Thursday, November 16, 2006
GymSkinZ Triathlon Sortswear November Newsletter
Current mood: accomplished
In This Issue:
November Newsletter !
I'm E X P A N D I N G!
Quality Control!
Just-Tri.Com
New GymSkinZ Triathlon Designs!
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1. November Newsletter !
Welcome to yet another installment of the GymSkinZ Inc. official newsletter! If you're receiving this, it means the lights are still on here at GymSkinZ and you've either sent me your contact info via my website or paid me a visit at my MySpace page - so thank you for dropping by!
Here in Vancouver, I'm gearing up for hibernation mode and high-intensity "OFF-SEASON" relaxation... Well, not really, but the thought of it sure is nice! GymSkinZ will be taking the show on the road in a few weeks as I head down to sunny California (again) to race in the California International Marathon in Sacramento. I use the term "race" very loosely as my business and preparation for the Xmas season has taken priority over this silly thing called "training". Oh well, all in good fun right?! I did however get a *bit* of running in when I was at the Chicago Marathon a few weeks ago which was an amazing weekend and experience. At any rate, I hope you are all enjoying your November and are winding down a very successful 2006 race season - unless you have a few more races before Christmas of course! 2007 is just around the corner and it's absolutely frightening how quick the time has flown by!
I want to thank everyone for their great support and patience over the last 8 months (!) as I continue to build this company called GymSkinZ - I have now surpassed 1000 shirts sold (!!) in over 30 countries (how cool is this, someone in BARBADOS is wearing my stuff)... Anyway, BIG things are in store for 2007 folks, so hold on to your hats!!
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com
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2. I'm E X P A N D I N G!
Almost literally! My arse has been planted on this fitness ball for the last few months after Ironman with a whole lot of "NO TRAINING" so I'm quite certain my derriere has expanded beyond the limits of my Team CSC cycling shorts. However, I am extremely pleased to announce I am joining forces with Jet Sportswear here in Vancouver to launch a larger selection of technical fiber apparel. We'll be releasing mens and ladies styles of various technical fiber tops, nifty running shorts, compression fit apparel, and even youth/kids sized technical gear! Hopefully all in time for Christmas so you can pick something up for that multisports geek on your Xmas shopping list. Stay tuned as I'll be announcing the release of our new products soon!
GymSkinZ & LA Triathlon Club!
I'm also proud to announce my affiliation with the Los Angeles Triathlon club and it's 18 million members... ok, not 18 million, but a whole lot of very cool people who know how to do it right when it comes to having fun with this thing called "triathlon". I had the pleasure of attending their year end party down in LA this past weekend and it was fabulous! Special thanx to Liz Oakes for helping me with my last promo to the club, as well as all the great members who took the time to say hello while I was there. Extra big thanx to Stella, Jen, & Dara of the club who have been instrumental in marketing my gear at the various races and events they attended this season!
I'm also oh-so-happy to be promoting GymSkinZ gear within the Phoenix Triathlon club as well! Thanx to Judy Kamella for her support and help spreading the GymSkinZ gospel. Pretty much any club with fun people is fair game - and GymSkinZ will be aggressively marketing into many different markets around the globe!
Other GymSkinZ Partners!
If that wasn't enough to keep me busy, GymSkinZ has also started cross promoting some related products that are complimentary to the "GymSkinZ Philosphy" of good health and good fun. Check out the following companies and products that I'm pleased to be associated with:
GymSoap.Com - Embrace good hygiene and use gymsoap!
It destroys harmful germs, bacteria and fungus
fights lord knows what else that is lurking in the gym you train at or on the equipment you use!!
Order from GymSoap Today and mention you heard about it from GymSkinz!
FRS Plus - AntiOxidant Energy Formula - Increase your energy levels by getting rid of toxins!
Boosts energy and mental focus for more productive workouts
Antioxidant protection reduces muscle fatigue & soreness for faster recovery
Enhance performance safely & legally
Click HERE and get a FREE 7 day trial of FRS Plus today!
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3. Quality Control!
I am still using the services of Cafepress to produce most of my designs so most of you are receiving your items direct from them. I don't actually get to see or touch the product before you get it, so please let me know if you have any shipping or sizing issues or anything else about your purchasing experience. All purchases are backed by a 30day 100% money-back guarantee so if you need a different size or the shirt wasn't what you expected and you'd like to exchange it for another style, I (and cafepress) will be glad to resolve the problem!
Link: http://www.cafepress.com/gymskinz
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4. Just-Tri.Com
In concert with my sportswear business, I will be launching a brand new free website devoted to this wonderful world of endurance sports. A LOT of my current business as well as some great new friendships have been forged via this phenomenon known as "mySpace". As great as it is, the 123,000,000 members on the site are a little fragmented so just-tri.com is aiming to weed out the riff-raff so to speak, and create a a more focussed virtual community catering to endurance multi-sporters where you can hang out, collaborate, and share your training and race experiences with other like minded people - for FREE. There will be a few other VERY cool components to the site which will be announced soon, but the mere fact you are getting this newsletter means YOU will be part of this exciting new multisports online community whether you like it or not... just kidding! It's totally optional, but I would love it for you to join and mingle with fellow GymSkinZ customers and fans. You'll get to follow my road to Ironman Canada 2007 as well as a few of my other great training partners and best friends, fitness tips and coaching by The Peak Center for Human Performance, general "Triathlon Lifestyle commentary" by various contributing writers and friends of GymSkinZ. What makes Just-Tri different than other existing online "sports community sites" out there? You'll just have to join and find out for yourself!!
In the meantime, feel free to tune into my "You Don't Have To Win, You Just Have To TRI" PodCast". To date, I've had over 23,000 downloads to my various cast episodes - I can't believe that many people out there want to hear me complain about how out of shape I am ;)
In any case, tune in and stay in the loop!
Link: GymSkinZ PodCast!
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5. New Designs !
TONS of new GymSkinZ Triathlon Shirt designs are still in the works! With a larger selection of apparel, the same hillarious GymSkinZ designs will be available on a wider variety of products. Just drop by the news section on my site often, or browse the catalog for any new updates! Stay tuned! Now that we're in the "offseason", there will be a few designs in honour of "getting lazy while sitting on the couch", as well as the release of my NerdSkinZ line which have absolutely nothing to do with sports, but are still just as hillarious ;)
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com/news.html
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AGAIN, thank you EVERYONE for your continued support and help to spread the word about GymSkinZ! Remember Christmas is coming so what better way to treat that "Super-Athlete" on your list than with a fun item from GymSkinZ!
Take care and catch up with you soon!
cheers!
Tav.
Humble Sausage Maker
http://www.gymskinz.com
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Weekend in LA
Weekend in LA!
Hey folks!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend, and for all you Canadians out there - I trust you are enjoying your day off for Rememberance Day.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to the LA Tri Club's year end (urine) party this past weekend and it was a blast! Got to finally meet some LA Tri mySpacers that I've corresponded with for the last while, and met a ton of other great peeps - the club truly has a great bunch of members, and LOTS of 'em! Big shout out to Stella, Jen, Dara, Liz, Paul, Konrad, Brian, Jenna, Cody, (list goes on and on) and everyone else that I had the pleasure of meeting & hanging with during the gala event. Considering I had run 3.5 hours earlier that afternoon (a BEAUTIFUL day to be running on the beach I might add), I'm surprised I made it to the end of the night without curling up in the corner and taking a nap ;) Congrats to Stella, Jen and Dara (the 3 gals you see on my gymskinz site) for being nominated in various categories for the LA Tri Club's awards - tis an honour to have them as friends and associated with my "silly little t-shirt biz". Speaking of which, I'll be sending out my official GymSkinZ November newsletter in the next couple days with more news and developments about what's been going on, and what you can expect from GymSkinZ next year - exciting stuff and I can't thank ALL of you enough for your continued support and well wishes. Just having you mention my gear to your friends at races or wherever means a lot to me - so thank you thank you!
Stay tuned to my podcast as I'll be posting our commentary of our H2H 100km relay race from a couple weeks ago! fun stuff!
Also, I'll be releasing even MORE gymskinz designs, as well as a larger selection of technical fiber gear in both mens', ladies' styles as well as for kids! Lastly, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the pending launch of "just-tri.com" in early 2007! If you thought mySpace was cool, wait till you see what I have in development ;)
Tons of stuff happening throughout the remainder of the year and I'm frantically trying to keep on top of everything. Hang on to your hats folks, 2007 is gonna be a wild ride!
Cheers folks and look forward to catching up with ya'all soon!
Tav.
www.gymskinz.com
Hey folks!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend, and for all you Canadians out there - I trust you are enjoying your day off for Rememberance Day.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to the LA Tri Club's year end (urine) party this past weekend and it was a blast! Got to finally meet some LA Tri mySpacers that I've corresponded with for the last while, and met a ton of other great peeps - the club truly has a great bunch of members, and LOTS of 'em! Big shout out to Stella, Jen, Dara, Liz, Paul, Konrad, Brian, Jenna, Cody, (list goes on and on) and everyone else that I had the pleasure of meeting & hanging with during the gala event. Considering I had run 3.5 hours earlier that afternoon (a BEAUTIFUL day to be running on the beach I might add), I'm surprised I made it to the end of the night without curling up in the corner and taking a nap ;) Congrats to Stella, Jen and Dara (the 3 gals you see on my gymskinz site) for being nominated in various categories for the LA Tri Club's awards - tis an honour to have them as friends and associated with my "silly little t-shirt biz". Speaking of which, I'll be sending out my official GymSkinZ November newsletter in the next couple days with more news and developments about what's been going on, and what you can expect from GymSkinZ next year - exciting stuff and I can't thank ALL of you enough for your continued support and well wishes. Just having you mention my gear to your friends at races or wherever means a lot to me - so thank you thank you!
Stay tuned to my podcast as I'll be posting our commentary of our H2H 100km relay race from a couple weeks ago! fun stuff!
Also, I'll be releasing even MORE gymskinz designs, as well as a larger selection of technical fiber gear in both mens', ladies' styles as well as for kids! Lastly, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the pending launch of "just-tri.com" in early 2007! If you thought mySpace was cool, wait till you see what I have in development ;)
Tons of stuff happening throughout the remainder of the year and I'm frantically trying to keep on top of everything. Hang on to your hats folks, 2007 is gonna be a wild ride!
Cheers folks and look forward to catching up with ya'all soon!
Tav.
www.gymskinz.com
The "OFF Season"
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The OFF SEASON
Category: Sports
So it's official – it's Fall. The leaves are falling, it's pitch black in the mornings and pitch black when you leave the office to head home. It's cold, it's windy, and that crap that keeps accumulating on your windows as you stare off into the distance is called RAIN – something that I haven't seen in ages, and I live in Vancouver for Gawd sakes. Swimming? Are you nuts?! Do you know how cold it is in there?! I'm not one for the polar bear swim training program so I'll stick to the hot-tub thank you very much. Biking? Where the hell IS my bike? I think I stuffed it back into the closet somewhere; cast away like some poor summer jacket that won't see the light of day until who knows when. The spokes on my ZIPPS are probably bent into oblivion now with junk piled up against them. And running? Better get used to the idea of putting in a LOT of mindless miles on the dreadmill, cuz the thought of running in constantly wet running shoes (even when rotating between 4 pairs of 'em) just doesn't seem appealing. Yup, it's the off-season - for ME at least.
Ok, so having said that - what the hell is the off-season anyway? When you're a triathlete, Ironman or beginner "sprint specialist" – is there even such a thing?. We aren't like hockey players where we get to hit the links and work on our putting skills, and I'm sure not lucky enough to be living in Phoenix or Miami where I can sit in the sun and sip fruity beverages with those little umbrellas. For many of us, I guess this is the time to work on all those things you couldn't work on when you were triaining 6 days a week and trying to pound out 5 hour rides and 20 mile runs – not *necessarily* in the same day. Some would argue it's time to work on core strength, flexibility, mental focus skills – all the things I haven't done a single bit of in the last 2 months since Ironman – and boy it sure feels FANTASTIC…. Well, in the "lazy-ass / where the hell did all of my fitness go" kind of way. Get on your bike trainer and work on that pedal stroke with those one-legged drills – you know you love em. I haven't ridden my bike more than once since Ironman, and that was only for about 35 minutes at the Peak Center's booth during the Royal Victoria Marathon's race expo while I was their guinea pig to demonstrate the Computrainer. Man my spin-scan sucked…I had so many flat-spots in my pedal stroke, It looked like I was cross-country skiing for crying out loud.
Speaking of the Peak Center, I made the mistake of getting my VO2 max and lactate threshold tests done last night – and not only did I suck the donkey, it made me realize just how much fitness you can lose when you sit on the couch and eat cream-puffs for 6 weeks. Don't try that at home folks, I am a seasoned professional at that. But seriously, when you don't use it, you definitely lose it so I trust all of you have some sort of "plan" to stay on track for an even better performance next year. Work on your flexibility while sitting in front of the TV. Get in the gym and do some core strength workouts – get re-acquainted with that dusty fitness ball that you have stuffed into the corner. If you're really brave, get in the pool and work on your swimming stroke. Get a lactate threshold / V02max test done to establish your baseline so you can train in your proper aerobic zone this winter and BUILD BUILD BUILD that aerobic base for next season. Speed sessions will come and you can "turn the hurt on" when you've got some races to do. No need to do that now unless you've got a race this winter – like the California marathon in December that we're doing. Am I in sub 3:30 shape right now? Probably not but I don't really care – I'm just going to have some fun. Hoz on the other hand is in sub 2:45 shape which is crazy… Comforting to know that he'll be done around 45 mins quicker than me. However I've heard that Slow is apparently the new Fast ;) So I'm all over that.
The off-season is a great time to recharge your batteries. Now that you aren't training 6 days a week (or maybe you still are you crazy nutbars living in California or other sunny parts of the world), you can catch up on all those things you couldn't do during the summer – like take a non-training holiday! I just got back from Chicago and it was one of the best weekends I've ever had – due completely to the efforts of Kathy whom I had the pleasure of hanging out with during the La Salle Bank / Chicago Marathon weekend. We checked out a Bulls game (they lost by 2 points), and then discovered that it is completely impossible to get a cab from the United Center after a sporting event- BIZARRE. We ended up going to some hole in the wall sports bar in the middle of butt-screw nowhere and waited over an hour and a half after calling the cab company – still no cab. The bartender felt sorry for us (actually, they had to go home as the place was closing) so he managed to get one of his workers drive us back into the downtown core… thank gawd. Somehow wandering around the skids of Chicago as a tourist is not a good idea.
Anyway, the marathon was great – I spent most of it running around chasing Kathy and trying to locate Larry – to no avail. However, besides running various bits of the course, managed to run with Kathy for the last 10km right up to the last turn where I peeled off and ended up running another 5km to circumnavigate all the barricades and police to get to the friends and family area. What a gong-show. And I thought Boston was nutty! In any case, so proud of Kathy for shaving about 20 minutes off her previous PB. Awesome – and she looked damn good doing it too ;)
If there's ONE thing you do before the end of the year, it is this – read Mitch Thrower's book – "The Attention Deficit Workplace – Winning Strategies for Success in Today's Fast Paced Business Environment". If you don't know who Mitch Thrower is, just think of the last time you registered for a race via Active.com. Yup, he's the founder of the "ticketmaster for participatory sports". Look him up on Google, you'll find that he's an amazing entrepreneur and 14 time ironman finisher (he also did Ironman Canada this year as well). I'll be down in LA in a couple weeks hanging with my pals Stella, Jen and Dara from the LA Tri Club at the club's year end bash, and I'm going to try and hook up with Mitch to bang some ideas around if he can spare his precious time. I've been emailing back and forth with him in the last couple days so I hope to connect with him at least on the phone while I'm down there – he's like the Bill Gates of multisports and definitely someone I'd like to learn from. Check out his myspace page on here, he's on my first page of friends using the ID of "Gatsby". Mitch, if you're reading this, I take no responsibility for any stalkers that may come your way and wish I could come to your Hallowe'en party ;)
So that's MY off-season so far. Lots of stuff happening with GymSkinZ so that's going to keep me buzzing along for the remainder of the year. Big plans coming down the pipe so I look forward to sharing it with you all when the time comes. Be sure to keep tuning into my podcast as I'll be updating it with the frivolity of our next couple races and trips (the Cali marathon and then Vegas – oh man, gonna be a gong-show for sure).
Hope everyone is enjoying their own version of their "off season" and feel free to drop me a note to let me know what YOU'RE up to!
Thanx for reading this and look forward to catching up with ya'all soon!
Cheers,
Tav!
www.gymskinz.com
The OFF SEASON
Category: Sports
So it's official – it's Fall. The leaves are falling, it's pitch black in the mornings and pitch black when you leave the office to head home. It's cold, it's windy, and that crap that keeps accumulating on your windows as you stare off into the distance is called RAIN – something that I haven't seen in ages, and I live in Vancouver for Gawd sakes. Swimming? Are you nuts?! Do you know how cold it is in there?! I'm not one for the polar bear swim training program so I'll stick to the hot-tub thank you very much. Biking? Where the hell IS my bike? I think I stuffed it back into the closet somewhere; cast away like some poor summer jacket that won't see the light of day until who knows when. The spokes on my ZIPPS are probably bent into oblivion now with junk piled up against them. And running? Better get used to the idea of putting in a LOT of mindless miles on the dreadmill, cuz the thought of running in constantly wet running shoes (even when rotating between 4 pairs of 'em) just doesn't seem appealing. Yup, it's the off-season - for ME at least.
Ok, so having said that - what the hell is the off-season anyway? When you're a triathlete, Ironman or beginner "sprint specialist" – is there even such a thing?. We aren't like hockey players where we get to hit the links and work on our putting skills, and I'm sure not lucky enough to be living in Phoenix or Miami where I can sit in the sun and sip fruity beverages with those little umbrellas. For many of us, I guess this is the time to work on all those things you couldn't work on when you were triaining 6 days a week and trying to pound out 5 hour rides and 20 mile runs – not *necessarily* in the same day. Some would argue it's time to work on core strength, flexibility, mental focus skills – all the things I haven't done a single bit of in the last 2 months since Ironman – and boy it sure feels FANTASTIC…. Well, in the "lazy-ass / where the hell did all of my fitness go" kind of way. Get on your bike trainer and work on that pedal stroke with those one-legged drills – you know you love em. I haven't ridden my bike more than once since Ironman, and that was only for about 35 minutes at the Peak Center's booth during the Royal Victoria Marathon's race expo while I was their guinea pig to demonstrate the Computrainer. Man my spin-scan sucked…I had so many flat-spots in my pedal stroke, It looked like I was cross-country skiing for crying out loud.
Speaking of the Peak Center, I made the mistake of getting my VO2 max and lactate threshold tests done last night – and not only did I suck the donkey, it made me realize just how much fitness you can lose when you sit on the couch and eat cream-puffs for 6 weeks. Don't try that at home folks, I am a seasoned professional at that. But seriously, when you don't use it, you definitely lose it so I trust all of you have some sort of "plan" to stay on track for an even better performance next year. Work on your flexibility while sitting in front of the TV. Get in the gym and do some core strength workouts – get re-acquainted with that dusty fitness ball that you have stuffed into the corner. If you're really brave, get in the pool and work on your swimming stroke. Get a lactate threshold / V02max test done to establish your baseline so you can train in your proper aerobic zone this winter and BUILD BUILD BUILD that aerobic base for next season. Speed sessions will come and you can "turn the hurt on" when you've got some races to do. No need to do that now unless you've got a race this winter – like the California marathon in December that we're doing. Am I in sub 3:30 shape right now? Probably not but I don't really care – I'm just going to have some fun. Hoz on the other hand is in sub 2:45 shape which is crazy… Comforting to know that he'll be done around 45 mins quicker than me. However I've heard that Slow is apparently the new Fast ;) So I'm all over that.
The off-season is a great time to recharge your batteries. Now that you aren't training 6 days a week (or maybe you still are you crazy nutbars living in California or other sunny parts of the world), you can catch up on all those things you couldn't do during the summer – like take a non-training holiday! I just got back from Chicago and it was one of the best weekends I've ever had – due completely to the efforts of Kathy whom I had the pleasure of hanging out with during the La Salle Bank / Chicago Marathon weekend. We checked out a Bulls game (they lost by 2 points), and then discovered that it is completely impossible to get a cab from the United Center after a sporting event- BIZARRE. We ended up going to some hole in the wall sports bar in the middle of butt-screw nowhere and waited over an hour and a half after calling the cab company – still no cab. The bartender felt sorry for us (actually, they had to go home as the place was closing) so he managed to get one of his workers drive us back into the downtown core… thank gawd. Somehow wandering around the skids of Chicago as a tourist is not a good idea.
Anyway, the marathon was great – I spent most of it running around chasing Kathy and trying to locate Larry – to no avail. However, besides running various bits of the course, managed to run with Kathy for the last 10km right up to the last turn where I peeled off and ended up running another 5km to circumnavigate all the barricades and police to get to the friends and family area. What a gong-show. And I thought Boston was nutty! In any case, so proud of Kathy for shaving about 20 minutes off her previous PB. Awesome – and she looked damn good doing it too ;)
If there's ONE thing you do before the end of the year, it is this – read Mitch Thrower's book – "The Attention Deficit Workplace – Winning Strategies for Success in Today's Fast Paced Business Environment". If you don't know who Mitch Thrower is, just think of the last time you registered for a race via Active.com. Yup, he's the founder of the "ticketmaster for participatory sports". Look him up on Google, you'll find that he's an amazing entrepreneur and 14 time ironman finisher (he also did Ironman Canada this year as well). I'll be down in LA in a couple weeks hanging with my pals Stella, Jen and Dara from the LA Tri Club at the club's year end bash, and I'm going to try and hook up with Mitch to bang some ideas around if he can spare his precious time. I've been emailing back and forth with him in the last couple days so I hope to connect with him at least on the phone while I'm down there – he's like the Bill Gates of multisports and definitely someone I'd like to learn from. Check out his myspace page on here, he's on my first page of friends using the ID of "Gatsby". Mitch, if you're reading this, I take no responsibility for any stalkers that may come your way and wish I could come to your Hallowe'en party ;)
So that's MY off-season so far. Lots of stuff happening with GymSkinZ so that's going to keep me buzzing along for the remainder of the year. Big plans coming down the pipe so I look forward to sharing it with you all when the time comes. Be sure to keep tuning into my podcast as I'll be updating it with the frivolity of our next couple races and trips (the Cali marathon and then Vegas – oh man, gonna be a gong-show for sure).
Hope everyone is enjoying their own version of their "off season" and feel free to drop me a note to let me know what YOU'RE up to!
Thanx for reading this and look forward to catching up with ya'all soon!
Cheers,
Tav!
www.gymskinz.com
Oh For Crying Out LOUD
Friday, October 13, 2006
Oh for CRYING OUT LOUD!
I JUST discovered that my podcast feed has been acting completely flaky as of late... To add insult to injury, my Ironman podcast episode from last month was only a PORTION of what I intended to post!
Anyway, I've re-uploaded the whole episode if any of you are so inclined to check out the FULL version of what I originally wanted to post.
My PodCast! & The Revised Ironman Episode:
You Don't Have To Win, You Just Have To TRI PodCast
Tons of stuff going on in the next couple months to finish off the year - Headin to Chicago for the marathon next week, then down to LA in November for the LA Triathlon Club's year end party, then Sacramento for the California marathon and then FINALLY blowing out the year in Vegas! Stay tuned!!!
cheers!
Tav.
Oh for CRYING OUT LOUD!
I JUST discovered that my podcast feed has been acting completely flaky as of late... To add insult to injury, my Ironman podcast episode from last month was only a PORTION of what I intended to post!
Anyway, I've re-uploaded the whole episode if any of you are so inclined to check out the FULL version of what I originally wanted to post.
My PodCast! & The Revised Ironman Episode:
You Don't Have To Win, You Just Have To TRI PodCast
Tons of stuff going on in the next couple months to finish off the year - Headin to Chicago for the marathon next week, then down to LA in November for the LA Triathlon Club's year end party, then Sacramento for the California marathon and then FINALLY blowing out the year in Vegas! Stay tuned!!!
cheers!
Tav.
Getting Antsy!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Gettin Antsy....
Ok, so it's been ONE MONTH since Ironman already... holy shiznit time flies! I remember when I first contemplated doing Ironman Canada and I had 86 weeks before the race - that went by in a blink of an eye and it seemed like yesterday when I was saying to myself - I have so much bloody time to prepare, it'll be no problem! Of course, that was back in January of this year and before I knew it, there was 8.6 weeks left and I still hadn't figured out my swimming... If you ever want to have your perception of time completely skewed, start training for an Ironman!
Anyway, I've done a whole lot of fack all the last 3 weeks which is supposed to be a GOOD thing. It's the "transition" phase of training before starting the build for the next event, and in my case, I have 5 more races before the end of the year.. yes FIVE. Mind you, they are only 5, 8 and 10km running races, then a half marathon in November, and finally the California Marathon down in Sacramento followed immediately by a BLOW-OUT year end celebration in Vegas, so suffice to say it's going to be a complete gong-show fall & winter! All this will then roll into 2007 when my block 1 of Ironman 2007 training will begin and I have to get all serious again... or something like that.
After taking some time off, it's given me a chance to reflect on the past year and it's really nice having that feeling of accomplishing something other than "just making it through another year". Beating my "buoyancy problem", well, at least getting some control of it cuz I still sink like a brick, but overcoming my fear and lack of confidence for swimming in open water was HUGE for me - as much of a challenge as Ironman itself and the challenge was sure a LOT longer - like literally a whole year of utter frustration and disappointment. Now, I LOVE swimming despite the fact that I'm still slow as hell (76 year old sister Madonna Buder beat me out of the water by almost a minute - she's one of the gals you saw on the Ironman 2005 special last year.) In any case, that will change this coming year - I guarantee you ;) Regardless, the last 9 months have been pretty great and the completion of Ironman was a great way to end off the summer. Here's hoping to an equally as exciting and fun-filled 2007, and look forward to sharing the experience with all 'yalls
Having said that, although this is typically something saved for the end of the year, to date, here are my top 10 highlights of 2006 - and more to come I'm sure. Not necessarily in order of importance.
10> Starting GymSkinZ.com. What started as a mere "joke project on the side" because my training buddies and I had a couple funny sayings that I thought would be great on a t-shirt, my shirts have now been spotted all around the globe in over 30 countries and between my blog and podcast have had over 6,000 visits and downloads. Mostly because many of you have helped me spread the word - so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Tell your friends about GymSkinZ, and if they pick up a shirt and mention your name, you'll probably get an email from me asking for your shipping address cuz I'll send you a freebie! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!
9> Getting on MySpace (Thanks Tom) to market my company which in turn allowed me to re-connect with some great friends I haven't seen since high-school (Stella, Linda, Kellee) as well as introduced me to SO MANY other great people around the world (the list is way too long, but here's a few - Kathy, Dara, Jen, Paige, Sean, Michael, Scott, Liz, Sarah, Nathan, Lindsay, Amy, Dan, Becky, Robert, Perry, Corbin, (the list goes on and on and on) as well as EVERYONE else I correspond with via my group and ALL OF YOU other peeps I didn't mention that take time out of your busy lives to email me to say hello, or to comment on this blog or my "You Don't Have To Win, You Just Have To TRI" Triathlon PodCast. EVERYONE on here has been so great.
8> Getting a few races under my belt - like completing the Oliver Half-Iron despite completely panicking during the swim and coming out 6th last out of the water, then finishing 2nd overall in Squamish Triathlon Relay (obviously, I didn't do the swim ha ha) w/ Tara and Hoz, doing the Penticton Peach Classic and crashing on the ride, doing the run concussed. Then only a week after Ironman, doing the Vancouver Triathlon and placing 3rd in the men's relay division with Jeff and Hoz - two of the finest athletes I know.
7> Watching a few of my best buds do the Boston Marathon. Now if I could only shave about 20 minutes off my own time, maybe I'll get to run it myself... sheeez.... maybe when I'm 50.
6> The birth of one my best buddy's son - Way to go Jim! Uncle Tav will be getting baby Tai into the pool and on a bike as soon as possible
5> Having another one of my best buds - Dave Heel, singing Eye of the Tiger on my voicemail the day before Ironman, and then having him run with me out on the course during the race before I became completely crippled. He has been such a great friend and supporter along with folks like Hoz, Ron and Linda and the entire crew at Rackets and Runners and my run club - but none of them have ever serenaded me on the phone before. That's brotherly love ya'all.
4> The GymSkinz PubCrawls / Runs - coming to a city near you! and all the crazy weekend training trips or training camps I did. We sure got up to some nutty group outings which broke the monotony of training and made it fun the whole way. Even crazier stuff planned for 2007 as the Ironman participants crew has grown
3> Seeing the entire IronFan crew ALLLLL over the course supporting Tara, Larry, Harry, Mike and myself on race day - especially with Hoz and Ron in the wigs and getting emails from tons of people saying - "I remember the afro guys on the course!". Then, seeing ALL of my other friends (old and newfound friends during the race itself) cross that finish line - I couldn't be more proud of each of them. Sometimes I forget that *I* even did the race because so many elements of the journey to Ironman involved being with my friends and dragging them through the whole process even though they weren't racing at all - the race itself was just icing on the cake and I felt like I was doing it to thank them for all the support along the way. They made this whole process that much more enjoyable and it was amazing to share the experience with each and every one of them. The sendoff party the crew held for Larry, Tara, Harry, Mike and Me was just fantastic - just an amazing group of supporters this whole year (couple pics below and in the GymSkinZ Nation photo album). The IronFan crew will definitely be a force to reckon with in 2007 - who wants to join in on the fun?!
2> Running with my Dad down the home stretch at Ironman, and then seeing my Mom just before crossing the finish line. Out of the tens of thousands of people lining the course, even though she's a mere 4'11" and 95 pounds and I could probably put her in my back pocket, I saw and heard my Mom like she was the only one cheering... it was absolutely one of the best things I've ever felt having them both there to see me participate that day & something I will never ever forget.
1> I'm going to leave this one blank cuz I think there's still many more great things in store for the remainder of the year. Just wait till 2007
Lastly, don't forget to drop by the GymSkinZ Nation group and read the latest bulletin for my October Free Shwag Promo!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tav.
www.GymSkinZ.com
Gettin Antsy....
Ok, so it's been ONE MONTH since Ironman already... holy shiznit time flies! I remember when I first contemplated doing Ironman Canada and I had 86 weeks before the race - that went by in a blink of an eye and it seemed like yesterday when I was saying to myself - I have so much bloody time to prepare, it'll be no problem! Of course, that was back in January of this year and before I knew it, there was 8.6 weeks left and I still hadn't figured out my swimming... If you ever want to have your perception of time completely skewed, start training for an Ironman!
Anyway, I've done a whole lot of fack all the last 3 weeks which is supposed to be a GOOD thing. It's the "transition" phase of training before starting the build for the next event, and in my case, I have 5 more races before the end of the year.. yes FIVE. Mind you, they are only 5, 8 and 10km running races, then a half marathon in November, and finally the California Marathon down in Sacramento followed immediately by a BLOW-OUT year end celebration in Vegas, so suffice to say it's going to be a complete gong-show fall & winter! All this will then roll into 2007 when my block 1 of Ironman 2007 training will begin and I have to get all serious again... or something like that.
After taking some time off, it's given me a chance to reflect on the past year and it's really nice having that feeling of accomplishing something other than "just making it through another year". Beating my "buoyancy problem", well, at least getting some control of it cuz I still sink like a brick, but overcoming my fear and lack of confidence for swimming in open water was HUGE for me - as much of a challenge as Ironman itself and the challenge was sure a LOT longer - like literally a whole year of utter frustration and disappointment. Now, I LOVE swimming despite the fact that I'm still slow as hell (76 year old sister Madonna Buder beat me out of the water by almost a minute - she's one of the gals you saw on the Ironman 2005 special last year.) In any case, that will change this coming year - I guarantee you ;) Regardless, the last 9 months have been pretty great and the completion of Ironman was a great way to end off the summer. Here's hoping to an equally as exciting and fun-filled 2007, and look forward to sharing the experience with all 'yalls
Having said that, although this is typically something saved for the end of the year, to date, here are my top 10 highlights of 2006 - and more to come I'm sure. Not necessarily in order of importance.
10> Starting GymSkinZ.com. What started as a mere "joke project on the side" because my training buddies and I had a couple funny sayings that I thought would be great on a t-shirt, my shirts have now been spotted all around the globe in over 30 countries and between my blog and podcast have had over 6,000 visits and downloads. Mostly because many of you have helped me spread the word - so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Tell your friends about GymSkinZ, and if they pick up a shirt and mention your name, you'll probably get an email from me asking for your shipping address cuz I'll send you a freebie! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!
9> Getting on MySpace (Thanks Tom) to market my company which in turn allowed me to re-connect with some great friends I haven't seen since high-school (Stella, Linda, Kellee) as well as introduced me to SO MANY other great people around the world (the list is way too long, but here's a few - Kathy, Dara, Jen, Paige, Sean, Michael, Scott, Liz, Sarah, Nathan, Lindsay, Amy, Dan, Becky, Robert, Perry, Corbin, (the list goes on and on and on) as well as EVERYONE else I correspond with via my group and ALL OF YOU other peeps I didn't mention that take time out of your busy lives to email me to say hello, or to comment on this blog or my "You Don't Have To Win, You Just Have To TRI" Triathlon PodCast. EVERYONE on here has been so great.
8> Getting a few races under my belt - like completing the Oliver Half-Iron despite completely panicking during the swim and coming out 6th last out of the water, then finishing 2nd overall in Squamish Triathlon Relay (obviously, I didn't do the swim ha ha) w/ Tara and Hoz, doing the Penticton Peach Classic and crashing on the ride, doing the run concussed. Then only a week after Ironman, doing the Vancouver Triathlon and placing 3rd in the men's relay division with Jeff and Hoz - two of the finest athletes I know.
7> Watching a few of my best buds do the Boston Marathon. Now if I could only shave about 20 minutes off my own time, maybe I'll get to run it myself... sheeez.... maybe when I'm 50.
6> The birth of one my best buddy's son - Way to go Jim! Uncle Tav will be getting baby Tai into the pool and on a bike as soon as possible
5> Having another one of my best buds - Dave Heel, singing Eye of the Tiger on my voicemail the day before Ironman, and then having him run with me out on the course during the race before I became completely crippled. He has been such a great friend and supporter along with folks like Hoz, Ron and Linda and the entire crew at Rackets and Runners and my run club - but none of them have ever serenaded me on the phone before. That's brotherly love ya'all.
4> The GymSkinz PubCrawls / Runs - coming to a city near you! and all the crazy weekend training trips or training camps I did. We sure got up to some nutty group outings which broke the monotony of training and made it fun the whole way. Even crazier stuff planned for 2007 as the Ironman participants crew has grown
3> Seeing the entire IronFan crew ALLLLL over the course supporting Tara, Larry, Harry, Mike and myself on race day - especially with Hoz and Ron in the wigs and getting emails from tons of people saying - "I remember the afro guys on the course!". Then, seeing ALL of my other friends (old and newfound friends during the race itself) cross that finish line - I couldn't be more proud of each of them. Sometimes I forget that *I* even did the race because so many elements of the journey to Ironman involved being with my friends and dragging them through the whole process even though they weren't racing at all - the race itself was just icing on the cake and I felt like I was doing it to thank them for all the support along the way. They made this whole process that much more enjoyable and it was amazing to share the experience with each and every one of them. The sendoff party the crew held for Larry, Tara, Harry, Mike and Me was just fantastic - just an amazing group of supporters this whole year (couple pics below and in the GymSkinZ Nation photo album). The IronFan crew will definitely be a force to reckon with in 2007 - who wants to join in on the fun?!
2> Running with my Dad down the home stretch at Ironman, and then seeing my Mom just before crossing the finish line. Out of the tens of thousands of people lining the course, even though she's a mere 4'11" and 95 pounds and I could probably put her in my back pocket, I saw and heard my Mom like she was the only one cheering... it was absolutely one of the best things I've ever felt having them both there to see me participate that day & something I will never ever forget.
1> I'm going to leave this one blank cuz I think there's still many more great things in store for the remainder of the year. Just wait till 2007
Lastly, don't forget to drop by the GymSkinZ Nation group and read the latest bulletin for my October Free Shwag Promo!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tav.
www.GymSkinZ.com
GymSkinZ Triathlon Apparel Newsletter - September 2006
Official GymSkinZ Newsletter - September issue
Vol. 3 - September 12, 2006
In This Issue:
September Newsletter !
Ironman Canada 2006 !
Dri-Fit / Technical Fiber Series !
Quality Control !
New Designs !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. September Newsletter !
Welcome to another installment of the GymSkinZ Inc. official newsletter! If you are receiving this, it means you sent me your contact info via my website so thank you for dropping by!
The last 6 months were a complete and utter circus act while getting prepared to race at Ironman Canada. However, now that it's FINALLY over, I can focus on continuing to build GymSkinZ and riding the momentum from this summer into the fall. The off-season will bring many big changes and I want to thank everyone for their great support and patience over the last 6 months as I struggled to get this little project off the ground - and it's still just hovering a few inches off the ground as far as I'm concerned. Now that I think about it, GymSkinZ is already 6 months old?!? In that blink of an eye, I've got my gear in over 25 different countries, and I'm closing in on my 1000th shirt sold! Like I said, big things are in the works, so hang on for the ride ;)
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Ironman Canada 2006 !
So the whole reason I started this little t-shirt thing was to "celebrate" the fun of being a weekend-warrior triathlete. I am fortunate enough to train and associate with some of the coolest and fun people you could ever meet, so our antics inspired many - if not all - of my GymSkinZ designs.
The road to Ironman Canada was a looong and somewhat painful one, but after completing the race a couple weeks ago, albeit BARELY, I can look back and say it was one of THE MOST AMAZING and life-altering experiences I've ever had. In that long journey to the proverbial finish line, I met so many great people along the way and can not express how proud I am of my fellow "Iron-People" for their accomplishment. I'd like to acknowledge the following friends and fellow athletes whom I had the pleasure of training / dog-paddling / panicking / encouraging / corresponding / supporting / laughing / racing / crawling / puking / finishing & celebrating with over the past year: In no particular order of importance : Hoz, Ron, Tara, Harry, DH, Larry, Matthew, Jenny, Sheryl, Shannon, Linda, Lara, Kristina, Charles, Michelle, Heather, all the Mikes, Johns & and Daves, Anita, Dominque, Patty, Jordan, Anthony, Lucy, Lis, Dean, Steve, Kathie, Bill, Michaella, Gerry, Ben, Kev, Jenny, Stella, Jen, Dara, Kathy, my Mom & Dad and family, all the mySpacers and PodCast Subscribers, customers, and ALL other friends - old and new, that made this crazy adventure so amazing, and so much FUN! The journey continues as we have many other races slated throughout the next year - GymSkinZ takes this travelling circus act on the road to Chicago in October, the California marathon in December, and we'll blow out the year down in Vegas right after. God knows what may happen next year in L.A., and perhaps even Austin?!? In any case, all roads will lead to the 25th Anniversary of Ironman Canada next August 2007 when Ron, Matthew, Tara, Larry, Harry and I (along with a few more of the crew) plan for another round of punishment.
For my full 2006 Ironman Canada race report and podcast from last week, please visit the following link - enjoy! and speaking of podcasts, check out PodFitness. Have personalized training plans and audio coaching right on your iPod! Visit PodFitness today!
Link: http://blog.myspace.com/gymskinz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Dri-Fit / Technical Fiber Series !
The new and improved GymSkinZ Performance line of technical tops are finally in! These are my own custom design and are made from "Chitosante Interlock" dri-fit material - like butta! They are also designed in a separate mens and ladies fit. A few selected GymSkinZ designs will be released using these tops in the next couple week in addition to the two-tone unisex versions I have in production. Stay tuned!
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com/techfiber.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Quality Control !
I am still using the services of Cafepress to produce most of my designs so most of you are receiving your items direct from them. I don't actually get to see or touch the product before you get it, so please let me know if you have any shipping or sizing issues or anything else about your purchasing experience. All purchases are backed by a 30day 100% money-back guarantee so if you need a different size or the shirt wasn't what you expected and you'd like to exchange it for another style, I (and cafepress) will be glad to resolve the problem!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. New Designs !
TONS of new designs are in the works! Now that Ironman is over, I have a little more time to devote to my little t-shirt biz so please stay tuned! Just drop by the news section on my site often, or browse the catalog for any new updates. With the upcoming offseason, there will be a few designs in honour of "getting lazy while sitting on the couch", as well as the release of my NerdSkinZ line which have absolutely nothing to do with sports, but are still just as hillarious ;)
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com/news.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGAIN, thank you EVERYONE for your continued support and helping spread the word about GymSkinZ!
Take care and catch up with you soon!
Tav.
www.gymskinz.com
Vol. 3 - September 12, 2006
In This Issue:
September Newsletter !
Ironman Canada 2006 !
Dri-Fit / Technical Fiber Series !
Quality Control !
New Designs !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. September Newsletter !
Welcome to another installment of the GymSkinZ Inc. official newsletter! If you are receiving this, it means you sent me your contact info via my website so thank you for dropping by!
The last 6 months were a complete and utter circus act while getting prepared to race at Ironman Canada. However, now that it's FINALLY over, I can focus on continuing to build GymSkinZ and riding the momentum from this summer into the fall. The off-season will bring many big changes and I want to thank everyone for their great support and patience over the last 6 months as I struggled to get this little project off the ground - and it's still just hovering a few inches off the ground as far as I'm concerned. Now that I think about it, GymSkinZ is already 6 months old?!? In that blink of an eye, I've got my gear in over 25 different countries, and I'm closing in on my 1000th shirt sold! Like I said, big things are in the works, so hang on for the ride ;)
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Ironman Canada 2006 !
So the whole reason I started this little t-shirt thing was to "celebrate" the fun of being a weekend-warrior triathlete. I am fortunate enough to train and associate with some of the coolest and fun people you could ever meet, so our antics inspired many - if not all - of my GymSkinZ designs.
The road to Ironman Canada was a looong and somewhat painful one, but after completing the race a couple weeks ago, albeit BARELY, I can look back and say it was one of THE MOST AMAZING and life-altering experiences I've ever had. In that long journey to the proverbial finish line, I met so many great people along the way and can not express how proud I am of my fellow "Iron-People" for their accomplishment. I'd like to acknowledge the following friends and fellow athletes whom I had the pleasure of training / dog-paddling / panicking / encouraging / corresponding / supporting / laughing / racing / crawling / puking / finishing & celebrating with over the past year: In no particular order of importance : Hoz, Ron, Tara, Harry, DH, Larry, Matthew, Jenny, Sheryl, Shannon, Linda, Lara, Kristina, Charles, Michelle, Heather, all the Mikes, Johns & and Daves, Anita, Dominque, Patty, Jordan, Anthony, Lucy, Lis, Dean, Steve, Kathie, Bill, Michaella, Gerry, Ben, Kev, Jenny, Stella, Jen, Dara, Kathy, my Mom & Dad and family, all the mySpacers and PodCast Subscribers, customers, and ALL other friends - old and new, that made this crazy adventure so amazing, and so much FUN! The journey continues as we have many other races slated throughout the next year - GymSkinZ takes this travelling circus act on the road to Chicago in October, the California marathon in December, and we'll blow out the year down in Vegas right after. God knows what may happen next year in L.A., and perhaps even Austin?!? In any case, all roads will lead to the 25th Anniversary of Ironman Canada next August 2007 when Ron, Matthew, Tara, Larry, Harry and I (along with a few more of the crew) plan for another round of punishment.
For my full 2006 Ironman Canada race report and podcast from last week, please visit the following link - enjoy! and speaking of podcasts, check out PodFitness. Have personalized training plans and audio coaching right on your iPod! Visit PodFitness today!
Link: http://blog.myspace.com/gymskinz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Dri-Fit / Technical Fiber Series !
The new and improved GymSkinZ Performance line of technical tops are finally in! These are my own custom design and are made from "Chitosante Interlock" dri-fit material - like butta! They are also designed in a separate mens and ladies fit. A few selected GymSkinZ designs will be released using these tops in the next couple week in addition to the two-tone unisex versions I have in production. Stay tuned!
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com/techfiber.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Quality Control !
I am still using the services of Cafepress to produce most of my designs so most of you are receiving your items direct from them. I don't actually get to see or touch the product before you get it, so please let me know if you have any shipping or sizing issues or anything else about your purchasing experience. All purchases are backed by a 30day 100% money-back guarantee so if you need a different size or the shirt wasn't what you expected and you'd like to exchange it for another style, I (and cafepress) will be glad to resolve the problem!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. New Designs !
TONS of new designs are in the works! Now that Ironman is over, I have a little more time to devote to my little t-shirt biz so please stay tuned! Just drop by the news section on my site often, or browse the catalog for any new updates. With the upcoming offseason, there will be a few designs in honour of "getting lazy while sitting on the couch", as well as the release of my NerdSkinZ line which have absolutely nothing to do with sports, but are still just as hillarious ;)
Link: http://www.gymskinz.com/news.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGAIN, thank you EVERYONE for your continued support and helping spread the word about GymSkinZ!
Take care and catch up with you soon!
Tav.
www.gymskinz.com
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