Chris Lieto // Professional Ironman Triathlete

Podcast interview with Endurance Planet

2008-07-02T02:31:00Z

click on link to hear podcast:
http://www.enduranceplanet.com/programs/06-25-08_lieto.mp3

Van Cribs (The Outside)

2008-06-04T02:46:01Z

Van Cribs (The Inside)

2008-05-30T02:24:00Z

Columbia Triathlon Champion and Record Holder

2008-05-19T20:21:00Z

After Wildflower I took a week very easy to get my legs feeling back to normal after running those crazy hills. I had a good week of training as I prepare for my next 70.3 Ironman in 2 weeks. This last weekend I wanted to get a good race in to help with my fitness and keep building through the year. So I decided to race the Columbia Triathlon in Baltimore, Maryland. It was to be a training race which only means I don’t taper for it and train normal straight up to it because the goal is a race after. Lance Watson, my coach has really been dialing in my training and things are going in the right directions. I still race it hard as I do every race I do. It was to be a tough race with lots of hills on the bike and even more on the run. It was also a tough field with Chris McCormack, Richie Cunningham, and some young superstars like Andy Yoder.
I flew over on friday night and got in a good day of training in on Saturday on the course and was able to see the challenging bike and run course. The bike course is nothing but ups and downs and rights and lefts. There was not even a stretch of road that was straight or flat. You are either climbing a hill, descending, or winding your way through a wooded countryside. Beautiful but challenging. The run was around the lake and through a neighborhood with again nothing straight or flat. Constant running up hills or running down them, but easier than Wildflower!
Race day came very quick and very early. With the time change from west coast to east coast it was waking up at 1:30 in the morning and I was racing by 3:45AM! Waking up that early is always hard, but what always helps me adjust to new time-zones and helps me recover everyday is my EarthFX blanket system. I am in that everyday and take it on every trip.
I got a small breakfast in considering my body is used to being asleep at this time it was more like a midnight snack! A bagel and a bottle of Powerbar Endurance with Base Amino in Based Water. Breakfast of a champion for this day:) http://www.baseperformance.com
We got to transition and set up everything quick and got a chance to catch up with some of my competitors that I don’t get to see that often. Except for Macca who I have been seeing every other week for the last month and a half. It is always fun to be at a race where the atmosphere is fun and relaxed. I did a short warm up run with Macca, and we got to talk about the rest of this year. I think this is may be the last race I will see him at until Hawaii in October. He is doing Ironman Germany in about 2 months where it seems it will be Kona ‘07 revisited. 7 out of the top 10 last year will be racing there. I will be looking forward to watching that race. Best of luck to Macca, I know he will crush it.
I got in the water to get a good warm up in and the water was perfect. No wind and it was like being in a swimming pool, except you could only see about 8 inches down and the water was 65 degrees. The swim started out smooth and soon 3 guys took off at a fast pace. I knew that Eric Limkemann was racing and he has the swim course record at 15 minutes!! Very fast and I didn’t even want to try and blow myself following them. It had to have been him and a couple guys who would most likely pay for it later. The guys I was looking out for were right next to me so I knew I was in good company. Our group came out of the water at 17 minutes and we were running through the hilly transition. Onto the bike it was Macca, Cunningham, and Yoder around me. Perfect. I paced myself the first couple miles monitoring what they were doing and wanting to warm the legs up slowly. But then came Yoder (19 year old kid) trying to push the pace. I got to race him a couple months back in Miami and he raced well there, but it seemed that he has been training well since. He made me work harder than I wanted in the beginning as I don’t like anyone riding away from me. I like to keep my competitors in sight and use them for motivation. He was going well up the hills and I was not feeling the best at the time. We slowly pulled away from the rest of the field, and after hitting the 8 mile mark or so my legs started to get warmed up and feeling better. I knew we were coming up to a wooded winding part of the course, and I figured that was a good time to try and separate myself from him. You get 20 seconds up the road and no one can see you because of how the course is hilly and winding through trees. I pulled away and ended up getting about 2 minutes on him and more on the rest coming into transition.
I ended up breaking a 10 year old record on the bike set by Tim Deboom, riding 56 minutes to his 58 minute record. My Trek TTX and SRAM Red really makes it easier to put those times in. Riding the down hills and pulling away from other riders you know that the TTX is the most aero dynamic bike around. Its almost like cheating. I can’t tell you how many times I had to shift gears!! My wrists are sore from shifting up and down with every hill. The new SRAM Red is very smooth. I didn’t waist any time or energy not getting in that gear quickly, smoothly and easily.
I started the run along the lake, but within 200 meters it was straight up a hill and it didn’t stop. I wanted to make sure I had a good run and focused on running well on the uphills and down hills. I didn’t want to have happen what happened at Wildflower, getting caught by Macca close to the finish. I find it hard sometimes to be in the lead and run because you never know what is going on behind you. No time splits and no seeing your competitors getting closer or farther away. Not that it would have helped at this race due to the hills and woods. You could be 15 seconds apart and may never see your competitor. I had to focus on my run and not worry about anyone else. Easier said then done. I was definitely wanting to know what was going on behind me. Doing all the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races over the years, doing an Olympic distance race goes by fast, especially the run. 6 miles compared to 13 or 26 is like you are done before you are used to getting warmed up. My new K-Swiss shoes rock!! No socks and with this hilly run course my feet were the same after the race as before. No blisters or black toes from the down hills and the water pored through them and kept them light and fast for the uphills. Who needs to carry an extra 2 lbs up the hills or through the last miles of any run. I came into the finishing shoot and saw the time on the clock @ 1:51 and heard the announcer say I was going to break the overall course record. It was a great race and win for me and I was excited that things are coming together well this year as I keep training for Kona.
I broke the tape in 1:51:13 breaking the course record set by 2008 US Olympic athlete Matt Reed by about 30 seconds. He couldn’t make it this year, and I was relieved that he wasn’t there because he is absolutely flying. He is going to do very well In Beijing, and I am excited to watch every second of the race.
Andy Yoder had a great race finishing 2nd and Macca picked up the 3rd podium spot. Great day of racing and great people. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Training is going well, and I look forward to the next race in 2 weeks time at Ironman 70.3 Boise.
Thanks for all your support and help in getting me to this point and the support you will continue to give as I go through the rest of the year.
Chris Lieto

Chris on the cover of Competitor Magazine

2008-05-19T19:40:00Z

Wildflower Race Report

2008-05-08T05:12:00Z

It has been a couple years since I have raced Wildflower and I was excited to be there this year. The last few years I have had an injury and was unable to race. This year my training is going well and I am healthy. I have been putting in some good base training to gear up for the year and for Kona. Wildflower in my eyes is always the start of the racing year. It is always a wake up call and a gage to see how training is going. At this point I am very happy with my performance considering the time of year and training I have been doing.
I had a less than expected swim getting gapped on the swim half way through. I got stuck behind someone that lost the front group and I was unable to bridge across on my own. It is my own fault for not positioning myself closer to the front. I ended up losing about 1 minute to the leaders at the start of the bike.
I was looking forward to getting on the course but I had a hard time getting out of my mind the fact that I had a slow swim. I settled into my pace soon and caught some of the leaders. I caught up to Chris McCormack by mile 10 or so and was just trying to focus on a smooth rhythm on my bike that would last the whole 56 miles. I could see Terenzo and Bjorn up the rode and new that I would slowly bring them in. I wanted to stay steady and not serge to catch them and then slow up later. I caught Terenzo by mile 20 or so and kept Bjorn in site about 1 minute up the rode for the rest of the ride. As we got close to the big climb I had to keep reminding myself that this race was not about having a fast bike time or getting a bike preme or be first off the bike. It was about trying to win the race for me so pacing was the important piece for the ride. I remembered from past years that the last 10 miles of the ride is very important and you can lose or gain time during that point. I finished strong and ended up having the fastest bike ride of the day and set another course record riding 2:14:00 for the 56 mile hilly loop. It was not my objective but I am always happy to have a great performance. I would trade it for the overall win though any day.
I started the run about 1 minute behind Bjorn and was feeling good as I climbed the stairs out of transition. I got in a good rhythm on the run and was running past mile 3 and passed Bjorn and found out that at transition I was 5 minutes up on Macca. I was excited and had the feeling that I could win this race. That was my first mistake and learned once again to not take anything for granted and nothing is in the bag. Run hard from the beginning and stay strong. From mile 4-8 Macca and Eneko Llanos gained 3 minutes on me. This was the hardest section of the run I feel with huge climbs and descents that can take everything out of your legs. I probably took these too cautiously and paid for it with losing time, and it still took a lot out of my quads. At mile 10 Macca, Eneko, and myself were within 5 seconds of each other and we turned to head up the climb for the next 2 miles until the final 1 mile descent. I tried to hang as close as I could, but my legs where done from the ride and running the previous hills. It takes a special and experienced runner to handle those hills the way those two do as well as Chris Legh. They are some of the best runners in the sport by far.
I ended up finishing 3rd for the day with a time of 4:03 with what I believe was one of the toughest fields they have had at Wildflower and probably one of the toughest fields you will see at any Half Ironman all year. I am proud of my finish and know there is a lot of room for improvement.

Thanks to all of you for your amazing support!
Chris Lieto

wildflower.pdf

Wildflower Interview

2008-05-07T02:29:00Z

SRAM rebuild on my Trek

2008-04-23T04:45:01Z

Today, I had the privilege of having Alex Wassmann from SRAM come to my house and dial in my Trek TTX in preparation for Wildflower next weekend. My TTX is now running like a dream with my SRAM Red group updated and a needed tune up. Alex handles all of the big teams and athletes for SRAM from the tour teams down to me. Having him actually come to my house and work on my bikes and even Kaiden’s bike was a huge honor. Looks like Wildflower will be a great race. See you all there and come by and check out the TTX.

Weekend of training getting ready for Wildflower

2008-04-21T21:37:00Z

This weekend was a great training block as I head into Wildflower in 2 weeks. Friday I did the Sea Otter Classic Pro Road Race, and got a great workout. It was a hilly 70 mile, 8 lap road course outside of Laguna Seca. It started out fast right from the get go as we climbed the first hill at max effort. The field was strung out and as we cam down the opposite side it bunched up and in the middle of the road was a couple big pot holes, and a couple guys hit it at full speed and launched off their bikes. It was a scary moment as this all happened right next to me. I watched a guy go over his bars and tumble hard on the asphalt, and his bike just kept bouncing down the road alongside me. I had to accelerate to try and out race the flying bike which bounced right by me and barley missed me. I was so glad I was ok, but at the same time I felt really bad for those that got caught up in it all. Everyone walked away which was good.

Right after that a small group of 10 riders got away and it looked like it was going to stick and I missed it. I was the only guy from my team, California Giant Strawberries, and it looked like every other team was represented in the break so no one wanted to work. So I figured I was there to get a good workout so I went to the front and for the next 3-4 laps I sat in the front and tried to bring back the break on my own. No one would help and there was just a long line of riders on my wheel. I ended up bringing the break back from a 2 minute lead to about a minute. Once we got the time split that we were that close everyone started attacked to bridge across so I decided to sit in for a lap until we got close enough then I would try myself. After the next lap we lost 2 minutes and we were down by over 3 minutes. So I went to the front again and worked and brought it back to 2 minutes. With a lap to go and about 7 miles left I got a rear flat tire and support went right by me. I was left to ride back to the finish with a rear flat. I was very happy with the day because I got a great workout and my cycling fitness is getting better and better.

Saturday came quick, and I was tired as I rolled out the door for a 5 hour ride and a 30 minute transition run. The ride was great, especially after such a hard 2 days prior. Quality 5 hours of TT and Climbing and then off on the T run which was good. Sunday was the usual long run, and I got a great 2 hour run in through town and up in the hills by my house.

So overall I think it was a successful weekend of training as I prep for Wildflower. I am really looking forward to a great race to test myself against some of the best in the sport. Come by and see me in the camp grounds. I will be in The Green Athlete Rig with K-Swiss, Base Performance, Trek, and Sungevity all over it. We want to make it a place for people to come and hang out, relax, talk about racing and training, and talk about how we can reduce our impact on the environment.

See you all in a couple weeks.

Lieto wins Nautica South Beach tri and beats World Champion, Chris McCormack

2008-04-13T18:58:01Z

It was great to be out racing again. I am excited for the year and being injury free as the season gets started. Racing in Miami was great. It was an opportunity for me to get some great speed racing in to hopefully raise my fitness to another level. In the morning before the race I got to get a good warm up in and made sure I took my BASE Performance Amino and Water Supplement to get me ready for the race. Things went well and I had a good swim. The swim started fast and I had my goggles knocked and they filled completely with water. With it being just 40 seconds into the swim I decided to stop and clear my goggles. i am glad I did and I didn’t lose much time but I did lose a space. I went from swimming alongside Ben Collins to being behind him next to Chris McCormack. As we turned the first buoy I was pushed over by Macca as he made a wide turn and at the same time Collins turned the screws and notched it up a little. With that happening Macca lost Collins feet and I lost the opportunity to swim with Ben. I tried to swim around Macca and bridge up to Ben, but I was unsuccessful with the speed Ben has in the water. I was looking forward to having a good swim with Ben as we have had a chance to train together a couple times in the last month. It would have been hard, but I would have liked to try and push myself to swim with him. Ben had a great swim and put 30 seconds into Macca, myself and the front group.

We ran up to transition and I did not have the best transition and lost 15 seconds to Macca. Once on my Trek TTX I got to get in a good rhythm and started to bring in some of the leaders. I caught and passed Macca in a couple miles and was focusing on bringing in Collins. It took me a while to catch him as I could see him up the road, but Ben has been riding well in his training and I didn’t catch him until about mile 7 or so. Seemed like Ben was riding behind me for a while but once we started the ride home I slowly pulled away to be on my own and come off the bike with a 45 second lead heading into T2. I needed to make up for my slow first transition and so I was extra fast as I ran up to my stuff and raked my bike and slipped on my K-Swiss Ultra Natural Racing shoes. I think I was one of the fastest of the day if not the fastest. The K-Swiss shoes makes it so easy to be fast.

I ran out hard and pushed myself not knowing what the gap was behind me. Once I got to the turn around coming home I got to see the gap and saw that fellow K-Swiss Athlete Ben Collins was was in 2nd running well with Macca behind him trying to catch. I got to come into the finish relaxed and was very excited to win the first South Beach Triathlon in front of a huge crowd and the K-Swiss Team there cheering.

The day was very successful as the K-Swiss to the race by storm. I won, Ben Collins finished 2nd, Leanda Cave won, and the K-Swiss women’s relay team beat all the relay teams with the closest being an all men’s team by 20 minutes. The relay team was Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, Katya Meyer, and Anna Kornakova. Great day for all of K-Swiss.

I am looking forward to getting home and spending some quality time with my family. My next race is Wildflower in a couple weeks and I am looking for a top result there. I will keep you posted.

More photos to come of the race soon.

Professional Triathlete Chris Lieto Launches Base Performance Nutrition

2008-04-03T03:53:00Z

Professional Triathlete Chris Lieto announced today the launch of Base Performance Nutrition. Base Performance Nutrition provides premiere nutritional supplements for endurance athletes.

“In addition to training and racing this year it has been important to me to have balance in my life and plan for my future. This year I created that balance with work and family. I have been busy launching my new company Base Performance Nutrition. I have had years of learning what works for me ad what doesn’t work for me and I want to share my successes with those who are passionate about triathlon. Nutrition is a tough part of the puzzle and I want to help others succeed in this area.”

Base has developed a unique and simple system with a variety of products for endurance athletes to improve performance, gain lean muscle, increase endurance and enhance recovery. Athletes know the value and importance of base training. The theory behind Base Performance is no different. Having a strong base nutritionally will allow athletes to maintain a healthy body so that they can train, recover, adapt and get stronger in order to perform at their very best.

About Chris Lieto
Chris is a three-time Ironman Champion and former U.S. National Ironman Champion. Lieto recently placed 6t at the 2007 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. To learn more about Chris please visit http://www.chrislieto.com

About Base Performance Nutrition
Base Performance Nutrition is a premiere line of nutritional supplements that sustains superior performance.
To learn more please visit http://www.baseperformance.com

For more information please contact:
Paige Dunn
(415) 730-2053
paige@baseperformance.com

The Green Athlete Program Launches!

2008-04-03T02:55:00Z

Professional triathlete Chris Lieto officially launched “The Green Athlete” campaign while attending the Ironman California 70.3 event in Oceanside, CA this past weekend. The campaign provides information, research, and resources for athletes committed to going green. Lieto is launching the initiative by touring across the country to attend various races and events in the official Green Athlete Van, which runs on bio-diesal and is solar powered.

Profoundly aware of the heightened significance of “going green”, Chris Lieto, enthusiastically gets behind the environmental initiative. In a recent presentation, Lieto reminded the athletes in attendance that “ there is no reason for athletes not to be at the forefront of environmental awareness. As a group, athletes are proactive, dedicated and informed. They know how to make a difference.”

The Green Athlete is a community of environmentalists, both athletes and businesses, committed to promoting environmental wisdom, insight and knowledge. Using our planet wisely and saving, recycling and replacing its resources are paramount. The initiative reminds everyone that “going green” is an action not a philosophy. Involvement is essential. Lieto’s initiative has attracted a strong group of supporters and sponsors including Sungevity, a leader in the solar space that will be working with Lieto to outfit the new Green Athlete vehicle with solar power. Additionally, Lieto will serve as an official ambassador and spokesperson for the non-profit organization, Soles for Souls. He will be teaming up with the organization to help host shoe recycling drives at the various event that he attends. Additional sponsors include K-Swiss, Trek and Base Performance Nutrition.

For more information, go to:
http://www.thegreenathlete.com

Green

2008-03-01T23:38:00Z

This year I am focusing on the green athlete program and Soles for Souls Organization. Check out our Green Athlete Blog: http://www.thegreenathlete.com.

Ironman 70.3 World Championships

2007-11-13T00:42:01Z

It was a tough day out there at the 70.3 Series World Championship in Clearwater, FL. for Pro triathlete Chris Lieto. Lieto, fresh off a 6th place impressive performance at the Ironman World Championships in Kona headed straight to Brazil to shoot his 2008 campaign for K-Swiss and consequently did not have the recovery he needed. Travel and fatigue crept up on him and unfortunately affected his race in Clearwater. After a solid swim, and as usual an incredible bike split, Lieto made the choice to finish his race day six miles in to the run. He was experiencing some back pain and made the proactive decision to protect his heath and call it day. Lieto is headed back to Danville, CA to spend time with wife Karis and son Kaiden and is looking forward to some rest and relaxation in his off-season. Lieto will be back next year and has some exciting races and projects planned for the 2008 season.

Ironman World Championships Race Report

2007-10-23T00:38:00Z

I am back at home in Danville, and starting to unwind from all the
travel. Kona was great this year. The whole experience was awesome
starting with training in Hawaii in September to the 2 weeks before the race
training in Kona. It was a great transition for me from my last bit of training
and the taper and mental prep heading into race day.

Click here to view the full report in pdf format.