August '08

August 08


Friday, August 29, 2008
GOOD LUCK ROBYN
GO GET GET 'EM, GIRL!I LOVE YOU NUMBER 174!!!!GO FAST!!!!!!Love, Court
posted @ 8/29/2008 12:23:00 PM (0) Comments
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Best (triathlon) Thing I've Heard This Year!

August 27, 2008
2009 USA Triathlon TriSports.com Halfmax National Championship

Important 2009 Halfmax Championship Announcement
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon and Ultramax Events is pleased to announce that the Redman Triathlon in Oklahoma City, Okla., will serve as the second of a new three city rotational structure for the USA Triathlon Halfmax National Championship. The Redman Triathlon will host the 2009 USA Triathlon Trisports.com Halfmax National Championship and USA Triathlon Club National Championship.
The Pumpkinman Triathlon will kick off the new rotational structure and will host the 2008 championship near Las Vegas on Oct. 18. The final leg of the Halfmax rotation will be the 2010 Championship. The venue and race date will be announced early next season.
“This is an exciting event. Not only will we be able to crown our Long Course Triathlon National Championships, but we will also be crowning our Club National Champions,” said USAT National Events Director Jeff Dyrek. “Athletes of all experience levels will have the opportunity to contribute to their club’s scoring whether it be the sprint, intermediate or long course distance event. Clubs will be able to bring athletes of all experience levels to compete.”
The Trisports.com Halfmax National Championship is entering its fourth year and is supported by a network of qualifying events that span the entire nation. Beginning in 2008, only athletes who qualify for the Halfmax Championship will be eligible to compete for the coveted world championship slots. Each year the Halfmax Championship attracts the very best long course age group athletes from across the nation. The Halfmax venue rotation will give athletes across the nation better access to the Halfmax Championship and Club Championships. This new 3-year rotation makes it easier for athletes to plan from year-to-year.
The Halfmax Long Course National Championship features a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.
“Ultramax is very excited to add the Redman Triathlon to our three city rotation plan. The new rotation design will deliver the Halfmax Championship concept to the entire nation. This expansion will build upon our very successful move to the Pumpkinman Triathlon in Las Vegas. Our master plan is to return to each city every three years,” said Ultramax Events Owner, Mark Livesay.
The 2008 and 2009 Halfmax Championships will produce a minimum of 10 slots per age group for Team USA and the 2009 and 2010 Long Course Triathlon World Championship.
“We are excited to be working with the Redman Triathlon group,” Dyrek said. “With their good reputation and completion of USAT’s Race Director Certification course, we are confident that athletes will experience a top-notch event.”
For more information about the 2008 Halfmax Championship, visit www.halfmaxchampionship.com2009 Championship Dates and Race information will be posted on this site in the coming months!

New Ultramax Alliance Expands Multi-sport in the Kansas City Area
A New Alliance Expands Multi-sport in the Kansas City AreaThe Kansas City Multi-Sport Revolution Has Begun

Wednesday, August 27, 2008 - Ultramax Events and Sherpa Sports announced today that they will join forces and deliver one, possibly two new exciting triathlon events to the Kansas City area. This new alliance sets a grand stage for the expansion of multi-sport in the Kansas City Area.

In 2008, Ultramax was hired by Sherpa Sports to provide timing services for the new Ironman Kansas 70.3 Triathlon event. This event was a huge success and served as a wonderful introduction for the two event groups. They are planning to build upon this new friendship and multi-sport momentum. The two groups are 100% focused and committed to delivering a total event experience.

Ultramax has a history of delivering some of nations best events. Over the past ten years Ultramax has directed five USA Triathlon National Championships, including two USAT National Age Group Championships. Ultramax has produced several marquee events including the popular Race for Sight Triathlon, Octomax and Quartermax Triathlons, and the USA Triathlon Trisports.com Halfmax National Championship.

“Kansas City has one of the largest and most dynamic triathlete populations in the state. Ultramax is so excited to get back to Kansas City. We are looking forward to delivering another event in full Ultramax style. We sincerely hope the triathlete community is as excited about this partnership announcement as we are,” said Ultramax owner, Mark Livesay.

To kick things off we will be hosting a town hall style meeting. Athlete feedback is very important to us and we want to hear what you want from this Kansas City event. We want to bring the triathlon clubs, venues, sponsors and the general public together in one place to get feedback and response. We feel this is vital to the planning of any successful event and a perfect way to introduce our new alliance to the Kansas City area.

"Sherpa Sports is thrilled to merge with Ultramax in bringing multisport excellence back to Kansas City. The Kansas City area has a history of passionate triathletes and supporters, and we are eager to fuel that energy," said Sherpa Sports President, Ryan Robinson.

Together we are planning to build an event that the local area athletes, venues and sponsors will be proud to be part of. The date, format and location of this inaugural meeting will be forthcoming.
If you are interested in participating, please drop us a note and we will add you to the invitation list.

Mark LivesayOwner Ultramax Events2009 KC Ultramax Co-Race Directorinfo@ultramaxtri.com
Ryan RobinsonOwner Sherpa Sports Co-Race Director Ironman 70.3 Kansas 2009 KC Ultramax Co-Race Directorsherpasports@aol.com


Ultramax Championship Series Standings

The Ultramax Multi-sport Series was launched in 2004 and starts over with each new season. The Series is a competition comprised of four Ultramax owned races, and now three other of Missouri's best events. Participants are awarded points at each Ultramax Championship Series Race based on their individual finish time versus the overall amateur's finish time.

2008 Ultramax Series Events * Jay Dix Challenge to Cure 10K Run & 5k Run* MaxTrax Duathlon - Long and Short Course* Merrill Lynch Race for Sight Triathlon * Joker's Wild Run - Half Marathon - Quarter Marathon - 5K Run * Who Tri's Harder? Octomax & Quartermax Triathlons * Republic Tiger Triathlon - Triathlon Only * Lake St. Louis Triathlon Long and Short Course

Only the Lake St. Louis Triathlon remains and $$Thousands$$ in prizes, gift certificates and race entries are on the line. The 2009 Ultramax Series promises to be even BIGGER and BETTER... Stay tuned for the announcement!
Download the full set of series results HERE!
2008 Ultramax Series Standings as of 8/27/08
Ultramax Series Men

Ultramax Series Women
Name
Total

Name
Total
1
ORR, Jay
215.00
1
MEYER, Jennifer
207.00
2
ZDERIC, Ted
212.55
2
KING, Luise
206.90
3
RIGDON, Tony
209.44
3
JACOBS, Annette
201.47
4
LITTRELL, Josh
208.00
4
STONE, Marianne
193.87
5
ADKISON, Rodney
206.33
5
FARRIS, Betsy
193.73
6
HOUGH, Landon
206.04
6
BREIER, Sarah
193.44
7
BRINKER, Tom
205.09
7
HARBOR, Julie
188.41
8
SMITH, Clint
201.23
8
ROBERTSON, Andrea
186.19
9
BOURGEOIS, Stephen
199.14
9
CAROLAN, Shanelle
185.59
10
DISHMAN, Michael
198.90
10
FRULAND, Amy
181.66

The Starting Block - Opens Second Location in Springfield, Missouri
The Starting Block now has two locations! The new store is now open at 1254 E. Republic Road. Google Directions
At The Starting Block our team will actually prescribe the correct shoes for you - taking into account running style, running goals, body type and build, foot and body biomechanics, foot shape and profile, and injury status. We accomplish this process with our exclusive Fit Perfect Gait Analysis system. The “FREE” fitting process takes about 20-25 minutes to complete. Our staff has professionally fit over 4,200 individuals. Are you running in the right shoe? We invite you to stop by and judge our fitting process for yourself!
What do they say?
Thank you! The shoes are working out fantastically. The associate that completed my run analysis and helped me choose the shoes was awesome. He was extremely knowledgeable and very patient :) I live in Saint Louis, but the service is worth the drive. I've recommended your store to several of my friends. Thank you for checking in with me, I'm sure you'll see me again in a few months._____________________
Amy and Mark- we appreciate that we have such an excellent place to send our patients. Also my Brooks Addictions are working out very well for me- I haven't had any flare-ups of my Morton's neuroma since wearing them. Thank you!
The Starting Block now carries the Newton "forefoot" running shoe! Newton Running shoes were designed by runners for runners to mimic the advantages of barefoot running. Whether training or racing, Newton Active Membrane Technology™ provides greater shock absorption, greater energy return while promoting the natural and more efficient forefoot strike of barefoot running.
WWW.STARTINGBLOCKONLINE.COM

posted @ 8/27/2008 9:36:40 AM (0) Comments
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Reproducing Should Be Forbidden for These People
New game enemy takes a solid day to defeat
Players pass out, get sick during extreme battle.
By Ben Silverman
If it's good enough for Cartman, it's good enough for Square-Enix.
The developers of the online role-playing game Final Fantasy XI seemingly borrowed a page from the Emmy-winning South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft" by updating the game with one of the longest - and most physically grueling - video game fights ever. Introduced in the game's latest downloadable update, the boss monster "Pandemonium Warden" remained perfectly fit after a group of high-level adventurers wailed away at it nonstop for over 18 hours straight.

FINAL FANTASY XI SCREENS
Though the seemingly unbeatable boss will not prevent people from 'completing' the game -- persistent online games typically do not "end" like most single-player games -- it has sparked debate over what exactly the game's developers, Square-Enix, expect out of their devoted fan base. Message boards have lit up with disgruntled players calling out the company for failing to respect its very own in-game warning telling players they have "no desire to see your real life suffer as a consequence [of playing]. Don't forget your friends, your family, your school or your work."
Easy for them to say. While the beast continually healed, the gamers weren't so lucky.
"People were passing out and getting physically ill," leaders of the player guild said in a forum post. "We decided to end it before we risked turning into a horrible news story about how video games ruin people's lives."
Too late.
More Stories
Previous: 16-year-old quits school to play video gameNext: Check back tomorrow! www.yahoo.com
posted @ 8/20/2008 1:48:01 PM (0) Comments
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Bloggy Bloggerton


I’m alive. I just haven’t been so into blogging. My friend Andrea puts it well- we’re just over the blogging thing for the summer.

So, in a fairly quick recap of the last five days or so, this is what I’ve been up to:

Thursday was wedding crap day- Eric and I finalized and purchased our wedding bands. Holy cow! We’re really getting married. … who wants to take a bet on how long it will take before Eric loses his? He NEVER wears watches, rings, etc, so I’ll be impressed if he keeps this one on.

Eric was gone for Millville Friday, and got home LATE Sunday night, which left me with the house to myself (Both good and bad). Saturday morning I got up and coached, came home, then met my brother Jeffie for breakfast. He’s all grown up! Yep, Jeff MOVED. Sadly, it wasn’t just out of my folk’s house, but clear to Minnesota! Yeah, I know, right!?

After breakfast I stopped by the shop, visited Smashley and rolled on home. I decided that I HAD to get in a run, and a decent one, at least. So, about noon I cruised to the Lake Jacomo trails. I’ve only done a very short run thru here once, so it was a new experience.

I really love these trails! I wish they were more single track like Shawnee Mission, but they’re a chat gravel, with some washout. It’s mostly all shaded and there’s varying degrees of terrain and elevation changes- even a couple creek crossings (I guess they’re dry unless it recently rained). I ran for right at 60 min, and I didn’t see another soul for the first 40! But, I still felt pretty safe. I would suggest though, that like any trail running, keep your music to a minimum or just turn it off.

After my run and some errands, I came home for Olympic watching. The evening was a blast- Chief’s game, Julie’s 30th Birthday Party. But, I kept myself under control- I was the DD and had an early morning swim.

Sunday I met up with the other open water swimmers about 6:15am at Lakewood. The air was chilly and there was layers of fog rolling off the water. My favorite! The sunrise was perfect and it was an awesome start to the day.

I came home, tidied up a bit, chatted with the future mother in law, and decided to “take a quick nap” about 11:30am. I woke up at 5:45pm. WOW, guess I was tired! I enjoyed the rest of the evening by watching more Olympics coverage, yet somehow managed to miss the women’s triathlon. Ugh!

Monday I came home from work for my bike ride. It was beautiful out, but I still couldn’t pry myself from the Olympics! So, I set up the trainer to ride 25 hypothetical miles. It was quick RPM spinning, 15 min “easy” and 5 min “Hard!!.” I was spent.

Last night I found myself at the track attempting speed work for the first time in weeks. Ah, a main set of 6x 800 repeats. Oops! I only did 4! For some reason I was thinking it was only 4, so I owe myself 2 more. Dang! Altogether I was please with my effort level and splits, but I have yet to compare them to other workouts.

Well, I better get back to worky jerky.

PS

Lolo Jones, my heart goes out to you, girl!




posted @ 8/20/2008 8:18:27 AM (0) Comments
Friday, August 15, 2008
KC Women's Tri Recap
**
KC Women’s Tri Recap
August 9, 2008


I’m going to make this really short (well, ok, short in terms of my usual recaps):

The swim went decent- actually, it’s my fastest swim split there, yet, but I didn’t think it was that fantastic. I started in seventh and got out of the water in fifth I think.

The bike was pretty much a disaster. I added nearly 3 minutes in a 10 mile race. I suppose that’s what I get for not being on the bike. I’m taking care of that starting a couple days ago. My legs felt slow and heavy. I was concerned when I was warming up, but told myself that I was just going to have to push like hell and suck it up come race time. I for sure pushed as hard as I could, even barfed up some Heed (Gross! Stop serving that!!) that I had prior to the race start. It was difficult getting pass by so many women- probably 10 in all, maybe more. On the bike last year not one lady passed me and I chased my way down to second. I can tell this is definitely a different year.

I was so thankful to be off that bike.

The run started out good. I tried to go and shake things out a bit, and stay relaxed, but I had such a sense of urgency in trying to get back to the front. It didn’t work. Bummer. I actually felt decent though, and even with my craptacular bike, my run was just barely off from last year, which I was pleased about. My new running stride is definitely more efficient.

Altogether, I added almost two minutes to my time, which is a decent amount in a sprint race. I ended up in fifth, which was a disappointment, but I rather expected it.

The highlight of the day was watching two of my bridesmaids finish their first triathlon! Jennifer and Alyson did the race and both did awesome. I got tears in my eyes cheering for them. J

I was so pumped to see Jennifer on the bike and I knew she would finish. When I passed both Alyson and Jennifer on the run, they were smiling and looked great. Good job girls!


500 meter swim 8:53: T1 1:30: 10 mile bike 33:54: T2 0:35: 5k run 33:47



posted @ 8/15/2008 9:03:11 AM (0) Comments
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Bride Was Beautiful
*The most lovingly painful story
I've ever heard.*
posted @ 8/13/2008 2:01:36 PM (0) Comments
Monday, August 11, 2008
Alas, that was Expected
The WIN for KC race went about as well as could be expected. Meaning: not so hot. However- I did drop some time on my swim, which was a pleasant surprise. My legs were dead from the start on the bike. I bet I lost 15 watts in the last month. I was WEAK WEAK on the bike, something that's usually a strong suit, especially at this race last year. :( ugh. Oh well, I'm back on the wagon (starting tomorrow), with one race to go for the season. My run was decent. It hurt like hell but was only one minute slower. All told I added just over 4 minutes to last year's time. I'll post a full recap later- I'm busy here at work. But I'd like to say that Clay Meyers-Bowman, the race director, put on another awesome event. There was a record turnout. The weather held up perfect, unlike other areas of KC. Both Jennifer and Alyson finished their first triathlon- bringing tears to my eyes! I'm so proud!!Andrea V kicked ass (and mine. bad.), as did Jane L. and Dawn Mc., Jean and Leslie C. Great job gals. Leslie walked away with the overall and I'm working on getting her to join forces with me in the Flames suit. :o) I even met a couple new people and worked those networking skills. I'm super stoked that the race turned out awesome and congrats to all the new first time triathletes!
posted @ 8/11/2008 12:09:38 PM (0) Comments
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Crap crap crap.
AHH.

So, it just kind of hit me. I'm going into this race this weekend the most unprepared I have been for any race. Ever. At this point I'm just relying on my experience to hopefully let me finish in the top 3 in my AG, although, at this point, I'm not sure if that's possible.
In the past week since the ceiling leak debacle, Eric and I, with the help of our friend Corey, have stained, stripped, and began restaining our rather LARGE (full back of house) deck and railings.
Also, I've completed several wedding tasks that seem to take up a helluva lot more time than I thought. Tonight we're supposed to hit up the jewlers to purchase our wedding bands, but, well, between what's left to be done at the house, and the maintinence I've been putting off on my bike (since last week), something's gotta give.
Tonight, I will probably get on my bike. I'm not sure which is going to be worse- my bike or my run. So, I figure, I should spin the legs out and deal with it best I can.
I've put on 5 lbs since my race weight for time race last year, but that's fine. I'm sure though that it will adversely affect me in the bike, and not at all in the swim.
Speaking of the swim, I've actually been in the water several times in the last few weeks, making the majority of those workouts. That's something, right?
No the hard part: How, when I get to the race, will I manage to refrain from mentally beating myself up when I suffer? Because suffer, I will. It won't be the tired suffering from this early summer with back-to-back halfs, yet, it will be the type of suffer you feel when you heart and lungs want to explode and your head pounds every time you blink. For that, my friends, is a sprint triathlon. Suffice to say, speedwork hasn't really happened, so basically, I'm going to go out and punnish my self for my lack of training.
Suck it up and deal, eh?
For shiits and grins, here's my last two years results:

2006: AG 5/11, OA 84/265
Splits: 9:05 500 meter swim/ 1:49 t1/ 32:11 10 mile bike/ 1:17 t2/ 35:18 5k run = 1:19.28
2007: AG 3/25?, OA 23/400?
Splits: 8:58/ 1:11/ 30:50/ 00:35/ 32:54 = 1:14.28

Orginally I had a goal to go under 1:10. Trying not to sandbag in my goals, yet be honest with myself, I think a 1:15 should be my goal. However, this race filled to capactity this year, meaning there will be over 500 gals racing. It will probably take a 1:10 or under to podium in my AG, but maybe I'll catch a lucky break, and maybe, by the gace of God, will my body all of a sudden go fast.
One thing's certain: It's gonna hurt.

posted @ 8/7/2008 2:11:08 PM (0) Comments