Mt. Pleasant, SC – While viewing a photograph from a recent race, area resident Justin Ward expressed surprise at the diameter of his ever-increasing bald spot. “I really don’t ever see the top of my head,” said Ward in a recent interview. “I mean, I knew it was there, but from the looks of things, I’d say it’s really on the move now.”
Ward, long-known for his Eddie Munster-like receding hairline, welcomed the ensuing battle royale on his head for balding dominance. “It’s really turning out to be good a race. My receding hairline has been the dominant feature of my male pattern baldness for over 10 years. Now, with my bald spot making this powerful move, I’d say it’s going to be a real battle.”
Experts agree that it could go either way at this point. “I got the receding hairline as a slight favorite at the moment,” says one Vegas odds maker who wishes to remain anonymous. “But really, with this kind of thing, you really can’t tell. We’ll know more next year for sure.”
There's a tiny race production company in Bluffton called Play Hard Sports, Inc. The past few years they've put on a duathlon series and several 5ks. These are small events, but since there really aren't many trail runs in the area, or duathlons for that matter, I'm going on record saying it's worth the two hour drive. And these events could really get going with a few more participants from the Charleston area.
The next race is a 5k trail run (and 1 mile fun run) at Oldfield Plantation on November 15.
Dates for the 2009 duathlon series are: Race #1 January 31st Race #2 February 28th Race #3 March 28th
The duathlon consists of a 5K run, 6 mile trail bike, 5K run. There are three races and two different courses. The February 28th duathlon is at Rose Dhu Creek. I've never raced here, but you can get course info from the website.
The January 31st and March 28th races are at the Pinckney Colony Course. I raced here in 2007 and had a good time. I meant to go back last year, but I had conflicts and couldn't make it happen. The 5k is on pavement, a simple out and back, with absolutely no traffic. The 6 mile MTB course is off road on non-technical paths, mostly double track. It's nothing fancy, but it's a fun way to spend a Saturday morning.
The entry fee is $25, or $20 each for a team. If you pre-register for all three events, you get a pretty good discount. Awards are given for the top three male and female overall finishers, and the first male and female in each age division. Awards are also given to the top three teams.
Both Pinckney Colony and Rose Dhu Creek are located in Bluffton, SC. Directions can be found on the website.
I've been off the blog kick for a while now. I'm not sure why really. Perhaps it's because the tri season is all but over and I'm out of triathlete mode. Looking back over my posts from the year, I can't believe how heavy the triathlon content is. I intended this to be a multisport blog, covering all kinds of endurance and multisport events, but that didn't happen.
Without realizing it, 90% of my racing has been triathlons the past three years. And that's a problem. I'm not feeling burned out, but I don't have the drive anymore. The races all feel the same. For the past three years, I've done the same 12 or so races, and they all blur together. I need some variety.
My plan for next year was to scrap sprint tris altogether and do a half iron in May, and a full iron in November. And I still may stick to that plan. But last Saturday, fate intervened. A craigslist post for a brand new Raleigh Supercourse road bike. Check it:
I've always wanted to get into the road racing scene, and now is my chance. I'm not sure how hard I'll hit it next year, but at least I know I'll have more variety in my racing experience.
3rd Annual Savannah Sprint Triathlon I'm headed down to Savannah this weekend to do the Savannah triathlon. You can click the link to check out the race profile I wrote last May. It will be fun. I'm taking my oldest son Jake with me and staying with my brother. I'm hoping to get top 10 overall and/or beat my time from last year. We shall see. My training last year didn't include as many late nights playing Rock Band. I think my form is slipping some, but that's the price to pay when you're the lead singer of a band.
2008 Hawaii Ironman Here is a pretty good video from this year's Ironman Hawaii World Championship. Not crazy about the choice in music, but cool nontheless.
In terms of good songs to set your tri videos to, I'm going to with Welcome to the Jungle or Lunatic Fringe. But really, anything that kicks in right when the horn sounds for the swim, it's going to be strong.
Just came across a blog post on Outside magazine's website about a cool new product. Camelbak has developed a new jersey/bladder called RaceBak. It’s essentially a lightweight, breathable baselayer with an integrated, 72-ounce hydration pouch sewn onto the back. The key material is a proprietary compression (and supposedly chafe-free) fabric that’s designed to stabilize the water and conform to your back.
Sounds cool to me. I love the idea of carrying more water efficiently on long rides. My concerns would be how well it breathes; if it sloshes around too much; and if I look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame on the IOP connector.
This will be on the market mid-October so look for reviews shortly thereafter.
Mt. Pleasant, SC – While viewing a photograph from a recent race, area resident Justin Ward expressed surprise at the diameter of his ever-increasing bald spot. “I really don’t ever see the top of my head,” said Ward in a recent interview. “I mean, I knew it was there, but from the looks of things, I’d say it’s really on the move now.”
