This morning we officially announced that fortyninegroup is the new Sponsorship Sales and Strategic Marketing provider for Set Up Events.

Set Up Events was founded in 1994 by Bill and Lynda Scott. Bill has an extensive history in endurance sports and events. In the early ’80s, he worked at Southland Corporation, then owners of the 7-Eleven chain. Bill was behind the marketing of the famous 7-Eleven cycling team, with Eric Heiden (1980 Olympic Gold medalist in speed skating). Southland sponsored the cycling venue at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where nine Americans medaled. The 7-Eleven team turned pro after the Olympics, and went on to race the Giro d’Italia in 1985 and the Tour de France in 1986, becoming one of the major teams in international cycling. Which set the stage for the Motorola and US Postal teams to take over sponsorship from Southland in 1990.

Based in Wilmington, NC, Set Up Events has grown from 1 event in 1994 to well over 100 events in 2011 across 8 states in the mid-Atlantic region. Set Up is now one of the nation’s largest producers of triathlons. We’re extremely excited to be working with Bill and his team. As the sport of triathlon continues to grow, Set Up Events, and our Strategic Marketing and Sponsorship Sales will work to accelerate that growth with new events, new partnerships and new marketing initiatives. There’s something to be said for announcing this the week of  7.11 We’re looking forward to a great ride!

Huge performance at Ironman Arizona yesterday (11.21.10). Chrissie Welllington, 3xIronman World Champion set a World Record time for women at an Ironman sanctioned event. 8:36:13 – broken down into splits means 51:56 for the 2.4 mile swim, 4:47:06 for the 112 mile bike ride and an unbelievable 2:52.55 marathon run. And what does an 8:36:13 mean in terms of relative performance – that time was strong enough for 8th place overall among the men and women. She ran the fourth fastest marathon, and the second place female, Linsey Corbin, (who finished 20th overall) was a full 29:20 behind her. Chrissie had already put her stamp on the sport with 3 consecutive Ironman World Championships (2007-2009), but contracted West Nile prior to this years’s event and so dropped out. Quite the bounce back! Congratulations Chrissie!

My much-beloved 2008 Specialized S-Works finally packed it in about 10 days before Ironman Florida. Seen here, during an IM race in 2008, the bike was extremely fast and I continued to get faster with it over the 2.5 years of riding it. But 10,000 miles and the extreme South Florida conditions of heat, salt and wet road training caused the steering to literally seize, meaning it was not all that safe to ride anymore! The frame has been shipped back to Specialized for their assessment. I love that bike… with that kind of mileage on it, at an average of 20 miles per hour, I’ve spent over 500 hours in its saddle. And at $4k for a frame, $8/hour is amazing entertainment value – especially considering the fitness level those hours provide as added value and benefits.

So I decided to move all the components over to a new frame, a Cervélo P4. Fellow Canadians Gerard Vroomen and Phil White have been building incredible performance and aero speed machines since 1995. Cervélo is typically the most common bike in any triathlon transition zone and the P4 represents their current highest design achievement and performance statement. Certainly it feels fast – I’ve only done about 100 miles on it so far to shake it out. However, at this level of bike performance, there is only an incremental difference between any two bikes. The true speed comes from the person in the saddle and Pros of the caliber of Fabian Cancellera, Chris Lieto or Chrissie Wellington would have blindingly fast TT times on either of these two bikes – once their fit is dialed in. I’m just a racy Age Group triathlete, but all the 100 mile training rides in September and October is making the P4 feel faster than the S-Works. It’s certainly stiffer, and holds its speed more easily. We got the fit very close by moving the S-Works measurements over. And I’ve only tweaked it slightly since. The P4 lets me stretch out and get even lower and more aero than on the S-Works, which is probably contributing its sense of speed. I’ll miss the S-Works, but I’m already looking forward to putting the P4 to the test in races in 2011.

My post last week about recent issues with World Triathlon Corporation was written before last Saturday’s Ironman 70.3 Miami. I didn’t race in that event for a couple of reasons. First, I was previously committed to Ironman Florida. Second, I had done a couple of races put on by Paramount Productions, the race director/production/promotion company. Both (Miami International Triathlon) events were terribly run races. The swim course was either too long or too short, there was broken glass all over the transition area – not a great situation for 2500 triathletes running through in bare feet, the run course layout was hazardous etc. So I didn’t have much hope for this event, and when I saw the initial Ironman 70.3 Miami course layout – which, btw, was revised at least 3 times in the year leading up to the day of the event – I knew the race would be a bust… a full-on amateur hour event, not at all worthy of the Ironman brand. I was still curious though, and when I was out for a run Saturday morning, I crossed the bike course a couple of times. Unfortunately, my preliminary suspicions were confirmed, and I only thin-sliced a perspective on the race. The bike drafting (which is illegal in Ironman events) was the worst I’d ever seen in any triathlon of any distance. Packs of 10-20 riders 3 and 4 wide and on each other’s wheels – almost impossible to officiate, even tougher to pass. Apparently, however, that was only one of the issues. The rest of the problems with the race are well documented on the race’s facebook page, race reports, and Slowtwitch.

WTC, who owns the Ironman brand, heard the complaints. Last evening an official response to complaints voiced about the race was posted on the ironman.com site. WTC is offering a free 2011 70.3 entry for any 2010 Miami competitors as a means of compensation for the atrocious event put on by Paramount. Good on them, it’s a gesture that the competitors and Ironman racers will appreciate to restore their confidence in the Ironman brand. Hopefully the race will be saved in some form.

Miami Man, a pre-existing 70.3 (but not WTC or Ironman branded event) has been a staple on the end of season Miami triathlon calendar for a number of years. It felt like the WTC 70.3 was placed on the calendar specifically to blow up Miami Man, which is an exceptionally well-run event. That hasn’t happened – if anything, this will only strengthen Miami Man. Here’s an idea. I have to think WTC will likely want to disassociate itself from Paramount completely at this point. Why not blow up MIT, Paramount’s spring race (now a 5i50) to compensate for the irreparable damage caused to the IM brand by Paramount. Miami can easily support two 70.3 races – apparently both within a month, but rather than disrupt the independent race, complement it with a March Miami Ironman 70.3 and flip the 5i50 to another date, or try moving it up the coast to Ft. Lauderdale or another city.

Yes, I’m passionate about this sport!

Interesting times for the World Triathlon Corporation, owners of the Ironman brand. As 1) a repeat Ironman competitor myself, at both full (140.6) and 70.3 distances, 2) a professional who works with brands everyday and 3) respects the Ironman brand… although I don’t have it tattooed on me… it’s intriguing to watch the stumbles made by WTC this year.

Ironman is one of the most revered human performance brands on the planet. Not only is it an extraordinary test of individual physical achievement and endurance, it’s one of the only sports where normal people can line up alongside world champions on the starting line. Because of what it takes to just complete an Ironman, competitors are passionate about the mark, as they are about the sport of triathlon. It’s a lot more than a Sunday afternoon thumb exercise to do a triathlon. And to complete an Ironman is a huge commitment for an individual, and usually for their family. So finishers, rightfully or not, feel they own a piece of the brand, which is why you see so many M-dot tattoos on competitors. Additionally, the sport of triathlon is exploding – as these stats from usatriathlon.org show.

In 2010, in addition to launching several new full Ironman and 70.3 series events, here is what WTC has done:

• They launched a magazine, Lava. OK… with the dead tree business in decline WTC is going against the grain. How many magazines has Conde Nast, Time Warner or Hearst launched in 2010. A better question would be – how many did they fold? Look, Ironman is trying, and  I suppose WTC could know the print business better than the aforementioned publishers, however isn’t it a matter of priorities and resource management? Ironman’s website truly does not do the brand justice. Especially when you compare it to any other major sports brand such as the NBA, MLB or NHL, or even the sport’s governing body usatriathlon.org or Slowtwitch, a site that does a phenomenal job of covering the sport of triathlon. Add to that underwhelming video coverage of events, weak social network integration, no iPhone or Android Apps, no iPad App. But a magazine… ok… why was that a priority again? Ego battle with Triathlete magazine perhaps? Ironman is not in the content creation, content packaging and content distribution business – it’s a brand licensing and brand marketing business. But if you’re going to play in or make a bet in the content world – better to make that bet with a medium that is growing (mobile), rather  than contracting (print).
• 5i50 or is it 5150. I’m confused. Is that still an Ironman, or what. Ironman is a platinum brand. Diluting the brand, devaluing the brand equity correspondingly devalues the enterprise. Earlier this month, WTC announced a new series of Olympic distance races called the 5i50. Sure WTC wants a piece of the action in shorter, entry level events – what’s next, Sprint distance races? The number of triathlons in the US alone has grown from 800 per year a decade ago to over 1800 today, so inevitably some Sprint-esque WTC event series will follow the 5i50 announcement. This only serves to weaken the core Ironman brand. Maybe you’ve heard of baseball… it’s played everywhere. But there is only one World Series. Find a way to work with the shorter races – provide entries to various IM events for series winners in regions. In other words, support the feeder, aspirational races to the benefit of the IM brand. But don’t steamroll them or be threatened by them and try to own the sport entirely. Nurture and protect the Ironman brand.
• It’s evidence of a systemic problem when the three-time Kona winner speaks out against World Triathlon Corporation. Such was the case earlier this year, when Chrissie Wellington, Kona’s 2007-2009 Women’s champ wrote this thoughtful and articulate post taking WTC to task for performance levels, registration fees and prize money. Ironman made Chrissie Wellington, but now Ironman needs her to be an inspiration for others to aspire to her level of success, and WTC needs her to be a proponent of the Ironman brand, not a detractor. Good for her for speaking out.
• And lastly… Wednesday evening I received an e-mail invitation to a new Ironman “Access” program. For a $1000 annual membership, I would be given opportunities to register in advance for selected IM events, 2 VIP passes per registered event, a one year subscription to Lava magazine(!), a 2011 Lottery entry and second chance, a 2010 Kona DVD, 20% off IM merch and a membership card. I don’t need to say how I felt. Triathlon is already an expensive sport. $550 to enter an event. You typically have to sign up a year in advance of an event. There is no transfer policy or rollover policy if you can’t make a race. I was supposed to race in the Ironman at Couer d’Alene in Idaho this past June, but couldn’t because of a foot injury encountered earlier in the year. I would have given… given my registration to another athlete to enjoy but couldn’t. I’ve recovered enough to do Ironman Florida this November, but that’s beside the point. WTC is owned by Providence Equity, a Private Equity firm which purchased WTC in 2008. Like any good PE, they’re probably looking for 50-100% ROI per year, as they should… that’s their business. If it feels like WTC stands for We’ll Take (Your) Cash, that’s why. Last night, I received a second e-mail, with a link to a video from Ben Fertic, WTC’s CEO. 24 hours later, Ironman canceled Access, as a result of the howling negative reaction to the program. So did WTC float Access or test a response to the program across a group of active Ironman competitors. Was the $500K the program might have drawn in worth the beating the brand and WTC took? Wouldn’t the time developing Access have better spent working on product licensing, sponsorship, applying positive attributes to the brand through Mobile Apps,or tweaking the site perhaps??? Maybe these tactics are all in progress. If not, my company would be pleased to help.

The fact is, Ironman is not Coke. People don’t tattoo a Coke logo on their legs, arms, neck or torso. They don’t define who they are through the mark on a can of soda. But they do with the M-dot, the Ironman logo. As a brand, Ironman needs to protect the incredible equity entrenched in that logo, and bounce every dumbass idea for the growth, pimping and exploitation of the brand against a series of enshrined core values. And it’s a challenge, to Watch The Core… to preserve the core brand equity and grow the business. But then, so is 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running.

It’s always music that serves as a constant reminder of who I am, what and why I do what I do. Sure, a beautifully designed and executed website or consumer product, any buildings by the two Franks (Gehry and Lloyd Wright) and Paul Rudolph, the works of Miro, Pollock and Rothko will always stop me in my tracks, as will standing at the foot of any ancient mountain or looking across and expanse of open water.

But it’s the exceptional significance of music, and the place that it occupies in my mind for which I’ve reserved a more visceral, emotional appreciation. It’s probably lost on today’s consumer, or music fan, for whom music can be purely ephemeral to a widely fragmented array of experiences. For me, however, there is still a straight and direct line from a song I hear and know, through a collection of associated memories to an emotive response and the constant reminder of my identity. I suppose it can be attributed to just how much music I’ve listened to over the span of my life, and that it’s always been related to what I do in media and technology.

I remember an August morning, several years ago, when I was living in New York. Just the day before, I’d become a US Permanent Resident after a number of years of living and working under an O-1… and before that… an H-1B visa. I wanted to celebrate in a way that I usually celebrated a personal, professional or life accomplishment as well as the start of a new day… with a morning run around the 6 mile outer loop in Central Park. It was hot that morning, the sun was already up, reaching under the canopy. Heating up the moist overnight air that hung below the trees south of 75th. As I cruised up the east side of the loop, under the cat sculpture, around the Met, to where the loop runs parallel to 5th Avenue as you pass the Guggenheim, I noticed how quiet the park was that morning. It was, after all, August in New York where, in a city of 8 million people, you could find yourself alone. Or so you might think. So after dropping down toward Lenox, above the north transverse and adjacent to the Harlem Meer, where the road was empty, I started to hear this music. The volume increased as I continued to run north, then started the turn west at 110th. As I approached the source I recognized what the song was, and in a few more steps, looked up the hill on my left, and there was a guy, standing in among the trees, kind of dancing, gyrating to the music. And at his feet was a boombox. And out of that boombox, blared James Brown’s “Living In America”. And as I ran I smiled and choked in a mix of emotion that I can recall in an instant if I hear that song today. I remember at the time thinking… how strange… this song, this place, this moment… all three combining forces to enshrine the significance of a pivotal life change for me. The park has always had a special allure for me, and even with my new status, that morning’s run was like any of the thousands of other morning runs I’d done in the park. And living in Canada, some 25 years ago when that song was released, it held no special significance for me, other than recognizing its groove. And yet there it was that morning, and since that day,  it will always have a meaning, an association and a significance reserved for my most treasured musical recollections.

This has happened two other times… each occasion while running. A few days ago, I was on my usual 6 mile morning run. Perfect morning, cooler, sunny… best time of year in Miami, and seemingly a morning run like any of the thousands of other morning runs I’ve done along the same route. I went around the circle in  CocoPlum, and turned under the banyan trees onto Old Cutler, where the cars always accordion in the traffic flow. And right there, stopped, was a guy in a Mazda Miata, windows open, radio on. And out of the open windows came a song that is so woven into my psyche, so much a part of my past, as Miami, and running are part of my present and future… that I again asked, why this song, this place, this moment? Growing up in Canada, you could not avoid the influence of the music of The Guess Who. Randy Bachman’s writing, guitar playing, Burton Cummings’ vocals… stretching outward from the windripped wheatfields of Winnipeg, wrapping the country in their effusive prairie soul-sparkled rock. Cummings’ voice, some 40+ years on, still stands as one of the most recognizable in rock. And Bachman’s legacy… is ensured as a guitar icon with both The Guess Who and later, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, a writer of one of the most widely placed consumer product-associated songs – Takin’ Care Of Business, and lately, Guitarchives label owner… protecting the legacy of Lenny Breau and Howard Roberts. American Woman, No Sugar Tonight, These Eyes… these songs reached south from the 49th parallel… deep into the heart of America… and so, apparently, did No Time… all the way down to Coral Gables, Florida, and that morning run. And hearing it, I wondered if there was anyone, anyone around who would feel what I felt about that song, that place, that morning. How it’s as much a part of me as anything I know about myself. As while even photographic memories fade… the song remains the same.

And then there was the third occasion… here, in context from a previous post where I wrote about completing my first Ironman… “I was surprised I wasn’t more emotional at the finish or during my first Ironman. I remember vividly when I ran my first marathon, how at mile 22 there was nobody else around me, it had been raining in biblical proportions for the last 10 miles, I was trudging and sloshing along, my feet literally floating in my shoes, and there was a trailer at the side of the course in Kennedy Park on South Bayshore in the Grove, with a PA system playing out Bob Seger’s woefully overexposed GM soundtrack chorus “Like A Rock”. Music is such an emotional cue for me, and that song, at that moment, did me in that day – just the realization that I was about to do something I hadn’t really had as a life goal, but threw it out there, challenged myself and was on the threshold of completing it.”

So for me, this humbling synchronicity, this extraordinary triumvirate of “this song, this place, this moment”… frankly, I can’t experience it enough in this lifetime.

This past Saturday, I competed in the Ironman Florida event in Panama City.

It was my second IM distance race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, 26.2 mile run). I managed to set a new PR of 11:00:13 and knocked 20 minutes off my time at an IM distance from October 2008. Overall, I was pleased with my performance in the race, and afterward I can typically see places where I could have shaved off even more time, as the clock is relentless. Plus, you learn during the race – about the course, and about yourself.

My training had been more rigorous than a year ago, when I had competed in a number of shorter distance and 70.3 races leading up to the IM. This year, I took a different tack. No short races, and instead I focused on distance training – building up my running distance to a peak of 180 miles over three weeks in late September/early October, which was a new personal distance record for that period. And I worked on my mental fitness for the perseverance required in the Ironman, I did a long run of 20 miles (just over 80 laps) around a track one Saturday. Add to that, several 100 mile rides on the weekends, and Tuesday/Thursday rides of 30 miles with a 6 mile run off the bike, or a 4 mile run before the ride, then 6  miles after. And more time in the pool – a lot more time in the pool!

So I felt my race prep was solid – I’d had a good taper, had put together an achievable race plan, and  the S-Works was tuned and ready, and I’d studied the course, current and weather patterns and prevailing winds. Panama City is a beach resort town, on the Gulf, which meant clear aqua waters, white sand and the inevitable beach attractions – it reminded me of Blackpool, England – with sort of a carnival atmosphere, but it was evident that the recession was hurting their primary industry. In spite of that, the volunteers (supposedly 3500 in total) were the best I’d ever encountered at any structured triathlon or marathon I’ve raced in. They were clearly appreciative of the 2500 athletes and their families and went beyond the call to assist in the pre/post and race support. Any negatives about the event would be the responsibility of the organizers, as we had to wait over 1 1/2 hours to check in at the athlete registration.

Race morning was cool (by Miami standards) and windy. There were breakers rolling in, and long period swells of about 2 feet in height out in the ocean. I’d tested the water the day before and it was flat and fast, but in open water swims, the conditions are always changeable. The 2500 Age Groupers (including me) took off in a mass start at 7AM Central for the two lap swim. It was immediately obvious it was going to be a tough swim, but after finishing my first lap in 37 minutes, I wasn’t disappointed. The swells picked up and the second loop was slower for most of the competitors – 42 minutes in my case. I threw away some time in T1, (probably 90 seconds) getting into arm warmers – next time I’ll try them under my wet suit. And then it was onto the bike.

I’d ridden the first 10 miles and the return previously, so that cut the “unknowns” down to 90 miles. And I expected that we’d have a headwind for the first 50 miles or so. Panama City is renown for drafting on the bike course. Above all, I want to run a clean race, so I avoid other riders, and pass them quickly when I come up on them. I’m well accustomed to the relentless pedaling and headwinds of Florida riding, where there are few opportunities to coast, and equally few hill climbs. I maintained my target pace of 20.5 mph on the first 50 miles of the ride, where as expected we turned and got a break from the headwinds. While there was still some battling of head and crosswinds on the second half, I was able to maintain a 21+ pace on the return. I found the bike segment to be well officiated, with packs in the penalty tents, serving their time. The cool weather, however, presented somewhat of a paradox. In hot weather training in Miami, you’re forced to take in huge amounts of fluids to offset dehydration on long rides. But at Panama City, I found that I was forcing myself to drink, and was worried about over or under hydrating in the cold. You’re always learning in this sport – especially on race day! My bike split was a 5:24 – a new PR and 6 minutes ahead of my race plan. I had wanted to be off the bike and on the run in 7 hours. I was one minute off.

I started the run strong – between 7.7 and 8.1 mph but cramped at mile 7, when the over-hydration from the bike caught up to me. I walked for a few minutes, while I waited for the race to come back to me, then gradually picked up the pace. I didn’t eat anything other than ice until mile 19, when I saw that the aid stations had oranges. A couple of those and I immediately felt stronger and turned up the pace. All the support stations and volunteers were fantastic, stocked and enthusiastic, and I loved the two-loop run course. My 3:58 run was well off my best (3:16), but decent given the hard ride and swim. As I came around to the finish straight, I saw the timing clock click over from 10:59:59 to 11:00:00 so cutting a sub-11 will have to wait until the next attempt. All I could think of was the places I’d left 14 seconds out on the course and in the transitions. This race was about being passed by people in the first 90 minutes, then spending the next 9 1/2 hours gaining all those positions and more back.

Now, the 2009 race season is wrapped up – I’ll probably do the A1A marathon in February, and a few prep races before the Couer d’Alene Ironman in June. I’ll be in the pool a lot over the winter… and I think I’ll be back in Panama City next year to take back those 14 seconds!

Ironman events are somewhat unique in sports. You get to share the starting line with, and compete against the best triathletes in the world. Imagine tipping off against LeBron James, being on the Vikings offensive line with Brett Favre, or feeding a breakaway pass to Sidney Crosby. You get the idea.

This Saturday, in Kona, where the Ironman World Championship takes place, much of the focus will be on the pros and past winners Craig Alexander, Chris McCormack, Chrissie Wellington, and challengers like Eneko Llanos and Tereza Macel. Alongside the pros, about 1500 Age Groupers. And among them – a veritable pro among Age Groupers, Naples resident Joe Bonness.

Consider a few of his stats:

• 54 years old
• Competitive triathlete since 1987
• 58 Ultra Distance Triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile ride, 26.2 mile run)
• 4 overall wins, 48 Age Group wins
• 3 Age Group wins at Kona
• 2008 – 50-54 Ironman Age  Group World Record 9:12:41
• 2007 – Ironman World Championship  First, Men 50-54
• 2007 – Great Floridian Ultra Distance – First Overall 4-Time Champion
• 2007 – Ironman Wisconsin – First, Men 50-54
• 2007 – The above 3 Ironman distance events took place within 5 weeks
• Ironman Florida – Top 4 times for Men 50-54

In short, here is an athlete who, at 54 years of age with 22 years of competitive experience in triathlons is completely redefining the limits of potential for Age Group triathletes. As he did when he was between 45 and 49, and before that in the 40-44 Age Group. Next year he ages up, and assuming he stays active in the sport, he will likely set a series of new Age Group and possibly World Records for 55-59 year olds.

The Joe Bonness Effect, then, is the phenomenon where the level of competition and fitness is so strong among Age Groupers, they can be expected to eclipse old records, and as they age up, set faster times and performance standards in successive Age Groups. Along the way, these athletes, like Bonness, are setting new benchmarks for what an Age Group triathlete is capable of.

Somewhere out there, there’s another Age Grouper with their sites set on Joe’s ultra-impressive records. Maybe they’re in their early 30′s now, but with another 20 years of competition at this level, we’ll be looking at an entirely new set of Age Group standards and performance metrics. In the meantime, Joe Bonness is the gold standard.

I don’t know Joe, but when I line up alongside him, and the 1700 other competitors at the Ironman Florida next month, I know he will likely cross the finish line around an hour and a half ahead of me. And of course I’m ok with that – he’s an inspiration and has about 20 years more invested in the sport than me! But I’ll be looking to see if he sets a new record for 50-54 year old men, before he starts crushing the records for the 55-59′ers in 2010.