70.3 World Championship Weekend

Oct 29, 2022

his weekend is the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George UT. Lucy Charles-Barkley, Taylor Knibb, Flora Duffy, Holly Lawrence and the other professional women race Friday, October 28th. On Saturday, Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt, Sam Long, Rudy Von Berg, Matt Hansen and the other male pros face off.

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In Today's Show
• Feature
○ 70.3 World Championship St George October 28 and 29
• Endurance News
○ Ironman California October 23
• What's new in the 303
○ Adams County’s “Love Your Trails” Making Bike Paths More Colorful
○ Transitioning Back To Training After Injury
• Video of the Week
○ St George Pro Press Conference

Feature: 70.3 World Champs Preview
PRE-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE
Twelve of the best athletes in the world convened in the Electric Theater to talk strategy and thoughts leading into the 2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. On the women’s side, Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), Taylor Knibb (USA), Flora Duffy (BMU), Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR), Paula Findlay (CAN), and Holly Lawrence (GBR) took to the stage.

Speaking on the water at the ROKA swim course at Sand Hollow Reservoir, Paula Findlay remarked on how favorable she found the conditions during her practice swim: “The water is really beautiful, I think the transition from water to air will be the hardest part but once you are in the water it is actually really nice so maybe they can extend the swim, make it longer.”

In reflecting on her victory from the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission and excitement for this year’s race, defending IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay said, “Coming back to St. George and walking around the town I kind of got the memories from last year so if I can do anything close to last year’s performance then I will be over the moon.”

The women are set to race this Friday, October 28 with live coverage on Outside Watch.

On the men’s side, Gustav Iden (NOR), Sam Long (USA), Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), Miki Taagholt (DNK), Frederic Funk (DEU), and Eric Lagerstrom (USA) talked shop ahead of their race, which will take place on Saturday, October 29 with live coverage also on Outside Watch.
IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship: Pro Women start list and bib numbers - Elite News - TRI247
BIB FIRST LAST COUNTRY
F1 Lucy Charles-Barclay GBR
F2 Taylor Knibb USA
F4 Emma Pallant-Browne GBR
F6 Jackie Hering USA
F7 Holly Lawrence GBR
F8 Nikki Bartlett GBR
F9 Anne Reischmann GER
F10 Flora Duffy BER
F14 Paula Findlay CAN

IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship: Pro Men start list and bib numbers - Elite News - TRI247
BIB FIRST LAST COUNTRY
M1 Gustav Iden NOR
M2 Sam Long USA
M4 Miki Taagholt DEN
M5 Jackson Laundry CAN
M6 Ben Kanute USA
M7 Eric Lagerstrom USA
M8 Magnus Ditlev DEN
M10 Filipe Azevedo POR
M11 Kristian Blummenfelt NOR
M15 Rudy Von Berg USA
M16 Matthew Hanson USA

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Endurance News:

IRONMAN California
By Gary -October 25, 2022

California’s capital city, Sacramento, played host to the debut of the Kaiser Permanente IRONMAN California triathlon, part of the VinFast IRONMAN US Series, on Sunday, October 23, 2022.

Julien Boulain from Paris, France (M35-39 age group) took the overall victory with the fastest time of the day in 08:45:58. In the women’s age group race, Riis Rametta of Park City, Utah (F35-39 age group) claimed victory in the female age-group race, finishing with a time of 9:33:50.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better day of IRONMAN racing here in the Central Valley,” said Tim Brosious, Regional Director for The IRONMAN Group.

“We have been waiting a long time to see Kaiser Permanente IRONMAN California triathlon come to fruition here into the area. The community has come out in true Sacramento fashion to support the athletes and show exactly why this community is already becoming one of the best on the IRONMAN circuit.”

IRONMAN California saw more than 2,800 athletes from 62 countries, regions and territories, and all 50 US states start the race. Competitors ranged in age from 18-78 years old.

The event led athletes along a downriver 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile flat and fast bike ride through the local area’s farm and wine country and a 26.2-mile run throughout the Sacramento Valley for total of 140.6 miles.

The event offered 55 age group qualifying slots to the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship taking place in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i next October.

Kaiser Permanente IRONMAN California will return to Sacramento, CA, on October 23, 2023.

What's New in the 303:

Adams County’s “Love Your Trails” Making Bike Paths More Colorful
By Bill Plock

October 25, 2022– Riding on bike paths these days has become more colorful and interesting thanks to several initiatives over the years to include murals on the trails and overpasses.
Recently Adams County finished such an initiative with the final mural being painted by Sofi Ramirez. We ran into her finishing the final piece just east of Sheridan on the Clear Creek Bike Path and had this short conversation with her.

She is part of a group of fifteen artists commissioned by Adams County. She uses a cement stain, not paint, to create her art. The stain penetrates the concrete pores better she said and will last longer and not be as slick when it’s wet.
Says Sofi on her website, “I believe in the ability art has to transform spaces, guide emotions, and start conversations. I deeply value my public art practice, because it provides me with the largest and most inclusive platform for my work. I hope my art can be a catalyst for a deeper understanding and celebration of diversity. While also peering into human nature in a way that opens a window into constructive self-reflection for myself and my viewers.”
Adams County has launched two campaigns to bridge the gap between public art, the outdoors, and wellness – while also bringing access to and highlighting the expanding parks, open space, and trail system available to the public.

Love Your Trails is a ground mural series dedicated to the natural beauty of the county. Artists who have participated in the program have embraced the challenges of working outdoors and finding new ways to draw in audiences. Murals run 18 miles from the Fishing is Fun Pond in Riverdale Regional Park in Brighton along the South Platte River Trail and the Clear Creek Trail all the way to Sheridan Blvd.

“Parks are democratic spaces – they are free to all, reflect the demographic diversity of our county, and are places for social and cultural interaction,” said Adams County Commissioner Lynn Baca, chair.

Participation in cultural activities connects people to each other and to their community institutions, providing pathways to other forms of participation. Thus, arts and culture can create opportunities for expression, community dialogue, and shared cultural experiences.

“Physical environments connect to mental and emotional well-being in more ways than one,” said Baca. “The spaces where we live and play form the context for our lives.”

TRANSITIONING BACK TO TRAINING AFTER INJURY
By John Hansen | Oct. 14, 2022, 5:07 p.m. (ET)

An athlete holds their knee and shin as if they are experiencing leg pain.Injuries are a common and negative aspect of triathlon training and racing. They can sideline you for weeks, sometimes months. With proper recovery protocols, however, you can transition back to full training and racing. There are several considerations when returning to training in order to prevent injury relapse and make your transition back to normal training productive:
• Avoid dramatic changes in volume and intensity.
• Allow the injury to heal completely.
• Stay consistent with training, avoiding long, 2-3+ week breaks.
• Engage in an all-body dynamic stretching routine prior to every strength and/or high intensity workout.
• Follow a slow warm up of at least 5-10 minutes prior to any swim, bike or run workout.
• Engage in yoga or an all-body static stretching and rolling, stick and/or myofascial release routine after every workout.
• Engage in an all-body strengthening routine 3+ times a week.
• Avoid lifestyle situations that may re-aggravate a recent injury – examples: aggressively participating in sports that your body is not conditioned to support, sitting or standing for prolonged periods, walking or climbing stairs in excess, lifting heavy or awkward objects, etc.
• Videotaping - videotaping can help you make form or technique changes once you return to full training and you don’t feel any lingering effects of the injury that might alter your form. Videotaping your technique, especially while swimming or running, may uncover form flaws that may have contributed to the injury. This is valuable information for recovery and injury prevention.
• Beyond these general return-to-training measures, there are specific elements to consider if an injury occurs in the key phases of training: base, build and competition. Please note: these elements are dependent on how severe the injury was. More severe injuries require longer recovery periods and a more conservative approach. It also assumes that you have medical clearance and/or are finishing physical therapy but will follow at-home therapy recommendations, allowing you to return to training.

Base Phase
If the injury occurs in the base phase, you stand the best chance of returning to normal training and having minimal effect on your season. Most injuries in this phase are mild to moderate and are caused by training volume, not intensity, so the severity is lessened. Key considerations when returning to training in this phase include:

Alter training surfaces and terrain – ease back into training by running on softer surfaces and limit the amount of hill training (run and bike) early in this phase. Gradually reduce but don’t eliminate softer surface running and slowly increase the amount of hill training.

Rebuild volume modestly – since each situation is unique, there is no specific protocol to follow, but use a 40-20 rule as a conservative guide. Start out with a training volume that is 40% of the volume you were at prior to the injury and add 20% of the new volume every 1-2 weeks. For minor injuries, this may be too conservative, and for more severe injuries, it may be too aggressive, but it can be a good starting point. In addition, since volume is the focus during this phase, reducing intensity may not be necessary.

Walk-run protocols – for more severe running-specific injuries, consider a more conservative approach given the impactful nature of running. Start with 2-3 minutes of running and 1-2 minutes of walking and limit the workout to 15-20 minutes. Each week, add 1 minute of running and reduce the walk by 30 seconds. Keep at least 30 seconds of walk for every run segment. Once you reach 10 minutes of running per 30 seconds of walking, you should be able to run the entire workout.

Trainer workouts – using a trainer for bike workouts adds stability and may be necessary to avoid the unpredictability of riding outdoors, especially after a severe and/or upper body injury.
Strength training – general strength and/or dry land swim training can be a good transition back to training. Note: if strength training was the root cause of the injury, avoid or minimize those exercises that led to the initial injury until completely symptom-free. You may need to follow other recovery elements such as managing volume and intensity.
Equipment adjustments – Make the following equipment adjustments as early as possible in this phase to allow your body to adjust to the change(s):

Bike fit – Having a well-fit bike has several positive implications related to most joints in the body including wrists, neck, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. It also affects your lower back, hamstrings, calves and Achilles. The fit may address the injury itself such as moving the cleats on your shoe and/or raising/lowering the seat if you had a knee injury. Use a professional bike fitter for this option.

Running orthotics – if orthotics are recommended to you, get these as early as possible. You must adjust to your new running biomechanics before increasing training volume and intensity.

Continue to see a PT for follow up and progression checks – I often recommend having periodic appointments with your PT to ensure you are maintaining proper rehabilitation protocols, especially if returning from a chronic injury.
A physical therapist helps a patient use a foam roller on his calf.

Build Phase
If your injury occurs in the build phase and is either mild or moderate, you should be able to return to normal training with minimal effect on your racing season. If the injury is more severe, it may affect early-season races. Some considerations regarding your racing schedule may need to be made. Key considerations when returning to training in this phase include the following:

Strength Training – heavier lifting and/or plyometric workouts, which put a lot of strain on your body, are often a part of this phase. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need to return to lifting by using lighter weights and more reps.

Moderately rebuild volume and intensity – many factors affect how aggressively you return to normal training including the severity of the injury, the length of this phase, when races are scheduled, and more. Follow the same 40-20 guide mentioned earlier if a conservative approach makes sense and the injury is more severe. Sometimes, a more aggressive approach may be required, but build volume to at least 75% of normal before adding lower levels of intensity.

Equipment adjustments – Make the following equipment adjustments as early as possible in this phase to allow your body to adjust to the change(s):

Bike seat position – height and forward/back – only minor adjustments based on the bike fit in the base phase. Consult with your bike fitter prior to making any adjustments.
Running shoe wear and tear – due to training volume, running shoes may need to be replaced. A good rule of thumb for shoe replacement: if the shoe has 300-400 miles of use.

Reduce the use of swim paddles/buoys – due to the overall volume and/or transition to higher intensity, reduce the use of paddles, even if they are used sparingly.

Competition Phase
If the injury occurs in the competition phase, you should be able to return to normal training. However, it will likely have a pronounced effect on your racing season depending on several factors, including the severity of the injury and how long of a race season you have scheduled. Key considerations when returning to training in this phase include the following:

Re-adjust racing schedule – it may be necessary to find races later in the season that allow you to rebuild fitness in order to meet your desired racing goals.

Moderately rebuild volume and intensity – like the build phase, many factors affect how aggressively you return to normal training, including the severity of the injury, the length of this phase, when races are scheduled during this phase, and more. Follow the same principles outlined in the build phase unless a more aggressive approach can be tolerated. Don’t get so aggressive that you reinjure yourself – there’s often a thin line between getting reinjured and resuming normal training. Day-to-day adjustments may need to be made. This is a very vulnerable stage for reinjury due the sense of urgency races create.

Equipment adjustments - equipment adjustments are only advised in extreme circumstances at this point of the season. If they must be made, they should be very minor and following the advice of your bike fitter.
A productive return to training is possible when you follow a well-thought-out transition plan that is progressive in nature, not too aggressive, and incorporates the proper elements mentioned above.

DON’T GET SO AGGRESSIVE THAT YOU REINJURE YOURSELF – THERE’S OFTEN A THIN LINE BETWEEN GETTING REINJURED AND RESUMING NORMAL TRAINING.
One final thought: the most vulnerable time for reinjury is when you feel normal as you return to training. Feeling normal in the early phases of recovery can be misleading since your volume and intensity are typically reduced dramatically. You may be anxious to resume normal training, but your body is often not ready. It’s important as an athlete to be aware of your body and be able to read what it’s telling you with respect to your transition back to training.

Video of the week:
2022 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Pre-Race Press Conference

Closing:
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Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!