Kevin Beatty

Feeding the addiction...my 2010 race schedule

2009 has been a busy year for me athletically.  I've been blessed enough to have completed 3 half marathons, 3 triathlons, 2 10k, Vineman 70.3 Ironman, and the New York City Marathon.  Overall I couldn't be more pleased with those results.  

For those of you out there that challenge yourself to compete in races - you know the feeling that you get right before the gun goes off.  It's that drive and determination and most importantly the dedication that got you to where you are.  All of the training is behind you.  The preparation has led you to this moment of truth.  Did you train enough?  Will you reach your target time? Or did you slack on a few days and skip scheduled training days?  For me race day is an incredible experience.  Planning my race schedule is the first step. 

I've been planning the 2010 race schedule and here's my planned races so far.  If you have any suggestions of races to do please do tell.  I'm still researching which Ironman 70.3 I'll be doing in 2010, so details to follow.

Feed the addiction...

1. Carlsbad Half Marathon - January 24, 2010  Goal time: 1:35

2. Carlsbad 5000 - April 5, 2010 Goal time: >20 minutes

3. Ragnar Relay - 186 mile run from Santa Barbara to Dana Point, CA - April 23-24, 2010

4. Pittsburgh Marathon - May 2, 2010 Goal time: 3:30

5. San Diego International Triathlon - June 27 Goal time: 1:50

6. Coronado Independence Day 10k Run - July 4, 2010 Goal time: 43 minutes

7. Tahoe Sierra Century 100 mile cycle event - Sept 25, 2010

8. Mission Bay Triathlon - October 3 Goal time: 1:05

9. New York City Marathon - Nov 7, 2010 Goal time 3:20

Social Media + $60 = Own a football club and choose who plays!!

This post is the 2nd of many to come that feature key elements and talking points found in the book 'Groundswell' by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff.  I was astounded by the incredible material found in this book and thought to write down my thoughts on what I belief are important to know benefits of social marketing utilization. 

In the book, they discuss how the Forrester Research group has seen in numerous cases that the engaging nature of using social marketing sends corporations through a mental shift.  I've seen this first hand with the many clients I've worked with on social marketing consulting. 

Essentially you begin to focus more on your customers needs and wants vs the corporations needs and wants.  This comes as a direct result of becoming engulfed with the groundswell of customer engagement.  What does that mean?  Well, we all know that putting your customer's needs in front of your corporations needs and wants will lead to a more successful company.  You can't create a product or service and then manipulate your customers needs and wants until they line up with your product offering. Social marketing allows companies to tap into areas of the customer consciousness that was never possible in the past or came at a high cost. 

Although the Case Study below is NOT in the book 'Groundswell' I feel it's one of the best examples I've heard of in a while in regards to how social marketing technologies have changed the status quo in life. 

Case Study: Ebbsfleet United Football Club

 They are a football club (soccer for the American's) from England called Ebbsfleet United. 

NYC Marathon Eve - Training Update

It's less than 18 hours away until my first time experiencing the New York City Marathon.  I must admit that when I look back on my training for this race, I feel like I could have done more.  But isn't that a common feeling we all have when we're preparing for something?  I could have studied more for that test, prepared more for the board meeting--- it always seems to haunt us as we reach the moment of truth.  I could have trained more, but all things considered: personal life, work life, training life - I must say that I'm very close to reaching a harmonizing balance.   

Sure I may not beat a world record, or even come close to placing within the top 20% of my age group - but I feel great about my accomplishments so far.  In this year alone I've completed 3 half marathons, 3 triathlons, a 70.3 Ironman, and in 20 hours I will have crushed the New York City Marathon course.  Not too bad for someone who just started running a few years ago.  During the ING race expo yesterday, I started to feel an incredible amount of gratitude for all of the friends and supporters that have been a part of my training these past few months.  From the online donations to the good luck cards I've received in the mail - I couldn't ask for better friends and family. 

The addiction to Triathlons continues...

A week ago I completed my first Ironman 70.3 Triathlon, an experience I'll remember forever.  When I started competing in triathlons one year ago, I had no desire to train nor compete in any type of an Ironman event.  It wasn't that I didn't believe I could finish such a race, but I just had no desire to.  The thought of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, and then running a half marathon sounded borderline clinically insane. 

But now that I've been competing in triathlons I've noticed a trend with all of my fellow 'patients'.  Just like any other addiction, once you get the Tri bug, it's really hard to kick.  Fortunately it's not a bad addiction to have, you might just get banged up, crash a few times on your bike, or end up with runners knee.  I can definitely identify with the feeling of needing something more...the desire for a 'high' better then the previous 'high' you felt.  I started by doing a Sprint Triathlon, consisting of 1/4 mile ocean swim, 9 mile bike, 3 mile run.  But I finished that race feeling unsatisfied with what I had just accomplished.  I needed more, a colossal event that would leave me in tears from the hard work and dedication required to finish.  The only way to see if the Ironman 70.3 race was that event started with an online registration for Vineman.  

The race was a very rewarding experience, however I still haven't got my complete fix yet.  So a continuation to the next level begins...next stop a Full Ironman race in 2010.  Stay posted with updates on which race I select and the training period via my Twitter page and this blog.

Thank you again for everyone that supported me in this quest.  I truly wouldn't be able to do it without the assistance, guidance, motivation and sheer support I receive from my friends, family, and loved ones.  To that I dedicate each race I compete in. 

Cheers,

Kevin

The First 10 Steps to a Sports Organization's Twitter Success

If you're a sports organization, tournament director, facility owner, or any sports organization admin you've probably heard by now all the buzz about Twitter.  This blog post is a very comprehensive tutorial on how to use Twitter successfully.  I've personally worked with dozens of sports clients teaching them the same simple steps that I've outlined below. Follow each step and you will be satisfied with your results. Let's start by defining what Twitter Success really is.  Twitter Success=

• You update Twitter on a regular and consistent basis
• You have a desirable following (different for each person)
• Your followers RT (re-tweet) your posts to their following
• You have direct message interaction with your followers Revenue, Membership, Registrations, and/or Website Page Traffic increases as a result of Twitter

some of these terms may not make sense now, but they will by the end of you reading this post