Welcome & Introductions for 2011

Jim Yanoschik · March 8, 2011 9:21AM

I want to welcome you to the 2011 IMC Group. We still have plenty of time to get ready and I am looking forward to meeting all of you in Penticton. I hope that we can narrow our forum time by having our own little forum world for the 2011 IMC so maybe we can have some time to train!! I would recommend that we all start of with introducing ourselves and give a little history. The more info the better. I would recommend Name, Hometown, # of years in triathlon, IMs, history in sport, if you have done Penticton-any recommendations, have you made arrangements for travel or hotels?

I'll start. Jim Yanoschik from Murrieta, CA (about an hour north of San Diego). IMC will be my 25th IM. I did IMC 5 times in the 90s, but have not been to Penticton since 1999. My wife loves Pentiction because EVERYONE is so friendly. The volunteers are the best. I have been in triathlons since 1983 and did my first IM in 1986. I have been involved in the Janus Charity Challenge for the past 8 years raising money for ChildSpree (we send children into JC Penney for new school clothes) and Rotaplast (we send surgical teams to third world countries to fix cleft lips and palates).

I know that William Wiseman's wife is also into horses and three day eventing (the triathlon of the horse world). I am hoping that my wife and IronSherpa, Brenda, will accompany me. She is scheduled to start a trial in August right before IMC. I have found Brenda stables up there for her to ride horses years ago. I have reservations for the Ramada Inn on Eckhardt. I have stayed there before and it is across from the convention center. The Lakeside Host hotel was booked like the race- a year before the event. I will fly into Vancouver and drive over to Pentiction. It is several hour drive but it is very scenic. I don't know if the Penticton airport has improved but it was very difficult and expensive to get into Penticton.

afrost · March 8, 2011 12:44PM

Hi Jim!

I am Ann Frost from London, Ontario. I grew up in Vancouver, B.C. though. IMC will be my 5th IM and my 2nd IMC (last one was 2008). For the last few summers (since 2006) our family has spent the month of August is Osoyoos (the town at the base of Richter pass). My husband did the race in 2007 and 2009 (we take turns!). I have been doing triathlon since 2001 (after last child (#3) turned 1) and IM since 2006 although no IM in 2009 or 2010. My history in sport is competitive swimmer as a kid (very good "B" swimmer - ha!), bike touring for a year and a half during university days, and running during graduate school days (to stay sane!).

We are hoping to stay in Osoyoos again this summer. We, too will fly into Vancouver and visit family and then drive up to the Okanagan. Flying into Kelowna can be an option and the drive from there is about 60 miles I think to Penticton (vs. the 4 or 5 hour drive up from the coast).

Very much looking forward to the race again this year. Look forward to hearing about the rest of you!

---Ann.

O2BFast · March 9, 2011 8:21PM

Hello everyone,

I'm Mike Bland, and I'm really looking to getting back to Penticton. Raced there in 2009 and really enjoyed the area. For that trip, I combined a drive across Canada and added to the vacation.

This year will be my first attempting two IM races. I'll be doing Lake Placid as well this year.

As far as other races, I've done a variety of IM races, including Wisconsin, Louisville, Austria, Canada, and France. Add in many other local races and a couple of ultra distance runs (Mohican 100, Canadian Death Race, and Grand Canyon R2R2R). Trying work up a trip to Mount Washington this year for an attempt at the Presidential Traverse.

Looking forward to hearing how everyone's training is going and getting to know some EN folks racing out there.

Mike

Jim Yanoschik · March 11, 2011 6:31PM

Ann and Michael welcome. It looks like we have some IM vets and you both know the area well. Michael, it will be a challenge having 2 IM roughly one month apart. Most of the folks in the Haus would say that is insane, but anyone that has done a 100 mile race knows about going into dark places. You know what you are capable and the good thing is that you are trashing yourself with three sports instead of just running! Still have plenty of time.

Tyler Robinson · April 8, 2011 11:47PM

Hi everyone. I'm Tyler Robinson from Calgary. IMC 2011 will be my first IM distance race so I'm really looking forward to it. Did Calgary 70.3 last year after taking 8 weeks off in May & June due to a stress fracture in my left ankle. So, while I'm hoping for a great performance, my main goal at this point is to get to the start line healthy. Everything after that will be gravy...

Jenn Edwards · June 19, 2011 11:23AM

Hi IMC Peeps!

Thanks for starting this string Jim! I’m Jenn Edwards from Washington State. This will be my second IM and my second IMC! We will be driving up and staying at the Best Western. My DH will be a marshal on the swim course with our boat for the third year in a row. It’s a pretty cool way for him to be involved and it’s nice to know there is at least one “friendly” out there on the swim though last year he was too preoccupied pulling sea sick non-finishers to spot me.

I’ve been in the sport since 2007 when I started an 80lb weight loss journey. It feels great to have had that weight off for over two years and be in such a healthy, fun sport! I’ve been with EN since October and am simply in love with the geekdom of the numbers, gadgets and the overall acumen of the team. I’m looking forward to getting to know y’all better over the next few weeks so we will all have lots of friendly faces around Penticton!

@ Michael – Big year! Cool to see you’ve done a lot of different races. Takes moxie to go to new venues!

@ Tyler – EXCITING! No time like the first time, hope you ENJOY it!

@ Ann – Girl, you’ve got a LOT On your plate!!! 3x kids!?! And how are you feeling about the Canucks? I’m still in mourning, personally.

Would love to hook up on FB with any of you who are interested. Also, here is my blog post with RR from last year: http://jennifermaeedwards.blogspot....-results=7

Swanie · June 19, 2011 1:18PM

I am Steve Swanlund from Puyallup Washington.

Although I am not doing IMC this year, I will be volunteering this year and competeing next year. Looks like I will be on the swim course on a kayak with Jenn's other half. Looking forward to seeing the venue this year and pre-riding the bike course on saturday. I plan to join the Friday night team dinner when those plans are put together.

I am doing IMCDA next week, IM 70.3 Lake Stevens in August, and then IMAZ in November.

Good luck to all competitors at IMC this year!

Jim Yanoschik · June 19, 2011 4:24PM

My arrangements have changed a little. A woman in my local tri club did Canada last year and she rented a 3 bedroom house. So I cancelled the Ramada reservations and will be renting a house with pool and jacuzzi near the run course. She also hooked with us with a local bike mechanic that used to transport bikes for triathletes up and down the east coast. He moved to Los Angeles and is doing the same thing on the west coast. Same cost as Tri Bike Transport but will deliver to the house and it includes a transition bag. Found my passport!! Wife is scheduled to come but will fly out of Kelowna on Monday morning. Now to buckle down and train. If you hurt during training the race will hurt less!!!!!

Mike Blackburn · June 21, 2011 8:41AM

Hey everyone! My name is Mike Blackburn and I live in West Bloomfield, MI, a suburb of Detroit.

This will be my third Ironman. I have also completed Lake Placid and Wisconsin. This year I have completed Florida 70.3, am doing Muncie 70.3 on 7/9, IM Canada 8/28 and then 70.3 World Championships on 9/11.

I'm really excited to get out to BC for IMC. I will be bringing my two sons (12 and 14) and my mother. Looking forward to getting to know everyone during the next few weeks.

Need to learn as much about the course as possible until the race since I will see it for the first time when I arrive for the race! Hope you don't mind if I lean on you a littlefor some course tips!

trbrink · June 23, 2011 2:45AM

Hello,
I am Tina. I work in Philadelphia, PA but reside in Tampa, FL or Long Island, NY on weekends that I'm not traveling to a race (which is rare). I've run 15 marathons and completed the Florida 70.3 already this year. While not advised, I will be doing IMLP again in July as my "Race Rehearsal" before IMC. IMC will be my third Ironman. I struggle mercilessly on the bike, and flirt uncomfortable close to the bike cut-off, before settling into my favorite part of the race, the marathon. I started in the sport by doing a half-Ironman. I thought the run was short, and I could swim, so how bad could it be....bad - 56mi of biking for someone who hadn't biked in 25 years after being hit by a car while on her bike the day school let out for the summer, was significantly harder than it seemed to appear. I still "train" the bike almost exclusively on the indoor trainer as I'm too afraid to ride on the road....and I fall over/off the bike and bruise myself when my legs get tired going up hills! I am flying in and out of Penticton on Air Canada, and will be staying at a bed-and-breakfast while I'm there.

John Stark · June 30, 2011 1:21PM

I am bad, I know. Just popping to let you know we need a Race Captain for this event. Low stress and I am here to help. If interested, please ping me directly via the email in my sig line.

Thanks and now back to your regularly scheduled introductions thread.

Eric Blakie · July 19, 2011 10:49AM

Hello Jim and all.I'm Eric Blakie from the north of England--Sunderland to be more accurate.Been in Tri's for 10 years and this is my 22 nd IM and 7th in Penticton.My wife is uaually with me but not this time as we have a family wedding coming up and she's done supporting IM's to death !! We have friends from home who live in Penticton so I'll be staying with them just up the hill on the way to Naramata.Happy to help with any questions about the event--its a pretty slick operation and doesn't change much if at all year to year.Great swim course but use full wet suit as water temp can be from 18 deg to 24C,bike is a greatcourse and actually pretty fast-- and don't worry about the hills as they aren't that bad and certainly not out of the saddle stuff--5% if you are lucky.They just go on a bit so pace it --great down the other side.The run is mainly flat but has a sting at 10 to 16 miles including the climb back up from the turnaround.

Welcome & Introductions for 2011

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