The Glory of Courage

Sometimes it is enough to say that we made it to the finish line, or even just to start. I see countless examples of people’s exceptional courage to start and often finish events that for them was a daunting task. All too often we are shell shocked by stories of glory and conquest, and we miss the less glamorous foundations of success.

All year long I pursued a goal of making it to the world championship duathlon age group race in Concord, NC. After months of preparation the date arrived, ironically, all too quickly. In my training for this goal, I sustained a stress fracture in my left foot which did not allow me to focus on my running which was going to play a key role in the 10k run/40k bike/5k run event. I knew that I was going to be in trouble from the start, my warm up was painful and I hoped that I could make it to the last 5k of the race in a strong position and with my left foot intact.
With my wife and son in attendance I needed no further motivation to perform. The race began in rain soaked conditions and at the sound of the horn we began the 1st leg of the race at lightning speed. It did not take long for me to realize that my body was going to fail me. At the 1mile mark my stress fracture gave way and I snapped the 2nd metatarsal in half. With another 8miles to run and a challenging bike leg looming around the corner I focused on getting to transition where my families support would help guide me.

My world championship race ended just as fast as it began, but I finished and kept a promise to everyone that has supported me all year. I gave my best and as I stood on the podium receiving my bronze medal I was proud to be representing my country with my family by my side.

Bones heal and there is always another race around the corner, but the memories of the experience will stand the test of time. Thank you to everyone that helped get me to the start and finish line. The end of season has arrived for me just in time to focus on the beginning of something special, the expectation of a new sibling for my son.

"Southern Comfort" 2009 Duathlon Worlds report

It’s been a fun filled year of racing and training, all of which is culminating with this Saturday’s duathlon world championships.

Being held in Concord North Carolina I thought it reasonable to drive down to the race instead of flying which meant that I could bring my wife and son down and introduce them to some southern hospitality.

After a few dozen renditions of Baba Black Sheep and the best of Raffi, all thoughts of world championship stress melted away in the 90 degree Virginia sun well into our 12hr car ride. Fortunately we did not have to tackle the entire trip in one sitting, as we were fortunate to stay with family in Washington D.C.

There is nothing better than visiting family while on a road trip. Arriving to welcoming arms and a home cooked meal beats any hotel stay hands down. We had a lovely time catching up with the Longworth side of the family and were ready for a reasonable bed time when the alarm bells went off as Caden’s froggie went missing! Lets preface this by mentioning that he has never fallen asleep without froggie in the 30months of his life. An all out APB went out for froggie and at midnight we had lost almost all hope, when Caden with a big grin on his face, calmly went over to the desk in our guest room and pulled him out of a drawer. Nice one…

Concord greeted us with familiar sights and smells as we passed through the standard strip malls and mazes of fast food and chain restaurants. To top it all off, the site of this year’s race will be the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. I must say that this is one interesting venue. We will be racing on and throughout the Nascar track and other various motor sports venues. This place is huge and the bike course was set up in a fun and exciting fashion. The roads are immaculate and the course is super fast, but highly technical. Not for the faint of heart.

We were able to escape the carnival atmosphere of Speedway boulevard, and found a welcoming local restaurant that even featured local ingredients. It was a great comfort to dig into my Cajon grits and shrimp meal full of creamy goodness. This evening froggie was sequestered to the crib, so we anticipate no late night hide and seek games.

Some Training Race!

Hi all, sorry it's taken me awhile to post about last Sunday's race, but I was waiting to see if Dom would first :). So last Sunday was the Westchester Toughman in Croton on Hudson (go here for the course maps: http://www.westchestertoughman.com/Course/coursemap.html). I had all intentions of using it as a training day, only pushing on the swim and bike, because I wanted to be fresh for my "A" race, the Westchester Tri (Sunday the 27th). Dom had similar intentions. Then I found out at packet pick-up on Saturday that there was big cash for placing overall, and sweet Canon cameras for age group winners. So I made the decision (but kept it to myself) that if I was in the top 5 coming off the bike, then I would push to be in the top 4 finishers.

Unexpectedly, I was the first woman out of the water. Must be all the swimming I've been doing at Longshore and Norwalk with Target...thanks Dom! Despite the hilly bike course, I managed to settle into a steady pace and hold off the other women until about mile 35/40. At that point, two women passed me. I kept them in sight for awhile, but made sure not to overexert myself too much. I kept waiting for more women to follow suit, but as I approached T2, I was in third! Now time to hold up my end of the bargain with myself on the run! Running is where I am most comfortable, but working with Dom on the track at Staples and Eneas in the brick classes really paid off on Sunday. I had fresh legs coming off the bike and maintained a consistent pace the whole 13 miles. I managed to pass the third place woman just after mile 1 and then started the climb up to Croton Gorge Park. Luckily, my legs held and I passed the lead woman at about 6.5 miles. In doing so, I picked up my mountain bike escort, George. George was fantastic, keeping me posted on any approaching women, and generally keeping my spirits lifted and mind distracted.

I saw Dom out on the course twice, once on the bike and once on the run. There was NO one around him, not even close. I knew the victory was his. Not only did he win, but he PR'ed over last year's victory by 6 minutes 20 seconds!! Some training race Dom! As for me, I was able to hold off the women and won by over 5 minutes in 5:03:16, a :21 sec PR over my Rhode Island finish in July. It was also a great day for John Baxendale attempting his first 70.3 ever! He crushed the course, placing second in his age group, pleased with his time of 4:54:06. I was proud to be crossing the finish line in my TargeTraining tri suit, and honored to share the podium win with Dom! Let's hope I can pull it all together in time for next Sunday! Hope to see a bunch of you TT-ers there with me!

BTW: The reporter did a nice job paying compliments to TargeTraining in this interview for my town's local paper: http://www.rb.westmorenews.com/atf.php?sid=10850&current_edition=2009-09-18

Saturday 9AM cycling course 9/19/09

46 miles with 3,342 feet of climbing!

TT makes the NY TIMES

A Huge Shout Out to the TT Women!

Congratulations to Megan for winning the Westport Sprint triathlon and also congratulations to Kristin for winning the Toughman Half-Ironman!! Great work ladies! You rock!

Westport Kiwanis Minuteman Sprint

So you're three weeks into training for an Ironman event 2 months hence, but there's this cool sprint race that your team does each year. You can't taper for it because it will cost SOME amount of IM training; you can't miss it, because it's a local event. So...you probably do what I did: ride long the day before (71M for me), hope your legs recover from that ride and the prior weeks' training, and attack the sprint like your pants are on fire.

Attack I did, some 10 minutes after everyone's favorite dolphin impersonator, Megan, led the women's field into the water and through the course. This IS a swimmer's race given the disproportionate length of the swim (1/2 mile) relative to the other events. But I swam hard and exited the water in...who knows? Forgot to start my watch. Out onto the bike course, I POUNDED the pedals, flew around the 5-miles as hard as I could and headed back to transition. Unfortunately, I somehow lost my transition location and cursed as I tried to locate my towel and race flats. Finally, I found it, switched shoes, and FLEW out of the parking lot angrily. Unfortunately, I have no times for the bike or run as I still did not get my watch to go, but I assure anyone reading, I was way faster than last year on these two.

I was able to catch everyone except one strong swimmer, Shane Meehan from NY, who won. But I was content with 2nd overall given how good my legs felt on both the bike and the run. Megan won for the women and was 4th overall. We saw several other clients at the race and it looked like everyone had a good time. This is a fun race if you like running red line for the entire time (39:01 for me this year).

The Charter Oak Challenge -- Giving Bridgeport students a better chance

Today I was able to participate in what is clearly an incredibly valuable cause.

Don't get me wrong -- riding to help combat all the diseases that ravage us is very important.

But how wonderful it is to ride for the future -- and that is what the Charter Oak Challenge is all about.

Andy Boas, the founder of the Charter Oak Foundation, has a strong sense of mission. What he and his comrades have done is nothing short of incredible. The focus of Charter Oak is education.

Although Charter Oak has a college scholarship program, what I see as fundamentally unique is that they have helped to create a Bridgeport school that qualifies for public funding yet also gets private financing (from the Charter Oak 501c(3) non profit company). The children start currently in 5th grade and more grades are being added each year (next year there will be a 5th, 6th and 7th grade). Each child costs $10,000 a year to educate. Charter Oak makes up the funding shortfall that is not covered by the government. Approximately 70 children are in each grade. These children are getting a great education in a beautiful environment with excellent teachers and an organization which acts like angels watching over those in need. The entire community appears to be uplifted by this -- it is inspiration.

So, I have been sick for what seems like a long time -- 5 weeks of downtime starting the second week of August due to a viral illness that turned into bacterial bronchitis/sinusitus. Yes -- I did not start training again until this week, and have done so very slowly. Not being able to breath is no fun. 20 minute runs Monday-Thursday followed by a 45 minute indoor cycling session Friday and a 1 hour session Saturday. I was in my own little world of "this sucks."

So Saturday evening my wife and I went to the Charter Oak foundation off-site in Litchfield County. We got to listen to the founders and families who drive this forward. They all love to bicycle (which is great) but even more, they truly believe in the need to help those in need. Andy Boas has more than a full time job, a family, and yet has created what is clearly a strong community of organizers/givers/volunteers. This Challenge is a unifying act for a team that is very unified in its cause, through its actions, and with its shared moral compass.

And thus Sunday morning, after a wonderful night's sleep, I went on a 65 mile, 6000 foot climb ride from West Cornwall CT to Westport, and stopped worrying about myself. Although I had to use the bronchial dilator oh let's say 10 times, I felt completely compelled to ride. And I could not think of a better group of 40 co-riders to bicycle with than the Charter Oak Champions. From Rob "Bonnie's hero" Adler to Paul "don't scratch them in public" Able to Vanessa from Achievement First to our two Westport Staples Seniors who rode alongside Andy Kaplan and me the entire ride to every TARGETraining person on the ride -- including Nolan Menachemson and Dan Price (along with all the Charter Oak riders all of who ride because it is fun), it was a great group of folks that made its way down the beautiful ride designed by Harold Kamins (who by the way is a past president of A Better Chance). We did hear that Libby Kaplan had a slight mishap with one of her tires but we believe all is OK.

The Charter Oak experience knocked me out of my doldrums. They helped heal me -- pretty much instantaneously. And I hope that next year a bunch of you will join the Charter Oak Challenge -- it is an absolutely worthwhile endeavor and a fantastic cycling and community building experience.

Thank you to the Charter Oak family and to Andy Boas.

ps I heard Max L. got 2nd at Bear Mountain -- any other good results?

GMSR- Day 4- The Criterium....REDEMPTION!!!

Well folks, that black cloud finally lifted! This is a seriously technical and fast 6 corner crit in downtown Burlington. Not to mention changes in pavement, potholes and a stiff breeze off of Lake Champlain...fortunately, it was a tailwind at the finish. With a tense start and a few yoyo's off the front, the pace settled in. Ed decided to head home the night before so I knew I was on my own. I thought I would test the sprint legs during one of the intermediate sprints (15 laps to go) for point and did so in fine shape...took 2nd and helped Johnny Bold keep his distance on the Sprint Leaders Jersey as he took 1st in that sprint and other combatants looking to shake that jersey away from him were fighting behind me. I had no interest in that jersey, just the finish. I had passed Troy Kimbal from Westwood who is quite fast so I knew I had legs. Basically did the same at the next sprint with 5 laps to go...ok, all system checked. Roger Aspholm still lead the overall race by alot so he was never in danger but I knew he wanted the clean sweep for the weekend for his Westwood Team and would give Troy whatever help at the end was needed. This played right into my hands because I banked on that. 2 laps to go, Mark Gunsalus from Fuji separates off the front...not real hard but opens a gap. At that point, I was 2nd wheel and didn't feel that was the move so I eased the pace just enough and pulled the field farther left than it would like. I waited and waited as the gap opened and then Mark really decided to go for. Just as planned, Roger came shooting up to the front and Troy right on his wheel. I gritted to grab the wheel and the game was on. Coming around to the bell lap, Mark still had a nice lead but I was not worrying, Roger was pulling hard and I knew he would get there. Around the 2nd to last corner, we are flying, slight downhill, extremely fast but Mark still has a gap. Roger turns the last corner, I here the "ok" from Troy to release him and we are heading slight uphill to the finish still chasing Mark with about 2oom to go. I stay tight on the wheel for a few seconds and then burst to the right. Feels great when you have it because it feels effortless. Passed Troy with 100m to go and set my sights on Mark. Closing, closing, closing and just nip it at the line for the win! Damn that felt good and made all misery from the weekend forgotten. I don't think I have ever let out a louder yell in my life as 2 years of frustration came roaring out. Mission completed!! A couple of slices of pizza and a few beers and we were on our way home. If you have been following this, thanks. I got a bunch of calls, emails and texts and they are surely appreciated. Take care.

GMSR- Day 3-The Road Race

Well, a monster 75 miles of up and down. 2 massive climbs (Brandon Gap then the finishing Appalachian Gap which is 5 km of pure hell a pitches of 20%) and a Lot of stiff climbs in between. Not riding for GC anymore after yesterdays debacle so just looking for a top 10 and this really hard stage. Felt good all day and over Brandon Gab...near the front. Took a flier with 30 miles to go and stayed away for about 10 miles solo...hoping for some over the shoulder watching at the front but they eventually caught me. Went over Baby Gap in fine shape right at the front and although I felt pretty good with 8 miles to go, I knew I burnt a couple of matches on that solo. Ed was being active as well during the middle parts of the race as we kept flying off the front trying to create a break. The leader Roger Aspholm was keeping a vice grip lock on the front trying to cover every move. App Gap came and I was hanging in there for a while....4km sign came and I am thinking, "why not podium"? Well, the lactic acid wasn't far behind and I slowly started to drift backwards. Ed seemed to find his rhythm earlier and was up ahead. At about 1km to go, my girlfriend pulls alongside and gives me a couple of shouts so I go. Picked up a bunch of spots in the process but boy am I suffering. That is one thing you learn to do a lot of in this sport is suffering. How you process the pain goes a long way. Last pitch...500m to go. Wow is this hell. I pick up 2 more spots as I keep the pedals turning. Finally, the line....I am home!! Ed rolled in a few spots behind me and we were both shot. I ended up 23rd and Ed 27th. Not very good but we live to fight another day. Tommorrow is the Crit and I have had good results on this one (2nd in '06 and 1st in '07) so we will hope for a way to salvage the weekend.

GMSR- Day 2-The Circuit Race

I'm not going to say much here...yesterday, first I got a flat during the first lap. Then, I got into the winning move which started just 3 of us with 7km to go and I crossed wheels with Lattanzi and crashed. Field passed me, bent my derailleur hangar, stumbled in with a few cuts and cried after I finished. I must have a dark cloud following me. I just can't seem to get a damn break. Roger chased down his teammate and won today again...Lattanzi 2nd. He is ridiculous!

Green Mountain Stage Race: Day 1 -- The Time Trial (report by Max L)

As much as I was looking forward to the beginning of what I call my Super Bowl for the season, I must say I was dreading this TT. The Green Mountain Stage Race is one of the biggest and best stage road races in the country and with prior success at this event, I always have good feelings going in, except for yesterday. Time trials are not my forte yet I recently have been working on it for this event with its' newly designed TT course from last year that I missed. I've put out some good times and not so good times in my practice sessions and the variable for me always seems to be my Asthma....I seem to lock up and over cook sometimes out of the shoot and find it hard to recover. Using last years times as a guide (best was mid 14 minutes), I was shooting for around 15 min or just over to get me in the top 10 to 15 and give me a fight chance for Top 5 or podium in General Classification over the coming days. The course is mainly uphill the first 2 miles with the 2nd mile being much more severe in pitch. I hit this part pretty much under control cresting the 1.5 mile steepest portion in good pace and accelerating over...this is good. There is a false flat for a quarter mile and then another 5-6% pitch which takes you to 2.2miles. This is where the problems began. As I put it in my big chain ring on the false flat, the heart rate began to crest. As I tried to get up this one in the saddle, I began to exceed my threshold. Got to the top, tried to shake out the legs but I couldn't get myself out of the red. Over the next 3 miles which was slightly downhill, I should have been rolling fast and excelerating but never could get over the pedals and drive some serious speed...still in the red! The head wind didn't help to get into a comfort zone either. At the 5 mi mark, there is the "dip"...great! You fly downhill at top speed and quickly hit a wall. I tried to stay tucked for half of the wall and slowly drive out of the saddle trying to stay in the drops and out of the wind. The last 1/2 mi is slightly uphill so you can't burn out on that wall. That was truly like hell I must say and just put my head down and kept looking for the markers spray painted on the ground. The result; 16:31. Bad...very bad. That's what you call laying an egg!! That put me at 39th out of 62 at 1:48 behind the leader. Great job to Ed Angeli (my only other Masters Teammate racing with me this weekend...Badger, here is now where you are mentioned or lack there of. Thanks for the moral boost by coming to stay with us this weekend even while you are not racing but how about helping me "chamy up" or even a chain cleaning?). Ed cam in with a time of 15:53 and in 19th place. We will have our hands full the next couple of days with a loaded field and teams that have numbers. For me, it's about stage wins now and possibly the King of the Mountain jersey. I have fought back in the past from a bad TT (all be it a different course in '06 & '07) to get into the top 10 in GC and this weekend looks the same. Look for daily updates and Ed should be blogging later on the results of the Circuit Race. Or, keep an eye on the race at gmsr.info.

Saturday Ride Map 9/5/09

44 miles with 3,400 feet of climbing.

Thank You TargeTraining

Starting the marathon & flying the TT flag © Van Pratt

Thanks to Rick, Eneas, Dom and the rest of the TargeTraining gang for your support. I think some of you believed this was possible even before I did. At least that's the way you've made me feel for as long as I've been a part of the TT family. I can honestly say that I would not be where I am without your help. I am truly honored to be associated with TargeTraining, and I am proud to represent you on and off the race course.

Thanks for three great years together. I look forward to many more.

Jordan Rapp
Winner, Ironman Canada 2009