The Mighty Merrimack Swim...I desperately wanted to be mighty

Ok, so this blog is entitled "Fueled by Iron" which in its origin (at least in my mind) was going to document my path to completing an Ironman Triathlon. Not just any mind you, I had planned on doing the Ironman in Kona Hawaii. I mean if you're going to go...go big! But...as you glance through past posts you'll notice that there aren't a lot of triathlons and still no 70.3 or 140.6 Ironman events. That is not just some crazy coincidence. I can put together a 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run (the Half Ironman distance) and I know I can do the 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run (the full Ironman distance) events. Before people start saying "you have to do that after the swim and put them together as a complete race"... I KNOW but that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm saying that I have full confidence and am capable of doing the aforementioned events/distances (and if you know me or read this blog, you know that once I start...I will finish those distance by either crossing the finish line or being carried off on a stretcher)...but the swim...well, that is a whole other story. I have had NO confidence that I could do a 1.2 or 2.4 mile swim needed for the half and full Ironman distances respectively. Subsequently, my fear (I say its hate but its really fear) has kept me from not doing triathlons, and without doing more triathlons I'm never gonna build the needed confidence to do the Ironman distances. See, see the circle here? So, I've been trying to get in the pool as often as I can and I've been singing up for everything triathlon I can find.

And this is when I got nervous

While I can find Sprint and Olympic distance races around here (more the former than the latter) and I do well in them, there is that magic number distance that sticks in my head... the1 mile swim. I have done a mile swim for time in the pool but that is not in a race. The stress, concern, conditions and field have nothing to do with a pool swim. I needed to do it in a race. Well the Mighty Merrimack swim seemed like a prime opportunity. I hemmed and hawed about registering right up until the last minute. I didn't really tell anybody I was gonna do it so if I chickened out no one would know. I didn't register because I knew it'd be open day of and it would give me one last chance to back out. I was going anyway to support J, and our friends Jen and PJ were racing too so I thought I'd just play it by ear. I'd pack up my stuff, see how I felt, what the conditions were like and make a game time decision. Standing in line with J for her to pick up her race packet our friend Jen said "you should race, you know you're just gonna regret it the whole way home if you don't". And...she was right. I had all my gear, I've swam a mile, there is no reason I shouldn't race. So I stepped up to the registration table and signed up. I was given my cap, timing chip, got my numbers on my hand and it was done. I had to walk back to my truck to get my wetsuit and goggles and glancing down at the race swim crap I had the "oh, crap...this really has to happen now..." moment.

Some nervous chatting, wetsuit and goggles on and then I could get in the water to swim a bit. Amazingly, swimming actually felt good. My stroke felt effortless, I calmed down and actually thought this would be no big deal. But...they were having issue with the buoys and then we were told that the 2 mile swim folks (yes, there was ALSO a 2 mile swim...screw that noise) would have to clear our turn buoy before we could start. This meant that we ended up starting 38 minutes late. That gave me LOTS of time to start doubting this choice. J and Jenn were just chatting and chilling since they both are legit swimmers and have numerous swim races and 70.3's under their belts and this is just another swim race for them but I was sweating bullets. I don't think I've ever been happier to hear the start countdown of a race! I tried to settle in, focus on a smooth stroke and full exhale-inhale breaths. I'm a unilateral breather that breathes to the right so I had the river wall to my right to help me as a boundary. It was kind of funny that I saw people sitting up on the wall, watching us swim by and realized that was me a year ago and now here I am doing the race. Well, trying to at least, it did just start. I knew I had an issue with "sighting" but it was made even worse at this race because there were no intermediate buoys. There was one at the 1/4 mile mark and one at the 1/2 mark/turn around. Swim in the water, and try to guide yourself on a buoy 1/4 of a mile away...and it feels like FOREVER until you get there. Smaller, intermediate buoys along the course at least give you something to focus on and keep you from going crazy when you're in the water for that long! I just kept looking for the damned green 1/2 mile/turn buoy. I tried to stay calm and smooth, focusing on a good kick and minimizing "extra effort" because muscling through the water does nothing but tire you out faster and I did have a mile to swim after all. And...and...and...I was passing people!!! For real?! I don't think I could've asked for a better push to get me to the turn. I hit the turn buoy at 17 minutes. Not bad, not great. I was a little concerned because I did a 1/2 mile swim the weekend prior as part of a triathlon and did it in around 15 minutes. I didn't think I was doing the swim any slower than the weekend before and I wasn't any more or less tired.

Maybe the course was long...maybe I read my watch wrong when I glanced at my watch...maybe I need to shut up and put my head back in the water because I had another 1/2 mile to go! I'm amazed that unlike running or cycling, once you get into a good swim groove you feel like you can swim  forever and with no intermediate buoys...it felt like I was swimming forever. I can't get over how I have no sense of time or speed in the water. I know time is going by and I know I'm moving forward (well, at times I was moving at a left or right diagonal because I couldn't seem to maintain a good line) and without the buoys to sight on I just felt like I was swimming out in space. I focused on 'dragging my fingertips" instead of wind-milling my arms around, getting full exhales under water and breathing deep from a shallow head turn and kicking strongly from my hips and not my knees. Finally I could see the final turn buoy and figured I needed to pick up the pace and give it all I had...while trying to stay as efficient as I could. I started kicking more, picked up my stroke count and even caught a few more people. I finished the swim in  38:37...16th overall and 4th in my age group. Not only had I finally done an "official" mile swim race but I had done pretty well in my first outing! Well enough to flash a thumbs up at the end (oh, and as much as I'd love to have had that cute girl in the background be checking me out...that was my friend Jen being happy for me and trying to get out of the photo!). Of course me being me, I was bummed at having missed the podium (really, I didn't even think I could do it and now I was expecting bling?!) and had to look up final times to see how close I was to being third. Nothing to worry about there, I was over 2 minutes behind the 3rd place guy! Oh and J won overall women and Jen won her AG!!! Kudos to those ladies. We celebrated the race by stuffing our faces at this great Paleo place in Lowell! Great race and a great day. Now all that's left is to pick my first Half Ironman event...

It was no Chicago Triathlon but the Chicopee Check for Change Triathlon wore me out.

This past week was chaotic to say the least. Between coming back from the Timberman Triathlon Festival, a new job position to apply for some job and some serious personal matters to boot...I was a little frazzled. I wasn't able to go to Chicago for the Olympic Triathlon there. The folks at Lifetime Fitness Triathlon series were so understanding (they had offered me free entry to Chicago after reading the post about my horrendous experience 3 years ago) and offered me free entry to any of their races this year or next. I haven't had the chance to race one of their events yet but I'm already blown away by what a class act they are!

Even though I couldn't get to Chicago, I had to find some type of race for my sanity. I mean I've been training for Chicago and I could only do so much to address other stuff and a few hours of my being away racing wouldn't hurt anything...to the contrary it might be do me some good...so I got on the interwebs and started looking for races. I found the "Check for Change" sprint triathlon out in Chicopee MA and signed up. Even though it wasn't an Olympic distance race, I'd been doing all this training, at least I was racing and since it was local I might have a chance at doing well...and...and...and...I figured its in MA so it should be nice and flat (more on that terrible assumption later). Race morning I roll out of bed at 5am to pack up my gear, snag breakfast for the trip and get on the road.

I get there about 90 minutes before the start. What? If you've ready any post in this blog You KNOW  I have to get there in time to register, setup transition, get in a warm up swim and just chill (don't judge me). So I get registered, get all my stuff, get all my numbers on everything, walk up the hill into the transition area (yes, it was a hill and it would feel even worse later, stay tuned) and get set up. I hate...hate...HATE people who have no idea how to set up a transition area. If the space of your bike and tri gear set out in transition is wider than 14 inches...YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG! Buy a book, check out the interweb for pictures, or better yet...LOOK AROUND at how other people set up their gear! There is nothing I hate more than having to shoehorn my nice gear and my even nicer bike into a tiny space because someone just laid out all their stuff like its a picnic and walked away. Sonuva! Phew, deep breath...moving on...


With everything set up I figured I'd walk down to the water, throw on my wetsuit, swim out to the first buoy to relax and see how that water felt. This has become my ritual and what's weird is it has replaced the ritual of sitting on the shore and dreading the water like its acid. I was even comfortable enough with it to flash J a thumbs up before heading into the water. Weird...I know! So in the water I went, a couple trips out to the first buoy and then talking to the other folks in the water about how the course was laid out. Of course...I was looking for other folks in my age group and trying to identify the strong swimmers. Not to race against of course but to sit off their hips or feet and draft off of. I've gotten to be a better swimmer, not a great swimmer. I need all the help I can get.

0.5 Mile swim - 12:43
So we get lined up in the water...and we're off. Because I have this new found love of swimming, I've started to get up towards the front third of the pack at triathlons so I sighted on the first buoy and got to swimming. The guy beside me couldn't seem to maintain a pace or a straight line and kept bumping into me...which I've come to expect at a mass start swim but undoubtedly he wasn't comfortable with it because he kept trying to push and kick me away as I tried to get around him...but everything changed when he tried to punch me away. Dude, are you serious right now?! We're trying to get through a swim, people are stacked on each other in the equivalent of washing machine-like water conditions and you want to get angry with me?! Well, due to my new found comfort in the water, I changed my line, increased my stroke to try to get around him...and when my right hand come over the top, and even with his head, I made sure to catch the edge of his goggles. Not to pull them off of course but to pull them down...thus making it necessary for him to stop dead in the water and let me, and as I glanced over, a few other swimmers, get by this guy who thought he owned the water. I hope you learned the lesson buddy...lead, follow or get out of the way.

Once I got past the human speed bump, the swim was smooth sailing. The water was a little choppy and I was trying to be faster with my turnover so I ended up taking a breath every 3rd stroke instead of my customary every 6th. As I got out of the water I pulled off my goggles and cap (putting one into the other in one smooth motion, a nifty trick I read about on the interweb) and made my way into transition. Remember that "little hill" I mentioned earlier? Ya, I had to run up that in order to get to my bike. It was just long and steep enough to make take your breath away once you reached the top. As I'm trying to get air into my lungs, I finish pulling off my wetsuit, grab my bike and gear and get out of transition in a harried 1:33.

15 mile bike - 43:57
Getting out on the bike, I was so relieved I didn't have to pee like I did at Timberman. I felt good, my GPS was working and now it was all about settling into a good rhythm and making sure I was staying above 20mph on the course. The course was rolling and while there were no mileage markers there were volunteers and cops at every turn to make sure you stayed in the course. Normally I take a caffeinated gel once I get on the bike for some simple carbs and a little pick me up but instead I focused on drinking as much of the electrolyte drink I had on board. The course was hilly and I was exerting way more energy than I'd planned. At about the 12 mile mark I felt a little dip in my energy level and realized missing that gel was a bad idea. Well, nothing I can do about it now...just pedal faster and get this over. I made it into transition, dumped the bike, and was out on the run in a smooth 49 seconds. Yup, you read that right...49 seconds! I finally put together a good T2 and now I was out on the run.

3.5 mile run - 27:15
Remember the hill we had to run up to get into transition? Well, you guessed it, we had to run down it to start the run. It was so steep and I was running so fast that the gel I stuck in the leg of my tri-suit literally shot out and hit a spectator. Great, so much for a sugar/caffeine shot, nothing to do now but grit my teeth and focus on the run. The course led me out to a hill, which running up, I couldn't see the top...only to be rewarded with what I thought was the top being a false flat and I had to keep climbing. What sadistic motherf'er came up with this course?! I increased my speed, pumped my arms and once I hit the top...tried to not throw up or have my head explode! Thank goodness that was over, now to catch my breath and focus on a good rhythm. I ran the loop, down a hill to the bottom to which I thought would be the left turn to the finish line only to hear the volunteer at the water station say "great job #98, only one more lap to go". Are...you...kidding me?! I have to do that again?! I thought my heart would explode the 1st time I ran this loop and I have to do it again?! I don't think I've ever wanted to be done with a run so badly.

The only good thing was that on the 2nd loop I saw people to pick off and did so, one by one, in order to occupy my brain. Finally back down the hill a second time, I turned left into the finish, emptying anything I had in the tank, finishing in 1:26:13 and 35th overall. Not bad, not stupendous. I went to check the results and was surprised at the number of folks in front of me because I hadn't realized there were that many and noticed their times were considerably faster. Did I have a bad day? Was two weekends of triathlon racing too much? Even so, I was happy with the swim and bike times and the run wasn't that bad considering it was two laps up and around Mt. Everest! Well... seeing the "official times" posted online a couple days later I saw that I was 27th overall because (wait for it...wait for it...) some of the people who finished in front of me did only ONE LAP of the run course and got disqualified!!! Unbelievable. Part of me understands that it happened but a bigger part of me was relived to see I had run a competitive time and did indeed finished higher overall. No podium but still an effort I can be proud of and another race in the books.

The Timberman Sprint Tri...and try I did

In my quest to keep getting my butt out in the water for triathlons I I figured the Timberman Sprint on Saturday would be perfect since I was support staff for J at the Timberman 70.3 race the following day. That way I could race and feel like I had done something when I'm watching people race the 70.3 the following day.

I look like a legit swimmer!

537 meter swim – 8:02

Now I had heard about how clear and shallow Lake Winnipesaukee was but you just don't get an appreciation for it until you race in it. You could've practically walked the entire way through the swim course (which some people did). It was so shallow for so far and the water was so crystal clear! I knew once the gun went off, my best bet was to dive in and shallow stroke it until I could get some distance and depth and then give it all I had. Once again...I found myself in the odd position...of swimming over people. Me, the guy who hated swimming and couldn't "swim" now readily swims over slower swimmers. That's just crazy!. At one point I actually said "get out of my way" to a pair of swimmers that were swimming and talking to each other. I actually thought to myself that I had become "that guy" that I tried to avoid because I didn't want to slow him down in the water. I laughed out loud while swimming! I was swimming strong, good stroke, good pace and then...the swim was over and I was getting out of the water. Its amazing how fast something goes by when you're not dreading or hating every minute of it! I got out of the water (buy the way, in that picture, which I am buying, I look like I'm either the first guy or the last guy out of the water...when I was neither but in a pack of people when I left the water I swear!) and ran the 100 meters or so into transition as fast as I could. I got to my bike, got out of my wetsuit, got on my gear and headed out. T1 was 2:47. Not bad, not great but it was time to focus on the bike.

15 mile bike – 48:36, 18.5mph 
As soon as I got into aero I realized that I needed to pee. And not just a little, but so bad that it hurt to be in the aero position. I remembered that I needed to pee before the swim start and figured I'd just go in the water and then completely forgot about it because of nerves...and then I was swimming but now it hit me. I had to make a decision, either get off the bike to relieve myself or sit up and pee as fast as I could and get back in the race. Um...there is NO getting off the bike so it was the latter. Its crazy that even though I wanted to pee, needed to pee...I had to coax my body into actually peeing. Thank goodness it happened! All the pain in my bladder went away and I could focus on the bike. I knew sitting up would allow the group that I left transition with to get away but I figured it'd give me added motivation to ride them down. Bladder empty, back in aero, good position and back to work. It was then I glanced down to see my speed in order to get back on track and my GPS was blank. Ugh! There was nothing I could do to get the GPS to pick up...and then I started to get angry. I live off data during a race. I know that if I can't see mph or pace during a race, I'll slip into a comfort zone and I'll trail off. Being able to see that I'm racing as fast or faster than my race plan is the key to a successful race for me. The only option was to start picking out people ahead of me, focus on catching them and then continue to do that for the rest of the bike, not the preferred method but the only one at my disposal at the moment....and then we hit the hills. I knew the course was hilly. I'd seen it first hand the year prior and had studied the course elevation map but I still wasn't prepared for it I guess. Without seeing my speed and knowing whether I was moving slow or fast, there were no mileage markers on the bike course, I just tried to maintain good turnover and get up and over the hills. I felt like I was giving max effort but couldn't really tell (for the record I felt as if I was going slower that I wanted the whole ride and that 18.5mph average for the bike leg proved it). I desperately wanted to get off the bike and get out running so I could empty the tank and it'd be easier for me to estimate pace with my watch and mile markers. I made it in and out of transition in 2:01 and was out for the run.

3.1 mile run - 20:00, 6:27 pace

I came out of T2 rip-roaring pissed. I had no real clue how I had done on the bike (let's be honest, this brain ain't good enough at math to calculate average MPH on the fly) and I hadn't seen anyone with a 40 on their calf (for those of you that don't know, triathlons put your age on your calf, and bib number on other parts of your body so race officials can identify you easily. For us age groupers, its a quick way to see who we're competing against for a podium spot or at the very least count how many "places" we gain as we pass other folks in our age group) all day! I got my legs back pretty quick in the run and tried to get in a rhythm. My GPS still wasn't picking up so I was looking for the 1st mile marker so I could see my pace. 

Yup, face says it all

I hit the 1 mile marker in 7:15. 7:15?! Are f'ing serious?! That is TOTALLY unacceptable!!! I made the decision that the next 2.1 miles would be run flat out. I have no idea what the pace would be but unless I crossed the finish line throwing up from max effort I had failed. Weirdly enough...I felt myself getting faster. I just kept yelling in my head to "get faster". I called myself every name I could think of to motivate me to crank up my pace. I hit the 2 mile mark and thought I was around a 6:20 pace. That was better but if there's any gas left in the tank...its time to empty it. I could see people line in front of me on the way to the finish and made it my mission to run down every one of them 'til the end.

I crossed the line in 1:21:25. I'd taken 35 seconds off my PR for that swim distance (26th in my AG) , had a mediocre bike (24th in my AG) and had a rage filled run that ended up only being 6 seconds off my 5k PR (9th in my AG). All that rolled together put me at 19th overall in my AG and 91st overall in the race (out of a field of 709 that actually raced versus the about 900 that registered).  Not bad, not great and lots of room left for improvement. I know going into the rest of the season I need to focus on solid, smooth, short transitions and I HAVE to keep the bike up around a minimum of 22mph. I also need to have a back up plan and/or make sure I train without GPS/pace so I have a better idea of what my desired times should feel like. I have to admit, I've become WAY to dependent on technology and have been living in the weeds when it comes to training and racing data. Well, its all about getting better as a racer and any mistake you learn from isn't a mistake (I read that somewhere, I don't know if I believe it but it sure sounds good). Now to focus on the next race...

How I spend my Friday nights...

It dawned on me as kind of funny that as I'm about to jump in the water, at 9:00 on a Friday night, that most of my peers and certainly damn near everyone younger than me were either sitting in front of the tv or getting all "clubbed up" to go out on the town for an evening of drinking and debauchery....only to have to deal with the result of either (another sedentary day or waking up feeling like garbage and hung over) the following morning. I on the other hand just laid out all my swim gear and was about to start a 1600 meter swim set as per my normal Friday night routine. Sadly, I get told by lots of people that I'm "missing out" by not going out to or taking a day off. Missing out on what? I could rant about that until I'm blue in the face but suffice to say I love how I spend my Friday nights. I am a firm believer that learning to swim, I mean really swim for distance (not the swim to the side of the pool for a beer during a summer cookout), is one of the most difficult things you can do as an adult. We just develop bad habits if we weren't taught the "right way" to swim as kids. I'll be the first to admit that when "relearning" to swim and focusing on the proper stroke, hand placement and kick I would actually forget to breathe and have to stop mid pool and gasp for air. It wasn't pretty and it got to the point that the "no fear" guy...feared going for a swim.

don't fear the swim snorkle

Flash forward 3 years later (oh yes, that's how long my learn to not swim like a retard journey has gone thus far) and I not only no longer fear the swim...I LOVE it. There is just something about achieving that effortless stroke and kick in the water where swimming feels like its natural. Its completely different from the "Zen" I feel when I'm running or on the bike. I can't really explain it, which I know is difficult to believe coming from the guy that can talk all day, but it true. Once you get the mechanics of the swim down, swimming just "clicks" and I feel like I can go for hours. Weirdly, I know exactly when it "clicked". I was doing a Sprint Tri earlier this year and I went out for a swim on the course pre-race (which I always see other peole do but I never do because I'm always so focused on standing at the start and dreading the swim) and while swimmng I just had this settled feeling like this is not gonna be a big deal. And...amazingly, it wasn't! I actually swam with a smile on my face at that race. I had a great swim and my swim times since have continued to get better.

So back to my Friday nights...that "comfort" with the swim has come from lots of hours flailing and failing in the pool. I'm a do whatever you have to to get better kind of guy which is why you see all the "devices" I use at the pool to include the Finis Swim Snorkel. Oh yes, I have PLENTY of swimmer friends chide me or give me eye rolls when I mention it but it has honestly helped my swimming (Ryan Lochte and Dara Torres also use the snorkel in their swim training too so it can't be all bad) . The snorkel forces me to have proper head position, which equates to better body position, and allows me to to focus on hand and arm position at the beginning and through the stroke. And while my "swimmer" friends give me crap, that little training device has not only helped me be a more relaxed, efficient swimmer but help me take over 10 minutes off my mile swim time. I now swim a mile in about 38 minutes. I'm no Michael Phelps but I'm WAY ahead of what the swim cutoff times are for the 70.3 and 140.6 distances and it'll keep me in the competitive mix for my other racing (instead of having to burn so much energy chasing down the good swimmers on the bike).

So...enjoy the beer, clubs, TV and Doritos...I'll be in the pool with all my "toys" swimming a 1600 meter set...and loving every minute of it!

The Race Around the Lake, my first Ultramarathon...and my dirty little secret...

There were a number of reasons why I wanted to try an Ultra marathon: First off, I wanted to challenge myself. Second, I figure at my age and slow speed there's no way I'm gonna ever gonna get a fast marathon but my mental toughness paired with a "low and slow" run would make me a perfect Ultra runner. Lastly, if I'm ever gonna do an Ironman distance event, I need to see how my body can handle 12 or more hours of racing.

And of course since I'm a control freak I wanted to pick a race that would allow me to rule out as many variables as I could...thus I chose the "Race around the Lake 12 hour Ultra" (they also do a marathon on the course as well as a 24 hour race too) in Wakefield MA. Its a run for time on a 3 mile loop around a lake. Before you go "oh my god, that would be so boring", just go with me on this. A repeated loop lets you know the layout of the course quickly and identify any obstacles or issues while you're still mentally awake. Because its a loop, you'll see your support team (J, was the best support crew ever by the way!) on a predictable schedule (no need to worry about them not making a link up point on time to give you gear or support) and if you get hurt or decide to call it, you only have a short walk to get back to the start. What? I did say I was a control freak! I mean the Army did train me pretty well at planning.

Ready but I'm nervous

So, because the race allows you to be self supported, we set up "FOB Dutch" (that's forward operating base for you non military folks) and stocked it for the next few hours of racing. Tent/sleeping/chilling out area, and table set up with all my food: water, bananas, gels, Clif Blocks, Accelerade, salt tabs, Coke, potato chips (I've read that its a great thing to eat at an endurance event) and McDonalds cheeseburger (yes, cheeseburgers. For some reason when I do long training events I crave burgers and I figure its a quick way to get calories, fat and sodium into my system) were all set up at the back of my truck which was parked right by the start/tracking chute. As people started to come in and park and everything started to get set up I have to admit I got nervous. Not because of  my dirty little secret (more on that later) but because it dawned on me that I was going to spend the foreseeable future running. Look, I've done marathons, plenty of them but there's just something about running "as far as you can" that makes a world of difference. There's no time or mileage limit...its kind of freaky. I will say that I went into this event with little to no expectations. I kind of kicked around at least a 50k in my head but I was just planning on seeing what my body would do. There is something very weird about getting no a start line with "just run" in your head...

At the start I ran into my friend Danielle (awesome girl I've raced with and done a Reach the Beach team with) and Sarah (who BQ'ed for Boston on the course). We chatted, listened to the race instructions and headed over to the start. With little fanfare, we were off. Even with the start being at 7 p.m. it was still warm and humid. I figured I would try to hold a 9:30-9:55 pace for as long as I could and see where it got me. The first lap was spent with everyone chatting and dealing with race jitters because there was LOTS of running left to do. I hit the first mile comfortably on a 9:55 pace and settled in for the 1st lap around the lake. After coming in off the first lap i figured it was time to grab the iPod and listen to Macca's book. I will say that I've NEVER run with an ipod or music in my ears. Normally I wouldn't even entertain the idea but since I was running on a closed loop and I knew I was gonna run for that length of time, I figured having some type of motivation in my ears would be the best thing and let me tell you that Chris McCormack's "I'm here to to Win" audiobook was just the ticket! I highly recommend for any triathlete and it was so weird that there were points in the book that were exactly what I needed to hear while a ran. Every lap I took on water/Accelerade, gel and salt tabs.

Glad to have 4hrs done

Each lap I ticked off was a little victory and got me closer to the 4 hour mark which I had set in my head as time for my first "break" to eat/refuel. I figured the easiest way to deal with the Race was to break it into 3 races of 4 hours each. The end of each 4 hour block would be my stopping and taking on 'real food", changing clothes and then heading out again. As I closed on 4 hours I was near the marathon distance (8 laps) and figured that would workout perfect, hit the 26.2 and then take a break to recover/reset. The nice thing was as I ran across the line I was presented with a medal for completing the marathon! It was nice to have some bling going into my first rest/refuel break. While I had a smile on my face, I was concerned that I couldn't eat anything. I could take on some coke, part of a banana and some chips but that was it. The thought of "eating" made my stomach turn. I glanced down at my Polar RCX5 G5 and saw that I'd burned about 4200 calories thus far. I was in the tank and needed to fuel but it was the last thing I wanted to do. I couldn't even chew on that much desired McDonald's cheeseburger. Ok, time to take a deep breath...I did have 12 hours afterall, so relax and try to rest/recover.

While I was "resting", I was doing math in my head (which to be honest is quite a feat considering I'm not that smart and the calculations involved my fingers and toes). I needed to do another lap in order to hit that 30k mark I had set in my head. So, I asked J if she'd go do another lap with me. After that I'd stop and try again to take on fuel and rest. After my 9th lap, I took another break and I tried to force myself to eat...still, no luck. Anything more complicated than coke or water or a gel and I just wanted to vomit. I never thought eating would become such a difficult task. I'm normally ravenous and fight myself to not eat all the time and now I was in the tank on calories and didn't have the desire to nor could I stand forcing myself to eat. There was nothing to do but try to calm down, try to rest and try to eat. I contemplated whether I should quit now, if this was even a smart endeavor to start with and even the meaning of life while trying to shove food in my mouth....then it dawned on me...I had only done 29 plus miles up to this point! There was NO WAY I could stop, I need to get at least 50k in. So, I asked J to accompany me on at least one more lap.


The 10th lap went my relatively easy but I was gassed. I knew I was in the tank and  I had no hopes of getting food in any time soon. So, as Macca's book was saying in my ears "you can't lie to the man in the mirror", I made the assessment that I wasn't going to get any better and continuing to run would just put me at risk for injury. I have a lot of racing left to do this season and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt myself and ruin my chances. Not to mention I had to be on a plane in about 30 hours to D.C. for work. I was grinning ear to ear when I received my medal for the 12 hour Ultra. I had managed to keep my expectations for the event reasonable: find a good steady pace, try to hydrate and fuel, don't get hurt, use this first Ultra as a learning event and just run as far as you can. Mission accomplished, I felt good and I honestly believe that if I could've fueled/refueled better I would've had another 10 or 15 miles in me at least. The final tally was in 5:53:07 total time running. I will say that even though you might think the course is boring, it and the race were great. The organizers do a FANTASTIC job, its supported well, the "community of Ultra" is great there and even the locals hang out all night and support the runners. I even had one guy, who sat in his driveway all night, cheering me on with a "looking great Polar guy" until 3 a.m.!

And now for the dirty little secret...I did not train for the Ultra. Sure I trained but not the "serious long" excessive miles or time that one would normally do to ramp up for such an event. I just stuck to the regular training plan (run/bike/swim/lift) that is my usual and thought at the very least I should do the race just to see how its set up and what it all about. Although I had that 30k number in my head I rally went into it with the thought of "I might run 3 laps and go home". Honestly, I don't know if that approach helped or hindered me. I went into the race with NO expectations. I saw every lap as kind of a gift and I was smiling at the end of 4 hours because I had just run a marathon, on no training and felt 100 times better (mentally and physically) than I did when I ran Boston in '11 (and for that race I trained my ass off, blew up and dragged myself across the finish line). It was nice to run a race with no pressure, yes its normally self induced, and just run. I one point I actually noticed the sun setting on the water and made a mental note of how pretty it was. I NEVER do that. I normally run so hard that my recollection of any race is little more than a blur. And, and, and...knocking out 32.56 total miles, with this old, fat, broken body...ain't bad :) It was a great experience and I'm looking for another Ultra to put on the calendar.

Post Script:
I read back through this post and realized I missed a few things. I need to thank Natascia, Dustin, Jessica,  Di, James and Stephanie. The fact that you took time out of your schedules to come by and cheer me on means the world to me and I can't tell you how great it was to see your bright shiny faces on the course way into the night.

I was lucky enough to have some great gear, by some great companies, that helped get me through the race. My Polar RCX5 G5 kept me right on pace, allowed me to keep tabs on my HR and was the key to my keeping myself in check and running as far as I did. My lululemon 4" Light as Air shorts were beyond comfortable through all those miles. My legs would've never made it if not for my Zensah Compression calf sleeves, since using Zensah my calves have never hurt after a long run. Those rocking amber-lensed Rudy XX2i glasses were great at seeing the route in crisp detail and helped get me through the daylight hours. My Thorlo Experia socks were the key in keeping my feet comfortable and pain/blister free. Everstride kept all my bendy places chafe free and last but not least my Saucony Kinvaras helped the miles fly by with no feet or ankle pain. They are the best shoes I've ever run in...hands down!

The Chicago Triathlon saved my life...by nearly killing me...a longoverdue post

Chicago Triathlon....you can race fueled by anger...

So...I have talked about "my story" on this blog before but I have often cited the 2009 ChicagoTriathlon as the penultimate event that got me back into racing and how it was such a crap show that it’s hard to believe it even happened, much less that aftersuch a bad experience, I would still race. Well, in going through some old emails I found this recap I sent the race organizers about my infamous day. Strap in, this is gonna be a long post.
“Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I arrived at the Registration Area right after it opened at 3 p.m., Friday the 28th in order to pick up my packet. I have never been in a Triathlon this big so there were a ton of people and registration was a madhouse. It took the folks at registration about 15 minutes to find my packet because it was not in the"normal" (what I was told) sorted packet area. I've included a picture of the label on my packet which clearly said "Sprint" as the distance I was competing in and hand written large shirt size on it (that info will be important later, trust me). The packet contained the tracking chip, race number and pins to put the number on my shirt.

I went over to have the tracking chip verified. The chip came up with only my bib number (9110) but no personal/race information on it. The nice young lady took me over to the help desk to figure out what was wrong and noticed that I didn't have a strap for the tracking chip and promptly put one in my packet. She told me that my start time would be 9:08 am on race day, because my packet said I was Wave #44, and then she walked me to the Help Area.There I was told I have to talk to one of the registration folks "behind the curtain". There I spoke to a young guy who was sitting on a laptop and seemed bothered that we were there to ask why my information wasn't on the chip. As he looked at his screen, he told me that the lack of information on my chip, the high number and the late wave start was because I was a late entry. He said I was only entered in the race that morning but all my information was in the "main system" and "don't worry about it". Before I walked away I asked if the information that he was looking at on his screen was the same as on my packet (i.e. name, age, distance, wave start) and I was told "yeah, you're all good". 

I walked through the Expo in order to get my other items and then spent the next 4 hours or so checking out the Expo and buying Chicago Triathlon clothes and other goodies. On my way out I thought I'd try to see if my personal/race information had made it to my chip yet so I stopped to get it verified again. Again no information about bib number. So I went to see the same guy at the laptop from earlier (I think it was the same guy), and asked again if all the information in the "main system" was the same as on my packet and he told me "yeah, you're all good". Being exhausted from my earlier flight and walking around the Expo all day I figured I'd grab a bite and then check the chip again on Saturday.

Saturday I grabbed breakfast and headed into registration around 10 a.m. to see if my information had been updated to the chip. I went to the chip verification area and still no information on the chip. I walked over to the help desk area and spoke to a different guy than the day before. I relayed the events of the prior day with the chip and the shirt and handed him my packet. He noticed that I did not have the wrist band (required to get into and out of the transition area), promptly put one in my packet and looked me up in the main system. Once again I was told "yeah, you're in the main system, your chip just hasn't reflected the info yet". AGAIN I asked if the personal/race information that was on my packet is what was on the "main system" and again the answer was yes. I walked back into registration around 4:30 p.m. before it closed on Saturday to check ONE LAST TIME. Still no data on the tracking chip but was told yet again"you're good to go, all your data is in the main system, don't worry".

I went to bed around 10 p.m. Saturday night so I could be at transition to setup right when it opened at4:15 a.m. I got everything set up, laid out all my drinks and fuel for the Sprint event and went back to my hotel to grab a nap before I had to be at the swim start for my 9:08 a.m., Wave #44 start. I got to the swim start an hour prior, put on my wetsuit 20 minutes before the start and got in the wave with10 minutes to go. I noticed the wave in front of us was swimming the International Distance. I turned to the guy beside me and remarked "thank goodness we're not doing the International so we get the shorter swim". He and then everyone around me responded that wave #44 was Males 34-39 for the International Distance.  I quickly ran over to a race representative holding a clip board and told her that I was registered for the Sprint distance and because of my "late entry" there must be some confusion. "Am I just supposed to swim the Sprint distances with this wave?" I asked. She told me that all the Sprint Distances were closed and I was either doing the International Distance or I wasn't competing at all today. I spent 10 years inthe Army as an Airborne Ranger, I've got almost 100 Mass Tactical jumps from aircraft, I've had numerous surgeries and a broken back during my Army career but standing on that platform, realizing that I was either doing the twice the distance I'd be training for or going home, is the first time I've ever felt fear. I was at the event because of the kindness of Polar and my luck in winning their contest, my friends and family had been so supportive and were expecting me to race, I just bought all this Chicago Triathlon gear and I couldn't bear with having to tell everybody I didn't, in the end even try...and I desperately wanted one of those damned finishers' medals. I wasn't going to let anybody down so I took a deep breath, recited my mantra “that which does not kill us makes us stronger” and "pain is temporary...quitting lasts forever", hit the water and began the International Distance event. 


I hadn’t been in a pool for years and I had only focused on my time in the pool to not drowning and accomplishing the distance required for the Sprint, 750 meters. Imagine the feeling when I realized I now had to swim TWICE that distance. I don’t think a swim course has ever looked longer or more daunting.  I swam as far as I could; treading water as I took caught my breath and then swam again. I alternated this method until I finally got to the stairs out of the water. Although you can’t see it in the picture, I’ve never been so relieved to have that swim out of the way. It was time to compose myself on the run into transition and get ready for the ride. As I got into T1 and looked at my bike it dawned on me that I only had one bottle of fuel on the bike and no spare tube/air fills because I thought I wouldn’t need it for such a short ride in the Sprint. I have never been more careful, looking around for road debris or more cautious at every bump in the road to ensure I didn’t get a flat. The two laps of the course were fueled by fear and anger. Fear of getting a flat on the course and making a long day even longer and angry because I was even in the situation to start with.  You can certainly see the look of determination in my face in that picture of me on the bike. I wanted a decent time and I wanted it to be over so I could focus on the run. 

I was looking forward to the run because I knew there was water and fuel out on the course. I made sure to get water at every station and grabbed a gel when offered. Unfortunately due to the lack of fueling up to the run start and the excessive salt loss through sweat (who knew Chicago could get so hot?), the 10k run was sheer pain. My legs started to lock up about 2 miles out from the finish but there was NO way I was going to stop now after everything I’d gone through thus far. Gritting my teeth I made it to the finish in 3 hours, 9 minutes and 48 seconds. 

I will tell you that part of what distracted me during the triathlon is that I wrote and re-wrote this e-mail in my head probably 100 times. I would like to think that you squared me away and in the handoff to someone below you this got messed up. Or that inconjunction with the obvious lack of care and/or incompetence of the people working the registration area led to the mistake, even after I asked time and time again and did everything I could (minus inputting the data myself) to ensure I was registered correctly. Bottom-line is there was a mistake made. In my opinion, it was a huge one. What I hoped to be an enjoyable first triathlon that I was anxious over but had trained for, turned into a completely different event that wasn't enjoyable at all and I ensured I finished because of pride, spite and having no other option.

I will certainly think twice about ever registering for an event that your company is managing. So I guess the short answer to your question of “…did the issue at registration getcleared up?” is no, no it did not.” 

This race made me so angry and it fueled my desire to get stronger and faster. I came home with a renewed sense of purpose and started my current training/racing journey. But in some ways it was a blessing considering where I was at just a few months before getting to race the Chicago Triathlon, the training up to the event in order to get in shape and the fact that I kick started my training 1000% when I got home is what got and kept me off the couch and out of the potato chip bag…and kept me from continuing a downward spiral of weight gain and depression…and what I feared would’ve ended in an early heart attack or stroke.

So…the debacle saved my life in a way…

The Mill City Triathlon..a race revisited...

As I said before, I didn't do a single Triathlon last year. I was primarily focusing on running and Duathlon events. Partly because I enjoy them and partly because I hate swimming (okay, mostly because I hate swimming). This year I've made a concerted effort to fix that by spending more time in the pool and focusing on form instead focusing on "not drowning". The Marlborough Tri, even though it was a split transition (which I now hate by the way) was the first time I really felt comfortable in the water and I've been trying to build on that.

I know the course at Mill City pretty well (it’s the same area a number of 5ks and 10ks are held), its relatively flat and other than the swim I dig the event. This race was the one that got me back into Triathlon and it went less than well. The last time I did this Tri was 2 years ago where my anger in the water led to a dislocated rib that I had to deal with through the rest of the race (I popped it back in while in aero on the bike). Ugh, talk about being fueled by anger! So I knew I HAD to do this course again!

587 yard swim – 8:37

J was racing too so I had someone to cut up and splash around with in the water before the start of our waves. It was so nice to not have a sense of dread in the water. The men started last and I wanted to just focus on good form and breathing…and not being last out of the water. MUCH to my surprise, I not only passed guys in my wave but caught and started passing the waves ahead of me! Really? Is that even possible?! Me?! The course was out and back and I hit the buoy feeling comfortable and relaxed. Maybe this extra swimming this is paying off! I have to admit, I was actually smiling in the water. For the first time I left the water not gasping for air or gassed...actually feeling good. The run into T1 was about 200 meters, I got in and through easily in 2:14 and headed out on the bike.

13 mile bike – 36:54, 21.1mph

Like I said, the course is relatively flat. As soon as I got out of transition I got in aero and kept a turning over a high rpm ensuring I was staying around 21mph on the course. Barring the one guy ahead of me that swerved into the path of an SUV , the course was uneventful…just like I like it. I just kept finding people in front of me to pass and kept my eye on my speed. I felt good throughout the bike, making sure I fueled and hydrated (it was a warm day). Coming into transition however was a different story. I didn’t realize that coming into transition I was 19^th overall…which meant there were no bikes in transition…which meant I couldn’t find my rack spot to save my life. Add in that when I did find my spot, I knocked over the rack setting in my bike. Ugh. To add insult to injury, while putting on my shoes, the guy who was set up next to me knocked the rack down when he went to set in his bike. Double ugh. Even with all that I still managed a 1:25 transition and headed out on the run.

4 mile run – 29:37, 7:24 pace

Even though I've been adding in runs after my training rides, my legs felt like mush coming off the bike and I didn't get into a good pace until a half to three quarters of a mile in. Luckily, I had people in front of me to focus on and before I knew it my pace was coming down and I was passing people. I started to feel good and get into a nice pace…at mile 3. I finished in 1:23:31, 16^th overall, 3^rd in my new age group and ended up shaving 9 minutes off my course time from my last the last race. A pretty good day that I’m happy to say ended with my being happy with the performance. I was excited to place. Yes, I enjoy setting PR's but I enjoy placing well against my peers even more. I was stoked with my swim, the bike was good and the run was ok. There’s always room for improvement and that run should’ve been faster but I was focused less on pace then trying to pick off people in front of me. I’m getting faster and I did pick up some bling. The next 3 weeks are filled with a 5 miler, 10k and then my Ultra…but after those I HAVE to get in another Tri.