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LVTC Happenings!
A monthly report of events and resources for our passionate, growing local multisport community.
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Welcome to the October Issue of the LVTC Newsletter!
If there’s one word that captures the heart of endurance sport, it’s adaptation. This month’s theme - Adapt and Overcome - feels especially fitting after the cancellations of both the Las Vegas Triathlon and Pumpkinman Triathlon. Disappointment? Sure. But triathletes are a resilient bunch. We know that setbacks are never the end of the story ... they’re just another chance to pivot, learn, and keep moving forward.
In this issue, you’ll find reflections and insights that all echo that same message.
In the President’s Corner, John Mercer shares a story that perfectly captures the spirit of adaptation - the time he forgot both his bike shoes and running shoes and still found a way to race (yes... with sandals taped to his feet). It’s a reminder that creativity and humor go a long way when plans unravel.
In Coach Hilary Mauch’s Corner, she explores how consistency and flexibility are really two sides of the same coin — that the true strength of an athlete isn’t just sticking to the plan, but knowing how to adjust it when life throws a curveball.
Then, Bob Gamble brings his trademark wisdom and humor to The New Triathlete column, reminding us that when triathlon gives you lemons, you make lemonade - or better yet, make it a training opportunity. His stories show how resourcefulness and problem-solving are at the core of endurance racing.
Our Stronger Together Spotlight shines on David Lehrner, who shares an inspiring perspective on community and support - proof that adapting and overcoming isn’t something we do alone.
We also welcome a new Vegas Expert this month - Dr. Griselda Lloyd, LMFT, a triathlete and mental health professional who offers an insightful look at developing a strong mental game. She shares practical ways to train your mind to handle adversity, from visualizing challenges to embracing discomfort and remembering why you started racing in the first place.
Finally, check out this month’s Evidence-Based Triathlete episodes, where we explore the science of performance and recovery - perfect timing as we shift into the offseason and prepare for what’s next.
So as we wrap up another racing year, let’s celebrate not just the finish lines, but the moments we adapted, improvised, and kept going. Because in the end, that’s what endurance is really about.
Here’s to rolling with the unexpected ... and thriving through it.
#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 Sweatshirt Sale Ends November 2!
The LVTC Sweatshirt Store is officially open! Pre-orders close Sunday, November 2nd, so make sure to order yours before the deadline! Place your order at the link below:
PRE-ORDER HERE
THE STORE WILL CLOSE ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 at 11:59 P.M.
All sweatshirts are pre-order only for in-person pickup, and they’re expected to arrive in early December.
If you’re not local to Las Vegas, send us a quick message on Facebook or info@lvtriclub.com before ordering so we can help with options.
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Las Vegas Triathlon Club Events
Each year, the Las Vegas Triathlon Club hosts four multisport events. The dates and results of our 2025 events are below:
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You can also check the results from each event at our website.
We also have a variety of events throughout the year. 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
These were the dates for our 2025 Club events:
- 4/26/25: Saturday - Sprint Triathlon
- RESULTS
- 6/15/25: Sunday - Sprint Triathlon
- RESULTS
- 7/12/25: Saturday - Aquabike
- RESULTS
- 8/10/25: Sunday - Super Sprint Tri
- RESULTS
Sprint Triathlon:
Swim 750m; Bike 20km; Run 5km.
Aquabike:
Swim 750m; Bike 20km.
Super Sprint Triathlon:
Swim ~300m, Bike 4 miles, Run 1.5 miles.
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:
Consistency Meets Resilience
As athletes, we often hear the word consistency from our coaches. It’s the foundation of endurance training, the daily discipline that allows our bodies to adapt physiologically, building the endurance needed to tackle long distances. But consistency isn’t just about checking the box on your training plan. It’s also about learning to adapt when things don’t go as planned.
Think about it: every workout carries its own curveballs. Maybe the weather shifted from calm to windy. Maybe your Garmin died mid-run. Maybe your pool closed unexpectedly, or your bike tire gave out before you even clipped in. Each of these disruptions forces us to make a choice - do we skip it, or do we pivot? Do we let the obstacle stop us, or do we adapt and overcome?
The truth is, every time you adjust your workout and still find a way to get it done, you’re building resilience. These small adaptations in training prepare you for the big adaptations required on race day, like a swim cancellation, a sudden heat wave, or even a last-minute course change.
And sometimes, it’s not just the race conditions we need to adapt to. Events themselves can get postponed or canceled. That’s frustrating, no question. But here’s where consistent training pays off: you can confidently look at the bigger picture. You know you’ve put in the work, and that fitness doesn’t vanish overnight. You know that if one door closes, you can shift gears and find another race to chase. The courage to adapt in training gives you the confidence to adapt in racing.
So this month, let’s embrace the theme: Adapt and Overcome.
Consistency is important, but it’s the flexibility woven into that consistency that makes you unstoppable. Whether it’s a small hiccup in a Tuesday workout or a major shift in your racing season, your ability to pivot is proof of your strength as an athlete.
When race day comes, whatever that race may be, you’ll be ready, not because everything went perfectly, but because you’ve already trained yourself to thrive when it doesn’t.
~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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Las Vegas Triathlon Club Member Spotlight
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The Evidence-Based Triathlete
Check out our previous episodes:
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Prez Corner:
Adapt and Overcome
If there is one thing triathlon teaches us, it’s that nothing ever goes exactly as planned. We can prepare, train, visualize, and organize ... but on race day, something always seems to test our ability to adapt.
The theme for this issue of the newsletter really came to mind recently when the Las Vegas Triathlon and Pumpkinman Triathlon were cancelled. I know how disappointing that was – many of you had trained, planned logistics, and looked forward to celebrating the end of another great season together. But that’s triathlon ... and that’s life. Things happen that are beyond our control. The real question becomes: how do we respond?
Adapt and overcome.
This isn’t just a race-day skill … it’s a mindset. I’ve had to practice it myself more times than I’d like to admit. Like the race where I realized I’d forgotten my bike shoes and running shoes (yes … both!) for one of our club races. The only option I had was to get creative ... so I taped my sandals to my feet and raced anyway. Was it ideal? Definitely not. Did I learn something? Absolutely. Sometimes the best race stories come from the moments where things don’t go as planned.
Weather changes, swims get cancelled, courses get altered, and sometimes our gear doesn’t cooperate - or our brains forget to pack it! But every time we adapt, we build resilience. Every time we overcome, we strengthen that mental flexibility and fortitude that helps us not just in racing, but in life.
So, as we close out another tri season, take a moment to appreciate your ability to adapt. Celebrate the training sessions that didn’t go perfectly but still got done. Recognize the growth that comes from handling the unexpected with humor and grace.
After all, anyone can race when things go perfectly ... but true endurance athletes? We thrive when they don’t.
See you out there … ready to adapt, overcome, and keep enjoying the journey.
#strongertogether #thatsthevegasway #fearless #enjoythejourney #lvtrifamily
~John Mercer
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The New Triathlete
When Triathlon Gives You Lemons...
You’ve heard the saying many times – “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” This applies to triathlon in big ways.
First, our sport requires us to be problem solvers because things rarely go according to plan. From flat tires to cancelled swims, from dropped chains to dropped water bottles, things happen to which we need to quickly adapt. The best way to deal with issues like these, of course, is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Keep your drivetrain serviced and adjusted, ensure your tires are properly inflated, and ensure your bottle cages hold bottles snugly. Also, practice fixing flats and putting your chain back on the chainrings in training so that when these things happen in a race, it won’t be the first time you’ve seen it. And don’t think in terms of the problem itself – instead, focus on what you need to do to solve it.
Secondly, when faced with bad weather or a change in the course, view this as an opportunity, not a problem. Realize that if it’s windy, it’s windy for everybody! Use it to your advantage. Get low and aero and use it as an ‘edge’ that you have on your competitors because you’ve developed a good aero position. Swim cancelled? Great! Think about how much fresher you’ll be on the run. This applies to training as well. Sore hamstring? Work on your upper body strength. Strained shoulder? Focus on your run. Again, think opportunity instead of problem.
Problems that come up in a race give you a chance to use your resourcefulness. Good races often happen because you solve problems, adapt and recover. See these inconveniences as opportunities and count your responses and actions as victories!
~Bob Gamble
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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 - David Lehrner
In this new feature in our newsletter, we highlight a member that exemplifies our club theme: Stronger Together. This month, David Lehrner is our Stronger Together Spotlight!
Can you share a memorable moment when you felt the power of the endurance community and/or your friends supporting you or others?
In 2003 while I was an inpatient at UMC recovering from a traumatic accident I received many messages and visits of encouragement from the community. Specifically, I still fondly remember receiving the GET WELL SOON, WISH YOU WERE HERE text message from the Las Vegas team at the Oceanside race I was supposed to be at.
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What advice would you give to someone new to LVTC about getting involved and making the most of the club experience?
Just ask. The greater triathlon community is so approachable and willing to help that we sometimes find ourselves perseverating on the topic. And if the first person doesn’t have the answer, they will introduce you to someone that does. The other advice I’d offer to new members is if you’re unable to participate in an event, volunteer. You’ll meet new people and learn a few things that will help you at future races.
What does the phrase ‘Stronger Together’ mean to you in the context of triathlon and the LVTC community?
A group of diverse members always willing to help. I’ve seen LVTC members loan a new member a bike bag for their first travel race and many train together throughout the year.
Another amazing stronger together story for me, was just witnessing the amazing group of people that traveled New Zealand last December. Randomly crossing itineraries with Jolene and Melissa in the Coromandel Peninsula at the start of my trip and the two-day race format that allowed everyone to support each other made me almost forget that I was on the other side of the world.
What are your next big goals in triathlon?
My big goals in triathlon for 2026 is to just stay consistent and remember to enjoy the moment.
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Vegas Experts: Griselda Lloyd, Ph.D., LMFT
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 Griselda Lloyd, Ph.D.,LMFT. In addition to being a triathlete, Dr. Lloyd is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist currently practicing at CORE Mental Health Services, a clinic which she started.
In triathlons, as with in our life, there are several challenges that may arise while we are training. Whether it is an injury/ illness, work, family, or a mental block we will all most certainly experience some type of challenge. As we progress in our training we may need to adapt or overcome at some point. Adapting and overcoming within triathlons or in any endurance sport involves developing a strong mental game. Having the ability to do so is essential for managing our physical and mental fatigue, mechanical issues, and unexpected situations that may occur during the swim, bike, or run.
There is no one size fits all approach to managing challenges. Having a strong mental game is dependent on each individual, so comparing and copying friends will most likely not work. We all have to develop it for ourselves by finding what works. Here are a few basics that can help:
Mental preparation
- We can only control the controllable: We cannot control everything. So, focusing your time and energy on what is within your control, such as your pace, mindset, nutrition, and hydration. View every training session and challenge that comes up as an opportunity to learn and make changes rather than focusing on what went wrong.
- Visualize adversity: Mental rehearsal can involve more than just picturing a perfect race. Visualize how you will respond to walking into or jumping into your swim, calming your anxiety in transition, or potential setbacks like a flat tire help create a resilient mindset.
- Embrace discomfort: Remember why you started triathlons. Pull yourself back a bit and notice the environment, maybe you are riding through Lake Meade or Red Rock take the time to notice the beauty around you, it will help pull you from the discomfort or mental block as you are pushing your physical and mental limits.
As a mental health professional and endurance athlete I have found and heard from several athletes that the most important part of developing a strong mental state is to enjoy the process and remember why you race.
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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:
2025 Winners - Congratulations Mattie Williams and Joshua Lira!
2024 Winners
2023 Winners
2022 Winners
This scholarship continues thanks to a generous donation by an anonymous donor.
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