THE GREAT WHITE NORTH MARATHON ?

North Pole Marathon Sets Extreme Challenge
(From the MetroSports NY Newsletter)

Are you extreme enough to travel to the North Pole, live in a primitive base camp and run on crack-ridden, 14-foot ice flows, braving bitter cold? Do you have the guts to sign a non-litigation covenant and cut a check for nearly nine grand? If so, you may have what it takes to run the North Pole Marathon.

Air fare to the staging area in Svalbard, Norway is comparatively cheap, somewhere around $1,700. From there, a variety of Russian-built aircraft will ferry intrepid polar marathoners to the base camp and the North Pole itself, site of the race.

So far, 10 athletes have signed up to face the elements on April 17.

You have to admit, we've had the perfect winter to train for this one here in the NorthEast...

IT'S "T R I A T H L O N", DAMMIT!
New Jersey Ironman Doug Clark, who seems to occasionally have waaaay too much time on his hands, reports the following:

Ever wondered why your sport doesn't get the recognition it deserves? It's probably because no-one can spell its name. Google.com finds just over a million pages containing the correct spelling, but here's the numbers of the incorrect ones:
triathalon 142,000
tryathlon 821
tri-athlon 648
tri-athalon 155
tryathalon 84
tri-ath-lon 80
triathilon 61
tri-ath-alon 4
tri-atha-lon 2
And even the folks who don't like getting their hair wet are not immune:
biathalon 1870
duathalon 896

GOTTLEIB'S GOT IT BACKWARDS

Check out Monday's Newsday for John Hanc's article on Backwards Mile runner Robert Gottlieb, who will attempt to regain his crown tomorrow at the New York Health & Racquet Club Backwards Mile, held at Hudson River Park, on Manhattan's West Side.

2003 MARCH MADNESS BIATHLON RESULTS

NYC's 2003 multisport season opened with the March Madness Biathlon, which had both Fat Tire and Narrow Tire divisions

Here's the top finishers:

FAT TIRE
1 JOHN TOLBERT BRANFORD CT 1:04:51 42 W I N N E R 1/84 M
2 JUNE-SEEK CHOI NEW YORK NY 1:07:26 36 2ND MALE 2/84 M
3 LEANDRO GERMOSEN NEW YORK NY 1:08:48 35 3RD MALE 3/84 M

17 IRENE PERMUT NEW YORK NY 1:19:49 25 W I N N E R 1/45 F
31 SARAH REEL NEW YORK NY 1:24:43 24 2ND FEMALE 2/45 F
37 SHANA LEWISKIN NEW YORK NY 1:27:54 26 3RD FEMALE 3/45 F


NARROW TIRE
1 CHRIS SCHULTEN GLASTONBURY CT 59:15 30 W I N N E R 1/245 M
2 TERRY KERRIGAN NEW YORK NY 59:31 35 2ND MALE 2/245 M
3 LEE SOSSEN NEW YORK NY 59:55 29 3RD MALE 3/245 M

40 GALINA VLASOVA REGO PARK NY 1:06:21 35 W I N N E R 1/85 F
61 DONNA HOLMES-LIPTON NEW YORK NY 1:08:52 42 2ND FEMALE 2/85 F
67 CAROLE GOODMAN NEW YORK NY 1:09:59 33 3RD FEMALE 3/85 F

Full Results and info on future events can be found on the NY Tri Club's new and improved website.

AND THE AUCTION IS ON !

The World Triathlon Corp's Ironman Championship slot auction on eBay began on Friday , offering 20 financially abled-athletes The “Ultimate Ironman Experience", with at least two slots available in each of the six age group categories.
The auction runs through April 6. The minimum bid for each of the slots is $10,000

Here's the standings as of Sunday Nite:
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 50 - 59 $15,000.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 40 - 49 $12,600.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 30 - 39 $12,100.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 50 - 59 $12,100.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 30 - 39 $11,600.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 40 - 49 $11,600.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 40 - 49 $11,100.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 30 - 39 $10,601.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 60 - 69 $10,000.00
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 50 - 59 $10,000.00

NO BIDS YET:
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 18 - 29
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 18 - 29
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 70+
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 70+
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 60 - 69
2003 Ironman Triathlon Slot - Hawaii 60 - 69
2003 Ironman Triathlon PAIRS SLOTS ($20,000.00 minimum)
2003 Ironman Triathlon PAIRS SLOTS ($20,000.00 minimum)

METROTRI NEWSLETTER: March 21st, 2003

This Week's edition of the MetroTri Newsletter is now available.

Highlights include:
- ATTENTION NON-SWIMMERS! June 7th and 8th Total Immersion workshop for beginners and non-swimmers.
- New TOTAL SWIM Article - One Cent, TI Mile Champion
- CYCLING: Yeah, but is it art?
- JFK Rotary Runway Run

Also - Last Week's Newsletter is also now available-
- Mark Allen: The Basics May Not Be Exotic
- Performance Conditioning Cycling
- Paul Levine - Anatomy of the Bike Fit
- Chelsea Piers Workshop / Open Masters Workout
- Grant's Tomb Criterium

LIFE OF REILLY: POOL SHARK

We all know how great swimming is for your health and state of mind, and now, finally, a mainstream publication has drawn the public's attention to a real-life role model: 85-year-old Jim Eubank of Oceanside, CA, who has been setting world records in his age group for just about every distance in the books.

David Arluck brought to our attention the latest offering from Sport's Illustrated's Rick Reilly in his 'Life of Reilly' column.

Who can read this one and not be inspired to head for the pool to get in a good workout ?

RALPH'S HALF AQUA-THON ?

Roch Frey and Paul Huddle, Race Directors for the April 5th Ralphs California Half Ironman report that the race has, so far, not been changed due to the current world situation.

The concerns come from the fact that the bike course is almost entirely within Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

The back-up plan? If the race is for any reason denied the use of Camp Pendleton for the bike course, there will be no bike ride. The race will become a swim/run duathlon and all prize money, awards and Ironman qualifying slots will be given accordingly.

The base has been shut down only once in the past 30 or so years, and remained open during the Gulf War.

WAR 1, MARATHON 0

War fears force cancellation of D.C. Marathon

This Sunday's Washington, D.C. Marathon has been canceled because of security concerns stemming from the war in Iraq.

All participants will be automatically deferred to the March 21, 2004 race. More than 6800 runners from 50 states and 14 countries had registered for the 26.2-mile race, which was revived in 2002 after a 19-year absence. Unlike the fall Marine Corps Marathon, the D.C. Marathon is run entirely within the city limits of the District of Columbia.

CARPE VIA: Seize the Road
From USA Today comes a guide to running when you travel, including some sensible safety tips and lots of links.

"See the world at street level" as you lace up your running shoes and seize the road...

POWERSPIN SESSIONS EXTENDED !
LI Tri Coach's popular PowerSpin has been extended into April as follows:

Thursday, March 27: 7:00-8:00pm at Runners Edge in Farmingdale
Monday, March 31: 6:45-7:45pm at Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park
Wednesday, April 2: 6:45-7:45pm at Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park
Monday, April 7: 6:45-7:45pm at Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park
Wednesday, April 9: 6:45-7:45pm at Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park
Monday, April 14: LAST CLASS 6:45-7:45pm at Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park

DANSKIN: NO MEN ALLOWED
HERE'S THE DATES FOR THE 2003 DANSKIN WOMEN'S TRI SERIES

- May 18: Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. .
- June 8: Austin, Texas.
- June 22: Sacramento, California.
- July 13: Chicago-area.
- July 27: Near Boston, Massachusetts.
- August 3: Denver, Colorado.
- August 17: Seattle, Washington.

LADIES TAKE NOTE: MOVE OVER DANSKIN, HERE COMES REEBOK
Reebok has announced a Womens Triathlon Series; with four Sprint and "SuperSprint" Distance events:
- Chicago (Naperville) – June 22, 2003 (only Sprint – 2000 entrants last year)
- Boston – July 13, 2003
- St. Petersburg, FL – September 7, 2003
- San Diego – October 19, 2003

Info on the Boston event should be available in two weeks.

TO DUEL OR NOT TO DUEL ?

The near-certainty of a war with Iraq in the coming days may have put into doubt whether the "Duel in the Pool" will happen. The event is a a head-to-head meet pitting the USA's finest swimmers against the team from down under, a match-up not normally seen at this level until the Olympics. The event is scheduled for Sunday, April 6th at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis and to be followed a week later with THREE HOURS of coverage on NBC (April 12, 3-4:30 and April 13 1:30-3:00).

USA Swimming has a website devoted to the event.

BIKE TRAGEDY CLOSER TO HOME

Rider dead in stage 2 of Tucson Bicycle Classic

Stage two of the Tucson Bicycle Classic was affected by tragedy yesterday when Garret Lemire, a 22-year old rider with the Los Angeles-based KB Home team was killed in a head-on collision with a motor vehicle.

Garret had swerved to avoid a crash - reportedly caused by a flat tyre - involving five other riders on a descent in the 105 mile Gates Pass Road Race stage of the three-day event. According to Cyclingnews' contacts at the race, the Tucson Bicycle Classic was operating under rules intended to keep competitors in their lane, but Garret had no choice but to swerve to avoid the previous crash.

Read the rest of the article at The Cycling News

WEAR YOUR HELMET

The cycling world is mourning the death of 29 year-old Andrei Kivilev, a promising talent on the French Cofidis cycling team. Kivilev, who leaves behind a young wife and son, was not wearing a helmet when he fell around 40 kilometers from the finish line in the second stage of Paris-Nice bike race on Tuesday.

Ironically, the riders themselves rallied against making helmets mandatory at this very event a decade ago.

An editorial in Velonews brings the story a little closer to home, and the helmet debate on the pro level still goes on.

PUSH HARD, TRAIN SMART IN BRIARCLIFF

Push Hard Multisport's Joshua Gold is presenting a 12 week triathlon training course at Club Fit in Briarcliff, NY from March 18 through June 3rd, culminating at either the Harriman or Montauk triathlons.

Featuring:
- Interval work outs in all 3 disciplines, combination workouts & transition skills.
- Discussions on resistance training, nutrition, HR training, weight training, etc.
- Exclusive 12 week training program for a sprint & olympic distance races.
- Weekend rides and more!

Joshua Gold is a veteran of Ironmans Florida 1999, 2000, Brazil 2000, USA 2000, Hawaii 2001, Xterra World Championships 2001 and over 40 major events over the past 4 years. He is a certified coach with USA Triathlon and Cycling and is a Total Immersion coach. "Coaching is just as much an art as a science." 914-941-5372 for more info and to sign up.

SWIM SLOWER TO SWIM FASTER ?

In the newest issue of Total Swim, Total Immersion Coach Jud Aungst describes how a focus on kinesthetic awareness, rather than time or intensity (in both training and in meet warmups) helped his college swimmers have the meet of their lives.

"How do I convince a group of fit, young college athletes, seething with hormones, that they will swim their fastest in meets, if they swim slowly and thoughtfully in practice?"

Find out how he did it and what the results were over at Total Swim

FLAT AS A PANCAKE ON STATEN ISLAND

The folks at Greenbrook Racing are bringing a new event to Richmond County: the Staten Island Flat as a PANCAKE Tri/Bi will be held on July 20th 2003, beginning at 8:00 am as follows:
Triathlon - 1/4 mi Swim, 12 mi Bike, 3.1 mi Run
Biathlon - 2 mi Run, 12 mi Bike, 3.1 mi Run

Info is at the Greenbrook Racing website

Also check out their New Jersey off road Biathlon series

SPEW @ CHELSEA PIERS

Chelsea Piers Presents a Swim Performance Enhancement Workshop on March 24- 27, 2003. USMS members are invited to attend one free seminar and masters swim practice. All seminar participants are invited to swim with the masters swimming team immediately following the seminar.

Can't make it in time for the seminar? Come down for a free swim practice! Reservations are required. Call Robert Watson, Sports Center Aquatics Director at 212-336-6051.

NEW TOTAL IMMERSION WORKSHOP ON LONG ISLAND

To meet the ever-growing demand for Total Immersion swim training ("Where humans learn to swim like fish...") in the New York region, TI has added a workshop on May 17-18 at the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, on Long Island's North shore.

Visit the Total Immersion website for details or call them up at 1-800-609-SWIM.

Don't forget that the TI website is the ONLY place to get the Fistglove ® Stroke Trainer!

Tell them you saw it on MetroTri!

THE ICEMAN SWIMMETH

Some folks don't mind an early season swim when the water is still a little cold. There's even a few folks who have done Polar Bear "swims", which are really just a run out into the ocean and a hasty retreat to warm clothes and hot beverages during the winter months.

OceanSwims.com has, in the past, shown us the Harbin International Ice Festival in Manchuria and an ice-swimming competition in Russia that would put most Polar Bears to shame .

San Francisco Sunriser Viktor S. Bikineev recently swam in the coldest of the coldest waters of the world, swimming for more than two hours in water measured at 8 degree Celcius and going 20 minutes in one degree Celcius.

Is it any surprise that he is a teammate of Lyn Cox?

I WAS IN THE POOL! I WAS IN THE POOL!

METROTRI NEWSLETTER: March 7th, 2003

This Week's edition of the MetroTri Newsletter is now available.

Highlights include:
FEATURED ARTICLE: Lessons Learned from Popov
- The View From Down Under
- March Madness Full; Central Park on the way!
- NYARA 2003 Schedule
- Fishlike Freestyle Viewing Guide
- New TOTAL SWIM Article: Breathe Easy
- Cowtown Marathon has a winner, or does it?

THE BARE NECESSITIES OF RUNNING ?

Naked Jogger Continues His Streak

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- The naked jogger of Binghamton, N.Y., has struck again.

He made his latest appearance in a downtown parking garage around lunch time Tuesday, as temperatures in Binghamton rose to nearly freezing. And, as in each of his previous runs, he eluded police who rushed to the scene.

An employee says the streaker has been seen running around the six-level parking garage at least 20 times since last August. The last time was in late November.

Police say they can't figure out how he's able to get dressed and emerge from the garage undetected.

Maybe, just maybe, he go dressed in his car?

NEW IN TOTAL SWIM: BREATHE EASY

Breathing: From Basics to Breathplay
By Terry Laughlin

Breathing is a huge issue for non-swimmers and developing swimmers. For virtually all inexperienced swimmers, breathing skills will make all the difference in how comfortable they are while practicing drills or swimming. This article, written in response to questions posed to me in emails, describes several aspects of breathing you may never have thought of… and some interesting ways to focus on your breathing in practice...

Check it out now in the latest issue of Total Swim at the Total Immersion Website

COAST TO COAST: THE GREAT MOOCH RUN
...this week's MetroTri "Link of the Week"

"We're Going for a Run...Can We Crash at YOUR PLACE?"

Ever head out for a run and wonder what would happen if you just kept on going? Seem like Forrest Gump? Check out www.Run the USA.com

The Plan: No support vehicle, refuse to pay money for lodging and carry most necessities of survival on your back for 3,200 miles.

"The record for such a run is an unimaginable 46 days. That's an insane 70 miles per day" (and that's with a support vehicle). Why would anyone do this?

"At 25-years old, no strings attached, and in a world where tomorrow is not a guarantee........this is our chance."

Run the USA

THIS IS NO MICKEY MOUSE RACE...OR IS IT ?

Heading into it's eleventh year, the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Weekend continues to reach capacity in record-breaking time. The 2003 weekend was sold out months in advance with 16,000 for the Marathon , an additional 6,000 in the Half Marathon , and 3,000 for the 5K and Kids Races on Saturday. The 2004 race will be no exception as registration begins March 1, 2003.

Run through Epcot, the Magic Kingdom (this year a couple from Illinois paused outside Cinderella Castle around the 10-mile mark to exchange wedding vows), Animal Kingdom and back to Epcot for the finish.

Bring the kids!