Tri-it in Spanish....Andale, Andale...Arriba!

My name is Claudia Martin-de-Nicolas and I have been a member of Pure Austin for 1.5 years. I am a mother of three, a bilingual kindergarten teacher with AISD, and a happy triathlete. Yes, I enjoy swimming, biking, and running. I train for my sanity! ;-)

Someday I would like to move up to 1/2 Ironman but for now Sprint and Olympic distance are my forte.

I love Pure Austin. My 2 favorite things to do at Pure are:
~Swim in the Quarry(the opposite direction, against traffic...typical of me)
~Sexy Spin Saturday with Ryon(well, any spin class with Ryon)

Like mother(and father)-like daughter...
My 12 year old daughter, Paulina, was part of Fast Fickers(Desiree Ficker's Triathlon Training) this past Spring...She and her girlfriends loved it! We both participated in our first triathlon together on June 13, 2009 in San Marcos...Tri-it in Spanish


We both did great! I was thrilled to place 2nd in my age group alongside by buddies, Betty Davis(1st) and Ryon Talbot(1st).

Fast Fickers took the kids division. Emily Zientek, Cali Davis, Emma Thomas, Paulina Martin-de-Nicolas

It was a special race AND day...three mothers and their daughters, one father and his daughter
Claudia Martin-de-Nicolas(member) and Paulina
Betty Davis(member) and Cali
Cissy Thomas(member) and Emma
David Zientek and Emily

Stand-Up Paddleboards - a great core workout

Yet another way to stay on top of your core strengthening - stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) - now, at Quarry Lake. Stand-up paddleboarding has obviously been going on for a long time, but has recently hit it "big" in the mainland US as a fun core workout, good for all levels. You can come use them at Quarry Lake - just check in at the Front Desk. You can learn more about Standup Paddleboarding here , where some triathletes talk about it's use for alternative core strengthening. Also, Pure Austin is a dealer of Surftech paddleboards, email pureaustin@pureaustin.com if you want more info.

Texas Fitness Assessment of Public School Students - Shocking Results.

2 million public school students were tested for physical fitness. The cliff notes? Physically fit students outperform their less-fit counterparts in scholastic testing. Part two - and this is the shocker - approximately 30% of the 3rd graders were in the "healthy fitness zone", and by 12th grade approximately 8.5% made the cut. Wow.

The Statesman ran an article about this.

Pure Austin Member Dave Campbell rocked the Mas O Menos 100k Mt Bike

In his own words....

Dedication @ Pure Austin = Results

I’ve been taking spin classes at Pure Austin for a little over a year now. I can definitely say that these classes have helped me to dramatically increase my level of fitness. The instructors are great and one in particular, Ryon Talbot, is a great source of inspiration and motivation.

I noticed that Pure Austin offered VO2 testing, so I signed up and asked if Ryon could give me the test. These tests are not easy, as you are pretty much pushed to your absolute physical limits. The results taught me about my VO2 max, my lactate threshold, and with Ryon’s help, I learned how to craft my exercise routines to reach my personal fitness goals.

I’ve also combined my exercise routine with better nutritional habits. I’ve always eaten well, but I decided to cut certain things out of my diet and I’ve increased my fruit and vegetable intake substantially.

The results of my efforts have definitely started to show…

I’m an endurance focused mountain biker. Strange breed I guess... I mean, who likes to suffer on a mountain bike for hour upon hour? Well, I do – and I was happy to see that there is a local group (TMBRA) that organizes a series of mountain bike races that are focused on endurance. It’s called the Hill Country Bicycle Works Mountain Bike Marathon Championship Series.

There are five races in total, and you earn points depending on how you place in each race. The groups are categorized by age.

The fourth race took place last weekend in Terlingua, TX, which is essentially in Big Bend. It’s called “Mas O Menos” and the marathon is 100K (62.5 miles) in the open Chihuahuan Desert. The race consisted of two laps around a pre-determined course of desert single track and jeep roads. The course includes one particularly grueling climb called “Tres Cuevas” which is just over 3600ft.

I felt particularly strong during this race, and was happy to finish in 10th place in my age group out of 60 starters. My time was 5hr18min56sec…and I finished less than ½ hour behind the fastest riders in my group who happen to be seasoned veterans with over twenty years of racing experience. I’m also currently tied for 3rd place in the overall point series.

Thanks again Pure Austin Fitness!

Dave Campbell