Sourwood 5K and Cheshire Pump & Run set for August 8 | Black Mountain News

The Sourwood Festival is approaching fast, so organizers are inviting runners to sign up for the 21st Sourwood 5K and the Cheshire Pump & Run, two festival traditions.

They're also looking for some event sponsors and promoting a new way to get runners to patronize downtown businesses after they cross the finish line.

Both events start at the Cheshire Fitness Club. The 5K starts at 8:30 a.m. and follows a course through the south part of town.

The "Pump" portion starts at 6:45 a.m. During this event, runners can knock 20 seconds off their finish time for each repetition of bench presses they perform.

The weight will be based on age and percentage of their body weight, and participants can perform for 10 minutes or a maximum of 30 reps.

Organizers are also looking for sponsors at various levels. Sponsors get thier logos on the race shirts and recieve a variety of other marketing benefits.

This year, organizers are also pushing a free promotion called "Buzz the Businesses" in which any merchant can participate. The idea is to bring more runners downtown after the event, Andrew Marsh, event producer, said.

Here's how it works: business that sign up will offer some kind of deal to runners who bring thier bib number. Mechants can decide what kind of deal to offer - a dicount, free drink, etc. The event producers will put a list of participating businesses in race packet so runners will know where to get the deals.

This will be the first year the free marketing promotionis offered, and comes as Marsh's company, Event Mercenaries, takes over production of the 5K.

Black Mountain Natural Foods is the presenting sponsor of this year's event.

"Part of our mission at Black Mountain Natural Foods is to provide products that improve the health of people and the planet," Ken Bowman, owner of Black Mountain Natural Foods, said.

"Another part of our mission is to promote healthy and earth-friendly lifestyles. To that end, we are proud to be presenting sponsor of the Sourwood 5K and Pump & Run. Exercise is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle, and it our hope that 5Ks and fun runs encourage people to improve thier fitness level. If you are not interested in doing a 5K, then get out and walk, bike, do yoga, or join the Cheshire Fitness Club," he said.

For more information, call 669-1902 or visit www.Sourwood5K.com

Sourwood 5K Practice Run on Wednesday Evening

The Sourwood 5K is hosting a Practice Run each of the next two Wednesday evenings = July 29th and August 5th. They’ll start at 5:30pm and follow the exact course of the August 8th Sourwood 5K. Athletes of any pace or experience are welcome to join this free 5K practice run starting at the Cheshire Fitness Club. No registration is required but please do let us know that you’re coming via phone 828-669-1092 or email Sourwood5K@eventmercenaries.com. Check out www.Sourwood5K.com for course review.

Banzai Memorial Half Marathon to benefit Whitmore | Saipan Tribune

Saipan Tribune

Banzai Memorial Half Marathon to benefit Whitmore

In an attempt to have Jamie Whitmore compete in the 2010 XTERRA Saipan Championships, organizers will be donating proceeds of the 4th Banzai Memorial Half Marathon and 10K Fun Run for the inaugural XTERRA Saipan winner's return trip here.

Whitmore is recovering from cancer and missed the last two editions of XTERRA Saipan Championships.

Several months before the Crown Jewel of the series of XTERRA races unfolds next year, organizers of the Banzai Half Marathon are hoping to raise enough money to defray the cost of Whitmore's return trip to the island. Local triathletes are hoping to bring Whitmore back on Saipan either as a guest or as a participant in XTERRA.

The Banzai race-fundraiser for Whitmore will be held on Sept. 12.

Brad Ruszala, one of the organizers of the event, is expecting to have between 65 to 100 competing in the race starting and ending at the Banzai Cliff.

Registration is at 5:30am, while the half marathon will kick off at 6pm and the fun run at 7am. Entry fee is $15.

This year's defending champions are Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel and Mamiko Oshima-Berger.

Kabiriel, who is also known as “Road Runner Bunny” topped last year's Banzai race in one hour, 31 minutes, 50 seconds, passing his 2007 record of 1:31:51. He was runner-up to record-holder Eli Torgeson (1:18:10) in the second edition of the annual event. Ronald Villafria was second last year with his time of 1:41: 55 and Yosh Gabaldon finished after clocking in at 1:44:27.

Oshima-Berger claimed the first three editions of the Banzai half marathon and posted a record last year after capping the 19-mile race in 1:35.27. She crushed her own mark of 1:38: 09 in 2006. In 2007, Oshima-Berger clocked in at 1:41:46. Maimi Shimizu and Monica Yamaguchi made it to the Top 3 after submitting 137:27 and 2:01.44, respectively.

Other finishers were Tamio Nishikido (1:49.38), Louie Tenorio (1:58:09), 2006 champion Yoshi Suzuki (2:00: 22), Keum Bae Ji (2:00:37), Florian Braig (2:02:54), Joshua Berger (2:06:13), Andrea Ozawa (2:11:31), Nate Hawley (2:12:08), Kanae Quinn (2:12:09), Renato Calage (2:24:22), Manny Sitchon (2:31:29), and Cesar Fortaleza (2:35:51).

Matt Mancao ruled the 10K run in 26:10, followed by Nate Mateo (28:34), and Fred Camacho (30:37). Mieko Carey won the women's fun run with her time of 29:48, beating Melody Matson (39:03) and Kathy Pagapular (39:38).

Running marathons to raise money for safe drinking water

Group runs to bring world safe drinking water

abc7news.com VIDEO

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A Bay Area woman who nearly lost her life in a PG&E electrical vault explosion four years ago is raising money in San Francisco this weekend for a cause dear to her heart.

The accident changed Lisa Nash's life and motivated her to create a nonprofit that brings safe drinking water to impoverished countries around the world.
This weekend, a group of runners is taking part in the San Francisco Marathon, as part of Nash's run for water team.
Nash created blue planet run after the accident in August of 2005. She was walking on Kearny Street when the sidewalk exploded underneath her.
"I was essentially blown up in downtown San Francisco," Nash said. "I went through two years of rehabilitation and long hospitalization and I got out of that and I decided there was no time like the present and I didn't want to waste a minute."
It dawned on Nash that with 25 years of experience in corporate marketing, she could put her skills to good use. And with that, the Blue Planet Run Foundation was born.
"There are 2 million people that are killed every year because of safe drinking water diseases and 90 percent of them are children under five," Nash said.
Sunday's marathon is a reunion of sorts for people who have participated in previous Blue Planet Run marathons. Some have even come from other countries to run for this cause.
"If us getting together for this San Francisco Marathon, having a little reunion for the SF Marathon if that can raise a few dollars, save a few lives, then it's all worth," Scotland native Paul Rogan said.
"It's not charity, it's giving people what they need to help themselves," Nash said.
The goal of Blue Planet Run is to provide safe drinking water to 200 million people by 2027.

Grandmother of eight tackles off-road triathlon

The Frederick News-Post Online - Frederick County Maryland Daily Newspaper

What’s it like: Grandmother of eight tackles off-road triathlon

This is one in a series of stories that goes behind the scenes to explore the unusual, memorable, quirky things people do -- and go through -- in the course of their lives.
Danielle Ranno, a 34-year-old New Market resident, nurse and mother of three, was surfing the web not too long ago and found what she thought would be a fun event for her and mother do together.
Danielle figured her husband, Paul, could watch the kids Sunday at the Rocky Gap lake beach while she and her mom, Lynne Collard, 59, tackled the XTERRA-series off-road triathlon at the gorgeous state park in Flintstone.
Three-quarter mile open water swim, 14-mile mountain bike trek, followed by a 5-mile trail -- just a nice, girls-only, summer day kind of thing.
Collard, a grandmother of eight, beat her daughter by 20 minutes, finishing in 3:24:59.
"I passed her on the first loop on the mountain bike trail," Collard said, smiling shyly. "I told her 'Keep going.' 'Way to go.'
"She told me, 'I don't know about this sport of yours.'"
Except for chasing her four kids, Collard didn't work out regularly until she was in her 40s. But she set her goals high, completing the Marine Corps Marathon at age 45 and later completing the Columbia Triathlon. She became a personal trainer, and ultimately fell in love with mountain biking as she turned 50.
Now nearly 60, she hardly fits the stereotypical gnarly mountain biker demographic, but she rides almost every day either at Gambrill State Park, the Frederick watershed or northern Montgomery County parks.
"I'm making up for lost time," Collard joked.
Her youngest daughter, Gabrielle Dunn, 30, a planning director for Frederick city, often serves as her mountain bike partner. Collard's oldest daughter, Nicole Kunkel, is biding her athletic time as she raises five kids. Her 27-year-old son, Christian, the youngest of her children, works out but does not race.
"We're all kind of crazy," Collard said of herself and her daughters. Of her son, she said, "We'll get him to something soon."
At the Sixth Annual XTERRA EX2 Off-Road Triathlon at Rocky Gap, Collard was the oldest woman competitor by five years. With three men, she tied for oldest competitor overall -- and her times were right the mix with the guys.
She and her daughter described the course as tough, but fair.
Danielle lost a toe clip on her mountain bike, yet was able to continue despite being a relative novice to the sport. The mountain bike segment included a few "rock gardens" as they're called in the sport, as well as a challenging climb up "Evitt's Revenge," wide fire roads, smooth grassy sections and lakeside single-track.
The 5-mile trail run included rooty trails, open flats and a big stone-faced climb.
"The run was like a rock scramble," Collard said. "There was one stretch where it was like climbing over a building -- on all fours -- not a lot of running going on. It was a challenge."
"I took a spill running," Ranno said, chuckling. "What run, anyhow? I was rock climbing."
Both agreed that simply getting outdoors -- breaking the fitness center routine and testing themselves -- was the best fun.
"The gym does get a little boring," Ranno said.
"The way I look at it," Collard said, "is you can go to a gym every day, but you still need to take it outside and see what you can do. And it gives you something to look forward to."
At the finish Sunday, Collard was greeted by her son-in-law and Danielle's three little ones, Noah, 9, Sidney, 5, and Delaney, 2.
"I figure it's good for them to see their grandmother rockin' the bike out here," Collard said. "I guess I'm not the usual grandmother sitting in the rocking chair -- although that's a good thing, too.
"They still call me 'Old Grannie' anyhow. Even when they're rootin' for me. They yell, 'Go Old Grannie.'"

Blind athlete to compete in XTERRA race

Vail Valley: Blind athlete to compete in XTERRA race VailDaily.com

VAIL VALLEY, Colorado — For Boulder triathlete Michael Stone, crossing the finish line of the Beaver Creek XTERRA race on Saturday in Colorado's Vail Valley will be more than an athletic accomplishment to mark off his list or the completion of a tough workout. For Stone, 40, completing the off-road triathlon will be a conquering of his own fears as well as a way to inspire and encourage others, who like him, struggle with blindness. Although he has competed in Ironman competitions and endurance races all over the world, Stone said that the XTERRA will push his limits. He'll compete the championship course of the race — a mile swim, 15-mile mountain bike ride and six-mile trail run — behind his guide and friend, Ivy Koger, who will yell out warnings and directions to Stone. His goal is to qualify for the national XTERRA race in Utah and the world competition in Maui later this year.Stone was diagnosed five years ago with a degenerative eye disease called cone/rod dystrophy, which impairs the light receptors in his retina. Instead of living in darkness, like many people imagine blindness to be like, Stone's world keeps getting painfully brighter. He often can't see contrast, and his vision is dotted with blind spots. At times, he can see well enough to bike or run on pavement, and at times, he said he might as well just close his eyes.“It's like you're trying to read something, and someone is shining a couple of flashlights in your eyes,” he said. “I can't necessarily see the terrain all the time. Shadows are the worst — if it's shaded, it's like wearing a blindfold.”

The inspiration

The biggest challenge of the race will be mountain biking, a sport Stone picked up a few months ago — he said he loves it, but it also “scares the hell” out of him. And understandably so. He will be navigating tough climbs on rocky roads and making his way down narrow, sometimes technical singletrack, with only Koger's wheel and directions to guide him. Part of the race's draw is that the off-road aspect is a new challenge for Stone. The race's events are representative of the outdoor sports that Stone has shied away from as his vision has gotten worse.He was inspired to compete while working on a book, which is set for release this fall. The book is a collection of vignettes gathered from people who, despite dealing with blindness, have gone on to live extraordinary lives, said Stone. “I saw people who saw far worse than I did doing amazing things,” he said. “That's when I realized I had become one of those people who was living in a significant amount of fear.”Before Stone was diagnosed, he had stopped skiing, trail running and hiking out of frustration and fear. Last winter, he began skate skiing and rediscovered the joy of the outdoors.“I was doing it and loving it,” he said. “I loved being in the trees and hearing the wind. Just because I don't see the stuff that well doesn't mean I don't appreciate it.”He realized he was fearful of everyday tasks, too, such as navigating his way through an airport and having to ask a stranger for help. “That's what pushed me to do something different,” he said. “With Ironman races, the only thing I could do more would be to do them faster, and that wasn't enough.”

Making the most of it

Stone battled with his vision throughout his life as he struggled in school and with team sports. No doctor seemed to be able to tell him what was wrong. His vision got worse and Stone, a former resort and hotel developer, would take all day to read a spreadsheet or document. He remembers being crushed when he couldn't pass the eye test for a driver's license. A specialist finally diagnosed his disease in 2004. The doctor's reaction was to ask Stone, “How have you gone through life like this?”Now, Stone races to raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and the new goal has added purpose to his efforts. He is also a personal coach and trainer, especially for people struggling with some sort of physical or psychological problem.“I like working with people with some sort of challenge, such a big weight loss or a disability — ‘can't do' kind of people,” he said. “I just want to help people make the most out of each and every day. You have to realize there will be challenges and you will fall down but its how you get up that matters.”

Sideline support

Learn more about Michael Stone and other vision-impaired athletes racing for the Foundation Fighting Blindness at www.fightingblindness.org/goto/xterra

Get ready for Sourwood 5K Road Race/Walk

CITIZEN-TIMES.com

Get ready for Sourwood 5K Road Race/Walk

(July 16, 2009 12:15 AM) The 21st running of the Sourwood 5K Road Race/Walk will be Aug. 8 in conjunction with the Sourwood Festival. The race will again feature the Cheshire Pump & Run where runners earn deductions off their 5K times for doing pre-race bench presses. The “Pump” portion begins at 6:45 a.m., and the 5K starts at 8:30 a.m.The 5K course features rolling hills, shade and two aid stations. Both events are held at the Cheshire Fitness Club, 25 Jane Jacob Road in Black Mountain. Entry fees are $20 for the 5K until Aug. 1, $25 after, and $25 for the Pump & Run, $30 after Aug. 1.For more information, call Event Mercenaries at 669-1902, e-mail Sourwood5K@eventmercenaries.com or visit http://www.sourwood5k.com/.

BlackMountainNews.com: This Week in the Valley

BlackMountainNews.com: This Week in the Valley (20090715):

Sourwood 5K
2009 marks the 21st running of the Sourwood 5K, a premiere road run/walk held Saturday, August 8, in conjunction with the Sourwood Festival. Also returning this year is the Cheshire Pump & Run where participants earn deductions off their 5K times for doing bench presses pre-race. Both events are held at the Cheshire Fitness Club, 25 Jane Jacob Road in Black Mountain. Check out the events newly launched Web site – http://www.sourwood5k.com/ – for event info, online registration, Pump & Run rules, and course maps. Paper applications available at Cheshire and area merchants. Contact 669-1902 or Sourwood5K @eventmercenaries.com."

Off-road triathlon takes place in Dockton

Off-road triathlon takes place in DocktonToday

The XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon took place on Sunday, July 12, in Dockton. Of the 96 competitors, none were from Vashon. The race began and ended at Dockton Park and consisted of a brisk swim in the Puget Sound and a cross-country bike ride and run.
Jason Jablonski of Wen-atchee took first place with a time of 1 hour, 42 minutes and 42 seconds. CalPortland and local land owners allowed event organizers the use of their property for the race, and CalPortland furnished prizes for the top three male and top three female finishers.

Off-road racing, Nebraska style

Nebraska Adventures Off-road racing, Nebraska style

The XTERRA America Tour, the country's premier (or at least most visible) series of off-road races, is making its inaugural appearance in Nebraska on Saturday, August 15th, giving Midwestern, dirt-loving masochists just 7 weeks to train.The XTERRA B.O.L.T. (Branched Oak Lake Triathlon...or, if you prefer, Barf On Legs, Tires...or Bring On Lunch Time!), an off-road triathlon scheduled to be held at Branched Oak State Park, features a 1km swim (broken into 2 500m laps), a 21k mountain bike, and an 8k trail run. (You can read trail reviews and get directions to the park here.)Although the solo entry fee is a bit pricey ($75), chip timing will be used for splits, and the race promotors are going to give away a whole bunch of schwag. In short, the whole thing should be a lot of fun. If you don't barf on your tires.Also, for all of you Nebraskans who can't afford to fly to Darfur but are interested in witnessing human suffering, volunteer opportunities abound.

World Records Safe, but Crazy 8's Lives Up to Billing

TRICITIESSPORTS.COM

Healthy Green Habits

Baltimore Sun @ baltimoresun.com

You're working out regularly. Taking in less fat and less sugar. Feeling good about yourself. But are you doing what you can to keep the planet healthy too? Here are seven ways to exercise in a greener fashion.

1. Donate your used fitness shoes. Try Soles4Souls (soles4souls.com), which made donations to victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Asian tsunami in 2004. Nike also accepts shoes and recycles them into sports courts around the world.



2. When participating in a race, walk or other event, carry your own water or sports drink in a reusable plastic bottle (if you don't mind the extra weight).Not only will it save on paper cups, but you'll be certain you're drinking the same fluids you use during your training, says Bruce Rayner of Boston-based Athletes for a Fit Planet. Rayner's overall take on being a greener athlete: "We're all familiar with 'recycle,' but there's also 'reduce' and 'reuse.'"



3. Leave your car in the driveway and ride your bike to the gym (especially on weekends, when you have more time).If you have an old bike, keep it around to use for short neighborhood errands.



4. Carpool to races.



5. Wear eco-friendly training clothing.And if you belong to a group, encourage club officers to pick clothing made with recycled polyester instead of the regular virgin polyester.



6. Sign an "eco-pledge" created especially for athletes, at AFitPlanet.com/pledge."You can actually make a formal public commitment to being environmentally responsible," Rayner says. "It starts people thinking while wearing their environmental cap. I've had people come up to me and talk about how [the pledge] changed the way they've done things in their daily life."



7. Designate a cleanup day for your running, cycling, inline skating or fitness club, where you agree to pick up the garbage along your usual route.Runners and skaters could put a garbage pail in the seat of a baby jogger and push it along, so they don't miss their workout.

2009 Sourwood 5K launches new website

Event Mercenaries, Inc. in cooperation with the Cheshire Fitness Club, both of Black Mountain, NC, are pleased to announce the launch of a new Sourwood 5K and Cheshire Pump & Run website. Check out Sourwood5K.com for event details and registration information. The 5K run starts at 8:30am on Saturday August 8th. The "pump" portion of the Pump & Run starts at 6:45am. Both events are held at the Cheshire Fitness Club. Following the run head downtown for Black Mountain's famous Sourwood Festival 8th & 9th. See you there!

ChronoTrack Taps Athletes for a Fit Planet to Green the DTag

ChronoTrack Taps FitPlanet to “Green” the D-Tag

FitPlanet partners with ChronoTrack Systems to develop a recycling program to minimize the environmental impact of the innovative single-use timing system
Evansville, IN-based ChronoTrack Systems, maker of the popular D-Tag event timing system, is working with Athletes for a Fit Planet to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the environmental impact of the single-use D-Tag.
Working with ChronoTrack Systems, FitPlanet will introduce a program that encourages event organizers to collect used D-Tags post race and return the D-Tags to ChronoTrack for recycling and reuse.
“ChronoTrack Systems is committed to providing the highest quality timing system for timers, race directors and athletes,” said Dan Howell, President of ChronoTrack Systems. “We feel strongly that our commitment to quality includes minimizing the environmental impact of the D-Tag.”
The single-use D-Tag contains a UHF generation 2 radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag manufactured by Seattle-based Impinj, Inc. The RFID tag includes a silicon chip and aluminum antenna placed on a PET (polyethylene terephtalate) substrate. The RFID tag is encased in laminated paper to create the single-use D-Tag. The D-Tag is attached to the race bib, which is shipped to a race. At race registration, the athlete receives their bib, peels off the D-Tag, and attaches the D-Tag to their shoe.
The popularity of the D-Tag timing system has been increasing dramatically for a variety of reasons, including the time and resource savings it affords race directors. Earlier this month, ChronoTrack announced it had shipped 2 million D-Tags since introducing the technology in September 2008. That figure is expected to top 8 million in 2010 as more races adopt the single-use technology.
“Until now, the athlete has been responsible for the safe disposal of the D-Tag,” said Bruce Rayner, founder and chief green officer at Athletes for a Fit Planet. “While the electronic components in the single-use D-Tag are relatively environmentally benign, ChronoTrack recognizes that as the number of D-Tags in landfills rises into the tens of millions of units, the environmental impact also rises.”
“ChronoTrack is doing the right thing by addressing the waste issue head on with a formal take-back and recycling program.” said Rayner.
FitPlanet will work with ChronoTrack Systems to immediately implement a recycling program for events in 2009.

Teachers, staff get in shape boot camp-style

Asheville Citizen-Times

SWANNANOA — Pushing a truck up a hill and flipping over tires helped Buffy Kirkman shed 15 pounds and two sizes in the months leading up to her June nuptials, forcing the kindergarten teacher to have her wedding dress altered twice in three months.

“Even in the final wedding pictures, my dress was as tight as it could go and it could have even gone down a little more,” Kirkman said. “It was really nice to look at the pictures and not see a double chin or any pudginess.”

The 26-year-old newlywed is one of more than a dozen teachers and staff at Asheville Christian Academy who started working out after school this spring with the school's strength coach Carlos Perez.

The group spent two days a week getting whipped into shape by Perez, whose boot camp-style workouts included drills that split participants into competing teams to see who was fastest at flipping over tractor tires or pushing a jeep up a hill while Perez stepped on the brake.

Perez continues to train the group two mornings a week this summer, with a goal of having them run in the Sourwood 5K race in Black Mountain on Aug. 8, and plans to revive the after school workouts when school starts up again.

“It's always different; it's never boring. You never know what to expect,” said Angela Rhew, a receptionist at the school's office. “Granted it's hard and it's work and you are sore and exhausted afterwards, but also it's a good feeling.”

"Superfit Camp"

Rhew was the first to approach Perez with the idea of starting an exercise class for faculty, similar to the program that he used to get the school's athletes in shape.

Perez agreed and came up with the regimen, which he has dubbed “superfit camp,” and includes the innovative workouts along with a personalized nutrition program.

“A lot of people think you have to spend hours in the gym, but this is about getting outside that normal gym mentality,” he said. “People are working and sweating but it's fun.”

Liz Johnson, a substitute teacher and wife of the school's athletic director, said she enjoys the relays and the group aspect of the workouts, and likes that she could be lifting weights one day and running across the parking lot the next.

But Johnson said the workouts, which have enabled her to do “boy” pushups for the first time in her life, are not all fun and games. She said it is the hardest thing she has ever done in her life.

“Carlos pushes us beyond what we think we can do,” Johnson said. “It is the first time I have really experienced that.”

Johnson said she also likes Perez's approach to nutrition, which doesn't focus on what a person isn't eating but rather about putting good food into one's body.

“Our bodies are a gift from God and we want to take the best care of them that we can,” she said.

Group benefits
Participants said that while the group aspect of the program may not be for everyone, the accountability and camaraderie of the superfit camp has helped them to achieve their goals, whether it be losing 15 pounds or just getting healthier.

The teachers and staff made sure their colleagues were attending the after school workouts, doing their exercise homework and eating right, while also cheering them on as they crossed the finish line during relay races.

“It is something that I have never done to that extreme on my own,” said Kirkman, who joined the group to get in shape for her wedding. “It is such a motivating factor – seeing the other ladies of all different ages, weights and sizes. It makes you keep going.”

Perez charges the faculty a minimal fee to participate in the camp, and said he did it more to help the teachers, who serve as role models for the students. He said the superfit program allows the teachers to not only work on their bodies, but their minds, and that he would like to expand the program to other schools.

“I just love the work ethic the teachers put into it,” Perez said. “They are people that actually want to work out and have that drive to succeed. As a trainer that's where I get the satisfaction.”

Rhew said that the group workouts have helped to bring the faculty at the school closer together and to relate to the students, who see their teachers running through the parking lot or doing squats in the gym.

“In helping the teacher's mind and body and spirit and feeling better, in essence we are helping the kids as well,” Rhew said. “It does trickle down – how you feel about yourself and your attitude about everything. It benefits more than just the teacher.”

For more information on Perez's superfit camp, e-mail him at superfitwithcarlos@gmail.com or call 279-1269.

Local business owners form Ironman support group to fight growing negative sentiment

LakePlacidNews.com

LAKE PLACID — Thirteen people from the business community gathered last week to form an Ironman support group and brainstorm ways to counteract anti-Ironman sentiment they say has been growing in recent years. “I was really surprised how much anit-Ironman sentiment is out there,” said Julie Voss, owner of Placid Planet Bicycles. “It was shocking to me.” Voss and others say that negative comments about the Ironman triathlon, held every summer in Lake Placid since 1998, have been surfacing on the Internet and in local media forums, like newspaper letters to the editor and radio station WNBZ’s Talk of the Town. Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau President James McKenna said that his office also receives many comments and complaints regarding Ironman. “There’s a rising tide we see starting to happen,” he said. Last year, Ironman North America was sold to World Triathlon Corporation. 2009 is the last year the race is under contract to be in Lake Placid. McKenna said he and other local officials are working on what he hopes will be a three-year contract with the new company that would guarantee the race stays here through 2012, but nothing has been finalized yet. McKenna said many people don’t like the inconvenience of road closures and crowds on race day. And even though there is an economic trickle-down effect, McKenna said people fail to see how Ironman impacts them personally. According to a 2005 SUNY Plattsburgh Technical Assistance Center study, the total economic impact of Ironman on the area is about $6 million. That number does not include indirect “ripple effects” generated by the event. There are also 55,000 overnight visitor stays, including pre-race visits, that are directly connected to the race. “We really need this business,” said Mirror Lake Inn owner Lisa Weibrecht. “We need people to go out and be great ambassadors.” Since most of the group agreed that much of the negative sentiment is directed at cyclists who ride in narrow, curvy, shoulder-less sections of road in the Wilmington Notch and state Route 73, some suggested a campaign to educate both cyclists and drivers. A recent letter to the editor in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, which detailed an argument between a cyclist and a driver in the Wilmington Notch, generated nearly 75 Web comments — a testament to the controversial nature of the topic. Some attendees suggested working with the state Department of Transportation to get permanent signs along the bike route, encouraging both drivers and cyclists to be safe and share the road. That, however, could take months and this year’s event is just one month away. In an attempt to immediately address the issue, Placid Planet has put up a sign in its store asking bikers to be considerate of drivers and Voss said she is mentioning the issue to people who are here training for the event. Tim Chien, a cyclist and massage therapist from Balanced Bodywork, suggested naming this Ironman support group, creating a Facebook page and using other social networking tools to help attract members. Searching out and responding to anti-Ironman sentiment in blogs is also one of the group’s goals. “Clearly, the vast majority of businesses favor the event,” Voss wrote in an e-mail. “I think most residents do too; we just need to overcome the loud ones who don’t.”

Donated shoes can make a dramatic difference

LJWorld.com

Amick repeats at Firecracker 5K

Asheville Citizen-Times

WEAVERVILLE — It is a good thing Daniel Amick decided to run in the 16th annual Kiwanis Firecracker 5K in Weaverville — but maybe not for the other runners.

Amick, who thought the race was canceled, had planned to run in a 5K in Knoxville this weekend. When he found out that the race was still on, the Weaverville resident kept his commitment in Tennessee, but made it home in time to take first place in his hometown event.
Amick said he thought he would be too tired to run in Saturday's 5K, but he managed to get out of bed and cross the finish line in 15 minutes, 2 seconds.
“I can't explain it,” he said.
Amick finished this year's race nearly one minute faster than his first-place finish last year, but this year's course wound through the countryside, starting and ending at North Buncombe High, rather than following Weaver Boulevard through Weaverville as it had in past years.
Organizers had to change the route after the town canceled its July 4 celebration, and street closures would not be in effect.
“We had to figure it all out again,” said Mary Lynn Manns, race coordinator with the North Buncombe Kiwanis Club. “Everything changed this year. We were here at 6 a.m. scrambling.”
Despite the changes, and the initial confusion that the race was canceled, nearly 300 runners came out for the race, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Kiwanis Club's college scholarship program for North Buncombe High students.
“We didn't want this thing to die,” Manns said. “Even if we're down (in number of runners), we're happy.”
Wake Forest University junior and cross-country runner Marley Burns was the first female to cross the finish line in 19 minutes, 49 seconds. It was the first time in four years that the Weaverville native had been in Western North Carolina for the race.
“I haven't done the race in such a long time, I thought it would be fun,” she said. “I like when we went through downtown (on the old race course), with people cheering on Main Street, but I'm glad that they still had it.”
It was Nadine Gnall's first time running in the Firecracker 5K. The Weaverville resident is training to run in the Citizen-Times Half Marathon in September as part of Sole Mates, a program that raises money for Girls on the Run, the program for young girls that encourages healthy living and a positive self-image through running.
Gnall plans to coach the program at Weaverville Elementary this fall, where her daughter attends fourth grade.
“I figured (the race) was close to home, and it was a good run and it was a good way to start off the day,” she said.

Second attempt at Smokies End-to-End run brings renewed sense of purpose

Asheville Citizen-Times

XTERRA Tahoe City: Damian Gonzalez, Emma Garrard take overall wins

SierraSun.com

TAHOE CITY — Damian Gonzalez dashed across the Commons Beach finish line with a look of pain and achievement. The 32-year-old Stockton athlete had met his goal, winning the third annual XTERRA Tahoe City triathlon Saturday morning with a time of 2 hours, 42 minutes, 42 seconds — 9 seconds in front of second place. As the pain faded from Gonzalez's expression, he sought out the man he could not shake from his heels.“What's your name?” he asked the runner-up, 20-year-old Julian Langer, whom he then congratulated on a first-name basis for chasing him to the finish.After paying respect to his game opponent, Gonzalez turned to face the media.“I feel a little worked,” he said between laboring breaths, going on to explain how he passed Langer on the run after the two battled neck-and-neck during the bike leg.“Julian was in sight the whole time, so he's probably regretting letting me go. But he pushed hard the whole way. I wouldn't be feeling this worked if it wasn't for him.”As short-course participants trickled in, John Donovan of San Mateo crossed the finish in third place overall (2:45:36), while Eric Ronning of Incline Village finished fourth with a time of 2:50:35.“I'm exhausted,” Ronning said after pacing the finish area to catch his breath, having just completed the 1,200-meter swim, 22-mile bike and 6-mile run that encompass the full-course triathlon. “I worked really hard, especially on the run.”Richard Blanco of Redwood City, Ronning's “nemesis” in his 40-45 age group, finished fifth in 2:50:44, and defending champ Ross McMahan of Incline Village placed sixth posting a time of 2:53:37.On the women's side, XTERRA pro Emma Garrard of Truckee won her third straight XTERRA Tahoe City and took 10th place overall with a time of 2:58:25. Garrard, 28, was followed by Julie Young of Auburn (3:12:44) and Lisa Heisinger of Mill Valley (3:20:12), while Sarah McMahan of Incline Village came in fifth with a time of 3:26:20.

XTERRA Tahoe City Results — Top 5 (full-course)
Men:

1. Damian Gonzalez, 2:42:42

2. Julian Langer, 2:42:51

3. John Donovan, 2:45:36

4. Eric Ronning, 2:50:35

5. Richard Blanco, 2:50:44

Women:

1. Emma Garrard, 2:58:25

2. Julie Young, 3:12:44

3. Lisa Heisinger, 3:20:12

4. Paris Edwards, 3:22:36

5. Sarah McMahan 3:26:20

— Complete results will be posted online at www.bigblueadventure.com.

XTERRA Tahoe City short-course

Dustin Sweet took the win in the short-course triathlon — a 600-meter swim, 13-mile bike and 3-mile run — with a time of 1:53:07, and was followed by Steve Pearl (1:53:17) and Kevin Joell (2:03:46).“I feel good,” said Pearl after the race, “but I don't want to do it again, that's for sure.”Incline Village triathlete Dorea Shoemaker was the first woman to finish the short-course triathlon, posting a time of 2:12:22 after signing up just two days prior to the race, she said. “It was great. I just did it at my own pace,” said Shoemaker, a first-time participant in the XTERRA Tahoe City. “I loved it.”Sabine Dukes (2:16) was the second short-course woman and Destiny Ortiz (2:17:32) third. Ortiz, who traveled from Salt Lake City to compete, told dramatic tales of foundering in the cold water during the opening swim leg. She said she was rescued “like four times” from the water, despite her top-three finish.“I almost died,” said Ortiz, 35. “I think I got motion sickness, because I felt really dizzy. And (the water) was really cold. I wasn't prepared for that.”Ortiz was one of 47 athletes to finish the short-course race, while 142 athletes finished the full-course, according to the results. It was the best participation in the three-year history of the event, said Race Director Todd Jackson.To view a photo gallery from the event, go to www.sierrasun.com/photos.

XTERRA Paris Mtn. Trails 7k coming to Greenville SC

Gather Logic