Why don’t the PROS live in Las Vegas NV. ( or at least in the winter months)? I have been talking about this with a few training buddies. Las Vegas NV has quite a bit to offer as training goes for triathlon. Hills,24-7 gyms with pools, altitude(MT. CHARLESTON), winds, Heat and lakes. Does this have to due to the atmosphere of Vegas or due the fact that the PROS want to be close to their coaches. Will we see more pros moving to vegas due to bigger events? If there are any pros that live in vegas I’m unaware. food for thought
pro is not an acronym
it may also be a bad idea to live in a town where temptation to engage so many unhealthy activities surrounds you.
Do people actually seek out locations with wind? I thought everyone tried to avoid wind?
I lived in Vegas for a year before I started doing tris and I think I really missed out (was too busy trying to get my handicap down to scratch). It seems like an ideal place to train. I don’t think the “distractions” are really an issue if you live there. When I lived there I worked out every morning, golfed in the evenings, ate at health food groceries stores, and did tons of outdoor stuff in the area and nearby. The strip and what not is there if you have someone visit but you don’t really think about it if you live there.
Lots of good places around. For a long time there wasn’t a whole lot of athletic infrastructure in Vegas and Tucson, Denver, San Diego, etc caught on first.
too hot in the summer. Too cold in the winter.
Summer is no worse than Tucson or Austin. Winter in Vegas is great (certainly better than Boulder).
how many pros live in Austin. Or even Tuscon? Especially in the summer. They might be winter training destinations, but not many live there year round.
And I think it’s too cold in the winter.
I also think that Vegas lacks swimming facilities. Health club pools are not what pros are looking for to swim.
You need to get out more, see the World…
There are lots of pros in Austin. True some leave in summer. I think UNLV has a pretty good swim program. Surely there are adequate facilities there/elsewhere.
I don’t know about Tucson.
edit: summer
I thought it stood for Paid Rarely Often… or something like that?
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The location of Saturday’s ITU Long Course World Championships T2 has an outdoor competition pool open year round, as well and indoor 25 yard pool right there. From that point there are lots of running options, and 10 or so miles to the River Mountain Loop Trail, that hooks up with Lake Mead Recreational area. Red Rock Canyon is on the west side of town, as is Mt. Charleston, as well a couple of other 50m pool options. There are ample opportunities for swim, bike, run. The airport has plenty of flights daily to everywhere in the US as well as either direct flights or easy connections to international destinations if desired. Yes, it is hot in the summer. Yes it gets cooler in the winter, but one can ride, swim, and run outside year round. Ironman 70.3 World Championships for four more years to come. Interbike every September. You can live in a bubble if you want, or experience whatever Vegas has to offer. There is truly something for everyone. Sounds like it could be a pretty good spot for “PROS” to live.
I agree. I like the idea of Vegas as a training spot. The swim options are certainly better than Boulder in terms of facilities. But, when you get down to it, a pool is a pool.
In the end I think it’s that Vegas is not significantly better than the traditional places to go and train, and there is an idea that there isn’t much of a tri community in Vegas.
I’d be up for “wintering” there if I had the financial option of wintering anywhere.
Jimmy
Is this post a joke? Vegas has extremelly limited biking /running options. Basically, your choices are desert with no trees/water stops or desert with no trees/water stops. Absolutelly zero variety. If your riding 300+ miles a week year round, there is really only two decent routes and you will most certinally tire of those. Yes, you can get your training done in Vegas, if you live here for other reasons (I am an example of that) but if traithlon is your life (your job) why not do it where it is enjoyable?
There are quite a few pro triathletes that make Tucson their home…Hilary Biscay, Maik Twelseik, Leanda Cave, Tosten Abel, Sam McGlone, Chris McDonald, and ex pro Jimmy Riccotillo are a few I can think of.
Is this post a joke? Vegas has extremelly limited biking /running options. Basically, your choices are desert with no trees/water stops or desert with no trees/water stops. Absolutelly zero variety. If your riding 300+ miles a week year round, there is really only two decent routes and you will most certinally tire of those. Yes, you can get your training done in Vegas, if you live here for other reasons (I am an example of that) but if traithlon is your life (your job) why not do it where it is enjoyable?
Your post is the joke and shows extremely limited knowledge of the area.
Lots of pros are starting to train here in the winter. Tejay VanGarderan has been leading the charge on that one. Taylor Phinney was here over the weekend checking it out as well.
For Austin, it is seasonal, and there seems to be a little bit of an exodus right now or at least one coming this way…
Richie Cunningham, off to Boulder soon but has been a full time resident
Patrick Evoe, but maybe off to Boulder as well but has been a full time resident
Kelly Williamson lives here, but spent a fair bit of time in CO last summer
James Cotter who I believe is a short timer headed to NZL
Terra Castro is a full time resident almost all year
Matt Russell is pretty new and lives here year round
Peter Mallet I believe lives here most of the year
Tenille Hoogland who is Canadian and is in and out depending on the month
Me and the Mrs. -Tex who have a permanent residence but traveled about 4-5 months the last 2 years and will probably head elsewhere in the summer 2012, but be stateside
Edit: it’s not an all inclusive list, but Desiree Ficker lives here pretty much full time though she also did escape the heat a bit this summer. James Bonney is a full time resident who is kind of a part time racer, but did just go 9th in Florida. I’m sure I am leaving out a few others as well.
And there are always some ‘transients’ who come in around races. The Lovatos have been in and out the last couple of winters. Fraser Carmell has been here a few times, Paul Amey, RonnieS just recently, and several others. Not to complain, but it is a proper city and the riding can be a bit tough unless you don’t mind 40 minutes or so of city riding before you get out of town. City riding in Austin though is really good. And summers are hot, very hot.
If your an athlete looking to qualify for Kona for example, I feel that Las Vegas would be a preferred place because we have the wind and extreme heat that Kona has. We may not have the ocean but everything else is right here in my backyard.
Just came home from Las Vegas yesterday. I am not a gambler but stayed at Aria and ran on the Strip. We went out of town to Hoover Dam and made the comment to my wife how nice the west and north side of town are for serious workouts. Would love to try and swim in Lake Mead sometime.
Ate in a great cafe in Boulder City(the Coffee Cup) and saw a bunch of people on a ride as well as runners after a run. Once out of town I’d compare it to Tucson but with a water option.
I really strongly considered it (well, Henderson). Still do from time to time, especially when i go back there. I’m not sure it’s worth moving from where I am now (Ventura county), but I certainly like it and think it’s got a lot to offer. I’m pretty sure I’d be happy if I’d ended there. Even though I usually escape to Penticton in the summer, the prospect of living somewhere that I truly could never really train in the middle of summer would concern me.
But I love it there. As far as why more pros don’t go, I dunno. It has a Whole Foods…