The Baltimore Area Triathlon Club is a multi-sport athletic club based in Baltimore, Maryland. Our club offers guidance and support to people of all ages and abilities who participate in one or more endurance sports.
Our focus is on running, cycling, and swimming, but we participate in many other activities as well. The Club believes that a healthy participation in athletics allows a person to achieve their potential, both physically and emotionally. And as a club, we provide information, support, coaching, and friendship to all who come our way.
Please go here and look at the proposed new bylaws of the club that the board of directors has drafted. They are more legal-ish to reflect the more organized nature of our club. Please read them and send a yes or no vote on adopting these new bylaws to
May 3rd 2009 - Nanticoke River Swim and Triathlon
Sunday May 3rd was one of the first races of the season for the Baltimore Area people, there were a good number of BATC members racing at the Nanticoke River Swim and Tri. The race is on eastern shore and you can assume it ai flat bike and run. Along with the race is a 1 mile or 3 mile open water swim held, a good option for people gearing up for the Chesapeake Bay Swim.
And how did they do? Pretty well, Stacy Karwacki was the 1st woman and 6th overall, using the 4th fastest female swim and 3rd fastest bike to hold off the field.
Dejan Ernestl was 4th overall, missing the podium by a minute or so. Being European, Dejan refuses to use aero bars claiming they are declasse' and he would rather look cool than get on the podium.
Well, that's an exaggeration on my part, but how fast would he be with aerobars? Dejan ended up 1st in his age group, edging it out by only five seconds.
Andrea Mathias was 2nd in her age group, she was more than 9 minutes faster than last year but held the same spot in her age group from 2008.
And the Sarubins, Murray and Susan each took 2nd in their age groups. Susan in the women 50 - 54 and Murray in the 65 - 69 age group.
March 28th - New Triathlete Program Launch Meeting
The next event and official launch for the new triathletes program is set for Saturday March 28th 10:30 AM at Conte Bikes in Bel Air. The new triathletes program is for people new to the sport, or perhaps not so new, and includes a weekly group workout, you are matched up with a mentor and given a training plan to get you ready for a triathlon or duathlon in late May or Early June, all this for an extra $25 after you become a BATC member.
We will be using the Conte's conference room for a little practice and presentation.
The practice will be changing a bike tube. This is what is most commonly done when we have a flat. You'll take the wheel off of your bike, deflate and remove the tube, replace the tube, reseat the tire and put it back on your bike. Flats happen and this is an important skill for you to have for goup rides but also for any ride you go on.. There will be at least two experienced tire tube changers there to guide you along. A lot of people have seen it done or know in theory how to change a tube, but there is nothing like actual practice to give you confidence in doing it.
We'll also go through road riding safety and group riding etiquette.
After all that, around 12:30 PM, you can grab a quick bite at any number of places to eat in the shopping center and we will for a for a ride of about and hour and 15 minutes give or take. As a new triathlete ride, you won't be left alone at the back of the pack.
Please let me know if you plan on coming. All club members are welcome but please remember that paid members of the new triathletes program will be the focus.
If you want more information on this workout or the new triathletes program please let me know by email
March 11 -- March Meeting
The club held its March meeting at the MAC in Timonium on Wednesday evening. Our guest speaker was Dr. John Davidson, D.C., CSCS of Ultimate Health who spoke on repetitive use injuries, including strategies for prevention and treatment of these injuries. The presentation included a demonstration of Active Release Techniques (ART) and a series of stretching techniques for upper and lower body to target areas often injured by endurance athletes. The club members also discussed plans for upcoming meetings, group workouts, and commencement of the new triathlete's program for 2009. Anyone interested in learning more about the new triathlete's program should contact Kevin Joubert at .
January 29 - Season Kickoff Meeting
The club held its first meeting for the 2009 season at the MAC Harbor East on Wednesday evening. Club memebers were given a demonstration of maximal oxygen consumption testing (VO2 Max) on a treadmill and discussed with the group how to use the VO2Max data to optimize training for triathlon. The members also elected a new slate of officers and board members for 2009. The new officers and board members are
President - Stacy Karwacki Treasurer - Sheryl Marshall
Registrar - Kevin Joubert
Group Workout Director - Ray Reed
At-large board members:
Michael Wyatt Laveta Stewart Juda Mcgannon Linda Thomas - Alternate
July 27th - New Jersey State Triathlon
The BATC had a reasonable turnout at the New Jersey State Triathlon. The race is put on by cgi racnig and every report I hear about their races is good. There was a sprint and an olympic distance race here that featured a few BATCers. In the sprint distance race, Mandy Hudson was rockin some new aerobars and took 1st in the 35-39 age group. Ann Lerch was also racing for the honor of our club.
In the olympic distance race we had Leslie Miller, Kristen Wesolowski, and Madalyn Cook. Kristen is the peron who organized our jersey order and deserves our thanks for all of that, yet she seems to have decided to wear somethnig that matches her helmet for the race instead of her club jersey. Congratulations to everyone at this race.
July 26th - Hagerstown Sprint Triathlon
Not a huge turnout at this race, just two important ones. Robyn Williams and Hanita Sawhney both did their first triathlon at the race. Congratulatiosn to both of them! they did the race to help get over the first race jitters and word is they had a fun time.
July 13th - Xterra Off Road Tri
One brave soul was in this race, John Sanders is a mountain bike nut and went out to do this race and scored a top ten in his age group. Everyone who does these races say they are a ton of fun, it should be on all of our lists.
July 12th 2008 - Diamond in the Rough Triathlon
The BATC had a very strong showing at the Diamond in the Rough Tri. Being right in our back yard certainly helps us get out there. The Diamond in the Rough Tri is an international distance race, pretty close to olympic distance but not exactly. The distances are a 1 mile swim , 27 mile bike and 5 mile run. The most remarkable thing about the race is a climb at the 22 mile point that is roughly 1 mile alltogether and averages 7% according to the race director, a nice challenge.
There were 21 BATCers racing and another 2 volunteering, so a big crowd of us. This was also the 1st race with our spanking new club jerseys which you can see in the picture below. Results-wise we had some good performances as well. Stacy Karwacki won the women's division for one, that was pretty good. Also Jeremy Mccallum and Dejan Ernestl won their age groups. John Eisenhardt was 2nd in the 35-39 age group. And then Murray Sarubin, the BATCs official sedation dentist, was third in the 65-69 age group. In total, we scored 43 points for the Piranha-sports club challenge and moved us into1st place!
And what is the club challenge? A year-long series of races where the clubs compete for 1,750 in prize money. We were 2nd in the challenge last year and used the $500 we won to help pay for the new club jerseys, that's why they were so inexpensive. YOU can help the club out, just by finishing a piranha-sports race you score a point for the BATC in the challenge. If you get a top three in your age group you score even more points. Looking at the standing we are just ahead of the T3 club who won last year and is sure to make a big move at the end of the season with the races in their area. The next opportunity to help the club will be at the Lum's Pond Triathlon on August 17th just over the Maryaldn line, the race is 65 minutes from Towson so is an easy morning-of drive. In fact I know there will be at least one carpool going up there. You can register at www.piranha-sports.com, you can even click here to see who from the BATC is registered.
July 6, 2008 Swim / Bike / Run Workout
We had a great turnout for this morning's swim/bike/run workout at Gunpowder Falls State Park. Over 50 of Baltimore's finest triathletes participated in either a sprint or quasi-olympic distance workout, many prepping for next weekends' Diamond in the Rough Triathlon. Although it was hot and muggy, 22 BATC members cooled down with the traditional post-workout Gatorade.
6-14 and 6-15-08 St Andrews Triathlon in Middletown, DE and Tri to Win Triathlon in Westminster, MD
This weekend had a couple of local races, the St. Andrews triathlon is an old race but a small triathlon in Northern, DE. One of the ageless wonders, Mike MConnell won the 55-59 age group at this race. The Somervilles were there too, Scott and Mimi, and Linda Thomas is on her way back to racing after some injuries.
On Father's Day was the Tri to Win Triathlon in Westminster. This one has a pool swim, hilly bike and a run with one long hill in it. In 2007, it was won by BATC's own OJ Keller. Not quite a win this year but Kelli Rostkowski was 2nd in the 25 - 29 age group. Debra Cogan finally got around to doing the triathlon she has been trying to schedule since last year, and Al Grintalis doing one of his first triathlons was there as well. And one curiosity in the results, Kendel Ehrlich from Annapolis did the race. Was that former Maryland First Lady Kendel Ehrlich? I don't know, but maybe we will see a political showdown soon, Republican Kendel Ehrlich and DC's Democrat Mayor Fenty could go at it, Mrs. Ehrlich would of course be given a head start. Mayor Fenty is actually a pretty darn good triathlete.
Dejan Ernestl was 4th overall, missing the podium by a minute or so. Being European, Dejan refuses to use aero bars claiming they are declasse' and he would rather look cool than get on the podium.
