9/21/2015

Reviving the Blog

Hi all!!

We are working to revive the Team RWB Blog and make this a great resource for you!

A little about me. My name is Mandy Midgett and after 21 years of active duty Air Force I decided to retire to start another chapter.  Currently I live in North Carolina, but am originally from Texas. I began competing in triathlon while stationed in Panama in 1995, and fell in love with the sport. Discovering Team RWB shortly after my retirement has been beneficial to me in allowing me to connect to other military members and always having teammates when I go to race.

Please send us your race reports, photos, etc. If there are things you would like to see on the blog or you have suggestions to make it better, please let us know!

We look forward to hearing from each of you!

Mandy



6/17/2012

Ciao Italia


Teammates –

As usual, there is a huge amount going on with Team RWB – we have members participating in the Race Across America (RAAM), good luck Maj. Dan Gade and to all the riders participating this year.  Special shout out to Team 4Mil, a two squad team racing to raise money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.  One of their two teams is made up entirely of Wounded Warriors.  Last year their 4Mil Warrior squad came in second in the very tough 8-man team division. Best of luck to USNA grad and prior Marine Officer Kyle Pittman and the rest of the guys.  There is also the usual compliment of summer weekend races, so best of luck to everyone who is clipping in, lacing them up, or poised for that in-water start.     

On a personal note, this week also marks the week that my wife and I leave Italy to move back to the East Coast.  It is impossible to sum up what Italy meant to us, and the experiences we have had over the past year.  I had the chance to ride some of the most well-known and respected rides in the Dolomites, swim some of the hardest practices of my life, and eat some of the best food. 

Of course, one of the other things Italy meant for me was a chance to ogle at amazing bicycles – from Willier to Bianchi, Pinarello to Colnago, the Italians simply know how to make quality bikes.  My dream, despite my wife’s frequent protestations about the number of bikes that already clutter our house, was to somehow come home with a Pinarello Dogma.  Granted, the frame alone costs about $7,000 and we were on a graduate student budget, but that’s the thing about dreams – those are free.  Instead, I ended up with a, probably once-stolen, 50 Euro (about $65) commuter bike.  It weighed approximately 80 pounds, had one gear, and the seat was about a foot too low.  It was also clearly originally black, but it had been poorly re-painted yellow, earning it the nickname “The Bumbo” – the bumblebee.  What the Bumbo lacked in speed, aerodynamics, or state of the art engineering, it made up for with character.  Its thick, wide tires allowed me to work on my track stands, the step-through (yes, it was cut like an old fashioned girls’ bike) was amazing for transitions, and no one would have been at all interested in stealing it.  The only time it went fast was if it was going downhill, especially since the brakes were often loose. 

Italy was hit with a particularly hard winter this year, and the area we lived in was hammered with snow.  On days when I would never have dared to ride my road bike, the Bumbo was there.  I rode it to swim practice over four inches of slushy snow and then again a couple days later when that snow had turned to ice.  The Bumbo was indestructible – I think it was probably built in 1923 – and I rode it in the worst conditions I have ever taken a bike in.  And the best part?  I didn’t even bother to clean it afterward – snow, sand, ice, salt – it all added not only to the character, but probably the workings of the Bumbo.  After the snow melted, the Bumbo was still in great working order, and it was my main means of transportation through the spring.  Riding the Bumbo was freedom, pure and simple.  The ridiculousness of the low seat, paint job, and sheer weight of the machine reminded me of the thing we as triathletes can often forget – that riding a bike should first and foremost be fun.  It was fun in the way riding a bike as a child was fun – carefree and with no training intentions at all (though I am pretty sure the weight of the bike allowed me to work on my leg strength).  There was a pure joy to riding the Bumbo that is often lost when grinding out miles at threshold on my tri bike.    
The Bumbo stands ready at swim practice

Over the past three weeks, we have said goodbye to friends, places we have come to love, and Italy itself – as I type, it is fading behind us as we wing our way to Baltimore.  Last week, we also sold the Bumbo, which in so many ways had in my mind come to epitomize our experiences in Italy – ridiculous and inefficient and cumbersome.  But also exhilarating and just plain fun.  So if you are riding a Dogma this year, or a Willier, I’ll probably shoot you an envious glance, but it isn’t because I want your bike any more, it’s because I am missing the Bumbo.
 
Happy trails.         

6/09/2012

Wear It

Teammates - 

There is a huge slate of racing going on this weekend - in the 70.3 series, there is Eagleman, Boise, Kansas, and the one nearest and dearest to my heart, Italy.  There is also Escape from Alcatraz, a bucket list staple for many triathletes.  In the bigger triathlon world, most countries have selected their Olympic triathlon teams, with the ITU race in Madrid being the last qualifier for most teams.  As usual, there is some consternation about the selection criteria for some countries.  Most importantly, this past week also marked the anniversary of D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944.  To those who served then and who have in the conflicts since, thank you.  

For those who are racing this weekend, best of luck to you all.  And as someone who can still see the remnants of a sunburn suffered at IM Cozumel in 2009, may I suggest ample amounts of sunscreen.  According to recent information released by NOAA and the National Climatic Data Center, this past spring has been the hottest in the US since data was first collected in 1895.  The sun is out and it is hot - make sure you hydrate both going into the race and on the course.  For sunscreen, I would highly recommend Bullfrog's Surfer Formula - it comes in a 36 SPF and works as well as anything I have tried in terms of lasting through the swim.  Due to its waterproofing properties, you may want to get someone else to put it on for you, otherwise you end up with water-repelling hands.  If you are racing a longer event, make sure you get some reapplication on your way out of transition.  

On a personal note, I will be racing at the FINA World Masters Championships swim meet here in Italy.  I would personally like to petition for Team RWB Speedos, though I doubt those would be a big hit with the rest of the team...  Wherever you find yourself racing or supporting this weekend, race well and hard, and make sure to wear the Eagle - and the sunscreen.  

Happy trails.   

 

5/26/2012

Memorial Day Run

Teammates - 

As members of Team RWB, this weekend likely means a little more to you than a day off of work.  It is a chance for us to reflect on our gratitude to the men and women who serve, remember friends or family members who have been lost, and be thankful for the freedoms we are so privileged to live with.  For many of us, the long weekend may mean racing, or the chance to spend a little extra time with the ones who mean the most to us, or both.  However, if you are looking for something extra this weekend, consider the following: http://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/wear-blue-runs-for-the-fallen.html.  

From the website, the event is described as: 

This Memorial Day, we are asking members of our worldwide community to hit the streets and run in honor of the fallen.  A long run, or short walk, the distance doesn't matter.  But we are asking members to go online and pledge miles in honor of the Fallen so that together we can create a community dedicated to honoring the ultimate sacrifice.

While Americans may pause to reflect, for many, Memorial Day represents a long 
weekend typically filled with backyard celebrations and sunshine.  For members of wear blue: run to remember, it is a day to remember each life sacrificed in a positive, 
life-affirming way.  

It is not about pledging money, it's about pledging miles so that together we can create a living memorial.  How many miles should you run?  What number is meaningful to you?
    3 miles for the 3 years you have been deployed?
    5 miles for the 5 branches of the American Military?
    9 miles for the 9 times you moved while in the military?
    11 miles for the 11 years since September 11, 2001?

As a member of Team RWB, you are already involved, and that is a wonderful thing - wearing the Eagle with blue would make a powerful statement this Memorial Day and, as the website suggests, be a life-affirming way to remember those who have sacrificed for us all.  

Happy Memorial Day and happy trails.  

5/25/2012

West Point Tri for Team RWB

Hey Team RWB'ers! The 23rd Annual West Point Sprint Triathlon is supporting Team RWB this year! Team RWB members get a discount for using the code "RWB."  Come out and join members of the local community, West Point cadets, staff, faculty, and MANY of your Team RWB teammates as they swim, bike, and run in the Hudson Highlands.  Supporting both the West Point Tri and Team RWB, this race is sure to be a lot of fun. As a MAJOR bonus, if you race or come to cheer, you can see Team RWB Founder Mike Erwin take on his VERY FIRST triathlon! We know he can run, but now is your chance to see how he fairs in the swim and the bike! Come on out, it's going to be great! Just click below to go to the registration page!
23rd Annual West Point Tri

4/27/2012

Team RWB Austin Tri Camp Featured in LAVA Magazine

LAVA, an up and coming tri magazine, has a great article on Team RWB's Austin based tri camp that was held  April 12-15.  Special thanks to Coach Derick Williamson and professional triathletes Jessica Jacobs and Jessica Meyers, and of course to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make the event possible.  By all accounts, it was a wonderful three days and a great intro to triathlon to our veterans.  Read the full LAVA article here:  http://lavamagazine.com/features/team-rwb-training-camp-unites-range-of-triathletes/#axzz1silpZCxh

4/03/2012

Team RWB Pro Ambassador Tim O'Donnell Wins Another One!

Huge congrats to Team RWB Pro Ambassador on winning his second Ironman 70.3 race of the season.  This time Tim overcame both a very deep pro field, a slow start, and a hard run to win the US Pro Championship in Galveston, Texas.  Combined with his win earlier in the season at the San Juan 70.3 Tim is starting 2012 off in stellar fashion.  Read Ironman.com's interview with Tim after this past weekend's race here:  http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/lonestar70.3/kevin-mackinnon-catches-up-with-todays-mens-champion-in-galveston#axzz1qzZv6cMe

And the recap of the race here: http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/lonestar70.3/tim-odonnell-and-kelly-williamson-celebrate-victories-at-the-memorial-hermann-ironman-texas-70.3#axzz1qzZv6cMe

Congratulations Tim from all of us here at the Team RWB Blog.  Your season is off to a great start and we look forward to following the rest of your races.