EARN a Kona slot!!!

This post is going to come off in many different ways and as I read and reread, it seems to carry a negative undertone. Not my intention but perhaps the truth is- its negative. It may seem redundant- which it may be as many have said the same. And it may seem useless- which let’s face it, all of my posts are…ha!!

The big day for Ironman is this weekend. For a triathlete, this is the end all say all. Only the elite, qualified Ironman finishers get a chance at a course that is legendary. Destination- Kona, Hawaii! Race- IRONMAN World Championships!! 2.4 mile ocean swim in crystal clear, sea life abundant waters followed by a 112 mile bike in some of the nastiest cross winds, only to finish with a 26.2 mile marathon run that takes you through hot lava fields. This race is tough. Its meant to be tough. Meant for those athletes who completed an Ironman somewhere across the globe who have EARNED their spot at the start. Crazy to some but in the world of triathlon, the chance to go suffer with the best is a dream come true!!

So how do you get there? You EARN it! You go out and train early in the morning and late at night. In the rain, the cold, the hot, the sun, when others are sleeping, when others are eating, when others are going out partying…you train. There is a want and desire that pushes you to the very brink of exhaustion. Your body brakes down and injury lurks at every step and pedal stroke along the way. There is a toll that is taken by friends and family and everything that encompasses your life outside of training. There is a commitment that is unmatched in any other recreational sport. Why? To cross that finish line ahead of the rest and EARN your spot at the starting line of the greatest triathlon in the world- KONA!!!

Pretty awesome right? DAMN RIGHT!! Those dedicated people train and compete for years for a chance to hear that cannon fire and take part in this amazing race! Read on…

What I described is nothing short of the truth. Long days don’t tell the story of a journey to Kona. The journey is years long and most never make it. That work- day in and day out over years, some natural talent, a lot of money and hopefully some luck that all goes as planned on race day is what it takes to EARN one of those coveted spots.

The WTC (World Triathlon Corporation) makes qualifying tough. It should be. HOWEVER- for some- not so tough and it takes away chances for those who did EARN it. I’m talking about celebrities. Race car drivers, football players, people who ate Twinkies every day of their entire lives, chefs, actors…the list is endless. This isn’t breaking news. We see this daily. Celebs get special treatment with everything -why should this be any different. (Im not crying, if I was a celeb I would take advantage of it too…duh!!) This blog post wont change a thing and it’s not meant to. But its my blog, and <in song>  Ill bitch if I want to. Bitch if I want to… J

Hines Ward- I’m a fan! You are one incredible football player. You played your heart out for the Steelers on every down and you stayed loyal to a franchise even in the end when others would have not. BUT- you don’t deserve a shot at Kona. Let me put it in perspective for you. This is our Super Bowl, our Pro Bowl. How would you like it if Tom Hanks was lined up behind center on Super Bowl Sunday throwing to you or Justin Bieber was blocking for you? How would you like it if someone who just lost a bunch of weight took your position on 3^rd and long? Or a top chef stepped in to play defensive tackle for your team as your opponents are knocking on the end zone door with a 4^th & inches? You wouldn’t. Why? Because they wouldn’t deserve to be there and it would piss you off that they took your spot or a teammate’s spot on the field. This is your chance to play in a game you have dreamed about, worked for and busted your ass to get to for years! Those people didn’t EARN their spot alongside you, your team mates or have the right to fill in for you should you need a break or get injured. Are you getting my point? On Sunday you will line up alongside all of those people who DO belong there. Who did EARN their spots. Just like you worked your ass off every day to deserve that Super Bowl ring, a Pro Bowl spot and MVP awards, they did it for triathlon.

Biggest Loser- congratulations on your weight loss! I’m proud of you and hope you stick with it for the rest of your life. I also hope that you will help others who are not as fortunate to have a yearlong coach, trainer, dietician, t.v. show and getaway to help with the journey. You too are great but you didn’t EARN your spot at Kona. For someone whose life changed because of the hard work you put in, I would think you of all people should understand this.

Chef Ramsay- Great cook! Great business man! Great show! I am also a fan! My wife is a great cook. She figures out ways to feed a triathlete with an eating disorder on a daily basis. How would you feel if she took over your show?  How would you feel if your 15 Michelins were awarded to a line cook at McDonalds or Taco Bell? You wouldn’t! Why? Because they didn’t EARN them! They didn’t spend years training under master chefs in different countries. They didn’t sacrifice time for other things to learn the art of cooking the way you have. They flat out didn’t EARN it.

Is any of this making sense? I want to be clear again, that I am happy for each of you. I am a fan!! Hines- a huge fan!! I am also ecstatic that each of you has chosen to take on an event like Ironman! You bring a lot to our sport- great media coverage, sponsors and mainstream awareness. I love it!! We are glad you are here and cheering you on! We even offer to help!! Triathletes are that way. *Just not at Kona*

The issue I have is that these spots could have gone to someone who did EARN them. There are limited spots- the race can only hold so many or trust me, the money monger WTC would find a way to get more in. A couple examples of who is not there, but should be, because they did EARN those spots-

My brother, coach and friend is one of those guys that deserves to be there. He trained like I stated above. He crossed that line under ten hours and he fell short of a qualifying spot. This year he did two Ironman events on a knee without a meniscus and still came close to that qualifying time- but no dice. He deserves that spot over you.

Another friend took 3^rd in her age group at Ironman Texas. A very tough day, she stuck it out and suffered through to take that last podium slot only to find out there were just two Kona slots available in the female 30-34 age group. She EARNED that coveted spot but again- no dice.

These are just two people that I know personally who deserve to be at that starting line this year but aren’t there. How many more are out there who have done the very same, came just as close or fought for years to get in and just came up a little short- many, MANY!!!- But, there seems to be plenty reserved for celebrities who didn’t EARN them.

To the WTC- I get it. I get that you are nothing more than a business. When you bought Ironman it was to make money. Adding celebs is a sure way to get media coverage, sponsors and bring in dollar bills. Just because I get it, doesn’t mean I agree with it.

This is life and not everyone gets a trophy. I have no problem with that – quite the opposite! Couldn’t agree more. It should be hard to get in and it should be coveted- which it is!! With more and more people entering the sport of triathlon, which is freakin awesome, its going to continue to get harder and further out of reach for most, but for the ones who deserve it, those spots should be there and not filled with celebrities.

Regardless of it all, Sunday will come and the greatest triathlon in the world will take place. I will be glued to the computer, checking splits and following the hard work that so many put in. I’ll be cheering for you too Hines, biggest loser and Chef Ramsay, because at the end, I am a fan and you are now a part of my triathlon family. The unfortunate part- you will never know who’s spot you took or the impact it had. You wont ever read this and your lives will continue as they are now. However- in the far off chance that you do realize your spot was one of many that could have been better filled by those amazing people who just missed it, do them a favor- take a moment in the race and acknowledge them. Give a nod to the Ironman Gods and say thank you because you are competing at the Ironman World Championships!!

Even though those people won’t be there, I can guarantee they will be cheering, watching and tracking as well- that’s what we do as triathletes. We compete and go after it, but we also support it and respect those that do accomplish it!! Except for about 5 people, this sport is not glamorous. There is no fame even when getting to Kona. Its expensive. Its time consuming. Its sacrifice and its gut checking every step of the way and that’s what we live for- day in. Day out.

Ironman is nothing short of monumental. It’s a day where everyone who completes it, remembers it forever. Good luck! Have fun! Be safe!! Enjoy it!!  

Augusta 70.3 Race Report

Augusta Half Ironman 70.3

Sometimes stubborn wins out over common sense. This can be good- make you dig deeper, push past your limit and go harder and longer than ever before. It can also be bad- leave you dependent on port-a-potty after port-a-potty... With the week leading up to the race I should have known it was not the time to choose stubborn but I wanted no excuses and leave nothing to regret.

Augusta HIM beat me down a few years ago. The heat hurt me like I have never experienced. It also left me wanting revenge. A course that was designed for speed and played to my strengths was not about to win because of the conditions, NO WAY!! Well in realty…YES WAY!

 (No Way!! Yes Way!!!)

 My coach had me primed for this race.“A” race of the year and goals were lofty! We were looking for a 23 minute swim, 2:25 bike and 1:30 run. All of these very doable given my training leading up to race day. As with every year there are always typical set-backs and we overcame them. I was primed and ready to go ! One week out running and cycling faster than I had all season. Then I got sick.

 On a business trip the week before the race, my boss gave me the plague. Attempting to alleviate it as quick as possible, Monday I jumped on the antibiotic/prednisone bandwagon that is typically avoided. 5 days of Prednisone, 10 days of antibiotics, mixed with Mucinex-D and drinking constantly to the point I could pee on demand. I was sure I would kick it. Not the case. Race morning came and although I didn’t feel 100%, I was still certain I could get close to my goals. Even if we came up a little short, it would be a win and I would have my revenge on Augusta.

 

Two key notes: Chris called me the night before- we went over everything. It made me calm. It gave me confidence. It was an important piece. The second- my friend Jim text me early that day: “race with your heart” That stayed with me. All the way through.

 Swim:

The plan: go out hard, get in the lead group, settle in and draft.

The reality: went out hard, got in the lead group, couldn’t breath, backstroked the rest of the way. The amount of snot I swallowed may have lead to a demise further in the race but only a doctor could confirm. Haha!

Time: 26:05

Bike:

The plan: Attack! This is where we wanted to have some fun. Burn some matches, recover, burn a couple more. This didn’t go way off target. It was slower than expected as my breathing was more snotting than anything but all in all, I didn’t feel too bad and was pretty ok with my time. I eased up the last 3k to get my legs ready to run and come into transition recovered.

Where I did mess up was nutrition. My peanut butter sandwich stayed in my back until I chucked it at the last trash drop. Pretty sure I should have eaten it and I am completely done with Infinit. Custome blend or not, it makes my stomach turn. 

Time: 2:34

Run:

The plan: Go out running the first mile at a decent pace,  ease off into race pace, lay it all on the line the last 10k.

The reality: My legs weren’t there. It seemed to take forever getting out of transition and onto the street. My stomach was gurgling and my mind immediately went to telling myself, “it’s not hot, you are feeling fine, burry that shit and get your ass back into the race!” So I pressed on. The first aid station I took in water, coke, water and grabbed some ice. The weather was perfect but I was hot. Why? No idea. My legs were starting to come back but my stomach starting feeling worse. I thought if I can just make it to the ATC tent, I will get the cheers and support I need to pick it up. That trek seemed to last forever and my stomach was not having it. I stopped at a port-a-potty right around mile 2. Feeling much better I trekked on! Seeing the tent ahead, Lewis, my wife, Robin and the other spectathletes, I was pumped!! My stomach- it needed pumped. :P Down to the turn around and  another port-a-potty stop. The plan continued at each rest stop. The last big pump came from my friend Bergin. She drove down from Pittsburgh to race. She yelled to me on the run and I asked if she hit her goals- she screamed “YES!!!” I was so excited for her I got chills and for a few minutes all the sick went away!! (Proud of you Bergin!!) Even though I knew my race was long gone, my pace steadily increased and my mind/heart was in it. This made me extremely happy! This is what’s been missing for the last two years and again- the ATC, Time Warner, my coach, my friends, my wife- they brought it back. “Fuck the time! Fuck my stomach! I will not stop running!” Slow, fast, I didn’t give a shit…well actually I gave a few…but if my feet were moving it was a jog, not a walk. My mind was in it!!

 

 

 

Time: 2:00:42

T3- I crossed the line with Lewis, instantly handed back to Tami and sat down. Then I lay down. Then I curled up into a ball. Then I spent the next 2.5 hours either in a ball on the ground or in the port-a-potty. Perhaps I should have listened to my body and stopped. My coach said its one thing to feel like that if you win- justifiable, but not for this. Perhaps. But as I think about the drive that wouldn’t let me stop I’m happy its back. I never want to feel that way again. It’s a day later and I still feel like hell but its one step closer to putting it all together. Having the urge to go is a better outcome than I could have hoped for.

What a shitty week! That’s right, I started this post with a giant negative statement. Its taper week and Im pissy! Bite me! Just kidding J…kind of.

 

This is “A” race week for me. (Here comes the whoa as me part) If it could have gone wrong it did. Smashed into while in a taxi on a business trip, sick as hell and then an encounter with a local idiot business owner, have capped off what I would consider a shitty week. I digress, please read on. Seriously, its important!

 

The last 3 years have been tough for me with triathlon. <sniffle sniffle>  Suffering severe injury, several surgeries, a black out, crash and not having a solid group to lean on for support, to train with and have fun with, has really taken its toll. The PTC meant so much to me. I have lifelong best friends there, support that still is unwavering, contacts and people to lean on for advice, but its not the same when you cannot be there in person. This got so bad for me I almost hung up my triathlon gear this year. Chicky was sold and my focus shifted to road racing. (which is awesome and I love it- don’t give me any of that roadie shit…have I mentioned Im on a taper and feeling very antsy/pissy?) Until…. Keep reading.

 

Until I found the Atlanta Triathlon Club.

 

There are three parts to any race- physical conditioning, which we all over do; nutrition- which we almost never get right, and support. Support for me is the key to being successful in any facet of life. My wife is unbelievable! She supports every crazy thing I try and never questions it. (Coming home to spread mulch after Six-Gap can be a bit much, but you understand… love you honey J) Another part of that support is to have people to train with, talk to, eat with, drink and celebrate after. With the exception of my good friend Adam Teja, this has really been missing here in Atlanta. I found that camaraderie with cycling thanks to Darrell, Dave S., DC and again Adam, but never broke into it with triathlon… until recently. (keep reading! If I have to tell you again, so help me… ha!)

 

If you are going to do anything, anything at all, commit to it! Give it 100% and I promise, regardless of outcome, you will be satisfied knowing you gave it your all. When I joined the ATC this year that was my goal. Get involved. Give it my all! Commit to being an active, contributing member of the ATC! I love triathlon and losing the will to train and compete outright sucked! I’m no quitter and won’t stop until I have exhausted all possible avenues and the ATC was my last chance.

 

Since moving here I have been in contact with Jim Boylan and Bethany Rutledge. Two top personnel in the ATC who have always been inviting and nice. My location limited my participation with the club but we managed to keep in touch. Tami and I moved into the city last year and I decided to take a deeper look at the ATC as it was now feasible to participate. I went to the Energy Lab for a meeting and was extremely impressed by the facility.(go to EL, youll love it!) The people were nice and although being alone is always uncomfortable, I didn’t feel out of place. The ATC is run much differently than the PTC and an option to join as a limited member seemed like a good place to start. I had access to the forums, sponsors and more importantly- triathletes! This is where I began and started giving it 100%! I did! I jumped in and started posting on the forums, asking questions, giving input and getting some good feedback. (Pretty sure I pissed some people off as well but hey- that’s not always a bad thing if positive outcome is the end result)

 

From there I began to get involved on a personal level and took the leap of becoming a swim coach. Another opportunity came and I jumped on that to train the Time Warner Triathletes.(Yes! You are all triathletes!!!)

 

Is the 100% effort becoming apparent? Stay with me…come on!!

 

The best part about this- I am having a blast!!

 

Monday night swim at Mercer University is obviously the best anywhere… (I might be a bit biased but who cares, its my blog) Why? My new friend and awesome swim coach, Matt Gardner runs it! The regulars who come- WOW do we have fun!! From the inspiring beginners like Earl- who just completed his first tri- to the lane who I handicap when racing relays, its never dull, always a blast and gives me so much more than I could ever give them.

 

My coaching with Time Warner is much the same. Wednesday night means coming home on a high! I have witnessed individuals go from not being able to swim whatsoever, to competing this weekend in their first tri!! You guys are awesome!! Im proud of you!! Your dedication and commitment is awe inspiring!! You WILL cross that line!!!

 

So when a week like this happens and I find myself looking for that extra bit of umph to get back to the ROAR of my taper and FIRE for racing, I need that support. Once again, my wife, Adam, brothers in Pittsburgh all came through and guess what- so did my new triathlon family, THE ATC!!  Pete, your post is greatly appreciated- Thank you!!

 

150 of the ATC will be taking on the Lake Lanier Tri while another 40 of us, plus spectathletes will be taking on Augusta 70.3!! Lewis the Alpaca has been welcomed and will be wearing the ATC colors while giving energy and cheering all day!! The tent will be up, the music loud and we are going to burry ourselves…together!!!  You rock ATC!! Thank you!!

 

 

 

Race hard!! When you think you can’t push any harder, dig deep, find it, and never forget, WE are there with you!!

 

L E T ‘ s    R A C E ! ! ! ! !

 

***SPARK..LE***

 

This has nothing to do with Triathlon, sorry to disappoint, but this is something that I believe to be much more poignant and all too often reoccurring in my life.

 

If you were one of the 3 people that read my last entry about running and wanting to give up, then maybe you remember the paragraph where I referred to passing all of the homeless people and how it almost stopped me- instantly. Or you may remember my entry regarding the homeless man in NYC. Either way, their plight and their struggles affect me like nothing else. It hurts me to see human beings living that way. We spend billions all over this world and there are people who truly need our help right outside our doors.

 

The half marathon on Thanksgiving took us down a road that is lined on either side with the homeless. There were groups huddled together trying to keep warm, some sleeping in rolled up newspaper and old blankets, others walking or just standing. My run turned into a slow jog and I could barely get a deep breath as I was so overtaken with sadness. This was certainly something I could not forget and do nothing about.

 

A week or so after - I returned to that street accompanied by Tami and Kona. We brought all of our left overs, a few bottles of water and dropped them to a group of homeless near the end of the street. There were several there and I asked them to make sure they shared amongst themselves. They agreed. As I walked back to the car you could hear them sifting through the bag and talking to each other. They said thank you. We left and returned the following Sunday with more of the same and dropped it to another group. We have been repeating this and I feel like although we can’t help everyone, we are helping a few.  We were doing something. Maybe that one meal gives that person a smile or at least a full stomach for an evening.

 

A few weeks later there was a news story about an effort to meet and record all of the homeless in Atlanta. They were taking volunteers and pairing with police escorts to go out at night, record and find what and why these people were living on the streets. Regardless if you believe this was the right way or good way to allocate funds, or agree with how they chose to go about doing it - I am proud of our city. They should be applauded for the effort to start helping, the start of doing something. I have seen homeless people who are mentally ill in wheelchairs, barely able to speak and they are begging for money. MY GOD! How is any part of that acceptable??  HOW?!

 

I know you might be saying that some of them don’t want help.  Maybe some are there due to drug abuse, and perhaps you are right. But not all. I guarantee- NOT ALL! In my heart of hearts, they all deserve better. Say what you will. These are people.

 

There is always a point to my posts. This is it...

*************************************************************************************Yesterday I met a Saint. Tami described her as an Angel.

I pay attention to the homeless. If I see one while driving I make a mental note. If there are clothes we are unable to use or left overs we wont eat, we take them to those people. Yesterday was a little different…

Very near to our house I saw an old lady pushing a shopping cart. She was dressed with layers of long clothes and walked slowly pushing a shopping cart filled to the limit with what seemed to be her entire life wrapped in grocery bags. We moved to this neighborhood about a year ago and this was the first I had seen a homeless person so close. Hours later Tami came home from a long weekend away. While unloading the car she said she brought left overs back and figured we could take them to our weekly spot. Instantly the old lady came to mind and I told Tami to set them by the door as there were some clothes there as well. Briefly I told her how I saw the lady and we could go see if she was still around to give her the food.

An hour later we walk Kona outside and across the street, pushing the maxed out cart, draped in the long heavy clothes, was the lady I saw earlier. Tami ran back inside and grabbed the bags of food and I crossed the street so I could talk to her and offer it up.

(this is always interesting as some of the homeless will turn and walk away, some will just keep walking, others will talk…its never the same. For safety reasons, I am the one to approach but Kona Bean and Tami are always backing me upJ)

I said hello. She turned to me and with a thick foreign accent said hello back. She was older, somewhere in her late 70’s early 80’s. Her head was covered in a babushka type scarf wrap and underneath there was another. The scarfs shadowed her bright blue eyes that had a spec of brown in the middle encased in very weathered skin. Her skin resembled old leather from obvious years of being exposed to the elements with plenty of thick wrinkles.  A ball of grey, white and a little black hair hung out the back of the scarf on top of a dark blue wool jacket. Her hands had gloves with half of the fingers missing. Each hand was worn, wrinkled, calloused, and chapped. The resembled those of a concrete worker, not that of an older lady. She had on a blue shirt with a pouch in front carrying something and her pants were baggy leading down to a pair of black shoes that looked to have more miles on them than my first car.

( I have to tell you that I’m on an airplane writing this and literally had to stop and collect myself because of the overwhelming sadness I have from remembering that moment…)

I asked her how she was and would she like some food and need any help. She smiled and again with the accent, thanked me but said she could not eat it. The bag I had was full of bagels, chips and a bunch of other things. She was so thankful but told me eating bread made her very sick so she wouldn’t be able to eat it. There was a bag hanging from the handle of the cart with cookies in it. She showed it to me while explaining how a lady purchased them and gave the cookies to her. She didn’t want to upset or offend the lady so she took them with the hopes that someone she ran into would want them. She offered them to me. (read that statement again) Yes, here is an old lady, no home, no car, no money, all of her belongings in a cart that she is pushing up a large long hill and she is offering me cookies.

I was blown away and did everything I could to hold back tears as we continued to talk. I asked her name.  Itskra she replied. She is an immigrant from Czechoslovakia and her name means “Spark” or to “Sparkle.”  She waved her hand in the air as if to have a sparkler or firework. I smiled! She asked me my name and when I replied Ryan, she asked if it meant anything. I told her not to my knowledge. She quickly interjected that her daughter was named Ryna and that meant “Paradise”! She was sure Ryan had to mean something similar. J

We were talking for a while and two ladies approached us. They asked if they could help. Offered her a ride, food etc. I even offered to have her come in and have dinner with us. She declined with a smile and a sincere thank you. We all asked where she would sleep, where she was going, how could we help? Her response in a thick accent; “ You have already helped so much. You stopped. You talked to me. I stopped at the shopping center to use the bathroom, wash my hands and get some water. They called the police to ask me to leave. You did not. You care about me. That is more than I could ever ask for. You have love in your hearts for me.” I couldn’t speak. She continued. “ I have everything I need with the sky above me and the earth below me. When I am tired I take a nap then I keep walking. The earth has good energy and you have given me good energy. I walk.” We asked about shelters, family, the works. She told us that she didn’t like the shelter because it felt like a prison. She wanted to be free. Much different than where she came from and for the last 12 years, this is what she did.

She is free.

There was so much more that was said and I can’t put it into words because it almost feels wrong- like it was meant for me to hear. Feel. Remember.

I walked back across the street with the bag of food quickly met by Tami and Kona. I couldn’t speak. Eventually I was able to tell bits and pieces to Tami but each time was abruptly stopped because I am overcome by emotion. We haven’t seen her since and Im convinced we wont again. She said if we ever do, to please say hi! If we don’t remember her name, Itskra, we can always say “Spark” or “Sparkle” and she will answer.

Sparkle – she certainly does.

That day will never leave me. Her face. Her smile. Her sparkle.

I would like to leave this earth a better place. There is no doubt I have much work to do and every day I continue learning what that means. Maybe one day I will be able to be half as amazing as Itskra . As mentioned before, Im not sure she was human though and I although I am not very religious, I do believe I met an Angel.

 

 Saint…Spark!