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Half Full Triathlon April Newsletter
Holly's Story: A Friend's Tribute
Continued from April Newsletter
........My
friend Holly fooled us up to the very end. For almost five years she
convinced us to believe that she could beat the beast. She was tiny,
feisty, funny and sweet, and she devoted her life to loving her husband and
teaching little ones. We believed that nothing could overtake her massive
will. We thought God would have an unlikely miracle in store for her,
because she was so special, and so deserving of a very long life.
I know now that she fooled us so that we could ALL
live. And when she died - when her party was over - it was over for all
of us.
Her
passing brought tumult to all of our lives. For some of us, that sorrow
turned to anger - and some friendships suffered and broke. For others,
that sorrow caused endless spans of depression and hopelessness. Some of
us ran away from grief all together and refused to acknowledge what had taken
place over the course of the previous five years. We were a mess.
We had little hope. We had no support. Robbed by cancer, we were
alone in a darkened, gaping, bottomless hole.
Four years later, on a regular day, I came across another card, on another
table. This time, it was a small index card in the Fleet Feet running
store in Annapolis. It was the index card for the Half-Full Tri. I picked
it up and turned it over. I immediately thought - "Oh Hello
Holly. You loved this 'living life Half Full thing.'" When I
read that the event was in support of Young Adults with Cancer, I looked to the
sky. "Damn. You are talking to me. This thing is a long
way! Okay." I went home and signed my husband and myself
up. I also wrote to the folks at Ulman Cancer Fund, and I shared my
story. In doing that, I made some new friends.
The Ulman Cancer Fund has become a symbol of what bridges my despair and my
hope. I recognize how rare it is that a charity like this even exists,
despite the fact that the mortality and diagnostic statistics for the Young
Adult Cancer population have not changed in over 30 years. I enjoy having
a specific goal for my workouts. In participating in Ulman Cancer Fund
events, I am raising money that will support Young Adult Cancer patients, and
their families, friends, children and loved ones. Finally, I enjoy the
company. The support staff at the UCF is a group of people that dutifully
believe in supporting the oft neglected young adult cancer population. Young
people love to socialize, live in hope, and have the support of friends - and
that's why these wonderful people that administrate the UCF are here to serve.
There is no one that can ease the emptiness that I feel when I remember Holly's
suffering. There is nothing that can soothe the void that I feel when I
imagine what life would be like if she were here; if the whole thing never had
to happen. I am very relieved to have my friends at the Ulman Cancer Fund
to stand by my side as I build meaning from her loss....and our loss.
When I compete (and I use that word loosely!) in the Half Full, every step that
I take will be honoring Holly's life. When I pull the water behind me, I
will be pulling for myself, in the hope that I can make a better life for young
adults living with cancer. When I ride the bike, I will feel the wind in
my face, and the burn in my legs, and I will rejoice in being alive, and that I
can endure pain, and feel the breeze. At the end of my race, I know the road
will rise up to me, and a following wind, and a friend will push me, when I
feel I can't go on.
I am happy that I found my way here, and I look forward to sharing time with
you on October 3rd.
Yours in Health and Hope,
Jennie Osborne Burke
Annapolis, MD
XTERRA WETSUITS helps fight cancer...
Continued from April Newsletter
........In addition to the Half Full Triathlon sponsorship, XTERRA
WETSUITS continues to support triathletes by sponsoring races world-wide,
sponsoring over one hundred and thirty races this year alone.
Striving to provide athletes with top quality wetsuits at an affordable price,
XTERRA WETSUITS just recently introduced the Volt, the only high performance
triathlon wetsuit retailed at $99.
About XTERRA WETSUITS
Based in San Diego, California, XTERRA WETSUITS became the top selling
triathlon wetsuit in the U.S. and Canada in 2009. Since its founding in
2001, the design team has perfected all aspects of the triathlon wetsuit using
the best materials available for maximum buoyancy, flexibility and speed
through the water-no wetsuit is sold until it is training and race-tested.
While XTERRA WETSUITS prides itself on supporting the world's top triathletes,
the design process always keeps the amateur in mind. Dedicated to achieving
maximum performance and comfort, XTERRA WETSUITS provides an entire lineup of
wetsuits, including entry-level to high-end models, available exclusively
online.
The Coaches Corner with Eric Sorenson
Continued from April Newsletter
Technique,
Technique, Technique
If you have been reading literature about swim training, you know that
efficiency and technique are at least as important to swim performance as
fitness. Correcting a few specific technique flaws will pay big dividends in
the open water.
Cross-over arm entry, whereby your hand and arm travel across the center line
of your body as it enters the water, will, like a wobbling rudder, change your
direction with every stroke. At best you will be zig-zagging across the
lake. At worst, you could be pulling yourself off line with every stroke.
Practice the fingertip drag drill* and have your coach or another swimmer watch
to make sure your stroke is entering in front of your shoulder and not in front
of your face.
If you pull harder or less efficiently on one side, each stroke will again pull
you off line. One great way to develop a symmetrical stroke is to learn to
breathe on both sides. Bilateral breathing will not only help you even out your
stroke, it's also an invaluable tool in the open water for sighting and to
shield yourself from waves or other swimmers. Breathing every three strokes,
practice your bilateral breathing in warm up, cool down and drill sets before
trying to integrate it into any intervals or aerobic swims.
* Finger Tip Drag (FTD): This drill can be done by itself, or in
combination with many other drills such as Catch Up or Single Arm. Recover
your elbow out of the water first, dangling your lower arm and hand while
gently dragging your finger tips on the surface of the water from your hip all
the way past your head before quietly entering your hand and arm. If you
are not making contact with the water, you are not doing this drill correctly.
See Your Future
Unlike a pool, lakes, oceans and rivers do not have a black line on the bottom
to follow. Swimming in a straight line and using a minimum amount of
energy to keep you on line are the keys to open water success.
The more you raise your head to see
where you are going, the more energy you use. So you should only sight once
every 8 to 12 strokes. At the time of your breath, press down with your lead
arm to leverage your head slightly out of the water as your other arm is
recovering. Take a quick snapshot to locate your target object and then turn
your head back to the side in your normal breathing position, just as the
recovering arm enters the water. If you need to realign your course, make
subtle changes in direction until it is time to peek again. The more fluid this
movement, the less energy you will spend navigating and the more energy you can
spend swimming.
You can sight any stationary object. Most swimmers focus on the buoys in the
water, but you can sight points of land, buildings on the shore or even the
sun. The objects off which you sight can be directly in line with your
direction target, or they could be a point relative to that direction. While in
the pool, practice sighting objects out of the water at different positions and
different heights. Once you become comfortable with your sighting stroke-and
you have a pool lane where you won't run into anyone-try swimming with your
eyes closed, and then opening them only to sight objects on deck.
Mental Training
Besides training yourself to go without physical breaks, you need to train your
mind to go without mental breaks. As your swims get longer, your mind can
wander off to that big project at work, or where you are going to eat
afterwards. Did you remember to feed the dog?
Stay focused by assigning mental
cues to different aspects of your stroke. Is my hand-entry smooth and in
front of my shoulder? Am I rotating and getting full length out of every
stroke? Is my intensity too high or too low? Is my stroke count still low?
Cue your mind to rove to different aspects of your swim stroke at each wall
turn in the pool or in the open water between buoys. Practicing these mental
cues will keep you focused on task at hand and keep your technique in line.
Open Water Practice
Finding a suitable place to practice open-water swimming can be as tough as the
physical challenge on race day. But it's worth the effort. Getting in a lake,
river or ocean will allow you to practice sighting off a variety of objects and
get comfortable with the sometimes dark, murky water.
When you find that open water, always wear a bright-colored swim cap for
visibility. Swim with a buddy or have a friend paddle a kayak alongside for
safety. Shower immediately afterward, as local water bodies are notorious for
collecting less-than-pure-water run-off.
Open water swims are unlike any
pool swim. They require different fitness, skills and mental approaches. If you
train like an open water swimmer, you'll have less worry and greater success in
your next event.
Open Water Swimming Locations
The bodies of water in which many open water swim races and triathlons are only
available for swimming during the actual event, so finding a suitable location
to practice can be tough. The best way to find one is to consult the
swimmers of your local masters swimming team or triathlon club. They will
likely have some the scoop on the out-of-the-way places fill your needs.
US Masters Swimming Information
US Masters Swimming is for adult swimmers over 18 years old. For
information local US Masters swim teams in your area, visit www.usms.org.
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Thank you!
Through the generosity of
our partners and sponsors, we are proud and humbled to announce that
100% of your race registration will go towards fulfilling the Mission of
the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.
Want to race with 2009 USAT Professional of the Year, Rebeccah
Wassner?
Rebeccah Wassner, 2009 USAT Professional
Triathlete of the Year and twin sister of USAT Professional Laurel
Wassner, has offered to participate in the Half Full Triathlon in a
relay. Bec supported her sister Laurel through her cancer fight and now
wants to give support to a relay team made up of cancer
fighters/survivors. She will be doing the swim and is looking for 2
cancer fighters/survivors willing to bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles or
the relay. In 140 words or less, why do you want to bike/run with
Bec? Submit entries to halffulltri@ulmanfund.org by July 1, 2010
Half
Full Triathlon has developed a platform to foster participation from the
athletic community. While we realize that a Half Distance triathlon
can be daunting to many, we also have been approached by many members of
the community that would like to participate, but are not yet
comfortable competing in all 3 disciplines. Others just don't have the
network to find someone to do the other 2 legs of a relay. We have
developed "Relay Match" to aid in this process.
What a great way to meet new people in your community who want to be
involved in an event for such a great cause. Sign up now for "RELAY
MATCH" and let us help you build your team. ALL LEVELS ENCOURAGED.
Half Full "Unfiltered" Blog Up and Running
A unique look at Half Full Triathlon from the perspective of the Race Director and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. We will do our best to bring you a behind the scenes look at this community partnership event. Thank you for being a part of this great statement!
