Wednesday, September 10, 2003
|
Wednesday, September 10, 2003 |
|
Triathlon support group gearing up
By MONROE
ROARK A most unique support group has surfaced in Fayette County. A group of local athletes preparing for this weekend’s Tri-Peachtree city triathlon has been training together for several months in an effort to help each other get ready for one of the most grueling events any of them will ever participate in. They share a common goal and a common thread — all of them call Providence United Methodist Church their home church. About 10 people from the church have signed up to compete, according to Jim Ellison, senior minister at Providence UMC. He decided to jump in when his trainer suggested it, although he is not what one would consider an extreme athlete. “I ran one marathon,” he said. “That was plenty.” The group meets every week to run, bike and swim together. It is important for all of the group to include all phases of the competition, Ellison said, especially the transition from biking to running. Two of the 10 have previous triathlon experience, he added. They will start together, but they will not finish that way. The members of this group range from “very good” to “not as good,” Ellison said, and they will spread out fairly soon after the start. As for Ellison’s own strategy? “I’m going to start slow, then taper off,” he laughed. Ellison, a Fayette native and McIntosh High graduate, founded Providence in 1995 with eight families. There are more than 400 families at the church now, he said. He just came off a one-year sabbatical. Regardless of their finish times, the Providence triathlon support group plans to celebrate its participation with a cookout Saturday night. The first annual Tri-Peachtree City triathlon is scheduled to start Saturday at 7 a.m. at Drake Field, next to City Hall, and consists of a half-mile swim in Lake Peachtree, a 12-mile bike ride through the city and a 3.8-mile run. The event ends at Drake Field. Awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers overall as well as the top three in each age group and the top three masters finishers. Organizers for the event will follow all USAT rules during the competition. For complete information, visit www.tri-ptc.com.
Back
to the Top of the Page
|
