Bike Diva

Chrissie Wellington to Take Break From Triathlons

2012-01-17T13:18:36-05:00

FOUR TIME WORLD CHAMPION TO PURSUE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN 2012

16^th January 2012 – London, UK: Four time World Champion and World Ironman Distance Record Holder, Chrissie Wellington has announced that she’ll be taking a break from competing in Ironman during 2012 to explore other opportunities, including the forthcoming publication of her autobiography, A Life Without Limits.

Chrissie, who won her fourth World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, last October and maintained her unbeaten record at Ironman distance – making it 13 victories from 13 races – said of her decision, “I’ve given absolutely everything to Ironman over the past five years. However, this year I’ve decided to take a break as I would like to spend more time focusing on other pursuits including dedicating more time to my chosen charities, the publication of my book and more active promotion of the sport in the UK, as well as giving myself the chance to explore and seize new opportunities within triathlon and outside. I feel that I wouldn’t be able to pursue all of these different goals whilst simultaneously dedicating the energy and time needed to compete in Ironman events and treat them with the respect and complete dedication they deserve.

The past five years have been absolutely incredible and I am extremely happy, proud and content with everything that I have achieved in the sport – topping it all off with the race of my life in Kona last year. I have always seen triathlon as a part of my life, rather than the be all and end all, and am looking forward to a little more variety and balance by pursuing other interests, as well as spending more time with my family and friends.

I am really excited about what the future holds and being able to spend more time around the sport without the commitment of full time ironman training and racing”.

http://www.chrissiewellington.org/latest-news/chrissie-wellington-to-take-break-from-ironman/

2012 West Palm Beach Race Series

2012-01-17T10:11:10-05:00

I've been waiting for the official schedule to come out for the West Palm Beach Race Series. WPBRS is a series of 15k time trial bike races which take place near 20 Mile Bend in West Palm Beach. I have been doing a few of the races every year since 2008.

There is a lot going on in my personal life right now, so I am looking for some local, inexpensive races to participate in for 2012. Each race costs $15, which is pretty cheap as far as races are concerned. Awards are given out 5 deep in 10 year age groups, along with awards for the days fastest male and female cyclist.

Race Schedule

Mike and Joan Purdy of the West Palm Beach Race Series is excited to announce the 2012 Time Trial Race Series. Each race promises to be a lot of fun and packed with excitement. Weather you are a beginner or a seasoned veteran, you’re welcome to race against the clock at our sponsored events.

Click here to download the complete USA Cycling Rule Book.

The official 10 race series will start February 12, 2012.

- The January 29, 2012 race is NOT permitted with USA Cycling and the results will NOT be submitted.
- The series will be permitted with USA Cycling and the results submitted.
- We will be having drawings for raffle prizes for all participants during the awards at each race.

2012 WPB Race Series Time Trial Schedule


Pre-Race	January 29	Not permitted with USA Cycling and the result not will not be submitted.

Race 1	February 12

Race 2	February 26 or March 4

Race 3	March 25

Race 4	April 22

Race 5	May 13

Race 6	June 10

Race 7	July 8

Race 8	August 5

Race 9	September 9

Race 10	October 7

Website: http://wpbraceseries.com/

Bike Diva's Going Back to Duathlons

2011-12-23T15:27:46-05:00

Above: my favorite part of triathlons and duathlons, the bike leg.

Triathlete Back to Duathlete

After much soul searching and deliberation, I have decided I really don't like swimming. So although I made 2011 the year of the triathlon, I have decided to switch back to racing duathlons and participating in some cycling only events. I wouldn't call the great triathlon experiment a failure, I did manage to complete 9 sprint triathlons and 1 Olympic distance triathlon in 2011. Not too bad for someone that didn't start swim training until January 3, 2011.

Above: although I survived the swim portion of this triathlon, I really don't look like I'm having very much fun.

No Stress Racing

I still have way too much anxiety during the swim leg of triathlons which is taking all the joy out of racing. When I made the decision to stop training for triathlons, about a week ago, it was like a HUGE weight was suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I didn't realize I also really hate swim training, as trying to fit in 3 types of workouts every week was just stressing me out. I still plan on using my triathlon bike for all the duathlons I will be racing, so I need to do at least 2 tri bike or tri-bike-to-run brick workouts per week, in addition to group rides on the road bike.

Trying to fit in all my swim workouts during 2011 had me scaling way back on my bike mileage. I hardly rode my road bike at all this year and didn't do ANY cycling only events in 2011. So my bike endurance and confidence has plummeted due to lack of time on the bike. But now I will be getting back to some group rides on my road bike while training for my cycling events.

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

If you look at my schedule for 2012, you will see I have a few run only events planned, lots of duathlons and will now add a few cycling events back to the mix. I'll be doing America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride (AMBBR) on June 3rd with the Palm Beach Florida chapter of Team in Training. AMBBR is a 100 mile century bike ride which circumnavigates Lake Tahoe while cycling through the mountains in Nevada and California.

My husband and I did AMBBR back in 2009 with Team in Training to help raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here are links to two race reports I wrote for the 2009 AMBBR.

Above: my husband and I getting ready to participate in the 2009 America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride.

Bike Diva's Tentative 2012 Race Schedule

I don't have all the dates for the races I'm thinking of doing 2012, but here are the events on my schedule so far. This schedule will change a bit once I get the exact race dates for the Publix Family Fitness Weekend series of duathlons and the West Palm Beach Race Series 15k time trials.

@1/07/12 – Disney half Marathon – Walt Disney World – Orlando
@2/05/12 - 10th Annual Butterfly Run - 5k - Sabal Pines Park - Coconut Creek
@2/19/12 - A1A Marathon – marathon – Beach Front Ave. - Ft. Lauderdale
3/17/12 – 36^th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k or 10 miler – John Prince Park – Lake Worth
4/07/12 - 3rd Annual Egg Hunt - sprint duathlon - CB Smith Park - Pembroke Pines
5/20/12 - Tri Miami - Olympic duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
@6/03/12 - America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride - Century Ride - LakeTahoe, CA & Nevada
6/17/12 - Mack Cycle #1 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
7/04/12 - 22nd Annual Independence Day - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
7/15/12 - 23rd Annual Frank Stark Celebration Ride - metric century ride - City Hall - Boca Raton
7/22/12 - Mack Cycle #2 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
8/19/12 - Mack Cycle #3 - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
9/09/12 - Mack Cycle Bonus Round - sprint duathlon - Marine Stadium - Key Biscayne
10/14/12 - Multirace Series Championship - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
11/11/12 – Miami Man – Half Ironman duathlon – Larry & Penny Thompson Park - Miami
11/17/12 – 26^th Annual Turkey Trot – 5k – Anchor Park - Delray Beach

@ = Pre-registered for these events

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Athletic Sponsorship Articles

2011-12-20T12:44:55-05:00

Above: logo for the Brooks ID program. Brooks has been my running shoe sponsor since 2009.

Finding Sponsorship Opportunities

Here are links to the articles I've written on the topic of athletic sponsorship for both my Bike Diva and Run Diva blogs. I will keep this page updated as I write future articles on the topic of athletic sponsorship.

Above: example of a photo that would be appropriate to include with your sponsorship application. Potential sponsors usually want to know your past racing history going back 2-3 years. My triathlon suit and run hat are from my sponsor Profile Design. The shoes I'm racing in are by Brooks, my running shoe sponsor.

Do Your Homework

Please note, the exact details of individual sponsorship opportunities changes from year-to-year. Do your homework and make sure to thoroughly research the companies you are interested in applying to before sending in your sponsorship application.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Bike Diva's 2011 Race Results

2011-12-19T10:45:33-05:00

Above: Lynn Smythe at the 2011 Club Med triathlon #1

Bike Diva's 2011 Race Summary

2011 was an epic year for me. Despite an extreme water phobia, I started swimming in January so I could begin competing in triathlons. I did my first swim at our local YMCA on January 3, then raced my very first triathlon on February 6. I participated in a total of 19 races in 2011, including 9 sprint and one Olympic distance triathlon.

I am sponsored by a few companies that help me out with either free or deeply discounted clothing and equipment. At the end of every year I send out a sponsored athlete race recap, to let each sponsor know the details of all the races I competed in, my race results and tentative race schedule for the upcoming year.

I personalize the beginning paragraph of the race recap according to which company I am sending the report to.

Above: I survived my first open water swim at my very first triathlon

Sponsored Athlete - Lynn Smythe
2011 Race Recap
lynn@bikediva.net
www.bikediva.net
www.facebook.com/bikediva
www.twitter.com/thebikediva

Hello Mr. Jones,

I just wanted to thank XXX for sponsoring me during the 2011 race season and I am looking forward to continuing to work with XXX for the 2012 race season. I will be placing an order after the first of the year for some additional XXX product to be used throughout the 2012 training and racing season.

I am including a summary of the races I participated in during the year, a copy of my tentative schedule for the 2012 race season, along with a couple of recent racing photos to this email.

Exciting news; I have just agreed to head the volunteer committee for the 2012 Palm Beach Marathon Bike Patrol. The Bike Patrol is comprised of volunteer cyclists that ride the course during the race and help out runners as needed. I will be working with the event organizers to improve the race for 2012, while finding cyclists to volunteer to be members of the Bike Patrol.

Sponsors Confirmed for the 2012 Race Season

Brooks Running – I will be a member of the Brooks ID program
Profile Design
Rudy Project
Fluid

Above: my favorite portion of triathlons, the bike leg

Lynn Smythe’s 2011 Race Recap

2/06 - Club Med Race Series #1 – sprint triathlon –Club Med Sandpiper Bay - Port St. Lucie - USAT 4^th place women 45-49
2/26 – 8^th Annual Race for Faith – 5k – John Prince Park - Lake Worth – USATF 4^th place women 45-49
3/13 - 35^th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k – John Prince Park - Lake Worth – USATF 4^th place women 45-49
3/27 – Club Med Race Series #2 – sprint triathlon – Club Med Sandpiper Bay - Port St. Lucie – USAT 5^th place women 45-49
**4/03 - Spring Training Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek – USAT 10^th place women 45-49
4/17 - FAU Wellness Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Spanish River Park - Boca Raton – USAT 21^st place women 45-49
**4/23 - Egg Hunt Triathlon - sprint triathlon - CB Smith Park - Pembroke Pines – USAT 6^th place women 45-49
5/01 - St. Anthony's Triathlon - Olympic triathlon - Vinoy Park - St. Petersburg – USAT 87^th place women 45-49
5/07 – 10th Annual Race for the Arts – 5k – John Prince Park - Lake Worth – USATF 8^th place women 45-49
**7/04 - Independence Day - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek – USAT 11^th place women 45-49
7/24 – Club Med Race Series #4 – sprint triathlon – Club Med Sandpiper Bay - Port St. Lucie – USAT 3^rd place women 45-49
8/06 - Loggerhead Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Carlin Park – Jupiter – USAT 25^th place women 45-49
8/21 - WPB Race Series - 15k bike time trial – 20 Mile Bend - West Palm Beach – USAC 5^th place women 45-54
**10/02 - Race the Troops - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek – USAT 6^th place women 45-49
11/19 25th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k run - Anchor Park - Delray Beach – USATF 7^th place women 45-49
11/24 - 3rd Annual Turkey Trot - 5k run - Adolph & Rose Levis JCC - Boca Raton – USATF 21^st place women 40-49
12/03 - Warrior Dash - 5k adventure run - Quiet Waters Park - Deerfield Beach
12/04 - Palm Beach Marathon - 10k run - Myers Amphitheater - West Palm Beach – USATF 5^th place women 45-49
12/07 - PAL Holiday Mile - 1 mile run - Mizner Park - Boca Raton – USATF 13^th place women 40-49
Broward Championship Race Series – 4^th place women 45-49 in the points series. ** designates races that were part of the points series.

Key code:

USAT - USA Triathlon - http://www.usat.com/
USAC - USA Cycling - http://www.usacycling.org/
USATF - USA Track & Field - http://www.usatf.org/

Lynn Smythe’s Tentative 2012 Race Schedule

1/07/12 – Disney half Marathon – Walt Disney World – Orlando
2/05/12 - 10th Annual Butterfly Run - 5k - Sabal Pines Park - Coconut Creek
2/19/12 - A1A Marathon – marathon – Beach Front Ave. - Ft. Lauderdale
2/25/12 – 9^th Annual Race for Faith – 5k – John Prince Park – Lake Worth
2/26/12 - Club Med Race Series #1 - sprint or Olympic triathlon - Club Med Sandpiper Baby - Port St. Lucie
3/10/12 – Annual John Smith Race for the Arts – 5k – Dreher Park, West Palm Beach
3/17/12 – 36^th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k or 10 miler – John Prince Park – Lake Worth
4/07/12 - 3rd Annual Egg Hunt - sprint triathlon - CB Smith Park - Pembroke Pines
4/15/12 – FAU Wellness Triathlon – sprint triathlon – Spanish River Park – Boca Raton
4/29/12 – St. Anthony’s Triathlon – Olympic triathlon – Vinoy Park – St. Petersburg
7/04/12 - 22nd Annual Independence Day - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
8/05/12 – Loggerhead Triathlon – sprint triathlon – Carlin Park – Jupiter
10/14/12 - Multirace.com Series Championship - International triathlon - Tradewinds Park - Coconut Creek
11/11/12 – Miami Man – International triathlon – Larry & Penny Thompson Park - Miami
11/17/12 – 26^th Annual Turkey Trot – 5k – Anchor Park - Delray Beach
11/22/12 - 4th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k - Adolph & Rose Levis JCC - Boca Raton

Sports Related Writing Duties

Bike Diva – www.bikediva.net - founder and editor
Run Diva – www.rundiva.net – founder and editor
Sports Nutrition Diva - www.sportsnutritiondiva.net - founder and editor

Thank you for your time,
Lynn Smythe

Stuart's Wild Ride Triathlon Shop

2011-12-09T12:05:32-05:00

Boca Raton Triathlon Shop

There is a new bike shop in town; Stuart's Wild Ride in Boca Raton. Stuart's is a bike shop specializing in Cervelo bikes and a variety of clothing, gear and accessories for both road cyclists and triathletes. I am partial to Cervelo bikes as my triathlon bike is a Cervelo P2C which I upgraded with Reynold's deep dish carbon wheels and a ISM Adamo race saddle. My husband and I recently had a chance to attend the official grand opening celebration for Stuart's Wild Ride which took place on Friday, December 2nd.

Above: Stuart's Wild Ride bike shop is located right next to Stuart's of Boca tennis shop.

From Tennis to Bikes

Stuart's Wild Ride is owned and operated by Stuart Ambramson. Stuart's Wild Ride is right next to Stuart's of Boca, which is Ambramson's tennis shop, which he opened in 1983. Stuart got the bicycle bug a few years back, and decided he wanted to open a high end bicycle shop catering to triathletes, the result is Stuart's Wild Ride. Nick Yanarella is the shop manager and chief wrench, along with being a certified Retul bike fitter.

The shop has a boutique like feel to it thanks to the innovative displays of bikes, shoes, wheels, helmets and saddles. The unique displays almost seem more like you are viewing art work than looking at merchandise which is available for sale.

Above: that's me with pro cyclist Tom Danielson.

Meet a Pro Cyclist

My husband and I attended the official grand opening of Stuart's Wild Ride after hearing pro cyclist Tom Danielson was scheduled as the guest speaker at the grand opening. Tom is a member of the Garmin-Cervelo pro cycling team and competed in his first Tour de France in 2011. Tom was the top placing American cyclist in this years tour and placed 9th overall. Not bad for his debut performance.

Above: my sweet swag from Stuart's Wild Ride grand opening celebration.

What's the Speed Limit?

It was pretty interesting listening to a pro cyclist talk about his various races. Tom is only 33 years old, and at times he seemed like a little kid as his eyes lit up as he was revealing some really interesting information from one of his favorite races. Someone in the audience asked him how fast has he ever gone while racing. He had to do a quick kilometer to mile conversion but said he got up to 80 miles per hour at one race. He was in a huge peleton, going through a tunnel. There was no air resistance to slow them down in the tunnel, and it was very dark except for a single string of lights. He said there was no thinking about breaking, you were getting swept along in a pack of 200+ riders so you just had to have no fear and go along for the ride.

He does remember freaking out a bit when they finally came out of the tunnel and back into daylight and he grabed a quick peak at his cycling computer and realized how fast he had been going. Well, I've never gotten over 40 MPH while riding because I freak out if I go too fast downhill. I know some of my more agressive cycling friends have gotten up to speeds of almost 50 MPH so I knew the pros must get up to some really crazy speeds. But 80 MPH, no thank you!

Above: I felt like I was 5 years old as I was standing in line waiting for my turn to talk to Garmin-Cervelo rider Tom Danielson.

Grab Some Swag

After the question and answer session, Tom signed autographs for anyone wanting one. I got Tom to sign both a Cervelo poster and a postcard with his photo on the front. I also got a Cervelo feed bag and a water bottle to take home with me, free swag, sweet!

Above: store owner's Cheryl and Stuart Abramson with shop manager Nick Yanarella.

High End Gear and Accessories

Stuart's Wild Ride caters to the hard core road biker and triathlete looking for the best gear available. Stuart's carries top end road and triathlon bikes, helmets, seats, wheels, bike shoes, running shoes, clothing and accessories. Brand names carried at Stuart's Wild Ride included:

Cervelo
Look
Pinarello
Scott
Zipp
Mad Fibre
Speedplay
Zoot
Fizik
Giro
Rudy Project
ISM
Castelli
Assos

Above: one wall of Stuart's is covered in bikes, which are displayed in individual lighted boxes. Between my husband and I we own 7 bikes, I wonder if I can get him to build us a wall of bikes for our house!?!

Above: got wheels? Stuart's Wild Ride wheel display looks like art on display, pretty cool.

Finding Stuart's Wild Ride

Stuart's is located just west of the Florida Turnpike, on Glades Road in Boca Raton.

West Boca Plaza
8177 West Glades Road
Suite #12
Boca Raton, FL 33432

Above: wall of seats showing the variety available at the store. Many of the seats are available to test ride.

Above: traditional road bike helmets and a few aero helmets.

Additional Information

Stuart's Wild Ride

Website: www.stuartswildride.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stuartswildride
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/StuartsWildRide

Tom Danielson

Website: wp.tomdanielson.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/danielsonracing
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/tomdanielson

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Bike Diva at 2011 Miami Man Triathlon

2011-11-14T13:57:01-05:00

I participated in the half Ironman distance duathlon at Miami Man in 2009 and 2010. This year I decided to register for the half Ironman distance triathlon, which took place on Sunday, November 13. I DNF (did not finish) a triathlon for the first time since starting to race triathlons earlier this year.

Above: Miami Man swim course at Larry & Penny Thompson park. International distance triathletes complete one swim lap, half Ironman distance triathletes complete two swim laps.

Bike Diva Learns to Swim

If you have been following along the Bike Diva blog, you will know that I only started swimming on January 3, at 47 years old. I have had a life long water phobia, but for the past few years have been thinking about starting to race triathlons. In January, my husband and I joined the local YMCA, so we could start using their lap pool. I also have pool passes to a couple of outdoor pools near me, I live in SE Florida and can train year round outdoors. I've also gotten my husband to drive up to the ocean with me on occasion, to practice some open water swims. We are lucky to live 10 minutes from the beach.

Bike Diva Swim Posts

Above: my awesome Miami Man swim cap.

To Wetsuit or Not to Wetsuit

The swim at Miami Man took place in a really nice fresh water lake at Larry & Penny Thompson Park in Miami. The water was pretty clear, and quite shallow in spots. I saw huge boulders, just a few feet below the surface, in many sections of the swim. The lake gets a bit deep in the middle, and the race officials always seem to get a cold water temperature reading making the swim wetsuit legal. I was one of the few people not wearing a wetsuit at the race.

I would guess that only about 15% of people racing yesterday did it without a wetsuit. I need to go back to doing some ocean swims wearing my wetsuit. I have a really nice Wahoo sleeveless wetsuit, made by my sponsor Profile Designs. Unfortunately, the only two races I did using the wetsuit, I totally freaked out and felt very claustrophobic with the wetsuit on. I haven't tried the wetsuit since March 27, I'm thinking my swim ability and swim confidence have improved greatly since March, so I should start doing some ocean swims using the wetsuit to get used to swimming with one.

Above: Miami Man swim exit.

Miami Man Races

There were 3 races taking place at Miami Man; half Ironman duathlon, International triathlon, half Ironman triathlon.

Half Ironman Duathlon

1 mile run
56 mile bike
13.1 mile run

International Triathlon

.6 mile swim
22 mile bike
6.2 mile run

Half Ironman Triathlon

1.2 mile swim
56 mile bike
13.1 mile run

Above: Miami Man swag; technical t-shirt, transition towel, mouse pad, run hat, tote bag, water bottle, coffee mug.

Bike Diva Gets Rescued

I knew I could do the bike and run portion of Miami Man, after competing in the duathlon for the past two years. But the swim proved more than I could handle. I was physically prepared for the swim, but my problem is swimming with all the other triathletes while racing. I am a very slow swimmer and the swim waves that start after my wave catch up to me and start swimming over/around me. I often go into full panic mode when getting bashed around by the other swimmers. It's a normal part of triathlon, they aren't trying to drown me, but I just went into full on panic attack during the swim at Miami Man.

I completed the first swim loop, in a horrible time of 38 minutes. I shouldn't have even started the second swim loop, but the spectators were cheering me on to continue. I was very dizzy/shaky getting out of the water after the first loop. I was like the drunken sailor trying to do the short walk across the timing mat and back into the water to start the second loop. I didn't feel like I was making any progress after starting the second loop. I was just coming up to the first buoy when a large group of International distance triathletes got to the buoy at the same time. Suddenly I was in the midst of a huge group of FAST, agressive swimmers. I couldn't deal with it and flagged down a kayak rescue boat to take me back to shore.

It was awful. I don't know how to train NOT to have a panic attack. I completed 8 sprint and 1 Olympic distance triathlon leading up to Miami Man. I panicked at about half the races but the other half I had no problem. When I start panicking, I basically stop swimming and just bob up and down in the water, not making a lot of forward progress. So I guess I need to do a lot more swimming to get faster, and start close to the front of my swim wave. That would give me a good start to the swim before the waves starting behind me caught up to me.

Above: this sign gets posted every year the day before Miami Man. No swimming is allowed on the day of packet pickup/bike drop. They remove the sign for the race the next day, but unfortunately you can't do a practice swim the day before the race.

Interesting Swim Rescue

Funny thing about being "rescued" at Miami Man, the kayak rescue dude got me close to shore, so I started swimming after letting go of the kayak. I was away from all the bodies in the water and no longer freaking out. But the rescue lifeguard standing on shore must have thought I was still in trouble, he flung his dang rescue buoy at me and hit me in my face. Now I have a fat lip. Thanks for the "rescue" dude, WTF!?!

Above: Bike Diva ready to race Miami Man.

Bike Diva's Final Observations

Well, despite my DNF at Miami Man yesterday, I'm not ready to give up on triathlons. I'm planning on racing in a bunch of sprint distance triathlons next year, like I did this year. Then I will sign up for the International distance triathlon at Miami Man in November, instead of the half Ironman distance. I managed to complete 1 swim lap yesterday, that's all you have to do for the International distance.

I also want to go back to St. Anthony's in April with my husband. St. Anthony's is an Olympic distance triathlon that takes place in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Olympic distance triathlon is a 1.5 kilometer swim (.9 mile) - 25 mile bike - 6.2 mile run. I raced St. Anthony's this year, although the swim was shortened from 1.5k to 1k, and didn't freak out in the water, which was an ocean swim.

Above: I had the perfect location for my bike in the transition area. My race number was 313, which put me on the end cap of the bike rack, lots of room for all my gear. Miami Man assigns you spots in transition.

Keep Challenging Yourself

I have to keep challenging myself, otherwise it's back to being a couch potato and weighing 180 pounds, that is NOT going to happen. I've worked too hard to get down to 140 pounds, and still want to drop a few more pounds. Racing makes me get off my butt to train, I probably wouldn't do half as much working out if I didn't schedule a few races every year.

If I did the duathlon again this year, like last 2 years, I would probably have gotten 1st or 2nd for my age group. But where's the challenge in that? There were only 5 girls in my AG that completed the duathlon this year. There were 42 girls signed up in my age group for the half Ironman triathlon, but only 29 actually showed up and raced. That's still a lot more competition than I ever saw while racing duathlons. I don't care if I never win another award doing triathlons, every single duathlon I competed in I won an award because not that many people do duathlons. I like the challenge of triathlons. I've got an entire case full of awards, big deal. I only compete against me, myself, and I; and dang, she can be a beyatch at times - HA!

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Swim Course Change - St. Anthony's Triathlon

2011-11-03T10:11:43-04:00

Yesterday, St. Anthony's triathlon announced that they are permanently changing the location of the swim portion of the race. I posted this to my Facebook page as soon as I heard about the change:

"St. Anthony's triathlon is changing the location of the swim start. If you did the 2011 race, you already swam part of the new official swim course. The swim start is changing permanently from St. Petersburg Pier to the area in front of North Shore pool. The swim was changed to this location for 2011 race and also shortened from 1.5k to 1k. But the swim course will normally be 1.5k. St. A's swim has had problems past 3 years trying to do start from St. Petersburg Pier. The area in front of North Shore pool was a bit shallow for this years race, and lots of sea grass, but since it was so close to shore, made it a lot safer even in choppy water conditions. I'm guessing permanent change to swim course will attract triathletes back to the race, attendance has been a bit off past couple years."

Above: old swim start location by St. Petersburg Pier.

Here is a copy of the official press release:

St. Anthony's Triathlon Announces New Swim Course Location

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2011) - Athletes will take on a fresh challenge at the 2012 St. Anthony's Triathlon as race officials have permanently moved the open water swim portion of the race to an area of Tampa Bay north of North Shore Pool in St. Petersburg.

The swim course will be 1.5K or .93 miles. The bike and run portions of the race and the transition areas will remain the same, at 40K and 10K, respectively. The St. Anthony's Triathlon, one of the best known triathlons in the United States, is part of the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) 5150 Triathlon Series.

During last year's triathlon, the swim course was relocated away from the St. Petersburg Pier and shortened to 1,000 meters due to weather conditions. "Numerous competitors told us how much they liked the swim course last year, so we decided to make the permanent move to the new location," said St. Anthony's Hospital President Bill Ulbricht. "We think the change is necessary because of potential construction at the Pier and that this new course will continue to offer athletes an excellent challenge as they build to the other two legs of the race."

Above: official course of the 2012 St. Anthony's triathlon, including new swim location.

The St. Anthony's Triathlon is sanctioned by USA Triathlon. The race, which has served as the USA Triathlon Regional Championship for many years, is a qualifier for the 5150 U.S. Championship event.

The St. Anthony's Triathlon will open registration for its 29^th annual race starting at 9 a.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011. Approximately 4,000 athletes competed in the 2011 event.

The St. Anthony's Triathlon will be held on April 29, 2012 as part of a three-day weekend event that includes a sports and fitness expo and the Meek & Mighty Triathlon on April 28, 2012. For registration information, visit SATriathlon.com or call (727) 953-9005. Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/stanthonystriathlon.

Above: my husband and I at the Team in Training tent after completing 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon.

About World Triathlon Corporation
World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Tampa-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. WTC's portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids brands, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex, Foster Grant and PowerBar, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlons since its inception in 1978.

About St. Anthony's Hospital
St. Anthony's Hospital is a 395-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and is the first and only faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. As St. Anthony's celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2011, the hospital continues its rich history dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing high-quality, innovative and compassionate care.

Above: members of the 2011 Palm Beach Chapter Team in Training triathlon team. Waiting for their swim wave to start in front of North Shore pool. St. Anthony's is permanently changing the swim start to this location starting with the 2012 race.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Composed of a network of 10 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient's lifetime. With more than 200 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services for any health care need. BayCare's family of hospitals are: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Hospital-North, St. Joseph's Women's, and South Florida Baptist. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

H2O Audio - Swim With Music

2011-10-17T11:05:23-04:00

Boring Swim Training

I am trying to do a bit more swimming as my first 70.3 triathlon takes place on November 13 at Miami Man. The swim portion of that event is 1.2 miles, that's about 84 lengths, or 42 laps in a 25 yard pool. I just started swimming in January, so the swim is the weakest part of my triathlon. I can't say I really enjoy swimming, doing laps in the pool gets a bit boring, so I started thinking about listening to music while swimming as a way to prevent total boredom. I also wanted to start listening to music while doing my longer, solo runs and was pretty sure I would be getting an iPod Shuffle. After a quick trip to Walmart I came home with a lime green iPod Shuffle then had my 16 year old daughter teach me how to use the dang thing. Playlist, what the heck is a playlist!?!

Above: 4th generation iPod Shuffle.

Above: H2O Audio Interval waterproof headphone system for the 4G iPod Shuffle.

Waterproof Your Tunes

While researching ways to listen to music under water, I came upon the H2O Audio website. H2O Audio makes a variety of waterproof headphones, cases and armbands for iPods, iPhones and MP3 players. Their latest product is the Interval case made specifically for the 4th generation iPod Shuffle. The Interval waterproof case includes integrated, waterproof Surge headphones.

Above: Place your iPod Shuffle inside the Interval case, then place the Interval on your goggles.

H2O Audio Interval Features

MSRP: $99.99
100% waterproof
submersible to 12 feet
5 pairs of earplugs, sizes XS - XL.

Bike Diva's Verdict

Listening to music while doing swim workouts seems to make the workout go by a little bit quicker. The music also helped me to relax a bit which allowed me to concentrate on learning to breath on my right side. I always seem to breath on my left side but for longer events, and triathlons with an ocean swim with a lot of waves, I really need to be able to comfortably breath on both sides. I don't bilaterally breath, due to exercise induced asthma, and end up breathing every stroke during triathlons. I'm hoping I will eventually get better at swimming, have to be patient, only started swimming on January 3 so I see lots of room for improvement!

I will have to play around with the different size earplugs. They kept coming lose in the water, even having my swim cap covering my ears. Kind of the pain in the butt to have to keep adjusting the earphones after every few laps. Also, the volume is louder when your head is out of the water but gets a bit muffled when your head is in the water. So the music kept getting louder then softer the entire workout. Especially annoying when doing breast stroke but I even noticed the volume difference when breathing during free style swimming. I tried a couple sizes of the ear plugs but keep getting the same problem. Not getting a secure seal with the ear plugs and even turning volume way up getting really muffled sound quality while underwater.

Above: H2O Audio Interval run hat.

Run With H2O Audio

H2O Audio also has a hat and visor which has been specifically designed to be used with either the 3G or 4G Interval. I purchased the hat, which is available in either white or black, so I could also use my H2O Audio while running. I am a heavy sweater and like having a totally waterproof option for using my iPod Shuffle while working out. Using the run hat with the Interval is also perfect if it starts to rain. Unlike cycling, I don't mind running in the rain, as long as there is no lightening involved.

I tried one of those waterproof armbands with the iPod Shuffle, but hated having it attached to my upper arm and always felt like the cord to the headphones got in the way of my arm swing. The entire setup is very lightweight and I barely noticed I was wearing it. The velcro straps on the hat keep the unit securely in place without any bouncing around.

Above: place your iPod Shuffle 4G inside the H2O Audio Interval waterproof case.

The hat retails for $24.99, while the visor has a suggested retail price of $23.99. The hat includes a Halo headband attached to the inside, to help prevent sweat from dripping in your eyes. The hat would also be a perfect, waterproof solution for listening to music while kayaking or paddle boarding.

I will have to play around with the different size earplugs. I went for a short run around my neighborhood using the Interval attached to the running hat and the right earplug fell out of my ear a couple of times. I am using the size medium plugs, so not sure if I should go with the small, to fit tighter, or with the large to fill up my ear better. The manufacturers instructions say going with a larger size earplug while using the Interval in the pool may help to create a better seal. I switched to a larger size earplug for my second run with the Interval and had much better luck with the headphones staying in.

Above: Swim while listening to music.

H2O Audio Sponsorship

I have a few companies that sponsor my racing endeavors each year. I did a bit of research and found that H2O Audio offers athletic sponsorship through the Hookit website. I filled out the on-line sponsorship application and received an offer a few days later. I am a member of Team H2O Audio Elite for 2011. I also found information regarding sponsorship on their website: H2O Riders.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Bike Diva Nominated Best Sports Blog

2011-10-07T10:07:06-04:00

Shape Magazines 2011 Best Blogger Awards

My Bike Diva blog has been nominated as one of the best sports blogs by Shape Magazine! Please follow this link and vote for me! http://www.shape.com/fitness/shape-best-blogger-awards-top-20-blogs-sports-nuts?page=2

Here are the details from Shape Magazines website:

Hey SHAPEers! Welcome to the first annual Blogger Awards! We're excited to share with you this new feature, which we hope will become a long-standing tradition. One of the most awesome things we love about the Internet is the vast amount of resources available at our disposal. Anything we could possibly want to know about healthy living, fitness or weight loss can all be found with just the click of a mouse. Some of our favorite resources? Blogs! Writing blogs or following our favorite blogs on the Internet has helped some of us here at SHAPE achieve our healthy living goals, whether weight-related or not. So, we thought, why not celebrate the phenomenon that is today's blogosphere? Hence, the SHAPE Best Blogger Awards!

The Details:
We searched high and low on the Internet for the best blogs in the different worlds of food, fitness, sports, weight loss, beauty and overall healthy living, and we think we found them! Although each of the blogs nominated are very different from one another, each blogger emphasizes the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle. Now, we want you to tell us who deserves the top spot in each of these six categories.

How it works: It's easy! The only thing you have to do is click below to vote for your favorite blogger in each category. Voting begins on Friday, Oct. 7th, and will go for three weeks, ending on Friday, Oct. 28th.

The Prize: One finalist in each of the six categories (beauty, healthy living, food, sports, fitness and weight loss) will receive a $100 American Express gift card. From there, we'll choose a grand prize winner, who will shoot a paid video series with SHAPE, which will be featured on SHAPE.com and possibly in an upcoming issue!

So what are you waiting for? Go vote!

Click below on each category to view each photo gallery and vote for your favorite blogs!

20 Healthy Eating Blogs That Make Us Go Mmmm...

20 Beauty Blogs for Active Chicks

20 Top Blogs for Fitness Junkies

20 Awesome Blogs for Sports Nuts

20 Inspiring Weight-Loss Blogs

20 Blogs that Keep Us Happy and Sane

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva