TEAM IRONTOM

THAT'S WHY WE DO IT. THAT'S WHY WE LOVE DOING IT

2012-01-11T10:20:00.003-05:00

A tribute to our families and those who support us - Thank You.

BEST CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY WISHES

2011-12-24T09:34:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful Christmas Evening we are having today. Sunny and cold with a trace of snow on the ground - a picture perfect, indeed - just as this burning sky earlier this morning.

From our family to yours - Wesolych Swiat, Merry Christmas, and Feliz Navidad.

THE POLISH CAPTAIN "SULLY" AND HIS BEAUTIFUL "DRY LANDING"

2011-11-06T13:19:00.003-05:00

This Polish airliner took to the skies from Newark, New Jersey bound for Warsaw. About 30 minutes into the the flight the crew learnt about the plane's landing gear malfunction, but elected to continue on across the Atlantic Ocean. In the end, the landing was so precise, according to the passengers, that the only indication of this unconventional touch down was the increased noise caused by the plane's belly sliding over the landing strip.

A THIRTY-YEAR MILESTONE

2011-10-13T12:08:00.007-04:00

2011 commemorates a significant milestone in my life. Thirty years ago I embarked upon a journey abroad which continues until this day. Needless to say, time flies and trains don't change much.

TAKING IT OUTSIDE

2011-09-21T21:47:00.006-04:00

Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring, I am known for doing all my bike training on my computrainer, indoors. So, this time, I decided to break my habit and take advantage of a gorgeous weekend and take my bike outside ;o)

IRONMAN LOUISVILLE 2011

2011-09-08T22:27:00.013-04:00

After a great weekend in the Midwest, I am back in New England having raced Ironman Louisville in Kentucky a week and a half ago. Ironman Louisville was a non-wetsuit legal race where the swim took place in the Ohio River. It was my first 2.4-mile official race swim without a wetsuit, and needless to say, I was not sure what to expect, even though, I have spent many hours in the pool and the lake training for this particular event. Unlike my all other races, the swim required a time-trial start in which athletes jumped in the water in 2-second increments. Despite my initial concerns I pulled-off one of my best swims, ever – 1hr. 14 min. Unfortunately, one athlete did not make it. He drowned a few minutes into the race. Autopsy pending, he has likely suffered a heart attack. It was his first Ironman race. He was 46 years old.

A bird's eye view of the swim course

Polish triathletes getting ready to jump in the Ohio River

In a full daylight, exiting the water with a smile

Happy with my first-leg performance, and followed by a quick transition, I set out for a 112-mile bike ride. The bike, with its steep hills and the relentless rolling hills took triathletes into the country side. The roads were in a very good condition and most of the streets were closed off to the vehicular traffic, thus providing the necessary safety. Even though, the bike portion of the race was more challenging than I initially anticipated, I was still able to average about 18.5 miles/hour.

This could have also been the race I did not finish. At mile 10, I started noticing a noise coming from the bottom bracket. By mile 30, the noise became embarrassing. By mile 70, the noise became so loud and concerning that I decided to “milk” each downhill for all I could to minimize the need for pedaling, and hoping the cranks will not cease. In the end it worked out fine. I made to T2 in 6 hrs. 6 min.

With the city in the backdrop, the bike race is on

Out of the saddle on one of those relentless hills

After a reasonably good transition into the run I was off to tackle the marathon. The run offered a flat course that took runners through downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods. My run performance was definitely not what I expected that day. I felt “flat” and experienced some respiratory issues. My marathon run was about 90 minutes slower than my previous run at Ironman Lake Placid. Nevertheless, tired, but happy, I crossed the finish line at the 4th Street Live in 12 hrs. 43 min.

Mile one on the run. heading towards Indiana. There will be a turn-around just before crossing the state line

Feeling good with the "Yum" Center in the background

Finish line at the 4th Street Live where the celebration never ends

Memorializing Ironman #15. Until the next time

With a bit of time to analyze Ironman Louisville, I have began training for the Great Floridian at the end of October (www.greatfloridian.com). Stay tuned.

A WEEKEND IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

2011-09-03T10:29:00.019-04:00

I returned from Ironman Louisville a few days ago. I enjoyed being back in the Midwest, for the first time, since moving to New England eighteen years ago. Especially, because it gave me the opportunity to see again friends I have not seen for many, many years – indeed, I had a great time there.

The weather was awesome. Warm days (in the mid 80’s), cool nights, and very low humidity made it for a very comfortable weather and race-day conditions. Here are a few picks from the days leading up to the race. The race report will be forthcoming.

Louisville was ready for the athletes

Muhammad Ali is a fixture in Louisville's landscape

And so is the White Castle Hamburgers

New York City has its cows, Louisville has its horses - blue .......

..... and checkered

KFC's Colonel Sanders on break having a smoke

Fourth Street Live - a famous entertaintment and business center. Will also turn into a lively finish line of Ironman Louisville

Ironman Expo - also a very lively place

The bike transition area on Saturday. In the distance, the mighty Ohio River, the race's swim venue

Swim start. Athletes will be jumping-off those docks in the "trial start" method - every 2 seconds - approximately, 2,500 of them

The first few swim markers

Happy just thinking about it

Not many opportunities for practice swims due to the boat/barge traffic on the Ohio River

Friday night. All packed up and ready to go

THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED

2011-08-24T21:06:00.005-04:00

Well, all equipment is packed up and ready to go, as I am setting out for the trip to Ironman Louisville tomorrow morning. The day will start with a 2:30AM wake-up call and a drive to Manchester for an early filght to Louisville. I hope "Irene" will leave us alone on Sunday, but that is still a few days away. Will keep in touch.

IRONMAN LOUISVILLE 2011

2011-08-11T09:59:00.008-04:00

The race day is fast approaching (August 28th). The race numbers have been assigned and my BIB is 2565. I have found my namesake (last name) in my age group. Perhaps, I will meet him there on the course.

Ironman will have a live coverage of the race at www.ironman.com

Photo by Dave Rench

UPPER VALLEY TRIATHLON TEAM

2011-08-10T21:16:00.003-04:00

The team at UVAC

Photo by UVAC Staff

THE PHANTOM HAS ARRIVED

2011-08-06T19:39:00.005-04:00

The Team IronTOM mascot has finally arrived. PhanTOM is Dave's new training partner as he prepares for the Vermont 50 at the end of September, a fifty mile race to explore new depths and dimensions within himself. Go D!!!

And here he is pushing hard at The Fairlee Triathlon

ANOTHER IRONMAN 70.3 ADDED TO THE PORTFOLIO

2011-07-11T10:06:00.017-04:00

Yesterday, turned out to be a great day for racing. Low humidity and a beautifully sunny day made the racing conditions near perfect. There have been a few changes this year as compared to the past years. In fact, all racing venues have been altered. The swim has been moved from the ocean swim to a state park lake which, according to Ironman regulations, disallowed wearing a wetsuit as the water temperature exceeded 76F. The bike course took athletes from a previously flat course to negotiating challenging rolling hills and longer climbs. And finally, the run course was altered by adding more uphill running.

I personally liked the new bike and run courses (the degree of difficulty). The only demoralizing aspect of the bike course was the last 11 miles on an approach to Providence which provided for a very poor-quality surface conditions, boarding upon dangerous. I am sure Ironman (WTC) is going to hear about that one from many athletes, yours truly, included.

In any event, I posted the seventh fastest bike-split, a fifth fastest run split in my age group, and a 55th fastest/slowest swim splits. This combination placed me in 11th position in M50-54.

And here is how it all looked in pictures.

Body-marking at 4:45AM

Getting ready for a warm-up swim

With MajorTOM shortly before the race start

Not a happy face exiting the water

This is where the race always begins for me

Transition into the run

6.5 miles left to go

There is a true joy in racing

MajorTOM finishing strong

And it's my turn to finish, now

Final celebration with Aaron

Photos by Rebekah Tolley

IRONMAN PROVIDENCE 70.3 IS THIS SUNDAY

2011-07-06T14:48:00.002-04:00

The forth edition of Ironman Providence 70.3 will start on July 10th at 6AM at the Lincoln Woods State Park Beach. Aaron and I will be toeing the starting line with many others. The weather is supposed to cooperate and the new bike course promises to be more challenging than in the prior years. You can follow us on www.ironman.com

IT DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH TRIATHLONS. OR DOES IT?

2011-06-25T19:17:00.004-04:00

WHEN THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY

2011-03-24T09:06:00.003-04:00

Ironman San Juan 70.3

MERRY CHRISTMAS, WESOLYCH SWIAT & FELIZ NAVIDAD

2010-12-21T22:51:00.007-05:00

ASCENDING MOUNT CARDIGAN

2010-11-23T22:42:00.011-05:00

Changing gears in the off season. To this end, Kasia and I embarked upon a hike up Mt. Cardigan to take advantage of a gorgeous Sunday, a week and a half ago.

Next time I might decide to run up that "hill" ;o)

-- Tomasz

MANCHESTER HALF MARATHON

2010-11-11T20:38:00.002-05:00

So I did the Manchester 1/2 Marathon last weekend which some of you already know. It was a cold start. At least for me. I'm not a big fan of the cold. I started running pretty bundled up. I wasn't sure what to expect this year considering last year I had a personal record time and hadn't had a chance to train much due to some colds leading up to it. This year I was healthier but quite busy and my training was decent but not great.

Anyways, I started running trying to just keep a pace I felt comfortable with. I noticed at the first time clock on the route I was running at an o.k. clip considering that it usually takes a while to cross the starting line. At each pace clock I kept noticing that I was on track to come close to last year's time. My legs felt good and all the training on the hilly off road trails near my house seems to pay off since this is a fairly hilly course. The last mile or so is down hill to flat so I try to pore it on near the end.

The training I did do paid off since it was another personal record with a net time of around 1 hour 53 1/2 minutes. I did pay for it for a couple of days afterward with the inside of my legs being sore. I'm not sure if it is because I may run with a different stride on the trails or just not being used to running fast very often. Oh well. I was happy with my performance and looking forward to next year's race.

Jim

RETURNING TO PROVIDENCE

2010-11-07T18:18:00.009-05:00

In July 2011, together with a few team mates, I will be returning to Providence to race Ironman Rhode Island 70.3, again. This will be my first start of the season in the new age group.

TOMasz

RACING IN FLORIDA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TREAT

2010-11-03T16:19:00.011-04:00

Back from the Great Floridian Iron-Distance Triathlon in Clermont. The race took place on Saturday, October 23rd. The race report and pictures are to follow soon.

The Great Floridian New Hampshire Team

24-hour countdown to the race

At the end of the day I finished 2nd in M45-49 and 10th male overall

www.greatfloridian.com

-- TOMasz

BACK TO FLORIDA......

2010-10-12T06:33:00.008-04:00

... for my last race of the season. This time to compete in The Great Floridian iron-distance triathlon in Claremont, outside of Orlando. Dave, Joe, and Mike will be be joining me there on October 23. We are all ready and plan to have a lot of fun, there.

www.greatfloridian.com

-- TOMasz

SE BON ALLER, ALLER, ALLER ENCORE …..

2010-09-18T22:31:00.013-04:00

This time we traveled to Montreal, Canada, to race in the Esprit Iron Triathlon on September 11. Its venue was quite interesting in that all the 140.6 miles (226 km) of swimming, cycling, and running took place at the Olympic Athletic Complex and was totally sheltered from outside traffic.

5AM warm-up at the Olimpic Rowing Basin

The gun went off at 7AM in the Olympic rowing basin and sent about 100 athletes on a 2.4 mile swim. The weather was perfect and the water temperature very comfortable. In about 10 minutes I settled into a comfortable pace and finished the first loop in about 34 minutes. Thinking, that I am on course for a 70 min swim I caught on to the feet of a swimmer ahead of me and stayed in his slipstream for the second 1.2 mile loop. Upon exiting the water, when I looked at my watch I could not believe my total swim time, as my Polar read 1hr 20 min. Initially, I thought the watch was broken, but it wasn’t. I had a lot of time to make up.

Riddled with quad cramps T1 took a little longer than I had planned. Once under control I was ready to pedal the 41-loop bike course in pursuit of my competitors. The closed-loop venue was designed on the professional Formula One car racing track, thus, the ride was fast, smooth, and protected from all motorized traffic. Nevertheless, the ride required constant attention to avoid collision with other cyclists on those sharp curves. Counting loops became a mind-numbing game until I heard the race announcer calling out my name letting me know that I just have completed loop # 36. OK, five loops to go. I knew I was having a great day on the bike but never in my dreams would I have thought I would finish the 112 miles in 4hrs 57mins. Yes, for the first time in an Iron-distance race I have broken 5hrs on the bike.

With a big smile on my face I entered T2 for a quick change into the run. Everything was going great. I have even forgotten about my swim. The run consisted of 9 loops around the rowing basin and was perfect for the crowds watching the race and for athletes to keep an eye on the competition. The sun was beating down hard. There was not a single cloud in the sky for the entire day. I started feeling the hardship of the run during the seventh loop. At that time I had to force some food into my stomach and make sure to ingest enough electrolytes. In the end, all had worked out as planned, as I crossed the finish line in 10 hrs 34 min placing 9th overall and 4th in M45-49 age group. As it turned out, M45-49 had ruled the day as four of us finished among the first 10 athletes.

Two more loops to go

Breaking the tape

Sunday was a family day. It was spent traversing Montreal and watching the professional bicycle race of Astana, Saxo Bank, Radio Shack, Garmin, Bbox, and other teams. These guys made climbing steep hills look effortless. I suppose, watching Ivan Basso leading the peloton on a couple of loops was an icing on the cake culminating a great weekend.

Montreal's panorama

The Olympic Stadium

Basso leading the race

In hot pursuit

They made it all look so easy

-- TOMasz

PLANNING FOR THE 2011 RACING SEASON

2010-09-01T20:56:00.008-04:00

I suppose, it is never too soon to start planning for the next Ironman triathlon season. Therefore, my first official registration is for Ironman Louisville, which will take place on Sunday, August 28, 2011. It will be a nice, although brief, return to the Midwest which served as our "home" when we first came to the United States. I hope some of you can join me there.

-- TOMasz

STOAKED OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON OR XTERRA HALF BLIND

2010-08-24T20:58:00.000-04:00

Stoaked Off-Road Triathlon or Xterra Half Blind

Overall it was pretty nice day for a race. It was cool in the AM but not excessively so. I was at the water with plenty of time and hoped that my whole two weeks of training prior to the race would pay off. (I wouldn’t advise anyone of this method but didn’t have time from the beginning of summer until later July.) The race started and I started out toward the end of the pack to avoid what happened anyways. I ended up in a big crowd of people and got anxious. I had to swim with my head out of the water for a bit and then I decided to head to the outside and this helped quite a bit. After that I didn’t have any problems.

I exited the water feeling pretty good about where I was located within the pack. This ended at the transition out of the water. I lost a decent amount of time changing into sneakers before going by the timer. Twenty eight plus minutes. Oh well. Next I headed to where our bikes where located which was quite a few hundred yards away and up a decent size hill, change into bike shoes and head off. While in transition I notice I wasn’t seeing quite well and thought I had a contact that slid up in my eye socket. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case and I went through the rest of the race with just one contact. It made some of the technical sections of the bike course more technical. The bike course also seemed different than when I did the race two years ago with a different entry area. It had as much or more single track and a lot more hills than last time. It was a fun ride though if a bit growling due to the lack of training. An hour fifty minutes plus.

Next was the run. Of the three disciplines it is the one I had the most training in in the prior two weeks. (Unless you include commuting to work on bike.) The run was the usual route they’ve had in years past through gravel paths and a big, hilly field. Fifty plus minutes for a 3 hour ten minute plus overall finish. Quite tired in the end but I finished and had a heck of a lot of fun.

TOMmy

7,018 CALORIES LATER…..

2010-08-01T22:36:00.019-04:00

Waiting for athlete 1884

Is it crowded enough for you?

…, tired, but elated, I crossed the finish line of the 2010 Ironman Lake Placid. But, before going any further I wanted to say thank you to all my family and friends who were with me in-spirit, in-person, or on the Internet to cheer me on.

The day (Sunday, July 25th) started for me at 3AM with a quick shower and a 20-minute carbo-loading of about 2,000 calories. There was a light rain drizzle and it was anybody’s guess what weather will unfold for the race because Lake Placid is well-known for rapidly changing weather conditions.

The gun went off at 6:45AM for the professionals and at 7AM for the age-groupers. After about 300 meters of being swam over and under I found my rhythm and enough open water to finish the 2.4 mile swim in 1 hr. 12 min. A quick wetsuit peal-off by friendly volunteers set me off for a 400 m sprint to the transition. Following a slip on a wet runway and about 8 minutes later I mounted my bike for a 112 mile journey. I remember having this great sense of physical and mental freshness as I started descending the access ramp onto the main road.

I felt great climbing the first hill out of Lake Placid, as those who swam faster started coming back to me on the bike. The famous six-mile downhill to Keene recorded a speed of 47 miles/hour on my speedometer. Definitely, not the time to catch a flat or have any sort of a misfortune. I continued strong for the two bike loops despite the somewhat demoralizing head-wind from Wilmington back to Lake Placid in the last 10 miles of each loop.

A quick transition from bike-to-run put me in the final stretch of the race. I continued feeling very good. My legs felt fresh and eager to run. Only 26.2 miles to run, I thought, as I passed the cheering spectators lining up the downtown streets. My strategy was simple. Eat, drink, and take-in enough electrolytes to prevent muscle cramps and keep mental focus. All worked very well that day and the last mile and a half on the run was just amazing. It has been a little while since I had as strong race such as Ironman Lake Placid. Totally elated and full of emotions, I entered the Olympic oval for the last 195 meters. Crossing the finish line with my family and friends watching me there or live on the Internet made this race even more special. My finish time was 10 hrs. 43 min., good to place 29th out of 360 athletes in the M45-49 age group.

This is my last year before aging up to M50-54 in 2011, but before this happens I have two more Iron races this year: The Montreal Esprit Iron in September and The Great Floridian at the end of October and I plan to show up for both of them as I did in Lake Placid. Again, thanks to those who cheered for me.

Total happiness

Lining up for positions

Sprint to T1

Almost in T2. Two more corners left

Out of the transition. The first 200 meters

Mile 16th

Picture worth a thousand words

The cheering crowds were there to the end

Elvis has entered the house

And so did this athlete

The 17th hour. The party went on until the very end

Until next time. -- TOMasz

FOUR INGREDIENTS FOR COMPLETING AN IRONMAN

2010-07-30T22:13:00.003-04:00

This year’s Ironman Lake Placid, and the family vacation that came along with it, will likely serve as one of the best memories of my lifetime. This is so, for so many reasons. First, Stephanie, Ryan, Meg & I had a tremendous time in LP. The location is idyllic for family time. Ryan and Megan enjoyed swimming, playing, live music, friends around the fire… and we enjoyed watching them have such a great time. Second, I really did learn something about myself this week. Well, maybe a few things… I learned that there are four key ingredients to completing an ironman… and I also learned that my training could be a hell of a lot more consistent!

So, now on to the report (I’ll share the 4 things that I learned within). We arrived via the Essex ferry in the Adirondacks aboard our 31’ RV. This was our first experience in an RV, and it was a good one. They make for the perfect race camp, allowing us to cook our own meals throughout the week. The RV was also essential for rest, particularly when the clouds came and the sky opened up. The beginning of the week was spent getting acquainted with the water and enjoying the area. We met Ben from Paris, our first night at camp. He and his lovely family came over for a camp fire and to discuss the course. Up early the next day, out on the bike with Ben. I had not seen the run course, so this was a particularly informative ride. Two loops, that was going to be tough! Not really any flat spots on the course either, more like a couple of big hills, mostly rolling hills… Spent the rest of the week relaxing as racers began to show up. Registration was quick and easy on Friday as were the several swim laps that I was able to do on the swim course. LP has a neat little “line” that is 5’ below the surface, perfect for staying on track while swimming! Todd, Duxbury, Tomasz, and even Tom Bircher and Cheryl Bush arrived in LP. Had a nice fire with all as the pre-race jitters began to settle in…

Race day. I slept most of Saturday, so that doesn’t make the report. Up at 4am. Shower. Gear check. Walk 1.5miles to the start (boo). I was confident that I had all my gear ready… where were my special double-secret weapons? Oh shit! I forgot my peanut butter tortillas I had made for the bike! Double shit! Oh well. Found Todd and Dux just before walking another country mile to drop off my special needs bags. We walked back to the swim start together. The swim start at IMLP is like any other mass start… like fitting a hundred pounds of fighting puppies into a 50 pound bag! Held the dock, and before too long, we were off.

Ingredient #1: Find a mantra: who/what are you doing this for in the first place.

A year before, I was volunteering for IMLP, and was able to have a VIP pass to watch the swim from a balcony overlooking Mirror Lake (Thanks to Rod!). After one lap of the swim, there were several folks who simply quit. The pounding from the other swimmers was too much. Their heart rate got out of hand. They just weren’t ready. Whatever the case, I knew going into the water that I was coming out only after 2 laps, and that I was getting on that damn bike. I stuck to the line. Despite a few feet to the face and getting swam over early, I stuck to it. In my mind, I thought of only one thing, I forced myself to focus on my mantra, the person for whom I was doing the race: Stephanie.

I have done many, many races in the past. This was the first that I dedicated to her. This proved a good decision… her face lit up when I told her that this one was for her and her only… and… when things got tough (and trust me, with my times, they got tough) I was able to focus only on her. I simply shut out everything else in the world. There was no noise. No pain. Just me and her. I would breathe, picture her, pull, breathe… and before I knew it, I was out of the water. To my surprise, there were many bikes still on the rack!

I won’t spend too long on the strippers (Todd(just before the swim start): “you know my mom is a stripper, right?” Jason: “huh~!@!?” Todd: “um, wetsuit stripper…” Jason: “ohhhhh.”… duh!)…. Or spend a lot of time on the disgusting transition/mass nudity tent… looking around, the water must have been cold though J So very quickly it felt, I was out on the bike…

Ingredient #2: Get to the run.

The bike course began with my first two HUGE mistakes (of many) in this race. I had underestimated the hill coming out of Lake Placid and headed toward Keene. All week long I had talked about the first 16 miles of the race being downhill to Keene. I received a few looks when I said this, but shrugged them off, for whatever reason. Turns out, there is one huge young-momma -shut –the- front –door hill that seems to go on forever and forever, just as you begin the bike. And it was pouring. Was it going to pour all day? Just get to the run and remember why you are out here… that’s all I kept saying to myself. The course was 2 laps, 56 miles each. I knew I could get through the first one… I’d save the second for later! My second colossal mistake occurred almost immediately on the bike as well. I had scooped a bunch of sustained energy drink powder into my profile design aero bar water holder the night before, when I racked my bike. It didn’t mix. My first big pull on my drink was almost all powdered, straight down my throat…. Yuck. It took about 60 miles to recover from a horrible feeling in my stomach.

The second lap on the bike was easier in some ways then the first. I had already had two flats. I had eaten a block of powder. None of that occurred on the second lap. It was just smooth (SLOW) sailing as I doubled the course. Ps. Bike course: F.U. to the papa bear hill, it is a monster. Here’s a look at the ugliness:

Ingredient #3: the race box.

112 miles on the bike, and oh yeah, now time to run a marathon. I knew that the bike was a solid 2 hours longer than I had hoped for. But armed with ingredient 1 and 2, I knew I could keep going. I thought to myself “they will have to drag my cold dead body from this course at this point!” The bike and run course were very family/fan friendly. I had already ridden by Steph, Ryan and Meg a couple of times, now it was time to see them on the run. About a mile in, there they were, cheering! Ryan was cute… ran along side of me and simply said “get going big boy!” and spanked me on the fanny! Off I went on what was to be a very, very long journey.

The race box is the term I learned from some Ironman website, some time ago. It refers to focusing only on what you can do at any one moment to make it to the next thing that you can make it to. On the bike, this might be the next aid station (or in my case, port-o-potty) or next bike loop. It’s a big race box because you’re moving pretty fast. On the run, the box is much smaller. It might start out by being every mile, but very quickly, it becomes, that tree up ahead, that crack in the sidewalk. The trick is to think about ingredient #1, and stay within your box. This was hard. At IMLP, there’s a doubly sneaky reason this is so hard. Once you do the out and back on the back side of course, you have to come back into town, then run a mile beyond the finish line and a mile back to head out on the second loop! All the while, fans are yelling you’re almost there! On the first loop, this was crazy, I had 13 plus miles to go, and everyone was yelling “Jason, you’ve done it, you’re almost there!!!” Ug. Stay in my box. Left right left right left…. And back out on the course I went. It was a dark and lonely second lap. Once there, I knew I could finish… though I wasn’t feeling all that great about the time. I also knew that Steph and the kids would long since have headed off to bed. I was really lonely.

Coming into town, my loneliness didn’t lift… not until I got to the dreaded out and back… the 2 miles of hell as I referred to it… and Steph was there! Ry in the stroller, asleep, Meg on her back. The thought of her had sustained me for 138+ miles, of how strong she was, how much never-quit, and there she was with both kids in tow, at nearly 11pm. She really is the iron one… not me!

Ingredient #4 That Feeling…

There is no feeling like finishing in ironman. This ingredient is as important that the rest. No matter how your race goes (and nothing goes as planned)… hearing those words “Jason Vallee, you are an ironman,” and persisting for all of the reasons above is something I’ll have forever.

Post race note. Steph carried my stuff, the kids, gear bags, and nearly me… as we walked the 1.5 miles back to our campsite.

THAT IS WHY WE DO IT

2010-07-26T22:33:00.005-04:00

The 2010 Ironman Lake Placid race report coming up soon.

A SOLID START TO A BUSY SEASON

2010-07-17T22:02:00.021-04:00

Greetings,

My first race of the season is behind me ;o). The day (July 11th) opened up with a nearly cloudless sky at the Narragansett Beach, which hosted the start of the 3rd edition of Ironman Rhode Island 70.3. It was my season opener and a perfect opportunity to assess my fitness level prior to Ironman Lake Placid next week and the Great Floridian in the early Fall.

As it turned out, the hard training has paid off. Throughout the race day I felt strong, comfortable, and well nutritioned and hydrated, and while my overall race time was a bit slower than last year, I was able to finish strong in 11th place (out of 139) in the M45-49 age group. Strong ocean currents on the swim and quite challenging head-winds on the bike and the run slowed down everybody’s time, including the pro men’s winner, Terrenzo Bozone, who was unable to break the 4hr mark.

The swim (37 min) was quite challenging. High waves and strong currents made sighting difficult. The bike course took us from Narragansett to Providence exposing some of the most beautiful landscapes of Rhode Island. After 2 hrs 44 min in the saddle and a quick transition, I was running through Providence where the temperature started to exceed 90F before 10AM. It took me about 25 minutes to get my “running legs” and see my run speed increase. The run course was nicely designed, though, quite exposed to the hard-beating sun. Fortunately, plenty of hydration, water-sponges, and the head-wind offset some of that heat. Finally, with a few more miles left in my legs, I crossed the finish line after 1 hr 43 min of running to place 11th in my age group (total race time 5 hrs 14 min).

As always, my support team was there to cheer me on. Kasia, Damian, Ania, Beatka, Jarus, Dorotka, and Dave made this day very special. Also, a huge thanks to all who followed and cheered me on on-line.

Next Sunday, I will be racing Ironman Lake Placid. You can follow that race at www.ironman.com. Best -- TOMasz

And this is how it looked in pictures

5 AM on Sunday

A strategy session with age groupers

Getting ready for a warm-up swim

The real deal. 6o seconds till the gun shot

Out of the water

Out of the gates on the bike

Live free and tri

Spectators lined up the entire course

That's how Damian found my bike in T2

About 5 miles to go

Finishing with a smile

The final stretch

Seconds after crossing the finish line

With my support team

NEVER NEVER NEVER ............

2010-07-13T22:50:00.004-04:00

http://www.sunmultisportevents.com/Patriot_Triathlon.htm

EVER cut your toenails the night before a race!!! I know this as though it were written law ... but I was worried about putting my nails through my brand new wetsuit ... so did it anyway ... My traveling companion and race support extraordinaire, Beth, returned to the blood. Yes, that's right, the blood. *sigh* The only thing I could hope for at that point is that it would take a couple of days for the nail to actually get sore. What an idiot.

I went into this race with some pretty lofty expectations because I knew how good I'd been feeling on my bike, how confident I'd been feeling during my open water swims, and how speedy I'd been feeling in the pool. My run was obviously a little bit up in the air, but even that didn't worry me as much because I hoped that adrenaline would carry me through the final hour of the run.

What I didn't plan on were 2 things ... a super hot day and my inability to eat much for fear of inducing stomach cramps. Just about every endurance event I've completed, I've fallen short on the solid food intake and suffered stomach cramps on the run because it's too empty.

So I know that I need to spend a lot of time working on eating during my ride. I can get liquid calories in without any problem, but when it comes to actually chewing solid food and getting it down, I struggle. I know what I need to do, it's just a matter of actually establishing a plan, i.e. I'm going to eat a bite of solid food every 15 mins and save the Gu for the run ... knowing that solid food is not my friend on the run. I also need to work on eating more on race morning so that I'm not starting the race hungry. I did that too at Patriot. So I was already down on calories before I even got to my bike. I had food, I just didn't have the desire to eat it.

And the heat ... well, the heat is just what it is. I tried very hard to conserve energy on the bike, even allowing my pace to slow slightly on the second loop until the end, knowing that when I got off the bike and into the run the heat was going to feel blistering. I was not wrong. It felt like my skin was being seared. And I'm not sure that there's really much that I could have done about that. \

All in all, I do not think that this event was without success. I think it was very successful. It's reminded me that I constantly have things that I should be working on. And it's reminded me that even the best laid plans have to have a plan B and a plan C. I think I went into this race more prepared than for any other half ironman I've ever done. I feel stronger, I feel like keeping up with the weight training has really really helped. I feel like the extra time on the bike is making a huge different. Frankly, I'd rather spend my time there at this point given how little fun running can be these days. I feel like I went into this race as organized as I've ever been for a race before. And that's just from experience. I've raced enough that I know what I need to bring, I don't over pack so that I'm having to sort through a bunch of stuff the night before to decide what I need , and my transition area easily comes together with no extras to get in the way. So, that's all good ... positive. But I am disappointed that I was not able to carry out my race plan as I'd hoped for ... but still thankful that I finished and maybe not finished with much extra to give. But I feel like I recovered quickly ... was itching to get back on the bike before the recovery week was over. And feel like I'm ready to start again. So for that ... this test was a success.

I need to work on food intake!

My foot is going to be a season long process ... I'm just going to have to deal with it. It's frustrating.

Looking ahead, toward Ironman Florida, and the hope of no oil.

All races are learning experiences .. it was a tough day with the heat. Little mentally defeating to get punched in the face to get out of the water with a swim time that was quite a bit longer than I'd hoped for, only to hear many people saying that they felt that the swim was long given that their times were also long and then to have such a poor run. But if nothing else, I came away from this with more information ... for hopefully more success in the next one. And once again, confirmation that I do _not_ give up !!

And, I certainly won't be clipping my toenails the night before anymore races

THE DAY BEFORE IRONMAN PROVIDENCE 70.3

2010-07-10T20:11:00.006-04:00

Greetings from T2 the day before Ironman Providence 70.3

All wrapped-up

I plan to have them do all the running, tomorrow

You can follow the race at www.ironman.com

BREAKING THE CURSE

2010-05-24T12:02:00.003-04:00

Okay, this isn't one of those long-standing, 100 year old, never to be broken sports curses, but somewhere around the end of last summer some triathlon voodoo priest put a hex on me or something because the racing just wasn't going well. Had a DNF in September at a half-ironman in Durham, NC, got lost on the bike course at a duathlon in Cary, NC in March, and on my way to parking the car for a sprint race in Raleigh, NC in April I forgot my bike was on the roof rack and wrecked it pulling into a parking garage.

So this past weekend, the Jetton Park sprint triathlon was going to be much more than a test of fitness or racing ability--it was going to be a test of whether I was doomed for life, or must mildly superstitious. Conditions for a successful run were ideal. Because the venue was only a 15 minute drive from our NC home, I was able to do packet pick-up and ride the bike course Friday evening and then plan for a relatively leisurely wake-up time, still allowing plenty of time to get set up at the race site.

The morning was warm, if a bit windy making the lake swim look a little intimidating. The water was a nice 74 degrees and I opted not to don my wetsuit for the 750 swim. I'm not sure what that sweet spot is in terms of time gained swimming in a wetsuit versus time lost in transition, but I figured that this swim was short enough that I would be pounding away on the bike while everyone else was squirming their way out of neoprene.

For a small race, it was a well-attended event with about 350 athletes competing. Promptly at 8:00 a.m. the first wave was off into the chop. Six minutes later, it was my turn to hit the water. The wind was making the water a bit rough, but not unmanageable, and within the first 100 yards I had found some daylight near the front of the swim pack. I was also pleased that I was swimming in a fairly straight line, sighting the buoys without too much trouble. Coming into the first turn on the triangular course I had caught some of the stragglers from the previous wave. Twelve and a half minutes later I was out of the water and moving up the beach to T1.

The large number of bikes still sitting in transition told me that I was near the front of my group. I quickly grabbed my bike and helmet and headed out onto the bike course.

Now, I may have been a bit too hasty putting on that helmet because it just was not sitting on my head properly. I tried fixing it on the fly, but no dice. Finally I just forgot about it, figuring that for the short 20k bike course I could be a little uncomfortable. The course meandered around the Peninsulas jutting into Jetton Lake and was pretty fast. Not pancake flat, but mostly flat with a few slight rollers. The only downside to the course was that, at two points, you had to make these ridiculous turns in a cul-de-sac, which is just never fun. I also had no computer so could not judge my time or speed very well but I pulled into T2 about 34 minutes later. So far, so good--no broken swim goggles, no catastrophic bike failures.

Of course, I made the great move of parking my rear wheel on top of my running shoes, socks and race belt, which slowed me up in transition. But, about a minute later I was out on the bike course which looped and twisted its way through some paved trails running along the park roads before heading out the main road a bit. While billed as a 5k, this was a very generous 5k course (probably more like a 5.5k). After 21 minutes of running I found my way to the finish line coming in at just under 1 hour 10 minutes.

Later, when the results were posted, I learned that I had finished 9th overall and had won my age group. So, it's official. The curse is broken. Of course, it's only May so now I need to find some more races to do.

US IRONMAN & IRONMAN 70.3 SWIM RULE CHANGES

2010-04-14T11:39:00.002-04:00

Ironman Corporation just announced swim rule changes in all (US) Ironman and Ironman 70.3

http://ironman.com/mediacenter/pressreleases/new-rules-to-take-effect-on-september-1-2010

It Had To Be The Shoe Laces

2010-03-28T15:09:00.000-04:00

One thing that you notice spending a lot of your time in the south is that the race season starts pretty early. This year I decided to jump on this wagon by racing the Cary Long Course Duathlon in Cary, NC. A low-key event with some significant distance (5 mile run, 31 mile bike, 5 mile run), I figured this would be a good early-season test of where I was at coming into the spring and summer.

This was only my second duathlon and I have to say I have come to appreciate not having to face an early morning swim or messing around with a wetsuit. I also appreciated the rather civil 9 a.m. start time. The course was centered around a very large outdoor sports complex which boasted being the home of spring training for the olympic baseball team with the run winding through the paved trails of the complex and into a housing development and the bike course looping along the back roads in the area.

I felt pretty good about the distances coming into this race and, based on the finish times from the previous year, felt I had a good shot at the podium. The plan (such as it was) was to try and not kill myself on the first run so that I would have something left at the end. Shortly after 9 we were off and I fell in with the first 10 runners or so. Being that the course was on fairly narrow paved trails for the first 3/4 mile I wanted to start in the front so I wouldn't get caught up in any bottlenecks. The course consisted of two, 2.5 mile out-and-back loops and I have to say I really liked this course. The combination of turns, slight uphills and downhills, and frequent turn-arounds made it more interesting. After a first lap time of 14:30 I was sitting in 7th place. I was very happy with the time, but knew I needed to ease up a bit given that we were just 2.5 miles into a 41 mile day. I vaguely kept my eye on the racer in front of me, trying to maintain a steady distance, but coming into the last leg he picked up the pace a bit and I didn't bother responding. I came into T1 in 29:30 with significant gaps between the runner in front of me and the runners behind me.

This year I finally invested (if you can call $10 "investing") in some speed laces and they were just great. I was super speedy through transition, though had a bit of a hard time getting onto my bike as you were faced with an immediate sharp right turn and climb coming out of T1. Now, I mention all this to set up the scene for what would become the disastrous portion of this race. I began the bike course having lost sight of the runner in front of me and with no sign of cyclists behind me. Coming into the first intersection I followed what I thought were the police officer's instructions and went straight through. Very quickly however, I began to doubt this decision. For one, the course began to climb steadily uphill and, while I didn't have a good sense of the course map, I didn't recall this elevation gain from the course profile. Second, as I progressed down the course, I not only never gained sight of any riders in front of me, but also never saw riders coming up behind me. Now not seeing people in front was not too troubling--I'm used to the stronger riders pulling away on the bike--but I did expect some of the stronger riders to be coming up behind me.

After two miles of this I decided that I had, in fact, made a wrong turn and headed back. Sure enough, at that very first intersection, I should have gone right. I got back on course, but I had added four miles (and about 13 minutes) to my bike portion. Visions of the podium quickly faded. The rest of the bike course was pretty good. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more under different circumstances, but the road surface seemed a little rough and there was a stretch along a two-lane highway that was a little dicey. After 35.5 miles of riding I finally pulled into T2, now well-behind the race leaders. I made another quick transition (again, loving those speed laces) and headed back out on the run.

I ran strong, but had already decided that I wasn't going to push too hard. I did make the mistake, however, of taking in some Hammer Heed at the aid station. I don't know why, but Heed just does not work for me. I also don't know why I can't seem to ever remember this. Coming into the first lap I was struggling a bit with a side stitch and too-labored breathing. I eased up some more until I could get my legs under me, using some of the other runners to find a rhythm. One such unfortunate soul was a 41-year old guy who I caught with about a mile left in the race. I mention his age only because, as he saw me come up next to him he must have assumed that I was in his age group and he put on a little speed. This actually helped me find my focus to finish the last stretch strong. I came into the finish line a little over 2:46.

The wrong turn had definitely cost me a 2nd place age-group finish (and I may have even been able to eek out 1st). So, lesson learned. It at least taught me to spend a little more time going over the course maps, especially on these smaller races where you can't rely on other races and an army of volunteers to keep you on course. It also suggested that there are good reasons to keep a racer in front of you coming into transition and not let them get out of site.

Despite the setbacks, I really enjoyed this race. The run course was a lot of fun, and I was really happy with my run times over the course of the day. I would definitely keep this on my calendar for an early-season race (and invite anyone down to NC next year who wants in on it).

MajorTOM

HANGING OUT AT MARTHA'S

2010-02-19T23:10:00.007-05:00

The racing season started early this year for some of us ....... A 20-mile (or, as some of us like to call it, a 32 km) run on Martha's Vineyard in February. Finished in 2h 58m.

NICE!!!!!!!

I think, after the race

I think, before the race

Picture perfect

FROM A SECRET LOCATION

2010-02-07T21:11:00.004-05:00

A fine-looking "Great Floridian" Team at a retreat in an undisclosed location.

IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING AERO

2010-01-31T21:10:00.001-05:00

IRONMAN FLORIDA 2009

2010-01-23T17:28:00.004-05:00

A few triathletes entering the Gulf of Mexico for the swim of Ironman Florida 2009. Now, where am I?

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-12-22T22:07:00.000-05:00

SILVERMAN 2009

2009-11-26T11:55:00.001-05:00

And that is how it looked

Tomasz

HARD WORK PAID OFF AT SILVERMAN

2009-11-09T20:36:00.003-05:00

The 2009 Silverman full-distance triathlon was unlike last year’s. The weather was much improved, and while the winds were still in our faces, regardless of the direction we went, there were no 50 miles/hr. cross winds.

The swim of the full-distance race started at 7AM in calm and chilly (68.4F) Lake Mead, following a 10 minute warm up. After the initial 500m the field of swimmers dispersed, so everyone had ample space to swim without having to encounter excessive body-contact. It also took me about 500m to settle into a comfortable pace. Navigating the course was easy for the first 1.9km as we swam west. This became very different on our way back to the shore with the sun shining straight into our eyes. Exiting the water proved to be the most challenging aspect of the swim for me. With the blood gone from the legs and a rocky bottom I slipped, fell and felt a slight pop in my toes. The concern lasted for a few seconds, that is, until I noticed my swim time – 1hr 12min.

Transition 1 was swift, and within a few minutes I was climbing my Kuota bike up a 1.3 mile, 6% access road onto the main highway. It all felt great and continued that way for the next 112 miles. However, as I was riding, I felt a discomfort in my foot when pushing down on the left pedal. It felt like a large blister on the sole of my foot.

The bike course was very challenging with 12,000 feet of combined elevation. Descents were quick and short, while assents were long and steep, though, they must have suited me well for riding that day, as I averaged 17.3 miles/hr in a 6hrs 26min bike portion of the race. I was particularly pleased with this time, which gave me the third fastest in my age group.

Transition 2 went even faster, and in about 2.5 minutes I began my marathon run. It took about 30 minutes to get into a rhythm. The marathon took all the athletes on a two 13-mile loops and offered 2,000 feet of climbing. I felt good for the first 15 miles hoping that my foot will not give me more trouble, but at that time my stomach began to be upset. With about 11 miles to the finish line my tempo slowed down considerably, which allowed two of my age-groupers to pass me toward the end of the run. I hoped to have a faster marathon time considering the 1hr 50min first loop. Perhaps, I went out too fast? My final marathon suffered as a result of it and I finished the run in 4 hrs. 45 min.

Elated, nevertheless, I finished this grueling race, considered by many as the toughest full-distance race in North America, in 12hrs 33min, good enough for a sixth place in the M45-49 age group, and 44th overall. After the race, I had a relaxing soft-tissue massage, post-race dinner, and eventually returned to my hotel about 10PM. Here, I realized what was bothering my left foot. In fact, it was not a blister but a purple and swollen third toe, which I must have injured when exiting the swim. I hope it’s not broken, but, if it is, it will be added to the “collection” of minor injuries we all suffer.

Silverman closed my racing season in 2009, and I am already looking forward to plan for 2010, which will be my last year of racing in the 45-49 age-group. Congratulations to all my teammates on a great racing season, as we now can focus on some deserved rest.

ONE MORE DAY TO GO

2009-11-07T15:29:00.003-05:00

Another beautiful day began with a 5:30AM wake up call, and a 30-minute training run. It was perfect, although, one can feel the the effects of higher elevation here. Henderson is at about 1,700 feet, while the Upper Valley, NH, at 560 feet above the sea level. Yes, the air is thinner, for sure.

Today's agendum has been relaxing. A morning breakfast in the Silverman Village, and a chat with Dave "The Man" Scott took care of the morning routines. For those who do not know Dave, he is one of the Ironman triathlon racing icons, with six wins, three second places, and a fifth, when he was in his forties. This year, Dave had a serious biking accident, after which he ended up with several metal pins in his wrists.

In a little while I will be taking my bike and transition bags to the swim start. All has to be in by 6PM. I feel relaxed with my feet on a chair, as I write this update from the Panera headquarters. So, this may be it until Monday. But then, who knows.

ILL BUT DETERMINED-MY MANCHESTER 1/2 MARATHON REPORT

2009-11-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

Just a few words about the Manchester 1/2 Marathon I ran last weekend. First off I went there with quite low expectations since I haven't been able to train as much as I had last year. I also had a cold which I got over about a half week before the race so I was thinking that I would be happy with a time between 2 hours and 2 hours and 20 minutes. I got to the race fairly early, wondered around a bit, warmed up and then stretched while in line for the Jiffy John. After the JJ I headed over to the starting area. The weather was decent considering it was nine in the morning and the time of year. (No rain which was a plus.) The race seemed to start before I knew it. For some reason I figured they would have the mayor, who was there, or someone making an announcement but instead everyone just started. I started out with a comfortable pace. The first couple of miles are fairly flat so I was able to ease into the race. When I got to mile two they had a time clock and I was at about 19:30 or 19:40 and I was thinking that it wasn't bad considering it took a while to get over the timing mat. I kept up the pace through most of the race. At each time clock I kept checking my progress and notice I was doing about 9 minute miles which for me is a pretty good pace. One point in the race where I gained some ground was through Livingston Park which has a gravel path we went through. People must not be used to running on it or are afraid of rolling an ankle because I was passing people left and right. I guess all my trail running this season paid off in that section. Anyways I was able to keep up the 9 minutes mile through the rest of the race and even picked it up some at the last mile or two. I know I picked it up the last mile since it is downhill or flat the whole way. I finished with a gun time of around 1:56:25. My net time was 1:55:46. It still wasn't enough to place me in the top half of my age or gender but I was still very happy with my time since it was a person best for me for half marathons. I also was happy because I wasn't expecting much with how I've been training. I final note. The race was great again this year as far as community coming to cheer us on and the police and volunteer clue was plentiful. (At least on the 1/2 marathon section.)

Jim

SILVERMAN COUNTDOWN CONTINUES

2009-11-07T02:57:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful day it had been, today. Not a single cloud in the sky and about 75-80F, all day. What is even more exciting? Sunday's weather forecast: another beautiful day.

Friday was a very productive day. Most of it was spent working from my hotel room. Then, a 40-minute training run, registering for the race, visiting the Hoover Dam, and lastly, attending the athletes' dinner at the Henderson Convention Center. Dave "The Man" Scott (the six-time Hawaii Ironman world champion, and a three-time runner-up) was the keynote speaker, as he was there last year. And of course, just as last year, he had very interesting things to say. Among them, he discussed the fear of failure, acceptance, and disappointment.

But, back for a moment to the Hoover Dam. What a marvelous structure that is. The state border line between Nevada and Arizona runs straight through it, and with it, the time zone change. So, you can be an hour behind or an hour ahead depending upon where you are standing at that moment. The dam was built in 4 years, between 1931 and 1935. There are some incredible pictures showing many of the construction sites. There is another architectural marvel being constructed over the dam. A new "suspension bridge" overpass highway is being built there, which should be finished in 2010. It looks as if it had been built in the air, suspended by a gigantic arc connecting both states. A view almost impossible to imagine without seeing it.

It turned out to be another long day/night. Just finished tuning up the "Norminator" and setting up the transition bags. Saturday will be another busy day for me. More updates tomorrow.

ON THE GROUND IN LAS VEGAS

2009-11-06T02:26:00.004-05:00

Greetings from the Silverman. Day one is coming to an end. The trip was uneventful. All luggage and the bike case (with the bike inside) arrived on the same plane, which is always good.

I just found out, at the THRIFTY car rental counter, that when you rent a car from them and do not purchase their insurance policy, and should the car you have rented get involved in an accident (fault or no-fault), THRIFTY will charge you between $2,000-$4,000 for what they call having to take the car temporarily out of "business." I am just amazed at the tricks they continue inventing. And all, I think, to make the travel experience even worse than it already is. Guess what I didn't do?

Now, that I have vented, the Kuota is out of the case and already assembled. All lubed and waiting patiently. Tomorrow morning I will register and, in the afternoon, attend the athletes' dinner.

Well, it is almost 3AM over where you are on the east coast and, I suppose, I should not be surprised that I am a little tired. Until tomorrow, then.

RUNNING IN THE FOLIAGE

2009-10-18T22:32:00.016-04:00

A brief chat

Coming back from the Serendipity Farm

Climbing up the Lockheaven Road

And more of the Lockheaven climbing

In the rhythm

The 2009 racing season is comming to the end. In a few weeks I will be traveling to my final race of this season - IDT (Iron-Distance Triathlon) Silverman in Henderson, Nevada (November 8th). I have trained hard and hope to improve on my last year result. It will be another long day "at the office" - 3.8km swim/180km bike/42.195km run.

While on a training run a couple of weeks ago, I met Jerry, Peggy and Audrey from California who were visiting the Upper Valley to photograph the foilage. And what a spectacular day for picture-taking we had that day. They were nice enough to include me in some of their photos.

SEPTEMBER WEEKEND AT THE US OPEN

2009-09-14T20:42:00.002-04:00

One of a kind tennis ball

Among the Champions

With friends on the escalator en route to the Arthur Ashe Stadium to watch Serena Williams

A perfect day to watch the US Open or the camera man

IN THE STEPS OF OUR PILGRIM TRIATHLETE ANCESTORS

2009-09-10T19:00:00.002-04:00

Saturday, September 5th I made my way down to Plymouth, MA for the 2009 Mayflower International Distance triathlon. l had signed up for this mostly on a whim, looking for a prep race to squeeze in before I did my next 70.3 at the end of the month. Two things made this course look appealing. First, the leisurely start time of 10 a.m. Since I was making the two hour drive down from New Hampshire, this meant that I could get up at a reasonable hour. Second, the swim, which started at Plymouth Rock, and ended at the Mayflower II (apparently retracing the path of the Pilgrims who, once they realized they had landed in Massachusetts, fled back to their ship).

I got to the race with plenty of time. The field was pretty small, so packet pick-up, body marking and racking were all a breeze, leaving me plenty of time to organize my gear, do a quick test-spin on the bike and get to learn the quarter mile run from the end of the swim to T1. The swim start was about half a mile from the transition area and, while the organizers provided shuttle buses, I opted to walk, taking a nice leisurely stroll down the sidewalk with my wetsuit, googles and cap in hand. And, which I realized as I neared the swim start, my sunglasses on my face. So, my leisurely stroll now became a speed-walk as I had to do another round trip to transition and back, and get suited up before I left in the first wave.

The swim was a one-mile frown-shaped affair running clockwise from Plymouth Rock to the Mayflower. The buoys basically followed the curving seawall for about half a mile, and then navigated their way through the multitude of anchored boats and floating buoys. Had the field been larger, things could have gotten tight, but my wave was pretty reasonable. This was my first deep-water swim start, and also one of the better swims that I've had. At the sound of the whistle I was able to get in a few, quick strong strokes to get out in front and find some open water (again, not too hard because of the small field) and settle into a rhythm pretty easily. Also. because of the large seawall, and calm conditions, the water was incredibly calm. That, combined with all of the landmarks in the water, made sighting a breeze. After about 2/3 of the mile I found myself a ways behind the small group of fast swimmers that were way out in front, and a larger group behind me, so I pretty much had things to myself. This was a real benefit because the swim exit was up onto a small dock, with about three ladders, so things would have been much more difficult with a crowd. But, after 24 minutes of swimming, I got myself up onto land, ran up the gangplank (first time I've used that word in a tri report), and got my wetsuit quickly down to my waist.

The long run to T1 wasn't as bad as I had imagined it would be. I really thought running that long in the wetsuit would really get to me, but I didn't really notice it. Unfortunately, I did end up with a pretty crappy spot on the bike rack--way off in a back corner, which is not just a pain for having to step past other people, but just adds that much more to your transition times. Oh well. I got out of the wetsuit, threw on the helmet, belt and glasses, and was off onto the out-and-back 25 mile bike.

Now, right away, things did not go well for me on the bike. My shoulders and neck were really stiff, making it hard to stay down in the aero position. I was also having a hard time getting my legs under me, so it really felt like a struggle. Add to that the fact that the course was not the best. For one, the road surface was in rough shape--frost heaves, long cracks, and deep potholes (some of which required some real maneuvering) were persistent. But, I remembered the similar experience that I had had at Mooseman a couple of years ago and this time just tried to hang in there. After about twenty minutes I felt like things were going a bit better and, once we hit some fresh pavement, I was able to really start moving. The downside, however, was that now that I had picked up all this speed, it made the crappy road conditions all the more problematic. At one point, I failed to avoid a significant bump and managed to come down on my seat hard, pushing the nose of the seat down to about a 45 degree angle. This was not preferable, but manageable. The nice thing though was that no one was passing me and, because it was out and back, I knew that there were only a handful of riders out in front of me. I also had a "buddy" on the ride, another guy in my age group that I kept going back an forth with. Despite the ups and downs of the ride (ha ha ha) I managed to eek out 21 mph for the ride.

I had a good arrival into T2 and, being a bit slow to get my running shoes on, my "buddy," who came in just after me, left just before me. So, off on the 10k run.

My legs felt good right from the start and I managed to leave my buddy behind within the first few hundred yards. The course was flat, so I was able to keep a good running rhythm going. Over the next mile I managed to pass two more runners. The course turned onto a gravel rail trail, and I came up to a guy hanging out on the side. "How many have come through here?" I managed to ask him. "You're fifth" he said. So now I could start doing the math--if I could just keep any one from catching me, I was looking at a podium finish. I kept checking over my shoulder, but just didn't see anyone coming up behind me. I knew I was way behind the front group of four, so my goal was just to maintain my place. After about mile three, and still no one behind me, I started to feel a bit more comfortable and eased up a bit. As a race first for me, I grabbed a water at an aid station and managed to ge the crumpled up cup into the garbage can. The kids who were volunteering there went nuts. The rest of the run was pretty straight forward and, around mile 4 when I hit the turn-around I started to see the people behind me--I had quite a lead going. With only about 2 miles to go I held on to a brisk, but manageable pace, averaging 6:17 for the run and crossed the finish at just under 2:19, managing 6th overall and 1st in my age group.

So, overall, a great race. I got a nice little statue (or maybe it's a statuette?), but more importantly felt good during the race, and after, giving me a nice confidence boost going into a half in two weeks. And, while I didn't end up with any pictures for the race, the organizers did use this neat little service. Go to http://www.zumtri.com/race_files/Mayflower2009/ZumTri.html# , put my last name in the search field, and hit next twice.

High Elbows

2009-08-23T02:09:00.003-04:00

Moving forward. One high-elbow at the time.

Reaching a Milestone in Bolton, England

2009-08-13T20:32:00.004-04:00

Behind us, the Rivington Reservoir.

We all showed up with good appetites

Some are more focused than others.

In front of the Reebok Footbal Stadium

I have my own name for this hill.

It is probably mile 14.

About 800 meters to go.

After a full day of work, and then some.

A special gift for TOMahawk

Now, we can relax together.

The men's pro winner, Phil Graves.

Kasia and Erica dancing their night away while waiting for the last athlete to cross the finish line.

And he did!

And that's all folks!

Now, the reading part..................................

On August 2nd after having finished Ironman United Kingdom in 12h12min and placing 29th/194 in the M45-49 age group, I celebrated my 10th Ironman race.

First of all, a huge thank you goes to Erica and Phil (BritTOM) for their generosity in hosting Kasia and I during our trip to England. We had a wonderful time staying with them at their house in a very charming town of Kendal. My initial intension was to provide a day-by-day account of our trip, but the race preparations and a busy daily schedule had limited my attempts. I hope you enjoyed reading about the first three days.

Ironman UK, will for a long time, register with me as a very memorable race. The organizers tried their best, but perhaps, underestimated the likelihood of capricious summer weather conditions (read: rain). And indeed, a lot of rain we had that week. The daily rainfalls have significantly compromised the logistics of and the access to the Ironman Village/Expo. In other words, the rain had turned the village and the transition area into a mudslide field.
Saturday, August 1 – Picking up Kasia at the Manchester Airport, racking our bikes in the transition area, attending the athlete’s briefing and the past party. Indeed, for the first time in my racing experience the carbo-load was scheduled (at the Reebok Football Stadium) a few hours before the race. Next, a speedy return to our hotel for a few hours of sleep.

Sunday, August 2 – It was great to arrive at the transition area at about 4:30AM and have enough time to double-check the bike, see no "portaloo" lines, and have ample time to relax before the race. In fact, there were so many "loos" there that it seemed as though everyone had his/her own. It was in a sharp contrast to all the other Ironman race venues I am familiar with. For some reason, there never seem to be enough of them, when needed.
The 2.4 mile swim was held in the chilly and clean waters of the Revington Reservoir. A deep-water, two-loop swim started at 6:10AM. I felt very comfortable during the entire swim and had no trouble sighting. Needless to say, upon exiting the water, I was concerned (read: disappointed) with my swim time (1h24m.) However, as it turned out, the course turned out to be longer by about 400m.

The transition was the real “bear.” As the saying goes, there is always the first time for everything, this time, it took me about 14 minutes to get through T1. In part, it was caused by a few-hundred meter uphill run from the water’s edge and the atrocious conditions on the ground. The other reason was that on that day I was just slower, period. Nevertheless, after having carried my bike from the transition area, I was on the first of three loops through little towns and the sprawling countryside. The bike course comprised of steep climbs, false flats, and quick downhills, which in most cases terminated at sharp curves. The technical nature of the bike course and the difficulty in utilizing the downhill speed assured that, except for one athlete (the winner, Phil Graves), no other professional was able to break the five-hour mark. Neither could I ;o). My bike time was 6h24m. I suppose, it didn’t help me to lose the entire supply (1,800 calories) of Perpetuem somewhere within the first 3-4 miles on the bike course. When I reached for it behind the saddle it was no longer there. Since it was a three-loop course I was hoping to find it somewhere on the second loop, to no avail. Therefore, I was relegated to survive on about 2,000 calories from Powerbars obtained at the feed stations, and needless to say, I still can’t look at a Powerbar.

T2 went much better and faster. After a quick stop at the “loo” I was on my way to tackle the marathon. My legs felt great – snappy and fresh. I know, I had a big smile on my face. I soon realized that there were no mile/km markers on the run, just as there were none on the bike. This made keeping a consistent pace very challenging. The run course was composed of many uphills and downhills, which were especially noticeable towards the end of the marathon.
The first reliable distance coordinates came at about mile 19 from a race volunteer. At this point I was running approximately 3h40m marathon pace. Unfortunately, this also coincided with Powerbar-induced stomach cramps and a couple of unscheduled stops. In the end, my marathon time was 4h3m. At the finish line I met a few new friends, among them Bella Bayliss. She did a great job there wining her third Ironman race this year. On Saturday, together with Stephen, they will compete in Embrunman Iron-distance race in France, which is considered one of the toughest trifecta races in the world, together with Norseman and Silverman.

I liked the progress I made since last year. I am not quite where I want to be again, but I think, I am on my way. Racing Ironman UK will be remembered for a long time. Certainly for the organizational shortcomings, but more importantly, for the fabulous atmosphere of the event. Particularly, for the cheering crowds of spectators on the bike and the run, and our families who were there (and who are always there) to cheer us on, and who endured the ultimate test of Ironman – being our support for as long as they have to – THANK YOU, AGAIN. Thank you to Phil and Erica for being such great friends and to Phil’s parents who came out to watch us give it all. Also, a big thank you to those who kept us in their thoughts and who followed us during the race.

Our last days in England were spent in London. What a great city! But that is a story for another occasion.

A Great and Challenging Day at Ironman UK

2009-08-09T14:36:00.021-04:00

Last surveying of the swim course. Trust me, its there.

Bringing our appetites and smiles to the pasta dinner on Saturday (yes, Saturday).

Swim start at about 4:30AM.

We had a great system. This is how I spoted our support team in the crowd, including the swim.

Who knows what mile it was. Both, the bike and run courses did not have mile/km markers posted.

I really don't know. What I know is, that it was my first trip to the park that day.

This must me mile 26.2. Its was good to be "home."

There were many hugs and kisses. This one is from my dad.

This one from Erica.

And my mom.

With Erica, again.

A post-race debriefing.

Waiting for the last finisher.

Phil here (BritTOM)! Well, it's nearly a week since IMUK and my legs are getting their standing/walking functions back again! First of all I have to say that this was one of the most challenging IM events I have taken part in - not because of the race (they're always challenging enough) but because of the conditions surrounding it! Lots of rain, lots of mud, and possibly a poor event site selection by the organisers meant that registering, checking in the bike, getting to and from the swim from transition, and generally getting around the site became a pretty energy sapping process in themselves. It was as if someone had decided to add a fourth discipline.

What about the race day? The biggest difference I noticed to other IM events was the support. There were so many people on the bike and run course who were cheering on every single athlete that passed them. Just great! The swim was good for me this time, possibly a bit overlong or maybe I was going slower that I thought, but plenty of clear water and for the first time ever in a race I spotted my supporters on the shore while I was racing. I had a great bike, I'm probably at my fittest in any IM event I've taken part in, with plenty of miles in my legs this summer. But then a run that will go down in my IM history under survival rather than speed. The story starts three weeks ago when my right calf tweaked on a training run. Lots of care and attention got it back to reasonable working order but basically I started the run with a leg hat needed 4-5 weeks rest, not 4-5 hours of running. Needless to say it hurt, my run was slow (so slow that I didn't know I could run for that many hours!) and my focus was completely on completing the race and not at all on the time. Actually, it was quite refreshing to have the same single focus that I had in my first IM - just finishing was the aim!

Tomasz was at the finish line next to the medal, t-shirt and photographer, which was great. And we soon found Erica and Kasia and my family. In fact it has been a real treat to have Tomasz and Kasia with us for this past week - what a wonderful time we've had with them. We've all had a pretty busy time around the race so I think we'll be sending them home to you pretty tired! I can highly recommend racing in the UK from our home as a base, so if any IronTOMs fancy IMUK while it's based near to us for the next couple of years you're more than welcome to come and stay! So, a hard race, great support, very challenging course (aren't they all) and very difficult conditions, but great company.

Now, finally, let me leave you with a a few British words used on IM events that we noticed that need translating:

Rain=showers, drizzle, downpour, pouring, cats and dogs
Mud=mud, sludge, gloop, dirt, mire, gunk, goo
Galoshes=wellingtons
Sunshine=there are no British words for this (it has never been seen
on an IM race day)
Post-race recovery drink=a nice cup of tea
Portapotty=portaloo
Awsome=brilliant
Thanks=cheers mate
Great going guys=jolly well done (only kidding - no one says that anymore!)

All the best
Phil (BritTOM) - currently in retirement (until the next one)

Going the Distance at Lake Placid - The Pictorial

2009-08-09T13:30:00.017-04:00

Who needs a fancy bike stand. My favorite bike mechanic making those final adjustmnets to my precious bike.

Heading over to rack the bike.

The usual "day-before" chaos at the Oval.

Swim start: "just stay behind me, Baby!"

We are way over on the right, "calmly" awaiting the start gun.

I was this close to catching this hot chick in front of me! If I didn't have to make this pit-stop, I could be drafting off her now ......

It was hot, even with the cold-water sponge shoulder pads.

Post-race sharing of tales at Shoulte's.

Ah, basking in the glory of a post-race day, some sunshine and Lake Placid Ale.

Support crews deserve a ton of applause too!

Going the Distance at Lake Placid

2009-08-09T11:11:00.002-04:00

It is great to be an official member of the Ironman Club! Putting all three distances together in the same day was certainly an experience to remember. It was an added bonus to be surrounded by our IronTom teammates and support crew during our entire stay in LP and to catch sight of one another throughout the race. Thanks and congrats to Cheryl, Mike, Tom and of course, my favorite racer – Chuck!

Executive Summary - Sunday evening after the race it seemed like the half-iron distance would be long enough for all future races. By the next day, I was making a list of lessons learned and where to shave time for my next Ironman.

Stats - I was happy to finish, as that was my #1 goal. I had hoped to be closer to 13 hours, but I was happy to finish in 14H16M, all things considered. S=1H35M, T1=9:17, B=7H1M, T2=5:07, R=5H25M

I have to take a moment to brag for Chuck, as he refrains from comment. He did fantastic, pulling off an 11:42! His focus on more time and technique work in swimming really paid off, as he improved his swim by over 12 minutes (now if only that can rub off on me). S=1H8M, T1=7:09, B=6H3M, T2=5:29, R=4H17M

Overall Lessons Learned (LL):
1. As is the case with marathoning or any other endurance event, it’s important to have #1 goals, mid-range goals and stretch goals, as many factors necessitate adjustment in execution of the “master plan.”
2. If I treat race day like a long training day, then I can stay calm.

Weather - The weather was good overall compared to the cold and torrential rain last year. A brief but steady rain at the swim start did not bother us competitors at all, but made for a wet start to the day for the spectators. We would have paid money for rain during the run.

Swim - I met my #1 goal for the swim in that I was comfortable the whole time. I thought I would break 1:30, but that didn't happen and I quickly let that go as I moved onto the bike. I managed the crowd just fine in the swim, as I started off to the right shore and waited 1-2 minutes after the gun went off to start. Lots and lots of people around me, but no serious whacks given or received. On the second loop I managed to get on the inside line of the cable, which meant I rarely had to sight. Believe it or not, even at my pace (read, “slow”), I fought off lots of less-than-practiced drafters who had the annoying habit of grabbing my feet. Some furious kicking usually shed that baggage. Lessons Learned (LL):
1. I can avoid breathing problems on the swim if I skip races with water less than 65-degrees.
2. When I get back inside for Masters swimming, return to focus on technique to improve speed.

Bike - I had hoped to be faster, but had to be happy with my results, as I gave it all I had on that day. It was hot and humid, but not as bad as it was on the run. There was a fierce headwind on the hardest uphill climb from Wilmington back into LP. My feet were screaming with pain at various points from mile 60 on, telling me I still have some work to do on positioning and form.
Lessons Learned (LL):
1. If I continue to amp up my time and intensity on the bike, I will achieve my biking goals.
2. Force more food, beverage and salt on the bike, especially in the heat (when I feel like it the least).
3. Get a tri shirt with deeper pockets in case I must have my “security blanket items” (jacket, arm warmers and gloves).
4. Address my foot discomfort – adjust pedals, positioning or form.
5. I can’t make myself pee on my bike unless it’s raining.
6. Because of the above lesson, I need to figure out some pee stops in advance to avoid long stops at busy aid stations.

Run - I was so elated to be off the bike that I blasted into the run feeling great. I ran the first three miles at an 8:20 pace, though it felt like I was shuffling. By mile seven, I had settled into 9min/mile – still too fast for the heat and for me to sustain for the long haul at the end of an I-man.

Around mile eight, my “smoking gun event” began to fizzle. It was very hot and the sun exposure on River Road took its toll. I realized I hadn't taken in enough salt on the bike to account for the humidity and, due to the heat, my stomach was rejecting my nutrition plan for the run. I spent much of the middle eight miles walking more than running and experimenting with options at the aid stations to find something that my stomach would tolerate to bring back my energy. Finally Coke, ice and water worked! I was able to jog (slowly) the last eight miles. Not the run I had planned…

Those middle miles of the marathon were a death march; there were times during that period that I thought I might be walking the entire rest of the marathon. I saw my time goals slip away and - as I did my fuzzy math - I knew it was going to be a long night. When I was able to start jogging again around mile 18, I was quite happy. How things can turn during this epic event!
Lessons Learned (LL):
1. Be prepared to alter nutrition/hydration plan on the run based on the weather.
2. Skip the fuel belt on the run, or dump it in the early miles if I’m not using it (don’t wait ‘til mile 23 to ditch the extra weight).

Upon reflection, it was all fun. Thanks to all for your support! (Pictures are forthcoming).

Getting Ready - Day 3

2009-07-31T17:39:00.003-04:00

Today was another busy day, which included putting our race bags together. While working on it, we came up with a few innovations for the inclement weather on the race day (which is expected).

In the morning Erica, Phil, and I stopped at a local cafe for a cup of coffee/tea. People are so friendly around here. Later, Phil went for a physical therapy treatment while I had another opportunity to tour the town. I think by the time we leave Kendal, I will be quite familiar with its layout and the surroundings. On our way back we stopped at several landmarks, which included the famous Kendal Mint Candy factory and an overlook displaying the beautiful panorama of the town. In the afternoon we paid a visit to a bike store for a last-minute shopping.

Tomorrow morning, we are heading to pick up Kasia at the Manchester Airport, drop off our bikes and transition bags, as well as to check into hotel where we will be staying for the next two nights. In the afternoon, we will attend the Ironman dinner at the Reebok Stadium. I think its the first time the pre-race dinner had been scheduled Saturday. We will see how many athletes will show up.

P.S. TOMahawk, Bella will be racing at IMUK. I will make sure to say hello to her from you. So you know, she is now a Bayliss ;o)

A Little More Sun - Day 2

2009-07-30T18:20:00.004-04:00

Smiling during the training ride on IMUK course - I really love this sport. Here I am reaching the top of a tough hill accompanied by a brief moment of sunshine

Its officials. We are registered. Can you guess whose hand is which?

Today was also a busy day. Although much shinier and perhaps less cold, it was more windy than yesterday. After having slept for 12 hours, I think, I finally got onto the new time schedule. Early this morning we drove to Bolton to register for the race(60 miles). The registration and the athlete village is located in the grass field (very charming) and surrounded by cows. In many ways, the British country side resembles greatly the country sides Vermont or New Hampshire, except, that the there are many more sheep, here. Today, those areas were absolutely flooded and it took some skill to avoid getting our feet soaked (which we managed to do, anyway). The organizers were hard at work drying it all out and trying to make it ready for Sunday.

Following registration, I had an opportunity to bike-ride most of the loop (there will be three loops on the bike) with a couple of British triathletes, while Phil followed us in his car making sure we stayed on course. And it was a challenge due to the last-minute changes introduced by the organizers. I must say, that the scenery of the bike course through the country side was beautiful leading us on narrow roads through little towns on a rather technical course. And of course, we had to fight those wicket head and cross winds, which will definitely be demoralising, should they continue on the race day. My first thought - Silverman.

In the evening, Phil and I went for an Alexander Technique treatment, courtesy of Erica who practices in this field. It was a very relaxing hour, and I think, it helped my upper back, which recently had been giving me some trouble. After the treatment, the three of us had a dinner in the Art District, after which we walk-toured the city on our way home.

Wind, Cold, and Rain in Bolton - Day 1

2009-07-30T17:53:00.006-04:00

Upon arrival in Kendal with Erica (with Luke) and Phil

Day 1 - Greetings from England. It had been very busy first day. After arriving on Wednesday in Manchester, Phil picked me up at the Manchester airport. On the way to his house in Kendal, Cumbria, we drove a part of the run and bike courses in Bolton, where we were accompanied by a strong wind, rain and the cold. Upon arrival at his home we assembled our bikes and made them race-ready. And, may I say, it was all done within the first few hours of touching down in GB.

After catching up on the last two years of not seeing each other, Phil and I went for a training run (the usual 25 miles ;o - just kidding) in the town. He had to cut his run a bit short due an aching soleus muscle. Phil and Erica live in a very charming town full of old architecture and interesting landmarks. Kendal is also world-renowned for its Kendal Mint Cakes (pictures to come), a sugar-based candy used by endurance athletes. I am really looking forward to trying those.

Good Race At Ironman Rhode Island 70.3

2009-07-21T14:48:00.004-04:00

Before the swim (for the album) JanTOM, the Ironmate, and TOMasz

Congratulations!

JanTOM had another good race at IM Rhode Island 70.3, where he took 6th place in the M55-59 age group with the time of 5:09. This performance came on the heels of his 4th place finish at Ironman Eagleman in 5:01 in June.

Ironman Lake Placid Bibs Have Been Assigned

2009-07-21T12:22:00.003-04:00

Only five days separates our teammates from toeing the staring line at the Mirror Lake. Here are their bibs. Good luck racing!

2359 - Mrs. TOMTOM
2260 - TOMmomma
1884 - T2
1735 - Mr. TOMTOM
873 - TOMb
1276 - Josh K.

They can be followed live on the race day (Sunday, July 26th) at www.ironman.com

MajorTOM's Report From IM Rhode Island 70.3 - The Book

2009-07-15T18:08:00.011-04:00

With my fans Beatka and Kasia

The setup: The thing that makes this race a bit tricky is that it is point-to-point, so there is a whole extra set of logistics that goes into registration and setup. Unlike last year, I managed to pick up my race packet in Providence on Friday evening. If you can manage this, it's a big help. The registration is super fast and then on Saturday you just have to get your run gear down to T2 in Providence, and then your bike over to T1 in Naraganset. Apparently other people also like to go to the beach on sunny, weekend days, so be prepared for some traffic.

Race Morning: Ah, nothing like getting awoken from your night's sleep before the race by the sound of thunder and the crash of lightning. Both great signs. I managed to fall back asleep, and dream of cruising along dry roads. But, when my alarm went off at 3:30, the dream was over. Rain was still dripping from the trees, the roads were pretty wet, and I was rethinking my brilliant plan of clipping my shoes into my pedals the day before. Now, last year at this race I had struggled a bit because I had overeaten the day before the race and my stomach was unsettled, so this year I tried to cut back a bit and had a couple of bananas and some yogurt for breakfast. As we will learn, this was not the best plan. By a little after 4 we were off, and things were looking up. The sky was still overcast, but the rain was holding off. Things change, however, when you get to the beach. What had felt like a slight breeze in Warwick translated to a steady seaside wind that was making for very choppy conditions. I quickly got my gear in place, toweled off my bike, put on my wetsuit, and headed out to the swim start. A quick warm-up in the water was instructive: swimming into the waves was a repetition of scrambling uphill and belly-flopping on the way down. Yet another one of those real world conditions that you just can't simulate in the pool--unless you swim in a wave pool...

The Swim: As you may have guessed, the swim was a rough one. Last year I was happy that I was able to swim without struggling the first 200 yards or so to get things under control. This time, all bets were off. Finding a stroking/breathing rhythm was impossible and I had to stop a couple of times to try to get my breathing under control. It was also very hard to sight properly with the waves blocking the buoys. But, once I got going, things went well. I managed to move in more-or-less a straight line and, by the first turn, was already passing people one and two waves in front of me--clearly some people were really struggling out there. To top it off, the wind and waves was bringing in all kinds of bits of seaweed which I kept touching. I just hate being in the water grabbing at stuff and not knowing what it is. After the first turn, things went pretty smoothly. Swimming parallel to shore was easier, since you could turn to breath away from the waves. On the second, and final turn, it was very difficult to find the buoys, and a couple of times I got disoriented. I could see other people swimming around me, but they were so spread out it was hard to know who's instincts I should latch on to. But, once I figured out where to go, the swimming was a lot easier. Going with the waves you could really feel yourself moving along. I hit the beach in 29:30 and began to get out of my wetsuit as I made my way up to the timing mat. It's a pretty long jog out of the beach, through some soft sand, which makes things a little treacherous, but a minute later I was through and on to transition. So far so good, I was 1 minute ahead of last year when, at the start of the swim, I had thought I was going to see a much slower time.

Into transition and, this time, no messing around. Wetsuit shoved in the bag, race belt on, sunglasses on, helmet on, and we're off onto the bike course.

The Bike: The bike course is, by far the best thing about this race. It is super fast, super fun. For the first twenty miles or so you're out near the coast, so you can really move along. The hills, such as they are, are short and very moderate. To top it off, the previous night's rain had left behind a lot of cloud cover which was keeping things nice and cool. For the most part, the ride was uneventful. I did learn, however, that I really need to figure out how to go downhill. I always thought that this was one of those things that just happened on a bike, but apparently there is a skill to it because I would invariably pass people on the climbs, and then get passed on the way down. I found miles 20-30 to be a bit of a slog. Again, no real challenging hills, just rollers that trend upward, so it's hard to get any real momentum going. By mile 40 however, things pick up again. I should also say that this course was well marked, with a lot of volunteers and good traffic control. The final 7 miles or so wind through Providence, and here things got a bit dicey. The road surface, which had been very smooth, became potholed and train-tracked, making for a bumpy ride. At the same time though, this was a lot of fun. I found myself with a small group zipping around the city streets and I was feeling fast and focused. This all fell apart about a mile from the finish when the guy in front of me came too fast into a sharp left hand turn and hit the curb and I followed him into said curb. For me, this was my first real wreck. I think watching the Tour de France coverage over the last week kept me calm because those guys wreck all the time, and then just jump up and hop back on their rides. Of course, no Mini Cooper was going to drop off a spare bike for me, but the only damage seemed to be a dropped chain, a broken water bottle cage, and a bike computer that no longer worked. Oh well. I was just glad that I could hop back on, make the short climb up to T2, and make a clean dismount. Even with the wreck, I came in at 2:35--three full minutes faster than last year.

I got to T2 and learned why smart people, when they have to leave their run gear out on the grass overnight when there is a chance of rain, take steps to keep the water out. I racked my bike, and opened my bag to find my shoes and socks sitting in an inch of water. Undettered, I threw on my sopping foot gear, grabbed my hat, and set out for the run.

The Run: I had done this course before, so I knew what to expect. At the getgo I was moving okay, but feeling tired and heavy in the legs. Unlike last year, however, I was able to keep up a steady pace. The first real challenge was Angel hill--a long, very steep climb within the first mile. My quads were starting to complain and I was getting worried that they wouldn't hold up. By mile 4, I was starting to get my running legs under me. I was becoming concerned, however, about my food intake (or lack thereof). Besides the three bananas and bit of yogurt in the morning, I had taken in four gels and about 240 calories of fluids on the bike--all told, that was about 1000 calories since 4 a.m.--clearly not enough. I was taking cups of Gatorade and water at the aid stations, and at around mile 3 had half of a gel, but clearly was not eating enough. And yet, I just could get myself to eat. At the turn around, starting loop 2, I was still feeling pretty good. Coming off Angel hill for the second time, I was starting to pick it up. Miles 7 through 11 were good and strong--not particularly fast, but I was holding consistent. More to the point, some quick calculations were telling me that, if I could hold on, not only would I break my 4:50 goal, but I would just make it in under 4:45. Right around mile 11 though, things started to break down. The lack of food was getting to me. I still had only had half of a gel on the whole run, along with some Gatorade, and clearly I was depleated. Fortunately, the course was mostly downhill. Coming into the last half mile, I managed to hold it together and, hopefully, pulled off a strong finish-look as I came into the finishing shoot at 4:44:22.

I took off my timing chip, got my finishers medal, grabbed some water and headed over to get in line for massage. I stood there for a few minutes and then, feeling the race (and my lack of eating) catch up to me, found my way to a port-a-john and threw up. Now the race was officially over.

Great Time Was Had By All At Ironman Providence 70.3

2009-07-13T10:10:00.005-04:00

While we are working on the race report, here is a preview of what is to come. And here is how Rhode Island's ABC 6 summarized the race.

http://www.abc6.com/sports/50591282.html

JanTOM in front of an "angry" ocean prior to the swim. The waves were anywhere from 2-3 feet toll. Needless to say, sighting was greatly impaired. Race organizers offered a "duathlon" option (bike-run) for those concerned about the water conditions

JayTOM and TOMasz - never too late to display our colors. The swim-time is approaching

It was a great day. Our support team was awsome - we love them. From right: Kasia, MajorTOM, Jarus, TOMasz, Beatka, and Linda. Behind us, the beautiful Rhode Island State Capitol

IM Providence 70.3 - Next Sunday

2009-07-04T23:14:00.005-04:00

The training is in full swing for this year's racing season. The first test for me is the Ironman Providence 70.3 on July 12th. It is a point-to-point race commencing at the Wheeler State Park in Narragansett and finishing at the State House in Providence. If the weather cooperates, we all should have an awsome time there (JanTOM, MajorTOM, JayTOM and myself). Follow us at http://www.ironman.com/

A training day in Enfield between rains

I Was So Close

2009-06-21T22:53:00.007-04:00

With friends before the race

Indeed, I needed about one minute to breake the 5-hour mark.

This year's Ironman Eagleman 70.3 in Maryland was blessed with the best weather conditions in a long time, although, one think we could count on was the wind on the bike and the notorious drafting by many.

Stoping the traffic on the streets of Cambridge

I was very pleased with my performance and placing fifth in the young 55-59 age group. This year, I decided not to accept the Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifying slot for Clearwater, FL.

The sweetest moment of them all

Next stop, Ironman Providence 70.3 and another chance to break 5 hours, as well as to race with some of the IronTOM team mates

See you there.

Training Days And More

2009-06-13T10:58:00.010-04:00

Last weekend Kasia and I traveled to the North East Kingdom, Vermont, to have some of the best time in a long time. On Friday, we joined our friends and hosts, Nancy and Delvin, at the Lowell Jamboree concert, where more than twenty vocalists and instrumentalists engaged the audience in an evening full of music, dance, fun, and laughter.

The fiddle concert performance in Lowell

My support group

On Saturday, while Kasia volunteered her time at the OEVNA sale ticket table, I raced in the first of two Century bicycle races (100.5 miles) that took us from Newport, VT, through some of the most spectacular parts of the state. Admiring the beautiful vistas took the mind away from the grueling experience of climbing some of the most challenging mountains around. In the evening we joined Nancy and Delvin in attending a fundraising dinner/dance for the Orleans Essex VNA & Hospice. Despite, having just finished a 100+ mile race, where I came in 4th, I had no trouble spending most of the time on the parquet floor dancing the evening away to the tunes of the country music and the strong voice of Nolan Keeghan, an accomplished, young female vocalist. As I understand, in a couple of weeks, Nolan will be competing in this year’s edition of the “American Idol.”

Minutes before the start

And here it comes - start to Day-1

Sunday brought about an even more challenging day of riding. A 107-mile velo loop took the riders from Newport and over some of the highest mountain peaks in the state (Jay Peak and Lowell Mountain). I stayed on pace for the first 60 miles+, after which, somewhat challenging road conditions (the winter does not help to maintain roads in a good shape), and the constant shaking kept on loosening the rear wheel’s valve extender, thus causing the tire to leak air. Having to stop too many times to “fill up” the air, and eventually, having to replace the tire, assured me to secure the last place in this race.

Waiting in anticipation

And here it comes - start to Day-2

I considered the IROC Century races as part of my training regiment leading to my most important races of this season – Ironman Providence 70.3, Ironman United Kingdom, and Silverman Iron. Riding the back-to-back 100-milers+ gave me a lot of confidence in my conditioning and made me content with where I am on my training spectrum. In addition, doing it all on the 23-rear gear cassette brought a huge smile to my face every time I crested another mountain or a long climb.

We will be heading back to the North East Kingdom a few more times this summer for athletic and social events. In a couple of weeks for a fiddle-concert extravaganza, and later for a 3-mile swim race (July) and a Derby Sprint Triathlon (August). Of course, we also plan to return to repeat the Century races, and hope to see smoother road conditions.

From The Saddle Of BritTOM - Ironman UK 2009

2009-05-30T22:06:00.010-04:00

Swim and bike course pictures from the 2009 edition of Ironman UK to be held on August 2, 2009, in Bolton, England. BritTOM and TOMasz will be representing the team, there. The real challenge will be to stay on the right side of the road - at least, for one of us.

Getting technical

This portion will be quite flat

The beautiful country side

The 2009 Boston Marathon Adventure

2009-05-10T15:03:00.009-04:00

In less than perfect weather conditions I completed my first Boston Marathon. Below is my story. Enjoy.

And here I come

Get ready, get set, go ..........

The Man in black

With friends following the race

Feeling patriotic

Pain is temporary, pride is forever

TOMalita & TOM-a-Lot's Big Adventure in New Orleans

2009-05-05T22:45:00.012-04:00

This is a pictorial report from the trip to Ironman New Orleans 70.3

A local bike store - safe and secure

Hard at work

An R & R in the city before the race

Last-minute workout by the candy store

A carbo-load with friends at Mena's Place

With a friend triathlete

The Inaugural Ironman New Orleans' 70.3

2009-04-19T17:15:00.006-04:00

The moral of the story: you get out of a triathlon what you put into it.

Therefore, running an average of four miles a week makes a 13.1 mile run race seem very long; putting on a wetsuit for the first time of the season minutes before your swim wave goes out makes for a nerve-wracking swim experience; applying sun protection to one part of your body won't make the rest of your skin immune to the sun’s rays; and pushing yourself to complete your most intense yoga workout to date two days before a half-ironman distance race is a bad idea.

One racer’s insightful tale of love, hate, happiness, sadness, pain, and relief, along with a little song and dance.

The day started with a 1.2 mile walk to the swim start. There were shuttle buses available, but with 67% humidity at 06:30 in the morning, standing in-line to get onto a fully packed bus didn't appeal to us. The walk to the swim start afforded us the opportunity to watch the pros swim along the shore below us in the water. The swim was a nice straight shot from point to point. The ride was flat and fast (well, for other triathletes). The sheer number of police officers blocking every intersection of the race that rode through the 'hood' was astonishing. The relationship that developed with the wind was that of love and hate - the relief from the humidity was refreshing, but the headwind was discouraging. Perhaps my proudest moment after the race was finding out that I beat out Tom-Tom-Tom-Tommy-Tom-Tom-Tom-a-Lot going through T2. He's got a typical triathlon story to clarify this result.

The run started off all right - hey, I was happy that I managed to remain upright and propel myself forward in a straight line. Seeing the five-mile marker made me think that the goal of running the full course would be achievable. By the time that I reached the nine-mile marker, I had stopped twice to stretch out my legs and hips (remnants of my yoga injuries), and was shuffling along. I never thought that I would be one of those people who would shuffle. To confirm my progress, I asked a few people whether I was propelling myself forward or just moving in place, and whether the shuffle resembled running at all. The responses consisted of reassuring smiles and, “yeah, sort of” replies. So, as you're sitting on the edge of your seat reading this report, you're probably wondering what kept her going? How did she push through the adversity that life was presenting her with? Well, how does any true athlete handle such a situation - the boredom was countered by singing (sometimes only in my mind and occasionally at a low hum) the Sound of Music tune that starts with “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” ... again and again and again.

The best experiences in the race were the kisses (yes, from Joe) around mile two of the run and at the end of the race. There were other positive experiences, but I'll have to hire a psychiatrist to help counsel me through my thoughts. I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow that night (hopefully, you don't before you finish reading this report). So, here’s another lesson learned from this trip: New Orleans is there for fun, drinking in the streets, creole delicacies, relaxation, and dancing to the sounds of the zydeco band.

Short And Sweet

2009-04-05T20:08:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Some of you I have already talk to about my first 100 miler, so I will make a long painful story short and sweet. I had to pull myself out of the race at mile 62.5 because of some intense foot pain. After seeing the medial people, they suggested that I go to the local ER for x-rays.

I have a torn ligament and several bone fragments in and around the left ankle area. So I will be seeing an Ortho doc on Monday. I will be sending out a more detailed race report in a week or so.

Great Athletic Events In Vermont This Summer

2009-03-30T09:09:00.002-04:00

There are some fantastic races organized this summer in the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont, one oth the most scenic regions in the country.

May 23, 2009 Dandelion Run www.dandelionrun.org
June 6-7, 2009 Tour de Kingdom www.tourdekingdom.org
July 25, 2009 Kingdom Swim www.kingdomswim.org
August 15, 2009 Kingdom Triathlon www.kingdomtriathlon.org

Explore The Kingdom

2009-01-30T21:08:00.008-05:00

That is, the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont. Below, you will find links to three great athletic events organized this summer in one of the prettiest parts of the country. The events will definitely challenge you and the proceeds will go to support not-for-profit causes. It is a win-win-win for all and I can't wait to toe the starting line, there. Hope to see you there.http://www.tourthekingdom.org/

http://www.kingdomswim.org/

http://www.kingdomtriathlon.org/

For Those Who Want More

2009-01-29T16:21:00.003-05:00

While at Silverman in Nevada I spoke with the promotor of Iron-Distance races that are not sanctioned by the Ironman Corporation. These races are offered in some really nice parts of the USA and around the world and are worth checking out. Here is the link to their website. Enjoy!!!

http://www.k226.com/

Continue Racing Late in the Season

2009-01-13T19:46:00.003-05:00

Not only am I marketing a new racing attire, but I am also adding more distance to the race

First off I have to thank my Mom for being awesome acting as my taxi service, photographer, cheering section, and item retriever after the race. She was great along with all the police and volunteers along the race. All the major intersections in the city had police officers at them and the minor ones had volunteers. The aid stations were every other mile and were well manned and stocked. The course was also well marked if ever you had question of where you were going. The crowds were also great this year coming out to support the runners and cheering us on. As for the race. It quite cool waiting before the race right up until the start. Once the race started up I started warming up. I had a really good first half marathon. My time was about 2:02 and change when I crossed the half way timing mat. Somewhere after seeing my Mom around mile 14 or 15 my legs started tiring and I started slowing down. I thought I had trained pretty well with some long runs but I was tiring anyways. I’m not sure if I wasn’t hydrated enough or was getting cold and didn’t realize it or just didn’t get enough run training in. I was able to run the whole race and came in 322th of 434 finishers at 4:25:37. I guess not terrible for my first race but hoping for better. My goal was between four and four and a half hours so I did make that but was hoping to be closer to four hours than the four and a half. I think I’m going to do this race again next year but am not sure if I’ll do the marathon or just the half which runs at the same time. Maybe I’ll see you out there. It’s a fun race.

Ahhh, finally the medal

I Have Had Iron(s). Now, I Have Silver, Too

2008-12-30T10:20:00.016-05:00

Silverman is coming to town

I started writing the Silverman-Iron race 2008 report with the best intentions of finishing it. That was, until I read a report by one of my fellow competitors from Reno, Nevada, and thought to myself - this says it all. Therefore, after you scroll down this collage of pictures click on the link below and find out what Silverman 2008 was all about.

All I want to say in this report is that this year’s Silverman Iron race has been all they say it would be, could be, and more. I wanted to thank my biggest fan, Kasia, for cheering me on in Henderson and at every other race – good or bad, rain or shine, warm or cold. It seems as though, lately, it had been all rain and cold, and hail, all the time. Secondly, thanks to Jen Pizzy, my strength coach whose training regiment prepared me very well for climbing the thousands of feet of elevation (12,000 ft on the bike and 2,000 ft on the run), and thirdly, thanks to all who kept me in their thoughts on the race day. There was no TOM left behind!

Behind me Lake Mead. On the race day it was stormy

My inspirations. Kasia and Dave "The Man" Scott, six-time Ironman World Champion (a great guy)

These athletes behind me (1/2 Iron) would not be allowed in the water for an additional 1 hour because of stormy water conditions

A warm-up. 1-mile climb straight from T1

Shortly before my first flat tire

I really like this pick

The looks are deceiving. I really enjoyed the run. I think, it may be the second loop

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=2086423;page=1;mh=-1;;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC

Check out this Silverman-Iron Trailer http://www.silvermannv.com/press_room/silverman-trailer.php

Lessons Learned:

1. Having one spare tire for two flats will not solve the problem

2. Good weather on a Saturday and Monday will not guarantee even a semi-descent weather on the race day Sunday

3. Having a great race despite all adversities - priceless

4. It took no time to decide to register for Silverman-Iron 2009 ;o)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2008-12-21T19:46:00.004-05:00

I hope the upcoming holidays will fill your life with joy and the 2009 racing season will be full of success stories.

VERMONT HALF JOURNEY 70.3 - GOING LONG

2008-08-26T21:19:00.002-04:00

Vermont Half Journey 2008. There couldn’t have been a better day for a triathlon than this day. The weather was nice even prior to race time. I set up my stuff at transition in a relaxed fashion since I was there early. (A benefit of camping at the state park where the triathlon was located.) I looked around once in a while for TOMahawk since he said he was going to make a showing but no sight of him nearing the start of the swim. I took a short warm up swim before the race mostly to get used to the water. It wasn’t bad but a bit shallow. While I was getting out of the water they started making announcements so I hurried to the area. While there I got a greeting from TOMahawk. We talked a bit during the announcements and then headed to the swim start area. I got to the start area pretty relaxed and ready for a long day of exercising.

When my wave got started I entered and started swimming and it felt a bit crowded even though it wasn’t. I remember feeling a bit anxious after going a hundred or two hundred yards. I started thinking I better relax and slow down a bit so I’d be calmer. I slowed down a bit and relaxed and after that I was pretty relaxed and was able to keep a pretty good pace. The only problem after that was about a quarter of the way through the first loop of the swim I felt water coming into the right eye of my goggle like at the Stoked Xterrea race. There wasn’t a lot of water in the goggle but enough that I thought I probably lost a contact again and was wondering if I should try and bike the course with one contact or take the one out and bike with glasses. The one contact was winning the debate while swimming. A 39:29 swim which wasn’t terrible if you compare it to times I had for other swims this year but not bad, but not great, compared to the other competitors.

So, in transition and while coming out of the water I’m looking in my goggle to see if it still might be around. No luck at all, except I roll around my eye all over the place and to my luck it is still in. I strip out of the wet suit, put on socks and bike shoes, getting food for the bike while trying to eat a banana. Not really pushing it with this being my first ½. A bit of a long transition but I’m off. The bike was pretty nice overall.

The course is on Route 7 for 90% of the race and the road has break down lanes so you don’t have to worry about traffic. It also has some nice views of farms and mountains and such. I do remember there being a pretty good head wind going south on 7. This was a benefit on the way north though but was still trying when facing it. My bike wasn’t bad although I stopped twice to use the woods and once to refill on water at the aid stations. I’m guessing this slowed me down a bit and will need some work next year. Final time on bike 3:13:27.

This event was my worst event which is typically the case when I do triathlons. In transition two I had a Cliffbar and water along with 2 Endurolytes. (I’m not sure if this is a great combination but that is what I had.) Got my running shoes on and as I was thinking on part of the bike. It is going to be just a run. I’ll take it easy and do it. I’ve done plenty of long runs before. So, I started running and at a steady pace with some guy ahead of me doing a better pace which was disheartening. I kept running my pace and caught up to some people. Again the course had some great views. This time of the lake and area around it. After a while I started getting tired a bit but kept thinking to myself that I wanted to run the whole course and to just keep that slow steady pace for the whole run. Nearing the end I picked up the pace a bit just so I could stay ahead of anyone behind me. In the process I almost caught up with the guy in front of me. I actually slowed back to my normal pace near the finish since he was going to go through with his (or someone’s) kids. Run time was 2:07:52 which placed me 66th of the 149 finishers in the run. 95th place overall.

Lessons learned:

1st, and probably most important. You can never put on to much sunscreen before a race. Not wearing tank tops during the summer except at races I got a pretty good sunburn because I didn’t apply enough. With a father who has battled skin cancer I don’t want to go through the same process.

2nd, I need to train more and look at ways to reduce my bike times.

3rd It is great to be on a team like IRONTOM where you have teammates for support (along with family and friends of course.)

TIMBERMAN 70.3 REPORT WITH A LATIN FLAVOR

2008-08-26T11:21:00.007-04:00

Vēnī, vīdī, frigus
(I came, I saw, I froze!)

Training...
In 2006, some may remember, blustery cold, wet conditions. I registered as a Clydesdale (which of course is demoralizing unto itself in a way...) and was promptly at the transition area at 4:30am. My wave began, after delays, at close to 9:15am. I sat shivering most of the morning using up most of the energy I would desperately need later in the day to stay warm. After 3:40 on the bike, I was asked on the turn to the run by a medic how I was feeling (I could only imagine how bad I looked), and I answered: “cold.” He said, “wrong answer chap” and pulled me from the race into the medic tent.

Lessons learned…
1. Clydesdales swim in the back – lose some weight!
2. Get off the bike in less than 3:40!

Vēnī, vīdī, ieiunium
(I came, I saw, I was fast!... well, sort of, read on…)

Fast forward to 2008. Having recently moved back from Colorado, where despite popular belief, it is usually sunny and warmish year round, I wasn’t sure that my training was where it needed to be. I relied on spinning and the elliptical (and Tom & Cheryl for motivation) for most of my winter training. Come spring I was able to get outside much more – which I think helped my bike speed.

Swim: As noted in previous race report, there were two parachuters that landed on the beach at the start of the race. I hardly noticed as I was focused on the fact the buoyies were clearly mis-measured and that we would be doing a 10k swim that day. I tried to focus on breathing knowing that they must have gotten it right, all the while knowing that they didn’t and I was about the swim the English channel. Like others, this is the part where I start making deals with the almighty… “just let me get through the swim & out of the water in one piece and I promise to never miss a masters swim or not show up for one of those open water Mascoma swims for the rest of my life.” Before I knew it we were off and the swim went as good as one who doesn’t swim nearly as much as he should could expect. I was out of the water in about 45 minutes.

There is someone behind me

Bike: Here’s the brass tax… I’d ridden the course several times this summer. I know 106 like the back of my hand (and if I am going to attain my double secret goal of under 5:30, it’s going to happen here on the bike). I got off on the bike well after nearly a decade in the transition, something I can improve on greatly. It was a beautiful day and I remember to thank the heavens for a safe swim. I was feeling fast and strong and was at the turn before I knew it. Off the bike in 2:45, fastest I had done all summer.

Riding strong

Run: Here’s where the title of this little section is a bit misleading. When I say that I was fast, I mean to say that I was fast for me and only on the bike. I ran (for all you purist… walked quickly, shuffled, begged, pleaded, moaned, groaned, and completed almost broke down) the run in a slow… slow… manner. 2:28! Wow, that hurts even to write!!!

That is the running part

There was, however, and unforgettable moment during the long stroll that I took. At around mile 4 I heard a shout from someone coming in the other direction, “GO TEAM HOYT.” I picked my head up long enough to see them go right past me. I was literally moved to tears at the sight of such dedication and love. I get goose bumps now as I think about seeing, what in my mind, is one of the greatest hero’s of our generation. I won’t belabor the point, but I will say that even though the run was tragically slow, it was one of my most cherished triathlon moments, albeit fleeting, to be running on the same course as team Hoyt.

Vēnī, vīdī, incite
(I came, I saw, I am inspired…)

The post race mood was light and although the body was mucho sore, we imbibed by the fire into the wee hours. Having circled up the campers and eaten far too many hot wings it was clear to me that I must focus more on my running – but more clear to me that there is no other sport that allows me to embrace my natural self more so than triathlon… I look forward to many more races, miles, and smiles in the future (and of course, to going under 1:45 on the run next year at Timberman!).

Incite, indeed

TOMBERMAN 70.3 AND SO MANY NEW LESSONS LEARNED

2008-08-25T10:22:00.007-04:00

First I would like to Thank Leslie for joining and supporting me once again at Timberman .

Swim - We had to leave transition at 6:30am for a “special surprise” before the race start. Aaron and I watched as a skydiver floated down towards the beach. For a second we thought it was Tomasz coming in to spectate but it turned out to be a local skydiver.

I was not very happy with the Swim. At the gun I started to stroke and my arms felt like lead. I was also having trouble breathing. I should have done a warmup like usual but was stuck in the port a john line for a ½ hr before my wave started.

After the 1st turn I started to feel normal but still was way off from the buoys. I know I swam extra yardage in this race.

I got out in 41:55

Bike- The bike was the best part of my day. I managed to stay in the aero position for 90% of the race. I saw Aaron had a flat and I asked if he was allset and he said he was. What is up with Team Irontom and flats? Probably just jinked myself. I finished the bike split in 2:58 avg 18.8 mph so I was happy with that result.

Run - the run is the run. I liked the guys throwing snow balls to the racers and the cheering crowds. There was a lot of race support this year. I enjoyed the salt and vinegar Pringles, coke and wet sponges the most. My run split was 2:04.

I finished the race in 5:50 which was 7 minutes faster than my 2006 Timberman. I was happy with the result.

Happy, and could go for another 13 miles

Notes and observations this year:

My 2007 knee injury has healed in 2008 with no lose of training time. Thank you Dr. Karlson.

Not enough port a johns.

Although the food was excellent post race I waited way too long in line.

Aaron is fast.

What a professionally looking athlete

The debate rages on in my head which course is harder - Moosman or Timberman. I am leaning toward Mooseman.

Congratulations to Carla for completing her first 70.3!!!

We need to get Joe a GPS.

Deep concentration

I need to do more Brick workouts to help me on the Run.

I will probably do some road races this fall.

It was great seeing the Team at Timberman this year. It makes it a lot more fun racing with teammates.

Ahhhhh - of course, it does

Still looking at an Ironman attempt in 2009, not sure which one.

SORT 2008 XTERRA - OR SHOULD I SAY, COLD, MUD, AND SUN?

2008-08-14T21:38:00.004-04:00

Stoaked Off Road Triathlon (SORT) 2008 - I got to the venue real early and had plenty of time to set my stuff up but man was it cold for this time of year.

My idea of just wearing a sweatshirt over my tri suit was probably not the best. It was foggy and continued to be foggy up until start time. I’m glad I brought my wetsuit because I needed it. For some reason the swim seemed crowded this year even though there weren’t that many more people compared to past years. I had a pretty good swim, at least how I placed compared to last year. While on the swim I managed to lose a contact. I was hoping it may have rolled back above the eye lid and work its way back down but no such luck. I came out of the water in just over 21 minutes which placed me around 57th of 110 to start. (Other than overall placing I’m not positive if I counted down the list correctly which is how I figured my places.)

Transition went fairly smoothly and the bike was a blast considering I had one contact, the course was muddy as can be with plenty of walking/running especially on the single track. The open areas where very rideible but also very muddy. It was a double loop bike course and just to through in some fun my bike’s chain decided to cease up while cracking hard on uphills which I’m pretty good at. So I ended up having to walk my bike for a decent amount more than I needed slowing me down a bit. I ended up 85th of the 102 to finish. By the run the sun was finally fully out and it was really nice. I like the course. It has some pretty steep hills going on some trails, one of which going through a big field. Two loops which helped me make up some of my slow showing on the bike. On the run I placed 63rd giving me a 77th place finish. I keep improving each year in how I place compared to the competition. Overall I was happy with my results considering the conditions.

WILL TAKE ANYTHING WITH 11 HOURS IN IT

2008-08-06T14:07:00.009-04:00

First of all I have to thank my wife Alex for all of the support she gave me during my 7 long months of training, and being there during the all day rain with my two 17 year-old daughters Lauren & Morgan, and our 6 year old son James.

Race Morning:

3:20 am

1 large cup of very strong French roast coffee (I drank decaf all week, what a waste)

1 800+ cal. Carbs/Protein shake:

16 oz Orange/Pineapple/Banana juice
1 cup French Vanilla yogurt
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 scoops of Whey protein powder

I woke up ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off, I felt really good so off to the coffee maker I went. Then I made my shake which I thought I would never get down, but after about 25 minutes it was all gone. I finished packing my special needs bags, and some other things I needed to add to my swim to bike and run to bike bags. At 4:30 am I woke up Alex so she could drop me off near the oval, the she went back to wake up the rest of the Kelly family by 6:00 am.

I walked right up to a volunteer for my body marking, waited outside the oval for about 10 minutes until they let us into the transition area. I walked right up to the port-o-john for my morning constitution, dropped off a few things in my bike/run bags, pumped up my wheels to 120 psi, and then walked to the other side of the lake to drop off my special needs bags.

Unlike my two previous Ironman races, this was my first were I thought I was going to puke from about the time I woke up due to wanting to finish this race with a time that had anything with 11 hours in it. My training had gone very well, but I wasn't happy with the program that I had been following. But I figured it was too late to switch to another program, so I had to stick it out.

My previous best time was at the Great Floridian in 2003 with a time of 12:06:55, Wisconsin in 2005 with a time of 12:28:50, but those courses were not even close to what I had in front of me in Lake Placid. But I finally able to sit down at the lake and just relax and do a little yoga to get some blood moving with about 40 minutes until the canon sounded.

My other concern was the weather/rain, the clouds were hanging low. I knew it was going to rain, I just didn't know when. As I was putting on my wetsuit it started to do the sprinkle thing. I love riding in the rain, just not the down hills.

It was about 6:50 am and I still didn't see anyone from the Kelly Klan. I just kept looking and what did I see.James on top of my wife's shoulders with his fresh new Mohawk and sign that he had made for me that said "gogogogogogogogogogogogo dad". So I ran over to give everyone a BIG hug and kiss. Of course as it always happens I start to get that frog thing in my throat. Then I look up and see my two daughters all red faced and crying. Now I'm really trying not to cry. So I give out all my hugs and back to the water I go. The water felt great and helped calm me down. I looked for a nice place to put myself and play the waiting game. I found a nice little place that seemed to be less crowded then other places, as the countdown continued the less crowded place was no more. I set my watch with only a minute to go.

Swim:

Started off with a great swim

7:00 am and BOOOOOMMM the canon sounds and off we go, surprisingly it only took about 5 minutes to find a line that I could follow without getting kicked or hit in one way or another. At one point it got too crowded and I stopped to look around and what do I see out my left eye? A hand with a nice big ring on it clocking me right on the forehead. I didn't really notice it until after Alex brought it to my attention at the finish that I had a nice big egg on my head. Anyway, I finished the first lap right on time, 31 minutes. I started the second lap with a nice clean line and that's when the clouds opened up with a nice (not so light) rain. At the end of the 2nd loop with a time of 1:04 (not bad for my longest swim workout being 3200 yards) and some change, then I was off to the strippers. I found a nice place to drop down on my back and before I knew it the wet suit was gone. I gave the volunteers a great big thank you and off I went into the line of athletes headed for the changing tent.

Goal time: 1:10 Official swim time: 1:04:52

Hi. It's Alex, Terry's wife. At this point the kids and I are standing in the POURING down rain waiting for our Ironman. Lauren had to run to our belongings to get them out of the rain and under a truck at the oval. Despite her record-breaking sprint, it was too late and our things (books, magazines, towels, food.) were soaked.

Now we see the athletes coming and who do we finally spot but Terry's girlfriend, professional triathlete, Desiree Ficker. I aim the camera and get a nice out of memory message when I hit the button. Great.

Finally we see Terry and the first thing I notice is a huge, red goose egg on his head. Not a good sign. The four of us are yelling, whooping and hollering and what does Terry do? He runs right by us without a glance.

The four of us set second land record as we sprint back to the oval to watch him transition. The four of us are waiting (Again. It happens a lot) and we see him running to his bike. We once again start yelling like fools and what does he do? Run past us without a glance (again). We yelled his number so loudly that the volunteer heard us and ran to get Terry's bike.

Terry leaves on the bike and we leave to the hotel. We changed and hung out until he completed the first loop. I love the Internet. But first we had to stop at the laundry mat and dry out our cloths and then off to the store to buy umbrellas and ponchos.

T1 - 8:04

Bike:

It rained all day

After leaving the tent into a nice down pour, I grabbed my bike from one of the many great volunteers. As you now know because my family has a large mouth that everyone can hear but me. After saying thank you I was off to the bike mounting area. After about a minute I knew something was wrong, a front flat....GREAT.... It was also at this time that I started to get cold with the sporadic shivering. It was all I could do to replace the tube. After a few minutes and a little help from a spectator w/ a pump (shhh, don't tell anyone) I was off and riding.

With the exception of being in my teens and early twenties (after the first time I put down my bike down in the rain) I have never been a huge fan of riding downhill in the rain. I think I would have welcomed a nice little rain; instead I was in a complete downpour. While others were flying down even the smallest hill I was playing it very safe by using my bakes way more that I am accustomed to in normal conditions. I welcome the chance to get up to 40 or 50 MPH. But not that day. I was the one on the right side going maybe 22-24 MPH. I figured better safe than sorry. As more carefree riders going 40+ mph went by I thought for sure one of them was going to bite it. But no one ever did (that I saw). It was then that things really started to get bad with it being so cold, I could hardly squeeze the brakes without the bike shaking back and forth. I was really worried a few times that even with me being so careful on the 7 mile decent into Keene that I was going to be that guy that laid it down or have to call it a day because of hypothermia. But after awhile, I would go from cold to comfortable. After going back and forth my body finally started to warm up, and more often than not I felt comfortable.

During my two other Ironman races I had always tried to pee while on the bike, with no avail. I think it was more of a problem for me that I was pissing on myself and what would it smell like 10 miles up the road with the temperature being 85+. But this time with the heavy rains I couldn't use that excuse anymore. So, I lifted my butt up off the seat and started working those muscles to let it all go.. Finally after about a minute I let it go.. I have to say it felt a bit nasty when it was running down my legs and finally settling in my shoes. But after a few seconds the rain just washed it all away. Because over the course of the 6+ hours on the bike I went number 1 at least 15 times, so I saved myself an additional 20 minutes getting off and on my bike.

The first lap went very well, 3:13 and I felt too good. All I could think about was being that guy that went out too hard on the first lap, and totally blew it on the 2nd. But as it turned out I started to get more comfortable on the down hills (not too much, but a bit) I felt strong, so I figured when I feel good go with it, when I feel bad hold back a bit. That seemed to work well, with about 4 miles or so to go my legs really started to feel tight/heavy. So when I got to Big/Little Cherries I was worried, but I was still passing other riders with little problem. Nice and steady. Mamma Bear, nice and steady. Baby Bear, nice and steady. Shit. Papa Bear, still passing but the legs were heavy. I thought for sure my run was not going to be the 4 hours I was hoping for. Once I got on Lake Placid Club Drive I started to stand and stretch it out. Then, I did the unexpected. 2nd lap, 3:10. I know it was only 3 minutes faster, but still.. I dismounted my bike and handed it to a very motivated volunteer and made my way through the mud and puddles to T2.

Goal time: 5:50 Official time: 6:23:52

Alex's turn: The kids and I return to the final hill next to the Olympic skating rink heading into the oval to wait for Terry. The Kelly kids are standing under their umbrellas as I hoof it into town to find an Internet café to check Terry's progress. Good, we hadn't missed him. I leave the café only to realize its lunch time. I went across the street and ordered a lot of pizza slices and bottled water. I ordered what was ready so I didn't have to wait.

I leave the pizza shop and only walked a few feet when I see our friend, Traci pushing her bike and wrapped in a thermal blanket. Not a good thing. I go to her and find out that she dropped out due to hypothermia. We talked a bit and I headed back to the kids. Now I'm worried because I know Terry has had issues with it in the past.

The kids and I are hanging out under the Olympic building overhang eating pizza and enjoying not being wet. But it's time to head out into the rain (even with umbrellas we were wet) to wait at the barriers. We end up beside an obnoxious guy that yelled go, go, go, hurry up to EVERY athlete. But it was worth it because we had a great spot to see and cheer for Terry. As Terry rounds the corner we start yelling and he zooms by us without yet another glance. We were so close we could have knocked him off the *&% bike!

We leave the race (again) to return to the hotel for another change of clothes, hot chocolate, and to watch TV. While watching TV the kids fall asleep. I want a nap so badly since I've been up since 4:30 but I'm afraid I won't wake up in time to head back to the oval. So I watched a Mindfreak marathon and kept checking Terry's status. Once he had about another hour left in the run I woke the gang up and back to the oval we headed. Again.

Run:

Team racing suits - perfect for running in the rain

Once I got into the changing tent and sat down I knew in my head that I was screwed!!! My legs felt so fried that I didn't even change into my new pair of sweet running Sugio Turbo Fit shorts. But it was finally nice to feel warm again. A volunteer was helping me get my stuff out of my gear bag. I think he was a bit excited because his hands were shaking more that my legs. I took off my bike shoes and put on my racing flats, my hat and Fuel Belt. I thanked the volunteer and I was on my way.

T2 time: 3:56 (Nice)

After leaving the tent I went out at an easy pace, because I was prepared to be reduced to walking in the not so distant future. The rain actually felt really good during the whole run, it was really refreshing. I wasn't hot or cold; I was pretty close to perfect. At the 1 mile make I realized I was feeling good, almost too good, I was still worried about the legs not holding out. I had a goal of running a 4 hour marathon; of course my personal in just a marathon was 3:59 in 2001. So, I kept a positive attitude. After the bike my stomach was so blotted from the Cliff bars I used on the bike that all I could really get down was water. So at every aid station I took a cup of water, walked until I finished it and off I went. At mile 5 I was feeling great, legs were great. Mile 10 things were still great, legs, feet and stride. My stomach finally started to feel good, so I started mixing the IM cocktail I had on my Fuel Belt with water. I would alternate water at one aid station an IM cocktail at the next. This worked great, at the special needs bags I only went with the gummy bears that I had packed. They tasted so good because of all the rain and lack of sun they were perfect, a real pick me up. (1st lap time 1:58) The whole time the spectators were great, really pushing me along, but it was nice to get out onto River Road with just the other athletes and just focus on my run. At the turn around heading back into town things were still going very well. Unlike the bike where I could let all go without stopping (peeing), I had lost count at 15 pee breaks, but they were a nice break. I made it back into town and had to speed walk that final hill on Main Street, and I was still going faster than guys who were running. Looking at my watch I knew I was going to be able to make it in before 12 hours. So, after that last hill I picked up my stride going onto Lake Placid Club Drive. I felt great the cheering of the spectators was really motivating; I kept looking down at every guys calves hoping to see the # 40 to 44. Every time I passed one I was on the hunt for the next, I passed my last 42 year old entering the oval and I was off to the races. I crossed the line (2nd lap time 2:12) with my name being announced and no one else in the picture with me. I am now a 3x Ironman..

Goal time: 4:00 Official run time: 4:11:02

Alex's point of view:

We arrive back at the oval and it is still raining. We finally get the middle of the oval and find a nice spot at the top of the bleachers. We have a perfect view of the athlete's final stretch and we're beside the finish line. The rain made the bleachers slippery and people kept falling down them, including our James. Luckily, I have the reflexes of a cat and caught him before he hit bottom. What does every kid have to do when the time/location isn't right? Go to the bathroom. Morgan took James to the bathroom and Lauren and I waited for Terry. We're hanging out and checking out the runners and basically just enjoying ourselves. Is that him? No, too short. Is that Terry? When what do we hear..the announcer saying Red Lion. What!? Lauren and I whip around just in time to see Terry crossing the finish line. I guess one of the guys we thought wasn't Terry actually was him. If you could only have seen the looks on our faces! I told Lauren to stay and wait for Morgan and James while I went to find Terry and give him the bag of warm clothes I brought from our last trip to the hotel.

I found Terry relatively quickly which was amazing considering how many people were there.

The Kelly's were reunited and drove back to the hotel for the last time!

Goal time overall: anything with 11 hours in it. Official time: 11:51:46

It has 11 hours in it

This is a great event, due mainly to the course. So, I will be back to do Lake Placid in 2010, goal time anything under 11:30:00. Next race will be the OBX Marathon on November 9, 2008. My wife Alex and I will be running it together, Alex's goal, under 5:00 hours. Hope to see you there.

DOING WHAT I LIKE

2008-07-28T14:12:00.009-04:00

Turn on that whirlpool

First, my many thanks go to Kasia and Linda, the TOMTOMs, Ted, and the Bircher Family who endured the torrential rain conditions and cheered me up at Ironman Lake Placid last Sunday. The thanks also go to all my family members and friends who virtually followed the race and wished me well. Second, my congratulations go to my IRONTOM teammates, who finished strong and earned the right to the title of an Ironman. And, of course, my special congrats go to TOMalitta and TOMomma for finishing their first (of more to come) Ironman races.

My race was a combination of highs and lows. An average swim, a very strong bike, and the longest marathon I have ever ran – I think.

Heading for the water

Despite the less than perfect weather conditions (14 continuous hours of torrential rain and cold), which caused everyone to ride more cautiously, I felt very strong throughout the entire 112 miles on the bike. In fact, I felt so good, I rode in the big front ring throughout the race at an average speed of 18.7 mph ;o) – almost as strong as in 2005. Well nutritioned and hydrated I was having a very good day.

The joy ride

After a messy transition (mud and water holes everywhere) I left T2 feeling fresh and light on my feet ready to go. My face did not display this overwhelming joy on these pictures because I just could not see very well and had to squint my eyes to shield them from the rain ;o). At this time I was aiming at running my regular marathon time, and if accomplished, a sub 11hr. finishing time - I felt I was "flying" - things looked good.

Breathing is good

The first 3 miles of the run went great as I was cruising at a pace of about 7:30 min/mile. Shortly thereafter things changed as I developed a massive cramp in my left Vastus Medialis muscle (the “big boys” name). The encouraging words from TOM-a-Lot and TOMb, as they passed me, were very appreciated – thank you guys. Needless to say, I had to walk it off for a while.

Once the cramp was under “control” I developed a shortness of breath while running and later while walking (a pretty scary situation). As it turned out, following a medical examination after the race, I experienced a severe bronchial spasm during the last 23 miles which made my marathon time almost 2 hours longer that it should have, would, have, or could have been. Well, but as the saying goes, “it is was water under the bridge,” and I am already looking into my next Iron race – a Silverman in Henderson, Nevada on November 9th.

Finished, at last

Getting an early start - resting before the next race

IRONMAN FRANCE (JUNE 22, 2008) - TOUGH & BEAUTIFUL

2008-07-25T22:04:00.012-04:00

"For most of us, health will depend not on who we are, but on how we live. The body you have at 20 depends on your genes, but the body you have at 40, 60 or 80 is the body you deserve, the body that reflects your behavior."

-- Dr. Harvey Simon

Ou la la! Where do I start...

One could start describing the outstanding beauty of the Alps Maritimes with its impressive cliffs, peaks & charming villages, the lapis lazuli color of the Mediterranean Sea or the enchanted Ville de Nice together with the Côte d’Azur, but I would defined it all with a categorical: tout c’ est magnifie!

Ironman France, with the course where Mark Allen once dominated, is a place with a great tradition of triathlon racing and a distinctly European competition. The fact that it has a bike course that is regarded as one of the most spectacular & difficult in the world make it a race for the determined only.

The pulsating nightlife in Nice. Here with Cory

Just a few bikes

The last minutes of the dark dawn said goodbye to all party animals and a shiny morning received all competitors gathered in the transition zone.

The Start at 6:30 am would be from the rocky beach of Nice and consisted of two loops, swam in different directions, one of 2.4km and the second of 1.4km with a beach run between both. The ocean was calm and pristine and the azure blue water was cool but not cold.

The whirlpool

In a sec I was behind the feet of a hefty swimmer who was wearing a blue wetsuit, which facilitated the catch, and who open me the way among the 2500 swimmers who with unprecedented euphoria invaded the blue waters of the Mare Nostrum.

The second loop would be more abrupt because when exiting the water I lost my blue guide and as a result the collisions and stroke-orientation become more and more frequent.

The swim would end with a PB swim in an Ironman but that would not be a great cushion with what would come later.

T1 consisted of a 400m run to the bags and a 400m run to the bike, and in my case, it was fast and irrelevant and very soon I was en route to one of the most beautiful and scenic cycling routes in the world, but also one of the most dreaded, due to more than 5000 feet of climbing and stunning & technical descents.

We would pass across fourteen quaint French villages with narrow cobbled streets, each with its own particular style which ranged from mountainous villes to medieval towns and fortified castles.

Stunning views and virtually no guard rails

The route, a magnificent emerald gemstone with gold had a number of splendors which make, for brief moments, our effort less severe with initial relentless gradients ranging between 10 & 12%. The first climb was hectic at 10%. More than one opted for walking their bikes; others less fortunate broke their chains and many, just like me, ride with all our strength sending our heart rates on top of those infamously rough climbs without even pushing the pace.

At the 50km mark it began a long ascend of twenty one kilometers famous for being a mountainous stage of the Tour de France and which truly tested muscles & tenacity in an endless clamber-like march towards the mountain ranges of the Alps. Fortunately the scenery took my mind off the hard work.

To tell the truth we all knew that this steep stretch would arrive sooner than later but once we were there, it showed us its sharp teeth which ranged from thin fangs to cutting incisors. I tried to speed the pace all I could, but the g-force attracted us like magnetic-iron-men.

At last one could see the crest and unbelievable we were just at the 71km mark, with 109km remaining, long Kms that included short high plateaus with incredible panoramic views of dense green mountains, projecting cliffs and durable fortresses; more & more cruel and inescapable climbs and finally one of the most technical and reckless descents of any cyclist route in the whole world, with tight hairpin bends, crazy speeds, a few U-turns in the middle of the descent at speeds of 70km /hr and mad cyclists everywhere, fiiiiiuuuuuuhhh!

During this time I saw more than one cyclist loosing control of the bike and falling down and one or two ambulances helping fallen athletes. According to later reports, unfortunately in this part one athlete passed away.

The entrance to the Ville de Nice announced the end of one of the most beautiful and equally challenging bike courses on Planet Earth, and with a strong and warm wave-like hug “she” received us.

Mi condition could be described as stable and I only feared of the possible consequences of that crushing heat that I was sensing, since my training had not include enough running in the heat, nonetheless we are Iron-men and NOTHING, yes you read correctly n o t h i n g, could ever affect us… Well, in reality, all things affected us at the time, but it was nice to think otherwise.

T2 was just as long as the first transition and I was sweating profusely even before I was out of transition. Even so, it evolved smooth and swift.

I started the marathon approximately at 2:00 pm after a stunning bike course and considering the difficulty of such ride, I dare to say, to some extend, it was a solid bike. The temperature was hovering around at 38-40ºC /104ºF. There was absolutely no wind and the run was going to be a real tester. Gossip was that the afternoon Mediterranean sun has been known to melt the ice creams while they are still in the freezer!

Still smiling

The run splits tell the full story. First lap was good (maybe too good) and I thought I would crack sub-4. The second lap was where all the chickens come home to roost, and I felt sleepy and though that maybe I was running in zigzags and could fall down anytime soon, I eventually conceded that I had to take a break. The shade of a palm tree called my name and it was inviting, I declined at first but then I had to stop, I lie down and set my alarm to ring 5 minutes from that moment. I really was afraid to sleep and wake up hours later… no way! Soon after that session, I realized that I was no longer in control and that the finish was going to be a struggle.

In the zone

By now the run course was very crowded and the tables had queues of athletes trying to cool themselves down and drink what ever they could find. I started cramping in the top of my thighs and calves on the last stretch along the beachfront and didn’t quite understand why, as I ate many bananas and swallow many salt pills & electrolytes, and all in all I was feeling good. But definitely it affected me later.

Light on my feet

The last two laps were spent dodging walkers, slow runners and cheering them. Eventually I pulled myself over the line, slapping thousands of hands in that vibrant blue carpet. It was a disappointing run on my standards but the overall experience was phenomenal. That day in Nice I gave my best in an extremely difficult course but equally magnificent race.

This time was more than a mental game…much more. But I can proudly say, I am a 7x Ironman Finisher.

7x Ironman

“Swim 2.4 mile, ride 112 mile, run 26.2 mile. Then brag for the rest of your life.”

-- Commander John Collins, US Navy and the father of the Ironman.

I've Done It

2008-07-25T10:01:00.006-04:00

First, let me say that there’s a reason that athletes are “offered” the opportunity to sign up for next year’s Ironman THE DAY BEFORE the actual race.

Second, Ironman is CRAZY possibly THE HARDEST thing that I have ever done.

But WHOA.

Ironman was an awesome experience. And yes, I’m crazy. I’ll be back here again next year, competing with a bunch of other crazy people on July 26. That’s right, next year we’ll have an extra week to train.

As for the actual event, the days leading up were pretty relaxing with some nice easy bike rides to check out the run course and an easy swim to see just how far that turnaround buoy was .

I was amazed to see how many people were hammering both the run and the ride in the two days leading up to the race. Not nice easy paces past our hotel, a mile from town, and on both the ride and the run routes. We were on a flat section between town and the turn for the out and back on the run and there was a steady stream of runners and riders for 3 days prior to the race. I even saw a group doing hill repeats. Raise your hand if you even did hill repeats during your training! Talk about making you feel lazy for sitting in the sun by the pool. I got over that pretty quickly.

4 am race day dawned with clear skies and a nearly full moon. I stood on the balcony and listened to other races wake and talk about their preparation. I’d prepped most of my stuff the day before, so I quietly dressed, sun screened, lubricated the important parts and ate. 5:15 a.m. was ride time and we gathered to be driven as closely to town as possible by Tom’s dad. Spirits were light, nerves were likely high, but it didn’t really show. Getting into town really made it all real. The place was ALIVE. Just incredible the amount of energy sizzling from athletes, fans and volunteers. Incredible!

Mike, Tom and I headed for the racks to hang our transition bags and then on to our bikes to make last minute additions. It was good to have busy work to do since it was about 5:20 when we got to the race site and the race started at 7. We had a plan to meet back up and head to the water to put on our wet suits and get warmed up for the swim. On the way to the beach we bumped into the Hensel’s who were on their way into transition. Britta looked far too relaxed. I felt relaxed, but my heart rate monitor was telling me something else.

Now we’re standing at the beach with hundreds and thousands of athletes and volunteers. The music is blaring. The helicopter is soaring overhead. Spirits are high. Tension and energy are palpable.

Blip Blip Blip

Those are sprinkles….that I thought nothing of. The forecast was for partly sunny/cloudy and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon . And I’m thinking to myself .. fine, as long as my bike isn’t soaked when I get out of the water since I’d taken great pains and sacrificed several trash bags to keep it dry over night. Pinky was now sitting in transition, uncovered, and waiting for me. Dry.

Sprinkles that turned into rain.

The cannon went off and we dove into the water. Okay. So if you’ve never seen an Ironman start. You’ve gotta. It’s truly spectacular. And you’ll think…there is NO way that I’m ever throwing myself into THAT. But you do, and it’s awesome!

And … at some point during the swim, the rain became a steady heavy rain, which fortunately, I had very little awareness of.

Upon exiting the water, I was stunned to discover that what had been a sprinkle had turned into a steady heavy rain. Water ran over the road, down the gutters and filled the changing tents and transition area. My then dry bike was now drenched. Fortunately I had had the forethought to tie my transition bags tightly and the contents remained dry.

In the changing tent, the volunteers were amazing. I felt like I had a single volunteer assigned to me who made sure that I’d removed all my necessaries from my transition bag replaced by all of my swim gear. Couldn’t have been easier and, still a little dazed from the swim, more helpful.

Volunteers handed me my bike and I was off into that steady heavy rain. I kept thinking, it can’t rain like this all day. I uneventfully ascended the first climb and just as the rather scary wet descent began … PSShhhhhh … FLAT. Now here is where things could have gotten interesting. I don’t have a lot of experience with flats, had never changed a tired on my new bike, and I was not at all sure how this would go. Since I was up against the guardrails, I was able to lay all of my tire changing gear out very carefully , get the tire off of the wheel , and when I’d finally figured out the CO2 inflator I found a bike tech who could pump some pressure back into my tire. I’m just lucky I didn’t flat again. And not again for the rest of the race. Which is more than I can say for Tom, who flatted TWICE on the first loop!

Bike finished in 7:24 with I’m not sure how much time lost to the flat. Feeling good. Feeling strong. Feeling ready to be on the run! Thankful that I’d made it!!!

Indeed, it may have been raining

A small pause in the race details to say that the volunteers for this event are truly amazing. Spectacular. Incredible. They too spent the entire day in the rain and cold, soaking wet and never faltered.

And our cheering squad … our friends and families … were incredible even unbelievable. Out for the entire day, right there beside the road cheering us on every time we came by. It was truly spirit lifting. I think I ran faster every time I passed.

The run. Whoever thought that I’d have enough energy to run 26.2 miles in a driving rain after riding a bike 112 miles in that same driving rain? But the first half of the marathon was faster than the half marathon of my first half ironman! I love that. I slowed on the second half, but let me explain. I had a plan. There are hills leading back into town that are lined with spectators. I was determined to run those hills to the finish. I thought that if I didn’t adopt a run walk plan for the second half of the run, as I was getting pretty tired and my quads were feeling shot, I wouldn’t make the hills. I ran the hills! Oh the glory! Ted and Eli were there, on the final hill, running with me and cheering me on. It was glorious. And it was great to see all of my Team Irontom teammates along the run course, many times. We high fived, shouted each other encouragement and hopefully helped each other to feel just a little bit stronger.

Athlete #2255 you look happy

There is nothing that I can say that can convey what it is like to finish an ironman, your first ironman. The race finish is absolutely lined with cheering spectators. Wall to wall. Everyone is screaming and calling you a hero and and Ironman and then as I rounded the corner and could finally see the finish, there was Eli, hands up, waiting for me. We locked hands and ran through puddles over our shoes through the finishing ribbon. I’m so proud of Eli for braving the crowds and the rain and the wet feet to finish with me, to wear the medal, to have my picture taken with him, both of us tired and wet and smiling. It was and still is an incredible feeling.

13 hours 54 minutes

Finishing the race with the next generation of Ironman

Tom Bircher had an incredible day, setting a PR by 21 minutes despite 2 flat tires on the first loop.

Tomasz had an excellent bike time and a strong finish.

Mikey and I finished very near one another and we spent the moments following the race celebrating in the food tent over chicken broth, pizza and potato chips.

Britta and Joe finished strongly, together, under the lights. Mikey and I cheered them on through town as they headed in.

And our new Team IRONTOM member, Terry Tom, was seen by all team members, high fived and encouraged, sporting the fashionable Team Irontom attire.

A great success at Ironman Lake Placid. We were wet, tired, hungry and sore. But above all, we were safe. And DONE!

What I learned from my Ironman experience:

I am NOT waterproof

My bike is NOT waterproof.

ALWAYS put your arm warmers in your T1 bag … doesn’t matter if you think you won’t need them. What if you did?

Practice changing flat tires BEFORE the race.

And lastly, during a rainy race, keep your mouth open, it helps you stay hydrated.

Thank you to all of my family and my friends who were pulling for me all day long…tracking me on the internet and emailing me messages of encouragement. It was a long long day and I felt every bit of your support 100% of the time.

13:54

Did I mention that it rained ALL day!?

Lowell Mill City Triathlon

2008-07-23T11:58:00.002-04:00

Last year I did this race expecting it to be a sewer swim and I was pleasantly surprised with the clarity of the water. So, I signed up for it again expecting the same. Unfortunately it wasn’t. The water was very low this year and with the thunder storms we’ve had it a bit muddy.

While getting my gear ready I ran into a married couple on the UV Rays and chatted with them a bit. I took my new tri bike out for a spin, which I finally got it back from the bike shop Thursday. After this I got my wet suit and headed to the river, took a short swim and waited for the start of the race.

Last year, when the water was higher, there was more room to spread out. This year I was trying to site a lot better and tried drafting when I could. I’m not sure how successful I was with the drafting but I met one of my two goals for the swim this year, either one I would have been happy to have met. One was to break thirty minutes in the swim since I did it in thirty one last year. The other was to finish in the top half of the swimmers since it was my best event last year but I didn’t place in the top half. I was able to place in the top half of swimmers this year but my time was actually slower in the swim at just over 33 minutes which makes me wonder if the distances were the same this year compared to last.

Anyways, getting out of the water and into transition went pretty smoothly other than trying to get my wetsuit over my timing chip. Next up, the bike. It was 26 miles total with two 13 mile loops. It seemed to go pretty smoothly, passing some and being passed by others. I felt like I was trying to push myself a bit more this year and did feel faster. I didn’t wear a watch and didn’t see a official time clock anywhere on the course except the finish even going past the transition area on the second loop so had no idea how I did until the end. My time did end up at 1:23 which is well over ten minutes faster than last year.

When I got into transition from bike to run I remembered to get myself something to eat since I didn’t remember in the first transition. I ate about 2/3 of a banana and got my running shoes on. Off to the run. Same as the bike in that I passed some people and got passed by others. It was a flat out and back run with no major glitches. I grabbed water at each water stop since it was humid and I didn’t want to get dehydrated. I felt like I was keeping a good pace but didn’t feel like I was necessarily faster than last year. According to my final results I was about four minutes faster at just under fifty four minutes.

My final time was 2 hours 50 minutes 40 seconds. I took almost fifteen minutes off my time from last year. I guess, having a family reunion the day of a race was a good motivator. I didn’t stick around for anything after the race except a bagel and water.

Of the 70 finishers, I placed 27th on the swim, 41st on the bike and 36th on the run.

More Well Wishes For Team IRONTOM

2008-07-15T13:05:00.004-04:00

Dear friend TOMasz, I send you and all Team Members all the luck in the world in Lake Placid, I hope you all have a great race and hopefully a breakthrough performances! Have fun and cheers, your friend, Ricardo. I'll be following your race on Sunday! Good luck Mates.

Over the Hump at Ironman Providence 70.3

2008-07-15T10:59:00.013-04:00

Well, this was the big one, the big step up. Having spent the last three seasons racing sprint and Olympic distance triathlons I tackled my first half-ironman this past Sunday, Bastille Day Eve, at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island. A point-to-point race that began on the beaches of Narragansett and ended at the state house in Providence, the course offered a nice tour of the Ocean State as well as a few significant challenges.

The race weekend began Friday afternoon as I met up with TOMasz to begin our drive down to race headquarters, casa de Jankowski, in Warwick. We arrived in the late afternoon and then headed over to downtown Providence for a welcome pasta dinner. Let the carbo-loading begin! I packed my gut to the breaking point with zitis in tomato sauce, meatballs, and salad. After dinner we took a walk over to the state capital building to look at the bike-in transition and had a pleasant chat with the head referee.

Just finished the carbo-load dinner with the beautiful downtown Providence in the backdrop

Now, at this point I realized I had made the right choice traveling with our fearless team captain because I was just clueless when it came to all of the logistics and coordination that needed to be put in place for this race. Usually I just show up, flash my USAT membership, get my race bag, and hit the beach. But apparently when there are over 1,600 athletes racing across 60 miles of Rhode Island, things get a bit more complicated. But, while I may have been as clueless as Colonel Mustard, TOMasz had done my homework for me and a very busy, and tiring day was laid out before us.

Saturday was registration and bike racking day. Normally this is a one-stop affair, but with the point-to-point setup we had to do a bit (okay, many, many bits) of running around Rhode Island to get all of the gear in place. After more carbo-loading on pancakes, the recipe for which had been perfected after many post-run breakfasts, we headed to the convention center in Providence for packet pick-up and a bit of expo touring. This was a pretty painless procedure, though I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the skimpiness of the race bag--oh well. But, a magical thing did happen. Somehow Ironman pulled a few strings, made superman fly a few laps around the sun, or something, because I was 29 again. Yippee!Medical check-in, however, gave me a bit of pause, particularly when I was asked if was allergic to bee or jellyfish stings. Now, this was going to be my first race swim in the ocean, and being a little nervous about it already, I did not need to hear the bit about the jellyfish. It wasn't the stinging that worried me, it was the thought of reaching my arm forward to stroke and grabbing a fist-full slimy jellyfish. Eww.
From here, things got a bit more complicated. First I needed to go and drop off my bike a the race start in Narragansett, then I needed to pack a back with my run gear and bring it back to T2 in Providence. But, we made a day of it--unfortunately a large portion of that day was spent sitting in beach traffic. But, the bike got racked, and I even got to enjoy of a bit of the nice weather relaxing on the beach while TOMasz relaxed with a nice, long run. We returned to Providence to drop off the run gear, and I was pleased to see that I had a great spot in the transition rack--the last spot on the rack closest to the fence. This would make it easy to remember my spot and help keep the kicking of my gear down to a minimum. With the goods in place, we headed back to Warwick for--you got it--more pasta. With the race slated to begin at 6 a.m., it was early to bed.

Ah race day. You know it because it's still dark when you wake up. I was still feeling well fueled (maybe a little too well fueled) from the feasting of the last couple of days, but still had a bit of granola before heading over to Narragansett. I got to my bike, wiped the accumulated moisture off the seat and handlebars (here, and experienced racer would have put plastic over these pieces the day before) and put my fuel and fluids together. Then I noticed I was missing a critical component--sunglasses! I had brought two pairs, both of which were doing lots of good for me back at the house. Fortunately, the big T came through and let me borrow his.

Almost awaken - 6AM

Around 5:50 I headed off to the beach, though being in the last wave I was in no real rush. The water was looking pretty rough, with high swells and big breakers crashing on the shore. The swim course was a long, skinny rectangle that was more or less an out-and-back. The pros hit the water at 6:00 and came out 24 minutes later. The first age groupers began at 6:15. Around 6:30 I went over to another section of beach and warmed up a bit in the water. Around 7:00 I entered the holding pen with the rest of the 18-29 year old men in very stylish purple swim caps. The last few races I've tried to get out in front to avoid the massive mob, but I just couldn't do it this time. When the cannon went off, I entered the water. Things were pretty messy but I was feeling good that, unlike other swim starts, I wasn't feeling over anxious, working too hard, and struggling to maintain my breath. Despite the waves and the mob I managed to stay calm and try to find an open patch of water. That was pretty hard to come by. I also found, that, given the way the waves were moving, I needed to turn to breath away from the market line, which made it a bit harder to sight. As usual, I took a more...meandering track around the swim course before hitting the first turn. Then it was just a short stretch swimming parallel to shore, and then another left back to the beach. The bodies remained thick, not just from my wave, but from the swimmers from the two previous waves that I had started to catch. Despite that, however, I escaped with only minor contact--one kick to the nose, and one dislodged goggle.

Fully awaken at 7:05AM and 7:37AM

Out of the water after a strong swim

At 31:17 I exited the water and grabbed my bike. After a fairly long jog out to the bike mount, I was in the saddle and ready to tackle 56 miles of RI roadway. The bike was my biggest concern coming into this race. I had had a disappointing ride at Mooseman, mostly because I felt like I couldn't maintain my focus, and I worried that this would happen again over the longer distance. Yet, despite my concerns, I had what was definitely the best bike of any race I had done. I had thought, coming into this race, that it would all be a very flat course--I was way off. The first 10-15 miles was fairly flat and fast, but then for the next 15 miles it was fairly steady climbing, though nothing too steep. I was feeling good and was being pretty aggressive on the hills. Early on, however, I had to change my nutrition strategy. I had five gels and two cliff bars, and my thinking was to get in the cliff bars early, then finish off with the gels. So, once I got settled in, after say the first 15 minutes, I pulled out a cliff bar but could jot not eat it. I got in a tiny bite and then just put it back in my pocket. I was a bit worried that I would crash only having the gels but ultimately I think all the pre-race fueling paid off because it didn't become an issue. I did learn, however, that for my next race I need to adjust my hydration strategy. I had four bottles--two powerade, one nuun, and one plain water. I felt like I was drinking enough, but around mile 35 was just feeling drained. I had passed up the first two fuel stations, but took advantage of the third one. I grabbed a bottle of water--and it never tasted so good. So, next time, I need to keep more plain water in rotation. Lesson learned. Car traffic was a bit of an issue, in some cases the line of cars narrowing the bikeable roadway quite a bit, making it difficult to pass. Overall, however, the course was very well managed the volunteers and PD.

I think, I look good in those glasses

Despite my original concerns, I really enjoyed this ride. I managed to keep my focus throughout and kept up a good pace. After finishing the last few miles biking through the city of Providence, I arrived at T2 in just shy of 2:39, averaging 21.2 for the course--the fastest I had ever biked. After a long jog to my rack, I made the transition into the run. Here I took my time getting my shoes on, drinking a bit of my few remaining fluids, and setting off on the two-loop run course. From the start I made decision to start conservatively. The run is usually my strong suit, but I had only raced one half-marathon before (as its own event), so wanted to take the time to get my legs under me. So, I set off at a comfortable pace. I came into the first water stop around mile one, slowed to a walk, and took in some fluids. Already I could tell this was going to be an issue, and here I think is where my poor hydration planning on the bike manifested itself. I was feeling thirsty, a bit depleted, but if I drank too much I felt full and sloshy. Soon after the first water stop I was confronted with "Angel Hill." For those of you who are used to running in the Lebanon area, the steepness was equivalent to Eastman Hill--just not quite as long. Most people walked it, but I managed to keep up a slow jog. For the first three miles I followed the strategy of slowing into the water stops, hydrating, cooling off, and then setting off. After the first turn I started to pick it up a bit more. Like the bike course, the run course was a lot hillier than I would have thought. Even after Angel Hill, the rest of the run had some kind of pitch to it. My legs felt okay, and my breathing seemed good, it was really just my stomach that was giving me trouble, and some growing tightness in my back. I made the turn after the first loop and headed out to do the run all over again. Up Angel Hill one more time. I was moving at a swifter pace, but around mile 9 I was starting to struggle again. I hit the water stop around mile 10, and decided to ease up and take in some fluids. The brief break seemed to help. I ran strong the rest of the course, and picked it up for a last push as I came into the brick walkway to the finish. I finished the run in about 1:38, giving me a finish time of 4:52.

Almost there. The finish line is only 15 yards away

I was greeted by TOMasz, Kasia and some friends at the finish, and then made my way over to the food tent for some much needed liquid refreshment. Food was out of the question at that point, but ice cold coke did the trick. I grabbed a couple of cups and then headed over to get in line for a post-race massage.

Team picture with Kasia and TOMasz. Two hats are definitely better than one

So, overall, a race that I was very happy with, and a real confidence booster for Timberman.

Best of Luck .........

2008-07-15T10:25:00.002-04:00

.......... to all the Team IRONTOM members racing this weekend at Lake Placid. My advice for the bike is to-Keep your mouth closed on the descent into Keene..... I will be rooting for you all!

MajorTOM Does Ironman Rhode Island 70.3

2008-07-10T23:15:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, the 13th, MajorTOM will be toeing the starting line of IM RI 70.3. You can follow his progress on www.ironman.com. It may be a hot day down there.

The Numbers Are Out

2008-07-09T15:22:00.004-04:00

The Ironman Lake Placid bibs are out. So, here we go:

TerryTOM (83)
TOMb (902)
TOM-A-Lot (1130)
T2 (1884)
TOMasz (1544)
TOMalita (2154)
TOMomma (2255)

Fresh Body of Water - Ahhhh

2008-07-07T11:41:00.005-04:00

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Rick and I went for a long swim in the Mascoma Lake for one of the last swim training days before Ironman Lake Placid. The air temperature was 80F, the water 70F, and plenty of motor boats to create the wake.

In full attire

Rick displaying his diving skills

Stroke number 5,321

A 7-Miler in Woodstock

2008-07-06T11:10:00.002-04:00

TOMahawk and I have joined the ranks of the Vermont maple syrup prize winners by getting podium finishes (both finished 3rd in our respective age groups) in the Woodstock 7-mile road race on July the 4th in Woodstock, VT. By having done so we can now be mentioned in the same sentence as the likes of MajorTOM.

It was a picture-perfect day on which about 130 runners challenged themselves on an “attention getting” hilly course, and dressed in the team uniforms TOMahawk and I proudly displayed the true Team IRONTOM colors.

By the time we arrived in Woodstock, TOMahawk was already there looking happy and ready to go. After a quick registration and a short warm up run around the Green the horn went off to mark the start of the race.

The 7-miler was definitely a good warm-up event for me before the upcoming Ironman USA in Lake Placid, in a couple of weeks. Its initial 3 miles were relatively flat and fast, giving an opportunity to get into a solid tempo. At mile 3, my Polar monitor read 19:30, which made me realize that I may be going a little to fast. Fortunately, I did not have to wait too long for the slow down. The few demoralizing, and seemingly, never-ending run-ups took care of that. Not having scouted this course before I had no idea how long they were. And they were long, indeed.

Well, what goes up must eventually come down - that is, at least, what they say, and in this case they were right, again. The descends were as challenging as the ascends making the quads and the lungs celebrate the 4th of July, together. At times, I was questioning the wisdom of my training day on Thursday, which included tempo runs and uphill bike intervals. But, after all, it was to be an another training day.

About ½ mile before the finish line I started accelerating in an attempt to break the 51-minute mark, but it was not meant to be that day (perhaps, next time on July 4th 2009). My finish time was 51:02, 25th in the general classification and 3rd in the 44-49 age group.

TOMahawk was close behind. With a taped-up left knee he clocked-in a finishing time of 51:52 and a 3rd podium finish in the 40-44 age group.

In the afternoon, we had a great barbeque time with the TOMahawks, and were dazzled by a single firework, or something that resembled that.

Ironman France 2008 (Nice)

2008-06-30T11:25:00.006-04:00

I thought you may enjoy watching 15 minutes of this year's Ironman France. Having raced it in 2006, it is has been my favourite race to-date.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MODfGL9omQQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfAQFX8Uw3M

2008 Mooseman 70.3

2008-06-23T10:27:00.004-04:00

TOMahawk is definitely ready

PRERACE: Race morning could not have been much better. Not to warm not to cold but you could tell it was going to get Hot later in the day. Leslie and I left home earlier this year to get to the race in plenty of time. We ended up parking about 1 mile from the transition area. I put my helmet on and rode my bike. Leslie walked it in. I had a good setup spot right on the end and it was the last row before the fence. I saw TOMb, TOMmomma and the TOM-A-Lots, before the race. I made sure I put on some sunscreen after last years tanning misadventures. I saw Leslie and Becky on the beach. I think Becky was asking Leslie what kind of cake I would like for our next Team party. I saw Britta and Joe and Leslie took this picture of us.

Happiness

SWIM: The swim was good. I was in the last wave of 7. After years of being anxious before the swim starts I was very relaxed this year. I think Ironman will do that for you. I positioned myself in the middle and when we got the go ahead I started to swim at an even pace with no contact from any of my wave mates. I finished in 35 minutes which is a good time for me. I can’t complain.

Where in the T1 is TOMahawk?

BIKE: The bike was uneventful. The road conditions were not the best but there was still plenty of a good road. I saw the Devil lady on the hill and I made sure I stayed hydrated and took my endurolytes. I put my front wheel on backwards so my bike computer never worked. Nothing I could do about that at the time. I still had my heart rate monitor. I could tell the second loop was a lot slower than the first and could feel the heat working on me. I finished in 3:07 and avg 17.9 mph.

RUN: For me the run was what I like to call a “character builder” It started off hot and just got hotter. I thought I was doing OK on the first loop, time wise, but the heat really took its toll on me on the second loop. It was really weird my body felt OK, my legs were strong but my heart and mind said take it slow. So I listened. I didn’t want Leslie to have to bring me home in a body bag. It just wouldn’t be fair to her because she was so supportive on that day. I did see and hear Carla cheering as I was heading out on the run.
I thank the guy with the hose and the kids with the squirt guns for helping to keep me cool as possible. I spent at least 5 minutes of the run getting hosed down. I finished the run in 2:11

POST RACE: Overall I finished in 6:00 53 seconds (I knew I shouldn’t have made that pit stop and I would have been under 6 hours. Oh well)

My time was 29 minutes over last year’s effort which was raced under more favorable weather conditions. But in the end I made it to the Finish line which is really what was important to me on that day. I saw the TOMTOMs (Chuck had another great race) and my other Teammates and supporters and we discussed upcoming events planned for the summer. After we left the race site Leslie and I made the long walk back to the car. It felt like a kick in the pants after racing on that hot day!!! PS> I practically ate a whole pizza later on when I got home.

Timberman 70.3 is next up in August 08 and I am thinking of an Ironman for 2009. I would like to take a crack at Ironman France someday but so far Leslie is not being supportive. I am going to continue to try and convince her that it would be like a vacation for her. Wish me luck

Welcome TerryTOM

2008-06-22T20:57:00.002-04:00

I am in my 28th year in the multi-sport world, I have done well over 200 triathlons, ultra-marathons, road races, open water swims. IMLP will be my 3rd Ironman. I am a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist living and working in York, PA with my Wife (of 10 years) Alex, my twin daughters, Lauren, and Morgan, and my son James.

P.S. TerryTOM, we look forward to seeing you in Lake Placid in a few weeks.

It's Tough Turning 30

2008-06-09T10:34:00.002-04:00

This was a race dominated by the numbers. The first magic number: 30. Despite being several months away from that milestone in my life, I was aged up into the 30-34 year old group. The second magic number: 57. That's what was posted on the "today, the water temperature is_____" sign hanging at the entrance to Wellington State Park. Race splits, paces, calorie intake--sure those numbers all mattered too, but that's par for any race. For the Mooseman international distance triathlon held this past Saturday, June 7, on beautiful Newfound Lake, NH, it was the magic numbers that would make this race extra special.

I arrived at Wellington State Park bright and early at 5:45 a.m. My early arrival netted me a sweet parking spot, easy access to the transition area, and open porta-potties. Scheduled for a 7:30 swim start I set up, ran for about 10 minutes down the run course, stretched and, at 7:00 began the task of getting into my brand spankin' new wetsuit. At 7:15 I took a gel and then began the long march down the beach to the swim start. Now, before going further, something needs to be said about expectations.

Based on an email that went around from the race directors the previous Monday, I was expecting chilly, but bearable 63-65 degree water. These hopes were quickly dashed when the aforementioned sign at the entrance to the park read a much chillier 57, though the race director did try to boost our spirits by telling us that it was, in fact 60 in there. A few brave souls decided to "warm up" in this ice bath, their necks red like boiled lobster when they came out of the water. This was not encouraging and all of us waiting there agreed that the "60 degree" announcement was more for encouragement than for giving accurate information. I was also expecting a hot, hot day and so had been drinking a lot of fluids.

This began to backfire when we were told that, due to heavy fog, the swim start would be delayed--initially for 15 minutes, but it really became an hour. This became a problem for my eating and drinking strategy. My transition bag was a good 400 yards from the swim start and there was no real sense of when things would be getting under way. Finally the race directors made the decision to shorten the swim course due to poor visibility (everyone, as you can imagine, was really upset by this inability to swim a full mile in the 57 degree water) and I made the decision to hurry back to transition, grab a cliff bar and some gatorade, and wolf it all down--just as things were about to get under way.

We all lined up out in the water and, just standing in it, it didn't seem so bad. But once the gun went off (okay, there was no gun, but there were bagpipes) it became a struggle. I found some open water, but just couldn't keep my face down in it without recoiling in shock and pain. The cold was taking my breath away, and I was swimming very inefficiently. After struggling for about 50 yards I slowed way down, got my breath back, and got my head in the water. One acclimated, it was fine. I found a rhythm and rounded the first buoy, now swimming nearly parallel to the beach. This stretch was fine but once I rounded the buoy to head back to shore I ran into problems. Foggy air and foggy goggles do not work well together. I was pretty far off course and having a hard time finding my way. I would take five strokes, stop, find some splashing feet, and aim for them. Eventually I got back on track, but I know my time suffered for it.

Once on shore I struggled out of my wetsuit (I need some serious practice in this department), grabbed the bike and related gear, and headed out on the course. Again I tried the "bike already in shoes method," but struggled with it more this time since I was soaking wet, making it hard to get my feet all the way in. My sunglasses had also fogged over quite a bit. This was a problem because the first leg of the bike was on some pretty terrible road and I just could not see all of the bumps (and at least try to avoid the big ones). Eventually, after a couple of miles, I settled in and my glasses cleared up. A big mistake that I had made was to use my aerobar water bottle. The roads were just so bumpy that nuun-infused fluids were splashing all over me, which wasn't contributing to the fun factor.

Between miles 10 and 18 there was some decent road to ride, but for the most part the winter had really torn things up. The last five miles or so back to the start were a real mess. At this point, my legs were so covered in nuun that they were sticking together on every pedal stroke. The bumps had even knocked my bike computer loose so that it was just hanging by a cord (now I have to replace that screw!). Needless to say, I had really lost focus at this point. I wasn't enjoying myself and just didn't have it in me to want to push the ride. Now this ends up being one of those valuable lessons learned, particularly on the mental side of racing. Everyone has to deal with the same crappy roads--the trick is to find a way to deal with it so that you can stay focused and keep riding hard. Always something to work on. Why can't I just punish my body and let my brain take the day off?

I had a nice dismount into transition and headed over to my running gear. I had laid out my flats and socks on my towel but, when I got there, discovered that one of my socks was missing. Not good. I quickly decided against going sockless on the 10k and instead took the time to dig another, unmatching sock out of my transition bag. This did not help my T2 time, but I got out of the gate and, after about 100 yards of beach running, hit the open road. I felt slow and shaky from the start, but was breathing comfortably. There was a guy right on my shoulder who was huffing and puffing like a mad man--I wanted him to pass me just so I wouldn't have to listen to it any more. Heading out it took about 2 miles for me to get my legs going, but once they did I felt a lot better. By the time I hit the turn-around I had found a good stride. Feeling a bit optimistic now I even passed a couple of people with big '29's written on their calves. I regained some hope (which had more or less been dashed as everyone blew by me on the bike course) of placing in my age group.

With two and a half miles to go I found myself getting a bit lazy. The dude in front of me (the huffer and puffer) was not in my age group, and there was no one on my tail, so I just settled into an easy rhythm. Again, the brain thing. I could have pushed, and I should have pushed, but I didn't, except for the last mile. I picked up Mr. Huff and Puff and a couple of other people at the end and crossed the finish in 2:18:01.

With the race over, the beauty of the freezing lake now revealed itself--cold soak time! Standing in the chilly water felt really good, as did grabbing some food and assorted beverages. I hung around for an hour or so and, with the unofficial race results posted, discovered that I was, in reality 30 years old. Apparently someone had been misleading me all these years. I still wouldn't have placed with the 29 year olds, and finished 38th overall and 7 out of 80 in my new age group. I wasn't thrilled with my performance, mostly because I was well aware of my own mental breakdowns.

Now I'm starting down IM Rhode Island in five weeks knowing that I may be racing with the tridectarians and so I'll need to step it up. People always told me that turning thirty was rough, but I never expected it to be quite like this.

REACHING THE PODIUM PLACING LAST?

2008-06-04T14:04:00.003-04:00

This was a race of firsts for me. It was the first time I’ve ever done a straight mountain bike race. It was the first time I’ve placed first and last in my division. And finally the first time I’ve left before an awards ceremony. (If there was one.) How did I place first and last in my division? I registered for the Bear Brook Blast Off in the Open Cruiser division which was the lowest division of people doing the long course and I was the only one register for this division. There were two divisions above me doing the long course with many people in them and two divisions below me doing a shorter course.

Since this was my first straight mountain bike race I wanted to do the longer distance to prepare for summer triathlons but didn’t want to compete with the upper level racers especially considering that I have a older bike with no shocks or and older style caged pedals via mid 90’s. So I started with the women of the level above me.

The course was relatively flat but other than that had a little bit of everything to satisfy everyone. It had open areas on smooth gravel roads, cruising type trails and some pretty tricky single track with rocks and the works. I actually past a few people along the course and didn’t get past by to many within long course riders since I started towards the end. Although I have to say most of the women I started with started out quick and in front of me and stayed there.

I just looked on line and saw the results. Overall, for the long course racers, I was toward the end of the pack but was not dead last. Considering what I was riding I feelt pretty good about the race. I finished in 2 hours 24 minutes and 30 seconds. I also earned 200 points for being in first. What that means I have no idea.

Welcome Cory & Ric

2008-05-30T14:54:00.008-04:00

Please join me in welcoming to Team IRONTOM my dear friends from Mexico. TOMb and I met TOM-y-Cory and TOM-Mathey-Ric at the pancake breakfast at Ironman Florida in 2005.

Ric is an accomplished age-groupe Ironman triathlete who has raced almost all around the world, while Cory is in her second year of racing. Both are heading down to Ironman France in a few weeks, though, only Ric will be racing there. Having raced that race in 2006, I know they will have a great time and, shortly after that, file a race report for the team.

Cory at Ironman Florida 70.3

With Mark Allen at Ironman Austria

Quadriceps...Sore, Calves...Aching, Arms...Surprisingly Relaxed

2008-05-18T18:16:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday, May 18th, was the running of the Mountain Man Challenge around Mt. Ascutney; a duathlon of 9.3km run, 40km bike, and 5k run. This seemed like a great event to get some race experience in before Mooseman in a couple of weeks, so off I went. I had never done a duathlon before, so wasn't really sure what to expect, but I told myself I'd be happy to finish in under two hours. Did that happen? Tune in next week to find out...or, I can just tell you now, either way works for me.

The race was slated to begin at a very civilized 9:00 a.m. Things were going well with my pre-race "getting ready" routine until I realized that I had lost my timing chip. Yikes. I scoured the grounds, my gear bag, my bike--every blade of grass--but no luck. I was feeling pretty bummed out but, as the timing guy said who gave me a new chip, things that start off badly often end well. Of course, he also told me that I would have to pay for the replacement chip if I couldn't find it after the race so I'm not sure how that qualified as "ending well." But, once chipped-up, I felt ready to go. After a pre-race briefing we were sent out to line up on the main road outside Ascutney State Park.

After a 3-2-1 Go! The group was off. We had all been packed over onto the left hand side of the road, and so I tried to find some open pavement from the get go. After a couple of brief surges I found myself at the front of the pack and pulling away, except for one guy who was hanging behind me. After the first two miles we had made quite a gap between ourselves and the rest of the pack. I was feeling pretty good. I managed to open up a bit of space and was leading the race. This was a first for me, and, while it felt good, was a bit disconcerting since I didn't have anyone to pace off of. It wasn't long, however, before that guy surged and caught me as we headed down a dirt road towards a steep climb. While he had pulled ahead, I managed to pass him again in the first half of the hill. I was hoping that his surge and the climb would have taxed him, but it didn't. He picked up the pace for the rest of the climb, and started to open up some space for himself. As we headed towards the transition, he managed to open up about 30 yards between us, but I was feeling comfortable, trying not to get to over-eager finishing up the first leg. I finished the run in about 32:30.

Coming into T1, I was trying something new--the "shoes attached to bike method." This gave me a really quick transition time and I was right behind him again coming out. But, once on his bike, he took off and it took me a little bit to get going and get my feet in the shoes, so it wasn't long before a big gap had opened up. Now, I know that you can't judge people's performance by their gear alone, but I've learned that it's a good rule of thumb that was somebody throws on one of those fancy teardrop helmets when they get on their bike, they're no cycling slouch. The first bit of the bike course was a nice downhill. This was nice--I got to get the old legs spinning but also a bit treacherous coming into the first road intersection. With a lot of speed coming down the hill, we were supposed to turn right onto Route 5, but it was really hard to see the oncoming traffic and there wasn't anyone there to control it. So, I mostly crossed my fingers (which is hard to do when you're trying to keep your hands on the brakes) and went for it. I continued to lose ground to the leader, but expected as much. I was in a comfortable second heading into about six miles of steady climbing.

I had biked the course during the previous week and, at that time, got a nice taste for how windy the conditions can get. I wasn't disappointed this time either. Climbing is already a struggle--climbing into a stiff headwind is just a cruel joke. What made it so frustrating was that I found it hard to accelerate after the hills leveled off into much more reasonable grades, so I could never really pick up any speed.

About thirteen miles in I got passed by another cyclist hammering on a fast downhill, and then a couple of miles later by another two cyclists. From here on, however, the bike course got a lot faster, which was nice and I managed to largely keep up with the two riders that had taken the third and fourth positions. I was also glad to have ridden the course earlier because I wasn't surprised by the rough road conditions. Cracks turned to bumps which turned to holes. Bouncing around in the seat my new pass time.

I came into T2 shortly after the third and fourth place riders , had a nice dismount, and made my way back to my racing flats to try and polish off this course. Okay, so maybe my strong run in the first leg had given me a false sense of confidence about where I would be right now, but I new coming out of transition that I still had a good chance at placing in the top three. The last run leg was an out-and-back 5 k and within the first quarter mile I had managed to pick up two runners, putting myself back in the number three slot. I also got a nice hand slap as a I passed one runner--it's always nice to race with such good spirits. I entertained some thoughts of pushing and catching another runner, but, as a neared the turn-around, knew it wasn't going to be. I was getting this nagging pain in my right quad, and just overall felt like I was pushing my limit. I also wasn't looking forward to the return--all uphill.

Rounding the corner to make the return trip was interesting, to say the least, since there was nothing marking where the turn-around was. Out of breath, I struggled to ask the volunteer working the aid stop where I had to go to, to which she responded, "oh, just to about the car is fine." Armed with such precise instruction, I set out on the return trip. Things started out badly. I was struggling to maintain a pace and, even worse, a guy that I had passed on the trip down was putting on a surge and making up some serious ground. About a half mile from the finish he passed me and kept pulling away as I didn't have it in me to hold him off. My "top-three" visions were quickly fading.

I turned into the park entrance and headed for the finish. Above me, the clock read 1:59:50. I sprinted the last 25 yards and finished six seconds later--just making it within my two hour goal time. Phew! I grabbed some water and, feeling a bit chilly, went back to my gear back for pants and a long sleeved shirt. Pulling the shirt over my head a miracle occurred: my original timing chip fell out of one of the sleeves (the velcro must have gotten snagged when I took the shirt off before the race).

So, overall, a good race day. I finished fourth overall, and first in my age group (though, with such a small field, I have just been competing with myself in that category). Even better, I didn't have to pay to replace a timing chip.

A Season Opener With An International Flavor

2008-05-07T21:53:00.017-04:00

The best dressed Ironman at the party

So there I was, sitting at a local coffee bar the other day (or "cafe," as the hip kids call it) when an older gentleman started shouting in Polish and franticly pointing to this table over by a window with a lamp on it. Fortunately I had just been at the 1st Annual Team Irontom Pre-Race Season Fun-and-Food Time Extravaganza (or TIPRSFAF) and I knew just what to do: I squatted down, then leaped into the air and clapped my hands over my head. Okay, perhaps that didn't happen exactly the way I described it. There may not have been an older, frantic Polish gentleman. But I have been to a cafe before. But the knowledge is real and that is all thanks to the powerful lesson in the intricacies of the Polish language given by Mrs. TOMasz. But, alas, I get ahead of myself...The festivities kicked off around one in the afternoon at the Hensel home perched high above the chilly waters of the town resevoire. Now, let it be known that there is one thing that there will never be a shortage of at a team TOM part: food. Food food food food food. There was the standard fare, like chips and salsa and cheese and crackers, as well as the more exotic, like week-old sushi from Boston (ask the TOMahawk about that one) and bottle after bottle of Ensure (ask TOM-a-lot about that).

Japanese flavor

T2, TOMb, and Megan

All the eyes were on TOM-a-Lot. He may have been discussing the chilli recepie

All that of course, is just for starters because somethin' fierce was being cooked up in the Hensel kitchen. While we waited for the main course the task of entertaining the TOMs was taken up Mrs. TOMasz, Kasia. For some odd reason Britta was not interested in performing this duty this time around...

Armed with a thirty year old condensed Polish-English dictionary and a room full of go-getters who will squat, jump, clap and....wait, what was the other one...at even the slightest suggestion, we proceded to squat, jump, clap and do that other thing to the tune of lamp, table, window and....something else. By the way, the word for lamp, is "lampa." Lesson learned.

Polish flavor

Testing the Ensure

TOMalita and TOMmomma

After taking us through a few rounds on her own Kasia graciously passed the torch to me to make everyone run through these motions. This was such a happy coincidence because just that morning I had been thinking "boy, wouldn't it be great to find some way to get a room full of people to jump up in the air and clap their hands over their heads?"

Once it was established that I did, in fact, have the best Polish accent of everyone in the room it was time for the real eating. Carbo-loading doesn't even begin to describe it. Pastas and breads and rices adourned the dining table. But, if you like your pasta covered in chili, red beans, onions and cheese and...something else...then you went for bowl after bowl of Skyline Chili. Now, having spent a weekend with TOM-a-lot and TOMasz in Maryland waxing nostalgic about this mythical "Skyline Chili" I was, needless to say, curious. Very, very tasty stuff. Can't say I would eat it before heading out for a run, but I can say--without engaging in any hyperbole whatsoever, that it was the best Skyline Chili I had ever had or will have.

Tasting of the "Skyline Chilli"

Having filled our collective bellies to the bursting point, it was time for ice cream cake. Now, I would like to make a motion (we do follow Roberts' Rules of Order at Team Irontom, right?) that all future team parties be time to coincide with birthdays so that we can have ice cream cake. I mean, come on, it's ice cream in cake form--what more could you ask for. Well, maybe if you topped it with chili, red beans, onions, cheese...

After a rousing round of "happy birthday" sung to the man of the hour, Eli, it was time for dessert and, unfortunately, time for me to go. The nice day was calling me to my road bike and so, after purposefully leaving my sunglasses behind so that I would have to get them from the Hensels when they got out of church the next day and then get to eat some oreo cream pie stuff--yup, that was all planned out--I headed back.

Eli's B-Day cake. It was his sixth

The TOMahawk family

Things look promissing for Team TOM as we head into race season. We should have a good showing at Mooseman, another contingent in Lake Placid and Timberman, and, of coure a slew of other races in between. And you know what that means...RACE REPORTS!

Finally we can stop reading about Chuck and Carla racing through the cold rain in Vermont (because we all read that report compulsively, right?) immerse ourselves in the fantastical world that is Team Irontom, 2008

A family picture

The most popular Iron-person in the room with members of the IronTOM Support Team

A great time was had by almost all ;o)

A CHRISTMAS ADDITION TO TEAM IRONTOM

2007-12-26T07:48:00.000-05:00

A warm welcome to Jason, Stephanie and Ryan.

My wife Stephanie, our 3 yr old son Ryan, and I recently relocated to the UpperValley from Denver, Colorado. My background as a hockey player has done little to prepare me for the world of triathlon! I began running in 2001, completing my first marathon in Tucson, AZ. I trudged along doing half and full marathons until 2005, when a close friend Matt Smith (27th in the world @ Clearwater 70.3this year) convinced me to tri. I signed up for the Boulder Peak & have been hooked ever since, completing my first Ironman at IMAZ in April 2007. This year I am focused on being competitive at both Mooseman & Timberman... and looking forward to making a lot of new tri friends!

JAN'S IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIOSHIP EXPERIENCE

2007-12-03T13:31:00.001-05:00

Some of you have met Jan (my country man) at Ironman Lake Placid in 2006. He had a great couple of years of racing. Firstly, he won the Hawaii Ironman lottery slot in 2006, in which race he finished in just over 13 hours. Secondly, after aging up to the M55-59 group in 2007, he qualified for Clearwater Ironman 70.3 World Championship at the Eagleman 70.3, in which he came in 8th in 4:48.

He tells me both experiences were great, and here are some picks to show for it.

Congratulations, Jan!

Jan is bearing Polish national flag before IM Hawaii

Only one more yard to go!!!

With his new friend, Michele Jones

Needless to say, he is itching for more action in Hawaii and Clearwater.

SILVERMAN 2007

2007-11-27T10:59:00.000-05:00

Perhaps, reading this report and seeing some great pictures will stimulate some of you to add Silverman iron or 1/2 iron-distance triathlon to your rext year's racing schedule (November 9, 2008).

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