What a difference a year makes

Here we are, mid-May of 2018 and wow have things changed for me. This time last year I had just completed my first cycling time-trial and was getting ready for the first tri of the season. This year, all my races are off the books, other than a relay, and now I’m working out to not get fat, LOL. This is a really big change for me and there are a few more coming my way in the very near future. So, how did we get here in regards to my racing and training? Let’s discuss...

As some know, 2017 ended with a disappointing result at the Chicago Marathon. I finished with a decent time, but I was nowhere close to a Boston Marathon qualification and my body was a wreck! Toward the end of the race, I had issues in my hips, quads and calves. The pain became so bad it reduced me from walking to limping, to then considering taking a seat at mile 24 and calling a cab. After the race, it took a while to recover even with taking some time off from training.

stick a fork in me

All smiles mid-way

I decided to work with a new coach this year. Adam Otstot and I worked so well together and accomplished so much, but after 6 years I wanted a change of pace to shake things up. I do want to take a moment to thank Adam for everything he helped me achieve, as well as for his guidance and friendship. I spent some time talking with a few different coaches and I decided to work with a good friend, Peggy Neidig.

When I started training again in early 2018, things got off to a good start. I was improving quickly all around but I was in almost constant pain. I was going to Thompson Healthcare and Sports Medicine which was helping me stay on track, but the underlying issues were not getting better. Early in January, I developed an issue with my calf that caused us to shut down running for a week. After some rest, the calf felt good and things started to really come around. That said, as the results were positive, I was no longer having fun. I started to dread every single workout, looking for any excuse to move things around or skip a day. Only hitting the trails on

my mountain bike was bringing me any kind of happiness. Then in late February I pulled a muscle in my right calf during a track workout. I started with physical therapy right away, which lasted for a month. During this time I did not run at all.  I swam and rode the trainer a few times. During this time my hips just continued to worsen and nothing was helping the constant pain from my waist to my calves.

While all this is going on in my triathlon world, I had a few family members fall ill and were hospitalized. Also, I was informed that after over 18 years with the same company, I was going to be laid off at the end of July. To say my stress levels were through the roof would be an understatement, but thankfully an angel was always close by, my girlfriend Lori. She has been so supportive, understanding and absolutely amazing!  I am really not sure that I could of kept my spirits up without her.

The point came when it was time to make some decisions. Financially, I had to cut back all around. I needed to refocus, get my professional life in order, prepare for the possibility of no income for a while and start the search to find a new job. All else in my life had to come second. In this area, I had the help from some great friends that assisted in getting my resume together. Also, after posting an article on Facebook about what my company was doing, I had a few great leads starting to come my way. The light was starting to brighten at the end of that tunnel.

Training: Here I decided to make some of the biggest changes. The job situation was most likely going to force a change here.  I have been working from home full time since 2009 - my entire endurance sports career. Commuting to an office would be a new thing and that would force me to learn some new methods to get everything accomplished. My calf injury was going to keep me from racing IM 70.3 Chattanooga on May 20th, so I submitted the claim to get my entry fee back. Side note, always spend the money on the insurance, it is so worth it.

I decided to cut back on all training and continued to follow my doctor's recommendation regarding running. Slow and easy, taking my time working back into the mileage. Also I should mention, it was discovered that my right foot has what appears to be some degeneration that is reducing the flexion in the foot. This was a causing factor into the calf issues and it seems that there is not a lot to be done to correct the issue. My long distance running days could be numbered. I have continued to ride the bike when my hips feel well and mountain biking any chance I get. I have gotten lazy in the swimming department, plain and simple. Some of it comes down to me not being a morning person. The other reason is I can’t stand dealing with the Zumba and swim classes that take up most of the pool if I can’t get there by noon.

Slowly I continued to work my way back into running.  All was going well up until last week when both calves became super tight and painful. I decided at this point that I needed to back down even further and concentrate mostly on strength training and yoga. Also, I need to get over my morning issues and get back into swimming. Bottom line is that I need to give my body a break.

For the last five days, at least once per day, I have been practicing yoga. Also, completing a more tabata or HIIT interval routine using a TRX suspension system to strength train every other day, in this short amount of time, I am already seeing a difference and reduction in pain. My calves are finally not as sore but the hips are taking much longer.

The funny thing is, without the “pressure” of the next race and “having” to get my training in, I really am in a much better place. For so long, training and racing were my release from the crap of life - my therapy if you will. Now that my life has changed so much and I am much happier in my personal life, it would seem that I don’t need to rely on training and racing as much. Ironically, with my professional life going crappy, I still was not needing that kind of therapy. The fact is, I have someone amazing as Lori, a great group of friends, as well as a supportive family around me. At the moment, nothing else or other outlets are needed to help me find peace.

I can’t say this is the end of the road or chapter of this part of my life but it definitely is a detour. As planned races come up, I find that it doesn’t bother me at all that I am not toeing the line and getting ready to compete. I do miss the people and the comradery that comes with this sport and being around so many amazing athletes, but I am very much at peace with this decision.

Professionally, I have accepted a position with a new company. This new job will require me to commute over an hour a day each way;  another big change for me. I figure that once I settle into my routine, I can start to figure out how to work my training back into the mix. This way, some forced rest will be had and just might be what the doctor ordered.

Personally, my family members all are doing much better and I am so grateful for their recovery. Life always seems to have a way to come around. It may not be quick, but good times are there when you open your eyes to the positives, even in bad situations.

I really need to thank Coach Peggy, not only for the great strides that were made in such a short time but for all of her understanding, patience and friendship. She has been so supportive even when I decided to no longer train and I am sorry this season didn’t workout as we had hoped as well that I had to cut it short.

To the amazing companies who I am honored to be an ambassador for, Base Performance and Salming, I may not be doing much racing but I will still continue to do my best to represent you in the most positive light and highlight the great products you have to offer. Any race I can attend in which I can assist during the expo and/or race,  I will do my best to be there.

So what now? That’s a great question. There is still a lot to figure out, a lot of healing and recovery and new roads to explore. I am concentrating on getting back to the activities that will help support and strengthen my body while running, cycling and swimming. I am considering which avenues of professional development to take. Maybe get my Masters, maybe a professional designation, license or certification. I need to find that identity in which I am more than just a “tri guy”. I have learned that I can be fit and healthy, while still enjoying life. As this new chapter unfolds and when time allows, I plan to continue this blog on this new journey.

It's how you finish

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” ~ Frank Herbert

Well, it’s that time of the year again, the end of my triathlon season, or in this case, the end of my 2017 multisport story. Late last year, I targeted the Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City to be my end of season “A” race. I set goals at the time I signed up for this race, thinking that this course, the time of year and the homecourt of sorts would make the the perfect platform to achieve those goals.

Those goal were first to run the entire half marathon. Since my first 70.3 in 2012, I have pushed the bike too hard and have not been able to put up an overall good time. Also, many times, once I started the run, I have lost the podium. That leads to my second goal:  to make a podium, which is  also something I have not achieved at this distance since my first 70.3 in 2012. Too many times, I finished close to earning the podium, but was left sitting in the stands watching others.

To help push these goals, I signed up for the Chicago Marathon shortly after committing to this race. The idea was the marathon training would help push my running and fitness. Then I needed to learn to race conservatively on the bike. Basically, what it comes down to is it’s not how you start or how you race during the middle part of the race, it’s how strong you are over those last few miles that lead to the finish.

View @ the Expo

Leading into this race, I had reached out to my contact within Salming to inquire if they would be attending the expo. If so, I wanted to offer to help work the expo. I soon learned that a representative, David, would be onsite and he would be more than happy to have the help. As such, the Friday and Saturday before the race, I helped at the expo booth, and was able to talk about a product that I love and able to help sell some shoes. I also got to meet Matt Miller from Base Performance, who also had a booth at the expo. Nice to finally put faces to names and to also have two of the companies I represent onsite.

Race morning arrived and this time around was an early wake up for me. Atlantic City is about a 40 minute ride from my house and I had decided to not get a hotel room near the race site. That great decision meant a 3 AM wake up for me! Oh, by the way, I am not a morning person and my OCD kicks in when it comes to arriving to a race site early, even if that means sleeping in my car for a bit. In my mind, at least I am on site.

Strangely enough, I woke up before my alarm clock and then did something I have never done before a race; I had a cup of coffee.  I even had a bowl of cereal. Most of the time, usually due to nerves, my stomach is a wreck, but for some reason this time around I was very calm and relaxed. I got on the road shortly after eating and arrived to the race site nice and early, which worked out well because during the drive in there were some unexpected detours. I quickly called Lori and my mom to let them know and offer suggestions to help navigate them to the parking lot. While I waited for them to arrive, I made my way to transition. I pumped up the tires, got my nutrition, Base Hydro bottles and put my shoes on the bike (the correct shoes on the correct side this time, I did triple check that). I also laid out my Salming Speed 6 running shoes and rolled my socks so they were ready to slide onto my feet quickly. Once all of my swim gear was ready, I prepared to head out for my warm-up. By this time, Lori arrived and my Mom and Geoff came shortly after.

After the hellos and talking for a bit, I headed out for my warm-up and man was I feeling good! At this point, I needed to put that thought out of my mind so I would not jinx myself. Once back to transition, I ate a half of a clif bar and finished off a bottle of Base Amino and a bit of water. Next, I put on my wetsuit, gave Lori a kiss, and started to work my way into my group for the swim start. This race was using a self-seeding start method, where on the honor system, you get in line behind the sign that matches your expected time; for me that is 26-35 minutes.

As I waited, I started to look around and noticed a lot of nervous people near me. I started to feel that these people were not seeding themselves as they should; great! As time went on, I was remaining very calm but within a short amount of time, I started to get bored. I started up some small talk with the people around me. All of sudden, we started to make our way out onto the dock and race mode fell upon me. By the way, this start was nice: 5 people at a time were allowed onto the dock and would start with about a 6 second gap between the last group. What a difference from a group or mass start.

Finally my time arrived to jump in and stupid me lifted my head up just a bit as I entered the water. Why is that stupid you ask? Well, because that caused my goggles to shift and get water in them. I quickly started to kick and lift my upper body out of the water, drain my goggles of water and re-set them. I figured this slowed me down for maybe 20-30 seconds, but I took off strong and right away felt that I was swimming well. Things were going pretty good. I had made the first turn and midway to the second turn, some bonehead right in front of me decided he needed to be near the buoy, so he cut straight across the lane. He wound up kicking me pretty hard right between the stomach and groin (thankfully no lower!).  Than based on reactions by the guys to the left of me, he got them too. Oh, that leads me to the self-seeding:  To the many people who started before me, you all LIE!!

I was having a good swim, but still, by the way I was passing people, most of you were in the wrong group.

As the last turn buoy came into sight and I started along the straight shot to the swim exit, I was still feeling really good. That said, the feeling that this last leg was seeming to to take forever came upon me. Based on the data I reviewed afterwards, once I made that turn, the outgoing tide must have increased the current against me. I was swimming strong, but my time per 100 yards dropped by almost 10 seconds. Oh well, can’t do much about that. I came out of the water feeling strong, just a tad disappointed in the time.

Swim: 32:08 (12th age group/72nd overall)

As I made my way out the water, I headed directly to the wetsuit strippers and flopped onto my back and threw my feet in the air. (add joke here). I had maneuvered the top of my suit down before getting to them but there seemed to be a difficult time in freeing my feet from the wetsuit. Once I was finally free, I had a bit of an issue getting up. I rolled forward but at the same time a few volunteers had moved a step closer causing me to bump into them. Three of them, thought quickly and grabbed my arms to help me up; thank you! That done, I ran into transition. This transition was huge and in a rush, I misread the marking at the end of the aisle, which caused me to run down the wrong aisle. When I arrived to where I expected my bike to be, I spun around wondering where it was. Finally spotting it, two aisles to my right, I rushed over, quickly got my helmet on, threw a half a clif bar in my mouth and then grabbed my bike. As I pulled my blue beauty from under the rack, the front wheel skewer got caught on my bag...ugh more time lost. Finally, with the bike free, I was running to the bike out arch way.

Transition 1: 2:08

The bike course was a 2.5 loop, 18.5 mile each loop, ride. Much of it on the Atlantic City Expressway. As I rolled out onto the expressway, I was pleased to see my watts were low and my speed was high. Staying on the expressway for 3 exits, we took Exit 5 into what I guess you could call a bit of an industrial type of area. These roads were not in great shape and there were a few turns as well as some false flats (inclines that appear to be flat ground). There were long stretches of Westcoat Road and Delilah Road that were slightly up hill, just enough to cause my watts to go a little higher than I would have liked. Once back on the expressway, there was a bit of a headwind heading back towards Atlantic City. We had an entire lane coned off for the race, but as the offramp to Exit 2 approached, there was a dump truck placed in the lane to block the exit from traffic. As great as this was to help keep the lane for us racers, it forced us onto the shoulder. Normally not a big deal, until you have to ride over the rumble strips. After the first bone jarring experience, I made sure to bunny hop the strips on the other side of the truck as well as each time I was forced across rumble strips. Making our way into the city limits, there was a quick turn that would place us onto the on ramp back to the expressway. Side note:  Prior to the race, I adjusted my derailers and made sure the bike was shifting well. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way that condition had changed. The rear derailleur must have gotten bumped while in transport or while the bike sat in transition. Once I began riding up the on ramp, the watts started to climb so I shifted the chain into the small ring. As soon as I did, the chain started jumping gears with every pedal stroke and it became difficult to complete a rotation. Quickly, I changed back to the big ring and shifted the chain up to the biggest cog in my cassette. I did my best to conserve watts, but most of the way back to Exit 5, I did

drop the hammer. As we passed Exit 2 things became quite congested because this is where people leaving transition merged with us. Most of the next 1.5 laps I spent either pushing the pace to move free of the draft zone of a group of riders or yelling, “On your left!” I was very lucky to complete the course without earning a drafting penalty. Not because I was drafting off anyone but due to the congestion on the course. There was absolutely no way to avoid what the textbook would consider drafting. Many racers were not so lucky, as the refs refused to take the course into consideration or use common sense. They were issuing penalties like they were going out of style.  Every time I passed one of the penalty tents, the crowds had doubled.

Mid way through the last half loop, I heard a pop and hiss. I swore I had just flatted but thankfully when I stopped to check, my tire was still firm and not losing air. Jumping quickly back onto the bike, I pushed the watts a bit higher as I headed back towards transition. As I rolled towards the dismount line, worry started to build that I had not been as conservative as I needed to be, but at this point, only time will tell. Heading to my spot in transition, I cleared my head and thought, It was time to prove to myself that I know how to finish.

Bike: 2:30:28 (8th age group/48th overall)

I quickly racked the bike, got all my running gear and started the long trek out of transition. Did I mention that the transition was really freaking big? Overall, I was feeling really good but I reminded myself to continue to race smart.

Transition 2: 1:40

Shortly after leaving the run out arch, I saw Lori, my Mom and Geoff. I was so happy to see them and you couldn’t have smacked the smile off my face. Settling into a nice comfortable pace, I quietly fought the demons in my head that were telling me to run faster as people were passing me. Once the loop around Bader field was completed, I saw my support crew one last time, then headed out towards the boardwalk. Holding a steady, comfortable pace, I was starting to catch runners, which is a new experience for me at this triathlon distance. As the miles clicked off, the pace increased a little more. Also, this run course was amazing. The course not only went up and down the Atlantic City boardwalk, there was an out and back on the Venture fishing and the Playground Piers. Running along the piers was so awesome. The surf looked great, there was that amazing ocean smell that brought me back to my surfing days and best of all, there was a cloud cover with a nice breeze.

Around mile eight,  there was a 50 yard stretch of hard packed beach sand we had to

traverse (the awesome Delmo Sports team had a mat down the entire length) and then shortly after that section, the course lead up and around the Playground Pier. During this time my pace dropped almost a full minute. The sand part I could understand, it was hard pack but uneven and I was not comfortable with my footing, but I realized running under the shops of the Playground Pier caused my Garmin to lose it’s signal. After this fun and close to mile 10, my right hip started to become tight and the sun was beginning to come out of the cloud cover. The temperature rose a bit, my hip was not improving and my pace started to drop. At this point, I turned my hat around, dug deep and started running as hard as I could muster. Miles 11 and 12, turned out to not be my fastest. Mile 13 was another story, as the adrenalin kicked in. I caught a few more runners over that last mile and upon entering the finishing chute, my emotions were going wild. I stuck my arms out like wings and floated from side to side of the carpet and as I crossed the line, I released a lot of emotion.

Run: 1:40:41 (4th age group/36th overall *personal record for a half marathon in a triathlon)

Overall: 4:47:05 (4th age group/36th Overall)

The finish time was my second fastest overall time for this distance. This was also my fastest half marathon in a triathlon. Since Ironman branded races normally have age group podiums that go five places deep, I earned a podium spot...GOALS REACHED!

After receiving my finisher's medal, I went directly to Lori and gave her a big hug. I let go of many more emotions that I was previously holding back. I did it, almost five years of hard work, fighting and disappointment, I did it. For five years, I lost more podiums than I care to count due to the run, but not today. For ten races, I had to live with the disappointment of knowing I screwed up, knowing I could do better and race smarter, but not today. Today was when all the hard work paid off and my goals were met. In the run I moved up twelve spots overall, and four spots in the age group. As mentioned, this is where I normally lose those spots, so yes, I am bragging here. LOL I walked away with a few lessons learned about my racing and showed myself that I can gain so much with smart racing and hard work. I cannot wait for the 2018 race season to arrive so I can see how much more I can build from these lessons learned.

Lori, Mom and Geoff, thank you so much for all your support race day and every day, it really means a lot. Lori, thank you for being so patient and willing to work with me to get my training completed so we can then go have fun adventures. A big thank you to Salming Running and Base Performance for all of their support. Thanks to the Snapple Tri Club along with their amazing sponsors. To my coach Adam Otstot for all his guidance. Thank you to Thompson Healthcare and Sports Medicine for continuing to help me stay race ready. And last but not least, I want to thank all my family and friends for all their support.

A short three weeks after this race, I will toe the line at the Chicago Marathon and what will hopefully be not only another Boston Qualifier but the race that guarantees me a bib for 2019.

Move past, move on, enjoy the scenery

About a month after the fun in Williamsburg at the Rev3 Olympic Race, I traveled into the Pocono Mountains for a half distance triathlon (70.3) also held by Rev3. This was going to be an interesting race for me, as it will be the first time really climbing, and more importantly, descending since my crash in early 2016. To say I was nervous would be a big understatement but thankfully, my girlfriend Lori was making the trip with me.  

So let’s recap here for some context. At the end of May of 2016, while descending in the mountains

My collarbone afterwards

during a training ride, I crashed while rolling into a left turn.  Long story short, I was not able to slow down and slid out, rolling into the treeline. I walked away with a broken collarbone, punctured lung, concussion and broken (or very bruised) ribs. Since that time, the closest I came to descending was while riding my mountain bike. The hills I faced during that ride was causing a lot of anxieties but slowly, as the season started, I was overcoming them. Fast forward to the present and here I am, driving my car up a road that has no shoulder, a steep descent and a turn just like the one I crashed on. All of which was part of the course of the upcoming race; one of these turns was conveniently placed at the start of race course.

We arrived, got settled into our room and already I was feeling a lot of anxiety. We hit the lakeside bar and headed out to eat. Saturday morning, I went out to complete my shakeout workouts. I tried to ride the bike down the road we came in on, since that is where the turn I was dreading is located. The reason why I wanted to ride that is summed up well in this quote by Jim Morrison: “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free”.

There turned out to be a problem with my plan:  This road is not wide, has no shoulder and it was not closed to traffic. I went down the first hill with a car right on my rear wheel which really freaked me out. So I turned around, rode around the resort a bit, then dropped my bike off at transition in order to run. The run helped my nerves, but I was glad to be finished so we could make plans to take my mind off the race. Later that day, we drove to the outlet malls nearby. Walking around and spending time with Lori really helped.

By Saturday night, I could not get over the anxiety. I had a beer (or two) and that did not help. I tried to keep my mind on other things but that did not help. As such, when Sunday morning arrived, I woke up in a full on panic attack. I really was considering not competing in the race. What it came down to was if i decided not to race, could I look Lori in the eye, or for that matter, could I look at myself in the mirror? I told Lori what was going on in my head and how bad my stomach was feeling. Talking with her was a huge help. Our talk convinced me to start moving. I began to gather my stuff, get dressed and tried to eat something. NOPE! That was a mistake. Shortly after, we made our way out of the lodge and towards transition.

 

Lori keeping me smiling

Upon arriving at transition, I set everything up and began my warm-up run. I was pretty much operating on autopilot and just going through the motions. The warm-up itself went well and upon returning to transition, I grabbed my goggles, cap and Xterra Vortex sleeveless wetsuit, then headed to meet Lori to walk over the swim start. Briefly, I considered completing a warm-up swim, but honestly I just didn’t feel like it because I was fighting an overwhelming battle with my anxiety.  I was so thankful to have Lori by my side to help me fight back the anxiety. It was little things that helped: making me laugh and just chatting. That made a big difference. The swim start was a first come, first go start. I was not paying attention and wound up at the back of the line. Well that’s great, now I have to fight through crowds; oh well! I zipped up my suit, found my place in line and looked over to Lori a last few times. Each time my nerves got better and slowly I fell into race mode.

As I made my way down the dock to “slide” into the water, (no jumping or diving, it was shallow and

Swim start

deep mud) my mind went blank.  I started looking out at the water, and for lack of better words, instincts took over. Once I was in the water it was game on. This swim felt effortless, the worry about starting at the back of the pack was for nothing. I had noticed before I started, that the crowds were hugging the buoys. As such, I stuck to the outside and had open water most of the way. Since I was on the outside, I aimed at an angle to the last buoy and my sighting was right on. I used this method this for the other three turns and it worked out well, hitting each buoy in stride. There was a bit of a bottleneck during the last leg and at the swim exit ( two ladders on a floating dock) but overall I knew this was a good swim. I did not realize how good.

Swim 28:35, a personal records at this distance with no current assistance.

I jogged up the street to transition and things were feeling good. I was trying my best to not think about what was to come. Wetsuit came right off and the transition was going good until I went to mount the bike. There was a steep hill right after the mount line so I decided to slide one foot into a shoe right away and then once up the hill, slide the other foot in. Normally I put my feet on top of my shoes and once I am underway and with momentum, I slide my feet in. As I began to put my food into the left shoe, I realized that the shoe was on the wrong side; really Frager? Ugh. Quickly, I pulled the shoes off, drop them to the ground, slid my feet into the correct shoe and mounted the bike. Once clipped in, I stormed up the hill. I cannot believe I made that mistake, but I am proud of myself for dealing with the problem and not getting mad at myself.  I only lost a little time because of that mistake.

T1 0:02:26

The climb right out of transition

After that first climb, there was a few rollers to the first real descent. My anxiety was starting to build but I kept my hands on the bullhorns and a finger on each brake. The second descent was the one that had me freaked. I rolled right through it with no problem. It was like a wave washed all my anxiety away; I was back to my old self...well almost. During the rest of the descent down Lake Harmony Road, I was in the aero bars with a smile starting to grow across my face.

One highlight of this race was within the first 8 miles you completed a loop (of sorts) on the Pocono Speedway. As that approached, I was completely back into my element. Rolling through gate 2, I started to make racecar sounds. Yep, I was that guy. Everyone I passed, I encouraged to join me, and to my surprise, many did. The track was so fast, I was flying with no effort. It was a blast and man I wish I could ride my FTP test on that, LOL. Roughly, the next 15 miles was pretty flat. Thanks to the roads being open to vehicles, there were some scary traffic issues. The course made a loop back to Lake Harmony Road, and at the point, the Olympic racers turned right and had the climb back to transition. Those of us competing in the half started what would be close to 25 miles of climbing. It started almost right away, I was successful at keeping the watts low on the front half of the course and as it turned out, I was glad I did. We climbed and climbed, long steady climbs where my speed would drop to 5 MPH. Then we would get to descend a bit, just enough to let the legs recover only to start start climbing again. By mile 50, my quads started to cramp on the uphills and if I tried to stand, they locked up. I did my best to manage the pain and as I closed into transition, the legs started to feel better. Then, maybe a quarter mile from transition, the sadistic bastard who designed the course put one last short steep climb (10% grade). OMG, if I could have gotten my hands on that person... it freaking killed my legs. I rolled into T2 with a lot of pain and looked at Lori and just shook my head, telling her, “That sucked!”

Upside is I conquered my fears, put my anxieties behind me and found a piece of myself again. The downside, SHIT, my legs hurt, LOL

Bike 2:53:00 (3012 feet of elevation)

Racking the Bike in T2

Transition 2 I took a bit easy. I put my socks and Salming Distance 5 shoes on, then made my way out the run exit. Even with my quads feeling like crap, I still was happy with the time.

T2 0:01:25

The run course was four laps on some “rolling” terrain. Right after T2 there was a long, steep uphill (up to a 17% grade). My plan coming into the race was to walk the hills, and I was glad I stuck with that plan. Immediately, I took a hit of the Base Salt and followed the recommendation of taking a hit every mile, and man did it work. By mile 2 the cramps went away. After that, I would walk all the major inclines and run the descents and flats. When I was on even ground, my legs would feel great and I even had a sub 8 minute mile or two over the first two laps. Third loop I walked the two big hills and tried to run the smaller ones but my legs were not having it. By the fourth lap, I continued the trend of walking the big hills but after the second one, I turned the hat around and tried to push hard to the end. As I ran hard, I tried to keep reserves for the final hill and push to the finish. I tried to run the last hill, but once again, my legs said, “No!” This objection by my legs was not due to an endurance issue, as proved by how I ran on flat ground, but due to the amount of climbing which really kicked my ass. There really is no other way to make that point. As I came to the finish, Lori was right where I hoped she would be standing. She was where we discussed she should wait so she could run to the finish with me. I grabbed her hand and we made our way down the finishing chute.

Run 1:53:14 (971 feet of elevation)

Overall 5:18:34, 4th age group, 33rd overall.

This was my slowest times for this distance. That said, taking the course into consideration and compared to the athletes I competed with, I am very pleased with the time. I think I did a good job managing this course under the circumstances and course elevation.

The anxiety and depression was no joke and if you suffer from it, you understand. It is not just a mind over matter thing, it is a down right fight. A fight that easily could have gone the other way. I am so grateful for the people in my life that were on site with me and for the people who could not make the trip. They all helped in a way to get me to that finish line. Let me take a moment to say, please do not dismiss people who suffer from anxiety and depression. They are not something you can just get over, put aside or let go. Dealing with anxiety and depression is a fight. A fight you do not always win. Dealing with them is something to not be ashamed of. Those battles are who you are and they have made you into what you are today. Own it, embrace it and learn the triggers that bring it on and help you get past it. That knowledge will help you manage it the best you can.

Lori, Thank you! I cannot thank you enough. You stood by me, helped me get ready, helped me stay focused and you bought me a beer while I sat in the room recovering in my Normatec boots. You are simply amazing and I am so lucky to have you in my life.

Visiting the Damn before heading home

A big thank you to Salming Running and Base Performance for all of their support. Thanks to the Snapple Tri Club along with their amazing sponsors for helping with great gear. To my coach Adam Otstot for all his guidance. Thank you to Thompson Healthcare and Sports Medicine for continuing to help me stay race ready. And last but not least, I want to thank all my family and friends for all the support.

Next up is my final tri of the season and what I am considering my “A” race. Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City.

I would also like to take an opportunity to announce that I have been selected to join the MOJO Race Team and Love the Pain, Inc. They are makers of world class multi-sport apparel. Design, tested and Made in the USA.

Going back to Hampton Roads

Last year when I broke my collarbone, I was able to defer most of my scheduled races for 2016. One of the races was the Revolution3 Williamsburg Olympic distance race.

As such, what  would have been a hometown race last year, was now a bit of a homecoming. In mid-September last year, I moved back to NJ and this trip would be my first back to VA since that move. I would like to send a huge thank you to Justin and Melissa Highley for letting me stay at their house during this trip!

Addison and I

I could not wait to see my grandkids and stepson as well as catch up with all my friends. I drove down on Thursday to have some extra time to spend with friends and to have as much time as possible to see Addison and Jaxon (my grandkids).

(Side note, I should add that a week-and-a-half before this race, I threw my back out really bad. I want to send a huge thank you to the staff at Thompson Healthcare and Sports Medicine, here in Stafford for getting me moving again and race ready).

As the weekend progressed, my last few workouts went well. There was a small bump in the road though, I found a big gash in my front tire prior to leaving NJ. I visited my friends at Bike Beat of Newport News. I am sending a huge thank you to them for rush ordering a new tire for me. After that my days stayed low-key; getting to see everyone was great, but I was getting a nervous feeling about the race. I have had a lot of success at the Olympic distance during the last few years, but something about this specific race has always been off. I have completed Rev3 half distance races in Williamsburg a few times and I was never satisfied with my performance or the outcomes.

Peter, Jason and I

Race day arrived and I woke up feeling good. As always, I arrived at the race site early and made my way to transition. Once there, I got to catch up with my Hotshots and Snapple teammates, Peter, Jason, Justin and Craig. As I started to prepare transition, I realized my helmet was in the car. Craig offered to go get it for me as I went out for my warm-up run. Thanks man!

The warm-up went okay; my breathing was off and my heart rate was high. Weather could have played a part.  Even though it was a beautiful morning, the humidity in Hampton Roads is much different than in NJ, but I brushed it off to nerves, collected my Xterra speedsuit and headed to the swim start.

Swim exit

This swim was an in-water start.   As I made my way out to wait for the ‘gun’ to go off, I positioned myself up front and in the middle. Lately, I had been swimming well and figured it was as good spot as any. When the ‘gun’ went off, it was a wrestling match from the start. I was getting hit, grabbed, kicked, bumped and someone even tried to swim over me. I am a bigger guy in this sport so this normally does not happen to me. My heart was racing and felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. No matter what I did, I could not find any open room to swim. Finally, after what felt like forever, I found some space and went to work. The half distance racers started before us and as I reached the turn buoy to head to the swim exit, we merged (collided) with that group.  There was such a traffic jam of people at this buoy, I decided to dive under. I spotted the buoy tether rope, swam past it and shot up to the surface in the first open spot I saw. At this point I started find my rhythm and was swimming well. About 200 yards from the finish, the river became so shallow there was just no way to swim. It was a long trek in mud that you could sink into from your ankles to your knees. During this time my feet became scratched up pretty good thanks to a lot of debris in the mud. As it turns out this little fact will come back into play later in my day.

Swim 22:53

There was a relatively short run from the swim exit to transition compared to other races, which was nice. I was feeling a bit tired coming out of the water but figured it was from all the fun at the start. I got my speedsuit off, helmet on, grabbed the bike and I was off.  

T1 1:46

I know this bike course like the back of my hand. I have been training on these roads since 2011 and was excited to race on them once again. Williamsburg is such an awesome place for cycling:  flats, hills and well maintained roads (for the most part).

The ride started off really well. I was staying under my watt target and was flying. In a short time, I started to catch riders like crazy and even played tag with some friends. By mile 15,  I passed one friends who was in the first group to start the race and had a 2 minute head started on me. My spirits really had lifted and my confidence was on the rise. This awesome feeling stayed with me up until about mile 20. At that point, my hips and upper legs started to feel sore and tight; well angry may be a better description. Quickly, I realized I must have had pushed too hard, even though through mile 25, I was well into the middle to low end of my target race pace range. As I came to the Chickahominy bridge, which was right before transition, my legs and hip got much worse. Rolling up to the dismount line I realize some bad news, I was feeling smoked and my legs were not moving well.

Bike 1:08:22

Transition 2 went really well. My Salming Race 5’s went right on and out the exit in under a minute.

T2: 0:00:59

Coming out of transition, it hit me pretty quickly that this run was going to suck. My legs had nothing

Photo by Joy Richardson

left. My right foot started hurting right away. I thought I must have developed a blister while riding or maybe something stuck to my foot while running into transition and rubbed the entire ride. As I started my climb up the Chickahominy bridge, I wasn’t sure I would make it to the top. Ironically, as I finally reached the top, I started to feel better, but could not generate any speed at all. I decided right there my goal was to run the entire distance (except for aid stations; I always walk aid stations while taking in some hydration) even if it was slow. I wanted to keep myself moving. I talked to a few people along the way to help take my mind off things. No matter what I tried, I could not generate more than an easy jog. At this point, my foot was hurting but my heart rate was low. My nutrition was on point and I was taking a lick of my Base Salt every mile.

About mile 3 or 4, my buddy Peter caught up. I could hear him before

Peter having some fun

he even spoke. Well to be honest, by the end, almost everyone I passed on the bike seemed to catch me on the run. He had me laughing and helped me feel relaxed. I decided to work to try and keep him insight. As I came around transition and headed towards the finish chute, I was finally able to generate some speed, but that may have been because I knew this adventure over.

Run 51:59

Overall 2:25:58, 7th age group, 34th overall.

My friend and Base Team mate Jami

Looking back on this, I was and still am at a bit of a loss as to what happened. In talking with my coach Adam Otstot, the numbers on the bike were inline. Maybe I could have ridden a little easier on the back half of the bike course to set myself up to run better. Heart rate on the bike and run were good, but maybe the back issue I encountered a few weeks earlier took away some endurance.  Oh yeah, what I thought was a blister on the bottom of my foot, turned out to be a small gouge from something I stepped on during that trek in the mud to exit the swim. Oh well, as mentioned earlier, this particular race and I do not have a great history. In the past, I had overcooked the bike every time and was not able to run in those past events; I walked a lot.

I do take a big victory out of the fact I ran the entire time:  no walking (outside of aid stations of course). I did have a great bike ride and enjoyed most of the race very much. I got to spend time with and catch up with family and friends. Monday, after the race, I met many folks at the Point2 Running store for the pub run before heading home. It was great to reconnect with friends from the running community and catch up over a few miles and few pints.

I want to thank my girlfriend Lori for being so amazing and supportive. She always helps keep me grounded and my head in the game. I want to thank Base Performance and Salming running for all of their support and the Snapple Tri Club along with their amazing sponsors for helping with great gear. To my coach Adam Otstot for all his guidance. As mentioned before, thank you to Thompson Healthcare and Sports Medicine for not only getting me back in shape, but for continuing to help me. I want to thank all my family and friends for all the support and a big thank you again to Justin and Melissa Highly for letting me stay with you both.

Next up is a big test for me, especially after last year’s crash. I am taking the short trip into the mountains for the Rev3 Pocono Half.