire time, and it hurt like heck! I watched the rider that started in front of me and realized I was gaining on him, this sure gave me a boost. I saw him pass Matt, then I went by him giving a quick yell of encouragement. As we were approaching the right hand turn, I realized I possibly going to pass the rider ahead of me on the corner. I made the decision to slow enough to get through the corner and pass him after that. As I passed this rider I moved over to the left to get around him, and all of a sudden he picks up the pace and does not allow me to slide back in front of him. He rode next to me for about a mile and I could not shake him, then all of a sudden he was gone. As we made our final right had turn I noticed another ride up the rode, so I set my sights on catching him. Passed this rider about 1/2 mile from finish and there was one more for me to get, but we cross the line before I could catch him. Finished 17th, had an average speed just under 24mph, my fastest TT yet.
Sunday’s RR I was feeling very tired. During my warm-up, I tried to just spin my legs and loosen them up. The race started and I sat towards the front, as we went through the little downhill before the Hotspot climb I found myself off the front. I thought this could work for me, I would be at the front going into the climb and I would easily be able to stay with the lead group. Man, was I wrong. On the climb, I was being passed like I was standing still. As we reached the top there were riders everywhere. I pushed my effort as hard as I could to get back on. I passed Lee and told him to get on my wheel. I did not realize until later, but I had a line a riders behind me. My small little group worked hard to try and catch back on, but we never did. We chased the lead group the entire first lap. I finished the race with one of the riders from my chase group. I tried to out sprint him at the line, but he got me by a wheel.
Had a fun weekend. I learned a lot from the race and look forward to the next one.”
Corey Oliver ran his first half marathon on March 6th in College Station in the Armadillo Dash Half Marathon. He ran a speedy 1:36:54, or 7:23 min/mile pace. Corey is training for Ironman Texas in May, and used this race as a training event.
Blake Henning is also training for Ironman Texas and ran the Bayou City Classic 10K as a training race. He set a personal best 47:10, or 7:36 min/mile for the 6.2 mile event. Blake finished 30th in his age-group in this competitive race.
Ben Sachs ran the Bayou City Classic only a few weeks after running the San Antonio marathon. Ben ran 40 minutes flat (or 6:26 min/mile pace!) at the Bayou City Classic 10K. Ben is planning on racing another marathon in June.
Awesome running guys!
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| Texas Independence Relays 2011: The Athletic Girls Next Door |
The Texas Independence Relays is a great Team Relay event that was held on March 5th and 6th. This relay consisted of almost 100 teams! Each team had to cover over 200 miles of total running from Gonzales to San Jacinto. Five OutRival Racing athletes participated in TIR this year and all of them had incredible experiences! Richard Tramm, Leslie Dupuy, and Kelly Whiddon participated on separate teams and each had incredible experiences. Christi Moore and Melissa Rothe participated on the “Athletic Girls Next Door” Team (as seen in photo above).
I (Coach Michelle) asked each of these athletes what the best part of TIR was.
Melissa Rothe responded:
“One of the most important things I got from the run happened on my 3rd relay-leg. It was 2am, I was crossing over the Brazos River, at one point there was no one around me - not a runner, not a van, no one. It was literally me, my run and the stars at 2am. It was so breathtakingly quiet, peaceful, just one step in front of the other. I thought all week that the middle of the night run would scare me, but I was so at peace at that moment. I realized how very very lucky I am to be able to run, to use the talent that God has blessed me with for something that I love so much. I was almost sad to see another runner. That moment just truly hit me how much I love to run, and how much I get from running. The best part was spending two full days with so many people, not only my team mates, but other runners who love this crazy thing we do, not for the physical fitness of it, but because we all truly love to run.”
Christi Moore’s favorite part of the TIR weekend was: “The giggles, the belly laughter, the snorts, the screams, the friendship & camaraderie. For me that is what it’s really all about! I love all the wild and crazy moments, but really my favorites are the quiet comments that happen along the way. The questions of “how are you feeling?” at exchanges. The hushed conversations in the van when everyone is sleeping and you tell a dear friend you haven’t seen in a while how much you’ve missed her. A teammate hugging you when you finish, sweat and all. The frustrating moments that happen because we’re all exhausted and yet accepting each and every person with an open heart. Good, bad, and ugly. The feeling that no matter what, these girls have my back: at TIR and in life. This is really what it’s all about. Doing something we all love and giggling all the way, from start to finish.”
Richard Tramm’s favorite thing about TIR was that it is:
Christi Moore’s favorite part of the TIR weekend was: “The giggles, the belly laughter, the snorts, the screams, the friendship & camaraderie. For me that is what it’s really all about! I love all the wild and crazy moments, but really my favorites are the quiet comments that happen along the way. The questions of “how are you feeling?” at exchanges. The hushed conversations in the van when everyone is sleeping and you tell a dear friend you haven’t seen in a while how much you’ve missed her. A teammate hugging you when you finish, sweat and all. The frustrating moments that happen because we’re all exhausted and yet accepting each and every person with an open heart. Good, bad, and ugly. The feeling that no matter what, these girls have my back: at TIR and in life. This is really what it’s all about. Doing something we all love and giggling all the way, from start to finish.”
Richard Tramm’s favorite thing about TIR was that it is:
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“…a challenging and wonderful event where you spend much time time in close contact with your team as you work to pursue your race goals. Most of my running was done in fairly secluded Texas country, often with only the cows and horses on nearby land as my company. My first leg was on isolated dirt roads where the support vehicles were not allowed to travel. In this area it was just myself and the the countryside, although I happily enjoyed an almost all downhill run with the wind at my back! I think my favorite leg came around 2:25 in the early morning as I ran down an empty stretch of Texas highway mostly alone, able to enjoy the stars and the sounds of the owls in the night. For the most part the only signs of other runners were the faint signs of scattered blinking lights strapped to runners in the distance ahead of me and the occasional support van driving by. The best view during this dark run had to be while crossing the Brazos River and I could see almost nothing but dark countryside and a star-filled sky in almost every direction. In the span of this relay leg I only crossed the paths of 2 or 3 runners in the 45 minutes inspect running, and I enjoyed every minute of this nighttime run! I thoroughly enjoyed TIR. While it is not easy, it is a very rewarding effort. I was surprised by how many runners I knew on the various teams and by how easy it is to make new friends as you interact with all the other teams around you. I often run events for enjoyment rather than speed, and I have to say that this was the most fun I have ever had at a running event.”
Leslie Dupuy says:
My favorite leg of the race was #24; in the middle of the night, or more like early, early morning. A straight, flat leg through rural-with-a-capital-r roads. Silent, except for my breathing and the occasional patter of another runner. I relished the solitude and the chilly night air. It’s something you have to experience to fully understand. Can’t wait to do it again!” |
The Woodlands Resort Offers Training Package
To Ironman Texas Participants
Athletes preparing for the May 21 Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas will find the ultimate in relaxation and recovery after a grueling day of workouts with The Woodlands Resort’s Ironman Texas Training package.
Available now through May 14, the Resort’s Ironman Training Package includes overnight accommodations and full breakfast buffet for two, which features enough power foods and carbs to get you through a day of training. Guests also receive complimentary access to separate Spa facilities for men and women each with whirlpool, sauna and eucalyptus steam room – ideal for post-workout recovery.
Complimentary transportation is available to The Woodlands Mall and Market Street-The Woodlands, the start and end points of the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas event.
To reserve the Ironman Training Package, call The Woodlands Resort at 281-367-1100 or book online at www.woodlandsresort.com The Woodlands Resort is located just north of Houston at 2301 North Millbend Drive.
Nicole Mallette had a great race at the Conoco Phillips 10K Rodeo Run. Nicole is training for Ironman Texas, and used this as a training race. She ran 49 minutes for the 6.2 (actually 6.38 miles!) race. That’s a speed 7:40 min/mile pace! Great job Nicole!