General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Brierman Triathlon Rss Feed  
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2009-06-17 10:10 AM

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Subject: Brierman Triathlon

Is anyone planning to do this? I did a search for this tri on this forum and nothing really came up.

I'm looking to do something this time of the year and was thinking about giving it a "tri". Sunday October 4 in Boonsboro, MD.

http://www.piranha-sports.com/Race53.aspx

-- Gary



2009-06-17 10:16 AM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
I wanted to do this, but....they did close Greenbrier 2 summers ago due to fecal matter.  Yuck.
2009-06-18 9:33 AM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
no big deal - what's a little fecal matter to a triathlete?

Seriously, though, that lake is clean. The occasional closings usually follow a breaching of a farmer's pond somewhere upstream, which temporarily raises the e.coli levels in the lake. It flushes out naturally (no pun intended) in just a couple days following the event.

The race organizers should be testing the water daily as the race approaches. It will be safe to swim in.

This happened to me at Lums Pond, DE for the Delaware Diamondman one year. There was a overflow in a farm pond that caused e.coli levels to rise and on race day morning they cancelled the swim, and replaced it with a 5 mile run.

I might be into this race, or the SavageMan (International Distance) race out by Deep creek. We'll see how summer training goes.
2009-06-18 1:03 PM
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Ellicott City, MD
Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
Either I am not looking in the right places, or there don't seem to be that many tri's in October. It seems like a good time to have them to me. Less heat.
2009-06-18 4:46 PM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
I like the format of the race - it's a departure from the cookie-cutter race distances.

Sprint is a 0.45 Mile Swim~21 Mile Bike~4.9 Mile run - pretty challenging course for a sprint - especially since the bike is pretty hilly.

The 1/2 IM 'lite' is .85 Mile Swim~40 Mile Bike~9.3 Mile Run - the swim and bike are the same course as the sprint, but 2 laps instead of 1. The run has an extra extension to add 4.4. miles to it.

I just might do this one, especially since it's closer to home than a lot of the other fall races.



2009-06-19 7:13 AM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
I plan on doing the Brierman as well this year. A friend of mine did it last year and below are his comments:

"I did this race last year and it’s challenging, but very rewarding to finish.  The swim is in a very calm pond where you can see the shore at all times.  Once that’s over, the fun really begins.  The bike is 21 miles of up and down riding, accentuated by a 1 mile uphill around mile 9 or 10.  The run is 4.9 miles of running uphill and downhill with a downhill finish.  It is a great way to finish off your triathlon season with a feeling of accomplishment."

Sounds like a good challenge!
Greg


2009-06-21 8:09 AM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
Greenbrier State Park is just down the road from my home, so I am pretty familiar with it. The venue is fantastic.... tons of parking, showers, tables, etc. Super easy to get to. I ran Baltimore last year, which is the day after this race, so I did not do Brierman, but will race Brierman this year... probably the sprint. I did a mountain bike race here earlier this year and had a blast.


The lake is great. It's clear and fresh. No worries on the swim. It will be one of your best lake swims ever. I have done the whole 9 mile run a couple of times... it is brutal. Actually, brutal is a generous word for the climb back up Mt Lena road. I think it's actually too much hills for a triathlon, but that's just an opinion.  The run on the Sprint is a little more user-friendly... that is to say it's a lot like Columbia Tri, but hey, this is the Appalachians.

 I haven't done the actual bike course, but if this extended business trip ever ends I'll get out there and get a report up. My regular roadie is thru these hills around Braddock Heights, Gambrill Park and Myersville, and down to Greenbrier Park and back so I can tell you that there is a lot of granny gear climbing. I would not be surprised if the elite bikers hit 42 MPH on this ride.

I'll also check with the rangers and see if they could let us get some OWSing in before the actual race. THe lake is open for swimming all summer long, but the swim area is probably only 300 or so yards long, and it would be nice to be able to swim a longer course than is usually roped off for swimming.
2009-06-21 6:40 PM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
Jesselle, could you please post if we can do an OWS at Greenbrier and maybe we can practice swim.
2009-06-22 6:45 AM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
You bet ... I'll check into a "swbrick' on an upcoming weekend sometime after the holiday weekend, and give everybody a heads up on this thread.- Scott
2009-07-07 11:02 AM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
I did the "sprint" last year and really enjoyed it. The lake is a great swim, no worries about fecal matter. The bike leg is challenging as is the run. The ride is beautiful in the fall with all the color on the trees. It is a terrific race to close the season. I'm thinking about doing the "lite" this year.
2009-07-12 8:09 AM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
FYI, I called Greenbrier and asked about having ows practice and they said no. 


2009-07-14 9:01 PM
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
Yeah, but the roped off swim area is proably big enough to get a good pull going. I plan to check it out this weekend (7/20) and I'll let you guys know what I find out.
2009-08-30 4:03 PM
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Ellicott City, MD
Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
I rode this bike route today, twice. Almost nothing is flat. Lots of up and down. One long climb about midway. And some fast descents. I got in near 40mph briefly, and I was using the brakes too.
2009-09-17 10:10 PM
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Subject: RE: Brierman Triathlon
Raced in the Sprint last year and this is definately a good end of the year. Get by the climb at mile 10 and save a little for the run. Out and back so you will know quickly that the back is a lot of uphill. I would do it was a good deal of fun.
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