My name is Bobby Klein. I am an Associate Program Director with the Community Development YMCA in Long Beach and I have never done a Triathlon in my life. Some might think that I am crazy to commit to 5 Triathlons in 2011, but I say "Why Not?" I have come to learn that I will not do something unless I say that I am going to do it first. If I speak it into existence it is much more likely to happen. So what happens when you think it, speak it, tell others about it, write about it....you start doing it. The Original Idea
The original idea was to do something special for this 2011 campaign year at the Y. This idea, along with a desire to get back in shape after a costly holiday eating season, turned into committing to 5 triathlons to raise money and awareness for a great cause. Yes, a GREAT cause, since I have worked here I have never been more inspired to have a positive affect on those around me. I have heard too many stories of families being helped through our family involvement program or student's lives changing because of one of our after-school programs. It is easy to give when you know what you are giving to (for more info about our programs click the Our Programs tab above).
Training
It seems like just yesterday, I was making that announcement that I was going to start training for the upcoming races and the next thing I know I am 2 weeks into a training regimen that has me swimming, running or cycling 5 days a week. I was a cross country runner in high school and I have been cycling for about 7 years now, but the swimming is what scares me the most. Fortunately, the YMCA of Greater Long Beach is a great network with work out facilities in every corner of Long Beach and some of these facilities have POOLS! My facility of choice...Los Altos YMCA 1720 Bellflower Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90815 mainly because it is close to where I live in Seal Beach. I have been swimming here for a couple weeks now and I couldn't be more happy with the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. I even signed up for private swim lessons with Dani, a high school swim coach and Y employee. I have trained in the past, I was a collegiate athlete (Baseball) and played 3 sports in high school. But in all my training, I have never trained with as much purpose as I have now. It is one thing to work out because, I will gain strength or I will compete better or I will get in shape...it is a whole other thing to train because in doing so I am raising money and awareness for a cause. It no longer is about what I gain, but about what others will gain and this is a great place to be. Albert Einstein was right when he said, "Only life lived for others is worth living." So when I am peddling my bike down PCH or making bubbles out of my nose under the heated water at the Los Altos YMCA pool, I am thinking about lives being changed because of each stroke.
Why 5?
I am not necessarily sure why I chose to do 5 triathlons as opposed to 4 or 6. Maybe because it is easy to times a donation by 5 :) or maybe I just figured 5 seemed like a logical goal, this puts me in a race almost every month of the season and there are plenty to choose from. I created an entire new calendar on my iCal with just triathlons, recording the length of the swim, bike and run. In researching different triathlons I could do, I realized that there are several different types, thankfully. From what I understand there are 3 different categories; Super Sprint, Sprint and Olympic. Super Sprint and Sprint being more for beginners and is what I will start out doing. The Olympic is the real deal and what my ending goal will be.
My 1st Triathlon:
My first triathlon will be in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl. It is a Reverse Super Sprint Triathlon, which means you run first (5k), bike second(15k) and swim last(150m). Come out and cheer me on, hopefully my custom triathlon jersey will be ready by then!
March 19, 2011 8am
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The Others
I have several different options for the final 4 Triathlons, here they all are:
Spring Sprint Triathlon
Encinitas Spring Triathlon
OC International Triathlon
San Diego International Triathlon
Carlsbad Triathlon
Solana Beach Triathlon
Camp Pendleton Sprint Triathlon
Surf Town Triathlon
TriRock Triathlon San Diego
Pacific Coast Triathlon
San Diego Triathlon Classic
Mission Bay Triathlon
Long Beach Triathlon
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How You Can Give
I am asking to calculate your donation per a triathlon. If you would like to give $5, $10, $20, $40, $50, $100 or more, you will be giving this amount for each triathlon I compete in. The donation process is simple and outlined below.
1. Calculate your donation:
$_____ X 5 Triathlons = Total Donation
ie. $20 X 5 Triathlons = $100 Total Donation
2. Log on to www.lbymca.org/strongkids
3. Enter your donation (You can spread it out over time if you would like)
4. Select payment type (EFT or Credit Card) and enter information
5. On next drop down menu select: 2011 Strong Kids Campaign - Community Development
6. A list of campaigners will be generated, select Robert Klein as your campaigner.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL THAT WILL GIVE!
MY GOAL IS TO RAISE $2000.00!
EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!
By: Bobby Klein - Associate Program Director/PR & Marketing Coordinator
1 comment:
What a great idea and an inspiration~Good luck!
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