Week 6/18-6/23

CONGRATULATIONS UTAH SUMMER GAMES ATHLETES!  What a great weekend of club racing in St. George.  We had over 30 members of our club compete at the Summer Games on Saturday.  The wind threatened to replay IMSG 2012, but it turned out to be a great day with some choppy water, screaming tailwinds AND fast times :)  We had quite a few first-timers who are now properly initiated into the triath-aholic club!  

Summer Games continues this week and next!  Cycling events will take place beginning Thursday, June 28th with a Hill Climb at 10a and Time Trial at 6p.  Friday, June 29th at 10a is the Criterium.  Saturday, June 30th is the Road Race.  These are GREAT events!  If you already signed up for the triathlon, it is only about $25 to sign up for the cycling events.......ALL OF THEM!  Totally worth it!  For more information see:  www.utahsummergames.org.  

JOIN US FOR A WORKOUT THIS WEEK!

Wednesday TRACK @ 6a  Meet at Pineview High School Track (just East of Costco) for a workout coached by Dennis Budd.  Be there a few minutes early if you are new!  BEGINNER FRIENDLY!  

Wednesday OPEN WATER SWIM & BIKE @ 6p  The water's beautiful, so come on out.  Meet at the main boat ramp at 5:45p for a 6:00 swim, followed up by a bike ride on the Kokopelli Triathlon course.  Bikes roll out about 6:45p. 

Saturday  WE NEED A SATURDAY WORKOUT.........Watch Facebook for developing options!  

WHAT ARE YOU TRAINING FOR THESE DAYS?  We want to hear from you!  Log on to our Facebook page and tell us what your next race or triathlon goal is.  One lucky comment will win a Camelbak Podium Chill Bottle filled with GU and Raw Revolution nutrition products compliments of TriEdge.net!  A random winner will be chosen, Friday, June 23rd at Noon!  (One comment per person is eligible for the drawing....the more you comment doesn't mean the more chances to win!  LOL)

See you on the road!

IRONMAN 70.3 St. George Registration Opens Today

Registration for IRONMAN 70.3 St. George opens at noon (EST), Wednesday, June 6.

After three years as a full-distance event, the newly announced IRONMAN 70.3 St. George will serve as a great lead-up race to the IRONMAN World Championship 70.3 in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada thanks to its similar course profile and 75 qualifying spots. 

Click here to register.

"Like the full-distance race, the 70.3 course takes advantage of the terrain features of this beautiful place, including an brilliant climb right through the incredible scenery of Snow Canyon State Park,” says Kevin Lewis, Director of Sports Marketing with the St. George Convention and Tourism Office. “The course profile and conditions are almost identical to the IRONMAN World Championship 70.3 course, and the community support for the event is second to none. I think it is going to be one of the true highlights for the IRONMAN brand and athletes are going to love it."

Considered one of the most breathtaking courses on the IRONMAN circuit, the new IRONMAN 70.3 race will utilize many of the same features seen in the full-distance event. The 1.2 mile, one loop swim takes place in beautiful Sand Hollow Reservoir. That will be followed by a truly spectacular bike course that won’t offer as much climbing as the old IRONMAN course, but now includes a four-mile climb through the scenic Snow Canyon. The run course will include one loop of the original IRONMAN St. George course, including a number of challenging hills.

IRONMAN 70.3 St. George will continue as a destination event for families thanks to the amazing tourist opportunities the area provides. Offering everything “from A to Zion," St. George is a hiking, climbing, mountain biking, trail running and cycling paradise.

The welcoming community has been lauded by IRONMAN athletes. 99% of the respondents in a post-race athlete survey gave St. George the highest possible rating, saying it was a “great place with friendly people,” while 86% considered the race to be “fabulous.” Three out of four of the athletes who have competed at the event say they’ll return for a vacation, while more than half said they’ll be back to train in the area.

Changing an IRONMAN course to a 70.3 event is not unprecedented in IRONMAN history. IRONMAN California became IRONMAN 70.3 California in 2002 and has become one of the most popular races in the world.

With 75 qualifying spots for the 2013 IRONMAN World Championship 70.3, the race in St. George offers both a chance to qualify and to prepare for the event in Lake Las Vegas in September.

Registration for the 2013 IRONMAN 70.3 St. George opens at noon (EST), Wednesday June 6, 2012. An “early-bird” special rate of $199 will be available for the first week of registration. For more event information, including FAQ’s, registration details, and course maps, please visit: www.ironmanstgeorge.com

Happy June!

HAPPY JUNE!  

It sure feels like summer is in full swing these days with the kids out of school, hot temperatures and LOTS of triathlon racing!  Congrats to all those club members who have been out there racing this past week and good luck to those racing this week.  Keep us posted on when and where you are racing!  We want to hear all about it.  Use our Club Facebook page!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/52366461565/  You can post interesting triathlon-related links or events, give us a race report, or just invite some fellow club members to join you for a workout.  Facebook is the BEST way to keep in touch and stay up-to-date on everything happen with SUTC!

Thanks to all who came out and supported the Road Respect Rally last night at Confluence Park.  It was a great event that promoted bike and road safety here in Southern Utah.  As athletes we need to take every opportunity to support efforts like these to keep our roads safe for recreating and training.  

.......Speaking of safety!  Many of you may have seen that there are some "new additions" to SR-18 between St. George and Diamond Valley.  UDOT has cut rumble strip into the shoulder and center divide on the road.  This has caused even more safety issues when riding in the shoulder.  Not only did the new pavement and chip seal leave what shoulder there was dirty, now cars are more leery to move to the left due to the rumble strip.  PLEASE USE CAUTION!  As much as many of us don't like to use the multi-use trail on this stretch, it may be your best option for safety's sake.  I have spoken with some other local cyclists and athletes concerned about this road.  They have made contact with UDOT to discuss the matter and options for designating this stretch of road as a bike route.  I see an opportunity for SUTC to be involved in a community effort to keep cyclists safe!  Please let us know if you have any connections with local officials in these areas or with UDOT.  I would like to start creating a community board that will aid us in opening up a conversation for resolution of the issuing plaguing athletes on SR-18 and surrounding roads.    

SPECIAL EVENT THIS WEEK!  

St. George Running Center Transition Clinic - Gunlock Boat Ramp

6:30a 3-5 Mile Group Run into town of Gunlock

8:00a Transition Clinic presented by Colleen Rue (Wait?.....THAT'S ME!)  :)

8:45a Swim and Zoot Wetsuit Demo

9:30a Bike Ride

Don't forget about the giveaways!  Gear from St. George Running Center and 2 FREE ENTRIES INTO USG TRIATHLON!  

This transition clinic is great for the beginner or someone looking to speed up their transitions (like all of us).  You may be surprised at the small changes that will make HUGE differences in your T1 and T2 times that you haven't even though about!  

WORKOUTS THIS WEEK

Wednesday:  Track is cancelled this week due to Coach Dennis traveling out of town to New York for a race.  Good Luck Dennis!  We will resume track next week.

Wednesday:  Sand Hollow Plunge & Bike.  Meet at 5:45 p.m. ready to swim by 6:00.  Join in for a bike ride around Sand Hollow between 6:30-6:45.  The water is warming up.  Don't wait!  Summer Games Triathlon is coming up quickly!  

Saturday:  Transition Clinic and Workouts at Gunlock Reservoir.  Run 6:30a; Clinic 8:00a; Swim 8:45a; Bike 9:30a.  

See you out there on the roads!