Beth Shutt, Age Group Triathlete

Latest news:

8/4/08 The Steelhead 70.3 was this past Saturday and it did not go too well! I had my first ever DNF in a triathlon! The race was changed to a duathlon after the swim was cancelled due to large waves and chop in Lake Michigan. The first portion of the race was a 2 mile run followed by a (slightly) shortened bike (~54-55 miles) and then the half marathon. I successfully got through the first run, the bike and a little over 5 miles of the 2nd run before I succumbed to utter physical depletion! I learned a lot through the experience however and although I won't get another chance to try the half IM distance this year I will use all my new found knowledge early next season! My next race will be an all-women sprint triathlon in Charlotte, NC in September!

7/21/08 We survived NYC! And we really had a lot of fun! The NYC Triathlon was yesterday and my goal was to finish in the top 5 for amateur women so I could earn a slot at the US Open Triathlon in Dallas in October. I am happy to report that I finished 3rd and this fall will be visiting Texas for the first time ever! The NYC race was tough and in hot and humid conditions. But I did as best I could and had a PR for the Olympic distance and ran under 40 minutes in the 10K for the first time! Next up is the Steelhead 70.3 in two weeks time!

7/7/08 I have been very busy lately! Last Saturday, June 28th I competed in my first open water swim race. It was a mile long and a lot of fun! I got some great experience swimming hard in open water, siting and swimming in my wetsuit. Next up was a week in Chicago training with some friends. It was great to train with some different people and in different scenary. Now I am at home for a few weeks before my next triathlon in NYC on July 20th.

6/23/08 Yesterday I competed in the Philadelphia Triathlon for the first time. It was a great race! We swam in the Schuylkill River, biked in Fairmount Park and ran along Martin Luther King Boulevard. I had a strong race and finished as the 2nd amateur female, falling just short of the win by 10 seconds! It was another great learning and racing experience and I was pleased with the result! My next triathlon is on July 20th in NYC but my next race is this upcoming Saturday - an open water swim mile! I'm very excited!

6/16/08 I just returned home from a training camp in New Jersey with my coach and some of my teammates! It was a great time and a fantastic learning experience including a lot of swim technique, something I really need help with! We did a fair amount of training, had quite a few lectures and of course had loads of fun! And I never knew New Jersey was so beautiful! I highly recommend any MarkAllenOnline camp (there are several throughout the year in different locations) if you ever get the chance to attend.

6/02/08 I am happy to report that yesterday, at the Black Bear Sprint Triathlon, I earned an invitation to represent Pennsylvania in the Best of the US Amateur Championships! By virtue of my win at Black Bear, I was offered the BOUS slot. The Black Bear race was a great triathlon with a fantastic swim in a clean, clear lake, a challenging bike course that offered up MANY hills, and a scenic run along trails. I highly recommend it! Qualifying for the BOUS race was a big goal of mine this year. Now I will be training hard to ensure that I represent my state well! My next race is June 22 at the Philadelphia Triathlon.