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.