Allen is well on his way to become a USAT Level 1 Coach.  He completed his coursework in New Orleans this month, and will be taking the certification exam soon.  He learned some fabulous stuff at the clinic that he’ll be passing on:  nutrition, sports psychology, periodization, among other things.

Allen and I participated in the Rock of the Marne Sprint Triathlon on September 19^th.  I’ve posted my race report on my blog.

We’re looking forward to the 1^st Annual Femme Pedale Bike Fix School this Tuesday- hope to see you there!

– Janna

South Georgia Track Club at Cordele, 2006

Allen and I had the pleasure of attending the Georgia Veterans’ Triathlon in Cordele, Georgia on August 14.  The race has always been a favorite of ours:  the venue is beautiful, the campground that we stay at is spacious, the race is well-run, and the opportunity for fun and fellowship with other triathletes is great. 

The race has also served, for a number of years, as the Season Championship for the South Georgia Track Club, a group of runners and triathletes from Coffee County and surrounding areas.  Allen and I are proud members. I was admitted to their ranks a few years ago, when I paid my annual dues with a case of Shiner Bock; I was (not surprisingly) warmly welcomed into the group.   

Although our running contingent is still going strong, our triathlete contingent has thinned over the past few years—although we have 6 (if my count is correct) Ironman triathletes in our group, which is an incredible number, considering the size of our communities.

As the sole female member of the Track Club in attendance, I tied up the Championship, and am now happy to designate myself the Female South Georgia Track Club Triathlon Champion.  Hey- with my level of fitness, I’ll take the title any way that I can get it.

Allen was planning a sweep of the Male Track Club Division but, unfortunately, two of our male Track Club friends showed up and dashed Allen’s hopes.  C’est la vie; C’est la guerre.

You can read my race report on my blog;  I will let Allen relay his own report, but I’ll let you know what it’s gonna say in advance:  good, but not fast enough for his standards—which, despite 6 Ironman finishes, innumerable other race finishes (around 60 career now) and age-group placings, is what I hear after every single race.

I think that we triathletes have a real big problem with “the unknown.”

Triathlon is populated entirely by classic, “Type A” overachievers- it’s just the nature of the sport.  And, of course, as such, we must always be in control a situation:  we must know what to expect, so that we can prepare for any eventuality- because we won’t fail if we can manage every problem that comes up- right?

Long course triathlon is a particular problem for many triathletes:  there are so many unknown variables. Weather; nutrition; injuries; mechanical problems; water conditions. All can play a huge part of the success or failure of the race. It seems mind-boggling, the amount of stuff that you have to take into account.

For those in larger metropolitan areas, with great big triathlon clubs, the answers may be readily available, as there will undoubtedly be a few people in the group who have raced long course, and can tell the tales. But, in smaller communities, the number of Ironman triathletes may be few- or none (with the exception of Lumber City, GA, where there are two Ironman triathletes- representing approximately on half of the population (just joking, Mike and Bruce)).  Trying to train in these smaller communities is truly a journey into the unknown.

I can’t tell what the terrain is like in the uncharted territory of our own new multisport venture. However, we do know Ironman terrain intimately-we know what’s going to hurt on mile 16 of the run (your knees and quads, trust me- as well as your neck, because you’re gonna have an abrasion there where your wetsuit will undoubtedly chafe you, even though you are coated in Body Glide); we know how deep the water is at the turnaround at the Ironman Florida swim (it drops precipitously to 40 feet- and, by the way, sharks love to hang out at drop offs).

There’s always gonna be some element of the unknown in long course and in Ironman, but our wish is to help make the journey a little less scary. We would like to help fulfill a need for information and assistance in our communities and others, which may lack a large support group of long-course athletes:  through the information on this website, through camps and clinics, and through mentoring.

Your long course journey and our new business:  what adventures they’re going to be!