 |
 |
|
| |
Linsey Corbin at Hawaii Ironman - A Great Day at the Office
BREAKTHROUGH! Linsey Corbin top 5 in Kona!
Thoughts on Race Day
Living Large at the LifeSport Shack
The Count Down Continues By LifeSport Coach Mark Overton
The High Energy of Kona as a First Impression
Day 4 of LifeSport in Hawaii
The LifeSport staff is still as busy as ever! Today was the first day of the “LifeSport Lounge” where anyone interested in Coaching or meeting some of triathlons stars can come, sit back, relax and have a coffee. It was also Day 1 of the Expo, and Coach Dan took the first shift.
Lisa Bentley's win at Longhorn Ironman 70.3
|
Renowned runner, triathlete and duathlete Lucy Smith announces the re-launch of her website, 
Greetings,
LifeSport congratulates Linsey Corbin of Missoula, Montana on her 5th place finish in Kona. Linsey joined coach Lance Watson 3 seasons ago as a promising age group athlete turning pro. On Saturday Linsey mixed it with some of the most dominant athletes in our sport, and left many top pros in her wake. In true Montana style, she crossed the finish line with a big smile donning her traditional cowboy hat. 
Day 5 in Kona and the energy is definitely building. It was quite a sight driving down Ali’i Drive this morning. It is my first time in Hawaii, and while I am taking in the incredible land and seascapes, I am distracted by the hundreds of incredibly fit bodies into their final preparations; loosening up their legs, making sure bikes are in perfect running order, and acclimatizing to the quite humid 28 to 30 degree heat. The locals and people who have been here before say that the “vog” which is the volcano fog that has been apparently overhead for the last few months, is actually keeping things cooler than usual…I can’t imagine.
Lisa Bentley and Richie Cunningham won today's Longhorn Ironman 70.3 Austin, both using the fastest run splits of the day to claim the pro titles. Here are the pro results from today's race -- we should have full race results available soon. Of note from today's race is that it is Simon Lessing's final race -- the five-time world champion has said he will retire after his fourth place finish in Austin 
The camp members and LifeSport staff got together last night at Bongo Ben’s for a social night. There was lots of rehashing of the days events especially the winds out by Hawi.
Even with yesterday’s full day of swim and run training under their belts, the campers were all assembled at the King Kam by 8am sharp. Everyone was bright-eyed and ready for another great day of lectures and training in the remaining two--yes, two—Ironman disciplines: biking, and eating. 
Follow LifeSport athlete Chris Lieto's journey as the Ironman Champion heads to the start line of the 2008 World Championships. Go here: 
Not only is Jamie Moracci one of the best amateur athletes in North America, he is now a dad too!
Congratulations to LifeSport Athletes Kim Loeffler and Caroline Smith on their 1st and 2nd place wins at Ironman Cancun 70.3! 
Salamanders are the only vertebra that can regenerate lost limbs and other body parts. 
KELOWNA, BC - Edmonton’s Paula Findlay and Brent McMahon of Victoria were crowned National Champions in Kelowna, B.C. during the weekend of August 16. 
The race started in the fairly cool pre-dawn Kentucky darkness in front of a huge crowd near the Tumbleweed restaurant situated a mile up river from the swim exit and the transition area. 
Yesterday, we left the Women’s triathlon event and after a long trip home and with the emotions of the race settling down, we headed for the incredible “Bird’s Nest” Stadium for a night of track and field. Our seats ended up being in the second row, right at the track which was quite a treat. Although we were exhausted it was a great night of athletics and it ended with the crowd cheering on a Russian athlete to a world record high jump.
As a coach you have good days and tough days, just like the athletes, and today was a tough one. 
Sport Media Release: July 13th, 2008
LifeSport Pro Team member Katya Meyers has qualified for a pro slot at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. Meyers placed 5th in the professional division at Ironman France to earn the start in Kona. The slot was somewhat unexpected but very gratifying given it was her first Ironman on her journey back from being sick for most of 2007. Congratulations Katya!
On July 13th, Vancouver will play host to the Subaru Vancouver International Half and Sprint Triathlon. Unlike the ITU Triathlon World Championships staged in June that featured the Olympic distance racing, this event will showcase the longer Half Ironman race (1.9km swim/90km bike/21km run), and also include a shorter sprint race, relay, and a celebrity division. Highlighting the celebrity division will be Jenny Fletcher, a model who has been featured on the popular television show “Deal or No Deal” and modeled for Armani and Ralph Lauren. Vancouver mayoral candidate Peter Ladner will participate in the race and serve as the Honorary Chairman for the second year. Ladner, who recently won the mayoral nomination of his party in an upset victory over incumbent Mayor Sam Sullivan, has been a strong advocate of healthy lifestyles and active living. Also featured will be Iron Chef Rob Feenie who starred on the Food Network for five seasons and in 2005 became the first Canadian to win on the popular television show, Iron Chef America by defeating Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Also expected are former and current Olympic athletes along with a few last minute surprises.
There was a stretch of time (for a couple of years) where on occasion, while running around some local lakes, a runner would approach at an alarming speed. I could instantly deduce who she was even as a mere spot in the distance. Her form was so flawless that there was only one person it could be. The process of elimination was instant. This is saying something as the trails of greater Victoria are many and the runners of all levels are everywhere. 
Bree Wee placed an incredible 2nd in her first Ironman as a professional athlete finishing with a 9.37 clocking, only 3 minutes outside of the winner’s time. Amazingly, this was only the second Ironman of her career. It was a battle between her and the incumbent Ironman Japan Champion, 
I am excited to report that I won one of the largest half ironman races in Canada: the Victoria New Balance Half Ironman! A week ago I hopped a plane from Kansas to Vancouver Island, British Columbia to spend some time with my coach, Lance Watson. Victoria is like Disneyland for triathletes… it has everything! I was treated to a great week on the island with swimming in Elk and Thetis lakes, cycling around town, and exploring some awesome running trails. This was the third event of the Subaru West Coast triathlon series that I have attended and race director John Bothelo has it dialed in. Besides putting on a great event, I had a great home stay with Steve Young and Vanessa Keeler. I got two great massages from Gibson Brown. I also got a brand new Subaru to drive around for the week. Lucky me! 
Race day started out chilly and windy up at the Lucky Peak Reservoir. To be honest though, the cold water didn’t intimidate me that much because: a.) I am from Montana where I feel like it is always cold and b.) I was sporting the brand new Vendetta wetsuit by Xterra. Before we knew it the cannon was off, arms were swinging and I was fighting for some feet to follow. At the time, I thought I was having an awful swim, but it turns out so were all the other women. I came out of the water in 8th place.
LifeSport had great presence as the “Official Coaches” this past weekend at the Hawaii 70.3 with coach Paul Regensburg in attendance accompanied by fellow coaches Mark Shorter and Jessica Kirkwood. Leading up to the race, the coaches made time to answer athlete questions at the LifeSport booth next to Bikeworks and the main registration. The coaches also held a swim clinic at beautiful Hapuna Beach the day before the race providing valuable pointers for open water swimming to over 150 athletes. There was also a well attended pre-race tips clinic where Coach Paul shared key tips for race day. 
LifeSport's Chris Lieto continues to tear up the pro circuit in 2008. Wildflower, the north California classic half Ironman, is considered one of the most scenic and challenging. 
A big congratulations goes out to LifeSport Pro Team members Bree Wee and Amanda Lovato for their top 10 finishes at the St Croix Ironman 70.3! 
The Lavaman Triathlon is one of the most fun, beautiful, and unique triathlons on the planet. LifeSport and its coaches have been actively involved in Lavaman for many years and have become good friends with the Race Director, Gerry Rott, and her tireless race crew. 
There are many small details to attend to prior to leaving for an Ironman and sometimes your final training preparations can be derailed in the process. Having an objective supporter can help smooth the path, not only for the final few weeks of training, but also to assist with a tapering plan, a race plan and to provide an often-needed final confidence boost.
For someone who has graced the cover of numerous magazines, US triathlete and fitness model Katya Meyers sure got a kick out of seeing a triathlon-focused magazine at the Sunshine Beach shops.
Chris Lieto, one of the world's best Ironman athletes, has confirmed his attendance as a guest coach at the LavaCamp. The LavaCamp is the "Official Preparation Camp" of the Ironman 70.3 Hawaii race and will take place in Waikoloa, Hawaii. 
As posted on Ironman.com
Hello from South America!
I have just finished reading No Shortcuts to the Top; Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks by the American climber Ed Viesturs. I love climbing books. I'm not sure what the pull is as I am not a big mountain climber.
ST: Bree, what have you done this year to get ready for Kona? 
1. Tell us about your childhood – what it was like growing up with your twin sister, what kind of sports you were involved in, etc.
As posted on Slowtwitch.com
LifeSport coaching is the official coaching of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. 
As posted on Ironman.com
I am back at home in Danville, and starting to unwind from all the travel. Kona was great this year. The whole experience was awesome starting with training in Hawaii in September to the 2 weeks before the race training in Kona. It was a great transition for me from my last bit of training and the taper and mental prep heading into race day. Race day came, and I was feeling very relaxed and calm about the day ahead. I never got caught up in the hype and stress of the event. My attitude was much more relaxed and the little things didn't bother me. I was there to enjoy myself and my family and race the best I could. I knew there was nothing more I could do to get ready for the day so I was confident with the preparation I put in and what was awaiting me that day. 
Lucy Smith had her 5th career top-5 finish at World Long Distance Duathlon Championships this weekend in Richmond Virginia. 
The pro athletes started their warmup just as the sun’s first rays were touching the white church spire. After 15 minutes or so, they were brought into line and the cannon set them off on their 3800 meter journey. The age group athletes brought up the rear guard. When they were lined up the athletes in their vivid green swim caps looked like so many green apples bobbing on a pond. After the cannon fired for the second time, the calm water of Kailua Bay was turned to foam and spray as some of the fittest people on the planet set off an a lonely 140.6 mile journey, surrounded by 1500 friends
Lucy Smith won the Victoria International Half Marathon this past weekend in a quick 1:16:11 to set a course record by :01! 
It was an action packed week in Kona. 
Hello from Hawaii!
As the big day is now only hours away, I reflect upon the wonderful position I have had of helping the athletes prepare to conquer the grand-daddy of all multi-sport goals; the Hawaii Ironman. As a coach, I feel like I'm along side my athletes for the journey as they go through the highs and lows of achieving this amazing feat. The week leading up the event has been action packed full of clinics, events, media, appearances, e-mails, phone calls, and athlete meetings. Despite being very busy and feeling like I am also lining up for the race on Saturday, the fact that I am not in the race gives me the ability to really see the some of the lighter happenings that are going on around this great event. Yesterday was one of those days...
Have you ever noticed on race week how hypersensitive you become to your body? It's an interesting dynamic. In training often you will expect to be tired or just "take what you get" as far as body performance. You will usually expect feel somewhere between good and average, and sometimes not-so-good. On race week though, it's easy to wonder each time out "I hope I will feel good today", and look for confidence each time out. It's actually common to feel sluggish during your taper sessions. As you rest, your body refuels and muscles store glycogen. Glycogen absorbs water and that can leave you feeling a little heavy. You may even notice it if you step on the scale. The good thing is that you are fuelled up and hydrated, and come race day you will be ready to go! 
A key to success at an important race is creating an environment that is comfortable for you. One of the challenges is that if it is a new place, often you can be out of sorts for a day or two until you get your bearings. This can take energy away from your race and add stress to your taper. It's good to travel early. Most top athletes in come in at least 10 days early or before that so they can settle in. 
The LifeSport coaching crew arrived here last Wednesday in preparation for the “Official Ironman World Championship Camp”. The camp was well attended by athletes from around the world and a great success. It was also a good refresher for me personally on the finer points of the Ironman course 
Coach Lance Watson will be posting regular updates on Triathlete Magazine online. Here is the first installment: 
LifeSport athlete Chris Lieto chronicles his experiences and final training sessions prepared by his coach Lance Watson. 
Sunday morning.
Bree Wee is an exceptional age group triathlete from Hawaii. Bree finished 3rd overall at the Honu 70.3 this year (behind World Champions Samantha McGlone and Michellie Jones) and had carved out a 6 minute lead at the Subaru Vancouver International Half Iron on September 16th. Her next race is the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Here is an account of her visit to Vancouver and her training camp with coach Paul Regensburg in Victoria afterwards. 
When I crossed the finish line at Ironman Australia walking, I knew that I had hit a pretty big speed bump in my 18 year career. But sport is a powerful goal and the heart has incredible will. On August 26th, I crossed to the other side of that speed bump. I finished Subaru Ironman Canada running and smiling from ear to ear and winning my 11th career Ironman.
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say great news: all things are right on track for Kona! I have been putting in a hard training block in Bend, Oregon to prepare for Kona. I decided to venture up to Vancouver, BC, Canada to participate in the first ever Vancouver International Half Ironman and I had a great day coming home with the win! As impressive as the win was, I think more exciting was my performance! I raced to a half Ironman personal best of 4 hours and 20 minutes and ran my fastest ever: 1 hour and 18 minutes!! These are all fantastic indicators for the big show down in Hawaii in less than a month. I really can't wait.
Ironman Canada was a great event with lots of fun to be had, and great performances all around. 
Four LifeSport women finished in the top 10 at Ironman Canada in the professional division this weekend. | 1. | LISA BENTLEY | 9:41:01 |
| 2. | SARA GROSS | 9:43:34 |
| 3. | HEATHER FUHR | 9:49:46 |
| 4. | LINDA GALLO | 9:51:29 |
| 5. | CHERYL MURPHY | 9:59:20 |
| 6. | VICKI JONES | 10:01:21 |
| 7. | SYLVIE DANSEREAU | 10:07:48 |
| 8. | MARILYN MACDONALD | 10:09:36 |
| 9. | LUCY SMITH | 10:18:30 |
| 10. | CHARLENE WALDNER | 10:21:34 |
Bentley, Smith, McMahon, Lieto and Company Lead a Incredible Year of Performances for LifeSport Coaching.
2006 was a banner year for LifeSport athletes racing around the globe, with unparalleled international success at every distance and discipline. Several athletes had outstanding international seasons including Lisa Bentley, Brent McMahon, Lucy Smith, Chris Lieto, Kim Loeffler, Kirsten Sweetland, Carolyn Murray and more.
To read more about the incredible seasons of our LifeSport team, go here...
Lisa Mensink fought her way to the top of the podium and a victory in Kelowna against a truly international field. Said her coach, Paul Regensburg, "This was a nice indicator of fitness prior to her last race, World Championship in Hamburg, Germany. Lisa has a legitimate shot at making the Olympic Team." | 1 | Mensink | Lisa | NED | 02:04:07 |
| 2 | SAKIMOTO | Tomoko | JPN | 02:04:50 |
| 3 | Petersen | Jillian | USA | 02:05:21 |
| 4 | Kaye | Alicia | CAN | 02:07:48 |
| 5 | Warner | Annie | USA | 02:08:36 |
Jasper Blake, Cheryl Murphy win Subaru Sooke Int'l Half Iron
by Sharie Epp, Times ColonistCold water, rough road, rugged hills, fog, sun, and drizzle provided a true West Coast experience for competitors in the inaugural Subaru Sooke International Half Iron and Sprint Triathlon yesterday in Sooke. And by all accounts, they loved it.
Organized by LifeSport coaching and training company, the Sooke race was the second in the new three-race Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series. The first event took place at Shawnigan Lake in May, and the series winds up in Vancouver in September. More...
“This race was super-challenging with the rolling terrain and unbelievably beautiful – I worked hard but enjoyed every minute of it, this is another step in my preparation for Hawaii” said Blake. More...
-RESULTS, HALF IRON
-RESULTS, SPRINT
-FIND YOUR PHOTO!
Enjoy some of the images from race day!
Photos By Mark Creery
Go Here...
Great Performances Across the Continent!
Pictured left at Ironman USA, from left: Linsey Corbin, and sisters Kim Loeffler and Kelly Liljeblad.LifeSport athletes had great races this weekend across the U.S. and in Canada!
LifeSport women went 1-2-3-4 in the inaugural Subaru Sooke International Half Iron situated west of Victoria, B.C. Congratulations to Cheryl Murphy (1st), LifeSport coach Charlene Waldner (2nd), Louisa Edmonston of Scotland (3rd), and Lucy Smith (4th).
At Ironman USA in Lake Placid, Linsey Corbin ran a race best 3:10 marathon to place 5th. Kelly Liljeblad overcame a 20 minute bike mechanical stoppage to still place 10th. Both Linsey and Kelly qualified for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships!
Lisa Bentley returned to racing after a long injury setback dating to April. She finished 2nd at the Spirit of Racine 1/2 Iron in Wisconsin, showing a good return to form with a 1:22 half marathon.
Finally, Chris Lieto rocketed to a 2:03 bike split at the Vineman 70.3 Half Ironman in California. He finished a strong 4th place in the stacked field.
Brent McMahon has long been smothered in the long shadow cast by his more illustrious fellow Victoria triathlete Simon Whitfield. But the willowy McMahon nudged out into the sunlight a bit more yesterday by staking his own claim to the podium by winning the silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. McMahon even bettered Whitfield's bronze medal from the 1999 Winnipeg Pan American Games -- the prelude to the Victorian's stunningly unexpected Olympic gold the following year in Sydney.
For a time, it looked as if it might be gold yesterday for McMahon, but he was overtaken by American Andy Potts in the late going of the gruelling race.
McMahon almost looked to have the men's race won and led the final phase, the 10-kilometre run, for the entire distance before being passed by Potts with about 600 metres remaining until the finish line. Potts crossed in one hour, 52 minutes 31 seconds, followed by McMahon seven seconds later. Juraci Moreira of Brazil captured the bronze medal in 1:52.54.79. "It was a really hard race," said McMahon, who after NBA MVP Steve Nash, is probably the second most notable Olympian to come out of Hillcrest Elementary School in Gordon Head. "I said in Edmonton [at a recent World Cup race] that I wanted to go for gold and that's what I did today. The swimming was tough with lots of current and I had to work hard on the bike. My teammates Paul [11th-place Paul Tichelaar of Edmonton] and Kyle [Jones] helped a lot. Paul and I decided to go for it and when he broke, we worked together and had help from Mexico and the Dominican." McMahon was worn down by the end with little left in him. But he went full throttle and there can be no regrets if you've done that. "We took the race into our own hands and that was our strategy," he said. "The end of the race was difficult but it was a great race overall." McMahon is getting smarter in race strategy and despite fading in the stretch yesterday, his experience is beginning to count for much at age 26.
Lucy Smith used her superb bike hill climbing ability and dominant run to capture her 19th career national crown at the Canadian Long Course Triathlon Championship held in B.C. over parts of the Ironman Canada course. Lucy describes the experience and her focus on her "Run For Joy" blog spot here...
LifeSport Athlete, Bree Wee, of Kailua Kona, finished 2nd overall this past weekend at the USAT Amateur National Championships in Portland, Oregon. She accomplished this impressive finish despite experiencing cramping on the run forcing her to walk sections of the run course. Wee, coached by Paul Regensburg, capped an impressive spring season that included an overall age group podium finish at St. Anthony’s, a 3rd place overall at the Honu 70.3 behind World Champions Michellie Jones and Samantha McGlone, and a win at the Kona Half Marathon (with a new Personal Best by 4 minutes).
Congratulations Bree!
(Tarpon Springs, FL) June 19, 2007 –
Today, World Triathlon Corporation, owners of the Ironman brand, announces its new relationship with LifeSport as the Official Coach of Ironman. LifeSport will serve as the “Official Online Coaching Programs and Training Camps” for the Ironman World Championship, Ironman World Championship 70.3 and the inaugural Ford Ironman Louisville. LifeSport will kick-off the multi-year agreement by offering fifteen exclusive coaching packages, that include entry to the 2007 sold-out Ironman Louisville.
“With the addition of the Ironman70.3 Series and continued growth of Ironman, LifeSport is the perfect choice with their expertise in all distances of triathlon. Their team encompasses every facet of coaching and training, from beginners to top professionals,” says President and CEO of Ironman, Ben Fertic. More...
Canadian trainers strike deal with iconic Ironman brand
DONNA SPENCER, CPTired of the politics of running a government-funded triathlon training centre, two Canadian coaches hung out their own shingle and have been picked up by the most recognizable brand in endurance sport.
Lance Watson, former coach of Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield, and Paul Regensburg have signed a five-year agreement to be the official coaches of Ironman. Their company, Lifesport, is based in Victoria. More...
Buenos Noches! I am fresh of my first (of hopefully many) 70.3 win and I couldn’t be happier. I made my first trip down to Baja, Mexcio this past weekend and raced my hardest to come away with the win on a challenging course. This being my first time racing in Mexico, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and the trip left me wondering what would happen next all weekend long. More...
With the growth of Ironman and the spectacular introduction of triathlon into the Olympics, our sport has grown in leaps and bounds over the past several years. Today, there are more people training for and competing in triathlon than ever before, and there is no better time to consider participating in your first multisport event. More...
- Jasper Blake: Victoria Secrets, Part 3. "Surfer Balls"
As posted on Triathlete Magazine Online, www.TriathleteMag.com
2006 Ironman Canada Champion Jasper Blake is contributing to Triathletemag.com monthly as he prepares for the 2007 season, where he hopes to add another Ironman title to his resume and to tackle the inaugural Victoria International Half Iron on May 26th. Jasper loans his insights as a full time elite athlete on training the big miles, with a keen eye for the lighter side of triathlon >>>
There are some special rides in this world and quite often they are defined by the food you can acquire along the way. The old guys have it figured out – long rides cut in half by the regular stop at some great local place to gossip about politics and how hard life was 50 years ago More...- MEDIA RELEASE: Vancouver International Half-Iron Triathlon Announced for this September. Registration starts May 11th.
- May 2, 2007: LifeSport Coaching announced today that Vancouver, Canada will host the third stop on the new Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series. The Subaru Vancouver International Half-Iron will take place on September 16th, 2007 and will be staged in the magnificent setting of the Spanish Banks Beaches with views of the downtown Vancouver skyline and the picturesque North Shore Mountains. Peter Ladner, Vancouver City Councillor and Honorary Chairman of the Event, stated "This will be the only half-ironman triathlon in Canada held in an urban setting and a key event in helping Vancouver achieve its goal of being 20% more active by the 2010 Olympic Games."
The event will feature local and international elite athletes as well as amateur participants from across North America. Jasper Blake, 2006 Ironman Canada Champion, said "The timing of this event is perfect as it will provide an opportunity for many athletes in North America to cap off their season with a great race. It will also be an excellent preparation race for the athletes competing in the Hawaii Ironman in October."
It was also announced today that Subaru Canada has signed on as the title sponsor of the Series that also includes stops in Victoria and Sooke on Vancouver Island.
Registration will open for the Vancouver Event on May 11th, 2007 at www.LifeSport.ca and will be limited to 750 participants.
- Linsey Corbin: Lessons Learned - Wildflower 2007
-
Hello… I thought I would take a few moments to reflect on the great (and not so great) racing that went down this past weekend at Wildflower.
I feel like if you could sum up my race season thus far in one word it would be “lessons.” I have so much to learn about racing, and each time I race I walk away with a bit more knowledge of how to go faster the next time around, it is great. Such an exciting time! For me, Wildflower was a race that was all about gritty toughness. I experienced my most uncomfortable and painful run in my entirely brief triathlon career, but in the end I persevered to finish up the day as the 7th professional across the line. Was it a great race? No. Did I learn a lot? Yes. So all in all, I am pretty happy. Oh yeah, I had a ton of fun, too! More...
- Lucy Smith wins 6th Times Colonist 10k
Congratulations to Lucy, who two days after her 40th birthday, won her 6th Times Colonist 10k in 10 years, in a time of 34:20. The Victoria event hosted over 10,000 runners.
Newspaper coverage: 10,000 race for fun and fitness at TC 10K. Ryan Hayden, Lucy Smith win TC 10K. More...
- MEDIA RELEASE: SUBARU to Title the West Coast Triathlon Series
April 27, 2007: LifeSport Coaching announced today that Subaru Canada has signed on as the title sponsor for the newly created West Coast Triathlon Series. The 2007 Subaru West Coast Triathlon Series will be comprised of three international Triathlon events that will be held on the West Coast of Canada. The three events are the Victoria International Half-Iron at Shawnigan Lake the Sooke International Half-Iron Triathlon, and the soon to be announced Half-Iron that will be held in the fall on the Lower Mainland. These events will all feature local and international elite athletes as well as amateur participants from across North America. Visit www.Subaru.ca
- Jasper Blake: Victoria Secrets, Part 2.
As posted on Triathlete Magazine Online, www.TriathleteMag.com
2006 Ironman Canada Champion Jasper Blake is contributing to Triathletemag.com monthly as he prepares for the 2007 season, where he hopes to add another Ironman title to his resume and to tackle the inaugural Victoria International Half Iron on May 26th. Jasper loans his insights as a full time elite athlete on training the big miles, with a keen eye for the lighter side of triathlon >>>
Everyone can train hard and put in big miles, but it’s the ability to recover from the madness that makes you faster. I have two workouts every week that I would consider among my most important. One is a 2km easy swim after my big ride day. It stretches out my back and flushes out the legs. I would guess that it cuts my recovery time in half. The other workout is a 90-minute easy spin on the bike. I do the same loop every week and I do it as much for physical regeneration as mental inspiration. More...
- Team Mates Once Again - by Kim Loeffler
-
My twin sister Kelly and I have been teammates for most of our athletic careers. We ran track and cross country in High School and at the University of Massachusetts. After College we moved to Boston to pursue graduate degrees and ran with a great running club; The Boston Athletic Association (BAA). Since then, Kelly has moved several times pursuing her athletic dream of making the Olympic Team for the marathon. It has been 7 years since Kelly and I have lived in the same state. Last December, Kelly moved to Burlington Vermont and in addition to having my old training partner back, I am so excited to announce that Kelly and I will be teammates once again in 2007! Kelly has just joined the Timex Triathlon Team and will be racing with me in Lake Placid and Kona! More...
- Brent McMahon Qualifies for Pan American Games Team!
Congratulations to Brent McMahon, who qualified for the Pan American Games this weekend at the World Cup in Ishigaki, Japan.
Brent placed 9th in the ultra competitive World Cup race, his 2nd best career World Cup finish.
The Pan American Games are a multi sport games, like the Olympics, and are considered the tune up games for the Olympics. They will be held during July in Rio, Brazil.
26 year old McMahon been coached by Lance Watson for 10 years.
- Jasper Blake: Victoria Secrets, Part 1.
As posted on Triathlete Magazine Online, www.TriathleteMag.com
2006 Ironman Canada Champion Jasper Blake is contributing to Triathletemag.com monthly as he prepares for the 2007 season, where he hopes to add another Ironman title to his resume and to tackle the inaugural Victoria International Half Iron on May 26th. Jasper loans his insights as a full time elite athlete on training the big miles, with a keen eye for the lighter side of triathlon >>>
Today was day three of my second bike camp this season. I love this time of year, as it gives me a chance to mix-it-up and train with some of the best young pro cyclists in Victoria. More...
- Mensink, Murray Go 1-2 at LavaMan in Kona
LifeSport elite athletes Lisa Mensink and Carolyn Murray dominated the LavaMan Triathlon on April 1st. Mensink led from start to finish to capture victory, while Murray unleashed her formidable run onto the lava fields of Kona, storming through for 2nd.
Triathlete Magazine coverage here...
Pictured left:
Champion Lisa Mensink with her Coach, Paul Regensburg.- Lava Camp Round Up. Stories and Pictures.
* DAY 1, Triathlete Magazine: "Hitting the lagoon- Top tips for improved tri performance from the Waikoloa Lava Camp" More...
* DAY 2, Triathlete Magazine: "Powering up- Taking on the Hualalai climb, and the sport's mental challenges". More...
* DAY 3, Triathlete Magazine: "A trip to the lab". More...
* PICTURES. Day 1.
* PICTURES. Day 2.
* PICTURES. Day 3.
Also...
*Triathlete Magazine: Checking out the Lava Camp More...
*Chris Lieto Goes Back to Kona as a Coach More...
-
- Lisa Bentley Guts It Out in Australia.
-
Today was probably my hardest Ironman to date and probably my greatest victory to date – what a way to celebrate my 30th career Ironman! I did not win the race – in fact – I did not even crack the top ten – but I still won the race because I crossed the finish line and I finished what I started. That, at the very core, is the only thing that matters when you tackle any task – you do your best and you find meaning in whatever happens. More...
- Linsey Corbin's race report: Oceanside 70.3
-
I am back in Montana after my first triathlon of the season, California 70.3. I went down to Oceanside this past weekend and raced my way to an 8th place finish in a very competitive race. I am happy to report that my training is right where it needs to be, and I came back from the race ready to train harder and race my heart out in 2007! This was my first time racing in Oceanside, and I had a great experience: the course was awesome, the crowd support was above and beyond, I made it to the podium, and I got to see some friends, too! More...
- Lisa Bentley in Australia, the week before Ironman
Report #1, March 26: It is funny – obviously coming here for my 6th Ironman and having won here 5 times, presents a lot of pressure – but that said, I cannot imagine not being here. I would rather risk everything than to not be part of this great sporting country on one of its greatest sporting days. I know that the women I am racing want to beat me so badly, but I am prepared to race with that bulls-eye on my back because the thought of not being here makes me too sad. And for me, sport is all about what makes me happy and racing Ironman Australia makes me very happy! More...
Report #2, March 29:I suppose it wasn’t until yesterday that the race became very real. I had a Powerbar question and answer session in the expo, then the official press conference and television interviews. I also picked up my race packet. Normally, this can be a little bit stressful because you realize that you are really going to do a race and it is going to be a big effort. More...
- NEW RACE ANNOUNCEMENT! Sooke International Half Iron and Sprint. JULY 22nd
LifeSport Coaching announced today that Sooke, BC, will host the second stop on the new long distance triathlon series. The Sooke International Half-Iron and Sprint Triathlon will take place on July 22nd, 2007. The event will be staged in the magnificent setting of the rural and urban sides of Sooke, a beautiful ocean-side community located in the western communities of Greater Victoria. The event promises to be a real “rural meets urban” feeling of one of BC’s fastest growing regions utilizing Young Lake, local roads, and the Sooke downtown corridor. This event will feature local and international elite athletes as well as amateur participants from across North America. Lucy Smith, Ironman Competitor stated, “It is great to see the Sooke community get involved and behind this event”. Registration will open on March 24th, 2007 at www.LifeSport.ca- Chris Lieto wins ITU Honduras Triathlon
Three-time Ironman champion pulls off short course victory. 
March 19, 2007 – Bay Islands, Honduras
Three-time Ironman champion and long course specialist Chris Lieto stepped out of his comfort zone this past weekend just long enough to capture the win at the ITU Pan American Cup triathlon in Bay Islands, Honduras. Lieto, who had not raced an Olympic distance triathlon in nearly three years, used his signature bike power and an improved run to grab the top spot on the podium in an overall time of 2:02:15.
“I’ve been so focused on long-course racing the last five years, I decided to mix it up and see how I would do against the short course guys in a draft-legal race,” commented Lieto. More...
- NEW! May 26th Sprint Race at Shawnigan Lake
- *NEW! Sprint Race added May 26th in Shawnigan Lake!
- The Flu Won't Hold Her back! Kim Loeffler Reports from New Zealand.
-
I can’t believe it is March 4th and I already have 2 races under my belt! I usually kick off my race season in May at Wildflower. This year, I decided to try some new races and take advantage of the opportunity to visit different parts of the world. Training for a March Ironman in Vermont was quite the challenge. We had out typical cold Vermont winter and I was forced to do all but 2 weeks of my bike training indoors. Luckily, my coach Lance is very good at making indoor bike workouts interesting and I was able to get in all my long rides with out too much psychosis... More... - IRONMAN NEW ZEALAND: Podium for Kim Loeffler!
LifeSport elite triathlete Kim Loeffler (coached by Lance Watson) added more hardware to her trophy cabinet this weekend with a 3rd place finish at Ironman New Zealand.
Ironman star Joanna Lawn led from start to finish, while Loeffler battled from behind to post the day's best run, a world class 3:09 marathon.
LifeSport coach Dan Smith also had a thrill when the leading swimmer emerged from the water. I wasn't pro studs Cameron Brown or Luke Bell. It was Bill Daniell, coached by Dan, who was first out in 46:10 - what a swim! Bill had a great day racing in the 35-39 age group, finishing up in 10 hours and 12 minutes.
For more visit www.Ironman.com
Photo from www.Ironman.com
- LAVA CAMP: Chris Lieto Goes Back to Kona as a Coach
* LAVA CAMP itinerary is now posted * GO HERE... 
After a stellar 2006 season, American triathlon star Chris Lieto has confirmed that he will be in Kona in early April as a guest coach for the LavaCamp Triathlon Camp. Chris returns to the site of the Hawaii Ironman where he was the top American finisher last fall. Chris is becoming a legend in the sport and holds Ironman bike records on 3 different Ironman courses. He will join Olympic and Pro Ironman Coaches Lance Watson and Paul Regensburg for this 3-day triathlon camp at the beautiful Hilton Waikoloa.
The camp is designed for athletes to improve their triathlon skills, knowledge, and build early season fitness in a warm and sunny climate. A variety of training sessions, seminars, and socializing will provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to train on the legendary Kona Ironman course. Other confirmed LifeSport pro athletes include Canadian Elite Athlete Carolyn Murray and Dutch National Team Member Lisa Mensink. The camp will take place in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the Lavaman Triathlon and a Women’s Only and Kids Camp will also be offered. Space is limited and all levels are welcome. For more information and registration please visit www.lifesport.ca.
- Iron Will: The Ironman is the Next Ultimate Fitness Achievement
Toronto Star, Jan 30, 2007: Running a marathon was once the everyman's Everest. "People of all shapes and sizes who like to run and compete are doing (the marathon)," says Jay Glassman, race director of the Toronto Marathon. "It's an easy sport to do. You compete against yourself."
So what is a highly competitive overachiever to do but step it up a notch? Enter the Ironman. It's set to become the new benchmark for the hardcore amateur athlete.
It's not so difficult to understand the attraction of professional athletes to the sport, such as Caledon resident and 10-time Ironman champion Lisa Bentley. To place first on the podium in such a demanding sport is an accomplishment. More...- Kim Loeffler Reports from Chile.
-
It’s January and that means that it is time to get out of off season mode and get back into training mode! After having a disappointing race in Hawaii due to a stomach virus, I was eager to kick off my 2007 race season.
Pucon, Chile, is a place I have always wanted to visit and after spending 5 days there, I can see why it earned the title as “The Most Beautiful Half Ironman in the World”. The race had everything that makes a great race; meticulous organization, challenging terrain and top notch competition. More...
- 6 Years In a Row! Lisa Wins the Classic 1/2 Iron in Pucon, Chile
Hello from South America – it was another exciting day at the office – maybe a bit too exciting for January and the first race of the season!!!! I won my 6th consecutive Pucon Half Ironman title by 11 seconds. More...
- Montana’s Only Pro Female Triathlete Takes Quick Ride to the Top
-
Most women envision a Hawaiian honeymoon spent lounging on a sunny beach while sipping a Mai Tai. Linsey Corbin, Montana's only professional female triathlete and one of the youngest women in the pros, found her post-wedding bliss preparing for a different sort of Hawaiian vacation -- training for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona.
The Ironman is an endurance race comprised of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run in succession. Everyone's idea of a dream honeymoon, right?
But the dream shifted when, three days after her August 26th wedding in Bend, Oregon, 25-year-old Corbin was hit by a truck while biking. More... - Pro Athletes Confirm for Victoria International Half-Iron
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN -
Victoria, BC, Canada-
LifeSport Coaching announced today that US Long Course Triathlon Champion, Kim Loeffler, and Ironman Canada Champion, Jasper Blake, have confirmed to race at the inaugural Victoria International Half-Iron Triathlon on May 26th, 2007.
Loeffler, who was 8th at the 2005 Hawaii Ironman and the 2004 Ironman USA Champ, stated "I am really excited to race in Victoria; I keep hearing how beautiful it is there, so this race gives me the chance to experience it first hand". The event will be staged with the stunning backdrop of Vancouver Island's Cowichan Valley utilizing spectacular Shawnigan Lake, local parks, and the Trans Canada Trail with dramatic views of the historical Kinsol Trestle Bridge. Registration opens this Thursday, January 11th, and with limited spots, race organizers are expecting a sell out. Additional information and registration is available at www.LifeSport.ca - Media Release: LifeSport Announces the Victoria International Half Iron Triathlon
- Dec 13, Victoria B.C.
LifeSport Coaching is proud to announce the 1st Annual "Victoria International Half Iron Triathlon".
Registration begins January 11.
The event will take place at Shawnigan Lake and feature breathtaking scenery, historic landmarks, and world class organization. More... - Stars Expected for LifeSport's New Victoria International Half-Iron
Registration opens Jan. 11. On the web: www.lifesport.ca -
Ironman Canada champion Jasper Blake, at the Read Crew House yesterday, motioned out the picture windows to the bucolic Shawnigan Lake scene. Who wouldn't want to race there, he asked.
Vancouver Island, training home to some of the world's best triathletes, will have another event in which to showcase the sport with the first annual Victoria International Half-Iron Triathlon May 26 at Shawnigan Lake. More...
Picture: Charlene Waldner, left, Jasper Blake and Lucy Smith are all smiles after hearing Shawnigan Lake will host an annual half-iron triathlon. Blake won the 2006 Ironman Canada championship. Waldner and Smith are top Ironman competitors.
Photograph by : John McKay, Times Colonist
- Media Release: LifeSport Announces the Victoria International Half Iron Triathlon
- Dec 13, Victoria B.C.
LifeSport Coaching is proud to announce the 1st Annual "Victoria International Half Iron Triathlon".
Registration begins January 11.
The event will take place at Shawnigan Lake and feature breathtaking scenery, historic landmarks, and world class organization. More... - 2006 Season in Review:
Bentley, Smith, McMahon, Lieto and Company Lead a Incredible Year of Performances for LifeSport Coaching. - 2006 was a banner year for LifeSport athletes racing around the globe, with unparalleled international success at every distance and discipline.
Several athletes had outstanding international seasons including Lisa Bentley, Brent McMahon, Lucy Smith, Chris Lieto, Kim Loeffler, Kirsten Sweetland, Carolyn Murray and more.
To read more about the incredible seasons of our LifeSport team, go here...
- 70.3 Half Ironman World Championships: Silver Medal for Bentley
-
Hello from Florida – SURPRISE – I raced in the 70.3 World Championships on Saturday in Clearwater, Florida and I had a blast! It was my ‘two for one’ fitness race – I used my fitness from my third place finish at the Hawaii Ironman and carried it for three more weeks through to the first ever Half Ironman (70.3) World Champs. It is so interesting how we peak for a race like the Hawaii Ironman World Championship – we are at peak fitness for that race - and then we have our off-season and don’t race again for another few months. All of that fitness gets ‘wasted’ never mind the fitness gained from that actual Hawaii Ironman race day! But with the announcement of the 70.3 World Champs, I had an opportunity to tap into this huge level of fitness twice – once for Hawaii (which was the focus) and then again for the Half-Ironman (the bonus). The key would be maximizing my recovery from the Hawaii Ironman – that would be the challenge. Three weeks is not enough recovery time after an Ironman event, but having raced 28 Ironmans, I do recover more quickly now than I used to in my early Ironman years. My physiotherapist, Steve Hill, ART guru, Dr. Mark Scapaticci and my coach, Lance Watson, all gave me the thumbs up. More...
Photo: Paul Lieto, www.trifuel.com - 70.3 Worlds: Amazing Results for LifeSport Athletes
- Clearwater, Florida was a season-ending finale for many and some great results were had. Congrats to some of our athletes in the "Sub-5" club:
-Chris Lieto: 3:57:41
-Lisa Bentley: 4:14:30
-Aaron Altura: 4:22:17
-Dan Ederer: 4:37:28
-Anim Swart: 4:54:19
Picture:"Hang Loose" from Chris Lieto at the finish line in Clearwater. Photo: Ironman.com - Murray Mixes it in New Zealand
LifeSport Elite Team member Carolyn Murray raced to a very respectable 13th place at the New Plymouth World Cup in New Zealand this weekend.
Says her coach Paul Regensburg, "Carolyn ran a career best 10km off the bike 35:47 and proved to herself she can run amongst the best in the World Cup. This give her a lot of confidence going into 207, the primary Olympic Qualifying year."
Results
Photo: ITU
- Ironman Florida Round Up: Top 10 for Waldner. Morraci win 25-29 in 9:09.
- Congrats to Team LifeSport at Ironman Florida. There were some interesting stories on the weekend
-Of note was Charlene Waldner (pictured left) cracking her 2nd top 10 finish of the year (she was 4th at IM Canada) in 10:02.
-Cheryl Murphy joined LifeSport this summer and subsequently did her first injury free Ironman in 10:24:34. This was on the heels of a P.B. 1/2 Marathon of 1:18.
-Jodi Joye did her 2nd Ironman in 2 weeks, racing both Kona and Florida.
-Jamie Morraci came to LifeSport 1 year ago to see how good he could be. Under the leadership of coach Paul Regensburg, Jamie did an astounding 9:09:41 to win the 25-29 category and finish 4th amateur overall. - Xterra World Champs: McMahon is 6th, Rolles is 12th.
Brent McMahon once again proved he is amongst the best in the World in Xterra off-road triathlon. Posting the best swim and run splits, he finished 6th behind eventual winner Hamish Carter, the 2004 Olympic Gold Medallist.
Says McMahon, "I would have like to be on the podium again this year, but I gave what I had and I am satisfied. This year has had some ups and downs with injury. To be back in shape and in the mix on race day was great."
Ingrid Rolles raced her 2nd Xterra Worlds as a pro and moved up from last year to place 12th in a much more competitive field The former age group World Champion was also happy with her performance and said, "I felt much more on-task and kept pushing the whole way. I think this performance will help me take another step next season."
XTERRA results here...
XTERRA Triathlete Mag Coverage here...
XTERRA Inside Triathlon Coverage here...
photo: Rich Cruse, XTERRA- Linsey Corbin: Kona Rookie Pro
-
Hi all,
After several long hard hours in the lava fields on Saturday, I thought I would give you a few reflections on the Hawaii race and the week that I have had. Racing an Ironman is so bizarre, because you are out there working so hard for so long (10 hours and 6 minutes) yet the day goes by so fast. Race morning was fairly normal, but my nervousness reached an all time high, here I was at the worlds, racing as a pro!!
My mantra for the whole day was "there is no other place I would rather be right now, than right here, right now." I hate to get sappy, but pretty much I have had the best year of my life (not just athletically) and exceeded all expectations I had set for myself on January 1, 2006. more... - LifeSport in Kona - What a Day!!!
Team LifeSport had a great day at the Hawaii Ironman World Champs yesterday, led by Lisa Bentley (3rd place, top Canadian) and Chris Lieto (9th place, top American)
From left to right: Lisa Bentley (3rd, 9:25:18), coach Lance Watson, Linsey Corbin (23rd, 10:06:58), Kim Loeffler (15th, 9:48:40) and Chris Lieto (9th, 8:27:37). Picture: Paul Lieto.
It was an awesome day out there!!
- Pre-Xterra Worlds: Triathlete Mag Interviews Melanie McQuaid and LifeSport's Brent McMahon.
-
Victoria, British Columbia's Melanie McQuaid and Brent McMahon have burned up the '06 off-road circuit. Two-time XTERRA world champ McQuaid finished second in Temecula, won the southeast champs in Alabama, took second in Richmond and Milwaukee and won the mountain champs in Utah. McMahon's resume isn't half bad either. So far in 2006, he finished just 44 seconds behind Olympic gold medalist Hamish Carter at XTERRA New Zealand, won in Temecula and Alabama, finished second in Richmond and third in Milwaukee. More...
- Chris Lieto Top American at Ironman Hawaii
-
October 26, 2006 – San Francisco, CA – Danville California resident Chris Lieto topped off the most successful year in his young career by crossing the line in 9th place at the Ford Ironman World Championships held this past Sunday, October 21st in Kailua-Kona Hawaii. In doing so, Lieto secured his first top 10 finish in Kona and also grabbed the coveted title of top American to break the finishing line tape. More... - Lisa Bentley's Reflections: 1 Day After Kona
Good morning – Yesterday was the toughest last 60 minutes of running I have ever had to do – it wasn’t the fastest – but it was the toughest!
I had the swim of my life getting out of the water with Karen Smyers and less than 2 minutes behind Belinda Granger and Jo Lawn. I had the bike ride of my life catching the Jo Lawn, Gina Kehr and Kate Allen pack by about 40 km to go. I let them go in the final 20 km after getting sick of playing the “speed up and slow down” game associated with being swallowed up in a huge pack of age group men – I wasn’t going to risk a drafting call or win this race wondering if I had an unfair advantage. Integrity and fear won out and I got off the bike a bit over a minute behind that pack and a solid 11 minutes down on the leader Michellie Jones. More...
- Earthquake in Kona: 6 Days till Ironman.
- As many have heard, there was 6.5 earth quake off Kona today. A few of the hotel were damaged and closed, there was damage to the roads and highways, and power was put out.
During the quake I was out running in the cane fields with Brent McMahon, here on Maui. We felt NOTHING! - bizarre. When we got back to the little town of Paia all power was out, shops closed, and our neighbors (locals) were driving to higher grounds for fear of Tsunami.
Other athletes here had different experiences. Read Below:
Lisa Bentley:
It was wicked. I was out running on the Queen K in the middle of nowhere – out here in Waikoloa near Mauna Lani and Puako – and this sound came up – like a freight train or when you are driving and only have one window open and you are driving at high speeds - and then the road started to shake and I screamed and couldn’t believe it – I saw rocks falling – of course – I kept on running – then another hit – it was a weird sensation – very weird. Dave was out on his bike at the time and he thought he was going to crash. He knew it was an earthquake whereas I thought that it was me being a little nutty. He stopped his bike and then saw big rock boulders – as big as a car - falling on the road up ahead. He made his way home very carefully – careful of the aftershock and careful of the rock faces. When we both returned to the Hilton, it had been evacuated. The power was out – some of the beautiful antique tables and vases at the Hilton are overturned and broken – it is such a shame. In our room, a table was overturned and my lucky new Dell helmets were on the floor (they were on display on my television before!!). Our room usually looks as if an earthquake hit so now I have a good gauge before I use that expression!
Linsey Corbin:
Hope you are safe after this mornings excitement. I was swimming when it happened! Talk about working out in a washing machine!!
Kim Loeffler:
I was drinking coffee when it hit. The condo was shaking like crazy, I thought the ceiling fans were going to fall, pictures were falling off the walls, stuff was flying off the shelves and shattering. A vase fell off the wall and the glass cut my leg. I've never experienced that before, crazy.
- Checking in With Chris Lieto: 8 Days till Ironman.
-
For the last 4 weeks I have been training in Maui getting ready for the big race of the year. The World Championships in Kona are just a little over a week away. The last 4 weeks have had some great training days and most recently a little relaxing days as I start my taper. I have ridden around the Island of Maui a couple times and have covered almost every road here. I know some of the roads better than some locals now. The weather has been hot and humid especially the last 2 weeks as the wind has slowed and allowed the heat to rise a little. Most recently my coach, Lance Watson and Xterra World Champion contender and my pick Brent McMahon have joined me for the last week of my taper before I head over to Kona. It has been a lot of fun to train with Brent and Lance as Brent is a strong climber on the bike and has really helped me in my running and swimming in the last week. It is motivating and encouraging to train together as we both are preparing for big races in the next couple weeks. To have someone pushing you and encouraging you on your last few key workouts really helps and I think It will help me as I am out in the energy lab next week and hopefully it will help him a little as he is running on Makena Beach heading for the finish.
I have missed my family immensely the last couple weeks, but am very excited to see them again in a couple days. I can't wait to get to Kona and relax a little and hang out in the pool with my son Kaiden and my wife Karis. Both who have been extremely supportive and are a inspiration to race at my limit and beyond in just over a week.
I look forward to seeing everyone out on the race course or as soon as I get back home. Thanks for all your support.
Chris Lieto - National Championship "Hat Trick" for Lucy Smith
Lucy Smith won her third National Title for 2006 in Ottawa this weekend at the Timex National 10km Road Running Championships. A gutsy run saw Smith finish :14 seconds clear of renowned marathoner Nicole Stevenson, and several national team athletes. Lucy has also won the Canadian 1/2 Marathon and Canadian Duathlon titles this season.
In reporting to her coach Lance Watson, said Smith, "I had a successful day! Another good race, though it did hurt like crazy for the last 2k, when I decided I better go through 7 more minutes of pain in order to sew up the win! I won, in 33:52, slower that I thought I would run but there was a lot of uphill from 3-8k. Sort of long gradual inclines. I started fast, in 3:07 because I felt like driving the pace and seeing what would happen. Only Nicole was with me at 2k and we sort of ran together, but she was always behind and I could feel that she was rallying hard to stick with me - she is very tough! So at 8k (I had scoped out my GO place as I was heading out) I turned it up a notch and hammered home. I knew I could go hard until 9 (another little crest) and then it was all downhill from there and I was totally concentrating on turnover and figured nobody would catch me then.
Top 5:
1 Lucy Smith 33:52.6
2 Nicole Stevenson 34:06.1
3 Andrea Grove 34:14.0
4 Lisa Harvey 34:40.4
5 Lauren King 34:49.8
- Lisa Bentley's "Hello from Kona": 10 days till Ironman.
Hi there from Kona – I have now been in Kona for about 11 days and I am almost about to start my taper. I have been writing updates for that cell phone update thingy advertised on the Tri Dubai website (www.tridubai.com) – and I keep forgetting to cut and paste them to my website – so I’ll give a little brief overview.
Since Subaru Ironman Canada (yes, I am working on my race report but it is hard to work here in Hawaii!!!), I have been recovering and getting healthy. I must admit that I let my physiotherapy slide a bit this summer. I was pretty busy this summer with many exciting things – I was a commentator for CBC Sports’ coverage of the ITU World Cups, I was training for Subaru Ironman Canada and I ran a training camp for the Cops 4 Cancer group in Edmonton. There wasn’t a lot of energy or time for physiotherapy. Well, that haunted me at Subaru Ironman Canada with some niggly aches and pains but after some very aggressive physiotherapy, massage, acupuncture and ART, I am feeling 100%. It is interesting what you can do when both legs are working at full capacity.
The day after the awards at Subaru IM Canada, I was off to Lausanne, Switzerland to do the commentary with Scott Russell and Barrie Shepley for the ITU World Championships on September 3rd. That was one heck of a travel day – drive from Penticton to Kelowna, fly Kelowna to Toronto, 2 hour stopover, fly Toronto to Munich, fly Munich to Geneva, train to Montreux and check into the hotel! It truly was planes, trains and automobiles!!! Of course, I LOVED doing the commentary for the World Champs and it was equally wonderful to watch Dave race in the Age Group World Champs the day before the professionals!
After a few weeks at home, I was off to Hawaii where I met my training partner and Tri Dubai teammate, Craig Alexander. Craig is a short course and half Ironman specialist – winner of Lifetime Fitness 2005, Chicago, St. Croix and almost any other race he toes the line of. We have had some amazing training – tough days – easier days – great rides – amazing runs – awesome swims! It has been a fantastic training camp. Today was our last big, fast run – it was all good! And now it is off for a swim! That is, when the Detroit Tigers and the NY Yankees are done their playoff game – I think Detroit is going to win – it is 8 to 1 in the 8th!!!
Lisa Bentley
www.lisabentley.com- McMahon "Nailed" for Xterra Series Win at Lake Tahoe.
Brent McMahon was on track to win the Xterra series going in the final at Lake Tahoe with a commanding points lead. McMahon, who had gashed his knee in Milwaukee, was forced to miss the last event in Ogden after receiving stitches to his patellar tendon and several rounds of intravenous antibiotics for recurring infections in the injured area. Courageously he overcame that setback and nearly 4 weeks of non-training to toe the line for the series final. A 4th fastest swim and 2nd fastest run should have secured the series win for him, but his hopes were derailed when a nail ripped into his tire costing him 13 minutes on the bike as he frantically tried to fix the tire. He was riding in 2nd spot at the time.
LifeSport want to congratulate Brent for soldiering through injury and technical difficulties to still finish 2nd in the North American tour. It was a gutsy comeback and performance, all factors considered.
Also of note was Ingrid Rolles, who finished 8th in the series. Ingrid competed in every series race this season. Way to go Ingrid!
More on the race and series results here...
- Kirsten Sweetland is....WORLD CHAMPION!!!
Congratulations to Kirsten Sweetland for being the first Canadian Junior Woman ever to win gold at World Juniors. Kirsten powered to a convincing win in Switzerland on the hilly sprint distance race. The amazing thing is that Kirsten is still only 17 years old!
Congratulations also go to Lucy Smith, her coach and mentor, for a superb job in preparing Kirsten to perform on the world stage!
ITU results page here...
- How Sweet it is...
- World champion triathlete Kirsten Sweetland is like a sponge when it comes to soaking up tips on racing from her top-notch training partners
Outside of race situations, Kirsten Sweetland is as sweet and unassuming as they come. Get her in a competitive environment and she morphs into a bear. Take the recent 2006 World Junior Triathlon Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, for example.
Sweetland shelved thoughts of last year's disappointment at her first Junior Worlds in Japan - running in the top four she collapsed from heat exhaustion in 40C weather with 400 metres to go - and captured the 2006 championship Sept. 2 with strong performances in all three disciplines.
It's all about learning for this soon-to-be 18-year-old Stelly's secondary grad; learning from her mistakes and applying the knowledge she has gained from her coaches and other mentors.
"I drank more on the bike and I was more careful about my nutrition in the week before," she explained this week, midway through a break from hard training following the historic win.
Sweetland's medal was the first world gold won by a Canadian woman in the junior division and the first gold for a Canadian junior since Victoria's Eric Myllymaki won the men's race in 1991.
Sweetland credited coach Lucy Smith, a top-notch international duathlete and distance runner in her own right, and fellow training partners at the Saanich Commonwealth Place-based National Triathlon Centre for inspiring and guiding her. More... - 1:15 Half Marathon Secures Victory for Lucy Smith
Lucy Smith kept her amazing season going Sunday with a 1:15:03 1/2 marathon victory at the "Harbour City 1/2 Marathon" in Nanaimo. Her time was good enough for 8th overall, and amazingly it was only 2 weeks after competing in Ironman Canada.
Read: "Favorites Cruise to Victory in "Daily News" 1/2 Marathon"It wasn't exactly a homecoming for Lucy Smith but she's more than happy to claim it as one.
The Victoria resident, who has strong ties to Nanaimo was a clear winner (1:15:01) by more than five minutes to take the women's crown at the 2006 Nanaimo Daily News Harbour City Half Marathon and 10K Road Race More...
Results...- On the Cover: Lisa Bentley!
Lisa is featured in the latest edition of Triathlon Magazine Canada! Go Here.
- LifeSport fills 3 of the top 8 spots at Ironman Canada
- Lisa Bentley lead the charge at Ironman Canada for LifeSport with yet another career podium. A fantastic 3:07 marathon brought her within 3 minutes of the win.
Charlene Waldner ran her way to a 4th place finish to the delight of her coach Paul Regensburg.
Lucy Smith, new to long distance racing, posted the third fastest bike split to take 8th. Both Lisa and Lucy are coached by Lance Watson.
Congratulations to all athletes who competed and way to go Michelle Ball, who, in her 3rd triathlon ever, qualified for Kona. Michelle joined LifeSport 5 months ago as a complete newbie to the sport, and under coach Regensburg's guidance, improved quickly to earn her starting spot at World Championships.
More... - Ironman Canada Picture Page
Check out the scenery and athletes at IMC 2006 Here...- Tri Guy vs. The Roadies.
-Check out Chris Lieto's report on the grueling Tour of Utah -
www.ChrisLieto.com: What a week of training. I decided to do my Ironman training a little different this year. Not your typical Ironman prep. I joined some of the top UCI Pro cyclists in the nation for a stage race in Utah. More...
- 3 Podiums- Another Great Weekend For LifeSport in Kelowna and TimberMan
- August 20- Congrats to Carolyn Murray (Silver) and Lisa Mensink (Bronze), both coached by Paul Regensburg, at the Pan American Triathlon in Kelowna, B.C. This allowed them to score valuable Olympic qualifying points.
At the Timberman 70.3 1/2 Ironman this weekend, Kim Loeffler (coached by Lance Watson), scored a third place finish behind legend Karen Smyers, and Ironman star Kate Major. All 3 women finished in the top 10 at Kona last year. Triathlete Magazine story here... - On the Cover...Lucy Smith
Click above for full view and story- Lisa Bentley- Tri Dubai Training Camp in Kona
Hi there – I am just returning from a training week in Kona with my Tri Dubai teammates. For me, it was a final preparation week for Subaru Ironman Canada on August 27th and an introduction to my preparations for the upcoming Ironman World Championships in October. More...
- Lucy Smith is National Champion...Again!
- August 13th 2006, EDMONTON - Steve Osaduik of Nanaimo, B.C., and Lucy Smith of Victoria placed
first in the men’s and women’s competition respectively on Sunday at the 2006 Canadian Half Marathon Championships.
In the women’s 21 kilometre race, the 39-year-old Smith waged a tough battle with Edmonton resident Aster Demissie who won the race in one hour and 14:22 minutes. However Demissie, an Ethiopian native, is not yet a Canadian citizen.
Smith earned the Canadian title clocking 1:14:25 followed in order by Lisa Harvey of Calgary in 1:18:20, Tania Jones of Richmond Hill, Ont., in 1:18:28 and Leslie Gold of Montreal 1:20:51.
Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Toronto, the national marathon champion in May, withdrew halfway through the race due to an injury.
Smith has more than a dozen Canadian titles to her credit in events such as the duathlon and various 10 kilometre races. In two weeks she’ll compete at Ironman Canada in Penticton, B.C.
‘’I’m still getting into top shape but I was pleased to finish so close to Aster and be competitive,’’ said Smith, 39, who had her second child in 2005. ‘’I always feel national championships are very important races and I try and find a way to get to them. I like to support these events.’’
- 3rd For Brent McMahon, 6th for Ingrid Rolles in Xterra Mud-Fest:
Storm at Xterra Mid-West Champs Forces Change to Duathlon! -
From TriathleteMag.com: Misery loves company, and Stoltz had a full house today. McMahon was a prime example, slipping while carrying his bike down a mandatory dismount section and landing his knee straight onto a sharp rock jutting out of the dirt. His knee split wide open and required 16 stitches post-race (including two in the patellar tendon). “It didn’t bother me while I was riding and I got off on the run and had to pin it [go hard] and see what I could do,” said McMahon, who had the fastest run of the day and caught Gillen and Francisco Serrano to finish third.
“It was insane, like a skating rink,” described McMahon, who’s still in the driver’s seat of the pro series. “It got muddier and muddier and more and more slippery. It was tough, but tough for everyone and it was still a fun day to be out in the rain”. more...
Xterra Planet Results...
photo: Rich Cruse/Xterra click for full image - Lucy Smith at Worlds- In Her Own Words.
-
I am flying home from Newfoundland with a piece of the Rock. No, I didn’t go and hack a chunk out of Cornerbrook. Two days after I had wanted to ride my bike out to the Blow Me Down mountains just to see what they were like, I won a Silver medal at the World Championships in Duathlon, and serendipitously, the race organizers gave me my own chunk of rock from the Blow Me Down Mountains as a trophy.I am coming home from this trip with a lot more than a piece of rock and a Silver medal. True to the lore surrounding this race, to race in Cornerbrook is an experience you don’t soon forget, and I have a week full of great moments and memories that make my Second World Championship medal—one that comes a full 10 years after my first—special in so many ways. More...
- 10 years coming- SILVER MEDAL for Lucy Smith at World Duathlon Championships!
10 years ago, Lucy Smith stood on the podium in Ferrara, Italy sporting a shiny Silver Medal. Still new to the sport, it didn't dawn on Smith at the time that it would be such a long journey to once again return to the top of the World in a sport as grueling as the Duathlon. 10 years and two children later, Smith once again won Silver.
The hills of Cornerbrook, NFLD challenged the athletes for a 10k run, 40k bike and another 5k run. The draft legal race splintered on the bike, and Lucy rode with eventual race winner Catriona Morrison for half the ride. After losing ground on one of the steep climbs in the 6 loop bike course, Lucy made a tactical decision to protect the Silver, as she was 1:30 up on a group of chasing women.
"I felt strong from my Ironman Training, but a bit like I didn't have the sprint speed or anaerobic capacity of some of the younger women", said the 39 year old Smith, who is coached by Lance Watson. "My legs where burning on the bike, and I felt like I need to be careful not to blow up for the 2nd run. It was so hilly, and so hard".
Smith was jubilant afterwards. "I could retire tomorrow and feel satisfied. I was really pleased with my race. I raced smart and gave it everything I had"
Congratulations to Kirsten Sweetland (coached by Lucy Smith) for a Silver Medal performance as well, in the World Junior Category. 17 year old Sweetland looks in fine form the World Triathlon Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, in early September.
As well, Mike Davis (coached by Dan Smith) of Fredericton NB was in Cornerbrook for the World Duathlon Championships. His time of 2:00:42 put him 6th in the hotly contested 35-39 year old age group.
Watch for Lucy's post race report.
- World Duathlon Photo Page
Run photo (left) by Delly Carr/ITU
Thanks to Barry Sweetland for the many photos on the photo page.
Go Here >>>
- Cops For Cancer: Lisa Bentley Runs Fundariser Camp for Cancer
- LifeSport Athlete and IronCop Michelle Ball Trains For Her First Ironman.
Michelle Ball decided she was going tackle the Ironman this year. By joining the Ironcops for Cancer, it became more that just a personal journey, but one that affects the lives of those less fortunate, as the Ironcops are a group that focus on raising funds for Cops for Cancer. (Visit the Ironcops here...)
Not wanting to go it alone, Michelle looked up LifeSport coach Paul Regensburg to help her along the way. Says coach Regensburg, "Michelle has done a wonderful job balancing a busy career as a crown attorney and an Ironman training program. In her first couple of triathlons Michelle has finished in the top 1/3 of the field, which is testament to her dedication".
Honorary Ironcop member Lisa Bentley reports "(husband) Dave and I are preparing to go to Edmonton this weekend. We are putting on a training camp for the Cops for Cancer athletes who are racing at Subaru IMC. Cops for Cancer is a group of people racing Ironman to raise funds and awareness for cancer. We were asked last year to be part of this special training weekend and so we are packing the bikes and heading west for a few days. It will be wonderful to share my Ironman racing and training experiences with these athletes. Dave has had some fantastic t-shirts made for each of the 53 athletes attending our weekend – I cannot wait for them to see the shirts which Subaru has generously helped us produce. PowerBar has provided us with lots of PowerBars, PowerGels and Protein Bars and Tri Dubai has helped us to organize and advertise this camp. All of my sponsors are always instrumental in everything that I do and so a huge thank you for everyone’s support. In fact, Camp Goodtimes (a division of Cops for Cancer) – a camp for children with cancer – is the official Tri Dubai charity that I am racing for at Subaru Ironman Canada. So this weekend is a lot more than just a training weekend!" - Kim Loeffler Reports From Wisconsin
-
This year, The Spirit of Racine Triathlon served as the USA National Long Course Championships. After a two-week recovery block, and one week of training, I was eager to put my last race behind me, get back into race mode and test my fitness.
The 1.2-mile swim was a point-to-point swim along Lake Michigan’s pristine lakefront. It is one of the bluest and cleanest lakes I have seen in a while. We had to run about 150 yards on the sandy beach, which made transition times a bit slow, but as far as I’m concerned the more running the better! There were a few ITU girls in the field who swam very fast and I started the bike 5 minutes off the front. Quite a deficit to overcome, but I have been working very hard to improve my swimming and I know it’s just a matter of time, until I am able to close that gap. Coming off of a recovery block and unsure of my level of fitness, I started the bike conservatively and eased into the ride. As the miles passed, my legs seemed to feel stronger and stronger. I rolled into T2 in 3rd place, closing the gap to 2.5 minutes. I felt very strong at the end of the bike and knew if I paced myself, I would have a strong run as well. The run course was a double out and back along the beautiful Lake Michigan coastline with a quick jaunt through the Racine Zoo. I ran consistent splits and moved into 2nd place at the 6-mile mark. As I was running to the last turnaround, I saw a blur of Lisa Bentley as she stormed by me like she was running a 10K! She is an exceptional athlete and I congratulate her on another impressive win. I held on to second place to win the US Long Course National Championships.
It is a great feeling to have won my 3rd National Championship. I struggled a great deal in my last Ironman and this win confirms that my training for Hawaii is on track. I believe success gives us confidence, but adversity makes us stronger. To be a true champion, you must experience both. I’m looking forward to the rest of my race season, which includes Timberman 70.3, a few short course races and the Ironman World Championships. Special thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years: My sponsors; Timex, PowerBar, 180s, Biobuilde, Quintana Roo, and my coach Lance Watson, who has made me a physically and mentally stronger athlete, and all my family and friends who provide me with encouragement and support everyday. I am so fortunate to have you all in my life! - LifeSport 1-2 Punch in Racine
Lisa Bentley and Kim Loeffler took the top two spots on the podium this weekend in Wisconsin, at the Spirit of Racine 1/2 Ironman. After a strong swim, Lisa found herself in the lead part way through the bike. Despite starting the 1/2 marathon with a 3+ minute lead, as usual Lisa gave it her 100% best effort, and ran a stunning 1:19:45 half marathon split to win in a world class time of 4:17.
Kim Loeffler was also pleased with her effort. Rallying back from recent disappointment at Ironman Coeur D'Alene where she finished 11th, Kim showed that she certainly is still one of the best in the world, backing a 2:27 bike split (90km) with a 1:23 1/2 marathon. Results...
- Top 10 for Murray in Cornerbrook
Congrats to Carolyn Murray this weekend for a 9th place at the Cornerbrook World Cup. This was an exceptional result in a very classy field of champions. Results...
- Update from Brent McMahon
-
It has been busy these last five weeks for me. I Started off in June with two more Xterra Pro Series Races in a row in Pelham, Alabama and Richmond, Virginia. Then I had a weekend off and then two ITU races ITU Cup Brampton, Ontario (Canadian Nationals) and Edmonton, Alberta World Cup.
After winning the Opening Xterra Pro Series race in California I was leading the series and I had the number one racing plate for the first time in my Xterra career. With Conrad Stoltz four time Series Winner and my main rival from 2005 in the field for Alabama I was going to have to have my A game. More...
- LifeSport Athletes - Another Great Weekend!
- LifeSport athletes took the top two woman's spots this weekend at The Osoyoos Desert Half Ironman with record smashing performances by Lucy Smith (Coached by Lance Watson) and Charlene Waldner (Coached by Paul Regensburg).
Smith finished 10th overall (men and women), knocking 16 minutes off the previous course record. She closed the race out with a 1:25 half marathon, after a race leading bike split for the mountainous 90km bike leg.
Congrats also to Ben Cotter (Coached by Dan Smith) who in his first year with LifeSport Coaching scored a solid 8th place finish at the Osoyoos Half Ironman.
Race Results...
Kirsten Sweetland (Coached by Lucy Smith ) is once again the Jr. National Champion beating the field by over a minute and a half in Edmonton this weekend at the Edmonton Jr. Nationals.
Race Results...
Congratulations to Lisa Mensink (Coached by Paul Regensburg) who finished a brilliant 17th overall in her first ever World Cup.
- New Bike Pictures from the Desert Half Ironman
- Go Here...
- Carolyn Murray Races Towards Olympics
- Under guidance of Coach Regensburg, Murray looks towards 2008 
Carolyn Murray is winning the race to represent Canada at the 2008 Olympics.
Last year the St. Albert triathlete was the third-highest ranked female in Canada. She competed in her second world championship in a row and finished 26th overall on the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Cup circuit. More...- Breakthrough Nationals For Carolyn Murray First Podium at Nationals for Murray
- Carolyn Murray won Bronze at the Canadian National Championships today. Murray, striving for the 2008 Olympic team, fought hard to take the final podium spot. 1st place went to BC's Lauren Groves, and 2nd went to Kathy Tremblay from Quebec. The three worked hard on the bike to chase down breakaway swimmer Suzanne Weckend, and held of hard charging Samantha McGlone (2005 and 2006 Wildflower winner) on the run.
Says her coach, Paul Regensburg, "Carolyn did great job staying consistent out there. She has come off a major illness, some kind of bug she picked up in South Africa 2 weeks ago, and felt like she has more speed than she could show out there. It was a great effort, we are really pleased with the podium".
Lisa Mensink, also coached by Regensburg, had a breakthrough as well finishing 4th. Lisa contacted LifeSport early in 2006 looking for support to move onto the world stage. With a 5th place at the Honolulu International and a 4th in a stacked field this weekend, she is obviously headed in the right direction. - McMahon wins Bronze at Nationals Rough ride for 3rd.
- Brent McMahon knew it would be a tough race to win, going head to head with Simon Whitfield and Aussie superstar Courtney Atkinson. Atkinson, Colin Jenkins and Sean Bechtel had a phenomenal swim to carve out a :30 lead onto the bike. McMahon chased hard early in the bike and got within :05 of them when, according to his own admission, he was a little too aggressive and crashed on a sandy corner. He picked himself up only to find himself in the 2nd chase group. Meanwhile the lead group of 3 earned a 2:30 margin to start the run.
"We worked hard and caught back up to Simon's bike group (Chase group 1)", said McMahon. I felt good heading out onto the run, but Simon surged and gapped me on lap 2 (of 4). I turned it on for lap 3 and came within about :05 of catching Colin Jenkins at the finish. It was a little too little, too late". McMahon finished 3rd behind Whitfield (1st) and Jenkins (2nd).
"Brent did a great job of regrouping and finding some success after a nasty early crash. It would have been easy to quit", said Brent's coach, Lance Watson, "I guess he is getting used to crashing and getting back up with all the Xterra's he's been doing!" - Lucy Smith Runs a Season Best 34:05 wins HBC Canada Day 10k
Lucy Smith continues her amazing comeback from the birth of her son last year, getting closer to top form. Her time of 34:05 was her best this season by about 1 minute, and placed her 4th overall out of the men and the women. 2nd place in the women was national team triathlete Natasha Filliol, who also ran an impressive 34:43. Lucy was only 2:37 behind men's winner Jim Finlayson, who has represented Canada in Athletics. Results
- AJ Johnson 3rd at Ironman Coeur D'Alene First podium for rising star
- Last fall AJ looked up coach Paul Regensburg to take his game to a new level. At Ironman Coeur D'Alene he did just that finishing 3rd overall. Way to go AJ! Results
- Jodi Joye - Heading to Kona
- Congratulations to Jodi Joye for winning her Age Group at Ironman Brazil this this weekend!
As Beaufort native Jodi Joye began the marathon portion of the Ironman Brazil Triathlon on May 28, she chanted this mantra to herself to inspire her to keep her legs pumping: "Pain is temporary, glory is forever."
Joye had already been through a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride that had her calves tightening up as she started her 26.2-mile run. She thought about quitting, but she remembered what her trainer Lance Watson had told her about the marathon.
"Lance told me to try to maintain, and if you keep going, you'll eventually see them drop like flies," Joye said. More...
- LifeSport Weekend Round-up. 5 Podiums- A Fantastic Weekend of Results!
- Several LifeSport athletes took podium spots in international competition this weekend. (photo: Rich Cruise/Xterra)
Brent McMahon (coached by Lance Watson) took his first ever Xterra win (!!) in Temecula, California, leading from start to finish and dominating the field. Lisa Bentley (coached by Lance Watson) took third in an incredibly competitive race at the Florida 1/2 Ironman 70.3 with a career best swim, and a 1:21 1/2 marathon.
http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3
Carolyn Murray (coached by Paul Regensburg) scored a major podium finish in Mexico at the 70.3 race there, finishing ahead of Olympic Gold Medallist Kate Allen and Ironman star Kate Major. http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3
Lucy Smith (coached by Lance Watson) won her 5th National Duathlon Championships in Hamilton in a tactically savvy race, while Kirsten Sweetland (coached by Lucy Smith) won the junior category by a mere :02 in a duel to the line. http://www.multisportcanada.com/ms/events/showevent.cfm?showEventID=30
- Season Opener: Kim Loeffler 3rd at Wildflower Half Ironman
-
I’ve just returned home from the Wildflower Half Ironman where I had a solid season opener, finishing third, behind Sam McGlone and Natasha Badman. Not bad company!
Wildflower is one of my favorite races. The race site is located at Lake San Antonio, a beautiful venue and despite the level of competition, a laid back atmosphere. The course is diverse, consisting of steep hills, long climbs and single track trails. As a former collegiate cross country runner, I was excited to tackle the course. More... - Lisa Finishes 2nd in St. Croix 70.3
- Hello from St. Croix!
Yesterday morning, I had my best race ever in St. Croix! I finished 2nd place behind Mirinda Carfrae from Australia – winner of the Nice Triathlon and top finisher at many ITU World Cups. Joanna Zeiger, 4-time winner here at St. Croix finished 3rd.
Originally, I had planned to race Wildflower on Saturday May 6th, but I was privileged to be the keynote speaker at the Subaru National Dealer Meeting on Thursday May 4th. Dave and I decided that flying to Wildflower in California and arriving the day before the race was not the best preparation for a race that I had never done before and so I switched races. More...
- LifeSport Star Chris Lieto WINS Ironman Japan! Way to Go Chris!
From www.Ironman.com. In a race that promised much and gave even more, the USA’s Chris Lieto and Canadian born Californian, Heather Fuhr stamped their authority on the sixth Ironman Japan, Goto-Nagasaki in Fukue. More...
- Lisa Bentley Muskoka Chase Update
Once again, Subaru Canada proved its dedication to the support and growth of triathlon by staging the third Muskoka Chase. The format has the professional women start a pre-determined time ahead of the professional men and the first person across the line is the champion. Each year, this 2 km – 55 km – 15 km event has become more competitive with this year being the best competition by far. more...
- Ironman Win in Japan and Helping Kids in Africa
-
I am finally back home from a long trip to Japan. What a great trip, and another hard-fought Ironman Victory. I am so lucky to have great sponsors supporting me through my season. At Ironman Japan I was privileged to be hosted by my title sponsor Astavita. They are based in Japan and went above and beyond to make my trip successful. The fact that I was able to team up with World Vision Charity makes this Ironman victory that much sweeter. Overall it was a great race and trip, and more importantly, I was able to give back to those in need. more... - Brent McMahon reports on his early season: Commonwealth
Games and Xterra New Zealand The season started early with the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia on the 18th of March. On the way home from the games I raced an Xterra in New Zealand on the 8th of April. After being home for just over three weeks I then headed to my first World Cup of the season in Mazatlan, Mexico May 7th. The season is just beginning now and I still have potentially 13 races to go until I end the season in November. More... - Season Opener: Kim Loeffler 3rd at Wildflower Half Ironman
I’ve just returned home from the Wildlfower Half Ironman where I had a solid season opener, finishing third, behind Sam McGlone and Natasha Badman. Not bad company!
Wildflower is one of my favorite races. The race site is located at Lake San Antonio, a beautiful venue and despite the level of competition, a laid back atmosphere. The course is diverse, consisting of steep hills, long climbs and single track trails. As a former collegiate cross country runner, I was excited to tackle the course. More...- Lisa Finishes 2nd in St. Croix 70.3
- Hello from St. Croix!
Yesterday morning, I had my best race ever in St. Croix! I finished 2nd place behind Mirinda Carfrae from Australia – winner of the Nice Triathlon and top finisher at many ITU World Cups. Joanna Zeiger, 4-time winner here at St. Croix finished 3rd.
Originally, I had planned to race Wildflower on Saturday May 6th, but I was privileged to be the keynote speaker at the Subaru National Dealer Meeting on Thursday May 4th. Dave and I decided that flying to Wildflower in California and arriving the day before the race was not the best preparation for a race that I had never done before and so I switched races. More...
- Big Weekend In Store for LifeSport Athletes
- The LifeSport Elite Team has a Big Weekend of Competitions Coming Up.Starting with the Wildflower 1/2 Ironman, look for powerhouse cyclist Chris Lieto to go to work in the hills on the bike course. Kim Loeffler will also be racing in her first appearance since finishing 8th in Kona last fall. Lisa Bentley, fresh of career Ironman win #10 in Australia, will tackle the heat, hills, and wind of St. Croix 1/2 Ironman. Facing international World Cup competition in Mazatlan, Mexico will be Xterra off road star Brent McMahon, and National Teamer Carolyn Murray who is hot off a 34 minute 10km run last weekend in Vancouver. Good Luck Team!
- LifeSport Athletes Take the Podium
- LifeSport Athletes Take the Podium LifeSport athlete Lucy Smith is the Times Colonist 10K Champion for the fifth time finishing with a time of 35:09. Lucy's protege, 17 year old Kirsten Sweetland, had a brilliant showing placing third overall in her first 10K with a time of 36:15. The Victoria Times Colonist had over 10,000 participants this year. This follows last weekend's stellar performance by LifeSport's Carolyn Murray who placed second overall Canadian in the Vancouver Sun Run 10K with a time of 34:19. The Vancouver Sun Run is Canada's largest 10k run and this year registration was at an all time record with over 50,000 participants.Congratulations to the LifeSport Athletes.
- Lisa Bentley wins 10th Ironman Title in Australia
By Triathlete Magazine - History was also repeated in the women’s event with Canadian Lisa Bentley claiming her fifth consecutive win at Ironman Australia. As in previous years, Bentley came from behind after the bike leg to chase down her rivals, and she finished in a time of 9:19:44, claiming victory by 11 minutes over Belinda Granger and Melissa Ashton. More...
- LifeSport Women’s
Team Takes top 4 of 5 places at Lavaman Triathlon - LifeSport coaches and athletes completed their successful Hawaiian tour by taking 4 of the top 5 places in the Lavaman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. The trip started with a very successful Triathlon Training Techniques seminar at the Boca Hawaii Triathlon store in Honolulu. More...
- Triathlete Magazine Chats with Lance Watson
Lance Discusses Racing, Camps and Ironman Training - In the latest installment of our audio interviews, Triathlete talked to multisport coach Lance Watson. Based in Victoria, on Canada’s West Coast near Vancouver, Watson works with a number of top pro, including Ironman star Lisa Bentley, and age-group athletes through Life Sport, his coaching company.
-
Below, Watson discusses his experience working with all levels of athletes, the recently concluded Commonwealth Games triathlon and Ironman preparation. Listen Here
- Mooloolaba World Cup Race Report: Paul Tichelaar
-
There was a cyclone just off the coast of Australia in the days before the race which was stirring up some tremendous surf. I tested the waters two days before the race and was amazed at the power of each wave. I was being tossed around and could hardly move at all through the current. Because of safety concerns they moved the swim from the ocean into a nearby river. More... - Lance Watson, 2005 Elite Coach of the Year.
Lance Watson has been awarded the Triathlon Canada 2005 Elite Coach of the Year award. Lance has won the award five of the past six seasons.
Some of Lance's highlights for 2005 include:
- Lisa Bentley winning Ironman number 8 and number 9 of her career in Australia and Germany.
- Kim Loeffler finishing 8th at Ironman Hawaii, earning her Inside Triathlon's "Breakthrough Performance of the Year".
- Chris Lieto recovering from injury to win Ironman Canada, with a 4:25 bike split.
- Brent McMahon winning Bronze at World Xterra Championships.
- Laura Bennett winning Bronze at World Olympic Distance Championships.
- Greg Bennett winning St. Anthony's Triathlon
- Lauren Groves, Brent McMahon and Paul Tichelaar standing on the podium at Nationals.
- Kyle Jones winning Duathlon and Sprint National Triathlon Championships
- Brent McMahon, Paul Tichelaar, and Suzanne Weckend all being selected to the Commonwealth Games Team.- LifeSport Athletes win 2005 National Triathlon Awards Lisa Bentley, Brent McMahon, Kyle Jones
-
Congratulations to Lisa, Brent and Kyle for winning National Athlete of the Year Awards, as selected by Triathlon Canada.
In his first year out of Junior, 20 year old Kyle Jones placed 9th at World U23 Championships. Kyle also won Elite Nationals in Duathlon (Ottawa) and Sprint Triathlon (Halifax). Kyle was chosen U23 Triathlete AND Duathlete of the Year.
Brent McMahon started 2005 successfully by qualifying for the Commonwealth Games Team for Canada. Brent then went onto record numerous top finishes on the Xterra North American tour. He finished the year with a remarkable Bronze Medal at Xterra World Championships in Maui. Brent was selected Elite Off-Road Triathlete of the Year.
Lisa Bentley won numerous races in 2005 including Ironman Australia and Germany. Lisa continues to be one of the dominant long distant triathletes in the World. Lisa won Elite Long Distance Triathlete of the Year. - Commonwealth Games Race Report: Paul Tichelaar
-
"Hello! Yesterday I had the second best race of my triathlon career (Junior Worlds in 2001 was slightly better). The venue at St. Kilda beach was perfect for a race and the crowd was amazing. There must have been more than 100,000 people watching the race and cheering very loudly. The weather was perfect, sunny and 24 degrees with a gentle wind. I knew I had great form going into this race and that helped me manage my nerves. When you are well prepared, you have very little to be nervous about. My goals for the race were to make the front pack on the bike, help Brent as much as possible (hopefully break away from the field with him) and then run for a top 10 finish". More.. - Pucon 1/2 Ironman Race Update: Lisa Bentley
-
Welcome to the 2006 triathlon season!!! I thought the first race of the year was supposed to be a gentle reminder of how to swim, bike and run – a little rehearsal for the upcoming season – a chance to re-acquaint oneself with travel, taper and pressure. Nope! A quick look at the start list would explain why I had the “opportunity” for a finishing sprint en route to capturing my 5th title at the Pucon ½ Ironman on January 22nd! More... 
Lisa Bentley's Valentines Day PowerBar Trivia - Q: Lisa, how much do you like chocolate?
A: Here is the Ironman daily tally:
Breckie – 1-2 Chocolate Power Bar Performance
More... - Photos from the Canadian Commonwealth Games Training Camp
- Take a look at the Canadian Commonwealth Team training in sunny Australia, gearing up for the upcoming competition. Click here for photos...
- Press Release: World Wide Triathlon Camp and Clinic Series Announced By LifeSport Coaching
Travel the world with LifeSport! LifeSport Coaching is excited to announce their 2006 international line up of triathlon camps, clinics and seminars. From the famous Ironman course in Hawaii, the backdrop of the Alps in Switzerland, or in the triathlon hotbed of Victoria, Canada – take advantage of the opportunity to train and learn from the best. Other locations include Israel, Boston, Honolulu, Arizona and much more! Utilize the experiences of Olympic Gold Medal and Ironman winning coach, Lance Watson, along with Olympic and Pro Ironman Coach/Team Leader Paul Regensburg. Get the results you’re looking for, all in an unbeatable setting. All levels are welcome. Check out www.lifesport.ca/events for further information – these events will sell out so register today!
- Lisa Bentley: Hello from Santiago airport!!!
- Yes, it is January already and that means the start of my preparation for the Hawaii Ironman! And for the fifth year in a row, I made the trek to Pucon, Chile to race in the ½ Ironman race. I had won it the four previous times, but this time I had the pleasure of some very talented women – Heather Gollnick (3 time Ironman Champion), Susan Williams (bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympics!!!) and Erika Csomor (World Duathlon Champion, IM Austria Champion and a 2:39 marathoner). I also had the other very fit South American women who are always fit at this time of year. I had a great swim and a solid ride but still found myself 10 minutes down on Susan Williams and 2 minutes down on Erika Csomar. More...
- Kyle Jones' First Year on the World Circuit
20 year old Kyle Jones trains at the National Triathlon Centre in Victoria:
"Last weekend I traveled to New Plymouth, New Zealand to compete in my final triathlon of the 2005 season. It’s been a long year and I wanted to finish off the season with a strong performance. I didn’t originally plan to race in New Plymouth but due to my position on the world rankings I decided to make the trip in order to qualify for the 2006 Canadian National Team." More...
- Tichelaar 2nd at Treasure Island Triathlon: Race Report
- "The Treasure Island Triathlon is part of the Tri California Pro Series which includes the prestigious Wildflower half-Ironman, and the Accenture Escape from Alcatraz. The series offers good prize money, plenty of exposure, and a chance to race some of the best in the sport." More...
- Savege, McMahon representing Canada at Commonwealth Games
-
2005-10-31 -- Toronto
For Immediate release:
October 31/2005
Triathlon Canada announced their team for the Commonwealth games next March in Melbourne. Jill Savege and Brent McMahon headline six Canadian triathletes who’ll compete in Melbourne and represent Canada’s best chance to win a medal in the first major event of 2006. Two of Canada’s top ranking triathletes, Simon Whitfield and Samantha McGlone, both declined to participate late last week. More...
- WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BRONZE FOR McMAHON AT XTERRA
Brent McMahon Reports On His Podium Finish - "Well, I haven't done two World Championships in one year since I was a junior in 2000 where I competed at World Junior Duathlon and Triathlon Champs. Five years later I have found myself doubling up again and I loving it. It is always hard to get physically and mentally ready for a World Championships but that is what I thrive on. I enjoy the challenge of performing at the big events and I see that as one of my strengths." More...
- Lisa Bentley: "Hello from the Hilton at Waikoloa Village!"
- "I am home at last from the North Hawaii Community Hospital sitting amongst lovely flowers and fond wishes for a speedy recovery. I was raised to use my talents, to finish what I start and to be happy in mind, body and spirit. Triathlon has always allowed me to do that, but over the past few weeks, this has been challenged. As you know, I suffered from abdominal pains for about 12 days prior to the Hawaii Ironman." More...
- Ironman World Championships Race Recap: Kim Loeffler
"With the help of my coach Lance, I had a quick recovery after the Lake Placid Ironman and I was recording swimming, biking, and running PBs. I was on track for a peak performance and I was excited to test my fitness and reap the rewards of my hard work." More... - Interview with Lance Watson: Lisa Bentley
- Lance Watson discusses Lisa Bentley's career on the Cervelo website in the audio interview. More...
- Set Back For Lisa in Kona
-
Hello from Kona – 36 hours before race day. My training and preparation has been excellent. Over the past 12 weeks of training, I have swam at my best, thanks to Brian Kelly, my swim coach, I have biked at my best and I have executed career best runs. And thanks to my Kona training buddy, Nigel Gray, I have maximized my training sessions and gotten every ounce out of the fantastic coaching which Lance Watson has provided me since 1999. More... - Brent McMahon reports on Xterra Nationals
- "After returning home from World Triathlon Champs in Gamagori, Japan I turned around four days later to head down to Colorado Springs. I was headed to Colorado Springs (6200ft alt) in order to acclimate to the altitude that I would be racing at in Lake Tahoe, Nevada where the Xterra Series championships were being held. Lake Tahoe was at 6250ft and the bike course climbed up to 8600ft and then back down." More...
- World Cup China: Paul Tichelaar
- The race was full of the best athletes in the sport of triathlon. Last weekend was World Championships in Japan and many of the athletes who competed there took the 3 hour flight to Beijing to have a look at what will be the 2008 Olympic course. More...
- Brent McMahon Reports From Worlds
- After having a fantastic pre worlds taper week in Gamagori, Japan I was the most excited I had ever been going into a World Championships. I was very confident in my past weeks of training and extra confident with my knowledge of the very technical Worlds course. More...
- Chris Lieto's Reports From His Ironman Canada Win
-
September 9, 2005 -- It's been two years since my last Ironman. In 2004 I had a stress fracture in my femur that put me out most of the year. Then that same year I crashed on a descent on my bike and broke my ribs. 2005 looked like it was going to be my year back in the game. I started early and competed in the Ralph's California Half Ironman in March. I finished in second and was excited with my fitness and potential for the rest of the year. More...
- Paul Tichelaar Reports from Worlds
- " I have been here in Japan for just under a week now preparing for the biggest event of my 2005 triathlon season. The U23 World Championships is the pinnacle of the sport of triathlon for atletes aged 23 and under. We compete in a draft legal event against the best in the world, in our age group". More...
- Laura Bennett Podiums at Worlds!
LifeSport athletes had a good weekend at Worlds. Gamagori, Japan was the home of the 2005 Elite/U23/ Junior Triathlon World Championships where USA Laura Bennett won the bronze medal. This is also Laura's 3rd podium win in a row at Worlds.
In the Under 23 Men’s division, Kyle Jones finished with an impressive top 10 in his first U23 World Championships, which is Jones' best result at a World Championship. Paul Tichelaar finished in 16th place after a strong race.
Meanwhile in the Men's Elite division, Australian Greg Bennett finished 15th and Brent McMahon in 19th place. In the Women's division Lauren Groves finished in 40th place.
For more details visit www.triathlon.org- Chris Lieto: Ironman Canada Champion! Bike Course Record en Route!
-
(from IronmanLive.com) “That was rough,” 33-year-old Chris Lieto said as he sat down for a post race interview. “The legs are hurting bad.”
Since winning Ironman Wisconsin in 2002 and following that up with a 13th place Ironman finish, Lieto has suffered a “long few years full of little setbacks.”
There was a stress fracture that took him out for most of a year. There was a knee injury that sidelined him for a while. Then there was a bike crash where he broke his arm.
Then, in his comeback effort at the Ralphs California Half this year, he got a bike penalty early in the ride.
Today’s race alleviated all of those bad memories. Today the Danville, California, native rode 4:25 to break Thomas Hellriegel’s bike course record, was passed by none-other-than Simon Lessing during the run, and then repassed the five-time world champ to run to his second Ironman win.
After coming out of the water five minutes behind, Lieto figured it would be hard to be a factor in today’s race.
“Because I had such a bad swim, it was going to be a matter of catch up,” he said. “I probably pushed it a bit too hard on the bike, but I was in a groove, so I just kept going. The winds were perfect this year, we had a bit of a tailwind for the last half of the bike.”
Then on the run, things got really tough.
“I wanted to stop so many times,” he said. “With three or four miles to go, it got close but I was able to hold on.”
Hold on he did, and now we’ll see the two-time Ironman champ racing at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona this October.
RESULTS - Triathlon Canada Announces National Team for World Triathlon Championships
-
Canada’s Elite Team going to the World Triathlon Championships in Gamagori, Japan has just been announced by Triathlon Canada. Athens Olympian and 2005 Canadian Champion Simon Whitfield of Victoria, BC is joined by another Victoria, BC native and fellow Olympian, Brent McMahon, for the Men’s competition. McMahon was the top-ranked Canadian male going into the National Championships, and finished a close second to Whitfield this past weekend in Kelowna. As for women, Athens Olympian and 2005 Canadian Champion, Samantha McGlone of Otterburn Park, QC, is joined by Vancouver’s Lauren Groves, who finished 2nd at the Canadian National Triathlon Championships and has many top 10 finishes in ITU international events.Congratulations to Paul Tichelaar and Kyle Jones for making the National U23 team.
- Groves, McMahon and Tichelaar podium at Canadian Elite Nationals
After a solid race on Sunday August 21st, Olympian Brent McMahon finishes 2nd, followed by Paul Tichelaar and Kyle Jones. Lauren Groves won Silver in the women's category.
Men -1 Simon Whitfield 1:51:19 -2 Brent McMahon 1:51:28 -3 Paul Tichelaar 1:52:21 -4 Kyle Jones 1:53:56; Women -1 Samantha McGlone 2:02:46 -2 Lauren Groves 2:04:08 -3 Kathy Tremblay 2:04:34.- Laura Bennett podiums at U.S. Nationals
- A solid "training race" en route to Worlds in September for Laura, as she finishes 3rd at pro nationals in Bellingham. Laura posted the fastest run split! Baker's International Triathlon 1500 Meter Swim - 40K Bike - 10K Run -1 Becky Lavelle USA 30 F 9 19:12 0:51 2 1:10:16 0:23 2 37:15 1 2:07:55 -2 Barb Lindquist USA 36 F 2 18:34 0:50 5 1:10:47 0:25 4 37:48 2 2:08:22 -3 Laura Bennett USA 30 F 3 18:47 0:50 8 1:12:26 0:24 1 36:47 3 2:09:12 -4 Jasmine Oeinck 20 F 8 19:11 0:55 4 1:10:20 0:27 5 38:29 4 2:09:20 -5 Susan Williams USA 36 F 10 19:53 0:54 6 1:11:12 0:24 3 37:40 5 2:10:01
- Lisa Bentley the new starting pitcher for Toronto Blue Jays!
-
Hello – well the excitement never ends! On Tuesday evening, I am going to
be throwing out the first pitch at the Toronto Blue Jays game at the Roger’s Center. I used to be a huge baseball fan back in the 80’s when the Blue Jays won the World Series. But once triathlon took hold of my life, my baseball ‘dates’ with my father were soon replaced by long bike rides, long runs and laps in the pool! Well, now that I am about to marry the biggest baseball fan other than my own dad, I have been going to several games with Dave and mom and dad. I even went to Fenway Park in April to watch the Red Sox when I was in Boston visiting Saucony and watching the Boston Marathon. Fenway is the classic baseball stadium – so much history – it was truly an incredible experience – one that I will one day share with my dad! But for now, in addition to swimming, biking and running on Tuesday, I’ll be practicing my pitching! It is going to be a hoot. Lisa Bentley
- Paul Tichelaar Wins ITU Caledon Pan American Cup Triathlon
- I was ranked #3 going into the race behind Brent McMahon (CAN) and Derek Kite (USA). This really helped with my confidence going into the race (last weekend I was ranked 35th). I had a good spot on the start pontoon and after the gun went off I quickly found myself at the front of the race. More...
- Lisa Bentley: Official Race Report From IM Germany
-
Ironman Germany – well – what can I say – when the Germans do something, they do it right. What was so right? Was it the fact that after finishing the race, I was presented with my trophy atop a balcony of a building constructed in 1405 overlooking thousands of spectators – a balcony frequented by royalty – but today, a balcony which welcomed a sweaty little Canadian in a swimsuit? More...
- Kim Loeffler: IM Lake Placid Race Report
- Thanks to Lance and a winter full of endless indoor CompuTrainer workouts, my cycling has made leaps and bounds and I was thrilled to see that I had the fastest bike split of the day. More...
- LifeSport This Weekend: At the Races
-
There were strong showings this weekend by LifeSport athletes!XTERRA: Brent McMahon continued his amazing Xterra debut season with a 5th place finish in Milwaulkee. Ingrid Rolles, a first year pro, continues to climb the ranks with a 6th place finish. More...
IRONMAN LAKE PLACID: Kim Loeffler (pictured left) continued her rise to the top with a close 2nd place finish behind Ironman legend Heather Fuhr. She went 9:49 on the demanding course. More....
EDMONTON WORLD CUP: Laura Bennett was 4th after a succesful bike breakaway with Barb Lindquist and company, while Greg Bennett ran his way into 5th, inching ahead of Olympic Champion Hamish Carter to do so. More...
- Chris Lieto Wins The Honolulu Tinman Triathlon
-
Last weekend I was a part of the 25th annual Tinman triathlon. Tinman started the year the Ironman in Hawaii moved from Honolulu to Kona. The island wanted to have a race so they came up with Tinman. Some say it was where the Olympic distance started. The race is a 750M swim, 40K bike, and a 10K run. It is a big race for the islands, and I was lucky enough to be a part of it. More...
- Chris Lieto: Cascade Classic Pro Stage Race
- "Since I have had a couple set backs this year I wanted to take advantage of improving some of my disciplines while others had to be put on the way side. I have spent extra time on the bike and doing some pro racing and stage racing. The most recent was the Cascade Classic Pro Stage Race in Bend Oregon" More...
- Lisa Bentley: "I won Ironman Germany"
- Lisa Bentley wins her 9th Ironman title with a time of 9:15. "My training leading into Ironman Germany had been bang on and I was very excited to test myself. In fact, I might have been too excited because I didnt sleep a wink that night before the race!!" More...
- A brief chat with Lance Watson
- Coach Lance Watson discusses the state of high performance in Canada, long term athlete development and other items on runnersweb.com. More...
- Brent McMahon 2nd in Xterra East Championships
Richmond, Va. was the host of the 2005 Xterra East Championships where Brent McMahon placed second with a time of 2:03:13 behind Xterra World Champion Conrad Stoltz (South Africa) and finishing ahead of former World Champion Oliver Marceau. LifeSport athlete and first year Pro Ingrid Rolles finished 8th in the women's category. The race consisted of a half-mile swim in the James River, followed by an 18-mile mountain bike course through Richmond’s award-winning James River Park System trails and a 6-mile off-road scramble. 2004 Olympian Brent McMahon has been coached by Lance Watson since 1994.
- Jones and Weckend: National Sprint Triathlon Champions
- The 2005 Canadian Sprint Triathlon Championships were held Sunday, July 3rd, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kyle Jones (Heritage Way) placed first among the Elite Men in 59:38 managing to break the one hour mark. Among the Elite Women, Victoria’s Suzanne Weckand managed to make it to the top of the podium in 1:06:47. Jones has been National champion twice for 2005. Look for Jones and Weckend to stand on more podiums in 2005.
- Iron Queen won't be ruled by CF
- In the 1960's any child born with cystic fybrosis arrived with a cloud of doom . CF was infamous as a disease that stole the lives of the young, often in infancy, surely before adulthood. More...
- Lisa Bentley: The Spirit of Sport
-
I had the race of my life on Sunday! I was racing in the 3-6 year old category in the Caledon Kids-of-Steel Triathlon with my nephew, Braedan. Braedan is 4 years old and a veteran of the race. Last year, we both tackled the 18m swim, 100m bike ride and 100m run. It was a fantastic adventure – he swam happily, rode with the biggest smile on his face, but when he began the run, he hit the WALL . More... - Lauren Groves in Korea: Dealing with Curve Balls!
- Hiya Lance, well it has been quite an experience thus far! When we arrived in Seoul we found out that our bags and bikes didn't make it. Somehow they were "lost" between the 15 minute Victoria flight and the connection in Vancouver. The next flight to Seoul wasn't for 24 hours. More...
- Bentley at St Croix, Loeffler at Wildflower.
- May 1-2: This weekend Lisa finished 3rd in a tough field at St. Croix, only 4 weeks after Ironman Australia. Results. Kim Loeffler, the 2004 U.S. National Ironman Champion, had a very solid 4th place at Wildflower. Results.
- Bennett, Bentley at the top of their game.
- Great recent results for Greg Bennett, Laura Bennett (Reback) and Lisa Bentley in competition. Greg won against a tough field in St. Anthony's last week, with Laura placing 6th. Results here. Story here. Lisa won her 8th Ironman title in Australia in 9:13. Link here for the story.
- Team Bennett finalizes 2005 schedule
- Top short-course stars Greg Bennett and Laura Reback have announced their 2005 race schedules. More...
- Bentley en route to IM Australia
- I am off to Ironman Australia for the fourth year in a row. This may not seem like a surprise to anyone, but two weeks ago I was not planning on defending my title at Ironman Australia. There was finally an early season Ironman in North America, and so I signed up for Ironman Arizona. More...
- Lieto checks in after Ralphs half
- It feels good to be back. After 10 months with no racing due to a stress fracture I am back in the game -- and starting out well. Ralphs Half Ironman was my first race back to test my fitness and my progress before I head out to Arizona for the Ironman in two weeks. This weekend was a little rough due to the rain and cold weather. I can’t remember the last time I was that cold. More...
- Groves Wins Seattle 1/2 Marathon
- Looks suspicious crossing border...
-
After the disappointment of being close to making the Olympic team, I took a bit of a break from training this summer to recharge. This time away gave me a chance to think about what it is going to take to become one of the best Olympic distance triathletes. Having never really worked on my running, Lance and I decided this Fall was a perfect time to take a break from racing triathlons and develop my running (although I had planned on taking this “break”, 3 ITU races still seemed to sneak in there…).
The run focus went very well and I had numerous breakthrough sessions. Lance introduced me to treadmill running which turned out to be some of the toughest, yet most beneficial workouts I have ever done. I’d usually give Lance a call before those workouts just to be absolutely sure I was reading the set correctly (“Are you really sure you want me to run that pace for that long?”) Those workouts took me to a whole new level of toughness. As soon as I began each interval, there was no way I was going to touch the stop button or decrease the speed, even if it put me in the hospital (which it almost did once….!). I sure did get some weird looks from those around me at the gym! Lets just say I was pretty focused!
I finished off my run focus a couple weeks ago with the Seattle Half Marathon. Not having done a race longer than 10k, I was a little nervous going into it. But knowing my goal pace was doable and feeling the excitement of competing in such a big event seemed to calm my nerves. For the most part the race went very well, with only a couple surprises. Not having seen the course beforehand, I had heard there were some hills. However, after a slightly rolly but quick first 10k, I was thinking that the marathoners maybe overestimated these “hills.” Well, lets just say that it wasn’t such a nice surprise to discover that all the hills were in the last half. But I managed to stay strong throughout, holding a solid pace. I had a great group of men around me to pace and draft off. I was actually under my goal pace with one mile to go and it was the downhill mile. I had visualized this section for the last few miles and was super stoked to finish strong as I made my way through downtown Seattle. However, as soon as I started to run downhill my quads decided they had had enough. Ouch! It was a tough finish to the race that had gone almost perfectly to this point. I didn’t exactly get to enjoy the glory through the finishing stretch into football stadium
All in all, it was a great experience and the perfect end to a successful run program. I am sure I gained some strength, fitness and experiences that will help my racing in 2005.
as I won my first international running event. I was focused entirely on getting to that line! However I was able to celebrate afterwards with some post-race clam chowder, donuts, and of course, shopping! I also scored a great barbeque set as a prize, but the steel briefcase it came in made me look a little bit suspicious crossing the border! - Bentley Reports on her Ironman Canada Win
-
Subaru Ironman Canada took on special meaning to me this year. It has always been a special race - it was my first Ironman, it is the best Ironman and it is in my home country. But, the ultimate decision to race IMC came down to this. I wanted my parents to experience all that they taught me to be ... More...
- Racing for a cure
-
Lisa Bentley and Tracey Richardson come from opposite sides of the world and are at either end of the athletic spectrum: one an elite professional athlete with seven Ironman wins to her name and the other a "back of the pack age grouper." More...
- Coach's Diary
-
After the exuberance of the opening ceremonies (and a 2:30am bedtime!), we managed to get out early to the race swim venue (45minutes away from the athletes village) for a swim and bike. More...
- Kona dream camp
-
Six-time Ironman Champion, Lisa Bentley, and the most successful triathlon coach in the world, Lance Watson, would like to invite you to the Kona Dream Camp 2004 at the Hilton @ Waikoloa Village on October 8th to 11th. More...
- Smith's August journal
-
I tie my white track spikes carefully, pulling the laces tight. I am warmed up and ready to race. Six months of preparation for this one event, and here it is, 10 minutes away on a warm and windless Victoria evening. More...
- Countdown to Athens
-
I am in the air one hour outside of Athens. It seems like a long time from the 2004 Sydney Olympics to now, but suddenly the Games are here. I managed to get upgraded to business class from Toronto to London -- what a difference that makes. Baked salmon for dinner rather than mystery chicken-product. More...
- A holistic approach
-
Faced with a growing expectation gap, Canadian Olympic athletes should become ambassadors for health, says 2000 Olympic Gold medallist Simon Whitfield. More...
- Whitfield wins Athens tune-up
-
While he'll be a marked man in Athens, Whitfield, who will defend his 2000 Olympic title as part of the Canadian squad on August 26, has spent much of the summer preparing for the Athens heat with a training camp in Penticton, BC and a final pre-Olympics tune-up in Caledon, Ontario. More...
- Groves' Olympic journey
-
It's now being a week since my Olympic trials in Edmonton, and I feel as though I can finally write a report without my rollercoaster of post-race emotions taking over. Although my trials in didn't go as well as I would have liked, I have had so many incredible opportunities and experiences over the past year that are too important not to reflect upon and share with others. More...
- Why tri?
-
While we all have our own reasons for participating in triathlon, most people are drawn to the sport for the challenge. In his latest column for the CBC, Coach Watson explores what motivates multisport athletes, from top elites to weekend warriors. More...
- Marlowe breathing on own
-
Terry McMahon, a retired nurse, has been liaising with the Marlowe family after Sean was injured in a car accident in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada last week. Here is McMahon's most recent briefing on the promising young triathlete's medical condition. More...
- Whitfield seeking sanctuary
-
As the 2000 Olympic gold medallist, Simon Whitfield will be a marked man when he defends his Olympic title in Athens on August 26. Still, the 29-year-old short-course star is able to balance the pressure of international competition with a lifestyle seemingly more consistent with Thoreau than a hard-charging Olympic athlete. More...
- Everyone welcome
-
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man," wrote fifth-century BC Greek philosopher Heraclitus, noting that change is perhaps the only constant. Still, despite the lost opportunities that seem to mount as we age, it's never too late to regain control of a healthy lifestyle by participating in a triathlon. More...
- Sean Marlowe's condition updated
-
Terry McMahon, a retired nurse, has been liaising with the Marlowe family after Sean was injured in a car accident in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada last week. Heartbreakingly, Sean has taken a major turn for the worse. Our hearts go out to his family. More...
- Triathlon Canada announces 2004 Olympic triathlon team
-
The Canadian Olympic triathlon squad will be led by 2000 Olympic and 2002 Commonwealth Games champion, Simon Whitfield, of Victoria, BC. Whitfield won the 2004 Mazatlan World Cup and is one of the key contenders for the top of the podium in Athens. More...
- Hopes and prayers for Sean Marlowe
-
Sean Marlowe was in a serious car accident on Friday on his way to Edmonton and is very fortunate to be alive. Sean just finished a three-week training block with Lance Watson's training group at the pre-Olympic Camp in Penticton and is one of the top young triathlon talents in the country. More...
- Reaching your peak
-
Although to many triathlon is considered the pinnacle of athletic achievement, it's not an elitist endeavor. In fact, athletes of all ages can and do participate in the sport. Here's Coach Watson's take on triathlon and aging. More...
- The mental edge
- In his most recent article for the CBC, Coach Lance Watson offers his take on the mental edge that separates the champions from the also-rans. More...
- Whitfield's week: ups and downs
- The last two weeks have had their ups and downs. Last week was not ideal -- way too much organizing and stressing over travel, drama over who was coming to our training camp in Penticton. More...
- June Journal
- First the statistics from a life in sport: since the end of March, I have raced eight times in 12 weeks. Cities visited: San Diego, San Jose, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver and two races in my hometown of Victoria. More...
- Up for a challenge?
- In the late 1970s, the Iron Man (the event's original spelling) arose from a debate over the relative merits -- and challenges -- of different endurance sports. A quarter-century later the question remains unsettled, and Coach Lance Watson recently offered his take for the CBC. More...
- McMahon qualifies for Olympics
- At just 23, Brent McMahon, who races and trains in Victoria, BC, with Coach Lance Watson, will join 2000 Olympic triathlon gold medallist Simon Whitfield in Athens for the 2004 summer games. More...
- Smith takes Canadian title
- Canadian road-racing star Lucy Smith, 37, from Victoria, BC, on June 6 won the national title at the Canadian 10,000-metre championships in Burnaby. Burnaby is a suburb east of Vancouver in British Columbia. Smith's latest title comes on the heels of her win at the 10K championships in May. More...
- Whitfield’s week
- In September of 2000, the then-relatively unheralded Simon Whitfield, from Canada, made sporting history when he, along with Switzerland’s Brigitte McMahon, became the first Olympic gold medallist in the history of triathlon. More...
- Jorris reflects on Strongman Japan
- It has been a over month since I returned from Miyakojima, Japan, where I competed in the 20th-annual Strongman triathlon (3km S/155km B/42.2km R) on April 25. More...
- Smith tops in Canada
- Lucy Smith won her sixth career Canadian 10K road-running title May 29 in Ottawa. Her time of 32:52 was a personal best on the road. It was the third time she has gone under 33 minutes for the 10K this season. More...
- A letter from Lucy Smith
- Having just won a silver medal at the first-ever National Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton in 1:14, I am flying out to Ottawa for the National 10K road-running championships on May 29. More...
- Lisa Bentley checks in
- Just a quick note to say hello and to pass on the results from the Disney Half Ironman on May 23. I am happy to say that I had a great race and won in 4 hours and 22 minutes. More...
- Simon Whitfield wins US Olympic Triathlon Trials
- See www.triathloncanada.com or www.triathlon.org for more information. Full post race Coverage here
- Lisa Celebrates Ironman Win #6
2004 Ironman Australia
-
Hello from high above the Pacific, somewhere between Australia and Canada! I am just returning home from a very exciting race at Ironman Australia. Oh it was more than a race. It was a journey. No actually it was a retreat - you see, I traveled to Australia alone and in my ”alone” time I was able to appreciate how blessed I am to have found a career that allows me to become part of a community on the other side of the world from my “home community”. There were so many classic, happy moments on this trip that built my passion for life and sport to an even higher level. One of those happy moments was winning Ironman Australia for the third consecutive year. Another was racing to my fastest career Ironman time - 9 hours and 3 minutes - besting my previous best time by 16 minutes on the same course in 2003. But probably one of the best moments for me was being “adopted” by twenty-eight 6-year old children at Tuncurry Public School and being embraced by their unaffected, honest little hearts. more
- Brent McMahon wins in Columbia
A post-race note from Brent McMahon
-
Well I have finished the Columbian Island race experience and it went rather well. more
- Whitfield a games kind of guy
For the past four years, he has been able to say he has been the only man in history to win an Olympic gold medal in triathlon."Eight years would sound good," Simon Whitfield said. More.
|
|
© Copyright 2004 - 2008 LifeSport Holdings Inc |