Post from Jenelle about T-Shirts

 

I have attached some pictures of shirt possibilities.  I am not looking to add any extra costs so we have an opportunity to "personalize" some of our Greenland Pines T-shirts that we can't use any more.  They are the dark green shirts that were part of a batch of shirts where the quality of the print wasn't up to the standard that was expected.  So, we have these shirts available to our triathletes free of charge if you are interested.

Below are some suggested ways to "personalize" them:
1. Cut the sleeves and neck to make a loose fitting tank style top...easier on and off if they choose to wear it in the race.
2. Use a bleach pen to write our team name and/or students name on the front or the back of the shirt (preferably the back if you plan to use it in the race since the number would be  pinned to the front of the shirt, thus covering it up)
3.  Use bleach water in spray bottle and use tie dye method to create a tie dye look
4. Use Iron on transfer paper to create the name to iron on the shirt

These are some ways to use a free GPE shirt to make it personal for the triathlon unless someone wants to find us a shirt vendor to do it at cost or be a sponsor.
We can give everyone a shirt and see what they come up with to individualize the shirt or we can agree on a particular way and then try to work out arrangements to get the shirts done is a group manner.  Looking for feedback on what you would like to do.

 

Sunday Swim Practice

 

We have a swimming practice opportunity this Sunday at Cecil Aquatic Center (13611 Normandy Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32221)  at 4pm.  Admission is only $1 per person.  We will get some lanes and try to work on tips for swimming during the race.  Please make sure they bring goggles because this helps tremendously when swimming.

Tip of the Day: Tune Up Your Bike

• Make sure your bike is tuned and in good shape.
• Consider putting new tubes on your bike tires if they're old.
• Remember, racking your bike facing out will help speed up your transition times

Tip of The Day: Get New Shoes Now

If you’re going to need new shoes before the race, it’s best to buy or order them now to have time to break them in properly. New Shoes and Race Day don’t go well together.

Speaking of shoes, if your racer has a challenge tying their shoes, you might want to consider elastic shoe laces. These are commonly used by triathletes to speed up and simplify their transitions.

Here are some examples

http://www.locklaces.com

http://speedlaces.com/

http://www.yankz.com/

Tip of the Day: Try The Distance

Do a “practice event” at your own pace. You will learn a lot that will help you during the race. Help your child think about things like:

• Pacing (for example, what pace do you need to do the swim so the bike and run are doable?)
• Practice your transitions
• How will you feel after riding and then transition to the run?
• Can you do the entire swim without resting?

Remember the Cecil Field Aquatic Center an indoor facility and is open and admission to swim is $1

Open Swim Schedule:
Mon-Fri: 8-10 a.m. and 1-6 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday: 1 - 6 p.m.
Lap swim only 6 - 8 p.m. Monday – Thursday

Last weekend we mapped out what a 6 mile bike ride on the wide sidewalk down Bartram Park Road looks like. If you start on the sidewalk in front of Bono’s this map marks the 1.5 and 3.0 mile mark where you could turn around and come back based on your child’s distance during the race.

 
View Riding Distances on Bartram Park Blvd in a larger map

We Had A Great Practice Saturday Evening

The kids learned lots about the transition process and how it sit and get yourself ready for the next stage. Below they are practicing putting on their shoes and socks before grabbing their bike and walking it out of the transition area.

If you are still interested it joining it's not too late. Registration is still open, click on the link for First Coast Kids on the right.

Triathlon Transition Practice

The weather is looking good so far so Saturday April 6th 6-7:30 we will meet at the school for some triathlon training.  We can park in the bus loop and then walk over to the main parking lot.  Every child should bring their bike, helmet, water bottle and good pair of shoes to wear. 

The gate will remain locked so there will be no chance of cars pulling into the parking lot while the kids are practicing.  The evening time will hopefully help try to avoid the crunch on Saturday morning sports activities and hopefully cooler weather.

If you have registered and have not let Jenelle know, please shoot her an email. It’s not too late to register for the Team just click on the registration links on the right.