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- Three-event races lure new amateur athletes

The Capital Times

By Katie Dean

To hear her tell it, Pamela French, 46, of Fitchburg, a single mom raising three teenagers, is an unlikely triathlete.

"I have never, ever been an athlete," she said, joking that she couldn't jog two blocks without passing out. "I started out not knowing how to get across the pool."

But this summer, French and her friend Beth Gentilli -- another mom with three children -- trained about five or six days a week for several months and finished two triathlons for the first time. The two are already planning for next year's triathlons.

"That's the goal, to keep it moving through the winter," French said, who joined the YMCA at the end of August to keep training as the seasons change. In early October, the pair will participate in a 45-mile Oktoberfest Bike Ride at the Tyranena Brewery in Lake Mills to hone their biking skills.

"It's just the best stress reliever there is," she said. "It's a good example for my kids. As they saw me getting in to it, I think they were kind of impressed."

The three-sport competitions, which combine a leg of swimming, a bike race and run of varying distances, have ballooned in popularity over the past several years. Joel Patenaude, managing editor for Silent Sports magazine, which covers outdoor sports in the upper Midwest, said his magazine listed 44 triathlons in Wisconsin in 2003. This year, the number had grown to 62 triathlons, and the numbers are likely even higher. Jessica Laufenberg, who runs SBR Coaching in Verona, estimated that there are "a couple hundred" in the state. There is no official clearinghouse of information on the number of triathlons or triathletes because different groups organize the races.

The competitions vary in their degree of difficulty. In shorter "sprint" triathlons, competitors generally swim a quarter or half-mile, bike for 12 to 15 miles and then run a 5K (3.1 miles) race to the finish line. The Olympic-length distance is a 1,500-meter swim, 25-mile bike race and a 10K run. Ironman races are 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running. Half-Ironman races are also part of the mix.

Going mainstream

"It's really just boomed in the last five years," said Tim Allen, marketing director for Wisconsin Sports Development Corp., which runs the Badger State Games and is the local host for the Ironman. "Any weekend between mid-April and mid-October there is at least one triathlon going on in the state. It's crazy."

But it makes sense: "Wisconsin is a great place to get out and enjoy the countryside," he said. He called the triathlon trend a natural progression from the avid biking and running culture in the Madison area.

There are triathlons for kids, and indoor triathlons during the colder months. The Fox Valley Christian Fellowship, a church in Kimberly, Wis., even runs its own triathlon. Patenaude said that there were three triathlons this summer near his small town of Waupaca. Waupaca's own triathlon, in its seventh year, hit an all-time high of over 850 participants.

"I think it's sort of reached the mass market more," said Andrew Harrison, a bike mechanic and builder at Cronometro bike shop on Williamson Street. "A lot of people with careers and family are doing triathlons -- even the Ironman."

A local real estate agent and self-described passionate triathlete, Sheila Power advertises her business by listing local triathlons -- forgoing the usual Badger and Packer schedules -- on refrigerator magnets that she gives away to advertise. Power handed out more than 700 magnets this year to local bike, swim and athletic shoe stores. It's been hard to fit the growing number of races on such a small magnet, she said. "I had to eliminate some."

Ironman an inspiration

While the outdoor triathlon season is coming to an end in Wisconsin, interest hasn't slowed down. Some local businesses have seen an uptick in customers seeking triathlon gear and coaching due to the hometown Ironman. Ability levels range from recent converts to the sport to experienced racers who want to refine their skills. Training often continues through the winter.

"It's getting huge. I would say it's one of the fastest-growing sports around," said Dave Dahler, manager of Walters' Swim 'N Sun on Monroe Street and a longtime swim coach. Dahler coached an open water class this summer for triathletes.

Walters', known for its competitive swimming garb, is bringing in more tri apparel and race suits to meet the growing demand, Dahler said.

"In the past two weeks, we've probably had two to three dozen newbies to triathlons who have said they were inspired by the Ironman," he said.

SBR's Laufenberg said her triathlon training business has seen a spike in the past month, and attributed some of the interest to the Ironman. The bulk of her clients have zero to three years of experience doing triathlons, but she's already started training a dozen people for Ironman 2008.

"Everyone wants to get a handle on what the next year's going to look like," she said.

Dana Klubertanz, a UW business school student, triathlon coach and Movin' Shoes employee said about one in five Ironman competitors who shop at Movin' Shoes are "couch potato Ironmen" who are doing the race for the first time, sparked into action after watching the Ironman. While the shop's core business is running, he said there has been "a surge in business because Ironman is here and more triathlons are popping up around the area."

Getting students involved

Triathlons are also getting popular with college students. Aaron Kamnetz, a junior at UW-Madison, is an avid triathlete and founded the Midwest Collegiate Triathlon Conference in the spring of 2006 in an effort to raise the level of competition and credibility of the team, which has been around since 1992.

The group has over 160 members, he said. The team has workouts every day of the week that vary between biking, running, swimming, weight lifting, and spinning. Kamnetz helps coach most of the workouts himself.

Students get hefty discounts on race entry fees, are allowed to race in the first wave at races and are given a separate class of awards.

The national federation (USA Triathlon) and directors of local races "have really put us to the forefront and given us a lot of visibility," he said.

"The common consensus right now is that the place we're going to see the largest growth in the sport is at the collegiate level," Kamnetz said. The team welcomes those who are new to the sport, noting that there are some students who are swimming for the first time.

"We're trying to adopt the philosophy of work hard, play hard," he said. "With more emphasis on the work hard."

Triathlon fever

French decided to try a triathlon after talking to an enthusiastic co-worker who had done the races. Convincing her friend to train with her made it easier, too.

"You really do get motivated when you have a partner," French said. "It's not as easy to find excuses."

The pair started with the Danskin triathlon, a women-only race in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. (near Kenosha), which made the first-timers feel more at ease, French said. The July race, which is also a fund raiser for breast cancer research and the National Association of Team Survivor (which promotes exercise opportunities for those affected by cancer) attracted women of every ability, age, and size, French said.

The duo also finished the Devil's Lake triathlon (1/4 mile swim, 15 mile bike and 3 mile run) in mid-September. Next year, she's interested in trying triathlons in Lake Mills, Pardeeville and Oshkosh.

"My goal in doing the triathlons is not to become an intense, serious, athlete, but to have a hobby that is fun, manageable and beneficial and to add balance to a hectic life," she said.

Silent Sports' Patenaude said that it's not surprising that people are flocking to the sport.

"There's great appeal to a triathlon because how do you prepare for a marathon? All you do is run," he said. "The triathlon -- all it requires, automatically, is variety. You just don't get bored."

That variety is also easier on a person's body.

"We see a lot of people who have gotten injured from running," said Dahler, the swimming coach. "The cross training kind of helps reduce injuries and makes it more fun for the people."

Madison's Jill Karofsky, 41, had been a longtime runner (she's competed in 20 marathons) when she decided to give triathlons a whirl in 2004. Karofsky had started to get some tendinitis in her knee and thought that cross-training would help stave off injury.

"I realized it was time to start branching out and start doing more sports," she said. "It seemed like the logical thing to do."

After competing in triathlons of varying distances over the past few years, she finished her first Ironman in Madison in September. She attempted last year's Ironman but was felled by a stomach virus on the day of the race.

In addition to the camaraderie with other triathletes and the obvious health benefits of exercise, competitors feel a sense of personal accomplishment.

"For so many years (we have) dedicated our lives to family and jobs," French said. "Now it's kind of nice to do something for us."

Published: 10/02/2007

- VO2 Max Testing Offers An Optimized Exercise Regimen

Wisconsin State Journal

By James Edward Mills For the State Journal

Audrey Drake wants to be a better athlete. So as she prepares for her third Wisconsin Ironman competition in September, the Sun Prairie information technologist is motivated to make every workout as efficient as possible.

"If I'm spending 20 to 25 hours a week training I want to make that time the most valuable," she said.

New technologies are helping Drake and other athletes in the Madison area learn how best to train for increased performance or to merely lose weight. One such technology is a simple test being offered by several area private coaches and health clubs that lets clients know how much exercise they require to reach and maintain their training goals. Called VO2 max testing, the quick and easy exam helps set individualized workouts that are neither too hard nor too soft, but just right.

"VO2 max is your body's maximum capacity that you can bring in oxygen to your working muscles," said Jessica Laufenberg, an exercise physiologist and owner of SBR Coaching in Verona, who uses the test to help prescribe the prefect training program.

You know how it feels when you're out of breath, when your heart's pounding so fast you think your chest will explode. When you're there, your body is in anaerobic exercise, the point where you can no longer bring in oxygen fast enough to provide fuel for your muscles. Your body is burning its sugar for energy - which it can't keep up for long - rather than the body fat it uses in aerobic exercise.

"There's an anaerobic threshold where your body starts to build up lactic acid," Laufenberg said. "Your body is going to pretty soon fail and fatigue out."

So the idea is to train your body to perform below your anaerobic threshold. The VO2 max test shows you where that is.

"Let's say your (maximum) heart rate is at about 160 beats per minute, and that's when things start to shift," Laufenberg said. "So your aerobic base, where you can hang out for a couple of hours, if not longer, would be under 160 beats per minute, where your body is efficiently bringing in oxygen."

Calculating a threshold

The VO2 max test tracks the amount of oxygen you use during exercise. A mask that covers your mouth and nose captures your breath and sensors monitor your heart while you run on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bicycle. The test takes less than 20 minutes.

A computerized system calculates when you reach your anaerobic threshold.

"We measure the air that you take in as well as the carbon dioxide," said Terry Kapsen, vice president of marketing at New Leaf Fitness, a company in St. Paul, Minn., that makes the systems. "By looking at those two variables in a way it's very similar to looking at a car engine. We're able to tell not only how well the engine is tuned, but also what kind of fuel you're burning. And that's what enables us to know where you're efficiently burning fat and where you begin to loose that efficiency."

"If I'm just doing a slow steady run, my coach will have me run at a rate of about 120 to 129," Drake said. "That way I'm training my body to burn fat. It makes me more efficient. Eventually what will happen is I'll be able to run faster at the same heart rate."

Depending on where you go in the Madison area, VO2 max testing can cost from $75 to $130. Personal coaching could mean an additional charge. The cost of your initial test often includes the price of the mask used to collect your breath sample. It's usually yours to keep and if you bring it back for additional testing, that cost is deducted from further charges.

Tony Janowic, an amateur triathlete and a senior executive for a Madison bio-fuels startup called Best Energies, said knowing his target heart zone makes his workouts more enjoyable. And on race day, he knows when he can push his body harder without fear of burning himself out.

"Everybody's got a limit so that when they work outside of it they start using different types of energy sources, which changes the longevity of your exertion," Janowic said. "So to me, it made a lot of sense that you have to work inside a zone that allows you to expand the ones that will let you compete the longest without fatigue."

Monitoring heart rate

The results of your VO2 max test will tell you at what rate your heart should beat in order to burn fat. Although there are formulas to help calculate your maximum heart rate, they tend to be less accurate than a test that carefully measures your metabolic performance.

By wearing a heart rate monitor while you exercise you can stay within your optimal training zone and get the best results. Even though competitive athletes most often use this kind of cardiac training, the benefits can be enjoyed by anyone with a fitness goal.

Sara Johnson, a personal trainer at Harbor Athletic Club in Middleton, said the test is not just for triathletes. "What it's turned out to be is good for most every client in this club," Johnson said. "You've got people who have been up there doing cardio for the last five years and they're stuck at the same weight. But doing this testing we can find out if they were working hard enough or maybe they were working out too hard."

Though it may sound counterintuitive, training too hard can actually cause you to again weight. Johnson said sometimes she has to get her clients to slow down.

"You're not always burning fat at the rate that you're working at. So you're burning sugar," she said. "And then you get home and you're hungry for sugar. That's why you're eating all the carbs. You're working too hard." And those carbohydrates or sugar mean extra, unwanted pounds.

"The main goal is to find out where people are in their training and use that information to hone in to their specific needs in their training program so they're not either training too hard or training too easy," said Joe Marks, director of the Peak Profile program at Core Fitness in Middleton. "You eliminate any guess work and you optimize the use of your time."

Where V02 max testing is available in the Madison area:

Core Athletic (608) 831-2673 www.coreathletic.com VO2 Metabolic Testing: $100 -$200

Harbor Athletic Club (608) 831-6500 www.harborathletic.com VO2 Metabolic Testing : $75 for members, $90 for non-members

SBR Coaching (608) 848-4553 www.sbrcoaching.com VO2 Max testing: $130

Specialist in Sports Performance & Weight Management (608) 575-7457 www.vo2test.com VO2 Metabolic Testing: $85-$190

Published: Monday, May 21, 2007

Triathlete sales Ironman's success spawns active local service sector

The Capital Times

By Lynn Welch lwelch@madison.com

Jamie Osborn knew it was time to open a shop catering to triathletes when the Ironman Wisconsin signed on for another five years in Madison.

"It's so exciting to have the Ironman here," said Osborn, who with his wife Tara opened Endurance House at Greenway Station in January. "You're not going to find people seeing an event and saying, 'I'm going to do that next year.' If you don't have an Ironman in your city you don't get that."

The store is among a growing number of shops and service enterprises that have launched here recently to serve, and further develop, the burgeoning community of multi-sport athletes.

This growth has been spurred by the grueling Ironman race here. Ironman Wisconsin - this year's event is Sunday - had its inaugural triathlon in Madison in 2002. Last year, Ironman recommitted to holding the event here through 2011.

"People are starting to realize that anyone can do it. It's a very mental sport," Jessica Anderson, who opened Fleet Feet Sports with her husband Matt on Madison's west side in 2005, said of triathlons. "There's no doubt. The growth is going to continue."

Trainers and coaches, retailers selling gear and supplements, bike shops, massage therapists and others have found opportunity to serve existing triathletes and grow the sport.

Ron Vincent, executive director of the Wisconsin Sports Development Corp., said 175 Madison residents will participate in this year's Ironman. Of the 2,200 Ironman Wisconsin competitors, 525 are from Wisconsin.

Some have formed multi-sport clubs that have mushroomed in size, such as Headhunters Multi-Sport Club, now boasting 200 members according to group organizer Dino Lucas.

Another, Amy's Play Group (or APG) offers training and support for athletes and their partners.

"When my friend and I did the Ironman in 2003 I think we knew maybe five or six people," said club organizer Amy Sanborn. "Last year I knew 43 people doing Ironman. And those are people I consider to be my close friends."

Vincent said the Madison area now has about 70 bike stores and an increasing number of personal trainers and other sporting gear retailers catering to triathletes.

"You could say there's a renewed interest in being fit and healthy, but the Ironman has really brought this to a pinnacle," Vincent said. "People see this and it's so inspirational."

David Meixelsperger said the Ironman was a "major factor" in his decision to open Berkeley Running Co. in the Shorewood Shopping Center on University Avenue. The store, open this May, sells footwear, apparel and supplements for the serious and casual runner and walker.

He says the store does about one quarter of its business with triathletes.

"Madison has so much to promote when it comes to fitness," Meixelsperger said. "There's a success with running teams here, we were just named the number one walking city in America and the Ironman is here four more years. These all told me that there was room for another running store here."

Meixelsperger outfits the University of Wisconsin Triathlon Team and has online orders from faraway places such as Mexico for dietary supplements. He's also hosting two German pros at his home this year, Rene Goehler and Maiki Twelsiek, one of whom could place in the top tier of finishers.

"We get orders from all over the globe from people wanting supplies here when they come to do the triathlon," he said.

Last December, Jessica Laufenberg opened SBR (Swim Bike Run) Coaching in Verona, training triathletes of all levels. Most of her clients have zero to three years experience in the sport, some working toward an Ironman race.

She coached 15 people this year who will participate in Sunday's Ironman. Laufenberg will also be in the race, her fourth Ironman.

"It will be weird for me," she said. "I'll be out there racing with all these people I've worked with the past months."

Laufenberg opened her business following 14 years as an exercise physiologist after watching the triathlon sport grow and with it the need for custom information for people who were getting into the sport.

"If people want to get into it, I can get them in the right way. If they want to do Ironman, I can help them see how it fits in their life," she said.

Anderson said Fleet Feet has seen its triathlon business continue to grow, now making up about 25 percent of sales. Opened as a running shop, the business now rents wet suits and carries other accessories and supplements.

"As a business, you just realize you need to cater to triathletes," Anderson said. "It's seen amazing growth and has a huge impact on our business."

Jeffrey Mawhinney launched Exclusive Cycles in Verona last spring, offering elite cyclists services to "make them faster."

"Some of the heavy hitters that place quite high in Ironman and other triathlons come in and do their fittings here," Mawhinney said. "(The Ironman) definitely helps us. No doubt about it."

For Osborn, business has been good enough that he's looking into expanding his product line.

"The one thing that we don't have but are starting to explore are triathlon bikes," Osborn said. "It was always our hope that we'd be able to reinvest and continue to grow."

Published: 2007

The Capital Times

Two new businesses will open in December at 303 S. Main St. in Verona, building owner SARA Investment Real Estate of Middleton announced.

Jessica Laufenberg, a two-time Ironman Triathlon finisher, is opening SBR Coaching & Training Center LLC for beginning to intermediate athletes to improve their swimming, biking and riding skills. Laufenberg will offer metabolic testing, oxygen consumption testing, personalized training plans and more. Go to www.sbrcoaching.com.

Optometrist Tami Hunt and husband Jason Hunt will open Verona Vision Care LLC.

The new businesses join Third Wave Research, which opened last March.

Published: October 30, 2006