2009 Race Dates

mandy.braverman October 24th, 2008

Inquiring minds want to know - 2009 EndureIT Race dates are as follows:

3rd Annual Nutmeg State 1/2 Marathon and 10k Sunday April 26th

9th Annual Lake Waramaug Sprint Tri Friday June 19th

3rd Annual Nutmegman 1/2 Iron Sunday September 20th

Reg will open on December 1st!  Rock on!

It’s a Brave New World

mandy.braverman October 16th, 2008

Hey y’all.  We’re hard at work on races, coaching clinics and the 2009 Strong Like Bull training camp, but in the meantime, keep up with my own personal adventures at www.BraveMandy.com

Rawk on!

More photos!

mandy.braverman September 23rd, 2008

Hey guys - Big thanks to Whitney Whithington for sharing THESE shots with us!

Happy Fall!!

Done and Done

mandy.braverman September 23rd, 2008

Well, first off, thank you all for coming out and making this race safe, fun and fantastic! Huge thank you to our sponsors, to Kettletown State Park, The Oxford, Seymour and Southbury Police, the Lake Zoar Authority, The Boy Scouts, The Red Cross, The Gunnery, The Oxford Ambulance all of our volunteers and to all of you, the athletes!

Thank you for being a part of this eco-friendly charity event! I’ll be sure to let you all know exactly how much we were able to donate!

In the meantime, results are posted at the Platt Systems website. Congrats to all of our finishers! Check local papers for media coverage. Also, our female champ, Elizabeth Waterstraat will be writing an article for Xtri.com

If you get a chance, please fill out our post-race survey HERE. It’s the only way for us to know your thoughts and to make improvements - I’ve already heard from a bunch of you and I appreciate your kind words and suggestions. I’m already thinking of moving the race start back to combat the fog and also, get some natural light into transition.

Finally, we are uploading event photos to a flickr account. Not all of the photos are uploaded, so check back often. You can copy and keep any of the photos - if you publish any, please give Ken Schultz photo credit. Photos HERE
Congrats again and thank you all!!

I’m also launching my own personal website www.bravemandy.com where you can follow my triathletic adventures!

Online Reg Officially Closed

mandy.braverman September 18th, 2008

Ok all - below is the final pre-race email.  Please read it before calling or emailing… b/c as much as I love you all, my dearest athletes, I will not be returning phone calls or emails.  You can however ask questions to your hearts’ content at the pre-race meeting at 4 PM on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

WE HAVE A FEW SPOTS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR REGISTRATION ON SATURDAY.   THE PRICE GOES UP, BUT HEY, YOU STILL GET TO RACE AND OUR CHARITIES GET A BIT MORE OF A BOOST :  INDIVIDUAL $200, RELAY $250, AQUA-BIKE $150

Howdy Athletes -

I hope you all are doing well and enjoying your taper - yes, taper -
it means “resting up”!  The race is looking great for this weekend and
I’m sure you will all be excited for the many goodies you’ll receive
before, during and after the event.  As the last race of the EndureIT
Season, we need to clean house, so please make sure you hold onto your
eco-friendly tote bags to stock up on all the extra freebies
post-race!  Ok, so below is an overview of the race, sponsors,
race-day timeline and more!

PLEASE KEEP THIS EMAIL AND IF YOU PLAN TO DRIVE THE COURSE, PRINT THIS
OUT WITH MAPS - As part of our eco-initiatives we are trying to reduce
paper-waste, so we will not have individual maps at registration -
there will be a “Master Map” of the courses, aid stations and safety
posts that will be available for all to view.

We first and foremost thank our fantastic sponsors and volunteers -
without their help, none of this would be possible.  They help us to
keep race fees low(er than our others in the area) and maximize our
charitable giving by offsetting expense costs.  Many, many thanks to
the following:  Crystal Rock Water, Up ‘N Adam Kennels, Cannondale,
Fitness Revolutions, Larabar, Hammer Nutrition, Gatorade Endurance,
Carbboom, Bear Naked Granola, JohnHirsch.org, Eric Hodska Hodska.com,
Mountaintop Acupuncture, Waldingfield Organic Farm, Shaw’s
supermarkets, DiPalma’s Pizza, Julio’s Pizza, The Southbury Crowne
Plaza Hotel, Chatfield Portables, Xterra Wetsuits, Bethel Cycle,
Newtown Performance Chiropractic, Athletes for a Fit Planet and many
more!  Please be sure to support our sponsors and thank the
volunteers!

On to the race and race check-in.  Race Registration will be held on
Saturday September 20th from 2-4 PM at the Southbury Crowne Plaza on
rte 188 in Southbury, CT.  Bring a photo ID and your USAT card if you
are a member.  If you are not a USAT member and you purchased a 1-day
license online, you will need to fill out the physical USAT 1-day
license form when you pick up your packet.  We will have a few spots
open for race-day registration (or so it looks at this point - we’ll
verify this on Thursday), so if you have friends that are thinking of
racing, they will have an opportunity to register.

Bethel Cycle and a few others will be on-site for any last-minute
tune-ups, nutrition or other needs.  If you do utilize their bike
services on Reg day or Race Day, please remember to tip your mechanic
- these guys are worth their weight in gold!

We will have a fantastic Raffle again this year with giveaways from
our various sponsors - proceeds benefit the Red Cross - one of our
many local CT charities.  Others are listed on the EndureIT website -
over $120,000 donated to date!

Directly following the race meeting on Saturday at 4PM, we ask that
you all attend the mandatory athlete meeting.  We will have our head
Referee, Jim Sylvia, there to answer questions as well.  Please plan
to attend, especially if you are a first-time athlete.  The most
commonly violated rules are posted on the Nutmegman page at
www.endureitmultisports.com  Click on the ‘events’ tab, then select
the Nutmegman race.  All maps, etc. are posted there.

Race morning - we will not allow any cars into the park (other than
volunteers) before 5:30 - DO NOT ARRIVE BEFORE 5:30.  You will have
plenty of time to get warmed up, get transition set, etc. So please
don’t make the volunteers (read: Me) more manic by showing up before
we’re ready for you.  If you show up early, you will end up waiting
needlessly.  For those of you staying at the Crowne Plaza, the drive
is less than 10 minutes.  Parking is ridiculously close to transition
and once at transition, you literally walk 10 steps to get to the
water, the bathrooms, reg, you get the idea… it’s a great, secure
and efficient location.

Race morning, the Bethel Cycle Mechanics will be on site for any last
minute emergencies and  loaded with pumps to help y’all out!

Make your way to the timing chip/body marking station and as the name
would  suggest - get your timing chip and strap (to be worn throughout
the entire event  and get body marked).  Relays: You all need to be
body marked.  You will have a special rack in transition to avoid
confusion with other open-racked athletes.  For relay members, during
the swim portion, your swimmer will wear the timing chip, then upon
finishing the swim portion and entering transition, they will meet you
at the rack, exchange the chip and strap and the cyclist will continue
on.  At the end of the bike, the cyclist will return to the rack and
transfer the chip to the 3rd team member.  REMEMBER TO RETURN YOUR
TIMING CHIP AND STRAP, it is a $40 fee if they are lost or not
returned.  Timing is provided by www.PlattSYS.com

All day long  you will be entertained by top-10 Ironman Louisville
finisher, professional athlete and coach: John Hirsch.  He will be
your Master of Ceremonies and will keep you amped throughout the race!
You can read more about him at www.johnhirsch.org

At 6:50 we will have an abbreviated athlete meeting and again the Head
Ref, Jim Sylvia, will remind you of the rules of a safe and fun
triathlon.  Just before 7 AM, we will ask all Men’s professional and
Men’s Individual triathlon competitors to cross the timing mat and
line up in the water.  2 minutes later, we will send off the
Professional ladies, relays and aqua-bike competitors.

The swim consists of a 2-lap counter-clockwise course.  The laps are
separated by a short 5-meter beach sprint.  There is a 1 Hour and 15
minute cut-off for the swim portion.  We anticipate our fist swimmer
exiting the water at about 7:20 AM   The lake is beautiful right now,
with temperatures in the low 70’s and definitely wetsuit legal for
pros and amateurs.  There will be 15-20 lifeguards in kayaks on the
water as well as 1 police boat with marine officer and diver.  A
stationary medical team will be located at transition and the Oxford
Ambulance and explorers will be out on the bike and run courses.
State Troopers will be stationed at key intersections along with
volunteers.  The roads are not closed to traffic.  Stay to the
designated side of the road.

Onto the bike.  The roads look great - we’ll be out sweeping prior to
the event.  PLEASE DO NOT PAINT ON THE ROADS.  This is a hard-line
rule in our communities.  Please make sure your friends and family are
aware of this.  We also ask that if you hang or post signs, that you
collect them after the event.  As cute as some of those signs were
last year - my bout with poison ivy was not.  Feel free to cheer or
use chalk, just please understand that marking the course in any way
could jeapordize our use of these beautiful facilities.

The bike course consists of 3-loops.  There will be an aid station
approximately every 15 miles on the bike fully stocked with Gatorade
Endurance, Powerbars, Bananas, Hammer Gels, Crystal Rock Water, a
Portable Toilet, an EMT and plenty of nice volunteers.  The Aid
station is located on Hull’s Hill  road on a slight incline by Lorelei
road.

There are a few places to watch on the bike course and I’ll note them
in the turn-by-turn directions below:

-Exit transition toward park entrance
- Exit Park and turn RIGHT on Georges Hill Rd. (watch for sharp curve
at about 1/8 a mile - don’t worry, you won’t lose the race here!)
- Turn RIGHT on Maple Tree Hill Rd.
- Turn LEFT on Good Hill Rd
- Follow Good Hill Rd to 3-way intersection.  Bear left onto Bower’s Hill Rd.
- Bower’s Hill then becomes O’neil Rd
- At Stop sign continue on O’Neil with a slight right.
- At stop sign, turn RIGHT on Rte 188
- Follow Rte 188 all the way to round-about in Seymour, CT  The
roundabout comes at the base of a nice descent - you will make a loop
around the roundabout and then go back up that hill (about a 2-6
minute climb depending on ability).
- Follow Rte 188 into Southbury and turn LEFT onto Hull’s Hill Rd
(there is a 10k race that will overlap on this .5 mile stretch of road
-the runners will have a coned-off lane and we will have signs and
volunteers warning you of this, but please, keep your head up and ride
smart in this straight stretch of road.  You will then make a RIGHT on
Maple Tree Hill (at 3-way stop).
- Stay on Maple Tree Hill through the next intersection and continue
straight past Georges Hill for laps 1,2 and 3.
- At the end of lap 3, turn RIGHT on Georges Hill Rd  (watch that
sharp curve!) and then make a left into the park and down to
transition.

The bike cutoff time is 12 PM.  Please respect volunteers, safety and
race officials.  We will do our best to make sure that everyone
finishes and has the safest race possible!  A sag vehicle will follow
the last athlete on course  for the bike and run portions and there
will be a Cannondale Bike Mechanic on course to help with emergencies.
Please note that you must be able to change your own flat tire, put
your chain back on, etc.  These are not considered “emergencies”.

Onto the run.  You will exit transition and proceed towards the park
entrance.  There will be an aid station located at transition that you
will be able to access again when you start your second lap.  Aid
stations will be located every 1 - 1.5 miles on course, but are NOT
located on the mile markers.  Aid stations will have Gatorade
Endurance, Crystal Rock Water, Ice, Hammer Gels and
Bananas/Oranges/Pretzels/Pepsi at select stations.  The stations at
the start/lap2 turnaround and the station at Jackson Cove Park will
have portable toilets.  You will have until 3 PM to complete the run
portion of the event.

- Exit Transition and proceed toward the park entrance
- Before Park entrance, turn RIGHT and go to lower camp area turn-around.
- Once back at the park entrance, exit the park and turn RIGHT on
Georges Hill  Rd (just like you did on your bicycle)
- Stay to the RIGHT side of the road
- Turn RIGHT on Maple Tree Hill  Rd
- Stay Straight at 3-way intersection and proceed on Jackson Cove Rd
to turn-around
- Retrace your steps - Jackson Cove, Maple Tree Hill, Georges Hill to
the State Park and return to start/finish/transition for the lap-2
turnaround.  Begin 2nd Lap.  At end of second lap, stay straight into
finish.  Return your chip, get finisher goodies and food!

Once at the finish, please return your chip and collect your finish
line schwag - this will include a nice big sport bottle from Hammer
Nutrition.  As part of our eco-initiatives as developed in accordance
with Athletes for a Fit Planet (eco-friendly toilets and paper,
hydro-electric power, recycling/reusing/composting all materials,
carpooling and more) we ask that you use these bottles to fill with
your beverage of choice to reduce landfill waste.  We invite all
friends and family to enjoy the organic, local, vegetarian fare
provided by Shaw’s supermarket and thin-crust pizza by DiPalma’s
Pizzeria (both) located on Main Street South in Southbury, CT

Awards will be presented along with the raffle to the top 3 overall
male and female competitors, top relay team, top aqua bike male and
female, top athena/clydesdale and the top 3 male and females in the
designated USAT age categories.  Cannondale has put up a bike prime
for fastest male and female bike splits - it’s a $250 gift card for
each - pretty sweet!  You must finish the race to get the card.

You must be present to receive your awards - not only does it show
respect for your fellow athletes, it helps us to give more $ away to
charity!

Many thanks for reading this thru!  I will be sending out another
email on Thursday night and all emails will be posted on
www.endureitmultisports.com

Please note that if you call or email, I will  more than likely not be
able to get back to you this week.  If you have any dire questions,
they may be asked at the race meeting on Saturday.  Many thanks for
your understanding!

Enjoy your taper!

your faithful Race Director,

Mandy B.

p.s. for those of you in Litchfield County-area - Mike Nahom of New
Milford is looking for morning swim partners.  John Hirsch and I will
also be guest-starring to torment you with our favorite swim workout
routines!  If you are interested in swimming early mornings at the
Canterbury School, please email Mike directly at: mnahom@yahoo.com
He’s a great athletes and a great guy.  Will you just go swim with
him, already!?

Monday Email… T-6 days and counting

mandy.braverman September 15th, 2008

Howdy Athletes -

I hope you all are doing well and enjoying your taper - yes, taper -
it means “resting up”!  The race is looking great for this weekend and
I’m sure you will all be excited for the many goodies you’ll receive
before, during and after the event.  As the last race of the EndureIT
Season, we need to clean house, so please make sure you hold onto your
eco-friendly tote bags to stock up on all the extra freebies
post-race!  Ok, so below is an overview of the race, sponsors,
race-day timeline and more!

PLEASE KEEP THIS EMAIL AND IF YOU PLAN TO DRIVE THE COURSE, PRINT THIS
OUT WITH MAPS - As part of our eco-initiatives we are trying to reduce
paper-waste, so we will not have individual maps at registration -
there will be a “Master Map” of the courses, aid stations and safety
posts that will be available for all to view.

We first and foremost thank our fantastic sponsors and volunteers -
without their help, none of this would be possible.  They help us to
keep race fees low(er than our others in the area) and maximize our
charitable giving by offsetting expense costs.  Many, many thanks to
the following:  Crystal Rock Water, Up ‘N Adam Kennels, Cannondale,
Fitness Revolutions, Larabar, Hammer Nutrition, Gatorade Endurance,
Carbboom, Bear Naked Granola, JohnHirsch.org, Eric Hodska Hodska.com,
Mountaintop Acupuncture, Waldingfield Organic Farm, Shaw’s
supermarkets, DiPalma’s Pizza, Julio’s Pizza, The Southbury Crowne
Plaza Hotel, Chatfield Portables, Xterra Wetsuits, Bethel Cycle,
Newtown Performance Chiropractic, Athletes for a Fit Planet and many
more!  Please be sure to support our sponsors and thank the
volunteers!

On to the race and race check-in.  Race Registration will be held on
Saturday September 20th from 2-4 PM at the Southbury Crowne Plaza on
rte 188 in Southbury, CT.  Bring a photo ID and your USAT card if you
are a member.  If you are not a USAT member and you purchased a 1-day
license online, you will need to fill out the physical USAT 1-day
license form when you pick up your packet.  We will have a few spots
open for race-day registration (or so it looks at this point - we’ll
verify this on Thursday), so if you have friends that are thinking of
racing, they will have an opportunity to register.

Bethel Cycle and a few others will be on-site for any last-minute
tune-ups, nutrition or other needs.  If you do utilize their bike
services on Reg day or Race Day, please remember to tip your mechanic
- these guys are worth their weight in gold!

We will have a fantastic Raffle again this year with giveaways from
our various sponsors - proceeds benefit the Red Cross - one of our
many local CT charities.  Others are listed on the EndureIT website -
over $120,000 donated to date!

Directly following the race meeting on Saturday at 4PM, we ask that
you all attend the mandatory athlete meeting.  We will have our head
Referee, Jim Sylvia, there to answer questions as well.  Please plan
to attend, especially if you are a first-time athlete.  The most
commonly violated rules are posted on the Nutmegman page at
www.endureitmultisports.com  Click on the ‘events’ tab, then select
the Nutmegman race.  All maps, etc. are posted there.

Race morning - we will not allow any cars into the park (other than
volunteers) before 5:30 - DO NOT ARRIVE BEFORE 5:30.  You will have
plenty of time to get warmed up, get transition set, etc. So please
don’t make the volunteers (read: Me) more manic by showing up before
we’re ready for you.  If you show up early, you will end up waiting
needlessly.  For those of you staying at the Crowne Plaza, the drive
is less than 10 minutes.  Parking is ridiculously close to transition
and once at transition, you literally walk 10 steps to get to the
water, the bathrooms, reg, you get the idea… it’s a great, secure
and efficient location.

Race morning, the Bethel Cycle Mechanics will be on site for any last
minute emergencies and  loaded with pumps to help y’all out!

Make your way to the timing chip/body marking station and as the name
would  suggest - get your timing chip and strap (to be worn throughout
the entire event  and get body marked).  Relays: You all need to be
body marked.  You will have a special rack in transition to avoid
confusion with other open-racked athletes.  For relay members, during
the swim portion, your swimmer will wear the timing chip, then upon
finishing the swim portion and entering transition, they will meet you
at the rack, exchange the chip and strap and the cyclist will continue
on.  At the end of the bike, the cyclist will return to the rack and
transfer the chip to the 3rd team member.  REMEMBER TO RETURN YOUR
TIMING CHIP AND STRAP, it is a $40 fee if they are lost or not
returned.  Timing is provided by www.PlattSYS.com

All day long  you will be entertained by top-10 Ironman Louisville
finisher, professional athlete and coach: John Hirsch.  He will be
your Master of Ceremonies and will keep you amped throughout the race!
You can read more about him at www.johnhirsch.org

At 6:50 we will have an abbreviated athlete meeting and again the Head
Ref, Jim Sylvia, will remind you of the rules of a safe and fun
triathlon.  Just before 7 AM, we will ask all Men’s professional and
Men’s Individual triathlon competitors to cross the timing mat and
line up in the water.  2 minutes later, we will send off the
Professional ladies, relays and aqua-bike competitors.

The swim consists of a 2-lap counter-clockwise course.  The laps are
separated by a short 5-meter beach sprint.  There is a 1 Hour and 15
minute cut-off for the swim portion.  We anticipate our fist swimmer
exiting the water at about 7:20 AM   The lake is beautiful right now,
with temperatures in the low 70’s and definitely wetsuit legal for
pros and amateurs.  There will be 15-20 lifeguards in kayaks on the
water as well as 1 police boat with marine officer and diver.  A
stationary medical team will be located at transition and the Oxford
Ambulance and explorers will be out on the bike and run courses.
State Troopers will be stationed at key intersections along with
volunteers.  The roads are not closed to traffic.  Stay to the
designated side of the road.

Onto the bike.  The roads look great - we’ll be out sweeping prior to
the event.  PLEASE DO NOT PAINT ON THE ROADS.  This is a hard-line
rule in our communities.  Please make sure your friends and family are
aware of this.  We also ask that if you hang or post signs, that you
collect them after the event.  As cute as some of those signs were
last year - my bout with poison ivy was not.  Feel free to cheer or
use chalk, just please understand that marking the course in any way
could jeapordize our use of these beautiful facilities.

The bike course consists of 3-loops.  There will be an aid station
approximately every 15 miles on the bike fully stocked with Gatorade
Endurance, Powerbars, Bananas, Hammer Gels, Crystal Rock Water, a
Portable Toilet, an EMT and plenty of nice volunteers.  The Aid
station is located on Hull’s Hill  road on a slight incline by Lorelei
road.

There are a few places to watch on the bike course and I’ll note them
in the turn-by-turn directions below:

-Exit transition toward park entrance
- Exit Park and turn RIGHT on Georges Hill Rd. (watch for sharp curve
at about 1/8 a mile - don’t worry, you won’t lose the race here!)
- Turn RIGHT on Maple Tree Hill Rd.
- Turn LEFT on Good Hill Rd
- Follow Good Hill Rd to 3-way intersection.  Bear left onto Bower’s Hill Rd.
- Bower’s Hill then becomes O’neil Rd
- At Stop sign continue on O’Neil with a slight right.
- At stop sign, turn RIGHT on Rte 188
- Follow Rte 188 all the way to round-about in Seymour, CT  The
roundabout comes at the base of a nice descent - you will make a loop
around the roundabout and then go back up that hill (about a 2-6
minute climb depending on ability).
- Follow Rte 188 into Southbury and turn LEFT onto Hull’s Hill Rd
(there is a 10k race that will overlap on this .5 mile stretch of road
-the runners will have a coned-off lane and we will have signs and
volunteers warning you of this, but please, keep your head up and ride
smart in this straight stretch of road.  You will then make a RIGHT on
Maple Tree Hill (at 3-way stop).
- Stay on Maple Tree Hill through the next intersection and continue
straight past Georges Hill for laps 1,2 and 3.
- At the end of lap 3, turn RIGHT on Georges Hill Rd  (watch that
sharp curve!) and then make a left into the park and down to
transition.

The bike cutoff time is 12 PM.  Please respect volunteers, safety and
race officials.  We will do our best to make sure that everyone
finishes and has the safest race possible!  A sag vehicle will follow
the last athlete on course  for the bike and run portions and there
will be a Cannondale Bike Mechanic on course to help with emergencies.
Please note that you must be able to change your own flat tire, put
your chain back on, etc.  These are not considered “emergencies”.

Onto the run.  You will exit transition and proceed towards the park
entrance.  There will be an aid station located at transition that you
will be able to access again when you start your second lap.  Aid
stations will be located every 1 - 1.5 miles on course, but are NOT
located on the mile markers.  Aid stations will have Gatorade
Endurance, Crystal Rock Water, Ice, Hammer Gels and
Bananas/Oranges/Pretzels/Pepsi at select stations.  The stations at
the start/lap2 turnaround and the station at Jackson Cove Park will
have portable toilets.  You will have until 3 PM to complete the run
portion of the event.

- Exit Transition and proceed toward the park entrance
- Before Park entrance, turn RIGHT and go to lower camp area turn-around.
- Once back at the park entrance, exit the park and turn RIGHT on
Georges Hill  Rd (just like you did on your bicycle)
- Stay to the RIGHT side of the road
- Turn RIGHT on Maple Tree Hill  Rd
- Stay Straight at 3-way intersection and proceed on Jackson Cove Rd
to turn-around
- Retrace your steps - Jackson Cove, Maple Tree Hill, Georges Hill to
the State Park and return to start/finish/transition for the lap-2
turnaround.  Begin 2nd Lap.  At end of second lap, stay straight into
finish.  Return your chip, get finisher goodies and food!

Once at the finish, please return your chip and collect your finish
line schwag - this will include a nice big sport bottle from Hammer
Nutrition.  As part of our eco-initiatives as developed in accordance
with Athletes for a Fit Planet (eco-friendly toilets and paper,
hydro-electric power, recycling/reusing/composting all materials,
carpooling and more) we ask that you use these bottles to fill with
your beverage of choice to reduce landfill waste.  We invite all
friends and family to enjoy the organic, local, vegetarian fare
provided by Shaw’s supermarket and thin-crust pizza by DiPalma’s
Pizzeria (both) located on Main Street South in Southbury, CT

Awards will be presented along with the raffle to the top 3 overall
male and female competitors, top relay team, top aqua bike male and
female, top athena/clydesdale and the top 3 male and females in the
designated USAT age categories.  Cannondale has put up a bike prime
for fastest male and female bike splits - it’s a $250 gift card for
each - pretty sweet!  You must finish the race to get the card.

You must be present to receive your awards - not only does it show
respect for your fellow athletes, it helps us to give more $ away to
charity!

Many thanks for reading this thru!  I will be sending out another
email on Thursday night and all emails will be posted on
www.endureitmultisports.com

Please note that if you call or email, I will  more than likely not be
able to get back to you this week.  If you have any dire questions,
they may be asked at the race meeting on Saturday.  Many thanks for
your understanding!

Enjoy your taper!

your faithful Race Director,

Mandy B.

p.s. for those of you in Litchfield County-area - Mike Nahom of New
Milford is looking for morning swim partners.  John Hirsch and I will
also be guest-starring to torment you with our favorite swim workout
routines!  If you are interested in swimming early mornings at the
Canterbury School, please email Mike directly at: mnahom@yahoo.com
He’s a great athletes and a great guy.  Will you just go swim with
him, already!?

Countdown

mandy.braverman September 12th, 2008

Well athletes, we’re a little over a week away from the 2nd Annual Nutmegman Tri - the race is looking great and I can’t wait to welcome you all to the start AND finish lines!

I’ll be sending out the pre-race emails on Monday and Thursday as well as posting it here for your viewing pleasure.  I try to cover all the bases, so please make sure you read the whole thing.

This next week is total mayhem at EndureIT, so my apologies now if I do not answer emails/phone calls.  Any outstanding questions may be asked and answered at the pre-race meeting on Saturday September 20th at 4PM at the Southbury Crowne Plaza Hotel.

By the way - if you still need a hotel room, the offer there is still good.  See below for details on that and Xterra wetsuits!

Rock on and happy tapering!

Xterra Wetsuit Deal! Get ‘Em While They’re HOT!

mandy.braverman August 12th, 2008

Howdy Athletes,

Xterra Wetsuits has teamed up with us again to present this year’s Nutmegman Tri on September 21st.  They are offering amazingly deep discounts of their fabulous wetsuits.  I’ve worn their wetsuits for years and just upgraded to a Vector Pro x2 this year, I then went on to achieve new PR’s in each race this year!

Hop on over to www.xterrawetsuits.com 

You can get 50% OFF a new VORTEX 2 wetsuit (use code NUTMEG50X2)

You can get 30% OFF a new VECTOR PRO X2 (USE code NUTMEG30X2)

Xterra is giving y’all until September 15th to buy these suits at deeply discounted rates.  So what are you waiting for?  Xterra has a great staff that will help you select the right size and fit.  You will not be disappointed in these suits!  They are flexible, buoyant and comfy!

Go get a room…

mandy.braverman July 30th, 2008

Southbury Crowne Plaza logo

Exciting news! The newly renovated Crowne Plaza hotel in Southbury, CT will be the official host hotel of the 2nd Annual Nutmegman Tri!

Less than 10 minutes from the race site, the Crowne Plaza will be offering deeply discounted room rates ($90 for either a King or double room) and will also host our Saturday September 20th Packet Pick-up, expo and pre-race meeting.

They have a restaurant on-site and are also close to town, located on Rte 188 (Strongtown Rd - yes, apt name).

You can book by going to their WEBSITE or by calling them at 203-598-7600 and referring to discount code: NUT

Ch-ch-check it out!

mandy.braverman June 30th, 2008

Hey guys and gals -  BIG hello to all of our newly annointed TRIATHLETES!  You all rock.

HUGE thanks again to our volunteers, to Mountain Lake Camp,  sponsors and of course - you, the athletes.

I’ve had a chance to review the survey responses - thank you all for your honest responses.  There were some great suggestions and some very kind words - it’s always a huge help to know what you like and what you don’t.

A few notes:  Next year we will split swimmers into a few more waves to space out the water a bit.  We will most likely send off elite and men 39 and under, then we will send off men 40+ followed by women and relays.  Ladies - I know I generally like to start with relays (great, fast feet to swim on!) - but let me know your thoughts.

I will also make sure our guards are better positioned in the water - although we had a number of guards on land and in water, we will make sure to keep them in closer to the start, since the first 50-100 yds tend to be the point where swimmers will call it quits.

I’d like to plan some practice swims with athletes and potentially some course rides.  I’ve gone out with many of you, but it might be helpful to our athletes (new and seasoned) to get a feel for the race site.  Open water swimming is a whole different animal and although only a small number of athletes climb out part-way thru the swim, I’d like to see you all succeed and overcome the swim portion.  Open water swimming is fun and exciting and like anything, practice, practice, practice makes it better.

Next year we will try to get a wireless PA system (like we used for the Nutmegman) so that we have a bit more mobility.

Thank you all again for your feedback and it made me so happy to see how many of you have really taken to our eco-initiatives and charity goals.

Next year, we will be using a different registration system that will allow you to access a forum to chat with other athletes, it will also have a carpooling module that will allow you to find other athletes traveling from your area and other great benefits.

Happy training and please feel free to write/email/post or catch me around the lake any time!

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