www.getactivetampa.com Running, Cycling, Swimming, Triathlons & more in Tampa

2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Stella Valitutto — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:31:35 +0000

From the opening ceremony to the games to the closing ceremony, Beijing put on a great show and a world class event. I don’t know that London will be able to top that. Most memorable moment has to be the 8 gold medals won by Michael Phelps, 7 of them were world records… it just blows your mind. Usain Bolt also was incredible… 3 gold for his first Olympics and just 21 years old. The great thing about the Olympics is that you get to see athletes from other countries perform at their best at sports that you normally don’t get to see. I also spent quite some time watching beach volleyball (just the women’s matches, had the guys been playing shirtless I probably would have paid a little more attention, ha ha…), indoor volleyball, badminton, diving, gymnastics, cycling, triathlon and many other sports you don’t get to watch but once every 4 years. I found myself staying up late, often till midnight, watching the Games and may I say had probably the most unproductive weeks at work for the duration of the Games!!! Watching both the men and women US 4×100 relay team dropped the batons was one of the biggest shocks. I was so ready for a US vs. Jamaica showdown. Anyhow, I could go on and on and on…. it’s official, I have PODS!!! Post Olympics Depression Syndrome. Nothing on TV catches my attention… well, I am turning my attention to the winter Olympics. What about you? What was the most memorable and disappointed moments for you during these Games?

Pool etiquette

Stella Valitutto — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:21:30 +0000

Yesterday I was at the pool, as I was putting my sunscreen on, this guy decided that he was just going to jump into the lane that I plan to swim in. Fortunately another lane opened up and I moved over. Then halfway through my workout, a woman began to swim in my lane and then crossing the lane line and swimming back in the lane next to me where lessons for kids were taking place. Why did she choose to swim in occupied lanes when there was an open lane just 10 feet away? I almost jammed my hand right into her face, thus hurting her face and potentially spraining my hand, when I realized her surprised presence in my lane.

Do you know pool etiquette? Can you just jump in whenever and wherever you want? What about circle swim and what exactly is circle swim? Go to our website beginning swimmers page to learn about pool etiquette so that everyone can have an enjoyable and accident-free swim.

Olympic distance triathlon in Ruskin

Stella Valitutto — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:45:37 +0000

Exclusive Sports Marketing, which also puts on the sprint series around Florida (www.familyfitnessweekend.com), also has a international distance triathlon series (www.endurancenation.com). I am considering doing their international distance event at Ruskin at end of July. Has anyone participated in one of their international distance events before? I think they put on quality sprint triathlons but unsure about the international events. Can anyone help? Thanks!

Pool hours

Stella Valitutto — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:27:43 +0000

It’s swimming season!! Here are the lap swim hours for Bobby Hicks, Roy Jenkins and Northshore:
Bobby Hicks – 813.832.1216 – M – Th 6am – 8pm; F 6am – 6pm; Sat 10am – 4pm
Roy Jenkins – 813.259.1665 – M – Th 2pm – 7:30pm; F non – 4pm; Sat 10am – 4pm
Northshore – 727.893.7727 – M – F 9am – 4pm; Sat 10am – 4pm; Sun 1pm – 4pm
Be sure to call to verify hours before heading over there and also call for special holiday hours.

For those that want to practice open water swimming, the St. Pete Mad Dogs have a group swim on Wednesday at Pass-a-grille beach. They meet at Hurley park and start walking north at 6pm to the Don Cesars where they start swimming south for a mile. For those that prefer a shorter distance, some also swim a half mile instead. Some people also run a few miles along the beach after the swim. Stay for the BBQ afterwards.

Fatal cycling accident in Mexico

Stella Valitutto — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:07:52 +0000

A group of cyclists were participating in a bike race and here comes a drunk driver slamming straight into them. This picture is not for the faint of heart… Here is the story.

Sunrise Biathlon – June 14 – Location change

Stella Valitutto — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:07:47 +0000

Got another e-mail from the race director. It is now back at Pass-a-grille, after being moved twice. Hope for no more changes.