Blue Marsh Lake near Reading for ows practice? (Page 2)

Hi everyone in PA!  I'm new to the site and new to triathlon.  I'm prepping for Quakertown on September 12th. 

I would be up for OWS Friday or Saturday this week.  It would be my first OWS so I don't want to hold anyone back, but would appreciate the company.   

I might be able to do this too? Not sure though...

I did the Quakerman race a couple years ago and ride the course frequently as part of my normal training. The ride is decent, a few good climbs but not too bad, the run course sucked! All up or down some pretty real hills. It was hot as hell that day and totally smoked my A**!

Friday evening might work for me.  I can probably be there around 4 or 5 pm with the boat and a bike.  Not sure yet about what is going on here on Saturday.

double post monster hits again!

Edited by gearboy 2009-08-11 10:04 PM

Let's shoot for 5 pm at the Church Rd lot. That's about the earliest I can get there from the Lancaster area.

Absolutely! This is a public invite so grab your goggles and come on out! Check some of the earlier posts to see where we're meeting.

And welcome to the fold - we're glad you're here!

5 pm works. Then maybe bike up around and past the old ski area?  It's a short ride, around 7 miles I think, and a little hilly, especially to the west.  There is a loop to go south that runs around 19, but I've only checked it out on line.

How far does everyone want to swim?  Last time, I boated a half mile loop then nearly a mile loop. The only down side is less time to jump into the bike leg.

I'd like to get in an hour. Distance is not important to me. We can make that decision once everyone gets there. Maybe the half-mile loop would be good for varying abilities.

Bring on the hills! With Savageman in my sights (and a practice attempt on the course sagging my confidence) I could use all the hills we can produce around here. I've got all of Saturday to recover...

If anyone is interested in bringing someone who'd like to safety boat in addition to Gearboy, I can bring my kayak as well.

5pm is good for me.  I'm coming from Downingtown.  How's the turnpike at that hour? 

From the Route 100 exit West to the 222 exit, the TP should be relatively clear. You can also just grab the 322 West straight to the 222.

Great, thanks. If I cannot make it I'll post so I don't hold anyone up. Thanks again.

I'm doing a sprint at Lums Creek on Sunday so I would love to get in an ows, if you'all are doing so I might join ya. 

We may need to keep an eye on the weather.  Right now, accuweather is calling for thunderstorms in the late afternoon. 

Good point! Though, that's the problem with the weather in this area... All last week they called for rain - every single day. It didn't rain until Sunday morning of this week. In my opinion, I'm not training unless it's miserable out. I'll be there no matter the weather.

Today's report calls for sunny and 84.

I'll see everyone at 5!

Not sure I'll make it so don't hold anything up for me.  If I can I'll be there at 5.

The thunderstorm is expected to roll in around 7, so we should be able to get the swim in, and a short bike loop (I'll need to take about 15-20 minutes in between to rack the boat and secure it) before the bad weather hits. 

Who else is coming so we know to wait for any stragglers who get lost finding their way?

i'll definitely be there for the swim.  unfortunately, i won't be able to hang on for the ride afterwards.  the parking lot is on "Old Church Rd"? 

I'm not going to be able to make it either. I got new nephew last night, heading up to NY to see him. Thanks for letting me almost crash the party.

Yep - Old Church Rd and Rte 183.  The weather is still looking OK for now, so I will plan to be there a little before 5.  I'm bringing my bike, but I am not feeling too optimistic about the storms holding off.  I might end up bagging the bike if it still looks dicey after re-racking the boat.

GearBoy, PT - Had a great time fellas! Thanks for joining up with me for the swim. And yes, I decided to go for the bike loop anyway. I just couldn't stand to see a good bike loop go to waste. Seeing as I was all geared up and all...

BTW - Anybody interested in OWS in this area, this place was an awesome place to do so. It's warm, clean, and simply a great place to practice. Plus you've got GearBoy locally always willing to run safety!

I was glad to help, and had a great time meeting you guys.  I think if we had more time, I would have joined you on the bike (although I think you would smoke me on the road!).  You can also add in a short trail run if you want to practice all the transitions, making a double brick. 

Big thanks from me too.  It was great to meet you guys!  I appreciate your insights and look forward to catching up for another swim in the near future.