I've been home a few hours from the H. O. T. (Hammerhead Olympic Triathlon.) For years Jacksonville triathletes had to go out of town for an olympic distance triathlon. Not now!! The
H.O.T. is a well managed event organized by the Hammerhead Racing Team of Jacksonville. Cecil Cauley, race director, should be commended. In talking with many local and out of town triathletes today, they thought the registration process went well, the course was well laid out and the post race activities were a hit. One of the best aspects was that the fee was reasonable.
Roughly 275 athletes competed today. Most were from Jacksonville or Savannah, GA. The Hammerheads challenged the Savannah team. What a great idea. The Savannah team took the challenge seriously; many showed up to prove their reputation. Don't think this was just a regional race. There was also one entrant from southern Cali. With others from around the Southeast.
This is only the third year for the H.O.T. but it has already developed a good following with a reputation for being a first class event. Yes, I'm prejudiced because I'm a member of the Hammerheads. It's not too big yet. But you better bookmark the link above and check it frequently so that you can be sure to get a spot next August. The race will cut off at 450 athletes.
Hammerheads, you outdid yourselves.
steelrider2
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Should Lance try to defend himself...
For those who have been out of touch, Lance Armstrong has once again been accused of doping. But this time it is for his 1999 Tour de France victory. I haven't seen the L'Equipe article, however, if I saw it I wouldn't be able to read it. I don't read French and they don't translate into English. Although I haven't done an exhaustive search of the internet, I have seen some excerpts. The gist of the article is that some urine samples from the 1999 Tour were tested recently and in six tests of urine belonging to Armstrong, EPO was present.
Ok, it seems to me the article is short on substantial facts and long on supposition. What I want to see is lab reports bearing the name of the testing lab, credentials for the person/s performing the tests, certifications about how the samples have been handled since they were given. I want to know if they were A or B samples, where and how the samples have been stored since given. L'Equipe doesn't have that much information. What do they have...investigative journalism. This is the French equalivent for a hack job. At least one of the writers, I use the word loosely, is one of the same people who penned the LA Confidential book. There is something rotten in this wood pile!!!
Should Lance defend himself? In my opinion...NO! He should call for full disclosure of factual information from all parties involved. If all the facts should ever be known, then and only then should he make any kind of statement. In case you didn't get to see the Larry King interview, it will air again on Sunday 8/28. If I were Lance's PR firm, I would not do any talk shows, hold any press conferences, grant any interviews or otherwise comment on the story.
To me, it is interesting that the Tour Director, LeBlanc, was so quick to respond with out all the facts being published. I'm sure that if we looked at the books for the Tour, we'd find that revenue is down. There hasn't been a French rider to come close to having a yellow jersey. The Amaury Group which owns L'Equipe and the Tour de France is struggling to keep its readership and the tour as a first tier UCI race. What they haven't considered is how much damage they have done to cycling in general. Let's investigate the Amaury Group to see what is behind all this. Woodward and Bernstein...Deepthroat is now exposed and in the great beyond....there's a story here. Hop to!!!!!
Ok, it seems to me the article is short on substantial facts and long on supposition. What I want to see is lab reports bearing the name of the testing lab, credentials for the person/s performing the tests, certifications about how the samples have been handled since they were given. I want to know if they were A or B samples, where and how the samples have been stored since given. L'Equipe doesn't have that much information. What do they have...investigative journalism. This is the French equalivent for a hack job. At least one of the writers, I use the word loosely, is one of the same people who penned the LA Confidential book. There is something rotten in this wood pile!!!
Should Lance defend himself? In my opinion...NO! He should call for full disclosure of factual information from all parties involved. If all the facts should ever be known, then and only then should he make any kind of statement. In case you didn't get to see the Larry King interview, it will air again on Sunday 8/28. If I were Lance's PR firm, I would not do any talk shows, hold any press conferences, grant any interviews or otherwise comment on the story.
To me, it is interesting that the Tour Director, LeBlanc, was so quick to respond with out all the facts being published. I'm sure that if we looked at the books for the Tour, we'd find that revenue is down. There hasn't been a French rider to come close to having a yellow jersey. The Amaury Group which owns L'Equipe and the Tour de France is struggling to keep its readership and the tour as a first tier UCI race. What they haven't considered is how much damage they have done to cycling in general. Let's investigate the Amaury Group to see what is behind all this. Woodward and Bernstein...Deepthroat is now exposed and in the great beyond....there's a story here. Hop to!!!!!
Monday, August 22, 2005
Masi Speciale Carbon
Below is a picture of my road bike. Masi has won my attention. This is a great bike for many reasons. It hits the corners with precision, yet is light enough to keep up with most sprints. There are better climbing bikes but all in all a very trusty stead.
One thing I particularly like is that in a large group of riders, I generally have the only Masi SC. So, lots of people ask me about the bike. We do not have a dealer in Jacksonville that carries Masi, but hopefully some day.
This weekend I rode a 50 mile charity training ride with about 200 people. It was a chance to ride with my good friends Jim & Diane and Tony & Shirley. It was different riding with mostly inexperinced riders. Lots of jack rabbits (speed up then slow down). But I can overlook those things.
Most people drove to the site. I decided to ride so I actually got in about 65 miles. It was fairly close to my house. It was not the best route, either. The people responsible for the route layout sent us through a dangerous construction zone. One rider was hit and was being transported to the hospital when I came by. It also reminded me how inconsiderate and impatient some drivers can be. The rumor was that the car who hit the rider decided to leave the scene. Another rider caught him at a stop light and informed him there were several witnesses and they had his tag number. Only at that point, he turned around. I hope the police charge him for leaving the scene.
Riding with that many people, we were bound to split into many sub groups. I hung with my friends and we maintained an easy 19 mph pace. The five of us, normally six, (thanks to my wife who played soccer Mom while I got to ride) kept our pace line going almost the entire way.
more later
steelrider2
One thing I particularly like is that in a large group of riders, I generally have the only Masi SC. So, lots of people ask me about the bike. We do not have a dealer in Jacksonville that carries Masi, but hopefully some day.
This weekend I rode a 50 mile charity training ride with about 200 people. It was a chance to ride with my good friends Jim & Diane and Tony & Shirley. It was different riding with mostly inexperinced riders. Lots of jack rabbits (speed up then slow down). But I can overlook those things.
Most people drove to the site. I decided to ride so I actually got in about 65 miles. It was fairly close to my house. It was not the best route, either. The people responsible for the route layout sent us through a dangerous construction zone. One rider was hit and was being transported to the hospital when I came by. It also reminded me how inconsiderate and impatient some drivers can be. The rumor was that the car who hit the rider decided to leave the scene. Another rider caught him at a stop light and informed him there were several witnesses and they had his tag number. Only at that point, he turned around. I hope the police charge him for leaving the scene.
Riding with that many people, we were bound to split into many sub groups. I hung with my friends and we maintained an easy 19 mph pace. The five of us, normally six, (thanks to my wife who played soccer Mom while I got to ride) kept our pace line going almost the entire way.
more later
steelrider2
Sunday, August 21, 2005
One terrific guy...
My father-in-law's name was Joe Haynes. He died on November 4, 2004 of a severe brain turmor. Although we had a suspicion something was wrong, he was not diagnosed until early August, 2004. I can honestly say he was one of the finest men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
He was a terrific Christian. He worked in christian education his entire life. He modeled Godly behavior for all who knew him. Because of Joe, many churches around the world have a better understanding of how to reach their community for Jesus Christ.
He was a terrific husband. He provided well for his family. Although he travelled quite frequently, it made those times he was at home all the more sweet. Sometimes home life was a struggle. He not only never complained, he never even mentioned his struggles.
He was a terrific Dad. He and his wife managed to raise two beautiful daughters. One of them is my loving and caring wife. Both have become strong Christian women and Godly mothers.
He was a terrific Granddaddy. His four grandchildren adored him. He was funny yet compassionate. He paid attention to each of their individual needs. Most of all he listened as they talked. Then when he gave his advise they wanted to listen.
He was a terrific friend. He had many close friends. It's hard not to be friends with someone who cared more about his friends than himself.
He was a terrific father-in-law. This is where I provide the most insight. As I've mentioned above, he always cared more about me than himself. When visiting, he could tell if I had a bad day. Although I generally don't talk about those things, I felt genuinely comfortable sharing with him. He also seemed genuinely interested.
We shared the common ground of sports. He didn't know much about triathlon or cycling but he wanted to learn. He was there for me when I decided to get into the race management business. He was my greatest volunteer.
He was a terrific man. He always gave of himself and expected nothing in return. He was always ready to help anyone no matter their circumstances.
Just as every man has, Joe had weaknesses. But those weaknesses pale in comparison to his strengths. No only did he show his daughters how to live, he showed them how to die. He died with more dignigty than anyone I know. He never complained about his disease.
I loved my father-in-law and will miss him greatly. He was a terrific guy.
Tearfully,
Steelrider2
He was a terrific Christian. He worked in christian education his entire life. He modeled Godly behavior for all who knew him. Because of Joe, many churches around the world have a better understanding of how to reach their community for Jesus Christ.
He was a terrific husband. He provided well for his family. Although he travelled quite frequently, it made those times he was at home all the more sweet. Sometimes home life was a struggle. He not only never complained, he never even mentioned his struggles.
He was a terrific Dad. He and his wife managed to raise two beautiful daughters. One of them is my loving and caring wife. Both have become strong Christian women and Godly mothers.
He was a terrific Granddaddy. His four grandchildren adored him. He was funny yet compassionate. He paid attention to each of their individual needs. Most of all he listened as they talked. Then when he gave his advise they wanted to listen.
He was a terrific friend. He had many close friends. It's hard not to be friends with someone who cared more about his friends than himself.
He was a terrific father-in-law. This is where I provide the most insight. As I've mentioned above, he always cared more about me than himself. When visiting, he could tell if I had a bad day. Although I generally don't talk about those things, I felt genuinely comfortable sharing with him. He also seemed genuinely interested.
We shared the common ground of sports. He didn't know much about triathlon or cycling but he wanted to learn. He was there for me when I decided to get into the race management business. He was my greatest volunteer.
He was a terrific man. He always gave of himself and expected nothing in return. He was always ready to help anyone no matter their circumstances.
Just as every man has, Joe had weaknesses. But those weaknesses pale in comparison to his strengths. No only did he show his daughters how to live, he showed them how to die. He died with more dignigty than anyone I know. He never complained about his disease.
I loved my father-in-law and will miss him greatly. He was a terrific guy.
Tearfully,
Steelrider2
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Ultimate service
For me, a product must not only perform but it must also have a good sales process and high service quality to be considered a great product. With that said, I can tell you PC Coach is a great product!! I have on another occasion posted my thoughts on this excellent training program but I thought it beared another mention.
With my recent computer crash, I had to reinstall all of the programs we used. Being technically challenged, I needed some help. Rebecca at the PC Coach Technical Desk provided exactly what I needed. She helped me reinstall my cycling and triathlon programs correctly, the infrared communication driver and the newest upgrade to the program.
The program works great!! But this is the second time where I have had to call on their technical assistance. Each time I have been wowed by the service quality. Many companies, even within the cycling & triathlon universe, could take a lesson from PC Coach.
If having a computer based training program put together by some of the best trainers on the planet coupled by a helpful sales process and knock your socks off service quality is what you seek. Look no further than PC Coach.
With this post, I am instituting my own product rating scale. 1 means it stinks and don't even waste your money like Dell Computers. 10 means it has to measure up to the standard set by PC Coach.
With my recent computer crash, I had to reinstall all of the programs we used. Being technically challenged, I needed some help. Rebecca at the PC Coach Technical Desk provided exactly what I needed. She helped me reinstall my cycling and triathlon programs correctly, the infrared communication driver and the newest upgrade to the program.
The program works great!! But this is the second time where I have had to call on their technical assistance. Each time I have been wowed by the service quality. Many companies, even within the cycling & triathlon universe, could take a lesson from PC Coach.
If having a computer based training program put together by some of the best trainers on the planet coupled by a helpful sales process and knock your socks off service quality is what you seek. Look no further than PC Coach.
With this post, I am instituting my own product rating scale. 1 means it stinks and don't even waste your money like Dell Computers. 10 means it has to measure up to the standard set by PC Coach.
Monday, August 15, 2005
changes are brewing...
Wow!! This morning started out about an hour and a half earlier than most school mornings. On Friday, my 13 year old daughter was accepted at James Weldon Johnson Middle School. JWJ is an academic Maget School geared towards academically talented and gifted students. Needless to say, she was not overjoyed about changing schools after only a week. Life changes at 13 are so hard. We feel for her but also feel strongly that JWJ is where she should attend school. So just as the sun hit the horizon, my wife and daughter were off to school.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Get a load of this....
One of my triathlon buddies, Jason Langston, has come up with a great idea. He is planning to run the first leg...75 miles...of the Jacksonville, Florida MS 150 to help the MS Society reach its goal of $1,000,000 this year. If donations for him exceed $250,000, he will run the entire 150 miles. Actually its exactly 162 miles, but who's counting!!. Now is that studly or what??? Please check out his site at http://www.geocities.com/ms150runner. Jason is a great guy and has come up with one of the most creative fund raising ideas I've ever seen.
Let me ask each person who visits the steelrider2 blog to help. You can make your donation via paypal.
Jason, good luck buddy!!! I hope you far exceed your fund raising goals!!
Let me ask each person who visits the steelrider2 blog to help. You can make your donation via paypal.
Jason, good luck buddy!!! I hope you far exceed your fund raising goals!!
Finally...the pc is back in service
After almost 6 weeks of "do we get a new computer or fix the one we have," we now have a working computer. I want everyone to know that working with Dell computers (www.dell.com) been one of the worst experiences of my life. Dell is interested in getting your money (making a sale) and providing no service whatsoever. The technical support and customer service personnel seem to be ill trained to handle any questions other than "which key is the any key." At this point, it should go without saying, under no circumstances will I ever own another Dell computer. The local computer geek who helped me get my pc fixed was in awe how unresponsive Dell was being. Although it is fixed, it is fixed without any support from Dell.
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