The "Lance" factor...

When you tell someone you're a triathlete, the usual response is "Oh, like that race in Hawaii that I watch on NBC?"  The short answer is "yes...but"  That is ONE race completed for ONE distance in a sport that is much more than Kona.  However, it is the goal of 99% of all triathlete's to be able to tow the line one day at Kona and race the lava fields on THE legendary course.

The problem with NBC's coverage of the Ironman World Championship is that it is produced to keep the everyday athlete intrigued.  Don't get me wrong, they do an amazing job showing profiles of age-groupers overcoming all odds and breakdown the pain & suffering that everyone goes through.  But, by the time it airs, two months after the Champions are crowned, most triathletes know everything about the race from splits to watts to gear and everything in between.  Most of us have already watched the coverage multiple times on the trainer in our basements before the general public even sees an ad for it.

But that may all change...Bloomberg news is reporting that WTC is in talks with NBC to potentially show live coverage of Kona...because of the Lance factor.  After finishing second a few weeks ago at an Ironman 70.3 event, Lance has shown that he is not just a cyclist.  He can hang in the front of the swim, bike with anyone, and still have the legs to run.  He's not Michael Jordan playing minor league baseball...Lance can truly compete with the best pros in the sport of triathlon (or at least he showed he's capable after one race).

I'll pay attention to Kona, and every other major triathlon, including the 2012 Olympics, but if Lance will allow me to sit in front of my HD tv and watch Kona live, i'm psyched!  I just hope that when he retires again from this sport, NBC sticks with the live coverage...and maybe even add another race or two.  Who knows how many more people you'll pull off the couch and get in the pool!!

The growth of tri teams.

With the start of our new tri team imminent, it's interesting to note that USAT has officially recognized a record 900 clubs (as of August 2011).  Well, you can add 3 more...ours, as well as 2 others i just heard about.  One in Southern CT and the other in MA.  It seems that the reasons are the same: big interest to take small training niches and expand on them.

With the internet, it's pretty easy to make this happen.  For $10 we secured a domain name, and have our own email addresses.  So far we have used facebook as our central site and who knows what happens from there.  Along with twitter and LinkedIn, it's been pretty easy to get this going...so far.

I also see that many of the retail shops want to get involved as well.  Whether is starting their own team directly, or sponsoring someone else, they see the value in getting their name out.  I've been reluctant to drop any names here, and won't do so until we're 100% live.  At that time, it will be fun to share stories of how each sponsor had/has helped us and how it benefits both parties.  We never started this for the discounts...but the response and dedication each sponsor has shown has been tremendous.  Looking forward to the official launch...

It's been too long...

The problem with my blog is i try to write too much and try to be too in-depth.  I'd like to make this blog more frequent, especially as some great things are starting to happen!  Besides a very successful triathlon season, right now i'm in the very early stages of forming a triathlon team.  It's being formed with a friend of mine, who i graduated from PC with.  However, it took us 15 years to become good friends thru...yes, you guessed it, triathlon!

Anyway, after a year of training together, and talking about the benefits of forming our own team where we could run it our way, we finally put pen to paper and laid the ground work.  Fast forward 2 months later, and we are a finished logo away from going live!  What's going to make our team different is size and network.

First size...yes it does matter.  We're committed to staying "exclusive".  We both live crazy lives with family, work, and training and don't have time nor energy to run a team that made up of hundred(s) of members.  So right now, our goal is no more than 15.  Plus, with an exclusive team, we can make sure our members are 100% committed...which has led us to...

Network or sponsors.  We initially went national looking...the usual big Tri names.  After some minor success, we pulled back and decided to go 100% local.  We have nailed down a local bike shop and run shop (both with National, if not worldwide presence), a local nutrition company, a local indoor cycling training center, a local (and former Friar) sports drink company, and a local Tattoo gallery who is working on logos.  Not only do we have high-class products, but b/c we have stayed "exclusive and local", all these sponsors are committed to going above and beyond the usual 10% discount.  I trully believe that the ancillary perks we have already received have far out-weighed getting "larger" company commitments.  That's not to say we're going against big corporate; on the contrary!  We're just supporting our local people first and using their connections to get us better leverage.

Why am i writing about this under a business blog??  Because we are building an amazing network of members and businesses who are wiling to commit 100% to each other to see everyone succeed at all different levels.  It's amazing the power of the network... especially in the world of Triathlon.  Stay tuned for more updates...