Eleven Global returns to the Ritz Carlton Lodge in 2011

Monday, December 20, 2010

eleven_global_logoEleven Global recently posted the date for their 2011 Olympic distance race at the Ritz Carlton Lodge on Lake Oconee – Saturday, May 21.

I volunteered at the inaugural Georgia event in 2010 and was impressed with the organization and course. Race director Ryan Landy faced some weather problems (torrential rains the day before the race slowed down setup) but powered through to produce a great event. It’s a challenging course in a a beautiful setting and should keep getting better as more triathletes turn out. They have a nice video of the 2010 race – and other global events they produce – on their site.

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A runner's town

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A runner's town

By Chris Starrs - Athens Banner-Herald
Published Sunday, December 12, 2010

In tough economic times, folks have been known to participate in all kinds of low-cost activities for sustenance, entertainment or to just pass the time.

At this juncture in our country's history, it appears that one of the most popular pastimes is getting in good physical condition, most notably by that time-honored mode of transportation, running.

A renewed interest in putting one foot ahead of the other in a forward progression is evidenced by the almost-weekly 5K races held in the area, as well as the successful sprint triathlon held at Sandy Creek Park in August and the inaugural Athens, GA Half Marathon, an AthFest-sponsored event, in late October.

"Running is the simplest sport there is," said Elliott Austin, who manages the New Balance-Athens store and ran track and cross country at Mars Hill (N.C.) College. "You don't need clubs, you don't need a field and you don't have to be a member of a gym. You just go and get fitted for a shoe and run. You can do it from your house, or you can go someplace and run with friends. ... That's the trend and I think it will keep going. That's the new reality."
...


Branching off into more intense physical challenges - like triathlons - can result in a substantial financial investment, though many start out with a thrifty posture.

"When you get into triathlons, you are talking about investing some money in it," said Nelson Wells of the Classic City Tri Club.

"I call it the healthy golf - you'll probably spend the same amount of money, but you'll probably be in better shape. You have a certain investment.

"I spoke to a woman who just did her first triathlon - she's been doing marathons for years - and she said she borrowed a bicycle for the triathlon so she could prove to herself she could do it. She didn't buy anything fancy - just a regular bathing suit and regular running shorts and she did it. I did the same thing. My first four triathlons, I rode a mountain bike. I was just so hooked after that. There are so many athletes selling really expensive equipment; they're always upgrading, so you can find used stuff all the time, which is the next thing to do."


Read the full article

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Playing Mind Games...

Saturday, December 11, 2010

This short video from director Casey Neistat focuses on the mind games we play with ourselves to get up, get out and get running (or swimming, or biking). With the days getting shorter, darker and colder, I thought it would be a great reminder of why we do what we do...

Mind Games - directed by Casey Neistat from Nike Sportswear on Vimeo.

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The great folks at Blue Sky Sports have announced their 2011 Tri The Parks Triathlon season. Six races are once again on the schedule, including five sprint-distance events and one Olympic (international) distance.

  •   John Tanner - April 30 (Sprint)
  •  Blalock Lakes - June 4 (Sprint)
  •  Indian Springs - June 25 (Sprint)
  •  Mistletoe - July 23 (Sprint)
  •  Richard B Russel - August 13 (Olympic)
  •  John Tanner # 2 - September 10 (Sprint)

The name of the series comes from the fact that all races are held in Georgia state parks. These are exciting, small events (generally less than 500 participants) that appeal to first timers while also offering a challenge to hard-core competitors.

Learn more and register at their site. You can also see the park locations on the Georgia Triathlete Events page.

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Atlanta Triathlon Club working to diversify the races

Friday, December 3, 2010

By Dionne Lewis and Janita Poe

Cynthia Gunner has come a long way since her first day in a cycling class with the Atlanta Triathlon Club.

"After ten minutes, I ran out of the room crying," Gunner recalled. "I felt sick to my stomach and I was so embarrassed."

An African-American woman in her thirties, Gunner began to re-evaluate her inactive lifestyle after a routine physical.

"I was very overweight and my doctor diagnosed me with high blood pressure," Gunner explained.

Gunner began to take medication to regulate her hypertension, and that's when her doctor told her about the Atlanta Triathlon Club and the organization's scholarship program.


Full article 

Photo credit: Dionne Lewis

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2010 Athlete Gift Guide

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Looking for a gift for that special athlete in your life? DCRainmaker just posted his 2010 Athlete Gadget Holiday Gift Guide. Check it out for technology that is sure to please everyone from the hardcore Ironman to the weekend runner.

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Twenty-five Georgians compete in IM Arizona

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Twenty-five Georgians competed in the 2010 Ironman Arizona on Sunday, November 21. In a race that saw Chrissie Wellington break the world record by an astonishing nine minutes, our local athletes turned in some respectable times, led by AG'er Michael Williams of Athens with an overall 10:25:48, 18th of 264 in the 45-49 category. Congrats to everyone!

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Beast of the East dates announced

Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Great Smokey Mountains Triathlon Club recently announced the 2011 dates for their very popular Beast of the East Half and Sprint Triathlons.

Sprint - May 21
Half - May 22

They also renamed the 70.3 mile distance race "The Beast of the East Steelman Triathlon" (apparently to avoid the wrath of WTC lawyers).

Registration for each race is now open on Active.com or by mail




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26 Georgians headed to Tempe for IM Arizona

Tuesday, November 16, 2010


Looks like a small contingent of 26 Georgians headed for Ironman Arizona in Tempe this Saturday. Good luck everyone!

Ironman Live Tracker

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Sipos wins Miami Man Triathlon

Monday, November 15, 2010

By Craig Davis, Sun Sentinel

Veteran triathlete Jeremy Sipos won the Miami Man Half Iron Triathlon Sunday at Larry & Penny Thompson Park and Zoo Miami.

Sipos, 36, of Marietta, Ga., completed the 70.3-mile course in 4 hours, 6 minutes. It was his third win at the half iron distance since July, following victories at Racine, Wisc., and Augusta, Ga., in the Ironman 70.3 series.

Full story

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Atlantan Meghan King competes in Ironman World Championship 70.3

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Going the distance
Sisters hope to turn love of swimming, cycling and running into success at Ironman World Championship 70.3
By JUSTIN PAPROCKI

Kelli and Meghan King grew up as competitive swimmers. As they grew older, they stayed active, moving on to running and cycling, as well.

They started competing in triathlons and a couple of years ago set their sights on the Ironman 70.3, the so-called half-Ironman race.

They both reached their goal.

Kelli, 26, and Meghan, 24, will be competing in the Ironman World Championship 70.3 on Saturday in Clearwater, Fla.

The two sisters now live apart -- Kelli is a fourth-grade teacher at Hilton Head Island International Baccalaureate Elementary School and Meghan works in public relations in Atlanta -- but their common goal has helped keep them close.

Full story 


Another story - from Ironman.com

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IronMan Florida Results

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Georgia athletes delivered an outstanding performance at the 2010 Ford Ironman in Panama City Beach. Of the 2,402 finishers, 154 hailed from the Peach state, including five who qualified for Kona:
  • Jason Wilcox - 9:20:38
  • Brent Schulte - 9:29:03
  • Kevin Moats - 9:35:08
  • Rebecca Villers - 10:03:43
  • Kristel Maes - 10:26:21
Below are links to lists of Georgia finishers 
Congrats to everyone who competed!

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No excuses...

Monday, November 8, 2010


This is not Georgia-specific news (or even triathlon news), but it's still a great story. When we visited Chile a few years ago, we found a beautiful country whose citizens were warm, welcoming and helpful. It quickly became one of our favorite vacations, and we felt a special connection when tragedy struck the miners there earlier this year. To see someone who recently spent more than two months underground cross the line of the NY Marathon is inspirational. He's never run that far, but says it's not his last marathon - “I know I can improve my time.”


Into the Sunlight and Onto the Streets of New York, the Miner Perseveres
By THOMAS KAPLAN

Edison Peña could be forgiven for having to slow to a walk at times during the New York City Marathon on Sunday. His training, after all, came via subterranean loops of only a few miles at a time, with the tunnels of a collapsed gold and copper mine for a course and sawed-off work boots for footwear.

Full story

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Triathletes compete for a special cause

Thursday, November 4, 2010

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – A South Georgia family had a special reason to hit the trails and get in shape.

Jodi and Khristi Dykes of Lee County ran, swam and biked their way to fitness over the last year.

They began by training for the Georgia Veterans Triathlon on Lake Blackshear. And they brought a special passenger: their 6-year old son Jacob, who has cerebral palsy.



Full story here

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Oh, never mind...

Friday, October 29, 2010

Wow. Take a few days off for vacation and you can miss a lot.

First, WTC announces the Ironman Access program to guarantee entry into almost any non-qualifier IM event (like Kona). For $1,000. Plus entry fees. Who could pass that up?

A day later, under withering Kona-heat-level criticism, they pull the plug on the program with a video from Ben Fertic:


"...If you guys think we're wrong, then we're wrong. So we're gonna rescind the Ironman Access program, we'll refund the money."





All this before I could digest the odd idea of paying for the right to jump to the front of the line. Frankly, I'm tired of these types of programs and disappointed (but not surprised) that WTC jumped on this money wagon. I do give them mea culpa style points (video is better than another press release), but now that they've tried it it's only a matter of time before IMAccess 2 makes an appearance...

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For Running Shoes, It’s Fit First and Price Last

Friday, October 22, 2010





How much do you spend on running shoes? The NY Times has a thought-provoking article that stresses shoe fit, not bells & whistles.




SHARON TANENBAUM has been a serious runner for six years. The Brooklyn resident, 30, has completed three marathons and several shorter races. Each week she logs about 20 miles.

Her favorite trainers? A $25 pair of Champion shoes she bought at Target.

Read the full article here.

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USAT offers members early entry to Nautica NY Triathlon

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

USA Triathlon has a special offer for annual members - an exclusive opportunity to enter the 2011 Nautica New York City Triathlon before lottery registration opens on November 1.

There are two options to make sure you receive the registration link. Remember, you must be a USA Triathlon annual member to be eligible, so visit usatmembership.com to join or renew.

  1. Most USAT annual members should receive an email from USAT before 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 27 containing the registration link. This link will become active at 12:01 a.m. ET on Oct. 28, at which point you'll be able to register. If you have opted out or unsubscribed from USAT communications, you will not receive the email and should use option two. Spots are very limited and you must have a valid and active USAT annual membership number to participate.*
  2. You can also log in to your membership account on usatmembership.com to view the email contents and link, which will go live at 12:01 a.m. ET on Oct. 28. Visit usatmembership.com, log in and visit the documents tab. Click "Fast Pass" in the documents section to download the information.

If you have questions about your USA Triathlon membership, email membership@usatriathlon.orgnyctri.com or email contact@nyctri.com.


Original post

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Better race performance? It could be all in your mind


What sets you apart from the elite athletes - or just the next level of local competitors? You train as hard, you know the course, you have the right equipment - but you still lose.

It could be all in your mind.

Mary Wittenberg, president and chief executive of the New York Road Runners, says that elite athletes can keep going at a level of effort that seems impossible to maintain.

“Mental tenacity — and the ability to manage and even thrive on and push through pain — is a key segregator between the mortals and immortals in running,” Ms. Wittenberg said.

Read more on the NY Times site:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/health/nutrition/19best.html

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A true Georgia Ironman

Sunday, October 17, 2010


Brian Oringderff's race report from Kona. An amazing person and athlete, with a sense of gratitude that puts the race in perspective. Read it all here...

http://roadtoredemption.weebly.com/

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Cedartown resident places first in Ironman Kona Handcycle division

Thursday, October 14, 2010

by Ellison Langford, Rome News-Tribune

Wheeling across the finish line of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii Saturday felt like “10 Christmases,” for Krige Schabort.

It was especially exhilarating for the Cedartown resident when it was confirmed he finished 136th out of 1,800 athletes, placing first in the handcycle division, and had beaten the previous handcycle record by more than an hour.

His time was 9 hours, 26 minutes and four seconds.

Schabort, originally from South Africa, is a bilateral above-the-knee amputee.

“I was ecstatic with my time,” Schabort said. “I knew it was possible, but I knew it was going to be very, very hard.”

Athletes must swim 2.4 miles, bicycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles.

However, Schabort’s performs the bicycle portion in a handcycle and the running portion in a wheelchair.

“It’s definitely not a Mickey Mouse race,” Schabort said.

Schabort lost his legs while fighting for the South African army in 1987. He said his shins were blown off when a Russian bomb exploded next to him.

His rehab facility counseled him about methods of staying healthy after his injury, and Schabort said that’s how he started competing in marathons.

But it was a representative from one of his sponsors, Inva-care, who encouraged him to attempt the Ironman and promised to provide him with the best equipment.

And that is what Schabort thinks had a lot to do with his time.

“I think the reason is the previous record was set in 2002,” Schabort said. “And the equipment has improved so much since then.”

He thinks his accomplishment will help recently-injured people realize they can still achieve great things.

“It feels like a sense of anything is possible,” Schabort said. “If I can do it, anyone can do it.”



Read more: The Fish Wrap - News, classifieds, businesses, and events in the area of Cedartown and Rockmart, GA.

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

On October 5, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), best known for its worldwide Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races, announced the launch of a new global event series titled 5150. All events within the 5150 Triathlon Series include a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run. Event information, including online registration details, will be available in the coming weeks on www.5150.com.

Starting in 2011, the 5150 Series will be the largest international distance triathlon series in the world and will be the first non-drafting international race series of its kind, offering a competitive platform for professional and age group athletes. The 2011 event schedule will offer 13 domestic events as well as a handful of international races. The September 11 Lake Lanier event will be a must-do for Georgia triathletes.

The Hy-Vee Triathlon will host the 5150 U.S. Championship, offering professional athletes the opportunity to compete for $1 million in prize money. Additional international race locations in Europe and Asia-Pacific will be announced soon.

Registration is expected to begin on December 1, 2010.

2011 5150 Series (United States)


March 13 - Miami International Triathlon (Miami, Fla.)
May 1 - St. Anthony’s Triathlon (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
May 15 - 5150 New Orleans (New Orleans, La.)
May 22 - Memphis in May Triathlon (Tunica, Miss.)
June 19 - Washington D.C. Triathlon (Washington, D.C.)
June 25 - 5150 Provo (Provo, Utah)
July 10 - Boulder Peak Triathlon (Boulder, Colo.)
August 7 - Nautica New York City Triathlon (New York, N.Y.)
September 4 - Hy-Vee Triathlon/5150 U.S. Championship (Des Moines, Iowa)
September 11 - 5150 Lake Lanier (Gainesville, Ga.)

October 2 - 5150 Lake Las Vegas (Henderson, Nev.)
October 23 - 5150 Galveston (Galveston, Texas)
November 12 - 5150 Clearwater/5150 Series Finale (Clearwater, Fla.)

2011 5150 Series (International)


June 5 - 5150 Frankfurt (Frankfurt, Germany)
June 12 - 5150 Klagenfurt (Klagenfurt, Austria)
July 9 - 5150 Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland)

For information on 5150, visit
www.5150.com. Athlete inquiries should be directed to AthleteServices@5150.com.

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