In this issue:
IRONMAN Texas Recap
St. Anthony’s Triathlon
A Near Sweep at the White Lake Triathlon
IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast & Chattanooga
Where You Can Find Us
Tucson Camp this Fall
RTS Podcast Highlights
Margarita Ryan Leads the Swim at IRONMAN Texas and Places
Margarita the water cheetah 🐈️ led the swim at IRONMAN Texas, leading out Marta Sanchez and Taylor Knibb three minutes ahead of the next fastest swimmers. When asked how difficult it was to lead out the swim, she said it wasn’t that fast nor hard, “…but because an Ironman is SO long, I try to conserve as much energy as I can during the swim.”
We asked Margarita a few more questions about her RTS debut at IRONMAN Texas, where she later placed 14th.
Do other pros start to recognize you now and swarm you at the race start? I think some people recognized me, but only because I was wearing a special colored cap. I was lucky to find my own space at the swim start and ended up being right by Jackie Hering and Taylor Knibb, not sure if they knew it was me, but it was super nice not being crowded with the majority of the pros.
What was your final swim tuneup workout before the race? Two days before the race we did a short swim, around 1500, with a couple hundreds that were “feel good” pace.
Do you make sure you know the swim course because you know you'll be leading it? I try to know the swim course, but during IM Texas my goggles fogged up so badly I couldn’t see that well! I usually know the general flow of the course, but I don’t do any strategizing for the best “line”.
How did the unique canal swim shape your race strategy compared to a traditional open-water course? I thought I would be able to see the other competitors during the out and back section, but I ended up not really noticing anyone. That type of course is really beneficial mentally to be able to split up the swim into three parts, especially because you aren’t wearing a watch so you have no idea how long you have been swimming!
A lot of athletes dealt with punctures on the bike. How did you prepare for mechanical risk, and did anything unexpected happen out there for you? I was very unprepared for a mechanical so I’m lucky that I didn’t get one. I did get a penalty for unintentional littering when my water bottles flew off the back.
Our other RTS lady professional was Kate Curran, who placed 9th despite feeling like she was “stuck in second gear all day.” While she was grateful to not get any punctures that rattled a lot of pros that day, she felt like all power left her legs after 40K, which is “not fun when you still have 140K to go!” Somehow, a “banging a bongo drum in Hippy Hollow” made her smile still.
Kate on one of the random grassy knolls of the IMTX run.
While David Reynolds and Nick Chase had tough days that forced them to DNF, RTS’s Luke Jones did not have an easy day either. In his second ironman ever en route to 35th place, he sustained a puncture on the bike and was left riding solo on a “cheap wheel.” Once on the run, he was “looking for a place to puke the first lap and when I ran into the neighborhood, I thought, ‘well I certainly can’t spew gels over these beautiful lawns.’”
IRONMAN Texas YouTube
St. Annie’s Triathlon
After battling back injury after foot injury, Annie Fuller won the St. Anthony’s triathlon, the last remaining non-draft Olympic-distance pro race in the US. She discusses her $10,000-earning win more on the Real Triathlon Podcast on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Marc placed a hard-fought third in his 5th St. Anthony’s in 1:45:23, with the fastest T1 (fun fact: Annie’s T1 was almost as fast as Marc’s, in 47 seconds vs Marc’s 45 seconds!) and the second fastest swim. Full results here.
Dominika Jamnicky and Danae Morris placed 8th and 9th, respectively, while Kelsey Barnholt placed 11th. This was Annie and Domi’s second St. Anthony’s race, Marc’s 5th, and everyone else’s first!
Annie finished in 1:57:16 to earn the win and the deposit on a wedding venue👰
RTS Athlete | How did your race go, like a caveman? |
|---|---|
Annie | Race was good, me very hot on run |
Chas | Me race fun |
Danae | Me no satisfied with race. Me hungry for more! |
Domi | Me chase fast women, grunt hard, take 8th, steal shiny coin. |
Emma | Not as expected. Back hurt on bike :( |
Kelsey | Me slow swimmer. Me suffer greatly. Me no quit. |
Marc | Bittersweet but a podium on an off feeling day, |
A Near Sweep at the White Lake 70.3 42.3
The most aero-mantic couple award goes to Margarita Ryan and Luke Jones for winning the White Lake 70.3 42.3. Burdened with rain and cold, the White Lake bike course was halved to prevent the athletes from getting too cold on an unseasonably cold North Carolina spring day on May 2. The women’s podium was almost a clean RTS sweep, with Dominika Jamnicky placing 2nd and Danae Morris placing 4th.
Watt a power couple! 💘
Danae and Domi for double the fun, half the bike!
Gulf Coast 70.3
Marc Dubrick placed 3rd at the IRONMAN Gulf Coast 70.3 (69.5)! In a “most complete performance in an incomplete race” (the swim was shortened to just SEVEN MINUTES), Marc biked and ran to a third to secure not just his 9th career podium, but also a slot to IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds. A hit out of the park for Marc the🦈!! Marc wrote more about his race here.
Chattanooga 70.3
“There’s a reason this is one of my favorite events. From the lovely community, epic venue and ultimate confidence on this course, I couldn’t be happier with my day.” Nick said after his 11th place on May 17. Amanda Macuiba was 12th with a bike power PR & an alligator-free swim, and Kelsey Barnholt was 20th followed by Shyanne McGregor in 21st.
RTS Custom Bambu Werx Store
For your feet and for your head, our friends at Bambu Werx have socks and hats for you!
Tucson Camp in October
Train in one of the world’s country’s premier triathlon destinations with a focused five-day camp in Tucson featuring coached swims at Aquabear Swim Club, iconic rides like Mount Lemmon, and hands-on support from pro triathletes like Annie Fuller and other RTS athletes to be announced.
Designed for motivated age groupers and pros alike, the camp combines high-quality training, expert learning sessions, on-road support, and a welcoming endurance community. If you’re looking to build fitness, gain confidence, and immerse yourself in a memorable week of desert training, this is the perfect late-season reset and performance boost.
Join RTS Racing to get the invite to our webinars - you’ll also be entered for big giveaways, insider discounts, group chat access, pod shout-outs, and merch perks!
Where You Can Find Us
June 14 | June 21 |
|---|---|
Happy Valley 70.3: Marc Dubrick, Tom Robey, Luke Jones, David Reynolds | Mont Tremblant 70.3: Jackson Laundry, Lisa Becharas, Annie Fuller, Amanda Macuiba, Danae Morris, Luke Jones, Margarita Ryan, Emma Skaug IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore: Kate Curran |
RTS Media of the Month
Some might say this was lip-synched. (Editor note: The preview is not working for reels, but this is worth clicking on!)
Instagram post
The Real Triathlon Podcast
Recent episodes of the Real Triathlon Podcast:
April 19: The Middle-Class Pro: Prize Money, Injuries, & Who Gets Paid in Triathlon on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
April 25: IRONMAN Texas, The Best Olympic Tri in North America And…Farts on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
May 3: Pure Tenacity & Never Quit; Annie Fuller WINS BIG on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
May 8: Before You Even THINK About Going “PRO” as a Triathlete on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
May 18: What Triathletes REALLY Talk About Off Course on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
Partner Discounts & Webinars
Join RTS Racing for all-access to the discount codes and monthly webinars!
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