Angels Race VA : Official Thread (Page 2)

I did find them--thanks to all who helped.  With riding in the rain, if you are not experienced, then just keep in mind that your braking power is significantly reduced and it is easy to slide when turning.  Clothes may make you warm for a bit, but as they get wet it only gets worse.  I will bring my light weight cycling jacket though.  

Be safe out there.

Mike

Forecast for 9am (approx. when we'll hit the bikes) is 52 degrees, 70% chance of rain and wind of 10mph.  Heading out of town down the hills will be cold and the most dangerous part of the bike.  I'll be bringing a rain jacket (don't have bike rain gear) and hope that it won't be raining when we start the bike.  Nice discussion of options for sprint race in 50 degree rain here.

We really enjoyed ourselves today!  Sorry we didn't get to say Hi Mike, but we did talk to Stu, right before the swim.  The swim was pretty messed up just b/c I tried to pass the guy in front of me, but he wasn't familiar with the protocol (to wait at the end) and it just messed with the flow I had so I just took it easy the rest of the way.   It was his first race too, had never actually swam, and his only goal, like mine, was to finish, so I really didn't care too much, though I am sure some decent swimmers would have.  Those hills definately killed me on the bike and I had to walk several, but still did decent for me 1:42.  I forgot to put my knee braces on before the run, so took it pretty easy walking.  We are looking at doing 1 or 2 in the fall.  Nothing before that though.  We've got some training to do, hopefully some weight to lose and 3 young kids who want some more of our time for a little bit lol. 

  Stu, I just wanted to say that Dallas and I both appreciated your motivation during the race.  In general the encouragement we received from everyone was amazing and truly speaks to the spirit of this race.  We're hooked for sure and this will hopefully become an annual event for us.  My 8 year old wants to start doing some too.  We'll probably look at some of the Try-a-Tris up in Manassas for him.

Wow, we dodged a bullet with the weather.  It is so nasty at home this afternoon and evening.  Would not have wanted to be out in what is happening now.

It was great to meet you, Jen and Dallas.  So glad you had a good experience.  I guess we can say, "at least it wasn't hot".  I looked around for you, Brian, based on your picture, but I have a feeling the start offset times put us too far apart.  Sorry I missed you as well, Mike.  But good to have some fellow Central VA BTers there!  Hope we'll have the chance to cross paths again.  Not sure what my next race will be - might do Salem or the C'ville Sprint, though I really would like to do more Olympic length this year if I can.

Congrats all!  Good start to the season.  Certainly gave me the motivation to kick up the training a bit.  Nothing like coming up those hills into the city to make you wish you had put in a few more miles :-)

Stu

Stu, nice job taking home a medal!  Brian, I hollered at you as you were finishing your run just before you hit the JMU tunnel.  At least I thought it was you based on your photo and you were running with a bit of a limp like you were injured.  Dallas and Jen sorry I missed you.  I did have a great experience talking with a local 12 year-old boy who was doing this race for the fourth time!  I was very pleased with the race and thought the route was very pretty.  I even thought the hills were okay, although the last one on the run was tough.

Regarding swim times, I was placed perfectly.  I had two people pass me and I passed a person.  I thought the swim went way better than I anticipated with that many people in that small a space.  The bike route was great, but I am a cyclist so the hills weren't that bad for me.  The road was a little rough, but it is hard to find a perfect road and this one had nice views, reasonably flat, and low traffic.  Kudos to the race organizers.

Glad everyone had a good race.  See you next year.

Mike

I have a CAAD 5 frame that was one of their custom paint jobs and it was built up with Tiagra about 11 years ago.  I am hoping to have a new bike within the year and will be going with a custom built steel if I can make it work.  My bike is super stiff and accelerates nicely, but my 41 year-old body is not likely the pounding it delivers, hence the change.  It was great for going up the hills though.

I should do the river ride without being at race pace as it was beautiful, in fact, at one point during the race I had to really kick it as I was just daydreaming looking at the sites.

How did it feel to be on a Tri bike?  I was sort of thinking that the course favored a road bike with all the up and down, I thought it would have been hard to switch positions.  What did you think?

Good luck at Thunder Ridge, my wife is graduating from UVA with her Ph.D. that day or I would be doing it.  My neighbor and I are in process of doing the whole parkway and our next section is the big climb that is part of Thunder Ridge.  It looks long.  Have you done it before?

Mike

Brian - yep, Steve was amazingly low key for all that he has accomplished.  Just a great guy.  I'd come down for his race, but I think I'll be out of town unfortunately.  May try to get on his mailing list.  Could learn a thing or two about life from him :-)  Did he tell you he's about to do another double Ironman in a few weeks... at age 67.  20 straight years of carrying the flag at MCM.  Totally unreal. 

Mike, do you ever bike the Parkway from Rockfish Gap over to 664 / Wintergreen?  That's a fun climb.  My BIL and I are planning / hoping to do the Virginia section of the Parkway over a few days this summer.  I need to get a lot more miles in the saddle before then.  btw, great job in the race... looks like we could have run shoulder to shoulder the entire way if we had started at the same time. 

What is your wife studying at UVa?  Sounds like we both married smart women!  My wife is a Professor in the French Dept.  Anyway, congrats to her on finishing up the PhD... and congrats to you for being a supportive SO.  It's a haul for you both.

@Brian--I thought you had some sort of jet propulsion pack on your bike, I had already turned you into USAT for having an illegal enhancement on your bike. 

@Stu--Yes we definitely would have raced together.  I have done the climb that you are talking about and love it, although it hurts.  The last couple of Saturdays I have been leaving from my house and riding to the Parkway, climbing up Love Gap and then down to Afton and home.  It has been great to help my climbing.  I would definitely be up for a ride on the parkway if you ever are looking for someone. I could reverse my route and ride the parkway part with you or I could park over there and do all my miles there. My neighbor and I started 2 summers ago in Front Royal and have gotten as far as the James River on our trek of the Parkway.  It will get you in great condition.

My wife, Wendy, earned her Master's degree in teaching second languages and took several courses in the French Department.  Her master's advisor was Ruth Ferree and her Ph.D. is in Curriculum and Instruction over at the Curry school.  What does your wife teach and does she have the same last name as you?

Mike

Mike, let's definitely meet up and bike the Parkway sometime.  That would be a blast.  Once summer hits, I really prefer biking up there on weekend mornings (I'm not so good with the heat).  No wonder the hill back into Lynchburg didn't bother you too much :-)

Small world about Wendy and Karen (my wife, yes, same last name).  I would imagine they would know each other's names.  Karen oversees all the 1st and 2nd year French language classes and coordinates the TAs that teach all those sections.  How's the job market for Wendy look?  I've heard things are picking up ever so slightly in faculty positions.  Guess you all may be on the move soon.

Funny about the aerosol.  Some how I read it parasol and was thinking it was quite appropriate for the weather forecast.

Cheers,

Stu

The job market for faculty positions was not very good, but Wendy got a job with Worldstrides in Charlottesville, which is an experiential travel learning company.  She will be Director of Education designing curriculum and assessment for their educational programs.  Moving wasn't really an option as I have a practice in Staunton that would make it very hard to move.  Also, we really love it here.

I will look forward to the Parkway, I may even be up there this weekend if all works out.

Mike

Glad you'll be sticking around - it is a great place to live (and based on our times, I'd love to train sometime with you).  I'm actually out of town this weekend, but will be around the next two... if the weather is good, let's give it a whirl if you're around too.  I have a good friend who works at Worldstrides and loves it (though she's since moved from the area and now telecommutes).  I'll have to ask Karen tonight if she knows Wendy.

Stu