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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Jen Walwrath, 1st Time Ironman

This was my first full ironman and it did not disappoint.  What an iconic course!  
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Swimming in Mirror Lake can’t be beat.  The water is clean and clear, as far as lakes go, and you can catch glimpses of the mountains between trees.  I had only one complaint - since I started with a lot of guys, larger people kept swimming over me and I had to work pretty hard to defend my space.  I even shoved some legs and threw a few elbows.

Ryan Hudson is a proud member of District Multisport, in for his third season. 

While I was finishing my transition set-up and admiring the nutrition of the guy next to me -- a Powerade, coconut water *and* a full jar of pickle juice -- it was announced the race would be starting 15 minutes earlier than scheduled.

Fortunately, like most triathletes, I am quick to adjust and never have a problem with meticulously laid out plans suddenly changing.
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​On the plus side, I didn't need much time for a warm-up, since the 85-degree Chickahominy River made the swim more akin to a spa day (complete with nearly knee-deep mud baths at the end). 

A dropped gel and a dropped chain was hardly the ideal start to the bike, but I managed to turn it around for a new PR ("Dropped Gel? Dropped Chain? Drop the Hammer." Is that a t-shirt?), and even got to see Jenn along the way (she suggested I go catch Darren; I appreciated her optimism, to be sure).

​Feeling great, I was set for a fast transition and a flat run ... 
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Run without socks, they said. It will cut down your T2 time, they said ... Look, life is all about learning experiences, and on Sunday, I learned that opting to go sockless means your mind will venture into new territory, like, "Well, I suppose I could just run the final two miles barefoot ..." I ultimately declined the way of the Tarahumara and instead channeled my inner hockey player*, laced-up my shoes tighter, and trudged over the bridge to get fourth place in my age group, which is definitely a very cool and not at all frustrating place to finish. 

*I have never played hockey; I can barely even ice skate

As always, Rev3  put on a great race -- transition, course markings, volunteers, family atmosphere, etc. If you haven't done one of their races before, I'd recommend giving them a "tri." (Do you get it? "Tri" instead of "try." Ya know, like the sport?)