June 2015 Team Race Results

Central Region Report - Damie Roberts (Regional Captain)

Erin Green on her Diamondback Serios

The Central Region in July has been highlighted by the return of pro, Erin Green, to the race course.  An original Wattie Ink Team Member, she has been an up and coming pro that had a few set backs early in the year.  She returned to racing in amazing form at the Pacific Crest Long Course Championship race, where she took out the overall female title against some strong pro competition.  Welcome back MFEG!!!

Dani Fischer in her Blueseventy Helix

Another Wattie Ink Central Region Pro, Dani Fischer, is no stranger to duathlon success.  Ranked as the top amateur duathlete by USAT in 2014, she continues to show why she earned this title with a 2nd place FPro at USAT Duathlon National Championships this month.  She followed that up with another professional podium at TriRock Philadelphia with a 3rd place.  

In the AG ranks, the Ironman 70.3 series continues to be dominated by the Wattie Ink Central Region.  At Buffalo Springs, Claudia Spooner took another 70.3 AG win in the W45-49, and Jennifer Walker also followed suit with a W40-44 with a win.

Other notable results from Central Region local racing include:
Scott Johnson Twin Lakes Triathlon 2nd M40-44Catherine Demet Espirit De She Lifetime Fitness - Naperville 3rd AG - Pleasant Prairie Tri, WI 3rd AG - Ram Racing Big Foot Lake Geneva, WI 5th AG OlympicAmanda Lane 1ST AG 25-29 King of the Hill Sprint TriathlonJaryna Osland Moss 2nd AG Escape from AlcatrazMatt Barcus Pleasant Prairie International Tri, 5th OA male
Damie Roberts 1st F35-39 Heatwave Classic Triathlon

There is more racing to come this season.  Our team is prepping in the next few months for continued local racing, Kona, 70.3 Worlds, and USAT AG Nats.  Keep your eye out at the races for some fast athletes in killer Wattie Ink kits around the Central Region. 

West Region Report - Karin Langer (Regional Captain)

Wattie Ink West trained hard through June as we reach the mid-point of our seasons. 

Nicole Pressprich represented in a big way at Boise 70.3, earning 3^rd overall. Tom Monica continued his busy season of on and off-road domination by winning his 55-59 age group at Boulder 70.3. 

Oregon resident and Wildflower amateur champ Amy Van Tassel traveled to Ironman France in Nice. She built a stellar race, braving the mass swim start, climbing through the hills, and running along the riviera, finishing as the second overall amateur woman, and first in her age group. Aloha, Amy!

VT Rocking the W in France

As a team, we collectively held our breath for news out of Ironman Coeur d’Alene. All eyes were on our champ Heather Jackson, but team members brought the heat as well. Notably, Dan Egoroff plowed through the field on the bike, eventually finishing 8^th in his age group.

East Region Report - Caldwell Clarke (Regional Captain)

The East Coast Watties had a strong showing in the month of June!

Lizzie Nyitray 1st overall Challenge Atlantic City Half

Diane Jackson started June off with a 1^st AG at Challenge Quassy OLY.

Evan Hill put up a 3^rd AG at the Challenge Williamsburg Half.

Denise Hiller destroyed her AG and finished the Challenge Atlantic City Half with a 1^st AG, while Joe Klinedinst finished with a 4^th AG.

Domination in Atlantic City

Newcomer, Kristin White, tore up the field at IM Syracuse 70.3 with a 3^rd OA and 1^st AG.

In non-regional races, Jeff Tunstall turned in a 2nd OA at the Naylor’s Beach OLY and 1st AG at the Tavern Sprint. Joe Klinedinst finished with a 3rd OA at the Cape Henlopen Sprint. Rachel Blechman finished the Mack Cycle Sprint Triathlon with a 1^st OA. Dave D’Abrosca finished out June with a 2nd AG at the King Pine Sprint and a 2nd AG at the Oh My Goddard Sprint.

Team Wattie Ink Marc Pro Product Review

By Damie Roberts - Central Region Captain

Our ability to improve as triathletes is directly related to our body’s ability to recover after training.  Simply, we must stress our muscular, skeletal, cardiac, and pulmonary systems in training, and then we must allow these systems to rest, recover, and absorb the training in order to take on increased loads in the future.  Recovery is as important as appropriate training, and can be just as time consuming and multifaceted when you consider sleep, nutrition, and managing muscle health. 

So…train for 3 sports, earn a paycheck at work, actually listen to your spouse and hang out from time to time, give your toddler your undivided attention, cook for everyone, run all errands, sleep the recommended amount, and take care of those muscles?  I know many of you can relate!  We want to be excellent in all areas of our lives, and triathlon performance is no difference.  Out of all of the things we do with the limited time in our day, active muscle recovery will be one of the easiest pieces of the puzzle to place, especially with the use of Marc Pro. 

As a physical therapist, I was interested to see exactly how the Marc Pro system worked, and what made it different from the NMES/EMS units I use at work.  I have experimented on myself for years with electrotherapy equipment, sometimes with great success! I was also interested to see how it differed from the very popular compression style equipment that many triathletes use. 

When I received my Marc Pro Plus unit, I was happy to see how easy the system was to use.  (The Marc Pro Plus unit differs from the Marc Pro with additional settings to address pain).  The user manual is well laid out with excellent description.  You do not have to understand electrophysiology, amplitude, pulse duration, or frequency to use this machine.  (Thank goodness…no advance degree required to understand this manual!) The manual is easy to use, with clear instructions and pictures for set up and application.

What does the Marc Pro system do exactly?  As stated in the manual, “The Marc Pro Plus is intended for muscle conditioning by stimulating muscle in order to improve or facilitate muscle performance.  The Marc Pro Plus is to be used for temporary relief of pain associated with sore and aching muscles in the shoulder, waist, back, neck, upper extremities (arm), and lower extremities (leg) due to strain from exercise and normal household and work activities.”  In layman’s terms, the system is designed to help muscles recover by allowing fluid to move in an out of muscle without fatiguing the muscles.  As well, the Plus system can also be an additional resource to address pain.

How does Marc Pro accomplish muscle recovery, and how is it different from other systems on the market?  One concern I have seen on the internet forums is that a unit such as Marc Pro will fatigue the muscles. So, how does this system promote recovery WITHOUT fatigue? 

The Marc Pro system uses a dynamic decaying waveform, which is different from most EMS systems that use a static square waveform, generally with higher voltage and frequencies.  The different waveform allows for a more comfortable contraction followed by a slower release to enhance blood flow, which is different than traditional therapeutic machines that often produce tetanizing contractions and fatigue that is often used in muscle re-education.  And while these terms seem complicated (and they are...I could show you my Clinical Electrophysiology Text from DPT school and you would cry after the first chapter), have no fear, the Marc Pro system is very easy to effectively use. 

The manual is amazingly easy to read and includes pictures for every type of electrode set up you can imagine, as well as frequency and intensity recommendations for every muscle combination included.  I have never seen that sort of direction and guidance for any EMS system I have used. The manual provides electrode placement sections for recovery/conditioning/performance, time efficient placements, and pain unresponsive to low frequency. 

So, you only have 15 minutes and your legs are sore and tired? Turn to the chapter for efficient placement and it will show you exactly where to place the electrodes to get the most bang for your buck.  Have some time and want to specifically address the hip flexor?  Turn to the chapter for recovery, conditioning, and performance.  They make it that easy. 

How is this type of muscle recovery system different from the compression type systems we see in our sport?  Well, the first thing I noticed is that compression boots will not address my low back pain or my shoulder fatigue.  And while they compress a good part of the leg, they simply cannot help my glutes or hip flexors. 

Another major difference is that there is no blood flow restriction with the Marc Pro System as there is in compressive phase of compression boots.  And while compression does move fluid and waste, our natural mover of fluid through the body in addition to the heart and gravity is…wait for it...muscle. With compression, there is no muscle activation.  With Marc Pro, the muscles are directly involved in the movement of waste, as they should be.  And that, my fellow triathletes, is the heart of active recovery.  We often spin on our bikes to flush out our legs by engaging our muscles to move fluid.  However, with the Marc Pro system, you take out the fatigue involved in active full body movement, and replace it with active muscle recovery without the resulting fatigue. 

The Marc Pro system has become a major part of my recovery program as I increase my training load.  The system is small enough to take just about anywhere.  My favorite way to use the Marc Pro after a solid training day is to do some foam rolling for myofascial release and then jump in bed with the Marc Pro system hooked up.  My favorite electrode placement is the global leg flush, and I literally push 3 buttons to activate the electrodes on both legs, and then turn two knobs until the intensity is at a place that feels good to me.  It is that simple. I review training logs, maybe read a chapter in a book, say a quick prayer that my toddler will sleep through the night, and then finally turn off my Marc Pro Plus with legs that feel amazing. 

Please visit www.marcpro.com for an incredible amount of information on the product and active muscle recovery.

May 2015 Team Race Results

West Region Report - Karin Langer (West Captain)

Tri-California Events’ iconic, independent event at Wildflower (Lake San Antonio, California, May 2-3) never disappoints, even/ESPECIALLY when drought conditions force course changes. The Wattie Ink. Team celebrated our finishes at the campsite with s’mores and sing-alongs with our generous sponsors, Diamondback Bikes.

Amy Van Tassel 1^st overall amateur female, Long Course

Chi-chi Jackson 24^th M55-59

Chris Liou 4^th M45-49

Derek Liou 4^th M40-44

Diane Jackson 1^st F60-65

Dusty Nabor 2^nd M40-44

Heather Catchpole 6^th F40-44

Keet Dailey 1^st overall, Olympic Distance Collegiate

Tom Monica 2^nd M55-59

Amy VT - Amateur Female Champ Wildflower

Keet Dailey - 1st OA and Collegiate Olympic Wildflower

Special thanks to team members Erin Machan, Doris Steere, Colleen Lundigran, and Sarah Beth Barkley, as well as other friends, who came out from as far away as FLORIDA to cheer, volunteer, and make a great weekend of it!

Held the same weekend as Wildflower, several Watties couldn’t resist the lure of Ironman 70.3 St. George, the North American Pro Championship.

Adam Harita 30^th M40-44

Eric Engel 1^st M25-29

Gerry Forman 2^nd M75-79

Jake Steen 48^th M40-44

Jaryna Moss 1^st F45-49

Micky McDonald 8^th M50-54

Nicole Pressprich 4^th F25-29

No one travels to Ironman Hawaii 70.3 (May 30) expecting anything but heat and humidity. The bike course overlaps the most challenging portion of the Ironman World Championship’s, and the run traverses an unforgivingly soggy and hot golf course. Watties teed up for a great, day, however.

Michael Larson 2^nd M45-49

Tawnie McDonald 5^th F50-54

Micky “William” McDonald 6^th M50-54

Hawaii resident James Resor shattered his front wheel during the bike leg, and waited about 45 minutes for support. He then waited for and ran with his bride and Wattie Ink bikini teammate, Sarah Nicola, carrying her across the finish line. It sure sounds like James is the ultimate SAG wagon! (127^th M30-34)

Central Region Report - Damie Roberts (Central Captain)

The central region once again dominated the podium.  The big guns came out to play for the Ironman North American Championship series this month.  On the soul searching course of St. George 70.3 North American Pro Championship, we had Katie Cargiulo in the pro women's race coming in as the 18th pro female as well as Jaryna Moss winning her AG and bringing home the 1st place in women's 45-49.
Next up found the Central Watties at Ironman Texas, the North American Ironman Championship ready to challenge the heat and the competition.  Emily Kratz led the way as the Overall Amateur Champion for the female race as well as 1st 35-39 AG.  Kevin Dessart won his division as well with a 1st place M45-49.  Claudia Spooner rounded out the podium placings with a solid 5th in the W45-49. 

Emily Kratz - Overall AG Champion Ironman Texas

North American Ironman Championships

Many Watties raced well at Raleigh 70.3, and Matt Barcus was on of those athletes with another solid race and 4th place finish in M30-34.
A little local racing rounded out the May month for the Central Region with Amanda Lane having a great weekend at Memphis in May with a  4th AG W25-29 in the sprint and a 2nd AG in the Oly, placing her 12th OA for that weekends Amateur Challenge.
Wattie Pro Dani Fischer mixed it up this month with a 13th OA female at Indy Mini Marathon (the largest half marathon in the nation) and a 1st F (4th OA) at Muncie May Triathlon.
Damie Roberts rounded out the local triathlon racing with a 1st F (4th OA) at the AIM High Sprint triathlon.
Congrats, Central Region, on another awesome month of racing!

East Region Report - Caldwell Clarke (East Captain)

All over the country, East Coast Wattie Ink. athletes posted some great podium results in the month of May.

Ironman Texas saw Oriana Bafunno finish 3^rd AG (25-29) and earn herself a trip to Kona!

On home turf, team director, Robert “Flanny” Flanigan was 2^nd OA at Rev3 Rush.

Evan Hill was 1st AG (35-39) at Challenge Knoxville OLY.

Denise “Biebs” Hiller finished a strong 2^nd AG at IM Raleigh 70.3 in some brutal conditions.

Denise HIller - 2nd AG Raleigh 70.3

Caldwell Clarke was 3^rd AG (35-39) at Monticellman OLY.

 Taylor Jennings was 2nd Overall at the Outer Banks Duathlon and finished 3rd Overall at the Breezy Point Triathlon. 

Joe Klinedinst finished 2^nd OA at the Cascade Lake Sprint Triathlon.

Maggie Freeman was 2nd OA Jersey Genesis Duathlon.

Thanks to all of our sponsors Wattie Ink, Herbalife 24, Powerbar, Blueseventy, Diamondback, Rudy Project, Reynolds, ISM, Speedfil, MarcPro, Wildflower, and Challenge Americas.

Off Road Report - Shelby Katz (Dirty Captain)

There is so much to say about our dirt loving Watties! What a May!

Early in the season Ron Schmidt, beer maker extraordinaire, found the dark side and entered the weekend events of XTERRA Epic, which is a weekend of some intense off road racing.  The first race, which included a 25 mile bike ride, after a long swim, followed by a 10 mile run.  While not feeling great after the long bike, Ron pulled through the run and placed 3^rd in his age group. The next days sprint went better and Ron ended up 5^th in his age group plus 15^th overall! This was enough for XTERRA to offer Ron an invitation to Nationals held in Ogden, Utah in September (an invite only race).

Tom Monica and Jake Steen, raced the XTERRA Bonelli Park in San Dimas, California, another XTERRA regional race.  The race consisted of a ½ mile swim, a 15 mile bike plus a 3.4 mile run.  Jake, who raced in the 40-44 age group took 4^th in his age group plus 14^th overall (this is out of 160 athletes).  Tom, on a roll after gaining his XTERRA World’s Championship invitation, raced and took 1^st in his age group and tried to run down Jake, taking 15^th overall. 

A quick note about Tom’s race in San Dimas.  This was Tom’s 61^st XTERRA and his 37^th age-group win! 37 wins! Tom’s love of the dirt stems from many things, but when he talks about XTERRA, he talks about the intensity of the race.  Not because it’s short, but you do need to go full gas the whole way, but because you can’t just put your head down and hammer.  He says, you have to stay focused on the terrain (or you can get hurt), which makes it just as mental as it is physical.  In San Dimas, Tom hammered the swim and was able to drop everyone pretty quickly in his group.  He pulled a 12:03 swim for a 0.5 mile swim.  Of course he fully credits his BlueSeventy Helix (and none of his hard core training routine).  Taking the XTERRA approach in hand, which means hammer the hills and recover on the descents, he hammered the 15 mile bike, passing guys (younger) who started in earlier waves, 3-6 minutes ahead of him.  Downing a Powerbar and getting in the Herbalife Prolong before finishing up the bike, Tom was ready for the run.  During the run, Tom was catching up with Elizabeth Harita, our own Wattie “mascot”, who was racing the XTERRA Sport race.  Adam Harita, Elizabeth’s dad, started cheering for Elizabeth telling her she shouldn’t let Tom pass her.  Not cutting her any slack, Tom said he put in to move ahead, but Elizabeth held him off and they finished within feet of each other. 

Racing a 50K on Catalina Island sounds epic.  Especially when most of the trails that are normally closed to the public are opened for this race.  Erin Machan smashed the race, ripping up the trails and really enjoying her time out there, putting in the hours she will need for the Leadville 100! Really stoked to hear more about Erin’s mountain biking!

And finally, the XTERRA Laguna was blown up by Jake Steen and Tom Monica!   Tom took 2^nd again in his age group and Jake also scored a 2^nd place in his age group!!

Our dirt folks are tearing it up and taking names!!