Ann Arbor Triathlon Club

Canceling Ride on Sunday Morning, 5/11

I'm sorry, but I will be unavailable to coordinate the bike ride on Sunday and, due to the holiday, I haven't found anyone to take over for me. Therefore, I'm going to cancel the ride on Sunday. The weather looks like it will be cold and rainy anyway, so between that and the holiday, I suspect that we'd have low turn out...

We'll try again for next weekend!

--Rusty

News & Workouts This Week

Sunday Bike Ride Starting Time Poll Results
Thanks to everyone who participated in our poll on the time to start the Sunday bike rides! The results so far are as follows:

* 7:00am 30%
* 8:00am 45%
* 9:00am 40%
* 10:00am 35%

Some of you suggested starting the ride later in the spring (so the day has time to warm up) and earlier in the summer (when it gets hot earlier). I think that this is a great idea. Therefore, we'll start the ride at 10am this Sunday morning. Read on below for more details.

Bike Ride/Brick Protocol
Some folks who completed the survey mentioned not wanting to be 'dropped' during a club bike ride. Given this concern, I want to assure everyone that all paces are indeed welcome. This year, we'll have at least one rider who will ride toward the back and make sure that everyone completes the ride. Riders will inevitably spread out and some folks may be on their own for a portion of the ride depending on the speeds of the participants, but no one will be dropped and forgotten.

Renew Your Membership by May 15th
Just a quick reminder to renew your membership by May 15th. For liability reasons, all participants in our club workouts must be current members. Renewing is fast and easy, so if you plan to participate and want to continue to receive emails and get great deals, sign up today! Just click on the link below:

http://aatriclub.org/join

Sign Up fo the Ann Arbor Kids' Tri on Active.com
This year, you can sign up your kids for the Ann Arbor Kids' Tri on Sunday, June 22nd, online using Active.com. It's quick and easy and only costs $20 per child before June 20. All children between the ages of 7 and 14 are encouraged to participate. You can sign up using the link below:

http://aatriclub.org/kidtri/

Club Tent at Ann Arbor Triathlon on June 8th?
We're working on getting permission to set up a club tent at the Ann Arbor Triathlon on Sunday, June 8th. We would like to offer free massages, refreshments, cookies, etc. to members. If you know a good massage therapist who would be willing to work with us, please let me know. Also, if you have any ideas for services/items to offer at the tent, I'm open to your suggestions (rusty@aatriclub.org). Thanks!

First Club 'Race' on May 31st/Transition Clinic
We're going to hold our club's first practice triathlon Saturday, May 31st, at Silver Lake near Dexter. This will be a fun 'race' with an emphasis on giving you a taste of what it's like to compete in a triathlon. If you're a first-time triathlete, this is a perfect opportunity to try it out in a low pressure race. If you're a seasoned triathlete, this is a perfect opportunity to get in the swing of the summer racing season. The race will be preceded by a transition clinic and followed by a club picnic. More details to follow...

***Workouts This Week***

Thursday, May 8th: Brick at 6pm at Barton Park
Meet this evening at 6pm at Barton Park in Ann Arbor for a kickin' brick workout. Provided it's not raining, we'll ride 17 miles to Dexter and back and then follow it with an optional 2-4 mile run. Cookies and Gatorade at the finish! Directions: http://aatriclub.org/workouts/

Note: Use EXTREME CAUTION on the ride. It's early in the season and lot of potholes haven't been patched yet. Also, traffic can be heavy at times and drivers aren't used to bike rides on the road yet.

Thursday, May 8th at 6:00pm: Free Body Specs Powerball Performance Class
Free to Tri Club members! Bring your member card (email me at 'rusty@aatriclub.org' if you need one.) Original class designed by the founder of BSI. Involves progressive sport performance techniques using a weighted sphere. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Thursday, May 8th at 7:00pm: Body Specs Yoga Class for Triathletes
$12 for Tri Club members. Classes will include a variety of dynamic as well as restorative poses, using breath work as our basis. The breath work and mental focus of these practices have direct applicability for everyone, and especially for athletes. No prior yoga experience necessary. Limited number of yoga mats available at class. Email instructor Lisa Hesse at lisa@womeninmotion.us for details. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

NEW DAY AND TIME! Saturday, May 10th at 9am: Free CrossFit Class at HyperFitUSA
Doug Chapman, owner of Hyperfit USA, continues to offer a weekly CrossFit class that is free to A2 Tri Club members. This class meets every Saturday at 9am at the Hyperfit Studios in Ann Arbor. Please arrive early on your first time to fill out a waiver form and remember to bring your membership card. (Email me if you need one.) Visit the Hyperfit website below for more information. Thanks to Doug for his generous support of the club!

http://hyperfitusa.typepad.com/

If you enjoy the CrossFit classes, you can take advantage other classes for a special discounted rate of $125 per month. This will get you into all regularly scheduled classes, or nearly 200 classes per month!

Saturday, May 10th at 9:00am: Free Body Specs Powerball Performance Class
Free to Tri Club members! Bring your member card (email me at 'rusty@aatriclub.org' if you need one.) Original class designed by the founder of BSI. Involves progressive sport performance techniques using a weighted sphere. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Saturday, May 10th at 10:30am: Heart of a Warrior Outdoor Power Cycling Ride
Marc Mueller, owner of Heart of a Warrior Fitness, writes: "The official PowerCycling Road classes begin next Saturday at 10:30am meeting in the Pioneer H.S. parking lot off of S.Seventh St. I will also offer a Wednesday night class starting from Aberdeen's at 6pm beginning May 7th. All classes are about 2hrs long and I will outfit your bicycle with the iBike power meter if you wish, to add that dimension to your training."

Important: If you're interested, please RSVP to Marc at . There is a charge for the class (though I don't know what it is--sorry!) You can check out Marc's website here: http://www.powercyclingusa.com/

Sunday, May 11th at 10:00am: 35-50 mile Bike Ride
Meet at Barton Partk at 10am for a ride to Chelsea and (if you so desire) beyond. We'll ride to Zou Zou's Cafe in Chelsea and then continue on for a loop to Waterloo. You can ride for a far as you like, i.e., you don't have to ride the full 50 miles. All members are welcome and all paces, too!

Tuesday, May 13th at 6:30am: Free Body Specs Max 30 Sport Class
Sport-specific, group training for triathletes in just 30 minutes! Get in the extra performance training every triathlete needs. Prevent injuries, race strong! Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Sunday Bike Ride Poll

It's time to begin our weekly Sunday bike rides again and I would like to poll folks on the best time to begin. Please visit the link below to vote on your preferred time(s) to start the ride:

http://tinyurl.com/55kjq5

Generally, we meet at Barton Park in Ann Arbor (off Huron River Drive) and ride to Chelsea, stop briefly at Zou Zou's Cafe, and continue on to do a loop in the Waterloo area. Members are welcome to join us for any part of the ride. Some prefer just to ride to Chelsea and back, others like to go further. The rides range from 35 to 60 miles. All paces are welcome. The rides are weather-dependent, so if it's raining at the time we are to meet, the ride will be canceled...

Hope to see you there!

--Rusty

News & Workouts This Week

Update on Moving Location of Thursday Bricks
Thanks to everyone who sent me suggestions on alternate locations to hold the Thursday evening bricks! For right now, we're holding off on changing the location. Why? Construction begins next week on Huron River Drive between Main Street and Bird Road. This will probably decrease traffic, thereby helping to resolve one of the main problems with this route. If we notice that traffic becomes manageable after the construction begins, we'll probably keep the route as it is. Note: Starting next week, you'll need to take Newport to Bird Road in order to reach Barton Park. Email me (rusty@aatriclub.org) if you need directions.

Tri Club Women: Want an Official A2 Tri Club Bra Top?
I've heard from a couple of members who would like me to order bike tops/bra tops for women with the Tri Club logo emblazoned on the front. Our screen printing company will silkscreen our logo on any piece of clothing we request, so if you would prefer a bra top over a club shirt, let me know (rusty@aatriclub.org). I'll put your name on a list and email you later with an update on sizing/style information. If I get enough interest, I'll add these to our next order. Extra tops will be available at cost.

Tri Club Women: Club Racing Uniforms Available at 20% Off
While we're on the topic of official club clothing, I still have a bunch of women's Tri Club tops and shorts available, especially in smaller sizes. These are two-piece racing uniforms made of lycra and nylon. You can wear them from start to finish in your race without needing to change clothes in transition. If you're interested, let me know. I'm selling them at a 20% discount because we need to move these out. The tops cost $40 each and the shorts cost $40. I can bring them to workouts for you to try on, too.

***Workouts This Week***

Brick TONIGHT (Weather Permitting)
Meet this evening at 6pm at Barton Park in Ann Arbor for a kickin' brick workout. Provided it's not raining, we'll ride 17 miles to Dexter and back and then follow it with an optional 2-4 mile run. Cookies and Gatorade at the finish! Directions: http://aatriclub.org/workouts/

Note: Use EXTREME CAUTION on the ride. It's early in the season and lot of potholes haven't been patched yet. Also, traffic can be heavy at times and drivers aren't used to bike rides on the road yet.

Thursday, May 1st at 6:00pm: Free Body Specs Powerball Performance Class
Free to Tri Club members! Bring your member card (email me at 'rusty@aatriclub.org' if you need one.) Original class designed by the founder of BSI. Involves progressive sport performance techniques using a weighted sphere. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Thursday, May 1st at 7:00pm: Body Specs Yoga Class for Triathletes
$12 for Tri Club members. Classes will include a variety of dynamic as well as restorative poses, using breath work as our basis. The breath work and mental focus of these practices have direct applicability for everyone, and especially for athletes. No prior yoga experience necessary. Limited number of yoga mats available at class. Email instructor Lisa Hesse at lisa@womeninmotion.us for details. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

NEW DAY AND TIME! Saturday, May 3rd at 9am: Free CrossFit Class at HyperFitUSA
Doug Chapman, owner of Hyperfit USA, continues to offer a weekly CrossFit class that is free to A2 Tri Club members. This class meets every Saturday at 9am at the Hyperfit Studios in Ann Arbor. Please arrive early on your first time to fill out a waiver form and remember to bring your membership card. (Email me if you need one.) Visit the Hyperfit website below for more information. Thanks to Doug for his generous support of the club!

http://hyperfitusa.typepad.com/

If you enjoy the CrossFit classes, you can take advantage other classes for a special discounted rate of $125 per month. This will get you into all regularly scheduled classes, or nearly 200 classes per month!

Saturday, May 3rd at 9:00am: Free Body Specs Powerball Performance Class
Free to Tri Club members! Bring your member card (email me at 'rusty@aatriclub.org' if you need one.) Original class designed by the founder of BSI. Involves progressive sport performance techniques using a weighted sphere. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Tuesday, May 6th at 6:30am: Free Body Specs Max 30 Sport Class
Sport-specific, group training for triathletes in just 30 minutes! Get in the extra performance training every triathlete needs. Prevent injuries, race strong! Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Group Triathlon Training Class Through Body Specs

Body Specs is offering a really great triathlon training class that starts next week. Here's the important information:

Edie "ICED" Sherman's Group Triathlon Training

This program will prepare you to complete a Sprint Distance Triathlon in 12 weeks!

You receive:

* Sub-max heart rate testing
* Weekly written training program
* Complete one "mock" triathlon as a group
* Monthly brick training sessions
* Email and personal contact with instructor

Monthly Lectures:

* Nutrition
* Open Water Swimming
* Stretching Techniques
* Transition Area Set Up

Additionally offerings:

* Heart rate monitor and strap
* Stretch cord with written exercises
* Race day checklist
* Exclusive discounts from Running Fit

Program begins May 6, 2008 and costs $500 with heart rate monitor or $400 if you already have a monitor. Sign up is limited to 10 participants. Email Edie at edieotr@comcast.net if you're interested. Check the Body Specs website for more information: http://bodyspecs.net/

Upcoming Events: Mark your calendars!

There are several very cool events coming up and I wanted to pass them along to you. Here's the scoop:

Kids' Triathlon Training Orientation this Saturday, May 3rd, at Body Specs:
Body Specs, Inc. is hosting a free "Triathlon Training orientation" on Saturday, May 3rd at 2pm. They are also offering a training program tailored specifically for this race! Visit this page for details:

http://www.bodyspecs.net/SpecialEvents/TriathlonKids/TriKids.html

Location: Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (Next door to Zingerman's Bakehouse in the airport business park.) 734-260-3561

Heart of a Warrior Outdoor Power Cycling Rides start this Saturday, May 3rd at 10:30am:
Marc Mueller, owner of Heart of a Warrior Fitness, writes: "The official PowerCycling Road classes begin next Saturday at 10:30am meeting in the Pioneer H.S. parking lot off of S.Seventh St. I will also offer a Wednesday night class starting from Aberdeen's at 6pm beginning May 7th. All classes are about 2hrs long and I will outfit your bicycle with the iBike power meter if you wish, to add that dimension to your training."

Important: If you're interested, please RSVP to Marc at heartofawarrior@comcast.net. There is a charge for the class (though I don't know what it is--sorry!) You can check out Marc's website here: http://www.powercyclingusa.com/

Marathon Training Run at Tortoise & Hare this Sunday, May 4th:
Tortoise and Hare is hosting a Marathon training run this Sunday, May 4th, at their Plymouth Road store (2631 Plymouth Road). The run starts at 9 am and covers mostly the dirt roads. The course is an 11-mile loop and can be easily custom-tailored. So no matter if you want to run, 5, 8, or 18 miles, come on out and enjoy the company, water, GU, port-a-johns and great deals on Nike products! This is a *free* event!

Sunday, June 29th: Century Ride to Benefit Neighborhood Senior Services
Ann Arbor Tri Club Board Member, Amy Klinke, writes, "I know everyone loves to ride long on the weekend and I think its always better when it is a supported ride with food and drinks provided.

"Make the ride even better by helping to raise money for a local nonprofit that helps older adults in Washtenaw County. Please sign up for this century, the entry fee is cheap and then you raise money for the rest!"

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, Amy Klinke amy@aatriclub.org

News Update

The meeting was a huge success last week, thanks to all of you! We have a great group of members and I speak for all of the board when I say that we're proud to serve you. Thanks for all of your support!

Renew Your Membership by May 15th!
Memberships run from May 1, 2008 through April 30, 2009. If you're a 2007 member and are planning to renew, please make sure to do so by May 15th if you want to continue receiving club emails. After that date, we'll update our distribution list and remove addresses for lapsed memberships. You can join online here:

http://aatriclub.org/join

Pick Up Member Packets at Brick Workouts
If you weren't able to make the membership meeting last week, don't despair! You can still pick up your member packet. Weather permitting, I'll be at the brick this Thursday at 6pm and will have member packets and shirts with me then.

Welcome New Board Members!
Join me in welcoming Sean Geary, Hunter Patton, and Brian Zybura as new board members! Members voted during the meeting on Thursday and unanimously selected Sean, Hunter, and Brian. We're glad to have them on board!

New Location for Thursday Bricks?
It's no secret that Huron River Drive is in terrible condition and the heavy traffic at 6pm doesn't help. To make matters worse, starting next week the first portion of the drive will be closed between Main Street and Bird Road for construction for the rest of the summer. We *could* continue to hold our bricks at the same location, but the board is concerned about member safety. Therefore, we're looking at alternate locations to hold the bricks on Thursday. We'll be evaluating a few options over the next week and then asking for your input. Stay tuned! If you have any opinions, please send them to me: 'rusty@aatriclub.org'.

Club By-Laws to be Updated in May
Last week, I emailed the membership a draft of proposed by-law changes. Not surprisingly, I didn't receive any comments on them. Our policies require that the club give members 7 days notice before voting on by-law changes. This is just a notice that the board will be voting on these changes at our May meeting. All members are invited to that meeting; more details to follow. If you didn't receive the by-law changes and want to review them, please let me know.

Well, that's it for now. I hope to see y'all soon at a workout!

--Rusty

News and Workouts This Week!

Hello,

I want to send out congratulations to club members Michael Parker and Tom Fitzsimmons on their great race performances! Michael Parker finished the Boston Marathon on Monday with a time of 3:05:51! Outstanding! And Tom Fitzsimmons also gave a strong performance in the Arizona Ironman. Please join me in congratulating Tom and Michael on their awesome efforts.

Annual Meeting is Tomorrow, April 24th at the NEW Center:
As you all know by now, the annual meeting is tomorrow at the NEW Center in Ann Arbor at 7pm. Join us for food, fun, and friends! Come pick up your member packet (I just picked up the shirts at the screen printers and they are amazing!) and meet with the following club sponsors and partners:

* 3 Disciplines
* Running Fit
* Body Specs
* HyperFit
* Heart of a Warrior
* The Ride Boutique
* Cadence Cycle

Please join us!

Conference Call with 2007 Kona Ironman Champ, Chris McCormack:
(Thanks to Dave Vannette for sending this to me!) Here's a link to a downloadable 60-minute conference call with Chris McCormack (Macca) who was the 2007 Ironman World Champion at Kona. In the call he describes his strategies for both training and racing:

http://www.freeconference.com/RecordingDownload.aspx?R=5541464&C=688&E=593594

****WORKOUTS THIS WEEK****

Wednesday Evening Brick Tonight at 6pm:
Join us at Barton Park at 6pm for a 17-mile bike ride followed by an optional 2-4 mile trail run. Cookies and Gatorade at the finish. All members and all paces are welcome.

Note: Use EXTREME CAUTION on the ride. It's early in the season and lot of potholes haven't been patched yet. Also, traffic can be heavy at times and drivers aren't used to bike rides on the road yet.

Thursday, April 24th at 6:00pm: Free Body Specs Powerball Performance Class
Free to Tri Club members! Bring your member card (email me at 'rusty@aatriclub.org' if you need one.) Original class designed by the founder of BSI. Involves progressive sport performance techniques using a weighted sphere. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Thursday, April 24th, 6:30pm: Free CrossFit Class at HyperFitUSA
Doug Chapman, owner of Hyperfit USA, continues to offer a weekly CrossFit class that is free to A2 Tri Club members. This class meets every Thursday at 6:30pm at the Hyperfit Studios in Ann Arbor. Please arrive early on your first time to fill out a waiver form and remember to bring your membership card. (Email me if you need one.) Visit the Hyperfit website below for more information. Thanks to Doug for his generous support of the club!

http://hyperfitusa.typepad.com/

If you enjoy the CrossFit classes, you can take advantage other classes for a special discounted rate of $125 per month. This will get you into all regularly scheduled classes, or nearly 200 classes per month!

Thursday, April 24th at 7:00pm: Body Specs Yoga Class for Triathletes
$12 for Tri Club members. Classes will include a variety of dynamic as well as restorative poses, using breath work as our basis. The breath work and mental focus of these practices have direct applicability for everyone, and especially for athletes. No prior yoga experience necessary. Limited number of yoga mats available at class. Email instructor Lisa Hesse at lisa@womeninmotion.us for details. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Saturday, April 26th at 9:00am: Free Body Specs Powerball Performance Class
Free to Tri Club members! Bring your member card (email me at 'rusty@aatriclub.org' if you need one.) Original class designed by the founder of BSI. Involves progressive sport performance techniques using a weighted sphere. Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Tuesday, April 29th at 6:30am: Free Body Specs Max 30 Sport Class
Sport-specific, group training for triathletes in just 30 minutes! Get in the extra performance training every triathlete needs. Prevent injuries, race strong! Class will be held at Body Specs, 3723 Plaza Dr # 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 285-8620 or http://www.bodyspecs.net/.

Whew! That's a lot of stuff. Hope to see you there!

--Rusty

Wednesday Brick on 4/23 at 6pm

Because of the annual meeting on Thursday evening this week, we're going to hold the brick on Wednesday evening at 6pm at Barton Park. We'll gather in the parking lot and then take a quick, 17-mile bike ride followed by an optional 2-4 mile run. Cookies from Great Harvest and Gatorade at the finish. All members and all paces are welcome. If you need directions, check out this link:

http://aatriclub.org/workouts/

Note: The bike portion goes down Huron River Drive for a ways and the road conditions are a bit sketchy in places. Please be careful and watch out for traffic!

Hope to see you there!

--Rusty

Great Deal for A2 Tri Club Members: T-Rex Triathlon Discount

Hello,

Great news! Randy Step from Running Fit sent me the announcement below today and it's a great deal! Running Fit is putting on the T-Rex Triathlon on August 13th this year and they're offering our members a discount.

Running Fit will have a table at our annual meeting this Thursday and they will have t-shirts, sign up forms for the T-Rex Triathlon, and other great stuff. Feel free to talk to them about this exciting event!

Randy writes, "I will be bringing T-Rex sign up stuff, including race shirts!, the race is on Wed. Aug 13, 6:30 PM, half Olympic distance sprint. I'll offer a sign up deal, you get your race shirt at sign up and entry is an $8 discount for AA tri club members get 15% off the entry fee, I'll be giving you a code for online entry discount."

Need more information? Check out the Running Fit website at:

http://www.runningfit.com/

--Rusty