IronGirl Registration in Maryland Now Open

[HillSlugger]

I just registered as part of a relay team. I will be swimming, 7Rider (Regina) will be biking, and her friend Margot will be running. The race is likely to sell out today!

DivingBiker (Janice) spurned our invite to be our swimmer and signed up to race on her own.

This should be a blast!

[7rider]

Head still spinning.
What did I do???
I have NO CLUE what to do in a triathalon...much less as part of a relay team.
Ohhhh....so much to learn......Hill.....you must teach this coming summer....

[HillSlugger]

Head still spinning.
What did I do???
I have NO CLUE what to do in a triathlon...much less as part of a relay team.
Ohhhh....so much to learn......Hill.....you must teach this coming summer....

I think doing the ride as part of a relay team should be easier for you because you don't have to worry about doing transitions or saving up energy for the run. However, you will still need to learn about how the transition area works: how to rack your bike, etc. I'm not sure what special rules apply to relay teams.

[juliemcd]

is anyone familiar with the course? When I volunteered at the '08 race, I heard that the cycling course was pretty hilly.

[7rider]

The course map is a pdf file here.
I'm not familiar with the course, maybe Hill is. But they show two hills on the map, and Howard County can be pretty hilly anyway.
They describe the route as "rolling" I think.

If you'd like to try the running route - or the swim - let MDHillSlug know. We have a relay team, but our runner backed out and we need a 3rd member!

[divingbiker]

is anyone familiar with the course? When I volunteered at the '08 race, I heard that the cycling course was pretty hilly.

Both the cycling and the running courses are hilly. I remember two pretty long hills on the cycling course and a bunch of smaller ones, and a few on the run. Nothing that's too bad if you've trained for it.

Oh, and there's lots of nasty stuff growing in the lake that wraps around your legs and goes down your suit. Speaking from experience, don't wear anything white on the swim!

[HillSlugger]

is anyone familiar with the course? When I volunteered at the '08 race, I heard that the cycling course was pretty hilly.

I'm intimate with the bike route Yes, it's quite hilly. The worth incline is at the start of Mt Albert Road (many call it "Fat Albert"). The worst part is about a 1/3 of a mile but there's a milder incline right after for another 1/2 mile or so. After you get back onto Folly Quarter there's a sustained uphill for about 2 miles; it's not steep but it goes on for a while. Those are the worst parts for me but there's also a short climb in each direction after a stream crossing on Homewood. The route is definitely challenging and I recommend that you ride it a few times before the race if at all possible.

[7rider]

I'm intimate with the bike route Yes, it's quite hilly.

Sweet.
Your bikely link has the "Show Elevation Profile" option - so you can see exactly what the climbing looks like. You can see Fat Albert, right around mile 9, yes?

[HillSlugger]

Sweet.
Your bikely link has the "Show Elevation Profile" option - so you can see exactly what the climbing looks like. You can see Fat Albert, right around mile 9, yes?

The climb at 9 miles is the two mile climb I mentioned. Fat Albert is back around 6.5mi. The "stream crossing climb" is around mile 4 and then again around 14.5mi.

I just added turn info.