The Augusta Sports Council and World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) today announced a three-year extension of the 2009 agreement to continue the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta competition through 2014.  Billed as the “World’s Largest Ironman Event,” the race has generated nearly $10-million in economic impact in its first two years. A sell-out field of 3,000+ is expected once again for the 2011 race, scheduled for Sunday, September 25.

Introduced in 2006, the Ironman 70.3 Series has grown to include more than 50 events, offering exciting races around the world that qualify athletes for the Marine Corps Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Henderson, Nev. Ironman 70.3 races consist of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile (half marathon) run, which adds up to 70.3 miles of total racing. The ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta field of athletes is made up of elite-level amateurs, beginners and world class professional triathletes who will compete for a share of a $15,000 prize purse.

The Augusta Sports Council will host the event, and race management will be provided by the World Triathlon Corporation. “Hosting the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta has been a historic benchmark for the Augusta Sports Council” said Chief Executive Director Brinsley Thigpen. “On behalf of our many community partners and 900+ volunteers, we look forward to continuing our partnership with such a well-known elite sports brand.”

“Augusta has proven to be an ideal destination for Ironman 70.3,” said Steve Meckfessel, chief operations officer for WTC. “We’re excited to extend the contract through 2014 and expect continued success in the coming years.”

Race registration for the 2011 ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta is still open for participants and a volunteer recruitment effort is underway. For additional information, visit www.ironmanaugusta.com or contact the Augusta Sports Council at 706.722.8326.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ESi IRONMAN 70.3 AUGUSTA

The Augusta Sports Council is seeking volunteers for the upcoming ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta triathlon, Sunday, September 25. According to event organizers over 1,000 volunteers will be needed for the event. Opportunities to help will begin mid-week prior to the race, and conclude Sunday evening. Duties range from registration and venue set-up to finish line support and athlete hospitality.

The ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta is the world’s largest Ironman event, with over 3,000 athletes.  The Sports Council is encouraging civic, church, school and sports groups to participate. For more information call 706.722.8326 ext. 231 or register online at IronmanAugusta.com. 

Well friends, I did it! I can officially check off completing a triathlon off my bucket list.  After months of training, worrying, and anticipating, I dove right into the 2nd annual ESi 70.3 Ironman, literally.
 
I can’t say it enough; much respect is needed to be given to the athletes that do these events for a living. Even if you don’t see yourself doing the entire event at least be part of a relay, you won’t regret it! Props also go out to the event staff, the Augusta Sports Council, all the volunteers, and the city of Augusta for holding another successful Ironman event and also to the over 3,000 athletes who came here to compete! I got to meet a lot of people from Atlanta, Charlotte, Savannah, during the pre-race Expo at the Marriott Hotel and from what I could tell in our conversations they were really enjoying their visit to Augusta as well as the Expo and Ironman merchandise store.  To see the city of Augusta shine during this one event, drawing in crowds and athletes alike, makes me feel extremely proud to be from this great city!

Like I said, the Expo this year was excellent.  Registration went smoothly with the help of all the wonderful volunteers plus the Ironman merchandise store was bigger and full of everything and anything Ironman you could possibly think of.  It’s not too late to get what you wanted and shop at the Ironman Store!

Once I was done at the Expo, it was time for me to look forward to race day Sunday.  I didn’t get a lot of sleep the night before since I was a little nervous.  But no excuses, early Sunday morning before the sun even came up I arrived at swim start ready to compete.  I was in the last wave to start which was fine by me!  I got to do a quick interview with the emcee while my wave was lining up which helped calm my nerves a little bit.

I finished the 1.2 mile swim in 35 minutes and was sure glad it was over with!  The rain was just a light sprinkle during the swim but it started to beat down a little bit more during the bike portion. I started to feel myself getting winded biking through all those hills in SRS and Aiken, plus the rain was not making it go any smoother.   I saw a few bike accidents and flat tires, nothing out of the ordinary for having a race in those conditions, the road marshals and volunteers on the route were excellent cheerleaders and really looked out for the safety of all the athletes. Thank you all! Even with all the encouragement on the course I was really starting to doubt if I could go any further on the bike, yet alone still run 13.1 miles, until I saw the long black fence in Jackson and I just knew I could make it from there.
 
Once I got my bike back to transition, it was time to start running in the rain! During the entire run portion it sprinkled then rained and then the heat came out.  The rain wasn’t a bad thing at all during the run, but that heat was another story! Thank goodness for the couple of sprinklers that I got to run through to keep cool!  There was a lot of enthusiasm from spectators especially in Olde Town, they were in the middle of the road cheering and some were even grilling out and having a ball!

Towards the end of my run it started pouring and it did not stop.  But I couldn’t quit.  I started thinking of how far I had gone already and all the support I had gotten from my sponsors, friends, and especially my family.  When I finally turned into the Commons and saw my “Team Gibbs” clad family, it gave me that extra push to cross the finish line!  I finished in 7 hours and 32 minutes, not bad for a first time tri-athlete like me.  I’m just glad I finished! 

Afterwards I finally enjoyed my first cold beer and a much needed massage! I’m glad to have had such a great first triathlon experience. I’m in better shape because of it plus, I’ve lost 20lbs during my whole training.  Thank you all again for following me on my blog and supporting me throughout this Ironman!  

So was it worth it? Absolutely!  Will I do it again next year?.... Stay tuned, the jury is still deliberating!

Until next time,
Frank

MEDIA RELEASE

Contact:

Catie Case                                                           Tammy Stout

Office: 813.868.5931                                       Office: 706.722.8326

Mobile: 813.927.3664                                     Mobile: 706.840.1234

catie@ironman.com                                       tammy@augustasportscouncil.org

ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta Taking Place This Weekend

September 22, 2010 – This Sunday, Sept. 26, more than 3,100 professional and age group athletes will take part in the 2010 ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta Triathlon. A professional field consisting of some of the sport’s top contenders will vie for the title, to include Viktor Zyemtsev, first-place finisher at Subaru Ironman Canada in August, Maxim Kriat, who took the title at Ironman 70.3 Mooseman in June, and Philip Graves, winner of both Ironman UK and Ironman 70.3 UK in 2009. On the women’s side is Desiree Ficker, who came in second at this year’s Ironman 70.3 European Championship Wiesbaden, and Magali Tisseyre, who won Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines.

One of more than 40 events in the Ironman 70.3 Global Series, ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta  A variety of inspirational athletes are racing, including six blinded veterans who are racing in connection with the C Different Foundation.

offers the opportunity to race in two states, as a portion of the course travels into South Carolina.  Athletes will begin with a 1.2-mile, point-to-point swim in the Savannah River. Next, participants will embark on a single-loop, 56-mile bike through the scenic South Carolina countryside. Athletes will end the day with a two-loop, 13.1-mile run through the downtown community of Augusta. ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta offers a $25,000 professional prize purse and 50 slots to the 2010 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3, Presented by Ford, taking place on Nov. 13 in one of the world’s top beach destinations, Clearwater, Fla.

Athletes in Sunday’s event range in age from 18 to 76 years old and represent nearly all 50 states and 17 countries, with more than 1,700 participants from the state of Georgia.

The first wave of athletes will enter the water at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.  The winner of ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta is expected to cross the finish line at approximately 11:30 a.m., while the majority of age group athletes will finish in five to seven hours. The official cutoff for the event is approximately 5:06 p.m. EDT, eight hours after the start of the final swim wave.

For more information, please visit www.ironmanaugusta.com or contact the Augusta Sports Council at 706.722.8326.

Hello to all my fellow athletes,

Here it is, Ironman week!  It’s the week I have been looking forward to since I began this journey nine months ago.  All my hard work with training will finally pay off in just a couple of days.  With only 4 days to go until race day, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed everything that I have gone through to get to where I am to compete in the race on Sunday.

I’ve learned a lot about this sport and I definitely have more of an appreciation for these athletes that compete in these types of events full time in their daily lives.  I don’t think the average guy or girl really know what these athletes do and how much they put into their sport.  Having the drive to beat their times, getting up at the crack of dawn, training hard everyday, and still managing to schedule life and work in the mix is  quite an accomplishment!  Competing and being a tri-athlete is already a full time job!

 Until race day I plan to stick to my regular training routine with some light running and biking.  I feel comfortable in both the bike and run portion of the race but am still a little wary of the swim portion.   I plan on spending the next few days working on my strokes and breathing techniques at the pool.  My official swim start time for Sunday will be at 9:08am which means I will most likely be running and biking during the hottest hours in the afternoon.  Hopefully the weather will cool off a bit until Sunday, here’s to hoping!

I’ve been lucky to have the support of my family (keep an eye out for “TEAM GIBBS” t-shirts on Sunday), friends, sponsors, and colleagues throughout this entire experience.  They’ve all been a part of helping me have a successful outlook going into this event which is more than I could have ever asked for.  It’s definitely the right kind of positive attitude that helps you get through all of the training.

I’ll follow up with my post race blog.  We’ll see how this first triathlon goes before I start thinking about doing another one.  If I can get through the 97 degree heat for this first event then the next one will be easy!

 Until next time, wish me luck and good weather!  See you at the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta!       

-Frank

 And as always, thank you again to my all my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.

Hello fellow athletes! 

Training has been going well; my muscle injury from the other week hasn’t been a factor in my training which is good news.  With race day nearing a lot of my training now will focus on completing the actual race events. 

Last week was a first for me in both the swim and bike event.  Last Saturday I swam in the Savannah River for the first time and to say it was cold would be an understatement!  I was not looking forward to actually swimming in the river which is why, I have to admit, had put it off for so long.  Out of the three disciplines I think that swimming will be the most challenging to complete.  My friend and fellow Ironman tri-athlete Mike Grady had invited me to join that Saturday morning with some folks from Tri- Augusta.  There were about 40 people that came out, half of which were first timers in the water just like me.  Most of the first timers had also been putting off getting in the river because of their fear of swimming in open water.  Unlike the pool, out there you're on your own!

Once I got in the open water it took me a minute to get adjusted.  Between the new environment, the cold temperature of the water, and the pressure from the wetsuit I started to get a panic feeling!  Mike later told me that he sometimes gets that feeling even though he's an experienced athlete, "it happens all the time to a lot of people" he says. 

Since it was my first time in the water Mike stayed with me until the end of the swim.  I finished the 1.2 mile swim in 29 minutes. 

The bouyancy from the wetsuit really helps in floating with the current to help speed up your time.  A tip that Mike gave me was to first start in the middle of the river and to stay in cold water (with the current) throughout the swim.  If you feel youself getting in the warm water move back to the cold water because that's where the current is!  It's a little sacrifice to make to see a difference in your finishing time!  Overall I think my first swim experience in the river was successful and eye opening, I got to swim with a great group of people and also got some useful tips.  I plan to join the group every Saturday morning at 7am until race day. 

The following morning at 8am Mayor Deke Copenhaver and I rode the entire Ironman 56 mile bike course.  You can watch the bike course video on Fox 54 online as well as live race day video.  The course itself is surrounded with nice scenery but it is surprisingly hilly.   While we were on the course we met some people from Stone Mountain who were also checking it out.  It's great to see people from all over coming to the community because of this event as well as the excitement building up from the locals! Check out the picture of me and Deke at the end of our successful bike ride...

With this past week being labor day weekend, I still managed to train everyday with either biking or running.  Once again at 7am on Saturday I got back into the water, this time with about 60 people.  The current was slow so I finished my swim in 34 minutes compared to the 29 minutes that it took the previous Saturday. What a time difference that cold water current makes!   My second time in the water was not any easier than the first so I have decided to improve more on my swimming by getting a swim coach at the Augusta Aquatic Center for a few lessons.  With it being such a crucial time in training for race day, it's better to get the help you need now rather than later.  I'm confident that after a couple more swimming lessons I will feel a little bit more comfortable in the water.

Until next week, train hard - Ironman's right around the corner!

Thanks again to my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore. 

Hello fellow athletes! I can't believe the ESi Ironman Augusta is one month from today!

Recently, I was out of commission due to a pulled muscle near my rib cage. I fell behind on my training because I had to give my body time to heal, but after a week and a half of rest I feel rejuvenated and ready to get back at it. Yesterday I rode over to SRS and back! That's a total of 26 miles then I ran 7 miles. It was tough after being out for my injury, but I did it. This morning was even more difficult because I was back to swimming, the most difficult part of my training. I am really going to concentrate on my swimming techniques over the next couple of weeks... But if you don't hear from me next week, you might want to check the bottom of the pool!
 
Be sure if you have an injury to take care of your body. Rest, rest, rest!!! Now once you have rested ease back into your training. Unfortunately, while the injured area is fully rested, it is not fully rehabilitated and reconditioned. As a result, training at or near full capacity may overload the injured area, causing a re-injury shortly thereafter. Always take time to warm up and cool down after each training session these couple of minutes can greatly prevent injury.

Thanks again to my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.

September 26, 2010

The Augusta Sports Council is now seeking volunteers for the 2010 ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta!
The inaugural event in 2009 was the world’s largest Ironman event, with 3,300 athletes and 700+ volunteers

Now’s your chance to be a part of this year’s action! Volunteers are needed for a variety of shifts and functions.
Please contact the Augusta Sports Council at 706.722.8326 or e-mail us for more information.

Download the 2010 Volunteer Form:

2010 Volunteer Form.pdf (429.72 kb)

Thanks for your support! We’ll see you on September 26^th!

The Tri the Parks sprint triathlon series will make its annual visit to Mistletoe State Park this Saturday, July 24. The Mistletoe Sprint Triathlon, which will begin at 8am, consists of a 600-meter swim, an 11.8-mile cycling leg, and finishes with a 3.1-mile run. The event also features a duathlon, beginning and ending with a 3.1-mile run and includes an 11.8-mile cycling leg. There will also an “aquabike” category featuring the 600-meter swim, finishing with the 11.8-mile bike leg. The races are sanctioned by USA Triathlon, the governing body for the multi-sport organization.

Local triathlon club, TriAugusta, is expecting over 20 local competitors for this weekend’s race at Mistletoe State Park. Members of the USAT-affiliated club will be using the race as preparation for the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta race, which will take place on Sunday, September 26. The ESi Half Ironman consists of a 1.1-mile swim, a 56-mile cycling leg, and finishes with a 13.1-mile run through downtown Augusta.

TriAugusta will be offering a 12-week training program for beginner triathletes starting this Saturday, and concluding with the Hickory Knob Sprint Triathlon, to be held October 16, in McCormick, SC. For more information on triathlon training, or joining TriAugusta, interested athletes are invited to attend the TriAugusta meeting this Thursday, July 22 at 6:30pm at Mi Rancho on Washington Rd. E-mail the club for more information.

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

Hello fellow athletes training has been going well this week. I have been taking this week to focus on my swimming skills. The heat will slow you down, even with being in the water, so make sure to keep plenty of fluids in your system like sports drinks or water is the best way to keep hydrated.

The swimming I believe will be my hardest of the three endurance events that are contained within the triathlon competition. I am going on vacation next week to Fripp Island, a flat island in South Carolina with very clean beaches to run on and some good roads to ride on. I will concentrate on riding then running this coming week at the beach. Just because you take a vacation with family for friends does not mean that you should take a vacation from training.I hope to keep up the three F's: family, fun, and fitness throughout this vacation.  The beach will provide a change of atmosphere that might make the training more interesting and challenging. I will let you know how it went when I get back next week. So, keep training hard switch us your regular course and training if you find yourself getting bored. Remember that the Ironman is right around the corner on September 24^th.

 As always I’d like to thank my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.