Just to be clear, we did not accidentally re-post our blog from last weekend where Coeur Girls posted amazing results in an Xterra Race, an ITU Race and an Ironman. That being said, wow…what a weekend. Again.
This part does bear repeating. At Coeur we focus on the effort. To us, results are an outcome. The work is the precursor to the outcome. We obsess over the process and we appreciate people who work hard. We also really appreciate “good” people. People who feel a responsibility to make those around them better. People who welcome others into endurance sports. People who embody the value set that Coeur aspires to.
And once again, the good people who honor us by wearing Coeur gear showed us what can happen when you do the work.
Let’s take a trip. Shall we? All the way to Guam. In case you didn’t know, Guam is out in the Pacific and is the largest and most southern of the Mariana Islands. It’s also hot and humid. And only the toughest people go there to race. Tough people like Coeur athletes Renata Bucher and Mieko Carey. They are our Xterra stars and they placed first and second this weekend at the Guam Xterra.
Now Renata has won Guam before but Saturday’s victory was a bit different than her previous wins. An Austrian pro named Carina Wasle had the lead on the run with Mieko in second. Then Renata kicked in the jets and passed Mieko. The race literally went through the jungle and past a waterfall. Somewhere along the way, Renata passed Carina and took the lead. Mieko held on and Coeur had a first and second place!
Renata in the Chinese New Year Kit Celebrating the Win at Xterra Guam
Ok…ready to travel again? Yes? Cool. Next stop Oceanside California for the 70.3. Compared to Guam, the weather at Oceanside was darn near perfect for racing. Coeur had a big contingent at Oceanside including Sarah Cameto, Katie Morse, Amy Yipp, Ashley Paulson, Heather Scott and Katie Cariss. The team was led by Sarah Cameto who dominated with a 4 hour and 41 minute tour de force which put her on top of her age group by almost 20 minutes! We were glued to our computers until the coverage wound down in the early afternoon. Then our thoughts and attention turned south. To Los Cabos.
Katie Morse showing beautiful form in the Foxes Tri Kit
Off we go to Mexico! Conditions at Ironman Los Cabos were expected to be hot and windy. Not great for PR’s but perfect for our two ladies racing – Pro Beth Schutt and age group super star Hailey Manning. Beth and Hailey seem to thrive in conditions that require an inordinate amount of mental toughness and Sunday’s race suited them well. Beth had a good swim and similar to Kim Schwabenbauer at Ironman Melbourne last week, she began to hunt people down on the bike and sealed the deal with her feet. Beth used a 3:14 marathon to run onto the podium and into fourth place! Once Beth was in, we turned 100% of our focus to Hailey. As with so many of the Coeur Girls, Hailey is one of the nicest individuals you can meet. She loves to laugh and is quick to provide encouragement to people just getting into the sport. But don’t let that fool you into thinking she doesn’t want to win. Quite the contrary. Hailey is dedicated and extremely focused. On Sunday in Los Cabos, she put the game face on and kept it on. Her 10 hour 10 minute finish put her in first place in her age group by half an hour and punched her ticket to Kona again!
Hailey in the Checkmate Tri Kit and Super Sherpa Mark (a Cat-1 Racer himself) prior to her Age Group win at IM Los Cabos
Hailey Took the Lead on the Bike and Never Looked Back
Finally, let's head back out to the Pacific and pay a visit to Coeur athlete Laura Sophiea. Laura was the first athlete to lock down a Kona slot and she decided to pay an early visit to Hawaii and race Lavaman where she took second in her age group.
Well…that’s a wrap for this weekend. Congratulations to everyone who raced this weekend. Heart and Courage was displayed in abundance and we’re thrilled to be associated with you all.