Upper St. Clair triathletes put training to work
Lauren Caslin prepares for the cycling portion of the triathlon in the transition zone.
Alexandra Fishell of Upper St. Clair races the bicycle course.
Mahesh Lakshminara closes in on the finish line during the Upper St. Clair Kids Triathlon.
Lauren Opitz powers her way through the 75-yard swim during the triathlon. She finished third among 8-year-old females and sixth in the 7-9 age group.
Anxious to compete are these triathletes, including Ryann and Cameron Grittiths and Alessandro Folino (No. 15) as they await their turn to enter the pool for a 75-yard swim.
Kyra Ralyea discusses strategy before entering the water for the swimming competition of the triathlon.
Ellison Resler tugs on her socks and shoes before she mounts her bike for the cycling portion of the triathlon. She finished second among 8-year-old females and fifth in her age group.
Kelly Prunzik kicks into running gear during the triathlon.
Editor’s note: This is the fifth and final segment in a series highlighting area youth triathlons this summer.
After four weeks of training, young athletes tackled the Upper St. Clair Kids Triathlon held last weekend at the Community and Recreation Center in Boyce-Mayview Park.
“You could see in their eyes how excited they were. The kids who did the training in combination with the triathlon had a lot of confidence,” said Lisa Reutzel, who helped direct the event with Chris Bisiwick. “The kids had the advantage of understanding the race and knowing the course.”
Ally Fishell and Lauren Caslen agreed that they had an edge on the competition because they were among the dozen or so athletes that attended the four-week seminar which included segments on swimming, cycling and running, as well as a practice run on the racecourse.
“The training really helped,” said Ally, who finished eighth in her age group, three slots behind her sister, Jillian. “I knew what was coming in the race and how to run it.”
Because of the training, Lauren added that she was able to transition from event to event easily and was familiar with the course. “The training really helped a lot,” she said.
The pair, along with Mahesh Lakshminara, benefited most from the dissertation on running. While ages 7-9 negotiated a relatively flat course for one-half mile, ages 10-12 completed a hilly one-mile course.
“That quarter-mile hill is so difficult,” said Mahesh. “During the training, we got a feel for what it would be like and how to attack the hill.”
Ally agreed. “The running seminar was most helpful because I swim well and I do well on a bike but I don’t run that much. I learned from the run training. How to have better form and how to run the hill,” she added.
Because she knew how hard the run course would be from having attended the seminar, Lauren did additional training at home in between playing travel basketball and lacrosse. Plus, the 11-year-old daughter of Tim and Michelle Caslin rode her Mongoose bike around the neighborhood.
“Biking is easy for me and I was able to recover on the bike from the swim. I’m not a strong swimmer,” she admitted. “I go to the pool a lot, but I do not do laps.
“But, I ran a lot. Probably that training helped the most. I knew how hard it was and how to run the course; how and when to pick up speed; and how to run uphill and downhill. I knew if I slowed down I wouldn’t be able to go up the hill. I had to keep my speed going down hill to be able to come back up.”
Lauren and the others who attended the training segments were able to come up with strong showings against the competition. In her first-ever triathlon, Lauren finished 44th overall among 96 contestants. She covered the course, which included a 125-yard swim, two-mile bike ride and one-mile run in 29 minutes, 15 seconds and placed 11th in her age division.
“I really think the training helped her,” said Lauren’s mother. “I thought it was important for her to attend (the training) because she had never done a triathlon before.”
While Lauren’s sister, Reilly, 9, is more interested in reading and golf, her younger brother, Quinn, 6, is anxious to compete. He supported his sister in her first competition by cheering her on through each segment of the race.
“We’ll see about Quinn,” said Mrs. Caslin. “He has a whole year to go. You never know what they will be interested in.”
Lauren and Mahesh were interested in their finishes and competing in future events.
“I was pleased with my performance,” Lauren said. “Yes, I would do it again and the training, I think so because it helped me know the course and you knew when to pick up your speed.”
Mahesh’s speed equated to 37th overall. His time of 23 minutes, 17 seconds netted him 18th place among males. “I did better than I expected,” he said. “The training had a lot to do with it. It helped.”
What also helped the competitors was following a pre-race preparation guide. Cari Lackner, the C&RC director of group exercise, distributed the brochure during one of the training sessions. The pamphlet offered tips on hydration and fueling up for the race. Lauren and Ally both followed Lackner’s advice. Lauren consumed a granola bar and drank plenty of water before and after the competition while Ally had three pancakes and water for breakfast.
Regarding the handout, Ally said, “It said to eat before to give you extra energy so I ate a good breakfast. I think it really helped. I felt I had a lot of energy.”
While she plays soccer, lacrosse and ice hockey as well as swims for the Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club, Avery Saba hopes to have the energy to compete at the level her sister does. Sydney Saba, 11, posted the fastest time in the triathlon. She finished in 16:13 ahead of Julia DelliCarri (16:32) and Brock Kitterman (16:41).
Next year, Avery Saba, 9, moves up a division and will have to cover the longer distances. “The running course was easy because it’s flat but eventually I will have to do the hills,” she said. “The swimming and biking is easy but the hard part is the running because it comes last and you are running out of gas. I need to learn to run up and down hills. It’s a struggle to do big, big hills. So, it’s important to train. You can get good by practicing.”
As the community triathlon grows, USC hopes to continue offering the training sessions. Reutzel noted it’s interesting to see where the athletes placed. For example, Freja Kile placed first for her age while Maddy Navarra finished second. Both were top 15 among females. None of the athletes who participated in the training finished lower than 45th overall.
“Actually, we are pleased,” Reutzel said. “No. 1, it was a great weather day but most important, the kids had a great time.”
Avery Saba agreed. “My parents don’t push me. They just say do your best and have fun. I like being with my friends and doing this.”
Visit www.eliterunnersracing.com for complete race results.