Team Update 1-27-09

Please send me your USAT numbers asap so that I can get our club registered with USAT.

Our uniform pick-up date is tentatively schedule for Friday, March 13 around 6:30 p.m. at the YFC. The plan is to set-up the bouncy house for the kids, so that they have something to do while we get uniforms sorted out and a team picture taken. I'll firm up the details as we get closer to time, but please go ahead and mark the day on your calendar. If you still want a dry wick t-shirt, let me know as soon as you can.

Lisa's Olympic distance triathlon training program informational meeting is scheduled for tomorrow night, Wed, Jan 28, at 6:00 p.m. I believe the meeting will be held in the portable. However, it looks like it's going to be a great night, if that's the case, then plan on meeting at the picnic tables outside at Bob Sierra. Just an FYI, this is an INFORMATIONAL meeting, you will NOT be meeting each Wed to train. Even though this is an Olympic distance plan geared towards the intermediate level, BEGINNERS are encouraged to come. Lisa will explain how to adjust the program in order to fit your needs.

Jeff Feldman (5:30 a.m. Tues/Thur Master Swim Coach), will be taking charge of the Masters Swim Program. He would like to put together a swimmer email list (like we do for group fitness) to keep everyone updated on swim related issues, pool schedules, competitions, etc. If you would like to be included on this email list, let me know. Also, please pass the word along to those you know that "just swim" and wouldn't be on this email list. You can also email Jeff directly at Jeff.Feldman@tampaymca.org. He is also starting a 10:30 a.m. Saturday Master Swim. He is very excited about growing adult swimming at our facility and is open to all kinds of suggestions and input, so now is your chance to let him know what you want. He has offered to do some clinics for our group, just let me know when/if you are interested. If you are interested, day/time suggestions are welcomed. For those of you that don't know who Jeff is, here is a mini bio, that I asked him to write . . .

I began swimming at age nine for Carrollwood Village Swim Team. At 13 years old my body finally stopped growing at 6’5. It was also the age I started to notice significant improvements in my times. At 14, I went to the Junior Olympics. At 15, I qualified for the Junior Nationals. I was now swimming with the big boys. Age 17 took me to the Senior Nationals where I swam against a 40 year old Mark Spitz, who at that time was going for the 88 games in Seoul. I didn’t even know until race was over that I was swimming with my childhood hero. At 18, I graduated high school with two state titles under my belt which gained me a scholarship to FSU, where I swam with some really fast, talented people. Attended the NCAA’s in Buffalo New York, which is really the most competitive meet in the world. My next logical step was the 92 Olympics in Barcelona, but I missed Trials by .004 seconds. I stopped swimming at FSU after only two years. The 96 Olympics seemed just too far away. I do not wish to leave this bio on a down note, so after swimming, I joined the FSU Theater School and traded the blocks for the stage. But that is another story…

Will Schaefer will be taking a couple of new riders out on Saturday morning around 7am (basically day break) for 20 miles meeting at the Lutz Lake Fern Trailhead. The goal is to teach basic bike etiquette and safety so that you can ride safely and comfortably in a group. If interested in participating in this, please email Will directly at wschaefer@oti-solutions.com.

USA Cycling certified coach, Mike Ruiz (and Spin instructor), will be leading a ride from the Suncoast trailhead on Lutz Lake Fern at 8am on Sat, Feb 21. This is a GREAT opportunity for some free cycling coaching from a great instructor. For more information, contact Mike at mike.g.ruiz@bankofamerica.com.

Bo will be riding on Sunday at 8am from the SR54 and Suncoast Trail for about 30 miles. If interested in joining him, you can email Bo at bo22244@aol.com.

As always, it's an open invitation to whomever would like to join our Wed 9am ride in San Antonio. Our normal group is Tracy Parker, Lisa Sandusky, Kevin Miller, Tom Paggio, Paula McCarron and myself. Just let me know if you would like to be added to the Wed ride email.

If you currently have a pretty steady ride day and time and would like to invite others to join your group, let me know your approximate pace and I will be happy to pass it on.

One of our new Spinning instructors, Phillip Newman, is a veteran triathlete (all distances), certified tri coach and masters swim coach at Northwest. We have talked about possibly doing some brick workouts or run groups in either the EARLY morning or mid-morning time slot. Let me know if there is any interest here and if so, when? Phillip will be teaching on Wednesday mornings and every other Friday night. Click here for an updated tri training schedule.

For those of you that are leery about swimming in the open water, or just want a little extra practice, Bill Floyd's open water swim sessions will start on Wed, March 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Courtney Campbell Causeway. For more information, you can email Bill directly at BFloydPres@aol.com . If you know of other open water swim opportunities, let me know and I will be happy to pass it on to the group.

Discount at Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium! Brian is going to give us the below discount at CBE, however, you need to be listed on our tri club roster in order to get the discount. If you are not sure if you are on the roster, then just email me your phone number and USAT number and I will make sure you are on the list. FYI - you will still get the discount, even if you are not a USAT member, but I do need your phone number.

The Tri Team will receive a 5% discount on bikes, 10% discount on accessories, and we will have several events throughout the year when Members can receive deeper discounts. I'll send notifications regularly.

The Tri Team can also "double up" on sale items. So if we have something on sale at 10% off, the Tri Team gets it for 20% off.

Shari Palasti asked me to pass the below information on to you about a nationally recognized speaker that will be in town. Linda Chae will speak on Wednesday evening at 7 at the Carrollwood Cultural Center and Thursday afternoon at Abby’s Health and Nutrition store at 1. Both events are free, and reservations are suggested to ensure a seat. For more information, contact Shari at spalasti@tmdtampa.com.

We don't have to look too far for inspiration! One of our new Y and tri team members, Ronnie Dickson, has an incredible story to share. If interested in reading more, please check out the below links . . .

http://lisasleisuretime.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2244623
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/08/Sports/Abandoning_the_path_o.shtml

Is anyone doing Chilly Willy on Feb 8? Right now, I have Bill Ayers and Tracy Parker listed. Let me know if anyone else will be racing it. Also, is anyone doing the Zephyrhills Sprint or the Miami Olympic on March 15?

Don't forget to register for Muddy Buddy. The race is on Saturday, May 9 at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney. Register soon, because it does sell out - http://www.muddybuddy.com/. This is who I have racing so far . . . let me know if I'm missing you . . .

Pete & Jill Martino - Team Exfoliating
Dayna Davidson & Gabby - Team Stupid
Ken and Linda
Linda & Jason Odom
Katie & Kevin Miller - Team Muddy Millers
Amy Hewitt & Candie Jensen
Bill & Leslie O'Neill - Team Honey
Lisa & Jack Thurber

Lastly, Sports Authority is offering their Nike Promo this weekend in conjunction with Gasparilla. If you spend $75 on Nike this Saturday, Jan 31, you get a free entry into the Gasparilla 5k or 15k.

I think that's it for now. Please send me your USAT number before you forget. THANK YOU!

Tampa Tri Team Update 1-17-08

First things first . . . we have had so many new people join our club in the last two weeks that I'm a little concerned several of you are going to miss out on the opportunity to purchase tri gear. I can't guarantee when/if we will place another order because we will have to have a minimum purchase like this time, so if you want something, now is the time. I spoke with Squadra yesterday and even though our order is in production, we may be able to add a couple of items IF I have the additional requests to them by Monday - it all depends on what is requested and what they already have printed. They asked me to send my wish list and they will see what they can do. So, if you still want something, email me your order ASAP. The order form is attached, along with the design. Our pick-up date is Friday evening, March 13. We'll either do the pick-up at my house or do it at the Youth & Family Center - set-up the bouncy house, let the kids play in the gym, water park would probably be open by then, etc. Let me know if you have a preference. I would like to get a team picture that night too.

If you are doing St. Anthony's or another Olympic distance race for the first time this season, or if you simply would like a more detailed plan to follow, come to Lisa's informational meeting on Wed, January 28 at 6pm at the Bob Sierra YMCA. If you would like to do a spring Olympic and utilize our free training program, but didn't get into St. Anthony's, you can sign-up for the Sarasota Sharks Triathlon at Siesta Key on May 9 (just two weeks after St. Anthony's). This would give you a little more time to build some base before starting your training. You can email Lisa directly at Lisa.sandusky@verizon.net for more information.

If you join or renew your membership with USAT this month, you can receive a free Endurance Films video on either open water swimming or transitioning. Don't worry if your membership is not due until later in the year, the 12 months will be added to your existing membership, it won't be cut short. If you do three or more triathlons a year, it is worth your time to join USAT. Here is the link if you are interested . . .
usatmembership.com. Please email me your USAT numbers asap so that I can get our club registered with USAT. THANK YOU!

I copied an email below from the St. Anthony's race director (I'm sure several of you received the same email). It looks as though he is involved with the Nation's tri in DC this year on September 13. Victoria and I did the race last season and it was amazing! The mayor of DC is an elite triathlete - they shut down the WHOLE CITY for the race - we had four lanes of traffic to ride our bike if we wanted it. Additionally, it was very motivating to race through the monuments. If you are looking for a destination race, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this race, as I'm sure Victoria would also. I know Dayna Davidson is planning on doing the race this season. It wouldn't take much to convince me to do it again. Let me know if you are planning on it. Here is the email from Phillip . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nation's Triathlon~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2009 St. Anthony's Participants,

Last year I had the opportunity to assist the race organizers with producing The Nation's Triathlon in Washington, DC. It is truly one of the most memorable experiences I have had in the sport of triathlon. It features a course that winds through Washington, DC's monument corridor in the shadow of the nation's best known memorials and national treasures.
From its one-of-a-kind course route in and around the monuments of Washington, D.C. to its extra large transition area, fast course design and athlete friendly attitude, this race is great for new triathletes and seasoned veterans alike. For more information or to register, click on the link below.
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001otOf2ojRFlgxRyCcpEMZC6WKIGBNDBLgs58Z21r5uKIuIqz2MkbJNxbDJzslRfsSy2QX8xwNTc6MKcowSxTU8KRDLdEINsNJB9jzqHQemkkDCejZcb1kA8kITBlCbVqXwEF8-53T1lIK3bAQRX3RO4M8NaklDR3_tmEfJ5NnINffLHW7elpuEA==

I hope to see you in Washington D.C. on September 13th

Safe Training!

Philip LaHaye
Event Director
St. Anthony's Triathlon


The East Pasco YMCA will be hosting a sprint Triathlon in Zephyrhills on March 15. This is a pool swim race. Race start is 8:30am, registration opens at 6am. This is a great first-timer race, do it as a relay or just work off the race kinks before you head into a competitive season. Let me know if you are planning on doing it. Here is the link to register: www.tampaymca.org/eastpascotri . This would be a great race to do as a team.


Muddy Buddy registration is now open! The race is on Saturday, May 9 and is A LOT of fun. I would recommend doing it at least once. My husband and I are already registered as are several others. This race does sell out very quickly, so if you want to do it, get registered asap. The website is http://www.muddybuddy.com/. Let me know if you're doing it and what your team name is. Last year we had about 14 teams from the Y participate, we went out to dinner the night before and just had a lot of fun. They do have a kids race too - last year the whole Sandusky and Hickson family participated.


Also, there is an "unofficial" masters swim at the YMCA on Saturday mornings at 10:30am. If you have any questions about this, email Jeff Feldman at Jeff.Feldman@tampaymca.org.

Please email me your USAT numbers so that I can get our club registered. Also, let me know what races you are doing this season. You can stop by the tri-club board outside the new Spinning room to add, mark out any information on the board. Also, if I have misspelled your name on the tri club board, please correct it, then I can correct it on my computer at home before I put an updated list up.

Email Update 1-10-09

Well I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays! I know I'm definitely ready to get back into the swing of a regular training schedule and routine. If you haven't planned out your 2009 race/training season yet, we have a pretty complete race schedule of local races with links to the individual race sites on our tri club website at the following link . . .http://tampatriteam.blogspot.com/search/label/Races

FYI, the Muddy Buddy registration has opened! The race will be on Sat, May 9. It was a blast last year. If this is something you are interested in doing, you need to get registered soon. You can go to www.muddybuddy.org for more information. Definitely a must do, at least once.

Before I get much further, WELCOME to all of our new tri-club members. We have several people that are new to our group, new to the Y and new to racing in general, so WELCOME to you! Click Here for a complete list of classes at the Y that we deem more "tri-specific". Also, we will be adding several more Spinning classes to the schedule starting in February - so this schedule will change slightly. I will keep you posted on this.

For those of you training for St. Anthony's or your first Olympic Distance Triathlon this season, Lisa Sandusky will be leading a FREE Olympic distance training program. The informational meeting is on Wed, Jan 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Bob Sierra YMCA. The training will start the following Monday. If you would like to participate, but will not be able to make it to the meeting, you can email Lisa directly at Lisa.sandusky@verizon.net. For those of you that are BRAND new to triathlons, Lisa will be leading another beginner training program this summer for a sprint distance race.

Our tri-club uniform order is placed and is going through the print process now. Let's plan on Friday night, March 13 as our pick-up date right now. I would love to get everyone together for a team picture with all of our new stuff if possible. If you didn't order anything, I will have just a handful of extras of certain items. If you want to reserve something, let me know asap, but it is too late to place a specific race uniform order. However, you can still order our club, white dry-fit shirt with our new team name (T³). These shirts are the same brand as the Iron Distance Challenge shirts and the shirts we ordered last year - they are pretty loosely cut. The prices are listed below. If you haven't already ordered one of these, you can email me your order and size and drop a check off at the YMCA, made out to the YMCA. The prices are below . . .

$17 - Sleeveless
$18 - Short Sleeve
$20 - Long Sleeve

Because this email goes to so many people, it has a tendency to fall into spam folders. Once we're in season, if you go two weeks without an email from me, most likely it's in with your junk. If that's where you want to keep it, that's fine. However, if you feel like you have missed some information, the key points will be posted on our website, so you can always check that out (www.tampatriteam.com). Thanks so much to Kevin Miller for keeping this maintained for us.

Thanks to Ken Page for sharing this great link . . . http://findaraceevent.com/user/search.aspx. It allows you to find a race based on your criteria, ie: Olympic Distance Race in June in Georgia. The link is posted on our website on the left as "Find a Race to Match Your Criteria ". If you have any useful websites that you think should be added as links to our webpage, please let me know.

Prime Physical Therapy will be doing Metabolic testing at the Y on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 8am – 12pm. The cost is $50. For more information, you can contact Nikki at Nikki.Nekoloff@TampaYMCA.Org

I have posted some training information on our website too, along with some training and race results logs. These are programs that I put in the original notebook that I gave everyone at our "founders" meeting a couple of years ago. There is a VERY first-timer sprint, a beginner sprint for the athlete, a beginner & intermediate Olympic and a half-ironman program all posted on there. I figure if you are doing Ironman races, you most likely already know what you're doing and have figured out the resources that you need.
Here's a link to the page with the training programs . . .
http://tampatriteam.blogspot.com/search/label/Training%20Programs

Our tri-club board has moved downstairs outside the new Spinning Room. Be sure to stop by the board to write down any upcoming races that you are doing. I know that there are a few people doing the Gainesville winter tri/du races this weekend - I hope it goes great! I probably won't start following race results until February. Some upcoming races are listed below. Let me know if you are doing any of these . . .

Chilly Willy Duathlon - Fort Desoto - Feb 8
Clermont - April 14 & 15
Gainesville Winter Tri's - Feb 8 and March 8
Zephyrhills - March 15 - small, great race (pool swim) to start the season)
Miami Olympic - March 15
Clean Air Ride - March 21

See you at the Y!
Jill

Tri-Club Update 12-8-08

All of the samples have been sent back to Squadra, so you can no longer try things on; however, our order is not finalized (since our design is not finalized), so if you would still like to place an order, or change a size, let me know asap. Once the order is finalized, it should take about 6 weeks to get everything printed and delivered; however, I would suspect that holidays would delay that. So, let's plan on picking things up in February (hopefully sooner) and taking a team picture. I'll keep you posted on the details. Let me know a day/time that might work best. I was thinking maybe a Saturday afternoon. The more people that can come, the better.

Also, for those of you that would just like a dry-wick shirt - last year's design, with the new team name and tag line - you can still place that order. Just tell me what you want and I'll make sure it gets ordered. This is a great quality, loose fitting shirt - not the same one we ordered our first year. Prices are below . . .
-Short-Sleeve Shirt - $18
-Sleeveless Shirt - $17
-Longsleeve Shirt - $20

Let me know if you got into St. Anthony's. I know I'm missing several of you, so let me know if you're doing it.

More Tri Club Stuff 11-25-08

Just an FYI - I'm going to have to start blind copying everyone on our emails. However, if you need to get into contact with someone, just email me directly for their address.

Thanks so much to Kevin Miller for organizing, updating and maintaining our blogspot, www.tampatriteam.com. This is meant to be interactive and a tool for everyone to use and contribute to. So, if you have any helpful websites or pieces of information that you think other club members could benefit from, just email it to myself, ymcajill@aol.com, or to Kevin at kmiller@idlewild.org. I'll eventually get our complete 2009 race list posted with links to their sites - there is a partial list up now. This is also a great place to post race reports, for anyone who is interested. This is a complete work in progress, so let us know what information would be helpful to add.

Please get your tri-club apparel order placed asap. I have three people that are interested in getting a tri-suit, but I need a minimum of 12 to actually order them. If you are interested in also getting a tri-suit, let me know asap. Let me know if you need me to send you another order form or if you have any questions.

For those of you that are thinking about doing the Gator Half on April 5 in Sarasota, there is a great opportunity for a good deal this Friday ONLY - half off entry.

Don't forget early sign-up for St. Anthony's (dual registration with Morton Plant Mease) is this Friday and Saturday. Lisa will be leading another free training group for this race. The informational meeting will be on Wed, Jan 28 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the Bob Sierra YMCA. The actual training program will start on Monday, February 2.

We have two sponsors for our triathlon club this season - ISM Saddles (www.ismseat.com) and Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium (www.cbebikes.com). Carrollwood would really like to get more involved with the triathlon market - both Manny and Brian have become triathletes themselves and will be doing St. Anthony's with us in the spring. They welcome any and all feedback you want to give them on becoming a more "tri-friendly" store. So now is your chance to shoot them an email (tell them your a member of the club) and let them know what products/services they could offer to better serve the tri market: carrollwood.bicycle@verizon.net.

One more thing - I have been asked several times if you need to be a YMCA member in order to be a part of the tri-club and the answer is yes. However, they can be a member of ANY YMCA, it does NOT have to be the Bob Sierra branch. We don't charge dues because we offer the tri-club and two free training programs as a service to our members. So, as your friends inquire about the group, just encourage them to join the Y.

I think that's it for now. Have a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

Tri Club Quick Reminder 11-24-08

First of all, THANKS so much to Mark Davis for hosting the tri-club party Saturday night. It was a lot of fun. We should really do that more often.

Mark your calendars for Wed, Dec 10 and Dec 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the YMCA Conference Room for our guest speaker on sports injuries, Wes Dykes. Please let me know if you are going to be able to attend so that I have an idea of how many people to plan for. These will be two DIFFERENT presentations.

Tri club apparel orders need to be placed THIS WEEK! I know some of you are out-of-town for the Thanksgiving holiday and still want to try things on. Please email me your sizes and we'll get things worked-out as soon as you get back. I'm still working with our graphics department and Squadra on a final design, so please just trust me on it. This will be the only order we place this season. You won't be able to order again until this time next year. I will send out the design as soon as I have it.

I will also have things at the Y tomorrow (Tues) between 7:30-9:00a.m. and 5-5:45 p.m. I will be training someone between 5:45-6:45p.m., but will be able to answer questions and take orders after 6:45 p.m. I will also be at the Y Thurs, Fri and Sat mornings. Just let me know when/if you need to come by to try apparel on so I know whether or not to stick around. You can place your orders with me, mail them to me or place them directly at the front desk. Make sure if you place them at the front desk that you tell them to put the order form in my mailbox.

FYI for women - If you like your tri-top longer, order a smaller men's size and just wear a sports bra under it. Both have pockets, however the women's long top is a little short. Also, if you want the women's long top, but need bra support built-in, just write "plus $3" on your order form next to it. Several of you have wondered what a "singlet" is . . . don't get this confused with the one-piece tri-suit. The run singlet is just a looser fitting, dry-wick tank without a pocket.

On another note, several of us have signed-up for New Orleans 70.3 on April 5, 2009 - it's suppose to be a very flat course and shouldn't be hot. They are still accepting applications. So far, this is who I know is doing it . . . let me know if I'm missing anyone. If you are interested, reserve a room asap . . . everything is booking up quickly. We will be at the Residence Inn on 345 St. Joseph Street.
-Lisa Sandusky
-Tracy Parker
-Jill Martino
-Laura Toll
-Val Brand
-Karina Findlay
-Andrew Findlay

Tri Club Update for 11-19-08

Tri Club party is this Saturday night, Nov 22, at 5pm at Mark Davis' home. If you not rsvp'd yet, it's not too late. Also, if your plans change and you decide Saturday afternoon that you can make it after all, just come - the more the merrier. If you can bring a side, that would be fantastic, but please don't let that keep you from coming.

As for the tri-club apparel, I will have samples for you to try-on at the party. I will need everyone's order on or before Saturday, November 29. FYI - Squadra is pretty true to size, so you should be safe ordering your normal size, even if you don't have an opportunity to try it on. Just email me and I will shoot you an order form - the price does include tax, so just add it up, write a check (or put your credit card info on there) and either drop it in the mail to me or place your order directly at the front desk and have them mark the form paid and place it in my mailbox at the Y. FYI - If you place the order directly at the front desk, it would be safest to email me what you ordered too, just so I make sure it gets placed correctly - better safe than sorry.

The more people we have wearing matching race gear, the cooler it will be. Once the order arrives, I would like to specify a pick-up date in January/February, in which everyone wears their tri-club shirt (also available to order on order form) and/or race gear. We can then arrange a team picture and hopefully get it printed in USAT Triathlon's magazine sometime in 2009. The more that can come, the more impressive it will be.

A lot of you are training for marathons and half marathons and for many of you, this will be your first time completing this distance. We are very lucky to have a knowledgeable and experienced running coach in our group, Paula McCarron. For those of you that aren't aware, she has always led a marathon training group on early Saturday mornings that meets in the parking lot behind Lifestyles - some people run with her and then join the Gaither Bike Ride at 7:30/8:00 a.m. Anyway, if you are interested in some great training, contact Paula at runlifehealth@yahoo.com and she will let you know the details and meeting times. FYI - this is free.

Mark your calendar - Sports Medicine Physician with the FL Orthopaedic Institute, Wes Dykes, will be speaking to our triathlon club on Wed, Dec 10 at 6:30 p.m. Because there is so much interest in this, he is willing to make this a two-part series to make sure we get all of our questions answered. The 2nd date will most likely be the following Wed, Dec 17 at the same time.

Craig Hickson has a FREE 2-Bike car carrier available to anyone who wants it. If interested, contact Craig at teamhickson@yahoo.com.

Don't forget that this week is BIKE WEEK at the YMCA. Bring in your old bikes (adult or child) by Saturday in order to have it donated to God's Pedal Power.

Take a look at the calendar and let me know what races you're planning on. I will have calendars available at the tri-club party. If you could write your name on the calendar and circle the races you are tentatively planning on, in addition to adding others and any general comments you may have, I can keep a better, ongoing list.

Mike's next Saturday morning ride will be on Saturday, Dec 13, rolling out at 7am in front of the YMCA. For more details, you can email Mike at mike.g.ruiz@bankofamerica.com.

Trailside Bicycles (by the Super Target on 54) will have a ride on Nov 30, meeting at the store. Their last shop ride was 60 miles and averaged 19mph speed. They had a great turnout and ride. They also have a great list of maps to all the area rides, including San Antonio at the following link: http://www.stsbikes.com/trails.html.

David Reifert just shared a great triathlon conversion calculator at the following website - http://www.bx3.com/phil/tri/tricalc.asp

Please read the below email from Laura Toll regarding an autographed ISM saddle from Lance Armstrong.

Hi Jill,

I was wondering if you could pass this on to the Tri Club? This coming Friday and Saturday, November 21st and 22ND, Ackerman Jewelry, 5335 Ehrlich Rd, Tampa will be having their annual Holiday open house. They will be displaying all of the season's newest jewelry as well as having their local representatives from the various jewelry lines.

In addition, every year Ron and Tina Ackerman have a silent auction to support the Children's Cancer Center. Steve and I have been supporters of the Children's Cancer Center and this year, we have been able to donate a very unique, one of a kind, item for the auction:
The USA ISM Racing seat, signed by Lance Armstrong.

In September, while exhibiting at Interbike, in Las Vegas, we found out that Lance Armstrong was coming to the event to announce that he was returning to racing and to promote cancer awareness and research. As you know, Lance's "LiveStrong" campaign has been very successful resulting in millions of dollars going toward this cause. Steve approached the line for signatures (along with hundreds of others) and he was able to have about 3 minutes with Lance. While standing in line, Steve kept preparing a big speech about the bike seat, but when the time came, all he could get out of his mouth, was to ask Lance for his signature for the Children's Cancer Center. Lance was not suppose to sign anything except for the prepared posters that he was handing out, but he agreed to sign the seat since it was going to such a great cause.

The auction will take place this Saturday, at Ackerman's Jewelry, however, you do not have to be there at the time. If you are interested in putting in a bid, you can go to the store or call them. Their store phone number is : 813-961-7321. The money goes for a great cause and just think about a Christmas gift that would be !!!

Thanks

Laura Toll
www.ISMseat.com

On Saturday, Nov 22 at 9am - there will be another Women on Wheels event - a monthly gathering of women to have fun and learn about cycling meeting on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. For more information, contact Tina A Russo, Russot@Hillsboroughcounty.org/ 813-801-6732. FYI - My understanding is that this is for beginner cyclists, but I could be wrong.

Make sure you get your T³ (thanks to David & Craig for telling me how to cube this) order placed asap. Since we have no budget, I do need to collect money before the order is placed. Deadline is next Saturday, Nov 29. The base color of the apparel will be black with blue, yellow & orange design. I promise they will be cool looking. As soon as I have the design, I will pass it your way, but please don't let this delay your order. If I get a deposit put down on the order by Dec 1, we will get a 5% discount . . . every little bit helps.

Don't hesitate to shoot me questions and/or suggestions about anything.
I look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday at Mark's!
Jill Martino
Group Fitness Coordinator