Notes
We left for NH in a packed jeep filled with stuff, a lot of stuff, tent, food, bike, clothes of all sorts. Allycia had taken the time to paint on the windows of the jeep all kinds of support phrases about supporting me, the upcoming race, including my running of this race in honor of her father Alfred Drapeau and in support of Team Red, White and Blue. We arrived Saturday afternoon in Gilford, NH at Gunstock ski resort and checked into the registration desk for the campsite, while there I went and picked up my race packet and items I needed for race morning. We then went back to the campsite and set up the tent and moved in. A little later in the afternoon was the mandatory meeting for the athletes to review the rules of the race. After that we had to drive to the transition area to check my bike in to the area so you don’t have to, do it race morning. After dropping the bike off we headed back to the campsite and Allycia and Michelle’s husband, Richard helped serve us homemade spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. Allycia had made the sauce and meatballs from scratch and brought homemade garlic bread from home. What a feast it was with great company. We had salad and good conversation while drinking lots of fluids. We had some S’Mores around the fire and headed to bed a little early. I slept pretty good, better then I thought I might actually. We woke up at 4 AM and made a quick breakfast of oatmeal and fresh coffee from the French press. I had planned on having a bagel as well but never got hungry enough to want to it. Allycia made up some peanut butter sandwiches for me to eat while on the bike course and off we went with our clothes bags and wetsuits leaving the site at 5:00AM. We where at the transition around 5:20’sh and started to organize our gear by our bikes. After hugs, harassing each other and donning wetsuits we all started to line up for the start. At 7 sharp the pro’s started, right after them where 2 man, one a single and the other a double leg amputee. If you think you have a hard day ahead I just had to think of their day to see how easy mine would be. Every few minutes another heat went out. Michelle was the first of us out at 7:05, Robin went at 7:20 and I was 7:50. I completed the 1.2 mile swim in 39:27, that turned out to be 823 place out of 2045 overall and 124 out of 258 in my age group. I went out with just a tiny bit in reserve from max effort, maybe 95% and kept at it for the whole swim. I stayed a bit to the outside of the course just to stay way from everyone hugging the inside, I figured I would rather swim a bit further and loose a minute over getting swum over and bashed around staying close to the inside. It worked well as I had little interaction with swimmers around me and got to the end with very little impact from other swimmers. In to the transition area I go and see Allycia and mom at the end of the chute there to cheer me on. I find an empty volunteer to help strip my suit from me and off I jog to my bike area to get ready for the ride. I dunk me feet in my little bucket of water I have ready to get the sand off and toss on socks, my bike shoes, gloves, race number, load food into my shirt pocket and off I jog with the bike to the mounting area. I am out of the T1 in 5:17 which is a little slow but oh well. Upon reaching the mounting area on I go and off I pedal. My step-dad John and his friend John are both there in the outbound chute to yell words of support as I start to pedal off. I start to wrap my head around the task at hand of 56 miles on the bike, I know I can do it with no problems but I have to remember to keep enough in reserve to run a half marathon afterward. I had planned that I didn’t want to go any faster then a 3 hour ride and even that was pushing it. I hit the first water stop, tossed my 1 of my 2 water bottles to exchange for a Gatorade but when trying to grab it at about 18mph on a bike I dropped it so I was down to one bottle till the next stop, no big deal really. I successfully grabbed one at the next stop. It was overcast in the morning a bit muggy but not to hot so I didn’t drink as much as I had hoped over the whole course. I had plans of drinking around 3 bottles but only probably got about 1.5 to 2 in me but it was all I felt like I needed. I got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in me about 30-45 minutes into the ride. At mile 23’sh I had the need to grab a second 60 sec pit stop for a porta-potty, all the water I had been drinking the day before and that morning had caught up with me. 60 seconds didn’t really slow down to much though. I felt much better after the stop and it was worth it. At the half waypoint on the bike I realized that I had not really been paying any attention to my computer and really had no idea how fast I was going. I crossed the timing mat at 1:26:32 which was a 18.86 mph average for the 27.2mile section. I was pretty much biking what felt good. I was a little faster then I though I might want but I was feeling good and made the choice to go by feel not the numbers on the return trip back to the transition. I had a few more granola bars on the ride back and kept sucking water and Gatorade as I felt I needed. I pulled into the transition in 1:29:56 for that split which was 19.21 mph average for the 28.8 mile return trip for a total of 2:56:28 overall for the 56 mile ride at 19.04mph avg. I was 840 place overall of 2045 and 153 out of my age group of about 258. I dismount and jog the bike back to my rack position and rack the bike, tear off the bike shoes, helmet, gloves etc and put on the running shoes. I am out of T2 in 2:21, a much faster transition time then T1. Once again I have the cheers and encouragement of friends and family there the help me along. This is the part where I knew the race was going to become work. I felt good heading out from T2, I felt happy and proud I had come this far. I kept telling myself the 13 miles ahead were not going to be easy but I knew I could do it if I just kept the feet moving. I told myself not to stop and walk for any reason just keep a good pace and soon enough it would be over. Off I go. People are walking right off the bat as I weave around them to get my legs warmed up from the difference in feeling from the biking to the running. They had 8 water stations along the 13 mile 2 loop course so there was plenty of water and Gatorade and thank god for that because it was warming up quick and getting a little muggy. The first few miles seemed longer then they should have been. I kept thinking I would see the mile 1 marker but it didn’t come, then there it was but it seemed mile 2 was longer then 1. Just keep ticking them off I told myself, one step at a time. I drank a little water at almost every water area and grabbed every cold sponge or wet towel they offered to get cool water over me to help cool me off. They were a great help. I saw 3 other TEAM RED, WHITE and BLUE guys on the run course since we passed each other during the double loop course. We exchanged encouragement and high fives and kept on running. I saw both Robin and Michelle a few times on the run knowing I was not out there alone helped push me along. My first split was 26:39 for a 8:08/mile, split 2 was 27:49 for 8:29/mile. This puts me at the half waypoint. I got the first lap done and headed into the turn around area to start lap 2. Mom, John and Allycia where there as they had been all along to yell support and slap high fives. Out on lap 2 I go. Know it is time to dig deep. It is warming up, my body wants to stop, I use this time to think about everything that everyone has done to get me this far and though you weren’t there and wouldn’t have known if I slowed to a walk or not I would have known. I used all your support and belief in me as well as thoughts of Allycia’s dad to help force me along. He probably sat up there staring down at me calling me nuts for doing this and saying something like “You idiot you didn’t have to do this for me, but, I am still proud of you and support you.” It was those thoughts that kept the legs going. The 3rd split gives me 30:28 for 9:18/mile, I am slowing but not stopping. Coming down the home stretch now, just a few miles to go and I know that there is no stopping me. I have come almost 70 miles, I can finish another 3 more. I come down the finish chute as the announcer calls out my name on the speaker system, every one along the chute is cheering. I toss my hands up in the air in pride and happiness. I come across in 5:39:28 for the whole thing. It gives me 30:59 for the last run split at 9:27/mile. I am ranked 591 overall out of 2045 athletes and 110 in my age group. Not bad for my first one. I come across get my medal, my hat and then just slowly walk around drinking 2 bottles of water. My Mom, John and Allycia all come over but give me some space to cool off, and get myself together before we start taking pictures and talking. We head to the lake where I jump in for a quick cool down and then start finding my friends and gathering gear for the trip back to the camp site. I grab some food from the food tent run into the head of the TEAM RED, WHITE and BLUE Tri Team. We talk for a bit as we have emailed a few times but never met. He had a good race today as well though not what he had hoped for. For me it was everything I could have hoped for. I finished, I finished strong, I never gave up and gave it all. We, together raised over $2,000 for Team Red, White and Blue which will go to help returning vets re-acclimate back into civilian life. Everyone’s first question is how did I feel, actually, very good. I was tired for sure but not hurting to bad and was able to walk the bike up to the car myself after the race. I got up Monday and worked all day with no problems. I felt mostly just a dull ach/soreness more then any kind of discomfort or tightness. Would I do it again? Yes, I don’t know how it would ever fit into my shipping/work schedule again but if I could make it work I would do it again.