Pro-Triathlete Profile: Kathy Rakel

This week we introduce you to one of our professional women triathletes, USAF 1LT Kathy Rakel! Hopefully some of you will have the chance to meet Kathy this year, because you will quickly find her enthusiasm for life, for triathlon, and for others to be contagious! We're proud to count Kathy among our ranks as she pursues might triathlon goals but also serves her country, full time, as an Air Force Officer.  

 

Name: Kathy Rakel

Nickname: Katch-A

Age: 26

Do you have a Twitter account where people can follow you? A blog? Yes!  Twitter (@kathyrakel), blog (www.kathyrakel.blogspot.com), and on Facebook

Do you have a significant other and kids? single and am patiently waiting to meet the right person

When did you get into triathlon and why? My first triathlon was the summer of 2005.  The challenge of the sport appealed to me.  However, I only began training competitively as a triathlete in the fall of 2007.  I am a former basketball player and golfer!  I also play ping-pongJ

Do you have a favorite race? I haven’t raced enough to have a favorite race!

What is your best race memory? My best race memory is becoming the first woman in the Air Force to win the Armed Forces Triathlon Championship (June 2010).  A close second would be completing Ironman Arizona (April 2007) in 11:46:42.  I was a relatively new triathlete and really had no clue what I was doing, but I loved the challenge and finished!

When you reach the point of the race where you have to dig down deep, what do use as personal motivation? I can’t think much when I’m truly digging deep in a race, so I use strategies my coach teaches me to deal with the pain.  If I am seeking motivation, winning is always a great motivator!

What is your favorite leg of a triathlon and why? Does the finish line count?  This is definitely my favorite part because it feels so rewarding! 

What is your favorite pre-race food? I intentionally don’t let myself have a favorite pre-race food because what if I can’t find it before the race?  But, my normal pre-race breakfast consists of a bagel, powerbar, and a banana.

What is your favorite post-race food? Cold Stone’s Birthday Cake Remix ice cream.  However, I substitute the rainbow sprinkles for cookie dough!

Besides triathlon, what do you do for fun? Triathlon IS my funJ  I also love just relaxing with my friends and family.

Why Team RWB and supporting the military? I love that Team RWB focuses on wounded veterans and endurance events.  In much the same way that I find the sport challenging and the finish line rewarding, I know wounded veterans would feel the same satisfaction, if not more!  They are the true heroes of our nation, and I want to help them in anyway possible! 

Significant Race History/Results:

- 2010 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship (1/23, 2:00:04, first female in the Air Force to claim this title)

- 2010 Ixtapa ITU Triathlon Pan American Cup (7/30, 2:02:52, top-American)

- 2010 Las Vegas Pumpkinman Triathlon (1/106, 2:25:46, new course record)

- 2009 Buffalo Springs Lake Half Ironman (1/25 W25-29, 5:04:23)

- 2008 Best of the US Amateur Triathlete Competition (9/41, 2:23:20)

- 2007 Ironman Arizona (2/23 W25-29, 11:46:42, did this race for fun as a relatively new triathlete, current record holder for the fastest Ironman ever by a female cadet at the US Air Force Academy)

Age Group Triathlete Profile: Aaron Heatherington

This week we will continue to introduce you to members of Team RWB Tri, and we start with one of our first Team RWB Tri members, sometimes guest blogger with race reports, spouse of another Team RWB Triathlete (Tiffany), and part of the crew that will be tackling 140.6 miles at Ironman Arizona in November: meet Aaron Hetherington!

Name:  Aaron Hetherington       

Nickname:   Bubba

2011 USAT Racing Age Group:  35-39

Occupation:   Mechanical Engineer, Johnson Space Center

Hometown:   Houston, Texas

Why Triathlon?  I really like events that have multiple disciplines because it fights the boredom of doing the same thing over and over.   Triathlon is a sport that combines a lot of strategy with physical ability, and each race distance has its own unique challenges.  I also love the fact that you never know if the person that you just passed on the bike is a great runner, so you are always motivated to go harder.  My wife actually started doing them as an adult first and now we are both competing, so it’s something we can enjoy together when we have help watching the kids!

Do you have a favorite race?  So far, the Memorial Hermann Olympic Race in Cypress, Texas.  Not a good course for times, but it had a lot of fan support and the run course was hilarious and keeps your mind off of what you are doing.

What is your best race memory?  Every single time I’ve finished the swim.  Thank God I don’t have to do that anymore!  Now let’s go pass some of these people!

When you reach the point of the race where you have to dig down deep, what do use as personal motivation?  A lot of things.  Mostly I use my old training partner, Bill Jacobsen, who was killed in action in Mosul, Iraq in 2004.  We trained for and ran our first marathon together, and I wear a KIA bracelet in my races and during training because I want to remember that he would love to feel the pain I am feeling and would be right there beside me if he could.  Every step, no matter how hard, is a blessing, and I owe it to my friend to make the most of it.  I also use the old trusty Ranger tab.  Surrender is not a Ranger word, so keep moving and embrace the suck.  Become one with the suck.  And now I use our Team RWB veterans.  I take it seriously that I now represent our organization and those we try to help, so it just won’t do for me to show weakness while I represent the strong.

What is your favorite leg of a triathlon and why?  The bike.  First, it’s not the swim, so that’s good.  It also allows me to use something mechanical, which I love.  If you think about it, the bike is a pretty amazing machine and I love how much effect little changes (like aerobars) can have.  It appeals to my technical side.  I also (at least right now) ride an OLD steel framed bike made by Centurion that I bought used for $100.  It’s called an Ironman Dave Scott edition.  It was state of the art 25 years ago or so.  I love passing people on more expensive bikes, that appeals to my redneck side.

What is your favorite race distance, and why?  I don’t know yet.  So far it is the Olympic because you really start to weed out the individuals just doing something fun on the weekend and get a group that is training for the races, so it makes everything seem faster.  But we’ll see after this year’s 70.3 and Ironman races, maybe those will be my favorite.

Besides triathlon, what do you do for fun?  I play and coach lacrosse and play ice hockey (yes, in Houston), sailing, woodworking, metalworking and I’m building a race car for dirt oval tracks.  Otherwise, whatever the family is doing.

Why Team RWB and supporting our military?  I’m a vet, and want to make sure everyone that serves knows that they will not be left behind by those of us that are not living a war every day.  I know firsthand that getting off the plane on U.S. soil does not mean you are home.  Organizations have been quick to help with mitigating physical wounds, but that neglects a huge number of emotional and psychological wounds.  You can trust me, there are a lot more emotional wounds out there than the general public will ever know.  This organization is genius, yet so simple I wonder why it took so long to realize we needed it. 

Any other fun tidbits you’d like the team to know?   I applied to be an astronaut; I didn’t get selected.  Since Tiffany and I have started doing triathlon, our oldest daughter, who is three, has started doing ‘triaflons’ in our driveway.  Her’s consist of riding a lap around my truck on her princess bike with training wheels and then getting off and jogging about 5 steps, no swimming involved yet.  But she won’t do it unless you say “Ready, set, GO!”   

Planned 2011 Races:

Galveston 70.3

Ironman Arizona

Various Sprint and Olympic races around Houston

Pro-Triathlete Profile: Derek Oskutis

Happy New Year Team RWB Triathlon!  

To kick off the New Year, we are going to introduce you to members of the team, both our pro-triathletes and our age group triathletes! Team RWB is about community, and so this is part of how we will get to know each other.  There will be, at least, weekly updates and you can expect your monthly newsletter around the middle of each month! Let's make 2011 AMAZING!

 US Navy Ensign Derek Oskutis, World Class Athlete Program and Professional Triathlete

Athlete Name: Derek Oskutis

Nickname:  Big D, Scooter, Tridactyl

Age: 24

Blog:http://web.me.com/derekoskutis 

Twitter: @derekoskutis

Significant other and kids? Nope! But moving to San Diego soon… ladies?

When did you get into triathlon and why? I got into triathlons when I was 13 years old. Coming from Pennsylvania, I’ve always been around remarkable athletes and a booming athletic community. I heard of triathlons through a few athletes in the area and decided to give it a try for fun. I ended up walking the run but it was a blast. I didn’t get into them again until I was about half way through high school.

Do you have a favorite race? My favorite race location is Tuscaloosa, Al. I raced there multiple times for Collegiate and Elite Nationals. I don’t think there could be a more ‘balanced’ race course.

What is your best race memory? Best memory hands down is leading the United States Naval Academy Triathlon Team to their 4^th National Championship victory in 2009. So much went into that win for the team and the feeling of all the hard work paying off was very rewarding.

When you reach the point of the race where you have to dig down deep, what do use as personal motivation? I reflect back on all the hardships that I’ve gone through. From all the things I’ve been able to do with the Navy and my family, it gives me confidence to push harder and harder.

What is your favorite leg of a triathlon and why? Does the bar afterwards count?

What is your favorite pre-race food?  I love my pasta the night before. Can’t beat Vanilla Gu right before the start either!

What is your favorite post-race food?  Anything in very large quantities.

Besides triathlon, what do you do for fun?  I love hanging out with friends and seeing where the night goes. I’m always trying improve my cooking skills and enjoy pretty much anything outdoors. Can’t wait for my next snowboarding vacation.

Why Team RWB and supporting the military? As an EOD Officer and professional triathlete, I want to use both of these professions together to help represent and bring awareness to the military, specifically the EOD community. The EOD techs, no matter what branch, are some of the brightest sailors and solders our country has and everyday they sacrifice more than their fair share for our freedoms. With Team RWB, I hope to represent them and the rest of the military heroes through my racing.

Significant Race History/Results:

Professional Triathlete

USAT Project 2016 Team Member

Represented USA 3 times on an U23 or Elite Worlds Team

2x Collegiate Nationals Champion

#1 undergrad at Collegiate Nationals

Podiumed 3x at U23 Nationals

Dec Newsletter

Checkout our December newsletter!
DECEMBER TRI NEWSLETTER (<--click here)
2011 is going to be a phenomenal year with athletes racing all over the US and even internationally! We currently have athletes from Afghanistan to the UK to the Pacific Northwest to SoCal, and to the snowy Mid-west and Texas and Florida, to name a few!  Invite your friends and tell your family that you've joined this unique community!
Highlight previews for 2011-

• Weekly blog posts with interviews from Team RWB Pro-Triathletes, Age Groupers, and more!
• Race Reports
• Training tips
• Team uniforms
• Team racing events, tailgates, and tournaments
• LOTS OF AWARENESS AND FUNDS RAISED IN HONOR OF OUR WOUNDED VETS! 

 Want to know about what Team RWB has been up to in 2010?
Here is an example:
Team RWB Army/Navy Tailgate

and check out Team RWB on Facebook

and Team RWB Triathlon on Facebook:

And follow Team RWB on Twitter at @TeamRWB and Team RWB Tri at @TeamRWBTri

Happy Holidays! Get ready to train and race for heroes in 2011!

Team RWB Woodlands 10K

Happy Veteran's Day to those whose served and continue to serve! This is the time of year that we celebrate the service and sacrifices of so many, and it's fitting for athletes to do so by helping to raise money for Team RWB. Chris did that for us in Houston this year by organizing a 10k run in the Woodlands. Tiffany and I were able to participate in the race along with 186 other runners, and it was great to see so many people walking around sporting Team RWB shirts and gear. We had all ages and types of athletes, including a 16 year old race winner and one age group winner who wasn't at the awards ceremony because he was still out running additional mileage for training. The race was really well done for it's size, kudos to those who set it up and volunteered. The only part that didn't cooperate was the weather. It was windy and raining on and off with temperatures in the high 50s. But most folks were prepared and we really only had one cold shower while in line for the packet pickup. The course wound it's way through several neighborhoods, and had one waterway crossing with some stairs and a couple of wet grass inclines, I love the unexpected diversions. Our finishes were good as we prepare for the 1/2 marathon in Memphis in a couple of weeks. I already did my long run this week, so I was able to push and finish in 46:01. I had a nice battle with a 22 year old soldier over the last mile that ended with him beating me by one step. If I have to lose, at least I pushed a soldier just a little harder for a bit. Tiff had a long run on Sunday, so she had to take it easy and finished in 58:02. But she found a fellow Auburn fan to run with and had a great time. But the run was really less than half the enjoyment. Seeing folks come out and support our organization and veterans in general makes us proud of our city and hopeful for great things to come for Team RWB.

Why Should We CHOOSE to Suffer?

Triathlon and endurance sports in general often require us to push our limits, or more realistically, challenge us to find our limits. I’m convinced, more and more, that most of us have no idea what our actual physical limits are.  That is one of the things I love most about triathlon. I love surprising myself.  However, that surprise doesn’t come easily, and typically requires just as much mental fortitude as it does physical fortitude.  I have learned more and more that I must be willing to suffer in my training.  What is suffering? The dictionary describes “to suffer” as to submit to or be forced to endure or to feel keenly or labor under.  What a perfect description of what it takes to be a successful triathlete: we must submit to and endure and labor under the rigors of hours upon hours of physically stressing our bodies in order to achieve our goals.  What is unique is that we CHOOSE to suffer, and that we must FORCE ourselves to endure. Regardless of how fast or slow we might be in comparison to the rest of the field, each person must finish the race on their own. Each person has their own motivations. Each person must CHOOSE to endure and suffer until the end.

On 18 Sept ’10  I raced the San Diego Tri Classic Olympic triathlon.  My swim was just average, or less than, for me.   But I was excited to hit the bike and ride hard on my new tri-bike.  But, just 4-miles into the bike I found myself in a situation I’d never encountered: I wiped out. Pavement was slick, I was in aero, attempted to not run over a GU packet dropped by someone in front of me, but hit that packet just right.  Next thing I knew my right side was sliding across the asphalt and I was donating skin to San Diego.  Once I stopped and could get up, I checked the bike and found it’s okay. Nothing seemed broken on me, and I then had to choose. I knew I was bleeding, I knew I had road rash, my right hip hurt but otherwise I was okay, just shaken.  The competitive part of me knew the race had just become a “just finish” one for me. I don’t like that. I had a perfectly good reason to DNF right then and there. But I was wearing my Team RWB Tri Top (old version—don’t worry, new ones to come!) and I knew I was going to finish.  I had some scratches and bruises. Big deal. The wounded vets that Team RWB supports have to deal with so much more.  As a Team RWB Triathlete, I decided quitting wasn’t an option for me.  I would finish.  And I did.  The bike finished okay, but I was sore, and come the run, I just kept moving. I hadn’t really looked at all my wounds and knew that my right side was pretty banged up. I got some funny comments on the run about it being “hard core” to finish. My response—“it’s only a flesh wound” and really, that’s all it was.   

Here, 3 weeks later, it’s almost all but healed up.  Our wounded vets deal with so much more than that.  Did I suffer for a couple of hours out there that day? Sure, I “suffered” a little bit, but I did it by choice. And I will continue to train and race at efforts that find me “suffering” and when I reach those suffering points, I’ll remember that it’s only momentary suffering that comes to a victorious result when I cross that finish line. I know my suffering will end.  I choose my suffer. Our wounded vets, while clearly volunteering to serve their country, and in so doing wrote a blank check to the USA, didn’t intentionally seek out being wounded. The results of their wounds don’t magically end at a finish line where beer and pizza awaits them.  So, remember that when you are out there in your training and racing.  When you reach your suffer points EMBRACE them because they will make you stronger, faster, and mentally tough.  You will represent yourself and Team RWB well. The suffer moments will make you a better Triathlete, and they are a way for you to embrace the Team RWB motto “It’s Our Turn.” Go on out and suffer Team RWB Tri—“It’s Our Turn!”  

~Brittany

Race Report - Houston Cypress Olympic 2010

Hello all,
My name is Aaron. My wife Tiffany and I are new members of Team RWB, and we are proud to be a part of it. Having served in the Army and completed a few deployments, I know what it is like to come back to a strange world called 'home,' and Tiffany knows what it is like to have to help her husband readjust to a life that should be so familiar even as she readjusts to having him back. As any who have deployed know, stepping off the plane does not mean you are home. That is the source of our commitment.
So apart from a brief introduction, the purpose of this post is to report on the race we just ran, our last for 2010. It was the Memorial Hermann Houston Triathlon in Cypress. The name is a bit confusing, but this is not the longer-running spring 1/2-Iron race in Galveston. This was a really fun race, but the course is not really conducive to personal bests! The swim is in a freshwater retention/drainage pond (sounds worse than it is) and is a two-lap course. The buoys are huge and easy to spot, so it was a good race for beginners (like us). It was strange swimming two laps for a shorter distance swim, but I think it was good training for longer races. Two notes for any other beginners: 1) It is not going to be easy to walk at first, so prepare yourself and 2) Really? A water stop halfway through the swim? Thirst and dry mouth are not issues at that point for me, how about a towel and oxygen? Ok, back to the point.
The swim is about 1/3 mile from the transition area, so everyone's T1 times are ridiculous! However, us slow swimmers who are good runners appreciate the chance to make up a few seconds here. They laid cushy carpet over the street to save our feet, and it wasn't bad at all. Since my wave was second and Tiffany was almost last, I was about to exit the swim when she started her race, which was about the only way I was going to beat her out of the water. Small victory #1.
We had the bittersweet experience of having a cold front pass over during the race, so there was a wicked headwind (18-20mph) for a lot of the bike, but it kept the sky overcast and temperature down for the run. The bike is a modified two lapper that is out and back. You turn around for the second lap well before you get back to transition, so you really have no idea how it is going race-wise, there are just people everywhere going all different speeds, particularly with that wind. Tiff saw me turn around on my second lap as she was on her first, but I missed her. She was not able to catch me (small victory #2). We both appreciated our new aerobars and drink bottles into that headwind, it really helped to get small.
T2 was uneventful, we had some of the best spots in the area because there was a water station near the rows, so we didn't have any congestion and we were very central and easy to find from all the entries and exits. There was a bit of a run from the mount/dismount line into the transition area for this size race, but that was forced by the layout in a parking lot. They did a great job of carpeting it to save our feet (and overall, this race was very well equipped and run).
The run was really nice because it winds through trails on a college campus and around a neighborhood lake and then actually loops through a football stadium (and up and down it's ramps to the upper level) after mile 4, pretty neat. It was not the boring, hot out and back on a street that many races are. The neighborhood part had all sorts of people out in their backyards cheering and there was a good crowd near the start and finish, that always helps. Again, maybe not the best for all out speed, but it was much more distracting and pleasant than most runs.
We certainly didn't threaten to win at just under 3 hours, but I managed to go a couple of minutes faster than my first Olympic distance race even with the long swim exit run and the headwind, so we're going the right way. Tiffany finished about 3 minutes slower than me, which is awesome for her first Olympic distance(but I still count it as small victory #3). She actually threatened for a top-10 finish in her age group, but just barely got beat in the sprint at the end. It is going to be an interesting competition between us, she is very talented and I hate to lose. We were both sore in our glutes, which we attribute to the fact that we haven't had aerobars for very long and we were pushing against that headwind in a lower position.
The race is well organized and has a small expo area at the finish line, so that might be a good one to set up a tent and have some supporters around to spread the word about Team RWB in future races. I think we'll be back for this one in the future.
As I said, our season is over for this year. We are taking a week or so 'off' and then preparing for two 1/2 marathons over the winter, St. Jude in Memphis and the Houston in February (?). Our plan is to race the 1/2 Iron in Galveston next spring and we are discussing whether one of us can make the Arizona Ironman with the rest of y'all. There is also talk of a new 1/2 Iron in Kerrville next summer. If you've never been, that is a beautiful area in the Texas Hill Country. Oh, and I'm off to register for the 10k in the Woodlands now, so hopefully we'll see some of you there!