Where: Update – Ebenezer Church State Park

When: 6:30 AM

Squeeky, Litl Bit and Sandbagger meeting at Ebenezer Church State Park for a 30 minute swim followed by 1 hour run, per request of Coach Vicky. She very smartly pointed out doing hills this late in the game for the Half next weekend probably isn’t part of a smart taper.

The best running group in Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham and Morrisville turns 2 today. Happy Birthday!

Thanks to all the runners, triathletes, swimmers, cyclists, stand-up comedians, and psychiatrists for keeping us all healthy, fast, and laughing our lungs out!

Whats in store for 2009? A lot of us are doing our umpteenth marathon, an Ironman (our first or our dozenth, definitely not our last), open water swims, half marathons, sprint triathlons, international triathlons, group spin class, triathlon clinic, brick, or otherwise.

We are traveling and competing around the country, around North Carolina, mostly getting together for the classic Saturday morning run at either Umstead Park or Shelley Lake, with some American Tobacco Trail runs, Whole Foods / Meredith College runs, and our Spring/Summer/Fall bricks out at Jordan Lake.

I hope everyone has a great 2009 year running, swimming, cycling, and triathloning. Check out the 2009 racing season post to see what everyone is up to!

This is a quick post to set as a placeholder so people can post their experience about the race today.

Meanwhile, I am going to continue my ice bath. Did I mention it was hot? And steep. And loooooong…

Congrats to Litl’bit for placing not third, or second, but Numero Uno – #1 – in her age group. Litl’bit, when you run out of room for all your trophies, I will be happy to hang them up in my house.

When: 6:30 AM

Distance: TBD

Weather: Warm

Option 2 – New Hope Overlook (Duke Half Training)

Help Herbs with his Farewell to Umstead run! He is heading back to NY – so your opportunities to honor him with your presence are running low.

Sarah aka TriDoc should be joining the Umstead crew for her first visit. Make sure to look out for her and welcome her into the group. Click the link above or use the map below for directions – or feel free to post a question here to make sure you sync up with the group!

View Larger Map

Some possibilities:

- Group Ride

- Group Brick (Duke Half Course)

- Splash in the water at New Hope Overlook after the Brick.

Thoughts?

TriRunWith.Us Group Swim

Rumors floating around on the Tubes that there may be an OWS.

Lets post here to make sure everyone gets the info.

Date: Possible days are Wed, Thurs or Friday night.

Location: To Be Determined

Weather: Wet

Yes those are the air raid sirens going off. Actually, those big sirens are what wake up all the folks in Chatham county when there is a nuclear melt down at Sharon Harris. And they are going off because there are only 245 spots left for the Duke Half Triathlon 2008.

Who is joining? Squeeky, Alfonso???

When: 6:45am

Thought I would put up a post to help organize the group swim being discussed for Saturday.   I hate it when Rama calls me “scared”…  I would just hate to “Mac” things up.  :)  

View Larger Map

The In-Laws are in town from Portland Oregon. Dr Leisure, my wife’s father (a friend of his had Dr Leisure cards printed up for his retirement party a few weeks ago) shipped out a bike to stay in NC permanently. We are bringing the whole fam’ out to Jordan Lake Ebenezer park on Sunday.

Anyone up for a modified repeat of last weekend?

Time: Around 9AM start on the bike.

Jordan Lake water temp – Currently 59 degrees

Where: Beach Lot at Ebenezer Church Park


View Larger Map

When: 6:45 AM

What: Approximately 2 hour ride, 30 minute run, 30 minute swim

Why: Prepare for White Lake Half

Weather: Mid 50s to mid 60s for bike, water temp probably mid 60s

Cost: $5 (At the gate)

*** RECAP: Wow that was JUST what the doctor ordered. After a little triangulation figuring out where the Ebenezer boat launch area is, we all joined up. While gearing up, I realized that I hadn’t packed my cycling shoes. Doh! The Sandbaguette had a Book Club gathering and the ladies were muching on lasagna and wine until well past a proper bedtime hour for 5:30 AM roll call. Hence I wasn’t quite collected when the alarm went off.

After a 45 minute high speed multi-county cannonball run for my cycling shoes, I caught up with the rest of the group. The had gone from the boat launch to Pea Ridge and Old #1 and back. The timing was perfect.

Off we went down Beaver Creek, to Old #1 again, over to Sharon Harris past the Lineman Rodeo (you know, the electrical power pole jockeys – yes, they have a rodeo for EVERYBODY).

Forest Gump kept it well reigned in as I was trying to convince him to layup on Duke Half rather than do Pinehurst Olympic a few weeks afterwards.

Squeeky and I were still breaking in our new rides. KarenG8r was effortlessly keeping pace. Herbs hardly broke a sweat. Litl’bit put on a fierce pull as we rounded out somewhere south of New Hill.

After returning back to base camp, we did a T2 and ran 2 miles down to the beach and back. Already wound up for the swim was Supreme Commander!

We bemoaned our cement sacks for legs for the brief return, gathered our stuff, and headed down to the beach section.

Forest, Herbs and KarenG8r declined the splash in sub 60 degree water (I think it may have been as much as 61 or 62). I tried swimming in Squeekys hand-me-down wetsuit and we swam a couple hundred meters.

The weather was fantastic, the scenery and location ideal, and the company was top-notch. What an excellent end to the week.

More pics after the jump.

For those of you not doing the White Lake Half or Sprint Triathlon on the first weekend in May, an option for those looking for a great local, well-supported bike ride, try the Raven Rock Ramble. Registration is open and the slots will soon close out.

Check out the Raven Rock Ramble website.

Race starts at the Harris Lake County Park (follow the nuclear plant cooling stack steam!).

View Larger Map

Got a few pics up on Flickr. Click through if you are impatient and want to laugh, or wait and I will eventually get a full recap here.

Click here for the prelude.

Cliffs:
It was cold & dark to start.
The swim was very challenging on the way out, and a breeze after the turnaround.
The bike was pretty nice. Great weather, wind seemed to be behind me more than in front of me.
And then there was the run. It was long. And hard. And it was pretty long too. And the hills were hard.
I beat my goal of 5:30 by a minute and eighteen stinking seconds, and that made me smile.
Litl’bit and KarenG8r came all the way out to cheer (make fun of) me. After doing a ride nearby, they made it out and helped me push through the final yards with some insane screaming and yelling and cheerleading. I was trying to the the KarenG8r fist high five thing and I think she thought I was trying to slug her. I will stick to the old-school hand-slapping high-five from now on.

More pics after the jump.

Carol over at Triathlon Training Blog had a nice recap of her race. One of these days our paths will cross in person.

I somehow managed to finish. Click here for the recap.

What good are friends?

Squeeky drove us out to New Hope Overlook Park and ran the Duke Half course with me. He didn’t complain (much) when I got us lost and we had to scamper an extra 2.5 miles on a hot day.

He also humored me while I shot the transition area from a leather trimmed, air conditioned, Lexus photo blind after our swim.

More pics (of course) on the way after the race.

I told Squeeky I’m shooting for sub 5:30. He said he thinks I can do it. I think he is humoring me again. Ah, but that’s what friends are for.

(More transition shots after the jump)

[Click here for recap after the race]

Parting Shot

UPDATE – Schedule got changed. Hope nobody had started suiting up yet.

When – 6:30AM (at the trail – not meeting in the parking lot)

Temp – Humid

Distance – 7+

PART 2

Where – Jordan Lake Ebenezer Church (Carpooling saves you $5)

When – After the run

Wetsuit Legal? – Not even close

Where: Jordan Lake – Ebenezer Church Park – Jordan Lake Rec Area Web Link

Where: Bike – Out & Back from Ebenezer entrance south. Click here for route.

When: Friday June 8th, 3:30

Weather: Wet, Hot (Squeeky you won’t need booties or a hood for this one)

Who: G8r, litl’bit, Squeeky, Sandbagger, Mr G8r – open invitation on beginnertriathlete.com as well.

Make the jump to listen to Coach K talk about the last OWS.

Ebenezer Church Park Layout