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Social Events Saturday
December 10
The RATs Kona viewing party is today, December 10 at Bonzai!

The party will run from 3:30 to 6:30.


Social Events Friday
May 27
RATS June 8th Happy Hour! Wednesday from 6-9pm.

Cafesano (Sponsor!)

South Lakes Village Shopping Center
Reston, VA


Social Events Wednesday
April 20
RATS Season Opening Party, May 15th, 6:30pm

We're happy to announce that RATS will be holding a season-opening party at Bluemont Vineyard in Bluemont, VA on Sunday, May 15th at 6:30pm! Our sponsor, Bluemont, will host the party and provide free wine tasting as well as discounted glasses/bottles of wine. RATS will provide cheese/meat/bread platters on which to snack while we enjoy the vineyard and catch up with friends and fellow competitors.
An Evite invitation has also gone out. Please RSVP so we have an estimate of number of attendees.


Announcements Tuesday
April 12
This is a reminder that our first monthly HAPPY HOUR is this week, on Wednesday April 13th at 6pm! One of our sponsors, Cafesano, is hosting and providing 2-for-1 drink specials to all paid RATS members. I'll also have a few giveaways from another of our sponsors, Accelerade/Endurox. And of course the lively conversation of your fellow RATS!

Come one, come all. We look forward to seeing you there. Please come out to visit with your fellow triathletes and support our sponsor, Cafesano.



Announcements Tuesday
April 12
There are many big changes to RATs this year! Please check out the "State of the Club" address at: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/trirats/message/25743


Announcements Friday
April 1
4th Annual Bluemont Vineyard 5k, April 16, 2011

Come out and support one of RATS 2011 Sponsors!

Free wine tasting for all runners (21 years and older).

One of the most challenging, but scenic courses to run in Northern Virginia. Run entirely on the property of the Vineyard, the race takes you over hills, through orchards around the Vineyard and -- at the end -- up the side of a small mountain.

http://www.bluemontvineyard.com/5k.php


Announcements Friday
March 18
The Bonzai road show on Saturday March 19 was a success for all who showed! Please continue to support our sponsor, Bonzai Sports, located in Falls Church - just click on their banner to find out more about them!


Announcements Monday
February 21
Registration for the Reston Youth Triathlon (ages 6 - 15) is open. The race will take place on May 22nd, 2011. See RestonYouthTri.org for details.


Announcements Wednesday
January 5
Tour de Skyline is May 6&7 this year! Registration opens Noon January 15. A weblink to register will be posted the morning of the 15th on this site, the RATS Facebook page and the list-serve. All details about TdS will be found there. There will be 35 registration slots this year and it's ONLY open to paid up RATS members. The cost is $15/person.


Sponsors Thursday
January 14
The 2010 TRIATHLON ROAD Show
only at Bonzai Sports
Saturday March 20, 2010
10 am to 6 pm

Don't Miss the East Coast's original Triathlon Expo!

Stay tuned to their website for updates:
http://tribonzai.com/articles/2010-triathlon-road-show-pg69.htm


Social Events Sunday
November 29
Please join us in celebrating the year with our Annual Hawaii Broadcast Social. Come out for some socializing, eating, drinking, and TV watching. Dave Cascio has graciously offered his house for the event.

It's a pot luck event. A-L bring an appetizer/salad and M-Z bring a desert. The club will pick up the main course...pizza. There will be a few cases of soda, but if you want anything harder, bring it.

Feel free to bring friends & family.

Hope to see everyone there!

The new RATS technical t-shirts have arrived. I will have some for purchase ($15) at the party.


Announcements Thursday
June 4
It's that time of the year again. Time to invade Cambridge's sweltering sauna of a race called EagleMan. For the 4th year in a row the RATS plan to host a campsite at Dorchester High School. So go to packet pickup, check your bike in at Great March park, and head over to the high school and pitch camp with 10-15 or so other RATS. Don't worry folks that don't like to rough it. We'll be on shaded grass with access to real toilets and showers. We will then head to the Palace Greek/Italian restaraunt on Route 50 in Cambridge for dinner around 7PM. So join us even if you aren't camping. I hope to see you all there. And don't forget the HUGE RATS tent will be set up at the entrance of Great March Park (mile marker 13 on the run course) for post race refreshment compliments of the Club.

Contact Kevin for more information!


Announcements Thursday
April 30
Hello RATS,

We are an Official USA Triathlon Club! And we can take advantage of some race and sponsor discounts. Please see the new USAT section in FAQ's for more info....


Social Events Monday
April 20
Its been awhile...the weather is getting nice and RATS are starting to come out of the woodwork...

Let's celebrate! Jackson's Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge Friday April 24 @7pm

Come out to happy hour to hang with triathletes...talk about the upcoming season/training, meet some new friends, see some old friends, and find out what kind of benefits there are to becoming a RAT.


Announcements Friday
April 10
Hello!

We have added a RATS Calendar to the website. In this we will update training events, races, socials, etc. To view it scroll to the bottom of the FAQs.

It is also available by going to:
http://tinyurl.com/ratscal


Announcements Saturday
February 7
TDS 2009
This years event is scheduled for May 1 and 2. We will have dual SAG support. Mark and the crew at Bonzai Sports are expected to participate which many of you know was a Godsend last year. We will once again have massage service available. $1 per minute. We will be having dinner together at Scotto's. We will have door prizes once again thanks to Bonzai Sports, Potomac River Running, Hammer Nutrition, and DeSoto Sports. The RATS social chair of Katie Davison and Dave Glover of EnduranceWorks have volunteered putting together the sign up. Look for follow-up e-mails. First come, first served.


Training Events Friday
May 9
Tour de Skyline is back for a 6th year. See FAQ


Social Events Saturday
December 1
The Hawaii Ironman broadcast is Dec 1st which means that it's time for a RATS social.

Please join us in celebrating the race season with our 5th Annual Hawaii Broadcast Social, Saturday, December 1st at 3 p.m. for some socializing, eating, reminiscing, eating, and TV watching.

Dave Cascio has graciously offered his house & large TVs for the event.

The food style will be pizza and potluck. Club members with last names A-L please bring appetizers/salads, and members with names M-Z please bring desserts and beverages..


For your favorite mapping tool:

11913 Triple Crown Rd.
Reston Va 20191 703-860-3438

With some human input:

From Dulles Toll Road, take Reston Parkway exit south
(away from Town Center)

Left on Glade.

Thru light at Colts Neck

Go 3/4 mile, right on Albot Rd.
(just past Alsop Ct).

Thru stop sign at Triple Crown onto private road.

First house on the right.

Please park on the street and not the grass.


RATSwear Sunday
November 25
Rats Jersey Order has arrived!!
Kevin will have them at the Kona Social. If you can't make the social, please email Kevin to arrange your order pickup.


Training Events Sunday
August 26
RATMAN


Social Events Wednesday
August 22
What?! another RATS happy hour? Alright! This is not your ordinary RATS happy hour...this is a Savage Happy Hour. As usual, we will be eating, drinking, and having fun. And we will also hold our 1st ever RATS auction (free goods, services, dates with hotties, etc will be given away). You do not want to miss this. A complete listing of the auction items will soon follow. All earnings will go to SavageMan, whose n et proceeds benefit the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation. The RATS are entering into the team competition at SavageMan, so this happy hour will be the pre-party extravaganza...


Social Events Wednesday
May 16
Spring is here, the race season is well underway, and it is past time for some drinks together. Come on over to the American Tap Room at the Reston Town Center on Wednesday May 16th at 7pm for the rucus


Announcements Thursday
March 22
Reminder: Saturday rides are back to 8:30


Announcements Sunday
December 31
Rats Jersey Order has arrived!!
Please email Kevin to arrange your order pickup.


Announcements Sunday
December 31
Happy Hour
at Champs at Plaza America, Thursday Jan 18th at 6pm.
Please email Katie if you're interested.


RATSwear Saturday
November 4
For those of you who placed an order for the tri jersey, shorts, or skinsuit, they went to production on October 31st.
Check out the jersey and shorts and the skinsuit.

We should have them ready for distribution in 6-8 weeks. Keep your fingers crossed that they'll be here for the Kona social.


Social Events Tuesday
October 31
The Hawaii Ironman broadcast is Dec 9th which means that it's time for a RATS social.

Please join us in celebrating the race season with our 4th Annual Hawaii Broadcast Social, Saturday, December 9th at 3 p.m. for some socializing, eating, reminiscing, eating, and TV watching.

Dave Cascio has graciously offered his house & large TVs for the event.

This will be true POTLUCK: bring a dish of whatever you like. Remember, everyone is bringing food, so "portions" should be roughly what you could eat on your own (we always have too much).

No RSVP *required* but if you could let us know if you plan on attending that would be helpful. Send an email to info@trirats.net with a subject of "Hawaii Ironman Social".


For your favorite mapping tool:

11913 Triple Crown Rd.
Reston Va 20191 703-860-3438

With some human input:

From Dulles Toll Road, take Reston Parkway exit south
(away from Town Center)

Left on Glade.

Thru light at Colts Neck

Go 3/4 mile, right on Albot Rd.
(just past Alsop Ct).

Thru stop sign at Triple Crown onto private road.

First house on the right.

Please park on the street and not the grass.


Training Events Monday
October 30
With the change in the clocks comes a change in the Saturday Morning Ride. We will now meet at the Herndon Caboose on the W&OD (MP20) at 9:30 a.m. See the RATS Training FAQ for details.


Training Events Wednesday
April 5
With the change in the clocks comes a change in the Saturday Morning Ride. We will now meet at the Herndon Caboose on the W&OD (MP20) at 8:30 a.m. See the RATS Training FAQ for details.


Announcements Tuesday
February 7
Regional USAT Meeting Notes

Executive Summary
=================
Our national federation, USA Triathlon (USAT) seems to have their act together after a rough few years. Their primary goal is to provide an answer to "Why should I care about USAT?"

Information from the meeting included:
* No more $3 club discount, because ...
* ... USAT is investing more money in the clubs
* USAT, Ironman (WTC/GTG), and ITU tried to mend fences
* USAT will affiliate with YMCA & NCAA
* Regional club Championship in Pittsburgh Aug 6
* New Grand Prix series is driving the new age-up rules
* New national ranking system this year (related to GP)
* Lack of referees is critical, especially in our region
* Massive improvements slated for website, magazine


General Thoughts
=============
Some may know, and many probably do not, that our national federation, USA Triathlon, has been through some bumpy times recently. What follows is my mostly objective, VERY unofficial, collection of relevant information. Feel free to contact me back-channel if you have specific questions.

The key thing I got out of this year's regional federation meeting is this:

Encouragement.

My personal opinion of the national federation, its direction, and its leadership is that they have a plan, they are making decisions to that plan, and that the plan is good. Whether they execute the plan faithfully remains to be seen.

USAT President Brad Davison attended the meeting and summarized the goal of USAT as this:

Relevancy

USAT wants to make sure they are relevant to its stakeholders (primarily race directors and athletes). When things at national HQ were smelly last year & before, most people said "Why should I care?" It seems to me that USAT is working hard to provide an answer. Time will tell whether people are convinced.


Meeting Information
==============
Now that we're done with the warm & fuzzies, some rubber/road things:

* The $3 discount for being a club member is gone. Why you ask, because ...

* One of the strategic decisions is to put more focus & money into clubs. As a club president, I have seen this in how they are structuring some deadlines, the collection of membership data, and the offering of grants for club initiatives (ex: maybe a youth program).

* USAT, WTC, ITU sat down for a big pow-wow. Nothing finalized, but USAT claims the talks went well and progress was made. The primary consensus was that the athlete has the right to know they receive a penalty, at the time of the infraction (this is not the case in the current application of USAT rules). Stay tuned for details, but, yes, USAT want to re-start its affiliation with the Ironman brand, and they seem to think it possible.

* Other affiliations in the pipeline: YMCA (not sure of the details) and NCAA, so that young triathletes have an path that leads them from high school thru college and beyond.

* This year's Regional Club Championship is the Pittsburgh triathlon, Saturday, August 6. The regional club presidents met to discuss the race & it's future. Our major concern was that the race is more of a sub-regional race (for example, no North Carolina clubs participated in the last two events). We're working on possible solutions. Everyone did agree there wasn't much interest in the National Club Championships, at least not until the Regional Clubs Championships actually reflect the region. Everyone agreed that the participation points were essential to the Club Championship, but that some form of weighted average may be a good idea since it's a huge advantage to the Big Clubs. Most ideas revolved around percentage of club members participating.

* Starting this year, if you are competing for age group awards, your age is based on the year of birth, not day. Why? Because it makes running a year-long series WAY more simple. And that is why most of the world does it that way too.

Apparently USAT researched the issue & found people wanted something similar to the old USTS series (heart of the triathlon world in the 80s), and they wanted it more than they cared about the aging rules. Yeah, it may be weird, but it's good to see that USAT has priorities and are willing to make hard decisions to support those priorities.

* USAT will introduce a new national ranking system this year. It will focus more on head-to-head competition and less on size-of-field.

* Lack of referees is critical in the sport, particularly in our region. According to USAT, we have one of the better stipend packages for refereeing. Give back to your sport, consider getting your zebra stripes. See more at USAT's Referee Page

* Ironman/WTC has blazed a path with their live video feeds, and USAT is paying attention. No details, but they are at least thinking about including video feeds in the future website. The new website/rankings will have a unified race history on the website for all your sanctioned race results. Lastly, you'll soon see a glossy, professionally written magazine from USAT, instead of the "committee" newsletter style of the current offering. The goals sound good, but the proof will be in the pudding.


Announcements Tuesday
February 7
Registration for the Reston Triathlon starts Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7:00 pm. Registration will be handled by a robust website and will be first-come, first-served. Check the Reston Triathlon website in a few days for the link to the website. We will post it here as soon as we hear.


Announcements Tuesday
January 24
Need stuff? Got stuff? Don't miss the 2006 Tri-Community Swap Meet hosted by TriCATs! Please RSVP to buy or sell.

Selling? You must pre-register to sell. Be sure to let us know what you're bringing so that we can advertise on your behalf.

Got plans for Super Bowl XL? Come by early for the best deals and still have time to party!

Date: Sunday, February 5 from 1-4pm

Location: Providence Rec Center


Announcements Sunday
January 1
Welcome to the new year. Things have been quiet around here lately, but here in the Master Rat Hole, strange things have been afoot.

We have not stood idly by as people wink and nudge at jerseys and such. We have heard the cries and we have made a Plan. Yes a Plan. No, no jerseys, yet.

Why a plan? Well, there are a couple of things going on. Randomly stated: jersey orders are kind of a pain to collect, get sizing, etc. Jersey orders require a bit of cash up-front. In fact, this up-front-ness was one of the primary reasons for collecting some dues. We haven't collected renewals in nearly three years (at $30, that makes a membership cost about $10/year for the Founding Rats :) . Then there's the data. We have an Active.com database, a little Access database, and the wonderfully active and interesting Trirats.net database. Data, as you all know, is the plural of datum. As a side note, realtor Boofie O'Gorman, one of our original sponsors, is dying to give us some money, and we would like for her to add tax-deductible to the list of reasons she likes to do that.

So, here's the Plan

0) Collate all data into Trirats.net.

1) Establish ability to collect money and create Trirats accounts without human intervention

2) Build an Inventory/Sales portion to the website

3) Start a new jersey order

4) Add some more dynamic content to the website

5) Create a Mission Statement

6) Develop some by-laws that capture the Mission and incorporate as a non-profit.


Here's The Plan in detail:


===========
0) Collate all data into Trirats.net.


Why? One of the guiding principles in the club is Low Overhead & Loose Structure. An efficient means of managing the club essentials (membership, jersey orders, joining & renewal, etc) is absolutely key to making Rats run with minimal effort. This is essential for most other parts of The Plan.

Status: The migration scripts are done, mostly tested, and ready to go. We're simply waiting to finish a few other things in the next "version" of the website.

What this means for you: Right now NOTHING! However, in the coming weeks, after we update the database, we will ask you to verify your data to make sure we didn't mess anything up.


===========
1) Establish ability to collect money and create Trirats accounts without human intervention


Why? Because we're lazy and don't like to type. And because we feel access to the website is one thing that usually tips Wannabe Rat into Official Rat.

Status: Mostly there. Still need to test things some, make them pretty. We will be using PayPal. You are not required to create an PayPal account. It's pretty cool and fast and easy. No more junk mail from Active.

What this means for you: Renewals will become "policy" starting next year. If you would like to renew early, fine! But it isn't required. This really more for new members so we can get out of Active & the multiple database thing.


===========
2) Build an Inventory/Sales portion to the website


Status: Twinkle in our eye. Seriously, with the PayPal stuff already integrated (and for the trickier instance of creating a new Trirats account) all we have to do is add some inventory control and voila! Jersey orders :)

What this means for you: You can stop sending subtle hints about jersey orders :)


Those are the essential first steps, and should be done relatively soon (Spring at the absolute latest, probably much, much earlier). All three changes will affect the Trirats website and we will have three separate updates to the website, in that order (update profile, join function, inventory functionality). Once we have reached that point, the following items from The Plan will happen will jump into action:


===========
3) Start a new jersey order


Why: Need something to do with that cool new inventory stuff.

What this means for you: Once we get started, you will need to find the nearest Sizing Kit and figure out what size you want.Down in item number 5) we'll talk about a Mission Statement. One of the things that will come out of that is a Sponsor Philosophy and that philosophy will impact the jersey design. However, we can get sizing information started before the design is complete.


===========
4) Add some more dynamic content to the website


Status: Twinkle in our eye. Look for, at least, Random Race Report of the Day (RRR) and an RSS feed that will include the RRR, recent race reports, and maybe even the quote of the day.

Why: We have a lot of great content there that we tend to forget about and the combination of a random race report with the RSS (aka news feed seen in many blogs) can bring that content alive.

What this means for you: Nothing. Keep writing great race reports and that's all you have to do.


===========
5) Create a Mission Statement


The Founding Rats will capture the essence of what the club is Supposed to Be and they will distill it into a Mission Statement.

Why: As we begin to move forward with new ideas, new people, etc we want to have a clear set of principles for our decision making

What this means for you: Respond to this note with what YOU think the Rats mission is or should be. However, the Founding Rats will have final say on the Mission.


===========
6) Develop some by-laws that capture the Mission and incorporate as a non-profit.


Why: Bylaws are decidedly anti- Low Overhead, so this may come as a surprise. However, we need something if, for no other reason, we want to incorporate. But the real reason for bylaws is to give some day-to-day meat to the bones of the Mission.

What this means for you: We will be looking for Rats to assist in the drafting of bylaws. If the drafting folks do their job right, you should notice little change with the possible exception of cool club happenings happening with greater frequency.


That's a lot of stuff. We appreciate your patience and good will. For those people who have recently joined the club, we will be sending your T-Shirts out in the next 10 days. For members longer in the tooth, if you do not have a shirt, we will send it out once we updated our databases (Step 0).

Have a great new year!




Training Events Friday
November 18
We've updated the FAQ with the new start times for the Saturday ride. In short: it's 9:30 a.m. for the "dark" months (Nov-Mar). It's been cold and clear lately, but nice riding weather. See you Saturday!

The FAQ now reads:

The RATS Saturday ride leaves immediately after the Reston Masters morning practice (time details in the next paragraph). Some folks ride and others drive to convene at the Herndon Train Depot on the W&OD Trail (MP 20). Plenty of parking is available. This should be obvious, but you don't have to swim in order to ride. In fact, most of the riders these days do not swim first. Too bad, it's a great combo workout.

During Daylight Savings Hours (Apr-Oct) we meet at 8:30 a.m. (allowing people to swim the 7-8 Reston Masters workout). During the remaining months (Nov-Mar) we meet at 9:30 a.m. (allowing people to sleep in and swim the 8-9 Reston Masters workout). The later start for the winter months changed as of November 2005. It allows us to start in warmer weather and get a bit more sleep (or extra swimming, you can swim both workouts :)


Social Events Monday
November 7
It's November ... Hawaii is done, Florida is done, turkey is coming soon. Yes, the off-season is here. In short, time to sit in front of the tube & eat!

Please join us in celebrating the year with our 3rd Annual Hawaii Broadcast Social, Saturday, November 12 at 3 p.m. for some socializing, eating, reminiscing, eating, and TV watching. Dave Cascio has graciously offered his house & large TVs for the event. We'll have a copy of the Reston Tri DVD running until the Big Show starts sometime around 4:30 (after the Notre Dame-Navy football game).

We'll also have t-shirts for those who have yet to pick up their free Rats shirt.

This will be true POTLUCK: bring a dish of whatever you like. Remember, everyone is bringing food, so "portions" should be roughly what you could eat on your own (we always have too much).

No RSVP *required* but if you could let us know if you plan on attending that would be helpful. Send an email to info@trirats.net.


For your favorite mapping tool:

11913 Triple Crown Rd.
Reston Va 20191 703-860-3438

With some human input:

From Dulles Toll Road, take Reston Parkway exit south
(away from Town Center)

Left on Glade.

Thru light at Colts Neck

Go 3/4 mile, right on Albot Rd.
(just past Alsop Ct).

Thru stop sign at Triple Crown onto private road.

First house on the right.

Please park on the street and not the grass.


Announcements Monday
September 26
The Reston Community Center's pool will re-open on Saturday, October 29. Upgrades to the locker rooms, particularly the plumbing, are going beyond their projected initial completion date of October 3.


Social Events Wednesday
April 13
Warm weather, sun, and budding foliage? It's time to kick off the new triathlon season. Shirley and Tony Panizza would like to invite the RATS community to a potluck social Saturday, April 23 at 4 p.m. We'll provide the main dishes and drinks. Suggest the A-L group bring salads and side dishes; M-Z the desserts and fruit.


Training Events Tuesday
February 8
The Tour de Skyline returns for its fourth year Friday April 29 and Saturday April 30. This is a challenging but fun 220-mile bike ride over two days, with nearly 20,000 feet of climbing. We ride the length of Skyline Drive, leaving from Front Royal on Friday (yes, Friday) morning. We spend the night in Waynesboro, at the other end of Skyline drive, and then bike back. In between there's lots of food and fun.

We traditionally have some form of SAG wagon and we all chip in to pay for their room, board, and a little something extra.

This event is free for RATS members and a whopping $5 for non-members. All riders and volunteers are elligible for the schwag raffle Saturday night. Please be aware, this is a group training ride ... the only thing you can "expect" is that we'll get your dry clothers from Front Royal to Waynesboro. You are responsible for your own safety, health, and happiness.

Drop us a note if you're interested.


Announcements Friday
January 21
The Reston Triathlon will be on Sunday, September 11, 2005. Registration for the race is not yet open, but you may sign up to receive an email notice when it does open up (probably about February 10th).


Race Results Monday
September 20
CongRATS to all the Reston Triathlon finishers and volunteers. Yet another beautiful day for racing in the mid-Atlantic.

For those who skipped out before the end of the race, the race directors announced electronic registration will open sometime in February.


Training Events Thursday
September 2
The Reston Area Triathletes will host a series of Course Previews over the next few weeks. There will be NO SWIM PREVIEW. Sorry, but the lake is off limits. The bike course is pretty simple and a cue sheet is available on the race site. The run, however, the run can be quite tricky if you don't know the course.

Friday Sept 3, 7:30 a.m. run preview:
Two loops of the course for a total of 12-ish miles.
First loop @ 8 min/mile pace (steady pace).
Second loop @ 7:15 min/mile (descending average).

Saturday 7:30 a.m. Sept 4, bike preview:
At least three loops of the course, maybe more.
First loop at any pace that keeps the group together.
Following loops at individual paces (some quite fast).
Potentially run (some or all of) the course afterward

Sunday 7:30 a.m. Sep 5, run preview:
Two loops of the course, maybe three.
First loop @ any pace that keeps the group together
Second loop @ 7:30 pace (steady pace)
Third loop ... maybe, depends on the crowd.

Monday 7:30 a.m. Sep 6, bike preview:
Three loops of the course, maybe more.
Potentially ride other parts of Reston/Great Falls for up to 50 miles.
Pace: Defnitely MOP pace and not much more.

Thursday 7:30 a.m. Sep 9, run preview:
One loop of the course.

Friday 7:30 a.m. Sep 10, run preview:
One loop of the course.


All previews will depart (not meet, but depart) at 7:30 from the South Lakes Track. We suggest you get there early.


South Lakes High School Map.


Swimming Thursday
September 2
Reston Masters will be swimming at the Glade outdoor pool until they move into the Reston Community Center on Tuesday Sep 21. Note! There is no swimming this Saturday, 9/4.

Tuesday 9/7
Thursday 9/9
Saturday 9/11
Sunday 9/12

Tuesday 9/14
Thursday 9/16
Saturday 9/18

Directions:
Glade (GL) 11550 Glade Drive (703) 860-9765
Head south on Reston Parkway for 1.8 miles (over the Dulles Toll Road). Turn left onto Glade Drive and proceed 1.4 miles. The pool is on the left just before reaching Soapstone Drive. Parking is in the lot and on the street.


Training Events Thursday
September 2
Well, as best as we can tell there was no dying, bleeding, or crying at the Fourth Annual Ratman, so we think we'll chalk it up as a success. Jim Desrosiers is the mastermind behind all of the RATS mini-events and we missed him this year. Thanks Jim.

(BTW, Raffle winners are at the bottom, so keep reading)

We will bring Beth in one night in early October to discuss the swim footage. Most people will be wrapping up their season by then & that's a great time to re-focus on technique for the next year.

As for next year, RATMan V (Go For It), we need to do a better job of tracking who's doing what event. The whole purpose of RATS is to help triathletes interact with one another and I think it would have helped some folks to know ahead of time whether athletes of similar ability were in attendance.

Anyway, big, Big, BIG thanks to our sponsors. First, Boofie O'Gorman. In addition to hooking Aaron up with an amazing new townhouse, Boofie's generous cash donation allows me to continually postpone the membership renewal process (really, it's coming, soon, we promise). Also, her funds paid for the new (and damn effective) RATS water cooler.

Next Steve Crawford at Trinergy hooked us up with some great door prize schwag:
$25 Gift Certificate - James Thompson
$25 Gift Certificate - Frostinator
Triathlete's Training Bible - Steve Giorgis
Going Long (book) - Keith B.
The Stick - Jamie Roberson
Fuel Belt - Rob Weitzel
Bento Box - Mary Ellen Wolf
Lace Locks - Kyle Yost
Lace Locks - Brad Payne
and enough Trinergy run caps for those who stuck around

RAT Matt Taylor of Spa Noa came through with some pampering giveaways, appropriate after a hard day of RATMan work

Hour Massage - Eric Mackem
Hour Massage - Mike Guzek
Fascial - Amanda Shuman
Fascial - Bethany Noble
Fascial - Laura Gordon


Training Events Thursday
August 19
The Fourth Annual RATMan is coming!

What is RATMan? Basically, it's a bunch of tri-geeks crashing the Reston Century. We meet up in the morning for a little swim, then drive over to the town center to check in for the Reston Century. We then finish the day with a 10k-ish run before chowing down on the Reston Century food offerings. This all happens Sunday, August 29, and you need to sign up for the Reston Century on your own. Remember that, even though we'll repeat it.

Mouseman is a similar gig, with the metric century option offered by the Reston Century and a shorter run of your choosing (generally 5k-ish). Neither is a timed event unless you bring a watch. Even then we'd prefer you kept it to yourself :)

This year's swim will take place at the Hunters Woods OUTDOOR pool off of Reston Parkway (not the community center). We have the pool from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and that includes the comfy hot tub :) That should be more than enough time to get in a mile swim and make it over to the Reston Town Center in order to make the 9 a.m. cutoff for the start of the Century. RATMan is a loose event, and you can swim as much or as little as you like. However, the generally accepted RATMan distance is one-hour or one mile. We are looking at some cool options to the swim, so stay tuned.

After the swim we'll head over to the Reston Town Center. We recommend driving over so that you can have a change of clothes and a home for your bike while you're running. We do NOT start the ride as one big group, but we expect several smaller groups to self-select. You must register for the Reston Century (or a shorter event) on your own (they have race-day registration).

After the bike ride we'll head east on the W&OD for a run. Those who want to purchase Official RATMan finisher gear in good conscious will cover 10K (and if we're feeling plucky we may actually measure it out). Everyone else will run whatever they want. Yes silly, we were joking about the finisher merchandise. It's important that we run east as there's a water fountain available at Sunset Hills Rd. Still, this is an unsupported event and we highly recommend bringing some water along for your run. It's freakin' August and you just rode your bike for several hours.

Once done running we'll do what triathletes do best: eat. The RBC puts out a good spread after the ride. As in past years, there'll be generous schwag including gift certificates to sponsors Spa Noa and Tri-nergy.

This event is free to all RATS members and $5 for non-members. Hey, we gotta give the members SOME benefits :) Seriously, this event is open to everyone and we encourage you to come out & have some fun. All $5 payments directly support this event.

Please email me directly, back-channel if you would like to attend (mailto:info@trirats.net). RSVP is not necessary, but highly, highly appreciated. In fact, we'll only post a few more announcements to the public, then take things back-channel in order to keep the minutae out of everyone's inbox.

To register for the Reston Bike Club Century (or shorter events)
http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1148179

Hunters Woods OUTDOOR Pool
2501 Reston Pkwy
703-860-9763

Map of pool:
http://tinyurl.com/5vnwt

Stay tuned for further details.


Swimming Friday
August 6
The Reston Community Center pool will be closed for cleaning this year from Aug 23 thru Sep 19 (reopening the morning of the 20th). Reston Masters will move into the RCC on Tuesday, Sep 21.

Also, the Herndon Community Center will be close Aug 15 thru Sep 10.


Race Results Wednesday
July 28
RATS invaded Lake Placid last weekend, soaked up the gorgeous weather, and took Ironman USA by storm. We're not sure what was more impressive: the unbelievable spectating support by all the non-racing RATS, the fine racing performances (including an impressive even-split marathon by Gary), or the town and weather (finally!) of Lake Placid. Get those race reports out!


Race Results Monday
July 12
It was another big race weekend for RATS, with regional club championships at Diamond in the Rough Triathlon. With some great racing, we took home hardware for second place club!


Race Results Monday
June 28
RATs had representatives racing across the country this weekend, with some great results! The eastern contingent was lead by Steve Smith, who took the overall amature win at the New York City triathlon! Brad Kirley and Steve Hayslett rounded out the New York City RAT contingent with great races as well. A litle further up in New York, Christina Ober was cruising through a strong performance at the Tuper Lake Tinman half ironman triathlon. Dan Frost led the way in Idaho at Ironman USA Coeur d'Alene with a smokin' 5:17 bike. Corey McDaniel (who smashed his Ironman PR) and Scott Baldwin were also representin' with great races in Idaho. CongRATulations to all!


Race Results Tuesday
June 1
RAT extraordinare Tony Panizza dazzled the M65-69 age group with a 12:34 finish at Ironman Brazil this weekend. Tony split 1:37/6:18/4:38 in a performance many folks half his age would envy; his nearest competitor was 35 minutes back. With that performance, Tony has punched his ticket to Kona for the second time! CongRATS!!


Sponsors Friday
April 2
Just a reminder that the next social, in conjunction with the Tri-nergy re-opening will be this Sunday, April 4, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Stop by to check out the new space at Tri-nergy, meet fellow RATS, and watch one of the most important bike races of the year, the Tour of Flanders (shown, tape delay, on OLN).

In fact, this social will kick off the Inaugural Sunday Classics in April. OLN is showing each of this month's Classics on Sunday of this month, from 4-5 p.m., starting with Flanders this weekend and then followed by Paris-Roubaix, Amstel Gold, and Leige-Bastogne-Leige.

At Sunday's social we'll figure out how many trainers & bikes we can fit in front of Tri-nergy's new 56"-wide TV, and starting with Paris-Roubaix we'll do some indoor cycling with the Classics (and maybe continue the fun outdoors after the race).

So, stop by and check out the remodeled store. No need to bring anything, Tri-nergy & RATS will provide some goodies. Oh yeah, if you can think of a nice catchy name for this indoor classic spinning, bring that along.


Announcements Wednesday
March 31
RATS member Matt Taylor and his wife Wendy own and manage a deluxe spa in the Plaza America shopping center, Spa Noa, and they are kind enough to sponsor RATS with discounts, schwag, and a place to pick things up. Formerly known as Beaux Visages, Spa Noa underwent some hefty renovations over the winter culminating with it's new name (and new website: http://www.spanoa.com). We just wanted to let RATS know about the change.

Spa Noa has massage therapists spanning the range of massage techniques: Swedish, warm stone, trigger point, deep tissue, cold packs, reflexology and sport specific. They have even created a triathlete specific "Tri-ssage" to address a triathlete's particular recovery needs!!! In addition to massage, they offer a custom facials, body treatments, waxing (more triathlete stuff :), and specialty manicures and pedicures.

Spa Noa offers RATS members a 15% on its services (except for nails), and they generously provide gift certificates for our events. Lastly, they have helped RATS provide a location for picking up club material. In fact, they will have the fit kit for the next round of RATS jerseys beginning this Monday! (See upcoming notice about Sunday's social for information about the next jersey order).

RATS provides Spa Noa with visibilty and store traffic. By sending our members to the spa we increase interest in Spa Noa's services. Once in the store, Spa Noa provides plenty of stuff to entice the average triathlete.

Stop by to see the folks at Spa Noa in the Plaza America shopping center, call them at 703.318.3223 or email them at mailto:Spa_Noa@msn.com

Cheers & happy recoveries


Training Events Monday
March 29
Peter Sherry, the 2003 Marine Corps Marathon winner, World Cross Country Team member, and Olympic Trials Qualifier for the marathon and track will be doing a talk on marathon training with Neil McLaughlin, Chiropractor and coach of Personal Best Running & Racing on Sunday April 4th at 1 PM at the YMCA in Reston, VA For more information contact NEILPDC@AOL.COM. The talk is free of charge and is being done in honor of the Plaza America Family 5K Run. More information on the race can be found at http://www.runwashington.com


Announcements Friday
March 19
Tri-nergy, formerly a branch of Tri-speed, put up it's new sign & new web site at the beginning of this month. Still located just off the W&OD at Sterling Blvd, Tri-nergy has a great new look. Aside from the very much needed air-conditioning unit, Steve Crawford, a former employee and now the new owner, has spruced the place up with a TV bigger than my kitchen, some nice murals, and several other nice touches.

Tri-nergy will continue to sponsor RATS with free DVDs to new members and generous donations for club mini-events. Steve has simplified the RATS 10% discount, applying it to everything in the store (in the past, this didn't apply to bikes or wetsuits).

Tri-nergy is hosting a re-opening event on April 3 & 4; We would like for the RATS to make a concerted effort to show up there on April 4 between the hours of 4 and 6. This will be a mini-social of sorts. I'll lead a group ride before from 2:30 to 4:00 if the weather isn't terrible & then we'll head over for some grub and check out the digs.

Details to follow.


Race Results Wednesday
March 17
CongRATS to Dan Frost, aka Frosty for dodging farm equipment on the race course on the way to his sixth place tie in the inaugural Valdese Triathlon, NC.


Announcements Tuesday
March 9
Renewal information coming soon!


Training Events Tuesday
March 9
Some folks at Mid-Maryland Tri are heading out for preview of the Eagleman course Sunday, March 19. Their plan is to meet near the transition area at 7:00 am and leave by 7:15, home by noon. There will probably be a short run afterward. See their website for details. We're trying to better integrate the local clubs, so let 'em know who you are!


Training Events Monday
March 1
The Tour de Skyline returns for it's third year Friday May 7 and Saturday May 8. This is a challenging but fun 220-mile bike ride over two days, with nearly 20,000 feet of climbing. We ride the length of Skyline Drive, leaving from Front Royal on Friday (yes, Friday) morning. We spend the night in Waynesboro, at the other end of Skyline drive, and then bike back. In between there's lots of food and fun.

Currently we have enough rooms reserved for 18 people (3@ in 6 rooms; rooms are roughly $50/room). We traditionally have some form of SAG wagon and we all chip in to pay for their room, board, and a little something extra.

This event is free for RATS members and a whopping $5 for non-members. All riders and volunteers are elligible for the schwag raffle Saturday night. Along with various gift certificates from our sponsors, we'll have books on cycling the Blue Ridge Parkway, a RATS racing jersey, and a 10-hour DVD of the Tour de France (a slightly longer, slightly hillier ride you may have heard of). Drop us a note if you're interested.


Race Results Tuesday
February 24
RATS Al Defazio, David Glover and Jen Ragone traveled Myrtle Beach for a little marathon. David finished 4th with a 2:53 and Jen contributed to the 3:21 finish of team Velvet Elvis & the Tator Tots. Al Defazio added a 4:36 to his recent Holiday Lake 50K finish.


Race Results Tuesday
February 17
Aaron Schwartzbard continued his ascendancy in the ultra world after winning the Holiday Lake 50K race. Additionally, Mark Freeman and Al Defazio completed the course with smiles. And why not? they got to run a few extra miles for FREE!


Announcements Monday
December 22
The RATS Saturday ride will still leave from the Reston Masters swim workout, but it will now pick up additional riders at the Herndon Train Depot. See the FAQ for further details.



Race Results Monday
December 15
CongRATS to Aaron Schwartzbard for his second place finish in the inaugural Hellsgate 100K utlra. This was a challenging course with 13,000 feet of elevation and a midnight start time. Check out the full results



Social Events Tuesday
December 9
The next RATS social will be on Sunday, December 14th at Dan Frost's abode. Come one, come all! Doors open at 2:00pm. For more information, see the "Ironman Silver Anniversary Party" flyer in the Files section of the RATS Yahoo! Group.


Race Results Friday
December 5
Congratulations to RAT extraordinaire, Steve Smith, for finishing in ninth in his age group at the Age Group World Championships in Queenstown, New Zealand!


Race Results Monday
November 10
CongRATS to all the RATS down at Ironman Florida ...

11:02:40 BROERING CHRISTOPHER M30-34
90/319 1:03:01 5:34:16 4:14:13

12:41:59 FINIZIO NICHOLAI W25-29
24/51 1:13:37 6:16:20 5:04:02

12:36:00 FISHER-LOHMAN GAIL W50-54
4/21 1:21:38 6:23:12 4:34:35

09:59:08 FROST DAN M35-39
27/357 58:38 4:57:15 3:52:51

12:16:40 LOHMAN CHARLES VIENNA M55-59
14/51 1:27:46 6:09:39 4:27:30

11:16:19 WEITZEL ROB M35-39
120/357 1:31:57 5:18:43 4:17:24


Friend o' RATS and RBC rider Rob Cook did a 11:17 and Shandra Wrinkle (local swim coach & 2nd OA women at Reston this year)did a 11:22:42 after making her first trip to Hawaii this year.

All in all, there were 58 Virginians there, 3 DNFs, and 3 Hawaii qualifiers.


Announcements Friday
October 31
The Reston Triathlon is closed, filling up in record time.



Race Results Monday
October 27
CongRATS! to all the GFT Finishers.

Making his first foray into the world of IM distance events, Corey McDaniel ran with a smile into the night and to the finish line. Congrats, Corey, you're an Ironman.

Coming off of two-week rest from the Duke Blue Devil IM-distance race, Dave Glover finished 6th overall with a time of 10:30 and Mike Guzek finished strong with a time of 11:53. Aaron Schwartzbard battled his loose saddle throughout the 112-mile bike ride and still finished in 12:40, two weeks after taking second with his 28-hour double-Ironman finish.

The Steve's took Virginia to the half event as Steve Hayslett completed his first half-Ironman event and Steve Smith finished 4th overall.

Everyone competed on a hot, windy day in Clermont on a challenging, hilly course. Way to go RATS!



Announcements Tuesday
October 21
The Reston Triathlon application is now available online. Registration opened October 15 and will not be open terribly long (past Thanksgiving would be a surprise).


Race Results Sunday
October 19
CongRATS to Aaron Schwartzbard for finishing 2nd overall in the Odyssey Double Ironman. Yes, you read correctly, a DOUBLE Ironman: 4.8mi swim, 224mi bike, 52.4mi run. Aaron was 3rd out of the water, 6th off the bike and 2nd across the line with a time of 28:36 against a field of 17 starters and 12 finishers.



Race Results Sunday
October 19
CongRATS to Tony Panizza for his umpteenth finish at Ironman Hawaii. Tony, age 64, finished in 14:04.



Race Results Sunday
October 19
CongRATS to David Glover for defending his Duke Blue Devil Ironman title with an impressive 9:17. As a cancer survivor, this race is special to Dave as all proceeds benefit cancer research. Also finishing the race were first-time Ironman finishers Michael Smith and Mark Freeman.

Taking yet another Clydesdale victory, Mike Guzek set a PR with his 10:47, as did Brady Dehoust with a 10:37, good enough for 2nd in the M25-29 category. Brady finished 11th overall with Mike taking 12th.



Race Results Monday
September 29
CongRATS to all to the RATS for taking 2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic regional club event this weekend at Lum's Pond Sprint Triathlon. We fielded a team of 4 men and 5 women, the 7 fastest times (minimum of two women) contributing to our score.

Congrats to the age group & category winners:

Bill Goodrum 2nd Masters Clyde
Mike Guzek 1st Clyde
Gwen Humphrey 1st F40-44, 3rd Masters Female
Steve Smith 1st M30-34, 4th overall


And kudos to everyone who beat their predicted times and set PRs.



Announcements Friday
September 26
The Reston Triathlon will post the 2004 Application on October 15th, despite early claims that they would wait until January.



Announcements Thursday
September 25
RATS will field a team at the Lums Pond sprint triathlon Sunday, Sept 28. This is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Club championship for the distance.

Go get 'em RATS ...

William Goodrum
Michael Guzek
Gwen Humphrey
Diana Laird
Marc Nester
Stephen Smith
Matthew Taylor
Linda Werner
Andrea Wicks



Race Results Thursday
September 25
Congratulations to Aaron Schwartzbard, our fearless webmaster and ultra tri-geek extraordinaire, for placing 2nd overall in the inaugural Great Eastern 50k ultra run. This was something of a sprint for Aaron, as he had registered for the 100k. Unfortunately, a dam broke putting a significant portion of the 100k course under 10-feet of water. Way to go Aaron.



RATSwear Friday
September 5
RATS temporary tattoos are now available! Contact Steve if you have an upcoming race, or ask at the next social.


Swimming Tuesday
September 2
Reston Masters will be swimming at the Hunter's Woods OUTDOOR pool (off the northbound Reston Parkway) on the following dates:

9/2, 9/4, 9/6, 9/7, 9/9, 9/11 and 9/13.

No practice 9/14. Starting 9/16 all swims return to the Reston Community Center at Hunter's Woods Plaza.


Race Results Monday
September 1
Congratulations to Steve Smith, Daniel Labarca and David Cascio for finishing first, third and fourth, respectively in the Pound, Pedal & Pant duathlon in Stafford, VA, on Sunday, August 31st!