Member Spotlight

Thirty-five years ago, at 16 years old, Todd, “aka AirLytle, aka TLyt, aka T to the L” did his very first triathlon in Huntington Beach, California. As a strong cross-country runner, his coach, Bob Augello encouraged the kids to mix it up by cross-training, and triathlon became an excellent way to do it. For the race itself, he borrowed a Speedo swimsuit from his coach (which he wore inside out, of course), slicked back his mullet, and headed to the start line. He swam as fast as possible to get out of the mid-50-degree ocean then rode his bike that he just bought through classified ads in the newspaper, and the run was the run like it has always been for him and, as Todd was a fast runner, clocking his 5Ks out at around 17-minute pace, finished the race in 2nd in his 15-19 age group.

Todd, to this day, has fond memories of those days. “Mid-80’s was old school triathlon, i.e., no wetsuits, basic bike, duct tape on the pedals, New Balance 475’s, no headphones, no cell phones, no internet, no watches, no bike computers, and registration was by mail after you found a flyer at a local running store if you were lucky.” And today, although the bike has been upgraded and he has since used bike shoes with cleats rather than duct tape, still likes to train and race that way. Notably, although the mullet is gone, the Speedo is still around… :)

Through high school and college, Todd was a multi-sport athlete, i.e., cross-country, basketball, track – steeple chase, who was facing adversities and life’s challenges through working and training at a young age. He shared that “I like to pay tribute to my basketball roots at the finish of most triathlons where I dunk the finishing clock. In fact, at IronMan Arizona, in 2015, I actually tore it down a bit (videos don’t lie) en route to my fastest iron distance finish of 10:45”.

Through the years swimming, biking, and running were never far away because of his fond remembrances as a teenager of watching the first IronMan races on ABC Wide World of Sports and thinking “that is nuts – but maybe someday I will…nahhh” ☺ . Triathlon was always something he enjoyed and, between his college sports, it became something else to do whenever a race was available as he loved the cross-training. Over time, he found triathlon to be the one constant in life as it provided a mental (and physical) outlet to help balance out all the ups and downs of life. Todd raced for the love of the sport and continued to race whenever the opportunity presented. He wasn’t concerned with times or overall placement and took solace in racing without a watch for the sake of simply getting out to swim, bike, and run.

After a stint in the Air Force in ‘89, a summer working in a fish cannery in Alaska in ‘90, a year abroad studying Spanish in Mexico City in ‘95 (where he was on 3 basketball teams at once ) while earning a BA from Chico State in ‘96 ( 9 year program), and finally an MBA from Regis here in Denver in ‘02 the year his son Drew was born (Todd’s self-admitted greatest achievement), in ‘97, Todd moved to Colorado. Then, 10 years after moving to Colorado, he came across the Rocky Mountain Tri Club (RMTC) website and started going to swim and track practices. His son Drew was known for blowing the whistle at RMTC swim practices when Todd joined the club back in 2008 and Drew will be attending CU Boulder as a Freshman here in 2021. Todd said, “with the RMTC tri peeps, and especially, el comandante, Senor Carlito (Coach Charley), I found a welcoming, inviting, kindred spirit that led me to further embrace the ‘triathlon way’ and was honored to have held RMTC board positions twice so far, with the last as President in the most unprecedented times of all our lives, the lovely year of 2020.” He relishes giving back to the club and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Dude is not stopping.

Up until he joined RMTC, his longest triathlon was an Olympic distance, but, as he worked out with RMTC, discussions about racing IronMan circulated and in 2010, his fellow RMTC folks decided to get a group together to race St George. St George is a hard, hard course and Todd, admittedly, had no idea what he was getting into with that distance. After a freezing cold swim and a merciless, hilly bike course, he “died a slow death on the run” and took solace in learning that St George was one of the hardest iron distance courses ever put together (evidenced by the fact that St George IronMan no longer exists as no one would sign up for it!) Afterwards he came to the realization that if he can do that he can keep going and do more which led him to do the complete opposite of what he did and raced in Cozumel. Cozumel is crystal clear open water swim in the ocean over the reefs, flat bike course around the island a couple of times passing all the little tiki bars along the way, and a pleasant run around the city and northern part of the island. Despite great weather and a beautiful course, he decided to make it harder by mixing his milk-based drink the night before and consuming it after it sat in the hot sun while he swam and did the bike… :)

After Cozumel, he stayed with the iron distance and raced Pendicton (Canada) and Boulder. He enjoyed the training he did on his own to solve for how to prepare for and attack the distance. IronMan World Championships in Kona has always been in the back of his mind as every time he discussed triathlon with a non-racer who really doesn’t appreciate how difficult it is to get a slot to race there, would say “Oh. You do triathlons. Did you race in Hawaii?” There were moments when he felt if he had Kona under his belt, he could finally say when the question was asked, “You bet I did!”. Then, in 2012, they announced the IronMan Legacy program that allows for automatic entry into Kona after one completes 12 IronMan races and, in that, he saw the opportunity to finally race in Hawaii. So, 9 races later, he was able to get his Legacy slot and will be lining up on Digme beach on the second Saturday in October, 2021 (crossing fingers). Interestingly enough, as per timing of the race, he shared that, “I will be returning to Hawaii 35 years after my very first triathlon which was also the last time I was in Hawaii as I raised the money to go by myself via the largest house party of the school year in 1987 – Lytle’s Luau – by charging $3 per person for the 400 people that came. I would have made more, but decided that girls in bikinis were free.”

In closing, Todd shared that his motto for racing IronMan and life is the idea that you don’t have to “outfast, you simply need to outlast”. And, like the characters in his favorite movie, Breaking Away, he has always kept a positive attitude throughout the challenges life throws at you and kept moving forward. Kona will be, not just a victory lap for the time and effort he put in to get there but a victory lap for a successful achievement in life. After 35 years, arriving in Kona will definitely be a “blast to the past” initially, but then he is looking forward to finally completing the Kona race and moving into the future, for the next non-IronMan branded adventure, whatever that turns out to be. In his realist way, he is keenly aware that getting to Kona, through Legacy, has been much easier with the coaches and teammates that he has met on this club and all of our days of training together. As Todd put it, “I am forever grateful and look forward to continuing the fun with all of you for many years to come!”

Matthew grew up on Long Island and did his first triathlon, the Mini-Mightyman, when he was 17 years old. His background was that as a runner and, at Molloy College on Long Island, he ran Track (5K) and Cross Country while continuing to find a passion for multi-sport.

When asked about his most memorable triathlon experience, he shared that it was not a specific moment, but a period of time. In the summer of 2011, when he was 19, he had time and some extra money. After a weeklong training camp in Massachusetts, he decided to take the summer to travel around the US and compete in the USA Triathlon Draft-Legal Junior Elite series. He said it was an “awesome experience where I got to compete alongside future Olympians and even recall racing against Ben Kanute.”

Matthew moved to Colorado in June, 2019 and immediately joined RMTC as he felt that, “when moving to a new city, hooking up with a club is a great way to build a social life through meeting similarly minded folks. It doesn’t matter what city you live in, all you need to do is to look up a local athletic club and you will meet people.”

With RMTC, the first workouts he went to were the Track practices and immediately got introduced to altitude training and the effects the dry air has on the ability to stay hydrated. He hopped into a couple of races that summer thanks to the primary two Colorado triathlon race series, Without Limits and BBSC Endurance Sports, and immersed himself into the Colorado multi-sport lifestyle.

Matthew has tapped into the RMTC coaches for training him and relies heavily on the RMTC Sponsors. His Bike Shop is CAMPUS CYCLES, his run store is RUNNER’S ROOST, and he wears a ROKA wetsuit for swimming. He also has been getting massages at the HIGHLAND SPORT AND SPINE.

When asked what inspires him about the multisport lifestyle, he mentioned that he has been doing it so long that being an endurance athlete is all he knows. He thoroughly enjoys going out on the roads and testing his limits.

The Colorado Sprint Triathlon will be his first race this season with his eyes set on his first half distance at Ironman 70.3 Boulder in August. He is also thinking about going for a half-marathon PR in the fall.

Although his only triathlon in 2020 was the Lookout Mtn Tri in September 2020, he has been very consistent with his workouts thanks to RMTC. “As I was working from home the club workouts allowed me to get out of the house and was able to take advantage of all the training they were doing.” Then, once he got around to training on a consistent basis, he has been progressively getting back into shape. Throughout the winter, he swam at the JCC in Glendale where he has been able to get in 3 swims a week. For the bike, he has an old school trainer and has been spinning it out on a routine basis. For running, he has continued to explore the trails all around Colorado and is a big believer in “going somewhere new for all the long runs. With all the majesty and beauty of Colorado, no one should get stuck in their neighborhood going for the same long run over and over again. On weekends, you need to get out and just start running in new places.” Thanks to his exploratory mentality, he found his favorite run which goes around the Boulder Reservoir. “The run is awesome, and, besides the incredible view of the mountains, you never know when a professional or Olympian may come by on a training running run.” He also has come to love running the Highline Canal which takes you on crushed gravel and dirt with limited street crossings to run through neighborhoods with beautiful homes.

In closing, Matthew shared that he believes in the notion of Relentless Forward Motion, that is, the importance of keeping your body moving everyday and just doing something. If you are exhausted after a race or worn out from work and too tired to get your workout in, go for a walk and enjoy the journey along the way. Races then, regardless of the outcome, are a culmination of bringing it all together.

Heather grew up in Shanghai, China, then moved to San Diego for undergrad and got her post-graduate degree in School Psychology in Minnesota before settling in Colorado in August of 2019. She said that she “wanted to chase a different lifestyle” that involves the magic of the mountains and shared how much she “loves the endless opportunities to bike into the mountains and canyons”.

Her passion for triathlon began in 2017 in Minneapolis when she, after being talked into it by a casual triathlete friend, competed in the Lifetime Olympic Triathlon. Although she was a year-round athlete who, growing up, competed in volleyball, basketball, soccer, track/field, and ultimate frisbee; and, when she was in Minnesota ran with a local running club, she had no background in swimming or biking at all. Therefore, for her first triathlon, after borrowing a bike, her training, except for a couple open water swims, was scant. She “just sort of did it”. Being her first race, she wasn’t sure of what to expect, but after starting the swim, she felt very comfortable in the water and once “the competitive edge took over leading me to crush it” she ended up taking 3rd in her AG.

Afterwards, she thought to herself that if I train a little bit, I could get good at this. Her passion for triathlon is driven from the opportunity to train across the three disciplines which provides variety and a good balance to life. Her biggest hurdle was learning to ride a bike competitively, and, as luck would have it, her supervisor in grad school was a competitive cyclist and crit racer, and she taught her how to ride a bike. She also got very focused on minimizing time spent in transitions by treating it as a fourth discipline and worked to eliminate any potential time that could be lost due to poor planning. She joined the University of Minnesota Tri Club and had a great race season in 2018, taking 3rd in the Midwest Conference and was awarded Rookie of the Year by Minnesota TRI News.

She also shared one of her most memorable triathlon moments; i.e., taking first place overall in a local sprint race. Well, she thought she did. Only to find out that, as it was a rolling start, another woman who started all the way in the back of the line came across the finish line about 30 minutes after her and just eclipsing her win by a few seconds!

After moving to Colorado in August 2019, she immediately joined RMTC and began training with them by becoming a regular at the Track practices and winter rides. RMTC also introduced her to her favorite running route: the Highline Canal. That route, with the crushed gravel footfall and incredible views of horses and farms, has become her favorite place to go run. She was also able to take advantage of RMTC sponsor, CAMPUS CYCLES, who has been her go-to for gearing up.

She is currently readying for the Colorado Sprint Triathlon on June 5 with her big focus being her very first ultra-distance, which will be IronMan Wisconsin in September. Her last race was the Littlefoot Triathlon in September 2020, and since has found getting back into training to be challenging. Due to all the races being cancelled over the last year causing starts and stops in training and the bad weather we’ve had throughout March and April has left her unmotivated and she has been off to a slow start. Admittedly, she has been “struggling to get my mind around racing and staying on top of training. I am really hoping that Sprint Tri in June will relight the fire allowing me to get that mental shift I need to get into race mode”.

In closing, Heather shared a memorable experience which she feels really brings out the character of the triathlon community. She has learned over the years that even though it is an individual sport, everyone on the course is racing together. She has always been one to say something positive to folks on the course and hope her motivating statement will help someone who is having a bad day or entice someone to push a little harder to accomplish a goal. She shared how, in a Sprint race, she came out of Transition and after a bit was passed by some guy. She sped up a little to get on his feet and as she was thinking about how hard she was pushing to stay with him, she spat out, “don’t drop me”. She kept close to him and noticed that he must of heard her and wanted her to hang on as the guy kept looking over his shoulder to see if she was still there. That little motivation to keep pace and not let him down led to her holding pace and finishing with him. Although our goals are different, we are all teammates and are all racing together.

Jess is a Colorado native who grew up in Grand Junction and then moved to Denver in 2009. She is currently gearing up to compete at IronMan 70.3 St George. Jess, from the ages of 4-19, competed in gymnastics up through Level 10, which is the highest level in the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics program, and was at one time the tallest level 10 gymnast in the country. Once her gymnastics career ended, she found that she missed the structured training and the motivation that comes from working towards a goal, and thanks to a random flyer about a local triathlon, she found an opportunity to race in her very first sprint triathlon in 2006.

Both of her parents were swimmers and swim coaches, so she knew how to swim, but never did it competitively. Her Dad was a runner, so swimming and running were in her DNA, but she had no experience biking. Looking back, she remembered thinking about her first race and that “the 12 mile bike ride sounded really far!” But borrowed her brother’s mountain bike for the race and off she went!

After doing that race, she was “bit by the Tri Bug” and shortly thereafter, she moved to Denver. She immediately joined RMTC and went to their first workout the very next day. In RMTC, she met a bunch of awesome people and was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of them were training for various iron distance races. She always thought that the IronMan was something that only the professionals on TV did and had no idea how far the distance actually was. But she was inspired to learn more about it and meet people who were doing it, and she found a new goal to focus on.

In 2010, she signed up for the Boulder Race Series which was a Sprint, Olympic, and Half-Iron distance that occurred throughout the summer. Being that the longest event in gymnastics was only 90 seconds, it was inspiring for her to learn about endurance events and to learn how to push her body to complete different kinds of challenges. She also recalled a particularly inspiring memory of racing alongside a man who had his leg amputated below the knee; this reminded her of the IronMan motto that “anything is possible.” Completion of the 70.3 distance gave her the confidence to tackle her first full 140.6 distance race at Vineman the next year in 2011.

However, a couple of years later, Jess had a major physical setback and was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. But with a mindset of Relentless Forward Motion, she was eventually able to continue to train and race. See her IronMan Minute Story

This led to her most memorable triathlon moment which was at IronMan Arizona in 2016. Due to her health setbacks, her goal became to simply get to the start line. Throughout her training, she really learned to listen to her body. This meant that training started very gradually with slow walks around the park which eventually turned into running, then she gradually built up to swimming, biking, and running longer distances. It wasn’t until a couple of months before the race that she actually believed that racing and finishing was a possibility.

Though she thought just getting to the start line was a huge task, she was faced with multiple challenges both before and during the race. Two weeks prior to the race she got into a minor car accident, but it sent her neck into spasm. On the eve of the race, with her neck in spasm, she wasn’t sure what the day would bring, but she knew she was going to give it her best.

Race day came, and she survived the swim by breathing to one side only. However, the bike presented additional challenges as she ended up getting 5 flats in the first 12 miles! But with a lot of support and eventually a new wheel from the race support team, despite the first 12 miles taking almost 3 hours, she was able to finish the race. It was a long day, but she not only made it to the start line but the finish line as well. Though it wasn’t her fastest IronMan, it was by far the one she is most proud of.

Her most recent race was IronMan Chattanooga in 2019. And with races canceled last year, she spent last summer enjoying long road rides with friends in the beautiful Colorado mountains while tracking her progress with her new Power Meter from RMTC Friend POWER METER CITY.

This year she has gotten into a steady, consistent training plan and is looking forward to being able to race again. Her first race is IronMan 70.3 St George, where she’s excited to use her new ROKA wetsuit for that chilly swim.

Her parting words were to remind us all to find joy in the training process to remember your WHY.

Kevin Merlander moved from northern California to Colorado in early 2020 and joined RMTC as soon as he got here. He shared that RMTC was very welcoming to him as they immediately invited him to come to a Track workout, then, after, he started going to anything his calendar would permit. When Kevin was young, he swam on summer swim teams and was a big surfer, as he had easy access to the ocean, therefore has always been comfortable in the water. In high school, he developed a passion for running by playing skill positions on the football team and leveraging any running opportunity as a “mental outlet”, therefore, he would get out to run 3-to-4 times a week. After college, he started racing 10Ks and Half-Marathons, then he bought a road bike and got involved with various clubs, to include, a local tri-club, which motivated him to do a triathlon: the 2015 Napa HITS Olympic Distance Triathlon.

The first triathlon is always a memorable experience and his was as well. The swim was in, the beautiful, Lake Berryessa, in Napa, but problem was, it was in April… So the water was absolutely “hypothermia freezing” and further complicated with the fact that his rental wetsuit was oversized as he lost weight from the time he rented it until he actually raced. After getting out of the water, he made his way to the bike course which was fun, but challenging as he’d never raced bikes before; then, on the run, he started up and realized, due to his strong run background, he was passing people like crazy. After that race, he was hooked.

He shared that he “loved the variety of training you need to do for triathlon and the strategic thought that goes into attacking the race”. He went on to race 4 more races that year and continued into 2016, building up to Santa Cruz 70.3. Santa Cruz, to this day, is his favorite race and he has raced it several times since. He shared that he really loves the course. It is challenging and can be fast as it is really flat but can be windy as you go out and back on Highway 1 along coast so there is often crosswinds and headwinds to deal with one way or the other.

His most memorable tri experience was at IronMan Santa Rosa in 2018. He shared that, despite a cold, cold morning (which seems to be a theme for Kev…) that the race was on his birthday. He was very apprehensive on how his body would respond to 11+ hours of racing, but everything came together with a great swim and bike; and, despite concerns about not being able to run the whole marathon, he held it together and ran the whole thing. There is nothing like crossing the IronMan finish line for the first time!

Prepping for St George has been good. He is disciplined and good at following schedules and maintaining a consistent routine. He has been getting in 3 swims in a week, for the bike, he has been consistently getting shorter interval work in during the week and long rides in on weekend, and plenty of quality running. He shared that he has been investing a lot of time into getting his arms around nutrition. He has realized over time that nutrition is an aspect of the sport that, is often overlooked but, requires a lot of attention and something that folks should be considering early in their multisport journey. In managing nutrition, in addition to using RMTC sponsor, BASE SALT, he has been working closely with, RMTC sponsor, NOURISH2FLOURISH which is a nutrition, fitness, and wellness provider. Kevin shared, “I have been working with them on a meal plan and have learned a ton about nutrition and how your body is fueled and the importance of how to adjust what is going into it. Throughout, they have been providing all kinds of clever approaches and I have been experimenting with new ways of optimizing what I am putting in my body.”

His parting words were how excited he is to get back to racing. “The triathlon community has changed my life for the better. It helped me to maintain a healthy lifestyle, get outside, be active and be engaged. I am so looking forward when I get up to St George to take in all that positive energy that will be flowing all around me.”

Bob Spicer moved to Colorado from New York in 1983. Currently he is gearing up for the St George IronMan 70.3 and later in the summer Lake Placid IronMan 140.6. He began his triathlon career in 1989 at the St Croix, U.S.V.I. Half-IronMan event known as the “Beauty and the Beast”. St Croix is a ridiculously hard course made more heart-breaking as all the age group winners were awarded Kona Qualification slots, meaning, in addition to the course itself, it attracted some of the top amateur athletes in the world who were constantly flying by you as they vied for the KQ slots. The race itself starts with a beautiful ocean swim followed by a bike ride around the island. The Beast is a 0.7-mile climb that touches a grade at over 25 percent at its max. The climb breaks a lot of people as many folks are walking or “mail-manning” as they go up. Finally, the blazing hot run goes along the coast and winds through the golf course at the Buccaneer Hotel. It is a challenging course to say the least; therefore, it only makes sense that Bob then trained for 26 years in preparation for his next race; i.e., the 2015 LavaMan Olympic triathlon.

Bob played football and wrestled as kid; therefore, having no relevant background in any of the disciplines was an adult-onset swimmer, biker, and runner. In 2013, after losing nearly 50 pounds (down to 188 pounds), he started running marathons to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The LLS also had triathlon coaches available; so, he was enticed to race the LavaMan Olympic Tri in Hawaii in 2015. Bob wanted to make sure the course challenged him, so, in addition to little swim preparation and a “Johnny Weissmuller” swim-style (head out of the water and no goggles), he bought a used Women’s Bike from a friend and off he went. Despite an overall pretty miserable day which included missing a turn on the run course and needing to DQ, he got bit by the tri bug. He found the training and racing helped him break-away from the stresses of life and used it to balance his mental sanity. Shortly thereafter, he joined RMTC and began racing triathlons of all distances.

Bob’s favorite race was IronMan Arizona in 2016. He shared how much he enjoyed the training and the race itself. He shared that, in preparation, Bob rode his first Triple Bypass to test his fitness and readiness. “I was in great shape for that epic ride and I absolutely nailed the Triple Bypass. It ended about being that huge boost in confidence I needed as I now knew that riding the flat 112 miles at IronMan AZ after the 120 mile, 10K’ elevation gain Triple Bypass would be a piece of cake.”

At IronMan AZ itself, Bob had a very funny story. Bob was convinced by a former coach that training with Slim Jim’s was a good idea. So, at his first full IronMan in Tempe, AZ he decided that eating a Slim Jim during the halfway mark on the swim was a great idea. He slipped two unwrapped Slim Jim’s into his wetsuit sleeve and off he went. He consumed one; but, forgot about the other until he got out of the water and the wetsuit peeler was stripping off his wetsuit. As she pulled on his wetsuit, the remaining Slim Jim, by now, a different color and swollen with water, went flying up in the air and landed at their feet. They both looked down at it; then, locked eyes momentarily as she had a completely bewildered look. What do you say? Bob said, “Um. You can have it.” Then, ran off. ?

Finally, he shared his experience when he crossed the finish line. There is nothing equal to the feeling you get when you finish your first IronMan. And, for Bob, it brought a tear to his eye as he recalled all the work and effort he put in while he ran down that finisher chute.

Since 2015, Bob has raced in multiple triathlons at all distances with his last race being the RMTC Club 70.3 race held last summer. As he readies for St George 70.3 and Lake Placid 140.6 despite working through a posterior tibial tendonitis injury, he has been building his bike capability by spending quality time on the Trainer, leveraging TrainerRoad. Bob is a regular at RMTC track, weekend Rides and Gravel Pond. Bob shared that the RMTC sponsors have been a big help as well as he recently placed a big order for BASE SALT, has found the Hyper Volt percussion massage tool by HYPERICE to be a key contributor to recovery which he described as a “Foam Roller on Steroids”, has tapped into REBOUND for his ongoing rehab on the surgery he’s had on his foot, and tapped into both XTERRA and ROKA for wetsuits and ROKA for their bike glasses. Finally, he shared that one of the best things he has done is to tap into the RMTC Coaches. He shared how great it was to have someone to talk with to help you along your journey has been invaluable, especially as he has gotten older (he is now 61).

In closing, Bob shared that over time, triathlon taught him how to keep his life in balance through dedication and disciplined training. He shared that as he has gotten older, you have to realize that you are no longer going to throw-up super-fast times, but, you will have great days. If you really are not up for a given workout, take the day-off. If your body is telling you to take a break. Take a break! He then summed it up with the powerful statement — Be kind to yourself.

Josh Southern has lived in Colorado his whole life and joined RMTC a few years ago. Josh had the opportunity to race a couple triathlons in the fall of 2020; i.e., Littlefoot Sprint Triathlon in Lakewood and Lookout Mountain Triathlon in Golden; and, since, has been able to step into a few short running races. His first major race this season will be the Beat-the-Heat Half-Marathon in Arvada on April 17.

Getting back to racing after last year, has been a challenge for us all; but, what is more interesting about Josh Southern’s upcoming half-marathon (Beat-the-Heat in Arvada) is that he has never run that distance before (outside of a couple 70.3 races, including the RMTC 70.3 last September). Therefore, he has been working with the RMTC coaches to gradually build-up mileage and intensity through a lot of tempo efforts and long runs with intermittent bursts. Overtime, he has seen his endurance and confidence building and is focusing on a sub-7:00 pace for the upcoming race.

By background, Josh was a Track sprinter in high school; he got into triathlon in his late 30s, because, as he said, “I work from home and found that I was getting really sedentary, and a bit depressed, just sitting at a computer all day, every day. I wasn’t really active at all for almost 15 years, other than walking from my home office to the kitchen. Triathlon was something I always wanted to do, so I decided to give it a shot. Training has given me something to get me up and out of the house and has provided me a deep sense of purpose and accomplishment.”

Josh had zero swimming background when he started. None. So, as an adult-onset swimmer, he learned to swim by watching internet videos and got some help from his wife, who swam in high school. Josh shared that he worked hard at it but found that after swimming he was having these awful headaches and sometimes losing his vision for around 30 minutes. After a few visits to the doctor who could not find anything wrong, his wife noticed that he was breathing only through his nose when swimming… Yep. That would be a problem… ?

For his first race ever, the Colorado Sprint Tri in late May 2015, he racked the road bike he had borrowed from his Dad and wandered down to the water. As everyone knows, that first Open Water swim is pretty intense. Josh’s goal was simply to finish, so he took his time. He waited 30 seconds after the gun went off to have some open space to himself, then just swam from kayak to kayak and rested at each. Needless to say, the swim took awhile; but, fortunately, his strategy paid off as he could easily find his bike in Transition when he got out of the water. ? The bike went OK, but he struggled with massive cramping on the 5K run, and barely limped to the finish. Although it was a tough first race, Josh enjoyed the daily training regimen in the months leading up to the race so much that he immediately started planning how to progress in the sport – he was bitten by the tri bug.

He spent the rest of that first summer simply focusing on being able to comfortably swim in open water by swimming at Grant Ranch almost every weekend. The following summer, he participated in 5 races, building up to his first 70.3, the Harvest Moon, in September 2016. Two years ago, Josh joined RMTC, primarily to meet new people to train with and progress in the sport through the coaching and structured workouts provided; i.e., Track Runs, Weekend Rides, and Group Swims , that have really helped him enhance his capabilities. He also raved about the RMTC sponsor, SWIM LABS, where he has spent a lot of time improving his swim technique and loves his RMTC sponsor ROKA wetsuit.

When asked about his most memorable multisport moment, he shared that it was at the 2019 Barkin’ Dog Duathlon where, after the race, he walked over to get his time and found that he placed 2nd in his age group! Absolutely shocked at getting on the podium for the first time, he paused, smiled, and felt a deep sense of accomplishment. He had come a long way from barely limping across that first finish line in 2015!

Josh loves racing, and since he’s gotten into the tri lifestyle, he has done a bunch of Sprints and Olympics and a couple of 70.3s, along with lots of running races, bike races (including cyclocross), and even a few open water swim races. His priority race this year will be USA Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee in August, and is excited about the opportunities in front of him.

Christine Kachinsky-Bye, who recently moved to Golden from NJ, joined RMTC in December, 2020 and will be racing in IronMan 70.3 Florida on April 18. It has been awhile since she has pushed her mind and body, especially her reconstructed knee following a skiing accident a few years ago, as her last triathlon was the 2019 IronMan 70.3 World Championships in Nice, France.

Christine Kachinsky-Bye started racing triathlon in 2000; but, got serious about racing in 2010. When asked what changed, she said, “After giving birth to my son in 2008, I found that pain on the race course was much more bearable, so becoming a mom must’ve improved my ability to endure pain and suffering, and I also got faster as I was anxious to get to the finish line ASAP to give him a big hug!” Since that time, her pursuit of podium spots and entries into World Championship events became relentless, leading to five trips to Kona, seven 70.3 World Championships, and two ITU World Championships.

When asked about her most memorably triathlon racing experience, she shared, “In 2013, I was racing in Kona and having a great day. At mile 23 of the run on the Queen K, heading back to town, which is a lonely stretch of road, out of nowhere, I saw my husband running towards me yelling something and pointing down the road. As I was delirious, I wasn’t even sure if he was real, and couldn’t make anything out other than, “Her! You HAVE to catch HER!” Despite my mind and body shouting at me that it had given me all it had, I burst into a full sprint up the final climb on the Queen K, screamed down Palani at something like a 6:30/minute mile, and crossed the finish line on Ali’i Drive in 5th place in my Age Group. Fighting for that podium spot in Kona was an almost “out of body” experience and such a great reward for the hard work I put into training over so many years.”

Regarding her upcoming race in Florida, she shared that, “I raced Florida several times and would love to see the podium and to qualify for 70.3 Worlds in St. George, which sounds like an amazing race venue! As a result of my knee recovery and the pandemic, providing me a much needed break from intense training and racing, I have been very conscious about how my body will adapt to training again and how it will handle the stress and volume of the day. I have been fighting the urge to ramp up very quickly as I have found that to be a recipe for early season injury, so I have been working with my coach to slowly and methodically ramp up volume and intensity. I am also super grateful that I found RMTC as I have always found the camaraderie to be so motivating and enjoyed building friendships with like-minded souls. This group has been so welcoming and nice and I have felt both welcomed and challenged during some solid, structured swims and group rides. I did find out that they flattened the run course in Florida a bit, so sadly I won’t be able to leverage all this time I have been running up the sides of mountains to get ready!”

As per RMTC sponsors, she shared that she has been using BASE SALT for years and will be doing so to combat the heat and humidity in Florida, will pack her XTERRA Swim Skin for some help on the crazy M-shaped swim course, and is looking forward to, once summer rolls around, to taking advantage of GREEN SKY MASSAGE.

In closing she shared that more than anything, she is grateful to be a Mom, Athlete, and Professional, finding that this work/life integration model gives her positive energy to bring her best self everyday. Triathlon has taught her resilience as well as the importance of never going it alone – success in sport and in life occurs only by surrounding herself with great people and teams and when that happens, the impossible becomes possible!