Pippa Michaels 7th At World Championships

Finishing Strong In Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia

Pippa Michaels of Far Hills, NJ had another outstanding performance at the ITU World Triathlon Championship in Vancouver, Canada. Pippa finished 7th in the 45-49 age group with a time of 2:17:12, racing a very consistent race and displaying strength in every discipline. Results from the race can be found here.

Outstanding Performance By Ron Rakos At Ironman Florida

Panama City Beach, FL

Ron Rakos had a great day at Ironman Florida 2007, crossing the line in 10 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds for 22nd place out of 252 competitors in his age group. Ron's outstanding performance was the result of consistently strong splits - 1:09 for the swim, 5:27 for the bike and 3:38 for the run. This finish was over an hour and a half faster than his previous best result, set in his only other Ironman start at Wisconsin 2005. Full results from the race can be found here.

Ron Rakos Preparing For Ironman Florida

Neshanic Station, NJ

While Ron Rakos is currently finishing up his preparation for Ironman Florida on November 3, he has already had a very successful season. Ron had the first win of his triathlon career at the SBR Triathlon on June 9, at New York's Harriman State Park. Ron's finishing time of 1:31:44 got him first place in the 45-49 age group as well as 8th place overall! Results of the race can be found here. This race came just six days after a strong second-place finish at the Black Bear Half Ironman in Leighton, PA. Ron's time of 5:30:33 on this particularly challenging course was also good for 29th overall out of 245 finishers. Results and race information can be found here.

Pippa Michaels 9th At World Championships

Hamburg, Germany

Pippa Michaels of Far Hills, NJ once again showed outstanding determination and all-around strength at this year's ITU World Triathlon Championship in Hamburg, Germany. Pippa raced in the 45-49 age group, finishing in ninth place after riding the last third of the bike course with a flat tire. Pippa's final time of 2:29:46 was underscored by strong performances in all three disciplines. Results from the race, won by Viv Williams of South Africa, can be found here.

Joe O'Byrne Becomes An Ironman

Lake Placid, NY

Joe O'Byrne of Fort Lauderdale, FL, became an Ironman on July 22, 2007. This was Joe's first attempt at the Ironman distance, which he covered in 13 hours, 27 minutes and 33 seconds. His time is that much more impressive when you consider the profile of the Lake Placid course in comparison to that of the terrain in South Florida. A hilly course like Lake Placid might seem like an odd choice for someone living and training in such a flat area of the country, but Joe is a native of Upstate New York, so the venue had special significance for him. Results can be found here.

Pippa Michaels Excels At USAT Nationals

Portland, OR

Pippa Michaels of Far Hills, NJ is once again proving to be one of the most consistent masters triathletes in the World. After being selected by USA Triathlon as Honorable Mention Female Masters Triathlete of the Year in 2006, Pippa had a bumpy start to her 2007 season due to a calf injury. Never one to give up, Pippa went on to place sixth at USAT Nationals, held at Henry Hagg Lake outside of Portland, OR. Despite severely limited running mileage going into the race, Pippa posted an overall time of 2:23:50 on the demanding course. Results from the 2007 USAT Nationals can be found here.

Pippa Michaels bronze medalist at 2006 ITU World Championship

Pippa Michaels of Far Hills, New Jersey, capped off a spectacular 2006 season with a podium finish at the ITU Olympic Distance World Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland. Pippa, who races for Great Britain in the 45-49 age group category, capitalized on a strong swim to stay near the front of the race from beginning to end. After exiting the bike to run transition in seventh place, Pippa started moving through the field until she was tied for second with British teammate Penny Rother. A strong surge by Penny on the fourth and final run lap gave her the runner-up position, with Pippa finishing seconds behind in third. Among Pippa's notable accomplishments in 2006 were finishing second in the 45-49 age group at USA Triathlon Olympic Distance Nationals, and winning the Judy Flannery award in addition to finishing fifth overall at The Columbia Triathlon. Results from ITU Worlds can be found here.

Dan Boyle Successfully Crosses The English Channel

Dan Boyle of New York, New York, successfully swam the English Channel on September 11, 2006 in a time of 13 hours, 24 minutes and 40 seconds. Dan's preparation included six months of heavy training in Fort Lauderdale and approximately six weeks in San Francisco, before arriving in Dover, England for his swim. Originally scheduled for the third slot during the September 14-21 tide, he was advised to swim three days early by pilot Lance Oram, in order to avoid the poor conditions forecast for the duration of the tide. Despite the short notice, a three hour training swim he had done that morning, and the fact that his crew were not scheduled to arrive for three days, Dan agreed to the early start and set about preparing his feed bottles and trying to get a few hours sleep before his 1:30 a.m. departure. When he arrived at the harbor, Dan was surprised to find that Channel Queen Alison Streeter would be supporting him from the boat, an excellent substitute for his carefully chosen crew. All went well during the swim, and Dan's preparation and perseverance on the day landed him in Cap Gris Nez, France hours faster than expected.

Pippa Michaels - Athlete Spotlight

Pippa winning her age group at Columbia

September, 2005

Pippa Michaels, one of the world's premier masters triathletes at the age of 44, is following up a successful 2004 season with an equally, if not more impressive, 2005 season.

Starting with the Columbia Triathlon on May 22, Pippa ended the day with her nearest age group competition almost five minutes behind her. Pippa's time of 2:24:30 for the 1.5k swim, 41k bike and 10k run was fast enough for seventh place overall. The winning time of 2:07:22 was turned in by the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, Susan Williams.

On June 11, at the 19th Annual Thundergust Triathlon, Pippa once again won her age group, but this time finished 2nd overall. Pippa completed the .4 mile swim, 16 mile bike, and 5k run in 1:06:31. The overall race was won by Heather Houseknecht in a time of 1:04:56.

On her way to posting the fastest female bike and run splits

In August, after having the 2005 Amateur National Championships cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, Pippa turned her frustration into motivation. On August 28, in Lakehurst, NJ, Pippa outright won the Lighter Than Air Duathlon in a time of 1:27:02. Pippa finished the 3 mile run, 20 mile bike and 2 mile run a minute in front of second place Suzanne Huelster.

Most recently, at the Skylands Triathlon, in her final tune up for the Amateur World Championships, Pippa once again demolished all of her age group competition and came close to running down professional triathlete Laurie Hug for the overall win. Laurie's fantastic swim gave her a 2:00 gap on Pippa heading out on the bike. By the end of the .5 mile swim, 14.1 mile bike, and 5k run, Pippa had turned in both the fastest female bike and run splits to whittle down the 2:00 to 44 seconds. Laurie won with a finishing time of 1:17:17, Pippa was 1:17:51, and 3rd place was heather Houseknecht in a time of 1:20:44.

On October 9, 2005, Pippa will be competing for Great Britain at the ITU Amateur World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii. Details on the race can be found at www.honolulu2005.com.

Congratulations Ron Rakos

Ron Rakos finishing Ironman Wisconsin

Madison, WI- September, 2005

Under brutal conditions, Ron Rakos of Neshanic Station, NJ successfully became an 'Ironman' in his first ever attempt at the Ironman distance. With temperatures in the 90s, high humidity, and winds of 15-20 mph on the hilly and challenging bike course, the 2005 Ironman Wisconsin ended with one of the highest DNF rates in the history of Ironman racing. A whopping 23% of the competitors either dropped out or failed to make the time cut. Ron, who has only been in the sport of triathlon for two years, completed the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run in a time of 12:07:44. His splits were 1:12:13, 6:09:23 and 4:33:06 respectively. The harsh conditions coupled with the fact that he has only ever competed in a handful of triathlons, make his achievement all the more impressive.

Tough conditions on the bike

On a personal note for Ron, his success at Ironman Wisconsin was especially meaningful as it benefited the charity that will hopefully help to find a cure for Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis. Ron's mother Ida Mae was diagnosed with this debilitating, progressive disease with very few effective treatments in 2002. By participating in the Janus Charity Challenge, Ron raised over $10,000 for the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Ron hopes to someday qualify for and compete in the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. Please visit the Ironman Wisconsin website for more information on the race. Information on the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis can be found here.

Bonnie Schwartz Successfully Crosses the English Channel

Cap Gris Nez, France - July, 2005

At 4:33 pm on July 13th, Bonnie Schwartz of New York City added her name to the short list of athletes who have successfully swum the English Channel from England to France. Stepping into the 60-degree waters under Dover's White Cliffs at 3:05 am, she arrived on shore in Calais, France 13 hours and 28 minutes later, exhausted but elated. While she prepared very well for this challenge, tenacity and sheer determination played a key role in her success, enabling her to overcome periods of nausea and a shoulder muscle which became severely strained, then torn, during the epic journey.

Bonnie's preparation included months of high-volume training cycles in Fort Lauderdale, followed by five weeks in the cold waters of San Francisco Bay. During the peak volume phase of her training, Bonnie swam 12,000 meters daily, supplemented with dryland and weight training. She used her four- and six-hour swims to test protocols for hydration and fueling. Ultimately, she settled on a regimen of 300+ calories per hour from CarboPro, taken in at half-hour increments. She also used Interphase, for protein, on four of her feedings. In order to prevent irritation from the salt water, she occasionally rinsed her mouth out with Listerine.

This was Bonnie's first attempt at crossing the channel. Accompanying Bonnie on her swim were coach Maryellen Powers, pilot Mike Oram, copilot and reigning Channel Queen Alison Streeter, Coach Conrad Johnson, Chris Walker, Jennifer Shub and Natt Hammond. Click here for Chris' pictures on gothampixel.com.

Bonnie Schwartz to Attempt Channel Crossing

Fort Lauderdale, FL - May, 2005

Bonnie Schwartz, a New York City native, has been training with in Fort Lauderdale this season in preparation for an attempt at swimming the English Channel this July. Given that fewer than 10% of attempts at crossing The Channel have been successful, Bonnie has her work cut out for her. However, she remains undaunted by the magnitude of the task, in fact the challenge serves as motivation rather than intimidation. Says Bonnie, "The more I hear the horror stories, the more I want to get in." Preparation for her crossing, scheduled for July 11-20, includes 10k/day workouts and a stint in the cold waters of the San Francisco Bay.

View the Sun-Sentinel story.

Pippa Michaels named All-American

Going for it at World Championships

Far Hills, NJ - November, 2004

Pippa Michaels capped off a very successful 2004 season by qualifying for both the Inside Triathlon "IT List" and USAT's All-American list. Season highlights for Pippa, who races in the 40-44 age group, include 4th place at ITU World Championships and 4th place at USAT National Championships. Pippa, who races for Great Britain, resides in Far Hills, NJ with her husband Paul and their two children, Alex and Rebecca. In addition to raising a family and being an outstanding athlete, Pippa is a marketing consultant for Johnson and Johnson.

Shara Steiner age group champion at Miamiman

Shara Steiner exiting the swim at Miamiman

Miami, FL - November 2004

The inaugural Miamiman Half Ironman, held November 21 in Miami, Florida was the stage for a 50-minute PR performance by triathlete Shara Steiner. Shara, a 28-year-old medical school student who lives in Hollywood, Florida finished in 5:37:20, which put her first in her age group and 12th overall. The race was originally scheduled for September 25 but was postponed at the last minute due to Hurricane Jeanne. Overall winners of the event were NCAA All-American Michaela Mannova of Provo, Utah and professional triathlete Felipe Bastos of Gainesville, Florida. Full results and race information can be found here.

FLA Swimmers at Ironman Florida

The start of Ironman Florida

Panama City Beach, FL - November, 2004

Fort Lauderdale Aquatics masters members Joel Gibson and Robyn Shipp each had a great end to their triathlon season at Ironman Florida, in Panama City Beach on November 6. Robyn improved her times dramatically from 2003, finishing in 15:54:04, while Joel had an excellent swim of 1:17:31 on his way to a 13:39:28 overall. The sixth edition of the race saw 2122 athletes take the starting line, including eventual winners Tom Evans of Canada and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Michellie Jones of Australia. Full results can be found at www.ironmanflorida.com.

Thirty-eight of the competitors in this years race participated in the Janus Charity Challenge, raising a total of $657,908.16 for various non-profit organizations. To date the program has raised in excess of $8 million, distributed to hundreds of non-profit organizations across the country. More information can be found here.

Miami Aquathlon Series Race #1

Miami, FL - October, 2004

Several Fort Lauderdale masters swimmers had a great showing at the Miami Aquathlon Series Opener on October 16 at Oleta River State Park in North Miami, FL. Six local swimmers competed in the 1k swim/5k run event, with Lindsay Heiser taking 3rd overall among the women and Dave Danner taking 7th overall among the men.

Amy Armond	2nd w25-29	10:44	26:27	(37:11)	Fastest female swim
Cheryl Vega	1st masters	11:42	25:37	(37:38)	Masters winner
Dave Danner	2nd m35-39	10:37	22:30	(33:07)
Enrico Linscheer	6th m30-34	11:33	24:30	(36:02)
Jose Barradas	2nd w25-29	10:44	26:27	(37:11)
Lindsay Heiser	3rd overall	13:15	23:22	(36:37)

Complete results can be found here.

Pippa Michaels 4th at USAT Nationals

ITU World Championship in Madiera, Portugal

Shreveport, LA - September, 2004

Far Hills, New Jersey resident Pippa Michaels recently finished fourth in the tough 40-44 age group at this year's USAT Olympic Distance National Championship, held on September 18, 2004. The age group was won by former professional Holly Nybo of Portola Valley, CA. This finish capped an excellent season for Pippa, who was also fourth in her age group at the ITU Olympic Distance World Championship in Madiera, Portugal on May 9th, where she raced for Great Britain. This performance prequalified her for next year's ITU World Championship in Honolulu, HI. Other notable finishes include second overall female at Wilkes-Barre Triathlon behind pro duathlete Fiona Docherty, as well as wins in various triathlon and running events.

McLaughlin, Rakos at Timberman

Ron Rakos at Timberman

Gilford, NH - August, 2004

Diana McLaughlin and Ron Rakos both made the trip to New Hampshire to compete in the 4th annual Timberman Half Ironman Triathlon on August 22, 2004. Both finished well in the field of 1173 starters. Diana turned in a strong performance in all three disciplines on her way to fourth in the female 40-44 age group, with an overall time of 5:09:23. Ron, who is brand new to the sport of triathlon, also turned in a great performance, punctuated by an excellent run split. His overall time of 5:14:16 netted him 37th out of 113 finishers in the male 40-44 age group. The overall winners of the 2004 Timberman Half Ironman were professional triathletes Michael Lovato of Boulder, CO and Karen Smyers of Lincoln, MA, finishing in 3:58:51 and 4:31:53 respectively. Full results can be found here.