Today's infographic on triathlons is brought to you by London Cycling Insurance. Please click on the image below for a full size version of the World Triathlon London infographic.
Triathlons & Duathlons
05/20/2014
01/13/2013
Join Timex Factory Team
Are you am amateur athlete looking for sponsorship opportunities? I've written quite a few articles on how to find athletic sponsorships which I've published to the Bike Diva blog. About a week ago I added a post on how to apply to be a member of the yearly team representing Zico Coconut Water.
Here's a new opportunity I just found out about, apply to be a member of the Timex Factory Team. Timex has a professional team, supporting pro-triathletes, but the factory team gives amateur athletes a chance for athletic sponsorship. Unlike the pro team, athletes can apply at any time of year to be considered for membership in the factory team.
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05/03/2012
Team in Training Summer 2012 Events
Learn more about Team In Training at an upcoming Information Meeting!
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training (TNT) is the world's first, best and largest charity sports training program - and the only one to offer a full complement of exciting sports training options. More than 420,000 people, from first-timers to seasoned athletes, have trained with TNT and achieved their best at marathons, half marathons, triathlons & centry rides.
Join TNT and raise funds for blood cancer research - help find cures today!!
Attend a TNT Information Meeting! Bring a Friend!!
Meet certified coaches, past participants and learn about your honored teammate, a local blood cancer patient, whose personal battle will inspire you.
Palm Beach Gardens
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 6:00pm
The Leukemia & Lymphoma office
4360 Northlake Blvd.,Suite109
West Palm Beach
Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 6:00pm
Community Foundation Building
700 S. Dixie Hwy
Want to learn about TNT in a more casual, fun environment? We have two great recruitment social options for you!
Recruitment Social-Boca Raton
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Blue Martini
6000 Glades Rd.
Recruitment Social-Palm Beach Gardens
Thursday, May 10th at 5:30pm
RA Sushi
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens
Learn more about TNT and events offered this season. Sign up and attend one of our upcoming information meetings.
Register Online
Register by May 17th and receive 50% off your registration fee! Enter coupon code: earlybird50
You can also download and print your registration forms by clicking here!
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01/17/2012
Chrissie Wellington to Take Break From Triathlons
FOUR TIME WORLD CHAMPION TO PURSUE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN 2012
16th January 2012 – London, UK: Four time World Champion and World Ironman Distance Record Holder, Chrissie Wellington has announced that she’ll be taking a break from competing in Ironman during 2012 to explore other opportunities, including the forthcoming publication of her autobiography, A Life Without Limits.
Chrissie, who won her fourth World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, last October and maintained her unbeaten record at Ironman distance – making it 13 victories from 13 races – said of her decision, “I’ve given absolutely everything to Ironman over the past five years. However, this year I’ve decided to take a break as I would like to spend more time focusing on other pursuits including dedicating more time to my chosen charities, the publication of my book and more active promotion of the sport in the UK, as well as giving myself the chance to explore and seize new opportunities within triathlon and outside. I feel that I wouldn’t be able to pursue all of these different goals whilst simultaneously dedicating the energy and time needed to compete in Ironman events and treat them with the respect and complete dedication they deserve.
The past five years have been absolutely incredible and I am extremely happy, proud and content with everything that I have achieved in the sport – topping it all off with the race of my life in Kona last year. I have always seen triathlon as a part of my life, rather than the be all and end all, and am looking forward to a little more variety and balance by pursuing other interests, as well as spending more time with my family and friends.
I am really excited about what the future holds and being able to spend more time around the sport without the commitment of full time ironman training and racing”.
http://www.chrissiewellington.org/latest-news/chrissie-wellington-to-take-break-from-ironman/
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12/23/2011
Bike Diva's Going Back to Duathlons
Above: my favorite part of triathlons and duathlons, the bike leg.
Triathlete Back to Duathlete
After much soul searching and deliberation, I have decided I really don't like swimming. So although I made 2011 the year of the triathlon, I have decided to switch back to racing duathlons and participating in some cycling only events. I wouldn't call the great triathlon experiment a failure, I did manage to complete 9 sprint triathlons and 1 Olympic distance triathlon in 2011. Not too bad for someone that didn't start swim training until January 3, 2011.
Above: although I survived the swim portion of this triathlon, I really don't look like I'm having very much fun.
No Stress Racing
I still have way too much anxiety during the swim leg of triathlons which is taking all the joy out of racing. When I made the decision to stop training for triathlons, about a week ago, it was like a HUGE weight was suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I didn't realize I also really hate swim training, as trying to fit in 3 types of workouts every week was just stressing me out. I still plan on using my triathlon bike for all the duathlons I will be racing, so I need to do at least 2 tri bike or tri-bike-to-run brick workouts per week, in addition to group rides on the road bike.
Trying to fit in all my swim workouts during 2011 had me scaling way back on my bike mileage. I hardly rode my road bike at all this year and didn't do ANY cycling only events in 2011. So my bike endurance and confidence has plummeted due to lack of time on the bike. But now I will be getting back to some group rides on my road bike while training for my cycling events.
America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride
If you look at my schedule for 2012, you will see I have a few run only events planned, lots of duathlons and will now add a few cycling events back to the mix. I'll be doing America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride (AMBBR) on June 3rd with the Palm Beach Florida chapter of Team in Training. AMBBR is a 100 mile century bike ride which circumnavigates Lake Tahoe while cycling through the mountains in Nevada and California.
My husband and I did AMBBR back in 2009 with Team in Training to help raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here are links to two race reports I wrote for the 2009 AMBBR.
Above: my husband and I getting ready to participate in the 2009 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride.
Bike Diva's Tentative 2012 Race Schedule
I don't have all the dates for the races I'm thinking of doing 2012, but here are the events on my schedule so far. This schedule will change a bit once I get the exact race dates for the Publix Family Fitness Weekend series of duathlons and the West Palm Beach Race Series 15k time trials.
- @1/07/12 – Disney half Marathon – Walt Disney World – Orlando
- @2/05/12 - 10th Annual Butterfly Run - 5k - Sabal Pines Park - Coconut Creek
- @2/19/12 - A1A Marathon – marathon – Beach Front Ave. - Ft. Lauderdale
- 3/17/12 – 36th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k or 10 miler – John Prince Park – Lake Worth
- 4/07/12 - 3rd Annual Egg Hunt - sprint duathlon - CB Smith Park - Pembroke Pines
- 5/20/12 - Tri Miami - Olympic duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
- @6/03/12 - America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride - Century Ride - LakeTahoe, CA & Nevada
- 6/17/12 - Mack Cycle #1 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
- 7/04/12 - 22nd Annual Independence Day - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
- 7/15/12 - 23rd Annual Frank Stark Celebration Ride - metric century ride - City Hall - Boca Raton
- 7/22/12 - Mack Cycle #2 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
- 8/19/12 - Mack Cycle #3 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
- 9/09/12 - Mack Cycle Bonus Round - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
- 10/14/12 - Multirace Series Championship - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
- 11/11/12 – Miami Man – Half Ironman duathlon – Larry & Penny Thompson Park - Miami
- 11/17/12 – 26th Annual Turkey Trot – 5k – Anchor Park - Delray Beach
@ = Pre-registered for these events
Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva
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11/14/2011
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
- Bike Diva's First Swim Practice
- Bike Diva's Second Swim Practice
- Bike Diva's Triathlon Training Observations
- Bike Diva Tries Wetsuit
- 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
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11/03/2011
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."
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 29th 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.
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10/03/2011
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
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09/29/2011
Results of 2011 Publix Escape to Miami Triathlon
Reback Wins Male Title for the 4th Time;
Olivas Wins Female Title by Over 10 Minutes
A field of 1,800 athletes swam, biked and ran in the 7th annual Publix Escape to Miami Triathlon last weekend. There were two races held on Sunday, September 25- Sprint and Olympic. John Reback came in first overall in the Olympic distance with a time of 2 hours 8 minutes and 47 seconds.
This was the fourth time in five years that Reback had won the triathlon. In regards to Sunday's event he said, "The conditions were perfect, the sun didn't come out [from behind the clouds]."
Isabel Olivas, 27, was the overall female winner for the Olympic distance. She came out of the swim in second place with only one male in front of her and managed to move up during the bike to first place. Although she was passed by a few male athletes during the run portion, Olivas still claimed the overall female title with an astonishing time of 2 hours 16 minutes and 55 seconds. Her finishing time was just over 10 minutes faster than second place female, Jeanine Seeger who completed the event with a time of 2:27:07.
The female winner for the Sprint distance was Audrey Vanderkamp with a time of 1:20:06. Lee Zolhman came in almost six minutes ahead of the second place male with a time of 1:09:13 to win the overall male title for the Sprint distance.
The Publix Escape to Miami Triathlon is famous for taking Olympic distance athletes by ferry out to an island where they must jump overboard and "escape" back to Miami by swimming .9 miles. They then bike 24.8 miles and finish by running 6.2 miles over the MacArthur Causeway. The Sprint distance consists of a .25 mile swim, 13 mile bike ride and 3.1 mile run.
The weekend events also included a health and fitness expo on Saturday that had Paralympian and World Record Holder Rudy Garcia-Tolson speak about his experience as a double amputee athlete. Following Sunday's event was a post race party that included event sponsors Pollo Tropical, Heineken, Volkswagen, Muscle Milk, Baptist Health and Mack Cycle.
Registration for next year's race is already open. The 2012 Publix Escape to Miami Triathlon date will be September 23. Interested athletes can register by going to www.WillYouFinish.com.
About US Road Sports
US Road Sports & Entertainment Group is a health and wellness company dedicated to the production of world-class endurance events. The mission of US Road Sports is to offer an unparalleled participant sports experience that showcases host communities and endures as a deeply valued local asset through events that are a part of the city's culture, identity and brand. For each participant, US Road Sports strives to offer events that allow participants of all skill levels the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health and accomplish life-altering goals while having fun. US Road Sports provides sponsors and municipalities highly effective exposure to help maximize their presence and message in the community.
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09/27/2011
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:
- 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.
- I am married with children and need to plan my training and racing around my husbands work schedule and daughters school schedule.
- 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.
- 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!
- 2/06 - Club Med Race Series #1 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
- 2/26 - Race for Faith – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
- 3/13 - 35th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
- 3/27 – Club Med Race Series #2 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
- 4/03 - Spring Training Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
- 4/17 - FAU Wellness Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Spanish River Park, Boca Raton
- 4/23 - Egg Hunt Triathlon - sprint triathlon - CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines
- 5/01 - St. Anthony's Triathlon - Olympic triathlon - Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg
- 5/07 – 10th Annual Race for the Arts – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
- 7/04 - Independence Day - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
- 7/24 – Club Med Race Series #4 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
- 8/06 - Loggerhead Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Carlin Park, Jupiter.
- 8/21 - WPB Race Series - 15k time trial bike race - West Palm Beach.
- 10/02 - Race the Troops - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
- 11/13 - Miami Man – ½ Ironman triathlon – Larry & Penny Thompson Park, Homestead
- 11/19 25th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k run - Anchor Park, Delray Beach
- 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.
- 1/07/12 - Disney - half marathon - Orlando
- 1/08/12 - Disney - marathon - Orlando
- 2/19/12 - A1A - marathon - Ft. Lauderdale
- 2/25/12 - 9th Annual Race for Faith - 5k - Lake Worth
- 3/10/12 - 11th Annual Race for the Arts - 5k - West Palm Beach
- 3/?/12 - 36th Annual Shamrock Run - 5k or 10 miler - Lake Worth
- 4/15/12 - FAU - sprint triathlon - Boca Raton
- 4/29/12 - St. Anthony's - Olympic triathlon - St. Petersburg
- 8/?/12 - Loggerhead - sprint triathlon - Jupiter
- 9/09/12 - Nation's - Olympic triathlon - Washington, DC
- ??11/?/12 - Ironman Florida - Full Ironman triathlon - Panama City Beach OR
- 11/?/12 - Miami Man - half Ironman triathlon - Miami
- 11/?/12 - 26th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k - Delray Beach
- 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:
Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva
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