Podium Multisport Blog

By Abby Mowinski

All in all, it was an amazing experience. SwimRunNC is definitely a “runners” course -- (swim)RUN. I am eager to test myself at an event that is a bit more heavy-handed in the swim, and am hopeful that SwimRunGA will offer just that. Hands down, the best part of the entire experience was making a friend in Allison Leppke. She is an incredible athlete and, more importantly, an amazing person. As we made our way through the race, she embodied quiet strength – staying positive the entire time as we pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zone. So, thank you, Allison, for joining me on this crazy adventure!

A well earned and much enjoyed beverage following SwimRunNC

Lessons learned, equipment hacks, and suggestions:

Both Allison and I had wrapped up triathlon season just a few weeks prior to the SwimRunNC race, leaving us limited time for race-specific training. This is definitely the type of race that begs for race simulation practice. It is also the type of race that having prior experience is advantageous.

Equipment:

Swim Cap (provided): We chose to keep our caps off for the runs, and I believe this was a smart move from a temperature regulation perspective. Certainly race day conditions will dictate what is best.

Goggles (TYR SpecialOps): I chose to wear mine around my neck and did not find that irritating. SpecialOps are my go-to open water goggles.

Wetsuit (Orca SwimRun Core): We were very happy with the wetsuit design. It was not cumbersome at all to run in. Also, the Core fits true to size based on the website’s measurements. We didn't take the upper body on and off for the runs, instead used the front zipper only for ventilation. In retrospect, pulling the top down to the waist for the run may have been wise, but it is hard to pull those puppies off big swimmer shoulders.

Paddles and Pull buoys (Strokemaker): We opted to use both, affixing the paddles to our water belts and the pull buoys to our thighs. These were also the sources of our only equipment fails. The rubber tubing of my paddles popped off with each water entry, leaving me fumbling at each start, and our buoy straps broke as well, but fortunately not until the latter half of the race. More MacGyvering necessary…

Waist water belt (iFitness): Not essential but nice assurance that we had water and extra nutrition available at any time.

Socks (Swiftwick crew length): I obsessed more than necessary about my sock choice, but was happy with my decision. I am blister prone and love Swiftwicks, but wanted a taller model than my typical no-shows to keep any rock, gravel, sand out – and these did the trick.

Shoes (Icebug Zeal): Light-weight, aggressive traction for slippery rocks, minimalist, water resistant, well drained trail shoe – all excellent features for a SwimRun shoe. I did myself a disservice by not training in them and, being accustomed to max cushion from my Hokas, did have a fair amount of discomfort in my feet both race day and several days following.

Underneath: BodyGlide; sportsbra, and Coeur fitted running shorts. No issues.

In summary, I whole-heartedly recommend this race. The race directors went out of their way to create an incredible and memorable experience. We were updated and kept informed for several weeks leading up to the race, the course was exceptionally well marked and volunteered, not to mention visually stunning, and the competitors’ safety was always a priority. So congratulations to SwimRunNC on a spectacular debut!

By Abby Mowinski

Finally, the long-promised race report from the inaugural SwimRunNC that teammate Allison Leppke and I tackled on a beautiful North Carolina morning on October 30. Admittedly, part of my foot-dragging to write this blog was not only because my feet, babied by Hokas all summer, physically hurt after racing in minimalist trail shoes, but because this race was HARD, folks. And sometimes it takes a lot for me to admit that things are hard for me. Simply put, this race served up a healthy dose of hubris. However, emboldened by the race reports of some of our accomplished competitors who had the guts to state outright that the race was challenging, here are my thoughts and experiences.

 Abby and Alison the day before the race.

Roughly 30 miles north of Winston lies the home of SwimRunNC - Hanging Rock State Park - a gem of a park featuring beautiful waterfalls, unique rock formations and outcroppings, and sweeping vistas. Team ATL Amphibians met up at the mandatory pre-race meeting, held at the Green Heron Ale House, which also served as the start and finish of the race. The race directors provided a detailed overview of the course and rules of the event. The driving theme of the meeting was respect – respect for your safety and that of your fellow racers on a challenging technical course, respect for the preservation and health of the trails, and respect for the event, as we were all serving as positive ambassadors for this emerging sport.

This was not your neighborhood 5K. Everyone out there had arrived with purpose and ambition – clearly a field of seasoned and competitive athletes, hailing from all over North America. The race directors talked us through the course, highlighting the technicality of the descent from Moore’s Wall, urging us to be smart and not break ankles (prompt eyebrow raise from both Allison and me). The course breakdown was as follows: a 4.5 mile single-track uphill run from the Ale House to Hanging Rock State Park, a 2-loop 500m swim in the lake interrupted by a short run around the periphery of the lake and a short swim across the dam, repeated twice, then a 1.7mile trail run approach and ascent up Moore’s Wall to the highest point of the race (and surrounding terrain), a 2.2 mile descent back to the lake for a repeat of the 2 sets of 500m lake swim, a return 4.7 mile trail run, and finally a 800m shallow river swim/slosh/scull in the Dan River to the finish. Essentially, the race elevation profile was a mountain – a steady climb of 2,200 feet of vertical gain for the first half and then the equivalent descent for the return trip. Daunting? Yes. Doable? We thought so, and it was too late to change our minds anyway.

We arrived at the race the following morning with ample time to spare. The general mood was controlled enthusiasm, perhaps somewhat subdued, or better, reflective, as teammates stuck together, helped each other pull on their wetsuits, and gathered gear from the beds of their trucks. As the clock neared 8:00 AM, teams quietly chatted and smiled for photos. Our race strategy was simple – start off conservatively (not really knowing what we had in store), work the swims, and stay safe. The gun went off and, two-by-two, the competitors took off down the gravel road which very quickly funneled into the woods and single-track. In retrospect, Allison and I should have lined up more aggressively at the start, as it became very challenging to pass teams in the first several miles due to the bottle-neck, but by the halfway point and return trip, the crowding had thinned out such that Allison and I were alone for the entire final run.

The first 3 miles were hands-down the hardest part of the race for me. The combination of running in a wetsuit plus the steady uphill gradient equaled a big spike in my core temp and heart rate. Due to my prior hospitalization for heatstroke/rhabdomyolysis earlier this season, this was a profoundly worrisome place for me to be psychologically and physically. I had hit the “what the hell was I thinking” and “please let Allison forgive me” point. Fortunately, at about the 3.5 mile marker, we hit the first of the waterfall climbs and that permitted a mental refresh and change of pace which helped tremendously. Not long after that, we made our approach to the lake – the first of the swims – and our comfort zone.

I had been anxious about the 50 degree water temps in the weeks leading up to the race, but, holy smokes, the water felt absolutely amazing! In addition to the myriad of details that the race directors perfectly executed, the swim entry/fuel stop was one of the best. Music pumping, volunteers cheering, and race announcer on the loudspeaker, the enthusiastic atmosphere provided the perfect energy boost. Allison and I donned our caps and goggles, rotated our pull buoys into place, unclipped our paddles, and headed into the water. Despite some equipment issues with my paddles at the entry of each swim, Allison and I quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm, swimming side-by-side with impressive synchrony. Our matching swimming ability and pace made the swim legs very easy to execute.

Each swim exit provided a temporary challenge to overcome dizziness likely brought on by the rapid transition from horizontal to vertical and the abrupt change in temperature. Fortunately, it was short-lived, and I was able to shake the unsettling sensation after roughly

200 yards or so.  After our two big swim loops, we were informed we were holding third place and we hit the trail that led to the Moore’s Wall climb, the most serious gain of the race. The Wall offered a series of 640-plus rough-hewn stairs carved out of the monadnock. Thanks to the awesome Navy guys several yards ahead of us shouting out each stair count, we knew just where we were at with each step. Allison and I quickly realized that running the steps in their entirety was not only inefficient but damn near impossible, so we “power-hiked” several portions of the climb. We were overtaken by the third place women’s team during the climb and held our fourth position till the end.

Spectacular views

For as challenging as it was, the climb afforded us a spectacular view (and photo-op!), as well as true sense of accomplishment as we gained perspective of the distance and height we had traveled thus far. We guzzled some water and were re-energized, knowing that it was truly “all downhill from here.” The descent from Moore’s wall was rather rocky, rooty, twisty, turny single-track and both Allison and I kicked into “self-preservation mode,” leaving our inner billy goats out to pasture. While we still maintained a steady click, we jointly decided not to cannonball down the mountain and had fun from here on out. I, for one, had loosened the shackles of competition and just enjoyed the ride. As we made our way down, approaching the lake for the second series of swims, we passed several hikers, who were so kind and supportive, sending us smiles and words of encouragement. The swims went by quickly and, before we knew it, we were back on the trail for the last 5 miles of running. We didn’t see any other competitors during the entire return run and were thankful for the immaculately marked course, as we could have easily convinced ourselves that we had veered off trail.

The final leg of the race was an 800 meter river swim in the Dan River, which we had initially planned on being our money leg. Due to the drought, however, the river levels were quite low, mid-calf to knee-deep at most sections. It was definitely easier and safer (slick river rock underfoot) to traverse with the river than to wade, but instead of swimming it was “baby sea turtle crawling” mixed with sculling and some fun sections of feet-first eddy surfing. I laughed the entire time. 

As we approached the Green Heron Ale House, we saw Rogue, Allison’s awesome boyfriend, on the bank, directing us to the shore. A final climb from the river, we ran the up the stairs and through finish line hand-in-hand, elated and relieved. I think the pictures at the finish line really capture that sense of accomplishment. We ended up placing fourth in the women’s division – and, having never attempted a race like this before, were incredibly proud.

By Angela Nelms

Through my IRONMAN Six Pack journey I have figured out quite a few triathlon hacks. I realized that many of you do not know these “secrets” – time to release the recipes!

 It’s All in The Bag:

Did you know that Ziplocs come in lots of sizes!  Since they are clear you can easily check, recheck, rerecheck, … as many times as you want, by simply rolling them around in your hand or by opening them and closing them over and over and over.

Big Bags: Via Amazon Prime you can order 3-gallon size bags and have them delivered to your home while you are out training. This size is perfect to make up all of your race bags ahead of time. In fact, I leave my stuff in them and then place them inside the IRONMAN bags so I don’t have to worry about rain or tying (and untying, in a hurry, in transition, when I am truly racing) the IRONMAN strings.

Sandwich and Snack Sizes: Forget trying to tear open that gu, energy bar, twizzler pack (no judging!) while biking or running. Instead make up some baggies and put your snacks in them. They are super easy to open with one hand and your teeth and equally easy to close back up. I even use these to group together my lube, chapstick, morning goggles/fog wipe/Imodium/ear plugs, and travel sunscreen into packets that I can grab and quickly stuff into my jersey/tri top to rock out some quick transition times.

Tiny Pill Bags: CVS, Rite Aid, and various other drug stores carry the tiny pill bags. I use these to pack my protein salty balls, Imodium, and other tiny snacks.

Slick Tricks, Lubes, and Powder Power:

Blisters, chafing, and saddle sores are sure fire ways to make your life pre and post race miserable. Some of the best preventative methods I have found are:

TriSlide: Many people use this for wetsuits but forget it is AMAZING for preventing chafing in lots of random spots (think bra lines, trishort waistlines, necklines). Another added benefit for those who change clothes…your bike/tri shorts will slide right on your sweaty body if you spray your legs with Trislide.

Lubes: Include travel size tubes of Aquaphor in your baggies described above. This way when you are out on the run and notice a rub you don’t have to wait for the next nasty jar of Vaseline everyone else is dipping into. My friend Susie squeezes some of her favorite chamois cream into a Ziploc and then when she needs to use it she opens it, turns it inside out with her hand, applies it…without getting any on her hands.  Brilliant I say!

Gold Bond Powder: Pour this into your cycle and running shoes and socks ahead of time to absorb moisture and prevent blisters.

Stand Out from The Crowd:

Decorate your IRONMAN bags with brightly colored Duct Tape, motivational words, and gift wrap ribbon so that when you enter transition YOUR bag will stand out in the sea of a few thousand identical bags. It helps for bag pickup as well.

Eliminate Clothing Malfunctions:

Everyone needs a friend willing to check out their “assets” while riding a bike/running to let them know if it is a bit too visible.  Secure your timing chip with a safety pin. Tuck your tri top into your shorts to eliminate the annoying creep. If your socks have true right and left versions place them into the correct shoe ahead of time.

Mental Super Power – Activate:

Create your own motivation by writing your personal mantra words on your nutrition bags, gear bags, hands, arms, legs, and tattoo them in your mind. I said words, not word. Each race is different and what speaks to you and your circumstances will vary too. On the race I messed up my bike nutrition the song, “Cups” played over and over in my head (look up the lyrics) – I laughed. When my beautiful IM MT course was stormy, cold, and no fun at all I told myself, “I do NOT quit”. During a gorgeous IM FL run I sang, “It’s a beautiful day” and “Six pack or bust” (it was my 6th IM and those were Sherpa Susie’s parting words). The point is YOU should not depend on your love ones, Sherpa, or the crowd to motivate you.  Do it yourself! You are an IRONMAN after all!

Smile:

This is the kingpin of hacks. When in doubt – smile. When scared – smile. When tired – smile. When you see a camera – SMILE.

This was fun! Good luck on your IRONMAN journey – expert hacker!

by Michael Warshauer

Why do it? Why be a triathlete? Why live a life of laundry baskets overflowing with running shorts, sweaty shirts, and bike shorts?  I'm not fast. I might not ever be on the podium in a big triathlon.  I AM sore a lot.  Sometimes my wife gets angry at me when I go to the basement at 9:00 pm to get my workout in. Triathlon is expensive too - a fancy bike or two, swim club membership, entry fees, travel, massages, and coaching. It adds up quickly.  But it's way cheaper than golf at Pebble Beach or dove hunting in Argentina. And, thanks to sports, I can wear business suits I bought from Muses!  Muses has been out of business for more than twenty years.  How many golfers can wear a twenty-year old suit?  

I like being fit, and I like where I am.  But really I think I do it because of where I don't want to be.  I don't want to have a sharp mind and a failing body.  Something that has been highlighted to me recently.

On the Fourth of July I enjoyed a fun 10k known as the Peachtree Road Race.  I was looking forward to a relaxing day after. Instead, I got a call that my 94-year-old step father was in the hospital; so to Northside Hospital I drove. He had a sprained ankle. I understand senior citizens fall. There’s a whole industry based on fall prevention and rescues for senior citizens.

But this was the second fall and hospital stay in just as many months.  Since then, there has been a third fall and yet another trip to the hospital.  Again, I get it: old people fall.  But this cantankerous, brilliant, witty, old man has no other maladies.  Perfect blood pressure.  Perfect mental state.  If we are playing trivial pursuit, he is the secret weapon I want on my team.  He was a college history professor – Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins.  A Fulbright scholar.

But he has never exercised. So when the doctors prescribed physical therapy after his first fall he wouldn't do it. He flat out refused. Even when he was in a rehab facility for a month, he fought every day with the therapists. He'd never pushed himself physically.  He had no experience working out and being physically challenged.  He was out of his comfort zone before he got started.  So after the first fall and hospitalization, when he returned home he didn't walk everyday like he was supposed to. And when the physical therapists knocked on his door he turned them away. "I don't want to do it and you can't make me."  

He got weaker. Still sharp mentally, still not taking a single pill. I'm sure that he worked his butt off to become a first chair violinist accepted at Julliard, and scholar, but our brains are only part of our bodies.  But he had never exercised.  With no exercise his second and third falls were inevitable. Indeed, when we finally left the hospital after his last fall he backed out of the promise he made to the Emergency Room doctor to work with the physical therapist before we even got out of the car.

Our brains rely on our muscles to cart them around. Gus, that's his name, is withering.  He's dying not because his mind, or heart, or liver is failing. He's not even dying because he's approaching a century of living. His most probably cause of death will be he's going to fall down due to weak muscles.

A brilliant mind lost to a weak body. Science tells us that we are never too old to benefit from exercise. But, despite pleading and begging I can't get Gus to workout.

I can't teach a 94-year-old dog new tricks.  And I'm angry about that. And turning my anger to action.  I don't want to be that dog.  If I'm lucky enough to avoid cancer and heart disease and senility, I sure don't want to die because I don't know how to workout!  So I'll keep doing it until my mind fails.  It's the least I can do for a brain that's done a pretty good job of helping me raise a family, earn a living, and be a productive member of society.  

I wrote this some months ago – in the interim Gus has finally started working out – a little – but enough so he could get to the symphony.  So, maybe, just maybe, the old dog has learned that with pain comes gain. He may not be running a 5k soon, but he may be able to continue to enjoy activities he enjoys such as the symphony. It’s something I hope that all of us can keep in mind as we too work towards the century mark.

by Sean Kilpatrick

After three years of seminary, countless books, and hours upon hours of contemplation, I am still unable to tell where one ends and the other begins. The question is, how are the Father, Son and Holy Spirit three distinct aspects of the one triune God? Are they three, or is it just one?

I ran across a similar predicament in my first year of triathlon as well. Is this three separate sports, or, is it just one sport with three distinct phases? Whereas theological conversation would have you jumbled up in the differences between ousia versus essence, or in layman’s terms, substance versus quality, I found that there was an easier answer to what connected the trinity of triathlon: transitions.

In a sport built upon the endless chase to knock off precious seconds, transitions are for many the place where needless time is wasted and lost. Athletes around the world spend hours upon hours analyzing and dissecting their swim form. Thousands upon thousands of dollars are spent on the all-important aerodynamic features of a bike. Miles and miles are spent running through the rain, winter weather and the beat of the hot summer sun. How much time do we as triathletes spend practicing and perfecting our transitions? For about 95% of us, I think the answer is quite clear: we don’t.

What is your order of operation when entering T1 or T2? Don’t know it; well, now is the time to figure all of that out. Although transitions may not be as important for long-course athletes as it is for the short-course ones, knowing the steps of shoes, race belt, helmet, sun glasses, etc… may end up being the difference between standing on the podium at the end of the day or standing on the side taking pictures of the podium. How you enter and exit each transition, in addition to what goes on when, may be a personal preference, but without practice it will continue to resemble the flailing of a newborn giraffe awkwardly clomping their way to the mount line.

Much to my surprise though, once you hit the bike or the run, your transition is not yet over. Although I once believed that the entire motion of triathlon consisted of 6 distinct stages: swim, T1, bike, T2, run, beer, I have now found out that it is not that easy to break up the race into nice neat portions. With that in mind, the transition phase of the triathlon appears to resemble more of the murky waters of separating and uniting the features of the Holy Trinity. Transitions do not just happen in the transition area; they happen before and after.

If you have ever noticed that your heart rate is through the roof as you begin the bike, you will know what I am talking about. If you have ever noticed that your legs feel like dead weight, or bricks as you start the run, this will all make sense. For obvious reasons it is much easier to practice your brick runs than it is to hop out of the pool and go on to the bike; however, when does your transition begin? You prepare for the bike while still on the swim? Do you prepare for the run while still on the bike? Although there is no proven one-size fits all technique for preparation, being prepared and finding out what works for you in order to avoid jacked-up heart rates and dead legs, in addition to highly ineffective yet entertaining awkwardness is key to entering the next phase of the race.  

So as many of you now enter the off-season phase of life and begin to look at race calendars and training schedules for next year, spend the time to insert some transition practice in your week. It could be the difference between 1st and 2nd; see attached photo :)

By Tony Orru

Once on You tube I watched a video showing triathletes trying to make it to the top of a very steep hill in Maryland. It was epic watching them: some made it to the top while other didn’t. That hill was Westernport Wall: an ascent with a 31% max grade. The race was Savageman; and this is my story.

Tony previewing the climb

Why Savageman: After two 70.3 I was looking for a very tough one, I wanted to find one of the toughest 70.3 which was also an iconic race.

The course:  The race location is in Western MD, close to the border with WV. It is in an amazing and beautiful place: the lake is clean, the water pristine, and most important the only flat part of the entire race.

The 55.7 bike course is very technical as the descents are fast, narrow, and twisty. They require a lot of attention because are they very unforgiving and it is easy to reach and pass 50 miles per hour. The climbs make a total of 6,700 ft of gain, all of which are consolidated over 30 miles. This means there are very high grades (up to 22%), and you can expect rolling hills after the major climbs are over.

How to earn “The Brick”: If you ride without stopping the 1.2 miles of Westernport Hill (12% average grade and 31% max grade) you earn a brick with your name engraved and placed at the top of the Hill.

A few of the people who have earned “The Brick”.

The Hill: The climb itself during the race is a unique experience with a very loud, colored and excited cheering crowd at the top, all this while they play Rocky’s song “Gonna Fly Now”.

Just a few of the characters that cheered racers to the top of the wall

Proper training and gears it is the way to get the Brick. It is absolutely doable. But it takes work. On the 31% section my max wattage was 539 while I reached 193 heart beat per minute. I was all out and do not remember much of those 30 seconds.

Tony may not remember the moment this picture was taken, but he sure did train for it. 

The run: As if the ride wasn’t enough, the run has over 1,600 ft of gain in its 13.1 miles. Some hills have grades up to 15%. It is relentless.

How I trained: I started riding hills early in the season, reaching a peak the last 3 months before the race. In the month of August, I did 25,000 ft of gain in one month, and I was keeping the rides within 50 to 60 miles. I was always trying to build 5,000 – 6,000 ft of gain at least each ride, but many times I went over 7,000 ft. Hogpen East and Brasstown bald are the hills I rode the most.

Rides in the mountains were alternated with intervals on the trainer:  5’, 10’ at VO2 max and 20’ at FTP.

I kept the same approach for the run. My long, hilly runs were always after a ride in the Gaps. I was alternating tempo run on rolling hills with long hill repeats.

Bike set up: I raced on my road bike with low profile aluminum Mavic wheels, 34 cassette with a Shimano long cage derailleur, and a Shimano compact crankset. A special thank you to Podium Multisport for the technical support and fine tuning of my bike.

Time and Result: 07:01:11; 13th out of 37 in my AG, 100th OA out of 215.

by Nathan Nowak

This year I had the privilege of competing on the U.S. Draft Legal Sprint National team at the 2016 ITU Short Course Duathlon World Championships in Aviles, Spain held on June 4th thru the 6th.

Nathan in the parade of athletes

The entire trip was more than I had anticipated. Competition is competition and racing is racing, but the difference is you are at the World Championships where the best athletes from the world come together to compete.

The host city of Aviles was overly excepting of all the foreigners coming in to their town. The locals were quite friendly and hospitable and not to forget patient with my lack of Spanish.

The team manager had scheduled several group rides for the team to ride the course before the race. While out on the course, we had a police escort blocking and slowing traffic for us. This gave us an opportunity to really let loose on the technical parts of the course.

Nathan and Stephanie savoring the experience

The parade of athletes (nations) and the opening ceremonies were also something I'll never forget. There were spectators everywhere cheering for all the athletes. Another really special part was that Stefanie was able to walk with us during the parade. We got to experience this together which made it even more memorable.

Many of the previous USA team members said this was an extremely large crowd for the event. As we entered the main area for the opening ceremonies, each country was announced and the crowd cheered.

There were a few moments, I have to admit, I got a little emotional. It was hard not to while remembering all the struggles and hard work to get to this moment. It was finally here!

Race Day

I woke up on race day a little before my alarm. I had one of the best nights sleep since being in Spain. I was relaxed and calm. It was "just another race." Stefanie and I walked to the venue early. There was hardly anyone out on the streets. It was quiet as we made our way down the old cobblestone streets. I went to transition first to make sure everything was set up and to go over my pre-race checklist.

This was the first year for draft legal racing in the age group divisions. This made the race special since it was the first. The three sprint groups would go first. I was in the second of the three.

Nothing left to do but warm up and get ready for racing.

This was the first year for draft legal racing in the age group divisions. This made the race special since it was the first. The three sprint groups would go first. I was in the second of the three.

As they called our group up the start line, I remember thinking, this is it. "Give it everything you have today, buddy!"

One of the moments that will stick with me is one motivational speech from Tim the team manager and COO of USA Triathlon. He said, "There are lot of people who can't do what you do and would trade places with you in a heart beat if given the chance. Don't take this opportunity lightly!"

The race

The race went well for my first Worlds. ITU World Championship Sprint distance races are 5K run, 20K bike and 2.5K run. Throughout the race, you could hear the chants of USA, USA, USA... Go USA. It didn't matter if you knew the people or not, but to hear them calling out my country and knowing they were there to support me and the team was a heartfelt experience.

I had set goals for each leg of the race. I didn’t take into consideration the amount of walking we’d do in the days leading up to the race. My legs felt a little heavier than expected during the first run. I trained to run a sub 20 minute 5K. That was the goal, but it didn’t happen. My bike split was fast and on time for my goal. I was able to pack up with a group of GB guys (Great Britain). It made it a lot more fun being able to draft. We worked well together pushing the pace and driving the group faster. I ran the last leg as if I stole something. I remember hearing Team USA spectators yelling, you’re almost there. As I came across the finish line, chest pounding, legs shaking and the feeling of wanting to puke, I knew, I had nothing left. I gave it everything I had during the race.

With racing aside, this experience allowed me to meet people from all over the world. In such a short time, I was able to connect and build friendships that will last well after the race is over.

Stefanie and I are truly grateful for the opportunity we had and for the many of you who donated and supported me on this journey.

by Abby Mowinski

I used to brag about how swimming and running were such a better deal than cycling…all you need is a swim cap and goggles or a pair of running shoes. So what happens when you put those two together?  Apparently, with SwimRun, the sum is greater than its parts.

 The Equipment:

 Since these races are point-to-point, everything you want and need for the race is required to be on you at all times. Whatever items you start the race with, you must end the race with. Additionally, unlike triathlon, there are no transition zones between the disciplines. Due to these requirements, participants either use specialized equipment or simply MacGyver what they already have on hand.

 Abby MacGyver-ed out and ready for anything

The Basics:

(1)   Wetsuit: At press time, this weekend’s SwimRunNC water temps are measuring at 59 degrees (lake) and 52 degrees (river). Clearly, the wetsuit is an essential piece of equipment for the swim, but in this race, it needs to be designed for miles and miles of overland racing as well. Allison and I will be wearing the Orca SwimRun Core, which has a number of features that optimize its use in these conditions. The Core is a shorty that has a front zipper which allows the wearer to ventilate to better thermoregulate during the run, an integrated pocket for carrying nutrition, and extra elasticity in the shoulders and between the legs to facilitate good rotation and freedom of movement.

Allison and Abby wearing their Orca SwimRun Core

(2)   Shoes: The search for trail shoes that were lightweight, buoyant, offer great traction, and minimize water pickup led me to IceBug and their Zeal RB9X model. The SwimRunNC course boasts some impressive scrambling up waterfalls, so this Swedish shoe, designed for purely off-road pursuits, fit my needs. That being said, the shoe is quite minimalist, and as a pronator with a history of plantar fasciitis, I am logging the vast majority of my training miles in my regular trail shoes and have saved the Zeals for dress rehearsals and the actual race.

The Extras:

(1)   Pull Buoy and Paddles: Due to the drag created by the shoes and any additional carried weight (ex. hydration belt or pack), a pull buoy that is secured to the thigh so that it can easily be transitioned to the outer thigh for the run and hand paddles are often used.

A little ingenuity to secure the pull buoy to the body. Secure, stable, but able to be adjusted for swim and run.

Allison modeling the extra hydration and swim equipment. Notice the running shoes as well. 

The Training

As far as training and preparation for the race, I have switched the majority of my road running to trail in the past few weeks. My favorite route is what I call my “Ohio run” at Stone Mountain: a loop on the Cherokee Trail around the base, followed by a run up and back down, followed by another loop around (what’s round on the ends and high in the middle?). In the pool, I have been pulling sets of 300s-400s with my shoes on, then jumping out and running laps around the pool deck.

Between uncompromising work schedules, kiddo activities, and family commitments, finding time to schedule SwimRun partner training with Allison has been challenging to say the least. However, we have knocked out a few joint trail running sessions to find our groove on the land and a pool practice in our Orca SwimRun Core wetsuits to get a feel for our pace side by side. I am happy to report that matching our paces on the trail and in the water has been rather effortless (that, or Allison is going easy on me, which is a strong possibility).  We have also done “remote dress rehearsal training” -- Allison at Red Top, GA and me in Lake Keowee, SC to simulate the race with all of our gear.

Current water levels indicate that much of the swim portion of the course may end up being too shallow to swim, so the ATL Amphibians may not have the opportunity to showcase our strongest suit. That being said, we signed up for a challenge and an adventure – and there is no doubt that SwimRun NC Will offer us all that and more. Heck, the best part of all is that I’m coming out of this with a new friend -- and that, as we all know, is priceless.

by Philip Hauserman

2016 has been a year of change.

 New job, new house, and a new baby. Not to mention a two-and-a-half-year-old with an ever-changing definition of how much sleep is necessary for her parents to function. Personally, this has been an incredibly fulfilling year. Athletically, this has been an incredibly difficult year. I’ve had to learn to adjust athletic expectations, which certainly hasn’t been easy (especially for a Type A competitive perfectionist like me). Sure, I’ve turned in some pretty good results this year, but I only had the opportunity to race three times. And I had to miss my “A” race as a result of a hectic schedule.  

Philip being cheered by Ashley and his daughter at Chattanooga 70.3

In the process, though, this year has been a great experience that has given me new perspective on a variety of things. Here is what I’ve learned:

1)     Change is good. Repeat after me, Change. Is. Good. Now say it seven times fast. And louder. Still not convinced? I wasn’t either, until I had no other choice but to change my approach to work, life, training – you name it. It’s kind of like a new bike fit – you don’t know what you’re missing (or how comfortable you might actually be) until you let go of old routines and habits and start fresh. That doesn’t mean throw everything out the window, of course, but it does mean that you should embrace change where change is the best possible route to success.

2)     Routine is just a seven-letter word. It may sound crazy, but hearing that seven-letter word was almost as comforting as the act itself. For the last seven seasons, I did my long bike ride on Saturday and my long run on Sunday. It just worked with family schedule. This year, however, I was forced out of my comfort zone and into a new routine, which was essentially “do whatever you can, whenever you can, for as long as you can.” After years of saying “quality over quantity,” I actually started to believe my own advice.

3)     Fitness is more than just physical fitness. Moving out of your house and into a 900 square foot apartment for seven months with two adults, one child, two cats and one dog was just one piece of the accumulated stress puzzle. The others? The death of a long-time mentor, the aforementioned renovation, a mid-year job change, managing a two-and-a-half-year-old, getting ready for baby No. 2, and ultimately becoming a family of four. Each of these life events produced a certain amount of stress and strain that added up over time, creating a mental and emotional exhaustion that carried over into physical activity. To most, I probably seemed like my normal self, but it wasn’t until late July that I went on a long bike ride and the miles finally ticked by like seconds as opposed to hours. Sure, I was in great physical shape, but it took me a long time to clear my head and stop thinking about…anything. That’s when I discovered how to breathe, take it all in, and manage what I could and let go of what I couldn’t. Easier said than done.

Emma embracing the opportunity to run with Dad!

4)     Embrace opportunity. Opportunity comes at different points in all of our lives. While I didn’t have (or create) the athletic opportunities I have come to expect of myself over the past several years, I had wonderful opportunities to excel in other aspects of life – being an even better husband, father, son, employee, colleague, neighbor, friend, etc. The list goes on and on, with “triathlete” being a characteristic rather than a defining quality. Ultimately, the past 10 months helped me achieve an even greater balance, though at times it felt like anything but.

5)    Triathlon isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and neither are my teammates. Last year I wrote about how triathlon is a “team sport.” That belief was reinforced if not solidified this year. My teammates at Podium Multisport always seemed to know when I needed a pick-me-up (or a complete bike change two days before a race), but that’s another blog for another day. See all of the above on how to deal with that; also see (read: praise) Matt and Co. for making it happen on time and without issue.

Friends and teammates can help embrace the changes and worthwhile stressors life can bring. 

As much as we may want to, we can’t always control what life throws at us. What we can control, however, is how we use those challenges to grow. By those standards, 2016 was a great year. I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings.

By Kelvin Davis

On September 25, 2016, I competed in the Augusta Ironman 70.3 race along with over 2,000 other brave individuals.  This was considered to be my "A" race for the season, so my plan was to really devote myself seriously to training, eating well, resting when required and "sticking to the plan".  

 As "Iron" Mike Tyson so eloquently put it once; "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face".  For me, this summer has been that way.  Because of my job, I have had to travel at least 3 weeks out of the month for the past 4 months.  That and other life changes really tested my ability to stay focused and to keep my motivation for training up.  I had to do way more solo training than I've done in the past and now have an even greater appreciation for the camaraderie, support and friendships that the tri community offers all of us.  Especially my Team Podium crew! 

Kelvin on the bike at Augusta 70.3

To keep up with my training, I had to do bike workouts on various spin bikes in random gyms all over the country. This is not good for the knees!  I swam in some very small swimming pools, and ran in a variety of places.  Getting lost on a run, at night in some random town is not fun!  These experiences also taught me how to get creative though.  I'm much more savvy about what type of hotel to book, finding running paths, and locating local gyms than I ever thought possible.  If anyone ever needs a good gym recommendation in Fargo, ND, let me know!  

Even with all of the chaos of traveling and training, I felt like I'd done enough to really be prepared for the race.  Which according to all the races at Augusta in the past, the weather would be perfect, the swim would be wetsuit legal, the bike would have rolling hills and run would be pancake flat.  

As everyone probably knows by now, the race was not wetsuit legal (first time ever!), the bike course was changed to include more elevation, and the run, while pancake flat, the heat made the run more like running in pancake batter. 

What made the race worth every minute of it though was the Team Podium folks.  I was really happy and proud to be a part of this team.  I got more than a few shout outs on how awesome our kits are.  I loved hearing the cheers and encouragement from our fellow team members, and even though I had to walk a bit during the run, every time I got close to the Podium tent, or saw a teammate, it inspired me to pick up the pace, smile and keep pushing on. 

Once I finished the race, I started to reflect on all it took to get there.  I'd like to say I was overcome with joy at the accomplishment, but the truth is, I just felt relief.  Relief that I made it through and intact. At least for the most part.   I also felt relief that I didn't have a heat stroke and relief that I didn't have to drink anymore Red Bull. I hate that stuff!

Next race season I'll have a wealth of information to draw from to race better, travel and train smarter and keep living a fuller life!  

By Abby Huggins

Triathlon season is over for this girl. Time to take a break, regroup, and enjoy the off season, right? Apparently not the case this year, as I switch gears (or better yet, drop gears altogether) and shift my focus to preparing for the SwimRun NC event in Hanging Rock, North Carolina in a few short weeks.

Frankly, it's all Tony’s fault. If my Podium teammate Tony Orru hadn't posted the amazing video of the OtillO event in Sweden, I would never have known that such an incredible event existed. Watching that video got my blood pumping like that Nike alarm clock ad does (man, it gets me every time), and I knew at that moment that I would jump on any opportunity to compete in a similar event.

For those of you unfamiliar with SwimRun, it is a relatively new endurance event, spawned from a bet in Sweden in 2002 with the OtillO (Island to Island) race. Each course is unique in its distance and terrain; essentially the topography determines the specifics of each given race. The race rules, however, are the common unifying theme. It is a team race with 2 athletes per team, and the teams can be composed of all male, all female, or gender mixed. The teammates must be within 10 meters at all times and must race with the following mandatory equipment: a wetsuit, waterproof map holder, safety whistle, and First Aid pressure bandage. Because participants swim in their trail shoes and run in their wetsuits,  it is also recommended that competitors race with swim hand paddles and pull buoys. The caveat is that you must carry all equipment with you from start to finish.

At present, only two such events exist in the US: the Casco Bay SwimRun Maine (held this past August) and the SwimRun NC with its inaugural race the last weekend of October. When the NC race was announced, I immediately thought of Allison Leppke (Atlanta Triathlon Club race team member) as my perfect partner. Both Allison and I come from a strong swimming background and both love to run. We pace very similarly as well; remarkably, regardless of the distance of the triathlon event (sprint, Oly, HIM), our swim and run splits are often within seconds of each other. For an event that requires you to be within 10 meters of your teammate at all times, this sets us up nicely.

To enter the event, there is an application process for which the teams must submit a list of their past 24 months of racing accomplishments. Fortunately, we were selected on merit and Team Atlanta Amphibians was born. We  will toe off for a combined 14.7 miles of total running and 2900 meters of swimming on October 30.

As for race-specific preparation, the clock is ticking. Admittedly, up until today, I have been focused on triathlon season. Granted, swimming and running are already part of the base I have established, but swimming in trail shoes, running in a wetsuit, and switching between these two disciplines multiple times throughout a race are entirely new skills to master. Additionally, these skills need to be practiced with Allison, so we can approach this race as prepared as possible as a team.

by  Michael D'Antignac

Last year was my best triathlon season ever.  Working with my coach, I focused on Ironman Chattanooga: my first full iron-distance race.  Several months of solid and consistent training allowed me to not only complete that race in my goal time, but to also set a IM 70.3 personal best and snag multiple age-group podium finishes in shorter distance races earlier in the year. Things could not have gone better.

Michael on the Podium in 2015 at Tugaloo

This year has been much different, however.  An exciting new job has meant longer hours at the office, including most weekends.  The demands of my new gig, combined with an already hectic family schedule, have left me worn out and with little time for training.  Of course, I was determined to figure out a way to keep training and racing as usual.  We are all busy, right?  So, once the “off” season ended, I tried to pick things back up again.    

Michael in the office. A common occurrence this year.

After a month or two, it was clear something had to give.  I was running myself ragged trying to find time for workouts, and not doing a very good job of it.  In a matter of weeks, I missed more workouts than the entire previous year.  The missed workouts led to guilt, poor performance, and stress.  Instead of making life better, it felt like triathlon was making things worse.  It wasn’t fun. It was work.

Straining to make time for something that is not fun wears you out, causes stress and illness, and doesn’t involve a pay check is generally a bad idea. Especially if you’re a 40-year-old age grouper with a wife, two young kids, and an intense new job.  So I did what previously would have been unthinkable.  I decided to take a year off from triathlon.  

Now, to the non-triathlete this probably sounds like a perfectly sensible and easy decision.  But to me it was a big deal.  Triathlon has been a big part of my life and identity.  I love this sport and stepping away from it is hard.  But I have no doubt it was the right decision.  

If there are changes in your life that are making it hard to find time for triathlon, here are a few things to keep in mind as you decide what to do:

Make the Decision That is Right for You:  The most important thing is to make the decision that is right for you and your situation.  For me, that was to take some time off.  For others, taking time off may be the wrong call.  My friend Katie Kilpatrick is a great example.  As detailed in her recent blog entry, Katie is racing better than ever this year despite getting married, starting a new job, and being ordained. Doing this required her to make other sacrifices to accommodate triathlon.  Katie’s decision was right for her, while mine was right for me.  The key is to make the decision that works best for you.  

Don’t Beat Yourself Up:  If you decide to take a break, don’t waste time beating yourself up over it. I say this knowing it can be easier said than done.  It took me a while to admit I needed a break.  It felt a lot like quitting, and triathletes don’t quit.   In fact, we spend a lot of time mastering the art of ignoring the little voice inside our heads telling us it’s okay to quit.  But taking a break when you need one isn’t quitting.  It’s smart.  You don’t get points or a prize for running yourself into the ground.

Stay Active:  Taking a break from triathlon does not mean sitting around doing nothing.  Although I’m not signed up for any races, I still swim, bike, and run.  In fact, I still have a coach (who has been very supportive and helpful) and scheduled workouts.  Only now, the expectation is that I will do the workouts if and when I can.  If I have a crazy week at work, I might only get a few early morning runs in or nothing at all.  When things settle down and I have more time, I will do more.  Staying active and healthy should be non-negotiable.

By Freddie Betanzos

I came to triathlon from a not-to-traditional avenue: inline speed skating.

When younger, and contemplating recreation sports, I wanted something more challenging and unorthodox. After some research and polling friends and family, I met a friend that invited me to a local skating rink for a birthday party.  I ended up trying out the races at the party and seemed to have a knack for it.  I was approached by a local coach who invited me to come to a speed practice. Of course I did! And… I loved it. Speed skating had all the things that I had enjoyed about the traditional sports: Team atmosphere, speed, strategy, tactics, and camaraderie of athletes with like goals; without being traditional.  

Several years later, I had been a part of many different teams that traveled around the U.S.: competing in invitational, regional and national competitions. My “knack” was in the shorter distance events and when I say short, I mean really short, like 500 meters or less. So imagine very short, violent efforts of about 45 seconds in length. So, not a lot of time for strategy, race tactics or anything else once the gun had fired.  But it did provide that burst of adrenaline and a constant challenge of racing at high speeds in very close proximity, trusting everything to the inner edge of 5 wheels.  

I was offered a chance to attend the Olympic Training Center to compete at the 200 meter parabolic “banked” track that sits in the infield of cycling Velodrome in the valley of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs.

 I was there, training and competing from 1988 – 1992. The USARS (US Roller Sports) was starting to push to make roller sports a part of the Olympics.  Up and coming talent from each of the regions in the U.S. would come out and compete against the current U.S. “World” Team.  

At several of the banked track training camps, I would ride with the athletes that were there for the cycling camps. Since we inline skaters used cycling to cross-train in the off-seasons, this felt right at home.  During this time, I began watching televised broadcasts of both the Tour de France and Ironman on ABC Wide World of Sports and ESPN. More speeds planted.

USAC (Now USARS) was the governing body for inline speed skating and they were reluctant to “sell” inline speed skating to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as a single event, so all inline athletes with aspirations of competing in an Olympic setting had a decision to make: stay in a dead end sport or convert to ice, which was already a Winter Olympic event.  Ice would give you a short or long track option, but this meant moving from the South to the Northeast for 4 years and leaving family and friends; all in hopes of an Olympic bid in a transition sport.  I decided that any thoughts of an Olympic experience ended.  I continued competing at the regional and national levels for a few more years, and even a trip to the ESPN X-Games in Rhode Island in 

1996,  before retiring from the sport.  

Memorabilia from Freddie’s X-games experience

After hanging up my in-lines, there was something significant that was missing; I had a void that nothing seemed to fill.  I began to find my enjoyment of being on sort of a team, in a competitive and active environment once again when I bought a road bike and began riding with some of the local group rides.  

Then while going through some old boxes and I found some paper work that I had printed off way back in 1990.  On this paper, were all of the details about an Ironman event: the distances, time cutoffs, rules, etc.  It also had some calculations and very rough projections of my thoughts about how I might be able to complete one of these crazy races. Remember, I was a 500 meter specialist, not a 140.6 miler.   As I looked at the papers and my notes years later, I thought: what about now?  I am older, wiser, and I had now ridden several century rides. If I could ride 100, why not 112?  I thought about the swim and run on either side of the bike.  

The gears were turning. And ANYTHING is possible, right? I made the leap. And now, many IM’s later, here we are: using different tactics over a longer period of time, but loving the same aspects of sport that took me to speedskating: team atmosphere, speed, strategy, tactics, and camaraderie of athletes with like goals. I completed my first HIM in 2006, and first full in 2010, and going strong in both still.

By Katie O’Dunne Kilpatrick

What would it look like to just swim/bike/run/eat/sleep everyday? While it sometimes seems like this would be absolutely magical, we each have a great deal going on outside of the sport we love so much. Oftentimes, training happens very early in the morning or late in the evening due to work commitments - as something has to pay for new race wheels or the latest Garmin. Many of us also have amazing families that we love care about and other aspects of life that are incredibly important.

The past year of my life has been packed with more firsts than I could have ever imagined - new job as a chaplain/teacher/coach, engaged, ordained, married, bought a house... This amazing year filled with such new excitement could have been the death of my triathlon career, and yet I am racing better than ever before.

Katie racing in good form and having a solid year. 

Here are a few tips from my experience of how to train when life gets in the way:

1. Create a Plan

In order to make it happen, you need to have a plan. Every Sunday night, I sit down and plug in the planned training around events of the coming week. Sometimes these events are bigger than others (AKA a wedding), but I do my best to fit the workouts in around whatever is going on. For me (as a short course/draft focused athlete), this is almost always 2 track workouts, 2 Energy Lab workouts, 1 long run, 1 longish (for me) bike, 3 bricks, and 5 short swims.

2. Be the Proper Amount of Flexible

As the week unfolds, this plan doesn’t always work out as planned. It’s really important to be flexible, but not too flexible. It’s important to hold yourself to a high standard and not fall into the trap of saying, “well, there isn’t an Energy Lab in St. Lucia on this honeymoon, so let’s just not do anything.” Instead, be just the proper amount of flexible. In St. Lucia, we signed up for a mountain bike tour, but upon realizing they were only going to take us on 3 miles of riding, we just spent a ton of time running and open water swimming. Even without bikes, we came back with solid races 4 days later and 2 overall awards. I believe it’s possible to be flexible while still improving fitness in whatever way you can.

3. Make Every Session Count

Even when you make a plan and try to move things around, sometimes time just doesn’t cooperate. With my new job, I often arrive at work very early for prayer services/teaching and stay very late coaching cross country/track. As a result, I really cut down on my “junk miles.” Each session became short, appropriately paced, and had a purpose. I not only found that I was able to train more effectively, but my body was less tired from less volume. For instance, with only really 6 minutes of time to brick after Energy Lab, I’ve started running one HARD mile. My legs have been even more brick ready than with my 30 minute slogs.

Ready to run HARD...and out pace the camera shot!

4. Get Up Early (REALLY early)

Despite short sessions, sometimes you just need to set that alarm clock to ridiculous times. No triathlete is a stranger to early mornings, but sometimes getting up an hour or two earlier than earlier is necessary to fit in one more session. As difficult as it can be, I have never regretted waking up early. The morning of my ordination, I road Stone Mountain in the freezing cold/dark with Sean and my dad. My mom told me how much I would regret being tired on that special day - yet I didn’t. I have only ever regretted hitting the snooze button.

Katie at her ordination...AFTER riding at Stone Mountain with Sean and her dad.

5. Have Fun

Here is a little secret on the reason I never regret getting up at ridiculous hours to train and the reason training on my honeymoon felt like a no-brainer: I love the sport! I absolutely love triathlon. Make it something that you look forward to and enjoy. I will never forget the morning of our wedding: Sean and I made a plan to get up super early for a short training session. Once again, everyone told us it was a ridiculous idea. We ran to the altar we would be married at later that day and then swam in Lake Lanier watching the sunrise. It was beautiful, it was calming, and it was a perfect way to start that special day.

Katie and Sean all dressed up, after visiting the altar during a run that morning.

The tri season is well underway. And Team Podium has been represented well at several races. We are looking pretty sharp in the new 2016 kits.

The following are our Podium finishers for Team Races thus far.

John Tanner Sprint 1 - April 30, 2016

Amy Stanton – 1st Womens OA Abby Mowinski – 2nd Womens Masters Katie O’Dunne Kilpatrick – 2nd AG Joe White – 2nd AG Nathan Nowak – 3rd  AG Greg Carefoot – 3rd AG Casey Hannan – 1st AG

Casey, Joe, Greg and Nathan after John Tanner

Katie, Amy, and Abby after John Tanner

Team Podium well represented at John Tanner

Chattanooga 70.3 - May 22, 2016 Karen Richardson – 5th AG Abby Mowinski – 3rd AG Amy Stanton – 5th AG Casey Hannan – 4th AG

Abby, Karen, Amy, and Casey after Chattanooga 70.3

Blalock Lakes Sprint  - June 4, 2016 Megan Spence – 1st AG Sarah McLean – 3rd AG

By Casey Hannan

You might be familiar with the African proverb that says:“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

On its face, the proverb has a wisdom that’s hard to argue, and it has relevance to many facets of our lives. Yet, I would ponder it, unwilling to accept the “fast/alone” and “far/together” dichotomy, and wanting to debate with the proverb itself, “why can’t you do both?!” You might say it sounds like I’m trying to have my cake and eat it too, and I suppose that’s true, but on the Tony Serrano ride earlier this year I believe I figured out how you really can have it both ways.  Here’s the story:

I was feeling a bit anxious heading into the metric century of the Tony Serrano ride in April because it would be my longest ride in about three years, and I was unsure if I had the legs to make the 60+ miles without blowing up somewhere in the back half.  Plus, there was the wind, remember? We’re talking a wind that isn’t kind to cyclists. I don’t remember the exact force of the wind that day, but at one point a strong gust almost blew me off the pavement into a grassy ditch. I’ve been riding bikes a long time and that has never happened before.

The ride started and within a few miles I settled in with a group of a dozen other cyclists, none of whom I knew, all riding at about the same clip. One dude in our pack was making me nervous because he was really twitchy, meaning he couldn’t hold his line. At all. I was afraid he was going to take me out with one of his erratic maneuvers. For several minutes I weighed the pros and cons of staying with the group or going alone, and that’s when I was reminded of this particular proverb. Being mindful of the distance of the ride, my cycling fitness, and the strong gusty winds, I opted to stay with the group even though Mr. Sketchy Rider was making me crazy.  

My thoughts turned back to the African proverb and how it synched up with training and racing triathlons. Clearly, a triathlon is a solo time trial event, and the idea is to go as fast as your body, mind and spirit allow on a given day.  As you know, on the bike if you are “too together” you are penalized with time added to your race. Accept outside assistance like a bottle of water from your family? You get a time penalty. On race day, our job is to go alone and as fast as possible; far and together aren’t options.

Then it struck me: At almost every other moment of our multi-sport existence, other than when the gun goes off at a race, going together is what we all do.  And that helps us all to go far: far in terms of our race distance and long workouts; or far in terms of a long race season spanning many months; or far in terms of recovering from an injury or other setback and trying to reclaim lost fitness.

Think about it. Every single multi-sport athlete we know benefits from the physical and/or moral support of several people or groups of people. These include our spouses, life partners, family, friends, teammates, training compadres and the like. Many of us connect face-to-face with our family, friends, and training mates, but we also connect virtually through social media, web-based discussion groups and through other electronic means.

By my way of thinking, none of us get to start a race but for the love and support of important individuals and groups in our lives. By going together, we can go far. And that enables us to go alone and fast on race day. So let’s remember to express our heartfelt gratitude along the way for all those who help us go far in this multi-sport hobby we call “fun.”  We are literally together all the time except during the course of an event.

We really can have our cake and eat it too, so grab a fork and dig in!

by David Henzlik

I began racing triathlons in my early twenties. If you asked me then what motivated me to get involved in the endurance sport I would have said I don’t want to be the stereotypical young dad. I was feeling overweight and out of shape with a less than impressive wardrobe consisting mostly of starched shorts and penny loafers. I needed something to shake me up, without killing me. Now, 30 years later and too many races under my belt to count, the catalyst for keeping me in the game has changed. I have learned over time that there is so much more to the sport and community than what initially meets the eye.  

Recently, I have had the privilege of mentoring my son-in-law who is just starting his journey as a triathlete. He is around the same age I was when I did my first race and I see a lot of my young self in him (hopefully he considers this a compliment and not an attempt to relive my glory days).  While it is exciting to see such a strong competitor join the sport at his age, it also reminds me of how much there is to grasp and master when it comes to training, racing and most importantly (in my humble opinion at least) balance. This is not to say my son-in-law isn’t off to a damn impressive start: he is a natural born athlete and already landed himself on the podium in his inaugural race.  

David and his son-in-law Thiago

My point here is more about setting the tone and creating the foundation early to stay at the top of your game- mentally, physically and relationally.  This sport has given me some of the best accomplishments in my adult life but it also requires a lot in return. There is plenty you have to figure out for yourself BUT it doesn’t hurt to have someone who has seen a few things in their day in your corner helping guide you along. Here are a few bits of ‘wisdom’ (I use this term very loosely) that I have picked up along the way- take ‘em or leave ‘em, unless you are my son-in-law in which case I expect you to recite these from memory next time I see you.

LESSON ONE- RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING

 I am a lucky man. I have an incredibly loving and supportive wife who has blessed me with four children and over 30 years of marriage. I also have some amazing friends- many of whom I’ve met through triathlons and endurance racing.  There is no chance in hell I would be where I am today as an athlete if it weren’t for these relationships. You could argue that while we are all on the same team; this is a solo game at heart. The truth of the matter is relationships are the backbone of my success.

David and his daughter Taylor, in the early days

My wife and children giving me the green light to put pause on my life and train for my first Ironman. My training buddies getting my ass out the door and on to the bike, into the pool, or hitting the pavement no matter how much I wanted to bail.

I could go on for hours talking about how much I owe to my family and friends in the TRI community. The take away here is simple: you can’t do it alone folks. Cherish and preserve your relationships. They will take you much farther than the nicest tri bike or top of the line running shoes ever will.  

LESSON TWO- KEEP PERSPECTIVE

It is pretty damn easy to get wrapped up in the world of endurance racing.  No matter how tempting it is to GO GO GO don’t forget that there is a world that occurs outside of the sport. Sticking to a training schedule is a key component to becoming a successful triathlete but life does happen, whether our training schedule likes it or not.

Find a way to be OK with skipping a workout or missing a race, because at the end of the day we can’t control everything that we get handed.

Attitude and perspective are a huge piece of the pie when it comes to this sport. Keeping a pulse on the real world is key- as with anything in life, don’t keep your head in the sand for too long of your might miss the ride all together. Don’t let a podium finish be the only way you measure the success of a race, there are much bigger take aways than some nice hardware.

LESSON THREE- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

I think it goes without saying our bodies are capable of doing some incredibly impressive things! As an athlete you constantly have to push yourself to make forward progress and stay competitive. 

A bit of old-school tri memorabilia. Yup - David has been at this awhile