Race On!!

I haven’t written for a while and with good reason. As most of you know, I was injured in a bike crash 7 weeks ago. Besides the usual road rash and bump in the rib, I managed to separate my shoulder and start to feel sorry for myself. I won’t lie, it’s been lonely since my move to Atlanta and getting injured meant taking away the one thing I did have…triathlon. Injuries have a way of not only knocking you down physically but mentally. No matter how hard I tried and even still today, the pain, the impatience and all the bullshit that surrounds it sometimes gets to me. So why write now? I met a person who not only inspired me, but made me realize the experiences I’ve had since this happened, the people who have been there for me and the fight to get back is more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.

Her name is Elaine Honsa. Elaine is the grandmother of someone VERY special to me and I had the honor and privilege to meet her a few weeks ago. Obviously Elaine doesn’t get around as well as all of us athletes anymore, however, when we arrived, she not only stood up from the chair she was in, but grabbed a hold of her walker and by herself, made a special trek back to her room so that we could talk in private. As we made it down the hall way I couldn’t help but be humbled at the effort this lady was willing to put forth just to spend some time with us. Inspired…in awe…honored. After some catching up with her granddaughter, Elaine said something that I needed to hear, that I had forgotten and that would instantly pull me out of the haze and funk I had been in. I was walking around and looking at the pictures all over her room and outside of her door. One in particular was a black and white of this beautiful woman (Elaine) sitting on a pylon at a marina. With a smile that would light up any room, Elaine told us about the picture and continued to say; “It’s the memories in life. I have such great memories!” There was no mention of money, cars, houses or any type of material item. What trumped the list and what she cherished most in her life were her experiences and the people who she was surrounded by. I cannot thank Elaine enough and I think of her often. There is a picture she painted hanging in my girlfriend’s house and when I see it, that moment, those words and that incredible lady all come back to me. Thank you Elaine.

So here is how it went down:

One week after the crash I had enough with lying around and being a burden. With my one arm in a sling I decided to put Chicky on the trainer, fix what I could and just spin. 4 hours later I was ready to ride hahaha! You might think that falling off a trainer is damn near impossible…allow me to put that theory to rest for you. I did get a workout done and finally had a sense of accomplishment even if there was spoke sticking out of the front wheel and the handle bars were crooked. (go ahead and laugh, it is funny) As the days went on, so did the trainer rides and finally a week later I decided I was going to try and run. Keep in mind the temperature here is one million, eight hundred fifty thousand, two hundred and twenty five degrees and I am wearing a stupid black sling, in serious pain and trying to run. The scene: Ryan dressed in bright blue Newtons, black shorts, a bandana and a black sling, all while running down highway 92 trying not to bust his ass by tripping. Oh yeah!! Not only did I look stupid, but it hurt! Just like the doctor said it would. Grrrrrrr! That is pretty much how training would go for the next few weeks. Doctors would say no, I would push as much as I could, my arm hurt and my attitude sucked…until what you read above.

One week out of Ironman Augusta 70.3, and just like every other major race I’ve entered I am injured. We all know of Ironman events, but Im thinking of starting Ryanman events. This is where your training is going well and then out of nowhere Tanya Harding comes out of the bushes and whacks you with a baseball bat in any given area. Then you race. Honestly I don’t feel bad for myself but c’mon, one race without injury would be so nice. It’s all relative and I realize millions of people have huge problems, real problems they face daily, but regardless this is upsetting in my world.

This blog is about my journey, but without certain people, that journey would have ended a while ago. People that were there, who are selfless and people that I cannot ever repay for without them I wouldn’t be writing this and I need to acknowledge them.

First and foremost my amazing girlfriend, Tami Liptak. After driving over 2 hours to rescue me from hospital hell, she hasn’t left my side. No one has ever been there for me like her and nothing I say can express my appreciation for all that she has done and put up with. Doctor visits, painful sleepless nights, dealing with medications that make me unbearable… but never once did she lose her patience and never once was she not there for me completely. I could write pages upon pages of what she has done but it still could not show how much this incredible girl put up with. Thank you Tami!! I love you! You are truly incredible! Tami is running the Chicago marathon for charity. Check out he site and donate if you can. (http://www.active.com/donate/nfchicago2011/TLiptak1 )

Dr. Chris Webb. Always my friend and always the voice of reason to me. I trust him and looked to him for help. Even on his birthday(which I didn’t even realize) his concern was for me, finding me the right doctor and helping to facilitate my rehabilitation. You are one amazing friend Chris. Thank you! (http://www.chirowebb.com )

My coach, Dr. Suzanne Atkinson. She used resources to get me information, checked in on me and has continued to work with me the entire way through this. I am as prepared as I possibly could be given the circumstances and although the original goal has been changed, crossing that finish line WILL happen! You Rock Coach!! Thank you!(www.steelcityendurance.com )

Ok, enough of the sappy stuff, lets get onto race day. Yes I am still racing. Why? Because I said I would. I’m a man of my word and I committed to this race months ago! DNF doesn’t exist for me!!! In one week I will be swimming mostly one armed, riding hard and possibly running with that sling on. My goal is to finish but more importantly to have fun. This race is extremely special as I will have two very important people at the finish line waiting for me, Tami and Wendy. I have never had anyone at a finish line before at a large race. (Not Syracuse, and not at the 70.3 World Championships) Although I was surrounded by good friends, having family and someone incredibly special to me at the finish will push me through anything.

On race day, Tami will have my phone so give her updates and keep her busy as its going to be a long day for a spectathlete in my corner. Thank you to everyone for all of your messages, thoughts and support!

R A C E O N ! ! !

"If you don't like it, change it!"

The Pittsburgh Triathlon Club is the best!! Principles make it so. Confused as to why? Allow me to fill you in. When a small group of us got together and started the PTC, the basis for it was unanimous; an entity that supported athletes within the multisport arena in and around Pittsburgh. As I remember looking at everyone in the coffee shop that day, I saw abilities that ranged from no experience to over 4 years competing. The 2^nd official meeting I saw more newbies with no experience and added tenured Ironman Kona competitors to the group. As the months went on, we repeatedly increased in all aspects of membership, the reason was simple. The PTC was based on the principle that helping each other would help our sport and would lead to bigger and better things for everyone.

Do you remember the people who didn’t believe? The ones that ignored us and chose to alienate themselves? It didn’t matter, we reached out to everyone and kept our hand out, knowing this was the right thing to do, the possibilities were endless, the benefits astronomical and potential was limitless. How about the support from local and national businesses? Myself, Chad and Sean would beat down doors to get our name out there and find that much needed support. Thank you to BikeTek, Fleet Feet, Steel City Endurance, Coach Chad Multisport, Fuel Your Passion, The Athlete’s Eutopia, Over the Bar Bicycle Café, Eckerd Siemans, Rudy Project, XTerra, EGel and Beaker Concepts for taking a chance on the unknown group. Or how about those first PTC kits we got? I still wear mine...proudly!!

This group is not without its serious athletes. (pay close attention to this part) I mentioned Chad Holderbaum, he has qualified for Kona countless times by going 2^nd at Placid, and AZ and now I see he won overall at Musselman, how about the top 5 performance (Elite) at St. Anthony’s, Eagleman…the list goes on and on. Kim Schwabenbauer, first amateur woman in at Cozumel, top 10 at New Orleans, Eagleman, St. Croix and more. Beth Shutt – huge wins at WV, Eagleman, Cedar Point, etc etc. Ill just keep naming, Chris Nocera, The Cornmans, Matt Mauclair, Chris Rotelli, Seriously I could name drop for paragraphs, but that is not purpose of talking about them. What do all of these people have in common? They all give freely to the PTC. They help whenever they can. They support the club by giving talks, taking leadership roles, helping out at events and most importantly – they take others under their wing at races to make sure their club members are ready to go. PRINCIPLES!!! Selfless!!! We all know they are fast, hell they themselves know they are fast, but rather than act like tri-snobs and be pretentious, they give back.

All of what I write is known so why go into it when the majority of people that read this are PTC members anyway? Because it bugs me and- this is my blog damnit! Oh and maybe… I MISS YOU GUYS!!! I miss my training crew – James Wrubel, Sean McBurney & Chris Rotelli. (except running and riding hills with Chris. “If you sing again, I will stab you”) I miss people like Sarah putting OWS together on Friday nights and going to get dinner after with Nikki and Bergin as we all smell like the Allegheny. How about the drills and free clinic that Suzanne Atkinson puts on prior and then swims with everyone just because she enjoys it! I miss walking into BikeTek, getting greeted by Franklin and bullshitting with Frank and Angelo. They put themselves out there for me from the start and took great care of the PTC. I miss Tuesday night Crit races and watching Lee-Ann blow kisses as she destroys the entire pack and getting to ride that same oval on Thursdays chasing Chad until I puke. I miss figuring out the world’s problems according to Ryan with Ken after masters.

There is very little of that here. I ride alone a lot and when I see other triathletes I wave but get nothing back. I run and see guys or girls in tri kits and will say hi and try to see where they train or who with…but nothing back. The groups have no continuity and the discounts…yeah not even close. I shouldn’t be surprised. When I arrived here I was fortunate enough to talk to someone who let me in on the scene and pretty much told me all of this. The problem though, I have trouble accepting it. I haven’t met a single person here who could take any of the elite’s in Pittsburgh, so I have to ask: Why so serious? You gain nothing and lose so much.

My advice to PTCers, don’t take what you have for granted. Step up and continue to give back, continue to grow what you have. People like the ones mentioned above and others that give night and day like Jill Schapiro are rare, and Pittsburgh is lucky to have all of you!!!

Angelo told me numerous times that the PTC was unlike any other triathlon club he had ever known. I was proud of that and even prouder to see it continue. Bravo!! So Im thinking about changing it up down here. A prior mentor of mine told me if I didn’t like something, change it. Hmm, considering launching something big, something Atlanta has never seen and something that will bring that camaraderie back to the sport I love here in the Atlanta. There are triathletes everywhere, why are we not working together? Race day is race day, go hard and reach your goals, but wouldn’t it be nice to do this with the help and support of others?

I have some friends here at The Sports Factory, North Atlanta Multisport Club, Endurance Concepts and The Atlanta Tri Club. Im thinking this is a great start and a fantastic group to get things going!! Beware Atlanta multisport athletes, you may just find yourselves becoming a part of something bigger…

Today is good

Its hard for me to believe that it is mid July already and that I have been in Atlanta for almost 4 months now. Acclimating to a new lifestyle, new surroundings and trying to find a balance with life, triathlon and forming relationships has its ups and downs. We all know the south is much different from the north, but regardless of location, I am still the same – at least I try to be. Why the post you might ask? Usually there is something that has happened or a funny story I share, but this is just babble and something I wanted to write down so I could look at it later. Enjoy the babble and read with caution as purpose, plot and reason have been left out.

So triathlon…We all know my love and admiration for my coach; Dr. Suzanne Atkinson. ( www.steelcityendurance.com) Bottom line – I trust her, fully! My biggest fear is to have a repeat of last year where I was laid up on the couch for two weeks with an overflow of Ketones in my blood…ie, severely over trained. I not only felt horrible but I was terrified! Have you ever attempted to walk up a flight of stairs and half way through your legs burn so badly that just getting to the top seems daunting and almost out of reach? Or laying in bed not sleeping because that same burning never leaves and even getting up to go to the bathroom is something that requires a self pep- talk and the theme from Rocky playing in the background? I have and I wont do it again! Here is where Suzanne comes in. Training under her expertise has been a major highlight as a triathlete!! I feel great!! I have learned an immense amount, I see gains where I never thought possible and my goals seem within reach more than ever before! I realize what a handful I am and she is courteous, responsive and “gets it!” Hmmm, “gets it”??? Let me explain.

Triathlon is a love of mine but so is life and living! I have set high goals and have aspirations to do well in my “A” race, but I also know that there is more to life then that 4:00 a.m. alarm telling me its time for masters swimming. Im not being a downer so don’t go there, actually the opposite! This post is just writing what went through my mind on my long bike ride today. (Well this and that I need more music on the mp3 because the songs started to repeat themselves…UGH!) So when I say my coach “gets it” Im talking about her responses & approach to my feedback on my training log, example: Ryan - I didn’t go to masters today because I had an awesome night with…(I need to clear it first before putting names here ) Coach – Honey badger don’t care…lol! There must be a balance and she gets it! She encourages it…within reason. I still need to beat macca…lol!

Ok, moving on – my thoughts often go like a roller coaster during long rides and runs. The conglomerate of emotions that go through my mind is inconceivable and some times I wonder what the hell provoked even just half of them. But after; after I feel like a million bucks! Like everything was worked out and the questions, problems and answers all came about around 150bpm. HAHA!

I started today with sore tired legs. Could’ve been the poor sleep I had last night which is the result of having a FANTASTIC Friday night and Saturday morning. I just couldn’t close my eyes. Regardless, I thought, go with it! We will see what happens in a few hours. 6 miles in my chain was confused. Yes confused. It didn’t know where it was supposed to be. A quick lever change, turn of the barrel adjuster and off we were. 18 seconds…I was ok with that. (Which reminds me I need to tune Chicky up a bit.) As I started this steep climb I could see the sun coming up. A beautiful orange and pink mix was on the horizon and I could hear a rooster crowing in the distance. I wondered who else was seeing this same sky and what they must be thinking about. There are two times a day when Atlanta is breath taking. Sunrise and just as the sun is almost completely set. The rest of the time its 9,000,000,000 degrees and you freaking melt just walking from your door to your car.

Mile 20’ish I was well into Roswell and decided to climb a hill that I typically don’t. Inspired from watching the tour, I became a hill climber. That will be enough of that crap! But, with regard to triathlon and life I will say this; As a descender, (why is that not a word?) there are no hills I wont climb because going down the other side is so much fun!!

Miles 30 – 45 I was having fun. My legs loosened up and I was singing to my music. (which was the second time through for the songs…) There was a cyclist in the distance riding a teal Bianchi. He was moving pretty well and I was in a good mood so I decided to try and hunt him down. I literally said out loud; “lets go hunting!” Why? I don’t have a clue, its just what I was thinking. If this is confusing please go back to the start of this post and re-read the first paragraph. If that doesn’t work, please let me know and I will come over and hit you in the head with a tack hammer. Upon catching him and passing, literally within a minute he flew past me and gave me a look. I was like dude, seriously? In the name of Alpaca, drop bars are gay, you must go back to where you belong…behind me. We went back and forth for a good couple of miles then hit a stop light. We shook hands, introduced ourselves, laughed, then he went left and I turned around to head back. It was fun!

Miles 50-60 had me thinking again and without a beautiful sunrise, a confused chain or a teal Bianchi to distract me, I started to work the problems of my world out once again. I pulled into my apartment complex and carried Chicky up the stairs. There was a text awaiting me. When I saw who it was from, and even before reading it…I had the sunrise once again. I thought…today is good!!

West Point Lake Olympic Triathlon Race Report – short and sweaty…

Racing in the heat is a fear of mine and it was justified when I raced at West Point. The goal of this race was nothing more than to race and have fun. I trained right through and the real goal was to learn about how my body reacts in the heat. The week leading up to the race I had one of the worst runs in my entire life. It was slow, seemingly never ending and did I mention slow? My hear rate was out of control and an electrolyte imbalance was very evident.

On race day I felt good. The race was very well organized and although it was hot, I didn’t think it was too bad. The swim took me a little bit as I decided to check out a different beach half way through. Yes, I swam way off course and got the reward of being hit with an oar from the lady in the kayak…lol! So my thought – get everyone on the bike.

Out of the water and onto the bike. My hr was crazy high and I found myself trying to get it down so I could push. About mile 15 it finally happened and I began to feel good. The course was extremely well marked, people at all the corners, traffic stopped…very fun bike! My thought – catch them on the run.

I came out of T2 ready to rock and roll. Feeling good the first 2.5 miles flew by. I saw a good friend who was hurt and I almost stopped to run with her. Again, this was a fun race and I was having a blast. Then it hit…the bridge. As I started to feel the heat and sweat start to decline, I looked down at my watch, over 200bpm! I freaked! 208, 212, 218…I was a nervous wreck and started to just jog. Still not believing this was accurate I kept checking it and it went down to 198, only to go back up. My head was pounding, and the aid station was ahead. I walked through it and took in a couple cups of water. I started to jog again and instantly my hr was back up in the 200’s. Just jog I thought, it will be ok. I started doing math in my head to see if I was coherent and I was so I figured it was ok. Across the bridge again and I walked the aid station and down into the shade. There was a short steep hill ahead and I walked that too. It was smarter for me to walk I kept thinking. My thought now – that milkshake Tracy was talking about sure sounds good!

I made it across the finish and felt like shit! After drinking a mix 1 I was sick to my stomach with a side stitch that is still bothering me. I found some shade and just sat down. On my way home I called my coach and my parents to get some input. No worries, not crazy, probably electrolyte imbalance and some people race at high heart rates. I felt calmed. Had a great after race meal and fun the rest of the night! All in all, a fun race, more lessons learned and good times with great people!!!

Ignorance isnt always bliss...

If you have ever talked to, or been around a triathlete, you will find out very quickly; A: they are not shy about telling stories of their conquers, & B: never at a loss for giving advice. A, is really not a problem. You can just shrug and acknowledge that the person is full of themselves and go about your day, but B – B is where we run into trouble. I have had the unfortunate experience of seeing this first hand and watched the irreversible effects it has had on some very close friends.

Let’s first take a look at coaching and what that encompasses. USAT puts on coaching clinics to certify people (doesn’t matter what your background or education) as triathlon coaches. There are different levels and as the denomination climbs, the more training the coach has had from USAT. HOWEVER – please be advised, there are no pre-requisites to start the training. So what does that mean? Basically, someone with no education or background in subjects like Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Human Biology and yes throw in some Chemistry and Physics too, can still have a designation that says he or she is a certified triathlon coach.

Ok, so now you are prefaced and I can get into the real reason why I am writing, my friends. No, Im not naming people and fyi, this could be anywhere in or out of the country so don’t give me shit. Read unbiased, open minded and try not to think about you for a minute…!

Over the last few weeks there have been numerous races. Some large, some not so large, but none the less, very important to many… in fact “A” races. Whether it be a sprint, Oly, HIM or Full, these “A” races are what the season is all about for that athlete and the goals are set high. These athletes put full faith and trust in their coaches and training, to ensure they are well prepared and up for the challenge. But what happens when that coach or coaches are wrong? Out of their league? Or just not educated enough to help some levels of certain athletes? What happens?? Those athletes fail. Their races fall apart and their goals and dreams for the season are over.

I can already here the criticism, so I will put it to rest: a good coach makes sure their athletes set realistic goals, achievable goals, and attainable results.

So what happened? Simple, arrogance. Just because you are a triathlete, does not qualify you to coach. Just because USAT says you are a level 1 certified coach, does not mean you have the tools that are necessary to coach effectively. Can you see where this is going? Im mad, upset and literally feel terrible for my friends as they have been mislead and ill advised!! What makes things harder is to see it continue.

The sport of triathlon is rarely taken lightly. Even for the novice and beginner, large commitments are made both with time and money, two commodities that for most are limited. So what can I do? I can try to educate from what I have learned, what my coach teaches me and what other coaches I respect in the industry lead with. Let me also point out, the above can be completely opposite as well. I know some level 1 coaches who are very qualified to lead all types of athletes, they just don’t choose to further that denomination. So please be advised, this is not a one size fits all discussion.

Ill end this with a few suggestions.

- Don’t be afraid to question your coach. They should have no problem justifying your workouts and why you are doing something.

- Make sure you trust your coach. You can question things and still have full confidence in he/she. Communication is key with anything and this should not differ when it comes to having a coach.

- Check their credentials. They should be able to interpret data and build periodized schedules that include keys like recovery, proper tapering and attention to injury and limiters.

- Educate yourself. The more educated you are, the better you can converse with your coach and speak intelligently about your training and race plan. Two heads are better than one and a coach should not feel intimidated or be anything but receptive to new ideas and training methods. There are advances made daily in research of endurance sports, this is an ongoing learning process, be informed and have an active roll.

Good training to all!! I want nothing but the best for all of my friends. And if you are looking for a top notch coach, check out Suzanne Atkinson. She is my coach, I trust her fully and respect her immense knowledge, experience and commitment to the sport.