I am in and doing the 100 mile route (112, 107, 105 depending on the year). I am planning on wearing the new BLINK uni as I will be doing this as a training ride anyway and I need to get in some time with the new uni. (though I am not sure I will have my kilt back from the cleaners by then =o)
I was wondering if there were team members who were interested in doing the GR Marathon this year? I was able to get a discount set up for people that I work with and was wondering if there was interest with BLINK. If there was I could talk to Don to see if we could have an arrangement for the team.
Would anyone be interested in volunteering for this event? I was wondering if we could get a BLINK team to volunteer maybe for the kids Triathlon portion or something. Would be great PR for the group at a new event in our home town. Let me know what you think.
Heiki and I represented BLINK at FL this past weekend. What a great place for an event. Great swim, great bike, ...well I'll get to the run. The volunteers were great aid stations were well stocked and running smoothly. Here is my account of the event: Swim - Started in second to last heat, 1 hr after pros. Had to swim through everyone so that wasn't the best. Water was 81 degrees when we started, air was 83. Water was calm, but rough swimmers. Had to fix goggles 1/2 way through (good right hook from guy). Swim was slower than I wanted 37 min was shoot for under 35. Bike - I was in the third to last rack so had a LONG way to run bike. Also timing mat was right at the end of transition, but couldn't mount bike until around 200 - 300 yds later which counts against bike time. Bike course was flat and fast. It rained 1/2 way through which cooled it down which was nice. I thought my time was better than the results show, but I heard it was 57 miles and it took me 2 min to get to the bike mounting line so there is another 4 min (2 each way). Overall bike time officially was 2:40, I was shooting for 2:32ish. Could have pushed harder but wanted to keep legs for the run. Run - Here is where it got hard. That nice rain on the bike was now humidity. Run is mainly on a grass and dirt 2 track, three laps of 4+ miles. My first lap was pretty good under 8 min/ mile avg. Then the heat was kicking in. Did I mention that there is no shade. Temps were well into the 90s at this point, and humid. VERY hard to breath. I was taking anything they were offering at the aid stations, water, ice, sponges, coke, gels. Most of the people I was passing were walking, not many passing me at this point. I pushed through the last few miles and ended with a 1:53 run, I was hoping for a lot closer to 1:44, but with that heat and humidity, I'll take it. Finish - I was really looking forward to the finish during the run. I had visions of Steelhead as Tom Z coordinated both events. Unfortunatly, this did not live up to Steelhead. No Coolzone, NO ice Towels, NO fruit, NO Juice. Medical was down the road, beverages were 1/4 mile away as well and were only allowed to have one 16 oz bottle of water at that... oh and pizza (gut bomb). The shirts were also better at Steelhead, these looked like regular cotton T-shirts with crude drawings on them. Oh, and they ran out of Mediums and Smalls far before everyone was finished. Overall - Great event, would do it again. No much to be done about that run. Can't train for that too easily here in MI as my last run before I went down there it was 39 degrees here. OUCH! I was hoping to break 5 hrs, but ended up at 5:16. I was about 9 minutes over my goal after the bike and was hoping to make some of that up on the run, but just couldn't. So I am a little depressed with the time results, but I knew that I gave it everything I had on that run. Hard to run when you can't breath and the sun is zapping all the energy out of you.
The team party at Rollaway was a huge success! It was a lot of fun and a special thanks to BJ and Jenn Taylor for putting it together. We are currently working with Sugoi on the new uniform and apparel design. Once we have it nailed down, we’ll share them with you and start asking for sizing. We are still looking for volunteers for the three board positions, event, charity/volunteer, and group workout coordinator. The purpose of these positions is to provide structure in areas that most of you have asked about, so I challenge everyone to do their share to help the rest of the team. Below is a reminder of what each position consists of:
Events Coordinator – This person will be in charge of scheduling and arranging different clinics and social events throughout the season. In the past we have tried to offer 3-4 clinics focusing on the different disciplines. Our goal for 2008 is to have a clinic or social event once every 4-6 weeks.
Charity/Volunteer Coordinator - This person will be in charge of organizing charity functions and/or volunteers for different events. As a team, we have tried to give back to the community and have done so with our contributions to The Grand Rapids Wheelchair Association, but we would like to do more. Whether it’s volunteering at a race or raising additional money for a specific charity through racing or training, it’s an important part of Blink and we would like to focus more on that aspect.
Group Workout Coordinator – This person will be in charge of organizing group training events. Whether it’s a group ride in the evening or setting up a simulated race on a Saturday morning, the purpose is to get our members together more often to gain knowledge and camaraderie. Those long rides and runs are just a little easier with a friend.
Coach Tom Trout has finished his training programs and they will be posted on the website in the next couple of days. Check them out and if you have any questions, post them on the coach’s blog so Tom can respond.
Accelerade is a new sponsor of Blink this year and they are offering 30% discounts on their hydration and recovery drinks along with their carb gels. I’ve used their products in the past and I would highly recommend them. It’s easy to order, just go to our team specific website at http://www.accelsport.com/blinkmulti.
Gazelle Sports is having a winter apparel BLOWOUT SALE! They are offering 25% on all items already on sale. Patagonia, Smart Wool, and many other big brand names are all on sale starting TODAY.
For those that have signed-up for an account (sign up if you haven't yet) you will able to see a banner ads for Accelsport. Makers of Accelerade, Accel Gel, and Endurox R4.
Right now they are offering 35% Off and a free Water Bottle on all orders before 3/7
Thanks to Jen and BJ for a sweet party. I was a little leary about bowling and roller skating but it was a lot of fun. It was nice to meet a lot of new people. Should be a great season.
Some highlights: Rick can bowl. Holy cow Chris Knight is smooth on the roller skates. The new Blink running shirts. Nice
I'm new to the sport, and having the time of my life . That aside I have recently gone though a knee injury, which heath motiion helped me realize, some of those small things I had no knoledge of before. And then, a real bike fitting, wow! I had a great experience With Brian at grand rapids bicycle. I just wanted to share, It really seems that blink has some really great support.
Just a friendly reminder of the 2008 Season Kick Off party next Friday, Feb. 1st at Rollaway in Lowell. The party starts at 8pm and goes until Midnight. This should be a great opportunity to catch up with everyone after the offseason and talk about the upcoming season. Please send an RSVP to Jenn Taylor at jtaylor@nextgenerationenrollment.com. The first 50 members who show up with their 2008 dues will receive a free long sleeve Brooks Podium running shirt.
The new website is up and running and several of you have been using it. For those of you who have not visited the site or signed up, got to www.blinkmultisport.com. Once on the homepage there will be a banner asking you to either sign in or enroll. To enroll just pick a username and password of your choice and click submit. This is a change from the last site where your username and password was given to you. The old username and passwords will no longer work, so please set up a new account. If you have any questions regarding the enrollment, contact Dan Socie at dan@socie.com. With membership access you will be able to read and post messages on the different forums. A calendar and coach’s corner will be added soon.
Again, we are excited to welcome Tom Trout as our new head training coach. Tom will be at the Kick Off party and will share his different training programs with us, all of which will be accessible on the website.
NEW for 2008!! - In an effort to bring more value to the team and its members we are starting a new volunteering program within Blink. We have created three different positions geared towards specific requests of our members. Each position is on a volunteering basis and will last for one season. Each person filling a position will receive a free membership to the team. Here are the three positions and there purpose.
Events Coordinator – This person will be in charge of scheduling and arranging different clinics and social events throughout the season. In the past we have tried to offer 3-4 clinics focusing on the different disciplines. Our goal for 2008 is to have a clinic or social event once every 4-6 weeks.
Charity/Volunteer Coordinator - This person will be in charge of organizing charity functions and/or volunteers for different events. As a team, we have tried to give back to the community and have done so with our contributions to The Grand Rapids Wheelchair Association, but we would like to do more. Whether it’s volunteering at a race or raising additional money for a specific charity through racing or training, it’s an important part of Blink and we would like to focus more on that aspect.
Group Workout Coordinator – This person will be in charge of organizing group training events. Whether it’s a group ride in the evening or setting up a simulated race on a Saturday morning, the purpose is to get our members together more often to gain knowledge and camaraderie. Those long rides and runs are just a little easier with a friend.
Anyone interested in any one of these positions, please contact me at mhoekstra@hoekstratruck.com. The only fair way to choose people for these positions is on a first request basis, so let me know ASAP.
We hope to see everyone at the Kick Off Party and we’re very excited for the upcoming season.
To ring in the new year with some fun and possibly some competition, Blink is hosting a party on Friday February 1 from 8PM to Midnight. The location of the party will be Roll Away Fun Center in Lowell. http://www.rollaway.biz/ This is going to be FUN! Blink has rented the entire place for bowling and roller skating. They also have a bar and laser tag so I'm sure we'll figure something out for drinks/beer too. Since we have the facility rented, anyone can come. Therefore, please bring your spouse/significant other and also, any other potential people you think may want to hear more about Blink! I personally had our office party this year at Roll Away and it was a great time. It's very clean and doesn't smell like a typical bowling alley. We'll be sending out more regarding this party but get your baby sitter reserved and plan for a great time. When was the last time you went rollerskating?!!
Based in Grand Rapids Michigan, Blink Multisport wants to welcome new athletes by providing them with resources to confidently compete in the sports of triathlon, running, cycling, and swimming. Through partnerships with Kentwood Cycling & Fitness, Gazelle Sports, and MVP Sportsplex, members will have access to their experienced and knowledgeable staff. Plus all are offering store and membership discounts!