Hello All!
I’m usually good about getting out a pre-season update, but for some reason I neglected to get to it this year! It’s been a busy off season with a few big changes along the way. The first major change is my enlisting the coaching help of Matt Russ of The Sport Factory. I’ve been overseeing my own training over the past few years and needed a fresh set of eyes to get me moving. I’ve seen steady improvement over the winter and am looking forward to continuing the trend throughout the season. I’ve also joined the Sport Factory coaching staff and have the privilege to help a great group of talented athletes (and actually utilize my Masters Degree). All told, it’s been a great relationship! The second major change is coming shortly as Ashley will begin her Surgical Residency this summer at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. It’s a great program and I’m extremely proud of her amazing success in Medical School! In Richmond, I will be focusing full-time on training and racing for the next couple years and will work on putting all of the pieces together for a steady stream of great races!
As for this season’s races, I’m focusing on the Olympic distance to start the year and will see where a focus on speed takes me. After the first half of the year, I’ll sit down and re-evaluate the second half. I will again be donating a portion of any prize money to the Blazeman Foundation and I courage everyone to get involved! A link is available through my website.
This year’s races (assuming a smooth move to Richmond in May/June!):
Miami 5150 3/20/11
South Beach LTF Race 4/10/11
St. Anthony’s 5150 5/01/11
Memphis in May 5150 5/22/11
Escape from Alcatraz 6/05/11
Lifetime Fitness Race 7/09/11
I’m currently in Miami racing the first race of my 2011 season with the inaugural race of the new 5150 series. It is an Olympic distance series put on by WTC, the organizers of Ironman Races. I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale on Friday to meet up with my relatives Jim and Claudia Roper who are gracious enough to put me up for the weekend. The Pro field for the race was stacked with pro athletes making up 10% of the entire race! I knew looking around at the pro meeting that I’d have to race well to get my goal of finishing in the top ten!
Race morning started with a warm-up in the dark and a jump into bay just as the sun was coming up. The swim was a non-wetsuit swim that was fast and frantic like an ITU race. I settled into a steady pace and came out in 12th place with a time of 16:38. I was in the first group comfortably and took off toward transition. Being the first race of the year, my transition was less than stellar but I was able to maintain contact with the main group. The first mile of the bike was tough and I had trouble getting up to speed. The group in front of me pulled away and I pushed the pace as hard as I could flying solo. I caught a few of the guys toward the end of the bike and was passed by Chris Lieto, who looked like he was just cruising! I came off the bike in 10th place with a split of 56:31 for the 40k and actually improved my placing from the swim. I took off on the run knowing that I had a chance of holding on to a top 10 finish. I pushed the pace hard and held the first few miles under 5:20 pace. Brian Fleischmann passed me about half way through and I couldn’t hold onto his pace. I had to dig deep to hold off hard-charging Kaleb Vanort, who ran a race-best 29:54. Man, racing sure can hurt! In the end I finished with a solid 33:10 10K split for a 1:48.35 total time and an 11th place finish.
I was a bit disappointed about missing out on my goal of a top 10 finish, but I’m very pleased with the first race and my early season fitness! I’m on the right track for a great season and am looking forward to getting back on the starting line in a few weeks. Of course, I wouldn’t be racing this well without the help of Matt at the Sport Factory or my great group of sponsors: BlueSeventy, First Endurance Nutrition, Great Clips Salons, ISM Saddles, Kiwiami Triathlon, and Newton Running! The support and encouragement from my sponsors, friends, and supporters really makes my racing possible. Thank you!
I’ll be updating the website shortly.
Eric Limkemann
www.ericlimkemanntriathlon.com
www.twitter.com/EricLimkemann
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Michellie Jones New ISM Sponsorship Coordinator
CONTACT: Steve Toll, Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Tampa Bay Recreation/ISM Saddles, 813-293-6974; and Dave Bunce, ISM Operations Commander, 512-968-1888
TAMPA, FLA -- Tampa Bay Recreation/ISM Saddles, maker of the world's most comfortable bicycle seat, is proud to announce that Triathlon icon Michellie Jones has joined the company to be the point-person in the company's relationships with professional athletes.
Jones, one of the world's premier and most decorated triathletes, has started this fall for ISM -- Ideal Seat Modification.
"Michellie is one of the most professional athletes the sport has ever known and we're pleased to have Michellie's expertise and knowledge as part of our ISM team," said Steve Toll, founder and chief executive officer of ISM Saddles.
Michellie will act as liaison between ISM and the professional athletes under contract with ISM. ISM has about 40 world-class athletes under contract such as U.S. Olympians Laura Bennett, Sarah Haskins and Andy Potts.
Michellie will also help ISM in its goal to sponsor a Pro Racing Tour Team.
Michellie, who is Australian, was the 2006 Ironman World Champion and has 160 career victories. Michellie was the seven-time Triathlete Magazine Triathlete of the Year.
“I am looking forward to taking on this new role at ISM and having the opportunity to share my expertise and knowledge I have required as a professional athlete over the last 23 years,” Michellie said.
ISM Saddles is internationally-known and recognized for producing one of the most comfortable bike saddles on the planet and for having its seat used by premier triathlon athletes, bike road racers, casual bicyclists and all age-groupers.
The ISM is a medically superior saddle to traditional bike seats because the pressure created by a traditional seat can lead to erectile problems, impotence and nerve damage from lack of blood flow.
“The word is out. You can be comfortable while riding a bike,” Steve Toll said.
Check out the ISM saddle at www.ismseat.com
TAMPA, FLA -- Tampa Bay Recreation/ISM Saddles, maker of the world's most comfortable bicycle seat, is proud to announce that Triathlon icon Michellie Jones has joined the company to be the point-person in the company's relationships with professional athletes.
Jones, one of the world's premier and most decorated triathletes, has started this fall for ISM -- Ideal Seat Modification.
"Michellie is one of the most professional athletes the sport has ever known and we're pleased to have Michellie's expertise and knowledge as part of our ISM team," said Steve Toll, founder and chief executive officer of ISM Saddles.
Michellie will act as liaison between ISM and the professional athletes under contract with ISM. ISM has about 40 world-class athletes under contract such as U.S. Olympians Laura Bennett, Sarah Haskins and Andy Potts.
Michellie will also help ISM in its goal to sponsor a Pro Racing Tour Team.
Michellie, who is Australian, was the 2006 Ironman World Champion and has 160 career victories. Michellie was the seven-time Triathlete Magazine Triathlete of the Year.
“I am looking forward to taking on this new role at ISM and having the opportunity to share my expertise and knowledge I have required as a professional athlete over the last 23 years,” Michellie said.
ISM Saddles is internationally-known and recognized for producing one of the most comfortable bike saddles on the planet and for having its seat used by premier triathlon athletes, bike road racers, casual bicyclists and all age-groupers.
The ISM is a medically superior saddle to traditional bike seats because the pressure created by a traditional seat can lead to erectile problems, impotence and nerve damage from lack of blood flow.
“The word is out. You can be comfortable while riding a bike,” Steve Toll said.
Check out the ISM saddle at www.ismseat.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Eric Limkemann 8th at Rev 3 FULL!
Rev3 Cedar Point Race Report
www.rev3tri.com
9/12/2010
This past weekend I was in Cedar Point completing my first full distance triathlon. The 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run took me just over 8 hours and 50 minutes to complete. The time was good enough for 8th place for the day and was over double the time of my longest race date! Despite a few nasty blisters, I survived in one piece and actually had a great time in the process! Since the race was longer than usual, this will be a bit long as well… Enjoy!
The weekend started out with the drive up to Sandusky on Thursday and meeting up with my fantastic homestay Tap Knupke and her kids. Friday morning, I attended the practice swim and decided to try it without a wetsuit…Bad idea. The water was just below 70 degrees and pretty choppy. Add to that 15 mph winds and I spent the rest of the day trying to warm up after just a 20 minute swim! Saturday, I was back at the beach with my BlueSeventy wetsuit and thermal cap ready. The waves were huge again and the wind was fierce, but I had a comfortable swim before checking in and attending the mandatory pre-race meeting. Afterwards, I spent an hour or so getting all of my race gear in order, which included way more planning than my normal races! It hit me that I would be out on the race course for a LONG TIME! I calmed myself down, met up with my Mom, Mike, and Tap for dinner, and got to bed early in anticipation for the pain to come.
The morning started early with a 4am wakeup. I ate as much breakfast as I could stomach and headed off to transition by 5:30. I checked in my bike, transition bags, and special needs bags and headed to the swim start to see just how rough the water would be… The official water temp was 64 degrees, but the waves from the last few days were nowhere to be seen! The lake was as flat as glass and I knew it would be a fast swim. The 2.4 miles were split into two loops and I started nice and easy over the first mile. A little bit to my surprise, I opened up a lead coming out of the first loop. I really don’t think my heart rate was over 100! I could get used to this Ironman stuff. The second loop, I put in a bit more time and came out of the water a bit over a minute in front of the next competitor. After a quick transition, I headed out onto the bike feeling pretty good.
I settled into a steady pace and tried to warm up in the sub 60 degree air. About 10 minutes into the bike, I was passed by Bjorn Andersson on his way to a crazy 4:19 bike split. He quickly disappeared, or so I thought… Suddenly, the USAT official told me to pull over and stop for a 4 minute stagger penalty! Apparently, Bjorn was still visible way in the distance and I was directly behind him! The stagger rule has no distance limit, so I had to stand down for 4 agonizing minutes! I couldn’t believe it! During the time penalty, I went from 2nd to 12th and watched the main group fly by in perfect legal drafting formation. I was cold and frustrated as I started up again on the bike. It was not the way I envisioned starting my first 112 mile bike leg! Over the next four hours I worked to close the gap and came into T2 with a 4:50 bike split (including the penalty time). The ride seemed like ages and made me realize how much work I have to do on my cycling! I was in 11th place with the marathon looming in front of me.
I had never ran over 20 miles before this and knew I needed to pace myself. I took off hoping to pass a few people and work my way up to a top 10 finish. My first mile was 6:10…Oops. The second was 6:20 and I knew I needed to slow down. I finally settled into a steady 6:50 pace for the next few miles. By the ½ way point, I had moved up to 9th with a 1:25 split. I was starting to really feel the previous 7 hours as I headed out for the second half, but knew if I could keep it up I would be able to move up a few more spots. I passed Bjorn at mile 16 and another racer dropped out to put me into 7th place by mile 21. I was really hurting over the last few miles and a quick-running Kirk Nelson passed me easily as I was out of gas. With Cedar Point in sight, I survived the last two miles for an 8th place finish. I crossed the line with a Blazeman roll and a great sense of relief!
Looking back, I believe I got a few things right: My swim was great, my nutrition was dead-on (First Endurance gets better and better as you go longer…), and my mental focus was great. I really need to work on my cycling endurance and perhaps a bit more long runs if I want to excel at this distance. Pacing was way off, but I know there is a bit of a learning curve. I fell short of my 8:30 goal time, but I think with this race in the books, I am capable of achieving it next time. Aside from a few blisters, I’m feeling pretty good and getting ready for Westchester in two weeks. We’ll see how much of an effect this race has on me!!!
Thank you to everyone for the great support for this race. Andre at Kiwami was able to send me a long course suit at the last minute and I was able to meet Robert from First Endurance at the expo. I’m lucky to be associated with these great companies! Of course the BlueSeventy wetsuit worked like a charm as did my ISM Breakaway saddle which me comfortable all day long. My Newton held up better than I did on the run! Also thanks to Dave and Denise from Dixie Chiropractic for keeping me healthy leading up to the race and coming out to support me all day long! Thanks to Tap for sharing her home with me and to all of the Rev3 staff for putting on a first class event. If you haven’t attended one of their races, you’re missing out!! As always, please support the Blazeman foundation through my website. If you don’t know why I rolled across the finish line, please find out!
Eric Limkemann
www.ericlimkemanntriathlon.com
www.twitter.com/ericlimkemann
www.rev3tri.com
9/12/2010
This past weekend I was in Cedar Point completing my first full distance triathlon. The 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run took me just over 8 hours and 50 minutes to complete. The time was good enough for 8th place for the day and was over double the time of my longest race date! Despite a few nasty blisters, I survived in one piece and actually had a great time in the process! Since the race was longer than usual, this will be a bit long as well… Enjoy!
The weekend started out with the drive up to Sandusky on Thursday and meeting up with my fantastic homestay Tap Knupke and her kids. Friday morning, I attended the practice swim and decided to try it without a wetsuit…Bad idea. The water was just below 70 degrees and pretty choppy. Add to that 15 mph winds and I spent the rest of the day trying to warm up after just a 20 minute swim! Saturday, I was back at the beach with my BlueSeventy wetsuit and thermal cap ready. The waves were huge again and the wind was fierce, but I had a comfortable swim before checking in and attending the mandatory pre-race meeting. Afterwards, I spent an hour or so getting all of my race gear in order, which included way more planning than my normal races! It hit me that I would be out on the race course for a LONG TIME! I calmed myself down, met up with my Mom, Mike, and Tap for dinner, and got to bed early in anticipation for the pain to come.
The morning started early with a 4am wakeup. I ate as much breakfast as I could stomach and headed off to transition by 5:30. I checked in my bike, transition bags, and special needs bags and headed to the swim start to see just how rough the water would be… The official water temp was 64 degrees, but the waves from the last few days were nowhere to be seen! The lake was as flat as glass and I knew it would be a fast swim. The 2.4 miles were split into two loops and I started nice and easy over the first mile. A little bit to my surprise, I opened up a lead coming out of the first loop. I really don’t think my heart rate was over 100! I could get used to this Ironman stuff. The second loop, I put in a bit more time and came out of the water a bit over a minute in front of the next competitor. After a quick transition, I headed out onto the bike feeling pretty good.
I settled into a steady pace and tried to warm up in the sub 60 degree air. About 10 minutes into the bike, I was passed by Bjorn Andersson on his way to a crazy 4:19 bike split. He quickly disappeared, or so I thought… Suddenly, the USAT official told me to pull over and stop for a 4 minute stagger penalty! Apparently, Bjorn was still visible way in the distance and I was directly behind him! The stagger rule has no distance limit, so I had to stand down for 4 agonizing minutes! I couldn’t believe it! During the time penalty, I went from 2nd to 12th and watched the main group fly by in perfect legal drafting formation. I was cold and frustrated as I started up again on the bike. It was not the way I envisioned starting my first 112 mile bike leg! Over the next four hours I worked to close the gap and came into T2 with a 4:50 bike split (including the penalty time). The ride seemed like ages and made me realize how much work I have to do on my cycling! I was in 11th place with the marathon looming in front of me.
I had never ran over 20 miles before this and knew I needed to pace myself. I took off hoping to pass a few people and work my way up to a top 10 finish. My first mile was 6:10…Oops. The second was 6:20 and I knew I needed to slow down. I finally settled into a steady 6:50 pace for the next few miles. By the ½ way point, I had moved up to 9th with a 1:25 split. I was starting to really feel the previous 7 hours as I headed out for the second half, but knew if I could keep it up I would be able to move up a few more spots. I passed Bjorn at mile 16 and another racer dropped out to put me into 7th place by mile 21. I was really hurting over the last few miles and a quick-running Kirk Nelson passed me easily as I was out of gas. With Cedar Point in sight, I survived the last two miles for an 8th place finish. I crossed the line with a Blazeman roll and a great sense of relief!
Looking back, I believe I got a few things right: My swim was great, my nutrition was dead-on (First Endurance gets better and better as you go longer…), and my mental focus was great. I really need to work on my cycling endurance and perhaps a bit more long runs if I want to excel at this distance. Pacing was way off, but I know there is a bit of a learning curve. I fell short of my 8:30 goal time, but I think with this race in the books, I am capable of achieving it next time. Aside from a few blisters, I’m feeling pretty good and getting ready for Westchester in two weeks. We’ll see how much of an effect this race has on me!!!
Thank you to everyone for the great support for this race. Andre at Kiwami was able to send me a long course suit at the last minute and I was able to meet Robert from First Endurance at the expo. I’m lucky to be associated with these great companies! Of course the BlueSeventy wetsuit worked like a charm as did my ISM Breakaway saddle which me comfortable all day long. My Newton held up better than I did on the run! Also thanks to Dave and Denise from Dixie Chiropractic for keeping me healthy leading up to the race and coming out to support me all day long! Thanks to Tap for sharing her home with me and to all of the Rev3 staff for putting on a first class event. If you haven’t attended one of their races, you’re missing out!! As always, please support the Blazeman foundation through my website. If you don’t know why I rolled across the finish line, please find out!
Eric Limkemann
www.ericlimkemanntriathlon.com
www.twitter.com/ericlimkemann
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Hillary goes bananas!!
MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 30, 2010
Ironman Champion Hillary Biscay Confirms Participation in the 26th Ultraman World Championships
TUCSON, Arizona - Wisconsin Ironman Champion Hillary Biscay will compete in the 26th Ultraman World Championships, held November 26-28, 2010. The event consists of a grueling three-day, 320-mile (515-kilometer) individual ultra-endurance experience and takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii. Entry is limited to only 35 participants and is by invitation only; Biscay secured one of the coveted entries based on her extensive Ironman performance resume.
Biscay’s participation in Ultraman will follow the anticipated completion of her eighth Ironman distance event of 2010, the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kailua, Kona, Hawaii. Biscay Finished 4th at Ironman Brasil, securing her qualifying spot for World Championships.
Biscay finished third at the 2010 Ironman Malaysia, her 40th career Ironman and 15th career podium. She is the most prolific Iron-distance competitor on the professional women’s racing circuit. In 2006, her unprecedented performance set a new standard in Iron-distance racing when she became the first person to record six top-five Ironman finishes in one season. Biscay qualified for the 2000 Olympic Swimming Trials and completed her first triathlon in 2001.
“I’ve been intrigued by the idea of Ultraman for some time and I was looking for a new challenge this year,” stated Biscay. “I had the chance to check out the Ultraman course following a summer training camp in Kona and decided I didn’t want to wait any longer to have a crack at this race.”
Biscay continued, “This Ultraman project would not be possible without the valued support my sponsors: PowerBar, K-Swiss, TYR, ISM, Wilier, Zipp, FSA, CycleOps, Vega and Global Rescue.”
At the conclusion of the 2010 Ultraman, Hillary will have competed for over 500 hours throughout her remarkable career and covered the equivalent competition distance of 121,936 football fields; New York to London roundtrip; the circumference of the moon; or a trek across the Sahara Desert, twice.
Biscay is represented by Octagon.
For more information:
http://hillarybiscay.com
http://ultramanlive.com
http://www.octagonoly.com
Monday, August 30, 2010
Ironman Champion Hillary Biscay Confirms Participation in the 26th Ultraman World Championships
TUCSON, Arizona - Wisconsin Ironman Champion Hillary Biscay will compete in the 26th Ultraman World Championships, held November 26-28, 2010. The event consists of a grueling three-day, 320-mile (515-kilometer) individual ultra-endurance experience and takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii. Entry is limited to only 35 participants and is by invitation only; Biscay secured one of the coveted entries based on her extensive Ironman performance resume.
Biscay’s participation in Ultraman will follow the anticipated completion of her eighth Ironman distance event of 2010, the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kailua, Kona, Hawaii. Biscay Finished 4th at Ironman Brasil, securing her qualifying spot for World Championships.
Biscay finished third at the 2010 Ironman Malaysia, her 40th career Ironman and 15th career podium. She is the most prolific Iron-distance competitor on the professional women’s racing circuit. In 2006, her unprecedented performance set a new standard in Iron-distance racing when she became the first person to record six top-five Ironman finishes in one season. Biscay qualified for the 2000 Olympic Swimming Trials and completed her first triathlon in 2001.
“I’ve been intrigued by the idea of Ultraman for some time and I was looking for a new challenge this year,” stated Biscay. “I had the chance to check out the Ultraman course following a summer training camp in Kona and decided I didn’t want to wait any longer to have a crack at this race.”
Biscay continued, “This Ultraman project would not be possible without the valued support my sponsors: PowerBar, K-Swiss, TYR, ISM, Wilier, Zipp, FSA, CycleOps, Vega and Global Rescue.”
At the conclusion of the 2010 Ultraman, Hillary will have competed for over 500 hours throughout her remarkable career and covered the equivalent competition distance of 121,936 football fields; New York to London roundtrip; the circumference of the moon; or a trek across the Sahara Desert, twice.
Biscay is represented by Octagon.
For more information:
http://hillarybiscay.com
http://ultramanlive.com
http://www.octagonoly.com
Thursday, July 15, 2010
HJ blistering Rhode Island 70.3
HEATHER JACKSON POSTS THE FASTEST BIKE SPLIT AT THE AMICA IRONMAN 70.3 RHODE ISLAND
In her true "Uber Biker" style, Wattie Ink.'s own Heather Jackson posted the fast bike split of the day in Rhode Island. After exiting the water in 12th position, Jackson mounted her assault on the roads of Rhode Island in pursuit of the lead, hammering her way to an impressive 2:29:53 bike split. Her bike time would be the fastest of the day by over 5 minutes. Jackson finished the day on the podium placing 5th posting a 1:28:21 run split. For complete details on the Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island race visit www.wattieink.com
In her true "Uber Biker" style, Wattie Ink.'s own Heather Jackson posted the fast bike split of the day in Rhode Island. After exiting the water in 12th position, Jackson mounted her assault on the roads of Rhode Island in pursuit of the lead, hammering her way to an impressive 2:29:53 bike split. Her bike time would be the fastest of the day by over 5 minutes. Jackson finished the day on the podium placing 5th posting a 1:28:21 run split. For complete details on the Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island race visit www.wattieink.com
Monday, June 14, 2010
Heather Jackson Boise 70.3 RR
The high-winds and hot weather conditions did not stop Wattie Ink. professional Heather Jackson, who posted an impressive 3rd place finish in Boise yesterday, following her solid 5th place performance at last weekend's Mooseman 70.3 event.
Jackson's 70.3 World Champion teammate, Julie Dibens, was the winner of the day in Boise with an impressive 4:25:14; Linsey Corbin was second at 4:29:22 and Jackson rounded off the podium with a 4:34:58.
Jackson's form is coming along nicely as she heads to Bend, Oregon next week for the USA National Time Trial Championships to test her cycling horse power against the nation's best cyclists.
Heather proudly competes using her Adamo Breakaway saddle.
For more information on Heather Jackson contact: Wattie Ink.
wattie@wattieink.com
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sam Krieg wins Idaho State Road Race Champs
ISM is please to announce Cat 2 roadie Sam Krieg of Krieg Cycling (www.kriegcycling.com ) has just won the Pro 1,2 Idaho State Road Racing Championships on his Adamo Podium saddle. He won with an off the front effort solo effort. We brought this saddle to market specifically for the road racer and couldn't be more proud of Sam.
"First off thanks for the saddles. I have to be honest and say the road and TT saddle have saved my life. NO JOKE. I have been racing and training for 7 years and I just wish I would have tried one sooner".
On another note, Sam also won the Cat 2 Tour of Gila TT on his Adamo Racing saddle and rode the other stages on his Adamo Podium to a 2nd place overall. Get some!!
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