Our next two club meetings will be 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 4, and Monday April 1, 2002 at Alfred & Charlie’s, 815 S. New Hope Rd, Gastonia.

The Blizzard Blast - Feb 2, 2002

Beginner Men 30+

3rd place Time: 34:37 Carl Andersen

Bitter Chilly Showdown - Feb 17,2002

1st place Time: 33:25 Carl Andersen

Blair Craig and Troy Bush also competed in this mountain bike race.

Editor’s request: If you’ve participated in any events, runs, walks, rides, please communicate these to me at 704-867-2669, by e-mail at coastineditor@yahoo.com, or by mail to John Price 681 Niblick Dr Gastonia NC 28054. Please note, not everyone can run a marathon or ride 100 miles. Others would still like to hear about your participation in and opinions of various events.

Mark your calendars for this event to be held at Lineberger Park, Gastonia. The Gaston County Cyclists will have a team again this year so please let me know if you are interested in participating. We have had the largest club/ organization team for the past two years and we need everyone’s participation to keep the title. Paula Weant at 704 865 6193.

Challenge to Succeed, Gaston County Cyclists, April 14, 2002

Start/finish at Crowder’s Mtn State Park, Sparrow Springs Road. Registration: 9:00 a.m., Mass Start: 10:00 a.m. Fee: $6.00 non-members, $5.00 members. See ride flyer elsewhere in this newsletter, or check on-line at www.gastoncountycyclists.org .

Both races sponsored by the Rock Hill Bicycle Club. For information, see our website at www.gastoncountycyclists.org , or contact me (John Price, newsletter editor).

Please inform your membership about our century ride. 25, 50, & 100 mile options. Get all info at our web-site, www.infodepot.org or register at www.active com. We are a designated training ride for the Assaults on Mt. Mitchell and Marion.

Sign up is $25. Thanks, Winnie Walsh

102 miles, with 72 mile Marion option. Tickets can still be purchased for the 72 mile Marion ride, however entry into the 102 mile Mitchell event is already closed. If you’re still interested in doing this ride, there may be some local club members that have a ticket for sale. Ride cost is $50. If interested in buying or selling a ticket, contact me and I’ll try to help.

–John Price coastineditor@yahoo.com or 704-867-2669.

Mar 2 – Penguin 8K – Charlotte, NC – 704 358 0713

Mar 2 – "Catch Me if you Can" March of Dimes 10K – Concord, NC – 704 786 0149

Mar 23 – Gold Rush Half Marathon & 8K – Concord, NC – 704 786 3312

Mar 23 – Spring 5K Chase – Hickory, NC – 828 324 2858

Mar 23 – St. Leo School’s 5K Race – Winston Salem, NC – 336 774 8755

Apr 7 – Great Raleigh Road Race 10K & 5K – Raleigh, NC – 919 851 0075

Apr 13 – Charlotte RaceFest Half-marathon & 10K – Charlotte, NC – 843 423 6790

Apr 13 – Come See Me Road Race 5K – Rock Hill, SC – 803 329 9622 X 229

Apr 20 – Hospice Hope Run 10K – Winston Salem, NC – 336 768 3972

Apr 27 – CPCC Charlotte Skyline 5K – Charlotte, NC – 704 330 6869

Mar 23 – Gold Rush Half Marathon & 8K – Concord, NC – 704 786 3312

Amongst the many stories from this year’s winter Olympics in Utah is one tale that has particular relevance to endurance athletes like cyclists & runners. American gold-medallist in the women’s 1000 meter speed skating event, Chris Witty, had already achieved some big successes with a bronze & silver medal in the Nagano Olympics four years ago. But for over a year she had been plagued by a lethargy she couldn’t explain, and hadn’t won a race in 11 months. She continued to pour on the training efforts, but to no avail. Then, only 4 weeks before the Utah games, she was diagnosed with mononucleosis, which is often associated with excessive amounts of stress. Forced to shut down her training regimen just weeks before the games, she was convinced the best she could hope for was an outside chance at a bronze.

Instead, Chris Witty managed to blow everyone off the ice, winning the gold and setting a new world record. After the race, she was quoted as saying, "I couldn’t believe it, it’s the most shocking result of my life." But for those who are big fans for the theories of periodization, this is a classic case of a very talented, but over-trained athlete whose body desperately needed a chance to recover. Admittedly, this isn’t the time of the year most of us are worrying about over-training, but as the miles increase with improving weather, don’t forget to plan some down time for recovery!