As with the last several years, my athletic season began in Houston again this year.
After doing more offseason work, I was looking forward to beating last year’s times.
After the group photo Saturday morning, Doug and I headed to the start corrals. This year, the AWDs weren’t all at the frount. So we had about 20-30 minutes to wait.
When we got started, it seemed a little fast, so I slowed down. In 2022 or 2023, what really messed me up was flem not clearing. Last year, I didn’t really have an issue. However, this year, it kept occurring. To a point where I lost at least 90 – 120 seconds having to walk to clear it. With that, I was actually 25 seconds slower than last year. 🙁
After having time to relax and seeing the felines play, we had food and crashed out early.
Sunday started off early, and we were in the corrals before sunrise. In past years, while we’ve started in the dark, it’s been full sunlight before mile 1.25. However, this year, it was dark / cloudy for most of the race. I think it finally became “clear” at about mile 9.5.
But before we got to that point, two bad things happened. One was the arch of my right foot seized; the other was that I dropped one of my nice running gloves (which I didn’t realize until that point. :() While I was in pain from about 3.5 on, Gabe and Doug helped me through it. The Liquid IV that Gabe had brought helped immensely.
What helped me keep going was knowing the work I had put in prior to the race weekend. Even though it hadn’t gone as hoped, I refused to give up and just walk it out. And when it got the worst, having someone say ‘I’ve been trying to catch you for two and a half hours; you’re crushing it’ was a great boost.
As with last year, the crowds helped immensely. Especially in that last mile — not so much for the encouragement, but more for the “accountability”. Even when you’re in pain, it’s much harder to walk (although I had to in places) when a lot of people are watching. 🙂 You find the little extra to run through the pain for a little longer.
I am extremely grateful to Doug and Gabe for guiding and all their support during the weekend, to Catapult for all their support, and friends who helped throughout the weekend (including being feline referees :P)
As I know new people continually find the blog, I wanted to share a little bit of background and context before going forward. If you’ve been following the blog for years, you probably already know parts of this story, as I’ve referenced it several times. 🙂
In early 2014, after Rutgers joined the Big10, I started to receive emails from the Alumni Association about the BTN race in Chicago. While I hadn’t run in years, I decided to give it a try. When that first 5K didn’t “kill” me (although there were some very interesting training sessions early on), I tried a couple of other 5Ks before the end of 2014. I must have seen ads for the 2014 Chicago Triathlon that summer, since one of my running guides was also a triathlete helped guide me for my first Tri in 2015. Like the BTN race, a triathlon looked like fun from the ads (very nicely done by their marketing department :)).
After settling on the Naperville Sprint Triathlon, Terri (Jacob) helped with finding a local store that would let us borrow a tandem for practice and for the race (Oswego Cyclery — now The Bike Rack Oswego), we started practicing. At the time, the plan was that the Naperville Sprint Triathlon would be a “one and done” race. And then the Shamrock Shuffle happened…
After the first few 5Ks in 2014, I had learned to reach out to the Race Directors (RDs) about being a Visually Impaired (VI) athlete, needing guides, and finding out what was needed. Prior to the Shamrock Shuffle, I was told to find the Athletes With Disabilities (AWD) coordinator in a specific place and was given her name (Keri Serota). During the roughly hour that we were in the tent pre-race, my mom (who was one of my guides) first found out that Keri was the Executive Director for a local ParaTriathlon organization (Dare2Tri), and then told Keri that I was doing my first Triathlon in August 2015.
While I don’t remember the entire conversation that ensued after Keri found that out, I do remember two very specific things — the first being her graciously inviting me to their ParaTriathlon camp in May 2015 (Pleasant Prairie, WI) and the second being that she would not take no for an answer about me showing up. 🙂
So I showed up in Pleasant Prairie, and the rest is history… Ten years later, the Holiday Classic Triathlon was my 100th Triathlon. That number includes both sanctioned and unsanctioned races and indoor, outdoor, and hybrid (pool swim, bike trainer, outdoor run OR pool sim, outdoor bike, outdoor run) races. While there have been some bumps along the way (see the blogs for Leaning Tower, the near drowning at Pleasant Prairie, the 2022 Leon’s T1 breakdown, and the The Woodlands crash blogs for a few examples), there have also been a lot of successes. And ten years in, I’m still learning; I’m still working to improve; and I’m still refusing to give up. But I would not have gotten to 100 races without a LOT of help and support from so many. While I have tried to remember everyone who’s been a part of this journey since 2015, I apologize if I’ve forgotten someone. It is not intentional — I have a good memory, but it’s not photographic. 😀 Also this is solely on the Triathlon side. There are many others that have helped me in other athletic endeavors; I’m just focusing on the Triathlon side (overall or in its core parts as swim, bike, and run — without obstacles :))
-> Dare2Tri: For so many things too numerous to list. But a few include the initial opportunity that helped to change my life, all the different training and race opportunities, and a long list of ways they’ve supported me over the years (including helping with a grant for my tandem).
-> Naperville Noon Lions Club – For providing continual support of my athletic endeavors. They helped to support the very first Dare2Tri camp, and have helped immensely since that point.
-> Oswego Cyclery (now The Bike Rack Oswego) – For providing the tandem so that we could practice and I could race during the firs two years.
-> Coach Joe LoPresto (Experience Triathlon) – For being willing to say yes when Terri asked him about guiding me for that first race, for continuing to help in so many other ways, for helping with swim training, and for keeping the ET Indoor Tri Series going (watch for the 2026 race announcements) while other RDs were still uncertain about what they’d do in 2021.
-> Terri Jacob (Artistic Creations Salon) – For embracing my “crazy” and saying yes when I asked her to be my first triathlon guide, sticking with me during some of the early hard times on the tandem (including the session where in roughly 2 hours I couldn’t get a mount and was ready to just give up), all of the guiding help, and other support.
-> Naperville Running Company – For providing support in so many ways and so many different running opportunities over the years.
-> Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB) Chicago – For providing training opportunities in so many different training opportunities. Also on the Triathlon side (Team RWB Triathlon) providing help at the beginning when I was so uncertain about guides, rules as a VI, and other items.
-> Achilles Chicago – For providing many different run training opportunities and standalone running race support.
-> The Bike Rack – For helping to get the CoMotion bike fits done, building the tandem (Erik) and for continually being there as I’ve needed help with the tandem over the years.
-> Hammer Nutrition – For being my first nutrition sponsor, and surprisingly saying yes so early on in my Triathlon career. The support they provided truly helped in those early years.
-> Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) – For providing travel grants for so many years. Not being able to drive, this support has helped immensely with all the traveling I do / need to do — for practices, camps, training opportunities, and races. Also for providing the underlying support that has allowed other organizations to support me.
-> Amy Dixon USA (Amy Dixon) – For providing the camps and training opportunities in the San Diego area and an opportunity to be at the USOPTC there (I believe it’s been renamed at this point).
-> USA Triathlon – For providing the opportunities in and around the USOPTC in Colorado Springs and all of the support in general over the years. Also from the Foundation side, providing funding support for a VI-friendly treadmill so that I can train.
-> Catapult – For providing so many training and racing opportunities, continued grants to support swim training, for continually providing opportunities to push the “comfortably uncomfortable” boundary, and so many other things. As I’ve said in prior blogs, the TIR experience (running down a two-lane country road in the dark in “Nowhere”, Texas) and the literal “blind platform diving” (when I couldn’t see the water in the dark) were just two of the key moments related to pushing that boundary.
-> U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) – For providing support and so many training opportunities — namely, what is officially called the USABA Cycling Camp (which was led by Pam at USOC Colorado Springs) 😉
-> Skratch Labs – For providing support and product to help when I switched over.
-> ParaGuide (Paul Harrold) for guiding and providing training and other support.
-> Chicago Tri Club (CTC) for providing so many different training opportunities over the years.
-> Foreseeable Future Foundation – For providing individual grants and also providing general support for all VIs at different camps and races.
-> HOKA – For partnering with Catapult and generously providing gear at the Welcome2Running camps. I made the switch to HOKAs after that camp for all my shoes and have been tremendously happy that I did. 🙂
-> EliptiGO – For providing equipment that’s helped with my training.
-> All of the coaches – Not just my personal coach (Stacee), but all the different coaches that have helped me to improve, have taught me new things, and have been with me throughout the journey. Even when that journey included doing transition practice in a hail storm… 😀
-> All of the guides – I am truly grateful to a long list of people who have not only shared their time and talents, but have also given up their individual race to be part of helping me. And for being with me during the good, the bad, and the ugly, regardless of what that looked like.
-> My parents – For all of their support over the years in so many ways (including numerous airport runs).
-> A long, long, long list of RDs – For essentially saying “yes, we’d love to have you there. Tell us what you need.” when I did my initial reachout.
-> A long list of fellow athletes – For their support, knowledge, and ideas that have helped me grow both athletically and personally.
-> All of the sponsors behind the camps and races – Triathlon is an expensive sport. None of the camps, races, or training opportunities would have been possible without these companies and organizations providing their support to the events.
-> The volunteers – It truly takes a village to make any of these events happen. Like the sponsors, none of these opportunities would have been possible without so many generously giving their time and volunteering. So PLEASE, as you race, as you’re at a training, as you’re at a camp, say thank you to the volunteers. I know it’s sometimes hard while you’re focused on racing, but even doing it post-race can make a difference to them. Some are helping to keep you going, others are helping to keep you safe, and so many others are behind the scenes.
As one final point on the volunteers, I do want to specifically recognize Ryan Jarvis, who is a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) somewhere in eastern Indiana. He was part of the “sweeper” crew that kept us safe when the thunderstorms rolled in at Muncie 70.3. I’m truly grateful to him and the rest of the “sweeper” crew, as things could have gone dramatically worse without it. (I was told there was thunder and lightning — I felt the winds and torrential rain).
As the first race was Ten years later, the goal is still to race until a USAT official has to physically pull me off the course in my 80s… That point was inspired by seeing one of the AG Nationals broadcasts where the 80 – 85 AG guys were still crushing it. We’ll see if I make it to 500 before that point does occur. 🙂
As mentioned in August, #100 had been put on hold by Mother Nature. But Tetris pieces fell into place for it to occur in Anthem, AZ.
After a quick bike fit and standard inking (although I had run out of Skratch), we called it an early night.
After getting transition set up, we checked in with Jeremy. As this was a snake swim, he allowed us to start five minutes early to minimize issues with congestion. That worked out really well, and my biggest issue in the pool was the chlorine level…
After a longer than normal T1 (as I had to put on layers since it was < 50), we headed out on the bike. It was a three loop “square” with a pigtail that had lots of hills. They weren’t steep like some of the hills from 2024, but they were long, gradual ones. As I found out later, one of those gradual hills was a full mile…
As we got further into the loops, I became more comfortable and it got “easier”. A sign of that confidence was a full tuck to Paul’s back for a portion of the downhill.
After coming off the bike, T2 took a little longer as I shed some layers in addition to changing (it had warmed up to about 60).
The run was an out-and-back that began in the park and then went along the first mile of the bike course. So this mean hills, lots and lots of hills. I will admit to pushing it too hard when we were a few hundred meters from the turnaround, which led to issues on the way back. But being almost completely downhill on the way back, I made it work.
I am extremely grateful to Paul for guiding, Jeremy for all the support, and so many others for helping to make it a successful weekend! I’ll have a more formal “100 thank you” as the next blug…
If you’re in the Phoenix or Tuscon area, please check out 4Peaks Racing’s events! Can’t say enough good things about my expereince here! 🙂
In the fall of 2022, Spartan offered the just-released Unbreakable Pass to Para athletes. This new pass was an opportunity for athletes to race any Spartan-branded event for just the cost of insurance, bag drop, and parking. The initial term was three years, but it could be renewed for up to a total of nine years.
I had seen the Spartan races over the years, but had never done any prior. But I was interested enough that I accepted the opportunity. And three years later, I’m glad that I did! 🙂
One of the main renewal options is the annual Unbrekable events. For this cycle (2023 – 25), this is the short version of what happened: In 2023 (Granbury), things went sideways with my guide less than thirty days out, and I couldn’t find another one. In 2024 (Florida), school commitments made me have to cancel plans last minute. And in 2025 (Finland), I couldn’t afford the trip or find a sponsor.
During the lead up to Finland, it looked to me like the Finland event covered the full cycle renewal since it was an international event. But as I found out after realizing it wouldn’t work, I clearly misread things. In the end, it was probably for the best that Finland didn’t work out — I’d be in a much worse position if it had…
Once I found out from Jake (Unbreakable Concierge) that I had to do a total of twelve full day shifts to renew the Pass, multiple games of Tetris began…
Fortunately, I had a lot of flexibility this summer, and some this fall. So the math became six at Tough Mudder Chicago (Rockford), four at Spartan Midwest (Attica), and two at Spartan Dallas (Granbury). But as you’ll see below, that plan didn’t fully work out…
As friends and family found out about my “interesting” plans, a few suggested that I either just pay the $1,500 or let the Unbreakable Pass lapse and pay full price in 2026 on. As a starving college student, the first wasn’t logistically possible. Out of respect for Joe, Dan, and so many others within Spartan who have helped me since 2022, the second wasn’t even a thought. In my mind, if I let it lapse, I would have to leave OCR. I wouldn’t be able to face any of them and say ‘you gave me this incredible opportunity and I let it slip away…’
So this is what the journey was:
1: TM Chicago (Rockford)
I am fortunate to have family in the Rockford area. Going in, the plan was to volunteer Tuesday – Friday, race Infinity Saturday, and then volunteer again Sunday and Monday. But when I lost two guides in less than an hour on race week (both due to foot) and couldn’t find another guide, I ended up volunteering Saturday as well.
When I showed up on Tuesday, I could tell that a few people were uncertain about what I could and couldn’t do. But that changed quickly, and we got a lot done that first day.
While the build went smoothly, unfortunately the Paratransit did not. I could understand them having an issue finding base camp Tuesday, or even Wednesday morning. But by the fourth time, they should have known… Thankfully Joseuah (sp?) helped to get that straightened out.
The overall specifics of the build are a blur. I remember being handed a sledgehammer (hey, I didn’t cut my foot when someone handed me an axe last June in VT, so that was safe ;)) to drive rebar, putting up the stage, and putting up umpteen amounts of fence and tents. As a side note, while Spartan merch tents are put up by an external company, the Tough Mudder one was not. That was an interesting experience putting up a tent that large.
On Saturday and Sunday, I was at the finish line handing out medals. So, so, so many medals (I heard the total count was 12K people total). I also talked one of my cousins into volunteering with me on Sunday. In addition to all of the fun of seeing people finish and handing them their medals was getting to hear 15 – 16 hours of Clinton’s continual banter around EST.
One of the other interesting notes from Saturday and Sunday was rediscovering Reign. When I had had it on course, I believed it was horrible. But from the can, it was great — and how I survived (both those days and the rest of the volunteer shifts).
On Monday, two interesting things happened — one good and one bad. The good was that one of the other volunteers offered me a ride home, which saved me about four hours in transit. The bad was that I ended up getting sick after Chicago (with the famous line of ‘I hope I didn’t get you sick’… I’ve already had a few good laughs over that :D)
After Chicago, I had a tight, but solid run of Washington State to West Virginia for TWC. But things got to a point with the illness that I was delirious the Tuesday after Labor Day and had to pull out of TWC. It took me about three weeks to get better, which also meant scratching Attica.
As a result, yet another game of Tetris began…
2: Spartan Nashville
As I played Tetris, Nashville was one of the closest (#3 being the closest). Having never been to Nashville before, and with the race being in a different county than the airport, this created some logistical issues with Paratransit services.
Also, not knowing the area well enough, I didn’t end up at the best hotels. As an example, I said the words “you’ve got a figurative gun pointed at my head” to the first one, and the second one let their smoke alarm beep for hours. After these experiences, I was willing to just work out for 15 hours (legimate training for a 48 hour race in Feb.) rather than deal with another nightmare. Thankfully, I found a better place for the final night when my body gave out after 3.5 hours on the treadmill…
In regards to the actual volunteering, it was a lot of fun. When I arrived Saturday morning, I met someone who said ‘my name is Steve, but I go by Stove because there are so many Steves’. Without saying anything, I had an idea that that was Steve McDonald — as doing something like that (making life easier for others) is a easy McDonald trait to spot. 🙂 I spent the rest of the day handing out a lot of medals (and shirt tokens) with a large group of people.
While Sunday started out similar to Saturday, a second McDonald found me in the dark. Sadly, I did not recognize it was Don in the dark. 🙁 Although, he shouldn’t feel too bad, as I also didn’t recognize Joe in the light, so… 😀 Sunday was an interesting day on the volunteer side — for most of the first four or five hours, I was on my own at the finish line. And then the “invasion” occurred — about eight or ten JROTC kids showed up, which helped. 🙂
In Chicago, about eighty percent of the festival still needed to be taken down (I know we did tables, chairs, and a few other things) after Sunday. But by the end of Sunday in Nashville, almost everything was down because of all the JROTC kids. I was honestly concerned that there would be nothing to do on Monday and I’d have to play Tetris yet again (San Antonio).
Thankfully, there was still a fair amount of final tear down and packing to do. That Monday was a blur, and all I truly remember was shotgunning Reigns to stay awaks. 😀
3: Spartan Orlando
With Para World Championships (PWC) being in Orlando, this was the best way to get the final two full-day shifts in.
As in Chicago, ParaTransit had issues finding base camp in Orlando. By the time I finally got there on Monday, the people I had been with in Chicago and Nashville were already out doing the tear down. So I ended up helping out at base camp for Orlando.
It was very touching (and also funny) to see [Person A] say ‘Can I have James?’ and then look forlorne when [Person B] said ‘NO. He’s mine.’ 😀
As I was waiting for my Uber to the hotel, I thought someone from the build team was walking by. I found out a few minutes later that it had actually been Joe. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to walk back to base camp, apologize for not recognizing him (I had seen him for about 60 seconds in VT before he left for Abu Dhabi) and thank him for everything.
After a long day, I had hoped for a restful night. That was not to be, as noise once again interrupted sleep. This time from people partying until 4 AM. But who needs sleep when there’s Reign? 😀 😀
The absolute best part of the volunteer weekend was being invited to be part of the Veteran’s Day video that was done right after lunch on Tuesday. It’s something that I’ll always remember. I also expect “outtake hijinks” to occur on 4/1/26… 😛 😀
While it was not an easy process to renew the Unbreakable Pass, it was well worth doing. I got to meet a lot of great people and make new friends.
Also, if I hadn’t done it, my 2026 OCR season wouldn’t have happened. Not just from the part about having to leave OCR as I mentioned earlier, but out of sheer cost. Right now, I have about twenty Spartan branded events (Spartan, Tough Mudder & DEKA FIT) on the planning calendar. Without the Unbreakable Pass, with the resources I’ll have for 2026, I would not be able to afford the costs to do these races and continue to challenge myself. So I’m glad I’ll have the Pass for cycle #2 (2026 – 28)!
Words cannot properly express my gratitude to everyone within Spartan who’s helped me to this point. So I will just simply say Thank You.
Here’s to three more years of mutual stalk… um, I mean OCR racing! 😀 😀
Since the Spartan Para World Championships were announced during the early summer (I believe June), I had been researching everything it entailed. I asked lots of questions, stal… um, I mean proactively looked for updates, and asked more questions.
Rob, Kali, and I met in Orlando on Friday night. After sleep, round one began.
Since Saturday’s race was a 5K, my plan was to just go with the aid stations. And it worked out OK for the most part… I will admit to being shaky at about 2.5 hours on the vertical cargo net. But it was a good learning lesson — not just that I could accomplish the obstacles, but that I couldn’t go without hydration.
Post-race, my plan was to get a couple of bottles to throw into one of my guides’ packs. But that was quashed during the race walk-through. But before getting to that point, I was led (astray? :P) by a 6 foot pink bear…
While I wasn’t able to crawl (precautionary for PWC), it was still great to be involved with the Teddy Bear Crawl Foundation event. Mark has done a lot to help so many so far, and the foundation will do even more in 2026 through its partnership with Dealers of Hope US. For more information on the Climb for Hope and how you can help, visit their respective Facebook and Instagram pages!
After the crawl and the course walk-through, we had a really nice dinner. Normally during race weekends, it’s chaos. So it was really nice to have an hour to sit, relax, and talk with people. Afterwards, we made a trip to get nutrition and Rob gave me hydration tablets.
The short version of the PWC race is this — after the second hydration stop, my insides turned to “concrete” and I spent about 30 minutes working through that. Very painful to say the least, and it greatly impacted my race. Prior to it, I was keeping pace with a few of the other Paras (although John was probably done at that point…); after, I struggled to cross the finish. I did manage to get over the fire, but I was concerned that I’d have interesting stories about missing leg hair… While there were struggles, I did cross the finish line and earned my first Delta (2nd #PO5).
I am extremely grateful to Dan, Joey, John, and so many others for making the 2025 event a reality. I am looking forward to having a better race in 2026, wherever it is! I’m also grateful to Rob and Kali for guiding and all their other support throughout the weekend.
[Update: the 2026 race will be in Lahti, Finland.]
THANK YOU to the Cordani Family and Achilles! I am extremely grateful to the family for their generous grant!
Their support will help ensure that I can compete at the 2026 Spartan Para World Championships! I am still waiting to hear where the 2026 race will be.
[Update: The 2026 Spartan Para World Championships will be in Lahti, Finland.]
This weekend was supposed to be a celebration of 100 Triathlons. Ten years of racing throughout the country — sanctioned, unsanctioned, indoor, outdoor. However, Mother Nature had other plans…
After getting the rear tire replaced, Paul and I racked the bike and then did the OWS practice. Feeling good after it, we headed back to the hotels to sleep.
When we woke in the morning, the streets of Milwaukee were flooded. Flooded so badly that the race was cancelled. 🙁
Even though I didn’t have a chance to race, I did still win the Para Series (ATD1 VI Male) prize. I’m looking forward to using the new helmet for Race #100 and beyond!
My second attempt at #100 will be in Anthem, AZ this December. Hopefully it all comes together!
Ten years later, I’m back where my first sanctioned race was at. And a race I’ve done as much as possible (injuries and bike issues have kept me from racing a couple times).
As Scott and I rolled the tandem towards Centennial Beach, I noticed that one of the tires was flat. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, as it’s normal for times to deflate over time. However, it wasn’t something that could be fixed by a simple re-inflation.
After arriving at the beach, we discovered that the rear tire had a huge gash in it. I don’t know when that occurred, but there wasn’t enough time to go back for a spare. So the bike mechanics came up with the idea of putting a second tube around the normal one as a large “patch”. While I was nervous about it, I was willing to give it a go…
After finishing transition set up, we headed to swim start. As usual, the swim was a “mixer”. At least this year, no one physically climbed onto my back…
After a normal T1, we headed out onto the bike. Knowing what the rear wheel was like, we took it more cautiously / slower at times. I’ll admit that the Texas race was in the back of my mind the ENTIRE bike. But I trusted Scott to keep me safe, so it worked out. 🙂
After a normal T2, we headed out on the run. While it was the normal struggle, it seemed to go a bit better.
Thanks to Scott for guiding me and to all of those who helped to make it a successful race!
I’ve heard that interesting things happen in California all the time (many of which make it onto TMZ…). After the weekend in Long Beach, I can attest to that…
Those “interesting things” began before the camp did. I’m grateful to Andrew for the assist when things didn’t go as planned at the airport.
After meeting with Frederick, we got the bike build done and fit completed. After everything was set, we did a triple brick. One of the important things that came out of that was making sure the gloves were set. During the second brick, where everything was, I remember being the first of the VIs on the run.
After lunch (where a talent agent just appeared), we went into the lagoon for Open Water Swim (OWS) practice. Because of the issues I’d had at Leon’s, I was concerned about swimming with the wet suit. As the time was a bit faster without it, and the water felt good, I did decide to race without it. I didn’t notice the same constriction when I had it on though. I don’t know if that was because of the salt water, if I had missed a wrinkle at Leon’s, or something else. But I will keep an eye on it going forward.
After OWS, we ended the day with breathwork. There weren’t ice baths like at the Pleasant Prairie camp. But it was still a good session.
On the second day, we were at the race site for OWS and bike/run practice. While I wish the swim opprotunity had been longer, it did help us to work through an unexpected first, and work out strategies for it.
I have raced in bodies of water on both coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve also swam by myself in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico. In all of that time, I had never gotten caught on a kelp tree (or pushed into one by the waves around Hawaii). So that practice swim was something entirely new as the tether caught on a huge kelp tree that was about 30 – 40 meters from the shore.
While we did have a chance to practice bike / run along the shore line, to say it was “chaotic” is dramatically underselling it. IMO, the race needs to have volunteers out there to keep order so people can practice without concern.
After a fairly stressful practice, it was good to end the day with Yoga. 🙂
After setting up transition and making our way to the beach, we were able to get in a brief warm up swim prior to race start.
Having figured out the kelp tree solution, it was a solid swim. I ended up coming out of the water about 90 seconds ahead of where I thought I’d be. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of time due to the rough ground / bunched up path making it nearly impossible for me to do more than shuffle. This was extremely frustrating to me, as I was the first of the ATD1 VI males out of the water, but the last out of T1. 🙁
Once we finally made it out of T1, the bike went well for the most part. While the crash from 2022 still caused some issues, we were able to hit 24-25 mph at points. I did burn too much to get over one of the overpasses though, which came back on the run…
After a normal T2, we headed out with the running bottle. This helped, even though I would keep “red linining” (which is something I’ll be working with my coach on). Even with those struggles, we still had a solid run in “intervals”. It seemed to be a small step forward from some of the prior runs this season.
Thank you to Dare2Tri for all of their help and support throughout the weekend. Thank you to Frederick for all his help, support, and guiding throughout the weekend. And thanks to Andrew for his assist on the trasportation pieces.
I also wanted to thank American Airlines baggage handlers for taking care of the tandem (aka Durable Medical Equipment) during transit. After another carrier’s baggage team crushed the rear triangle, I had not flown with it for almost six years. And I was extremely nervous about how it would turn out. But between their care and the supports within the Scicon case, it all worked out. 🙂 Hopefully I can get back to traveling with the tandem on a normal basis starting in 2026 again!
If you want to save while joining me, use code JGILLIARD10 at http://tinyurl.com/jgsuper !
