Mighty Magnolia Race Entry Winner

I have tabulated the results for the Mighty Magnolia Race Entry. If you recall, the race filled up pretty fast this year. The race is at 365 regular entries. Ben, the race director also offered up 10 additional charity slots – there are only two of those entries remaining ($125 each).


To get the results I assigned a number to each eligible entry (you must be local and be committed to doing the race – I do not want the entry to go to waste). I tried to use random.org to pick the number but it did not work. Ah, the heck with it – I stole this from Lindsay over at Chasing the Kenyans. Very creative –

As you can see, everyone that wants to do the Mighty Magnolia is already signed up to do the Mighty Magnolia. I had planned on volunteering for the race (I am still stuffing packets and setting up racks – I you would like to help out this weekend please shoot Ben an email – He can use all the help he can get – 165 entries – that is a lot of bike racks to set up this Sunday afternoon) – but I guess I am racing after all. That is right – I won my own contest (I was the only eligible entry)!

Contest: Mighty Magnolia Race Entry

You know, our local race is coming up on October 9th. The Mighty Magnolia is just two weeks from now. If you have been sitting on the fence trying to decide if you want to race – well you are too late. The race is sold out. It is at its limit – 365 people have registered. The race is touted as follows:

Perfect for beginners. Unique, One-of-a-kind Awards for standard 5-year age groups, Athena, Clydesdale, Beginners, Fat Tire division, and relay teams.
Lots of food, fun, raffle prizes, hospitality, and great racing.

Time-Trial Start. Athletes are assigned their race number in the order their registration is processed. The earlier you register the sooner you start on race day!

Chip Timing.

Top 3 Male & Female Overall. Top 3 Male and Female in each Age Group and Category. No Duplication of Awards.

What if I told you that I had spoke with Ben Hughes, the race director, and I had procured a race entry. What if I told you I was willing to give this race entry away? And, in case you have reservation, I was willing to sit down for a consultation to help someone plan out their race strategies.

Well, all of these things are true. Obviously this contest is for local residents only, so if you would like to get in on this one of a kind contest then leave me a comment telling me that you would like to participate in the Mighty Magnolia. For a second entry simply 'like' Power Multisport on Facebook. And finally, for a third entry follow Power Multisport on twitter.

Please only enter the contest if you would like to participate in the Mighty Magnolia – we do not want to keep anyone out that would like to do the race.

The contest will end next Thursday night at midnight Mississippi time. Please state in the comments whether you are local and will participate in the race if you win. Also state how many eligible entries you are entitled.

Contest 02: GU Sampler Giveaway WINNER

Last Monday I had a poker game at my house. Just a couple of guys from the running club. Nothing high stakes or anything. But I was left with a lot more quarters at the end of the night than what I had started with. So, having all of this extra currency sitting around got me to thinking of a creative way to pick the winner of the Potted Plant O’GU. I saw that I had 23 comments on the post and I used a sharpie marker to tag 23 quarters. Now, there were a lot more than 23 quarters to select from (I mean a whole lot more – a special thank you to Jim and Charles for making the selection process possible). Not to beat a dead horse but there could have been so many more entries – I had the quarters!

Potted Plant o'GU

I wrote a number on the head side of the 23 quarters and then threw them into a pan. If the quarter landed head side up you went to the next round. If tail you were eliminated. During the process I realized that there could easily be a tie. So I decided that in the event of a tie the last throw would be repeated. Just for the record there were no ties.

23 marked quarters

1st toss

2nd toss

3rd toss

We have a WINNER - NUMBER 17

Now, I hope that I don’t catch grief for this but the winning number (quarter) was 17. And quarters do not lie.  But, that just happens to be one on my riding buddies – Raland. If you follow the blog you will noticed that I have mentioned him before. Most recently while riding Red Bluff and he was combating some kind of Montezuma's revenge – the real kind Mexico. Well, dehydration, hills and 100 degree heat index don’t mix. Raland found out the hard way.

It will be Raland's responcibility to determine just what flavor this GU is:

New flavor?

Now on to the Master’s Swim front. Honestly, I have some anxiety. The pool has been closed for the last week so I did not even get a chance to brush up on my lack of swim fitness. I have been calling this the clean the house up before the maid comes over plan. And I have been unsuccessful. Going from zero to Master’s Swim ( 1.5 hours x 3 times per week) will be an eye opener. Like I said, there is some anxiety but I am also excited. I will let you know how it goes.

Also, I have really enjoyed the new blogs that I have found.  Everyone that has a blog and commented on the post - I have read your blog and probably started following you!  I had a lot of good reads this weekend while it was raining.  Thanks!

Contest 02: GU Sampler Giveaway

I did some more running in the heat to compare my heart rates. I also travelled with a group of cyclist to Red Bluff to tackle some hills. And I have a couple of other posts in the works, but first …


It is time to get your GU on. I have recently received a large sampling of GU products that I would like to pass along to a lucky individual. I am a tried and true GU product user. While I was training for my ironman I received was 2 cases of GU gels. This was one of the best gifts ever. So to win the following ‘potted plant O’ GU’ all you have to do is comment and tell me your favorite flavor. One comment = one entry. Max number of entries is 1. Maybe after you win the shipment you will have a new favorite flavor!

My favorite GU is Espresso Love – I like the name, I like the coffee taste and I like the extra caffeine!

15 various GU gels and 4 GU Brew recovery drinks!

Road ID Contest 01 - We have a winner.

First I would like to think everyone who entered the contest. I have enjoyed reading the blogs of all of the new followers! Good stuff. 

Regarding the selection process - I did the excel copy / paste thing and printed out all of the entries. I then cut them out and put them in a container. The winner of the Road ID gift card is:

The names all printed out.

Closest container I could find.

Well, I had a "double blind" picture (I know what a real double blind method is - I live with a scientist) - but the original picture had me looking at the camera so that I could show that I was unbiased - but during the editing process I 'saved' over the picture - oops.

And the winner of the Road ID gift certificate is "mommaof3ontherun"!  Check out her blog and follow her weightloss and running journey - click here.  From her profile:

I am a busy wife and mom of 3. I work full time in the school system as a school psychologist. I woke up in April 2009 and realized I was out of shape and unhealthy. As a mom, I found that I put everyone else's needs in front of my own. I decided to do something about it. I saw someone's reference to the couch to 5K program and started. Official start day was 5/7/2009. I've since "graduated" from c25k. I'm working on increasing my mileage, fitness level, and continuing to lose the weight. I'm always on the run either with the family or in my running shoes. Follow me on my journey to taking control.

Well - I am tired.  I have been out of town all weekend.  I'lll tell you where I have been tomorrow. 

Thank you all for participating in the Road ID giveaway.  Even if you did not win I believe that the Road ID is very valuable.  I was running out of town this weekend and it gave me peace of mind.

I will be having another contest in the coming weeks!

Back in the Kitchen!

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a Road ID bracelet - click HERE !

In other news – I have been asked for years to get this started – the Hattiesburg Multisport Club. So this Thursday, 6PM at the Keg & Barrel will be the first ever meeting. This meeting will really just be a feeler to know what YOU want in a triathlon club. I don’t know if there will be 7 or 70 people but please bring your ideas! This club will not be successful unless people are willing to participate. Ben (who puts on the former Eagleman Triathlon – now called the Mighty Magnolia) has registered the name H.A.M.R. (Hattiesburg Area Multisport and Racing) with USAT and I have put up a rudimentary website – http://hattiesburgmultisport.com/. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas – shoot me an email – james AT hattiesburgmultisport.com .

Back to the diet:

I knew this was going to happen – I got off of the diet program this weekend. We had a running club meeting and – well, there was bar-b-queue, tons of sides and Bops (frozen custard) with waffle cone bowls. I thought I was doing okay but I got so many comments about – we will have to hear about how many pounds he gained on the blog tomorrow. Well, I did put back on all of the weight from the kickstart last week. But, that always happens on the weekends. That even happens if I follow a plan. You see, the weekends are usually bigger exercise days and for whatever reason I put on a couple of pounds just working out. The pounds will fall back off in the next day or two.

Kitchen disaster!

Assembly line style!

Kitchen scale - I weigh everything!

More salad - cucumbers from the farmers market.

The finished product.

I had my five 400 calorie MUFA loaded meals today and they were great. I was not hungry at all – I was just eating by the clock. Tonight, after work I got busy in the kitchen. I started preparing about a dozen meals for the rest of the week. I made 3 breakfasts consisting of 2 egg farm fresh omelets, 3 grilled chicken spinach salads, 2 ham sandwiches, 3 half natural peanut butter sandwiches for snacks, 4 containers of sliced yellow and red peppers. This should be a good start. For dinner I will be having grilled chicken spinach salads or grilled chicken with sweet potatoes. I am enjoying the variety!

Contest 01: Road ID Giveaway and review

First, I don’t watch a whole lot of news. I believe that they promote fear. We have enough of that in our society. That being said, bad things can and do happen – every single day.

A couple of weeks ago my friend Raland told me about one of his friends. This friend of a friend if you will lives down on the coast and was out running. And a bad thing did happen. He was hit by a city bus. To make matters worse he was unconscious for several hours and even when he came to he was very confused. He was out running, very much in the same manner that I do, without any identification. No one knew who he was. It was more than 5 hours before the medical personal could contact anyone that knew this man. This scared Raland.

I can image that Raland thought about all of the activities that he participates in and what would happen. Who would contact his wife? Can you imagine the concern of your loved ones if you were out on a run or ride and did not return?

Now, if something happened on one of our group rides - I mean, I know Raland – he is a friend of mine. I know his bike, his car, what kind of job he has, his email address and his cell phone number. But I would not be able to contact any of his family. Raland bought a Road ID bracelet that night. He has been wearing it ever since. I thought that was a pretty good idea.

When I ride I carry my driver’s license and my insurance card. However, when I run I do not carry anything. I normally don’t have any pockets. I have always run this way – here in my own backyard and when I travel. Thinking back, this is not very smart – running around a strange big city where no one at all knows who you are.

Like I said, I am not trying to promote fear in any way shape or form – but I am trying to promote safely! I contacted a marketing company and told them that I would like to review the Road ID and give one away. They agreed wholeheartedly. Just to be clear – I ordered a Road ID bracelet free of charge. I only agreed that if I reviewed the item that I would be completely honest. They did not encourage me to write anything positive or negative about the product. Here is my experience.

The Road ID come in a nice tin.

There are actually quite a few products on the Road ID website – click here. They have the original Road ID which is a made from a nylon strap type material. It also has two reflective stripes. This was the Road ID that I had seen before and the type that Raland purchased. However, I sweat like a son of a gun – I mean when I am done with a bike ride my gloves are soaked through – and the next day they don’t smell so sweet.

So I found another Road ID product – and this one is said that it might be the sexiest Road ID in the lineup – The Road ID Elite. Well, I am always down for more sexy.

I quickly received the bracelet in the mail. It arrived in a neat metal tin – like a fossil watch tin. There were also easy to understand instructions on cutting the band to fit. The bracelet constructed with a hard rubber band material and a metal watch clasp. The rubber material is wider than a livestrong bracelet but not stretchy at all. There are grooves on the back of the bracelet that you use to cut to size. The directions say to cut one section at a time and try the fit. This was not difficult. The website says that it is stylish enough from the bike to the board room. Since I am not in the boardroom very often I opted for the Road ID in RED.

Well written instructions

The give you 6 lines of editable text on your Road ID bracelet. They have several templates that give you ideas of the types on information that you should include. I include my name, year of birth, city, two personal contacts, an allergy and I still had run to promote a website. They also had some humorous examples for the last line like – “NEVER GIVE UP” and “IF FOUND TREAT WITH BEER”. I considered one of my running mantras but went with a website. You can also opt for an Interactive Road ID. The interactive version lists only your name and location. Below that there is a toll-free telephone number for Road ID as well as a website. This is an updatable secure Emergency Response Profile (ERP). The ERP can contain a lot more information than the 6 lines of text on the Road ID. The first year of the ERP profile is included with the purchase of the bracelet; however, after the first year it is $9.95 a year. Pretty cheap but I hate reoccurring costs so I opted for the regular Road ID. I believe that the information is sufficient in an emergency.

The laser engraving on the Road ID is crisp and clear. They also claim that it is extremely durable. In fact they offer a “ROCK-SOLID, USPER DUPER GUARANTEE”. If you are tough enough to wear out the stainless steel, laser engraved ID, just return it and they will send you a new one (same text).

Now, I am not much of a jewelry type guy- no rings, necklaces, bracelets, piercings, etc – but I have been wearing this Road ID everywhere. The buckle operates easily - I have only been taking it off for showers and sleep. The engraving seems durable and the bracelet is comfortable.

The Road ID Elite - numbers blurred to protect the innocent.

I do have one major concern. Last week, since I am playing and not training right now, during a racquet ball game the bracelet flew off on my wrist! Now, I am the type of baller that swings wildly and with very little grace. I did not even notice that it was gone. The person that I was playing with handed me the Road ID. There is a watch pin that holds the clasp together. It was gone. We looked for a few minutes around the court but could not find it. I am a resourceful guy. When I got back to my office I used a paper clip to replace the watch pin. I cut it to size and beveled the ends of the paper clip with a file. Now, this Road ID is going nowhere. However, this did make me think about an accident. Would it stay in place? Was the flying off of my wrist just a fluke? I know that the nylon bracelet with the hook and loop fastener would stay put. I mean, I have stuff attached to my bike and it says put. I do not think it is a flaw in the product but a watch clasp is more vulnerable than a strap. I am not trying to blow this out of proportion – I think the chance of the bracelet coming apart is very low. But if this is a concern then you might want to consider the original Road ID.

Road ID on the wrist

Here is how to enter the contest (you can receive up to 4 entries)

1. Leave a comment on this post prior to midnight (CST) on Saturday, July 24th

2. Be a follower or become a follower of this blog. There is a button to the right on the side bar.

3. Mention this contest on your blog.

4. Tweet the following on your twitter account - click here:

I just entered the @RoadID giveaway at http://hubcitytri.blogspot.com

Let me know the number of entries that you qualify for in your comment. You can still leave a comment even if you do not have a blog. So that I can identify you, comment something like – “I don’t have a blog yet but I did leave a comment and I tweeted about it – I am good for two entries – Dan the Man from Hattiesburg”.

The fine print: (taken from and revised from Steve in a Speedo)

- Contest open to US and Canadian residents.

- You may comment now (on THIS post) through midnight Central time on Saturday, July 24th. I will post the winner on Monday, July 26th.

- The winner will be chosen at random by a random number generator, drawing numbers out of a hat, or other random selection process.

- Check back this Monday (July 26) to see if you won! (Especially if you don’t have a blogger account because I have no way of contacting you.)

- If I don’t hear back from the winner within 2 days after posting that they’ve won, I’ll draw another name and give the prize to someone else.

Road ID is also also having a contest. Check it out to win a 2011 Team RadioShack replica Trek Madone 6.9SSL plus a whole lot more - LINK.

More contests - golite.com

I ran across this the other day and thought that I would share - 93 days of give aways.  golite.com

I really like this picture - I think the same way in the mornings -