Heat Isn't Enough To Slow Schultz in Nation's Triathlon

By Jim Hage
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, September 15, 2008; E16

 

Nearly 2,400 amateur athletes from across the country swam in the Potomac River under Memorial Bridge, hopped on their bikes for a ride along the river's parkways and capped their efforts with a steamy run around the Mall in the third Nation's Triathlon yesterday.

Bill Schultz of Bowie crossed the finish line on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1 hour 59 minutes 50 seconds, more than six minutes ahead of his closest competitor. Race officials assessed a two-minute course penalty during Schultz's bike leg, an adjustment that did not affect the final standings.

"You couldn't have a better venue, race course or support," Schultz, 30, said. "The run was the toughest part, with the sun beating down on you at the end. But it was the same conditions for everyone, so I really can't complain."

The Olympic distance course consisted of a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike and a 10K run. The water temperature of 77 was one degree shy of a requirement that race officials bar wet suits, which serve to insulate as well as provide flotation assistance for most triathletes. Air temperature of 72 at the start climbed rapidly, and high humidity made the run especially difficult.

Steuarat Martens, a former competitive distance swimmer at Purdue University, led everyone out of the water with a quick opening leg of 19:41, nearly a minute ahead of the next man, Kyle Hooker. Martens, like nearly all the competitors, lauded the Potomac River water quality. "My only complaint was that on the way back [downstream], the sun was right on the horizon and the same color as the buoy, so I had to tread water in order to get my bearings."

Schultz seized the lead quickly on the bike and extended his advantage to five minutes before the run, during which he was never challenged. Martens finished seventh in 2:09:33.

Vinnie Monseau, 39, from Morgantown, W.Va., took second in 2:06:02, and Charles Graf third in 2:07:15. Hooker, 20, a senior at the Naval Academy and from Lake Braddock High in Burke, was fourth in 2:08:06. Hooker led a contingent of 15 midshipmen.

Megan Knepper started with the first wave of 70 elite athletes at 7 a.m. and was second out of the water, only behind Martens. Knepper's 20:00 split gave her a big early lead in the women's race, an advantage that shrank but one she never lost in her 2:17:37 wire-to-wire triumph.

"If I don't get out there in my strongest event, I'm done," said Knepper, 25, from Fairfax, who will compete in the Hawaii Ironman next month. "I was pleased with my bike [leg], and at halfway I said nobody's passed me yet. But my [bike] computer died, so I didn't know how fast I was going, and I had to ride by feel. On the run, I was looking back the whole way the last two miles."

Heather Leiggi, 33, a professional triathlete from Bryn Mawr, Pa., and Knepper's teammate on Zoot Sports, a California sports apparel company, finished second in 2:18:01. "I was working on her the whole bike and the whole run, gaining on her, but I ran out of race course," said Leiggi, who led all women cyclists with a split of 1:06:15.

Rebecca Newton, 32, from Lexington Park, Md., completed a close top three in 2:18:14. Last year's runner-up, Hilary Cairns, 37, from Washington, finished fifth in 2:21:16.

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, an avid triathlete who suffered a bike crash in July that disrupted his training, completed the course in 2:30:07 and finished 168th overall. "I've got no excuses," said Fenty, who was 10th last year. "The bike and run were very tough, and I'm glad it's over. [Race director Chuck Brodsky] is going to give me a list of everyone who beat me."

Brodsky, who founded the race, said he was pleased but not surprised at the event's growth from 480 finishers in 2006. "The sport of triathloning is exploding around the globe and we're a part of that. We're just very thankful to the Fenty administration for working with us, closing all the roads. This is a great day for the city."

Pressure's on for Skinnyman athletes

By Sue Tanner / Special to the Skaneateles Journal
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 5:39 PM EDT

Glenn Gaston / Skaneateles Journal More than 200 racers take to the water to start the Skinnyman Triathlon in Skaneateles Saturday.

SKANEATELES - “Hey red shirt man, never let up 'til you cross the finish line.”

Walter Bird, of Marcellus, shouted advice and encouragement to contestants during the Skinnyman Triathlon Saturday in Clift Park.

Runners, and those watching, heard Bird call out things like, “White hat guy, let's go, you can do it!”

Bird served as announcer for the triathlon and people heard his upbeat voice over a loudspeaker throughout the event.

The sold-out event boasted 600 participants who began the race with an 800-yard swim. Contestants were grouped by age in waved starts, with as many as 150 swimmers per wave who competed as individuals or on teams. Participants ranged from seasoned athletes to beginners who were literally just “getting their feet wet.”

A 14-mile bike race and a three-mile run followed the swim. Organizers awarded the top three male and female finishers as well as the top three finishers in each age category. Contestants received T-shirts, latex swim caps and goodie bags, along with the chance to prove their athletic abilities.

Volunteers handed out smiles and encouragement with bottled water and steaming hot pizza. Rachel DeWitt, 14, and Jen Sawyer, 13, represented the Skaneateles High School Varsity Swim Team.

“I love helping the racers and letting them know we care,” said Rachel, who was serving pizza with her mom, Terri DeWitt.

“Nine-thirty a.m. seems early for pizza, I guess, but it's like lunch time to us,” said Heather Leiggi of Philadelphia, Pa. Leiggi was one of the first female finishers with a time of approximately one hour, 12 minutes.

Leiggi was one of the winners last year and traveled here because she loves the bike course.

“I do get to visit family in the area but I make the drive because it is such a beautiful town. The bike course has a great combination of hills and flats and that makes for a nice ride,” said Leiggi, who is sponsored by Zoo Elite.

Chris Pulito, Jenn Marie Williams and Mike Serrano of Mirbeau Inn & Spa provided neck and back rubs to racers after they crossed the finish line.

“After racers finish, they go to see their family and friends and then they come over to us. Last year we massaged about 75 racers. We also donated all of the prizes, ranging from a $1,500 luxury weekend to individual massages,” Pulito said. “We think that this event is great for the community and the prizes encourage participation.”

CNY Healing Arts workers also offered leg and muscle massages. Tammie Herzog of Syracuse was working with one of the runners just prior to his portion of the race.

“I think I contribute to the winning time by relaxing the muscles of the runners. Plus, they are in a hurry to get back here after and that speeds up the times,” Herzog joked. Racer Riley Sisson confirmed her claim of helping the racers.

“I pulled a muscle in my calf and Tammie is absolutely healing me,” Sisson said while clutching one of Herzog's business cards. “I am a believer,” he shouted to the passing crowd.

Marcie Forsyth of Horseheads, proudly displayed her bright yellow T-shirt that read “I'm a tri-guy's girl” on the back and “We tri our best” on the front. True to her shirt, her boyfriend, Craig Moyse of Hyde Park, competed in four of the races. Moyse's family came to the race to cheer him on.

“It has become a family event over the years and it's fun to see his family here,” Forsyth said.

Though the morning started with rain, it didn't dampen the fun or enthusiasm of the crowd. It didn't seem to hamper the participants either.

“The water started out choppy but got calmer,” said Jennifer Salisbury of Elbridge. “The water felt great, it wasn't cold at all. I'd prefer not to swim in the rain because you suck in a lot of water but I must admit it felt great.”

Racer Matt Migonis of Syracuse said the inclement weather makes riding bikes more difficult, too, but he wasn't going to let anything rain on his parade.

“I actually finished the last four miles of the race on a flat tire.”

 

Heather Leiggi of Bryn Mawr gets ready to get wet at last week's SheROX triathlon.

Inquirer Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

Posted on Wed, Oct 24, 2007

Bryn Mawr's Leiggi thriving on triathlons

By Bruce Adams

ARDMORE– When Bryn Mawr resident Heather Leiggi competed in her first triathlon eight years ago, she was frightened."I was scared to death of the swim, since my swim training involved me jumping in the pool and hoping I made it to the other side," said Leiggi. Leiggi hung in there, however, and completed the event – a small sprint triathlon outside of Harrisburg. "I survived, and after having such a great time at my first race, I decided to keep doing triathlons," said Leiggi. She began to compete on a national and international level; and earlier this month, Leiggi took sixth place in the Best of the U.S. National Championship Triathlon at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Fla.  Leiggi, a member of the Wayne-based HighRoad Cycles Multisport Team, represented Pennsylvania in the international distance triathlon, which consisted of a 1.5K swim in Lake Eloise, a 40K bike race and a 10K run. She completed the triathlon event in an impressive 2:15:07. "It was probably the most unique course I have raced on, since it was inside Cypress Gardens' amusement park," said Leiggi. "Imagine swimming around ski jumps and running around rollercoasters and water-slides." The Best of the U.S. triathlon takes a male and female triathlete from each state and holds the race in an open class format (no age groups). Leiggi has been the only female to represent Pennsylvania the past two years. The Bryn Mawr resident qualified by winning the amateur race at the Philadelphia Triathlon last year. Recently, Leiggi spoke of her experiences in the Philadelphia Triathlon on a local radio show. "It was the first triathlon in Philadelphia in many years, and they wanted my views on how the race was [run] compared to other triathlons – and I think I tried to assure people the Schuylkill River really is safe," said Leiggi, with a smile. "I had a blast speaking on the show. I was able to share my experiences with other people, a lot of whom were new to triathlon, and hopefully it will encourage people to get involved." Leiggi, who ran for the cross-country and track teams at Bucknell University, hoped to continue her running career after college, but wanted to try something a little different – hence, her entry into triathlons. Strong cycle "Surprisingly enough, cycling has been my strongest event [of the three]," said Leiggi. "I did compete in some junior cycling races in high school so I had a little experience – I definitely enjoy cycling the most. I've been on some absolutely beautiful rides with great scenery and I love the feeling of speeding down the road on my bike! "Swimming is the event I need the most work on. I have improved significantly since my first race after many lessons, critiques, and tough workouts, but I continue to struggle with it." Asked if she had a favorite triathlon course, Leiggi replied, "It's really hard to pick just one race that stands out above others since I have so much fun every time I race. The races that stick in my mind are the ones where everything comes together from beginning to end – this year, the Eagleman 70.3 Triathlon was one of those races. "The conditions were great and the course was flat and fast. A lot of my family and friends were there to cheer me on, as well as a lot of my team members from HighRoad Cycles Multisport Team, which always makes it more fun." Leiggi planned to turn professional earlier this year; however, she wanted to compete in the amateurs-only Best of the U.S. triathlon this month, and will postpone turning pro until next year. Another of her goals this year was to qualify for the 70.3 World Championships; which she did in addition to qualifying for the ITU Olympic Distance World Championships for both 2007 (in Hamburg, Germany) and 2008 (in Vancouver, Canada). However, Leiggi, who works at Advanced Health and Fitness in Narberth, will not be attending the 70.3 World Championships because her husband Jason will be racing at Ironman Florida the prior week.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007 1:29 PM EDT

Triathletes compete in annual Skinnyman competition in and around Skaneateles Lake

By Erik Sorensen / Skaneateles Journal

SKANEATELES - With the autumn-like air without a hint of haze and the deep blue-green water showing the faintest of ripples, Skaneateles Lake and the surrounding countryside never looked more lovely than it did Saturday morning during the third annual Skinnyman triathlon.

“It's such a nice day. I really lucked out for my first time in a triathlon. Isn't this just beautiful?” asked Auburn native Kara Hoselton, just after her picture was taken by in-laws Coleen and Neil Hoselton as she stood on the pier at Clift Park.

A record field of 450 triathletes competed in the Skinnyman - an 800-yard swim, followed by a 15-mile bicycle section, and then a three-mile run.

The race began promptly at 8 a.m. at the park, and for men's winner Matt Migonis, of Cazenovia, it ended just a little more than one hour and five minutes later.

Hoselton is the daughter of Auburn attorney Paul Carbonaro and his wife, Kathy. She and her husband, Trevor, live in Stafford, Conn., where he is in the Marine Corps.

“This is actually my first triathlon. I was a swimmer in college,” said Hoselton, 24, who competed in the 100 butterfly, relays, and other events her coach slotted her in while at Le Moyne College. “I am a swimmer, so I was a little disappointed in my swim. I thought I'd be more conditioned in the water, and I actually felt really tight.”

Hoselton finished 128th overall with a time of 1:29.23.

Her mentor this summer was Bridget Dautrich. Hoselton used to work at Daut's, the family's restaurant in Auburn, and she and her father were frequent guests - sometimes grabbing a quick snack through the back kitchen door - when husband Kevin Dautrich was co-owner of Cassidy's restaurant in the early 1990s.

“She took me on a lot of bike rides, on a lot of runs. Bridget blew her tire out on O'Neil Road, though, so she had to walk her bike back,” Hoselton said. “I really felt terrible for her. She helped me out so much this summer.”

The Skinnyman, along with the Escape from the Judge swim Saturday and 5K run Sunday, is put on by a committee that has approximately 15 members and meets once a month year-round.

Saturday's race director was Michael Parker, of Skaneateles. A triathlete himself, Parker has competed in the world-famous Ironman Triathlon in Kono, Hawaii, on six occasions.

“The race couldn't have gone better. Wonderful support from our sponsors; the organizers and volunteers did a great job. The weather was unbelievable. Just nothing but good,” Parker said.

Coordination between the village police, the Skaneateles Fire Department, and the SAVES ambulance service was seamless. There were no reports of any injuries aside from a few minor scrapes and bruises.

Huge crowds lined the switch-off points in and around Clift Park, but village of Skaneateles Police Chief Lloyd Perkins and his team kept everything in order.

“Very good. No problems. Lot of pedestrians. As long as nobody gets hurt, everybody has a good time,” Perkins said. “Everybody wants to get the best vantage point, but it can't happen in the road.”

The mood was certainly festive during the race - lots of babies in strollers, old friends greeting one another, dozens of excited dogs on their leashes. Everyone seemed to be smiling, and the air was fragrant as a half-moon set in the west.

“Last year, we were worried about the hurricane that was coming up the coast (Ernesto). So we had some contingency plans in place if we had to cancel the swim, which proved unnecessary,” Parker said, adding the bike and run portions of the length would have been lengthened.

Serving as master of ceremonies for the awards and prize presentations was Bill Burdick.

“I heard from someone that has been to a number of these events, and he said, 'You know, at this triathlon, something very unusual is happening - people are staying. Normally, they run, they race, they finish, and then they go home,” said Bill Havens, an employee with Hand Held, which sponsored the race. “And it's true - there were hundreds of people in the park waiting for the awards ceremony and even after that. People who weren't even getting awards were still there.”

The Skinnyman sold out early - 450 entrants had pre-registered in early August, with athletes from all over the United States and Europe attending.

Parker and others, however, are not sure if trying to expand the field is the wisest move. It is a matter that will be discussed over the next few months though.

“We don't want to have the race lose its charm,” Parker said. “It's a great venue, and we certainly don't want to overpower the park. Maybe a little bit bigger than 450, but we don't want to get a whole lot bigger.”

Karen Price can be reached at kprice@tribweb.com or 412-320-7980.