PHILADELPHIA MARATHON RACE REPORT 2015

PHILADELPHIA MARATHON 2015 RACE REPORT

Who was a part of the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend? This girl was!!!  Spoiler alert: I PR'd and BQ'd on the course.  I'm excited to tell you about it. And yes, its another long one so we better get started:

PACKET PICKUP:
Tom and I drove to Philly on Friday afternoon for packet pickup.  We got there at about 2:30 and had no problems finding a parking garage close by.  We walked around the expo for a while then headed home.  I bought myself a pair of arm warmers because race day was going to be chilly and windy so I figured arm warmers would be good to have.  I also bought a nice looking jacket with the 2015 Philadelphia Marathon logo on it.  It was a nice expo as far as expos go.  We left the expo around 3:30 and got stuck in traffic going home.  I guess it's to be expected on a Friday afternoon.

RACE DAY MORNING:
We could have stayed in a hotel but I really didn't feel like spending $300+ dollars on a hotel room.  I got up at 2:30 and had a cup of coffee, ate a bowl of oatmeal at 4:00 am and left the house at 4:15 am.  We arrived in Philadelphia with plenty of time to park and make our way over to the start corrals. We pre-paid for parking using Parking Panda and reserved a parking spot at lot on North Broad Street and Spring Gardens Road.  The parking lot was about one mile away from the start corrals, but it was even further from the finish line.

I wasn't 100% sure how to dress, so after my morning coffee I went outside to see how cold and windy it felt. I was pleasantly surprised. The temperature wasn't bad for mid-November and I felt no wind.  I decided on compression shorts, a tank top and my new arm warmers.  I had a cheap $10 throw-away jacket as well.  Luckily I didn't throw the jacket away on the course because I ended up needing it when we walked back to the car. They did offer gear check, but I didn't think I needed it because hubby Tom was there to carry my coat...or so I thought.

START CORRALS:
We were walking to the start corrals and I immediately noticed that the temperature in Philly was colder than it was at home and there was a biting wind. It was at this point that I started second guessing my decision to wear shorts and  tank top (even with the arm warmers).

Before I knew it, long lines were forming at the porta-potties and some people were taking FOEVER in there. Once I got into the corral I put my race belt on and shoved 8 packets of Salted Caramel GU into it.  I decided to use the water and Gatorade provided on the course. My playlist was ready with old and new music.  I felt good, I felt ready.  Even though I didn't train as much for this marathon I had no injures to complain about.  My left Achilles hurt me once during training and I immediately stopped and let it rest for a few days.  It never bothered me again. I guess there's something to be said for avoiding overtraining.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned around to a gentleman who said I had good taste in music.  I looked down at my playlist and noticed the first song was Bruce Springsteen's Jungle Land.  We talked about Bruce for a while and finally the announcer informed us that the race was about to being.  The horn blew and the runners took off.

START TO 10K:
Just like in the Louisiana Marathon, I lined myself up with the 3:45 pace team.  My plan was to run the first 15 miles at an 8:45 pace. If I felt good after mile 15, I would stop looking at my watch and just go as hard as I could for as long as I could. Maybe I would even catch up with the pace team. That was my goal.

And once again, the pace team left me behind.  They didn't go out as fast as they did in Louisiana, but they went out faster than I was comfortable with.  I was running behind them for a while and keeping them in my sights.  I was about a 1/2 mile into the race when I realized that I forgot to start my watch!  What a dummy! Mentally, I beat myself up for a while and then tried to get over it.  For a moment I felt a bit doomed because I was relying on running even splits.  Now everything felt thrown off.  Eventually, I managed to let it go and I stopped worrying about it.  I still had the3:45 pace team in front of me, but they were ever so slowly pulling away.

The first 10K of the Philadelphia Marathon is awesome! You pass the Franklin Institute and the Friendship Arches.  At mile 5 you pass Independence Hall the Liberty Bell.  Then you run on Chestnut Street.  The crowd support here is simply amazing and fun! There are "cheer" sections set up throughout the course and those folks really cheer you on.  You continue down Chestnut Street and finally hit the 10k timing mat.  I felt my phone vibrate and I was curious to see my split time.  53:06 (8:33 per mile pace).  I threw the brakes on because I didn't want to run so fast and burn myself out early on.  Meanwhile, the 3:45 pace team had left the building.  They were nowhere to be seen.

10K to MILE 13.1:
Here is where you begin to encounter a few overpasses and a couple of hills.  I was told that it was a flat course and for the most part it was.  The first 10K was definitely flat and fast.  The next few miles would take a bit more focus.  We  crossed over the Schuylkill River and came to University City.  There were frat houses and college students cheering the runners on.  The college students looked like a fun group of partiers to hang out with.  We made a right and ran towards the Philadelphia Zoo.  I remember going around a fountain and coming to mile marker 9.  Mile 9 was where we met our biggest hill.  It was a long grade going up, up, up.  I didn't know we would encounter such a long climb.  But any runner will tell you "its just a hill, get over it". I was so happy to reach the top.

At mile 10 we were close to the Please Touch Museum.  I recognized being here for the Philly Tri-Rock Triathlon in June.  There was a really big hill that we had to run down.  I tried putting the breaks on because I didn't want to hurt my legs running downhill so fast, but it was really difficult to slow down.  After making it to the bottom we turned and followed the Schuylkill River for a while.  There was a great cheer section set up here with a DJ and young people dressed up in costumes and dancing.  I'm going to show my age but the DJ was playing a song called 'Babe We're Gonna Love Tonight' by Lime.  I couldn't believe that these young people knew the words to this 80's disco song and were dancing and having so much fun. If I wasn't trying for a BQ I would have danced with them. My friend Heather told me later that she stopped and danced with them.  I'm still jealous of her!

We ran along the river for a couple of miles and began our approach to the half way point.  The half marathoners stay to the right while the full marathoners stayed to the left.  We ran up a little hill and said goodbye to the half marathoners who were heading for the finish line.  Meanwhile, my race is about to being. I crossed the 13.1 timing mat and got another update.  My halfway split was 1:53:10 and I was running an 8:38 pace.  That seemed a bit more reasonable to me.

MILE 13.1 to MILE 18:
So now the half marathoners are gone and all that's left are the crazy full marathoners.  There was decent crowd support between miles 13 and 14 but then it got very quiet.  Mile  13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are a bit on the boring side.  You're just running along the Schuylkill River and there isn't much to see or think about here.   A nasty wind would kick up off the river every now and then, blowing leaving all over us.  I felt a chill go through me every time the wind blew.  Several times I had to put my head down because I could feel myself running into a head wind. The wind made me feel cold but I didn't feel like wrestling with my jacket to put on and then take it off later, when I got hot again.

After mile 17 we made a left and crossed over a small bridge. On the other side we turned left and ran down a slight hill.  This was where I FINALLY saw the 3:45 pace team...and they weren't THAT far ahead.  They were within striking distance if I paced myself correctly.  For entertainment purposes I decided to pick my pace up a bit and see if I could start catching up to them.  There was a turn around at the bottom of the hill and we ran back up the hill and over the small bridge again.  Yet again, we were following the Schuylkill River and heading for the 30k timing mat.  This was around mile 18.  A water and Gatorade station was set up on the 30k timing mat.  I thought that was kind of weird because people were crossing the timing mat and then going back for a cup of water or Gatorade.  They could have moved the water station down tiny bit.  My 30k split was 2:40:13 and now I was averaging 8:36 per mile.

MILE 18 TO THE FINISH LINE:
This is where shit gets real. If I was going to mentally crack anywhere in this race, this was it.  Mile 19 into 20 wasn't bad because we went into a small town and the last turn-around was between miles 19 and 20.  There was good crowd support here and again, I was able to use the turn-around to see just how far away I was from the 3:45 pace team.  I was slowly getting closer to them.  There was a slight grade going up on mile 20 so I took it slow.  I'm really not sure how I entertained myself mentally between miles 18 to 22 but somehow I managed.  My toe hurt on my right foot and it felt like I had a big blister on it.  I put it out of my head and figured I'll deal with it later.  At mile 22 I could clearly see the pace team up ahead.  I turned my music off and kept an eye on them.  I told myself "go hunt them down".  Somehow I picked my pace up a little bit more and got closer and closer.

At mile 23 I sent a text to Tom that simply said "23".  He knew exactly what that meant.  I told myself that it was a 5k run now and that I had done plenty of 5k runs.  This was a walk in the park.  But it really wasn't.  I was still trying to pick my pace up so that I could catch up with the pace team.  I was in the miserable place mentally.  I wanted to stop but I didn't.  I wanted to slow down, but I also wanted to catch up with the pace group.  I just kept staring at their 3:45 sign and kept pushing myself towards it.

Somehow I made it to mile 25 and I was so close to the pace team.  I was ready for this race to be over! The last mile of the marathon has a lot of wonderful spectators.  People were shouting out to me to "just keep going" and "you're running a sub 4 hour marathon" and "you've got this" and of course the infamous "you're almost there".  I looked at them and tried to thank them for their encouragement.  Spectators close to my age seemed the most impressed.  I could hear the announcers voice and I got my first glimpse of the finish line clock in the distance.  The crowd was cheering and I just keep following that stupid 3:45 pace sign.  They crossed the finish line and I was right behind.  My phone buzzed and I looked down to see my finish time: 3:44:20 with an average pace of 8:33! I did it!!!!!! I PR'd and BQ'd in one shot.  I secured my spot for the 2017 Boston Marathon!

The Philadelphia Marathon medal is probably one of the nicest medals I've ever earned.  It has the Liberty Bell in the center and the bell really does jingle.  All you heard around Philadelphia were bells jingling and runners groaning.  It was a delightful sound. People on the streets smiled and congratulated us. You could feel the Brotherly Love.

SUMMARY:
The first half of the course is amazing and if you're into half marathons I think its a "must do". You pass a lot of landmarks that make Philadelphia fantastic (the Franklin Institute, the Liberty Bell, Love Park, the Friendship Arches, City Hall). And if you're into entertainment while you run, there's plenty of it. Put this one on your list.

From 13.1 to the finish, it gets quiet.  I felt like I was running a completely different race.  I'm ok with that, but I can see how it might get into someone's head.  The second half is harder to work through mentally although on a positive note, its pretty flat.  There are 2 slight grades going up (one after mile 17 and the other grade is after the turnaround at mile 19).

There were a decent amount of water stations set up and they handed out water and Gatorade at every station.  Gatorade was first, water next.  There were also 2 Carb Boom Energy Gel stations on the course.  I came prepared with my own gels so I didn't use those, plus I wanted to take a gel every 30 minutes.

Somewhere around miles 16-17 I wanted to stop for a moment.  I knew stopping that early on would spell disaster for me.  Somehow my desire to catch up with the 3:45 pace group was the only thing motivating me. I don't know but it seems to be a method that works for me.  Maybe someday I'll make it my goal to catch and pass them. Now I'm being a jerk.

The only thing that sucked was the walk back to the car. The exit from the finish line is far and I was really, really spent after the race.  I had nothing left in the tank.  Tom didn't bring my jacket with him (I thought he would) and it was really cold and windy walking to the car. Luckily I kept my throw away jacket. Plus we got a bit lost. I was about to lose it when we finally reached  the parking lot.  I told Tom that next time we're taking a cab.

So there it is; my 2015 Philadelphia Marathon review. And as the slogan says "Run Fast, Run Far, Run Philly".  And don't forget to enjoy a cheesesteak or two.  You've earned it!

MARATHON SPLIT TIMES:
10K - 53:06 (8:33 pace)
1/2 Marathon - 1:53:10 (8:38 pace)
30K - 2:40:13 (8:36 pace)
Finish Time - 3:44:20 (8:33 pace)

FUEL AND HYDRATION:
3 hrs before the race started I consumed a bowl of oatmeal and a buttered English muffin
I sipped water on way to race (didn't drink too much water)
1 hr before race start I consumed 1 packet of GU
45 minutes into the race started I consumed my first packet of GU. I consumed 1 packet of GU every 30 minutes throughout the course
I drank water after each gel packet and consumed Gatorade at many of the water stations.  I didn't have a schedule for water and Gatorade stops. I just drank as I felt necessary.

IRON GIRL SANDY HOOK 2015 RACE REPORT

IRON GIRL SANDY HOOK 2015 RACE REPORT

Iron Girl Sandy Hook went down in history last weekend.  Again, Caitlin and I did the race as a team and I have to admit that I really love this race.  Its a great all female race that isn't foofy or frilly.  The swim and bicycle course are a bit more challenging but no one is really hardcore to the point where they're out to hurt someone.  Race day was a bit more organized this year as in the pathways were lit up much better.  Caitlin and I agreed that this is going to be our mother/daughter triathlon every year.

PACKET PICKUP:
Iron Girl offered packet pickup the day before the race at the Atlantic Highlands Regional School.  Everything was pretty much the same this year as it was last year.  Caitlin and I bought a couple of really nice Iron Girl shirts while at the expo.  I decided against racking my bike the night before because the forecast was calling for rain all night long into the morning.  Like many other participants, I simply racked my bike the morning of and had no issues. Iron Girl also offers race day packet pickup.  If you decide to go that route, get there as early as possible. The line gets incredibly long, incredibly fast.  The line and stress aren't worth it in my opinion, but it is an option.

RACE DAY MORNING:

This year I decided to leave a few minutes later than last year AND I even remembered to bring my headlamp this time.  We left our house at 4:15 am and arrived at parking lot by 5:25 am.  I had absolutely no problems getting into the lot and finding a very convenient parking spot.  Unlike last year, I made sure to bring everything with me into transition this year.  I knew the walk between the parking lot and transition is VERY far (one mile, give or take) so I made sure that I left nothing in the car this time.

Iron Girl must have received last years message because the pathways were lit up much better this year and they seemed to have more volunteers directing everyone towards transition.  Last year many of us were wandering around the Sandy Hook barracks looking for transition with no lighting and no direction on where to go.  Iron Girl dialed it in this year.

THE SWIM:
After racking my bike, I got my swim gear together and headed to the beach where the swim start would take place.  The swim is in a bay and the weather was cloudy, windy and very chilly.  The water was choppy and I knew it was going to get interesting out there.

I decided to do a warm up swim and instantly realized how choppy the waves were and how the current kept pushing me towards the right.  I suspected that several participants would bail out on the swim either beforehand or during the race. I turned out to be correct on this assessment. This was one of those swims where you needed to be mentally prepared.
As I watched the swim heats take off (my heat was near the end), I saw a few women being plucked from the water and being brought back to shore in a small boat.  Another woman was clinging to a paddleboard while the lifeguard was pushing her back to shore.  I have to admit that I was a little nervous, but I knew I could do the swim as long as I started out slowly and got my mind right.

Finally, it was our turn to go in. While in transition, Caitlin and I had met a really nice team.  They were 2 young females (young compared to me) who were doing the race together.  The young gal doing the swim urged me to come to the front of the line with her. She advised me to stay as far left as possible since the current was pushing everyone towards the right.  I knew she was correct, but staying towards the left in that current and chop wasn't going to be easy.  And easy it was not!

As I started swimming, the first thing I noticed was how quickly the pack separated.  I was able to find my own space but every time I rotate to air, I got a big mouthful of water instead.  I stopped swimming for a moment and bobbed just to get a lungful of air. But it didn't matter because a wave washed over me anyway. I continued this stop/start swim method a few times until I finally accepted the fact that the constant stopping and starting was only setting me back. Iron Girl had a floating dock in between a couple of buoys but no one could use it because everyone kept getting pushed too far to the right.  Essentially the floating dock was useless.  The lifeguards noticed that most of the swimmers were being shoved towards the right so they made sure to stay as far right as possible to keep the swimmers safe.

Strangely enough, I wasn't scared.  I just wanted to swim as much as I could without stopping.  So I put my head down and I started swimming, thinking about how important technique would be in this situation.  I did everything possible to avoid lifting my head for air because the head lifting was slowing me down significantly. If there's anything that I've learned in all of my open water swimming this past summer, its the importance of rotating for air without lifting your damn head. Turn your head as if its resting on a pillow.

I kept on going without stopping and I got to a point where I could see sand, rocks and shells at the bottom.  It was then that I knew I was coming to end of the swim.  I felt both happy and sad.  I think I'm really falling in love with open water swimming.  Ok, I know I am.  I swam as close to shore as I could, stood up and made a beeline out of the water and ran for the transition area.  It was time to grab Lexa and bike.  A nice man was standing off to the side cheering and high fiving each female as she exited the water.  Whoever you are, thank you!

THE BIKE COURSE:
The bicycle course was the same this year as it was last year; a two-loop out and back course totaling 16 miles.  Last year, I had the wind at my back as I headed out and the wind at my face as I headed back. But this year was different.

The sun was finally breaking through the clouds, but the wind remained. I was nervous at first that I would feel cold on the bike, especially since I was wet from the swim, but I felt really comfortable with the air temperature.

As I headed out to the turn-around I noticed the wind was hitting me from the side this year.  I mentally accepted that I would have to deal with the wind in both directions.  And deal with it I did, as did everyone else.  I got into aero position, screamed "on your left" to anyone blocking the left and motored along.  The bike course is flat and scenic.  I felt really, really good on the bike, even with the wind pushing against me.  All I kept hearing was my brothers voice yelling "pedal, pedal, pedal". 

I can't complain about anyone hogging the left side of the road because no one really did.  If a cyclist needed to pass someone, she would pass on the left and then move back to the right again.  And in case you're wondering yes, I do the same thing.  Pass on the left, move back to the right.  It was an awesome group of ladies to be on the bicycle course with!

THE RUN:

This year again, Caitlin did the 5k run.  It wasn't as hot this year as it was last year and she settled into the run better this year. She ran around the barracks and buildings that make up the lower half of Sandy Hook. Meanwhile spectators lined the street and cheered the athletes on.

I got to see the teammate from the other team that we had met in transition.  She had a beautiful looking run and she was FAST! I gave her a shout out as she flew by. Caitlin didn't train for the run, so I had no idea how long it was going to take her.  She ended up completing it in 42 minutes, which surprised me a bit. 

I waited near the finish line and saw her sail home as the announcer said "Caitlin Tell you are an Iron Girl".  Plus, it was her birthday the day before so it felt extra special.  I love seeing her come across the finish line.  And even though I'm allowed to run through the finish chute with her, I prefer to let her have that moment to herself.

IN CLOSING:
There was plenty of food and beverages for the athletes in the after party tent.  I grabbed an egg , ham and cheese sandwich while Caitlin opted for a buttered bagel.  They had water, coffee, juice, yogurt, sandwiches, bagels...plenty of food.  Unfortunately, they ran out of medals towards the end.  A shipment of medals went missing in the mail.  They made sure to get every finishers bib number who didn't receive a medal and they mailed our medals to us about a week later.  Not receiving the medal onsite was a bit of bummer, but that's life.  I see no reason to bash Iron Girl over it since things happen.  We ended up finishing in 3rd place (for 2 person team).  Last year we were in last place, so 3rd place was an improvement. We walked back to the car and made it out of the parking lot pretty quickly.  We had a great time at a great race. Thank you Iron Girl and we'll see you again next year.

LIVING IN CANCER WORLD

LIVING IN CANCER WORLD.  IT'S LIKE RACING IN THE RAIN

The last 2 months have been absolutely hellish.  Getting used to this new cancer world which we've found ourselves in has been nothing short of an uphill battle.  It feels like someone plucked out of our every day lives and stuck us into this bizarro world that makes no sense.  Tom's cancer diagnosis is the last thing I think of as I drift off to sleep and it's the first thing I think of every time I open my eyes.  Even a simple trip to the potty at 2:00 am means I'll be awake for at least of couple of hours playing out every scenario of what can go wrong in my mind.  I don't remember what peacefulness or security feels like anymore.  It's been completely stripped away.

The last 2 weeks have been even more hellish than normal. Tom underwent a series of tests and scans over the course of many different days.  By the end of last week, he was done!  And today in particular was going to be a rough day.  We were waiting to hear the test results as well as find out which treatment plan Tommy would be chosen for.  He's agreed to a clinical trial option, however the drug company decides which treatment he'll be receiving.  We were hoping he would receive a new intravenous drug that's showing very good results. This was our preference over the "standard" oral treatments that most patients receive but again, it wasn't up to us to decide.

I went out for a 16 mile run early this morning. I left the house before daybreak and had the chance to see the beautiful sunrise.  There was a thick fog that hung over the soy fields and it made everything look hauntingly beautiful.  I had to stop and take a picture or two.  And then for the first time in over 2 months, I felt a sense of peace and serenity come over me.  I told myself that I tend to build things up in my head to be bigger and worse than they usually turn out to be.  I believed in my heart that things were going to be okay.  And even if the results weren't 100% okay, they probably won't be as bad as I imagine.

I remember a triathlon coach telling me that there's no such thing as a perfect race day.  "There are going to be times where you have to race in the rain", he said.  You can't control mother nature and you can't control what anyone else does on the course.  The only thing you can do is control your own actions and prepare yourself to race in un-perfect conditions.  Adjust, adapt and learn how to be comfortable racing in the rain.

And so that's where Tommy and I are at.  We're going to race the best that we can in the rain.  The scans showed that the tumor in the lung did get a bit larger.  They also saw a small lesion on the skull bone.  There's no evidence of any new tumors on the brain or anywhere else. And as far as the clinical trial goes, Tommy was selected for the new intravenous treatment which we're very, very happy about.  We were hoping he would get that treatment.

So now it's time to prepare, adapt and adjust. We plan on becoming the best damn couple you've ever seen to race in the rain.

GORUCK KILL THAT 5K RUCK RACE REPORT NYC

GORUCK KILL THAT 5K RUCK RACE REPORT - RANDALL'S ISLAND, NEW YORK CITY

Do you love America? Mom? Apple pie? $1 beers? If you just screamed out "yes I do" then GORUCK is for you!  The 'GORUCK Kill That 5K Ruck Race' is good family fun and entertainment for everyone. Not only are kids and dogs warmly welcomed, but they are encouraged.  Tom participated in a GORUCK Light event back in the early days, when it was more...intense, for a lack of better words.  But explaining the concept of GORUCK is a bit challenging.  I would say you're probably better off visiting their website (before I screw the whole thing up) but eh what the hell, I'll give it a try:

THE HISTORY OF GORUCK AND HOW IT WAS STARTED:
First of all, GORUCK has a cult following all it's own.  I mean they even call it GORUCK Nation. Now, what is it? Well, it was founded in 2008 by Jason McCarthy, a recently retired U.S. Army Green Beret.  The word "ruck" is short for rucksack or backpack.  EVERYTHING you do in GORUCK involves the use of a weighted rucksack.

GORUCK is actually a company that manufactures military-grade rucksacks, designed by Jason to be an improvement on some of the equipment he was issued in the Army.  As a way of testing the durability, Jason initially made contact with the Tough Mudder people and he, along with a few of his Green Beret friends, participated in the very first Tough Mudder event, all the while wearing their GORUCK GR1 rucksacks.  As fate would have it, this turned out to be extremely popular and civilians began clamoring to participate as part of the GORUCK team.  This opened another door in which Jason and his friends developed a series of their own "GORUCK Challenges", endurance challenges which have become wildly popular in the OCR community.  There are presently a variety of GORUCK challenges and events held throughout the United States, with some even held in Europe and Asia.  All are lead by at least one active-duty or retired Special Operations cadre, representing units such as the Green Berets, SEALs, USMC MARSOC and Force Recon, and USAF combat controllers.  There's even a cadre who's a retired Israeli commando.  They will put you through your paces and, over the hours, build a cohesive, well-functioning team from the group of strangers who begin each event.  And you don't get a flunky finishers medal, instead you receive an embroidered patch, handed to you personally by a certified badass Spec Ops cadre who congratulates you on your accomplishment.  Ultimately, the main goal of GORUCK is to "bridge the gap" between the military and civilian worlds and give civilians a small taste of what the military lifestyle can be like.  If you think you're up to the challenge, I highly recommend you checking them out.

Ok, so now that you still don't understand our fascination with GORUCK, let me move on.  Saturdays race turned out to be a last minute decision. Originally, we signed up for the race months ago, but with Tommy's recent diagnosis we weren't sure if he should even attempt it.  But then Caitlin came downstairs all ready to go, so we packed our rucks and headed out the door to Randall's Island.  Tommy and I were signed up under the "competitive age groupers" while Caitlin was signed up for the "fun run".  When we arrived at the race, Tommy and I requested to switch from "competitive" to "fun run". and our request was easily granted.

Females racing under the "competitive" category had to carry 20 lbs of weight in their rucksack.  "Competitive" males had to carry 30 lbs and anyone in the "elite" category had to carry 45 lbs (this included both men and women).  A weigh-in station was set up where the competitive folks were required to have their rucksacks weighed. If you didn't meet the weight requirement, you either had to find something extra to put in your rucksack or you couldn't compete.  It was as simple as that.  Most folks came prepared and carried either bricks, a bag of sand or steel plates to meet their weight requirement.  A small handful of folk had to scour the parking lot for rocks (I kid you not). Even the "fun run" participants were required to carry a minimal amount of weight in their rucksacks.  Tom and I opted for bricks.

The course was an out and back course in 95 degree heat.  I knew it was going to be challenging for Tom.  While we waited for the race to start we struck up a conversation with a wonderful gentleman.  He was telling us about his cancer diagnosis 5 years ago and how radiation gave him strange tingling sensations, even 5 years later.  We were so shocked to hear this because Tommy had just started experienced those same sensations, only we didn't realize it was linked it to the radiation treatments.  Now it made sense. We told him Tommy's story and you could see he genuinely took heart with our situation.

It was 4:30 pm and the race was about to begin.  The elite group lined up first, followed by the competitive men, followed by the competitive women, followed by the "fun run" crew.  Each wave before us took off and then it was our turn to go.

The horn blew and a large group of us began our journey.  A few yards out we passed a group of folks enjoying a picnic and barbeque.  At first they thought we were weird but then they decided to cheer us on.  Several participants carried American flags which is common for a GORUCK event.  The group began to thin out a bit but we all continued to march along.  We walked along the waters edge and enjoyed the cool breeze and Manhattan skyline.  Smart folks (like us) brought their own bottles of water.  But a lot of people relied on water stations that they expected to be set up on the course.  This was kind of dumb considering there was only 1 water station set up on the entire route, and it was after the turn around point at the half way mark.

We made our way out, turned around and simply headed back.  At one point Tommy was rucking by himself at a good pace while Caitlin and I fell a bit behind.  I figured he may want some personal space to himself, so I just let him go.  After the turn around point he stopped and waited for us and we continued our journey back together.  We chit chatted with the other participants and we chit chatted with each other.  I wanted to get photos along the way since this was Tommy's first 5k race since his diagnosis.  It was fun, it was casual, it was challenging in the heat, but I was so glad we did it.

As we approached the finish line Caitlin and I ran a little ahead of Tommy. I wanted to video tape him coming across the finish line.  Since it's our belief that you should always try to run across the finish line, Tommy remained true to that belief.  After he crossed and received his patch, we noticed the gentleman (whom we were talking with earlier) standing there waiting for him.  He approached Tommy and gave him a big brotherly hug and wished him all the best. It was simply touching.

The food line was long and the beer line was even longer. We each had one coupon for a free beer however we opted for food instead. After your first free beer, remaining beers cost $1 until they ran out.  We got a couple of hot dogs, relaxed with everyone else and then headed home when we were ready. It wasn't the most eventful 5k I've ever done, but to see Tommy back to his old self for a little while, doing what he loves to do made the entire experience well worth it. Plus, all of the GORUCK folks are really, really nice and that makes the experience even better.  So get out there and KILL THAT 5K...GORUCK style!

 

 

STATEN ISLAND TRIATHLON 2015 RACE REPORT

STATEN ISLAND TRIATHLON 2015 RACE REPORT...AND AN AGE GROUP PLACEMENT

I'm a little behind on this race report (sorry) but I really do like the Staten Island Triathlon for several reasons.  It's low key, easy swim, flat course and not on everyone's radar. I'm not sure if it was my imagination, but the race felt a bit less intense this year compared to last year. I did meet a couple of triathletes who were using this race as a final tune up for upcoming Ironman events.  Plus, my brother did the duathlon and it's always fun to race with other family members.  So here we go:

Although I picked my packet up on race day, they did offer a packet pickup the evening before.  Packet pickup the evening before wasn't convenient for me, so race day pick up was perfect and appreciated.

The transition area didn't have enough bike racks for everyone, so we were a bit crammed in.  The other strange thing was that there were no designated bike racks.  We were able to rack our bikes anywhere we wanted to.  I found an empty rack close to the corner, and that was where I set myself up.

THE SWIM:
Once again, the swim took place on Midland Beach.  The water was extremely calm and it was low tide.  The buoys were set out for the 1/4 mile swim and we were allowed to take a practice swim. I got in and swam out to the first buoy and boom, I was able to stand up.  This is my kind of triathlon!  The water depth was to my chest.  I had never done a triathlon where walking the swim course was an option.

Because I had signed up for the race last minute, I was in the last swim wave and there 3 minutes in between each heat.  The first 3 swim heats got in and now it was our turn.  The horn blew and in we went.  Not too many of us, maybe 40 people at most.  I found myself swimming with a group of younger people (teenagers) and they seemed to be having fun.  They told me on the beach that they were runners and not swimmers, but they were all doing great out there.  Plus, they made me smile.

Once the herd thinned out, I took it slow. I haven't been practicing swimming that much since Tom's diagnosis.  Eventually I found my own personal space (and groove) and just kept swimming until the end.  And if lifeguard support turns you on, this swim is for you!  Lots of lifeguards in the water. The water was super calm.  No waves, no chop, just lovely.  It was one of the easiest swims I had ever done. 

T1:
I came out of the water, ran up the beach and over the sand dune (built since hurricane Sandy).  I ran into the transition area and what do I hear? The DJ is playing Enter Sandman by Metallica.  Strangely enough, I had just downloaded that song earlier in the week! I had to tell myself to stop singing and get going.

Threw my sunglasses and bicycle helmet on, then my socks and cycling shoes.  I didn't bother to wipe my feet down.  One strange thing about this triathlon is that you have to wear your racing bib during the bicycle portion, even though your bicycle has a number attached to it.  Anyway, I made sure to have my bib belt on.  I grabbed Lexa and ran for the exit.

THE BIKE:
The bicycle portion of the race takes place on Father Capodanno Blvd. It's a flat, fast 3 loop course.  On the way out you have a bit of wind in your face (as you head towards the Verrazano Bridge) but you have the wind at your back (at least a tiny bit) after the turn around.  So that's where you need to take advantage of speed.  The bicycle course is completely closed to traffic and the road conditions were pretty good.  No major potholes to worry about.  This year I didn't witness anyone falling off their bike, nor did I see any turkeys crossing the road either.  It was pretty uneventful.  I must have improved at bicycling because it felt easier to me this year.  I rode the entire course in aero position and simply found a rhythm and kept on pedaling.

T2:
Dismounted the bike and ran into the transition area.  Racked Lexa, took off my helmet, ripped my cycling shoes off and slipped my running shoes on.  Grabbed my hat and ran out of transition.  Since I was already wearing my bib, it was one less thing to think about.  I was out on the run before I knew it and had my fastest T2 time.

THE RUN:
The run portion of the race takes place on pavers along the beach and leads up to the boardwalk area where you run for a while before the turn around point.  The course is very similar to the Egan Run which we do every June.  Its simply a 3 mile run in complete sun and no shade.  There was one water station at the start of the course, and one in the middle.

I purposely decided to start my run a bit slower because I keep getting nasty side stitches, which become quite painful.  I grabbed a quick cup of water and settled into a comfortable pace that was just on the edge of "pushing it".  I decided when I got to the turnaround (half way point) I would start picking my pace up for the remainder of the race, if I could.

I managed to remain true to my plan and did exactly what I had wanted to do.  Slower and steady for the fist half, picked it up for the second half.  This worked out perfectly for me because I wasn't in pain early on and I didn't have to worry about fighting the urge to walk.  I was easily able to run the entire 3 miles and I felt good crossing the finish line.  Plus, I don't tolerate running in direct sunlight very well, so that was another reason why I had to make sure to pace myself properly.

THE FINISH:
I crossed the finish line and was genuinely happy with my overall performance.  I knew I had worked hard without hurting myself.  Did I leave anything on the table? That's hard to say.  I think as triathletes it is in our nature to believe we could have done more or better.  You know, maybe I could have pushed it more on the run because running is my strength yet I purposely held back a bit.  But maybe pushing it would have burned me out, especially in the sun.  I like to believe that I ran "MY" race and my personal best.  I didn't allow myself to get sucked into anyone else's race pace that day.

They had a nice little after party and they didn't dilly-dally with the awards ceremony.  They get right down to it and move everything along.

And...tada! I won 2nd place female for my age group.  After going back and looking at the results, the first place age group finisher (female 45-49) beat on the bike.  So I have something to work on as an area of improvement.  And yes, my swim needs help too obviously.  But all in all I had a good, solid race and I am always grateful to be able to physically take on the challenge.  It was a good day!

MY TIME OVERALL:
Swim: 11:03
T1: 1:42
Bike:  37:57
T2:  0:51
Run:  25:26
TOTAL: 1:17:00
89 out of 194 participants 

JERSEY GIRL TRIATHLON RACE REPORT 2015

JERSEY GIRL TRAITHLON RACE REPORT 2015

From a shooting star on the ride down to dolphins swimming with the athletes, the Jersey Girl Triathlon will always be one of my favorite triathlons.  This race features a bit of everything that makes triathlon magical. Add to it a beautiful sunrise, perfect weather and you're off to the races.

Packet Pickup:
I knew I should have picked my packet up on either Thursday or Friday, but I didn't.  Big mistake.  I figured how bad could traffic be on a Saturday afternoon? Surely everyone would already be at the shore by 2:00 pm, right? Wrong!  Thank you for playing, come again! Traffic on the Garden State sucked as always.  I had to get to the Sheraton Hotel in Eatontown NJ.  Bumper to bumper traffic even into the late afternoon.  Never doing that again!

They had a small room for packet pickup with various vendors selling their ware.  I got my packet and tee shirt and headed home.  One disappointment is the tee shirt.  It's a men's cotton tee shirt and just not something that I'll ever wear.  I hope they eventually change to women specific shirts, considering it is a female specific triathlon. Hint hint Doug.

Race Day:
Left my house super early this year (3:45 am) and arrived at Long Branch by 4:50 am.  I had absolutely no trouble finding a convenient parking spot and I even picked up a bagel and coffee along the way. Not that I was really hungry, but what the hell. It killed 5 minutes of my time.

I was one of the first to get into transition and was able to rack my bike close to the edge.  The 45-49 year old wave had 64 participants and was largest size age group. After racking my bike and setting all of my gear up, I left transition and enjoyed my bagel and coffee.  Since I was bored sitting my car, I went back into transition and realized there was only one person doing body marking.  Hey dude you have an extra marker, throw one my way.  I ended up body marking for over an hour and killing some time.  Plus I met a bunch of really nice women. It was a win-win in my book.  Transition closed at 6:30 am, so I grabbed my swim gear and headed off to the beach. I kept the marker :)

The Swim:

The water was absolutely calm and beautiful. I had never seen it that calm before.  The temperature hovered around 73-74 degrees and felt really good.  Everyone gathered into their start waves and by 6:50 am the "elite" racers went into the water.  Personally, I think the elite option needs to go.  Some women accidentally register under "elite" unknowingly and as a result, the second place elite female was over 6 minutes slower than me.  I say no more...

I was in the 4th swim wave and headed towards the front of the pack.  Look at me! I would have never considered doing that last year.  I pulled my goggles down and boom, they snapped in half. I was like "what the hell"?  "30 second" the race director yells.  I have NO time to get another pair of goggles.  I try snapping the nosepiece and goggle back together, and somehow I get it to stay.  But now the damage is done.  I am relatively freaked out that my goggles are going to snap apart during the swim and my contact lenses are going to say "bye-bye" and float away into the sea.  That should make for a very interesting bike ride.

"5, 4, 3, 2 1"...in we go.  I only noticed one medium sized wave to deal with and before I know it, we were swimming towards the first buoy. I was swimming with my head up and pretty sure that my goggles were going to snap at any second.  Cautiously, I put my face into the water and yes, the goggles held together.  I swam across from one buoy to the next, sighting every few seconds.  I turned the exit buoy and saw a friend who was a swim angel:

Me: "Hey Brian. Lovely day for a swim".
Brian: "HEY! It sure is the perfect day for a triathlon. Did you happen to notice the dolphins swimming with us"?
Me: "Yes I did and it was pretty neat. Ok nice chatting with you.  Gotta go, bye".

And that was it, I made my way out of the water with a couple of waves pushing me out.  My goggles held up and I was happy. I was also happy it was a short swim just in case the goggle decided to blow.  I ran up the beach and into transition.

T1:
I ran into transition knowing that Lexa was racked in section 4.  Interestingly enough, I had laid my bright orange beach towel over my saddle so that I could quickly grab it and wipe my feet down.  What I didn't realize at the time was that my bright orange towel was a beacon for me to find my bike since every single bicycle looked exactly the same.  I'll be hanging my bright orange towel over my saddle at every triathlon from now on.  I wiped my feet, put my socks, shoes, helmet and sunglasses on, grabbed my bike and ran out of transition as quickly as I could.  My water bottle was already in the cage so I was good to go. My friend Jenny was working the transition area and gave me an inspirational shout out.

The Bike:
For the first time ever, I REALLY, REALLY enjoyed the bike portion of the triathlon.  I had my bike set to an easy gear so as soon as I got on, I was moving pretty quickly.  I realized within the first 1/2 mile that I was going too fast so I tried to slow down a bit.  I knew I was somewhat rattled from my goggle experience but I had to put it out of my head.  Which I did.

I settled into the bicycle course and simply enjoyed the ride. Since I was in an early heat, there weren't too many women on the road.  Most of the people stayed to the right, with the exception of a few.  I've learned how to yell "ON YOUR LEFT" really loudly and that seems to help.  The roads are open to traffic, so you have to make every effort not to get in the way of other cyclists and cars.

I had no idea how fast or slow I was going, but I felt really rhythmic and comfortable.  My new Cobb bicycle saddle (JOF Randee) is fantastic and my RedShift Aero Bar System worked great.  I felt smooth and comfortable.  Since it's a very flat bicycle course, I was able to ride in aero position throughout most of the bike course. I watched a 28 year old go whizzing by and I just had to give my respect to her.

The bicycle course is a relatively easy out and back course.  This year I didn't notice as many flat tires as I did last year.  But it also rained last year and I know you tend to get more flat tires when the road are wet.  The bicycle portion was over before I knew it.

T2:
I dismounted my bike and ran back into transition.  This time I left my bright orange towel hanging over the rack so I was able to find my spot in a flash.  I racked my bike, ripped my helmet and cycling shoes off and got my sneakers on. I grabbed my bib belt and snapped it on as I ran out of transition.  I put Lock Laces on my sneakers so now I don't have to tie my sneakers.  That saves a ton of time.

The Run:
I ran out of transition and was surprised that my legs didn't feel as funky as expected.  You know, baby calf or rubber legs.  The run course had been changed this year because of on going construction.  We ran up one way along the boardwalk, turned around, ran back, passed the transition area and then continued towards the other side of the transition area. It was a tour de Long Branch. It was still a 3 mile run but for some reason the new course felt more challenging this year than last year.  Or maybe I'm not remembering the suck from last year. That's always a possibility.  I knew my run time wouldn't be as good this year as it was last year simply because I'm not training as much with everything going on with Tom.  But I did my best on the run and just kept telling myself to try and hold on until the end.  "You can slow down a bit if you need to, but don't you dare stop and walk". I just kept repeating this to myself.  Somewhere around mile 2 was where I was hurtin for certain.  I went out too fast at the start and I thought I was on the verge of falling apart.  I held it together somehow and crossed the finish line.  No stopping and no walking.  Once again, I was a Jersey Girl!

In Conclusion:

I just have to say that I LOVE this race.  The women participants are always so nice. The race director and volunteers are simply the best.  You're always surrounded by kind, caring people.  They offer a ton of swim, bike and run clinics to prepare you for the day.  In terms of female friendly triathlons that are great for the beginner and experienced triathlete alike, this one is it!  And the medal? Just as beautiful as expected.  Thank you Jersey Girl Triathlon!

NYC TRIATHLON RACE REPORT 2015

THE PANASONIC NYC TRIATHLON RACE REPORT

Yes, yes, yes...a million times YES! If you can do this race, by all means do it! I absolutely LOVED this race, even with the dead fish floating in the Hudson. So here we go:

PACKET PICKUP:

Was at the New York Hilton Midtown located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Everyone was required to attend the mandatory meeting after which you got your hand stamped as proof for packet pickup.  No stamp, no packet.  We arrived early so that we could do the 10:00 am meeting but what we didn't realize that transition didn't open until 2:00 pm, so we had to wait around a few hours before my brother (and team-mate) could rack his bike in transition. Everyone was required to rack their bicycles in transition the day before.

Since we had a few hours to kill, we walked around the expo and I bought myself a swanky looking NYC Tri-Kit.  Can't wait to wear it :)  After that, my niece (the runner) took the subway home while my brother and I went to the Hard Rock Café in Times Square for lunch.  Transition opened at 2:00 pm sharp.  He racked his bike and we both headed home.

RACE DAY:
I prepared all of my gear the night before and hit the sack early.  I got up at 2:30 am and left my house by 3:00 pm.  It sucked hard knowing that Tom couldn't be there. I had been looking forward to doing this race with him, so leaving him at home felt horrible.  I arrived in Manhattan at 4:10 and my brother and I found street parking not far from the transition area.

RACE DAY TRANSITION:
The transition area looked amazing and was buzzing with nervous yet anxious triathletes.  The relay teams had a special area designated just for them.  Everyone got their own personal racking area and each one had a motivational saying.  This was ours: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE TRANSITION...

We met a lot of nice people in transition and hung out with them until it was time to leave.  When transition closed, everyone had to leave except for the relay members NOT doing the swim.  All of us swimmers left transition and made the 1 mile walk up to the swim start.

JUMPING INTO THE HUDSON:
I got to the swim start with a lot of time to spare.  I had my wetsuit, goggles, swim cap and ear plugs in hand.  I had a cheap pair of flip flops that I threw away when I got to the swim start. The water temp was 73.9 degrees, so it was wetsuit legal.

The corrals were set up and clearly marked.  I waited near the Relay Team corral and chatted with a group of really nice folks. We all stared at the river and couldn't help but notice how many dead fish were floating on the surface, along with debris.  There were a lot sticks, Styrofoam cups, plastic plates, an empty bottle of Sprite, all heading down stream.  Everyone felt a little panicked about this, but it is the Hudson and we knew what we were getting in to. Suck it up folks!

After the professionals took off, it was our turn to go. I was in the last wave of swimmers.  Once they started getting the age-groupers into the water, everything moved VERY quickly. There was really no time to reconsider what was about to happen.

I lined up with my Relay Team Swim Wave (silver caps) and followed the line onto the plank.  Just before you walk the plank onto the dock, there are showers to get you acclimated to the cold water. We walked down the plank and there was a group of about 15 swimmers sitting on the edge of the dock.  The whistle blew and they all jumped in.  Next we stepped up and sat on the edge of the dock.  Everything was happening so darn fast. I sat down in the middle and the whistle blew. I jumped in and held my goggles and nose.  I popped back up to the surface and felt as if my goggles were too far down.  The river began carrying me downstream, however my goggles felt really wonky.  At first I tried swimming with them as they were, but I had to flip onto my back so that I could re-adjust them.  I couldn't swim that far with them feeling so uncomfortable.  Once I had them re-adjust, I flipped back over, stuck my face in the water and simply began to swim.  I didn't really "feel" the current pushing me, although I knew it was.  Very quickly I started catching up with other swimmers. I did feel a bit panicky at first, but within about 5 minutes the feeling started to subside and I was able to focus on just swimming.

The swim was going well at first and then I realized I had swam into a debris field.  Suddenly I felt something on my arm and on my forehead.  I stopped swimming for a moment and saw that a piece of plastic had wrapped around my arm and a there were sticks and cups floating all around me.  I untangled the plastic and threw it aside and got back to swimming.  For some reason I kept swimming too far to the left and that was where all of the debris was going.  I tried getting myself to the right since there seemed to be less garbage in that area.  I noticed a lot of people floating on their back and it was becoming difficult to get around some of them. One girl had a panic attack and needed the help of a lifeguard.  As she clung to his paddle board a jet skier came flying over to help her...directly in front of me.  We had to swim far right to get around them.

I did a lot of sighting because the river started to get a bit crowded and the people floating on their backs were being pulled towards the left (in front of me) . They were completely unaware of where they were heading.  I saw one really panicked swimmer and stopped to ask her if she was okay, which she said she was.  I continued on.  Another woman who was floating on her back suddenly flipped over to start swimming just as I passed her and swam directly onto my back.  I kicked hard and got her off of me.  As we got close to the swim exit, there were buoys squeezing us in so that we could be guided towards the exit stairs. This was where it really started getting a bit bogged down.  I swam all the way to the stairs, grabbed the railing, 2 volunteers yanked me out.  I had brown gunk covering my entire face but I didn't care, I had SURVIVED THE HUDSON RIVER!  I got out and start hauling ass, running towards transition. I was so excited that I kept yelling at everyone "that was so awesome".  Every time I yelled, a group of people would cheer.  I know I was acting like a big dork but I ran all the way to transition screaming.  Yeah I was a bit excited! And the distance between the swim exit and yellow transition is far.  But I didn't care. I was thrilled!!!

T1:
Like I said, the distance between the swim exit and the yellow transition area is FAR! But I ran all the way to the transition area and saw that my brother was waiting for me and ready to bike.  I threw the timing chip on his ankle and boom, off he went!

BIKING ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE:
The bike along Riverside was hillier than my brother expected; and he's a good cyclist. You meet your first big climb immediately out of the transition area.  They tell you at the mandatory meeting to make sure your bike is on a very easy gear.  It's a steep upward climb.

The entire course is in the sun with no shade whatsoever.  Plus it was a blistering hot day. Lester mentioned that most of the cyclists stayed towards the right except to pass.  And when they did pass, most of them moved immediately to the right again so that everyone else could pass.  There were a couple of turn around points on the course, but for the most part the bike ride was uneventful.  He had a bottle of water and a bottle of Tailwind with him for electrolyte replacement.  When he came back to the transition area, we noticed he didn't look too good.  He stopped at the bike racking area and I removed the timing chip from his ankle and put it on my nieces ankle.  She took off while I helped my brother rack his back

T2:
As my niece left the transition area for her run, I stayed behind with my brother.  He was completely over heated and on the verge of passing out.  I got him to sit down and I poured cool water on his neck.  I got him cold water and Gatorade to drink, praying that he wasn't going to faint.  After about 10 minutes he started coming around and we made our way out of transition so that we could go to the finish line to see Joanna cross.

THE RUN:
The run is pretty neat.  You hit your first incline as soon as you leave transition and you head towards 72nd street.  72nd street is completely closed to traffic and there are a lot of spectators cheering you along.  You enter into Central Park and do the long course heading uptown.  Central Park is hilly, so be prepared! There are plenty of fluid stations along the way, but on 90+ degree day, there can never be enough.

The finish line is really nice.  The finish chute is long and is line with flags from around the country.  The announcer announces every finishers name as they cross the finish line.  We saw my niece Joanna as she was ready to cross.  I yelled out to her but she didn't respond.  She wasn't feeling well and I knew it was a tough run for her.  We met at the family meeting place and she was kind enough to collect medals for each of us.

There was a great after party area with so much good free stuff.  We wandered around and enjoyed the after party, then decided to being the long walk back to the transition area so that we could leave.  Its a really far distance between the finish line and transition.  They began allowing everyone to leave at 11:00 am.  We packed our stuff up and headed back to the car.  I was amazed at how many random people stopped us in the street and congratulated us.  It was like a big party for everyone in the area.  72nd street was re-opened to traffic and we had no problems driving or getting stuck in traffic.  If we do it next year, we'll definitely street park again.  But yes, the Panasonic NYC Triathlon is everything that it's cracked up to be!

 SWIM ANXIETY:

Much to my surprise I didn't have any swim anxiety.  I do admit that I wasn't thrilled watching all the dead fish floating down stream, but I really thought I would have been more panicked.  Once we lined up and we started going in, the line moved quickly.  Before I knew it, I was standing on the dock getting ready to jump in.  There wasn't much time for procrastinating or overthinking.  You just lined up and jumped.  Once I was in I felt a slightly nervous but I managed to put my face into the water and started swimming freestyle.  Other than adjusting my goggles when I first got in, I think I stopped twice (very briefly) just to see where I was in the pack.  Each time I got back to swimming quickly and after my second look around, I didn't stop until the end.  I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have any panic attacks.  There was plenty of room for everyone in the river and it didn't feel like people were swimming over you.  There were times when people got close, but everyone had more than enough room to claim their own personal swim space.  Honestly? The swim was MUCH better than I anticipated it to be.

SWIM: 26:36
T1: 4:31
BIKE: 1:56:42
T2: 1:08
RUN: 1:04:10
FINISH TIME: 3:01:59