Mark Your Calendars! 8-31-2011

9/2
Midnight Flight
Anderson Area YMCA in Anderson SC
Events: 1 mile, 5K and 10K.
Do one, two or all three events.

9/3
Cherokee Foothills Bicycle Tour
Time: 8AM (100 and 66 mile routes), 9AM (28 mile route) and 10AM (10 mile route)
Where: N. Greenville University Stadium

9/9

BMW Performance Classic 2-Miler

Will be held at 6:30 PM at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, SC. This is the only time runners are allowed on the test track, so it's a real treat. Another great thing about this race: IT'S ONLY 2 MILES LONG! Stick around after the race and take a ride with a professional driver on a "hot lap".
ENTRY FEE: $10 (no t-shirt),  $15 (with t-shirt )

9/10
Setting the Pace at Whitten Center 10K and 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.
Clinton, SC
Entry $25 before August 26th. Late entry is $30.

9/10
Tour de Paws
Routes: 62-miles, 28-miles

9/17
Ride for St. Jude
Location: Forest City, NC
Chili's in Forest City is hosting a ride Saturday, Sept. 17 to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital. ALL registration fees go directly to St. Jude's Hospital. There are three ride lengths: 35, 65, and 85 miles.
Registration is $35 and gets you the ride, plus t-shirt and goody bag. Pre-register by sending a check or money order to: Chili's Forest City, Attn: Natasha Earney, 128 Sparks Crossing, Forest City, NC 28043
Registration on Sept. 17 is 7-7:45 am.

9/17
Crank It! Cycling Charity Ride
Starts at Gateway Park in Travelers Rest
Ride Options: 62, 30 and 10 miles

9/17

Kings Mountain/Moss Lake Open Water Swim

Distances: 5K, 3K, 2k, and 500m

Information/ Registration here.

9/17
Tour of Oconee presented by Wilderness Wheels
Start location is Fair Play SC. Fully supported road ride. 118 mile ride, following the perimeter of scenic Oconee County SC. Also 64 mile ride and 26 mile ride. All skill levels welcome. All riders receive a custom designed jersey and t-shirt included in the registration.

9/24
Food for the Sole 5K Race
Location: Greenwood SC

9/24
Ache Around The Lake
Tryon NC
8K and 2 mile fun run

10/8
iRecycle Run Half Marathon and 5K
in Spartanburg
click here for registration

10/9
Tour de Vero
Routes: 34, 54 and 100 miles
in Vero Beach, Florida

10/15
Bluffton SC Half Marathon and 5K

10/29
2nd Annual Pumpkin Pedal
32 and 67 mile routes throughout Spartanburg's water lakes and surrounding watersheds.

11/12
Leaf Tour - approx. 42 miles

Tigerville to Table Rock, Aunt Sues for lunch, then return. In Marietta we stop by Slater Drug Store for a homemade milkshake, on the house!

11/19
2011 Hope Relay in Greenville SC
RUN - 48 MILES...12 LEGS...6 RUNNERS...1 VAN...
WALK - 24 MILES...6 LEGS...6 WALKERS...1 VAN...
Register here.

12/3
3rd Annual Columbia Half Marathon

12/31
Final Fifty - approx. 55 miles
Furman University (pending approval) to Table Rock and back.  What a great way to end the year with one last group ride before the New Year celebration begins. This ride heads to Dacusville from Furman then through some beautiful valleys to Table Rock where the turnaround and break is set up.  We then return to Furman via Tubbs Mt. Road through Travelers Rest.

********************


Weekly Activities @ On On Tri

MONDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN - Speed Training, Intervals, or Hill Workout w/ Nova
MONDAY @ 5:45pm : GO RUN -  w/ Traci
WEDNESDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN - Speed/Intervals w/ Wendi
WEDNESDAY @ 5:45pm : GO RUN - w/ Traci
SATURDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN "Marathon Training" w/ Nova
SATURDAY @ 8am : GO RUN Walk to Run Program

Weekly Rides @ Gusto Cycles
Saturday Morning Ride-
Beat the heat! 7:00am leaving from Gusto Cycles. Spirited 40-50 mile tour of the Reidville/Woodruff countryside! Sprint zones and no rider left behind! Come join us!
Tuesday Evening Ride- 
we are now riding on Tuesday evenings, leaving the shop at 6:15. Beginner and intermediate paces and no rider left behind!

Greenville Track Club Paris Mountain Trail Run Series

11/5 - 15K


The Y Tri Series:

08/27 – Toccoa, GA
09/10 – Surf City Beach, NC
09/17 – Hartsville, SC
For more information (pricing, distances, if duathlon event is available etc) check the website.

Other YMCA Tri/Du Events:

9/ 24 Tri the Ridge Pickens County YMCA


********************

GROUP RUNS organized by the Greenville Track Club

* Tempo Runs at Mauldin Middle School every Monday night at 6:30pm
* Track Workouts at Greenville High Track every Wednesday night at 6:00pm

ON THURSDAYS - TIME CHANGED!

"Girl's Morning Out" at Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville. Gather at 8:45am to pedal promptly at 9am. This is a 30-mile "C" ride hosted every Thursday by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team and Carolina Triathlon. Road bikes and helmets are required. Everyone is welcome and nobody is left behind.

Normally gets canceled, if rain is in the forecast.

Race Report: Toccoa Tri Olympic Distance

1,500 meter open water - 40k bike - 10k run

Results (based on chip time):

Swim 16m 56s (swim was way short) OA 9/48 GR 3/15 AG 1/3
T1 4m 10s
Bike 1h 17m 39s (speed 19.3 mph) OA 27/48 GR 3/15 AG 1/3
T2 1m 00s
Run 1h 05m 47s (pace 10:37 min/mile) OA 40/48 GR 9/15 AG 2/3

TOTAL 2h 45m 35s OA 35/48 GR 8/15 AG 1/3

OR= overall GR= gender rank AG= age group

Pre-Race:
I got up around 4am, had a banana and some crackers and we were on the road to Toccoa. It's an around 1.5 hour drive and I napped on and off, I was just so exhausted. Normally, the race nerves kick in and I am wide awake, but last week was stressful and I was just tired. Terry was a trooper and got us to Toccoa with plenty of time to spare. If we end up doing this race next year, I think we'll stay at the Baptist Conference Center over night and get some extra sleep, since the center is also so location for the tri.

Package pickup was fast and efficient, so I had plenty time for several bath room runs. Real bathrooms... no porta potties... me likey. Also, it was a pretty good swag bag: Zorrel technical shirts (unfortunately, no women's cut), water bottle, a Hammer Gel and a electrolyte FIZZ tablet tester... and then of course the obligatory coupons and a note pad. Pretty good really.

We set-up transition and then tried to find the soccer field, where the pre-race meeting was supposed to be. We then ended up on at the sprint swim start only to find out, that the soccer field is the transition are. Tip for next year: Just tell the people, that the pre-race meeting is going to be around the transition area. There we found out, that we are going to be bussed to the oly swim start and that it'll be a point to point. Fair enough. I didn't care either way.... Until we actually got to the swim start and got the course explained... No way in the world, that this course was close to a mile.

We were divided up in two waves (all men, all women) with the men getting a four minute head start. Once there were only the women left, I checked out who else was in my age group and found three other women in the 30 to 34 age group.

Swim:
I started out behind another woman, but quickly passed her. The first turn buoy was around 200 meters (if that) in the course and once I turned, I didn't see many people after that until I caught up with the men wave and the stranglers from the sprint distance. While the start was different for the sprint and oly, we had the same finish area. The lake was some of the prettiest clearest water I swam in so far, so two thumbs up for that. I had the Garmin in my swim cap and when I walked on the timing mat at the swim finish, it showed a distance of 0.49 miles. To be honest, I felt a little cheated, because I need the swim, to put as much distance as possible between me and everybody else.

T1:
This is a long transition time, because it included a 0.25 mile run to the actual transition area. I hike the steep portion at the beginning, but the jogged the rest of the way. Other than that, the transition was pretty uneventful. I ran out of transition with one women right ahead of me.

Bike:
I passed the other woman right away and she passed me back around mile 1 and that's the last I saw of her. It was also the only woman that passed me on the bike course. Right at the beginning of the course, were a couple of smaller climbs, but once we hit the gradual downhill sections, I started eating like a madwomen and had a whole lot of water.

The oly athletes shared most of the bike course with the sprint athletes, but we had an out and back section added to our course. Even though we shared the first 10 (??) miles with the sprint, the bike course never felt crowded. For the most part, I was able to just go at my pace and go as hard as I can with very little spinning. Especially, because most of the descents were fairly gradual. In the out and back section, I saw the woman in the lead and saw that she was way ahead of me and that she was in my age group. A while after that, I saw the second woman and when I reached the turnaround in the out and back section, I knew that I was in 3rd currently... Right then and there, I decided to be the 3rd woman getting off the bike and that was what I was working towards for the rest of the bike leg and I did it.

The two worst climbs of the bike course were in the last three miles of the bike leg. The first one was shorter and I already felt tired hitting that climb and at the second one, my legs just started to feel like they could blow up any second. Fortunately, the last little bit to transition was downhill again, so you could recover a little.

T2:
My bike rack was the first one coming in from the bike and heading out for the run, so my transition time is pretty fast, even though I struggled some with my left calf cramping up, when I tried to put on my running shoe. I was pretty surprised by it, because I never cramp. After wrestling with that a little, I grabbed my handheld water bottle and hit the wall road.

Run:
The run was a double out and back. The sprint athletes had to do it once and we had to do it twice. I never had a double out and back and first thought I would hate it, but I actually turned out kind of enjoying it, because you had a lot of company on the course, even after the sprint athletes were done. I was able to see Terry four times on the course (once when I headed out on my first loop and he came in on the bike and the rest while running) and I was able to have an eye on my immediate competition. I saw the lead lady, which was still the same one and she was way ahead of everyone else. She was clearly on track to win overall, which would take her out of my age group ranking, so I knew I "just" had to hold the other two ladies in my age group off long enough.

I struggled on the run right away and there was a lot of walking on a lot of the uphills and there were a lot of uphills on the course. There were waves off nausea running through my body for most of the run and I just tried to not throw up. Even though I didn't feel good, I still drank throughout the run and even refilled my bottle once at the aid station. I also dumped ice water down my back whenever I reached the turn around.

At mile one of the run course, I got passed by another woman and from then on, there was this constant stream of women passing me. While I am not a fast runner, this wasn't my usual 10K run either, but it still sucks when you can hold your ground swimming and biking and then get passed like crazy on the run. I noticed the second place woman in my age group coming closer and closer each time I saw her on the course and just tried to keep it together until the finish.... and it worked.

Post-Race:
Grabbed an ice cold water out of one of the coolers and chatted a little with my competition. Terry came in minutes after I crossed the finish line and we started packing up transition and then waited around for awards. After I got my medal (wahoooo!), we packed up the car and headed back home with a food stop.

Race Review:
This is a nice race in general. The location is good and the courses are pretty. The swag was outstanding compared to all the other tri's I have done so far this year. I know it's sad, that a nice technical shirt (lately there have been a ton of not so nice tech shirts in the bags) and a water bottle is all it takes to win best swag bag of the season, but that's what it is. The course was marshaled well and the volunteers enthusiastic and there were many of them.
What I didn't like too much: The confusion about the pre-race meeting, the delayed start time and the short swim just really annoyed me.

Photo Finish Friday 8/26/2011

I am posting this a day late... Oh well... Things have been a little crazy last week. Here we go:

 This is one of the free audio books I listen to all the time.

Not in love with this particular on, but I am almost through with it.

Thank goodness.

One of my favorite dresses. Love the pattern.

More leftovers in the yard from the spring.

Taken on one of my doggy walks.

Good day.

Not quite sure what sunflare even is.

This is a Singer sewing machine that I have gotten

from one of my grand aunts.

Swimmingly

I don't really write a ton about swimming and my swim workouts, but I think it's about time, because my swimming seriously ROCKS right now.

Mind you, I still had a hard time convincing myself yesterday, that swimming for 3,550 yards in a pool is a great thing to do. But once I am in the water, it just feels good. Not only good, it actually feels great. It feels different, it feels like something has clicked once again. I don't know how it happened or when exactly it happened, but I am pretty sure that it has something to do with the fact, that I swim more consistent and long this season than I have ever done before.

In previous years, once Coach Katie's tri swim classes are done at the end of April, I went back to swimming once a week (self coached). And seriously, I just never come up with ways to hurt and punish myself like she does. So whenever the swim classes were done, I did one swim between 2,000 and 2,500 yards ("It's not like I am training for an Ironman, so why swim long?") per week and the workouts were pretty unplanned and unstructured.

Right now, I am in the pool at least twice a week and the workouts are between 2,500 and 3,500 yards and have a lot of drills, sprints, endurance, kicking, paddles.... Whatever hurts, it's in there. In July of this year, I already had more yardage logged than in all of 2010 and it pays off.... And you guys.... I do flip turns right now!! FLIP TURNS!! Okay, sometimes, I still miss the wall when trying to push off, but it has gotten so much better... I am thrilled! All of these weeks looking like a fool in the pool finally start paying off!

While I don't wear a watch in the pool, I have been asked lately to provide some splits for my swimming*, so I kept a close eye on the pool watch last night for the main set:

*Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent watch? It should have at least the capability to record 50 splits and preferably under 50 bucks! THANKS!

4x200 around 3:25-3:40
8x100 around 1:30-1:45
16x50 around 0:45-0:47

This got me all giddy!

I will be doing another 3K open water race in a couple of weeks and I am really hoping to break one hour (about a 1:50/ 100 yard pace) this time around. I know, it's quite a stretch from my last OWS race, but with swimming a better line and the improved speed... and a little bit of luck, this should be possible.

Know Better Than That

Instead of making plans for today's ride, I left it in the hands of my sleep needs. If I wake up on time to make the drive to Clinton SC for the Flight of the Dove ride, I would go.... If I slept longer than 6am, than I would ride from the house.... with no ride date... just me, myself and I. Well, that was not a good idea and should have known better that, because me track record for unstructured Saturdays are not very good.

The good news is... I got some extra sleep. The bad news... I was lollygagging around for way too long after waking up. Actually, Terry came back home after his long run this morning and was all: "What are you still doing here????".... Well, I was just a little too absorbed in reruns of "Big Rich Texas" (don't judge) and general laziness.

After Terry already gave up hope on me to ever roll my lazy butt out of bed, I managed it somehow anyways! ;-)

I finally was on the bike at 11.30am... Great job, Kathrin!!

Last night, I mapped out a ride on a couple of new roads and a lot of old roads from the house. It was more rolling than I thought I would be, especially since was supposed to stick to flatter terrain for my workout. Oh well. This way, the medium and the hard effort portions were just extra special! I made it all the way to Pumkintown and back on the back roads.... with a couple of extra loonies that felt like yelling at cyclists today.

Seriously, how awesome is that name for a town??

I heard, that this store has great burgers, so far, I haven't tried out yet.

Once my hard efforts were done, I was toast. For little while, I wondered if I will have to call Terry to pick me up, because I bonked.... Fortunately, the jelly beans finally kicked in and I made it back to the house.

 After a little stretching, I did a little photo shoot with Ms Karma....

Photo Finish Friday 8/19/2011

I almost fell off the band wagon on the photo project, but alas... here we go:

 

My attempt to capture the mountains on my way home.

Unfortunately, I picked the worst weather for trying to do that.

 One of my co-workers got a flower delivery this week.

Very pretty flowers indeed.

This is a fraction of my shoe collection.

I need to do some organizing.

Dinner at a new Italian place down the road.

Looks good, but didn't wow me.

This is a fraction of my CD collection from back in the day.

Eventually, those need to be converted in MP3s.... Eventually.

I do have a bag in my bag... 

Crazy stuff! ;-)

This is obviously not my picture.

We are in the process of looking at a new bedroom set.

Mark Your Calendars! 8-18-2011

8/20
Great Escape Spartanburg "Dog Daze of Summer"
Roll out at 8am for a 60 mile or 32 mile loop.
Cost 10 bucks.
Donation (see cost above) for this ride are going to the "Barney" fund, their charity of the month. Barney is a stray they picked up in a bad condition and the money will go towards the vet bills.

8/20
Flight of the Dove
Rides begin (8:00 a.m.) and end at Bailey Stadium on the campus of Presbyterian College in Clinton SC.
Features a metric century (62 miles), a 30 mile ride, and a 13 mile leisure ride. A 50 mile variation of the metric is also available.


8/20
The 2011 Edouard Michelin 5K Memorial Race
The race starts and finishes at the Michelin Conference Center located at 515 Michelin Road (adjacent to the Michelin plant at Donaldson Center). The out and back course is rolling and fast. This race is a lot of fun and getting very popular. BEST OF ALL, THE ENTRY FEE IS ONLY $5! (Pre-Registration Only!)

8/20
Nike Day @ On On Tri
- 8am FREE Fun Run 5K - Open to Everyone
- Nike Giveaways
- Nike Technical Reps On-Hand
- 20% Off Selected Spikes and Training Shoes - and, Special Spike / Training Shoe packages Available
- Proaxis Physical Therapist On-Hand to help with Athlete's Injuries
- 12pm - 5pm FREE Pizza and Beverages

8/20
Greenville Cycling Center Skills & Drills Workshop
Start Point is RIDE ONE BIKES, 1616 Woodruff Road
Time: 8am - 10am
Cost USD 20
What: Handling Skills for safe and efficient riding!

8/27
Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad VII (1-mile, 2-mile)
Location: Lake Lure, NC

8/27
4th Annual Ride for M.A.C. in Easley SC
10, 20, 40, 62 (Caesars Head ride) and 100 mile (Super Challenge)
starts at 7:30am

9/3
Cherokee Foothills Bicycle Tour
Time: 8AM (100 and 66 mile routes), 9AM (28 mile route) and 10AM (10 mile route)
Where: N. Greenville University Stadium

9/9

BMW Performance Classic 2-Miler

Will be held at 6:30 PM at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, SC. This is the only time runners are allowed on the test track, so it's a real treat. Another great thing about this race: IT'S ONLY 2 MILES LONG! Stick around after the race and take a ride with a professional driver on a "hot lap".
ENTRY FEE: $10 (no t-shirt),  $15 (with t-shirt )

9/10
Setting the Pace at Whitten Center 10K and 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.
Clinton, SC
Entry $25 before August 26th. Late entry is $30.

9/10
Tour de Paws
Routes: 62-miles, 28-miles

9/17
Ride for St. Jude
Location: Forest City, NC
Chili's in Forest City is hosting a ride Saturday, Sept. 17 to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital. ALL registration fees go directly to St. Jude's Hospital. There are three ride lengths: 35, 65, and 85 miles.
Registration is $35 and gets you the ride, plus t-shirt and goody bag. Pre-register by sending a check or money order to: Chili's Forest City, Attn: Natasha Earney, 128 Sparks Crossing, Forest City, NC 28043
Registration on Sept. 17 is 7-7:45 am.

9/17

Kings Mountain/Moss Lake Open Water Swim

Distances: 5K, 3K, 2k, and 500m

Information/ Registration here.

9/17
Tour of Oconee presented by Wilderness Wheels
Start location is Fair Play SC. Fully supported road ride. 118 mile ride, following the perimeter of scenic Oconee County SC. Also 64 mile ride and 26 mile ride. All skill levels welcome. All riders receive a custom designed jersey and t-shirt included in the registration.

9/24
Food for the Sole 5K Race
Location: Greenwood SC

10/8
iRecycle Run Half Marathon and 5K
in Spartanburg
click here for registration

10/15
Bluffton SC Half Marathon and 5K

11/12
Leaf Tour - approx. 42 miles

Tigerville to Table Rock, Aunt Sues for lunch, then return. In Marietta we stop by Slater Drug Store for a homemade milkshake, on the house!

11/19
2011 Hope Relay in Greenville SC
RUN - 48 MILES...12 LEGS...6 RUNNERS...1 VAN...
WALK - 24 MILES...6 LEGS...6 WALKERS...1 VAN...
Register here.

12/3
3rd Annual Columbia Half Marathon

12/31
Final Fifty - approx. 55 miles
Furman University (pending approval) to Table Rock and back.  What a great way to end the year with one last group ride before the New Year celebration begins. This ride heads to Dacusville from Furman then through some beautiful valleys to Table Rock where the turnaround and break is set up.  We then return to Furman via Tubbs Mt. Road through Travelers Rest.

********************

Weekly Activities @ On On Tri

MONDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN - Speed Training, Intervals, or Hill Workout w/ Nova
MONDAY @ 5:45pm : GO RUN -  w/ Traci
WEDNESDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN - Speed/Intervals w/ Wendi
WEDNESDAY @ 5:45pm : GO RUN - w/ Traci
SATURDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN "Marathon Training" w/ Nova
SATURDAY @ 8am : GO RUN Walk to Run Program

Greenville Track Club Paris Mountain Trail Run Series

11/5 - 15K


The Y Tri Series:

08/27 – Toccoa, GA
09/10 – Surf City Beach, NC
09/17 – Hartsville, SC
For more information (pricing, distances, if duathlon event is available etc) check the website.

Other YMCA Tri/Du Events:

9/ 24 Tri the Ridge Pickens County YMCA


2011 XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series

8/20 Table Rock 15K

********************

GROUP RUNS organized by the Greenville Track Club

* Tempo Runs at Mauldin Middle School every Monday night at 6:30pm
* Track Workouts at Greenville High Track every Wednesday night at 6:00pm

ON THURSDAYS - TIME CHANGED!

"Girl's Morning Out" at Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville. Gather at 8:45am to pedal promptly at 9am. This is a 30-mile "C" ride hosted every Thursday by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team and Carolina Triathlon. Road bikes and helmets are required. Everyone is welcome and nobody is left behind.

Normally gets canceled, if rain is in the forecast.

Typical Perks

Was my last post really last Friday? How did that happen? Dunno, but I just didn't have that much to say, didn't feel much like sharing.... Hmmmm... Stuff, you know?

Basically it was the typical weekend/ beginning of the week, but with perks... There are always perks, as long as you care to look for them:


Saturday
AM
Typical: spend a couple of hours on the bike
Perk: catch up with a friend, I haven't ridden with in a year
Bonus Perk: having a super fast (for me) brick run afterwards
PM
Typical: run errands
Perk: stop by a couple of bike shops and start scooping the market for a tri bike... yeah yeah yeah

Sunday
AM
Typical: run 10 miles
Perk: run into friends on the trail
PM
Typical: household duties
Perk: a long phone conversation with a friend I haven't talked to in several months

Monday
Okay, Monday was really just typical. Good swim though.

Tuesday
Typical: almost killing myself on 2x 5 mile time trials on the bike
Perk: my husband complimenting me on how strong of a cyclist I am

Wednesday
AM
Typical: going round and round at the track
Perk: getting cold while japping away between intervals.... I love this weather right now!
PM
Typical: going to the pool after work, because the pool was supposed to be closed for maintenance starting tomorrow, only to find out that they postponed the work
Perk: getting to sleep in tomorrow morning, because I already got my swim out of the way

Photo Finish Friday 8/12/2011

I used to be a gymnast.

And we used to have a swing between the dining room and the living room.

Once we were old enough, we graduated from the swing to those rings.

Under the rings: A thin rug and a tile floor.

Here's to growing up in the 80's and we still live to tell the tale.

 

I am not sure, if these tree faces are new or if I just never noticed them before.

They are on one of my dog walk routes that I don't do that often.

It says "technology" and not "high tech"! ;-)

This is a fire hydrant close to our house.

All of the hydrants in the neighborhood are painted with those colors.

My attempt at performing a spinal twist.

It's been a long time since my last yoga class.

Before all my time was consumed with triathlon training,

I dabbled in jewelry making.

This is a very simple pendant that always draws attention.

A route marker for a local ride.

I would really like to find a cue sheet for this ride,

because it passes our house.

Due to spring storms, we still have some tree carnage in the yard.

Even though the tree is long dead by now, this little leave is going strong.

Mark Your Calendars! 8-11-2011

8/13
Back To School 5K
@ Middle Tyger YMCA Duncan SC
5k (starts at 7:30am) and One Mile Kid's Fun Run (starts at 8:15am)
Register online at http://www.spartanburgymca.org/ or http://www.strictlyrunning.com/

8/14

Leave Tigerville Elementary School at 8 am

A Very Scenic Ride With a Relaxed Pace. We will plan to Stop at the Shelter in Saluda for 15 to 20 minutes. Slow Pace & No One left Behind. Beginners with enough fitness to handle 35 very hilly miles (2500 ft. of climbing). This Ride is for you! It is Beautiful!  You will Love it! Helmets Required for all Riders.

8/20
Flight of the Dove
Rides begin (8:00 a.m.) and end at Bailey Stadium on the campus of Presbyterian College in Clinton SC.
Features a metric century (62 miles), a 30 mile ride, and a 13 mile leisure ride. A 50 mile variation of the metric is also available.

8/20
The 2011 Edouard Michelin 5K Memorial Race
The race starts and finishes at the Michelin Conference Center located at 515 Michelin Road (adjacent to the Michelin plant at Donaldson Center). The out and back course is rolling and fast. This race is a lot of fun and getting very popular. BEST OF ALL, THE ENTRY FEE IS ONLY $5! (Pre-Registration Only!)

8/20
Nike Day @ On On Tri
- 8am FREE Fun Run 5K - Open to Everyone
- Nike Giveaways
- Nike Technical Reps On-Hand
- 20% Off Selected Spikes and Training Shoes - and, Special Spike / Training Shoe packages Available
- Proaxis Physical Therapist On-Hand to help with Athlete's Injuries
- 12pm - 5pm FREE Pizza and Beverages

8/27
Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad VII (1-mile, 2-mile)
Location: Lake Lure, NC

8/27
4th Annual Ride for M.A.C. in Easley SC
10, 20, 40, 62 (Caesars Head ride) and 100 mile (Super Challenge)
starts at 7:30am

9/3
Cherokee Foothills Bicycle Tour
Time: 8AM (100 and 66 mile routes), 9AM (28 mile route) and 10AM (10 mile route)
Where: N. Greenville University Stadium

9/9

BMW Performance Classic 2-Miler

Will be held at 6:30 PM at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, SC. This is the only time runners are allowed on the test track, so it's a real treat. Another great thing about this race: IT'S ONLY 2 MILES LONG! Stick around after the race and take a ride with a professional driver on a "hot lap".
ENTRY FEE: $10 (no t-shirt),  $15 (with t-shirt )

9/10
Setting the Pace at Whitten Center 10K and 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.
Clinton, SC
Entry $25 before August 26th. Late entry is $30.

9/10
Tour de Paws
Routes: 62-miles, 28-miles

9/17

Kings Mountain/Moss Lake Open Water Swim

Distances: 5K, 3K, 2k, and 500m

Information/ Registration here.

9/17
Tour of Oconee presented by Wilderness Wheels
Start location is Fair Play SC. Fully supported road ride. 118 mile ride, following the perimeter of scenic Oconee County SC. Also 64 mile ride and 26 mile ride. All skill levels welcome. All riders receive a custom designed jersey and t-shirt included in the registration.

10/8
iRecycle Run Half Marathon and 5K
in Spartanburg
click here for registration

10/15
Bluffton SC Half Marathon and 5K

11/12
Leaf Tour - approx. 42 miles

Tigerville to Table Rock, Aunt Sues for lunch, then return. In Marietta we stop by Slater Drug Store for a homemade milkshake, on the house!

11/19
2011 Hope Relay in Greenville SC
RUN - 48 MILES...12 LEGS...6 RUNNERS...1 VAN...
WALK - 24 MILES...6 LEGS...6 WALKERS...1 VAN...
Register here.

12/3
3rd Annual Columbia Half Marathon

12/31
Final Fifty - approx. 55 miles
Furman University (pending approval) to Table Rock and back.  What a great way to end the year with one last group ride before the New Year celebration begins. This ride heads to Dacusville from Furman then through some beautiful valleys to Table Rock where the turnaround and break is set up.  We then return to Furman via Tubbs Mt. Road through Travelers Rest.

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Weekly Activities @ On On Tri

MONDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN - Speed Training, Intervals, or Hill Workout w/ Nova
MONDAY @ 5:45pm : GO RUN -  w/ Traci
WEDNESDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN - Speed/Intervals w/ Wendi
WEDNESDAY @ 5:45pm : GO RUN - w/ Traci
SATURDAY @ 5:30am : GO RUN "Marathon Training" w/ Nova
SATURDAY @ 8am : GO RUN Walk to Run Program

Greenville Track Club Paris Mountain Trail Run Series

8/13 - 7K
11/5 - 15K


The Y Tri Series:

08/27 – Toccoa, GA
09/10 – Surf City Beach, NC
09/17 – Hartsville, SC
For more information (pricing, distances, if duathlon event is available etc) check the website.

Other YMCA Tri/Du Events:

8/ 6 Union County YMCA
8/ 13 Laurens Family YMCA
9/ 24 Tri the Ridge Pickens County YMCA


2011 XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series

8/20 Table Rock 15K

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GROUP RUNS organized by the Greenville Track Club

* Tempo Runs at Mauldin Middle School every Monday night at 6:30pm
* Track Workouts at Greenville High Track every Wednesday night at 6:00pm

ON THURSDAYS

"Girl's Morning Out" at Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville. Gather at 7:45am to pedal promptly at 8am (time change!). This is a 30-mile "C" ride hosted every Thursday by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team and Carolina Triathlon. Road bikes and helmets are required. Everyone is welcome and nobody is left behind.

Normally gets canceled, if rain is in the forecast.

Streamlined

Disclaimer: Pending the approval from spouse and coach! ;-)

After chewing on my athletic identity crises before and during the race, it was time to take a good hard look at my schedule and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my year.

It certainly helped, that I had a great race on Saturday, which made me think, if I was overreacting a little... On the other hand, maybe all I needed was a great race to motivate me again.

Either way: The head seems to be on board again! Wahoooo! (For now anyways!)

But I still knew, that there had to be a couple of changes in my race plan to keep my focused while keeping me from getting overwhelmed.

I don't display race nerves anymore the way I used to (and I know the hubs really appreciates that, since I used to turn into quite a handful before races!), but race week is still different from regular weeks even if it's just a 7k. So in order to get some good training in before I do my second International of the season (signed up and everything!), I decided to skip the Paris Mtn 7K this coming Saturday.... My heart is not in this race right now and this way, I get a good bike/ run brick in that is going to get me ready for the next triathlon.

My September was planned on the light side to start with, because I will be doing quite some traveling for fun and don't want to worry about training too much. But I still put two events on the schedule: a 62-mile bike ride and an Open Water 3K swim. Can we call September the "Month of Fun"? A trip to NYC, a trip to Germany and NO running races: FUN!!! ;-)

Originally, I wanted to do the Rev 3 International in Anderson SC at the beginning of October until I finally looked at the website and saw, that the race is going to be around 160 bucks. No thank you. I have no desire to drop that kind of cash on a race right now. Fortunately, we live here in a triathlon crazy area and so I will be able to race an International a week later for around 60 bucks. Much better! Even though that new race is probably going to require hotel accommodation, we are still cheaper, because hubs wants to race too. With this I am going to conclude my tri season for 2011.

Next up would technically be the Spinx Half followed by Ragnar TN the week after followed by the Croft Trail Half the week after. Not a good idea, especially if we reflect for a moment, how I screwed myself up last year, after racing Spinx Half, Paris 11K Trail and Croft Trail Half back to back to back. No can do. So I decided to take both Spinx and Croft off the table to allow for proper preparation for the Columbia Half at the beginning of December.... And there I want to PR. That means I have to be faster that 2h 13m 32s, but actually, I want to go sub 2h 10h. I know, all you speedy people roll around the floor laughing seeing my goal time, but it is what it is.

Ms Karma on the other hand, is utterly unimpressed by all of this:

Gear Review: Nathan Race Vest

Let me start this post by saying first: I bought the Nathan Race Vest myself with my own money probably a year ago. I just wanted to write a review about it, because every time I wear it, people ask me how I like it and if I can recommend it.

If you are short on time: I love it and I highly recommend it to every runner - trail and road.

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My version:
HPL #008 Data

• 2-way Propulsion Harness
• 1.5 liter Hydration Bladder with a Slideseal™ top closure and bite valve*
• Power Stretch Mesh back pocket for jacket or gloves
• Dual front Power Stretch Mesh pockets –– one with zipper closure
• Vertically adjustable sternum strap with tube clip
• Lightweight, breathable Wall Mesh with soft perimeter binding
• Weight: 11.2 oz.
• Adjustable fit - one size fits all

*Actually, since I already have mine for a while, it still has their old bladder and not the Slideseal™ top closure.

Other versions out there: Endurance (2l bladder), HPL #202 (2l bladder) and the women's specific Intensity (2l bladder).

Honestly, I am not quite sure anymore, how I ended up buying the race vest. I believe it was after a very painful run with one of my Camelbaks (I do own two: A smaller one that basically just fits a bladder and a bigger one that fits a bigger bladder and has some storage) that left me sore and chafed in all the wrong places while the bouncing around during in the run was also just annoying. I understand that there are tons of people out there, that love running with their Camelbaks, but after that one run I was ready for something else and never looked back.

When I am running with the race vest, I am not worried were to put all my crap and that's key for me especially on longer runs when I do carry food, a phone, my keys and maybe even a camera.

There is one pocket on each of the (wide) straps of the vest.

The first one is a mesh zipper pocket, where I usual put my key, iPhone and the camera.

The second one is a mesh zip tie type pocket, where I usual stuff my food into.

On the back, there is also an open compartment, where you can stuff in a rain jacket or a long sleeve shirt.

Plenty of storage and no need anymore, to put anything in your pants or your bra, tie it to your shoes or carry it. LOVE!

At this year's Donut Run after I already ran 11 miles.

A lot of people asked me, if the pockets aren't in the way. They are not. At least not running. Walking and standing they are in the way, but you don't even notice them running until you want some food and realize how easy it is to get to it, because the pockets are in the front and not in the back. Amazing!

This is my 1.5l bladder with the old closing mechanism. It's okay, but I definitely think they did a great improvement by switching to the Slideseal™ top closure. 1.5l also seems to be enough for me for most runs, so I never wished that I had gotten the bigger bladder. I also like the bite value that is basically always open, always closed... always an advantage.

Here is the bladder from Terry's hydration pack, which is not a running specific pack, but for cycling. It already has the new version of the bladder. The bladder is a rectangle and opens over the complete width of the top which makes it much easier to fill and clean. Once you filled the bladder you fold over the top and close it by sliding over a plastic thingy (very technical term) to hold it together. Terry had a spill on the bike the other night and landed on the pack and there was no leak and nothing.

Here are just a couple of more examples of me wearing the race vest.

While I do love love love it for running, it's not that great for cycling and it wasn't meant to be. Once you are leaning over some handlebars, the pack just doesn't feel as natural anymore as when you are wearing it running.

 

Some words of advice when it comes to keeping it clean:

There are cleaning kits out there, but I don't think you need to spend that kind of money.

I avoid to put in anything else but water in the bladder (I made a couple of exceptions), this way I don't have to worry to get some residue of Gatorade out of it. Once I am done, I empty it right away and then store it in the freezer until I use it the next time. The freezer helps with keeping the bacterial count in and on the bladder/ bite valve low. At first I was worried that the plastic is going to get briddle after a while, but I have been doing this with different bladders over the years and they seemed to be doing just fine. Before my next use, I take it out of the freezer and let it defrost, rinse it and the fill it up again. Easy peasy.

Every now and then, I dissolve a couple of denture cleaner tablets (that are in our household for exactly that purpose) in the bladder and let it sit for a couple of hours before rinsing it and putting it back in the freezer.