OT: Hey sbcncsu...if you're looking for something funny to do Saturday a.m....

[billb]

My wife and I are doing the sprint triathlon in Wrightsville Beach Saturday. If you want to see something entertaining, come out and watch...I'll be the slow fat guy on the yellow/black Giant in the blue jersey. 20k sprint, 5k run. Wifey's doing the mile swim across the cut from the Blockade Runner to the Marina.

Then heading down to Ocean Isle to "kick back"...

[sbcncsu]

My wife and I are doing the sprint triathlon in Wrightsville Beach Saturday. If you want to see something entertaining, come out and watch...I'll be the slow fat guy on the yellow/black Giant in the blue jersey. 20k sprint, 5k run. Wifey's doing the mile swim across the cut from the Blockade Runner to the Marina.

Then heading down to Ocean Isle to "kick back"...

I have a friend that will be participating in that event. His name is Brian, he is a marathon runner (ran one marathon this year, first time). I may come down to WB Park to see the transition from the swim to the bike, that should be entertaining! I'll be the fat guy holding the 6 month old little girl or pushing the big ass stroller.

[billb]

when not colliding with the 999 other cyclists...

Let's hope Ivan doesn't rain us out.

Later

[billb]

I did the bike and run portion. Course was 20k (12.1 miles...11.8 by my odometer), and quite windy. Avg. speed was 20.12 mph, finished in a little over 35 minutes. The elites were finishing in 29 minutes or less, or avg. ~25 mph.

And then there was the 5k, or as I liked to call it, "run 200 yds, walk 50, run 200, walk 50...", or so it seemed. My hat's off to those that do this routinely. Especially the 77 years young gentleman that I "barely" passed at the end of the run, who was grinning from ear to ear. He was either having a blast or a heart attack...

Scott, hope that wasn't you I about clobbered at the transition area. The bike route started and ended at WB park, and the out was in the left lanes, against normal traffic flow. As I was heading out, the early starters were returning. A guy holding a blue cooler was trying to get across the road, and was looking at the returning lane bike traffic, but didn't look to his left to see me coming. I just about took him out, yelling "Hey look out!" just in time to get him to freeze in his tracks in the middle of the road.

Good times. Oh, and by the way, the weather sucked on the way down Friday night. I could have sworn we were driving inside a tornado. 35-45 mph all they way from Cleveland community to Castle Hayne, then the clouds parted, the stars came out, and I relaxed my death grip on the wheel.

Pictures to follow...

[rickm]

Good times. Oh, and by the way, the weather sucked on the way down Friday night. I could have sworn we were driving inside a tornado. 35-45 mph all they way from Cleveland community to Castle Hayne, then the clouds parted, the stars came out, and I relaxed my death grip on the wheel.

The weather DID suck. It was nice on Hatteras Friday morning, the farther north I got the darker it got. It was blowing it's ass off when I crossed the bridge on the way from Kitty Hawk to the mainland. From Rocky Mount to Raleigh it was pouring really hard to the point I almost pulled over. Had I not needed to take a leak and eat I would have. Nasty nasty nasty.

[sbcncsu]

I did the bike and run portion. Course was 20k (12.1 miles...11.8 by my odometer), and quite windy. Avg. speed was 20.12 mph, finished in a little over 35 minutes. The elites were finishing in 29 minutes or less, or avg. ~25 mph.

And then there was the 5k, or as I liked to call it, "run 200 yds, walk 50, run 200, walk 50...", or so it seemed. My hat's off to those that do this routinely. Especially the 77 years young gentleman that I "barely" passed at the end of the run, who was grinning from ear to ear. He was either having a blast or a heart attack...

Scott, hope that wasn't you I about clobbered at the transition area. The bike route started and ended at WB park, and the out was in the left lanes, against normal traffic flow. As I was heading out, the early starters were returning. A guy holding a blue cooler was trying to get across the road, and was looking at the returning lane bike traffic, but didn't look to his left to see me coming. I just about took him out, yelling "Hey look out!" just in time to get him to freeze in his tracks in the middle of the road.

Good times. Oh, and by the way, the weather sucked on the way down Friday night. I could have sworn we were driving inside a tornado. 35-45 mph all they way from Cleveland community to Castle Hayne, then the clouds parted, the stars came out, and I relaxed my death grip on the wheel.

Pictures to follow...

No, that wasn't me. We had the joy of sending the little bambina to the grandparents' house to spend the night Friday night so we slept in on Saturday morning.

I am glad that you finished the race. My friend Brian finished and did really well, total time was 1:25.

Man, tell me about the weather on Friday, it sucked. My wife and I went out to grab some dinner and the bottom fell out. Not only was it raining buckets but the wind was whipping. The parking lot of the restaurant we ate at was like a river. I had inadvertently parked the Jeep over the drain and, as luck would have it, in the deepest spot in the parking lot. No harm done thanks to the ground clearance.

Congratulations again on the race, good job!

[billb]

My friend Brian finished and did really well, total time was 1:25.

but didn't do quite that well...we finished in 1:42. Is your buddy from Leland? He did very well, indeed! His swim was fantastic, 23:06. I can see that he is a runner...22:16 in the 5k. I did, however, beat him by a minute on the bike ! The race was won in the water and in transitions, as the overall winner was 8th on the bike and 7th on the run, but had 13:30 swim and low transition times.

I could really get into this sport (if I didn't weigh 175 lbs and tire quickly...)

[billb]

I appear to be the only guy wearing a t-shirt in the whole run portion of the race.

Can't believe I was actually smiling on the bike. That was crossing the ICW again on the way to T2 (transition) and I was clicking off about 22 mph there.

We're hooked. My wife is already talking about doing all three legs of the race next year, so I guess I better start swimming.

[632 Regal]

Interesting write up, sounds like a blast but I would have a heart attack trying.