How to Be Tri-suasive

How do we persuade others to come play triathlon with us?

Post-race story time with friends!

For those of us that regularly participate in triathlon, we wonder why more don’t do it, because we love it so much and and can all share a tale of how our lives are better for it.  The very next thought is a knowing sigh, because we understand many of the barriers to starting or staying in the sport. Cost. Time. Injury. Lonely training.

Yet, for those who continue to tri, we’ve found ways around these barriers, or at least ways to minimize the impacts.

Let’s face it, we need more people to tri.  Participants yield opportunities, growth and fun!  If the triathlete market shrinks, we’ll see fewer races, less innovation, reduced community support and less sponsorship all-around.  It’s really in your and my best interests to help others break through the barriers to triathlon.  And here’s the best part, you’ll feel better too!

What pre-race jitters? Team mates ready to GO!

So what can we do?

1.  Mentor new folks.  It can be a formal program through your coach or local triathlon club, or it can be informal, but simply checking on the first-year triathletes, or those reaching for the next level, is huge.  Remember your fears and never-ending questions?  They have them too.  Lend an ear.  Lend a helmet.  Lend your bike mechanic’s name and favorite microbrew.  And cheer them across the next finish line.

2.  Encourage relay teams.  Know someone who’s still afraid of open water, but is confident to bike and run?  Modify your training plan and swim on their race relay team!  You can also match up those not ready to take on the whole event.  This is also a great way to get a dedicated runner or a cyclist to the event, and once they get a taste, they want to come back for more!  Race Directors should also take note and offer relays at all race distances.

3.  Keep it positive.  That five-hour brick on Saturday sucked; it was hot, your legs hurt and you had to fix two flat tires, all on four hours of sleep.  Is THAT really the story you want to share with your non-tri friends and co-workers?  And an hour later you suggest they should sign up for next month’s local sprint?  Perhaps share how much you enjoyed riding your bike along the countryside with a good friend and how refreshing the chocolate milkshake was afterward!

Rain and cold on race day? No problems with friends there too!

4. Volunteer.  And bring a non-triathlon friend.  It might not even be a triathlon; it could be a local 10K or cyclocross race.  Get out and support others in their endeavors.  Cheering, smiling and high-fiving while handing out water is a wonderful way to give back, show the love and get inspired.

5.  Smile and wave!  My personal favorite.  Don’t go “Beauty Queen”; be genuine.  This is the most effective way to share with others on the go.  Whether it’s athletes rolling along an out-and-back run, or cars passing me on the shoulder, I want to connect with everyone.  Even if you’re dying through a tough interval, throw up a hand and show them your teeth (nicely!).  Convey joy, gratitude and humanity in the most universally acceptable way possible.

Sprinkle in a little friendly peer-pressure and gentle arm-twisting,  and we'll have a whole new group enjoying the sport we already love!  Go out and be tri-suasive!!

Be Present!

Last winter, my father texted me a photograph from his phone (sidebar: I love my parents playing with modern tech toys).  At first glance, it was meaningless: a snow-covered driveway leading up to some trees on a small hill.  I was really puzzled, and even considered briefly that he meant to send it to someone else (sidebar continued: that’s happened before with said parents playing with said modern tech toys).

I continued evaluating the picture because it seemed familiar, and then it clicked, remembering that the previous day, my mother shared that our old house had been demolished.  This picture was the site of our old house.  Not the house.  Just the site.

These thoughts really took mere seconds, and I was actually shocked that I didn’t instantly recognize the image.  My family lived there as I grew up, age 1 through 13, and that house was the center of my young world.  It’s been over twenty-five years since my family moved.

Beyond my initial shock that I didn’t recognize the site, and also that the house really was gone, a more amazing, but not surprising, thing happened next.  My mind filled in that blank snowy landscape with all the details of the house, layering in the changes my family made to it over thirteen years.  It went from green to brown.  The windows were replaced.  The rotting front porch was replaced by an open bi-level deck around the side. The trees and landscape flourished, and the gardens expanded lush and beautiful.  I could go on for pages and not even detail the interior remodeling.  And my mind jumped to the endless days of youthful outdoor adventures, taking the dogs (there were always two big ‘mutts’ around, anxious to explore) and friends over the fields, ponds and hills beyond that missing house.

Not surprising at all to recall these vivid details.

But why amazing?

Because I would never have had the memories to fill in that non-descript snowy photograph had I not been present every day so many years ago.  Smart phones, Instagram and blogging were not ideas even conceived in my childhood, and photograph development was individually priced, so film was not wasted!  We have family pictures from those days, of course, but an order of magnitude fewer than today’s standards.

We still etch these memories today, but too often we automatically whip out the smart phone, focus on the screen and see the world through the camera lens instead of with our own senses.  Yup, digital proof that I was there.  But, was I really there?

The best memories are made if we live presently in each moment, not relying on one of a million digital photographs to tell the story that you supposedly lived. 

Whether you are at work or at play, be present. Step out of your office, close email, put down the phone and engage with the people and the world around you.  The memories are so much richer!

Race Report, Part II: Challenge Atlantic City Triathlon Half 2015

Part II of my Challenge Atlantic City​ 2015 Half race report. It's crazy long, but hey it was a crazy long race!  If you missed Part I, click here.

Overall, it was a day filled with challenges, for everyone, but an experience I enjoyed.

Early to rise for a 6:05 start.  Traffic volume was crazy high at 5:00, so we had a 15-minute delay getting into and parked at Bader Field.  I was thankful to have AWD as we were spotted at the end of a very wet field and already seeing some cars getting stuck in the growing mud.  We passed over paved areas unused for parking, but we saw post-race that they filled that with cars as well.  The storm from Saturday turned many parts of the field into a small ponds and mudholes.

Quickly over to transition, worried that we only had 20 minutes to set up.  Almost ready, with five minutes to spare, we heard an announcement they were delaying the start fifteen minutes due to the slow parking process.

It was foggy and sprinkling, but over 70 degF.  The water temperatures was announced as 74 degF, and many loudly rejoiced to pull on wetsuits.  I went without, feeling comfortable from the practice swim.  We gathered by the water and the RD announced more delay waiting for a final okay from the water safety team.  It was a mixed response as the fog was starting to break up and blue skies were peeking through.  I’d guess the total delay was thirty minutes and the Half men started filing in for a time trial start, three or four jumping in at a time.  The water level was three feet higher than Saturday due to recent high tide.  The start went quickly, with all men in the water in five minutes.  Then the rest of the Half racers!

We swam against the current to start the long rectangular course. I didn’t notice the current too much as I started to find my rhythm.  The 74 degF water felt refreshing but not cold, even sans wetsuit.  Some passed me; I passed others.  It never felt too crowded with the TT start.  The channel is narrow, so although there never seemed to be enough site buoys (it always feels that way from water level!), I could easily navigate between the banks and towards the bridge. Very quick around Turns 1 and 2, then down the long back stretch.  As we approached the third turn buoy, I could sense the stronger current and tried to tack upstream to not overshoot the fourth buoy.  This worked well for me, but not for the dozen or so other swimmers that suddenly were all up in my space!  Hello!  Now we turned into the current and it was significant.  The water was also choppier in this more open section and I got several face-fulls of salty water.  Coughing and sputtering, I changed my stroke to get higher in the water to sight, breathe and pass several struggling on this final section.  Costly effort, but necessary.  When we reached the dock, the volunteers tried to pull me up the ramp until I cried, “STOP!” as my right calf knotted up.  Breathe.  Ow.  Breathe.  Okay, finally up.  I apologized to the volunteer and explained, “leg cramp!” as I limped off the dock.

So glad that was over!

And then the glorious sight of the back end of a firetruck with a fresh water shower.  I took full advantage to wash out my nose, mouth, kit... so long NJ nasty water!

My stomach was queasy in T1.  I guess the unplanned “electrolyte loading” will do that.  I toweled off my arms, spray tri-slide on my wrists and pulled on a bolero to cover my shoulders, neck and arms.  A lovely volunteer came over to help me.  I also opted for socks and road shoes.  Not hurried; I wanted to be ready for a three-hour bike ride.  It was still misting and cloudy.

The bike exit from Bader field was sandy and wet, but the CAC crew laid down long carpeted mats.  It felt a little like biking on shifty soil but was over quickly.  Onto the roads.  Lots of people with flats; six in the first four miles.  I saw several more along the course, losing count after twenty.  Not surprising after the storm.

The clouds started to burn off and it was blue skies and sun!   A light breeze turned into a finishing tailwind for the last six miles or so.  Very scenic ride.  A few spots of heavy traffic, but mostly quiet country.  Flat, with some false flats.  Big-ring time-trialing for 58 miles.  Yup, the course was long, but that happens.  We had a mix of dedicated bike lanes, wide shoulders and quiet country roads that could use some re-surfacing.  I found the course well-marked, with one aid station we passed at about 15 and again at 42 miles or so.  I grabbed a bottle of water each time.  It was never crowded.  The one course oddity was a detour of a busy intersection by way of a WaWa Food Mart parking lot.  It seemed suddenly narrow and twisty, but negotiable.

This bike course was a mix of locked-in TT and many turns.  I’m always disappointed at how much opportunity triathletes miss by lacking cornering and bike-handling skills.  I passed many; got passed by two ladies, including a teammate on a relay team, and two men.  The course includes two miles on the AC Expressway, both out and back, so I enjoyed rolling at 29 mph through a toll booth with the wind at my backside!  Good little ride.

Back into T2 and again took time to apply sunscreen, change socks and tie my shoes (no speed laces this time) and also say “hey” to teammates relaxing post-relay and AB.

We exited onto a section of tarmac, out Bader Field and across held traffic to run down Albany Avenue to the Boardwalk. The police did a great job with this section and hundreds of thrilled drivers!  Once on the Boardwalk the sun begin it’s two-hour beat down.  I had planned run-walk intervals but found the aid station spacing was inconsistent, so I pretty much stopped at every aid station to control my body temperature with ice and water, and my interval plan was tossed.  All the aid stations were very cheerfully staffed and met my needs.

I ended up using a public bathroom around mile 5 when I realized, and confirmed by volunteers, that no portable toilets were provided (due to the presence of public toilets).

Most of the first half of the run I enjoyed cheering for other runners and started to see my teammates and clubmates along the way.  Everyone was really spread out and the South end of the Boardwalk is more residential and less crowded. Plenty of folks out for their own Sunday morning runs.  Heading North for the next turnaround I passed the lively finish line, hearing names called as they grabbed their medals, and I still had over 10K to go!

As the run wore on, I wore down, cheering less and trying to find some motivation to just keep running.  The Boardwalk was easier on the legs, but I got a bit tired of dodging oblivious tourists along the middle sections.  Three more turn-arounds and finally into the finish, grinning like a fool!

I got my medal, ice-water towel (thank you!!) and bottle of water and immediately found my husband and friends to high-five and hug.  Post-race food was nearby (a local food truck), as well as the finisher shirt pick-up.  After eating and cheering for more folks at the finish, we got the shuttle bus back to Bader Field, making more new friends and sharing tales.

Following the usual routine of retrieving everything, hanging the wet stuff, showering and resting, we walked back to the Boardwalk to enjoy dinner with friends.  The last three hours of the night, a small group of us joined some official race volunteers and staff to cheer for Full distance runners on the Boardwalk.  Some truly gutsy folks out there on that lonely course! The final finisher crossed the line  at 23:50 and we were all treated to the laser light show at Boardwalk Hall.

The final weekend event was a breakfast buffet at Bally’s and Full awards ceremony on Monday morning.  The Friday dinner was more impressive, but this was still a lovely touch to enjoy as part of a race entry and close the event.  The race team was clearly tired but hosted us with smiles!

I met my weekend goals to enjoy the race, even the unmotivated parts of the run (sigh).  I knocked off over 28 minutes from my last Half two years back, improving everywhere, except for slower transitions and despite an extra two miles biked.  It felt good; bring on the next adventure!

Race Report, Part I: Challenge Atlantic City Half Triathlon 2015

Challenge Atlantic City​ 2015

The Pre-Race Report

It’s Saturday afternoon 27 June 2015, and I’m trying something new.  Yes, something new at a race!  Before going race-day hypoxic, I will report on the pre-race goodness that is, so far, Challenge Atlantic City.  Chris and I plan to finish the Half Distance triathlon tomorrow.

We left Knoxville Thursday afternoon by car, up I-81, enjoying an extra hour of standstill in 90 degF heat due to a truck fire and subsequent rear-end collisions.  Oh well, it made for a short wait at Cracker Barrel supper on the other side!

Hotel in Baltimore and a few hours driving into Atlantic City Saturday.  Our route had tolls of $9.75; as any drive through DC/Baltimore/Philly/NY/NJ will!  We checked in at the Sheraton Atlantic City (credit card points coming in handy again), and made a quick 0.8-mile walk to Bally's.

Like a favorite trail, registration was smooth and flowy.  In less than ten minutes we had our USAT waiver signed, packets and timing chips in hand, transition parking pass (3-days for $10 at Bader Field) and into the Athlete meeting. We grabbed our goody bags (a small backpack with a water bottle and a Red Bull 4-pack) a little later.  The backpack was super handy for the co-located EXPO, where we grabbed a few items, and sampled a few new endurance products from Boom (gel made from real fruit) and Vitargo (a starch-based energy drink, whose plain formula tasted just like water).  I just may sample Vitargo on course, too.

The Athlete Meeting was helpful, especially the course reviews.  We already read the Athlete Guide last week, and I implore everyone to do so.  So many questions online and in the meeting were already answered in the Athlete Guide clearly and simply.  It’s time wasted for the race team to reiterate this information repeatedly; the meeting is to get clarification and hear any changes.  Sorry, I don’t want to rant, but I find it aggravating that too many athletes don’t own this responsibility to review the provided information.

After the meeting and USAT rule review, we enjoyed an afternoon beverage with another Knoxville athlete in one of Bally’s restaurants and then headed into the Carbo-Load Dinner.  Wow.  Bally’s put on a great spread: salad bar, baked potato bar, eggplant parmesan, roast turkey and dressing, farro salad, couscous salad, steamed vegetables, pasta primavera, shrimp-stuffed sole, roles, dessert bar, drinks, and probably more.  Never had that at a race before.  Rumor is that Monday’s breakfast is just as good!

The dinner also featured a few quick announcements and a lovely speech from another athlete that crashed her bike last year around mile 105.  With bone protruding and in great pain, she finished her 140.6 miles, even inspiring a by-stander to quit smoking as she toiled on!  Her message: all decisions carry consequences, and it’s the little actions that matter.  Simply smiling and encouraging others can reach so deep and make a big difference.  Her words will stay with me.

Today was an early start, getting to swim practice at Bader Field to meet up with team mates and mingle with the athletes, sharing samples from SBR Sports, including the best ever TriSlide, Foggies and TriSwim products.  I jumped in as well to get a taste of the brackish goodness that is the “Back Bay” and swim the 500-yard practice course.  It’s been five years since I’ve put my face in salt water, so this was wise.  I was surprised at how shallow (four feet at the ramp, with grassy pudding on the bottom) and warm (78.4 degF) the water was.  No wetsuit needed, but several folks wore one, hoping that the temperatures drop at least 0.4 degF in the next 20 hours!  The firetruck was already parked at the swim exit for Sunday, ready to wash all that salty ‘New Jersey’ off our bodies!

I finished my role as Challenge Family Triathlon Team Brand Ambassador at 9:00 when the swim course closed, and found my wonderful spouse had our bikes all together.  A nice strong tailwind for the warm-up (heading the same direction out as Sunday!) had us cruising along at 20+ mph with ease.  The wind continued to strengthen by the minute and we u-turned after four miles.  My power intervals into a beastly headwind were quite the test of bike handling and core stability!  Nice wide road shoulders kept us out of traffic as we pushed hard back to Bader Field.  We finished the ride with a few laps of the abandoned runways.  Headwind.  Tailwind.  Headwind.  Tailwind.  Then a quick 15-minute run.  Feeling fresh and ready.

We puttered until 11:00 and then dropped the bikes in Transition. By dropped, I mean bungee-corded those bikes to the poles.  Holy wind, Batman!  The rain started as well.

We found lunch at The Hook​ in nearby Absecon, NJ.  We enjoyed fantastic gourmet omelets, strong java and an entertaining cook and staff, all in a very humble little building next to a tiny marina.  Shop-Rite grocery store was around the corner to stock up on snacks and pre-race breakfast.

So, we have an early start Sunday, with the Half boys in the water at 6:00, and us ladies chasing at 6:05.  The Full athletes drop in at 7:00.  Sounds unorthodox, but Race Director Stephen Del Monte explained this plan for a few reasons, including athlete safety, road closure permits and easing congestion for some course sections.

We still have to pack up for tomorrow and get some supper, then lights out by 20:00.  I’m really looking forward to Sunday.  I have no traditional race “goals.”  I do plan to execute to the best of my ability, keep all things in perspective, consume nutrition as practiced, show gratitude to all that bring the event together and share a smile with everyone I possibly can!

Find out what happens in Part II...