clubs
Team GearGrInder Takes on kona
By Lindsay Wyskowski
I
magine the toughest triathlon you’ve ever to Kona – Christopher Boettcher, Justin Henkel, during Ironman week! I am proud to have
done. Now imagine having your teammates Joe Kurian, Michelle Lanouette, Craig Lanza, been a part of this and strive to live up to the
by your side for all the pre-race activities, Dennis Melowski and Tom Shepard. Here are finisher expectations I’ve set forth here.
race day highs and lows and the post-race their experiences in their own words. Craig: For a triathlon team of our size, to
fun. Wisconsin’s Team GearGrinder had that Christopher: My journey to Kona started in have seven Kona qualifiers speaks for itself.
advantage at the 2009 Ford Ironman World Louisville, Ky. The Louisville Ironman was my Earlier this year, after a few GearGrinder
Championship on October 10 in Kona, Hawaii. first full Ironman and I had no expectations team bike rides, I was motivated, excited and
The team, which started as a cycling club, of qualifying for Hawaii. I traveled to Hawaii encouraged to really focus. Being surrounded
currently has 140 members, including 40 who with my friend and teammate Tom Shepard, by an amazingly talented team and having
participate in triathlons. Seven made the trek and I feel this really helped to calm our nerves. the support of my family really made the
We fit in three good difference. By late summer, it seemed Kona
swims together, Fever was contagious within our team and I
which was huge for can’t say enough about how Team GearGrinder
me, having never management supported the seven qualifiers.
swum in the ocean Hawaii is beautiful, yet the course is among
and watching Jaws a the toughest because of the winds and heat.
few too many times! It seems like you have to earn every inch of
A huge advantage the 140.6 miles, and it takes a tremendous
was that several amount of training; there are no short cuts to
teammates had get there. Completing the Ironman in Hawaii is
raced there before. tough, but that’s what makes it special.
The knowledge that Dennis: As a final tune-up for Kona, I
they gave us really competed in a half Ironman on September
made my race more 12. Halfway through the bike course, I lost
successful and more control and crashed. As a result, I was not
enjoyable overall. The only knocked unconscious, but I suffered a
friendships created concussion and terrible road rash, lost three
through the race teeth, cracked my tailbone and separated
were unbelievable. my left shoulder. I was determined to heal
I don’t think my the best I could because my previous efforts
experience would in Kona had been marred by some pretty
have been what untimely luck. In Kona, the adrenaline and
it was without my my competitive drive took over. Any lingering
teammates along the doubts disappeared when I did my first training
way. ride on the Queen K. The race was on, and
Joe: This event I decided to use my perceived disadvantage
consists of a 2.4- from the crash as the fuel for my fire during
mile swim ridden the race. It is a testament to just how powerful
with Pacific ocean your mind can be in overriding your body if
swells, a 112-mile you’re determined enough. Our team fared
bike ride through sun very well, and I am proud to be associated with
scorched, barren lava such dedicated and talented athletes.
fields and a 26.2-mile Tom: The atmosphere in Kona was unlike
run through the most anything I had experienced before, but
unforgiving heat interestingly there was a very relaxed and calm
and humidity most feeling about it. My plan was to “keep within
athletes will face. my comfort zone” and not necessarily “leave
The days before the it all out there” because my ultimate goal
race are full of pomp was to get to the finish line and experience
and circumstance; the entire race positively, instead of ending
practice swims with up on the side of the Queen K Highway,
boats serving Kona dehydrated and overheated. It was awesome
coffee off the bow, to see fellow GearGrinders out there on the
vendor villages with course. Sometimes we’d exchange words,
products to see and other times we could only muster up enough
test, a welcome energy to give a head-nod or a finger-point for
dinner and athlete acknowledgement. Everyone was pushing their
parade of nations. bodies to the limit and needed every ounce of
Did I mention energy to keep on moving forward as fast as
the underwear possible.
run? Wow, what a Want to read more? Visit
usatriathlon.org
spectacle Kona is for each athlete’s full story.
100 USA TriAThlon winter 10
USATTriwinter10pgs102-129.indd 100 12/9/09 4:06:51 PM
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