Weblogic

Janelle Morrison pulled off a great race at Ironman Coeur d'Alene last weekend!  It was a very competitive field with many of the top american Ironman athletes racing (Corbin, Ficker, Kessler, Wee, Biscay, Williamson).  Janelle has worked very hard all year and certainly earned that top 5 overall placing.  No injury stopped her this time (Ironman Arizona 2009), no illness stopped her (Ironman China 2010) and neither did a mechanical stop her (Ironman St. George 2010).  Big thanks to the Bike Barn in Penticton and Team Timex for making sure her bike was ship-shape this race.  Great job Janelle in overcoming all those fears and stresses that have developed in previous races gone bad.     

It was a huge weekend for the Factor 9 Triathlon Team at the Oliver Half race and Man of Steel race.  Once again Joe and Sarah Dixon put on a great race in a fantastic location in Oliver.  And, we heard good things about the Man of Steel events.

Janelle led the way coming in 4th overall with a new run course record (besting Lindsay Corbin's previous mark).  The female race was very close with the top four being within five minutes of each other.  So, it turned out to be an excellent tune up race for Janelle as she finishes her final few weeks of training for Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 27th.  Also, be sure to stay tuned for a special announcement from Janelle (teaser).

Brian Schroeder showed great early season form by winning his age group.  Not only did he win his age group but his time was also good enough to win the age group beneath him.  He is like a good wine.  Just keeps getting better with age.

Jen Annett had another strong early season showing with a 5th in her new age group.

The biggest achievements came from our beginners.  A number of them just started triathlon training last fall.  They did our indoor training program and gradually built up their power and endurance.  Huge congrats to Jill Gillingham, Maria McComb, Liz Rooks, Heidi Ingram, Matthew Jackson, Jason Oliver and Simon Craig for conquering their first Half Ironman (+ some, since it is a little longer than a true Half Ironman).

Scott McDermott had a big day with his 5:07 clocking.  That was good enough to grab him a spot to Ironman Canada.  Now the real training begins!  And congrats to Neil Pearson, Brian MacDonald and Factor 9 Coach Scott McMillan for adding to their growing list of solid races.

For those of you that do not know, the Man of Steel Triathlon consists of all three sports but each one is done at different times of day.  It is a unique format and a nice way for people to get their feet wet in triathlons.  Or, another great way to get in a fun set of workouts.  Lots of medal to be found on this day.  Gold to the Burke Family and Silver for the Martins.  Karen Holland took gold in her category while Lisa Spalding got the silver.  Evelyn Riechert also took home a medal but we need to find out what color it was.

Everyone has challenges and obstacles to overcome.  We are very proud with how everyone overcame their own personal challenges along the way to ultimately reach their final goal.  All were able to do this while maintaining a balance in their life, being role models to their children and realizing their own personal sense of accomplishment (satisfaction).  This makes them stronger and happier which then means we are doing our job (and makes us happy).  We wish everyone who raced Oliver and MOS the best of luck in future races and in overcoming any obstacles that stand in your way in this thing called life.

By now everyone knows the huge amount of plastic waste that occurs from drinking bottled water.  Although, I still wished I would have thought of it as a business venture.  What an idea, lets take water that people could get out of the tap, put on a nice label, do some good marketing and sell it.

Today there is another reason not to drink bottled water especially if you are pregnant, very young, or the elderly.  It appears that bottled water can be worse for you than tap water: Bottled Water High in Bacteria.

And get this, tap water is cheaper than gas, unlike bottled water.  So, if getting sick is not reason enough for you to use our fantastic tap water, you can find a few more reasons by listening to David Suzuki in this article here.