Timberman 2010 - What a weekend!

This post will mark my first full year of blogging about triathlon.  My first ever race report was Timberman 2009.  I took the time to read over that report before starting this one.  Funny how lots of great memories from that race flooded back.

I headed up to Gilford, NH on Friday afternoon.  This was the last day of Pingree camp and I was eager to get out after lunch and get up to the race prior to the late afternoon traffic that was sure to come.  The ride up was pretty good except for a little slowdown due to some construction south of Manchester. 

I got a big scare when I was almost up to Gilford in a town called Alton.  I headed down a long hill in the car and looked in my rearview mirror only to see a police SUV pull over on the other side of the road and then quickly make a U-turn and head my way.  I had to have been speeding and my pulse rate started to race.  He pulled in behind me and then flashed the lights for me to pull over.  He came up to the car and informed me I was doing 57 MPH in a 40 MPH zone, asked for my license and registration.  I did not argue and handed them to him.  He went back to the vehicle and I sat there for about 5 minutes expecting a pretty hefty fine.  Not a great way to start the weekend.  When he came back to the car he handed them back and said he was letting me go with a warning.  What a lucky break.  Maybe he checked my record and saw no other tickets in my past, or maybe it was the bike on the back carrier.  Either way I assured him I would be careful and headed into Gilford. 

I arrived at Gunstock Resort for the Expo where I would pick up my race packet.  First thing to make note of was the weather.  It was gorgeous!  Last year it rained most of Friday and during the morning of the race on Saturday.  The forecast was for a beautiful 2 days.  I immediately went to the registration tent.  WTC purchased this race from Keith Jordan and registration was a lot more regimented.  There was a "gauntlet" to go through in order to get my race numbers, swim cap, t-shirt, timing chip and wrist band (I am still wearing it 3 days after the race).

I made a point of searching out Maria Spesia.  She works for IRONMAN with Athlete Affairs.  She has been my contact regarding WTC adding dwarfism to their list for inclusion as a classification for their physically challenged division.  At this point they do not include dwarfism.  I wanted to take the opportunity to meet her face to face so in the future as I continue to lobby WTC, she will have a face to put with the emails I will continue to send to her.

After checking in I toured the IRONMAN clothing tent.  I refuse to buy any IRONMAN branded clothing until I complete my first 1/2 or FULL IRONMAN.  That might mean I will never own anything, but I refuse to jinx myself.  I have heard stories of people getting the M-DOT tattoo after completing a 1/2 Ironman race.  I feel it's just bad "MOJO".  Kind of like professional hockey players refusing to touch the Stanley Cup until the win it themselves. 

I looked around the Expo and spent some time talking with the Hoyt's.  Dick and Rick were to be racing in the sprint again.  I had a nice chat with them and with Kathy Boyer as well.   I ran into a few team-mates from Team Comp who arrived as well to register.  Andrea, Colleen and Deb were to be racing in their first triathlon.  Most of the team were to be staying at a hotel in Laconia called "1848".  I was lucky enough again to stay at the Stephens's lake house in Meredith.   If you can take the time to read my report from last year's race, my stay there was a lot more stressful due to me locking myself out on race morning at about 4AM.  This year all went well and I was very lucky to be staying there again.  Jon Mangsen, one of my team mates stayed there as well with me.  He was going to do the 70.3 on Sunday.

I decided to stick around and attend the first timers meeting with Andrea in the hopes of helping her relax a bit about her upcoming first triathlon.  I had also purchased a ticket to the dinner that night in the hopes of getting a chance to meet Chrissie Wellington, current WORLD CHAMPION TRIATHLETE at the Ironman distance.  In fact, she has never lost a single Ironman distance race in her career.  The dinner was to run from 6 to 8pm.  I was hoping it would not run too late, since I did not want to get to the house in total darkness.  The meal started on time and was not as well attended as last year.  I sat a table with 2 other couples.  We had a nice time while eating, meeting each other and talking about races we had done.

Chrissie and I.  I was STAR-STRUCK.

Chrissie arrived along with Tim O'Donnell (another professional triathlete).  They both had some dinner and then started to talk at about 6:45pm.  Their talks were pretty brief and when they were done, I quickly walked up to meet Chrissie.  I was the first one to approach her and to my surprise she said, "HI John, it's nice to finally meet you."  I was totally surprised she called me by name.  I had emailed her and she had replied months ago and it was great she had remembered who I was. We chatted for a few minutes about triathlon and she told me how she appreciated what I was doing to help inspire others, including herself.  WOW is all I have to say.  She autographed a magazine cover I had and took a couple of pics with me.  My own camera's batteries had died and Elizabeth (another triathlete), who I had just met, offered to take the pics and email them to me.  Chrissie lived up to everything I had heard about her being so gracious and willing to talk to athletes.

Me and Andy (Defending Timbeman 70.3 Champion

When I walked away (on a cloud) I noticed Andy Potts (reigning Timberman champion) another amazing pro triathlete quietly eating in the back of the room.  I approached him and he was also nice enough to give me an autograph and Elizabeth took pics of two of us as well.  I left the dinner and immediately phone Sue to tell her what had just happended.  I have to admit I felt like a babbling idiot.  So star struck for sure.

I headed off to the house in Meredith and got there just before dark.  I dropped off my gear and then headed back to the "1848" to meet up with a few team mates prior to getting some rest before the early morning wake up for the race.  I headed back to the house around 9:30PM and got my gear all ready.  Placed my race number (372) on my bike, helmet, and race belt.  Jonathan and Erin showed up a bit later and then I turned in for the night around midnight. 

I feel asleep pretty fast and was awoken by my 3:20AM alarm.  I got up quickly and got ready.  Had a bagel with PB and a bottle of V8.  I had my usual homemade "smoothie" already pre-made and would drink that on the way to park.  I loaded up the car and with no drama with the locks to the house, I proceeded to drive to Ellacoya State Park.  I arrived around 4:50AM and got a parking spot on the access road using my handicapped parking pass.  Funny thing, where they had me park, I had to lift my bike and gear over a small railing about 2 feet high and then jump over it.  So much for being handi-capped.  I know a number of you are thinking, why use the pass?  I don't feel it's a cop-out and I only try to use it, when I feel it's necessary.  Well, with over 1000 athletes converging on the park, I might as well park as close as I can without inconveniencing anyone else. 

I proceeded in to get body-marked and found my spot in transition.  It was a great spot.  Right on the outside edge only about 10 rows from BIKE IN and BIKE OUT.  I would only have to run my bike a short distance before and after dismouting.  I put my gear down, racked my bike, and kept hydrating with water.  I drink at least 2 full bottles and stop and hour before race start.  Then the trips to the porta-potties start.  I have pretty much worked out a system that gets me fully hydrated and ready for the start. 

I walked out and down to the water and then walked back to my bike taking the same path I would take out of the water and to my bike during the race.  I also then checked out where "RUN OUT" was so I knew where I would have to go after the bike portion and T2.

I then went back to my gear and set everything up.  A race official came by and told me my bike was racked the wrong way.  I was sure she was wrong but went along with her suggestion.  The athlete who was to be next to my bike showed up about 15 minutes later to tell me my bike needed to be turned around.  I told him I agreed, but was told by an official to place it the way it was.  Not worthy worrying about, so my race prep continued.

Kathy, Colleen, Me, and Deb

It was great to see most of the 70.3 Comp racers around prior to the race to lend support and encouragement.  I also met up with a few of the other Compers who were doing the sprint as well. 

Rob and Maggie.  Not a GREAT pose, but I had to include it.

I also noticed a couple of people I remembered from last year.  I made a point of searching out Robert and Maggie who worked at the massage tent.  I have kept in touch with them throughout the year and was so excited to meet up with them again.  I would end up spending most of my day on Sunday around their tent as I took pictures of the 70.3 race.

One final check of my transition area and I got ready for the swim.  I made my way down to the water around 6:40AM and got in the water.  The air was pretty chilly and the water actually felt quite warm in comparison.  I had forgotten my earplugs back in transition and the water temp seemed fine to go without them.  I swam around a bit in the SHALLOW water and was ready to start.  It is amazing how the nerves and apprehension that I faced before many races seems to be gone.  I was eager and ready to begin. 

As the race was about to start all 1100 of us got out of the water and were ready to start.  After the anthem the 9 waves of up were ready to go.  I was to be in the 3rd wave (ORANGE CAPS!!!) with 40-44 year old and 50-54 year old men.  With the in-water start we got to wade in to water about 5 feet deep so I gently treaded water until the horn sounded.

I started to the left of the pack but a number of men seemed determined to be near the back of the pack.  This was my plan but I was not going to fight over it.  I proceeded to swim toward the first buoy and it surprisingly came early.  I swam on the feet of another swimmer for a while and when I looked up, he was gone.  As I neared the next buoy I looked at my watch and it said 4:50, which meant the next wave would start soon.  I had been worried about being swam over top of, but in the end, it really didn't happen.  I almost missed the last buoy and started to turn early.  When I looked up I had a clear path to the beach with no other swimmers in sight.  Something had to be wrong.  When I looked to the left I saw them heading for the last buoy.  I turned in that direction and felt good.  I could see a number of swimmers passing me from a previous wave, but again, not the "washing machine" I expected.  I made to turn at the last buoy and headed in.  I could hear the crowd getting louder and see the water getting shallower.  The general rule of thumb is to keep swimming until your arms drag the bottom.  Since my arms are shorter, I tend to swim closer to the shore.  Many nervous triathletes love to walk as early as possible, but it is much slower.  Near the end of the swim, I found myself swimming around walking racers.  I swam right up and then stood up and RAN.

Nothing felt better than looking back and seeing 100's of people still behind me in later waves.  When I crossed the pad and press th lap key, I saw the first good news.  I was in at 13:37.  I was aiming for 17:00, so I had a great boost.  I jogged in and got to my bike.  Being close to the fence, I could hear a number of people cheering my name as I got undressed and then ready for the bike.  A bit of struggle getting my shoes on, nothing I can't fix, and I was on my bike.  My transition was slower than I had hoped (2:30) at 4:25.  I miscalculated that the run to my bike was much longer than expected, but I also fumbled around a bit.

When I got on my bike, I loved the fact that the lane was lined with cheering fans.  Having my name printed on my race number, probably helped a lot with that.  I got into a low gear making sure to not go out to fast with a big hill to conquer first.  The ride up went well and the biggest hill was done with my breathing and pulse rate at comfortable rates.  The ride is pretty much a 7.9 mile ride up and back with most of the ride out being uphill, thereby giving a nice ride back.  I got out there in pretty good time and watched all the riders heading back in make quick work of the downhill ride.

There were lots of cheering people and different points on the ride out and plenty at the turn-around.  Of course,  the "devil" was there cheering us on as we headed back in.  I got a real boost going back as I saw 100's of riders behind me, still heading out.  Even though many were gaining on me, emotionally it was a real boost, as last year I was one of the last riders to get in. 

Coming in to transition after a GREAT bike leg.

I got into my aero position a number of times and watched my speed climb to more than 35 MPH a couple of times.  Heather passed me and looked strong giving me a boost seeing a team mate.  At the last turn before heading down to the park, Tim and Alice were at the corner to cheer and of course, it was another great boost for moral.

The last downhill before the park is a no passing zone, which I entered with no one in front, so I could take it fast.  I did she Jen out cheering and Kurt was at the corner.  I took it pretty fast but was in control the whole way in.  Lots of fans lined the lane and with lots of racers still on the course, the buzz I was feeling was electric.  I got to the dismount line and got off with no problems.  I crossed the line and looked at my time.  At 1:04:58 I had taken a ton of time of last year's bike split of 1:16:15.  I got into transition and this time worked faster to get out on the run.  I managed to job all the way out and crossed the mat with a T2 time of 3:45.  Even with the longer run out, it was still a bit slower than expected.

Now prior to the race I had written some initials on my arm for motivation as well as a time to hit.  The intials were SODV.  The S for Sue and the O for Owen.  The DV was for Don Vescio, a team mate of ours who was severly injured in a bike accident in a triathlon last weekend.  The time I had written down was 1:33:30.  If I went out on the run at that time or under, all I needed as to run 15 min/miles and I would finish under 2:20 which was my target time. Well, was I excited when my watch read 1:26:45.  I had been going SO STRONG.  All I had to do was stay strong and I would break 2:20 for sure.

Heading out on the run.

The run was great.  Of course, knowing ahead of time it is mostly uphill going out and then downhill coming back in, helps.  I did experience some slight leg pain early on the run, but a shot of some gel and some thoughts about the pain Don had probably been feeling helped me realize mine was probably minor compared to his.  My mind wandered and the pain quickly subsided.  I would end up negative splitting the 3.1 mile run with no problem.  Lots of people on the road.  With Andrea and Christen from Team Comp passing me and both of them giving me high fives as they headed back in. Heather also was there for a high five on her way back in ahead of already from passing me on the ride.

I greated lots of others and was amazed how fast I hit the turn-around after passing the 1 mile mark.  I was really happy to run most of the way back in.  With the way back mostly downhill and the sound of the PA announcer bouncing off the water, I kept going with the running and only a little walking.

Andrea and I wearing our hardware.

There were lots at the turn into the park and the finish was just a few yards away.  I headed down the chute and tried to sprint in.  Crossing the line at 2:09:34, I blew away my target time and destroyed my time from last year.

Rob making it hurt, REAL GOOD!

I got some food and relaxed a bit.  Meeting up with team-mates and waiting for Deb and Colleen to finish made for a perfect day.  Capping it off with some nice massage and stretching from Robert made it all feel real good.

All I had left for the weekend was Sunday which turned out to be a great day.  I ended up getting lots of great pics of the pros, but more importantly, my team mates.  I set up near BIKE IN and OUT and RUN OUT and got some many great shots. 

Seth and Jay looking strong on lap 1.

Even had the chance to wish Chrissie luck before her race and she even made a point of coming over to see me after her race for one final hug and good-bye.  What a SUPERSTAR she is.

Chrissie coming in from the bike.

Chrissie going out on the run.

Andy and Chrissie after both finished 1st and broke their own course records.

Nancy always smiling and running strong.

Roz on the run.  Not bad after donating a kidney to her

dad 3 months ago.

But really, the SUPERSTAR this weekend for me has to be Rox Puleo.  On May 11th, she donated one of her kidneys to her ailing father and then managed to recover enough to complete this 70.3 just about 3 months later.  What devotion, strength and character she exhibits.  Agian, another reason to support the fact the I believe COMPREHENSIVE RACING is the best team of athletes, supporters and friends around.

This Morning !!!

This is the last day of Pingree Camp!  I have been working here each summer for the past six years.  Since I teach at Pingree full-time, it makes for a long year, not having a "traditional" teacher's summer.  Very few teacher's do lie around all summer relaxing, and most take classes or teach summer school.  I do sometimes grit my teeth when the faculty return from the summer and say things like, "WOW.....it feels like I never left".  That's what it has felt like for me for six years.  Now I keep saying to myself that no one has forced me to do this. 

So it is with great pleasure that I have been replaced with a full-time person in charge of the Auxiliary Program.  I can go back to concentrating on teaching and coaching for 12 months out of the year.  I will have to find something for next year to fill the financial void.  I do have some ideas, so I am confident all will work out in the $ department.  I am also excited about putting all of my efforts into the classroom and the varsity swim team here at Pingree.

Anyway, back to the original reason for this post.  As is customary on Friday's during camp, Owen and I visit McDonald's for breakfast prior to camp.  It is a reward for Owen having a good week at camp.  He enjoys it and so do I. 

Anyway this morning we were approached by a mature gentleman (73 years old) who mentioned that he had read the article about me that was in the Salem News 2 weeks ago.  He mentioned he liked the article and then wanted to show me something.  It was an owner's manual for a bike he had just purchased.  He told me that reading that article inspired him to try a triathlon.  He wants to prepare and train and enter a sprint distance triathlon next year.  He said he liked the message he seemed to get from the article, that the only limits that matter are the ones you put on yourself.

WOW, what a great motivator for me as well, as I head up to Timberman this weekend.  It's amazing how your actions in life, though totally unintended, can affect others.

My time for last year's race was 2:36:25.  I have great aspirations of finishing in 2:15:00.  That is a BIG goal, but I took the time to go through each stage of the race and I am determined if the weather holds out as planned (sunny and not too breezy) I can DO IT.  Last year's race was raining for most of the bike and I lost a lot of time fumbling in transition.  Here's hoping, and I know in my heart, if I don't do it, it won't be for lack of trying and preparation.   

Race Report - Witch City Triathlon

This race marks my first full year in triathlon. Though it was my second race back in 2009, it was my first full triathlon, as my first race in Lowell at the Mill City Triathlon was an aquabike race. That involved only the swim and bike, with no run.

After a full year of training and preparation I was ready to beat my time last year. I finished last year in 2:12:23. I was hoping to finish in a sub 2 hour time.

With the race being in our town, it would be great not having to get up so early to prepare, pack, and drive. I awoke at 4:10AM and went through the usual routine of morning meal (protein smoothie, bagel with PB, and 2 bottles of water. I packed up the car and prepared for the 5 minute drive over to Forest River Park. The forecast called for a sunny day, but I noticed the roads were wet, and then it actually started to rain. There was only a brief shower on my way over, and when I got there I saw Bil Legault who stated there was actually an intense downpour just before 5AM. With that all over, I checked in, got body marked and prepared to set up my transition area.

Arriving early, I got a spot at the end of the rack, which allowed me a little extra space to lay out my gear. Getting ready I noticed I had not brought my race belt. The one benefit of a race close to home allowed me to call Sue and I asked her to look for it and bring it before the race started.

With the article just printed in the Salem News the day before, there were a number of positive comments from friends and others about it as I prepared to get ready for the race.

I was happy to see Kelley prior to the race. It has become a little bit of a custom that we get a hug from each other prior to a race. She has done so before each of my four races this year, and I also did one for her prior to IMLP. She showed up outside of transition and I was almost ready to go.

As I have mentioned before, Owen also has a very important prep he does for me prior to races. I take both of my pairs of shoes (bike and running) and Owen places his feet in them and gives me his "SPEED". I am sure not to wear them again until the race. I also get one specific ORANGE "silly band" to wear. Along with my watch, TRIONZ bracelet, BLAZEMAN bracelet, my wrists are getting pretty full.

I saw Sue and Owen coming down the hill and of course ran to see them for the 2 most important pre-race hugs. Sue also had my race belt!!

As has become my custom with about 20 minutes to go, I got on my wetsuit and went down to the water. The buoys were out and the course looked to be about the same as last year. I remember it looking so long one year ago. Are my eyes now just getting used to judging distances?

One step in the water and I was SHOCKED. The water was freezing! We had been swimming one week before at Nahant and the water was gorgeous. This was PAINFUL. I knew I had to get right under the water to get my body ready for the cold temps. Last year it was cold and that was one mistake I had made. I did not swim around and spent the first few minutes hyper-ventilating.

As I went under the water, my heart rate soared. I stayed in the water neck deep and then swam a few strokes. It got better as I moved around, but still hurt quite a bit. I would later find out the temp was in the low 50's.

They announced the race would be delayed 10-15 minutes as we waited for high tide. I stayed in as long as I could I waved up at Sue, Owen, Godfrey from church and Chris Muise. Chris is a Pingree parent who was nice enough to come to the race to shot some pics of me racing. Most of the pics here on this blog post are his handiwork.

There were two waves with men in the first wave and women, Clydesdales and relays in the second wave. My plan was to swim to the left outside and avoid the second wave. I would then stick to the course after the first buoy.

We paused for the anthem and then we were off. I let most of the men leave and then started swimming. The pain in my head from the cold water never subsided. It was kind of like an extreme ice cream headache, without the ice cream. Sue mentioned later it looked like I was heading out to sea. I did sight the buoy a few times, but there was a bit of a current as well. When I rounded the first buoy things seemed to get a bit better. I actually had thought about rolling on my back for a second or two, but luckily I got through that and kept going strong. After the turn I was passed by the second wave. No grabbing this time and most of the faster swimmers simply went by on the left and right. I could see a man in a green cap (same as me) on my left for a while and then a big surprise as I guy went by me in the wrong direction on his back. I yelled at him, but he didn't seem to hear.

I rounded the second buoy and looked up to sight the finish. I kept going strong and neared the shore. I stayed in the water as long as I could and then got out. I saw both Sue and Owen on the shore and started running out.

I then wiped out on a rock and proceeded to cut my foot. I didn't notice the blood until transition, but it wasn't too bad.

I ran onto the shore and quickly got a boost with a hand-slap from Owen and Sue. Not taking the time to look back, Sue told me later and I was able to confirm it, there were still 10-12 swimmers in the water. Last year, I was the last one out, by a long shot.

I ran over the mat and checked my time. It was 19:53, which was 1:33 faster than last year. I was hoping for a bit faster, but it was an improvement for sure.

I got to transition and quickly changed and grabbed my bike. Getting across the mat, my T1 time was 2:14, which was 1:37 faster than last year. OK, things were looking good now!!! Already more than 3 minutes faster than last year.


Out on the bike with the hopes of really making up some time from last year. With all the training and the bike upgrade I would be sure to cut some time off from last year, but would it be enough to break the 2 hour mark?


Hearing lots of people yelling my name and encouraging me sure helped as I got going pretty well. I tried to make sure not to blow my legs early. I took lots of small sips of water and got out onto Lafayette towards Marblehead. There is a nice downhill to prepare for the big hill into Marblehead. I kept my gearing low to try and avoid getting out of the saddle all the while keeping a pretty fast cadence. I passed two others on the hill and felt great. I took my gel bottle out of back pocket and took a squeeze of the gel. Trying to put it back in my shirt, I dropped it. Should I stop? I decided to go on without it, which in the end was fine. I knew I would need more gel (especially for the run) and remembered I had extra in transition and would get it when I was in T2.

The ride itself was pretty uneventful after that and I made it out to the "neck" passing a couple of riders and being passed by a few. The ride included 3 laps around the neck, a ride I have done DOZENS of times. Knowing every up and down hill sure helped. I was able to use my recovery time very wisely and again passed a few more while being passed by others. Lots of other COMP team members passed me and we cheered each other on. Last year when I did this race, by the time I made my 3rd lap I was one of the last riders still on the neck. This time there were still a number of riders on the neck and I was able to pass a few more. When I got back on the causeway, my legs were feeling good, but something not so great was happening. For the first time, I was feeling some stiffness in my lower back. I tried to stretch it somewhat and was hoping it would not cause me too much worry on the run.

When I headed back towards Salem, all was going well. I had not checked my average speed at this point, but could tell from the total elapsed time, that all was going well. I got back to the spot where I dropped my gel bottle and could see it ( I picked it up after the race) and passed two more riders. Heading down the big hill I saw some of the runners heading out on the bike path. That meant there were about 1 mile into the 3 mile run. As I went up the hill, I saw KURT, our captain from TEAM COMP heading out on the run. He was doing 2/3 of a relay with Jen doing the bike portion.

There were lots of people around the transition now as I headed to the dismount zone. Got off the bike quickly and actually ran it in. My time for the bike portion was 50:50 which was much faster than last year's time of 54:29. Again, a few more minutes gained. T2 went really well and it sure did not hurt hearing Andrea yelling my name, encouraging me to keep going. I grabbed a couple of gels, got my shoes on and got running. Marty from Fit Werx had also finished and was giving me a "boost" as well. I would later find out my T2 time was also 2:14, the same as T1. This was again a gain as last year I really mucked around taking 3:36 to get out on the run.

I looked at my watch as I headed out on the run and had a total time of 1:15:11. I would need to run the 3 miles in under 45 minutes in order to break the 2 hour mark. My time for the run last year was 49:01. Needless to say, that was my first 3 mile run, ever, so I know I had the experience to beat that time. With my back hurting quite a bit, I didn't know how much I could "run". I knew I could break the time if I was feeling 100%, so I got going. I saw Bill from team COMP and he handed me some water. It helped, since I had just dropped a bottle about 100 feet back.

I passed lots of runners who were coming in and we exchanged lots of high fives. I saw Jim Logan and of course Kurt coming back. I never passed another runner, but I never really expect to do that. I got further along where the down hill starts and did some more running. My bag and legs were still sore, but I kept doing the best I could. As time went on, my back started to loosen up a bit.

I neared that water stop by the bridge, took a cup of water and walked a bit, then started to run again. More runners were coming back and some who had passed me were appearing quicker and quicker heading back in, so I knew I was near the turn around. When I got there, and headed back in it said my run time was about 22 minutes. I still had about 22.5 minutes to go to make it under 2 hours, except most of this was UPHILL. I took a gel and started to run. The pain and discomfort soon disappeared. Again, thinking about walking the streets of NYC last summer with Owen on my back helped. The two of them have been such a strong force helping me along the way. I know I thank Sue all of the time, but I worry she thinks they are just words.

Without the two of them, I know I would not be hear doing this. I continued to run more and walk less. As I neared the first crest of the hill I glanced at my watch. I had about 3/4 of a mile to go and there was about a 10 minute window now. As I continued on, I could see the corner. I actually knew if I kept running, I would actually be able to reach my goal.

I turned the corner and headed towards the park. The nice thing is, it's mostly downhill to the finish. Lots of people were at the corner into then park and many were there cheering. I got one more emotional boost when I could hear the P.A. announcer calling my name and I could see, Sue and Owen. I looked at the clock and it read 1:59:20 as I neared the finish line. I actually started sprinting.

My time crossing the line was 1:59:28. I could not believe I was able to do it. Hugging both Sue and Owen at the finish was a great way to cap off a super race. One full year now into triathlon and I am loving it more than ever.

Marty from Fitwerx in Peabody was nice enough to shoot a video of me crossing the line.

Now, TIMBERMAN SPRINT in Gilford, NH on August 20th. More than 1000 competitors and I am in the 3rd swim wave out of 9. This is going to be a mixer for sure.

Whaling City Triathlon Race Report

This was not a planned race on my calendar this year, but it became one once I realized they had a para-triathlete division. This division has been a bit of a sore spot with me because the ITU, USAT, and IRONMAN have not recognized dwarfism as a physical challenge. I know, it causes me to shake my head. As a fellow triathlete and blogger Ben Berry mentioned, they provide the Clydesdale and Athena divisions for racers who are heavier than others (often by their own lifestyles) yet someone who was born with a condition that limits their height, is not given a division. In the World Paralympics, dwarfism is listed in the T3 division (les autres) with other conditions like MD and CP.

Well, this July the ITU met and added dwarfism to their classifications and I only found this out by searching the internet. After conferring with Jon Beeson (Head of US Para-triathlon) and the race director for the Whaling City Triathlon, Eric Averill, I was able to enter in the division as a TRI 3 and not an age-grouper. To say I was excited, would be an understatement.

With this being the weekend for IRONMAN Lake Placid and IRONMAN Switzerland, most of the attention of the triathlon world would be on those two races. I was pleased to find out that other members of TEAM COMP would also be racing. Don Vescio was doing a relay (not a surprise) and both Art Gray and Warren Macphail were racing as well.

Race morning routine, is starting to become exactly that, routine. Alarm set for 3:30AM and I was up quickly. Soy protein smoothie made up and a bagel with PB all put in the cooler with 2 bottles of water. I like to consume the energy about 2.5 hours prior to the race, so I do most of that while driving down.

Loaded up the bike on the rack, put everything in the car and I was on my way. Once stop along the way for a bathroom break and to a get a small black coffee. I arrived at the race site at about 6:15AM. Lots of people already there. Parking was to be limited, but with my handicapped placard I got a primo spot right by the packet pick-up location. Those spots looked to remain empty for the race and this way it leaves an extra spot for someone else.

Registration was nice a easy and body-marking was right there as well. When I went back out to the car, I ran into both Art and Warren who had just parked.

On my way to transition I ran into Eric (RD) and asked about other para-triathletes. He said there were 3 of us and the other 2 were female. There are 6 different classes of PT and I am considered a TRI3 which is typically called "les autres" which means "the others" in French. Kinda funny. The other 2 were TRI 1 an TRI 2 which are wheel chair racers and single leg amputees respectively.

I would later find out that the athlete who is the TRI 2 was an accomplished former Paralympic athlete named Sarah Billmeier.

Well, I got my transition area set up and chatted with some of the other athletes. I wandered down the road to check out the swim course. The distance of the swim was supposed to be 1/4 mile. When I got there (jogging down to warm up) not all the buoys were in the water yet. We were to walk down a beach and start on shore near a stone causeway. We would swim out about 250 yards and then turn right at the buoy. We would then swim along past 2 other buoys until we turned right towards the shore. It was a rectangular shaped course. The distance from the swim exit back to transition looked to be about 1/4 mile so I decided I would bring my water shoes down and then put them on to run after the swim.

After wandering back to transition, I spotted Don Vescio on his trainer cycling away. Went up and wished him and his triathlon team good luck.

We had our pre-race meeting there, the anthem, and then it was time to get ready to swim and head back to the beach. I wore my shoes down and then took them off on the walkway where we would exit the beach. We walked a few 100 yards down the beach to get ready. The last buoy was put out, and it looked longer than 1/4 mile. Not a big deal, as I have done longer swims (1 mile two weeks ago), but wondering why the distance looked longer none the less. I was to later find out about two days after the race, they updated the distance from 0.25 of a mile to 0.34 of a mile.

I was in the last wave of 5. There were probably about 40 or so swimmers in my wave. When it was our turn to go, I got near the back of the wave and readied for the start signal. Off we went, and I got in to the water and started swimming. Again, a nice easy pace to start not worrying about other swimmers. My sighting went well and each time I looked up and I was pretty much on course. I don't know how reliable rumors were about the police boats being there to keep a look out for sharks. The news said, if you see seals stay away, as the sharks feed on them. Well, what looks more like a seal than a dwarf in black wetsuit? Maybe by the time I got out there, the sharks would be filled up on all the skinnier racers...LOL.

At each turn I went around the buoy and kept going. It was nice to see I was passing the occasional nervous swimmer. Not nice to see them nervous, but a relief to me that triathlon swimming for me, was now that, swimming and not paddling on my back or doing the heads-up breaststroke. When I made the last turn, I headed straight for the swim exit. It was about 200 yards to the shore. Again, my sighting went well as I kept on straight to the shore.

On my exit I heard a woman yelling, "GO JOHN! GO". It was a woman I had met prior to the start who was here to see her husband race and she remembered seeing me at two races last year. What a nice boost, hearing an unexpected cheer. Crossing the timing pad, my time was 0:17:13. If the distance was a true 1/4 mile, this would be a pretty slow time, but I knew the distance was longer, and as mentioned that would be confirmed later.

I ran up the beach and looked for my shoes. I grabbed them and kept running. I didn't feel like putting them on. If this was to be my only mistake today, it would be a good day. I couldn't start taking my wetsuit top off while having my hands full. I jogged up the road to T1 and went in to get my bike. Looking around I saw 5-10 bikes. Transition time here was longer than hoped, but of course the long run up there didn't help.

I got ready for the bike pretty well. I jogged to the timing pad and headed out on the bike. A shock at first, as I could hear something rubbing. I hoped it wasn't my brake and started to get nervous. Should I stop and look? But then I looked down and saw my race number on my bike was rubbing my front tire. A quick tug of it and the sound was gone. PHEW!

This was a closed course which meant we did not have to worry about traffic in our lane as we were to make 3 loops of a 3.8 mile course. Traffic was in the other lane, but we were safe with lots of passing room. The police and volunteers did a great job at the intersections. I was passing a few riders and of course getting passed by others. But, I could feel I was gaining on some. As I neared downtown New Bedford, something unexpected but good happened. I could see a group of young kids all wearing the same colored t-shirt. I was expecting the same silly comments about my size. Was I surprised when I heard them roar loudly and cheer for me. It gave me such a boost!!

I got past them and took the time to have a shot of gel from my bottle. This course was SO FLAT, but with the fast speed comes very little recovery time. It means a lot of pedaling, but I was sure I was ready for the challenge. As I neared the end of the first lap, there was a slight downhill and then a sharp turn left. Feeling strong, I continued to pass riders and never felt like I was losing power in my legs. This time through the downtown again, I could hear one kid yell, "Here he comes". And again, the cheers came! What a BOOST again. As I passed there were others around and I saw an older woman on a electric cart, and she yelled, "YOU KEEP GOING." And I did.

I had one scare near the end of the second loop, as I looked up at a runner coming the other way, I looked back down and went over a sewer grate. Now, without traffic, I didn't need to be that far right. I lost my balance and felt myself going over my handlebars. I didn't hit the brakes and instead, steadied my hands and leaned back. I managed to gain control without crashing. WOW, that was close. As the rider behind me passed, he said, "Stay away from the curb." I took his advice. The last lap went well, but I was a tiny bit bummed, to see my cheering section had moved on. No worries, as I kept up the pace and finished my last lap. A sharp right turn into transition.



As I got off my bike and ran across the pads, I looked at my time for the bike and was happy to see, 0:41:16. I was hoping to beat 45 minutes, and I was very happy. I racked my bike and got into my running shoes pretty quickly. As they were announcing finishers, I heard them say, "Here's another runner going out, let's go 946", which was my number.

Now a big change for me on this run was my decision not to bring a water bottle. I knew there would be water on miles 1 and 2 and I decided to just have some gel. I had been worried that I was stopping too often to drink and using that as a crutch. I was determined to do this one, without my bottle, and it ended up being a get decision. I ran the first while and only walked for short distances to try and get my legs going. I counted 4 bikes still coming in so I knew I was ahead of some, and since I was the last swimmer in to start, this was ALL GOOD.



The run was all on pavement and it was nice and flat. As I rounded the corner and headed out towards the water I was feeling real good. Another athlete was heading in and he caught my eye. Where had I seen him before? I wondered for a while and it actually came to me when I was talking to Sue about the race that night. It was Rudy the runner-up from the previous season of "BIGGEST LOSER". Wow, a celebrity.

I looked up and saw the water stop, was I close to a mile already? A couple of runners passed me, but I knew I was doing well. At the water stop, they had a "1 mile" board up and I looked at my watch. It read, 14:20 for the lap. I was doing GREAT. Took the water and kept going. The turn around was at 1.2 miles and I headed back towards the park and took another water from the stop and kept going.

We took a different turn into the park, and I was starting to think, I am already back, and then I saw the other water stop. This was mile 2, and my watch read about 30:25. I was keeping up with a great pace. Was there really only 1 mile remaining? The last mile was pretty long and in fact, I was later to find out, I still had 1.4 miles to go. As I rounded a corner, there was Art walking back to meet me and run me back in. At first, I wanted him to leave me alone. I really didn't want someone to push me harder. I was doing great and knew it. And he didn't push me, but in the end I was thankful he was there as I kept going for sure.

The run was around most of the park and then right when I thought it was done, we had to run out on a pier and back. I yelled out, "This is CRUEL!"

Well as I got off of the pier, I could hear the P.A. announcer and knew I was near the end. I saw the finish and Art, left me to run the last section alone. Thanks again Art for being there for support.

When I crossed the line, and looked at my watch, I was ecstatic. It read, 1:53:45. My goal was to beat 2:00:00 and I felt like I CRUSHED it.

I got my water bottle and 2 VERY COLD washcloths to help cool off. Took in a bit of food and then walked around to stretch. After I changed my shirt and went back to the awards ceremony, I was so happy to find out I had won an awards. Even though I was the only one, I was given a "1st Place Male Para-triathlete" awards. Sarah Billmeier won as well.





After everything was over and I headed home, I could not pass up a stop at Tim Horton's in Fall River. Any Canadian knows how great these places are as the put the coffee and munchkins to shame with their version called TIMBITS. A great lunch and then my ride home.

Next up, the Witch City Triathlon in Salem on August 8th. This is a special race for me, as it was my first ever triathlon (not counting the Aquabike race in Lowell) that I competed in last year. It was also where I met Nancy Thomson and started my involvement with Comprehensive Racing.

Thanks to Julie Outericky who took all the pictures.

ALS Warrior Poet Jon Blais (1971-2007)

This poem says it all for me.

Live more than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places.
Go now. Giggle, no, Laugh. No...stay out past dark
And bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are.
Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal. This is it. Your life.
Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in.
Yes, every chance you get. Come close.
And by all means, whatever you do, get it on film.

If you need any more examples of inner strength and fortitude, please watch this video.

Jon Blais finishing the 2005 Ironman in Kona.

LP (Dwarf) Triathlete finishing an Olympic distance triathlon.

Old Colony Olympic Distance Triathlon

This race was my first Olympic distance race, so to say I was a little nervous would be a true statement. Not scared, but a combination of nerves and excitement for sure. With Sue and Owen not wanting to head down super early with me, I was able to arrange a ride with a couple of team mates. This would be my first "road trip" to a race, so it made for an extra level of excitement.

Tim came over on Friday night to make sure my bike would fit on his carrier on the back of his SUV. Both his and Jay's bike were going to ride on the top rack on the roof. Things worked out well with the set-up and it was all set for Tim to pick me up at 5AM. I made sure to have a good night's sleep on Thursday night in the off chance things did not work out Friday night. I got into watching video on YOUTUBE on Friday night from Kona in 2006. It was an exciting race but I was much more interested in the Jon Blais story as he had finished the race in 2005 and was there at Kona in 2006 watching a man complete the race in his honor and to bring more awareness to the plight of those with ALS. I had actually received an email from Bob Blais (Jon's dad) on Friday afternoon and was especially moved again by his strength and fortitude. I finished watching the vids and then turned in around 11pm with the alarm set for 4AM.

A good night's sleep and up right at the alarm. Pre-race breakfast is pretty much routine now with my usual "smoothie" and PB and J sandwich along with 3 bottles of water up until an hour before the race. Tim picked me up right at 5AM and then we headed to pick up Jay and Andrea. The trip down was uneventful except for my sudden and desperate need to have to make a bathroom stop.

We arrived close to 6:30AM and had plenty of time to get set-up in transition. The FIRM races are very friendly and on the "small" side with only a few more than 200 competitors. It was very convenient having a bathroom area available instead of porta-potties. As we got ready lots of TEAM COMP people arrived. The seriousness of an Olympic distance race was starting to set in, but not in a bad way. I have loved each and every sprint race I have done, but was getting a sense that Olympic distance races were not for the casual racer. Not as many foot baths being set up and no one marked their transition area with a balloon. I would soon realize how right I was when I got out on the bike (more about that later).

I set up my area and made a couple of trips to the restroom and then proceeded to get ready for the swim. Once in my wet suit I headed for the water. It was quite warm and very murky. I took a trip out about half way to the first buoy and then turned back in. This was to be a 1 mile swim made up of two counter-clockwise loops of a 1/2 mile circuit. We had to exit the water the first time around and then go back in again for another loop.

There were only 3 waves and I was in the 2 one. I took my usual spot near the back and on the outside. When the starter (Bill) announced we were off, off I went. I have to admit, very little anxiety anymore. I picked my spot and started swimming. When I ever I felt the need to try and keep up with others, I simply started to count my strokes. It helped to relax me and helped me stay where I was comfortable.

I did have one major concern before the first buoy. I decided to wear my ROAD ID this race and the clasp kept coming undone. I was so worried I would lose it and quickly looked for a lifeguard to hand it off. With no one around I managed to get it back on. It came loose again, and as I tried to clasp it again, I took a good gulp of water. I didn't panic, and got it clasped again. This time it stayed on and I had concluded I would take it off at the end of the first lap and then pick it up on my way to T1.


I got passed by most of the swimmers on my first lap around, exited the water and dropped my ROAD ID as planned. I remember hearing both Andrea and Jen cheering me on, which helped A TON. I quickly entered the water for the second lap. This time I stayed to the inside and managed a faster time for the second lap around. I felt like I did a good job sighting as well. I headed to T1 and was happy to see my time for the swim was 44:06. Right on target. Not the 40:00 minutes Stu had told me I would get, but as fast as I had hoped. When I later checked out Andrea's pics, I noticed swimmers behind me in the water. Not something I look for in the race, but a nice thing to see on the way out.

T1 was great as I got out on the bike in 3:03. I didn't like the fact we had to walk the bike through a small grassy trail, but didn't mess up, none the less. With a couple of speed bumps, I headed out of the camp. This was a 24 mile ride comprised of 4 laps around a 6 mile course. Plenty of chances to see TEAM COMP team mates out there and both give and get some encouragement.

This is where the reality of an Olympic distance race hit me. I have talked to people about the term I invented called "LPing" someone. It's the phrase I use to describe me (a LP or little person) passing someone on the bike. At the Minuteman tri 3 weeks previously, I LPed at least 12 people. Here at Old Colony, I think I LPed 2. It's not a bad thing at all. I ended up checking the posted times, and in the end I did bike faster than 19 other riders. That works out to 10% of the field, I just didn't get the immediate satisfaction of it. I quickly realized how different this race was, and it actually motivated me to quick going stronger. Being passed by lots of TEAM COMP team mates helped as well. We exchanged cheers to each other (DON passed me twice...LOL) and it gave me a boost each time.

The course was nice and flat with a few rollers. I managed to find some areas for a little recovery and feel my ride got stronger each lap. Once the runners started out (same course but opposite direction) the cheers continued. Denise actually managed a nice "high five" when I saw her on the run.

I needed a bottle exchange and remembered reading to try and get the water earlier than needed. If you can't get it (dropping it) at least you can try again before you're too thirsty. On my 3rd lap around, I decided to get a bottle. Dropped the first attempt but grabbed the 2nd one in line.


Just as I neared the entrance back into the park, I saw Sue's car parked on the side of the road. What a boost. As I entered the park, I was Sue and Owen walking down the driveway. As I whistled they turned around and both cheered. It was great to see them.

I rode in to T2 and the new bike shoes helped big time. They were quick to get on and off. I also got rid of the YANKZ laces on my running shoes and went back to regular laces. Much easier to get the shoes on. I grabbed my hat and NATHAN belt and was off. Time for T2 was 2:28.

The start of the run was through a path in the woods. I walked it all determined not to fall. As I started out, the realization of the distance before me started to sink in. This would be my longest run EVER. I had only ever done a 5 mile run last Thanksgiving and had done the 4 mile run the weekend before this race to benefit Tom Smith. Would I be able to keep up a good pace. At the Minuteman Sprint tri I did the 4 miles at a 16 min/mile pace. If I was much slower than that I would not be able to break 4 hours, which was my goal for this race. More than 4 hours would be fine, but I thought a sub 4 hour race would be AWESOME.

I started out my usual pace of some walking and running. With the heat, I had my own water and gel and was hoping for a few water stops. I had passed them on my ride going in the other directions and counted at least 5. In fact, I yelled at a few to try and wait for me when I came back on the run. They all promised and they DID.

I got to the first water stop and asked if they knew how far on the course they were. The woman there said they were the 2 mile mark. I looked at my watch and let out a loud "WOOHOO". It said I was 31 minutes in, which meant I was doing better than 16 minute miles. What a boost that was.

The run was pretty lonely but it gave me lots of time to think. I was passed by a few people as we cheered each other on. But come on, I was about to run more than 1/2 the distance I drive to work each day. YES!!!

I little bit of stiffness set in to my back, and my right calf stiffened up a bit as well. I kept drinking and taking gel every 30 minutes, and it eventually went away. I used my heart monitor and ran whenever my HR was went below 134. When it went back up above 160, I would walk. It seemed to keep me going so as to not walk too much. I had written some letters on my arms for this one, and boy they helped. On my right arm was S.O. for Sue and Owen. I am convinced without them, I don't think I would be doing this. Sue continues to be the best mother around and I am so proud of our son Owen. Whenever I have felt the least bit discouraged I just think of Owen and how he has shown such little fear while learning to swim.

On the other arm I had J.B.H. Those was for Jon Blais and the Hoyts. If you don't know who they are, do some searching online. Jon Blais completed the Kona Ironman in 2005 with ALS and the Hoyts have been in much of my earlier writings. The pain they have endured pales in comparison to mine and I gain a lot of strength from them.

I looked at my watch and realized it said 3:20:15 and I had 40 minutes to go to try and break 4 hours. At that point I was somewhere between mile 4 and 5. I didn't change my pace, but just kept going. I did not want to continue to watch my overall time, so I never looked at the total time again. If I broke 4 hours, GREAT. If I didn't, I still would finish.

I entered the park and saw lots of people heading home. They yelled out lots of support and of course I did my best to run the last mile. Except for the final uphill before the end, which I walked, I ran most of that mile. I heard people yelling and could finally see the finish. I caught a glimpse of Sue and could hear Owen cheering. As Wendy called out "Mighty John" over the PA. I got a great rush of adrenaline as I ran to the finish. As I crossed the line and hit the button on my watch, it read 3:59:05. I DID IT. I broke 4 hours. The official time was to be 3:59:07.

What a finish, with most of the TEAM COMP people there to cheer me on, I felt so great. If I can do an Olympic in under 4 hours, what's next?

I guess what I finally realized after this race, is that triathlon is not about measuring myself against others, but working out what you need to work on and sticking to it. I'm not at a stage where I can pick out people in front of me to try and "pick-off" because come the end of the day, I will always be the SLOWEST runner out there. As long as I keep moving forward, that's all that matters.