Maggie O’Toole. Mike Hollywood. Meredith Harjes. Laurie Damianos.

I am just listing four people who get up before I do each day. They also swim faster.

They are also our last four presidents of BTT. I sat down with Maggie, 2005-06, Mike, 2007-08, Meredith, 2009-10*, and Laurie, 2010*-12, to discuss the past seven years. And we ended our chat by throwing in a classic twist on Bob Eubanks’ Newlywed Game for good measure. We call it “El Presidente Game”.

*When Meredith got pregnant, her doctor told her “nine months is full term”. She thought he was referring to her BTT Presidency. So she vacated the position after nine months. Laurie was forced to intervene -- not as Meredith’s doctor, but as the new BTT President.

***

“What should we drink?” Maggie asks. She is the first to be seated, which is odd, given her habit of never finding any place on the first try.

“How’d you get here so quick?” I wonder, audibly.

“I actually thought we were meeting someplace else, got lost, and stopped in here for directions. Then I saw you.” She fumbles with her iPhone, shutting off its ringtone.

“Is that a George Michael song on your ringtone? Aren’t you dating yourself a bit with that?”

She slowly lowers her purse to the floor, her modulation following it nearly as far. “It’s Wham. And no.”

Well then.

“Let’s drink beer.” I start anew.

“Two Harpoons,” she says, waving her arm at the bartender.

“IPA’s?” he asks from across the room.

“Yes, two IPA’s.”

She turns back to me: “and what are you drinking?”

And they do. First Laurie, then Meredith, and Mike a few minutes later. Small talk wanders between them, as if they were at Helen’s restaurant following a Walden Pond swim.

Things such as “I think I’m going to go for IMLP in 2013,” and, “didn’t see you at 6AM master’s swim today,” go back and forth.

I insert myself, trying to stay relevant.

“I did an Ironman because I wanted to be a changed person. I was sick of always being humble and having toenails.”

And like that…it was silent.

***

How did you all get involved in triathlon?

Laurie: Hyannis Sprint in 1997. A group of colleagues at work dared ourselves to train for and compete in our first triathlon. We had 5 weeks to prepare. I was swimming then but nothing else. Of 5 of us, only 3 of us finished, and I was pleased that the woman won! I was hooked after that.

Maggie: Colonial Beach, Virginia. Olympic distance in 1997.

Meredith: Mooseman Olympic distance in 2006.

What’s the worst race “malfunction” you’ve ever had?

Maggie: In my first Ironman I was so nervous about nutrition that I overloaded my “Bike Special Needs” bag and when the volunteer hung it over my handlebars it weighed so much that it made my wheel turn sideways and I fell over. A well meaning teammate had told me that having chicken broth on the course was really helpful so I put a couple of cans of broth in my bag. Not sure how I planned to open them since I didn’t pack a can opener…

Meredith: Hmm, I’ll go with Devilman ’07 when I had the bright idea to bring a bottle of spray sunblock on the ride and attempted to apply while moving. I was successful only in covering my sunglasses, the interior of my aero bottle, and the competitors behind me (oops…).

What’s the best triathlon you’ve ever done (in terms of scenery, experience, promoter, etc…)?

Maggie: Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP).

Laurie: I have to say that I love the Even Up Aquaman race. Not only is it a race of unusual distances, but it is absolutely gorgeous. It is also the first race I have ever done that was longer than an Olympic, and it was incredibly inspiring to me when I finished. Prior to that race, I had never believed I could train for that long of a run.

Meredith: IMLP 2008… first and only ironman, a great experience.

What’s the one race you’d love to do?

Mike: Kona, duh.

Laurie: I’ll let you know when I think of it.

Maggie: The Amazing Race with my sister!

What’s the worst triathlon-related impulse buy you’ve ever made?

Maggie: I don’t have one – I am not very impulsive – closest I could say to that would be Jelly Belly Sport Beans…yuck!

Scott: Way to kill off a potential sponsor Maggie.

[Ed. note: BTT’s official view is that Jelly Belly Sport Beans are a potential part of a well-rounded nutritional plan that may or may not be appropriate for a multisport athlete.]

Maggie: Okay, Scott, first of all, that’s your note, note the editor’s, and BTT has no official position on Jelly Belly Beans. I should know, I was the President. And I change my answer. My worst triathlon-related impulse buy was agreeing to pay for your five highway pit-stops of McDonalds when I drove you to IMLP in 2006 and you complained that your were going to pass out from low blood sugar every fifty miles.

Scott: Maggie, I thought Lake Placid was right over the New Hampshire border, and you know I hadn’t eaten dinner that day. Let’s take this off-line. No need to be inappropriate.

Maggie: Scott, honestly, how many times a day do you have to ask people to “take this off-line”? My guess is about thirty. And you never apologized for leaving all of your junk food bags thrown all over my car.

[Ed note: let’s move on]

Maggie: There you go again. Look, anyone can type brackets around their words and make it seem like they are the editor. [See I am doing it now.] And I don’t seem to recall being the one who started this whole, “let me put brackets and editorialize the comments” thing, so I don’t think it’s me who needs to move on.

Mike: Hi, there are three other people here. Anyways, my impulse buy would be my “[Lord’s name in vain deleted] wheels” (ask SP).

Scott: Okay, Maggie -- before you yell at me again, I bracketed Mike’s answer, but not as me, I was really being an editor that time.

Meredith: A wetsuit I bought when I hit race weight for IMLP. Never fit me again (in fact I’m pretty sure I ripped it the next time I attempted to put it on).

Laurie: I am definitely an impulse buyer but have no regrets for triathlon-related purchases (yet).

Maggie: Laurie, isn’t that a “recovery mini-skirt” you are wearing?

Laurie: No regrets Maggie. Not yet.

What were some of the challenges you encountered, or changes/initiatives you helped usher in as team president?

Maggie: You.

Scott: I was only a “Friend of BTT” in 2005, try again.

Maggie. Okay, you, in 2006.

That, and revamping membership requirements. The sport was growing rapidly and new triathlon groups were forming almost as quickly. BTT was inundated with applicants and could no longer take on everyone who applied. We needed a way to effectively manage our growth and distinguish BTT from all the other clubs and groups. Katie O’Dair was instrumental in spearheading the committee where we ultimately made the decision to cap membership, set criteria for new members and establish requirements to continue on in the newly formed categories of Active, Out of State, and Associate.

A big part of this decision came from the almost unanimous feeling that our members wanted to be a part of a close knit team – where we would know each other at races and be able to cheer for each other by name.

It was incredible to be a part of the team during a period of such dynamic growth. When I joined in 1998 we were CRP (Charles River Park) Triathlon Team and the application process consisted of sending in a check for $35 with your name and email address – no training weekends, very few group training activities and no uniform -unless you count the cotton tank top that said CRP in light blue letters!

Mike: Oh man. Sponsorship was eternally an issue – we’re in a much better place now then we were then. It was at the end of my term/beginning of Meredith’s that we made the switch from our previous bike shop sponsor to Landry’s. I really wanted things to work with the previous sponsor, and inertia can be a powerful force, so it was tough to have to “fire” them. But in the end, it’s one of the best decisions we made. Uniforms, too. It’s tough to keep everyone happy.

Meredith: The BTT Time Trial… very proud of what that event has become!

Laurie: I’ve been trying to get more team members involved so that it’s not just the EC or a core group of people running the show. I really think people take more pride in their team when they are an active part of it. We are also in the process of restructuring the team and the EC – for the better. There will be more about this in the coming year. I initiated the Sponsor Night and brought back some of the old favorites like membership cards, Week in Review, and Member Spotlight. The challenges are usually around making decisions that affect the whole team. I have come to realize that you cannot make everyone happy all the time, but I still try.

What part of being team president surprised you the most?

Mike: The email. It’s ridiculous how much email you get. One “off” message on BTTPrivate or Public could mean 10x that in my inbox that night. That, and I don’t think I bought a single beer for myself at any team functions during my tenure. So there are perks, too.

Meredith: The ridiculous amount of email that flooded my inbox.

Maggie: Having been on the EC for several years prior to becoming President I was pretty familiar with all the responsibilities so frankly, I wasn’t surprised by much. That said, when Pokress, Kurtz, and Hollywood started genuflecting whenever I came in the room, I was pretty startled.

Laurie: All the autographs people ask me to sign. Just kidding. I suppose what has surprised me most is realizing that being president is not about me or who I am; it’s more about fulfilling a role and doing a job. The president hears a lot of crap, and I just have to remind myself not to take it all personally.

What issue got the most team feedback/complaints when you were president?

Laurie: Having a coach as a sponsor.

Maggie: So many applicants, so few spots resulting in some tough decisions where membership was not offered to some spouses and significant others. This resulted in endless emails, phone calls, EC meetings and unfortunately damage to several friendships. Second to that was the “eBay Uniform Selling Scandal of 2006” that crossed international borders. Don’t make me bring that up!

[Ed note: It was not me. I am a proud eBay virgin.]

Meredith: Tie between uniforms and BTTPrivate email volume.

Mike: Uniforms. Sponsors.

Laurie: BTT has always been actively involved in giving back to the community and supporting other triathletes, and that is one of the reasons people see us out there and want to join the team. We also have a history of incredibly generous sponsors. Part of our obligation to our sponsors is to support their races as volunteers which is why we created the volunteering requirement. It’s not a hardship and, in fact, it’s a lot of fun. It’s also a great way to return the favor – we all know what it’s like to be racing and have good support out there. Lastly, it’s a great way to show off our team colors and to meet new people.

Mike: I think this has become a necessity as the sport has grown – 10 years ago, there were not as many races, not as many athletes, not as many teams, etc. so it was almost a necessity for athletes to volunteer at races that they were not running, just to make sure the race happened safely. Because of the abundance now, I think we see more complacency and entitlement among athletes when it comes to helping out, so it’s really incumbent on our organization to hold the torch and give back to the community from which we derive so much enjoyment.

***

El Presidente Game!!!

Okay smartypantses! Let’s see how well you’ve gotten to know each other during the past seven years of training weekends and wetsuit swapping. You all know how this works.

For Round 1, Meredith has already filled out her answers. I will ask five questions, you each fill out your card, and we will compare it to what Meredith says. For every match you have, you each get 1 point. Here we go!

ROUND 1 -- MEREDITH’S QUESTIONS (and Meredith’s answers in parenthesis)

1. What’s the longest training run Meredith has ever done? (20 miles)

Mike: 20 miles. (+1 point)

Laurie: 20 miles. (+1 point)

Maggie: 20 miles. (+1 point)

2. How many swim caps does Meredith own? (Meredith’s guess is 20)

Mike: Too many. (+0 points)

Laurie: 10. (+0 points)

Maggie: 37. (+0 points)

3. If your post-race food options were a banana, a cupcake, or a piece of pizza, which would you choose? (I am sure Mary Beth influenced the presence of this question. I’d go for the cupcake. Anyone who gets this wrong hasn’t witnessed me at training weekend or post ironman).

Mike: A cupcake. (+1 point)

Laurie: Banana. (+0 points)

Maggie: Gluten Free pizza…..or the banana. (-1 point for guessing, and being wrong, twice)

4. Which one of you (Maggie, Laurie, you, Mike) is most likely to get lost on the way to a race? (Really?? Is this really a contest? Sorry, Maggie…)

Mike: Maggie. (+1 point)

Laurie: Maggie. (+1 point)

Maggie: Maggie. (+1 point)

5. At an amusement park, what ride would you never get on? (Roller coaster. Never have, never will.)

Mike: Meredith is pretty fearless, I’d say she would go on everything. (-1 point for being so wrong, + 1 point for being so complimentary to Meredith)

Laurie: Rollercoaster. (+1 point)

Maggie: Anything that goes upside down. (+1 point since rollercoasters could be included in that, -1 point for being so overly inclusive -- I mean, you might as well have said, ‘anything that requires a ticket’)

END OF ROUND 1 -- SCORE RECAP

Mike: 3

Laurie: 3

Maggie: 1

Meredith: 0

ROUND 2 -- MIKE’S QUESTIONS (and Mike’s answers in parenthesis)

1. Which one of you is the fastest swimmer? (Yikes, they’re all faster than me now. I’d say Maggie, probably.)

Laurie: That’s not fair. I am going to offend someone. I am definitely not the fastest. I think Mike will say that Meredith is the fastest. (+0 points)

Maggie: Mike. (+0 points)

Meredith: 4 way tie. Swim off! (+0 points)

2. Which on of you owns the most number of BTT logo-apparel items? (I think this has to be Maggie too, if only due to tenure.)

Laurie: Laurie. (+0 points)

Maggie: Maggie. (+1 point)

Meredith: Laurie. (+0 points)

3. How many weeks a year do you ride your bike more miles than you drive your car? (Zero. I drive a lot, because I live in the boonies.)

Laurie: 20. (+0 points)

Maggie: Zero – he has a super long commute so even in IM training he probably drives his car more miles. (+1 point for right answer, and + 1 point for knowing why)

Meredith: 2. (+0 points)

4. When your spouse leaves the house, what time is it? Time to ride, time to clean, or nap time? (Nap time)

Laurie: Nap Time (+1 point)

Maggie: Nap Time (+1 point)

Meredith: Depends on whether she brought the kid with her. (+ 1 point for being close enough)

5. What is the last fast food restaurant you ate at? (Does Starbucks count as fast food? If not, probably McDonald’s.)

Laurie: Boloco (+0 points)

Maggie: Boloco (+0 points)

Meredith: Dunkin. (+ 1 point for getting a sponsor plug in)

END OF ROUND 2 -- SCORE RECAP

Laurie: 4

Maggie: 4

Mike: 3

Meredith: 2

ROUND 3 -- LAURIE’S QUESTIONS (and Laurie’s answers in parenthesis)

1. How many BTT team members qualified for Kona in the last two seasons -- 2010 and 2011? (4.)

Mike: 4. (+1 point)

Maggie: 3 total, 2010-Pokress, Dwyer, 2011-Strain (+0 points)

Meredith: Laurie would know the exact number. I don’t, so I will guess… 5?. (+ 0 points)

2. Of the following eight events, how many have you ever done? Skydiving, scuba diving, cyclocross, cross country ski, yoga, badminton, pumpkin carving. (5, but there were only 7 listed)

Mike: 6, of 7. (+0 points for wrong answer, +1 point for knowing Laurie would correct my bad counting)

Maggie: 6 (+0 points)

Meredith: Laurie would point out that you only listed 7 options, and that she has done them all. (+1 point for being right on the first part, +0 points for being wrong on the second)

3. How would you describe your transition area: Very organized, creative, or a disaster? (somewhat organized)

Mike: Very organized. (+1 point, since Laurie is improvising up there, and you’re close enough…)

Maggie: Very organized (+1 point)

Meredith: Very organized (+ 1 point)

4. When it comes to arriving at BTT socials you are: Always on time, mostly on time, always late? (Always on time, to a fault).

Mike: Mostly on time. (+0 points)

Maggie: Always on time. (+1 point)

Meredith: Always on time (+ 1 point)

5. What is your favorite room in the house? (kitchen).

Mike: Living room. (+0 points)

Maggie: Kitchen. (+1 point)

Meredith: Kitchen (+ 1 point)

END OF ROUND 3 -- SCORE RECAP

Maggie: 7

Mike: 6

Meredith: 6

Laurie: 4

ROUND 4 -- MAGGIE’S QUESTIONS (and Maggie’s answers in parenthesis)

1. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d spend it on: Pay off debts, buy a new bike, take a trip, something else? (Something else).

Mike: Something else. (+1 point)

Laurie: Something else. (+1 point)

Meredith: Take a trip. (+ 0 points)

2. What type of movies do you like the most: Action, comedy, drama? (Drama)

Mike: Comedy. (+0 points)

Laurie: Comedy. (+0 points)

Meredith: Comedy. (+0 points)

3. Who is your favorite singer? (Regina Spektor).

Mike: Alan White. (+0 points)

Laurie: [blank card]. (+0 points)

Meredith: Brittney Spears (just kidding… I have no idea). (+ 0 points)

4. How many triathlons have you raced in during the past two seasons -- 2010 and 2011?

(8 total (1 as a relay in 2010, 7 on my own in 2011).

Mike: 6. (+0 points)

Laurie: 13. (+0 points)

Meredith: 8. (+1 point)

5. Which class are you best at: Spin class, Math class, English class? (Math class).

Mike: Spin class. (+0 points)

Laurie: Spin class. (+0 points)

Meredith: Spin class. (+ 0 points)

END OF GAME -- SCORE RECAP

Meredith: 8 -- EL PRESIDENTE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maggie: 7

Mike: 7

Laurie: 5

(This report is in three parts)

By Katie O’Dair

If you're going to do a triathlon in December (or in my case these days, at all), then you might as well pick a "destination" race that focuses as much on the destination as the race. Key West is that kind of place. So Laurie, Trish, Tim, and I (and friends of BTT John and Ali) all raced this past weekend. Full disclosure - Ali and I did the sprint while the others did the Olympic - hey, it's a miracle I did this at all. Anyway, Key West is just about the perfect place for a race and it didn't disappoint. But as we were waiting in line to pick up our numbers there were ominous warnings of 30mph winds the following day which "may cancel the swim" according to some guy waiting in line who, as it turns out, knew absolutely nothing about winds or triathlon swims. But we were worried, especially because for some of us, the swim is the fun part - bring on the wind! We chewed on that all day, then had a drink and watched the sun set in preparation for the race because that's what you do in Key West. After a good meal and some birthday cake for Trish, we settled in at John's place for the big wind storm that we feared would eventually blow in, ruining what was supposed to be a fun time.

But alas, those fears were unfounded. Race day was warm (70 degrees) and windy (18-20 mph, not 30) with some pretty good chop on the water. The Olympic race went off at 7 on the dot. I mean really - there was no waiting for people this morning - half the wave was still warming up when the gun went off. Things may be laid back in Key West, but holy cow, they start races on time. The sprint was a bit delayed because one of the buoys popped, but they hauled another one out and got us going. I was in the fourth wave, which gave me ample time to strategize my swim. It was a long half mile but I love choppy water and had a great swim. The transition was ridiculously far (think longer than Lake Placid) and out of transition I had to stop because mud got in my cleats. No biggie, I thought, if that's the worst thing to happen today, I'm good. Famous last words. In what can only be described as a first, the police actually stopped race traffic for about four minutes halfway through the bike ride. Yep, cars were getting antsy outside of the shopping area and they STOPPED TRAFFIC. I was incredulous. So after they let us go I began to bike madly and had a pretty good ride through the wind. Computer time was 41:26, but official time was 45:11 because of the stoppage. Grrr. The run was flat and windy out along the beach, with a tailwind on the way back. Really, really pretty. But notwithstanding the stoppage, the race was fun and I ended up winning my age group and getting second master's woman overall. Ali (Tim's gf) had a great sprint race and was also happy about the day.

As for the Olympians, as I call them - all did great! Laurie won Athena 40+, Trish and Tim had great races, and John completed his first triathlon ever in 2:42! That's without a wetsuit and without ever having swam in open water before. Nice. I think we have him hooked on the sport.

The best part of all was that the awards were engraved margarita glasses. Yep, even the 10 and under age group got margarita glasses. That's why we love Key West.

We also had a little time to scout out the new BTT yacht which will be ready for next year when we get a large contingent of BTTers to Key West.

By Laurie Damianos

My biggest takeaways from the race were - wind, wind, wind, fighter jets practicing overhead, roosters on the road, the sand finish to the run (threw me!!!), and the wind, wind, wind. Oh yeah, and the fact that the buoys for the Olympic were virtually impossible to see, and there was no marker on the pier where we finished (I had NO IDEA where to go!). Volunteers were abundant and very good. Oh yeah, how can we forget? Chris McCormick did the race and won, of course.

By Tim Daly

I completely agree with Katie on the "destination" and with Laurie on how great the volunteers were on the course (who apparently were all Navy people?). Overall, I thought it was a great race. Obviously, for a second year race, it still has some wrinkles to iron out. For me, it was the registration process (a little more time consuming than needed), and the swim course!

We were told in the course description meeting that the first buoy would be orange for a left turn, and then 2 yellows to mark the back stretch. Well, the first two buoys were orange, but because of the shape of the swim course, we could not see the far orange buoy all the way by the Southernmost point. Approx. 20 swimmers (me included!) swam to the 2nd buoy, and I was approximately 30 yards away from it when told I had to go to the buoy much further right of me, adding another 2 or 300 meters to my swim. Hopefully next year they will add more buoys at shorter intervals to make the course a little easier to navigate. Even Macca ended up swimming to the wrong pier for the swim exit before being directed to the right one.

I thought the bike course was a lot of fun, especially going through the Navy Base with the fighter jets taking off, and no vehicular traffic! The run was awesome along the ocean, but the wind made for a VERY tough day given it was a flat course! Watching Macca cruise by on the run was pretty awesome, too, given he took the time to give a quick wave, and a "what's up?" as he went by. It was also nice to see an e-mail from the race directors today addressing the issue with the Monroe County Sheriff's department (Ali also got stopped for 4 minutes, and one lady she spoke with got stopped once on her way out, and once on her way back), as well as the swim course!

I think this will prove to be a top notch destination race in the next couple of years, especially given the improvements they're already making to the roads!

Race Report – IronmanCozumel 2011

I write this report under extreme duress...my pool waiter only brought me 1 Pina Colada this morning...instead of two...but I digress.

The family and I flew out from Boston on Thanksgiving morning to Cancun, and then took a bus to Playa Del Carmen, and then a ferry over to Cozumel. All in all, a pretty hassle free travel day. Weather was very hot and very humid, but was glad that I got here Thursday, so I could have a few days to try and acclimate. However, there was a trade-off, as hanging around an all-inclusive resort is not easy for me to do when beer and tequila is flowing freely, but I was able to resist, but honestly by Saturday I was way beyond ready to go.

Friday I went for a practice swim at the course, which was absolutely beautiful. Crystal clear water, with fish swimming all over the place. I then went off to Registration, which was pretty painless. Saturday was bike and gear bag check-in, which again went pretty smoothly, considering that this is a 2 transition race. (You only have to check in your gear at T1, and then they transport your T2 gear to T2). Back to the hotel, and just relaxed for the rest of the day.

Sunday morning, I got up at 4:20...had breakfast, showered, and T and I were off to the start (they had shuttle buses from the hotel to the start).

Got to race start, and weather was beautiful, (hot and humid), but calm and very little wind. Pro athletes went off at 6:40, and then they shuffled the 2300+ age groupers onto the dock, and then into the water. (It is an in-water-start, where you have to jump off the dock, so we were essentially treading water for about 10 minutes before the start. 7 am and the cannon went off, and it was "Go Time." The course is a single lap in a rectangle shape, running parallel to the shore. The first 600 yards are against the current, which you couldn't really tell, as it was just complete mayhem and all style, pacing and form, went out the window. After the 2nd turn, you have a long straight all the way down with the current, although as it was so calm, there was very little current. Things started opening up around here, and I could eventually get into a rhythm. Aaaahhhh the jelly fish.... we were warned about it, but was not sure what to expect. I still don't know what they were or what they looked like, but every once in a while, would feel this sting on my body, which would last for a few seconds and then be gone. I was stung quite a few times, but it was more of an initial shock than any sort of pain. Again, the swim was just beautiful, with great visibility and tropical fish all over the place. They also had scuba divers located at every buoy who were just "hanging out" on the sea floor. Swim was over, collected bag, into changing tent, and onto the bike and out of T1 without incident.

The bike was a 2 3/4 loop (3/4 as you finish at T2, which was in the town center). The bike course is very flat but very windy, and already at 8:30 the heat was really starting to beat down. The first 10 miles out, you have a little bit of a head wind, but it was really congested, which took that out of the equation. There was certainly some drafting here, but not too intentional and I think that even the marshals understood this, as they would drive by just blow their whistle and gesture to people, instead of actually issuing penalties. The next 10 - 15 miles, you are on the open exposed south side of the island, where the wind is extremely brutal, and the reason why disc wheels are banned at the race. It is a constant side wind that is blowing against you the whole way, and you really have to hold on tight to your bike to ensure you are not blown off. After this, you turn left and head back toward town, where you have a decent tail wind, and are able to make up some lost time from the previous section. On the 2nd loop, the headwind picked up quite a bit on the first section. (Or maybe it seemed that way because the field had opened up). On the 2nd section, we went through a brief rain shower, and then cleared by the time we hit the back straight. On the 3rd loop, there was a huge group of drafters that came by, and they were not even trying to hide it...it was crazy. About 5 minutes later, a marshal came by me, and I was hoping that he was gonna penalize them. I could still see them in the distance, and saw him come up behind them. A few minutes later I got to the penalty tent, and there were 6-8 of them that were just checking in. YES...There is justice!! Unfortunately there was one guy (DC Triathlon Club) who was not there, who was drafting virtually the whole race that I could see, and a lot off of me too. (I blew past him within minutes of the run, and saw him walking by the 1st loop...LOSER!)

T2 was quick, got my gear, shoes on, and out onto the run. The run is also a 3 loop out and back course, which is very flat and essentially, goes along the coast through town. On the way back from my first loop, probably around Mile 6, we had an insane tropical downpour that went on for at least the next hour and a half. Shoes were soaked within minutes. Roads were flooded, and each intersection was like a mini river. At one intersection where the flooding was really bad, you actually had to walk, as the water was midway up your shin. I guess I got an early start to trail running season. The downtown area was packed with spectators and crowds going crazy the whole time, even in the rain. They truly are a festive bunch of spectators. I held a good steady pace for most of the marathon, with dropping off in pace over the last 4 miles or so.

Through the finish line, and food and drink, and volunteers were all great. Massages were a very welcome site.

Times:

Swim:1h13:22

T1:4m47

Bike:5h33:57

T2:1m13

Run:3h47:32

Overall: 10h40:51

All-in-all, this was a fantastic race. I think that the organizers did a great job with logistics in transporting athletes, and getting gear between the 2 transitions.

This is a race I would highly recommend!

IRONMAN ARIZONA 2011 RACE REPORT

November 16 -22, 2011

Tempe, Arizona

RACE DAY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2011

This is my race report for Ironman Arizona 2011. It is a play by play of my race week and race day. The race day was great, a few typical Ironman hiccups along the way. It was a great venue. I hope you enjoy the read.

Jamie, Suzanne, Frank, Heather, and I arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday, November 16^th around 10:30am. This was my first IM without family support. Marian, Amalia, and Addison stayed home and would be tracking me online. This was a mental challenge for me on race day, but I had other local support.

We can’t get into the house we rented in Scottsdale until 1:30pm so we decided to have lunch. We find a nice bar named K O’Donnell’s American Bar and sit outside. It is beautiful weather. I have a chicken pesto sandwich and start carb loading with a couple of beers. Texted Joe Milne back home and let him know my carb progress. We get to the house and it is awesome -- a multi-million dollar home. It has four bedrooms and bathrooms, huge kitchen and living space, pool, basketball court, tennis courts, and putting green. Big thanks to Suzanne and Jamie for finding the place. Later that day Dan and his son Cole arrive. Dan’s wife Nichelle is friends with Suzanne and Dan raced St. Croix 70.3 with Jamie and Frank. Dan is a big boy who looks like a pro. He is doing his first IM so I am excited to be a part of that and to help where and when I can in terms of guidance. Jamie convinced him to explore triathlons so we will see how that goes when Dan finishes. Frank leaves to pick up his Mom (Terry) and Dad (Big Frank) and I go to the food store. When everyone arrives back we all sit down for a nice pasta dinner, another beer and some red wine.

Thursday morning Jamie, Dan, Suzanne, and I headed to registration and waited in line for about 30 minutes. Registration was pretty quick and easy. Next we walked around the expo and headed to TriBike transport to check on my bike. They were just setting up and not open until 1:00pm. We decided to head to Old Town Scottsdale for some lunch. We found a great Mexican restaurant with fish tacos. They were good and the margarita was even better. After lunch I headed back to TriBike because I wanted my gear bag and to check on my bike. It was a long line, but I waited and checked in. I left my bike there for race day because it was next to transition. That afternoon Jamie, Suzanne, and I headed to Camelback Mountain. It was crowded and we couldn’t find parking so we left and headed to Phoenix Mountain Recreation Area and Park. We then went for a little hike. It was hillier and tougher than I thought, but it was beautiful. We only walked ¾ of the way up to the summit because we didn’t want to push it and the sun was setting. Jamie took some great photos when we stopped near the bottom to watch the sunset. I practiced my modeling skills so he could get the correct lighting. I’m not sure if those photos will be released. While hiking I found a woman’s license on the mountain and was going to mail it back to her, but found her on LinkedIn and sent her a connection request. She got back to me and was in the area watching a friend compete in IMAZ … small world. When we got back from the mountain Frank and his family was starting to grill. Frank cooked up some nice sausages, burgers, and chicken. Heather made some great potato and pasta salad.

Friday morning had breakfast at the house and decided to go with Frank and his parents to drive the bike course. We stopped by TriBike so Frank could get his gear bag and then headed out to the course. We saw Dan and his son so they followed us. The course had a bigger climb than I expected on the Beeline Highway. Nothing crazy and nothing I haven’t raced or trained on before, but just unexpected. The woman who had lost her license called me while we were driving the course and had a friend at the expo, so I ended up meeting her to return the license. After that we headed back to the house. Frank and family went to meet Heather’s aunt and uncle who were in town, Jamie and Suzanne were in Sedona, and Dan was visiting his family, so I was left on my own Friday afternoon. I watched Wolverine, the X-Men Origins and packed my gear bags. Made a few turkey sandwiches with chips and a beer -- I hope someone is keeping track of my carb loading with the drinks. Friday night Big Frank made two great lasagnas, a veggie and a meat one. I had about four servings and some bread. Everyone joined us for dinner. Jaime’s Mom, Eileen and Suzanne arrived as well. The support crew was intact for race day.

Saturday morning, Jamie, Frank, Big Frank, and I went to check in the gear bags. Dan was already in the area doing the morning practice swim in Tempe Lake. We picked up our bikes from TriBike and met back at the car. We took the bikes for a little spin on the course (approx. 7 miles) to test brakes, shifting, computers, etc. Everything was a go except Dan and Jamie needed to get some quick work done on their bikes. We dropped off the bikes in transition and gear bags in their location. We decided to eat in Tempe and went to Monti’s across from the race site. I had a good grilled turkey sandwich but it went down slowly since the nerves were starting to kick in. We headed back to the house to relax. Had a nice pasta dinner and was in bed by 8:30 – 9:00 pm.

RACE MORNING– I woke up around 4:00 am and had some breakfast. I met Dan in the kitchen and he is nervous and anxious. I explain it wouldn’t be normal if you weren’t, at least for me. Trust your training and it will all come together. Then Frank and Jamie came in. Jamie is so calm but excited that he tries to get us to relax. Big Frank is driving us to the swim. He loves it and we really appreciate it. Thanks again Big Frank. We went to find special needs first and then our bikes. Filled the tires, added water bottles, made some last minute changes, and then off to body marking. Next we checked our gear bags one more time and then went to change. Dropped off the morning clothes bag and headed to the swim entrance.

THE SWIM - It is 6:50 am and we are still not in the water. The pros start and we are standing in the transition area waiting to go across the timing mat. We are not up front so we don’t know what is going on. Finally we start moving and cross the mat and now people are screaming at us to get in the water. We need to jump a railing and dive in. The goggles move so I tread water and adjust them then start heading to the starting line about 150 yards away under two bridges. I am not even at the first bridge and the gun goes off to start the race. No national anthem, unless they did it for the pros, and no Ironman song. There were also people behind me. Oh well, the day begins.

The swim was a 1.2 mile out and back in Tempe Town Lake that looked more like a river (Charles River in a way). The water was cold (61 degrees), but not unbearable once you got moving. The water was also murky and you couldn’t see your hand or the person in front of you. The first 1.2 miles I was clobbered way more than my other IM swims. I am not sure if it was because I swam an extra 150 yards and was in a different pack of swimmers. Anyway I am not a strong swimmer so I just kept moving forward. After a few punches in the face, and I mean closed fist punches (do these people swim with their fists closed?), and people swimming into my side going the opposite direction I decided to move to the outside to have a more comfortable swim. It smoothed out the second half of the first 1.2 miles for me and I made the turn. The 1.2 miles back was going smoothly until I got a very painful calf cramp. I had to stop and tread water to rub it out, and then I was off again. Then about halfway through the 1.2 miles back I cramped again on the same calf. I rubbed it out again and continued. Left the swim and peeled off the wetsuit.

Swim time: 1:20:40, about 5-7 minutes slower than what I was hoping for. No need to panic. I was out of the water.

T1 - You were pulled out of the water and up metal steps at T1. You can’t touch the ground and my shin was smacked on the first step. For those who remember Boston Tri it was similar. Then it was a long run across Tempe Park to the chute to the gear bags and off to the changing tent. It was so crowded I changed outside the tent, had sunscreen applied and went off to my bike. When I got to my row no volunteers were around so I had to grab my bike myself and run the length of transition to exit the bike. The exit chute went through the expo area. I mounted and was off.

T1 time: 8:18 - better than past IMs for me, but I still need to work on that.

THE BIKE– The bike course was three loops, approximately 37 miles each loop. The course was mostly flat except for the end of the Beeline highway where you had gradual incline. It was a false flat as athletes were referring to it. Each loop finished back at transition. I wasn’t a big fan of turning around that close to the finish and covering the same terrain, but it wasn’t that bad and kept moving forward. The first 8.5 miles was flat and fast around Tempe and ASU heading toward the Beeline. Jason Kramer, a friend from Boston and the Alzheimer’s group who now works at ASU and lives in the area, was watching and spotted me right away with the blue and green of Boston Triathlon Team. It was great seeing him briefly and hearing his cheers. Once on the Beeline it was a 10 mile gradual incline with the last 0.5 – 1 mile the steepest. As you turned around and headed back to Tempe it was all downhill and flat. You were flying. I averaged about 21.2 mph after the first loop and I was thinking what a great bike this was going to be. I started the second loop and it was pretty much like the first, but then I hit the Beeline and the wind had changed and it was behind me climbing the hills, which was great. But as soon as I made the turn on the ride back into Tempe I had a headwind the entire 18.5 mile journey. No matter which way I turned the wind was in my face. I averaged about 19.7 mph for the second loop. At the turnaround back in Tempe after the second loop I saw the clan -- Suzanne, Heather, Frank’s mom and dad, Jamie’s mom and Suzanne, Dan’s family, and Heather’s aunt and uncle. What a special treat -- you could hear them from a mile away. They were a great cheering section. The third loop was pretty much like the second with the wind, but I did need to stop and pee. I was pushing through it and started to think if I should pull back with the wind to save energy for the run. I saw groups of six to eight riders drafting with this wind and flying by me. I was so frustrated when I would go by a penalty tent and see it empty. Oh well, it was beyond my control. I fought through the wind and finished the bike strong and dismounted my bike.

Bike time: 5:34:36; 20.08 mph avg.

T2 - was a shorter run to the gear bags and changing tent and a volunteer took my bike, but it was still a run. It was also less crowded and I had a seat out of the sun inside the tent. After a bathroom break and some sunscreen I was off on the run.

T2 time: 6:00

THE RUN– The run course was three loops as well, approximately 8.7 miles each loop. The course was flat with one hill around mile 4 /5, 13/14, and 22/23. The course was a little confusing at first, but well-marked. It was like a figure eight where you ran on one side of Tempe Lake and then crossed over a bridge and ran on the other side back to the bridge you started at and cross back. This short loop was around 2.5 miles and then you continued on this side of the Lake and ran to the next bridge and crossed over and then did a lollipop loop away from the Lake back to the Lake again, down to the same side of the Lake to the bridge you just crossed and cross back again and ran back to the start of the run … do you understand? I said it was confusing! J This second part was about 6.2 miles making the total loop about 8.7 miles. I started the run feeling like I pushed the bike too hard. However I stuck to my plan. My strategy was to run the first half of the marathon around 8:30 per mile and then hold it if possible or slow down to 9:00-9:30 for the second half and come in around 4 hours or just under when finished. The first 11.5 miles went as planned, but then my stomach was acting up and I needed to use the porta-potty. The race slowed down from here. I am not sure if it was because I used it and I upset my stomach more or not. Maybe I could have kept going and see what the result would have been. Oh well it is an Ironman and I made the decision and lived with it. I kept moving forward and had some mile splits like I planned, but then had some slower that involved visiting the potty again. I saw the clan -- Suzanne, Heather, Frank’s mom and dad, Jamie’s mom and Susan, Dan’s family, and Heather’s aunt and uncle as I began the third and final loop. It was awesome just like I experienced on the bike and helped a lot. The entire run I had to pee a lot just like the bike. More than I have in past IM races. I saw the cheering section again before I entered the finish chute, grabbed my cell from Suzanne so I could call the family and headed to the finish line … Victory Lane.

Run time: 4:07:18; 9:26/mile.

I had ups and downs throughout the day, but finished and was happy. Talked to Marian, Amalia, and Addison and they saw me cross the finish line on the computer and that is the best feeling ever hearing their voices.

FINISH TIME 11:16:52

POST RACE - Got a massage, had something to eat, called the family, changed clothes, grabbed the gear bags and dropped off the bike at TriBike, then went back out to the course to cheer on Dan, Jamie, Frank, and other athletes. I missed Dan cross, but eventually saw him. I witnessed Jamie get a personal best and saw Frank pull it together after a tough swim and first half of the bike to run his best IM marathon. Congrats to all of them.

Thanks to everyone who trained with me, gave me their advice, healed me, and supported me. Very special thanks to Marian, Amalia, and Addison for putting up with me and my training for these last 6 months. I could not succeed at any of this without their support.

I hope you enjoyed this race report,

I love you all.

Matt