Philly Cycling Classic Concludes Its Second Year
Philadelphia has always been at the forefront of cycling in the United States, but the 2013 Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic promised to revolutionize the local cycling scene and “bring renewed energy, fresh ideas and passionate leadership to start a new tradition and establish a new identity for Philadelphia in pro cycling.” Having just concluded its second year, has the Philly Cycling Classic been successful so far?
The Philly Cycling Classic was established because it recognized a need for a better platform for Philadelphia’s pro cyclists. For years, many cyclists had complained of the blatant sexism in cycling. Tales of easier courses to lower professional wages have emerged, painting a startling picture of an industry that gets away with sexism on a daily basis. Emphasizing equality – rewarding women’s races the same purse as men’s races – above else, the Philly Cyclic Classic was successful in shifting away from longstanding traditions in pro cycling, allowing men and women to compete on equal terms for the first time.
The race was also sponsored by Parx Casino, the leading casino in Pennsylvania in terms of revenue. The success of the event has led to great returns for the casino, as its exposure in the event as a name sponsor has allowed for it to become a well-known brand in the community. Exposure to the local community is of utmost importance in today’s congested casino industry. Since internet gambling was established in 1996 with CryptoLogic’s launch of Intercasino, land-based casinos have struggled to stay afloat – a fact that casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has repeatedly pointed out. Parx Casino has certainly done a great job of finding an alternative way of creating brand awareness while tapping into one of the community’s shared interests.
More than anything, the Philly Cycling Classic has served to bridge Philadelphia’s towns together. With a course that ran through the communities of Manayunk, East Falls and Fairmount Park, in plain view of all the members of the community, the event became a shared experience that everyone in Philadelphia could be proud of. Mustering a sense of community that is seldom seen in races, the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic has certainly accomplished what it set out to do: renew interest in pro cycling in Philly, and generate a new notion of what it means to be a pro cycler in Philly.
Sources:
]]>
Media Release from 100% PURE Racing, Queenstown, New Zealand
25.09.2013
LIST OF ENTRANTS GROWS AT WILD DESCENT
Organisers of New Zealand’s unique kayaking event, Wild Descent, are delighted with the take up from competitors. Following last year’s successful first running of the four day event, interest has traversed the kayaking community, with entries coming in from both the North and South island, Australia and the USA.
The epic event is scheduled to kick off on the 9th of January with teams of two kayaking the length of the Clutha River, some 260km, from Albert Town to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition format, unique concept and fact that the organisers are providing all the kayaks have proved to be a big draw for many participants, particularly those from overseas who are extremely excited about experiencing the majesty of New Zealand’s highest volume river.
Wild Descent Co-Director Adam Fairmaid says that the interest in the event has been steadily increasing with the format appealing to various groups of paddlers.
“We’ve got people who have paddled the Yukon and other big rivers around the world looking to tick off the Clutha. The event also appeals to people who are in training for the 2014 GODZone adventure race, some who see it as excellent preparation for the Coast to Coast and others who just want to spend time with friends exploring one of New Zealand’s great rivers.”
The format of the event remains consistent with last year’s inaugural event with competitors travelling the distance in four days. One key change is the inclusion of a short time trial below the Roxburgh Dam on day two. This will introduce a tactical element to the event with the boats having matched speeds, with some racing teams keen to save energy where they can and make the most of their reserves in the time trial. The time trial also removes the need for teams to race through the tricky portage around the dam.
“The expedition format is a big draw for some who look forward to the social time in the evenings after a great day on the water. Some want to race, some want to take their time. That’s the beauty of the Clutha, the fast flows speed people along and despite what appear to be daunting distances, the kayaks get through the stages remarkably quickly.”
“Many competitors have indicated that they will be bringing friends and family to the event. We’re keen to retain the feeling of an expedition but at the same time ensure that the evenings are enjoyable and a time to catch up, relax and enjoy the surroundings.”
The organising team is also delighted to announce that event sponsors Barracuda Kayaks have once again donated an amazing spot prize of an AR Duo kayak which all competing teams will go into the draw to win.
With entries filling up fast competitors are encouraged to get involved in this journey from mountain to sea and book before the early entry discount runs out at the end of September. To find out more about Wild Descent visit http://www.wilddescent.com or the Facebook page athttp://www.facebook.com/
For more information please contact:
Media Liaison
Margo Berryman
Ph: 021 246 3342
[email protected] <http://[email protected]>
www.wilddescent.com <http://www.wilddescent.com>
]]>
I have felt the red Moroccan sun against my skin as I ran through the Sahara desert. I’ve experienced the deep chill of a wild Himalayan night. And I’ve felt the harsh, oven-hot headwinds of a Death Valley summer.
I wish I could adequately explain the passion I feel for this sport. I wish I could find the words to explain to you the excitement and joy of ultrarunning. It’s a sport that might never be able to gain the same following as other professional sports – basketball, baseball, football, soccer. There’s not much money involved in ultrarunning. It’s outside the mainstream. But it’s pure and accessible, open to allow perfectly ordinary people the chance to do extraordinary things. I‘m grateful to be one of them.
This sport has brought a great deal of adventure to my life. In a very real sense, running has saved my life. The pain of drug addiction, eating disorders, and sexual abuse all color my past. I have used running to confront that pain and move through it. To grow in spite of it. For many years, I raced – sometimes two times in the same day – to win, to beat anybody who tried to go up against me. And very often I was successful. The whole experience awakened in me a desire to push harder and dig deeper, to get out of life all that I can. I’ve spent most of my adult life thinking about what it means to endure, and I still don’t have a definite answer. I think it has something to do with humility so it is definitely connected to God. Every great endurance athlete I have met seems to possess a certain nobility of the soul. They conduct themselves with grace and honor.
I strive to live up to this standard every day of my life. In 2010, I became the first person to run 50 miles in 50 states in 62 days to raise money for AIDS orphans in India and Africa. It was one of the greatest challenges of my life. During my 50 mile run in Texas, state 26 of the project, I stepped into a pothole and broke the bones in my feet. I finished the 2,500 mile run with a broken foot. The project was called Running Hope Through America (www.runhope.com).
You could say I am driven. Motivated. What motivates me? Over the years, I have worked with Sister Marybeth Lloyd, a member of the order of the Religious Teachers Fillipini, known affectionately in the ultrarunning community as “the running nun,” to raise funds for AIDS orphans. We have many missions full of children that need our help. According to Sister Marybeth over the course of 26 years, I have raised $7.5 million to help these children around the world. I have adopted the philosophy of running for a purpose: I believe in using one’s gifts for athletic endurance to benefit the less fortunate. Raising money for orphans is one of the defining passions of my daily life.
As a coach, I believe in leading by example, and I thoroughly believe in using one’s own story to inspire others to make positive changes in their own lives. I have started writing a book to tell my story but it keeps getting put on the back burner because I feel the strong need and desire to continue running to raise money.
In the past few years I have become aware that my next running project needed to focus on helping so many who are without WATER! Currently a billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion lack access to basic sanitation. According to World Health Organization(WHO), the contaminated and infectious bacteria that cause diarrhea account for 4.1 percent of the global disease burden killing 1.8 million children a year. Right now more folks have access to a cell phone than a toilet! I want and need to help solve our water worries. When God calls I have learned to sit still and listen. He talks about water a lot. With water we can alleviate world hunger, lower global disease and show the needy that we care about them.
Sister Marybeth, my inspiration, has started many missions where we have hundreds of children with little or NO water. Please see the attachment, Mission Info, to learn where they are and how many people live without safe, clean water. For many years I have run to help feed the children and build schools but now I see the progress that could be made with GOOD water. Less sickness, less death, more health, time and energy to grow food and even prosper!
Everyone deserves a life of dignity and grace; everyone deserves good water!
On July 15th I will start my next running project called ‘Running From Badwater 4 Good Water’.
I will stand at the starting line of the Badwater 135 mile endurance race with 99 other athletes from around the World who have been chosen to participate in this race. This will be my attempt to become the first women to complete the ‘BW 135’ ten times.
The race starts at Badwater in Death Valley which is the lowest point in the USA, -282 feet below Sea Level and finishes 135 miles later at the Portals of Mt. Whitney which is just over 8,000 feet. The race is hot, hilly and hard! God willing I will continue on to summit Mt. Whitney which is considered the highest point in the Continental USA, 14,876 feet. I will then make my way back to Badwater for a total of 292 miles and then start all over again, Badwater to the summit of Mt. Whitney and back to Badwater to finish with a total of 594 miles. The goal is to cover the Badwater course 4 times coming up with the project name Badwater 4 Good Water.
My longtime friend and mentor Marshall Ulrich who will be running his 19th Badwater race will join me during this project. I am honored and blessed to have Marshall along because he is has already accomplished the Quad. (4 times Badwater)I was on Marshalls crew when he completed the Quad and he continues to always inspire me. I will be the first women to attempt the Quad and I feel confident in my ability to accomplish this goal. There are very few things in my life that I have started and have not finished, especially when it involves a commitment to helping others in need.
Here is the link to the Badwater race http://www.badwater.com/
You may wonder why you are getting this very long letter from meJ You are getting this letter because I need your help. As you can imagine doing these projects can’t happen without the love and finical support of others, organizations and companies that believe in what and why you are doing it. In 2008 I started the Dreamchasers Foundation with Sister Marybeth so that money raised we knew was going to go directly to where we wanted it to go and where those who made donations would feel good about and know exactly what there donation was helping. At this time we still don’t have an “official web site for the DC foundation” and we are seeking someone who would volunteer their time and service to do this for us. We have several people who are on the board who have helped for years with getting donations. An example, last year Alexa ran the Badwater race and raised over $6,000 for our mission in Brazil. www.dreamchasersfoundation.com
In order to complete this project I have estimated the cost would be $12,000. This would cover airfare, hotels, van rentals, gas, food and supplies for a total of 11-13 days. I have a crew of 6-8 people that will donate their time and energy to helping me accomplish this project with the hopes of raising a great deal of money and awareness for Water!
Please sit back and take a few moments to pray and mediate on this project. Think about where and how you can help either with press release, setting up FB page and all social media, or connect me to a corporation that believes in this project as it is a tax write off and will gain National attention.
Sassi…800 children
Zalambessa..900 children..
Adigrat 900 children..
These are in Ethiopia and most needed Munagallapalli, India 300 families…about 1200 children plus adults all in the village would use the well.
For more information: http://www.dreamchaserevents.com/About-Us/Lisa-Smith-Batchen/
Face Book Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Badwater-4-Good-Water/507957382596658?ref=hl
Thank you for your time to read this and any efforts you may be able to offer.
I am forever grateful.
Lisa Smith-Batchen
Dreamchasers Outdoor Adventures
Victor, Idaho
www.dreamchaserevents.com
by Alix Shutello
In most endurance challenges and adventure races, the one thing you know is how long the race is. You may not know how you will do or how long it will take, but generally, you have certain facts available to you terms of the race logistics.
Not so in the Spartan Death Race.
As Ken Lubin will tell you, the Spartan Death Race “may” be about 72 hours long (or not), and there is no way to know what you will be doing because there is no set course. You will, however, need a plethora of odd items that are not required in other endurance events. In last year’s race, competitors were required to carry needle, thread, life jacket, black compression shirt, pen, paper, bag of human hair, pink swim cap, 5 gallon bucket and an axe.
A bag of human hair? What?
The Spartan Death Race, which started in 2005, has gained both a following and a reputation as being one of the most extreme competitions in the world. With a tagline like, “You may die,” and a web URL to match, athletes like Lubin and a few hundred others cannot pass up a chance to push their bodies to the brink; for the Death Race is the most extreme of the Spartan race series, and only a few hundred brave souls compete in it each year.
As part of the Spartan Death Race, competitors are to complete a series (15-20) grueling mental and physical challenges throughout a 40-mile course that runs through the Vermont woods. The race is no holds bar – you can be asked to anything from chop wood for several hours, memorize verse, or carry bags of rocks up hill and down dale over and over again. One thing is for sure, the probably of a DNF is higher than the probability of finishing.
“Look, 344 people competed last year and a little less that 15% finished the race, and while that should be comforting it’s not. This race is about perseverance and this year, I am ready to come back and finish this race,” Lubin said.
Lubin, who DNFed after 53 hours in 2012 dropped out due to mental fatigue after being told they were almost done with the race, when they in fact, were not. He and his team did everything from haul a large tractor tire 22 miles through the woods to sitting to take an exam while being deprived of food and water.
“You walk, swim, hike, run, all while carrying a myriad of odd objects from concrete to whatever else they feel like giving you. They also mess with your head, and that was what caused our final demise. When you’ve been food deprived and led all over the place up and down a mountain and someone tells you that you are near the finish and then says you need to go back up over a mountain, that will do some people in,” he said.
The 2013 Spartan Death Race will commence on June 20, 2013. Lubin started training about 8 months ago in late fall, 2012. He starts his training with long endurance runs and rides and will throw in combinations of push ups and other calisthenics. Through time he added overnight training where he would be active all night flipping tires, building things, and crawling through mud.
During the winter, Lubin wakes at 4:30 a.m. to hike 5 miles up and back on a 2500 vertical foot trail run/hike with a 30lb weight vest, and snowshoes, and then go skiing during the afternoon.
As Lubin reported in Triathlete Europe last year:
“As the winter continued I start pushing the limits a bit more and more. During the week each morning I will do a core exercise workout that includes 150 leg lifts, 150 sit ups with 35lb plate behind my head, side ups and either dead lifts, cleans or squats. Then at lunch I would typically run 7-9 miles with a 30lb weight vest, doing 20 pushups every 15 minutes. In order to get my wood chopping form perfected, I would run 2 miles with my weight vest and an axe to an area where I would chop wood and to get my body more accustomed for the cold, I would sit in ice laden water for 2 intervals of 5 minutes to train my legs and core on being numb,” he said.
Despite all the training however, race organizers will make sure to test your limits.
“During this race you will laugh, cry, and feel euphoria, dread and any other emotion that can come out of you. Also you will notice muscles you never felt, have blisters you never had, and feel beaten up like never before,” Lubin said.
And the Spartan Race series folks want it that way. Their mantra is to test your “strength, stamina and sense of humor,” like a couple of years ago when competitors shaved off all their body hair in order to compete.
According to two-time Spartan Death Race winner, Joe Decker, “There’s no way to prepare; the best thing you can do is carry a lot of really heavy things through the woods, and often.”
Learn more at http://www.youmaydie.com/ and www.spartanrace.com.
Articles on Ken Lubin:
http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/04/12/training-for-the-death-race
]]>
“When I race I am fiercely competitive, I always do my best and make sure I beat as many people as possible, but I totally only race for myself, it’s about self satisfaction, not really winning or getting glory.”
–Christine Couldrey
ERM: This is exciting to do an article on an endurance athlete who is a long distance kayaker! What are the two biggest endurance kayaking races that you think are worth mentioning?
Mitch and Christine
Christine: I would say 2 races come to mind, the Texas Water Safari (261 mile race to Seadrift from the headwaters of the San Marcos River) and the Yukon River Quest (715km).
ERM: So how did you get into endurance racing?
Christine: I was the world’s least sporty people growing up, my teachers used to write in my school reports that I should stick to academic and musical interests instead of sporting interests (not that I had any sporting interests). I didn’t really do any sports until my first year of university (I started university just before I turned 17). I put huge pressure on myself to perform well and be the best even though I was 2 years younger than everyone else in the class and hadn’t done my last year of high school. The pressure built up and one Saturday I needed to do something to release it and I went for a 10km bike ride and felt so much better that every time I felt bad I got on the bike. A couple of years later I did my first sprint triathlon, and while I couldn’t run the 2km run without some walking, I was instantly hooked, because finally I realized could compete in a sport! But unlike most people who want to see how fast they can go, I only ever wanted to see how far I could go….so over the course of 7 or 8 years, I built up to doing an Ironman.
ERM: How did you get to kayaking?
Christine: I was an established triathlete by the time I moved to the United States in 1999. I got involved with Odyssey Adventure Racing and hung out with them for a few years before doing the Double IRON. I also helped put on adventure races which involved kayaking and eventually took the plunge and participated in some of them. It was immediately obvious that learning to paddle would do me a lot of good. Through the adventure racing world I met my friend Caroline Brosius who had been a nationally ranked sprint kayaker and at the time was probably the best female outrigger canoe paddler on the east coast (and she did adventure races). Caroline suggested I come down to the Washington D.C. Canoe Club and train with her over the winter. All winter (in a building with no heating and usually temperatures in the 20’s) we sat on kayaking ergs and lifted weights. By the time spring came around and the outrigger canoes were in the water I decided that I needed to get in one to see what it was like. After all that training in the freezing cold surely there had to be something as a reward! Turns out I loved out rigger canoeing, and while much of it was initially for adventure racing I became hooked to paddling itself – and it turns out I wasn’t too bad at it. One thing I really loved about the paddling was that in the middle of Washington D.C .you could feel completely free, you could see all the cars stuck in traffic in the evenings while you paddled on the peaceful Potomac River. Coming from the country in New Zealand, I really appreciated that break from the city.
ERM: So then what happened? Did you break out on your own?
Mitch and Christine
Christine: Well an interesting opportunity presented itself! I met the husband of one of the women on the outrigger team, Mitch Potter, who not only was a handy sprint kayaker, but also paddled marathon canoe and 20 years earlier had been on of the top 20 white water paddlers in the USA. Mitch also happened to be a triathlete, which is why I was introduced to in the first place. We started riding and running together and then 6 months later in the dead of winter, on a warm, totally clear night he asked if I wanted to go for a paddle in his racing canoe. The water temperature was only just above freezing and I was scared stiff that we would fall in as I have terrible balance and have no natural ability at any sport. So I sat very still and centered and paddled. It was very cool and Mitch thought that I did well. In the spring he asked me if I would paddle the General Clinton race with him (70 miles in upstate New York). To train for the race, I paddled nearly every day either with Mitch or Caroline and totally had a great race.
ERM: So you were in the second position in these races right?
Christine: Right. After the General Clinton race, it was time for me to learn to steer the marathon canoe, and I will say that it came totally naturally and steering that canoe is my favorite sport in the entire world. It is so much about finess and not slowing the boat down. Even though we don’t have the sport of marathon canoing here in New Zealand, I get into the boat and sometimes it feels like I don’t actually need to steer, I can just guide the boat with my thoughts (I know that sounds funny…but it’s true, there must be subtle movements that I do as I think that does the steering).
ERM: So it sounds like while you were in the U.S. you did enough races to get the bug to race.
Christine: Mitch and I have done the General Clinton 2 times but my favorite race is the Adirondac Canoe Classic (90 miler), the first race that I steered after only 5 weeks of steering practice. Since that first steering experience I have returned twice to the United States to compete in the race again, and in 2009 Mitch and I won the mixed division.
I have also done some long distance kayaking since coming back to New Zealand, winning the first Trans Lake Taupo kayak race, (in combination with a local Paul Dutton), which is the longest Kayaking race in NZ.
ERM: So I ask this question of all my athletes – what makes you an endurance athlete – because it’s not all about ability but how strong your mind is.
Christine: You know, while I was with Oddessy Adventure, you see these athletes and they seemed so normal, but they accomplished these tremendous feats of endurance. I wanted to see if I could be that physically and mentally strong. Turns out that is actually where my strength lies, for I will never be fast over a short distance, but I don’t slow down for at least 24 hours. And without wanting to boast, I am one of the mentally toughest people I know. When the going gets tough, when the conditions get nasty, that only strengthens my resolve.
So basically, I have no ability to quit – it’s just not an option – even in a 2 person outrigger canoe race in the ocean where I was so sea sick I vomited for 6 out of the 6 and a half hour race (which we won). I never thought of quitting once – and believe me when I say that being sea sick is absolutely terrible.
Keeping your brain in the right place is vitally important in ultra distance racing. I have lots of tricks I use.
ERM: So tell us more about the marathon canoes and how you learned how to use them.
Christine:The marathon canoes that we race in are fairly tippy (if you haven’t done any paddling in the past). My first experience in a true racing marathon canoe was both a terrifying and exhilarating experience. In the middle of winter in Washington D.C. The air temperature was fairly warm but water temperature was very cold, it was dark but super clear. Mitch and I had just finished our weekly 9 mile run and he asked if I wanted to go for a short paddle. I was scared, very scared that we would fall in because I don’t have great natural balance. Fortunately Mitch has a lot of balance about keeping a boat right side up from white water paddling. I
Christine on an outrigger
got into the boat so very very carefully and sat as centered as I possible could, making sure I didn’t move my weight side to side, in the front of the boat it’s so narrow that where you sit is about as wide as your hips and where your feet are it’s only as wide as your feet. We paddled around a little and past what Mitch called “the wall of death” a concrete wall where it would be impossible to get out if we fell in…..that did little to calm my fears but I tried to stay relaxed and rock the boat as little as possible. Mitch later told me how balanced and relaxed I seemed in the boat…….that’s not what it felt like at the time.
When spring came we started paddling and there was still much to learn about balance not only when paddling in a straight line, but also when leaning the boat in order to go around corners (both front and back have to do this in a very coordinated fashion). I struggled and fought the leaning subconciously for a long time; my brain was so focused on keeping this (at the time I thought ) very tippy boat upright. But with time I relaxed and now we often lean the boat – in a very very balanced controlled way) right on edge almost up to the gunnles.
Some people pick up the balance of tippy boats easily, for me it doesn’t come easily, but rather with lots and lots and lots of practice, getting incrementally better at the propriception. I can now paddle the tippiest of kayaks – but it’s not been an easy road. Fortuantely though it is like riding a bike, once learn the muscles and nerves just know how to do it. Now the marathon canoe seems a very stable boat. Oh how things change!
ERM: Financially, you may not want to get too detailed, but do you budget for your competitions each year?
Christine: Money is most definitely a limiting factory (In New Zealand we get 4-5 weeks vacation a year so time is less of a problem). But there is no marathon canoeing in here, and worse there are no ultra distances triathlons! Getting bikes and support crews overseas is often cost prohibitive for me and it’s the reason that I haven’t done many of the races I want to. I don’t set a specific budget each year, but I do make decisions on what races I can and can’t afford to do – the amount of money spent needs to be value for money. There are some races that I won’t do because I feel like the cost is just too much.
In terms of endurance running, least we have the Northburn100, the race (in its second year).
To learn more about Christine, see her race write ups from the past. Odessey Triple IRON – http://www.4ar.info/diaries_comments.php?id=1850_0_4_0_C
]]>To qualify for the 100-mile race at the end of the Lost World Race series, athletes must complete any t20 100k/50k qualifying races or by place in the top 25 percent of the field in any category at any of the races. The location of the final 100-miler, will be announced in 2012 and the race will take place in 2013.
When asked why he thought athletes would be interested in The Lost Series, Holmstrom reflected back to the types of competitors he’d met in his travel abroad.
“It depends who you ask, but there is a small but ferocious community who want to run these races. In the end you are drawn to a reunion of people who have a similar passion for running and who are looking for the next race,” he said. “Some people look for destination races for their travel goal.”
The Lost World race series for Holmstrom is a full-time vocation to create a good race concept, and he also wants to compete in the races himeslf one day. Until recently, Homstrom never competed because he was interested in the photo journalistic aspect of the races he’s covered, but now that has changed. Holmstrom trail runs regularly to keep in shape and finished his first trail marathon in 2011.
As Holmstrom looks to branch out, to other parts of the world, his efforts have primarily been in in Costa Rica and Panama. That said, he also has races set up in:
1. Nicaragua (Feb 2012)
2. Ireland (March 2012)
3. Dominica Crossing (October 2012)
4. Belize (November 2012)
5. Italy (April 2013)
In regards to cost, Holmstrom mentions that these races are not cheap, but that you are taken care of at each of these events.
In his work as a photo journalist, Holmstrom provides chronologies of what athletes have accomplished. He feels he’s pretty good at the psychology of endurance runners. He’s seen it, lived it, and watched it. It’s on film, and he’s seen all as psychology of competitors change during long endurance races. He’s watched them fall apart and persevere. So it’s with full appreciation for endurance racing that he’s put together a series to drive people to their limits.
]]>