Athletes at Altitude: Colorado Pros Hit the Races
Don and Collington go 1-2 in Monterrey

Athletes at Altitude: Colorado Pros Hit the Races

Don Dominates in Monterrey

It was a fast and furious day at IRONMAN 70.3 Monterrey and leading the charge for most of the way was Boulderite Tim Don. Don, who finished third in the 2014 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, showed up with his quick swim and bike and absolutely blazing run speed. On this day, Don did not have to come behind to take the win on the run, but turned in a dominating half marathon time of 1:12:43, which was the fastest run time of the day by over two minutes.

Don and Collington go 1-2 in Monterrey
Don and Collington go 1-2 in Monterrey

Joining Don in Mexico on race day were fellow Boulderites Kevin Collington, Richie Cunningham and Drew Scott, who came out of the water with Don, just less than a minute down from the leader, and former IRONMAN World champion, Faris Al-Sultan.

“I had a good swim coming out in the lead group then Kempy, Kevin, and I opened up a gap on the rest of the field on the bike,” Don said.

Eventually Don pulled away slightly and came into transition in the lead after a solid 2:04:22 ride. Unfortunately for Scott, he did not finish the bike due to a day-ending crash.

Don mentioned that the “wet and chilly conditions made for a tough day for everyone as they rode and ran on the cobbles.”

Collington’s exceptionally quick 23:04 swim and 2:04:50 bike kept him on Don’s heels. Cunningham had a stellar bike time of 2:04:46 and was in the chase for the lead on the run.

Don had some company during the first half of the run in the eventual second and third place finishers Kevin Collington and Mauricio Cruz.

“I held on to my small lead to T2 and just got in my groove on the run and built my pace on the second lap,” Don added. He turned on the jets for the second half of the run and won with a time of 3:42:49, a convincing 3 minute plus win.

Collington used his 1:14:59 run to capture second place. Cunningham came in with an impressive fourth place and a solid run time of 1:15:35.

“It’s always nice to go back to a race you have done well in before, even with the extra pressure. The course is unique with a point to point swim in a man-made river that is crystal clear and chlorinated,” stated Don. “Overall, I was happy with my first 70.3 for 2015 with three weeks until my first big test, the Latin American champs in Brazil!”

I am sure everyone will be preparing to face Don and his speed in Brazil, and we will definitely be cheering him on!

Although the Colorado-based men impressed in Monterrey, Boulderite Lauren Goss was forced to drop out of the race due to illness. But we are sure she’ll be back in full force very soon.

Leiferman, Griesbauer Grab Second Place Finishes in Puerto Rico

Dede Griesbauer wasted no time turning on the speed with her 26:33 swim time in IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Rico. Griesbauer, who won IRONMAN Taiwan 70.3 not too long ago, is no stranger to what it takes to get on the podium at the half distance. And she left it all out there last Sunday.

A Siri Lindley-coached athlete, Griesbauer showed her toughness as she battled to stay within striking distance of winner Sarah Haskins, who impressed in her first 70.3 race. Griesbauer turned in a solid bike of 2:22:27 and run of 1:34:34 to solidify her second place spot by over three minutes.

The Colorado men also had an exciting day out on Puerto Rico’s course with Chris Leiferman taking an impressive second place, Matt Russell finishing fifth, Justin Daerr sixth, Patrick Evoe ninth, and A.J. Baucco in eighteenth.

Chris Leiferman
Chris Leiferman at IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Rico

The men had a tough day catching winner Igor Amorelli, but it was Leiferman who was able to hang on with an impressive overall day in each of the three disciplines.

Also putting out solid efforts in all three events was Matt Russell who also had a stellar bike time of 2:08:17. Finishing a minute back was Daerr who had one of the fastest swim times of the day with a 26:04.

According to Daerr, “it was a race of ups and downs for me, but I am happy with sixth place.” Daerr will be eying IRONMAN Texas, a race where he is no stranger and has had much success.

Although Evoe, who came off the bike in third, did not have the run he had hoped for, he did turn in the second fastest bike time of the day with a 2:07:54.

“I am happy with my swim, and definitely my biking today, but I just didn’t have it on the run. It’s a long season so I will definitely go back and evaluate my run training and go from there,” Evoe said.

Knowing Baucco’s abilities, he didn’t have a typical race day, but it’s only the beginning of the season and we know he will be out for redemption in his next race. It’s only the start of the racing season and our Colorado pros are making their presence known. We’ll be watching!

Findlay Kicks of Season at Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival

Paula Findlay before the Mooloolaba ITU World Cup  Race
Paula Findlay before the Mooloolaba ITU World Cup Race

ITU athlete, and 2012 Olympian, Paula Findlay kicked off her season in the Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival in Queensland, Australia.

Findlay, who trains in Boulder much of the year with the Queen of Coaches, Siri Lindley, took her athleticism out to compete and finished a solid eleventh in a tough field.

For Findlay, this is just the beginning of a long, and most likely, successful racing season. We cannot wait to see what Findlay can do!

Megan Evoe

When she isn’t writing about the exploits of Colorado’s pro triathletes, Megan Evoe works with student-athletes at the University of Colorado as a Learning Specialist. Before coming to Boulder, Megan spent a decade teaching in Illinois and Texas while coaching soccer and cross country. Her passion for athletics stems from her collegiate days of playing soccer at Illinois State University where she twice earned All-Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Team honors. She holds a BA in English and Kinesiology, as well as an MA in Education. She has run over 20 marathons, including the Boston Marathon six times and an ultra-marathon, and has completed five triathlons, including IRONMAN 70.3 Austin. The sport of triathlon has brought many valuable pieces to Megan’s life, such as traveling, great friends, and an appetite for competition. Megan is married to professional triathlete Patrick Evoe.