Dec 31 - SBR would like to express its gratitude to MIchael Staenberg and THF Realty for their generous support of this website and our magazine. They are a huge supporter of the St Louis Metro cycling scene and do so without a lot of fanfare. Absent their philanthropy, many of the local cycling teams and programs simply would not be where and what they are today. All the best to THF in 2007.

Dec 30 - The Quartermax Triathlon staged on the Who Tri's Harder weekend of June 23-24 at Innsbrook Resort will once again serve as the Missouri qualifier for the 2007 Best of the U.S. National Championship. That race will be contested at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park near Tampa, Florida on October 6... Have you gotten fixed? Single speed bikes, or fixies as they're affectionately known in the cycling world, are growing immensely in popularity. For some individuals it's a function of their interest in the suddenly reborn sport of track racing as new velodromes are beginning to spring up across the U.S. For others it's a reaction to the experts expounding on the virtues of fixed gear training. But for those in style-conscious NY and LA, single speed bikes and its attendant bike messenger "look" have grown into a kind of cycling haute couture. Check out this video of the LA scene... West County YMCA is offering a six week Triathlon Training Class leading into their Indoor Triathlon scheduled for Sunday, February 18. The classes will be held on Wednesday evenings 6:45-8:45 PM beginning January 10. The sessions will include a training program with individual attention, fitness level benchmarking protocols, maximum heart rate testing, racing tips, and technniques. For complete information call the West County YMCA at 636-532-3100 or email... Joe Friel Training Bible Clinic for Cyclists and Triathletes takes place Fri, Jan 19, 7pm Maplewood Bicycle. Seating is limited. Reserve your space by calling 314-781-9566. Topics include: How Cyclist Rate their Abilities and Limiters, Cycling Power Ability, Anaerobic Cycling Ability, Time Trialing, and Mental Toughness Training... The Frozen Buns Run is coming Jan 13. The St. Louis Triathlon Club will produce this 5k event. The event will start in front of Blueberry Hll on Delmar in the Loop. web

Dec 28 - Readers in need of a dose of winter glass-half-full optimism should make note of the fact that the days are already getting longer. Furthermore, as incredible as it sounds, there are only 72-days remaining until the Daylight Saving Time change on March 11. In 2007, DST will extend all the way to November 4... The 24th Annual Bop To the Top takes place on February 3. The event is a 37-floor climb up the stairwell in the One American Tower in Indianapolis. There is a bracket for virtually everyone with an open division, age groups, weight classes, and a multitude of team options. Money raised will benefit the Riley Hospital For Children. Last years female open winner was Cindy Moll who has won at least 7 seven years in a row. She has also claimed the Empire State Building Stair Climb title several times. web

Dec 27 - SBR happily welcomes two great, new web sponsors to the site. Ben Rosario and Matt Helbig, co-owners of Big River Running Company, have graciously aligned themselves with Swim Bike Run St Louis. This upstart specialty retailer has made huge strides early on in its business life. We look forward to great things coming forth in the future from this dynamic enterprise. Likewise, Nancy Lieberman, President of the Spirit of St Louis Marathon, will privilege our homepage with her banner. If there is any person who has made a greater impact on the St Louis running community in recent years, we'd like to know whom it might be. In the course of a few short years she has transformed the St Louis Marathon from a fading event to a full-blown, nationally recognized destination race... As we've emphasized in the past, SBR remains highly selective in choosing our partnerships and we encourage you to give back to these with great advertisers and sponsors with your dollars whenever feasible. We also recommend clicking through the banner ads and exploring all of the sponsor websites... StlMultisport.com was recently launched by Josh Bone to provide the metro with an alternative multisport resource... SBR wishes to thank the anonymous benefactor who contacted Three Story Press and suggested that they send us a copy of the Dave Shields novel, The Tour. It didn't take long to dig in to this Tour de France novel as on the way home from the post office and in the course of our errands, I sprinted through chapter-one in a Schnucks parking lot. A book review will be provided in the very near future... St Louis area athlete, Dave Galli, plans to swim the English Channel in August, 2008. This athletic endeavor is actually an effort to raise funds in the fight against ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease). To find out more about him, or how you can support him and the cause, please go to Dave's website... If you own a bicycle, the consensus is that Oregon is the place to be. While many great, cycling-friendly U.S. states could convincingly argue their case, the fact remains that Oregon has received accolades for its favorable road and MTB cycling environments. IMBA awarded the state its A-Grade and the League of American Bicyclists have bestowed Bicycling Friendly Community honors upon six Oregon cities: Gold— Portland, Corvalis; Silver— Eugene; Bronze— Ashland, Beaverton, and Bend... Little Shark Athletic Company has made the transformation from store nickname to official title. Located at 6176 Delmar in the Loop, there is nothing diminutive about the retailer's quality and service. web

Dec 20 - For anyone who's spent time on e-Bay, one thing that quickly becomes clear is that you never know what you'll find. Among the bikes we saw for sale was a Corima Cougar set up for track racing. This exquisite machine is being sold by a chap in Australia for the tidy sum of AU$19,000. For you international currency traders, yesterday's exchange rate put that at a cool $14,341 USD. web

Dec 19 - Little did those St Louis area runners who managed to run with Dean Karnazes last week realize that they would be the last ones to do so on Karno's cross country trek. He decided to terminate the 3000 mile coast to coast running tour at the St Charles Family Arena on Friday. In his blog on Monday, he admitted that in the of course of making what he termed an impromptu decision to run from NY to his home in SF, he didn't take into account the number of challenges he would incur aside from just the running. Weighing heaviest on his mind though, was the time spent away from his family which eventually became simply too much to bear. But Karno indicated that he would put together a planned and supported effort in 2007 on an even greater scale... After-work runners can take heart in the fact that our dwindling daylight will turn the corner after Dec 22, the arrival of the winter solstice. That day brings the least available daylight of the year as it begins with a 7:16 AM sunrise and ends with a 4:43 PM sundown. That's 9hrs 27m 39s of daylight. From that point, the days continue to grow longer until June 21 at which point we will have 14h 52m 28s of daylight.

Dec 18 - The December issue of Outside Magazine just went into their online archive and with it an entertaining self-analytical read about his cycling addiction by John Bradley. web... The National Bike Summit is scheduled for March 14-16 in Washington D.C.. It's no accident this annual gathering takes place in the nation's capitol. The cycling community will voice concerns and key issues affecting bicycling, document the value of bicycling, and present its legislative priorities to the 110th Congress... Perspective - You've got to hand it to the organizers of the new Triathlon One O One Series who are gearing up for a limited launch in 2007. They have the moxie to go up against the M-dot franchise which owns a near monopoly on the long and ultra triathlete's bank account. This is not unlike the old American Football League when it challenged the cartel that was the NFL over four decades ago. The upstart AFL hung around just long enough to effect a merger. Whether One O One has merger hopes in its endgame plan, will seek to remain autonomous, or can simply sustain beyond a few years, remains to be seen. The WTC zealously protects its turf. Whether consciously or not, it has successfully steamrolled a slew of non-IM events. One O One will compete most directly for 70.3 customers. If a race director wants to attract a professional field, that can be accomplished with money. Drawing age-groupers who have Ironman visions dancing in their heads will prove to be a much stiffer challenge. I admire the entrepreneurial and competitive spirit of Triathlon One O One but hope that their efforts don't become just another hard lesson in Business 101

Dec 17 - The Cycling Photography Exhibit at Mesa Cycles drew a full house last evening. The bike shop at Brentwood and Clayton Roads was effectively transformed into a tasteful art gallery. The lighting was excellent and the pieces were smartly displayed with each artist hanging his work in a separate alcove. Showcasing their lens craft were local photographers Matt James, Eric Filcoff, Kurt Jambretz, and Daniel Elavsky. Kudos to Russ and Adrienne Murphy for their great hospitality... Those cyclocross racers who a couple of weeks ago at a cyclocross race in Kansas City saw Steve Tilford end up chest high in icy lake water then go on to win, were probably not surprised by his victory at USA Cycling 'cross nationals this weekend. The tough as nails Tilford earned the M45-49 stars and stripes jersey up in Providence, Rhode Island.

Dec 15 - A new series and new triathlon distance format will be unveiled in 2007. Triathlon One O One features a 3km (1.86M) swim, 130k (80.6M) bike and 30km (18.6M) run. This equates to 101.06 miles, thus the name. Age group registration for each race will be limited to 1500 athletes. The 2007 schedule includes: May 6 - Bradenton, FL; June 10 - Clearlake, CA; September 2 - Halifax, Nova Scotia; November 11 - The Woodlands, Texas. The series hopes to expand in 2008 to 20 events with each race offering a $50,000 pro prize purse. The Woodlands, Texas will serve as home for the Championship race with $150,000 professional prize purse... Dean Karnazes is running today out to the St Charles Family Arena from a starting point downtown near the Arch. We encourage as many runners as possible to join him. The best way to locate his westbound whereabouts is through the GPS tracker he carries. Hope to see you out there. blog

Dec 14 - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has proposed a settlement with Ameren as recompense for the Taum Sauk reservoir disaster. DNR officials have suggested that the utility company either give up or share the old Rock Island Railroad corridor. If this potential 47-mile rail to trail conversion took place, it would connect the towns of and Pleasant Hills (near KC). The trail could then easily be linked to the Katy... Perspective - In the course of our daily web surfing, we came across this timely posting by syndicated sports journalist James Raia from Sacramento, CA: "Twenty-six years ago, Terry Fox, after losing his right leg to bone cancer, set out on a 5,300-mile journey to run across Canada. He ran about a marathon a day for 143 straight days. Fox died before completing his journey... With more frequency in the recent times, long-distance runners have seemingly tried to outdo each other by attempting largely ego-driven running quests. It all seems rather silly... That said, this soapbox as serves as a plea to magazines, web sites, corporate sponsors and various media outlets. The next time a runner says he or she is going to attempt some newfangled running ordeal, please take a long look at the person's reasons before giving the effort credence and/or your media influence or financial backing. Do not disrepect the legend of Terry Fox." After reading this we wondered: Who is he alluding to? Hopefully he responds to our e-mail inquiry.

Dec 13 - Perspective - A solitary figure ran towards me— steadily, patiently. From a hundred feet his form appeared picture perfect with head up, shoulders back, a relaxed arm swing, and an even stride. At ten feet he looked somewhat smaller in stature than the preconception his photos had created in my mind, but make no mistake, solid as a rock. For sure he wasn't the reed of a man one might expect to see half way through a 4000-mile run. Meet: Dean Karnazes. The list of overwhelmingly positive adjectives one might ascribe to DK would be a lengthy one. A few that stood out in my mind during an hour run with him were: amiable, affable, approachable and simply awesome. I intersected his transcontinental run at a point on old Highway 50 in Flora, Illinois. To suggest that the town's Main Street has never before been graced by such rare fauna would be an understatement. Immediately I find that Dean is given to conversation and he wants to know about me. I on the other hand have 99 questions I'm dying to ask him, yet the tone remains very relaxed. After ten Western States 100's, the Badwater Ultramarathon, 26.2 miles at the South Pole, 50 marathons in 50 days, national television appearances, and countless other exploits, there's not much that can alter his nature which is a rare brew of easy-going yet intensely driven. Despite his extraordinary accomplishments, I sense him to be unpretentious in the extreme, at times exposing a surprisingly self-deprecating sense of humor. His passion for ultra-distance running is fueled in large part by his fascination for pushing the human spirit beyond commonly accepted limits. The 1310 miles he ran in 50 days plus these 3000 in his coast to coast effort are about connecting with people, furthering the fitness cause, and raising money for his foundation— Karno Kids. The lasting impression I took home from the experience was the one he probably would have wanted. In the end, it was just a couple of regular guys running down the road, shooting the breeze— amazing... The Honolulu Marathon found a few St Louis area athletes basking in 70-83° weather while they ran long. Among the finishers were: Dan Brennan of St Peters 6:36:31, Jan Cardona of St Louis 7:00:55, Michelle Conway of Hazelwood 7:03:50, Mary Kraichely of Wentzville6:58:33, Carlos Mahia of St Louis 3:49:30, Sandra Mills of Hazelwood 4:00:09, William Rau of Creve Coeur 4:44:52, and William Culley of Swansea IL 4:31:28... Nice work to the guys at Big River Runnning Company for their 9th place finish at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championship in San Francisco. In all, over 60 elite clubs and 1200 competitors converged on Golden Gate Park to earn bragging rights as the nation's best cross country teams and take home a share of the $20k prize purse. Open division place, name, and time: 7-Ben Rosario 30:46, 61-Matt Helbig 32:07, 75-Adam MacDowell 32:21, 83-Brian Lyons 32:27, 88-Tim Bradley 32:30, 249-Joseph Porter 35:37.

Dec 11 - A few runners stayed in town to compete in the Pere Marquette Endurance Trail Run (see Daily Update Archive) and the Dash to the Den 5k. The latter event was won by Mark Palm of Wentzville in a time of 17:40 and Jennifer Burke from Ballwin with her 19:42 finish. In all, 168 runners took part in the race at Quail Ridge Park... Nice work to all of the local area runners who completed 26.2 miles in marathons all over the country... Dallas White Rock— Calvin Malloy 3:23:26, Clayton Ricks 3:28:35, Sara Cooney 3:41:04, Jill Newman 3:52:36, Conrad Wildsmith 3:57:33, Kristen Jorgensen 3:57:33, William Reinecke 3:58:23, Jody Jorgensen 4:05:56, Eric Jorgensen 4:05:57, John Ulett 4:08:31, Chan Rogge 4:11:00, Kristyn Rogge 4:11:00, Margaret Mueller 4:37:24, Naresh Mutala 4:44:06, Mike Emch 5:02:01, Eugene F Belleza 5:02:1... New Las Vegas— Very Nice effort to Tom Jackson of O'Fallon, IL who finished 21st overall with a gun time of 2:53:39. Nice work to the rest of the crew from the St Louis area as shown with chip times: Jay Indovino 3:27:02, Sharon Leve 3:30:39, Johan Bendtsen 3:43:05, Desmond Kirchhofer 3:44:09, Jill Indovino 3:45:15, Steve Snyder 3:46:18, David Hefholz 3:52:11, Holley Boeger 3:52:25, John Brenner 3:54:24, Teri Griege 3:57:36, Christina Cogorno 3:58:14, Laruren Asinger 3:58:14, Michael Boeger 3:58:17, Katie Lerwick 4:08:14, Tim Wirick 4:08:25, Juli Russell 4:21:19, Jennifer Mommens 4:23:38, Michael Clarke 4:26:39, Meghan Taff 4:29:04, Michelle Kitzelman 4:32:47, Cliff Leve 4:34:16, Rita Goddard 4:38:50, Debie Smiley 4:43:09, Becky Snyder 4:43:56, Jed Gaines 4:47:09, Tim Seifert 4:48:02, Melanie Darmsteadter 4:48:35, Barbara Wnek 5:07:11, Barry Strange 5:08:53, John O'Connell 5:14:07, William O'Connell 5:30:09, Christopher Bent 5:36:40, Elizabeth Wannstedt 5:47:49, Jerryl Christmas 5:50:11, Frank Meyers 5:56:31... Rocket City— Kevin Campbell 3:02:39, Nick Whiteside 3:08:57, Louis Berra 3:22:19, Teresa Roeckle 3:43:20, Jeff Bockhorn 3:44:13, Jim Weatherly 4:50:54, Joanne Bockhorn 4:58:12...

Dec 10 - The Pere Marquette Endurance Trail Run took place yesterday. It was sold out months in advance to runners eagerly willing to punish their minds and their bodies on the very difficult course. The challenging event didn't seem to faze Zac Freudenburg who continued his dominance of local running events. The 28-year old came in over 7-minutes ahead of runner up Matt Brier (57:47) and third place finisher Sam Yount (57:56). Freudenburg (50:31) was the sole runner to go sub seven minute pace in the 7.5 mile off-road event by averaging 6:44 per mile. As well as he ran, he was still well off the course record (45:57) set by Rudy Rocha in 1991 and nearly equaled by Mike Farrell (45:58) in 1999. Debbie Kerber-Rehr (1:07:52) put in another fine performance by taking the women's title ahead of Kristen Moore (1:09:25) and Mary White (1:13:15). In all, the course accommodated 443 finishers... The Ironman World Championship highlight show had nearly everything that we expected that it would— great camera work, heartfelt stories, and as much drama as could be wrung from a race in which the viewers already knew who the winners were. Even at that, there were a few areas in which the 2006 production distinguished itself. For one, it was very ironic to see Normann Stadler and Chris McCormack warmly embrace at the finish line, knowing as we do about the war of words that would come forth from them in the days following the race. Looking ahead to next year, it appears as if McCormack's Kona maturation process is nearly complete and he is at last poised to win there. But as we all know, that's why they run the race. The human side of this outspoken athlete really came through in his candid, self-analytical interviews. Another observation about yesterday's show was how well it showed just what a "thrashing machine" the age-group mass swim start actually is. That full contact melee is not for the faint of heart and the combination of footage and athlete interviews really brought that message home. Another aspect of the race that NBC focused on was the wind. Oddly, viewers were set up when reminded more than once about how unusually calm conditions were for the race only to be told later about how difficult the wind was. It seemed a little inconsistent. Then there is the story of Jon Blais, who raced in 2005 and watched from a wheel chair this year as the debilitating effects of ALS took hold in his body. It's dreadful to know that the odds of his even being alive for the the 2007 race are greatly stacked against him. Each year we watch the show thinking it's just going to be more of the same old, same old and every time we come away with something intensely positive and emotionally moving... Geneva, New York will flex its mussels (sic) this July. The 4th annual Musselman Triathlon has been awarded an ITU Pan American Cup race to supplement its half-iron, sprint, and kids races. The weekend of racing takes place July 14-15 at Finger Lake just outside of Rochester, New York. The ITU Pan American Cup Series will also visit U.S cities Honolulu, Des Moines, and San Francisco... What do you get when you combine a spinning class and a bus? BusBike, of course. This spin class caters to nearly 400 participants each month. The mobile studio is in many ways a publicity tool as it is chartered by businesses for their own marketing purposes. But on the other hand anything that promotes fitness and an active lifestyle can't be all bad. web

Dec 8 - Recently discovered in the basement of a Chesterfield home were boxes of possessions from Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball. Much of that memorabilia is currently on auction in Dallas. That got us to thinking about the history of triathlon, a relatively short one at that. What would triathlon relics fetch at auction, like one of the original 5-inch tall Ironman trophies made of nuts and bolts that were given to finishers in the 1978 race? Profiteering aside, maybe triathlon needs a real Hall of Fame— a repository for triathlon artifacts that might be recovered while the creators and original participants of the sport are still among us. It should be an international museum that crosses all NGB and organizational lines for the good of the sport... What do cities such as Ishigaki, Lisbon, Madrid, Vancouver, Kitzbuhel, Beijing, and Cancun have in common with Des Moines, Iowa? Answer— All of them along with seven other cities will host ITU World Cup Triathlons in 2007. All sixteen races will each offer a minimum $100,000 prize purse. This is a result of series title sponsor and ITU global partner BG Group pouring $20 million into the sport over nine years. And about that event in little old Des Moines? It will be the richest race in the history of triathlon (that is, of course, unless Lifetime Fitness decides to trump it)... The following is an amusing excerpt from George Nellis' nearly 40,000 word written account of his 1887 bicycle ride from upstate New York to San Francisco. His 72-day trip cost an estimated $300. He rode a nickel-plated Columbia Expert high wheel that retailed for $150. The bike and his sparse baggage weighed around 42lbs— Day 16- Sturgis, Michigan to Mishawaka, Indiana. 49-miles, 8-hours. Wednesday, Klinger Lake, White Pigeon and Mottville are entered and left behind and 22 miles away I cross into Hoosierdom. Three miles and Bristol, Indiana, captures me for dinner. Sorry, indeed was the aspect of Bristol’s only hotel. From a mental vision of cold pork, soggy potatoes, bad coffee and musty bread I was suddenly awakened to the reality of a dinner fit for an epicure, and that fellow was I. A nicely broiled steak, mashed potatoes, elegant coffee, milk, lettuce, cabbage, peas, tomatoes, corn, fine bread, pie, cake and a whole saucer of strawberries to top off with caught me that time, and more astonishing than all, twenty-five cents footed the bill. At 1:30 I mounted my Expert and wheeled south to Elkhart, twelve miles away, over very fine roads. Reach Osceola, 6 miles further, at 4 o’clock. A big rain stops navigation here and for a time nearly paralyzes us. No hotel in the place and six miles to Mishawaka, raining like blixen – and no prospect of stopping. No supper either so we repair to the corner grocery. Glory! A stem of bananas. Glorious! Some molasses cookies. “Cookies 8 cents a dozen, and I’ll give you all the bananas you can eat for 25 cents.” I take six bananas and a dozen cookies. Five minutes later I want six more bananas and in ten minutes later I want six more bananas. The proprietor begins to quail, I begin to eat. Bananas are going down fast. Extraordinary demand and two dozen have been laid away. “Here, take your quarter and get out of this store.” I took pity on the poor fellow and desist. He won’t pick up any more hungry bicyclists by the wrong ear again, that’s certain.

Dec 7 - Huge thanks to Show Me Cables for re-upping their banner ad support of SBR through 2007. As with all of our carefully chosen sponsors, we greatly encourage readers to support their businesses whenever feasible... In yesterday's post, we missed Rick "the" Mann and his 3hr 45 min at the Tecumseh Trail Marathon. Rick, if you move to this side of the river, we won't neglect you anymore in our Missouri results searches. Nice work... On NPR, "All Things Considered" featured a segment on the artists producing today's children's music who have revived the spirit of punk rock. That is to say, their songs exhibit a certain energy, and they themselves are producing the music on their own time and dime. So what does all this have to do with Swim Bike Run? Fair question. The song played on-air that caught our ear was Bicycle by the Jellydots. If you close your eyes and listen to the 2-minute excerpt from this uptempo kid's song, you can actually see (feel) the pedals turning. The CD is a great Holiday gift for young music lovers in your family... Jim Pitre and Lon Haldeman, who have produced the Race Across America for the last six years, have agreed to sell the race to Fred Boethling, John Hughes and several other investors from the RAAM/UMCA (Ultra Marathon Cycling Association) community. The 2007 RAAM will take place as planned with solo racers starting on June 10 and teams heading out on June 12. Jim and Lon will continue in an advisory capacity and are working with with new ownership for a smooth transition... What do you get when 3,916 cyclists take part in a 109-mile timed ride? Ordinarily one might think it was a Grand Fondo in Italy— NOT. It's El Tour of Tucson. The weekend is a celebration, fun ride, race, fund-raiser, tourist attraction, fitness fest, and more. Incidentally, the first group to finish averaged 25.6 mph. web... Ian Thorpe's recent retirement from competitive swimming elicited a wide range of comments from those in the sport, but none was better than Swimmer Magazine's: "It is a great shame because he's such an ambassador for Australia. But maybe later he'll actually do very well in the Masters swimming."... The Karnazes watch has become something of a grown-up's version of Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego as this ultra, ultra-distance runner makes his way west from New York to San Francisco. Currently in the Cincinnati area, DK expects to pass through St Louis around December 18. It's probable that local TV will converge on him en masse which will provide great exposure for his Karno Kids Foundation. But if you want to spend Q-time with this running legend, we suggest you drive east and intersect his route somewhere in rural Illinois. On his blog, Dean has been chronicling his progress, statistics, and thoughts through so many miles and personal encounters.

Dec 6 - Nice work to local area runners who took part in the Tucumseh Trail Marathon— 17-Andrew Karandjeff 3:37:18, 42-Robert Edwards 3:59:44, 67-Carey Smith 4:12:49, 83-Gregory Sloan 4:20:33, and 216-Tyge Fourtner 5:06:27. The point to point race was staged within Yellowwood State Forest near Bloomington, IN. web... The USAT has accepted Jill Petersen into its Elite Development Program. This will allow her to live and train at the U.S. Olympic Training facilities in Colorado Springs. Athletes admitted into the program have typically raced World Cup, Continental Cup, or have been members of the USAT Junior or Under-23 National Teams. Otherwise it requires a nomination by a member of the USAT National Teams coaching staff and for the athlete to meet both swim and run time standards to be admitted. Jill follows the path blazed by Sarah Haskins who herself finished '06 as the #2 ranked U.S. woman. This is a huge step for Petersen, the 2006 USAT Age Group W20-24 National Champion. A full year of focused training and instruction by USAT coaches will impart a huge positive impact on the already gifted athlete. Congratulations!... After a one-year hiatus, the Steel Legs Century will return in 2007 with a new route designed solely to test your cycling mettle. If you participated in the the 2003 or 2004 SLC, you know what we're talking about. Complete route and registration details will be posted here when available.... Professional triathlete/duathlete, Jonas Colting, is petitioning the ITU to change the Long Distance Duathlon World Championship back to the 4k-120k-30k format from the 3k-80k-20k (run-bike-run) set for 2007. He makes his case and invites you to join his petition in an article posted by xtri.com... Making "Share the Road" license plates available in Missouri has been a subject of interest off and on again for the last several years. With the advent of the Tour of Missouri in 2007, it would seem an opportune time to get this matter rolling once and for all. Only a handful of other states have such specialty plates, but nearly every state has themed license plates for fraternal organizations, professional sports teams, universities, etc. What more visible and appropriate place to promote cyclist's rights than on license tags? It seems likely that most cyclists would pay an extra $15 for a thoughtfully conceived Missouri plate that reflects both the beauty of the sport and that of Ozark country. A statewide design contest could be held to come up with an appropriate backdrop. An apparent roadblock to this initiative is the state of Missouri's specialty plate start-up fee of $5,000 which is probably five-thousand reasons why there is currently no Share the Road plate offered in Missouri. The Missouri Bicycle Federation, who has as recently as the spring of 2006 tried to promulgate this concept, is probably the right organization to champion the cause. But ultimately it will likely come down to money, as most things do. If the Missouri cycling community wants the concept plates and are willing to pay for them, they can easily happen.

Dec 5 - Good luck to local runners taking part in any of the four popular marathons scheduled this weekend— Dallas White Rock, Rocket City (Huntsville, AL), New Las Vegas, and Honolulu... At times it seems easy, when you and your bike are making music together. That metaphor became reality when composer Flip Baber created some holiday ad music for Specialized using a bicycle as his sole instrument. Instead of choosing the simplistic Jingle Bells, the artiste in Baber opted for The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Video... The St Louis Triathlon club gave their website a fresh look, and elected officers for 2008... The youth triathlon scene in St Louis will take another step forward in 2007 with the addition of a new event to the race calendar. Details have yet to be finalized, but we'll have them here just as soon as they are... Local first year triathlete, Jill Petersen, got a mention in Triathlete Magazine. The article speculates on the USAT Athletes of the Year for 2007 and includes her name looking ahead to 2008... The KLM Marketing UCI Cyclocross Race on Sunday had a bizarre twist when Steve Tilford (Trek-Volkswagen) went off course and into the c-o-l-d lake. He not only managed to finish, but he also won. Top ten finishers included Big Shark riders 6-Nathan Rice and 7-Josh Johnson. Velonews... The St Jude Memphis Marathon drew 77 St Louis area marathoners to Music City over the weekend. The contingent managed nine top-10 AG finishes. Nice work to everyone making it through the 26.2 miles. Special congrats go to: 20- Thomas Whalen 2:45:10 St Louis (1st M. Masters), 40- Bill Kotaska 2:56:46 St Louis (3rd M40-44), 44- Katie Sutton 2:57:54 St Louis (4th W25-29), 77- Trenton Casto 3:09:08 St Louis (3rd M20-24), 151- Ed Cook 3:24:16 St Louis 3rd (M50-54), 153- Carol Wright 3:24:33 Wildwood (3rd W45-49), 179- Jessica Pollock 3:27:32 Freeburg, IL (1st W35-39), 398- Amy Wind 3:48:52 Kirkwood (1st W. Grandmasters), 411- Teresa Bieg 3:49:24 St Louis (10th W40-44)... The Half Marathon also felt the impact of the Gateway City. A week removed from running away from the field at the Great River Road 10-miler, Zac Freudenburg of St Louis led all 4,212 half-marathoners to the finish line with a time of 1:08:12. Also with a strong finish was Seth Jenny of Swansea, IL whose 1:17:31 earned him 6th in the very competitive M25-29 bracket. Terry Proffitt of Kirkwood took 6th in the M45-49 by going 1:32:48. The M60-64's was a battle between local runners with Mike Toolen of Shiloh, IL winning it in 1:39:27 and Jim Wright of Wildwood taking 2nd with a 1:46:06 effort... Complete results

Dec 4 - Anyone who has raced 1.2M-56-M-13.1M at Innsbrook will probably tell you that it is among the more challenging half courses they've ever done. However, the Auburn Triathlon out in California (~90 min. west of Lake Tahoe) bills itself as "the world's toughest half." Judging solely by race results from afar, it's difficult to know how accurately any course is marked, but gauging from their bike and run splits the claim may have merit. Last year's race saw just one racer average 20mph on the challenging bike course— and just barely. That was overall winner Clas Bjorling. As for the run, Bjorling and women's pro winner, Darlene Hunt, were the only two racers to go under 7-minute pace on the run. New for 2007 will be a long-course duathlon with 5k-56M-10k proportions. Top three in each age-group will qualify for long-course duathlon worlds to be staged in Richmond, Virginia on October 21... If you've been reading our serial on local hills, and perhaps even riding a few of them, you may have a better appreciation for the 2007 Giro de Italia. It will feature a stage that will take riders up Monte Zoncolan. This is a 10.1km ascent with an average gradient of 17%... Registration is open for the 2007 USAT Age Group National Championship held in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, June 30. All previous Team USA members automatically qualify for Nationals. Check the USAT website for complete qualifying standards. This event is the sole pathway for triathletes looking to make 2007 Team USA and compete at ITU Worlds in Hamburg, Germany Sept 1-2. The top 16 in each age group earn a berth... Perspective— Winter relegates many of us to the great indoors to break a sweat rather than enduring the cold air outside. I love summer as much as anyone, but if you're not taking an occasional jaunt outdoors, I think you're missing out. It does require a certain amount of intestinal fortitude to embrace those nasty wind chills, but under the right circumstances winter running can actually be a lot of fun. Running in just the right snow is not to be missed. A jog through Forest Park yesterday afternoon found me avoiding the icy paths altogether for the grass and its two-inch deep, semi-frozen snow cover. The crunchy, impact-absorbing effect it provided was a joy to my knees. I couldn't help but be reminded of the similarity to another impact-forgiving, albeit much warmer, running environment— the beach in summer...

Nov 30 - USA Track & Field Federation has a database of more than 90,000 running routes in its America's Running Routes service. This is particularly beneficial for business travelers but can be useful for just about anyone trying to chart new pavement. We plugged in Missouri and it came back with 1,764 results arranged by location. There is a lack of uniformity in the location field, but other than that it is a great resource. The National Governing Body has also redesigned their website and come up with a cool new logo... The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, Team CSC and Predictor-Lotto have announced their participation in the 2007 Tour of California (Feb 18-25). These are the first three of the expected 16 teams to formally do so. The Tour de Georgia has announced its route and host cities. It has also expanded the 2007 edition to seven days (April 16-22). The Tour of Missouri (Sept 11-16) will be making its own press releases regarding routes, host cities, and team signings after the first of the year.

Nov 29 Inside Triathlon editor Tim Carlson filed a race report from the Ultraman World Championship which was won by Jeff Landauer, and arguably the best female endurance athlete in the world, Shanna Armstrong... People normally picture triathletes with a body composition resembling that of a gazelle or whippet. Here's a CBS news video featuring a 320 lb. triathlete... It's probably safe to assume that over a billion people on the planet readily recognize the Nike emblem characterized by the "swoosh," as it eventually came to be called. If a value had to be assigned to it, how much would it be? That's a theoretical question that may never know an answer, but we do know how much they paid for it. It was originally created in 1971 by a graphic design student at Portland State University, Carolyn Davidson. She had met Phil Knight who was then teaching an accounting class. Knight hired her to perform some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports. In need of design ideas for a new line of athletic footwear, he hired her for $2 an hour. She submitted a bill for $35. In a gesture of gratitude, in 1983, Knight gave Davidson a gold Swoosh ring and an undisclosed amount of Nike stock... Isaac Galvez of Spain died early on Sunday after crashing heavily into the track railing during the Madison event in the Six Days of Ghent. A Madison is a multi-day, two-man tag team bicycle race. Velonews

Nov 28 - Two local bike shops made the National Bike Dealers Association's 2006 Top 100 Retailers List— Big Shark Bicycle Co. and Maplewood Bicycle. Neither retailer is a stranger to NBDA laurels which are a function of sales, customer service, community involvement, bicycle education, and other parameters. Congratulations to both... The St Louis Post Dispatch ran a story on local ITU pro triathlete Sarah Haskins. Sports columnist, Kathleen Nelson, performed the interview. While most SBR readers are already keenly aware of Sarah's career, it's nice to see her and the sport of triathlon get some well-earned publicity from the local newsprint giant... Is it time to get serious about your swimming? How about $1650 serious? Training Camps are being formed for February under the auspices of US Masters Swimming, USA Swimming, and the US Olympic Training Center. This is a rare and unusual opportunity for a twelve Masters Swimmers to receive Olympic athlete-level analysis and instruction. Qualified applicants will be notified Dec 1 of their acceptance into the Feb '07 Camps. PDF... The La Loma Altitude Training Center in San Luis Potosi, Mexico is situated at 6,233 feet above sea level. Swim teams from all over the world are not only drawn to its high altitude but also to its low prices. $50 a day per athlete includes three buffet meals, dormitory, local transportation, and access to all training venues. This is a remarkably affordable swim training experience for your team. web

Nov 27 - Last month, Mark and Amy Livesay opened a specialty retail store in Columbia, Missouri. The Starting Block , as it is named, is located at 2902 Forum Blvd., Suite 103, inside the Wilson’s Total Fitness complex. The store sells men's and women's fitness apparel, shoes, and accessories... CrossFit St Louis offers area athletes a solid option for getting into or staying in shape. CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide. The local affiliate is operated by certified instructor Laurie Miller. Small group classes are forming to begin on Dec 4.

Nov 26 - Congratulatons to Zac Freudenburg (51:22) and Eileen Petito (1:04:12) who won this year's Great River Road Run. A total of 894 runners took part in the 10-miler... Nice work to Derek Holland (16:23) and Kristin Chandler (18:07) who won the Turkey Tracks 5k Run. In all, 388 runners participated in the Thanksgiving Day race... Michael Aitken (15:43) and Kathryn Hamera (17:37) were the overall winners in the Chesterfield Turkey Trot 5k run on Thursday. An enormous field of 1704 runners toed the starting line in a very successful event... Nov 24 - There are a number of highly contested bike races that remain relatively unknown outside the realm of ultra distance cycling. These contests are staged throughout the U.S. as riders attempt to set state-crossing records. The ordeal is as much about finding the quickest or flattest point to point route as it is about being in good cycling condition. These are sanctioned efforts with a UMCA official acknowledging the finish time. Missouri Records - Akihiro Inoue, St. Louis, July 6, 1996 south to north 403 miles, 26hrs 41min, 15.12mph. Chris Hopkinson, Derbyshire, UK Sept 3, 2004, west to east 190.5 miles, 8hrs 38min, 22.07mph. Chris Hopkinson, Derbyshire, UK Sept 4, 2004, east to west 190.5 miles, 9hrs 29min, 20.07mph. web

Nov 22 - In last Friday's update, we profiled 100 mile ultra endurance mountain bike races. Now it appears that Lance Armstrong has caught the bug for this mondo MTB racing by announcing his intention to participate in the 2007 Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race. This is the same Leadville of off-road running fame. The course offers brutal climbs and technical descents. It is comprised almost entirely of single track between 9,000 and 12,600 feet above sea level. Top competitors, like three-time winner Dave Wiens, finish in a little over seven hours. The time limit for finishing is thirteen hours. In 2006, only 506 of 750 racers met the cutoff. web

Nov 21 - On Monday, the International Cycling Union informed the Tour of Missouri that their race license has been granted 2.1 status. Most now allows organizers to invite UCI ProTeams (max. 50%.), along with the UCI professional continental teams, UCI continental teams, and national teams. This is a huge advance for the ToM and one that may well bring some of the best names in the sport to the Midwest... In October, Scott Rigsby became the first double amputee to complete a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run triathlon. His marvelous achievement has already succeeded in creating more opportunities for PC athletes. At the same time, the publicity surrounding his feat has inadvertently called attention to a race blithely making unauthorized use of the trademarked I-word. As zealously as the WTC safeguards the I-word, it's amazing this event has flown under the M-dot radar. Compounding the matter is an interview with Rigsby by USAT, who should know better, in which they clearly didn't fact check the event title. If all of this seems like much ado about nothing, just ask Ultramax Events how litigious the folks in Clearwater can be. All legalities aside, Rigsby enjoyed a historic day and now has his sights set on, you guessed it, a full Ironman. Rock on Scott.

Nov 20 - Jason Holroyd (16:53) and Helen Alexander Kratz (20:18) led 352 runners to the finish line in the Jingle Bell 5K Run over the weekend. Results. The event was just one of 104 Jingle Bell Run/Walks staged across the country to raise funds for the National Arthritis Foundation... Eighteen year old Cameron Ayers (17:30) and nineteen year old Julie Monda (21:30) won the overall gender divisions at the McNair Park Cross Country Run. Results... Googling— One of great things about the world wide web, aside from its utter vastness, is that every so often you stumble upon one of those little hidden gems. The Helvellyn Triathlon in England is just such a nugget. You know you're in Great Britain when you're instructed in King's English that wetsuits are "compulsory." And how about a run course with the following description? "The weather on the fells (n.- an upland stretch of open country; moor; barren or stony hill) even in mid-summer can be poor and the tops could well be in cloud. You will not be allowed out of the bike/run transition without full body cover weather proof clothing, map of the route, compass, whistle and suitable footwear for a fell run. Some form of backpack will be required." A small photo gallery from the event has been posted for your viewing pleasure... Inside Triathlon posted a recap of the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship. As mentioned in yesterday's update, congrats to locals making the finish line on what was a very tough race course. Event web... SlowTwitch.com is reporting that at least one pro triathlete at the Ironman World Championships has returned a positive drug test. Whether this is an actual infraction(s) or detection of a therapeutic use exemption remains to be seen. The story apparently reaches beyond simple lab results as they were mistakenly sent to ITU chief Les McDonald. Let the intrigue begin.

Nov 19 - The 2006 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Canberra, Australia are now history. Torbjorn Sandballe (5:59:13) and Bella Comerford (5:59:13) were the overall winners. Four St Louis are residents made the trip as a part of Team USA. 81-Matt Brier 7:13:27, 373- Bob Patterson 9:01:48, 459-Patty Nooney 9:45:38, 536 Patrick Byrne 11:26:39... For 2007, USA Triathlon will raise the cost of its annual membership $39 while is one-day licenses will increase to $10. The current $30/$9 rate structure has been in place since 2003. web

Nov 17 - If you haven't checked out the Ultramax website redesign, we have two words for you— it rocks. Bold and richly textured, with just the right amount of Flash animation, the site is a masterwork by the web gurus at Foundation Computing. If this resembles a wine review, we offer our appraisal after having visited many, many Webby Award winning websites over the years. Very nice work guys..... As for SBR, the last couple of days have been spent optimizing our site. Ideally you've noticed that the homepage loads much faster after we simplified and parsed reams of HTML code. Aside from those tweaks, we're flirting with a few design change ideas and additional functionalites to enhance the site. We should have those in place for 2007. But for us, one thing will never change— content is king...... Last month Active.com posted an informative article by Lynda Wallenfels about a growing segment of mountain bike racing— 100 mile ultra-endurance racing. As her article points out, 2006 was the inaugural season for a unifying series, the National Ultra-Endurance Mountain Bike 100 Series, which included six events in six different states. It's not inconceivable that the off-road century may eventually become a benchmark much like the road bike century, marathon run, or Ironman triathlon. Clearly not every off-roader is predisposed towards that kind of distance, but the sport does offer an interesting gauntlet for endurance athletes seeking new challenge... For fun we checked out a few races and posted their links. Durango MTB 100 , Shenandoah Mountain 100 , Lumber Jack 100 , Breckenridge 100 , Park City Endurance 100 , Cascade Cream Puff , Wilderness 101 , Mohican 100....... Look for The Flying Scotsman to be in movie theaters Dec 29. Based on an autobiography by same name, the film tells the stranger-than-fiction tale of Graham Obree and his pursuit of the hour record. The film received positive reviews after premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Readers unfamiliar with Obree's story can gain a sense for his battles— personal demons, the UCI, and the ultimate cycling record— by reading a Velonews review. We also found a web with photos of the bikes that Obree built.... Aerobars pre-dated Obree's creations— '87 RAAM, '89 TdF, Scott DH Aerobars. In what is beginning to feel like seven degrees of cycling separation, we went a step further and dug up historical accounts on the development of aerobars, tri bikes, and such. Dan Empfield (QR founder) wrote an article for Slow Twitch that chronicles his role, and we found an authorless article about "bike technology" posted on Kevin Mackinnon's (Ironman.com) personal site... All of this meandering eventually led us back to the The Flying Scotsman. Go see the film when it opens...... The situation for Australian cyclist Paul Crake , who was involved in a freakish, wind-driven bike crash last weekend, has taken a much-feared turn for the worse. His post-op leg paralysis is a condition from which doctors say he will likely not recover. Gives all of us pause for thought when counting our blessings on Thanksgiving.

Nov 16 - The St Louis Post-Dispatch interviewed Manchester resident, Greg Smith, after his successful Ironman Florida experience. He took part in the paper's Healthy & Fit Challenge. web... Team USA members are enjoying sunny, 77° weather in Canberra, Australia as they prepare for the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships to be held on Sunday. The event will employ the 4k swim-120k bike-30k run format for a final time. (2007 it becomes double-Olympic distance). Best of luck to local athletes on the team roster: Patrick Byrne, Bob Patterson, Patty Nooney, and Matt Brier

Nov 15 - Ultramax Events will soon roll out their newly redesigned website. In the meantime, they are offering triathletes the opportunity to earn a Season's Pass to their races. If you know of a company interested in becoming a race sponsor, it could be your ticket to free racing in all Ultramax Events in 2007. The program is subject to some restrictions, but for a complete description and details, email Dulsey

Nov 14 - Paul Crake won the annual Empire State Building Stair Climb five times in succession (1999-2003) and in the process set a still unbroken record of 9 min 33 sec. So how does he top those 86 flights of stairs? He does it by becoming a professional bicycle racer of course. Applying the same fervor he displayed in the Big Apple, Crake quickly became a member of the Australian team at the 2004 Road World Championships in Italy. Last year the Aussie placed third in the Australian Open Road Championships. However, racing last weekend at the Tour of Southland, Crake and a group of other riders were blown off the road by fierce winds just two kilometers from the finish. Crake took the worst of the it suffering fractures to his C1 and C2 cervical vertebrae and dislocations of his T5 and T6 thoracic vertebrae. He is in Christchurch, AU after surgery yesterday. Full recovery mate. web ... Sad news surfaced in the wake of Ironman Florida earlier this month when it was learned that Barney Rice died three days after the race. The athlete was pulled from the water near the 1.8 mile mark of the swim. An EMT crew was able to revive his pulse on the way to the hospital, but sadly the athlete later died. Strange in all of this is Ironman's continued silence. Both IM NA and IM Florida offered no comment to Florida news reporter Josh Weinfuss. Condolences to the Rice family.

Nov 13 - Nice work at the Mother Road 100 to Jeff Neumann of Wildwood. He led St Louis area athletes in the 100-mile run with his 12th place finish and a time of 21:29:15. Also making the line in good position were 24-Joseph Neubauer 22:55:10 and 43-Corky Miller 25:26:56. A total of 99 individuals and 19 teams completed the race... Steven Werths (1:18:36) and Judy Dorpinghouse (1:24:33) won the Gateway Half Marathon. Ironically perhaps, Larry Huffmann had a faster 13.1 mile chip time than the winner but finished in second place. He came through the finish chute a frustrating four seconds back of the winner by official gun time criteria. While it most likely wasn't the factor that kept Huffmann from the winner's circle, a quick scan of the chip/gun differentials through the lower half of the results will reveal that many runners seriously mis-seeded themselves at the front. A respectable number participated in the event, but the field of 391 runners fell far short of the lofty goal of 3,500 the race had hoped to draw. Upon reaching that threshold, the race would have offered a $25,000 cash prize purse. If indeed the race happens next year, race officials might be wise to provide a corral for the elitesCraig Alexander of Australia (3:45:37) and Samantha McGlone of Canada (4:12:58) won the first Ironman 70.3 World Championship... Nice work by Rich Wierzba 4:39:21, Kristin Moore 4:44:10, Kevin Jokisch 4:52:32, and Jennifer Cunnane 5:16:02... As things turned out, the The Silverman Triathlon's 100K Relay Division didn't produce a sub-8 hour finish. The event's much anticipated challenge more closely resembled a comedy of errors for two of the world class teams. A missed swim buoy, one lost aerobar bolt, a penalty, and a twisted ankle kept the $100-large safe. Xtri posted a recap of the strange happenings in the desert. web... Trek announced that they will adopt the new CLIX wheel retention system for their 2008 bikes. A 2006 Eurobike Award winner, the product was designed by Montogue Inventive Technologies in the U.S. This clever skewer setup will make wheel installation easier and much safer. Product illustration

Nov 12 - Embracing the fitness lifestyle has many implications, among which, is maintaining a healthy diet. It is a generally accepted fact that one of the biggest saboteurs of a healthy diet is the fast food industry. Morgan Spurlock's scathing film, Super Size Me , took an editorial shot at global fast food purveyor McDonalds, but the corporate giant barely suffered a flesh wound. Now comes Fast Food Nation . Opening in theaters Nov. 17, this fictionalized account of the Eric Schlosser fast food industry exposé may be the tipping point for many who have considered going vegetarian... Andy Potts of the U.S. (1:50:37) and Rina Hill from Australia (2:03:18) won the ITU Triathlon World Cup in New Plymouth, NZ yesterday. Congratulations to Sarah Haskins for a very fine 6th place finish. Out of the water and onto the bike leg in the lead pack of eleven women, she crossed the line in 2:04:56. Nice work. Videos from both the men's and women's races are available for viewing. The pre-race buildup video includes footage of the Weebix Youth Triathlon in New Plymouth. More than 1500 Kiwi kids eagerly took part in the event. Check out how they manage with almost no bike racks. web

Nov 10 - The recent mid-term elections were not only good for the Democrats, but they resulted in good news for the cycling community as well. The 157-member House Bike Caucus saw 138 individuals reelected to their seats in the House and three elected to the U.S. Senate. web ... Yesterday we reported on Dean Karnazes as he set out on his NY to Cal. transcontinental run. Coming on the heels of his already incredulous feat of running 50 marathon in 50 days, the question in most people's minds is, "How does he do it?" By way of some dangerous, high stakes, sports medicine espionage, SBR has uncovered the tightly guarded secret of Mr Karnazes success. Click Dean's photo at left to learn the truth.

Nov 9 - Team Discovery theoretically pulled off the greatest pro cycling off-season coup by signing Ivan Basso. The former Fassa Bortolo and more recently Team CSC rider, had his 2006 season essentially taken away from him after being implicated in the Operation Puerto doping investigation. The addition of Basso clearly changes the team dynamic at Discovery giving them a rider who will be marked as a favorite to win the ' '07 Tour de France. We give this deal an asterisk only because in the world of pro cycling it seems nearly impossible to consistently and accurately determine who is really clean and who uses... The Mother Road 100 is a one-time road running event that celebrates the anniversary of Route 66. It will start in Arcadia, OK and travel 100 miles along that historic highway to a finish just beyond Sapulpa, OK. Official finishers face a time cutoff of 30-hours. Participants must also carefully monitor their weight as a 7% loss will result in disqualification. web... Wendy Chrisp of Endurance Coach wrote an informative article covering many training and racing aspects of ultra-distance running... The Ironman 70.3 World Championships take place this weekend in Clearwater, Florida. Ironman.com will give this event much the same coverage as its full-distance, big brother staged in Kona. The men's pro field includes names such as Spencer Smith, Luke Bell, Craig Alexander, Chris Legh, and Mathias Hecht while the women's field is a who's who of world elites like Desiree Ficker, Heather Golnick, Dede Griesbauer, Michellie Jones, Becky Lavelle, Kate Major, and Katja Schumacher. Best of luck to Nate Korteum Trent Tollakson duking it out with the pros and of course we wish good results for all the St Louis area athletes taking part in this inaugural event. web... The statistics on Dean Karnazes epic 50 Marathons in 50 Days: Pairs of shoes- 5, Pairs of socks -18 , Lost toenails - 3, Blisters - 2, Calories per day - ~5000, Trail marathons - 5, Max temp 104°, Min. temp 38°, Fastest marathon 3:00:30 at NYC, Slowest 4:45:21 at Tecumseh Trail Marathon, Longest drive 11.5 hours, Shortest 55 minutes, Average amount sleep - 4.5 hours , Starting weight 154lbs, Ending weight 153lbs, Number of people inspired by his achievement - millions... The next step for Karnazes, or shall we say the next 5,080,000+ steps, will be back to California as Gump.. er.. Dean...will now runs home from New York City. This was a totally impromptu decision that Karnazes admits was made with no prior logistical planning— the polar opposite of his carefully orchestrated past fifty days. Every marathoner has at one time or another gone out for a long run with no particular route in mind. That's not so strange. It's just that in Dean's case the run will be about 2,980 miles longer. web

Nov 8 - W hile looking at cycling gear the other day, I discovered a disturbing trend developing— bad cycling jerseys. There's no doubt in my mind that a happy hour was involved when the design department convinced management to go ahead with some of these ideas. Jerseys not to wear.

Nov 7 - The 2006 La Ruta de los Conquistadores took place over the weekend in Costa Rica. Billed as one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world, the event led participants on a remarkable race course— into nine microclimates, through lavish rain forests, near volcanoes, over mountains, and along crystal clear rivers. We pulled four striking images from the race photo gallery. one two three four... With the points she earned in last weekend's Cancun race, Sarah Haskins moved up three places to 20th in the BG World Cup Triathlon rankings. PDF... The Racing With Giants adventure racing team posted a photo-journalist account of their experience in Primal Quest. It's a lengthy article but well worth a read when you have time. It does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the 10-day race. Several remarkable photos also accompany the text. web... The Trek Store of St Louis, along with their KC and Omaha locations, is raffling a Trek 1500 bicycle signed by the man himself. The bike resides safely at their Kansas City location. Tickets are $5 each and available through December... The Silverman Triathlon takes place on Sunday in and around Henderson, Nevada. So challenging is the course that $100,000 prize had been offered to any relay team that can go under 8 hours. That barrier has been broken by individual racers on the fast course of the Quelle Roth Challenge in Germany, but for a solo racer to accomplish that on the Silverman course is virtually impossible. The team competition has drawn a number of high profile professional athletes from all three disciplines pooling their skills to meet the challenge, probably as much for the bragging rights as the money. The latest team to announce their intention is the trio of Jonas Colting (former Ultraman World Champion), Bjorn Andersson (perhaps the strongest cyclist in triathlon), and Patrik Tjärdal (clocked a 30 min 10k on the track). web

Nov 6 - The Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup had 82 pro women from 28 countries competing in heavy rain and wind. Anja Dittmer of Germany (2:01:52) took the win by just eleven seconds over Joelle Franzmann. Nice work by Sarah Haskins (2:02:52) who stayed with the lead pack from the start and finished in the money in 9th position, just one minute back of the winner... The men's race witnessed up and coming star Javier Gomez of Spain (1:48:32) capture his third World Cup win of the year which secured for him the overall Series title and its $40k bonus. web ... The running world can relax now that Lance Armstrong has completed his first marathon. After going sub-three hours at the New York City Marathon, the totally gassed Armstrong promptly stated that it was the toughest physical challenge he's ever faced. This is coming from a man for whom no mountain was high enough while on the bike. The punishing, impact-nature of running 26.2 miles imposes a far different stress on joints and muscles than spinning pedals. It's mildly reassuring to know that one of the best endurance athletes in the world can hurt just like the rest of us. Nice work to LA and all the St Louis are runners who made the finish line. web... Valley Forge, Pennsylvania will be the site of a new 2500-seat, indoor velodrome. The 130,000 sq.foot, multi-purpose structure is planned for completion within 18-months giving 2008 Olympic hopefuls a state of the arts training ground. It doesn't come as much of surprise that this area would move forward with such a project. The nearby open-air Lehigh Valley Velodrome in Trexlertown, Pa., has produced 16 Olympic team members, including 2000 gold medalist Marty Nothstein. St Louis area trackies have revived the Penrose Park Velodrome. If track usage is consistent and if local interest in the sport can be grown exponentially, perhaps one day the Metro might see its own indoor track.

Nov 5 - Ironman Florida is in the books. Jan Raphael (8:22:44) and Bella Comerford (9:28:28) took home the top honors in a race that saw both the men's and women's pre-race favorites unable to keep pace... Great work by Brian Schoenholz 10:33:52 and Aron Rauls 10:43:40 for going sub-11 hours. Congratulations to all St Louis Metro triathletes who made the finish line. Bruce Edwards 12:33:29, Sergio Fernandez 13:21:11, Steve Grigone 11:53:58, Nancy Klutenkamper 12:45:32, Matt Parris 12:54:04, Tim Schneider 11:06:20, Katie Schoenholz 12:29:13, Greg Smith 13:46:52, Michael Sundet 12:21:53, Mark Westphale 14:00:26, Matt Beebe 11:15:13, and Doug Burns 11:49:26... Who has the following race resume? Two-time Ultraman World Champion, RAAM Female Solo champion, RAAM 2-Person Coed Champion, 4-time Ironman World Championship qualifer, she set a course record at the Furnace Creek 508 bike race, and has competed in over 100 triathlons. answer... Free triathlon training tips available on video from ITU pros. Topics include— setting up your bike shoes, working and training, tips for race day, getting out of transition quickly, and getting race ready. Watch online or download them into your video iPod. web... What's cyclocross all about? Velonews TV has posted six short videos that provide newcomers with a nice primer. A general overview of the sport segues into race tips and specific technique instruction. The 30-minute series is well worth viewing whether you're curious about the sport or have just added 'Cross to your winter training... A "middle of the the pack" Ironman Hawaii finisher offers his thoughts on the race for which it took him 13 Ironman races and 15 years to qualify. His article provides some very useful insights for the curious or those with the World Championship on their radar screen. web... A do it yourself recipe for fig bars on the homemade energy page.

Nov 3 - This weekend, local ITU pro Sarah Haskins will look to improve upon her World Cup ranking and cash in on the $100,000 prize purse at the Cancun BG Triathlon World Cup. More than 80 triathletes will comprise the women's elite field. Look for Sarah to vie for a podium finish on Sunday in a live webcast from the ITU site. The following weekend, Sarah closes out her 2006 season in New Zealand at the ITU New Plymouth World Cup. There she hopes to better her 10th place finish in 2005 as well as soak up the remarkable natural wonder of that country... Sarah is also this week's featured athlete on the USAT website... Good Luck this weekend at Ironman Florida to Metro St Louis triathletes: Bruce Edwards, Sergio Fernandez, Steve Grigone, Nancy Klutenkamper, Matt Parris, Aron Rauls, Tim Scheider, Brian and Katie Schoenholz, Greg Smith, Michael Sundet, Corge and Sarah Umlauf, Mark Westphale, Matt Beebe, Doug Burns, Christian Espinosa, and Brent Knox. The forecast for tomorrow's race calls for a sunny day. It will be cool early (49°) then warm to 70°. East wind 10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. Race coverage on Ironman.com has already begun with video interviews of Spencer Smith, Lothar Leder, Hillary Biscay, Heather Fuhr, and Bella Comerford. The race gets underway at 7am EST... A well-produced video of the Red Bull Soapbox Race in St Louis was posted on YouTube

Nov 2 - class="unnamed1" size="2">The SOMA Ironman Triathlon took place in Temp, AZ last Sunday offering racers 1/2 and 1/4 iron-distance events. Local finishers in the long- course race include: David Ware 4:56:12, Reed Luikaart 6:14:28., Craig Ficken 6:16:21, and Jill Heaviland 7:06:48. Nice work to all ... This weekend will bring what many consider the toughest mountain bike race in the world, the three-day stage race known as La Ruta de los Conquistadores. For español -challenged readers, that translates to The Route of the Conquistadors, which is exactly what the course follows, namely that of a 16th century Spaniard Juan Caballón. History lesson aside, the race will also teach participants new levels of suffering with its 176 mile, coast to coast ride across Costa Rica and its 28,858 feet of climbing. In the women's division, Louise Kobin will be gunning for her fourth straight title. The men will be led by defending champion Thomas Frischknecht), former Trans Rockies winner Andreas Hestler, and MTB legend Tinker Juarez. web... It is oddly ironic that Lance Armstrong seems to be getting more press by running the New York City Marathon than he did before winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France. LA has agreed to wear a minicam which will allow webcast viewers to track the race and his every footfall free for the first 30 minutes and for $4.99 in its entirety. The subscription is limited to the first 100,000. web... In 2007, the Katy Trail will likely undergo a northern extension from St Charles to Machens, Mo. When completed next summer, this section of trail will provide riders at the Frontier Park trailhead in St. Charles with a 26-mile out and back option... The proposed St Charles County Greenway has gained popular support from cyclists who turned out in force at three open houses used to present the plan. If completed, the trail will extend for some 36-miles as it shadows Dardenne Creek. PDF

Oct 31 - Ironman Louisville has sold out its slots in just one week. This is actually about seven times slower than every other full Ironman event in the world. What's the problem? Seriously though, the event looks to be off to a great start should be a boon for both the sport and the Midwest... The WTC has announced the addition of Ironman 70.3 Newfoundland to their 2007 calendar. Known most recently for hosting an ITU World Cup in Cornerbrook, the area will provide triathletes with wind and challenging hills... Registration for Vineman 70.3 opens tomorrow. This event remains one of a select few half-iron races offering slots for Kona... Ironman Florida is ready to rock this Saturday, Nov. 4 in Panama City Beach. Up for grabs are 80 slots for the 2007 World Championship. Live coverage on Ironman.com... The inaugural Ironman 70.3 World Championship is set for Nov. 11 in Clearwater, Florida. The start list for this event reads much like the one at Kona just a couple of weeks ago. It will prove interesting to see how much recovery from the Ironman World Championships plays a role in the outcome of the higher tempo, half-iron race coming on its heels... Best of luck to all St. Louis area triathletes competing in IM Florida and IM 70.3 Worlds... 2007 will be the year of dueling bicycle trade shows as Eurobike invades American soil. Its organizers intend to compete directly with Interbike, staging their show in September. They have settled on the immensely bike-friendly city of Portland, Oregon. Eurobike outdrew Interbike in 2006 by nearly 10,000 attendees... The 3rd Annual JCC Indoor Triathlon is scheduled for Sat-Sun, February 10-11. Heats begin at 6am in the pool at the Chesterfield location. A sprint distance race comprised of a 400yd swim, 8-mile bike, and 2.5 mile run, as well as a long course race comprised of 750yd swim, 18 mile bike, and 5 mile run, will each be staged on both days. Participants can race one day or on both in any combination. Fees: Sprint – Members $25 / Non $35; Long – Members $35 / Non $45; Two Day Discount – Sprint – Members $40 / Non $60; Long – Members $60 / Non $80; Combo – Members $50 / Non $70. Phil @ pruben@jccstl.org

Oct 30 - The 2006 Xterra World Championships played out Sunday in beautiful Maui, Hawaii. The men's top three were 1. Hamish Carter, 2. Olivier Marceau, 3. Seth Wealing. The 35-year old Carter of New Zealand was first to the line in 2:42:36. His Xterra World Championship trophy will look sharp beside his triathlon gold medal earned at the 2004 Olympic Games. The victory was well-earned after Carter rode the final mile of the bike on a flat, then caught the three leaders on 10k trail run. For her part, McQuaid made it consecutive titles and her third Xterra Worlds overall with a time of 3:07:53. The women's field was led to the finish by the trio of 1. Melanie McQuaid, 2. Danelle Kabush, 3. Sibylle Matter... The Marine Corp Marathon was won by Ruben Garcia (2:21:21) and Laura Thompson (3:00.23), both of the USA. Billing itself as the the "People's Race," the MCM didn't produce world class times from it's winners, but the event delivered a world-class event. Nice work to the many Missouri and Metro St Louis area runners who made and trip and made the finish line. Results... One of the coolest websites we've visited recently is that of Ibis Cycles . Apart from the cleverly themed interface, you've gotta love a frame maker that builds MTBs in the color of Guinness Foam or M&M's.

Oct 29 - On a chilly Saturday morning, the Gumbo Flats Pumpkin Run 10k saw 383 runners take to the streets in the Chesterfield bottoms. Jerry Huber (33:18) and Mairi Burfoot (40:28) captured the titles. In the coinciding 5k run, Liam Revell (16:06) and Kate Schwetye (19:33) were the first to the line in their respective genders among 590 racers. Results... Cyclists are always on the lookout for ways to lighten their bikes, whether its a few grams saved by installing a new pedals, a carbon stem, or some other component. Imagine that you've just cut your bike's by 35.3 lbs. That's exactly what Cannondale did for Dick and Rick Hoyt... Ironman World Championship runner-up, Chris McCormack, responded to Normann Stadler's post race allegations of McCormack's blatant drafting on the bike. On his blog , Macca fired a return salvo of rhetoric aimed at Stadler... Lance Armstrong may spend the rest of his life deflecting accusations. Yet another book has been published making allegations about his drug use. LA Official, released in France this week, is a follow up to LA Confidential, and was penned by the same authors, David Walsh and Pierre Ballester. The latest book focuses on the testimony given in the legal dispute between Armstrong and SCA Promotions, a Dallas-based firm that attempted to withhold a $5 million bonus from Armstrong after his sixth TdF win... Many in the world Triathlon community were surprised by WTC's decision to award Louisville, Kentucky an Ironman event. Who knows what financial, geographical, social, or political influences factored into the decision. To its great credit, the city has put in place a plan endorsed and supported by local government to make Louisville a bike friendly community. Bike Louisville was cited by the League of American Cyclists who bestowed their Bronze Award upon the city for it's efforts.

Oct 28 - The Tour of Missouri Pro Cycling Race website it up and running. Keep up with developing news in what is sure to become one of the top sporting events in the state in 2007... The mountain bike appears to be undergoing a paradigm shift as virtually all manufacturers either currently offer or are in the process of bringing to market a frame with 29" wheels. The past standard, 26" wheels, may find themselves as as outdated as last year's computer. While the debate still rages on the relative merits of each wheel size, no one denies that the 29ers provide less rolling friction, a more comfortable ride, better obstacle rollover, and even better traction. These benefits would seem to outweighed any diminished acceleration benefit the big boys have. Smaller riders claim they are ill-fitted for the larger setup. 2007 will no doubt see the 29er making big inroads in the MTB market... The Xterra World Championship has drawn its largest field ever to the island of Maui. 575 participants have qualified or been invited to make the trip. This year's field holds a few very interesting names and situations Scott Tinley will be in the swim start for the fifth time. Chris Leigh of Australia and Chris Lieto from New Zealand will be there. Of course Eneko Llanos is no stranger to Xterra Worlds having won it twice, but he is recovering from a surprising 5th place finish at his first Ironman World Championships only a week earlier. The versatile Michael Tobin, who has in recent years made quite a name for himself in adventure racing, will take part in his 8th Xterra. In the past, women's field may have been a coin flip between Melanie McQuaid and Jamie Whitmore but this year the Swiss misses, Renata Bucher and Sybelle Mattier, will have a large say in the final outcome. The event should provide an exciting day of racing and make for entertaining viewing when broadcast as in years past on Super Bowl Sunday.

Oct 27 - A big thank you goes to website sponsors Sports Enhancement Group and Pfoodman for renewing their respective commitments to Swim Bike Run St Louis through 2007. Most of what we do would not be possible without the generous support of companies like them... SBR hopes that all St. Louis area runners who took part in the recent Chicago Marathon made the effort to wear something with the St. Louis Cardinals logo on it. A road trip to Chicago just isn't complete without antagonizing Cubbie fans. Now another golden opportunity has arisen. A host of Missouri residents will jet to the Big Apple for the New York City Marathon. After our Cards banished the heavily favored Mets in the NLCS, what better place to show your team loyalty than in their backyard?... The 2007 Tour de France route was announced yesterday . Velonews

Oct 26 - Missouri will be represented at the Xterra World Championships in Maui this weekend. Good luck to Brad and Barbie Miller of Columbia and Ryan Maher form Waterville... While most Metro area cyclists spent this past Tuesday eagerly anticipating that evening's World Series game between the Cards and the Detroit Tigers, the group that showed up to hear Nathalie Visser speak at Big Shark Bicycle Company were given a an early Halloween treat. In her role as one of Team CSC's Soigneurs, she provides an integral function in the day to day operation of the team. Her slide show and accompanying dialogue offered those in attendance many inside looks at pro cycling in general and Team CSC in particular. A question and answer session followed.

Fuel Belt , Inc. recently acquired the popular website Xtri.com. The company plans a redesign with an official relaunch in December. Fuelbelt was founded by Vinu Malik in 1998. The original concept for his product came as a result of his participation in Ironman Canary Islands. He caught a glimpse of another competitor using a crude homemade hydration device with bicycle water bottles strapped around his body. Malik seized upon the concept honing both its utility and aesthetics. The rest, as they proverbially say, is history... For those keeping score, Dean Karnazes has completed marathon number 40. as most know by now, Karnazes is running one marathon is each state over the course of fifty consecutive days... Ultramax Events will produce a dual championship weekend at Innsbrook Resort in 2007. On Saturday, Sept. 15, the Halfmax National Championship will once again serve as the USAT Long-Course Championship. Then on the Sunday, Sept. 16, a Quartermax and Octomax will be staged. The USAT National Club Championships will be scored by total club participation in all three events. As a result, clubs are essentially given the opportunity to allocate their membership over the distances that each racer performs best- sprint, intermediate, or long... The Who Tri's Harder Multisport Weekend is set for June 23-24 at Innsbrook Resort with a Quartermax on Saturday followed by an Octomax on Sunday. Each event will reward its winners but Awards will be also dished out to those racers with the best combined times. Ultramax

Oct 25 - The Tour de France will announce the 2007 route tomorrow at a lavish ceremony. The multi-media spectacular will lack much of its splash as rider representatives from 11 of the 20 teams refuse to attend as a result of the current squabble between the UCI and the three major tours. Casting an additional shadow over the event is the unresolved situation of Floyd Landis. As for the 2007 route, word is already out that the prologue will take place in London, England, then stage-one running from London to Canterbury... Chicago Marathon officials will have to rethink their use of the "non-skid, non-slip" race logo decal upon which winner Robert Cheruiyot lost his footing and then struck his head upon the pavement. CT scans have revealed that the tumble has left Cheruiyot with minor bleeding over the surface of his brain. Doctors have advised the 28-year old to take several months off from running... 2006 Ironman World Champion, Normann Stadler, took the sting from less than complimentary remarks Peter Reid made to Triathlete Magazine about Stadler's chances at Kona and used it to help fuel his win. In a post race interview with the champ by the same magazine, Stadler then took a shot at Chris McCormack by calling him a cheater for blatant drafting on the bike. Web... Over the weekend, 53-year old Michael Secrest broke the 24-Hour Indoor World Cycling Record on the velodrome at the ADT Event Center in Carson, CA. He rode 534 . 70 miles which bettered the previous record of 530 . 41 miles set by Rod Evans of Australia in 1994. Secrest is little known outside of endurance cycling, but this amazing athlete won the 1987 Race Across America. In a remarkable 1990 endurance-feat/stunt, Secrest drafted an 18-wheeler around the Phoenix Motor Speedway for 24 hours covering 1,216.81 miles (51-mph). Readers may recall Secrest's aborted "Impossible Ride To Cure Hunger" of a couple years ago in which he planned to draft a semi 2,440 miles from California to Florida in just two days at 60mph. The ride unfortunately lived up to its name with impossibly difficult logistical demands.

Oct 24 - The Ironman World Championship witnessed what may have been construed as more earth shaking on Saturday when Norman Stadler crushed the bike course (4:18:23) on his way to capturing the 2006 title with a finishing time of 8:11:56. Michellie Jones (9:18:31) won in just her sophomore effort in the race proving that someone without the name Badmann can actually take the women's division. Congratulations to St Louis Metro area triathletes Edgar Breda (11:09:00) and Gary Berra (14:19:49) for coming through the finish in style. Also, very, very nice work to SBR friend Elizabeth Fedofsky-Waterstraat who ended her week in Kona with a 10:45:34 finish... The Chicago Marathon took place over the weekend and witnessed a bizarre ending in which the second place runner broke the finish line tape. Robert K. Cheruiyot of Kenya (2:07:35) won in a sprint finish only to slip and fall backwards under the tape. He struck his head on the pavement and was taken to the hospital for overnight observation. The women's race was won by Berhane Adere of Ethiopia in 2:20:42... Using a search parameter of "Missouri" yielded some 1,242 unofficial results which may be a few more than we can display here. So, nice job to all of the local runners who covered the 26.2 miles... The Wild in the Woods running series brought installment #3 to Matson Hill Park. The ladies stole the show as Maureen Conley finished 2nd overall in the half-marathon (1:25:27) behind winner Andrew Karandjeff (1:21:45), and Kate Schwetye (47:22) took second overall in the 10k to winner Jeff Vanderlinden (44:47). results... The Texas Time Trials took place last Thursday thru Saturday down in Cleburne, Texas. Congratulations to Virgil Moehsmer of St Louis for finishing 3rd in the solo male 500 miler (33hrs 16min 3 sec). SBR came through the finish just behind in a RAAM-qualifying 4th place with a time of 33:45:25. We'll file a detail-laced race report shortly. Complete results and photos available from race web

Oct 18 - The biggest news to ever hit the Missouri cycling community was yesterday's official announcement of the Tour Of Missouri Pro Cycling Race scheduled for Sept. 2007. In the next eleven months much will be written by the media about this event and many a water cooler discussion will speculate on its potential and merits, but with the Governor of Missouri firmly behind the project and Medalist Sports producing it, the effort to make this a world class event had a solid roll out.

Oct 17 - Congratulations to members of the Columbia Multisport Club who accomplished something of which few can boast— they returned from Las Vegas winners. The close-knit organization won its third USAT Club National Championship over such Division-1 rivals as the high-profile LA Tri Club and the venerable San Diego Tri Club. Inside Triathlon posted a nice race recap . In 2007, the event looks to provide CMC with home field advantage as it shifts to the St. Louis area... While over the weekend an earthquake was unsettling Kona, then just a week away from the Ironman World Championship, the forces of nature were also hard at work in Utah. A record amount of rain poured down on the world famous and hugely attended 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race while in-progress, forcing race officials to shut down the race and rescue many participants. Confusion ruled about official results when the race was continued in the morning.

Oct 16 - The island of Hawaii was rocked by an earthquake that was measured at 6.6 magnitude. It was followed by more than 40 aftershocks. The Ironman World Championship, scheduled for Saturday, has not been postponed or cancelled. Ironman will post updates on the status of race as the situation evolves. More details on the quake can be found on the Hawaii Tribune Herald... The O'Fallon Fall Fest 5k drew 321 runners on Saturday. Dan Miner came away with the overall win in a time of 16:54. He was followed by Jeremy Collins and Christopher Minor who both finished with the same time of 17:38. The women's field was led by Debbie Kerber-Kehr in 20:16 with Beth Schueler (21:23) and Erin Kuechler (21:33) finishing second and third... Some action from the cyclocross races at Creve Coeur park yesterday were captured on video by Tracy Fober. Here is the link to youtube.

Oct 15 - Ultramax Events has announced their 2007 schedule. Most of the dates for the events are set. All of our favorite UMax races are back along with a few new ones. The website reveals that a long-course triathlon is in the works for St Louis County which is to be staged sometime in August. It also hints at another duathlon being added to the calendar. WTG Mark. web... Results of the recent USAT elections have been released. John Beyer, President of the St Louis Triathlon Club, received a Regional Board Seat. The Midwest Region consists of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin... Inside Triathlon posted a read-worthy interview with 2005 Ironman World Champion, Faris Al-Sutan... A very interesting 12-minute video about Race Across America is narrated by Jim Lampley. It sheds light on the outrageous demands that the event places on racers and crews. Part 1 , Part 2... Couldn't make it to Las Vegas for Interbike? We may have the answer(s): Oct. 28 - 18th Annual Veloswap Denver Nov. 18 - 4th Annual Veloswap - Veloswap San Francisco Jan 28, 2007 St Louis Regional Bicycle Federation Classic Bike Show & Swap April 14-15, 2007 - Chicago Bike Show

Oct 14 - St Louis area companies and SBR sponsors, Show Me Cables and Chapel Chiropractic, were included in a segment about flex-time and employers on Good Morning America this past Thursday. video... USAT Club Nationals are set for today in Boulder City, Nevada located just outside of Las Vegas. The event looks to be a showdown between the Los Angeles Tri Club which is bringing 180 athletes to the fray and the Columbia Multisport Club which is taking 147 soldiers into battle. Good luck CMC. web

Oct 13 - The Challenge of the Bluffs run in Alton, Illinois saw Eileen Petito capture first overall. Her time of 31:41 put the 36 year old across the finish line one second ahead of runner-up Bruce Nie (31:42). The the men's top three were rounded out by Nick Whiteside (32:20), and Larry Huels (32:27). In the women's division, Annie Bellantone (34:50) and Pam Campbell (37:09) came through in 2nd and 3rd positions. This was the second race in a row in which Petito has won the overall title.

Oct 11 - If you are participating in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 22, your time in that city will coincide with the nationwide opening of the new movie, What it Takes. What better way to spend the Friday or Saturday afternoon before the race than with your feet up, watching a documentary about four world-class triathletes. The film provides a year-long, behind the scenes glimpse into the lives of Peter Reid, Luke Bell, Heather Fuhr, and Lori Bowden as they train, race, and prepare for the 2005 Ironman World Championships. Show times are Friday, October 20 at 3:30pm and Saturday, October 21 at 12:30. Location is the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601. 312-846-2073... Interbike afforded me with an unparalleled opportunity to chat with a wealth of personalities in the cycling industry and its periphery. Among them was film maker, Scott Coady, whose first film, The Tour Baby!, offered viewers a look at the Tour de France through his Sony 8. The film has gone on to raise over $200,000 for charity. His latest effort is entitled, Cobbles Baby!. He shot this film at the 2004 Paris-Roubaix and gives us a race perspective not seen on Cycling.TV. In fact, the only way to get this stuff is armed with media passes and brass cajones. Scott was granted nearly full access by the U.S. Postal Team (now Discovery). The bonus features are definitely not filler as Coady visits Omaha Beach, Johan Museeuw's pub on the eve before his very last race, and the Belgium Cycling Centre which helps young American riders adapt to racing life in Europe. Certainly worth a view... While in Utah earlier this year, I took the opportunity to make it to an Omnimax theater which was showing, Wired to Win, Surviving the Tour de France. If you're an endurance athlete or cyclist, you likely have a great interest in both of this film's overriding themes— science and the Tour. The film neatly combines them, then smartly weaves in and out of both through animated sequences which illustrate brain functions and some truly breathtaking footage of the 2004 TDF captured on 70mm film. The actual making of the film became a story in itself, originally intended to feature Tyler Hamilton. His travails forced filmmakers to switch subjects, using instead, Australian pro cyclist Baden Cooke and his French teammate Jimmy Caspar. If you can't catch this film while out of town, a screening is scheduled for 6/15/07 to 01/03/08 at the St Louis Science Center Omnimax Theater... Anyone who fancies himself or herself a student of cycling probably has some vague knowledge about the six-day races staged back in the sport's early, glory days. In their heyday, these indoor track races actually generated more interest and excitement than any other sporting event in America. Author, Peter Nye, along with contributors Jeff Groman and Mark Tyson, first created the book chronicling this fascinating era of cycling. Now those pages are being transformed into a documentary to be aired on public television. Go to the special features section of the website to view both movie trailers of what promises to be a wonderful film that captures a bit of Americana of which few people today are truly aware. Autographed copies of the book can be ordered through the website.

Oct 10 - Trailnet is conducting a Silent Auction for a Steelhead Bicycle from Maplewood Bicycle. The bike has custom fenders, chainguard and a front rack with wood slats. The frame was custom built in California, by Sycip Designs. The bike is an 18" frame. Pedals not included. Retail price is $3500 and the minimum bid is $2000. All bids due Friday, Dec 8. Net proceeds benefit Trailnet. Photo... Tri Fuel posted an article by Ben Greenfield entitled, Seven Serious Barriers to Achieving Your Goals and How To Overcome Them. The piece provides an angle from which few of us have looked at our training and racing. We suggest you check it out. web... An industrious USA Triathlon recently announced yet another sponsorship agreement. Sports Express is the sanctioning organization's most recent addition to a growing roster of business partners. The specialty shipping company provides door to door service for sporting equipment, and for you and me, that means bicycles. The appeal is to provide less burdensome travel through airports. A downside may be that you're without your bike for a period of time before you fly out. Airlines charge a minimum of $50 one-way for bike cases. So for comparative purposes, we plugged in a standard bike case measuring 46" x 30" x 10.5", ascribed a weight of 50lbs, and plugged in a destination of San Diego shipped from Clayton. The results below are intriguing given the fact that UPS, Fed EX, and DHL are business partners with Sports Express. We encourage you to perform your own comparison using the four links below. A caveat regarding these quotes— It's possible additional charges may apply. One additional consideration— Shipping your bike won't provide you with the head-turning looks you get as you wheel your bike case through the airport. A final possibility— Ship your luggage and ride your bike to your destination. Sports Express - UPS - FED EX - DHL

Oct 9 - A marvelous online resource is Cycling.TV which offers a wealth of free cycling videos as well as a premium subscription service. If cycling is your passion, this is a must-see site. (Heads up: Their home page is programmed to de-actvate your back button)... Work in Progress— A ride up the St Louis Riverfront Trail yesterday was an enlightening experience. The trail is undergoing a massive and, quite frankly, in some sections much needed facelift. The asphalt has been very recently resealed from the trailhead located just north of the Arch to a point several miles up trail. This made for very smooth and enjoyable riding. As I approached the northernmost sections of the trail where old asphalt has for many years been in dire condition, a new overlay is being put down. Particularly interesting is the fact that parts of the trail now reach widths of 25-30 feet. Additionally, work on the immense mural being painted on the flood wall continues as it extends further north. It adds an unique aesthetic to the venue. Granted the trail takes cyclists past a bit of industrial underbelly, a fact that is not likely to change any time soon, but the trail affords a nice view of the Mississippi River as it closely parallels that waterway. It's not apparent if the entire 11-mile project will be completed this year or in 2007 as there is still much work to be done, but when finished, it will transform the trail into a first-class bike-ped link between the Arch and Chain of Rocks bridge.

Oct 7 - The reality television bug has apparently bitten coach and author, Chris Carmichael. This fall he will host a show entitled "Me vs. Me in which he pairs active individuals who wish to become legitimate athletes with world class experts in various sports. The half-hour long show will air on the Fine Living TV channel Thursday & Fridays at 9pm Central beginning Oct 19. The debut show only will this Sunday at 7pm Central. web... If you need an excuse to get your bike onto the Katy Trail , what better reason than to head west on any Saturday or Sunday this month for the Herman Oktoberfest . Start early for this long, flat, trail century+, enjoy the German flavored festival that afternoon, then enjoy the return trip aboard Amtrak to Kirkwood station. Alternatively, road bike the hilly ride out Hwy T to Hwy 100 which leads right into Herman... A race number for the Chicago Marathon is for sale on eBay . Following through on such an offer may take a serious leap of faith or more wisely a phone call to Chicago Marathon headquarters to confirm that you can actually pick up his packet with his confirmation letter and your photo ID . Also found on the auction site, is a slot for the long sold-out Iceman Cometh Bicycle Race— These are but two examples of the phenomenon of what might aptly be described as black market race entries. The major domestic marathons like Boston, New York, and Chicago routinely monitor the web for race bib offers by prospective profiteers. The threatened lifetime ban seems an ineffective deterrent. Some desperate marathoners unwilling to shell out big bucks to scalpers have resorted to simply photocopying another entrant's race bib and then blending into the thousands of legitimately registered runners. In one instance that backfired during the 2001 Vermont City Marathon, the women's second-place finisher, Karine Maltis of Montreal, confessed that she was running under someone else's name. Based on her previous time, Maltis did not think she would come close to first place. Race organizers said that she was wearing a counterfeit bib. She was then stripped of her medal and the $800 prize money. The woman who sold her the bib number, Johanne Provencher, was barred from the race for life. The USAT and the WTC have adopted stringent policies for triathlon race number piracy. However, with the seemingly bottomless demand for Ironman slots, hypothetically, all it takes to get to the starting line in Kona is a willing seller plus a buyer armed with deep pockets an easily acquired, totally realistic-looking, fake ID. This discourse is not intended to convey the impression that such activity has become a contagion, but simply to illustrate that the problem and potential for serious abuse exists. And you thought the cheaters were just the ones using illegal performance enhancers.

Oct 6 - The 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championship takes place in Conyers, Georgia this weekend. Chris Eatough remains the prohibitive favorite to capture his 7th world title. The Trek-sponsored rider was the subject of a recent athlete profile in Velonews . For more information on the series and/or the 24-Hour Solo... The 23rd Annual Purina Dog Chow 5-Mile Run was staged on September 30th in St Louis. 105-male and 83-female bipeds took part in the race which started and finished at Checkerboard Square (9th & Chouteau). In between, the run wound its way through the Soulard and Lafayette Park areas. Men's top three finishers were Dan Miner (27:04), Liam Revell (27:14), Nathaniel Allen (27:48) while the women were led by Katie Sutton (31:04), Allie Baker (33:22), and Helen Alexander Kratz (33:30)... USA Swimming announces the 2005-06 Scholastic All-American Team. The Scholastic All-American Team is comprised of high school student-athletes, who have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, and have competed in an individual event in the 2005 US Paralympics Swimming National Championships, 2005 Open Water National Championships, 2005 Summer Speedo Championships Series (summer sectionals), 2005 ConocoPhillips Nationals, 2005 Junior Swimming Championships, 2005 U.S. Open, 2006 Speedo Champions Series (spring sectionals), and 2006 Spring Championships. The award is based on a point system for grades and competition. Congratualtions to the following: Parkway Swim Club — Sarah Bennet, Karalee Fuller, Brenda Gannon, Jenna Harris, Kristen Kloeckener, Denise Letendre, Jordon Oliver, Karie Peglar, Kelsey Ridder, Elizabeth Smith, Jacob Greene. Clayton Shaw Park — Jessica Clark, Cassie Luhrsen, Jillienne Schilling, Michele Stopplelman, Ryan Dieberg, Eric Witzel. Rockwood Swim Club — Kara Fryman, Amanda Grammar, Laura Grigreit, Casey Miller, Cory Miller, Erika Mortenson, Marisa Rodriguez, Eric Anderson, Maximillian Beushausen, Jaren Bronson, Brian Knuckles, Zachary Litzau, Sean Mathews, Aaron Schmidt, Stefan Thorarensen. St Peters Rec Plex— Kelsey Ward. — Congraulations to all of these fantastic young people.

Oct 5 - A long-term project by the Gateway Council of Hostelling International USA has recently culminated in the opening of the Great Rivers Hostel located on the UMSL campus. The Hostel provides clean, friendly, secure, and inexpensive overnight accommodations for international and domestic travelers. photos... The Midwest continues to enhance its presence in the sport of triathlon with yesterday's announcement of the newly created Ironman Louisville set for August 26, 2007. The event coincides with the nearly instantaneously sold-out Ironman Canada scheduled for the same day, and fills in an IM calendar void created when M-dot China was canceled. Louisville certainly doesn't hold the inscrutable mystique of China, and when held to comparisons with North American resort and destination communities like Coeur d'Alene, Lake Placid, Tempe, Penticton BC, et al, it is in the very least a curious choice. But for St. Louis Metro triathletes it's all good as they can exchange the increasing complexities of air travel with a convenient road trip. Registration opens October 21 and will be limited to the first 2,100 entries web... The ITU Long Distance World Championships are a little over a month away. Canberra, Australia will play host to the event on November 19. As of September 27, the Team USA roster included: Nate Smith of Columbia, Matt Brier of St. Louis, Patty Nooney of St. Louis, Bob Patterson of Wood River, and Patrick Byrne of St. Louis. This event marks the demise of the 4k swim-120k bike-30k run. A new long-course format of 3k swim-80k bike-20k was adopted this year (at exactly double the International distance) and will be employed at 2007 LD Worlds which will be staged July 14-15 in Lorient, France... The state of pro cycling in the U.S. took a significant leap forward with the recent announcement of the newly created USA Cycling Professional Tour. The series will showcase 15 races in 11 states. The objective of the USA Cycling Pro Tour is to acknowledge international competition in the U.S. and to spotlight events that have made the commitment to host world-class UCI-sanctioned races that feature UCI-registered professional teams and athletes. A glance at the 2007 schedule reveals the Tour of Missouri, set for Sept 11-16... The Chicago Marathon reached its participant cap nearly five months ago. The massive race is prominently featured on many St. Louis area runners schedules. Typically, more than a hundred make the trip each year to Chicago. Since its relatively humble beginning in 1977 with 4,200 registered participants, the Chicago Marathon has grown to a field of 40,000 runners attracting 1.5 million spectators and generating more than $6.3 million for charity last year... Not to be outdone, the New York City Marathon has just upped the ante with a guaranteed prize purse of $700,000, surpassing the Chicago Marathon's $650,000 cash pool. To date, some 37,000 runners have registered for the Nov. 5 race. Nearly 300 Missouri residents applied along with 70,000 other runners worldwide for entry into the race. Just over 60 St. Louis area runners have been accepted. Web

Oct 4 - Still more Interbike— Campagnolo invented derailleurs, but Shimano still dominates the groupo market. The tech war between these industry stalwarts really began in the mid-eighties when Shimano developed their SIS, the first successful indexed shifting system. Campagnolo lost market share in the early nineties, not being capable of competing with Shimano and SunTour. Then Campy left the MTB market, focusing instead strictly on road product. In 2000, they introduced the first ten-speed rear shifting system. Under glass case like a work of art, was this beautifully crafted Campy Record groupo. Zoom in on the pdf for a better look at the exquisite use of carbon fiber. PDF ... Couldn't make it to Vegas, baby? The Chicago Bike Show and Family Fitness Expo is scheduled for April 14-15, 2007. The show features more than 100 local and national exhibitors, including bike manufacturers, recreational tours, bike accessories, charitable organizations, training groups, cycling clubs and more. It draws more than 10,000 cycling enthusiasts annually. web (site still displays 2006 dates)... Sarah Haskins is currently ranked 23rd overall in the ITU World Cup standings and as the 2nd U.S. woman behind Laura Bennett. PDF. Two races remain in the worldwide series— Cancun, Mexico and New Plymouth, New Zealand. Look for her to move up as both races are on her calendar... SBR won a gift certificate for TriSports.com by dreaming up the most outrageous means of driving to a race. One can only imagine what our dream rig might cost. PDF... Website stats - Our September usage statistics ended with 20,120 visits to the website. We were Googled 1042 times, Yahoo'd 542 times, and Ask.com'd 37 times. As for our visitors, after the U.S., the top countries of origin were New Zealand, Germany, Canada, and Australia.

Oct 3 - The Heart and Sole 5k Run had 64 runners reach the finish line, but the most interesting aspect of the race was that Eileen Petito was first among them. An 18:15 effort netted this talented local runner the overall win. The women's division was rounded out by Becky Paul and Beth Gorman both of whom netted identical 20:54 times. The men were led by Larry Huels (18:28), Bill Grant (18:42), and Tim Bolt (19:32). PDF... The final day of September offered runners a rare evening race with the Twilight Run 5k. The event was staged within the New Town development out in St Charles. Liam Revell (16:33) and Mary Jo Clark (22:31) took the overall wins on a very pleasant evening... The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Cervelo are recalling about 650 Cervelo carbon fiber bicycles and bicycle frames due to the risk of the frames loosening or separating. This recall is for 2005 R2.5 model bicycles with serial numbers higher than R251700. Consumers should stop riding these frames and contact Cervèlo to receive a free replacement frame. 866-296-3137... More from Interbike - The expo showcased so many beautifully built bikes that it became difficult to pick an overwhelming favorite. Of course, with a Robin Williams-like appetite for two-wheelers (and his debit card) we'd be inclined to take one of each. For someone with an eye for Italian flair and some very deep pockets, the $12,000 Pinarello Montello FP8 provides a nice alternative. Equipped with Campy Record (of course) and a Campy wheel set, this time trial machine is fast. The head turning quotient isn't bad either... The 2006 Ironman World Championship schedued for October 21 is nearly here. For those athletes already looking ahead for an opportunity to race in the 2007 event, the Ironman Lottery has just opened. For many of us, relying upon lady luck is unfortunately the only real means of ever racing in the grand daddy of all triathlons. 200 names will be drawn on April 15, 2007 of which 150 will be U.S. citizens. web

Oct 2 - The fall version of the Rec Plex Triathlon was blessed with a cloudless, summer-like day. As a result, the event drew its biggest field to date. Shawn Oneal (1:27:53) once again employed his familiar formula of race-best bike split to earn the win. The gutsy Matt Brier (1:28:26) survived a spill on the bike and still managed 2nd place overall. Andy Pele (1:29:37) hit the line in 3rd position and looked to be fully recovered from the bike/car incident that hospitalized him in mid-summer. In the women's division, Jill Petersen (1:34:48) added another win to her growing résumé in what should be termed as a very successful rookie season. The USAT W20-24 National Champion raced at ITU Worlds in Switzerland and looks to ratchet her effort even higher for 2007. Kristin Moore (1:35:13) had hoped to captitalize on a course that gave an edge to strong cyclists. Her 5th best overall bike split kept it close. She finished as women's runner-up and 7th overall in the field of 368 individuals. Nikki Reed (1:43:48) turned in another strong performance for women's 3rd place plaque. Nice work by everyone making the finish line on a magnificent first day of October... The Twin Cities Marathon bills itself as the most beautiful urban marathon in the country. Mbark Hussein (2:13:50) and Marla Runyan (2:32:15) probably didn't have time to soak up much of the scenery as they won the respective men's and women's divisions. In fact, the amazing 37-year old Runyan from Eugene, Oregon is actually legally blind. A host of St Louis area runners participated and were led by Brian Lyons who hit the finish in a very fine 2:22:35. He was followed by Ron Chisholm, St Louis 2:31:11, Dan Giammar, St Louis 2:57:38, Chris Wheeler, St Louis 3:12:51, Barry Davolt, Rock Hill 3:16:19, Luke Hoffman, St Louis 3:28:34, Michael Talleur, St Louis 3:29:57, Ryan Funk, St Louis 3:40:04, David Niemoeller, St Louis 3:45:31, Robert Holgate, Fenton 3:51:45, Gordon Gale, Kirkwood 3:55:55, Todd Molldrem, Wester Groves 4:09:30, Kurt Bauman, St Louis 5:01:50, Jason Bretz, St Louis 5:03:06, Keith Ohlms, Kirkwood 5:12:52.

Oct 1 - Schwag is a wonderful thing- no strings, no ties.. here's some free stuff, try it, we hope you like it and soon become a regular consumer At Interbike, I sampled every nutritional product laid out in bite sized pieces, offered in Dixie cups, and pushed in packets. So much so, that the idea of lunch rarely entered my mind. I was regularly consuming a carb, protein, antioxidant, or electrolyte product from 9am until 6pm for three days. The deceptively large haul I made, pictured at right, could have been ten times the size, had I wished. Perhaps next year, if I attend, I'll bring a full compliment of disguises so as not to be an obvious sample junkie as I fill a suitcase. I took solace in the fact that I wasn't just freely stockpiling my next month's training nutritionals, but rather was systematically accumulating products to test for their respective efficacies, and given favorable results, explore for potential for web sponsorship or magazine ad space. One expo factoid I'll file away for next year is to make it a point to hang out around my favorite nutritional booths as the show closes on Friday. That's when the expo-weary exhibitors loooking for a quick escape commence handing out not just mere morsels, but boxes of product. I just wish a few select booths would do that with some frame sets... The Xterra USA Championship takes place today in Lake Tahoe. Good luck to pro triathlete Seth Wheeling, whom we chatted up at the Blue Seventy display at Interbike. Seth goes into the race ranked 2nd in the Xterra points standings... Congratulations to Nicole Burdge, who we've been informed has recently been awarded a slot for the 2007 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. The story we have is that one of the four women who finished ahead of her in the W30-34 age group did so unfairly and the slot was passed down.

Sept 30 - SBR is back from that oasis of Nevada neon known as Las Vegas. For this first-time Interbike attendee, the show provided a wide-eyed glimpse at products, most of which I'll never own outside of the fantasy world that I soon created after setting foot in the Sands Convention Center. So, what better place for this decadent display than the city of excess. From a practical point of view, the expo offered us an unparalleled opportunity to glad-hand national marketing types who will help determine where to spend their 2007 corporate advertising budgets, a small sliver for which SBR lusts after. We've landed a little roughly on the runway of reality, but we're back and once we've collected our thoughts we'll give you our low-down on this remarkable show.

Sept 29 - The Xterra USA Championship takes place this weekend in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Good luck in this offroad triathlon to Cynthia Gerlock of Carterville, IL and James Johnson of Mount Vernon, IL... The Timberline Adventures Katy Trail End to End Ride for 2006 heads east from Clinton, Missouri this Sunday and heads for a Friday arrival in St Charles. The tour will set you back a mere $1,695. Yikes!... The Nevada Silverman Triathlon was anointed the toughest full-distance course in North America by a man sufficiently qualified to make such an assertion, Dave Scott. So challenging is the race that $100,000 will be awarded to the first relay team that can go under 8-hours. Ah, the lure of cash. Chris Lieto has entered in the team division aligning himself with pro athletes Jamie Patrick and Brian Astell. Tyler Hamilton on the other hand, has bookended his cycling skill with world-class ringers— Erik Vendt (American record holder in the short course 1500m free) and Ernest Kimeli (2:11 marathon). More elite teams are expected to enter the Nov. 12 race for bragging rights and the greenbacks. To break it down, first consider that the relays teams will have very little transition time. A :49:00 swim, 4:45:00 bike, and 2:25:00 marathon should be enough, but is the course too tough? This race may evolve into one of the more interesting events of the year. web... Sarah Haskins posted a race diary of her Beijing World Cup experience. web

Sept 26 - For all of its successes, Ironman's parent corporation, the WTC, has been unable to accomplish what the ITU recently pulled off, namely, to stage a triathlon in China. The World Triathlon Corporation's efforts could almost be characterized as, well, Humpty Dumpty falling off the Great Wall. Initially announced for 2006, the event was postponed, rescheduled for 2007, and now re-cancelled. Who knows if all the kings horses and all the kings men (also known as Ironman China Ltd.) can perform the repair job. The ITU on the other hand managed a highly successful World Cup Race in Beijing just this past weekend as international distance triathletes previewed the 2008 Olympic course. If that's not frustrating enough for the WTC, even the Amazing Race staged legs of their event within China... Haile Gebrselassie won the Berlin Marathon this past weekend with the world's fastest time this year. He hit the tape in 2:05:56 in what was a bid to set the world mark. Kenyan runner, Paul Tergat, set the world record in Berlin back in 2003 in what was one of the most amazing marathon finishes ever. Tergat outsprinted Sammy Korir to the line by one second, as each eclipsed the previous record by 43 and 42 seconds respectively.

Sept 25 - The Mattoon Beach Duathlon may have fallen prey to Saturday's raindrops as a sparse showing of 29 individuals and 3 teams took part in the event. Perhaps the greatest pre-race appeal was the fact that the event provided participants with the true, leg-sapping, duathlon format of run-bike-run. Caleb Goldkamp (2:55:14) overmatched the field with the three best splits of the day to win by more than 5 minutes. Guy Petruzzelli (3:04:18) and John McCarthy (3:06:16) finished 2-3. Heidi Schmidt could have walked, coasted, and walked from the starting gun to the podium given the fact that she was the lone female entry. Instead, she clocked the 10th best overall time in 3:24:24. Nice work. Hopefully the event will fare better weather-wise and attendance-wise in 2007... The September calendar welcomed a new endurance event to the Metro area, the Missouri Oktoberfest 10 Mile Run, staged in and around beautiful Augusta, Missouri. That area's wineries weren't the only ones with a vintage performance. Zac Freudenberg posted a strong 52:53 to reach the finish line ahead of Big River Running co-owner, Matt Helbig (53:51) and Danny Mauer (55:04). The women's field was topped by Team Conley, otherwise known as twins Maureen and Maggie Conley. The 22-year olds came through the finish chute in 1:04:38 and 1:04:42 respectively, followed by Eileen Petito of Alton, Illinois in 1:06:39.

(1:04:56), the consistent performing 44-year old runner/triathlete from Town and Country... The Des Peres Dash 5k run drew 231 runners to West County on a rainy Saturday morning. Adam Macdowell (15:47) ran away from the field to win the men's title and and Kate Schwetye (20:15) came across the line 1:46 up on her closest competitor. Men's runner up was the ageless Bobby Williams (17:42) who continues to clock fast times at 53 years young. Third place went to Seth Daugherty (18:03). The women's top three was rounded out by Parichart Hruska (22:01) and Shelly Kannel (22:12)... Sunday prime-time television continues to draw the interest of the triathlon community with Sarah Reinertsen's participation in the Amazing Race. She and partner Peter managed to take the early lead at the global race's second pit stop, in Mongolia. The show's highlight so far has been Sarah negotiating a rope ladder with great difficulty to the top of the Great Wall. web

Sept 23 - Ultramax Events released a few details on the 2007 Who Tri's Harder weekend. The Men's and Women's Quartermax will be the Saturday race followed by Octomax on Sunday. A prize package will be awarded to the best combined times for both races for both men's and women's age groups... Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal won her 12th consecutive World Cup race in usual fashion yesterday by putting distance on the women's field during the 10k run. Fernandes (2:03:53) equaled the great Emma Carney's record. Sarah Haskins, coming off a Continental Cup win in New York and racing for the 4th weekend in a row, finished in a strong 11th position at 2:06:4). She was the 2nd U.S. woman across the line behind Laura Bennett (2:05:36)who just missed the podium finishing in 4th. web

Sept 22 - Top local adventure racers, ThoughtProcess.net/Alpine Shop, were featured in the September issue of swim Bike Run St Louis Magazine. It seems they've added another notch to their race belts by winning the coed open division at the Thunder Rolls Adventure Race. The 30 hour race included 26 miles of paddling on the Hennepin Canal, 20 miles of trail running/trekking, 77 miles of mountain biking, 10 miles of orienteering/ coasteering, a 30' rappel off a bridge into canoes and the longest, highest tyrolean traverse ever strung in the Midwest- 400' long and 70' high over a lake. The team was rewarded with Salomon shoes, a $600 sponsorship to the USARA National Championship, and Regional Champion Vests from the USARA. Nice work. Checkpoint Zero posted a race recap. web ... Triathlete Magazine online posted an article about Beyond Fabrications, a California company trying to nudge their way onto the prestigious bike racks of Ironman Hawaii. Their clever marketing approach is to provide Kona qualifiers with enticing deals on their framesets and wheelsets. While a complete, sexy-looking, 16-lb Blink Carbon setup could set you back $8100 at full retail, the manufacturer is offering Kona-bound athletes the $3450 frame, fork, and seat post set for $900... Momentum Cycles is assembling a bicycle road racing team for 2007. If you would like more information about joining their squad, contact Steve or Mike at 636-397-7433.

Sept 21 - SBR will not be updating on Thursday, Sept 28 and Friday Sept 29 while we attend Interbike in Las Vegas. If you feel the need to feed your reading habit, we invite you to scan our archives. The Expo will be mostly work related as we dance with prospective web sponsors and magazine advertisers. It will also serve as the ultimate cycling schmooze-fest with industry celebs galore, and a real test of our salivary glands as we ogle all of the "gotta have" products. Our report on the three-day bike orgy will most likely find its way into the October issue of the magazine... A rare weekday ride takes place today at 1pm. Breathe In, Blow Out, and a Bike is a bike ride to benefit children and families living with asthma. PDF... The 2006 Maui Marathon drew 1149 runners to paradise. Nice work to three St Louis runners making the finish line. They were: Gregory Mohrmann 4:02:01, Genevieve Droege 4:56:52, Thomas Kalmbach 6:23:55

Sept 20 - As we contemplate what activities will fill our training logs today, consider that ultra-runner Dean Karnazes will run the 4th consecutive 26.2 miler of his 50-marathons in 50-days schedule. web... The Best of the U.S. Triathlon took place in Excelsior, Minnesota over the weekend. The central concept of this National Championship was to represent each state with one male and one female athlete to fill the 50-racer male and 50-racer female fields. Up and coming triathlete, Jill Petersen, represented mighty Mo very well with a 4th place finish in the international distance event. Her finishing time of 2:13:44 even included a 2:00 penalty on the swim, one that was assessed to more than half the field. Sam Yount (2:09:37) made the finish line, also with an affected time. Inside Triathlon posted a race recap, complete with the unfortunate details of the missing swim buoy situation that tainted the race. web... Very nice work to ITU pro Sarah Haskins for winning the Haul to the Great Wall Triathlon Series. Sarah's win over the weekend at the ITU Westchester Pan American Cup Triathlon vaulted her into first place in the series, which in the process earned her the $5000 first prize. Speedo threw in another $5000, which in addition to the Westchester Tri winner's share of $3750 made for a nice days work. Way to go Sarah... Ted Zderic of Columbia and Kristin Moore of St Charles each got a mention on a USAT website for their third place finishes at the Halfmax National Championship. web

Sept 18 - The Lewis & Clark Marathon saw 435 runners reach the finish line at the St. Charles Family Arena. Jordan Dubow of Chicago, IL completed the 26.2 miles in a time of 2:44:26 to give him the win by over seven minutes. Runner-up, Justin Johnson of Springfield, Missouri, came through the finish chute at the 2:51:55 mark. Third place and top the local runner was Tom Whalen of St. Louis whose 6:38 pace carried him to a 2:53:42 marathon. The women's division winner was local runner Julie Lossos of Fenton. The 25 year old managed a 3:12:51 for 2006 Lewis & Clark title. In second position was Judy Dorpinghaus (3:18:57) from Washington, MO and placing third was Debra Munk from Kansas City, MO (3:28:35). results... The Half-Marathon drew an amazing total of 2925 runners to the St. Charles event. Ken Bocher of St. Louis led all of them to the finish with a strong performance. He ripped off a 1:13:37 to put him nearly four minutes ahead of his nearest competitor, Scot Mullins of Terre Haute, Indiana, who finished in 1:17:15. Jeremy Hammer lived up to his name by going 1:17:19 for third place. The Women's side saw Katie Sutton of Kirkwood continue her fine running with a 13th place overall and the women's title in 1:25:09. Colleen Casey of Richmond Heights couldn't quite bridge the gap and took second place in 1:26:31. Kelly Fox of Mount Zion, IL finished third in 1:27:55. results... Dean Karnazes of San Francisco was given the honorary bib #1 as he kicked off his 50 marathons in 50 days. Many wondered what sort of pace he'd maintain. Karnazes came through in 3:51:10. He wrote briefly about the race in his Endurance Is blog... Congratulations to Sarah Haskins for her win at the 2006 ITU Westchester Pan American Cup Triathlon yesterday in Rye, New York. She completed the race in a time of 1:55:54... Rain washed out most of the Missouri State Track Championship at the Penrose Velodrome on Sunday. Results of the few heats and races that were completed are posted here

Sept 17 - The Halfmax National Championship showcased Missouri's heat, humidity, and undulating terrain. Patrick Evoe of Austin, Texas knows about warm weather. He felt right at home, nearly going under the 4-hour mark on his way to dethroning gracious 2005 champion Tim Hola. Elizabeth Fedofsy (Waterstraat) of Chicago, Illinois exited the water with nearly a dozen women before her, came off the bike with just five ahead, then proceeded to blistered the hilly 13.1-mile run and capture back to back Halfmax titles. Congratulations to both athletes as well as everyone making the finish line... The 18th annual Pere Marquette Endurance Trail Run XVIII scheduled for Saturday, December 9th has filled. It reached its 600 racer capacity in just eight days... Ultra-runner, Dean Karnazes, launches his quest of running 50 marathons in 50 days by taking part in the Lewis & Clark Marathon. Earlier in the week, local public radio station, KWMU, aired an interview with the tireless runner. You can listen or download for podast. web

Sept 14 - Thankfully we have readers who set us straight when necessary. In yesterday's reference to IM qualified local athletes, we forgot to mention Edgar Breda of Edwardsville, IL who put up a brilliant performance at the 2005 Ironman Florida. He qualified for the 2006 World Championship in the M45-49 age-group with his 9:56:56 effort. So, Edgar Breda and Gary Berra are headed for Kona in 2006. Rick Mann is set for 2007... Nice work to Ernie Carr who won the M60 & over age-group at the Great Illini Triathlon last weekend. The 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run was staged in Mattoon Beach, IL which is located just north of Effingham. Overall winners were Chris Sweet (4:13:29) and Jennifer Harrison (4:33:55). Result... The Midwest Meltdown was held in Kansas City last weekend and offered racers a smorgasbord of races from which to choose. The sprint distance triathlon was won by Allyn Smith (1:14:41) and Heather Schulze (1:31:49) in a field of 168. The international distance event drew a scant 76 triathletes. The overall winners were Kody Cook (2:00:39) and Frances Fields (2:40:18). Duathlon winners were Nathan Swartz (1:20:26) and Laura Gooch (1:33:54) among 42 racers. Result... The Trail Shark Triathlon took place in Hudson, IL over Labor Day weekend. Overall winners in the off-road tri were Chris Sweet (1:12:16) and Beverly Enslow (1:25:05). The off-road duathlon saw Christian Goy (1:05:04) and Stephanie Roberts (1:23:53) make the line first. Nice work by Robin Rongey of Edwardsville (1:28:11) for finishing as the second overall woman. Result... The Flatlanders 6-Hour and 12-Hour Runs saw new standards set in three of the four open categories. In the 12-Hour event, a couple of out-of-towners established new benchmarks— Eric Herdman of Nevada with 77.18 miles and Christine Crawford of Wisconsin with 69.41 miles. In the 6-Hour event, Paul Schoenlaub of Missouri went 44.75 miles to set a new event record while Carey Smith of Missouri finished third overall with her 36.60 mile run. Complete results... On the ITU pro circuit, Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal returned to the winners circle in the BG Triathlon World Cup in Hamburg, Germany. Her 1:53:11 was good enough for an 11-second win over Debbie Tanner of New Zealand. Sarah Haskins was the second U.S. woman finishing 10th in 1:55:47 among a field of 73 women... Sarah's next race is this weekend at the ITU Westchester Pan American Cup Triathlon in New York where she will try to cash in on the $20,000 prize purse. After that, it's off to China for the Beijing BG Triathlon World Cup on Sept. 24 and its $80,000 purse. You can follow Sarah's globe-trotting and races on her web.

Sept 13 - Congratulations to Tim McAlister who took part in the Sun Up to Sun Down 12-Hour Race at the UMCA 24-Hour North American Championships in Port Byron, Illinois over Labor Day Weekend. He covered 182 miles on the course made difficult by windy conditions that day. Nice work... The Emmy Award winning reality show, The Amazing Race, airs its 90 minute season premier this Sunday evening. Sentimental favorites will easily be the team of Sarah Reinertsen and Peter Harsch. Triathletes are familiar with Reinertsen through the NBC coverage of the 2005 and 2006 Ironman World Championships. She has also won an ESPY and is spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation . Harsch is an Ossur clinical prosthetist. Although the race offers an eclectic mix of physical challenges, competing teams will be foolish to underestimate the team of Reinertsen and Harsch... SBR Web Stuff - Our Metro Champs page has been updated through the weekend. If you have results from years past and can fill in missing names and years, please help us before those pieces of local lore are lost... After literally years of neglect, our Links page has just been cleaned up. Broken and redirected links have been repaired and obsolete ones have been deleted. It feels oddly like we've just cleaned out the basement or the garage.

Sept 12 - Professional triathlete, Sunny Gilbert, took time out from visiting her parents in St Louis to address members of the Big Shark Triathlon Club at their monthly meeting last night. The Marquette HS grad lives and trains in Boulder, CO. Readers may recall her wins at 2004 Halfmax and 2006 Race For Sight, but this high-achiever reached a much loftier perch when she won the 2004 USAT Age-Group National Championship. Sunny could provide a classic case-study in time management as she divides her hours between training, working, and completing her doctoral study in microbiology. Look for an interview with her in the Oct. issue of SBR... The Trail of Tears Triathlon, staged down in Cape Girardeau, is a low-profile, gem of a race. Barry Knight of Paducah, Ky (1:10.48) won the men's title for the umpteenth consecutive time, trailed by Matt Brier (1:12.59) and Tim Battles (1:14.54). On the women's side, the keen Kiwi, Helen Alexander-Kratz (1:22.53), got her double-header weekend off to a good start with a win before competing in the NEMO Tri up in Kirksville on Sunday. She was followed to the finish line by Maggie Conley (1:30.45) and Michele Andreas (1:33.32). St Louis area triathletes fared well in the race as they snared 13 age-groups... The Millstadt Biathlon was held in perfect weather on Sunday. Caleb Goldkamp (1:25:56) and Amber Mounday (1:35:29) each made the most of it by capturing the overall titles in the 5-mile run / 22-mile bike. Remarkably, for each athletes it was his and her third successive win in the event. Results... On Sunday, the Northeast Missouri Triathlon in Kirksville was held for the 22nd consecutive year. Ted Zderic was just a week removed from his win at Lake St Louis and the Columbia, Mo. resident blazed to the NEMO title in 1:28:36. Runner-up was Rodney Adkison (1:33:14) and 3rd place went to Shawn Oneal (1:34:28). Leslie Curley of Topeka, KS hit the finish in 1:44:48 for the women's division win. She was tailed by Helen Alexander-Kratz (1:46:08) and Theresa Baiotto (1:48:15). Results in PDF

Sept 11 - Sunday was a cold and wet day for Ironman Wisconsin. Markus Forster (9:07:24) and Katja Schumacher (10:01:22), both from Germany, were crowned the 2006 Champions. Congratulations to Metro St Louis triathletes who gutted out the weather to make the finish line. There were many solid efforts, but perhaps the best showings belong to Rick Mann and Nicole Burdge who finished 4th and 5th in their respective age groups.

Sept 9 - Triathlon takes a new look this weekend in Boulder, Colorado when Adventure Racing living legend Ian Adamson directs the 24 Hours of Triathlon. Participants will swim .5-mile, bike 17-miles, and run 4-miles then do it again and again for 24 hours. Those individuals and teams amassing the greatest mileage will be declared the winners. Visit the race web view and Inside Triathlon interview with Adamson... If you are a male 35-39 with aspirations for winning a Kona slot at Ironman Wisconsin, you'd better be good because there are 452 racers in that age group, the largest of the event. With 2691 athletes registered for IM Moo, it certainly ranks among the bigger fields in the IM series... The weather in Madison continues to be overcast and cool. The high tomorrow is expected to be just 62° with a slight chance of rain and 15mph wind.

Sept 8 - Former USAT Triathlon National Age Group Champion, Sunny Gilbert, returns home to St Louis and will make an appearance at the Big Shark Triathlon club meeting on Monday... The large contingent local triathletes taking part in Ironman Wisconsin have already made their way to Madison for Sunday's race. The weather will be vastly different from previous years when it has been surprisingly hot. The forecast is for mostly cloudy and a high of only 67 which should keep participants cool. The race can be tracked on ironmanlive.com... The Post-Dispatch recently ran an article about race volunteers. web

Sept 7 - Most readers recall last year when USAT Nationals in Smithville, Missouri were victimized by torrential rain and ultimately canceled. That scenario played out similarly over the weekend when the Boston Triathlon was forced to cancel as a result of hurricane Ernesto's wide sphere of influence. Race Director, Dave McGillivray, (also RD for the Boston Marathon) had his open-letter posted by USAT. web... The 47th annual Heart of America Marathon in Columbia, Missouri began with 137 runners at the start on Labor Day. Chris Cook (2:54:59) of Columbia and Becky Lowrance (3:21:32) of Branson reached the line first among the 113 finishers... Metro St Louisans in the field: Dave Dobkowski 3:20:23, Dale Beachy 3:24:10, Brooke Sloss 3:26:02, Glenn Riegelman 3:33:35, Ed Cook 3:36:41, David Hester 3:47:13, Jim Gunderson 4:01:45, Tim McLaughlin 4:07:43, Mark Oppenheim 4:08:10, Roger Young 4:15:33, Scott Holdridge 4:16:11... Marathoning and politics converged recently in the national news when Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) came under fire by her political adversaries for purportedly exaggerating her result in the 1993 Columbus Marathon by three seconds. A veteran of more than 60 marathons, Schmidt had nothing to gain by doing so. Her opponents have alleged "Photoshopping" of a finish line picture and have also forwarded the "no shadow" theory in support of their claim. Oh my how we've strayed from the issues. web... The Michael Katz incident came to a head in court recently. The late cyclist was struck and killed by Robert Rush last year who was driving his pickup truck along Olive Street Road in Creve Couer. The bicycling community has pressed St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCullouch to file criminal charges against Rush, but to no avail. After pleading guilty to several driving ordinance violations, Rush will serve five weekends in jail during the course of his parole. Cycling advocates who attended the court proceedings have voiced very strong objection to the sentencing, stating that it is tantamount to a slap on the wrist for what they view as negligent homicide. web... The Katy Trail has been a continual source of conversation (contention for some) over the past couple of years particularly with regard to its legal standing. Assuming its future viability remains intact, the focus has shifted to possible extension of the trail past its present endpoint in Clinton through the remaining miles to Kansas City. Fate does indeed works in strange ways. The 2005 dam break at Taum Sauk and subsequent park destruction have now become part of the trail extension equation. As a component of the reparations package paid by Ameren, it has been proposed that the utility company relinquish trail rights to a 65 mile section of the former Rock Island railway line. In doing so, this would serve as the key connector that takes the Katy Trail to Kansas City. There seems great likelihood of this coming to fruition given certain Ameren corporate finance concerns. Let's keep our cycling-gloved fingers crossed. How can I help?

Sept 6 - Lake St Louis Triathlon short course winners were Sarah Sander (1:04:01) and Todd Glass (55:15). Congratulations to both. Complete results for both the short and International distance races... A music video of our photos from the Lake St Louis Triathlon has been set to the 1991 song See the Lights by the Scottish band Simple Minds. As usual, it's a Windows Media Video. (21.0 MB)... If riding in Europe one day is on your "do to" list, check out this ride recap. St Louis residents, Dave Dyroff and Greg Ellis, documented their experience in the 2006 Etape du Tour which took them over Col d 'Izoard, Col du Lautaret, and Alpe d'Huez. Nice read supplemented with good photos. web... An interesting fact about this year's Ironman Canada is that pro triathlete Courtney Ogden posted the fastest bike split of the day (4:45:18) while racing with PowerCranks on his bike.

Sept 5 - The JCC Labor Day 10k was won yesterday by Debbie Kerber-Rehr (40:19) and Andy Koziatek (34:17). The accompanying 5k saw Michael Aitken (15:43) and Kate Dewey (19:49) take the wins. Cool conditions greeted a total of 382 runners between both races... Good luck to all of the Metro area triathletes racing at Ironman Wisconsin on Sept 10. The list includes: Beat Bartlome, Tom Irwin, Anne Nabholz, Dennis Disch, Fred Wencel, Pablo Soto, Dean Meyer, Cary Dennis, Michele Hedrick, Tim Giddens, Gabrielle Ayres, Ted Sward, Matt Evans, John Marti, Katherine Ragan, Pam Borger, Nate Quest, Al Beers, Monika Kleban, Greg Sloan, Marie Onan, Jim Milner, Lou Jearls, John Pollihan, Kathleen McVey, Linnea Housewright, James Rice, Bryan Dyer, Mark Ramach, Gary Maier, Andrew Eaton, Tonya Lupo, Ann Halenkamp, George Schweitzer, Craig Harrison, Sandy Weiss, Mike Bub, Rick Moll, Teresa Telford, Nancey Lieberman, Tom Stringer, Matt Bonastia, Todd Glass, Christa Warner, Gary Fourtney, Nicole Burdge, Erik Strom, Deborah Strom, Ray Turnley, Erika Hillers, Tonya Crews, Gary Crews, Les Conover, Scott Varwig, Brady Jordan, Rick Mann, Andy Brendel

Sept 4 - 2006 ITU Triathlon Worlds wrapped up on Sunday with the professsional men and women racing. Tim Don (1:51:32) of Great Britain and Emma Snowsill (2:04:02) of Australia came away with the World Champion titles. Sarah Haskins (2:07:43) made the finish line in 21st position and as 2nd U.S. woman behind 8th place overall finisher Laura Bennett (2:06:16).

Sept 3 - Participants in the 2006 Lake St. Louis Triathlon enjoyed near-perfect weather yesterday. The cool morning start and wetsuit legal swim brought out the best in Kristin Moore and Ted Zderic as they emerged from the fray with the St Louis Championships in hand. The women's field was somewhat diluted with ITU Triathlon Worlds being held the same weekend, but taking nothing away from Moore's performance, she had a very strong race. She would loved to have seen Jill Petersen and Jennifer Meyer pushing her. Zderic is no stranger to winning and came through against a deep field of male racers. Utilizing a strong bike and run combination, he made it to the front of the race and continued to distance himself from the field until he crossed the finish line. Complete results will be posted as they become available... The 2006 ITU Triathlon World Age Group Championships have been completed and the U.S. managed an impressive 30 medals— 15 golds, 6 silvers, and 9 bronze. Marc Bonnet-Eymard of Florida won the overall men's World Championship in a time of 2 :05 :31 on a course with a very challenging bike leg... St Louis area athletes competing in Lausanne were led by Peter Boumgarden whose 2:14:15 placed him 15th in his age group and 74th overall. Jill Petersen took her first year in the sport of triathlon to a very high plateau by winning her AG National Championship. She followed that up with a very fine showing at Worlds— 6th in her AG and 27th woman overall with a time of 2:27:34. Jennifer Meyer capped a very fine season with a top ten placing within her age group. Her 2:35:21 put her 9th in the F40-44. Patrick McCreary fared well in the M55-59 with his 2:47:25 finish placing him 38th in his bracket. Mary Sundy raced in her 2nd world championship in consecutive years. She stopped by Switzerland on her way to Australia, did the race, and came through in 2:48:08. Finally, the mother/daughter duo of Michele and Ashley Andreas made the most of their trip to Lausanne with fine performances, making the line in 3:05:21 and 3:03:19 respectively. Congratulations and very fine work by everyone.

Aug 31 - Last weekend's Hotter'N Hell 100 brought over 10,000 cyclists into the unlikely city of Wichita Falls for 3 days of bike-centic activities. Consumer Show, dinner, USCF Criterium Race, USCF Road Race, the Hotter'N Hell Hundred Endurance Ride, and an Off-Road Time Trial along with entertainment & food comprised a full weekend. Staged 9 days before Labor Day each year, consider this one for 2007. web... The hottest idea in cycling equipment may have graduated from carbon fiber to ceramic. Although they've been around for a while on the pro scene, ceramic bearings are becoming affordable and going mainstream. It may be time to consider them for your hub, bottom bracket, headset and pivot points. Ceramic bearings are well-suited to both competitive and recreational cyclists. They are lighter, stronger and have substantially less rolling resistance than steel bearings. Ceramic balls have very little friction and are several times harder than steel, consequently they are faster and 4 to 5 times longer-lived than standard bearings. Additionally, ceramic is 33% lighter than steel.

Aug 30 - Perspective - Is it just me or has your running found another gear too? With the temperature suddenly maxing out about 20 degrees lower, I've detected a little more glide in my stride. An early Tuesday evening run around Forest Park provided confirmation. I positively lit that final mile kick up Skinker Blvd, relatively speaking of course, but through perception of effort it was clearly one of my best runs of the summer. I want to thank the anonymous woman, who unbeknownst to her, provided pacemaking services. I zeroed in on her bright red shirt far up ahead along the trail, and determined that I would beat her to my exit point. Those last 400m were pretty much full out until I finally made the pass with about 20m remaining. Make no mistake, it wasn't Boston or Ironman, or anything other than a mind game to push me thru a training session. But in its own odd way, it felt very similar. Achieving any challenging goal exudes that same general good vibe regardless of circumstances, surroundings, or if anyone is watching. As they say, it's often the little victories in life that mean so much. Go for yours.

Aug 29 - The Chicago Super Sprint Triathlon found 28 St Louis area residents among its 1718 participants. We congratulate all who made the finish line, but he following performances stood apart from the rest with great over-all/ age group results : 36 -Patrick McCreary 1/39 M55-59 Alton IL 1:16:29, 41 -Scott Varwig 5/108 M40-44 Wildwood 1:17:46, 61 -Michael Heffernan 11/150 M30-34 St Louis 1:20:32, 145 -Nancy Heffernan 1/51 F45-49 St Louis 1:27:06, 734 -Nancy Ylvisaker 5/19 F50-54 St Louis 1:46:28, and Michael Richmond 13/117 MMTB St Louis 1:34:58... The Lewis & Clark Marathon and Half-Marathon is sold out. So if you didn't manage to get registered for this event, we suggest you provide your services as a volunteer. If on the other hand you've got excess energy to burn, we recommend taking part in the Tour of Wildwood bike ride scheduled for that same morning. This 45-miler is a well-supported ride through some of that city's finest roads. Last year, the city had several police cars continuously patrolling the route... Site sponsor Momentum Cycles currently has these specials offers: 1) All gels, liquids and food products are buy two and get one free, 2) Buy one in stock jersey and receive the other of equal or lesser value free. (Does not apply to Momentum Cycles Jerseys), 3) So if you buy one pair shorts at regular price and receive the second pair at half price... The 2006 Ironman Canada is in the rearview mirror now, but that same venue was the site of an even more challenging event a few weeks earlier— Ultraman Canada. This three-day triathlon stage race will tax the fitness and fortitude of any endurance athlete. Day One - 10k swim (5.5 hr cutoff) and 90 mile bike, Day Two - 170 mile bike, Day Three - 52.4 mile run. Each of the three days had a 12-hour cutoff. The eleven finishers ranged in time from winner Darin Bentley's 23:00:35 to John Brooks 32:47:16. Entry fee $925 (Can) web... The Ultraman World Championships are scheduled for Nov 24-27 on the Big Island of Hawaii. This event is by invitation only. web

Aug 28 - The 2006 Ironman Canada is in the record books. Jasper Blake (8:33:58) and Belinda Granger (9:25:13) took home the titles. Blake put a 2:48 marathon on the field to reel in Courtney Ogden. Granger on the other hand used her 5:03 bike split to build a sufficiently big enough lead to hold off Lisa Bentley on the run... Congratulations to St Louis area triathletes for making the finish line: 248-Brad Werner 10:59:00, 250-Corky Miller 10:59:31, 860-Kevin Nashan 12:34:10, 1550-Chris Arnold 14:05:47, 1775-Sean Kelley 14:48:03... The Accenture Chicago Triathlon crowded 8000 triathletes on the Chicago waterfront. Craig Alexander (1:49:54) and Samantha McGlone (2:02:25) claimed the pro titles. Alexander is not on the start list for next weekends World Championship race while McGlone is scheduled to fly to Switzerland for the race... A large contingent of St Louis Metro triathletes made the trip to Chicago. By no means do the following individuals comprise that entire list, we felt they deserved recognition for their age-group performances. Nice work by everyone.

11/105 F40-44 Lisa Berra, Chesterfield 2:43:35
5/11 F15-19 Kristen Page, Chesterfield 3:11:40
25/506 M25-29 Greg Brown, Maryland Hts. 2:24:50
36/152 F35-39 Elizabeth Montgomery, St L 2:53:38
1/30 Clydesdale M30-39 Clayton Cummings, Clayton 2:22:38
27/506 M25-29 Danny Soshnik, Clayton 2:26:07
29/79 F20-24 Elizabeth Stamborski, St L 2:57:31
48/497 M30-34 Josh Deakin, St L 2:31:02
46/538 M35-39 Peter Fischer, St L 2:31:34
15/123 M50-54 Wesley Jones, St L 2:43:30
11/23 M60-64 Michael Briggs, St L 3:08:57
13/123 M50-54 Patrick McNulty, St L 2:40:21

Aug 27 - Insomniacs rejoice! Live coverage of the ITU Age Group World Championships from Lausanne, Switzerland will begin at 3am CDT on Sept 2. web... Check out this Powerman Zofinger team entry— Olivier Bernhard (10 km run), Thomas Hellriegel (150 km bike). amd and Faris Al-Sultan (30 km run). The Powerman Zofingen story is told by Inside Triathlon's Timothy Carlson web

Aug 25 - The USA Marathon Championship will be determined at the Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 1. web . This event does not show signs of "Tiger Wood syndrome" as a new champion has been crowned each year for the past decade. With the competition deep, the days are long gone when John Kelly won 8 national titles in a row (1956-1964).

Aug 24 - The remarkable story of David Pokorny, who rode his bike from St Louis to Pike's Peak to raise funds for the PKD Foundation (polycystic kidney disease) and then participated in the Pike's Peak Marathon, took a tragic turn. During the drive home their vehicle was involved in a crash. We understand that David was airlifted to a Kansas City hospital but have no information as to his condition. Best wishes for his complete and speedy recovery... Good Luck to 8-year old Austin Hindman of Chesterfield who will compete this weekend at the USA Triathlon Youth National Championships. This event is for young triathletes ages 7-15 and will be stage in the beautiful Wisconsin Dells at the Noah's Ark Water Park. web ... Inside Triathlon has a nice video recap and interviews of the 5430 Triathlon web

Aug 23 - Registration for the 2007 Boston Marathon opens Sept.7 on the web . The start time has been changed for the event which will begin two hours earlier at 10am instead of the customary noon... The Chicago Triathlon weekend makes its massive, annual appearance this weekend. In what has long been by far the largest drawing US triathlon, nearly 8000 participants will take part in the international distance, super sprint, or Kid's race. A number of St Louis area athletes will head to Chicago for a weekend of 2nd City fun and, of course, some racing. Pictured at right is a handsome triathlon race kit that should adorn every St Louis area triathlete up in Chi-town... The Rose Brooks Women's Triathlon was held on August 12 at Smithville Lake, the site of USAT Age Group Nationals. In a race comprised primarily of western Missouri and Kansas residents, 235 ladies made the finish line with Kelly Dippold taking first. She came through in 1:02:14. St Louis area finishers were: Cori Rootz of Lake St. Louis 1:20:42, Amy Kavanaugh of St. Louis 1:39:18, and Kay McVey of St. Peters 1:14:59 who finished 3rd in the W50-54. Nice work

Aug 22 - The Pikes Peak Marathon bills itself as America's Ultimate Challenge. While there may be debate over that claim, there is no doubt that it remains an extraordinary challenge. 528 runners embraced running 13.1 miles, from an elevation of 6,345 feet to 14,110 feet, and then the quad-pounding run back down. Zac Freudenburg of St Louis finished third overall by making the ascent in 2:29:56 and the descent in 1:24:05 for a finishing time of 3:54:01. Other metro runners completing the 11% average grade were: 20-David Pokorny (4:46:29) who also rode his bike to the race from St Louis, 38-James Marino of East Alton (5:03:11), 106-David Schlingmann of Hillsboro (5:45:15) who raced the Babler Beast the weekend before, 175-Henry Biggs of St Louis (6:19:00), 198-Cary Dennis of Desoto (6:29:23), 216-Robert Banker of St Louis (6:38:11), 345-Ralph Stricker of St Louis (7:30:31), 356-Greg Jackson of St Louis (7:35:43), 372- Mark Oppenheim of University City (7:44:00), 398-Jeff Bockhorn of Troy IL (7:53:52), 426- Allen Warner of St Louis (8:16:48), 478-Todd Lewis of St Louis (8:57:13). Women Finishers include: 79-Christa Warner of St Louis (7:39:18), 94-Joanne Bockhorn of Troy IL (7:53:53), 134-Cheryl Bergin of Fenton (8:59:21)... The Ironman 70.3 Series continued its march towards the seasonal finale World Championship in Clearwater, Florida with an August 20th stopover in Gilford, New Hampshire. 1368 participants reached the finish line led by Bjorn Andersson in 3:57:46 and 44 year old Karen Smyers on the women's side with her remarkable 4:34:36. St Louis area finishers were led by Kristin Moore (5:00:38) who was 4/76 in F30-34. Other metro area athletes included: Tommy Rosenthal (5:52:37), John Strassner (6:00:17), Michael Pepper (6:02:58), Seiichi Noda (6:17:58), and Bill Cragg (7:02:30)

Aug 21 - The Alligator Creek Triathlon found itself with much cooler air temperature yesterday morning than the area has experienced recently, but hey, at least it was humid. Despite its serpentine swim start, the race actually became a rare, tactical, head to head battle. Defending champ, Shawn Oneal, and 2005 runner up, Matt Brier, started the race at the front of the line. While they exited the 300yd swim within 20 seconds of one another, Oneal got out of sight on the 18-mile bike ride with his 46:58 split. Brier, on the other hand, is the better runner of the two and he tried valiantly to bring Oneal back on the 5k run. Down over two and a half minutes heading out, Brier barely ran out of real estate and fell just 24 seconds short. The men's top three were: 1-Oneal (1:11:02), 2-Brier (1:11:26), and 3-Tim Battles (1:16:09). The women's race was another tune-up for ITU Worlds-bound Jennifer Meyer (1:21:10) who put together three solid spits and easily took the winners plaque. Runner-up, Helen Alexander-Kratz (1:24:27) and third place finisher Sara Nelson (1:25:48) were the only other racers who managed to finish within the same zip code as the speedy Meyer... Complete results... The element of chance played a potentially key role in the event as several racers were forced to burn time at railroad crossings. It was clearly stated pre-race that no allowance would be made for such circumstances... Best wishes to Andy Pele of Columbia, Mo who was struck by an automobile while on a training ride. Andy was preparing for ITU Triathlon Worlds. Get well soon.

Aug 19 - USAT just announced that Portland, Oregon will host 2007 and 2008 Triathlon Age Group Nationals. Next year, the race is set for June 10 at Hagg Lake and will serve as the sole qualifier sending the top 16 in each age group to ITU World Championships on Sept 1-2 in Hamburg, Germany... When we spied the name, Chris Lieto, in the Tour of Utah roster a couple of weeks ago, we wondered if it was the one and the same ironman triathlete. Sure enough Chris took a slightly different tack this year with his build-up for the Ironman World Championship by competing in a professional bike stage race. In a Trifuel article , Chris sheds light on his experience and includes some great photos of Utah... USA Triathlon is undertaking a massive survey to gain A better insight into their constituency. This online questionnaire reaches out to adult annual members, expired annual members, one-day participants, and youths. You are encouraged to take the time and participate. The information compiled will help define future membership programs and benefits. If you have not received your survey, simply e-mail

Aug 17 - Registration for the Lewis & Clark Marathon and Half-Marathon has reached over 2200 participants. If you intend to run in this event, it would be wise to register soon. Web The total field for the half and full marathons will be capped at 3800. For those interested in being a part of the 111th Boston Marathon in 2007, the Lewis & Clark Marathon is an official qualifier... The City of Ferguson is taking a proactive approach when it comes to adopting cycling as a key element of their community. The Ferguson B.I.K.E. Project is supported by a Fed. Hwys Admin grant, with local funding and sponsorship by the City of Ferguson. Its purpose is to encourage residents to replace car trips with bicycling within the study area (10-mile radius of Ferguson). web

Aug 15 - Big River Running Company officially opened their doors for business Monday, Aug 14. Elite runners and co-owners, Ben Rosario and Matt Helbig, have chosen a retail location at 14059 Manchester, just west of Weidman Road. Best of luck with their venture. web... A nicely done video on the Ironman Hawaii experience was produced by Triathlete Magazine. It runs 4:17 and can be streamed from Google videos. web

Aug 14 - The Wood River Triathlon brought 253 individual racers and six teams to the Illinois side of the Mississippi River on Saturday morning. The men's race came down to a duel between pre-race favorites, Shawn Oneal and Sam Yount. Oneal started earlier in the morning and the 40-year old laid down a 1:00:43 gauntlet. Yount didn't gain time on his road bike, but when he slipped on his racing flats he found the zone and came across the line in 1:00:28. Scott Shaw took third in 1:03:26. The women's race saw Kristin Moore continue her winning ways with a dominate performance (1:04:24). Her finishing time was ten minutes up on 2nd place finisher Kristy Hatch (1:14:12) and 3rd place winner, Judy Durr (1:14:55). Only four men beat Moore to the finish line... In 2005, the Babler Beast Triathlon endured a rain-induced cancellation. In 2006, the event faced a failed pool pump, but that obstacle was overcome by changing the race to a duathlon. Those athletes with a "glass half-full" attitude saw the event for what it was, a rare local opportunity to race the classic run- bike- run duathlon format instead of the more common, misnamed, metro area, run-bike "biathlons." Additionally, the Babler bike course remains the best short-course circuit in the area with its glassy smooth pavement, challenging climb, high speed descent, and total absence of cars. The previous day's main combatants at Wood River returned to face off. Shawn Oneal was hungry for a win and Sam Yount was looking for the daily double. Oneal put the hurt on the field with his usual strong bike and came through in 56:45. Caleb Goldkamp may have been the best pure runner in the field and he parlayed that ability with an excellent bike split to take second in 57:23. Sam Yount held his own with a solid third place, finishining in 58:24. The women's side had Jennifer Meyer tuning her form for Triathlon Worlds over the upcoming Labor Day weekend with a 1:07:30 win. Her St Louis Tri Club teammate, Gina Richard (1:10:36), was runner-up. The diminutive Carol Wright (1:11:19) found the hills to her liking, taking third place. A relatively sparse field of 148 came out for the race... The Moonlight Ramble drew its usual thousands and thousands of area cyclists for a late-night and early-morning ride through city streets. The final head count has yet to be released but the sea of cyclists at the start line stretched as far as the eye could see. The highlight of the route was undoubtedly the newly re-built Forest Park Parkway. Closed to vehicular traffic in both directions for the event , it was a great stretch of roadway. With so many riders taking to the streets at one time, incidents are prone to occur. A hit and run driver took out three riders (fortunately none seriously). Police probably have a sufficient vehicle description to ultimately apprehend the culprit. web ... Congratulations to Nate Kortuem who finished 4th overall at the 5430 Long Course Triathlon in Boulder, Colorado. The 2005 Halfmax champion tore through the half-iron distance course in 4:04:31, finishing behind fellow professionals Craig Alexander, Cam Widoff, and Courtney Ogden. Great work... Most triathletes who have been around the sport for a while are probably familiar with Dick and Ricky Hoyt. Their inspirational story is forever embedded in the rich history of Ironman lore. They are featured in Can, a short video that may well remove the word can't from your vocabulary. Web

Aug 10 - For the competitive cyclists who will never race in Le Tour de France, the 4,300-km cycling challenge, Le Tour Ultime, was created. A non-stop, single-stage epic challenge on the very roads connecting mountains, villages and legends. Test yourself against nature, extreme distance and the greatest ultra-endurance cyclists in the world. web . Entry fee is $1700, or $2100 for late registration... The Post-Dispatch did a Health and Fitness Feature on local athlete, Kay McVey. web... Fall marathon season is quickly nearing. The following links are to a few high-profile 26.2 milers that draw well and have become popular destinations for St Louis area runners. Twin Cities, Chicago, New York, Memphis, Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Marine Corps

Aug 9 - The Missouri Regional Triathlon Series marches on in a big way with eight races taking place in the next five weekends. Current standings and schedule can be referenced on the Series page . Good luck to all triathletes making their drive for the finish line... Local athlete, David Pokorny, is in the middle of a publicity ride from St. Louis to the Pikes Peak Marathon (Aug. 3-20). He, his mother, and friends are hoping to raise awareness and money for the fight against Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). They also hope to recruit much-needed organ donors. Their daily progress and thoughts are documented. web... Performance enhancing drugs have tarnished virtually all major sports. Many of the various governing bodies have made significant progress towards cleaning up their respective sports, but there is much work to be done. A recent CBS news feature illustrated that even as we begin to close the lid on the Pandora's Box of blood doping, EPO, steroid injections, HGH, testosterone, and others, that an even more insidious means of gaining a performance edge is developing. Gene Therapy is the next specter. This area of science holds great promise for curing diseases, but like most technology, wields a double-edged sword. The process is appealing because it can turn normal cells into virtually undetectable drug factories. For more detailed information on the research surrounding "gene doping," read the Science News online article... Taking a tough event and making it even more challenging is a attribute that endurance event promoters seem to have in abundance. A case in point may well be the Alpe d'Huez Triathlon. The bike ride in itself is not for the faint of heart. Toss in a 1400m swim for a warm-up and finish up with 9k run. The event web is interesting to look over despite being written in French.

Aug 7 - Team USA readies for ITU World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland at the end of the month. The 2006 roster includes these area athletes: Ashley Andreas, Michele Andreas, Jillian Petersen, Peter Boumgarden, Mary Sundy, Andy Pele (Columbia), Jennifer Meyer, Patrick McCreary (Alton)... The St Charles Runners Club Flat Five took place over the weekend in the historic St Charles district. Andy Koziatek of Manchester hit the tape in 28:03 to take overall honors. The women's winner was Kristin Moore of St Charles who completed the five-miler in 32:16. The race drew 189 runners... It appears that the Chicago Triathlon, renowned for its massive number of participants, now has some competition on that front. This past weekend, the London Triathlon drew approximately 9,000 athletes for super sprint, sprint, and international distance races. The London Triathlon has billed itself as the largest in the world, a title that the Chicago Triathlon has proudly claimed for many years. The Windy City plays host to its giant field of triathletes Aug 25-27.

Aug 6 - The Mattoon Man Triathlon yesterday took racers through a .8M swim, 38M bike, 8.6M run. The overall winners were Heiko Stalzer (2:49:34) and Jacquie Faust (3:08:31). Along with Stalzer, 2nd and 3rd place overall finishers, Matt Bonastia (2:51:34) and Andy Brendel (2:59:11) were the only three finishers to duck under the three-hour mark. Nice work by everyone making the line under hot conditions... The Cross Country Kickoff in Forest Park took place Saturday. Local runner, Ben Rosario, took overall honors in the 5k event by breaking the course record in 14:45. His Big River Racing Team put five members in the top ten finishers.

Aug 1 - The 2006 ConocoPhillips National Swimming Championships and USA Team Trials take place today thru Saturday in Irvine, California. The meet will feature twenty Olympic Gold medalists. Omega is the official timekeeper and will provide a very nice live update online. This link will function for most newer browsers with built-in Java support... How about these vital stats? Height: 5' 8", Weight: 154lbs, Resting Heart Rate: 39, Percent Body Fat: 4.8%, Blood Pressure: 100/60 mm Hg, and Cholesterol: 105 mg/dL. Those remarkable numbers come from the running man himself, Dean Karnazes, who will perform 50 marathons in 50 days beginning Sept. 17 at the Lewis & Clark Marathon in St Charles. Dean is maintaining an Endurance 50 Blog to chronicle his build-up and the eventual feat.

July 31 - Nice work turned in by Jan De Weer and Elizabeth Fedofsky at ITU Duathlon Worlds under conditions far more pleasant than the thermometer bursting weather in St Louis. At 6am on race day, the temperature in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland was 57° F then climbed to a balmy 66° F by noon. Racers faced the best age group duathletes in the world and a very challenging multiple-loop 10k-run- 40k-bike- 5k-run race course. Jan turned in three solid splits, but how tough was his AG? Consider that of the 34 athletes in the M35-39, 16 went under 37 minutes in the opening leg, the winner dropping a 33 min 10k on the field. As for EF, her day ended on the podium, but what else is new for this Kona-bound athlete from Naperville? She took 2nd place in the W30-34. Congratulations to both athletes. results... Weather has threatened to wreak havoc on the Babler Beast Triathlon for the second consecutive year. Last year, rain forced the event's cancellation. A recent heavy storm knocked out the pool pump in Babler State Park which has forced the pool to be closed for an estimated two weeks. It remains to be seen whether the new pump can be installed and the pool made ready by August 13, or if the race will be necessarily reformatted to a duathlon... This Missouri State Time Trial pitted cyclists against the clock in Jefferson City. Controversial mulltisport athlete, Delbert Marriott, managed the fastest 40k ride in 53:34. The two-day event over July 22-23 had most but not all of the riders hammering the day before in a circuit race. results... Ironman Wisconsin is scheduled for September 10 which will hopefully allow ample time for these torrid summer temperatures to cool down a bit. Average low/high for at that time of the year in Madison is 48/71. Over fifty St Louis area triathletes will make their way north for this year's race.

July 27 - Good luck to Jan DeWeer and Elizabeth Waterstraat at Duathlon Worlds this weekend... The Lake St Louis Triathlon Refund/ Slot Transfer Policy is available on the LSL web . This is a USAT sanctioned race, so the rules concerning these issues are much more stringent at this event than in years past. If you fall into either of those categories, you need to act ASAP... The Lewis and Clark Marathon / Half-Marathon in St Charles on September 17 is filling fast. Fleet Feet fully expects to sell out of slots for all 3800 participants before race day. web... The Big River Running Company has settled on a store location at 14059 Manchester Road near Queeny Park. Co-owners, local runners Ben Rosario and Matt Helbig, plan to open for business sometime in early August. In the meantime, you can check out their website... A two-mile extension of Ulysses S. Grant's Trail -- from Pardee Road in Crestwood north through Oakland and into Kirkwood -- could open to bicyclists, walkers and in-line skaters by early October... Local cycling guru, Andrew Coggan, has co-authored an article with Hunter Allen for Inside Triathlon entiled, A Simple Test to Find Your Functional Threshold Power. web

July 26 - With the biggest cycling spectacle in the world finally behind us, what's a bicycle junkie to do? We suggest you pick up a copy of The Race by Dave Shields. His 2004 novel tells the story of a Utah cyclist winning the yellow jersey, which actually came to fruition when David Zabriskie accomplished that feat. Shields released a follow-up novel in April of this year which immediately shot to the top of the Amazon.com's sports fiction list. The book, however, revolves around a very nonfiction Tour de France issue, performance enhancing drugs. Lest one doubt Mr. Shields credentials, he is a cycling analyst for CNN, ESPN, Sporting News Radio, and The Daily Peloton. While you're at it, just pick up both books... The Spirit of Racine promoted the spirit of racing with 1200 participants reaching its half-iron distance finish line. The accompanying sprint distance race brought another 238 home. A number of St Louis area athletes made the trip to Wisconsin for the event but the results are not searchable by city or state . web

July 25 - Ironman USA Lake Placid was won by Viktor Zyemstev of the Ukraine in a time of 8:38:18. The professional race was a stag event, the pro women having raced for their Championship at IM Coeur d"Alene. The top female age grouper was Molly Zahr of Bedford, New Hampshire. Her 1:07 swim, 5:27 bike, and 3:30 marathon brought her to the finish line in 10:11:35. Sixteen St Louis area athletes came through the finish chute. Travis Fittro led the way with his sub 11hr effort. Nice job by all... The BG Triathlon World Cup visited beautiful Cornerbrook, Newfoundland in Canada over the weekend. Vanessa Fernandes (2: 06:02) of Portugal took her tenth straight World Cup race by catching and passing race leaders Sarah Haskins and Sarah McLarty in the 10k run. Of the Sarahs, McLarty eventually faded to 17th but Haskins (2:07:05) hung for 6th place by virtue of her 36:59 10k run, the top-placed American in the race. Results

July 24 - Catching Up Redux - It seems as if we've just done this catching up thing recently. As most of our readers have already surmised, SBR was knocked back into the Stone Age for the past five days, just as was much of the St Louis Metro area. The following timeline serves as: 1) Explanation for our whereabouts, 2) Poor substitute for real content, and 3) Emotional catharsis... Wednesday - After spending most of the day driving, I eagerly anticipate the 6pm Wednesday ride. Heading east on Hwy 40, the threatening, black cloud bank on my left looks like it just might slip by, but I arrive home too late for the ride. Head over to Schnuks instead. During the two-block walk home, extremely fierce winds bully me about as they snap tree branches all around. I judiciously cross Clayton Rd. keeping a steady look on the bewildered motorists who approach the non-functioning traffic lights. I nearly get run over by driver who blithely blows through the intersection at 40mph. The wind increases dramatically. I wonder what cycling would be like with a 60-80 mph tailwind. Arrive home to find no electricity and of course no Internet service. As night eventually settles, I opt to make good use of my time like every endurance athlete should. I go to bed at 8:00pm. The serenade of sirens lulls me to sleep... Thursday - I awake from one of the best nights of sleep in a long time. Still no juice and still no net. A 10k run enables me to survey the massive tree damage along Clayton Rd and throughout Forest Park. Return home refreshed to find electricity working, but still without the world wide web. The first of twinges of Internet withdrawal syndrome surface. I busy myself formatting the August magazine. Dang, I wish I could check my email... Friday - Ameren and SBR suffer a setback when the second wave of storms knock out electric service once again. Spend time talking with my neighbor only to learn of his special, roof-mounted satellite dish dedicated to an all French TV station for his wife, a French teacher. Yesterday, they watched Floyd's remarkable comeback ride while Charter Cable customers re-read the newspaper. The invitation must have gotten lost. I go back inside and ease my frustration by dismantling the bottom bracket of an old bike. Electric service returns. Later, another visit to the grocery store confirms that the end of the world is nigh. Wild-eyed customers disdain the usual emergency rations for more practical commodities like ice and beer. The Clayton Rd crossing proceeds more safely with a functioning crosswalk light. As I prepare to ride laps of Forest Park, my Jones-ing for the Internet has nearly subsided. They say the first 72-hours are the toughest... Saturday - No Internet, no problem. A morning group ride starts my day off in the right direction. During the spin, a nagging voice in the back of my mind surfaces, wondering what the SBR readers must be thinking and feeling. Have they tired of seeing the same home page for three days now? Do they still care? An evening dinner party finds me at a home with fully-functioning utilities. I am like a recovering AA member who catches a sniff of 90-proof. I politely ask the host if I might check my spam... Sunday - Nothing says forgetting one's techo-problems like a hilly, 100-miler. I return home totally trashed and hit the couch. I manage to regain consciousness long enough to watch the CBS wrap-up of the Tour... Monday - I awaken to the customary 5am alarm, go through the now habitual routine of checking for Internet service. Voila, back in bizness.

July 19 - The Springfield Tri Fest combined three races in two days and provided an event for the Kids as well as a sprint and International distance events for the the adults. With the heat index reaching withering proportions, the Iron Abe Triathlon may have required an iron disposition to complete. Andy Pele of Columbia, Mo reached the finish line in 2:04:21 to take first in the field of 158. Matt Brier (2:06:33) placed second and Edward Elliott (2:15:37) came through in third position. The women's division was won by young, emerging talent, Jacquie Faust (2:17:14). The 21 year old from St Louis actually finished fourth overall. The second female and fifth overall finisher was two-time Team USA member, Jennifer Meyer (2:21:28). Third place was taken by Lara Battalina (2:33:15)... The Stoneman Sprint Triathlon saw Doug Rosen of Bloomington, IL win in 1:01:08. He was followed by Aaron Swallers (1:02:43) and Kyle Monroe (1:03:02). The women's division was led by Ashley MacCurdy in 1:05:14. Erin Weller (1:11:59) and Stephanie Bleedorn (1:13:05) rounded out the top three. In all, 218 racers reached the finish line in this fifth running of the Stoneman... About.com posted an article on race etiquette. Are you a considerate racer? web... The current issue of Triathlete Magazine contains a series of photos of local triathlete Rich Wierzba... Just as Peter Reid exits the sport, former significant other, Lori Bowden, returns to triathlon with a second place finish at Ironman Austria. After taking time off to give birth to her first child, Bowden begun process of recapturing her former world class form. A 3:04 marathon in Kärnten certainly indicates that she's made significant progress in that regard.

July 18 - The Touring Cyclist Biathlon drew 169 racers despite being scheduled for the same morning as the Ballwin Triathlon. The extreme heat and humidity weren't the only the challenges facing the field. After the 4.5 mile run, several of the leading men missed a turn on the 20-mile bike which knocked them out of contention. Caleb Goldkamp managed to stay on course and easily take the title in 1:27:06. Jan DeWeer (1:34:42) and Scott Richter ( 1:38:26) finished second and third respectively in the men's division. The women's field saw Kristin Moore race virtually unchallenged. Her 1:35:39 was the third best time overall on the day. Margie Martens (1:45:02) and Katrina Brown (1:49:19) rounded out the women's top three... Velonews has posted two more installments of Sustaining Sanity in Iraq, by Major Jason A. Bryan. All seven parts constitute a revealing and fascinating look at one soldier's experience in the war zone. He leans heavily on his bicycle rides around the compound for fitness and to provide a temporary semblance of normality in an otherwise hostile environment. link... Congrats to the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists. GORC was made the beneficiary of a $3,400 grant from REI. The funds will be directed at the SIU-Edwardsville trail... Innsbrook Resort would like to invite you to come train at the site of the USA Triathlon Halfmax National Championship. Condos are available for only $99 per night for a one bedroom unit. Units includes full kitchen. The package provides access to all of Innsbrook’s amenities which includes fitness center, pool, restaurant, tennis, golf, and horseback riding. Be sure to mention the Tri Innsbrook special when e-mailing them at vacation@innsbrook-resort.com.

July 17 - Catching Up - A week and a world away have succeeded in leaving a few indelible impressions on both mind and body. It went well beyond the 350 miles we pedaled, the thirty-thousand feet we climbed, and the numerous, edgy, high-speed descents. Of course the physical part of it left its mark, but how can one not be spiritually re-awakened by the dazzling majesty of the mountains? The amazing hues of an azure sky and a hundred shades of green mountainside painted a glorious backdrop on that canvas before my mind's eye. Filling my lungs with crisp, clean (albeit thin) air induced an intoxicating effect. It was a remarkable week in Utah. Many thanks to my training compadres for sharing time on and off the bike. Hope you guys had as much fun as I did. In no particular order, kudos to : John Lynch, Bill Grebenc, John Twist, Ryan Barr, Steve Ryan, and Mark Gowler... Getting back to business, we apologize for last week's sporadic updates. Frankly, it was a wonder anything got uploaded, given the hardship I labored under... The Lifetime Fitness Triathlon returned for 2006 over the weekend waiving $500,000 at professional triathletes. Naturally a stunning, world-class field answered the cash-call looking to pay bills for the year with one event. Hunter Kemper overcame the 9min 49sec stagger between the men's and women's fields to win in 1:59:33. Emma Snowsill (2:00:34), was the first woman across the line. Sarah Haskins (2:02:56) came through the chute as the fourth woman and earned a $15,000 payday for her effort, despite flatting on the bike. Huge congratulations to her on a successful racing career that keeps ratcheting upwards... NBC Sports will broadcast the event at 3:30 p.m.CST, on Saturday, July 29... The 2006 USAT National Age-Group Championships crowned new title holders. Marc Bonnet-Eymard (1:58:10) and Jennifer Garrison (2:13:20) were the respective men's and women's overall winners. The St Louis area was well-represented at Smithville and produced some very nice results. Heading the list was Jill Petersen who captured the F20-24 age-group with her 2:16:45 finish. Very, very nice work... The top sixteen in each age group qualified for Team USA at ITU Worlds in Lausanne, Switzerland to be held the weekend of September 2-3. The following list is comprised of top-sixteen finishers, but as of this writing, it is not known by SBR whether or not they accepted their slots. Congratulations to : Peter Boumgarden, St Louis (M20-24), Andy Pele, Columbia, Mo (M35-39), Patrick McCreary, Alton, IL (M55-59), Tony Kramer, St Charles, (M60-64), Jill Petersen, St Louis (F20-24), Nikki Reed, St Louis (F20-24), Ashley Andreas, St Charles (F20-24), Kristin Moore, St Charles (F30-34), Jennifer Meyer, St Louis (F40-44), Helen Alexander-Kratz, St. Louis (F40-44), and Lolle Boettcher, St Louis (F55-59)... Rolldown slots extend to those in positions 17 thru 25. There were a number of local athletes within that range who could conceivably accept Team USA berths. We'll post the local contingent of Team USA's roster when that information is made available by USA Triathlon. results... The South County YMCA Triathlon welcomed its 217 participants to the Kennedy Recreation Complex on July 9 for a 1/4 mile swim, 11 mile bike, and 3 mile run. In a bit of an eye-opener, Barry Knight oddly chose to do the sprint race in South County rather than compete in his age group at USAT Nationals. His 51:17 finish easily won the overall title. Ryan Pirtle (53:21) took second and Robert Montani (55:08) came through in third. The women's crown (tiara) was captured by 27-year old Sarah Sander (1:01:59), who was followed in order by Stephanie Petersen (1:02:56) and Lisa Lewis (1:02:59). Nice work to everyone completing the race which included a short but challenging run course. results ... The Ballwin Triathlon was accompanied by air temperature that nearly reached 90° before 9am. Although this was a sprint-distance event, it may have seemed much longer for many racers who took part in the 300yd swim 9 mile bike, and 3.2 mile run. Jim Feher (56:10) had the fastest time in the field of 219 racers. He was followed by Larry Klutenkamper (56:30) and Jim Lemon (56:54). In the women's division, Mary Sundy added another win to her race resumé as the only woman to duck under the hour mark in 57:55. Second place went to Stephanie Petersen (1:00:59) and third place was won by Tiffany Albanese (1:02:19). Great job by everyone for withstanding a blazing sun... On a final note, hopefully the road improvement project along Clayton Rd will progress rapidly so as to offer a freshly repaved stretch of that road for the 2007 race... It almost feels as if SBR has a separate cranial compartment for the metro area multisport scene. The neural connectors contained within those brain cells fire fast and often in a well-choreographed dance of milli-watttage as we post and publish the exploits of local athletes. This task is occasionally shared upstream by local print media giant the Post-Dispatch. Read a piece entitled, What does it take to be an Ironman?, by Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian. article

July 7 - The Annual July 4th Hillsboro Biathlon went off as scheduled on Tuesday. Congratulations to overall winners, a couple of 40 year olds, Shawn Oneal (1:20:49) of Kirkwood and Bette Chesser (1:39:43) from Williamsville, IL. Women's runner-up, Erin Wahl from St Louis, was competing in just her 2nd race. Carol Wright rounded out the women's top three. The men's field had Scott Shaw (1:21:58) in second and Andy Brendel (1:23:31) in third. Nice work by everyone... 29-year old Eric Heins of Cape Girardeau finished 32nd in the open division at the world famous Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday. He completed the 10k in 31:48. Eric should take great consolation in the fact that beating him to the finish line were 14-Kenyan, 2-Morocan, and 2-Ethiopian world class runners. Martin Lel won the race in 27:25.

July 5 - Trailnet has moved their downtown office to 1533 Washington Ave. in the heart of that redeveloping district with the hope of gaining additional visibility. That location will house the Confluence Greenway project office and Trailnet's development & project support staff. Trailnet's programming staff will continue to work from the Reavis Barracks Road location along Grant's Trail."... VeloNews posts a very nice array of daily video interviews on their web . These two and three minute snippets provide a great opportunity to get to know the personalities of the Tour... Congratulations to Tom Jackson who parlayed the #2 swim, #1bike, and #2 run splits into a five minute winning margin at the Scott AFB Triathlon... The final countdown begins for amateur triathletes tapering for the USAT Age Group National Championship on Saturday in Smithville, MO. The forecast is for partly cloudy skies, a high near 89, and south wind 8-11 mph. The first wave sets out at 8am and the last of 10 waves swims at 8:55am. On the line are 15-slots per age group for the ITU World Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland on Sept 2-3, 2006 (home of the International Olympic Organization). Registration for this weekend's event has expired. Complete details on USAT web

June 30 - Eurosport is reporting that Ivan Basso and Francisco Mancebo have just been banned from the Tour de France along with the previously announced suspended riders Jan Ullich and Oscar Sevilla. As many as 20 riders implicated in the Spanish drug investigation, Operation Puerto, may be kicked out of the Tour de France on the eve of the Prologue. The full list of implicated riders was published Friday after a court gag order was lifted. The result of this 11th hour chaos? Floyd Landis, it's your tour now. Go win it... Get Your TdF On - OLN live television coverage begins tomorrow at 7:30am. Eurosport streams its audio broadcast over the Internet. It's not the cherished voice of Phil Liggett, but it's live. Complete OLN television broadcast schedule of the Tour de France PDF... The last Friday of each month, the "unofficial, worldwide" Critical Mass bike ride takes place. The St Louis group meets 5:30pm then rolls from Kiener Plaza at 6pm for a two-hour slow ride. The event is a non-athletic, noncompetitive, free bike ride intended to educate the auto-bound to the simplicity of travel by bicycle and to draw attention to the rights of urban cyclists... Deepest condolences to the Rowlatt family of Lake Sherwood. Jeremy Rowlatt was struck and killed near his home last Saturday by a hit and run driver. KSDK news report... Graham Cooper won the Western States 100 Endurance Run in 18 hrs 17min 27sec. The first woman to complete the Squaw Valley to Placer High run was Nikki Kimball in 19hrs 26min 50sec. web

June 29 - So far, 35 area athletes have made plans for USAT Nationals on Saturday, July 8 in Kansas City. If you would like to attend this spectacle as a participant, be aware that registration closes July 3. web . A highlight video from the weekend's action will be available for purchase. Pre-orders are currently being accepted... Vote for the bike mechanic! The American Worker of the Year award has come down to five finalists. They're all great individuals, but hey, life without bike technicians would be very grim indeed. web... Michael Barry, pro cyclist with the Discovery Channel Cycling Team and author of Inside the Postal Bus: My Ride with Lance Armstrong and the US Postal Cycling Team, has written apostscript to that book. He takes a look at the 2006 Tour de France and Discovery's chances without LA web... Velonews posts diaries authored by various pro cyclists. However, one of the finest pieces we've read all year was sent in by an American soldier in Iraq. He was able to bring his bicycle and actually ride it in the compound. As you might expect, he's not without his own unique set of training obstacles. If you ride, this five-part series is a must read. Sustaining Sanity in Iraq... Perspective - The Tour de France starts July 1 amid controversy and chaos. Lance-less and burdened with a head-spinning number of riders associated with banned substances and illegal procedures, the world's greatest bike race in under intense pressure. Make no mistake, we'll still tune in to the OLN broadcasts. But increasingly the sport is becoming a sideshow. Who's an alien and which riders are clean has sadly become the more germane issue than who's wearing the yellow jersey. Thomas Dolby had it right back in 1983, "blinding me with science - science! I can smell the chemicals."

June 28 - A very quiet, long, holiday weekend awaits the metro area with very few events on the calendar. For those taking a day of vacation on Monday or catching a rare strain of the Monday morning flu, Saturday through Tuesday may provide a long training block... The St Louis Track Club begins a sixteen-week long series of Saturday morning long-runs serving as training leading into the Chicago Marathon on October 22. The non-race runs begin at 7am and vary weekly by location as they build from 8 to 20+ miles. PDF... SBR found itself in the winners circle recently. While covering Trailnet's Bike To Work Day, we entered the drawing for one of two Specialized Crossroads being given away by Sunset Cyclery. A phone call from Steve at Trailnet informed us of our good fortune. SBR's commute may actually be greener than a non-fossil-fueled bike ride as it's just a thirty-foot walk, but the chainring nearly always takes us to the post office, bank, library, etc. Long-time readers may tire of us exhorting them to truly live the fitness lifestyle by running or biking to errands whenever and wherever possible... Thanks to the faculty and kids at the Tri-Art Camp yesterday for their hospitality. The St Michael School in Clayton hosts this summer program at their remarkable facility on Wydown Blvd. Look for the resultant article in the July issue of Swim Bike Run St Louis Magazine... The city of Wildwood is taking a very proactive approach in establishing and maintaining a harmonious relationship between motorists and cyclists— at least to the extent for which it is possible. While some municipalities further east along Clayton Road may appear to take delight in ticketing cyclists, realize that the police force in Wildwood fully grasps cyclists rights and will support them. However, riders must completely understand their responsibilities as cyclists on Wildwood's roads and act accordingly. In doing so, they will have a strong ally in Wildwood law enforcement. The following copy was prepared by the Wildwood police department and sent to the Journal newspapers for publication. They also prepared a Cyclists Handout we have in PDF format.

June 27 - The Long Beach Press Telegram ran a story on the USAT Elite National Championship. It also has a nice photo of Sarah breaking the tape with the national champion's jersey in hand... You can swim 2.4 miles in under an hour. You can pedal up the steepest hills. You can run all day. Yeah, you're bad, but are you super fit? Check out Cross Fit . This website posts daily workouts designed to kick you squarely in the anterior posterior... Elevation Chart of the Sunday morning Delmar Garden ride.

June 26 - Congratulations to Sarah Haskins (1:58:43), who along with Hunter Kemper (1:46:53), won the USAT Elite National Championship Triathlon yesterday in Long Beach, California. The sub-two hour international distance effort netted Sarah the $3000 first prize, a round-trip airline voucher, plus $1500 in Speedo bonus pool money. Great Work!... The Subaru U.S. Women's Triathlon Series traveled to Naperville, IL as did a few St. Louis area ladies. The race is one of four events comprising the series benefitting the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Participants were faced with sprint distance : . 75km swim, 22km bike, and 5km run. Among the overall top finishers were 2- Jennifer Meyer (1:11:19) and 5- Helen Alexander Kratz. Also making the finish line were : Jessica Streiler 1:28:29, Julie Mangan 1:33:33, Kimberly Ridenour 1:36:35, Carol Peluso 1:47:18, Julie Schlueter 1:51:06, Vicki Hefly 1:56:17, Karen Morfitt 1:58:26, Betty Bossaller 2:00:56, and Joan Boyd 2:19:17... A cold water swim, windy bike ride, and hot run were just part of the challenges faced on the day for triathletes in the Ironman Coeur d'Alene Triathlon. Chris Hauth (9:07:05) and JoAnna Zeiger (9:31:07) took the wins in the pro division... Meanwhile in typically hot Lubbock, the weather was moderate, at least by Texas standards. Some fast times were posted in the Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs. Luke Bell of Austrailia (3:54:50) slipped across the finish line two and one-half minutes up on Simon Lessing. Natascha Badmann of Switzerland (4:22:10) won in a bit more convincing fashion— by just over six minutes . Great effort by SBR friend Elizabeth Fedofsky who won the W30-34, thereby earning an IM World Championship slot in Kona... It was a busy weekend for St. Louis area athletes whether they stayed in town or donned their traveling shoes. M-dot results below. (note : The IM 70.3 BSL results database is not set up for searches by state, so we did eyeballed the results. If we missed your name, please let us know) . Ironman CDA: Andy Brendel 10:25:35, Rodney Adkison 10:33:25, Tina Stiles, Shiloh, IL 11:07:18, Tim Battles 11:25:29, Jim Westhead 12:13:37, David Morey 12:55:09, James Taylor 13:17:02, Curtis Brooks 13:36:39, David Bass 14:02:43, Cheryl Andersen 14:53:17... Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs: Rick Mann 4:36:16, Matt Bonastia 4:40:06, Chris Arnold 4:47:52, Lou Jearls 5:20:15, Doug Burns 5:33:25

June 24 - Bicycle Retailer and Industry News published their June 15 issue with errant statistics on the cover. Their chart indicated that cycling fatalities due to car incidents in 2004 were 7254 instead of 725 and that in 2005 they were 7204 instead of 720. No problem guys, you're only off by 1000%... The town of Anna, Texas has issued a bicycle ban on a stretch of dangerous road. A fine of $200 is in store for any cyclist caught breaking the ordinance. The north Texas cycling community is objecting to their freedom of choice being violated while the city of Anna is trying to prevent cycling fatalities on the shoulderless road. web... IronKids Triathlon almost comes to Missouri in 2006. Lawrence, KS is as close as it gets for young St Louis area triathletes. The event is scheduled for Sunday, September 17 at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center. web... The BJC Sports Works Exhibition at the Science Center is a nine-month long interactive exhibition has plenty of activities for kids of all ages.

June 20 - Peter Reid made official his retirement from the sport of triathlon. The three-time Ironman World Champion totes impressive career marks which also include: 4 runner-up finishes in Kona, 2 IM Canada wins, 3 IM Australia titles, a win at IM Austria, and a win at IM Lanzarote. He has always been an SBR favorite and we wish him all the luck in the world. Look for the July issue of Triathlete Magazine which will feature an exclusive interview with PR... Good Luck to the following metro area athletes this weekend at Ironman Coeur d'Alene: Rodney Adkison, Cheryl Anderson, David Bass, Tim Battles, Curtis Brooks, Jayson Hardie, David Morey, Keith Owens, Andy Brendel, James Taylor, Jim Westhead, and Tina Stiles... More Cutting Edge Half-Iron Triathlon Results: 20-John Pollihan (5:04:28), 54-Jim Milner (5:30:17), 70-Lynnea Housewright (5:44:14), 84-Christa Warner (5:54:52) and 116-Ray Turnley (6:23:04)... SBR Web Statistics - In 2005 this website welcomed approximately 130,000 visits from readers. In just the first six months of 2006, the number of visits will top 100,000. Thanks!

June 19 - The Rec Plex Triathlon managed to dodge any delaying rainfall and went on as scheduled. Ted Zderic of Columbia, Mo. came to St Peters and succeeded in wrestling the title away from 2005 champion, Shawn Oneal. After Oneal devastated the bike course in 50:46, Zderic had to lay down 5:32 miles on the run to overcome a four-minute deficit and win by 16-seconds in 1:28:55. The women's division saw Jill Petersen return to the winners circle by executing the day's 2nd best swim time and 3rd best run split. She crossed the line in 1:34:03. results... Computer gremlins struck SBR yesterday. We lost all photos taken at Rec Plex, thus no video will be forthcoming. Sorry... You give at the office. You participate in fundraising rides and runs. You do what you can to help the less fortunate, but it still seems a little impersonal. The solution? Tandem Adventurers is a St Louis area tandem cycling club for visually impaired youths 10-18 years old. The Delta Gamma Center is in need of pilots for the tandem bikes. Volunteers meet with their teammates two Saturdays per month. This type of giving is priceless. If interested, please contact Debbie Naucke at 314-776-1300 ext. 110... Congratulations to Rich Wierzba for his win at the Cutting Edge Half-Iron Triathlon on Sunday. His finishing time of 4:31:54 provided nearly a six-minute margin of victory. Other metro St Louis finishers included: 9-Corky Miller (4:49:51), 19-Craig Harrison (5:04:00), 21-Kevin Nashan (5:04:33), 22-Doug Wynd (5:04:47), 32-Scott Varwig (5:14:26), 41-Paul Schon (5:22:19), 44-Rick Moll (5:23:37), 59-Bev Ofsthun (5:33:32), 89-Ann Halenkamp (6:01:05), 91-Bruce Edwards (6:02:38), 93-Bill Rudden (6:04:59), 94-Mina Nashan (6:08:39), 96-Gary Berra (6:09:45), 106-Pam Borger, 113-Ann Grus (6:22:15), 126-Teresa Telford (6:52:39), 127-Gary Maier (6:56:26). The results database shows no city/state data with which to sort the finishers, so we've no doubt missed some individuals. Send us an email if we omitted your name. Misc. race note: It may be interesting to see how long the race holds onto its name before the militant WTC legal team learns they are using the words "Half Iron."

June 18 - Construction of Lakeside 370 in St Peters is well underway. The lake is dug and beginning to fill. After picking up your Rec Plex race packet, take a moment to review the fascinating project overview map in Rec Plex lobby. When completed and operational, the 140 acre lake will be the new site of the Rec Plex spring triathlon. Look for the race to grow to International distance and dramatically expand its scale to 1000 racers. A huge sand beach, massive pavilions, and vast parking lots will provide a near-perfect staging area. The lake will be over a mile long which will enable virtually any distance event to be staged. The paved hiking trail encircling the lake easily will allow for a 10k run. With nearly $50 million in land-sale proceeds to work with, expect St Peters to make this project first class. Best of all, open water swimming will have found a new local home. Some very exciting times ahead.

June 16 - Sky Zone has come to the St Louis area. We are just the second city in the country, after Las Vegas, to build one of these highly specialized facilities. Picture a 6,000 square foot main playing field comprised entirely of trampolines for the completely unique game of Sky Zone. In addition, imagine a 2,800 square foot field for 3-D dodge ball, as well as a 1,750 square foot field for other activities such as SkyRobics, a low impact cardio workout. All of this plus party rooms, skyboxes, locker rooms with showers, concession stand, and a store are housed in a 22,800 square foot building. The prototype in Las Vegas has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors in its first year, but the Chesterfield facility anticipates topping that. SkyZone will be open 10am until 10pm Sunday through Thursday, 10am until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Check out the videos on the Las Vegas Sky Zone web and on the Skymania Fun Center web... Rowdy Gaine s made an appearance yesterday at the Rockwood Swim Club's 50m outdoor pool in Crestview Middle School. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Famer's presence was special, but the folks were expecting to meet instead the beautiful and statuesque, nine-time Olympic medal winner, Dara Torres . While the kids were excited to receive autographed swim caps from Rowdy, the only disappointed ones in the crowd seemed to be the fathers with ready cameras in hand.

June 15 - Huge thank-you to regular reader and budding film producer, James Glickert of Osage Beach, who surprised SBR with a DVD copy of his well-done race coverage of the Hard Bonk Chill... Kryptonite has posted its top-ten worst cities for bike theft. The ignominious list is as follows: 1. New York, 2. San Francisco, 3. Chicago, 4. Washington, 5. Boston, 6. Eugene, 7. Philadelphia, 8. Oakland, 9. Seattle, 10. Miami. The bike lock maker relies on date is has compiled for 30-years. They attribute rising gas prices for a potential record summer of bike losses. web.

June 14 - Southwest Missouri trail enthusiasts suffered a setback with the newly opened Frisco Highline Trail. This 36-mile rail to trail conversion between Springfield and Bolivar discovered that the Little Sac River Bridge at mile marker 23 has burned. Consequently, the trail has been cut off at that point. The span was built in 1882 of stone pillars, steel trestles, and wood railings. The foundation remains which will allow for reconstruction. A $5000 reward was posted for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for its destruction. web... Natascha Badmann and Chris Legh won the Eagleman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon last weekend up in Cambridge, Maryland. Congratulations to 77-year old Myron Norton of St Louis who made the finish line... Octomax Triathlon - As most know by now, rain forced the men's Quartermax race to be folded into the shorter Octomax event. Results have been posted. 1-Michael Schlueter (1:14:20) , 2-Sam Yount (1:15:31), 3-Christian Waterstraat (1:15:37). Great work by 69-year old Ron Ottoway who finished in 1:38:32, 164 out of 287 racers.

June 13 - 44-year old Mary Ann Butzke of Batavia, IL continues to amaze with her triathlon performances. A strong 1:29:06 finish at Octomax provided her with more than a three minute margin of victory. Erin Hagan (1:32:11) came through in 2nd position and Britta Siegel (1:36:33) took 3rd... A quick comment to participants about the partially congruent Octomax and Quartermax bike courses- There was confusion on the part of some racers who made wrong turns and in effect added miles or dramatically shortened their races. Conventional race wisdom still holds that it is incumbent upon the athletes to familiarize themselves sufficiently with the course so as not to rely upon volunteers for direction. Web maps, pre-race meetings, packet information, and course signage should be enough to accomplish that, but its generally wise to perform a pre-race drive-through of the bike course, if possible... SBR is very pleased to welcome two new sponsors to it stable of supporters. LOCK LACES makes what has become essential transition gear for every triathlete, an elastic lace and and spring-activated locking system. Take precious time from your transition by converting your running shoes to quick and easy slip-ons. The first time you use an elastic lacing system like Lock Laces, you'll wonder why you never did before. This product can also provide great benefit for families with small children, elderly, and physical challenged individuals. DeFeet manufactures high-quality, performance socks and apparel. Custom socks, knee & arm warmers, gloves, jerseys, shirts, bibs, shoe covers, and base layers comprise a full line of technical apparel. They offer design, sales and service through their website's Custom Shop, through selected e-tailers, and through quality retailers in the St Louis Metro area. We urge you to support these and all of the fine companies who so generously back SBR's efforts.

June 11- The women's field hit the warm 82° water of Aspen Lake on Saturday before battling the heat and hills. Congratulations to Elizabeth Waterstraat (Fedofsky) who took very well to the conditions and made the finish line first in 2:13:20. The race didn't play out as first year triathlete, Jill Petersen (2:15:48), had envisioned. She survived a bike crash, then battered but not broken, she gutted out the run for an impressive second place finish. Lyndsey Zucco (2:20:28) of Chicago, made her drive down to St Louis pay off by taking third , complete results... The women's race "enjoyed" mostly clear skies and warm, dry weather. However, an all-night rain inundated the area which made many doubt that any race could be staged for the men on Sunday. Several male athletes didn't make the early morning drive while others threw in a wet towel and departed the race site. But starting an hour later than scheduled, the remaining participants did indeed manage to spend their pent up energy as the rain finally stopped altogether. Water on lake spillways reached torrent-levels, so both races scheduled for the day were necessarily consolidated into Octomax. More on the event when final results are posted... The Metro area sent one sole representative to the Pigman Sprint Triathlon held on June 4 at the Pleasant Creek Recreation in Palo, Iowa. Aaron (Slim) Shady managed a 1:26:01 for the .5k swim, 25k bike, 5k run. 40-yr old Brian Bich of Duluth, Minnesota took home the men's champion trophy with his 1:04:11 while 24-yr old Mia Richter of Iowa City, Iowa kept the women's title in-state by going 1:13:42 for the win . .. A fair number of area athletes opted to head 120 miles northeast of St Louis for the Wolf Creek Triathlon near Windsor, IL. They may have averted the Innsbrook hills but it's doubtful they escaped the rain. Paul Watkins of St Louis came through the finish chute 9th overall in 55:00 to lead local athletes. In 10th overall was Jess Davidson of Edwardsville who was the women's winner in a time of 55:32. Congratulations to all making the finish line. Complete results.

June 9 - The Alpine Shop posted a dozen photos from the Conquer Castlewood Adventure Race... In Thursday's stage of the the Dauphiné Libéré, Denis Menchov (Rabobank) reached the summit finish of Mont Ventoux first. American, Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), finished just 15 seconds back but it was enough to put him in the overall leader's jersey at 28 seconds up on Menchov... More on Ventoux - The mountain can be climbed by three roads, but the one of legend is the southern route from Bédoin- 22 km over 1610 m. This is the most difficult ascent of the three. That road to the summit has an average gradient of 7.6%. Until Saint-Estève, the climb is "easy", but the last 16 km have an average gradient of 10%. The final kilometers can have strong, violent winds. The ride takes 2-3 hours for trained amateur individuals, but professionals can ride it in ~60 minutes. The fastest time thus far belongs to Iban Mayo in the individual climbing time trial of the 2004 Dauphiné Libéré at 55:51. The time was measured from Bédoin for the first time in the 1958 Tour de France, in which Charly Gaul was the fastest at 1:02:09... French cyclist, Jean-Pascal Roux ascended Mont Ventoux 11 times in 24 hours. Here is a link to an interesting 12-minute video chronicling his effort. Just watching this will make your back ache... The 2006 Tour de France will of course include several historic and tough climbs (Col d'Aspin, Col d'Izoard, L'Alpe-d'Huez, Col du Galibier, Col du Glandon, etc) but will circumvent the infamous Ventoux.

June 8 - The Creve Coeur Lake House has recently opened at Creve Coeur Park. The building is located on Creve Coeur Mill Road, adjacent to the paved trail extension, south of the Page extension. The facility provides restaurant and deli food, while serving as an information center or just a cool place to take a break from the sun. The venue offers live acoustic music on many evenings. Check it out... Runners in the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon will enjoy the ultimate in ChampionChip Timing with pick-up mats placed at each mile marker. This marks the first time a marathon in the US has gone to such an extent to provide accurate mile split data for its participants. Can Boston, New York, Chicago, and the others be far behind?... Nice work by the crew of local triathletes who completed the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon last weekend. The group included: Gary Crews 3:28:31, Victoria Babu Niswonger 4:24:31. Tanya Crews 3:32:39, Gary Fourtney 3:33:09, Jason Kelly 3:28:45, Gary Maier 4:23:32, Amanda Messmer 3:19:42, David Orwick 3:30:45, Bill Schmidt 4:19:00, Tony Todd 4:52:33, Kelly Watson 3:50:05.

June 7 - Congratulations to Sarah Haskins who qualified for the women's professional field of the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland on September 2, 2006. Current ITU World Cup rankings through Madrid, place her 33rd in the World. Next up for Sarah is the USAT Elite National Championship race in Long Beach, California on June 25. A $20,000 prize purse awaits the pro field. Good luck!... Race Results - Highland Biathlon and Conquer Castlewood... Yesterday, SBR called out the Bernie Miklasz Show on 1380AM for an on-air comment that was made about where cyclists belong. The resulting discussion threads on both KSLG's Blog Zone and STLBiking were, shall we say, lively. Mr. Miklasz has since indicated that the offending voice belonged to his producer, Max Leinwand. We applaud the show for taking the highroad as Leinwand will issue an apology on Friday's show. We further understand that the remark was intended to be humorous and was made without malice, but even in jest, such a comment will nearly always strike a very sensitive nerve in cyclists. Hopefully the discussions of the last few days have succeeded in generating a greater awareness of and not an increased animosity toward bicyclists. Cycling remains one of the few recreational activities/ sports that has unfortunately found it necessary to set aside a day each year to honor its fallen (The Ride of Silence), so it may be understandable if pro-cycling listeners failed to see the humor. We sincerely hope that all parties have gained insights about themselves as well as one another, and can now move forward in a more enlightened and positive fashion.

June 6 - The stage is being set for the Quartermax Triathlon out at Innsbrook this weekend. Designated a special qualifier for the USAT Age Group Nationals, the race has drawn 500 individual entries. The accompanying, shorter Octomax Triathlon has found its niche with 150 entrants ready to compete. There figures to be ample challenge with temperatures near 90°, high humidity, and the infamous Innsbrook hills confronting athletes. This week's heat-up would appear to take water temp above the limit for wetsuits, but a race morning water reading will dictate their legality. Some very nice battles are shaping up in both the men's and women's fields. The women get the course to themselves on Saturday as Quartermax is divided along gender lines into two races this year. The field will bring together Jill Petersen, Kristen Moore, Jennifer Meyer, Nicole Burdge, Elizabeth Fedofsky-Waterstraat, and L.A. Lowe— all of whom will be pushing the front. Then on Sunday, the men take on the challenging course and to one another in a mano on mano dogfight. Among those expected to vie for the men's title are Tom Jackson, Ted Zderic, Rich Wierzba, Christian Waterstraat, and Sam Yount. A PDF of final race information contains most pertinent details along with a timeline of events for the entire weekend. Just as a reminder for all triathletes, there will be NO exceptions to these rules : (1) NO race day registration, (2) You must have a photo ID to pick up your packet, (3) You CAN NOT pick up another person's packet... It has been requested that any cyclists training near Lake St Louis, particularly within the town limits of Josephville, be especially cognizant of their behavior. Please display the utmost courtesy towards residents and refrain from any outward signs of rudeness or aggression. The fate of the LSL triathlon could well be in the balance. We realize that at times it can be exceedingly difficult, but we ask that cyclists please use discretion if a situation arises. Thanks!... Bernie Miklasz has been a well-respected sports journalist for many years, but SBR was appalled as was every other cycling enthusiast who listened to his June 2nd show on 1380AM. Despite denials, the statement was clearly made that cyclists belong, "under my car." Listen for yourself by clicking here to download an audio recording of the show, then fast forward to the 2:21:00 point. SBR Editorial: Mr. Miklasz we strongly encourage you to return to your former life as a normal sportswriter and give up the ludicrous shock-jock schtick. It doesn't suit you. Also, perhaps a basic exercise program like walking may help shed some of those extra lbs.

June 5 - The Honu Ironman 70.3 saw a handful of St Louis area triathletes take the long flight to the big island of Hawaii in search of Kona slots. Those eventually reaching the finish line included: 37- Di Guiseppe Louis M40-44 (10/145) 4:45:41, 162- Werner Bradford M35-39 (42/126) 5:17:45, 172- Arnold Chris M35-39 (45/126) 5:20:43, 674- Rippetoe Mark M25-29 (38/40) 7:05:39. Special props to to Chris Arnold who gutted out a nice result while still recovering from a bicycle/car incident... The newly renamed 2006 BG Triathlon World Cup series brought ITU triathletes to Madrid, Spain over the weekend for a tough course and a rich prize purse. Vanessa Fernandes (2:06:08) extended her dominance in the women's division by capturing her 9th World Cup race in a row. She utilized her strength, the run to pull out the win. Sarah Haskins and former 23&U World Champ, Andrea Hewitt, managed a two-woman break on the bike and hit the run with a 1:45 lead. However, the flying Fernandes needed just 5k to reel both in with her 34:09 10k run. Hewitt (2:06:42) held on for 2nd place while Haskins(2:08:45) hit the line in 12th position. video

June 4 - USA Triathlon national and regional elections are underway. If you are an annual member in good standing with the National Sanctioning Body, you will receive your voting information in the mail shortly. Exercise both your body and your right to vote... The USA Triathlon National Age Group Championships in Kansas City are one month away. If you have qualified for this event, be sure to get registered. This is an opportunity to race against the best triathletes in the country in your age bracket. At stake are slots to Team USA which will compete at the ITU World Championships later this year in Lausanne, Switzerland... 15-year old Kirsten Groome won the women's national 5k open water swim yesterday in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Chip Petersen, a North Carolina high schooler, won the men's event in 53:10... Gordo Byrn posted a nice first-hand account of his fifth-place finish at Ironman Brasil on xtri.com

June 2 - The month of June will see the local cycling scene ramp up in a major way. Among the events keeping pedals turning and hearts thumping will be: Hellbender Road Race, Missouri State Road Race, Columbia Criterium, Mills Giant Peach Time Trial, Tour de Winghaven, and the Webster Groves Criterium, just to name a few... The Tour of Missouri professional bicycle race moves ever closer to becoming a reality in 2007. While a contract has yet to be inked with a international sports marketing company, Medalist Sports, we're told by an insider that the event is all but a certainty... As the sport of cycling increases in popularity, so too does the number of riders taking to the roads both recreationally and for training purposes. Riding in groups can be a little unnerving for newcomers, but with a little practice and knowldege it should become less stressful. Here's a little refresher for anyone new to riding in groups... Paceline Etiquette - Don’t accelerate when taking the lead. Swing wide of pot holes and debris. Point them out for riders behind. Short pulls of 30 seconds to 2 minutes benefit the group better than long efforts. The overall speed of the group increases thereby improving everyone’s spin practice. Weaker riders can "pull through" spending very little time at the front. Don’t focus on the rear tire of the bike in front of you, instead look look forward several riders to see what the paceline is reacting to. Don’t make sudden movements. The riders behind you are counting on you to maintain a predictable line. Use brakes cautiously, if you brake hard in a paceline you’ll cause everyone behind you to pile up. If you have to slow a little bit, move to the side or sit up and catch some air. Communicate. Call out actions and conditions i.e. turning, slowing, stopping, dog. Don’t overlap the wheel of the bike in front of you. If you do overlap, move away until slow down gradually. Protect your front wheel. Wait until you’re in the back of the paceline to eat that energy bar or peel the banana. Stay relaxed, loose and fluid, keep the pedals spinning. Soft-pedal if you have to. Never ride aero bars in the paceline. Don’t leave stragglers. If you get separated at intersections, as a matter of courtesy, the lead group should soft pedal until the rest have rejoined. Know your limitations. If you are not strong enough or too tired to take a turn at the front, stay near the back and let the stronger cyclists pull in front of you instead of making them go to the back of the line. This will keep them from having to pass you when you create a gap. Change positions correctly. A common beginner faux pas is to stop pedaling just before pulling off the front. This creates an accordion affect toward the rear. Keep a steady pressure on the pedals until you have cleared the front. After pulling off, soft pedal and let the group pull through. As the last couple riders are passing through, begin to apply more pressure to smoothly take your position at the rear. If you stand abruptly while climbing, you will move backwards relative to the rider behind you when you hit the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you need to stand, shift up a gear to compensate for the slower cadence and stand up smoothly, keeping a steady pressure on the pedals. The leader must overcome much greater wind resistance as speed increases. If you are leading, keep pedaling. If you are following, back off a couple of bike lengths to compensate for the greater effects of drafting. If you are closing on the rider in front, sit up and let the wind slow you or use light braking to maintain spacing. Headphones are taboo. Remember to relax. If you have tense arms and get bumped from the side, the shock will go directly to the front wheel and you will swerve and possibly crash. Plus, if you are tense, you are using energy you need to pedal your bike and keep up with the group... Cylists have many of the rights of vehicles. Here's an overview- Synopsis of the Missouri Statutes Regarding Bicycles: Every person operating a bicycle at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic upon a street or highway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as safe, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction, EXCEPT when making a left turn, when avoiding hazardous conditions, when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle, or when on a one-way street. Bicyclists may ride abreast when not impeding other vehicles. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district. Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian. No person riding upon a bicycle shall attach himself to any vehicle upon a roadway. Every bicycle shall be equipped with brakes which will enable its driver to stop within twenty-five feet from a speed of ten miles per hour on dry, level, clean pavement. Every bicycle when in use on a street or highway during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with: (1) A front-facing lamp (2) A rear-facing red reflector (3) Reflective material and/or lights on any part of the bicyclist's pedals, crank arms, shoes or lower leg, visible from the front and the rear (4) Reflective material and/or lights visible on each side of the bicyclet. No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a motor vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.

June 1 - IMPORTANT NOTE: SBR was contacted by Innsbrook Resort yesterday (Wednesday) and asked to inform its readers about the status of open-training on their property. Due to circumstances, all open-training at Innsbrook has been terminated for 2006. Innsbrook management was obliged to take this position to honor the property rights of their residents. Innsbrook Resort still wishes to support the multisport community by continuing to stage races at their venue, but its obligations extend first and foremost to its property owners. Athletes are still encouraged to take part in both the Quartermax and Halfmax Triathlons as Innsbrook welcomes athletes to its venue for those events. Further, athletes will be able to attend any future, Innsbrook-approved, group-training days arranged by Ultramax Events or this website, should they be scheduled. Beyond that, we (SBR) can't speak for any other groups or organizations. This is an unfortunate development, and sadly, one that could have been easily avoided with just a minimum display of common courtesy by 100% of the athletes. Whether this was the result of an isolated circumstance or the culmination of a series of transgressions is immaterial. What is abundantly clear is that this is the byproduct of that self-absorbed 2% who ruin things for the remaining 98%. Innsbrook recognizes and acknowledges that the vast majority of athletes setting foot on the Resort property are mindful of its residents' rights and extends its gratitude for that... The Run through the Valley 5-Mile Run scheduled for June 17 has been canceled... Life Time Fitness just announced the creation of its triathlon series which will unite four of the most popular International distance events in the country. The Nautica New York City Triathlon, Accenture Chicago Triathlon, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon, and Life Time Fitness Triathlon will form the basis for a $1,000,000 series.

May 31 - Congratuations to Bill Sladek and Amy Strahan, overall winners at the Highland Biathlon on Monday... Martin Pion (Cycling Instructor, League of American Bicyclists) and Steve Sleet (Coordinator, Ferguson BIKE Transportation Promotion Project, Program Manager-Trailnet) recently were guests on the KWMU Radio talk show St Louis. listen... Good luck to Chris Arnold, Rick Bender, Michael Bub, Lou Di Guiseppe, Mark Rippetoe, and Brad Werner as they head for Hawaii to participate in the Honu Ironman 70.3 this Saturday.

May 30 - Take a short video look at David Zabriske's (CSC) Cervelo P3 Carbon time trial bike... Casey Schnack from Quincy, Illinois will take part next weekend in the USA Swimming Open Water Championships to be held in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The 21-year old swimmer is one of more than 80 entrants in the 5k swim. One of the most intriguing aspects of the race is the relative youthfulness of the field. Over half of the swimmers are 16 years old & under, with one as young as 8 years of age. The 10k swim field contains several teens, the youngest being Harry Stephenson at 13 who qualified with a 1500m swim time of 17:28. The 25k swim has an 18 year old entered who holds the 3rd fastest 1500m qualifying time in that field with his 15:54. Talk about having both speed and endurance! web ... Ironman Brasil has grown from the" under the radar" Kona qualifier/ destination race to a full-blown, high -profile Mdot event. It wasn't all that long ago that just a few hundred participants made their way to Florianapolis, a mere handful of US citizens making the trip. But over the weekend, 1073 racers made the finish time cutoff in the 2006 race. Argentine triathlete, Oscar Galindez, arrived there first in 8:15:18, just 29 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher Luke Bell of Australia whom he ran down in the final 10k of the marathon. The woman's winner was Lisbeth Kristensen of Denmark who hit the finish chute in 9:20:46, nearly ten-minutes ahead of runner-up, Barbara Buenahora of Argentina... Outside Magazine published Brian Alexander's short interview with Richard Pound, Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Though it's not as thought-provoking as we had hoped it would be, the Q&A does provide a few interesting moments.

May 26 - With the weather in St Louis having taken a sudden turn towards very summer-like conditions, don't be surprised if your performance seems to fall off. The heat and humidity take their toll as your body fights to keep itself cool. Breathing may come harder and that strength & endurance may have seemed to vanish. Acclimating takes time, so take it slowly. Plan long, very low-intensity heat adaptation sessions to help your body make the transition to summer weather. A series of very easy hour-runs or two-hour bikes with lots of water can go a long ways towards getting you in the swing of the season. Additionally, all of that sweating will quickly deplete your electrolytes, so have a maintenance plan in place. Simply increasing your salt intake at mealtime can help. Salt tablets should be a staple for anyone spending hours outdoors training. Using sunscreen is a common sense precaution, but if in the time-crunch of preparing for a workout we neglect to apply some, it will quickly become painfully obvious. We've all heard these tips a hundred times before so just consider this a public service announcement. Have a great one.

May 25 - After just two triathlons, Jill Petersen has quietly but firmly made a statement with her athletic ability. The former Mizzou cross-country runner and long-time USS swimmer sought a post-collegiate challenge, and multisport seemed a natural extension of her talents. Her initial foray into triathlon was in the Race For Sight formula division in which she experienced mechanical issues yet still managed a third place finish. Her second triathlon was a very impressvie 2-hour 10-minute effort at Memphis in May. Following a triathlon development template stamped by Sarah Haskins only a couple of years ago, it is not inconceivable that Jill could soon reach for a pro career. While that may appear presumptuous after just two races, she clearly has the initial drive, talent, and requisite work ethic to take a shot at it. A year of seasoning should see continued improvement. Jill will be seen wearing the yellow Ghisallo jersey for 2006... Shimano has issued a voluntary recall of some front quick releases on some recently sold hubs and wheelsets after it "identified a potential safety issue." The company states that fewer than 5,000 wheels or hubs sold in the U.S. are affected, but owners of those should stop riding the wheels and take the skewer to a dealer for inspection and, if necessary, replacement. The Affected Hubs: HB-5501 and 5600 (both 105); 6600 (Ultegra); 7800 and HF08 (Dura-Ace); M756, 760 and 765 (XT); 960 and 965 (XTR); DH-2N71, 3N71, 3D71 (Dynamo Sport). The Affected Wheelsets: WH-7801, 7801C, 7801C50, 7801SL (Dura-Ace); R600 (Ultegra); WH-M965 (XTR). Affected items were sold ONLY since November 2005. Anything older is not included in the recall. As well, the recall affects ONLY quick releases with silver axles; some of these wheels/hubs shipped with black quick release axles or silver ones with a small round sticker on the back of the lever.

May 24 - ESPN2 will telecast this weekend's Prefontaine Classic Track and Field Meet. If for no other reason, it will behoove one to watch the the Bowerman Mile (named after the Hall of Fame Oregon Coach). This race will bring together perhaps the strongest field of milers to ever race on American soil, arguably exceeding the starting line of the mile in the '96 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Coverage starts at 4:00PM Central Daylight Time... Last Sunday, the Momentum Challenge got cozy in its new home at Lost Valley Trail. Besides the great venue, participants were treated to nearly ideal weather in which to tackle the trail run and off-road biking. Dan McManemy wasted no time going to the front of the race, pursued closely by John Lynch. The two eventually distanced themselves from the rest of the pack and finished one-two. The women's field followed suit with just two racers, Sara Nelson and Laura Scherff, separating themselves from the rest of the ladies. In the end, Nelson proved too strong and hit the line first. The top-three times in each gender division: Men— 1-Dan McManemy 1:00:59, 2-John Lynch 1:01:14, 3-Bob Chott 1:02:48 and Women— 1-Sara Nelson 1:10:41, 2-Laura Scherff 1:12:27, 3-Mary Piper 1:23:08. Nice work by everyone who finished and help stage the event... The 2007 ITU Long Course Duathlon World Champion will be coming stateside. Richmond, Virginia was awarded the event. Current US National Champion, Tom Jeffrey, captured the title recently at Nationals in Mason, Ohio. He just happens to call Richmond home and will have the opportunity to train on the course for nearly a year before the event. The format is 7.5km run, 80km bike, and 15km run... Huge thanks goes out to everyone last night in the St Louis Rowing Club who put up with my newbie presence. It was a magnificent afternoon/ evening spent on Creve Coeur Lake with a diverse and very interesting group of athletes. The sport is as much mental as it is physical. Trying to synchronize the efforts of a crew of eight through 1000m is very challenging, but when it all comes together, it's a thing of beauty. Look for the story on this George Plimpton-ish adventure in the June issue of the Magazine. (BTW, Boy Wonder in green shirt).

May 23 - The Ted Jones Trail Art Tunnel will be dedicated on Saturday at 11am. This mixed media three-dimensional mural was created and installed by St. Louis artist Justin Tolentino, of Third Degree Glass Studio, co-worker, Jim McKelvey, students from McCluer High School, and teachers— Pam Hellwege and Michele Motil... Other outdoor art to check out is the mural-in-progress on the flood wall along the Riverfront Trail in St Louis. Boeing Corp. has been instrumental with supplying funds, people-power, and inspiration . Last winter, Boeing employees also volunteered to clear brush along the trail so as to open the view to the river... How long before Missouri enacts safe bicycle passing legislation is anyone's guess, but the progressive state of Oklahoma has done just that. Governor Brad Henry signed Oklahoma’s Bicycle Law (HB2926), turning the bill into law. It is now a finable offense to pass a bike closer than three feet in Oklahoma. That makes Oklahoma only the third state to have a safe-passing law and the second state in the U.S. to impose fines... The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri State Parks Foundation are co-sponsoring an end-to-end Katy Trail Ride . This event takes place June 19-23 and is limited to 300 people. Meals, camping sites, hot showers, supply shuttle, and SAG are included... The Race Across America (RAAM) begins on June 11 for solo riders, the teams setting out two days later. The route will once again graze the metro area as it passes through New Melle, Wentzville, LSL, O'Fallon, St Peters, and St Charles before it turns north for Alton, Illinois and the bridge. This year's race will see two peculiar names in the Men's Solo Enduro Division that many readers may have heard before. Mountain biking legend Tinker Juarez and former duathlete extraordinaire Kenny Souza are among the entrants... OLN will once again broadcast highlight packages of Ironman North America events. Beginning October 8 and running through Nov. 26, the network will showcase Ironman Arizona, Coeur d'Alene, Lake Placid, Wisconsin, St Croix, Florida, and one wild-card event.

May 22 - It was a busy weekend for triathlon as several high-profile races took place in disparate venues all over the world. Sprint distance to Ironman, and a couple in-between were represented. Starting closest to home, the Terre Haute Triathlon took place in western Indiana perhaps providing some triathletes with an alternative to the very popular and competitive Memphis in May race. Heiko Stalzer of Urbana, IL took top honors in the race with a very solid 1:38:32. After making the drive across Illinois, Helen Alexander-Kratz (1:56:47) showed the twenty and thirty-somethings how it's done in the women's divison. Exiting the water in 21st position, she proceeded to pick off riders one by one on the bike, deliver the fastest women's run split of the day, and finish runner-up to 34-year old Sarah Burge (1:55:47). Other locals making the line were Amanda Mesmer of Arnold (2:12:01) and Sheri Faulkenberg of O'Fallon, Mo. (3:00:47). The men's race saw metro area athletes Ken Bourque of O'Fallon, IL (2:01:50), Dave Pessin of St Louis (2:12:31), Tom Priester of Hazelwood (2:25:53), and Paul Milligan of High Ridge (2:32:42) complete the 800m swim, 40km bike, and 8km run... The Memphis in May Triathlon has actually become two events with a mountain bike triathlon on Saturday preceding the main event on Sunday. The 1/2 mile swim, 10-mile mountain bike, and 3-mile run comprised the first half of the Amateur Challenge with its $5000 prize purse. Anthony Yount of Clayton took the M20-24 AG with a very fine 1:08:57. His brother, Sam, snagged 2nd in the M25-29 behind two-time AG National Champion, Michael Boehmer. Robin Rongey of Edwardsville, IL took the W40-44 AG in 1:26:50. The three positioned themselves nicely within the Amateur Challenge and all that remained was an International Distance event the following day. Other finishers in the MTB event included: Michael Hurley of St Louis (2:17:59), Jeffrey Eddy of St Charles (1:15:56), Michael Robertson of St Charles (1:39:52), Erin Hurley of St Louis (2:16:58)... On Sunday, the Memphis in May Triathlon in Edmund Orgill Park was teeming with talent and anticipation. The MIM, as it is called, typically produces some of the fastest international distance bike splits anywhere on the globe. The 2006 race didn't disappoint with overall winner Greg Ramaly of San Luis Obispo averaging 28.6mph and rocking the course in 1:45:56. Female pro winner, Amanda Stevens of Oklahoma City came through the finish chute in 2:03:26. A few names of prominence you may remember— Placing 6th among the pros was TJ Tollakson (1:50:40), the 2005 Race For Sight winner and former USAT Overall National Champion. In 9th position was 2006 Race For Sight winner Ric Rosenkranz (1:54:37). The 2005 RFS formula division also showcased, then 16-year old phenom, Willy Pickard (1:56:19) who blistered the MIM 16-19's with the top swim, bike, and run splits. No one in his AG was in the same zip code as he looks to be on a fast-track for a pro career. Also, Francis Howell graduate and Columbia resident, Jill Petersen, won the W20-24 age in 2:10:00... There were many, many Metro area participants in the Memphis In May Triathlon. In fact so many, they were just too numerous to list completely. We don't wish to slight anyone who put it all on the line, but we've chosen to highlight just the top-ten age group finishes. Huge congratulations to those athletes who managed to break through a very high level of competition. Listed at right are final AG and gender finish positions. Also, very nice work to those who performed double-duty by completing both triathlons. Cashing in on the prize money were: 3-Sam Yount, 7-Anthony Yount, 21-Jeffrey Eddy, and 5-Robin Rongey. Nice work by everyone making the finish line: 5- 25 Mathew Brier 29 St Louis 2:01:43, 9- 46 Dana Riederer 25 Manchester 2:07:19, 3- 28 John Beyer 31 St Louis 2:03:25, 7- 54 Anthony Yount 21 St Louis 2:09:17, 4- 24 Sam Yount 25 St Louis 2:01:12, 3- 73 Edgar Breda 46 Edwardsville, IL 2:11:27, 6- 147 William Grebenc 52 Wildwood 2:21:02, 3- 313 Paul Tripodi 60 University City 2:35:52, 5- 352 Jerry Goodson 60 House Springs 2:37:51, 6- 454 Jim Wright 63 Wildwood 2:45:00, 4- 48 Sarah Sander 27 St Louis 2:25:43, 3- 11 Kristin Moore 32 St Charles 2:13:06, 8- 31 Mary Sundy 31 St Louis 2:18:41, 2- 20 Jennifer Meyer 42 St Louis 2:15:42, 10- 100 Pam Borger 47 St Ann 2:38:58, 1- 284 Nancy Lieberman 56 St Louis 3:08:18... The Ironman Florida 70.3 Triathlon took place over the weekend and drew a large international field to Orlando. The air was warm and relatively calm which was conducive to very fast 56-mile bike splits. Andrew Johns (3:57:53) and Samantha McGlone (4:20:49) emerged as the Overall champions. 2005 Halfmax winner (and Sarah Haskins fiancé) Nate Kortuem averaged 26mph on the bike and ripped a 4:01:55 finish which placed him 5th overall in the pro field. Rick Mann (4:29:58) of Bethalto, IL came through the finish among the pros with a 31st overall placing. St Louis uber cyclist, Rich Wierzba, produced the 9th fastest bike split in the field of nearly 2000 racers and came in 64th overall. Remaining finishers include : Michele Andreas 6:00:20, Eugene Bocis 6:57:25, Kevin Brennan 5:34:07, Sean Brennan 5:45:16, Jennifer Cunnane 5:57:40, Doug Fish 6:37:23, Dan Patrick 7:57:31, and Todd Reicheimer 6:11:07. Very nice work by all.

May 21 - The Jefferson City Double Headers/ Missouri State Time Trial Championship will provide cyclists with the opportunity to race on the Missouri National Guard Evasive Driving Test Course. It doesn't get much better than that. The following day, cyclists head out to Hwy 94 for a flat, out and back time trial. The action takes place July 22-23. web... The Run For the Stars 10k drew 264 runners yesterday. Steven Chorma proved to be the fastest in the field as he finished the race in 36:19 for the win. Brian Kilburn (37:51) and Kyle Anderson (38:37) couldn't match the pace but still posted very fine times in finishing 2-3 . Marie Brandewiede (39:10) hit the tape 5th overall and was the only woman to duck under 40 minutes. Debbie Kehrer-Rehr (40:49) came in second and Becky Hudnall (41:24) finished just behind in third. Nice job by everyone... Jane Klutenkamper was featured on KSDK by Karen Foss. Here's the video . Nice job... Bike To Work Day seemed a local success by virtue of the nearly 300 riders who visited one of the three, free-breakfast stations set up by Trailnet. How many of their visitors were actually commuters versus the number of interlopers like me who sniffed out free food is anyone's guess. But in the name fair reporting I rode to the Clayton site. There, I took a few photos, chatted with Trailnet and Judy Ride representatives, posed for a group shot, and lastly broke fast on Companion's baked goods. I don't know if the number of cyclists I saw in downtown Clayton was typical or was a result of the designated ride day, but it was impressive. From S. Meramec, the History Museum set-up was to be an easy ride down Forsyth until the traffic snarl of Washington University graduation ceremonies got in the way. There was definitely no "Ride Your Bike To Graduation."Thankfully, I wasn't in a car and glided through the morass of steel. Arriving at the Trailnet tent, I proceeded to super-size my breakfast by doing it again. In my hands were what I was assured was an antioxidant laden, soy-based, low-cal cheese Danish. Any way, great job and unflagging enthusiasm by everyone manning the stations. At the end of the day, perhaps a few less tailpipe pollutants were sent skyward... Two events with family fun take place in southwest Missouri. On July 15, the Lake Springfield Family Scramble is a 1-2 hour parent-child Adventure Race. It takes place at Lake Springfield Park in Springfield, Missouri. On August 7, the Kid’athlon is a kids triathlon for ages 5-12 years old. Meador Park provides a safe venue in Springfield. For more information on either event, call Eric Johnson at 417-837-5902.

May 18 - Nearly 100 riders showed up for the Ride of Silence last evening. This represents a huge increase over the meager 15 or so that took part in the first ride two years ago. SBR hopes this trend continues with 2007 bringing hundreds out to at least for one day a year honor the fallen... How much have winning bidders been paying for those 2006 Ironman World Championship slots on e-Bay? The current auction still has three days remaining and sits at just over $17,000 (starting bid $10,000). The last auction closed on April 30 with the winning bid at $40,800... With Peak Oil production and it's associated cost of gasoline taking an ever-increasing bite out of our budgets, many drivers have begun searching for alternatives. Has this spurred a renaissance in cycling? The latest news in the bicycle manufacturing industry informs us of an acute shortage of carbon fiber. What is a prime raw material for the fabrication of carbon fiber? You guess it.

May 17 - Good luck to the many local athletes making a roadtrip to the Memphis in May Triathlon this weekend. It would be interesting to know how many are packing two bikes. A mountain bike triathlon takes place on Saturday. A prize pool of $5000 is up for grabs for the top 15 men and women wiht the lowest combined time between the MTB Triathlon and the Olympic Distance event on Sunday . Also, well-wishes to local triathletes participating in the Ironman Florida 70.3 in Orlando, Florida on Sunday. Last season's Halfmax winner, Nate Korteum, takes on a pro field that includes Tim DeBoom and Richie Cunningham... Congrats to Ryan Barr for winning a Trailnet photo contest and $100 by snapping a shot of Steve Ryan at Castlewood State Park last winter. SBR wonders if Steve really got out of the house last winter, or if Ryan made use of Photoshop's new snow filter on his digital image? And did he split the $100? photo

Adventure Racing - You don't have to travel to the far side of the globe to take part in one of the fastest growing segments of endurance sports. Adventure Racing is close to home. While the races listed below may not offer participants an Eco-Challenge level experience, they DO provide a taste of the sport at a very un-Eco Challenge entry fee. Most require mountain bikes and orienteering skills, others may place a premium on paddling or trekking. But all of them promise physical and mental challenge plus lots of fun.

ore Adventure Racing - Current USARA rankings place two local teams in the top twenty. The adventure racing team, Thoughtprocess.net/Alpine Shop is comprised of Jeff Sona, Carrie Sona, David Frei, and James Fawcett. They are currently ranked 12th nationally among registered teams. At number nineteen are Bob Hoffman, Erica Crowell-Hoffman, Matthew Crowell, Mark Wiliams, Jackson Styron who comprise Team Greenhorn which is based out of Fenton. Great job by both squads, keep up the good work.

May 16 - Race Report - Triathlete Magazine picked the St George Triathlon as a Top-10 Destination Race last year. The 2006 event was staged last Saturday at Sandy Hollow State Park (about 4000 feet above sea level and just a few miles outside of St. George, Utah). The event offered both Sprint Distance (750m/14mile/5k) and Olympic Distance (1.5k/40k/10k) races. Anyone who agreed to have their head shaved got a $5 entry fee discount.. The temperature at the start of this desert race was in the mid-70’s and reached the high 80’s to low 90’s depending on when you finished. By the time the post race festivities were over, the temperature had reached 101 degrees, so the free ice cream was a welcome treat at the end of the race. The open-water swim was in a reservoir with 64° water which made wetsuits a necessity. The bike route was over a rough road with mild inclines and up one 10-12% grade over a mile long. The run was on a desert trail that was mostly dirt and sand. Add in a few short steep hills and you get a very challenging course. All racers received a long sleeve dry fit shirt with the race logo (a Rising Phoenix) and a finisher’s medal of the race logo. Overall winners receive free entry for life. - Scot Walker. (Thanks for the write-up. Nice work to Scot who races for Team Ghisallo and finished 2nd in his AG in the Sprint).

May 15 - The Multisport Mayhem Triathlon in Mattoon Beach, IL drew a sparse field of 52 to complete in less than ideal conditions. Aaron Swallers (1:03:38) and Mary Bradbury (1:09:13) took the top spots in cool and windy conditions. The Mayhem Duathlon went to Andreas Maher (1:06:02) and Nicole Craig (1:32:01) in a field of 25... The Chevy's Fresh Mex Cinco de Mayo 5k Run has become an increasingly popular annual event. It's doubtful that eatery would ever have expected to be preparing over 1200 breakfast burritos to feed the throng of runners who showed up for the 2006 running of their event. Steve West of Chesterfield must have either smelled the cooking or his been training has been going really well, but whichever the case, he made it to the finish line before the other 1211 participants. His 5:06 pace brought him home in 15:53, just ahead of Andy Koziatek's 16:07. Chesterfield produced the fastest female as well. 25-year old Christina Myers churned out a 5:50 pace to hit the line in 18:08, placing her 10th overall. Complete results... The weather in Panama Beach, Florida was a far cry from the windy, low 50's we experienced Saturday in metro St Louis. Clear skies, temps in the 70's, a gentle breeze and a very flat and fast course made for some hot times. Andy Brendel brought back the fastest local athlete time with his 4:27 flat. While that was good enough for 3rd in the M25-29's, Matt Bonastia was just 28 seconds back at 4:27:28 taking first place in the M30-34's. The two friendly rivals must have had one another in sight as they finished 18 and 19 overall. Congratulations for two other top-ten AG finishes. Doug Wynd came through with a 4th and Aron Rauls managed a 9th in their respective age groups. Great job by everyone making it to the line.

May 14 - Yesterday's training day at Innsbrook Resort brought out nearly 100 triathletes. The weather deteriorated a bit as the day wore on, getting windier and chillier, but that didn't put a dent in anyone's enthusiasm. Huge thanks to Innsbrook for their graciousness and hospitality. Also a thank you to BreadCo at Clayton & Big Bend for donating bagels and bread. We hope everyone got a great workout in and enjoyed themselves.

May 11 - Preliminary results have been posted. In the Formula Divison, the Men's top three were: Ric Rosenkranz 2:05:02, Ted Zderic 2:08:51, and Brian Wilson 2:09:16. The Women's top three: Sunny Gilbert 2:17:22, Jennifer Garrison 2:17:49, and Jill Peterson 2:21:02. The Age Group race top three men were Nick Luft 1:06:20, Matt Brier 1:06:27, and John Beyer 1:06:44. The top three women were: Jennifer Meyer 1:13:12, Helen Alexander-Kratz 1:16:06, and Mary Ann Butzke 1:16:42... Registration for the Berryman Trail Marathon and 50-mile Run is now closed. Who knew so many masochists dwelled in the St Louis metro area? Local runner, Tom Whalen, set the Men's Open course record in the 50-miler last year with his 6:51:46. Likewise, the Female Marathon record was set by a localite last year when Becky Leahy just snuck under four hours in 3:59:49. Good luck to all on May 27... The St Louis Ultra-Distance Runners group will also host a fun run in Castlewood State Park on June 10th... The Gulf Coast Triathlon in Panama City Beach, FL is a big draw for triathletes all over the country. This half-iron distance event is in its 23rd year. Local triathletes: Ryan & Valerie Barr, Matt Bonastia, Curtis Brooks, Gary & Tanya Crews, May Drake, Wayne Huckshold, Jeff Loebner, Dean Meyer, Corky Miller, Aron Rauls, Katie Reboulet, Paul Schon, Doug Wynd, Andy Brendel, and Robert Spory... One racer who will definitely return a changed man is Curtis Brooks who will tie the marriage knot with Julie Dies while in Florida. Congrats... The Outdoor Life Network's web homepage hasn't been updated in nearly a year, but it's all beginning to make sense now. OLN announced that it will rebrand itself as Versus and unveil its new logo next month. Apparently, the network was taken to task for it's significant coverage of such "Indoor Life Network" sports such as bullriding, arena football, and hockey... The White Lake Half Triathlon drew a quartet of St Louis area triathletes to North Carolina last weekend. Despite being seriously outnumbered by local Tarheels, the four of them fared quite well. Nice work to all: 82/489 Lou Jearls (St Louis) 4:54:55, 139/489 Mike Sundet (Wildwood) 5:08:34, 30/164 Sarah Sander (St Louis) 5:29:41, 93/164 Cheryl Anderson (Chesterfield) 6:11:10.

May 10 - St Croix Ironman 70.3 took place last weekend and drew a very competitive field. This event is one of five dual qualifiers providing slots for both the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii and the 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida. Though up for grabs were a scant thirty slots for the holy grail in Kona, most elite age groupers would admit they didn't make a trip to the Virgin Islands to earn a berth at 70.3 Worlds. The venue offers both remarkable tropical beauty and "the Beast," nickname for a .7 mile climb cyclists face up 600 vertical feet with an average 14% gradient. Craig Alexander (4:0733) and Mirinda Carfrae (4:30:13) conquered the Beast and the rest of the pro fields. Among St Louis area age-groupers in the race were Michael Bub who made the line with a very fine 5:17:01 (80th overall) and Doug Burns (5:44:29) who finished 3rd among the 21 racers in the M55-59 bracket. Nice work to both.

May 9 - In a St Louis area spring that has seen more than its share of broken bikes and bones, yet more tragic news reached us yesterday. Mike Pohlman passed away due to injuries suffered in a crash during a group ride on Sunday morning in Edwardsville. Mike was an avid cyclist, strong supporter of the St Louis Cycling Club, and physical therapist who treated many local athletes. Mike is survived by his family, among whom is his brother Doug, an accomplished local athlete. Our deepest condolences go out to the Pohlman family. Visitation for Mike will be tomorrow from 3pm until 8pm at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Glen Carbon... Tom Jackson is an O'Fallon, IL resident, Ironman, and reigning St Louis Area Triathlon Champion by virtue of his win at Lake St Louis last year. He spent the weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska and of course took his running shoes with him. 26.2 miles later, the 37-year old Jackson hit the finish line of the Lincoln Marathon in 2:48:30, 17th position overall. Great job. Also from the St Louis Metro area, was Larry Scholl of Webster Groves who came across the line in 3:47:34, Mark Oppenheim (3:59:39) of University City, and Rae Mohrmann (4:20:39) from St Louis. Nice work by all

May 8 - The two-stage formula division provided no great surprises in yesterday's event. Despite hosting a very talented field, the top podium spots belonged to pre-race favorites Ric Rosenkranz (former USAT Athlete Development Director) and Sunny Gilbert (2004 USAT Age-Group Overall National Champion). If losing a couple of key personnel wasn't enough, a very frustrated Mark Livesay had to cope with a computer glitch which resulted in cancellation of the award ceremonies. Complete formula division and age-group race results will be posted on the Ultramax website in a couple of days... It's been two tough weekends for cyclists. A week ago, the Steamboat Classic Triathlon was marred by several bike crashes, some rain-induced and some the product of negligent drivers. This past weekend's Apple Road Race was the scene of a spectacularly large pileup during the Cat 4 race finish. After going endo, a few of the roadies were still able to come away relatively unscathed. The same could not be said for a few who suffered significant injuries. At present, specifics are hard to come by, but we wish all of the injured speedy recoveries... It was encouraging to see Tony Rigdon up and about at the Race For Sight Triathlon yesterday. We know from firsthand experience that a little blood flow will probably abet both the physical and psychological healing processes... The ITU Mazatlan World Cup was won by Rasmus Henning (Denmark) and Vanessa Fernandes (Portugal). The men's race had Henning holding off Andy Potts (USA) for a 20 second win in 1:49:11. The international distance event was staged under very hot and shadeless conditions in the Mexican coastal city. Although perhaps somewhat accustomed to heat, the remarkable Fernandes (2:01:24) employed her prodigious running talent to distance herself from the field and win her 8th World Cup event in a row. Emma Carney's record of twelve in a row looks to be within her reach. Sarah Haskins (2:07:27) encountered difficulties in the 10k run and finished 21st in a field of nearly fifty elite women. results... Team Nike won the first ever Mighty Mo Expedition Race arriving at the finish 8:04AM Saturday morning. The St Louis area team of ThoughtProcess.net/Alpine Shop managed a very credible sixth place coming into the finish chute at 12:05AM this morning. Congrats to Jeff Sona, David Frei, Carrie Sona, and James Fawcett. results... The USAT Duathlon Short-Course Nationals took place in Mason, Ohio. Some participants may have debated the choice of "short-course" to describe the 10krun-40k bike-5k run, but all would agree that it was a very fast and highly competitive field. Chuck Sloan (1:53:42) ripped off three great splits (5:14 pace, 24.1mph, 5:40 pace) to take the overall title. Spirited 38-year old Sikeston, MO resident, Delbert Marriott, proved he can also walk the walk by finishing 8th overall in a time of 1:58:43. SBR columnist, Jan De Weer (2:12:15), completed the race in fine fashion with 74th position in a field of over 300. Nice work to Elizabeth Waterstraat (nee: Fedofsky) with her 6th place overall finish among women competitors in 2:15:47 results... The Run To Walk 5k yesterday in Queeny Park saw Liam Revell run away with the title in 16:46, more than a minute up on Curt Schneider (17:56). Revell's chief competition was none other than women's winner, Katie Sutton, who finished 2nd overall in a very strong 17:46. Great job Katie! results... If you thought the River To River Relay was tough, how about ocean to ocean? Team spots are available for Running USA Trek 2007. This trans-America relay race is a charity-driven fund raiser. web

May 5 - Good luck to Jan De Weer and Elizabeth Fedofsky-Waterstraat as they head for Mason, Ohio and the USAT Duathlon National Championship on Sunday. Athletes are faced with a tough 10k run, 40k bike, 5k run format. The top twelve in each age group qualify for ITU Worlds (short course) in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland on July 29-30. A strong field will be assembled with nearly 400 age-groupers. web... Have you ever looked at last year's training log and wondered how you ever ran all of those miles? Dean Karnazes may be the present-day version of a running machine, racking up incomprehensible mileage. But since 1981, Tim Twietmeyer has run in all but one Western States 100. With a PR of 16hr 51min and five wins to his credit, this remarkable runner will hang it up after the 2006 race in June. story... Look for news of the Tour of Missouri Professional Bicycle Race to be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks. The principal matter is whether this event is be doable in 2007 or 2008. A big push is on to put the event in place for next year employing international sports marketing company, Medalist Sports . (Tour of Cali, Tour of Georgia, Tour of Hope). Keep your fingers crossed

May 4 - The sport of triathlon could find a new home in St Peters as work on the Lakeside 370 development forges ahead. The city of St Peters closed land deals with the triad of Kaplan Development, Duke Realty, and Gundaker Commercial Group to the tune of $49.6 million. The resulting project along Highway 370 will be a commercial park similar to Earth City complete with a 300-acre public park and 140-acre lake. Construction of a 4-mile long, 500-year levee is underway. web... The 5-Star Century Series is back for 2006. The first of five rides hosted by HI-USA's Gateway Council is scheduled for May 20. The Indian Crossing Century heads out from St Francis of Assisi Church Senior Center in Portage Des Sioux. SAG, well-stocked rest stops, and marked route will greet riders. web... Next up on the m-dot world tour is Ironman Lanzarote, generally considered the toughest iron-distance race in the world because of its heat, wind, and extremely challenging terrain. The volcanic island of Lanzarote is situated in the Canary Islands and also plays home to Club La Santa, one of the world's most exclusive sports clubs. 50 age group slots for the IM World Championship will be up for grabs web

May 3 - Ultramax staffer Tony Rigdon, who was struck by a van on Sunday during the Steamboat Triathlon in Cape Girardeau, is back in Columbia to undergo surgery. He sustained a broken collarbone and facial damage among other injuries. We don't know if he's in any condition to read email, but we encourage every reader to take a moment and send him a note. Tony is one of those tireless workers who makes Ultramax Events happen. tony@ultramaxtri.com... Also on the mend is Ronnie McCracken of St Peters. While on his bike, a separate van passed and executed a right turn in front of him sending Ronnie into the curb. Two broken ribs later, he is back home and out of commission for 6-8 weeks... If you took part in the race, we'd like very much to hear your thoughts. contact ... The earth's ice may be melting away, but you'd have a tough time convincing the Mammouth Mountain ski resort in northern California. The site was scheduled to host USA Cycling's 2006 Mountain Bike National Championships, July 20-23. Mammoth would aptly describe the resort's winter snowfall, a record 664". The resulting 20' base has forced relocation of the MTB event and will have skiers schussing well into July. Situated at 11,000 feet and with a northerly aspect, Mammouth Mountain ski area has some of the best snow preservation in North America

May 2 - The Steamboat Classic Triathlon went off over the weekend, but not without its hitches. Unfortunately, rain and slick pavement contributed to numerous bike crashes. Among the wounded was Tony Rigdon from Ultramax Events who was transported to a St Louis area hospital on Sunday after being struck by a vehicle during the bike leg. We are not aware of his present condition, but obviously wish him a complete and speedy recovery. Fresh from wins at the MaxTrax Duathlon, Delbert Marriott (1:14:39) and Kristin Moore (1:25:33) found themselves once again in the winners circle. But any similarities the champions shared ended there because the two athletes couldn't be any more different in their approach to racing. Last year, the brash Marriott irked many in attendance at the post-race awards ceremony by declining the overall award and dismissing Steamboat as a practice race. He went on to guarantee a course record in 2006. This year In a pre-race interview with Southeast Missourian reporter, Toby Carrig, Marriott was quoted as saying, "I expect five or six good athletes this year," and, "I prefer to race against the teams." Moore on the other hand is diametrically different. She lets her performance speak for her and handles each of her growing number of overall wins with dignity and class. Hopefully large doses of both attributes waft over to the top of the men's side, and soon. The top three finishers in each gender division were: Male -- 1. Delbert Marriott, 1:14:39, 2. Patrice Lhommeau, 1:24:59, 3. Andrew Beckman. Female -- 1. Kristin Moore, 1:25:33, 2. Jennifer Meyer, 1:27:39, 3. Kirsten Winkler, 1:29:36... American miler, Alan Webb, made his 10k debut at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto quite a successful one. He clocked a 27:34 to win by one second. In the process he registered the 8th fastest American 10k of all time. Despite his success, Webb doesn't plan to make the jump to 5k or 10k a full-time commitment preferring to focus instead on the mile. By virtue of his effort, the two-time USA Outdoor 1500m champion and national prep mile record holder met the qualifying standard for the 2007 World Championship. As a side note, Webb's time was faster than the late Steve Prefontaine ever managed in his tragically-short career

May 1 - Congratulations to Sarah Haskins who finished 2nd at the St Anthony's Triathlon. She came across the line forty-four seconds back of Becky Lavelle and the $10,000 first place money, but a $5,000 runner-up prize should provide considerable consolation for her 2:00:48 effort. Very nice job in rather windy conditions... Other St Louis area finishers included: Lynze Pettit, St. Louis 3:06:55, Christy Hagan, St. Louis 2:49:09, Jill Heaviland, St. Louis 3:02:09, Michelle Dibadj, St. Louis 3:32:42, Chris Clark, O'Fallon 2:41:51, Reed Luikaart, St. Charles 2:44:29, Gail Ure, Arnold 4:07:00, Susie Altepeter, Chesterfield 2:52:21, Maurice Schutte, St. Louis 3:07:19, Katie Hanson, St. Louis 3:31:52, Rebecca Bauer, St. Louis 3:32:18, Tracy Boyd, St. Louis 3:34:47, Sara Andrews, Hazelwood 3:42:17, Jennifer Ewald, St. Louis 3:49:11, Mary Alice Gallagher, Chesterfield 4:16:52... Defending Tour of St Louis champion, Brian Jensen (Jelly Belly Cycling) paid another visit to the Gateway City over the weekend. He, along with wind and rain, stormed into St Louis, making quite an impression. Known as an all-around rider, Brian has begun to gather a reputation for his ability to break and stay away from the peloton. He demonstrated that prowess to shell-shocked racers on Saturday by lapping the field. The Kansas resident originally hails from Denmark. His most notable 2006 finishes include: Tour of California (45-GC), Tour de Georgia (63-GC), Sea Otter Classic (15), Perry Road Race (1), Spring Fling Crit (1), Flint Ridge Circuit race (1), and the Northwest Arkansas Spring Classic (1)

April 30 - Overall winners in the 2006 Law Day Run in Belleville, IL were Zach Freudenburg of St. Louis and Eileen Petito from Alton, IL. The masters champions were Jeff Neuschwander of St. Charles and Helen Alexander-Kratz from St. Louis. In addition to their trophies, each winner received a free airline ticket for their effort... Metro area finishers in the Country Music Marathon include: James Aumann 4:48:16, Angela Adler Ballwi 4:47:19, Christine Puricelli 4:29:15, Doug Nishimura 3:19:27, David Glennon 2:52:42, John Glennon 3:03:04, Roger Koch 4:39:54, Vicki Woodside 4:52:49, Aaron Rickard 4:45:27, Barbara Koziatek 5:16:27, Rich Bignall 4:19:46, Rachel Walker 4:46:50, Nancy Klutenkamper 4:43:05, Anthony Lounsbery 3:58:29, Dale Beachy 3:19:28, Abby Scott 5:15:31, Katie Koch 5:17:36, Eric Stahl 3:38:30, Dave Fulkerson 3:50:53, Kay McVey 4:13:13, Casto Trent 3:26:54, Julie Bergfeld 3:11:10, James Cox 3:49:30, Ashley Marvel 3:54:09, Melanie Schepers 3:57:02, Ericka Schoengarth 3:57:32, Emily Casto 4:23:58, Cathy Dummerth 5:20:02, Carrie Seeler 4:57:30, Jason Finney 4:43:59, Terrance Egan 4:06:19, Kim West 5:01:56, Katy Massa 4:25:03, Ketih Massa 4:00:51, Kevin Dooley 4:01:59, Dave Marsh 4:05:27, Sandy Baker 4:19:45, Steven Rogier 3:58:09, Ralph Shaw 3:53:52, Jim Coder 3:19:05, David Giger 4:47:46, Tammi Soto 4:24:37, Brian Trout 4:47:49

April 27 - USAT Long Course Duathlon National Championships were staged in Grand Prairie, Texas last weekend. The women's division was won by Michelle Leblanc. Runner up was Leslie Curley from Topeka, Kansas. The 37-year old Curley is a familiar athlete to Ultramax Events having competed successfully in so many of their races.

April 26 - While open-water is nice, the reality is that the majority of St Louis area triathlons are pool-based. As such, there are a number of factors unique to those races that should temper our approach. TriFuel.com posted an interesting piece by Randy Bernard that offers tips on getting the most out of a pool swim triathlon. Here's one of our favorites. Did you realize that a 500yd serpentine swim is actually more than 500yds? It is when you add the 25 yds or so that you travel from right to left (or left to right) onto the 500yds you swim across and back. article... Mountain bikers have a new technology to embrace. The concept of a functional two-wheel drive bicycle has been brought to reality by Christini Technologies . A Popular Mechanics article does a great job of illustrating exactly how it works. Whether the bicycle finds a market or is cast to the "over-engineered, what were we thinking, bad idea rubbish heap" remains to be seen

April 25 - The Double Chubb Trail Run brought 108 ultra-distance runners to southwest St Louis County. The event offered runners challenge enough with a 25k off-road run. The more masochistic among them set out on 50k torture test along the Chubb Trail which carves its way through rugged hillsides. Adam McDowell (1:36:51) and Renee Van Horn (2:31:08) captured the Overall 25k titles. Masters: Robert Fuerst (1:50:50-R) and Laura Vossman (3:28:58). Seniors: Mark Konya (2:09:03-R) and Deb Schopp (3:07:09). Grand Masters: George Powell (2:46:39-R) and Joyce Yarger (5:25:30). In the 50k feature event, Joel Lammers (3:53:32) and Christine Crawford (4:33:23) earned the Overall Titles. Masters: Tom Whalen (4:04:25) and Joan Bennett (5:29:04). Seniors: Tony Kramer (4:59:44) and Raz Estridge (8:24:49). Male Grandmaster: Jan Ryerse (5:16:05-R). Congratulations to everyone who made this grueling finish line. web

April 23- The Rockwood School District took advantage of the relatively mild spring to open their 50m outdoor pool at Crestview Middle School. The heated, above-ground pool is in its second season of use and this dedicated lap-swim marvel is a just reward for the long-running, consistent success of the Rockwood Swim Team... American, Deena Kastor, eschewed the Boston marathon to participate in what was supposed to be a showdown between her and world record (2:17:42) holder Paula Radcliffe. Unfortunately, Radcliffe was forced to withdraw from the race, as she likewise had to do for the Commonweath Games, due to a foot injury. Kastor went on to win and in the process reset her American record in the marathon with a 2:19:36, bettering the old standard by 1 min 40 sec... The men's top three were Felix Limo (2:06:39), Martin Lel (2:06:41), and Henrik Ramaala (2:06:55)... Floyd Landis (Phonak) and Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) came across the line in the main group while Juan Jose Haedo (Toyota-United) won the sprint finish in yesterday's closing stage. With his win, Landis added to a very solid spring after taking titles at the Tour of California and Paris-Nice. As a result of his superb form, most cycling experts installed Landis as a top-five favorite at the Tour de France. Of course that race is still two months away, but Landis is clearly a man on a mission in 2006... Earlier in the year, researchers at the University of California - Berkeley published their findings in the American Journal of Physiology. Specifically, the role of lactic acid in energy metabolism for endurance athletes was examined. The result was a fundamental shift in thinking. A well written Runner's Web article successfully translates the science-speak

MaxTrax Duathlon - Nearly three-hundred athletes were drawn to Albert Oakland Park on a splendid spring day for the MaxTrax Duathlon. Among them was defending champion Ted Zderic of Columbia, clearly one of the pre-race favorites. The 3-mile run, 15-mile bike, 3-mile run format was said to favor the runners, and being a very good runner himself, Zderic hoped that they were right.

Delbert Marriott doesn't own a worldwide chain of hotels, but the elaborately tattooed 38-year old does possess an extraordinary combination of running and cycling skills. Being all too familiar with Zderic's foot speed, a very straightforward race strategy became readily apparent to him. Marriot had to keep Zderic within sight into T1, then once out on the bike, go off the front and put as much time on Zderic as possible. If the cushion was large enough, he would manage to hold off Zderic in the second run leg. Of course, that was assuming no elites unfamiliar to him were laying low in the field... The starting horn sent 167 runners bounding full-speed down a grassy hillside, where near the base and without mishap, they funneled onto the paved trail network. Marriott and Zderic took their accustomed positions near the front of the pack along with elite runners Landon Hough, Kevin Sampson, Rodney Adkison, and Jamie Moreno. The small group led a long line of runners that strung out along the winding pathway through the beautifully wooded park. Orange cones marked the primarily asphalt route. At one point however, the footing got a bit sketchy as the course pitched steeply downward onto loose gravel then veered sharply right onto a pedestrian bridge at the bottom. After the turnaround, Zderic led runners over couple of short, lung-testing climbs, and eventually up the gradual rise to the bike racks. Moreno was just eight-seconds back into T-1 and Marriott was fifth to his bike, down a manageable forty-three seconds.

After picking up four, free, valuable seconds on Zderic in T-1, Marriott headed out on two wheels. There the race began to unfold much as he had hoped. Marriott mashed his big chainring to the tune of a 25.7mph average over the two-lap, fifteen-mile bike course and in doing so, rode down everyone until he was at the front of the race. At that point, he continued to bank second after second, then minutes, until he reached T-2. He would eventually only give back one second in the transition zone as Zderic would make short work of racking his bike and donning his running shoes. Marriott headed out for run number two with a net two-minute and twenty-second lead. As expected, Zderic chewed into the lead but it was not enough as Marriott emerged first from the woods and up the rise to the finish chute. The Cape Girardeau resident hit the line in 1:08:01. Zderic finished a solid second (1:08:47), minutes ahead of the next competitor.

The women's race lacked much of the drama that the men's side provided as Kristin Moore of St Louis proved herself to be in excellent early-season form. The race had been expected to be a three-way battle between herself, ex-ITU triathlon pro Amber Mounday, and 2005 Lake St Louis Triathlon Champ Jennifer Meyer. As was the case in the men's race, the bike leg debunked the popular opinion of MaxTrax being a runner's race. Moore simply rode away and hid from the field on the strength of her 22.5mph ride. Mounday could only manage to take back a few token seconds on the final run. Triggering their timing chips for one last time at the finish, the 3M girls came through with Moore (1:17:33) in first, Mounday (1:21:26) in second and Meyer (1:21:41) just behind in third.

The short course race was a different story altogether. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that it was nearly over before it started when defending champion Patrick Riley strode in pre-race to pick up his packet. Unless someone showed up who could both run and ride with him, the race itself would become just a formality. And indeed that was the case as Riley led from wire to wire to blister the field by nearly four-minutes in a time of 37:37. Trey McPherson (41:27) was runner up and Sam Brown (42:19) placed third. Forty-one year old Diane Hood only let five males beat her to the finish line in a total field of 121 racers. She won the women's division with a time of 43:38. Nikki Reed (47:53) and Amanda Bosch (50:00) rounded out the top three.

Ultramax Events christened a brand new timing system at MaxTrax. Timing head, Tony Rigdon, may have sweat bullets during the race production company's first foray into self-timing, but results were prompt and accurate. The rather significant financial investment in chip timing equipment should prove to be a long-term money saver by keeping Ultramax Event timing in-house. Additionally it might help pay for itself by providing an income through timing outside events. Good move guys.

The awards ceremony was not without its surprises. Foremost among them was Tate Cooper of Columbia, Missouri. The diminutive eight-year old has participated in kids races before but when faced with racing in the adult field at MaxTrax, he simply took it in his easy-going but competitive stride. Tate went 1:12:21 in the short course which had the ten racers who finished behind him shaking their collective heads in disbelief. Those who stayed for the awards ceremony showed their appreciation and respect for the grade schooler's effort with a loud ovation.

April 22 - The World Triathlon Corporation will once again auction slots for the Ironman World Championship. Six slots will go up on eBay, one at a time for six weeks, beginning Sunday, April 23. Lest you think one of these might be in your future, consider that the opening bid will be $10,000. Proceeds from sales will be directed to: C Different, the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and the Daniel Robert Sayre Memorial Foundation... Balance Bar will notify current winners of athletic grants (up to $10,000 for a one year period beginning May 22) on April 24. Kerri Morgan of St Louis, Missouri received an August, 2005 Balance Bar Grant. She is one of the few Wheelchair Quad Rugby female players in the nation and she is the team captain of the St. Louis Rugby Rams. On her first birthday a virus, Transversepinalmyelitis, attacked her spinal cord causing impairment from the chest down. She is training to become the first female rugby player on the US National Team. The grant from Balance Bar will go towards a new rugby chair, a spare set of wheels and travel expenses for two tournaments... For those who didn't catch the Tri-cast of last weekends ITU Ishigaki Triathlon World Cup race, a nice little highlight package is available for viewing at the ITU website

April 18 - For 18 years Trailnet has been transforming local trail and greenway systems into community enhancing projects. A newly added section to their website offers a descriptive list of current and hisorical projects

April 17 - More Boston Marathon - The results for Illinois residents in Monday's Boston Marathon were of course dominated by Chicago area runners, but Metro East runner, Andrew Payne of Glen Carbon, came through the finish in 2:58:32 thus making him the 24th fastest age-group finisher in the state. Becky Hudnall, 2005 Lewis & Clark Marathon winner and Columbia, IL resident, ran a comfortable 3:25:46 which was good enough for 53rd best Illinois women's time. Contrary to what we reported yesterday, it actually placed her third best among St Louis metro area women, by one second... The Boston Marathon is one of the premiere athletic events in the country, and as such, makes every effort to enhance the experience for its tens of thousands of annual participants. Much to its credit, the race has embraced technology with the best results data base program we've seen anywhere. With eleven distinct search parameters, it allows mass or extremely refined searches. Nice work... One unfortunate circumstance of the this annual mid-April event, is its proximity to the Spirit of St Louis Marathon which precludes local runners from racing in both. The St Louis Marathon has historically been a fall event, but moved to the spring to accommodate the Women's Marathon National Championship and the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. It looks as if Spirit may remain in the spring after the Lewis & Clark Marathon slid into the vacated fall schedule... Marathon Trivia - The 1896 Olympic Marathon was actually 24.8 miles, based on the distance run by the legendary ancient Greek foot soldier Pheidippides between the cities of Marathon and Athens . The marathon was changed to 26 miles and 385 yards for the ease of viewing by King Edward VII at the 1908 Olympic Games in London . Women were prohibited from officially competing in the Boston Marathon until 1972

April 16 - The 2006 ITU Ishigaki Triathlon World Cup found Sarah Haskins in Okinawa opening her triathlon season in prime form. Out of the 1500m swim in 17:40 with five other women, she was her accustomed, excellent, early position. Fellow USA triathlete, Sara McLarty, stroked a 16:12 swim leg to take the early lead out of T1. Once on the bike, Michelle Dillon (GBR) and Miranda Carfrae (Aus) eventually took back 70 seconds with the best rides of the day. Haskins came into T2 with a group of over 20 women, but she immediately put her off-season run training to work and moved up to 11th position at the one kilometer mark. Debbie Tanner (NZL) and Michelle Dillon (GBR) went to the front of the race and finished one-two, running 34:45 and 34:42 respectively. Oddly, it was Dillon's wrong turn near the finish that cost her a win and several thousand dollars. Haskins closed out with a 36:42 10k— coming across the line 10th overall, finishing the first American, and earning a piece of the $80,000 prize purse... The men's race was as about as exciting as it could get. Courtney Atkinson (AUS) outsprinted defending world #1, Hunter Kemper (USA) at the finish to win by a single second in 1:48:03. Andy Potts of the USA finished third, just 8 seconds back... The MaxTrax Duathlon readies for next Saturday, April 22. The field is currently closing in on 200 with many more racers expected to register in the upcoming week. Final race information... Race For Sight registration is nearing 400 for the May 7 event in Columbia, Missouri. The race is an official qualifier for USAT Age Group Nationals which means you need only finish in the top third of your bracket to earn a slot for the July 8 race in Smithville, Mo

April 15 - Heather Golnick files a race report from Ironman Arizona on what was for her a PR day... Inside Triathlon offers a few images from IM AZ. Is it just me or is the pop-up window for the enlarged photo gallery too small and lack resizing handles? photos... At the World Track Cycling Championships, Chris Hoy won the men's kilo (thousand meters) in a time of 1:01:361. When you consider that the event is staged from a dead start, his 37 mph average was amazing

April 14 - The Coors Light Trail of Tears Triathlon has undergone a date change. This annual fall event will go off on Saturday, September 9, a week earlier than originally scheduled... Over 100 area runners are registered for the 110th running of the Boston Marathon which is set for Monday April, 16. Though qualifying standards have been relaxed in recent years, making it to the start line is still an earned. For example, Men 18-34 have the most stringent standard at 3:10. Women 18-34 need to meet a 3:40 requirement. The forecast calls for a cloudy day with temperatures reaching the mid 60's. Event website... Ironman Arizona proved to be a rough day for the 217 participants who suffered through the physical and mental anguish of a DNF. The principal culprits were most likely dehydration and electrolyte loss caused by a near 90° day. The fact that the race drew a high number of first-time Iron racers who comprised almost half the field may have entered into the equation... Outside Magazine published an article by Aron Ralston. Those for whom that name rings no bell, he was the young man who managed to amputate his right hand to save his life after it was pinned in a rock formation for five days. He hasn't let that all too close brush with death derail his ambition to become the first person to climb all 59 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks. story

April 13 - The annual Ironman lottery has for many triathletes provided a beacon of hope, although perhaps just a glimmer, that they may one day experience the Ironman World Championship beyond the scope of their television screens. The metro St Louis area has been fortunate in recent years with several residents having been chosen and 2006 is no different. Congratulations to Gary Berra for winning a slot to Ironman Hawaii... Excellent work to Andy Brendel. He was selected for the 2006 Snickers Marathon Team. A strong race resume and challenging 2006 race schedule placed him in a cadre of top age-group triathletes and runners from across the country. He'll get hooked up with gear, apparel, and a stash of Snickers Marathon Bars... GPS technology has impacted endurance sports in a big way. Two of the many websites that successfully utilize Google's powerful mapping service are 2wheeltech.com and mapmyrun.com. The first one has a mostly local flavor with virtually every popular metro St Louis ride meticulously listed. A few out-of-area rides appear as well, but if you want to scope out local roads before you take to them on your bike, this is the site. Map My Run lists over 13,000 running routes all over the country, 141 of which are in Missouri and that number still growing. In theory, the listing is a great resource but in practice the database is flawed by users who input runs that most of us will never do, for example, running from John Doe's house or office and back. Other than that, it's all good... Complete race results from the Spirit of St Louis Marathon Weekend here

April 12 - If an extended mountain bike trip on the Katy Trail is in your future, then Bike Katy Trail is the comprehensive web resource. Webmaster, Raymond Scott, covers all things Katy... The Tuesday night Marquette HS ride has spun off a Wednesday night group. A scheduling conflict with the Tues. Night Crit Series has prompted several cyclists to push for hump day. Whether you choose Tues or Wed evening, this is by far the best regular weekly ride in St Louis. The hills, pace, pavement, and minimal traffic conspire to make this ride formidable and satisfying. Check it out tonight, 5:30pm... With impending immigration law reform stirring controversy in US streets and in the Senate, Mexico has opted to exercise a bit of political gamesmanship. Triathletes with US citizenship who are heading to Mazatlan for the ITU World Cup race will be asked to show a visa to enter the country. Triathletes from nearly every other country will not be required to do so. Regardless upon which side of the 700-mile political fence you stand, one has to marvel at Mexico's indignation. The US currently houses an estimated 10 million Mexican illegals, or the equivalent of 10% of Mexico's population, and the US bears the social cost of the massive heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine manufacturing in and trafficking through Mexico. PS : Don't even think about the Tehran Marathon... The 2006 Honolulu Triathlon scheduled for May 14 could well be in jeopardy. A 42" sewer main broke last Friday dumping 48-million gallons of raw sewage into the Ala Wai Canal. Ocean currents began carrying the wastewater out to sea but a wind and current shift have brought it back into Waikiki. Recent tests show bacterial concentration as high as 13,000 per 100 ml of water (a normal rate is 7 per 100 ml). Sunlight and tides continue to dilute affected waters, but there are no beach walkers or surfers in Waikiki

April 11 - Darin Marlow was accompanied by his children as he reached the finish line at Ironman Arizona. Aside from the escorts, a sterling 11:02 performance in his first Ironman race made the day even more special. A Huge SBR congratulations... Next up on the M-dot tour is the St Croix Ironman 70.3 on May 7 . This event takes place in the beautiful US Virgin Islands. Up for grabs are 30-slots for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii and up to 100-slots for the 70.3 World Championships in Florida. website... The Lake St Louis Triathlon has filled and is now closed to entry. With nearly 800 total registrants , the Labor Day weekend event continues to be as popular as ever. The 2006 international distance race will again crown the St Louis Area Champions. Both 2005 winners, Tom Jackson and Jennifer Meyer, will return to defend their titles... By anyone's standards, the Spirit of St Louis Marathon Family Fitness Weekend should be deemed a great success. Kudos to Nancy Lieberman and her staff, the army of volunteers, the City of St Louis, Clayton, University City, all of the participants, and everyone associated with the weekend of events. It has truly evolved into the signature event that it could and should have been for these many years. The St Louis Marathon is increasingly becoming a destination race for more and more out-of-towners. We can hardly wait for next year

April 10 - Dan Mauer of St Louis kept the Spirit of St Louis Marathon title in town by running 2:25:09 yesterday. He remained outfront for most of the race cruising in with an 11 minute margin over 2nd place Joel Eckberg of Downer's Grove, IL who ran 2:36:45. Kelly Fox of Decatur, IL took the women's title by virtue of her 3:05:28 finish. It was seven minutes better than runner up, Stacie Kane of St Louis who came across in 3:12:49... Sarah Haskins heads to Japan today for a ITU World Cup event, but before flying out, she jetted to a 17:17 finish yesterday at the Carlsbad 5000 which was good enough for 3rd among women 39 & under. Also from the St Louis area was former Francis Howell and Mizzou runner, 23-year old Jill Petersen. She finished with a very fine 18:03, 12th among women 39 & under... Congratulations to the following metro area triathletes who made the finish line down in hot Tempe, Arizona yesterday: 196- Darrin Marlow, Ballwin (11:02:22), 238- Kevin Jokisch, St Louis (11:13:12), 300- Curtis Brooks, Maryland Hts. (11:27:54), 416- George Schweitzer, St Louis (11:53:21), 708- Patty Nooney, St Louis (12:47:54), 732- Brian Schoenholz, Wentzville, (12:51:39), 914- Bill Peterson, Edwardsville IL (13:22:09), 1077- Katie Schoenholz, Wentzville, (13:48:57), 1131- James Matz, Troy IL (13:57:42), 1283- Patrick Byrne, St Louis (14:27:29), 1546- Gary Crews, Wildwood (15:32:50), 1571- Justin Kaiser, St Louis (15:40:55)... The men's overall top three were Michael Lovato (8:20:56), Spencer Smith (8:22:56), Tim DeBoom, (8:27:39). The women's top three were Michellie Jones (9:12:53), Heather Golnick (9:33:25), Hillary Biscay ( 9:43:36)

April 8 - Des Moines, Iowa will be the site of a 2007 ITU World Cup race. While that in itself would be huge news, the real bombshell may be the fact that the event will offer the sport's biggest prize purse, topping those of both Ironman Hawaii and the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon. $700,000 in cash and prizes will be up for grabs with the male and female winners will each receiving a check for $200,000. This is a fascinating development within the sport for many reasons, but particulary in light of the magnetic tug that M-dot racing has cast upon triathletes. The two biggest money races in the sports are now International and near-international distance events. If a few more of these lofty prize purses materialize, it may well succeed in siphoning off many pros who could make a nice living on far less training. By the same token, no one will be mistaking Des Moines for the Kona coast any time soon. But as the dynamic between the business world and the sport or triathlon plays out, no doubt about it— money still talks... Triathletes surfing the web got a little surprise when logging on to the Ironmanlive.com wesite. They were redirected to the new URL www.Ironman.com and a completely redesigned site

April 7 - Sarah Haskins heads to Japan for the Ishigaki Triathlon World Cup on April 16. She'll join US teammates Laura Bennett, Sara McLarty, Jenna Shoemaker, and Julie Swail as they look for podium finishes against the likes of Annabel Luxford of Australia and Liz Blatchford of Great Britain. The event is scheduled for a live webcast from the ITU website... 23-year old American cyclist, Saul Raisin, lies in a coma in a French hospital after crashing out the Circuit du Sarthe on Tuesday. The promising 2nd year pro was riding for Credit Agricole and had reached the final 2k of a 193k stage when he went down. Despite wearing a helmet, he suffered massive brain hemorrhage

April 6 - Hunter Kemper has been designated by the US Olympic Committee as its 2005 SportsMan of Year. The well-earned award was the culmination of his consistent, high-level performance last season finishing as the World's number one on the ITU World Cup tour. more... Triathlon Team Spirit - In what is essentially an individual sport, teams have become more and more prominent in the past several years. The essence of their existence lies chiefly in the dual functions of race day camaraderie and training day companionship. Below are a few options for individuals seeking affiliation... Zoot Sports announced the formation of their Triathlon / Multisport Team. Comprised of both pro and amateur athletes, the team debuts at Ironman Arizona. A quick glance at the roster reveals no St Louis area triathletes on the squad which is dominated by U.S residents . roster... Team Javelin continues its high profile ways with sponsorship of pro cycling's TIAA-CREF, selected professional triathletes, and it's own amateur multisport team. web... Inside Triathlon Magazine has yet to post their 2006 Age Group Team. In 2005, local triathlete Michele Neumann made the 31-member squad from over 1000 applicants. web... If you are inclined towards local affiliation rather than going it alone, there are several multisport clubs to consider. The St Louis Triathlon Club and the Metro Tri Club are independent organizations. Several of the bike shops also have teams. They would include the likes of Big Shark, Ghisallo, Mesa, Momentum, and Sunset

April 5 - The Lake St Louis Triathlon has reached 779 registered participants... Hammer Nutrition has begun offering Hammer Gel in a new Tropical flavor. Also, we've got a couple of boxes of the new Hammer Food Bars on the way and will provide readers with an appraisal of their taste and efficacy. Lastly, if you need a high-performance nutrition program, Hammer Nutrition is a total one-stop shop... Website Workings - The month of March delivered 17,932 visits to SwimBikeRun St Louis. This established a new monthly high for us. The videos and magazine PDF files draw the most downloads, consequently, we transferred over 25 gigabytes of data during those 30 days. Google was the dominant search engine to find us, of course, with Yahoo MSN, and Ask.com following in order. The strangest search term by which someone visited the site was the word "retinaculitis." Nearly everyone used Internet Explorer 6.0. After the US, New Zealand was the 2nd most popular country with visitors

April 4 - The God's Country Off-Road Duathlon took place last weekend in Lawrence, Kansas. St Louis area athlete, Amber Mounday, took the women's overall title by dethroning three-time champion, Laura Elsenraat. In the end it wasn't even close as Amber put nearly 5:45 on her and 14:02 on third place finisher, Ashley Oelschaeger. The men's division had Brad Cole (1:26:25), Will Kelsay (1:27:55), and Ashley Oelschaeger (1:32:28) finishing top three. The event produced 207 finishers on a picture perfect day

April 3 - Our spring weather has thus far been alternatively extreme providing us with either fierce or idyllic conditions. A snowfall ushered in the first day of spring. Warm southerly air initiated the meltdown then spawned a series of damaging storms and brutally windy days. In between we've experienced some of those isolated, blissful days of simply awesome springtime weather. Conclusion? It's another typical spring in St Louis. Keep one eye on the weather channel, be safe, and get outside... An eventful Ironman Australia played out this past weekend. Chris McCormack and Lisa Bentley finished first and Chris Leigh announced that he's finished. For their parts, McCormack and Bentley each managed their fifth successive wins at IM Oz. McCormack stamped his race with a 2:46 marathon. Bentley on the other hand, spotted Belinda Granger nearly twelve minutes on the run before running her down with a 3:01 effort. Post race, Chris Leigh stated his immediate retirement from Ironman racing. How to best interpret his declaration or whether the morning-after sheds a new light on his feelings remains to be seen... The Post-Dispatch health section last week ran a nice profile on Tracy Fober. The article focuses on her adaptation of the vegan lifestyle. read

April 1 - The Musselman Triathlon in Geneva, New York will welcome cartoonist, Jeff Mallett, as its guest speaker during the pre-race dinner. His nationally syndicated, Frazz, often references triathlon, running, and cycling while displaying Mallett's intelligent wit... Even "bike friendly" San Diego is not without its dissension between motorists and cyclists. San Diego radio station Rick Roberts stirred the pot with his "satire" on a recent broadcast . San Diego Bicycle Coalition Executive Director sends letter to the radio station. The Radio Station response

March 30 - The Gateway Council of Hostelling International - USA has announced a partnership with the University of Missouri - St. Louis. The joint venture will likely result in the creation of a 112 bed youth hostel located on campus utilizing existing facilities. Internet access, luggage room, and pool are just three of the planned amenities. The agreement will also move HI-USA offices from their current site in Clayton to UMSL. The creation of a local hostel fulfills a longtime ambition for the local chapter. website... The St Louis Track Club Road Series begins next month with a 10k in Forest Park. This is the first of five consecutive Wednesday evening runs starting at 6:15m near the Visitor's Center. You may register for races individually or for the entire series. PDF... The owner of a bike shop, Kenneth Schneider, still lies in the ICU of a Cleveland, Ohio hospital after sustaining severe head injuries from a hammer-wielding robber. The perpetrator was released from prison last June after serving 15 years for voluntary manslaughter. We can only hope that this violent individual spends the rest of his life behind bars. Best wishes to Mr Schneider... Matt Russ survived being mowed down by a motorist while he was out on a training ride. He interviews Ginny Poyner who is recovering from a similar incident. Both are USAT expert-level coaches, extremely fortunate to still be breathing, and remarkably stoic about their experiences. website

March 29 - The Lake St Louis Triathlon registration has reached 709. The Labor Day weekend event will cap the field at 750 total participants. This may well be the final week to enter... The USA Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships were held in Boston over the past weekend. There were a number of great master and senior master athletes in attendance, including former Olympic gold medalists. Was there any more remarkable a competitor in attendance than 91 year old shot putter Betty Jarvis? USATF... Springfield, MO native, Brad Huff, made the jump from Mercy Cycling to Team TIAA-CREF last season and it's already paying huge dividends. A 4th place finish in stage-one of the Tour of California shed light on both his early season form and vast potential. Just a week ago, Brad won stage one of the Tour of Normandie. This Spring Classic is one of the holy grails in cycling. HUGE congratulations!!

March 28 - USAT and WTC reached an agreement in which Ironman races will once again be sanctioned by the National Governing Body. 2005 was a turbulent year for the sport as a rift between the two bodies created consternation and confusion within the sport. Recognizing the bottom line, that it is really for and about the athletes, was an instrumental factor in bringing the two camps together. Monday was a happy day for the sport of triathlon and one that was brought about in no small part by the effort of USAT chief, Skip Gilbert, who never quit on the notion that a reconciliation could be reached... A fortuitously-timed interview with Skip Gilbert will appear in the soon to be released April issue of SBR StL Magazine. Sometimes you just get lucky... Inside Triathlon posted a nice interview with Hunter Kemper. Last year's ITU world number one ranked triathlete opens up about the pressure he faced in 2005, the burnout from over-racing, his need to prove himself in non-draft races, and the all-ready underway 2006 season... The 2006 Regional Triathlon Series will include the the same 15 races as 2005. After opening in Cape Girardeau at the Steamboat Classic, the series heads for Columbia and the Race for Sight. The series then returns to the St Louis metro area for the bulk of the season visiting RecPlex, Quartermax, South County, Ballwin, Wood River, Babler Beast, LSL , and Halfmax. Early fall sends triathletes up north to Kirksville for the NEMO race and then once again south to Cape Girardeau for the Trail of Tears Triathlon. Finally, a long season is wrapped up back in St Peters with the RecPlex fall triathlon. That's a long six months and lot of racing, but ideally the series will provide interest and motivation. Overall and age group winners will receive very nice merchandise at the SBR banquet (must be present to receive award), just ask the athletes who won $120 Rudy Project glasses, Rudy time trial helmets, Zoot wear, race slots, and other schwag back in February. For the 2006 series, we will conform to the USAT age-up rule, that is, your age on December 31. This will present a record-keeping problem, particularly since few of the local races are sanctioned. However, it will only really impact those athletes vying for the OA and AG titles, so it's not a huge area of concern. Also, last season saw our results spread sheet get corrupted thus making data for the final race impossible to enter, which we're sure puzzled a lot of athletes (along with us). We've got that situation under control. So, best of luck to everyone for the 2006 season. Get fit, be healthy, and stay safe. May 2006 be your personal best

March 27 - The Renaud Spirit Center 5k was a case of contrasts yesterday. 18-year old Brian Soule ran away from the field and won the race with his 16:59 effort. Greg Jackson (18:14) and Bernd Faust (19:06) rounded out the top three. The women's side witnessed perpetually youthful 48-year old Margie Martens cruise to victory in 20:32. Karen Litschgi (21:44) finished in second and Emily Deffner (22:56) took third place... The City of Wildwood continues with a road improvement program that has transformed nearly all of their old chip and seal into smooth-rolling, sealed asphalt. The Wildhorse Creek Road project is already half-completed after the westbound land received a 5-inch overlay of the black stuff. This is exciting news for the many cyclists who pedal that artery on their way to St Albans. Another project in the works is the widening of the section of Old Manchester near near City Hall. That once shoulderless stretch of hill will soon better accommodate cyclists. As has been written several times before on this page, Wildwood has been transformed into a cycling paradise over the course of the past 5 years

March 25 - Cycling fans prepare soon head for the Peachtree State and the 4th Annual Tour of Georgia professional bicycle race , April 18-23. The event will draw several top cycling teams including CSC, Phonak, Daviamon-Lotto, Discovery, and Quickstep-Innergetic along with continental teams like Health Net, Navigators, TIAA-Cref, Toyota-United Pro Cycling, Jelly Belly, and others. New for 2006 is a route that ventures into neighboring Tennessee for a mountain-top finish in Chattanooga during the individual time-trial. For all things TDG, access the website

March 23 - Congratulations to Zac Freudenburg and Katie Sutton for their wins at the SLTC Half Marathon this past weekend. For both runners it was two in a row as each won the the SLTC Frostbite Series Half Marathon back on January 28. Going for the trifecta at the Spirit of St Louis Half Marathon on April 9 would seem a tall order against an even larger field swelled by the influx of out of town runners. The top five finishing times were Zac Freudenburg 1:09:59, Daniel Maurer 1:11:31, Jason Holroyd 1:13:50, Tyler Small 1:13:50, and Alan Heincker 1:15:19. On the women's side, the top five were Katie Sutton 1:23:09, Maggie Conley 1:26:54, Maureen Conley 1:26:55, Jamie Perry 1:29:01, Becky Hudnall 1:30:04. In all, 690 runners reached the finish line after 13.1 miles of running on a very blustery day. The accompanying 3k run had 129 runners reaching the finish line with James Marino arriving first in a time of 10:15. He was followed closely by Charlie Helton 10:36, and Daniel Muntges 10:41 who rounded out the top three. The women's field saw Eileen Petito make it three in a row (2004-05-06) by going 11:10. Helen Alexander-Kratz 11:56 and Hannah Hasting 12:10 finished second and third respectively... Spring marathon season is upon us and local runners who trained through the sometimes harsh St Louis winter will soon get an opportunity to test their conditioning. Of course in the local running scene, the Spirit of St Louis Marathon takes center stage on April 9. In April alone, there are over forty marathons staged all over the country, but the Boston Marathon will be the big draw with qualified runners converging in Hopkington, MA for the start on the 17th. Alternatively, St Louis area runners have the option of making the relatively easy drive each year to Nashville for the Music City Marathon or to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby Marathon Festival . Both are scheduled for the April 29... Twenty St Louis area triathletes are in taper mode as part of their final preparations for Ironman Arizona. The race takes place on April 9 down in sunny and warm Arizona. While the Midwest has been coping with snow and cold, temperatures in Tempe have soared to the low 80's. It may be quite an adjustment for athletes not acclimatized to summer-like conditions. Eighty slots for Kona are up for grabs. Racers returning from last year will be happy to learn that the 2006 bike course will require less than half of the more than 100 turns in the 2005 route

March 22 - Ahh... springtime in St Louis. The warm breeze, a robin's song, gentle rain showers, the golden Forsythia blooms, and SNOW? It was just over a week ago that runners at the St Patrick's Day run were basking in unseasonably warm weather as a summer-like day enveloped the area. But as we Midwesterners know all too well, don't get too cozy with it because conditions can take an abrupt turn. And indeed they did with snow and a hard freeze ushering in the first official day of spring. This may well be winter's last, local hurray. High temps next week are expected to be back up in the mid to upper 50's... Endurance sports don't always adhere to the strict parameters of swim goggles, bike helmet, and running shoes. In a mesmerizing story, Ted Zimmermann takes readers into the treacherous world of deep water diving. South Africa's 927 foot deep underwater cave, Bushman's Hole, provides the eerie challenge for Australian diver, Dave Shaw. This article was originally featured in the August, 2005 issue of Outside Magazine and was recently selected to be part of the the 2005 compendium, Best American Sports Writing. While it's not by any means a quick read, it's one we guarantee you won't soon forget . article

March 21 - View the trailer of Wired To Win and read an interesting interview with line producer/editor Myles Connolly about the project, its challenges, and the experience... No word is available about when this film might be shown on the giant IMAX screens at either the Science Museum or Ronnies 20 Theater...

March 20 - Congratulations to the local triathletes who completed Ironman California 70.3 on Saturday. They were : Lou Di Guiseppe 4:45:11, Sally Drake 6:02:02, Lou Jearls 5:32:51, Matthew Sterni 6:10:20, Doug Burns 5:48:32. The overall winners were Australians Luke Bell (3:58:24) and Michellie Jones (4:30:43). Also, the race produced a fantastic finish for 2005 Race For Sight winner and former USAT National Champion, Trent Tollakson who went 4:10:04, cashing in with a 5th overall position. Last year's Halfmax winner, Nate Korteum, flashed across the finish line in 4:27:25. This was just the 2nd half-iron distance event he's attempted. Great job by everyone... The weekend also produced a surprise winner in an unbelievable finish at Ironman South Africa. Gerardus Schellens of Belgium managed a come from behind win in the last few kilometers of the marathon. Defending IM South Africa champion Raynard Tissink and current world champion Faris Al-Sutan played cat and mouse for much of the race until Schellens finally powered by both of them. The women's field held no such suspense as Natascha Badmann built an insurmountable lead on the bike, put in a solid run, and went on to win by twenty-four minutes... Next up on the Mdot schedule are Ironman Australia (April 2) and Ironman Arizona (April 9). The latter race will see a number of locals work on their tans in Tempe. Best of luck to : Curtis Brooks, Patrick Byrne, Gary & Tanya Crews, Christopher Floerchinger, Kevin Jokisch, Justin Kaiser, Gary Maier, Darin Marlow, Matt Myers, Robert Neumann, Patty Nooney, Keith Owens, Brian & Katie Schoenholz, Todd Shoemaker, Matt White, James Marz, and Bill Peterson... The Ironman lottery is a month away. Registration closed last month for this annual drawing from the list of hopefuls seeking entry into the IM World Championship in Hawaii

Los Angeles drew a fair number of local runners to the left coast for a weekend of sunshine and the LA Marathon. Race day temps started in the upper 40's and topped out at 60° by lunch time. Among those making the line were runners: Brian Burmaster (3:54:37), Leslie Garner (3:52:43), Jennifer Griffes (4:40:12), Terri Menghini (4:28:03), Jeff Nagus (4:53:23), Jamison Philips (3:45:42), Barb Wnek (4:56:51) and walkers: MIchael Easter (9:19:29), Traci Lato (9:19:28), Brian Lewis (9:19:27), and Kimberly Wardwell (9:19:32). Nice work by all. At the front of the race were Kenyan runner Benson Cherono (2:08:40) and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia (2:25:10). She managed to win by a scant 16 seconds over Gete Wami of Ethiopia

March 18 - The Nevada Silverman Triathlon is offering a $100,000 prize to the first relay team that can crack the 8 hour barrier on what is arguably billed as the toughest iron-distance course in North America. Any and all ringers are welcome to pool their efforts. Will any professional teams be formed to accept the challenge and will they cash in? The answers to those questions will come in November... Benjamin Murphy-Baum, 17, from St Louis, finished 28th in the Junior Men's Division at the the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships. Ben Rosario, 26, of St Louis, ran 37:21 in the Men's Open 12k placing 35th

March 17 - California continues its March gravitational pull on athletes. The recently concluded Tour of California was staged under spectacular blue skies and before more than a million spectators over its 8-day run. Ironman California 70.3 will send nearly 2000 triathletes into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday from beside the pier in Oceanside. Also on Sunday and further up the coast, the LA Marathon will start over 25,000 runners on their 26.2 mile journeys. That race will award a grand prize of $100,000 to the first person across the finish line. The race will be webcast with the elite runners and the general field scheduled to begin at 10:17am CST... A general information article on the sport of triathlon recently appeared in the New York Times. The online version was not account-protected when we last accessed it. If available, you may find it mildly interesting... If you've watched the Tour de France on television, you've no doubt caught a glimpse of the horned, pitchfork-wielding character running alongside the riders as they wind their way up the mountain stages. This fanatic's real name is Didi Senft . He hails from Germany and his demonic persona has become part and parcel of TDF lore. A world away, in the laid-back land of California, a more ethereal approach was taken by bike manufacturer Specialized. This year's inaugural tour introduced us to the angel. Jenna was chosen from more than a hundred applicants who competed to be the podium girl and protector of the riders

March 15 - The road to Kona still makes its way through Oceanside, CA . That may change in the not too distant future as the WTC weans half-iron races from the qualifying process with the lone exception of the 70.3 World Championship. Ironman California 70.3 takes place this weekend in that Pacific Coast town nestled between San Diego and Los Angeles. It will serve up twenty slots for the Ironman World Championship. The weather for Saturday's race is expected to be in the mid-50's with 70% chance of rain. The men's pro field is totally stacked with the likes of Chris McCormack, Mike Lovato, Luke Bell, Timo Bracht, Spencer Smith, and others. Several St Louis area triathletes will make the trip. Good luck to Lou Di Guiseppe, Sally Drake, Jason Gordon, Jayson Hardie, Lou Jearls, Chris Leonard, Matthew Sterni, Doug Burns, and 77 year-old Myron Norton. Also, best of luck to 2005 Halfmax winner, Nate Korteum

March 14 - The 2006 Regional Multisport Calendar was updated again yesterday. Most of the missing dates were filled in and we even added a few events... This weekend, the St Louis Track Club will draw distance runners to Clayton for its 26th Annual Half Marathon. Last year, 731 showed up and took part in the event. Alan Heincker earned the men's title by going 1:08:42, cruising in over four minutes ahead of runner-up Chris Roberdean. The women's field was headed by Stephanie Dueringer. Her 1:21:13 provided an even larger margin of victory, more than six minutes, over 2nd place finisher Colleen Casey. The weather is expected to be a little more seasonal than the summer-like conditions experienced by 8,000 participants in last weekend's St Patrick's Day 5-miler. Look for temperatures in the 30's and 40's on race morning... Runner's World writer, Bill Donahue, profiled 19-year old Galen Rupp in an interesting, if lengthy article. Hailed by many as potentially the next great American miler, this young man has accrued high expectations as a result of his work ethic, elite coach, and past performances. He ripped a 4:01 mile in 2004, the fastest high school effort that year. The article is a good lunchtime read. Pre-Destined

March 11 - The USA Triathlon 2006 Calendar of Events is now up and running. This handy resource lists date and locale of sanctioned events along with a link to each race website

March 10 - Trailnet is hosting a design contest for their website and new t-shirts. Your art work must be submitted by March 27. Contest details available at the Trailnet website... Does the pool water at your masters swim sessions seem a little cold some mornings? It may feel like proverbial bath water to the hardy stock of swimmers who participated in the 2006 Winter Swimming World Championships in Finland last weekend. The "pool" was cut into a frozen estuary of the Oulu River. Water temperature was at 0° C for the swimmers. World renowned cold-water swimmer, Lewis Gordon Pugh, was also among the participants. As expected, Pugh won the 500m race. For a rather chilling look at the event, check out these photos ... USA Cycling recently announced that it will recognize the European helmet standard. Athletes should see within their legal-to-use helmets one of the familiar stickers for: ANSI, Snell, ASTM, CSA (Canadian), CPSC, and now CEN (European Committee for Standardization). The bylaws for USA Triathlon members require helmets conform to just the CPSC, ANSI, or Snell standards... This weekend, swim powerhouse, Truman State University, will shoot for their sixth straight NCAA Division II Women's Swim Championship. The Lady Bulldogs have a deep roster that includes sophomores Katie Welsh and Molly Pollette, both from Wildwood... Chris Lieto writes about his Ironman Malaysian experience for Xtri.com. For this world-class athlete to write, "I made it across the line in second and in the most pain I have been in at any race" , it must be a tough race. To read the rest of his race report, click here

March 9 - The executive director of USA Triathlon, Skip Gilbert, was in Columbia last night for the the Columbia Multisport Club's monthly meeting. SBR took the opportunity to interview him and get to know the driving force behind our National Governing Body for triathlon and duathlon. Bottom line: If you spend two minutes talking with this man, you'll immediately understand why USAT hired him. Huge thanks to Skip for his time and enthusiasm. The interview will find its way into the April issue of Swim Bike Run St Louis Magazine... The 19th annual Taipei International Cycle Show is underway in Taiwan. The bicycle expo doled out awards for innovative design to several companies for thinking "outside of the box." Among them is the trioBike , a bike with an attachable child carrier. Also grabbing attention is a seat tube/tire pump by Kind Shock... HI-USA will once again sponsor their Cycle Across Missouri bicycle ride. It will take place June 11-16. Complete event information is available on the brochure/application PDF... The Lake St Louis Triathlon has reached 564 entrants. Race For Sight is up to 244. MaxTrax is at 104. Quartermax has reached 257. Halfmax is at 95 (with virtually all qualifying events yet to be staged)... The Running Center in Rock Hill has a newly redesigned website

March 8 - USAT will vote at the end of the month on a proposal to ban men from running with a bare torso in sanctioned races. If passed, the rule would go into effect immediately for the 2006 season. more... Daylight saving time begins 2am on Sunday April 2. Last August, President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which changed the time change dates for DST beginning in 2007. Next year it will begin on the second Sunday in March and be extended until the first Sunday of November... Perspective - Having finally viewed the movie Super Size Me, I was sickeningly reminded of why I stopped visiting the Golden Arches over twenty years ago. This film by Morgan Spurlock film chronicles his 30-day adventure into gastrointestinal hell. Along the way, we meet an widely varying cast of characters- his vegan wife who is initially supportive of the project until she begins seeing dramatic changes in her husband, the crew of health professionals who monitor his rapid fall from good health, and an assortment of quirky individuals whose lives are in some way defined by the fast food company (imagine an individual eating more than 20,000 Big Macs since 1972). This award winning documentary will make you think twice about your own diet, your kids health, fast food, corporate America, and popular culture

March 7 - The metro St Louis area has plenty of MTB trails- Castlewood, Chubb, Lost Valley, Klondike, and Greensfelder just to name a few. Imagine having nearly forty trails in one location. The MTB gem of the east coast is Diablo Freeride Park. This winter ski resort is located just 47 miles from New York City. It consists of freeride and downhill mountain bike trails. The high speed gondola takes riders and their bikes to the 1,040 foot summit in six minutes. Just like the skiers, the MTBers can buy all day lift tickets or a season's pass. Lessons and rentals are available as well. Mountain biking the way it can be. map of park ... The 2006 New York City Marathon is currently accepting lottery applications through June 1. If you can accept the $109 entry fee ($164 for international applicants), then consider for a moment the nonrefundable $9 registration fee charged to every applicant. Historical data shows that some 30,000 applicants will not see their names drawn. That's nearly $300,000 of pure profit for the event from people not even racing. Deal or no deal?... Nice work to local area runners who completed the Little Rock Marathon down in Arkansas this past Sunday. They include : (OA Place AG Name, City Chip Time) 59 10 M40 Scott Varwig, Wildwood 3:20:17, 279 44 M35 Todd Lewis, St. Louis 3:55:56, 403 62 M35 Keith Hulsey, St. Louis 4:07:14, 421 23 M25 Patrick Nolan, St. Louis 4:08:58, 422 7 W25 Courtney Nolan, St. Louis 4:08:58, 483 9 W25 Amy Ohlau, Brentwood 4:15:30, 489 40 M50 Christopher Johnson, Ballwin 4:16:25, 495 25 M25 David Herholz, St. Louis 4:17:06, 847 115 M45 Larry Liszewski, St. Louis 4:55:30, 1094 15 W20 Marisa Scheetz, St. Louis 5:31:48, 1151 105 M50 John Flotken, Saint Louis 5:46:03, 1171 53 M25 Devin Staley, Ellisville 5:47:06, 1225 100 M30 Sebastain Mahfood, St. Louis 6:03:06, 1310 44 W50 Cheryl Ecker, Festus 6:39:01

March 6 - Next up on the Ironman world tour are the Ironman 70.3 California on March 18 and the Ironman South Africa Triathlon on March 19. The WCT is coming off a disappointing weekend at Ironman New Zealand where race morning weather derailed the event, altering it from a full-iron tri to a half-iron du. If U.S. triathletes were dismayed by last years cancellation of USAT Nationals in Kansas City, imagine the frustration of traveling to the other side of the world for a freakish day of gale force winds... This past weekend, Trailnet held their annual chili party, an event at which the organization typically releases their Calendar of Rides. First up for 2006 is their Prairie Pedal Ride on Sunday April 9. This 44-miler heads from Hamel, Illinois with optional 26 or 37 mile routes. calendar... HI-USA Gateway Council recently added e-commerce functionality to its website. Tickets can now be conveniently purchased online for their various events. This includes the Five-Star Century Series, the Moonlight Ramble, their fund-raisers, and accessories. website

March 5 - Lake St Louis Triathlon is exactly 2/3 full with 500 of the 750 slots having been accounted for. Registration for both long and short courses is rapidly progressing towards another sellout. website ... Race for Sight has reached 220 participants and the MaxTrax duathlon is just under 100 racers... The weekend Post-Dispatch picked up an interesting new service story. A nonprofit group in Austin, Texas is seeking to build a $35 million indoor velodrome. And it's more than coincidence that this effort emanates from the home town of America's number one ambassador for the sport of cycling. If the project is completed, it would potentially make Austin a focal point for USA Cycling. story... How about riding 508 miles on a fixed gear bike? Boston cycling commuter Emily O'Brien did just that at the Furnace Creek 508 last October. In the process, she earned the enviable status of qualifying for RAAM . story

March 4- Lake Taupo experienced ferocious winds which forced Ironman New Zealand race officials to cancel the swim leg and covert the race to a Half-Iron Duathlon. Cameron Brown's IM NZ win streak of five came to an asterisked end at the hands of Ain Alar Juhanson. Joanna Lawn extended her Ironman New Zealand win streak to four in a row with a four-minute margin of victory over second place finisher Karyn Balance... If a road bike constitutes an important part of your life, then the next video for you to view certainly must be Overcoming by Tómas Gislason. This look at Team CSC's 2004 road to the Tour de France is at times cinematically stylish, often emotionally moving, and always fascinating. Among its many high points is watching the powerhouse CSC Team deal with much adversity, thus the title. Additionally, viewers come to know the personalities behind the names we hear Phil Liggett utter each year on the OLN broadcast- the talented Ivan Basso, the eminently likable Jens Vogt, tough as nails Bobby Julich, the diminutive Carlos Sastre, and of course the philosophical team director Bjarne Riis. You'll find yourself rooting for these guys even though you already know the outcome. The film satisfies on may levels. It's less a video to view during a spin session than it one to savor from the couch. Good stuff... March 3 - A word of caution for cyclists riding Clayton Road. Police in Town & Country and Frontenac are back at it, vigilantly watching for cyclists who make rolling stops through signs and lights. Don't make the mistake and don't fill their coffers with money you can otherwise spend on tubes, tires, etc... The Tour of Missouri professional bike race is planned for 2007. This blockbuster was posted on the Missouri Bicycle Federation's website yesterday. If the myriad details and logistics can be sufficiently worked out to produce this event, it will raise a massive amount of awareness within our state for the sport of cycling... If you missed registering for an IM NA event, there are slots available for Coeur d'Alene, Lake Placid, Wisconsin, Florida, and Canada through the 70.3 series and other select races. For the list of qualifiers, click here

March 2 - The Wildwood YMCA is looking into staging an outdoor triathlon later this year, most likely in the fall. One of the principal issues in need of resolution is bike course safety, being as how the facility is located on Hwy 109. We'll keep you posted as things develop... Wildwood YMCA Indoor Triathlon results PDF and still-image video... The Lake St Louis Triathlon is well over half-filled with 477 registered for the 750 slots. entrant list... The MaxTrax Duathlon has 81 races signed up and Race For Sight has reached 197 participants... Site Stats - In the short month of February, this website experienced 14,966 visits, transferred 16 gigabytes of data across the world wide web, and put a smile on its webmaster's face... Ironmanlive.com posted a concise article on food fats, The Goodness of Fat. For most readers it won't unleash any earthshaking revelations, but it does serve to remind which foods are monounsaturated

March 1 - The Old Appleton Triathlon returns on July 15. Many triathletes who have been in the sport a decade or more may have fond memories of this small town just north of Cape Girardeau and the races staged there from 1983 through the mid-90's. The 1/2 mile swim, 22-mile bike and 5-mile run will be limited to 400 participants. The race is FREE , but a donation to the town's bridge maintenance fund is asked of racers . website... The Tour of California may have generated great enthusiasm for cycling on the national level, but St Louis area roadies have their own reason to be excited. The Tour de Winghaven is scheduled for Sunday, June 18th in that O'Fallon, Missouri community. More than $10,000 in cash and prizes will be up for grabs as racers blaze through a three-mile looped course of wide streets, roundabouts, and easy turns. This will be a full day of racing with Juniors starting at 8AM and the Pro/Cat1/Cat 2 racers rolling at 4:45PM . website... The National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. March 1-3 brings together cycling advocates from around the country to share information and to advance cycling initiatives. In addition to hosting the many seminars, this bicycle advocacy group uses the three days to lobby House and Senate members for their support in cycling-friendly legislation. The Summit provides attendees with an opportunity to network with American Bike League members from all over America. Model cycling communities like Davis, California and Portland, Oregon will share their success stories. website

Feb 28 - Jason Shortis of Australia (8:36:33) and Sonja Tajsich of Germany (10:08:13) were the winners at Ironman Malaysia over the weekend

Feb 25 - This past week's meeting of the St Louis Tri Club featured a presentation/ group participation by Yoga instructor Debra Simpson. All triathletes (all athletes) should incorporate some form of stretching into their routines for both its restorative and preventative powers. A DVD entitled, Yoga For Endurance Athletes, may be just the tool to get you out of that malaise and into greater range of motion. details... With the thermometer topping out in the 40's this weekend, local triathletes may find themselves yearning for spring. But half a world away, triathletes are bracing for the oppressive heat and humidity of Langkawi, Malaysia and the rigors of its iron-distance race. Then next weekend, the iron-tour heads for Taupo, New Zealand and its late-summer main event, IM NZ. That race will see Cam Brown defend his title for the fifth time in a row. That race will also find American Ken Glah in the field, who has been in the iron-game for what seems like forever. His legs may feel similarly with NZ being his 50th IM race... Twelve western universities have formed the first collegiate triathlon conference. The 2006 season will allow the conference to sort out potential issues, but if the pilot program succeeds, it could well serve as a template for schools around the country to emulate. Full story

Feb 24 - SBR super sponsor, Hammer Nutrition, unveiled the Hammer Food Bar. Keeping in step with their other great products, this is a thoughtfully produced meal replacement bar— 70%-90% raw, non GMO, 100% vegetarian, gluten-free, non dairy organic Belgian Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Chip flavor), phyto-nutrients, enzymes, alkalizing protein, healthy carbs, high protein, essential fatty acids, cold processed, delicious taste. $2.49 Complete product details on website ... Fit to Be Tri'd is a program produced by the Metro Tri Club to promote fitness in the Alton, Edwardsville and the surrounding communities. The club guides participants through the basic skills and knowledge of cross-training which will culminate in their completion of the Wood River Triathlon on August 12. website... USA Triathlon is interested in using your photographs and videos for their website If you have interesting images and/or footage, you can snail mail them or email them to SBR buddy Tim Yount. website

Feb 23 - The Kansas City Ultra Cyclists get their ride on with a March 11 - 200km outing. This is the opening ride a Brevet Seeries offering progressively longer rides which concludes with a 1000km ride on June 3. Some readers may already be familiar with the St Louis area Brevet Series staged out of Edwardsville, Illinois. The first of its 2006 Series rides begins with a 200km jaunt on April 8. The Chicago chapter opens their Series on April 29 with a 200km spin... 2006 UMCA (Ultra Marathon Cycling Association) March calendar of rides

Feb 22 - If one of your goals as a triathlete is to qualify for USAT Age Group Nationals in Kansas City (and it should be), then there's great news in store. Ultramax Events just announced that Race For Sight has been granted special qualifier status. In other words, the top third of each age group earns admission to the National Championships, instead of the usual ten percent. This is a great opportunity— close to home... Take a sneak peak at the 2006 USAT Halfmax National Championship Race Guide before it reaches your mailbox. The 24-page book is filled with information about the event. PDF... How would you like to participate in every Ultramax Events race for 12 months FOR FREE? It can happen if you can bring them a Premier Sponsor. If you have a particular company in mind, contact their event staff by phone 573-443-7036 or e-mail ... Lake St Louis Triathlon registration opened yesterday and the action was brisk. 255 applications were processed within the first hour— more than one third of the race field. If this event is on your "to do" calendar for 2006, procrastination is not advisable

Feb 19 - Perspective - My intention was to meet up with the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon Training Run on Saturday at 8am in the Forest Park Visitor’s Center. Their agenda coincided with mine, that is, to run 6 to 12 miles at your own pace. Of course, that plan was made well before the wind chill dipped to minus ten degrees F. My thoughts clashed— should I go or should I stay? A quick flashback to the noticeably stale air of the packed health club induced me to dig out my lobster claw cycling mittens, don an additional base lining, and head out the door. All in all, It has been a markedly different winter for me. Last year at this time I was the quintessential gym rat. This winter I can still count the number of times I've retreated indoors for training, water aside, on just one hand. Obviously the mild January had a lot to do with that. But now, I perversely fed on the idea the that most people wouldn't venture out, plus I was curious to see how many runners would show up in these very challenging conditions. Once out the door, I immediately turned into the wind and was reminded that the weather forecast had made use of the words "bitterly cold." It was amazing how quickly my breathable running shoes numbed my toes. If I carried any nagging leg aches and pains, I surely couldn't feel them. I had purposefully had left my Neoprene face mask at home. That now seemed a mistake as my nose and cheeks took the brunt of the wind chill. Questions slowly drifted their way through the ice floe of my thinking. Isn't it remarkable that polar bears can swim in the Arctic water? Why would anyone climb Everest? Doesn't cupping my hands around a porcelain mug of steaming cafe mocha sound inviting right now? The twenty-minute run to the Visitor's Center was not long enough to warm my feet, but I did feel a slight sweat growing beneath the third layer around my torso. Upon my arrival, I spied a little more than two dozen undeterred runners milling around inside the visitors center, which was about two dozen more than I expected to find. Shame on me for any smugness I may have harbored about my own degree of tenacity, because for sure we shared the same sense of adventure

Feb 18 - The Best... When it comes to providing inspiration in abundance, two remarkably similar individuals readily come to mind— Jim MacLaren and John Maclean . They share more than the same initials. Both are quadriplegics who have accomplished more in life than most fully functional human beings. Both have logged numerous athletic milestones, created charitable foundations, are authors, have become much sought after speakers, and most of all demonstrated that the human spirit is essentially boundless. Most recently, MacLaren was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame and will receive the Gene Autry Courage Award. Maclean completed IM Western Australia in November and recently published his autobiography, Sucking the Marrow Out of Life... The Better... SBR can't decide which book to read first, the Maclean story or the new book by ultra-distance runner extraordinaire, Dean Karnazes, Ultra Marathon Man- Confessions of an All-Night Runner . It has received great reviews. Karnazes will embark upon a coast to coast book signing tour, but unfortunately St Louis is not on the itinerary. However, the better news is that rumor has it he will be making a stop in St Louis to participate in a race in the Fall of 2006. You gotta ask yourself, would you rather shake his hand or run with him?... The Good... The Froze Toes bicycle race in Columbia, Missouri is just a week away. If current weather conditions hold, the frozen extremities might also include fingers, noses, and (don't even go there). The extended forecast doesn't include another sudden and unseasonable rise in the thermometer, so cyclists will be in for a typical, cold February day. Base layers are advised for these hard core riders. Good luck racers... The Bad... The Bonk Hard Chill adventure race earned a post-race recap on the extremely popular Checkpoint Zero website, which is generally a good thing. But the write-up really had us second guessing ourselves. Maybe it was the ungodly early hour of the morning that we read it compounded by a lack of caffeine, perhaps it was the less than ideal combination of wide text lines and a minuscule font, maybe it was just our sheer lack of actual adventure racing experience, but we found the article frustratingly difficult to grasp. One other suggestion for the field report, while we're playing the role of harsh critic, it's generally good form to name the individuals who comprised the winning teams. They've earned their props... The Ugly... And you thought getting a paycheck every two weeks seemed like a long time. Iron distance triathletes are renowned for their long-term planning and patience. Both virtues came in handy for the prize money winners at the Ironman World Championship who had to wait three months to get paid. Final drug test results needed to be received before the checks could be cut. All twenty tests returned negative, which raises a ticklish question. Rutger Beke's 4th place finish and subsequent negative earned him the tidy sum of twenty-thousand dollars. His successful defense in the EPO charge he faced last year was that his body produces excessivley large quantities of natural EPO. So, is it unreasonable to ask why there would suddenly be no positive now?

Feb 17 - How's your winter training progressing? Harness up boys, we're going ice climbing." The Festiglace du Quebec is slated for this weekend in what could be fairly described as challenging conditions. Endurance sports will take on a whole new meaning as temperatures range from -12° to -20° C with winds reaching 30km per hour. The frozen waterfall of the Jacques-Cartier River provides a remarkable venue for climbers who converge on Quebec for competitions, product demos, guest speakers, and an Expo. Full-day climbing courses and workshops are offered for beginners and intermediates. Companies like North Face take full advantage to show off their latest in high-tech gear and fashions for competitors and spectators alike. website

Feb 16 - The team of Jeff Sona and David Frei, representing the Alpine Shop, won the Bonk Hard Chill Adventure Race last weekend in a time of 8-hours and 48-minutes. With the first place finish, each racer came away with a free entry into the Mighty MO Expedition on May 4-7, a $400 per person value... News from the North - Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley, claims his remark was serious when he suggested that Illinois bicycles might become insured, licensed vehicles. His remark was in response to a proposed bill that would enable Illinois cyclists to sue communities with hazardous roads. If in a bizarre twist of fate licensing were to become a reality in Illinois, would Missouri and other states remain far behind? The story raises some very interesting issues... The Windy City has always been a great weekend getaway for St Louis area residents. Cyclists will have additional incentive to make the drive when the Sixth Annual Bicycle Film Festiva l makes a stop in Chicago. A date has not been firmed, but an early spring time frame is expected... The weekend for the Chicago Bike Show, however, is locked and loaded for April 1-3. This year the event will coincide with the Shamrock Shuffle 8k Run as the two events partner at Navy Pier in what will be a huge Health and Fitness Expo . More than 30,000 people are expected to attend, with 22,500 of them taking part in the world's largest 8k run... The fate of the Boonville Bridge took a positive step as a result of Enterprise Rent-A-Car founder, Jack Taylor's generosity. Even while admitting that he was not an avid hiker/cyclist, he pledged $200,000 to the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition. That group is efforting to raise $1 million to refurbish the old railroad span for pedestrian traffic. Despite the pledge, the Coalition remains well short of their seven-figure goal. As this Saturday's Powerball jackpot approaches $400 million, we can at least hope that the winner is an avid cyclist

Feb 15 - Complete results from the JCC Indoor Triathlon have been posted on the Ghisallo Sports website. Long course winners were Tim Sandfort and Sarah Sander, while short course winners included James Carroll and Amy Pierce. Nice work to all who participated... The YMCA takes center stage for the next two weekends as it offers area triathletes a chance to brush up on their triple sport skills and provides newcomers an opportunity to try the sport, even if they don't own a bike. The West County branch (636-532-6515) hosts it event on Sunday and the Wildwood branch (636-458-6636) will reprise their annual indoor triathlon on Feb 26. Be sure to call ahead for slot availability... Pro cycling returns to the Outdoor Life Network for 2006. Its weekend broadcasts are aimed at satellite and cable subscribers, but for truly hard-core cycling fans, OLN will offer a streaming feed of the Giro from its website. The webcast of Monday thru Saturday's action will be fee-based

Feb 14 - Matters of the Heart - Valentines Day has long relied upon that traditional symbol of love, the heart. We may figuratively win, steal or break hearts, but as endurance athletes, nothing literally embodies what we do more than that same fist-sized, twisting mass of muscle. It functions as an internal tachometer for both human emotion and physical fitness. The imperfect science of love relies upon perceived effort, which can range from the subtle sense that our pulse has quickened in the presence of another person, to a near timpani resonating within our chest cavity. Both phenomena, of course, have their implications. Sometimes during training but especially while racing, emotion can play a huge role in the outcome of an event. But generally, training has evolved into an applied science. We'll strap on sensors, monitor cardiac activity, and scientifically calculate our activity zones. Within limits, the more we stress it, the stronger the heart grows. During an average individual's lifetime, it will beat more than 2.5 billion times. For an endurance athlete, it will be many millions times more. That equates to pumping well over a fifty-million gallons of blood during the athlete's lifetime. Amazingly, in just one day, the blood in a typical endurance athlete's body moves more than 14,000 miles. When simply at rest, the heart works harder than our legs muscles during a 5k run. The human heart reflects our emotion, health, and fitness. On this day of hearts, pay a little extra attention to yours... The Rec-Your-Body Indoor triathlon was held this past Sunday at the Rec Center on the SIU-Carbondale campus. The race is put on by the SIU triathlon club. The triathlon offers a unique distance per time format. Participants swim as far as they can in 10 minute, spin on bike as far as they can in 20 minutes and run as far as they can in 15 minutes. Distances are assigned a numeric score and scores are tallied to determine placings. The race offers a nice break from aerobic training and a way to gauge your fitness under race conditions, so that intensities can be determined for early spring workouts. Spinning bikes with bike computers are used for the bike portion, which rewards competitors that have been working on spinning at a high cadence like Lance. Several recent training articles have recommended fast cadence drills as part of winter training, which works well in training for this race. The swim and run are done on NCAA venues for SIU intercollegiate sports. The pool is 9 feet deep with only one competitor per lane, a luxury rarely seen for workouts. The run is on an indoor 200 meter track. With the raced clock right on the track, you don't even need a watch to pace yourself. Barry Knight was the fastest overall male, swimming 775, spinning 12.24 miles and running 2.65 miles. Gary Hake was second and Andrew Beckman was third. Emile Fisher was the fastest overall female, going 725 yards on the swim, 9.4 miles on the bike and 1.7 miles on the run. Emily Scot was second and Paige Welge was third. A couple of records were also set at the triathlon. Paul Garvey set a new swim distance record by covering 900 yards in 10 minutes. Don Jones set a new oldest competitor record by completing his first triathlon at the young age of 80. Don has run a few 5ks in the past, but decided to try cross training with his son Tim, when he developed foot problems. Among metro area triathletes, Scot Walker, of the Ghisallo racing team came in second in the 45 to 49 age group. Future events by the SIU triathlon club include a triathlon clinic on March 5, $10 by Jennifer Harrison a Level 2 Coach. For reservations and information contract Cynthia Fligel at 618-303-1619 or. The club will also host the 23rd annual Doc Spackman Triathlon on Saturday, April 29. Cameron Widoff, an SIU graduate and triathlon team member, held the course record until Barry Knight beat the record a few years ago. Race Report by Scot Walker

Feb 12 - The 2nd annual JCC Indoor Triathlon took place yesterday and drew 109 participants. For the first-timers among them, it represented a midwinter opportunity to try the sport. For the veterans, it provided a break from their low-intensity, base-build training. Whatever the motivation, it was a cozy place to be on a blustery February day. Great job by the J-staff and many thanks for their hospitality. SBR put together a short video of the event set to the Evanescence song "Bring Me To Life." Initially a 25MB WMV file, we pared it to 10MB. When viewing, keep in mind we reduced the resolution a bit to hasten download time. Hope you enjoy... The St Louis Track Club's Frostbite Series lived up to its name on Saturday with 375 runners completing the 15k jaunt through Forest Park in very chilly conditions. Zac Freudenburg (49:20) and Rachel York (1:01:28) led the way in the men's and women's divisions. 15k results The accompanying 3-mile run saw 276 runners cross the finish line with Sam Yount (15:57) and Hilary Orf (18:54) taking the honors. 3-mile results

Feb 11 - Thanks to the more than 200 individuals who took part in the grad student cycling survey. It's not certain yet what inferences she may draw from the data, but an obvious conclusion is the general willingness of the readers to land a helping hand... In a follow up to our informational basics piece on power meters, several readers forwarded interesting links to us with additional details on the subject-. Once the domain of the rich and famous, the entry level price point for this training tool is now within reach of most of us. The iBike is a low-cost alternative that was recommended by the Joel Friel group at the recent Multisport Clinic up in Columbia, Mo. As for additional reading materials, the website, Bike Tech Review posted a piece that will appeal to your inner techo-geekiness. Slowtwitch's knowledgeable and ever-verbose, Dan Emptfield , penned an article four years ago that attempted to demystify the science of power training. Pez Cycling News put together a fascinating piece that takes an inside look at the T-Mobile pro cycling team's training log. The article reveals how power is analyzed in conjunction with heat rate and other vital data... The popularity of half-Iron distance races is continuing to rise. Triathletes can find a distance-specific race resource on the xtri.com website. The calendar there lists 129 "halfs" in venues all over the world. It's complete with links that steer you to the race websites. All of this leads to the burning question: Got Iron?... The Metro Tri Club is launching Fit To Be Tri'd, a project to promote cross-training and bring Metro East residents into the sport of triathlon. The program is geared for persons who have never participated in a triathlon. They are provided a series of seminars and training activities which culminate in their completion of the Wood River Tri on Aug.12. For info, contact Mike Wever 618-656-9594 or visit the website... Are you a graphic or visual artist looking for a major project with which to express yourself? Trailnet is searching for an individual (or individuals) to create a series of colorful, large-scale banners to be displayed upon and enhance the appearance of the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. The commission includes a $20,000 budget for design and fabrication of the banners. For complete information on project goals,the timeline, as well as the application and selection process, click here

Feb 10 - Congratulations to the local triathletes who achieved USAT All-American status (top 5% of their Age Group) for their performances in 2005, and to the athletes designated with Honorable Mention (next 5%). There were several individuals who were just on the cusp of earning HM. Good luck to them in taking it to the next level in 2006. Great job by all... To check your 2005 ranking, click here. Note: In order to be included in the rankings, your USAT annual membership must be current through 7-31-05, or processed by 9-30-05. You must have completed a minimum of three sanctioned triathlons. Based upon athlete's age on 12-31-05

Feb 9 - January in the St Louis area wound up in the record books as the third warmest since that statistic has been kept. Lest we get too accustomed to those spring-like days, yesterday the sky let loose a white, wintry reminder. The snowfall on Wednesday will usher in what looks to be a weekend of possible flurries Friday thru Sunday... The USAT has released their final 2005 national rankings. If upon viewing your individual report you notice errors or discrepancies, you have until Feb 25 to notify USAT for amendments. To check your ranking, click here. In an effort to create a more realistic and equitable ranking system, the USAT significantly overhauled the process for 2006. In effect, the new model will establish, much like golf, a "par" for each event. Trying to understand the means of establishing that par may require a statistics refresher class, but it does represent an effort by the USAT to provide its members with a better comparative representation of their race efforts... The St Louis Rowing Club, founded in 1875, welcomes prospective new members to check them out. The club provides year-round recreation, fitness, and competition for its members. During the warmer months, Club members can be seen regularly on Creve Coeur Lake (site of the 1904 Olympic rowing competition) in both sweep and sculling boats as they train for regional and national regattas. The SLRC accommodates individuals new to the sport of rowing with qualified coaches to assist them. The Club also has a Junior division for high-schoolers, many of whom have gone on to successful collegiate rowing teams. Intermediate, masters, and open divisions for both men and women, as well as a learn to row class, round out available programs. For more information on how you can incorporate this great sport into your fitness lifestyle, call 314-434-8299, or visit the Club website

Feb 8 - The city of New Orleans may be down but it's definitely not out. Race officials went forward with the annual Mardi Gras Marathon just as planned. In an eye-opening race, runners received a firsthand look at the devastated sections of the city. Nice work to four local athletes who completed the 26.2 miler. 21- Matt Raterman (Ballwin) 3:08:08, 174- Brian Burmaster (Chesterfield) 3:52:57, 185- David Herholz (St. Louis) 3:55:06, 208- Jeremiah Gibbons (St Louis) 3:58:38... This weekend will bring more cold weather and the area's first adventure race of the season, appropriately named the Bonk Hard Chill. Fifty-six teams of two will take on the elements and embrace the challenge of 20-40 miles of mountain biking, 10-20 miles of trekking, and 5-15 miles of paddling — all within the 18-hour cutoff. Lake of the Ozarks State Park near Osage Beach, Moi provides the backdrop. website

Feb 7 - Check out Sarah Haskins redesigned website. It has a fresh, new look and nice texture... The field for what will undoubtedly be the final Ironman Malaysia, has grown to 202 participants. On February 26, they will vie for thirty-five slots to the World Championship this October in Hawaii. The pros will shoot for a piece of the $50,000 cash prize purse as well. Meanwhile, back at IM Central, the event is bestowed scant acknowledgment by the WTC which sued to prevent the 2006 race from taking place. No St Louis area athletes are registered... Congratulations to Big Shark Bicycle. The local retailer was once again designated as a Top 100 Dealer from among 5300 bicycle retailers in the nation. Parameters used to determine the list included: bike and accessory market share, community outreach, and store appearance

Feb 6 - The early feedback from Banquet attendees has been very positive. We hope everyone enjoyed getting together and celebrating the sport, our fitness community, and the many friendships we've all cultivated. The venue may not have been perfect, but it was cozy and serviceable. Pfoodman did an outstanding job with the catering. Big debts of gratitude go to: Mesa Cycles, Momentum Cycles, Ultramax Events, Lake St Louis Triathlon, Rec-Plex Tri, Spirit of St Louis Marathon, and Rudy Project, all of whom contributed prizes for the Tri Series winners and drawings, Also thanks to John Beyer of the St Louis Tri Club for lending a hand... The Banquet closed on a video presentation of images from the 2005 Missouri Regional Triathlon Series. It was produced and edited by the Anderson Electric Picture Company. SBR wants to publicly thank them and acknowledge their contribution to the evening. We enjoyed working with them. If you have video needs, SBR highly recommends you get in touch with Harold & Cheryl Anderson and let them electrify your project. 314-220-2449 or e-mail andersns@prodigy.net... Area cyclists can look forward to the return of the Five-Star Century Challenge in 2006. These are five well-supported 100-milers sponsored by HI-USA's Gateway Council that span the months of May through September with a make-up ride in October. One fee gets you in all five events plus a nice cycling jersey for successful competition of the series. To register, download the application in PDF... The next time you're on a group run, close your eyes and follow the voice directions of your buddy. If that sounds daunting, imagine blindly climbing and descending 3000 feet of the volcanic Haleakala in Maui. The broadcast yesterday of the Xterra World Championship showed one competitor who did just that. Great show, hope everyone had a chance to catch it... If you want to check out your competition, Ultramax Events has recently posted the respective entrant lists for their full menu of 2006 races... The 2006 Lake St Louis Triathlon will be USAT sanctioned. As such, it will contribute points in determining your 2006 USAT National Ranking. Registration opens February 21

Feb 3 - The date of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii has been changed to Oct 21, a week later than it was originally scheduled. The previous weekend conflicts with a cruise ship and its necessary use of the the Kailua Pier. That's too bad, because the cruise liner would have been easy to sight. "The turnaround? OK, you see that 3,000-passenger boat sitting out there?"... When you race or train in a pool, is your swimming technique flip turn-challenged? The Flip Train Station may be the ultimate solution for perfecting that swimmer's swim skill. At $395, it's not like adding a pull buoy or paddles to your swim bag arsenal. While the Flip Train Station is obviously aimed primarily at teams, it does make one wonder— How much would you pay for a perfect flip turn?

Feb 2 - Here are a few SwimBikeRun St Louis website stats from Jan. for those who find those sort of things interesting. SBR readership continues to grow, even through the off-season. In January, we experienced a record number of total visits at 15,053. Each visit averaged nearly 3 pages for a total of 39,225 page views. We transferred a total of 10 gigabytes of data. The top five originating countries for visitors were the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, and France. SwimBikeRunStLouis was Googled 862 times. 8:00am is our busiest hour... Thanks again to everyone who gives us a mouseclick and a few moments of their day... Kevin Mackinnon of Ironmanlive.com posted a short article on our man, pro triathlete Peter Reid. With nine top-four Kona finishes on his resume, PR has earned a spot on the short list of the best to have raced there. He talks about the upcoming 2006 season

Feb 1 - Inside Triathlon Editor, Jeff Henderson, spins his story of iron-distance training in Portland, Oregon where rain in 30 of the last 31 days might keep a lesser man down. Contrast that to Phoenix, Arizona where there's been no measurable precipitation for over 100 days... The 2006 Ride of Silence is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 at 7pm. This event honors those who have been killed or seriously injured on bicycles. The ride also serves to raise awareness of bicycles being out there among the cars. There are over 100 rides set just in the U.S. Last year, a ROS took place in Ferguson and one started/ended at the Missouri History Museum... Broken Bikes Broken Lives has continued with its very commendable advocacy work via their ghost bikes. As longtime readers may already know, these are bicycles painted totally white and placed with a sign at the scenes of cycling fatalities. The displays have resulted in attention from both the print media and television. Ideally, the ghost bikes will have a compelling effect on the motorists who drive past them. The vulnerability and lethal potential to a cyclist of two-thousand lb. of moving steel is a message that requires frequent reminding for drivers everywhere. Naturally, we laud this creative and effective message-delivery technique, we just hope that someday he runs out of work... Nearly all of us have the good sense to wear a helmet when riding. Yet, even an ASTM or Snell-approved helmet doesn't come with a guarantee that you'll not suffer a head injury if you go down on your noggin. But, that skid lid will most likely mitigate the severity down from DEFCOM 1 (fatal injury). For anyone with the stomach for such things, check out this cyclist's brain surgery photos taken at St Johns Mercy Hospital. The rider, Tom, suffered an epidural hematoma (blood clot) during a group ride crash. The helmet saved his life (as did his prompt hospital visit ) and got him back on the bike in five months bombing the Berryman Trail... One last bit of sobering news is some data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It released statistics of cyclist deaths and crashes for 2004 (2005 report not completed yet). In 2004, 725 cyclists were killed in traffic crashes, and more than 41,000 were injured. This is a sharp increase from 2003's 629 deaths, although it is still lower than the 802 deaths in 1994. More than 49,000 cyclists have died in traffic crashes in the United States since 1932 — the first year in which estimates of fatalities were recorded... Is there a simple solution to this disturbing problem? With so many variables in the equation, the answer is clearly no. But if it had to be centrifuged down to its elemental components, the solution to car/bike confrontations would include a couple of requisites: 1) The continued education of the non-cycling public by the cycling community, 2) The use of sound judgment in all matters by cyclists, always erring to the side of caution

Jan 31 - Help advocate for trails, greenways and bicycle/pedestrian compatible roadways by entering the Trailnet photo contest AND you might win $100! Regardless of whether you are a professional or an amateur, a digital shooter or a film lover, a bicyclist or an outdoor enthusiast, you can enter the contest. You can submit up to 10 photos per entry. Images will be judged on best content and overall photographic and artistic quality. Contest details can be found on the website... The Momentum Challenge is back for 2006. This off-road duathlon is set for May 21st at a new venue, Lost Valley Trail. Located within the Weldon Spring Conservation Area, the trail is a 7.5 mile loop with water crossings and several steep hills. It should provide an excellent challenge, in a Momentum sort of way. Tentative distances will be 5K trail run and 15K mountain bike. Further details will be forthcoming. To receive updates for this event and other news, subscribe to the free Momentum Newsletter . Also, check out the new Momentum location at 104 South Main Street in historic St Charles

Jan 30 - January is rapidly drawing to a close, but February will bring a unique mix of events and activities to keep area athletes active and motivated. Incredibly, spring is not that far away... Rec-Plex Triathlon registration is open. The race is scheduled for June 18 on the same excellent course and with continued great support from the city of St Peters. Individual entry for the age-group race is $60 through May 28 and $75 thereafter... Mark your calendars. Lake St Louis will host their annual pre-race practice days on the consecutive Sundays of August 20 & 27. These are very well attended events and present a great opportunity to get out of the chlorine and into the open-water. Those days are many months away, but SBR will serve up a couple of reminders as they get nearer. In the mean time, get your registration in before March 1st to circumvent a $15 surcharge... Updated ITU World Cup rankings thru Jan 27 were just released. Sarah Haskins ranks 31st in the world. A closer look at the standings reveals that her 2005 focus was clearly on Pan-Am races, not World Cup. She accomplished that feat in just two World Cup events, unlike the women ranked above her who earned points in four to seven Cup events. That situation should change in 2006 as Sarah efforts to take her career to the next level on the World Cup tour... It may be unseasonably warm in the St Louis metro area but make no mistake about it, it's still friggin cold near the South Pole. The Antarctic Ice Marathon drew a field of nine racers who battled -5°F temperature, up to 30 knot winds, and treacherous footing on their way to the finish line. Listen to an Endurance Radio interview with Mike Pierce who completed the event as a research project for an upcoming book... A public service message to OLN : We really like your network, but it's time for some tough love. Yikes, this is 2006, get with it and remove the 2005 info from your homepage

Jan 29 - If in February your viewing plans include ESPN2's daily Tour of California wrap-up shows, it may be prudent to clear some disc space on your TIVO. They'll air at midnight. CST...Midwestern mountain bikers with a penchant for endurance riding will applaud the announcement the the 24 Hours of Landahl. This event is set to draw riders from around the Midwest to Independence, Missouri for a Granny Gear Production . They are the same group that produce the 24 Hours of: Temecula, Big Bear, and Moab. Teams and solo riders will attack the 9.5 mile course for as many laps as possible during the 24 hour race. It's scheduled for September 16-17. Complete event details can be found on their website

Jan 27 - Local, elite age-group triathlete, Jennifer Meyer, recently launched a triathlon coaching service. Tri-Smart Training Systems offers multi-tiered packages or can custom-tailor a program to suit an athlete's specific needs. A visit to the website can supply answers to most essential questions, and provide contact info for athletes seeking more details... Trips For Kids is a national organization that provides materials, moral support, and inspiration for disadvantaged youth in an effort to help them discover the joy of mountain biking. Originally founded by Marilyn Price back in 1988 for at risk youth in and around Marin County, California, the program has expanded across the country with forty local chapters. Sponsors include such noted names as Clif Bar, TREK, REI, and New Belgium Brewing. (The beer may be for jangled adult nerves). To date, no chapter has been instituted in St Louis. As the metro area trail systems continue to expand, the area would be a natural to embrace such a program

Jan 26 - The USAT, ITU, and GTG laid down their swords for a moment and replaced them with attaché cases as representatives from the three governing bodies recently convened in Colorado Springs. They brought to the discussion table most of the rules-related issues that have been the source of contention. Inside Triathlon's, Tim Carlson, just posted a nice synopsis of those talks. It won't be mistaken for a Grisham legal thriller, but wading through the issue by issue recap does provide a better understanding of where each organization stands on key points. SBR rates it dry but recommended reading for the well-rounded triathlete... Photos of Ski Dubai were forwarded to SBR by loyal reader and information-hound, Jim Lenz.. Keep in mind that this facility is located in United Arab Emirates where daytime temperatures can reach 120°F. These images probably underscore why you should be riding your bike more and driving less

Jan 25 - Tim Hola, who won the 2005 US Half Triathlon Championship, was named by Triathlete Magazine as their 2005 Amateur triathlete of the Year. He is also featured in an Endurance Radio interview... The 24th annual Lake St Louis Triathlon had added Clydesdale and Athena divisions for 2006. Entry fees have been increased to $80 for individuals who register before March 21 and $95 thereafter... If you own vacant, commercial real estate, consider making it available for the the St Louis Regional Bicycle Federation to stage their annual swap meet. Something in the 50,000 sq. foot range would do nicely... St Louis area cyclists who plan on the July 23-29 pilgrimage to Ragbrai , ae looking forward to the January 28 route announcement. They, along with riders from across the nation, vie for 8500 slots in the week-long, 500-mile, border to border ride/ traveling party across Iowa. The number of applicants generally exceeds availability resulting in a lottery selection process. Post mark deadline for applications is April 1... Always keep your head up on the bike. The ITU Vina del Mar Pan American Cup Triathlon in Chile earlier this month was marred by an incident involving a vehicle and five cyclists. Police stated that a 53-year-old female motorist did not respect the detours set up by the Carabineros and crashed through the security barriers, hitting five athletes head-on who were competing in the event. There were no fatalities, but one cyclist suffered severe head injuries

J an 24 - The Page Avenue bike lane is closed weekdays as MoDot performs service on the bridge. It will be open on weekends to accommodate riders crossing the span... Everything you wanted to know statistically can be found in the 2005 USA Marathon Report . Just a handful of the more interesting facts we gleaned for you : 383,000 finish times were recorded in 312 marathons throughout the US in 2005, Average finish times were: males 4:32:08, females 5:06:08, and all runners 4:45:47, The NIKE Marathon experienced the greatest growth rate in 2005 at 97%, Disney World Marathon saw a whopping 17.6% decrease in 2005 finishers, The largest marathon in the US is still New York City with 36,872 runners in 2005, The average overall age of a marathoner last year was 38.8 years old, The fastest average age-group was the Male 40-44 category, The largest single age-group was also the Male 40-44 category (16% of males), The fastest time turned in was 2:07:02 by Felix Limo at Chicago Marathon, Just 1.6% of all marathoners broke the 3 hour barrier

Jan 23 - Local runner, Joy Elder, is collecting shoes in good condition for her "African Vision of Hope" ministry for orphans in Zambia. She is planning a trip to oversee the ground breaking of their orphanage in March. Interested parties may contact her at 314-968-0024. New or like-new Items needed are men’s ties, small toys, health and hygiene products and school items. Further explanation of the "African Vision of Hope" program can be heard in the Cityscape archive on the KWMU website. (Windows Media link on right)... Co-owner of the TREK Store in St Louis, Jay Thomas, will serve as Program Director for the newly formed Midwest TREK- Volkswagen Cycling Team. The Rider Manager function will be performed by Steve Tilford, former cyclocross national champion and mountain bike world champion... Connie Karr, member of Kirkwood's City Council has been alerting interested citizens about a MODOT project scheduled for 2007. The $7 million overhaul of Dougherty Ferry overpass at I-270. The issue at hand is a lack of bicycle lanes and protected sidewalks. Make your thoughts heard to MODOT engineers before the public comment period closes at 5 p.m. on Thursday. 888-275-6636 or e-mail... Utility work has begun on the $15 million Clayton Road improvement project between Clarkson and Baxter Roads. The addition of a continuous center turn lane, bike lanes, and sidewalks is expected to take two-years to complete... The City of Wildwood has performed a monumental task in transforming its old chip and seal roads into a cyclist paradise of smooth-rolling sealed asphalt. Strecker Road will see widening this year between Englebrook and Sunny Ridge and the Hamilton-Carr Greenway will be extended from the trail at Old State along Hwy 109 to Rockwood Reservation parking lot on Woods Avenue. The city's newly redesigned website offers a complete listing of completed, current, and future public works projects. But unless our eyes deceive us, it is perplexing that nowhere among the project listings through 2010 is there mention of the direly needed resurfacing of Wild Horse Creek Road... The Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York Marathons will unveil plans at a press conference tomorrow to unite their events in a ranked series entitled the World Marathon Majors. The top ranked male and female in four of those five races over two years, will receive a six-figure bonus. While this has little implication for the average runner, it does hold much significance for the race directors themselves who each strive to draw the best marathoners in theworld to their respective events

Jan 21 - Perspective - The present high-tech world of sports has taken on the feel of watching traffic at a particularly dangerous intersection- eventually and all too often there is a nasty crash. So it is with designer drugs and sports. The latest suspension that caught my eye was that of Azwindini (Gladys) Lukhwareni. She is a South African runner, who along with three other members of the Harmony Athletic Club were given 2-year bans after testing positive for 19-Norandrosterone. I was not familiar with Gladys until her newfound infamy, so I decided to Google her and learn what I could. First of all, I discovered that she is a talented and extraordinary athlete. But then again, so are most of the culprits (victims) in these situations. They are often world-class athletes just looking for an edge. The unfortunate mentality they share is that of "everyone else is doing it, so I might as well, at least to even the playing field." In her case, she sought relief for knee pain from people without her best interest at heart- ultimately with tragic consequences. Ms. Lukhwareni gained some notoriety in 2003 when she won the 50km City to City Ultramarathon by running it barefoot, a remarkable feat. It's known that anabolic steroids boost muscle recovery, but it's not clear about their restorative power on skin cells at the soles of one's feet. However, it was most likely a personal record 10k just five months ago that spurred her fall from grace. At her ability-level (sub 33:00 10k), lopping 30-seconds from her PR last September was sure to arouse suspicion. The record came easily, but at what cost? Her livelihood has been taken away, her career has been forever tainted and many of her previous accomplishments have been put in serious question. This drug-use story really isn't any more compelling than all the rest, and it certainly won't be the last one to surface. The unfortunate reality is that the entire sphere of athletic competition faces what on the surface appears to be the virtually insurmountable task of getting clean against increasingly sophisticated drug technology. The only simple option, while not the right one, might be to legalize them. The rest will be hard roads, with more than their share of crashes

Jan 20 - Athletes seeking sponsorship should have a reasonable understanding of the process before they begin to sponsorshop. Triathlete.com posted a very nice reader contributed article that sheds much light on the finer points of successfully securing that first sponsor... You've taken the plunge and committed to an Ironman event somewhere on US soil, or even possibly at a venue in some far-flung corner of the world. You've committed months of training and an endlessly growing amount of money to this endeavor. Then you look at your bike. Whoa. The noise you thought you heard was the discordant sound of a phonograph needle getting bumped across album grooves. Those leaden wind-catchers you call wheels need to go, but buying Zipps right now is out of the question. For $135 per week, Race Day Wheels will rent you a high-dollar set of race wheels for that steed in need and even credit you towards purchase should you take the plunge... The Amgen Tour of California professional bicycle race next month will be in its first year, but in much the same manner as its 100-year old, exotic, French cousin, the Tour de France, this Cali race will have tour companies catering to the most avid of cycling fans. Get close, ride the course, be wined and dined. It's all there for anyone with a vacation week to burn and a few grand trying to fight its way out of the old checking account. The following links are strictly random and informational. They are not paid endorsements. Discover Adventures , Cambria Bicycle Outfitter, Outfitter Bicycle Tours

Jan 19 - The Spirit of St Louis Family Fitness Weekend draws ever nearer. It now lies a just a couple of months down the road. Thousands of runners of all ages are once again expected to take part in this massive schedule of events. Marathoners should be well into their preparations with sights set squarely on the that April 8-9 weekend. Half-marathoners, relay teams, 5k runners, Mature Mile participants, and some two-thousand kids in the Read, Right, and Run Program all have those dates circled on their calendars. Everything about this signature St Louis event continues to grow and improve. Its comprehensive website can fill you in on most details and of course get you registered before Feb. 1 for the upgrade package ( includes name on number bib and T-shirt). Also, the Spirit of St L Marathon training run series heads out from the Forest Park Visitors center for four free Saturday get-togethers. All start times are 8am for these six to twelve milers, and the dates are Feb 4, Feb 18, March 4, and March 18... The Eastern Missouri Ultra Running Series is set for 2006. Three of the four races that comprise it are produced by the the St Louis Ultrarunners Group. SLUG, as they are known, will also once again stage several practice runs leading into those events, which they cordially invite all runner to attend. website ... March 4 Green Rock Fun Run • April 1 Double Chubb Training Run • April 22 Double Chubb 25k / 50k Trail Runs • May 6 Berryman Training Run • May 27 Berryman Marathon / 50 Mile Runs • June 10 Castlewood Fun Run • Sept 2 Flatlanders 6/12 Hour Runs... The Very popular St Louis Track Club Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, March 19th at its customary starting point, the Center of Clayton. Very well attended, this annual half takes runners east from the Center for a loop through Forest Park and back again. Race application available for download in PDF... St Louis area ultra-distance cyclists are gearing up for another busy spring with the annual Brevet Series. Whether your motivation is qualifying for Paris-Brest-Paris or simply training rides, these events will provide you with plenty of saddle time. All six rides begin and end in Edwardsville, IL and use variations of the same general route. The cost is very low, the roads marked, and cues sheets are provided. Be advised that these rides are designed for self-sufficient riders only, so do your best Boy Scout impression and come prepared- i.e. lights, repairs, calories, hydration, money, cell phone, proper attire, etc. The schedule for 2006 will include a total of five one-day rides and one two-day ride. Dates: April 8 - 200k • April 22 - 200k • April 29 - 300k • May 13 - 300k • May 20 - 400k • June 3 - 600k

Jan 18 - On the same Saturday that many St Louis area runners were managing their way along a chilly 20k course through Forest Park in the St Louis Track Club Frostbite Series, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia was out in warm and sunny Tempe, Arizona burning up the roads in a record setting effort. He established a new 20k world road record of 55:48 in route to the finish line of the PF Chang Rock n Roll Arizona Half-Marathon. And for good measure, he broke the 13.1 mile record too, by a staggering 21 seconds. He accomplished that feat by virtue of a 58:55 effort. To gain a sense for the necessary 4:30 pace to go under 59 minutes, digest his splits. He hit the 5k mark in 14:05, went through 10k in 28:01, then reached 15k in 41:45. Gebrselassie is considered by many as the greatest runner of all time. (the diminutive runner is pictured in a warm-up with master miler Steve Scott)... The Midwest Mountain Bike Festival is scheduled for April 7-9. Klondike Park will be the site as the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists and St Charles County Parks play host to riders, trail-builders, and advocacy groups from fourteen states throughout the Midwest. There will be plenty of trail-business activities to keep everyone preoccupied, but make no mistake, there will be major shreddage as well. Rides are planned for the Klondike, Matson Hill Park, and Lost Valley Trails which are interconnected by a 8-mile stretch of the Katy Trail. Details for this event can be found on the GORC website

Jan 17 - Stair-Climbing - Off-season base-building is a period when many of us explore alternative aerobic activities. That means figuring out the program buttons for the elliptical trainer, rowing machine, or stair-stepper. The once red-hot exercise of stair stepping has cooled down as fads are apt to do, but those machines have remained in the clubs and still find regular users. What many people are surprised to learn is that a world of stair-climb races beckon them from outside the gym. There are nearly 100 annual stair-climb races that are staged in skyscrapers in countries throughout the world, nearly 25% of them being held in the United States... If you rule the Stair Master at your local health club, then it may be time to put your pep to the step at the 23rd annual Bop To the Top stair-climb in Indianapolis. The event is scheduled from 9:30am until 1pm on Saturday, January 28 in the One-America building. Last year's event drew 700 participants and raised $31,000 for the Riley Hospital For Children. Registration for individuals is $20 and must be complete by January 21 - no exceptions. The event provides both individual and team entries, a unique long-sleeve T-shirt, ChampionChip Timing, a mountain bike giveaway, and much more. Last year's winners were Martin Wilkey who managed the thirty-seven stories in 3:55 and Cindy Moll who posted a 4:34 climb. Complete information and race application are available on the event website... As intense as those 4, 5, 6 or more minutes might be, the Bop serves as merely a training race for seriously addicted stair-climbing athletes. Sitting proudly, but patiently waiting for its next roster of victims on February 26, is the John Hancock Center building in Chicago. The Hustle up the Hancock will send more than 4000 runners vertical through 94 floors ( 1632 stairs). This event helps raise money for the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. Unfortunately for any of you sufficiently inspired readers, the 94-Floor and the "mini", a 52-Floor Climb, quickly sold out. The event has succeeded in raising an incredible $537,622. Chi-town knows a thing or two about staging a big time event and this one is no different. A large field, Expo, post-race celebration, and plenty of media coverage combine to make a slot for this race nearly M-dot-ish in nature at registration time. The Full Climb sold out in just three-hours. Better luck next year... There are always those hard-core, Type-A personalities who view everything else as a warm-up, gravitating as they do, towards the toughest events their chosen sport has to offer. For stair climbers, another of the big kahunas is the Enbridge CN Tower in Toronto. The Conquer the Tower taxes your endurance, maxes your VO2, and questions your sanity with 1776 stairs- in a stairwell with no windows. The male record is 7:52 by Brenden Keenoy and has stood since 1989. The women's record is held by ex-Olympic cyclist Chrissy Reddon at 11:52. The 2005 Conquer the Tower drew an unbelievable 10,500 participants and raised $1.125 million for agencies across Toronto that assist the elderly, mothers with young children, and the homeless. The 2006 event is scheduled for October. The CN Tower is also the site for an April 27-29, 2006 event, the Canada Life CN Tower Climb for the World Wildlife Fund . Two-hundred teams and eight-hundred solo climbers managed to raise over $150,000 in the 15th annual race held in 2005... Stair running Chicagoans have a wealth of major downtown high-rises from which to pick their pain. Once a year they converge on the lovely confines of the Sears Tower stairwell upon which they sprint skyward. Its 2109 steps draw plenty of climbers for the annual Go Vertical Chicago . The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation was the recipient of $175,000 from the 2005 event held this past November. If before participating in this event you should be undecided about your racing attire, consider the firefighter division in which Chicago's heroes race up the 103 floors in full gear... So, you ask, is there one event by which all other stair-climbing races are measured? Is there one epic event, and the rest deemed mere trifles to be brushed aside like so many gnats, while preparing for the baddest stair-climb in existence? Yes indeed! While not staged within the enclosed stairwell of another concrete, man-made wonder of the world, the Niesen Treppenlauf in Spiez, Switzerland offers a challenge over five times longer than the Sears Tower climb. Constructed in 1910, the 11,674 steel steps of the service staircase for the Niesenbahn funicular railway will take you through the mist and to the top of the Swiss mountain for which this event is named. The 2006 race is set for June 10 on what is listed in the Guniness Book of World Records as the longest staircase in the world. If you need a time to shoot for, try the men's record at 1:02:32 held by Markus Bieri or the women's standard at 1:07:07 retained by Agnes Zellweger. But you better brush up on your Teutonic languages before you head to the website... Other Options : The following are additional races held in the US. Some stair-climbs are not staged consistently from year to year for various reasons. In the past two years, there have also been events in Minneapolis, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Antonio, Cleveland, Albany, Honolulu, Boston, and Buffalo. Another fascinating outdoor event is the Bisbee 1000 staged in Arizona... Final Note : The Gateway Arch has 1076 steps in its emergency stairwell. It is extremely doubtful however that a stair climbing event could ever be staged in that narrow passageway, though the thought of it is intriguing. The two most desirable candidates would be Metropolitan Square at 42 floors and One Bell Center at 44 floors. The average downtown high-rise is about 20 floors

Jan 16 - The Creve Coeur municipal court may become a scene of highly charged emotion this Wednesday evening. The occasion will be the arraignment of Robert Rush, the driver who last summer struck and killed cyclist MIchael Katz as he was pedaling his recumbent along Olive Street Road. The cause for discord will undoubtedly be outrage over the lack of criminal negligence charges being filed against the driver. St Louis County prosecutors are seeking four misdemeanor charges: driving with suspended license, no insurance, failure to keep a proper lookout, and unfastened seatbelt. Many in the cycling community have expressed their displeasure in local chat rooms wondering aloud: where is the justice?... Ben Rosario traveled to Houston for the US Half Marathon National Championship and competed against the best distance runners in the country. How tough was it? He went through the first 10k in 31:18, then passed the 9-mile mark at 45:20, and eventually hit the finish chute in 1:06:05. His stout 5:02 pace was good for 25th position. Top US finisher, Brian Sell, came in at 1:02:38 (4:46 pace) to take the title. In the Houston Marathon, metro area runners making the finish were: Chris Baldridge (Wildwood) 4:16:46, Henry Biggs (St Louis) 3:19:07, John Budde ( U.City) 3:46:35, David Donald (St Louis) 3:52:48, Aaron Duane (St Louis) 3:51:05, Jeff Roberts (Clayton) 3:41:20, Brian Schoenholz (Wentzville) 3:09:43, Polly Sisemore (St Louis) 4:19:23, Rock Stevens (Bonne Terre) 3:58:15. Congrats to all... Endurance sports can be found in a wide variety of permutations. Perhaps one of the most creative efforts was made by Australian native Gary Cunningham. He celebrated the arrival of 2006 by spending New Year's day BASE jumping from Malaysia's Menara Kuala Lampur tower 133 times in 24 hours. At more than twice the height of the Gateway Arch, the tower rises 1,403-feet from the ground. After each safe landing, Cunningham raced to the elevator and zoomed back to the top in regular ten-minute increments. He was quoted describing the scene. "For the final jump there was a huge crowd at the exit point giving us the countdown to 2006. Visuals in freefall were excellent with all the fireworks going off all around the city."... The same tower will host the 2006 Towerthon Challenge stair climb. Runners will race the 2058 steps (one km) to the top for cash prizes

Jan 15 - Warm up those debit cards. Ultramax Events opened online registration today... The St Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's annual winter bike and gear swap has been cancelled. Board member, Carrie Zukoski, released a statement indicating that a site could not be secured in which to stage the event. Vacant retail space has been generously donated in past years for the meet, but that situation changed in 2006 and would have required the Bike Fed to rent space. There still exists the possibility of having it in the fall... Great day for a base-build ride outdoors. Breezy, not as cool. Partly sunny, high in the mid 50s. South wind around 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph... Bicycling Magazine has assembled seven bike rides they consider "must do" for the serious cyclist. The great thing about these type of lists is that they are always subjective and never all-inclusive. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of rides around the world that could be considered epic in every sense of word... If you alluded to your 350-mile ride with its 38,000 feet of elevation gain, most listeners would be duly impressed and might ask which stages of the Tour de France did you cycle? Then if you told them it was the TransRockies mountain bike ride, they would likely think that you're nuts. Author and mid-pack rider Roy Wallack describes his third, epic MTB adventure on the way towards achieving the "grand slam."... Over the years, several Grand master athletes have put up impressive and inspirational performances in the sport of triathlon. That would include names like Madonna Buder, Jim Ward, Bill Schweitzer, Roger Brockenbrough, Robert McKeague, our own Ed Wolfgram and Springfield's (IL) Ron Ottaway. They have shown all of us the amazing possibilities of athletic life into their sixties, seventies and even eighties. Unlike the relatively young sport of triathlon (less than 30yrs), the cycling world has spawned legends for more than a century. Sadly, one of those passed away last week. John Sinibaldi was a two-time Olympian, 18-time national champion, and fanatical ambassador for the sport. Perhaps most remarkable of all was the fact that he raced into his nineties... link to 2003 profile in St Petersburg Times

Jan 14 - A few weeks have passed since my family's holiday gift exchange and the intervening time has allowed me to properly evaluate my newest prized possession, the Compact Percussion Massager. I recall reading the packaging that Christmas Eve, as it boldly invited users to "experience the deep, soothing relief of an invigorating percussion massage with its innovative dual-head design." I shuffled my feet on legs still sore from that afternoon's three-hour bike ride and mere cursory post-ride stretch. I wanted to believe the hype, heck, I had to believe it. Well this tale will disappoint if you're expecting a Ronco-type product review, in fact, I've got quite the opposite to report. This baby really works. After working over that nagging left calf for a few days, a pain-free 10k run made me an instant though cautious convert. A couple more weeks of post-run and post-ride usage has provided very favorable results. I've gravitated towards the harder heads to reach deeper tissue and favor the higher oscillation speed. The jury is still out on the useful life of this device, but time will tell. While it's no replacement for proper stretching and professional massage, it is a wonderful tool for generating blood flow through achy muscles while relaxing at home

Jan 13 - Friday the 13th may not strike fear into your heart, but are you the superstitious type when it comes to race day? Many of us fall into a near-ritual mode as we go about our race-morning preparations. We eat breakfast, pack our gear, set up transition, etc. in exactly the same fashion as the time before, and the time before... While the actual incidence of true phobics among us is very slight, it's much more likely this behavior is a manifestation of our natural tendancy to seek comfort through familiarity. While at times we may embrace the challenge of uncertainty and unpredictability, those factors still bring uneasiness. We are most confident and comfortable when we have a good handle on our surroundings. Think about your pre-race emotional state at that particular event you've done the last twelve years in a row and compare it to the morning of your first Ironman. However, our pre-race routines actually extend beyond just mitigating tension. We also tend to do what works best. If my last 5k PR was preceded by a hot, early morning shower, I'll be more inclined to take one before my next event. That's making good use of anecdotal evidence, not relying upon superstition. If we really do make our own breaks in life through hard work, then conversely, we could be making our own bad luck by being ill-prepared, not through an urban myth... The Ironman California 70.3 is set for March 18 in Oceanside, CA. In the race director's pocket are twenty slots for the Ironman World Championship. More than 1800 athletes will be vying for one of those passes to the big dance. Also at stake will be a much more generous allocation of slots for the 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida. This early season race is indeed a southern Cali event, but one look at photos from last year's race will reveal plenty of arm warmers and jackets during the bike ride. Good luck to all of the St Louis area athletes scheduled to make the swim start. They are: Lou Di Guiseppe, Jason Gordon, Jayson Hardie, Lou Jearls, Chrs Leonard, Matthew Sterni, Doug Burns, and 77 yr old Myron Norton

Jan 12 - Registration for the Ultramax Events menu of races opens on Sunday, January 15. This includes Max Trax, Race For Sight, Halfmax, Quartermax and Octomax. Also for 2006 will be the Women's Multisport Camps scheduled for April 15, 16. Complete info on all of these great events can be found on their web... Most area cyclists are engaged in their annual base-training phase with one eye on the calendar. The annual winter ride ritual for many of them is the Froze Toes Road Race staged near Columbia, Mo. Weather in recent years has ranged widely from the expected seasonal norm to near spring-like conditions. Details on the 2006 event can be found, when available, on the Columbia Bicycle Club web... Best of luck to Ben Rosario this weekend at the USA Half Marathon Championship. The event takes place on Sunday in Houston, Texas. Expect a blistering pace from the very deep field with the winner likely bettering 2005 Champ, Dan Browne's, 1:03:56 effort. Rosario's name has been absent from the pre-race hype despite finishing 2nd last October in the USA Marathon Championship (2:20:43). Clearly the half-marathon is a much different pace but the talented runner should fare well. Blue skies and 50° are expected at the start of the race... The 2006 Race Across America will utilize a route that once again takes it through the St Louis region. Riders will pass through New Melle, Wentzville, O'Fallon, St Peters, and St Charles before crossing the bridge in Alton. RAAM begins in Oceanside, CA on June 11 and heads east, culminating 3000 miles away on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Race categories include both solo and team entries. Look for NBC to televise a highlight package of the 2005 event won by Jure Robic in 9 days 8 hrs 48 min, more than 17 hrs ahead of runner-up Chris Mac Donald

Jan 11 - Perspective - As I worked the keyboard, the television droning in the background served its intended white noise function until my ears caught the word "triathlon." Okay, I thought, what's this about? As it turned out, Scrubs was on. Protagonist, Zach, was wading wetsuit-less into the cold Pacific Ocean to commence his triathlon misadventure. That subplot began with Zach planning his birthday fiesta and finding a list of things he wanted to accomplish before he turned 30. When he discovers that he has accomplished none of them, he enters a triathlon (with the expected comic results). Well, this got the mental gears turning. It reminded me of the still-existent misconception held by many outsiders who view triathlon as some impossibly difficult sport to be undertaken for bragging rights or as a perverse badge of courage. Well, the cognoscenti like you and I know better. Anyone can make the finish line if armed with sufficient training. From personal experience, it was once amusing to be held in such high esteem by the neighbors when they asked, "Oh, you're doing a triathlon? When do you leave for Hawaii?" My response was a good-natured laugh and, "Oh no, I'm entered in a small one at the YMCA." Getting back to Zach and his his goal list, the other point it raised was that his goals became like so many carrots before a burro, dangling forever out of reach. His problem was that he never put his dreams into action. Making a goal is the easy part, committing to it is the obvious challenge. Attaining them is most often a process of small, consistent, daily efforts. There is one fundamental question to ask ourselves when we put our head on the pillow at night — did the end-product of our day put us one step closer to our goals? Dream big but think small and achieving those goals is just a matter of time

Jan 10 - Two recent St Louis Post-Dispatch articles of key interest: On the plus side, one discusses the expanding mountain bike trail network in St Charles County. A plan is in the feasibility study stage that would link Creve Coeur Park with Lakeside 370 in north St Peters... On the dark side, is an article detailing the state of Missouri's (read, Governor Blunt) incomprehensible undermining of the KATY Trail.... Congratulations to the local runners who completed last weekend's Disney Marathon. They included : Jeremy Becker 4:51:27, Kristin Becker 4:51:26, Maria Becker 5:36:10, Richard Bignall 4:52:59, John Blank 5:45:38, Laura Braun 6:24:58, Anita Brockway 5:46:22, Kevin Bross 4:19:15, MIchelle Bross 4:16:10, Sarah Bross 4:16:15, Richard Brown 4:47:49

Jan 9 - SwimBikeRun St Louis Magazine contributor Tracy Fober recently launched her website Iron Maven. It has a nicely stylized look and offers solid content. Definitely worth a visit... The Hash House Harriers may be "drinkers with a running problem" but they've got nothing on participants in the first annual Beer Mile. The Holidays brought Christmas cheer in more ways than one to a group of local runners who spent a Friday evening testing one another's intestinal fortitude and liver functions. Regardless of the fact that this clandestine event was not chip-timed, its very attractive entry fee was less than five bucks- an approximate price of the four unopened beers each racer was required to bring. The format was simple- drink one beer, run a lap, best time wins, and all stomach contents must remain therein. While martinis can be shaken or stirred, it's not the preferred treatment for brew, particularly after one has consumed it. This raised potential for the dark underbelly of this new multisport challenge to reveal itself, and indeed, there was some physical evidence of gastrointestinal distress. We're told that the winner, who shall remain anonymous, managed a very credible 8:30-ish mile. No word yet on when registration opens for the 2006 event... The 2006 Team Javelin is accepting applications. For particulars on your status if you were a 2005 member, list of benefits, peek at the new team kit, or any other information, go to the website ... Author, Paul Scott, offers fifteen essential tips for training that we should all incorporate into our fitness plans regardless of what specific sport we embrace... Perspective - Hopefully yesterday found you out on the bike taking advantage of a truly spring-like day in early January, I know I did. From SBR basecamp in Clayton, the early afternoon ride out Clayton Road towards the group rendezvous point in Wildwood was met with gusting headwind. Keeping me focused and on task was the vision of that return leg which would be a twenty-mile stretch of stout tail wind. Nothing says cycling like spinning your big gear as you hold twenty-five. One item on my " to do" list was to ride the new asphalt through Rockwood Reservations from the top of the park. Once past the gate, the new overlay kicks in and is simply screaming fast. The day served as a huge base-build boost and reminder. When the Clayton Road and Wildhorse Creek Road resurfacing projects are at last begun and eventually finished, area cyclists will have a smooth rolling east-west corridor and access to arguably the finest riding in the metro area

Jan 7 - Last evening, Mesa Cycles played a wonderful host at their soiree for shop-sponsored triathlete Sarah Haskins. If you couldn't attend, you missed out on a great opportunity to get training and racing tips, learn what it's like to live the sport at the professional level, and otherwise meet a sincerely nice person. As it turned out, the USAT elite team kit wasn't all she was sporting. That sparkling accessory to her ensemble was the engagement ring she received from fiancé Nate Kortuem for Christmas. Congratulations to the couple. You may recall Nate from Halfmax last June where he crushed the course. For her part, Sarah will attempt to pick up in 2006 where she left off last year, on a roll. After a frustrating spring, she maintained focus and put together a fantastic season. She will be focusing her efforts on the ITU World Cup racing in events all over the world against the current and several former world champions... The World Triathlon Corporation, owner of that obscure and unassuming little trademark the M-dot, has for the most part played like global retail bully Walmart, by dictating terms and raking in the cash. But along the way and much to their credit, they've also played a key role in transforming triathlon from a fringe to mainstream sport. As a result, it's news when they can't call the shots in a situation, specifically, like the out-of-their-control event that is Ironman Malaysia. After last year's Malaysian race debacle in which there were nearly as many available Kona slots as finishers, the WTC wanted desperately to pull the plug on the 2006 race. Legalities made that impossible. So while the WTC stomachs one final year of this World Championship qualifier, they accept that it exists while purposefully giving it the most casual of acknowledgment. At of this writing, 65 registered participants will vie for 35 slots on February 26. But before you assume your slot is a 20-hour flight and simple finish line away, you'd better think twice. Over the years, much debate has been waged about which Ironman race offers the greatest challenge. A very strong case can be made for the left-right combination punches of insane heat and humidity in Langkawi taking a greater bodily toll than the brutal landscape in Lanzarote

Jan 6 - If being born in a third-world country wasn't challenging enough, imagine coming into that world on just one leg. Oprah Winfrey narrates Emmanuel's Gift, an inspirational look at living with a disability in Ghana, as seen through the eyes of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who was born with a badly deformed right leg. While most of the nation's two million citizens who are deemed "disabled" suffer discrimination, abandonment and ridicule, Emmanuel has dedicated his life to traveling the country via bicycle to open people's minds and to transform lives. Movie critics are unanimous in their praise for this emotional look at his determination. This award winning 2005 documentary is available on DVD. More recently, Emmanuael joined forces with the Challenged Athletes Foundation to raise funds for construction and maintenance of a sports center for physically challenged people in Ghana... Cyclists have waited more than two years for IMAX to complete their film project about the 2003 Tour de France. Originally titled Brainpower and centered on Tyler Hamilton's epic effort in that anniversary tour, film makers were forced to switch gears when he tested positive for blood doping. While the film has found new subjects in Française des Jeux teammates Baden Cooke and Jimmy Casper, the redone film remains true to its original theme- brain biology. Wired To Win closely follows both riders as they perform under the extreme duress of the three-week long Tour de France. The film is being released this month at selected IMAX theaters around the country. These giant screen cinemas project 70mm film at 24 frames per second. IMAX is generally considered as the worlds most immersive cinema experience. Unfortunately no word is available about when the Science Center or Ronnie's South will bring Wired to town... In the category of films you can't view because they've not been shot yet, is the biography of Lance Armstrong. This project is in the planning stages by Columbia Pictures. Lance is collaborating with the motion picture giant in pre-production. If LA applies the same attention to detail he demonstrated in race preparation, the film will be sure to get the facts right. It would be hard to fathom Lance lending his efforts to anything even remotely resembling schlock. Therefore, it doesn't seem much of a stretch to predict that the film will likely be the most realistic, big budget cycling movie ever made. Breaking Away, American Flyers, and Quicksilver may have places in our heart, but twenty years of advancing film technology have raised the bar. Production details are scarce, no director has been hired, and most fingers point to Matt Damon as odds on favorite to portray the seven-time TDF winner

Jan 5 - Saturday and Sunday are shaping up to be remarkable weather days. Sunny skies and a thermometer reaching for 50° are in forecast. Not bad for early January. Get those tires inflated and chains lubed... The Spirit of St Louis Marathon has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. But amazingly, with 1611 participants in 2005, the event didn't crack the thirty largest marathons in the US. The New York Marathon and its 36872 runners topped the chart while the Seattle Marathon finished 30th with 2248 runners. The Lewis and Clark Marathon out in St Charles had 453 runners reach the finish line... If you participated in an Ultramax Events race in 2005, then you have earned a charitable deduction for your tax return. The amount of your contribution is conveniently listed on their website. Wouldn't it be nice if every event in the metro staged by a nonprofit would disclose the percentage of event proceeds ultimately funneled into their foundation. They would be doing many of their participants a huge favor. Hopefully Umax is setting a tone that most will someday follow. (Consult your tax adviser for specific application to your return)... Between $500 and 10,000 could be yours to fund your athletic dream in 2006. Balance Bar Grant money is awarded each year to amateur athletes like you who possess a passion for sport. All you need is a 500 word or less essay, two photos, a detailed expense budget, and a little luck

Jan 4 - Happy birthday to SwimBikeRunStLouis.com which has reached the tender age of four years. Achieving this minor milestone isn't just cause to wax poetic as there are so many other things to wax instead like my age groups rivals, my skis, and my chest. But it does provide an opportunity to once again thank the readers for taking the time to visit each day. Hopefully we can continue to inform, entertain, educate, amuse, or whatever it is we do, for another four years and beyond... Another body blow has been delivered to the KATY Trail when the city of St Charles recently purchased a spur rail line that once connected the Norfolk Southern to the KATY line. Coming on the heels of the Boonville bridge situation in 2005 that was cited as a threat to the legal existence of the entire rail to trail system, this new specter again opens a legal loophole. Granted, laws are laws, but it seems such a drastic stretch to believe that the KATY Trail State Park would ever be allowed to one day just disappear... Slowtwitch.com added a website feature entitled Slowtwiki which they tout as a "user-edited knowledge base of multisport." (A "wiki" is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.) Observing this from afar, and being the critical voice of reason for the entire world wide web that we are, a reality check is in order. First of all, as noble as "letting the readers become the writers" might seem, it's probably more honestly defined as a means of driving traffic to their site by letting others do the work (very slowtricky). Secondly, they already have user-based content. It's called a forum. Despite a healthy dose of skepticism, we took it for a test drive. At least for now, the best thing going for it may be the hottie banner ad for the Power Endurance Speed Calendar. The first contribution we read displayed a spelling level any fourth grader would cherish, the second page was an advertisement for De Soto wetsuits, and the third page simply reminded us that "a sports doctor is the best person to consult if you think you are injured." OK, there doesn't seem to be much user-edited 'knowledge" by those three slowtwits. However, before we rush to judgment and totally write this page off, we'll give it a few weeks and see where it goes. We'd actually love to see it succeed as a credible, online resource... A post on STLBiking links to a very interesting wooden bike being auctioned on eBay. This fully functional two-wheeler is constructed almost entirely of polished walnut. Starting bid, one dollar

Jan 3 - Training - Most of us have begun or are soon to enter the base-build phase of our year-round training plan. This extended block of training is characterized by both its low intensity and high volume. The nature of base-buiding can make it somewhat tedious, particularly in view of the fact that for we Midwesterners much of it is performed indoors. Long hours of low heart rate exercise within the confines of the health club can soon become a challenge for even the most dedicated athlete. Hopefully you've taken some time away from training to heal any lingering 2005 injuries and are sufficiently motivated to embark upon what is an integral segment of the training plan. For many of us, it's a matter of simply getting back in a regular workout routine and re-adapting the body to the stress & rest cycle. It's important to keep the exertion level low and think in terms of the big picture. Achieving last summer's fitness level won't happen in a week. Performed properly, base-building is a thoughtful, patient, and long-term process. While early results may be quantifiable as a couple of quick lbs. come off, resist the urge to ramp up the intensity level. A heart rate monitor should be your constant companion with its upper-limit zone keeping your exertion level in check. Gradually extend the duration of your sessions, week by week upping the total volume but periodically throwing in a recovery week. The wider and deeper this aerobic foundation, the greater we can draw upon it when we make the transition to strength and speed work. These are winter workouts, but just as in the heat of the summer, it is critical to carefully measure caloric needs, remain properly hydrated and keep your electrolytic balance in check. Variety will play a key role for many of us to get through what can be a 3-4 month training block. The specific activity is less important than the goal of bringing the heart rate to your personally determined training zone. Your knees will thank you for substituting that elliptical machine or stairstepper for another joint-pounding 10-mile run. Simultaneously keep your mind active with an array of options. Plenty of good reading material, motivational music, videos, and good conversation will make the hours pass quickly. This may also provide a great personal laboratory for testing various energy bars, drinks, and supplements for stomach tolerance and overall efficacy. Be prepared with water bottles, towels, and even a change of apparel as you sweat away unwanted weight. A challenging but achievable goal could land you near the 200-hour mark when your base-build is complete. While this amount of aerobic activity sounds like a lot, and it is, spreading it out over 12-16 weeks puts it in context. Good luck and keep at it to make 2006 your personal best season

Jan 2 - If your 2006 schedule has the St Anthony's Triathlon on it, that trip to St Petersburg may depend upon whether you were lucky and/or good. The April 30th event sold out as 3500 individuals and 100 teams registered in just five hours. The most amazing factoids about this massive event are that it is an international distance and not an IM qualifer. Its appeal, however, is obvious. The event is a seasonal kickoff-race for many triathletes, offers a handsome pro prize purse, and has a long tradition of quality management. Lastly, spring break in Florida sounds pretty good too. This is a very popular fitness test race for the professionals. In the women's field will be German triathlete Nina Kraft who will attempt to resurrect a career derailed by drug use. This will no doubt lend an added sideshow aspect to the event for many observers in the sport... Fleet Feet Sports opened an online shopping site on Jan. 1. It has a cleanly designed and easy navigable interface. Best of all, orders exceeding $50 earn free shipping... Of course SBR still encourages you to stop by either Fleet Feet location each month to pick up your copy of SBR StL Magazine... We've begun plugging in 2006 dates for our regional multisport calendar