2009 Nation's Triathlon a Great Success!!

A record-setting 8 NORSA members and affiliates competed in the 4^th Annual Nation’s Triathlon. This was the third consecutive appearance by NORSA-mainstays Steven L., and Adam. They were joined by Matt, Leo and Russ, who each finished their second Nations Tri. Newcomers this year included Mike, Brian and Marie.

The Nation’s Triathlon is a Standard Olympic-Distance race. It consists of a 1500 meter (0.93 Mile) Swim, a 40 kilometer (24.85 mile) Bike, and a 10 kilometer (6.21 mile) Run. The Nation’s Triathlon is one of the biggest triathlons around. While 6000 people registered, 3933 actually competed in and finished this year’s race. The attrition is probably due to the fact that the race sells out months before the competition. When race day arrives, many competitors FTA due to scheduling problems they couldn’t foresee months in advance, as well as regular sickness, injury, etc.

Like last year, all competitors had to go to a few events before the race. Packet pickup was at the Washington Hilton on Friday and Saturday. There is no packet pickup on race day because the logistics of distributing 1000’s of packets in the hours before the race would be mind-boggling. Additionally, competitors were required to leave their bikes at the race site the day before the event. This allowed many competitors to take shuttles to the race site from the host hotel.

The weather for this year’s race was perfect: mostly sunny skies with a high of 83 and a low of 63 for the day. The race was started at 7:00AM, so the NORSAites got to compete in that perfect 70-degree range.

This year’s course was modified slightly from the previous year. Competitors swam in the Potomac under the Memorial Bridge. The water this year was a little browner and a little less clear than in previous races. The water temp was about 71 degrees. Most competitors wore wetsuits, most NORSA members did not.

Between events, competitors had to find their bikes in the mega-massive transition area (see photo). Hopefully, they remembered their row number.

The bike took racers into Rock Creek Park, up the Whitehurst Freeway, then out-and-back on Canal Road, the Clara Barton Parkway, and the Cabin John Parkway. This course was heavily shaded (good), but may have been a little narrow for so many competitors.

The run was around Haines Point and the Tidal Basin. As the race expands each year, there seems to be less of an ability to host it on the Mall. There was no Pennsylvania Avenue Finish this time. However, traffic in the city was significantly less affected and racers were able to finish next to the transition area, rather than miles away as in previous years.

Results:

How long is a race of this magnitude supposed to take, you ask? Well, the overall winner finished with a time of 1:55:59. Mayor Adrian Fenty finished with a time of 2:21:18. The last competitors crossed the line around the 5-hour mark.

Everybody on the NORSA-squad finished with these highly respectable times:

This year, Russ again came out on top, with an overall time of 2:33:23. He was followed by Steven L. (2:40:57); Leo (2:50:08); Marie (2:50:15); Matt (2:52:40); Mike (2:54:49); Adam (2:57:41) and Brian (3:08:51). Complete results with splits are available here.

Congratulations to all the NORSA members who competed in this year’s race and thanks to the family and friends who came for support! I hope you all enjoyed this year’s post, which unlike last year's post, contains more than 2 paragraphs, more than 1 picture, and has hyperlinks, results, descriptions and adjectives.

Luray Sprint Triathlon

On Sunday, August 16, veteran NORSA members Matt W., Russ M., Jon S., and Leo W. joined newly minted NORSA members Brian B. and Mike L. to compete in the Luray Sprint Triathlon in Luray, VA. This was a challenging race consisting of a 750 meter swim in Arrowhead Lake, a 16 mile bike through the rolling hills of the Shenandoah Valley, and a 5K run.

Rockville Rotary Twilight Runfest 8K Recap

On Saturday, July 18th, 2009, many NORSA members ran in the 24th annual Rockville Twilight Runfest in Maryland. Returning NORSA members Matt White, Russ, Leo , Nora, and Tom S joined new and aspiring members Laura, Laurel, Jared, Mike, and Vic. This race brings Laura on board as a full-fledged NORSA member, too. The Twilighter, a race sponsored by the Rockville Rotary Club, has been a race in which NORSA has had solid representation for several years now, and this year was clearly no exception.











Race-day conditions were fair, with the heat dying off a little as the night approached. The official start time was 8:46 PM, and night was creeping in swiftly as the runners left the start line. The course winds through downtown Rockville, its surrounding neighborhoods and schools, and Montgomery College's campus before popping the runners out on to Rockville's main drag of 355. After crossing the finish and removing their timing chips, all runners were invited to head over to the Michelob Ultra beer tent and enjoy four frosty beverages.

Results are available here: http://mcrrc.org/racing/2009/09twilighter.htm

Old Rag Mountain Hike

Sunday, July 19, 2009 - The NORSA summer hiking series is a sampler of local hikes in the Washington, DC area, this year including outings in the Monongahela National Forest, Shenanadoah National Park, Rock Creek Park, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Catoctin Mountain Park. In July the series kicked into full gear as Team NORSA members Matt, Nora, Leo, Laura, Steven S, and Emily headed to Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park.  Old Rag is a staple hike in the Blue Ridge in northern Virginia.  This moderate, approximately 7 mile loop winds through switchbacks, boulders, and crags to reach a summit of 3291 feet (1003m) and near 360-degree vistas.  The event accidentally, but fortuitously, coincided with one of this summer's fee free weekends in the National Parks.   The mountain was surprisingly not crowded on a clear day during the free weekend.

Although arguably already a NORSA member, this event marks Laura's debut in a NORSA article.  Congratulations, Laura!

The Old Rag features a notorious section of rock scrambling, requiring upper body strength, teamwork, guts, and glory.  Tactical pants are recommended to allow for sliding on one's butt and to avoid scraping one's legs in the tough spots.

Overall the best advice for conquering the mountain was given by another group of hikers; "remember to breathe, it is good for your lungs."

The group made it to the top with only a slight hiccup which required some bushwacking.  Leo's beefy Hawaiian arm allowed the group to make up some time.  No doubt previous NORSA outings on the Billy Goat Trail and Duncan Knob ensured that all were prepared to "rock it out".
 

After enjoying lunch at the summit, the trip down to the parking area was relatively uneventful.  The trip back to DC was more eventful in that it involved a meal at Cracker Barrel.  Many hungry Americans were doing what hungry Americans do best.

Stay tuned for future NORSA summer hiking series action!

Matt White Actually Delivers on Promised NORSA Article (Also: Team NORSA Competes in 25th Annual Colonial Beach Triathlon)

On Saturday, July 11, Team NORSA competed in the 25th annual Colonial Beach Triathlon in Colonial Beach, VA. Undeterred by the possibility of contracting Vibrio from swimming in a tidal area of the Potomac River, returning NORSA triathletes Leo Weitzenhoff and Matt White teamed up with potential new NORSA members Mike Louis and Brian Barrett to compete in this event. The sprint-distance triathlon consisted of a 750 meter swim in the Potomac River, a 14 mile bike through backcountry roads in the Colonial Beach area, and a 5 kilometer run along the bank of the Potomac.

The swim course consisted of one loop around triangle of buoys in the river. Although Team NORSA encountered no major difficulties during the swim, returning triathletes Leo and Matt found the river in the Colonial Beach area to be, overall, saltier, nastier, and harder to see through than the upstream portions swam during the Nation's Triathlon in the Washington, D.C. area.

The bike course was flat and straight, but with a surprising twist - the road was not closed to vehicle traffic during the race. Although volunteers and county sheriff's deputies were directing traffic at a few of the intersections, the triathletes often found themselves sharing the 2 lane road with semis and tour buses going 55 mph. Although Matt finished the swim course 30 seconds ahead of Leo, Leo caught up on the bike portion and finished the bike course two-tenths of a second faster than Matt.

The run course was also flat and straight, with a few drunken neighborhood spectators cheering on the athletes (at 8:00 in the morning). Leo opened up his lead here, finishing the race with an overall time of 1:26:21, an improvement over his previous sprint time at the 2007 Sandman Triathlon in Virginia Beach. Matt also improved on his previous performance at the Sandman with an overall time of 1:29:14. First-time triathletes Mike and Brian also made Team NORSA proud with overall times of 1:39:57 and 1:45:01.

Following the race, Team NORSA joined other Colonial Beach triathletes for a healthy breakfast of pizza, beer, and cookies at the local American Legion post. Fun was had by all and Leo, Matt, Mike, and Brian report that they will soon compete in another triathlon (the Luray Sprint on Sunday, August 16).

From our family to yours ...

And a NORSAtastic New Year!

Team NORSA Wins One for the Gipper at the Nation's Triathlon in Washington, DC

On Sunday, September 14, Team NORSA tore down another wall by finishing the Nation's Triathlon. NORSA veterans Adam, Steve, Matt White, Leo Weitzenhoff, and Jon Spurlock were joined by NORSA newbie Russ Morton for this olympic-distance triathlon running through downtown Washington, D.C. The race started with a 1.5 kilometer swim through the AIDS-infested waters of the Potomac river, followed by a 40 kilometer bike up and down the Clara Barton parkway and a 10 kilometer run (or walk, for some) around Hains point and the Mall, finishing up on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Newcomer Russ Morton stunned the rest of Team NORSA by coming in with the best time on the team. He was followed by Leo Weitzenhoff, Steve, Jon Spurlock, Adam, and Matt White. This was a special day for Matt, who almost beat the guy in the wheelchair. Almost.

NORSA Triathlon Team Debuts at the 25th Sandman!

Sunday, September 16, 2007, marked a new milestone in NORSA history when several members of NORSA coalesced into the small, but growing, NORSA triathlon team. The Sandman Triathlon, which is held during Virginia Beach’s Neptune Festival every year since 1982, was to mark the tri-team’s tri-umphant entrance into the exciting world of triple-disciplined competition. Those who participated in this historic event were co-founders and charter members Adam and Tom Saffell, charter member Matthew White, and new NORSA members, Jon Spurlock and Leo Weitzenhoff. Leo’s membership was clinched by doing the triathlon, which was also his first participation in a NORSA event. Unfortunately, long-time member in good standing and several-time triathlon competitor, Steven Long, was unable to compete and his inspiration was missed greatly by the whole team. However, Steven was able to offer invaluable advice to the new racers in training sessions and in the hours before the race itself.


Of the five participating members, only Adam had competed in any triathlons before, and, in fact, had finished a half-Ironman the preceding weekend. The other four competitors came as a rag-tag crew with heavy nerves and borrowed equipment, their only snappy attire being their comfy, yet elegant, NORSA team jerseys. The goal of the day for the newcomers was to do nothing more than to finish the triathlon without complication, but they accomplished so much more. All members had respectable, if not excellent, finish times and excelled in their individual categories and age groups. Despite choppy seas, two-way headwinds, and general exhaustion, all five NORSA team members were able to cross the finish line running with large smiles on their faces.

The Sandman Triathlon is on the more grueling sprint distance triathlons that the East Coast has to offer. The competition this year began with a 1,000 meter swim down the beach in extremely choppy seas. Some new NORSA tri-team members remarked about their uncertainty to complete the swim, and, to further demonstrate the tenacity of the team they were 5 of 540 to complete the triathlon – 750 people originally began the race and 210 were eliminated in the early stages of the swim. After the race marshal announced that the buoy marking the end of the swim had come loose from its mooring and drifted away, those members new to the triathlon scene were a little anxious to say the least, but after several mouthfuls of delicious Virginia Beach saltwater, all were able to successfully emerge from the ocean to enter the transition area.

Following a short and stumbly run on the sand to the transition area, the NORSA team athletes tore their goggles and swim caps off and were finally able to sport their NORSA pride in the form of their bright yellow NORSA tri-team jerseys, featuring former president Ronald Reagan on the right breast. Mounting their bicycles, the team biked into a heavy headwind that slowed them to a team average of 16mph down Virginia Beach’s main beach road. Heading north they entered Fort Story, the local Army base and turned the halfway loop in order to return down the beach road. All were looking forward to having a tailwind to propel them at greater speeds. However, nature had a different plan and somehow, bafflingly, the racers were slapped in the face with another headwind much to the amazement of all. None of these discouraging events brought down the NORSA team’s spirit, though, and all five racers pushed on to the biking finish line and back into the transition area.

After hastily throwing on a pair of good running shoes, the NORSA athletes ventured on to the boardwalk to finish the race with a 5K run. With the end in site, all of them valiantly pushed themselves to their limits despite the fatigue. After rounding the halfway marker at the end of the boardwalk, though, the same headwind that had hindered them on the biking portion again plowed into them for the final portion of the run. Still, compelled by the urge to show the world what NORSA members are capable of, all five competitors crossed the finish line running.

Following the race, the team posed for a fashionable photo shoot in their jerseys for expert photographer and Adam’s dad, Piotr, who had come to spectate and to immortalize the event in digital imagery. Some of the photos have been included in this e-mail for your viewing pleasure. After the photo shoot and a hearty meal, the athletes said their goodbyes and headed back to their respective homes. Adam has since gone on to enter himself in an Ironman triathlon, one of the most grueling competitions imaginable that is comprised of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26 mile run. Wish good luck to Adam if you see him. All in all, the 25th Annual Sandman Triathlon was another success for NORSA and a grand entry for the brand new NORSA triathlon team.

See the full results at http://www.sandmantri.com/sm07res.htm.

The NORSA tri-team gives its thanks to all of you for all your support and encouragement, and, it hopes that maybe you’ve been inspired to be out there with them next time.