The Twilight 5k

What happens when you mix Red Licorice Events with the break out block buster movie series of the decade?

Twilight 5K - June 26th Hill Country Galleria 7pm.

Register @ www.redlicoriceevents.com

Red Licorice Events hits the gulf coast by storm!

April 24^th was a huge day for Texans and racing! Red Licorice Events Brand Ambassadors went to the Lonestar Triathlon and left its mark on the Sprint, Olympic and 70.3 Half Ironman distance races. Check out these results!

Sprint Distance

3^rd place Male AG 35-39 Jake North – our official photographer…great behind the lens wicked fast without it!

Olympic Distance

3^rd place Female AG 30-34 Lindsay Holtkamp – Brand Ambassador

70.3 Half Ironman

3^rd Place AG 25-29 Natasha VanDe Mewre – Brand Ambassador

5^th Place AG 25- 29 Carla Uribe – Brand Ambassador

83^rd Place AG 30-35 Christine Kempff – Brand Ambassador

22^nd Place AG 30-35 David Garza – Brand Ambassador

I am sure I am missing a few, but we are proud of our team and all fans/friends of Red Licorice for having a great race out at the Lonestar!

Adrian Barrons Xterra Race Report

Xterra Muleshoe 4/18/10

800m (swim)/14 mi. (bike)/ 4mi. (run)

The first Xterra race for the South Central Region is in the books. I for one am glad this one is “out of the way” so to speak. Personally I am not a fan of these distances and to be honest I just don’t like going that hard for that long. It is simply tough. I like pacing.

I have no times for this one to report as I just can’t see the point in trying to monitor that aspect of this distance of race. These are just all or nothing. The feel good numbers are 3^rd overall and 1^st in age group.

The swim was a quick out back run in/mass start. The water was quite comfortable and I was glad to have the short sleeves with me. Since the first buoy was the farthest from shore the start was very clean and traffic free as well as the first turn buoy.

The bike was a two loop course on a relatively flat and fast course with a few technical sections. Since I am not one of the “fast swimmers” I depend on the bike to chase down the leaders. I did what I could and simply never closed the gap to more than 3 minutes to the leaders who were within a minute or so of each other at the finish. I know both guys that finished 1 and 2 well and simply don’t have the speed that either of them has.

The run now is worth discussing. Though only 4 or so miles my hat comes off to Race Director Mike Carter, for only Mr. Carter can find the most off camber, loose rock, twisty and turny trails to be had. If he’s not happy with what the local park has offer he simply makes his own. Only Mike can find a 100 year old Oak tree that has an exposed root system due to years of erosion that spans 25 feet long right on the river bank. Imagine running through a spaghetti bowl with noodles that want to do nothing more than break your ankle. Oh, and Jake North was right across the cove to capture on film the manliest of men tip toe and bailey style run through this section.

This will be a short report as their simply wasn’t a lot of time out on the course. Up next in 2 weeks is the Xterra Epic in LA. This one we have been training and waiting for.

Thanks go out to Coaches Brandon and Amy Marsh, Red Licorice Events and Performance Bikes for their never ending support.

Finally, for those of you still on the fence about an Xterra race I strongly encourage you to come and see what the other side of triathlon is like, you won’t regret it.

Did Not Go According to Plan & Yet Totally Inspiring

Buffy’s Race Report: Champions Olympic Triathlon, March 27^th

Ummm…yeah, this one didn’t go so well for me. I crashed and burned. I finished in dead last place. I wanted to quit and I wanted to cheat (could have skipped a lap in the bike or the run), but I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself in either scenario so I sucked it up and plowed on. I would like to say here that I think that quitting is a perfectly acceptable option if your health and well-being depend on it. Mine did not during this race, so I kept on.

The morning started out really well. I woke up on time (I fear oversleeping prior to races). I got to the race with no problems (I didn’t know exactly where I was going and I’m directionally challenged). I felt good. I got into transition and got all set up with plenty of time to spare. I walked around chatting with all my RLE Brand Ambassador buddies and just sort of settled into the morning. I had recently purchased my wetsuit and had only been swimming in it once, but I loved it. Swimming just felt so much easier in it, so I felt pretty confident before the swim.

The swim started and I plunged in to the water. This was when I made my first and most detrimental mistake. I stuck my face in the water and it took my breath away since it was so cold. I should have just kept putting my face in that water and swimming a few strokes until I relaxed. This happened when I tested my wetsuit out at Barton Springs, and after a few strokes, I was just fine. I didn’t do that though. I guess I just didn’t keep my head about me. I ended up trying to swim with my face out of the water, which just doesn’t work. Then I was swimming breaststroke, which is tremendously difficult in a wetsuit. I hadn’t been practicing my breaststroke either, so I was exhausted about half way through that swim. If you are one of the two ladies who were out there in kayaks for swimmer assistance, I would like to thank you – a lot (particularly if you are the lovely kayak lady who essentially paddled next to me and gave me pep talks when I rested on her kayak). If you are reading this, kayak lady, know that I will never forget all that you did for me that day.

The swim leaves me wondering if I was really that unprepared for that distance swim. I actually don’t think so – I think I could have made it with no kayak-rest-assistance and much, much faster had I just stuck my face in the darn water and swam freestyle like I was supposed to.

I finally manage to get out of the water (thank you to the volunteers who stood in that freezing water to help pull us all out). It was super easy to find my bike in transition since mine was the only one left in there! I actually had a relatively good transition time, for me. I’m usually slow in transition. What I should have taken the time to do was put on sunscreen, but I was so eager to get moving, I didn’t. I am very, very pale so that was a very, very bad idea.

I started out on the bike and actually felt like I was moving along fairly well. My spirits started to lift a bit. That only lasted about 10 or 15 minutes. The wind picked up, and I swear that every time I was riding into the wind, I was going uphill also. I know that isn’t actually true. I’m sure most of my trouble was my exhaustion from the swim. I forced my way through my first lap, thought about stopping after one lap, changed my mind, and moved on to my second lap. I didn’t see a single other cyclist during my second lap so I knew I was still in last place. My biggest fear at that point (and for the rest of the race) was that they were going to close down the course before I could finish. I just wanted to finish. That is all I wanted. I managed to get through the second lap and dismount without crashing. I really fear falling over when I dismount as that happened to me the first time I ever rode my bike. Actually, after my second lap I was so beat and ready to be off my bike, I didn’t really care if I fell over. I figured that I would be moving slow enough to not really injure myself, and there were enough volunteers around that someone would probably help me up!

I was a bit slower in my second transition than my first, but still not awful considering how the rest of my race was going. I applied sunscreen here, but I think the majority of that damage was already done. I was really happy that it was time to run. The run is my part of the triathlon. I love running. In every triathlon I’ve ever done I start the run and there is a feeling of comfort that washes over me as I realize that I’m in my element and the rest of the race is good to go – nothing left to worry about. I started my run and that feeling started to wash over me…and then I started to feel nauseous. I stopped to walk a few steps and then tried to run again. Still no good. It went like that for the rest of the race. Halfway through the first lap I knew that I’d be walking the majority of the run portion. This probably is the most disappointing part of it for me. I’ve never had to walk the run portion of a triathlon before.

Mentally it was super hard for me at the end of the first lap/start of the second. At the end of the first lap, most people thought I was finishing my second lap. I kept letting everyone know that I wasn’t finished. Sandy – if you are reading this, thanks so much for the hug at that point. I needed that. The start of the second lap was also on many participants’ way back to their vehicles. So, as I was walking/shuffling with my chip and race number still on, most people on the trail were headed back to their cars, their races long finished. I did my best to keep my head up and continue on. I got almost to the end of the run and Adam (another RLE Brand Ambassador) ran out to meet me and shuffle in with me. Adam, if you happen to read this, thanks so much for that. It was nice to have someone with me at that point. And then it was over. Jake North was still there to take my photos, which makes me laugh. I think I might buy one just to remind myself that all tough times come to an end.

I know this has sounded like an awful, awful race. For me, it wasn’t pretty. It was downright ugly. But as a race, it actually was a good race. I didn’t have a good race, but the race itself was great. Everything went smoothly before the race started. The venue was nice. The port-a-potties were clean and had toilet paper. The kayak ladies were my salvation. The volunteers were so supportive when helping me out of the water. I got nothing but smiles from volunteers on the bike course. The SAG wagon checked on me on the bike course, but let me finish. The volunteers at the water stops on the run had water in hand for me when I passed them. I had a buddy run me in and all the RLE people cheered for me when I finished. If you are going to finish a race in last place, then a RLE race is one to do that in! Big thanks also to Terri, Eli, Joey, Ron, Leilani, and Michele for checking on me after the race to make sure I was okay. I am also 100% sure that some of my other RLE buddies checked up on me and I am forgetting to say thanks to them here – please forgive me for that (I was really tired and sunburned and sort of out of it at that point!). Thanks as well to Carol for the lovely email of encouragement that you sent me after the race – I really appreciate that!

Some things I’ve learned:

1. I need to practice my nutrition for this race distance/type more. I know that part of my crashing and burning was that I didn’t properly feed myself. I also probably didn’t properly hydrate.
2. Sunscreen is of the utmost importance for me. I’ve thought about posting photos of the sunburn on the backs of my shoulders, but it is so bad that no one really wants to see that.
3. Finishing in last place is not the end of the world. It is just one race. It comes. It goes.
4. Margaritas really help if you’re feeling sorry for yourself about finishing a race in last place.

Meet Adrian Barron

I am Adrian Barron, other wise known as the “Little Loud One” for those that know me and for obvious reasons. I am Austin born and Texas Bred, though I have lived outside Texas in the past for work.

I’m a lover of the outdoors and being active and living today for a better tomorrow. My life is shared with good people and 3 of the best dogs you’ll ever know.

I have been a mountain bike racer for many years. In 2003 I sustained a work related injury that landed me in a wheel chair for 9 months. After 2yrs of rehabilitation and slowly getting back into mountain bike racing I began wanting more and triathlon began to take hold. Triathlon just seems to draw we type “A’s” doesn’t it! Xterra was my obvious drug of choice and have been very blessed with a good coach (Brandon Marsh) to see me through some very good successful years.

Xterra is not all I race and I enjoy road tri’s and running events as well and of course the winter mountain bike racing.

We are all blessed in many different ways and should live life to its fullest. Not only should we work on our own life’s, but we should do what we can for others as well. Life is way to short waste.

Here are a few of my mantra’s that get me through my races and training days:

“Somebody else is doing this faster”
“I can do anything for 00:00:00) (you can fill in the time for the event)
“Pain/discomfort is temporary….quitting is forever”
“I wonder what my dogs are doing right now”
“Beer”
“Dad would be so proud”

See you all at the races!

The Good, The Bad & the Weedy

It’s that time of year to leave the warmth, comfort, and predictability of our swimming pools and think about venturing back out into the open waters of lakes and rivers. I always get an onslaught of questions from athletes who are a bit worried when it comes to open water swimming (OWS). Here are some most frequently asked questions and my responses.

Q) Why can’t I just keep swimming in a pool?

A) If all the races you plan to do are going to be in a pool, then keep training in a pool. But keep in mind that OWS provides opportunities to become a stronger and more well rounded swimmer.

Q) I can’t see the bottom and that freaks me out. What do I do?

A) Swim along the shore or in a protected cove. If you start to panic, just stand up.

Q) What if I am not near shore and I start to panic?

A) Look up and find the closest route to shore. Then while you swim in that direction, occupy your mind by counting strokes. When you get to 25, start over and count again.

Q) What about snakes?

A) Snakes are not sitting around waiting to attack. They don’t like us as much as we don’t like them. All the splashing and water motion you create while swimming is enough to send them the message that you are coming and they will move out of the way.

Q) What if I get tangled up in weeds?

A) Scout out an OWS area beforehand for weeds and look for ways to avoid the weedy patches. If you find yourself in the middle of a weed field, you can always do a shallow breaststroke while you maneuver yourself into open water.

Q) Can I swim alone?

A) You can, BUT I do NOT recommend it. Always swim with at least one other person and make sure you keep an eye on each other.

Q) Can I get a workout in while swimming in a lake?

A) Yes. Practice fast swim starts or add intervals to your swim set (50 strokes fast, 25 strokes recovery or swim buoy to buoy alternating fast/easy). Plus the extra resistance from the waves will help strengthen your overall stroke.

Q) Do I need a wetsuit?

A) No. But if you don’t like cold water or are not used to it, a wetsuit can certainly provide extra warmth, not to mention extra buoyancy and a layer of protection from weeds, etc.

Q) What are the benefits of OWS?

A) OWS allows you to practice things that can’t be done well or at all in a pool, such as: sighting, navigation, swimming in choppy water, swimming in currents, learning and utilizing bilateral breathing based on the sun and wave direction. Plus it builds your overall swim confidence.

There are many more questions around OWS but the bottom line is to grab a buddy and just do it. The benefits are huge and you will become a better, more skilled swimmer. Plus if you can get comfortable in open water, it makes race day that much easier.

Article by Susan Farago, M.Ed., USAT L1, USAC L2, NFPT Sports Nutrition. Susan is a multisport coach, athlete, and freelance health and fitness writer in Austin, Texas. She can be reached at coach@susanfarago.com or at www.susanfarago.com.© 2010. Check out her Red Licorice Tweets, “Susan Says”, at http://twitter.com/Red_Licorice.

Amie Holland's Champions Oly Du Race Report.

Champions Olympic Du

Saturday March 27, 2010

Distances: 5K Run, 40k Bike, 5K Run

Pre Race Thoughts:

So first of all I have to start out by saying I have NEVER done a du before in my life. I was originally signed up for the Olympic distance Tri, but was seriously freaked out about how cold the water temps were. I know what you are thinking…what a baby…but truly I get cold so easily and I didn’t want people to have to bail me out of the water because I got hypothermia!

So two days before the race, I switched my bib to the du!

I went into the race without tapering. Shawn had said…this is not a race for you, but more of a benchmark at where you are at currently. I have had a rough few month with getting sick with a virus in January and then two weeks later getting hit hard by Strep Throat, so my training was very very low for me. (Most of you would agree I probably needed the rest anyway…so I won’t complain…MUCH!).

Race Day:

Woke up and had my usual pre race meal, English muffin and peanut butter. YUM! Mixed up my Carbo Pro and Gatorade, (yes…I still use Gatorade…unless I can find Pure Sport or some other company to sponsor me…I will stick to old school style Gatorade!)

Placed all stickers and bibs were they were to go and packed up my tri bag and post race bag.

Up until the race it was pretty uneventful. I was VERY glad tho that I had chosen to do the duathlon instead of swimming. It was pretty cold in the morning and the wind was crazy. (I really didn’t know how crazy the wind was until I headed out on the bike…but more on that later.)

Race Start, First 5k

So everyone had said. Duathlons hurt worse than triathlons. Go out conservative on your first 5K….so that is what I did. I passed a couple of girls and then one girl passed me. I am not going to lie…I hate the 5K distance…it just hurts. So as I was running all I could think about was getting on the bike…I can’t believe that crossed my mind especially since I am a true runner at heart! I finished the first 5K keeping a solid 7:30 pace. Not too terribly hard for a flat course, but I knew I was working.

And then the Bike…

I had been riding a lot lately and thought… 25 miles…no big deal. Well…I was so wrong. The wind was brutal!! WOW…but I was like…what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. The first loop…was uneventful. I was taking note in my head about the course so I knew what to expect the second time around. I kept looking at my watch and the time…wondering…why it is taking me so freaking long. I never saw many people on the first loop. Just a few guys would come whizzing past but no girls…so I felt safe!! There was one hill toward the last few miles of the loop that was killer. Straight up hill into the wind. I surely took good note on that one…EEK!

Alright…now onto the second loop!! Going by the transition area was great! The wind was at my back and I could build speed for at least a couple of miles before turning back out into the wind! I saw some of my friends and they were so great!! Yelling and screaming “Go Amie!!” I thought …YES!! Just one more loop and I could run again.” The second loop didn’t seem as bad. Maybe because I knew what to expect! I remember this one guy finally caught up to me. He was on a pink and purple bike. We kept going back and forth and back and forth, him passing me and me him. He looks over at me and says “I guess we are going to dance the whole way!” I couldn’t help but think..I am way stronger than any guy on a pink bike…I am outta here…I took off leaving him behind..and never saw him again! YIPPEE!!

I came around the very last part of the course…there was the hill…not as bad as the first loop, so up I went and quickly headed back to the transition area… ready to run!

…And the Last 5K

Why did I want to run again…OUCH…my legs are fried!! The first ½ mile was just trying to get my legs back under me! I see the first water stop and I grab some water. A bit after that my friend George comes up behind me and starts pushing on my back saying “Thought you were faster than this!” UGH…thanks George! J

The last half mile or so I cramped a bit in my side. I am not sure what it was from, but it did stop me twice, but was able to start again really quickly and it eventually subsided. I finished strong…and felt GREAT at the end! Average run pace for the last 5K 8:30. I had slowed by a minute, but knew it would be slower due to tired legs and cramping!

After Race Thoughts:

I was happy to be done and it was great to have so many of my friends out there to cheer me on. Talie and Hank get extra thanks!!!! I waited a bit for the results. I think that Hank was WAY more excited to see how I did. Ended up 3^rd overall female in the Du! Not bad for a training race!! All and all I was super happy and had a blast .

Thank you again to the Red Licorice crew for putting on an amazing race and being so supportive to those of us who race!!