Thursday, April 30, 2009
Dana's St. Anthony's Experience
As a newbie runner I must say exuberantly, “What a day for a race!” Athletes and spectators gathered and greeted the beautiful, Florida sunshine for the 26th annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon event. As a first time triathlon spectator I have to share some of my own thoughts and excitement from the day. My first impression was the different looks on the athletes’ faces. Some had a look of fear – they were probably first-timers too, or maybe they just couldn’t find the port-a-potty. Some people had the look of determination; the look that one has after weeks and months of training. For many of these athletes, this event has been looming in the forefront of their minds, and race day is what it’s all about. When we arrived at North Shore for parking you could feel the buzz of excitement in the air and the closer we got to the meeting spot, the stronger that energy felt. The waves of nervous, excited energy could be likened to room full of toddlers the day before Christmas, and it was such an overwhelming feeling that I couldn’t help but wish that I was more than just a spectator. We met up with Ali and Dave only to discover that the swim was cancelled for the age-groupers because of unsafe water conditions due to choppy 3-ft waves coming out of the Gulf. I could see the disappointment and frustration written all over Ali’s face, and later she pondered aloud if maybe triathletes were going soft. Ha!
After catching up with Ali and Dave, the girls: Anne-Marie, Jen, Audrey, Amy, and I, headed over to the bike-in, bike-out area. We claimed a little stretch along the railings as our spot and geared up for the start of the race. Somehow the actual start escaped me and I wasn’t really sure when the pros began their swim, but the crowd was amped to hear the announcer say the first pro male was out of the water. We waited anxiously to see them come speeding around the first turn. We were in prime position to see so many bikers loose their water bottles and fishtail through the first bend, but more than that we could see the power these athletes had to muscle through the second leg of their race. We stood there a while longer to take in the sights of the bikers. All around me I could hear other newbies asking the same questions I was having. Questions like, “What are those disks on their back wheel for?”, “Why did they forget to put their shoes on?”, etc… And as the morning went by, those and many other questions were answered. The veteran girls on our team were more than willing to catch me up to speed while we watched and waited anxiously for Dave and then Ali to ride by. Shortly after Ali rode by on her bike-out we moved to another prime location to see the runners.
It amazed me to see the different variety of athletes that went by. I couldn’t help but wonder what brought each of them here. We all have our own reasons for competing, but the beautiful commonality amongst these athletes is the kind of drive and work that goes into preparing for this kind of event. We watched as Dave went by, headed to the finish and walked over to congratulate him. He was a big, sweaty mess but he had a grin on his face that wouldn’t stop. With puppy-like excitement I wanted to ask “How do you feel?”, “Are you tired or mostly just super-proud to have accomplished a finish?”, “What was the hardest part?” But with great restrain I kept quiet and let him walk it off – so to speak. We left Dave so he could refuel and rest, and headed back to watch for Ali. Along the way you could hear people recounting the details of their own journey, and we didn’t have to wait long before Ali was spotted. As soon as she heard us cheering, a huge smile broke on her face that made that 5 am wakeup call all worth it. There it was, that “it” factor I had missed all these years; the camaraderie and support that comes from participating in sports. That high you get from a job well done, and that feeling you get when you know you might have been an inspiration to someone else.
So, will I go to another triathlon event? You betcha! I am already looking forward to next season when more of our team will be out there giving everyone else a run for their money.
After catching up with Ali and Dave, the girls: Anne-Marie, Jen, Audrey, Amy, and I, headed over to the bike-in, bike-out area. We claimed a little stretch along the railings as our spot and geared up for the start of the race. Somehow the actual start escaped me and I wasn’t really sure when the pros began their swim, but the crowd was amped to hear the announcer say the first pro male was out of the water. We waited anxiously to see them come speeding around the first turn. We were in prime position to see so many bikers loose their water bottles and fishtail through the first bend, but more than that we could see the power these athletes had to muscle through the second leg of their race. We stood there a while longer to take in the sights of the bikers. All around me I could hear other newbies asking the same questions I was having. Questions like, “What are those disks on their back wheel for?”, “Why did they forget to put their shoes on?”, etc… And as the morning went by, those and many other questions were answered. The veteran girls on our team were more than willing to catch me up to speed while we watched and waited anxiously for Dave and then Ali to ride by. Shortly after Ali rode by on her bike-out we moved to another prime location to see the runners.
It amazed me to see the different variety of athletes that went by. I couldn’t help but wonder what brought each of them here. We all have our own reasons for competing, but the beautiful commonality amongst these athletes is the kind of drive and work that goes into preparing for this kind of event. We watched as Dave went by, headed to the finish and walked over to congratulate him. He was a big, sweaty mess but he had a grin on his face that wouldn’t stop. With puppy-like excitement I wanted to ask “How do you feel?”, “Are you tired or mostly just super-proud to have accomplished a finish?”, “What was the hardest part?” But with great restrain I kept quiet and let him walk it off – so to speak. We left Dave so he could refuel and rest, and headed back to watch for Ali. Along the way you could hear people recounting the details of their own journey, and we didn’t have to wait long before Ali was spotted. As soon as she heard us cheering, a huge smile broke on her face that made that 5 am wakeup call all worth it. There it was, that “it” factor I had missed all these years; the camaraderie and support that comes from participating in sports. That high you get from a job well done, and that feeling you get when you know you might have been an inspiration to someone else.
So, will I go to another triathlon event? You betcha! I am already looking forward to next season when more of our team will be out there giving everyone else a run for their money.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Great Races and Great Future Races
So many things…where to even begin? First, a BIG congratulations to everyone that has competed in a race already this year. We have seen several first-timers come out to run and several veterans push themselves further in a running event or triathlon. I am so proud of everyone that toes the line of any race! It takes dedication to train and courage to compete!
Second, I want to thank Cal DeKuiper for “believing in the training”. Cal competed in the Steelcase Duathlon in Grand Rapids, MI this past weekend. Cal is incredibly disciplined and dedicated to everything he does…his family, his training, his career and his work towards his doctorate! Yes, he is a busy man. On Sunday, we headed up to Grand Rapids to “just do the race”. Not to push himself to the limit, but to get a feel for where his training has brought him up to at this point in the year. The race consisted of a 5K run, a 30K bike and another 5K run. I want to share with y’all how his race went:
“I usually run about a 9 and a half to 10 minute mile on the first race of the year so I just kind of cruised around today thinking well, who knows. I never pushed it, but ran 7:40’s on the first 5k, rode the bike at 19.5 mph just relaxing and I figured I’d be slower but ran 7:35’s on the 2nd 5k. I’m so much faster than I have ever been in my life.”
Nice job Cal! It will be very exciting to see where Cal is at when the Steelhead Half Ironman comes around!
Last and certainly not least, I have a new project I’m working on. I have been racing for several years now and therefore have seen a lot of well run races and a lot of “I’m not coming back next year” races. Over the past year I have thought it would be a great challenge to organize a race. To make a long story short, an opportunity presented itself after the Clearwater Iron Girl 10K a few weeks back and now things are starting to come together. Though nothing is official as we are still waiting to hear back from Indian Rocks about the permit, but mark your calendars for the 1st annual 5K and 10K on October 17th. And stay tuned for more details over the next month!
Second, I want to thank Cal DeKuiper for “believing in the training”. Cal competed in the Steelcase Duathlon in Grand Rapids, MI this past weekend. Cal is incredibly disciplined and dedicated to everything he does…his family, his training, his career and his work towards his doctorate! Yes, he is a busy man. On Sunday, we headed up to Grand Rapids to “just do the race”. Not to push himself to the limit, but to get a feel for where his training has brought him up to at this point in the year. The race consisted of a 5K run, a 30K bike and another 5K run. I want to share with y’all how his race went:
“I usually run about a 9 and a half to 10 minute mile on the first race of the year so I just kind of cruised around today thinking well, who knows. I never pushed it, but ran 7:40’s on the first 5k, rode the bike at 19.5 mph just relaxing and I figured I’d be slower but ran 7:35’s on the 2nd 5k. I’m so much faster than I have ever been in my life.”
Nice job Cal! It will be very exciting to see where Cal is at when the Steelhead Half Ironman comes around!
Last and certainly not least, I have a new project I’m working on. I have been racing for several years now and therefore have seen a lot of well run races and a lot of “I’m not coming back next year” races. Over the past year I have thought it would be a great challenge to organize a race. To make a long story short, an opportunity presented itself after the Clearwater Iron Girl 10K a few weeks back and now things are starting to come together. Though nothing is official as we are still waiting to hear back from Indian Rocks about the permit, but mark your calendars for the 1st annual 5K and 10K on October 17th. And stay tuned for more details over the next month!
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Taking Control Newsletter - March 2009
In case you missed it, the first edition of "Taking Control", the Smith Sports Training Newsletter is available here:
http://www.smithsports.us/newsletter/marchNews.htm
Be sure to subscribe at http://www.smithsports.us to get access to the monthly newsletter before everyone else!
http://www.smithsports.us/newsletter/marchNews.htm
Be sure to subscribe at http://www.smithsports.us to get access to the monthly newsletter before everyone else!
Labels: newsletter, smith sports, training
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Lake Michigan Run
January 30, 2009.
I was planning to swim, but woke up to eight to ten inches of the softest fluffy white snow and it was still snowing. There was absolutely no wind and the snowflakes were the size of a quarter, falling straight down. I headed towards the Lake Michigan shoreline, about 1000 yards away, following the road around the dune. The snow was so light that you really didn't know you were running through it. It was near pitch black, no snowplows, no cars, not even a tire track until I was almost back home. I followed the shoreline for about a mile and a half. Lake Michigan was only iced over for about 100 yards out and there were many small icebergs bobbing around. It was perfectly quiet. I headed through the trail in the woods to loop back home. This was a special day, not the typical snow run. I have to admit that I did quite a bit of walking and standing, just to look around. There aren't many places on this planet that you feel like you are the only person around - this is one of them - "first curve beach".
Ask Ali, she knows this run very well.
Submitted by: Cal DeKuiper
I was planning to swim, but woke up to eight to ten inches of the softest fluffy white snow and it was still snowing. There was absolutely no wind and the snowflakes were the size of a quarter, falling straight down. I headed towards the Lake Michigan shoreline, about 1000 yards away, following the road around the dune. The snow was so light that you really didn't know you were running through it. It was near pitch black, no snowplows, no cars, not even a tire track until I was almost back home. I followed the shoreline for about a mile and a half. Lake Michigan was only iced over for about 100 yards out and there were many small icebergs bobbing around. It was perfectly quiet. I headed through the trail in the woods to loop back home. This was a special day, not the typical snow run. I have to admit that I did quite a bit of walking and standing, just to look around. There aren't many places on this planet that you feel like you are the only person around - this is one of them - "first curve beach".
Ask Ali, she knows this run very well.
Submitted by: Cal DeKuiper
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Looking Back and Ahead
Wow...when did 2009 happen? That's how the past few months have been for us at Smith Sports...flying by! Before we get too far from 2008 and too far into 2009, I want to reflect on some of the highlights and focus on some of the upcoming events.
2008's Top 5
1. Gasparilla Race Weekend: This was a BIG weekend for Smith Sports! Not 3, not 5, but 11 members participated in either the 5k, 15k, half marathon or marathon. It was a great way to kick off 2008.
2. Florida 70.3: You never forget your first...Half Ironman, that is. You know you have an insanely tough team when Pros are dropping out of the race due to the hot, humid weather and your 2 Half Ironman first timers finish strong.
3. Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon: Circling the Rock on a ferry boat filled with 2000 nervous and excited wetsuit clad athletes before the horn blows and everyone on that boat plunges into the freezing cold San Francisco Bay within 10 minutes is something you will NEVER forget.
4. Top Gun Triathlon and Steelhead 70.3: The Florida Posse and the Michigan Posse racing on the same day. Talk about representation about the nation!
5. Ragnar Relay Florida: Find me another team that decorates a van like a boat, dresses up as the cast of Gilligan's Island (girls as the guys and guys as the girls...dress and all) and runs 194 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do for 33 hours!
Yes, 2008 was a great year! But I am confident that 2009 won't disappoint in any way! Here are a few things to look forward to in the coming year:
1. Smith Sports Endurance Team will be an official USA-Triathlon team.
2. The Florida Posse will hit the road for Benton Harbor to join the Michigan Posse for the Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman.
3. Ragnar Relay will see at least one Ultra (6 member) Smith Sports Endurance Team and at least one Regular (12 member) Smith Sports Endurance Team running across the state.
And that's just the beginning. Check back often to see what else we will be up to.
2008's Top 5
1. Gasparilla Race Weekend: This was a BIG weekend for Smith Sports! Not 3, not 5, but 11 members participated in either the 5k, 15k, half marathon or marathon. It was a great way to kick off 2008.
2. Florida 70.3: You never forget your first...Half Ironman, that is. You know you have an insanely tough team when Pros are dropping out of the race due to the hot, humid weather and your 2 Half Ironman first timers finish strong.
3. Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon: Circling the Rock on a ferry boat filled with 2000 nervous and excited wetsuit clad athletes before the horn blows and everyone on that boat plunges into the freezing cold San Francisco Bay within 10 minutes is something you will NEVER forget.
4. Top Gun Triathlon and Steelhead 70.3: The Florida Posse and the Michigan Posse racing on the same day. Talk about representation about the nation!
5. Ragnar Relay Florida: Find me another team that decorates a van like a boat, dresses up as the cast of Gilligan's Island (girls as the guys and guys as the girls...dress and all) and runs 194 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do for 33 hours!
Yes, 2008 was a great year! But I am confident that 2009 won't disappoint in any way! Here are a few things to look forward to in the coming year:
1. Smith Sports Endurance Team will be an official USA-Triathlon team.
2. The Florida Posse will hit the road for Benton Harbor to join the Michigan Posse for the Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman.
3. Ragnar Relay will see at least one Ultra (6 member) Smith Sports Endurance Team and at least one Regular (12 member) Smith Sports Endurance Team running across the state.
And that's just the beginning. Check back often to see what else we will be up to.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Even though this was a training run and we were running another 6 miles back to the car after the race, I still wanted to get in under 1:50. It was close and a bit painful at the end, but I set a PR. Activity
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With bells on our shoes and Christmas ribbons in our hair, our group of 5 ran the Jingle Bell Run together. The goal was to get in under 30 minutes and we did just that. Activity
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Friday, November 28, 2008
10k Turkey Trot - Ran the race with Gary. Started off at 9 min/mi and just kept getting faster. It felt great...ready to step it up with pace and distance. Activity
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