Meet the New Core Class Instructor

Meet David Fuentes, the new Core Class instructor for Jack & Adam's. David grew up in Boerne, Texas and started running his sophomore year in high school. After winning back to back state titles his junior and senior years he went on to Texas State for one year where he ran cross country/track. He finished his last 3 years at St. Edwards. During his senior year at St. Edwards he placed in the top 25 at the National Cross Country meet, earning All American honors in Division II Cross Country.

David graduated in 2009 with a Computer Science degree from St. Edwards. He is currently an IT Administrator at the City of Hutto. In August 2009 he got hooked up with Jack at Jack and Adam's. He began his road racing career with Jack at the 2009 Silicon Labs Marathon Relay. David was then introduced to Derick from Durata Training, who he currently runs for. Under Derick he has won the Austin Half Marathon twice (2010, 2011), ran a personal best of 1:06 in the Half Marathon so far at the St. Louis Half Marathon and ran a strong 2:31 at the Chicago Marathon for his first Marathon. David qualified and raced in the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in Houston. He's sponsored by Mizuno Running and plans to keep running faster in the half marathon and full marathon.

The Jack & Adam's free Core Class has been going strong since its inception 8 years ago. It meets each Monday and Wednesday at 5:30PM and lasts an hour. Bring a mat &/or towel plus some water and get ready for a great workout! Follow us on twitter @jackandadams for reminders about the class.

Meet the New Core Class Instructor

Shop ride Sundays: Steiner time

As per the schedule, and notwithstanding the recent fires up at Steiner, this is to confirm that this weeks shop ride on Sunday will return to the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse on Sunday, ride strats promptly at 8:30 a.m. We will have the normal ride groups, advanced, Intermediate which will split in two, and no-drop.

This ride, more than any other on our schedule is a great day to try a faster group. If you start with the advanced group and can't keep up, you can fall back and wait for the intermediate, if you start with the intermediate and can't keep up, if you drop back before FM620 can join the no-drop ride, or if after that, you can simply turn around and make your way back, and you'll have the advanced and intermediates and no doubt others to follow along. If you do decide to try a faster group, please ride at the back, it is safer for everyone until you can keep up comfortably.

After the ride, Sid Steiner and the Steakhouse will once again be hosting us for half-price brunch. As always, please be patient with the staff, having a 100+ lycra clad athletes drop-in presents unique challenges and don't forget to thank them appropriately. See y'all Sunday! ++Mark.

p.s. I won't be leading an Austin 70.3 ride this Saturday as I'm racing in the San Marcos Roundtable triathlon. If you are interested in riding the course, be at the Walter E Long Park entrance at 7 a.m. ready for wheels down as soon as it is safe/light.

Shop ride Sundays: Steiner time

Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay

Do you run this city? The Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay is taking place this Sunday, September 25 and benefits Junior Achievement, the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Runners have the chance to set a new Guinness World Record* if their five-person team can break the current 2:10:49 time. (That’s 5minutes/mile!)

There is still time to register! Register in person at RunTex on Riverside during packet pick up (Friday 3pm – 6pm and Saturday 10am – 4pm). Also be sure to check out their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter for race information and giveaways.

Register today and let Austin know: “I run this city!”

*Current record held by Team Jack & Adam's/Zapata Roadrunners.

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Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay

Shop ride Sundays: Music to my ears

The shop ride is ON for this w/e. We will be heading out South East past the back of the airport for the intermediate and advanced groups, for about a 36-mile route; the NO DROP rides will go south for the normal 20-mile ride.

With ACL this weekend dowtown will be busy, after the ride, and there will be parking restrictions in place before the ride. The shop will be closed all w/e,  and the parking lot will be used for ACL parking. So we need to be out of the shop lot by 11:30. Parking will likely be difficult on Lee Barton Rd as well. Please consider this when planning your arrival for the ride.

For those doing the NO DROP ride, you might consider parking at the Twin Oaks library on the corner of S 5th and West Mary and either wait for the ride to come up Dawson/S 5th, or make the short ride down to the shop. For those on the Intermediate, Advanced ride parking at the Terazzas Library is an option east of I35, we'll turn right on Waller St off Chavez I'd guess around 8:45, or again you can ride into the shop.

Don't forget, this w/e, leaving at the same time is the Please be kind to cyclists ride that will also leave at 8:30 from Pure Austin on West 5th St.

Lets make music with our wheels, see y'all Sunday! ++Mark.

Shop ride Sundays: Music to my ears

Austin 70.3 Course ride this week

I will be out to ride the course again tomorrow, 9/17, and will be getting people together to start around 7 a.m. probably for a ride start at 7:10 based on light and weather conditions. You have two options for parking

• Park outside the main entrance for free
• Park inside the park, the gates will be open but you may have to pay to enter, if not you will be expected to pay to exit.

The course is clearly marked with red and yellow arrows on the road surface. There are yellow arrows before and on every turn, and yellow arrows indicating direction at most ever major road junction. When you get around through Webberville on MLK/969 the red arrows take you up Blue Bluff Rd and back to the park entrance, if you don't turn there, the yellow arrows follow the course back to Decker Lane.

There are two options if you want a printout of the route before riding.

1. This route on mapmyride.com is correct, you do need a Gold account though to print it.
2. Click on this link, or the graphic above and print in grayscale, the route, road names and 5-miles should be visible.

The ride is unsupported, and is NOT an official Jack and Adams shop ride. There will be a few regroup points, but will NOT be no-drop. 56-miles is just too far for a no-drop ride. It's clearly marked, you are expected to be able to ride the whole course, or work your own shortcuts. You need to be prepared to:

• Take all the liquids you'll need, I suggest at least 48fl oz (there are NO refueling options until 42-miles in Webberville)
• Take any spares you need, tire boot, spare tube, patch kit, levers
• Carry out your own repairs
• Have your own emergancy contact in case of breakdowns

As always, if you have problems I will attempt to help if I'm around, as will most other riders. We had some 20-people out last week in a couple of small groups.

A few tips on riding the course

1. Please take care and keep focused on the road conditions. After the driest and hottest summer on record, the roads are cracked in many places. I suggest not riding too close to the person in front
2. Slow right down on the sharp turn at the end of Blake Manor Rd onto FM969. It's the only short sharp down hill on the course, it's spray marked on the side of the road to slow down. Yes, you can see a long way left that the road is clear, but taking the corner too fast will mean you drift over the center line, a very bad idea!
3. When cycling on FM969 for traffic, and most importantly when riding on the shoulder. Numerous places have been recently chip sealed and there are numerous sports with piles of loose gravel
4. Take enough fluids!!

Otherwise it's another great course and potentially fast one. Hope to see you out there tomorrow and in coming weeks! Have a great race! ++Mark.

Austin 70.3 Course ride this week

Be Kind to Cyclists Ride

4th Annual Ride

We have three ride options for you this week, first up is the annual Please Be Kind To Cyclists ride.

The ride starts at the same time as the normal shop ride, 8:30 a.m. but will leave from Pure Austin, opposite Whole Foods on West 5th Street. They have two routes, 20-miles and 40-miles and a family fun ride route.

Jack and Adams is a gold sponsor of the Be Kind to Cyclists organization, and many of you will have seen found Al Bastidas on the shop rides in his bright yellow be kind to cyclists kit. Please consider joining the free ride this weekend!

Be Kind to Cyclists Ride

Shop Ride Sundays: The mystery of the east

This Sunday see's the shop ride return to the east route, which means that all rides will head out east to Decker Lake. It is an interesting and challenging ride from a number of perspectives.

First up, it is the most difficult for the ride leaders by far to get everyone out and back to town together in groups. There are a LOT of traffic lights before we make a left on Johnny Morris Rd from Loyola. The Intermediate and Advanced rides will be going out and around Decker Lake and it's a great chance to go at race pace, but we'd ask you to stick together until at least the re-group at the Beer distributors on the corner of Johnny Morris and Daffan Lane.

Second, it's a great opportunity to learn group riding and urban riding skills as we circumnavigate the east side of the city. Please pay attention, call out road issues, and don't take any risks at lights.

Third, on the way back into town, please take it easy, pick up stray riders from other groups that have been dropped and help them get back into town.

No-drop doesn't go around Decker Lake, avoiding the "big hills", but again is a valuable lesson in urban riding. No-drop route is 24-miles, so a few longer than normal.

Intermediate and Advanced rides take the same route out to Decker Lake, around the tri course and back into town. There is an optional 15-mile add-on for advanced group riders making the total distance of 51-miles, which also takes in the first part of the Austin 70.3 course. We've not decided if we are going to have people to lead out on the add-on but you are welcome to take it on.

As always, we leave at 8:30 a.m. prompt, a few simple rules: No headphones/earphones of any sort; call out road/traffic issues; no overlapping wheels; no tri/aero bars unless you are at the front, use your base bars.

See ya Sunday! Any questions? ++Mark.

Shop Ride Sundays: The mystery of the east