Checkmate Triathlon Team » Rory

NY Times article.

Rory — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:09:24 +0000

Aaron Scheidies has won four triathlon world titles, but his primary goal for the New York City Triathlon on Sunday is simply to finish without crashing.

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Triton Sports/Layne Murdoch, via Associated Press

Aaron Scheidies, left, in 2007 with a guide, Ben Collins. Scheidies will compete in the New York City Triathlon on Sunday.

Scheidies, 27, is partly blind, with 20/500 vision. He competes alongside a sighted guide, and he relies heavily on his partial vision to navigate the racecourse.

“It’s enough to tell if something is right in front of me,” Scheidies said.

Because of a new rule imposed by the International Triathlon Union, Scheidies must surrender his partial vision for Sunday’s race. The rule requires all visually impaired elite triathletes to wear blackout glasses during the race’s running portion. Officials believe the rule will level the playing field among the blind, and lead to triathlon’s inclusion at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Scheidies says the loss of his partial vision could spell disaster.

“I am so fearful of running with the glasses on,” said Scheidies, who has Stargardt’s disease, a form of juvenile macular degeneration. “The first time I put them on, I ran off the road and into a fence.”

The New York City Triathlon, which features a 1,500-meter (0.9-mile) swim in the Hudson River, a 40-kilometer (24.8-mile) bike ride along the Henry Hudson Parkway and a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) run in Central Park, serves as the national paratriathlon championships.

Paraplegic and amputee athletes race on special wheelchairs and hand cycles. Blind athletes are tethered to sighted guides in the race’s swimming and running portions, and they share a tandem cycle for the event’s bike leg. This year, 71 disabled athletes have registered to compete, a race record.

“They are inspiring,” said John Korff, the race’s owner. “They are the toughest athletes in our race.”

The New York City Triathlon is the only race in the United States to award spots for the world paratriathlon championships, which will be held Sept. 8 to 12 in Budapest, and is the only race affected by the new rule.

Jon Beeson, the co-chairman of USA Triathlon’s paratriathlon committee, said the rule change would lump all visually impaired athletes into one category. Athletes formerly competed in different categories based on the severity of their blindness.

“Some of these would only have one or two people in them,” Beeson said of the categories. “You just can’t have that small of a field racing in Paralympic competition.”

Paraplegic triathletes face a similar rule aimed at leveling the playing field. They must now race only on recumbent hand cycles, not on kneeling-position hand bikes.

The rule change affects only athletes hoping to qualify for the world championships. USA Triathlon has created a separate Open category in which disabled athletes can compete under the old rules. According to Beeson, most of the disabled athletes have registered for the Open category, including 31 blind triathletes. He said 5 to 10 visually impaired athletes would compete with the glasses. He said five judges would stand along the running route to make sure the athletes kept the glasses on.

“If we do get into the Paralympics, there will probably be a lot more blind athletes coming to the sport,” Beeson said. “Then maybe we can get rid of the blackout rule.”

Kim Borowitz, a triathlete from Chicago with 20/200 vision, said Beeson’s answer was not good enough. Borowitz, who is skipping the 2010 New York City Triathlon to compete in a track cycling race in Colorado Springs, said officials who changed the rule wrongly assumed all visually impaired triathletes could compete in the dark.

“I have a vision impairment, and it’s what I’ve adapted to over my lifetime,” Borowitz said. “I’ve worked with eye doctors and vision coaches. I have bought very expensive contact lenses to help me see. If you want me to put a blindfold on and start running in a crowd, it’s going to be dangerous.”

The blackout glasses, Scheidies said, affect his balance and make him feel almost intoxicated. He contemplated boycotting the event, but he did not want to upset his sponsors. Instead, Scheidies will most likely walk the final leg of the race.

“I have spent my life learning to adapt to my disability, trying to become independent and good at what I do,” Scheidies said. “Why would I want to increase my disability?”

Lance vs. Lieto, again!

Rory — Wed, 12 May 2010 04:56:46 +0000

Check out Slowtwitch.com! We are excited to see what happens in the Lieto, Macca, Lance, everyone TT showdown. This looks like a good reason to visit Los Angeles.

Seoul.

Rory — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:19:17 +0000

The world’s top triathletes head to Seoul, Korea this weekend for the second round of the 2010 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series, marking only the second time an ITU event has been staged in Korea’s capital. Home to over ten million people, Seoul will be the largest city to host an ITU event in 2010.

The Han River Park in the heart of the Yeoido Financial Centre will act as race headquarters, providing athletes with sweeping views of Seoul’s world-renowned architecture throughout the race. Seoul was recently named the 2010 World Design Capital in recognition of the city’s stunning modern architecture.

Fifty-six women are on the start list for Saturday’s race and none are generating more pre-race buzz than 22-year-old Chilean Barbara Riveros Diaz, who pulled off the surprise win at the Series opener in Sydney. In Seoul, Riveros Diaz will have the opportunity to prove that her upset win Down Under was no fluke. One thing is for certain—if the fast-running Chilean can hang with the front pack off the bike, she’ll be a threat to take the race on the run once again.

As strong as Riveros Diaz was in Sydney, when it comes time to pick a race favourite in the women’s contest, it’s hard to pick anyone but defending ITU World Champion Emma Moffatt of Australia. Moffatt finished third in the Sydney, an impressive accomplishment given that her early season training was slowed by a broken shoulder in February.

But Moffatt won’t be the only Emma from Australia in Seoul, as 2008 Beijing Olympic champion Emma Snowsill looks to make her comeback this weekend. Snowsill has been sidelined with a virus and was forced to sit out the Mooloolaba World Cup and the Series opener in Sydney.

Another to keep an eye on is perennial podium contender Andrea Hewitt of New Zealand, who found herself in the middle of the three-woman sprint to the line in Sydney. Hewitt appears in top form entering this season, after starting off the season with a win at the Oceania Championships in Wellington and a runner-up finish in Sydney.

Others to watch for on Sunday include Sweden’s Lisa Norden, who finished as the runner-up to Moffatt in last year’s world rankings and Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf, who finished ninth in Sydney.

Sixty-five men are set to start in the men’s contest and all eyes are on Kiwi Bevan Docherty, who ran away from the field to win the Series opener four weeks ago. After a disappointing end to the season last year, Docherty will be anxious to score another Series win, which will put the veteran well on the way to bettering his 13th-place world ranking from 2009.

Making things tough for Docherty will be Spaniard Javier Gomez, who finished second in the world rankings last year but was forced to sit out the 2010 Series opener in Sydney due to a hip injury. The hip has since healed and that means Gomez will be looking to make up for lost points in Seoul.

Currently sitting in second in the world rankings is Russian youngster Alexander Brukhankov, who finished just six seconds behind Docherty in Sydney and posted the day’s fastest run split. While the Russian has yet to win a major event, a sub 31-minute 10K on a tough course in Sydney proves he can run with the best of them. Brukhankov’s countryman, Dmitry Polyansky is also looking strong after finishing fourth in Sydney, and he’ll no doubt look to push the pace in the swim and lead out of the water.

As was the case in Sydney, two Olympic champions are on the start list in Seoul in the form of Canadian Simon Whitfield and Germany’s Jan Frodeno. Whitfield had a solid 2010 debut, finishing fifth in Sydney, while Frodeno was relegated to a disappointing 32nd-place showing after a bike crash entering the second transition.

Competitors will also have their eyes on Americans Hunter Kemper and Matt Chrabot, both of whom managed brief breakaways in Sydney. Chrabot and Kemper went on to finish 9th and 10th, respectively. Reigning duathlon world champion Jarrod Shoemaker rounds out the strong American contingent in Seoul.

While the Russians and Americans have fielded strong teams for Seoul, perhaps the toughest competition in the men’s race will come from the French squad, headlined by third-place Sydney finisher David Hauss. CountrymanTony Moulai was at the front for the majority of the run en route to finishing sixth, while France’s top performer from the 2009 season, Laurent Vidal, finished eighth Down Under.

Be sure to tune into triathlonlive.tv on May 8 to catch all the racing action from Seoul as it happens. The women’s event kicks off at 10am local time with the men to follow at 1pm.

USA Triathlon Surpasses 700 Registered Clubs

Rory — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:34:15 +0000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon reached yet another benchmark that documents the growth of multisport last week when the organization surpassed 700 registered clubs. USAT currently has 710 registered clubs that help to enhance the multisport lifestyle nationwide.

Clubs register with USAT on an annual basis, and the organization needed just over three months to reach this record total. USAT had 50 clubs registered in 2000.

Triathletes ranging from newbies to pros can enhance their multisport experience by participating in a club. Club members train smarter, harder and have more fun with people of a like mind.

“We’ve seen phenomenal growth in our club program in recent years,” said Tim Yount, USAT’s senior vice president, sport development. “We’ve worked hard to create some outstanding benefits for our official clubs. Our membership sees the benefit in training with like-minded individuals, and I only see continued expansion for our club program.”

Visit usatriathlon.org to learn more about the club program and its benefits or to locate a club near you.

About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon – one of the fastest growing sports in the world – as well as duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 3,100 races and connects with more than 130,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USAT provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Championships, Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games.

The good stuff.

Rory — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:15:46 +0000

Collins is out of the hospital. Check out this ITU video for 2010! I hope that you are ready.

Ben is in the hospital.

Rory — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:04:55 +0000

Ben Collins was recently admitted to the hospital in Colorado Springs. He was been training at the Olympic Training Center when he developed a fever that wouldn’t go away. A headache and swollen glands accompanied the fever and the doctor at the OTC recommended that he be transfered to the hospital for further monitoring. At this point, we still don’t know what is wrong, but Ben wrote a great blog about his first spinal tap. For more information see BenCollins.org

Ben Collins Interview.

Rory — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:33:36 +0000

I was able to sit down with Ben Collins at a coffee shop in Boulder this weekend and pick his brain.

CTT: Where are you living?

Ben: Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. Although, I still consider Seattle my home.

CTT: How much time will you spend in Seattle this year?

Ben: Probably just a few weeks. After the Seoul WCS race and when the season is over.

CTT: How much time will you be spending living out of a suitcase?

Ben: Months. I am thinking that between training camps, traveling to Asia and Europe, I will be living out a giant K-Swiss bag 40% of the time.

CTT: What do you do in your spare time?

Ben: I am trying to learn Spanish and the guitar. I use Rosetta Stone while on the trainer. My mini aero bars support my laptop so that helps me learn. However, I have noticed that when I go to Mexico I forget the stuff that I learned until I get on my bike. Then all the phrases come flooding back.

CTT: And the guitar?

Ben: I go back to my dorm room at the OTC, close my door (because I am embarrassed about how bad I am) and play the 5 chords that I know. Matt Chrabot and Kevin Collington both play guitar as well, but I am too embarrassed to play with anyone else.

CTT: Do you know any other languages?

Ben: Not very well, but at the Olympic Training Center there is an athlete center with books to read, DVDs to check out, couches to relax on, as well as computers set up with Rosetta Stone for different languages. So I can sit down in front of the German Rosetta Stone before going to Kitchbuel, Austria.

CTT: How are you preparing for the season opener in Florida?

Ben: I am headed to Miami in less than two weeks to race in the Miami International Triathlon. I am excited that I have gotten a bit of elevation training in. My winter went well, I have a good base built, and Miami will be a good test of my fitness.

CTT: The weather will be different in Florida from Colorado. How are you going to deal with that?

Ben: It helps that I spent 8 weeks in Honolulu over the winter. Those adaptations don’t just disappear. I have been overdressing for my workouts and consuming more Nuun that I can count. Now I just count on my fitness and hydration.

CTT: Thanks for your time, enjoy the Colorado weather.

Ben: Thank you.

Boulder, CO 2-28-10

Andrew Russell interview.

Rory — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:27:28 +0000

To allow our fans more access to our team we will be doing interviews that will give more access into our thoughts and lives. The first athlete is Andrew Russell of Canada. He is a self proclaimed “sport addict”. After a few weeks of hard training in Maui last month, he is ready for the 2010 season!

CTT: What annoys you?

AR: I’m not easily annoyed but do lose sleep over poor drivers.

CTT: How did you get started in triathlon?

AR: I got started in triathlon at university after I broke my neck on a trampoline and was forced to retire from rugby.

CTT: Are you parents athletic?

AR: My Dad is quite athletic I get my awareness and knack of multi sporting from him. I feel i get my ability to push through pain from my Mum, she is so strong.

CTT: Ever take a vacation (without SBR stuff?)

AR: Yes, I go skiing, both alpine and nordic.

CTT: What is the last book you read?

AR: Gullivers Travels

CTT: What races are you looking forward to the most in 2010?

AR: Right now I’m looking forward to my first race of 2010 at the Monterrey WC. Down the line I hope and would be very excited to start at the WCS in London. I have a lot of family that would come to watch in that area and I did a student internship during University, right beside Hyde Park (race site)!

CTT: Who would you like to thank?

AR: I’d like to thank my family for their support and belief in my crazy ways. Champion Systems and Saucony Canada for their backing. Triathlon Canada for having a great Centre available to its athletes here in Victoria and my host family and best friends the Allards.

Stay tuned for more and feel free to email questions to info@checkmatetriteam.com!

Just open the door

Rory — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:02:24 +0000

As some of the team members are in Hawai’i training, I thought that I should direct you to Andrew Russell’s latest blog post. It has a great video of how convenient running is in Hawai’i. Ben Collins is shown swimming in Waimea Bay in our last post. Meanwhile, winter plods along for the rest of us as we get ready for the 2010 race season.

Andrew and Ben will be training together (along with a bunch of other Canadians) in Maui until Ben heads to the US Olympic Training Center. Stay tuned! Sounds like a good time, eh?!

Ben in Hawai’i.

Rory — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:01:12 +0000