14 days

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On July 27th, 2009, John and I stood in line for several hours to sign up for Lake Placid Ironman 2010. After we entered the Lake Placid High School gymnasium, it took only a few minutes to sign up for the event. It has taken us 12 months to prepare ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally. In 14 days, we will do this. So, what makes someone want to go 140.6 miles in under 17 hours? Well, there are about 3,000 registered to participate in Ironman Lake Placid, and I imagine that amounts to about 3,000 answers to that question. I …

Let’s Celebrate: Vermont Training Camp

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I spent last Thursday, July 1st, getting various last minute items (gels, accelerade, spare tires, etc.), and then packing those items and more. The car was packed, with the exception of the bikes, which simply needed to be put on the rooftop racks. So, within moments of John’s arrival home from work, we (including Bella) were in the car and on our way. We were headed to John’s family’s vacation home in West Halifax, VT, where we had married 10 years ago to the day. Isn’t it just oh-so-romantic to return there for our anniversary? Well, I guess it would …

Lake Placid Bike Course: Observations from a newbie

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[Update: Since I first wrote this post in 2010, I have since raced IMLP 3 times, and trained there yearly. If you’d like to see an updated course overview with detailed information about all three aspects of the race, please visit this post: Discipline Thyself: Tips for Racing Ironman Lake Placid.] No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world. ~Frances Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle …

Fireman Ironman Training Camp: “I am so lucky to be able to do this”

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“Whenever I get scared or feel anxiety, I just remind myself that I am so lucky to be able to do this.” And with that statement, Charlotte became a source of incredible knowledge and motivation as I worked my way through a challenging, exhilarating and ultimately rewarding training weekend in Lake Placid, NY. I met Charlotte on the banks of Mirror Lake, just as we were getting ready to do one loop of the swim course last Friday evening (June 18th) to kick off the 10th Annual Fireman Ironman Training Camp, which is organized by New York City Fire Fighter …

Mooseman 70.3 Part 2: Some things I learned along the way

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This post will be a bit more technical than my previous posts. If you prefer a more narrative report of the Mooseman 70.3, please check out part 1 by clicking here. As I mentioned in my previous post, I learned more in the six and a half hours of racing Mooseman 70.3 than I did over the course of the entire triathlon season last year. And, I’m thinking that some of this information could be quite useful to other triathletes, or athletes considering triathlon. I’m breaking this post into more easily digestable segments, which should allow you to pick and …

Mooseman 70.3 Race Report: A (sort of) personal best

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What can I say about Mooseman 70.3, held on June 6 in New Hampshire? Fantastic. Exhilarating. Motivating. And, just a little bit frightening. It was worth every minute I spent on the course (as well as every penny I spent to enter and race), as I learned a great deal about being a smarter, stronger, and more strategic triathlete. I also learned that personal bests can be measured by more than time. No, I didn’t finish the Mooseman 70.3 course in less time than I completed the Bassman half ironman last October. In fact, I crossed the line a full …

Impromptu Race: Kenny Wayland Memorial 10k

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Funny thing happened in the middle of my 10 mile training run yesterday (Sunday, May 30): I ran the Kenny Wayland Memorial 10k (6.2 miles) race. The Ventnor City (NJ) Fire Department organizes this race each Memorial Day Weekend to raise scholarship money for local high school kids. Naturally, it’s a cause I couldn’t resist! Until just a few days ago, I didn’t even know I would be running this race. Each Sunday, my coach sends me my workouts for the week via the Training Peaks website, which is a training log for all types of athletic endeavors (very useful …

Find your *something*

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“I could never do that.” OR “I wish I could do that.” OR “I don’t know how you can train so much. I would die.” Through much of my training, I’ve heard people say these statements (or similar ones). I know people are saying these things in a complimentary way – and I am grateful for the support and words of encouragement. Yet, as odd as it may seem, these statements make me feel uncomfortable. I’m convinced that each of us have the potential to do and achieve amazing things. There’s no reason to wish to be able to do …

New Jersey Devilman: An Honest Effort

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After weeks upon weeks of winter and early spring training, with little to break up the swim/bike/run/eat/sleep cycle, the day for our first triathlon of the season had arrived. We selected the New Jersey Devilman Half “Lite” Triathlon, held in Cedarville, NJ on Saturday, May 8, 2010. The “lite” status denotes that the race was about 20 miles shorter than the traditional half iron 70.3 distance. Specifically, the half lite included a .8 mile swim, 40.3 mile bike, and 8.8 mile run. A nice distance to get started for the year. Lest you may think the “Devilman” moniker conjures the …

Vulnerability and Resiliency: Lessons from the Cancer Center

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The windows in the room lined the upper reaches of the ceiling, enough to let plenty of light in the room, but not big enough or low enough to let us see anything below the blue sky line. My sister sat in an office-grade recliner with blue plastic covering, and I sat in a matching chair, without the reclining function. The machines beeped every so often as either my sister or one of the other patients finished their bags of drugs: benadryl, saline, dextrose, various concoctions of chemotherapy. At times, I could tell by the winces on my sister’s face …