Hypothermic Half-Marathon | Sarnia, Ontario
It wasn’t exactly “hypothermic,” but with temps in the mid-thirties, it was still a chilly edition of the Hypothermic half-marathon in Sarnia, Ontario on February 5th 2012.  TSB was on hand to ensure that the temperature did not drop too much. Dianne Stephens churned out a great performance, finishing in 2:07:08 over the 13.1 mile course, despite an ankle injury that left her in pain the entire second half of the race.

Chili-Heart 5K | St. Clair, MI
February 11th 2012 marked the inaugural running of the Chili-Heart 5K in St. Clair, MI. This also marked the morning after our only significant snowfall this year. About four inches of the fluffy stuff made what would be a superfast course into a glorified skating rink. The weather kept many from showing up, but there were still 127 hardcore runners that braved the wintery conditions. Led by a contingent from St. Clair High school cross-country team, the race shot out of the start at the usual blistering pace. After about 15 feet, in was evident that the race would be more about staying upright that setting a new PR. After avoiding a fall and traversing around a few others, Robert Hill was able to manage an age group win and 6th overall with a 20:44.

Next up, mark your RUNNING calendars for the YMCA Leprechaun Loop- 10K, 5K, 2K walk on March 17th which will have many TSBers in attendance. Then the Rock CF half-marathon/5K on March 25th on Grosse Isle already has a few team members registered. April 17th should be fun with another inaugural event in Marysville—the Spring Thaw 5K where I believe there will be an all-out showdown between a few TSB members.

Where:
Elite Feet Port Huron
908 Military Street
Port Huron, MI 48060
(810) 824-3272

When:
Friday March 2, 2012 at 6:30 sharp

What to expect:
*Deep discounted offers from Elite Feet on in stock product. Shoes, apparel and more! YOU WILL NOT GET A BETTER DEAL ON SHOES AND GEAR at any other time of the year… Strongly advised to attend.
*must present your 2012 TSB membership card. You will receive this in the mail prior to the event. Your 2012 TSB Racers Edition Performance t-shirt will be at the event available for pick-up!

Food will be served. Mr. Pita subs, snacks, beverages and more. FREE to TSB members. If you bring a guest a small donation is welcome.

Guest Speakers (start at 6:30pm): Dr. Robert Thomas, Coach Jackie Mall, Coach Graham Barker-King
Each speaker will have a brief presentation and short Q & A for you! If you have specific q’s you want answered, please send them along to info@teamsandbag.com This will allow us the proper time to get the Q’s on the desk of our guest speakers.

A GOOD FORM RUNNING class will also be available. This is FREE to all TSB members… bring along your running shoes!
-Clinic on proper running form – Video Gait Analysis – Basic overview of Endurance Nutrition – Developing a training plan, and more.

Friends and Family of TSB are welcome to attend as long as they are present with a 2012 TSB Member!

Look for the TSB squad at many events in Michigan and throughout the mid-west. We will even have a few competitors at the National events!

USA TRIATHLON
“Athletes that are members of USA Triathlon registered clubs are eligible to compete in the USA Triathlon National Club Championships and Regional Club series to help their clubs win awards and prizes. In addition to tangible benefits, joining a club will improve your performance by training with like minded athletes, while giving you a social outlet to continue training to reach your goals.” – USA Triathlon

The inaugural event in Downtown Port Huron was a huge success.  More than 580 people participated in the 8K, 5K walk, and kids 1 mile.  Runners from across the state and beyond gathered Saturday morning in blistering cold temperatures.  Amazing what people will endure to partake in the consumption of tasty chocolate treats. 

The event was kicked off in style, with the kids 1 mile chocolate chase.  TSBer Makenna Hill was the overall winner for the run which was for kids 12 and under. 

The main event was a virtual who’s who of Blue Water Area runners—almost all the areas fastest runners were present.  Many TSBers were out in full force either to run or volunteer for the event including Jason Schneider, Marc Zaccardelli, and John Osgood who was the lead out patrol on his bike, who undoubtedly had to use some MTB skills to stay upright on the icy course.  The first mile was covered in a blistering pace by the lead pack.  It was a great course put together by our cohorts at Elite Feet, Graham Barker-King and Ben Richards.  Starting out on Quay Street, the course moved north along the St. Clair River and under the Blue Water Bridge, before looping around the Thomas Edison Inn then back toward downtown—across the Black River Finishing near Vantage Point. 

The women’s race was won by a familiar face, Andrea Karl, who covered the 5 mile course in a blistering 29:49.  Friend of TSB Michael Eckert was 12^th overall and first in his age group with a 31:31.  TSBer Bob Hill was in at 13^th overall and 1^st in his AG with a 32:20.  Despite not training for running the last several weeks, Todd Powers rolled out of bed for a respectable 5^th place, followed by Scott Meyer at 6^th in their AG.  Tim and Pat Ward were 3^rd and 7^th respectively in their AG’s along with Mark Ford placing 11th.  Joining the duo was brother Dennis Ward who was 2^nd in his AG.  A big congrats to Pat Ward for his FINISH in the Run For Regis 50k Ultra Marathon the day after running the POHO 8k race. He finished the 31+mile course in a time of 6:23 mins.

Other great results for POHO Cocoa run included Steve Ginther who finished 6^th in his AG. The High mileage training paid off for Brad Dunkin, who was more than respectable with a 6^th place showing in his division. Sarah Grewe placed 6^th in her AG and Heather Dunkin and Andrea Zaccardelli’s efforts were good for 33^rd and 37^th in the extremely large female 30 to 34 AG.  Great showing for TSB!

The fun didn’t end at the finish line—there was a bounty of chocolate treats to be enjoyed by everyone.  A procession of finishers was treated with chocolate fondue in Elite Feet before heading over to Weekends for hot cocoa.  Once again, a big thanks to Elite Feet for a great winter event.

Team Sandbag was founded in 2005 in Southeast Michigan and has grown into a respected club throughout the entire region.
“One of TSB’s goals is to encourage people who ride, run, walk, swim and or race have a chance to wear our team jersey proudly.” – TSB
Have you thought about joining a club…. LOOK HERE!

Macomb Bike and Fitness has a rich history spanning decades. The family owned and operated facility based in Warren, Michigan devotes its time and talent to all aspects of cycling.
“Our goal is to help you enjoy cycling as much as we do!” – Macomb Bike and Fitness
Macomb Bike and Fitness

The TSB boys just can’t put their ‘cross bikes away! With a little gas still in the tank, a few of the TSB cyclocross faithful made their way to Midland, MI for the final race of the Stomach of Anger CX series. The race was the Big Bad Wolf CX race hosted by Red Zone Racing. The course was designed by none other than JB Hancock, the master behind the spectacular course of the Ithaca Grand Prix CX races, and JB did not disappoint! With fast long grass sections, several sand pits including the beach, and greasy corners to delight all ‘cross coinsurers

With the last race of the season upon us, TSB went out with a bang! Jacob Ridley rode away with the win in the C-men under 35 class. This also gave Jacob the overall lead in the series crowning him the C-men under 35 Series Champion!  Next was something different for TSB and cyclocross in general for the state. As Jim, Curt and John entered the CX team race. This was a 30 min race with each member of the team doing one lap each. The race was close and exciting, but Team Sandbag came home with the dominating win!

But the team was not done. Jim, Curt and John then jumped into the Single Speed class and came out with a clean sweep of the podium!

As the season closes, it time to get your training plans in order, so 2012 can be the best year yet for Team Sandbag!

The Tailwind Cyclocross series ended this past weekend with the Michigan State Championship race, and it ended with epic cross conditions. Throughout the week leading up to the race, the area saw biblical amounts of rain, and even snow for several days. This all lead to a truly spectacular way to end a series….. Mud!

TSB had 3 racers ready to take a shot at the state titles! Jim Goerlich had his best race of the year take 3^rd place in the single speed class against a stacked field! Curt Potocki also saved the best for last and finished with his best result in the single speed class placing 6^th. John Osgood also raced finishing up 7^th in the Master 35+ class. In addition to the race podium and state championship podiums, the overall series leaders in points were awarded to the top 3 in every class. Taking home 3^rd overall for the series was John Osgood in Masters 35+

Congrats to all on a great season!

SEE THE ACTION HERE:  Film by Hans Nyberg / Ten Mile Media
http://vimeo.com/33197170

Team Sandbag is accepting 2012 memberships. Interested? Send us a quick note to get the scoop.
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your racing discipline. INQUIRE HERE.

Also, racing that day was his 4 yr old son Shouhei shown in the photo. You can see those TEARS OF JOY as he scoots towards the finish line.   “Go, Go, TeamSandbag!” – Kimi

We do miss the entire Yamanaka family and wish them nothing but the best in 2012. They truly are great sports and will always be a part of the TSB Family!

Complete Results Here  (Sorry Japanese Only – But Cool to Look )
山中　公仁
http://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/~mtb/anchorsolo4044.pdf

Bringing the action in the race was Jim Goerlich with his best tailwind series finish of the year for 11^th in the B class. Curt Potocki also had his best race of the season by finishing 19^th in the killer B’s. Rounding out the day was John Osgood taking another 3^rd place in the ferocious Masters 35+ class.

The Tailwind series will be winding down on December 4^th with the Michigan State Cyclocross Championship race at Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg, MI. This race will also crown the series points leaders. If you have not made it out to a CX race this year, don’t miss your chance race or at least come out and cheer on the team.

A little extra cow bell for the team goes a long way!