Posted: June 21, 2004

Triathlon: Vifian, Fisher hammer Halfmax Triathlon hills

INNSBROOK, Mo. (June 20, 2004) – Professional triathletes Andrea Fisher (USA) and Marcel Vifian (USA) today plowed through one of the world’s most demanding half-iron courses in their wire-to-wire victories at Halfmax Triathlon (1.2 mi swim/56 mi bike/13.1 mi run).

“This is an awesome race. There is no way I’m not coming back here, and I’m bringing a slew of people,” the women’s champion said of the organization, venue, course safety, catered barbecue lunch and R&B band. “But it’s a challenging race.”

Though the bike and run route challenged them more than they expected to be, Fisher, a consistent top-five finisher at Ironman events, and Vifian, one of short-course racing’s most focused athletes but away from the middle distance since 1996, flattened the climbs and straightened the chicanes throughout. His mach-2:06.52 bike split – 25.7 mph average – was untouchable, as was her 22.8 mph 2:27.13. Fisher’s 23:34 swim was the fastest of the day in the flat, 78-degree water, men included as well as the navigation and extra distance to weave in and out of swimmers in the start groups ahead of her.

“It’s a great course, but a hard one to start with after eight years (away). It was really, really, really hilly and there was a bit of wind on the backside of the bike course. The bike was reasonably technical – there were a lot of curves and hills, and curves where you had to plan ahead,” Vifian said just after crossing the grassy finish line of the varying gravel and asphalt, half-marathon run.

Both found the three-loop route helpful for pacing and giving them an idea of how they felt relative to the previous lap. Vifian, who eschewed a bike computer, watch and heart rate monitor and raced on perceived exertion, also said, “the three loops can be psychologically compressed. You do one lap, and then tell yourself you have only two to go, and do two, and know you’re then on your last lap.” He “went out at full time-trial pace and tried to hold it the whole race,” but “the first lap was the only totally ‘open’ lap. The second lap I just had to hold steady and the third I faded a bit.” Fisher, who raced on feel, too, noted that the loops also allowed riders to know what to expect in the miles ahead.

While the weather was perfect, quad cramps and pain hindered Fisher and Vifian’s runs, respectively, but her 14-plus-minute margin and his 16-minutes-plus allowed them both to cruise at otherwise comfortable paces.

“I was a little depleted today, and the course was hard on the quads,” said Fisher, who’d been under the weather this past week. Race director Mark Livesay “handed me a course that was more difficult than I planned for,” she said. “I pushed myself, and that was a good test for me,” she added. When asked about the challenges of racing far off the front, Fisher explained, “sometimes I think it’s hard racing that way, but it’s good Ironman training because you have to stick to your own race. It also allowed me to concentrate on (mentally getting through) cramping and other things.”

Among other noteworthy participants, Dr. Ed Wolfgram, 72, noted physician and fitness book author, competed with his son and three grandchildren. Fourteen-time Ironman World Championships competitor and Ironman Athlete of the Year, Laura Sophiea, competed as well.

Of the 460 or so participants at today’s Halfmax Triathlon, about 120 qualified for the U.S. Half Iron Triathlon Championship, to be held at Innsbrook, September 25, 2004. For more information on that race, visit www.ushalfchampionship.com.

The Halfmax Triathlon is hosted by the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to sight preservation and restoration. One hundred percent of the race proceeds go towards benefiting sight programs, such as the Amblyopia Prevention Program, which screens Missouri children for vision impairments. For more information about the Halfmax Triathlon weekend, visit www.ultramaxtri.com or call Tiffany Esterline at 573-424-7029.

2004 Halfmax Triathlon (1.2 mi S/56 mi B/13.1 mi R) - June 20, 2004, Innsbrook, Mo.

Men
1.        Marcel Vifian (24:02/2:10.44/1:19.05/3:57.04)
2.        Bob Schloegel (27:12/2:24.40/1:18.40/4:13.31)
3.        Mark Carey (25:23/2:23.36/1:21.56/4:13.46)
4.        Brian Scott (25:48/2:29.11/1:16.36/4:14.50)
5.        Tim Meyer (27:48/2:23.04/1:26.24/4:21.26)

Women
1.        Andrea Fisher (23:34/2:27.13/1:32.31/4:26.56)
2.        Sunny Gilbert (29:03/2:36.22/1:32.57/4:41.18)
3.        Mia Richter (30:07/2:38.01/1:34.20/4:46.14)
4.        Elizabeth Fedofsky (30:57/2:36.53/1:36.54/4:48.56)
5.       Sarah Lieneke-Nickle (30:54/2:39.49/1:34.27/4:49.33)

From: Hammy Handwerker @ slhcomm@hotmail.com.