2011 in Review...

Well I never finished with my Chrissie Wellington post, but meeting her was definitely a highlight. My favorite quote from her was in response to a question about her weekly training hours. When asked how many she logs she simply replied, "it's 24/7. Everything I do is to make me a better athlete because it's what I do. If I'm not out training, I'm fueling, recovering, or learning something new." That's a loose quote because I can't remember what exactly Chrissie said, but the message was the same. I'll also throw in that my buddy Rich thinks we had a moment. Rich said he noticed when I was up there talking to her, she gave me a little extra attention... I don't care if he's blowing smoke up my ass or not, I'll take it! Chrissie is incredible by the definition of the word.

That's the moment!

But moving on to the year in review... Some pretty amazing things happened...

1 - I got engaged! I'm going to marry the love of my life, the most amazing person I know. I couldn't be luckier to have such a beautiful, smart, driven, funny, and loving fianceé.

2 - I became an Ironman at IMLP! After 6 months of training and sacrifice I was able to achieve my goal and have a great day in the beautiful Adirondacks. Not only did I get to hear Mike Reilly yell my name as I came down the finisher's shoot, but I had a near perfect race day according to my projections/goals. It was an experience I will never forget. And when I crossed that line I realized for the first time in my life (that I remember) something that I once thought was impossible, was in fact a possibility.

3 - I got into graduate school and started a MA program at Villanova University. This will inevitably help me in the long term wherever I end up. And despite my less than perfect academic focus as an undergraduate, I can now redefine myself as a student. I'm pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies, and I'm very interested in the material I'm studying. The next 18 months will be busy, but very rewarding.

4 - I was part of a cross country team that placed 3rd in the nation. Seeing these kids work so hard day in and day out might have taught me more than I taught them. It was incredible. I learned from the best coach in the country (recognized nationally as coach of the year), and I connected with a number of student athletes and coaches that I will not soon forget. Not to mention the traveling, racing, and partying that goes with such great successes.

The rest - I set a PR at every distance I raced in 2011. My streak continues - every race I've ever entered at a given distance has ended with a PR. There have been over 6,700 views of my blog! I'll give 4,000 to Maddy and her family members and another 2,000 to me and my family, but there are still a couple of you out there reading this! Lastly, I've had a lot of fun since IMLP. And there are probably some other things that haven't come to me...bottom line, it's been a great year!

Things I learned in 2011 that I hope to do better in 2012...

1 - I need to work on my swim. I'm not exactly sure what needs to be done, but my biggest "disappointment" of the year was my swim time at IMLP. I plan on racing some shorter stuff in '12, which will hopefully force me to improve my swim in order to be competitive. I actually haven't planned out how I'm going to get better just yet, but it needs to happen.

2 - I've just recently learned after completing my first semester in graduate school that for me it is not as easy to get up early or stay up late and study as it is to sneak in an early/late workout. Pushing myself through 16+hour training weeks while working 50 hours is somehow doable, but studying/reading/preparing for class is somehow much harder. My first semester back was tougher than I thought it would be.

3 -  It's all about balance in relationships and life. During my build up to Lake Placid I was selfish, and it wore on Maddy and me. I didn't make time to have fun and do some things that a good partner should do. Next time around I will be more organized, more balanced, and it will be easier on both of us. Not going the iron distance in 2012 though. Maybe 2014?

Coming (hopefully before the new year) will be some goals for 2012...

Happy holidays!

I met Chrisse Wellington

last night. No big deal. More to come later, but I had to post a pic.

I feel cheated...

I pay over $125 per month in health insurance. I go to the doctor maybe once a year. I only keep my health coverage because I've been told it's good, and if I were to have a serious bike accident I would apparently be covered without having to pay thousands of dollars. But today I feel cheated by Blue Cross Blue Shield.

I have a tear in my groinal area known as an "athletic pubalgia". The only doctor that repairs this procedure is right here in Philadelphia, PA. Unfortunately, he's out of network. Well, this wouldn't be a problem for my great coverage, which will reimburse for out of network procedures if there is no one in network that can do it. *However, they will only pay the rate they find appropriate for the procedure, not the rate the out of network doctor charges (*this last tidbit is conveniently unpublished).

Where does that leave me? Well I have the tear. I need the procedure if I want the pain to go away. The surgery costs $9,000. And Blue Cross Blue Shield will reimburse me for ~$2,000. That made scheduling pretty easy... I can't have it done.

This frustrates the hell out of me because there is a  battle going on here between the insurance companies and the doctors, yet I am the one who gets punished. Blue Cross Blue Shield sets the cost for procedures as if they should control everything, and then the doctors rebel by not accepting the insurance because they don't agree on the rates. Surely both businesses are only looking out for themselves, while the consumer is left out in the cold. Should my procedure cost 9 grand? Probably not. Is it worth more than the 2 grand that BCBS is willing to pay for it? Probably. Regardless, I am a paying customer and can't get the coverage I need. I'm pissed.

Is it a necessary surgery? No. I probably tore the ligament in at the Philly marathon in 2010, which means I trained for and raced IMLP already having the injury. However, does it bother me? Yes. It is an annoying, dull pain that I can work through, but I shouldn't have to. I'm 26 years old. I have a long 'career' ahead of me racing and training. Sure I could just stop running (which aggravates it the most), and it would probably not bother me, but I can safely say that I will be a swimmer/biker/runner for quite a while to come. I shouldn't have to stop something I love to do at this age - especially when there is a way to get it fixed, and when I am paying for insurance to protect me from a situation like this...

Sorry I had to vent. I'm also procrastinating by choosing to write a blog post rather than a final paper... I will try to keep things more positive from here on out.

Good news on the horizon - no surgery this winter means I won't have to take any (more) time off, and I have no excuses for not getting after it as soon as finals are over. Even though I don't have IM dreams for 2012, I have a few ideas dancing around my head...

NXN - Nike Cross Country Nationals 2011

This past weekend I flew out to Portland, OR, the home of Nike, for their annual cross country national championship race. NXN 2011 was quite a trip. Portland is one of the coolest towns I've been to in quite a while, and the races were incredible. We brought our SE Regional Champion girls team as well as 1 boy runner - the best in the state of DE and 6th fastest runner in the SE Regional race.

NXN takes place at a horse racetrack called Portland Meadows. Mostly because of the time of year and geographical location it's wet, muddy, and slow. It's a course that levels the playing field a bit. There are hay bails to jump over (twice) and "whoop-d-doos" (small man-made rolling hills) to run over (twice also).

It was Tatnall's 6th trip to the big show, and there were high expectations. However, the number one seeded team out of NY hasn't been beaten in their six straight trips to NXN, so we weren't the favorites.

The boys race was first. It was incredible to see the amount of talent on the starting line. And, some of the best individual runners weren't even there. NXN is a team race. Individual qualifiers are put on a regional team, which can't place in the national competition. Our lone boy representative raced as the SE Regional Team. The best individual boys will race this coming Saturday at the Footlocker Invitational. Anyway, the race went off at 10:05. The start is FAST! There is about a 300m stretch before the first turn, and everyone knows you have to put yourself in a decent position if you want to be able to move through the field at all. A couple guys decided to take it out very hard and pull away from the pack before the first mile. I think the leaders hit around 4:40. By the 1.5 mile mark a lone runner who made his way out early started to fade back and a boy from Illinois blew by him. I thought he too was going too hard too early. However, some other spectators around me informed me that he hasn't lost a race all season, and he was ranked #2 in the country. He pulled far out in front by the 2 mile mark and didn't even look back. He won the race (against the best runners in the country!) by 30 seconds and set a course record of 15:03. Our boy placed #63 overall. A team from the N. Jersey shore brought home the team title - my uncle's alma mater actually.

The girls hit the line at 11:35, racing as Wilmington XC. They got out early with our top runner in a great position to strike. Once again a couple runners went out hard and died off before the 2 mile mark. The front pack was still closely packed coming through 2 miles. In the last 800m it was our #1 and a sophomore from Simi Valley, CA. The young girl from the sunshine state pulled away. 4 seconds later our star senior crossed the line. An amazing finish to her senior xc season. Our number 2 finished in the top 25 as well. The aforementioned girls team from NY remained unbeaten. Second place went to another team from NY, and we took 3rd....in the country. Not too bad.

An amazing weekend. And I got to see/experience an awesome city - Portland. Amazing job, girls (and Sam)!

So now cross country is over. I'll be giving the running legs a break for a little while. It's also finals week at Villanova, Maddy's bday Saturday (!), and there's a pending "athletic pubalgia" surgery before Christmas.

Check back soon!
Happy training!

Mad's Philly Marathon

**I apologize for the terribly late posting of this... It was a long week. But without further adieu...

It was the perfect day for a marathon this past Sunday, 11/20/2011 (sorry it took a while to get this one up!). Cool in the morning with temperatures hovering around 55 degrees for the majority of the race. Maddy did the work, and she was ready to go. Her bff Leslie was in town doing the half marathon as well, also her first, so there was a lot of excitement around the apartment. Living in Philadelphia is nice because we got up at 5am and still had plenty of time to head over to the race start. Another friend of ours was doing the half mary too, so we hitched a ride over to the start. Bag check, stretch, shake out, and wait in the port-o-pot line...pretty standard pre-race. We were still in line for the port-o-pots when the gun went off actually, but with 27,000 people racing and Maddy not being one of the elites chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier, we were still OK. Finally the girls were in and out and starting on their way across the starting line at about 7:25am.

waiting in the port-o line

just crossed the starting line

I decided to watch them take off down the Ben Franklin Pkwy and then cut right over to Chestnut st where the 10k marker was. I got some coffee and headed over just as the 3:00 pace group was coming past. I could picture exactly where I was last year at that moment. After meeting up with some other friends who were spectating we got out the cowbells and started cheering. Mad and Leslie flew by looking great and with smiles all around! They were right on pace and looked super strong.

Here come Mad and LB around mile 6.5!

From there I headed back to the apartment for a little liquid encouragement (beer) with my buddies and then hopped on my bike to see them at the half way marker. They came through half way a little faster than I was expecting so I almost missed them. Again, they looked super strong. Maddy came through the half way mark faster than she did in 2009 when she was only racing the half! And Leslie, who decided to throw the whole "formal training plan" thing to the wind looked great too despite only having done a 4 mile long run in preparation... Leslie peeled off for the finisher's shoot while Maddy turned and started heading out to the loneliest part of the course, Manayunk. Well, actually there are a ton of supporters in Manayunk, but the 6 miles out and 6 miles back are pretty desolate and mentally tough to push through.

pretty crowded

almost missed them at half way

mile 14 (looking great!)

 I stopped my bike just past mile 16 to cheer Maddy on and then crossed the street to catch her at mile 23 headed back into town. The marathon is a tough distance. I saw a lot of people break on Kelley Dr. I also saw a lot working hard though.

mile 16 (still great!)

mile 23 (starting to hurt a little...)

200m to the finish!!

What a day. Just spectating was exhausting. I remember how hard the marathon distance is, and I was glad not to be partaking this year. I can't express how proud I am of my bride to be.

Giving the legs a break after a long day

After the marathon Mad took a couple days to rest the legs, but we got them going again on Thanksgiving morning in a local Turkey Trot! And we were joined by a friend from the north (Boston), Maddy's sister Lesley

I won a pie!

Hope you all had a great turkey day!

XC State Championship and races to come

Yesterday was the Delaware XC state championship down in Killens Pond, DE. Tatnall came in favored to win and did not disappoint. The quick summary is that both boys and girls teams won the division II state title, by substantial margins. The individual winners of both races were also Tatnall runners, and they both broke state records at the course.

It was an amazing day. And, something I didn't realize until I got home after the post-meet party last night, it was the first state championship team I have been a part of. Pretty cool stuff. The kids won't put race anymore this year in the black singlet, but they will race again. In 2 weeks we head down to Cary, NC to race in the Southeast Regional Championship race as "Wilmington XC". The top 2 teams get to fly out to Portland Oregon the first weekend in December to race the Nike Cross Nations (NXN) right on Nike's campus. More on that later.

Some upcoming races for me - I signed up for a turkey trot 5k on Thanksgiving morning, which I'll use as my speed workout going into Saturday's SE Regional Open 5k. It's supposed to be a flat, fast course, and I'm hoping to better my recent 5k PR. All movement in the right direction!

The week after I'm going to see a specialist that should be able to take care of my sports hernia, which is actually an "athletic pubalgia". In an ideal world I will have surgery the week before Christmas, use the break to heal, and hit the pool hard for the winter months.

Thanks for reading!

**Oh, also should throw out there that I signed up for a Tough Mudder with a couple of my buddies for the spring. It's 11 miles of mud, muck, obstacles, and apparently some electric shock! It will definitely be something...

Don't do it, Asics...

Dear Asics,

Please don't get stop production of the Hyperspeed 4! It's the best running shoe I've come across yet. And for the love of god, don't replace it with the Hyperspeed 5... It's just ugly. All things being equal, it's probably still a pretty good shoe, but those colors are horrendous. I might have to order a couple pairs of the 4's before they do stop production. The bottom line is that I've been running all fall with the Adidas Adizero Rocket, and mixing in my old Zoot TT 3.0 (I have the previous model in yellow), and I just purchased the K-Swiss K-ruuz a couple weeks back because I found a deal for $45, and none of those shoes, nor any that I have run in before, compare to the Hyperspeed 4. My ONLY complaint about the hyperspeed is that the sole wears quickly. I would love to get 500+ miles out of a shoe, and by 250 miles the forefoot portion of the sole is worn through. Granted I run predominantly on pavement, which definitely takes it's toll, but 200 some miles just isn't enough. All the other shoes I have ride very hard. I mean to say that there is very little cushion, which I would expect since I run predominantly in racing flat type shoes. However, the Hyperspeed 4 is like the perfect hybrid between a flat and a trainer. AND the simple white and red of the HS4 looks great!! It's simple and stylish. Asics - don't do it!

Anywho, this fall is flying by. I'm off to talk with a surgeon in just couple minutes actually about how/when this sports hernia surgery is going to happen. I'll check back with more on that later.

Maddy banged out a long run of 20+ this past weekend! I'm very proud of her and excited to watch the marathon in 2 weeks. It's going to be a great day!


Chrissie Wellington is supposed to put out a book some time in 2012 and I can't wait to read it... Chrissie Wellington's book.

That's all for now.

The best race I've ever seen

Yesterday was the New Castle County XC Championship race at beautiful Winterthur Park in Wilmington, DE. It's a 2 loop course that has some decent hills, the most notable going around the round loop at the top of the course where mile 1 and about 2.5 pass. There's also a moderate incline heading up the shoot to the finish. It's an honest course. And yesterday was a truly gorgeous day that let me see one of the most amazing races I think I will ever witness.

There were 5 races in total yesterday. First the Old Timers race, which I raced in. Last year I ran an 18:55. All I really wanted was a PR, and I got it! 17:58. The 5k distance hurts! But all the speedwork I've been doing really helped out. I also set a mile PR earlier this week mid way through a workout - 5:12. Another Tatnall coach and Brooks sponsored professional runner, Daryl, took 2nd with a 15:20. There were some fast guys. But enough on that.

Both JV boys and girls had breakout days. I was taking mile 1 splits all day and the kids looked great. They were all reaping the benefits of months of workouts and tired legs. It was great to see.

The girls varsity race was the one for the books. Tatnall's best girl runner is currently ranked in the top 3 in the nation, I'll call her H. So is Charter's number one, I'll call her J. A couple weeks back Charter's girl beat our number one in a local meet. Our runner was set back about 3 weeks at the start of the season with some foot problems, and she still isn't where she wants to be. However, she was not going to take 2nd again without a fight. I saw the race from the start and H and J were out front in the first 500m running side by side. They came through the first mile shoulder to shoulder, H with a half step lead, in 5:17 (FLYING!). There was a look of determination in both girls' eyes that I can't put into words. Up around the first hill after mile 1 they stayed attached at the hip. Through mile 2, the same. They were pushing hard. It seemed that J was just going to sit back and let H set the pace. I was worried she would sit and then kick past H in the shoot, but the pace H set was intense. I saw them again heading up the hill for the second time about 2.4 miles in, J tried to push up and took the lead, but only momentarily. H responded and opened up a 25m gap coming down the back side of the hill. It was amazing. I got chills. I saw her coming down the hill with a lead that she couldn't lose. Coming down the hill though, her form was falling apart. It looked like she rolled an ankle. I called out words of encouragement as she passed. The course was completely lined with people cheering them on. J had started to lose her form as well. Coming up to a hairpin turn about 100m to the finish H started to stumble. Then she collapsed. She pushed herself up, still in the lead, and started to walk. Then she stumbled again. J was obviously in pain too. Her pace had slowed tremendously. H passed a row of bushes and pulled out of the race. She laid it all out there, but the pace was just too much; she completely exhausted herself. It looked like J was going to limp to another victory. BUT, what no one saw coming, our number 2 runner, a stud junior girl came through the hairpin turn 40m back. She kicked through the last 100m. With 10m to go to the line, R (our #2), caught and passed J for the WIN!! Because of where I was standing I didn't see the girls cross the line so I had no idea Tatnall had won! I didn't know how we could have... J took second just 2 seconds behind R. I am still in awe with what happened. The guts it took to go out that hard by both H and J is unbelievable. They pushed and just hoped to hold on. Sometimes when you take a risk though, it doesn't work out. It's unfortunate, but I admire H tremendously for her bravery in pushing beyond her own limits for what she wanted so badly. And of course R, running her own race, allowing only herself to dictate the pace she set, and somehow being in a position to strike that late in the race... It was all remarkable.

The rest of the girls varsity team also raced their hearts out. They all were named all county runners, and Tatnall won both the individual girls title and the team girls county title.

The boys varsity race was also an amazing race, but with less drama. Our number 1 boy won this race last year in a tactical masterpiece. This year he set the tone early going through mile 1 in 4:52. He stayed out front the entire race and won in 15:52. Second place was had by another Tatnall runner, a 9th grader in 15:57. We also took 4th by a junior in 16:01. The boys also came away with quite a few all county runners, the individual win, and the team county championship win. Not a bad day for the Hornets.

For their privacy I've left out names and any pictures, although they are amazing. More details about these amazing kids can be found here: http://www.n5cta.com/.

MRI results are in...

Looks like there will be a surgery in the off season...bummer. I have some sort of sports hernia in my lower left abdominal/groinal region (aka where my left leg connects to my pelvis). But on the bright side, at least there's an explanation for this pain, and once I have the surgery it should go away; so there's an end in sight. It's going to be quite a challenge scheduling this because as a teacher I really can't miss work. I'm thinking of having it done right before winter break. That will give me 2 weeks to recover and I shouldn't miss any school. Although it does kill any fun I want to have over Christmas vacation... I guess a relaxing break could be nice... We'll see. I am meeting with a surgeon Monday to get the full prognosis and schedule things. I'll check back in after that. I do have copies of my MRI on my computer, but I can't figure out what anything is haha. Hopefully after I meet with the doc I'll be able to post a picture of what is actually going on.

On a brighter note - Tatnall won the conference championship again this year. A great race on a beautiful course yesterday. Both girls and boys teams won (both varsity and jv races). Of the all conference runners, I think we had 12 runners and there are only 16 spots. In about 10 days is the New Castle County Championship meet. They have an open 5k before the kids race, so I'll probably do that. Last year I ran 18:55, so I'll be trying to better that. It is a tough course, and I haven't been running a lot because of my classes, but I have been doing a LOT of speedwork compared to what I am used to. We'll see how it goes!

¡Hasta pronto!
Do great work.

Thoughts on Kona

This past Saturday (**2 Saturdays ago now) was wonderful. I went down to XC practice in the morning and got back just in time for the prerace coverage of the Ironman World Championship, which I watched streaming on ironmanlive.com for probably 6+ hours. Maddy was out of town visiting friends, but that meant I could lie around and watch IM alllll day.

To state the obvious right off the bat, what an amazing race! I just couldn't turn away. I love how effortlessly Andy Potts pulls away in the swim. Sure, he swims alone, and it's lonely leading a race that early, but he needs to play to his strengths. When he got passed just a couple miles into the bike I expected Andreas to make a push. Although being with the front group, he never really surged... Most shocking on the bike had to be Crowie actually riding with the front pack! Who knew he could do that??!! Maybe it's the new Specialized Shiv, or maybe he just had a bone to pick with everyone who read Macca's book "I'm Here to Win", in which he flat out says Crowie can't ride. Quite an impressive feat. On the women's side of the race, holy shit Julie Dibbens! When she came off the bike 20+ minutes in front of Chrissie and Rinnie I didn't think they had a chance to catch her. She could run 50(ish) seconds per mile slower than those girls and still stroll across the line first. Unfortunately, between pushing too hard and some foot problems she dropped out of the marathon. As IM athletes/enthusiasts/fans we know the race is really won and lost on the marathon. And what a marathon it was. The men's race was tight. The women's race was was tight. Neither winner posted the fastest run split (but they were close), nor were they leading off the bike.

Macca made an interesting point in his book, which I just finished reading, that in 2010 Andreas spent so much energy just reaching Macca that by the time he got there he had already reached his goal and had to recalculate how much energy he needed to get across the line first. That's where Macca won. I didn't see that happening this year. I thought Raelert was going to hold that 6:00min/mile pace through the whole thing. Unfortunately for him, Crowie was just too strong. It's absolutely incredible what those guys and girls do.

Maddy actually called me and started watching the end up in NYC. I love that she has developed an interest (even if it is just to humor me) and knows all the big names. I got teary toward the end of the race just thinking about what Crowie and Chrissie were able to do. Listening to them speak was what pushed me over the edge because of how humble and truly human they are. If somehow you missed it, Universal Sports still has the FULL 18 hours of coverage up on their website to watch, if you're interested (watch here!). I'll probably go back and watch some of it before it airs on NBC in December. Something unbelievable is that it's being broadcast tomorrow (**some time last week) in Australia according to Crowie's facebook page. The US has got to get a quicker turn around and start feeding all those crazy IM addicts in the states. We also, as a country, need to start developing better feeding programs and valuing the sport to become more competitive at international competitions....but more on that another day.

So during this week of non-stop IMWC thinking, I've come to the re-realization that I MUST get there some day. It kind of stinks that most athletes that get to Kona by finishing in the top 3-5% of their race end up in the 50th percentile in Kona, but it's an experience that I need to have in my life. It's hard to sit back and say I won't go after it asap, but I need to take care of other things first. The bottom line, I'll get there.

Some interesting info I picked up through reading articles, watching clips/interviews, and listening to a couple podcasts with regards to Kona... If you complete 12 full IM's you're automatically accepted to race KONA! (23ish minutes in KonaPodCast). Now the compromise is that it might not be the very next year. It could take quite a few years for WTC to get everyone in. But even still, it's great to know that those spending sooo much time, energy, and money on ironman will have the chance to race the big island. I would never just enter the lottery. That's not how I want to make it there. But if for some reason I just can't get a qualifying slot, it would make me feel better knowing that I earned it by racing enough to get in.

That's all for now. More coming soon. MRI on my possible sports hernia Wednesday.

16.4 mile run today

Only it wasn't me that did it! Maddy is ROCKING her training for the Philly marathon. I ran about 10 miles with her and I was cooked. By mile 7 her heel had a blister that burst and started bleeding through her socks. It didn't stop her. My legs were very fatigued by mile 9... Mad on the other hand looked just as strong finishing as she did on the first part of the run. I couldn't be more proud of her. And she still manages to look beautiful after 16+ miles - pretty impressive...

The weather has made things easier. It was beautiful today and yesterday with weather feeling more like early September than October. We also have to think good ol' Cristobal Colon, aka Christopher Columbus, for giving us the day off. It was wonderful not having to work today.

On the wedding front, we spoke to a wedding photographer today. None other than my training buddy David. An awesome triathlete with a 4:19 HIM personal best. As it turns out he's pretty good with a camera as well. Looks like almost everything that we need to do is done (or at least getting done).

I managed to get to the doctor today also. I'm scheduling an MRI some time soon to get this whole sports hernia thing all figured out. The orthopedist I saw today thinks that is likely what it is.

If you think it's odd that I haven't touched on the Ironman World Championships in Kona this weekend, that's understandable. Yes, I watched. Yes, I have lots to say. And yes, it's coming in a future post. I wanted to give Maddy the spotlight tonight because I am so proud of her. I can't wait to cheer her on during the marathon. She's right on track to have an amazing first 26.2.

How long does it last??

Over the past week or so I've really stopped feeling like an ironman... I guess the title doesn't go away, but for me feeling like an ironman is more fulfilling than actually being an ironman. Pride of previous accomplishments can really only bring me so far, I guess. Part of this feeling comes from the insane loss of fitness I've been experiencing over the past couple weeks. With everything on my plate right now I've only been running 2-3 times per week, and that's literally all the exercising I've been doing. I went on a 50 minute hilly tempo run on Monday and it almost killed me. Quite a change from my IM training routine - a sad change. Telling people I'm tired and worn out seems way cooler when I say "I'm training for an ironman". Saying I'm in graduate school, working full time, and coaching just doesn't get the same response...

Enough moping though. Other things are good. IM World Championships are this weekend, which has gotten me back in a good mood since I started writing this post a couple days back. I'm betting on Andreas for the men and Chrissie for the women. I think it will be an epic battle in both races as Crowie and Marino will definitely push the pace, but I think Andreas is just too good. In the women's race I'm envisioning a 2010 ironwar-esque run chase. Chrissie will come off the bike first, but Rinnie is fast (she does hold the Kona marathon record I believe). I see her catching Chrissie, but Chrissie is just too strong, and she will pull away in the end. But you never know what will happen. I watched some GREAT clips of Crowie (training day- watch this), which get me thinking he might be strong enough to get his 3rd Kona win. And not that I'm comparing myself to Chrissie Wellington, but her recent crash she might be hurting a little bit come Saturday. When I got knocked off my bike 1 week before my only 70.3 this year I definitely felt it on race day.

I also can't help but think about what life would be like if I had just worked on my swim a little bit more this past year. 5minutes 24seconds is what separated me from a Kona slot. That's not a lot of time over 140.6 miles. I can't and won't always look back wondering, but right now I have to wonder a little bit...

Lastly a little update on the wedding front - we have our place, we have our date, Mad has her dress, I bought a tux, dj and photog are in the works...things are moving along quite quickly. All is good.

Anyway, that's about all I have for now. Happy training, happy fall, just be happy in whatever you're doing.

Maymont XC Festival

Lots going on as per usual. I can't seem to get a day to get everything together, which is quite frustrating. This past Friday I went down to Richmond, VA with the xc team to compete in the Maymont XC Festival. More on that below. Today I'm headed to a campsite in the Chesapeake Bay area with the freshman to chaperon the freshmen retreat. All fun stuff, but I wish I had a day to get some things done! Anyway, enough whining...

2 weeks back I went with the xc team down to Killen's Pond in downstate DE. It's the location of this year's state meet, and the team went down for a 5mile time trial to get a sense of where the kids are with their endurance. Our top runners were exactly where they should be. They ran well, some ran together to help 'pull' kids along, and overall it was a great effort. I ran with the kids to see what I had in myself, and I was pleased with the results. It was a relatively flat course, but there were quite a few sandy areas. I came across in 31:08 (~6:13min/mile pace). I think I could have gone a little faster, but I was working with another runner to try to pace him. Unfortunately, he dropped off in the last mile, but it was a good run overall for him. Nonetheless, with the amount of running I've been doing, I had to be pleased.

This weekend we headed down to Maymont, which is right outside of Richmond. Going on a trip like this with the team was GREAT! The kids, parents, and coaches all have a great time. The weather didn't cooperate quite as well as it should have, and we had to drive through torrential rain for the entire way down, but we arrived safely on Friday afternoon. After jogging the course with the kids I found out that there was an open 5k on the course that evening. I decided to sign up and knew some of the parents were doing it as well. It was a hilly course and the rain made it very muddy, but it was a blast to run. The layout was tricky for me because I wanted to come across with close to even splits. What normally happens is I go out too fast in the first mile, the second is where I want it to be, and then the third I slow down substantially. Well since the course was downhill for the first mile, flat the second, and (very!) uphill the third, it would be tough to even split things. And my splits were: mile 1 - 5:49, mile 2 - 5:58, and mile 3 - 6:22 plus the 39sec for the last .1. Total time- 18:51 (6:05min/mile pace). It's a 4 second PR, so I can't be disappointed. And the course was tough... I am curious what I could do in a flat road race. Anywho, after that I got a ride back the hotel, took care of some team meetings and went to bed. The next morning the kids went to town. The girls won the Varsity invitational. The boys took 2nd. They are really impressive. The girls took 1st and 2nd in their race, and our top boys took 2nd and 6th.

That's all I have time for now. I'll check back later this week. I'm dying to get back on the bike and in the pool a bit, but there's just no time! I also want to write up a review of the adidas adizero rockets which I've been running in...I'm very pleased!

Happy training!

The time trial last weekend and the Maymont xc festival this weekend. Good results, not great...

Familiar pains

WOW - I haven't gone this long without checking in since I started the blog about a year ago... Things have been busy with going back to school (both as a teacher and as a student), XC, and everyday life. I started this post about 2 weeks ago, so I'll leave what I had written and then weigh in with some newer stuff further down...

(From 2 weeks ago) - Some of my pains are welcomed, and some are not. My legs are sore right now. They are tired from running everyday. And I've been pushing myself through workouts at much faster paces than I normally would. This is the good pain. We only have "workouts" (ie - hard interval runs or hill repeats) about 1-2 times per week. I find myself drooling when the head coach tells me about these grueling workouts. And when they are finished I feel such a rush of energy and happiness that I can hardly explain it in writing. There's something about the pain that just brings me to life. On the other side of the coin though, I really think I have a sports hernia. I can't remember if I wrote about it last year or not, but right after the Philly marathon in November of 2010 I started to have pains in my lower left abdomen. At first I thought it was a pulled muscle in my groin or something, but it didn't go away for quite a while. I tried to get a doctors appointment, but I was told I wouldn't be able to get in to see anyone for about 2-3 MONTHS, so I figured I would just put up with it and move on. I had the ironman to train for so I was not going to take 6 weeks off for surgery. And, in retrospect, I made the right choice. I swam for almost all of December, which gave it time to stop hurting, and I barely noticed it during the meat of my IM training. However, after IMLP I really felt it. I could barely sit up the next day because it hurt to flex my abs. The rest I took in the weeks after the race let things heal up again (or stop hurting), but these high intensity workouts have brought the pain back. I'm going to make an appointment for a doctor soon and let him tell me what if it really is a sports hernia and rehab it from there.

Now for the present - I still haven't made that doctors appointment yet... I need to get on it, but I've been busy. I also haven't been running as much because grad school started. I'm only running 3-4 times per week, and I typically miss the workout days, Tuesday and Thursday, because those are the days I have class. I have plenty of time to figure this out and get fixed though. I don't feel stressed about having to take time off for surgery, if that is the case. Yesterday I could have signed up for the Boston marathon, and I decided not to this year. I have enough on my plate, and I know I can qualify again. I think getting the Boston qualifier time is actually more exciting to me than the idea of racing in Boston. And I would like to have my fastest marathon ever be in Boston. I don't think 2012 is going to be the year for my fastest marathon (or any marathon for that matter). This weekend should be an interesting "race". The XC team is headed downstate in Delaware to do a 5mile TT. I honestly have NO idea what I'll run it in... I'll make sure to check in next week with my time though.

A little more on XC - last weekend was a fun race. We went off to Marlton, NJ, very close to my home town, for a 2 mile race. The boys took 1st overall, and the girls took 2nd. And in a nice twist, my alma mater, Haddonfield Memorial HS, took 1st for the girls and 2nd for the boys. We will also be visited tonight in a special team meeting by another HMHS graduate class of '01, Erin Donohue. Why Erin? Well, she just ran in the Beijing OLMYPICS a couple years back... no big deal. She didn't make it to the final heat, but I still think she's pretty good haha. I think she posted a 4:16 in the 1500m. She also graduated 2 years ahead of me and I think she gave me a natty light at a party in high school one time. No lie.

That's all I can come up with for now. Good luck to anyone racing the Syracuse 70.3 this weekend. That's where I broke 5hrs for the first time last year... A great race!

I'm learning

There are of course multiple meanings to the title. A lot is going on as the school year approaches, grad school has begun, and I finish my first week of preseason with a nationally ranked cross country team. Before diving into more details, I have to say that right now I am happier than I can ever remember being. Which, in my opinion, is like a primer for learning. I'm excited to learn new things, to take on challenges, and to reap the rewards of all of it in the future. It also helps that Maddy and I have never been stronger together, and our engagement has brought us even closer.

 But anyway - I'm learning a lot about cross country by being around a team with more accolades than I can name and very high expectations for this year. I used to think that XC was just a bunch of guys and girls in short shorts running around in the woods. It's not quite that easy (although they do wear short shorts and run in the woods quite often, so I wasn't totally off). The head coach has carefully derived an individualized plan for every runner, and we have 39 on our team. Many runners are on similar schedules, so it isn't completely individualized, but different kids will have different recovery days or focus on different areas. We practice from 9-11:30am and then again from 6-7:30pm everyday during preseason. Of course we don't spend the entire time running - that would kill even our top runners. We spend A LOT of time on dynamic stretches and drills to improve form and efficiency. We also do core sets, push ups, and pull ups, and during our evening session we usually head to the pool on campus to do a series of drills to get the kids' heart rates elevated without the impact of running. However, none of the things mentioned above are that shocking. Many teams do those things. I think the secret ingredient that Tatnall has going for it is team unity and positivity. The kids run in packs, not alone. That means some kids are going above their pace to keep up, and some are slowing down, but it's all in support of the team. There is a positive energy that you can actually feel surrounding the kids as they workout. It's incredible. And it isn't all natural. The head coach has made a point of stressing this important ingredient. It's a cool thing to be around, and soooo different then my training, of which I'll estimate that 95% was done alone.

I'm getting faster already. I know it. My running is strong, and I feel good. I love running. It's a shame I don't have the same feelings about swimming....maybe some day. I'm excited for a package to get here next week - I went out and purchased the Adidas Adizero Rockets. I love the Ascis Hyperspeed 4's, but they just wear down too quickly. After 200ish miles I start to wear through the sole to the white foam... I want a shoe with a racing flat feel that I can wear for 500+miles. Hopefully these are the answer.

I'm also learning in school because classes started at Villanova last night! I really enjoyed class. The professor was awesome, and I'm excited to be there. Speaking Spanish is fun for me and using more than basic vocabulary brings me back to it. There are some great personalities in my class that I can't wait to get to know. There are people from all over the world with different backgrounds and stories with different experiences... I think it will be a good semester.

That's about all I have for now. Hurricane Irene is supposed to come ripping through Philly this weekend, so I hope she calms down a little first!

Reflecting and moving on

This week I decided to pick up the book Sub Nine and Full Time by David Glover. I blew threw it in 2 days. It's a short and easy read about a guy, David Glover, who works full time and yet manages to break the 9 hour mark in an iron distance triathlon. It isn't a training guide, nor is it a how to book, but it just tells his story. I'd recommend it for those that can't get enough Ironman stories, like me. It got me thinking about triathlon, racing, training, and all those things so I figure I'll reflect a little on this year. Here are a couple invaluable things I learned about myself:

1. There is (almost) always time if I want it badly enough. So many times before in my life I told myself and others, "I just don't have time to ________". Or "I can't because ____ takes up all my time". I had a busy year with teaching, coaching, and trying to train adequately for IMLP. There were days when I left for work at 6:45am and didn't get home until 7:30pm. But I found time to get things done. This is probably the most valuable thing I learned. By taking away the excuse of no time I make myself choose, do I want it? And what am I willing to do, or not do, to earn it? With lofty goals in my personal and professional future even aside from racing, I have made an honest man out of myself.

2. I learned that lots of little steps day by day can carry me a long way. Building endurance for a race like the ironman takes a long time and a lot of building. Knowledge in the classroom, professional experience, and relationships are very similar. I've always been somewhat impatient by nature, but nothing has shown me more clearly the importance of building the foundation first, and then moving to the more difficult or challenging tasks.

3. For the more difficult things that I want to achieve, I will have to make sacrifices. Perhaps I knew this before, but not to the extent that I was forced to see it this year. I made a lot of sacrifices. I'm not 100% certain they were all worth it, but I learned to give things up in order to earn something greater.

4. I learned that pain is temporary, but sometimes you need to spend some time getting to the root of it before it fades away. This applies to physical pain and emotional stress. There were some very trying times this year when I thought I had reached my absolute breaking point. I made choices to address the pain sometimes, and other times I tried to ignore it. I haven't figured out the formula for when to address the pain, and when to fight it off, but I learned that it will fade one way or another.

5. Finally, I live for the challenge more than the race. When my alarm would go off at 4:44am and I would question why I was getting up to workout, I couldn't always rely on "because I'm training for an ironman" to motivate me. The biggest motivator was, "Can I do it?". I don't race a lot because (besides the cost) I don't care as much about competing against others as I want to know what I can do. My biggest competitor is myself.

I'll end with those right now even though I'm sure there were other things I learned and I just can't think of right now.

Just in other news - Villanova grad school starts this coming Thursday! I'm excited, but nervous to be a student again. Cross country preseason starts Monday! I've done 2 captain's runs with the team and WOW they are fast. I hope the little running I've done since the race has kept me fit enough to keep up. I also hope my body healed up OK. My groin and left foot have been a little sore after each run I've done.

Headed down to OCMD this morning with my roommate and co-bestman, Matt. Enjoy the weekend!

Back at it!

Over 2 weeks have passed now since I became an ironman and an engaged man. It's funny how time doesn't seem to notice. Time keeps on ticking even when I want it to slow down so I can relish these monumental moments in my life. But there's not much I can do to stop it, so I'll just take it as it comes. A couple updates... Maddy and I are getting married! Where? The Woodloch Inn in the Poconos. When? October 20, 2012. Why? I love her. I'm super excited. We went and looked at a couple places up in the Poconos this past weekend, and we liked both, but we booked Woodloch. It's going to be awesome.

In some triathlon/training related news I've started to move again... And not just my arm lifting food and/or beers to my mouth. I've been in the pool 4 times and even though I need to work on my swim, I am lacking the drive to do it. What's the hurry?? I'm sure I'll find it eventually, but for right now I am just relaxing. I'm doing slow, short sets with a lot of focus on form. I am torn because part of me thinks I need to just not swim for a while so I lose any form I have and can start from scratch. But part of me also doesn't want to lose my fitness. I should either join a masters team or hire a coach, but frankly I don't have the time or money right now. No worries though. I've been on the bike a couple times. It feels great. No "workouts". Just riding to go ride. I took off my little cycling computer and I haven't touched my HR monitor. It's a fantastic feeling. As for running, I went on run with Maddy last weekend, which was also fantastic. It was nice and easy, and we got to spend time together doing something good for both of us. Mad is taking on the Philly Marathon this fall and I'm going to do anything I can to support her. My only other run since IMLP was last night, and it was a doosey! I headed down to DE to run with the cross country team I'm assistant coaching this fall. They are good. It poured rain for about 30 minutes right before the run started. We went in a big state park on dirt/mud trails, and I picked the wrong group to run with. I headed out with some of the seniors, who also happen to be the top runners in the state. I had no idea what was in store for me. We went out for 1:15 through mud, puddles, streams, grassy fields, anything except pavement, and at a blistering pace. We were probably somewhere in the 6:30-6:50 range for the entire thing. I was not prepared for it. Luckily, the ironman fitness hasn't left me yet so I survived. One thing is for sure, I'm going to get fast running with these guys this fall.

That's all for now. I think it's time for a happy hour!

Looking forward

As I’ve said before triathlon, (specific) training, blogging, and the ironman are being pushed to the back burner for a while. I even think I’m going to pass on running the Boston Marathon this year. I would just rather spend my time doing other things, and I know I can qualify again. In the meantime I’m starting in a graduate program in the fall at Villanova, I’m coaching XC for the first time on the days when I don’t have class, and I’m still working. Not to mention, I have a wedding to plan! I’ll still check in from time to time, and when I do decide to take the ironman stage again I’m sure I’ll use the blog much as I did with my lead up to this one. 

Although I’ll be mostly running this fall because of cross country, I want to spend a lot of time and energy focusing on my swim. After all, it really is what cost me my Kona slot. I was able to get damn close to my 5:30 IM bike goal, and I beat my 3:30 IM run goal, but the swim just wasn’t there. I want to be more competitive at the shorter distances and I’ll need to improve my swim to do that. I’ll probably pick out one Olympic distance race to do next year and see what I can do with it. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

I’ll leave with this – when I do make my return to the ironman, it’s Kona or bust, baby!

Post race wrap-up

After finishing the race on Sunday I was delirious with shock from how well the race went, along with some dehydration and overall pain from such a long day. Nevertheless I was able to make it until about 10pm before having to crash. I will forever be thankful for the wonderful support I got before, during, and after the race. So for those that came all the way up here to support me, as well as any other fans out on race day, thank you. 

 Now for the good stuff… I’ve had a little secret for a few months now. I decided I was going to propose to Maddy, my beautiful girlfriend of just over 4 years, the day after the race. I awoke Monday morning around 5am. I was sore, and my body was used to getting up early, but I was also extremely nervous for the big morning plans. Sunday night I had our friend Matt sneak the ring into our cabin. Matt is an early riser as well, so around 6:30am we went out on the dock, had some coffee, and discussed the morning plans. Around 7:30am I went into the bedroom to find Maddy just waking up. I sat on the bed next to her and nervously thanked her for all the support she had given me this year. I had to think of some way to get her out on the dock, but in the 2 hours I had lay awake that morning, and the countless hours I had known this was going to be how I proposed, I somehow hadn’t thought of anything good… The best thing I could come up with was telling her that I saw a huge catfish next to the dock. WHAT?? Honestly, it was the best I could come up with – not so smooth under pressure as it turns out. She looked at me as if she couldn’t care less, and even questioned whether or not there were even catfish in Flower Lake. With some persistence I got her out there. Matt stood on the porch inconspicuously with my camera in his pocket. We stood on the dock in the calm morning light. The water was as smooth as glass, and it was quiet. I told Maddy how much I appreciated her, and how I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Then, I got down on a knee and busted out the ring. She said yes. Matt got some great photos, but they will remain private. A little while later we went over to my parents’ place where everyone who came to support me now waited to congratulate us. It was a wonderful morning.

 The excitement didn’t stop there though. Because of the pretty good race time I had put down on Sunday, I was going to be close to getting one of the ever-illusive Kona slots. I looked at the official results Sunday night, and there were going to be 4 slots in the 25-29 years old age group. I was 7^th, however, I knew that at least one of the guys who beat me had already qualified. There could also be another slot added, and with roll down, anything could happen. Anyway, we couldn’t just spend out morning celebrating, we had to head back to ironman central to wait for the results.

I’ll cut right to it. I didn’t get the slot. It rolled down to 5^th place, but no further. Watching people get the slots to Kona through rolldown was an awesome thing to watch. The sheer joy and excitement as people realized their dreams of racing on the big island was something I can only imagine.

The rest of the day and week has been spent enjoying life. We’ve been eating and drinking a lot. We rented a paddle board and spent all day on the lake Wednesday, went for a hike and dip in a swimming hole Thursday, and we’re going to be sad to have this week come to an end tomorrow. 

My Dad on the paddle board

Big tree falls hard

 One more post to wrap things up is coming. I’m trying not to stay connected too much; after all I am on vacation. Stay tuned…

IMLP Race Report

It’s time to start recapping what will hands down be one of the most memorable weekends of my life. I’ll start with pre race:

 Saturday was spent waiting and resting. For dinner I had pasta and chicken with all my amazing supporters. – my parents and sister, Maddy and her mom, Maddy’s sister Lesley and her boyfriend Bryan (the very same man that hand built my bike), and our roommate and amazing friend Matt. It was a great evening filled with laughter and happiness as people were making signs and telling jokes. It definitely helped cool the nerves the night before the race. Maddy and I retired to our cottage around 9pm. I was shocked at how quickly and easily I was able to drift off to sleep.

Race day: I woke at 3:45am and quickly began making my breakfast. As planned I had a pb&j with banana, a blueberry muffin, and about 2 cups of my Kona French pressed coffee. I also sipped on a Gatorade throughout the morning. By 5:00am we were in the car and headed to transition. Once we parked the car, I went up and got body marked. There were whispers of a non-wetsuit swim. By the time I got into transition it was confirmed. The water temperature was 77degrees. Which meant you could wear a wetsuit, but in doing so you would forfeit your eligibility for an age group award and/or Kona slot. It was really a catch 22 for me because if things went as planned I would be close to getting a slot. Wearing the wetsuit would get me closer, but disqualify me and not wearing it would make me eligible, but it would add time. I made the decision to go without a wetsuit. First off, if I did have a great race I wanted to make sure I would be eligible for Kona. And second, I figured that ironman made rules for a reason, and I wanted to race the way the ironman was meant to be raced. The rule is at 76.2 degrees or above you can’t wear a wetsuit, so I wasn’t going to wear a wetsuit. Anyway, after getting all my transition bags ready and inflating my tires to the right pressure I started to make my way down to the water wearing only my tri shorts, and carrying my goggles and swim cap. I hugged and kissed Maddy, made my way onto the beach, and waited.

Swim: At 6:45am I got into the water. The air temperature was a cool 64 degrees. The water was 77. I swam over to the far right of the course and found a rock to stand on while the pro’s started at 6:50am. I got ready to start about 8 people back from the starting line and about 25 feet from the shore on the right side. The gun went off, I started my watch, and I put my head down and started going. I was timid. I was nervous. I had heard so much about how violent the swim start at IMLP was, but I kept reminding myself “finish strong and breath”. Although there was a little nudging and pulling, I was surprised at how easily things started. Don’t get me wrong, there were people everywhere. I was tapping the feet of the guy in front of me, I had the occasional swimmer pull on my leg as they swim past me, but I didn’t take any blows to the head or face. I stayed pretty far to the right for the entire first loop. In fact, I’ll say I probably swam about an extra 200-300yards because of how far out I was. I made the decision that I was OK with that though. Sure, it would cost me some time, but over the long day I was about to have, that was fine. I made it out of the water for the first loop in 37 minutes. Not a fast swim by any means, but I wasn’t wearing a wetsuit and I was safe. The second loop I stayed a little closer to the middle, but it was still congested. I finally got out at 1:17. It felt like I had been in the water for about 15 minutes. I couldn’t believe I had already finished the first leg of the ironman.

I’m going to do it now to get it over with – my only regret for this race is that my swim was so weak competitively. This has been my Achilles heel and will required quite a lot of attention over the next couple years before I return to the big show. My goal was to get out a little closer to 1:00, and next time I’ll be damned if I don’t.

Time - 1:17

T1: I made my way up transition and made eye contact with Maddy’s mom. It was great seeing a familiar face. Although I looked for others, I didn’t see them. The changing tent was packed. There wasn’t a seat to be had. I stood next to a table, threw on my HR monitor, tri top, helmet and shoes, I used a little chamois cream and headed for my bike. I also scarfed down a banana as quickly as I could. Not the fastest transition, but I was out in 7.50.

Time - 7:50

Bike: The course starts downhill with some sharp turns. It was also very crowded because of my slower swim time. I took it easy and spun my legs. They felt great. I got some fluids in me as soon as I was out of the curvy section of the course, and by mile 10 I had already gone through about ¾ a bottle of perform. I stuck to my nutrition plan and started making moves on the bike. My HR stayed nice and steady around 145 for the first hour. Even on the short climbs I was below 150. This was a great sign, and I was blowing by people. On the long and steep descent into Keene I really loved having the roadie set up. Rather than sit in my aerobars I used the drop bars to maneuver my way around even more people while staying totally in control. Once I hit 9N I was just cruising. Again, the HR was where it needed to be, I was holding about 22-23mph along the entire stretch and at the first turn around I had to pee! I let it fly on the bike (first time I’ve done it) and didn’t lose any ground. The nutrition kept going down and during the climbs on 86 I kept passing more and more racers. I know this is obnoxious, but it feels so good passing the guy on the $8,000 carbon bike with a zipp disc on the back and 808 on the front along with an aero helmet. Meanwhile I sit on my steel machine with a roadie set up (bought almost entirely on sale from performance bike) and $50 helmet. It just reaffirms my belief that no amount of money can replace hard work, time, and dedication. Anyway, I pushed a little bit going through the valley back into town past Whiteface Mountain. Seeing the beautiful mountain and streams along side the road gave me a boost. I also started realizing that I might make it through the first loop faster than the last half iron that I did. As I came back into town I cruised up the 3 bears. They were lined with fans and it made me feel like I was riding in the Tour de France. Coming back around Mirror Lake I spotted Maddy and my other support crew, which gave me another big kick. I felt great! The long taper that I used left my legs with energy and fitness for the race. I attacked the second loop with much the same strategy as the first. There was a headwind heading out of town, which was a little frustrating, but I couldn’t expect the whole ride to be easy. My heart rate was a little higher through the second loop, but still below 155 for most of it. My nutrition continued to fuel me perfectly, and I peed 5 times throughout the day on the bike. The only discomfort I had was some rubbing on the saddle, which I think was caused by my wet shorts. Gross, I know, but that’s part of the race.. At the end of the second loop it started to hit me that I was almost 2/3 done an ironman. I had to keep reminding myself to relax and take it easy because I did still have a marathon to run.

Time- 5:33 (2:41 first loop, 2:49 second loop)

T2: Pretty uneventful. Gave the bike to some volunteers, grabbed my bag, got my compression socks on pretty quickly, grabbed some clif shot blocks for nutrition, helmet off, hat on, another volunteer lathered me up with sunscreen and I was out and on my way.

Time – 3:50

Run: I couldn’t believe how good I felt when I actually hit the run. My heart rate was still hovering around 150, my legs were turning over, I wasn’t delirious… Life was good. Mile 1 was down hill so I started to get some more food and liquids in me. I was shocked at a couple racers who blew by me running what had to be a low 6min/mile pace. I would come to see them again though… As for me I was right around 7:20min/mile to start. When I made it through mile 4 and my HR was still in check, I kicked it up to about a 7min/mile pace. Things were still OK. I hit the half way mark at 1:33. My friends and family were cheering for me, and I couldn’t’ be happier. On the second loop I was just holding on until mile 20 when I planned on “opening it up”. About mile 18 I was feeling it. My pace had slowed to around 8min/mile. I stopped to use the bathroom, and I was sick and tired of gels, shot blocks, perform, and pretty much everything else they had on the course. When I hit mile 20 I popped a double caffeine gel, which in my mind was going to act like rocket fuel. It didn’t. I was laboring to turn my legs over. At mile 23 I started to get chocked up for a second realizing that I was so close to the end. I couldn’t believe everything went exactly how it was planned. Between mile 24 and 25 a guy in my age group was drafting right off my shoulder. I kept trying to turn it up, but there wasn’t much left. He passed me just after mile 25, but then to my surprise and joy he turned to head out for his second loop just as I made my way into the olypic oval. I glanced over my right shoulder. No one was close. With 200meters to go I looked again. No one. Tears started forming in my eyes. Over the loud speaker I heard the voice of Mike Reilly, “Peter Wickman, a teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” As I crossed the line the tears came and my legs gave out. I looked to my right and found Maddy right there along the fence. The volunteers helped me walk over, and I squeezed her as tightly as I could. It was the proudest moment of my life.

Time – 3:21

Total time: 10:23:34

This earned me 7^th out of 163 in my age group and 95th out of 2338 overall.

More excitement to come in the post race wrap up. Spoiler alert to those that don’t already know – there’s a proposal involved :)