Click here for Palmdale Aquathon
Well, ladies and gentlemen, the triathlon season is almost over! (But cyclocross is already in full swing and tele/XC season is just waiting on a little snow.) This is the second year for our little club, and we plan to do even more to make it a great year for everyone. (For pics from last year, click here.) I apologize for the general state of the website. One of these days, I'll fix it up right.
The next group races are the Blue Water Triathlon in Parker, AZ on Nov. 8th and the Big Rock Triathlon in Perris, CA on Nov. 7th.
After spending the night in the marina, I decided to wander down to Venice for the start of the LA Tri. Rupert and Bud were both entered. When I got there, the recent low had really affected the sea. The swells were 4-5 feet, but the bigger challenge was an incredibly strong southerly current. After the first 5 waves the lifeguards had already made scores of rescues. There were some waves that had people still on the beach 10 minutes after their start (they were pushed waay below the first turn mark, and returned to the beach to restart. Others gave up. Happy to say Bud made it, and he's now on his bike. He'll have to tell you what happened next. -Wes
Budd exiting water at LA tri
Here's to Budd and the great post-race wrap us:
Wes, myself, Susan, James, & Jeff braved the frigid ocean and gloomy sky to take part in this year's race. A rough sea greeted us in the swim, however the cloud cover kept the sun from putting out too much heat. A brisk bike and run followed. Wes - 3rd place Age Group Bud - 3rd place Age Group
Susan, myself, and Johnny (sp?) went down to race in the Hansen Dam Triathlon. There were reportedly 3000+ people there - pretty packed. We arrived @ 0530 (still dark) and it was pretty chilly. They didn't include the bike and helmet numbers in the packet, so everyone had to wait in line to receive these. The swim was very warm (80+). The bike was supposed to be 13 miles, however it was really under 10. The run was along a dirt trail, with one or two hills. Places: Susan - 5th in Division Bud - 14thin Division
Sorry...no writeup for this one, but I do have a few pics...
Budd setting up in the morning fog
A pretty tired (and somewhat scraggly bunch)
This is kind of our "local triathlon" (at least the one that we compete in...the Palmdale triathlon will be making an appearance this year and most of us will be volunteering). The first race was on July 18th and a blast was had by many of the avtriathletes. Here is a race report from Budd on the first race:
We had a fun filled weekend at Castaic Lake. I went down with my boss and met up with Susan & Michelle in Palmdale. We then convoyed down to Castaic to set up. By the time the race started @ 0800, it was blisteringly hot. However, this made for very warm water temperatures and there were no waves/current to be seen. Needless to say, the swim was fast for everyone. The bike was very straightforward. The run course was changed up a bit from last year; the heat combined with the lack of water stations in the last mile made the conditions very miserable. However, we all finished and here are the results: Susan - 5th in Age Group Michelle - 3rd in Age Group Bud - 4th in Age Group Nichols - finished (first tri)
The second Castaic Triathlon went even better than the first! Here's Bud's recap:
Just got back home - exhausted. Justin, myself, Michelle, Susan, Wes and Rick raced today. We were greeted by a nice cool morning of 68 degrees or so. The swim was a breeze, followed by a bumpy bike ride, and ending with a cooler run than last time. Here's the end result: Justin - 1st Age Group Wes - 1st Age Group Susan - 2nd Age Group Michelle - 2nd Age Group Bud - 3rd Age Group Thanks to everyone who participated.
For complete race results, click here.
The first somewhat official (since we don't actually do anything official) race of the year was the Lake Havasu Triathlon on March 21st, 2009. Click here to see the pre-race pic.
NOTE: BRICKS ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED UNTIL WE CAN FIND A NEW LIGHTED, SAFE LOCATION. PLEASE SEND ME IDEAS! Brick Practices are every Thursday night at Apollo park (entrance off of 50th West and Ave G). Riding starts at 6:00 for an out-and-back ride of about 17 miles (but it can easily be lengthened or shortened by 3 miles). Click here for the bike map. Then we toss our bikes back into the cars and start running around Apollo park. Each loop is about 1 mile and most people do between 2 and 4. Click here for the run map. Cookies and water are usually provided (assuming I don't forget them at home.) Bricks are at Apollo for one more week (until Labor Day).
For those of you triathletes inclined to get out of the water quicker and more refreshed than your competition, we recommend Masters Swimming with Tom Otto. Come on by and check it out...try it out for a couple of weeks and if you like it, it runs 3 dollars a session, payable to Coach Tom whenever you feel like squaring away with him. There are multiple lanes for all experience levels. And even if you aren't a triathlete, Oasis Masters swimming is an excellent way to stay in shape by working out with friends.
Lancaster - OAS Lancaster Oasis Masters
Southern Pacific LMSC
Eastside pool @ Deputy Pierre W. Bain Park
45045 N 5th Street E. Lancaster, California
Workout Times: M - 6:00-7:00 pm WF- 6:00-8:00 pm
Contact: Tom Otto, ottolfixit@hotmail.com
Miscellaneous Info: 25 meter x 25 yard
And for those of you that feel that Lancaster is just a bit too far away, Mel Cupitt is planning to start a Palmdale Masters program out of Drytown. So far, these are the critical info:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
Oasis Drytown pool, avenue s and 40th st east.
6:15pm-7:15pm
Cost is still being determined
Contact: Mel Cupitt, melc@canyons.org
Track workouts are year-round through the High Desert Runners. They are on Tuesdays nights from 6 to 7 pm (see HDR website for more info) and run by Coach Clay. Like swimming, all abilities are welcome. The HDR group also sponsors Saturday runs and a Thursday night race series over the summer, so if you don't fancy swimming or biking, there is still plenty of running to do.
There are a number of organized cycling groups in the area. Two that I can recommend are the High Desert Cyclists for organized rides on the weekend and the Block Shop for weekend rides and weekly criterium workouts. I'm not sure about the times, but check out the websites or shoot us an e-mail on the messageboard. Bicycle Johns also has a bi-monthly ride out of Acton which can be a nice change of pace from our desert valley. I have only been road biking for 8 years or so, but there is so much to see on your bike! I'll try to posts rides as they happen here.
Jeff and Michelle climbing San Francisquito Rd, Oct. 11, 2009
For general questions about the club, e-mail questions@avtriclub.org. To get to the good stuff (news about rides, races, parties, etc), please join our messageboard below.
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