I was recently invited to the ‘Let’s Run Disney Podcast‘ to talk with Steve and Meghan about my ‘Goofy in a Day‘ experience last May and about the charities I run for. Take a listen and enjoy.
Sticher Radio – http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/lets-run-disney-podcast/lets-run-disney
iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-run-disney-podcast/id1061205842?mt=2
December is over and a new year has begun. Time to take a look back at the month, the year and look forward to what 2016 has in store.
December 2015 – Nike+ Summary
For the month of December I ran 128 miles, swam 1.3 miles and cycled 39 miles. This is nothing compared to the 1,150 each way journey I embarked on from my home to visit my parents in Florida. Interesting journey…just pleased (and relieved) that my 9 and 5 year old passengers were awesome the whole way down.
2015 – Nike+ Summary
All in all for the year I ran less but still racked up mileage by introducing swimming and biking as I started my triathlon career. A total of 1,964 miles for the year. 1,576 running, 366 cycling and 22 swimming. No wonder I am so tired.
Our ride to Florida. The kids were in the back, not on top (as tempting as it may seem).
See…they’re in the back. This is outside a Dunkin’ Donuts at 5am. #roadtrip
After two days of travel we were glad to reach our destination
Before I revisit the year I’ll take a quick look back for the month of December.
With such a mild December I was able to still run outside for the most part, even when I visited Atlanta, GA for business (although it was cooler there than I had expected). It was just a matter of avoiding the rain. More often than not I was outside. When I got to Florida, the weather was glorious. Very hot and humid so that slowed my pace a little but I was fortunate to have my parents look after our boys so that my wife and I could get out almost everyday for mid to long runs. It worked out great.
Nice to have a chance to run together
While we were down in Florida we signed up for a the local Bradenton Running Club’s Annual Manatee River 5 Mile Run. We even signed the boys up for the kids races. It was a hot day and not much shade but it was a good day to be out there. I also met up with my fellow Mickey Miler team-mate Robert.
Ready to run
Running family
Discussing race strategy
With a fellow Mickey Miler and a junior one
Reward for his 200 meter run
Making it look easy in the 400 meters
Beautiful location at the Emerson Point Nature Preserve in Palmetto, Florida
Being out-sprinted by my wife
Determination
A great end to a fun year. Lots of family time and a great chance to get out and run a lot. We did eat a lot of ice cream on vacation so the running was badly needed!!
2015 – Looking Back
It was a very busy year. My wife and I ran 3 marathons together and I ran 4 in total. This included us running for Autism Speaks while we ran the Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World back in January. We ran the Pittsburgh Marathon together in May and the Marine Corps Marathon together in October. I ran the Philadelphia Marathon in November as well as a few half marathons during the year. Happy to be able to compete and even better for being able to run with my wife for most of these events.
In May I ran my first unofficial ‘ultra-marathon‘ (any run longer than 26.2 miles is considered an ‘ultra’) for the charity ‘Give Kids The World‘. I ran 39.3 miles in one day (the equivalent of the Goofy Challenge – a half marathon followed by a full marathon but all in one day). This charity is supported my my running team, the Mickey Milers and through this event I was able to raise $1,250 for this cause.
This was also the year I ventured into triathlons. I attempted (weather shortened) my first triathlon back at the New Jersey State Triathlon back in July. I was able to finally complete my goal of a sprint triathlon at Medford Lakes, NJ and then added a final sprint event before the end of my triathlon season in Hightstown, NJ so I could concentrate on my Fall marathon schedule.
It was a year of accomplishments for me and I’m grateful I was able to complete these events and remain relatively injury free.
2016 – Looking Forward
While my running schedule isn’t set for the full year, I am signed up for a couple of big events. First, my wife and I are signed up to run the New Jersey Marathon on May 1st. I’ve run this event twice before and this is still my marathon PR race. We also entered ourselves for the New York City Marathon in November. We will not find out about whether we get in until March so I’m looking at other races in the Fall just in case although I haven’t committed to any yet. Of course, I will be signing up for the Philadelphia Marathon as long as I am around that time of year.
The big event for me this year is that I will be participating in my very first Half Iron distance triathlon (70.3 miles) in Kingston NY in July. This is quite a step up from the sprint triathlons I did in 2015. I hope to be in good shape and ready when the time comes. Looking forward to it very much.
My other goal this year is to work on speed (and stay injury free). I’m looking for a fairly local goal race in the Fall (maybe before New York if we get in) to see if I can get to that 3:45 marathon time goal I seek. We shall see.
Thank you for sticking with me for the last few years as I have been writing this blog. I hope that I have lots of good stories to share in 2016 (and beyond).
Wishing you all success in all your endeavors this year. Happy New Year.
November 2015 – Nike+ Summary
November was a busy month. Running miles were 115, 18 miles on the bicycle and 1.3 miles in the pool. There were no business trips during the month but a few races and of course the 2015 Philadelphia Marathon. Running distance was less due to the taper and rest and recovery days around the marathon.
The month started off with a bang. I was coming off from the Marine Corps Marathon in late October followed up a week later by the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon on Halloween. Because Pope Francis had visited Philadelphia in mid-September this race had been pushed back to Halloween which then collided with the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K run the day after. My father-in-law had signed up for both not realizing the proximity of the races so we looked to transfer his bib for the 10K over to me so as not to lose the race fee as he didn’t want to run back to back races.
The only slight downside of this was that the clocks changed back on November 1st and I ended up getting up early the day after a half marathon while everyone was still in bed taking advantage of that extra hour. The weather was cool and it was still a fun race. I carried over my Halloween weekend costume with my Ink N Burn Boba Fett shirt which I matched up with a recent addition from the Disney Store to complete the look. I met up with a fellow Mickey Miler (Matt) before the start of the race. I ran a respectable time considering it had just been a week since the Marine Corps Marathon and only a day since the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.
With fellow Mickey Miler Matt before the race.
The race recap. Pace much faster than previous runs this year. Felt good.
Post race…getting a little ‘Bounty Hunter’ attitude on.
The reward for a little pace work.
This was ‘part’ of my so-called taper up to the Philadelphia Marathon. Not sure I was really resting my legs fully…as you can read in that race recap. But with the pace I hit I was feeling confident going into the race. Unfortunately the race didn’t go according to plan but still, crossing the marathon finish line is still a success. Marathon number 14 was complete.
Marathon number 14 complete.
There were a few days of rest before my wife, my father-in-law and I attended our local running club (Bucks County Road Runners) Thanksgiving 5 Miler. It was a little chilly but not as cold as it had been in previous years. We soon warmed up. Our pace helped warm us up to. Nice to have everyone back and running together. My father-in-law was nursing a sprained ankle so he volunteered this year so he was still with us at the race. It was a good start to our Thanksgiving weekend.
Waiting for the race to start.
Race recap – my wife and I ran side by side (she’s fast) we held a good pace. Felt strong for just a few days post Philadelphia Marathon.
Together with my father-in-law who was volunteering on the day.
As soon as the race was over we grabbed a quick cup of coffee and headed home to partake in our usual Thanksgiving household tradition, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (on DVR…we planned ahead) and then Mickey Mouse waffles with the boys. Fun times.
Mickey Mouse waffles. A family Thanksgiving tradition in our house.
Mickey Mouse waffles. A family Thanksgiving tradition in our house.
It was nice to have plenty of family time with all the business travel and races we have been doing over the last few months. While my wife headed to the mall on Black Friday I took the time to go see the new Pixar movie with the boys. It was a nice change of pace.
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I apologize for being late with my month in review. I’m just squeaking this under the wire before the end of the year.
Thank you for reading.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving is usually the date for the Philadelphia Marathon. This is one of my favorite races at my favorite time of the year. It was my first marathon and I have run it every year since with the exception of last year when I was in Florida with my family over Thanksgiving week.
The Philadelphia Marathon was my very first marathon back in 2011, in 2012 it was the first marathon where I ran under 4 hours and in 2013 I ran the 20th anniversary marathon with my wife on a glorious late Fall day. It’s always been a good time.
This year my wife decided to opt out running this with me as she thinks her three marathons during the year were more than enough and it was very close to the Marine Corps Marathon which we was our big Fall race together.
Coming off the Marine Corps Marathon where I had struggled quite a bit going through I was able to get back into my running groove with a few good recovery runs and also two races, the Rock and Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon and the Cooper Norcross Run The Bridge 10K race (no race recap on that race but will cover in the month in review). I felt good going into marathon weekend and set my sight on a very ambitious race goal of 3:50 or better (my current PR is 3:54).
With a full weekend of family activities ahead I took a half day on the Friday before and headed down to the Expo (again held in the Philadelphia Convention Center) on the Friday evening. That’s good and bad. Good because the expo wasn’t jam-packed with people and as I was on my own I had an opportunity to spend some time looking around. Bad because heading into Philadelphia and trying to park near the Convention Center on a Friday evening isn’t the easiest thing you can do. Lesson learned.
Heading into Center City Philadelphia
The expo was set up as it had been in prior years. As you entered you went to the left where there was a children’s area (Comcast had set up a screening area with some kids programming which was nice) and just behind that was the stage for the speakers series (I didn’t attend any sessions this year). Past that there was a large area segregated into marathon, half marathon and Rothmans 8K bib pickup. As it wasn’t too busy at the time I attended I was in and out really quickly. I think there were more volunteers than participants at the time I was there.
I always get excited arriving at an expo. This being one of my favorite races was no different.
Expo hall was not crowded when I visited.
It was a decent sized Expo. Not too big, not too small.
Plenty of stalls to visit…and spend money at.
Bib pick up was simple and easy.
There seemed to be more volunteers than visitors at this hour.
That’s me.
One thing that was an improvement over the last time I ran the race and all the previous years (2011 through 2013) was the race merchandise. It was actually very well set up (still not the biggest area) but it was divided up into men, women, youth and general merchandise. What was more impressive was that there was just so much variety. Okay, a lot of it was brands I had not heard but there was so many different types of shirts, running gear, colors, styles. More so than I had seen at many other expos. Some were reasonably priced (and you know what race gear pricing can be).
Official Gear Store was pretty well stocked.
Plenty to chose from. Men’s selection.
Women’s selection.
Youth selection. Don’t see this much for kids at many expos.
Lots of styles for this race. More than usual. Many types of shirts and jackets.
I actually ended up buying a half zip top with the race year/logo and the list of streets from start to finish on the back. I thought that was pretty cool and unique. That, and my Marine Corps Marathon jacket have seldom been out of my rotation since.
I liked this. Thought it was pretty unique.
The sponsor of the race was GORE-TEX. They had a very large booth where you could enter for a prize of some running gear. I actually went to check out the shoes as they do make a Brooks Adrenaline GTX shoe which is my favored shoe. It’s definitely more of a trail shoe based upon the sole design and as I do most of my running on the road, the shoe seemed a bit more shoe than I need as a day to day training shoe. Still, nice to have an option.
GORE-TEX had a large presence in the center of the hall.
Having spent too much money (really, anyone surprised?) I headed back home knowing that I could rest easy the day before the race…like I ever allow myself to do that. We had a full weekend of activities. I was a little antsy when I got home so I set out my gear on the Friday evening and watched the hour by hour forecast for the next couple of days.
The day before the race I typically eat a decent breakfast after a short run and then have lunch as my main meal and have a light early meal (around 5pm). Well, not this year 😦 While I did get my run in and then a fairly reasonable and healthy lunch, I spent the afternoon on my feet going shopping for birthday party supplies. Then we had long-standing plans for dinner but that was a late 9pm event which is atypical for me anyway. I ended up nibbling bits and pieces through dinner…mainly the bread basket. Anyway, everyone had plenty of wine and I had plenty of water before heading home for the night. But not before changing up my outfit…again.
I ended up swapping the tank for a t-shirt but otherwise used the same get up.
This is the 4th time I have run this race. The first year the weather was perfect (low 50s). The second year it was really cold (low 30s). The third year was glorious sunshine (low 60s). The forecast for this race looked to be around high 30s but what was going to be different was strong gusting winds. I didn’t want to be over dressed when I was going to be sheltered from the wind so I still dressed fairly light.
I had learned my lesson about my shoe lace incident at the Marine Corps Marathon and had done my best to make sure my shoes would not inhibit me in any way. After all, this was the goal race for the year. I had my goal time and was really feeling confident that I would at least get close to my PR. Hmmm….
Race day morning.
I got up early, it was windy and cold out. I made myself a cup of coffee for the road and took myself down to the city. I knew that since Boston they have really ramped up the security at the race. This was just a days after the Paris attacks and the City had ramped up the security even further. They had trucks blocking the streets, barricades and checkpoints for runners.
Security had been ramped up.
Barricades surrounded the race perimeter.
Everyone was checked. Certain articles like opened bottles were not permitted inside.
I’d learned from the Marine Corps Marathon and made sure I was there early enough to make it through before the big crowds.
Bag check was quick and easy as usual. All set up in Eakins Oval.
Dressed up, feeling confident and ready to go.
Busy at the staging area.
As dawn was breaking I made my way over to the corral for the 7am start.
This is my stop.
Keeping warm in my trash bag. Not stylish but very practical.
While waiting in the corral we heard from the race organizers and Mayor Nutter. He has really dedicated himself to this race and this would be his last as Mayor of the City. He stays at the start line to see runners off and then stands at the finish line high fiving runners as they cross. It’s a long day for him but he seems to enjoy it.
This year, with the event being so close to the attacks on Paris he mentioned how the City stands with Paris and they actually had the French National Anthem sung at the start line.
There was a slight delay at the start as there was a car accident further up in the route that needed clearing. It set everything back about 10 minutes but we were soon ready to go. I took off my trash bag and handed it to a gentleman near the corral fence wearing a Boston Marathon shirt who I would get to see many times during the race. More on that later.
Soon it was go time for our corral and before I knew it we were off. It was a little congested for the first mile. I was using a new run/walk interval for the last couple of weeks based upon Jeff Galloway’s guidelines on his website. Run 3:00/Walk 0:30. This was kind of an experiment as this was the shortest run interval I’ve used for a long time.
Hey look…getting my high five from the Mayor at the start.
I settled into my pace. It was a little slower than planned. Running closer to 9:00 minutes per mile rather than my goal pace of 8:45/mile. I think I knew early on that this might not be what I was looking for, but at least I may get close to sub 4 hours.
In the meantime, I had been trying to maintain my pace near the gentleman in the Boston Marathon shirt. I figured that anyone who has qualified for Boston should be able to manage an even pace. As he was in my corral I kept him in my sight. I would drop back during a walk break but make up the distance to him during the run. So far it was working.
As we rounded South Street around mile 4, we then had to run up Chestnut Street from 6th Street to 34th Street. While there are crowds that line the sides of the street pretty much the whole way (which is great) it was a very tough run as it was directly into a headwind. It was cold and windy and I took quite a beating getting up to 34th Street which is where the largest hill on the course is located. After being beaten up by the wind for the last 3 miles it took a lot out of me to get up that hill. I was pretty much running 9:00 minute miles at this point. Hoping that somewhere on the downhills I would make it up. I still had Mr Boston Marathon shirt in my sights.
We passed the Philadelphia Zoo and up to Memorial Hall (the second and last big hill) and I felt a little back to my normal self again. As we rounded the traffic circle to head down to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive I caught up to the man in the Boston shirt and introduced myself. I mentioned I had been following his pace for the last 8 miles and he said he had noticed me running back and forth (I hope I didn’t come across as a stalker!) and introduced himself as Dave. We ran alongside each other for a while chatting until my walk break, caught up again and continued for about half a mile or so before he was ahead of me again.
Around the half way mark I was still maintaining my 9:00 minute pace so all wasn’t lost. It was after rounding the Philadelphia Museum of Art when all the half marathon runners disappear that the course really becomes less crowded. It’s a long run out and back from here on in. Running up Kelly Drive was into the wind again. While not as strong as it had been earlier in the day (probably because the buildings had more of a wind tunnel effect) it was still fairly noticeable.
Around mile 14 Dave joined me. He wasn’t having the greatest day either and he joined me in run/walking for about a mile or so. We chatted about his races and I found out he lives locally so it’s a close to home race for him too. He had run Boston twice and had a better PR than me…all the more reason to run with him 🙂
At mile 15 I stopped for water at the next water station, Dave was running with a water backpack and I dropped back a little from him. My pace had now dropped to 9:30 minutes per mile. Eek. Well, let’s just get in from here. There is a small out and back on the other side of the river from mile 17-18. I saw Dave on his way back as I was running down. I had a little work to catch back up to him. This is my least favorite part of the race. It’s just to get the distance in on the course. It’s quick. A downhill but a miserable uphill. Nothing great but heck, it’s between mile 17 and 18. Once back over the bridge we turn left and make the gradual climb up to Manayunk.
Manayunk is usually a nice place to get your second wind. Although it is situated at the part in the race where many people are close to hitting the wall (mile 20) it’s always heavily populated with spectators and supporters. I did notice this year that although there were plenty of people around it was less crowded than I ever remembered in past years. The weather may have had something to do with it (and maybe the Eagles game that afternoon). Still, at mile 20 when someone hands you an orange….aaah bliss.
My favorite part of this race is the turnaround at mile 20. I know it’s a 10K from here. It’s not all flat but I know I can make it. I had slowed to 10:00 minute mile pace from here. Not great but not a disaster. Still moving. That’s what counts.
As I excited Manayunk around mile 21 I caught up with Dave again. We ran together for a little but he admitted he was hurting quite a bit. I stayed with him but he told me to run my race and he would be okay. I told him I would see him at the finish line and wished him well.
From then on it was a slow steady run to the end. The headwind we ran into was now a crosswind. I wasn’t hurting but I wasn’t setting my race alight with any change in pace. I was just head down committed to my run/walk breaks. I know I wasn’t going to break 4 hours at this stage. There was no way I could make up the pace but my goal was to break 4:15 for the day. I felt confident I would finish as I’ve been in this position before and knew my body could get there. I did manage to drop my pack back to under 10:00 minutes per mile, actually dropping a 9:30 minute mile in there somewhere (must have been flat!!). With less than a mile to go I dug deep and found a kick (not a big one mind you) to get me down the last quarter-mile to the finish. I needed my high five from the Mayor!!!
I made it to the finish line under 4:10. That was good enough for me today. Wasn’t my greatest race. I had missed out on most of my race goals. It didn’t go according to plan, but anytime you can cross the finish line of a marathon is definitely a good day in my books.
Not my best. Not my worst.
I was relieved though that it was over. I wasn’t hurting, just tired. It was my 4th marathon of the year and (sitting here writing this many weeks later) I will admit that my legs have been tired since the Marine Corps Marathon.
This is the lady I chose to get my medal from. I was happy to see her.
I crossed the finish line. I look happy.
Philly does a really good job at the finish line. Although there are lines for the post race food, there is always plenty of water, mylar blankets and a lot of food. The best part is that they give you a bag to carry it in. Only the second race this year where that happened. It’s tough to be holding water and all your extra post race fuel. Nice touch Philly, nice touch.
Handy helper.
As I had promised, I waited for Dave at the finish line. It wasn’t too long before he made it across and I was glad to see he made it. I could see he wasn’t feeling too comfortable but he was still smiling.
Dave and I together at the finish line.
That’s what is great about running. I meet plenty of people out and about and it’s great when you get to share an experience with someone. A week after the race Dave had a significant health scare but thanks to his level of fitness he is back on his feet again and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he is outpacing me.
Now to the medal. Wow. What a great medal. I think it easily out does all my runDisney medals. Philadelphia did a great job replicating the Liberty Bell. It actually works as a bell to. It was so funny hearing all the ringing as I was walking back to my car. I’m sure thousands of little angels were getting their wings that day LOL.
It really rings.
Move over runDisney. I have a new favorite medal.
The Full and Half Marathon medals side by side.
Once home I quickly showered and as per usual, didn’t relax. It was only a couple of hours later that I was back out at Sesame Place with my kids. Hey, I have to keep moving.
Shouldn’t every marathon be followed up with a trip to a theme park?
Then onto one of my favorite places for an after race celebration.
The boys ate like they had run the full marathon.
I love this event. I can’t wait to run it again. I also know there is sub 3:50 in me somewhere.
Thanks for reading.
(Apologies to you all for my late posting of this entry. I typically like to get my race reports done within a week of the race. Sorry. Family, work, life.)
On Halloween my wife and I ran the Philadelphia Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon. This is a race I have run since 2011 and my wife and I have run together since 2012. Every year we seem to say to each other that we should probably skip this race as we have done it so often but somehow we always find a reason to sign up. I will point out that we have already signed up for 2016 thanks to a $50 registration offer that was emailed to us the day after this race. What can I say, I guess this is going to be part of our annual plan going forward.
What was different about this year was the actual event date moved from mid-September to October 31st due to Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia falling on the usual race weekend. I guess he has priority (although judging from the pictures when he was here there were far more port-a-potties for that event than the half marathon!!!). With the race falling on Halloween that was just another excuse (should we really need it) to run in costume.
We were unable to attend the expo this year as the race fell on a Saturday and not a Sunday as was always the case on the original dates. My father in law was kind enough to go down to pick up our bibs and race packets on the Friday when we were at work so that was a big help. It’s tough for people coming from out-of-town to do packet pickup for a Saturday race especially of there is no general race day pick up option. They did offer a $30 day of race option but that was limited to 750 participants (out of the 15,000 expected).
Another change in the event was the course this year. On the same day that the race was taking place, Temple University were playing a football game against Notre Dame University. ESPN hit town and they had set up around Independence Mall with an all day pre-game show. The course traditionally (well at least since I’ve been running this event) takes you down past Independence Hall and back up through China Town (behind the Convention Center) up Arch street and back up to the Art Museum. This year the course had to be changed and I hadn’t really taken notice of this until my father in law pointed it out the night before the race.
My wife and I had just completed the Marine Corps Marathon the Sunday before which had been a little rough for us, so heading straight into a half marathon was a little unnerving. Don’t get me wrong, my wife and I had done the Goofy Challenge earlier this year but the difference in that event was that we were feeling great. We struggled the week before during the Marathon. I had realized that my issue was self-inflicted (shoe laces too tight) and I had some nice recovery runs during the week but I was concerned about my wife and how she would hold up.
On race day we picked up my father in law around 5:15am and drove into Philadelphia. We made pretty good time and parked in my usual spot, a parking garage a couple of blocks away from the Art Museum area. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the parking garage to the pre-race area. We arrived just after 6am and my wife refused to get out of the car. I guess she was still tired from her recent trip to California and also still in recovery mode from the previous weeks marathon. My father in law also chimed in and said we didn’t have to be the first people there. Around 6:30am I turned the engine off and reminded them that Rock ’n’ Roll are notorious (at least from my experience and some friends experiences) for being very short on providing port-a-potties. Why take the risk? Last year there were long lines and this is always a big race packed into a small starting area.
It was still dark when we headed out. It was a little colder than planned. My father in law was not in costume and wasn’t very surprised that we were. I’m not sure he totally appreciated our efforts as I was getting into my costume in the parking lot (judging by the eye roll when I put it on!)
Making our way to the starting area. Still the middle of the night if you ask my wife.
Partial costume reveal while my wife is trying to stay warm.
As we got closer to Eakins Oval where the race started and finished it began to brighten up and we immediately got in line for the bathrooms and then on to bag check. It was a little crowded but we were able to have a bathroom break and gear check done and we went over to one side to stretch before the run.
Sun was rising as we arrived
My wife and father in law keeping warm pre-race
Our costume choice – Alice in Wonderland and the King of Hearts
As it happened, we were not hanging around too long. We had just finished stretching when we saw a whole bunch of folks sprint past us. People took a quick look and asked who they were. I noticed that they had different bibs from ours and I realized they were the elite athletes who were being transferred from their warm tent somewhere to the front of the corrals. Sure enough, as soon as they passed us we started to hear the National Anthem being sung. We were not even in our corral yet. I was surprised how little time we actually left ourselves pre-race. Not my style really. I’d rather be there early than stress out. We were in corral 10 and my father in law was in corral 22 or 23. We got into our corral and couldn’t see how far back my father in law had to go, so we pulled him in with us. No-one was checking our bibs and he was still wearing a trash bag. Listen, I’m sure he wasn’t the only one in corral 10 who was supposed to be further back, but as I’ll get to later it worked out well.
Waiting in our corral to be released
The starting line with City Hall in the distance
That’s a lot of corrals behind us.
I knew there are bunch of people from my running team (the Mickey Milers) in this event and as it was a local race for us there were plenty of other people we knew who were running the event but it was so crowded and we had very little time before the race that we ended up not seeing anyone 😦 although I did bump into Sarah and Matt pre-race which was nice. I got to wish them congratulations on their recent engagement.
The race announcer was British and his name was Ian. I liked him for some reason. Anyway, it was soon our time to go and we wished each other a good race and went off on our way.
I knew early on that the course had changed because there were a tight turn to the right within the first mile. I hadn’t seen the new map but I actually preferred the new route to the event this year. As we could not run down to Independence Hall we now took a route up John F. Kennedy Boulevard and turn back down Market Street before rounding City Hall. In previous years were would have started off similarly but we would have gone down towards Independence Mall and then turned left to go behind the Convention Center. Here the roads are pretty narrow and there are cobble stones (I recall) and some tight turns. The new course took full advantage of the wide streets around City Hall and after the loop around took us back towards the starting area.
Normally we would be hitting the starting area around mile 5 but we had just reached mile 3. They were still releasing the corrals as we passed by. I think it was number 22 at this point and there were more to go. Wow. What a long wait. I’m glad we pulled my father in law in with us. He would have still been waiting to go as we were already 5K in.
I was intrigued as to where they would get the extra mileage from as the loop around the East River and West River Drives is 8 miles. As we approached the Art Museum we took a right hand turn up Spring Garden Street which turned out to be an out-and-back. It was a nice gentle uphill with wide areas on both sides of the median. I actually enjoyed this so much better than the old course. I hope they decide to keep it. We ended up back at the Art Museum at the 5 mile point and from there the course would be the same as previous years.
Course map for the Half Marathon
The changes to the course for 2015
With the new course, the great temperatures (now that the sun was up) and the fact that the streets were wide (one of our complaints from the prior weeks Marathon) my wife and I were actually running a decent pace. Where we had both struggled last week it seemed we were different people. It did help that our costumes were getting us a lot of shout outs from the spectators. It’s good to be the King.
We had a very enjoyable run from mile 5 to 8 up to the Falls Bridge. I mentioned that I was looking forward to hearing the rocking bag pipes band that we had seen every year and just as I said that we saw that they were just getting on the stage we were passing. Sadly, we were too fast this year to hear them!!!
The race at this point was no different from prior years. The course was the same. The only difference was that with the timing of the race being in October it was much cooler and less humid than prior years (note – it is back to the original time period of mid-September in 2016) and that there were plenty of people running in costume which was fun. Some were very creative although this was not a runDisney event where you see many people run in costume. For some reason we saw a lot of ‘Waldo’s’ so it wasn’t really hard to find him at this event. The other major difference was that we were kicking it!!!
I ran this race in 2011 and this was my first sub 2 hour marathon. The course is fairly flat and fast. We have run as a couple every year from 2012 and run anywhere between 2:02 and 2:06 together. We were looking at being close to 2 hours at our current pace as long as we could hold it together.
Seeing the ‘Rocker’ towards the last 5K of the course. He’s a lefty.
Enjoying our little costumed run.
With the last couple of miles ahead we focused on our pace. I think my wife was a little uncomfortable. I know she was having a hard time running directly into the sun the last few miles and regretted not bring her sunglasses. Something to do with them not matching her costume. That’s dedication. Me? Sunglasses always…I couldn’t look any worse.
If you haven’t ever run this race before, the finish line is at the bottom of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (think Rocky). However, the last 0.2 miles are uphill. Very uphill. Yup, we had to power up the hill but we did and crossed the finish line together again. We just missed out on the 2 hour mark with a final time of 2:00:35. So close. Considering how we ran the week before I thought this was an awesome time and we both felt very good so that’s what was great about our final time.
With our medals after crossing the finish line.
With our medals after crossing the finish line.
Our splits for the half marathon
As we made our way out of the finish line area and back to the post run finishers festival we saw two runners who passed us in the last couple of miles. I know there was a costume contest as part of the event and if they were entered I truly hope they won. Awesome costume…especially running a half marathon in jeans!!!
Party on Wayne and Garth!!!
There are always lots of food choices post race but by far my favorite is the chocolate milk. So glad they have this at the finish line. Good stuff.
We went over to pick up our bags and stretch out a little. It wasn’t too long after that my father in law came over. He ran a 2:23 half marathon. I guess putting him up in the higher corral worked to his benefit and he ran a great time.
With the afternoon being full of activities for our boys on Halloween we didn’t really have much time to stick around. The headline act at this Rock ‘n’ Roll race was the Gin Blossoms. My wife knows their music as I think they were big in her high school or college years. I was still in England in those days and was unfamiliar with them so I wasn’t too upset either way. I’m sure it would have been a fun event.
We all had a great run
Father/Daughter combo
It’s good to be the King
What was nice about the medal this year (after finally using nice ribbons last year) they actually themed the medal around the change in date and it had a Halloween theme to commemorate the event being run on October 31st. Nice touch Rock ‘n’ Roll group.
Our Halloween themed medal
As I mentioned very early on in this post, we have already signed up for 2016. We say every year we are going to pass. We figured at the $50 entry fee we may as well sign up. If one of us cannot make it then we are not too much out-of-pocket as the full cost is around $90 I think if we have to decide later. At least we have something on the calendar to work towards. It’s a local race so no matter what I’m sure we will end up running it again the year after too 🙂
Thanks for reading.
Back in March of this year my wife and I received confirmation that we had been accepted through the lottery for this years Marine Corps Marathon. This was to be the 40th Anniversary race and was sure to be a special weekend. My wife has a knack of choosing inaugural or anniversary races to run (her first and second marathons were the 20th Walt Disney World Marathon and the 20th Philadelphia Marathon back in 2013).
Little did either of us know that leading up to the actual race weekend we would both be flying in and out-of-town pretty much until the week of the race so that meant lots of juggling schedules to get our training runs in. Fortunately we were able to get a couple of long runs in together as we approached October so that was a nice change as mostly we train separately due to our hectic lifestyles and looking after our two boys.
The weekend finally arrived and we headed down to our hotel on the Friday evening before the race (one of us was jet lagged from having just returned from California two days earlier and slept most of the way). Oh the joy of driving down to Washington DC on a Friday evening…
Our hotel was one of the partner hotels which we booked through the race website and all things were taken care of before we arrived. We were staying in Tyson’s Corner which was about 45 minutes by Metro to the Expo in the city and just a little less to the Start/Finish area on Sunday.
On Saturday morning we headed to the Expo. It was a little chilly and there was a bit of a breeze. We hoped that the weather the next day would be a little better considering we would be heading to the start line about 4 hours earlier than our start to the expo. The Metro that weekend was undergoing maintenance and some areas were single tracked. Genius planning I may add when you are expecting 30,000 runners and their entourages to descend on the event and telling them they must take the Metro.
On the Metro on our way to the Expo
Finally we made it to the expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the center of DC (it was about a 10-15 minute walk from the White House). There were two other conventions going on at the same time so it was a bit crowded but the staff there were helpful and the signs were pretty clear as to where we should be going, although at the time we arrived it was starting to get pretty crowded.
This way to the Expo
Getting closer
It looked quiet outside…
Once we got inside the expo hall it was pretty busy. It was around 10am by the time we actually went to pick up our bibs. Probably the busiest time of the day and we seemed to have been in the longest line to get our bibs. I guess ‘S’ is a popular start to surnames. The actual bib pick up process was very orderly (this was the Marines after all). The Marathon was set up on the left side of the area and the 10K on the right. The t-shirts were at the far end and organized in male/female tables staffed by the volunteers.
Entering the hall
It was busy when we arrived
Pick up was clearly signed and managed
I know her
The t-shirt pick up area
Speaking of volunteers, it was good to see Sid Busch who just recently completed his 200th marathon. As well as running in honor of fallen heroes, Sid often volunteers at races. We saw him handing out bibs when we ran the Baltimore Marathon last year.
Once we had our packets it was time to explore the expo. First though we had to pass through the official merchandise which was provided by Brooks. I had a goal of getting myself one of the marathon jackets that I had seen online the day before. The place was packed. Insanely so. The line for the registers zig-zagged all the way back near to the entrance of the merchandise area. I made a beeline for the jackets only to find that there were none left in my size. There were other styles of jacket in my size but not the one I wanted. I looked around at the other racks and tried on a couple of other sizes but to no avail. Suddenly out the corner of my eye I saw someone hang one of the jackets on the rack and I grabbed it. It was the size I needed. Perfect. I was happy. Now just to find the Mrs who was having her own jacket dilemma. She was trying on a bunch of different jackets and sizes. I was liking them all but she wasn’t sure until a lady walked passed her and told her that she looked amazing in a specific jacket. Sold! Now just to navigate the cash registers…
Official merchandise provided by Brooks Running
How’s this for a check out line?
I was in line so long I thought I would be riding the Haunted Mansion when I got to the end.
The lines were pretty efficient and we finally reached a cash register. I don’t usually go crazy buying stuff at expos because I know it’s usually over priced and typically don’t need anything but this was a special race and we had a goal to get ourselves something as a reminder. Brooks were providing VIP Porta Potties on race day if you spent over $200. I wasn’t sure we would make it but somehow or other we spent $200.93…but they had run out of the VIP passes earlier in the morning. Oh no…we have to go to the bathrooms with the regular people LOL.
Finally out of the merchandise areas and into the main expo itself. First stop, Bryer’s ice cream were giving out samples. I’m guessing that was a very popular booth that day. I was already planning how I was going to come around a second time.
Proper race fuel
Look at that smile. It only takes ice cream before lunch.
Other than the official merchandise we didn’t really pick up anything from the expo. There were not too many races displaying and it was a little crowded. We seemed to stop by every booth giving out free stuff for spinning a wheel so it’s pretty much like having both our boys with us. We did stop to look at this car but having seen the mileage this gets we decided to stick with something a little more fuel-efficient for our journey home.
We stopped by the pace car on the way out and left our names along with everyone else and of course we had our obligatory bib photo before we left the hall.
The official pace car
Remember kids, do not even think about doing this to Mommy’s and Daddy’s cars.
As ready as you can be.
With the expo over it was time to find a place to eat lunch. We had a few hours before our group dinner later and judging by where we were situated we could get some sightseeing in before dinner. We headed out of the expo and found a ‘Potbelly’s’ nearby was open and stopped in for lunch. We stood in line behind Jeff Galloway of all people. He’s so approachable and easy to talk to and always encouraging. He was running the next day and also appearing at the expo as an honoree of the race this year.
We spent that afternoon sight-seeing. We were not far from the White House so that was our first stop. From there we walked the National Mall and around the Washington Monument making our way up to the Lincoln Memorial. I’ve been to DC many times but this was the first time I had actually been up to the Lincoln Memorial close up. Amazing.
Waiting to be invited in for tea
But the invitation never came. Maybe next time.
Spot the tourist.
My wife calls this the ‘Jenny Water’…
Wonderful view
I was very impressed to be here
After walking way too much for the day before a marathon we decided to hop in a cab to Georgetown to look around before we had to meet up with everyone for dinner in Crystal City.
Some of my fellow Mickey Milers who live locally around the area had found a restaurant nearby to get together the night before the race. It was great to see so many. I think there were ultimately over 20 of us from near and far and a fun time was had by all.
Mickey Milers meet up
Somehow I feel partially responsible for my team mates shirt (thanks Ian)
After a nice dinner with the group we headed over to the Metro to get back to our hotel. When we arrived on the platform I bumped into someone else I knew through the runDisney community and we chatted with him and his wife as we were waiting for the Metro. Given the current one track service it was helpful that he was there. He lives in the area and helped us get on the right train…which took a long time.
I was a little worried about getting to the start line the next day. With that in mind my wife agreed that we should probably get the first train the next day. The Metro was due to start running at 5am on race day. As we left the Metro station and headed toward the hotel we met up with another runner who was coming back to the same hotel as us. We started talking about getting to the race on time and he mentioned that he didn’t want to get up too early for the Metro and would probably Uber his way there…we never did find out what happened to him, but more on that later.
With the final preparations done we went to bed hoping to catch a few hours before we had to head out to the Metro for our 5am(!) train.
All set for the morning
So 3 something in the morning arrived and it was time to get up. Both of us got ready and headed downstairs to the lobby where we were able to sit by the fireplace for a few minutes before following the other runners to the Metro station just before 5am. When we got on the platform we met up with another Mickey Miler, Brad, who was staying at a nearby hotel. Brad had run the race before and was a good source of advice and a great person to talk to as we travelled to the race start (which included a change of trains). We were very glad we took the first train because apparently there was a real SNAFU that morning with the Metro.
It seems that in addition to the single track service, that one of the trains hit an animal on the track which caused further delays. Getting to the start is not any easy thing for this marathon. The nearest open Metro station is Pentagon which is a good 10 minute walk from the starting area. Nevertheless we got there early enough and were able to get through security (metal detectors and bag check) fairly easy. At this point we said good luck to Brad and we went about our own way to get ready for the race. We were surprised that it didn’t seem that busy. We wouldn’t find out why until later in the day but needless to say we were able to get our gear ready, there were no lines for the bathrooms and we were able to find ourselves a spot to sit down in a tent.
Made it to the starting area
Security is taken seriously at the start
Bags were checked and all runners had to go through metal detectors
With Brad at the starting area
Her first Marine photo op of the day
Too quiet…where is everyone?
Sitting under the tent and keeping ourselves warm.
Luckily we were sitting in the tent as very shortly thereafter it began to rain. I knew that it was in the original forecast but we thought it would have passed before the start of the race. This caused additional problems at the start area.
It seems that in addition to the single track trains and the accident on one side of the tracks, the rain was now causing problems with the metal detectors at the security lines. Apparently half of them ceased working due to the conditions.
We followed everyone to the corrals and when we go there we noticed that some of the people we were expecting to see we not there. This was due to the security line problems. We took our group picture and went over to the corrals. Unlike many other races where there are separately timed corral wave starts, this marathon uses the honor system where runners line up at their anticipated pace and finish time. There are no wave starts meaning everyone just goes off at the same time.
Walking in the last bits of the rain to the corrals
Mickey Milers about to run the 2015 Marine Corps Marathon
We figured this would be a safe pace for us to run.
Once inside the corral we were in for a real treat. This marathon is known for its great starting experience. Firstly the national anthem was sung and then over head a performing parachute team jumped down to the start line trailing some very large American flags. Shortly thereafter, helicopters flew over the corrals. It was an incredible few minutes.
The parachute performers landing at the front of the corrals.
The helicopters then roared over head.
Just before we were about to start (they fire a Howitzer) our friends joined us. They had missed the group photo due to the security lines but made it just at the start.
Mickey Milers ready to go
So, no waves and everyone going at the same time. Sounds like a good idea if everyone is lined up in their correct pace areas. The faster runners at the front start to open up a lead and the mid and back of the pack gently ease behind them in a natural stretch of the field. The problem today was that with so many people stuck in security they had to keep the start open an extra 45 minutes to get everyone in. That meant that many of the runners were not lined up in their correct corral. Faster runners who hadn’t made the start needed to get through slower runners to be able to run their race. Also, wheelchair and hand cycle athletes always start ahead of the runners. Late arrivals started behind the runners and at the pace they go, this meant that the crowd would have to part to let them through.
Very crowded start to the race
Very crowded start to the race
Sounds like a bit of an unfortunate mess. Added to this, the first 8-10 miles of the course is fairly narrow (and there is a big hill that will slow you down at mile 2). With the recent rain, people already had wet shoes and puddle jumping became part of the challenge of the day in addition to the jostling of the other runners. With wet leaves on the ground we also saw people take a tumble early on. This was going to make it into one tough day for many people.
Finally, we saw the start line.
It actually took us 13 minutes to cross the start line.
Once we were actually out and running we spent most of the time focusing on footing (puddles) and positioning (people). It’s not very often that at mile 8 of a marathon I’m feeling like this is taking too long. It was pretty draining staying focused. It’s a shame really because during the first few miles I didn’t really get to see or appreciate much of the course. It was still lightly raining at this point. I think by the time we got to Georgetown it was the heaviest it would be during the race but it was still early on and we had many more miles to go.
Around mile 5 to 8 there is an out and back section which is narrow on both sides. At this point we had to make space for two hand cyclists and a pace group which made it very tight. Thankfully the woody surroundings were enough to lift our spirits. It was very quiet (surprisingly) maybe because people we just focused on moving forward at this time. Maybe because the crowds both before and after this section were so loud and supportive it just seemed much quieter. Either way it was calming. I was amazed thought at one point when a runner ahead of me cut the course and jumped from mile 5.5 to beyond mile 8. I know it shouldn’t bother me but it does. People train hard for this and to cut 3 miles and then claim a marathon medal is a little mean spirited. We did see someone take a pretty bad tumble at mile 8 just behind us and my wife immediately turned around thinking it was me. That says a bit about the crowds. Normally my wife and I run alongside each other. It wasn’t possible here.
Once we left the wooded area we ‘stormed the District’ as we headed into DC proper. We crossed over and ran behind the Jefferson Memorial alongside the Potomac River. They were handing out orange slices to the runners and these were amazing to have right there and then.
So now we are in the District of Columbia. Firstly, wow…you are so close to Reagan National Airport you think planes are going to land on you (this close to the Capitol and the White House!!!) and you could see the runway as we ran along the river. Second, you are now in a National Park which essentially means real bathrooms!!!!
As we crossed over into the District we were greeted by a band of Marines playing us on. It was great. There were so many people out and cheering us on.
And the band played on.
We made it from VA to DC
The Jefferson Memorial just around the corner
As we rounded the Jefferson Memorial (which itself is a pretty narrow pathway) through to Mile 12 we approached the Blue Mile. The Blue Mile section of the course is where fallen service members are commemorated by pictures along the roadway decorated with American flags. Incredibly moving seeing the images of these very young men and women and their families. Heartbreaking.
As you complete the Blue Mile volunteers holding flags were cheering us on. We should have been cheering them on.
Running along the Blue Mile
Running along the Blue Mile
Once out from the Blue Mile we round the park and headed into the National Mall area. As we excited the park we noticed there were signs every few yards that must have been set up by a local running club. Not only were they calling out individual team mates (and it seemed to be a big club) they were funny and kept my mind of the fact that as tired as we were feeling we hadn’t yet reached the half marathon distance!!!
Once we hit the National Mall area the crowds were deep and loud. Great motivation and I think we actually picked up the pace for a little while. This stretch of the course was flat and a good excuse to do a little sightseeing.
Here was a great sign that we saw as we toured the Capital.
Mommy time
Once we rounded the Capitol Building and were moving around the Smithsonian Institute we saw our fellow Mickey Miler Dave who had travelled down from New York to cheer us on during the race and also brought us much welcomed treats. He had a cooler with water, Coke, Swedish Fish, pretzels and oranges. What a star. I gave him my biggest sweatiest hug which I’m sure he appreciated at much as the orange slices we took from him :-).
So grateful to Dave for coming to cheer us on and provide some refreshments for all of us.
Our next challenge would be the infamous ‘Beat the Bridge’. This is the cut off point for the Marathon. If you don’t make it to the bridge by 1pm you are not allowed to complete the marathon and they open the bridge back up to traffic.
As we rounded the Mall I started feeling a really sharp pain in my right foot. Let’s just say it hurt. Bad. I’d never had this before during a race or even a long training run. It was very weird. Also around the same time my wife started having a little trouble with her hip. We were a bit of a mess and we were only at mile 18. Eventually though we made it to the bridge at mile 20.
We made it.
Shari decided it was time for a little ‘pick me up for the last 10K’. This was NOT what I thought she meant…
Mile 20
Not the ‘pick me up’ I thought she meant.
So at mile 20 you cross the bridge. It is one heck of a long bridge. Although we technically ‘Beat the Bridge’, by the time we got to the other side I think it had beaten us. At this point both of us had to stop every few hundred yards to walk. I couldn’t figure out my foot pain but I did learn that I can indeed swear like a sailor (or a Marine) during that bridge crossing.
Finally we made it over the bridge and we were back into Crystal City for what would be the last 4 miles. As we rounded the corner away from the bridge we were treated with Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins. I could swear I heard angels singing…
This was a real pick me up
Miles 22 to 24 was an out and back around Crystal City. We again saw Brad who was just ahead of us and a few other Mickey Milers who were running roughly the same pace. At the turnaround there was a fire engine which was providing a light mist to cool runners as the temperatures were now rising.
Once we left Crystal City it was back to Arlington and the last two or so miles past the Pentagon through the starting line and towards the finish line at Arlington National Cemetery.
At this point the pain in my foot was bad to the point that I was probably using some very bad words and not doing so very quietly. Shari was also very uncomfortable at this stage. We knew this was our slowest marathon to date (non-Disney) and we were just looking forward to finishing up and getting off our feet.
As we hit mile 26 you see the finish line. It is one heck of a 0.2 mile straight uphill. This is where we would ‘Take the Iwo’, a reference to the Iwo Jima Memorial at the top of the hill. As we ran up the hill there were great crowds on either side and also the Marines were out there in full force cheering us (I think yelling at us is more an appropriate description) to make it up the hill. The ground had ‘Oorah’ written in big letters. I looked at Shari and shouted “Oorah” to which she shouted back “Don’t ‘Oorah’ me!!” with eyes that scared the living daylights out of me at the time. I guess she was hurting badly too.
Finally we made it across the finish line. The Marines were on hand at the finish line and as we made it through the finishers chute we both agreed that this was the hardest race we had done.
Glad to see that finish line behind me
We were presented with our medals by a Marine who saluted us first and then placed the medal around our necks. We thanked him for his service. I mean really, we just ran a race but he and all the other Marines who were helping out at the race do far braver and more challenging things than run a road race. These guys are true heroes.
Happy to have finished and happy to have a Marine photo again.
Getting my medal
It was a great treat at the finish line to be presented the medal by a Marine.
As it was the 40th anniversary Marine Corps Marathon the medal had a little extra special look to it. Beautiful piece.
Proud to have earned my medal
We sure look happy to have finished.
As we walked beyond the finish line and the medals we were in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial, the memorial for the Marines. What a very special place to have as a finish line. Just incredible.
Oh…one final Marine photo opportunity. She made the Marine on the left smile….short jokes are funny!!!
As we exited to the finish line area to the family reunion and finish festival areas it was very crowded. It was very organized at the finish with the Marines handing out a water bottles, a plastic bag to carry post race items (nice touch…are you listening runDisney, Rock ‘n’ Roll Philly?) and also the famous ‘Finisher Jackets’ in lieu of a mylar blanket. There were also bananas and pre-packaged food boxes.
Nice touch. One that other races should consider.
That’s a fancy little jacket to keep you warm post race. “Mission Accomplished” is right.
Beyond the food and water was the finish line festival…which is where the chaos began. I’m sure it’s the same every year (as per what I have read) but it’s really hard to get out of the area. The finish festival had some merchandise and there was an amazing band of Marines rocking out on the stage. They sounded awesome. We looked around a bit, grabbed some free samples of watermelon (which was amazing) and made our way up towards the Metro station….BIG MISTAKE!!!
The line for the Metro (remember, running only on one track) was ridiculous. It stretched out of the station for 3 blocks. I can only imagine how crowded it would have been on the platform and in the station itself. Crazy.
The finish line festival
The amazing band of Marines
The line for the Metro
Still the line for the Metro!!!
We decided to not take the Metro and to move our way out of the finish area where we might have the chance of grabbing a taxi. Again, BIG MISTAKE!!!
The roads were still closed as the line for the shuttle buses was almost as long as the Metro. The line of regular traffic meant that getting a cab was useless as we would have just sat there with the clock ticking. It had been a long race for us and we were behind schedule so we decided to wait on the return journey and find a place to eat.
There were places close by within a 10 minute walk. As we were wandering around we met a local and asked where we should go. She pointed in a general direction and we saw a restaurant with a bunch of runners sitting eating and drinking so we went in and took a table inside. I can only imagine what the staff were thinking. All these stinky runners in one room with no ventilation….charming. Once we sat down I took of my shoes and bingo….found out what was causing me pain.
When I first started running I had a very nervous habit before races of tying and re-tying my shoes to feel a good fit. In fact I stopped to tie and re-tie my laces twice in my first marathon. Finally, so as not to cause a major accident from runners behind me, I started to use ‘Lock Laces‘ in all my running shoes. Never had to tie laces again and with the addition of being elastic they could stretch out a little as my feet swelled over the course of a marathon.
A couple of weeks before the marathon I started to break in my new shoes. They were the newer model of the shoe that I normally wear, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS. Little did I know that the new model ran a half size shorter. I ended up with a rather nasty blister for the first time ever following a 20 mile training run. I quickly went back to my local running store and was able to up-size them to a new pair with no problem…except I hadn’t fully broken them in and hadn’t really put the Lock Laces in at the right tension. Over time I’d started putting in the laces a little tighter and tighter until there was little, if any, give left in the elastic. It appears that on this occasion I had simply set the laces up too tight. That was why around mile 16 I started to feel pain. As much as I adjusted the laces from there on in it was too late. There wasn’t enough give to ease the pressure on my foot. Once I took the shoe off I saw what I had done. Let’s face it, it was a simple and stupid fix but caused 10 miles of real discomfort. Incidentally, I adjusted the laces when I got home and two days later ran a pretty fast 5K split with no pain whatsoever. I felt pretty dumb.
Anyway, with the shoes off we were able to comfortably eat our way back to happiness at this restaurant. This included a nice apple cobbler dessert with ice cream. Yum!
Seated and shoeless. Look how I am smiling now.
My celebratory veggie burger
Earned my medal…earned my dessert. Note there are two spoons despite what my wife will tell you.
After lunch and the time off our feet we headed out. On the way we asked the hostess where the nearest Metro was. It was right up the street and there were no lines. We made a beeline for the Metro station and got on a train within a minute of arriving on the platform and headed back to our hotel. Having moved out the area and taking a break for lunch saved us plenty of time off our feet and waiting for a train. GOOD IDEA!!!
Once back to the hotel we had little time to hang about as we had to be on the road and back home before it was too late. We set off around 5pm and due to a traffic accident ahead of us didn’t make it home until nearly 10pm. Ugh. But considering the long day I will tell you I slept very well that night!!!
All cleaned up and ready for our drive home.
Talking with friends in the couple of days after the race they all agreed that it was a pretty tough race. I don’t think its the course itself which was challenging, but the whole mess up at the beginning of the race with people starting late and then fast runners pushing through what was a crowded course (which it probably wouldn’t have been on a normal year) made it exhausting just to keep going. It was fun though. Glad I got to see all my fellow Mickey Milers and got to experience the great parts of this race first hand. I would highly recommend that you give it a try.
In the days post the race, the Marine Corps Marathon Race Director acknowledged that there had been issues at the start and that they ended up extending the time they kept the bridge open for about 30 minutes later than originally planned to accommodate the runners who had been affected. Then you realize you were not just making this stuff up on your head.
I look back and say that it was tough but we got it done. You cannot run a race like this and see wounded warriors, Marines running in full gear packs, people running with American flags held high and experiencing the Blue Mile without it having a very emotional and motivating effect on your experience.
Well done to everyone taking part in this event whether they be runners, volunteers or spectators. It was a great day to be a runner.
OORAH!
On September 13th I finished my second sprint triathlon. The Hightstown Triathlon in Hightstown, New Jersey.
With all the training I’ve done this year getting ready for my first triathlon (New Jersey State Triathlon) and then the fact that I didn’t get to complete it because of a weather event I was looking for other events as a chance to make up the race. Although I did complete my first triathlon (Medford Lakes Colony Sprint Triathlon) in August, this race was another that I had looked at for a number of reasons. It was (fairly) close to home as I drive past the area every day on my commute, a few colleagues were getting together to do this event and had asked me and finally it was very reasonably priced and had good reviews.
With that said, I was comfortable with my swim performance in the last two triathlons and the run was also fine but I got my butt handed to me on a plate during the bike section both times. It’s not my favorite part of the triathlon but still as hard as I was pushing on my hybrid Trek FX 7.2 bike I was getting passed by everyone on a dedicated road or tri bike. It really felt like I was the one on training wheels. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it is a barrier to entry for competing in a triathlon, it isn’t, but I wanted to see if I would be able to do better on a road bike just once. I took to social media and asked if anyone had a 58″ road bike with SPD pedals they would be willing to lend me for the race and was fortunate enough to have a friendly neighbor offer their bike for use.
I haven’t had the chance to ride a road bike since my teens and I remember how sensitive the steering feels at first so I decided to take it out for a practice run to get used to the feel and the gearing (different from using the old levers attached to the top bar I was used to). I took the bike up to the old naval base figuring that a flat road would be easiest to start on.
After a few wobbles I was up and running (or riding). I did quite a few straights up and down the airstrip to get used to the gear changes. It was a warm humid morning and every couple of miles I had to stop to clear my glasses as they were full of mist. I was particularly wet but it was fun to be out and riding at some decent speeds (although nothing advanced…still afraid to fall). I managed 14 miles during the ride, eventually moving around the perimeter of the park so getting used to maneuvering about. A good session to build confidence on the bike. It was then off to Atlanta for the week on a business trip. Glad to get the ride done.
Test ride at the air strip at the former naval base.
I arrived back home late Friday so I had to plan on heading to the packet pickup on Saturday. I pass this town on my way to work everyday. It’s the exit I take off the New Jersey Turnpike to get me to my office. After a busy morning with the family I knew it would be a quick journey to and from the staging site.
Unlike road races, I think it helps me to go to the actual event site before the race so at least I can see the swim course. I have no problems reading up on bike and road courses but for me I need to see the water. That is the anxiety point still in my triathlon experience. As I arrived at the packet pick up at Peddie Lake there were folks out on practice swims so I got to see part of the course in advance. They were still setting up the transition area for the bikes but I got a good sense of the layout, after all running in and out of transitions is very much part of the sport and it helps to know where to set up and where the entrance and exit is (more on that later though).
Packet pick up was pretty simple. Two tables, one for packets and one for shirts. There was a vendor tent (TriEverything) who were also renting wetsuits for the next day. I looked at how people doing practice swims were dressed and also from hearing from a couple of the folks swimming and I decided to pass and save myself some money at this race.
Packet pickup was pretty straight forward
TriEverything was there for any last-minute supplies
They were still setting up the transition area when I arrived
Peddie Lake – This was the lake we would be swimming in the next day. You can see the buoys they had out marking the course as well as people in boats and kayaks monitoring the safety of the swimmers.
Some folks taking part in the open swim that was available before the race the next day.
The race shirt had the Swim Bike Run logo and ran big for the sizing. It actually was a pretty wide fit. It seemed to get wider the lower down the shirt in a reverse taper. At least mine did. Nevertheless it was a nice soft technical shirt and I did wear it after the race that day.
The race logo on the shirt
I went home and assembled my gear for the next day. I used the same method of packing the Home Depot bucket that I had in my previous triathlon although I packed a little less this time as it was a lot to drag around and I didn’t end up using all I had brought last time. I packed my car with as much stuff as I could the night before the race and then just tried to relax after leaving myself a whole bunch of reminders at the front door before I went to bed to not forget my water bottles, food, Garmin watch etc.
Other than getting in my exceedingly snug one piece tri suit (it wasn’t this snug at the start of the summer) it was easy getting up and ready to leave the house the next morning. A big change was putting the road bike on the back of the car this time around. Wow…a revelation. It was dark as it had been in my earlier races this year but the bike was so much lighter. I didn’t struggle in the dark to make sure I had the bike racked correctly. Nice!!!
I got there early and it was still dark. The parking lot which I had used for packet pickup was closed to participants as it was part of the transition and staging area, so I followed everyone else with their bike on a bike rack at 6:45am into one of the parking lots a block or two further. I had a little foresight in packing to bring my running headlamp with me so I could actually see what I was doing once I had arrived. I un-racked the bike and got all my gear from my car and started to follow everyone else to the transition area. It was pure coincidence that I bumped into my colleague Kathy and her husband Bill. Kathy was about a month from finishing her first full Ironman (Ironman Mont Tremblant). We walked to the transition area together where we were body marked with our race number and age by the volunteers.
I set up my transition area in an empty rack at the far side so I would only be next to someone on one side. I’m still fairly new at this and I know I’m not heading for a podium finish so I just want to be in a place where I can be in my own race and not in a really busy transition area with the competitive athletes. I set out my gear, made a quick bathroom stop (or as fast as you can make it in a one piece tri suit) and tried to keep myself calm.
My transition area
Relaxed and ready to do this again.
Since I no longer wear contact lenses when swimming I am relying on my prescription goggles to help me see in the water before I swap into my prescription sunglasses for the bike and the run. That’s all well and good for the actual race but it makes waiting around a bit tough if you cannot see things clearly as to where to go and, as I was also barefoot, where to walk and stand without injuring myself 🙂 I ended up walking around holding one of the eye pieces up to the one eye I see out of. Pretty much like a sports monocle LOL.
I met up with my colleague Bryan and we waited together while they made the race announcements and sang the National Anthem. They were running about 5 minutes behind schedule but it wasn’t too big of a deal. The race wasn’t too crowded. Once given the word we made our way to the opposite side of the lake to wait for our swim wave to start.
The swim wave started in the actual water. We had to climb down a steep concrete drop (further than I thought while wearing my prescription goggles (they are not an exact strength…but I’m not exactly reading while I’m swimming so it’s good enough). On the race website they had some FAQs about the swim which included:
How deep is the water?
The water is shallow at the entry and exit points of the course, and is between 8 and 14 feet deep throughout the rest of the course. You will not be able to touch bottom throughout the swim course however, you may hang onto a buoy or rescue kayak as long as you do not get assistance with forward movement.
Should I worry about aquatic animals?
No. The fish and turtles etc. in Peddie Lake will dive for cover when they see so many people in the water. We have never had any issues with aquatic animals bothering people in the water.
Okay then. No sharks and I can tread water. I think I’ll be okay here.
As you can see from my face in this picture…it was a little colder than I expected upon entering the pond. Not cold but not as warm as I had thought it would be.
There were quite a few lily pads at the edge of the lake and when were given the signal to go it felt like escaping a net, but once I got going I was okay. As planned, I waited until everyone had started and was out-of-the-way before I began swimming so as not to get too caught up in everyone’s moving limbs. Early on in the swim another competitor right next to me got into trouble and started yelling for assistance. I waited until he made it safely to a boat and then headed on. Just before the turnaround I started being passed by the lead swimmers of the wave behind me so I swam a little wider to get out of their way. in about the last third of the swim I was passed by a few of the competitive female swimmers. I looked up and could see I was near the end of the swim leg so I felt okay.
Getting out of the water was a bit more difficult than I expected too. I know I had struggled getting up and out of the lake at the New Jersey Triathlon which was quite rocky and seemed a little steadier on my feet at the Medford Lakes Colony Triathlon which was a gradual egress onto a beach. This was an exit up what seemed like a boat ramp. I didn’t quite gauge the angle of the exit. It was concrete and I stood up too early, lost my balance and fell down and off to the side of the ramp scraping up my knee. A little concrete rash but nothing to cry about. Just glad to get out of the water in one piece. Swim time 00:12:45.
From there it was onto transition. I sat down on my upturned bucket and washed, dried and put talcum powder on my feet before slipping on my Injinji socks and my bike shoes and headed out of the transition with the road bike.
This was a much better experience than my two previous races. 1) there was no lightning, and 2) I was faster. In fact I felt comfortable on the course and was actually passing people not being passed which was the case at my last race.
Midway on the bike course I got passed by Kathy who yelled a passing word or two as she took off on her bike into the distance. The bike was actually fun. A few up and downs and a couple of hard left turns which had me wobble a bit but it was a good ride up until a car drove onto the course around mile 8 and stopped a number of us from passing. Hmmm….eventually it moved over and we were able to pass. Still I managed to maintain a reasonable speed about 3-4 mph faster than my last ride on my own bike.
The bike portion of the race
Coming down the home stretch of the bike course I was really pleased and eased off a bit to save my legs for the 5K portion of the race.
When I entered the transition area I was a little disoriented…that’s my only explanation for running down the wrong section and recognizing that none of the gear was mine. I figured out where I should be, quickly racked my bike and changed my shoes and headed out for the run. Bike time 00:37:31.
I had put a small 8oz water bottle at the back of my race belt which actually turned out to be a good idea as there was only one water stop that I recall on the run which was at the turnaround.
The 5K started up with a gradual uphill across the street and then ran through the surrounding neighborhood streets. It was a bit twisty so you couldn’t exactly see where the turnaround was. Early on I passed by Kathy on the outward part of the run. I saw my colleague Bryan on the inward stretch as I was still headed out. Good to see everyone looking good out there on the course.
The 5K route. Quite a few turns during the out and back.
It was getting warmer at this stage and so I was pretty happy to have my own hydration with me and ran a comfortable pace. As I turned the last corner and saw the finish chute I picked up the pace a little and made it through with a run time of 00:25:06.
Coming down the finishers chute
My overall finish time for the triathlon was 1:22:18 including both transitions.
Once crossing the finish line I received my medal from a volunteer and a bottle of water.
Bryan was there at the finish line and so we waited for Kathy and also our colleague Steve and Kathy’s husband Bill before we headed back across the street to the staging area for the food and other refreshments (soft pretzels, donuts, fruit, sports drinks and water) and to watch the award ceremony.
We took a couple of group shots to share with the office and then packed up our gear and all headed in our separate ways. Easier said than done. Remember I was wearing a headlamp when I left the car? Well, I couldn’t remember which parking lot I had parked in and then once I found the correct lot I had to walk around to find my car. I’m directionally challenged.
With Bryan, Kathy, Bill and Steve after the race
Overall I really enjoyed this race. The race director and his team did a great job communicating with everyone before, during and after the event and they did a great job staging everyone and providing all that we needed for a successful event.
I would recommend this race for someone local. It’s a nice course in a small town in New Jersey. Great fun as I continue this triathlon journey alongside my marathon madness.
Thank you for reading.
So I finally was able to do it!!! I am a triathlete!!! On August 23rd I completed the Medford Lakes Colony Sprint Triathlon. This was my make up race after what happened last month during the New Jersey State Triathlon (which was cancelled mid-race).
Okay…backing up a bit.
After the disappointment of last month’s attempt at my first triathlon I was looking for a local(ish) sprint distance triathlon while still being able to swim in warmish water (not requiring me to hire a wetsuit) and while I was still in the mindset to get this done. Medford Lakes Colony Sprint Triathlon fit the bill. It was about an hour from home and I had the benefit that my wife was able to pick up my race packet on her way home from work (she works about 10 minutes from Medford, NJ).
The race was managed by DQ events who I have raced some of their events before. No frills but good organization. They know how to stage a race.
SInce the New Jersey State Triathlon I had been for a routine visit with my eye doctor who was none too pleased when I told her that I swam in my contact lenses. So between then and now I invested in a pair of prescription strength swim goggles and converted a pair of sport glasses into prescription glasses. Okay…now I can see but could I finish 🙂
Actually, I knew going in that I was probably going to finish. I had already completed three duathlons so the bike to run change wouldn’t be too hard and I was able to finish the swim to bike part which was my biggest fear before the first attempt was cut short. So I just had to piece all three parts together.
After having experienced at least the pre-race portion and the transition area of a triathlon I took note of what I had seen and decided to pack my gear in a simliar manner. During my last race I had seen people walking to the transition area carrying their gear in a 5 gallon bucket. I just thought that was their way of bringing in all their stuff easier. A colleague of mine noticed that those people used those buckets as a seat during the transition. Genius!! I had sat down during the New Jerset Triathlon between the swim and bike and had probably wasted time a little struggling to get dry and clean and dressed…mind you that may have been my choice to wear Injinji socks which aren’t the easist to put on in a hurry.
Setting out my gear the night before
I packed my car early and set up my bike (no burst tubes this time) and set off for Medford, New Jersey. As I got closer I just blended in with all the cars with bikes attached and followed them into the parking lot. A nice easy ride. It was fairly early and actually quite chilly. I’m glad I had an outer layer on when I arrived.
As it happened I saw a line of people line up on the beach in front of the lake. I racked my bike (without realizing it I was almost at the very back of the transition area) and stood in line. Thankfully I was quick enough to ask what the line was. I had assumed that it was to get marked up with my race number. In fact it was race day packet pickup. Although it moved fast I was able to jump out of line, get my race numbers drawn on my arms and leg and get back to setting up my gear while many folks were still in line.
Excited to be here
A line…I’d better get in it…whatever it is for…
On second thoughts, maybe not
Setting up my gear
I set up near the side of the bridge which actually provided a little extra room to store my gear. I then set off for a quick port-a-pottie stop. At this point I had stripped off my t-shirt and warm up gear so that I was only wearing my tri-suit and really felt a chill. The sun wasn’t quite up yet so it was still a little cool in the air.
Brrrr….but excited
I took the time to walk around the beach and get acquainted with the start area.
View from the bridge. All is calm.
View from the beach
The end of the swim and the transition area
The start and finish line
I took a few steps into the lake and was pleased to discover how warm it was. I had seen plenty of folks putting on wet suits and indeed the chill in the air had me a little nervous about the swim conditions but a few steps in I could feel the reassuring temperature of the water and relaxed a little.
Just before the start of the race the race director gave final announcements and instructions to the racers. There were in fact a few different events going on in addition to the triathlon. There was a duathlon (run/bike/run), an aquabike (swim/bike) and a triathlon relay (teams sharing in one or more of the events).
We were instructed to come up the beach and walk through the finish line as it had a timing mat and would trigger our chips that the race had started.
Unlike the New Jersey Triathlon where the numbers of racers was so large and I was in the 8th swim wave, this was much smaller and I started in the 1st wave. As before I waited for the word to go, counted to 10 and then set off. I’m not looking to set records or gain a podium place, just to finish.
I set off into the warm water and was doing okay. I’ve learned NOT to drink the water this time but I still need to work on my sighting. I say that only because I saw so far to the left of the course that I bumped into the pier. Oops. I made it to the turn and headed back in. As I was on the return leg the lead swimmers from the next wave started to pass me. I didn’t say I was fast but I was still swimming.
I finished the swim in just over 13 minutes. A little quick than my previous open water swim, I drank less and didn’t feel dizzy running out of the water. I’d call that a win.
Swim done!
I race over the beach to the transition area. Whipped out my bucket seat and set about rinsing and drying my feet, applying some talcum powder and wiggling my toes into the Injinji socks. It was then that I realized I had set my bike up at the back of the bike corral. It was a long walk/jog with the bike to get to the point where I could mount the bike and set off for the 17 mile bike course.
The bike course was an 8.5 mile loop which we rode twice. It was here that, while I didn’t struggle, I was at a disadvantage. I was going at what I thought was a pretty good clip on the bike but everyone else seemed to have road bikes and just whizzed past. I didn’t dare turn around as I thought there would be noone behind me. If anything, the bike portion of the race lost me time even though I thought I was going flat out at points. Oh well. Not having a race bike isn’t a barrier to entry for a triathlon, it still allows you to compete, but it shows you for sure that this might not be the cheapest sport to enter (even without the additional cost to buy or rent a wetsuit added to that).
I felt pretty alone on the second lap of the course…I mean really alone. I’m sure I wasn’t the last person to finish the bike course but I sure wasn’t near the front!!
Once the bike course was complete I again had the long jog/run to the other end of the bike transition area. I changed into my running shoes and set off for the 5K. At this point, this was the furthest I had ever been in a triathlon…WINNING!!!
It was pretty hot by this time and I had added a water bottle to my race belt. I decided that my legs felt good enough to just run the 5K distance and didn’t go with my usual run/walk/run that I use for all training runs. I just set off for the last leg and ran. It was at this point that I made up a few places that I had lost on the bike. I wasn’t setting a PR but I had enough left in my legs to run a decent pace. I passed a number of people and felt good at the turnaround. Once I headed back and knew I was in the last half a mile I picked up the pace and headed for the finish.
I see the finish line ahead
The finish line was on the beach and those final few steps were alot of fun. The course came up short on my GPS which is kind of strange because I’m usually a little long due to me not running the tangents but I didn’t care. I wasn’t anywhere near placing in my age group but raised my hands high as I crossed the finish line.
I DID IT!!!
Not my most impressive medal but meant a lot to me
Not my most impressive medal but meant a lot to me
After finishing the race and getting my breath back I met up with other members of the Bucks County Triathlon Club for a team photo. Our group included a number of place finishers. I have a long way to go but I had a lot of fun.
Members of the Bucks County Triathlon Club
So, finally I’m a triathlete. I think the best thing is that I have overcome my fear of the swim. Although I can do way better in that area, that was a big fear when I signed up for a triathlon. I have worked on the swim for a few months now and I can definitely see progress. I have my sights set on some triathlons next year but while I was still in the mood (riding the high) I signed up for what will be my last triathlon of the season, the Hightstown Triathlon in mid-September. That was my back up race in case for some reason this didn’t work out. There are a number of people from my office who are taking part so it’s also a draw for me to enter. Looking forward to that.
I appreciate you reading and coming along on this journey. It’s kind of fun 🙂
July – Nike+ Summary
As has been the case for the last couple of months I have been running less but working out more. With my goal of completing a triathlon this year I really have had to work hard on my other sports (basically just swimming). So even though I have been running approximately 50% less compared to the same month a year ago I am actually working out more.
July – Map My Fitness
Looking at my Map My Fitness log which includes both swimming and riding I reached a total of 157 miles for the month which is 4.43 miles of swimming, 60.78 miles of riding (both indoor and outdoor) and 92.15 miles of running.
We got back from our trip to England on July 1st and my back was a mess. I could barely sit up straight or sit still. Did I rest? Kind of, but not enough. I saw the chiropractor 3 times in the first few days back…yet still managed to register and sign up for a race much to my better judgement. I even ran a fairly decent time for me during the Washington Crossing Revolutionary Run 10K on July 4th.
A little fun on July 4th
Finally I decided to heed some advice and I went for a sports massage the following week. Wow!!! Ouch…but wow!!! I could actually touch my toes again when I left and within a day or so I was pain free. Amazing. I guess it was all the tight muscles pulling me out of alignment. Either way…I felt much better.
Anyway, the weekend of the triathlon came and went. I’m not going to recap the whole thing again here but you can read the full report from the New Jersey Triathlon here. Long story short there was a lightning storm and the race was cancelled in the middle of the event. I had completed the swim but was called off my bicycle just under half a mile from the end of the ride. It was not to be.
My one and only professional shot from the day – Exiting the swim
I was both disappointed but also happy. I had been very nervous about the swim but it went great. My only disappointment was that I wasn’t allowed to finish. I did however find a make up race for August, the Medford Lakes Colony Sprint Triathlon.
Not much else to report really. Lots of ups and downs but renewed focus on my training with new goals and bigger ambitions. Looking forward to what August brings.
Thank you for reading.
I have to start off by saying that this is a tough post to write, not because of my performance on the day but because despite all my training and all my preparation for this event it was not the outcome I had planned.
I was coming to the end of the bike portion of the race when I was called off my bike by a volunteer about half a mile from the transition to tell me that due to a report of a lightning strike on the course, the race was cancelled for the safety of the competitors.
The race directors posted a statement later which read in part:
“As disappointing as that is, we would much rather explain to you why we took such action then having to explain to the family of an injured athlete why we didn’t.”
You cannot argue with that.
I would still like to record on this blog my experience leading up to, during and after this event so I can share the good and the bad as well as the surprises and the lessons learned for the weekend. Here goes…
Back in October last year I signed up for the New Jersey State Triathlon. This was to be my first triathlon. I originally signed up for the Olympic distance (1,500 meter swim/23 mile bike/6.2 mile run) but having not worked as hard in the pool as I really needed to I decided to pull back to the Sprint distance (500 meter swim/11.5 mile bike/3.1 mile run) so I knew I would be able to finish. It was the swim leg that really had me worried. I was confident about the bike and run sections having done three duathlons in the last few years.
After having joined a swim club back in October but going pretty rarely due to business travel and the access to the pool over the winter being limited I joined up with a pool closer to my house and committed to going 2 to 3 times a week and swimming. I kept up that commitment and have logged a number of long (for me) swim sessions over the last 2 months to give me the confidence that a) I wouldn’t drown, and b) I had enough in me to complete the Sprint distance.
I had joined the Bucks Country Triathlon Club for information and tips back in October and ordered my club tri-suit back in February. I picked it up in early May and it was snug but I guess it was supposed to be so it wouldn’t drag in the water. Tri-suits do not require any form of modesty whatsoever. It did fit a little more snug following our recent trip to the UK and the enormous quantities of chocolate I consumed over there…but it was worth it 🙂
The day before the race arrived and I left work a little early to head over to Mercer County Park for packet pickup. The race was being put on by CGI Racing which have put on a couple of other races I have participated in over the last couple of years, namely the LOVE Run Half Marathon and the Rutgers UNITE Half Marathon, both of which were very well run.
The packet pick up area
Tomorrow’s finish line
My goal when I got to the park was to pick up my race packet, ask a couple of questions that I had and then look at any expo they had (never having been to a triathlon expo). Packet pickup was in an open field by the transition area as was the expo. It didn’t take too long to pick up the packet and then the race shirt. I then went over to the information table to ask my couple of questions. A volunteer recommended I walk the transition area to get familiar with the swim entry/exit before the race. I hadn’t thought about that but it was a great idea. It also helped calm my nerves a little to see what I would be getting myself in for.
Packet pick up was smooth
There was an information booth and an area to look up your bib number if you didn’t have it with you.
The expo was a few tents surrounding the packet pick up. It was small with a few vendors.
Once I had my packet and shirt and the volunteer had walked me through all the items in my race packet (including the ankle bracelet for the chip) I walked around in the order of the next day’s events. The swim, the bike and then the run.
I walked down to the lake to see the entry point and the exit as well as to look out over the water along the course. The first thing that struck me was that I wasn’t too intimidated by the course. I wasn’t really sure in my mind how I would have pictured the swim as I’d only seen an Ironman competition on TV and not anything shorter and having only done lap swimming and no open water swimming before I didn’t really have a sense of the length.
Swim entry point
Swim course outlined by buoys
Swim entry view
A panorama of the whole course from start (on right) to finish (on left)
The exit of the swim
The transition area from the swim to the bike
As I was walking along the lake I came across this sign…
Yes…that will calm my nerves!!!
So on entry to the transition area I went over to see where my bike would be set up the next day and to look for where I would be going both out and then in once I was transitioning.
Racks and racks all set up
My designated spot for the race
Worth checking where to head in advance so you don’t panic on the day.
Walk up the chute out onto the road with the bike. This was both the out/in route for the bike portion.
The start to the last part of the triathlon
The finishing chute
Having walked through the area I took a look at the VIP area as the Bucks County Triathlon Club had a team tent set up for the weekend.
VIP area
Tent placed ready for the weekend
Benefits of being part of a triathlon club – private port-a-potty
So with the packet picked up and the walk through completed I headed off to join the family for the evening. We were getting together by the pool to chill out with the boys for the evening. I was beginning to get a little antsy so I left early to start to get my gear ready for the next day.
I needed to get my bike off the bike trainer and oil the chain and pump the tires. All was going well until….ssssssssss…what? What’s going on? sssssssss….
Yup, my rear wheel tube had split at the valve. I have to admit that at 9:30pm the night before my first triathlon and having never changed a tire on a bike in my entire life I was a little freaked!!!!
A few messages to biking friends and a post or two on Facebook groups guided me to YouTube. I must have watched the ‘How to change a tire’ video about a dozen times. Ultimately…and messily I changed my tire tube. Luckily I had a spare. When I bought my bike they threw one into my gear bag. Never thought I’d use it though!!!
Eek!!!
What????
Done!!!
Ugh…
Ultimately I got through this little last minute emergency and packed my bag ready for the next day.
Finally ready for the big day. I bet no one else has a transition bag this cool!!!
I didn’t get much sleep that night. Between the adrenaline rush of the bike incident and the thought of the swim and how I would handle the transition my mind was racing. I got about 4.5 hours of sleep.
Race Day
I got up around 4:15am with the goal of leaving home around 5-5:15am as it was a 30 minute drive to get to the race. I was a little tired but excited. I had all my gear laid out the night before and I had my Powerbar and some water ready for when I was getting dressed. I had left random notes all over the house to remember my Garmin, to remember my water bottles in the refrigerator, etc.
Packing the car and racking my bicycle in the dark was an interesting experience. Nevertheless I was all packed up and ready to go. I headed out to the race area. By the time I got to Mercer County Park there were plenty of people there. I parked next to a lady who looked like she was an experienced triathlete. I nervously made small talk as we unpacked our cars and then made my way over to the transition area where volunteers were marking up everyone with their race numbers (number on each arm and age on one calf).
D-Day. Triathlon or bust.
It was tight at the transition area as my neighbor seemed to have a lot of gear (well…a lot of space) and luckily I was at the end of the rack so I had a little extra space at the end to play with. I set up my gear and looked around at all the people there. I heard them announced the water temperature and they announced it was not wetsuit legal. I had looked this up in advance and this time of year was typically very warm so I had not rented a wetsuit for this race. Glad I hadn’t spent the money at that moment.
Setting up my gear
Pretty much ready to go
Craaaazy busy
Craaaazy busy
I made my way over to the port-a-potty’s and waited in line. The lines were not long but didn’t move fast. I figured it takes people so much extra time to get in and out of these tri-suits!!!
One last check of my transition area
After the bathroom stop I made my way over to the transition area for one final run through of my gear, picked up my swim cap and goggles and made my way to the swim start area. I don’t have photos from here as my phone was in the transition area, my phone isn’t waterproof and my tri-suit doesn’t have any pockets. Ha. I guess I should get myself a GoPro 😉
I saw that people were being directed around the side of the boat house where they were allowed to do a practice swim. I hadn’t planned on it or given it any thought but I saw so many people going over there and it was almost an hour until my swim group went off that I decided to give it a try. After all this would be my first open water swim.
As I was walking down the ramp into the water I bumped into a colleague from work. We were both doing our first triathlon so it was nice to meet someone probably as anxious as me.
I took my first steps (it was rocky) into the water and although I didn’t follow the whole practice course I swam for about 5 minutes out and back. Wow. You cannot see anything in the water!!! At least I now how an idea of what to expect for the real deal within the next hour.
After exiting the water I bumped into a fellow Bucks County Tri-Club member and we chatted a little until I reconnected with my colleague. We hung out as the first few waves went off and he left about 10 minutes ahead of me and joined his wave.
The swim started in the water so there was none of that mad dash into the water. That was good for me as I was worried about that at the start. I only pictured what I had seen on TV and those usually are the beach starts when everyone runs in at the same time. By starting in the water I could make sure I had enough space around me when I started swimming.
Swim course
I was given some advice before the swim which essentially was to wait for the gun (or the word to go), let the fast people go, count to ten then pick a spot and take my time going out. That would leave me a little behind everyone but out of the way of the main body of swimmers.
Eventually my wave was called to the start. As we watched the previous wave go off everyone took their place and we went into the water. The temperature was comfortable and I felt remarkably relaxed at this point. I wasn’t racing anyone but just wanted to complete the swim without any major issues. I had plenty of space around me although I did line up towards the rear. Eventually our wave was released and we were off.
Within the first 100 meters I was just focusing on staying calm and moving forward as I normally would with regular bilateral breathing every 3 strokes. At one point however I came awfully close with a fellow swimmer and almost took a mouthful of lake water. Yuk! As started to cough a little and one of the race supervisors on a nearby kayak asked if I was okay. I gave him a thumbs up and then continued on my way. Next thing I know I’m being yelled at to go left by another person in a kayak and as I looked up I was veering almost off the course. After a couple of course corrections I eventually figured out how best to keep sighting while swimming and I made it around the first turn.
I could hear another wave behind me be released as I was swimming. A little while after I made the second turn and headed in I was passed by the leader of the wave. I was swimming pretty steadily (mostly freestyle) and pretty much keeping a pace along with a bunch of other competitors and so I thought I was doing okay.
As I saw the exit approaching I focused on my form and made a beeline for the exit of the swim. As I made it to the shallow water I tried to stand up only to feel a little dizzy as I got upright. Luckily there was a volunteer in the water to catch me and hold my arm for a few moments until I could get my footing. As soon as I was steady I made my way up the exit ramp and headed out towards the transition area.
My one and only professional shot from the day – Exiting the swim. Proof I didn’t drown.
I got into the transition area and made it to my bike. I had read a few tips about bringing extra bottles of water to wash sand/grass/dirt off your feet and this was a really good tip. I dried my feet and put on some talc to help put on my Injini socks (not the easiest to put on in a rush), grabbed my bike shoes and helmet and made my way out of the transition area. Once we exited the grass area the volunteers told us to mount the bike after we crossed the red line which was the start of the bike course.
Bike course
As I set off on my bike the sky was getting really dark. They had mentioned that there was a chance of rain towards the end of the race so I was hoping it would hold off while on the bike. I don’t mind running in the rain (although not when it was like the LOVE Run Half Marathon type of rain LOL).
I started off steadily and used the first mile to get down some water and a Gu gel packet. As I was progressing through mile 2 the rain started. Gently at first but by mile 3-4 it was steady and beginning to get harder. By mile 5 the rain was beating down hard and stinging my exposed skin. I started to see flashes of lightning and felt a little concerned about being out in a storm. I keep moving along (a decent pace for my hybrid bike) and despite the rain and the puddles was maintaining a consistent pace. I was however getting wet. Very wet. I could feel my socks squelching in my bike shoes and my bike helmet was not keeping my head dry from the elements.
Interestingly there were a number of cars on the course as we were riding and some were not very considerate to the cyclists. There police were doing a great job at the road junctions but it was still a little hairy given the conditions at the moment.
The rain was a downpour as I was approaching the last third of the bike route but I hadn’t seen any notification from the course volunteers and I hadn’t heard any siren or anything at this point.
As I approached mile 10 the rain seemed to lighten up and I made my way back into the park. I was hoping that my shoes that I had left in the transition weren’t soaked but luckily I had another pair of shoes and a dry pair of socks in my bag (which hopefully wasn’t soaked itself).
As I made my way to the transition area all of a sudden I started to see a whole bunch of folks walking on the side of the road ahead of me. I saw a few wearing medals so I just assumed these were the folks who had finished much faster than my wave. But then I heard a volunteer telling us to slow down and get off our bikes. At this point I was at mile 10.9 of the 11.5 mile route. They told us that the race had been cancelled due to lightning. I was stunned. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do at that point. I got off my bike and started walking back to the transition area in a daze.
As I walked my bike in I heard a member of the race organizing team shouting at everyone to get away from trees, metal and bikes as there was lightning in the area. They told us the transition area was closed and if we should go and sit in our cars until the storm had passed. As my keys were in the transition area I asked if I could get them and they said yes if I hurried.
I saw a bunch of folks standing under the Bucks Country Tri Club tent and so I quickly ran up and left my bike there and then ran to the transition to grab my gear. Yes it was soaked. I quickly dashed back to stand under the tent with everyone else. I was totally at a loss for words. I felt I was doing great and I was so happy to have completed the swim but I just felt that I had had the stuffing knocked out of me.
I was very disappointed. But not mad. What could I do?
We waited under the tent until the storm passed. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I noticed while I was standing under the tent that I had damaged my front brake…needless to say that was part of my tire changing experience from the night before so I decided to say goodbye to everyone and head over to my local bicycle store (Guy’s Bicycles) and have it checked out.
As I was driving home I called my wife and told her how upset I was. She said it had been very dark but it had never rained at home. In fact the sun was out. I asked her if it would be alright if I went for a short run when I got home so I could get my mind clear and plan my next move and she was okay with that. She was disappointed for me too.
I was still dressed in my wet tri suit as I dropped off my bike but the sun was now shining again and so I quickly went home, changed my shoes and grabbed a hand-held water bottle as it was very hot by now and just went out and ran my 5K. That was pretty much all I had left to do to finish the triathlon.
I must have looked a little silly running through the local park in a skin-tight suit all marked up with permanent marker on my arms and leg but I didn’t care. I was out and I was finishing my race my way.
Feeling determined after my 5K
I took a long hot shower and hung my gear out to dry, stuffed my wet shoes with newspaper and came back to reality. I uploaded all my data after I’d had a chance to eat and relax and few hours to remove myself from the events of earlier in the day.
Overall I cannot be that disappointed. I didn’t quit, I didn’t DNF the race, the elements were out of my control. I was really pleased and proud to have completed the swim and the swim to bike transition. I learned a few lessons during that and also take away confidence that I can do this.
Looking at my stats I did a triathlon on the day. I just did it my way and didn’t give up despite the situation. It would have been too easy to be down about the experience but by getting myself out for that 5K it turned a bad situation around and I know now that I can do this.
My triathlon – my way
My goal for next year is to return to the New Jersey State Triathlon and do the Olympic distance as I had originally intended for this year. I am confident that I will do this now. I have committed to my swim training and will only get stronger and have more endurance in a years time.
My next move was to find a local triathlon in the next few weeks to achieve my goal of completing a triathlon this season. I don’t want to wait another year. I took a look around and settled on the Medford Lakes Colony Sprint Triathlon on Sunday August 23rd. By the end of next month I will be a triathlete.
As a follow-up, the race organizers wrote to everyone and said “A decision will be made in the next few weeks on what will be offered to our Sprint athletes please be patient as we must first do our post race due diligence.” I will wait patiently.
They also offered to send finisher medals to Sprint participants. I was not sure what to do. I usually display my race medals but I didn’t get a chance to finish this one. My wife says that after all the training and in completing the distance on the day I should take it but I don’t feel like I would want to display it. So what I have decided to do is to accept the medal, not display it but put it on the side with the goal of replacing it with the real deal in 2016. That will be my motivator. Once I have my 2016 New Jersey State Triathlon finisher medal I will donate the 2015 medal to ‘Medals 4 Mettle‘.
That is my silver lining and my motivation for next years event.
Thank you for reading.
philly2goofy 