Athlete Race Recap: Coeur Outdoor Divas Sprint Triathlon & Peasantman Steel Distance Triathlon

‍Coeur Outdoor Divas Sprint Triathlon

Jennifer Pearce headed to Longmont, Colorado for the Coeur Outdoor Divas Sprint Triathlon on Sunday, August 18, 2024!

This was Jennifer’s third triathlon this season and her 46th (yep, you read that right!) triathlon overall.  We’ve been working specifically on her swim for the majority of this year, and I’m so pleased to report that she felt good and strong for the entire swim and that she was not at the back of the pack (which is where she had been for a bit).  Changes to technique and skills take a long time to be fully realized, and Jennifer has been patient and diligent throughout this entire process.  It’s paying off for her!

On the bike, Jennifer dropped some of the fuel that she intended to take in.  Fortunately, she had brought extra so she was able to still have something to consume on the bike.  It wasn’t as much as she was originally planning, but it was absolutely better than nothing.  Jennifer’s experience highlights why it’s so important to pack more than you think you need for fueling and hydration - both in workouts and in races.  Something unexpected can happen, and you want to be able to adapt when it does.  Without extra fuel, Jennifer’s race would have been a lot tougher.

Jennifer managed her efforts well on the run and crossed the finish line in 17th place in her age group, which is an excellent result considering that there were 31 people in her age group and her age group (Female 60-64) is very competitive.

Congratulations, Jennifer!

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Peasantman Steel Distance Triathlon

Alex Lauser and Brian Stoos took on the challenge of the Peasantman Steel Distance Triathlon in Penn Yan, New York on Sunday, August 18, 2024!  Alex raced the Half-Distance Triathlon and Brian raced the Sprint Distance Triathlon.  Both Alex and Brian used Custom-Built Training Plans to help top off their preparedness for this race.

After one of the best swims he’s ever had in a Half-Distance Triathlon, Alex headed out onto the bike course.  He noticed that something didn’t feel right about his bike, and he noticed that his front tire had a much lower tire pressure than it should have.  10 miles into the course, he stopped to add more air to it, and realized that it was still losing air.  He rode a bit longer, but eventually the tire went completely flat.  

Alex runs a tubeless setup and when he pulled the tire off of the wheel he noticed that the valve stem was completely rotted away on the inside.  Unfortunately, this was not something he could fix and thus, his race was over and he had to take a DNF (Did Not Finish) as his official result for the race.  This was a bummer, to say the least.  That being said, Alex recognized that he had managed all of the things that were in his control (his preparation, his training, etc.) and he also recognized that this was outside of his control.  Because of this, while he was certainly disappointed that the day didn’t go as he planned, he isn’t angry or upset.  I’m proud of Alex for handling this adversity so well; it speaks to how mature of an athlete he now is.  Bravo, Alex!

Brian’s race went better than Alex’s (something we’re all grateful for!).  He exceeded his own expectations on the swim, averaged the fastest speed he’s ever had on the bike leg in a triathlon, and hit his goal pace on the run.  All of this led to him placing 8th overall in the race (all genders combined) and second in his age group!  This is the first time Brian has hit the podium in a triathlon.  What a great day!  Congratulations, Brian!