Athelets of endurance

  • Published
  • By Cindy Holbrook
  • Skywrighter Staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  They have been training all year long, and now it's time to see if their hard work pays off.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has a Varsity Triathlon Team that consists of 12 members.

Recruiting for the team started in December 2012 and finished with the team selection in February. The team was started by head coach Lt. Col. Frank Schreiber in November 2012 with the application for private organization status and has five official races scheduled.

"I was reassigned last summer from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio where I was the JBSA Varsity Triathlon head coach," said Colonel Schreiber, commander, Signals Analysis Squadron, National Air and Space Intelligence Center at WPAFB.  "Since we didn't have a team at WPAFB, I decided to start one here. The bottom line is to provide an opportunity for individuals to learn about the sport and continue advancing their skills with the ultimate goal of working to earn eligibility for the World Class Athlete Program. Some of our athletes are so motivated they will go on to participate in other races outside the team. One member has 10 scheduled this year. If there are others out there who we missed during recruiting, we will continue recruiting throughout 2013 for the 2014 team."

Selectees must be an active USA Triathlon member, remain competitive in triathlons throughout the year, continue to progress toward accomplishing pre-approved individual training goals and display the appearance and bearing necessary to properly represent the Air Force in a public competitive environment.

Triathlons are multiple-stage competitions that include the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines in swimming, cycling and running and in immediate succession over various distances. Triathletes compete for the fastest overall course completion times.

Training is ongoing throughout the year, including the winter session. Each athlete develops an annual/seasonal training plan based on what is considered to be his or her most challenging race(s) and then builds weekly training around that plan.

"Training consists of swimming, biking and running in preparation for various race distances (Sprint, Olympic, Half-Iron, Iron Man), depending upon the capability and preference of the athlete," Colonel Schreiber said. "Training also consists of 'bricks' where athletes combine training disciplines in one session -- for example swim 1,000 meters, bike 35 kilometers, run 10 kilometers and so on. Each athlete conducts their own training sessions under the guidance of discipline coaches (if needed). We use video recording to analyze technique, including underwater video for swimming. We will conduct self-assessments at designated distances to monitor performance throughout the year and from year-to-year. This team consists of a mix of beginners with no race experience through advanced."

In addition to Colonel Schreiber, the team includes Kyle Clarkson, Amanda Conti, Craig Davis, 2nd Lt. Daniel Lanzo, 1st Lt. Erich Mehnert, Maj. Joshua Stierwalt and Wayne Ulman of NASIC; Tech. Sgt. Hernan Garcia-Escobar and Maj. Brian Hasbrouck of Air Force Materiel Command; and 1st Lt. Craig Gustafson and 2nd Lt. Nathan Robinson of Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.

Mr. Davis originally started competing in triathlons for the exercise and to lose weight.

"I started out just doing more on the bike, then I got bit by the bug," he said, referring to triathlons. "I lost 50 pounds last year. I did an Olympic race and some half marathon distances. I really enjoy doing them. I have been maintaining a training program through the winter and trying to improve on my skills and efficiency. My goal is to improve my skills and times."

Ms. Conti took off last summer to have a baby and so she is looking forward to competing again.

"This is my third season and I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things," she said. "I plan to do some sprint and Olympic races."

According to Colonel Schreiber, another team goal is to promote recruitment and retention.

"One of the race directors wanted to know if we wanted to participate in a military division in a friendly joint service competition," he said. "I reached out to the Senior Joint Service representatives on base to determine if there was any interest among their service personnel for such an event. I received a positive response from the Navy and we will compete together in the Cincinnati Triathlon on July 21. This is a great opportunity for our community to see a representative cross-section of our services participating in a healthy and fun activity."

Other official team races scheduled in Ohio include the Miami University Student Foundation Triathlon in Oxford, April 20; the Zoom Triathlons at Caesar Creek Lake in Waynesville on June 16 and Aug. 4; the Giant Eagle Triathlon in Columbus on July 28, and the Great Buckeye Triathlon in Springfield on Sept. 1.

Triathletes can choose between several endurance races, including the sprint distance consisting of a 750-meter swim, a 12-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run. The Olympic competition distances are a 1.5-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run. The long course or the half-ironman competition consists of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run. The ultra distance or the full Ironman competition features a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon run of 26.2 miles.

The team also is partnering with the base Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) and plans to dedicate their season to increasing awareness of sexual assault prevention and response.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month throughout the Department of Defense, but the team will continue to distribute materials about and advocate sexual assault awareness at every race through the end of the season that runs through October.
 
They plan to wear the teal ribbon on their triathlon suits at each event.