Above: Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva, and her husband Rob finishing the swim leg of their first ever triathlon, February 2011.
Race Bike Diva Race
It's that time of year again. Time for reflection as I look back at the races I participated in 2011 and figure out which events I want to race in 2012. I've been racing since 2008, you can view my Bike Diva Race Schedule to see all the events I participated in since that time: https://bikediva.net/bike-divas-races.html.
I start planning my schedule for the following year in the early fall for a number of reasons:
- The companies I am trying to obtain sponsorship from for the 2012 race season usually accept applications in the fall for sponsorship the following year. Every potential sponsor needs a general idea of the events you plan on doing.
- I am married with children and need to plan my training and racing around my husbands work schedule and daughters school schedule.
- I am not independently wealthy, and as an amateur athlete, I have to pay the entry fee to all my events. Being on a limited budget I have to decide which events are the most important to me each year.
- I live in south Florida and could easily race year round. But that would be a recipe for disaster. Everyone needs an off season to rest and recuperate from their main racing season before gearing up their training for the next racing season. I was exhausted at the end of 2010 after doing 22 events, so I am trying really hard to scale back a bit. Fewer races should mean those races are better/faster than going slow and suffering when doing too many events.
Above: showing off my bike in the transition area of the 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon.
Bike Diva's 2011 Races
As you can see, I still have a few races left to go for 2011. My "A" race of the year, the one which is the most important to me, takes place on November 13. I will be competing in my first half Ironman distance triathlon at Miami Man, 6 days before my 48th birthday!
- 2/06 - Club Med Race Series #1 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
- 2/26 - Race for Faith – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
- 3/13 - 35th Annual Shamrock Run – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
- 3/27 – Club Med Race Series #2 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
- 4/03 - Spring Training Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
- 4/17 - FAU Wellness Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Spanish River Park, Boca Raton
- 4/23 - Egg Hunt Triathlon - sprint triathlon - CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines
- 5/01 - St. Anthony's Triathlon - Olympic triathlon - Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg
- 5/07 – 10th Annual Race for the Arts – 5k – John Prince Park, Lake Worth
- 7/04 - Independence Day - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
- 7/24 – Club Med Race Series #4 – sprint triathlon – Club Med, Port St. Lucie
- 8/06 - Loggerhead Triathlon - sprint triathlon - Carlin Park, Jupiter.
- 8/21 - WPB Race Series - 15k time trial bike race - West Palm Beach.
- 10/02 - Race the Troops - sprint triathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
- 11/13 - Miami Man – ½ Ironman triathlon – Larry & Penny Thompson Park, Homestead
- 11/19 25th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k run - Anchor Park, Delray Beach
- 12/03 - Warrior Dash - 5k adventure run - Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield Beach
Above: my favorite part of the triathlon, the bike leg!
Bike Diva's Tentative 2012 Race Schedule
This is a very preliminary schedule. I don't have any dates yet for the Club Med series of triathlons or any of the Multirace.com triathlons. I'm not sure if I will commit to doing my first full Ironman distance triathlon the end of 2012 or 2013. If I don't do Ironman in 2012 then I will do the half Ironman again at Miami Man in lieu of Ironman Florida.
Also, if my swim confidence has improved, then I'm looking at NOT doing as many Multirace.com events as I usually do and adding in some of the bigger tris, such as Miami International, Nautica South Beach or Escape to Miami to my schedule. BUT I will have to get over my fear of bridges, Miami triathlons are full of stinking bridges.
Also, my local chapter Team in Training is talking about doing the Moab century ride next September. That is a 100 mile road bike ride in the mountains in Utah. My husband is one of the Team in Training cycle coaches, so if Moab is a go, then I'll be training for that event in September in lieu of doing Nation's triathlon.
The Disney half and full marathon (AKA Goofy Race & a half Challenge) are the only events that I have already registered for in 2012. I am doing Goofy with my local chapter of Team in Training to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This leaves a lot of room for changes and additions to the schedule. But potential sponsors for 2012 race season need to have a general idea of what events I plan to race so I put together this tentative schedule.
- 1/07/12 - Disney - half marathon - Orlando
- 1/08/12 - Disney - marathon - Orlando
- 2/19/12 - A1A - marathon - Ft. Lauderdale
- 2/25/12 - 9th Annual Race for Faith - 5k - Lake Worth
- 3/10/12 - 11th Annual Race for the Arts - 5k - West Palm Beach
- 3/?/12 - 36th Annual Shamrock Run - 5k or 10 miler - Lake Worth
- 4/15/12 - FAU - sprint triathlon - Boca Raton
- 4/29/12 - St. Anthony's - Olympic triathlon - St. Petersburg
- 8/?/12 - Loggerhead - sprint triathlon - Jupiter
- 9/09/12 - Nation's - Olympic triathlon - Washington, DC
- ??11/?/12 - Ironman Florida - Full Ironman triathlon - Panama City Beach OR
- 11/?/12 - Miami Man - half Ironman triathlon - Miami
- 11/?/12 - 26th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k - Delray Beach
- 12/?/12 - Palm Beach Marathon - marathon - West Palm Beach
Above: my least favorite part of triathlons, the swim. I've only been swimming since January 3, so I guess I'm doing okay for just getting into triathlons. I am like a fish out of water in the water - LOL!
Additional Sponsorship Information
Here are links to articles I've written on obtaining sponsorship for amateur athletes:
Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva
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