Five athletes tell their stories
By Owen Woods | owen@alamosacitizen.com
WE wanted to know about what makes participants in Saturday’s Valley Bottom Rio Trio tick, so we went out and asked them. Here’s what we learned from five of the weekend warriors.
The adventure-style triathlon race in Alamosa features an 8-mile trail bike ride, a 3-mile paddle on the Rio Grande, and a 5k+ run. The race begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the State Avenue bridge.
Aubrey Tamietti
How do you train/prepare for the Rio Trio?
I have never done a triathlon, so my training was mostly running and biking regularly. I also do a lot of yoga to keep my body healthy. I haven’t paddled much this year, so we’ll see how that section goes!
Which leg of the race are you most prepared and excited for?
I am most excited for the biking section. I’m training for a longer mountain bike race, so that should help.
How do you feel about the future of the Valley Bottom Rio Trio races?
I would love to keep participating in this event. The water levels in the Rio Grande River are concerning and I think potentially not being able to use the river for the paddle section showcases the severity of water levels in the valley.
What do you believe is important about community events like these?
I think events like this that get people excited about getting outside and being active is one of the first steps in living a healthier and happier life as well as inspiring people to use the natural resources wisely.
Where are you originally from, and what brought you to participate in the Rio Trio?
I am originally from Arizona, but moved to the area around 5 ½ years ago to work at Southwest Conservation Corps as the youth program manager. I love participating in races and am an active participant in the GenWild Coalition, so this is a great way to get involved in the community.
Emma Reesor
How do you train/prepare for the Rio Trio?
I haven’t had much time to train this year except for a few jogs and bike rides. But I am a mom of a toddler and chasing him around is pretty good endurance training!
Which leg of the race are you most prepared and excited for?
I am most prepared for the biking leg, but most excited for the paddle because I love being on the river.
How do you feel about the future of the Valley Bottom Rio Trio races?
I had so much fun last year, and know the race organizers have worked hard to improve the event and make it better for the community. I look forward to seeing how this continues in future years. Our community is full of awesome people with great ideas, like this race! It’s exciting to see these ideas come to fruition.
What do you believe is important about community events like these?
Rio Trio is special because it brings the community and visitors out to enjoy the Rio Grande and surrounding river corridor. It’s a great way to showcase and celebrate our great trails and boat ramps that the City and partners have worked so hard to build for the community!
Where are you originally from, and what brought you to participate in the Rio Trio?
I am originally from Kansas, but moved to Alamosa in 2013 to work for the Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project, where I fell in love with the Rio Grande and the San Luis Valley. Shortly after that, I fell in love with John Reesor, who is the Rio Trio race director, so I didn’t have much choice in the matter 🙂
Marcos Lobato
How do you train/prepare for the Rio Trio?
Mostly running. I train for trail ultra marathons(distances over 26.2 miles) which keeps me in shape to make the other legs more manageable. Since signing up for the Rio Trio I’ve been riding my bike more and have gotten some practice on the trails created by SLVGO. I also rented a paddle board to get some practice balancing before Saturday’s race.
Which leg of the race are you most prepared and excited for?
I’m most prepared for the run portion of the race. This should be my strongest section. I’m most excited for the bike portion. I’ve been really enjoying riding the hybrid bike I bought from KMS in preparing for the race.
How do you feel about the future of the Valley Bottom Rio Trio races?
I hope the event continues to grow and encourages more people to get out and push themselves. We’re all capable of much more than we realize.
What do you believe is important about community events like these?
It’s always fun to get out and enjoy competing with others. Events like this can promote building an inclusive community for people who enjoy challenging themselves. It is also great for introducing more people to the local trails that SLV GO! has worked hard to cultivate.
Where are you originally from, and what brought you to participate in the Rio Trio?
Alamosa born and raised. A little encouragement from John Reesor got me to sign up. I’m excited to try to push myself in activities I don’t regularly participate in.
Photo by Steven Mortinson
Bethany Howell
How do you train/prepare for the Rio Trio?
We are a family who likes to be outside, so “training” is just doing our normal activities. Morgan is on the SLV Rattlers mountain biking team and has competed in a few races, even taking podium for an Enduro race in Angelfire last year at his second ever race. He has been biking since age 4 and rides regularly with his dad all around the Valley. The front half acre of our yard is a mountain bike mini-course complete with jumps that he and Curt (dad) built. When trails are too muddy, he has a spinner bike in his room so he can ride whenever (it’s very loud so he tries not to do it when we’re all home). He’s seriously half kid, half bike. My daughter Aden is the paddler, although Morgan also enjoys water. Aden definitely knows her way around a canoe. She has her own whitewater canoe named “Carol,” although Carol needs some maintenance and won’t be participating in the race. Aden has paddled on a multi-day Green River trip with her dad and we try to do the Hanna Lane to Del Norte playwave stretch of the Rio Grande a few times each summer. I am not a biker or much of a paddler, although I do love whitewater rafting. So by default I am a runner. I like to run several times a week on the county road by our house (very hilly and high altitude so it’s a challenge) and just did the Run Through Time trail half marathon in Salida in March. I ran cross country throughout high school and got back into it in my 30s, so I’ve had a solid decade of pounding trail or pavement. I am not half the athlete my kids are, so I’m grateful they’re willing to be on a team with me!
Which leg of the race are you most prepared and excited for?
Please see above for preparation – we are ALWAYS prepared for adventure. We’re all excited to try something together. Aden and I have run a couple of races, but nothing like this, with actual teamwork involved.
How do you feel about the future of the Valley Bottom Rio Trio races?
It is incredibly important to support endeavors like this, which are time consuming and can be overwhelming to plan and manage. John and Brian have done an amazing job pulling it together and unless you have managed events, it’s easy to overlook just how many moving pieces are involved. When we moved to the SLV in 2013, there wasn’t anything like this happening. We’ve been honored to be part of the growing momentum of involving the community in adventure recreation and we’re raising our kids to value its importance as well.
What do you believe is important about community events like these?
I would add to my above comments that a community won’t know the value of outdoor adventure or opportunities like this until they exist. We have to keep getting creative and collaborative to find different ways that our community can access the outdoors, and many of us enjoy the thrill of competition just as much as a reflective, quiet hike. Recreation means so many different things to everyone; it’s important to have a balance and variety. Colorado is known for its outdoor lifestyle, and we’re incredibly proud to call it home and know that many others care about making it a fun, sustainable place to live.
Where are you originally from, and what brought you to participate in the Rio Trio?
We are originally from Texas (but definitely not proud of that fact), my husband from Fort Worth and I grew up in the Hill Country near Austin. My kids both were born in Texas, but we moved here when they were 4 and 8 (they’re now 13 and 17). My husband, Curt, owns Mountain Man rafting in South Fork as of this summer and started the Outdoor Education Stewardship major at Adams State, so he’s definitely a major supporter of outdoor adventures. He’s helping out at the race so couldn’t compete anyway.
Joel Nystrom
How do you train/prepare for the Rio Trio?
I actually didn’t train for the Rio Trio at all this year, since I only learned about the race a couple of weeks ago. I fully expect to come in last place!
Which leg of the race are you most prepared and excited for?
I mountain bike pretty regularly on the excellent trails near Monte Vista and Del Norte, so I’m feeling most confident for the biking leg. But I think I’m most excited to get out on the river and paddle around.
How do you feel about the future of the Valley Bottom Rio Trio races?
I love the idea and I think a race like this has lots of staying power. I hope to participate in many more Rio Trios in future years!
What do you believe is important about community events like these?
The more opportunities that Alamosa residents and guests have to enjoy and feel connected to the Rio Grande, the better. It’s such a unique and wonderful natural resource to have in our backyards.
Where are you originally from, and what brought you to participate in the Rio Trio?
We recently moved to Alamosa from the Denver area and are excited to get involved in all of the local events we can. Plus I hear they give us beer after the race!
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