Austin Triathlon Club is a proud supporter of the 2019 Bevoman Triathlon, an olympic distance race brought to you by the students of the Texas Triathlon team. Bevoman will take place on March 3, 2019 at Pace Bend Park, just 45 minutes from downtown Austin. Bevoman will feature a wetsuit swim and relay options. All club members receive 20% off race registration. Here is a race preview, courtesy of Tomas, the race director.
What is it? Bevoman is an Olympic distance triathlon that will take place March 3rd in the Blue Bonnet decorated Pace Bend Park. This race is natural, grass fed, local, and completely organized by the students of the Texas Triathlon team at the University of Texas at Austin. It will be the 4th annual Bevoman and the 5th race hosted by the Texas Triathlon team. Originally, Bevoman was created to serve as the Southern Midwest collegiate conference championship race. In doing so, it has hosted some of the fastest collegiate athletes in the nation. Today, it’s still a championship race but you don’t need to be a collegiate athlete to participate. Our race is open to any and all triathletes. We want to encourage anyone who is interested to come check it out by offering four divisions; a collegiate division, a junior division, an open division, and a relay division. For the open and junior divisions, awards based on gender and age will be given out for the top three finishers of each. Awards for the fastest swim, bike, and run splits will also be given out. Most importantly, since triathletes love nothing more than food after a race, you can count on there being a banquet with something for everyone at the finish line. How does Bevoman work? It gets the people going. Bevoman is also something of a social event. We will have the improved campgrounds of Pace Bend reserved for participants and volunteers to campout the day/night before the race. Every year the campground becomes alive with triathletes preparing for the next day as well as enjoying the great outdoors. If camping isn’t your thing, there will be dedicated parking on race day and your park entry fee will be free, complimentary of the team. During the race, participants can rest assured knowing we have dedicated race support surveying the course as well as volunteers all along the course to help you get to that finish line. We also have returning sponsors from last year, so you can look forward to some High Brew coffee before and after the race as well as Nuun on the run course! But what about the course? The race is Olympic distance, so it will be a 1500m swim, a 40k bike, and a 10k run. The swim will be one rectangular loop in Lake Travis, followed by a four-loop bike course along FM2322 and Grisham Trail (the main roads of the park), and you will finish with an out and back run that features a brief running trail. The water will be a little cold, so this race will be wetsuit legal and wetsuit encouraged. On the bike course, treat yourself to some nice rolling hills on roads flanked by bluebonnets, volunteers, and supporters. Volunteers If you’re not interested in racing but want to be involved or know anyone who would be able to help make the race possible, become a volunteer! This is a student organized event, so no one is being paid. Everything is done out of our own free time and resources are limited. Putting together this race is a great reward itself but it requires a lot of effort. Most of the team will be racing Bevoman, so we must rely on outside volunteers out on the course ensuring everything (and everyone) is running properly. If you or someone you know is interested, you can sign up here. That’s Bevoman in a nutshell. It’s a unique race and we hopefully have something special in store for anyone who comes out to race this year. I’m Tomas, the race director, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. I hope to see you there! **** Austin Triathlon Club is a non-profit social and training club that promotes triathlon across the Austin area. Our members include triathletes of all abilities, from beginners to experienced Ironman athletes. We are a welcoming and inclusive club, meaning that you can be a member of Austin Tri Club, and still be a part of another team or train with a personal coach. The Club is an all-volunteer, member-run community. For more information and to join, please check out our membership page. What a summer it's been at Austin Triathlon Club! We just wanted to take a minute to share a few of the exciting landmarks -- Rookies No More (May): We kicked off May with 54 club members racing the Rookie Tri, including 18 racing as Rookies. We couldn't be more proud of our triathletes, new and old, for supporting one another across the finish line. It was a wonderful way to start the local race season! First Place at Cap Tex (May): This past Memorial Day, Austin Triathlon Club took home 1st place in the co-ed Olympic Team division and 2nd place in the co-ed Sprint Team division at the Cap Tex Triathlon. It was a truly a team effort as 20 club members raced as Austin Tri Club and helped us take home bling, prize money, and beer! Just as important, club members were everywhere on the race course. We were volunteering, we were cheering, and we were celebrating at the finish! USAT Grant Award (June): Austin Triathlon Club is proud to announce that we have been awarded a $1,000 grant from USA Triathlon to expand programming for new triathletes here in Austin. With this money, the club will be able to reinvest these funds directly in the Austin community, so that more members of the Austin community can complete their first triathlon. In upcoming weeks, we will be announcing details of our new triathlete programming and how you can get involved! Volunteers and Community Service (June): Austin Tri Club showed up big time at the Lake Pflugerville Triathlon. Our team of volunteers manned water stations, handled packet pickup, coordinated race setup and breakdown, and more. We had over 10 club members volunteer at the race -- thank you for being amazing stewards of the Austin community! Club Happy Hour Expansion (June): It was only a matter of time before we doubled up our club happy hours! June saw our first "north" happy hour at the Brass Tap at the Domain. We had a wonderful time hanging out and making new friends. We can't wait for the next happy hour on Thursday, August 2nd! Hot! Wind! Hot! (June): A small band of tough-as-iron club members made the journey to Lubbock for Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake. We are proud to say every club member who started the race finished race, battling 105 degree heat and 30 MPH winds. We came home 3rd in our club division, earning Austin Triathlon Club our first podium at an Ironman event in this, our first year of the club. New Club Tent: Earlier this month, we were honored to premier our brand new club tent at the Marble Falls Triathlon. Scraping together our prize earnings at Cap Tex and a portion from member dues, we were able to purchase the first ever Austin Triathlon Club tent, ensuring that no one will have a hard time finding our Austin Tri Club green tent. 501(c)(3) Non Status: Earlier this month, we learned that the club had officially been awarded 501(c)(3) charitable status. Already a Texas nonprofit, the club spent hours preparing our application for 501(c)(3) status -- it is by no means any easy process. 501(c)(3) status guarantees that the club will fulfill its commitment to the Austin community for years to come. 200 Members on the Horizon: As we approach the turn of the calendars from July to August, the club is approaching 200 members. We cannot be more proud, enthusiastic, and honored that so many local triathletes have come together to help build this community triathlon club! Thank you to everyone for making this such a great summer! **** Austin Triathlon Club is a non-profit social and training club that promotes triathlon across the Austin area. Our members include triathletes of all abilities, from beginners to experienced Ironman athletes. We are a welcoming and inclusive club, meaning that you can be a member of Austin Tri Club, and still be a part of another team or train with a personal coach. The Club is an all-volunteer, member-run community. For more information and to join, please check out our membership page. Earlier this year, I completed Ironman Texas in the Woodlands. I had a great time and wanted to share some insights on why I think this race is so appealing. Saving Time and Money I think that being able to drive to a local race instead of flying is really appealing for someone and here’s why. These races aren’t cheap and anyway you can find a way to save money is a plus. Having your own personal vehicle and not having to ship your bike makes all the difference in the world. I like that this is one of the few races that is still on Saturday than Sunday. It has been a while since I have done an Ironman race, but I do not remember having the ability to talking to the Pro’s during the Pro Panel (there wasn’t one in previous Ironman races) and having a “Free Banquet” for all the athlete’s. The banquet had some good “Free” food too – beef tenderloin, multiple different salads, fruits, vegetables, all kinds of desserts, and drinks. Did I mention that you could return for seconds too. During the banquet all kinds of items were talked about like who are the youngest and oldest person that are participating in the race and why, who lost the most weight, do you remember when you sign up for an Ironman race 70.3 or 140.6 they ask you about your story. This is where these stories are told and some of them are just inspiring. Most everyone goes to the banquet to see new and old friends that are participating in the race, and did I mention that the food is free too. Any time, that you can save money is a plus and the last time I looked Ironman usually doesn’t give you anything for free. Fan Support and Volunteers There are some ironman races that are just OK, some that are good, and some that are excellent. This one I would have to put in the excellent category. The reason being is that the whole city gets behind it, the volunteers are just excellent, and the fan support from the swim, bike, and run were the best that I have seen anywhere from 70.3’s (have done 6 in the past all over the country) to 140.6. (done 2 before this one). The fan support makes this one of the best Ironman race so much so that Ironman athletes stated so in 3 categories in 2017 – Best Overall Run, Best Host City Experience, and Best Post Race Celebration as I couldn’t agree more, and I will continue to do this race for as long as I can. I would also add because this is somewhat of a local race less than 3hrs from Austin that your loved ones and friends will be able to watch you in person at the race if they decide they want too. The Courses The swim is in Lake Woodlands can be wetsuit legal or non-wetsuit legal. It’s a rolling start which means you start at approximately the time it takes you to swim 2.4 miles. The buoys are on the left throughout the course when you make the turn into the canal approx. half to three quarters of mile from the finish it gets crowded since it isn’t as wide as when you’re in the lake the plus side is that you are able to draft on other swimmers to go faster and use less energy. Another plus coming into the finish since this is a canal you will see fan support lining the sides of the canal cheering for everyone, in my book this pretty. The Bike course is on Hardy Toll Road which is closed to traffic for this race and only medical staff, race officials, and race participates can be on this road. The surface is very smooth on the toll road. The toll road is flat and fast. The aid/water/special needs stations are approx. 15 miles apart from each other. Approx. elevation gain 2,375ft. You will do 2 loops which will be 100 miles before heading back to the bike finish and transition area for the run. The run course is 3 loops around the Lake Woodlands and through some neighborhoods. The aid stations are about a mile apart from the each other with all your favorites – water, Gatorade, cola, Red Bull, banana’s, pretzels, chips, soup broth at night, etc. The fan support for the run course is outstanding as people are lined up all around it and more around the restaurants and waterway path system area as you run by as the energy in these areas are party atmosphere and helps you get through the run easier. This is one of my favorite run courses for any of the Ironman races. The run up the shoot for the finish line is lined with many fans, family members and friends waiting for you to cross that finish line as it’s a party atmosphere and fun one at that too. I hope to see everyone again next year. Good luck in your triathlon journey! ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Mike is a veteran of multiple 140.6 races, 70.3s, olympics, and sprints. He joined Austin Tri Club in fall 2017, soon after its launch. Next up for Mike is Ironman Buffalo Springs 70.3, Ironman Chattanooga, and then Ironman Waco 70.3. ----- Austin Triathlon Club is a non-profit social and training club that promotes triathlon across the Austin area. Our members include triathletes of all abilities, from beginners to experienced Ironman athletes. We are a welcoming and inclusive club, meaning that you can be a member of Austin Tri Club, and still be a part of another team or train with a personal coach. The Club is an all-volunteer, member-run community. For more information and to join, please check out our membership page. Earlier this month despite my most creative excuses (jellyfish and sharks are valid fears), DNF jokes and self-sabotage efforts, I finished the biggest race of my life to date: Galveston 70.3 Half-Ironman. Of course as I write this, I already know it won’t be the last tri or the longest because that’s the deal with us triathletes (wannabe or elite). We can’t stay away from a good challenge. Who else is seeking out and signing up for THREE sports in ONE race for fun? In the words of one of my favorite race signs: “Smile, you paid for this!” It’s true, except for the fact no amount of money can purchase the determination and grit it takes to show up and finish. It’s this exception that makes it all worth it. So in honor of Austin Tri Club, the only reason I felt brave enough to take on this race, I wanted to share a few of my most memorable lessons and stories. PRE-RACE .
RACE DAY If we fast forward past the nerves, cold toes and stomach jitters of earlier that morning, the swim was hands down my favorite part. All of sudden there were no fancy bikes, helmets and gear. Any pressure I felt from the check-in day before and comments on forums faded away. In a sea of wetsuits and brightly colored swim caps, we all looked the same. Then as we started moving up the dock, the anticipation and excitement in the air was almost tangible. It was infectious and in a curious way, also a little calming. I was ready to face whatever came next and when in doubt, I would just keep swimming (cue Finding Nemo Dory voice). For the first time all weekend, I knew I was meant to be there. Then, we had to jump off the dock to get to the starting line. Maybe because I had my friend/mentor next to me or maybe it was Pitbull was blasting in the background, but either way, it felt like an adult summer camp and ironically enough the water was going to be warmer than standing outside. I was joking about something as the buzzer went off - and then it began! Contrary to the spartan wars I had been warned about, our start was far nicer and polite than I expected. As we spaced out, I started to follow the wise “swim slower” advice. It felt ridiculous, but seemed to be working great. Apart from the brief moment when I swallowed too much sea water and wondered if the kayak closest to me was following me as a DNF candidate, the swim flew by and the moment I saw the final turn to shore is a moment I’ll never forget. Pretty sure I smiled underwater the rest of the way. I felt like I could do anything. Literally, “it is all downhill from here” was my mantra for the first 10 miles of the bike. While that was definitely not the case, I will never forget that swim. Given that adrenaline rush, I am only half kidding when I say I felt like a pageant queen on the bike. Not to mention the miles of fans with signs and cowbells. They may not have been there for just me, but it didn’t matter. This atmosphere paired with some lucky nutrition choices kept me in high spirits (and still grinning) for much longer than I expected. So of course when I dropped my cute new pink water bottle (lesson #99) at mile 20, you bet I got off the bike and jogged back along a ditch for it. I wonderfully had no idea how much the cold wind on the way back would kick my butt. Which brings us to… THE RUN. The infamous “run.” The ONLY part of the race that I foolishly did not joke about quitting. Now I “get it.” Yet as I somehow propelled my body forward out of transition on frozen toes, I was still very much in denial. With cookies at the first aid station and cheers from the Austin Tri Club tent, I enjoyed the distraction from the fact I was on lap one of three with 13 miles (the longest distance I’ve ever run) to go and burning quads. This instantly changed as I noticed a “Mile 9” sign not applicable me and could’ve sworn some faster runners were prancing. In an effort to refocus, I tried the “walk 30 seconds, run 1 minute” approach for the first lap. It was absolute torture every time I had to start moving again. Not to mention, my walking pace almost made me wonder if I was moving backwards. But if I unexpectedly killed the swim and somehow survived the bike, I had no excuse. With the adrenaline and fast runners gone in the final lap, it was just me. I don’t know if I’d describe it as disassociating or just simply turning off everything to focus on the next step but it worked. The second lap was a blur and by the third lap, it was pure momentum. It was in those final grueling miles,I knew I was finishing this race and silently begged myself to never do it again (LOL). WHAT’S NEXT? So in true competitive nature, I will be doing this again since I can’t quite say I’m a full IRONMAN. However, I won't be doing it to prove I'm finally a triathlete. I was a triathlete before I started the race in Galveston, even if I couldn't see it yet. I became a triathlete when I showed up for the Rookie Tri last year with my cheap Schwinn bike and soccer shorts. Just as the half-IRONMAN was significant longer, I had to face my insecurity, fear and anxiety alone when I showed up last year. I didn't have the community I have now, but I did have the drive in me and you do, too. It’s why I’m thrilled to be part of this club and look forward to having fun as we learn more about this sport together. PS, I'm happy to say I confidently mastered the clipless pedals, a week after the race. ** This blog post is not sanctioned by the author as a trusted athletic resource or legitimate way to approach your next race. It’s simply an honest look of what it means to listen to the tiny piece in you that believes you’re capable of something seemingly impossible. It’s only April and this weekend at Ironman Texas will be my second spectathlon of the year – welcome to Texas! Spectathleting is HARD, so I thought I’d share some tips for fellow-spectathletes on how to have a successful day: PRE-RACE PREPARATION:
Meghann Jones, Spectathlon Champion 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 ----- Austin Triathlon Club is a non-profit social club that promotes triathlon across the Austin area. Our members include triathletes of all abilities, from beginners to experienced Ironman athletes. We are a welcoming and inclusive club, meaning that you can be a member of Austin Tri Club, and still be a part of another team or train with a personal coach. The Club is an all-volunteer, member-run community. For more information and to join, please check out our membership page. The Ironman 70.3 Austin race is coming up on October 29th! Here’s our race preview –
Have a great race everyone! ------------------------------------------ Austin Triathlon Club was launched on October 8, 2017. Austin Triathlon Club is an all-volunteer, member-run community welcoming triathletes of all abilities. We encourage you to learn more about the Club by checking out our Mission and Values, the Club Leadership, and how you can get involved. We would also love to see you at our Kick-Off happy hour on November 6th at the Ginger Man in downtown Austin. For more details and to RSVP, see our facebook event page. My name is Daniel Riegel, and I’m one of the founding members of the Austin Triathlon Club. We created Austin Triathlon Club because we believe Austin is the best city in America for triathlon. Here are a few of our reasons why we think Austin is the perfect city for triathletes. 1) Barton Springs. The heart and soul of Austin. Barton Springs is a natural springs pool that is more than 200 meters from one end to the other. The pool is perfect open water swimming practice for beginners and experienced triathletes, alike. Water temperature is always ~ 68 degrees, meaning we can train year-around and practice in a wetsuit whenever we want. 2) Deep Eddy. Spring fed lap lanes, slightly warmer than Barton Springs. Deep Eddy overlooks the Colorado River and is #2 on our list of favorite swimming holes. Each pool length is 33 1/3 yards, so 53 lengths make a mile. Even when the pool is at its busiest, you usually only need to wait a few minutes to find a spot in a split or circle-swim lane. Deep Eddy is also the oldest swimming pool in Texas. 3) Bike Night at COTA. There is no other experience like this in the country. Every Tuesday night from April to October, cyclists can ride the Formula One race track in Southeast Austin. The world-class track is 3.4 miles with 20 turns. We love the beer garden afterwards and the general vibe. 4) Townlake (aka the Butler Hike and Bike Trail). Our favorite place to run anywhere. The 10 mile loop provides beautiful views of Lady Bird Lake and downtown Austin. The soft surface -- mostly dirt and gravel -- is forgiving, and there are plenty of water fountains and restrooms. The addition of the boardwalk a few years ago made the run even nicer. 5) Weather. The weather means that there is no off-season for triathletes in Austin. Setting aside our one week of “winter”, we can swim, bike, and run year-around, outside, every day. 6) Races. The Rookie Triathlon, Cap Tex Tri, Lake Pflugerville Tri, Marble Falls Tri, Jack's Generic, Ironman Austin 70.3, Kerrville Triathlon, all in our backyard. Not to mention, the Cap 2K, Pure Austin Open Water Race Series, Splash n Dashes, Deep Eddy Mile, Lake Travis Relay, Highland Lakes Challenge, the Driveway Series, and the Austin Distance Challenge. The list goes on and on. 7) Coaches. Austin is home to 35 USAT-certified triathlon coaches and dozens more highly qualified coaches, trainers, and instructors. Walk into your neighborhood YMCA, and your swim instructor just might be a former professional triathlete turned swim coaching savant. 8) Facilities. Austin has over twenty public lap pools, including three outdoor 50-meter pools, a bike veloway, a state-of-the-art triathlon training center, a gym with its own lake, and over 100 miles of urban trails to run, bike, and play. 9) Community. Austin has a long history of triathlon. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Austin had one of the largest and most talented triathlon clubs in the country – the Austin Triathletes. That club spawned scores of professional triathletes, coaches, trainers, and leaders in Austin’s triathlon community. Our goal is that Austin Triathlon Club can once again provide Austin with a community-based triathlon club, one that welcomes Austin area triathletes of all abilities. We encourage everyone who is a triathlete, or who is just trying to complete their first triathlon, to join the Club. 10) Austin. Austin is home. The people, the music, the food, the weather, the outdoors, the laid-back attitude. We can’t imagine a better place to live and to be a triathlete. Whether or not you agree that Austin is the best triathlon city in the country, we hope you'll agree that Austin is a pretty great place to swim, bike, and run. We love it here, and hope you do too. Daniel, Austin Triathlon Club President ------------------------------------------- Austin Triathlon Club was launched on October 8, 2017. Austin Triathlon Club is an all-volunteer, member-run community welcoming triathletes of all abilities. We encourage you to learn more about the Club by checking out our Mission and Values, the Club Leadership, and how you can get involved. We would also love to see you at our Kick-Off happy hour on November 6th at the Ginger Man in downtown Austin. For more details and to RSVP, see our facebook event page. |
Welcome to the Austin Triathlon Club blog! Through this blog, Austin Tri Club members can share their triathlon knowledge and experiences. If you are interested in blogging for Austin Tri Club, please contact us. Archives
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