June 2009
In the Bitterroot Athlete Valley

June was such an amazing month for pictures I can’t even begin to show 1/3 of the great photos I got. There were two dates that my camera was in high gear.  June 13th was the PTA and Summer of Hope fun runs and the Bitterroot Swim Team Meet, all in Hamilton.  June 21st was the Coeur d’Alene Ironman, which almost froze my finger in permanent picture-taking position.  Plus, in-between these dates we were running, swimming, and mountain biking at Lake Como, testing out the Lake Como Triathlon Course.  So I took more pictures there. That means too, better backup my computer-ASAP!!

Local Events

The PTA changed their usual date of the fun run in hopes for better weather conditions.  Their usual first weekend of June we can almost always count on cold and rainy conditions.   Sure enough, the Saturday morning run group just finished our run, were eating Hannah’s protein muffins and drinking coffee when it began to rain.  The rain poured down on the Saturday Farmers’ Market in Hamilton.  (The month of June for the record, was maybe 1.5 weeks of summer weather.  Otherwise it was cloudy, chilly, rainy and windy. [For any younger readers, this weather talk/preoccupation seems to begin around the early 40s.])

I participated in the PTA's 10K on June 13th.  Seth Garbett and Heather DeMorest of the Darby H.S. Track and Cross Country teams ran and both took first places. (The two who are going to the XC training camp and meet in Australia.)  One of our regular Saturday runners, Dean Jordan of Top-Down Computer Consultants, raced the 5K to defend his first place title and won again.  First woman was Danica Loucks who just graduated from Hamilton High.

After taking a few pics, I hopped on my bike to check out the Summer of Hope Fun Run, a fund raiser for adoption of Philippine orphans.  I was going to run their 4-miler, but found the 10K was plenty.  They had a good turnout and a BBQ after. 

Then it was over to the Bitterroot Swim Team’s first meet of the season.  The swim team has 92 members, just down slightly from last year’s 106.  The other town teams’ attendance was down a bit also, most thinking due to the economic climate.  The team had a great time and won the total team points.  It was a great start for the season.  Here is their web site: Bitterroot Swim Team.

Lake Como Triathlon Training

The Saturday run group ran the perimeter of the lake, 7.7 miles, beginning on the south side first one week and the north side first the next week.  All agreed it was fine going either way for scenery, hills and rocks.  We “OK’d” the decision for safety to clear the trail early on the popular north side to run the north side first.  Then it was recruiting time to get bikers out on the bike course to review it.  I knew that mountain bikers and road bikers were different breeds by the bike pants they wear. For instance, some mountain bikers ride down pathless mountain ridges, jump logs and water falls, and tally broken bike parts to gauge fun; and then there are the road bikers (like me) that just happen to have a mountain bike and like smooth paths where you don’t get a scratch or bruise, and the foliage doesn't touch your body.  (OK, maybe it is just me...?) 

The course was difficult to please both categories so a new category was created.  Someone said,“What mountain goat designed this course?” Tony Neaves of Valley Bike, who has also applied for a permit to use this area for Nordic skiing, designed this calorie-burning quad-workout of a 1,065 foot climb, three single tracks, a fast descent, and rolling hills; 12.6 miles.  It is a challenge for anyone who swims 1500 yards first and runs 7.7 miles after.  (Garmin said TOTAL elevation change is 2,280, but first segment is the 1,065.) Got more great photos.  It will be a spectacular event location.

We began swimming the Lake late this year.  Last year, everyone was eager to try their new wetsuits.  We were chomping at the bit in mid May.  Most of us agreed, that that was way too cold and too early.  We experienced the effects of really cold water on the body; like dizziness, and core body temperature dropping.  Greg Bremer was the first to begin swimming early as usual, but the rest of the regular swimmers chose to wait for June.  When June came, it was still cold so we waited some more.  It was close to the third week of June that we finally took the plunge.  We guessed that the water was 61 or 62 degrees.  It was late to warm up.  By July 1st, it was feeling like 65 and more tolerable.  

Coeur d’Alene Ironman

Finally, June 21st arrived for Dr. Kirk Crews and Bill Halden to strut their stuff in the Ironman 2009.  They had been training for months and the day of reckoning was upon them.  I flew in to Spokane from Sacramento the night before the race.  I attended my cousin’s wedding, and left the reception early to catch the flight for this long-awaited event.  I had planned to witness this event for three years and had not succeeded yet, so this was the year for me to spectate and see Bill and Kirk race. 

I got to the beach by 6:45 AM and the Elite’s had already taken off.  The weather was cloudy, cool and breezy.  It was chilly for the spectators.  The racers said the water was warmer.  The whole length of the City Beach was full of wetsuit-clad athletes with red caps for men and white for women.  This was quite a site to behold.  It was amazing. It looked like men clearly out numbered women 4 to 1.  I took 61 pictures just of the swim segment. 

Once the gun went off, wave after wave of the wetsuits entered the water like zombies on a mission.  There were so many athletes, 2,153, that they were all in a mass line up the full length of the beach in order to enter the water.  Once they entered the water it looked like a fish feeding frenzy.  All we saw was arms, elbows, splashes, and red and white caps.  They headed way out in the lake and made a large rectangle.  It took a while to come back in.  I got in a new picture taking position and didn’t realize how good it was, until the athletes began exiting the water, running under the arch and heading back into the water again.  They had to do two laps!  Some looked tired already and the crowd tried to encourage them by saying, “Just ONE more!”  So out they went again, round two.  I changed positions again.  I tried to line up for the final exit.

Lesson #1 in finding your athlete: Know what their wetsuit looks like!

I did not recognize Kirk nor Bill when they exited the first time.  I didn’t know what their wetsuits looked like. The athletes pretty much look all the same.  A number of the athletes had cramps in their calves exiting the water, but they were all extremely happy to be done with that part.  I watched as athletes kept exiting the water and then low and behold, I recognized Kirk.  He was fired up!  And then the announcer announced his name too.  I never recognized Bill when he exited, but I knew I better go back to my car and download my pictures.

I stopped to see the wetsuit removal area….  No other triathlon allows help to get out of your wetsuit, but I think because they are half frozen and numb from the swim that they allow this.  Kirk and Matt Guzik said this was the best job to volunteer for at an Ironman.  It was the strangest thing:  the volunteers tell the athlete to sit on the “muddy” grass and then lay back as they take the upper part of their suit and whip it off their body…and of course they all have clothes or swimsuits on underneath…now muddy suits.  But they don’t seem to care as they are off to their “special needs” bags to don what they will for the bike ride.

Lesson #2: know what your athlete is wearing on his bike! 
(And make sure it colorful to stand out.)

I found Hannah Halden and Derek, Bill's brother and waited at a corner for quite some time to catch a glimpse of the guys. Hannah described Bill’s clothing, but I couldn’t really envision it until they finally spotted some racing friends of Bill’s that were wearing the same bike shirts of yellow and blue.  I did not know what Kirk was wearing.  I got the perfect shot of Bill and I heard Kirk say hi to someone as he rode by and I saw that he was wearing a red shirt.  They both looked and sounded happy, in good spirits and full of energy.

Hannah had her two young boys in tote and Lisa Crews, whom I never saw until the end, had her three children also.  I don’t know how the kids tolerated such a long and chilly day.  It was time for a break.  I went for a burger and took a few more pictures. 

I headed for the bike transition, which crossed part of the marathon route.  It was confusing for spectators to figure out which way they were coming or going or what mile they would be on when they crossed this area.  Volunteers didn’t seem to know either.  About this time, as the bannered pathway was being erected, a lone runner was making his way down the side walk parallel to the beach.  “Who was this person?  Is he in the race?”  Spectators watched as he got closer. I told the Volunteer on his cell phone, standing in the middle of the sidewalk with his back to him that there was a runner coming.  The sprightly fellow was in first place!  The volunteers were just getting the barricades up.  He ended up winning first overall @ 8:32:12.  His name is: Francisco Pantano from Spain.  The second elite was an American, TJ Tollakson @ 8:42:03.  The first woman pro was Tyler Stewart @ 9:23:21, 2nd Kate Major @ 9:32:10, both Americans.

So off to the bike transition.  Riders just began to come in.  I had the perfect spot where they dismounted and hardly any spectators were there!  This transition had even more athlete cramping than the swim.   This time in their hamstrings.  Plus, I saw here and near the marathon chute, a handful of athletes that had to drop out of the race for one reason or another and the chilly, cloudy weather did not help.  Women were crying and men would not look up.  They were devastated to have to drop out, but their bodies were not on the same schedule to perform.  In the final, 120 people did not finish.

About this time, I saw a Bitterroot Classic Triathlon shirt come in and I took his picture.  I did not know who it was, but looking up his number later I saw that it was Kirk Crews’ brother, Jeff Crews.  I did not know he was racing.  Then I saw Bill come in and he was happy to see a familiar face.  He was still all smiles and feeling good.  I missed Kirk coming through because I knew he was ahead of Bill at this point.  So then I saw Bill coming out of the chute where Francisco had passed.  That was about two miles into the marathon.  It was time to download my camera again.

Now the day is getting long.  It must have been around 4:00 by then.  Don’t remember eating again.  Lost track of time walking the crowded streets of CDA.  I should have taken a nap in my car. 

By 7:30 PM, it was a steady light rain, but windy so it was cold.  I waited and waited for the red shirt to come through.  I only had a light windbreaker on and a few light layers, one of which was my swimsuit.  I thought for sure there would be time to swim and bike.  I packed my bike in my car when I left Hamilton, had it in my car while parked at the airport and hotel from my Sacto. trip. It was left it in my car undisturbed the rest of the day.  It was too cold for a swim and really no time to even ride while trying to catch glimpses of our Hamilton and Stevi athletes, taking photos and rallying for position in just the right places.

Lesson #3: Know your athletes estimated finish time.

Now, I was at the grandstands sure that Kirk would cross the finish line around a 10:30 finish.  Knowing Kirk would be coming in before Bill, I stood on the bleachers in the cold, wind, and rain, with my camera trigger finger ready. I took pictures of almost every red shirt that came in, turning my camera off and on so the batteries wouldn’t wear out.  I waited and waited and waited for over two hours standing poised with the perfectly framed background.  I had a mission to get these pictures for this newsletter.  After all, I have to get the photos to follow up the training article on Bill and Kirk.  I thought, “Just 15 more minutes.  Just 15 more.  No.  I can’t take it any more!  I have to go in and get warm.” 

So I headed indoors for coffee.  I sat there shivering thinking I wanted to go home…a four-hour drive ahead of me.  After a half a cup, Greg Bremer comes running by the windows pointing like a trail-guide statue I have seen some place, only in running position, hopping on one leg, to make sure I saw and realized, “That was Kirk!”  I ran out the door and down to the finish line.  I didn’t have my perfect spot in front of the big screen, perfectly framed with the Ironman arch and the time clock clicking, but I got a picture of him talking to his friend at the end, happy as a lark.  He got a professional picture in front of the “Finisher” backdrop and I headed back to the warm confines of the coffee shop and my half-a-cup of coffee.

It was a bit unsocial not co-miserating in the cold rain, so I headed to the sidelines where Hannah, Bill’s brother Derek, the boys and other friends were waiting for Bill to come down Main Street.  I was still shiver shaking.  I was still contemplating leaving, but then Hannah had a blanket and I felt better.  I poised my finger on my camera, ready for Bill, but it was frozen.  Then Bill came up and I got a picture of him leaving as he kissed Hannah on his way down to the finish line.  I headed down to get another picture and ran across Kirk and family all clad in a blanket and plastic garbage bags Lisa got from a Japanese restaurant while waiting.  That was a cover shot as well as the satisfied look on Bill’s face with his friend, feeling the same euphoria of having completed an Ironman.  Kirk finished in 12:09:02 and Bill in 12:44:23.  It was a very long day for the athletes AND for the spectators.  Kudos to Bill and Kirk, Hannah and Lisa and families for enduring the months of training and the event itself, the Coeur d’Alene Ironman. 

Took one more picture while heading to my car after 9:00 pm…had to get a photo of the medal around the neck of another happy finisher…an Ironman.

Cycling Inquiries

I have been getting a number of people asking about who's riding what & when lately. People want to ride with others for both mountain and road biking.  If you have a group or two that rides, send me an email. I will work on getting a page up with all this info. Plus, if you are trying to sell a bike I will put it on the page too. Even visitors to the Valley come and ask me where they can ride and if there are any groups. Send me info!

Come in for RACE BELTS, swimwear, tinted goggles, mountain & road bike shorts and skirts and now carrying Teeter Conversion Tables. Come in and try it out.  If you have an event coming up you'd like special clothes for or just to feel good and look good in come in and see what is available.  I have a number of converts that never tried technical wear before and now they are believers. Performance wear makes a difference.

Take care and have a great summer!