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.

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, last week I traveled to Atlanta in search of a wetsuit at a store named All 3 Sports. When I got there it was totally packed with athletes picking up their race packages for an Atlanta Tri. Well, talk about being intimidated I was a fish out of water, really I was. When a sales associate asked me if she could help me I told her my request was a wetsuit she said,"Are you an experienced swimmer or beginner?"  I said, "newbie!" She called for the reinforcements.

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I’m starting to work on my swimming and with the swimming section of the Ironman being 1.2 miles I know I have a long way to go. I’ve found some helpful tips and swim plan at Beginnertriathlete.com. It gives a plan for endurance and pacing focused work outs. I have to be realistic and know that I can not do swim everyday so I am setting a goal of three times a week. I plan to start this week off right and getting into the pool to start working on form and technique and then hopefully work my way up to speed and endurance, beucase I've heard that this is the best way for a beginner to train. Do you have any other suggestions or quick tips that could help me on my swimming?

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.

The Katherine M. York Adaptive Aquatic Center opens Wednesday, June 2, 2010 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 am. Tours of the facility and festival activities will continue until 4:00 pm. Activities are free and open to the public.

The new pool, commonly known as Katie's Pool, will feature a 34' by 60' swimming pool. The temperature will be 88-90 degrees, the optimal temperature for individuals with blood pressure and joint issues. It will feature a 42-foot ramp into the shallow end of the pool. The new facility will provide handicap accessible changing rooms, including a lift system that will enable a wheelchair-bound individual to be more easily assisted within the changing room. The facility will also include therapy rooms and office space.

For more information, click here or contact The Family Y at 706.922.9622.

The Swim Champions Fitter & Faster Tour will make a stop at the Augusta Aquatic Center on Sunday, May 23, 2010. The Fitter & Faster Tour is a unique opportunity for swimmers ages 5-18 to meet and learn from Olympic medalists and world champions. Athletes scheduled to appear at the Augusta event include US Olympic Gold Medalist Misty Hyman, US Olympic medalist Maritza Correia, the first African-American female to make the US Olympic Team, and Olympic medalist and 2009 World Champion Matt Targett.

The cost for registration is $75 per person. All participants will receive a gift bag with a Speedo t-shirt, event program, TYR swim cap, and samples from companies including Powerbar, UltraSwim and Chocolate #9. For more information or to register online, visit the Fitter & Faster Tour Augusta website.