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.

Trial & Error

I raced the John Tanner sprint triathlon this morning in Carrollton GA. The weather was a bit chilly for the natives today, but 50 degrees was plenty warm for me. Its an hour and a half drive to get to the race venue but there are benefits to the long drive…ie; one can think. Some things that excited me about this race was the sprint distance, zero pressure and an opportunity to meet some other triathletes in Atlanta. My aspirations were non-existent, although I went in trying my best as always. Im new to Atlanta and the words that keep ringing in my head when I go out to train with others is; “Ryan, leave your ego at home or you will find yourself training alone.” So I have with the exception of the pool, as I have people there to push me, and I had my ass handed to me climbing the mountains with what I hope to be my new training partners. Im allergic to hills, what can I say…it’s a limiter, and if someone is willing to push and help me in the pool, Im all for it!

So why do a sprint after coming off of Syracuse, Clear Water and a PR at the Miami half? Why not?! After discussing triathlon with others and talking about pipe dreams, it was said to try shorter distances and work on speed. Again, Im new to the area, and to this sport so I will listen to those who are willing to give advice and have experience. Well…sprints are much MUCH different than a 70.3…duh right? Fine, I can accept that and grow from it. Not every race is going to be stellar and not every race is going to go as planned. This distance however…not my style; that I know for certain.

The swim is usually not a leg of the race I like to emphasize, but I feel many inroads have been made in this area for me. I try not to put numbers up as I see it only being a way to inflate one’s ego, but I have done fairly well in my mind for only being in the water a short time. So a 600 swim…easy…go hard and move on to the fun part…BIKE! Honestly, I was thinking around 8minutes at the most… NOTTTTTTTTT!!!

About 200yds into the swim I had enough. Enough getting kicked, punched, swam over, grabbed, goggles getting pulled off (not knocked off, pulled off) and anything else you can imagine. So I picked my head up to see if I could find a lane and got clobbered again. Typical triathlon right? Maybe, but in the longer distances, things tend to thin out and you can usually find a lane or at least a semi clear path. As I breast stroked and watched the leaders pull away, I thought, now I understand why pro’s will sometimes drop out of a race. I did, I really did. Never before had I ever considered stopping, but this was not letting up and it seemed futile to keep getting beat up. I also realized that with such a short bike and run, there was no way catching anyone would be feasible. So why continue??? Then I heard her. (My buddy Bergin Smith who just started triathlons last fall) She is an amazing girl who took to this sport with reckless abandon and her enthusiasm and incredible attitude immediately engulfed me as we became friends.

Bergin designed a shirt for me and posted it on FB last year when I was suffering from some serious injuries and thought I wouldn’t be able to cross the line at Clearwater. It had a “DNF” with a circle and line through it. Pretty much my motto as I battled through injury after injury and repeatedly said, no matter what, I will always finish the race. So I put my goggles back on, head down and started to swim to the finish. I had to finish or I would let my young friend down. Im glad I didn’t stop because of a bad swim. Thank you Bergin!!!

On the drive home, (remember its long and I can think) I told myself no more sprints. Too clustered, too short for me to go hunting on the bike, but a great start to the season as it tested my mental toughness…something that is very important when doing anything in life, not just triathlon.

I haven’t given up on the shorter distance and will try the Olympic once again, but I would be lying if I said that my entry to a nearby 70.3 wouldn’t be in by the end of this month. My plan is to get some much needed help on my nutrition, start talking about serious coaching and set some real goals. Oh, and upgrade Chicky as everyone had some sweet wheels on their bikes and Chicky definitely deserves them. She doesn’t have an inferiority complex, especially as we pass them, but we both agree they look awesome!! Maybe some new bars too!!!

At the end of the day, I highly recommend the John Tanner sprint triathlon! It was well ran, well marked, well staffed and an awesome venue! Kudos to the race director, Im impressed!!

See you soon HIM…

The Silver Comet 70mile brick

The Silver Comet

Ever since I found out I was moving to Atlanta, my obvious first thoughts were; “where and who can I train with?” Of the many MANY triathletes here in the Atlanta area, two words kept coming up. Silver Comet. This is a trail that goes from just outside of the city to Alabama. It’s a wonderful and incredible idea, and maintained extremely well! Atlanta is very lucky to have this. No cars, no motorized vehicles, just cyclists, runner and…this is where this post begins.

The head of the trail starts off of a road called Mavell, but there are numerous other entrances to get on or off of the Silver Comet. No one told me that perhaps another starting point would be a good idea, so I headed down to Mavell and figured I would start from there. (I feel like Happy Gilmore on the 9^th green at 9 ahahaha) Unfortunately, Mavell Rd is not a location that you can put into a GPS, so I found a random street number and entered it. Not positive this would take me to where I wanted to go, when I got off the exit, I saw two cars, both with bike racks and bikes on them. I figured, shut the GPS off and follow because they had to be going to the Silver Comet to ride. WRONG!!!

So I finally get to the trail at the Mavell road entrance and find 9,258,324 cars, bikes, runners, and wait for it…dog walkers, baby strollers, kids on bikes, mothers pushing kids on bikes, dads pushing mothers pushing kids on bikes with strollers and dolls in them. ARGGHHHHH!!! How the hell was I to ride through this giant mass of family sludge?? Good thing I played ball and I think Chicky showed her agile abilities too. I put my mp3 player in, cranked it up and took off.

Yep, the first 10 miles, nothing but kids, strollers, dogs and the aforementioned. Everyone is so flippin nice down here I didn’t want to yell so Chicky and I just weaved the best we could. We had a mission to accomplish and granted, we were late due to my dumb ass following cars rather than the GPS, which by the way, took me right to it, so we had to deal. Lesson learned, get there early, go to a different place to start and follow the damn GPS!

Ok, onto the ride. After only averaging about 17mph for the first 10 miles, (Im proud of that) I took off. My legs felt great, I had three bottles of Infinite (the best stuff on earth!) and 3 gels in my back pockets. Oh yeah, completely dressed in my PTC kit!!! (I need a white top, though…ugh the black) The Silver Comet is FAST! Hovering right around 25-26mph, Chicky and I were loving it! Obviously there were still plenty of people out there but once into Cobb County and then into Polk County it was at a minimum. There were construction workers on the trail and get this, they even had guys sweeping off the road so there was no dirt! Pittsburgh, take some notes huh!! While pen dot(not capped on purpose) is throwing oil and chips everywhere, making it a damn hazard for cyclists, Atlanta is cleaning the 100+ mile path they built specifically for active people!

Kudos and bravo ATL! Im impressed!! I will be donating to this site and doing my part to keep it nice. I saw only one gel pack on the side of the trail and I can only assume the rider or runner did not know it fell out of their pocket because the rest of the trail, spotless!!!

Back to my ride: Nutrition was dead on, however the heat here is new for me and I ran out of drink with 10 miles to go. That’s when I decided to calm it down and ease back in before my run. No need to push dehydration limits. But my salt intake was great, no head aches after, no bonking and best part, my heart rate stayed in check. Not bad for the first 70 mile brick of the season.

Tomorrow I am running in the a.m and open water swimming with the Atlanta Tri Club at lake Allatoona. Looking forward to meeting some great athletes and getting in a lake for the first time of the year. Not a bad way to end my first quality week of training here. Ill return to the base building for the next two and then plan to do a sprint tri for fun either on the 29^th or the 30^th, but that still remains up in the air as I need to assess my legs each day.

Great to be here! Love my job and my boss is fantastic! Great to be outside! And Great to be surrounded by Triathletes all over!! Thanks ATL! See you all out there!!!

What’s the Diehl?
A Farewell to Ryan Deihl !!!!!!!
[Date]
More Inside .
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Many of you might not know this, but the
Pittsburgh Triathlon Club didn’t always have
the polish it has now. Before the clinics, the
race kits, the website, the Kona qualifiers, we
weren’t much of a club at all, but a small and
ragtag group of newer triathletes. A handful of
us, I, Ken Lambert, Kat Salerno, Jonathan
Swiderski, and Vito Rocco met on the Beginner
Triathlete forums and decided to get together.
The result was a series of weekend morning bike
rides which often started at “the deer” in
Allegheny Commons on the North Side. I still
smile when I think about how leisurely and
enjoyable those rides were, especially when I’m
in the middle of a five-hour ride.
A turning point for the club—it would be fair to
say the turning point—was meeting Ryan Diehl.
As soon as Ryan, with his Tony Little-like
enthusiasm, found our small group, he began
building what you see now: a the fastest growing
USAT-sanctioned club in the country.
In the early days, Ryan made the phone calls
and banged on the doors , forging the early
relationships, with sponsors and with local
athletes, that really started the ball rolling. And
this was all before he was officially elected
As president, he’s been equally tireless. He’s led, delegated, and motivated in a way that few
others could have. Ryan’s seemingly limitless energy, free time, and exclamation points, helped
to shape nearly every aspect of our club.
In Ryan’s very short triathlon career he’s had many ups and downs. Ok, lots and lots of downs.
His first race at the North Park tri started with a kick to the throat early in the swim—in hindsight
a harbinger of the many injuries he would suffer over the next two years—but of course he still
snagged second in his AG. Ryan has gone out of his way to make triathlon a contact sport. Be it
fork failure in the far reaches of Butler county or a landslide hitting his repair shop, Ryan has
become the Biblical Job of triathlon. Yet despite this, he has distinguished himself as a fearless
competitor. Who else could crash into a car, fall off of his bike after the crash and then spend the
entire bike leg of his first 70.3 throwing up all over himself and yet still manage to clinch a spot at
70.3 championships in Clearwater?
Having moved to Atlanta, it’s likely that Ryan will add severe dehydration and heat exhaustion to
his list of triathlon-related maladies. On the other hand, he might overhydrate and end up with
hyponatremia. We’ll all just have to wait and see.
Ryan has truly left more marks on the PTC than Pierce Mill Rd. has left on his legs. You’ll be
missed, Ryan!!!!!!!!
—David Cerniglia, Editor and Secretary

Im Sorry

Hey blog, Im back. I apologize for not being more attentive but over the last few months to say things have been nuts…well that would be an understatement. Something I want to make clear about my writing would be their purpose. Yes, the motivator and initial reason for writing was obviously triathlon and my experiences in it. However, it is also about life, my life and how I view it. Triathlon has given me an indescribable gift that includes friends, foes, life lessons, ups and downs and so much more, but getting to the start and finish line takes more than just that of training and a final race report. That being said, this post is about the other side, the rest of my life and what I feel not only makes up me as an athlete but as a person.

So where to begin after an opening like that? If you know me, truly know me, then you know my path through life has hardly been a straight line. No way, my path: one awesome road consisting of twists and turns, huge ascents and massive descents, and I am happy to have gone through each and every one of them. One thing I have learned, you never get time back and second chances are literally, once in a blue moon. Call it luck, call it whatever you like, but I have one of those chances right now and I assure you, every second is being taken full advantage of.

Now, to life altering events, outside of the triathlon world, outside of the norm and things I attest to making a person who they truly are. This weekend I was in NYC and I witnessed something that I just cant seem to shake. In the middle of a great weekend, a fantastic sense of carpe diem, acting on life, it was brought to a shuddering halt. The temperature was a very cold 12 degrees and when the wind blew, it felt a lot colder. (Keep in mind, I had a nice hat and new winter coat on and still felt the bitter temps) Between running blocks and blocks, laughing, jumping, trying not to get hit by cars, there was a mission… get to Barnes and Nobles and PEE!

Inside I went, up the stairs and into our respective restrooms. Upon opening the door, I walked around the corner and there he was. About 6’3” with long matted white hair and an overgrown beard, baggy clothes that were obviously layered, brown shoes that looked much too big and a sack that hung across his chest off to the left; he was homeless. When I entered it was only him and I and he turned to look at me, I stopped. His face hidden by most of the hair but buried within the wrinkles it showed pain. Just below his chest he had his hands in the air. They were red and very swollen with little cuts. He had severe frostbite and was using the hot water in the restroom to try and de-thaw them. My stomach dropped. I turned and entered the stall. Standing there I was trying to think of what I could or should do. He needs help but do I offer? Would he want it? What about disease, I had no gloves? Maybe I should give him my coat and hat. Damnit, what can I do? As I stood there my mind raced. This wasn’t my town, I don’t know protocol, but for crying out loud, this man is a human being I thought. Then it happened.

The door swung open and a fat guy walked in. He looked at the homeless man and shouldered him on his way to the stall. 10 seconds later it happened again by yet another person. I just stood there, in shock and still not knowing what to do. The homeless man was now using paper towels on his hands and one other person came in, brushed against him and ignored him as well. Disbelief, shock and confusion overwhelmed me. I walked out, not saying a word or doing anything. My friend was waiting for me outside as I had obviously taken longer than I should have. It was easy to tell something was wrong immediately and. We started to walk back down the stairs and I talked about what I witnessed, all the while trying to hold back tears as I was so shaken. Neither of us knew what to do.

Im still sickened by what I saw but even more so by my lack of action. As I continue to think about it, my thoughts return to why I ever thought about going to med school and what my purpose was in life. I wanted to help people…I thought. Here I was having an incredible weekend and there was a man, a human being, who needed help and I did nothing. Maybe ignoring him was what he wanted. Maybe. But I should’ve at least asked.

I still cannot get his image out of my mind or the guilt feeling out of my heart. I am better than that. Better than those assholes who ignored him and ran into him…or am I?

He will never read this and I will probably never see him again. (maybe in a blue moon) But I need to tell him;

Im sorry.

Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3

Tomorrow I will catch a flight to the sunny state of Florida! Once again, I am accompanied by the anomaly, Chris Rotelli who just ran a 2:53 at the NY city marathon; Chris Nocera who lit up the course at Syracuse; Sean McBurney who I know will come in sub 5; Todd McIntyre, the calming factor and incredible athlete and Jason Jacobs, a USAT team qualifier. There is no doubt that these fine athletes will bring their “A” game this Saturday when we take on the world! Accompanying them are their fine families and support for all of us! Im not sure how I could do anything without the support and love from these people. Julie Rotelli especially! Thank you all!!!

Now for the bad. Once again I am injured. However this time it is much different. Never have I gone into a race panicked that I wouldn’t be able to finish, until now. My IT Band is severely injured; to the point where just walking hurts. I have been so fortunate that a wonderful doctor has taken me under his wing and worked on me for the past several weeks. Dr. Chris Webb performed countless hours of treatment just to get me this far. His expertise in A.R.T. , Chiropractic, exercise physiology and sports injuries has given me the chance to see the starting line. Dr. Webb has a clinic in Washington PA where he and his employees took incredible care of me. George, an incredible exercise physiologist worked on me repeatedly, stretching, exercising and taking a real concern in my rehabilitation. Angie, an incredible nurse, would do my stim and ultra sound as well as prep me for taping and countless other things. This group is dedicated to their patients and I encourage everyone to go see them. www.Chirowebb.com!

So onto Florida and the starting line I go. My goals for this race are simple; FINISH! If you know me, DNF is not an option, EVER, unfortunately, I may not have enough time to get to the end officially. This injury hurts and makes it hard to just get up the stairs, but I can assure everyone, I will cross that line even if it takes me all night! PR’s are gone, hopes of any type of placing are gone and the clock has now become my enemy. I have 7 hours to get to the finish line, and I plan on making it there.

Thank you all for your support, help and encouragement! It is only with wonderful people behind me that I could ever attempt to do what I love to do.