Age Group Race Results Female

IRONGEEZELLE.COM

A webzine for smart, savvy women
who live an active, healthy lifestyle!

Women in the News

Turn! Turn! Turn!
Words-adapted from The Bible, book of EcclesiastesMusic-Pete Seeger

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace…

Happy Thanksgiving For The Times We Are Given!

Dear Readers; Dear Irongeezelles:

I would like to thank all of you who have contributed profiles, articles, photos over the last six years, and those of you, who found inspiration and motivation in the pages of Irongeezelle. As I am approaching my 5^th decade in 2011, it is time to end this project, the Irongeezelle webzine.

The reason is simple: Facebook. It has given a voice to all those who want and should be heard, a voice to the many savvy, sassy, smart fit and healthy women whose lives, prior to the advent of social media, were rich and full, but not necessarily shared in by others. Facebook has changed that by giving each and everyone of you your own space, where you can post your concerns, thoughts, accomplishments and share your wisdom with others.

Irongeezelle has had the same intent, but Facebook has supplanted a monthly news round-up, and, I think that's good. Now you can create your own network of friends who share your interest in athletics, fitness and health and connect in this community immediately.

Please join Irongeezelle on Facebook, if you have not already done so.

I’ll hope you see you on Facebook, where I will continue to post interesting health and fitness related news and articles.

Irongeezelle

Ironman Hawaii
Kona, Hawaii

“It’s not impossible that a woman could one day finish first at an Ironman event,” said Chrissie Wellington. Alas, last year’s champ Chrissie Wellington did not make it to the start line due to an illness about which there was much speculation. Good news for Arizonans, she will be here to do Ironman Arizona, lending a special champion’s cache to the event.

Harriet Anderson took the vintage spot this year, as Madonna Buder, according to our sources had failed to qualify due to a rookie mistake – ie trying new equipment the day of the race – at Ironman Canada. Harriet – veni, vidi, vici, just like 2009. No finishers in the next age group 70-74. For a fraction of a second, it looked as though Cherie Gruenfeld, 65-69, may actually face an upset, but then the second was over, we blinked and she won in 13:16, but faced a smaller margin of victory than normal, a mere 8 minute. Karin Bivens of Tucson in the same division just missed the podium, but this is a world championship and Karin ranks 7^th in the world now among her fellow competitors, as we interpret it. Please read her race report on In Her Own Words.

Kim Lorenz, aka Gidget, reports on the “day after”: Since we arrived the day after "Ironman," it was humorous seeing the sun-burned bodies walking gingerly around the day after...many with permanent slightly pained grins and others with defeat written on their face.

From what we gather, however , the weather could not have been better, windy...yes, but after all...it's Hawaii. It appears from the amount of people still in town that it became a family vacation which is just great for Kona who is suffering immeasurably from the economy. This was the first time that both Robin and I agreed that the "locals" finally, rather than complain about the inconvenience of Ironman actually seem to appreciate the business and go out of their way to be nic.e

And so Ironman is not all there is to do in Kona…active people are active, even when on holiday: Gidget and Moondoggy went paddle boarding and surfing. “Cowabonga, surf’s up!" Check out paddle boarding as the Play Tip of the Month, thanks to Gidget.

Next, Gidget and Moondoggy, aka Kim and Robin Lorenz ran in the first race of this new series. Consisting almost entirely of single track, both the 8k and 20k courses challenged the beginner and experienced trail runners. The courses began at the park's competitive loops and headed clockwise following the technical loop until it meets back up with the long loop. The 8k runners headed down to the finish at this point, while the 20k runners turned left to run a counter clockwise long loop. Kim and Robin both won their age group.

What Not To do: Lessons from the Corporate World of Ironman

First there was this…Presto, Chango! Why?

WTC Announces Venue Change for Ironman World Championship 70.3

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) announces a change in venue for the Ironman World Championship 70.3. Beginning in 2011, the race will move to Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev., located just minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip. Since its inception in 2006, the championship race in the global Ironman 70.3 Series has been held in Clearwater, Fla.

“We’re grateful to the city of Clearwater for being a fantastic host to the Ironman World Championship 70.3 over the past five years,” said Steve Meckfessel, WTC’s chief operations officer. “Clearwater’s sports-minded spirit, enthusiasm and dedication of resources have been critical to building the Ironman 70.3 Series. We are excited to return to the community to introduce the inaugural 5150 Clearwater event taking place on Nov. 12.”

Slated for Sept. 11, 2011, the race begins with a 1.2-mile swim in Lake Las Vegas at Lake Las Vegas Resort. Next, athletes will embark on a challenging 56-mile bike through Lake Mead National Recreation Area that includes several steep climbs. Participants will finish with a 13.1-mile run through Henderson’s scenic residential areas with views of the Las Vegas Strip.

“It is an honor to join an elite list of cities that have hosted an international event of this caliber,” said Andy Hafen, mayor of Henderson. “We look forward to welcoming the thousands of athletes, their families, friends and fans from around the world to our premier city.”

“It is a privilege to host the Ironman World Championship 70.3,” said Frank Lowery, race director. “This course will be labeled as one of, if not the toughest, in the United States. The challenging race, coupled with endless entertainment options and its proximity to the famous Las Vegas Strip, will provide the ultimate event experience for athletes.”

In 2011, 60,000 athletes will participate in the Ironman 70.3 Series, which consists of nearly 50 events in locations such as China, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland. Participants in the World Championship will range in age from 18 to 70-plus and will represent all 50 states and nearly 50 countries. The Ironman World Championship 70.3 will offer a prize purse of $100,000 for distribution among the top professional male and female finishers. More than 2,500 volunteers from the local community will support the event. To learn more about the Ironman World Championship 70.3, visit www.ironman.com.

Then, there was this…Devaluation of the Brand

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), best known for its worldwide Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races, announces the launch of a new global event series titled 5150. All events within the 5150 Triathlon Series include a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run. Event information, including online registration details, will be available in the coming weeks on www.5150.com.

Starting in 2011, the 5150 Series will be the largest international distance triathlon series in the world and will be the first non-drafting international race series of its kind, offering a competitive platform for professional and age group athletes. The 2011 event schedule will offer 13 domestic events as well as a handful of international races. The Hy-Vee Triathlon will host the 5150 U.S. Championship, offering professional athletes the opportunity to compete for $1 million in prize money. Additional international race locations in Europe and Asia-Pacific will be announced soon.

And then the spark that ignited the revolution, 90 RPMs and higher: Pushing Greed

Today World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) launches an exclusive athlete membership program called Ironman Access. In addition to other member benefits, the program will offer advance registration for Ironman events worldwide before entries open to the general public. Membership into Ironman Access is on a first-come, first-served basis and will close once it reaches capacity.

Advance race registration for Ironman Access members will open one week prior to the event’s general entry registration date. Athletes are required to pay the general entry fee to the selected event. The annual membership fee is $1,000 USD.

Access Membership Program Benefits:

• Exclusive advance registration to Ironman events

• Two VIP passes per registered event

• One-year subscription to LAVA Magazine

• 2011 Ironman Lottery entry plus second chance in the Ironman Lottery program

• 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship NBC broadcast DVD

• 20 percent discounts on Ironman partner products at shopironman.com and on-site event retail stores

• Official membership ID card

The above benefits are valid for one year starting from activation date

IrongeezelleSays: These changes in totality, coupled with aid stations that ran out of water at Ironman Kentucky, Miami 70.3 increasing prices, poor quality Ironman merchandise, and a seeming disregard for the Everyman ironman, in these economic tough times in which corporations are anathema, the stage was set for an age group revolt. The vociferous rebellion organized quickly via Facebook.

The access program was posted on the 27^th of October, and was allegedly sold out by early October 28^th, which appeared to be a “spin,’ following a social network chorus of disgust, dismay, and disappointment. Athletes from around the world called for the boycott of the Ironman brand as a result of the perceived greed driving this access program. Athletes were ready to remove Ironman tattoos, return Ironman memorabilia and medals to the WTC headquarters. Was this an ill-considered idea to churn more cash for this ever-expanding franchise? Will the numbers of triathletes participating in the Ironman events now dwindle or not? Only time will tell.

On a positive note, this upheaval in the Ironman world may a boon for local race directors, who while offering quality events, have had to play ‘ugly’ duckling to the swan event, Ironman – maybe the ducklings, like the Vineman, the Silverman, and all the other first class, athlete first events, will now turn into swans, with a stroke, not of a pen, but a social media uprising.

This story continued to develop quickly; Fertic, the President of the WTC, rescinded the program by the afternoon of the 28^th, and apologized for the mistake that WTC made. “We are listening,” he said. He also apologized, saying, “We’re sorry that we disappointed you.” Viva la revolution!

But, the apology has opened another can of worms, namely that WTC admitted to having thousands of paid entries that are not used by the athletes. Under current rules, there are no refunds, transfers, and no one else gets the entry either. Obviously, this does not hurt WTC since they already have the money, but it does hurt the athlete who has paid but cannot race, and the athlete who could not register because the race was ‘sold out.’ There is an easy solution to this problem: refund the money minus an administration fee by a deadline, and resell the spot.

Judging from the continuing chatter, WTC will now hear from age group athletes, who are not only the customers, but who are the lifeblood of the sport, and maybe they will even listen again.