Philadelphia Triathlon

Photos from Triathlete Mag, Slowtwitch, Sarah WF, Stacy C.

Race #3 in the Lifetime Fitness Race to the Toyota Cup

Race Results:

http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?posted_p=t&numPerPage=50&rsID=112221&queryType=division

68 degrees, low humidity at 6:30 am start

Schuykill River Water Temp: 78.5 (no wetsuits for Pros & Age Groupers)

Hilly Bike ride completely closed to traffic. Flat run.

Last week's DC Tri proved to be the motivation I needed to going into the Philly Tri. I've been dealing with a hip injury since mid-April and haven't been able to run, but somehow, I was able to pull off a win yesterday. There's just something magical about racing in Philadelphia!

Here's how the race unfolded:

Starting with the guys is never easy and felt just like an ITU race. I got kicked in the face (luckily not very hard) and probably did my fair share of swimming on top of some unsuspecting guys. After a few minutes, things started to spread out and I found the feet of Alice Henriques, a first year pro and a very fast swimmer. We made our way around the course, which turned out to be different and shorter than the map (and previous years). Right behind us were Laurel, Pip, Alicia Kaye and a few other girls (and guys) and way ahead of us were Sara M. and all the fast guys. Once I got to the bike course, I just put my head down and went as hard as I could. A few minutes in to the ride, at a 180 turn, I saw that Laurel was not that far behind, which is always a motivating sight. The 2 loop course winds around Kelly Drive and up and down a few steep hills, then goes around the Art Museum, along the same route as the Philadelphia Marathon (which I ran in 2001). I was able to ease up on the second lap of the ride in order to save something for the run. At about 1/2 way through the second lap, I caught up to Sara M. and we stayed within a few seconds of each other the rest of the way, with Alicia right there too. I started the run about 10 seconds behind Alicia, due to a slow T2 to put socks on, but started reeling her in during the first mile. At that point, I was thinking, things feel ok for now, maybe I can make it to 5k and at least get in a good workout. When I caught Alicia, I surged past, but then realized I wasn't really ready to run that pace, so I eased off and set a slower pace. The slower pace didn't bother my hip, so I ran that way until just over mile 3 when the race hits an off road section. That's when I heard a familiar voice and looked over to see my younger sister, Sarah. It was a total surprise--I thought she was on a family vacation. That's when I decided, ok, I'm going to channel my days as a cross country runner and see what I can do here. It worked and I was able to pull away and build into a faster pace in the last few miles, ending up with a 36:34 10k split. Meanwhile, Laurel was running herself into contention for 2nd place, just narrowly missing by 4 seconds as Alicia held on for yet another impressive podium finish.

Congrats to everyone who raced and thanks to all of the fans who cheered us on! Special thanks to: my mom and dad, Sarah, Mark, Eamon & Nora (superfans!), friends and training partners from New York for providing a fun pre-race dinner, and my husband, John, for the being the voice of reason and a source of constant motivation.

Of course, making all of this possible, my sponsors:

NIKE, New York Athletic Club, FRS, 1st Endurance, ZICO, ISM Saddles, TYR, Rudy Project, Chia Charger, HED and Triathlon Lab.

Philly.com Video Highlights

Philadelphia Inquirer Race Coverage

Potts and Wassner are winners of 2011 Philadelphia Triathlon

POSTED: June 27, 2011

By Phil Anastasia

Inquirer Staff Writer

Andy Potts calls triathlon a "family and friends kind of sport" because it's out of the mainstream.

That truly was the case for the top male and female finisher at Sunday's seventh annual Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon.

RON TARVER / Staff Photographer

Fit to be tri'd: After the Schuylkill swim, a sea of cycles was perhaps the least of the challenges triathlon competitors faced as they chased personal bests and a share of $40,000 in prizes.

1 of 3

View images

Phillies 3, A's 1

Philadelphia Triathlon

Top Minor League Prospects

Pittsburgh Power @ Philadelphia Soul

Fri, Jul 22 at 7:05PM

From:

$41

»BUY TICKETS

Potts and Rebeccah Wassner set course records en route to victory, and each credited the presence of familiar faces in the crowd with providing an extra boost during the most demanding parts of the three-event endurance race in Fairmount Park.

"This is the closest I've been to a home course," said Potts, a Hershey, Pa., native who spent much of his youth living in Princeton. "It's very special to me to win here."

The 34-year-old Potts, the hottest competitor on the top professional triathlon series, set a course record with a time of 1 hour, 46 minutes, 5 seconds in a race that included a .9-mile swim, a 24.8-mile bike ride, and a 6.2-mile run.

"I really wanted to perform well with so many friends and family here," said Potts, who collected the $10,000 winner's share of the $40,000 purse and also extended his lead in the Toyota Cup points series.

Wassner, a 35-year-old from New York, won the women's race for the fourth time but broke two hours for the first time, crossing the finish line in 1:59:36.

Wassner's family ties played an even larger role in her victory as she competed along with her twin sister, Laurel, who finished third in 2:00.07, and drew inspiration from the sight of her younger sister, Sarah, among the crowd at a crucial portion of the race.

"She wasn't even supposed to be here," Rebeccah said of Sarah. "Once I saw her, I was like, 'That's it. I'm doing this.' "

Wassner has been hampered by a hip injury this season and wasn't sure she could complete the running portion of Sunday's race. She told her twin as much on the bus ride to the start of the event.

"I told Laurel, 'Maybe I'll just do the swim and bike,' " Wassner said.

Laurel Wassner didn't believe a word of it.

"I saw it in her eyes yesterday," Laurel said. "It hit me: She's going to win tomorrow. She has an iron will."

Rebeccah Wassner said her hip was bothering her during the running portion of the race but that she pushed through after seeing her younger sister in the crowd.

"That was the point when I said to myself, 'This is what I do,' " said Wassner, who also won $10,000 for finishing first.

Potts said he had about 10 or 12 family and friends in attendance, including the mother of his best friend in second grade in Hershey.

"I recognized her voice," said Potts, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Potts, a former all-American swimmer at the University of Michigan, was in first place after swimming across the Schuylkill.

Cameron Dye, a 27-year-old from Boulder, Colo., who is No. 2 in the Toyota Cup points race, took over the lead during the bike portion, which included a ride across Falls Bridge and up Lemon Hill, but was slowed by a mechanical problem with his bike.

"It wasn't a flat tire, but it's never good to have to stop and get off your bike, especially when you are in the lead," Dye said.

In second at the start of the run, Potts surged in front and pulled away from a group that included second-place finisher Matt Reed (1:46:47) and third-place finisher Greg Bennett (1:48:48). Dye was fourth in 1:48:23.

"I didn't get off good in the swim, but I was happy with the bike and run," said Reed, a 35-year-old who, like Dye, lives in Boulder. "I was happy to finish second. Andy is having such a strong season. He's the man to beat right now."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20110627_Potts_and_Wassner_are_winners_of_2011_Philadelphia_Triathlon.html#ixzz1QTZ1U9xE
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else