Hi everyone!! Wondering if anyone out there is also racing in the Cause race (www.cause.ca) in Canmore or Melissa’s Road Race here in Banff? I’m pretty excited, both are half marathons and will be great training races for me before the Good Life Fitness full marathon in october!! I’ll be rocking my Brand Champion fizz tank (the only thing I’ll race in!!) and handing out lots of high-fives!! Hope to see some of you there!!

Erica

Summer 2010 was to be one of travel and recreation after a long season of training and competing in 2009 which was highlighted with a trip to Australia to compete in the World Masters Games in Track & Field.  Next year will be business as usual as I ramp up to compete at the World Masters Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, USA, which will be an amazing event to experience. 

Although I did not compete in Athletics this year, I was out there spreading the Brand Champion philosophy in helping to inspire and motivate others to achieve their personal bests.  The high school track & field team that I coach in Whistler heard that message.  For starters, a lot of newcomers came out to try their hand at the sport and many girls came out to run, jump, and throw which was awesome.  My athletes achieved many personal bests, performed well at regional championship meets, and grew together as a team.  Even though I was not competing, it was very rewarding for me to see that my time and energy spent with these athletes paid off in more ways than simply how fast they ran, how high they jumped, or how far they threw.  I have always loved this part of being a teacher and coach.

For me, it was really a year of incredible fun, not just a summer of fun.  Afterall, Vancouver and Whistler hosted the Winter Olympics in February, and one needn’t look far to feel inspired and motivated to be incredible in one’s own way.  What a magnificent Olympics we were a part of.  Whether it be Australia, Palm Springs, Whistler, Vancouver, NYC, Boston, Cape Cod, Collingwood, the Rockies, Montana’s Glacier National Park, everywhere I travelled this year while wearing my Sugoi apparel, I always got compliments and questions regarding what I’m wearing, where I got it from, etc…I love turning people onto Sugoi. 

Here are some of my favorites and why.  My Helium jacket in matador I wear all year round running, hiking, nordic skiing, and canoeing.  It’s awesome.  My Hydrolite jacket I also use year-round when it’s raining.  I stay dry and that’s an indispensable comfort.  Mobile capris I liked so much, I bought a few in different colors!  They are great travel pants, never wrinkle, always comfortable and stylish.  Bought a pair of Mobile Ride Bermuda shorts in the spring and loved riding around Cape Cod in them, combining function with style.  Something I wasn’t sure how often I’d wear, I ended up wearing a lot this summer.  The Stamina skirt.  Perfect for the hot and humid days of sightseeing in NYC and Boston, and I also use it to play tennis in too.  While hiking in the Rockies, Glacier National Park, or Whistler, I always had my Wallaroo top, Bliss jacket, Firewall pant, Helium jacket, and Evolution full glove (great grip for scrambling up mountain peaks).  Layering is key when summer hiking in the high alpine and these items provide both function and fashion which are important to me. 

Some pictures of my most excellent summer sporting incredible Sugoi.  Cheers and Happy Training & Racing, Georgina Titus, Whistler, BC, Canada.

Chicago Triathlon back to back with Danskin Triathlon

Like Elvis’s motto “TCB”  Taking Care of Business, that’s the month of August.  First weekend to a little non sanction  “C” community race with my son, (1st AG, 3rd overall) then go to Lollapoolza concert to see Lady Gaga and Green Day to relax, then do a 2,000 miles round trip road trip in 60 hours to visit Dad,  then focus on to back to back races.  Big point sanction races.

Danskin Triathlon Series Pleasant Prairie, WI

Danskin was earlier this season by a month but still dark getting into the transition area.  Again over 1700 all women athletes, you never know who is going to show up.  Relax since I go to this site year round for indoor tri’s, early wave sun in your eyes across the lake and go.  Like practice get it done.  Great taper week and carb loading so I felt really fresh.  Better than I expect new PR 1:12:40 and 1st AG out of 205 and 13 out of 1704. My first time getting an Age Group win for Danskin.  Really tough competition.

Chicago Triathlon

I had six days to recover.  I followed the same plan.  Easy workout week, carb load, massage and focus. Went to the Expo met Olympian Sheila Toamoria.  Nervous because again you never know who is going to show up and anything can happen at such a huge event.  Nobody in my family wanted to get up at 4:00 am to watch me swim at wave 4 6:12 am and I didn’t blame them.  So autopilot I went getting my bag caught in my wheel and knocked off my magnet for MPH which I did’t realize until I was on Lake Shore Drive.  Wave 4 was mixed coed 40-44 transition cracked me up we were on the Wacker Drive Exit Ramp with three bike racks across.  Squeezed in and close to bike out perfect.  Walk 1/2 mile to start and slowly watch the sun come up.  Perfect water temp 72.  Awesome day for a swim.  My blueseventy wetsuit Axis was great.  Stay on course. My best swim time ever.  Sugoi Tri uniform was great, light and dried quick.  The perfect outfit getting hot but the suit was great. Run, Run, Run is the key to this race.  Bike a little windy just went on my own without knowing my MPH, again lost that magnet.  Some potholes hoping not to get a flat tire.  Rush into transition for the 5k run.  My foot felt great and off I went.  One little up hill and cruise to the finish line and rush to the water misting fans and drink tons of Gatorade and water.  New PR 1:21:57.  1st Age Group and 9 out of 1047.

A sunny day, Lake Michigan water temp in the 70’s (unusual for Chicago), and we are ready to rock for Chicago Triathlon.  Oh, I forgot to mention that the air temps were in the 90’s….hmmmm.

In coming back from a hamstring injury from a Memorial Day race, I had only started back to running in mid July, aiming to be ready for the late August International/Olympic Distance race which is my “A” race for our short Chicago triathlon season.  Good decision or bad, I was going to find out.

I que up for my Elite Amateur wave’s 7:31am start.  We can feel the heat as we sweat in our wetsuits waiting for the plunge into Lake Michigan.  A mile swim, which I always dread, but I had a new strategy this year (stick near the wall to avoid going off course), worked well.  I finish, feeling pretty good and am helped up the steps from Monroe Harbor and step onto the concrete….ah terra firma…I am wearing tinted goggles (i.e. goggle sunglasses) but don’t pull them up as I step onto the concrete I know so well after 9 years of competing in this race…BAD IDEA.  I forgot about the height of the second step up to the path to transition and stub my feet into the concrete, falling on my face in front of about 1500 spectators.  As I fall, slow motion, I hear from the crowd  “oooh, ouch, that’s gonna hurt”…yes it does.  The medic runs over and I say something like “Am I bleeding?  No?  Then I’m OK”.  My feet are throbbing and my ego is crushed, but I hobble the nearly ½ mile to transition.  At this point I am starting to think my fall is hilarious and maybe was a sign of things to come. 

I head out on the bike, 2 laps on Lake Shore Drive.  Love the bike portion of this race!  I have a Gu packet taped to my top tube, which I plan to choke down on the 2^nd lap.  The packet is rubbing against my leg after about 3 miles and I decide to move it….so I pull on the tape thinking I will just move it to the handle bar…except that I didn’t release the tape, but somehow managed to open the Gu package and now I have Gu on my hands and legs.  Fine, I will eat the Gu now.  I can only handle about ½ the package and toss the rest but realize that I am a sticky mess.  I start sipping water out of my aero bottle and spitting on my hands as I try to maintain 22 mph.  Racers around me are looking at me like I am nuts.  I am trying to wipe the stickyness off my hands and face using my still-wet-from-the-swim Sugoi race suit to help.  It’s no use as the suit is almost dry, I am a sticky mess and just have to live with it for the next 20 miles.  Now I am just laughing at myself.  I am a lunatic on a tri course!  At least I wasn’t thinking about my feet.

Back to transition and the run.  It is HOT, over 90* and sunny.  Almost no shade on the run course.  My hamstring injury is still angry with me, and now my feet are joining in the chorus.  Grrrrrr.  Just keep running.  My slowest ever, a 55:39  10k, then a 20 minute trip through the med tent to get my toes taped up and try to stave off heat stroke. 

I’m thinking that the sprint race will be a better choice next year.  More fun, fewer antics?

Beautiful, albeit unseasonably warm, weekend here in Chicago.  I ran a hilly 11 miler yesterday and cycled 40 miles today.  Nothing special, but great.  I thoroughly enjoyed my new Tri Tank and Cycling Shorts.  Truly outstanding items.

In less than a week, the 5th annual XTERRA Japan Championship will kick off in historic Marunuma Kogen, Japan! The world class off-road triathlon and 30km trail running championships will be held in the majestic Marunuma Kogen (sometimes known as ‘Malnuma’), located in the north eastern area of Gunma Prefecture. With the magnificent Mount Shirane as a background, Marunuma Kogen is well-known as offering excellent skiing and outdoor adventure. The surrounding area is also full of ancient history, especially the town of NIKO. There will be a lot of elevation gain as the course goes up several steep climbs throughout mountains, open fields and dense forest. Last year, several hundred athletes from all over the world participated in the off-road triathlon, 10km, and 30km events. This will be my 5th XTERRA championship level event that has been highlighted by strong finishes at the 2008 and 2009 XTERRA Trail Running World Championships and winning the title of 2009 XTERRA New England Trail Run Series Regional Champion.

Marunuma, Japan

Mount Kusatsu-Shirane

XTERRA Japan Championship Preview:

This year’s race will feature quite a few elite and amateur athletes from all over the world, representing numerous countries. The event has grown tremendously over the past several years, and a diverse, strong field is expected.

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, August 28^th

XTERRA Japan Championship
SWIM: 1200m / MTB: 25km / Trail Run: 10km

XTERRA JAPAN DUATHLON
1ST RUN: 1.5km / MTB: 25km / 2nd RUN: 10km

XTERRA RELAY
SWIM: 1200m / MTB: 25km / Trail Run: 10km

08:30- Registration
10:40- Mandatory Briefing
12:10- Championship & Relay start
12:20- Duathlon start
17:30 Course Closure
18:15- Award Party

Sunday, August 29^th

XTERRA TRAIL RUN
Trail Run: 30km

XTERRA light TRAIL RUN
Trail Run: 10 km

XTERRA KIDS&LIGHT
SWIM: 200m / MTB: 4km / Trail Run: 2km

XTERRA FAMILY WALK
Walk: 5km

05:30- Trail Run Registration
06:30- Trail Run Mandatory Briefing
07:00- Trail Run start
07:10- Light Trail Run start
07:30- Family Walk start
08:00- Kids&Light Mandatory Briefing
09:00- Kids&Light Start
11:30- Kids&Light/Light Trail Run Award Ceremony
15:00- Trail Run Award Ceremony

For more information, contact Mai Chiku at XTERRA Japan.

Mai Chiku
XTERRA Japan Office
office@xterrajapan.net
c/o ATHLONIA Corp.
1F, 17-10 Sarugaku-cho,
Shibuya-ku, TOKYO
JAPAN 150-0033
TEL: 03-6277-5131
FAX: 03-6277-5132
URL: www.athlonia.com

http://www.xterrajapan.net

About the XTERRA Trail Run Series:

XTERRA is on a mission to produce the most recognizable, enjoyable, root slipping, mud hopping, tree ducking, river crossing, hill climbing, dirt on your shirt, sweat in your eye trail runs this side of Grandma’s house!

More than 50 races across the U.S. comprise the XTERRA Trail Run Series and offer age group athletes the opportunity to become regional champions. We’ll also crown National Champions in Bend, Oregon on September 13 and World Champions in Hawaii on December 6.

Along the way XTERRA Trail Runs give back to the community by involving not-for-profits as beneficiaries at our events.

Joining 4,500 other hardy souls, on Saturday August 21, I set off in my Sugoi BCC gear to run the Madison mini Marathon.  It was a warm and humid Wisconsin morning, but the route through Madison and the University of Wisconsin campus was a lot of fun.  Not a course to run a PR with the hills and congestion in places on the course, but it is a well organized and fun event!  The cold beer at the Memorial Union afterward and the chance to dip my toes in the cold water of Lake Mendota was a perfect way to cap off the race!

With my Sugio Brand Champion skinsuit I swung my right leg over the top tube of my TT bike this morning on the start ramp of the State of Idaho Time Trial Championships.  The weather was sunny, kinda cool for this time of year at 60 degrees, wind out of the northwest at a steady 15 miles per hour with gusts between 20-30.  The course put us on a tail wind for the first three miles then crosswind for the next six miles with the last three miles a head wind. 

I was able to pass one rider and almost caught two others in my category and finished first, 43 seconds ahead of the second. 

The Sugio skin suit is the BEST!!

I’m Racing the Hornby Island DH MTB race in september! Were recreating the original Hornby Island MTB fest but without all the riff-raff. BBQ/casual party afterwards! There are also many other pristine places to go on Hornby Isl. If anyone is interested in coming out just show up in Strachan Valley on the 12th! And don’t forget to bring your Sugoi gear!

Here’s the info:

http://himba.ca/2010-summit-plummet-dh

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118225714876334&index=1

IJ

That’s right you heard it here first, June 4, 2011 will be the first Half Marathon in Whistler, British Columbia!!  Whistler is home to sports enthusiasts; from those of us who live here year round, to those of us who visit for a few weeks, days … sometimes months.  Winter is what we’re famous for, and surely you saw us when watching the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.  BUT … Summer is what you stay for!  From Mountain Biking, and Rock Climbing; Fly Fishing, and Bear Watching; and of course running!  I’ve been running the trails here for years, and now we get to share it with the world, with YOU! 

Whistler’s Half Marathon promises to deliver scenic trails with views of our mountains, prestine lakes, and natural environment.  The course, it’s not flat, but it’s not super hilly, it’s not too hard, but it’s not too easy, it’s just right!  And we’d love to have you in Whistler, BC for this inaugruarl event.  Check it out at www.whistlerhalfmarathon.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube too. 

Hope to see you there, I mean here! 

BTW … I remembered to wear BC clothes during the photo shoot

Cheers!

Ondrea