VINEMAN EVENTS

2012-02-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

In our attempts to have a bit more consistent content on our blog we are including some articles written by Vineman lead race announcer and endurance coach Dave Latourette. (above with pro triathlete Craig Alexander) Dave has a long history of coaching and racing triathlon. Dave is also the creator of the Vineman Triathlon training plans and finished 2nd overall at the 2001 Full Vineman and posted the fastest run split. The below article was originally posted on www.endurance.com.

“Back Half Strength”

Limiters or “limiting” can be scary words as they reference something we may not be good at. The reality is, if we want to improve, we have to face that fear of what we aren’t good at -- or simply need to improve at -- and find a way to change it. One area I find lacking in most of the athletes new to me or that I continue to work on with developing athletes is what I call “back half race strength.” That may mean different things to different athletes; for most it means maintaining pace/power from the first half of the race over to the final half of the race (and even within each race discipline). This especially holds true over the last half of the run where it’s easy for a race to go wayward very quickly. While many of the other columnists here have addressed specific limiters within each swim, bike, or run discipline, I would like to address how we can work on our back half strength on a daily basis.

Though the back half of our races is obviously dictated by our fitness it can often be our mind, ego, toughness, or just reality that sabotages the end of those events. (Yes, nutrition plays an important role too, but we need to assume for this article that you have a good grasp of that.) The largest component of getting this right is being realistic and confident about our abilities so we can be tough at the end. Without racing frequently, how do we practice “getting it right?”

-Daily: No matter what your session is -- swim, bike, or run -- structure the workout so that the session or main set begins in such a way that you feel strongest over the second half without “pace fade” or a drop in power. Keep doing this day after day until you get it right, and then stick with it.

-Weekly: It’s not uncommon to see a pattern of athletes being real good Monday through Wednesday, struggle a bit on Thursday, re-group Friday for a strong Saturday which is then followed by a lackluster Sunday. When you see patterns like that, be honest with what you can handle over a week so that you structure yourself and your fueling to be steady over the entire week.

-Training Blocks: No matter what your training cycles are (10 days, two weeks, 17 days, etc.) be reasonable about what you can handle so the last few days aren’t a death march just to get through it. Don’t create a pattern that forces a “recovery” period before you want it.

-Season: When the dust settles the most important period of training before your peak or key event is the final eight to 13 weeks. If you can’t be strong for at least the last eight weeks leading into your target race, you’re missing the sessions that most highly influence your race day performance. Much of this takes time, confidence and experience to learn. But do your best on a daily, weekly, and training cycle basis to give yourself a chance to be great at the end. If you are honest about your fitness and you can train back half pacing frequently, you’ll have the confidence to race it and not be affected by outside influences that might force you to do just the opposite. Be strong at the end!

Dave Latourette is a full time triathlon coach living in Santa Rosa, California and works with athletes from newcomer to elite. His top athletes have won USAT Age Group National Championships and raced in World Championship events that include the ITU World Championship and the Ironman World Championship. Dave can be found at: TrainToEndure.com, davelatourette.blogspot.com, or on twitter: @dklatourette

Happy New Year!

2012-01-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Although it's been nice to have a long run of sunshine we definitely needed the 6 1/2 inches of rain that fell on Sonoma County this past weekend. As a result, the vineyards will soon be looking quite yellow (like the photo on the right) in the coming weeks. This is what wine country looks like during our winter...very different from the summer!
The 2012 Vineman season started out with a bang when the Ironman 70.3 Vineman sold out in 3 hours (much to our surprise). All of our other events are on track to sell out as well. This will be a first in Vineman history. This means more work for the Vineman staff. Although we've had a lot of free time for afternoon bike rides, late morning swims and extra long vacations it's time to get back to work securing permits, meeting with town and county officials,ordering competitor shirts, medals and race numbers, contacting volunteers and finalizing sponsor contracts....and that's just the beginning!
It looks as if the pending run course change for the Ironman 70.3 Vineman will be a definite! Once we have all the details hammered out the new run course will be posted on our website. Everything else remains the same for the 70.3 Vineman. There are no changes (that we know of!) for the Full Vineman and Barb's Race.
We are excited for the 2012 races and look forward to having a record number of participants this summer. We hope that if you are not racing Vineman this summer you'll come out and volunteer!

A New Season About To Begin

2011-10-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that registration for our 2012 Vineman events is just around the corner. We've managed to get some rest during these quiet past couple of months but prep work for next year is underway. Yes, Vineman has become a year round production!

The dam at Johnson's Beach is out, the vines which are now turning color have been picked clean of their grapes.....another crush season finished, summer over. Sonoma County takes on a different feel this time of year. And this is when the weather happens to be the best here in wine country so it's likely that you'll find us out on our bikes instead of in the office! A ride on the Silverado Trail in Calistoga is on the schedule for this weekend.

However, it's almost time to get back to business. We're getting ready for the onslaught when registration opens on November 1. In 2011 the Vineman Ironman 70.3 race sold out in just over 4 days. (a lot faster than the 4 weeks it took in 2010). So, we are anticipating a sell out in 24-48 this year. 2011 was an exceptional year for the Full Vineman as well. We exceeded 1000 entries, making it the biggest Full Vineman field to date. Our cap for the race is 1100 so our hope is to reach that number in 2012!! We also anticipate that Barb's Race and the two AquaBike events will sell out.

So as we head full steam into the 2012 season, most of you are winding down your season and relaxing. Enjoy a restful couple of months before gearing up for next year. We hope your 2012 race schedule will include taking part in one of the Vineman races!

Echelon Cycle & Multisoprt in Santa Rosa

2011-05-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

When you are in Santa Rosa for the race (or if you come early to check out the course) be sure to stop by Echelon Cycle & Multisport. Kevin Buccholz, the shop owner/lead mechanic/sales director/head dishwasher, has finished the Full Vineman several times and would be glad to share his insights with you. One of the cool things for this year's races which Echelon will be sponsoring is the race-day on-site results station. At the results station you'll be able to type in your name or number and print out your personal results as soon as you cross the finish line (or later if you prefer to cool down a bit)...anyway, the results will be available in real time. It will be a pretty slick set-up. Thanks Kevin! Echelon is located at 1005 Cleveland Ave and their web site is echeloncycling.com.

Vineman Finisher Wine!

2011-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

We are working with Highway 12 Vineyards on a private label wine whch will be called Vineman Finisher Wine! It will be the wine which is awarded to the overall and age group prize winners in the July 30th events this year. Michael Sebastiani, the Highway 12 Vineyards wine maker, and his business partner, Paul Guisto, recently proposed the private label wine idea to us. Sebastiani has competed in several Vineman events and is excited about combining two of his passions: winemaking and triathlons. The Highway 12 Vineyards Vineman Finisher Wine will also be available for purchse to anyone who finishes one of the Vineman events which will be held on July 30th -- the Avia Vineman Triathlon, Barb's Race, and the Vineman AquaBike.

New Avia Shoes!

2011-05-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

I just got a new pair of Avia AVI Quest Lite running shoes and really like them! Not only do they look great, but they are very comfortable too. The cushioning is amazing.

2011-05-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Wildflower was last weekend, Califoania Ironman 70.3 was six weeks ago...which makes Vineman Ironman 70.3 the next big half ironman distance race in the state of California! We're getting ready for 2200+ age groupers and a great pro field to compete for $50,000 in prize money and 50 Ironman 70.3 World Championship slots. We hope you will join us either as an athlete, a volunteer or a spectator. It will be a great day on July 17th!

Three Months & Counting

2011-04-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

Thirty members of the Vineman Race Committee met over the weekend for an update on the 2011 Vineman events. The Vineman Race Committee is made up of the area coordinators of the various functional parts of the events and other key volunteers. This diverse group of people leads and directs of efforts of more than 1000 volunteers on race day for both of the Vineman event weekends. If you are interested in becoming a race committee member or volunteering for the upcoming Vineman events additional information is available in the volunteer section of www.vineman.com or by contacting the Vineman Volunteer Coordinator at 707-477-5813. Race day for the Avia Vineman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon is only three months away! We'd like to invite you to join us in producing our 2011 events.

900 Full Vineman Entrants

2011-04-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

We now have 900 entrants for the 2011 Full Vineman and will cap the field at 1100 entrants. If you are serious about racing the 2011 Vineman and you haven't entered, you probably should sign up sooner, rather than later because it looks like the event will sell out for the first time in its 22 year history! On July 30th there will be a steady stream of Full Vineman finishers from 3:00 PM until the course closes at 11:00 PM.

Spring in Sonoma County

2011-04-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

Spring weather has finally arrived in Sonoma County. After an extermely wet month of March, the rains have subsided and our typically "perfect" weather has returned! The grape vines are beginning to bud and soon the vineyards will look like they will when you arrive for the race this summer. We were beginning to wonder if would ever stop raining. It has, and we are looking forward to our spring...and summer!

Improved Bike Racks

2011-03-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that we are in the process of retrofitting our inventory of bike racks! We've hired a semi-retired machinist to drill eight holes in each of our 625 bike racks, which will enable us to use a new type of a leg system. Over the years as our events have grown, we've gradually added more bike racks as we've need them...and the legs were made by a number of different people in a number of different ways. They were the kind where the poles were bent and fit inside the end of the crossbar pole...then we duct taped the heck out of them to keep them from falling apart/over. In 1990 they were state of the art. In 2011 they are kind of sketchy.

The machinist, who reminds me of the mad-scientist character who built the time-travel machine in the movie "Back To the Future," is doing a great job of drilling the holes while one of our guys cuts the leg poles and crimps them so that they won't slide through the holes. Most triathletes don't spend a lot of time thinking about bike racks while they are at the race (or any other time). As a race director, you can bet I'll spend more than a few minutes staring at them in amazement. They will all be the same height, they will line up better, and best of all they won't fall over. Everyone's race day will be a little bit better because of them.

Volunteer Shirt

2011-03-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Our volunteers for the Avia Vineman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon will stand out in their bright orange micro-fiber t's. There is nothing like riding along at 25 mph and wondering which way to turn as you approach an intersection. To keep it simple, just look for the person in the orange race shirt and pay attention to their directions. It is not a bad looking shirt either...if you have friends or family members who will be at the race and are interested in doing something besides sitting and waiting for you to finish, we'd love to put them to work! They'll get a complimentary volunteer shirt and an invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner which will be held on the Monday after the Full Vineman. To volunteer they can sign up through the Volunteer section of vineman.com or by e-mailing our volunteer coordinator, Shelly Lydon --shelly@vineman.com.

Women's 70.3 Competitor Shirt

2011-03-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, we will have a women's specific shirt for all of our 2011 events. This is the women's shirt for Avia Vineman Ironman 70.3. It will feature the same cool graphics as the men's version, but will be on a light blue shirt with purple accents on the sleeve.

2011 Avia Vineman Ironman 70.3 Competitor Shirt

2011-03-23T16:26:00.001-07:00

The design for the competitor shirts for our 70.3 event have been finalized and approved by Ironman. We are having our shirts made by Greenlayer Apparel this year, which means that they'll be made from recycled materials. This year's design features the event logo and subtle images of many of the iconic images from along the race course--the Jimtown Store, winery signs, an old barn located at mile eighteen on the bike course, one of the La Crema wine barrels from the finish line structure, and other cool stuff that you see along the course. You'll be wearing your shirt with pride after finishing the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run!

Cone Cleaning

2011-03-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

Putting on big events like the Vineman requires a lot of equipment. When spring rolls around it is time for our annual equipment cleaning. It is amazing how dirty a cone gets just by being a cone at a few events a year. I guess it is not an easy life. It takes a couple of days to powerwash a thousand cones, but to keep them happy and looking great for the races it is worth it!

Ahhh, the Majestic Russian River!

2011-03-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Race day for the 2011 Vineman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon is 116 days away (July 18th). Today is March 23rd and the Russian River currently looks significantly different than it will on race day. In this pic, which was taken at the 2010 event, the water depth under the first bridge was at the three foot mark; today because of the heavy rains we have been experiencing over the past few weeks the water level is just over 28 feet! Last week the water level was at 19 feet...so it can change drastically in a short time period. In the past five days we've had more than three inches of rain, with a couple more expected tonight and tomorrow. Currently the parking lot at Johnson's Beach is under water (and about 3 feet deep). It is a good thing that our race isn't this weekend! Don't worry, this is completely normal for this time of year...in fact it is good. Lots of water now means that the upstream reserviors will be full this summer and that there will be generous releases from the reservoirs all summer long. This means that the river will be clean and comfortable (probably 70 degrees rather than 78 degrees) when race time rolls around. This morning the flow of the river was measured at 36,420 cubic feet per second. In July the flow will be down to around 200 cubic feet per second. In mid June the summer dam will be installed at Johnson's Beach and Clare (the 90 year old owner of Johnson's Beach) will be playing his Frank Sinatra music while he rents kayaks and sells "the best hamburgers on the river." In the mean time, you'd better get in the pool and train, 'cause it is gon'na to be a great swim at the Vineman this summer!

One Down, Two To Go!

2010-05-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Time is going by like the water in the Russian River (which is pretty quick these days for those of you that don't live around here!).

April 17th marked the 4th annual Vineman Showdown and once again it was a huge success. Thanks to our swim sponsor, TYR for providing swim caps and buoys for our swim course!

Congratulations go out to reigning champion, local Kelly Dunleavy who defended her 2009 title. On the men's side it was up and coming local pro Jeff Peterson who took the win. It's a relatively "easy" day for the Vineman crew - set up, registration, race and break down - all in the same day.

Now that the Showdown is done and put away it's time to gear up and put our focus on Vineman 70.3 (in it's 20th year!) which is followed shortly thereafter by the Full Vineman and Barb's Race. Barb's Race will be celebrating it's 10th anniversary this year.

On the 70.3 side of things, we will once again have a stacked field, not only in the pro race but also in the age group race. Ironman World Champion, Chris McCormack will be taking on Vineman 70.3 for the first time and we have just had confirmation that reigning Vineman 70.3 Champion, Joe Gambles will be returning this year to defend his title. We've got some others in the works right now and will pass that along as we get confirmation. Without a doubt though it will be another exciting pro race.

As for the age groupers I'm sure there are too many to name but for the "older" ladies we've got Cherie Gruenfeld in the 65-69 age group, Harriet Anderson in the 75-79 age group and Sister Madonna Buder in the 80+ age group.

On to the Full Vineman and Barb's Race.....

The 2010 Full Vineman will see a pretty competitive men's field. Two time Full Vineman Champions Dan Arlandson (2008,2009) and David Glover (2001,2007 ) 2005 Champion Kevin Danahy, pro triathlete Ray Bothelho, Colombian pro triathlete Ricardo Cardeno and former pro (and runner extraordinaire)Brandon Del Campo. I guarantee this will be one of the best Full Vineman races in many years. We look forward to the battle on race day.

In Barb's Race, we'll see Kelly Dunleavy make her appearance after winning the Vineman Showdown two years in a row. I'm putting my money on her to win the race. Barb's Race is more than about being the fastest out there though. Most of the people that come to Barb's Race are cancer survivors themselves or are racing in honor of someone else. In it's first nine years, Barb's Race has raised over $368,000 for local cancer related groups. 2010 will have the biggest field yet and as the field of racers grows we hope that the money raised this year will also increase.

More to come on all the races.....

2010-03-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Wow, is it really race season again? Time sure flies...and it has been way too long since our last post.

Yes, things are starting to pick up around the Vineman office. Our first race of the season, Vineman Showdown, is less than a month away. The Showdown gives us a chance to dust off the cobwebs and get back into the swing of things. The photo is from the Showdown.

The 2010 season marks the 20th anniversary of the Vineman Ironman 70.3 (formerly the Half Vineman) as well as the 10th anniversary of Barb's Race.

We anticipating having our biggest field yet for Barb's Race which we are all really happy to see especially since this is our charity race and the more participants we have, the more money that we raise for Vineman Cancer Charities. To date we have raised over $348,000 for local cancer groups.

We hope to be a bit better on our blogging this year. We're going to be doing some video blogging as well this summer which will show various parts of the course for those of you that are curious about it! Stay tuned....more to come shortly!

20th Anniversary Vineman Wine & Cheese Reception

2009-07-10T08:47:00.001-07:00

If you will be competing in the Full Vineman this year we'd like to invite you and your guests to join us to celebrate

our 20th Anniversary on Thursday, July 30th at 6:00 PM at the Mary Agatha Furth Center in Windsor! Vineman will be hosting a wine and cheese reception featuring La Crema Wine and twenty years of Vineman memories. This reception is complimentary for 2009 Full Vineman entrants who RSVP through active.com and $10 for their guests. To sign up go to http://www.vineman.com/ and click on the link at the bottom of the Vineman home page.

Vineman Ironman 70.3 Run Course Marked

2009-07-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

The mile markings for the Vineman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon have been freshly painted on the run course. As the race course has changed a number of times over the past 19 years, along with the Full Vineman having different mile markers, there are multiple markings on the roads. To identify the correct Vineman Ironman 70.3 run course mile markings, the stenciled numerals have been circled.

Getting Ready For Race Time!

2009-06-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

With Vineman Ironman 70.3 rapidly approaching, our race committee is mobilizing! Recently we had a race meeting at Santa Rosa Sports Medicine to discuss the upcoming events. We have more than 30 coordinators and 1000 volunteers who make the Vineman events happen. It is our goal to make your experience at the Vineman events the best it can possibly be.

Remembering Steve Larsen

2009-05-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Vineman lost perhaps the most talented and classiest participant in the history of the event, with the passing of Steve Larsen. Larsen won the Vineman Ironman 70.3 event in 2001, placed second in 2003 & 2005, and third in 2008. Larsen collapsed this past Tuesday after a track workout and was not able to be resuscitated. He was 39 years old and is survived by his wife and five children. Steve will be missed by many.

20th Annual Vineman Reception

2009-05-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

Activities for the Full Vineman will kick off on July 30th at Windsor's Mary Agatha Furth Center with the 20th Annual Vineman Reception. The event will be held from 6:00-8:00 PM and will include wine tasting, hors d'oeurves, and a program which reminisces the twenty year history of the event. Entrance is complimentary for athletes who are entered in the Full Vineman, but they must sign up for the reception at http://www.active.com/ before July 20th. Guests of Full Vineman entrants may also sign up through http://www.active.com/ before July 20th for a $10 fee. Twenty years is a long time in the world of triathlon. Come celebrate with us!

Owen's Showdown Egg Hunt

2009-04-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

If you are racing at the Vineman Showdown on April 11th you will have the chance to be part of Owen's Egg Hunt! While you are swimming Owen will hide a dozen eggs in the transition area. If you find one while you are racing, pick it up and keep it with you. You must have the egg with you as you cross the finish line to claim your prize. After finishing take your egg (and the coupon inside it) to the Vineman retail booth to redeem it for your prize! Happy racing and happy egg hunting!

Brad Illing, Vineman Staff

2009-04-01T10:13:00.001-07:00

Brad Illing is the newest addition to our staff at Vineman, Inc. Brad and his wife, Liz traveled from their home in Florida to compete in the Vineman and Half Vineman in 1997. Shortly after they moved to Sonoma County. A few years later Brad began putting on Adventure races in the North Bay. After a couple of years back in Florida, the Illings returned to Sonoma County. Now Brad is working with Vineman as our sonsorship procurement and fulfillment director.

Amy Latourette & Barb Recchia, Vineman Staff

2009-04-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

Amy Latuorette (seated in pic) has been involved with the Vineman events for fourteen years. Amy primarily is responsible for the registration aspect of the Vineman events. She also is our office manager, retail order-filler, web-site editor, and green consultant. Amy is the engine that drives a lot of our day-to-day activities here at the Vineman World Headquarters.

Barb Recchia, the Chairperson of Barb's Race, has been part of the Vineman events since 1990. 2009 is the ninth year we have held Barb's Race, our fundraising event which has donated $265,000 to local cancer related groups to date. Barb is a two-time cancer survivor and an inspiration for all of us.

Michael Belluomini, Vineman Staff

2009-03-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

Michael Belluomini has been involved with the Vineman events for most of the 20 years they have been in existence. Mike is a multi-time Vineman (and Ironman) finisher, who has become an important part of our race staff. Mike primarily is responsible for the recruitment and coordination of the army of Vineman volunteers. He also is the driving force behind the Vineman Showdown event. Mike is a Sonoma County native who currently lives in Marin. Along with working at Vineman, Mike is also a very successful real estate agent. We're not sure how he manages to work both jobs but he does...and with perfection! If you want to help out at our events (or know someone who wants to volunteer), or if you come to one of our races and decide to move here (like lots of people do) contact Mike. His e-mail is mike@vineman.com. He will take care of you, we promise.

Meet the Vineman Staff

2009-03-31T15:32:00.000-07:00

I'm Russ Pugh, the President and founder of Vineman, Inc. I was lucky enough to start the Vineman events back in 1990 when I was 23 years old. Over the years the events have grown and evolved into what they are today. In 2009 we will have 2100 racers for Vineman Ironman 70.3 on July 19, 800 racers for the "Full" Vineman, 350 racers for Barb's Race, and 300 AquaBikers on August 1; and 600 racers for the Vineman Showdown on April 11. Over the years we have believed in putting on events in beautiful venues which are well supported and athlete friendly. Thanks for being part of our events over the past two decades!

2009-03-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Showdown is Coming

The Vineman Showdown is coming up on April 11th! Our race committee was able to enjoy some wine from our Showdown sponsor, Highway 12 Vineyards, while overlooking the Showdown run course at a recent meeting. We are expecting 600 athletes for this .25 mile swim, 8 mile bike, 3 mile run event. The race will start at 2:30 PM and features a post race BBQ. There are still about 100 entry spots available for this event. It should be a great way to kick off the racing season!

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today...

2009-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the twentieth anniversary of the Vineman Triathlon! In March of 1990 I and the handful of other early organizers were busy putting together a huge mailing of our first entry form, which featured the image on this blog entry.

The first Vineman Triathlon was held on August 4, 1990. Three hundred and twenty individual entrants and thirty relay teams competed in that first Full Vineman.

As the race director for that first event, I've done my best to remember the good parts and forget the overwhelming details of being a twenty-three year old from Kansas starting up an ironman distance triathlon from scratch in Northern California.

The events have come a long way over the years. Thanks for being part of them! -Russ Pugh, Race Director

Vineman Cancer Charities and a Big Thank You!

2008-09-11T15:23:00.001-07:00

Well, the races are over and it's finally time for us to put up our feet for a while (sort of). Believe it or not we are already working on some things for the 2009 events. Registration opens in 50 days so I have to get working on that....guess my rest is over!
Before we move into 2009 I thought I would take just a minute to thank everyone who participated, volunteered, spectated or fundraised at Vineman this past summer. This was one of the best years that I can remember....and I have been here for 13 years. From registration to the actual race to the awards ceremony and post race clean up, everything felt seamless this year. One of our biggest success this year was the fundraising done by you, the athletes. Total money raised this year between Barb's Race entry fees and athlete fundraising was just over $55,000.

Along with Barb Recchia, namesake of Barb's Race and Russ Pugh, owner and founder of Vineman,(pictured above with Mike Cohill, CEO at Sutter Hospital, Santa Rosa) I had the opportunity to present a $40,000 check for Sutter North Bay Women's Health Services. They are the largest receipient of the funds raised by Vineman Cancer Charities. In addition, this year we also donated money to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Santa Rosa Memorial Health Library, Women's Cancer Awareness Group and Commonweal.

Without the support of all of the women that participated in Barb's Race and all of you that fundraised or made a donation when you registered for one of our events it would not have been possible to meet and exceed out fundraising goal for 2008.

With many thanks on behalf of the staff at Vineman,

Amy

Volunteer Update

2008-07-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hello Vineman Family Members and Spectators! Tired of waiting around at the race venues waiting for your loved ones to finish? I've got the perfect solution... VOLUNTEER!

It takes over 750 volunteers to cater to the 2000 athletes racing at Vineman 70.3

Many areas are still needing to be filled and we would love your help. Please contact mike via email or phone: mike@vineman.com or 707-528-1630 to find out more.

Cheers and have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Mike
Vineman Volunteer Coordinator
707-528-1630
mike@vineman.com

Interview with The Green Athlete, Chris Lieto

2008-07-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

Pro triathlete, Chris Lieto, recently started a campaign called The Green Athlete. The Green Athlete provides resources and ideas that support athletes in their effort to live green. The Green Athlete campaign encourages athletes of all levels and abilities who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. A core component of the campaign, The Green Athlete Blog, provides weekly tips that cover everything from where to recycle your running shoes to what food choices will help make a difference. We hope to bring together athletes of all levels and abilities to make proactive environmentally friendly choices and changes, a part of their athletic lifestyle!

I recently had a chance to pull Chris away from his busy training schedule to ask him a few questions about The Green Athlete. Here is what he had to say.

We know the basic idea of what The Green Athlete is all about. How did this come into being….was this an idea that you came up with?

Yeah, I came up with the idea. I thought this would be a good way to do what I can to bring awareness and educate people on being more green. In the process I have learned a lot and have seen more things that I can do to lessen my impact. Before I started the project I was a bit wary of doing the Green Athlete because I am certainly not the perfect “green” person. But you have to start somewhere and just do the things that you can do. There is a learning curve as you get more involved in being green. Through the Green Athlete I have been learning more things that I can change and have changed my thought process as a result. For example when you go to the coffee shop. Sure, the cups they use are from recycled material and you can recycle the cup but the better option would be to bring your own coffee mug and forgo the paper cup altogether.

Have you been a big supporter of recycling, composting, basically being “green” even before now?

I have always recycled and have learned since starting the Green Athlete that it is more about reusing and reducing instead of recycling…..which should be the last option of the three. For example I don’t buy bottled water. I use a filter on the tap instead. I am trying to get my sponsors to think along these lines as well, which many of them have already been doing. My sponsor BASE Performance Nutrition has a product that comes in concentrate form and it makes 8 gallons when mixed with water. So, rather than buying a bottled drink I can just mix it up using my water bottles, filtered water from the tap and the concentrate.

So you’re driving around to races in a bio diesel and solar powered van? How is that? Do you have problems finding places to fuel up?

It has been great. We are pretty much self sufficient in the van. We have a kitchen, fridge, microwave and of course a flat screen TV with a Sony Playstation III.
I don’t have much of a problem finding a place to get biodiesel. There are websites that list stations that have biodiesel. So before I take a trip, I just have to map out where we are able to fuel up. We drove up to Boise for the 70.3 race there and we were able to fill up in Truckee and then again once we got to Boise. The van will run on diesel if I run out of biodiesel. Of course that is certainly not something I want to do and would rather run 100% on biodiesel. But, like I said I’m not the perfect green person and if I am able to use biodiesel 80-90% of the time then I am still making a difference.

The idea of having the van is twofold. The first obviously being to reduce carbon emission and be more green. The second is to use the van to be the catalyst to draw people in and peak their interest in the van and in biodiesel and solar and being green and get them to start asking questions. I like being around people and am a very social person so at races we have a bunch of chairs set out by the van. So people can come and just hang out, check out the van and ask questions about green issues, talk about racing, about gaming...

**Chris will have his van set up at the Vineman Ironman 70.3 expo on July 19th so stop by and say hi and check out the van!

What kind of changes have you made when you go to races?

Well the van is equipped with a water filter so I don’t have to buy bottled water. I also bring gel flasks and use those during a race instead of gel packets. I don’t take anything from the bike aid stations because I make sure I have everything I need with me. This helps reduce the garbage out on the race course. As I mentioned before the van has everything we need so that really helps. I think it’s not enough that races themselves are going green. We, as athlete’s need to do our part at races that are green to help them in their efforts.

What other kind of changes have you made at home or in your daily life?

Well, I already mentioned that I have a filter on the tap and use that instead of bottled water. I try and ride my bike to the pool. I stop at the store at the end of a bike ride rather than making a separate trip. I also use my scooter to go places and run errands. We are in the process of having solar panels put on our house. I have been working with a Berkeley startup company called called Sungevity, http://www.sungevity.com/. They have been great to work with! (Sungevity also helped Chris to add solar to his biodiesel van)

What has been the reception from athletes/spectators at races?

It has been great. People have been asking lots of questions. They have said that they really like the name (the Green Athlete). There have been some pros that have stated an interest in The Green Athlete. We’d like to be able to have them do some blog entries on the website to tell people what they are doing to be green and give some ideas that they have and changes they have made. We’ve got an idea where we can have people sign a pledge of some kind to get them more committed to making changes.
Now that it is the height of race season I don’t have a lot of time to work on the campaign and website and expand on it but I hope to do more down the road. We just started on this project so I’m not sure what direction it will take but so far we’ve had good response to it.

Are you finding a lot of racing coming on board with green initiatives like Vineman is doing and like Barry Siff has done with 5430 in Boulder?

Yes. In just this race season I have seen a lot of races making changes. WTC is getting on board and North America Sports has voiced some interest as well.

You’re involved with a program called Soles for Souls. Tell me a little bit about this. And, you have a link on your website for people to find out more about this right?

Soles for Souls collects and donates used shoes to people in need all around the globe from victims of hurricane Katrina to those of the tsunami in Myanmar. If the shoes that they collect are no longer wearable the shoes are then ground up and turned into turf and material for playgrounds. We have been collecting shoes at various races (and will collect shoes at Vineman Ironman 70.3). The Green Athlete has teamed up with K Swiss and when someone donates a pair of shoes we’ll give them a discount coupon for a pair of K Swiss shoes.

Well, Vineman will certainly get the word out about Soles for Souls and encourage athletes to bring their old running shoes to our race expo on July 19.

Thanks Chris for taking some time out to have a chat about The Green Athlete! We’ll see you in a couple of weeks at Vineman where you’ll be taking part not only in the race on the 20th but also the Athlete Welcome Reception on July 18th at 7pm and at the expo on July 19th.
Best of luck with the campaign and with the rest of your 2008 race season.

To find out more about Chris and his efforts check out the following websites:

http://www.chrislieto.com/
http://www.thegreenathlete.com/
http://www.soles4souls.org/
http://www.sungevity.com/

The Final Countdown to Race Day

2008-06-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone. We're three weeks weeks away from race day so I thought I would get a quick post up before heading out to Johnson's Beach for our Saturday morning Vineman swim. Last week was our first swim of the summer and word has it there were about 35 people there. It's great to see some of you taking advantage of this!

I was out on the bike course last week at this time and boy, what a difference a week can make. At 11:00am over in the Chalk Hill Valley it was reading 103 degrees on one of the cyclists GPS unit. Today we are looking at a high of 83 degrees. We've had lots of fires here in Northern California over the past week or two which has caused bad air quality. The air is much better today as the winds have shifted and the fires are becoming more contained.

Just a quick note on things here in our office; we are putting final touches on the race program and it should be up on the website sometime next week....around the 4th of July. The waitlist is closed for the 70.3 and the deadline to request a refund has passed. We are finalizing the entrant lists and should also have those posted on the website...these within a few days.

VOLUNTEERS! Yes, we still need volunteers for both of our events. For registration alone we need over 100 people for the Vineman 70.3 race. So, if you know anyone that would like to help out either the day before the race at registration/packet pick up or on race day pass along the word. Signing up is easy. Just go to our website, http://www.vineman.com/ and click on the "volunteer" tab. From their just pick the race and then the position for which you would like to volunteer. It's lots of fun and let's you see the race from a whole different perspective!

We hope everyone is excited and ready to race. Although it is an absolutely hectic time for all of us here at Vineman we love what we do and look forward to it as much as all of you.

Until next time...happy training.....and be safe out there!

Amy

One Down, Two To Go....

2008-06-11T17:59:00.001-07:00

Well, we've just finished our first event of the season, The Vineman Showdown at Sundown. This was the second year of the race and was once again a successful day....and a beautiful setting for a race. This race allows us to "ease" back into the craziness that crashes down on us as the Vineman Ironman 70.3 nears - it lets us get the kinks out for the season! Here are a couple of pics to entice some of you to sign up next year.

Things are getting busy around the Vineman as the 70.3 race is less than 6 weeks away with the Full Vineman and Barb's Race close on it's heels, two weeks later. We hope everyone has been receiving the occasional informational emails being sent out by Dave and myself, Amy. As well we hope that you have all taken a look at the new website and find it easier to navigate than the old site.

Our race program for the Vineman 70.3 race is being edited and updated and will be posted on the website approximately 4 weeks prior to the race. As part of our "go green" initiative we WILL NOT be sending out race programs in the mail this year. I know a lot of you are "repeat offenders" and are used to receiving your program in the mail....so just an FYI to all of you.

We hope to have our Chris Lieto interview up on the blog soon. He's been busy, we've been busy...but we'll get to it! Stay tuned.

Vineman Teams Up With Chris Lieto In Our Continuing Efforts To Go Green

2008-05-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

We had mentioned in an earlier blog entry this spring that Vineman is stepping up our efforts to go green. We got lots of things in the works right now and hopefully come race weekend you'll see some noticeable changes around our race sites. Vineman has brought on board a group of students in the Green MBA program at Dominican College to help us become more green. They have taken our events on as a group project. I think they'll have their work cut out for them!

Vineman will also be teaming up with pro triathlete Chris Lieto in trying to get the word out to people about going green, caring about our planet's future, and what each of us can do to reduce, reuse and recycle. Chris started a program called The Green Athlete, http://thegreenathlete.typepad.com/. The Green Athlete is an international campaign that provides resources and ideas that support athletes in their effort to live green. The Green Athlete campaign encourages athletes of all levels and abilities who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. Take a minute and look at the website to find out tips on what you can do to help make a change and see what endeavors Chris has embarked on. If you have already been racing this spring you may have seen Chris, along with his bio-diesel and solar powered van at places like Wildflower Triathlon. He is traveling to races this year in the van and will be at the Vineman expo so be sure to stop by and see what it's all about....I hear that it's pretty tricked out!

It seems that Chris is about as passionate about living a green life as he is about triathlon and if he is as successful with the Green Athlete as he has been in his early season races then we just may be able to turn the planet's fate around! Way to go Chris...and keep up the good work! We will be sitting down with Chris for an interview sometime in the near future....when we can pin him down....so keep an eye out for the interview here on our blog. We will also post a link from the front page of our website.

One other quick note on a project that Chris is involved with is called Soles for Souls. People donate their old sneakers which then get sent to areas around the world that are in need.....places like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit or right now in Myanmar and China, two areas that have been completely devastated. http://www.soles4souls.org/index.html Vineman will be teaming up with Chris on this front as well and we will be collecting old running shoes at our races this summer. More on this is a future blog.....

That's all for now folks. We'll be posting some more green news soon, including a list of simple things that you can do to make a change and live more green.

All kinds of new things at Vineman

2008-05-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since our last post. It got a bit hectic around here in April because Dave got married. Yes, he finally tied the knot on April 12. And,now that the craziness of wedding week has come and gone (I kept calling it race week because that is what it felt like to me!) we can all get back to the business at hand....triathlon.

Speaking of triathlon and new things, after a long "retirement", the newly married Dave is back in the mix and finished 2nd overall at the Sacramento Int'l Triathlon last weekend. This was after being out of the sport for four years. Congrats Dave!

Something else new around here is our new website. It is slowly being migrated over this weekend and should be up and running within a few days. We still have a few new pages to add but the bulk of the site is finished. We hope you like the new look!

As I mentioned in a post earlier this year, Vineman is going green. We have brought on board some of the students, enrolled in the Green MBA program at Dominican College, to help us out. We started out looking for one or two people and they have decided to take on the task as a class project. So, you will probably see a few changes around the race sites this summer. We hope that you will do your part to help us out in helping the environment. We'll have more posts on our greening of Vineman as the season progresses.

That is all the news for now. Keep checking back for new posts....we hope to add things more frequently going forward.

Volunteers Needed!

2008-03-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of volunteers come back year after year to "give back" to the sport they love by proudly putting on a volunteer shirt rather than a swim cap.

Occasionally new opportunities open up for a new group to step in and staff a Bike or Run Aid Station (*and make money while doing it!). We have openings for the Vineman 70.3 on July 20th and the Full Vineman/Barbs on August 2nd.

If you or someone you know would like to staff an aid station (10-15 people) please contact me at 707-528-1630 or email at mike@vineman.com. It's crazy fun!!!!!

*Vineman is happy to donate $200.00 to your club or organization. Please call for details!

March Madness

2008-03-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm talking about the NCAA basketball March Madness. (No, the guy with the blue hair is NOT a fan at the UNC game. He was among the many dedicated spectators at the Full Vineman last year. We have gotten word that he will be back this year....sans blue hair and gold circa 1970's outfit.)

We're thankful it has been a quiet week in the Vineman office because it men's college hoops that takes center stage until the beginning of April. Between basketball and the start of the cycling season over in Europe, who has time for work?! ...though we still somehow manage to get in some swimming, cycling and running.

And the question of the week is........I've had a lot of people email me lately wondering why they are in the wrong age group for the 70.3 race. Well, you're probably NOT in the wrong age group. Three seasons ago USAT put into place the rule that athletes would race their "age on 12/31" of the current year. Of course there ALWAYS has to be an exception to this rule. For any of the 70.3 races (such as the Vineman Ironman 70.3) and Ironman races you will race your age on race day. For USAT rankings, adjustments will be made by USAT.

And, just a quick update on the waitlist. Did you know that you can view the waitlist on our website? Just click on the "Latest Info" tab on the front page of our site and from there click on the "2008 Vineman 70.3 Official Waiting List". For those of you who have been keeping tabs on your progress you probably have noticed that there has been a LITTLE movement. We have had a few people withdraw from the race as well as people withdrawing their names from the waitlist. If you are one of those people that need to take your name off of the wait list, just email Amy: amy@vineman.com and ask to have your name removed. For those of you still patiently waiting to get into the race, things should start to pick up before too long now.

For those of you who have been procrastinating about booking your accommodations or are having problems finding accommodations your best option would be to call Sports America Tours at 1-800-876-8551. They have blocks of rooms for various hotels. If you would like to check out specific hotels then you can go to www.sonoma.com or www.sonomacounty.com. There is also a timeshare condo complex in Windsor, located very close to the finish line, called WorldMark. http://www.trendwest.com/resorts/wz/. We have just found out that you don't have to be a timeshare owner to stay there and they will rent out rooms if they have availability.

That is all the news for now. We'll try to get another post or two up before too long.....that is, if we can pull ourselves away from the games.

New Vineman Website, 70.3 waitlist and more...

2008-03-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

It looks like spring has begun it's arrival here in Sonoma County. The mustard is in full bloom in the vineyards and flower blossoms are popping out everywhere! Winter is typically our time to hibernate for a while. Well, we certainly weren't spending any time hibernating THIS winter. Instead, some of us here in the Vineman office decided to get a jump on the season and work on some new things for the 2008 events. As most people know the Vineman Ironman 70.3 is sold out. The race has continued to grow in popularity and this year is no exception....we sold out 5 weeks earlier than last year. As a result the waitlist is quite massive at this point. This is typical as it is still early in the season. Heck, some people haven't even begun to train yet. As a result there will be little movement of the wait list for the next month or so. However, we are confident that everyone will clear the waitlist. So for those of you far down on the list, keep on training....or start training!

What's new with Vineman?

We have a new website in the works and hope to have it up and running by early April. It will have a completely new look and many new features which we are all really excited about.

A new feature on the current website is online signup for volunteers. So, for all of you athletes that will be bringing family and friends along with you to the race, pass the word that we need volunteers and the signup process is quick and painless!

Microfiber shirts....yes, we have made the switch from cotton! We know that all of you must have a drawer (or rag bag) full of those cotton shirts. We have gotten great response about the microfibers. So, thanks for all the feedback. It's obvious that we made the right choice in switching.

The Vineman goes GREEN. That's right. We are embarking on the huge task of making all of our events more environmentally friendly. We will have more updates on this as we develop a plan and hope to have a "green" page on our new website. In the meantime, here in our office we continue to recycle (and use recycled copy paper) as we have for years but have also added to that: composting, replaced the paper towels in the bathroom with hand towels, replaced all of our regular lightbulbs with CFL bulbs and replaced all of our cleaners with ones that are better for the environment. We hope that all of you will do your part while you are here for Vineman!

The Showdown At Sundown is back for it's second year and by the number people signed up already it looks like it's popularity is catching on. Don't forget that we have both "age group" and "team" divisions for this race. Last years team winners were the Santa Cruz Tri Club (large team division) and The Tri Dogs (small team division). The Santa Cruz team will be back to defend their title and although I have not spoken with anyone from the Tri Dogs, I'm sure they will be back as well!

And, speaking of popularity, the Full Vineman is another race whose numbers are growing. We are continuing our "buy 2, get 1 free" promotion for this race. Round up two of your friends or family members to participate along with you, make them pay for their entries and YOU get to race for free!

That's all for now but there will be more posts in the coming days from each of our illustrious staff members here at Vineman....so check back often.

Amy

Happy New Year

2008-01-09T15:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Vineman 2008! We Will be adding updates here more frequently as the events get closer and with relevent items from Sonoma County California! The photos below are a few teasers from last years 70.3 race. Craig Alexander, Sam McGlone, Luke Bell, and Chris Lieto. Photo credits to www.photo-chambers.com

Final Results

2007-08-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in updates.

2001 Champion David Glover held on for the victory in 9:17:23 while Estonian Margus Tamm came second in 9:25:41. Rounding out the podium in third was Bob Shebest in 9:40:59. A gutsy performance was put up by Brandon Del Campo (riddled by the 1:00 mechanical delay) by just sticking it out ... sticking it out got Del Campo across the line in 10:22 and a top ten finish.
4th Place - Keish Doi
5th Place - Matt Zanger

A new women's Champion was crowned when Santa Rosa's Mady Stewart crossed the line in 11:25. Stewart led from the beginning of the run for her victory.

Though the day turned hotter than expected the evening temperature has dropped almost 30 degrees as the sun falls!

Thanks for checking in on the 18th anniversary Vineman!

2007-08-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

David Glover continues to lead the race with 3:45 over Margus Tamm and 13:45 over Bob Shebest. David just came through the finish of his second loop with Brandon Del Campo just in front of him finishing his first loop. How would this race be looking if Brandon didn't flat out there on the bike course today.

We also saw Matt Zanger come through to finish his second loop of the run course. His time was 7:29:38.

2007-08-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

Barb's Race Update

Our first finisher is in and as we said before it was Shannon Rahlves with a time of 4:37:33. Taking second place with a time of 5:08:15 was Erica Lilly. Rounding out the top three was Rikako Takei with a time of 5:11:18.

On the Full Vineman side of things. At 7:02:00 we've just had David Glover come in to finish his first loop of the run course with Margus Tamm 1:30 back.

Meanwhile further back in the run, Bob Shebest has now taken over third place, 12:15 down from Glover and 30 seconds behind Shebest is Jady Palko.

Matt Zanger is currently in fifth place but we haven't gotten any splits for him.

I was just speaking with Brandon Del Campo in T2 and found out that he sat by the side of the road for an hour with a flat. He is currently out on the run and we'll see what happens. There is still alot of time left in this race and we've seen some crazy things happen on this run course over the past 18 years!

2007-08-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Run Course Update

David Glover has made it to the turnaround on the first loop of the run course. I have had work that Margus Tamm is just behind him. Just got word from Dave out on the course:
At mile 3.5 David Glover, Margus Tamm at 1:30, Jady Palko at 11:30 and Bob Shebest at 12:30.

2007-08-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

Barb's Race Update

Shannon Rahlves of Truckee, CA is on her second look of the Barb's Race run course. There is no one else in sight so it looks like she will be our 2007 Barb's Race overall winner.
Our rough calculations of donations for Barb's Race and the Vineman Cancer Charities are at approximately $40,000.

We'll be back soon with more updates on both races.

2007-08-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

T2
We've recently had our first cyclists come into T2. First off the bike at 6:00:00 was David Glover with Margus Tamm only 30 seconds back. Another 4 minutes back was Jady Palko. And word had it that our 2006 Ful Vineman Champion, Bob Shebest was another 5 minutes back from Palko. Bob is a strong runner and if he is on his mark today he should be able to reel these guys in.
We'll be back soon with an update from the run course.

2007-08-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

From the bike course. At 50 miles, Margus Tamm held a significant lead over David Glover.....approx 7 minutes. Following Glover, another 4 minutes back was Santa Rosa's Jady Palko with Scott Gray of Jonestown, PA only 45 seconds back.

2007-08-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday August 4

Sorry folks for the delay in our posts.. We've had some internet problems.
Some quick updates from this morning.....
Our first swimmers out of the water at 52 minutes were Matt Roper of Davis and Shawn St. Sauveur of Northridge.
Following them at 55:50 were Margus Tamm, Brandon Del Campo, Dan Frost, Jonathan Guan and Nicholas Zefedlt.

One More Sleep

2007-08-03T22:30:00.001-07:00

Expo day pre race festivities and run gear drop off are in the books! One more sleep to go before the 18th Annual Full Vineman (and 7th Anuual Barbs Race) kicks off tomorrow morning at 6:45 Pacifc Time. Barb's Race has now raised over $200,000 for local cancer charities.

While the Vineman women's race looks wide open the top five mens favorites look like this:
> Bob Shebest Bib #1 (defending champion)

> David Glover Bib #2 (2006 2nd place)

> Brandon Del Campo Bib #3 (2006 3rd place)

>Margus Tamm Bib #4 ( Personal Best of 8:48

> Scott Gray Bib #9 (Personal Best of 9:27)

We'll do our best to get you updates (internet connections permitting) during the day tomorrow!

The Destination ....

2007-08-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon and evening this is the destination for the hearty individuals taking on the challenge of the Full Vineman. The finish line is in the process fo being built and it's close to done except for cleaning up the rough edges. (and straightening out the carpet!)

Weather forecast looks pretty good for the weekend ... low 80's with cool mornings and evenings right now. We are crossing our fingers that it stays this way. Tomorrow is athlete check in and expo day.

Watch this page for some live updates from race day. We'll do our best to get you text updates and if we are lucky a few photos.

For great photos from the Vineman Ironman 70.3 check out this link: http://www.brookeclyde.com/Photos/Vineman/index.htm

Vineman, Johnsons Beach & The Russian River

2007-07-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

A beautiful place to swim and the 17th time we have held the Full Vineman swim in this body of water! Current the water temperature is ... 77 Degrees ... we are expecting warm weather the next couple days before a predicted cooling trend later in the week and for race day!

VINEMAN Race Week!

2007-07-28T09:31:00.001-07:00

Race week for the Full Vineman has begun as we are inside 7 days to go from start time! The photo is a little highlight from last years shoulder to shoulder battle between our winner Bob Shebest and 2 time winner David Glover. Both are back to go for the win and the $2000 prize bonus while David Glover is being inducted in to the Vineman Hall of Fame. The 2006 Women's Champion Beatrice Blaxman is not returning to defend her title.

More updates later this week!

Coming Soon!

2007-02-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new VINEMAN blog! Watch this space as we attempt to do "live" updates on the Full Vineman on August 4th.