The Mid-Atlantic region offers a variety of free, web-based tools and resources that help members locate, preview and register for upcoming races, join multisport clubs, review training information, check regional rankings and keep up-to-date on national and regional happenings.  This month, we take a look at the resources available and tell you how to find them.
 
The Mid-Atlantic Monthly.  If you are reading this article, then you have already found one of these resources. The Mid-Atlantic Monthly is the official newsletter of the region and is sent to subscribers via email on or near the first day of each month.  This free newsletter can also be accessed via the Web at http://www.emultisport.com.  In addition to national and regional news, the Mid-Atlantic Monthly also includes results from regional races, previews of upcoming races, profiles of local athletes and race directors, club news and training tips.  The Mid-Atlantic Monthly is published by Bill Hauser, an age-group triathlete from Pennsylvania and member of the USAT regional board of directors.  To subscribe, go to http://www.emultisport.com and type your email address in the subscribe box in the upper left corner.  Be sure to select whether you wish to receive the newsletter in HTML (graphical) or text format.
 
Regional Rankings.  This is a new resource being offered to Mid-Atlantic members this year.  The Lin-Mark EZE Ranking System enables members to access up-to-date regional rankings online twenty four hours a day at http://www.lin-mark.com/usat_rank/index.asp.  The software engine for the ranking system was developed by Lin-Mark Computer Sports, Inc.  The EZE Ranking System extracts data for all USAT Mid-Atlantic finishers then ranks the USAT finishers per the USAT-National Office Rankings Guidelines.  In addition to providing athletes with their regional age group ranking and ranking within their home state, the system allows athletes to review their individual event history and a list of all races that have been included in calculating the rankings.  In order to be included in the regional rankings, athletes must compete in a minimum of three regional races.  However, even before receiving a regional ranking, athletes can still find out how they did against other regional ranked athletes by reviewing their event history in the system.  For a list of events that have been ranked to date, see http://www.lin-mark.com/usat_rank/rankedraces.htm.
 
Regional Multisport Club Directory
 
Looking for someone to join you on that next brick workout?  Wondering where to find a decent masters swimming program?  If so, then the Mid-Atlantic Region Club Directory is the place to start.  Currently, there are twenty-five multisport clubs in the region and that number is growing every day.  Log on to http://www.lin-mark.com/usatclubsma.htm to get contact information for the club nearest you.
 
Regional Race Calendars
 
There are a number of web sites where you can get information on upcoming races in the region.  Some of the most comprehensive listings are maintained by companies that provide timing services for races, such as Lin-Mark Computer Sports, Inc.  (http://www.lin-mark.com), Set-Up, Inc. (http://www.set-upinc.com) and LM Sports, Inc. (http://www.lmsports.com).  Other useful sites include TriFind.com (http://www.trifind.com) and USAT’s calendar of sanctioned events (http://www.usatriathlon.org/Frames/fs_age_group.htm). 
 
Hopefully, these resources will provide a simple and convenient way for you to keep up-to-date with the multisport scene in the region and help you to derive greater enjoyment from the sport.
 
Feel free to contact me at bhauser@emultisport.com with your comments and suggestions for additional resources.