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May 2010
Dear Subscriber:
 Alright! Most of us have got the first event of the season under our belt. Some are itching for more, and others are looking to take it a little easier during the hot summer months. Regardless, you can still finish the Texas Tri Series.
If you participated or volunteered at The Rookie Triathlon or at the Skeese Greets Women's Triathlon, then you can still finish the Texas Tri Series by particpating or volunteering at each of the remaining events.
Why finish the series? Besides taking part in 5 great triathlon events, series finishers will receive fantastic finisher awards, finisher clothing, and will be invited to the exclusive finisher party at the Hyatt Regency Austin.
Check out www.texastriseries.com for more info and to register, and then get ready for the remaining events:
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Upcoming Events
Splash-n-Dash, Couples Triathlon
Add these great events to your schedule as your triathlon season heats up:
June 15th:Splash-n-Dash at Pure Austin Quarry lake (Less than 50 spots left! The May event sold out more than a week in advance. You must register online.)
 July 11th: Couples Triathlon - The two person team sprint triathlon event held at Walter E. Long Park. Using a format that is unique in the sport of triathlon, teams of two (whether they be friends, spouses, or family members) combine their ages and sign up in the appropriate category. Each person on the team does the entire triathlon, and then their times are combined for the overall results. One may also participate as an individual.
July 20th:Splash-n-Dash at Pure Austin Quarry lake (Less than 100 spots left! You must register online.)
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Featured Volunteer
Kevin and Denise Trybalski
High Five Events LOVES their volunteers! It would be impossible for us to put on our events the way we do without the support of the energetic and enthusiastic people who come out to help with packet pick-up, race set-up, and race day events.
Year after year, we continue to be amazed at how much our volunteers give to support the races and the athletes. To give you a more detailed glimpse into our wonderful volunteers, we’ll be highlighting an individual every month in our e-newsletter.
 Up this month, one of High Five Events' most active and dedicated pair: Kevin and Denise Trybalski!
How many years have you volunteered with High Five Events? Kevin started 12 years ago by doing massage at various races around town and I started volunteering about 8 years ago.
What is your favorite part of volunteering at High Five Event races? We both love the volunteer parties plus getting to see all our friends at the races.
Why do you volunteer? We love giving back to the sport that we enjoy so much plus Kevin looks forward to seeing Michelle’s smiling face. She’s the best volunteer coordinator!
What's the craziest thing you've witnessed while volunteering? For Kevin it was the person changing in transition, getting completely naked. My experience was when one of the competitors got to the race so late that she didn’t have time to set up. She racked her bike and dumped her bag and ran to the swim start. I helped her out by setting up her transition area, just hope she was happy with what I did.
What's your favorite part of the course to work? Of course Kevin likes the transition area and I like packet pick-up.
Favorite sport besides triathlon? We’re both big UT fans, Kevin likes girls volleyball and I prefer football.
What is the earliest you've woken up to volunteer? 4 AM.
Favorite volunteer perk? Free Beer.
Best/Worst volunteer t-shirt color? There hasn't been a color we didn't like but I do appreciate the women's cut.
Thanks Kevin & Denise!
Sign-up to volunteer at the upcoming Couples Triathlon!
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Triathlon 101
Know the course
 It is every athletes responsibility to know the course. Even though most courses are marked, you never know what will happen on event day and who you will be following. Familiarizing yourself with the course can relieve a lot of stress and also help you meaure your efforts throughout the race.
Most events create course maps and make them available on the website and in the participant guides. Here's some general guidelines to follow when you review these maps and prepare your strategy:
Swim Course:
- Get a good mental-image of the course. Is it circular? Out and back? Triangle shape? Knowing this ahead of time will help you swim a more accurate course once you jump in the water.
- What are some of the “sighting points” to look for during the swim? Are there specific landmarks that will help you spot the finish or help you stay on course?
- Know how many turns you’ll have to make. This will help you when your spotting for buoys and give you a good sense of where you are on the course.
Bike & Run Course:
- The courses should be marked, but you should be prepared with a general understanding of your direction and turns. Beyond just making sure you don’t get lost and take a wrong turn, knowing the course will give you a better sense how much distance you’ve covered and what to be prepared for.
- If you have time prior to the race to drive the course, it can be beneficial to get a sense of the terrain and where you should be prepared for a climb, downhill, flat stretch, or sharp turn.
- Know how many aid stations there are and where they will be located so that you can plan your hydration.
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Officials Corner
Sections 5.8 Illegal Equipment - Headphones
 Headphones. Some people say that they can't exercise without music, others will swear that they've never needed them. Regardless, headphones have definitely become extremely popular as music is now very portable. Headphones can be great while your running off road and away from traffic or while at the gym, but there's really no place for headphones when on your bike. In fact, it's rule at all triathlons and most road running races.
USAT Rules - Section 5.8 Illegal Equipment. Any participants who any time uses, wears or carries a headset, radio, headphones, personal audio device, or any other item described in Section 3.4(i) shall be assessed a variable time penalty. Section 3.4(i) states: Unauthorized Accessories. No participant shall, at any time during the event, use or wear a hard cast, headset, radio, personal audio device, or any other item deemed dangerous by the Head Referee. Any violation of this Section shall result in a variable time penalty.
Discussion: This rule is mostly self explanatory, but it's still good to discuss. Simply put, wearing anything that impedes your hearing while on a bicycle is dangerous. During a ride, it's important to hear the sounds around you, especially those coming from behind. This can be especially useful when riding with others as the cyclist behind you can warn you of approaching vehicles, or let you know they are about to pass. In a race, it's also important that you are able to hear the instructions of course officials, race staff, and volunteers. So, wear your headphones pre-race to get you pumped if you like, but make sure you take them off and put them away for the entire race.
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Featured Partner
Team LIVESTRONG
Sign up for the AVIA Austin Tri, participate with Team LIVESTRONG, and raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and the fight against cancer.
 The LAF is an official partner of The AVIA Austin Triathlon. Reserved spots are available at the early registration rate for Team LIVESTRONG. Team members will race in Team LIVESTRONG gear and have access to their own personal webpage as well fundraising tools and sample materials online, all of which will help make meeting the fundraising goal easy so they can concentrate on the real challenge - training for the tri. We are taking individuals for either the Sprint or Olympic distance and we have a training schedule and team activities leading up to this event.
What unites us are hope, courage and determination. We are more than one.
We Swim. Bike. Run. We fight.
We are the cyclist facing a long uphill climb in honor of his mother. We are the athlete finishing her first tri in memory of her brother. We are the cancer survivor crossing the finish line after completing treatment. Whatever your strengths, whatever your goal, whatever your personal battle, you can make a difference. We are more than one. Join us in the unfinished fight at TeamLIVESTRONG.org.
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