FCA E Columbia

Escape From Alcatraz Adventure

2009-06-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to follow my mission to the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco.

http://b1wright.blogspot.com/

Bob

May races

2009-05-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Team,

May has come and almost gone and with it so have several races. Bubba recently completed the White Lake Half in NC, and several teammates made the trip to Clemson to race in the Sprint distance race.

Here's an account from Bubba of his day at White Lake ...

"Well I survived the heat fest. It was HOT. I think it reached 90 while I was on the bike. The venue is a beautiful place. The lake is clear and terrain is flat. I am happy with my swim and okay with my bike. I needed some more time in the saddle prior to the race as the first 28 miles went great and pretty fast (fast for me) the second was windy and I was ready to be done. My run just stunk. I am disappointed because I put in a lot run time. The run was hot with no shade and this caused it to be difficult. I did my share of walking. Cramps in the quads did not help. ( I think that is all the excuses I have for now) I was trying to represent the team well. I did get to talk to a few folks about FCA-E and I did not see any other FCA jerseys.. I vow to to do better at the SC half!! Woohooo! back to training today!!

swim-38 (including a long run to T1)

bike-2:59

run-2:33 (is that running?)

total-6:16

25/52 AG"

Teammate Jason Thomas has an interesting account of his day at Clemson over on his blog

And here's the race report sent out by our teammates in the upstate from the race in Clemson

"Greetings everyone across the state of South Carolina!!!

We had an awesome weekend in Clemson, starting off with a great spaghetti dinner served up by the Clemson FCA Adult Huddle during packet pick-up on Friday evening. It was well attended, with folks sticking around to socialize. The Set Up Events staff was able to join us for dinner – and they greatly appreciated it. And thanks to Jeremey Davis at Set Up for advertising us during the pre-race meeting – this led to us helping out 5 novice racers with race information and transition strategy. Many, many thanks to Brock Bailey for organizing the dinner and heading up our volunteer effort all weekend. Thanks go out to Joe Dannelly and Larry Nolan for joining me at packet pick-up. The three of us had the opportunity to further our relationship with the folks at Set Up and other race sponsors as well. (Some of us ate WAY too many of the free PowerBars). Who knew volunteering at packet pick-up could be fun??!!

Saturday morning brought cool temps with a light shower greeting us at the swim start (think of it as extra hydration), but fortunately the rain tapered off as the race came to an end. The good Lord kept everyone safe on the bike course despite slick roads, wet brakes and a VERY steep descent (I chickened out at 42 MPH). As usual, there were plenty of gold FCA-E volunteer shirts before and during the race. And the Boy Scouts manned a flotilla of kayaks during the swim.

We had a great turn-out at the FCA-E tent. It’s amazing how empty chairs attract people!!!! For the first time ever, someone actually came up and asked me “so why do you race?”. Could it be any easier to share our purpose?!!

Race results:

Forgive me, but I was too busy talking during the awards ceremony and I am pretty sure I didn’t catch all of the FCA-E athletes that took a spot on the podium (if I missed you, please let me know).

Jason Thomas – 3^rd place, Age Group

Larry Nolan – 3^rd place, Clydesdale

Jason Thomas in full stride headed to the finish line (or is he just posing for the photo?)

Brock Bailey (in the yellow FCA-E cap) anxiously waiting for the next finisher. Are those yellow FCA-E shoes? Sweet………

Larry Nolan taking a deep breath after crossing the finish line (come on, that guy’s NOT a Clydesdale)

I heard a message recently that talked about the importance of “one anothering” one another, whether that person is a believer in Christ or not. In essence, this means to love one another, pray for one another, care for one another, etc. FCA Endurance and these race weekends give us the opportunity to “one another” those around us to build relationships, and in doing so, show the love that Jesus has for us and give God the glory for everything. This past weekend was very encouraging and I hope that each of you will commit some of your time and energy to be a part of this ministry God has given to us.

Next up: Festival of Flowers on June 7 in Greenwood. We need 2 more volunteers for Saturday afternoon’s packet pick-up. Let me know if you can be there.

Hope to see you all soon." - Clay

Lake Murray Triathlon

2009-05-03T12:20:00.001-07:00

Teammates were out in force once again for the ever-popular and very competitive Lake Murray Triathlon! There was plenty of yellow among the staggering 420 athletes racing. We received interest in the team from several athletes and families and we were able to administer first aid service to several athletes and spectators who injured themselves, mostly just in need of band aids. Unfortunately after crashing on the bike coming out of t1, the injuries sustained by one teammate, Keith Wilkes, were serious enough to need treatment from paramedics. Keith, we are praying for a quick recovery for you!

Congratulations to all who raced and completed this challenging sprint distance race. A special shout out Eric Stone who place 1st in the Master Clydesdale division, Randall Parks who placed 4th in the very competitive M 40-44 division with an impressive 1:17:27 finish, new teammate Layton Gwinn's return to triathlon, Nick Brunson for cracking the top 10, and to Bob Wright for settling the score with the lake!

Thank you to all the teammates who selflessly pitched in to volunteer at packet pickup and on race day!

You can see the intensity on Randall's face after a hard fought race including and massive 39:51 bike spit (24+ mph average)

Chris Dillard coming in from a new 5k PR!

Joe finishing up after improving on every discipline from last year and new course PR

Teammates Clay Driggers, Joe Dannelly and the heavily bandaged Keith Wilkes

Bubba encouraging Sue to join the team!

Bob reflecting on his victory over the lake

Newest Triathlete

2009-05-02T12:57:00.001-07:00

The team added another triathlete to our ranks today. Caleb Brunson completed his first triathlon in team colors at the Harbison Kid's Triathlon. He completed the 5-7 year old short course event which included a 50 meter swim, 1 mile bike and .25 mile run. Congratulations Caleb!!

Langley Pond Triathlon

2009-04-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

What a great race we had at Langley Pond! We are soooo appreciative of the support we received from Charles Gee of FCA and all the volunteers from South Aiken High School! Those folks went above and beyond to make this event such a huge success. Congratulations to all the team members who raced in this event. And thank you Erik for your pre-race prayer!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… (Hebrews 12:1, ESV)

The team continues to grow with amazing speed – yellow was everywhere (not just because the race shirts were yellow J!), thanks in large part to teammates telling their friends – like Nick White and Bob have been. Are you encouraging your friends to join and support FCA-E??

Special thanks to: Clay, Layton and Bob for a great showing and Novice help at packet p/u Friday; to Bubba, Jennifer & Caleb for welcoming folks to the tent, and to Nick B for coordinating the volunteers! Folks like y’all are making God’s work happen in endurance sports!

Kudos to:

2^nd AG or category: Lee, Nick B, Donna

3^rd AG or category: Bob

4^th AG or category: Carolyn (21 seconds!), Slick

Coming soon: http://www.scride4life.com Please join the Greenville Huddle in support of the South Carolina Ride for Life on June 12-14. If you aren't going to ride it, consider supporting someone who is! Larry Nolan (larrynolan@bellsouth.net) & Brandon Lovell (ablovell@gmail.com) are two of the folks looking for sponsor funds.

More pictures available on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23065&id=1368664033&saved#/album.php?aid=23065&id=1368664033

Rod happy to be finished the Olympic.

Phil congratulates Rob at the finish.

Bob celebrating being done.

Frankie-the-amazing finishes the Olympic just 5 days after finishing the Boston Marathon!!!

Lindsey slips across the line.

Zebras Do Exists 5k This Weekend

2009-04-15T07:09:00.001-07:00

Hey gang,
Just a quick reminder that the Zebra's Do Exist 5k is being held this weekend in Spartanburg. This race is put on by teammate Jason Thomas and Setup Events to support a local family in need of help from the burden of tremendous medical expenses resulting from a rare disease that is affecting 3 of the 4 family members (mom and kids).

All of the information about the charity, as well as race location, maps, details, etc. are located on the website. This is a great opportunity for us to come out in force as FCA-E, as the body of Christ, and to support a great cause. (Oh, and there's $1,000 prize money if anyone would like to go out and place in the top 5...)

The online registration closes at noon on Thursday, April 16th. Race-day registration will close at 8:45. If you are not wanting or able to run or walk, SPONSOR someone and challenge them to run FAST or consider becoming a volunteer or just cheer everyone on and support the cause.

Polar Bear Swim Update

2009-04-05T14:32:00.001-07:00

The swim was pretty fun! We had four hardy souls show up (Randy and Janice Thompson, Matt Flemming, and me). The water felt extremely cold when I first waded in but after a few minutes of swimming I wasn't thinking about anything except how fast everyone else was swimming. Trying to keep up warmed me up pretty quick! We're going to do this again soon but it won't be on a weekend day because the park is starting to get pretty crowded. Watch the blog for updates.

Polar Bear Swim

2009-04-02T13:22:00.001-07:00

Come join (or suffer along with) your fellow teammates as they brave the frigid waters of Lake Murray for an open water swim on Saturday 4/4 at 2:00 PM. I just looked at the temperature here and it was 54.something degrees! So, needless to say, wetsuits are MANDATORY and you must SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. If you do the swim you will undoubtedly be a team legend forever and known as one of the hardcoriest athletes in all the Midlands!!

On a side note this will be very near to the temperature Bob will face in the water of the San Francisco Bay in May when he competes in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon so expect him to be the very first one in the water and swim the longest.

Downtown Columbia Triathlon

2009-03-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

FCA Endurance was well represented at the Downtown Columbia Triathlon and especially our Columbia Huddle. The day before the race some teammates volunteered at packet pickup where were able to connect with many athletes we hadn't seen since last season and meet some new athletes.

Race morning was rather chilly but thankfully by the time the race started at 1:00 PM the temperature had warmed considerably (although the pool was still nippy). Being in the downtown area made it an interesting race course with lots of turns, foot bridges, and even a set of stairs. The finish line was in a nice grassy field where we setup our booth.

While not technically in favor of child labor, the team is not completely opposed to employing kids as booth workers / team ballerinas.

Carolyn getting ready for a warm up ride with some friends:

I think I see Leslie in a sea of bikes:

This teammate wisely chose to warm up in the balmy diving pool aka "the hot tub":

Nick "warming up" with some athletes:

Janice getting ready to race:

Congratulations to Janice on her return to racing and placing 3rd in the Athena division!

Teammates getting started on the bike:

Coming down the finishing chute:

After the race was over we all enjoyed the sunshine with friends and family

It seems we had a slightly strange string of 4th place finishes with Carolyn finishing 4th in the Female 40-44 division, Randy finishing 4th in the Male 45-49 division, Lee finishing 4th in the Male 35-39 division, and Nick finishing 4th overall. So that is four 4th place finishes - weird. Here's to making it to the podium next time!

Congratulations to all who completed the race and a special thanks to all who volunteered in our efforts to serve the race directors and our fellow athletes. And thank you for your boldness in glorifying our Lord and Savior through your racing!

Teammate to compete at Alcatraz

2009-03-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Your teammate and Columbia resident, Bob Wright, will compete in this year's running of the world famous (or infamous) Escape from Alcatraz triathlon as part of a contingent of FCA Endurance athletes competing in the event. Here's what the site says about the triathlon:

"For one weekend each summer, 2,000 of the world's best triathletes assemble in San Francisco for one of the most infamous and extreme sporting events…the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. In its 29 years as a maximum-security prison, no one ever escaped alive from the menacing shores of Alcatraz. Every year, this popular event draws over 20,000 spectators to see who can accomplish that daunting task.

On Sunday, June 14, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will be packed with heart-pounding action featuring a 1.5 mile swim through frigid waters from Alcatraz Island to shore, a grueling 18-mile bike race, and a demanding 8-mile run through the rugged trails of Golden Gate Recreation Area. Set against the natural beauty of San Francisco, this thrilling triathlon is a virtual postcard of the City by the Bay."

Represent us well Bob!!

Late Notice Group Ride

2009-03-09T10:09:00.001-07:00

Hey team,

Sorry for the late notice but we have a group riding at the Fort tomorrow afternoon meeting at Brennan Elementary at 5:00 PM. We hope the be rolling by 5:30 PM. Come join us if you can!! Shoot us an email if you plan to come. We'll also have a brief discussion afterward regarding our role in the upcoming triathlons (Downtown and Langley) which is totally optional.

This ride will also serve as the kick-off of the weekly Tuesday evening rides on Fort Jackson so mark your calendars!

Tri Season 2009

2009-03-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

Teammates!

The triathlon season is almost upon us and I, for one, am totally stoked!!! As most of you may know, Setup Events has launched another local triathlon (Downtown Columbia Triathlon) giving us three here in Columbia. The team will have a booth at the expo spreading the awesome news of the gospel and encouraging our fellow athletes and their families as well as the unique opportunity to interact with the USC college students that are sure to be gawking at all the tri-geeks in spandex :-) We'll also be volunteering at packet pickup / novice table. If anyone (teammates or family) is interested in helping out, please leave a comment or send an email (nbrunson@sc.rr.com).

With the time change and season upon us, we'll be working to post some regular training sessions to the calendar. If you would like some company and fellowship during your regular training sessions, please consider posting them to the calendar. If you would like to post your sessions or events but don't have access, please leave a comment or send an email and we'll get you setup.

So what's everyone's race calendar look like this year? Post a comment with your schedule if you don't mind sharing.

FCA-E Winter Training Retreat

2008-12-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the off-season may be one of the best times of the year to reach your endurance athlete friends for Christ? Have you ever wondered how you could be even more effective at sharing your faith through your passion for endurance sports? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you! FCA Endurance cordially invites you to gain practical knowledge and training in how to use your athletic passion to introduce your friends to Jesus Christ. This evangelism training retreat is hosted by athletes and tailored specifically for athletes, so you and your family will not only learn valuable skills, but also have plenty of time to work out and play! The Gold Medal Rate has been extended until 1 January 2009, so sign up now! Click HERE for more information and to register. You can also register on-line at active.com.

Greenville Triathlon

2008-08-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

From storms to sunshine, praise God for another great race and opportunity to serve the Endurance community!

I’m almost afraid to attempt “Special thanks” because there are so many folks who contributed immensely! Thanks to Chris for helping with a very busy packet pick-up, to Jennifer for being willing to cover the event with pre-race prayer, to all those who arrived like shadows in the pre-dawn rain to serve in various capacities and to Evan, Andy and Larry who braved the sweat-caked ankles of over 600 athletes to recover their chips at the finish line. I know far more was done by FCA-E teammates and volunteers and surely the God who sees what is done in secret will reward you when you see Him face to face!

Congrats to:
Nick – 1st AG
Chris Anderson (FCA-E’s beloved national director) – 2nd to Nick
Donna – 1st AG
Ashley – 3rd AG
Randall – 3rd AG
Carolyn - 3rd Masters

A goal for your next race? We’d love to share this thrill with you, so please consider showing up early to the next Tri you do. Wander around the transition area and help out the Novices as they set up their transition areas. What a great opportunity to actually connect with folks for more than a few quick words!

Hope to see you at Hartsville or some future race!

In His grip –
The Douglasses

Here's a note from Chris Anderson about his experience visiting SC and racing in the Greenville Triathlon:

SC Team,

What can I say... this weekend was an amazing blessing! I am truly thankful to God for each of you and the ministry that Lord has blessed you with, both individually and collectively. As I saw the Team in action on Saturday and Sunday, I was humbled and impressed by your willingness to serve and sacrifice in Christ's name. While it is not about numbers, there was no denying our presence at the event... I loved seeing all of the yellow out there! I'm just sorry the trip was so short, and we didn't get more time together. I realize that for many of you, there was little more than a brief hello. God willing, there will be more opportunities in the near future to connect again.

In looking ahead, I just want to encourage you all. You've got some amazing and committed local leaders and fantastic opportunities! All you need to do is commit, show up, and let the Spirit move through you.

Lastly, a special thanks to the Douglasses and Clay for your special hospitality during my time there! And to Nick... congrats, there is no one I would rather come in second to. That said, prepare for the rematch :-)

For His Glory!

2008-08-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hot Summer Night 5K

Columbia, SC

August 2, 2008

One of the more popular Columbia neighborhood races, The Hot Summer Night 5K, was run this past Saturday evening in the Shandon neighborhood. This is a flat course beginning and ending at Hand Middle School. The race lived up to it's name as temperatures (and humidity) were very high and because there were some hot times. The first male finisher was Eric Ashton in 15:24 and the first female finisher was Kathryn Cavanaugh who finished in 18:57 (24th overall).

Th FCA-Endurance team was represented by Monica Wright who finished second in her age group with a time of 25:33.

Tour de Kershaw Metric Century - August 9th

2008-08-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm hosting a metric century (actually just a tad over 100k) ride leaving from my house in Lugoff at 8:00 on Saturday, August 9th. We'll ride through the rolling countryside of the Lugoff-Elgin area, make a slight foray into Richland County, return to Kershaw County before heading up to Longtown (in Fairfield County), and ride by Colonel's Creek at Lake Wateree before returning to my house. Final distance will be around 64-65 miles. The pace will be a fairly relaxed 17-18 mph, with plenty of hills to allow for some good hill-work (everything from mile-long hills to short, 10% grade blasts). For those fast folks, they'll be opportunities to hammer up to various stop signs and landmarks before the gruppetto arrives, as this is a no-drop ride. On the ride there will be 2 stops at filling stations/convenience stores: one at about the 20 mile mark and another close to the 45 mile mark (distances approximate). Road surfaces from fair to great, traffic from lots to minimal. So far myself, my brother-in-law Robert, fellow FCA-E'er Nick, and Brad (a triathlete from down around Orangeburg) have shown interest. Feel free to come out and invite others interested in riding or FCA-E. For more info, call me at area code eight o' three, 413-6187, or email to hthomasmorganjr -at- gmail -dot- com. Hope to see y'all next Saturday!

2008-07-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

CSTS 3

July 27,2008

The third race of the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series saw relatively mild weather (for late July) , a capacity crowd, and some good racing. There were four FCA-E athletes racing among the 323 finishers including Matt Flemming and Bob Wright from Columbia and Michael and Maggye Diaz from Louisville, KY.

The sprint distance race was .3 mile swim, 12.5 mile bike, and 5k run. The first female finisher was Jenny McDonagh in a time of 1:02:37 which was good for eleventh overall. The first male was Ashley Ackerman who finished in 56:48 including a 17:32 5k run split.

The FCA-E team didn't have any podium finishers but everyone agreed it was a great day, a great race, and a whole lot of fun!!!

Bob, Matt, Michael, and Maggye

I never said this was easy

Matt cruising to the finish

Open Water Swim this Sunday July 13th

2008-07-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Randy and Janice, a certified life guard and swim coach, will be hosting an open water swim this Sunday afternoon on the Lexington side of the Lake Murray dam starting around 12:30 PM. We encourage you to bring your family and lunch for a picnic in the park after the swim. There is a roped swimming area and sandy beach where kids (and adults) can play.

Here's a map to the park here: http://lakemurrayfun.com/swimming.html

We hope to see you there and look forward to working on our open water swimming skills together!

CSTS #2

2008-07-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

I am racing the second Charleston Sprint Triathlon this weekend (I signed up for all four races). If anyone is going to be there, please let me know b1wright@yahoo.com .
Bob Wright

Bike Time Trial or Brick Workout

2008-07-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

I would like to get a weekly high intensity workout on our schedule. I would propose either a short 10 mile bike time trial or a brick workout where each event is repeated several times. Run 1 mile then bike 4 miles (4:1 ratio much like races) and then repeat as many times as you like. For sprint race training I would suggest at least 3 sets and for international distance up to 6 sets, etc. These workouts are done at very high intensity - up to race pace on the last set and I find them to be very beneficial as race practice.

If you would like to participate, please post a comment to this blog.

Tuesday Night Ride

2008-07-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

We decided to move the Thursday Fort Jackson ride to Tuesday night at 6PM leaving from Brennan Elementary School. Randy Thompson, Matthew Flemming, and Bob Wright have been riding each week and really enjoying the opportunity to get out together. We mostly ride an aerobic pace but there are certain points where we kick it up a notch and enjoy going a little faster, so we get some quality work in while still working on our base miles. We'd love to have you come out and join us.

God's Promise -I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

2008-06-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I was bummed because my bike ride and swim workout were both interrupted/shortened by thunderstorms but at the end of the day I was cool!!!

Inaugural Tri the Midlands Triathlon

2008-06-23T16:07:00.001-07:00

Randall finishing the swim

We had another awesome race at the Tri the Midlands triathlon on Saturday! By our count we had 14 teammates racing and another 4 who participated by volunteering and supporting the team! A big THANK YOU to Jody, Bob, Jennifer, Monica, Randy, Janice, Andy, Harvin, and Paul for your service to the team and endurance community; y’all did a great job with packet pickup and the expo booth! The best part of the day was connecting with teammates from around the state and witnessing many athletes who came to the booth and expressed their interest in joining the team. It’s so exciting to see what the Lord is doing through Team FCA Endurance.

The FCA-E Booth at the expo

From the Columbia team we had 5 athletes who raced including Tommy, Matt, David, Bob and Nick. Sumter athletes included Andy, Harvin and Paul, while Amy came from over from Aiken, Joe came down from Greenville, Jason came from Spartanburg, Randall from Easley, and Jody from Charleston. There were other teammates racing who I’d like to mention, but I’m unable to recall their names (my apologies). It may be good to have an FCA-E athlete sign-in at the booth with name and city/team for future races.

Harvin exiting the water

On the course the temperatures were cool but the competition was HOT! Andy got a first hand taste of the competition as he posted a smoking fast time of 1:03:42 which was good enough for 16th overall but only 4th in the 35-39 age group. In the large and competitive 40-44 age group, David posted a solid 7th place with a time of 1:07:57 just behind Randall who placed 4th with a time of 1:06:23. Jason landed the 3rd place spot in the 25-29 division with a time of 1:08:33, as did Paul in the Clydesdale division with a time of 1:12:51. Nick was able to get away with an age group win in the 30-34 division with a time of 1:01:50, which was good enough for 8th over all.

Amy in T1

Matt in T1

Tommy in T1

Bob exiting T1 with the Roo

Congratulations to all who raced and finished this scenic but challenging course, we had a great showing! Thank you team for showing your love for our Savior through your racing. Your dedication to the sport and to the faith is having a HUGE impact on the racing community.

Matt coming through the chute

Team sprint-off between Bob and Jody

Andy coming across the line with his daughter

Nick coming across the line

Jody and his parents

Nick and David recovering after finishing

Thursday Evening Ride Update

2008-06-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

It seems that Thursday night is not the best night of the week for our Fort Jackson ride. We are in competition with the local youth swimming leagues and soccer leagues, so I am proposing a change to either Monday or Tuesday evening at 6:00PM. I am going to be out of town this week but if you will let me know which day is better for you by posting a comment below, I'll update the calendar and we'll move the ride.

Thanks and I apologize for the change but this is all new and we are working it out as we go along.

Bob

Any interest in a group OWS?

2008-06-19T07:02:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

I'm trying to get a feel for any interest the team may have in a group open water swim. I love swimming in the open water but don't like to do it by myself in case my head is mistaken by a jet skier for a buoy they want to run over. Here's a picture of a proposed out and back swim from the public park/beach on the Lexington side of the dam.

Please add a comment to this post if you are interested. If we can get a handful of brave souls we'll put something together.

FYI

2008-06-18T06:30:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let anyone and everyone know that the pool at the Drew will be closed all day on Thursday, June 19th and will reopen as normal on Friday, June 20th at 5:30 a.m. For more info, mash here.

Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series Race #1

2008-06-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day

Bob Wright and his son Jake

Hi all, I raced the first of the CSTS races on Father's Day as a practice race to get ready for Tri the Midlands. The CSTS is in its 17th year and I have participated about 8-10 times over the years. It is a fun local race with some pretty intense rivalries within the Charleston triathlon community. I really needed to complete a swim in good fashion to restore my confidence after my experience at Lake Murray and I was able to complete the 530 meter swim in 11:27 which was my best swim ever in this event. I rode a respectable 21.5 mph bike split but only managed an 8:13 pace on the 5k run so I still have some work left on my comeback. I was fourth in my age group and missed third by about 40 seconds in what seemed to be a slow race. I expected to see a time less than 1:13:00 for third place but instead it was 1:16:17.

I learned later that, David Knight, who is also from Columbia and considering joining FCA-E placed fifth in his age group with a 1:07:26.

Let the swim begin

I am always happy to get on my bike

Almost home

Dad says,"If I could only swim, bike, run well in the same day". Jake says,"Those clouds sure look nice".

Teammates on the mission field

2008-06-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to Columbia teammate Lindsey Lyerly's mission blog (scroll down a little) while he's serving on the mission field in Costa Rica. He's been in Costa Rica for a few days now and is getting adjusted.

Other teammates from Sumpter, Slick and Donna Douglass, will be on the mission field in the country of Ecuador. Let's keep praying for all our teammates in the mission field!

Festival of Flowers

2008-06-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

Talk about HOT!! Every competitor in Festival of Flowers sure has the opportunity to learn a bit about “perseverance” – it was about 95º, windless and sunny on the run. But God answered Jason’s pre-race prayer for safety, and surprisingly few athletes spent any time in the medical tent.

Speaking of tents, everyone is welcome in our FCA-E tent. Not only is it a great place to find encouragement from fellow teammates, but it also affords a smorgasbord of Hammer gel and a modicum of SHADE!

Special thanks to Jody, Jim and Nick’s son for helping out with the booth; and to Jason for a great pre-race prayer.

Behind the scenes: We had the pleasure of re-connecting with Lindsey, meeting his friend Rachel and cheering him on in his FCA-E jersey before he slips off to the mission field for the next few months (prayer welcome!). Several other folks also approached us when they saw the jerseys, expressing interest or announcing that they’d already joined FCA-E as well. Praise God for the work He’s doing! Once again the “sample transition area” for Novices provided a great opportunity to interact with a few folks personally. If you are interested in helping with this, please let us know!

Congrats to Nick Brunson, Ashley Naelon and Donna who placed in their age groups.

Hope to see you at Tri the Midlands or some future race! Please keep the FCA-E initial planning meetings going on tomorrow (Wednesday) for Columbia and Greenville in your plans or in your prayers!

In His grip –The Douglasses

It all started with God doing a bit of painting…

Lindsey cruises effortlessly over the finish line (at the top of a VERY steep hill!)

Rachel, Lindsey, Nick, Jody, Jason and the Douglasses, standing behind Nick’s son who is tempting Chilli Douglass with his half-eaten hamburger.

Dinner Meeting Update

2008-06-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

The meeting Wednesday night went really well. There were 9 of us that were able to make it to the meeting. We all had a lot of fun getting to know one another. Here are some of the items we discussed for those of you who couldn't make the dinner:

The purpose of our team (outreach)
The purpose of the race ministry with Setup Events (team building)
The future of the race ministry and our team's part in supporting the race ministry at a few races in our area next year. It was great to find out that one of our members is a swim coach and has a swim team that can possible volunteer and another member is a youth group leader that can potentially tap into his group for volunteers.
Team training opportunities
Blog authoring

One thing that Bob and I regretted not mentioning in hindsight was emphasizing that the team is not just for triathletes and that we welcome and encourage endurance athletes of all types to join the team.

Dinner Meeting - Wed. June 11th

2008-06-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

We’ve reserved a private room for June the 11th at the Grecian Gardens on HWY 378 in West Columbia starting at 6:00 PM. Feel free to join the meeting at your convenience between 6:00 and 6:30 and leave whenever you’d like. We’re planning an informal time for athletes to get to know one another, and take suggestions and get feedback about the group. Please feel free to invite your spouse if they would like to come also. The address, phone number and link to a map are listed below. We look forward to seeing you there!

Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Grecian+Gardens&near=Columbia,+S+Carolina&fb=1&cid=14085456615919859320&li=lmd&z=14&t=m

Address and Phone:
Grecian Gardens
2312 Sunset Blvd, West Columbia, SC
(803) 794-7552

Interested in Joining FCA-Endurance Columbia Huddle

2008-05-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

We met several people at the Lake Murray Triathlon who expressed interest in joining FCA-Endurance and becoming a member of the Columbia, SC Huddle. If you see this message and would like to join please send me an email at b1wright@yahoo.com. I will be happy to work with you.

Bob Wright

Lake Murray Triathlon

2008-05-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

FCA Endurance had a strong presence at the Lake Murray Triathlon with the packet pickup, novice table, expo tent and 5 athletes competing in the triathlon. The team walked away with two 1st place awards by Donna Douglass in the Women's 35-39 division and Nick Brunson in the Men's 30-34 division. Slick Douglass (pictured left) had another solid showing with 1:26:04 which was good for 18th of 41 in the very competitive Men's 40-44 division.

For one of the team members, Bob Wright, this was a return to the sport after a 2 season hiatus. Here's Bob's account of the race:

"My return to triathlon was not as successful as I had hoped it would be but I managed to finish after getting somewhat sick in the swim. On the first leg I swallowed a bit of lake water in the chop and then started feeling like I couldn’t breathe, so I shed the top to my wet suit in one of the support boats and resumed the swim. I continued to struggle at he beginning of the bike but then settled down and rode pretty strong in the second half ( a little late to get started) and then I cruised the run just to finish that sucker and get the first race behind me. All in all, pretty disappointing but as I told everyone in the FCA tent, if I hadn’t been racing for the FCA team I probably would have stayed in the support boat and never got back in the water. I’ll refocus now and try to do better at Lake Carolina in June."

We all enjoyed a great afternoon together after the race and met several athletes interested in joining the team. Here are some photos of the event:

Bob's time trial position looks very good.

Slick charges out of the water after a nice 13:54 swim

Donna storms past a male competitor on her way to victory

Jody working hard on the run

Nick with his son, Caleb, after crossing the finish line

We cannot confirm or deny if this is Donna exiting the water after the fastest FCA-E swim split of 12:51

Chili, the team mascot

Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler

2008-05-19T05:26:00.001-07:00

Monica ran the Women’s Heart and Sole 5 miler on Saturday May 17 in downtown Columbia. And while she didn’t run a PR she ran a good race placing eighth in her age group and 60th overall with a time of 40:37. This unique, women’s only event pays tribute to the powerful role women play in the health of their families and friends. An event created by women and for women, the Providence Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler donates a portion of its proceeds to help fight heart disease — the number one killer of women. Great race Monica!

Indy Mini-Marathon

2008-05-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

FCA-E athlete Monica Wright recently competed in the Indy 500 Mini-Marathon which is the largest half marathon in the country with over 35,000 competitors. While difficult to set a PR in such a large race, Monica ran a solid 1:58 under less than ideal conditions. According first hand reports from her husband and FCA-E triathlete, Bob Wright, the wind and rain let up just long enough to make the second half of the race very hot for the competitors. Congratulations Monica on a great race!

Langley Pond Triathlon

2008-04-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Both the FCA Endurance athletes and volunteers had a terrific day at Langley Pond even though the weather didn't quite cooperate. Here's an account of the day from the Douglasses:

Great job to all the competitors and volunteers who contributed to a victorious day, despite some unexpected changes, like an hour delay and a slightly truncated bike course…

First, a special thanks to Jody for packet pick-up help, to Jennifer for manning our booth, to Charles and Ray for coordinating the volunteers and to the youth who volunteered – your enthusiasm was noticed and appreciated! All of y’all’s help was invaluable! Also, we owe a special thanks to God for holding the thunderstorms and downpours off just long enough.

Congrats to Donna (1st AG), Tracy (2nd Open Female), Jody (3rd AG), and Nick (4th in the fastest AG).

Behind the scenes: Several new folks expressed interest in the joining the team, and a family of four who were doing their first triathlon as a family event emailed us to express appreciation for the special care given to them by FCA-E teammates. May God be glorified.

We look forward to seeing y’all at Clemson – come by the booth and give Hammer gels a taste test – or join us for the pre-race pasta feed – or contact us to offer your help (or your family’s help). Volunteers are needed for Clemson; the volunteers at Langley Pond had so much fun they asked us if they could help next year.

Race director pre-race blues!

Nick – finishing the International Distance.

The booth with the Douglasses, Jody, and Toby, triathlete and pastor of Christ Community Church Sumter, who was there to do the pre-race prayer.

From Charles Gee, the FCA Area Representative and volunteer coordinator for Langley Pond:

Slick & Donna,

Just wanted to let you guys know how much I enjoyed being a part of the South Carolina Triathlon event at Langley Pond this weekend. It always excites me to find new ways to reach others through the ministry of FCA. Your enthusiasm for our Lord and FCA-Endurance is contagious. I enjoyed our time of fellowship at Olive Oil Friday night and hopefully we can grow the numbers next year. Our volunteers from Lakeside Baptist did an awesome job Saturday and I heard nothing but positive comments. They wereenthusiastic and always had smiles on their faces even in the rain. The participants appreciated their Christ-like attitudes. The highlight for me was for Ray and I to get to carry Jason from the swim portion of the race to his bike. That encouraged and humbled me at the same time. What a great guy!

Thanks for all your efforts and I look forward to working with you again at Hickory Knob later in the season. God Bless.

Teammates in Christ,

Charles Gee, Area Representative, Palmetto FCA

Here are some awesome pictures of Charles, Ray and Jason :