LUNA Pro Terra Castro's Ironman Arizona Race Report

Pro LUNA Chix triathlete Terra Castro is a wonderful and inspirational woman. Read her race report below. Congrats Terra!

Ironman Arizona 2009- Being Bold in Battle

The last race of the year on my schedule finally arrived, Ironman Arizona on November 22, 2009. I went into this Ironman knowing in my heart I had done all the work for a BOLD race. Racing all year with the focus of BEING BOLD, I desired to have the race that would put radiate exactly that. I have learned so much from the life challenges this year- my friend’s coma and my Papa’s kidney cancer. These experiences have made me stronger as a person. It intensified my hunger to achieve my goals in this sport.

Ironman Arizona had a very competitive women’s field. The weeks leading into the race, I had numerous people say I should race a different Ironman to obtain a “better result”. I kept to my plan knowing that one must not shy away from competition. I was prepared for battle and wanted to toe the line with the best, because it pulls the best out of you. I knew not to doubt what my heart said to do and what I physically was prepared for from training.

Race day was awesome. Things came together the way I had visualized. The swim was a bit frigid at 62F which lead to stumpy ice block feet as I got on the bike. I came out of the water with the eventual race winner, so was in perfect position going into the 112 miles. The bike was 3 loops, with a bit of wind the first 2 loops. I held steady, but lost a few positions near the end. I came off 11th though I biked a 17 minute PR. I handed off my bike to the amazing volunteers and knew I had work to do.

I kept telling myself to BE BOLD IN BATTLE because the race isn’t over till the finish line. I had my time goals for the marathon based on training and started clipping off the miles exactly where I needed to be. I started passing girls as the miles passed by, finding myself in 7th by mile 22. I remember Zane yelling at me that 6th wasn’t too far ahead, to GO! I dug deeper and passed 6th on a hill, and promised myself not to look back- the race is always IN FRONT OF YOU. At the mile 23 aid station Zane screamed 5th place is about 2 minutes up- BRIDGE THE GAP. I saw the excitement on his face, I threw my gel flask down as if it was WAR TIME and dug even deeper into that well to accelerate. I kept pushing forward, trying to see if I could see the 5th place mountain bike leader up on the path. I was using that as my carrot.

Unfortunately, I ran out of real estate by the time I got to the finish, crossing in 6th place. At that point it all hit me. I ran a 3:16, another HUGE PR, and crossed the line in 9:33- a 35+ min PR. I broke through a few barriers out there, I fought BOLDY the race before me and I could not be happier.

Once I crossed the line, USADA had me heading to drug testing, so I missed out on my finisher’s medal and t-shirt. My poor family had to wait awhile but we celebrated later with In and Out Burgers and milkshakes.

I sit here today on the Tuesday after the race more than grateful that I didn’t shy away from competition. I went to battle this past Sunday, and came out a better more BOLD Warrior. A warrior who is already craving the next battle.

Sarah Reinertson

Sarah Reinertson is the first female above the knee amputee to become an Ironman.

picture from alwaystri.net

She has been missing her leg since she was 7 years old, and has become an inspiration for women athletes of all ages, and especially for young women with disabilities. Since she got her first prosthesis at age 11 she has ran in track meets, run marathons, and set world records! Read more about her story.


Sarah has recently released her autobiography, In a Single Bound: Losing My Leg, Finding Myself, and Training for Life. "A must-read for disabled readers seeking inspiration for their dreams, and will hold the interest - and crush the excuses - of those training for marathons and triathlons." - Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2009.



Sarah is also on the cover of the October 19^th issue of ESPN Magazine, which is “The Body Issue”, celebrating the athletic form. Holly Bennett of Women's Running said after meeting with her recently that "the timing was perfect, after having exposed herself emotionally through writing the book, to expose herself physically as well."

Picture from usatoday blog.

You can visit Sarah's website at www.alwaystri.net.

LUNA Pro Athlete Shonny Vanlandingham

Today is XTERRA World Championship on Maui! Two of the LUNA Chix Pro's - Shonny Vanlandingham and Danelle Kabush will be racing. Plus, my teammate from the Seattle Triathlon Team, Carrie, will be racing as well! Good luck! You can follow the race on the XTERRA link above.

Below is an interview with Shonny from Slowtwitch, from two months ago. Last year Shonny switched from mountain biking to XTERRA racing, and has been very successful, winning races. And she's 40 years old! An inspiration and goddess!

All about Shonny Vanlandingham

Written by: Herbert Krabel
Date: Sun Aug 09 2009

Former pro mountain biker Shonny Vanlandingham is now focused on XTERRA racing and will be one of the women to watch at the XTERRA World Championships in Maui this year. Slowtwitch talked to this 40-year old energizer bunny.

Slowtwitch: Shonny, 2 big XTERRA CUP wins this season in the USA and that must feel pretty good.

Shonny: Yes it does. Being in only my second year of full time XTERRA racing, I am really pleased with my progression. Along with the wins I have had a few second places in the XTERRA Cup races that were very close so that’s encouraging for my future in the sport.

ST: What will it take for you to take the overall XTERRA Cup series title?

Shonny: I will need to win the last race, the XTERRA National Championship, in Ogden, UT. And the current series leader, Melanie McQuaid, would have to be well out of the top 5. Melanie has had an impressive year and has raced consistently, so I’m guessing the likelihood of that happening is slim.

ST: Well, I should have said 3 XTERRA wins because you just came away with a win at XTERRA Mexico. Talk about that race

Shonny: Well, the swim wasn't my best performance. The start was very aggressive and I got kick and pummeled in the first 50 meters. I spent the next minute composing myself, catching my breath and adjusting my goggles. But this made for an exciting chase during the bike. I was able to catch the leader just before T2 and managed to hold her off in the run by a mere 26 seconds. The race venue in Valle de Bravo was stunningly beautiful. I recommend the race to anyone wanting an adventure.

ST: Does that mean that you have walked away from mountain bike racing and you are now a fulltime XTERRA triathlete?

Shonny: Yes, I started XTERRA full time last year. I had done a few XTERRA races before that but without any swim and run training. It’s exciting to be a beginner again - in the swim and run disciplines. I am learning a lot and can see steady improvements.

ST: What is left for you remainder of the season other than the XTERRA Cup Final?

Shonny: The most important races are still to come, the XTERRA National Championship in Ogden, UT, and the XTERRA World Championships in Maui, HI. I will also do a few regional XTERRA events in Texas, XTERRA Camp Eagle and XTERRA Austin. I’ve also got the Single Speed Mountain Bike World Championships on my schedule in September. I couldn’t resist doing it since it’s in my hometown of Durango, CO.

ST: How often do you ride your single speed?

Shonny: I try to ride my Orbea Alma single speed a couple times per month. It's hard when I'm traveling and racing. When I get home I usually need a couple of recovery rides. The single speed isn't the best choice for recovery unless you're riding on the road. I love my SS rides, makes me feel like a kid riding with the boys around the neighborhood and jumping curbs. Riding SS on trails is good for your skills, makes you commit and go for it!

ST: Some folks are very passionate about single speed bikes, but others have called it a fad. What do you say?

Shonny: It's here to stay. Try riding one and you'll see why.

ST: Can you describe your athletic background and who or what inspired you to race mountain bikes in the first place?

Shonny: I played volleyball, soccer, basketball and ran track in high school. I attended college on a full basketball scholarship. I’ve played basketball internationally in Brazil. I also played with the National Team Handball team. So I have a vast history of sport and have enjoyed each of them. After college I move to Hawaii and became a bike tour guide just for fun before I would start my real career of being a Dietician. I became hooked on biking and thought, “hmm, people are doing this for a living? Maybe I can do that.” I spent the next summer in Colorado and started racing at the mature age of 28. At the age of 29 I started on the pro NORBA race circuit.

ST: Where did you go to college?

Shonny: East Texas State University

ST: Are some guys surprised when you school them on the basketball court or do you not play much anymore?

Shonny: Haha, I used to school some dudes on the court (after betting some cash of course) but I don't play much anymore, just an occasional game of HORSE.

ST: What gave you the idea to race off-road triathlons?

Shonny: Since my winter home is on the Big Island of Hawaii I decided to try the XTERRA World Championships on Maui ‘for fun’ at the end of my mountain bike season. I liked the organization of XTERRA and adventure so much that I decided that one day I would like to do more XTERRAs with some proper preparation.

ST: Are you slowly getting ill of all the traveling or are you still enjoying seeing new places or revisiting places you haven't seen in a while?

Shonny: I am fully enjoying racing a new circuit. XTERRA racing last year and this year has taken me to many new venues. Loving it.

ST: Tell us how you deal with a not so good race.

Shonny: I’ve been racing for 10 years as a pro and have had many great races and some disappointing ones too. People say you learn more from the disappointing ones and I would have to agree with that. I guess it’s easier to deal with when you have another race the next week. I just don’t have time to dwell on it. I take the lessons I can from it and move on.

ST: Is training different now than it was?

Shonny: At my age, 40, I don’t train as many hours as I used to. Quality is better than quantity at this point in my career. My coach, Rick Crawford, and I sit down and map out two weeks of hard training and one week of active recovery. The hard weeks may be something like 3 swims (2.5K to 4K with varying intervals), 4 bikes (2 hard rides, 1 tempo ride and brick to run, and one recovery ride), and 3 runs (1 tempo, 1 track w/out and one recovery).

ST: What is going on with you in terms of sponsorship?

Shonny: My long time sponsor, LUNA Women’s Pro Team, was on board to back me in my switch to XTERRA after many years of pro mountain biking promoting the LUNA brand. They have been happy with the exposure in the still growing sport of triathlon. LUNA team sponsors include: Breast Cancer Fund, Orbea, Fox, Maxxis, AVIA, Giro, LUNA Sport, Clif Bar, Mavic, Shimano, Pedros, Easton, High Sierra, Blackburn, Neve, Vetta.
I also have personal sponsorships with Kona Brewing Company, AVIA, Blue Seventy, Rudy Project, Xtenex, HALO, Inside Ride, Land Roller, HealthFx, Bike Works, and Pacific Island Fitness.

ST: Rumor has it that you are sponsored by Wahine Farms, a coffee farm in Hawaii. Any truth to that?

Shonny: Why yes. Haha Wahine Farms is actually my 100% Kona coffee farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. My partner and I bought the house and ‘gentleman’s farm’ a few years ago and launched our brand at the beginning of this year. You can order online at wahinefarms.com If you’ve never had 100% Kona coffee I can guarantee you will love the smooth rich flavor.

ST: How do you typically spend the off-season?

Shonny: I live at my house on the Big Island in Captain Cook during the off season. The fall and early winter are harvest time for coffee. So I spend a lot of time picking coffee beans and taking care of the coffee trees. Besides that, I am putting in the base miles to get ready for the next race season.

ST: Do you follow any other sports?

Shonny: I love March Madness. Basketball was my first love and I still have a lot of passion for the sport.

ST: What foods do you like and dislike?

Shonny: I love potato chips, sushi and cinnamon candy. I don’t like creamy foods like gulosh, mashed potatoes or casseroles.

ST: Can you share your music taste with us?

Shonny: Love it all! I especially like Country. Must be that I grew up in Texas. I like shooting guns too. ;-)

ST: What was the last book you read?

Shonny: Confederates in the Attic.

ST: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Shonny: Probably retired from full time racing, I will be 45. But I will still show up now then to line up with the youngsters to see what I’ve got. I may be involved in some aspect of the new LUNA Sport clothing line. Lunasport.com
Most likely I will still live part time in my home in Durango, CO, and spend the winters on my small coffee farm in Hawaii.

ST: Is there anything else we should know about you?

Shonny: I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m still racing professionally in 5 years, I’ll be 45 yrs old. Passion has a funny way of trumping logic.


Image 1 courtesy of Nils Nilsen of n2fotoservices.com
Images 2 and 3 courtesy of Rich Cruse of richcruse.com
Images 4 and 5 are courtesy Shonny Vanlandingham

LUNA Chix Pro Athlete Tyler Stewart's Ironman Hawaii Race Report

Ironman Hawaii

I think there are a lot of people out there who have some sort of athletic goal that they want to accomplish before they “kick the bucket”. I didn’t sign up for Ironman as a lifelong goal but rather a lifelong lesson. I had things to teach myself, lessons to learn before I “kick the bucket”. After my fifth time racing at the Ironman World Championships I can say that I have achieved my goal of teaching myself some lifelong lessons.

What are these lessons? Well, they aren’t about to stop wars, cure AIDS or eliminate cancer but they are my little goals. When I started doing triathlon 6 years ago I did it as a way to teach myself to face fear. As a child growing up I had ridden horses and played a number of team sports including lacrosse and field hockey. I was quite good at all of them. In fact, I was one of the best at both field hockey and lacrosse up until the 8th grade. But when I went to high school I gave up team sports. There would be a bunch of kids coming from all different schools and what happened if I wasn’t one of the best anymore. Instead of find out, I just quit! What a loser!

When a dare got me into triathlon I couldn’t turn it down. This was a way for me to play sports after a 12-year hiatus. This was my chance to nip fear of failure in the butt. So what if I wasn’t the best, so what if I didn’t finish, so what! People weren’t going to think any differently of me whether I won or whether I lost.

I’m now 8 Ironman deep, 5 Ironman world championships in and I am confidently going to say I have faced my fear of failure! I have raced as an amateur, I have raced as a professional, I have been 6th in my age group, I have won my age group, I have been the last professional to finish, I’ve won an Ironman and now the 10th best in the world. As a kid 10th in sports would have made me quit. Today 10th feels like a huge victory to me!

About my race:
Every morning of a race I wake up and say to myself, “Why do I do this?” When you are about to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles you better have a good answer to that question. I recently read an article asking the same question. Many people said things like, “so I can eat what I want” or “it keeps me fit”….let me tell you when you are out on the Queen K running towards the energy lab with the wind in your face, 100 degree heat, blisters on your feet, you better have a better answer than that!

I had thought about why I do this a lot before I came here to Kona this time around. In the last year I’ve had some seriously bad luck and unfortunate events and I didn’t even think I would be racing this year. I came here strong, healthy and ready to race. I came here to race for my friend and training partner Monique Petrov, who was suppose to race with me but 3 weeks ago was hit on her bike by a car going 45 mph. She’s alive but with 8 broken vertebrae, a shattered patella, a punctured lung, the list goes on and on she couldn’t be here. I came here to race for my step-dad Don that was suppose to be dead 3 years ago from lung cancer but is still here stomping around my races and giving me splits as I bike and run by. I came here to race because last November I came dangerously close to heart attack during IM Arizona after an ignorant doctor incorrectly – and dangerously—medicated me for a thyroid disorder. I came to Hawaii to race because I could and a lot of people would kill to be racing this race. I am now healthy, I am now strong and I am fortunate, so I toed the line at 6:45 am on October 10th and the cannon went off.

For the first time in my triathlon career I spent the entire swim with a pack. I have been working a lot on my swimming and it has been getting a lot better. I felt like the swim was easy, I sat on feet and just got pulled along. I was a little disappointed in my swim time cause I know I could have done better had I found some faster feet! But I was still 2 minutes faster than last year so at least I’m improving.

The bike is always the fun part. Every time I get on my trusty Orbea I feel at home. My coach, Matt Dixon, and I had decided that this year we were going to go about the bike course in a different way. I took the entire ride up to Hawi easy. I felt awesome. On my way back down from Hawi I planned to pick up the pace a little bit and own the back half of the bike course. I was flying. I am pretty sure I passed at least 35 girls on the bike. By the time I hit mile 80 I had not been drinking enough and the damage started to set in. For the first time in a race I had not peed on my bike which had me a little worried and in the last 30 miles I felt terrible. A wretched head wind coming back on the Queen K, dehydration and a left foot that was bugging me, I think I lost about 10 minutes in that last 30 miles. But hey, its all part of the race and all part of the day. I had very negative thoughts in my head as I was getting off the bike.

Onto the run and immediately I was in trouble. I have never been passed by that many girls right off the bat. I’m pretty sure in the first 8 miles 6 girls passed me that I had passed on the bike. I was running like a slug just doing anything I could to get through mile by mile. I still had not peed and for a girl that usually pees 5 times on the bike, I knew I was in trouble. There’s not a whole lot that I can say about the run except that I ran from aid station to aid station, ice cups to ice cups, cold water to cold water, hose to hose. There was nothing I could do about my pace as much as I tried to motivate myself by thinking about all the reasons I was here to race, my legs just wouldn’t move. It was hot out there! There seemed to be no wind at times, no mercy and all just survival mode. As awful as I felt some of the girls that passed me in the beginning had slowed down and I was able to pass them back and hold them off until the end of the race. (picture from slowtwitch.com)

I learned a lot out there last Saturday. Often times when you don’t feel well its easy to give up, but if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other its amazing what forward motion will bring you. When I talk to my friend Meredith about this race I often find myself describing it as a race of attrition. Sometimes if you can just hang on, just keep moving, you will do better than you think. I ended up in 10th place last Saturday. Am I happy? I am happy to be 10th in the World. Does it make me wonder what I could have done had I had the race I wanted, sure does! But that is part of this sport. Aside from Chrissie Wellington, the athletes that finished in the top 5 last year either DNF’ed or placed way below where they did last year. It’s not because they are not as fit as last year, it’s just that this sport has such a huge x-factor that we cannot control. At the same time I think that is also what makes it so much fun!

Now my season is over and I couldn’t be happier to get back to the more normal part of my life. Back to hanging out with all my friends who I have neglected over the past 2 months, back to hosting our annual costume party, and of course our annual mechanical bull riding night.

As much as I love this sport I will never give my life to it. There are so many great things to do in this world and for me I now have the wings to explore all those other things. I can’t wait to go skiing, run the Dipsea Trail, do my first 50k, go snowshoeing, have another Saturday at work where we wash 35 dogs and to sleep in on a Sunday with my husband and not get out of bed until noon!

If you do this crazy sport of Ironman make sure you thank all of those that support you. It may look like a one-man sport but it is a team sport and couldn’t be done any other way.

I was 4th at Wildflower this year, won my first Ironman at Coeur d’Alene, was second at Vineman and was just 10th in the World at the Ironman World Championships, I think I will call that a good year. Accomplishing my life long goal of “no more fear of failure”, I’d call that a great year!

Tyler

Check her out on teamlunachix.com!

Chrissie Wellington wins again!

picture from Slowtwitch.com

She is amazing! After racing virtually as an unknown in 2007, she wins for the third year in a row, and sets a new course record at 8:54:02.

Miranda Carfrae, in her first Iron-distance race, sets a run course record of 2:56:51. Not only was it her first Ironman, but her first ever marathon distance run - and none of her previous runs were longer than two and a half hours. AMAZING! I actually raced "against" her once, last year at the Iron Girl Las Vegas Triathlon. Needless to say she beat me! ;-)

A note about the race on Slowtwitch.com today...

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii -- The incredible Chrissie Wellington Express wrote a new chapter in triathlon history by taking down the 17-year Ironman Hawaii race record held by eight-time winner Paula Newby-Fraser with a dominating 8:54:02 that outpaced runner-up rookie Mirinda Carfrae by the Paula-esque margin of 19:57. While Wellington surrendered her year-old run record to Carfrae's blazing 2:56:51 marathon, she upped her Ironman-distance win record to a perfect eight-for eight and took her third straight win at the sport's crown jewel, the Ironman World Championship in Kona.

On a day in which the next fastest women's bike split was 5:01:42 by third place finisher Virginia Berasategui of Spain, Wellington essentially closed the deal with 4:52:07 bike that put her in the same dominant two-wheel category as Newby-Fraser and Swiss legend Natascha Badmann.

"I'm honored and incredibly proud to have broken such a historic record set by Paula Newby-Fraser, an incredible legend of the sport," said Wellington.


From her interviews, Chrissie seems like a really cool, down to earth person. No big head on her. I'll pulled some interesting and funny bits from previous articles:

From Ironman.com 10/10/09
What a change from two years ago ...

When Chrissie Wellington won here two years ago, she tried to call home from the finish line to let them know how she'd done ... and there was no one home.

Today her family was here in force to help her celebrate her record setting performance.

Sunday Times, 7/10/09
Wellington now coaches herself but has some advisers. Such a solitary, self-improving existence could lead to extreme selfishness but this is certainly not the case with Wellington. She has set up a women’s empowerment network, GOTribal, to help women develop themselves through sport, particularly those who are underprivileged. It is an extension to her former academic and working career.

Examiner.com - Washington DC
And where had she come from? Why, Nepal of course. Prior to starting her career as a pro triathlete, Wellington had spent 16 months working for a Nepalese nonprofit called Rural Reconstruction Nepal. Between intestinal parasites, Wellington rode her mountain bike. She also enjoyed going for hilly trail runs, even if it meant fleeing rabid stray dogs through the mountains.

What makes Chrissie Wellington the apple of everyone’s eye, though, is the personality she brings to the sport. While most champions race with a grimace on their face, Wellington races with her head up and one eye on the crowd. She always races with a big smile on her face, a gleam in her eye, and a laugh in her throat. While making women’s triathlon history, she cheers for the pro men she sees along the way. Wellington is like a superhero who feeds solely on love for the sport and the charged race energy.

Wellington does the Blazeman log-roll over every finish line in
solidarity with the war on ALS.
Photo courtesy Ben Mansford and Chrissie Wellington

The most important aspect of the sport for Wellington is what it allows her to give back to the community. All of the fame and exposure that Chrissie gains from her triathon success, she funnels right back into the sport through groups like GOTRIbal, an organization that aims to empower women through triathlon and sport. At Timberman, Wellington made it a point of hanging around at the finish line to hand out medals and hugs to grimy, sweaty age groupers.

[this is actually a great article, you should read the whole thing!]


Slowtwitch.com, 9/10/2008
ST: Do you follow any other sports?
Chrissie: I am partial to a bit of mud wrestling, belly dancing and naked bungy jumping. Just not together.

ST: Can you share with us some of your food likes and dislikes?
Chrissie: I like food, and dislike not having any! I am wracking my brains to think of a food substance that I don’t like. I ate snake, dog and rat in Indonesia. I guess my foody favorites are bircher muesli (nuts, seeds, coconut, oatmeal, dried fruit – the whole kitchen sink - with yoghurt), huge bbq’s at my mum and dad’s house, salads with everything, steak, all things middle eastern, and dense, heavy German bread!

ST: What about music? Anything you listen to more often?
Chrissie: Country and Western. Dolly Parton is my idol. I would love to have her assets. Aside from that, I tend to jive to Placebo, Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Zwan, The Calling, Jeff Buckley, Jim Major (someone gave me this CD at the Awards Party at Kona last year, and it’s a gem), Tracy Chapman, Razorlight, The Killers, Feeder….Plus anything that comes on a 1980s cassette tape… Chesney Hawkes (famed for the classic ‘I am the One and Only’, and then promptly fell off the face of the earth) and Wham are my party favorites.

ST: What was the last book you read?
Chrissie: ‘A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali’ by Gil Courtemanche - a superb, powerful, humorous, yet shocking and disturbing commentary on the genocide, the AIDS/HIV crisis, poverty (and the West’s culpability) - juxtaposed against the color, joy and love characterizing everyday life in Rwanda.

ST: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Chrissie: I am thinking of becoming a nun. Sister Madonna is leading the way.
Alternatively, perhaps happily married to an aging sugar daddy with five kids, and one on the way. I will start taking sugar daddy applications now.
Seriously, I haven’t got a clue! I don’t even know what I am doing in 5 minutes, as the boss doesn’t tell me. I could still be competing professionally at triathlon, or another sport, going back into politics, cycle touring and traveling round the world, or starting a sport/development related foundation. I will seize any opportunity that comes my way, and you never know what might cross your path. So nothing is certain. But whatever it is, I will be smiling!

ST: Is there anything else we should know about you?
Chrissie: My nickname is Muppet. I prefer cats to dogs (got bitten by a potentially rabid one once and it put me off. That’s why I ate dog in Indonesia). I snore. Loudly. I have four toes that are all the same length. My middle name is Anne. I wanted to be a tractor driver when I was 5. I once went to a meeting at Number 10 Downing Street and wasn’t wearing any underwear (I had been swimming beforehand and forgot to pack said item of clothing). I am a very bad car driver (hence failure to reach pinnacle of tractor driving career).

You can also check out her website at www.chrissiewellington.org/