Go to 2003 Daily Update Archive

Dec 23-31 Spirit of St Louis Marathon entry forms have begun appearing in various strategic locations. Most races put together purposefully plain registration forms that are designed simply to be serviceable. This particular printout, however, is a work of art and works nicely with the 2005 event theme, Art and Sole. For those unaware of the thematic touch added to this year's marathon, each mile mark of the marathon will display the work of local artists. While it's not likely many competitors will stop and stroll each mini gallery, it's still a nice touch for the spectators. Click on image for link... The winter is typically a time of building aerobic base for the upcoming season and thus laying a foundation for the strength and speed work that coincides with the arrival of spring. As we gradually increase our weekly volume and our bodies adapt to the greater and greater workloads, the temptation is to ratchet up the intensity level. For many triathletes, It becomes an exercise in self control to resist pushing the throttle. However, is winter speed work something to be completely avoided? There are some who retain intervals in their program year round, but these winter speed sessions take on a much different look than their summer counterparts. The difference is that they are performed at only slightly higher than aerobic heart rate levels and well below anaerobic threshold. Their purpose is solely to prevent the body from falling into a long slow distance rut. The concept is to ever so subtly increase the interval intensity level week by week for the entire base-build period. Again, extreme patience is a requisite. The idea is not to be hammering all-out in the third or fourth week of a three month aerobic buildup plan, but rather to very delicately build the exertion level. Whether performed indoors or out, when supplementing a well-executed base-build program, winterals can play an integral role in a successful transition to spring trainin.... The practice of making New Years resolutions is a long-standing one that dates back some 4000 years. While the specifics have obviously changed drastically over four millennia, a general trend has remained remarkably intact. That original New Year's vow "to return my fellow Babylonian's farming tools" has evolved to include such contemporary action plans like resolving "to reduce my body fat by seven per cent" or "to incorporate weekly track sessions into my training." The thing that hasn't changed much through the ages is ironically man's resistance to change. That grand play on words speaks volumes about human nature. It has been succinctly said that we are creatures of habit. Examining one's training log over the past decade may offer at least partial confirmation of that theory. The evidence staring back from those pages is almost like some sort of handwritten DNA fingerprint taking the shape of various personal resolves to change. These may include modern classics like aborted weight loss plans or the inevitable tapering off of a new get in shape agenda. This is not to suggest that no one can carry out promises to self with a sustained consistency. Indeed, there are the strong willed among us who can follow through and who probably don't need the contrived convenience of a January 1 start date. But real change starts today, not next week or next month. The first step of successfully modifying a personal behavior is not to further ingrain the one we want to alter or replace. Change is hard, but the payoff can be something as elemental as a more fulfilling life or as simple as a faster 10k.

Dec 22 The Gateway Council of Hosteling International-USA will sponsor five century rides in 2005. The Five Star Century Series will feature a hundred miler each month from May through September.... The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation has received a $4,000 grant from the John H.K. Sweet Charitable Fund, an arm of the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation. Congratulations, good luck, and thanks for your efforts to make the metro region a better cycling community.... Two Missouri cyclists qualified in 2004 for next year's Race Across America. Sam Baugh of Clinton and Trent Newgaard of Blue Springs can both place the prestigious qualifiers plaque in their trophy cases.... The 2005 St Louis Cycling Club has set its dates for their 2005 Brevet Series. This progressively longer sequence of ultra distance rides will commence with a 200k on April 2 and culminate with a 600k ride on June 11. For those not familiar with brevets, they are timed rides of at least 200k in length. For a personal perspective, read our account of a 300k day.... In a related item, the metro's ultra distance cycling community took a hit when it was announced that the Mississippi Valley 24 Hour Challenge would not be staged in 2005. Event director, Mike Hahn, cited a sanctioning snafu as the principle cause for its demise after a streak of four years running. It would thrill SBR to see someone pick up this ball and run with it in next summer.... Metro area triathlete Peter Sauer was recognized as a 2004 Degree Team top performer for his 10:34 effort at Ironman Wisconsin in 2004.... As the web browser wars pertain to SBR, it was interesting to note their distribution within our readership for the month of December. Thus far the score card reads: Internet Explorer 85%, Mozilla 10%, and Netscape 1%, with the remaining 4% comprising an assortment of obscure browsers.

Dec 20 The sport of triathlon has been riding a wave of popularity for several years. This has manifested itself not only in the increasing attendance at races, but the increasing number of races too. USA Triathlon announced that it sanctioned a total of 1,227 events, which included 1,542 races, in 2004. The number of races sanctioned nearly doubles what the USAT sanctioned two years ago. Of the 1,227 event sanctions, 825 were sprint distance and 191 were youth races. And an amazing 332 were inagural races in 2004.... Local traithlete, Ed Wofgram, is one of the featured athetes in an article published by Competitor Magazine. You can read it online here....

Dec 19 General registration opens for the entire Ultramax Events series of races on January 1. Athletes can pay entry fees online without service charge. For pricing menu click here.... The historically popular Lake St Louis Triathlon will open its door for business on January 17. Selling out each year months in advance, it looks to be even more popular in 2005 with several improvements in the offing. Prominent among them will lengthening the long course race to Olympic distance standards.... SBR's regional multisport page received another tuneup. Several corrections and additions were made recently to the 2005 race dates in an effort to bring that page up to cruising speed...

Dec 18 The Gateway Off-Road Cyclists founder, John Donjoian, was awarded the The Missouri Trail Advocate Award at the National Trails Symposium in Austin, Texas. The Trail Advocacy Award is given to those individuals who demonstrate successful efforts to influence public policy regarding trail planning, trail protection, trail development, and maintenance. The metro is area is fortunate to have an organization like GORC and an individual like Donjoian spearheading area trail initiatives. Congratulations on well-deserved recognition.... Touring Cyclist will offer a Bicycle Repair Workshop on January 15 for Beginners and separate clinics on January 22 for Intermediate and Advanced students.... In an interesting entrepreneurial move, Stewart Drolet has shuttered the Bicycle Zone once located in O'Fallon, Illinois and has gone mobile. He now performs house calls and office visits to provide service for your bike. The store website has remained intact and contains his contact info....

Dec 17 The women's division is a steadily growing segment of multisport events. It was just a matter of time before a website was created to cater to their appealing and increasing number. TriChic which was launched by Brenda Gilchrist with the express intention of promoting and empowering the female triathlete. Apparel, training camps, nutritional advice, and coaching tips are but a few of the team offerings.... Previously, we've mentioned the triathon camps offered by Endurance Specialists and Multisports.com. A third option for eager students of the sport is Joe Friel's Ultrafit Triathlon Camp . Attendees can choose from three winter locations situated in the respective temperate climates of Los Angeles, Clermont, and Dallas. Plus a separate cycling clinic is being held in Tucson. For complete information ragarding dates, pricing, and itinerary, visit their website by clicking on the logo.

Dec 15 Several readers have emailed SBR inquiring as to the whereabouts of Wayne's Words. He still has words, but we have a file exchange issue we're trying to resolve first. As soon as we do, he'll be back. Also, we have a registered dietitian who may contribute articles to the site. We are still discussing how to best implement her professional input. The format will be worked out shortly. Interestingly, we thought we had a sports medicine professional lined up to write a column when one such highly degreed individual wrote us inquiring if we'd be interested. So, in response, we said sure, but do us a favor first and critique the handful of injury articles we wrote a couple of years back. This was a convenient dual-purpose request designed to ensure accuracy in our pieces and serve as a litmus test for our prospective Mr Medicine. I guess we insulted his professional integrity and have received no response to either of our emails. Another baffling scenario was our phone conversation with Marathon Sports. They have no website or any desire to build one, citing the need to keep things simple. Having successfully resisted the malificent siren call of the sinister World Wide Web, their business decision is one I won't argue with, though the logical loopholes glare at me. SBR offered to post all of his race results for an unstated but nominal fee (we were thinking in terms of the outlandish sum of one pair of running shoes). Nope, not interested. Sufficiently mind-boggled, I countered by offering to do it for free. Nope, not interested. Now I'm really wondering what practical reason can really be behind this. Perhaps he doesn't want the free exposure so as not to be bothered by those pesky cash-wielding customers while sipping coffee? And a corollary last item worth a mention is the fact that SBR has begun contributing articles to the Ultramax Events Network website. Some will be unique for their web and others will be gleaned from this site as is appropriate. Hey, we're no fools when it comes to free exposure or helping those who help us.

Dec 14 Hosteling International-Gateway Council member Bob Myrick is planning a cycling trip in 2005 that will take him along the Lewis and Clark Trail. This is a two month journey suitable for self-sufficient riders with the summer off. He is looking for riders with the sufficient time, ability, and interest to accompany him. Details.... Triathlon Camps are a popular winter destination and one that has been around for a while is the high profile offering of Multisports.com. They are scheduling three off-season opportunities to train and learn with Paula Newby-Fraser, Paul Huddle, Roch Frey, John Duke and Heather Fuhr. Dates are January 19-23 for the Club Med Florida Winter Camp, February 2-6 for the San Diego Winter Camp, and February 25-27 for the Ironman Arizona Camp. Complete information is available at their website.... Competitor Magazine will air a live radio interview with Ironman World Champion, Norman Stadler, this Sunday evening at 7pm Central time. You can listen to an hour-long interview with Peter Reid that was taped a few weeks before before the Ironman World Championship this year....

Dec 13 Hope you got out yesterday and enjoyed the balmy weather. It may be a while before we see another one of those days. The scarcity of weekend events brings us with little Monday morning news, unless of course you want to include Sunday night's Survivor finale or the Rams six thrown interceptions yesterday. This may be a good day to drink your morning coffee while mousing your way through the SBR archives. We did manage to post a few more scenes of Tri-ing Times, so today's update is not completely static. And by the way, thanks for the kind email about the strip. It's completely new territory, so there was a degree of nervous apprehension about how it would be received. This endeavor is artistically crude at best, but at least I didn't have to resort to stick figures. Last item, if you are coming to the Banquet, we need your reservations to help fund the sizeable deposit they require. At last count, we've committed over $3000 to the evening, so please help if you can. Have a great week.... The Pere Marquette Endurance Trail Run challenge saw Dan Rooney (51:27) of O'Fallon, Illinois and Judy Doprinhaus (1:01:04) of Villa Ridge, Missouri take the respective men's and women's titles on Saturday. The 44 year old Rooney won by nearly four minutes. Dopringhaus, 35, set the women's new course record last year, and while she didn't manage to lower the standard, her closest competitor was over three minutes back.... There will be a sports safety training, injury prevention, and first aid clinic (Red Cross 3 year Certification) on December 20 from 1pm until 5pm at St Michael School located at 6345 Wydown Blvd in Clayton. The cost is $45. For more information, phone Theresa at 314-721-4422 or email teppert@stmichaelschool.org.... Hosteling International's Gateway Chapter will be hosting a Casino Night at The City Museum on Friday, March 4 at 8pm. This fundraiser is $25 per person. Information at 314-644-4660.... In November, SBR experienced a decrease in visitor traffic to 7756 from the consistent 10-12,000 of the prior several months. We loosely term it a seasonal lull. While not alarmed by this, we'll still make an effort to bring 'em back with increased content.... The miminally perceptive of you may have noticed our change in text color. This was done principally for two reasons. First, it makes the hyper links easier to distinguish from the rest of the text, and more pragmatically, we simply ran out of blue ink.... One other change to be aware of regards our sponsor banners. Those links will now open a new browser window instead of directing you off our site. However, this functionality will not work if you have a pop-up blocker activated. We recommend you adjust your settings to enable pop ups for our site. And remember, we will never bombard you with obnoxious ads, just our mindless chatter....

Dec 8 Ultramax Events always seems to find a way to make news. Among the winds of change swirling in Columbia these days is a newly designed website. From day one, their web has been a paragon of thoughtful design and we like the redo even better. The other item worth a mention is the remarkable growth of qualifying events for the Half US Championship. It would seem that many of the country's top long course races have begun to realize the tremendous tie-in potential it offers even after just its first year. Metro area racers received a bonus when it was announced that Quartermax would serve as a feeder event for the Half Championship as well, giving the metro two qualifiers when coupled with Halfmax.... Tickets for the banquet have started selling right off the bat, putting to rest, at least for a while, the notion that multisporters are notorious registration procrastinators (Ironman Qualifiers excluded). I think that word got out about last year's soiree. Hopefully we didn't set the bar too high in 2003. I feel the evening promises to be very entertaining....

Dec 7 How do you ride your bike? For the vast majority of us, our bikes are probably a means of training and racing with an occasional touring ride thrown in for good measure, but little more than that. I know a few fortunate cyclists, or perhaps more aptly described as a few determined riders, who pedal through their daily commutes. Whether motivated by environmental issues, physical fitness, or other dynamics, they still only represent a discrete minority. Of course it isn't feasible for all of us to ride to work, but it is viable for a great deal more of us than who will actually consider it. There are other practical roadblocks to bike usage. Obviously, taking the kids to the St Louis Zoo from St Charles requires a metal box and fossil fuel. And arriving at a formal gathering in sweaty cycling gear is a social faux pas guaranteed to annoint you with "freak" status. But with a minimum of planning, it is certainly possible to incorporate more pedal strokes into our days. So, in a similar vein then, how do you run? Has your running been relegated strictly to the track, treadmill, your neighborhood, and weekend races? There is a world of exercise opportunity between our homes and the post office, the grocery store, the car dealership, and family gatherings. We endurance athletes can easily run 8-10 miles at a moments notice but instinctively reach for our car keys when an errand beckons. While that's not a criminal offense, it's still a crime to pass on such a golden multitasking opportunity. Now this is not intended to read like some sort of anti- internal combustion engine manifesto. I still drive my hybrid and will continue to do so as long as gas remains under a hundred dollars a gallon. It's really more a matter of expanding the definition of "fitness lifestyle." To truly adopt it and embrace all that it implies means more than being a weekend warrior. In this matter, an open, creative mind is equally as important as strong set of lungs and legs.... SBR put out the call for a graphic artist a while back and failed to hook up with anyone capable of providing panel drawings for a cartoon strip we wanted to produce. Next we tried in vain to recruit a couple of college art students, and then had a preliminary discussion with a professional illustrator who had the nerve to actually expect to get paid for his work. So, stymied at every turn and with a year's worth of concepts burning a hole in my cranium, I decided to grab the mouse by its ears and photoshop (is that a verb?) my way to cartoon immortality. Hope you get a chuckle from Tri-ing Times.

Dec 6 A group of devoted swimmers and triathletes spent the better part of Saturday and Sunday at John Burroughs HS attending a Total Immersion swim clinic. Given the opportunity to observe from the sidelines, I popped by to take a few notes. One of my first observations was of the generous degree of personalized instruction allocated to each attendee. Classroom sessions complimented the pool time with clinic overviews, theory, and technique discussions. The wet sessions then put it all into action. For just about every swimmer in attendance, the clinic became a challenging matter of deconstructing the flawed stroke they brought to the pool and then learning new form by way of some serious drill work. Hap Gentry and his staff provided an appealing student/instructor ratio of four to one. They aided from the deck as well as in the water. Having previously read Terry Lauglin's book, I was already familiar with the TI precepts, but it was very interesting to actually see them promulgated in the pool. Also, video tape enabled each student view themselves exibiting both imperfect and corrected form to better assimilate the techniques. Very good job by the instructors and nice work to those self-improvement seeking freestylers.... STL Biking posted a short article on the Cycling Photograph Exhibition complete with a few snapshots of the gathering.... The St Louis Track Club staged their annual marathon relay yesterday on a cold December's morning, but that didn't prevent one male team from running shirtless. The race appeared to be populated primarily by high school cross country runners, though a few familiar smiles from multisport athletes greeted me as I breezed by on my Cannondale. Good to see you guys training hard....

Dec 5 The Big Shark cycling photography show last evening drew a packed crowd of bicycle enthusiasts. The creative efforts of local shutterbugs were the primary drawing card, but the still shots ultimately became a backdrop for a serious session of schmoozing and networking. Thanks for to Mike Weiss and his staff for their warm hospitality and the opportunity to share my own work in print medium.... When it comes to building websites, few three-man operations can match the level of expertise that Columbia-based Foundation Computing delivers. Eye-catching, navigable, and functional are but three adjectives that readily come to mind. Their most recently launched site was conceptualized by SBR buddy and Ultramax Productions director, Mark Livesay, and was designed to serve the triathlon community on a bold scale. Tripinions.com will provide a national resource complete with comprehensive multisport event listings, race ratings, and athlete rankings. In an hour long telephone conversation with Mark yesterday, he generously elaborated with us on some of the pending sponsor arrangements, tie-ins, and cooperative efforts that will, in our own humble tri-opinion, no doubt grow the site to monstrous user proportions.... It's nearly impossible to drive around town and miss the yellow ribbons gracing the backsides of vehicles encouraging support for our troops. Bumper stickers have been a popular means of social expression for years, but in our mind their near-permanancy is a detraction. Magnetic is the way to go when you want fellow commuters to take note of your cause. SBR could think of no more appropriate initiative to openly align itself behind than cyclists rights and Supportcycling.com helps us do just that. Proceeds from the sale of these longlasting 5x3 inch magnetic placards go towards the support of the Lance Armstrong Foundationt...

Dec 3 The Ironhorse Triathlon had been a long-standing Father's Day tradition in Springfield, Illinois until the race was put on temporary hiatus last year. While many of the details are yet to be worked out, there will be a race on June 19 which will serve as a qualifier for the Half National Championship. Most observers had expected an Olympic distance event to make its debut in 2005, replacing the long-course event previously staged there. The new race will offer .6 mile swim, 28 mile bike, and 6.5 mile run legs, exactly like the Quartermax staged at Innsbrook. Clearly, Mark Livesay wanted an event to replace Ultramax after he officially pulled the plug on it last month, and perhaps he even felt partially responsible for Ironhorse folding it's tent last year after it tried unsuccessfully to compete for racer dollars with Halfmax. Franchising the Max name was a logical step. For his part, Ironhorse race director, Paul McDevitt is acknowledging the benefit in aligning himself with Ultramax Events, but it remains to be seen how it will all shake out. The sobering reality that no race director or production company can change the farmland runoff from the surrounding watershed that courses its way to the lake with each rainfall. Hopefully that won't be a factor in 2005 and Springfield can get back on the triathlon map. We wish the entire entrprise good fortune....

Dec 2 When we agreed to add Bikram's Yoga St Louis to the SBR family of website sponsors, it was for more than simply monetary reasons. Local iron-triathlete, Andy Killhoffer, discovered the benefit and indeed the healing power that this demanding discipline can provide. Read his unsolicited testimonial... Ultramax Events has opened early registration for last years participants who wish to race in the 2005 Max-O-Mania, which will be staged again at beautiful Innsbrook Resort. Total entries will be capped at one hundred teams plus fifty solo racers. Max Events have expanded the challenge, modified the format and added more entry options. Click here to enter and key in MOMROCKS as the early registration code....

Nov 30 Train The Brain-- Most of us are familiar with the the term visualization, less of us may have actually tried any imaging techniques, and it's safe to assume that still fewer of us regularly employ them in our daily training and racing regimens. It's still a fact that picturing yourself swimming, biking, or running won't atone for a lack of training or compensate for genetic limitations. Speed, strength, and endurance remain byproducts of real physical labor. However, visualization can generate many congruent benefits. Mental rehearsal prior to a workout or race can help achieve a mind-body readiness that promotes proper focus on the task at hand. Also, adding small daily random doses of positive imagery to our wakeful hours can help motivate and energize us through a long day at the office. Try this simple technique. During a quiet moment in your day, take a deep breath, close your eyes and remember the sensation of those endorphins washing over your body after a tough workout, or imagine yourself running with the ease and fluidity of a Kenyan marathoner, or envision your body gliding effortlessly through the water propelled by long, strong arm pulls. This kind of purposeful daydreaming has both tangible, physical and subtle, psychological benefits. But it doesn't end there. The amazing power of our restless brains extends equally through the night. Consider this one. Before falling asleep, relax and completely flood your mind with a positive image, like hammering the bike leg of a race- all tucked, aero, and blazingly fast. Fall asleep to this picture and you will provide your subconscious with a very strong suggestion and in most cases it will direct your night dreams towards a very lifelike one centered around that image. This kind of visualization taken to the nth degree has practitioners of "lucid dreaming" actually becoming aware that they are dreaming and controlling the action. Talk about embedding positivity! In summary, there are myriad ways to use the power of suggestion and ultimately finding how it works best for each of us is a journey of personal discovery, but it can be a useful tool when added to the laps, miles, and hours that ultimately help get us to the finish line.... Iron distance racers cover a longish 140.6 miles figuratively by land, sea, and air, if you can momentarily accept the bike-flying metaphor. Consider going the distance solely on foot, which is nearly what racers do in the Badwater UltraMarathon. Brutal desert heat and mountains are but two obstacles in this will-breaking event. Local ultra-distance runner, Jan Ryerse, provides an interesting 2002 race report.... The Great River Road Run saw some raindrops and 746 undeterred runners reach the finish line this past weekend. Ravi Bhave (56:15) of Silvis, Illinois and Stephanie Hood (1:02:55) of Elsah, Illinois emerged as the overall male and female winners. SBR congrats to Momentum Cycles proprietor, Mike Barro, who finished fourth overall and showed he's equally adept in racing flats as cycling cleats....

Nov 28 The Penrose Velodrome restoration project has found a significant source of financial backing and political clout when cycling-community benefactor, THF Realty, made available its significant resources. This could be the beginning of a remarkable step forward for Metro area cycling if it evolves into a launching point for greater development of local track racing. Given sufficient usage and sustained interest, perhaps a new track could one day be constructed, but that's a long way and a million dollars down the road. If Penrose can simply be rehabbed into a viable racing site in itself, it will rejoin a select number of cities nationally that can boast of such a facility. In light of this news, a link to some interesting video taken at the San Diego Velodrome was contributed to STLBIKING by Brad Wadlow.... Metro area athletes have a new coaching service to consider when shopping for training and racing assistance. Brian Schoenholz and Katie Snyder have formed Show Me Coaching which offers a full specturm of services....

Nov 26 Perspective- As this webmaster tries to embrace the prospects of winter training, I've noticed that my middle-aged years are playing a steadily increasing role in my approach to it. I'm still a hardy soul at the core and most days the cold weather doesn't deter me, but there's the odd occasion when the blood refuses to flow. I've attributed this state mostly to advancing years, though we all may experience a similar feeling from time to time. Fortunately, this past Wednesday wasn't an old geezer moment for me. The winter weather that blew into town became quite literally a cold slap in my face when I became determined to run in it. I almost delighted in the cold, snow and 40 mph wind gusts, knowing that most sensible people would be indoors. So out I went into the teeth of a wind that was remarkably like running on a treadmill, or so it seemed. The two differences were that I did actually get somewhere, albeit very slowly, and the biting wind chill brought about a very personal and uniquely male phenomenon, which in turn had me considering half-seriously some of the natural male enhancement spam in my email. The weather also succeeded in making the Forest Park trail virtually all mine. I did eventually encounter just one other zany and we exchanged knowing smiles plus the requisite sarcasm. "Nice day for a run, isn't it?", she offered. "Oh yes, charming," my clever retort. I managed to finish the circuit drenched in sweat through the miracle of Gortex, despite the harsh elements. Funny how that works. And my face got a little ruddier which gave me, at least temporarily, a cherubic look that women spend billions of dollars at makeup counters trying to achieve. I'm not sure the experience turned my disposition any tougher, but it sure made me appreciate a hot shower and a warm bowl of soup a little more.

Nov 24 SBR sponsor, Javelin Cycles, has announced the formation of Team Javelin which is now accepting applications for the 2005 triathlon season. Team Javelin emphasizes race participation. You don’t have to be fast, just active. Membership is free and entitles you to a complimentary race uniform as well as other promotions and discounts provided by the team’s sponsors, Triathlete Magazine, Sugoi, Zero Products, and Javelin. Team Javelin is ideal for half-Ironman and Ironman distance triathletes. The Team Javelin website has details of the promotional programs and how to apply.... In other Jav news items, the company has aligned itself with a new brand of high-quality componentry, Zero Components. We encourage you to check out their wheels, cassettes, skewers, seats, and posts on a gorgeous and cleverly designed website.... The deadline for the first 2005 Balance Bar Grants is January 17. Recipient notification will take place on February 18 for a the grant period of March 11, 2005 - March 10, 2006. Balance Bar will award between $500 and $10,000 to select applicants. The Balance Bar Grants are financial support for enthusiasts and amateur athletes who passionately pursue activities that enrich their lives while enhancing their physical health. As of August 2004, the Balance Bar Food Company has provided more than $320,000 in financial support to these passionate athletes.... SBR will take a well-earned day off tomorrow which affords readers an excellent opportunity to peruse our archives. We sincerely hope you have a pleasant holiday with all of your family, friends, and loved ones.... SBR has received a couple of emails from individuals who missed the Ironman Hawaii broadcast and desire a VHS or DVD copy. If you are in need of or can produce one, we suggest you use our discussion forum to hook up. Registration takes a minute and hopefully you'll meet with success....

Compiling a short list of 2004 turkeys is mere child's play. Some people just make it too easy for us to cite them for their dubious deeds and and lack of judgment. In no particular order: 1) Nina "the EPO Machina" Kraft. In a desperate and baffling attempt to win at any cost, all she really managed to do is trash a burgeoning career and cheat Natasha Badmann out of her glory. 2) Rutger "I wanna be Luc Van Lierde" Beke. He was tested positive for EPO in Europe earlier in the year. The only difference between him and Kraft is that he hasn't been man enough to step forward with it. Nina has bigger cajones, perhaps both literally and figuratively. 3) Jeffery Kline- While acting as race director in Boulder, CO, this unscrupulous gobbler bilked racers and sponsors out of thousands of dollars and then was arrested for felony check fraud. He even kited a check to the police department. Brilliant. 4) The small click within the USAT who in the past two years- A) Temporarily succeeded in manipulating district representative elections, B) Frustrated both Steve Locke and Tim Yount into 2004 retirement, and 3) Sent the organization spiraling into chaos. Nothing like teamwork to move the sport forward....

Nov 23 The St Charles Runners Club has begun its 7:30am Sunday trail runs along the Lewis and Clark trails in St Charles. Meeting point is 2.5 miles south of Hwy 40 on Hwy 94. The runs continue thru February.... Look for the formation of the Clayton Running Club in the Spring of next year.... It appears that the distinctively designed St Louis Tri Club jersey made an appearance during the NBC telecast of Ironman Hawaii when Tanya Crews was seen displaying her singlet for a second time on national television this year. Playing no network favorites, her other occasion was during the CBS broadcast of Escape From Alcatraz.... The USAT has announced its support of Sarah Springman in her bid to replace Les McDonald as ITU president. Springman has remarkable athletic and professional credentials and has served as ITU vice president. The vote will be cast on December 4 in Vancouver at the ITU world congress convention.... Perspective- The Ironman World Championship telecast usually casts its annual spell on me with somewhat predictable results. While watching the deeply emotional stories unfold, I get fired up. I itch to hammer out a 100-miler on my bike, or brutalize myself with a tough hill repeat run workout. I feel this bizarre yearning for the similar soul-cleansing discomfort they so openly display on that television screen. Strange perhaps, sick maybe, but no doubt I've got ample company. If the WTC opened registration for an IM qualifying race while the show's closing credits rolled, it would likely sell out in a couple of hours instead of mere days. Aside from the strange craving for pain, my unconscious self took it a lucid, technocolor step further after this year's show. While REM-ing last night, I was transported back in time to one of the early Ironman races. Like any good sleepyland film, it was a helplessly flawed production. Only minutes from the swim start, I discovered I had no swim goggles. It was reminiscent of the classic "forgotten test" or "where are my clothes" dreams we've all experienced at one time or another. While that panicked situation was only fantasy, the reality is that I'd glady go without goggles if it meant actually getting to do the event.

Nov 22 The New Networking- The Post-Dispatch published an article in the weekend edition that described the increasing popularity of meet-up groups. These are gatherings of people with an interest in some particular field who seek others in their local area with a similar passion. Meetup.com is the central organizing point for thousands of such groups in St Louis alone. Trying my luck with the search engine, I plugged in "webmaster", figuring there surely must one night a week when they abandon their computers, head en masse to a sports bar, and stare bleary eyed at one another over micro brews while discussing pixels. That term produced no St Louis groups so I retried with other search parameters, finding groups for triathlon, bicycling, and running. Whether this service proves beneficial to multisporters remains to be seen, but it appears to have more application for anyone with an obscure or highly specialized interest

Nov 21 Review- NBC's annual broadcast of the Ironman World Championship never fails to tug at one's emotions and this year was no exception. As if watching the average iron-athlete simply making the finish line before the midnight cutoff wasn't compelling enough, NBC always seems to flesh out extraordinary storylines centered around athletes who in their own meaningful way defy significant odds. Pick your own most-poignant moments, as there were plenty of them. In a production laden with lachrymal, how could you not be affected by above-the-knee amputee, Sarah Reinertsen, or Tracey Richardson and her two children who are afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis? From a technical side, NBC's production staff did a good job sorting through the mountain of film to find footage offering varied and unique perspective. After so many years it would be tempting to just mail it in, but they didn't, and several shots stood out. The show's opening included a young native girl with hauntingly beautiful eyes who constructed the M-dot with pieces of white coral laid out against the ebony lava field. Though subsequently overused, the image was initially a powerful one. Another great sequence was the dizzying 360 degree helicopter pan of Norman Stadler running alone out front along the Queen K highway. Another clever sequence was the moving camera shot of a swimmer, which began as an underwater view and elevated to a position out of the water just above him. The list goes on. The soundtrack was great and the voice-over was solid, as usual. One pre-broadcast concern we expressed was how the drug issue would be addressed. On the plus side, the script seemed to drop hints that perhaps Kraft's dominant performance was not all of her own doing, then eventually gave us the news in an obviously inserted segue to commercial. On the negative side, no mention was made of Rutger Beke's status. There are two schools of criticism regarding this annual broadcast effort. One camp says enough of the pros already and the other has had its fill of feel-good moments. I don't think either represents the majority of viewers, who like me, think NBC has found the proper proportion of each. My only wish is the unlikely possibility that the show be made even longer than its two hours.

Nov 20 The 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Championship will be broadcast on NBC today at 3pm. It could make for very strange viewing this year, fore-armed as we are, with the facts that Nina Kraft has admitted to and Rutger Beke is suspected of delivering drug-tainted efforts....The Big Shark Athletic Company has upgraded their website with an online store to accommodate your digital lifestyle.... SBR sponsor, Mesa Cycles, is also providing online convenience by offering store gift certificates through their website.... If you like the sometimes wacky, occasionally over-the-top, usually offbeat, and always insightful ramblings of OLN broadcast color man, Bob Roll, you might link over to his article page. It's an entertaining read

Nov 19 The Ultramax Triathlon has officially been discontinued. That word came from the top as Max Events chief, Mark Livesay, announced in a newsletter update, that the event had become untenable. SBR views the event's three-year run as a situation of "no good deed going unpunished." Staging the first iron distance race in Missouri seemed a godsend, but unfortunately by its third year, registration had diminished to a point where it was hard to justify the large expense and vast logistics that the race required. The overriding purpose of the event was to raise money for charity, not become a cash drain, therefore the event's life support had to be cut. I think SBR speaks for the whole of Missouri's tri community when we say, "Thanks for the effort, Mark."

Nov 17 Living in the Midwest, we are privileged to experience the splendor of four distinct seasons: windy rainy springs, hot humid summers, idyllic autumns, and winter days that can send all but the hardiest endurance athletes indoors. Let's face it, we'd really rather be outside, so pounding endless hours on the treadmill to nowhere or getting saddle sores on the stationary bike from hell can challenge our patience, determination, and sanity. SBR has come up with a short Ben Franklin list to weigh the benefits and detriments of indoor training. One final observation: While this this unofficial and decidedly unscientific analysis is by no means complete and has uncovered no startling universal truths, we still can draw one key conclusion. Whoever first uttered that overwrought adage, "it's all about attitude" may not have been an endurance athlete, but he still knew what he was talking about.

Nov 16 USA Triathlon is now accepting applications for its Under-23 Squad. Applications are due in the national office by Dec. 1st. The primary objective of the USA Triathlon Under-23 Squad is to provide administrational, coaching, educational and financial support structure to athletes with a proven competitive record in order to help them achieve optimal performance at the ITU World Championships and Continental Cup races, and to provide a platform for them to enter into ITU World Cup level racing.... The triathlon world can be forgiven if it is still hung-over from the knockout punch delivered by the Nina Kraft saga. Immediate impact aside, the far-reaching effects may stretch into next season. Ripples of doubt and suspicion will undoubtedly wash up on the beach of many a swim start in 2005. Who can you trust? Well, now we learn that the next fallen figure is Jeffery Kline of Boulder, Colorado, a race director who will be formally charged for allegedly bilking race sponsors and participants out of roughly $35,000. Kline was arrested Friday and faces several felony charges, including motor vehicle theft, criminal impersonation, and several counts of check fraud. Many of Kline's alleged victims say that they had not been paid for goods or services or had received bad checks. One of those alleged victims was the Colorado State Patrol, which claimed that it was paid with a bad check for the security and traffic control the off-duty troopers did at a "Race of the Rockies" event. Dude, we're not geniuses here, but it's always wise to to pay the police with a good check....

Nov 13-15 Congratulations to the Gateway Adventure/Alpine Shop racing team comprised of David Frei, Yvonne Deyo, and Eric Buckley. They succeeded in finishing fourth overall at the USARA Adventure Race National Championships. Forty-eight highly competitive teams from all over the US converged on French Lick, Indiana to push one another along a hundred-mile course for over thirty hours. Teams were required to navigate a series of checkpoints using only a map and compass to guide them while they transitioned between eight disciplines. The required skill set included: Trail Running/Trekking, Mountain Biking, Paddling, Orienteering, Caving, Scootering, Ropes, and Climbing. The other metro area representative was Team Race St. Louis (Karen Casey, Kerry Rascher, Bob Strittmatter). While crossing the the line in what was probably for them a disappointing thirty-fourth place, them did complete the demanding course within the deadline which is more than can be said for eight of the forty-eight entries who could not. Very nice job by both groups.... The bicycle is a machine that has retained it's basic design for over 125 years. Clever engineers have endlessly improved, embellished, and experimented with its every aspect. The iXi bicycle may not be society's next big thing, but it has taken the bike commuter to another level. Click image to visit their website, which is equally as well thought out as their product.... SBR has begun the annual chore of filling in firm dates for next year's regional multisport calendar. Most races with established histories consistently fall on or very near the same weekend each year. That is an important facet of their identity. Of course, there's the inevitable date-shuffling as brand-new and recently created races settle in, seeking comfort, consistency, and participants.... The small Illinois town of Mattoon is making strides in establishing itself as a multisport friendly community. It is the site of two triathlons and a duathlon. Located just north of Effingham, which itself stages three triathlons, the two cities have transformed the relatively rural east side of the state into a nest of racing activity....

Nov 12 Recent Ironman World Championship headlines have disillusionally revolved around a flawed "win at any cost" philosophy. The real Ironman mentality operates in more of a "baby, just cross that line," mode. To that end, SBR came upon a compelling story that exemplifies the pure Ironman spirit. Christian Sadowski found himself entangled with a motorcycle 105 miles into the bike leg of this year's Ironman Hawaii. With a demolished bike but an intact will to compete the task, he slung the bent remains of his steed over his shoulder and huffed it the remaining seven miles to T-2, in his socked feet. Managing to make the cutoff by one minute, he then completed the marathon, crossing the line in 16:09:48. To honor his effort, Cannondale presented him with an award and a new bike. That's an Ironman.... With the recent doping revelation at Ironman Hawaii so near the scheduled October 20 television broadcast, it will be interesting to see how, or even if, NBC addresses the latest development in the women's race pro race. To prove to viewers that they are truly deserving of their Emmy winning status, NBC should spend this week in the editing room before they take their tape to air. If so, hopefully it will result in more than a lame, show-ending postscript disclaiming the telecast results. We shall see.... The Penrose Velodrome clean-up effort received a boost of publicity from the Post-Dispatch in a small article published this week....

Nov 11 USA Triathon is calling for nominations to head each of the eight regional districts as the national sanctioning body goes about replacing its entire Board of Directors. The deadline to submit nominees is December 1st. SBR relies on both its objective reasoning and personal bias when it suggests that Mark Livesay be nominated to run for region number five representative. The states included are: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Tennessee. If amenable to the idea, we think he would serve the organization very well.... Mark your calendars for February 13th. That's when the St Louis Regional Bicycle Federation will hold the 2005 edition of their annual bike swap meet. New and preowned gear and bikes will be available from both both shops and private party booths. Bike Fed members can rent booth space for $20, non-members $25. While complete event particulars will be forthcoming, in the meantime you can email the Bike Federation at swapmeet@stlbikefed.org or dial 314-707-5001.... The Tri-America Triathlon Series has announced its 2005 schedule. Eight stops currently dot the map with the possible addition of other cities to be announced. The series spans the calendar from April until October. Each venue chosen will offer a full-family experience with an Olympic distance event, a sprint race, and a kids triathlon . Click on series logo to link to the website.... Timex is offering athletes seasonal savings on several of their Ironman Triathlon branded products. Save twenty percent off the posted retail prices with the online purchase of selected items by entering the promotional code "SAVENOW" when ordering. The goods include: Body Link System and his or hers Digital Heart Rate Monitor, plus the Sleak 75-Lap All Weather, 50-Lap Sleak, and 50-Lap watches.... Soon after we commented yesterday about what we carefully labeled as the alleged use of the performance enhancing drug EPO by German triathlete NIna Kraft, she came clean (no pun intended) about the transgression. The triathlon world's reaction seems to be shock and a collective dismayed sigh. This now brings the number of suspect European triathletes to three, also including Belgian Rutger Beke, fifth at Hawaii, who is fighting to clear his name after his A and B samples tested positive to EPO at a September 1 race in Belgium and Katja Schumacher of Germany who is also protesting after testing positive for testosterone at this year's Ironman Germany....

Nov 10 Perspective- If the alleged, sordid involvement of 2004 Ironman winner, Nina Kraft, with the performance enhancer, EPO, is proven true, it will bring to light the dark side of modern sports yet again. Baseball has only recently begun cleaning its house while the Tour de France has been waging laboratory warfare with coy users for years. With the extent to which Lance has dominated le tour for six straight years, it's little wonder French cycling officials have doubted his undeniable will to win, focused training effort, and handpicked team. Now just when we thought that the Ironman World Championship was a title earned through physical discomfort and spiritual cleansing, we find our high moral ground landsliding away. Though hefty, the payday for a win on the Big Island isn't nearly as important as the permanent career enhancing effect that title delivers. Coupled the "advancements" of new, harder to detect illegal supplements and more powerful masking agents, the lure inevitably finds the psychologically weak and/or financially strained. The saddest aspect of all is that the field is annually composed of 98% age-groupers saddled with families, jobs, and a host of other time-sapping responsibilities who earn their results through the purest of ethics. They have been and will remain the backbone of the sport. It seems a personal affront to them for any athlete, professional or amateur for that matter, to toil in the same lava fields with artificial boosters in their veins. For the sake of the sport, hopefully this is an isolated incident and not the first lapping of a tidal wave of discovery. A two-year suspension and title stripping should be an adequately rude wake-up call for any Iron athletes currently involved with or on the periphery contemplating drug use.

Nov 9 Complete Ironman Florida results are now up and local triathletes acquitted themselves quite well. Edgar Breda of Edwardsville shined as bright as the Florida sun with his 10:08:54 performance, good enough for twelfth place in a very deep M45-49 age-group. Just to illustrate the toughness of his bracket, as good as his time was, he would have needed to shave another full hour to win it. Keith Owens from St Louis also ducked under the eleven hour mark by registering a 10:54:31. William Peterson of Edwardsville brought it home in 11:26:16, giving him 18th position in the M50-54. Bill Margulis of St Louis crafted a sub-twelve hour effort with his fine 11:58:52. In what appears to be a recurring theme, the competition in his M35-39 age-group was absolutely brutal with the top 115 finishers breaking eleven hours. Rounding out the metro area finishers were Fred Wencel of Chesterfield (12:19:18), Nancy Klutenkamper of Lake St Louis (12:58:13), Jeff Morrell of Chesterfield (13:22:39), Jim Rhodes of St Louis (13:25:27), Arnold Levin of St Louis (14:15:09), Jon Jouris of St Louis (14:48:37), Corge Umlauf of St Louis (15:42:43), and Robin Owens of St Louis crossing the line in 15:43:57. Congratulations to all....

Nov 8 SBR has received numerous emails inquiring about our year end banquet. It was pushed back due to the longer local multisport season this year, but rest assured it will happen, and in a big way. Now that we reflect on matters, having this soiree a little later than last year's September date breaks up the offseason somewhat and gets us stoked for 2005 just about when we need it. Details soon, we promise.... The Cannondale test ride demo truck comes to St Louis on December 4. Both road and mountain bikes will be available for test rides in Forest Park. The event will be hosted by Big Shark Bicycle.... If you missed OLN's broadcast of Ironman Canada, they will re-air Thursday at 11am CST.... The gift-giving season is creeping closer. SBR suggests putting a practical spin on this year's holiday shopping for that endurance-athlete/significant-other. A gift certificate from any of our local site sponsors would be an appreciated surprise.... As a youngster, what did you want for Christmas? If you were like most kids, a new bike is the answer. In a remarkable gesture of giving, Elves and More is giving 20,000 underprivileged children in Houston, Texas a new bicycle for Christmas.... The Daily Peloton is sponsoring a writing contest open to all. The subject is "Why I Love Cycling." Some nice prizes are being offered and equally importantly an opportunity to express oneself with the written word. Contest details as well as winning 2003 entries appear on the DP website.... Among the numerous projects on its platter, the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists are spearheading an effort to created an additional mile of singletrack at Castelwood Park. This segment of trail will connect Ries Road to the Rangers office. The scheduled workday is November 21....

Nov 7 The St Louis Marathon weekend is set for April 9-10, 2005. In the face of its long history of being staged in the Fall, the race necessarily became a Spring marathon the last two years in order to better accommodate the US Women's National Marathon Championship and the US Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, which were held in conjunction with it. With a gap created in the metro Fall running calendar, Dave Spetnagel of Fleet Feet stepped in and staged what has become an immensely successful race, the Lewis and Clark Marathon. St Louis Marathon race director, Nancy Lieberman, was then faced with the 2005 dilemma of settling for the new, early-season time slot, or reasserting the race as a classic fall event. One unfortunate ramification of an April race date is the absence of several local runners who opt for the Boston Marathon held mid-April. The metro area has shown rather convincingly that it can and will support two local marathon per year and SBR applauds both RD's for their efforts that benefit the running community.... The Creve Coeur Park renovation is cruising right along. The Missouri Department of Transportation exchanged improvements to the county park for land rights needed to complete the Creve Coeur Lake Bridge. As a result of over $20 million being pumped into the the park, many significant improvements have been implemented. Land acquisitions have doubled the size of the park to 2145 acres, principally to the south. The former Hale Irwin driving range property was included in this expansion with its fixed facilities (club house) still intact. The paved trail system has been extensively lengthened and now completely circumnavigates the lake. The images below show the sections of the trail back in July contrasted with photos taken yesterday. As most park users are already are aware of, the multi-use pathway has also been connected to the KATY trail in St. Charles via an asphalt bikeway leading towards the Veterans Memorial Bridge and bike lane appended to it. Additionally, a paved spur heads south from a trail roundabout and meets Creve Coeur Mill Road at a point very near Olive St. Road. The lake dredging phase of the park rehab is well underway and will result in both a cleaner and deeper body of water. A siltation lake was constructed to eliminate the need for future dredging projects. Much needed permanent rest room facilities will be constructed near the multi-purpose athletic fields. All of these enhancements have catapulted Creve Coeur to a lofty position in the county park system. Hopefully, the multisport community will be granted permits to stage a triathlon there in 2005. While no plans for one are concrete just yet, it seems only a matter of time, convincing, and of course, money.... If you're like me and 2005 is very much an open book, think about adding one of these demanding events to your racing résumé. The Trail of Tears 100 may have you shedding a few of them on your mountain bike, that is, if your tear ducts haven't dried up in Oklahoma's June heat. This race serves as a qualifier for the 24 Hours of Adrenalin solo championship.... Adventure Racers can make it to the 2005 USARA sprint nationals in Texas by competing in the Red Cross Adventure '05 series. One event will be staged at Smithville Lake near Kansas City. As you may recall, that beautiful site was the venue for triathlon's Half Championship.... Runners can let loose at the Berryman Trail Run. Located near Potosi, this event is a short drive from St Louis. Both marathon ande 50-miles are offered.... Of course there is an endless array of events from which to choose, and these are but three. In 2005, consider putting your endurance capacity to the test with something a little beyond the tried and true swim-bike-run format.

Nov 5 If you haven't offered your insights on the event, it's not too late. Your responses to the LSL Triathlon Survey will still be forwarded to race director, Dave Reynolds. Question#1, Question#2, Question#3, Question#4, Question#5, Question#6, Question#7, Question#8, Question#9, Question#10, Additional Comments

Nov 4 Good luck to the local adventure racing teams who will be competing in the 2004 USARA National Championships this weekend up in French Lick, Indiana. The St Louis metro will be represented by the Race St Louis team (Karen Casey, Kerry Rascher, and Bob Strittmatter) and the Alpine Shop team (David Frei, Yvonne Deyo, and Eric Buckley).... Scenic Cycles is moving their shop in Marthasville to a spot two miles east of their present location, right on the KATY Trail. They should be in their new digs by the end of November....

Nov 2 Another big thank you to site sponsor, Javelin Bicycles, for the Brunello. This is a vanadium frame and carbon fork set that they've shipped us. We've managed to get her built up with FSA carbon bars, Look CX-6 pedals, Mavic Ksyrium wheels, an Ultegra 9spd /Dura Ace mixed groupo, Mavic wireless computer, carbon cages, etc. The result is a pimp'n fast ride.... Cyclists in search of regularly scheduled winter rides need look no further than the monthly activity calendar of the Gateway Council of Hosteling International USA. You don't have to confine yourself to the great indoors to get in some pedal cadence. With a modest investment in the necessary winter gear, you can amaze your neighbors, baffle your friends, and confound your family with your off-season mileage.... The Bicycle Fun Club completed another season of organized rides in bigger and better fashion than ever with thirty events filling out the year. Nice job. We'll have to bide our time until February for their annual Chili Party.... Site Status- October visits were down about 600 from the same month last year. While this is far from a significant decline, it has however succeeded in blowing up our belief that SBR would continue on a path of perpetual growth and prosperity. Darn the luck. We attribute this small step back to any of several of the following causes 1) readers spending an inordinate amount of time trying to justify why they would vote for either presidential candidate 2) readers spending the better part of October dressed in red and waving a towel with 50,000 other like-minded individuals 3) readers taking a break from incessant SBR rambling.... The SBR discussion forum has remained a surprisingly underutilized aspect of the site. This is a great place to share information, sell gear, and meet people. We encourage you to register a user name and give it a shot.... For those readers still suffering the slings and arrows of a dial up connection, we haven't forgotten you. We've already taken some strides and will continue to make others to hasten our homepage download time. It's still a fairly graphical page and there's no getting around that, but we're doing what we can... An event which completely eluded SBR's Doppler radar was the Damascus Road Endurance Challenge. We would have gladly publicized it, then bribed a prospective teammate and participated ourselves, if only we had known. Well, 2004 LSL Tri short course winner, John Conners, not only heard about the race, he won the "Ironman" division with his teammate, Doug Boehme of Chesterfield. They completed a twenty-mile, three-discipline course for the victory. It was comprised of paddling, running, and mountain biking that both started and finished in Castlewood State Park. Times haven't been posted to the race website just yet and to this point their finish was the only result of which we have been made aware. Let it not be said that SBR fails to deliver the most complete and comprehensive race reporting on the world wide web.

Nov 1 We admire all of the energy released recently by a group of local cyclists who are determined to return some degree of usefulness to the Penrose Velodrome But that whole issue got SBR's mental Mavics turning in a sort of corollary direction. All the while I attended a brainstorming - casual fact-finding - informal - feasibility study on the construction of a new velo-facility, a deep-seated and intriguing idea tugged at me. What if we could build some sort of a training ground/ racing venue that applied to a much wider segment of the population? What if we could appeal to swimmers, MTB riders, BMX racers, roadies, trick riders, runners, bladers, skaters, and multisporters? Close your eyes and picture a generous tract of land situated in St Charles county, for example, and on it you find a maze of dirt single track, a 5k loop of asphalt road, and a decent sized man-made lake. This safe, controlled environment for training and racing would be a haven of possibility. Can it be done or is it the pipe-dream of a half-baked webmaster?

Oct 30 SBR wishes to extend a warm welcome its newest site sponsor, Show Me Cables. This is the e-commerce site of Integrated Network Cables based in Chesterfield. They supply telecom and datacom connectivity products which include bulk cable, custom assemblies and harnesses, pre-manufactured cables, connectors, satellite device tools, testing equipment and surge protection devices. Whether you are an IT manager or simply want to complete a home project, we encourage you to support them.... This is a popular weekend each year because of the potential it holds. As everyone knows by now, the official end of Daylight Saving Time arrives at some unearthly hour between the time we retire to bed tonight and awake in the morning. The vast majority of us will fall into three major categories: 1) We will turn our clocks back the requisite one hour, before we hit the hay, 2) We will turn our clocks back, upon awaking, 3) We will forget to turn our clocks back and be an hour early for an whatever Sunday morning engagement we have planned. SBR has fallen into each catergory at one time or another. Who knows what tomorrow holds?

Oct 29 Perspective - Like most inhabitants of this fair town, I got caught up lately in World Series fever when the Cardinals advanced to baseball's ultimate stage. Sadly for hometown loyalists the outcome wasn't as planned, but the event did succeed in reinforcing a couple of notions for me. First of all, It would be all too easy for the shortsighted fan or disappointed player to categorize the whole season as a write-off because the team lost its last four games in succession. We multisporters sometimes fall into a similar mindset when we underachieve in an important race. I can vividly recall my feeling of frustration one year when I focused my entire season on nationals and subsequently managed a very subpar performance. My first reaction was that the previous 365 days were wasted effort. Now I'll be the first to admit that it's difficult if not nearly impossible to remain philosophical when falling well short of an intended A-race goal. Ibuprofen provides no relief for a bruised ego. However, the passing of time enabled me to see that day for what it was, just one day. I had forgotten about the journey by overfocusing on the destination. There were many positives to come out of that "wasted" season and I had lost sight of them. Another obvious observation stood out for me after watching the Sox dispel the jinx. It quickly became apparent that Boston simply refused to be denied. They had a higher emotional stake invested than did the Cardinals. In our multisport world, logic and reasoning may carry us through a properly designed training program, but more often than not, race day will see us drawing from our personal well of emotion. Emotions are powerful forces and can often be an enabling part of our psychological make-up. True, they can paralyze, but they can also propel. They can generate adrenaline, endorphins, and other chemical reactions in the body. If they can enable a 100lb woman to lift a car from her child, a little well-placed emotion can get us to the finish line. I don't advocate carrying a tissue dispenser on one's fuel belt, but dredging up the bitter taste of a previous frustration often times provides us with the impetus to pick up the pace. I think Yogi Berra once said something like, "It's all in the mind, and the other 90% is mental." Nothing could be truer....

Oct 27 Several Metro area triathletes are included on the start list for Ironman Florida. The race is set for November 6 in Panama Beach and will serve as a qualifier for the 2005 World Championship in Kona. They are: Jon Jouris, Larry and Nancy Klutenkamper, Arnold Levin, Bill Margulis, Jeff Morrell, Matthew Myers, Deena Newell, Brian O'Donnell, Keith and Robin Owens, Jim Rhodes, Kevin Seelman, Corge Umlauf, Fred Wencel, Edgar Breda, and William Peterson. Good luck to everyone.... Big Shark Bicycles will host a Cycling Photography Exhibit. Admission is free. The images will be displayed by local camera buffs and are available for sale. The eyes behind the lenses will be Daniel Elavsky, Matthew James, Phillip Shoulberg, Chuck Hardy, Kim Morris, and John Musselman. SBR has a combined archive, both on and off-line, of well over 3000 images. Many of these are cycling shots and some accidentally offer interesting perspectives. We'll see what we can put together to artfully fill an 8' x 4' wall space at the show.... John Lynch submitted well-framed video clip shot at the cyclocross series when it visited Faust Park in west county. This sequence should be considered 'cross primer material as it illustrates some very smooth barrier crossing technique. (Dial-up users, the file is 1.6 MB)....

Oct 26 Perspective- The future of the Ultramax triathlon has become an uncertainty. While Mark Livesay of Ultramax Events weighs the options of either continuing with the full iron-distance event or pulling the plug after three years, we await word of his decision. Chief among his concerns must certainly be the financial one. Crossing the fiscal break-even hurdle imposed by the combination of a relatively small field of two hundred and the significant cost associated with iron-distance race production, has proven to be a difficult equation to balance. Knowing Mark as I do, I think it's fair to say that he is not one to scale back quality simply in the interest of having an event for its own sake. The high level of quality, racer first mentality, and openness to change for improvement's sake are qualities of his races that have brought a welcomed breath of fresh air to our triathlon community. Of course, finding two hundred people willing to go 140.6 miles is not a smallish number in and of itself, but when juxtaposed against IM qualifier races which routinely draw upwards of two-thousand participants, a year in advance, the numbers are difficult to argue. It would be a sad day for SBR, if and when the decision is made to cease existence of Missouri's only ultra. This website experienced a significant growth spurt that coincided with the announcement of the first Ultramax triathlon and has maintained an affinity for the event ever since. We were surprised by and disappointed in the relatively meager support afforded this event by Metro area iron distance racers. Naturally they are entitled to throw their disposable incomes at which ever iron events they choose. Of that, there is no debate. If the end goal of a long weekend in Wisconsin, Coeur d'Alene, Lake Placid, or Florida was to earn a slot in Kona, the harsh reality is that only a handful of local elites actually entertained a real chance of qualifying. Perhaps some were drawn to those locales by the power of the IM logo, others may have shared the day with their training partners, still others may have felt the allure of quasi-exotic venues, as well as any number of other reasons. The bottom line is the home-state event couldn't grow, as was hoped, against the m-dot, iron-distance stranglehold.... Congratulations to Jared Osterloch of St Louis who crossed the finish line at the Great Floridian Triathlon in 12:15:17. His time was good enough for 6th in his age group and 63 overall. The accompanying half-iron race saw four metro area triathletes compete. Paul Schon of Crestwood (37th M40-44, 243 OA) 6:03:48, Carol Wright of Wildwood (4th W45-49, 250 OA), Jim Wright of Wildwood (4th M60-64, 250 OA), and David Schlingmann of Hillsboro, Mo (59th M30-34, 628 OA).

Oct 25 The Momentum Challenge #2 was staged yesterday under a magnificent blue sky, amid a backdrop of colorful fall foliage. This run-bike-run off-road duathlon brought the Metro Duathlon Series to a conclusion, and in the course of doing so, solidified Steve Maas as the overall winner. While the day started with only a tinge of doubt surrounding his position as the series alpha male, the women's overall winner was basically established mid-season. With two firsts and two second place finishes, Amy Strahan went to the front of the points chase early on and remained comfortably there all season. Congratulations to both deserving champions. The final age-group bracket winners will be posted just as soon as the complete Challenge results are received and processed.... The XTERRA Triathlon World Championships took place over the weekend in beautiful Maui, Hawaii. Local triathlete, Kelly Hovland, completed the course in 3:31:09, earning her 4th place in her age group, which would have placed her 21st among the professional women. The race draws from qualifying events the world over, creating a of competition accordingly high. Congratulations on a job well done.... The end is in sight. Daylight Saving Time, that is, will conclude this upcoming weekend as we turn our clocks back one hour. Of course, the significance of this event goes beyond the extra hour of sleep Saturday night/Sunday morning. Safety conscious runners should (break out/ invest in) reflective gear as nightfall will sprint to us each day....

Oct 24 The link to the following historical information about the Penrose Velodrome was sent to SBR by numerous helpful readers. The actual text was gleaned courtesy of www.stlouis.missouri.org.- The bicycle track in Penrose Park, called the "Penrose Park Bowl," was the scene of the 1962 National Cycling Championships. The story of how the new bicycle track came about began in 1934 when the W.P.A. built a 1/4-mile track in Forest Park at Oakland & Kingshighway. This track was never accepted by the racing public as a first-class track. It was used mostly for weekly training sessions, but also used for at least four major meets in the past 25 years. A serious problem occurred in 1960 when it was determined that the Missouri Highway Department would take the bicycle track in the course of widening Highway 40. A suitable location for a new track in Forest Park could not be found, and even if one had been found, the city did not have the necessary funds to build it. The St. Louis Cycling Club met with the Parks Department several times during 1960-61, and it was finally decided in October, 1961 to give the St. Louis Cycling Club a new track site in 51-acre Penrose Park, located at I-70 and Kingshighway. The Cycling Club paid for the construction of the new track and waived all claims for reimbursement. The city in turn agreed to assume responsibility for the maintenance and supervision of the track. The St. Louis Cycling Club immediately undertook the task of building a 1/5-mile track, which was once acclaimed the best in the US. The City of St. Louis added water lines, a drainage system, sewers and plumbing, drinking fountains, landscaping, and painted lines on the track. In addition, the city bore part of the cost of the grading and paving for the new track. (added note- The track was used sporadically into the '90's but has since fallen into disrepair.)

Oct 22 I recently completed the Andrew Ritchie biography, Major Taylor- The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer, and found that the book succeeds on several levels. First it paints a vivid picture of the wildly popular bicycle racing scene in the 1890's and early 1900's. Most cyclists today, myself formerly included, have no idea to the extent bicycle racing gripped the U.S., Europe, and Australia in those days. Road and particularly the track races became intensely fought struggles before massive crowds. Major Taylor's rise to prominence was even more remarkable in light of the fact that he was also a black man struggling against ignorance, hatred and racial bias both on and off the bike. Courted by European royalty and shunned by his own countrymen, Taylor's life was a dichotomy of highly paid, international superstar abroad and second class citizen at home. But this was not the story of a bitter man's fight. On the contrary, Taylor was a well-mannered, highly principled, devout Baptist who even declined National and World Championships and additional fortune by refusing to race on Sundays. While reading, I frequently fantasized about riding my bike like the dusky whirlwind, but equally often I wished I could emulate Major Taylor the man. A very entertaining book, the pages flew by like the majah on one of his jumps. Whether reading the book for its bicycle evolution history lesson, revealing social commentary, or moving human interest, I highly recommend you find a copy and get rolling.

Oct 21 Best of luck to local multisporter, Kelly Hovland, as she heads to Maui to take part in the XTERRA World Championship. Also congratulations on the job transfer to Portland, Oregon. SBR will miss your off-road shredding.... Talk about an elementary school sports program I wish they had when I was a lad, the St Michael school triathlon team represented very well this season at Ironkids- Clayton with the fifteen members of their squad earning nine gold and three bronze medals. Theresa Eppert is driving force behind these juniors. The school is located at 6345 Wydown in Clayton and their website will online shortly.... The Max Event calendar we posted this week had one conspicuous absence. After a few concerned emails, we thought we point out that the UltraMax Triathlon is still on the 2005 radar. A firm date just hasn't been set yet.... The "velodrome project" has found life. While not wholly responsible for this initiative, SBR is at minimum on the causal periphery because of the photos we posted. It appears that the Penrose track will get a facelift. Who knows where it will go from there, but imagine the excitement a new, multipurpose, indoor facility might generate with this "human powered NASCAR-like" racing being showcased.... SBR is currently collating the LSL Tri survey responses and will publish them very shortly for curious readers wishing to see what this sampling of the triathlon community revealed....

Oct 16 The race results from Hawaii are in with four metro area athletes making the finish line. After qualifying for the 25th Anniversary race held in 2003, Tom Jackson had to take a pass when his boss, Uncle Sam, required his presence in the overseas in the Mid East. The Ironman conglomerate, being the good corporate citizen they are, issued him a make up slot for this year's race. Jackson's deferred gratification arrived over the weekend when he finally got his chance to complete the race that he essentially started two years ago. He led locals with his 11:20:53 (630 OA-138 AG). Allison Larkins also had to wait for her Kona experience and in her case it was more than a year after qualifying at IM Wisconsin back in 2003. She came across in 12:14:41 (982-39). Pam Di Guiseppe is certainly no stranger to the Big Island, having been married there. Celebrating a wedding anniversary and taking part in the World Championship made for a busy week. She hit the line in 13:06:08 (1196-41). Ed Wolfgram was looking to retain his M70-74 title but encountered a roadblock named Brockenbrough who had aged up and prodeeded to go 90 minutes faster than the 2003 champ. Still, Wolfgram finished a strong 2nd, coming in at 15:32:06 (1482-2). We should all be so blessed in our 70's. Every metro area athlete who participated is a winner by their mere presence at the start of this prestigious event.

Oct 15 Missouri Bike Statutes.... Perspective- It seems SBR may have indirectly enlivened the discussion forum on STLBIKING yesterday. One of our loyal readers began a thread by posting a link to our velodrome photos along with a comment or two. (see below: Local Cycling Heritage) This in turn gave renewed life to an old debate, i.e., restoration of Penrose vs. construction of a new facility. Frankly, I didn't know what impact, if any, posting the pics would have. It simply satisfied a curiosity eating at me for years, plus I thought SBR readers may find them interesting. If something tangible and positive for the biking community germinates from my small role, it would be very gratifying indeed. Gauging from what I've read thus far, there are many earnest members of the cycling community capable of offering a variety of creative approaches to the "velodrome project." One key, and to this point in time, missing ingredient, appears to be leadership. It seems to me that a cohesive effort to follow-through on any initiative requires the focus of one, dynamic leader who can channel the voices of the many into one, unified front. Among the other keys, of course, is money. Whether privately or publicly funded (or some creative combination thereof), someone or some entity writing the checks will constitute a prominent role in this whole process. There would undoubtedly be a host of other hurdles to clear as well. It should be very interesting to see how this whole scenario plays out. Before anyone reading this was born, St. Louis was a key stop on the track racing calendar. It would be so cool to be a part of it once again.... SBR's Martha Stuart Moment- One curiosity-seeking excursion to the Whole Food Market on Brentwood Blvd. was sufficient to convert me to the status of regular customer. This unsolicited and unremunerated endorsement is actually incidental to the intended subject of this writing. But there I was when I stumbled upon Orange Plus, an all purpose citrus based cleaner distributed by Earth Friendly Products. The 22oz spray bottle was three bucks and the bottle of concentrate, which produced gallons, was only a dollar more. Those prices are meaningless if don't you degrease your bike chain with environmentally friendly citrus products like Pedro's, NashBar's, Finish Line's, and others which are commonly 2, 3, or 4 times as expensive. Buying Orange Plus is the economic equivalent of getting a couple of inner tubes thrown in to boot. In our next installment, we will show you how to make a delicious orange carbo drink from the chain rinse.

Oct 14 Local Cycling Heritage- As far back into my five decades as I dare remember, I have heard the occasional reference to a local bicycle racing track, or velodrome as it is properly called. I was never actually aware of a track racing scene in St Louis and I had never laid eyes on this venue, yet through the years I would hear someone remark offhandedly in conversation, "You know, that bike track you can see from Hwy 70, but I don't think they use it any longer." For years, every time I found myself driving towards downtown on Hwy 70, I kept one eye on the car ahead and the other searching in vain for a glimpse of this mythical track. I eventually came to a couple of conclusions. First, I reasoned that it had likely found the sharp edge of a bulldozer blade in the hire of some real estate developer. Secondly, even if it did exist, what was left of it must surely by now resemble the remains of an ancient Greek colleseum with broken and eroded stones protruding through weedy overgrowth. Then I heard it once more. "I roller-bladed on that bike track last week." Say what? I'd finally had enough and mounted an all out effort to locate what had become in effect my holy grail. A quick Google search and the Penrose Velodrome popped up, named for the park in which it was constructed. I grabbed my digital camera and excitedly headed over to Penrose Park to conjure up a few cycling ghosts from the past. photos (broad band recommended).... Precious little online information exists documenting the long history of track racing in St Louis which actually spans nearly 100 years. Regardless, I am researching the subject through other resources. If you have a friend or relative who attended these events, raced in them, or otherwise has information about the St Louis track scene, we'd love to talk.

Oct 13 If you'd like to view a mind-blowing video, go to the Giro website, click on downloads, and hook up with the Yearbook Movie Trailer. You won't regret it.... Athletes interested in the sport of cyclocross should check out the website cyclo-cross.com to find answers to most of their basic questions. Duathletes in particular should find the sport to be a natural adjunct to their passion and an opportunity to get down and dirty.... Roadies do it, so why not multisport athletes? Fixed gear riding provides incredible aerobic benefit, improved bike handling skills, and a chance to nudge ahead of your competitors. Those prospective fixies dreading the addition of another bike to the garage should know that the equipment cost can be roughly equivalent to an Ironman entry fee for new and even less for an old bike conversion. Consult our site sponsor bike shops for more information.... Interbike- SBR friends, John Lynch and Matt Fairchild, took in the giant toy store and schmooze fest that is Interbike 2004. We posted these pics yesterday and have a new page complete with their mugs along side faces you're sure to recognize. The hit parade includes: Tyler's Gold Medal bike, Bob Roll, Phil Liggett, X-Games champ Dave Mira, Floyd Landis, pro triathlete Jessi Stensland. John relates his impression of the soiree.

Oct 12 Not intending to slight the metro area's contingent of female marathoners up in Chicago over the weekend, here are the performances of note within top 1000 gender placing of that huge race field: 423-Sondra Terry (3:28:16), 454-Gail Ford (3:29:09), 500-Courtney Prentis (3:30:37), 683-Sharon Leve (3:35:04), 706-Kate Lincoff (3:35:27), 739-Annie McClure (3:36:11), 773-Susie Rieser (3:36:49), 932-Tiffany Young (3:38:55), 958-Julie Bokermann (3:39:18).... Unique sightings by SBR and its affiliates along the way this season include: 1) At the Mesa 12-Hour MTB Challenge, an aluminum-framed mountain bike lying on the ground in transition, snapped completely in two at the top tube and down tube just behind the head tube. Dude, hope you're okay, but that would not be our family planning method of choice. 2) Bike taken down from a roof-top rack, after an early morning drive to the MS-150, with a black bat flattened against the head tube. Seems that either the low flying mammal's radar system was on the blink or it thought it had found the biggest mosquito meal ever coming at him 70mph.... 3) A male participant at the US Half/Ultramax weekend donning a bright pink wig and beads while racing. The get-up didn't fool us for a minute though, even with the nicely shaven legs....

Oct 11 Very nice work to all of the metro area runners who completed the Chicago Marathon over the weekend. Some of the most notable efforts include: 81-Ron Chisolm (2:35:23), 110-Dennis Fricks (2:38:15), 129-Brian Roggeveen (2:39:58), 158-Jeremy Mikecz (2:42:39), 423-Dave Ullman (2:55:30), 606-Patrick Frazier (2:59:00), 616-Steven Vehige (2:59:08), 632-Mark Volkman (2:59:16), 633-Peter Smith (2:59:16)....

Oct 10 Perspective- What is it about this multisport lifestyle we embrace that steadily nudges us towards bigger and more challenging adventures? Why do we forever reach for the higher apple? This question bubbled up from my inner cauldron as I looked around in mild desperation for a last, epic event to bookmark the backside of my season. Maybe it was just indigestion from the previous night's dinner spices instead my inner fire in need of stoking, but whatever the reason, it got me to wondering. It's clear that since the moment our prehistoric ancestors hit the ground from the safety of those now petrified trees, the competition began. It was the survival of the fittest. While this Darwinian principle is still genetically hardwired, the way it's manifested has evolved over the eons from the slaying of saber toothed tigers to more contemporary concerns like beating your buddy in a 10k. This incessant stretching of mind and body has markedly distinguished mankind from the other lifeforms inhabiting the blue planet. The twist is that once our particular mission is accompl