I realize 60-70 miles is way too much so early in
this season unless you're preparing for an early 1/2
or full IM. I would like to invite anyone to come
along for 30-45 minutes out (plus same time back) on
the trail. We'll use that time to warm up at a
moderate pace (small chain ring, 15-18 mph) and talk about
whatever.<br><br>Please feel free to post your own workout plans or query
for others to ride with. For example, Mattman1972 was
looking for a training partner (see message #20) for his
first sprint-distance this summer. <br><br>Everyone's
got different goals...use this club as a means to
leverage off others whether it's training together or just
picking off wisdom from more experienced
triathletes.<br><br>Train smart,<br>David<br>aka Chief Rat

RATS,<br><br>David G., Mark L., Rob W., and I did
the Marshall ride this morning. What a great day for
a ride - little wind, sunny, and 55
degrees!<br><br>We spent the first 20 miles or so going easy, but as
soon as we hit the bigger hills the hammer dropped
frequently, and the legs were often begging for relief (at
least mine were). We finished the ride in just over 3
hrs riding time which we were very pleased with
considering the difficulty of the ride and the fact that it
was only March 3. <br><br>Anyway, next Sat's ride
(weather and bike path conditions permitting) will likely
be a 60-70+ mile ride with some hill repeats thrown
in on a newly paved road just off of Ye Haaw road
(that's out near Leesburg just off the W&OD for those of
you who've never heard of it). We'll probably meet at
the Reston Community Center (RCC) around 8:15. Keep
in mind, however, that ALL are encouraged to join
the group for the ride. If you're concerned about the
pace/length, I suggest you come with at least one buddy (with
similar skill/ability). That way, you can decide how far
and how hard you ride, and you'll always have someone
to ride with. See you Sat!<br><br>Paul F.

For all those riding tomorrow I have an updated
weather forecast for what it is worth. We will be riding
out in colder territory, but the lows for tomrrow are
only expected to be around 33, and the high is
expected to be in the 50's. Since we are starting our ride
a little later it will probably not be bitterly
cold. Bring plenty of layers that you can strip down to
easily.

All RATS and non-RATS are welcome to ride, but
keep in mind this is a fairly challenging ride, so if
you haven't been riding much over the winter, you may
want to attempt it a little later into the season. For
those of you who are up for the challenge, we're
meeting at the Reston Community Center at 8:15...see you
there!<br><br>DIRECTIONS TO RIDE START:<br>Starts at Marshall Community
Center in Marshall, VA.: Take I-66 west to exit 28,
Routes 17/Business 17 to Marshall/Warrenton. Go North on
Business 17 into Marshall for 0.7 miles. Go straight at
Main Street and in 0.1 miles turn right into the
community center.<br><br>RIDE CUE SHEET:<br>56 Mile
Ride...[R]=Right; [L]=Left; [BR]=Bear Right; [BL]=Bear
Left;[SS]=Stop Sign<br><br>-&gt; 0.0 [R] 710, Rectortown Rd from
parking lot (Store at mile 4.3 in Rectortown- closed
Sunday)<br>-&gt; 6.6 [R] 623; becomes Rokeby Rd<br>-&gt; 10.3 [L]
Rte 50, John Mosby Hwy (unmarked) at T<br>-&gt; 10.7
[R] 623, Willisville Rd<br>-&gt; 12.3 [BL] 743,
Millville Rd<br>-&gt; 13.6 [R] 719, Green Garden Rd;
becomes Airmont Rd (Store in Bloomfield at mile
16.8)<br>-&gt; 20.3 [L] 734, Snickersville Tpke in Airmont
(Store) (Also a store in Bluemont at mile 23.5 at the
start of the first climb)<br>-&gt; 24.2 [L] Rte 7 at T
(keep climbing)<br>-&gt; 24.8 [L] 601, Blue Ridge
Mountain Rd at top of gap (keep climbing)<br>-&gt; 36.1
[L] Rte 50, John Mosby Hwy at SS (Food)<br>-&gt; 36.8
[R] 759 into Paris (if blocked off, continue straight
to next light and turn right, then skip the next two
directions, starting up again with line marked by *)<br>-&gt;
37.2 [R] 701 (unmarked) in front of gas station and
the Ashby Inn<br>-&gt; 37.9 [R] Rte 17 (unmarked) at
T<br>-&gt; *39.3 [R] 688 (2nd climb)<br>-&gt; 46.1 [L] 55,
after crossing under I-66<br>-&gt; 50.3 [R] 731 at T;
55 goes left<br>-&gt; 50.4 [L] F184, immediately
after crossing under I-66<br>-&gt; 52.4 [L] 723 to
cross over I-66<br>-&gt; 52.5 [R] F185 at T; becomes
Main St in Marshall<br>-&gt; 55.8 [L] 710, Rectortown
Rd (Store)<br>-&gt; 55.9 [R] into parking lot

Your calendar is right! I put down the wrong date
and couldn't find an edit message button. Its good to
hear that there will be others from the group
participating in both sections. I will start looking for the
rides and other activities to post.

Great idea for goals Dave. I have a few
newcomer's that will be signing up. As for the next
meeting... whats the food theme this time? Anyone got ideas?
Also, my mom will be at that meeting. We could probably
prod her for some ideas or a short talk. At 71, she is
the age-group record holder for the Ironman Hawaii
and has a bit of longevity in this sport (18 years).
As we get closer to the date, I will send out an
evite, remember, I need rsvp's so that I know how much
furniture to move around!<br><br>Robin<br>rat secretary :)

There are a few RATS going to that tri. I am
doing the long distance, I know others doing the
sprint. Check the date, my application says June 17th.
Sounds like you are doing quite a bit of training...
don't burn out! There will be lots of rides on the W&OD
as soon as it warms up a tad. Some are already out
there. You will see rides posted as time goes by. If you
can fit it in, the Reston Master's Swim Team has
practice on Sat. at 7 & 8am, Sun at 7pm and Tues, Thurs
from 8-930pm. Dues are $60 or $90 per quarter
depending on if you swim weekends or all 4 days. Its a
great workout and afterwards on Sat. many people gather
to run or swim.

Thanks for the encouragement! My sprint is the
Spud Classic over in Indian Head, MD on June 27. I
feel like I have enough time to prepare well. As far
as training, I am biking (either indoor or out if
nice) 3 days a week, about 20 miles each trip. In
addition, I am running 2 or 3 days a week and have worked
up to 3 miles at about a 9 minute pace. The swimming
is the hardest thing to fit in so far, which is why
I want to concentrate on it. I am usually at Tysons
Club every evening except Wednesday. Also, I would
like to get in on some W&OD rides if anyones
interested.

This is a little long...but
important...<br><br>First, please feel free to post a message, drop me a
note (luv2tri@...) or contact one of the other
board members if you have ideas or just want to talk
about tri's. I appreciate Matt's fortitude for stepping
forward and saying, "I'm new to tri's and am looking for
people to work out with." I realistically don't expect
us all to get together for a group workout on any
given day, but with enough people we should be able to
eventually match of people at any distance and any level of
experience or speed.<br><br>On a different note, I forgot to
list Paul F. as the new Treasurer in a previous email.
Speaking of money, we had nominally talked about a small
membership fee (i.e. $10) but I want to hold off on charging
anything until we figure out what our costs are and what
our value added is. Jim D. and I will be working on a
sponsorship package to solicit help from local businesses.
Hopefully, that will cover some (if not all) of the
costs.<br><br>Lastly, every club needs goals; otherwise how would we
know where we're going and where we've been?!?! Here's
what I propose for 2001:<br>1. 100 members by the end
of 2001 with at least 15 members new to the sport (1
year or none). We can accomplish this by word of
mouth, a flyer that Robin/Margaret are working on and
establishing a presence (see #3).<br>2. Three fun events. Jim
D. has offered up his townhouse by Lake Audobon in
the summer for one.<br>3. Establish a noted presence
in the local triathlon community. This can be either
through volunteering or participation at events such as
the Reston Triathlon. Chris K. is redesigning and
simplifying the old RATS logo. We're also looking into
getting t-shirts and logo transfers that you can put on
your own race clothing. <br>4. Establish a forum for
training. By this I mean helping out new athletes, making
resources available, coordinating group workouts, and
recognizing participation. As an example, Robin suggested
awarding rat tails for participation in events with
different colors for different distances, volunteers,
etc.<br><br>Finally, Robin has graciously offered up her house again
for the next RATS meeting. Date is tentatively
Saturday, March 24th. We will come to closure on a bunch of
issues such as bylaws (email me if you want a copy),
incorporation as a non-profit, budget and the logo. We'd also
like to get a guest speaker to talk about some aspect
of the sport. If you ideas on topics or speakers,
please contact me.<br><br>Thanks and train
smart!<br>David<br>aka Chief Rat<br>aka The Big Cheese

You're in the right place for a little help. The
RATS are more than just a bunch of furry rodents, we
have beginners to ironguys and lots of hot air, I mean
good advice, to share! Whats your sprint? When is it?
What are you doing these days for training? And keep
an eye out for rides.

Don't worry, its not a classified ad! I am a new
member to Tri RATS and I am participating in my first
sprint-length triathalon this summer. Are there any other
newbies in the club that are looking for a training
partner, or any group runs or rides that are still
reasonably short in order for me to establish a nice base?

BEAST of the EAST Chosen to be an Adventure
Racing World Series Event and <br>Qualifier for the
Discovery Channel World Championship! <br><br>Virginia
Beach, VA - The BEAST is BACK! One of America's original
adventure <br>races will be unleashed again April 10 - 16.
Starting from Claytor Lake State <br>Park, in scenic
southwestern Virginia, the course will also travel along the
<br>rugged wilderness areas along the New River Trail State
Park. As a member of <br>the Adventure Racing (AR)
World Series, the BEAST is a qualifying event for
<br>the Discovery Channel World Championship Adventure
Race, and will receive <br>television coverage on
Discovery. Soloists, 2-person and 4-person teams will
<br>traverse 350 miles during this 5-day, non-stop
expedition-style adventure <br>race. The winning 4-person coed
team will be awarded a $5000 cash prize and <br>entry
into the World Championship race later this year.
<br><br>During the BEAST, competitors will be treated to <br>an
exciting whitewater swim on the New River, whitewater and
flat water <br>canoeing, a magnificent ascent, and
rappel, and miles upon miles of biking <br>and trekking
on rugged trails and historic Civil War roads.
"We're especially <br>excited to introduce whitewater
swimming to US racers," said Mann. Currently, <br>Odyssey
is the only race organization in the US to offer
whitewater swimming, <br>which is a popular sport in Europe.
The BEAST course takes racers up and over <br>some of
the highest peaks in Virginia  - providing an
elevation gain and loss <br>of over 40,000 feet - adding
credence to Odyssey's motto, "Your PAIN is our
<br>PLEASURE." <br><br>Racers will register and complete gear
checks on April 10, then start the <br>race at midnight.
From that time until they cross the finish line
several <br>days later, teams and soloists will navigate
using map and compass through <br>mandatory checkpoints
along the course. Support crews will assist racers at
<br>various transition points providing gear, food, and
bikes. In 1999, Robert <br>Nagle and Isaac Wilson
finished the race in only 3 ˝ days, but we anticipate
<br>most teams will finish in 4 to 5 days this year. A new
SPORT class will allow <br>soloists and teams who might
not be able to complete the 350 mile-course, to
<br>take a modified route and still finish officially
within the 5 days. <br><br>Odyssey is offering a
Competitor Sponsor Program in which companies that
<br>sponsor teams that compete in any of Odyssey's events
will receive <br>partnership benefits in the form of
website links, on-site placement and <br>media exposure.
Current sponsors for the event include Discovery Channel,
<br>Seal Skinz Waterproof Socks and Gloves, Vade Retro
Hydrospeed Boards, Harry's <br>Farmers Market, Blue Ridge
Outdoors Magazine, Carbboom, and Outdoor Trails.
<br><br>Visit www.OARevents.com for more information on the
BEAST of the EAST and all <br>of Odyssey's other events
including other adventure races; an Adventure <br>Racing
Academy; extreme and ultra-distance triathlons; as well as
single and <br>multi-day SEAL events. You can also find
more information on the Competitor <br>Sponsor Program
on the website or by writing oarinfo@..., or
calling <br>757.425.2445. <br><br><br>For more
information contact: <br><br>Odyssey Adventure Racing, Inc.
<br>Dawn Taylor-Mann <br>Oarimage@... <br>(757)
425-2445

I can pick you up for the car pool out to Marshall; however, I'm not swimming
with Master's beforehand. If you want to pass on the swimming, I'll pick you up
at your place at 7:45.

OK, I verified that I am a go for Saturday to
ride Marshall. However since I purchased my new
mid-life crisis mobile I have no capacity for a bike thus
I would need a lift to the RCC, and out to
Marshall. If it is convenient I could swim Masters Saturday
morning to make it easier, but I would still need someone
to get me to RCC for the swim.

I need to ride Marshall. However I am not sure
that I can be out that long because of an engagement.
I will have to check on the time of the engagement
to be positive. If my time is limited I will ride
with Jim, if it turns out time is not an issue I will
definitley ride Marshall. I'll know more in a day or so.

Much as I would love to do the Marshall ride this
weekend, I need to be home by noon at the latest on
Saturday... If there is anyone interested in joining me for
an "around 3 hour ride" let me know...8:15 or so
from the Community Center is a good start time
(actually will be closer to 8:30)-<br>Jim

Check the calendar for information about the Blue
Ridger aka "Marshall Loop" that starts and ends in
Marshall, VA. This is a tough 56-mile ride with lots of
hills but also great training for an early IM or 1/2 IM
race. Paul will bring maps Saturday morning so you can
go at your own pace. We plan to carpool from the
Reston Community Center after early swimming at about
8:15. It's about a 45-minute drive to Marshall.

This was a red letter weekend for me. I got the
doctor's OK to start running, so I ran 5 with Dave Cascio
after swimming on Saturday, ran 6 with Reston Runners
on SUnday and ran 4.5 at lunch today. That brings my
total running since October 1 to 32 miles...about half
of it in the last 3 days. I plan to ride after
swimming Saturday--who else is on?<br>Jim

I just got back from a week of skiing (4 days
downhill, 2 days x-country) in Big Sky, MT...makes me want
to quit my job and become a ski bum for a season. It
felt like great exercise at 7,500+ feet of
altitude...my quads never fully recovered from the first day
and I was out of breath anytime I had to walk up a
hill. The weather was anywhere from below zero to the
30's and mostly sunny except for Saturday. Beautiful
location and no lift lines!<br>David

So nice here I had to ride into work and then
tack on a run. Don't worry, you guys will get the last
laugh when its 110 here. Oh, wait a minute, the
humidity will only be 55% so it won't matter. Well, at
least you guys have Starbucks.

Argggggh...Alright already!! This has certainly
been the worst winter in terms of trail/road
conditions. 'Having just returned from two weeks of business
travel I just have to get out tomorrow. I am planning on
swimming at 7 then going for a ride on any surface I can
find clear of snow and ice. That may mean roads (ie.
Great Falls), but the trail may be ok. Anyone
else???<br>Mark

A youth triathlon is an excellent idea. Many
years ago my brother, Jane Newell, and I put on a kids
tri out of Lake Newport. As the Reston Tri committe
always could use help, maybe The RATS could assume an
offical responsibility such as the RMST and Reston Bike
Club does for the Reston Tri.

Well, okay, David, the pres, already stole most
of my thunder by announcing results of the
'elections'. What he didn't mention though is that the ballots
are being recounted by a special committee in Florida
and official results will be published in
approximately 12 months.<br><br>But as for the rest of the
meeting... We ate lots, talked a bunch and came up with some
great ideas. Now we need to get it all to work. Chris
Kolb will be working on a new rendition of the club
RAT while Margaret and I will come up with some sort
of brochure to start passing out at athletic type
establishments and gatherings. The intention of the brochure
will be to attract new members and get this club
going. The main message we want to get across is: We are
not an elite group (although if you are in the
category of pro's, we are glad to have ya!), we are for
all triguys/gals from newcomer's to
oldtimers.<br><br>Also, by-laws are under scrutiny. David G. sent the
by-laws out a while ago. If everyone could take a few
minutes to read them over and let David know if you
disagree with anything, regarding the by-laws that
is.<br><br>There were lots of other ideas discussed that night.
One idea is bringing triathlon to area youth either
with competition or seminars just for kids. As for
RATS, we want to recognize each and every little rat
accomplishment. We're not real sure how that will be done yet but
it will happen.<br><br>But besides triathlon
training and racing, we mean to have fun. Cookouts,
picnics, fun-rides, those are some of the social items we
discussed and still looking for more ideas! So keep an eye
on this web site for the date of the next upcoming
meeting. It will be close to the end of the month with
food and friends...<br><br>till then...<br>robinrat
signing off<br><br>oh yeah... come up with your own 'rat'
name if you want

Unfortunately, the dance studio has a workshop

Please play around with this site and feel free
to add content (e.g. calendar). I started to
populate with a couple of things off the top of my head.
There's a place to put your favorite links...something
that may be useful to other triathletes as well as a
place to upload photos.<br>Train smart,<br>David

Summary is forthcoming as soon as Robin gets
online. <br><br>Off the top of my head, we had an
informal election, discussed ideas on what we plan to do
with the club, and talked about how we can get the
word out. <br><br>Here's the positions:<br>President -
me<br>VP - Jim D.<br>Secretary -
Robin/Margaret<br>Member-at-large - Tom S.<br>Webmaster - John Y.<br><br>Plan
now
is to get answers to some questions, create a flyer
to pass out at Reston Runners/Masters, etc. and
regroup in about a month<br>to formalize bylaws, set
goals, etc.<br>David

I go for the cheapest pair that I can find that
fit my face. Rubber gaskets for the eye pieces versus
foam since the foam tends to leak. <br>I think "SEAL"
puts out a mask that looks like what you'd wear when
snorkeling. People that use them swear by them.

Dave Cascio here. Sorry I couldn't make the meeting. Would like to request a
summary.

What are folks wearing these days? I've seen some interesting new googlez, but
I'm still wearing my Swedes.

Welcome to the Yahoo! Message Board for Tri RATS