2011 Lorain Lakeview Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon Recap

Check out the Back Roads and Beaches Facebook Page for a full catalog of Tri/Du photos from Sunday’s race.

Sunday was the perfect morning for a triathlon/duathlon on Lake Erie. Although it was hot, it was in the 70s and the Lake was calm for the 25th annual Lakeview Tri/Du Sprint. Well over 200 people participated.

Early results read as follows (final results can be found at the NCN Racing website here):

Top three triathlon (overall) finishers:
1. Brooks Butler
2. Ian Sly
3. Scott Mazon

Brooks Butler

Top three women (overall) finishers:
1. Kristen Kovach
2. Hallie Sly
3. Sheri Branum

Jim Galloway

Congratulations and a big thank you to Back Roads and Beaches Tri racer, Jim Galloway who placed 17th overall and 2nd in his age category!







Top three duathlon finishers:

1. Mark Waldecki
2. Chris Latkovich
3. Mike Zizan

Top womens duathlon finishers:
1. Nancy Desmond
2. Joanna Brell
3. Laurie Perduyn

Check out the Back Roads and Beaches Facebook Page for a full catalog of Tri/Du photos from Sunday’s race. Didn’t win a medal? Here’s your chance to win! “Like” the page, find a photo of yourself, competing and tag it. First person to tag themselves will win a free entry to the Back Roads and Beaches 5K Run, Wine and Dine on August 20. Next two,  $10 gift certificates to the Moosehead Grill in Amherst and the following three after that will win Back Roads and Beaches t-shirts.

2010 NCN Lorain Lakeview Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon recap

Almost 200 participants enjoyed near perfect weather for yesterday’s Lorain Lakeview Sprint Triathlon/ Duathlon hosted by NCN Racing. Posted results indicated the overall winner for the sprint triathlon was Jeff Wilson whose overall time was 1:01:31. Second place overall was Brooks Butler with an overall time of 1:02:23. First place, women’s division was Joanne Collins with an overall time of 1:12:20. Second place women's overall went to Angela Ridgel with a time of 1:15:05. First place duathlon men’s division went to Michael Larimer, second to Mark Wladecki. First place duathlon women’s went to Julie Visconsi, second place to Anja Jankowsky. Final results are posted here and more photos from yesterday’s race can be seen in an album at the Back Roads and Beaches Facebook page.

Thank you and congratulations to first place relay team - Back Roads and Beaches!

Scenes from the Lakeview Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon

It was another gorgeous day in north central Ohio and perfect weather for the annual Lorain Sprint Tri/Duo. Here are a few scenes from today’s race at beautiful Lakeview Park and Beach in Lorain. First place overall men’s: Mark Durno with a time of 1:05:16, women’s Joanne Collins with a time of 1:14:56. Click here for complete final results.

Swim

Men’s swim start

Women’s swim start


Bike


Run

Brooks Butler, 2nd place overall finisher approaches the finish line.

Joanne Collins, women’s overall winner

Kimberly Vick and Jessica Steuk tackle the final hill and close in on the finish.

And a great massage to round out the day! Congratulations to all the dedicated athletes who made it out and completed an outstanding feat before most people are out of bed on a Sunday morning!

Weekend full of events around Back Roads and Beaches

Big Parade, Oberlin 2008. Before you hop on your own, check out the groovy bikes
that always show up at the Big Parade in Oberlin!

This is a great weekend to add some flavor to your workout. Take the whole weekend, enjoy some great riding and multi-sport activity and experience some unique events along the way. Here are just a few options that include a healthy dose of the arts, great cuisine, events and history. The following events are right on or just by the Back Roads and Beaches Route.

May 1–2, Freedom’s Light: A Stop on the Underground Railroad, an original play about the Underground Railroad. French Creek Nature Center, 4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village, 7:30pm. $10

May 1-2, Oberlin Dance Company, Premiere of new works by contemporary choreographers. Hall Auditorium, Oberlin College. 8pm.

May 2, The Big Parade and Festival, Tappan Square in Oberlin. The parade will be followed by festivities in Tappan Square. 11 am–4pm

May 2, Oberlin Farmer’s Market opens. Next to the Oberlin City Hall. Fresh produce, grass fed meats, baked goods, honey and more. Organics and locally grown. 9am–1pm

May 2, (Cinco) Dos de Mayo. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo a few days early with the folks at Matus Winery. 15674 Gore Orphanage Rd., Wakeman. 5:30pm (Matus Winery is a short spur off the Back Roads and Beaches route). Check the southwest portion of the map for specific directions.

May 2, Live music from 4–7 and Kentucky Derby Day at Paper Moon Vineyards. Open 12–10pm. (Paper Moon Vineyards is located a short spur off the Back Roads and Beaches Route. Check the northwest portion of map for specific directions)

May 2, Art Exhibit and Auction presented by Common Ground-The Cindy Nord Center for Renewal. Rose Café at Lakeview Park in Lorain. 7pm. Tickets $10.

May 2-3, Breuer Pottery spring open house. One of a kind pottery, wine, hors d’oeuvres and desserts. 47361 West Hamilton St., Oberlin. Breuer Pottery is just west, around the bend from the entrance to the North Coast Inland Trail in Oberlin. You can see their backyard from the bike path. Noon-5pm.

May 3, Cinco de Mayo celebration at Lakeview Park, Lorain. Crafts, games, music. Food vendors. 4–6pm

To find accommodations, dining and other points of interest along the route, click here.

Lorain International Triathlon 2008 Pics and Recap

Yesterday was the annual Lorain International Triathlon at beautiful Lakeview Park. Although it was a very hot day, the skies were just cloudy enough to keep participants cool in the early morning hours.

Women take off for swim leg of sprint distance triathlon.

Sprint distance swimmers exit the water at Lakeview Park.



International distance men and women head into Lake Erie for their 1.5k swim.

Patty Banks, womens overall sprint distance winner charges to the finish line for the final leg of the triathlon.


First three international swimmers out of the water. From left: Dave Garrett (finished 1st place overall international distance), Josh Brown (finished 3rd place overall international distance), Denise Vanek (finished 2nd place women's international distance)


Jodi Thomson, women's overall international 1st place winner finishes her bike and heads into the transition area to begin the run portion of the triathlon.

Click here for complete results of the 2008 Lorain International/Sprint Triathlon.
Click here for more photos of yesterday's exciting race.

Annual Lorain Sprint/International Triathlon this Sunday

Lakeview Park fountain
Originally uploaded by ronnie44052

Lakeview Park Photo by Rona Proudfoot

Triathletes will again get great views of Lake Erie this Sunday, August 24, 2008, only this time the race will be in Lorain, Ohio. Racers will begin at Lorain’s beautiful Lakeview Park with a swim in Lake Erie followed by bike and run through parts of Lorain and along Lake Erie. Racing begins at 8am. Click here for more information including registration information. For more information on area lodging, check out the Lorain County Visitors Bureau website here.

Lorain Summer Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon

It was a beautiful morning for a triathlon at Lakeview Park in Lorain. Here are a few scenes from this morning’s race. Click here for more photos. Click here for complete race results.

Lifeguards oversee the swim portion of the race.

First place overall, James Lamastra with a smokin’ time of 58:26

Dave Garrett [left] runs to a 2nd place overall and [right] accepts his trophy. Dave’s time: 1:04:08

First place, women’s, Liz Ferro with a time of 1:10:37

A winning team: Will Stevans and Sebastian Vittardi

Summer Fun!

Lakeview Beach photo by Holly Miller-McGuire

The weather is really heating up in North Central Ohio. Cyclists are out on the BRaB route and we’re starting to see many groups coming through to explore the Underground Railroad, the arts and local culture while enjoying the scenic cycling route. Here are a few great upcoming events along the route this week:

Saturday, June 7: Lakeview Park, Lorain, 12–4pm. Food, games, crafts and a steel drum band concert. 440.458.5121 www.loraincountymetroparks.com

Saturday, June 7: Oberlin’s Farmers Market, located next to City Hall, Oberlin, 9am–1pm. Locally grown and prepared foods. 440-775-2423 | www.oberlin.org

See below for more ongoing events, exhibits and gallery events.

Weekend Fun Rolls On

Riding the Back Roads and Beaches Bike Route from Oberlin—Vermilion—Lorain, we found lots of activity, cyclists and great weather. Here are a few scenes from the route:


The town of Oberlin is buzzing with visitors and cyclists. This is one of the busiest of the year as Oberlin College prepares for commencement on Monday. The weekend is jam packed with tours, events, performances and programs all over town. Click here for a schedule.


We stopped by the Weltzheimer-Johnson House which was hosting tours. The house is known as the “Frank Lloyd Wright House” in Oberlin. It was designed in 1948 and is the first Usonian house in Ohio and one of the few open to the public. The house is open again today for tours.


We spotted these two way up, enjoying the day with a bird's eye view.


At the Oberlin Heritage Center's Little Red Schoolhouse. Oberlin Heritage Center is hosting great weekend events, walking tours and children's activities.



Along the Lorain County Metro Parks' North Coast Inland Trail, right by Breuer Pottery we saw a lot of cycling activity including the dreaded mechanical problem!


Near Kipton Community Park


Further north, we hit the town of Vermilion where we found beach lovers enjoying a beautiful sunset at the Inland Seas Maritime Museum.


And in Lorain as well, families, children and cyclists were enjoying the sunset at Lakeview Park and the Rose Cafe, which has awesome views of Lake Erie.


Sailboats are back at local marinas. We found lots of boaters enjoying the beautiful sunset to cap off their day of sailing.


The Lorain Lighthouse was the sight of exciting tours yesterday. More tours are scheduled throughout the summer.

We found this guy looking for supper along the shores of Lake Erie in Lorain. What a beautiful day along the Back Roads and Beaches route! Today promises to be even better!

Winter's not so bad

Yes, it's February and you're probably itchin' to get out there and get moving. It's been COLD here in north central Ohio! BUT, the good part is, there is still a lot to do outside. Take a hike in one of Lorain County's fine Metro Parks or Findley State Park. Findley is a great place to cross country ski, snowshoe or take a winter hike.

Or, attend one of the Lorain County Metro Parks great winter events. The French Creek Nature Center will be the site of a distance learning program, "Meet the Musher," on February 27, from 2–3pm. A real-life musher will describe what it's like to be part of a sled dog race and how to get the dogs ready for a race. For information, call 440.949.5200.

Got a long holiday weekend? Combine your outdoor experience with one of the following things to do along the Back Roads and Beaches Route:

Lorain

Lakeview Park Photo: ©Mark Teleha

Lakeview Beach: Lake Erie's beautiful winter landscape from here can be stunning. Frozen views of the Lorain Lighthouse are spectacular. The new Rose Cafe is now open. From here you can enjoy a meal or Sunday brunch from the warmth of this cozy new hot spot.

Jackalope Restaurant: Another great spot to get in out of the cold and warm up with awesome views of Lake Erie and the Lorain Lighthouse.

Oberlin
Back Roads and Beaches is all about combining outdoor adventure with the arts, history and culture. This weekend is an especially good time to experience all these in Oberlin.

February 5–March 23: Carroll Dunham Prints
Oberlin College Allen Art Museum, Ripin Gallery.
Carroll Dunham (b. 1949) is one of the most prolific printmakers of his generation. This survey exhibition of Dunham's graphic work is drawn entirely from the holdings at the Addison Gallery of American Art and documents the artist's engagement with printmaking from the mid-1980s to the present. A prolific and inventive draftsman and painter, Dunham combines abstraction, biomorphism, and cartooning in a lively and playful way to explore a wide range of images that he adapts to the special demands of the printmaking medium. Dunham's graphic vocabulary is broad and the present exhibition includes lithographs, etchings, wood engravings, screenprints and recent monotypes. Dunham will be on campus during February to lecture and work with Oberlin College students.

Saturday, February 16, 8pm: Evening of Song, Oberlin College. Mezzo-soprano Keri Alkema will present a program of songs by Mozart, Rossini, Turina, Ravel and others. Warner Concert Hall, 77 W. College St., Oberlin. Tickets are $5 and available by calling Oberlin's Ticket Service at 440.775.8169

February 17–March 28: Six-State Photography show. This Sunday, join the staff of FAVA at the opening reception at the FAVA Gallery. For more information call, 440.774.7158

Sunday, Feb 17, 12pm–5pm: Conversational Tour of the Weltzheimer-Johnson House (Morgan St., Oberlin). The Weltzheimer/Johnson House at Oberlin College is a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian House that sits on a 3 acre lot several blocks from campus. Designed in 1948 and completed in 1950, it is the first Usonian house in Ohio and one of the few in the nation open to the public.

For more information, visit http://www.oberlin.edu/amam/flwright.html

Check out the following wineries which have a variety of special events such as Lenten fish frys, live entertainment and Valentine dinners:
Matus Winery,
Single Tree Winery

While in town, check out fine galleries, shops and restaurants.

If that's still not enough to keep you moving this month, keep in mind, in a few short months, you'll want to be in great shape for the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure in June and the Vermilion Harbor Triathlon in August. Both will be utilizing portions of the Back Road and Beaches Route. So keep checking back for more information and updates. As the weather warms up, so too will the activity along BRaB!

Fall Splendor along the Back Roads and Beaches Bike Route

The colors of autumn are just starting to appear along the rural roads of the Back Roads and Beaches Route. The great thing about this time of the year is that riders can enjoy the beauty of the season while temps are still very pleasant. In fact, this weekend's weather promises to be absolutely beautiful with sunny highs in the mid 70s.

This time of year is also great for spectacular sunsets along the Lake Erie shoreline. The photo at left is the view from the Jackalope Restaurant.

On Sunday, September 23, the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Half Marathon will be taking place begins in Vermilion and heads to Lakeview Park in Lorain. Racers who feel they can't complete the entire 13 miles can enter with four friends and compete as a five person relay team.

Lorain Triathlon

NCN Racing's Lorain Triathlon at Lakeview Park in Lorain started out stormy but quickly turned into another beautiful day on Lake Erie in Lorain. By the time sprint and international runners started, the sun was shining brightly again for a photo finish. Participants came from all over Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana. Scenes from the Lorain Triathlon, Sunday, August 26.

Adam Kuncel, overall International winner crosses finish line results

Sprint swimmers start while storm looms
(Pam Horvath photo)

Jim Janasko catches his breath (in the pouring rain) after being the first
international swimmer out of the water at Lakeview Park. And-he's on the LCVB team!
Do we smell a "ringer?" Nah--he's our insurance agent!
photo by Pam Horvath.

LCVB sprint team runner, Zach Collins just after crossing the finish line.
Zach finished the run in around 19 minutes! Good job Zach!


We get by with a little help from our friends!
LCVB team members Rona Proudfoot, Mark Kernohan, Jim Janasko,Jim Galloway and Zach Collins (Barb Bickel not pictured). See more of the Lorain Triathlon and Rona's great photos here. Not only can she run, but she's quickly gaining well-deserved notice for her awesome photos, especially of Lorain. Both LCVB teams won first in their team classes!