NECTC Race Results: Mightyman Sprint Triathlon

TEAM SCORES
ARMY 200
STEVENS 180
BU 160
UVM 140
MIT 120
COLGATE 100
DREXEL 80
NORTHEASTERN 60
USCGA 40
SYRACUSE 20

MALE RESULTS
1:04:11 Nick Wendel --- 9th
1:05:18 Colin Kipping-Ruane --- 15th
1:11:12 Chris Tommila --- 31st
1:12:07 Dave Berry --- 34th
1:15:14 Sean Matlis --- 37th
1:15:54 Duncan Street --- 40th
1:18:55 James Miller --- 46th
1:19:23 Keita DeCarlo --- 49th
1:22:44 Peter Chen --- 53rd
1:25:28 Brad Lewis --- 58th

FEMALE RESULTS
1:13:16 Cicely Valenti --- 5th
1:18:59 Megan Thibodeau --- 15th
1:20:31 Katrina Tomecek --- 17th
1:23:12 Katie Weller --- 21st
1:30:41 Claire Hardy --- 32nd
1:32:35 Jamie Schiffer --- 36th
1:41:01 Jaqueline Sussman --- 39th

-Coach Vic Brown

NECTC Omnion Points Standings (after 4 races)

TEAM SCORES
STEVENS 280
BU 260
COLGATE 250
ARMY 200
NORTHEASTERN 200
UVM 200
MIT 190
DREXEL 110
PENN STATE 100
USCGA 90
SYRACUSE 50
BRYANT 40
YALE 30

MALE SCORES
6th Colin Kipping-Ruane (362pts)
7th Nick Wendel (333pts)
20th David Berry (133pts)
22nd Sean Matlis (201pts)
32nd Chris Tommila (96pts)
56th Mark Slater (38pts)
59th Ben Lakin (34pts)

FEMALE SCORES
12th Katie Weller (184pts)
16th Cicely Valenti (165pts)
17th Colleen Neely (165pts)
19th Kayle Shapero (118pts)
20th Megan Thibideau (118pts)
28th Katrina Tomecek (83pts)
31st Olivia Kalmanson (78pts)
32nd Jamie Schiffer (74pts)

-Coach Vic Brown

NECTC Omnion Points Standings (after 3 races)

TEAM SCORES
STEVEN 270
BU 260
UVM 200
COLGATE 190
NORTHEASTERN 130
MIT 110
DREXEL 110
PENN STATE 100
ARMY 100
USCGA 90
YAL 30

MALE SCORES
5th Colin Kipping-Ruane (362pts)
6th Nick Wendel (333pts)
15th David Berry (133pts)
16th Sean Matlis (201pts)
25th Chris Tommila (96pts)
45th Mark Slater (38pts)
47th Ben Lakin (34pts)

FEMALE SCORES
6th Katie Weller (184pts)
10th Cicely Valenti (165pts)
11th Colleen Neely (165pts)
17th Megan Thibideau (118pts)
18th Kayle Shapero (118pts)
25th Katrina Tomecek (83pts)
26th Olivia Kalmanson (78pts)
28th Jamie Schiffer (74pts)

-Coach Vic Brown

NECTC Race Results: Buckman Sprint Triathlon

TEAM SCORES
STEVENS 100
BU 90
COLGATE 80
UVM 70
DREXEL 60
NORTHEASTERN 50
USCGA 40
YALE 30
MIT 20

MALE RESULTS
1:22:20 Nick Wendel --- 3rd
1:22:54 Colin Kipping-Ruane --- 6th
1:33:56 Sean Matlis --- 14th

FEMALE RESULTS
1:31:01 Colleen Neely --- 3rd
1:44:07 Megan Thibodeau --- 7th
1:51:13 Katrina Tomecek --- 13th
1:54:33 Jamie Schiffer --- 15th

-Coach Vic Brown

NECTC Omnion Points Standings (after 2 races)

TEAM SCORES
STEVEN 170
BU 170
UVM 140
COLGATE 110
PENN STATE 100
ARMY 100
MIT 90
NORTHEASTERN 80
DREXEL 50
USCGA 40

MALE SCORES
2nd Colin Kipping-Ruane (253pts)
5th Nick Wendel (197pts)
10th David Berry (141pts)
19th Chris Tommila (101pts)
20th Sean Matlis (101pts)
34th Mark Slater (41pts)
37th Ben Lakin (36pts)

FEMALE SCORES
4th Cicely Valenti (165pts)
12th Kayle Shapero (118pts)
10th Katie Weller (83pts)
21st Olivia Kalmanson (78pts)

-Coach Vic Brown

NECTC Race Results: Quakerman Triathlon

TEAM SCORES
PENN STATE 100
STEVENS 90
BU 80
UVM 70
COLGATE 60
NORTHEASTERN 50
DREXEL 50
MIT 30

MALE RESULTS
2:52:59 Colin Kipping-Ruane --- 6th
2:56:18 Nick Wendel --- 9th
3:10:52 David Berry --- 19th
3:13:33 Sean Matlis --- 22nd

FEMALE RESULTS
3:16:56 Cicely Valenti --- 3rd
4:07:32 Olivia Kalmanson --- 14th

-Coach Vic Brown

NECTC Race Results: Cranberry Trifest

TEAM SCORES
ARMY 100
BU 90
STEVENS 80
UVM 70
MIT 60
COLGATE 50
USCGA 40
NORTHEASTERN 30

MALE RESULTS
2:16:54 Colin Kipping-Ruane --- 3rd
2:19:03 Nick Wendel --- 5th
2:29:05 David Berry --- 9th
2:35:24 Sean Matlis --- 17th
2:37:27 Chris Tommila --- 21st
2:46:10 Mark Slater --- 23rd
2:51:36 Ben Lakin --- 25th

FEMALE RESULTS
2:39:03 Kayle Shapero --- 7th
2:57:26 Katie Weller --- 15th

-Coach Vic Brown

Upcoming Races: Ford Ironman Lake Pacid

With the tremendous support of local communities and businesses, Ford Ironman Lake Placid continues to be one of the most popular triathlon events in North America. The 2010 race course features a 2.4-mile swim in the calm, pristine waters of Mirror Lake, a 112-mile bike ride through Lake Placid and surrounding areas and a 26.2-mile run along a fast and fair, spectator-laden course. Below is the list of schedule of events. A complete view of the Athlete Information Guide can be viewed by clicking here.

Schedule of Events

Thursday, July 22, 2010
Start End Event Location
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Ironman Village Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Race Information Booth Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Ironman Store Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Ironman Bike Store & Tech Service Center Olympic Speed Skating Oval
10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Athlete Check-In Lake Placid High School Gymnasium
10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Ironman TV Ironman Village
10:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Massage Tent Olympic Speed Skating Oval
12:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. VIP Check-In Lake Placid High School Gymnasium

Friday, July 23, 2010
Start End Event Location
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Ironman Village Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Race Information Booth Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Ironman Store Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Ironman Bike Store & Tech Service Center Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Massage Tent Olympic Speed Skating Oval
10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Athlete Check-In Lake Placid High School Gymnasium
10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Ironman TV Ironman Village
12:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. VIP Check-In Lake Placid High School Gymnasium
2:00 p.m. Kid’s Fun Run Mirror Lake Public Beach
12:30 p.m. Pro Athlete Briefing Lake Placid High School Auditorium
5:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds
7:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Mandatory Athlete Race Briefing Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds

Saturday, July 24, 2010
Start End Event Location
7:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. Pancake Breakfast Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 2011 Ford Ironman Lake Placid On-Site
Registration for 2010 Register Athletes Only Lake Placid High School Gymnasium
9:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Ironman Village Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Race Information Booth Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Ironman Bike Store & Tech Service Center Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Massage Tent Olympic Speed Skating Oval
10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Mandatory Bike & Gear Bag Check-In Transition Area
12:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. VIP Check-In Lake Placid High School Gymnasium

Sunday, July 25, 2010
Start End Event Location
5:00 a.m. 6:30 a.m. Transition Area Open; Body Marking Transition Area
6:50 a.m. Pro Start
7:00 a.m. Mass Start
7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Ironman Store Olympic Speed Skating Oval
7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Race Information Booth Volunteer Tent
7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Ironman Bike Store & Tech Service Center Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:20 a.m. Swim Course Closes
1:30 p.m. 1st Lap of Bike Course Must be Completed
4:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m. Massage Tent Olympic Speed Skating Oval
5:30 p.m. Bike Course Closes
6:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m. Mandatory Bike & Gear Check-Out Transition Area
10:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m. Finisher Party: Come Out & Cheer on the Final Finishers Finish Line
12:00 a.m. Race Officially Ends

Monday, July 26, 2010
Start End Event Location
7:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Ironman Bike Store & Tech Service Center Olympic Speed Skating Oval
7:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Ironman Store Olympic Speed Skating Oval
8:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Massage Tent Olympic Speed Skating Oval
9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 2011 Ford Ironman Lake Placid On-Site Registration for 2010 Volunteers & General Lake Placid High School Gym
9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. ASI Photography - View & Order Race Photos Lake Placid High School Gym
9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Race Information Booth/Lost & Found Transition Area (Moves to Awards Banquet)
9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship Registration Lake Placid High School Gym
11:05 a.m. 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship Roll Down Lake Placid High School Gym
2:30 p.m. ASI Photography - View & Order Race Photos Awards Banquet
12:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. Awards Banquet Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds

Tuesday, July 27, 2010
5:30 p.m. Volunteer Appreciation Party: Free to all volunteers who wear their volunteer t-shirt. Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds

Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Providence by Max Metcalfe

Ironman 70.3 Providence
By Max Metcalfe, Boston University Triathlete
Finish: 5:05:04 – 7th M18-24

This was my second year racing the Amica 70.3 Providence, and I was excited to compare my 2009 race to this year. Last season was my first year racing a Half Ironman distance triathlon, and I have come a long way in fitness and overall triathlon experience since then. This also being my second Half Ironman of the summer, racing Ironman 70.3 Mooseman five weeks earlier, I was in a good training groove coming into the race. I ran two 15+ mile runs and two 12-14 miles runs, as well as rode two 60+ mile rides. I was also very lucky to have access to Walden Pond at least twice a week, which helped my open water swim greatly.

Pre-Race:

I arrived in Providence at 11 am with Josh and Colin packed in a mini cooper. Imagine 3 bikes glued on the outside of the small car and every bit of room filled with helmets and transition bags. We registered and then stopped at Legal Seafood on the way to drop our bikes off at T1 in Narragansett. I ate a grilled chicken sandwich with a Caesar salad and lots of water. I did snack on a few fries, which seamed a bad idea before the race, but they were too yummy to resist. We set up T1. Bikes were in working order. Racked them for the night. Back in Providence, we went for a quick 15-minute run up the long hill of last year’s course just to get the blood flowing and the driving out of the legs. After putting our run gear into our T2 bags and put them in transition. At 6:30pm, we sat down for dinner and all devoured spaghetti and meatballs. Just before bed, I bought a Milky Way bar, which would be a large portion of my bike nutrition during the race. We were all very relaxed for a night before a triathlon. At 9pm, we fell into a deep race night sleep - pleasant, yet cluttered with sudden dreams of race morning and the terrible feeling of arriving at the race site, forgetting an essential piece of equipment. I awoke at 3am wake up and settled into my race morning nutrition feast. I tried to get a bit more food into me than at Mooseman. I drank 1 serving of Endurox, 1 packet of Pop-Tarts, and 1 Banana. I would also later consume half packet more of Pop-Tarts, and 1 GU on the beach. In the hotel lobby, I grabbed a cup of coffee and then walked through the dark streets of Providence towards the shuttle. The streets were mostly empty, except for a stream of calm and focused triathlons walking alongside staggering drunk bar-goers. We had to wait for an hour on the beach, since we were the last wave of the day. My warm-up went great and I was feeling ready to go. Focused, awake, and fueled…my third Half Ironman. I was ready!

SWIM (33:27) As at Mooseman, I started on the right side of the group behind one row of people. When the gun went off, I led the right side of the group into the water and pulled hard for a few hundred yards. The waves were big and it was hard to sight the buoys and keep your head clear for breathing. I tried to push it hard on the way in to take advantage of the waves. Coming out of the water, I saw that my swim time was yet again 33-minutes. I thought I maintained a pretty good position relative to the other racers in my age group.

T1 (2:36) As I ran towards my bike, I saw Colin’s bike still racked very nicely on the rack next to mine. At that moment, I reminded myself to collect my well deserved $20 after the race! With a smooth transition, I was off.

BIKE (2:51:00) To prevent the hydration problem I had at Mooseman, I started the bike with a 24-oz. Gatorade sports drink between my aero bars, a 24-oz. bottle of Fluid Recovery, and a 24-oz. bottle of water. My plan was to first drink all of the Gatorade and ditch it at the first food stop. I knew the course pretty well from racing last year and doing a few scouting trips. I kept my cadence high and focused on getting that initial fluid into me. By the half way point, I had consumed half of my GU flask, which contained 2.5 servings of Fluid Recovery, half of my Fluid drink, and half of my delicious Milky Way bar! I chose not to have any caffeine during the bike. I had substituted GU gels for Fluid Recovery. In regards to my Milk Way Bar, it was great to have a solid piece of food mid-way through the bike, and passing other competitors while your munching on a candy bar makes you smile! Like my other races, I struggled to keep my mind focused on the bike, and from drifting to the run. I could feel my legs slowly losing strength, but I kept my effort balanced. I wanted to exert myself, yet leave just enough in my legs. I felt like I balanced this perfectly on this race. Surprisingly, my bike time was slower than my bike last year. I’m a stronger biker this year, yet the conditions this year (headwind?) were tough.

T2 (1:15) As I came into transition, Northeastern Triathlete Mike Abbene passed me. I knew my run would be strong. I remained focused on my race and my transition. With all these people around, I would hate to do something embarrassing like knock my water bottles off my bike, which Colin and Josh managed to do multiple times.

RUN (1:36:49) During my training, I focused on maintaining a higher cadence during the run. The first loop of the run felt awesome! Despite it being very hot, I was able to keep my core temperature down with ice sponges and the occasional cup over the head. I decided to ditch the hydration belt for this race. I had to make sure I got enough water into me at the aid stations. At every station, I ditched my old ice sponges for new ones, drank 1-2 cups, and tossed any extra water over my head. This process kept me feeling fresh even as I was starting my second loop. I was feeling very strong. I wanted to make sure I pushed it very hard on the second loop. I also consumed 3 GU’s with caffeine from a Gel Flask, finishing it at mile 11. During the second loop, I slowly picked up the pace. Soon I felt my legs begin to really lose power. I saw the 5-hour overall time goal disappear on my watch, and I picked the pace up even more to try to get across the line as close as possible. I saw my family, friends who came to watch the race, and the other BU triathletes on the course. This really helped me stay composed mentally throughout the hot run. I have never felt this much in control of my pacing and my body. Great run! My half marathon time was 1:36:49. My time during last year’s race was 1:49 and Mooseman’s run was 1:40.

--- Now I’m off the New Zealand for 6-months!!!

Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Providence by Colin Kipping-Ruane

Amica Ironman 70.3 Providence

By Colin Kipping-Ruane, Boston University Triathlete

Overall: 5:40:37 – 24th M18-24


This was my first Half-Ironman which I came to compete at after spending 48 days prior to on a submarine. Initially I had wanted to beat a 5:15 based on the time that Max had gotten in the previous year. I crossed the line in a time of 5:40, a time that I was happy with based on the training that I had leading up to the race which consisted of treadmill running and the occasional long spin.

Preparation:

Unlike most races, the Ironman 70.3 Providence consisted of two transitions which meant we had to leave Saturday morning for Rhode Island where we would register. Knowing we wanted to load up on carbohydrates on Friday night, we (Josh and Max) went out to eat at Charley’s Saloon on Newbury Street where we ate spaghetti followed by a brownie dessert which the two of them shared (I passed on that idea). During this meal, we hammered out the final details for the following day where we would leave Boston for Providence. We decided that we would go to Max’s house at 9am for breakfast, after which we would pack the mini cooper with our bikes and gear.

On Saturday, the three of us cooked and ate a delicious egg and ham breakfast in preparation for our short drive to Providence. After breakfast we packed the car and headed south for the packet pick-up and registration. We arrived in Providence less than an hour later to see multiple athletes roaming around. After getting our packets, we headed down to T1 in Narragansett. We stopped for lunch at Legal Seafood on the way. When we got to the transition site later that afternoon, we were given 25-minutes to get our bikes all set up. It’s a weird feeling to leave your bike somewhere the night before a race and hope that it is there the following morning still operational. Once the three of us had set up our bikes on our racks, we headed back to T2 in Providence where once we arrived, we put on our running clothes and did a quick 15-minute run to get the legs loose. During the run, Max showed Josh and me the hill on the run from last year which at the time was not bad, but I knew that after biking for 56 miles, the hill would feel worse. After finishing the run, we grabbed our shoes and anything else we would need for the run, placed it in a bag and headed to T2 for drop off.

Once we have dropped off our run bag, it was time to head to the hotel to relax and get ready for our 70.3 mile adventure. We stayed only about a half mile from the finish at the Hampton Inn and Suites where we met up with our fourth roommate; teammate Sarah. After getting organized for tomorrow, we headed out for a nice spaghetti and meatball (yes, we all ordered the exact same meal) dinner at Down City, located next door. At this time, I was starting to feel the stress from the race for the first time, not because I was nervous about the race but because having multiple bags with my stuff in it threw me off completely. I was afraid that I would forget something vital! Luckily for us, Max had done the race the previous year and knew what to put in each bag. After dinner, we went to 7-ELEVEN, Max needed a Milky Way bar for the bike portion of the race, and did a last minute check of our race day bags at the hotel. Now I was relaxed for the race to come and was ready to get to bed for our 3am wake up.

Race Morning:

Unfortunately, I woke up at 2am not because I couldn’t sleep, but because I was used to only getting a few hours of sleep while I was on the submarine. I remained in bed for the last hour before all the alarms went off so I didn’t wake the rest of them up. When the first alarm went off, I jumped out of bed and started my race morning preparations which consisted of making my two bottles of Accelerade/Carbo Pro mixture in addition to getting changed into my skin suit. I ate my race morning breakfast of a wheat bagel with honey followed by a cup of coffee and water. We loaded our bags in the car and headed to T2 where the bus would be waiting to shuttle the athletes to T1 for the start of the race. After getting on the shuttle, I began to get tired and closed my eyes for some time and woke up when we were stuck in traffic less than a mile from T1. I ate the next part of my pre-race meal, a CLIF Mojo Bar. After 20-minutes, we had moved only about 200-yards and a gentleman in front of me asked if the bus could let us off. The bus opened the door and we walked the last bit to transition. Arriving at transition was a site to see! There were over 1600-athletes competing and hundreds were already milling about with their gear. After getting body marked, I made my way to my bike (yes it is still there!) where I got it ready for the race by putting my bento box, saddle bag, computer, and water bottles on the bike. Then I followed by normal routine; helmet and glasses on the bike with shoes already attached. After making my final preparations, I put on my wetsuit and dropped my morning clothes bag just in time to see the first wave. Pro Males hit the water. Over the next 30-minutes, I continued to watch athletes enter the water and at this point some Pros had already finished as well. At 6:30am I entered the water to begin my warm-up and I knew that I would need a longer one then normal to get my arms nice and loose after not swimming for so long. I did just that. I felt great and was ready for the swim.

SWIM (34:57): At 7:05am, the cannon sounded and our wave was off. I sprinted to the water and dove under the first wave that hit us perfectly and started to swim. I felt great off the start and kept going until I had passed the second buoy where my body was now exhausted and ready to stop swimming. At this point, my pace slowed quickly and I just kept swimming. At first, I thought it was just me tiring quickly. I soon realized that the current coming to the shore from the waves is what tired me quicker then I had thought. After rounding the buoys and heading back, I thought now I can pick the pace up for I have the waves at my back. I was wrong. The waves were now coming from all directions, mixed with seaweed at the surface and the glare of the sun made sighting, breathing, and swimming fast difficult for me. I finally got into a groove to bring me to the shore. I was just glad the swim was over but now it was time for the bike.

TRANSITION #1 (2:28): While I was running from the water to transition, I took a look at my bike and the bikes nearby only to see Max there! My first thought was “Yea Max” followed quickly by “What do I owe him now?!?!” Max and I had a bet going for a race where his swim was faster than mine or my run was faster than his. As I entered the end of our rack, he was leaving and I said I will try and catch him. I got my wetsuit off quickly and continued with transition perfectly leaving my wetsuit in a bag for later and was off to mount my bike.

BIKE (3:03:09): I quickly mount my bike, but I did not swing my leg high enough over the saddle and knocked my two water bottles off. I had practiced this but I did not take into effect my legs being tired from the swim. I re-placed them back, but one bottle came out a second time! Finally on my third attempt, I was able to get on my bike and I was off. However, only a few miles later did my bottles come out from hitting a small bump in the road! I quickly stopped and grabbed. As soon as I rounded the first corner I started my timer; a repetitive timer to go off every 15-minutes as a reminder to take some form of nutrition other then my liquids - 5 AccelGels in a gel flask, ¼ of a CLIF Bar, and a pack of CLIF shot blocks. The first part of the ride was flat. I was cruising and spinning my legs instead of pounding out the gears to save them for the run. The miles went by. I was passing a lot of people and thought “still no sign of Max. That’s OK. He is probably going faster than me right now anyway.” I continued to feel good until the hills arrive. They slowly took the strength out of me. I didn’t quit for athlete #1232 and I played tag for awhile. He would pass me on a hill. I would change gears and maintain cadence and would quickly pass him on the descents and flats. This continued until about approximately mile 30+. I took off after a steep downhill followed by a long flat section. I hit a max speed of 40-mph and passed many athletes who had very nice time trial bikes, wheels and helmets, giving me a lot of satisfaction. At this point, the heat began to affect me. I picked up water from the aid station and took a few sips before dumping it on my body to cool me off. The nutrition timer I had set helped a lot for telling me when to take gels and food. However, I did not take into account how hot it would get and would soon realize I was lacking calories going into the run. Finally, I was within the last mile and last climb on the bike. I began to cramp as I neared the top and did what I could to stretch it out as I coasted to the dismount line. Unlike my races in the past, I did not do a flying dismount. I was afraid my legs may fail on me causing me to crash. I stopped, dismounted and ran into transition two.

TRANSITION #2 (1:33): I entered transition. Racked my bike. Replaced my bike shoes for running shoes. Grabbed my hat, gel flask and I was off without any problems.

RUN (1:58:33): I felt great. I started the run at a slow speed for the first 100-yards to get my legs under me. I was around 7-minutes/mile with no problems. As I approached mile marker one, I cramped up as I started the first hill. I stopped to stretch and decided that I would walk over the hill. The cramp went away quicker then I had anticipated and I was off on the run again. I continued onward through the first loop, sighting Max after the second water stop. To make sure I was not going to overheat, I walked through most of the water stops to take some gel from my flask, get plenty of fluids and douse myself in cups of water. I continued this trend until the second lap where I thought “home stretch!” I felt the start of another cramp on the hill again and to my surprise, Max was coming up the other side as he passed mile marker 11. The cramps and heat were getting to me. My pace was slowing down causing me to walk more often. Athlete #1232 passes me and says a few encouraging words which got me running again. I ran the next few miles before nearly collapsing due to both legs cramping. I walked them out and was off with only a few miles left. On my next decent, I let gravity carry me down. I passed another athlete and she picked up her pace to match mine. We ran the next 1.5-miles together until the hill caused me to cramp. She was gone. As I got closer to the finish, I became much happier for the finish line was in sight! I could see the Metcalfe’s and other supporters of our team cheering for me as I finished. As I neared the finish line, the announcer announced my name (and actually pronounced it right) and said “What’s Up” causing me to have an even bigger smile as I crossed the finish line with my arms raised! After getting my hat and finisher’s medal, I was congratulated by none other than athlete #1232 who had waited for me to finish, which is one thing about this sport that I love.

After the race, even though my times were not my best, I was happy with them considering I had spent a long time on a submarine leading this race. Considering the amount of training I had going into the race, finishing in a time of 5:40 for my first Half-Ironman was great. Although doing a race just after getting back may not have been the best decision, I know what I need to do to be ready for race season this fall and make a run at defending my crown as NECTC Conference Champion.