Week in Review: 3/20/2013

by Brenda Chroniak

Happy Spring, BTT and Friends! The Groundhog may have lied, but I'm telling the truth--in honor of the first day of spring, Week In Review is back! So be sure to post your race results and season goals, please.

This past weekend, the luck of the Irish was with BTT, as we saw terrific results! Nick Pappastratis placed fourth in his age group and fifth overall at the the Boys & Girls Club St. Pats 5K, Kelwin Conroy had a great finish at the NYC Half Marathon, and Eric Lambi, Mark Vautour, James Ellis, and Jen Scalise-Marinofsky all crushed the New Bedford Half Marathon. Nice work, guys.

The weekend of March 9 and 10, Nicole Kimborowicz got her snowshoe on at the Granite State Snowshoe Championship, placing 15th in her division, then ran the Ras Na Heiraenn 5K the following day, along with Bryan Canterbury, and both had great races.

Going back in time another week, the month of March kicked off with Mark Vautour placing 12th in his division at Stu's 30K and Meg MacSwan placing third in hers and fourth overall at the Black Cat 20-miler. Way to bring March in like a lion!

Congrats to everyone for a solid month of racing, and let's keep it up this weekend at the Tri-Mania Team Challenge and the Fast Splits ITT!

Here's to the start of a great spring, and to Tri season being just around the corner. 

Boston Triathlon Team 2012 Year End Summary Report

The Boston Triathlon Team continues to be one of the most popular and well known teams in the area. This past year, we had one of our highest retention rates ever, leaving just a few spots for new members. 

With so many active members, the team had another fabulous year of training, racing, volunteering, and socializing. In 2012, BTT raced over 11 thousand miles by participating in 234 triathlons, duathlons, running races, cycling races, cyclocross events, and open water swims - of all distances. 

BTT hosted its 4th annual Indoor Time Trial at Landry's Bicycles in Boston. Thanks to our members for participating, volunteering, and lending their CompuTrainers to make a successful event, we were able to increase our charitable contribution to World Bicycle Relief from $750 to $1,000 in 2012.

Team members organized group swims at Walden Pond, Sunday Group Runs (SGRs), Battle Road runs, track workouts, weekend rides, the infamous King of the Hill series, and breakfast at Helen's. Members took a break from training and attended monthly socials at local bars. BTT socials continue to remain an excellent forum for meeting prospective new candidates. At-Home socials debuted in 2011 and returned again in 2012 as another way for members to get to know each other in an informal setting. Sponsor Appreciation Night has become a new tradition and a way to kick back after a long season. As always, Training Weekend at Waterville Valley and the December Pub Run were fun-filled, exhausting, and well-attended.

After such a great 2012, we look forward to 2013 with anticipation. We say farewell to a few friends but welcome a whopping 21 new members to our ranks.

BTT is grateful to all of our sponsors and supporters who provide us with discounts, services and products; subsidize our uniform and Training Weekend; and provide us with our snazzy podium shirts. We wear their logos proudly and are happy to see their continued support in 2013.

Stay happy and healthy, BTT!

Athletics Update

The racing calendar for Boston area triathletes is governed by the climate. We start the year limited (by temperature) to road races. Some travel south in early spring to race in triathlons, but most wait until June to start in earnest. Summer is furious, with races nearly every weekend. It is punctuated with key races in Lake Placid, Burlington, Mont Tremblant, Gilford, and Las Vegas. The autumn transition drives most back to road races, although a few switch over to race bikes in the mud.

Notable 2012 Highlights:

• 44 Half Marathon Finishes: Hyannis had the biggest showing with 19 athletes supporting our long time sponsor BA Event Promotions
• 12 Marathon Finishes: Five Boston Marathon qualifiers
• 19 Ironman Finishes: Four finishes at the Ironman World Championships in Kona
• 41 Half Ironman Finishes: Three finishes at the 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas
• 95 Triathlon Age Group Podiums
• 54 Triathlon Age Group Wins
• 14 Triathlon Overall Podiums
• 8 Triathlon Overall Wins

Financial Update

BTT continues to maintain a strong financial base due mainly to our membership and sponsors. Forty-five percent of our revenue is derived from our Sponsors, 36% from our Membership fees and 12% from the BTT Indoor Time Trial. In the 2012 budget, $7,000 in additional funds was allotted towards new member gifts, and donations to worthy organizations based on the results of the 2011 Long Term Planning Survey. In addition, the uniform and Training Weekend subsidies were increased for all active members, and membership fees were maintained at the 2011 levels.

Membership Update

In 2012 membership totaled 124 BTTers – 118 Active and 6 Associate. We had seven of the ten rookies take advantage of the volunteer Mentor Program where experienced members advised rookies throughout the year on training, racing and making the most of their BTT experience. We’ve surveyed the participants for feedback to enhance the program for the 2013 rookie class.

Also in 2012, we introduced a web-based Membership Handbook for all BTTers.

Our Associate levels tripled in 2013 which allowed a new member class of twenty-one. I am happy to announce that all 2012 rookies renewed in 2013.

Social and Special Events Update

BTT members kicked off 2012 with our annual winter event in Harpoon's Tasting room. As the weather got warmer, we met up again at our annual Training Weekend in Waterville Valley, NH in May. We had a record number of attendees including members and friends of BTT. Throughout the year, we continued with our monthly socials at local bars and restaurants, and were even able to have a few at-home socials in the homes of our members with products provided by our sponsors. We finalized our social calendar with a fun End of the Year Banquet complete with a slideshow, awards, good food, and great fun with BTT friends!

Sponsorship Update

In 2012, BTT retained eight sponsors from 2011 with a total cash contribution of $10,750. BTT received another $2,900 in revenue from the Indoor Time Trial hosted by Landry’s Bicycles with an additional donation to World Bicycle Relief. Long time sponsors, Power Bar and Harpoon, also provided the team with in-kind gifts of their products. QT2 Coaching and 90+ both opted to move to Supporter Status and, in addition, we added E3 Training Solutions and Hint water as team supporters.

Uniforms and Gear Update

2012 saw a change in our uniform supplier and updated design. Sugoi was selected as the manufacturer and, given the positive feedback, will remain our uniform vendor for 2013. New BTT camp chairs and water bottles were distributed to active members. Podium shirts now include the race year so you know which one to pull out of your drawer on race day. In 2013, hoodies and track jackets will be available for purchase along with a few other surprises.

Volunteer Update

Active members were once again required to volunteer at one of the twelve official volunteer events. More than 20 opted to volunteer at more than one, and we had two winners this year for members who volunteered the most – two outstanding rookies. Volunteering is an essential part of every race and is an opportunity for us to give back to the sport and to our fellow racers.