Eagleman 2014....Ooooh that Smell...

On my bike somewhere near mile 25 on the Smithville Road I zoned out and started singing in my head, "whiskey bottles,..and brand new cars,.....Oak tree, you're in my way.." Yes, Lynyrd Skynyrd's, That Smell, was the first song playing in my car at 0430 as I left Wittman.  Even with drug undertones it was a good beat to start the day full of water, wheels, and fire; and here it was rising up in my head again in the middle of my race.  Awesome!  What a beautiful place to have a race!

Before you read on, click to listen to That Smell while you read.

Team CMS at Transition prior to the start on Sunday. 

Eagleman is a big weekend full of planning, schedules, preparations, people, fun, and racing.  The excitement builds until one is nearly exhausted by the time the race starts at 0645, but not really.  Racing jitters go away after one finds his rhythm on the swim. 

Phinn helping me prepare on Saturday afternoon.

I had a plan, an actual printed out piece of paper with my plan for this race starting on Thursday...what to eat, when to go to bed, when to be where.  There was volunteering on Friday afternoon at the packet pick up, a great way to meet other athletes.  The Expo and talks were fun at the Ironman village set up at Sailwinds Park.  Final anti-jitter swim and bike at T1-Bike-Racking on Saturday afternoon led me back to Wittman for a planned 7pm bedtime.  Well, I was packed, dog fed and walked and in bed by a little after 9...oh well.   Up at 0200 for a meal, back to bed.  Up for good at 0400 and out the door by..."Oooooh that Smell, Can't you smell that smell...."

At 0600 my transition was set up and I was checking things off my paper list.  ANNOUNCEMENT: "This will be a wetsuit illegal race" and "men must wear a shirt on the swim".  As the panic rose through transition, I shifted gears a bit with wardrobe and was set to go.  Pictures with team was followed by my first gel and water as I entered the Choptank for my warmup.  Luckily I could hear the DJ/Ironman announcer from out in the middle of Hambrooks Bay and realized they were starting every wave 5 minutes early from their posted times.  I made it back to shore, climbed the rocks, ran to the boatramp entrance and caught my wave setting up for the start.  I went to the far buoy of the starting line...alone....no one within 80 feet of me.  The other 150+ of my friends were crammed at the other end of the line...what a mess.  Horn blew and we were off.  Finding my own rhythm in a bout 2 minutes I found a potential draftee.  He was slightly faster than me...perfect.  I successfully drafted him for most of the race, following his tiny bubbles made by his hands.  Drafting helps: less sighting and its faster. 

We swam into 2 or 3 waves, maybe 4.  I couldn't see very well with some fog in my goggles and bright sunshine and poor vision to start with.  One could stand at any point of the swim course.  Near the finish it was very shallow and some people were walking instead of swimming; swimming was faster.  This was a PR for me with a non wetsuit swim of 38:42.  I was 19 of 158 in the swim.

I heard my name as I came out of the water and slapped a few hands of friends going into transition.  So much fun, but my heartrate (HR) was racing.  Off on the bike the goal was to hydrate/nourish for the upcoming run, but first I needed to slow it down and get the HR down to a reasonable low zone.  The ultimate dangerous carrot was having my coach, Tracy MacCherola,  pass me on the bike while I was slowing it down in the beginning.  Despite the urge to hammer it and chase her (can you imagine the email on that one), I was good and stuck to my plan.

Lower Dorchester County and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge rock!  Gorgeous! The wind went exactly as I saw was predicted.  It was in our face most of the way to mile 30, with the exception of some time on the Hudson Road and the last part of Dailsville Road.  Then things got faster, especially on the Golden Hill and Egypt Roads; I was hitting 25's.  The ride was quick and done before I knew it.  I had my thoughts in my fuel, but didn't execute very well; I misjudged my hydration and got off the bike in a hydration deficit.  PR EM bike at 2:37:06....Yay!!  At this point there was potential for me to break five hours in EM.  Was it to happen?.....

An aside: There's a young professional triathlete, Jesse Thomas, who I met at Poconos 70.3 (he won).  He was here at EM this year and became the champion of the alternative 81.3 course.  Yes, he missed the Smithville turn while looking at a friend in the penalty tent, then proceeded to tour Taylor's Island....11 miles out of his way.

A great bike dismount was met by cheers for CMS (me) and I elbow-high-fived to Brad and Jim and friends.  Awesome!  Felt some pains in my legs dropping my bike off.  BAM, left ham and right quad were yelling at me to not run.  Boy did they yell.  Despite this pain, I kissed Carita before leaving Great Marsh Park, off for 13 fun miles with legs that were under hydrated...I was in trouble.

"...one little problem that confronts you,.....got a monkey on your back,.... "  go with the plan.  Slow down the HR for miles 1 and 2, zone 2 for miles 3 and 4, then the run will unfold well from there.  AND, there was a good  moment there after mile 4, but it was just a moment.  I hydrated and fueled well enough during the run to stay out of  further decline physically.  But, the clock was ticking and I was only making 9:30 miles, if that.  I kept running and never stopped except to drink fluids at the aid stations.

The aid stations were great; kids and adults all working together to help the athletes.  Every kid wanted us to take her cup of refreshment.  And, there may have been a CMS member at nearly every aid station.  So good to see everyone, sorry if I seemed too out of it to say a proper hello, especially to Nita and Beth. 

Mile 12 was my hardest, "....Just one more fix (mile), Lord,..... might do the trick..., One hell of a price for you to get your kicks!...."  The finish mile was easier that I thought.  Reinke at the corner and Trevor...Dean somewhere and others...I could only manage a mouthed "O  M  G".  But I think I smiled too.  The finish chute was a welcome scene...Laura, Carita to the right, water in hand, finish medal around neck, timing chip off, Coach Tracy, more water, photo with Tracy on podium, new finish hat and shirt....all great.

I had disappointment to not meet a target.  My time was 5:24:45...a great time, but I wanted more.  It took me a  while to shake the feeling, but I got there.  I was puzzled about my legs and there was a lot of speculation, but I'm sure it was hydration.  Maybe a culmination of other things too, but, hey, it was a great race.  I learned to not focus so much on my time; it took too much away from the event for me.  Luckily, I will have all this figured out by July 27th for Ironman Lake Placid.

There are sooooo many people I love and appreciate for their support on this weekend.  You know who you are...family, CMS teammates, friends, Coaches, organizers, and my fellow athletes and volunteers.  This is an awesome event that we're all blessed to have in our lives. 

So much fun to have the CMS team and supporters all over the EM course.  Congratulations to all the CMS'ers who raced yesterday.  AND, to all  of you who are pondering whether to do Eagleman next year, Lynyrd Skynyrd says it best, "....say you'll be alright come tomorrow,..... but tomorrow might not be here for you.... HEY YOU!"  SIGN UP FOR EM 2015!!!  Cheers.

Phinn on the Trails

Phinn and the girls sharing some smiles

My family and some friends were fortunate enough to hit the White Mountains again this year for a few days of hiking and relaxing. Most exciting was our opportunity to introduce Phinn, our Black Labrador Retriever, to the trails. The Whites have a fair policy for dogs: at all times you must keep them under control with the use of a leash or verbal commands. Phinn does a great job with his commands given to him. After our first hour on the trail with nine of us, he was able to be let off the leash as he stayed on an easy “heel” just aft of my left side. We hiked six miles the first day in rain and sunshine.

The White Mountain crew before our hike toward Zealand Falls Hut

We stayed at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s flagship lodge, the Highland Center, in Carter Notch. I highly recommend to everyone, regardless of age, to stay there for a night to experience life at an ecologically designed facility in a beautiful mountain setting. It is an awesome place for kids of all ages. There are trailheads right out the door for hikes of all intensities. The Appalachian Trail (AT) goes right through the yard.

Phinn on Mt. Willard

On the second day, Phinn and I took off before breakfast and climbed to the nearby Mt. Willard summit. At the top are a series of large smooth boulders where Phinn and I did some yoga and stretching. The view was beautiful as we watched the sun creep up the sides of mountains. Mt. Willard boasts the greatest views for the least climbing effort in the Whites.

On the way down, with only a light backpack, we were able to run. Half way down we came across an elderly couple hiking up the trail. Phinn broke his “heel” and greeted the lady by stealing her walking stick. She had no choice but to let him have it. He promptly brought me the stick and dropped it at my feet. The couple was amused, thank goodness.

Top: Phinn enjoying the cold Maine waters. Above: Phinn on the Monhegan mailboat, Laura B.

Later, on our vacation in Maine, Phinn joined us on our jaunt to Monhegan Island aboard the early morning Mail Boat out of Port Clyde. He swam in the North Atlantic that day, climbed rocks, and ran the many trails (17 miles worth on the island), with the five teenagers in our group.

Summer Sailing Bye

Island Lark preparing for raising sails on the Miles River, Saturday, July 25, 2009. Photo by Nick Roper

It’s been over a month since the last post here on Runners On Trails, and a lot has happened since: Seabiscuit hit the water, 4 log canoe regattas have been sailed, 360 miles have been ridden, swimming has had a break, and running three days a week has become the norm. The people involved in these activities are my friends; both new and old.

It seems all the “Bieb” and I talked about during this past year was the return to the fun we had last summer in riding our bikes to the St. Michaels Pool on summer mornings for a swim. We did this a few times early on in June. We were met by the same folks there that also awaited our return; the lady-swim-walkers, the teenage lifeguard girls, and the other lap swimmers. Bieb decided to take a break from training to recover from the huge effort he put in to running Eagleman in mid June. After talking to another doctor about my shoulder, I decided to give it some rest, too, and put a hold on swimming for a while. I see the shoulder doctor tomorrow morning, and I hope to return to swimming soon. I miss it.

I was determined to get the star-boat, Seabiscuit, to the club by the Fourth of July. It had not seen the water in 21 months. We actually sailed Seabiscuit on the 3rd to the annual raspberry picking site. My daughters, Cole, and I sailed in 15 knots of air on a glorious afternoon and returned with over a gallon of ripe red raspberries. We ate them with cake while watching the St. Michaels fireworks. How good is that?

Seabiscuit in her first lead of the season with Taylor by the mast. Photo by Andrew Parish

I’ve since raced Seabiscuit in two Wednesday night races, taking a 5th and a 2nd. In our first race, Taylor Penwell and I nailed the first lap of two, leading the fleet easily. However, my rusty sailing-principle memory tripped me up and we lost the lead and got swallowed by the fleet. The second race with crew Bill Cox moved us in a better position by starting out mediocre and improving our position through out the course. Too bad we didn’t have another leg.

Corey, Lark's mainsheet tender and daughter of the skipper having a ceremonial drink of champagne from the 1925 Govenor's Cup. Photo by Nick Roper

But the real sailing excitement has come with the log canoes. Like a well oiled machine, the Lark crew assembled the rig and hit the first weekend with a bang, winning the first race by a mile. We’ve now sailed 12 races at three different venues tallying 5 firsts, 6 seconds, and a capsize. Our capsize in the Chester River was violent in heavy air. The recovery was tough, too, in the rough conditions. It took several bailing attempts to get her back. We also “turtled” Lark for the first time in 24 years. Other racers who saw us said Larks’ centerboard looked like a giant shark fin (7 feet tall) sticking up in the air. We’ve won some important races including from this past weekend: The Sidney Covington Trophy, the Oliver Duke Memorial Trophy, and the Governor’s Cup.

Victor's son, Terry, one of our best boardmen on Lark, tips the Governor's Cup so Wood Frog can have a sip. Photo by Bowie Rose

It is hard not to recognize the fortunate situation we have on Lark with the crew. The bulk of our crew has been together for 15 years. The core of the crew has been together for 30. The newest crew members have grown up with the Lark, for they are our children. We sailed with six Lark offspring this past weekend. The regular crew helps to keep Lark competitive.

Victor in all his spendor, about to hug a crew member from Oliver's Gift. Pink "Brougham" in the background complete with palm tree. Photo by Nick Roper

Lark’s success reaches beyond who sails during the races. Our chase-boat crew is awesome. Victor, Tad and Ebby’s brother, uses his boat as Lark’s tender, towing us to and from the races and picking up the pieces (literally) when we crash and burn like we did on the Chester. Victor is, well,…interesting. He’s one hell of a nice guy, but a little difficult to label (see photo). Brougham, Victor’s boat, has evolved over the years. First there was a couch on the roof, then a living room, phone, exercise machine, palm tree, and the latest is a pink paint job. The chase-boat crew, especially, Judi, help in many ways from insuring we know the correct course to feeding us with brownies.

Island Lark skipper, Tad duPont, behind some of the prizes won over the weekend. Photo by Bowie Rose

This past month I have had privilege to bike with some new friends. Roy and I had an awesome 40 mile ride on the Fourth of July, hitting some new terrain for both of us in and around the Leeds Creek area. Roy is an awesome guy, a quick triathlete, and has a beautiful family. Later the same day we took his son, Sam, on Seabiscuit for a fast sail up the Miles River. The ego lap in St. Michaels harbor was cool too, especially, the tack in front of the Crab Claw. Roy gets to ride in Central Park during the week, and recently busted some ribs in a wreck there when a lady stepped into his path. Heal well, Roy!

Tim is an artist and was visiting locally for the recent Plein Air Competition. I borrowed a bike from Dominic for Tim to use (thanks, Dom!!). Last Friday afternoon we went for a ride to Tilghman. This was an introductory road-bike ride for Tim. He is recovering from knee surgery after a lacrosse injury last year. This guy is so pumped to be a triathlete. He’s already an athlete; lacrosse and mountain biking. He’ll make the transition into triathlete easily. Tim took first place in 3 categories at this year’s Plein Air, and sold all of his paintings for the week. Congratulations, Tim!! I look forward to our next ride.

Tim Bell's "End of the Day" painting from 2008. Photo from McBride Gallery

Though I am still contemplating knee surgery this September, I am managing 3 runs a week, two of which are with Katherine. She is training for the Rehoboth Beach Marathon in November, and I guess, I am too since two of my runs each week are with her. It is amazing to see Katherine’s speed increase. In our most recent run on Tuesday (see RUR blog) we ran with Mike, Shaun, and Andrew until we met up with Joel in San Domingo Creek. During Katherine’s fast intervals, I had a hard time keeping up with her. She was once a 5 minute miler. Hmm…

Rise Up Runners Andrew, Michael, Kat, Shaun, and Wood Frog on the St. Michaels San Domingo Wharf this past Tuesday morning. Photo by self timed MjK

There is so much to look forward to: New Hampshire and the White Mountains, The Samoset 10K in Bristol, Maine, lots of biking, an occasional Wednesday night race on Seabiscuit, and 3 more weekends of log canoeing with my buddies on the Lark. I am deeply appreciative of the many people in my life that make all these adventures meaningful and fun.

Friday I turn 45 and will be spending the weekend on the vintage racing yacht, Windalier, with my daughter Eleanora, our good friend Cole, our new friends the Bench’s (their boat), and Windalier’s crew as we race Friday night and into Saturday seventy miles down the Bay to St. Mary’s City in the Governor’s Cup Race. It has been 10 years since I last raced this race aboard my brother-in-law’s boat, Restless. I am happy to have this opportunity to share this adventure with Eleanora. St. Mary’s holds many great memories for me with the Restless and Nicole crews over the years. It’s historical significance, geography, and festive atmosphere strikes at every heart that sails ashore.

Sail, swim, ride, run, and appreciate ~

Success at Eagleman

Dan, Mike, Charlie, and I enjoying a post Eagleman meal. The day started off cloudy and cool and ended with breezy bright sunshine.

This year it is not difficult to pinpoint the success that Eagleman brought, not just to me, but to three of my friends who got the chance to participate this year because of varying degrees of my influence. The first is Dan, who signed on to Eagleman Half Ironman when registration opened last July. I remember convincing him that he could easily finish within the time limits, and how awesome it is to have this event in our own backyard. The second is Charlie, whom I asked to do the swim portion of EM as part of our Team Talbot Dudes. And, third, but not last, is Valliant, who made our TTD complete by manning the running leg. As the four of us were sitting in the shade after EM eating buffet recovery fuel, each of these "first time Eagleman dudes" was talking about next year’s Eagleman; how awesome is that?

Dan has a stunning write-up of his experience that I hope to link here for you to read. One of the lessons learned from doing these types of races is that one must be willing and comfortable with adjusting his goals; sometimes that means on the fly. Dan shows us how well it can be done. He nailed the swim (his most challenging leg) and bike, but encountered a similar situation as I did in the run last year…tough going. Still, Dan finished with style in a little more than six hours. He’s already set his time goal for next year and is ready to write the check for Eagleman 2010.
Charlie and others in his wave preparing to hit the water. The first turning mark (of 4) looms in the background as does the Hambrooks Boathouse.

SWIM
Charlie just graduated from high school and has enjoyed training for this event. He said, disappointedly, that he didn’t have any swimming goals now that EM was over. Eagleman holds a lot of weight for folks like us. It’s the biggest event in our area, bringing top notch professional and amateur athletes to a venue that is watched by the world. Now, at age 18 Charlie already has an Ironman event under his belt. Though he is on the summer swim team, the excitement that is Eagleman will loom large in his mind (mine too) for a long time, making anything less seem unimportant, initially. But, Charlie is a fine young man and he will give his best toward all endeavors he has in the future. At his age I wasn’t good enough at any of these disciplines to consider entering an event like EM. Charlie nailed the swim at 36:40 despite having major difficulties with his goggles fogging and not being able to see. His enthusiasm during the past month has been welcome by me; it has helped me know that I made the right decision to go relay.

Jena (closest woman), who is a fellow TCS teammate, and Charlie (without a cap) eye up the 1.2 mile Eagleman swim course.

BIKE
My goal was to have nothing in the bank when I returned to transition after 56 miles. Goal accomplished! There was no way I could have continued with a run after my ride; at least not without a half hour break. I sprinted on the bike for 35 miles, averaging over 22mph and hitting 25-27’s several times. That was cool, and I’m glad for doing that well for so long; it’s all part of learning limits, learning the bike, and pushing my body, mind, and spirit. But, then my legs died. They no longer had that extra punch to be able to lift my butt off the seat and push in a sprint. Nor did they have the power to pull back and lift on the second stroke. Add to that a wicked head wind, and I felt my average speed drop considerably. I suffered through the next 15 miles, but gained a second wind for the remaining six miles and finished strong. Ultimate goal was to try for 2:30. Lower goal was 2:45. My time was 2:42:44; I’ll take it. My time was second best in our division and fourth best in all the relays.

TEAM TALBOT DUDES, complete with finishing medals, pose for event day photo. We did not know the results at time of the photo.

RUN
I approached the relay transition area from an unexpected direction (yes, I got lost) after the bike ride. Valliant was standing there among the throngs of triathletes looking distantly in the proper direction. I was half running, half lying on the bike heading toward his right side. He could hear me calling his name, “VALLIANT!!” but he couldn’t see me. It was almost comical. As I staggered into him, we switched the timing chip, and at the last moment he remembered the bib. Off he went on his half marathon run. It was a hot windy run. I remember a time when breaking 2 hours in a half-marathon run was a big deal. Mike did a stellar job in Sunday’s conditions and finished with a time of 1:54:39, well under the predicted two hours. Mike instituted a policy years ago when we started running that we hydrate every 15 minutes. It’s a policy that I adhere to consistently. While he was restocking at the last aid station, he got passed by our competition for second place. Team Talbot Dudes won third place in the all male division relay teams and came away with three eagle heads; one for each of us. We missed 2nd place by 27 seconds. Where could we have shortened our time by 27 seconds? That could have been my water bottle malfunction at mile 20. Or, my running off the road at mile 51. Or, the damn slow triathletes in and out of transition; the people were walking…HELLO, PEOPLE, WE’RE IN A RACE HERE!! So much fun all this. I can’t wait until next year.

Ellie and Varszhan having a moment while waiting for me to exit transition on the bike. I did see them when I left, despite all the traffic.

Both my daughters and our friends volunteered for the event. Ellie and Liv helped stuff packets on Wednesday night, then returned early on race morning with our friends Varszhn, Becky, and Patrick. The five of them manned the Sandy Hill Elementary School aid station for the run. I think they had a wonderful experience.

Sandy Hill Elementary cup pile.

Eagleman has become nearly a weeklong event for me. Starting with packet-stuffing on Wednesday night, packet pick-up and expo Friday night, bike racking Saturday night, Sunday’s race, and the volunteer dinner Thursday night, it is over a week. Saturday, however, turned into an epic event for me:

I’ve decided that I’m a show-off. Last year when I went down for bike-racking on Saturday afternoon of Eagleman weekend, I was mesmerized by the few participants who were swimming the entire course...a day before the race! A half mile off shore, while a thousand people watched, you saw an occasional elbow lift into the air, then you'd catch the color of a swim cap glisten in the sunshine as the late afternoon sun was setting. It was beautiful, it was free, it was awesome and daring.

You could say that it was a premeditated swim, but I really did not know I was going to swim the whole course; and certainly not by myself. After helping Dan rack his bike in the transition area, I stripped down to my swim suit. Dan and his wife Cindy walked with me over to the beach at the beginning of the swim course. I bade them farewell and entered the water. There were four turning marks for the five leg course of the 1.2 mile swim. Each leg had intermediate buoys to help guide the swimmer along. There were a few athletes in the water swimming the first leg; most had wetsuits on. I went "pure" with my red suit (easy to spot if I got into trouble) and red swim cap from last year's Eagleman. The water was warm upon entry, but, I immediately got stung by sea nettles on my left arm and front of body. I was used to getting stung from the early morning swim in Oxford the day before. So, I said, the hell with it and kept going. When I got to the first turning mark I was alone and never saw another swimmer for the rest of the swim. It was my duty, therefore, to provide that stimulation for the on-shore onlookers. It was my elbow glistening in the sunshine as it raised high in a gentle rhythm far out from shore. It was me "alone" disturbing the shimmering water in the late afternoon low light. And, hopefully, it was me, the lone swimmer on the course, who may have inspired another (like others did for me) to step out of one's self and do something beautiful and daring.

I appreciate the many hours of instruction in form-technique the Galans have taught me over the last few months. I, literally, remembered every item at some point during that swim, and would immediately incorporate each into action for a time. There is beauty in open water swimming (OWS); there are no interruptions, no walls to break rhythm. That swim will go down as my favorite swim of all time. I felt confident in my form (though I know there is still a long way to go). It was warm, I was comfortable being alone, I felt strong and healthy, again, and I had all the time in the world for that swim. I felt it gave my body a great warm-up for Sunday’s bike race.

On Father’s Day I will slip out of Wittman at 4am and head to Assateague for the Assault Sprint Triathlon. It is an ocean swim from the beach; I’m so excited! Happy Summer and Father’s Day everyone ~ love, swim, ride, run, and appreciate every moment.

The Return

Some crazy lunatic finishing the Chestertown Tea Party Classic 10 Miler in under 1:20. Photo by TriSportsEvents.com

In the June issue of Outside Magazine is an article in the Bodywork section that talks about the connection between pain and depression in athletes. “Psychologists use a tool called a Profile of Mood States to monitor injured athletes. This is a graph evaluating tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and confusion.” This theory may explain much of what has been going on with me these past two months since the tendonitis in my shoulder deemed me an injured athlete. As many of you know our moods are sensitive animals. An injury which restricts our activities makes us “bears” to live with.

I haven’t been right lately, in my head. But, let’s just say it hasn’t taken much to make me feel down in the dumps; I’ve been very sensitive (more than usual for those who know me). I know it has been connected with my injury, but, boy, it has been tough. There have been a number of individuals who have been helping me get back on track: an orthopedic doctor, a homeopath, a neuro-muscular therapist, an acupuncturist, many physical therapists, and a father/daughter swim coach team. To their credit I am on the mend in all areas of my life, and there are successes to prove it.

How has this manifested; how about a 10 mile PR, a triathlon victory, and an upper 10% finish in a large sprint triathlon. I am pumped. Saturday, was the 7th annual Pocomoke Triathlon, a sprint race with distances consisting of 0.5 mile swim, 14.3 mile bike, and a 3.5 mile run. The weather was perfect: no wind, 79 degrees, and clear sunshine. I rocked the triathlon, or so I thought. I did end up 23rd overall and 5th in my age group out of 300 total competitors. I did a total reversal of my strengths. Though I ran sub 6.5 minute miles in the run, the run was my weakest portion of the triathlon. I was thrilled to have my bike be my strongest event, averaging over 22 mph. The half mile pond swim took me less than ten and half minutes and I was the 30th fastest of the 300 swimmers; that really made me feel good; and my shoulder.

A long time triathlete and childhood friend, David Judd, won our age group. David has amazing speed in all events. He has me looking to where I could reduce my performance on Saturday by seven minutes to be more competitive with him. I told him that I never thought I’d ever be doing triathlons, much less try to compete against him. But, there I was running the last portion when I saw the leaders doubling back on the run. Somewhere in 6th or 7th place was a “kid” I recognized from childhood running in the same wild, loping strides, with head down, that I remember so well from tackle football in Jon Fox’s backyard; it was David Judd. It was great to catch up with David and we talked about future competitions and possible adventures together.

The Rise Up Runner crew had a great showing at the Chestertown Tea Party 10 Miler, where many racked up prizes for the RUR team. Dominic, Brennan, and Katherine walked away with trophies. After my third attempt I finally broke the 1:20 mark with a 1:19.52. Valliant, Joel, Shaun, and Mike B racked up PR’s or close to it. It was an awesome morning that continued through the afternoon as Kat, Rob, and I spent the better part of the afternoon mingling in the crowds at the tea party.

On the next day “the Bieb” and I ventured to Horn Point for a practice sprint triathlon. It was there that Dan showed me what it is like to race on bikes. He buzzed by me in my 2nd mile and I gave chase the rest of the course on him. He showed me that I could sustain a higher speed than I though maintainable. I attribute that ride to my success in Pocomoke. Dan didn’t do the run portion of the Horn Point triathlon, which gave me only a few targets to pass during the bike and run. I went on to cross the finish line first, though no one was keeping time. Dan is ready to rock Eagleman on his new bike. He has done the homework, put in the hours, and is ready to pounce onto the Ironman circuit. Go Bieb!

I’m looking forward to the Assateague Assault Tri on Father’s Day; an ocean swim, wow! Meanwhile, Eagleman is in 10 days and I have to be ready for my cycle portion of our Team Talbot Dudes relay team ( more on the relay team later)

My injured shoulder has brought many good things and good people to my life. There is a silver lining to every cloud. Kicking in the pool for the Galan’s has given me endurance to excel in my biking and running. And, now that I am swimming again, a whole new world of possibilities is shaping up. Love, swim, ride, run, and appreciate what life throws at you ~ M

A Triple Crown and a Century

The Rise Up Runners crew for the Trail Dawgs Triple Crown Races in Delaware, April 25, 2009

Great things have been happening for me in my “active-life” despite my shoulder injury. Last Saturday I won first place in the Trail Dawgs Triple Crown in my age division. And, yesterday, I completed my first century ride on the bike. Today was the Nanticoke River Triathlon, which I was supposed to be in. Unfortunately, I still am unable to swim. Fortunately, I joined with Joel and “coached” him to his first Tri-experience at Nanticoke. It was a fun day.

First, here’s an update on my shoulder. I am getting some mobility and strength back in my left arm. I’m doing physical therapy. I hope to be able to start swimming again on the first of June. The big question is, “will I be able to swim Eagleman?”

Last Saturday started off rocky. I burnt my oatmeal at 4am, then had to leave the unburnt portion in my car as I abandoned Julius on the side of St. Michaels Road. Because a serious accident shut down St. Michaels Road for 3 hours, I had to hike out of the Bloomfield area and get picked up at Doncaster by my RUR gang.

Once to the race in Delaware Joel, Michael, and Shaun ran the half marathon, while Lori and I attempted the Triple Crown which consists of the half, a 10K, and a 5K. Shaun ran his longest distance ever; and in good time. Joel, Michael, Shaun, and I were all in the upper quarter of the 200-plus finishers. Lori won her age group for the triple. Both Liz and Robin arrived later and completed the 10K.
Me struggling to the finish of the second leg (10K) of the Triple Crown. Whew, I was tired!

Though I had a 35 minute rest after the half, I still managed to miss the start of the 10K because I was sitting behind the car relaxing. There was not another 10K runner is sight when I started. I had to feel my way into the woods where I came across a few runners, then the game was on. I caught up to Robin first, then Lori, then Liz. It was a tough run because I went at the half too fast; I was beat already. Near the end of our run we passed the 5K runners coming from the other direction, who had been wrongly started 15 minutes early. Lori and I were supposed to be in THAT 5k start. Ugg. Despite all that Lori and I placed; hooray!

Running the trails in White Clay State Park is so much fun. There is a major creek crossing at knee height, as well as, hills, wooded single track, unmaintained wooded single track, pasture trails, and more hills. All five of us got some degree of poison ivy on our left legs (potent little branch). I wonder if all 200 half marathon runners got PI?

Part of the century course of the Six Pillars Ride had us traversing the Transquaking River Bridge near Bespitch, Maryland. This bridge was only wide enough for one narrow automobile. The heads of the nails in the wooden planking were sitting up an inch. Photo from James T McArdle's photo stream.

Character Counts of Talbot County ran their inaugural Six Pillars Ride in Dorchester County yesterday. Under mostly cloudy and drizzly skies riders biked a 10, 30, 56, or 100 mile course. The century course took riders through Blackwater, Bespitch, and Elliots Island. It was an awesome course with very little traffic. The 50-mile-mark dog attack was scary for me. I actually had to come to a complete stop and was caught with my right foot clipped in as fell to the right. Luckily a mailbox broke my fall as a huge boxer-like dog and his 3 cohorts kept me hostage until the owner waddled out to the road to get the situation under hand. I said, “Is it safe?” and he said, “Huh?” I said, “Is it safe to go, now?” “I guess so?” This ride was a great confidence builder for the Vermont 200 ride Landy and I are doing in June.

Many of my friends participated today in the 3 mile swim and triathlon in Bivalve. You may remember my write-up last year of this race, as it was my very first triathlon. Though cloudy and cool, this year’s experience was wonderful for all, except maybe Dan who did not like getting beat up in the swimming frenzy. I think he felt violated. Ha-ha. Dan totally rocked this tri with a time under 1:20. Joel did his first Tri with great speed, too, even though he had the world’s longest transition, lol. Joel’s favorite part of the event was when he passed thirty people on the run (you make us runners very proud, ddp). I was happy to be there taking pictures, helping with the event, and supporting my friends. This second running of the Nanticoke River Swim and Triathlon was highly successful.

That’s pretty much the nuts and bolts of what’s been happening in my “active” world lately. I will continue to heal my shoulder in the hopes to be back in the water swimming soon. In the meantime I hope everyone loves, swims, rides, runs, and appreciates all that is good in life ~ Michael

New Perspective Through Injury

The Talbot County YMCA Master's Swim Team the "Manta Rays" posing with the Maryland Chidster Swim Series 1st Place Award.

I now have a coaching staff for my swimming. The problem is, though, I can’t swim. Eleven days ago I hurt my shoulder while swimming. Initially, it didn’t seem like a huge deal, but with further stress on my left shoulder later that day while moving stepping stones in my yard, things got worse. So, now, I’ve been to the doctor, had an MRI, been on medication, and have been treating it consistently homeopathically. I don’t want to go into how badly it hurts, but I do want to express what I’ve learned during this down time.

Over the past 3+ years nothing has stopped me from doing some sort of training; running, swimming, or biking. If one or two of them were not an option, there was always the third to do; it’s always been there. With this injury I’ve had to cut out all training in order to get the shoulder to start healing. It’s been tough.

I’m attacking this injury from the angle that it is a blessing. The first blessing is my renewed spirit of compassion. I’ve been so sensitive to what others have said to me with regard to my situation, it’s made me realize how important to have compassion towards others who are injured or are sick. It is so important.

The second blessing is my renewed sense of appreciation for life, abilities, and joys. It is all so fragile, yet, we treat it with such disregard at times. I’d like to keep this new perspective for a long time.

Thirdly, as you all know I have thoroughly enjoyed my swimming and have expanded into Meet competitions with the Master’s Swim team. Through the many times I’ve been at the YMCA for a swim workout, I came to know about the Galan family, a family of swimmers and coaches. Father Galan now coaches his son who is a freshman in college. Daughter Galan, Julia, is in graduate school and coaches individual master swimmers at the Y on the weekends. She, also, attends the swim meets for her swimmers on race days. I came to meet Julia at the Annapolis meet this winter, where she coached me through some of my events. Word got back to me that she wanted to start coaching me on a regular basis. I resisted because I recognized her style being different from what I had experienced through the Masters program. Being on the cusp of the Triathlon season, I feared changing my stroke would not be good at this time. How wrong I was.

This series of events is leading me into being a better trained and prepared athlete. The Galan’s assure me that with their techniques for swimming, I will swim faster with less effort and less strain on my naturally weaker parts of my anatomy…my shoulders. It is just a shame that I had to get injured to come to these realizations.

You see, I have been pulling myself through the water with my upper body. I have not been kicking; not utilizing my powerful legs and core. The Galan’s program builds the “engine”, or propulsion system, which is the core and legs through kicking. Through a rhythm of kicking, rotation, and pulling, I will become an efficient swimmer and not be prone to hurting myself. Though I am not “swimming”, I have in water workouts to do that focus on kicking and core strength.

Our last meet in Pasadena, Maryland was a fabulous meet where I did my personal best in every event. Of course two events were new to me. I was most excited to swim a 35 second 50 meter butterfly. This time last year I had never done the fly. Now I’m on my way to becoming strong in it.

A few posts ago I listed all the events on my agenda for this spring. With my shoulder injured, I have to reassess the list and be realistic. I will have to wait until next year to attend most of them. I hope to be able to do Eagleman, but I’m not sure. We are 2 weeks away from the Trail Dawgs Triple Crown Races. I hope to be able to attend and race. We’ll see. Happy Easter to all! Love, Swim, Bike, Run, and Appreciate Life! ~

Running Free in the Sun

With Africa's Western Sahara behind it, the sun rises on the Atlantic bringing with it a perfect snorkeling and running day in Hopetown.

Last week simply confirmed for me that I am a warm weather runner. Not that I don’t enjoy running in the cold; there is something very enjoyable about an easy winter’s run on a still, crisp, 25-degree day. However, there is nothing like running out the door into a sunny 80-degree breeze with nothing but a pair of tri-shorts on my ass. Yes, that’s what I got to do all last week while visiting the Bahamas with my family and friends.

I enjoyed multiple runs on the 7-mile long island known as Elbow Cay (pronounce as “key”). It is here that my family has visited for the past 6 years for a week in March. The weather can be somewhat fickle this time of year bringing anything from sun and warmth to gale force winds, rain, and cool temps in the 60’s. We got a taste of everything, but for the most part we had sun and moderate breezes.

My runs took me the length of the island. Our rented house was somewhere in the middle where I’d leave “aid station” supplies for me to hit after the first part of my runs. The terrain on the first 3 miles was mostly on dirt road which drifted by quaint oceanfront Bahamian homes, docks, and lush flowery vegetation. The later 10 miles were mostly on asphalt, except for mile 5 which is on the sand beach at the southern tip of Elbow Cay. I’d run with my iPod at times, and always with a water bottle. One of the luxuries of being away with no agenda was I had time to really stretch my legs and body before and after each run. This, I believe, helped me not to feel any soreness AT ALL in my body after 5 straight days of running 50 miles total.

The Hopetown gang paying a visit on nearby Man O War Cay.

Times with our friends and my family were so much fun. We snorkeled the first two full days we were there. I have sunburn on the lower backs of my legs, just below where my wetsuit stopped. My girls call me a geek with my sock-like sunburn. We each took a night to cook dinner, with the kids making dinner on our third night. It was awesome and here’s the photo to prove it:

The meal of shrimp kabobs prepared by our 13 and 16 year-old chiefs. It was a specail meal for us all.

The reefs are in great condition now with lots of new coral growth and many fish. Hurricanes from 7 years ago did a great deal of damage to the reefs that protect and make-up this region. It has taken this many years to see the replenishment of growth. Shell collecting is one of our favorite pastimes; it’s like treasure hunting.

It was good to spend time with everyone and still have time to stretch, do my T’ai Chi practices, and run. I even discovered songs on my iPod that I didn’t even know I liked.
This is my favorite new "form" taught to me by Dell, my T'ai Chi Teacher. The movement is called "Cloud Hands" and it gives an awesome feeling of energy and strength. On fair-weather mornings I would go to the Church patio which fronts on the ocean and do my practice with the rising sun warming my body.

On our first night in Hopetown we ate at the local waterfront pub, Captain Jacks. There was a guy there with a karaoke set-up. For some reason I was inspired to sing my first time karaoke in front of my family, friends, and total strangers. The four kids got up and gave it a go, as well. I sang four very diverse songs by the likes of All American Rejects, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, and Rob Thomas. I can’t say I was good, but I had fun, and perhaps I am glad I couldn’t hear myself.

The children singing karaoke to "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Loving Spoonful. What fun!

In swimming news, our Talbot County YMCA Swimmers, the Mantarays have won our state championship. So, as we venture to another meet this Saturday, we will have honors bestowed upon us by the powers at be. I hope to swim my first individual Butterfly event, as well as a 200 freestyle and another 100 yard Breaststroke. Then we have April to look forward to.

Love, swim, ride, and run ~ M

March Madness

Hanging out my window and looking over Wittman Park on the afternoon of March 2nd; madness!

March has been crazy as a March Hare. Between the snow storm of the first and second and the heat wave over the next weekend, it’s been great. It’s a wonderful thing to have activities to enjoy no matter the weather. It’s even more wonderful to have folks who share the same desires.

Joel, me, Mike, and Lori hanging out in Idlewild Park. Shaun and Sampson are taking the photo.

I drove Julius to Easton during the snow storm Monday morning to run with friends Lori, Michael, Shaun, Joel, and Joel’s dog Sampson. It was uncomfortably cold but made better by the company. Five days later I was hopping on the bike before dawn on Saturday morning to trek to swim practice. Watching the sun rise over Miles River was beautiful. When I came out of the Y after practice the warmth hit me, 70 degrees. On the way home I experienced two flat tires; a conspiracy; I'll explain:

After practice I hopped on the bike, grabbed a bagel at the B. Bakery, then headed home. By the time I got to Carrol’s Market I had my first flat on the back wheel. By the grace of God, the second flat didn’t set in until Pot Pie Road, though I could hear the debris stuck in the tire hitting the frame for the prior 3 miles. I learned a few weeks ago that if there is debris in the tire to leave it and try to get as far as you can. Last time I heard something in the tire, I stopped, found the staple stuck in the tire, and pulled it out. Then the tire deflated, duh, I pulled the plug.

I know this is a long story, but there is reasoning behind it. Upon inspection of the first flat while sitting in the warm sunshine at a picnic table at Carrol’s Market, I found the source of the flat. It was a metal sliver stuck in the tire. This sliver, upon closer examination, could only come from one source, an over pumped longboard. It seems there is a major defect in the ball bearings of the wheels on these boards. When the boards are over pumped slivers of metal peel off the bearings and are ejected from the bearing guides like BBOS and left on the shoulders of our “bike” ways in the county. It is a shame.

Then upon inspection of the second flat, I found a carbon fiber sliver. Yes, again the source came from these reckless “long boarders” who are taking over our natural vistas, shoulders, by-ways, pools, and blog sites. It seems, that when one of these, so called athletes, “carves a noogy”, they scrape a portion of the carbon fiber strength from their precious boards. Carbon fiber splinters are worse than wood splinters because of their unprecedented strength. The fiber in my new tire would have sunk a Coast Guard rigid inflatable. Shocking, I’d say!

So, what are we to do? I simply cannot put into words my disappointment. I’m afraid to go on the roads and train. I’m going crazy with worry. Dan and I only have 97 days left to train for Eagleman. What will happen?

My initial thought would be to do a post to the RUR website, but LOW AND BEHOLD, it seems the blog site has been taken over with the longboard crap. I was disgusted. Thank goodness I can voice my displeasure here, at least.

So, beware on the roads, my friends, you have been warned. The longboarders don’t seem to have an ounce of decency when it comes to littering our byways with splinters, slivers, shards, and chads. Who knows how this will affect our running shoes (I’d double sock it, if I were you). Tuckahoe seems to be the only safe place to bike and run in the tri-county area; at least for now, until the LB’s go Hummer on us.

If you are confused, I don’t blame you. There is a contingent of our running group that is also Long Distance Pumping (LDP) on long board skate boards. We like to give them hell.

Phinn loving the snow!

My buddy Phinn and I have been on several runs now, and the future looks bright for our young lab. He will enjoy many miles of unleashed glee when running with me; as long as he behaves.

Friday we’re heading to the Bahamas where “training-wise” in intend to up my weekly running mileage by 400 percent. I also hope to get several open-water swims in the ocean. See you in the spring…love, swim, ride, and run…Michael

The New Year is Happening

The Ladies on Pee Wee's Trail in the Tuckahoe forest during our Christmas Eve/Eve trail run.

This is the first New Year of my life that I start as a triathlete. It does not seem any different than in other years except for one major aspect: the desire to do a full Ironman…someday. What the heck is that? Did I really just type that? I must be oxygen deprived!!! I guess it must start with a desire, and things “happen” from there. We’ll see. It’s on the table.

What’s been the coolest part of training for and doing races (swimming, running, and triathlons) is meeting people. I start this New Year with a swim team full of new friends and a running group full of new friends. That is what I would call a successful year, and in that regard 2008 was a STELLAR year!

It’s the dead of winter, the wind is blowing, its been 3 weeks since my bike has seen action, weekly running miles are down to about 10, and I’m feeling sluggish. This has got to be a resting period for my body; a nice slow inhale before spring training takes a hold. Etched into my core is the weakness I’ve acquired for nice days. And, particular I am…nice windless, warm days. The danger I see in myself is that if a perfect riding day comes along, I’ll drop “my mother” to go for a spin. That’s both good and bad. I’m hoping the year 2009 becomes a year of “balance”.

There’s been some good things since I wrote last, too many to elaborate upon, so I’ll try to summarize:
· December 20th – I swam my second swim meet at the Catonsville YMCA. Our team took 3rd overall and we now stand in 2nd place for the state of Maryland. I personally took two seconds and a third in my individual events. My 100 yard breaststroke time was 1:19.66 seconds and I finally got under 30 seconds in my 50 yrd freestyle.

· I started leading workouts in the pool on Tuesday morning for the Rise Up Runners, yes, “runners” in the pool. It’s been fun to share what I’ve learned over the past 8 months in Masters. We’ve had as many as 7 in the pool swimming intervals. These guys are great!

· On Tuesday, December 23rd, I received one of my best Christmas presents: my two daughters, two nieces, and Lori allowed me to take them to the Tuckahoe trails for a 5 mile run. They humored me as the 6 of us tromped in the 22 degree, still air through the forest. We enjoyed Clif shot gels at the fishing bridge, and Olivia climbed in “Mother Hollow” for a photo op. We did the 5ish mile loop in just over an hour. The ladies were hardly winded. We celebrated our run by drinking milkshakes and eating grilled cheeses at Hill's Drugstore.

The smallest of the Ladies trying out Mother Hollow's hiding place.

· Swim workouts with the Stingrays is one of my most sought after times. The workouts have been challenging and I’m seeing improvements in my strokes.

· I swam twice while in Maine at the Boothbay Region YMCA. I’m thankful for that Y and their warm hospitality despite the sub freezing temperatures of the outdoors.

· My first run of the New Year was to Dodge Point in Maine in 5 degrees with wind-chill hovering around minus 12 degrees. The footing was on trail covered with frozen post-holed snow. Interesting. Other than when I was buried under the bedclothes, that cold run was actually one of the warmest moments I spent in Maine. Brrrrrr!

My next competitive event a large swim meet in Annapolis. I may swim in a 500 yard freestyle event, but we’ll see. Love, swim, ride, and run ~

Noble November

Rise Up Runners at Rehoboth: Laura, James, Dominic, Wood Frog, Lori, Joel, and Michael. photo by Liz

Surprisingly, November provided an incredible array of training and racing for my friends and me. I don’t generally think of November as a big month for racing, but with turning triathlete this year it’s now hard not to have some sort of race or adventure in every month. In addition to racing in my first swim meet this month (see previous blog entry), I ran a half marathon and a 10K. During Thanksgiving break (Wednesday through Sunday) I swam 3 times, biked 45 miles, and ran a 10K race. All except the bike ride include good times with friends. But, first, let’s back up a week:

The Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon is surely to become a yearly event for the Rise Up Runner crew. It was our first extended/overnight adventure as a team. Dominic rented a house for us in Rehoboth so we could relax Friday night, get a good night sleep, be at the race early, and have a place to shower and relax after the racing. In short we had 2 relay teams and 3 full marathon runners (7 runners in all). All were successful in achieving personal goals in the frigid weather we had on race day. Friday night saw a light dusting of snow (and near white-out driving conditions). I am most proud of my teammate, Joel, for running his first ½ marathon in well under 2 hours, and of Michael for running his first sub-four hour marathon and behaving afterwards like it was just another day in the office. There is a complete write up of our Rehoboth experience on the RUR blog.

My addition to the Rehoboth story is the deer hunter tale. While Laura and I were waiting on the bus at the ½ marathon transition station at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes and among the runners wrapped tightly in their neat running tights, shorts, and technical clothing, came a deer hunter in fluorescent orange and camouflage dragging a dead deer he’d just shot. He announced to those of us at his arrival that “his” was a real marathon of having to drag a deer ½ mile through the woods,” and that, “the runners need to be wearing orange, as well, because the woods were full of hunters”. I announced to the bus load of runners that our added challenge for our race was to “not get shot”. It was a mixing of two very different sporting worlds, of which I’ve been a part of both. To have them come together on a race day was very weird for me. The hunter was the “anti-athlete” as I was prepared to do CPR on him if he collapsed from his exertion. I would have much rather drag the 200 pound deer instead of him (250+).

"You have been warned, runners!" Photo taken on Joel's camera by WF

My run at Rehoboth was motivating. It actually has me thinking about running another full marathon, again. It is probably the first race of length that I ran negative splits. My last mile was in the 7:10 pace range which is fast for this old guy.

After the half marathon I had less than a week to be ready for the annual Run for Hospice 10K at the YMCA. The real treat for me was that my daughter and my niece both ran their first 10K with me on Friday. We were standing in front of the Y when the starting signal went off. I wanted to hang with them but they shouted for me to “RUN, we want to see you get the big W!” I didn’t have the heart to tell them I wasn’t going to win this race but I did kick it into gear after the first ¼ mile. I passed my last person in front of Waverly, and there I maintained 7th place for the rest of the race. I thought I was being challenged while in Oaklands, and I was, by a few fellows, but I was able to stretch it out and preserve my position.

Ahead of me were Mike Bickford (a solid 5th with a sub 42 minute run) and Noah Wood who snatched 3rd place at around 40 minutes. Mike ran 2 miles from his house to the start (that’s how Dean Karnases started out) that morning. Noah is always a happy face to see at the races. I’m glad he comes to the Eastern Shore to show us what its like to run fast. He introduced me to the winner, Ward, who ran the 6.2 miles in 37 minutes and change. Lori (one of the RUR’s) ran a strong 3rd place race ahead of my girls even though she had a tissue injury. Laura (our newest RUR) won the women’s division with a time around 47 minutes. My girls finished in 55ish minutes with a strong run to the clock.

Added features to this year’s record 300+ crowd race were a small running exposition with vendors in the gym, limited tee shirts (they ran out by the time we arrived, which is fine by me), and traffic police who stopped the cars and not the runners. It was a well run event with limited prizes (fine again by me) and the hope that they made a bundle for the good Hospice people.

Thanksgiving Day provided me opportunity to take a long ride on the bike while the family was sleeping in and having a lazy day before we headed to friends for dinner. Julius could be seen parked alone at the Cambridge South Dorchester High School parking lot while I was plying the back roads that snake through the marshes of Blackwater. It was an inspiring ride (I took it easy; 17mph average for 45 miles) with bright sunshine, light winds, much wildlife, and time to think. Though I can enjoy a solo ride, I hope to have company there for my next trip back to Dorchester.

Saturday morning saw 6 of us in the pool, including Landy, for a long strenuous workout designed by Glenn and Rachel, our coaches. We did forty – 2 minute intervals of 75’s, 100’s, 150’s, or in Glenn’s case, 200’s. Ten of these intervals included push-ups after 25 yards of butterfly stroke. Landy has a very strong butterfly and was racing Rachel (assistant swim coach at UM) who is killer underwater. Landy was king on the surface though.

I am finding my swimming is getting stronger and somewhat faster. More importantly, I am really enjoying it. I like the aspect of having friends in the pool and doing intervals with the team. The competition aspect keeps me focused and makes the time fly by. No matter what my speed is, there is always someone to race, some aspect of my form to concentrate upon, or some time to just feel the water, as the coach likes us to do. Landy is a great addition to our team, and I look forward to more good workouts with him and learning from him.

It's been a great succession of racing/training days. On the agenda: get back to Blackwater as soon as possible with some friends, December 20 swim meet in Catonsville, and Christmas parties. Love, swim, bike, and run...

The Trail is WET

Some of the Team TCY Masters posing during our Salisbury Meet on November 15th. From yellow towel: Coach Emily, Rebecca, Ona, Kristina, and Bill. I'm lurking on the far left. Photo was taken by Deena.

2008 has brought me many adventurous “firsts”: my first triathlon, my first cycling competition, my first open water swim, my first Ironman event, and our crew’s first time winning High Point on the Lark. While four of our newest Rise Up Runners were taking to their first Tuckahoe 10-mile loop this weekend on the trials, I was losing my virginity in a Salisbury pool. Yes, I competed in my first swim meet with the TCY Masters against, among many, the dirty Dogfish of Salisbury.

A common thread all these adventures have had for me is that they all involve connection with some wonderful people. Saturday in Salisbury was no exception. During our team practices there is little time to get to know the other swimmers, especially with the demanding workouts given by coaches Glenn and Emily. Saturday, not only, provided the perfect opportunity to get to know my teammates, but it also provided opportunity for our team to come together and support one another. As I was swimming my first event (which, by the way, was the very first heat, first event of the meet), both ends of lane 5 were filled with MY teammates (left goggle tearing up) yelling support for me. They also were there to tell me to stop swimming in that 200 yard breaststroke event; I had lost my length-count and started to swim an additional length after I had finished. Yeah, I know, I am very wet behind the gills.

I soon learned what it meant to cheer on a teammate. I loved being there. The event was well run and all the people were friendly. I felt a real cohesiveness to our team; of course, we were flanked in our team jackets. However, we may have been annoying during the Annual Meeting for the Maryland Masters. The meeting was held half way through the meet in order to have a captive audience. (By the way, if you ever want to hold a “short” meeting, make sure everyone at the meeting is wet and wearing next to nothing). The only business to attend was the election of the officers. Our very own Mark was up for election as Registrar. Every time his name was mentioned our team would start to cheer, like,… well,.. idiots. It was great. I think Mark may have been embarrassed.

These swimming-types don’t waste any time in starting an event. You need to know where to be and at what time to be on the blocks. They say, “Swimmers, step up, take your mark, go!” There is no 10 minute starting sequence like you have with sailing. Coach Emily made sure all of us were warmed up for each of our events and ready to take to the blocks on time.

Here are the events I swam:

200 yard Breaststroke 3:08
100 yard IM 1:24:40
50 yard Free 30.95
200 yard Relay Free 30.51

The relay was fun and different; a chance to really work as a team. Frank set the pace with his 50 free, followed by me, Bill, then Mark. We finished in under 2 minutes. Unfortunately, we were unchallenged by another men's relay team. The women's relay teams agreed to swim with us, and I believe, helped keep the pressure on us.

I felt strong and prepared for each of my events. The confidence I had came from the good coaching I/we’ve been getting from Glenn and Emily. It has made a tremendous difference for me. Though I cannot be compared to any of the top swimmers, I do aspire to be one. I am very happy with the progress I’ve achieved in the past year. The support of the team is a gift; so is the organizational effort many have put into making meets and teams happen.

I will spare everyone the gritty details of my thoughts during each of my events, like, “how am I going to swim this Individual Medley (IM) with my right goggle full of water?” or “How am I going to swim this 50 Freestyle with my left goggle full of water? Or “I have no idea how many lengths I have swum, much less which end of the pool this is?” or “I really wish I had swum another two feet before I did that flip-turn” or “did the lane-judge just see me make a one-handed touch on that breaststroke turn?” So, instead I will share some of the mayhem occurring in the back of the car on the way home.

But first, we must consider the car ride “to” the meet. My co-pilot and “navigator” was Patti, backed up by Bill and Lynda’s husband. Kristina, Deena, and Ona were organizing our next social event while Lynda and her husband were enjoying not having to drive, for once! As we were circling the Salisbury Zoo (we weren’t lost, we knew exactly where we were, duh!) Ona got on the phone to call Mark, our team captain, who was waiting anxiously for our timely arrival, “Yes, Mark, we’ve fixed the flat, and the zoo is beautiful in this late afternoon light, and we’ll be there eventually…”. Patti was saying, “Mike, I told you to turn at the Hardees, not the Burger King”. Another sighed, “Shouldn’t we have turned right back there?” If I wasn’t nervous enough about swimming, I was even more nervous that this Julius (my car’s name) load of teammates was in danger of never making it to the meet at all.

Cool heads prevailed and Julius got us to the Salisbury YMCA in time to wait for the warm-up session to begin. After the meet and the buffet dinner (great spread, by the way; those Dogfish can cook) someone found Jena’s wallet on the table where she’d been sitting. Jena had long ago left with her two boys (who were perfect young men during the meet). The wallet made its way to Julius where a discussion was in progress among the eight of us as to what to do. Meanwhile, I was trying to unravel our trail out of Salisbury in rain, “Isn’t that a sign for Route 50? Shouldn’t we have turned back there?” For all I know, they were passing the wallet around the two backseats like a hot potato.

Once again, Ona got on her phone. Somehow (I’m not sure of the facts here) we got hold of someone in our homeland with a SSPP School directory (where Jena’s boys attend), got her home phone, called her husband, some “splainin’ occurred, we got Jena’s cell phone number, and the call of relief was made just in time before Jena was about to slash the upholstery in her car in search of her wallet. She was parked outside the JC Penny at the Salisbury Mall. Just as I was about to turn onto the Route 50 on-ramp word came to the cockpit to change course for the Mall. Julius lurched across 3 lanes of traffic, nearly sending Lynda’s oversized luggage (it had wheels) through the side of Julius as we made our way to the rescue. Jena and her young boys were waiting at Pennys’ front door when the “team” rolled up in Julius. I think 16 hands came out the windows as a very thankful Jena graciously received her wallet.

Though there was talk about hitting some nasty bar in Cambridge (Bill seemed to know all about it) we made our way back to Talbot County in a relatively sober, yet giddy, mood; too much chlorine.

Congratulations to team TCY on a successful, well attended meet. Mark has us way ahead of any team at the meet on a per swimmer average basis. Thanks to Kristina’s bantering of the Dogfish, we may have come out on top. But, more importantly, thank you for making me feel like “one of the team”. Love swim ride and run…

PHINN

Phinn

Meet my newest training partner, Phinn. He's a 9 week old Black Labrador Retreiver, born on August 15th. It's been a little over a year since our best buddy, Luke, died, suddenly, while on vacation in Maine. It was time for us to delve into having another dog.

Luke and my daughter in the spring of 2007.

Phinn likes to sleep and follow me where ever I go. To gnaw upon he has his own block of wood in the shop, a pig's ear, tennis balls, and whatever else he finds interesting. Luckily for us, he seems to like people. He's been in the arms of every player of both my daughters' field hockey teams. It's no wonder he prefers to be carried on our walks (we're working on that).

The little bugger is smart. He's already learned to walk without tripping me. He even seems to sit at appropriate times. He's been sleeping through most nights and he know how to "hold it" until I take him outside. He's a real joy.

Phinn having his first serious thought about life.

I look forward to our first run together sometime next spring when he's old enough. I, also, look forward to our spring swimming with the girls in Eastern Bay and Harris Creek. He's already brought new perspective to our lives. I can't wait for the Rise Up Runners to meet our newest member.

Cape Henlopen Swim and Bike

The Bike Course for the Cape Henlopen Triathlon which Dan Bieber will do on September 28th.

What started out as a late-going (noon departure), overcast day turned into a brilliant day at the beach in Cape Henlopen State Park for Dan Bieber and me. We weren't on the beach a minute when we had a heavily pierced lady ask us about our form fitting tri shorts. She thought them to be some sort of warmth protection. She couldn't understand why we were wearing them under our wetsuits. I explained that we wear them for an entire triathlon, and normally wouldn't wear anything under our wetsuits, but because of the 100's of people on the beach we had to be decent. She seemed satisfied with the explaination. I think she just wanted to talk to Dan.

Donned in our wetsuits and wading through the throngs of beach families (my bad for not having a photo of us at this point) we entered the water and swam south along the shore, just outside of the break. Dan tended to pull right, taking him into the break at times, but that didn't matter for him as his speed and comfort-level has greatly increased since his Tri-debut last year.

Dan is training to "rock" this year's Cape Henlopen Sprint Triathlon, and this was our chance to help him get familiarized with the course and attain a certain level of comfort in the water, especially the ocean. The park is on a sand dune at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. Riddled with asphalt trails, pines, World War II embattlements, bunkers, and towers, the park spanned several hundred acres and seemed to be a popular peaceful destination for vacationers, cyclists, and runners. The ocean was calmish, but the water was pretty cool. Our wetsuits proved to be perfect for the conditions.

Wild dolphin, like the ones who were trying to attack me yesterday. Bad, Flipper, bad.

On our last round (we did 3 southerly laps of about 1/4 mile each) I unitentionally swam out to sea too far. When I looked for Dan, he was standing on the beach. So, I headed for shore. As I exited the water and turned around to look, there we about 50 dolphin swimming out near where I had just been. That could have been my closest dolphin encounter in the wild for both of us, man and beast. They stayed for a long time, sometimes jumping high out of the water, but mostly rolling as they were feeding on the evening baitfish.

Dan and I did the longest transition ever into our bike garb, then first hit the bike trails at the park, then out into to wilds of Lewes following the 15 mile race course Dan will do in 4 weeks. Dan's got good legs for the bike and hopes to improve his placement in the overall standings by 20 spots. He feels greatly more prepared than last year and a good bit faster on the bike and in the water.

After clean up and a change we hit town and had dinner (it was 6pm by now) and ice cream, got gas, and turned Dan's Jeep toward home. It was a great day, great adventuring, and great gains in training.