Iron Pol

Those adventurous enough to venture to the Training Partners tab may have noticed the recent addition of Midwest Sports Events.  With over twenty years of directing endurance events, they produce some of the largest triathlons in Wisconsin, as well as offering many duathlons, 5-15Ks, and half marathons.  And when a local youth organization joined forces with my triathlon club to start a youth triathlon program, MWSE was right there to offer their assistance.

In addition to providing numerous race opportunities, the company's executive director offered to help with training.  She arranged opportunities for the kids to practice open water swimming and volunteered to provide swim lessons when possible.  When it came time to register for the season's big race, MWSE went out of their way to minimize the program's cost and ensure the kids had a successful day.  Most importantly, they showed great flexibility in meeting the needs of the group.

So, if you are in the upper midwest and looking for some great events, take a swing by Midwest Sports Events and see what they have going.  I have personally raced in the Valentine's Day 15K, the High Cliff Triathlon, and the Oshkosh Area Triathlon.  And I know specific people who have completed the Paper Discovery Duathlon, the Green Bay Triathlon, the Chisago (MN) Triathlon, and the Green Bay Duathlon.  If the race websites leave you with any questions, let me know.  If I can't answer the question, I happen to know the race director.

Welcome to the new (and hopefully improved) site.  You should note lots of changes, including the shiny, new domain name.  As I move "beyond" the Ironman journey, it was time to start with a few changes.  I'll continue to document my triathlon journeys, which will definitely include long course events, and hopefully future Ironman races.  There will also be an increased emphasis on providing resources beneficial to everyone's journey.  It might be the "Training Partners" section, helpful blog posts, or the ever-present cheerleading feature.

You can also expect changes to the layout and elements of the site, at least for the short term.  There are several "immediate" fixes in the works, including a new header section.  I will probably be playing with different page designs, so things may be moving around.  Thanks for your patience as I show a bit of indecisiveness.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated.  There are a lot of you with far more and better experience in designing and marketing sites, improving "curb appeal," and reaching the target audience.  If you have a general comment you'd rather send privately, use the Contact page to send your note directly.

So sit back, grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite sports drink), and come along on the next leg of the journey.  Just remember that I subscribe to the holistic method of navigation.  When travelling, I just find someone who looks like they know where they're going and follow them.  It might not get me where I was originally going, but the final destination is sure to be much more exciting.

*The concept of last two sentences was borrowed from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams.  If you want to learn more, such as why street lights suddenly go out, you can find the book here.

Assuming this is the first and only post, congratulations on finding the new site before it is even announced.  As you can see, it is a work in progress, and will represent a "next phase" in my blogging and triathlon careers.  The goal is to provide a cleaner site with more resources and information.

If you DID make it here prior to the "Grand Opening," please let me know your thoughts.  If you have a suggestion or some friendly advice, leave a comment or send me an e-mail.  In the meantime, I'll be figuring out little things like how to use a contact form and how to get my e-mail address linked.