Team Gear and Training

I had said before that I wanted to become the world's slowest sponsored triathlete.  Well, I now have my first sponsor!  I will be a part of Team Gear and Training for the 2011 race season!  Woo Hoo! (I have snopes checking to see whether or not I am actually the world's slowest sponsored triathlete)

I have to say I am very excited about this opportunity.  With my background in baseball, it is weird to me not being part of a team.  I love the individuality that triathlon provides, but it is always nice having a team behind you for support and encouragement.  This year, I am one of a team of 40 and they are already proving to be an encouraging bunch.  I believe this will be a fun year and I am very thankful for the chance that Gear and Training has provided me with.

But, the cool stuff doesn't just apply to me!  Gear and Training has given me a handy dandy discount code to hand out to everyone.  Use the code "HR31" at checkout and you will receive free shipping and 20% off of any order over $150!  That means, you are going to save a minimum of $40 an order (I'm assuming shipping would normally be around $10)!  So check it out, they have everything from running to cycling to triathlon stuff and even camping and outdoor gear!  Personally, I already have my eye on a kayak....

Well, I thought it was cool

I played baseball for 20 years, the last 8 or so were at a pretty good level.  But, I never made the front page of a paper.  I never even made the front page of even the sports page.  Don't think I even ever had a picture make the paper.  I had a few mentions here and there about home runs or high RBI games but that was about it. 

Back in December, I had a picture make the paper for the first time.  It was just by chance, it was a photo of the start of the Jingle Bell Run in Daphne, AL that was shoved in the back of the sports section and I just happened to be in the front at the start of the race.  I didn't stay there long though.  It was only a 5k, but I bonked before the race started and only placed 5th in my age group.  But I still got my picture in the paper!

Then, last Friday, I hit it big... Well, big as far as I'm concerned.  I made the front page of the Baldwin Bulletin.  Front and center with headline the above the fold! Yeah, I know it is only a biweekly publication, but I thought it was cool... The article was about my bid to win a sponsorship from TRX (see the last blog) and Ironman Texas.  You can see part of the article online here:

http://baldwincountynow.com/articles/2011/02/11/baldwin_people/doc4d54327821f4d307706481.txt

This triathlon stuff is pretty cool!

A Chance For a Sponsor

If any of y'all follow me on Twitter (el_slice) or Facebook, you are well aware that I am in a competition right now to get a sponsorship for triathlon.  So for everyone else, here's a quick rundown of what is going on.

A company called TRX Suspension Training is holding a competition right now to give out sponsorships.  To win, you have to make a 30 second video explaining your goal for the year and how TRX will help you achieve that goal.  Then post it on youtube and the videos with the 5 most views at the end of February win!  I decided to do something a little different than a boring ol "my goal is blah blah blah and TRX will help me blah blah blah."  So my brothers, Nolan and Payton, my buddy Josh, and I made a video titled The Adventures of Kona Man.

As of Friday I had made it up to number 3 in the contest!  But apparently these other people have less to do on the weekends then me and all of my friends, so as of this morning I am down to number 7.  But! I am still only 89 views back of 4th place.  So I'm not all that far out of the money. 

You can find my video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmmjwnRP8Ck

If you like it (or even if you don't), please keep watching it every day and email and facebook it to everyone!

Also, I think it would help tremendously if I could get someone or some company to post it on their website, so let me know if you have any suggestions for me!

Thanks

I will be an Ironman

This is my first attempt at writing a blog.  I don't usually read other blogs when they are too long, so I'm going to try to keep all of my posts fairly short.  I thought that in my shameless quest for sponsorship, a blog might help out my case.  Especially if somebody other than Robert Lightfoot reads it (and as bored as he gets at work, it will take some convincing to get even him to read this.).

I am currently in the 3rd week of a 20 week training program leading up to Ironman Texas on May 21.  To avoid burn out, I took 10 weeks off at the end of last season, and now I'm paying for it.  The workouts so far have just about all been painful.  But, so far it has been fun. 

I did a lot of races last year and had only average results.  This year, I am going to do fewer races and I have some big goals for them.  My goals are to:

Podium overall in a race

Run a sub 11 hour Ironman in Texas

Run a sub 4:30 half Ironman

These are some lofty goals, I know.  But, if you're not hammering, why race?