Give-Away: 2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Edition

This, my friends, is New York's mighty Hudson River and, on Sunday, my beloved sister in law will be swimming in it! No, she hasn't taken leave of her senses - rather, she will be one of more than 3,000 athletes competing in the 10th Annual Nautica New York City Triathlon; the only Olympic distance triathlon in New York City. Holy cow!

On Sunday, July 18th, athletes from 18 countries and 45 states will compete in a way that, quite frankly, boggles the mind. They will brave the mighty Hudson by swimming 1.5 kilometers (.9321 miles) through its turbulent waters, then bike 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) along the Henry Hudson Parkway, and finally, they will run 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) through Central Park to complete the course.

Honestly, I can't even imagine the physical and metal fortitude it takes to enter such a race, much less complete it. I am incredibly proud of Heather, my sister in law, and much of our family will be out on the course cheering her on this Sunday. Yes, I know its Thursday and you're all thirsty ... but I'm taking the opportunity to honor Heather and all 3,000 of her fellow athletes with this post on the Tri today. I beg your indulgence ... and, oh, and you'll be rewarded for it, too!

In a happy coincidence, a representative from Nautica contacted me earlier this week to offer a lovely and appropriate give-away to celebrate the event. Knowing that I have a personal connection to the race, I jumped at the chance. Nautica has graciously offered to give-away a stainless steel water bottle (pictured above) to two of my readers. While many of us will likely not take on the challenge of an Olympic length tri ... we all have goals and face challenges ourselves. In recognition of that, and as a token of encouragement, I'd like to offer you the chance to take home an Oceana re-useable water bottle, courtesy of Nautica.

Rules of Entry:

1. Simply leave a comment on this post. You can tell us about a goal you've set for yourself, or simply (and hopefully) lend a kind word or two to cheer my sister in law on. (Go, Heather, go!)

2. The give-away will remain open until midnight on Tuesday, July 21st. Two winners will be chosen using random.org and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 22nd. Winners must be willing to email me their mailing information so that the bottles may be shipped directly.

Disclaimer: The prize was provided by Nautica, but Nautica is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this give-away. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Nautica. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older and located in the United States and or Canada only.

I am thrilled to help spread the word about this remarkable and inspiring event. Towards that end, I'd encourage you to check out the following links, especially if you find yourself in New York City this weekend:

To Volunteer for the Race:

2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Volunteer Options

To View the Race:

2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Spectator's Guide

If you're really brave and want to enter the lottery for a chance to compete in next year's race:

2010 Nautica New York City Triathlon Lottery

You won't see me diving into the Hudson any time soon, or ever for that matter, but you might see me out on the course cheering for Heather ... providing I wake up on time! ~wink~ If you plan to be here too, drop me a comment and let me know.

Heather has graciously agreed to an interview with me, to discuss her experience in running the Tri, and I will present that interview next week when I announce the winner on Wednesday.

My heartfelt congrats and very best wishes for luck to all who will compete this Sunday. I tip my tiara to all of you. Good luck and God bless!