I just want to take a few minutes and mention a few quick updates that have unfolded within the last few weeks. Things have been busy, but good busy.  There is a show on Comcast Sportsnet called “Net Impact” that has expressed an interest in telling my story. The show features human interest stories about people and their journey above and beyond sport. I met with show host Gregg Murphy and his camera guy Brian  last week and we shot interviews as well as some training in the pool. The cool thing was that I got to wear a head mounted underwater mini camera. I can’t wait to see how that footage turns out. We will film one or two more sessions over the next couple of weeks and the show should air in March on Comcast Sportsnet. Gregg is a great guy and I am looking forward to our next session. I will keep people posted.

We shot those Net Impact interviews and swim footage at the YMCA in Delaware County PA where I am a longtime member and board member. As it turns out, Gregg Murphy is also on the board of his local YMCA in Gloucester County New Jersey. A couple of days after we filmed, Gregg approached me about being their keynote speaker for the 100 year anniversary celebration of their YMCA. It took me about 6 seconds to think about my answer, after which I responded with an enthusiastic, “I would love to do it. Count me in. And THANKS”. That will be in March and details are still pending. It should be a nice night. And I always welcome the opportunity to connect and network when it comes to the YMCA and all of the good that organization does.

Registration is now OPEN for the Brad Schoener Memorial 5K and Music Marathon which will be held on May 19th. I am directing this race again and hope to treat you all to some new surprises this year – as soon as I figure out what they will be.

I am also working with the legendary and renown band Chico’s Vibe in helping them “orchestrate” a new 5K which will benefit hunger relief. This is still a work in progress and nothing is definitive yet but November 17th, 2012 in Havertown PA is looking very probable. Complete details will be announced once they are confirmed. Expect a FUN event, with registration and timing handled by Tim Krueger’s Run the Day. The band’s front man Dennis Chiccino, and I go back to the mid 1980’s and if the first planning meeting is any indication, this is going to be one heck of a fun trip.

Other than that, not too much is “new”. Training is going well. I feel good. Team in Training is in full swing. Our St. Anthony’s triathlon team is just starting to hit their stride and we started recruitment for the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon this week. Summer will be here before you know it.

Also, to help get you over the winter hump, please don’t forget to visit this year’s Endurance Sports Expo. The Philly area local event will again be held at the Oaks (Pennsylvania) Convention Center the weekend of February 25th and 26th.  Other locations have also been booked in the region. Be sure to visit www.endurancesportsexpo.com for complete details.

I once again can walk above the clouds with clarity and confidence . On January 23rd I had my semi-annual routine blood work with my oncologist. The weeks leading into these appointments are always filled with angst and anxiety for me. I always find myself asking all of the wrong “what if” questions. But I am happy to report that the results were spot on perfect once again. I had a great appointment and chat with my oncologist.

Also, I have just signed on to work with Philly Health Watch and am very much looking forward to this partnership. My regular monthly contribution will probably be centered around multisport racing and training. BUT I will also have the platform to be able to interview and feature some of the amazing individuals and organizations that I am connected to. And will be able to do so via a couple of different media channels. More very soon on this!

2012 is starting to come into focus a little more clearly. I may also add the Ocean Drive marathon in March since I will already be in 26.2 mile shape. The spring will bring a number of sprint triathlons. Then of course EagleMan IronMan 70.3 in June. Followed by a few charity/training bike rides to support LIVESTRONG and the American Cancer Society in July and August. Then I will be back in Cambridge again for ChesapeakeMan ultra distance triathlon in September. Before I know it, I am back where I started with NYC again next year.

Add to that my usual support and “working” races such as Avalon Islandman, Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon, SheROX, and it should be another full and rewarding year. Much more to follow! Stay tuned.

The weekend started with the V.I.P. party held Friday night for various pros, sponsors, invited guests, etc. As I looked around the room and greeted many of my long time friends in the sport, I was reminded yet again, what keeps me coming back year after year – the people. While we did hang out with many of today’s top ranked professionals, and I have nothing but respect for their abilities, I got  far more satisfaction  out of sharing a bite with legends of the sport such as Jeff Devlin, and one of the more inspiring stories of triumph, Sarah Reinertsen. This is the company that I prefer to keep. 

Saturday morning saw me on site at 4:30 AM, making sure my little area of responsibility (from Black Road to “Bike Out” for those in the know) was finely tuned, coned, barricaded, and ready to go. The weather and water conditions were excellent and Saturday’s race went off without a hitch.

Sunday was an even earlier scheduled arrival time. I was actually a little late when I strolled down Black Road at 3:45 AM, jumbo java in hand. Again, I took to my tasks, and again, we had perfect race conditions. I also had an all time coaching highlight on Sunday…

One of my TNT athletes crashed on the bike right in front of me. As I scurried to get her and her bike out of the danger of oncoming bikes, she could not stop crying at the disappointment of potentially not being able to finish the race.  We called for medical assistance to get her fully checked out. Within a short period of time, she was released from medical and brought back to us where we promptly saddled her back up to finish the bike leg.  She finished her second loop on the bike and then finished the run with the biggest smile I had ever seen.

I was lucky enough to see her as she crossed the finish line and she would not stop hugging me. When she did she said, “I was so upset when I went down that I didn’t even know it was you who had picked me up and was talking to me. Once I realized what was happening and that it was Coach Steve who was helping me, I knew I was going to be ok.” That experience, and hearing those words, is like a million dollar lottery ticket to me. That is the very reason why I do what I do.

Congrats to a few friends for some amazing races. Scoogie, Hugger, Midge, and Wiley – congrats. You guys get it and I’m proud to call you friends.

There was one more memorable moment of levity for me during Sunday’s race. At one point, one of the photographers settled in an area that I was patrolling. Never short of idle worthless small talk, I walked up to him and asked, “Hey, who are you shooting for?”. His apparent response caught me a little off guard because it SOUNDED like he said “Bride and Groom”. Of course this made no sense so I repeated it back to him and asked him if that’s what I heard, and his response was hysterical. With a chuck he said …. “No, BRIGHTROOM Photography, not Bride and Groom. I don’t shoot weddings, I only shoot happy events…. Like triathlons”

For complete Philly Tri results visit www.phillytri.com

ITU World Champion, “The Amazing Race” star and CAF Athlete Sarah Reinertsen to lead Team CAF at PHLYTRI

March 14, 2011 (Philadelphia, PA) – The Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon (PHLYTRI), one of the featured events in the Life Time Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup, has announced a new partnership for 2011 with Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF), a world leader in empowering physically challenged athletes to find success in sports – and in life.

Established in 1997, Challenged Athletes Foundation provides opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics.  PHLYTRI athletes who register to join Team CAF receive a race entry and VIP benefits including a CAF triathlon uniform, training t-shirt, race belt, water bottle, access to VIP hospitality tent hosted by Philadelphia Insurance Companies and more. To register for Team CAF at PHLYTRI or for more details, visit http://TeamCAFPHLYTri.kintera.org.

Team CAF will field a team of ambassador athletes at the PHLYTRI lead by Sarah Reinertsen, 2009 ITU Paratriathlete World Champion and the first woman on a prosthetic leg to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona.  Reinertsen, who also starred in CBS’s Emmy award winning TV series “The Amazing Race”, will be joined in Philadelphia by other CAF athletes including Scout Bassett, Willie Stewart and Nick Roumonada. For more information on these CAF athletes, visit http://bit.ly/CAFathletes.

“Along with our title sponsor, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, a long-time CAF supporter, PHLYTRI is proud to welcome Challenged Athletes Foundation as one of our charitable partners for 2011,” said Richard Adler, CEO, Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC. “As one of the top triathlons in the country, PHLYTRI encourages our athletes to join Team CAF and support their mission of providing physically challenged athletes every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.”

“The first time I witnessed challenged athletes competing in a triathlon was at CAF’s San Diego Triathlon Challenge ten years ago. I was blown away and moved to tears,” said Timothy Maguire, Senior Vice President, Philadelphia Insurance Companies and Member, CAF Board of Directors. “It inspired me so much that I felt that I needed to come back and share this with my office and the employees at PHLY Insurance. Many of us who are able-bodied tend to take our healthy bodies for granted, but for the physically challenged individuals that are able to get out there and participate in the sports they love brings so much joy to their lives. CAF helps make these opportunities possible. When I see what challenged athletes have accomplished, it inspires me to push harder to achieve my goals and get others to do the same.”

Team CAF joins long-standing PHLYTRI charitable partners, The Cancer Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which benefits greatly from the Karr Barth CHOP Charity Challenge, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training® program and the American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation endurance program. In 2011 PHLYTRI is also expanding its Philadelphia area community partnerships to include the Fairmount Park Conservancy and The Cadence Cycling Foundation.

Founded in 2005, the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon is one of the largest and most popular triathlons in the country.  Held in the city’s historic Fairmount Park, the race was named a top-five triathlon in the United States by Outside Magazine, was lauded as one of the top big city triathlons by Inside Triathlon Magazine, and named one of the “10 Greenest Races” by Triathlete Magazine. For more information on the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon visit www.PhillyTri.com.

The Life Time Triathlon Series is the oldest and most prominent series of international-distance triathlon events in the United States. The main event of the Life Time Series is the premier Race to the Toyota Cup, which challenges the world’s top professional triathletes to battle for points and a chance to win the coveted Toyota Cup. The 2011 Series consists of seven events, including stops in Miami, Austin, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas. Additional information about the Life Time Triathlon Series and Race to the Toyota Cup can be found at racetothetoyotacup.com.

Challenged Athletes Foundation

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is a world leader in helping individuals with physical challenges get involved – and stay involved – in sports.  CAF believes that participation in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.  Since 1994, more than $30 million has been raised and almost 5,000 funding requests from challenged athletes in all 50 states and dozens of countries have been satisfied. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts reach another 60,000 individuals each year. Whether it’s a $2,500 grant for a handcycle, helping underwrite a carbon fiber running foot not covered by insurance, or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar challenge, CAF’s mission is clear:  give those with the desire to live active, athletic lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.  To learn more, log on to www.challengedathletes.org or call 858-866-0959.

Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC

Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC is a leading multi-sport race production and management company.  Based in Wayne, PA, Philadelphia Triathlon owns and produces the highly-regarded Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon — named a top triathlon in the U.S. by Outside Magazine and Inside Triathlon Magazine; the SheRox Triathlon Series – the fastest growing women’s triathlon series in the country; and Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains — one of the newest Ironman 70.3 races in the global Ironman Series.  Known for producing high quality races, Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC also provides management and race operation services for additional endurance sporting events.  For more information, please visit www.PhillyTri.com.

About the Life Time Triathlon Series

Since 2006, the Life Time Triathlon Series has connected some of the most prominent international-distance triathlon events in the United States.  Throughout the Series, the world’s top professional triathletes battle for points and a chance to win the coveted Toyota Cup. In 2011, the Series consists of seven events, including: the April 10 Nautica South Beach Triathlon (Miami); the May 30 Capital of Texas Triathlon (Austin); the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon June 26; the July 9 Life Time Fitness Minneapolis Triathlon; the Life Time Fitness Chicago Triathlon August 28; the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon September 25; and the October 2 Toyota U.S. Open Championship (Dallas). For more information on the Life Time Triathlon Series and the Race to the Toyota Cup visit www.racetothetoyotacup.com.

Registration Now Open for 2011 PHLYTRI – June 24-26

November 29, 2010 (Philadelphia, PA) – One of the top ranked multi-sport events in the country — the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon (PHLYTRI) has announced new features and partnerships for the 2011 event taking pace June 24-26.

The 7th annual PHLYTRI will host an entire weekend of multisport events including:  the PHLYTRI Olympic distance race (1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run) which for the second year will be part of the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup, the PHLYTRI Sprint distance race (.9K swim, 24K bike and 5K run), Kids Fun Runs & Duathlons and a two-day multi-sport expo. Registration for these events is now open at www.PhillyTri.com. 

New features announced for the 2011 PHLYTRI include:
• Aquabike – PHLYTRI has added an Aquabike wave for both the Sprint and Olympic races. One of the fastest growing segments of multisport, Aquabike is a swim/bike competition created as a way to increase participation in athletes who suffered running related injuries by eliminating the run portion of the event. 
 
• Improved Olympic Distance Run Course – In response to athlete feedback, the PHLYTRI Olympic race run course will be modified to lessen the long, sun-drenched finishing stretch on MLK Drive.
 
• New Community Partnerships – PHLYTRI has expanded its community partnerships to include the Fairmount Park Conservancy and The Cadence Cycling Foundation.  These two organizations join long-standing charitable partner, The Cancer Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which benefits greatly from the Karr Barth CHOP Charity Challenge at the PHLYTRI Sprint race. 
 
Recognized as one of the “10 Greenest Races” by Triathlete Magazine, PHLYTRI will be working with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and event sponsor Nathan Performance Gear on a Green Race Initiative. The event is expanding its involvement with the Cadence Cycling Foundation to provide the boys and girls in their program enhanced opportunities to participate in the sport of triathlon.

The PHLYTRI continues its affiliation with the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup.   An increased prize purse of $40,000 will ensure another great field of top US and International pros competing.

The event will again host an Elite Amateur wave in both the Olympic and Sprint Races.  Eligibility for the Olympic Elite Amateur wave requires a time under 2:15 for men and 2:30 for women within the past two years. The top three finishers in the Olympic Elite Amateur wave will qualify for the Toyota US Open in October, the championship event of the Life Time Fitness Series.  For the Sprint, it’s a top ten overall finish in a Sprint Race in the past three years.

Registrants need to provide a link to the qualifying results. There is no Elite Amateur wave for the Aquabike.

Founded in 2005, the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon is one of the largest and most popular triathlons in the country.  Held in the city’s historic Fairmount Park, the race was named a top-five triathlon in the United States by Outside Magazine, was lauded as one of the top big city triathlons by Inside Triathlon Magazine, and named one of the “10 Greenest Races” by Triathlete Magazine. For more information on the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon visit www.PhillyTri.com.   

About Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC
Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC is a leading multi-sport race production and management company.  Based in Wayne, PA, Philadelphia Triathlon owns and produces the highly-regarded Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon — named a top triathlon in the U.S. by Outside Magazine and Inside Triathlon Magazine; the SheRox Triathlon Series – the fastest growing women’s triathlon series in the country; and Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains — one of the newest Ironman 70.3 races in the global Ironman Series.  Known for producing high quality races, Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC also provides management and race operation services for additional endurance sporting events.  For more information, please visit www.PhillyTri.com.

For 20 years Lake Lenape has offered something for everyone. First time triathletes, seasoned veterans, enthusiastic supporters, and the local residents all take part in the spirit and the excitement of what has evolved into a fantastic event for all.

The ¼- mile swim takes place at The Cove at Lake Lenape. This is a mild temperature and friendly lake featuring an inviting beach start. Deemed a very first timer friendly event, this is the perfect body of water to launch even the most hesitant participant into the very welcoming triathlon community.

The 10 plus mile bike ride is an out and back course with just enough gentle rollers and soft wrinkles in the road to keep your muscles loose and ready to tear up the run.

After the swim and bike, athletes take off through the surrounding neighborhood to run a fast and flat 5k as they wind past the cheers and support of many of the local residents perched curbside to take in the excitement.

The beauty of this race is that it really does welcome athletes of all sizes, shapes, and levels of experience. Race Director Sean Clancy does an excellent job of engaging all of his participants, their supporters, and the community as a whole; offering many special award categories such as top local police officer finishers as well as awards for first time triathletes.

On a personal note, this race is particularly special for me. In 2006 it was the first race that I did after my leukemia diagnosis once I reached remission and was given the green light to resume racing.

This year, a few of us also honored Derek Valentino by adding his initials while being body marked. Derek was the athlete who lost his life pursuing his dream at another triathlon a few weeks ago.

This is a hometown event that is professionally backed and supported. This is a “must do” race.

For more information and details check out www.compuscore.com or www.prracing.org

Derek Valentino

As many of you know an athlete lost his life at this past weekend’s Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon. Although as athletes we all know the inherent risks of participating in these types of events, hearing news like this always gut wrenching.  And it’s even more difficult when it happens at a race that you are involved with on the production side, and when you are friends with the race’s organizers and founders. I know how hard they are taking this. I know how diligent they are in the planning, execution, and safety concerns associated with putting on an event such as this. They take each and every detail very seriously…. as they should. But still…. things happen.

But all of that pales in comparison to what Derek Valentino’s family went through on race day and the pain and loss they now feel. Derek was a 40 year old father of two and a first time triathlete. I didn’t know Derek, but at the same time, I did. His is a pretty common demographic in the triathlon community… Derek could have been anyone.  

But he wasn’t just anyone. He was a dad, and a husband, whose family supported his quest to become a triathlete. While my heart aches for Derek’s family, there is a small voice inside me that is telling me that Derek died pursuing a passion, which in some weird way makes it a little better, yet more tragic at the same time.

I will say this to the Valentino family… Derek wanted to be a triathlete. The truth is he already was a triathlete by race morning. The training and preparation that Derek put into this race made him the triathlete that he wanted to become. The Valentino family probably doesn’t quite understand just how tight the triathlon community is, but I have a feeling they are about to find out.

We all mourn your loss. And we are all honored that Derek chose to become involved with this sport.

Additionally, I want to salute all those involved on the production side with all three events. There were a number of challenges to be handled and a couple of game day decisions that needed to be made and executed. Kudos to all staff, management, volunteers, and Philadelphia city employees and officials for making it all happen.

Complete results can be found HERE