Tri-Maine Series - Training & Preparation

Lobsterman Triathlon 2007 Results

Lobsterman Triathlon 2007 Results: Tri-Maine race leader Kurt Perham took the overall win today in the 2007 Lobsterman Triathlon with a winning time of 2:04:33. Perham bested his results over last year's Lobsterman by over 2 minutes on a rain soaked course in scenic Freeport. For Perham, the race was equalized on the bike when he caught second place finisher Milos Janicek of Boston, who was ahead of Perham by a minute coming out of the water. Perham won the race on the run, where he put another minute into Janicek. With his victory today, Perham has cemented the overall title for the Tri-Maine Series Races. Congratulations to Kurt!

Catherine Sterling of Kents Hill, ME edged out the 2006 Lobsterman winner, Kim Webster, by a mere 12 seconds with a winning time of 2:11:00. Sterling was out of the water 2 minutes more quickly than Webster, who closed the gap by a minute coming off the bike and drew within 12 seconds of Sterling on the 10K run. Great race!

Tri-Maine women's leader, Erin Brennan, finished first in her age group (40-44) and 3rd overall among the women with a time of 2:20:37.

OA's very own Dr. Scott Marr finished 30th overall with an impressive time of 2:16:57. Dr. Marr was 3rd overall on the 40K bicycle course.

And Angela Bancroft, featured in this blog earlier this summer, finished first in her age group (35-39) and 62nd overall with a time of 2:24:02. In a quick email exchange with OA, Angela summed up the day pretty well, "It was quite a day out there!!! Lots of fun and challenging! The cold rain made our hands and feet numb which made the
transitions the trickiest part of the day!!! I could Not manipulate my hands to shift, put on a hat or tie my shoes!! Guess those things will improve with experience. I will Never skip the speed laces the next time it rains!" Way to be tough! Great job Angela!

Lobsterman Triathlon 2007 Results (Top 20 + notables)

1 KURT PERHAM BRUNSWICK ME 2:04:33
2 MILOS JANICEK BOSTON MA 2:05:09
3 ROB MCCULLOCH OTTAWA ON 2:05:48
4 MATT BRIGGS CONCORD MA 2:06:07
5 JONATHAN MCCALL SHREWSBURY MA 2:07:17
6 JAMES YOUNG OTTAWA ON 2:07:33
7 THOMAS MCWALTERS THORNDIKE ME 2:08:18
8 DOUG PRESLEY ARLINGTON MA 2:09:01
9 SHAWN BERRY CARIBOU ME 2:09:46
10 STEVE KIMBALL BOLTON MA 2:10:16
11 ROBERT MAHONEY MANCHESTER ME 2:10:53
12 STEPHEN REED LOUDON NH 2:10:53
13 CATHERINE STERLING KENT HILL ME 2:11:00
14 KIM WEBSTER FRAMINGHAM MA 2:11:12
15 TIM DOWNES CENTERVILLE MA 2:11:20
16 PAUL KNEPLEY WAYNE PA 2:11:53
17 BRIAN HANAK ROXBURY MA 2:11:59
18 STEPHEN FLYNN FREDERICTON NB 2:12:07
19 DAVID SINCLAIR WAITSFIELD VT 2:12:24
43 ERIN BRENNAN PORTLAND ME 2:20:37
20 GARY DAVID STOW MA 2:12:34
30 D. SCOTT MARR FALMOUTH ME 2:16:57
62 ANGELA BANCROFT PARIS ME 2:24:02

For complete Lobsteman Triathlon 2007 Results, click here.

Lobsterman Triathlon

The Lobsterman Triathlon is the 7th featured event in the 2007 Tri-Maine race series calendar. With 650 individual triathletes representing 20 states and several Canadian provinces, the 2007 Lobsterman Triathlon is the largest triathlon in Maine and one of the largest multisport events in New England. Featuring an Olympic distance triathlon as well as an aqua-bike (swim, bike, call it a day), the Lobsterman Tri attracts elite athletes from around New England.

Last year, Andrew Boone of Cambridge, MA won the elite men's classification with a winning time of 1:57:54, while Kim Webster of Framingham, MA took the women's title for the 2006 Lobsterman. Webster is returning to defend her title this year. Boone is not.

Kurt Perham, who finished fifth in the 2006 edition of the Lobsterman, is the only triathlete from the 2006 Lobsterman's top 5 returning in 2007. Perham currently leads the Tri-Maine Series race competition having won the Wild Bear, Ship Builders and the inaugural edition of the Urban Epic Triathlon in August.

The Tri-Maine race leader will have plenty of competition though at the 2007 Lobsterman. The Northeast Collegiate Triathlon Conference (NECTC) has designated the Lobsterman Tri as one of their official race events for 2007. The NECTC was formed in 2006 to provide an organized series of collegiate triathlon races for northeast schools. NECTC teams include Harvard, Boston University, West Point, Yale and MIT among others. (You can bet the MIT triathletes will have the aerodynamics down!). With fast young college kids participating, the winning time is again likely to be below two hours at this year's Lobsterman. (OA's very own Dr. Scott Marr and Dr. Eric Hoffman are also registered participants at this year's Lobsterman, so Perham had better watch out!)

Earlier today, OA spoke to race organizer, Will Thomas of Tri-Maine Production about the Lobsterman. Besides the competitive field, OA wanted to know what made the Lobsterman truly unique. "Definitely, the venue," says Thomas. "The venue is spectacular. Winslow Park in Freeport serves as the transition area, start and stop. The park features a beach, an open field, water on three sides - it's ideal for a triathlon. The protected cove is a perfect place for spectators to watch the 1.5K swim. The bike features a lollipop loop that is exactly 40K over rolling terrain, and the run is exactly 10K. The parking is abundant and easy to reach. The Lobsterman Triathlon is a great, end of the season attraction for triathletes and spectators looking for a last hurrah."

Taking place this Saturday, September 15, the Lobsterman Triathlon begins with an ocean swim at 11:00am to coincide with the tides in Freeport, Maine at Winslow Park. Enjoy the race and check back here later for results.

Pumpkinman Triathlon Results

The Pumpkinman Triathlon - an affiliate race of the Tri-Maine Series – was won by Cumberland's Mike Caiazzo in a time of 1:08:09. Aaron Coleman and Kurt Perham, the overall Tri-Maine race leader, finished second and third with times of 1:13:27. and 1:13:42 respectively.

Among female racers, Mary Miller of Elliot was the winner of the inaugural edition of the Pumpkinman Triathlon with results of 1:18:21, followed by Catherine Sterling of Kents Hill at 1:20:35 and Jessica Broderick of Middlebury, CT at 1:21:18.

Full Pumpkinman Triathlon results can be located here.

Swim Technique and Volume Are Key for Triathletes

A standing joke among triathletes goes something like this:
Q. What do you call the first triathlete out of the water?
A. Loser.

And while it is true that triathletes are unlikely to win a triathlon during the swim leg of the competition, it is equally true that a triathlon can be lost in the water. In the inaugural edition of the Zone Urban Epic, for example, the race winner finished the ocean swim in a respectable 22nd position. For Kurt Perham, the Urban Epic was won on the bike, but clearly, he did not lose much time in the swim, finishing only 3:05 slower than the first swimmer out of the water, who finished 74th overall. The overall winner for the woman's competition was 3rd out of the water, where Katie Payson put over 5 minutes into her closest competitor, Erin Brennan. Despite a faster bike ride, Brennan was not able to bridge the gap. In her words, "It's one thing to catch Katie, it's another to pass her!"

Both swim technique and swim volume tend to among the top limiters for triathletes, who as a group, seem to prefer biking and running over the water sport. But as summer fades and the days grow shorter, time spent in the pool perfecting technique and building volume can be the keys to a successful competitive season next year.

The Greater Portland area offers many Masters Swimming programs where qualified coaches lead structured swimming programs. For example, Kerry Kertes leads a Masters Swim Group in Cape Elizabeth at the Don Richards Pool. Beginning on September 24, Kerry's classes always begin with an assessment of swimmers followed by 4 to 6 weeks of technique work. Once the technique has been honed, the winter and early spring sessions add both volume and speed work designed to help athletes become stronger swimmers.

Other Masters Swimming programs throughout Maine can be located at the Maine Masters Swim Club web site. Consider joining a Masters Swim program. The fall and winter is an excellent time to improve your swim stroke, maintain your aerobic engine and began to prepare for the 2008 season.

Erin Brennan: "No Junk Miles"

Erin Brennan leads the Tri-Maine race series women's competition. Interestingly, the former runner turned triathlete also leads the Maine Time Trial Series women's bicycle race.

“I tried to be a runner, but I was not very good,” says the humble Brennan, who recently completed the Urban Epic 10K in a speedy 43:20, only 15 seconds slower than her nemesis and Urban Epic winner, Katie Payson. “I got injured running so I started riding the bike. A couple of friends convinced me to try triathlon, but I really sucked, so I started working harder.”

Hard work, a supportive family and a focused training program are the keys to Brennan’s remarkable success as a triathlete and a cyclist. Brennan trains and races only eight hours each week. “People told me I could do a lot better than I was doing. So, I began to do more focused workouts. I established goals for myself and developed a plan. I did more speed work. Every workout now has a goal. I don’t have much time, so I do a lot of hard efforts. There are no junk miles.”

Erin’s real breakthrough came in 2000 when preparing for her first Ironman. Her goal at the time was simply to finish the race. Her coach told her that if she focused, she could break 11 hours. “Steve helped me take my training to the next level and to believe in myself,” says Brennan referring to Cumberland-based coach Steve Fluet. “I learned that every workout has a purpose. There is no time to waste.”

Brennan continues to perfect her workouts and tests her skills almost weekly in bicycle time trial events and triathlons. “You don't have to over train. In fact, it’s pretty much impossible with a family relationship,” say Brennan who at 42 is married with two children and holds down a full-time job. “You have to know what training is really important and what races are really important.”

The feisty Tri-Maine race leader offers four tips for aspiring triathletes: “(1) Marry a supportive spouse. Successful racing is all about family support. If I did not have it, I could not win. (2) Eat well by taking in proper nutrition. The old adage ‘garbage in, garbage out’ applies here. (3) Make the workouts count. And (4) know when to be selfish - be disciplined and stick to your training regimen.”

As OA spoke to Brennan, she had her sights set squarely on the Camden Maine Sports Triathlon. In Camden Brennan would once again compete against Katie Payson, a former World Champion triathlete. At the Urban Epic, the race was won in the swim, where Katie put just over five minutes into Erin, who came roaring back on the bike gaining back almost four minutes on her rival. “The swim in Camden is very short (.5 miles). If I can stay with her in the water, there is a chance I can win on the bike. To catch Katie is one thing, to pass her is quite another.”

Race results from the Camden Maine Sports Triathlon show that Brennan almost achieved her objective. She finished the race second among women at 2:16:55, losing just 56 seconds to her rival, Katie Payson. Erin will get another chance at Katie in the upcoming Lobsterman Triathlon, but not before she defends her lead in the Maine Time Trial Series in Camden again next weekend!