Can you believe that it is mid-March already? That means, spring is (theoretically) just around the corner. We also think it means that someone needs to let Mother Nature know that she can release her icy grip on a good bit of the country. After all, don’t they say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? Given that it is still below freezing in much of the country, I think a memo needs to go out asking the lamb to make its way to the stage.
Of course, here in L.A., we never really have much of a winter. Temperatures below 60 are cause for concern and we even had heat warnings for the L.A. Marathon last weekend. We were lucky the course was close to the Coeur office. We shut down for a few hours, grabbed the dogs, walked over to San Vicente, and parked ourselves on the curb about four miles from the finish.
The Women's Race at the L.A. Marathon was incredibly exciting
Speaking of the L.A. Marathon, at Coeur, we consider it to be the unofficial start of both spring and the North American endurance sports season. After that, there just seems to be an absolute smorgasbord of events. In general, there’s not a running, cycling, swimming or triathlon event we wouldn’t watch. Here are a few that are happening over the next couple of months where we’ve circled the date on the calendar.
On March 28, we’ll have the Oceanside 70.3 triathlon. Before triathlon was a year round sport, Oceanside served as an early season event where triathletes could test their fitness after taking time off during the winter. It also had slots for Kona, so the field was generally stacked. Despite the fact, that the Kona slots are history, and that there are seemingly events every week, Oceanside still has a special place in our hearts. We don’t seem to be alone because the field continues to be very deep and the racing is phenomenal. In addition, Oceanside is fairly unique in that the bike course goes through Camp Pendleton. Some of the aid stations in the camp are staffed by Marines who are…how would we say it? Who are…well, very enthusiastic. We say they tend to cheer at you as much as they cheer for you and trust us, there are few things as motivating as getting cheered at by a Marine. We are glad that they are on our side, that’s for sure.
A couple weeks after Oceanside, we are going to tune in and follow the USA Cycling Pro Criterium and Time Trial. It’s in Greenville, South Carolina this year on April, 18th, and we believe that the team time trial component is a new addition to the event. To us, there is something that is absolutely magical about a team time trial. Few other events combine speed, power, precision, and teamwork the way a TTT does.
A Team Time Trial is a thing of beauty
We won’t have much down time after that because on April 20th, we’ll have the…get ready for it….hang on…ready? Yes. Ok….we’ll have the 119th running of the Boston Marathon! That’s right folks. One hundred and nineteen! It’s organized by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) who has been in charge since the event’s first race in 1897. Coeur has several ambassadors running and you can bet we’ll be watching and cheering for them and everyone all the way to the finish. As we did last year, our Ambassadors will be sending us dispatches and we’ll be posting them in the days leading up to the race.
The Finish Line on Boylston is the reward for all the hard work
Then, to round out the spring, we’ve got Ironman Texas (IMTX) on May 16th. Some people say that IMTX is in Houston, but technically, it is in the Woodlands which is about 30 miles north of Houston. The Woodlands is an upscale master planned city with beautiful trails that meander throughout the community. The inaugural race had perfect weather, and that combined with a relatively flat course helped it gain a reputation as a “fast race”. While it is true that IMTX can be fast, you have to be prepared for the heat. Frankly, we’re kind of hoping for warm weather because Coeur Co-founder Hailey Manning will be racing Texas and she seems to thrive in the heat.
Coeur Co-Founder Hailey Manning likes it hot!
So there are a few of the upcoming events that made their way onto our calendar. We definitely have room for more, so let us know where you’re racing and we’ll definitely tune in and cheer!