Jelly Fish Gets DQ’d at the Toby Triathlon. His Un-Sportsman-Like Action Was a BIG Disappointment To All His Fans

At first, it was all smiles when Jelly Fish was invited to join the Runner's Edge Team. It was, you know, a dream of Jelly's to Swim, Bike and Run with the best. Perhaps that was the real problem -- the pressure to be the best, just got to Jelly and he snapped -- at least as much as "Jelly" can "snap". It is probably more correct to say that Jelly "bent" under the pressure and was DQ'd when ...

That's right, believe it or not, and you have to believe it as the photo below clearly shows, our beloved Jelly Fish -- caught red-tentacled attempting to ride a souped-up, green Kawasaki in the Bike portion of the Tobay Tri. Race officials dashed in, stopped the bike and pulled Jelly off his Kawasaki before anyone was injured. One bystander reported hearing Jelly mutter, "I didn't hurt anybody in the Swim did I?"

After the "Bike Mis-Understanding" as Jelly would later call it, he was seen at various spots around the area...

Jelly Fish gazes longingly at the trophy he was no longer eligible for...

Jelly Fish drowns his sorrow and shame in a frosty Blue Point and declares it his new "very favorite beverage!".

Jelly watches, (with anger? with sadness??), as the triathletes on line get their printed results -- results that he'll never see in 2008. The lyrics of Billy Joel's hit song "Pressure" repeating over and over in his mind.
"You have to learn to pace yourself... PRESSURE... You're just like everybody else... (EDITORS NOTE: Jelly, You are NOT like everybody else), PRESSURE... You've only had to run so far, so good... But you will come to a place... Where the only thing you feel... Are loaded guns in your face... And you'll have to deal with... PRESSURE"
And, when the PRESSURE gets too much, what does Jelly Fish do? He waits in the Porta Potty line just like everybody else! Go Jelly Go -- we await your next big adventure.

Pictures from the Tobay Triathlon: Sunday August 24, 2008

Video from Tobay Tri is above -- it can be also found on YouTube. Still pictures are below. Great job by all...

For some people, one award is just NOT enough!

Bully job lads... just Bully! Charge!

Rich, we would have believed you. Honest!

Can you spot Jelly in the picture below? Is he trying to join another team for 2009 or is he just looking to get some more Blue Point beer?

Now that's the look of a happy winner! Way to go Frank!

Jelly Fish Joins Huntington Master's Swimmers For a Pool Workout

If you've been wondering where all the jellyfish have gone, (remember the Jellyfish Invasion just a few weeks back?), we can tell you where one has gone -- meet our newest Huntington Master's Swim Team and Huntington YMCA Pool swimmer -- "Jelly" Fish.

"Hey, these goggles just make everything blurry!"

"Ahhh, that's much better. Now I can do a kick set -- and with all my legs I really need a good, long kick set."

"Whew, that Kick Set tired me out. I think that I'll go rest on the bottom of the pool."

"Hey Buddy stay out of my lane! Didn't you human swimmers learn anything during those open water swims about getting to close to a jelly fish?"

Based on Jelly Fish's attitude towards his fellow swimmers, I hope that this will be the last we see of him in the Huntington Y Pool.

Results of the NYC Triathlon 7-20-08

Name / age group/overall (by sex) / time

Karen Farrell / 12/162 / 2:35:39

Dawn Desimone 34/162 / 2:49:28

Steve Albright 44/155 / 2:49:43

Meredith Emsden 47/188 / 2:52:44

Brett Emsden 181/474 / 2:55:40

Mike Edebohls 258/413 / 3:11:34

Joe Pangia 350/411 / 3:12:50

Team Results:

Ken Longo, Greg Linakis / 6th men's

Tammie & Alan Topel / 11th coed

Montauk Lighthouse Sprint Triathlon results 7-13-08

Name /Overall /Division /Time

Greg Linakis 20 2 1:19:50
Don Bond 23 3 1:20:12
Howard Kohos 321 24 1:49:10
Lynn Perzsezty 71 7(o/a female) 1:27:56
Karen Farrell 72 8(o/a female) 1:28:03
Nancy Aboff 76 9(o/a female) 1:28:37
Dawn Desimone 116 2 1:33:04
Heather McCormick 520 4 1:37:08
Elizabeth Perlstein 255 10 1:44:23
Janette Newell 284 4 1:47:23
Liz Donroe 332 7 1:50:22
Peggy McGill 389 8 1:56:27
Jeanine Kata 394 23 1:57:21
Yolanda Velez 405 10 1:59:31
Joan Motherway 441 26 2:04:53

Lake Placid Ironman results 7-20-08

Name --------------------Time ----Age group --- Overall

Armand D'Amato 16:03:53 --- 25/32 --- 2068

Colleen McManus 14:22:41 --- 83/123 --- 1698

Mike McMorrow 13:37:36 --- 279/398 --- 1493

Doug Partrick 12:12:17 --- 82/268 --- 823

2008 5-K in the Bay Eyewitness Report From Carol Moore

Here's MY take on the 2008 5-K in the Bay...I was a cheerleader this year rather than a swimmer since I wasn't tuned up to swim it...quite happily, as it turned out, once I learned from one of the boaters that there were MONSTER jellyfish out there!

EDITORS NOTE: The 2 Rob's pictured above are NOT the MONSTER jellyfish!

That wasn't the only disaster the swimmers had to contend with, though, as someone evidently forgot to mark the first turn! There was NO BOAT! I watched from the dock as some swimmers took the shortcut and turned at the last orange buoy, but the more dedicated ones just kept swimming, Looking for a turn-around boat that wasn't there! (it apparently had drifted practically to Northport Harbor!) So kudos to thosewho swam a 6-K race that day -- and got mauled by jellyfish in the bargain (Rob Martell and Rob Ripp among them!).

My camera lens locked up so I wasn't able to get a photo of Ken Longo coming in at a pretty quick clip,but I was able to shoot our favorite Canadian Rob Martell and his namesake,Rob Ripp, as they came in together at an impressive 1:40-something, but I can't help but think that "They was Robb-ed"! But there's always next year! Here are pictures of The Robs at the finish line, and above, a long-distance one of the turnaround boat that WAS there, manned by the other Rob, Bob Miller! EDITORS NOTE:See pictures from Bob's boat in story below.

Some Shots From The 5K In The Bay (Huntington Bay That Is!)

Thanks and a tip of the Swim Cap to Bob Miller for these pictures. Bob explained that they were a little hard to get "as we were the turnaround boat and had to get their splits, numbers and hand out water...that's why the pictures show the swimmers so far away".

As a help to the swimmers, Bob put the float buoy up on his mast so it was easy to spot.

An escort Kayak and one lonely swimmer in the middle of Huntington Bay. But conditions were ideal unless, of course, you wanted to count the stinging Jellyfish that just happened to wander in on the course. See Rob's Jellyfish Story below and some tips on how to protect yourself from a very painful sting!


5K is a l-o-n-g swim but with views like this of a very deserted looking Huntington Bay, (could the price of fuel be part of the problem?), it might be time to start training for next year's 5K In The Bay. Start swimming NOW!

OWS July 15th to July 18th and JellyFish

It is worth noting to all those swimming this week , that the non-friendly Jellyfish are now present in the water off WNB or the LI Sound . A few ran into them on Wed/Thursday last week. On Sunday at the 5K race, the Medusa jellyfish came out in spades.

Not like the small and non-stinging types, these will sting. Please take care swimming over the next few weeks. Suntan lotion is said to reduce the chance of a sting on arms,face, etc. Vasaline helps as well. Clearly wetsuits help so it might be advisable to wear yours if you had been sans-suit.

Cure:? I have used Ammonia to good success on some bad stings on Sunday. I will be carrying Ammonia in my tool bag in case you happen to be swimming when I am.

I don't think it should stop plans for you to swim, just watch out while swimming for brownish/redish jellyfish. Their tenticles can go for a few feet so eyes open :) Goggles are a must IMO. A sting in the eye can cause serious problems.

Rougher waters do reduce their presence in the water so hoping for some wind this week.

OWS Dates :
Wed July 16th 5:45 am
Thur : Uncertain
Friday : 5:45 am

July 9, 2008 Early Morning Open Water Swim at West Neck Beach

Actually, the sun wasn't really up when we started our swim -- at least that was true for the 5:45 AM group who probably hit the water around 6 AM. Its not easy putting on a wetsuit while you're still yawning! But the fact that the sun greets us on our way back makes it all worthwhile.

Can you spot the swimmer above? Doesn't he/she look absolutly delighted with the dawn, the water, the swim and the day? Could one ask for a better start before heading off to work. Forget your winter blues -- it's July and the Open Water Swimming is wonderful!

The buoy that we most often swim to is in a straight line with the tip of land above, (sight off the right side of the yellow buoy), and about a half-a-mile as a fish swims -- in a straight line. But what swimmer or fish for that matter do you know that swims in a straight line?

Rich almost looks like he's wondering "Why do I run? -- I could be swimming like this every day!"

As you might guess, this is the roadway into West Neck Beach.

The "Safe-Swim" Area buoys are all lined up -- if only the buoys that we swam to were this close together!

Chris clutches his personal swim buoy as he happily findes his way back to the beach.

Jim and Rich are on their way back too!

Hey, not a bad swimming form for Mike -- your author! Note his gold Brooklyn Bridge swim cap from last years (2007) Brooklyn Bridge Swim.

Tim had a great swim and a big smile was his reward.

Route Map for Open Water Swim at West Neck Beach

Here is a Route Map of the 2 courses that are generally swum off West Neck Beach in Cold Spring Harbor. The Red Box 3 is labeled as Route 1 and is just a bit over one mile. 

It is swum out from the beach just in front of the Beach House -- we all kind of float around just beyond the beach buoys about 50 to 100 yards from shore and then when everyone is ready we head on down to the large yellow and white buoy at the far point of the triangle (bottom of the picture). Depending on wave/water conditions, (and your eyesight!),  this buoy can be hard to see until you get pretty close -- but if you aim for the tip of land jutting out beyond it, you can't miss! 

Route 2 -- shown as Red Box 2 is about a quarter mile PLUS longer at 1.3 miles. We swim out and to the north a bit (towards Long Island Sound) -- there is another large yellow and white buoy there, (top left corner of the triangle), which can really be seen from the beach before you get in the water. Once we get to that buoy then we swim to the bottom of the triangle buoy. Get your wet suit and join us!

Huntington Triathlon Club Shirt

The sizing kits are in at Bicycle Planet.  You all MUST go to the store and try on and order your shirt. There is a woman's specific top with a built in bra and a man's shirt with a zipper in the front.  Both have pockets in the back.  

The cost is $42.  A picture/drawing of the shirt is at left. 

The Bicycle Planet is located at 540 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY 11791. Their phone number is: 516-364-4434. Store Hours: Mon -Fri 10-8:45 Sat 10-6; Sun 11-5.

Open Water Swim: June 29, 2008 at West Neck Beach

I think we set a record today for Huntington Masters Swimmers and Triathletes swimming together in Cold Spring Harbor -- launch point for some 35 plus swimmers was our old friend West Neck Beach. Conditions couldn't have been better with high tide, calm water, NO boat traffic, almost no jellyfish, air temperature around 75 degrees and water temperature somewhere in the 60's. 

I had a new camera with me -- supposed to be waterproof -- but since I literally just got it, I was afriad to try it in the water on the first day out however, the new camera worked and you can view the results below -- be sure to look for Nancy's pretty PINK Cast -- she's been swimming with it for the last month or so:

Or copy and type this link into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBqScp032ks

Weekend OWS ( Sat June 28th, Sun June 29th )

Weekend swims at West Neck Beach

Saturday : There should be folks at WNB at 6am and 7am.

Sunday : Time looks like 7am with a large group. We might even need lane markers for this time and day.

The water is wonderful and wetsuits are really optional. A few of us have been swimming without suits for a number of weeks already. Water temp is mid 60s to high 60s.

All of the above based on weather conditions.

Rob

June 2008 Gold Coast and Mighty Montauk Triathlon Results

Results of Mighty Montauk Triathlon - June 7, 2008

Name / Place Overall / Age Group Place / Time

Don Bond / 30 / 4th / 2:07:41.9

Steve Uresk / 106 / Unknown / 2:20:04.2

Joe Conklin / 125 / 21st / 2:22:07.7

Greg Petryk / 126 / 15th / 2:22:08.5

Heather McCormick / 261 / 4th / 2:36:04.7

Magdelana Petryk / 336 / 4th / 2:42:58.1

Stephanie Scanlon / 467 / 28th / 3:06:03.9


Results of Gold Coast Triathlon - June 15, 2008

Name / Place Overall / Age Group Place / Time

Mike Edebohls / 335 / 49 / 1:25:14.9

Jim Imhof / 411 / 10 / 1:27:54.6

Joanna Grossman / 475 / 12 / 1:30:47.9

Mike McGuiness / 636 / 42 / 1:39:45.5

OWS Swim for Week of June 24th

Confirmed times and Locations:All swims are at West Neck Beach. The swims longer than 2mile are done with two loops so you can drop off at the beach after the first loop. Three ( single loop )routes have been measured at 1.25m, 1.5m, 1.9m

Wed 25th: 5:45am ( 1mile or 1.5 mile swim )
Thur 26th... Looking for interest
Friday 27th : 5:45am ( 1mile or 1.5 mile swim )

Tentative times
Sat : 6am or 7am... longer swim ( 3 to 4 miles, two loops of 1.9mile course ) would be starting early time but second loop would start around 7am.. THIS START time will be confirmed by email.
Sun : 7am . 1 to 2 mile swim. ( maybe longer but made of two loops ). THIS START time will be confirmed by email.

If interested, send me an email or if you want to be added to the email distribution list.

Rob

OWS - Week oj June 2nd

For those interested, this weeks OWS schedule at West Neck Beach is

Tuesday June 3rd : 6am
Wed June 4th : 6am ( some may start at 6:30am )
Thursday : 6am but not confirmed
Friday : 6am but not confirmed
Sat and Sun. Times to be determined but there will be people swimming in the AM

The course generally swum is 1.25 miles with a break in the middle. Some swim an extension to this route that goes 1.8 miles. A 3K swim is also done but generally on the weekends. If you want to be notified of upcoming swim , you can email me at robmartell@optonline.net to be included in the email list.

Meeting for the swim is at West Neck Beach entrance ( on West Neck Road ).

Water temperature is about 60 to 61 these days and wet suit is usually required , except for the bravest.

Everything is weather dependant.

Rob

Practicing Open Water Swimming in the Pool!

Can you really do it? Can you practice Open Water Swimming in an Indoor Pool? Well, Coach Rich and Coach Bob, (pictured below), were more than willing to give it a try as they hauled out two orange open-water buoys and anchored them to the bottom of Norton Pool. 



Did their very novel idea work? You bet it did! Just take a look at the You Tube footage below,  (there are two films available), -- it was almost like swimming in Huntington Bay or Cold Spring Harbor -- just 30 plus degrees warmer! And, oh yes, there were lane lines!






Swim to the right...

Swim to the left... practice went every way but over the top!

LI half Marathon Local Huntington Area Results

The Long Island Half Marathon was held again this year on May 4, 2008. Below are the results for some local runners (a few are swimmers too!)

Name.......... Place..... Time

Nancy Aboff.......... 137..... 1:34:01

Greg Linakis.......... 268..... 1:39:52

Nancy Lipira.......... 543..... 1:47:32

Roger Levin.......... 704..... 1:51:20

Eileen Knauer.......... 1118..... 1:58:27

Lynn Perzeszty.......... 1143..... 1:58:44

Lisa Kristel.......... 1144..... 1:58:44

Leslie Levchuk.......... 1249..... 2:00:34

Colleen McManus.......... 1283..... 2:00:56

Steve Kristel.......... 1376..... 2:02:35