Dam Triathlon?

Maybe there is a spelling error in this post, and maybe there isn't...
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Hannah Brewer writes:

Every year I swear I will plan a vacation, sign up for a different race, or find any excuse to avoid the Meadville Dam Triathlon. However, when registration is sent out in January, I'm either in denial that winter will ever end, or am feeling unusually ambitious and sign up without much thought. Then June arrives and I realize I haven't swum a mile since last June, but am pre-registered for that damn tri.

Hannah is #46

I just made it in under 3 hours, finishing in 2:59:53 for the Olympic Distance race...almost nine minutes faster than my time in 2009, putting me in:

4th Place for my age group (25-29 yrs)
10th Place Female
51st Place Overall
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So, if you have any DAM QUESTIONS, click HERE!!!

Hilly Billy Roubaix

Kirk Morrison was the only one of us MAN enough to take on this West Virginia Race!

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Kirk's Story:

Saturday’s Hilly Billy Roubaix ended up being quite a challenge. As expected, J.R. put on another phenomenal race.

The day included 72 very challenging miles with over 6,800 ft of climbing and 92 degree temps.  The roads consisted of mud, water, and many steep climbs/descents on hairy gravel roads. This pic is courtesy of J.R. Petsko at about mile 11.

At about mile 12, I found myself thigh deep in a similar looking puddle (only much deeper !) … all on officially recognized WV state roads.  I only crashed once at about mile 14 on a gravel section. The resultant banged-up arm, wrist & hand made braking and water bottle handling a bit painful. My hand started feeling better after a few more hours on the bike (or maybe I just didn’t notice as much since everything else was starting to hurt …).

Lots of flats during the race (even including mountain bikes ) due to the road conditions. I lost about 10 mins at the first rest stop when I helped Chrissie with a stubborn flat tire removal. Fortunately, my Kenda Small Block 700x35’s got me through with no problems and my C’dale Cx9-3 cross bike was solid.

The last pic is courtesy of Ben Stephens on the final climb to the finish.

At the end, I finished in 9th place in the 40+ age group... with a finish time of 6:27:41.

NOTE the almost 20% DNF rate!!!

I enjoyed watching the men’s podium sharing gulps from their champagne bottles while the women’s podium skipped the champagne to share swigs from Betsy’s 1st Prize bottle of WV Moonshine! … only in WV ! 

Overall had a great time. Highly recommended !

Fat Tire Challenge

Rich Allen raced the Fat Tire Challenge segment of the Ride-the-Wild Series this past weekend.

In Rich's Words:
Didn’t plan it very well but ventured East solo to the 2010 Brookville Fat Tire Challenge. I had a test scheduled for the following day and was on a clear liquid diet for race day.

This race is getting bigger and better every year. It’s got about everything CX people want -single track, double track, 3900 ft of climbing, rock gardens and some fast logging roads.

They had a record number of riders both Expert and Sport. This year had a different start, it was by age group! So being in the 50 and over Sport class we started last which turned out to suck.

Not far into the race we started catching and trying to pass people in the age groups that started in front of us. That’s hard to do on the technical stuff! Had a good ride going till mile 9 where I started getting leg cramps again that sucks! At mile 10 Pat from Buffolo Riders past me to take our age group lead then with a ½ mile to go, going through another rock garden, my left quad locked up so bad I was off the bike. After a minute or so the cramp let up so I started walking. A spectator says the finish is just up where you can see the cars, 100 yards or so, so I got back on and soft peddled to finish.

Finished 20th Overall and 2nd in the 50+ class. It was a great day!!!

Erie Time Trial

The 2010 edition of the Presque Isle Cycling Club (PICC) Erie Time Trial went off with only two hitches this weekend:
(1) Ray Sielski faced a Automobile Blockade (Check Skir's Log on right sidebar)...and
(2) Dave Shaffer arrived just in time to start with NO warm-up!

In the end, the results shook as as follows:

Brian Hopkins - 3rd Place Overall (Personal Record)

Steve Marlette - 9th Place Overall, 3rd M40-49 (PR)

Steve Brewer - 10th Place Overall, 1st M20-29

Mike Maher - 20th Place Overall, 6th M40-49 (PR)

Randy McCracken - 29th Place Overall, 6th M50-59

Dave Shaffer - 40th Place Overall, 12th M30-39

Kirk Morrison - 45th Place Overall, 12th M50-59 (PR)

Donnie Panizales - 47th Place Overall, 13th M40-49 (PR)

Ray Sielski - 51st Place Overall, 17th M50-59 (PR)

Sam Morrison is reported to having taken pictures with Brian Hopkin's camera...and when we get our hands on them, we will post a few.

Friday Night at the Track

This week's edition of the PMVC / Iron City Cycling Friday Night at the Track Time Trial Series featured the 10 mile distance.  (wow...THAT was a mouth full!)

Not Racing this night were:
Sam Morrison (injured knee) and Henry Dimmick (forgot his shoes...again!). 

Instead, they both went to work helping to run Registration, Bike Computer Calibration, Race Staging/Starting, and Timing.

Racing this night were:
Mike Maher - 8th Place

Ray Sielski - 23rd Place (Personal Record)
T.Lyle Ferderber - 19th Place

Kirk Morrison - 20th Place

Rich Allen - 29th Place

Everyone was just happy that it didn't rain!

National TT Ranking

Brian Hopkins is ranked #2 in the USA in his category!!!

Way-to-Go, BRIAN    : )

Note: The #1 Nationally Ranked rider (above), Meurig James, is the only person to finish in front of Brian at last weekend's Pennsylvania State Time Trial Championships...

http://ag3r.blogspot.com/2010/06/pa-state-time-trial.html

Yellow Creek Triathlon- Final

"Feast or Famine"...

The Official Results of the Jackie Kallal Yellow Creek Triathlon have now bee posted both HERE and HERE...!!!

Hannah Brewer - 1st Place (25-29 yrs) ...5th best Female.

Mike Maher - 3rd Place (40-44 yrs) ...13th best Male.

Nice job to both of you!

Thanks to Maria for the Photo  : )

East Ohio Time Trial

Kirk Morrison, Rich Allen and Ray Sielski traveled into Ohio for the Colovita Eastern Ohio Time Trial in Deerfield, Ohio.

All 3 raced in the Men's 50-59 yrs category, with

Kirk finishing in 5th Place
Rich finishing in 7th Place
Ray finished in 8th Place

Ray Writes:
Team Ag3r went on the attack this weekend in the East and the West. The best from the East were meeting in Carlisle at the State TT and the team sent a flanking force to the West in Deerfield Ohio.  The course was a 12.5 mile out and back TT on rolling state Highway #14...

For more of Ray's story, see "Skir's Log" on the right sidebar!

A strong showing by the Team in a new location... bringing more positive exposure to the Ag3r-ButlerHealthSystem program.

Nice Job Guys  : )

Downtown Erie Criterium

Steve Brewer attended the 2010 Michelob Ultra Downtown Erie Criterium this weekend.

Remembered in Erie for all the (*wrong) reasons...

*Race Director: "Your a legend here! Everyone remembers you from breaking your seat and tearing a whole in your bibs."

...Steve was quite happy to be remembered THIS YEAR as the 3rd Place Podium finisher in the Men's Cat 4/5 race!

Watch Steve's "Brewer's Blog" for a pending post

Pa. State Time Trial

Brian Hopkins (2009 Pa. State Cat 3 TT Champion),
Steve Marlette (2009 Pa. State Cat 5 TT Champion) and
Henry Dimmick returned in defense of their titles to the 2010 Pa. State Championships Clark's Valley Individual Time Trial.

Starting our pre-race preparations off on the right foot, Brian and I went to a Belgium restaurant and ate waffles, frites & beer!

Despite such a non-traditional meal...

Brian Hopkins finished in 2nd Place, even after  CUTTING 45 seconds OFF his Personal Record! 

He was FLYING... must have been the waffles :)

In other Categories,

Steve Marlette (Cat 4) finished in 5th Place, with a time 2 handfuls-of-seconds slower than last year.

Henry Dimmick (45+) finished in 12th Place, with a time 1 handful-of-seconds slower than 2009.

Despite our unsuccessaful gold medal defense, we were all happy just to race in the 85 degree humid heat instead of a torrential rain!

For more of the story, check out Brian's Blog, "Cartwheels..." on the right sidebar.

Yellow Creek Triathlon

Hannah Brewer competed in the Jackie Kallal Yellow Creek Triathlon this past weekend.

While we are still waiting for the Official Results to be posted...stay tuned for post modifications...

Hannah finished in 1st Place of her age Group!

Hannah can Swim.  Hannah can Bike.  Hannah can Run.  But can Hannah JUMP?!

Edinboro Triathlon

Hannah Brewer competed in the Edinboro Tri --> Duathlon!
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Hannah writes:

The Edinboro Triathlon was actually a Dualthon (which was totally fine by me!) Apparently a mini tornado went through the area and sucked the sludge up from the bottom of the lake, making the water extra murky and unfit for a whole herd of swimmers.

I finished in 3rd Place of the Women's 25-29 yrs Division for the Olympic distance (24 mile bike, 6.2 mile run).
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Apparently Hannah is no mud-puppy", at least in the Swim!

Philadelphia Amateur TT

Brian Hopkins and Steve Brewer attended the Philadelphia Amateur Individual Time Trial ... fortunately finding sunny and warm conditions!

While Brian took 2nd Place in the Cat 3 Division (setting a new Personal Record for the course) ... Steve was deemed invisible by the timers!

You can read more about it @ Cartwheels in Left Field

PMVC TT Series

Steve Marlette, Sam Morrison, Ray Sielski and Henry Dimmick attended the 5 mile, record-attendance Opening Night Event of this bi-weekly Time Trial Summer Series.

While sunny when we arrived...storms began to move dangerously close by start time...with rain falling at the halfway point of Henry's ride...ultimatley leading to a thunder & lightning cancellation of the event by the organizers before all the riders were finished.

As always, we still hung under our tent, in the rain, for a hour or so afterwards enjoying the start of a new season.

Steve finished in 4th Place Overall (New PR)
Sam finished in 8th Place Overall
Henry finished in 12th Place Overall
Ray finished in 25th Place Overall (New PR)

Dash for Cash MTB

This past WET weekend was the annual Dash for Cash mountain bike race.  A great course, with lots of technical trails & steep descents, all highlighted by a river crossing...that THIS year, became even more interesting by a weeks worth of rain leading into the event!

Members of Ag3r's Mud Brigade were returning racers Sam Morrison and Richy Allen...joined by first time Dashers Kirk Morrison and Rich Seevers!

Kirk finished in 1st Place in the Short Race!

"The course was very muddy ……

the expansive puddles actually helped clear the drivetrain.

Lots of big rocks and

a 3 foot deep crossing of a swift river, with a safety line (thanks to the fire dept).

Great post ride gathering."

Richy (Allen) finished in 19th Place of the Sport Division - Long Course

Rich (Seevers) finished in 21st Place of the Sport Division - Long Course

...with Sam having to abandon in the late stages of the Expert Division race when his knee started to hurt again.

Watch "Rider Blogz" for possible posts from Rich Seevers or Sam.

Famous for being Retro?

Story by Kirk Morrison:

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On my 50th birthday I was at the Sea Otter Classic (the USA’s largest bike festival/race weekend) in Monterrey, CA with my son Sam (who was racing in the Open and Collegiate XC mountain bike races).

Before my 47 mile Masters road race as I was checking out the expansive Expo area (instead of warming up ……. not good), when a Road Bike Action photographer (tattoo’d, pierced and dreadlocked) chased me down and asked if he could take a picture of my “old” Serotta bike. 

It all happened pretty quickly.  Thank goodness this picture is before the race rather than later at the finish line !

Too funny!

Riverview Gran Prix

Mark Briercheck headed out to Oakmont over Memorial Day for the Riverview Gran Prix.

In Mark's word's:
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The 2010 Riverview Grand Prix in Oakmont was pretty much the same as last year. And the year before that.  Hot and Fast.

I suppose as I get older my memory is getting worse becuase I forgot how much of a beating was issued on this course.  Rather than it being a laid back 20 lap race it's more like a 20 lap sprint. Yow.

I raced in the 1-2-3 category and we had 50+ riders at the start. From the gun it was sitting at 30+mph and I'm not sure that it let up for much the entire race. I think there were a few riders that didn't even finish two laps before a popping off the group like firecrackers. I had managed to hang on for 10 laps before this old man came to pieces.

* Note to self * - there are master category races for a reason!!!!!

Despite me (and probably more than half the field blowing up) it was a fun race on a great course. They always say there is next year....but given how this race goes I may take it off my calendar for 2011 and give the Tour of Tucker a shot instead. At least focus on a race with some mates' in it!

Tour of Tucker County

Sam and Kirk Morrison traveled down into West Virginia to the Tour of Tucker County.

In Kirk's words:
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It was my first time in this event and the hills did not disappoint ! The final 7 mile climb (2K ft of vertical) to the finish was memorable as the temperatures pushed up to about 87 degrees.

I ended up finishing in 13th place in 50+ Masters group out of a field of about 20.

Sam's knee problems relegated him to driving the wheel car for the 1/2/3's with Ben Stephens along as the race photographer/videographer. (Hopefully Sam will heal up before next weekend's Mohican 100).

Great race organization by JR and his team. Highly recommend.

ACA Tuesday Criterium

Ag3r Team Sponsor and FoxVelo Club Member Kirk Morrison attended his first Allegheny Cycling Association Tuesday Night Criterium.

Here is the story in Kirk's words!
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Survived my first crit unscathed in a full field of 35 riders. 

After again making the mistake of not getting a proper warmup (at least 40 minutes ..... Ugh!), I had trouble staying with the pack at the start and got dropped.

After chasing for about 8 laps (my actual warm-up) I took Steevo's advice to sit up and wait for the pack to rejoin the action. Turned out to be good advice since I had no problem working in the pack for the final 20 laps (on my 2nd try !). I was even able to accelerate towards the front on a few primes (the homemade cookies were very motivating).

I was surprised at how exhilarating it was to head into those turns at 30 mph in a pack of 35 riders. Great fun.  Ended up with an avg speed of 25 mph (even after being lapped).  Glad I went.