SOUTHWEST CHALLENGE SERIES
A Duathlon and Triathlon Championship Series
18th Annual - 2008 Season

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Page Last Updated  16 July 2008

Flip has decided not to print hard copies of series flier this year.  Please refer everyone to schedule on this website

URGENT UPDATE
This just in from Matt Perini of the Socorro triathlon. Let's get those registrations filed. Also, just down the road at Elephant Butte, there triathlon to be held on September 28 is ALSO reaching their capacity. Don't be left out!
 
We're at the point at which we closed registration to the Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon in 2006, but we've increased the ceiling a little to allow 400 triathletes into the race.  Unfortunately, the late fee is already in effect. - Matt Perini



Socorro Striders And Riders announces that on-line registration for the August 9th Socorro Chile Harvest Triathlon is now open! We're going to do our best once again to give you a great triathlon.


Several people have already registered, and thank you very much for registering early. If you haven't registered, keep in mind that we expect the race to sell out early at 400 entries once again. You can find details on the event web site at http://www.socorro.com/ssr/chile, and you can register on-line at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1556501

We hope to see you in Socorro on August 9!
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Registration deadlines for several races are looming and a couple others are filling fast:
Online registration for Socorro is August 6, and Elephant Man is September 1. However, I know both races are filling fast, so I wouldn't dally.
 
Applications for Las Cruces Du, Odessa Tri, and Midland Tri have been mailed out. If you didn't get one contact their website and/or race director to register.
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Congratulations to all the Buffalo Springs warriors. The record low  temperatures came with a price tag of heavy winds and cold rains. Several  spills on rain slick roads tested the mettle of many. Results can be found at: http://www.buffalospringslaketriathlon.com/
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Gallup results are posted at  http://www.ccrtiming.com/races/results/2008/08GallupTri.htm.
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There is also this reminder from the Patriot triathlon in Rio Rancho:

Please consider this your personal invitation to to come race the inaugural Patriot Triathlon, in Rio Rancho, NM, on September 14, 2008.  Sprint distance: 400 yard seeded start, 25K (15 mile) bike, and 5 K run.  It is a GREAT warm-up for the Elephant Man race which is only 2 weeks later!  10% of all registration fees are being donated to the Rio Rancho Police and Fire Departments to help fund their "Trikes for Tikes" Program.

A copy of the registration brochure is attached - as well as a bike route  map and run route map.  Registration is open on http://www.active.com/, or if you want you can email me and I will mail you a registration brochure that you  can mail back to me.
If you are interested in volunteering for the event - please also let me know.

Hope to see you in September!  Happy Training!!!
Andie Talmadge, Race Director - Patriot Triathlon - (505) 239-4246

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Applications for the Las Cruces duathlon, Odessa, Midland, and Socorro have been mailed out. If you didn't get one, go to the "Schedule" section of this website and contact the race director of the particular race in which you're interested.
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Elephant Man triathlon is also filling fast.
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For the lighter side of things check out our new "Mark's Musings" page and stay tuned for new flashy additions to this website.

See ya'll at the races!! Mark

Mark's Musings Page last updated 7 June 2008

Congratulations to our Boise 70.3 finishers, Gretchen McElroy, Monica Lorey, Carol Carreon, and Felix Hinojosa. They withstood frigid water temps and cold rainy conditions to do us all proud.
Also congrats to Francois Modave, who the day before in Hawaii turned in an outstanding performance in the 70.3 event there.

Good luck to Matt Emrich, Sal Perches, and Falko Schoeneweiss as they contend with the frigid waters in San Francisco Bay at the "Escape From Alcatraz" this weekend.

 And good luck to the rest of us this weekend at the Milkman in Dexter. Hopefully, we'll fare better in water conditions. For those of you who don't know, the "Bar" in "downtown" Dexter may be the best post-race watering hole on the whole series circuit.
 

Congrats to all the Buffman & Squeaky/Dog House Sprint finishers. Another outstanding job by the Greers. Man, that's a tough course up there, no matter what the length of the race!

I'm going to ask everyone to indulge me in a  "Proud Papa" moment as I encourage you all to go to the Buffman & Squeaky website and check out the photos. Mike & Marti initiated a new tradition by announcing a new "Spirit Award" for this race which is along the same lines as the Pegy Marshall award given at the Milkman and the SWCS sportsmanship award. It's given to that individual that emerges as an inspiration to us all by their spirit, attitude, and there treatment to all those around them. This year's inaugural award went to my "treadmill" training partner, and handicapped little stepdaughter, Christa. She is on permanent oxygen, stands four feet tall with horrible scoliosis, mentally challenged and too many health problems to mention. However, she brings cheer to everyone she meets, knows every volunteer, athlete, and dog of every race we've taken her to, and helps us all put our own problems in perspective. She touched the Greers, the Buffalo Springs staff, the athletes, and now the with the thoughtfulness of this award, Mariana, (Christa's mother) and myself are likewise touched. Thanks to you all!


20 May 2008 None of these updates are complete without a reminder to get your White Sands registration in before the May 31 deadline.
  The Las Cruces duathlon apps have been sent out. If you need one go to the "Schedule" section and contact the race director.
   Milkman registration deadline is June 4.
   Jay Benson results can be found at: http://www.ccrtiming.com/races/results/2008/08jaybenson.htm
   John LeRoy is pasting the points as we speak.

 

Our website is being updated and you will see some major changes in the next few days/weeks.

Apologies for the long void in news. Took me a while to recover from my visit with Santa and the elves at the North Pole (more on that later...) and then our webmaster, Sean Connery, went off on an adventure of his own to Moab with his mountain bike. So lots to catch up on, and let's start with race updates.

First, good luck to the Buffman & Squeaky competitors whom I'm sure are loading their vehicles as we speak. One warning, and I hope it's in time, the water temperature at Ransom Canyon just two weeks ago was 58 degrees. So don't forget that wetsuit!

June kicks off a busy month of exciting races both within the Southwest Series and out. Good luck to those going to Boise on June 1, and our brave band of Alcatraz warriors on June 8. For a great number of athletes here, time to get really serious about that Buffalo Springs training which is just six weeks away on June 29!

Results for MVTC can be found on John LeRoy's webpage. Just click the link on this page for "SWCS" points and it will take you right to John. Ransom Canyon results are up on John's page and also on the Buffalo Springs website. John has the points updated through Ransom Canyon. We're especially appreciative of his efforts this year as medical issues are making it very painful for him to sit at the computer. Thanks, John!!

Also that weekend I'm having a fire sale of ten years of bike parts and dust at 7015 Ramada. Mariana & I are moving (will still be in El Paso), but need to clean out the garage. Hot items still available are my old Guru racing bike with the cool flame paint job, lots of forks and aerobars, dura ace cranksets and various chainrings.

That's about it for the updates. Now about this North Pole thing...

Thanks, first of all for all the inquiries and good wishes. I haven't been ignoring anyone intentionally. I was just waiting for photos and Sean. The marathon itself was a NO GO for me. Being the first Polar event of the year, meant the Russians were in the process of constructing the runway up there while we were enroute from our homes. The first bulldozer was dropped by parachute for construction purposes, but unfortunately it proved too heavy for one chute and when it hit the ice, there were, like, two bulldozers. A box of spare parts was the next parachute adventure. Not as heavy, but perhaps not enough nails in the box and dog sled teams searched for the strewn parts for several hours. I believe the problem was finally solved with yet another bulldozer and several parachutes this time. I'm not sure of the details becase the I could no longer logistically handle all the delays and the financial hemmorhaging that resulted. Fear not, I've been given a free pass for next year.

The closest I got to the pole this year was 78 degrees north on the Norwegian island, SVALBARD. Instead of running I had to settle for dog sledding and believe me for a supposedly stud triathlete those pups kicked the bejeesus out of me. Great fun, but tough.

And, by the way, to Mariana's relief, Flip has stopped referring to me as Iron Balls, and has now tagged me "Snowballs"

See you at the races!  - Mark

Below are some fun "Mark the Musher" photos from the trip

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News Archives
2007 USA rankings can be found online at http://www.usatriathlon.org/misc/2007rankings.aspx
Congratulations to our series points keeper John LeRoy for being named a 2007 USAT Age Group All American!


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