Bike Diva

Stuart's Wild Ride Triathlon Shop

Boca Raton Triathlon Shop

There is a new bike shop in town; Stuart's Wild Ride in Boca Raton. Stuart's is a bike shop specializing in Cervelo bikes and a variety of clothing, gear and accessories for both road cyclists and triathletes. I am partial to Cervelo bikes as my triathlon bike is a Cervelo P2C which I upgraded with Reynold's deep dish carbon wheels and a ISM Adamo race saddle. My husband and I recently had a chance to attend the official  grand opening celebration for Stuart's Wild Ride which took place on Friday, December 2nd.

Above: Stuart's Wild Ride bike shop is located right next to Stuart's of Boca tennis shop.

From Tennis to Bikes

Stuart's Wild Ride is owned and operated by Stuart Ambramson. Stuart's Wild Ride is right next to Stuart's of Boca, which is Ambramson's tennis shop, which he opened in 1983. Stuart got the bicycle bug a few years back, and decided he wanted to open a high end bicycle shop catering to triathletes, the result is Stuart's Wild Ride. Nick Yanarella is the shop manager and chief wrench, along with being a certified Retul bike fitter.

The shop has a boutique like feel to it thanks to the innovative displays of bikes, shoes, wheels, helmets and saddles. The unique displays almost seem more like you are viewing art work than looking at merchandise which is available for sale.

  Above: that's me with pro cyclist Tom Danielson.

Meet a Pro Cyclist

My husband and I attended the official grand opening of Stuart's Wild Ride after hearing pro cyclist Tom Danielson was scheduled as the guest speaker at the grand opening. Tom is a member of the Garmin-Cervelo pro cycling team and competed in his first Tour de France in 2011. Tom was the top placing American cyclist in this years tour and placed 9th overall. Not bad for his debut performance.

Above: my sweet swag from Stuart's Wild Ride grand opening celebration.

What's the Speed Limit?

It was pretty interesting listening to a pro cyclist talk about his various races. Tom is only 33 years old, and at times he seemed like a little kid as his eyes lit up as he was revealing some really interesting information from one of his favorite races. Someone in the audience asked him how fast has he ever gone while racing. He had to do a quick kilometer to mile conversion but said he got up to 80 miles per hour at one race. He was in a huge peleton, going through a tunnel. There was no air resistance to slow them down in the tunnel, and it was very dark except for a single string of lights. He said there was no thinking about breaking, you were getting swept along in a pack of 200+ riders so you just had to have no fear and go along for the ride.

He does remember freaking out a bit when they finally came out of the tunnel and back into daylight and he grabed a quick peak at his cycling computer and realized how fast he had been going. Well, I've never gotten over 40 MPH while riding because I freak out if I go too fast downhill. I know some of my more agressive cycling friends have gotten up to speeds of almost 50 MPH so I knew the pros must get up to some really crazy speeds. But 80 MPH, no thank you!

Above: I felt like I was 5 years old as I was standing in line waiting for my turn to talk to Garmin-Cervelo rider Tom Danielson.

Grab Some Swag

After the question and answer session, Tom signed autographs for anyone wanting one. I got Tom to sign both a Cervelo poster and a postcard with his photo on the front. I also got a Cervelo feed bag and a water bottle to take home with me, free swag, sweet!

Above: store owner's Cheryl and Stuart Abramson with shop manager Nick Yanarella.

High End Gear and Accessories

Stuart's Wild Ride caters to the hard core road biker and triathlete looking for the best gear available. Stuart's carries top end road and triathlon bikes, helmets, seats, wheels, bike shoes, running shoes, clothing and accessories. Brand names carried at Stuart's Wild Ride included:

• Cervelo
• Look
• Pinarello
• Scott
• Zipp
• Mad Fibre
• Speedplay
• Zoot
• Fizik
• Giro
• Rudy Project
• ISM
• Castelli
• Assos

Above: one wall of Stuart's is covered in bikes, which are displayed in individual lighted boxes. Between my husband and I we own 7 bikes, I wonder if I can get him to build us a wall of bikes for our house!?!

Above: got wheels? Stuart's Wild Ride wheel display looks like art on display, pretty cool.

Finding Stuart's Wild Ride

Stuart's is located just west of the Florida Turnpike, on Glades Road in Boca Raton.

• West Boca Plaza
• 8177 West Glades Road
• Suite #12
• Boca Raton, FL 33432

Above: wall of seats showing the variety available at the store. Many of the seats are available to test ride.

Above: traditional road bike helmets and a few aero helmets.

Additional Information

Stuart's Wild Ride

1. Website: www.stuartswildride.com
2. Facebook: www.facebook.com/stuartswildride
3. Twitter: twitter.com/#!/StuartsWildRide

Tom Danielson

1. Website: wp.tomdanielson.com
2. Facebook: www.facebook.com/danielsonracing
3. Twitter: twitter.com/#!/tomdanielson

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Bike Diva at 2011 Miami Man Triathlon

I participated in the half Ironman distance duathlon at Miami Man in 2009 and 2010. This year I decided to register for the half Ironman distance triathlon, which took place on Sunday, November 13. I DNF (did not finish) a triathlon for the first time since starting to race triathlons earlier this year.

Above: Miami Man swim course at Larry & Penny Thompson park. International distance triathletes complete one swim lap, half Ironman distance triathletes complete two swim laps.

Bike Diva Learns to Swim

If you have been following along the Bike Diva blog, you will know that I only started swimming on January 3, at 47 years old. I have had a life long water phobia, but for the past few years have been thinking about starting to race triathlons. In January, my husband and I joined the local YMCA, so we could start using their lap pool. I also have pool passes to a couple of outdoor pools near me, I live in SE Florida and can train year round outdoors. I've also gotten my husband to drive up to the ocean with me on occasion, to practice some open water swims. We are lucky to live 10 minutes from the beach.

Bike Diva Swim Posts

1. Bike Diva's First Swim Practice
2. Bike Diva's Second Swim Practice
3. Bike Diva's Triathlon Training Observations
4. Bike Diva Tries Wetsuit
5. Swim a Triathlon with a Snorkel

Above: my awesome Miami Man swim cap.

To Wetsuit or Not to Wetsuit

The swim at Miami Man took place in a really nice fresh water lake at Larry & Penny Thompson Park in Miami. The water was pretty clear, and quite shallow in spots. I saw huge boulders, just a few feet below the surface, in many sections of the swim. The lake gets a bit deep in the middle, and the race officials always seem to get a cold water temperature reading making the swim wetsuit legal. I was one of the few people not wearing a wetsuit at the race.

I would guess that only about 15% of people racing yesterday did it without a wetsuit. I need to go back to doing some ocean swims wearing my wetsuit. I have a really nice Wahoo sleeveless wetsuit, made by my sponsor Profile Designs. Unfortunately, the only two races I did using the wetsuit, I totally freaked out and felt very claustrophobic with the wetsuit on. I haven't tried the wetsuit since March 27, I'm thinking my swim ability and swim confidence have improved greatly since March, so I should start doing some ocean swims using the wetsuit to get used to swimming with one.

Above: Miami Man swim exit.

Miami Man Races

There were 3 races taking place at Miami Man; half Ironman duathlon, International triathlon, half Ironman triathlon.

Half Ironman Duathlon

• 1 mile run
• 56 mile bike
• 13.1 mile run

International Triathlon

• .6 mile swim
• 22 mile bike
• 6.2 mile run

Half Ironman Triathlon

• 1.2 mile swim
• 56 mile bike
• 13.1 mile run

Above: Miami Man swag; technical t-shirt, transition towel, mouse pad, run hat, tote bag, water bottle, coffee mug.

Bike Diva Gets Rescued

I knew I could do the bike and run portion of Miami Man, after competing in the duathlon for the past two years. But the swim proved more than I could handle. I was physically prepared for the swim, but my problem is swimming with all the other triathletes while racing. I am a very slow swimmer and the swim waves that start after my wave catch up to me and start swimming over/around me. I often go into full panic mode when getting bashed around by the other swimmers. It's a normal part of triathlon, they aren't trying to drown me, but I just went into full on panic attack during the swim at Miami Man.

I completed the first swim loop, in a horrible time of 38 minutes. I shouldn't have even started the second swim loop, but the spectators were cheering me on to continue. I was very dizzy/shaky getting out of the water after the first loop. I was like the drunken sailor trying to do the short walk across the timing mat and back into the water to start the second loop. I didn't feel like I was making any progress after starting the second loop. I was just coming up to the first buoy when a large group of International distance triathletes got to the buoy at the same time. Suddenly I was in the midst of a huge group of FAST, agressive swimmers. I couldn't deal with it and flagged down a kayak rescue boat to take me back to shore.

It was awful. I don't know how to train NOT to have a panic attack. I completed 8 sprint and 1 Olympic distance triathlon leading up to Miami Man. I panicked at about half the races but the other half I had no problem. When I start panicking, I basically stop swimming and just bob up and down in the water, not making a lot of forward progress. So I guess I need to do a lot more swimming to get faster, and start close to the front of my swim wave. That would give me a good start to the swim before the waves starting behind me caught up to me.

Above: this sign gets posted every year the day before Miami Man. No swimming is allowed on the day of packet pickup/bike drop. They remove the sign for the race the next day, but unfortunately you can't do a practice swim the day before the race.

Interesting Swim Rescue

Funny thing about being "rescued" at Miami Man, the kayak rescue dude got me close to shore, so I started swimming after letting go of the kayak. I was away from all the bodies in the water and no longer freaking out. But the rescue lifeguard standing on shore must have thought I was still in trouble, he flung his dang rescue buoy at me and hit me in my face. Now I have a fat lip. Thanks for the "rescue" dude, WTF!?!

Above: Bike Diva ready to race Miami Man.

Bike Diva's Final Observations

Well, despite my DNF at Miami Man yesterday, I'm not ready to give up on triathlons. I'm planning on racing in a bunch of sprint distance triathlons next year, like I did this year. Then I will sign up for the International distance triathlon at Miami Man in November, instead of the half Ironman distance. I managed to complete 1 swim lap yesterday, that's all you have to do for the International distance.

I also want to go back to St. Anthony's in April with my husband. St. Anthony's is an Olympic distance triathlon that takes place in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Olympic distance triathlon is a 1.5 kilometer swim (.9 mile) - 25 mile bike - 6.2 mile run. I raced St. Anthony's this year, although the swim was shortened from 1.5k to 1k, and didn't freak out in the water, which was an ocean swim.

Above: I had the perfect location for my bike in the transition area. My race number was 313, which put me on the end cap of the bike rack, lots of room for all my gear. Miami Man assigns you spots in transition.

Keep Challenging Yourself

I have to keep challenging myself, otherwise it's back to being a couch potato and weighing 180 pounds, that is NOT going to happen. I've worked too hard to get down to 140 pounds, and still want to drop a few more pounds. Racing makes me get off my butt to train, I probably wouldn't do half as much working out if I didn't schedule a few races every year.

If I did the duathlon again this year, like last 2 years, I would probably have gotten 1st or 2nd for my age group. But where's the challenge in that? There were only 5 girls in my AG that completed the duathlon this year. There were 42 girls signed up in my age group for the half Ironman triathlon, but only 29 actually showed up and raced. That's still a lot more competition than I ever saw while racing duathlons. I don't care if I never win another award doing triathlons, every single duathlon I competed in I won an award because not that many people do duathlons. I like the challenge of triathlons. I've got an entire case full of awards, big deal. I only compete against me, myself, and I; and dang, she can be a beyatch at times - HA!

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Swim Course Change - St. Anthony's Triathlon

Yesterday, St. Anthony's triathlon announced that they are permanently changing the location of the swim portion of the race. I posted this to my Facebook page as soon as I heard about the change:

"St. Anthony's triathlon is changing the location of the swim start. If you did the 2011 race, you already swam part of the new official swim course. The swim start is changing permanently from St. Petersburg Pier to the area in front of North Shore pool. The swim was changed to this location for 2011 race and also shortened from 1.5k to 1k. But the swim course will normally be 1.5k. St. A's swim has had problems past 3 years trying to do start from St. Petersburg Pier. The area in front of North Shore pool was a bit shallow for this years race, and lots of sea grass, but since it was so close to shore, made it a lot safer even in choppy water conditions. I'm guessing permanent change to swim course will attract triathletes back to the race, attendance has been a bit off past couple years."

Above: old swim start location by St. Petersburg Pier.

Here is a copy of the official press release:

St. Anthony's Triathlon Announces New Swim Course Location

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2011) - Athletes will take on a fresh challenge at the 2012 St. Anthony's Triathlon as race officials have permanently moved the open water swim portion of the race to an area of Tampa Bay north of North Shore Pool in St. Petersburg.

The swim course will be 1.5K or .93 miles. The bike and run portions of the race and the transition areas will remain the same, at 40K and 10K, respectively. The St. Anthony's Triathlon, one of the best known triathlons in the United States, is part of the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) 5150 Triathlon Series.

During last year's triathlon, the swim course was relocated away from the St. Petersburg Pier and shortened to 1,000 meters due to weather conditions. "Numerous competitors told us how much they liked the swim course last year, so we decided to make the permanent move to the new location," said St. Anthony's Hospital President Bill Ulbricht. "We think the change is necessary because of potential construction at the Pier and that this new course will continue to offer athletes an excellent challenge as they build to the other two legs of the race." 

Above: official course of the 2012 St. Anthony's triathlon, including new swim location.

The St. Anthony's Triathlon is sanctioned by USA Triathlon. The race, which has served as the USA Triathlon Regional Championship for many years, is a qualifier for the 5150 U.S. Championship event.

The St. Anthony's Triathlon will open registration for its 29^th annual race starting at 9 a.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011. Approximately 4,000 athletes competed in the 2011 event.

The St. Anthony's Triathlon will be held on April 29, 2012 as part of a three-day weekend event that includes a sports and fitness expo and the Meek & Mighty Triathlon on April 28, 2012. For registration information, visit SATriathlon.com or call (727) 953-9005. Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/stanthonystriathlon.

Above: my husband and I at the Team in Training tent after completing 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon.

About World Triathlon Corporation
World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Tampa-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. WTC's portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids brands, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex, Foster Grant and PowerBar, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlons since its inception in 1978.

About St. Anthony's Hospital
St. Anthony's Hospital is a 395-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and is the first and only faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. As St. Anthony's celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2011, the hospital continues its rich history dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing high-quality, innovative and compassionate care.

Above: members of the 2011 Palm Beach Chapter Team in Training triathlon team. Waiting for their swim wave to start in front of North Shore pool. St. Anthony's is permanently changing the swim start to this location starting with the 2012 race.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Composed of a network of 10 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient's lifetime. With more than 200 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for any health care need. BayCare's family of hospitals are: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Hospital-North, St. Joseph's Women's, and South Florida Baptist. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

Bike Diva at Race the Troops Triathlon

Above: the Bike Diva's duathlon awards from the 2009 race season.

Race the Troops Triathlon

On Sunday, October 2nd I competed in the 5th annual Race the Troops triathlon. The race was hosted by Multirace.com and took place at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, Florida. You could do the event as either a sprint duathlon or sprint triathlon.

Sprint Triathlon

• 1/4 mile swim
• 10 mile bike
• 3 mile run

Sprint Duathlon

• 3/4 mile run
• 10 mile bike
• 3 mile run

The race took place entirely inside the park; it's really nice not having to worry about traffic while racing, especially during the bike portion of the race. The swim is a short sprint across the small man-made lake, you can see the finish line from the starting line so they don't even place buoys in the water for this race. Just swim directly across the lake back to transition area. Then it's a very short few feet to run from the swim exit to transition. A quick switch from swim to bike gear then you do 2 laps on the bike course for a total of 10 miles to end up back in the transition area. Then it's another quick switch from your bike to run gear to do 2 laps on the run course for a total of 3 miles.

At the finish line volunteers hand you your finishers medal, bottle of water and remove the timing chip from your ankle. There is a food tent for athletes at the finish line area with bagels and lots of fresh fruit. As soon as you leave the finishing chute, there is a tent and table where you can get a print out of your race results.

 

Above: Bike Diva during the run at Race the Troops triathlon. Photo by Kathie Reilly.

Broward Championship Race Series

Race the Troops was the final race in the 2011 Broward Championship Race Series. To qualify for the points series, you had to compete in at least 3 of the 6 races. I participated in 4 of the races and ended up placing 4th in the series for Women 45-49. Multirace.com awards 5 deep in age groups so I'll be getting an award for my 4th place finish in the series. You can see my individual race results weren't that spectacular, but a lot of girls in my age group only do 1 or 2 of the races so they don't qualify for the points series.

Here are the dates and results of all 4 races I competed in for the race series. I had planned on doing the triathlon in September that was part of the race series, but the swim was cancelled due to high bacterial levels in the lake at Tradewinds Park. I decided not to participate in the September race and instead went on a 3 hour kayak trip with a bunch of my friends at Riverbend Park in Jupiter.

All but one of the races listed below took place at Tradewinds Park. The Egg Hunt triathlon took place at CB Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, and was a .25 mile swim - 11 mile bike - 3.1 mile run distance. I had a bit of a panic attack during the swim at CB Smith Park thus the slow swim time.

4/03/11 - Spring Training Triathlon

• Swim = 13:41
• T1 = 1:04
• Bike = 31:32
• T2 = 1:21
• Run = 30:08
• Total time = 1:17:46
• 10th place women 45-49

4/23/11 - Egg Hunt Triathlon (CB Smith Park)

• Swim = 17:15
• T1 = 1:01
• Bike = 37:14
• T2 = 1:06
• Run = 30:35
• Total time = 1:27:11
• 6th place women 45-49

7/04/11 - Independence Day Triathlon

• Swim = 13:23
• T1 = 1:20
• Bike = 35:39
• T2 = :57
• Run = 31:23
• Total time = 1:22:43
• 13th place women 45-49

10/02 - Race the Troops Triathlon

• Swim = 12:27
• T1 = :52
• Bike = 33:09
• T2 = :52
• Run = 28:02
• Total time = 1:15:21
• 6th place women 45-49

Above: Bike Diva during the bike portion of the 2009 Miami Man half Ironman duathlon.

Bike Diva's Multisport Events

I participate in 15-22 races and sporting events per year. The events I race in include 5k, half marathons and century bike rides with my main emphasis being on duathlons and triathlons. Here is a summary of the multisport events I have competed in over the past few years. I started out racing duathlons, as I used to have an extreme water phobia, and said I would never do a triathlon. But after completing my second half Ironman distance duathlon the end of 2010, I decided I wanted to do an Ironman triathlon someday. So 2011 became the year of the triathlon as I am trying to conquer my fear of swimming.

2009

• 10 sprint duathlons
• 1 half Ironman duathlon

2010

• 11 sprint duathlons
• 1 Olympic duathlon
• 1 half Ironman duathlon

2011

• 9 sprint triathlons
• 1 Olympic triathlon
• 1 half Ironman triathlon

Above: my finishers medals and animal trophy's from the 2009 and 2010 Miami Man duathlon.

2011 Miami Man Triathlon

I participated in the half Ironman distance duathlon the past two years at Miami Man. That was a 1 mile run - 56 mile bike - 13.1 mile run event. On November 13, 6 days before my 48th birthday, I will be participating in my very first half Ironman distance triathlon at Miami Man. Instead of the 1 mile run at the beginning of the event, the triathlon has athletes doing a 1.2 mile swim.That is a very long swim for someone that just started swimming on January 3.

I am just hoping to make the swim cut off time so I can complete the event. That is my goal for this years Miami Man - to finish! I am thinking I can do it around 7 hours, which is pretty slow, but I want to eventually do an Ironman triathlon which has a 2.4 mile swim so just completing a 70.3 triathlon will be a HUGE freaking deal for me.

Above: Bike Diva and friends hamming it up while training for the Disney Marathon with Team in Training. Left to right; Lynn Smythe, Tara Delaney, Danielle Heemskerk. Photo by Karlene Morgan.

Tentative 2012 Race Schedule

I only have a few race dates that I know for certain for the 2012 race season: Bike Diva's Races. But this is the time of year I have to start sending out proposals to all my potential sponsors for 2012 so I came up with a very tentative schedule of events for 2012. The only one that I have registered for so far is the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge; I'll be doing Disney half marathon on January 7 and Disney Marathon on January 8. 39.3 miles of running in two days, who me!?! I'm the Bike Diva not the run diva - HA!

My husband and I are doing Disney with our local Team in Training chapter to help raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Here is a link to our fundraising page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/pb/wdw12/lsmythe.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Bike Diva's Tentative 2012 Race Schedule

Above: Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva, and her husband Rob finishing the swim leg of their first ever triathlon, February 2011.

Race Bike Diva Race

It's that time of year again. Time for reflection as I look back at the races I participated in 2011 and figure out which events I want to race in 2012. I've been racing since 2008, you can view my Bike Diva Race Schedule to see all the events I participated in since that time: http://www.bikediva.net/bike-divas-races.html.

I start planning my schedule for the following year in the early fall for a number of reasons:

1. The companies I am trying to obtain sponsorship from for the 2012 race season usually accept applications in the fall for sponsorship the following year. Every potential sponsor needs a general idea of the events you plan on doing.
2. I am married with children and need to plan my training and racing around my husbands work schedule and daughters school schedule.
3. I am not independently wealthy, and as an amateur athlete, I have to pay the entry fee to all my events. Being on a limited budget I have to decide which events are the most important to me each year.
4. I live in south Florida and could easily race year round. But that would be a recipe for disaster. Everyone needs an off season to rest and recuperate from their main racing season before gearing up their training for the next racing season. I was exhausted at the end of 2010 after doing 22 events, so I am trying really hard to scale back a bit. Fewer races should mean those races are better/faster than going slow and suffering when doing too many events.

  Above: showing off my bike in the transition area of the 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon.

Bike Diva's 2011 Races

As you can see, I still have a few races left to go for 2011. My "A" race of the year, the one which is the most important to me, takes place on November 13. I will be competing in my first half Ironman distance triathlon at Miami Man, 6 days before my 48th birthday!

1. 2/06 - Club Med Race Series #1 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
2. 2/26 - Race for Faith – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
3. 3/13 - 35^th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
4. 3/27 – Club Med Race Series #2 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
5. 4/03 - Spring Training Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
6. 4/17 - FAU Wellness Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Spanish River Park, Boca Raton
7. 4/23 - Egg Hunt Triathlon - sprint triathlon - CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines
8. 5/01 - St. Anthony's Triathlon - Olympic triathlon - Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg
9. 5/07 – 10th Annual Race for the Arts – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
10. 7/04 - Independence Day - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
11. 7/24 – Club Med Race Series #4 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
12. 8/06 - Loggerhead Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Carlin Park, Jupiter.
13. 8/21 - WPB Race Series - 15k time trial bike race - West Palm Beach.
14. 10/02 - Race the Troops - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
15. 11/13 - Miami Man – ½ Ironman triathlon – Larry & Penny Thompson Park, Homestead
16. 11/19  25th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k run - Anchor Park, Delray Beach
17. 12/03 - Warrior Dash - 5k adventure run - Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield Beach

Above: my favorite part of the triathlon, the bike leg!

Bike Diva's Tentative 2012 Race Schedule

This is a very preliminary schedule. I don't have any dates yet for the Club Med series of triathlons or any of the Multirace.com triathlons. I'm not sure if I will commit to doing my first full Ironman distance triathlon the end of 2012 or 2013. If I don't do Ironman in 2012 then I will do the half Ironman again at Miami Man in lieu of Ironman Florida.

Also, if my  swim confidence has improved, then I'm looking at NOT doing as many Multirace.com events as I usually do and adding in some of the bigger tris, such as Miami International, Nautica South Beach or Escape to Miami to my schedule. BUT I will have to get over my fear of bridges, Miami triathlons are full of stinking bridges.

Also, my local chapter Team in Training is talking about doing the Moab century ride next September. That is a 100 mile road bike ride in the mountains in Utah. My husband is one of the Team in Training cycle coaches, so if Moab is a go, then I'll be training for that event in September in lieu of doing Nation's triathlon.

The Disney half and full marathon (AKA Goofy Race & a half Challenge) are the only events that I have already registered for in 2012. I am doing Goofy with my local chapter of Team in Training to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This leaves a lot of room for changes and additions to the schedule. But potential sponsors for 2012 race season need to have a general idea of what events I plan to race so I put together this tentative schedule.

1. 1/07/12 - Disney - half marathon - Orlando
2. 1/08/12 - Disney - marathon - Orlando
3. 2/19/12 - A1A - marathon - Ft. Lauderdale
4. 2/25/12 - 9th Annual Race for Faith - 5k - Lake Worth
5. 3/10/12 - 11th Annual Race for the Arts - 5k - West Palm Beach
6. 3/?/12 - 36th Annual Shamrock Run - 5k or 10 miler - Lake Worth
7. 4/15/12 - FAU - sprint triathlon - Boca Raton
8. 4/29/12 - St. Anthony's - Olympic triathlon - St. Petersburg
9. 8/?/12 - Loggerhead - sprint triathlon - Jupiter
10. 9/09/12 - Nation's - Olympic triathlon - Washington, DC
11. ??11/?/12 - Ironman Florida - Full Ironman triathlon - Panama City Beach OR
12. 11/?/12 - Miami Man - half Ironman triathlon - Miami
13. 11/?/12 - 26th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k - Delray Beach
14. 12/?/12 - Palm Beach Marathon - marathon - West Palm Beach

Above: my least favorite part of triathlons, the swim. I've only been swimming since January 3, so I guess I'm doing okay for just getting into triathlons. I am like a fish out of water in the water - LOL!

Additional Sponsorship Information

Here are links to articles I've written on obtaining sponsorship for amateur athletes:

• 2012 Athletic Sponsorship Opportunities
• How to Find Sponsorship Opportunities

 

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Compression Tights & Compression Triathlon Shorts

CW-X Conditioning Wear

I recently had a chance to test out compression tights and triathlon shorts made by CW-X. I had been wanting to get a pair of compression tights to start using as a recovery tool after my long bike rides and runs. I figured the compression tights would also double as running tights in the winter and the tri shorts can be worn for regular biking and bike-to-run bricks. I probably would not wear them for any of my races, too many sponsorship obligations so I am usually racing in official team gear for Team Odwalla or one of my other sponsors.

CW-X has a size guide on their website. They say if your height and weight has you falling between sizes to choose the next size larger. I ordered the compression shorts and tights in women's size medium. In addition to the tights and shorts, CW-X makes a complete line of compression gear including:

• arm sleeves
• calf sleeves
• socks
• support bras
• running and triathlon tops

Compression Gear Features

According to CW-X their compression gear has a variety of features:

• Warm-up - establishes the optimum state to begin your workout safely and effectively.
• Training zone - maintains peak performance and stabilizes temperature during activity.
• Cool-down - helps the body slowly return to its resting phase.
• Recovery - facilitates circulation and venous return, minimizing lactic acid build-up and muscle soreness during and after activity.

Above: CW-X women's Ventilator triathlon shorts.

 

Above: CW-X Perform-X compression tights

 

Bike Diva's Verdict

Both the compression tight and compression shorts were a little bit tricky to get on. They kind of reminded me of putting panty hose on, work from the ankle up to the knee then finally pull them up to your waist. You work on getting on one leg at a time, and since they are so tight, it also kind of reminded me of putting on my wetsuit.

At first I thought I wasn't going to like the tri shorts, as they hit just above the knee. That is way longer than any of my other biking or running shorts. But once I started running, it was heaven! I normally have a lot of hip flexor pain, due to tight IT band, but the shorts felt like I was getting a message the entire time I was running. And they have a very light weight chamois pad to make the transition to biking comfortable.

Above: my husband and I at the completion of the 2011 St. Anthony's Triathlon. Yes, I found the beer tent right after crossing the finish line.

Disney Marathon

Living in south Florida I will mainly use the compression tights as recovery gear to wear at home after my long run and bike workouts. But it does cool down for a day or two during the winter in Florida, so I might actually get a chance to wear them while running. I am doing the Goofy Race & 1/2 Half Challenge in Orlando in January, it can get a bit cool in Disney World that time of year, so I will pack my compression tights with me just in case. And I will definitely want to wear them after doing the 1/2 half marathon the day before doing the full.

Participating in both the Disney ½ marathon and Disney marathon is called the Goofy Race and ½ Challenge. I will be participating in this event with my local Team in Training chapter, while helping to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Disney will be my first running event with Team in Training. I have completed 5 century bike rides and 2 triathlons with TNT since 2006, while helping to raise over $30,000 for cancer research. My fund-raising page is located at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/pb/wdw12/lsmythe.

Promotive Website

I purchased my CW-X compression tights and triathlon shorts on the Promotive website as part of a pro deal discount. I qualified for both the Industry Pro Deal and Outdoor Media & Industry Advocates teams on the Promotive website.

You've heard of brands that hook up "pros" with free gear to expose their products to flocks of potential buyers.  You may not know those same companies offer discounts to other high-profile customers as well.  You're receiving this invitation because I think you're discount-worthy, and I'm pretty sure a bunch of cool brands will feel the same way.  There's only one way to find out if you qualify for up to 70 percent off retail - register with ProMotive.com for free!

Additional Information

CW-X clothing can be purchased from a variety of on-line retailers including Paragon Sports, Zappos, Back Country and Tri Sports. Shop around for the best prices; I found them going on the internet for between $50 and $100 for both the shorts and tights.

Website: http://cw-x.com

Twitter: twitter.com/CWXWSSC

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/CW-X-Conditioning-Wear/69163765916

 

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

 

HITS Triathlon Series

Saugerties, NY – August 24, 2011 – Looking to create the highest quality events possible, HITS, Inc. today announced that the HITS Triathlon Series will provide a wide range of first-class amenities for racers and spectators. The HITS Triathlon Series is the first race series to feature five distances at each event with events taking place at unique destinations all year long.

“Triathletes train hard and many travel a significant distance to race. Hence, HITS is putting in as much effort to make the race experience special as the triathletes put into preparing for their event,” said Mark Wilson, race director for the HITS Triathlon Series. “From good food and well-marked courses to individual bike racks and streaming event coverage, we want everyone at a HITS Triathlon event to feel like a pro.”

Below is a sampling of special amenities competitors, friends and family can expect to experience at HITS Triathlon events:

• On-site food service for athletes and spectators with a healthy assortment of offerings for purchase
• Complimentary shuttle transportation for athletes, family and friends where needed
• Chip timing with remote detection points and text message updates available
• Individual bike racks with personal seat and box for belongings
• On-site bike shop/repair at every event
• Massive score-board with minute-to-minute updates
• Live streaming coverage of all distances for online and race-day viewing on multiple flat screens throughout course/VIP/transition areas
• Top-notch VIP tent for athletes, sponsors and family/friends
• Leaders in all distances will have an escort vehicle (Bike-car/motorcycle; Run-bicycle)
• Swim courses are marked with 2-meter floats and safety vessels every 20 meters
• Family/friends welcome to cross finish line with athletes
• Athlete welcome parties and award ceremonies with free food
• Champions crowned first through third in one year age groups
• Dave Scott video tips and online training program
• Great swag/goodie bags

HITS Triathlon Series also has a partnership with Raceday Transport to provide bike and gear transport services to HITS Triathlon events. A full list of amenities can be found at http://hitstriathlonseries.com/register/athlete-amenities.

The first HITS Triathlon Series event kicks off in Palm Springs, December 3-4, 2011, providing the best opportunity for triathletes to race during the winter months.

About HITS, Inc.

HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing endurance sports events and hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS is dedicated to creating high-quality events in desirable destinations with unmatched, professional operations. For more information about the HITS Triathlon Series, please visit www.hitstriathlonseries.com.

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Miami 2575 Triathlon

December Triathlon

I need to put another triathlon on my 2011 race schedule like I need another hole in my head. But I was going through my goodie bag that I received at last weekends Race for the Arts 5k, and found a postcard for the Miami 25-75 triathlon. The race takes place at Miami Marine Stadium in Key Biscayne, Florida.

About the Event

Created and organized by the founders of the Miami International Triathlon, 25.75 Triathlon holds the same high standards of quality and organization for the ultimate triathlon racing experience. With the City of Miami Marine Stadium as the starting point, beautiful swim, bike & run courses, the race shows off some of the most amazing views this city can provide.

25.75 Triathlon Race Details

• Swim .75k = .46 mile
• Bike 20k = 12.4 miles
• Run 5k = 3.1 miles

The swim course: A closed bay with nothing except ocean blue waters and the sound of your strokes.

The bike course: known very well by locals, the “Key Biscayne Loop” features a perfect 12.4 mile course when starting at the City of Miami Marine Stadium. Featuring beautiful views of the Downtown Miami Skyline, as well as Key Biscayne & Virginia Key beaches and parks, this course is smooth and flat in the majority of its extension – but don’t think for a second it will be an easy ride: the William Powell bridge will separate real athletes from the rest, as it adds almost one mile of “hill climbing” biking and stands a total of 76 feet tall at its highest point from the water level.

The run course: a 3.1 mile stretch course shaded by pine trees and natural vegetation where all you see are trees and the sky blue shoreline. No cars, no streets, no traffic lights. As one of Miami’s best kept secrets, this running course along the bay has been just repaved.

• Race Date: December 4th, 2011 
• Start Time: 7:00 am 
• Field Limit: 1,000 
• Distances: .75K (.46 mile) + 20K (12.4 miles) + 5K (3.1 miles)
• Time Limit: 3 hours 
• Location: 
  City of Miami's Marine Stadium
  3501 Rickenbacker Cswy.
  Miami, FL 33149 
  Get directions
• Individual Entry: $85 early registration (Jan 12th - October 31st) / $105 from September 1st - November 30th 
• Relay Team Entry: $115 early registration (Jan 12th - October 31st) / $135 from September 1st - November 30th 
  
  
• Registration Link: Register here

Additional Information

• Website: 2575tri.com
• Register for the race on Active.com: www.active.com/triathlon/miami-fl/triathlon-2011
• Benefiting charity: $5 per entry fee will be donated to La Ventana De Los Cielos, The Windows of the Heavens: www.laventanadeloscielos.org/english/inicio.html

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

2011 St. Anthony's Triathlon Report

28th Annual St. Anthony's Triathlon

My husband and I got back into town late Monday afternoon, so I'm just getting around to getting my race report written for the 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon. St. A's was an Olympic distance race which took place in St. Petersburg, Florida on Sunday, May 1. We did the race with the Palm Beach Florida chapter of Team in Training (TNT). TNT is the largest fund raising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Participants in the Team in Training program, from chapters located throughout the country, helped raise 1.5 million dollars this year while training for the 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon - GO TEAM!

Above: Bike Diva at the St. Anthony's Hospital booth at the triathlon expo. Yes, St. A's is THE St. A's of the St. Anthony's Triathlon. Got my blood pressure and pulse checked out while I was visiting their booth, along with a travel size packet of band aids, a pen, sunscreen and some mints.

Extended Vacation

My husband and I decided to go over to St. Petersburg a day early and called our hotel to see if we could extend our stay from Thursday evening to Monday morning. They had a room available for Thursday night, so we left our house around 2:30 Thursday afternoon. St. Petersburg is located on the west coast of Florida, just south of Tampa, and is about a 4 hour drive from our home on the east coast of Florida in Delray Beach.

Above: Bike Diva succumbs to the dreaded tourist disease!!!!

Nice Hotel Stay

We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard hotel which is a short 1/2 mile from St. Petersburg Pier and the  St. Anthony's triathlon expo. We walked to and from our hotel some days and took the free hotel shuttle at other times. There are also two downtown St. Petersburg trolleys which pick you up and drop you off at a variety of locations for only 25 cents per ride, what a bargain. The Courtyard had a buffet breakfast available, which we enjoyed on two days, and after our Saturday morning swim practice, we enjoyed brunch at one of the downtown restaurants as we were walking from Spa Beach back to our hotel.

Above: Spa Beach looking out at St. Petersburg Pier. This was the location of the original swim start of St. Anthony's triathlon. Swim start moved north on race day morning due to choppy wave conditions.

Swim Bike Diva Swim

We are both fairly new to the sport of triathlon. Since the beginning of the year, my husband has competed in 3 sprint distance triathlons and I've competed in 5 sprint distance triathlons. St. Anthony's was our first Olympic distance triathlon. Since the swim was scheduled to be almost 1 mile long and takes place in the ocean, we decided we wanted to get in a few practice swims at the St. Anthony's swim start prior to actually doing the race.

We got in a practice swim on Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon. The two afternoon swims were nice and calm. The Saturday morning swim was cut short, it was really windy out causing very choppy swim conditions. Unfortunately it was really windy and choppy on race day morning causing the swim course to be altered. But the 3 practice swims really improved my open water swim confidence, so I'm glad we kept making ourselves go into the water.

Above: Bike Diva with pro triathlete Michellie Jones at the ISM saddle booth.

Triathlon Expo

St. Anthony's has a really great expo which is set up at the race site each year. A variety of vendors selling all kinds of triathlon merchandise had booths setup at the expo. I had my picture taken with pro triathletes Andy Potts and Michellie Jones. They are sponsored by ISM saddles and were hanging out at the ISM booth on Saturday morning. Pretty cool, I'm 5' 5" but felt like a midget standing next to the pros. They also look like they don't eat bacon or cookies. :)

Above: Bike Diva with pro triathlete Andy Potts at the ISM saddle booth.

Olympic Distance Triathlon

An Olympic distance triathlon consists of the following distances:

• 1.5 kilometer swim =.93 miles = 1640 yards
• 40 kilometer bike = 24.8 miles
• 10 kilometer run = 6.2 miles

The water conditions at St. Anthony's have been dicey for the past two years. In 2009 the swim portion of the race was cancelled for everyone except the professionals. So all the age groupers ended up doing sort of a bike-run duathlon that year. In 2010 the swim started out being the full distance but as the water conditions started getting worse, the swim was cut in half for the last few swim waves. This year was no different, very strong winds in the early morning caused Tampa Bay to resemble a washing machine.

Above: Choppy swim conditions day before race start. Hard to tell from the photo but waves hitting chest height while standing in knee deep water.

Have a Safe Swim

With almost 3,600 people signed up to race, race officials wanted to make sure everyone stayed safe while in the water. But instead of having to cancel the swim, the swim start location, direction of swim and swim distance was changed. Instead of starting at Spa Beach, we started at the beach just north of the transition area at the North Shore Aquatic Complex by Vinoy Park. And instead of swimming east-north-east, we swam east-south-east. And the swim was shortened from 1640 yards to 1000 yards. So although we didn't get to do a true Olympic distance swim, 1000 yards was still twice as far as my husband and I have ever swam in a race. So we were pretty happy that we survived the swim, especially since it was a bit choppy and the surf temperature was so warm that we weren't allowed to wear wetsuits.

Above: Bike Diva dropping off her bike in transition on Saturday afternoon. We had assigned bike racks, so it didn't mater when you showed up to do bike drop. My husband lucked out and got the end cap on his transition rack.

Bike Diva's Race Results

I've only been swimming since January 3, and I am trying REALLY hard to get over my water phobia. So even though I had a pretty slow swim, I was real happy I was actually able to do such a long swim in competition. Two of the waves that started after my swim wave caught up to me. I get a bit panicked when swimmers pass me from behind, but I found that if I switched to breast stroke, my strong leg kick kept them from getting too close and feeling like I was being drowned.

Above: Bike Diva at the Profile Design booth. Profile Design is one of my sponsors. Unfortunately, due to extremely high surf temperatures the 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon was not wetsuit legal so I was not able to use my Profile Design sleeveless Wahoo wetsuit during the swim. But I did have my Profile Design aero water bottle and bento box on my bike during the race.

Race Details

T1 included a 1/3 mile run from the swim exit back to the transition area. The Bike portion of the race took place in downtown St. Petersburg. The streets were not closed during the race which always makes for interesting conditions. City streets were nice and smooth in some places and under construction in others. It was really windy during the bike leg, but because there were so many turns on the course, we kept changing direction so the wind only affected us in a couple of sections. The bike leg started and ended on cobblestones, a bit lumpy and bumpy, so I slowed down while riding over that section. After the race I heard about a couple of triathletes having a really bad wipe out while riding too fast over the cobblestones, can you say road rash?

Above: Mr. Bike Diva dropping his bike off the day before the race. His preassigned spot was on the end of the bike rack - LUCKY!

The Run

My run was horrid. My swim wave didn't start until around 8:15 so by the time I started the run, it was pretty bloody hot out. Racing in south Florida, UGH! Thankfully there were a TON of spectators out along the course. There were quite a few home owners that set up their garden hose at the end of their driveway. I ran by everyone of the hoses and shouted out "hit me baby!" and got a much needed blast of cool water. I also drank way more water and electrolyte solution than I normally do. That caused my stomach to start feeling BLECH, another thing which caused me to slow down. I was hoping to run the 10k at 10:00 pace, but I was just dang worn out by the time I started the run and ended up doing the zombie death march.

Above: We played tourist on Friday and visited the Salvador Dali museum which is just a mile or two from the St. Anthony's triathlon start.

So, I wasn't dead last in my age group, but pretty close. I had an okay bike time and I always have pretty good transition times. So now if I can just work on panicking less in the water, my swim time should start to improve. I've been running for about 3 years now, not sure what to do to improve my run times. Move to Alaska where it's a bit cooler!?!

There were 137 girls registered in my age group, but only 100 finished the race. Same thing with my husband, there were 123 men registered in his age group but only 94 finished. So in my fantasy world I really finished 87 out of 137. Don't know what happened to the other 37 girls? Did they have a hissy fit when they saw the swim was not wetsuit legal and decide not to show up? Did they freak out when they saw the rad swim conditions and decided not to start? Did they get too many penalties during the race and DQ the race? So I'm patting myself on the back, I actually showed up and completed the race - YEAH ME!!!!

• Swim = 30:42
• T1 = 6:01
• Bike = 1:21:58 = 18.2 MPH
• T2 = 2:57
• Run = 1:14:58 = 12:05 pace
• Total time = 3:16:36
• Division place = 87 out of 100 women 45-49
• Gender place = 752 out of 987 women

Above: St. Anthony's triathlon finishers medal and Team in Training triathlon pin. All hail the mighty BLING!

My Next Team in Training Event

I just registered for Nation's Triathlon with the Palm Beach Florida chapter of Team in Training. Nation's is an Olympic distance triathlon which takes place on September 11, yes 9/11, in Washington DC. I was already planning on doing Nation's before we did St. Anthony's, but now that the swim at St. A's was shortened, I really want to complete an Olympic distance event with the full 1.5 kilometer swim. My husband is coaching the TNT team that will be doing the 109 mile El Tour de Tucson century bike ride in November so he won't be able to train with the triathlon team. But he wants to participate in Nation's so he will be paying his own way and doing Nation's with me, but won't be an official member of the TNT team.

Above: Sandra Holahan, Lynn the Bike Diva Smythe and Ken Mikulski Jr. of the Palm Beach chapter Team in Training, waiting for their swim wave to start.

 

Additional Information

• Website: www.satriathlon.com
• Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/St-Anthonys-Triathlon
• Official 2011 results: www.onlineraceresults.com
• Official 2011 photos: www.finisherpix.com
• Salvador Dali museum: www.thedali.org
• St. Petersburg Pier: stpetepier.com

Above: Choppy water conditions at Spa Beach in St. Petersburg.

Additional Triathlon Related Posts

Here are a few other of my triathlon posts that you can read on the Bike Diva blog:

• Spring Training Triathlon
• Club Med Triathlon #2
• Photos of Club Med Triathlon #1
• Club Med Triathlon #1
• 2011 Egg Hunt Triathlon
• Swim a Triathlon with a Snorkel
• Triathlon Race Day Essentials
• Why Switch From Duathlons to Triathlons
• Bike Diva's Ironman Triathlon Plan
• Bike Diva's First Swim
• Bike Diva's Second Swim Practice
• Bike Diva's Triathlon Training Observations
• Bike Diva Tries Wetsuit
• Bike Diva to Race Ironman Lake Placid

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

2011 Egg Hunt Triathlon

Above: Finisher's medal for the Egg Hunt triathlon.

Egg Hunt Race

On Saturday, April 23 I competed in my 5th triathlon of the year. The Egg Hunt triathlon took place at CB Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, Florida and was race number 2 of 5 of the Broward Championship Race Series put on by Multirace.com. The race could be done as either a sprint distance duathlon or sprint distance triathlon. I participated in the duathlon the past two years, but this was the first time I competed in the triathlon.

The swim is my weakest of the three sports of triathlon. Until January 3 of this year, I never really went in the water. I've lived in SE Florida for around 20 years but an extreme water phobia has kept me on land. But I have a goal of doing an Ironman distance triathlon before I turn 50, so I am trying to get over my swim phobia and learn how to swim.

  Above: Is it the creature from the black lagoon? No, it's Bike Diva struggling to get out of the water at the Egg Hunt triathlon.

Sprint Duathlon

• 1.5 mile run
• 11 mile bike
• 1.5 mile run

Sprint Triathlon

• .25 mile swim
• 11 mile bike
• 3 mile run

Above: Bike Diva smiling because she survived the swim, and now gets to play with her bike.

Bike Diva's Race Results

I certainly didn't set any speed records at this race. I still have a lot of anxiety in the water, which causes me to stop swimming and just tread water until I can calm myself down and stop hyperventilating.I was doing okay until I reached the second buoy. That's about when the Clydesdale men, who started in the wave after me, caught up to me and passed me like a stampede of water buffalo.

Above: Bike Diva finally back on shore. I don't look too happy here do I!?!

I got boxed in at the buoy and got bashed around a bit. I ended up with a nice bruise on my upper left arm, just something to get used to if I'm going to be a triathlete, but for someone with an irrational fear of the water, I just couldn't handle it. I almost stuck my hand up to get the attention of one of the rescue kayakers. But then I heard someone to my right shouting out for help, turns out he started in the swim wave before me. Two of the resuce workers went right over to help him out. I decided I was doing okay, and only had about 50 yards to get to shore so I stuck my head back in the water and did my version of swimming to get to the swim exit.

I placed 6th in my age group, Multirace.com events award age groups 5 deep. If I had been 2 minutes and 9 seconds faster, I would have placed 5th and won an award. Bummer, gives me a goal to work on, have to get over my fear of the water, most girls in my age group completed the swim in 10-12 minutes.

• Swim: 17:15
• T1: 1:01
• Bike: 37:14
• T2: 1:06
• Run: 30:35
• Overall time: 1:27:11
• Age group: 6 out 14 women 45-49
• Gender: 70 out of 111
• Overall: 236 out of 307

Above: A Muscovy duck - QUACK!

Duck Poop Soup

The swim portion of the Egg Hunt triathlon took place in the tiny man-made lake at CB Smith Park. It's a small, rectangular shape lake. We swam across the lake, almost to the opposite shore, before turning at the first buoy, then swam across the lake to the second swim buoy before heading back towards shore.

There were a lot of Muscovy ducks hanging out at the lake. Those are the strange looking ducks with the weird red coloring/flesh around their beaks. Everyone was thinking, oh great, we get to swim in a lake full of duck poop - NICE! Just another one of those fun facts that are never mentioned in the triathlon magazines.

Egg Hunt Bike And Run

The bike portion of the Egg Hunt race was a 11 mile course for both duathletes and triathletes. Leaving transition, you did a counter clockwise loop inside the park, then you got to play in traffic as you completed a clockwise loop outside the park. You repeated the inner and outer loop two times before riding back to the transition area. I'm not sure if my asthma was acting up, but I never found my lungs during the bike portion of the race and had a pretty sucky bike split. I only averaged around 18 MPH, which is pretty slow for someone that calls herself the Bike Diva.

The run was completely inside the park, on a mostly paved walking path which circled around the lake. Duathletes completed one run loop for a total of 1.5 miles, while triathletes completed two runs loops for a total of 3 miles before heading to the finish line. My run ended up being okay, guess since I didn't hammer it on the bike I still had some gas left to finish the run. I am still a really slow runner, but at least I didn't have to walk during the race, so for me, that's having a good run.

  Above: Bike Diva running to the finish line.

Links to Bike Diva's Triathlon Race Reports

My next race is coming up this weekend. My husband and I will be participating in St. Anthony's Olympic distance triathlon on Sunday, May 1. We will be leaving either Thursday night or Friday afternoon to drive over to St. Petersburg, which is about a 4 hour drive from our house.

Right now the surf temperature is really warm, so the event organizers think it WILL NOT be a wetsuit legal swim. An Olympic distance triathlon swim is 1.5 kilometers, which is almost 1 mile! I'm not sure if my husband and I are up for a swim that long, in Tampa Bay, without a wetsuit. Event organizers are giving newbie triathletes a chance to swim with their wetsuit even if it's not wetsuit legal. Anyone wanting to wear a wetsuit, can start the swim after the last official wave goes off at 9:10. We won't qualify for awards if we choose to wear out wetsuits, but we will be allowed to complete the event. We are doing a practice swim on Saturday morning, so I guess we will know by then if it will be wetsuit legal or not.

• Spring Training Triathlon
• Club Med Triathlon #2
• Photos of Club Med Triathlon #1
• Club Med Triathlon #1

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva