I was running with a friend six and a half years ago who looked over at me and said, “Mitch you should do a triathlon”. I had not even heard of a triathlon, after googling it I found that a triathlon was a race event where there is a swim, bike, and run of varying lengths. The longest triathlon race is known as an Ironman Race a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile run for a total of 140.6 miles. I did not know how to swim, did not own a bike and had never ran more than eight miles, so that seemed impossible. I joined the Chico Tri Club in December of 2011…and learned that the mantra is true…... Anything Is Possible! I cannot in this report name all the people both in and outside of the Chico Triathlon Club, that have helped me to achieve this goal. Over the years, having ran over 20 triathlons, two marathons, countless running events, and volunteering for events in the community I have learned so much through our interactions and friendships, that I could not have accomplished this without your support, input, and friendship. I drove to Arizona and got there on Thursday. Friday, I got checked in and went for a seven-mile bike ride, and a one mile run. Saturday, I dropped off my bike and run bags we had a practice swim in the 67-degree water, my goggles fogged up and I got swam over a few times. That night I cleaned my goggles with spit, toothpaste and finally baby shampoo and water. I had prepared for everything, ha ha…. the morning of the race, deciding not to go at five am, but to wait until closer to six, being that the swim started at seven. I attempted to drive in the way I had on the previous two days and those entrances were blocked off. After snaking my way pass the event twice, having a panic attack, and driving around the lake, I could gain access to the race. I dropped off my special needs bag for the run. The Swim: Dressed in my rented wetsuit, “I have three at home” and tend to overthink things sometimes, I lined up at the 1 hour and fifty-minute mark…. way in the back, no drama back here. I entered the lake which to me was just a larger version of our pool here in Chico at One Mile. A one loop course out and back it went perfect. I finished the swim in an hour and forty-two minutes. My goggles did not fog up and although the water was murky, I was able to see the course. The Bike: This is a relatively flat course, with three loops about 37 miles per loop, the course was windy and has an incline of about ten miles on each lap of the course. I had to restrain myself from pushing too hard, I would need my legs for the run. The weather was perfect, I stopped to pee a few times on the bike, must have been all that water I swallowed during the swim, very hydrated. I finished the bike portion in under 6 and ½ hours. The Run: I felt great transitioning from the bike to the run. The weather was around 80 degrees but dropped as the sun set. I felt great but my legs were tired and I was craving salt desperately between miles 6-10. I picked up some base salt at an aid station. In my special needs bag at mile 13 I drank half of a Five Hour Energy, took an Aleve, ate half of a Reese’s and grabbed a sign that I had made that said Thank You, All of You. At this point I was running a mile, and walking 45-60 seconds each mile. Around mile 17 I made two judgment errors, frustrated with my near empty water bottle I threw it away. The second mistake was at the end of the aid station nowhere near a cup of water, I took a Hotshot from a volunteer for muscle cramps. I drank half of that Hotshot which basically was the equivalent of cayenne pepper, I did not at that time know if I was supposed to drink it or rub it on the cramp, I only knew that I had screwed up, and will never drink another Hotshot in this lifetime. Coming down the finish chute high fiving people I did not know, it felt great to cross the finish line and to accomplish something that once seemed impossible. My race time was 13 hours 21 minute and 59 seconds. I was asked a couple of weeks prior to the race what I was shooting for as a finish time my answer was 13 ½ hours. I am now an Ironman, but I could not have done this without you. I held up the sign for you my friends……but I was outside of the camera range, again I want to say Thank You, All of You….

It was great to see all of you at the End of Year Party and Board of Director Elections. Shawn Hughes, Joanne Gilchrist, Jason Berry, Laura VanDerVoort, and Tony English were re-elected for another 2 year term.

Save the Date: January 25, 2018 will be the Season Launch Party hosted by Fleet Feet Sports Chico. There will be a guest speaker, beer, pizza, and all of your favorite tri club people.  

Speaking of Saving Dates: The Black Butte Triathlon is returning for 2018 and CTC will be putting it on. The race will be taking place on Saturday, September 15. We will need volunteers to help with all aspects of planning and for race day. Contact Shawn Hughes if you would like to help out.

Training:

The weather has been amazing that last couple of weeks, enjoy it while it lasts!

Runs:

The Saturday Beginner LSD is at 9:00 AM for the off-season. It is a slower paced beginner run going for up to 60 minutes. Meet at the 5-Mile Recreation Area near the bathrooms.

There is also a LSD run on Saturdays meeting at the 5 mile bathrooms at 8:00 AM.

The Monday Night Run meets at Wildwood park at 6:00. Keep an eye on the Facebook group for more info. Bring a headlamp.

CTC Track Workout:

The track workouts have ended for the season, however keep an eye on the Facebook group as there may be some people still headed to the track on Thursdays for some speed work.

Sunday Ride:

The Sunday ride is new for the fall. It starts at 10:00 AM. Location, route, and mileage will vary. Jenni Merrell will be coordinating the ride. Similar to the Friday ride, you must contact Jenni to get on her email list for the ride info.

Race Results:

This is a shout out to anybody who has participated in a recent race. We would love to hear from you.

Congratulations to all the athletes who participated in the Tinman, Golden State Triathlon, and the Ironman World Championship in Kona (and others). We will have the results posted on the CTC website soon.

Multi-sport event results for CTC members are posted on the Results page of the website. Contact webmaster@chicotriathlonclub.com with any errors or omissions. Please send any information on a race you have participated in. This could be as simple as your name and the name of the event, your results or a race report outlining your personal experience.

Athlete of the month:

The Athlete of the Month for November is Mitch Harrell. Mitch recently completed his first Ironman in Arizona. With all of that training it took to become an Ironman, Mitch has been a frequent attendee of CTC workouts. Mitch is always very kind, optimistic, and inspiring. Congratulations Mitch!

Please take the time to help us pick the next Athlete of the month. Just send an email to president@chicotriathlonclub.com listing your nomination.

Club Races for 2017 are all complete.

The 2018 Club Races will be determined by the new BOD in January.

Volunteer opportunities for 2018:

Frost or Fog, January 20, 2018

Other club sponsored volunteer events will be decided by the BOD in January.

Ironman Tri Club Benefits:

Ironman branded races are offering new benefits for triathlon club members. Some of these benefits include early entry, priority tiered pricing, and payment plans. Visit http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/forms/single-sign-up.aspx to sign up and get more information. Make sure to update your profile with your tri club affiliation.

Have a great time running, swimming and riding this month.

Thank you,

Tony English

CTC President

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