LP (Dwarf) Triathlete

Some struggles............but "Life is Good!"

2011-11-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

The first pic of me running with BOTH feet off the ground!

Since Hy-Vee in early September, my life in the multi-sport world has slowed down and I have been able to concentrate on family and work. All I have left in the 2011 season are some road races. I managed to complete the Wicked 1/2 Marathon on September 24th. I had a real "reach" of a finish time hoping to finish in 2:50 and managed to complete the race 3:04:15. Though I did hit my target, I was able to finish 7 minutes faster than last year, so I had to be pleased with the PR.

I tweaked my right calf while running at the Y about a week later. I immediately stopped and stretched it out. I then finished my run and things seemed fine. Leading up to the Witch City 5K on October 23rd, things seemed to be going well. I prepped for the race like usual with the same morning routine and pre-race breakfast. I hydrated well, got to the race, stretched and prepared as usual. I got ready to race. Beth form the Y gave the start signal and off I went. It was seriously only 200 yards or so into the race, and both calves seized HARD. I slowed down to a walk and did not know what do do. Hundreds of people were going past and I could barely walk. I thought for few minutes that stopping would probably be the best choice. This would then be my first DNF. I chose to continue on. I walked along until the first mile marker and was surprised when I reached it in a little over 16 minutes.

A lot of the same police in Salem do the race marshaling, so as I reached each controlled intersection it was encouraging to hear them try and nudge me along. They could easily tell I was having a real struggle. I started my old trick from the 1/2 Ironman and would run to a pole and then walk to the next and that seemed to work quite well. I reached the water stop around the Boys and Girls Club and then headed back along Derby towards the Willows.

I continued most of the race using that same pacing and then a managed to run for about the last 200 meters or so. My finishing time was 0:50:06, which in fact was a lot better than I was expecting at the start of the race. I figured it would take more than an hour. At that rate I was only 12 minutes slower than my best time. So, was not hurt that bad, or was I really a pretty slow runner to begin with? What does it matter, I finished.

I got in my car and got home and immediately took a Epsom salt bath. A couple of days later I managed to see a massage therapist who was able to determine I has some tightness in my IT band. I continue to stretch and do so some fitness ball, roller and mat work. I have managed a couple of 2 and 3 mile runs and still I get some slight tightness in the calves, but things are getting better. I really want to run though since I just purchased a new TIMEX -GPS - Triathlon watch and want to full get to use some of it's great mapping and training features.

A couple of real cool things happened to help with next year's race season. The NYC Triathlon had a contest where you could enter a pic of yourself and the one with the most "likes" would win a free entry. There were 16 photos and I ended up winning with almost 700 likes. A pretty amazing feat and it sure showed the power or exponential growth and connections in social networking. I had quite a few friends posting on the their own sites to try and get their friends to help. It all worked, along with quite a few of my own students checking out the picture, on their own time off school campus of course. About 4 days after winning that contest, I was contacted by the Hy-Vee Triathlon organizers and was given a free entry into next year's race in Des Moines. We are working on trying to organize a family trip to Minnesota to coincide with the race.

A very inspiring thing happened to me last weekend and it has somehow left me speechless. I made a contact through the photo contest who is friends with one of my online friends. He presently weighs close to 400 lbs and has started to exercise, lose some weight and someday soon compete in his first 1/2 Marathon. On the Saturday where we changed from Daylight to Standard time he was planning on doing a 5K at 1:50AM. This way when he finishes he is right back at the time he started. He was able to finish the race in under and hour. The amazing thing to me is that he wants me to send him an autographed picture. He has followed my blog and says that something about what I am doing is inspiring to him. That was sure a humbling request. I never thought I would ever be asked for something like that. I haven't sent him one yet, but that's only because I don't have a proper picture printed up.

Next up for me is the Feaster Five in Andover on Thanksgiving Day. I was emailed by Dave McGillvary and was invited to race there this year. I am doing my best in the hopes that my calves are ready to have a really good and solid race.

Hy-Vee 5i50 US Championships - Des Moines, IA - September 4, 2011

2011-09-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

After racing in NYC where I finished 12th, I was contacted by the race organizers of the Hy-Vee US Championships where they decided to invite me. Finishing in the top 10 was an automatic bid, but I would find out later that most other para competitors were either going to the "Worlds" in Beijing or simply would not be going. My initial thought was to not go. My season was winding down and another race, which would have to include a flight and airfare was not in the family budget. After chatting with a few Facebook friends I was convinced to go. One team-mate said when you are invited to race, you race. One other friend suggested I set up a fund-raising website and ask friends to help out if they so chose. I have to admit I was a little reluctant to do that. There are so many more worthy charities out there, so why would someone want to give me money to race? Well, I set up the site and sent out an email and a posting on Facebook and to my great surprise, the money came in. Before I knew it, I at enough saved up to ensure I could go without worrying about blowing the family budget. To those that gave and those who decided not to but still wished me well, I am SO GRATEFUL.

This would be my first "destination" race. I would have to find a way to get my bike there so when I asked around I was able to borrow a bike box from Kurt, our team captain. It took a while to get the bike apart where I had a particular problem with the pedals. After taking more than an hour I got the right pedal off, I was still struggling with the left. And yes, I did know I was supposed to turn the left pedal in the opposite direction. I ended up buying a pedal wrench and it worked a heck of a lot better. Once the bike was all packed away, I knew I was actually going to make it there.

I chose to fly on FRONTIER airlines because I had good things about traveling with bikes on their airline. I was not disappointed as I was allowed to check 2 bags and with the bike being one of them, I was not asked for any sort of SURCHARGE. YES! The flight there was uneventful with a brief stopover in Milwaukee. I arrived on-time in Des Moines, called the hotel and was shuttled there with no problem. After checking in I decided to make it over to the EXPO for a briefing and then get my race packet. That all went pretty smooth

When I started to check out the EXPO, I ran into a paratriathlete who raced in NYC. His name is Sean VanGerena. I did not think he was going to be racing at Hy-Vee and then he explained to me he was to be going to Beijing, but had some passport problems, so last minute, decided to come to Des Moines. He is a great guy and I was excited to be see him again. This race for sure had the most amazing SWAG. We were given a back-pack, cycling jersey, a visor or hat, IRONMAN sunglasses and a whole host of other stuff.

I headed back to my room and then decided to try and find a place to eat some dinner. I walked and walked and .........walked without finding something appropriate. I decided to walk across the river to the concert and Beer Garden that were being put on by the 5i50 race organizers. I ended up having a beer and some AWESOME authentic tasting tacos for dinner. Not exactly the best dinner 36 hours prior to the race, but not terrible. I even saw Tim O'Donnell and Mirinda Carfrae out for a evening run. I had met Tim at Timberman last year and had managed to keep in touch with him somewhat through Facebook. A REAL nice guy. Something you're likely to hear about most of the Pros in triathlon. Mirinda is the reigning World Ironman Womens' Champion. I didn't stick around the concert very long and then made my way back to the hotel. I managed a brief swim and jacuzzi in the hotel pool and then called it a night. Prior to turning in I ran into a woman named Bridget who had flown in with her friend Aubrey was going to be racing as well. They were both from the western part of MA. Bridget was saying that Aubrey was in the need of a pump and I was happy to oblige.

I had a very restful night waking up a number of times wondering if I would be able to put my bike together without and help. As such, I awoke at 4:30AM and proceeded to get in together. To my amazement I was finished a little prior to 6AM. I would try and get the bike out for a ride after breakfast. I headed down to the restaurant for breakfast and was happily surprised by the EXCELLENT buffet that was available for only $13. I grabbed a local paper and proceeded to enjoy a nice 2 hour breakfast. I grazed and grazed on some great fruit and had an awesome omelette made to order as I watched.

As I was leaving, Aubrey and Bridget came down for breakfast. I asked if it would be OK if I sat at the table for a while and we could all get to know each other. I would later find out that unlike me, Aubrey was quite modest. She qualified for the race by WINNING her age-group at a 5i50 race down in Florida. She never told me any of this while we chatted.

After leaving the girls, I made my way upstairs to change and go out for a ride. The clouds looked a little ominous, but I thought I would try. The bike worked great and all seemed fine as I headed down to ride over to where I would later drop my bike off. I was about 2/3 of the way there (a 4-5 mile ride from the hotel) when the rain drops really started to fall. I saw a covered parking garage and headed for it, when the unthinkable happended and my chain came off. When I looked, it had not really come off, but had come APART. I obviously had not connected the quick link the proper way and now the link was missing. I was so lucky the rain shower lasted for about 1-2 minutes. I got off of my bike (luckily I had brought my glasses as well) and started to look for the link. I was looking for about 5 minutes and was having no luck. I was in a real industrial area at this time and there seemed to be no one around. What was I going to do? Walk my bike back to the hotel and look like a real amatuer? Just as I was about to give up, a small car pulled up and out of came a nice couple named Ken and Sue. Ken quickly got out of his car and started to help me look and if he didn't find the link in about 1 minute. Just as he did I looked over and a man who was TOTALLY STONED came walking up the road towards us. I was carrying a leaf and put it in our faces and was wondering why we weren't as interested in it as he was. He stumbled around a bit and even fell. As Ken asked him if he needed any help, he managed to get himself up and contined on his way. All I said to Ken and Sue was, THANK-YOU! I could only imagine what would have happened if they did not come along and I was face to deal with this guy all on my own. I am sure I would have been OK, but what might he have tried to do if I was alone? I tell you, God sure does look after us!

I managed to get the chain back on and then proceeded to ride carefully back to the hotel. Ken had given me his number in case I needed help between there and the hotel. Thank goodness I got back OK. Back in my room I checked out the chain and it seemed to be OK. I de-greased and then re-greased it. There was a small bike shop called the Des Moines Bike Collective across from the hotel and they took a quick look and said the chain looked fine to them. I must not have fastened it the right way the first time. While waiting I met a young woman named Traci and her dad Larry. Her mom's name escapes me now. We had a lovely chat and I was enjoyed talking to her about racing as this would be her first triathlon. We talked a bit what got us both to this point and I was happy to share with her the story about Ken and Sue and how God does make sure that as long as we put our trust in Him, we will be cared for.


My bike in transition with the other para bikes.

I got some lunch at a small restaurant near the hotel where I met a young couple from Nebraska and their two young children. He was coming to race even though he was under the weather. He had won the entry to the race while doing another race. When I was done I finally saw an opening and rode my bike down to the transition area at Gray's Lake. After arriving the bike techs from Scheels were there and they also took a good look at the bike. They tweaked the gears and brakes a bit and said the chain looked fine.

Greg Welch

I had no luck finding a taxi to get back to the hotel so I started asking around for a ride and managed to get a lift from a nice guy who would also be racing. We had a great chat and he dropped me off just in time for me to make it back to the Expo in time to see the Pro Panel. Eight of the pros (4 men and 4 women) were answering "softball" type questions from Greg Welch. Greg had won Ironman in back in 1994 but had to take a quick exit from the sport when he was diagnosed with some major heart problems. He now does the commentating online for IRONMANLIVE during all the big races. He is just as funny in person and I went up to him prior to the event and introduced myself. I often hear other races teasing him because he is shorter than most of the male pros. I told him he can tell them now he is not the shortest guy in triathlon. He thought that was pretty funny. I later would ask a question of the panel and he asked me to repeat the story to everyone. I gave them all a good chuckle.

Tim, Rasmus, and Chris

When the panel concluded I stayed around to say "HI" to Tim O'Donnell. It made me feel pretty good when he actually came up to me and said, "Hey John, how are you doing?" He even introduced me to Mirinda, which was very cool. I also made a point of saying hello to Rasmus Henning and even Chris McCormack (reigning World Ironman Champion ). I later felt a little dumb as standing right there as well was Ironman LEGEND Paula Newby-Fraser who won Kona an unprecedented 8 times. I also asked passed Ironman Champion Heather Fuhr, if she was pro Dr. Amanda Stevens. Boy, did I feel silly.

Mirinda, Me, and Tim

Chris McCormack and Me

Heading out again from the hotel I managed to find a nice restaurant for dinner. The wait for a table inside was going to be more than 45 minutes or I could sit outside under an umbrella at a table right away. I chose the one outside and had a nice dinner in the pouring rain without getting wet. After dinner I headed back to the hotel for the night. I showered and then put on my TRI-TATS. They are temporary tattoos and as I am writing this a week later, they are still visible. If only I could have spent the whole last week wearing a tank-top! I took a while to pack up my bag for the morning and drifted off to sleep around 10:30pm with the alarm set for 3:15AM.

The alarm went off and I was up pretty quickly. Being away from home without a car and no market nearby, I had to improvise for breakfast. Breakfast was a Protein drink, wheat and berry muffin, a CLIF bar and some water and gatorade. I headed down to the lobby and quickly asked a couple of they were heading down to the race. They were and they said they had room if I wanted to go with them. Dave was going to be racing and his wife would be leading a small cheering section comprised of parents, in-laws and children. They had driven up from Kansas City, KS.


In transition around 5AM

I arrived at the race site around 4:30AM after a short walk from where the car was parked. It was still pretty dark and my head-lamp became very helpful. I was a little freaked out that the pressure was down in my front tire. The bike techs checked it out and felt it would be fine for the race after being pumped up. I trusted them and would later realize, it was a wise thing to do.

All 3 of the other para-triathletes were there: Sean, Aaron Scheidies, and Mark Dobersh. I slowly got things ready and started to enjoy a very beautiful sunrise. On one of my trips to the porta-john I ran into another Kona Ironman Legend. Shivering away, I saw Sister Madonna_Buder, the IRON NUN. We had a lovely chat about racing and faith. As we parted, I felt the Spirit around both of us and cried for a moment. Total tears of joy!

Two days prior to the race the race organizers had been telling people the lake water temp was 83 degrees. That's too hot for a wetsuit for age-groupers who want "official results". Well, people should not have listened as the water temp for race morning was 77 degrees, which is cool enough for a wetsuit if wanted. Lots of people were walking around upset as they had left their suits at home or at their hotel. Para-triathletes are allowed wetsuits in any weather. I was planning on only wearing my wetsuit pants, so I had no worries.

All set, I made my way to the swim start and looked out on the lake. This was a 1.5KM swim which was comprised of a swim straight out with a right turn then we simply made our way around the outside of the lake making 4 left turn before heading back in. Our para wave was to go out after the elite men and then women. We waded in a bit and then before I knew it, I heard the horn and we were off.

I managed to make it to the right turn before I heard the next wave of swimmers make it in. I knew it would only be a few minutes before they were passing me. This wound it being the first open water swim where I really got hammered by others. Having a MINI COOPER go to the first place finisher might have something to do with that along with prize money for the top 5 in each age-group. I got hit in the back pretty good at least 3 times along with getting my ankle grabbed once. I was trying to do my best to stay in line to the turn buoys knowing I was going to be in the think of things. The long back stretch was difficult to sight as we were swimming into the sun the whole way. Keeping swimmers to my left ensured I pretty much kept on track. The water tasted a lot like fuel and I felt it was actually stinkier than the Hudson River swim I did 4 weeks previously.

Swim exit

Making the last turn I lined up to try and swim straight to the swim exit. All went well and when I got out and passed over the mat, I was happy to hit the lap button on my watch at 47:34. That was a pretty good time for me and I tried to run some of the way into transition. The run down to the entrance was pretty long and since my bike was racked near BIKE OUT, I knew I would have to make it all the way back down to my bike. The good thing is, that meant less distance to run with the bike. With the run included I made it out of T1 in a time of 5:47. I would bet that more than 3 minutes of that was running to my bike.

Out on the bike and rolling all went well. The roads for the entire ride were very smooth, save for a little section right near the end. There were some nice hills up into West Des Moines but along with that came an AWESOME decent, where I managed to get up to 38 mph. We passed over a number of railway tracks where they put some carpet over top of the tracks to help, and it did.

There were two lollipops on the ride where both turnarounds went pretty good without too much of a slow down. I had to stop around the 15 mile marker to add water to my aero bottle. I can carry the bottles in a cage on the back of my bike, but can't reach them while riding. It amounts to less than a 1 minute stop, but I know I can't ride without water for 10 miles and then expect to run well off the bike.

Enjoying the ride

Getting back to T2 in a time of 1:37:32 was a great bike time for me. I was very pleased with my ride and was confident I left a lot more in the tank for the run. Off the bike and into T2 I got changed pretty quickly but needed a stop at the porta-potty. Out the back of transition in a time of 4:59, was not at all fast, but again, most of the time was due to the long run out. Lots of relay runners were waiting for their bikes to show up and cheered us on as we left out and onto the run.

I was determined to have a GREAT run after my poor showing in NYC. It's important to note that the run in NYC was a lot hillier and hotter. The first few miles of the run were all on a paved path with no hills at all. There lamp posts or cones along the path the whole time so I started out the run doing a 3 to 1 ratio of run to walk and then upped it to 5 to 1. I made sure of sticking to that ratio as to start the run, my back got really tight and I was worried I would end up having to walk a lot again like in NYC. My strategy worked as I took those rests each time I felt like I was actually GAINING strength. There were water stops each mile with lots of cheering volunteers. As we ran as I went out to a turn around near mile 2, Sister Madonna Buder was running out as I was running back and we gave each other a cheer. As I neared the water stop at mile 3, I saw Traci's parents. Her whole family got up to cheer me on and boy did it give me a boost.

Around mile 4 to 5 there was a loud speaker set up playing and re-playing the theme to ROCKY, "Gonna Fly Now". It was so fitting for me as I had received an unsolicited good luck email from Chrissie Wellington the night before where she wished me luck in the race saying, "Fly like the Wind".

Actually remembering to SMILE!

We passed by a bar called "Mullets" and there was a large crowd tailgating there in preparation for the AAA Baseball game in the nearby park. I got them all cheering as I ran by a lifted my arms a bunch of times to get them going. Again, another boost.

Across a small walking bridge and we were nearing the downtown core and the State House. We had to run up near the State House then come back down and then again back up for the finish. The streets were lined with specatators and I could feel my energy level increasing. As I passed mile 6, with only 2/10 of a mile left, I turned to corner to the finish and saw a HUGE uphill into the finishing chute. I started to walk and knew I would need some help to run the finish. The streets were barricaded and lined with fans. Again, like before, I started to move my arms to get people cheering and they responded. As they cheered, I started to run. Made the final turn and headed to the finish.

Crossing the Line.

Again, still all uphill, it was a challenging finish. I kept my arms moving and people continued to cheer, so I kep running. I am glad I never checked the total time I had, because as I crossed the line, I looked at my watch and saw the time, 3:59:56. With a run time of 1:24:06, I was able to stay on 13.5 min miles for the whole run. Though longer than my last 5i50 time at NYC, I have to keep saying to myself, you can't compare times from different courses. There are so many variables in each race. One particular note, my swim in NYC was only 23 minutes, thanks to the current in the Hudson, so there is 25 minutes right there.

5i50 US Open Para-triathlete Champion!

I got my clothing bag, changed and then waited for the awards. Since finishing 4th out of the 4 paratriathletes, I knew I would win something. I was initially worried when they called the prizes and were only awarding 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and then I heard, "Winning 1st place in the Open Paratriathlete Category is John Young of Salem". First place? I was given a gold medal and a huge gift certificate from Orca (wetsuit company). I later was to find out that thanks to my classification problems in NYC, where I was too tall to be classified, the Hy-Vee organizers contacted USAT and were told I was to be in the Open category, not with the other athletes. Well, I guess it goes to prove, "Good things come to those who wait." I get my classification sorted out sooner or later, but I guess winning something in the mean time is good too.

I went over to the Hy-Vee tent to find out I automatically qualify for the race in 2012. I am sure next year, we will budget for this race. Hopefully we can manage trip home to MN as well to see Sue's family.

Food after the race was pretty poor. Especiailly since Hy-Vee, the race sponsor, is a supermarket chain. It was simply bagels and fruit without much more.

I made my way on a shuttle to transition, loaded up my gear in my bag, put it on my bike and then rode back to my hotel. Nice and slowly I made it back with no problems.

I quickly got changed and then walked back towards the river to watch the PROS race. The women had already started and I got there when they were all on the bike. I watched for a while and then walked towards the State House grandstand. I stopped to talk with a group of 3 people who were watching. They had all raced earlier as well. I ended up spending the rest of the womens' race and then the entire men's with Kattie and her husband.

Mirinda catching Luxford

Mirinda, 2nd place woman.

Swim Start for Men

Chris McCormack

Greg Bennett, First Place Male

After the men's race, I met up with Sean and his buddy and we had a nice dinner and some drinks together. I made my way back to my hotel later in the evening. I even managed a short swim and jacuzzi before the pool closed at midnight.

The next day I packed and headed home. Except for a pretty bumpy fllight from Milwaukee to Boston, the trip home was pretty eventful.

Again, I want to says THANKS to all those who helped get me there. Your generosity and encouragement have not gone unnoticed.

NYC 2011 Accenture Triathlon

2011-08-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Awoken by my phone alarm at 3:15AM, I actually felt like I had a solid 4 hours of sleep. I got up and had my breakfast understanding that I would probably not be in the water until about 7AM with the first pro wave expecting to go off at 5:50AM. I consumed 1/2 a bagel with PB, a banana, some fruit and yogurt, and a glass of milk with protein powder. I packed up my bags, checked out of the hotel and made my way to my car. At this point it had stopped raining but the streets were wet. I got to my car and packed away any gear I would not need and starting walking to transition. By the time I reached my bike the rain started again. I got my transition area ready and luckily I was on a extreme side under a tree so my gear was not getting hit with the full force of the rain. I did bring some small plastic bags to keep shoes in and covered other things with small towels. I got my tires inflated and then joined a LONG line to use the porta-potties. After getting my water bottles all filled I left transition and walked the mile down the sea-wall to the swim start. I carried one bottle and a small clothing bag that I would turn in and get after the race at the finish line.

The rain was starting to really come down hard now. As I neared the swim start we slowed down simply due to the fact that there were 3100+ people waiting to race. The had corrals set up and I looked for the OPEN PARA area and when I found it, it was empty. I remembered there was a special tent for us right up near swim start. I chose to stay near the corral and watch the swim start. After turning in my bag I hear an announcement that the start would be delayed. There had been an accident on the highway and they needed to clear it up before the bikes hit the road.

As I waited a good friend Elizabeth found me. Given the number of people waiting it was a total surprise. We met last year at Timberman and she had taken the pics of me with Chrissie and Andy when my camera batteries had gone dead. It was nearing 6:30AM now and they announced that the swim was to start soon as they were calling the PROS to the start barge. I took a trip to the PORTA-POTTIES, took my GU and continued to drink a bit more water. Once the two PRO waves started, then the ELITES, the age-groupers started next. Simply waiting there I was amazed at the number of people I talked to who were doing this race as their first triathlon. The current was picking up (in the RIGHT direction) but the wind was as well and there was quite a bit of chop forming. As the waves of people started into the water I was noticing a number of swimmers in distress. The kayaks were getting to them fine, but it would be a long day for the lifeguards if this trend continued.

The day after the race, I found the following video online. I certainly hope the person was DQed.

I even spoke to a gentleman getting ready for the race who was wearing a wetsuit and had never worn one in the water. I'm sorry, but people can't just believe a triathlon is something you do on a whim. They were trying something new this year that seemed to work well for me. Instead of waves of large numbers going off every few minutes, they were having a TT start with 20 people at a time. My wave went off after a 20 minute break so when I got to the swim exit it was not too crowded. Others later in each group mentioned that the swim exit was very congested.

Anyway, 40 minutes later than expected, they announced that the para-triathletes were up next after a prolonged break. I proceeded down to the swim start and was ushered onto the starting barge. All capped and goggled, I was ready to go. The "official" paras would go first and then those of us in the OPEN division. Well, when the announced it was our turn, without hesitation I went out the to edge and sat down ready to start. I was amazed at how relaxed and ready I was. The horn sounded and off we went. I waited until the 2 guys beside me jumped in and then I went in feet first. The water was felt fine and I do not recall any strong odor. Off I went and found my groove pretty quickly. As I breathe on my left, I was able to see the crowd of about 1500 more athletes waiting to get in and could also hear their cheering. I got a couple of waves hitting me hard, but it felt no worse than FIRMMAN down in Narraghansett last year. I noticed a large sign on my left and I realized it was marking the first 250m. I looked at my watch and freaked out. My watch read 3:52. In the pool I usually take that same amount of time to swim 150 yards. I was CRUISING. I looked and kept trying to keep to the right (where I thought the current was the strongest) anbd continued on. The swim proceeded along pretty much the same for the entire 1500m. I noticed a few passing me as I neared the half way point but I never felt like I was getting bumped or banged. As I neared the end I could see the lifeguards at the exit pulling people out. As I lifted my head one last time I caught the eye of a guard who reached out for me. As he grabbed my hand he told me to turn around as he would lift me out. I assume he knew I was a para-triathlete by the color of my cap. I said "No, I will walk out." He pulled me closer and when my feet hit the ramp, I started to run. I said excuse me as I ran past an athlete being pushed in a wheel-chair. Remembering the run was pretty long to transition I slowed down a bit.

Heading into T1

As I passed over the timer, I looked at my watch and I had 23:26 which placed me 9th out of 14 in my division. I was PUMPED with that swim. For sure it will be the fastest 1500m (1 mile) swim I will ever do.

It was probably a good 1/10th of a mile just to get into the back of transition and then back up to front to where my bike was. I got my wetsuit off pretty quickly, with helmet, shoes and glasses on as well. The rain was continuing pretty strong now, so my biggest concern would be the slickness of the roads. I got my bike off the rack and proceeding out of transition to the mounting line. Things were pretty congested but I got on my bike with no problems and then proceeded down the path on the right with swimmers running up the other side. There were plenty of volunteers yelling to "take it slow" with the "HILL" coming up. There were only a few cyclists on the hill so I increased the gearing just a bit, got out of my saddle, and got up the hill with no problem passing a few people on the way. It probably helped that I was in the 34rd wave of swimmers after there had been a 20 minute break. I am sure things were crazier both earlier and later on. I got up to the traffic circle at 79th-80th and then proceeded to avoid the HUGE potholes (some of which were filled with rain) and follow the course up and onto the Henry Hudson Parkway. Having the course closed to traffic is a huge plus.

The course was fairly hilly all the way up to the turn-around in the Bronx. There were a couple of long steep climbs with some cool downhills to follow. You can't really have the downhills without having the uphills as well. The only problem was, with all of the rain and the roads being so slick, I felt I could not go full speed down the hills without increasing the possibility of an accident.

Riding through a toll-booth near the Bronx.

Even though some of the puddles looked pretty small, I tried to avoid them not knowing what was underneath. I heard later than one of the pro women crashed out of the race going through a small puddle that happened to have a pot-hole in it as well.

I was surprised at the number of cyclists who were walking their bikes up some of the big hills. I would have to admit that many of them were part of sponsorship teams that encourage people to enter a triathlon in order to raise money for a charity. I am not criticizing them at all, hey they are out there racing and not sitting at home.

I got some chuckles from the police as I yelled out going through the toll-booth, "I'm sorry, but I forgot my EASY-PASS!"

The crowds along the route were pretty sparse but that's understandable since we were riding along a major highway and the only way people could come and watch was to come up a closed on or off ramp.

The only stop I made was at the northern turnaround in order to fill my aero bottle with the bottle I keep in the cage on the back of my seat. My arms are not long enough to reach it while riding. There was a stiff head-wind going south, but I loved the ride. We had to go south to 55th? I think and then head back north to the exit. It was great because we got the benefit of a cheering crowd twice as we passed the exit going south. The southern turn-around came pretty quick and it was great to know I only had a mile or two left. The exit ramp was lined with lots of spectators who were cheering as the rain had now stopped and in fact the sun was starting to shine. It was great for the fans, but it also meant the run would be a bit of a scorcher.

Returning to the traffic circle (rotary here in MA) there were lots of cyclists there but no one was being silly. It was a real sharp downhill to the dismount line which was on a downhill, but not much else to do with the space we were using. Off the bike and into transition was a real short trip for me. Great knowing that my spot was right near the CLIF sign.

My time for the bike was 1:41:58 which put me 12th out of 14. The times in both T1 and T2 are noticeably slower for this race due to the fact that the transition areas are huge and it takes a while to get in and/or out depending on your spot.

I had not run this course and had been warned that the exit out onto 72nd street is quite steep. They were right but just getting down that far from 79th street took a while as well. I knew I was going to have lots of water stops along the route, so I didn't take anything with me save for a couple of gels and an inhaler.

Suffice it say, this was a pretty challenging run. The clouds had completely disappeared now and the sun was pretty hot. I had come to the conclusion that I would walk all of the uphills in order to have something left for a strong finish.

Running up 72nd street towards the Dakota and Central Park

When I came out of the park and onto 72nd street I was prepared for what I was about to see. The street was closed to traffic, barricades were up and the street was lined with cheering fans. Honestly, it felt like the BOSTON MARATHON to me. How could I not run? I did my best to take it easy but the adrenaline was pumping for sure.

At every corner there throngs of people and police. On at least two occasions I raised my arms up in the air and the crowd responded with cheering. It was euphoric.

I got to Central Park and then realized the hills would be coming. The rest of the race prior to the finish was simple. Walk all of the uphills (MANY!) and run the flats and downhills. There were lots of others out running and cycling the park as well and some cheered us on. At about the 4 mile mark, Scout, who I referred to earlier, passed me. She looked strong at when I talked to her at the finish, she PRed the course as well.

With less that a mile to go to the finish I was doing my best to run hard and then I heard "Hey Mr. Young" behind me and it was Austin Esecson, a former Pingree student. He was doing then race for the second year and was in the LAST wave of swimmers so he had probably started at least an hour after me if not more.

At the finish and pretty exhausted.

I had remembered the finish chute from the "Underwear Run" from Friday so as I entered it I knew how much longer I had to go. I did my best to keep going at a solid and strong pace and with about 20 yards to go, I heard the announcer call out, "John Young from Salem, Go Johnny". They actually have a video of both my swim exit and finish I can purchase online.

My run time was 1:34:37 which game we the slowest run in my group but a final time of 3:51:31 which placed me 12th out of 14 overall. A new personal best for an Olympic distance course by over 8 minutes. I am sure the FAST river helped a lot, because my run time was not my best at all, but a PR is a PR.

After the finish I found some food, water and MUSCLE MILK and then went to the tent to find my clothing bag. After changing I found the VIP tent for some additional refreshments. There really wasn't much else but being under the tent in the shade helped.

After getting my results and started heading out of the park. I met up with two other athletes, one who had DNFed due to a nasty bike crash. We agreed to split a cab to ride the few blocks to transition to get our bikes.

I got my bike and gear and then walked the few blocks to my car. I went back into the hotel where I had stayed and asked to use a bathroom to freshen up a bit. After changing I made my way to a restaurant for some additional food. John Korff, the owner of the race, was hosting a party for all of the para-triathletes where we could get some lunch. I had a burger and beer, said my good-byes to some real GREAT athletes all with the CAF and then walked back to my car. I called Sue to let her know I was on my way home. I was so surprised that the 5 1/2 hour drive home really was not that bad. Listening to books on CD sure help pass the time. I never really felt sleepy at all. Getting home around 7:30pm or so was a real relief as I got to see Owen before he was off to bed.

I did mange to race the following weekend at the Westborough Sprint triathlon and compete the race in 1:49, which was a new PR for me for a sprint distance race.

A gift from the WTC !

I got an email the following Monday from the WTC who run the HyVee 5i50 US Triathlon Championships and they invited me to Des Moines to race on September 4th. Well, after some encouragement from fellow triathletes and teammates, I am GOING.

NYC 2011 - Leading up to the RACE !

2011-08-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Before I get into my report I want to pay respects to two triathletes who lost their lives in the race yesterday. A 64 year-old man and 40 year-old woman both died of apparent cardiac arrest during the swim portion of the race. I completed the race and drove 5 hours home only to hear about the tragedy after arriving back home. My prayers go to the families of both victims.

This race was on my radar since last summer. As a para-triathlete I knew this race would be the chance I might be able to take in order to try and qualify to race in the Paratriathlon World Championships in Beijing China this coming September. If any of you are Facebook "friends" you surely know the problem I have been having with the International Triathlon Union (ITU) leading up to this race.

There is a classification for dwarfism in the ITU. They actually have a maximum height listed and I am considered too tall. I asked how they determined the height and an answer is not available. Needless to say, I will talk more about this later in the post, but I am still fighting with the ITU and hopefully, they will resolve the issue prior to the 2012 racing season.

Okay, I traveled down to NYC on the Friday preceding the race. Sue and Owen and decided to stay home since I would be dealing with lots of classification details on Saturday and my mind would not really be on sight-seeing with them. We had just traveled to NYC last summer, so if (WHEN) I do the race again, they will surely come along.

Travel to NYC was not a problem at all and I arrived there around 3:30pm in the afternoon. The hotel I chose was a STEAL at a fraction of the "official" hotel and it was 2 blocks from transition with FREE STREET PARKING. I found a spot right away a 1/2 block from the hotel. Once I parked, I never moved the car again until I left after the race on Sunday afternoon. It looked to be a safe neighborhood and in the end, it certainly was. I checked in and got all my gear upstairs while leaving my bike in the trunk of my car. There was an Underwear Run planned for the evening in Central Park, so even though I was not registered for it, I brought some appropriate clothes and made my way to the Sheraton for the Race Expo. After looking around at the Expo I ran into Stephanie and her husband. She is a member of Team Comp and would also be racing. I find there are RARE deals at the Expos and I simply had fun looking at stuff. You could really tell who the newbies were as they were buying gear and clothing to wear in the race. That kind of goes against the idea that should never try something new in a race. That tip has done me well.

"Cool runnings"

Cav, Adrian, Josh, Bill, and Julie

I left the Expo and made my to Central Park to try and figure out where the Underwear was. I met up with another athlete named Ben who lives in NYC and has done the race for a number of years. We chatted a bit and he gave me some good tips about the race course, especially about starting on the bike portion. I had already been reading about this, but he reinforced the idea about the BIG HILL leading out of transition onto the highway. The tip was to keep your bike in the lowest gear, get up the hill and then worry about racing. Be careful about all the rookie riders as some of them tend to stop on the hill and cause problems. I thanked him for the tips and made my way to the "run". When I got there, there were plenty of people getting ready for the run. I had not registered and realized I would not be able to leave my bag and would have to carry it for the run. Then I saw my friend Jen who was working for the race organizers. I had met her at the Minuteman race last year and knew she would be there. She offered to get me an official entry into the race, so I was set. I got changed and was ready to run 1.7 miles in Central Park and it was WARM by this time.

This was in the Huffington Post

This is a video of the start of the race, and if you watch long enough, you can see me at the end. I found it on YOUTUBE.

The race was a BLAST and I am so glad I did it. So I didn't look like most of the other buff bods out there, since when has that ever stopped me. Josh and Julie from the pic above got ripped off in the costume contest. Winners were to receive a trip to Jamaica. In my opinion, they had the best costume and completed the entire race as shown in the picture. A team with a "similar" theme won, and it was a much poorer attempt. Walking back to my hotel I met up with Cav, Julie and Josh and we chatted a bit. I found out that Josh and Julie were also doing the race. Cav invited me along for a beer and I said sure. He lives in a SMALL apartment in the area but he is lucky to have a roof top deck. Friday night in Manhattan enjoying a beer and some snacks on a rooftop. Many memories of Hong Kong came flooding back. Bill and Adrian, their other friends showed up and we had great times chatting about triathlon. I excused myself after a while and walked the 4 blocks to my hotel.

Sleep did not go very well since I knew that Saturday was going to be a stressful day starting with a breakfast hosted by John Korff who is the race organizer. He was putting the breakfast on for all of para-triathletes. It was at a lovely restaurant around the corner from the Sheraton which was the host hotel for the race. I managed to stop by a Tim Horton's for a quick coffee first ! I met a number of great athletes at the breakfast including the 2 pictured below.

Me along with Scout Bassett

Hector Picard with me.

I had to leave the breakfast a little earlier than most for my classification meeting at 10:15am back at the Sheraton.

When I arrived at the appointed location both Eric and Joan were there to greet me. They both work with USAT and were both lobbying on my behalf in order the change the current classification. Eric even had me write a last minute appeal to send to the ITU, but alas, I was told it would do no good as they classifier had to follow the current guidelines.

As an example to how crude their measuring was, I have always been told by my own doctor, that I am 4'4" tall which is 132 cm tall. When they measured for my classification, they pegged me at 130.5cm tall, with the cut-off being 129.5cm. I refused to try and slouch down, which was difficult anyway since they measured me while lying on the floor. So even they got it wrong. They proceeded to measure the range of mobility of all of my limbs and when they were done I asked to leave so they could go over the numbers.

Less than 5 minutes later I was called back in and told, I failed to meet the criteria for the classification and would be racing in the OPEN category. I was glad about that somewhat, because months ago, I was told if I was not classified, I would have to race in my AGE-GROUP, so at least I would be in a group of 15 other para-triathletes. One of those other OPEN racers, actually was denied because he failed to bring a note from his physician. This was a man who lost his leg in Iraq and it could plainly be seen that he is missing a limb. Sorry they said, no letter, no classification.

The classifier and her assistant both thanked me for being so honest about being measured. She said I would be surprised to find the number of people who try and bend the rules. From the onset of this I have tried to be forthright and direct about my concerns. I told the classifier I was "A rule changer, not a rule breaker." She ensured me that my letter had been taken to the highest level in the ITU and than changers were going to be made, where they were going to base future classifications on "real data" from athletes. I looked at her in amazement and asked, "What are the current ones based on?" She just looked at me and said nothing. More evidence to support my belief that this maximum height of 129.5 cm was selected arbitrarily.

I then went on to explain that I would be much happier if I was 25 years old and dealing with this instead of 45. They hope to have things completely in line for the Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016. I explained I would be 50 at that time, to which the classifier replied, "Age is just a number." Of course I replied, "So is height.". She just stared again.

I do not blame her at all as she is just the messenger, but as the Head Classifier for the ITU, she will certainly have a lot of say as they make changes in the future. I can only hope and of course keep writing letters.

I left the meeting room and then chatted with Eric and Joan again before leaving to clear my head. I walked around the Expo a bit more and then ran into Bryan Lyons another triathlete from MA. He is a member of Team Hoyt and we have done a number of races together. He raced the Wicked 1/2 Marathon last fall and gave me his finishers medal since they had run out of them. We decided to have lunch together and found a quiet Irish pub off of Times Square. After lunch I returned to the Sheraton for the mandatory briefing where I also received my race packet and number. There were lots of rules to go over in regards to para-triathletes and their handlers and guides. I had chosen to not use a handler since I had not needed one yet, thought it might have been nice to hand my bike to someone and have them rack it prior to going out on the run.

I then decided to return to my hotel room on the west side to get my bike to transition for check-in. I was able to leave my bike in the trunk of my car prior to check in. With the forecast for rain on race morning I was so glad to have a large plastic bag (from Jay Curry) with which to cover my bike. It was so nice to return to my hotel and simply get my bike out of my truck and then walk it down to transition only 2 blocks away.

My bike all checked in and ready for the rain.

After bike check-in I had a tour of the transition area. They reviewed the big hill we were to face leaving transition and since I had just ridden it prior to checking my bike in, I was all set. They took as down to the swim exit and then we were down with the tour.

The swim exit where lifeguards would be stationed to pull you out.

Returning to the hotel I spent some time catching up on Facebook and then went out to find a place for some dinner. I walked up to Broadway (in the rain) and looked for a nice "family style" restaurant that served pasta. I found a small place called "Cafe Eighty-Two" and what a pleasant treat it was. I had a HUGE plate of pasta and grilled veggies along with a salad. The neat thing about the restaurant was how friendly the wait staff was with a lot of the customers. Obviously a place frequented by locals. It was great watching the waiters hugging and kissing this one table of older ladies as they each came in to meet up for dinner. A place I will surely re-visit when I race there again.

On my way back to the hotel I stopped at a shop called ZABAR'S. I bought some milk and water for the morning. I thought it was a neat shop with lots of different things to buy. It looks like it started with one shop and then as others closed, they purchased them as it represented almost a whole block on Broadway around 81st Street. I found out later it has a bit of a reputation as Sue said to me when I got home, "YOU WENT TO ZABAR'S?"

Back in my room I got ready for the night, send a few more emails and then laid down to sleep. I was set to expect rain in the morning and tried not to worry about it since it is not anything I can change. I slept pretty well and was woken by my alarm at 3:15AM.

Race report is the next POST!

Subaru Triathlon Series - Peterborough - July 10th

2011-07-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the story in the local paper about my race in Peterborough, ON, Canada. Still trying to "bang-out" my race report.

Link to story in EMC paper.

Do you think he hears my footsteps? LOL.

Finished 5th out of 8 in the OPEN paratriathlon class in a time of 2:04:11.

Next up is the NYC Triathlon on August 7th. This is my "A" race for sure.

Patroit 1/2 Iron Distance Triathlon Race Report

2011-06-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Run to a pole, walk to a pole, run to a pole......more about that later.

Last year I completed the FIRM MAN 1/2 Iron Aquabike down in Narraghansett in September. Prior to that race I had not completed a 1/2 marathon. I then completed a 1/2 marathon in Salem a week later and then completed another one last month in Newton. With the training plan I started at the beginning of the year and some tweaking from Kurt, our team captain, I was confident I would be ready for this race on June 18th.

I competed in the Minuteman Sprint at the same race site last year. This would help with my familiarity with the location. I found out as a paratriathlete I would be in the first wave for the 1/2 with the Elites/Pros. It would make for a small crowd, and would hopefully get me out so when the following waves came by I would not get banged around too much.

Sue and Owen had plans to come down to the race site after Owen's swim lesson in the morning so my choices were to drive down as usual or get a ride with another athlete. Not wanting to deal with two cars I opted to find a ride. I was also worried about driving myself home after competing in a race that would end up taking me more than 8 hours to complete. I emailed around and Tim Clarke (Team Comp teammate) graciously offered to drive me down. I would have preferred to leave a little earlier, but grateful for the ride from Tim, he planned to pick me up outside of our place at 4AM. I was up at 3AM to get packed up, prepare my nutrition for the ride down and do my usually sharpie writing (S.O.T.H and PINGS) on my arms for encouragement. I also was able to bring Katie Lynch's sock again (read my previous race report for background) and it would later become SO important to me on the run.

Tim arrived and we hooked up my bike and we were off down to Freetown. The ride was quick and uneventful and we arrived down at the race site a little after 5:30AM. We parked and wandered over to pick up our race packets.

To my surprise, I looked up my race number and I was given #1. We went back to the car to get our gear and bikes and then lined up for body marking before getting into transition,

In transition taken by Andrea B. (Comp teammate)

I usually like to be at the race site as close to 5AM as possible, so this time I would not have much time to mentally prepare. Maybe it ended up being a good thing, since this was going to certainly be the biggest physical challenge I have ever taken upon doing. I realized as I started to unpack, that I had forgotten 3 crucial items. I forget to bring my flat sandwiches (PB and J) for the bike, GATORADE, and sunscreen. I did remember to bring a couple of CLIF bars, so I made to sure to have those ready to stuff in the back of my shirt during T1.

After meeting up with most of my Team Comprehensive teammates prior to the start of the race, I made sure my bike and gear were ready and then made my way down the start of the swim. I have always tried to swim a bit prior to the start, but did not have time this year. I would have to make due with simply starting right away. At this point, the start of the race was delayed about 15 minutes. When I got to the starting area I ate my one gel pack and then readied myself for the start. I was chatting with one of the elite males who told me this race would be his first ever open water swim. How the heck was he an elite?

Anyway, all the Minuteman sprint racers were in the water and we were up next. When we were asked to step across the timing pad, I walked straight up and over and then into the water. At 70 degrees, the water felt fine once I got in. They counted down from 30 seconds and we were off! I put myself at the back of the pack and got my groove going pretty good. I kept my line straight along the buoys for a while and then got passed by the next wave about 6 or 8 minutes into the swim. When I looked up next I realized I was heading a bit to the right and had to swim left to get back in line. I reached the left turn buoy about 25 minutes into the swim. The rest of the swim went fine as I kept line pretty well up to the next left turn and then on into the finish. I got passed by LOTS of swimmers but never really freaked out at all even when people swam over top of me. Each time it happened, I simply put my hands over my face to make sure my goggles didn't get kicked off. It really was no big deal.

As I neared the shore I could hear the crowd and I kept going pretty strong right up the shore. I got out of the water at a time of 1:02:03 (500 out of 506) and got to my bike as quickly as I could. T1 went so-so in a time of 3:54. I wanted to make sure I had all I needed for the 56 mile ride.

The bike leg went quite well with no real problems. It was two times around a 29 mile circuit. That works out to 58 miles (instead of 56) for the ride. There were two bottle exchanges on each leg. I was sure to grab water 3 times and HEED once. I averaged about 15.4 mph for the first lap and then 14.9 mph for the total trip. As I came around to finish the first lap there were lots of Comp people cheering on the side of the road. I remember seeing and hearing Dan and Andrea for sure. I knew Andrea was going to call Sue and give her an update, so it was a bit of boost as I started the 2nd leg.

Taken by Deb Lewis

My target speed was 14.5 mph for the entire leg, so things worked out well as far as I was concerned. I got passed by lots of riders but managed to pass a few as well. A number of Comp teammates passed me (Rich, Stu, and Denise) and we yelled encouragement to each other.

Nearing the end of the 2nd lap I had my one moment of frustration on the bike, but later that day I was ablt to laugh about it. A rider had passed me with about 2 miles to go and I remembering saying to her, "And now all we have to do is run 13 miles." To which she responded, "Not me, I'm doing the Aquabike". The aquabike is only the swim and bike portions of the race. For a moment, I wanted to say "**** you !", but of course I took a second and realized, you do what you can do. All the "props" to her for doing "her" race as I have done two aquabikes in the past.

The marshals and police really seemed to have things in control as I never had problems at any of the turns or intersections. Coming into T2 there were more Comp people around including those who had finished the Minuteman Sprint. Just as I pulled in, I saw Sue and Owen who had made it down by now. I was aiming for a time of about 4h 10 min and as I looked at my watch and realized I had done it in 3:56:47 (488 out of 506), I was feeling pretty good about the ride. Had I gone too fast?

I had no idea what I would feel like getting off the bike and then trying to run. Up to now, the hardest BRICK I had done was a 35 mile ride with a 7 mile run.

As soon as I dismounted, I could feel the stiffness in my legs. I got to the rack and placed my bike on it and then proceeded to get ready to "run" 13.1 miles. I drank a lot of water, put on my running shoes and visor and started to head out of T2. My time for transition was 4:32, which was a little slower than I would have liked, but not terrible.

I started to jog lightly towards the road when I saw Sue and Owen waiting for me. Owen gave me a "high -5" and then a much needed hug. Andrea was there with some encouragement as well. She asked if she could jog with me a bit and I (probably not in a nice voice) said I needed to do this myself. The more I think about it, the more I feel it was embarrassment that at this point as I did not feel like I was going to able to run at all.

Leaving T2 (by Andrea B.)

The next 4-5 miles was the toughest thing to date I have done physically. I wanted to QUIT and pack it in. Doing the math in my head I knew if I did not start running, I would not make the 4pm (4:15 really, since the race had started late). I tried to run, but could not seem to do it. There were aid stations set up almost every mile and reaching the first one, I checked my time to see it was close to 20 minutes. I took some water, oranges and banana and carried on. At this rate it would take me almost 4.5 hours to complete the 13.1 miles. Since it was now about 12:40 or so, I would cross the line at about 4:50 or so. Well after the cut-off time. I immediately thought about Chaz Fairbrother, one of my Comp teammates. He has attempted IMLP twice and both times did not make the 12 midnight cut-off, but both times he did cross the line! Thanks Chaz! You helped me KEEP GOING! Each of the next two miles were about the same at 18 to 20 minutes each time. The toughest mile, was when I was coming up to the next marker, thinking it was mile 5 and it was only 4. How could I keep going?

Then I reached down and touched Katie's sock. Katie was an LP who died far too young. I never met her but connected with her parents through the 1/2 marathon I did last month. Her mom gave me a magenta sock to carry in that race and I sure needed it again today. I pulled on that sock and Katie told me "You can keep going". I had a bit of a muscle strain in my right calf that had surfaced the last week of training during a short morning run. I had done my best with ice and stretching and was hoping it would not re-surface. As soon as it started up again I knew if I did not deal with it, my run could be over. I pulled on the sock again and thought of a lot of inspirational people. Dick and Rick Hoyt as well as Jon Blais (ALS Blazeman Warrior) were there with me as well. I could hear them telling me "ONE MORE STEP". At the top of every hill (not really very many of them) I was able to see Sue and Owen cheering me on.

After mile 5, I realized I would not make the cut-off time. I was dealing with the heat OK, it was just the pain that was a challenge. What would be better? Stopping and trying another time or to keep going. I promised my mother, I would make sure that if God was there with me telling me to stop, I would listen. So I asked Him, "what do I do?" Immediately an image came to me of a man doing the Kona Ironman World Championships. He was on camera late into the night and the camera man asked, "how are you doing this?" His answer was simple. He was following the electrical poles and was alternatiing. Walk to one, then run to the next, then walk, them run. That was it. So I started to do that. Walk, then run, then walk, then run. It started to work. I got to the next aid station and my time was down to around 15 min per mile. I completed the rest of the race that way. I tried to make sure I was running in the shade so I did cross the road back and forth a number of times to try and stay cool.

Each aid station was SO helpful. The volunteers were great. Their words of encouragement helped a lot along with the ice bag one man held on my shoulders and head while I consumed some nutrition at one water stop. Thanks also to the athlete who suggested I put ice down my singlet to keep my core cool. That worked SO WELL. Around mile 8 I think, I was passed by my dear friend Jim Logan. We had a great chat and he continued on his way. Around mile 10 or so, a police cruiser pulled up and the officer asked if I was OK. I gave him the thumbs up and said all was great!

As I reached the last manned aid station, the enthusiasm of the volunteers still remained strong. They were all so happy to help. It was now after 4pm, so the last 2 aid stations had water to drink, but no one was there. I had to get back to Cathedral Camp all alone. Then I saw Mark, the RD, pulling up and thought he was going to tell me the race had ended. He rolled down the window and cheered me on! I asked if the finish line was still open and he said, "YES! And there's lots of people waiting for you."

Here I was now with about 1-1.5 miles to go. I tried to continue with my pattern of walking then running and I saw the volunteers near the entrance to the finish chute. They were actually cheering!! I started to run and then I looked at my watch and it read about 8:56. I had to run pretty hard if I was to make it over the line prior to the 9 hour mark. Then I heard someone yell from the finish line, "He's coming" Then the cowbells! I was going to do this. I was about to finish my FIRST 70.3 race. I turned the last corner of the path and could see the finish arch. There were Sue and Owen waiting for me. And what a surprise as well, to see SO MANY Team Comp still there to cheer me on! What a TEAM!!

"Almost there" by Andrea B.

I crossed the line with a run time of 3:51:59 (484 out of 506) giving me a total time of 8:59:12. I was able to earn 2nd place in the Male Paratriathlete division. There were 3 of us racing but only 2 finished. Looking at the results, I finished ahead of 4 other competitors and there were 20 people listed as possible DNFers.

Again, I could have packed it in knowing I might not earn an official time, but I convinced myself that I entered the race knowing that might very well happen. I owed it to both Sue and Owen to FINISH the race. Both of them sacrificed a lot in allowing me the time to train and prepare. I could not let them down. I also kept saying to myself, this race was for all of us who at some time in our lives were told by someone else that we were not physically able to do something. I know I can do this again and I know I can finish under a time of 8:30. If I can do that, then maybe a 140.6 race is not out of the question. I am totally fine with that race possibly never happening. But I'll say this now, if you want to make sure I someday do a 140.6, then come up to me and tell me I can't physically handle a race that long.

Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon Race Report

2011-05-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well, leading up to this very important race, to say the nerves were a little frazzled, would be an understatement. I've already talked a bit about the importance of this race for me, but I thought it might be a good idea to go over the background info again.

After the race...........

Katie Lynch was a LP (little person) who had a connection with the Boston Marathon about 10 years ago. She came up with something called the "Purple Shoes Challenge". Somehow getting connected with Dave McGillivary, she walked her own marathon of 26.2 feet prior to the Boston Marathon in 2001. Sadly, in 2002, Katie died and though we attended an LP National Convention years ago, I never met her personally. In honor of her life and the programs she started to make sure there are programs available for all who want to participate in physical activity, regardless of their different abilities, Katie's family and friends started this race, the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon 2 years ago. Along with the race, is the "Purple Shoes Challenge" where dozens of differently-abled athletes participate in their own marathons.

Through a mutual friend, I heard about this race last season and thought seriously about racing then. Having never ran in a 1/2 marathon, I thought it best I try a more "friendly" course closer to home to test my endurance over 13.1 miles of running. In September of last year I raced in the Wicked 1/2 Marathon in Salem and finished in a time of 3:11, which was about 1 minute slower than I had planned. I was SO HAPPY.

Last Christmas I contaced Katie's mother Joan about my intentions to race both for myself and to honor Katie. She was excited and from that date onwards, I knew I had her support.

Now to the race weekend. Leading up to the Sunday, the weather was looking promising, but that all changed Friday evening. The forecast changed and was looking like rain all day Sunday. As Saturday evening grew near, I started to freak out and emailed my triathlon team, Comprehensive Racing, for some advice about running in the rain. Well, the support came in fast and furious. Most of it centered around lubing my feet, but most of my teammates simply said, control what you can control. Don't worry about the weather and get out there and do your best, but most importantly, ENJOY IT. The advice settled me down and I was ready Saturday night. Before Owen went to bed, he gladly did is usual pre-race ritual and put some "SPEED" in my shoes. What he does is put my shoes on and then walks around in them transfering his speed into them. Trust me, it's very necessary !!

I got up around 4:30AM and it was raining, HARD. Had my usual pre-race smoothie and bagel with PB. I loaded up the car, said good-bye to Sue and Owen and was on my way. It pretty much rained on and off all the way down and things for a rain free race were not looking good. I got down to Newton South HS without a problem, arriving at about 6:30AM for a 7:30AM start. I went inside and registered. I looked for Joan to say "HI" and then processed to keep hydrating and get ready.

I looked outside a number of times and then rain continued to fall. I lubed up my feet and after trying to find a place to carry extra socks, I decided to go with only the pair I would be wearing. For my last trip inside to finish up, I managed to meet and have a chat with Anjali Forber-Pratt who is an Paralympic Medalist. She was coming to do the 5K race.

As I headed outside for the race, the rain had stopped. Things were looking promising for a "dry" race. The skies never really cleared up, but NO RAIN was going to be a real bonus. After I found Joan to get one more hug before the race, I ran into a dear friend named Ruth Ricker. She is an LP and is also the friend on Katie's who told me about the race. It was SO GREAT seeing a friendly face at the start. I knew Sue and Owen were heading down and would see me at a water stop, but this was such a great final emotional boost.

Now as far as a target time for a finish, this is where I had some concern. I was told numerous times by one of the race organizers, that this was a hard course. He rated it as an 8 out of 10 in terms of difficulty. With my previous only 1/2 time of 3:11, I chose to shoot for a 3:00:00. Even though the Wicked 1/2 was a much flatter course, I convinced myself I had done A LOT of training. It included doing about 20 miles per week during the final two weeks of training prior to my taper week.

After the anthem we quickly started the race. I was expecting to be at the BACK of the pack and it sure happened quickly. After about 2-3 minutes into the race, I looked back and saw no one. I was to have my own race without having to worry about other runners. I ran-walked the first mile and was totally excited to get to the first mile marker at 12:50. I did not feel I was pushing hard, so this was a good sign. The course was clearly marked and I only missed 2 of the later markers on the way back in. The first water-stop came at a little after mile 2. There was a 5K race that started 20 minutes after us on part of the same course. The 2 wheelchair racers passed me before mile 2 and then a few of the faster 5K runners as well. The course split after the water stop with us going left and the 5K runners continuing on straight. After the water stop and turn, I was truly alone, but totally ready for it.

The course was well marked with police and marshals at all of the crucial corners. I never felt abondoned for the entire race. There was water and gatorade and plenty of volunteers at each stop. I also noticed a lot of people calling my name, so I figure Joan must have told a lot of them about me. It sure helped keep me strong.

At about mile 4 or so I started to see runners heading back to the start. By this point they had already ran a distance of about 9 miles. As time went on, the amount of people heading back in started to grow. Lots of "high-5's" and again, I got another boost. As the miles started to pass, my time was staying consistent around 12:50-13:10 min/mile.

As I turned onto Heartbreak Hill, it didn't seem like such a hill. Now of course, at this point I have ran about 5 miles or so. The Boston Marathoners hit this hill around mile 20. A big difference. The best part would be all I had to do now was get up the hill, run around a part of BC and then I was heading downhill most of the way back to the finish. Of course, besides taking care of weather, Katie, my guardian angel for this race, was making sure they were people all along the way to help. I looked over and who did I see, but Evangelyn Surette. She is the mother of one of my students at Pingree and is now working in our main office in place of Barbara Savarese who is off sick. She yelled me some encouragment as I neared the turn around.

The coach from the Wayland Tennis team met me right after the turn around and ran with me down to the water stop where her team was volunteering. We had a nice chat about racing and again, it helped keep my mind off of the pain starting to sneak into my knees. There waiting on the side of the road to cheer for me again was Evangelyn. I got a nice big hug and kiss, and proceeded to RUN the 6 miles or so back to the start.

Cheering me on and ringing that COWBELL.

Again, each mile I checked my time and I was still about 6 minutes ahead of my target time. I was truly alone now with only marshals, police officers and people at the water stops. I was so happy to see all of them remaining at their posts. As I turned the corner leading to the last water stop, I could see the table far in the distance. Not wearing my glasses I thought I could see a couple of familar figures in the distance. When I removed the head phones from my ears, I knew I was correct. The sound of the cowbell and Owen yelling "DADDY!" we unmistakeable. The final boost I needed to finish was there. I got to them and got a big hug and kiss from both and kept running. Funny thing, I saw them again a few turns later, as Sue got lost finding the finish and had to ask the police officer for directions. Her suggestion made me chuckle, as she simply said, "Follow him" as she pointed to me. I'm glad she didn't as I don't think I would have dealt well with the pressure of them behind me the whole way. I got to the last big turn before the school where the volunteer said there was only a little more than a 1/2 mile to go.

Listen for Owen at the end of the video.

I continued to run and made it where I could see the school. I so glad when I noticed I only had to run up to a driveway and then turn to head to the finish about 30 yards away. In a few races I've been in, once you see the finish, they still make you run around the block. As I turned in, there were plenty of people there cheering and I saw the CLOCK. It read 2:55! Not only was I going to beat my target time by 5 minutes, I was about to beat my first 1/2 marathon time by more than 16 minutes. That was especially satisfying since the Wicked 1/2 course is much more forgiving. My official time was 2:55:41. What a great DAY. Lots of hugs with Sue and Owen and then a much appreciated BBQ lunch after with some of the volunteers and Purple Shoe Athletes.

Owen and me after my finish.

A great day with race #1 of my 3 important races this summer now in the books. If only the 1/2 Iron race I am going to be doing on June 18th is as succesful. It will be the first race I do where there are cut-off times where I might be pulled from the course if I don't get out of the water or off of bike by a certain time.

Up next is the Team Hoyt 5K race on May 26th in Waltham.

My First Inspirtational Quote

2011-05-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, I find inspiration in this one. For the first time though, this is something I wrote.

"Do not be limited by the opinion of others. The only person who knows your limits is you. If you really think about it, there are no limits. There is always one more step in you."

Less than a week to go until the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon

2011-05-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

Well, as I promised, I will try and update a little more often. A lot has happened in the last few weeks since my previous post. Things at work are starting to lighten up a bit as my AP Calc class had their exam last week. The end of the year here is kind of chaotic, but the end is in sight.

I've done my best to put in the miles as I prepare for a very challenging race this coming weekend with a total of 22.3 miles in the last 9 days. I emailed Katie's mom and asked for something to bring on the race, and her mom gladly obliged. I will really need to draw on my emotional and mental strength this weekend and wanted to carry something from Katie with me as I ran. Her mom sent me a pin from "Katie's Purple Shoes Challenge" along with one of her magenta socks. I will either pin these to my shirt or my race number, as long as they are somewhere I can touch while running. I am confident Katie will be looking down at me cheering me on. I know I can do this race and finish STRONG.

To that end, I am tapering this week. I had an AWESOME run last Saturday as I was able to put in 8.7 strong miles in 1:49:15 around the roads of Salem and Beverly. This run averaged faster than 11.4 min/mile, which is quite a bit faster than I am planning to do on Sunday. I am hoping to run at 13 min/miles which would put me in at 2:50:18. That time is more than 20 minutes off of my 1/2 time from September on a much flatter course. I know it's an aggressive goal, but I know I have put the training and time into this. I need to be careful as I did not stretch enough after the run on Saturday, and my legs were sore Sunday and Monday.

They are still a little sore today but I was able to do an easy 2 mile jog/walk this morning. I am doing my best to stay hydrated all day and will continue to ice them at night. If the weather holds off, I will ride to work tomorrow and then go for a slightly more aggressive run on Thursday. Friday will be a swim and Saturday will be a day off of my feet as much as possible.

Spring has Sprung!!

2011-04-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it's been a LONG while since my last post, but I promise as race season gets into full swing, I will keep a little more current with my posts. Training has been going quite well and now that I am 16 days away from a 1/2 Marathon, I thought I would post an update.

I started my official training for this season back at the beginning of January. Things have been going quite well, especially after my training plan was tweaked by my good friend, who is also our team captain, Kurt Maw.

I had my first race of the season back on April 10th. It was a 5K in Salem, called the Wellness 5K. Well, things must have been going well, as I finished the race in 39:59.51, which they rounded up to 40:00. It put me in at 294 out of 312. That time was a PR beating my previously best time by more than 2 minutes.

The race I am doing on May 15th is called the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon. Katie was an LP I never had the chance to meet, but a number of my friends with District 1 of the LPA knew her quite well. She passed away in 2003 and this race is now run in honor of her life. She was an advocate for other LPs and physically challenged athletes as she was determined to make sure there were athletic opportunities for all, regardless of physical limitations.

I promise as the weeks progress into the race season, I will post more often.

Training Started for 2011 Season

2011-01-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

I started my training for the 2011 last Sunday and tomorrow is my first REST/RECOVERY day. I have hit all my numbers so far. Will be doing a lot of reading over the next few weeks on weight training and nutrition.

I decided I will seek some coaching help for some single sessions but don't think I will get a coach on a monthly basis. I kind of figured out, since no one has worked with a little person, most of what they suggest will be a lot of "guess work" on their part. I will seek some help on specific matters, but I think that's all I need at this point. That may change, but we'll see.

I worked out a plan using an IRONMAN distance training plane. The reason being, since I always finish races at about twice the time of the best finishers, it should make sense I use an IRONMAN plan. All plans I have seen are based on time, so since it takes me about twice as long, if I use a 1/2 Ironman training plan, I won't have put in enough time. That's what I think will work.

About 3 weeks before the event, I will be at my peak training time at about 16 hours per week. Right now I am at about 6 hours. I don't know where the time will come from, but we'll see.

On the trainer in the basement I've been enjoying catching up on SHOGUN. A mini-series I remember from the early 80's. SO RETRO.

Happy New Year !!

Happy Holidays

2010-12-23T05:13:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

I just wanted to send out a message to the few of you who regularly read my posts. I appreciate all of the feedback and encouragement you send my way.

I wanted to let you know that while watching the Ironman World Championships in Kona on NBC last weekend, I made a BIGGER leap into triathlon.

I signed up for the PATRIOT 1/2 Ironman Triathlon!! The race is in mid-June right after the end of school for me at Pingree.

I will be doing a couple of warm-up races leading up to this one which will include the Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon. That race is in the middle of May and is held to honor the life of LP (little person) Katie Lynch.

Happy New Year to all !!!

Last race of 2010 is DONE.

2010-12-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

A much longer post will come in a few days, but I wanted to write a bit well things are fresh in my mind. Today I completed the JOLLY JAUNT in Danvers, MA. It is a 5K race that benefits the Special Olympics of Massachusetts. I managed to get a whole team of PINGREE RUNNERS and we were able to raise about $800 for the cause.

I know Thanksgiving is more than a week gone by, but I do want to write a bit about what I am thankful for. My health for sure. I was able to compete in 12 races (7 triathlons) this year including a 1/2 Marathon and 1/2 Iron Aquabike. Plans are BIG for next year in the hopes of completing my first 1/2 Ironman at the Patriot Triathlon.

I think I am most thankful for my lovely wife and son. Sue has done so much that has made it possible for me to race. Her patience, love and support are SO NEEDED and appreciated. I know I would not be able to do all of this if it wasn't for her.

A more detailed race report will possibly come later. One note, I took more than 6 minutes off of my time from last year, finishing in 43:55. It was a GREAT DAY!!!

Wicked 1/2 Marathon Race Report

2010-10-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

This report is long overdue but things at work have been a little hectic lately. Finishing up college recommendation letters have taken a priority. If I am totally honest about it, I could have done the letters if I had sat down one afternoon, but those letters can sometimes be difficult to start but are usually easy to finish.

Anyway this race was scary, daunting and a total blast all at the same time. Leading up to the race, I was a little concerned about my prep and training. Two weeks prior I completed the FIRM MAN 1/2 Iron aquabike (1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike). I did my longest run (8.7 miles) to date 3 days after the aquabike and felt pretty good. The run included going from Salem State College all the way to Marblehead and around the "Neck" and back. It included all of the big hills (both up and down) on the course. Living so close to the run course helped so much allowing me to do most of my training on the actual course. That next weekend (1 week prior to the 1/2 marathon) I did my last triathlon of the season. The TDD sprint in Douglas, MA.

The week before I did two more shorter runs (3.1 and 2.8 miles) and a short bike ride. The weather forecast was looking pretty warm for late September with no rain in the forecast. I was excited to know that Rob and Maggie were coming down from NH with their children and Maggie's mom to watch the race. They are friends from NH I met doing the Timberman sprint race. Rob was offering to be there for me after the race for a post-race massage as he is a registered massage therapist. We invited them to stay for lunch at our place after the race. This was looking like it was going to be a great day.

One of the things I have started to do with my races, is to determine a "target" finish time. I worked hard to figure out I thought I could stick to 14:30 minutes/mile. That would put me crossing the line at 3:09:57.

The race was set to start at 7AM at the Bentley School in Salem. I was up at about 4AM in order to go through my usual pre-race routine of nutrition. A protein smoothie I put together and a bagel with PB. I make sure to drink one full bottle of water and then another 1/2 water and 1/2 Gatorade prior to the race. I make sure I am done drinking 1 hour prior in order to make my usual (3) trips to the porta-john prior to the race.

I got to the Salem Willows around 5:30AM and waited for the shuttle ride down to the Bentley School. Once at the school I went inside and started to get ready. Some simple stretching in the gym and then of course, a chance to see some familiar faces. I asked Sue to write on both of my biceps, "My 1st 1/2". I got a number of well-wishes from strangers and 2 people mentioned it was there first 1/2 as well.

I saw John Russell from the Y and Denise from Team Comp, with all of us wishing each other well. As we got ready I could sense a lot of people commenting on how warm and humid it was feeling. I didn't really sense that at all. I don't know if it was from my triathlon racing, since the run portion is usually later in the morning of a race. I did see Rob and Maggie before the race start and told them where Sue and Owen would be waiting. They chose to hang around the start and then find things to do prior to my finish.

I did some light running and stretching outside and then proceeded to the start area. As usual, I set myself up near the back of the pack on the right side.

There was a very loud air horn to start the race and before I knew it, we were off. The starting pace was fine with me with lots of people passing me, but also a number staying with me as we went along. I knew that Andrea from Team Comp was planning on waiting for me near her home off of Lafayette, but I did not expect to have her run with me. Her place was a little before mile 2 and there she was ready to run with me. It was a real boost and much appreciated. As we approached SSC, I could Sue and Owen at the intersection and hear him ringing the cowbell.

Andrea and I approaching SSC.


Owen giving me the boost I needed to RUN!!

I knew Sue and Owen would be there, but none the less, it was GREAT to see the both of them. Owen came out to give me a big "HIGH - 5" and then I continued on. Sue and Owen went off them to do a few things prior to meeting me at the finish. They were going to have breakfast out at the Salem Diner ( SO JEALOUS) and then Owen would have his swimming lesson at the Salem Y.

Andrea continued on down the hill towards Marblehead before she turned around to head back home. Again, it was amazing to have a friend along. I managed to run up a lot of the big hill into Marblehead but had to walk some of it. As I passed mile 3 I made note of the time and I was already ahead of my pace. I was hoping I wasn't going too fast, but I felt great. Heading towards West Shore Dr. I noticed a runner walking the other way. As I past him, he yelled out that he couldn't finish, but encouraged me to keep going strong. A little while later, I started to see the leaders already heading back in.

The water stops along the course were about 1.5 miles apart which worked out well for me. I didn't like the smaller "DIXIE" cups they were using. I later found out the race organizers were trying to be a bit "greener" this year so they avoided bottles and the larger green Gatorade cups. Something they said they would reinstate next year.

I turned the corner onto Ocean Ave. by the firehouse and there was a crowd there with a lot of people cheering. A number of my students said they might come out to watch and cheer. I guess it was a little too early (about 8AM by now) for them, because none made it out. No big deal at this point. At mile 4, my pace was about 4 minutes faster than planned. As I reached the causeway, the crowd of runners heading back now was pretty big. Lots of us cheering each other on. I recognized a few, Denise from Team Comp and Brian Travers (more about him later), to name a couple. Also, lots of people cheering us on by the parking lot to Devereux Beach. Right in the middle of the causeway I chose to yell at the top of my lungs, "If it was easy, everyone would do this!!!". Lots of people cheered. I don't know what caused me to say that, but I felt the need.

As I neared the end of the causeway I could hear a couple of people calling my name. It was Jeff and Janeen Barnett. They have 3 children who went to Pingree, in fact their youngest daughter is a senior here this year. I was lucky enough to teach Jake a couple of times when he was a student here. Jeff was in fact, carrying a flip cam and filmed me as I approached. Here is the link of that video.

Video #1 -The Causeway

As I passed by, Janeen gave me a big hug and it was such a BOOST emotional state. The run was going to become really hard now for two reasons. The "neck" of Marblehead is the hilliest part of the course with a few rollers. More importantly, I would no longer be seeing runners going the other way. The only other people I would see on the course now would be those who passed me, and those I might pass. Jeff cycled with me for a while chatting about other races and then he took off ahead of me.

I was really feeling pretty good as I went along and was managing to still keep ahead of my 14:30/mile pace. There was a water stop just past mile 6 and at this point, still no back pain at all. As I was just reaching the half way point, I mentally wrapped my mind around the fact, that I was starting to head back towards Salem.

Just before mile 7, as I reached the bottom of a pretty tough hill, I noticed Jeff and Janeen again, cheering and filming my approach. Had there been no one there, I probably would have walked up the hill. But, with someone filming, I had to run.

Video #2 - Back side of Marblehead Neck

You might notice a person in the video. She was ahead of me (within eyesight) for most of the run and I was actually able to pass her down the neck hill. After I reached the bottom, she promptly passed me and I was never able to pass her again. I wanted to, but was trying best to stay WITHIN THE BOX. This is a mental place I have read about that helps you stay within the parameters YOU set for yourself. You can leave the BOX near the end of race, but the last thing you want to do is try to blow past someone to early and then have nothing left as the pass you near the end.

As I got to the end of the "neck" I could feel a stiff breeze and it helped cool me down some. One last water stop and then I was almost at the Marbledhead Fire Station. Another Team Comp member was planning on meeting me at the station and was going to run with me the rest of the way. As I got close to the corner and I could see Nancy Hatfield warming up and waiting for me. And then I could hear her cheering as well.

Five miles to go and I was almost back into Salem. It was so great to have Nancy there with me. Part of wished she pushed me a bit and then another part of wondered if I was running slower because of her. Whatever it was, mentally I was glad she was there. We talked about racing, life, family, our jobs, God, music, and other things I can't remember. Nancy was offering me water along the way which was so very helpful.

Before I knew it, I was running up towards SSC on my way into downtown Salem. When we reached the last water stop we noticed they no longer had cups left. Luckily, Nancy was able to fill up her water bottles. Running towards downtown I realized I had now been running further than I ever had before. My knees were starting to get sore, but otherwise all else was fine. There was a group of volunteers cheering us on as we neared the corner at Derby St. Then I almost lost my cookies!

As we passed by the Wendy's a group entered the restaurant and I got a big whiff of the smells coming out of there and it almost made me sick. I usually like Wendy's, but at this point, after running 11 miles, I was not in the mood for their food. The odor quickly left as I turned the corner and headed for the Salem waterfront.

After passing the Friendship, I remembered standing on the steps of the Customs House when I became a US citizen back in 2007. Salem really is a great town. I was disappointed as we passed a runner who had already finished the race, when she yelled out. "There is no use running anymore. They have run out of medals." I wasn't upset about the medals, but more about her view that there was now no more reason to run.

Well, we kept going and Nancy was still at my side doing her best to take my mind off of the running. We talked more about playgrounds and a bit about both of our spouses. We are both amazed how much support we get from them respective partners. Neither one of them has a desire to do what we love to do, yet they are there either cheering or simply being there with our children when we are off making fools of ourselves.

With about a mile left, another friend showed up to run with me. Bryan Lyons is a local guy who is also a triathlete. We've connected at a number of different races and he wanted to help motivate me to finish strong.

I now was a bit behind pace, looking to finish over my target time, but I WAS GOING TO FINISH! With a mile left, we closed in on Salem Willows. Lots of athletes were heading back to their cars and cheering me on to keep going. I mentioned about about the lack of medals at the end and remarked, getting a hug from my son Owen, is all I need around my neck when I'm done. Nancy later remarked that she almost burst into tears hearing me say that. One last push and we passed by Kathy Karch's place. She knew I was running, and just as I passed her house she came out (8 months pregnant) to cheer me on to the end.

I was going to do this, I could see the school and then the finish arch. More importantly, I could see and hear Sue and Owen. Both Bryan and Nancy peeled off as I made the "sprint" for the finish chute.

Right near the finish chute!!!

I looked at my watch and I was to later find, times were a bit off. According to the official times, I was done in 3:11:00. I was hoping for a 3:09:58, so not much to complain about. Hugs from Sue and Owen and then a big surprise. A finishers medal. Bryan put it around my neck. I guess after the rush of finishing I realized that Bryan had given me his medal. What a awesome gesture from a fellow racer.

Feeling pretty good after running 13.1 miles

About 5 minutes after finishing, a woman came up to me in tears and wanted to tell me about her cousin who lives in Seattle. He has achondroplasia like I do, and he also suffers from some major back and leg pain. I faced the same pain 3 years ago and now can't believe I am doing what I'm doing. I think the main reason I don't want to stop is that I'm worried I won't be able to do it in the future.

I ended up finishing 2nd as a challenged athlete to Eric Stairs who finished first. He was on a hand-cycle and by coincidence, his children go to the same elementary school as Owen.


Getting my engraved pint glass for 2nd place from Steve Dion

Well, a 5K in late October here in Salem, a mile 5 run on Thanksgiving, and then another 5K in December to benefit Special Olympics are the races left on my schedule for 2010.

This will probably be my last race report until 2011. Thanks so much for those of you who take the time to read them and comment as well. It is much appreciated.

What a TEAM is all about. - and the TDD Triathlon

2010-10-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

In the aftermath of FIRM MAN I wanted to write a bit about some of the support I received from my fellow Comprehensive teammates. As I mentioned in my previous entry, I really struggled nearing the end of the 56 + mile ride in Narragansett. Being alone for most of the race really played on my psyche. I thought it had a lot to do with being last on the bike (for most of the race, but not all) but when I emailed the team for some advice and support with this, I was floored by the response.

Too many team members to count, quickly emailed me, all giving their own stories of feeling the same way during races. I was relieved to find out that it happens no matter where people are in their race. They could be the lead bike, somewhere in the middle of the pack, or at the back like me.

If I am going to continue to pursue longer distances (1/2 Ironman or Ironman) I need to be mentally prepared to experience this feeling of isolation, especially if the race is a loop course as opposed to an "out and back". At least with "out and back" courses, riders will pass each other going out and then back in.

Now, heading into the TDD Triathlon, I was psyched for my last triathlon of the season. I again, had times worked out in my head and was hoping for another big gain. Of course, I was not paying enough attention to the fact that only a week before, I had completed a 1/2 Ironman Aquabike. And to top it off, I did a 9 mile run in the middle of the week to prepare for the Wicked 1/2 Marathon.

The race went well and I did make improvements in my times, but I did not hit my targets. I was initially bummed about it, but that feeling soon went away as the overwhelming feeling of a great race season started to settle in. My swim was great and this was the first race where I RAN out of the water all the way to my bike in transition.

While on my bike, my legs felt heavy for most of the ride, but I was able to cycle faster than 66 of the 383 riders. Also good to note, I was no where near the slowest swimmer and I actually was faster than 4 of the runners. I was most bummed about my run, but I got some good in news in the fact that the 3 mile course was actually about 3.5 miles, so my actual pace was not that bad. In last years race, I finished in 1:59:44 and this year I did it in 1:53:47. It was really was a good day when I take the time to look back on it, having taken off 6 minutes and doing that with a longer run.

I went down to the race in Douglas, MA with Andrea and took her back as well. It was nice to stop off for lunch after the race with a few team mates before heading back to Salem.

Another big bonus was having both Kurt and Jen at the race cheering us on and taking some pics.

FIRM MAN 1/2 IRONMAN AQUABIKE - Narragansett, Rhode Island

2010-09-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last year I attended the Multisport Expo in Boston, MA in March. At the expo I was approached by Wendy Fiske and Elaine Vescio about speaking at the pre-race dinner at the FIRM MAN Triathlon in Narragansett, RI. I was honored to be asked and was excited about getting the opportunity to talk to other athletes and their respective families and friends about what has drawn me into the sport of triathlon.

At that time I was planning on racing in the Patriot 1/2 Aquabike, but soon realized it would be better for me to get another season of racing sprint (and an Olympic) distance races under my belt and attempt the FIRM MAN 1/2 Aquabike at the end of the season. Since I was going to be coming down to give the speech I might as well race as well.

As the season has progressed all has gone better than expected. I have become extremely comfortable racing and the anxiety of open water swimming is gone and I am actually excited about running. As I neared the date for FIRM MAN, I started to read race reports from others who have done the race. There was a common theme, and that was, that the swimming (1.2 miles) portion has the potential to be difficult. You are required to swim out past some breakers and then swim parallel to the beach. If the wind is up, the rollers can be quite daunting. Well, it was at this point that I thought maybe I should get some more open water ocean practice before attempting the race. I posted a message online through ACTIVE.COM about backing out of the swim, trying to see if it was a common occurrence in racing. I also phoned Kurt, our team captain, to ask his opinion. Kurt asked me if it was more a fear of the race, or the thought that I was unprepared. I told him I was thinking it was more my lack of preparation. In hindsight, I realize now, it was probably more, that I was nervous.

I emailed both Elaine and Wendy to tell them I would be at the talk, but I was going to back out of the race. They both were understanding and said I could do the race next year. A few days later, I received an email from Elaine that made real sense. She suggested I come down with my gear and make a race-day decision. If the swim looked too rough, maybe I could simply do the bike course. I had thought of that but was reluctant. Half of the fun of racing for me has been the preparation. How could I properly prepare, knowing I might only be riding. I guess, hearing the choice from Elaine, made it clear to me, that would be the best option. As the end of last week neared, I finished up my speech and kept my eye on the weather. The weather looked good with not much wind in the forecast.

I headed up on Saturday afternoon and arrived at the race site at about 3:30pm. I checked in and got my packet and went out to the beach. The water looked pretty calm and the forecast was for much of the same. I drove over to the transition area to check things out and then headed back to where the dinner would be. I got a book and sat out by the beach for a while to read a relax before dinner started.

The dinner and speech went very well. Wendy and her crew put on a great HOMEMADE feast. The food was all fresh and very tasty. They even had beer for those who wished it. There were even Hula dancers to great us and give out leis as we entered the hall. My speech was a lot about my childhood experiences with athletics, my trip to the 1993 World Dwarf Games and of course what got me into triathlon. As most of my close friends and family know, I am not shy when it comes to talking in front of large groups.

When the speech was done I was invited to stay at the home of a local doctor who would be helping out at the race along with his wife. It was a beautiful home and I got a surprisingly great night of sleep. I got up at 4AM and ate my usual pre-race meal of my protein smoothie, bagel with PB and J and a bottle of V8. I started to also hydrate myself when I drink water up until 1 hour before race time. The house I stayed in is only about 15 minutes from the race site, so I had a short trip to transition. I arrived a little after 5AM and it was still very dark. I noticed lots of racers with headlamps on and made a mental note to get one of those for next season. I parked right across the road from transition and found my spot pretty quickly. I got body marked and walked about a bit before it was light enough to start to set up my area.

Prior to the race I found most of my Comp team mates. Chaz was there as well as Tracy and Tonya. Peter and Jodi from Rhode Island were also racing and they gave me some "inside" info about a rough patch on the bike at about 25 miles. It seems there was an area that was gravel after a quick downhill and there was potential for a crash without knowing this ahead of time. It should be noted that there was a marshall there during the race to remind us to slow down.

As the sun came up I started to get ready. I noticed lots of familiar races from other FIRM races and two people came up to me to thank me for the speech from the night before. That certainly made it worthwhile.

I did take note of the surf now and noticed it was going to be a manageable swim. It didn't look too rough and I was convinced now I had made the right decision to race. I got things in order, put on my swimming gear and started the long walk down the beach to the race start. I got a chance while walking down the beach to get into the water. It was sure a lot warmer than the water in Salem a few weeks ago. No headache this time. The swim was a trip out about 200 yards and then a sharp right turn and we were to swim parallel to the beach. At the end, take a sharp right turn and swim back up the beach a bit and then get out onto the beach.

I was in the third wave (out of 4) and the start went off without a hitch. I did my usual thing and stayed at the back and to the right. I got out to the turn buoy pretty well and made my right turn. I was warned to take lots of looks because you could stray off course pretty easy. Well things were going well and then I noticed a lifeguard pull up to me to tell me I was heading out too far. I looked to be heading to the marker down the beach OK, so I pretty much ignored him. Well, he didn't really like that got more animated each time he paddled over to tell me I needed to head in towards the beach. I finally got into the grove and another kayak came over to guide me to the buoy. I finally reached the turn and headed back up the beach and then out of the water. I looked at my watch and it read 51 minutes. It was actually about 12 minutes faster than I had planned. There must have been a good current going with us down the beach. I made a point to take it easy in transition. I had to carry a lot more with me than I have in other races. I had a bottle on a waist belt, some gel, and a PB&J sandwich. I got changed and headed out of transition.

I was the second last (or last, not sure) swimmer out of the water at FIRM MAN, but was definitely the last cyclist to get out of transition. As a special "treat" I got to be followed by the scooter who carries a sign that says, "LAST BIKE" or something like that. Not a real psychological boost for sure. As I rode along on the course, I could hear the engine behind me and could see the head light each time I looked back. I was hoping it would be a motivator to help keep me going, but after about an hour or so, it was starting to get old real fast. As I turned onto "King's Factory" I did start to feel better as I saw so many cyclists coming out back onto route 1. Some I knew and some I didn't, but we cheered for each other. Unfortunately, I could still hear the buzz from the scooter reminding me where I was in reference to everyone else. Soon the crown thinned out riding in the other direction and I was pretty much alone again. As those of you who have done the course know, the hills in this section are not killers, but they seem to come one after the other and just after you get up one, another one comes along.

I have tried to follow the rule that I never walk my bike up a hill. I have been able to keep to that, but that thought was coming into my mind. Hill after hill, I was starting to feel tired. But, just as I was seriously thinking about getting off my bike to walk for a bit, I saw someone walking his bike up the next hill. Not to put him down at all, but I immediately got a boost and said to myself, I can finally lose the scooter. It was a tough little hill, but I pushed and went past him, in my panting breath, I told him, to keep "going strong". The scooter was now behind me.

With some renewed energy, I picked it up a bit and made my way around the lollipop and noticed it was quite a bit easier heading back out to route 1. When I got out on the highway I wondered all along, would that rider catch me, giving me back my escort scooter. I got to the turnaround and headed back to transition with some 20 or so miles to go. Now I had read we were to expect a tailwind heading back and to my surprise I was not happy about the headwind we were now facing. It was pretty strong all the way back in. About a mile past the turn around I looked over and saw the rider I had passed, looking pretty strong. The driver on the scooter was nice enough to give me a big "thumbs up". I was sure he would catch me and pass me, but to my delight that never happened. I even had time to stop and relieve myself and do a bottle switch with one of the bottles I have on my seat cage. It's a great thing to have, but with my shorter arms, I can't reach it while riding.

Now, I don't know why that rider was where he was at that moment I most needed him to be there, but he was. Again, I am not trying to take anything from him, but I am so glad he was there to give me the emotional boost I needed. I also want to thank whoever it was who told the police detail what my name was. More than 1/2 of the cops at the intersections, yelled "GO JOHN GO", when I passed through.

The long ride back along route 1 was pretty hard. Very lonely and lots of wind. I did find it rough as I neared the end of the ride. There were mile markers at 20, 30, 40, etc. and my computer was "bang-on" for them but as I neared the end, my computer read 55 miles (supposed to be a 56 mile ride) and I was no where near the end. Was I lost? What was going on?

I don't think I have ever been more discouraged, angry, pissed off, during a ride or race before like I was then. I know it was all in my head, but I was not feeling good about my finish. It felt like each marshal I was seeing was saying, "one more mile" left. When I finally got close, I was SO relieved. I headed into transition, racked my bike and made my way to the finish line. With the aquabike, I was not to do the 13.1 mile run. I would save that for two weeks later at the Wicked 1/2 Marathon.

I took some time to hydrate, have some of the nice post-race food and then pack up and drive home. Oh, one really good thing, there was a Tim Horton's about 30 minutes from the race site on my way home. I stopped there for a nice bowl of soup and a GREAT cup of coffee. Things were feeling a starting to feel a lot better. Only my Canadian friends now how Tim Horton's can make your day feel so much better.

Timberman 2010 - What a weekend!

2010-08-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

This post will mark my first full year of blogging about triathlon. My first ever race report was Timberman 2009. I took the time to read over that report before starting this one. Funny how lots of great memories from that race flooded back.

I headed up to Gilford, NH on Friday afternoon. This was the last day of Pingree camp and I was eager to get out after lunch and get up to the race prior to the late afternoon traffic that was sure to come. The ride up was pretty good except for a little slowdown due to some construction south of Manchester.

I got a big scare when I was almost up to Gilford in a town called Alton. I headed down a long hill in the car and looked in my rearview mirror only to see a police SUV pull over on the other side of the road and then quickly make a U-turn and head my way. I had to have been speeding and my pulse rate started to race. He pulled in behind me and then flashed the lights for me to pull over. He came up to the car and informed me I was doing 57 MPH in a 40 MPH zone, asked for my license and registration. I did not argue and handed them to him. He went back to the vehicle and I sat there for about 5 minutes expecting a pretty hefty fine. Not a great way to start the weekend. When he came back to the car he handed them back and said he was letting me go with a warning. What a lucky break. Maybe he checked my record and saw no other tickets in my past, or maybe it was the bike on the back carrier. Either way I assured him I would be careful and headed into Gilford.

I arrived at Gunstock Resort for the Expo where I would pick up my race packet. First thing to make note of was the weather. It was gorgeous! Last year it rained most of Friday and during the morning of the race on Saturday. The forecast was for a beautiful 2 days. I immediately went to the registration tent. WTC purchased this race from Keith Jordan and registration was a lot more regimented. There was a "gauntlet" to go through in order to get my race numbers, swim cap, t-shirt, timing chip and wrist band (I am still wearing it 3 days after the race).

I made a point of searching out Maria Spesia. She works for IRONMAN with Athlete Affairs. She has been my contact regarding WTC adding dwarfism to their list for inclusion as a classification for their physically challenged division. At this point they do not include dwarfism. I wanted to take the opportunity to meet her face to face so in the future as I continue to lobby WTC, she will have a face to put with the emails I will continue to send to her.

After checking in I toured the IRONMAN clothing tent. I refuse to buy any IRONMAN branded clothing until I complete my first 1/2 or FULL IRONMAN. That might mean I will never own anything, but I refuse to jinx myself. I have heard stories of people getting the M-DOT tattoo after completing a 1/2 Ironman race. I feel it's just bad "MOJO". Kind of like professional hockey players refusing to touch the Stanley Cup until the win it themselves.

I looked around the Expo and spent some time talking with the Hoyt's. Dick and Rick were to be racing in the sprint again. I had a nice chat with them and with Kathy Boyer as well. I ran into a few team-mates from Team Comp who arrived as well to register. Andrea, Colleen and Deb were to be racing in their first triathlon. Most of the team were to be staying at a hotel in Laconia called "1848". I was lucky enough again to stay at the Stephens's lake house in Meredith. If you can take the time to read my report from last year's race, my stay there was a lot more stressful due to me locking myself out on race morning at about 4AM. This year all went well and I was very lucky to be staying there again. Jon Mangsen, one of my team mates stayed there as well with me. He was going to do the 70.3 on Sunday.

I decided to stick around and attend the first timers meeting with Andrea in the hopes of helping her relax a bit about her upcoming first triathlon. I had also purchased a ticket to the dinner that night in the hopes of getting a chance to meet Chrissie Wellington, current WORLD CHAMPION TRIATHLETE at the Ironman distance. In fact, she has never lost a single Ironman distance race in her career. The dinner was to run from 6 to 8pm. I was hoping it would not run too late, since I did not want to get to the house in total darkness. The meal started on time and was not as well attended as last year. I sat a table with 2 other couples. We had a nice time while eating, meeting each other and talking about races we had done.

Chrissie and I. I was STAR-STRUCK.

Chrissie arrived along with Tim O'Donnell (another professional triathlete). They both had some dinner and then started to talk at about 6:45pm. Their talks were pretty brief and when they were done, I quickly walked up to meet Chrissie. I was the first one to approach her and to my surprise she said, "HI John, it's nice to finally meet you." I was totally surprised she called me by name. I had emailed her and she had replied months ago and it was great she had remembered who I was. We chatted for a few minutes about triathlon and she told me how she appreciated what I was doing to help inspire others, including herself. WOW is all I have to say. She autographed a magazine cover I had and took a couple of pics with me. My own camera's batteries had died and Elizabeth (another triathlete), who I had just met, offered to take the pics and email them to me. Chrissie lived up to everything I had heard about her being so gracious and willing to talk to athletes.

Me and Andy (Defending Timbeman 70.3 Champion

When I walked away (on a cloud) I noticed Andy Potts (reigning Timberman champion) another amazing pro triathlete quietly eating in the back of the room. I approached him and he was also nice enough to give me an autograph and Elizabeth took pics of two of us as well. I left the dinner and immediately phone Sue to tell her what had just happended. I have to admit I felt like a babbling idiot. So star struck for sure.

I headed off to the house in Meredith and got there just before dark. I dropped off my gear and then headed back to the "1848" to meet up with a few team mates prior to getting some rest before the early morning wake up for the race. I headed back to the house around 9:30PM and got my gear all ready. Placed my race number (372) on my bike, helmet, and race belt. Jonathan and Erin showed up a bit later and then I turned in for the night around midnight.

I feel asleep pretty fast and was awoken by my 3:20AM alarm. I got up quickly and got ready. Had a bagel with PB and a bottle of V8. I had my usual homemade "smoothie" already pre-made and would drink that on the way to park. I loaded up the car and with no drama with the locks to the house, I proceeded to drive to Ellacoya State Park. I arrived around 4:50AM and got a parking spot on the access road using my handicapped parking pass. Funny thing, where they had me park, I had to lift my bike and gear over a small railing about 2 feet high and then jump over it. So much for being handi-capped. I know a number of you are thinking, why use the pass? I don't feel it's a cop-out and I only try to use it, when I feel it's necessary. Well, with over 1000 athletes converging on the park, I might as well park as close as I can without inconveniencing anyone else.

I proceeded in to get body-marked and found my spot in transition. It was a great spot. Right on the outside edge only about 10 rows from BIKE IN and BIKE OUT. I would only have to run my bike a short distance before and after dismouting. I put my gear down, racked my bike, and kept hydrating with water. I drink at least 2 full bottles and stop and hour before race start. Then the trips to the porta-potties start. I have pretty much worked out a system that gets me fully hydrated and ready for the start.

I walked out and down to the water and then walked back to my bike taking the same path I would take out of the water and to my bike during the race. I also then checked out where "RUN OUT" was so I knew where I would have to go after the bike portion and T2.

I then went back to my gear and set everything up. A race official came by and told me my bike was racked the wrong way. I was sure she was wrong but went along with her suggestion. The athlete who was to be next to my bike showed up about 15 minutes later to tell me my bike needed to be turned around. I told him I agreed, but was told by an official to place it the way it was. Not worthy worrying about, so my race prep continued.

Kathy, Colleen, Me, and Deb

It was great to see most of the 70.3 Comp racers around prior to the race to lend support and encouragement. I also met up with a few of the other Compers who were doing the sprint as well.

Rob and Maggie. Not a GREAT pose, but I had to include it.

I also noticed a couple of people I remembered from last year. I made a point of searching out Robert and Maggie who worked at the massage tent. I have kept in touch with them throughout the year and was so excited to meet up with them again. I would end up spending most of my day on Sunday around their tent as I took pictures of the 70.3 race.

One final check of my transition area and I got ready for the swim. I made my way down to the water around 6:40AM and got in the water. The air was pretty chilly and the water actually felt quite warm in comparison. I had forgotten my earplugs back in transition and the water temp seemed fine to go without them. I swam around a bit in the SHALLOW water and was ready to start. It is amazing how the nerves and apprehension that I faced before many races seems to be gone. I was eager and ready to begin.

As the race was about to start all 1100 of us got out of the water and were ready to start. After the anthem the 9 waves of up were ready to go. I was to be in the 3rd wave (ORANGE CAPS!!!) with 40-44 year old and 50-54 year old men. With the in-water start we got to wade in to water about 5 feet deep so I gently treaded water until the horn sounded.

I started to the left of the pack but a number of men seemed determined to be near the back of the pack. This was my plan but I was not going to fight over it. I proceeded to swim toward the first buoy and it surprisingly came early. I swam on the feet of another swimmer for a while and when I looked up, he was gone. As I neared the next buoy I looked at my watch and it said 4:50, which meant the next wave would start soon. I had been worried about being swam over top of, but in the end, it really didn't happen. I almost missed the last buoy and started to turn early. When I looked up I had a clear path to the beach with no other swimmers in sight. Something had to be wrong. When I looked to the left I saw them heading for the last buoy. I turned in that direction and felt good. I could see a number of swimmers passing me from a previous wave, but again, not the "washing machine" I expected. I made to turn at the last buoy and headed in. I could hear the crowd getting louder and see the water getting shallower. The general rule of thumb is to keep swimming until your arms drag the bottom. Since my arms are shorter, I tend to swim closer to the shore. Many nervous triathletes love to walk as early as possible, but it is much slower. Near the end of the swim, I found myself swimming around walking racers. I swam right up and then stood up and RAN.

Nothing felt better than looking back and seeing 100's of people still behind me in later waves. When I crossed the pad and press th lap key, I saw the first good news. I was in at 13:37. I was aiming for 17:00, so I had a great boost. I jogged in and got to my bike. Being close to the fence, I could hear a number of people cheering my name as I got undressed and then ready for the bike. A bit of struggle getting my shoes on, nothing I can't fix, and I was on my bike. My transition was slower than I had hoped (2:30) at 4:25. I miscalculated that the run to my bike was much longer than expected, but I also fumbled around a bit.

When I got on my bike, I loved the fact that the lane was lined with cheering fans. Having my name printed on my race number, probably helped a lot with that. I got into a low gear making sure to not go out to fast with a big hill to conquer first. The ride up went well and the biggest hill was done with my breathing and pulse rate at comfortable rates. The ride is pretty much a 7.9 mile ride up and back with most of the ride out being uphill, thereby giving a nice ride back. I got out there in pretty good time and watched all the riders heading back in make quick work of the downhill ride.

There were lots of cheering people and different points on the ride out and plenty at the turn-around. Of course, the "devil" was there cheering us on as we headed back in. I got a real boost going back as I saw 100's of riders behind me, still heading out. Even though many were gaining on me, emotionally it was a real boost, as last year I was one of the last riders to get in.

Coming in to transition after a GREAT bike leg.

I got into my aero position a number of times and watched my speed climb to more than 35 MPH a couple of times. Heather passed me and looked strong giving me a boost seeing a team mate. At the last turn before heading down to the park, Tim and Alice were at the corner to cheer and of course, it was another great boost for moral.

The last downhill before the park is a no passing zone, which I entered with no one in front, so I could take it fast. I did she Jen out cheering and Kurt was at the corner. I took it pretty fast but was in control the whole way in. Lots of fans lined the lane and with lots of racers still on the course, the buzz I was feeling was electric. I got to the dismount line and got off with no problems. I crossed the line and looked at my time. At 1:04:58 I had taken a ton of time of last year's bike split of 1:16:15. I got into transition and this time worked faster to get out on the run. I managed to job all the way out and crossed the mat with a T2 time of 3:45. Even with the longer run out, it was still a bit slower than expected.

Now prior to the race I had written some initials on my arm for motivation as well as a time to hit. The intials were SODV. The S for Sue and the O for Owen. The DV was for Don Vescio, a team mate of ours who was severly injured in a bike accident in a triathlon last weekend. The time I had written down was 1:33:30. If I went out on the run at that time or under, all I needed as to run 15 min/miles and I would finish under 2:20 which was my target time. Well, was I excited when my watch read 1:26:45. I had been going SO STRONG. All I had to do was stay strong and I would break 2:20 for sure.

Heading out on the run.

The run was great. Of course, knowing ahead of time it is mostly uphill going out and then downhill coming back in, helps. I did experience some slight leg pain early on the run, but a shot of some gel and some thoughts about the pain Don had probably been feeling helped me realize mine was probably minor compared to his. My mind wandered and the pain quickly subsided. I would end up negative splitting the 3.1 mile run with no problem. Lots of people on the road. With Andrea and Christen from Team Comp passing me and both of them giving me high fives as they headed back in. Heather also was there for a high five on her way back in ahead of already from passing me on the ride.

I greated lots of others and was amazed how fast I hit the turn-around after passing the 1 mile mark. I was really happy to run most of the way back in. With the way back mostly downhill and the sound of the PA announcer bouncing off the water, I kept going with the running and only a little walking.

Andrea and I wearing our hardware.

There were lots at the turn into the park and the finish was just a few yards away. I headed down the chute and tried to sprint in. Crossing the line at 2:09:34, I blew away my target time and destroyed my time from last year.

Rob making it hurt, REAL GOOD!

I got some food and relaxed a bit. Meeting up with team-mates and waiting for Deb and Colleen to finish made for a perfect day. Capping it off with some nice massage and stretching from Robert made it all feel real good.

All I had left for the weekend was Sunday which turned out to be a great day. I ended up getting lots of great pics of the pros, but more importantly, my team mates. I set up near BIKE IN and OUT and RUN OUT and got some many great shots.

Seth and Jay looking strong on lap 1.

Even had the chance to wish Chrissie luck before her race and she even made a point of coming over to see me after her race for one final hug and good-bye. What a SUPERSTAR she is.

Chrissie coming in from the bike.

Chrissie going out on the run.

Andy and Chrissie after both finished 1st and broke their own course records.

Nancy always smiling and running strong.

Roz on the run. Not bad after donating a kidney to her

dad 3 months ago.

But really, the SUPERSTAR this weekend for me has to be Rox Puleo. On May 11th, she donated one of her kidneys to her ailing father and then managed to recover enough to complete this 70.3 just about 3 months later. What devotion, strength and character she exhibits. Agian, another reason to support the fact the I believe COMPREHENSIVE RACING is the best team of athletes, supporters and friends around.

This Morning !!!

2010-08-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is the last day of Pingree Camp! I have been working here each summer for the past six years. Since I teach at Pingree full-time, it makes for a long year, not having a "traditional" teacher's summer. Very few teacher's do lie around all summer relaxing, and most take classes or teach summer school. I do sometimes grit my teeth when the faculty return from the summer and say things like, "WOW.....it feels like I never left". That's what it has felt like for me for six years. Now I keep saying to myself that no one has forced me to do this.

So it is with great pleasure that I have been replaced with a full-time person in charge of the Auxiliary Program. I can go back to concentrating on teaching and coaching for 12 months out of the year. I will have to find something for next year to fill the financial void. I do have some ideas, so I am confident all will work out in the $ department. I am also excited about putting all of my efforts into the classroom and the varsity swim team here at Pingree.

Anyway, back to the original reason for this post. As is customary on Friday's during camp, Owen and I visit McDonald's for breakfast prior to camp. It is a reward for Owen having a good week at camp. He enjoys it and so do I.

Anyway this morning we were approached by a mature gentleman (73 years old) who mentioned that he had read the article about me that was in the Salem News 2 weeks ago. He mentioned he liked the article and then wanted to show me something. It was an owner's manual for a bike he had just purchased. He told me that reading that article inspired him to try a triathlon. He wants to prepare and train and enter a sprint distance triathlon next year. He said he liked the message he seemed to get from the article, that the only limits that matter are the ones you put on yourself.

WOW, what a great motivator for me as well, as I head up to Timberman this weekend. It's amazing how your actions in life, though totally unintended, can affect others.

My time for last year's race was 2:36:25. I have great aspirations of finishing in 2:15:00. That is a BIG goal, but I took the time to go through each stage of the race and I am determined if the weather holds out as planned (sunny and not too breezy) I can DO IT. Last year's race was raining for most of the bike and I lost a lot of time fumbling in transition. Here's hoping, and I know in my heart, if I don't do it, it won't be for lack of trying and preparation.

Race Report - Witch City Triathlon

2010-08-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

This race marks my first full year in triathlon. Though it was my second race back in 2009, it was my first full triathlon, as my first race in Lowell at the Mill City Triathlon was an aquabike race. That involved only the swim and bike, with no run.

After a full year of training and preparation I was ready to beat my time last year. I finished last year in 2:12:23. I was hoping to finish in a sub 2 hour time.

With the race being in our town, it would be great not having to get up so early to prepare, pack, and drive. I awoke at 4:10AM and went through the usual routine of morning meal (protein smoothie, bagel with PB, and 2 bottles of water. I packed up the car and prepared for the 5 minute drive over to Forest River Park. The forecast called for a sunny day, but I noticed the roads were wet, and then it actually started to rain. There was only a brief shower on my way over, and when I got there I saw Bil Legault who stated there was actually an intense downpour just before 5AM. With that all over, I checked in, got body marked and prepared to set up my transition area.

Arriving early, I got a spot at the end of the rack, which allowed me a little extra space to lay out my gear. Getting ready I noticed I had not brought my race belt. The one benefit of a race close to home allowed me to call Sue and I asked her to look for it and bring it before the race started.

With the article just printed in the Salem News the day before, there were a number of positive comments from friends and others about it as I prepared to get ready for the race.

I was happy to see Kelley prior to the race. It has become a little bit of a custom that we get a hug from each other prior to a race. She has done so before each of my four races this year, and I also did one for her prior to IMLP. She showed up outside of transition and I was almost ready to go.

As I have mentioned before, Owen also has a very important prep he does for me prior to races. I take both of my pairs of shoes (bike and running) and Owen places his feet in them and gives me his "SPEED". I am sure not to wear them again until the race. I also get one specific ORANGE "silly band" to wear. Along with my watch, TRIONZ bracelet, BLAZEMAN bracelet, my wrists are getting pretty full.

I saw Sue and Owen coming down the hill and of course ran to see them for the 2 most important pre-race hugs. Sue also had my race belt!!

As has become my custom with about 20 minutes to go, I got on my wetsuit and went down to the water. The buoys were out and the course looked to be about the same as last year. I remember it looking so long one year ago. Are my eyes now just getting used to judging distances?

One step in the water and I was SHOCKED. The water was freezing! We had been swimming one week before at Nahant and the water was gorgeous. This was PAINFUL. I knew I had to get right under the water to get my body ready for the cold temps. Last year it was cold and that was one mistake I had made. I did not swim around and spent the first few minutes hyper-ventilating.

As I went under the water, my heart rate soared. I stayed in the water neck deep and then swam a few strokes. It got better as I moved around, but still hurt quite a bit. I would later find out the temp was in the low 50's.

They announced the race would be delayed 10-15 minutes as we waited for high tide. I stayed in as long as I could I waved up at Sue, Owen, Godfrey from church and Chris Muise. Chris is a Pingree parent who was nice enough to come to the race to shot some pics of me racing. Most of the pics here on this blog post are his handiwork.

There were two waves with men in the first wave and women, Clydesdales and relays in the second wave. My plan was to swim to the left outside and avoid the second wave. I would then stick to the course after the first buoy.

We paused for the anthem and then we were off. I let most of the men leave and then started swimming. The pain in my head from the cold water never subsided. It was kind of like an extreme ice cream headache, without the ice cream. Sue mentioned later it looked like I was heading out to sea. I did sight the buoy a few times, but there was a bit of a current as well. When I rounded the first buoy things seemed to get a bit better. I actually had thought about rolling on my back for a second or two, but luckily I got through that and kept going strong. After the turn I was passed by the second wave. No grabbing this time and most of the faster swimmers simply went by on the left and right. I could see a man in a green cap (same as me) on my left for a while and then a big surprise as I guy went by me in the wrong direction on his back. I yelled at him, but he didn't seem to hear.

I rounded the second buoy and looked up to sight the finish. I kept going strong and neared the shore. I stayed in the water as long as I could and then got out. I saw both Sue and Owen on the shore and started running out.

I then wiped out on a rock and proceeded to cut my foot. I didn't notice the blood until transition, but it wasn't too bad.

I ran onto the shore and quickly got a boost with a hand-slap from Owen and Sue. Not taking the time to look back, Sue told me later and I was able to confirm it, there were still 10-12 swimmers in the water. Last year, I was the last one out, by a long shot.

I ran over the mat and checked my time. It was 19:53, which was 1:33 faster than last year. I was hoping for a bit faster, but it was an improvement for sure.

I got to transition and quickly changed and grabbed my bike. Getting across the mat, my T1 time was 2:14, which was 1:37 faster than last year. OK, things were looking good now!!! Already more than 3 minutes faster than last year.

Out on the bike with the hopes of really making up some time from last year. With all the training and the bike upgrade I would be sure to cut some time off from last year, but would it be enough to break the 2 hour mark?

Hearing lots of people yelling my name and encouraging me sure helped as I got going pretty well. I tried to make sure not to blow my legs early. I took lots of small sips of water and got out onto Lafayette towards Marblehead. There is a nice downhill to prepare for the big hill into Marblehead. I kept my gearing low to try and avoid getting out of the saddle all the while keeping a pretty fast cadence. I passed two others on the hill and felt great. I took my gel bottle out of back pocket and took a squeeze of the gel. Trying to put it back in my shirt, I dropped it. Should I stop? I decided to go on without it, which in the end was fine. I knew I would need more gel (especially for the run) and remembered I had extra in transition and would get it when I was in T2.

The ride itself was pretty uneventful after that and I made it out to the "neck" passing a couple of riders and being passed by a few. The ride included 3 laps around the neck, a ride I have done DOZENS of times. Knowing every up and down hill sure helped. I was able to use my recovery time very wisely and again passed a few more while being passed by others. Lots of other COMP team members passed me and we cheered each other on. Last year when I did this race, by the time I made my 3rd lap I was one of the last riders still on the neck. This time there were still a number of riders on the neck and I was able to pass a few more. When I got back on the causeway, my legs were feeling good, but something not so great was happening. For the first time, I was feeling some stiffness in my lower back. I tried to stretch it somewhat and was hoping it would not cause me too much worry on the run.

When I headed back towards Salem, all was going well. I had not checked my average speed at this point, but could tell from the total elapsed time, that all was going well. I got back to the spot where I dropped my gel bottle and could see it ( I picked it up after the race) and passed two more riders. Heading down the big hill I saw some of the runners heading out on the bike path. That meant there were about 1 mile into the 3 mile run. As I went up the hill, I saw KURT, our captain from TEAM COMP heading out on the run. He was doing 2/3 of a relay with Jen doing the bike portion.

There were lots of people around the transition now as I headed to the dismount zone. Got off the bike quickly and actually ran it in. My time for the bike portion was 50:50 which was much faster than last year's time of 54:29. Again, a few more minutes gained. T2 went really well and it sure did not hurt hearing Andrea yelling my name, encouraging me to keep going. I grabbed a couple of gels, got my shoes on and got running. Marty from Fit Werx had also finished and was giving me a "boost" as well. I would later find out my T2 time was also 2:14, the same as T1. This was again a gain as last year I really mucked around taking 3:36 to get out on the run.

I looked at my watch as I headed out on the run and had a total time of 1:15:11. I would need to run the 3 miles in under 45 minutes in order to break the 2 hour mark. My time for the run last year was 49:01. Needless to say, that was my first 3 mile run, ever, so I know I had the experience to beat that time. With my back hurting quite a bit, I didn't know how much I could "run". I knew I could break the time if I was feeling 100%, so I got going. I saw Bill from team COMP and he handed me some water. It helped, since I had just dropped a bottle about 100 feet back.

I passed lots of runners who were coming in and we exchanged lots of high fives. I saw Jim Logan and of course Kurt coming back. I never passed another runner, but I never really expect to do that. I got further along where the down hill starts and did some more running. My bag and legs were still sore, but I kept doing the best I could. As time went on, my back started to loosen up a bit.

I neared that water stop by the bridge, took a cup of water and walked a bit, then started to run again. More runners were coming back and some who had passed me were appearing quicker and quicker heading back in, so I knew I was near the turn around. When I got there, and headed back in it said my run time was about 22 minutes. I still had about 22.5 minutes to go to make it under 2 hours, except most of this was UPHILL. I took a gel and started to run. The pain and discomfort soon disappeared. Again, thinking about walking the streets of NYC last summer with Owen on my back helped. The two of them have been such a strong force helping me along the way. I know I thank Sue all of the time, but I worry she thinks they are just words.

Without the two of them, I know I would not be hear doing this. I continued to run more and walk less. As I neared the first crest of the hill I glanced at my watch. I had about 3/4 of a mile to go and there was about a 10 minute window now. As I continued on, I could see the corner. I actually knew if I kept running, I would actually be able to reach my goal.

I turned the corner and headed towards the park. The nice thing is, it's mostly downhill to the finish. Lots of people were at the corner into then park and many were there cheering. I got one more emotional boost when I could hear the P.A. announcer calling my name and I could see, Sue and Owen. I looked at the clock and it read 1:59:20 as I neared the finish line. I actually started sprinting.

My time crossing the line was 1:59:28. I could not believe I was able to do it. Hugging both Sue and Owen at the finish was a great way to cap off a super race. One full year now into triathlon and I am loving it more than ever.

Marty from Fitwerx in Peabody was nice enough to shoot a video of me crossing the line.

Now, TIMBERMAN SPRINT in Gilford, NH on August 20th. More than 1000 competitors and I am in the 3rd swim wave out of 9. This is going to be a mixer for sure.

Whaling City Triathlon Race Report

2010-07-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

This was not a planned race on my calendar this year, but it became one once I realized they had a para-triathlete division. This division has been a bit of a sore spot with me because the ITU, USAT, and IRONMAN have not recognized dwarfism as a physical challenge. I know, it causes me to shake my head. As a fellow triathlete and blogger Ben Berry mentioned, they provide the Clydesdale and Athena divisions for racers who are heavier than others (often by their own lifestyles) yet someone who was born with a condition that limits their height, is not given a division. In the World Paralympics, dwarfism is listed in the T3 division (les autres) with other conditions like MD and CP.

Well, this July the ITU met and added dwarfism to their classifications and I only found this out by searching the internet. After conferring with Jon Beeson (Head of US Para-triathlon) and the race director for the Whaling City Triathlon, Eric Averill, I was able to enter in the division as a TRI 3 and not an age-grouper. To say I was excited, would be an understatement.

With this being the weekend for IRONMAN Lake Placid and IRONMAN Switzerland, most of the attention of the triathlon world would be on those two races. I was pleased to find out that other members of TEAM COMP would also be racing. Don Vescio was doing a relay (not a surprise) and both Art Gray and Warren Macphail were racing as well.

Race morning routine, is starting to become exactly that, routine. Alarm set for 3:30AM and I was up quickly. Soy protein smoothie made up and a bagel with PB all put in the cooler with 2 bottles of water. I like to consume the energy about 2.5 hours prior to the race, so I do most of that while driving down.

Loaded up the bike on the rack, put everything in the car and I was on my way. Once stop along the way for a bathroom break and to a get a small black coffee. I arrived at the race site at about 6:15AM. Lots of people already there. Parking was to be limited, but with my handicapped placard I got a primo spot right by the packet pick-up location. Those spots looked to remain empty for the race and this way it leaves an extra spot for someone else.

Registration was nice a easy and body-marking was right there as well. When I went back out to the car, I ran into both Art and Warren who had just parked.

On my way to transition I ran into Eric (RD) and asked about other para-triathletes. He said there were 3 of us and the other 2 were female. There are 6 different classes of PT and I am considered a TRI3 which is typically called "les autres" which means "the others" in French. Kinda funny. The other 2 were TRI 1 an TRI 2 which are wheel chair racers and single leg amputees respectively.

I would later find out that the athlete who is the TRI 2 was an accomplished former Paralympic athlete named Sarah Billmeier.

Well, I got my transition area set up and chatted with some of the other athletes. I wandered down the road to check out the swim course. The distance of the swim was supposed to be 1/4 mile. When I got there (jogging down to warm up) not all the buoys were in the water yet. We were to walk down a beach and start on shore near a stone causeway. We would swim out about 250 yards and then turn right at the buoy. We would then swim along past 2 other buoys until we turned right towards the shore. It was a rectangular shaped course. The distance from the swim exit back to transition looked to be about 1/4 mile so I decided I would bring my water shoes down and then put them on to run after the swim.

After wandering back to transition, I spotted Don Vescio on his trainer cycling away. Went up and wished him and his triathlon team good luck.

We had our pre-race meeting there, the anthem, and then it was time to get ready to swim and head back to the beach. I wore my shoes down and then took them off on the walkway where we would exit the beach. We walked a few 100 yards down the beach to get ready. The last buoy was put out, and it looked longer than 1/4 mile. Not a big deal, as I have done longer swims (1 mile two weeks ago), but wondering why the distance looked longer none the less. I was to later find out about two days after the race, they updated the distance from 0.25 of a mile to 0.34 of a mile.

I was in the last wave of 5. There were probably about 40 or so swimmers in my wave. When it was our turn to go, I got near the back of the wave and readied for the start signal. Off we went, and I got in to the water and started swimming. Again, a nice easy pace to start not worrying about other swimmers. My sighting went well and each time I looked up and I was pretty much on course. I don't know how reliable rumors were about the police boats being there to keep a look out for sharks. The news said, if you see seals stay away, as the sharks feed on them. Well, what looks more like a seal than a dwarf in black wetsuit? Maybe by the time I got out there, the sharks would be filled up on all the skinnier racers...LOL.

At each turn I went around the buoy and kept going. It was nice to see I was passing the occasional nervous swimmer. Not nice to see them nervous, but a relief to me that triathlon swimming for me, was now that, swimming and not paddling on my back or doing the heads-up breaststroke. When I made the last turn, I headed straight for the swim exit. It was about 200 yards to the shore. Again, my sighting went well as I kept on straight to the shore.

On my exit I heard a woman yelling, "GO JOHN! GO". It was a woman I had met prior to the start who was here to see her husband race and she remembered seeing me at two races last year. What a nice boost, hearing an unexpected cheer. Crossing the timing pad, my time was 0:17:13. If the distance was a true 1/4 mile, this would be a pretty slow time, but I knew the distance was longer, and as mentioned that would be confirmed later.

I ran up the beach and looked for my shoes. I grabbed them and kept running. I didn't feel like putting them on. If this was to be my only mistake today, it would be a good day. I couldn't start taking my wetsuit top off while having my hands full. I jogged up the road to T1 and went in to get my bike. Looking around I saw 5-10 bikes. Transition time here was longer than hoped, but of course the long run up there didn't help.

I got ready for the bike pretty well. I jogged to the timing pad and headed out on the bike. A shock at first, as I could hear something rubbing. I hoped it wasn't my brake and started to get nervous. Should I stop and look? But then I looked down and saw my race number on my bike was rubbing my front tire. A quick tug of it and the sound was gone. PHEW!

This was a closed course which meant we did not have to worry about traffic in our lane as we were to make 3 loops of a 3.8 mile course. Traffic was in the other lane, but we were safe with lots of passing room. The police and volunteers did a great job at the intersections. I was passing a few riders and of course getting passed by others. But, I could feel I was gaining on some. As I neared downtown New Bedford, something unexpected but good happened. I could see a group of young kids all wearing the same colored t-shirt. I was expecting the same silly comments about my size. Was I surprised when I heard them roar loudly and cheer for me. It gave me such a boost!!

I got past them and took the time to have a shot of gel from my bottle. This course was SO FLAT, but with the fast speed comes very little recovery time. It means a lot of pedaling, but I was sure I was ready for the challenge. As I neared the end of the first lap, there was a slight downhill and then a sharp turn left. Feeling strong, I continued to pass riders and never felt like I was losing power in my legs. This time through the downtown again, I could hear one kid yell, "Here he comes". And again, the cheers came! What a BOOST again. As I passed there were others around and I saw an older woman on a electric cart, and she yelled, "YOU KEEP GOING." And I did.

I had one scare near the end of the second loop, as I looked up at a runner coming the other way, I looked back down and went over a sewer grate. Now, without traffic, I didn't need to be that far right. I lost my balance and felt myself going over my handlebars. I didn't hit the brakes and instead, steadied my hands and leaned back. I managed to gain control without crashing. WOW, that was close. As the rider behind me passed, he said, "Stay away from the curb." I took his advice. The last lap went well, but I was a tiny bit bummed, to see my cheering section had moved on. No worries, as I kept up the pace and finished my last lap. A sharp right turn into transition.

As I got off my bike and ran across the pads, I looked at my time for the bike and was happy to see, 0:41:16. I was hoping to beat 45 minutes, and I was very happy. I racked my bike and got into my running shoes pretty quickly. As they were announcing finishers, I heard them say, "Here's another runner going out, let's go 946", which was my number.

Now a big change for me on this run was my decision not to bring a water bottle. I knew there would be water on miles 1 and 2 and I decided to just have some gel. I had been worried that I was stopping too often to drink and using that as a crutch. I was determined to do this one, without my bottle, and it ended up being a get decision. I ran the first while and only walked for short distances to try and get my legs going. I counted 4 bikes still coming in so I knew I was ahead of some, and since I was the last swimmer in to start, this was ALL GOOD.

The run was all on pavement and it was nice and flat. As I rounded the corner and headed out towards the water I was feeling real good. Another athlete was heading in and he caught my eye. Where had I seen him before? I wondered for a while and it actually came to me when I was talking to Sue about the race that night. It was Rudy the runner-up from the previous season of "BIGGEST LOSER". Wow, a celebrity.

I looked up and saw the water stop, was I close to a mile already? A couple of runners passed me, but I knew I was doing well. At the water stop, they had a "1 mile" board up and I looked at my watch. It read, 14:20 for the lap. I was doing GREAT. Took the water and kept going. The turn around was at 1.2 miles and I headed back towards the park and took another water from the stop and kept going.

We took a different turn into the park, and I was starting to think, I am already back, and then I saw the other water stop. This was mile 2, and my watch read about 30:25. I was keeping up with a great pace. Was there really only 1 mile remaining? The last mile was pretty long and in fact, I was later to find out, I still had 1.4 miles to go. As I rounded a corner, there was Art walking back to meet me and run me back in. At first, I wanted him to leave me alone. I really didn't want someone to push me harder. I was doing great and knew it. And he didn't push me, but in the end I was thankful he was there as I kept going for sure.

The run was around most of the park and then right when I thought it was done, we had to run out on a pier and back. I yelled out, "This is CRUEL!"

Well as I got off of the pier, I could hear the P.A. announcer and knew I was near the end. I saw the finish and Art, left me to run the last section alone. Thanks again Art for being there for support.

When I crossed the line, and looked at my watch, I was ecstatic. It read, 1:53:45. My goal was to beat 2:00:00 and I felt like I CRUSHED it.

I got my water bottle and 2 VERY COLD washcloths to help cool off. Took in a bit of food and then walked around to stretch. After I changed my shirt and went back to the awards ceremony, I was so happy to find out I had won an awards. Even though I was the only one, I was given a "1st Place Male Para-triathlete" awards. Sarah Billmeier won as well.

After everything was over and I headed home, I could not pass up a stop at Tim Horton's in Fall River. Any Canadian knows how great these places are as the put the coffee and munchkins to shame with their version called TIMBITS. A great lunch and then my ride home.

Next up, the Witch City Triathlon in Salem on August 8th. This is a special race for me, as it was my first ever triathlon (not counting the Aquabike race in Lowell) that I competed in last year. It was also where I met Nancy Thomson and started my involvement with Comprehensive Racing.

Thanks to Julie Outericky who took all the pictures.

ALS Warrior Poet Jon Blais (1971-2007)

2010-07-21T07:18:00.001-07:00

This poem says it all for me.

Live more than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places.
Go now. Giggle, no, Laugh. No...stay out past dark
And bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are.
Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal. This is it. Your life.
Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in.
Yes, every chance you get. Come close.
And by all means, whatever you do, get it on film.

If you need any more examples of inner strength and fortitude, please watch this video.

Jon Blais finishing the 2005 Ironman in Kona.

LP (Dwarf) Triathlete finishing an Olympic distance triathlon.

2010-07-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

Old Colony Olympic Distance Triathlon

2010-07-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

This race was my first Olympic distance race, so to say I was a little nervous would be a true statement. Not scared, but a combination of nerves and excitement for sure. With Sue and Owen not wanting to head down super early with me, I was able to arrange a ride with a couple of team mates. This would be my first "road trip" to a race, so it made for an extra level of excitement.

Tim came over on Friday night to make sure my bike would fit on his carrier on the back of his SUV. Both his and Jay's bike were going to ride on the top rack on the roof. Things worked out well with the set-up and it was all set for Tim to pick me up at 5AM. I made sure to have a good night's sleep on Thursday night in the off chance things did not work out Friday night. I got into watching video on YOUTUBE on Friday night from Kona in 2006. It was an exciting race but I was much more interested in the Jon Blais story as he had finished the race in 2005 and was there at Kona in 2006 watching a man complete the race in his honor and to bring more awareness to the plight of those with ALS. I had actually received an email from Bob Blais (Jon's dad) on Friday afternoon and was especially moved again by his strength and fortitude. I finished watching the vids and then turned in around 11pm with the alarm set for 4AM.

A good night's sleep and up right at the alarm. Pre-race breakfast is pretty much routine now with my usual "smoothie" and PB and J sandwich along with 3 bottles of water up until an hour before the race. Tim picked me up right at 5AM and then we headed to pick up Jay and Andrea. The trip down was uneventful except for my sudden and desperate need to have to make a bathroom stop.

We arrived close to 6:30AM and had plenty of time to get set-up in transition. The FIRM races are very friendly and on the "small" side with only a few more than 200 competitors. It was very convenient having a bathroom area available instead of porta-potties. As we got ready lots of TEAM COMP people arrived. The seriousness of an Olympic distance race was starting to set in, but not in a bad way. I have loved each and every sprint race I have done, but was getting a sense that Olympic distance races were not for the casual racer. Not as many foot baths being set up and no one marked their transition area with a balloon. I would soon realize how right I was when I got out on the bike (more about that later).

I set up my area and made a couple of trips to the restroom and then proceeded to get ready for the swim. Once in my wet suit I headed for the water. It was quite warm and very murky. I took a trip out about half way to the first buoy and then turned back in. This was to be a 1 mile swim made up of two counter-clockwise loops of a 1/2 mile circuit. We had to exit the water the first time around and then go back in again for another loop.

There were only 3 waves and I was in the 2 one. I took my usual spot near the back and on the outside. When the starter (Bill) announced we were off, off I went. I have to admit, very little anxiety anymore. I picked my spot and started swimming. When I ever I felt the need to try and keep up with others, I simply started to count my strokes. It helped to relax me and helped me stay where I was comfortable.

I did have one major concern before the first buoy. I decided to wear my ROAD ID this race and the clasp kept coming undone. I was so worried I would lose it and quickly looked for a lifeguard to hand it off. With no one around I managed to get it back on. It came loose again, and as I tried to clasp it again, I took a good gulp of water. I didn't panic, and got it clasped again. This time it stayed on and I had concluded I would take it off at the end of the first lap and then pick it up on my way to T1.

I got passed by most of the swimmers on my first lap around, exited the water and dropped my ROAD ID as planned. I remember hearing both Andrea and Jen cheering me on, which helped A TON. I quickly entered the water for the second lap. This time I stayed to the inside and managed a faster time for the second lap around. I felt like I did a good job sighting as well. I headed to T1 and was happy to see my time for the swim was 44:06. Right on target. Not the 40:00 minutes Stu had told me I would get, but as fast as I had hoped. When I later checked out Andrea's pics, I noticed swimmers behind me in the water. Not something I look for in the race, but a nice thing to see on the way out.

T1 was great as I got out on the bike in 3:03. I didn't like the fact we had to walk the bike through a small grassy trail, but didn't mess up, none the less. With a couple of speed bumps, I headed out of the camp. This was a 24 mile ride comprised of 4 laps around a 6 mile course. Plenty of chances to see TEAM COMP team mates out there and both give and get some encouragement.

This is where the reality of an Olympic distance race hit me. I have talked to people about the term I invented called "LPing" someone. It's the phrase I use to describe me (a LP or little person) passing someone on the bike. At the Minuteman tri 3 weeks previously, I LPed at least 12 people. Here at Old Colony, I think I LPed 2. It's not a bad thing at all. I ended up checking the posted times, and in the end I did bike faster than 19 other riders. That works out to 10% of the field, I just didn't get the immediate satisfaction of it. I quickly realized how different this race was, and it actually motivated me to quick going stronger. Being passed by lots of TEAM COMP team mates helped as well. We exchanged cheers to each other (DON passed me twice...LOL) and it gave me a boost each time.

The course was nice and flat with a few rollers. I managed to find some areas for a little recovery and feel my ride got stronger each lap. Once the runners started out (same course but opposite direction) the cheers continued. Denise actually managed a nice "high five" when I saw her on the run.

I needed a bottle exchange and remembered reading to try and get the water earlier than needed. If you can't get it (dropping it) at least you can try again before you're too thirsty. On my 3rd lap around, I decided to get a bottle. Dropped the first attempt but grabbed the 2nd one in line.

Just as I neared the entrance back into the park, I saw Sue's car parked on the side of the road. What a boost. As I entered the park, I was Sue and Owen walking down the driveway. As I whistled they turned around and both cheered. It was great to see them.

I rode in to T2 and the new bike shoes helped big time. They were quick to get on and off. I also got rid of the YANKZ laces on my running shoes and went back to regular laces. Much easier to get the shoes on. I grabbed my hat and NATHAN belt and was off. Time for T2 was 2:28.

The start of the run was through a path in the woods. I walked it all determined not to fall. As I started out, the realization of the distance before me started to sink in. This would be my longest run EVER. I had only ever done a 5 mile run last Thanksgiving and had done the 4 mile run the weekend before this race to benefit Tom Smith. Would I be able to keep up a good pace. At the Minuteman Sprint tri I did the 4 miles at a 16 min/mile pace. If I was much slower than that I would not be able to break 4 hours, which was my goal for this race. More than 4 hours would be fine, but I thought a sub 4 hour race would be AWESOME.

I started out my usual pace of some walking and running. With the heat, I had my own water and gel and was hoping for a few water stops. I had passed them on my ride going in the other directions and counted at least 5. In fact, I yelled at a few to try and wait for me when I came back on the run. They all promised and they DID.

I got to the first water stop and asked if they knew how far on the course they were. The woman there said they were the 2 mile mark. I looked at my watch and let out a loud "WOOHOO". It said I was 31 minutes in, which meant I was doing better than 16 minute miles. What a boost that was.

The run was pretty lonely but it gave me lots of time to think. I was passed by a few people as we cheered each other on. But come on, I was about to run more than 1/2 the distance I drive to work each day. YES!!!

I little bit of stiffness set in to my back, and my right calf stiffened up a bit as well. I kept drinking and taking gel every 30 minutes, and it eventually went away. I used my heart monitor and ran whenever my HR was went below 134. When it went back up above 160, I would walk. It seemed to keep me going so as to not walk too much. I had written some letters on my arms for this one, and boy they helped. On my right arm was S.O. for Sue and Owen. I am convinced without them, I don't think I would be doing this. Sue continues to be the best mother around and I am so proud of our son Owen. Whenever I have felt the least bit discouraged I just think of Owen and how he has shown such little fear while learning to swim.

On the other arm I had J.B.H. Those was for Jon Blais and the Hoyts. If you don't know who they are, do some searching online. Jon Blais completed the Kona Ironman in 2005 with ALS and the Hoyts have been in much of my earlier writings. The pain they have endured pales in comparison to mine and I gain a lot of strength from them.

I looked at my watch and realized it said 3:20:15 and I had 40 minutes to go to try and break 4 hours. At that point I was somewhere between mile 4 and 5. I didn't change my pace, but just kept going. I did not want to continue to watch my overall time, so I never looked at the total time again. If I broke 4 hours, GREAT. If I didn't, I still would finish.

I entered the park and saw lots of people heading home. They yelled out lots of support and of course I did my best to run the last mile. Except for the final uphill before the end, which I walked, I ran most of that mile. I heard people yelling and could finally see the finish. I caught a glimpse of Sue and could hear Owen cheering. As Wendy called out "Mighty John" over the PA. I got a great rush of adrenaline as I ran to the finish. As I crossed the line and hit the button on my watch, it read 3:59:05. I DID IT. I broke 4 hours. The official time was to be 3:59:07.

What a finish, with most of the TEAM COMP people there to cheer me on, I felt so great. If I can do an Olympic in under 4 hours, what's next?

I guess what I finally realized after this race, is that triathlon is not about measuring myself against others, but working out what you need to work on and sticking to it. I'm not at a stage where I can pick out people in front of me to try and "pick-off" because come the end of the day, I will always be the SLOWEST runner out there. As long as I keep moving forward, that's all that matters.

Firecracker 4 Miler - Race Report

2010-07-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't know anything about this race until Chris at work mentioned it to me on Thursday. This run is an annual event done each year on the 4th and this year the money was going to support the "Tom Smith Fight to Cure Paralysis". Tom was a student here at Pingree who I had the pleasure to teach in his sophomore year. To say that Tom does things at full speed is an understatement. He was the tragic victim of two different accidents that both left him paralyzed. Both accidents occurred while Tom was playing hockey. He recovered from the first accident, was cleared to play hockey, and was paralyzed a second time.

To read more about his courageous quest feel free to check out his site below.

http://www.justcureparalysis.org/

I had been planning a swim in Stiles Pond as it has become my usual training routine on Sunday mornings, but this race seemed like the best thing to do as I enter my taper week in preparation for the "Old Colony" Olympic Triathlon this Sunday.

My race prep is starting to become routine and as such, it helps calm the nerves. Lots of fluids up to an hour before the race along with my usual home-made whey-fruit smoothie and a piece of toast and peanut butter. Giving that hour with no liquids helps my bladder prepare with trips (always 3) to the restroom before the race.

In my usual fashion, I arrived quite early, more than an hour before the race. With no transition area to set-up, I merely had to register and then get ready. I saw two very familiar faces right away. Both Stu Greeley from Team Comp and Jim Logan from Salem were there as well. It helps to chat a bit before a race to help calm the nerves.

Sam and Stan were also there to cheer on Jackie. The boys told me where they would be during the race, so it made it real nice to know I would have some cheering to look forward to as I neared the finish line.

I got a chance to talk with Tom Smith and his mom prior to the race. I had heard from other Pingree people that they would be there, but it looked like I was the only one. I wasn't really doing it for Pingree, but it would have been nice if more people were there from the school. There wasn't much publicity about it, as I stated, I only heard from Chris in passing on Thursday. If he had not said anything, I am sure I would have missed it.

Well the race itself went very well. I started near the back on the right side and off we went. I was SO happy they had a person at every mile marker yelling out times. I had my own watch, but having someone there made a big difference. There was only one water stop, well before the half way point so I am was so glad I brought my own waist belt as well.

I made great time finishing the race in 56:22. The time for me was huge because it put me in UNDER 15 min miles, at a pace of 14:05. That included my fastest mile in mile 4 which included the big hill that leads into Vinnin Square up 1A.

It probably helped having Stan, Sam, and Jackie there to cheer me on. Just as I crested the hill I could see them waving and hear Sam yelling. It really kept me strong until the end.

When I was around mile 2 I recalled something I heard watching a Ironman prep video. The presenters were saying to try and always stay within your own pace and not try and catch people too early in a race. The result if you do try and catch others, is often they pass you at the end when you have nothing left.

Well I followed that regarding two women who I kept passing and they kept passing me. I stopped chasing them and let them go, and by the end of the race, I was able to pass them and hold them off at the finish.

Little victories, that's what it's all about. And more often than not, those victories don't involve other people, just the goals you set for yourself.

The 4 mile race was a great prep for the upcoming tri I had on July 11th. It would be my first attempt at an Olympic distance race with a 1 mile swim, 24 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run. I have never ran that distance, let alone do it after a swim and bike.

Race Report - Minuteman Sprint June 19, 2010

2010-06-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Got things all packed up and had an early night. I also made sure to have a really good night sleep on Thursday night and take it easy on Friday. I was in bed by 9pm with alarm set for 3AM. Thank goodness I set 2 alarms, as my primary one did not go off, since I forgot to turn it on after I set it. I was up and out of the bed right away. Said good-bye to Sue and I was downstairs to get ready.

Made up my smoothie (milk, soy protein, granola, frozen berries, plain yogurt and a banana) for the road, a bagel with PB, a electrolyte drink and a few bottles of water. Packed up the car, loaded the bike on the rack, and away I went. I was out the door by 3:40AM. Drive was uneventful and arrived on site by about 5:10AM. There were a few people there already, but nothing like the Timberman line of cars. Parked and went to package pick-up. Got my numbers and shirt (bummer it was long sleeved) and then was body marked. Went to the car to get my gear and bike. Got to transition and started to get ready. A couple of trips to the porta-potties and race time was approaching (7AM).

I managed to meet up with Stu and Nancy prior to the race and also Jon who was doing a relay with Don and Tracy. They ended up coming first overall in the relay by like 16 or 18 minutes.

Got the neoprene pants and shirt on and went down to the water. I took a nice dip in the lake (73 degrees) and it was very pleasant. Swan about 1/2 way to the first buoy and back with no problem.

This was a big race for me since I had decided from now on I would race in my proper wave and not request to go in the last group.

Race time was delayed by about 15 minutes and once it started we were the 2nd wave in. They were sending all men together in one wave. I stayed to the right near the back and off we went.

I was in the water right away and never looked back. I was so happy with my swim, only looking up to sight. No "heads up" breaststroke or rolling on my back. The swim was awesome. I passed a few and when the first wave of women came by I barely noticed except for the one who grabbed my butt! LOL

I made both turns fine and headed for the swim finish. I have to say, those swims at Stiles Pond with the team went a long way to eliminating any anxiety I have in the water. I got out of the water in 13:39 (1/4 mile - 205 out of 212) and was feeling great.

T1 went great and I was out with my bike in 2:55. The bike course was real smooth with only a couple of rolling hills. Now was the test for my new set-up. In all of my rides since the upgrade at Salem Cycle, the best I had done was about 15.4 mph. I managed 16.5 mph for this 14 mile ride. It is amazing how much it means to get "pushed" by other riders. I LPed (term I use when I pass an able bodied rider since I am an LP - Little Person) at least 12 other cyclists. I actually stopped counting after 12.

There was one rider who passed me and then we proceeded to pass each other throughout the course. She said we were playing "leap frog". Each time I passed her I said, "ribbit, ribbit". The second last time I passed her was on a long down hill stretch and when I looked at my computer I was doing 34 mph. She called me a "son of a bitch" that time. We were both laughing pretty hard. When she passed me she thanked me for pushing her so hard and said she would give me a hug when we finished. I didn't see her again after I passed her about a 1/2 mile before T2.

I finished the 14 mile bike in a time of 53:17 which placed me 171 out of the 212. That is better than 42 of the riders. WOW....... that is better than 20% of the riders. Not bad for 20 inch wheels and short legs. I was totally happy with my ride.

Into T2 and all was well. When I got to my area, some idiot let their bike on top of all of my gear and not in the rack. I got off of my bike and proceeded to move their bike. Not too angry, I placed it down nicely. I then racked my bike and got ready for the 4 mile run. A quick drink of my electrolyte drink, change shoes, put on Nathan belt, and I was on my way.

I walked most of the first 1/4 mile and then started to jog a bit. Back and forth I went and then I started to get passed. I don't think I ever passed a runner, but kept a few in sight for most of the run. Once I got going it was much more running and not much walking. I am pretty sure I ran the last 3/4 of a mile, if not a full mile. I felt strong going into the shute and crossed the line at a time of 2:16:33 (205 out of 212). Which gave me a 4 mile run time of 1:03:40 (208 out of 212). That is a little less than 16 minute miles, which I am very happy with after the strong swim and ride.

The post race snacks were great. I sat around for a while and then got changed. I managed to catch Don in from his bike, met Tracy (big-time relay swimmer with Don), saw Nancy, Stu and Elaine all in from the rides and leave for their runs. I even stayed around to cheer all of them at the finish line. Including Jon finishing the relay with Don and Tracy.

All in all, a great day. Now, it's 3 weeks until "Old Colony", my first go at an Olympic distance race. It's a 1 mile swim, 24 mile ride, and 6.5 mile run. It will be a test, but I am certain I will be ready to give it my best shot.

Training Update

2010-06-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have to try and remember to write my updates earlier rather than later. A couple of things have happened since my last post.

First, I went to Waltham and complete in the Team Hoyt 5K race on May 27th. It was on a Thursday afternoon so I drove down after work. The weather was great and I arrived real early so had lots of time to prepare and get ready. I had some time and met up with Kathy, Dick and Rick. They were all quite busy getting ready for the race, so I only had a few minutes to catch up.

I remembered my plan to do some real stretching and running before the race. I got ready and took a run up the road and back and did some dynamic stretching about 20 minutes prior to the start. When the race started I was sure to start near the pack and was able to get a good start at the run. I managed to run for about the first 10-12 minutes before my first walking break.

Two things of note happened during the race. There were two young women racing who were there as part of a group from a law firm. For most of the race I passed them, then they passed me and we played leap frog for most of the race. It seemed obvious to me that every time I got passed them they were determined not to lose to me. I don't know if it was because I was short-statured and they could not lose to someone physically challenged or because I was short-statured and they thought if I could be out there running maybe they could run a little harder. I try not to worry what makes other people tick. It's just satisfying to see what affect I have certain people.

Near the beginning of the race, we ran through a housing development and we went past a group of about 8-10 kids who were about 10 years old or so. Needless to say, as usually happens, there were giggles, laughs and finger-pointing at me. I tried to ignore it. Well I saw them run across the road through some other houses to the next street, where we would be running as we went around the block. I was prepared for more comments and giggles and was totally surprised. As we went around the block those same kids were there with some adults (maybe parents ??) and they all stood on the roadside and clapped and one even ran out to give me a "high-five". What a nice boost of energy the gave me. Whatever the parents said, it's nice to see adults who take interest in what their kids say and do.

When I got to the water stop, I was a little bummed when I looked at my time figuring the stop was the 1 mile mark. After I passed the stop, I asked and was told it was the 1.5 mile mark. When I checked my watch, I realized I was making great time.

As I neared the end, I could hear the P.A. announcer and did my best to run hard the last 3/4 of a mile to the end. When I got to the finish, I crossed and looked at the time and was excited to see a time of 0:42:05. That time was 2:32 faster than the time I got in my best 5K to sate. It was great to PR in my first race of the season.

The post-race festivities were terrific. Door prizes for all racers including a super post race meal. Lots of pizza, pasta and dessert. I will certainly do this race in years to come.

The rest of my training continued with the exception of joining Team Comp on some Sunday morning swims in Stiles Pond. I knew I had to get into some open water prior to the season. Without that, I am sure some of the anxiety would return and I was determined to swim with my age-group and not ask to be put in the last wave.

Well I did two swims and both of them were terrific. The first one was 3 weeks ago on May 30th. The weather had been quite warm up to that point and the water was really nice. Tim Clarke picked me up for our 7:30AM swim up in Boxford. There were about 8 of us all using wet suits. I chose to use my swim snorkel this time and when we started out everything went well. The group swims from one end of the pond and back a total distance of 1.2 miles (half-iron distance). I chose to swim to a dock across the lake and back (a return distance of about 3/4 of a mile). On this swim, Patrick and Stephanie would swim ahead and back, always checking on me. I appreciated their company and encouragement. Would not be wise to leave me alone either, since who knows what could happen in a an open lake with no one life-guarding. All went well and I got back to the beach a little ahead of the group and was so happy to have a swim done prior to my first race which would happen 3 weeks later.

Two-weeks later I joined the group for another swim at Stiles. The weather had been colder and the water was much cooler. I was determined to do this swim without my snorkel. I was quite nervous to start and was feeling the old tense feelings return. Shallow breathing started to take over as I started out. A lot of swimming head's up breaststroke and I even had to flip over on my back once. I was about 1/2 way to the same dock and thought about turning back. I swam a bit more and then turned for the trip back when Patrick appeared. He asked if I was OK and I said I was fine, but had decided to turn around. Patrick was not pushy at all, but said I had swum to the dock 2 weeks ago, so why stop early today. I mentioned I had used the snorkel then, and all he said was, I don't get to use the snorkel in a race, so why stop. He as so right. I kept swimming and Patrick swam ahead. When I was about 30 yards from the dock I turned to head back. Patrick appeared and said, "swim to the dock." He WAS SO RIGHT. I swam to the dock and rested for a second or two. I then headed back.

It took 30 minutes to get there and only 20 to get back. I was cruising back. I was so thankful to Patrick for giving me that little push to do the whole swim. I am sure if I had stopped short and swam back early all the doubt would have crept back into my mind.

This is why it so great to be on a team. Not any team though, TEAM COMP. It is such a great mix of inspirational people. I am so glad I found them, or they found me, or better yet, we found each other.

Taper week to follow and then race day on Saturday June 19th.

Two months later..........

2010-05-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

WOW, I was so eager to keep people up to date with my training and I didn't deliver. Well, the good thing is, the training has been going very well. I have kept up the training and I am now 4 weeks away from the Minuteman Triathlon on June 19th. Early mornings have been filled with protein smoothies and then a swim, run or bike to Pingree. I have been "hitting" all my times and am progressing along. The terrific news is that my bike has been re-furbed by Salem Cycle and it was all I hoped for.

They put on new wheels (Alex rimes, Tiagra hubs, and Maxxis tires), a new cassette and a 44 chain ring on the front. The best news is that it took 4 lbs off the bike and that in and of itself means a faster ride. I am now able to get a lot more out of my ride not spending so much time pedaling like a hamster in a wheel in a cage.

The best evidence of that is from the two rides I did with Team Comp. Last Saturday we did a 35 mile ride up and around the north shore. I was able to stay with the main group for most of the ride and I didn't feel like they were waiting for me at every rest stop.

The more rewarding ride was just yesterday. Along with the rest of my team, I rode with "Jen's Comprehensive Riders" and as a team we raised close to $4000 for the American Diabetes Association. It was a 65 mile (more than 100km) ride from Gloucester around Cape Ann, down through Beverly Farms, up through Ipswich and then back to Gloucester. Again, I had a great ride. I was able to stay with the group and we all rode in together at the end for an emotional end to a great morning. The best news for me is that the ride was more than a 1/2 Ironman distance ride (56 miles) and I felt great at the end. I am here Sunday morning ready to go for a swim later today. It's an amazing feeling when you KNOW you can do it. I think we might be doing a team swim up in Boxford at Stiles Pond.

I have got inspiration and strength from so many places along the way. I remember about 2 weeks ago I was supposed to do a 58 min run and I had "banked" extra time on the bike, so I knew I could shorten my run and was thinking about stopping after 30 minutes. The thought of Owen then popped into my mind. He has been doing a great job these last few weeks in the pool swimming without the aid of a "swim bubble". Part of my job has been trying to help him deal with some fear and worry of sinking. I have said to him, "You can do it Owen, I am here if you need me". He has been such a trooper about it. Well, when I felt about packing it in early last week, Owen popped into my mind and I thought, if he can do it and push through his fear, I know I can as well. Well, those last 20 minutes on the run, were pretty emotional for me, as I thought about Owen and the strength I get from him. And from Sue as well. Knowing how amazing a mother she is, really helps me keep going. She has been MORE than supportive for me. I love her SO MUCH and need her more than she knows. I tell her this as often as I can, and I am sure at times, she thinks they are just words, but that is so far from the truth.

We had a great team BBQ yesterday after the ride. Sue and Owen came along and it was a relaxing time for all. I actually made a birthday cake for Sue. Three others (Alice, Taylor, and Bill) were able to help with the candles since their birthdays were all around the same time.

There were no other children there but Owen did a great job playing on the swing set and then of course he "held court" a few times keeping some of the adults entertained them with "tails" *wink* of our cats. The one nice thing about parties after a race or ride is that very few are too interested in going all night long. Patrick and Denise put on a nice spread and it was nice debriefing with others about the ride that day.

Both Sue and I have enjoyed watching Owen with baseball this year. We just got back from his game. He is enjoying it a lot and he has a great team of kids. There is a WIDE range of ability on the team. Owen is learning how to catch and throw and his hitting is improving each week,

One full week of training down.

2010-03-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I have now had one full week of my training done and I would have to say, things are going pretty well. I have stuck to the plan pretty much, but that might change when I head back to work in a week.

I did have one minor setback with the bike. When I was actually out onto the road, I noticed my avg. speed was WAY UP. I was usually doing between 11.5-12.5 mph and after 2 different rides, I was up to about 15.5 mph on average. Well I did a ride on Friday afternoon and decided to map it out when I got back home. My bike computer said the ride was about 9.75 miles and it was really only about 7.2 miles. How discouraging. I realized I had set up the wheel circumference correctly, but somehow over the winter, the bike computer switched over the "bike 2" which had a wheel setting of 26 inches instead of mine at 20 inches. A HUGE difference. I went out for a ride this morning for a little over an hour and when I got back and checked, all seemed in order. With a pretty strong headwind I still managed and average of 12.2 mph. I can't wait until I get new wheels in a couple of weeks. And with a change in gearing as well, I hope to get up to an average of 16 mph. Here's hoping.

Swimming this week went well. I was at the pool on Sunday and Tuesday. Both times, there we no problems and I was able to hit the prescribed swim times with no resting keeping my pace at about 4:20 for each 150 yards. I was at the Multisport Expo on Saturday and did a TI clinic. I came away with some good tips from the coach, but more importantly, he said my form was VERY RELAXED and smooth which as two important features of TI swimming. I need to work on rotating at my hips though and not my chest. I will work on that in the pool tomorrow. Using a snorkel will help for sure.

I did THREE runs this week. That is HUGE for me. I don't think I ever ran more than once a week all winter and most of the time it was once ever 2 weeks. The longest run of 45 minutes on Friday was great. I didn't get a chance to run until the evening so I decided to use the YMCA instead of running outside (Sue was real happy about that). I did a 5 minute warm-up walk and then started to run. I can now manage continual runs of 8 to 10 minutes. That is huge for me. When I first started I was happy to be able run for 2 min and then walk for 1 min. I was able to run for 40 minutes, by doing 8 min run, 2 min walk, 10 min run, 2 min walk, 8 min run, 2 min walk, and then 8 min run. I was able to increase the run speed for each section up to about 4.5 mph for the last section. Running continues to be my most challenging part and if I am able to one day do a 1/2 Ironman, it will all hinge on my running. Thirteen miles will not be an easy task. I am determined to keep plugging along.

There was so more news about the EXPO. First, I met up with Wendy from FIRM racing. They organized the Salem and TDD triathlons I did this summer. Wendy and Gail Vescio asked me to consider being the keynote speaker at the FIRMman race in Rhode Island at the end of the season. They have a banquet the night before and they have asked me to speak at the dinner. All I can say is, WOW. I said, "YES". What? Me, give up a chance to hold a microphone?

I also met with the guys from FITWERX in Peabody. They partner with a bike company from Montreal called GURU. Both companies are eager to consider designing a bike for me. The challenge is what interests both groups. Here's hoping some funding comes my way, because that is going to be a ton of $.

2 days down........and a long road to go.

2010-03-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I am officially into my training and things are going well. Yesterday I did a 24min swim at the new Y on Leggs Hill and then a 48min ride on my trainer in the basement. For the swims, I will not use the snorkel or fins except for warm-up of cool down. I want to make sure I simulate real triathlon swimming as much as possible in a pool.

I had a 30min run this afternoon at the Salem Y. It would have to be my best run to date. I did a 3 min warm-up and then ran for 27 minutes. I only "walked" twice during the run. Once for 2 minutes and then again for a 1 minute. That is HUGE for me.

I never thought I would get much out of Eminem, but he sure has some motivational stuff to listen to. "Till I collapse" and "Lose Yourself".

"But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
and just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up
and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse."

Still my favorite quote for triathlon has got to be,

"Triathlon has become life in microcosm, a metaphor that gives truth to the wisdom passed from each generation to the next: work hard and you will be rewarded, have faith in yourself and you will excel; do not falter when an ill wind blows your way." Ashley Halsey

Tomorrow, it's a 40min swim back at the Y. Having 2 weeks off from school is going to help get me into a nice workout groove for sure. I have to make sure to get some things done around the house including doing the taxes and of course clean out the computer room/extra bedroom.

Starting my Official Prep Tomorrow

2010-03-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am at the start of my 2 week spring vacation. I have spent the day with Sue and Owen up in Maine. We got to Tim Horton's in Scarborough after stopping at Tom's of Maine in Kennebunk. After that we got up to Freeport and hit LL BEAN and then the Nike store. I got an awesome bright orange fleece. Will go very well with my other Team Comp gear.

I have spent the evening working on my official 17 week plan to get me to the Black Fly Tri on July 10th. Along the way, I plan on doing the Patriot 1/2 Ironman Aquabike on June 20th.

I emailed Elaine Vescio on Team Comp in the hopes that she would look over my plan and give me any final pointers.

This is so exciting. To think, this time last year I didn't even have my bike and was still riding Sue's. And here I am now, a triathlete preparing for my first FULL season.

Off to bed soon since the clocks are moved ahead one hour.

Running during the fall and winter

2009-12-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

Well.........running is certainly my least favorite part of triathlon. To the end, I have done a few runs this fall and look forward to running more again next spring.

I did the Witch City 5K Road Race in Salem, MA, October 25, 2009. My time was 44:37 for a mile pace of 14:22.

I did the Wild Turkey 5 Mile in Salem, MA on Thanksgiving Day. My time was 1:24.14 for a mile pace of 16:51.

Last weekend ( December 6th) I did the Jolly Jaunt 5k in Danvers, MA. It was fundraiser for the Special Olympics. I managed to raise almost $300. My time was 50.27 for a mile pace of 16:17. That was certainly the coldest weather I have ever ran in. Think I will be waiting until the spring to run a race again.

I picked up a bike trainer last weekend as well. I am just waiting to pick up an adapter for my 20 inch wheels and then I can cycle to my heart's content down in the basement.

I am hoping to get new wheels in tires in the spring. I will also hopefully be getting a bigger chain ring and new smaller cassette for the back gears. I am looking to end the "spinning out" I am doing when going downhill. There is only so high my cadence can go and I am hoping to be more efficient real soon!

TDD Triathlon in Douglas, MA

2009-09-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

This race was held on Saturday September 19th, with a VERY civilized start time of 9AM. Sue and Owen were planning on coming along this time, so with about 2 days to go before the race, we decided to get a room at a hotel in Worcester, MA so we would not have to head down real early Saturday morning.

One thing I did this race was make up a list about 2 days before of all the equipment I needed to bring. Packing up to go was SO MUCH LESS stressful. I simply packed each item and crossed it off the list.

We found a nice place to stay and headed down on Friday night. We had dinner on the way down in Tewksbury, MA at Cracker Barrel. Not exactly the best place for a "carbo loading" dinner, but I made due with Roast Beef (they were out of the meatloaf) and some mashed potatoes. We continued on the hotel and got there much later than Owen's usual bed time. What I figured would happen, did, and I did not really get a good night sleep. Luckily I had got lots of rest on Thursday night. I was up most of the night both excited and nervous about the upcoming race. I have to remember not to worry about things I can't control. The weather report called for lots of wind and I was getting worried.

I was up at about 5:30AM for a shower. We all got up and down to the complimentary breakfast by about 6AM. Owen was excited with so many choices for breakfast. I had my usual pre-race meal of some yogurt, bagel with PB, banana, some coffee and OJ.

We got into the car and headed for Douglas. It took as about 30 minutes to arrive at the park. We arrived at about 7:40am and I unloaded all my gear. I wasn't out of the car for 2 minutes and both Kurt and Jen walked by. Sue and Owen headed out to explore the area and I headed to registration. Picked up my packet and headed for transition. I met lots of COMP team mates in and around transition. Mostly new but some recognizable faces as well. Very pleased to be in transition right near Patrick.

Unloaded my gear and headed for bodymarking and then an initial trip to the "facilities". After getting back to transition I got suited up and then back to the "head" on last time. I then headed over to the beach to find Sue and Owen for one more good luck hug etc. Owen of course had to do his "speed" ritual one more time. He stands in front of me and then proceeds to rub speed from his shoes onto my feet. He will even put is feet in both my cycling and running shoes and walk around in them. I tell you, IT WORKS!!!

I headed back to transition to make one final check on my gear and set-up.

I am bummed now, because I let too many weeks go by before I got back to finishing this post. I promise next season I will do a better job posted my reports right away.

Have a great winter!!!!

My first group ride with Team Comp

2009-09-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

I want to start this by saying what a difference it makes to go for a ride with others. Except for some fund-raising rides, this is the first time I have gone for a ride with a group of people. I looked at it as my first chance to get some needed practice and at the same time get some advice from some more experienced riders. There were only 4 of us for the ride even though Rich showed up to send us off from the common. Kurt, Jen, Kelly, and myself headed off sometime after 8am.

We weren't more than 15 minutes away from the Salem Common when Jen said she noticed I was riding with my feet pointed at the bottom of my down-stroke. She mentioned that you get more power if your foot is flat (perpendicular) to the crank at the bottom of each cycle. Being a mathematician this is something I certainly should know. Kurt concurred and of course as soon as I got home, I lowered my seat by about 3/4 of an inch.

The ride itself was quite enjoyable and a good pace for me. The weather was perfect and of course the roads were all dry. Most of the route was familiar to me, except that I had gone the reverse direction from north to south through Topsfield Center on previous occasions. There were some challenging hills all culminating with "Great Hill" just outside of Topsfield. It leads up to a very quiet retirement community. It was a great up and over and I was amazed when Kurt had told me in the past the group had even completed the "up" portion five times before continuing back down the other side. Kelly decided to do it once more and of course she did it faster the second time. Once was certainly enough for me.

It is certainly a hill I will try again. I was given the choice of riding around and meeting them on the other side, which certainly was not an option for me.

After going through Topsfield Center we headed under route 1 to Ipswich Road. This area is very familiar to me as some of you know, there school where I teach is just across the road from Bradley Palmer Park. We headed down Highland St. to 1A and then cut over to the Beverly Airport. From there it was down towards 97 and on into Beverly and then Salem.

I chose to cut off from the group and take the Kernwood Bridge home in order to save some time. We had a family trip planned for Water Country and it was well after 11Am by this time. I said my good-byes to the group and headed for the bridge. What a mistake!!! Just as I headed down Kernwood, I noticed the tail-lights. The bridge was out, letting boats through and it looked like it had just turned. I waited there for at least 15 minutes and of course watched as my three team-mates cruised over the "big" bridge into Salem long before me. I should have stayed with them until the end.

Hopefully many more enjoyable rides to come with "TEAM COMP". I know when the pace picks up I won't be able to stay with the main pack. We averaged about 11.5 mph, which is a few mph under my usual pace, but I'm sure once they head out at 15-20 mph and more, I will be puling up the rear of the pack. Maybe I'll start my own peleton at the back of the pack. Just let me know the route and I'll get there.

My first race report.

2009-08-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

On August 23rd I completed my third (one aquabike and two tris) multi-sport race of the summer when I raced in the Timberman Sprint Triathlon up in Gilford, NH. I have since been invited to be a member of Team Comprehensive which is a cycling and triathlon team based out of Salem, MA. I have been told by teammates that one completes a race report after each race.

Well, here is my first attempt.

We had planned a family vacation to NYC from August 17th until August 21st. We were kind of "up in the air" about whether or not my wife Sue and son Owen would be coming up for the race. We eventually decided a 90 minute ride up to NH was too much for Owen after just driving more than 4 hours home from NYC the day before. We would be staying overnight and I would be getting up prior to 4AM in order to get to the race to set-up for a 7AM race start.

I packed up the car and headed out. I registered late for the race and was struggling to find a place to stay. After contacting a Pingree family who I knew had a summer home up there to find out info about a place to stay, I really lucked out when they offered me their summer home in Meredith, NH. They were taking their son down to Richmond, VA to start his freshman year in college. Boy, did I luck out.

I got to the their place around 3pm. Unpacked my gear and then headed off to drive the bike course. I had heard from many about how tough this course was with a number of very long hills. After driving the 7.5 out and back course I started to feel a little more confident. The riding I had been doing around the Topsfield hills (thanks Jonesy and Powers) was going to pay off in the end. These hills, though long, were going to be very do-able. I then drove to the Gunstock Resort to pick up my race packet, go to the expo, and then meet up with Team Hoyt.

It was really starting to rain at this point. I went in to get my race packet and then searched out Team Hoyt. The weather was getting real ugly at this point. Dick, Rick, and Kathy were struggling to keep all of their merchandise dry as well as themselves. I had a few minutes to take a couple of pics and then thank both Rick and Dick for the inspiration I received from the two of them to start out and attempt a triathlon. "YES YOU CAN" is definitely a motto I have strived to live by, and completing my first multi sport race six weeks previously sure helped my realize you can do whatever it is you put your mind to.

I hung around for the carbo-load pasta dinner. I was all alone and went ahead and ask if a seat was available where six others were already sitting. Wouldn't you know it that 4 out of the 6 were Canadians!! A couple from Montreal and another couple from Toronto. The other couple was from Florida. After the dinner there were a number of speeches given by some of the pros who were going to be competing in the 70.3 on Sunday. They included both Chrissie Wellington and Andy Potts.

After dinner I headed back to the Stephens's house to try and get some rest before the early wake-up Saturday morning. I was quite nervous upon returning but finally got to sleep. I set my alarm for 3:20AM, but was awake at about 3:10AM. I had my breakfast (bagel with PB, banana, yogurt, and V8) and then proceeded to get my gear together. I had most of it inside but had left my bike locked in the car. I got my keys and then proceeded to take my gear outside. I went out with the first load and then went to go back in to get more and the unthinkable had happened. I LOCKED MYSELF OUT OF THE HOUSE!! The key to the door was inside along with most of my gear. For some reason I did have my phone and car keys but all I was wearing were my tri-shorts. No shoes or shirt. Here it was, about 3:50AM and I had no idea what to do. Needless to say the tears came quickly along with a number of whispered F-Bombs!! Do I go over in pitch-black darkness and ask the neighbors for help? Was someone even there and would they know who I was? Do I phone my host and wake her up to ask where she might have hidden a key? OMG, what was I to do. Then I remembered that a window in the living room as open slightly when I arrived. I searched around in the dark and found the window. I was going to need something to stand on to reach. I found an empty clay pot and used it as a stool. I took my car keys and ripped the screen and then proceeded to slide the screen up. I then tried to slide the window up. Picture me (all 4'4" of me) standing on my tip-toes trying to push up a window. It would not move. Was there a piece of wood on the inside of the window being used to stop the window from going up any further? I tried two or three times to budge it and nothing helped. Finally, I took a deep breath PUSHED and it moved slightly. Then a bit more, then again a bit more. I moved it up and then scaled the wall. Again, no shoes and no shirt and up I went onto the window ledge and in through the window. PHEW!!!!! I took a moment to give thanks and then quickly loaded up the rest of my stuff. I left a note with some money to fix the screen.

Needless to say I was about 1/2 an hour behind schedule and left the house at about 4:40AM for the 25 minute drive to Ellacoya. I put in my classic rock CD and blasted some Ozzy and THE WHO to try and get pumped. After all the rain yesterday, the skies were actually clear. Were we going to have good weather? As I approached the park the line in was not that bad. I got a spot in the first over-flow lot to the left of the main lot. I parked, got my gear together and then made my way over to find my spot in transition.

The park was buzzing with competitors and volunteers. I got body marked and then found my spot and started to get ready. The race was due to start at 7AM and at this point it was about 5:30AM. Lots of time to get ready, right?

Well the whole ordeal with getting locked out certainly through me off. I almost forgot to put my chip on. I didn't remember until the pre-race announcements came on reminding people to hand them in when they cross the finish line.

I had been contacted by both Kurt and Nan about the possibility of wearing a TEAM COMP jersey for the race. I was told someone would try and get me one prior to the race. After seeing Nan (thanks for the pre-race HUG!!) she had told me keep my eye out for Dave (whoever he was) because he had a jersey for me. With about 2 minutes to go before the anthems Dave found me (now I know what he looks like). He handed me his own jersey and said that the team hoped I would wear it. What an honor!! The XL large jersey actually fit quite well. Now I was ready and part of a team. GO TEAM COMP!! I have to say, growing up I was always the last one picked for a team. Being asked to join a team means SO MUCH to me and I certainly hope this is the start of a long relationship.

Well, one last trip to the porta-potties and I was off for the walk to the swim start. I believe there were 7 or 9 waves of swimmers. Even though was not my first tri, I asked to be put in the last wave, expecting to be the last swimmer out of the water, I wanted to avoid people swimming over top of me from later waves of swimmers. They decided to decrease the time between waves (from 6min to 3min) with the impending rain. Though it was starting to cloud over, a rainbow had actually formed.

I chatted with a few other athletes and waited for my wave. As we prepared to leave I stood over on the right side near the back. Other swimmers kept moving behind me and I didn't know what was going on. Was I not the slowest swimmer? And off we went. My first TIMBERMAN was underway. The first group took off (mostly the relay swimmers) and then I started. The water was so shallow. I had to fight the temptation to walk since swimming is so much faster. I started to swim and was amazed in the fact that a group of swimmers was all around me. Hey, I said to myself, swim and you might not be last. So I did. Before I knew it I was putting some space between me and a few others. I got out of the water and over the pad at 17:57. That is about the same time I was getting in the pool to complete 600 yards (0.34 mile). When I exited the water, I turned around and saw swimmers in the water. I was elated. I walked quickly to my bike and got passed by a guy who patted me on the back and said, "Way to go buddy." He stopped to get help with his wetsuit and I proceeded on. He passed me again getting his bike and was off before me.

The rain was starting to come down now. Not pouring, but making everything wet. I got to my bike and proceeded to transition. I removed the sign Owen and Sue has made me for ("Best Daddy in the World") and got my shoes, helmet, gloves, and camelbak on. I jogged my bike out and mounted it. I was on it for about 3o seconds when I realized two errors I had made. I had forgot to put on my bike computer (would have no idea on how far I had gone before the turn-around) and I was also still wearing my wetsuit shorts. I exited the park for the long initial ride up. I looked ahead of me and what did I see? The guy who passed me twice in transition was WALKING HIS BIKE up the hill. What a power boost that was!!! Here I was with my modified youth bike and here he was with his average sized body and 26 inch tires, walking his bike up the hill. I went by him and was tempted to say something, but remembered all I liked about triathlon. I never saw him again. I ended up passing at least 10 or so other riders and was never passed. That included 3 others walking their bikes up hills. I was determined not to let my feet hit the ground until T2.

I got another BIG BOOST at the 3 mile mark. As I approached the first big left turn, I heard a guy yell, "GO COMP, GO JOHN." Nan told me I would be getting shouts from people, but someone I did not know already knew my name. I was to later find out it was Rich. I have not met him personally yet to tell him what that did for me. To top it off, he was still there on the way back encouraging me that it was all down hill and there were only 3 miles left to go. I am sure that's what helped me pass on last rider just before the "no pass" zone prior to the park.

I got into T2 not too happy about my time (1:16:15), but forgetting that I had just done the 15 miles in the rain. When I later checked the posted times I realized I finished the bike portion faster than 46 other competitors. That was a real highlight of the day for me!!!

I changed for the run. When I got going, I realized another error. This is why I need some sort of fuel belt. With my dwarfism, I have a severe stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column) in the lower part of the back. Running aggravates this condition and as such I need to be pre-emptive and take some TYLENOL prior to running. I had already taken some ADVIL prior to the race starting. The pain started pretty quickly. I walked a lot and then started to let my mind wander. I thought about walking around the streets of NYC earlier in the week with Sue and Owen. My back was fine then and I wasn't taking anything. I even put Owen on my shoulders and walked with him. I started to visualize Sue and Owen at the top of each hill. The pain started to disappear. I got a little faster and a little looser. That first mile was tough, but the last two seemed easier. Even John L. from FL gave me a shout out as he rode by preparing for the 70.3.

I joked with the people at the aid station by the turn around. Some woman passed me to let me know I was the last runner and that all those people behind me had dropped out. I was bummed for a minute thinking I was going to be last, AGAIN. But then I thought again about what triathlon is about. It is not about others, it is about YOU!!! Was I doing Timberman? Yes I was. Those others were not finishers, they were DNFers. I was doing it. I got stronger and a bit faster. I passed the 2 mile mark and was feeling good. There were still people on the roads cheering people on and I did my best to thank them. I came up on the park and I could here the PA announcer. There were others who struggled after the bike and considered not finishing, but a few of them did ultimately complete the run and I give them all the credit for not giving up. In fact, as I was turning into the park one of them was just heading out and for the first time in my brief career I was asked, "Is it very far from here?"

As I rounded the corner and got on the grass, I could see the finish. I ran it in and made it. My time for the run was 52:05 giving me a total time of 2:36:25. I was so happy to see Dave and Dawnie at the finish. There were other TEAM COMP members, but I don't know all the names of everyone on the team, but thanks to all for sticking around to see me finish. In the end I was not the last to cross the finish line, and I give so much credit to those that did and even those that tried but did not finish.

I had some food and a beer, stuck around to see Nan get her watch and maple syrup and then drove back to Meredith, NH for a shower and nap before heading back home.

This is probably a lot longer than most reports, thanks so much if you made it through the whole thing.