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 Swim
Comments: I knew before the race that the plan was for me and Ethan to start the swim about 10 minutes before the first wave. That would give us enough time to get out and around the first couple of buoys and, if all went okay, we would be coming out of the water in enough time to stay out of the way of the FOP swimmers. At about 7:25, the assistant director told us we could start. So I put the belt around my waist and began pulling the raft with Ethan into the water. There were still a couple dozen athletes warming up in the water so we tried as much as possible to navigate around them. We made it past the first two breakers without a hitch, but the third one caught us by surprise and almost dumped Ethan out of the raft. Barely 10 meters into the water and I thought I had already lost Ethan. Thankfully he was holding onto the raft grab lines and stayed in. The raft took on about 5 gallons of water, completely drenching Ethan (which he thought was hilarious and loved immensely.) With 300+ athletes standing on the shore while we started our swim, I really felt like all eyes were on us. I don't think many people knew what was going on, but as soon as we rounded the first buoy, I began feeling like we were making little to no progress. When I had practiced in open water a couple weeks earlier, there was a much stronger current that helped minimize the drag of the raft. On this morning, however, the current was not nearly as strong so I felt at times almost like I was treading water. The combination of first race nerves, the feeling that everyone was watching and waiting for us to complete the swim, and the absence of a strong current, all led me to expend a lot more energy than I originally planned. 10 minutes later and we were back to shore. At that point, as I was pulling the raft up to the sand, I was really working hard to catch my breath. A 10-minute swim was about the best I could have hoped for but it all came at the expense of using valuable energy. It would end up taking another 5 or 6 minutes before I had carried Ethan over the timing mat to officially end the swim leg and begin T1. What would you do differently?: Pace myself better. Try not to dwell on the thought that everyone else was waiting on us to start their race. Save more energy to get us up the beach and into T1.  Transition 1
Comments: The bike was already set up with Ethan's trailer attached. I first buckled Ethan into his seat and then put on his helmet. One of the race officials helped keep the bike steady while I was doing all this which was a big help. After I got Ethan settled, I then got my self ready. I put on my shirt, rinsed/dried my feet, put on my shoes (no socks), sunglasses, and helmet. I took a couple quick swallows of Gatorade and headed out of transition. What would you do differently?: Make sure the volunteers in the transition area knew what assistance I might need. The guy there that day was super-nice and immediately jumped in to help as soon as he saw the bike getting a little shaky while I was putting Ethan in the trailer. I think in future races I should be more proactive in asking for assistance, at least as a courtesy to the volunteers, and not expect (or react at the last minute) that someone will jump in to help.  Bike
Comments: I was looking forward to getting on the bike to calm my nerves, get my breathing under control, and even rest my body a bit. As hard as I tried, I could not escape the feeling that I had spent way too much energy on the swim and the run up the beach. Ethan and I hugged the right stripe (there was little to no shoulder along the route) and did our best to minimize our impact on all the other athletes who would be passing us. One of the best parts of the entire race were the constant words of encouragement we heard from all the other participants. Almost everyone who passed us (and that was just about everyone in the race) said something like, "Keep it up!" "You guys are doing great!" "Way to go, triathletes!" My favorite were a few guys who directed their exhortations toward Ethan and said "Way to go, Little Man!" It didn't matter if it was the FOP elites or the BOP Novices, everyone was incredible! What would you do differently?: I definitely should have spent more time practicing on the bike. I got in quite a few rides pulling Ethan in the trailer, but I just did not spend near enough time in the saddle. Before 4 months ago, I hadn't ridden a bike in 20+ years. I should not have expected to be fully ready for a 10-mile leg on just a couple months' worth of below-average effort. Transition 2
Comments: We got to T2 and my legs were in extreme disagreement with my unintentional decision to go all out on the swim. I racked the bike and detached the trailer. I lifted up the trailer on its back end, with Ethan sitting back in a rocket-launch position, and proceeded to convert the trailer to the jogging stroller. I then took off my bike shoes, donned my socks and shoes and removed my helmet. My last wardrobe adjustment involved wringing out my headband (love the Halo!) Unfortunately, I had given Ethan too much Gatorade at the start of T1 so he had been complaining about needing to go potty for the last 2 or 3 miles of the bike. With few options, I took him out of the stroller and walked over to the corner of the transition area, pulled down his shorts, and let him take care of business. Thankfully there wasn't a USAT official around - I figure there has to be a rule about that somewhere. I buckled Ethan back into the stroller and off we ran. What would you do differently?: Not much. All things considered, it was about as smooth as I could have hoped for. I probably would have paced Ethan's liquid intake a little better to avoid the extended pitstop.  Run
Comments: My legs were really feeling the effect of the swim and bike and I had very little left to give. Thankfully almost the entire run was shaded so it kept the temperature down (relatively speaking.) It was a challenge staying out of everyone's way - going and coming - because the course was on a sidewalk. I was constantly dropping the jogger wheels off the side of the path to let people pass in each direction. But, just like on the bike, everyone was so encouraging. I never really felt like we were a hindrance and, even if someone had to wait an extra second or two to pass, there were no sighs of frustration or words of mumbling. As we finally approached the finish line - much later than I had originally hoped - it was such a great feeling to know that we were crossing the line together as triathletes. Jennifer and the girls were standing there alongside the final straightaway cheering loudly. Ethan put his hands up into the air in a "champion's pose." I mustered the last remaining bit of strength I could find in my legs and ran as hard as possible to the line. We did it! Ethan as the heart, me as the body, God as our strength - we had just finished our first triathlon! What would you do differently?: I did a LOT more walking than I planned or wanted but I just did not have the energy to keep up a jog. That was very frustrating since I had worked so hard on running since the first of the year. But like I've read throughout the BT forums, running is not something you just pick up and get better at (same for biking and swimming.) It can take years to build a foundation and some level of comfort at all distances. How very true! Post race
Warm down: Since we were near the end of the participants finishing the race, we had a little bit of time to grab a couple snacks and drinks and talk to a few friends who had come out to the race. We told the grandparents goodbye and thanked them for coming out to cheer us on. I went back to the nearly empty staging area and began moving my gear back to the truck. It felt so good knowing that we had just finished our first race. Within just a few minutes the awards ceremony began. I wanted to thank Chris and his team one more time for the opportunity to participate in the race so it was a great experience to hang around and hear the results. I was in awe at the finishing times of the top athletes in each category. Most of them completed the course in almost half the time it took me and Ethan! All of a sudden, we heard an announcement that Ethan had won the Physically Challenged category! Chris asked over the PA system if we were still there. Way in the back of the onlookers I quickly waved my hand to let him know that we hadn't left. I picked up Ethan from his stroller and began carrying him, making our way through the crowd. And then, the coolest part of the entire day: the place went crazy with clapping and the loudest cheers - and it was all for Ethan! Everyone had been clapping for the top finishers in each category but nothing like this. All of the other athletes and spectators were going crazy. I made sure Ethan understood that everyone was cheering for him and he could not contain the pure, unfiltered joy beaming up, down and across his face. He was smiling the biggest smile from ear to ear. No one stopped cheering or clapping until we had made our way to the front, received our "first place" medal and then returned back to Jennifer and the girls. It was a moment that we will never, ever forget, for this was the day that Ethan won! What limited your ability to perform faster: Simple: training. After only actively pursuing the triathlon sport for the last 7 months, we shouldn't expect to be able to compete at anything above a novice level right now. It is great to dream about the day when we'll cross the finish line before a dozen other participants, but today we are just concentrating on getting more comfortable with completing each leg of the race. Event comments: What an awesome experience! What began as a dream two years ago and turned into a commitment 7 short months ago, had now become the first phase of reality on this beautiful Saturday morning. Before closing, I would be remiss if I did not say "THANK YOU" to some very special people who helped make this day possible: First and foremost, to our God: the One Who made us and loves us; Who saved us, is saving us and will continue saving us; Who has never left us and will always be with us; Who is still shaping us to be more like Him; Who is (thankfully) still working on us. He is the reason we live, the reason we breathe and, now, the reason we swim, bike and run. To Chris and team at DRC Sports: for this very special and unique opportunity to make our first venture into what will hopefully be a long, rewarding journey into the sport of triathlon. You didn't have to say "Yes" - we are so grateful that you did. To my beautiful bride, Jennifer, and my two princesses: we couldn't ask for a better support team and cheering section. You make us so proud to be your husband, Daddy, son and brother. We love you! To Ethan: my son, my teammate and my hero. Thank you for letting me take this incredible journey with you. I love you so much more than you will ever know. I hope that with each stroke and stride of my arms and legs you will see just how un-impossible any challenge can be when we face it together. Profile Album Last updated: 2009-07-20 12:00 AM
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United States
DRCSports
85F / 29C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 320/320
Age Group = PC
Age Group Rank = 1/1
What an exciting day! My son, Ethan, and I had been looking forward to this morning for a long time. Ever since I first heard about Dick and Rick Hoyt (aka Team Hoyt), I knew that Triathlon could be one of those wonderful "things" that Ethan and I could do together and call our own. Now that first morning had finally arrived and, for better or worse, we were ready for our official initiation into the triathlon world.
I woke up at 4:00 AM to start the day. I planned on going to the race site early to set up all of our equipment (raft, bike, trailer/jogger, etc.) and let my bride, Jennifer, and the kids sleep a little longer. The plan was for them to join me at the race about 30 minutes before starting time.
I started with a light breakfast of toast with peanut butter and honey and a cup of coffee. I had loaded the truck with most of the equipment the night before so the only thing left were the drinks, food and bike.
I arrived at the race site about 90 minutes ahead of race time. I began inflating the raft which I knew would take about 15-20 minutes. I got some interesting looks and questions from the other athletes close by but I don't think anyone really knew why I had so many extra "things" beyond the requisite bike, helmet and backpack.
I got my timing chip and body marking from the check-in volunteers and then proceeded to transport all of my gear to the transition area. I attached the trailer to my bike, set out my two pairs of shoes (no way I was going to try the flying mount with my bike shoes already clipped in), filled a small dish tub with water to rinse my feet in, and laid out a towel. Thankfully we had a bike rack all to ourselves as the gear quickly began to take up a good amount of space.
I then got the raft, tow rope/belt, and Ethan's life vest and headed down to the beach. I was supposed to find the race director ahead of time to go over a few specific logistics for the race. I found Chris (the director) down by the water making the last minute preparations.
Although we had only spoken on the phone a couple of times, he immediately recognized me (I'm guessing the raft, rope and life vest I was dragging probably helped identify me as someone other than a regular race participant!) Chris told me he wanted to start us in the water about 10 minutes ahead of the first wave so the lifeguards could keep a close eye on us. He asked if there was anything else we needed to get ready and said that he would look for us a little bit later. Chris pointed me toward the entry point to take the equipment, wished me luck and shook my hand.
I got back up to the parking lot around 6:55 and met my bride who was arriving with the kids and her parents. I was so excited to see everyone since I had spent the last 3 hours alone getting ready for the race. Now that the other half of the team and our cheering section had arrive, I felt a bit more at ease.
Ethan was excited to see me as well and extra-excited to give me a card for the big day. Inside the envelope was a "music" card that had a picture of Superman inside. When I opened the card, I heard a short message Ethan recorded - "I love you, Daddy" - followed by the theme music from the Superman movie. That was the perfect reminder of my awesome responsibility as a father and, on this day, as the body for our team.
At about 7:10, we all headed down to the beach to get ready for the start. I put on Ethan's life vest and sat him down into the raft. One of the lifeguards came over to introduce himself and asked what we needed from him. I asked that he keep a close eye on Ethan just in case anything happened. The water was very calm so I did not expect there to be any problems, but I still wanted the lifeguards to know that I obviously could not watch Ethan the whole time I was swimming.
I put on my goggles and swim cap and got into the water for a bit of a warm up. I just swam a few meters out and back to get used to the water and try to calm down my nerves. I knew it was about time to start since all of the participants had come down to the water from the pre-race meeting. I knelt down beside the raft and prayed with Ethan, asking God to watch over us and give us an extra measure of His grace for the next couple of hours.