Bike Diva

2010 Team in Training Events

Above: racing bib and Team in Training finishers medal from the 2009 Tahoe century bike ride

Hello!

The fall season is about to start for our local Team in Training chapter. Team in Training is the main fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My husband and I are getting ready to start training for our 5th Team in Training event with the Palm Beach chapter. My husband, AKA Coach Rob, will be coaching the team doing the 109 mile El Tour de Tucson on November 20, in Tucson, Arizona. I will be a member of the team!

Each Team in Training chapter offers slightly different events each season. Check with the chapter near you to find out which events they are training for.

Above: detail of finishers medal

Fall 2010 Team in Training Events - Palm Beach Chapter

• 8/7/10 - Loggerhead Triathlon
• 9/12/10 - Nations Triathlon
• 10/2/10 - Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon
• 10/17/10 - Nike Women's Marathon
• 10/31/10 - Intracoastal Waterway Century
• 11/20/10 - El Tour de Tucson

Above: Palm Beach chapter Team in Training getting ready for 2009 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Tahoe, NV.

Palm Beach Chapter Team in Training Meetings

Delray Beach Public Library

• Tuesday, April 20
• 6 PM
• 100 West Atlantic Avenue
• Delray Beach

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Office

• Wednesday, April 21
• 6 PM
• 4360 Northlake Blvd. STE 109
• Palm Beach Gardens
  

Jupiter Library

• Thursday, April 22
• 6 PM
• 705 Military Trail
• Jupiter

The Islander Grill & Tiki Bar

• Saturday, April 24
• 10 AM
• 181 Ocean Avenue
• Singer Island

Run & Roll

• Tuesday, April 27
• 6 PM
• 477 South Rosemary Ave.
• West Palm Beach

Whole Foods Market

• Wednesday, April 28
• 6 PM
• 2635 State Road 7
• Wellington

Fleet Feet

• Thursday, April 29
• 6 PM
• 19635 N. State Road 7 STE 37
• Boca Raton

Boca Raton Community Center

• Sautrday, May 1
• 9:30 AM
• 150 Crawford Blvd.
• Boca Raton

Store-Self Storage & Wine Storage

• Thursday, May 6
• 6 PM
• 11010 N. Military Trail
• Palm Beach Gardens
• Wine Tasting, Meet & Greet, Information meeting

JFK Medical Center - Kennedy Conference Center

• Saturday, May 8
• 5301 South Congress Ave.
• Lake Worth
• Information meeting at 9 AM
• Team in Training Season Kickoff starts at 10 AM

Additional Team in Training Articles by the Bike Diva

Team in Training Beginnings

18th Annual America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

Bike Diva Survives Tahoe Century Ride

Products Used During Intracoastal Century Ride

Back From Cocoa Beach Century Ride

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Seat Shield; Waterproof Seat Covers

I do a lot of working out; mostly running and cycling. Although I have a few running routes mapped out from my house, the roads near where I live are a bit too congested for bike riding. When it's time to ride my bike, I always load my gear up in the van, or my husbands SUV, and head out to a location near A1A, so that I can ride near the beach. Living in Florida enables me to workout year round.

I am always a total sweat bomb after my workouts. If I was a long way from home, I would usually pack a change of clothes and a towel in my sports bag, so that I didn't totally crap out the van seats with my sweaty, stinky body on the ride home. Beach towels have a tendency to slip and slide off the seats, and their bright colors make them a really nice fashion statement for the van.

Gray, Elite Sport Shield in the Bike Diva's mini van.

Sports Specific Seat Covers
I saw an advertisement for Seat Shield in one of my running magazines. Seat Shield is a waterproof seat cover which was designed for runners, cyclists and other hardcore outdoor athletes. I sent an email to the Seat Shield sales department, requesting a sample to test for the Bike Diva site.

Tom Learning, Sales Manager for Rogue River Sports, sent me a sample of the Elite Sport Shield. The Elite Sport Shield is available in gray, black and brown. The interior of my mini van is grayish-blue, so I requested the seat shield in gray.

Elite Sport Shield

Three Varieties of Seat Shields

• All Sport - MSRP $19.95 - available in light gray
• Ultra Sport - MSRP $29.95 - available in beige, gray and black
• Elite Sport - MSRP $34.95 - available in dark beige, gray and black

Benefits of Using Waterproof Seat Covers
Seat Shields are waterproof, odor proof, easy to use and comfortable. I like that I can just throw the Seat Shield in my washing machine, wash it in cold water, and tumble dry on low heat. The cover has a soft, velour-like texture to it, which makes it comfortable to sit on.

Another way to use the Seat Shield, especially in hot climates, is as a general seat protector. I have velour-ish type upholstery in my van, but it can still get a bit hot, especially during the summer. And if you have leather, or vinyl seats, I can't imagine even being able to sit on them, while wearing shorts in the summertime. I think my skin would melt right onto the cushions. Using a Seat Shield would be the perfect solution, and it looks so much more stylish than a beach towel.

Fun facts from the Seat Shield website:

"Even a person who never exercises will produce almost 100 gallons of sweat per year. Fortunately, the Waterproof SeatShield contains a waterproof/breathable barrier that prevents all this sweat from reaching your cloth and leather seats so they stay clean and odor-free."

Additional Information
For additional information on the Seat Shield line of products, visit their website: www.seatshield.com. In addition to the three varieties of water proof seat shields, there is also a water proof seat belt cover and a water proof blanket available.

A Seat Shield, or two, would make a terrific gift for all your athletic friends. I plan on ordering a second Elite Sport Shield so I don't have to worry about my husband stinking up his side of the vehicle when we go on bike rides together.

You can also enter your zip code on the website, to find out what stores in your areas carry the Seat Shield line of products. Both Runner's Edge and Fleet Feet Sports in Boca Raton, FL are Seat Shield dealers near me. You can also order directly from the Seat Shield website.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Announcing Run Diva Blog

Hello everyone,

I have some exciting news.  My brand new Run Diva site is up and running. Bike Diva turned one year old, in January 2009, and a few months ago I started thinking about starting a Run Diva blog. After a 18 year hiatus from running, I decided to add running back into my fitness routine.

I decided I wanted to attempt a marathon, before I got too much older. On December 7, 2008 I competed in my first half marathon, at the Marathon of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. On January 25, 2009, I will be running the half at the ING Miami Marathon - wish me luck!

Marathons, half marathons, 5k, 10K, trail running and other running events will be covered on Run Diva. Multisport events which include running, such as duathlons, triathlons and Xterra events, will also be covered on Run Diva.

I will also be reviewing many running related products and gear on the Run Diva site. Go to the Product Endorsement page to see which products have already been reviewed, along with a listing of products that will be reviewed in the future.

I am trying to get my domain name, www.rundiva.net, to point to my Run Diva TypePad blog, but so far, no luck. I am definitely NOT a computer diva! So for now, the link to get to Run Diva is http://rundiva.typepad.com/run_diva/. Hopefully I'll get it figured out within the next few days.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva and now the Run Diva

Photos From Marathon of the Palm Beaches

On December 8th, I wrote about the first 1/2 marathon I competed in: Ran My First Half Marathon. The marathon I participated in was the Marathon of the Palm Beaches, which took place on December 7th. My official finish time was 2:34:50. There were official event photographers placed throughout the course. I went to the photographers website and found quite a few photos of myself. I purchased digital copies of the photos, here's a few examples.

Shout Out to Camera Man

Crossing Finish Line

Take care,

Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva