Bike Diva: Florida News

Florida News

12/09/2011

Stuart's Wild Ride Triathlon Shop

Boca Raton Triathlon Shop

There is a new bike shop in town; Stuart's Wild Ride in Boca Raton. Stuart's is a bike shop specializing in Cervelo bikes and a variety of clothing, gear and accessories for both road cyclists and triathletes. I am partial to Cervelo bikes as my triathlon bike is a Cervelo P2C which I upgraded with Reynold's deep dish carbon wheels and a ISM Adamo race saddle. My husband and I recently had a chance to attend the official grand opening celebration for Stuart's Wild Ride which took place on Friday, December 2nd.

Above: Stuart's Wild Ride bike shop is located right next to Stuart's of Boca tennis shop.

From Tennis to Bikes

Stuart's Wild Ride is owned and operated by Stuart Ambramson. Stuart's Wild Ride is right next to Stuart's of Boca, which is Ambramson's tennis shop, which he opened in 1983. Stuart got the bicycle bug a few years back, and decided he wanted to open a high end bicycle shop catering to triathletes, the result is Stuart's Wild Ride. Nick Yanarella is the shop manager and chief wrench, along with being a certified Retul bike fitter.

The shop has a boutique like feel to it thanks to the innovative displays of bikes, shoes, wheels, helmets and saddles. The unique displays almost seem more like you are viewing art work than looking at merchandise which is available for sale.

Above: that's me with pro cyclist Tom Danielson.

Meet a Pro Cyclist

My husband and I attended the official grand opening of Stuart's Wild Ride after hearing pro cyclist Tom Danielson was scheduled as the guest speaker at the grand opening. Tom is a member of the Garmin-Cervelo pro cycling team and competed in his first Tour de France in 2011. Tom was the top placing American cyclist in this years tour and placed 9th overall. Not bad for his debut performance.

Above: my sweet swag from Stuart's Wild Ride grand opening celebration.

What's the Speed Limit?

It was pretty interesting listening to a pro cyclist talk about his various races. Tom is only 33 years old, and at times he seemed like a little kid as his eyes lit up as he was revealing some really interesting information from one of his favorite races. Someone in the audience asked him how fast has he ever gone while racing. He had to do a quick kilometer to mile conversion but said he got up to 80 miles per hour at one race. He was in a huge peleton, going through a tunnel. There was no air resistance to slow them down in the tunnel, and it was very dark except for a single string of lights. He said there was no thinking about breaking, you were getting swept along in a pack of 200+ riders so you just had to have no fear and go along for the ride.

He does remember freaking out a bit when they finally came out of the tunnel and back into daylight and he grabed a quick peak at his cycling computer and realized how fast he had been going. Well, I've never gotten over 40 MPH while riding because I freak out if I go too fast downhill. I know some of my more agressive cycling friends have gotten up to speeds of almost 50 MPH so I knew the pros must get up to some really crazy speeds. But 80 MPH, no thank you!

Above: I felt like I was 5 years old as I was standing in line waiting for my turn to talk to Garmin-Cervelo rider Tom Danielson.

Grab Some Swag

After the question and answer session, Tom signed autographs for anyone wanting one. I got Tom to sign both a Cervelo poster and a postcard with his photo on the front. I also got a Cervelo feed bag and a water bottle to take home with me, free swag, sweet!

Above: store owner's Cheryl and Stuart Abramson with shop manager Nick Yanarella.

High End Gear and Accessories

Stuart's Wild Ride caters to the hard core road biker and triathlete looking for the best gear available. Stuart's carries top end road and triathlon bikes, helmets, seats, wheels, bike shoes, running shoes, clothing and accessories. Brand names carried at Stuart's Wild Ride included:

Cervelo
Look
Pinarello
Scott
Zipp
Mad Fibre
Speedplay
Zoot
Fizik
Giro
Rudy Project
ISM
Castelli
Assos

Above: one wall of Stuart's is covered in bikes, which are displayed in individual lighted boxes. Between my husband and I we own 7 bikes, I wonder if I can get him to build us a wall of bikes for our house!?!

Above: got wheels? Stuart's Wild Ride wheel display looks like art on display, pretty cool.

Finding Stuart's Wild Ride

Stuart's is located just west of the Florida Turnpike, on Glades Road in Boca Raton.

West Boca Plaza
8177 West Glades Road
Suite #12
Boca Raton, FL 33432

Above: wall of seats showing the variety available at the store. Many of the seats are available to test ride.

Above: traditional road bike helmets and a few aero helmets.

Additional Information

Stuart's Wild Ride

Website: www.stuartswildride.com
Facebook:
Twitter:

Tom Danielson

Website: wp.tomdanielson.com
Facebook:
Twitter:

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 12/09/2011 at 12:05 PM in Florida Bike Shops, Florida News, Multisport | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

01/31/2011

2011 WPB Time Trial Series

Hey race fans, have you been waiting to find out the dates of the West Palm Beach time trial series? I just received an email from race director Mike Purdy with the dates for 2011. Each race takes place on a Sunday. Race registration begins at 7:15 AM with the first racer starting at 8:01.

Above: The Bike Diva at the start line of one of the WPB time trial races.

What is the WPB TT Series?

The West Palm Beach time trial series is a series of 15k time trial bike races. 15k is about 9.3 miles; fast cyclists can complete a 15k in about 19-21 minutes, my fastest time was around 27-28 minutes. And it's a really short race, you can be done and eating breakfast, or on your way home by 10 or 10:30. The time trial participants start at 1 minute intervals; i.e. the first racer starts, then 1 minute later, the next racer starts, etc... The races take place in West Palm Beach, by 20 mile bend. Mike is working on getting the website updated: www.wpbraceseries.com.

My husband and I have done a few of the races during the past 3 years. I already have a lot of races on my schedule, but it looks like I can do most of the time trials this year. It's a local race for me, only costs $15 per race and is a good way to test your race speed before your next event. For example my time at the April 25, 2010 race was 29:38:10, while I improved my time to 27:58:11 at the June 13 race.

Above: The Bike Diva with her 3rd place age group medal.

Dates of the 2011 Time Trials

February 13
February 27
March 13
April 3
May 29
June 26
July 10
August 21
September 18
October 16

Above: Bike Diva's second place age group points series award for the 2008 race season.

Series Awards

The race is broken down into 10 year age groups. For example, I am 47 years old and race in the women 45-54 year old age group. Age groups are awarded medals 5 deep. There is also a trophy given out to the fastest man and fastest women at each race. If you compete in a minimum number of races, usually around 6 races, you also qualify for the points series awards. There will be an end of season awards party to give out the points series awards.

Above: Group photo at one of the 2009 time trial races.

Additional Information

Neither the website nor the Facebook page have been updated recently. Race Director Mike Purdy says he is working on getting the website updated. The website contains a map and directions on how to get to the race site.

Website: www.wpbraceseries.com

Facebook:

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 01/31/2011 at 11:21 AM in Bike Racing, Florida Bike Rides, Florida News, Press Releases, Time Trials | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

01/24/2011

Miami Speed Triathlon

General Information

Miami Speed Triathlon at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Website: http://www.miamispeedtri.com/event/overview/

Facebook page:

Event Dates:
May 21 & 22, 2011

Venue:
Homestead-Miami Speedway
1 Speedway Blvd
Homestead, FL 33035

Expo Times:
Saturday, from 10am to 5pm
Sunday, from 7am to 4pm

Race Day:
Sunday, 7am
Transition opens at 5am

Event Details

SPRINT DISTANCE RACE: Swim 750 meters | Bike 12.4 mi | Run 3.1 mi.
OLYMPIC DISTANCE RACE: Swim 1500 meters | Bike 24.8 mi | Run 6.2 mi.

The Miami Speed Triathlon age group race is a special qualifier race for USAT nationals, which are held in Burlington, Vermont in August.

START & FINISH INSIDE THE RACE TRACK
$30,000 CASH PRIZE FOR ELITE ATHLETES
FIRST DRAFT LEGAL ELITE SPRINT RACE IN FLORIDA
PART OF USA TRIATHLON NATIONAL ELITE SPRINT CUP
TWO DAYS OF MULTISPORT EXPO INSIDE TRACK GARAGE PITS
AGE GROUP RACE IS A SPECIAL QUALIFIER FOR USAT NATIONAL’S
CUSTOM FINISHER MEDAL & DRY-FIT SHIRT
MUSIC, FOOD, AND FUN AT THE FINISH LINE
ATHLETES FROM 30 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
WORLD-KNOWN ELITES RACING FOR A 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES SPOT
PROJECTED ATTENDANCE OF 1,200 ATHLETES, 3,000 SPECTATORS

Top 33% of each age group finishers will qualify for the USAT’s Age Group National Championship.

For the the first time in Florida, the event is also part of the USAT ELITE RACE SERIES – an ITU compliant race, with DRAFT LEGAL bike course and a prize purse of $30,000 in cash for top male and female Elite athletes. A very competitive and fast race, this special Elite Draft Legal race will attract the best names in the sport, as top Elite athletes fight for a spot in the 2012 Olympic games in London. Find more information about the USAT ELITE RACE SERIES by clicking in the button below.

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 01/24/2011 at 06:00 AM in Florida News, Multisport, Press Releases, Triathlons & Duathlons | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

12/23/2010

Try a Triathlon With Team in Training

Above: Rob and Lynn Smythe at the pre ride pasta party for the 2010 Intrawaterway Century Ride, Cocoa Beach, Florida.

FAU WELLNESS TRIATHLON
After 5 years of participating in century bike rides with our local Team in Training chapter, we have decided to start training for our very first triathlon. Although we have raced in a few duathlons (run-bike-run) over the past couple of years, the FAU Wellness Triathlon will be our first ever triathlon. FAU has an open water swim, so we have joined our local YMCA, so we can workout in their lap pool, to get a jump on our swim training. Lynn will be keeping track of her journey to become a triathlete on her Bike Diva blog: bikediva.net.

Above: Rob about to undergo his first bladder cancer surgery. Nice cap!

CANCER EFFECTS EVERYONE
Rob is going through his own battle to fight cancer right now. In September of 2009, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He had surgery in October, followed by 6 weeks of immunatherapy starting in December. In October of 2010, he went to his urologist for a routine check up, and was hoping to be 1 year cancer free. Unfortunately the cancer was back and he had to undergo a second surgery on December 15, 2010.

Above: Rob and Lynn Smythe at the start of the 2010 Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride.

Rob begins another round of immunatherapy and interferon treatments starting the end of January. He is in good health, and high spirits. We both enjoy being part of the Team in Training program and staying active, even while we are going through our own personal crisis, is the key to keeping a positive outlook on life. GO TEAM!

PLEASE DONATE TO TEAM IN TRAINING
We are training to participate in an endurance event as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. We am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support our participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. Thank you for your support. You can visit our fundraising page to make a donation to the society, in our name: Rob & Lynn Smythe's TNT Fundraising Page.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 12/23/2010 at 09:56 AM in Bike Diva News, Bike Racing, Bike Routes, Charity Bike Rides, Florida Bike Rides, Florida News, Fund Raising Events, Multisport, Non Profit Charities, Road Biking, Triathlons & Duathlons | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

12/07/2010

Bike Diva's Tentative 2011 Race Schedule

Run Bike Run

2011 will mark my 4th season of racing, and my third year of racing duathlons. I participate in the majority of the duathlons hosted by Multirace.com. Most of the Multirace.com events can be done as either a triathlon or a duathlon. Since I am swim challenged, I opt to do the duathlons.

Here is a listing of my tentative 2011 race schedule. Besides the duathlons, I plan on dong a few 5k runs and a few cycling events. All of these races take place in south Florida, unless otherwise noted.

Charity Bike Ride

I'm not sure of the exact date of the Honolulu Century Ride. We are trying to get our local Team in Training chapter to offer the Honolulu ride as one of it's fall season events. Team in Training is the main fundraising program of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In the past 5 years my husband and I have participated in five century (100 mile) road bike rides with the society, while raising over $22,000 to help find a cure for blood cancers.

If the Honolulu century ride is a go, I will be altering my race schedule for the month of September. My husband, daughter and I plan on spending around 10 days in Oahu, if we go, so we will be traveling out to Hawaii before the rest of the TNT cycle team gets out there. Time to start saving our pennies!

Bike Diva's 2011 Race Schedule

1/15 - Dyer Consequences - 10k trail run - Dyer Park, West Palm Beach
2/06 - 9th Annual Butterfly Run - 5k run - Sabal Pines Park, Coconut Creek
3/06 - Spring Training Classic - 10k run - Rodger Dean Stadium, Jupiter
4/03 - Multirace Season Opener - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
4/23 - Egg Hunt - sprint duathlon - CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines
5/07 - 10th Annual Race for the Arts - 5k run - John Prince Park, Lake Worth
5/15 - Tri Miami - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
5/22 - Riviera Beach - sprint duathlon - Ocean Mall, Singer Island
6/11 - TBA - sprint duathlon
6/19 - Mack Cycle Trilogy #1 - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
7/04 - Independence Day - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
7/17 - Mack Cycle Trilogy #2 - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
8/14 - Mack Cycle Trilogy #3 - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
9/04 - Labor Day Weekend - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
9/18 - Mack Cycle Trilogy Bonus Round - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
9/25? - Honolulu Marathon - century road bike ride - Oahu, Hawaii
10/09 - Race the Troops - sprint duathlon - Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek
10/16 - Last Chance duathlon - sprint duathlon - Crandon Park, Key Biscayne
11/13 - Miami Man - half Ironman duathlon - Miami
11/19 25th Annual Turkey Trot - 5k run - Anchor Park, Delray Beach

Above: Bike Diva racing in a duathlon on South Beach, Miami.

Final Thoughts

I did 23 races in 2010. I was REALLY tired by the end of the year. I've been saying that I need to cut WAY back on the number of races I do in 2011. But it's so hard when there are so many awesome events to choose from. And except for the Honolulu century ride, they are all within a 20 minute to 1 1/2 hour drive from my house. Don't even get me started on the all the awesome events there are outside of Florida, not enough time or $$ in the budget to start racing out of state.

My main race of the year is the 1/2 Ironman duathlon at Miami Man in November. I don't want to totally take off time from training and racing, so I think throwing in a few 5k's during my down time will keep me from totally getting stale.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 12/07/2010 at 11:38 AM in Bike Diva News, Bike Racing, Charity Bike Rides, Florida News, Multisport, Road Biking, Running, Time Trials, Triathlons & Duathlons | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

11/04/2010

Jack the Bike Man's Cyclefest 2011

Downtown West Palm Beach Florida located in the new and wonderful City Commons Waterfront Park and along Flagler Drive

February 25, 26 and 27, 2011

Schedule of Planned Events:

Professional Sanctioned Criterium Bicycle Racing

Friday night under the lights, Saturday morning and evening and Sunday morning and evening

Beach Cruiser races on the same track as the Criterium

Saturday night is for Adults at City Commons Waterfront

A Bicycle Movie
Chopper bike contest
Freakbike Militia Ride with fun and games

Sunday, all day, in City Commons Waterfront Park

The PAL bike ride will pass by us. This is a fund raiser for Palm Beach County PAL
Many fun events for children and families
Family ride around the park, Best themed Family gets the prize
Tandem Bicycle race around the park
Tricycle, big and small, race around the park
Mexican Hat dance with BMX bicycles
Tall Bike Race
Ladies wearing a big hat riding a beach cruiser with a doggie in the basket
Art contests including best home painted bicycle. (Celebrity Judge)
School Students art contest for drawings of bicycles
Special events designed, named, promoted and produced by youth groups
Bicycle Shops in the area will have clinics on repair and maintenance of bikes
Bicycle shops will have special sizing of bicycles for each individual
Safety Council of the Palm Beaches will size Helmets
Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will be given the tools to obtain Badges in cycling
Bicycle shops will hold Nutrition Information for the bicyclists
Manufacturers will have displays of bicycles and bike gear
Venders will set up tents around the park that are all bicycle, exercise and green related

For more information, Please contact Jack Hairston, Executive Director of

Jack the Bike Man, Inc. at c

Check our website for scheduling and continuous updates at www.jtbmcyclefest.org

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 11/04/2010 at 02:55 PM in Bike Racing, Crits & Circuit Races, Florida Bike Rides, Florida News, Press Releases, Road Biking | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

11/02/2010

2010 Cocoa Beach Century Ride

Above: Palm Beach Team in Training bike jersey for the 2010 Intracoastal Waterway century ride.

2010 Cocoa Beach Century Ride

On Sunday, October 31, my husband and I participated in the 22nd annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride. This was a 102.5 mile bike ride which started and ended in historic Cocoa Village in Florida. The ride was hosted by the Space Coast Freewheelers bicycle club.

Above: Participants lined up and ready to start the Cocoa Beach century ride, in front of the Cocoa Civic Center.

Historic Cocoa Village

It was a nice day for a ride. The ride started at 8 AM, in front of the Civic Center in historic Cocoa Village. Approximately 300 cyclists lined up for the start. Riders had the option to do a 14 or 28 mile ride, a 62 mile metric century ride (100 kilometers) or the full 100 mile century ride.

Although the forecast called for mild winds, there was quite a bit of wind out on the route, especially during the last few miles of the ride. The temperature ranged from 70 to 80 degrees, but because of the wind, and being in quite a bit of shade for the majority of the ride, the temperature was not too hot, and even a bit cool at times.

A total of 9 riders were on our team from the Palm Beach chapter of Team in Training. We all completed the 100 mile, actually 102.5 mile, full century ride. Our team consisted of 2 coaches, 1 mentor and 6 team members.

Above: the Cocoa Beach century ride was hosted by the Spacecoast Freewheelers.

Above: Left to right; Team in Training staff member Nicole Mercado Switzer, cycle coach Rob Smythe, team member Lynn Smythe (AKA the Bike Diva), cycle coach Bryan Merritt. Getting ready to cheer on the participants the night before the bike ride at the Team in Training pasta party.

Ride with Team in Training

The 2010 Cocoa Beach ride was the fifth century ride that my husband and I have done through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. TNT trains participants for a century bike ride, marathon or triathlon and in return, participants raise money for the society.

Above: Team photo, Palm Beach Team in Training 2010 Cocoa Beach cycle team. Top row left to right; Robert Smythe, Carlos Alvarenga, Alex Melkonian, Marc Julien, Bryan Merritt. Second row standing: Nicole Mercardo Switzer. Bottom row sitting left to right; Christine Maly, Micki Fetterman, Lynn Smythe (AKA the Bike Diva), Tami Young.

Here are the rides we've done through Team in Training:

2006 - 18th annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride - Cocoa, Florida. My husband and I were both members of the cycle team.
2007 - 25th annual El Tour de Tucson - Tucson, Arizona. My husband and I were co-mentors of the cycle team.
2008 - 20th annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride - Cocoa, Florida. My husband coached, and I mentored the cycle team.
2009 - America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride - Tahoe, Nevada. I was a team member, and my husband co-coached the cycle team.
2010 - 22nd annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride - Cocoa, Florida. My husband co-coached the cycle team, and I was a team member.

Above: At the Bank America parking lot, waiting for the ride to start.

Century Ride Statistics

My saddle time was 6 hours and 5 minutes. My total time, including rest stops was 7 hours 42 minutes. So my in the saddle time average MPH was 16.9, but when you figure in the rest breaks the computer calculated a speed of only 13.3 MPH.

Above: The Bike Diva pulling into unofficial Team in Training rest stop, a big thank you to Nicole, for cheering us on; and to Scott, for filling up our water bottles!!!!!!

Why such a difference? This was not a bike race, charity bike rides are social events. Although you can hammer it out if you want to try and set a new land speed record, most cyclists goals on this type of ride are to simply have fun and take the time to stop for lots of photo opportunities. Some year I would like to see how fast I could actually do a century ride, but with my 1/2 Ironman duathlon coming up on November 14 at Miami Man, I knew the Cocoa Beach ride was NOT going to be a hammerfest for me.

Here is a link to all my century ride statistics, as recorded by my Garmin Forerunner 310XT multi sport computer.

Grab a Post Ride Snack

After completing the ride, Team in Training members checked in at the Cocoa Civic Center. This was to let TNT staff members know we had completed the ride and to collect our finishers medals and 100 mile century pins - got to love that bling! The Civic Center also had indoor plumbing - woo-hoo! After I loaded all my gear into our van, I went to the Civic Center to change out of my super stinky bike clothes.

Above: Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva, during the Cocoa Beach century ride.

The Spacecoast Freewheelers had a room set up with tables, chairs, pizza and ice cold soda. I'm normally not a pizza eater and soda drinker, but after riding 102.5 miles I was a bit tired of eating bananas, oranges, fig newtons, nutritional gels and electrolyte drink solution. So heck yeah, it was pizza and soda time. I burned a ton of calories during the ride, so dang, I definitely needed to top off the tanks and refuel with food!

Above: Table full of medals and 100 mile century pins, waiting for Team in Training members from the Palm Beach, South Florida and Central Florida chapters, after they cross the finish line.

Additional Information

Read about what hydration, nutrition and personal care products I take along on a typical century ride: Cocoa Beach Century Ride Care Packages.

Read my report of the 2008 20th annual Intracoastal Waterway Century Ride: Back From Cocoa Beach Century Ride.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 11/02/2010 at 02:55 PM in Bike Diva News, Bike Racing, Bike Routes, Charity Bike Rides, Florida Bike Clubs, Florida Bike Rides, Florida News, Fund Raising Events, Non Profit Charities, Road Biking | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

09/08/2010

Grant Potter Wins Masters Road Championships

PRESS RELEASE

zMotion's Team Captain Grant Potter Wins 16th UCI World Masters Road Championships

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- zMotion - a Zimmerman Advertising team - is proud to announce that team captain Grant Potter has taken first in his age category in this year's UCI World Masters Road Championships stage race in Austria. Potter finished with a total of 65 points, far ahead of his nearest competitor with only 59 points.

 (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100907/FL60452 )
 (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100907/FL60452 )
 (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100113/FL35692LOGO )
 (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100113/FL35692LOGO )

"This is an awesome achievement for Grant and the entire zMotion family that supports his cycling passion," says Pat Patregnani, agency President and founder of zMotion. "Victories like this allow us to continue to raise money for charitable causes and to be ambassadors of this great sport. Huge 'congratulations' and 'thanks' go out to Grant!"

The World Masters Road Championships attracts 3,500 rides from 53 nations. Riders compete in a total of 50 competitions. The race, which is held in St. Johann in Tirol, Austria, is one of the oldest continuously run Masters races in the world.

This is Potter's first year riding for Team zMotion. Among his long list of cycling accomplishments, Potter has won numerous Masters trophies in the last several years. He has continued to hold his winning position in 2010 by finishing in the top ten at the USA Cycling 2010 Masters Road Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky earlier this month. He also won best overall rider at the Gwinnett Bike Fest in Georgia last month. Potter lives in Parkland, Florida, with his wife Christine and their three children.

Year-to-date, zMotion has raised nearly $2 million for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Kids in Distress (KID), Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and other worthwhile causes. zMotion's next big charity ride is the Second Annual Bike BBQ Beer Beach Bash on October 24, 2010. Proceeds will benefit zMotion's "Ride Right, Drive Right" initiative. For more information on zMotion's race team or its charitable involvement, visit zMotion.org.

ABOUT ZMOTION

zMotion is a Zimmerman Advertising Team. zMotion has become a visible force in the cycling community with over 600 riding members throughout South Florida. It's an energy that inspires us to be better, do better, and live better - not just for ourselves, but for the company beside us and the community around us. It's about giving more than we receive and challenging us to make a bigger difference in our own lives, the lives of others, and to never stop riding for a better tomorrow. For more information, visit zMotion.org.

ABOUT ZIMMERMAN ADVERTISING

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Zimmerman Advertising, an Omnicom Group(TM) company, is the country's leading national retail brand builder, and the 14th largest advertising agency in the United States according to Adweek, with more than 1,100 full-time associates and offices throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. For information on the agency, visit zadv.com. To learn more about Jordan Zimmerman, his business philosophies and opinions, visit his blogspot: http://www.yousleepwhenyoudie.com/.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100113/FL35692LOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100907/FL60452
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN24
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100113/FL35692LOGO
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100907/FL60452
PRN Photo Desk,

Source: Zimmerman Advertising

CONTACT: Kelly Downey, Shamin Abas Public Relations,
, +1-561-366-1226

Web Site: http://www.zadv.com/

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 09/08/2010 at 07:00 AM in Bike Racing, Florida Bike Clubs, Florida News, Press Releases, Road Biking | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

09/07/2010

Miami Beach Classic Triathlon & Duathlon

Above: Bike Diva during the 4 mile run of the Miami Beach Classic duathlon.

Miami Beach Classic Race Distances

The Miami Beach Classic, which was hosted by Multirace.com, could be done as either a triathlon or duathlon. I participated in the duathlon. The race started and ended at Lummus Park on South Beach. The bike portion of the race entailed 2 laps on MacArthur Causeway. The causeway has two medium sized bridges, 2 loops meant we had to do a total of 8 bridge crossing. I swear the bridges got bigger towards the end of the bike leg, or I was just getting really tired!

Above: Bike Diva about to do a 180 degree u-turn during the bike leg of the race. That's a USAT race official behind me!

Triathlon

.5 mile swim
18 mile bike
4 mile run

Duathlon

1 mile run
18 mile bike
4 mile run

Above: Bike Diva racing in South Beach. Urban biking at it's best, lots of pot holes, etc.. made for some interesting riding conditions.

Surreal Race Venue

The race started and ended at Lummus Park in Miami Beach. That's the art deco district of South Beach for you cool cats. I live in Delray Beach and car pooled with my friend Charlie Lockerson from Jupiter. He also raced in the duathlon and won first place in his age group - YEAH Chu Chu!!!! We got to South Beach at dark thirty, that is around 5:25 AM - just as the bars were shutting down for the night. Pretty weird seeing all the hoochie mamas and party boys in their fancy pants outfits with full hair, makeup, high heels, etc...

I circled A1A along the beach two times looking for a spot to park near the park, I didn't want to go to one of the parking garages. I finally saw someone leaving, late night partier? and realized there was no way I could parallel park the mini van. So we did a Chinese fire drill and Charlie and I switched places so he could park the van for me. Fun times.

During the run portion of the race we got to pass quite a few homeless bums, or hobos, as my daughter likes to call them. You could smell some of them before you could see them. Pretty sad, some of them were camped out on their own bench, surrounded by all of their earthly possessions and talking to themselves. Others were more coherent and thought they were watching a marathon race. I shouted out "it's a triathlon race" figuring they wouldn't have a clue what a duathlon is. Triathlon is a pretty expensive sport to participate in, kind of weird having the race in a park that is home to many homeless people that probably don't have enough $$ for a cup of coffee.

Above: Ride - Bike Diva - Ride! Lots of turns during the bike leg made staying in the aerobars a bit challenging at times.

Bike Diva Race Results

My first run time was great; 8:04. That was a new 1 mile PR for me. Both transition times were under 1 minute; again, happy with that. Bike time not so great, 17.72 MPH average. Those 8 bridge crossings tired me out. My second run time was horrible; 11:00 pace. Dang, I wish I could run after getting off the bike.

Above: Bike Diva's finishers medal and 5th place award plaque for the Miami Beach Classic Duathlon.

Part of my problem is poor nutrition. I'm burning all my fuel during the bike portion of the race and have nothing left for the second run. I did a gel pack about 25 minutes before the start of the race, but I should have done a second gel pack during the second bike loop. My friend Charlie used this method of fueling as part of his race strategy and had a terrific race.

Run 1 - 8:04 = 8:04 pace
Transition 1 - 57 seconds
Bike - 58:55 = 17.72 MPH average
Transition 2 - 56 seconds
Run 2 - 44:02 = 11:00 pace
Total Time - 1:52:54
52 out of 77 overall
18 out of 33 female
5 out of 6 age group

Above: Bike Diva crossing the finish line. Official time: 1:52:54.

Bike Diva's Upcoming Races

I have 4 more duathlon races coming up in 2010

1. September 19 - Mack Cycle Bonus Round. This is the 4th in a series of 4 sprint duathlon races I've been doing out of Crandon Park in Key Biscayne. I should get double bling at this race; an award for the bonus round race and then the point series award. To compete in the point series you must have participated in 3 of the 4 races. I'm doing all 4 races in the Mack Cycle series this year.

2. October 10 - Tradition sprint duathlon in Port St. Lucie. This is the last race in the Publix Fitness Family Weekend race series. To compete in this series you must have participated in a minimum of 4 races. The Tradition race will be my 6th race in this series. I should also get double bling at this race; an award for the actual race, and then an award for my placing in the points series. Cool beans.

3. October 17 - Miami Equalizer Duathlon. This race takes place in Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. Same location as the Mack Cycle races, but a slightly different length. This will be a 1 mile run - 12 mile bike - 3.1 mile run duathlon. Not part of any race series, but I'm just a duathlon addict and signed up for the race.

4. November 14 - Miami Man. I'll be doing the 1/2 Ironman duathlon at this event, which starts from John & Penny Thompson Park in Homestead. The distance of this duathlon is a 1 mile run - 56 mile bike - 13.1 mile run! I did this race for the first time last year and placed 3rd Female Masters Overall.

There are a lot more girls signed up for this years race so I might not be on the podium this time. But as long as I beat last years time I'll be happy. Last year was my first year racing in duathlons, so being able to even do a 1/2 Ironman distance my first year was pretty cool. But we had horrible 18-21 MPH winds during the bike portion of last years race and my finishing time wasn't that great: 6 hours 50 minutes. I would be real happy if I could finish this years race in under 6 hours. It's good to have goals!

Above: Bike Diva gets 5th place female 45-49. Not my best race results, but at least I still got an award. Actually double bling for this race; finishers medal just for completing the race plus the 5th place award plaque. More bling for the trophy case!

Other Duathlon Race Reports

Here are a few links to some other duathlon race reports I've posted to my Bike Diva and Run Diva blogs.

Bike Diva Races Mack Cycle Trilogy #1
Run Diva Competes in First Olympic Distance Duathlon
Run Diva Races Egg Hunt Duathlon
2009 Race the Troops Duathlon
Anatomy of a Duathlon and Triathlon
Bike Diva Races Singer Island Duathlon
Independence Day Race at Tradewinds Park
Bike Diva Races Mack Cycle Trilogy #3
Run Diva Races CB Smith Duathlon 8/28/10

Above: Duatlon awards ceremony for women 45-49. Left to right; Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva (5th place), Sandi Oscar (3rd place) and Linda Robertson (2nd place). 1st place and 4th place winners didn't stick around to collect their awards.

All 20 of my race photos can be viewed on my Facebook page:

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 09/07/2010 at 11:36 AM in Bike Diva News, Florida News, Multisport, Triathlons & Duathlons | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

08/24/2010

Women's Cycling Series - Tampa, FL

PRESS RELEASE

Penn’s Cycling School Presents: Women’s Cycling Series:
Who: Women looking to improve their cycling skills and enjoyment.
When: 5 weeks Monday’s September 13, 20, 27, October 4, 11, (Oct 18- rain date)
Time: 6:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.
Where: Flatwoods Park (Tampa) Bruce B. Downs entrance parking lot
What: Experience specialized instruction in a small group to Improve and develop bicycle handling skill, safety maneuvers, group riding skills riding and training techniques. Learn to ride safely in a group and on multi-use trails.
Taught by Sharon Monahan a League of American Bicyclists (LCI) and USA Cycling-Coach
Cost: $100.00 (includes materials) Pre registration required, 5 rider minimum to hold clinic, space is limited.

Sharon Monahan

Important Information

All riders must sign a release form.

All riders must have an approved Helmet and 2 wheeled bicycle in good working order – see your local bicycle shop for tune-up details.

Contact: Sharon Monahan: (813) 482-4364
Website: http://pennscyclingschool.blogspot.com/
Face book:

Register online: http://www.BikeReg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=11504

Posted by Lynn Smythe on 08/24/2010 at 07:00 AM in Florida News, Press Releases, Websites & Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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