Naked Ambition

These pictures are amazing! The swimmer's picture is my favorite, though I do appreciate them all.

From Mail Online
Naked ambition: Britain's Olympians strip down as they prepare to make history in Beijing
By Arthur Martin

"The images will be used as part of an advertising campaign for Powerade, the official sports drink of the Beijing Games."

"'Nadav [the photographer] made us all feel really comfortable, and we had a lot of fun. The Inner Gear for an athlete - how we train, what we eat, drink and when we sleep - is as important as what we wear, and it's great that a campaign like this brings it to life.'"

"Cathryn Sleight, marketing director for Coca-Cola Great Britain which produces Powerade, added: 'Everyone is used to seeing athletes in competition or winning, but we wanted to give people the chance to see the real make-up of an athlete and their muscle and power, celebrating the body and spirit and the hard work that goes into training for all athletes whatever your level.'"

Easy rider: Rower-turned-cyclist hRebecca Romero shows
off her enviable physique on her bike

The naked truth: Triple jumper Phillips Idowu shows off his
toned body in all its glory

Making waves: Swimmer Gregor Tait goes for a skinny dip

Flip-flops, Altoids and Other Things That Smell: Amusements From My First Tri

This is a great read...enjoy! :)
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Flip-flops, Altoids and Other Things That Smell: Amusements From My First Tri
Do you see the bladder as half-full or half-empty? In this instance, it really doesn't matter how you look at it... you'd just better go.

By: Meg Lentz

Ten years ago, I said that I wanted to do a triathlon. Ten months ago, I started training. Ten weeks ago, I thought I’d never make it across the finish line. And ten days ago, I did it!

Ten hours ago, I went for a ride. Ten minutes ago, I returned from a run. Why? Because in ten months, I’m doing another one.

Until then, here’s a list of things to remember for next time:

1. Don’t try to hold it. Do you see the bladder as half-full or half-empty? In this instance, it really doesn’t matter how you look at it… you’d just better go.

Prior to the race, I was in the transition area thinking:

• Should I wear flip-flops over to the start area? I kind-of have to go to the bathroom.
  

• I don’t want to cut my foot on the way. Those lines are pretty long.
  

• How will I find my flip-flops after the race? I don’t have to go that bad.
  

• Are my feet going to burn on the blacktop after I get out of the water? I can just hold it till the race is over.

Somehow the flip-flops took care of themselves, but the issue of the bathroom…that was something that needed addressing.

There were 4,500 athletes racing with me, and judging by the lines for the port-a-potty, they all agreed.

2. Not everyone knows where they’re going. A show of hands would tell you that about half of the athletes racing in my event were new to the sport of triathlon. On the one hand, it was comforting to know that I was not alone. But on the other hand, if you followed half of the people there… you could end up in the wrong place.

Be careful of who you follow… it could be someone like me.

3. Not everyone knows what they’re doing. Before the race, I was walking with a girl in my age group, and she asked me a question about the transition. “I don’t know,” I said, “this is my first race.” Then she asked the girl next to me. She didn’t know either. So, then she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Does anybody here know what they’re doing?!”

Apparently, we were swimming in sea of clueless people, because no one said a thing.

4. Transitions aren’t for changing costumes. I should have incorporated a lot more “transition” into my workouts. I spent a solid-year training for the swim… training for the bike… training for the run. And then, what do I do on race day? Seven minutes of changing into the “right” tank top! Who knew? Next time, I’ll try not to get stuck in my garments… or better yet (and this is a novel idea), wear the same thing for all three events!

5. Take candy from strangers. My husband caught me passing out Altoids to the girls around me during T2. I couldn’t help myself… they were there… and candy is for sharing! Besides, someone told me that they help keep your nose clear while you run. I didn’t want to selfishly hoard that priceless information.

I told the girl next to me that it would make her go faster. She took one.

6. Make use of the people who plan ahead. Despite the number of newbies at the race, there were still a couple thousand people who knew what they were doing. Among them were people with balloons, whirly-gigs, brightly colored duct tape and sidewalk chalk.

The day before the race, I parked my bike next to a girl with a whirly-gig. I followed her because I knew that I did not have a whirly-gig.

I paid her back in Altoids during transition.

7. When setting up your transition area, take note of things that won’t blow away. There was a lady making giant arrows with duct tape, so I asked her if I could use some of her tape. Not wanting to be greedy, I took five inches of tape, thinking surely I’ll see this piece of duct tape when I finish the swim.

Needless to say, I got lost amidst the thousands of bikes parked in the conglomerate bike rack. I stood frozen, surveying the scene for a small whirly-gig and five inches of duct tape. One helpful lady said, “Did you lose your spot? How many racks in are you?”

“Um… I’m near a pinwheel-thing, some duct tape and two other blue bikes.”

I should have used more tape.

8. Nobody’s hitting on you… they’re just swimming. There were about two hundred people in my wave of swimmers. That seemed like a large number for one lane, but what did I know? I guess I was expecting a smooth sail across the lake, but I couldn’t help but tread and glare every time I got kicked.

My apologies to anyone I hit, kicked or swam over… I didn’t know what I was doing… I just didn’t want to die.

9. Gasping for air is not a crime. Sometimes, when you’ve been riding your bike for what feels like forever…and it’s a windy, 95-degree day, breathing can be difficult.

There’s no shame in doing whatever it takes to get oxygen to the lungs. The last mile of my ride was really hard. It was mostly uphill, and I couldn’t inhale. Exhaling wasn’t a problem at all.

I am particularly proud of the moment that I rode into the crowd of people, forcing a smile so that I looked like I could breathe. I exhaled slowly while grinning at the cameraman, and then, unable to manage any longer, I inhaled and a deep-throated, gasp came forth from my face. All the beluga whales present understood.

The Doppler Effect carried my groan past the crowd, making it impossible to blend in.

10. The human spirit is stronger than iron. There were so many people who conquered so much just to be there. A wave of two hundred cancer survivors started our race. And my husband saw a woman who had a crowd cheering her on everywhere she went. She was blind.

After the race, I met a lady on my way to use the restroom (yes…again). We exchanged congratulations and began sharing war stories from the race. We both agreed that it was really hard, and I was feeling proud of the accomplishment.

Then she turned, congratulated me again, and walked away. That’s when I noticed her prosthetic arm.

Clearly, this is a sport for everyone.

Yankz!

Turn any sneaker into a "slip-on" and speed up your transitions!

http://www.yankz.com/reviewstestimonials.htm

Wow!

Holy crap! This looks awesome!!!!!

A dream no longer deferred...

I'm a triathlete! A sloooooow, fat triathlete...but still a force to be reckoned with...ok, I'm really not THAT bad ass, but I accomplished my mission. Hooray for the Tri-Divas! I am sooooo proud of my girls! I'm sure I'll be posting more details throughout the week, but here's what my fried tri brain can remember...

Friday Night
-We arrived arrived Chicago late on Friday night. We got our "mid-sized" SUV. Whatever, Dude. It was a Sportage (basically the baby version of my car). I bitched a little (thinking there's no way our bikes could fit in the back), but they actually fit nicely and the smaller vehicle allowed us to keep gas in it without having to turn tricks!

-We arrived at our hotel and Lynn met us in the lobby. Oh my goodness, meeting Lynn was very emotional! We've been supporting each other through this crazy weight loss journey for YEARS and finally met face to face. She is truly a cool chick and I'm grateful for our friendship. Alana and I are planning to lean on her to relocate to Dallas. I can always use a regular dose of positive folks in my life!

Saturday
-The day before the triathlon. Lesli, Lynn, Alana and I headed out to the Danskin expo. We picked up our race packets (numbers, timing chip, stylish Danskin swim cap (Alana and I plan to wear it to the bar this weekend. LOL) and signed the scary waiver (what do they mean I can't sue if I drown in the swim?!?)

-We met up with Jenn, grabbed goodie bags and collected assorted swag. I am a total whore for swag, shiny trinkets and race t-shirts. *potential internet suitors take note*

-After the expo, we racked our bikes and went to check out the lake. I almost tossed my cookies. The lake seemed so massive. I truly began to question if I could really do this. I decided not to go apeshit (at least be cool and freak out on Race Day, ya know?). I think we were all feeling a bit nervous seeing the entire tri site, but the excitement pretty much took over.

-Saturday night we had dinner at Big Bowl (sophisticated carb loading...haha). I'd suggested that we make a sign to submit to Trent at Pink is the New Blog (some of you will know what I'm talking about), so we headed to the store after dinner to pick up supplies and our Breakfast of Champions for the next morning. We ended the night at a fairly decent hour, but that didn't matter...Coco could not go to sleep! Ugh...I was up until 1:30am and the alarm went off at 4:30. I was so hyped up (big surprise) and I couldn't shut my head off. I prayed, I sang to myself (Alana can sleep through anything), I fantasized about crossing the finish line and shed a few tears. Told you I was emotional.

Race Day
-The triathlon was in Pleasant Prairie, WI, so we had a 40 min. drive to the site. We made it to the parking area, hopped on a bus and arrived at the race site. There were so many people! Over 4300 women registered and I believe the oldest athlete was the 74-year old breast cancer survivor. How could you not be inspired by that?!?

-The event officially started at 7am with the Elite class. I am truly in awe of these women! The first swimmer was out of the water in 9 minutes. 9 minutes for a 1/2 mile swim?!? We couldn't take our eyes off of them. Our wave didn't start until 9:15, so I had plenty of time to attempt to leave the race site undetected reflect on the daunting task ahead.

-Lynn gave me a hug before the swim and I told her I was scared. She said "God's got you..." and you know what? She was right. I took her words to heart and calmed myself down. In true Courtney fashion, I also rationalized that there was no way God was going to let me drown in a lake in freakin' Wisconsin! LOL That's just not cool.

-When our wave was finally called, the tears started flowing. I think I felt every emotion possible in the short time between our wave cheer with Sally Edwards and the countdown into the water. It took me awhile to calm down during the swim and find some sort of sane rhythm. After various strokes (including the ever-popular desperation stroke), I finished the swim in 29 minutes. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with the time. I know it may seem slow to seasoned tri folks, but it's a major accomplishment for me. I am a decent swimmer, but I definitely have work to do. Open water swims are a tad bit scary and I'm glad I held it together (with the help of Lesli and Alana!) and got out alive. FYI, don't be fooled by the distance. 1/2 mile swim in choppy open water is no joke!

-I exited the water a little dazed (I apparently had a conversation with Lynn and I don't remember a thing) and headed to T1. I ate some Clif Shot Blocks, put on my cycling jersey (relieved to finally cover my busted can o' biscuits trisuit rolls) and shoes. Now, tri vets will cringe at this...but we made no attempt to rush in transition. We agreed from the beginning...this tri was all about togetherness and enjoying the event, so time wasn't a concern. I had nothing to prove to anyone. I just wanted to be able to get through the triathlon without having to take a DNF (did not finish) because of my gimpy foot. You'll also find it amusing that we stopped (while in the middle of the 5K course) and took a group picture. LOL Not exactly cover material for Speedy Triathlete mag.

-The bike course was fairly challenging. The wind picked up and beat us like we stole something. I'm used to bigger hills (Hello, Austin TX), but I welcomed the rolling hills of the Danskin because my foot wasn't happy and I knew I needed to pace myself. The scenery during the ride was beautiful. I really enjoyed it. I'm definitely a cyclist at heart.

-We walked the 5K. I originally planned to 'wog" it, but my foot was cursing me out and I was nursing a gnarly leg cramp. Lesli, Lynn, Alana and I walked the 5K together and did an emotional crossing of the finish line. Lesli spotted her Mommy right before the finish, yelled her name and ran up to hug her. She then kept running (with the biggest smile I've ever seen!) and crossed the line. Lynn, Alana and myself followed her through and we hugged and cried (maybe I was the only one crying...LOL) at the end. The Danskin announcer mentioned that Alana and I were from Texas, which I thought was very cool.

So, I finally completed a triathlon. I was 40+ lbs heavier than I'd like and nursing a fractured foot, but I still managed to pull it off and have a great time with my friends. What more could I ask for?!? I must get sappy and thank everyone that supported me along the way. My family, friends, 'net buddies and coworkers have been truly wonderful. How do I plan to repay you? By committing to additional triathlons, of course! I'm sure I just lost at least 5 readers with that statement. LOL

My next sprint tri will be in October and I'm already excited about it. I'm looking forward to doing the event without an injury (and hopefully 10-15 lbs lighter). In addition, the Tri Divas group has decided to make Danskin an annual group event. We plan to choose a different location each year...2009 is all about Austin, baby!

-Courtney

P.S. I also have to give some kudos to the original Tri-Divas group (Coco, Alana and Donna). We did the Danskin Austin in 2003 as a relay team. It took awhile, but all 3 of us completed our first solo triathlons this year!

Good luck Tri Divas!

Wish I could be there, but this Macintosh ad says it all!

"If there were ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, it is now. Not for any grand cause, necessarily, but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your aspiration, something that's your dream. You owe it to yourself to make your days here count. Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch. Dream big."

Good luck to each of you and I know you'll make the day of the tri "count". I'm excited for you all to experience satisfaction and results of your efforts. Don't be ever be surprised by what you see yourself accomplish as it was there all the while!

Be safe and have a blast!

Donna :)

Freaking out

Are the rest of you gals as nervous as I am??? I'm seriously on the verge of a nervous breakdown. ONE FREAKING WEEK. ARGH!!!!!!!

I could kill you CoCo ;>