Manatees Dooo Eeeet!!!

NAME: Your jmkizer / Janyne

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA: Strava (https://www.strava.com/athletes/2586241), Twitter (@jmkizer).  I'm reluctantly on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jmkizer) but trying to get off. 

STORY: I'm 53, married with one dog, Zoe. We live near Raleigh, NC. I’ve worked at NCSU for 23+ years doing computer support. Most of that time has been working for NC State Extension supporting the offices in our 100 counties.

FAMILY STATUS: Married with one dog.

CURRENT TRAINING: I currently "outseason" block of training. I've been working with Endurance Nation for coaching/training plans for a little over a year. So far so good!

2021 RACES/EVENTS:

This is what I have penciled in on the calendar. I'm not sure what will actually happen. In fact, you may recognize this list of events from last year!

Assault on the Carolinas ride in April
IM 70.3 Chattanooga in May
Loudoun 1725 gravel ride in June

GOALS
Goals -- have fun! One of my goals for this year is to have more fun with training. I'd also like to get a gravel bike this year.

WHAT MAKES ME A GOOD MANATEE: I enjoy supporting my Manatee friends! I have learned a lot from past Manatee groups and I hope to learn from this group as well!

Thanks to Janyne for getting us started! 

In! 

NAME: Jen Snyder

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA: i use pretty well all - except Twitter - either my name or some variation of juniperjen176, and Garmin Connect is jkolstein. 

STORY: Been at it for a long while - started running in my mid 20's (which was mid-2000's) and loved everything about it. Ran a bunch of marathons. Met my future husband in one of the running groups i was in and he was into triathlons so that opened up a whole new world. Learned to swim and took it on. Did most distances up to IM. Now have a couple of kids and a busy life so trying to figure out what sort of triathlete i am in this phase of life. 

FAMILY STATUS: Married with 2 kids who are 3 and 7. We both work full-time. 

CURRENT TRAINING: Hired a coach and am in base training phase with a plan to start HIM build in the new year for IMMT 70.3. It's interesting in pandemic life as the pools here in Toronto are closed and have been since the end of November. So, here's hoping we'll get to a place where i can resume some sort of swim training :S 

THIS YEAR'S RACES/EVENTS: Planning IMMT 70.3 deferred from last year (which was supposed to be for my 40th birthday) at the end of June (fingers crossed)

GOALS/OBJECTIVES/DESIRES: I love the community - having a group who understands this crazy triathlon life and giving others support and kudos

WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD MANATEE: Because of above? Just love keeping up with others into tri (endurance sports) as sometimes it feels that not many others really do understand and give some sympathetic nods 

I can’t believe another year‘s gone by- but I am happy to put this one behind me!

NAME: Ann-Marie sometimes known as Hands by those who’ve been around here for awhile !

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA: Strava (https://www.strava.com/athletes/798950 . I have a Twitter account, but don’t generally use it and I’m on FB but mainly use it to look at the wire haired pointing Griffon page

STORY: I'm old, mostly single and have one dog, Teddy, the wire haired pointing Griffon. He has his own Strava account as TeddytheGriff (Strava.com/athletes/29558378) .  I live in Orlando, FL and work as in house counsel for the Sheriff. 

CURRENT TRAINING: I suffered a fractured patella and blown out bursa in April and since then have been struggling to have motivation to do any training! I haven’t been in the pool since March with the exception of 1x in June. Pools are opened ( hey, this is FL we don’t believe in COVID ), so my only excuse is lack of desire! I’ve kept a minimal bike base and for the last couple  months have sucked it up and been running pretty consistently. This fall I started training with Coach Lindsey Parry ( on-line) and other than the actual training, really like him .

January 4 the plan has me back in the pool and starting tri training. 

2021 RACES/EVENTS:

Like Janyne, everything on my 2021 calendar are rollovers from 2020. It will be interesting to see how many are an actual go - especially the first half of the year.

Gateway to the Smokies HM in April
IM 70.3 Chattanooga in May
Glacier HM in June

Harvest Half marathon in September

GOALS
Get back in shape and enjoy all the things!

WHAT MAKES ME A GOOD MANATEE: I enjoy supporting my Manatee friends! I have learned a lot from past Manatee groups and I hope to learn from this group as well! ( stolen from Janyne)

Name - cdban66/Chris/DubSix
OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA: @cdban on Twitter, @cdban66 on IG and Chris Banting on Facebook.

STORY: I have done tri's in the past, but that has pretty much become a bike riding thing at this point. I have a fixed gear, road bike, hardtail MTB, pub crawler reclaimed off of a neighbor's trash heap, and a recently added gravel bike. I am a board member with our local Off Road Riding group, SCORR. We now own a small camper and drag that around on occasional weekends to ride in different areas.

FAMILY STATUS: I am a 6’3”, 53 yr old male and I've been married for over 33 years. I have 2 girls, ages 30 and 32. My wife, Ann or TW (THE Wonder or Wife), is the most wonderful person a man could have in his life and is now riding an e-assist bike with me in the woods. DD1 was wed late in 2019 and DD2 was married in a small Covid shrunk ceremony in our front yard this past summer. We live in Florida.

CURRENT TRAINING: My primary focus right now is gravel. I enjoy riding mostly with TW, or a couple of guys from SCORR, or alone. PF has sucked the joy out of running for me and I was never really committed to swimming, so my triathlete years are pretty much behind me. Never say never though, I have been thinking about an Xterra event for a few years, but it truly doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon.

2021 RACES: Races?!?! I "participate" in "events" at this point. I need to get through the SCORR event "Piggy's Revenge" in February. And by get through, I mean work on it in the background as a volunteer. We are working on how to put on an event in these "challenging times". After that, I am open to anything that makes me smile and sweat.

2021 GOALS: I just want to stay in shape to be able to take advantage of other opportunities I get to spend time on the bike with friends. Oh yeah, remaining on the positive side of health statistics would be good too. One more thing on the to do list - help Janyne with her gravel bike purchase!

WHAT WOULD MAKE ME A GOOD MANATEE: I am not the fastest, but I am supportive, upbeat, and really do want to be a better rider. I have a pretty good understanding of the mechanics of a bike and am happy to (over)share that knowledge. I have become less involved in online things in general, and BT has not been immune to that. Hopefully, I can pick up my involvement a bit this year.

Welcome back Jen, Ann-Marie, and Chris!

Jen seems to be the most motivated one of us, at least regarding swimming.  Like Ann-Maire, I have not been in the pool since March. Unlike Jen and Ann-Marie, I have no plans to get into the pool again until about this March.

Chris, I am counting on you, Ann and the other Manatees to help with the whole gravel thing! It's worked out really well to bring the Cx bike to WNC with me and pick a trailhead with both single track and forest road do divide and conquer type rides with Kevin.

Have you picked out the bike?

No. I'm sort of stuck on the 1x versus 2x thing.  I know that 1x is the popular choice.  My concern is that several of the rides that I do or wnat to do are long uphills on gravel followed by something on the BRP followed.  In other words, something that can do a long uphill on gravel but not spin on on a pavement.  I regularly run out of gears on the uphill now and that definitely needs to be solved!

I would love to look at gravel bikes but there is not stock. :-(

I went 2x. This bike is kind of a quiver killer, if you will. I do a lot on it, road, gravel, fire cut, grass trail, mud, sand and some singletrack. Add to that the fact that the trips to Georgia and WNC could happen this year and hills are not out of the question either. So, here was my "needs" list in no particular order:

• Hydraulic disc brakes. Using them on my mtb has changed my outlook on braking. Not having them on the CX bike when I rode it in Georgia solidified my thoughts.
• 2x drive train. This thing needs to go anywhere. Crappy conditions, up hills, chasing the local Gravel Gruppetto, it needs to be flexible.
• Tire clearance. Wider is better but not always necessary. I may end up with a couple of wheelsets before this bike is done.
• Multiple rack and bottle options. I may be doing some bike packing and this would be the tool to do it with.
• Comfort. By the end of the 55 mile Avon Park ride at the beginning of the year, I knew I needed something else if I was going to go long. And since we are eyeing up a 2 day cross Florida gravel ride, comfort will be a necessity.
• As always, cost factors in as well. So, while carbon would have been nice, I felt that steel was going to provide a better solution in the long run. It is a bit heavier, but if I'm being honest, it would be a whole lot better idea for me to shave a few pounds off of me anyway.

There are a couple of items that may be changed on the bike, first the saddle and then the handlebars. We'll see after a few more rides. 

So, I put that out there as my thought process, which I am sure you have done as well. I ended up with a Jamis Renegade S3, which the bike store found in a warehouse in New Jersey. I would have liked to have ridden one first, but I have ridden a couple of them at demos and at the bike store in the past year +, so I knew what I was getting into. I would say that given your background on bicycles, you would be OK to pick one out and get it shipped. Another option is to stop at every bike store in your hometown, and in your get away town, and ride everything in sight. Get a feel for what you like. And were I you, I would go with the 2x drivetrain. The argument that the 1x gives you less parts to wear out is offset (in my head anyway) by the limitations of the 1x. And yeah, you can tell me about the new Campy 13 cassette, but who has that kind of money? 9 or 10 in the back is just fine. Oh yeah, I wasn't sold on gravel specific groupsets, but I am coming around to them. 

NAME: Melanie

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA: mpayton15 on Instagram and Twitter, Melanie (Landis) Payton on FB, Melanie Payton on Strava

STORY: I started multisport because of a friend I worked with and stayed because it's fun and a good challenge and reason to keep moving.  I've come to accept that I will never be fast so I try to get the most out of enjoying the location, or friends, or the experience and challenging myself against myself.  I enjoy trail running, kayaking, hiking, am a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and am an ice hockey goalie.  I am a 'sturdy girl' (tall and carrying some extra weight) and I am perpetually trying to lose some weight.

FAMILY STATUS: Married and have two senior and dearly loved dogs.

CURRENT TRAINING: A bit sporadic but trying to get some running and biking in weekly.  I'd like to get into a stretching/weightlifting/yoga/whatever routine to help overall fitness and flexibility (of which I have very little, LOL).  Pool?  What's that?  Last time I swam was in Mirror Lake in Lake Placid in Sept.  

THIS YEAR'S RACES/EVENTS: Signed up for Chatt70.3 (from last year) if it is held.  The rest is TBD.  I do work with a coach and plan to officially start with her in Feb until Chatt.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES/DESIRES: Stay active, enjoy workouts with friends of all speeds and creeds.

WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD MANATEE: I very much enjoy the social aspect, this is a great group of people but I also like getting multisport (or single sport) tips/tricks that are presented along the way.

i went with the 2x bc the bike shop experts said that was the best for what I wanted the bike to be- gravel , grass, road , flat, hills, mountains. It also cost more but I’m sure that didn’t factor into their advice at all

Welcome back, Karen! I like your run goal.  I would like to develop more resilience in running well.  2020 was a tough year for my running.  I really like the way that your phrased that. Resilience.

Welcome back, Melanie and Anne!  We are doing really well getting the thread going, given the fact that it's still in the staging area!  I really hope that I can ride with both of you this year.

Welcome back! 

New Bike! Pinarello!  NICE!!!

New Vaccine!

P.S. I thought that NC was bad with 25% of eligible people taking a pass.  50% is not so good, is it?  Did she get the Pfizer or Moderna one?  Any side effects worse than a flu shot in a bad year?  Just curious since goodness knows if I got the Pfizer placebo or the Pfizer vaccine.

NAME: Jen Stewart

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA: Strava (I am in the manatee group), Facebook and Instagram (jenstewey on both)

STORY: I've been doing tris for awhile - over a decade, and probably closer to two.  I grew up as a diver (springboard and platform, not scuba) and then tried soccer in my 20's.  A few of my teammates and I decided to do a triathlon, and I was hooked.  I've done all distances including one IM.  I also enjoy single sport events, esp swimming, and have done the Great Chesapeake Bay swim (4.4mi).  I am a [soon-to-be] Systems Architect in my professional life.  

FAMILY STATUS: Single with 2 rescue dogs who just turned 4. 

CURRENT TRAINING: Since Thanksgiving-ish, I have been really good about getting my workouts in before work in the mornings (I am still in the office full time), and hope to continue that in 2021.  I am not following any plan per-se, but am a member of Team Z and should probably get around to picking a race and plan soon.

THIS YEAR'S RACES/EVENTS: In 2019 I qualified for Team USA in Allmere in the long course aquabike, and short course aquathlon events.  Of course those were postponed due to Covid, so now I am looking at whether those races will happen in 2021 and what international travel will look like (scheduled for September).  I am looking at maybe Williamsburg in the summer, and will find an alternate for the fall if Allmere doesn't happen.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES/DESIRES: I am not really sure what my current goals are, other than consistency and living the triathlete life.  I need to come up with a few bucket list races.

WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD MANATEE: I don't get to post a lot (posting is blocked from my office, and the phone app isn't great), but love reading everyone's stories and cheering people on with Strava.

why are people so dumb?! At my agency a survey found 50% would take the vaccine. I doubt we’ll make it mandatory, but wish we would! My sister got the moderna vaccine Monday - she is a pediatrician, lives in Ohio. She said the only side effect was she grew a second head . Ive heard that it is the 2d shot that may cause more people to feel like yuck for 12-24 hrs.  Guess we’ll find out in a few weeks.

Congrats on the new bike Jim. An Orange bike is fast!

So, what are the Manatees' plans for NYE and NYD?  Tonight I'm going to try my hand at a venison pie, homemade crust to boot.  Planning on serving it with a special red wine (a reserve) and maybe sipping on some port later and hopefully being awake to watch the ball drop on a mostly empty Times Square.  Sayonara, 2020!

Tomorrow will be the baking of the traditional PA good luck meal of pork and sauerkraut.  I'll serve it with mashed potatoes and I think I have one bag of my fresh-cut corn left.  Sauerkraut I fermented myself and the potatoes are from my garden.  I'll be sure to get leftovers to a few single/shut-in friends to ensure they have their good luck meals, too.

Wishing all the Manatees and their loved ones a safe, happy, healthy new year!  May 2021 bring relief from the pandemic and a chance to meet/race/ride/run/socialize in person.

This sounds amazing, Melanie!! Sounds like a delicious way to spend the evening and New Year's day! 

I am working this morning (though not accomplishing anything!) and planning to make Oliebollen after supper. For those that don't know, Oliebollen are Dutch donuts basically that are only made at new year's. I am Canadian but all of my ancestry is Dutch (both side of my family came from the Netherlands in the 1950's and my dad was in the womb on the way over, so 7 of the 10 kids in his family were born there) so although i've never been there nor do i speak the language i have strong food ties ... apparently. My hometown has a big Dutch population and supports a Dutch store where my mom picked up some mix for me (i would guess the dough isn't difficult to make from scratch but I like making it even easier!). I kind of like this sort of thing to share with my kids as a connection to ancestry that they'll be more distant from. 

Anyway, also bought myself some prosecco - so i'll have a glass or two and toast to 2021 pushing us closer to being out of this pandemic! 

Happy New Year's Manatees!