Wow, the summer is flying! We are well into racing season and I hope everyone is having fun and

staying healthy. CTC is enjoying a great season with a lot of new faces and returning veterans really

getting involved in the Club. We have new training sessions popping up all over the area. New

swim sessions on the East side and in Medina are helping some get some good open water

swimming practice. That always helps on race day! Pools are not the same, find a practice and join

the fun. Also, CTC is offering Thursday night mountain biking group rides at Royalview. This is

brand new this year. The weather and the Metroparks have made it a little sketchy, but come on

out and humble yourself on the trails.

Keep an eye out for volunteer possibilities for several upcoming events. Rev3 Preview Day and

Rev3 always could use a helping hand.

Hope to see many of you at some races and training sessions soon!

Stay safe and train hard.

Ken Beech

CTC Member Profile: Michelle Mead

Please tell us about your life outside of triathlon.

Life, outside of triathlon? There is life outside of

triathlon? Ohhh well, I guess there is since we have to

pay for all of our great hobbies, gear, and travel!! During

the week, I am a mild manner insurance professional for

Selman & Company a third party administrator

managing a book of business on the group level,

marketing life programs and outsourced administration

services to the insurance industry.

I also love to spend time with my 3 dogs, retired racing

greyhounds (Chase, Milo and Kira) and my 4 cats –

Guess you could say I’m an animal person too!

What has kept you motivated in the sport?

The new challenges, I love triathlons because there is

always a weakness, and it is so much fun to take on the

challenge and push yourself. It has also been so

rewarding over the years to welcome new people and

watch the progress as they come from running, cycling

or swim backgrounds starting in their first tri’s, getting

hooked and sometimes going on to test themselves in a

full Ironman distance!

What are some of the biggest changes you have seen

in multisport over your time in the sport?

Technology and racing equipment along with advances

in nutrition--it is very exciting to see all the high tech

bikes and gear and even more amazing how fast people

can be with the combination of training and technology – it still takes a good engine to power it all!!

What was your first race?

My first multi-sport event was actually a duathlon – Willoughby Hills Lions Duathlon because I did

not swim! I was hooked.

What is your favorite distance?

I really enjoy them all – I did get the “Fickle Athlete” Award from CTC – just cause I love the

diversity of sport from Sprints to IM, they all have their own unique challenges.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you see people

making in terms of training? Racing? Overtraining, and

not listening to your body leading to injuries and

setbacks. It is great to have goals, but I have learned that

sometimes rest and recovery can be your best friend,

especially over 40!!! Injuries set you back further then

taking a couple of rest days during a training cycle when

you need them.

What are some of your favorite events that you have

done that were not races?

Traveling to 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, Korea and

meeting the athletes walking around the city. I also very

much enjoyed hiking to the top of Skelig Michael and

biking in Ireland 2012.

What is your favorite multi-sport memory?

Hands down, finishing IM Wisconsin!! It was not my best

race but nothing else compares to the finish of an

Ironman.

Do you have a favorite race? Favorite race moment?

Finishing Ironman of course seeing Mark Durno and Rob

Reddy in the final ¼ mile, and hearing you are an

Ironman – best feeling ever!!

What kind of athlete were you when you first started?

Competitive, I started out a gymnast then runner (5k to

marathon) and ultimately multisport athlete

Any funny and/or embarrassing race stories?

One of my first tri’s – Running up the beach at Maumee Bay. I got my arms tangled behind me

getting out of my wettie – tripped on my own feet – Face planted into sand!! Real pro there, I was

laughing so hard I looked like Pig Pen from Peanuts in a swirl of sand and dirt! LOL, not much has

changed!

Favorite discipline?

Biking and Running – Love to do bricks, they are my ticket to success in triathlon!!

Best advice you have ever received?

Triathlon is a lifestyle--enjoy every moment.

 

Some Ironman Thoughts

By Rob Reddy aka Paco Velo

IM taper has left me with a bit of extra time. It’s usually during taper when I take the time to reflect

back. With the growing chatter about people doing an IM in 2015, I opted to jot down some thoughts as

I approach my own “Lucky 13.”

Lucky #13 IM

It’s getting later in the summer, and I have an IM coming up in a bit over a week. Nothing unusual in that

as late summers and Ironmans have pretty much been my

life for more than 10 years now. I have not talked a lot about

IM Boulder, but for some reason a few (both tri and non-tri)

people in the past couple days have asked me why do I do

this, what’s wrong with me, how do you keep going? I really

don’t have enough time, writing space, or energy to delve

into the “what’s wrong with me” question – but the other

questions got me to thinking a bit.

More than a decade of IM training and double digit races has

definitely given me some perspective on “Going L-o-n-g”.

The biggest thing I have taken away is that no two training

years or races are the same. I have watched sooooo many

people do their first IM and have a magical experience. For

most, it is a positive one. For a few, it is less so. Regardless,

that first IM is very, very special. The excitement, the fear,

the pushing yourself to new boundaries and the potential for

success (generally over blown dreams of grandeur) are wonderful parts of that first IM. For those lucky

enough to train with a large group and ultimately race with those friends, well that is just an added

bonus to the IM-virgin experience.

What I have seen is that the majority walk away from that journey excited to do it again – another IM is

planned or registered for soon there after. And ultimately the next IM disappoints many. Why? The

words I hear from those less than thrilled second-times is “it just was not as much fun as I remember, it

was not like the first one”.

What I know is that each IM is its own experience, its own journey. There is no way to re-create the last

one. To try to do so will only leave you disappointed. For me, the new journey is what drives me to the

next one. It is the excitement of new adventures and new people--of pushing to different places and the

different obstacles that come along the way. If your goal is to re-create your past IM glory, you will only

live in present IM disappointment

I’ve also come to believe that for the first IM, the difficult parts are divided 75% in getting to the start

line and 25% in completing the race. That 75% of difficulty is pretty equally divided between the physical

and mental preparation; however, as each successive IM ticks away, the difficulty moves towards 90% in

the preparation and 10% in the race. It is not the training side that continues and grows in its challenges.

Actually, I think the training in some ways becomes easier, but it is the mental side that takes more and

more effort. No, you do not have the same level of worry, fret or have that scared feeling you do when

you are working towards your first couple IMs, though don’t let anyone fool you, every IM is scary (if it is

not it is time to stop doing the distance), rather, it is the grind of motivation and the fact that you

“know” what lies ahead of you. Again, the journey changes, becomes something totally different, and for

many, not the newness that was enjoyed in the past.

For me the ‘grind’ has both a positive and negative side. The negative is easy to understand – to walk up

to an IM swim start you gotta be prepared. It takes a lot of mental energy and physical effort, but

conquering the motivational burden in some ways is even more rewarding than simply becoming

physically fit. So, if you want to be a multiple time Ironman, work your mind and learn to embrace the

difficulties of self-motivation.

Another thing I have learned over the years is that the Kona dream you all hold secretly (or in a number

of cases not so secretly) along with those sub 9, 10 or 11 hour goals – throw them out the window. The

real truth is that almost none of you will qualify for Kona – and the VERY few that might, don’t focus on

it, and you will improve your chances. On the topic of times – IM is sooooooooo very difficult to control

– it is not like any other tri in that no matter how prepared you are at the start of the race; the distance,

weather, execution, mental game, and length of the day can kick your teeth in in a second and blow that

sub-XX goal to being 2+ hours slower.

If you primarily (or secondarily, or thirdly) race for Kona or time you will be disappointed. There is always

the off chance you will hit it – but over time IM is like Vegas, the house always wins, and you lose those

dreams. Those that fall victim to the sole validation of a Kona slot or bragging about time will not be in

the IM game for long. Ultimately, the feeling of pride and accomplishment will diminish – no one really

cares two days after your race how fast you went and three days after your big Kona escapade people

are just pissed you are lounging in HI rather than impressed you did the World Championships (of a

ridiculous amature sport where you win no money but rather dropped $10,000 to beat the shit out of

your body).

I gave up the idea of Kona years ago. I have general ideas about times, but they are so far down the list

of what determines the success or failure of my IM races that they are topics I almost never speak

about. Getting to this point has been freeing. It has made IM so much more meaningful to me. Changing

what the priority of my IM endeavors are towards living a life of adventures, of connections to people

and experiences, and of development of my whole person makes the sacrifices worth while and the

definition of long term sustained success to be viewed in relation to lining up and (hopefully) finishing. It

has put years into my chances of being able to pursue the dream of being called ‘an Ironman’ many

times over.

For my second IM, I broke my foot two days before the race playing tennis with my daughter. I nearly

cried as I was geeked up for the race and still living a bit in the KQ dream world. Of course, a number of

people told me I could not do the race. Hell, I was not sure I could do the race with a foot the size of a

small pumpkin. But I recall sitting for hours with my foot in an ice bucket thinking about what that race

really should mean to me. Ultimately, I changed my priorities from ‘racing’ to ‘finishing’. Re-defining

what success would be. I did start that race, and fortunately, somehow finished. To this day, with the

various things I have done, that is still my proudest IM moment.

The lesson was enormous and really took some time to sink in. If you intend to race IM (particularly

more than one IM), you better learn to have flexibility in determining what your goals are and what

success is. Every IM is different, and things pop up while working towards that event. You will encounter

set backs, obstacles you never imagined, and disappointments right up to and even during race day. The

ability to cope, endure, and re-define why you are doing this and what constitutes success will be one of

the biggest factors in your long-term happiness. Don’t sell yourself short and have just a few things be

the keys to whether your races was great or a flop – you are cheapening what the big picture of IM is all

about. The development of self is more the prize of doing IMs than any medal, time, or place.

From the chatter around town, I get the sense that next year will be a big one for CTCers and Ironman,

not just first timers but also 2nd and 3rd…. That is fantastic. But I hope folks will take a few minutes to

really consider if they are not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally ready to take this

journey. I knew I was going to do an IM when I was 17 years old, but I never hit the entry button for 20

years. I’m happy it took me that long as I know I was not really ready to take on IM and have it mean

what it did to me until so many years later. Give it some real thought before getting yourself swept up

into the frenzy of registration and hitting that ‘enter’ button.

But if you do register for IM Muskoka (or what ever race you decide upon), after the excitement dies

down, the FB posting of “Ins” has faded, and the calls for 100 mile rides in late September are blazing, I’d

encourage people to stop and give some real thought to why you are racing and what you want to

accomplish. Then take a piece of paper and write out at least 5 goals and 5 things you hope to achieve

over the course of the next year of IM training/racing. Do NOT write down any time or place – you are

forbidden from putting down the word ‘Kona’. Place that piece of paper in an envelope, seal it and write

March 15, 2015 on it. Open it that day, review what you wrote, think about what you are accomplishing

thus far, and then put it back in the envelope with the date June 15, 2015 on it. Open and repeat with

the date of the day before your race. Race night open again – think about where you have come from

and where you will go the next day. Tuck that piece of paper into your kit race day. At some point water

and sweat will dissolve that list – but by the end of the day, finish or not, you hopefully will have turned

those words into accomplishments and memories that don’t need to be written down because they are

in your soul. Regardless of time or place – you will feel more like an Ironman than you can imagine.

As for me – I’ll stand on a beach and get a huge rush when an announcer says “Who wants to be an

Ironman today”. Then hopefully, I will turn a corner many, many hours later and feel that rush again. I’ve

probably had one of the more challenging years getting prepped up for Boulder – the winter was hard,

my training and weight are not really where I would like, I’m battling an ailment and the altitude will

suck (literally – I’ll be sucking wind all day). I’m looking at a long and challenging day to be sure. But

honestly, I could not be happier to be doing this race – because the experience and journey have added

to who I am and what I hope to be. The day will come and go, then Monday, I’ll wake with a new story

and hopefully I’ll have chased more numbers and not letters. Ultimately, it will all be great.

So back to the original question – Why do I do this? What keeps me going? Well the answer is relatively

simple – When the reward becomes the journey to the water edge and potential to cross the finish line,

when the general sense of self accomplishment looms bigger than life, and when the friendships that are

made along the way add riches to my being – well why would I not do number 14?

PS: With his best buddy Hank by his side, Rob completed his 13th Ironman in Boulder, Colorado. Dealing

with GI issues starting at mile 2 on the bike, Rob fought through the day. He says that Boulder was the

toughest Ironman finish he has ever had. He is already looking forward to his next Ironman event.

Starting August 1st, CTC Sponsor, EPIC Performance, will be recognizing select CTC

members for their “EPIC Performance of the Month'” feature.

Each monthly winner will receive EPIC Performance Gear (T-Shirt or Singlet, Visor or Hat +

Free Product TBD). We would welcome contributions on all levels (first time debuts,

note-worthy efforts or top performances).

To enter: Any time during the month, send in race reports, stories, etc. via email to

clevetriclub@yahoo.com. On the first of every month, a team of CTC members will

review the reports and select the winner for the EPIC Performance of the

month. Winners will be announced around the 15th of every month.

For more information on EPIC Performance,

please visit www.FlexusSports.com & www.EpicPerformance.com or

for product info please email Joe@EpicPerformance.com

The Saturated Triathlon Market

By Mark Durno

In Triathlon years, our 10+ year old club is still pretty young. Yet, despite our infancy, we have seen

this sport go from being on the fringes to becoming more mainstream sport. When compared to

running, our numbers are still small, but in a sport where the average person enters and exits

within five years, it is starting to gather larger participation. Even for people who have no interest

in participating, the coverage of Ironman and the Olympics in addition to the growing quantity of

events has made more people knowledgeable of the three disciplines. For many, triathlon is a very

popular bucket-list item. The growth and success of this sport is exciting, especially for those of us

who have broken the 5-year barrier and are still enjoying the events and competition. With growth

comes challenges, but let’s look at what the growth has looked like since 2004.

Growth

Back in 2004, CTC was in its second year. On the

club’s website, we listed the area races, the date

they took place, and the web site where you could

get more information. The list was one page –

maybe about 15 – 20 lines deep. We listed races

from late April (Buzzard Du) through late

September (“the Toyota Challenge”). If you do the

math, that’s not even 1 event per week. “Area races”

included events as far away as Columbus, OH and

Morgantown, WV. We even listed a race in Racine,

WI to fill space. During the summer months, there

was a race within an hour of Cleveland about every

other week. That is ONE race every other weekend.

Back in those days, there was probably about 1

running race per week from April through

November (sometimes there we a few more, but they were hard to find). Those that enjoyed racing

often spent a lot of time on the “trifind” web site looking for semi-local events in Michigan, Indiana,

and Pennsylvania.

In the last 10 years, Cleveland area multi-sport opportunities have grown steadily if not

exponentially. There are more duathlons, biathlons, aquathons, aquabikes, and triathlons than ever.

With more races comes more race directors/companies now. It seems like just about every fitness

center that sports a pool puts on an indoor tri in the winter months. Most triathletes favor an

individual sport and participate in running, biking, and/or swimming events routinely. During the

last weekend this past of July, Cleveland area triathletes were participating in at least 6 area events.

There were three local triathlons (Huntington, Cleveland, & Fairport Harbor), a popular triathlon in

the Columbus area (Challenge New Albany), two bike events (State Time Trials, Sweet Corn

Challenge), and, of course, we had a number of our members at Ironman Lake Placid.

Every weekend this summer, there seem to be multiple multi-sport opportunities. It’s great time to

be a triathlete…. or is it?

Challenges

Although more opportunities are good for consumers/athletes, it is not without some problems.

Because many of these races and race companies are still in their early stages, they do not have the

money to put out the swag that usually accompanied races in years past. With multiple races on the

same weekend, the crowds at each individual race tend to be smaller even with a growing triathlon

population. As a result, races tend to have less money to spend on the extras. In the past, a hot

lunch was provided to athletes. Now, we’re lucky to get a banana and a few cookies at many races.

Five years ago, club members would run into 20+ fellow club members at local events. We have

more members than ever, and yet, we don’t see as many at any individual event. Lower earnings

means the potential for less traffic control – safety can be compromised. Having sufficient

volunteers to man courses and aid stations is also becoming more problematic.

It’s not just multi-sport. The running community is exploding with related events. There are “color

runs”, “electric runs”, “zombie runs”, obstacle course runs, night runs, charity runs, and mud runs.

Trail running and ultra-running events are also becoming more popular.

With more competition, we’ll likely see some of the smaller racing organizations getting squeezed

out. Our little multi-sport market will probably correct itself soon. It will be interesting to see who

survives it and why. Even on a national stage, we’re seeing more competition than ever. The

competition with the bigger events is driving better customer (athlete) service. Even when some of

the local and national bubbles start bursting, there will be enough volume of races and racing

companies out there to keep our sport strong. Let’s hope that some of this competition will start to

drive prices down (triathlon events aren’t cheap) and the experience back to what we remember

back in the good ol’ days. What will the next 10 years bring?

Fleet Feet is excited to announce a new store

opening soon in Westlake!

Opening in August, check them out at:

26149 Detroit Rd

Westlake, OH 44145

About Rudy Project- Rudy Project designs and manufactures performance-oriented helmets, sunglasses, goggles and Rx/prescription eyewear solutions by applying advanced science, cutting-edge technology and innovative aesthetics. Designed and crafted in Italy since 1985, Rudy Project has grown quickly as a premier brand throughout North America. Along with proprietary, award-winning lens technologies including Im-pactX™, Polar3FX™ and RPOptics™, Rudy Project offers un-paralleled customer service backed by a Lifetime Replace-ment Lens Guarantee and an industry-leading three-year frame warranty. Learn more about Rudy Project at www.e-rudy.com

HERE'S HOW TO GET 40% OFF OF RUDY PROJECT GEAR AS A CTC MEMBER:

-Go to: www.e-rudy.com -Add items to cart / Checkout -Enter VIP code: ClevelandTriCl *Additional discounts do not apply to closeout items and/or promotions.

While we may be in the midst of triath-lon season, some of us may already be thinking about what they will do after their big race of the season… NEW CYCLOCROSS PRACTICES STARTING- In addition to the normal Team Bicycle Hub weekly Monday night shop rides, going for-ward, now you can choose to do the road riding option or CYCLOCROSS practice. Those wishing to come for the cyclocross practice can either depart from the shop at 6:30 when the other groups roll out or meet directly at Daniels Park in Willoughby (which is about 2.7 miles from the shop on the north side of 84). Practices are informal and focused on skills and will last for about 75 minutes. All are welcome! Start location: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Daniels+Park/@41.628024,-81.402034,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x1f7a990ad0be9e27

NEWS FROM OUR SPONSORS-