Email 1: The Ford NYC Triathlon - Sunday 27 June 2004
Dear All,
It’s here…I have two and half sleeps before the biggest physical challenge of my life, to date, the 2004 Ford New York City Triathlon. You can check it out at http://www.nyc.gov/html/sports/html/triathlon.html or go to: http://www.nyctri.com if you are interested.
The Training…Five months of hard work training in the snow, the cold, the rain, the humidity, the heat and a few lovely spring days. I’ve learned to drink Gatorade straight, to eat a variety of energy bars, suck on gels and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I had a sore knee, a bit of a sore foot. I swallowed much chlorinated pool water and salty river/ocean water. I got up before 7:00am almost ever Saturday. I jumped off a pier into the Hudson River. I changed my shopping habits and now ogle over Spandex and CoolMax. I own a wetsuit! …am I ready?
The Day…Yes. I am ready. I am scared out of my brain, but I know I can do it. I reiterate that my goal is to cross that finish line with dignity. The forecast weather for Sunday 27 June 2004 is
· Partly cloudy; 79 degrees F (26 degrees C); a westerly wind at 6 mph; maximum humidity at 61%; a UV index of 9 (high)
I will be arriving at the race area at 4:30am (oiy!). Anyone volunteer a wake up call for me?
My race number is 608 and I am registered, shamelessly, in the Athena category (for triathletes over 150 lbs). I am expecting to start the race officially at 6:20am from West 100th Street where I will jump into the Hudson River, hang onto a rope attached to a barge and swim 0.9 miles (1.5 km) south to West 81st Street. There I will exit the river via partly submerged ramp with some assistance (apparently there are two people standing there who grab you under the arms and hurl you up the ramp like a beached whale – fun!). From there I will remove my nose clip, goggles and swim cap simultaneously trying to get my land legs and remove my wetsuit, all while running/walking down to the Transition Area at 72nd Street.
In transition I expect to dry off a bit, have a drink and a snack (what can I say – I’m Jewish – I have to eat!); put on my runners, sunnies, some more sunscreen, my helmet and gloves and walk my bike out of the Transition Area to the mounting area. From here I will begin my ride with an incredibly steep hill out of Riverside Park and onto the Henry Hudson Parkway. Last week my friends and I took a drive along the route we will be riding. The northbound side of the highway will be closed off to traffic and the next 26 miles (40 km) will be undulating with a few very challenging hills included. We turn around at West Gun Hill Road (just in Yonkers) and head back to West 57th Street, Manhattan, where we do a another U-turn and ride back to the Transition Area at West 72nd Street.
Time for another transition – remove gloves and helmet (hopefully I’ll remember to do this before heading out on the run – oh how embarrassing that could be!) and begin the 6.2 mile (10 km) run. Again up that steep hill out of Riverside Park and along 72nd Street (also closed to traffic) to Central Park. There I will complete a loop up the west side, then along 110th Street and through the Harlem Hills, then down the east side, passing all those famous New York landmarks. At 72nd Street on the east side, I turn right and head for the home straight – THE FINISH LINE at the Band Shell (just off 72nd Street) near Cherry Hill on Dead Road (aptly named).
I am hoping to finish the entire Olympic distance Triathlon in less than 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Cheer me on….
As I don’t have any family in the region cheering me on…I would be most appreciative of anyone who wishes to come out and support me on the day. At the bottom of this message is the TNT recommended cheering sites. Drop me an email or a phone call (cell 646-236-1427) before the day to let me know to look out for you. Hopefully I’ll be zooming past you so fast that you can hardly see me…, but somehow I doubt that!
Thanks #1
A huge thank you to everyone who has shown such tremendous support and interest in this challenge of mine. I have received a lot of encouraging words from many of you and amazement from others. I’ve also been given great advice from some of you, knowledgeable in one or more of the three disciplines, as well as tips for racing in general. Now that I think I have told everyone I know in the world that I am doing this race… I hope you will all be inspired to take on some big or small challenge in your own lives.
Fundraising
I am very proud to announce that through your support I raised more than $3,250 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training. I thank you all for your generosity and guarantee that every penny goes to pursuing advances in treatment and cures for blood cancers. This also benefits almost all other cancer research.
There are few of you out there who expressed an interest in still sponsoring me. I am taking donations up until July 5th, 2004. Please contact me for a donation form. BUT… I am also contemplating / mulling over / tossing around the idea of … (yes,) signing up for another TNT event. Perhaps another triathlon, perhaps a century bike ride? Who knows? That will be next week’s thought of the week! Should this be the case, I will need to raise funds again, so please keep that in mind if you haven’t had a chance to sponsor me this time (or wanted to wait and see if I really could do it!).
Thanks #2
I would like to take this opportunity to thank certain individuals:
· Shira Shimoni: my friend and personal mentor, who introduced me to Team in Training and with peer-group-pressure, got me to sign up. An inspiring woman to me, who can overcome her own challenges and is a successful triathlete, Shira runs in memory of her mother, a victim of cancer. Thank you Shira
· Ilona Gale: my roommate and friend, who I cajoled into doing this with me; who put up with me yelling at her to hurry up all the time; whose positive energy balanced me out. We’ve helped each other through the rough times over the past five months and more. Thank you Lone.
· Christine Nguyen: my colleague and friend, who sits near me at work and has listened to my daily trials and tribulations and encouraged me with her experience as a triathlon spectator. Thanks Christine.
· Debra Lilienthal: my roommate and friend, who has never once complained about all the wet gear drying in the living room, the noisy early Saturday mornings when Ilona and I were trying to get out of the apartment with our bikes. And also for showing lots of interest in my training and progress. Thank you Debra.
· Sean Kavanagh and Peter Henrici: my bosses, who have checked up on my progress regularly and provided me with plenty of advice and tips from their own training and experience on the road and in the water; and who have not complained with my reduced amount of overtime! Thanks Sean and Peter.
· Rachel Alexander, my TNT mentor, who has watched out for me during the season; checking up on my fundraising progress, and desperately trying to get more socially involved. Thanks Rachel.
· Fellow teammates: Ken and Barb, who have raised almost $15,000 and have a teenage daughter in remission; Adrienne who successfully completed a triathlon in Memphis in May and is also in remission; Mitch who is addicted to this sport and maintains a great spirit; Jordana and Marjorie, always there with support and kindness, and so many others. These people have added to the great reasons for doing this with a team: meeting great people with like interests.
· And greatest of all… my TNT coaches: the lovely Earl – swim coach and mentor; Scott and Ross – crazy double-ironmen with a commitment beyond repose; Lauren – an inspiring woman with a figure to admire, nutritional advice worth listening to and the one who reminds me to smile while I’m running. These coaches have shown an incredible dedication to ensure I and all my teammates have built a core of strength and technique in all three disciplines that will ensure we all complete a successful and most likely injury-free triathlon this Sunday. Thanks guys!
I also want to thank my parents – Stan and Ida Gurvis - all the way across the oceans in Melbourne, Australia. They helped me start “training to train” in February while I was visiting during their summer and have been really supportive all along the way. My dad will be like a little imaginary birdy on my shoulder pushing me along during the race. Thanks mum and dad. I love you.
****************
FORD NEW YORK CITY TRIATHLON 2004
Team In Training Cheering Sites
Following are the general TNT cheering sites for the Ford New York City Triathlon on Sunday, June 27th. Please note that these locations are subject to change, based on athlete visibility.
Please feel free to bring cheering paraphernalia and/or wear TNT apparel to help support the team!
Please look for TNT staff and volunteers around these locations.
THANK YOU!
CHEERING SITE 1
CAPTAIN: Sarah Globenfelt (917.450.0872)
LOCATION: Transition area @ 79th Street & Riverside Drive (meet on the south side of the transition area)
TIME: 6:15am-8am – Watch swimmers enter transition area to change into their cycling gear
8am (or whenever the last swimmer has passed) – Move to transition exit to cheer on athletes as they begin their 6.2 mile run
9:30am (approximate time) – Walk along 72nd Street to finish line in Central Park (20 min walk)
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.
CHEERING SITE 2
CAPTAIN: Stacy Mitz (917.523.4391)
LOCATION: 72nd Street & Park Drive West in Central Park
Meet approximately 100 yards inside the park where 72nd Street merges with the Park Drive.
TIME: 7:45am – Watch runners pass by as they enter Central Park at Mile 1
After the last runner passes, proceed to 72nd Street & Park Drive East to cheer on runners during the last ¼ mile of their run.
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.
CHEERING SITE 3
CAPTAIN: Desiree Young (214.244.3733)
LOCATION: 90th Street & Park Drive East (inside Central Park, just off of Fifth Avenue)
TIME: 8am-10:30am -- Watch runners pass by at mile 5
10:30am – Follow run course to the finish line (1 mile walk), cheering along the way
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.
It’s here…I have two and half sleeps before the biggest physical challenge of my life, to date, the 2004 Ford New York City Triathlon. You can check it out at http://www.nyc.gov/html/sports/html/triathlon.html or go to: http://www.nyctri.com if you are interested.
The Training…Five months of hard work training in the snow, the cold, the rain, the humidity, the heat and a few lovely spring days. I’ve learned to drink Gatorade straight, to eat a variety of energy bars, suck on gels and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I had a sore knee, a bit of a sore foot. I swallowed much chlorinated pool water and salty river/ocean water. I got up before 7:00am almost ever Saturday. I jumped off a pier into the Hudson River. I changed my shopping habits and now ogle over Spandex and CoolMax. I own a wetsuit! …am I ready?
The Day…Yes. I am ready. I am scared out of my brain, but I know I can do it. I reiterate that my goal is to cross that finish line with dignity. The forecast weather for Sunday 27 June 2004 is
· Partly cloudy; 79 degrees F (26 degrees C); a westerly wind at 6 mph; maximum humidity at 61%; a UV index of 9 (high)
I will be arriving at the race area at 4:30am (oiy!). Anyone volunteer a wake up call for me?
My race number is 608 and I am registered, shamelessly, in the Athena category (for triathletes over 150 lbs). I am expecting to start the race officially at 6:20am from West 100th Street where I will jump into the Hudson River, hang onto a rope attached to a barge and swim 0.9 miles (1.5 km) south to West 81st Street. There I will exit the river via partly submerged ramp with some assistance (apparently there are two people standing there who grab you under the arms and hurl you up the ramp like a beached whale – fun!). From there I will remove my nose clip, goggles and swim cap simultaneously trying to get my land legs and remove my wetsuit, all while running/walking down to the Transition Area at 72nd Street.
In transition I expect to dry off a bit, have a drink and a snack (what can I say – I’m Jewish – I have to eat!); put on my runners, sunnies, some more sunscreen, my helmet and gloves and walk my bike out of the Transition Area to the mounting area. From here I will begin my ride with an incredibly steep hill out of Riverside Park and onto the Henry Hudson Parkway. Last week my friends and I took a drive along the route we will be riding. The northbound side of the highway will be closed off to traffic and the next 26 miles (40 km) will be undulating with a few very challenging hills included. We turn around at West Gun Hill Road (just in Yonkers) and head back to West 57th Street, Manhattan, where we do a another U-turn and ride back to the Transition Area at West 72nd Street.
Time for another transition – remove gloves and helmet (hopefully I’ll remember to do this before heading out on the run – oh how embarrassing that could be!) and begin the 6.2 mile (10 km) run. Again up that steep hill out of Riverside Park and along 72nd Street (also closed to traffic) to Central Park. There I will complete a loop up the west side, then along 110th Street and through the Harlem Hills, then down the east side, passing all those famous New York landmarks. At 72nd Street on the east side, I turn right and head for the home straight – THE FINISH LINE at the Band Shell (just off 72nd Street) near Cherry Hill on Dead Road (aptly named).
I am hoping to finish the entire Olympic distance Triathlon in less than 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Cheer me on….
As I don’t have any family in the region cheering me on…I would be most appreciative of anyone who wishes to come out and support me on the day. At the bottom of this message is the TNT recommended cheering sites. Drop me an email or a phone call (cell 646-236-1427) before the day to let me know to look out for you. Hopefully I’ll be zooming past you so fast that you can hardly see me…, but somehow I doubt that!
Thanks #1
A huge thank you to everyone who has shown such tremendous support and interest in this challenge of mine. I have received a lot of encouraging words from many of you and amazement from others. I’ve also been given great advice from some of you, knowledgeable in one or more of the three disciplines, as well as tips for racing in general. Now that I think I have told everyone I know in the world that I am doing this race… I hope you will all be inspired to take on some big or small challenge in your own lives.
Fundraising
I am very proud to announce that through your support I raised more than $3,250 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training. I thank you all for your generosity and guarantee that every penny goes to pursuing advances in treatment and cures for blood cancers. This also benefits almost all other cancer research.
There are few of you out there who expressed an interest in still sponsoring me. I am taking donations up until July 5th, 2004. Please contact me for a donation form. BUT… I am also contemplating / mulling over / tossing around the idea of … (yes,) signing up for another TNT event. Perhaps another triathlon, perhaps a century bike ride? Who knows? That will be next week’s thought of the week! Should this be the case, I will need to raise funds again, so please keep that in mind if you haven’t had a chance to sponsor me this time (or wanted to wait and see if I really could do it!).
Thanks #2
I would like to take this opportunity to thank certain individuals:
· Shira Shimoni: my friend and personal mentor, who introduced me to Team in Training and with peer-group-pressure, got me to sign up. An inspiring woman to me, who can overcome her own challenges and is a successful triathlete, Shira runs in memory of her mother, a victim of cancer. Thank you Shira
· Ilona Gale: my roommate and friend, who I cajoled into doing this with me; who put up with me yelling at her to hurry up all the time; whose positive energy balanced me out. We’ve helped each other through the rough times over the past five months and more. Thank you Lone.
· Christine Nguyen: my colleague and friend, who sits near me at work and has listened to my daily trials and tribulations and encouraged me with her experience as a triathlon spectator. Thanks Christine.
· Debra Lilienthal: my roommate and friend, who has never once complained about all the wet gear drying in the living room, the noisy early Saturday mornings when Ilona and I were trying to get out of the apartment with our bikes. And also for showing lots of interest in my training and progress. Thank you Debra.
· Sean Kavanagh and Peter Henrici: my bosses, who have checked up on my progress regularly and provided me with plenty of advice and tips from their own training and experience on the road and in the water; and who have not complained with my reduced amount of overtime! Thanks Sean and Peter.
· Rachel Alexander, my TNT mentor, who has watched out for me during the season; checking up on my fundraising progress, and desperately trying to get more socially involved. Thanks Rachel.
· Fellow teammates: Ken and Barb, who have raised almost $15,000 and have a teenage daughter in remission; Adrienne who successfully completed a triathlon in Memphis in May and is also in remission; Mitch who is addicted to this sport and maintains a great spirit; Jordana and Marjorie, always there with support and kindness, and so many others. These people have added to the great reasons for doing this with a team: meeting great people with like interests.
· And greatest of all… my TNT coaches: the lovely Earl – swim coach and mentor; Scott and Ross – crazy double-ironmen with a commitment beyond repose; Lauren – an inspiring woman with a figure to admire, nutritional advice worth listening to and the one who reminds me to smile while I’m running. These coaches have shown an incredible dedication to ensure I and all my teammates have built a core of strength and technique in all three disciplines that will ensure we all complete a successful and most likely injury-free triathlon this Sunday. Thanks guys!
I also want to thank my parents – Stan and Ida Gurvis - all the way across the oceans in Melbourne, Australia. They helped me start “training to train” in February while I was visiting during their summer and have been really supportive all along the way. My dad will be like a little imaginary birdy on my shoulder pushing me along during the race. Thanks mum and dad. I love you.
****************
FORD NEW YORK CITY TRIATHLON 2004
Team In Training Cheering Sites
Following are the general TNT cheering sites for the Ford New York City Triathlon on Sunday, June 27th. Please note that these locations are subject to change, based on athlete visibility.
Please feel free to bring cheering paraphernalia and/or wear TNT apparel to help support the team!
Please look for TNT staff and volunteers around these locations.
THANK YOU!
CHEERING SITE 1
CAPTAIN: Sarah Globenfelt (917.450.0872)
LOCATION: Transition area @ 79th Street & Riverside Drive (meet on the south side of the transition area)
TIME: 6:15am-8am – Watch swimmers enter transition area to change into their cycling gear
8am (or whenever the last swimmer has passed) – Move to transition exit to cheer on athletes as they begin their 6.2 mile run
9:30am (approximate time) – Walk along 72nd Street to finish line in Central Park (20 min walk)
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.
CHEERING SITE 2
CAPTAIN: Stacy Mitz (917.523.4391)
LOCATION: 72nd Street & Park Drive West in Central Park
Meet approximately 100 yards inside the park where 72nd Street merges with the Park Drive.
TIME: 7:45am – Watch runners pass by as they enter Central Park at Mile 1
After the last runner passes, proceed to 72nd Street & Park Drive East to cheer on runners during the last ¼ mile of their run.
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.
CHEERING SITE 3
CAPTAIN: Desiree Young (214.244.3733)
LOCATION: 90th Street & Park Drive East (inside Central Park, just off of Fifth Avenue)
TIME: 8am-10:30am -- Watch runners pass by at mile 5
10:30am – Follow run course to the finish line (1 mile walk), cheering along the way
The finish line is at the Central Park Band Shell, which is located along the 72nd Street transverse, across from Bethesda Terrace.
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