Ali Berti demonstrates one of the pilates exercises from the NuFit CycleLates class.

I’d been meaning to Get Out to try a class at the NuFit for You facility at 4480 Broadway for a few months.  Several of my friends from the Heartland Road Runners Club and the Quincy Bicycle Club take classes there, and they all have had very positive things to say, so I figured I’d go take a class and see for myself.  I hopped on their website to look at a class schedule and one class name stood out: CycleLates.  Moments later, my Facebook status read: “Going to CycleLates class Monday night. I can only assume we are making delicious espresso beverages on a machine powered by bicycles.”

Laura Sievert on one of the NuFit stationary cycles.

The NuFit CycleLates class is actually a combo class with a half hour of indoor cycling (also called Spin Class) and a half hour of Pilates.  The combination of the cardio workout of the cycling class and the core workout of the pilates class makes this one of the most balanced hour-long workouts a busy person could ask for.  Personally, though I’m an avid cyclist, I’d never done an indoor spin class or a pilates class, so it was going to be a fitness adventure for me!

Your first class at NuFit is free, and you register online for the class you’d like to attend.  The remaining open spots in the class are listed on the web, so you’ll know right away if there’s room.  I showed up about 10 minutes before the scheduled start time, and was immediately greeted by owner Angie Asmann and my instructor for the night, Lindsay.  They showed me around the immaculately-clean and inviting facility and I changed into my cycling shoes to get ready for the cycling part of the class.

Lindsay explained how the bikes work and how the class would progress.  I was able to adjust my seat and handle bar height to fit the way I’m used to riding, and there was a small screen in front of me that displayed my cadence (strokes per minute) as well as the gear that my cycle was in.  The class is tailored to your fitness level by the gear you choose.  You start from a place called your Push Point.  Your Push Point is the gear that feels most similar to a comfortable ride on a flat road.  Everyone’s Push Point is different; therefore the class is individualized for each rider’s ability.

After a warm up, our instructor called out for us to shift up 3 gears above our push point and to try to maintain a cadence of about 75.  Shifting on the bike is very easy and just consists of moving a small lever up or down.  The music matched the intensity of the ride, and I was having a good time and quickly working up a sweat.  We moved on to “rolling hills” where we would gradually increase our gear and hold it in intervals, and then we would move down gears to simulate the downhill portion of the ride.  I kept imagining we were doing a real stretch of rolling hills out on Ellington Road.  I know if I keep doing cycling classes at NuFit, the real Ellington Road will seem much easier on my real bike next year!

After a cool down on the bikes, our class of about 15 people all retrieved pilates mats.  The facility has mats to use if you don’t have your own.  The lights were turned down and the music shifted to mark the change from high-energy cycling to more focused pilates core work.  Our instructor Lindsay did a wonderful job of explaining each exercise and demonstrating it before we started each set.  Many of the names of exercises were at least vaguely familiar to me- exercises like scissors, planks, downward dog, etc.

I very much liked that some of the toughest moves could be modified for beginners.  For example, one of the exercises called a “teaser” had 3 different ways of modifying where your legs were placed to make different difficulty levels.  I started on the middle level, but on the last set I needed to drop my legs down to the third level to make it a little easier.

Many of the pilates moves emphasized balance- something I am certainly not known for- but I did my best to keep up and never felt self-conscious or behind the class.  After the class was over, I said something about how tough some of the things were and our instructor said, “Good! It wouldn’t be much of a class if you could do all the moves your first day.”  She was totally right, and I am actually looking forward to getting better at some of those core exercises.  I can tell that no matter what activity I’m participating in, the strength and balance that you learn in a pilates class will be a huge advantage.

Overall, I very much enjoyed my class at NuFit.  I’ve just scratched the surface of what the facility has to offer, and I think that the CycleLates class will be a wonderful cross-training piece for the half-marathon I am training to run in March.

Besides the CycleLates class, there are also Indo-Row Classes (Rowing machines), PowerCycle, Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, CrossFit, and more.  They also offer classes at Quincy University and at Riverside Spa in Hannibal.  In addition to fitness classes, you can sign up for individual nutrition counseling or group classes held at Steamboat Cooking Store that can help you get the most from your workouts.  Most classes work on punch cards which are 5/$50, 10/$75 or 20/$120.  Your first class is free and you can see the entire schedule by clicking here.

Laura Sievert

2011 has been a banner year for Quincy’s first all-female Roller Derby squad, the Dark River Derby Coalition.  The team played its first official bouts this year, and earned its first victory.  It’s also done a great job of raising awareness and money for some wonderful charities in the Quincy area.  Despite having watched some derby though, I found myself a little confused at exactly how the game works.  Lucky for me and the readers of Get Out, my friend Jessica (AKA Patella Crusher) was nice enough to write a guest blog today and explain the ins and outs of the game.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Dark River Derby Coalition as either a skater or a ref, they are holding recruitment sessions December 6th and December 8th from 7-9pm and December 11 from 10am-12pm, all at Scottie’s Fun Spot at 8000 Broadway in Quincy.  Also, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/darkriverderby

- Laura Sievert

Derby 101

By Jessica “Patella Crusher” Snowden Patel

When I tell people that I play roller derby, their first reaction is complete shock.  I think this has to do with stereotypes of what roller derby is and who plays this sport.  After the shock subsides, I am always asked, what exactly is roller derby?

Roller derby is a sport played on quad roller skates. That may seem obvious, but many people remember roller derby from the 60′s and 70′s where it resembled more WWE than an actual sport.  Now, roller derby is a real sport with real skaters, real rules, and unfortunately, real injuries.  There are up to seven refs (or “zebras”) per bout to make sure those ladies don’t break the rules. Needless to say, you will see numerous skaters from both teams going to the penalty box.  If you go to the box too many times, you will get a nice trip out of the rink on your 7th major penalty.  If you get really into things and want to learn the zebra hand signals, you can do so here, but I recommend learning the basics first (http://wftda.com/rules/wftda-rules-appendix-c-referee-hand-signals.pdf).

Here are the basics: Each bout is made up of two 30 minute periods. Within those 30 minute periods, you have short matchups, called “jams.”  Each jam starts with four blockers and one jammer from each team on the track (the jammer is identified by the star on her helmet cover).  One blocker (“a pivot”) has a stripe on their helmet cover. The pivot is basically the leader of her blockers for that jam, and leads them by yelling out plays and setting the pace.  It helps to almost think of the jammer as a ball (i.e., a point scoring agent).

The whistle blows and the pack (i.e., the blockers from both teams) take off.  Once they cross a nifty line on the ground, the whistle is blown twice and the jammers take off.  The whole goal is to get your jammer through the pack first, while keeping the opposing team’s jammer from making it through. This is where you will see a lot of blocking, assisting (maybe even a whip), and hitting.  Remember, this is all real and very unpredictable.

The first jammer to make it through the pack legally is the lead jammer.  The jammer then needs to get around the rink as fast as they can to make it back through the pack.  On every pass through the pack (starting with the 2nd pass), the jammer can score up to 4 points for each blocker they pass from the opposing team.  Any jammer, lead or not, can still score, but only the lead jammer can call off the jam.  She can have the jam go for the full 2 minutes allowed, or she can call off the jam by putting her hands on her hips repeatedly.  A lead jammer typically will call off the jam to prevent the other jammer from scoring or when she is just so worn out from being blocked by the other team.  If a jammer goes to the box, they are no longer lead jammer and you will get to see a full 2 minute jam.

Once the jam is called off, the skaters have 30 seconds to reset. You’ll often see a whole new set of blockers and jammers in each jam.  There are a total of 14 skaters per team allowed on the roster for a bout.  Oftentimes, there are up to 40+ jams in a single bout.

The rest is simple. Whoever scores the most points wins!  Roller derby is a high scoring game. It is typical to see scores upwards of 100-200+ per team.

While the basics of roller derby are fairly easy to understand, there are many misunderstandings of the sport. The biggest misunderstanding is that roller derby is fake.  You can ask any of the ladies on the team who have been taken out with an injury, it is very real (and we have two very real EMT’s with an ambulance present at each bout). The second misunderstanding is that there is a certain “type” of person who plays roller derby.  Our team is made up of ladies from all professions, including teachers, nurses, the executive director of a non-profit, a psychologist, artists, salespeople, managers, a librarian, other medical professionals, college and graduate students, and mothers (to name a few).  There is no “typical” skater.  All of our skaters are also dedicated to volunteering in the community and have raised money through our bouts, in partnership with Scotties Fun Spot, for local organizations including Honor Flight, Quanada, Paw Pals, Madonna House, and the Quincy Autism Support Group.  The last major misunderstanding is that roller derby is violent.  Roller derby is a full contact sport, much like football, although we have even more rules. There will be hits, but no elbows (unless you want to go to the box) and definitely no punching like movies such as Whip It would have you think.  It is a family-friendly sport.

You can also find out more about roller derby at www.wftda.com.

Want to join the Dark River Derby Coalition for its 2012 season?

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Come out to Scotties Fun Spot (8000 Broadway) from 7-9pm on December 6th or December 8th or on December 11th from 10am-noon. Skaters must be female, 21+ (by 5/1/12).  Absolutely no experience is necessary.  Just bring yourself, $7 (for rink and skate rental), any safety gear you possess, and a good attitude.

If you think you’d be better off keeping those skaters in line, you can also come out and learn about being a ref (refs can be male or female, 19+).  We are also always looking for volunteers.

If you think that you’d rather stay on the sidelines, you can find out more about supporting the DRDC in its upcoming season on our website at www.darkriverderby.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/darkriverderby.

Are you a gadget-head?  Are you excited about the next awesome piece of gear or are you the first to know about new upgrades for the latest products for your adventures?

For the last eight months of blogging about the outdoors, I’ve steered clear of gear reviews. However, I’ve dropped a few bucks here and there on some outdoor products that have been worth the money and others where I feel like I really could use a refund, so I thought I’d share them with you today.  And since buying gear is all about the Benjamins, I included some wit and wisdom from Ben Franklin himself along with my thoughts.

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“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”

I hear a lot of excuses for reasons people aren’t wearing bike helmets, but they’re all pretty stupid.  It doesn’t matter how short the trip is, how safe you think the roads are, or how nice and sunny the day is, wear a helmet!  It’s my #1 best purchase of the year.  I think I paid $25 for my Bell-brand-dome-saver, and as you can see, my head is still a gray-matter-friendly shape.

“Old boys have their playthings as well as young ones; the difference is only in the price.”

I wrote a long blog about my search for a new bike that you can read here.  All I have to say about that is getting a bike that fits is 100% worth the money!  If you’re in the market for a new ride, go to a bike shop and skip the ‘Mart.  You won’t regret it.

“A place for everything, everything in its place.”

Ah, it’s the oft-quoted backpacker’s mantra.  Hiking supplies are one of the places that I’ve spent some money I’d like back.  First rule: anything made by that ubiquitous company with the green packaging that you find in the sporting goods section of every mega-mart is much cheaper than the name brand.  There’s good reason for that.  It’s junk.  It’s too big, it’s too heavy, and it’s too prone to failure.  Less is more when it comes to camping and hiking supplies and buying quality items is paramount.  My advice is to think long and hard about what you’re buying and what purpose it serves for your hike. Every ounce you add to your pack is an ounce you’ve got to tote around the woods.  Buy items that are great multi-taskers.  Buy items that are more durable than you think you’ll need.  And plan your pack with the quote above this paragraph in the front of your mind.

“All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.”

For those that move, let me recommend a great gift: Socks!  Nothing will ruin an adventure faster than the wrong footwear.  I now have special socks for hiking, biking, and running and I am a firm believer in the magic of sock technology.  I just bought some poly-blend running socks made by Mizuno, and they’ve completely stopped the blisters I was getting, they keep my feet warm and dry, and they even have built-in arch support.   The socks I have for hiking are tall, warm and use moisture-wicking technology.  That amazing advance keeps my tootsies nice and comfy even on winter hikes.  Forget stuffing my stocking this year- the stocking is what I really want!

“Diligence is the mother of good luck. By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.”

When we were out biking on the Katy Trail this summer, we came across some people pushing a bike with a flat tire along a stretch of trail that was at least 10 miles from anything.  It was also over 100 degrees outside at the time and they only had half of a small water bottle between them.   Laura to the rescue!  When I cycle, I bring a patch kit, a hand-pump, a tire tube and tire changing tools.  I also always have flashlights and at least a minimal first aid kit.  When it’s hot (and usually even when it’s not) I bring more water than I think I’ll need.   You won’t regret the money you spend on preparedness, because in my experience, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ you need it, it’s a matter of when.

“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”

If you’ve a mind to catch happiness, I suggest you start with a good pair of running shoes.  I’m sure you’re sensing a theme here, but don’t go to super-mega-shoe- store! More often than not, small specialty stores have well-trained staff who will be happy to share their expertise and don’t mind spending extra time with each customer.  I went to a running store in Bloomington, IL recently.  There, I tried on a half-dozen pairs of running shoes and ran around the block in each before I decided which shoes to buy.  Try running out of a department store to test shoes and see what happens!  Wait… no, don’t try that.  The point is, no matter what kind of gear you’re shopping for, you’re about to drop your hard-earned money, so don’t settle for sub-par service.  Most specialty stores employ people who share the same interest as you do, and they can teach you a lot about how to select the right gear for your activity. (For those curious, I ended up buying Mizuno Wave 7s at Often Running in Bloomington, IL)

There are lots more great pieces of gear out there, but those are just a few of my thoughts from this year.   What’s your favorite piece of gear?  What gear do you wish you could return?  Leave comments below!

Laura Sievert

This week, I put a playlist for running together on my iPod.  It actually took quite a bit of time to decide which songs would make the cut.  Each song had to pass a little test.  It had to be upbeat (poor John Mayer).  It couldn’t be a waltz (sorry Mumford and Sons).  It had to have a positive or uplifting message (and there goes half of my music library; especially all of my Pink Floyd).  I considered my favorite songs for working out, and even googled other people’s favorite songs for working out.  After much consideration, I came up with about 2 hours of music suitable for running.  I updated my status on Facebook declaring my intention to go for a 4 mile solo run to try my playlist, but then something interesting happened.

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My friend Melissa replied to my status that she was also going for a run.  I quickly ditched the ‘solo’ plan and suggested we meet up and hit the pavement together.  So that’s what we did.  We met down at the park by the river, and took off north down Bonansinga Drive.

The wind was blowing a cold front in to the area while we ran.  Leaves rustled and twigs cracked under our shoes.  We chatted at some points, but at other times, we just ran.  At times our footfalls were synchronized, and I imagined that if a blind person were listening, they’d probably think there was only one runner there.  As we approached our cars at the end of the run, a few fat rain drops started to fall from the swirling gray sky and I listened to them plop both on the ground and in the river.  The whole run was a cacophony of sound, even though I never turned on my iPod.

That’s when lightning struck! Um… metaphorical lightning I mean. (If you saw the sky Wednesday night, you’d agree that I was lucky it was only metaphorical lightning.)  Playing has its own soundtrack.  It’s got its own Greatest Hits compilation.  It’s got a Track (and Field?) List that just can’t be topped with anything that I can load on my iPod.  So, in no particular order, here are the 10 Tracks of Play I like to listen to most.  You can’t download them, but you can Get Out and enjoy them any time you like.

The Play List:

1. Squeak! By: Tennis Shoes on Tennis Court
2. Crack! By: Summertime Baseball
3. Swoosh! By: Nothin but Net
4. Crunch; Walking in an Autumn Wonderland By: Hiking, Running, and Walking
5. Rhythm Section By: Shoes on Pavement
6. Shhhhhhhh By: Bike Tires on Blacktop
7. Ploomp! By: Soccer Ball On Foot
8. Kapow!!! By: Football’s Greatest Hits
9. Wzzzzzzz… Plink! By: Gone Fishin’
10. LOL- By: How Friends Play

I’d like to hear more about your favorite sounds of sports or play too! Leave a comment below and tell me what your Get Out soundtrack is like!

Laura Sievert

Laura tries out the new rock wall at the Quincy Kroc Center.

I’m a Salvation Army bell ringer, but not the kind who stands at the mall with a red kettle. The bell in question is small and white with a red Salvation Army logo emblazoned on its side, and to ring it, you need to climb to the top of the Kroc Center’s new rock climbing wall.

Wednesday night was my second time in the new Kroc facility.  My husband and I are still deciding on which gym to join for the cold winter months when I have to put my bike away (awww), so in order to “try before we buy” we got some guest passes and headed down for a workout.  Guest passes are $7.50 per day, and are very worthwhile if you like to get a feel for a facility before you purchase a membership.

We started our workout on the new Matrix treadmills. I was pretty excited to try these out. They feature video runs where you can select a setting — I picked Utah Canyon country — and then as you run, the video displays a “trail” you can run through.  I liked that it gave little facts about the scenery you were passing as you ran, and that the incline adjusted automatically to match the trail.

Justin Sievert does some pull-ups on one of the machines at the Quincy Kroc Center.

After the treadmills, Justin and I headed over to some of the weight equipment.  I tried the assisted pull-ups machine, then the pull-down bar, then the tricep-working arm deal.  I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I’m no weight lifter. The gym staff was friendly though, and they were happy to explain machines, even if I wasn’t all that happy to try them.

Justin knows his way around a gym, so he took off to do more upper-body workout machines while I decided to try out the video bikes. The video bikes are simply awesome.  I mean, it’s not the same as riding outdoors, but it turns working out into a game, and I really enjoyed that.  Basically, you pick a course on the screen and you pedal to complete it. The neat part is that you have to control the bike just like you would a real bicycle. It has shifters and handlebars that move, and you steer around the course, dodge other riders and trek up and down hills with appropriate resistance.   I’ll admit — I may have run a few other riders off the road and down cliffs just to see what would happen — but I promise I’d never do that on my real bike.

When I was properly exhausted, I went to find my husband and my jacket. I was headed for the exit when the imposing rock wall caught my eye. There were three guys standing at the wall, and when one of them saw me looking up, he waved me over.

Volunteer rock instructor Zlatko Masic nears the top of the wall at the Quincy Kroc Center.

The guys explained that every other Wednesday is, “Ladies’ Night Up,” where women get to try the kRock Wall for free! I may have been exhausted, but I wasn’t going to let a free climbing opportunity pass me by.  A rock wall volunteer named Zlatko set me up with a harness. He explained the double figure 8 knot and a fisherman’s knot as he made them, and then pointed out the route I’d be taking up the wall. The beginner’s route was set up to be a ladder-like climb where you always have four good points of contact on the wall.

I started and quickly figured out a few things about climbing. The first thing I learned was the closer my body was to the wall, the easier it was on my arms. The next important thing I learned was that climbing isn’t all upper body strength anyway. You can use your legs and stand up on each new step, and that takes a lot of the strain out of your arms.

I got a little stuck about halfway up the wall, so I decided to take the plunge and let go. The auto-belay system lowered me gently to the ground and was actually really fun.  I looked back at the spot that had me stuck, and after some consideration, I decided I wanted to give the wall one more try. This time, the volunteers suggested that instead of the auto-belay system, they’d set me up on a rope-belay that they controlled. The advantage was that if I needed to rest a second or shake my arms out, they could take my weight and keep me on the wall.

Sievert

I set out on my second attempt, bound for the little white bell. The first section was easy, and I got past the place I’d been stuck before. I was three-fourths of the way up and the bell was in sight. I asked Zlatko to hold me for a second, I shook out my arms, and then made the final push to the top.  Then, I reached out and rang the bell!  It felt amazing!

I hope you all get the chance to go and experience the new Kroc Center.  Without fail, every member of the staff was helpful and friendly, and whether you’re learning the weight equipment or the rock wall, they’ll be glad to teach you what you need to know.  I also hope you give climbing a chance. Two trips up that wall and I’m totally addicted.  I’m even planning a trip to Upper Limits Rock Gym in St. Louis for a lesson or two. The next “Ladies’ Up Night” at the Kroc Center will be Wednesday, Nov. 2. I know that I’ll be there and I hope you are too!

For more info on the Kroc Center, visit http://www.krocquincy.org/ And for my previous post on climbing, click http://www.thelocalq.com/blogs/outdoors/?p=429

Laura Sievert

Disc golfing at Upper Moorman Park : From left, Dexter and Corey Miller, Kristin Brennan, Tom Keppner, Laura Sievert, Dalton Tappe and Kyle Miller.

Crisp autumn days are here, and it’s a great time to Get Out with your family or friends and try something new.  One of the most affordable and fun activities available in our area is disc golf!

Disk golf — also called frisbee golf or “frolf” —  is an easy sport to learn and is a healthy and fun way to get your entire family out to be active together. There are several very nice disc golf courses in our area, and just last week, I went out to the course at Upper Moorman Park in Quincy with a group of friends for a nice afternoon round.

Tom Keppner goes for birdie on a disc golf putt.

The rules of disc golf are similar to regular golf. The golfer steps up to a tee area and throws a disc toward a metal basket that acts as the hole.  Each hole on the course has a set par or suggested number of throws that it should take to get to the basket.  You score the hole the same as you would in golf — you count the total number of throws and the lowest total wins. You can score birdies, bogies, pars …  all the same terms as regular golf.

Frisbee golf discs are specially designed for the sport. Discs are labeled the same way as golf clubs. There are drivers, putters or discs with numbers on them that correspond to irons or woods. Each type of disc is shaped to optimize its flight to a certain distance. For example, drivers are meant to fly long and putters are shaped for short, accurate throws.

You don’t need all of the types of discs to get started though. In fact, if you’re just trying disc golf out for the first time,

Sievert

I’d suggest purchasing one driver and using it for the whole game. You can purchase discs many places, including MC Sports, Kmart or from any number of online sources.  Most recreational discs cost around $7-$15, so disc golf is a relatively inexpensive hobby to get started playing.

The other good news about disc golf is that after you have your Frisbees, there is not much cost in the sport. Courses in our area are all at public parks and are free!  And you don’t even really need a course — I highly recommend practicing by making a hole out of an orange Quincy Recycle bin, placing it behind the swing set in your back yard and using your tulip-poplar-tree as a hazard. But that’s just me.

Local courses include:

Corey Miller at the tee box for a disc golf hole at Upper Moorman Park in Quincy.

Upper Moorman Park in Quincy: 18 holes. Open until the Avenue of Lights closes the park in the winter. http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1572

Flower City Park in Palmyra, Mo.: 18 holes, year round.  Map here: http://www.showmepalmyra.com/parksrec/disc_golf.pdf

Huckleberry Park in Hannibal, Mo.: 18 hole, year round. Includes two water hazards!   http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1370

Wildcat Springs Park in Hamilton, Ill.: 18 holes, year round. Very pretty course with lots of trees and concrete tee boxes. http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=848

Rand Park in Keokuk, Iowa: 18 holes. Open until Keokuk City of Christmas Lights close the park in November. This is a lovely course at a park that has a stunning overlook to the Mississippi River.  There are also Rec Disk Golf Leagues here in the summer. http://www.iowabeautiful.com/southeast-iowa-tourism/23-rand-park.html

For more information and to search for other courses, check out http://www.dgcoursereview.com

*Thanks to Corey Miller with his help on putting together info for this article!

Laura Sievert

Bob and Lara Meyer, Rodger McKenzie and Jim Robesky at the Hy-Vee Triathlon on Sept. 3.

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Quincy native Jim Robesky has a passion for multi-sport events, and after overcoming both injury and personal struggles, he competed in the Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 3. He’s graciously offered to share his story about coming back from injuries to be a competitor again with the readers of “Get Out.” Jim is an active member of both the Quincy Multi-Sport Club and the Quincy Bicycle Club, and his story highlights the hard work and perseverance it takes to be a competitive amateur athlete in events like triathlons.

Laura Sievert

The Road Back

On May 28, 2009, I broke my collarbone on a training ride. That October, I managed to finish the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. I had decided to spend the next year healing the shoulder and working on my run. Then in July 2010, we lost our home to a lightning strike. We lost everything.

It took almost a year to rebuild. We moved into our new home on in May of 2011. It took another month to get settled in. That’s when I decided it was time to jump back in to triathlon.

So with a new Trek bike, I started riding with the bike club. I was getting dropped the first few rides. It was hard to get back in to shape. I just kept pushing myself to get stronger.

I still had not signed up for a race, so I decided to train and race the Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa. The race was in September, so I would have a few months to train. It is an Olympic distance race which includes a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and a 10 km run. Now I had a goal.

Bob and Lara Meyer, Rodger McKenzie and Jim Robesky at the Hy-Vee Triathlon.

The night before the race I took my bike out to the transition area. After I dropped off my bike, it was dinner with a handful of Quincy Multisport club members. We had a nice dinner full of carbs. Back at the hotel, I got my gear ready for the race. After my bags were packed, I had to number myself with tattoos for the race. So there I was, in the bathroom, placing numbers all over my arms and legs.

At 4 a.m., I woke up, had breakfast and was out the door. As I drove to the race, I felt the first chill in the air in months. I didn’t pack a jacket. I shivered as I got my transition area ready for the race. Then I heard more bad news as race officials announced the swim would be wetsuits legal. Overnight rains had dropped the temperature of the water 5 degrees. Race rules say a wetsuit can be worn only if the water is 78 degrees or less. The water was 83 the night before, so I had left my wetsuit at home. This was a mistake because a wetsuit would have made me faster in the water.

Just before the race, I found the Quincy group and waited for the start. After 3 hours in the cold, I was shivering. Quincy Multisport Club member Bob Meyer offered me his jacket. He was warm in his wetsuit. It felt great to be warm.

The national anthem played and minutes later the race started. We walked to the water to watch Bob’s daughter Lara start in with the elites. She was one of the very first racers to start.

Jim Robesky transitions from the swim to the bike at the Hy-Vee Triathlon.

The swim was a time trial start. Every 10 seconds, six people entered the water. It would be an hour after the official start before I would enter the water. We watched wave after wave enter the water. I wasn’t paying much attention until I looked up and realized my age group was at the start line. I barely made the start. I was the last group in my wave to start. So far, the race was not going well. I felt like a rookie.

Once I was in the water, I was warm again. I started to get into a rhythm. The swim was a 1.5k loop around Grey’s Lake. It’s always weird to swim in open water. In Hawaii, I could see fish and corral. Here, I could not see my hand in front of me. I passed several people on the swim, but it was always difficult because you could not see the other swimmer until you were on top of them. About halfway through, my goggles started to fog up. I took a moment to clear them. I finally turned the last buoy and could see the swim finish. But looks can be deceiving, and the end was still a long way on the other side of the lake.

Twenty-nine minutes later, I was out of the water. This is well off of my typical swim average. After I got out of the water, there was a long run to the transition area. I put on my socks, shoes, glasses and helmet. I grabbed my bike and ran out of the transition area.

The bike is a one loop course. It had some hills and technical turns. The flags were standing straight out in a 20 mph wind. There was not a cloud in sight and the temps were still cool. I really wanted to hit the bike hard. Every chance I got, I tried to pound on the pedals, but the wind was my nemesis. I started to question its direction. At every turn, it seemed to hit me in the face. I just kept looking for opportunities to put more power onto the pedal.

At the 20k mark, I looked down at my Garmin. I was actually shocked at what I saw. The Garmin told me that wind was winning this battle. I rode back to transition with a 19 mph average. Well off my goal.

The run was next. It was a point to point run from Grey’s Lake to the Iowa State Capitol. I found a pace and stuck with it the whole race. Two miles into the run, I see Quincy Multisport club member Roger McKenzie, and we high five as we pass in opposite directions.

At the 5k mark, you can see the finish line in the distance.  It was about that time I heard the theme to “Rocky” blaring from the Iowa Cubs baseball field. It does little to boost my energy at this point.

Soon, I made the turn and could see what looked like the final stretch to the Capitol. But a block before the final hill, the course turned. There was still 1.2 miles left in the course. The last 1/4 mile was uphill and then on to a blue carpet finish. The crowd cheered me in to the finish line. My final time was 2:52. It may not have been a great race for me, but I was back racing and it felt good.

In the finish area, I met up with the other club members, and we rehydrated and talked about the race. We shared stories and complained about the wind. Because of the point to point run, we had to take a free shuttle back to the transition area. I gathered up my gear and loaded up my car. After a quick shower back at the hotel, I headed home to Quincy.

This would mark my third time competing in the Hy-Vee Triathlon. The race is always well managed and its integration into the 5150 Ironman World Championships was a great success. If you are looking for an Olympic distance triathlon with a big race feel, Hy-Vee is the one for you.

My next goal is training for a half marathon (13.2 miles) in San Antonio, Texas. This will be a race with several high school classmates. We get together every year and race. So I will be pounding the pavement for this race in November.

Jim Robesky

"The Blogger in the Hat" catches a disc while being guarded by Dalton Tappe. (Photo Illustration by Laura Sievert)

Sievert

The sun really did shine, it was too nice not to play, so we gathered in the field that hot, hot summer day.

I arrived there with Andy, we walked there we two. And I said, “Sweet! Now we have something to do!”

It’s better than checkers, more fun than playing ball,  and it beats the heck out of doing nothing at all.

Would you like to know what we were doing and where we were at? We were out playing Frisbee at a tournament called Quincy Hat!

It was held just last weekend in the field by a school — and all 30 players were awfully cool.

The tournament crew picked our teams from a hat, and we all made a dozen new friends just like that!

Mat Duesdieker tries to leg block a throw by Sajan Koirala.

I learned some new tricks from the Jacksonville-six, and a few new ways to throw thanks to two from Chicago.

My team was fast on the run, not a person would fall, and we were up four to zip in no time at all.

But the team in the white put up a good fight, and soon they came back to tie — we were locked up five to five!

We won that first game, then we lost a few more, but the fun of the Ultimate Frisbee is not just seen in the score.

Corey Miller, one of the main organizers of the Quincy Hat Tournament, throws a disk past Dalton Tappe.

The fun of the game and the whole Quincy Hat, is competition and laughing and being where friends are all at!

Next time you should be there! You should find out what Ultimate is about! You can “Get Out” to play and run, jump and shout!

I promise you’ll have lots of good fun, good fun that is funny — on that I’d give my word or I’d bet you big money.

So if you read my story, you’re all finished now, and if you want to “Get Out” and play Frisbee, I’ll help teach you how.

Jesse Pattison looks for a throw down field past defenders Guido Strothheide and Sajan Koirala.

Laura Sievert

*Quincy’s Ultimate Frisbee pick-up league meets at South Park each Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through the end of September.  Last weekend’s tournament was the Third Quincy Hat. Find more information on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quincy-IL-Ultimate-Frisbee-League/205264693260?ref=ts

The Yellow and Blue teams pose for a picture at the 7th Annual Jax Hat Ultimate Frisbee tournament.

The seventh annual Jax Hat Ultimate Frisbee Tournament was held this past weekend in Jacksonville, Ill. Ninety players from all over Illinois met at an elementary school’s soccer fields and were broken into six teams by “hat draw.” The “hat” process ensures that teams are evenly matched by taking into account each player’s experience and skill level, and then randomly assigning and mixing players into balanced teams.

Sievert

My team was called “The Highlighters.” The name was picked for two reasons: First, our assigned shirt colors were a shade of yellow that can only be emulated by a florescent marker. Second, we were bound and determined to make our every play look like it belonged on an ESPN highlight reel.

For those unfamiliar with Ultimate Frisbee, think of it a bit like soccer or football but played with a Frisbee. Two teams of seven players try to move the disc toward the end zone of a field by passing the disc to their teammates. The other team tries to block the disc from being passed. Once a person has caught the Frisbee, they cannot move and must pass the disc to advance. If a disc hits the ground, it is a “turn” and possession goes to the other team. Players on offense have positions on the field called handler, cut and deep which correspond roughly to backfield, midfield and forward positions in soccer. Defensive players can either play man-coverage or zone defense. In this tournament, games were played to 15 points or until a time limit was reached.

Quincy natives Mat Duesdieker and Mike Erwin (with the disc) at Jax Hat.

Each team in the tourney played five games. For our team, the first game was probably the most difficult. At the beginning, you’re just getting used to your teammates’ playing style and learning who is best suited for which position. I started in the “cut” position. My main goal as a cutter was to run routes and try to get open for short and medium distance passes. The Highlighters started the first game on fire and we were moving the disc well and scoring points all the way until half-time. That’s when the opposing team made a run and eventually took the lead away from us. We played well even though we lost that first game, so we were excited to get on with the tournament.

Later in the day, I was moved to the “handler” position. The handlers (usually three players at a time) are responsible for moving the disc forward in short crisp passes at the beginning of an offensive possession. I actually don’t normally play handler on the Quincy Ultimate pick-up teams, but I really enjoyed the position, and I think I’ll try and play there more often in the future.

The Highlighters tossing the disc off for the beginning of another team's possession. This is a lot like a kickoff in football.

The Highlighters had a fun day in the hot sun, but we ended the tourney in last place with a record of 1-4. That didn’t matter to any of us really though. We’d played well and lived up to our goal of making some great plays. My personal best moment in the tournament was made off a pass that had ricocheted off of its intended target and ended up in my arms. I tossed the disc a few yards from there to another player who made a beautiful “put” or pass to the endzone for a point. It felt great!

Jax Hat wasn’t about our win/loss record or even the highlights though. It was about being able to “Get Out” with some other Ultimate Frisbee enthusiasts, make some new friends and have a bunch of new stories to tell. I had a terrific time and learned a lot from all of the players on the field.

I saved the best news of all for last though: YOU can still “Get Out” and try an Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament this year. Sign up is going on now for the Third Annual Quincy Hat Tournament. It will be held Saturday, Aug. 20, at the soccer fields behind Baldwin School. Registrations must be received by this Sunday. You can call Corey Miller at (217) 242-2424, email him at sukmydisc@hotmail.com and find the tournament on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=227901753898174&ref=ts

Also, join in the Quincy Ultimate Frisbee pick-up games. These informal games are wonderful for all players regardless of skill-level. The group meets at South Park’s lower fields every Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. There is no cost to participate — just bring your running shoes, some water and lots of enthusiasm.

Laura Sievert

This group of players braved the high temps to play Ultimate Frisbee this Wednesday at South Park.

It’s hot. We know that much for sure.  What’s an outdoor enthusiast to do when the temperatures reach the triple digits but the fun of Ultimate Frisbee, cycling or other outdoor activities still calls your name?

Laura Sievert and Kirstin Smith at Ultimate Frisbee. The heat made hydration very important for all players.

Drink more water: Okay, that’s a no brainer.  You should obviously increase fluid intake any time you’re participating in athletic activities, but the Centers for Disease Control website points out that it’s going to take more water than you think. During heavy exercise in extreme heat, the CDC recommends two to four 16-ounce glasses of water at a minimum. That means for the three hours that we played Ultimate Frisbee at South Park on Wednesday, we should each have had between three-quarters and 1 ½ gallons (3 to 5 liters) of water. I personally drank 3 liters (.79 gallons), and it was just right to keep me going. Make sure you’re planning ahead and bringing that much water along.

Replace salt, potassium and other minerals: If you’re sweatingheavily, you’re losing salt and other minerals. Salt works in your body to maintain the balance of water inside and outside your cell walls. Most of us have high enough sodium intakes in our diets to avoid hypoatremia — a condition where water swells and damages cells due to imbalance caused by lack of sodium — but this is a real concern for high caliber athletes like ultra-marathoners and distance cyclists. For the rest of us, the most likely consequence of not replacing salt and minerals is muscle cramping. It’s an easy fix though; replace some of your water with an electrolyte sports drink and munch some potassium rich foods like bananas and oranges before you work out.  Interesting fact: everyone loses salt at a different rate, which is generally between 300 and 1,100 milligrams per pound of sweat.

Sunscreen: Apply often; apply liberally. Don’t forget that your lips and scalp can burn, too, and take proper precautions.

Sievert

Know what heat exhaustion and heat stroke symptoms are: Warning signs of heat exhaustion are heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea and/or fainting. I happened to have the unfortunate experience of moderate heat exhaustion on a bike ride just a couple of weeks ago. I first noticed a headache brewing at about mile 12 of my ride. Just a few miles after that, I knew something was wrong and some of the other riders (thank you Jim and Greg) pointed out that I looked pale and needed to stop. Immediately, I realized that I had been unprepared for the heat and was experiencing the onset of heat exhaustion. I immediately got into the shade, cooled off as much as possible, drank a whole bottle of Powerade, and then headed back with Greg and Brian to where I could have myself and my bike picked up. The guys were super nice, and we took it slow and stopped several times while getting back to the car. I’m not going to lie, I was disappointed to cut my ride short, and it was hard to admit that I needed to turn back. I’m very glad I did though, because I was quite nauesated by the time I reached my car and further symptoms of heat exhaustion were not far behind.

The moral of the story is swallow your pride and know when you need to slow down or stop. There’s no harm in calling it quits in extreme heat, and there can be lots of harm if you keep going. If you’re out in the heat, and especially if you’re experiencing symptoms like I had, just stop. Have a buddy or two bring you back in case you need help. If you’re out by yourself, make sure someone knows where you are, when to expect you back, and what to do if you don’t get home. Do bring your cell phone for emergencies, but don’t make that your only plan. We all know that cell phones can break or not find a signal at the most inopportune times, so they shouldn’t be your only means of letting someone know where you are.

Heat stroke symptoms are much more serious and include  extremely high body temperature (above 103 orally), red/hot/dry skin (no sweating), rapid pulse, dizziness, nausea, confusion, headache and/or unconsciousness. Read the CDC site for complete recommendations on what to do, but if someone has these symptoms you must call for medical assistance immediately.  First-aid includes cooling the victim as fast as possible using shade, water on the body, a cool shower, a wet sheet — whatever you’ve got. Heat stroke is life-threatening and should be treated as such.

Be careful and be ready for the heat the rest of this week and the rest of this summer. Take lots of breaks and get cool when you need to.  As long as you’re vigilant, you’ll get home in one piece when you “Get Out” this summer.

It goes without saying that you should read the CDC’s extreme heat recommendations for further information. “Get Out” blog is not a medical source, so read it from the experts here: www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp

For really interesting info on salt and extreme running, check out: www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/nutrition/salt.asp

Laura Sievert