BEST WISHES FOR A SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL EVENT... ... to all Gators who will be declaring their freedom to swim, bike, and/or run this weekend! Happy Friday the 13th! Unlucky? Not for us as this weekend 15 of our athletes will be competing in 7 events across 5 states! This includes 4 triathlons, 2 running events, and 1 massive obstacle race challenge. Besides that we have 2 Saturday morning cycling options and our usual Sunday morning swim opportunity for you. How could life get any better?? Weekend Workouts: Including 2 Saturday cycling options... • Saturday 5/14 cycling option #1: 7am (Reynold's Dog Park): Uncoached Cycling Ride... Some of our IRONMAN Lake Placid group will be completing a 4 hour ride that will include the 34 mile out and back from the dog park to Shawmont Ave. and add in a handful of Valley Forge 5 mile loops. The average pace will be 17-18 MPH. If you are interested in joining in you can complete the full ride, start with us at 7am and turn around at your leisure, or meet us at Valley Forge for one or more of the loops (message me if you are interested in this last option and we can coordinate on the time). • Saturday 5/14 cycling option #2: 8am (Patty Trainer's house): Uncoached Cycling Ride... Deb Rocco, Holly Beauchamp, and Patty are completing a 60 mile ride that includes a stop at Butterscotch Bakery and then a trip through Valley Forge Park. Average pace will be around 14-15 MPH. Message Deb if you are interested in participating. • Sunday 5/15, 11:15am-12:15pm, Spring Valley YMCA indoor lap pool: Uncoached group swim workout • Do you want to lead a group bike ride or run? We highly encourage you to share on our Facebook group any rides or runs that you are doing where you'd like some company! Weekend Events: Here's where we're racing plus one of our sponsors is offering an event... Friday, May 13 - Saturday, May 14: • SPONSOR EVENT - Scoogie Events' "UnWINEd Run Fest" (Stockton, NJ): This event just across the river into New Jersey includes 5K, 10K, and half marathon options plus a kids Grape Juice Run! Saturday, May 14: • HarryMan Triathlon (Harriman State Park, NY): This event includes Olympic and half IRONMAN distance options and takes place about 30 miles outside of New York City. Chris Acosta will be racing the challenging hilly half distance event. Go Chris! • DQ Jersey Genesis Triathlon (Port Republic, NJ): This sprint distance race, taking place at Harry Bowen Memorial Park, includes triathlon, duathlon, and aquabike events plus a high school competition. Gator Maureen Hoffman will be competing in the triathlon. Go Maureen! • Fayetteville Spartan Trifecta Weekend (Spring Lake, NC): Spartan obstacle races include options for kids (1-3K with obstacles), "Sprint" (5K with 20 obstacles), "Super" (10K with 25 obstacles), and "Beast" (21K with 30 obstacles). When none of that satisfies your appetite, you do what Jon Crosby will be doing this weekend and take on the "Ultra Beast" 50K! 60 obstacle! monster course. Go Jon! • Jim Thorpe Running Festival (Jim Thorpe, PA): Up north in the Poconos is this fun weekend long event that includes 7 mile (with a train ride), half marathon, and full marathon options. Sarah Barkley will be running the half marathon and Lylly Darling will be running the 7 miler. Go Sarah and Lylly! Sunday, May 15: • CLUB EVENT - Independence Triathlon (Lake Nockamixon, PA): In a location that we frequent often (thanks to all of the Steelman Racing that take place there; this particular event is offered by Kinetic Sports), 8 Gators are on the start list for this Sprint/Olympic distance event including AJ Kruppa in the sprint and Ginny Angus, Michael Metry, Shawn O'Malley, Doug Raab, Jennifer Raab, David Stone, and Chris Townsley in the Olympic. Go AJ, Ginny, Mike, Shawn, Doug, Jen, David, and Chris! • Bear Triathlon (Bear, DE): This Sprint and Olympic distance triathlon is based at Lums Pond State Park and will feature Gator Sean Lodge taking on the Olympic distance event. Go Sean! • Rock N Roll Atlantic City Half Marathon (Atlantic City, NJ): Running the boardwalk will be Gator Joe DeNicola who will have a shorter commute than usual and run in the other "New" state in our area. Go Joe! Have a great weekend, have fun, and Gator Done! 🐊