| Swim | Bike | Run | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swim Map | Bike Elevation Map | Run Map | Run Elevation Map |
09/13/2012:
So, we signed up for Toughman. A little pricey but it has gotten great reviews and is not to far away. The other thing that really made it attractive for him is the bike course. This year they changed it so that a) it is close to traffic (safer) and b) supposedly easier too than last year. Neither really makes a difference to me at this point but as I said: that's what buddies do.
Started riding again. I like it I do but a race this late means starting out in darkness. Much like Beach 2 Battleship, I started going out at 5am on the bike. Basically pitch black. Light on in front and back and wearing a reflective vest. I know I look stupid but if you can see that I look stupid than you can see me...Get it?
Got my hills and a trip to mills hill. One day, Joe and I started early and picke up Jim at Suny Old Westbury (OWS). From there to all my hills including Mills. Joe was struggling which was strange and Jim was rocking it. We got to Mills and I always get traffic and have to start it from almost deadstill. This time, no traffic and I actually had a little motion. I start and my chain falls off. I didn't which Jim was amazed at. Sucks. Fixed and started my climb. Good ride.
Anyway, never went more than 68 miles on the bike which may or may not have been smart. The race is "only" 56 miles on the bike. Vacation came and I was hoping to get some early rides in. Unfortunatly, we also had some issues with LC (our dog). The full story is in the Maggie Swim section as to what led to it but the bottom line was that he had a huge, bigger than a softball - more like a football, tumor growing in his abdomen and initially was given a prognosis of 3 months to live. Well, our vet recommended another Hospital and with his help got their attention. During the vacation we visited the Animal Medical Center (AMC) in Manhattan to do a cat scan on him with contrast and again to do an embolization (sp?) on him. It's a procedure that's meant to block the arteries/veins that feed it in hope to kill it, stop it from growing and maybe have it shrink a little. During the embolization visit, the MD's told us that they consulted with Memorial Sloan Kettering who said this is not really an option for him but surgery may be viable. So, we scheduled surgery and were there another 2 days for it. We also visited a vet because he hurt his foot. Still, during our 2 week vacation, we visited a vet and/or hospital 5 days. Really took it out of us. Forget the financial side and stress of it, it was mentally fatiguing and going out early on the bike was just not gonna happen.
The surgery was a SUCCESS! They got it all out, his blood sugar is now back to normal and our guy is back in the fold. He stayed at AMC for 2 nights instead of 4. Two days later he was off the pain meds (Methadone!). Except for a radical haircut, they shaved his belly, and a really cool looking scar you would never guess. I keep telling Elizabeth that I wish that if I ever have stomach surgery, that I would bounce back like him.
Ended up not riding as much as I wanted but I knew I had some base with hills on the bike, definitly good on the run with all the marathons and also good with the swim with all the training. I already did a 5.25 mile swim in horrible conditions and I still have a 6.5 mile swim scheduled in 2 weeks so I knew I would be ok. Did I mention that 2 weeks before Toughman, I did a marathon?
The exact schedule is this:
- August 24th - Self-Transcendence Marathon
- September 09th - Toughman Half-Ironman
- September 15th - Air Force Marathon
- September 16th - Aquathlon (1/2 mile swim - 5K run)
- September 22nd - 6.5 mile swim
So, basically my goals are to survive and just do my thing. As is my usual goals are a) Finish, b) Have a good time and c) Don't get hurt and if I can by accident d) PR then awesome but not neccessary.
Week before race...
Friday, 2 days before race, Lee wanted to go see a movie. I wanted to go to sleep early but she wanted a movie and so we went. The kids had to get themselves ready for bed by themselves. We never did this before. Wow...
Saturday, my rest day, my friend Adele was supposed to do a 10K swim in Coney Island - an ocean swim and she was nervous about it. Well, a tornado (or 2) took care of that. Funny, I thought she was going to have the good weather and we would have the garbage but it was the other way around. Her swim was cancelled. She is both upset and relieved. I told her that I would do it with her next year - Gulp...
As I said, I was originally very worried about the weather. I knew the bike course was gonna have some hard ascents and crazy descents and I wasn't looking to do them in the rain.
Race day...
I was worried about Jim in the swim. He doesn't have that much experience doing OWS and swimming is his weakest leg. While trying sleep, Elizabeth tells me to find him in the water and to bring him in. How should I find him in 600 people???
Put bike on rack and immediatly went to find a porta-potty. Avoid the lines. Stood in line to get my chip, finished setting up my bike and again to the porta-potty. Checked out the water and it didn't seem to clean...Whatever.
During the whole dog thing, LC hurt his foot and licked it raw. For whatever reason, we didn't go to our usual vet but instead went to a different vet. While waiting in the room for him, I see a picture of an athlete doing a triathlon. Looked familiar and I looked closely at the bib. Oyster Bay Sprint triathlon. Did that one 4 times I think and I always ride there. After we finished speaking to the vet about LC, buisiness first, I asked him if he was doing it again this year. He told me no and that he was training for a half-ironman in September. I said Toughman? and he was suprised I knew it. Turns out he was training for toughman... How cool is that? Well, I saw him at race site. He was waiting for a porta-pottie. He remembered me and I told him LC was doing well. I could tell he couldn't remember LC's name but remembered LC and that was cool.
Part of transition was kinda flooded. I mean it stormed badly the day before so what do you expect. Before I knew it, they brought hay and dumped it there so that athletes can have a dry footing. Nice!
Anyway, 6:30 am they closed transition and told us to make our way to the beach. Annoying that they didn't have porta-potties for nervous bladders. Since I refuse to pee in my wetsuit, YUCK!!!!!, I went for the porta-tree. Gotta do what you gotta do.
The RD spoke - Nice. Then a "father" spoke. A little to much religion for me. What happened to seperation between church and race?!? And then he said something like "work will make you better etc". I thought it was weird but then Jim, a catholic, said "hm...Sounds a little like what the Germans said in Auschwitz" so it wasn't only me. The Nazies specifically said "work will set you free". Didn't like that one either. I'm sure he meant well but I wish he would have just kept it to a minimum generic prayer and be done with it. Whatever...
Jim went for a warm up while I found my tree. I didn't. I don't usually. Still, the water was warm to my toes while I was a little chilly. Didn't think I would need a wetsuit for warmth, and I was right, but opted for it since it was gonna be a long day...
Jim was in wave 1, right behind the elites. What a crappy place to be in. He completly expected 1,200 or so people passing him in the water since he is slower. I was in wave 3 and expected to either pass him in the water or finish the swim with him. In either case, I knew he would pass me on the bike.
They had a helicopter over the swim and while that was pretty cool, it was a little hard to listen to instructions on the swim and some yellow buoy. My group lined up and off we went. I forgot how awesome it is with a wetsuit. Immediatly I was in front of my wave on the right. Eventually I was passed which was completly expected. During my vacation, twice I slept wrong and screwed up my back/shoulder and almost immediatly that started to hurt so I just swam my thing buoy to buoy. Before I knew it, I was at the make a U-turn at the yellow buoy and focusing on home. While swimming home, I realized that I should not focus on the flashing lights of the police boat but to it's left which is swim out.
I should mention that while heading out, we had little waves which were a little annoying. Once we turned in, I expected those little waves to push us in but instead I felt like I was being sucked out. Still, a glance at my watch and I realized I am doing amazing (for me) which led me to believe that the swim was short. Later I found out I was right. The storms from yesterday screwed up one of the buoys even tho it was anchored with a cement block. Can't be helped.
Finished the swim strong and headed to transition. Found the (wetsuit) strippers and just got on the ground while they did their thing. These 2 women were great and I was running away in a second.
The day before, at the YMCA, I was talking to Jim and his daughter Ekatarina was there and when we mentioned strippers she almost choked. When we explained that they were wetsuit strippers she told her father that he better go to a guy and not a woman. I asked her why and she said "you know Dad...because you have hair on your chest...". HAHA!!! All I could think about while they ripped the wetsuit from me was this...
Ran to the bike and did my thing. Not the fastest T1 but that's ok...Long day ahead, right? Gotta get comfortable and one thing I did was put sleevies on. I knew I would be cold. I felt mighty stupid putting them on, it wasn't cold at all, but the plan was to put them on so I did. Wow am I glad I did. It was cold on the bike. Maybe others weren't but I was comfortable.
The bike ride was 2 loops on route 9/9a with rollers all over including 1 bad hill at mile 2 and again at mile 28. They weren't kidding. It sucked but I made it up there. Suddenly I saw first overall male coming my way. What?!? I truly didn't look at the map. My fault. I thought we go out 13 miles - come back 13 miles - repeat. Nope...We went 6.5 miles South. Make a U-Turn around a cone. Rode the 6.5 and more to another cone and another U-turn and eventually if on loop 2 exit the highway otherwise do it all again. It really freaked me out initially to see those guys coming back.
That nasty up hill was a great downhill until I saw the volunteers telling us to slow down because we have a sharp right turn ahead. Wow...Thank God someone had brains to put them there. It could have gotten ugly. Still, sucks to have to slow down on a down hill. Still, that day I maxed out at 40.3 MPH, persumably on that downhill.
There was a lot of drafting on this course. No doubt. In some places, you just couldn't help yourself. In other places you do but still. Still, USAT officials were riding on their motorcycles giving out penalties. On my second loop, I guess I dozed and ended up riding on the rumble strips on the right. This annoyed me badly and the hill I was climbing didn't help. Suddenly a guy passed me on the left. Well, I was so annoyed at everything that I didn't hear the motorcycle come up behind me. Too late. I didn't think that I was definitly drafting but there she was sitting writing things in her notebook. Argh! Now, I am really annoyed at myself. Well, it turns out that I did NOT get a penalty. Whew...Of course I only found this out when I got home.
Now, I have to mention Jim's progress. Of course he passed me but I was wondering if he will blow up or not and it seems like he got it under control. I saw him 4 times on the course and always at around the same 2 points. Well, it seems like he might have had a negative split on the 2nd loop and I definitly had a positive split but otherwise he rode consistently and were I think he should have been. Nice.
I kept trading spots with this guy named Richard on the bike although after the first loop, he disappeared. Suddenly when I was about 7 miles from the end of the bike he reappeared and took off. Good for him.
On my second loop, about 6.5 miles from the first turn around, I pass a medical/first aid station on my right, when a biker on the other side blew by screaming about a man down, looks serious. I saw the guy. He was laying down on the ground and another cyclist was near him. I didn't stop. Didn't need too many cooks in such a tight kitchen. In any case, EMS was on the way. They rushed over with an ATV. When I came back from the turn around, he was on a stretcher on the ATV about to be evacuated. Sucks. Current theory is that he hit a bad pothole. It should have been marked. My first loop, the cyclist in front of me, signaled about it and I passed the news to the guy behind me who yelled thanks. I guess this guy went into it. Later, I heard he was ok.
In other news...On my first loop, I saw a car on the (closed) road that was half on the road while it's front was off the road. On the second loop, I saw the woman who caused this and her (I assume) son who was wearing shin guards. I heard she wanted to cheer and drove on the road but didn't mean to be in the way so stayed to the side when the car fell of the side. Stupid. Many tickets were handed to her that day.
In either crazier news, a driver tried to get on the closed road by using the exit lane. The volunteers did their thing and refused entry. The driver was DWI and got busted. Idiot!
Very glad to get off the highway. Soon enough into T2 and off the bike. The porta-potties were there but my station as well as run out were far away and I skipped it. Not happy about this. I wasn't gonna run a half-marathon with a full bladder!
One quick note here...Once you get off the highway, they put you on this tight bike trail back to T2. Dangerous and no passing zone. Used it to draft off this woman.
Started running and felt good. I got to Richard and we talked a little and I expressed my unhapiness about my bladder and that I am gonna look for a tree. Richard was a little heavy and said that he will look for me when I finally find something...
Ran out of the park and onto a little bridge. From there it was a right turn and I spied a porta-dumpster. Decision decision and crossed the street to it. Unfortunatly, 50 yards again was a cop directing traffic for our safety looking at me. I shrugged at him and disappeared behind it. I wasn't sure what he would do once I got to him but he was cool about it and said "you gotta do what you gotta do" to which I responded with "at least no one saw...". Good guy.
Running down the street and eventually a left turn into a trail and a almost private driveway and then into this really cool display of pumpins set up as people or statues. I wish I could find a picture of it. Really cool.
Love the run course. I knew it would be hilly and challenging but there I was in the shade on the trails! I completly didn't pay attention to the run segment either. I wish I would have paid attention.
Loving it. Aid stations at every mile and it was great. Pour cold water on my sponge and back under hat and drink a little coke and off I go. I had a bag of gum and some tylenol and it turns out I dropped it. Very sad but I still had my gum in my mouth and it would have to do.
Felt good on the run. First mile was 8:58. Running and chasing down Jim. On the course, at multiple times there were cheerleaders cheering for us. How awesome?
At one point, I am running and I see the dam. It was huge and I was at the base of it and you can just barely see runners on the top. Back to the trails to climb up there. Eventually, I saw Jim. I was about 2 miles behind him and I knew unless something goes wrong I won't see him. I truly wanted to catch up to him and to run with him but hey....Whatever.
During the bike, I saw a bunch of SunRiseTri guys and they weren't that social. The only ones who talked were Jim, Dan, Karl and me so now it was my mission to try to catch every single one of them and there was one who was walking up the trail to the top who was annoyed. I think he was a little nasty to 2 kids handing out power bars. Whatever...
My run was great. I was just passing people right and left.
Eventually did the loop and onto the Dam. I just wanted to jump in. There was a guy playing Iron Maidens Ironman up there and he rocked. Running, running and eventually to the worst hill of the course.
A guy in his 20's in front of me decided he needs to to walk and this older woman yelled to him that if she doesn't walk he can't walk. Well, she was smiling and all but still. I told him it's ok and that's what ultra-runners do. This younger girl agreed with me and I ran with her a little until we got to the trails again. There she told me she cannot talk anymore and I said that's ok, that I will talk for the both of us but she dropped. Oh well. That was at mile 10.
Back to the pumpkins and then to the street and back to that cop. Thanked him, actually all the volunteers and cops etc, and continued.
Another group of cheerleaders and a left back on to the bridge.
I'm not sure where I missed the mile 12 marker but we were close to the park and I asked a volunteer if there is another aid station before mile 12 and she said forget it...You have a 1/2 mile to go...
Running and I spy yet another SunRiseTri guy and maybe the finish too. A volunteer tells me that I have him and I make my pass. I wasn't sure if he would try to fight back but he didn't and well, I felt great so who cares. I would have fought back. I'm in the chute and there is a huge puddle in the grass. No way to go around it so (annoyingly) I go right through it and finish.
By the way, another cheerleader section right before the finish too!
Got a HUGE medal - WOW!!! Looked for soda and apparently they have at the BBQ but the line was huge and there were a million bees so we opted out of that.
Went back to transition which was manned by Rich "Bark the Shark" Barkin and a girl. I was talking to him as he was doing his job. Checking numbers on bracelots to bikes when a guy wanted to take his Kestrel out. Problem was the sticker came out. The guy was all upset when he heard that he must show ID first. The plan was to take a picture of his id and the bike just in case someone reportedit missing. Nice. The guy blew a fuse but he was an idiot...! They were doing this for our protection.
Loaded the car up, changed clothes and went to the volunteer tent to see if I can get 2 volunteer shirts for Jim and Me. Of course I did....
Drove him without an issue. Jim was a little annoyed that he cramped up a little but at mile 9 but what he doesn't realize was this: Poconos he cramped at mile 54 on the bike... at HITS it was better... here he cramped at mile 9 on the run. That means he did better by 11 miles cumulative. He is almost there figuring out his issues. I didn't physically catch him which sucks...I was hunting for him but I did beat him. Does it matter? No. I don't care about it and he knows it but I beat him by 9 seconds and that really stings. HAHA...
What can I say about this race in summary? It was great! The swim was great: freshwater in the Hudson. I had heard that last year swimmers were blown of course because of the tide and I wasn't worried for me but I was initially worried for Jim. Still it went well. He did drift to the right coming in and that cost him but still...The bike was hard but overall good. I have read mixed reviews about it. It's got less elevation climb but many people said it was harder than last year. The run was AMAZING!!! The volunteers (1,100 of them) were great too from start to finish. They really did a great job out there and I recommend this race to everyone. I don't think I am going to do it again tho. I just don't want to repeat races anymore but this was really great.
Also, I heard about a car who decided to turn into the run course. The genius, thank God, decided to do this in front of a cop who probably made his quota that day as that guy was rude as well. Good!
