The Screaming Turtle: 2007

Blue Lake Olympic-Distance Triathlon and Duathlon
Troutdale, Ore., June 6 By Inge Scheve

The 22nd Blue Lake Triathlon commenced on Sunday with Olympic-distance triathlon and duathlon events. While the winds and the rain did not seem to put any dampers on the atmosphere at Blue Lake Park, competitors reported the weather to create extra challenges. In the men’s Olympic-distance triathlon, University of Oregon’s Brian Cadman, 26, won the overall race in 1 hour, 54 minutes and 26 seconds; 4 minutes and 40 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Erik DeRoche of Portland (1:58.49). Cadman’s UO teammate Ignacio Rodriguez was third (2:00.31). “It was a little cooler than I expected, and winds were stronger,” Cadman said, who recently returned from a World event in Portugal. “There are just as good people here as internationally,” Cadman stated. “The plan today was to attack as much as possible on the bike. You can stretch your wheels on the bike here, because with the flat course, there is less fear of bonking on the run,” he said, noting that his focus is the Olympic distance. While Cadman comes from a swimming background and had collegiate swimming career at Harvard University, he claims that triathlons are not won in the water. “I try to go out and get a little gap coming out of the water, but you never win races in the water. You win or lose races on the run,” Cadman argued, and added that he believes the key to success in triathlon lies in training with athletes who challenge him. “As a triathlete, I train with groups that kick my butt all the time in their discipline,” he explained. Next up for Cadman is the Bakers Breakfast Cookies Triathlon in Bellingham, Wash., this weekend. Seattle-based triathlete Chris Farias, 39, who finished in 2 hours, 14 minutes and 5 seconds for first in the females 35-39 category and second place overall, raced the Blue Lake Triathlon for the first time Sunday. Annie Warner, 24, of Spokane, Wash., finished first overall among the females in 2:06.46, and Danika Williams third in 2:19.11. “I really enjoy the party atmosphere of this event, and it seems really well organized,” Farias said. The mother of two and full-time attorney said she typically does best on hillier courses. “The more difficult the bike and the run, the easier it is for me,” Farias said. While the Blue Lake event is fairly flat, she found it to have sufficient challenges. “It was hard on the bike, where it was really windy,” she said, noting that side winds are tougher and less predictable than headwinds for bikers. “I always come out of the water behind, so I have some work to do,” she explained. Sunday’s event was no different: “I was two minutes behind out of the water, but I passed both the women ahead of me right after the turn-around.” The Olympic-distance triathlon challenges participants to a 1,500-meter swim, a 40 kilometer bike leg and a 10-kilometer run. “It was very windy, and that made for a tough course,” said Chris Tolonen, 34, of Seattle. Tolonen, a professional duathlete, was the first finisher in Sunday’s duathlon polishing off the course in 1 hour, 49 minutes and 25 seconds. Duathletes completed a 10-kilometer run course, a 40-kilometer bike ride and finished with a 10-kilometer run course. For complete results, visit www.racecenter.com/bluelake.

Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon
Troutdale, Ore., June 5, 2004 By Inge Scheve
A Northwest tradition for more than 20 years, the Blue Lake Triathlon/Duathlon events in Troutdale, Ore., on June 5 and 6 are recognized by Northwest athletes as the “must-do” event to open the competitive triathlon season. The event also doubles as the 2004 TRI NorthWest Club Championship for triathlon, and attracted more than 1,000 of the top regional competitors over the two days. While Saturday opened the competitions with rain and wind, the weather gods graced racers, spectators and volunteers with sunshine for the post-race barbeque and awards ceremony. Overall winner Tim Dodson, 33, of Portland finished the sprint event in 1 hour and 58 seconds, and found the conditions and course quite to his liking and enjoyed the home-turf advantage. “Knowing the course and the competition is definitely an advantage,” Dodson said, who beat second-place racer Arash Kia, also of Portland, by almost four minutes. “I also have a sense of pride not to get beat in Oregon. I want to do well in front of my friends and my family.” Dodson, a competitive triathlete since 1998, is currently training for the Baker Breakfast Cookies Triathlon in Bellingham, Wash., next weekend, which will take place at the same course as the Olympic Trials, and used the Blue Lake event as a last polish for the Bellingham race. “This is a home-turf event, a confidence-builder,” Dodson explained. “It was great to come out here, race my friends, have some fun, show off our stuff and kick their butts.” While Dodson is comfortable in the water and feels efficient on the bike, he looks forward to the run. “When I get to the run, I feel safe,” he said. “Even when the competition is with me, we are in my world and I feel in control.” The key to success in triathlons, Dodson argued, is to swim like a swimmer, bike like a biker, and run like a runner. As a competitive runner for the University of Oregon in Eugene, Dodson spent a lot of his recovery-time in the pool doing aqua-jogging and one decided he would join the masters for a swim practice. “I am very lucky. I discovered that I am a runner who could swim.” “Lots of people train to finish and not to compete. It just depends on your goals. My goal is first place,” Dodson said, noting that in order to win he plays different games with himself on the course. “In a heavy field where I lead coast to coast, I really don’t know what’s back there. If I am around a lot of guys, I pick my spot and don’t let them break me on the bike and then I take them wherever I am the toughest,” he explained. “I had a basic foundation in all three sports, I just had to train to get fast,” Dodson said, who admits that with a full-time job as a footwear developer at Nike in Beaverton, finding time to train can sometimes be a challenge. “It’s about adjustment,” he argued. “If I miss a day I don’t worry about it. I usually plan ahead enough in a week to get all workouts in, but if it doesn’t happen, it just wasn’t supposed to be. Maybe I was better off focusing on eating well or working or catching up on sleep.” Alisa Scudamore, 28, of Portland, earned the overall females title, finishing the race in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 22 seconds, Kristina Hughes, 33, of Tigard was second, and Bridget Dawson, 46, of Portland was third. Dawson was also the master females winner. In the team relay competition, Veritas One from Newport, Ore., won the mixed division combined age 105 and under in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 19 seconds. “Each person does well in their discipline,” explained anchor runner Scott Springer. “The kids did phenomenally well,” he said of his teammates. “The kids got faster and I got slower. They both improved from last year and they carried the old man.” Springer noted that Newport entered 47 athletes ranging from 6 to 45 years of age in the Blue Lake events. “We have a very inclusive community where everyone is welcome. This is a great way to test yourself and triathlon has something for everyone,” he concluded. In the female teams 106 and older Team won in 1 hour 33 minutes and 58 seconds. Carrying Team to the finish and a baby to term in ten days, Heidi Trutt, 34, ran the anchor leg for the title in the female team competition. “It was fun, but it was heavy and it was hard to get passed all the time,” admitted the Troutdale native, who is a competitive runner and a middle school track coach. “I am very competitive, so I had to watch myself. I have to keep my heart rate down, so every time I got passed, I had to look down or I would want to catch them.” But running while pregnant is nothing new to the fit mom. Two years ago, she ran the same leg in the Blue Lake Triathlon 8 ½ months pregnant. In the mixed 106 and older, Team Campeones from Portland won the first place in 1 hour, 17 minutes and 30 seconds. For complete results, visit www.racecenter.com/bluelake. ,
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The Screaming Turtle

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Friday, December 21, 2007

Blue Lake Olympic-Distance Triathlon and Duathlon

Friday, December 14, 2007

Triathlon Training

Thursday, December 13, 2007

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