Triathlon participation is booming. The number of racers grew to 1.2 million U.S. triathletes in 2009, an 11% jump from 2008 and a 50% jump from 2007.
- The Wall Street Journal

I have written extensively about the business of triathlon, citing multiple sources on the regional economic development benefits of hosting a triathlon. Projecting from 2010 data on the demographics of triathlon from USA Triathlon (USAT), U.S. participation in triathlons in 2011 could exceed 2 million.  That's a lot of "heads in beds" - visitors who stay in an area's lodging, eat in its restaurants, shop in its store, like what they see and consider relocating their corporate offices, buy houses...

The USAT-sanctioned TriAdventure Summer Sprint Triathlon will be held on Sunday, June 26, 2011 beginning at 7:00 AM ET in Christiansburg, Virginia, currently with over 200 participants.  Here are thorough, comprehensive official event details from TriAdventure (.pdf), the event's organizers. I've yet to swim in the pool, but I did check out the bike and run courses and consult with TriAdventure, so, on the business of doing the triathlon in Christiansburg, Virginia, I have a pre-race competitive intelligence report for readers of Handshake 2.0.

First a quick overview:  The "tri" in triathlon refers to the three sports comprising the event - swimming, biking, running, usually in that order, often termed "legs," i.e. swim leg, bike leg, etc. What really happens, though, is a participant swims, changes into bike gear during a transition - termed "Transition 1" or "T1" - bikes, changes into run gear during "Transition 2" or "T2," then runs.  Each phase - swim, T1, bike, T2, run - is timed.  I usually finish in the bottom 10th of women overall, but my T2 rocks - I finished 63rd of 80 women in the race but was 4th of women overall for T2 at the recent Salem YMCA Sprint Triathlon (results page) - because I was taught - by the man himself! - the Coach Jim McGehee T2 Technique(TM) - (trademark symbol added by me!)

Second, it's never too late to do a triathlon.  Online registration may have closed, but unless the race cap has been filled, on-site registration is permitted and speedy thanks to triathlon production company Set Up Events.  The TriAdventure Summer Sprint starts at 7:00 AM, the transition area opens at 5:00 AM, and all participants are asked to arrive by 6:00 AM, so I'd recommend arriving between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM for on-site registration.  Important, though - a picture ID is mandatory.

Third, "I can't swim AND bike AND run!" is not a problem.  Relays are welcome!  Get some friends to go with you and do the parts you can't.  You can also do two of the three legs yourself and take a ringer along with you to make up the difference.

Fourth, watching a triathlon is an intense sports spectator experience. Without stands, spectators get to watch the athleticism of brave little kids to stalwart granddads, from novices to seasoned professionals, speeding from sport to sport.   

Fifth, parking is always a pain at a triathlon.  Hundreds converge on an event facility usually with a hundred parking spaces.  A spot or two may be available at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center, but I'll park in the designated overflow spaces at Christiansburg High School, put my gear in my backpack, and bike downhill to the CAC. Here's a Google Maps link showing my plan. 

Inside scoop on the TriAdventure Summer Sprint Triathlon:  The transition area will be in the back of the Christiansburg Aquatic Center (CAC). Participants who have completed the swim leg will exit out the back of the CAC to the transition area for T1.  With their bikes, they'll head up the short hill out of the CAC, turn right onto Mill Lane, then turn right onto Depot Street.  When they return to the transition area for T2 to prepare for the run leg, they'll head up the short hill out of the CAC on foot, turn right onto Mill Lane, then left onto Depot Street.  Bike is to the right, run is to the left.

Please click the image for a larger view of the bike course.

The bike leg is an "out-and-back" - out one way, back the same way - from Depot Street through various streets to Mudpike Road.  Mudpike is newly paved, has only a few rolling hills, so it will be perfect for first-timers and very fast for cyclists!  For spectators, I recommend walking out Mill Lane to Depot Street because the home stretch is a hill and that's where you'll see the real drama of a triathlon - the heroism of the mom determinedly pedaling to finish her first triathlon at 50, the nationally-ranked triathlete, slim and cut, impossibly accelerating the steeper the hill gets. Once they pass, take a look at the numbers inked in black marker on their calves and marvel at their ages.

The run leg?  Well, let's just say the steep downhill start to the out-and-back through scenic Cambria means a steep uphill finish.  Other hills will provide pleasant surroundings for those of us who will be out there with plenty of time to look around.  My 5K time a month ago at Salem was 44 minutes, so I'll be cheering "You go!" as fellow triathletes pass.  Again, for spectators of athleticism, the place to be will be that final uphill on Depot Street, but most fans will be at the race finish, currently planned for the front of the CAC, listening for the name of their rock star triathlete to be announced over the loudspeaker!

Please click the image to see a larger view of the run course.

A note:  I am one of a team of individuals who attempted to create the first USA Triathlon-sanctioned sprint triathlon event in the New River Valley of Virginia.  We organized the race two years in a row, then had to cancel it twice due to construction delays past promised completion dates at the event facility.  Do I wish I were writing about that event rather than the TriAdventure Summer Sprint Triathlon 2011, the true first USAT-sanctioned triathlon to be held in the New River Valley?  Yes, I do.  Even now, I still feel crestfallen. That was a huge disappointment.  Ah, well. I don't apologize for being a dreamer and I'm so grateful TriAdventure made sanctioned triathlon happen in the New River Valley. I did my best to be the very first to register for the TriAdventure Tri to show my support and belief. And I'm still dreaming - and predicting - the New River Valley of Virginia will be a destination site for triathlons and multisport events.

Hope to see you, to quote my father, "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," early Sunday morning at the TriAdventure Summer Sprint Triathlon!

***

You're invited to read more about the business of triathlon on Handshake 2.0.

Handshake 2.0 is a sponsor of the New River Valley Triathlon. Coldwell Banker Townside, Realtors, BlacksburgLodging.com and One-on-One Endurance are clients of Handshake Media, Incorporated, the parent company of Handshake 2.0.

Triathlon participation is booming. The number of racers grew to 1.2 million U.S. triathletes in 2009, an 11% jump from 2008 and a 50% jump from 2007.
- The Wall Street Journal

Handshake 2.0 is a fan of triathlon.  We've written extensively about the business of triathlon.

I'm getting ready to join the over one million in the U.S. - possibly two million when the final count is in - who will do triathlons in 2011.  I'll attempt to register for 5 sprint triathlons near Handshake 2.0's headquarters in Blacksburg, Virginia.

This will be my 5th season to register for triathlons and I have developed a process that I'm glad to share.  While my systen has evolved primarily from registering for triathlons produced by Set Up Events, it may prove of general value to others as well.  A portion of this post is excerpted from the previous piece I wrote on having triathlon fever.

Registration for the Virginia Triathlon Series from Set Up Events is currently scheduled to open the first week of January, 2011.  Set Up Events produces races throughout the southeast United States.  Races in different locales and states may have different opening dates from the ones described here, and registration dates may change, so for the latest information, please see the Set Up Events site.

To qualify for a Virginia Triathlon Series award, a triathlete must complete 5 races.  Residents of Blacksburg, Virginia and the surrounding New River Valley of Virginia now have 5 sprint triathlons within a 3-hour drive. 

Here are the 5 sprint triathlons in Virginia closest to the New River Valley in order by date:

Angels Race, 5/1 - Lynchburg, VA
Appalachian Power Smith Mountain Lake, 5/7 - Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Salem YMCA Sprint, 6/5 - Salem, VA
Bath County Triathlon, 6/18 - Warm Springs, VA (near the The Homestead)
TriAdventure Summer Sprint, 6/26 - Christiansburg, VA

Registration for the races listed above is currently scheduled to open Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 7:00 AM Eastern time.  The registration fee for each of these races is $60 for individuals and $110 for relay teams.  Handling fees are added to this total before payment.

Since triathlon is a booming sport, demand can exceed supply, and other triathletes will have their fingers poised over their keyboards, competing for coveted spots in the most valued races, here are suggestions on how to increase the chances you'll get in the race - or races! - of your choice.

Take care of business well before registration day.

• Consider becoming a member of USA Triathlon to receive a discount on handling fees.  The current membership fee is $39 for one year.
• Register with Set Up Events now to create a Member Profile.  Entering a USA Triathlon Membership number is optional.  
• Create a PayPal account or update your current account.  Set Up Events uses PayPal to accept registration fees and does not accept mail-in registration with cash or checks. or payment in other forms.  Added 1/5/2011:  Set Up Events also accepts credit and debit cards, uses PayPal to process them, but this does not require a PayPal account.  (Set Up's policies are here.) If you already use PayPal, log in to make sure you have the right user name and password, and check to make sure your payment information is current.

Plan for registration day.

• Make a list of the races you want to enter in the order of priority to you.
• If you want to register for a race with a pool swim, as compared to one with an open water swim, you'll be asked for your swim time.  Here's how to estimate your 100-yard swim time so you'll be ready to enter that number quickly. 

Before registration opens, have these items ready.

• Your list of races.
• Your 100-year swim time, if needed.
• Your Set Up Events Member profile login information.
• Your PayPal login information, or the credit card of debit card you plan to use.

Ready, set, register!

• Be at your computer and log in to Set Up Events well before registration opens.  For those who want to register for the nearest sprint triathlon in the New River Valley, here's the link for the Triadventure Summer Sprint Triathlon. 
• Go to the link of the race you most want to enter.  In the upper right-hand corner, you'll see a black button that says "Closed Event." 
• Just before 7:00 AM on registration morning, start clicking refresh.  When registration opens, that button will turn from "Closed Event" to "Register."
• Click "Register"! 
• Follow the directions.  Done! 
• Go to the link for the next race on your priority list.  

Repeat until you've registered for all your races!  Good luck!

***

Handshake 2.0 is a sponsor of the much-anticipated New River Valley Triathlon and supports the economic and charitable benefits that will ensue.  We believe the New River Valley will be a destination site for triathlons and multisport events.

I'm passionate about triathlon in Blacksburg, Virginia. Those in the Blacksburg, Virginia area who are also passionate about triathlon - or want to get that way, or wonder why anyone would want to swim, bike and and run one after the other! - are invited to a series of free seminars by Coach Jim McGehee, "Let's Talk Triathlon."

The first seminar, "10 Specific Tips for Racing Faster in 2011," will be held on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room at the Blacksburg branch of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library.

According to Jim, he will start each session with a short PowerPoint presentation on a specific aspect of triathlon, but he adds, "No doubt the conversation will expand to meet the needs of those attending. Open discussion and sharing triathlon specific information will be the goal here!"

For more information about the "Let's Talk Triathlon" series and upcoming seminars, here's the Let's Talk Triathlon series flyer (.pdf).

Coach Jim McGehee heads One-on-One Endurance, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia.  One-on-One Endurance provides triathlon coaching and individualized triathlon training plans for athletes with goals, dreams and passions.  You're invited to visit One-on-One Endurance on Facebook.

One-on-One Endurance is a client of Handshake Media, Incorporated, the parent company of Handshake 2.0.

Yes, I've got it.

I've had triathlon fever since I saw my first sprint triathlon watching Mr. Handshake 2.0 race in 2007 - the Angels Race in Lynchburg, Virginia - after which I began immediately to dream of the New River Valley Triathlon for the Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford regions of Virginia. I started a triathlon training blog, did my first event in 2008 - the next year's Angels Race as a relay with friends - and have completed 13 sprint triathlons solo since then.

About triathlons, I am passionate both for myself and for regional economic development.  Triathlons are big business news:  Triathlons create companies, generate a local triathlon economy, and offer local opportunities for triathletes to be consumers and customers.

Set Up Events announced its Virginia Triathlon Series schedule for 2011 yesterday, December 1, 2010.

To receive a Virginia Triathlon Series award, a triathlete must complete 5 races.  Residents of Blacksburg, Virginia, home of Handshake 2.0's headquarters, now have 5 sprint triathlons within a 3-hour drive.  I have a vision that the New River Valley will be a triathlon and multisport destination itself.  Some day, local residents will be able to join visitors in swimming, biking and running in many, many venues.  In the meantime, I'm planning my 3-hour-drive-radius 2011 triathlon season!

Here are the 5 sprint triathlons in Virginia closest to Blacksburg:

Angels Race, 5/1 - Lynchburg, VA
Appalachian Power Smith Mountain Lake, 5/7 - Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Roanoke Valley YMCA Sprint, 6/5 - Salem, VA
Bath County Triathlon, 6/18 - Warm Springs, VA (near the The Homestead)
TriAdventure Summer Sprint, 6/26 - Christiansburg, VA

I've never done an international distance triathlon before, but I'm tempted to set a new goal and try the Big Lick Triathlon on 9/24 at Smith Mountain Lake.

And this sprint triathlon in Beckley, West Virginia, also only a few hours drive, is the most fun triathlon I've ever done - I just whooped on the bike leg because the steep hills are so close together it's like riding a roller coaster:  Glade Springs Charlie Williamson Memorial Triathlon 8/13 - Beckley, WV.

I will be at my computer at 6:45 AM eastern time on Wednesday, January 5, 2011.  Why?  Because registration for the Virginia Triathlon Series opens at 7:00 AM, triathlon is a booming sport, demand exceeds supply, and others with triathlon fever will have their fingers poised over their keyboards, too, competing with me for spots in the races! 

If you want to join me in triathlon fever, here are my suggestions on how to increase the chances you'll get in the race - or races! - of your choice.

Register with Set Up Events now.  Consider becoming a member of USA Triathlon to receive a discount on registration fees.  You'll need a credit card to register - cash or checks are not accepted.  If you register for a race with a pool swim, as compared to one with an open water swim, you'll be asked for your swim time.  Here's how to estimate your 100-yard swim time so you'll be ready to enter that number quickly. Make a list of the races you want to enter in the order of priority to you.  Be at your computer and log in to Set Up Events well before 7:00 AM.  Go to the link of the race you most want to enter.  Here's the link for the Triadventure Summer Sprint Triathlon, the closest to Blacksburg.  In the upper right-hand corner, you'll see a black button that says "Closed Event."  Just before 7:00 AM on registration morning, start clicking refresh.  When registration opens, that button will turn from "Closed Event" to "Register"! Click "Register"!  Follow the directions.  Done!  Go to the link for the next race on your priority list.  Repeat like a maniac until you've registered for all your races!

That is, if you've got triathlon fever. :)

***

You're invited to read more about triathlon on Handshake 2.0 and about the New River Valley Triathlon on Handshake 2.0.

“One might expect that most high-impact companies would be in high-technology industries where technological change has been rapid…The empirical evidence suggests that economies that are more diversified will grow more rapidly than ones that are more specialized.”
- Small Business Administration

Diversifying the local economy in Blacksburg, Virginia are two triathlon companies, One-on-One Endurance, founded in 2002 by Jim McGehee, and TriAdventure Multisport Coaching & Fitness founded by Anne Jones Thompson in 2003.  

As we mentioned in Doing Business with Triathletes and A Local Triathlon Economy, swimming, biking, running can be good for business.

Ah, the swimming.  Ask someone about doing a triathlon and the invariable reply is, "I can't swim!" or "I'd die in the swim!" or "I wouldn't want anyone to see me swim!"

Being one who tends to be a leaper rather than a toe-dipper, I decided I was going to do a first sprint triathlon not having had a swim lesson since 1969, having a personal distance record of 6 miles on a hybrid bike, and the fitness to jog one 1/9 mile lap at The Weight Club, then walk the next, for a total of one mile.

I got in the pool with the TriAdventure group, swam up and back, then gasped, almost sobbing with disappointment to Anne Jones Thompson, "I can only do 50s!" "Then do 50s!" she said.  And that's how I got started swimming again.  One 50 at a time.

With the "I wouldn't want anyone to see me swim!" part, sometimes someone else going first helps. Okay, fine.  So, not only can you see me swim, you can see my swimming analyzed by Coach Jim McGehee.  Nice hat, eh? And how about the still with my mouth open?  Great.

Doing a triathlon - swimming, biking, running - can diversify and grow an individual's fitness program.  That sounds just like what triathletes, their spending, and the companies that support them can do for a local economy.

***

"We want the New River Valley Triathlon HERE!" That's what organizers and sponsors of the New River Valley Triathlon would welcome hearing from a venue with a pool in the New River Valley.  If you're that venue, please contact the New River Valley Triathlon.

You're invited to read more about triathlon on Handshake 2.0.

One-on-One Endurance and Handshake 2.0 are sponsors of the New River Valley Triathlon.

"The endurance athletes who ran up two mountains in Roanoke's [Virginia] first marathon in 24 years brought with them $350,000 in economic activity, event organizers said...The marathon 'is drawing attention to the world about our valley having this great outdoors'...Organizers said they expect twice as many participants to register for next year's event...'it exposes us to other people outside of the region who will come back to visit or - even better - come live here or open a business here."
- The Roanoke Times

Hosting a New River Valley Triathlon in Virginia has been a dream since 2007.  While the event has yet to occur, and it will be very nice when it does happen, the contribution of a single triathlon to regional economic development is only the beginning of revenue generation.  A local triathlon creates a local triathlon economy.

As we mentioned in Doing Business with Triathletes, Set Up Events, a major triathlon production company, describes the business value of "The Coveted Triathlete Demographic."  While I don't meet all the criteria, as a business owner, I would covet me. I spend.

Much of my triathlon spending is public knowledge.  As of the writing of this post, I am the Mayor of The Weight Club and the Blacksburg Aquatic Center in Blacksburg, Virginia on Foursquare, a gelocation application, sort of like Facebook with places.  This is no surprise.  I'm in training for a 2010 sprint triathlon season so I frequent both places regularly to improve my swimming, biking, running and overall strength.   (You're invited to read about Foursquare on Handshake 2.0 if you'd like to know more about our Foursquare experiences.) 

I pay $419 for a yearly membership as an individual at The Weight Club. That's over a $1 a day I contribute to the revenue of The Weight Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with 70 employees.

We have a family membership at the Blacksburg Aquatic Center which is more, but I would pay $230 for a yearly membership as an individual.  That's 63 cents per day I contribute to the revenue of the Blacksburg Aquatic Center, a municipal facility funded by tax dollars with 40 employees.

As a triathlete, I create jobs. 

And that's just through athletic facilities memberships.

Don't get me started on how much I spend on triathlon gear.

But "getting started" is an important topic.  How did I get started doing my first sprint triathlon at age 50?  I was inspired by others.  Was I a member of The Weight Club before I was a triathlete?  You bet.  I'm a Foursquare-certified gym rat.  Was I a member of the Blacksburg Aquatic Center? No. Did I join when I became interested in triathlon and then pay an instructor for my first swimming lesson since 1969? Yes.  And did I have a bike? No.  Did I buy one at East Coasters? Yes...

Triathlon has an appeal that gets people started, regardless of age or in what condition they begin.  People training for triathlons, often their first, find each other, call themselves triathletes, and create a triathlon community.  They join athletic facilities and buy bikes... 

Hosting a triathlon in a locale can speed the evolution of a region-enriching local triathlon economy.

***

Triathlon is one of many athletic endeavors that falls under the category of "multisport." I envsion the New River Valley of Virginia with a multisport destiny.

"We want the New River Valley Triathlon HERE!" That's what organizers and sponsors of the New River Valley Triathlon would welcome hearing from a venue with a pool in the New River Valley.  If you're that venue, please contact the New River Valley Triathlon.

"Economically the event is said to have infused between seven and ten million dollars into the local economy."
- About the Ironman held in St. George, Utah for the first time in 2010

What local economy wouldn't want those kinds of dollars?

"After only three years in existence, the Hy-Vee Des Moines ITU Elite Cup has already become one of the most important triathlon events in the world, consistently drawing the fastest athletes in the world to Des Moines, Iowa..."

Des Moines?

Why not the New River Valley?

Handshake 2.0 is a proud sponsor of the New River Valley Triathlon, a sprint triathlon in need of a venue.  We continue to hope that it will exist soon as part of the Virginia Triathlon Series produced by Set Up Events.

As a company, we'd like to do business with triathletes.

Why?

USA Triathlon - the sanctioning authority for triathlons including the Olympic Games - has done comprehensive market analyses of the demographics of triathlon including The Mind of the Triathlete (.pdf). Set Up Events, in its Triathlon Sponsorships 2010 Overview (.pdf), highlights key points of those studies:

The Coveted Triathlete Demographic

• 81% [are] 18-49
• Largest age groups are 30-39 and 40-44
• Median age: 41
• 59.6% male - 39.5% female
• 98% have attended college
• 45% have a post-graduate degree
• 67% are business and community leaders between 30 and 50 years old
• Average [House-Hold Income] HHI: $174,600
• Mean [House-Hold Income] HHI: $133,200
• 93% gave purchasing advice in the past year to an average of 12 people

How many triathletes are there? 

24.8 percent more than last year, according to USA Triathlon.

In the New River Valley triathlete traveling area - North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Georgia and West Virginia - Set Up Events will register over 40,000 entries during the 2010 season.

Welcome, triathletes, to the New River Valley of Virginia! We don't quite have an event yet, but maybe you'd like to train here?  We'd welcome doing business with you.

***

Added 5/26/10:  According to The Roanoke Times, "The endurance athletes who ran up two mountains in Roanoke's [Virginia] first marathon in 24 years brought with them $350,000 in economic activity, event organizers said...The marathon 'is drawing attention to the world about our valley having this great outdoors'...Organizers said they expect twice as many participants to register for next year's event...'it exposes us to other people outside of the region who will come back to visit or - even better - come live here or open a business here."

When I posted links to Hunter Kemper's autograph on the Wheaties Fuel box and to triathlete and StellarOne banker Gretchen Weinnig's Valley Business FRONT photograph to the Roanoke Valley Triathlon Club, (Virginia) listserv, a triathlete named Mike replied to Gretchen, "May I have your autograph?"

Here's Gretchen's answer!

What's "S-B-R!"? Swim, Bike, Run - the three sports of triathlon!

Thank you, Gretchen, for being such a great sport! 

I speak from personal experience of your sportswomanship.  When we've been in triathlons together and  you've passed me - which would be in every single triathlon in which we've been together - you've always called me by name and cheered me on.  I respect and appreciate that.

 
Gretchen Weinnig of StellarOne in Roanoke, Virginia, is featured in the February 2010 issue of issue of Valley Business FRONT, the monthly magazine for in-depth business news in the Roanoke Valley and the New River Valley of Virginia. She discusses a small business loan program of broad interest.

Note from Handshake 2.0:  Gretchen Weinnig is a triathlete and placed first in her division in the Virginia Triathlon Series.

You're invited to read moreFRONT and to follow Valley Business FRONT on Twitter, @vbFRONT.

Photo credit:  Dan Smith, Valley Business FRONT

Well, not exactly.

I am a fan of the Breakfast of Champions and have spooned it down for decades.  Since taking up sprint triathlons two years ago at age 49 - I start training today for my third season - although I don't really follow the sport, I was delighted to see triathlete Hunter Kemper on the front of a Wheaties box. I went to the Wheaties site at the time and savored images of all the athletes on the packages (the site's redesign seems to have reduced the history to this .pdf).

Upon my return from the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference in Virginia, I found what, to me, was a personal gift from my husband - something I had never seen before:  a box of Wheaties Fuel. 

My box sports Terminator 2-like logo text and the serious-eyed Albert Pujols.

I like the cover.  It appeals to the tough, triathlete side of me.

I turned the box over.  Hunter Kemper again! Then...

I took a shot of the back with my BlackBerry and tweeted, "I'm guessing the target market of new Wheaties Fuel is guys."

Image source:  Handshake 2.0 on TwitPic

Ya think?!

Apparently, Wheaties Fuel, according to the New York Times, is For Those Who Want Their Cereal Extra Manly.  Also, apparently, women have traditionally made cereal purchases, but men increasingly "are taking over a lot more of the shopping occasions." In this case study of one,  Mr. Handshake 2.0's "shopping occasion" reached an unexpected customer:  a fan of the old product, willing to become a fan of the new one.

But a non-guy.

***

(Did I thoroughly savor, like a spoonful of Wheaties, writing the title of this post? Yes, I did.)