VIVAthlete Profile

Name: Alice Yoo

Hometown (City, State, Country): Princeton, NJ

First endurance event: Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon

Future endurance events in which you plan to participate: Philadelphia Marathon

Dream endurance event: Marriage

How you became involved in endurance events: Self motivation combined with a catchy Team in Training flyer advertising the chance to run a 1/2 marathon in Alaska

Favorite quote: "To business that we love we rise betime" (Antony, Act IV, Scene IV)

Your most recent resolution: Regular deep tissue massages

How do you relax pre-race? Prayers and my iPod

Do you have any unusual training nutrition or training techniques? When I'm back from a long run, I whip up a 6 egg white omlette, adding lots of kimchi and hot pepper paste

How did you develop your training program? RunnersWorld.com's "Smart Coach"

What was your toughest workout? 30 mile bike followed by a 15 mile run

What was your biggest race or training blunder? Eating Powerbars on race day when I hadn't actually ingested them during training. Bad idea.

If you weren't participating in endurance events, how would you spend your free time? Cooking classes and learning how to quilt (yes, really!)

What was the biggest training or life obstacle you've faced and how did you overcome it? I was terrified of cycling, so I signed on for triathlon with Team in Training to confront this predicament - an Ironman 70.3, no less. Lots of bike!

What is your favorite/ most memorable endurance moment? 23 mile run in Van Cortlandt Park after working all day at the XC Champs

What motivates you through tough training days or events? House techno

Interested in being a VIVAthlete? Click Here to complete a profile form!

Airline Luggage Fees

Today the Wall Street Journal ran an interesting article on luggage fees. They provided a handy breakdown of luggage fees by airlines (left) just in time for the holidays.

Many times I've sat looking out the portal window asking myself the question: "How much is it really costing this airline to fly my luggage? " According to the WSJ the answer is $15 per bag. While it's debatable whether airlines should be expected to allow the first bag free, in a time where airline service has been reduced to paying $2 for a soda, the data makes it feasible to pay a $15 luggage fee. What is more arguable are why the fees for additional bags, especially the oversized bike case is so high. Simple answer, the oversized luggage carrier (aka the triathlete or cyclist) is carrying the heaviest burden to dig the airlines out of their problems. Pricing strategies and online travel shopping habits have have made airlines scared to increase ticket prices. An increase on airfare of just a few dollars could drop them to page two or three of Farecast search sorted by price. Unwilling to deal with this result airlines have resorted to extra fees here and there. Until the buying behavior changes it's relatively safe to say it does not look like these fees are going away anytime soon. Luckily, if this is a deciding factors for you, there are a few carriers (Southwest in particular) out there who continue to support the old ways of airline service.

Here at Anthony Travel we continue to speak with the airlines on behalf of our athletes. We understand it is a particularly important topic for our traveling triathletes. While most efforts fall upon deaf ears, one day we will win a token for our efforts and we look forward to sharing this with you.

The article can be read in it's entirety here.

Viva Resolution! Were there is a Will...

ING New York City Marathon Expo and Television Coverage

It's Friday, October 31st, at the ING New York City Marathon and it's been a busy day. Yesterday, saw shorter registration lines while midday today had a sizable line filled with costumed runners celebrating Halloween. Saturday has shortened expo operation hours (9 am - 5 pm) and race day is right around the corner.

TELEVISION COVERAGE

The race will be broadcast live to New York City audiences on television and and offered live over the Internet. New York City viewers can tune into WNBC 4 for live coverage from 6 am - 8 am and 9 am - 2 pm. The live internet feed can be found on NBCsports.com and Universal Sports to viewers around the world.

A taped one-hour highlight show will broadcast at 3 pm EDT on November 2nd on NBC (in the United States).

Don't forget to turn your clock back for Daylight Savings Time!

Viva Resolution! Were there is a Will...

Viva Photo Shoot at Event Expos

Over the past weekend (Sunday, October 26th) Anthony Travel's Viva Resolution visited Joe Pool Lake State Park for the Muddy Buddy Dallas. During the expo, Viva Resolution booth visitors were offered the opportunity to have there picture taken in front of the green screen where they could be matched up with their destination race of choice: Arctic Marathon Cruise, Chicago Marathon, New York City Marathon, Prague Marathon, Tokyo Marathon or the Walt Disney Marathon. Photos from Muddy Buddy Dallas expo photo shoot can be viewed here.

Anthony Travel's Viva Resolution will be visiting the ING New York City Marathon Expo (at the Jacob Javits Center) running from Thursday, October 30th until Saturday, November 1st. Visit our booth for your free photo shoot. Photos from the ING New York City Marathon expo photo shoot can be viewed here.


Viva Resolution! Where there is a Will...

2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon- Race Day

Sunday, October 12, 2008 saw the completion of the 31st annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon. While this year brought another warm day for the race, preparations by the race staff allowed 31,401 runners and 30 wheelchair participants to finish the race. Spectators from Chicago and around the world lined the course to cheer on the participants and witness the awesome site of over 30,000 runners pursuing the same goal...To complete 26.2.

In a spectacular finish, Evans Cheruiyot of Kenya took the lead in the final two miles of the race to win what was only his second marathon. For the women, Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia won her first Bank of America Chicago Marathon followed by fellow Russian Alevtina Biktimirova.

It was a wonderful race, and in the words of one first time marathon spectator, "Awe inspiring doesn't seem to do it justice."

Men's Top 10
1. Evans Cheruiyot, KEN, 2:06:25
2. David Mandago, KEN, 2:07:37
3. Timothy Cherigat, KEN, 2:11:39
4. Wesley Korir, KEN, 2:13:53
5. Martin Lauret, NED, 2:15:10
6. Emmanuel Mutai, KEN, 2:15:36
7. Mike Reneau, USA, 2:16:20
8. William Kipsang, KEN, 2:16:41
9. Daniel Njenga, KEN, 2:17:33
10. Richard Limo, KEN, 2:18:48

Women's Top 10
1. Lidiya Grigoryeva, RUS, 2:27:17
2. Alevtina Biktimirova, RUS, 2:29:32
3. Kiyoko Shimahara, JPN, 2:30:19
4. Constantina Tomescu-Dita, ROU, 2:30:57
5. Desiree Davila, USA, 2:31:33
6. Colleen De Reuck, USA, 2:32:25
7. Bezunesh Bekele, ETH, 2:32:41
8. Paige Higgins, USA, 2:33:06
9. Kate O'Neill, USA, 2:34:04
10. Berhane Adere, ETH, 2:34:16

Men's Top 3 Wheelchair
1. Kurt Fearnley, AUS, 1:30:16
2. Masazumi Soejima, JPN, 1:32:30
3. Krige Schabort, RSA, 1:36:21

Women's Top 3 Wheelchair
1. Amanda McGrory, USA, 1:55:12
2. Cheri Blauwet, USA, 1:55:34
3. Melissa Stockwell, USA, 2:08:53

Click here to view race results.