Once we settled on the weekend before Labor Day, the question was Saturday or Sunday. It was decided that Saturday would be best not just to have Sunday to recover but so that people could enjoy a gathering later that night when it was over. August 27, 2011 it was.
Then it's just out there. It's the deadline for all the training. All plans center around it. Don't want to insult all the brides out there but it's a little like your wedding date. The date is set and the weather is going to be what it's going to be. Except in this case, we always knew we had one day of flexibility. If some insane heat wave was in place on the 27th and thunderstorms were clearing them out for cool and clear weather the next day, we'd move to Sunday. Or if there was going to be a huge green mass planted over our region on Iron Day, we could move it a day.
Ten day extended forecasts are probably right about 10% of the time. When August 27 was in range, I started checking it. A lot. I can tell you the prediction would change twice a day at times. At one point, a high of 73 with clouds was predicted (perfect!) at another it was 82 and sunny (less than ideal). Last weekend, weather.com started showing the path then Tropical Storm Irene might take- it wasn't going to hit our area until after the 27th, if it made it this far at all so wasn't too worried about its impact. We know what has happened since then.
August 28th, 2011 is going to be a memorable day for all of New England as Irene cuts a swath right through our middle. If we had picked the 28th for Iron Day we would have made the call early this week that we better move it up a day. Here's the plan for today and tomorrow- wish us luck for Saturday and here's wishing you all the same for Sunday!
Iron Day Timeline and Logistics
Friday/Saturday, August 26 & 27, 2011
Friday, August 26
5pm- Carbo Load Dinner at Foehl home
6pm- Brooks, Tim, Chas and Taylor depart for Great Barrington
Foehl Minivan and Chas car
9pm- Lights out
Saturday, August 27
4:30am- Wake-up
6:00am- Start swim; Chas and Tim support in double kayak
From here, all times approximate!
7:15- End swim
7:30- Start bike loop one from Bock House on Route 57
Brooks, Tim, Chas; Taylor driving support vehicle
11:00- Start bike loop two from Bock House on Route 57
Brooks, Tim, Steve St. Clair; Taylor and John Denne in support vehicle.
2:30pm- Finish bike at end of Rail Trail in Pittsfield
2:45- Start Run- Taylor/John Denne Support Vehicle
Brooks, Christy Abel- 26.2
Chas-last 13
Elizabeth St. Clair
Steve St. Clair
Ann Marie Swann- last 16 miles
7:30-8pm- Finish at Chapin Circle
Thank You Cookout at Foehl home- 184 Longview Terrace
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