 Race Report from Ironman Texas, by Philip Deeter. In addition to being a member of District Multisport, Philip is a professional masseuse, USA Triathlon Level One Coach, and team partner -- learn more at his website, The DEETERmined Athlete.
Some big wins, and some really disappointing mistakes. Here's how it went down: Pre-race: My training was consistent and I added more strength into my plan over the past four months. My knee was a little weird (the one injured in my 2015 bike accident), but no real pain to speak of. I just have this odd, movable lump above the knee. The PT said to listen to it, and I have been over the past four weeks. Overall, I felt pretty good and slept (and ate) well the whole week. Swim: I have never been kicked, slapped and pushed so much in a swim! The course is pretty narrow, and I expected some contact, but not like this. After the first turn, I was able to break free for a bit and get into a groove. But as we made the turn into the canal, it got sloppy and bumpy again. I got out of the water in 1:35, an average time for me. What I discovered after was that my pace was the fastest I've ever swam! But it doesn't matter how fast you go if you don't swim straight. Adam Rippon in a beaded evening gown looks straighter than my Strava. Lesson learned? Keep up with the frequent trips to the pool, but add open water swim sessions to improve. T1: Not my best, but not bad either. I ate a bit to make sure I started off on the bike well. Bike: Cloudy and no wind to start. I eased into it and felt strong. After 10 miles, I was into a consistent groove. By the three-hour mark, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Despite feeling like I was holding back, my pace was well above anything I had done in previous Ironman events. My HR was steady and I just felt great! I told myself not to push because it might get hot. And then, it did. The temp climbed as the clouds burned off, and the wind kicked up . After mile 75, I realized I had been so focused on my pace that I had fallen behind in my nutrition and hydration plan. Then I didn't want to eat and the wheels started to fall off (ed. note: not literally). I limped along the last 25 miles and what had started so well, ended poorly. I still had a 16 min PR for the bike, but I knew the run was going to be difficult.
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After long workouts, full-time jobs, and family demands, the last thing many of us want to have to deal with is bike maintenance. Finding time to get the bike to-and-from the shop for tune-ups — and do it without missing any ride time — was nearly impossible. Which is why we're so excited for one of new team partners.
In 2018, District Multisport is partnering with velofix! Velofix comes to you, whether at home or your office (you could even schedule a tune-up when you're at the pool for a long set), and does the work on-site, right out of their van. They have great mechanics with experience on racing bikes, its locally owned, and they make it super easy to book an appointment with their online booking system. By being able to offer services on everything from commuters to tri bikes, as well as expert help in building a bike, it's no surprise that a lot of District Multisport members have already taken advantage of the convenience of a mobile bike shop. After all, who doesn't want to save time and ride more. USA Triathlon recently released the 2017 USAT Triathlon National Rankings, and 17 athletes from District Multisport were among those recognized. In alphabetical order:
Congrats! Showing up and racing consistently over an entire season is a great accomplishment, as as a team we're proud of this awesome group. To be nationally ranked in your age group, you must race at least three triathlons, three duathlons or two races in any other multisport discipline (aquabike, aquathlon and off-road); the top 10% of each age group earn All-American honors.  B Pono Hanson completing his first Ironman event at Lake Placid 20117 How did you first get interested in multisport?
For my entire life my parents plugged my siblings and I in every sport imaginable. Family trips revolved around endless hours of playing and watching sporting events. A few years back, a friend who was training with USAT out in San Diego convinced me to take a stab at a sprint triathlon. As a people pleaser, I gave it a whirl and to my surprise, I did a lot better than I thought I would and was immediately hooked. Which sport do you enjoy the most? I enjoy running the most (by far) because its simplicity to just go out and get it done. Growing up in Hawaii, I'm fairly comfortable in the water, but I strongly prefer being in the water with a board over swimming. However, I hope that after this season my new answer will be biking, or at least that my feelings towards biking will be closer to running and swimming. Any embarrassing stories you'd like to share? Awhile back, I was on a tempo run with some of my people in Forest Park in Portland and with the rainy cold weather, I decided to clear my sinuses via the infamous snot rocket. Little did I know that the kindest and cutest female runner was keeping up and in direct target range. Unfortunately, I struck bull's-eye with it landing directly on her face. Luckily, I was fortunate to be the best-man for her now-husband, which we all still laugh about to this day. Long story short, stay in front of me on runs. What is your most triumphant moment during a multisport event? This is probably a standard answer among most, but finishing my first Ironman via IMLP 2017 with a sense of curiosity fueled by the gas left in my tank of "What if I..." thoughts. I'll see that course again in 2018. Tell us something that most people don't know about you. When I was younger, I was apart of a Children's Chorus that sung the soundtrack in Disney's beloved movie, Lilo and Stitch.  by Todd Batty, two-time Ironman
This was my second full and my goal for this race was to improve from IMFL last year after a solid year of training and racing. Big thanks to Jon and RPM! This was my first go at this race as the weather the past few years scared me away. I’d say we got lucky this year, but it was just a bit hot on the run. I blame Stanek for that! The day before the race I got torn up by jellyfish on a practice swim just up river from the course. Later that day at Walmart I managed to run into an Aussie also looking for something to provide some measure of protection from the bastards. Race morning I was coating my face and arms with Aquaphore. As fate would have it I didn't run into any for the entire swim! Still well worth the $6. I started off the two loop swim pretty well aside from a random puking session about 20 min in. My apologies to any racers right behind me, but it was a small amount and I’m sure the fish loved it! Finished the swim with a 3min PR. Got out on the bike and found a good rhythm and stuck to my power number. Then near disaster as I got a rear flat about 25 miles in. I am about the furthest thing from a mechanic and struggle with fixing anything including flats. My wife can attest as she has picked me up from numerous training rides where I popped the spare or ran out of C02. I managed to get the new tube on and eventually remembered how to use the inflator and got some air in the tube. Back on the road in 12 min with renewed energy and motivation to make up for some lost time. I didn’t get a full hit with the C02 and was worried about a second flat as I didn't have a spare. Thankfully I found the SAG wagon about 5 miles later and was able to get a spare tube and top off the psi's. Lesson learned here is to include a spare tube in bike special needs bag just in case and maybe practice changing a flat every now and then until I am slightly competent. Finished the bike with a 17min PR including 2 stops for the tire fiasco! Got out on the run with some awesome team support at the first aid station. Cheers to all the teammates out there supporting everyone on the course. By far the most efficient, best dressed and fun group out there! The two and a half loop course is nothing to write home about but you do get to see family and friends a ton which is great! This run didn’t feel nearly as good as Florida last year, but I managed 10min PR. I’ll say there is no feeling that I’ve experienced like the finish chute at an Ironman! All those hours training, missed time with family and friends and the struggles on race day are repaid with that feeling right then and there!  Catherine Griffith completes the 2014 San Juan 70.3. How did you first get interested in multisport?
As a long-time runner, I was sad my 2012 race season was not going well. Rather than get frustrated with slow races and mediocre training runs, I decided to change my goal altogether. I found a very friendly, supportive entry-level triathlon training program in Sydney, Australia, where I was living at the time. CanToo’s amazing coaches taught me the basics of triathlon, the other athletes became my closest friends, and after 16 weeks of learning to open water swim and road bike, I found my groove again. On a high from a successful first sprint tri, my new-found friends and I decided to go long and joined the intermediate training group, Plus Performance. By the time I moved back to the United States in mid-2014 I had completed a half marathon in all eight Australian states, a few Olympic distance races, a long course race in Huskisson, and my first 70.3 in Puerto Rico. Which sport do you enjoy the most? I’ve been running since about 1997, and racing since 2005. I spend the first two legs of any triathlon counting down until I can finally run. My nutrition plan on the bike is sometimes, “how can I make sure I have enough energy at the end of this slog to rock the run.” Any embarrassing stories you'd like to share? My 2015 racing season also wasn’t so great. Of the 8 races I entered, I only got 4 race results—the Kinetic sprint and some fun runs. The Philly Tri Rock Oly had the swim portion canceled. I got disqualified from the NJ State Tri because they gave me the wrong color swim cap and I (apparently) started in the wrong wave. The St. Patrick’s Day 10K and the Cherry Blossom 10 miler course got rerouted and were an unusual distance. By the end of the year, I was happy to have a few 5k and 10k fun runs go according to plan. My 2016 season was successful simply because I got valid results in standard-distance races. Although my favorite quirky race story is about having a nice chat during the swim course. Before the swim started, some horrible competitor planted stories about eels, jelly fish, and bull sharks lurking in the murky, brackish water we were about to jump into. Between nerves, total lack of visibility, and an intense fear of being hunted, stung, or drowned, I had a panic attack in the middle of the course. When I flipped over to breath, I nearly ran into a nice lady doing breast stroke next to me. We had a nice little chat, she reassured me I was doing just fine and that we could take our time together. After a minute or so, I felt better, flipped over, and finished the swim. When in a subsequent race an athlete voiced her intense fear of seeing a manatee in the water, I had to laugh it off. Gentle, grass-eating manatees have nothing on the critters I’d gone swimming with. What is your most triumphant moment during a multisport event? My favorite moment was crossing the finish line at my first long-course triathlon in Huskisson, Australia (almost a 70.3, but the distances are slightly different). I trained hard for this one but was nervous about what would happen to me after so many hours of racing on an unfamiliar course. Thankfully, the swim was in beautifully clear water, the bike course was through picturesque Australian Outback, and the run route was lined with enthusiastic supporters. About half way through the run I realized not only was I going to finish, but I was going to finish much faster than I’d anticipated. I was on the most amazing endorphin high by the time I crossed the finish because just a year before a long-course race was completely unimaginable! Tell us something that most people don't know about you. If you can’t already tell, my training and racing philosophy is not centered on winning races or setting new PRs; it’s about proving to myself I can overcome obstacles and complete a goal despite whatever I have going on in the rest of my life. In 2017, I’ve been pregnant all race season. My goals couldn’t include enviable destination races, faster times, or longer distances. My goal had to be staying active and strong in any way possible, even as every-day activities got harder and harder. This is not to say my training plan would work for everyone—every woman’s pregnancy is unique. But I’m proud of what I can do. I haven’t been able to run since April because running caused too much abdominal pain, but I still walk or hike 3-6 miles (or more if I’m feeling it) a few times a week. I am really accident prone on the bicycle, so I didn’t do much outdoor cycling, but I could go to indoor spin classes at OffRoad (shout-out to this awesome studio and the inspiring instructors!) through July until spinning really got too uncomfortable. I’ve been swimming all year, which feels great even if I sometimes lack the motivation to get myself to the pool. I can still lift light weights for some cross training. I continue my yoga practice, gently. But as this baby gets bigger there are more and more days I just have to rest and I try not to get upset with myself for skipping the workout I had planned. Triathlon has to fit into the rest of my life. Just like at various times I’ve had to overcome injury or illness, focus on family commitments, dedicate myself to work, or improve overall health, training has taken a backseat to pregnancy. But I try to keep in mind this is just one phase. The next phase is moving to Brazil in early 2018 for my job. I can’t wait to start training for races there, bearing in mind that I’ll have to build up my strength and endurance slowly. Still, I have my eye on a few races in South America, if anyone wants to join me for a tropical destination race! by Lauren Lipsey
Jen Walrath
One day, almost a year ago, I got an email from my friend, Caroline, asking if I wanted to do a race with her, the Casco Bay Swim Run in Maine. I thought, heck, why not? It will be fun to do something different, and if Pippa Middleton can do it, so can I! As it turns out, Pippa is a total boss. She completed Ötillö (which, I learned, I have been mispronouncing for years). I am told that Casco Bay is less technical than Ötillö, and we did the short (not the long) course, so what we did wasn’t nearly as taxing. But it was challenging enough for our first swim run experience.  By Mike Stanek
The TL/DR is that I recommend this race. Atlantic City is weird and super sketchy, but the race is close and convenient. And while not the fastest course out there, it is fast enough to have a solid time—maybe even a PR. I was super happy with the result after putting in some hard work this season with my coach Darren, and I am pumped for 2018 Worlds in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. For those of you with more time to kill…  Mike Parks participates in the 2016 Beer Mile at Nat's Park How did you first get interested in multisport?
I run with Pacers on 14th street along with some other DM members. Last year I found out that a group had signed up for the New Jersey Olympic triathlon. I didn't know how to swim and thought that signing up for a triathlon would be good motivation to learn. It worked. Kudos to Tatsu and Stevie for convincing me I could learn to swim in three months. Joining the team has helped maintain my interest in multisport. Which sport do you enjoy the most? Running has been my passion but I spend a lot of time swimming nowadays. I'm still a newb with a lot of room to improve but I'm pretty happy with my progress. Missing a breath, coughing, and an unexpected gulp of chlorine aren't that big of a deal anymore. Any embarrassing stories you'd like to share? This past summer I was doing some Friday night bike maintenance for a 100 mile training ride. I thought I messed up the derailleur and started tinkering some more. By the end of the evening the I was covered in grease and my rear cable also needed to be replaced. Needless to say I missed the Saturday ride but fortunately also missed a severe thunderstorm. I definitely need to upgrade my mechanic skills. My turns in the pool are also pretty embarrassing. What is your most triumphant moment during a multisport event? There are a couple. Completing my first tri in NJ last year was pretty special. I had a blast and was smiling the whole time despite some unbearable heat (upper 80s on the run). I kept thinking "this is so much fun!" The other is the 3 mile distance in the Swim for Life this past summer. With only 15 months of swimming, I was pretty stoked to finish. They were blowing airhorns to evacuate the water during my last few hundred yards due to water spouts down river. It never got dangerous but I would have been pretty disappointed had I signed up for the 4 mile swim and not been able to finish. Tell us something that most people don't know about you. Check out my interview from this Pace the Nation podcast the next time you're waiting for DPR to open the pool. https://www.runpacers.com/podcast/episodes/episode-45/ |
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