More Events Added for 2010

A rolling stone gathers no moss. Or is that, Maas? In any event, I've now loaded up with four more events to an already promising 2010 season. Or should that read ambitious? The following four events have been added to my race calendar, which can always be viewed on the right side navigation area of this blog.

June 6 - Buffalo Sprint Triathlon - 1/4 mi swim, 13 mi bike, 3 mi run

This comes six days prior to the Liberty Triathlon, my first Olympic distance tri in over twenty years. So why do something the week before? Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near? A couple of reasons. One, I am going to wear 2XU Calf Guards during the competition.

These 'sleeves' can be worn during competition or used simply as a recovery tool. With similar benefits to compression tights but in a smaller package, calf guards improve circulation and protect against leg fatigue and muscle soreness. I have been wearing compression socks for recovery the last couple of years and am a great believer in them. I wore some compression socks in the Fargo Half-Marathon a few weeks back and am convinced they allowed my sore right calf to finish the race.

So, now I want to try them for a triathlon. And obviously you cannot wear socks into the water, so I'm going to try the sleeves. A good test tri before the oly. And I also want to get another swim in the new wetsuit, which I haven't worn since the Arkansas event in late April. In other words, the Buffalo event will be kicking the tires on some new equipment.

Jul 11 - Cornman Triathlon (USAT), Gladbrook, IA - 500 meter swim, 14 mi bike, 5K run

First, the name is cool! Cornman. Screw Ironman! Can you deal with the Cornman....can you?

Second, this event is the Midwest Special Qualifier which qualifies the top 33% per age group for the USAT Age Group National Championship in Tuscaloosa, AL on September 25, 2010. So, I'm curious how I can stack up in the 45-49 age group. Could I actually qualify for nationals? We'll find out!

July 17 (signed up) - Dubuque Duathlon, Iowa (USAT) - Run 1.2 Miles, Bike 17 Miles, Run 3 Miles

This is simple math. One needs two USAT sanctioned duathlons to qualify for end-of-year national ranking. I've got one in already and needed one more. Finding USAT sanctioned du's in the Tundra is tougher than one would think. Iowa is a neighboring state. The drive will be four hours. My alternative would be a trip to the south late in the year. Been there, done that back in April. This will du, er, do.

August 21 (signed up) - Young Life Triathlon in Detroit Lakes - 1/3-mi swim - 12-mi bike - 3-mi run
 
Did it last year, placing 5th overall. I think I can do better. Plus, the Boy® gets to spend quality time with the grandparents at the lake while the Well Kept Wife™ and I can find an eating establishment that doesn't have chicken nuggets or cheese pizza on the menu.