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LVTC Happenings!
A monthly report of events and resources for our passionate, growing local multisport community.
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The Season Has Begun!
Welcome to the April edition of the Las Vegas Triathlon Club Newsletter! We’ve officially kicked off our 2025 race season, and there’s so much to share this month.
In this issue:
Coach Hilary Mauch gives us wisdom on what comes after the first race - and how we can grow from it.
Bob Gamble reminds our new triathletes (and seasoned ones!) that mistakes are just learnings in disguise.
Frederica Roldan, our Stronger Together spotlight, shares how she transitioned from racing to volunteering - and how powerful it is to be the calm in someone else’s storm.
Tedd Girouard talks about what the first big race of the season taught him, and why outdoor training still matters in our tech-savvy world.
John Mercer highlights the kickoff of the 2025 racing season, emphasizing community spirit, personal growth, and the diverse ways members contribute to the club. He encourages athletes to celebrate their achievements, reflect positively after races, and recognize the importance of supporting each other within the LVTC community.
We’ve also linked to a new Evidence-Based Triathlete video on training distribution, shared race dates, membership details, and news about our Legacy Scholarship that continues to honor the spirit of TEAMG.
As always, we appreciate each and every one of you for making this such a unique and supportive triathlon community. Whether you're gearing up for your next event, helping at a clinic, or cheering from the sidelines—you're a vital part of our LVTriFamily.
Enjoy the read!
#strongertogether #fearless #lvtrifamily #enjoythejourney #thrive #thatsthevegasway
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Club Hashtags
Use these hashtags in your social media posts to help share the Las Vegas Triathlon Club themes and highlight our endurance community culture:
#strongertogether – This theme reflects the essence of our triathlon community: achieving more through unity, supporting one another, and celebrating the shared journey of multisport life.
#fearless – This represents the beauty of taking on challenges of multisport and enjoying the rewards!
#thatsthevegasway – We made this theme as a way to point out the things that members do (e.g., loaning bikes, helping others, ...) that promote our club culture.
#enjoythejourney – This theme was selected to emphasize the importance of enjoying training and the overall process of preparing for an event/race.
#lvtrifamily – This theme was to emphasize the importance of our endurance community and to recognize that, even though triathlon is an individual sport, we never do this alone!
#thrive – This was our 2023 theme that was selected to emphasize that triathlon should bring value to all aspects of our lives.
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Sponsors
The Las Vegas Triathlon Club is a 501c(3) organization that is 100% operated by volunteers. Our annual operating budget is about $10,000-$12,000. Sponsorships are incredibly helpful for us to meet cover our operating costs and keep membership prices reasonable. You can read more about sponsorships HERE:
A huge thank you to each of our 2025 Sprint Level Sponsors!
- CORE Mental Health Services
- Elevate Sports Performance & Healthcare
- Elevation Physical Therapy
- Respect The Distance Coaching
- UNLV Kinesiology & Nutrition Sciences
- UNLV SPEED Lab
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Las Vegas Triathlon Club Event #1
Great seeing everyone over the weekend at our Las Vegas Triathlon Club Event #1!
Congratulations to all of you who were part of the event today - crisp (and clear) water, moderate winds on the bike, and comfortable temperature on the run ... great weather conditions!
Here are the full results: Club Event #1 Results
And congratulations to our top three females:
- Vanessa Cook
- Melissa Olivas
- Jolene Mitchell
And our top three males:
- Tedd Girouard
- Kamil Dušejovský
- John Contardi
Fantastic to see so many first time triathletes too!
A special shout out to our volunteers - #strongertogether ... we have such a supportive endurance community!
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2025 Membership
Joining the Las Vegas Triathlon Club (LVTC) offers a wealth of benefits designed to enhance your triathlon experience, regardless of your skill level. Our membership options are tailored to meet diverse needs, providing exceptional value through exclusive events, training opportunities, and community engagement.
Membership Benefits:
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Exclusive Club Events: Members enjoy access to four complimentary races at Lake Mead throughout the year, including one Aquabike and three Triathlons. These events foster a supportive environment for both newcomers and seasoned athletes.
Our multi-sports events are typically between 50 and 75 athletes. We are not ‘… just another triathlon.’ Instead, we have a great ‘grassroots’ feel to our events during which members can get to know members.
All levels of athletes are welcome at our events. We have athletes completing their first event and have even had professional triathletes in our events!
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Training and Social Opportunities: Participate in various triathlon programs, skill clinics, and group training sessions. Our summer open water swim workouts at Boulder Beach in Lake Mead are particularly popular, offering both training and socializing opportunities.
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Club Merchandise: Purchase club-branded gear to showcase your LVTC pride during training and events.
Membership Options:
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Single Membership: At $75 per year, this membership includes all the benefits listed above.
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Family Membership: Priced at $95 per year, this option extends all single membership benefits to up to four immediate family members residing in the same household, making it a great value for families.
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Student Membership: Full-time students can join for $40 per year, receiving the same comprehensive benefits as single members at a reduced rate.
Additionally, for those interested in race timing, LVTC offers timing chips for purchase. Once acquired, the chip is yours to keep for all future club races, ensuring accurate race timing and personal record tracking.
By becoming a member of LVTC, you're not just joining a club—you're becoming part of a vibrant community that supports and celebrates each athlete's journey in the sport of triathlon.
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Las Vegas Triathlon Club Events
Save the dates! The tentative dates for the 2025 season are as follows (membership is required for each event):
| | | 4/26/25 | Saturday | RESULTS | | 6/15/25 | Sunday | Sprint Triathlon
Swim 750m; Bike 20km; Run 5km | | 7/12/25 | Saturday | Aquabike
Swim 750m; Bike 20km | | 8/10/25 | Sunday | NEW EVENT!
2X Super Sprint Triathlon
Swim 300m, Bike 4km, Run 1.6km, Swim 300m, Bike 4km, Run 1.6km
YES! 2X Super Sprint!! | | | |
We’ll post more information about each of these … and watch for more events!
You can view the calendar of events at this link:
Las Vegas Triathlon Club Calendar
Continue to check our Facebook Group for other happenings in our endurance community.
Here are the results of our 2024 events:
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Socials/Training Events/Education
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Check out and subscribe to our calendar feature (a continuing work-in-progress):
Las Vegas Triathlon Club Calendar
Here are the tentative dates for our 2025 Club events (we are submitting permit requests for these dates):
- 4/26/25: Saturday - Sprint Triathlon
- RESULTS
- 6/15/25: Sunday - Sprint Triathlon
- Registration opens May 1st
- 7/12/25: Saturday - Aquabike
- Registration opens June 1st
- 8/10/25: Sunday - 2X Super Sprint Tri
- Registration opens July 1st
Sprint Triathlon: Swim 750m; Bike 20km; Run 5km.
Aquabike: Swim 750m; Bike 20km.
2X Super Sprint Triathlon: Swim 300m, Bike 4km, Run 1.6km, Swim 300m, Bike 4km, Run 1.6km.
Continue to check our Facebook Group for any additional get-togethers that may be happening, and for locals who are training in town or down at Lake Mead. Post your workouts!
Thanks everyone!
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Coach's Corner:
The Real Test Comes After the First Race
Whether you just crossed your very first finish line or you’ve been around the transition area a few (dozen) times, that first race of the season always teaches us something. It's the season opener—the exam you may or may not have studied for, but you showed up anyway.
The unique thing about this first race is that it comes with a big, chaotic mix of energy: excitement, nerves, hope, and maybe even a splash of "let's just survive this." Some athletes enter with no expectations because it’s all brand new. Others, even veterans, show up with high expectations only to realize... oops, racing after an off-season is a little different than we remembered.
But now that race #1 is in the books—whether it was a PR, a struggle-fest, or somewhere in between—the real coaching moment begins: reflection and preparation for what’s next.
Here are a few race-season truths from the School of Swim-Bike-Run:
1. Your second race might be harder—but that's not a bad thing.
Now that you know what to expect, there’s pressure to perform. You might set higher goals, but with that comes more self-scrutiny. Don’t let that stop you—let it guide you.
2. Different race, different rules.
Your next race might have a hilly bike course, choppy water, or sweltering heat. So instead of only asking “How can I do better than race #1?” ask, “How do I adapt for this new challenge?”
3. Review your race like a coach would.
Did you go out too fast? Did your nutrition plan hold up? Was your transition area a hot mess? These are teachable moments, not failures. Learn, adjust, and move forward.
4. Consistency always beats perfection.
One race won’t define your season. But learning from each one? That will.
So as you gear up for race number two (or five), don’t get caught chasing perfection. Chase progress. Each race is a quiz. Every start line gives you a new chance to apply what you’ve learned, adapt, and level up.
After all, we’re all students in this sport—even the coaches.
~Hilary Mauch
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Have you met these Coaches?
Triathlon race season is here. Do you have a coach? Are you looking for one? Well, the Las Vegas Triathlon Club is going to try to help make some connections.
Earlier this year, we sent out a google form to try to capture our local coaching expertise. We had a number of coaches (all are members of Las Vegas Triathlon Club) respond and we have featured them on this webpage:
Las Vegas Triathlon Club Coaches
We are going to continue to highlight coaches on our web page – if you would like to be part of that, please fill out this form.
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Prez Corner:
Racing, Reflecting, and Belonging
April marks the start of our 2025 club racing season—and what a fantastic way to kick things off at Lake Mead! It’s always inspiring to see new athletes take on their first triathlon, familiar faces returning from winter training, and volunteers coming together to make the day run smoothly. That energy—it’s what makes our community so special.
One of the most meaningful things about our club is the variety of ways you can be involved. Maybe you’re chasing a personal best, aiming for a podium, working toward a world championship, or simply racing for the love of the sport. Or maybe, like many of our amazing volunteers, you find joy in helping others on their journey. That’s the beauty of triathlon—it’s not one-size-fits-all. There’s no single path to success, and no one definition of what it means to be a triathlete.
What really matters is that we keep showing up—for ourselves, for each other, and for the community we’ve built together.
By the time you're reading this, you’ve likely completed your first race of the season. Each event offers an opportunity to reflect, adapt, and grow. Maybe you walk away with a new training insight, a revised race-day strategy, or maybe… you just remember how good it feels to be out there doing what you love.
Too often, I talk with athletes who cross the finish line and immediately shift into critique mode—analyzing where they could’ve shaved off time or executed better. I’ve done it too! But sometimes, in that pursuit of better, we move the goalposts. We forget to celebrate the goal we set before the race, and instead replace it with a post-race “should’ve.”
Let’s change that. When you cross the finish line—soak it in. Take pride in the effort. Share that joy with others. Celebrate your achievement and celebrate the people around you. The finish line isn’t just a place to end—it’s a place to appreciate how far you’ve come.
As we move through the season, I encourage you to reflect on the role you play in our club. Whether you’re racing, mentoring, cheering, volunteering, or still thinking about doing your first tri—you belong here.
Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep moving forward—together.
#strongertogether #thatsthevegasway #fearless #enjoythejourney #lvtrifamily
~John Mercer
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The New Triathlete
They're Not Mistakes, They're Learnings
You new Triathletes are notoriously hard on yourselves, and I’d like you to change your perspective a little. When you make a ‘mistake’ because you don’t know any better, is it really a mistake? No, it isn’t. “Trial and error” is a very effective learning tool. So the next time you have a moment that makes you say “Doh!”, smile and say to yourself “I won’t be doing THAT again” and see it as the valuable lesson that it is.
Here are some learnings that I see new triathletes make, all of which I’ve made myself.
If you try to get an “edge” on your upcoming race by trying a new shoe, new miracle gel, an expensive new wetsuit that promises an improvement in your swim time, etc., and you try it for the first time in that race, the odds are pretty high that it will be a bad decision. The new shoe will cause blisters that you never had before, the gel will make you barf, and the wetsuit will be too tight. Remember the adage, “Nothing new on race day.” In one of my races, I treated myself to a brand new pair of swim goggles that were the EXACT goggles I’ve been using and loving for years. For the first time ever, the goggles leaked, causing me to stop every 30 yards to clear them. Brand new, never worn, defective.
Try a new wheelset in a race? Don’t do it. Different wheels behave differently, especially in different wind conditions. Change your seat height because Dr. Google says you can get more power if you raise your seat ¼”? NO! Your knees might have a word with you. Try a new high-performance gel or electrolyte drink or energy bar? Not without testing it first to see how your stomach reacts. New aero helmet on race day? Don’t be surprised if you have a splitting headache 10 miles into the race.
One final word on “lessons learned.” When deciding how hard to pace your start of the swim, bike, or run, you won’t regret going out too slow, as you’ll have energy at the end and you’ll be faster overall. But more often than not, going out too hard will cause you to suffer in the long run. Better to err to the side of caution.
Smart people learn from their mistakes. Smarter people learn from experience, both their own and others’.
~Bob Gamble
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The Evidence-Based Triathlete
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Where in the World Has Our TRI Club Raced?
Check out the map below to see where our athletes have raced!
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Stronger Together Member Spotlight - Frederica Roldan
In this new feature in our newsletter, we highlight a member that exemplifies our club theme: Stronger Together. This month, Frederica Roldan is our Stronger Together Spotlight!
What motivates me to give back to the club is just the awesome organization it is for all levels of athletic ability. Also, the commitment and dedication of the leadership. I believe I became a member of the club in 2018. I used to come out for the lake practice swims and fellowship on Wednesday nights. That right there was worth every penny of my membership fee! Three years ago two things happened, my left knee started to really bother me so it's difficult to run and I went from flying domestically to international (I’m a flight attendant) and all the time zones etc… made it difficult to keep up with my training. I really wanted to continue to be part of the club and I think it was Bob Gamble I overheard say, “When you can’t do. Volunteer!” I said to myself that is exactly what I’m going to do!
I started out on the bike turn around, but the water is where I really wanted to be, because that is where most people have the highest level of anxiety. I know I always did! I actually bought my kayak just so I could volunteer on the water. I’d never owned one before.
A memorable moment I had as part of the support team is while on the water I saw one of the athletes struggling. He is a good swimmer, but being in open water can be overwhelming. I was able to paddle to him and get him to hold on to the front of my kayak until he gained his confidence back. I assured him I was not going to leave him and would paddle near him till he reached the shore. He asked for my name and said he wanted to see me at the finish line. When he finished the race and crossed the finish line I was right there. I was so happy to see him, I felt like I was crossing the finish line! Helping someone complete their goal and inspire them to finish the race is an unbelievable feeling and I feel blessed that I was in the right place when he needed someone.
So, if you’re thinking about getting involved with LVTC, do it! Whether you will be part of the race team, a volunteer, support team or ringing a cowbell along the course. All are important. As for me, I believe my race days are behind me, but if you are in the lake look for me in the blue and white kayak, because I will have my eyes on YOU! Because we are, Stronger Together.
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Vegas Experts - Tedd Girouard
We have some fantastic local triathlon expertise. In this regular feature, one of our local experts provides some advice for triathletes. Our expert this month is Tedd Girouard! Not only is Tedd a top-notch triathlete, he is also the Director of the UNLV Athletic Training Program as well as a triathlon coach.
What I Learned from the First Triathlon of the Season
The first triathlon of the season always delivers a little reality check—this year, mine came with sunshine, tacos, and a few humbling lessons at Ironman 70.3 Monterrey, Mexico.
After a winter of solid indoor training, I felt fit—but not necessarily ready. First, the bike. Monterrey’s roads weren’t terrible, but they were just bumpy enough with a few miles of cobbled streets to highlight a big gap in my prep: I hadn’t spent enough time riding my time trial bike outside. By mile 40, my aero position was a compromised. My neck felt like it was holding up a bowling ball, and staying in a good position was a full-body workout in itself. Lesson learned: no amount of smart trainer time can replace handling bumps, wind, and positioning in the real world.
Next up—bike handling. I hadn’t practiced subtle positioning or cornering at speed since last season, and it showed. Indoor rides are great for fitness, but outdoor skills need outdoor time.
And finally, the swim. I’d only managed a couple short wetsuit sessions before the race, and I felt it. The buoyancy was there, but the shoulder restriction was real. I know I could’ve had a much stronger swim if I’d logged more quality time in the wetsuit before race day.
Still, the race was incredible—and it felt amazing to be back on course. But the lessons were clear: train outside, ride your actual race bike, and get comfortable in your gear. Because sometimes the difference between a good race and a great one is just a few simple tweaks.
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The Las Vegas Triathlon Club Legacy Scholarship
On 12/10/20, five Las Vegas athletes were killed when an impaired driver ran into a group of cyclists. The athletes were Tom Trauger, Erin Ray, Aksoy Ahmet, Michael Murray, and Gerrard Nieva. These five athletes are endearingly referred to as TEAMG (Tom, Erin, Aksoy, Michael, and Gerrard).
Following their deaths, there has been an upswell of community support for the families and survivors directly affected. There has also been a renewed call for action to create a safer environment for our athletes to train here in the Greater Las Vegas Valley.
The purpose of the Las Vegas Triathlon Club Legacy Scholarship is to honor the legacy of TEAMG as well as any local triathletes who have been killed or injured as result of distracted driving. The Legacy Scholarship is designed to encourage involvement in triathlon by new athletes, youth athletes, and/or continuing athletes in special need.
More information about the scholarship can be found at this page.
The list of our Scholarship Awardees can be found at these pages:
2024 Winners
2023 Winners
2022 Winners
This scholarship continues thanks to a generous donation by an anonymous donor.
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