Delta Lake Triathlon

I'm terrible about posting on this blog. Anyway... I haven't done a triathlon this year and honestly haven't been riding by bike for squat. Barely swimming too. I was signed up for the Henderson Harbor Triathlon because it's local that proceeds go to a good cause. But that event was cancelled due to heavy rain all spring that created a major issue with the water levels on Lake Ontario. So with that cancelled, I needed another short distance Tri. I've never done the Delta Lake Tri before due to timing conflicts so this was my first there.

The event has a sprint distance consisting of a 750 meter swim, a short 12 mile bike, and a 2.9 mile run. They also have an intermediate distance which is double the sprint. A third option is their signature "Delta Double" which consists of racing the sprint within a cut off time, directly followed by doing the intermediate race. The sprint and intermediate races do not run at the same time; which obviously is what makes the Delta Double possible. I just did the sprint because I'm lazy and haven't been training much. Judge all you want. 😄

The night before the race there was a crazy rainstorm that came through. Road crews worked that evening to clear the roads of tree debris and worked to remove the washout areas on the bike course. The race director gave updates on the sites' Facebook page to calm everyone who was w design the status of the race. I'm sure a lot of work went into setting things up and reacting to the weather issues.

Come race morning everything was ready to roll for the athletes. Parking was plentiful... no issues there. The transition area is split in two, with the sprint athletes on one side and intermediate on the other. Registration was smooth. Volunteers were there to point you in the right direction. There was a time to warm up in the water prior to the start. Before we knew it, the start was here.

The swim was simple enough. A typical rectangle clockwise. Large bright markers along the route. Water had a little chop due to some wind and light rain. Again, not much as the area is relatively secluded. My swim time was consistent with how much swimming I had been doing. (Not a performance to write home about). As for the actual swim though, I had minimal contact from other swimms and sighting was easy due to the overcast sky. The swim exit is a sand beach which then runs through a breezeway and right into T1.

T1 was easy to navigate. Always count the racks to know where you are when rolling into transition. I always seem to be a bit dizzy during transition. Probably from being horizontal swimming and then upright directly into race mode. So run down transition counting off the racks until I get to mine. Peel off the wetsuit, helmet, socks (yes even in a sprint I through on socks), bike shoes, and grab the bike. As I was running to the bike mount line I was really dizzy and had to stop for a few seconds to get the marbles in my head to stop rolling around. Again, first Tri of the season. I always dial back a bit in T1 to avoid smacking into others who might be rushing more that their reaction speed can handle. I've had people smack their Tri bars right into my backside in transition. I know it's a race, but have control of your equipment people. Rant over.

The bike was a quick out and back. Some wet on the road, a light drizzle on and off. No big hills of note. Just some rolling hills and flats. There was still sand on the road an a couple areas due to the night downpour. Later in the intermediate race a rider went down there. My bike was less eventful. I ride an older Tri bike compared to the new stuff that's out there today. Mine is a 2009 Cervelo P1. An aluminum aero bike. I had some HED trispokes on. Which is a bike overkill for a sprint race. But come on... use your fancy wheels if you've got them. There were all sorts of bikes... sweet race machines in excess of five grand, plenty of high speed Tri bikes, road bikes with clip on aero bars, and even some mountain bikes. So I was in the middle of the technology bike parade that is triathlon. The bike was nice and scenic. I didn't see drafting other than when people bunched up a bit at the turnaround and then at the end as we came into T2. Even then I don't really look at that as drafting as much as a bottleneck.

T2 was quick in and out. The run is a loop and a half. That sort of confused me at first when hearing about the course. But it was simple and well marked. Starting the run was the usual "why don't I brick more" internal conflict with my calves. The run goes up through a trail section. Very cool. The tree roots were painted in orange. You definitely could see them, and then not trip. The run was through the park with lot of trees and a few scattered other runners. There is one water stop that is passed twice. All in all it was a fun race. These sprint races are over way too soon. I actually won my age group. But that's more due to a small field. I can podium in the small local races, but usually there are others getting those awards well ahead of me. It's all about who shows up that day.

 

Will I be back next year? It depends on what else is on my race calendar. I certainly would return if I have the chance.

Syracuse Mountain Goat

The Syracuse Mountain Goat is a very hilly 10 mile race. "Hilly" is relative of course. People in Vail Colorado would think it's not bad whereas people from the Florida Keys would thinks it's alpine running. Lol.

My wife and I have run this twice before. I was going solo this time around. We drove out the morning of the event and paid to park in a parking lot very close to the start. We probably could have found some free parking elsewhere, but we wanted to be near the start where my wife could sit back in the car and read while I was on the course.

This was one of those days I don't care for... cold and rainy. Many people wore tights. I was contemplating which was to go and stuck with shorts and a very light long sleeve shirt. No hat, but I had some cheap throw away gloves. I run all winter long... outside and every single day. In the snow, sleet, and whatever cold temperatures come. So I'm not a fair weather runner. Still, I never care for standing around waiting for a race to start shivering in the rain. But soon and with good fortune the race started. A half mile later and I was at a good (and warm) operating temperature.

The race is pretty tame to start. Then come long sustained hills. Early in the race that is no problem. As the race goes on the hills take their toll. And what goes up must come down. There are some steep (again relative) downhill sections that often pound the crud out of feet and calves.

There are plenty of water stations along the course. I tend to bring my own just because I train that way and, let's face it, the aid stations are often crowded. I'd rather avoid the bottleneck and carry my own. It's overkill, but a choice I make. I use a Hydraquiver Single Barrel. It's sort of like a small pack with a holster to hold a single water botttle. It has a zippered section in the back for things like phone, car keys, and stuff I'd be needing after the race. The shoulders straps each have a pouch that can fit gels, sunglasses, iPod, etc. I often use this because I'm carrying things for myself and my wife when we race. Again, overkill in a race with aid stations. But I don't think it slows me down at all.

Ultimately, the race was fun and certainly a challenge. Too many people are out looking for a flat and fast course. Why? Have some fun with something that really pushes you. My time was 1:21:16. Not fast but not slow. I'm just a MOP guy trying to have fun staying fit anyway. The post race food and music was great. This race has beer, but I'm not so much into that. I grabbed a banana, a chocolate milk, and some cookies. The jacket and medal are cool. I bought the glasswear too because I liked the design. Running this race was a blast and I'm pretty sure I'll be back next year depending on what else is on the calendar.

Marine Corps Devil Dog Double

I haven't posted anything on this blog in forever. It's basically a dead blog, but I should add some race reviews when I'm able. One fun race I did last weekend was the Marine Corps Devil Dog Double. This race was a combination of the Semper Five and then straight into the Historic Half. The race was in Fredericksburg VA.

My wife ran the Semper Five and left the extra miles up to me. 😄

I did the race on a spur decision. I picked up the bib from another runner who needed to transfer. That's a great benefit of many of the Marine Corps races. They offer deferrals and transfers within certain windows of time. This was going to be a tight schedule because I needed to drive down  on Saturday (9 hour drive), followed by a 6:40 race start, and then a 9 hour drive back home. I wouldn't recommend that tight of a race weekend, but I had to be back to work Monday for a 13 hour day. So it had to play out that way.

The race is unique. It starts with running the Semper Five, which is 5 miles. It includes "hospital hill" which is a challenging hill based more upon length than outright ascent. I ran a race called the Mountain Goat weeks beforehand and that is a hilly race by far. So hospital hill, while challenging, wasn't really a factor for me. The twist on this race is that runners must maintain at least a 9 minute mile pace throughout the 5 miles to get to the start of the Historic Half. For some this was easy. For others this was much tighter window. I ran the Semper Five in 41:15. Then the runners do a 180 and head right out onto the 13.1 mile main course.

So at this point all the regular runners for the half had already started and were 20 minuted ahead of me and the other Devil Dog runners. After a couple miles or so I started running into the slower runners from the half. The grouping got more and more as I made my way into the BOP and slower MOP runners. The Devil Dog had about 500 runners whereas the half had over 5,000. So it quickly became hard to stick to a solid pace because there were people everywhere to run around. It was actually quite tiring because of speeding up to go around people, veering around small groups, and slowing when I couldn't get through. I'm not complaining, just stating that it burnt more energy than typical. I hit hospital hill the second time with about 2 mile left in this 18.1 mile combo. That hill did make me work hard this time around. I was ready to be done. Soon enough I was at the finish with a 2:02:00 half marathon. That isn't a fast time, but I was satisfied given the 5 mile lead-in to this half.

Overall, it was a great race. The Marines always do a great job. I'll try to be back next year. But this time with extra time off from work so I don't have to slog it back 9 hours after a long race. The medals were wicked cool. The Blue Mile is very moving (blue mile is where servicemen and women who have died are honored. Their pictures line that section of the course and voluneteers, many family members, hold American flags throughout the entire section.)

The bling is phenomenal. The shirt is cool, and you get three medals for the Demper Five, Historic Half, and of course completing the Devil Dog Double.

Lake Effect Half Marathon; Race Review

What better way to keep running during the winter months than to sign up for a winter 1/2 marathon? I wanted to run the Lake Effect 1/2 Marathon (Liverpool, NY) last year and my wife was not going to have anything to do with that. She isn’t a fan of running in the snow and cold. Some days I don’t blame her one bit. So this year comes along and one of her friends signs up for it and pow... “hey honey, let’s run the Lake Effect 1/2”. Seriously... what was I last year, chopped liver?! Lol. So we signed up, I nagged at her (like any good husband would) and dragged her outside to prepare. Some days she would mutter some inaudible words about me when we started... but she was always glad she ran by the time we got back. How many runs in inclement weather are like that? I think we can all relate!  

We ran one long run each week as we responsibly built-up mileage; most of the time with a small posse of other brave souls who were tackling this same winter race. Some of those runs were bitterly cold with wind trying to smack some sense into us. I ran a lot on other days. My wife; not so much. When race day closed in I was ready to clobber the course and my wife was still having some knee and IT band issues. So we tweaked our expectations for race day. (When we run these events, we run together instead of each of us racing independently. As such, I don’t take off and run ahead if she is having an off day.) 

We decided to get a hotel for this race since it was out of town. We could have drove down very early on race day, but we decided to pamper ourselves a bit and be able to sleep in on race morning. And possibly square off with a good pillow fight. We stayed at the Liverpool Knight’s Inn. It’s a small hotel and had everything we wanted; location close to the race, inexpensive, refrigerator and microwave in the room, and a quiet atmosphere. And there was a Wegmans nearby and my wife has some cult-like following for that place. Weird. :) Packet pick-up went smooth at Fleet Feet. The shirts were awesome! We ate Moe’s for dinner and rushed back to the hotel room for the Syracuse - Duke game. Syracuse lost 60-66 (boo) with some weird antics by Boeheim that in essence ended the game with 2 technical fouls (ugh). Anyway...

Packet pick-up... the posse. 

Race day morning went off without a hitch. The alarm caught me in a sound sleep and was as loud as a smoke alarm. So my heart-rate went from zone 1 to zone 5 in a fraction of a second. Shower, breakfast, double check weather to dress properly, and out the door to get there early and get a good parking spot. The weather was awesome for this time of year. It was mostly sunny and 36 F when we started. I’d rather have 50 but hey, this was the best running weather of the year! Now, porta-potties in 36 F weather is another thing. But steamy poo helps warm... never-mind. We lined up with about 500 other runners and before we knew it we were off and running. The course was on a paved park trail that went out about 3 miles, head back the way we came, a squiggly loop thing, then back out the same 3 miles, had back once again, squiggly loop, and veer of to the finish arch. My wife hates these kind of courses with multiple out and backs. I could care less, but I can see her point also. The course was flat and had 2 water stations. One water station was passed twice and the other four times. We ran the first half of the race and then used our run/walk method the second half. It worked well. We didn’t break any records by any means, but that wasn’t our objective for this early season race. The medal was wicked cool. So “cool” it had snowflakes on it. (lame pun) The after race food was in a heated tent and consisted of chocolate milk, chicken noodle soup, pringles (that’s a first), hot chocolate, oranges, lara bars, apple juice, water, gatorade, etc. Not bad at all. 

Final mile.

Overall, I thought the race was very nice. My wife has no plans of doing it again next year because of the season and the fact she doesn’t enjoy these out-back course. I think the course could be used to put down a smoking hot PR if a person wanted to. Despite being winter, the course was maintained well with no ice or snow to slip on. It meandered under two bridges, had enough twists and turns in it to keep thing interesting, ran along the lake (which was iced over this time of year), and had some straightaways with oncoming runner traffic. So pretend you are a race car, make put-put sounds, and smoke the course.            

Victory! 

And how can I forget; this event was a fund-raiser for Ophelia’s Place. This is a nonprofit agency with the mission “redefining beauty and health by empowering individuals, families and communities impacted by eating disorders, disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction”. Seriously, with three daughters I can empathize with the subconscious emphasis society / marketing places on body image and the measures that some people do to try to meet these “standards”. So I’m glad that the revenues are going to a worthy project such as Ophelia’s Place. They announced that this race raised funds equivalent to 10% of their annual budget. How awesome is that? Throughout the course there were signs with various statistics about eating disorders. Nice. 

Race shirt, bibs, and bling!

Will I be back next year? I don’t know. I typically don’t do races without my wife. She is my running buddy and we mostly do races together. I’m a big-boy and can race on my own of course, but running is something that we really enjoy doing together. So who knows? Maybe one of her friends will sign up again next year. 

Gear Review; YakTrax

Way too many people are fair-weather runners. When the temperature dips and the snow flies, the excuses follow suit. And don’t get me started on treadmills as the answer to bad weather. (sorry in advance to those who enjoy those contraptions... not me) So what is a runner to do? Foul weather running gear is the answer. There are plenty of methods to layer up for warmth; all sorts of clothing, hats, gloves, balaclavas and the like. This gear review is on something other than warm layers. 

I tried a product called Yaktrax. They are slip-on traction devices worn over your regular running shoes. They make different models (walk, run, or pro) in different sizes (small, medium, and large... just match your shoes size to their suggestions). I bought the “run” model for my wife last winter because traction was a problem for her. At first I was skeptical; these things were merely a very elastic rubber compound frame with criss-crossing metal spiral thingamajigs. I expected they would last only for a few miles of real running or would be just a marketing gimmick.  

How do you even put them on without taking out an eye?! Which is the front? Do you put them on before putting your shoes on, or after? I discovered they are marked with “heel” on one end and “toe” on the other. OK, Einstein level 1 accomplished. Start with putting the Yaktrax over the toe (with your shoe already on), then stretch it back to reach the heel. It can stretch hard so you may want to put your toe down on the floor to help leverage AND keep it secure to not have a slingshot moment. If you really advanced, you might be able to take out your running competitors “by accident” with a David and Goliath sneak attack. After it’s on, make the necessary slight adjustments so that it’s aligned evenly from back to front, side to side. Then use the velcro strap to further secure it from the top of the shoe. Presto... it’s on. Repeat. Good to go... now you have 4 wheel drive.  

Those shoes have 500+ miles on them! (Kinvara 3's)

criss-cross traction x3

So how well do these actually work? In my opinion, they work great for slippery conditions. I wouldn’t wear them just because there is snow outside. That to me is a bit of overkill. But being able to have the added traction meant running on days that would otherwise be spent eating potato chips on the couch. My wife has used them numerous times and has no complaints. Since we have about the same size foot, I was able to try them out for myself during an ice storm we had a few weeks ago during my “Holiday Streak”. I ran about 7 miles in them. My experience is that it doesn’t feel much different to run in the Yaktrax than regular shoes. It’s louder and adds some weight to your feet of course; but I found that was a reasonable trade-off considering I wouldn’t have gotten far without them that day. The run was great and I gained more confidence the further I went along on the slick looking patches. I ran across a steel deck bridge and their was no catch with the metal spiral things. I’m a fore/mid strike runner and my wife is a heel strike. This product works either way because the metal traction criss-cross pattern is repeated 3 times through the length of the sole area. I was concerned at first about the durability of the rubber compound frame/web (considering it takes considerable pounding in cold conditions, road salt, sand/road abrasion, etc.). As of today though, there are no tears, rips, cracking, or whatnot with the rubber compound. The metal parts shows no signs of rust, breakage, or other deterioration either. In fairness, these also don’t have 300+ miles on them so I can’t really comment on longevity. But they have been worth the $$ spent (which was $25 at full price). I’ve seen them on ebay going for less. If you live somewhere with heavy snow or ice and want to run year-round, these might the answer for the hard core days. I recently showed these to a friend of mine and his father is going to buy some just for walking. They are great for running, but would be sweet for people who may be unsteady because of a physical ailments. The extra traction can keep some people from having to remain indoors. A relatively small price to pay for such confidence. The only thing I can say at all on a negative side is that because these are elastic, they tend to pull up on the toe section of your shoe. This doesn't cause discomfort or anything, but it creates a rather odd feeling that is just different. Not bad, not uncomfortable, just something different that isn't something that would deter me from using them. I rated them 3 frogs on my “stomponafrog scale”. (1 frog means “look elsewhere”, 2 frogs means “meh”, and 3 frogs is a recommendation from me... for whatever that’s worth, and 4 frogs is “you should be locked up for not having this item”)              

3 Frog Rated!

Race Review; Old Forge Triathlon

Since it’s winter and races are months away, I wanted to take a moment and do a race review. First race review... so here goes. One of my favorite triathlons so far was the Old Forge Triathlon. Old Forge, NY is a nice town nestled in the Adirondack Mountains. The scenery is obviously phenomenal. This was the 2nd year of this event; so it’s very new. One of the special perks to this race is that signing up gets the participant entry into the Enchanted Forest water park! Sweet! 

This is a sprint distance triathlon; with a 1000 meter swim, 22 mile bike, and 4 mile run. Sprint distances can vary slightly. And this one was on the longer side of “sprint”. So here was my day:

We drove to Old Forge early in the morning on race day. We live about an hour away so there wasn’t the need to stay overnight. Although, there are hotel options and some campgrounds very close by to stay at if a person wanted. I might have gotten a bit more sleep the night before if we camped right there at the KOA. But the morning drive was scenic and without hassle. This is a small event so setting up in transition was no problem. Volunteers were great as always! The bike racks were the ground-base type instead of the saddle-hang bar system. I don’t really care for the ground type racks; as I worry a bit about the plywood splinters and bike tires. I had no problem... just a preference. As usual, transition space is at a premium. I always try to do my part and keep a tight transition area. It amazes me how a few people set up like a yard sale is happening. To each their own. While waiting for the race to start, I like checking out the bikes and gear that other athletes are using. There was the usual spread of mountain bikes to fancy triathlon bikes with zipp carbon wheelsets; and everything in between.     

SWIM: 

I wore a wetsuit for this swim even though it was August. Practically everyone was in a wetsuit... the water was quite cold actually and the air temperature was still chilly that early in the morning. The swim start (8am) was a wave start; with 5 minutes between each wave. First out was under 40 year old males, then 40 and over males (my group), then the ladies. Whatever happened to chivalry and letting the ladies go first? It was a cool morning and mist was hovering on the small lake. The picture below shows the in-water starting area. Look out into the mist and try to find that 1st buoy... it’s there, just keep straining your eyes. Now imagine being in the water with your eyes only 6 inches above the surface and trying to find those things! Well, I was sighting relatively well until I made the turn of this triangle course. When I finally found the next buoy I discovered I had strayed off course. Nothing crazy, but adding distance in the swim was not part of my plan. I starting booking it back to where I was supposed to be; with other wayward swimmers following along. Made it back in decent time considering the side excursion. Swim Time: 1000 meters in 18 minutes 46 seconds.  

In-Water Swim Start... I'm the one in the blue cap;)

T1: There is a short run on grass to get to the transition area. Wetsuit off, helmet and shoes on, grab the bike and go. It took 1 minute and 34 seconds. That seems slow compared to some other races I’ve done. My bike was set-up in the furthest row from the transition entry and exit; but the whole transition area was quite small so this wasn’t really a factor. Oh well. But there were not many bikes gone from transition as I started heading out. That’s a good sign. 

I'm the guy NOT mooning the camera!

BIKE: 

My bike is a Giant Defy 3; which is a entry level road bike. I bought it off Craigslist locally. I swapped out the curl handlebars for a base bar and aero bar set-up. It works great. I have since bought an actual tri-specific bike. This bike course was a blast. It basically loops around a chain of small lakes (First Lake, Second Lake, Third Lake, and guess what... Fourth Lake). Riders head out of Old Forge on Rte 28 toward Eagle Bay. The initial couple hills get your heart rate going, that’s for sure. Watch the shoulder of the road through the first half of this course. It’s has a narrow shoulder with some crumbled payment here and there. Riding just to the left of the white line gives you much better pavement; but make sure your are not too far over of you may get caught with what is called a “blocking penalty”. Riders continue on Rte 28 until they reach a tiny town called Inlet; where riders then turn right onto South Shore Road and head back toward Old Forge on the other side of the chain of lakes. The second half of this course has smaller hills and some flat sections. This is an area to really focus on cadence and good cycling form. The pavement is very smooth and a perfect to to get aero and move it. As riders crest the final hill and start down toward T2, there is a short “no race zone”. This is a safety precaution because the dismount line is around the corner of a small downhill section and there could reasonably be an accident in the making. The no race zone is very short and doesn’t really impact the overall race. One final tip for the bike section; what out for deer. They are plentiful on these roads and very friendly. I had one walk right in front of me and it had no plan to get out of the way. It wasn’t a close call by any means; but keep some vigilance just the same. Bike Time: 22 miles in 1 hour 6 minutes and 46 seconds.  

The helmet is funky... I know

T2: What can I say; rack the bike, helmet and bike shoes off, running shoes/hat/race belt on, and off ya go. I took 56 seconds in T2. Again, a bit slow for me but whatever. This is where doing bricks helps train your body for the weird sensation of running directly off the bike. I’ve gotten better at it but it’s still an area that I need to work on. 

RUN: The run course was basically an out and back with a slight deviation on the way back. The 4 miles were all pretty flat. I once again had a deer walk in front of me and I needed to go around him. Maybe next time I’ll try riding him for a bit. I wonder if that would DQ me? Ha! The run was good, with a couple water stations along the course. The finish chute was lots of spectators for this small of an event. Ran under a ballon arch thing and met up with family. Run Time: 4 miles in 29 minutes and 4 seconds. 

Final Stretch

I finished the race in 1 hour 57 minutes and 6 seconds. My main goal was to finish and my secondary goal was to go under 2 hours. I definitely would consider doing this again in 2014. Best part of this tri is the course itself; mainly the scenery and the challenge of the bike. The volunteers were great. The Old Forge Triathlon is a small start-up triathlon so don’t expect the post-race party atmosphere or big swag stuff. There wasn't much for post-race food, so prepare accordingly. There are plenty of nice places to eat in this quaint little town. Also, remember the special perk of the water park entry. That was fun too and something quite unique as you select the races you want to do. So that’s it for my race review. 

*Special thanks to Olivia; my daughter and awesome photographer!    

The Beginning: Couch to 5K

Wouldn’t it be great if we all maintained a fitness level that kids. They just run and bounce everywhere? But most of us don’t have that energy. So what on earth happened? Life happens to put it simply: stuff like work, college, deadlines, parenting, aging, laziness, ingrained habits, tiredness, weight-gain, stress, illness, and so on. Blah-blah-blah. Make your own list because I’m too lazy to go on... Ha.  

Before our quest

So one day in mid 2011 my wife comes to me and says “I want to do a 5k”. I simply responded (from my couch with probably a bag of chips in hand) “sure, count me in too”. And that was the start of my journey. 

I ran a bit in school and was active as a youth. But that was years ago (read a couple decades ago) I knew I wasn’t in prime form anymore by any stretch of the imagination. I mean, I had a few extra pounds for decorative purposes here and there. OK, maybe more than few. But I thought a 5k is merely a few workouts away from reality. Boy was I in for a rude little awakening. My wife proceeded to download one of those Couch to 5k programs onto her iPod. The first workout was something like run 1 minute and walk 5, rinse and repeat. Pretty easy, right? Well, I think my lungs caught fire that first run. Turns out that it wasn’t going to be that cake-walk I first thought. Cake... yum. Anyway, we kept at it and the workouts lengthened and there was more running and less walking. Things were progressing rather well; having not died from the prior days that is. And then came the... wait for it... running injury. It turns out that by starting running when you are out of shape + buying low/zero cushioned trail running shoes + heal striking with the clomp of a rhino on a track surface = metatarsal fractures. Great... let me quell my disappointment in a bag of doritos. Actually, I was making good progress with this thing called exercise and didn’t want to lose my momentum from an injury setback. So I purchased a road bike from Craigslist. That spurred this whole triathlon thing. But that’s another story. So I biked when I could and it was so much fun! Less pounding on the body, racking up mile after mile, and seeing real health improvements. After a few weeks I was back running again; this time with better shoes and this new cross-training alternative. 

And so it went; biking and running. Making plenty of stupid/newbie mistakes and learning from them. My wife also became interested in the bike aspect and we went out and bought her a nice shiny new road bike. We were shedding pounds like mad. Not gonna lie, that first 4 months was hard even though the mileage was pale in comparison to today. But we each lost about 35 pounds each during that initial 6 months. Seriously, a combined 70 pounds. No diets or gimmicks. As the weight came off, the running became easier. Then came our first race in November; the Hobble Gobble in Potsdam NY. A prediction run. This type of run is when you show up and find out how far the race is; in this case it had choices of either under 4 miles or under 7 miles. (We obviously picked the under 4 at that point in our lives). Then we estimated our run times. The winners aren’t the runners who finish the fastest; it’s those who come closest to their predicted time. That didn’t matter for us though. We just wanted to finish and have fun; and not die gasping for air like a fish out of water. The day was cool and overcast. Students from the local college were there to sign the national anthem for both the US and Canada. The course had some live turkeys, some cheerleaders, and even a garage band. The run was a simple out and back. My wife and I ran together and worked pretty darn hard coming up the incline to the finish (can’t even call it a hill... but it felt like a mountain). Afterwards we ate some chili and other snacks, and just sat back and enjoyed the company of other runners. We lived to tell the tale. And we started talking about “the next one”. 

Our 1st Race: The Hobble Gobble

Since that first race, we’ve come a long way in these past couple years. We’ve done a bunch of 5k’s, 10k’s, 1/2 marathons, and these insane things called triathlons. We still are just the average everyday novice athlete, but we’ve made it part of our lifestyle. In retrospect, we didn’t put back on any of that weight from before. Good riddance! Looking back, I thank my wife for putting this crazy idea in our head about doing a 5k. It has led to so much more. But I will also never forget that transformation. The work and drive needed to pound out a 5k. At races I do today, i try to stick around after I’m done and cheer in those athletes in the back of the pack. Because I’ve been there. Some of those athletes are working harder and put in more hours of pain that those who come in the top 10%. Why? Because it’s the hard start of a journey. It’s starting a new lifestyle and shedding baggage of past habits and excuses. It's setting a better example for our children. It's not an easy journey to start... but the benefits are huge. 

Our Journey: To Be Continued