Last Tri of the Year in Atlantic City

Just the facts:

71st overall

7th in Age Group

1 Mile Swim, 20 mile bike, & 6.2 mile run

Swim:  30:39

T1:  2.29

Bike:  54:24 (22 MPH)

T2:  2.22

Run:  44:20

TOTAL:  2:14.16

This would be a nice and easy race for me.  Admittedly, I had not trained much since the Wildwood Triathlon on August 17.  Between vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and back to school time in our house, I just did not make training a huge priority.  It showed with the results this year.  I was over 7 minutes slower, mostly on the run.  All of the Delmo Sports races are awesome in their own way, but Atlantic City Triathlon is quickly becoming one of my favorite races.  It is at the perfect time of year, late summer.  Temps are usually dropping, the water is still warm, and humidity is low….perfect conditions.

This year you would rack your bike on Saturday, the day before the race.  I was also taking a fellow PTC'er's bike with me and I had Kristina and Emma along as team support.  We headed to AC on Saturday afternoon.  It is the AC Seafood Festival as well as check-in for the triathletes, so Bader Field is a little busy.  Bader Field was super easy to navigate with plenty of FREE parking for athletes.  After check-in we caught Stephen DelMonte's race review and see Tom Knoll, he is an original Ironman.

I had promised the girls we would hit the boardwalk for some rides on Saturday night.  It wound up being a late night, and I did not get to bed until 11:30pm, way to late.  The alarm would go off at 4:15AM!  It is a 40 minute ride to AC from my parents house, so I wanted to hit the road by 4:30.  I got up to AC by 5:15AM and cruised right into the parking lot.  I was in transition and set up by 5:30AM.  Now I just had to relax.

DelMo has adopted a no wave swim start.  You basically line up in the honor system, fast people at the front, average swimmer in the middle, and those just there to enjoy the day towards the back.  This year, the Mid-Atlantic Para Triathlon Championship would be happening at AC.  DelMo did this part the best.  All the Para Triathletes would hit the water first.  The rest of the athletes would wait along the shore line cheering for these awesome and inspirational athletes.   It was my favorite part of the day.  Watching these athletes swim in a competition that determines a champion!  If a picture tells a 1,000 words, then what does this picture tell us. Here is Rob Winder and athlete Jessica Rogers.  I would love to see the Go Pro video of that.  Rob has the camera on his head.

Watching the Para Triathletes was inspirational and loud.  Everyone was going crazy on the shore line.  Once all the Para athletes finished DelMo had the sprint athletes start then the olympic athletes.  The swim would be in the back bay, protected from the waves of the ocean that almost killed two years ago (the swim was cancelled AFTER I went into the water).  The swim was a little different than last year, but used the same basic rectangle.  The best part about DelMo Sports is their concern for the athletes.  Once again, plenty of lifeguards in the water and along the shoreline at the exit.  The run to T1 was better than last year, carpeted exit path and T1 was on grass.  I am on the far right starting my Garmin.

Once I changed and got ready for the bike I headed towards Albany Ave.  Heading out of T1 there was a little gravel, but plenty of volunteers to point it out so you noticed it.  We exited Bader Field and Rt 40/322 Albany Ave and headed West towards the Atlantic City Expressway.  We entered the ACE at exit 2.  It is awesome to ride on the ACE with hardly any cars on it since the right lanes are closed and we ride in the right lane and shoulder.  We exit at #4, cross over the ACE, and re-enter at exit 4 heading east directly into Atlantic City.  Once into AC, we make a short loop on the exit ramp and turn around heading Westbound again towards exit 4.  Once you get to exit 4 you just loop around the off ramp and exit the ACE at #2 and return to Bader Field.  A nice easy 20-miler on the bike in and out of AC.  Coming into t2, again plenty of police, volunteers, and DelMo staff on hand.  

Once I got to my rack, I put my bike up and got dressed for the run.  I was moving OK, but my feet were sweaty and I had a hard time getting on my Zoot racing flats because the grip of my wet feet.  Once I got done dorking around in T2, I hit the run.  The run course was the same as last year, a nice run along the boardwalk.  Running to the boardwalk was a little crazy.  Some of the roads were opened to traffic, but with police controlling to flow.  Sometimes the drivers paid no attention to the police.  I had no issues and made sure to thank the officers each time I passed them.  I felt OK running and noticed many people with their Philadelphia Triathlon Club race kits on.  

After the race I had to head back to my parents and could not stay at the awards ceremony.    The Jersey Girls won the club challenge from I Tri 4 Downs.  They had the most participants competing.

I now start to transition to fall running on the trails and the road.  I still may decide to do a fall marathon, but I am focusing on the trails.

PS--Challenge Atlantic City was announced the other day and of course I signed up.  Challenge is another ultra distance triathlon company, like WTC and the Ironman brand.  Stephen Delmonte and DelMo Sports is going to be the co-race director of this iconic race, so you know it will rock!

Wildman

Short recap:
Swim 9:23
T1 2:43
Bike 28:18
T2 2:21
Run 20:03 a PR for a 5K
1:02:50

On August 17th I participated again in one of my favorite races of the season, the Wildoood Triathlon.  It is at the South Jersey shore and close to my parents house.  I have been going to Wildwood for my whole life, so I feel like it is a home race for me.  To make it extra special, I Tri 4 Downs was the presenting sponsor for the Wildman/women program, a contest for Tri clubs to see who had the most participants.

We picked up my stuff the day before, as recommended, on our way to the boardwalk with the kids.  Race day was just perfect weather.  As always Stephen DelMonte of Delmo Sports was right on top of everything.  We were able to put up a tent in the tri club area since we were a sponsor of the club challenge.  We had the America Flag flying high, and the pirate flag flying low...because sometimes we race like a pirate and try and take no prisoners....a goal for today.  My secret goal was to finish high enough to qualify for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship.  I had qualified for this year, but just could not pull it off so close to Ironman Lake Placid.

DelMo Sports has adopted a new swim start procedure for their races, no waves, you start when you want based on your ability.  They send people into the ocean in groups of 10 at a time.  Most athletes I overheard talking before really like it.  Your clock does not start until you start, so at the end of the day it really does not matter.  The swim was great.  You ran south on the beach for  little bit then headed into the water.  The waves were great!  Once you made it past the breakers, the swells were fantastic.  I made it through in 9:23, not to bad for an ocean swim.

The run into T1 is on soft sand, so it is a great equalizer as far as I am concerned.  I got to my bike and out of the wetsuit in ok time.  Since it is a sprint, I have no drink or food to worry about on the bike.  The bike course was new this year.  No more "loops" around the Central Avenue.  This year we hugged the shore line and then headed out to Stone Harbor, NJ.  It was much better for just trying to hammer for a good portion of the race.  The turns are not real technical, just sweeping with plenty of room.  Plenty of Police, volunteers, and spectators for 5 of the 10 miles.

The run is my best event in a tri, so I love a beach run, especially in Wildwood because I run the beach just about every weekend of the summer.  I got off the bike feeling good and ready.  I knew I would be close to finish in under 1:05, my goal.  My bike rack in transition was close to the bike out sign so I had plenty of room to get my legs heading out to the run.  You ran back toward the ocean for the hard packed sand coming out of T2.  You head south along the beach, then head into the boardwalk to go north along the boardwalk to the finish.  Running along the beach, I was pacing off a young girl in front of me and another guy.  I remember saying to him something about how small girls can generate so much power when running.  Then I looked at his leg and he was 40, breathing hard already (we were only .25 miles in), and I thought to myself "see ya dude" what am I holding back for.  Before we hit the turn to the boardwalk I had reeled in the girl in front of me and was cruising on the boardwalk.  I made it passed a few people along the boardwalk, but at this point everyone was pretty fit, hard swimmer, and bikers I assumed.  Coming in and out of the piers with the rides is awesome.  Here I am heading out of Mariners Landing.

Coming off the boardwalk to the finish, I saw Cathy and our friend Karen Halm, both volunteering as part of I Tri 4 Downs.  I came down to the finish having run my fastest 5K ever, 20:03.  The best part was that Kristina put my finisher medal on, because she volunteered as well.

All the crew volunteering!

This is without a doubt one of my favorite races of the year.  It was the 2nd of the three DelMo Sports Races, next up Atlantic City International Triathlon!

IRONMAN....again!

Well I'll cut to the chase.....I made it through Ironman Lake Placid again, and felt some redemption after last years medical DNF.

Time 11:51:19...A PR by 1:12 seconds, hey better than getting slower.

The swim:  Ironman had a new start this year.  A rolling start like in a road running race.  I know some athletes did not like this, I could hear them at the athletes meeting saying so, but I liked it.  I don't really enjoy the swimming for over an hour and fifteen minutes, so I like not getting kicked or swam over in a mass start.  At the athlete meeting, the swim director promised everyone that if we self seeded honestly, the swim times would be faster.  Well, I was honest and went into the 1:15-1:20 section, and toward the back.   When my wave went into the water I had plenty of space, never contacted another person until the final turn at lap 1 and at the finish.  Came out of the water in 1:18:17, faster than last year but with less energy spent.  Perfect and under my goal of 1:20, I didn't even notice it was raining a little.

I'm on the right.

T1 is a long way from the swim exit.  After exiting the water I found a young looking guy to yank the wet suit off.  Getting into T1 is great.  You grab your bike gear bag and head into the tent to get changed.  In the tent the volunteer that helped me was awesome.  He got me everything I needed.  When I came out of the tent it was still raining, but the volunteer at the rack had my bike ready to go.

The bike starts off with a fast downhill, and with the rain I was going to take it super slow.  Plus my family would be at the bottom of Colden Ave and Mill Pond Drive right in front of the Ambulance Station.  Colden and Mill Pond is just before you make the right turn onto Route 73 and head out of town.  I had promised Cathy on Friday that I would take the first lap of the bike easy and enjoy the scenery.  

Heading out for Lap 2

Team support on the bike

I would sit up and take it all in during the bike and enjoy the 6 hours as best I could.  The beginning of the ride you roll up and out of town, then head down the descent where you can hit 45 mph with no problems.   The rain slowed me down here but that was OK.  The first 35 miles of the bike are not too bad, lots of great views and towns.  Miles 35-41 are tough, especially on the second loop at mile 91-97ish.  It is 6 miles of steady climbing.  No one hill is tough, but it just goes on and on.  You look at your odometer and you are only going 10-14 MPH, it is mentally challenging, especially on lap two.  The ride up the "Notch" before town I don't mind as much as this 6 mile section.  I hit my special needs bag for a little bottle of Mountain Dew and Milky Way bar..yummy.  That was a nice pick me up...I did restock my bike with drinks also.  Last year, I "crashed" with about 25 miles to go on the bike and really didn't remember the last 10 miles coming into town.  So I did not want a repeat of that.  I rode steady and calm, drank plenty of water and Gatorade, and ate when I was hungry.  The sun did finally come out for about 4 hours of the bike.  Had no issues with my bike mechanically or physically.  Bike time:  6:11:40

T2 was a little crazy and crowded.  It is a little tough standing upright after riding in areo position for so long, so everyone kind of looks like The Hunchback of Notre Dame when they first get off the bike.  I had another great volunteer who helped me out and made sure I had everything.  Last year I kind of passed out in the change tent so I was glad to be moving so well.  I made sure I  got to the sun-screeners this year before I left the T2 area.

The run:  The beginning of the run is awesome once you can stand straight.  You head out of the Olympic Oval and go downhill through town.  Its almost 2 miles of crowds going crazy.  I saw my crew right at the corner of Mill Pond Dr and Route 73, only .5 miles from the start of the marathon.  Once you get out passed the Horse Show Grounds, it starts to get a little lonely on the out and back of River Road since the only crowds are the aid stations.  Coming back into town and up the two big climbs around mile 12 the crowds are insane.  You really get a boost from it all.  Plus you can already here Mike Reilly announcing the really fast athletes.  The first loop I really stayed calm and paced easy.  I did it in 1:50 according to my Garmin.  

The second loop is tough.  It is a dog fight.  I felt like the 1988 Mike Tyson was hitting me, not the 2004 Mike Tyson.  When I saw Cathy, my parents, and kids again I got a nice boost, but still had almost 13 miles to go.  I made it mile 15 before I started to walk the aid stations.  Along River Road there were lots of walkers already, including me.  It seemed like the entire run I was around the same 20 people, some on the first loop and some on the second.  It was an alternation between walking the aid station, then run for as long as I could.  I hit mile 20 then went into the hurt locker.  I started the mental task of calculating how long it would be if I walked it in.  This is the tough part of Ironman, not giving in to the mental side.  My body felt ok, but my mind was playing tricks on me.  I would try and not listen, but its tough.  

Coming off River Road and up the hill I finally knew I was under 3 miles to go and was 3:30 into the marathon, give or take some time.  Going passed the Horse Show Grounds I was hurting and at mile 23.5.  The crowds really help you along this part.  I hit the aid station near Mill Pond Road and the lumber yard, lots of Philadelphia Triathlon Club members, that helped thanks to Jimmy Deom, who ran next to me for a few yards shouting encouragement.  The last two hills are long and steep.  I had to walk the first one, but got moving on the second.  Turning right onto Mirror Lake Drive I knew I was under 1.5 miles to go.  The crowds are awesome and I saw Matt Long crossing the street.  I made the final turnaround and knew I was close, but I was hurting.  For the last 10 miles I was slipping sponges into my race kit, ice down my back, cola, oranges, anything I could to stay hydrated and cool.  As you get close to the oval, you hear Mike Reilly calling everyone.  I started drifting over to the side of the street that says finish with a right turn arrow.  As you do that, the crowd really gets loud for you.  Making that right  towards the oval was awesome.  I entered the oval and was on cloud 9.  I almost forgot how bad I was hurting.  As I got close to the finish, I looked over and saw my family...that was great.  Crossing the line again was fantastic, 4:07:56!  I was healthy and happy to be done.  The volunteers at the finish really take car of you, making sure you are ok and have what you need.  I can't say enough about them.

I told Cathy after that next year I may only do 70.3 distances as well as local races.  Training for Ironman takes alot of time, and my kids are at the age where they have a lot of activities on the weekends, so we will see.  I did also say that 2015 I would do the new Boulder Ironman, since I want to visit that area anyway.

Best Triathlon EVER!

I had the great pleasure of learning about this race by accident.  I follow Team Long Brothers on Facebook, and noticed them post about a triathlon they would be doing in Allentown, PA at the end of June.  I thought it might be cool to day trip it up there with the kids so we could watch the Long Brothers in action.  I looked into the event and who was organizing it and was amazed at what I read.

Mikayla’s Voice was the organization that was putting on this AWESOME event called Tri for Inclusion.   “Mikayla’s Voice Tri for Inclusion is much more than a race. It is a priceless opportunity for all children and young adults and an important message for our community. Kids of all abilities have the opportunity to compete side-by-side and together in something they had likely not dreamed possible or ever planned to do. Kids are able to sign up to compete in the swim, bike and run ~ or just one event as part of a relay team. Their efforts show our entire community that there is always a way to include everyone in everything.”  Basically it was a triathlon for any and everybody, no matter if the child was disabled or not, participating side-by-side.

I had long thought about doing a triathlon with Kristina and watched many you tube clips of parents/siblings doing them with their disabled athlete, like the Hoyt's.  I always figured I could tow her in a raft, tow her in a buggy on the bike, and she could run/jog /walk with me on the run.  I talked to Kristina about wanting to do it and she was all for it.  Having done the Ironkids race the last two years in Lake Placid, she wanted to try all three.  Emma overheard us talking and asked if she could do it as well.  Next thing I knew, my niece Brenna was also interested and now we had an official team.  Conor was a little too young and was very pissed about that, because he really wanted to do it.

I emailed Kim from Mikayla’s Voice to ask about I Tri 4 Downs being a sponsor of the event since it seemed right in line with what we like to do.  I asked the Board of I Tri 4 Downs, and we became one of the main sponsors of the day.  We wound up having all five of us going up, as well as Karen Halm, a Board Member and good friend.  Brenna got sick and could not make it. 

Before the event, I was talking to a donor to I Tri 4 Downs and telling him about this event.  I told him I thought I was going to buy a Tag-along Bike for Kristina to try.  Since she is 13 now, and a little too big for the buggy, I wanted her to feel like she was one a real bike.  That conversation turned into him giving me his old Ally Cat bike that his grand kids had outgrown.  I also got her a seat back with a belt system to make her more secured.  Kristina loved it!  We practiced while we were on vacation before the big day.

Heading into transition

This is quite different.  Race day came and I was not nervous or anxious.  I figured I could handle the 75yard swim, 3 mile bike, and .6 mile run with no problem….Kristina and Emma on the other hand had no idea what to expect.  The first two waves for the swim were all the kids that needed to be in a raft getting towed.  What a sight to see, the smiles on those kids faces was no different then the smile I have during a race.  Kristina was wave three, since I was her chaperone I could go in the water with her.  She did awesome, swam all 75 yards without any help from me.  Emma was wave 8 and would be going solo.  Cathy and Karen saw her and said her goggles busted just as she hit the water.  I had promised Emma that Kristina and I would wait in transition before the bike so she would not be alone.

Emma with her broken goggles

Kristina and I waited for Emma just like I promised.  Once Emma got out and I found out about her mishap, we hit the road for a tough 3 mile hilly bike ride.  The bike went 1.5 out from the school and returned.  It was surprisingly hilly for some of the kids.  We stayed together the entire ride, even when Emma had to walk up some of the hills.  It was awesome to see so many disabled athletes out there biking along side so called regular kids.

Heading home from the bike.

After the bike, Emma was not feeling too good, so she decided she did not want to run the .6 mile run around the school.  So Kristina and I headed out for whatever she could handle.  She did a good job of running, jogging, and walking when she was tired.  Tons of volunteers gave Kristina lots of encouragement!

Heading for the finish!  What a smile.

We had a great day.  It was great that I Tri 4 Downs could be part of this.  Mikayla's Voice said that over 140 athletes participated and that this was the only kids triathlon with disabled and regular kids participating at the same time.  Some kids did it solo, some were a relay team, and some needed chaperones.  The finisher medal I received from this race is #1 on my wall at work.

Philadelphia Triathlon

June 23, 2013

Total Time:  2:27:49

188/1292 overall

15^th in AG

Swim:  25:17

Bike:  1:13:31

Run:   43:20

The Philadelphia Triathlon is my home race.  No travel expenses, hotels, or long drive, so it is nice.  I was on vacation the week leading into this race so I was feeling pretty good and prepped for it.  Having just come off Eagleman 70.3, I was feeling fit and confident.  I did not over do-it on vacation so I knew if I stuck to the plan I would be ok.  I checked in on Saturday on my way home from vacation.  I left Cathy and the kids in the car as I got all the race swag and goodies.

It was a perfect morning for a race, but it was going to warm up a lot.  Race morning I left a little earlier than normal since they said they would be doing a check of all bags going into transition.  The race organizers also wanted us to use the provided clear plastic bags they gave us to make it easier getting in, so I did that even though it would make carrying them a little harder.  I parked just outside the expo area just of the main section around Memorial Hall.  Once I was set up in transition, I had to board a bus to get to the swim start.  It was an easy walk to the bus for the wait for my wave. 

I tried to remain calm and patient as I waited for my group to be called to the start.  There was no mass start, so you got sent into the water in groups of about 10.  A safe start, but it takes long.  I tried to swim steady and practice sighting along the way.  The Tri Rock series took the race management this year.  One of the nice features for the swim was distance numbering on the bouyeys, so you would know how far you had gone.  Before I knew it I was at the 1400M sign and heading for shore in just over 25 minutes.  T1 was easy and quick, the wetsuit came right off and I was ready for the bike in just over 3 minutes.

The bike course is great.  You travel through Fairmount Park on a two loop course.  It has four nice hills you do 2x’s each over the 24.8 mile course.  You have nice technical sections, short steep hills, fast down hills, and flat “get it done” areas.  You do have to watch for the less experienced triathletes.  I am not super fast, but I cannot count how many times I had to say “on your left” because someone was drifting over to the double yellow lines as I passed them.  I tried to maintain an even pace of 20MPH through both loops, which I did according to my Garmin.  In T2 to get ready for the run and I realized I had no water pack for the day, forgot to pack it.  Oh well, I would rely just on the aid stations in super hot/humid conditions!  Nice T2 in 2:28.

The run is a nice, flat course.  The first almost 3.5 miles, is along the more shaded section of the Martin Luther King Drive.  It has a nice tree canopy that offers plenty of shade.  Through the shade, I could feel how hot it really was.  By the 2 mile marker and aid station I was pouring water on my head and ice into my shirt and shorts.  The last 2.5 miles is all along the open and exposed section of the MLK heading towards the Art Museum.  Nothing but asphalt reflecting the sun right back into your face and body.  They had tubs of ice cold water with towels…perfect to wrap around you neck for some relief or to cool off your face and arms.  I finished with a nice kick to the end, not allowing anyone to pass in the last .5 miles.  I was aiming for less than 45 minutes and came in at 43:20. 

After the race I had to get home fast to pick up the family and head to our friends house that was hosting an event to benefit I Tri 4 Downs.  It was a Girl Scout Triathlon called ‘tri a tri for I Tri 4 Downs’.  The girls did it as their service project and secured “pledges” from family and friends.  They raised $420.00 for I Tri 4 Downs!  I cannot thank Janene Geiss and her troop for an amazing show of support.  The athletes swam in the pool, rode bikes around the block, and ran around more than half the block.  After the event they had their regular meeting and were awarded Triathlon badges! What a great afternoon!

The Eagle had landed

Eagleman 70.3--5:17:38

Swim 41:30

T1 2:01

Bike 2:48:25

T2 3:38

Run 1:42:04

This would be my last long distance race heading into Lake Placid.  I had signed up for this race in 2011, but dislocated my shoulder right before, so I had to bail out.  I was going down alone, so it was nice that I only needed to pay for the camp site as my accommodations...$30 for the night!  I headed down on Saturday, June 8 after Conor’s baseball game.  The ride down is easy, but it takes almost 3 hours.  Check in was smooth and easy.  Tri Columbia has been doing this race for years, well before Ironman took over the name of it, so they have it all tight and orderly.  It rained like hell for a few days before hand so the transition area was a muddy mess, but nothing can be done about that.  I stopped and got some pizza then headed to the high school for the camp set up.

I did have a tough time sleeping, missing my bed and wife I guess.  Race morning was nice.  I woke up and packed the tent up and headed right over to the site.  There is limited off-street parking, so you must be there early.  I got a spot right outside the park, in front of the local YMCA.  I was at the bike early and got everything set up just outside the mud.  My spot was nice, just to the right of the swim in, so it was easy navigation.  I met up with some folks from the Philadelphia Tri Club before hand to rest and relax.  My wave was one of the last to head into the water, but we were also the largest so they had to split us into two groups and I was in the second group.

The swim is a rectangular swim.  The Choptank River was a little choppy that morning, I guess the tide was shifting because there was hardly any wind.  I had a descent swim.  Sticking to my usual plan of moving forward without sinking.  At one point I did look at my watch and had to pick up the pace because it seemed like I was just swimming and not in a race.  My watch confirmed this when I got out of the water in 41 minutes..terrible but I’ll take it. 

T1 was very muddy.  I basically carried my bike 90% of the way up to the dismount like.  The bike is a nice flat course.  That makes it tough because you just put your head down and try to hammer the whole time, no coasting on downhills or standing breaks going uphill.  You ride through some neighborhoods and then parts of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which is normally hot and windy. This year the heat was there, but the wind never showed up.  I had a goal of under 2:50 for the bike and finished in 2:48, almost 20 MPH so I felt pretty good coming off the bike.  My main goal was to practice race day nutrition with salt and GU on the bike.  No GI distress, so mission accomplished.  The last 15 miles of the bike you could feel the heat picking up, so I tried to get some extra fluids in.

Look at the mud!

T2 was super muddy with everyone coming in from the bike….it looked like a cyclocross event.  I was feeling good coming in.  I didn’t even try to clean my feet off, just put my socks and shoes on and headed out to the run.  Heading out on the run you go through a super nice stretch of houses that are right on the Chesapeake Bay.  From the looks of some of the houses, I am guessing 1 million at least.  They have their own “Lava” field for a little stretch, just black asphalt and no shade, but they put out a few cool signs.  The run heads out to a long stretch of road without much shade or fans.  The people who are out on the course are awesome, but just not many.  Coming back in the heat was really taking its toll on people, lots of walkers.  I hit the aide stations for ice and to refill my water bottle I was carrying.  Coming back to the town is nice, lots of parties going on it looked like.  I felt real good on the run and was hoping to go under 1:45.  Finished in 1:42!  I passed 52 people in my age group on the run, so I know I was going strong.

Eagleman is well known to the pro's, and a well run Ironman 70.3 since it is the only one that still has Kona slots offered.  I saw Miranda Carfrae walking back from the bike.  She apparently had a medical issue with her hamstring and glute muscles locking up.  Meredeth Kessler got hit by an age grouper who crossed the double yellow lines of the road and wound up in the hospital.  Lots of pro's come out for Eagleman, Andy Potts won the mens race.  I would definitely go back for the race itself.

I Escaped the Cape

Well, how do I possibly describe one of the best events I have ever participated in.  And when I say best, I don’t mean I had my best times swimming, biking or running, because I think I have done faster races.  I mean best because of the atmosphere, venue, fans, safety personnel on site, and race directing from Stephen Del Monte from DelMo Sports.  Cape May, NJ in June, just before the crowds of summer starts is awesome.

Overall time 2:11:38

swim:  21:40, T1: 4:28

Bike:  1:10:38, T2:  1:20

Run: 33:30

We had another busy Saturday before the race but headed to the shore right after Conor's baseball game.  Once at the shore, my dad and I went over to the race site, the Cape May Lewes Ferry Terminal.  It’s a short drive from their house, which is nice.  We made it just in time to hear most of the athlete’s meeting with DelMo Sports.  The meeting really focused on the swim, since we would be jumping off the Cape May Ferry, 1 mile from the swim exit.  The check-in was smooth and easy for me.  I am guessing I missed most of the crowd by going in the later afternoon to rack my bike and pick up my swag!  Saturday night I could not contain the kids so we headed to the boardwalk for some quick amusement rides.

Race morning always comes early, 420am this time.  I triple checked my bags Saturday night, so I was ready to go once I got dressed and had a little to eat.  There would be off-site parking for all athletes and spectators, only a 5-minute shuttle ride away.  I arrived at 5am to the parking and was on a bus and at the venue by 5:15am.  Something new this race was the increase of Police.  When we exited the bus we had to put our bags on the ground so the K-9 unit could take a “sniff” at them.  After that, Police checked our bag before we could go into transition….what a different experience.  Since it was a Ferry Boat in water start, there was lots of extra security all around…ok by me and made me feel extra safe. I was set up and ready to go by 6am, so now I just had a long wait, but my spot in transition was right near a grassy area so I could sit, lay, and relax.  Before I knew it was time to board the Ferry.

An in water start is tough.  Now imagine an in water start jumping off a boat with a strong current, high winds, and regular waves.  The Sprint distance people went first and you could see just how fast the current was.  It takes a while to get a few hundred people to jump off a boat so I knew we would be waiting and not making our 830am start time for the Olympic distance.  For me, this was no problem, there is nothing that can be done but sit back and relax.  For others you could see the angst in their face that it was taking longer than expected.  Once all the sprinter went off, they moved the boat to our starting point.  I made sure to get as close to the starting area, since they had pretty much abandoned color coded cap waves, and just went with lets get everyone moving.

I made my way to the “jump” point. Boy did that look far down, but really only about 10 feet.  I jumped with no issues and realized right away that the current was fast moving towards the swim exit.  Nice for me because I really don’t enjoy the swim as others do.  I stayed calm and steady, not worrying about the current, or waves, just focusing on sighting and my stroke.  I made it out in 21:40, thanks to the current for that time.  The run to T1 was up the beach and just a short jog on the pavement.  The wet suit came off a little easier this race compared to Black Bear just 2 weeks ago.  Here is the jump off!

The bike is a nice flat and fast loop done twice for the Olympic distance.  There is one bridge that we crossed twice, which meant 4 short steep hills.  I was feeling pretty good on the bike with my pace right up until I got a rear tire flat around mile 15.  It took me way too long to change that flat. Probably over 10 minutes fumbling with the tools, the tube not wanting to stay in the tire, and cutting my thumb and knuckle.  After changing the flat I realized I was in the small gear the whole time, I guess thats why so many people seemed to be flying by me and I was spinning just to keep up.  Along the bike course I spotted my old college roommate Scott, who was spectating.  Overall the bike was nice, I was just disappointed in my time.

Coming in off the bike I felt great, since I had a 10-minute rest fixing a flat.  I was off to a nice tough run starting along the beach, soft sand until we made it to the harder packed sand since it was low-tide.  We ran along the beach for maybe .7 miles then headed to the street.  The road was hot, and I forgot to take my water pack.  The run was challenging due to the portions on the beach.  The turn around was crossing back on the beach, another tough section of all soft sand.  The course returned the same way going out and had a great finish area, a nice long straight away along the water front.

 The race was well run and organized as always from DelMo Sports.  Pictures are free and the post race area was awesome with lots of things for the kids, and adults alike.  I had a blast doing this race and will continue to go back as long as they have it.

A long time coming

Well it has been another long break from blogging and figured I needed to get back to it.  It’s been full of the normal reasons not to write everything up, kids, work, and life getting in the way.  Since the Leprechaun Run, I had the Bucks County Half Marathon on 4/14/13 and finished in 1:32.45, good enough for 21^stoverall out of 580; 4^th in my age group, and 16^th man overall.  The race was in Tyler State Park not to far from home.  I never even realized that park was that big and that tough inside for running.  It looks like the training is coming along nicely, and the bike is finally getting miles on the road.  I am still lugging around some extra weight, so I need to clean up my diet big time.  I still am not a huge fan of the pool, no offense swimmers, but I get in and train so I will have a good day and not sink! 

Black Bear was this past weekend, May 19th, up in the Pocono's area at Beltzville State Park. I woke up super early, 4am, to get myself together and make the ride up to the park before the traffic got too bad.  I hit the road by 430 and arrived at Beltzville State Park by 550am.  The ride up the weather was terrible, raining, chilly, but not much wind.  Once I arrived, I checked in, found my rack for the bike, and looked over the swim exit.  CGI runs the event and they have a nice smooth operation.  Stephen Delmonte, from DelMo Sports, was the MC during the event trying to keep everyone up to date with weather conditions, water temperature, and needed items from panicked triathletes...my favorite was the person looking for a helmet!

This was my first triathlon of the season, so was anxious to see how it would go.  I was using the day as a training day, not a racing day, but I still wanted to have a good day…ie no injuries, practice nutrition on the bike, workout the bugs for transitions, break in a new race top and shorts, do a tough bike course, and have a good run off the bike. While waiting for the swim, Stephen kept reminding us of the descents on the hills, it is the Pocono Mountains after all, to be in control since it was raining and did not look like it would stop during the race.

The swim was a nice rectangular swim with different turn bouys for each distance of race, sprint, olympic, and half ironman distance.  I was in the 4^th wave to go in to the water, so it was not too crowded.  The water was cold!  They claimed it was 64 degrees, but it felt much colder than that.  I had an OK swim with a time of 29:24, under my 30 minute goal.  I always say I am not the fastest swimmer, but just want survive and hot get injured by a flying elbow, foot, or hand.

Transition one was a tough one for me.  For some reason I was having trouble with my wet suit and getting it off.  I already had my race top and heart rate monitor on so that saved a little time.  Pulling arm warmers on a wet body is also tougher than I remembered.  I was still ok with a 3:37 time for T1, but this was why I wanted a training race…to work out the kinks.

Off to the bike course.  Overall the course I am sure is beautiful with nice views and fast drops.  Unfortunately, it was raining/drizzling so you needed to be focused on the road and look around too much.  I made sure on the down hills I was in control…I know it cost me time, but I saw some road rash on a few guys on the run and it was worth it.  I was having a problem with my Garmin 910 and getting it to show my splits correctly.  After fooling around with for a few miles, I just reset it to bike only mode so I could see my distance, MPH, time, and heart rate...no big deal since I wanted a training race…to work out the kinks.

Transition two was a little better.  I only needed to get socks and sneakers on, helmet off/visor on, water bottle holder on, and reset Garmin for running. T2 time was again ok for me 2:53, but this was why I wanted a training race…to work out the kinks.

Off to the run.  The run was a really nice run.   It was on a wide trail, no single track.  If it wasn’t raining I am sure I would have appreciated the shade canopy the trees made.  The run was nice, with a few tough sections.  At one point we ran across the overflow area for the Beltzville Dam, pretty cool view. We even headed down a trail section to the bottom of the Dam, but we had to come back up, so that was a lung burner right around mile 3.  The payoff was running across the Dam, which it usually closed to all traffic.  The views were awesome out across the Lake.  You then doubled back the last mile through the shade canopy.  Here I remember passing 2 guys in my age group, I had no idea that would payoff.  I finished the run nice and easy.

Results:

2:46:09--64/227 overall--3rd in AG

I have suffered through 1 injury that was significant.  Back in April I stepped into a hole at a field where Kristina was playing.  It was a deep hole, and luckily I did not break my leg.  Anyway I had 2 small cuts on my right leg.  When I finally got home, I cleaned the cuts, put Neosporin on it, and covered it with a band aid.  Each day it seemed to get a little more red.  So I would put more Neosporin on it after cleaning it.  One day turned to 3, then 5 , then I stopped swimming because it was really gross and oozing a gold colored liquid.  Finally I saw a doctor and he gave me Cephlax antibiotic.  After 3 additional days it was still gross, so I called my family doctor and went in for a visit.  When the doctor looked at my leg she said right away I was going to the ER!  She thought it could be MRSA.  I was thinking they might have to cut my foot off if it was MRSA and not able to be controlled.  I thankfully was only in the hospital for 28 hours.  Six doses of high powered antibiotic through an IV, and the Infectious Disease Doctors come in and tells me it is Contact Dermititis and to put hydrocortizone cream on it and it will be gone in a week...and no Swimming but biking and running ok.