Great End to a Great Year!

With Chris and Mike at JC's End of the Year Bash for HCM Foundation 12/11/11 at Antonio's Grill in Broadheadsville, PA!  A great  event with food, live music, raffles and lots great reflections on fundraising and racing for HCM in 2011.
Thanks Mike and JC!

Q&A/Meet & Greet with 4-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington at Cadence Cycle in Manayunk 12/14/11! Lots of words of inspiration for next year...and what a smile!

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Dearest Family and Friends...

I just want to take a moment to thank all of my dear family and friends who donated to my fundraising efforts for HCM Foundation in 2011.  As a result of your wonderfully generous gifts, I was able to raise $2,693 to help support families struggling with the effects of cancer in their lives.  This exceeded my goal and I am overwhelmed by your caring, giving hearts.  I really cannot thank you enough.  It has been a joy and priviledge for me to race for HCM Foundation this year in honor and memory of my dad. 

Throughout this challenging, life-altering year I had to rely a lot on the strength of others to help build up my own.  I just want to thank you for believing in me and the wonderful work of HCM Foundation.  Thank you Chris for being with me every step of the way through 7 triathlons and a marathon this year.  I couldn't have done it without you.  Thank you family and friends for your unfaltering encouragement and kindness.  And thank you Dad for your inspiration and your strong spirit that lives on every day through those who love you.

Thank you all once again for reading and supporting my racing journey of 2011.  Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season!
Love,

Polly 

The Finale: Marine Corp Marathon, Oct. 30, 2011

With the tri season ending on Oct. 2nd, Chris and I had one more big event on the docket: the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 30th.  It had been several years since Chris & I had done a marathon, but with IMLP 2012 waiting in the wings, we decided that it was time to see what we had in the legs!  There's really no training plan for combining marathon training with half-ironman training, so we sort-of pieced our workouts together and hoped for the best!

Driving down to D.C. the day before was interesting with a rare October snow storm hitting the area!  Ok, with all the rain we had to deal with at the end of summer and early fall, this was seriously not funny!  Fortunately for us it all cleared out overnight leaving us with a very chilly race day morning with temps in the 30's!  Layers were the order of the day.  Chris & I were prepared to line up in corral 2, however our friend Ted convinced us to join him in the front corral.  Indeed we were, as my chip time was 10 seconds off the clock time! 

Overall, this race was fabulous.  The Marines served as volunteers for the race and were themselves a profound presence.  Crowd support was also top notch and except for this lonely highway portion of the race at around mile 21, there were plenty of energetic people encouraging us along the way.  Being "Miss Consistent," my race splits were laughably even.  I ran with the 3:15 pace group for a few miles in the middle, but had to slowly watch them disappear around mile 17.  Chris ran with blistering speed (actually incurring two really nasty blisters!) at sub 7's for the first 30k.  We got to see each other once on the course at an out-and-back section, so were happy to note that we were both on track to PR.

Ted and I met up between mile 25 and 26 and pushed each other to the finish.  The last .2 is literally up a steep hill, so my stride turned into a bow-legged, groaning shuffle!  What a great feeling to be completely DONE and have a Marine award you with a finisher's medal!  I couldn't have asked for a better end to an amazing, emotional racing season with both Chris and I accomplishing so much and earning two hard-fought PR's!  Chris: 3:10:00; Polly: 3:19:55
The post-race massage and celebratiory beers were a great reward on an amazing day.  Thanks to Chris, HCM Foundation, friends & family and my dad's inspiration for this unforgettable 2011 season.

Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains...That's a Wrap!

Chris & me at the finish...3rd in my age group!

The last "tri" of the season is now in the books (actually a "du" because the swim was cancelled)!  Even without the swim, this was probably the hardest course I've ever experienced (judging by the soreness in my legs and the limp in my walk)!  What did I expect?  It's the Poconos!  Hills, hills and MORE HILLS!!  It was a constant up and down, so not only a physical challenge, but a mental one as well.  But, coming off my last half-iron skinned-up, bleeding and cramping on the run, I was ready to make this final "tri" count.

Aside from the extreme hills, this race was unique for many reasons.  The swim was cancelled due to high water levels in the Delaware River, a very fast current and trees and other assorted debris floating down the river.  A certain recipe for disaster!  It rained all night before the race, making for some wet, slick road conditions, not to mention the "bumpiness" in the roads due to mother nature taking out her wrath on the east coast all summer/fall!  Plus, it was forecast to be in the 40's race morning.  What to wear?!  My gear bags looked like I was packed for a week of camping in the mountains rather than racing (T2 took a little longer than usual for this reason)!  Finally, there was the "time trial" start, which sent each racer off on the bike one at a time every 5 seconds.  A new experience, but it definitely helped to take away the usual pre-race jitters!

Fortunately, it only rained a little on the bike course and the beautiful mountain scenery definitely helped the miles go by.  Sites from the course: dead squirrel, dead skunk (more of a smell), dead opossum, running dog (had to swerve around him!), beautiful mountains, gorgeous trees, wonderful cheering crowds (especially at the finish line...just AWESOME!).  It was also GREAT to see so many friends and Philly Tri Club folks out on the course making for some phenomenal support!  The finish of the race was similar to the finish of our first tri this season...hugging Chris with tears in my eyes after a hard effort, thoughts of my dad and what this tri season has meant for me.  I really couldn't have asked for a better last race of the season.

Here's the breakdown of Chris' and my results:
Polly:
3rd in AG; 10th amateur female
Bike: 2:59:17; T2: 2:13; Run: 1:32:19; Total: 4:33:49
Chris:
Bike: 2:49:57 (19.8 avg.!); Run: 1:50:55; Total: 4:44:36

September's Training...floating toward the end of tri season!

Did I mention it's been raining here?  A little bit?  Anyway, September was definitely a juggling/balancing act with working around the weather, continuing to train for 2 half-ironmans and a marathon while trying to get enough rest and recovery in between (nursing the crash wounds helped with this)!  Anyway, it was what it was, so here's the play-by-play:

Sunday September 4-Saturday September 10
Race: Shoreman Half-Iron Triathlon (1.2 mi. Swim: 34:07; 57.5 mi. Bike: 2:54:23; 13.1 mi. Run: 1:42:14; Total: 5:10:44)
Swim: 1 mi.; Bike: 10 mi, 40 min.; Run: 7 mi., 53:17

Sunday September 11-Saturday September 17
Bike: 22.5 mi., 1:30; Run: 5.25 mi., 42:42; Bike Commute: 14 mi.

Sunday September 18-Saturday September 24
Swim: 2000 yds.; Run: 25.25 mi., 3:10:06; Yoga: 30 min.; Bike Commute: 54 mi.

Sunday September 25-Saturday October 1
Swim: 2000 yds.; Bike: 11 mi., 45 min.; Run: 27.5 mi., 4:22:10; Bike Commute: 28 mi.

Keeping it Clean With Grease Monkey Wipes!

It’s about time that I share some accolades for Grease Monkey Wipes as they’ve literally been slipping through my fingers since the day I started using them!  Most days I commute 14 miles to work round-trip, so the condition of my road bike chain, cassette and other adjacent components reflects this (or more appropriately, collects this).  Not only is there the commute, but I have raced 7 triathlons on my tri bike this year which translates to a lot of training miles in a lot of interesting weather conditions (I live in the Northeast, after all!).  That being said, the love of my life, a.k.a. my training partner Chris gently reminds me (frequently) that my bikes look like they’ve been ridden through a mud wrestling pit, oil slick or pond scum depending on the day.

Grease Monkey Wipes to the rescue!  I’ve been getting the 30-count canisters for the past several months and one might guess that I actually enjoy cleaning my bike now!  I only use one or two wipes at a time and they take the grease, grime, grit and gunk right off my chain, cassette, frame and other assorted parts it ends up on.  They’re also great for cleaning the grease off your hands and that chain “tattoo” that you always get on your calf when riding!  We pack the individually wrapped wipes in our bike tool kit to take to races and training weekends.  In short, they are a lifesaver for any bike enthusiast and I no longer have any excuses for that gravel in my chain!  Thanks Grease Monkey Wipes for sponsoring the Falkee Triathlon Team!      

Crashed, But Not Burned! Shoreman Half-Iron Tri September 10, 2011

I read something recently that if a race isn’t going your way, sometimes you just need to reevaluate things and set different goals.  The Shoreman Half-Iron Tri in Port Republic, NJ was just such a race for me!  First of all, the bike course was extended by almost 2 miles because they had to reroute it due to all the recent flooding.  Knowing this, I was prepared to tack on some time…but not as much time as I ended up tacking on!

Race day morning was nicely rain-free (yay!) and we started out with a refreshing 70-degree 1.2-mile swim in the lovely red cedar waters that frequent the Pine Barrens area.  Things were going well when I hopped on my bike for the 57+ miles, and the course being fairly flat, I was cruising along nicely…until I hit the divot in the road around mile 7.  Before I knew what had happened, I was launched on top of my aerobars, my front wheel turned sideways and I was skidding across the pavement on my hip, side and elbow.  As I lay there in the road with fellow competitors speeding by me calling out, “Are you o.k.?!” I tried to figure out what to do.  A kind man in a pick-up truck stopped for me and was prepared to cart me off the course.  “Gimme a sec,” I said as I got to my feet.  No broken bones.  No warped bike frame.  At that point, I thought about racing for HCM, the people who’ve donated to families dealing with cancer on my behalf, my dad, my friend Sharon who took a nasty spill in a race and kept going, and I put thoughts of quitting out of my mind.  “Let me see if I can still ride,” I said as I got back on my bike.  Everything seemed to be operational, including my body despite the pain, so I continued.

Bleeding from my elbow and side was a problem yes, as was not being able to lean very well on the right elbow pad of my aerobars.  But of further concern was the fact that all my Gatorade and dissolved salt tablets had dumped out of my aerobottle when I fell, so I would have to wait to get water until the bottle exchange (about 10 miles).  Not the best of circumstances, but it could’ve been worse!  I’ve never been SO happy to be done with  a bike leg in my life.  Speaking of legs, however, the problems continued!  Most likely due to the fact that I had no electrolytes on the bike, as I started the run my hamstrings cramped up so much that I had to stop and stretch several times on the first loop of the run.  “This is the worst race ever!”  I was shouting in my head.  But I quickly replaced that thought with, “Keep going…and don’t you DARE walk!”  I listened to the voices in my head and kept going.  Near the first turnaround, Chris and I passed each other coming opposite ways and instead of slapping his hand, I showed him my bloody elbow.  After he freaked out and I reassured him that I was “o.k.,” I continued the long, hot shuffle that was the 13.1 miles.  It was actually a hot, humid day which we hadn’t had in a while, so it made the run all the more…challenging!

Throughout the run, I continued to reevaluate this race.  “Just keep moving.  Just finish it.”  These were my new goals.  The enthusiastic volunteers and the boy scouts handing out water were a great help, even as some of their faces turned to looks of horror when they saw the blood stains on me!  As the finish line approached, I managed a last surge across the line, then was promptly “patched-up” by the race director with his first aid kit.  True to form, Chris and I were a mere 11 seconds apart (he got me this time!) on our total time!  Chris bagged 3^rd in his age group, and despite a day of reevaluation, I was able to finish 2^nd overall female.  I have to say, I learned a lot on this day, mostly about the power of determination and self-talk.  It actually works!  Here’s a breakdown of our results:

Polly:
Overall:  13th out of 215; 2nd overall female
Swim: 34:04; T1: 1:27; Bike: 2:54:23; T2: 1:05; Run: 1:42:14; Total time: 5:13:14

Chris:
Overall: 12th out of 215; 3rd in AG (M35-39)
Swim: 37:37; T1: 1:26; Bike: 2:43:59; T2: 1:16; Run: 1:48:47; Total time: 5:13:03

August's Training (earthquakes, hurricanes and upping the run!)

Neither earthquake, nor hurricane, nor non-stop rain, nor flooding can stop an athlete from her appointed training!  Well, it could certainly throw a monkey-wrench in it at times and force one to be creative (or just say "forget it!" and go to happy hour!).  With Marine Corp Marathon quickly approaching in October, the running miles started to increase as quickly as the flood waters rose (well, maybe not that quickly!).  Here's a rundown:

Sunday July 31-Saturday August 6
Swim: 1450 yds.; Run: 17 mi., 2:17:24; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 32 mi.

Sunday August 7-Saturday August 13
Bike: 11 mi., 45 min.; Run: 21.5 mi., 2:58:36; Kayaking: 2 days; Bike Commuting: 56 mi.

Sunday August 14-Saturday August 20
Race: North East Triathlon (750 meter swim: 15:20; 11 mi. bike: 34:33; 10k run: 42:09; Total: 1:32:02)
Swim: 1 mile; Run: 18.5 mi., 2:29:47; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 38 mi.

Sunday August 21-Saturday August 27
Bike: 108 mi., 6:09; Run: 20.8 mi., 2:50:00; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 66 mi.

Sunday August 28-Saturday September 3
Swim: 1 mile; Run: 35 mi., 4:57:49; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 38 mi.

HCM Team Challenge Update

Find out what HCM Foundation has been up to by clicking on the following link:
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/HCM-Team-Challenge-Update--.html?soid=1102775044314&aid=aKNiyKrThPQ

Wet and Wild Times at North East Triathlon, 08/14/11!

Got a nice medal...then got the heck out of there while there was a break in the rain!

Everyone in the racing world knows that each event can be a “character-building” experience in its own way.  The North East Triathlon in North East, MD was no exception.  With thunderstorms and record rainfall hitting the area the night before and morning of the race, all registrants were wondering what would become of the event, if it was even held at all.

Day before the race...I'm smiling to keep from having a complete freak-out!

Chris and I had a particularly interesting pre-race experience.  Camping seemed like a great idea on Friday night…not so much on Saturday.  Not only did we have puddles in the tent, but a river was literally flowing underneath it due to the drainage for the entire camping loop flowing directly through our site!  After Chris attempted to stave off the water with “Verry dam,” we literally threw in the towel(s) and joined our friends, David and Deanne at the Comfort Inn, about two miles from the start of the race.

Pol, Chris, David and Deanne...nice and dry at dinner the night before the race

Race morning was full of uncertainties, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be the frantic race directors who were running around trying to decide what to do.  First, the race was delayed by half-an-hour due to thunder.  A duathlon was surely the next decision to be made, right?  Wrong!  We would indeed swim, though only 750 meters instead of 1500 (due to the debris up-river)!  Then, due to the fact that most of the roads on the course were flooded or full of debris, the bike course was shortened from 24 to 11 miles!  The good news?  The run was not affected and would remain 6.2 miles!

Chris coming out of the swim...hey, no worries - you're already wet!

Adding insult to injury, there were several power outages during the race broadcast.  Bob, our illustrious announcer had to lead everyone in the National Anthem because the sound system broke down!  When the race finally got underway, it wasn’t so bad!  I was in the last swim wave and by the time I started, there was an actual break in the rain until just after I finished the bike.  Awesome!  Not having planned on a “sprint,” I was actually happy with my swim and bike legs.  People were being extra cautious on the bike and it was very crowded from the Sprint race, which started ahead of our Olympic, but all-in-all there appeared to be no major mishaps.

Doing my best to power through on the wet roads!

Transition was a mud pit, with much of it completely underwater!  Going out on the run, you literally had to run through a lake of water.  So much for dry shoes, but it ended up pouring on the run anyway.  All the better for staying cool on an August day!  By the end, I was definitely ready to be done with this.  I kicked it up a notch and sprinted in the last .2 as Bob shouted my name at the line (Chris had alerted him that I was finishing, as the electronics were again down at that point!).  The day’s efforts were good enough for 1^st in my age group, so after collecting my medal we were ready to get out of Dodge!  Unfortunately, we still had to retrieve our soggy tent and break camp in the pouring rain!  But, I can truly say that after this harrowing event, things couldn’t get much worse, could they?!  Here’s the breakdown of Chris’ and my results:



Chris going super-fast in his new aero-helmet!

Polly: 4th overall female; 1st in age group (F35-39); 30th out of 162 finishers
Swim: 15:20; T1: 2:02; Bike: 34:33; T2: 1:08; Run: 42:09; Total: 01:35:12

Smiling through the pouring rain!

Chris: 5th in age group (M35-39); 22nd out of 162 finishers
Swim: 16:04; T1: 1:50; Bike: 31:06; T2: 1:21; Run: 43:20; Total: 1:33:41

Way to go, Chris!



Ironman Lake Placid: July 22, 2012 HERE WE COME!!!

It's official!  After 5 years of competing in triathlons, Chris and I have finally taken the Ironman plunge.  On July 22, 2012 (which also happens to be my 38th birthday!) we will be competing in Ironman Lake Placid!  In order to just sign up for this race, we needed to volunteer in 2011's race.  Fortunately we had several friends from the Philly Tri Club competing and it was great to be there to support their amazing achievements.

Chris and I volunteered at Bike Special Needs Bags 1, which was an amazingly crazed experience!  We were responsible for #'s 351-400, so when one of our numbers was called out, we had to quickly find the bag and bring it to the competitor.  It was great to be able to talk to the participants, see what they had packed (a cooler, McDonald's cheeseburgers, you'd be amazed!) and wish them well.  We even got to hand our friend Jessica her bag, which was SO awesome!

SO...after you volunteer, you're not done yet!  The next day Chris & I had to wait in a line (got there before 6:30am!) which opened around 8am, fork over $$$, then go online after a few days to officially confirm our spots.  But we are IN, so let the insanity begin (well, after a few months)!  We are SO looking forward to sharing this special day with our family and friends and thank them immensely for their encouragement and support.  We couldn't do it without you!

July's Training (heat, vacation and a dream set into motion)

Not only did July bring the heat, but another olympic tri, a birthday, a Lake Placid/Adirondacks vacation and the beginning of an exciting journey: Ironman Lake Placid, 2012 here we come!!  Fortunately, there is time to digest the madness of that event, so here is a recap of July's training:

Sunday July 3rd-Saturday July 9th
Race: Splash 'N Dash (1/4 mi. swim: 08:08; 5k run: 20:04; Total: 28:12)
Swim: 1 mi.; Bike: 31 mi., 2:10; Run: 9.6 mi., 1:19:15; Bike Commuting: 35 mi.

Sunday July 10th-Saturday July 16th
Swim: 1 mi.; Bike: 41 mi., 2:37; Run: 10 mi., 1:23:51; Climbing: 1 day; Kayaking: 2 days; Bike Commuting: 56 mi.

Sunday July 17th-Saturday July 23rd
Race: Anthracite Triathlon (Swim: 27:08; Bike: 1:15:12; Run: 46:12; Total: 2:28:32)
Swim: 2.2 mi.; Bike: 56 mi., 3:30; Run: 7.2 mi., 53:49; Bike Commuting: 42 mi.

Sunday July 24th-Saturday July 30th
Run: 4.5 mi., 45 min. (Adirondacks); Climbing: 1 day (Adirondacks); Hiking: 3 days (Adirondacks)

Tri #4: Anthracite Triathlon (Campsite 90 Rocks!), July 17, 2011

David, Sharon, Chris & Pol race ready!

The Anthracite (Olympic Distance) Triathlon in Jim Thorpe, PA is truly a favorite as this is the 4th year that Chris and I have done this race!  This year we had a terrific group with fellow racers David and Sharon & a fabulous support crew consisting of Deanne, Christian and David's parents Bill and Sue.  This great local race starts at Mauch Chunk Lake Park which just happens to have a convenient campground attached to it.  Six of us made campsite #90 our home for the weekend, thus we were dubbed Team Campsite 90!

Sharon and Polly making our way down to the start

The race had an early 7am start, but fortunately transition was only a short walk away.  It was a beautiful, sunny morning with the day's high temps reaching the 80's.  Lake temp was 77 degrees, so barely wetsuit legal.  It was a great .9 mile swim start for all of us, despite some extreme sun glare after the first turn buoy and me losing my timing chip in the water (fyi, it was the size of a laptop computer!).  Luckily, I was able to flag the race director down as I exited the water and a kind volunteer had a new chip waiting for me in transition.  Lovely!

Chris out of the water & heading to T1!

The 40k bike ride was a tough one (in the Poconos!) with a grueling mile-long climb just a couple miles in and a steep, winding punch-in-the-gut climb somewhere in the middle.  The rest consisted of some bombing downhills, false-flats and rolling hills.  Exhilarating, while quad-shredding!  The best part was hearing our cheerleader support crew as I passed by the park entrance (such a tease that you had to pass the park on an out-and-back section toward the end!).  They provided a huge boost for pounding through those last few miles!

Pol going out on the bike (thanks for the new chip!)

On to the 10k run (out-and-back), which was mostly on a gravel, old gravity railroad trail.  Shady!  Unfortunately, the way out was slightly downhill, making the way back...yep!  Speaking of hills, oh my!  Before the turn-around we got to run up this mile-long road jaunt which was not shaded and happened to be grueling!  David, who was the lead runner had the odd experience of having to stop to let a black bear cross the road (yes, we are in the mountains!)!  Wow!  O.k., maybe my run wasn't so bad!  Upon seeing Sharon coming the other way at the water stop, she infomed me that female #2 wasn't far away.  The chase ensued!  After slapping Chris "5," I was able to catch her on the trail back, thus becoming female #2! 

Pol, Chris, David & Sharon...a rainbow of triathletes!

It was great to finish to the cheering voices of friends (and Chris coaxing me to overtake a guy at the line!).  Campsite 90 truly cleaned house!  David and Sharon took 1st overall male and female honors, I bagged 2nd female and Chris earned 2nd in his age group!  Awesome!  Is it news that Chris and I were again within a minute of each other?  We also both had PR's for this race, making for an overall great race day.  Here's the breakdown of our results:

Pol and Sharon pick up some coal...and checks!

Polly:
Overall: 2nd Female; 17th out of 113 finishers
Swim: 27:08; T1: 2:02; Bike: 1:15:12; Run: 46:12; Total: 2:31:46

Campsite 90 Rocks!  And earns rocks!

Chris:
Overall: 2nd in AG (M35-39); 16th out of 113 finishers
Swim: 28:32; T1: 2:02; Bike: 1:14:35; Run: 46:02; Total: 2:31:13

Splash and Dash July 6, 2011: a great way to spend a Wednesday night!

Polly, Chris & Sharon walking to the swim start

The Splash and Dash (1/4 mile swim; 5k run) was definitely a Wednesday night well-spent.  This event was held in Marlton Lakes, NJ at 7pm on July 6th.  Having done this race two years ago and after our friend Sharon expressed interest, Chris and I decided, "Why not?!"  It proved to be a great evening and a great time!

Sharon powers her way to 1st female!

The transition area was on a sandy beach area near a playground where everyone was able to claim their little spot with their towels and running shoes.  A total of 113 finished the event including a kid as young as 10!  She may have been the one who asked her mom if she could go on the swings after setting up her transition area.  We all thought that was a great idea!

Chris keeping a strong running pace

After a walk around the "lake," (bog, actually!) we were ready to start the point-to-point swim.  There was a men's wave and a women's wave 3 minutes apart.  Some notes of interest about the swim: the water was 85 degrees (uugh!) and very shallow (it was a former cranberry bog...for real!).  I had the misfortune of "beaching" myself on a sandbar in the middle and had to struggle around it in the murky muck!  Our hands were hitting the bottom of the bog well before we reached the shore, so I found it best to keep swimming for as long as possible!

Polly keeping an identical running pace!

Following a half-dazed, but quick transition into the running shoes, it was off on the 5k.  After coming out of that hot bath water, it took a while for my heart rate to settle!  The run was a windy, out-and-back jaunt through an adjacent neighborhood, which was flat and fast.  It was great seeing Chris and Sharon pounding the pace out there as I chased down female #2 at the turn-around cone!  

Picking up my coffee mug award

The three of us finished in great time with Chris and I recording identical 5k times (no joke!)  We all got to take home ceramic mugs as awards and all agreed that this event was a lot more fun than doing training sessions on our own would've been!  Here's a breakdown of our results:
Polly: Swim: 8:08; T1: 0:32; Run: 20:04; Total: 28:43 (2nd Female; 4th Overall)

Chris: Swim: 8:21; T1: 0:25; Run: 20:04; Total: 28:49 (1st in AG; 6th Overall)

Sharon: Swim: 6:34; T1: 0:30; Run: 19:34; Total: 26:37 (1st Female; 2nd Overall)


It's true...she is!!



Dad's Tandem Hits the Streets of Philadelphia

You may recognize this bike from the photo of my dad and me.  Thanks to my dad's wife Beth (who wanted to keep the bike in the family), her kids Jimmy & Melissa (for transporting the bike to my dad's old shop in Holland, MI), Lakeshore Cyclery & Fitness (for packaging the bike), my sister Liz (for transporting the package to the Greyhound Station) and Greyhound XPress (for getting the bike to me & Chris safely from Holland, MI to Philadelphia, PA)!  As you can see, it was quite a process!! 

Chris & I put the bike together ourselves under the watchful eyes of the neighbor kids (we even put some old racing saddles on it!), then shakily rode it down the hills of Manayunk (yikes!) to our shop, Human Zoom for a tune-up.  That voyage was more than a little scary (for Chris because I was trying to steer from the back and for me because I had no control!), so we decided to ride on the flat Schuylkill River path to get in sync.  Riding "in sync" is no easy task, especially when one person typically rides in a harder gear (Chris!), our leaning into turns timing is slightly divergent and we have opposite plant feet!  Needless to say, it was an exercise in trust and a true test of our relationship!  I think we passed, though thanks to Chris' awesome driving skills!  I will attempt to take the helm once we position the seats a little differently.

Highlights of our maiden voyage were seeing some of our triathlete friends riding on the path.  Sharon's comment was the best: "I knew it was you two because no one else would be going that fast on a tandem!"  So the new addition to the family joins the other 4 bikes making their home in our livingroom!  I think my dad would be happy knowing that we have the bike and we were definitely thinking of him on our ride.  Looking forward to many adventures ahead (stay tuned for the "Donut Derby" on Labor Day)!

 

June's Training (Full-On Summer!!)

Welcome summer!  June's training heated up with a bike tour, 5k and another olympic tri, with some kayaking thrown in there just for fun!  Here's the play-by-play:

Sunday May 29th-Saturday June 4th
Bike: 1:50, 27.5 mi.; Run: 2:49:03, 17.6 mi.; Climbing: 1 day; Kayaking: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 59.3 mi.

Sunday June 5th-Saturday June 11th
Swim: 1800 yds.; Bike: 30 min., 7.5 mi.; Run: 2:00:05, 14.8 mi.; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 68 mi.

Sunday June 12th-Saturday June 18th
Race: Run Daddy Run 5k (19:24)
Swim: 1 mi., Bike: 6:10, 84 mi.; Run: 1:18:15, 9.5 mi.; Climbing: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 56 mi.

Sunday June 19th-Saturday June 25th
Swim: 1 mi.; Bike: 1:11, 18.5 mi.; Run: 1:18:25, 8.6 mi.; Bike Commuting: 70 mi.

Sunday June 26th-Saturday July 2nd
Race: Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon (swim: 26:38; bike: 1:17:18; run: 40:27; Total: 2:28:31)
Swim: 1 mi; Run: 1:20:33, 9.9 mi.; Climbing: 1 day; Kayaking: 1 day; Bike Commuting: 49 mi.

Tri #3: Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon, June 26, 2011

Andy Potts has nothin' on us!

It's hard to believe that 3 triathlons are already in the books for this season!  The Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon (olympic distance) on June 26th, was definitely one to remember.  It's always great racing on your "home turf," with plenty of friends racing alongside and cheering along the course.  This year I raced in the "Elite Amateur" category for the first time ever, which was both challenging and humbling!

Chris & Pol before the swim start

The race began with a .9-mile swim in the always unpredictable Schuylkill River (yes, I had my shots!).  With the water temp at just above 78 degrees, it was a no wetsuit day, but the current helped (a little!) to carry us through.  Eager to get out of the water, I nearly missed 2 of the turn buoys (oops!), but I have to say the murky river wasn't that bad (as long as you manage to NOT swallow water!).

Tri friends Christian, Sharon, Chris & Pol enjoying the post-race revelry!

The 40k bike course was 2 loops around the river drives with some hills thrown in just for fun.  Being amongst the elite amateurs ("amongst" being a relative term!) was particularly challenging for me at this point because there were no other bikers in my sites starting out!  This was a little unsettling at first, but by the second loop, there was plenty of "company!"  Having ridden these roads numerous times, this part of the race proved to be truly enjoyable.

Celebrating with fellow racing friends Noah & Judy

Onto the run...YES!  The 10k course was a double out-and-back that could be considered a little boring, but hearing so many cheering friends really helped the miles tick by.  The sun was bright, but the humidity was low, so I was happily able to pull out a 6:31 pace, enough to break 2:30.  I was actually able to cheer Chris in to the finish line for once, but could not believe my eyes when I looked at the timing clock.  Once again, our finishing times were less than a minute apart, this time putting me ahead by 18 seconds!  Are you kiddin' me?!!  Yes, we "tri verry hard" for togetherness in all aspects of life! 

The post-race tailgate party with Philly Tri friends was definitely the icing on the cake to an overall great day!  Here's the breakdown of our results:

Polly:
Swim: 26:38; T1: 2:16; Bike: 1:17:18; T2: 1:49; Run: 40:27; Total time: 2:28:31
Overall: 295/1595; Gender: 61/538; Division: 18/21

Chris:
Swim: 27:48; T1: 2:38; Bike: 1:11:25; T2: 2:02; Run: 44:55; Total time: 2:28:49
Overall: 300/1595; Gender: 237/1057; Division: 39/144
For more photos, go to this link:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=226518830711878&set=a.226518707378557.59031.100000612870969&type=1#!/media/set/?set=a.226518707378557.59031.100000612870969

A Father's Day to Remember

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend Father’s Day weekend 2011 than by doing a race called “Run Daddy Run.”  This was a 5k sponsored by HCM Foundation which was held in beautiful Kingwood Park in Frenchtown, NJ.  It goes without saying that I wanted to enter this race and give it my VERY BEST effort to remember and honor my dad for Father’s Day.  What made it even more special was that it became a family affair, as Chris and his dad Wayne, who came up from southern AL raced the event as well.  Wayne even sported a “Papa” t-shirt that his kids had given him in 1984 to appropriately mark the occasion!     

It was a hot, but beautiful sunny day for the race which traversed both park trails and road.  Chris hauled and led the race for the first mile!  I was not far behind, charging my hardest toward my goal of breaking 20 minutes.  After circling the turn-around cone (which we were all extremely grateful to reach!), we were able to see each other and exchange some non-verbal encouragement to keep pressing onward! 

Chris was able to pull out a strong 5^th place finish in 18:46 to earn 1^st in his age group.  I was right behind in 6^th place with a 19:24 (goal destroyed!) and 1^st female.  Chris and I circled back to meet Wayne at about half a mile to go and ran him in to the finish line.  He finished in 28:47 earning 3^rd in his age group, so all three of us went home with pint-glass awards, a great sense of accomplishment (and relief!) and smiles on our faces for having shared this event together. 

What a great day to honor the dads who were there to participate in this special event, as well as the dads who were with us in spirit and in our memories.  Thank you Chris, Wayne and Dad!  For more info, pics and videos of the race, go to:  http://www.hcmfoundation.org/rundaddynewjersey.html