Triathlon Across the USA: State #29–Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska; August 13-14, 2016 – Levi Carter Park, USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships

Planning My Nebraska Triathlon

I had planned to make Nebraska one of the later states in the ‘Triathlon Across the USA’ adventure. Our son Ben, daughter-in-law Lindsey, and two granddaughters lived in Omaha. Omaha and its surrounding cities offer plenty of triathlons from which to choose. We had plenty of time.

However, when Lindsey told me that Omaha would host the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, I made this my Nebraska triathlon.

This triathlon was an opportunity to race with some of the best senior (and younger) triathletes in the USA while completing a triathlon in the 29th state of the ‘Triathlon Across the USA’ adventure.

Age Group National Championships

The USA Triathlon (USAT) Age Group National Championships (AGNC) races took place over two days. The Olympic distance race with over 2,170 participants was on Saturday. This was a competitive race since all participants had qualified to compete in this race through their top 10% place in races earlier in the year.

On the second day, 1,250 triathletes gathered for the sprint distance race. With this number of participants, my Nebraska triathlon had the greatest number of participants for any of my triathlons. Also, this race included the greatest number of participants in my age group (60-64) and largest swim wave start (160).

triathlon participants
Number of participants by age group in the Sprint (upper) and Olympic (lower) distances of the Age Group National Championships.

The number of participants in the Sprint and Olympic distances by age group pictured in the graphs above shows the importance of seniors to the two events.

Only slightly less than half (42%) of the participants in the Sprint distance were Senior Triathletes (age 50 and over). Even for the longer, Olympic distance, more than a third (36%) of the participants represented the Senior Triathletes community.

Sprint Distance Race Day – August 14, 2016

Before the start of the race, several participants and spectators gathered for a pre-race Bible reading (John 4:23-24), short message, and prayer led by a representative of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). This was another first.

Weather at the start of my swim wave (7:44am) was 69ºF with 85% relative humidity. There was no wind. By the end of the race, the temperature was still comfortable at 74ºF with 74% humidity and no wind.

So, while it was cool, the humidity was higher than typical in my home state of Minnesota. This made it feel warmer.

Fellowship Christian Athletes
Before the start of the first swim wave at the 2016 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship Sprint Triathlon, a representative of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) gathered racers for scripture reading, a short message, and prayer.

My Experience at the Nebraska Triathlon

Distances for the individual legs of the Sprint triathlon were:

  • Swim: 750 m (0.47 mile)
  • Bike: 20 km (12.4 mile)
  • Run: 5 km (3.1 mile)

While walking to the swim start, I noticed a guy asking a person doing body marking to write something on his chest. I paid little attention to the details. However, upon lining up for the swim start, I could read the marking.  

The guy, Russ Jones (age 61), told me he had raced in what has been recorded as the first triathlon in San Diego in 1974.  The writing on his chest displayed a memory of the $1 entry fee for this race.

Jones also announced he was racing ‘retro’. Today, this meant racing in shorts but no shirt. For the bike leg, he used his Raleigh bike with two gear shift levers on the down post.

Swim

The swim was in Carter Lake which had a water temperature of 82ºF. This water temperature was well above the maximum of 78ºF for which USAT rules allow use of a wetsuit.

All triathletes in my swim wave – for this race, all males 60 years and older – started together in the water. The plan was for all swimmers to start from a position of having one hand on a floating dock. However, with the large number of participants in this age group (160), the group extended well past the end of the dock.

Despite the number of swimmers, the swim remained surprisingly calm. Those who have done an open water swim in a triathlon have most likely experienced the chaos of other swimmers bumping into or trying to swim over top them.

There was none of this, except the occasional finger tip touch of my foot by a swimmer drafting from me.

Bike

The bike course was essentially flat, having only a couple of small, short hills. This made for a fast course. The race organizers did a great job of providing comfortable surfaces on which to run between the transition area and points of bike mount/dismount.

Sure enough, less than one mile into the bike course, Russ Jones and his beautiful, baby blue 1970s Raleigh passed me (and my carbon fiber, tri-bike). After I passed Russ once, he passed me again. I never saw him again until we met on the run course.

There was only one issue, that of a bumpy area within transition, that caused a few participants to trip. I was aware of these having walked the path from transition to bike mount/dismount on Saturday. Remember to checkout the paths in transition before the race.

Run

The run was flat with plenty of encouragement from a musician who serenaded us with guitar and song, a cheerleading squad, probably from a local high school or college – they all looked so young – at the turnaround area, and many other volunteers along the course.

Time to Cool Down and Relax

With race over, it was time to cool down. 

While resting my legs in an ice bath after the race, I met a Senior Triathlete from Michigan who was in his second year of triathlon. He shared how triathlon, specifically his triathlon training, had helped him to lose 50 pounds after he had stopped running following an Achilles tendon issue a few years earlier.

I also saw Jim Chapman, who I had met a few years earlier at the Rocky Gap Triathlon in Maryland. By the way, Jim qualified for the ITU World Championships in his age group (75-79). So did Ralph Ward, who I had met at the Rage Triathlon in Boulder City, Nevada earlier in the year.

Firsts From the Nebraska Triathlon

  • First with Garmin 920XT.
  • This was the first time we stayed with one of our children for a triathlon.
  • My first USAT National Championship triathlon.
  • First triathlon with a pre-race prayer.

Senior Triathletes Again Show ‘Age Is Only A Number’

This event was another opportunity to meet great people, broaden my experience competing in triathlon, and share time with family. The Nebraska triathlon showed the strength and size of the Senior Triathletes community.

It also showed how fit people can be, even well into their senior years. More than one 70+ year old passed me on the bike and run. This was probably true in the swim as well, though I could not see their age marking on their calf during the swim.

Thinking about this experience on the drive back home, I remembered that on my 50th birthday, I had run three miles on the track at the local health club.  Why?  To prove to myself that I was not ‘old’.

Today, this seems crazy since at age 63, I regularly run much further.

Then, not so long ago, I had set the goal of completing a triathlon in each state by age 70. Why? At age 58, age 70, seemed reasonable since I was certain my triathlon career would be over at that age.

Now, I’m not so sure. There are plenty of guys and gals competing strong well into their 70s and 80s. Because of them, I am continuously adjusting my perception and definition of ‘old age’.

Congratulations to all the Senior Triathletes who took part. I hope to see you again soon. Thanks for inspiring and challenging me.

Also, congratulations to USA Triathlon for a well organized and well run triathlon weekend.

Now, It’s Your Turn

Have you competed in a national age group championship triathlon? Which one(s)? What was your experience?

“Training for My First Triathlon”- Liz Lawson’s Story

By Liz Lawson – It’s been quite the year so far!  I turned 54 last December and little did I know what the coming year would hold for me – training for and completing my first triathlon.

Even though I have lived in Raleigh, North Carolina for three years, I am still settling in.  Working from home resulted in me sometimes feeling a little isolated.   I was pretty down on everything.

Then, in September, a friend suggested to me that I think about training for a sprint triathlon.  She had joined a local training group and completed her first sprint triathlon two years earlier.  She said it was life-changing.

Deciding to Tri

I agreed to start training for a triathlon, mostly to not disappoint her, wondering what would happen.  I joined a North Carolina-based group called Tri It For Life (TIFL), whose focus is on getting women to move, and began a 3-month program designed to prepare me for my first sprint triathlon.  Our training was aimed at competing in the Ramblin’ Rose, a series of five sprint triathlons held for women in North Carolina.

I cannot say enough about how incredible this organization is.  Tri It For Life is volunteer-driven.  All the women who mentor the athletes have gone through the program.  And, all of them continue with their triathlete ways.

After I paid for the training program, I literally broke into a cold sweat.  I could barely swim!!  I couldn’t even complete a 25-yard lap, and certainly not using a freestyle stroke.  That forced me to do something I’d been putting off for years – learning to swim.  I was terrified of drowning.

Getting Started in Training for My First Triathlon

I enrolled in swim classes at the Raleigh city pools. Although I was gasping for air most of the time, I was feeling a whole lot more confident.  Then at the end of December, I had to have minor knee surgery.   By mid-January, all I wanted to do was get back in the pool.

The TIFL training started in February.  At the kick-off meeting, I started to realize this – the triathlon – was going to happen and I was terrified.   I hadn’t been on a bike for 16 years and was still hobbling a bit because of my knee surgery.  However, at least I could now swim the length of the pool without drowning.

I quickly learned that I was not alone.  Our group was definitely a ‘mixed bag’ – some of the ladies were great runners, but wanted to train to swim; others were good swimmers but wanted to train to bike.  Then there were those who deserved the greatest admiration, those who had almost never been in water, hadn’t been on a bike since they were 5 years old, and did not run.

There was no judgment and no competition.  We all had the same goal….to do the Ramblin’ Rose triathlon!

Our training involved swimming two nights per week, biking on Sunday afternoon, and running/walking one evening.   The intensity built each week.

Fast Progress in Training for My First Triathlon

Two months into the program, we were swimming between 500 and 700 yards twice a week.

The bike training started with learning about gears and how to use them.  Then, we started training on a portion of the actual route with some gnarly hills – one, in particular, was most people’s nemesis.  We started bike training two times per week.

Ramblin' Rose triathlon
The weeks of bike training leading up to the Rambin’ Rose prepared us for our first triathlon

We were also taught about transition, nutrition – every aspect of a triathlon.  The TIFL mentors shared all their experiences with us.

In addition to the training that was part of the program, groups of us would get together for additional training – an ad-hoc Saturday meet up for a bike ride or an extra swim.

We all encouraged each other – even on the days when we were thinking “I can’t do this”.  There was always someone to encourage us to take the extra step, do the extra lap, or get further up the hill before getting off to push.

There was no judgment and no competition.  We all had the same goal….to do the Ramblin’ Rose triathlon!  

Liz Lawson

One month before the actual event, TIFL held a mock-triathlon.  We put together all of our training on a Sunday morning – including transition – and did our first swim/bike/run.  This event was designed so we’d know what the real day would be like – what a wonderful experience.  We even got medals for finishing the mock!  The first medal I’d ever had in my life. For anything.

Race Day – Completing My First Triathlon

On the day of Ramblin’ Rose, we had fun. Yes, it was daunting to go from a training group of 50 to a race including 700 athletes. but we got through the event and there was nothing like coming to the finish line and seeing a big group of the mentors (now volunteering at the event) cheering us through and presenting our medal.

first-triathlon-medal
Liz Lawson celebrates completing her first triathlon

Continuing to Train

Once the event was over, I was so upset that my training time with Tri It For Life was coming to an end.  But as a result of our experience, most of us had ‘drunk the kool-aid’ and kept going!  I did another triathlon a month after Ramblin’ Rose.

Last weekend I did my first open water swim.  I can do 1000+ yards in the pool, though I am still working on the non-stop bit :-).   I’ve also signed up for the Tour de Femme bike ride and hoping to do at least two other sprint triathlons over the next year.

I’ve had a session with a running coach to learn how to do it properly.  I have some problem with my Achilles tendon which is keeping me back from running, but this doesn’t have to stop everything else.

We meet up and bike each week.  Some of the girls I train with will likely complete 6 or more events by the end of the year.  Participating in the IronKiwi was a blast – and a blessing as it kept me focused on continuing to train.

Once the event was over, I was so upset that my training time with Tri It For Life was coming to an end.

Liz Lawson

As I am writing this, I am on vacation for two weeks, but can’t wait to get back and get started again.  I’ve learned so much.   It’s changed my life and I just want to keep going.

What Was Your Experience Training For and Competing in Your First Triathlon?

Let us know your experience with your first triathlon and what you learned through it.

Share your comments below.

This post was originally published on July 5, 2016. It was updated with new formatting on January 13, 2021.

‘Live Like Josh’ – Terry Seidel’s Story

Terri Seidel’s triathlon story is about training for her first triathlon and, in doing so, pushing herself beyond her ‘comfort zone’. Her story is also about honoring a son by doing something he had thoroughly enjoyed.

It was during the TriZou Triathlon that I learned about the Josh Seidel Memorial Foundation. Following the triathlon, Terri and I made contact through friends of her son, Josh. We had both competed in the TriZou Sprint Triathlon, Terri as part of a relay and I as an individual.

Terri’s story was originally published on July 2, 2016. More than five years later, I still think of her courage in participating in the same triathlon her son had done years earlier.

As you read her story, I hope you will find encouragement to take part in triathlon even if you are not sure you can.

Terri’s story below is based on what I heard about her experience leading up to and participating in her first triathlon.

Deciding to Tri

“If I am going to do this triathlon, I need to commit to training”. Those were my words as I sat and discussed with my husband the thought of me participating in the 2016 TriZou Triathlon, my first triathlon.

My husband had participated in TriZou the year before. For me, participating in a triathlon was something I wanted to accomplish.

But, Why TriZou Triathlon?

The TriZou Triathlon and DuZou Duathlon are held every May at the University of Missouri in Columbia, also known as Mizzou. In recent years, it had attracted about 600 participants. It’s one of the largest triathlons in the Midwest. My husband, all three of our children, as well as countless brothers, brother-in-laws, nieces, and nephews, have all graduated from Mizzou.

My son Josh participated annually at the TriZou. It was one of his favorite events.

In 2013, Josh’s life was tragically taken in an industrial accident at the business he owned. After his death, a group of his high school and college friends established the Josh Seidel Memorial (JSM) Foundation, a foundation created to carry on Josh’s legacy by awarding scholarships and helping schools and other organizations.

The foundation created a tagline that summarizes what it’s all about.

LIVE LIKE JOSH: Work Hard – Play Hard – Help Others.

www.joshseidel.org.

That is how Josh lived. He worked very hard. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded a successful manufacturing business in St. Louis. In spite of the long, 60-hour weeks that all new businesses need to thrive, Josh would also play hard. And, TriZou was an example of that. He would train for this event and participate with a goal of improving his time each year.

TriZou becomes ‘SlyZou’

In 2014, a group of Josh’s friends from Mizzou decided they were going to carry on his tradition by participating in the TriZou in honor of him. Those participating unofficially renamed the TriZou to SlyZou recognizing Josh’s nickname, Sly. From here forward, we referred to this event as the SlyZou.

That year, we had seven participate in the event. There were also 21 spectators. It was really heartwarming to see his friends continue his legacy and participate in an event that meant so very much to Josh.

In 2015, participants connected with the JSM Foundation soared to 15 with 18 supporters cheering them on. Josh’s dad, Mike, participated in the DuZou, which consisted of a one-mile run, seven-mile bike, and one-mile run.

At age 59, Mike finished and actually won a medal in the Clydesdale class (above 220 pounds) for his age group. However, in his words, the race almost killed him.

The missing ingredient was he hadn’t committed to training to the level I knew I needed for me to take part in this race. He had trained briefly, running to attempt to pick up his endurance. However, he had only registered about 20 miles total on the bike before the event. My thought was that if you are riding 7 miles the day of the race, a collective 20 miles is hardly considered “training”.

Choosing the Relay for TriZou 2016

So as my husband and I discussed participating in the 2016 Triathlon, I told him I would do it. I wanted to do it, but knew training was the key to success.

With less than six months to train while balancing other commitments, I could not see training for the complete triathlon.

Given the timing, that I look like a baby calf taking his first steps when I run, and that my biking skills are not great, we decided to make this a family event. I along with my two daughters would participate as a relay team this year. (See Reason #11 of 15 Reasons for Those 50 and Older to Do Triathlons.)

My daughters agreed that I would swim the 400 meters, my youngest daughter Lindsay (33) would bike the 14 miles, and my oldest daughter Katie (36) would run the 5k leg of the race. At 60 years old and generally in good shape but certainly not being a fitness buff, I did not see tackling a triathlon by myself as a smart move. At least given the time I had before the event.

Training for the Three Legs of a Triathlon Takes Time

Triathlons are something you prepare for over time. You enter a series of 5k runs to prepare and get comfortable with the run distance. On top of this, you train by biking longer distances on weekend mornings so a 14-mile race is achievable. Finally, you swim a lot at the local pool.

That is one of the beautiful things about TriZou. You can participate at many levels, so the barrier of entry for those who have not participated in this type of event goes away.

In addition to the Sprint TriZou race (400 m swim, 14 mile bike, 5 km run), they offer relay teams (same distances as sprint), super sprints (100m swim, 7 mile bike, 1 mile run), and a duathlon called DuZou (no swimming; 1 mile run, 7 mile bike, followed by a second 1 mile run). There are also divisions for those with extra pounds like my husband, called Clydesdale for men and Athena for the women.

Training for My First Triathlon

I joined our local YMCA about 4 months before the SlyZou. It was winter in St. Louis and I was going to have to get into a pool and log some serious miles if I wanted to complete this event.

Nervously, I entered the 25 meter pool at the Y for the first time, and barely made it from one end to the other. I’ve been swimming my entire life. We have spent countless weekends at the lake. However, I learned that the type of swimming I had done with these was not like that of a triathlon.

I quickly realized that floating on a noodle and swimming back to the boat for another cocktail is NOT swimming training.

Terri Seidel

Nevertheless, twenty five meters later I was at the other end of the pool, out of breath and overwhelmed. That I had to swim the equivalent of 16 laps of this pool, without stopping, to complete my leg of the race was more than intimidating.

Applying job skills to training

I’m a regional Vice President for a large company that owns and operates Ambulatory Surgery Centers across the country. In our daily business operations, we tackle new goals and accomplish new tasks every day.

I assist my employees and help them accomplish these goals, but it always boils back down to the same basic strategy I was going to need to accomplish this SlyZou event:

  1. Prepare.
  2. Get the tools and processes in place that you need to succeed.
  3. Address the issue with confidence that you can achieve it.
  4. Then execute the work.

I knew I needed to prepare myself physically for this event in the same way.

Getting a Swim Coach

The first step was to inquire about a swimming instructor at the Y. I felt I could improve a lot, but if I didn’t know where to focus, chances were slim that I actually would improve.

Stacy, my personal trainer for the next 4 months, was a gift from heaven. First, she analyzed my stroke.

I have often wondered what she really thought when she saw me swim a lap on the first day. Anyway, she quickly identified my strong and weak points and what I needed to work on to finish this race.

We started off slow. I committed to 3 days per week of training, We met at the pool where we worked on a particular area that would improve my swimming skills.

Sometimes, we worked on my stroke. Other times it was my breathing or my kick. Whatever it happened to be that day or week or month, Stacy would work with me, improving my skills. I also made sure I had the right swimsuit for training.

Building Endurance

My endurance started to improve. I still could not swim the entire 400 m without stopping, but I was getting stronger, and she would time me on my laps. She would discover that I hit a threshold, early in my swimming. I could be a couple of laps into my training, and I would slow down.

Stacy used her knowledge to help me learn things I would have never discovered on my own. Her suggestions helped tremendously.

Training for Actual Race Conditions for My First Triathlon

We also worked on the actual race day condition. Stacy knew this was going to be a very emotional event for me since, unlike many of the other participants, I was swimming for a cause.

Besides, she also recognized I had never participated in a race of any kind before so helped me plan the day of the race. For example, we discussed when to stretch, when to warm up outside the pool, and what to expect during the swim. These extras were a great help, especially since I had never been in a race in my 60 years of life.

Stacy also recruited other swimmer friends at the Y who were there for a normal workout. She would have them swim in front of me so that I got used to people swimming by me. Through this, I learned how to adjust my breathing for a very disturbed pool condition such as when you have 100 people in the water stirring it up lap by lap.

Before I knew it, we reached the last day of my training. ‘Ready or not, here I come.’

I felt ready. I was confident that I could swim my portion of the race.

Race Day

Since the race started very early in the morning, we traveled to Columbia the night before and got a hotel room. The rest of my relay team, our girls, and their families were also there.

There were 25 racers on “Team SlyZou” and equally as many supporters cheering them on. There were many husbands and wives who participated, a few other relay teams in our group, and a few DuZou participants.

Me? Nervous!

I was nervous, as expected, mainly because I really didn’t know what to expect. Even though my husband and I lived in Columbia for two years when he finished school, I had never been in the pool complex at Mizzou. It had only been built a few years earlier so was not part of Mizzou when we were there.

To say I was overwhelmed when I walked into the pool area was an understatement. First, the complex is amazing. On top of this, over 500 swimmers had packed into it. There I was, staring at a beautiful eight-lane, 50 meter pool, one of the finest pools in the Midwest.

There was also a lot going on. The race organizer was making announcements on the Public Address system. Big screen TV’s on the wall were displaying times. People all around me were talking and laughing while going through their pre-race routines. Meanwhile, there I was, standing mesmerized and scared to death of what I had signed up for.

Mizzou-Aquatic-Center
Mizzou Aquatic Center at the University of Missouri at Columbia, venue for the swim leg of the TriZou Triathlon.

The relay teams swam after all full TriZou participants, so I was very near the end of the line of people to jump in the pool. About two hours after the “Elite” participants had started, I jumped into the pool. About that time, the thought occurred to me that the “Elite “racers were finished with the entire event, the entire TriZou, and I was just getting started.

It’s Time to Swim

We lined up in order of the time which we expected to complete the swim. This was done to prevent faster swimmers from running into a slower swimmer in front of them. As we crept forward toward the time when I would cross the timing mat and jump into the pool, I had to keep telling myself ‘Stay calm. You can do this. It’s no different than the YMCA.’

It was no different except for the fact that I had about 50 supporters, including grandkids, my husband, friends who had driven 100 miles to see this happen, in the stands. Even my mom was there. She had driven up to watch – and support – me. Sure, it was no different than the YMCA. Right!

As I jumped into the pool, all I could hear were grandkids yelling “Go Mimi. We love you.” That difference from the YMCA training was one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Terri-Seidel-grandchildren
Some of Terri Seidel’s supporters – her grandkids Brooks, Tommy, Grace, Samantha, Graham – ready to cheer on ‘Mimi’.

I finished my first 50 meters and actually felt pretty good. The pool was not cold. I never experienced another swimmer tapping my feet to pass. My breathing was just like in training with the chop of the pool. I was sure I could do this.

After about 200 meters, I started to get tired. Since we had trained for this, I worked the plan and switched to the back stroke for a lap to recover somewhat. I could see that I was keeping pace. While I didn’t know my time, I was not passing anyone and they weren’t passing me. I assumed I was keeping my pace.

While I was counting laps – 8, now only 7, now 6, – somehow, when I got to my last 50 meter lap. I thought I still had three laps to go. We were swimming a zig-zag pattern, down the pool under the ropes, and back up the next lane, so when I saw the pool edge, I said: “I’m on my last lap. I thought I had 150 m to go”.

The Final Length

As I made my final turn, I could hear those who had come to see us cheering me on. It was at that point that I knew I would make it.

In no time, I found myself at the ladder at the end of my 400 meters; I was an emotional mess. After all, I was swimming this for my son Josh. I am certain he helped me finish.

I climbed out of the pool, and now had about a 150 yard run to the transition point. Here, I would pass my ankle bracelet for timing (the timing chip) to my daughter. As I came out of the Natatorium, all I could see and hear were cheers from the supporters standing outside the doorway.

Reflecting After the Swim in My First Triathlon

I had accomplished the goal I had set six months earlier. The swim portion of the race my son loved so much was over. After passing off the timing chip to my daughter, I sat at the steps around the transition area and cried.

Reflecting on the result of training for my first triathlon
Terri Seidel reflecting on the swimming accomplishment after completing the 400 meter swim in TriZou 2016.

While I completed only one leg of a triathlon, it was a major accomplishment for me.

I had been challenged physically before with work-related “team building” events. I ran a half marathon as a work event; remember earlier I told you I can’t run well. I hiked the Grand Canyon Rim To Rim in one day, starting at 3am and climbing out the top at 5pm, as a team building exercise. The National Parks Department won’t even let you do that if you tell them your intentions.

Set your goals, it’s a challenge. I’m normally one of the oldest if not the oldest in our group when doing these events – so to me they are a big accomplishment. Finishing this 400m in honor of our son tops all of those challenges – by far.

My daughters finished their individual legs of the relay as expected with decent times, and we were all happy to finish the event.

Training for my first triathlon made me part of this relay team
Team Boy (the nickname they gave to Josh) – Terri Seidel, Lindsay Bosworth, Katie Eisel

What I Learned From Training and Competing in My First Triathlon

Through this experience, Terri said that she had learned some lessons for other first-timers:

– Establish challenging yet obtainable goals, especially if over age 50.

If you want to finish a triathlon, maybe start out with a sprint, or a relay, or a DuZou, and work your way up to the main event. If you jump immediately into a triathlon, you may during training find it unobtainable and quit. You are better off accomplishing a smaller task toward the ultimate goal, than quitting and never getting to the ultimate goal.

– Train, Train, Train.

Eat right, train as many days per week as needed, and get your body ready for the physical challenge you are about to put it through. This type of event challenges your body – so get it as prepared as possible to minimize the risks of a heart attack or stroke, or some other physical event like torn muscles or joint injury.

– Have a reason or goal for the event.

In this case, I signed up and did this event in honor of my son Josh. Have a reason – a personal accomplishment, to show your spouse you care about your health (and theirs), to push your body and mind to be in better condition. Whatever it is, have a reason for participating.

On The Way Home After My First Triathlon

I will be 61 when the next SlyZou comes around. I turned to my husband on the drive back to St. Louis after this event, and with tears in my eyes, said “After I finished, I said to our son, OK Josh, mission accomplished – I did your race”.

Will I race again next year? Only time will tell.

Good luck to all those who read this and decide that they want to train for and participate in their first triathlon. My advice – if you do commit to the race, start your training now.

About JoshSeidel.org

Team-SlyZou-2016
Team SlyZou 2016

Our Motto: LIVE LIKE JOSH – Work Hard / Play Hard / Help Others

The Josh Seidel Memorial Foundation is an organization created to continue the Legacy of Josh Seidel, whose life was tragically cut short in an industrial accident. The goal of this foundation is to honor the memory of Josh Seidel by assisting and inspiring young people to participate in programs or attend schools that build science, engineering and technical skills, encourage entrepreneurism and foster the connection of people for the greater good of our community. Through fundraising efforts, scholarships and financial assistance are given to students and schools. We rely heavily on fundraisiers to allow us to support students and schools. The foundation is a tax exempt 501 c 3 organization. For additional information, visit www.joshseidel.org.

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What has been the most memorable triathlon in which you have participated? Is there someone special in whose honor you have raced?

Triathlon Across the USA: State #8 – New York

Hunter Mountain, New York; June 9, 2012 – North-South Lake State Park.

The Catskill Mountains in eastern New York are home of the legendary Rip Van Winkle. They also provided the mix of water and hills for a challenging race in this chapter of the ‘Triathlon Across the USA’ adventure. Along the way, we enjoyed a host of new experiences and learned several lessons from this weekend with the HITS Triathlon Series.

Planning the New York Triathlon

I began to prepare the 2012 triathlon season in late 2011. To achieve the goal of completing triathlons in all 50 states by age 70, I needed to complete triathlons in the remaining 47 states within eleven seasons, an average of just over four races per season.

For the past several years, Joy and I lived in western Massachusetts approximately half time. The work situation that brought us to Massachusetts would only continue for two more years. Therefore, my goal for 2012 was to complete triathlons in the remaining New England states. With the ‘race schedule fairy’ working on my side, I was able to complete races in the remaining New England states and, as a bonus, this one in New York, all within the 2012 season.

Travel to the New York Triathlon

Hunter Mountain, New York, is a 2-1/2 hour drive from our home in Chicopee, Massachusetts.  Since the race started at 7 am, we made the trip to the race venue the day before and stayed overnight near it.

We could have left at 3 am (as on the previous weekend for the Connecticut triathlon) and made the drive in the morning. However, I was still new to competing in triathlons. I wanted to pick-up my race packet before race day. I also wanted to arrive at the race site on race day near the time when the transition area opened, which in this case was 5 am. Besides this, we would have missed exploring the Catskills as we did on Friday afternoon.

The Copper Kettle Motel Cottages in nearby Windham, New York, provided lodging for Friday evening. While the rooms were simple, we were happy to support the young couple who purchased the cottages one year earlier.

Chicopee-Hunter-Mountain
Route traveled to the HITS Series Hunter Mountain, New York triathlon at North-South Lake State Park.

Pre-Race Activities

There was another reason for traveling to Hunter the day before the race.

One week before the triathlon, I received a call from Dave Kiviat with the HITS Triathlon Series. Dave asked if he could interview me about my triathlon story.

Weeks earlier, I received an e-mail from HITS Triathlon requesting stories about those taking part in the triathlon. I responded with information about the ‘one triathlon in each state by age 70’ mission. HITS management found the story interesting and decided to use it to promote the Triathlon Series.

On Friday afternoon, Joy and I first drove to the Copper Kettle, following the back roads from exit B2 on Interstate 90 in eastern New York.  After settling in our room, we traveled to the race site for the interview and pre-race meeting. Dave videotaped the interview from the bluffs overlooking the Hudson River Valley at Saugerties, New York.

After picking up my race packet and attending the pre-race meeting, we headed back to our cottage with a stop for a light dinner.

While I never saw the video interview, Joy heard from a race spectator the next day that they had published the story in a local newspaper.

A Cloudy Race Morning

We left the Copper Kettle a little before 5 am, driving the roughly 15 miles to the North-South Lake State Park. In keeping with one pre-race ritual, we stopped at a local convenience store for coffee.

HITS Hunter Mountain Triathlon

This HITS Triathlon Series included five distances – supersprint (which HITS calls ‘open’), sprint, Olympic, half Ironman (70.3), and Ironman 140.6 – over two days.

Distances for the individual legs of the sprint triathlon in which I competed were:

  • Swim: 750 m (0.47 mile)
  • Bike: 20 km (12.4 mile)
  • Run: 5 km (3.1 mile)

By the start of the sprint triathlon, the air temperature was in the lower 60s °F (around 16-17°C).  The sky was overcast, threatening rain.

Joy also volunteered at this race. Her first assignment was in the transition area during the sprint distance. It turned out that it was good for me she was here.

Later, she moved to the Finish Line where she presented finisher medals to those who had completed the Olympic distance race.

Swim

The 750 m (just under a half mile) swim leg of the triathlon occurred in South Lake. Since this was early June in an area popular to snow skiers, the water temperature was in the lower 60s °F.

I learned one important lesson on this day.  For an open water swim, go into the water before the race to see what you will be running or walking on and swimming in. In this case, the lake bottom was covered with many sharp rocks that could have hurt my feet or resulted in a twisted ankle had I blindly run into the water and stepped on one of them. From what I learned about South Lake before the race, I took a much more conservative approach to entering and exiting the swim.

Thanks to my wetsuit, the swim was comfortable.  I did, however, have my first experience with my goggles being struck by another swimmer.  As a result, my goggles filled partially with water early in the race.

Bike

During the swim leg, a light drizzle had begun to fall, making the roads wet and somewhat slippery.

This was also the hilliest bike course in a race until now. The first part of the course, which left the park, involved a slight climb. This was followed by a flat section and then a portion that was slightly downhill. During the downhill section, I was in a high gear trying to take advantage of the slope to gain some speed.

Suddenly, the course made a sharp right turn. As I turned the corner, I saw the steep hill in front of us. As I shifted the chain from the large to the small ring, the chain came off and became jammed between the small ring and frame.

I dismounted as soon as I was able to unclip my shoes.  The chain was not moving so I flipped the bike upside down and found that the chain was being held in place by the head of an adjusting screw.  I grabbed the chain, maneuvered it around the screw head, and pulled it loose.  In the process, the chain cut the tips of the index and middle fingers on my right hand.  Not serious, but they would hurt later.

I was able to quickly get the chain back on and start riding. However, as a result of flipping my bike over, I lost all of the Gatorade in the water bottle between my aero bars. Fortunately, the weather was cool and I did not need the liquid.

In retrospect, I lost about one minute so this was not a catastrophe.  However, I had learned a couple of lessons.

Run

With the recent pain in my right knee, my chiropractor had recommended that I avoid weight bearing exercises. I had been only swimming.

While swimming is great exercise for general fitness, it does little for the specific requirements of running. The run was the most difficult of this year’s races, requiring a combination of running and walking.  Near the end of the race, the muscles above the front of the right knee felt as if they were going to cramp.  Fortunately they did not.

One other lesson that I learned was that it is good to have someone looking out for you. Early in the run, a woman passed me. As she did, she commented about her wet shoes. 

I thought her comment odd.  My shoes did not feel wet. Since I was running without socks, I was sure I would have known if my shoes were wet.

After the race, I found out why my shoes were not wet.  My dear wife, who was volunteering around the transition area, had thoughtfully covered my shoes when the drizzle began.

From that day onward, I would cover my running shoes with a towel in the transition area if there was the slightest appearance of rain.

Results

I completed the course in 1:38:45, fast enough for a first place in my age group.

However, I need to qualify this. The HITS Triathlon Series gives awards for each year of age, based on the age of the person on January 1st of that year.  This meant that I raced as a 58 year old (even though I was now 59).  Despite the problems on the bike and run, I was the fastest 58 year old.

Receiving 1st place Age Group Award at the HITS Hunter, New York Sprint Triathlon.
Receiving a 1st place Age Group Award at the HITS Hunter, New York Sprint Triathlon.

Race Firsts

  • This was the first time I was interviewed about my Triathlon Across the USA story.
  • First triathlon in which there was a light rain.
  • This was the first triathlon in which I had a mechanical problem with my bicycle – the chain came off when downshifting to climb a steep hill.
  • First triathlon in which I received a plaque for a first place age group finish.

Other Lessons from the New York Triathlon

  • I now carry extra liquid, particularly on hot race days. Losing all of the liquid when I stopped to reinstall the bike chain taught me to be prepared.
  • Get business cards or at least e-mail addresses of fellow participants of each triathlon. I have met such great people, many with whom I would like to stay in contact.
  • A jammed chain can happen “to the best of us”. The picture below is a scanned image of an article from the June 12, 2012 issue of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  The article described the experience of Amber Neben, an Olympic cyclist who lost her chance at a medal when her chain jammed on a hill climb (sound familiar?) and she had to dismount in order to reinstall the chain.
Amber-Neben-Olympics
Article describing the experience of an Olympic cyclist who lost her chance at a medal when her chain jammed on a hill climb. Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 12, 2012.

Back Home from the New York Triathlon

For the return trip, we followed the same route used on the way to the race location. However, we made one extra stop to enjoy Kaaterskill Falls.

In traveling around the USA, we often combine travel to and from the triathlon with side trips to waterfalls and other parts of God’s creation.

Kaaterskill-Falls-Catskill-Mountain
Joy in front of Kaaterskill Falls near Haines Falls, New York in the Catskill Mountains.

Tell Us About Your Favorite Triathlon in New York

What has been your favorite triathlon in New York? What made it special?

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