Heather - Craig Alexander - Mirinda Carfrae

One of the greatest things about my Sponsorship with All3 Sports is that Morgan Clark the owner has a true passion not only for the sport of Triathlon but for giving to others with an open heart.

Heather - Scott Meyer - Morgan Clark

Morgan along with Alex, All3 Sports Business Manager and the entire staff organized a fabulous fundraising event for the East Atlanta Kid’s Club & Tri Kid’s Inc, an inner city group that allows kids to participate in the sport of Triathlon – HOW COOL IS THAT?

HG, Crowie & Rinnie with the East Atlanta Kids Club

The event quite simply was a BLAST – myself, Mirinda Carfrae and Craig Alexander started things out by splitting up the attending athletes/kids and having each of us lead out a group for a run. I was the leader of the PINK Group – GO PINK !! Pink rocked this run by the way !!

Following the run was a Question & Answer period, dinner and silent auction. It was a fantastic evening and the gang from All3 Sports raised some much appreciated funds for our young, up and coming inner-city athletes.

For all athletes remember you can order any great Tri – Gear and supplies from www.all3sports.com and receive 15% OFF if you use the coupon code: Gollnick15 – at checkout. Check the All3 Sports website for details on this unique offer and the use of coupon codes.

DREAM BIG – DREAM FAST – ALL3 SPORTS

Last week, I got a call from the folks at Ironman, confirming a slot for me to race at the Steelhead 70.3 1/2 Ironman on July 31st.

I was excited for the opportunity to participate in this great event, I did the very first one and it has been several years since I have been back.  Only after I hung up it hit me, “Oh my God, I have two weeks to get ready for a 1/2 Ironman!  I am going to get the crap kicked out of me!”

I could feel that familiar big race anxiety creeping up my spine, my shoulders getting tight and my stomach begin to churn, “I’m a dead man.”

My first instinct was to get in touch with 5 my coach Heather Gollnick.  Heather is a 5 time Ironman winner and has been working with me all year, getting me ready for my 500 miles of racing and her race the Rev3. Triathlon in Sandusky, Ohio.  Deep down, I wanted Heather to tell me that this was a bad idea and I should scratch, instead I heard “this is great!  There’s no better way to train for a race than by racing, how do you feel about it?” Was Heather’s response.

I wanted to say, “I want my security blanket and a tub of Starbucks Java Chip ice cream.” However, I broke it down for her. ” My swim is pretty good, I have been working with local coach Mary Bradbury and we have it dialed in.  The bike, I will be OK, I have been riding a lot and though I am not going to break any records, I will survive.  The run is going to snap my legs off, I am going to fall to pieces, it’s going to suck.”

Finishing Steelhead 70.3, 7 Years Ago.
Again, I was expecting Heather to give me an out clause, but what I got was “You’re right, you are going to suck at the run if that’s how you think.” Wha?  What is she talking about, was my first reaction, then Heather continued,” You are the most self deprecating guy I know, you spend all day helping guys like Dan (Cubicle Dad) focus on the positive, but then you beat yourself up.  If you think negative, you will be negative, if you focus on all of the positive things you have accomplished, you are going to be great, you may even surprise yourself.”

I tried to remind Heather that I am 42, have had 5 knee surgeries, and up until 7 months ago, I was recovering from a broken foot.  ” That’s great, I am also 42, I am smarter, wiser and know more than I did when I was younger.  You know your body and how to make it work, instead of thinking about all your injuries and how they have slowed you down, you need to think about the face that you are able to be out here at all, that you have come back time and time again, and you will finish this race and many more to come.”

Heather’s 42?  Man she’s hot, was my first thought, then I got back to the original message, and she was right, 100% right.  My first 1/2 IM, I finished in 5:24, I was a part time single dad, with an easy job and lots of time on my hands.  Training and napping were a part of my routine.  Now I am married, with a full time job, 2 kids and a very hectic schedule, I have to schedule in workouts and recovery time is a thing of the past.  I am lucky to be out there doing this, slow or fast, it has been a long road to get me back to this spot- Positive.
I have made it a point, even when I was fast to look at my feet and be all “aww shucks” about racing, I am the first person to make fun of myself and in listening to Heather, I now realize that I am not only  a hypocrite, but doing myself a disservice.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100518/ARTICLE/5181034/2050/SPORTS?p=1&tc=pg

By CHRIS DELL, Correspondent

Published: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, May 17, 2010 at 8:30 p.m.

LAKEWOOD RANCH – Her parents call her Princess and her best friends call her J-Dog.

All in all, Jordan Gollnick is far from your ordinary middle school student. In fact, the sixth grader is extraordinary in many facets of life.  Jordan was born premature and spent the first nine months of her life in the prenatal unit of the hospital fighting for her life.  She won that fight and has never slowed down. Whether it is in the classroom or on the track, she has continued to defy the odds.

The sixth grader at Nolan Middle reads at an 11th-grade level and recently competed in her first triathlon with the help of local athlete and founder of ‘Care2Tri’, Greg Simony.  “Jordan is an extremely determined kid,” Simony said. “She is just an inspiring person to be around and is highly intelligent. She has the heart and the fight in her to be great.”

Throughout the 5K run of the event, Jordan was pushed on a specialized jogging stroller by Simony as she waved to fellow runners and spectators along the course.  Stubbornness may be her only fault because the 13-year-old simply refuses to quit. Jordan was frustrated when she found out that she could not run the 5K by herself.

“I didn’t know how long the race was going to be at first … I had never ran an extremely long distance before, but I had a lot of fun and beating my mom was the best part,” Jordan said.

Hosted by the Sarasota Storm Tri Club, the Florida International Triathlon (FIT) helped bring awareness to kids with disabilities and the inclusion of disadvantaged athletes into athletic events

“I know that I have a disability, but I try not to think about it and do the best that I can,” Jordan said. “I want to be a veterinarian in the future because I enjoy working with animals … I wish I had a golden retriever for a pet, but I’ll get one when I move out some day.”

Jordan walked across the finish line with Simony, completing the third leg of the triathlon in 23 minutes, 20 seconds. She also collected on a $5 bet that she had made with her mom Heather, who is a professional tri-athlete and competes in ‘Ironman’ events worldwide.

“The run part of the triathlon was really fun, especially waving to all the people out there … I kept telling (Greg) to go faster so that we could beat my mom, and that made me happy,” Jordan said with a slight chuckle.

“She paid up too.”

Jordan is also an office aid at Nolan Middle and her favorite subject is reading. She is currently reading ‘Eclipse’, the third installment of the Twilight fiction series.  Jordan is enrolled in all advanced classes at Nolan, including both math and language arts.  She likes to swim and play Wii with her brothers during her spare time.

“I love working in the office because I get to skip PE,” Jordan said. “I read everyday and I like to swim at home.

” I love reading fiction books especially and helping out my brothers with their homework.”

Simony is always looking to help disabled athletes around the area and provide them with the chance to fulfill their athletic dreams.

He can be contacted by e-mail on his Web site at Care2Tri.com.

They did an International and Sprint Distance Tri with over 700 competitors and did a fabulous job putting on this race.  I love to support local events and see the sport grow in our area.  It was an absolute “blast” but also a special day for my daughter Jordan.  Greg Simony is a local athlete with a great story and a kind heart.  He started an organization, http://www.care2tri.com/ The mission of his organization is to generate awareness about cerebral palsy, while at the same time promoting the inclusion of disabled athletes in athletic events.  Greg just competed with us at our Rev3 Tri in Knoxville and was a blessing to local kids who got the experience of a lifetime.   This weekend he took his friend Nadia for a ride on the bike leg and pushed Jordan through the run.  The Event was great for the entire family and it was a lot of fun hanging out with friends – enjoy the pictures;

Enjoyed the Ocean Swim

Onto a Fast bike down the streets of Siesta Key

Melissa directs athletes out onto the run course - she is a trip !!

Jordan waiting for Greg to push her on the Run Course

Jordan and Greg cross the Finish Line

Jordan had a Great Time - Thanks Greg

Thanks for a great Race Storm Members !!

With Melissa after the Race - She was already on Beer #3 at this point

Some Post Race Fun with my Friends

With my friend Nicole Clark and the Clarkettes

A special Thanks and Shout Out to the Sarasota Storm - you guys did a Fantastic Job!

What a beautiful place

My friend and P.T.  Nicole was able to make the trip with me which made it that much better.  We had a fantastic homestay, Carol Murphy – she is a triathlete, ultra-runner and a fantastic mom who took great care of us.  It was really fun to have someone else as the mom as I was on vacation.

Nicole and Heather at THE BEAST

Carol was a great Homestay - Thanks so much !!!

Restaurant at Cane Bay - Best Food in Town - Thanks Frank

The race course itself is very challenging and I loved it – it kicked my butt good and I feel my fitness will be back up a step as a result.  Race day was perfect – well in my mind perfect meant no rain – but the winds were calm and there was lots of Heat!!  I had a fantastic swim, staying with the main group – Mirinda Carfrae, Sam Warriner and Cat Morrison.   Just last week at St. Anthony’s the group had dropped me by the first buoy and I was well off the pack with the fourth group (yes, all those Olympic swimmers were there).  But in St. Croix I was thrilled to keep contact.

Well that was the swim – on the bike Sam took off like a shot and was gone which was ok.  I wanted to do my thing and pace myself for the “Beast” – unfortunately my Zipp aero bar came loose and I had to hold it on. Eventually it would not shift, but thankfully I was in the center ring and could still go large/small.  It did cause me to think about dropping a few times but I told myself you didn’t come all this way not to finish – so I held onto it and did what I could.

Get ready for THE BEAST

The run was a scorcher and a pretty tough course.  I felt like I ran well for my limited training.  My nutrition was on track and the endurance was there still – now I just need to get my speed back !!

And to my wonderful Sponsors, without your support racing at this level  would not be possible.  To Trakkers, K-Swiss, All3Sports, Kestrel, First Endurance, Ed and the crew at Village Bikes, GU , Oakley, Premium Leisure, and William Muhlstadt at the Center4.  To all of you a huge THANK YOU – I value your support as well as your friendship.

A long awaited update – I am finally healthy!! My hip is better thanks to the care and attention of several talented folks including Dr. Lamar from my hometown in Bradenton and the gifted Dr. Hatrak of Synergy Release Sports in Atlanta Georgia. For those of you who follow me on Twitter – Jordan, my courageous daughter is doing better as well (more on her in the next blog post).

I am so thankful to be back training and I am going to appreciate the opportunity to race even more this year – so I have decided to race myself back into shape !! I am having to suck up my pride as well as set realistic expectations as I have been back to full training for less than 2 weeks now. To that end I am starting with one of the all time best Olympic distance races anywhere. I am fortunate that St. Anthony’s is a very quick trip from our home in Bradenton. It’s such a well run race and Philip is a great friend !!

I don’t usually race Olympics as I am a true Iron Distance Girl but with no expectations and the excitement and appreciation of “being able to” I look forward to the challenge. Next up will be St. Croix – am I really ready for St. Croix? No – but it is on the “Bucket List” and with the growth of Rev3 I am not sure it will fit the schedule next season. My original plan was IM St. George prior to my injury, but I have never been to St. Croix in my thirteen years of racing. A Bucket List CHECK ! Stay tuned for updates !!

We transitioned then to the main stage where Tara
and I were the featured speakers.  She spoke of her
involvement on the Biggest Loser TV Show and how
she is developing a new fitness plan which involves
racing at each of our Rev3 Events (rev3tri.com)
throughout the 2010 season.

Tara was great the entire day taking time to meet
with every person who came by our Rev3 Booth.
The line continued the entire day – she was a big
hit !!

I also had the opportunity to personally speak on
the kitchen stage sharing my thoughts to the crowd
on nutrition and leading a healthy lifestyle.  It was
great to talk about the products I use daily and simply
share  with others was has helped me win Ironman
Events, recover and do it all over again !!

Saturday evening we attended a special event at
the University of Tennessee as guests of  our good friends
Don and Maureen Bosch.  Tennessee Head Basketball
Coach Bruce Pearl and Florida Head Basketball
Coach Billy Donavan co-hosted a fundraiser for
cancer research.  I also had the opportunity to be
interviewed by CBS Sports about Rev3 !!  It was a
very memorable evening.

January is early when racing a 70.3 but it has always gotten me motivated to get out there and train a bit over the Holiday’s.  It fits perfect with my season plan of building strength in the early season including weights and low cadence work on the bike – due to my lack of hills in Florida.  Speaking of which (lack of hills) doing treadmill hill work or running the bridge is imperative, (yes we have one hill where I live about 30 minutes away – however most people call it a bridge).

The swim in Pucon is a two lap swim and I felt good on the first lap and ok on the second – a buildup of yardage will help with that.  I was the fourth woman out of the water and in to transition.  I was extremely pleased with my bike and felt very comfortable on my new Kestrel (Yahoo !!)  I just signed a new contract with Kestrel and am very excited about the opportunity.  I have now found a small enough frame that will allow me to get low enough to take my biking to a new level – thanks Steven !!  I have been riding in the new position for just three weeks, and although I love the ride – I didn’t feel so “comfortable” getting off the bike and on to the run.

Wow, the legs just did not respond and unfortunately I had one of my slowest run splits here.  I ended the day second to Amanda Lovato who had a great day.  I know how emotional it felt to win my first big race back in 2003, I had not realized it was Amanda’s first 70.3 win until her victory speech,  I was happy to see her win but was not surprised, she is tough. Teresa Macel Team TTB another amazing pro  finished behind me in third to round out the podium.

The Pucon 70.3 in Chile is without a doubt one of my favorite races for a number of reasons.  First, the location – Pucon is a quaint and very beautiful city.  Not many places can you wake up in the morning and see a snow capped volcano out your window

Second, the people of South America have always been wonderful (especially when you struggle as you try to speak to them in broken Spanish J ).   There is a tremendous amount of support locally and they really get excited come race day.  The day prior to our event they have a kid’s event.  Over 250 kids participated and they are fast !!  It’s terrific to see the younger generation so excited about this sport and I love interacting with them after the race.

Additionally the organizers of this race, Pedro and his crew, really know how to take care of us.  We have been very fortunate over the years as we have gotten to know this crew very well, I have won this race twice and have been coming here every January for many years now.  This year we invited our good friend Don Bosch from Tennessee and his wife Maureen.  The four of us had a great time sharing our meals together, walking around town sampling desserts and Maureen and I enjoyed some quality time shopping for shoes.  They are a great couple and we were so glad that we could share the Pucon experience with them.

Todd and I will be staying a few extra days and traveling to Pedro’s house (the Race Director) up in the mountains.  His home is nestled in the woods by a pristine lake with the mountains as a backdrop – very beautiful and very peaceful.

It was an amazing day and a half at Pedro’s home in the mountains we had the opportunity to hike, water ski, go on the catamaran, kayak.  Yep, this girl hadn’t been on one ski water skiing in fifteen years – what fun !

A big thank you once again to the race organizers and the people of Pucon for supporting this race the way you do.  And to my wonderful Sponsors, without your support this would not be possible.  To Trakkers, K-Swiss, All3Sports, Kestrel, First Endurance, Ed and the crew at Village Bikes, GU , Lifesport, Oakley, Premium Leisure, and William Muhlstadt at the Center4.  To all of you a huge THANK YOU – I value your support as well as your friendship.

Tara Costa one of the most popular contestants ever from NBC’s Biggest Loser is training for the Rev3 Triathlon Series.  After losing a staggering 155 pounds while on the show Tara is ready to take on a new challenge – Triathlon.  I am excited that she has chosen me and Rev3 Coaching to help guide her through this next chapter in her life.  She visited me in Florida this past weekend in order to get a jump start on this exciting new partnership.

Heather and Tara

The time I spent coaching Tara has been amazing.  Our first day was all about getting to know her, what she is like, what motivates her and how I can be most instrumental in her success as she takes on the challenge of finishing the Rev3 Tri Series of races in 2010.

Tara is a beginner triathlete (Triathlon/ Swim – Bike – Run) but not a beginner runner.  I though best to start with her strength so we drove to Clearwater to do the Phinley Holiday 10k Run Phor Phun (yes, its spelled that way).  I am used to going to race events and having other athletes ask, “Oh are you Heather the Pro Triathlete, or there is Heather” but Tara was noticed everywhere and it was fun to see it from the other side.  We have been getting stopped everywhere we go, lunch – dinner – photo here photo there, my husband Todd joked that now I know how he feels every time he goes with me to a race.

The 10k race itself was great and the Race Director was thrilled to have both of us compete.  I finished my race and circled back to find Tara so I could run in with her.  Tara was having a very nice run and as we were approaching the finish line I noticed the clock and the competitive side of me came out as I screamed “Come on we have to go under One Hour!!”  She did it !  Being the tough athletes we are we then decided to do the 5k Race as well !  Tara is tough !! and motivated.

Our next Triathlon activity was a Bike Fit for Tara at Village Bikes (www.villagebikes.com).  Ed Levins is the owner of Village, a Sponsor of mine for years and simply a really great guy.  Ed took time to fit Tara as we discussed biking as it relates to Triathlon.  There were some hilarious moments as we discussed things like bike pads, bike seat cutouts and why they are necessary as well as how to go potty while riding – some priceless moments.

We are fortunate that a new friend and wonderful photographer Eric Wynn (www.ericwynn.org) flew in for the weekend to capture all the action.  While here he took over 900 photos and hours of video – all the photos you are enjoying are courtesy of Eric.  Thanks Eric for your professionalism and keen eye.

After the Bike Fit Todd, Eric, Tara and I went out for a nice dinner and continued to educate Tara on her new role as a Triathlete.  Of course we couldn’t make it through a meal without several people recognizing Tara.  Our waitress was simply giddy – I can honestly say that I think that was the best service I can remember in a long while.  It was a great day overall.

Bike fit with Ed Levins

We are fortunate that a new friend and wonderful photographer Eric Wynn (www.ericwynn.org) flew in for the weekend to capture all the action.  While here he took over 900 photos and hours of video – all the photos you are enjoying are courtesy of Eric.  Thanks Eric for your professionalism and keen eye.

After the Bike Fit Todd, Eric, Tara and I went out for a nice dinner and continued to educate Tara on her new role as a Triathlete.  Of course we couldn’t make it through a meal without several people recognizing Tara.  Our waitress was simply giddy – I can honestly say that I think that was the best service I can remember in a long while.  It was a great day overall.

Day two started with the fun of fitting Tara in a bike helmet before proceeding out on a foggy but warm bike ride.  It was a quality learning experience for Tara as we went over pedal efficiency, one leg drills, pacing and cornering.  She did a fantastic job and is a natural on the bike.

Great day for a ride !!

Weight Session at Fitness Together

Now Tara is a newbie when it comes to this sport and makes no bones about it so I don’t take anything for granted.  When we got to the pool she went in to the locker room to change while I waited for her on the deck.  She walked out in an old school swimming suit with skirt attached.  It’s something your Grandma would wear to the pool – she walked right up to me however with a straight face.  Eric was filming the entire event and said when she came out my face was expressionless.  I tried as hard as I could to be nice but in the back of my mind thought this girl is crazy if she plans on working out in that.  I tried to explain how the drag of the skirt would be a detriment – she was very polite and looked me right in the eye as I tried hard to not hurt her feelings and explain why this wasn’t going to work.  Eventually she couldn’t hold it back any longer and burst out laughing – she got me – nice practical joke.

She changed and put on her Rev3 swimsuit, her Rev3 swim cap and goggles and was off.  We spent some quality time doing some underwater videotaping and analyzing her swim stroke – not a great swimmer, YET !  But most importantly is very coachable, listens well and makes changes right away.  After a bit she even started to look like a swimmer – without the skirt of course…

Off to a great Start - Go Tara !!

Tara and I are working on putting together a very special Team – so check back soon for all the details !!

“Biggest Loser” Star Joining REV3 in 2010!

Here at REVOLUTION3 Triathlon, we’re always thrilled when high-profile athletes register for our events, as this motivates others to get involved and make a difference. Next year, Tara Costa will join the ranks of celebrities to take part in our three annual races. A featured contestant on the previous season of the hit reality show “The Biggest Loser”, Tara has lost a whopping 155 pounds since first joining the show in September 2008.

Tara will compete in all three of our 2010 events: the Olympic event at Knoxville, the half-Rev at Quassy in Middlebury, CT., and the full-Rev triathlon at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH.. To prepare, Tara will train with Heather Gollnick, a Pro Triathlete, five-time Ironman Champion and CEO of REV3 Coaching.

“I am thrilled to be working with Tara – I have a tremendous amount of respect for what she has accomplished. I look very forward to guiding her training as she begins the journey of accomplishing her next goal, completing the REV3 Triathlon Series” states REV3 Coaching CEO Heather Gollnick

About Tara
Well before “The Biggest Loser”, Tara Costa grew up in a small town, raised by a single mother who taught her the merits of working ethically and honestly to achieve a sense of fulfillment and independence. After years of grappling with her weight, Tara landed a job as a plus-sized model for one of the top New York modeling agencies. With a degree from New York University, she wound up snaring a finance position at one of the nation’s most prominent beauty supply companies.

In September of 2008, Tara made the life-changing decision to leave her job and home in New York to join “The Biggest Loser” cast. Starting out at a weight of 294 pounds, she worked tenaciously to shed 155 pounds in just 18 weeks. Along the way, Tara inspired millions with her spirit of determination and unwavering optimism.

Since earning her reality show fame, Tara has been featured on the covers of Good Housekeeping and OK magazines. What’s next on the horizon for this newly svelte athlete and role model? “I just want to keep pushing myself,” she says. “I’m excited about getting out there and trying things I never would have been capable of before.”

Why REV3?
We asked Tara to share her motivation for participating in the REV3 trio of events. “I want to encourage people to do things they never thought possible, and motivate them to lead a healthy lifestyle,” she says. “Participating in these triathlons is a great way to lead by example.”

The REV3 events are appropriate for athletes of all ages and skill sets. You don’t have to be a celebrity, a professional athlete, or even an amateur triathlete to be inspired by these fun, challenging races. That said, they’re challenging enough to push you to achieve your personal best.

You can keep up with Tara’s progress by reading her training blogs and viewing her videos at http://www.taracosta.com/, or by visiting the REV3 blog. In addition to updates provided by Tara, her coach Heather (www.heathergollnick.com) will also be blogging about the experience!

We welcome Tara to the REV3 training team, and we look forward to helping her continue to exceed her goals! Visit us at www.REV3tri.com to learn more about our events and triathlon coaching programs and our other celebrity participants.