July 13, 2005
"There's no time for departure even when there's no certain place to
go." Tennessee Williams

Happy Bastille Day!

Saturday-Sunday, July 16-17, 2005
Mad Potter's Bike Race, 8 a.m.
Saturday Road Race
Sunday Criterium
Biloxi, MS
http://www.madpottersride.com/racingeventsandawards.htm

Saturday, July 16, 2005
Fontainebleau Adventure Race, 9 a.m.
Mandeville, LA
www.laadventureracing.com

Sunday, July 17, 7:30 am
Sam Houston Jones State Park
T-Gator Triathlon #3
525 m swim/15 mile bike/2.5 mile run

Sunday, July 17, 2005
New Orleans Track Club Bonnet Carré Spillway Trail Run
Norco, www.runNOTC.org

July 31, 2005
Kids' Triathlon, ages 4-14
Red's Health Club
Lafayette

Randy Legeai reports that the team time trial championships,
originally set for Aug. 13, has been cancelled. There is talk of a
new date, but nothing concrete has been set. In addition, Shreveport-
based Team LaS'port has set two days of road races. The club
scheduled the races in Shreveport for the weekend of Aug. 13-14. I
was sorry to read some smack about event scheduling between
triathletes and cyclists.

I know event directors work hard to coordinate dates long in advance
and no doubt it's unfortunate when events are rescheduled or
cancelled. Multisporters, runners, cyclists, adventure racers should
press race directors and organizers to set their dates earlier and
work hard to maintain those dates.

You can set dates now for 2006. For example I know 2006 date for the
Louisiana Triathlon is again set for the third weekend in April, the
Miles for Miles bike tour is set for the first Saturday in May and I
believe the CrawfishMan Triathlon in St. Tammany Parish is set for
the first Sunday in May. It's never too early to set fitness event
dates.

Louisiana Senior Olympics cycling event dates have been set as
follows:
Saturday, Oct. 1- 40km – road race
Sunday, Oct. 2 - 20km – road race; 10km, time trial; 5km, time trial

Race director Sam Houston Jones reports that the coming weekend
edition of the T-Gator Triathlon in Lake Charles is full. With the
event's expanded capacity, T-Gator Tri can now handle 148
participants (up from 124 in previous years). An updated list of pre-
registered participants is now on the T-Gator Series tab of our
website: www.lakecharlestriathletes.com.

<<Great Spillway Classic Trail Run Set July 17>>
From Chuck George
The second largest trail run in the country is set for Sunday, July
17th near the town of Norco, outside of New Orleans.

The three-mile trail run takes place in the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
Putting on the event is the New Orleans Track Club (NOTC), which is
expecting a field of more than 1,400 entrants. For more information
visit the NOTC's website at www.runNOTC.org

<<Program to Honor the Late Multisporter Donnie Jarrell Set>>
From Louis Leonard "Salty" Galvis
Tickets are now available for the third annual Donz Soirée, honoring
the memory of Donnie Jarrell and benefiting the Donnie Jarrell
Foundation, which was established at the request of Donnie and Tonya
Jarrell to assist victims of ALS and families with children with
autism and other sensory deficit disorders such as those whom Donnie
used to teach in the St. Tammany Parish schools. The Donz Soirée will
be on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005, from 6 p.m.to 10 p.m., at the Lake
Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, located at 133 Mabel
Drive in Madisonville, LA.

As in the past, the Donz Soirée will feature cocktails, beer, wine,
appetizers, entrées, and desserts, including that famous chocolate
fountain, and, new for this year, a cheese fountain as well, all
provided by several of the area's finest chefs, restaurateurs, and
other purveyors of food and drink. Live entertainment will be
provided by Voodoo Funk and Soul and the Blue Meanies, and, as in the
past, there will be a silent auction and live auction, featuring
artwork and crafts of local artists and many other items,
including a cycling jersey autographed by Lance Armstrong.

As it has been in the past, the Donz Soirée will be an entertainment
highlight of the year in our area, and tickets will no doubt go fast.
Tickets are $85 each and can be purchased at the Spokesman
Professional Bicycle Works in Mandeville or by mail with checks made
payable to the Donnie Jarrell Foundation and mailed to 121 Madewood
Drive, Mandeville, LA 70471. Tickets will also be available later
today online at www.active.com <www.active.com> (search for 2005
Donz Soirée). Contact also me at 121 Madewood Drive, Mandeville, LA
70471 or phone 985.727.2345 or 504.576.2050.
E-mail: saltyg@... <mailto:saltyg@...>;
lgalvis@... <mailto:lgalvis@...>

<<USA Triathlon Memo to Region>>
From Olen Penn
It's been a while since you have heard from me. I'd like to take this
time to update you on what is going on in the SMW region that I know
about. If you are aware of something else in this Region or
Nationally that I did not cover, contact me and I can get the word
out. Muscle.boy@....

Welcome new regional board member Donna Rice, who is from Crossett,
AR. Soon there should be a profile about her on our website.

If you go to our website, www.smwtriathlon.org you will see the
rankings have been updated several times this year. You can count on
the rankings being updated twice a month for the rest of the season.
Duathlon is almost a done deal, but there is one more high point race
left this 2005 season. Duathletes have one more chance to change
their standing significantly. The fall Classic Duathlon is located in
Oklahoma City and will be held on Oct.16th. Triathlon is still wide
open. Most of the high point races have yet to take place. This is
the high point of the season and you should check the ranking on a
regular basis to see how things are shaping up. I hope it is exciting
for you and you will take advantage of the timely updates

<<http://smwtriathlon.org/events/FrostYerFanny/FrostYerFanny.html>>
Frost Yer Fanny 2006 will take place in Bossier City (Shreveport)
Louisiana again. Go to the link listed to get updated info on what is
in store. I suggest that you pre-register for the banquet. Chris Hunt
is in charge of rankings and thus will be in charge of the awards. He
is working on something different for you this year. Returning for
2006 will be the elite patches; they will be handed out during the
banquet.

Robert Sigerson of Mandeville, LA is in charge of championship bids
this year. He has received a lot of submissions and the Board will
make the selections at the Sept. 25th meeting after the Meat Pie Tri
in Natchitoches. There is still time for race directors to submit
their race for a 2006 championship title.

Meetings are open to the member athletes. The next board meeting will
be after the CATS Half at Degray Lake on Aug. 20th. Contact the board
president Candy Cheatham or me if you want more info and would like to
attend the Degray meeting or the Meat Pie Tri meeting.

<<Rules Reminder>>
If you rack it by your seat, make sure the handlebars are facing you,
if they are facing the other direction; you are subjecting yourself
to at least a two-minute penalty. Speaking of time, time penalties
have increased in 2005. One-minute penalties do not exist anymore.
Check the rules or contact Ed Cheatham echeatham@... for more
info.

<<Upcoming Regional Races>>
July 16, 2005 Mighty Mite Triathlon Forrest City, AR
July 17, 2005 Jeff & Brede's Intergalactic Triathlon Katy, TX
July 17, 2005 T-Gator Series Triathlon #3 Lake Charles, LA
July 17, 2005 Marble Falls Tri Marble Falls, TX
July 17, 2005 JeffersonTri Jefferson, TX
July 17, 2005 Ironhead Dallas Triathlon Grand Prairie, TX
July 23, 2005 Dawg Dayz Off-Road Triathlon/Duathlon North Little
Rock, AR
July 24, 2005 Aquarena Sprint Triathlon San Marcos, TX
July 24, 2005 Caney Lake Tri Minden, LA
July 24, 2005 Webster Bicycle Duathlon, Race #3 La Marque, TX
July 24, 2005 Tulsa Duathlon Tulsa, OK
July 24, 2005 Blazing Saddles Du Dallas, TX
July 30, 2005 Blanco Out Back Triathlon Blanco, TX
July 30, 2005 Playtri too Grapevine, TX
July 31, 2005 Small Texan Borne, TX
July 31, 2005 Blanco Out Back Triathlon Blanco, TX
July 31, 2005 Abitaman #3 Mandeville, LA
July 31, 2005 Sugar land Du Sugarland, TX

<<Renewing your USAT annual license>>
If you check either box next to "Do not send from USAT affiliates",
you will not receive any emails from USAT national. They are
interpreting those boxes as not wanting to be contacted at all. Which
means you will miss out on many things including this email. I
personally disagree with this. I either have to accept emails from
the USAT and all their sponsors, or nothing.

There is an Iron-distance race in OKC in September called Redman. I
will attempt to complete my first IronMan-distance race one month
after I attempt to complete my first half IronMan at Degray. If you
are tired of listening to me, it's not too early to consider putting
your name in for the next board election. Send your intent to the USA
Triathlon-SMW board president Candy Cheatham.

<<Notes on the Late Multisporter Donnie Jarrell>>
From Kenny Bellau
We're all racers. Everyone. We're all competing for the same things:
Happiness. Success. Freedom. Love. Life is a race to figure out what's
important, before you are left with only the things that aren't.
Donnie Jarrell won this race. He won it a long time ago.

I had the opportunity (or I should say privilege) to attend the
funeral and reception for Donnie Jarrell. It was surprising to no one
that the parking lot for the church was overflowing onto Little Creek
Road a half-an-hour before the service actually started. I'm no good
at estimating such things as crowd size, but it was easily over of
500 and maybe up to 1000 people. As you can imagine, a person so
young, so energetic, and so well respected and liked by anyone who
met him drew quite a crowd. How does one guy in a lime-green wig get
so many people to do the same positive things, and not only after his
death, but years before it? It is no coincidence that it was
mentioned at least twice during the service that this was the most
physically fit crowd that has ever been assembled at any church.

I think I counted six eulogies. All six were heart warming, touching
and tearful. They were from Donnie's childhood friends, his college
track coach, team mates and training partners. Many of the speakers
took Donnie's lead to celebrate life by wearing Hawaiian shirts in
lieu of a suit. Salty Galvis, who gave a most eloquent and heartfelt
tabulation of Donnie's life, wore a black one.

As I sat listening intently on what this otherwise unconnected group
of friends had to say about the impact one man made on so many
unsuspecting people, I couldn't help but wonder if I knew anyone else
that would draw such reactions. Where are the heroes? Where are the
men that inspire men to act; to change? And if I did know any, would
they be recognized, congratulated and thanked before they are
diagnosed with a fatal disease?

What I learned from listening to those close to Donnie was that
Donnie did inspire people to act. He challenged people to do better,
to be a better person and to make someone else's day a little better,
by being a nicer you.

At 42, he was a leader. Apparently had been one most of his life. It
appeared to me that anyone he ever led came to pay their respects.

One of the last speakers at the service quoted Donnie saying
something about a month ago that left the attending crowd awestruck.
On occasions, to get Donnie out of the house for a while, the two
friends would just drive around the Northshore. He recalled driving
one night as Donnie regaled on how lucky and blessed he was. The
friend told him that he thought he was losing his mind. Donnie
explained further: "I'm lucky because I've been blessed with the
opportunity to witness something no one else sees. I am able to see
how people will react at my death and how they will celebrate my
life." Donnie was reflecting on the many parties, events and races
held in his name since he was diagnosed. Well, I think I can speak
for everyone in the room when I say that it is us that are blessed
for knowing him. He made it that way. He created this atmosphere by
taking time to do the right thing instead of the easy thing. He went
out of his way to make sure he made an impact on the world, no matter
how small or seemingly insignificant. It was easier for him to do the
hard things than it was to take the shortcut. He did what he could
to pass this attitude on to others.

Later at the reception at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime
Museum, Donnie's friends played a movie of one of his many 30-plus
hour adventure races. Donnie was seen leading his worn and tattered
team through the swamps and trails and roadways of the Northshore.
These guys had been marching, riding and rowing for a full day and
looked like hell, but Donnie had them still in stitches. Always the
encouraging word, a quick one-liner and the confident reassurance of
a true leader, he walked away from the camera in search of victory.
Before he disappeared he gave one last smile, a thumbs up and then
mooned the camera.

So racers, who's your hero? Can you even point to one? It better be
someone living and someone you know? You better start looking for
them, tell them thanks and do something nice for them. Better yet,
maybe you should take Donnie's lead and be one.

Some Donnie-isms as copied from the cards given out at the Funeral
service.
"Do what you can and surprise yourself."
"You don't have to do this, you get to do this."
"Get the "Nots" out."
"It is what you say it is."
"Hydrate or de-Hydrate."

For Sale
Trek HILO 2000
(SLC - Alfa/Superlight/Race)
Custom Butted Seamless Drawn (ridden about 1,500 miles)
Bontrager Race X Lite - 650 wheels
Trek Carbon Fork (Cane Creek - I don't know what this means)
Shimano Ultegra components
Syntrace Aero Bars
Bontrager stem - (I have two of the, 90mm and 110mm)
Shimano SPD Pedals
Elite SanMarco (era) seat
Cateye Odometer w/cadence
Profile design cages (2)
$1,700
For more info: mkportillo@...


++++++++++

That's it from here. Bless God America.

Kenny Dunaway
2325 Weymouth Drive #D
Baton Rouge, LA 70809-1481
USA
225/296-7490
Isaiah 40:31; John 3:16