I’m excited to announce that I will be joining the Gotham City Runners as their triathlon coach!
I have known Josh, aka Speedy Sasquatch, aka the Head Coach for about 4 years now and it will be a really fun time joining forces with him. We will have group coaching as well as private coaching available.
So c’mon out and join us!
My first triathlon of the season was to be the Rev 3 Quassy Half Ironman.
I met Jim from ‘Dad Posse’ at his place around 3:45 on Friday. After packing up the gear and loading the bikes I was told, “You’re driving, I have to do some work.” Sweet baby jesus! The last time I drove an automobile was 1 year ago at the Reach the Beach relay, so although excited, I was also nervous.
I don’t think we broke 20MPH for the first hour of the trip. How anyone commutes in a car in the Tri-State area into Manhattan is a mystery to me. I would be a mess. We even saw an old man crossing the street almost get whacked by some crazy guy driving like a bat outta hell. Everybody, lets just take a deep breath and bring it down a couple notches. It’s gonna be alright.
On the ride up I decided that I would attempt to switch from the Half to the Olympic for a few reasons. Many of you know I have been going to PT to fix my knee tracking issues. It has been successful, but I haven’t run over 6 miles since February. I have raced the Half at Quassy before and really had nothing to prove anyway. You’re crazy if you think you can PR on those hills. The rest of the gang (Jim, Mike, Gio and Ann Marie) were racing the OLY so it would be a lot more fun to race with the group.
Big ups to Revolution 3. They put on a fantastic race every time and this weekend I got a taste of their ‘behind the scenes’ service. The gal in charge of registration, Kelly, informed me that all I had to do to switch races was get a new swim cap and tell the timing people. She gave me my cap and then another gal at timing queued up their computer system and swapped out my info. Easy! (I did of course take a hit monetarily as the Half was slightly more expensive, but that’s fine…)
My spaceship – ready to fly.
We left the race area and headed toward Waterbury, where our hotel was and where we needed to pick up crucial supplies. We stopped at a Riteaid. Jim and I were laughing at how ‘laissez-faire’ we had gotten. Both of us had no food for the next day. So… I picked up some microwave oatmeal.
After stocking up on goods, Mike, Jim and I headed over to City Hall, the restaurant where we ate last year. Sure enough, there was live music in the outdoor area! I had my staple, Shrimp Scampi and a couple beers. My allergies have been kicking my ass this week so I was not in my usual ‘stay up late the night before a race’ mode. Therefore, we were in bed by 11 or so.
I had the strangest dream where I awoke at 3AM (with 2 hours to spare) and met my friend Alex. We went to Art College together, MICA for those curious, and I was an Art History minor. Alex took me to some architecturally famous church that we toured for an hour or so. I told him at 4 that I should probably head back to the hotel so I could grab an hour of sleep before the race.
RACE DAY
I REALLY woke up at 5AM and I felt awesome and ready to rock. The gods smiled upon us this day, as my thoughts trailed back to the 2012 race where it was 45 degrees and a torrential downpour. On this morning, the sun was shining, and no matter how hot it might be I was happy.
It took me roughly 5 minutes in transition to set up. The rest of the time I just spent eating my oatmeal and smiling, chatting with my neighbors. Since being injured I have been practicing a very different philosophy called, ‘Nothing to lose.’ It’s all about ego and practicing it on a super challenging course like Quassy is perfect.
In the last 4 months all I have wanted and wished for was to run again. Not just run, but run with heart like an animal. Today’s race would see how I had progressed, with my PT 2 times a week and running maybe 4-6 miles at a clip. I was excited! So ‘Nothing to lose’ means simply, be happy you have the ability to race, no matter what the outcome. Try it.
After a quick practice swim in the PERFECT water (it was 68 degrees and drinkable as far as a New Yorker is concerned) we hung tough on the beach. I watched Jim, Mike, Gio and Anne Marie go off. I started 10 minutes after them which was kind of cool because for me it meant 2 waves wouldn’t be swimming over me half way through.
Gun goes off and I’m dead middle. I start my swim the most cool and relaxed I have ever started a swim. Chilly Willy… focus on form. I did just that for the first 1 third. I had a few folks busting into my space but this crowded swimming stuff doesn’t phase me anymore. I pushed a few people away and just kept my face guarded from any kicking.
As we rounded the first turn buoy all hell broke loose. It was like 100 people getting lost at the same time. We were swimming directly into the rising sun, a seemingly romantic proposition for a heroic tale like Odesyus. I could see nothing but a giant blast of light, blinding me to the affect of having to look away. “Fuck it.” I said and just followed a bunch of feet.
Imagine the swim course as 3 sides of a square, we were on the middle of the parts and personally, I was slowing down without definite direction. I am really good at sighting, but that slows you down as you have to lift your head out of the water. So, if you have no idea if you are headed the right direction, sighting takes place more often and form goes to shit.
At the second turn buoy I had to bank hard left to make it. I had cut too far inward and now had to make up the difference. Very similar to when I swam from Alcatraz and almost got lost at sea, but this time we were in a docile lake.
Finishing up the last third of the course I knew my time wasn’t my best but guess what, I was racing and that’s all I cared about.
I was 585 out of 717.
Running up the chute some young guy looks at me and yells, “East 83rd Street baby!” I looked at him, puzzled, and said, “Hell yeah, represent!” Before my current and very permanent East 93rd Street locale, I had lived on 83rd Street.
T1 was smooth and I was on The Morrighan (aka: Quintana Roo Ilicito) in no time and very happy. I love biking and really just wanted to enjoy the ride. It took me awhile to warm up but I was soon aero and gaining on my competition.
Right around mile 1 I came across a familiar bike. It was Mike! He was racing his first ever OLY so this was a big deal. After a quick exchange I realized he was in good shape and he urged me to carry on. And so, I did.
If you have ever raced Quassy (this was my 3rd time) you know that the hills are unrelenting. There are basically no straight aways. Its a 5MPH uphill stretch (your lowest gear) followed by a 45-50MPH chaotic downhill. Rinse and repeat. Can you maintain the stamina to run off the bike? I saw many who could not later on, only because they pushed too hard on the bike.
The course is beautiful. Rolling hills (which I have already mentioned) and stone walls, old farmhouses… it’s picturesque. If only you could be on these roads in a vintage Lincoln Continental and not a human powered bicycle. I really watched myself on the biking due to the knee. I pushed it, but at a 75% level, all smiles.
25 miles happened fast, but I was right at the point where I was ready for it to be done. The beauty of the Olympic Distance.
Millions of thoughts pouring through my head as I transitioned. “How would my knee feel racing, not running. Would I have to bow out at some point. Was there a beer tent at the finish?” All of these important factors.
I was 321 out of 717. I had passed 264 people on the bike, but it didn’t feel like it as my mind seemed to be in another place.
As the run began my knee had what I would describe (on those forms) a dull pain. 1 or 2 on a scale of 10, and so… I ran.
Right around Mile 1 I saw a familiar face, it was Jim! Do not be fooled by Jim, he is a sick athlete. I may have him on the run, but he crushes me in the swim and the bike is always a toss up. We chatted politics and what we were going to eat later before I headed out.
I was running naked (in fact the whole race) so I had no idea of my pace. Sometimes it’s good to go out like that. I always think to myself, “What did Dave Scott do?” They hardly even had color TV let alone satellite watches. Sometimes you need to throw science out the window. Whatever happened to just setting it off and going for it anyway?
That’s what I did on this day. I wasn’t breaking any records BUT I hadn’t run that far in the last 2 months. Having a watch on would have totally bummed me out, instead I just hung on for survival as it was 95 degrees out. Every mile just clicked off. At every water station and poured water down my shirt and over my head.
I walked none of the brutally challenging course, holding onto my breath and my mind. It was hard.
Finishing the last mile I thought of Sonja, who had coached me through my first 2 Ironmans, a friend and also a warrior. “I owe her a little homage.” I thought. Sonja does these awesome jumps at the end fo her races, so I decided I was going to do that in honor of her.
Rounding the finish chute I let some of the guys in front of me get ahead and pass (totally unlike me!) With a clear shot of the finish I busted my aero move, only to find out it worked!
| Sex/ Age |
Age
Place |
Overall
Place |
Swim 0.9M |
T1 | Bike 24M |
T2 | Run 6.2M |
Total Time |
| M35 | 40 | 219 | 35:20 | 2:28 | 1:25:29 | 1:29 | 46:14 | 2:51:09 |
Satisfied, I rolled to the picnic area to find Gio and Anne Marie. We waited for Jim, then Mike, then we parted ways. Mike and I went back to the hotel to get cleaned up in a record 20 minutes. We left shortly after to return to mighty Manhattan.
Congrats to all my friends and teammates who competed! Big thanks to Kompetitive Edge who hooked it up with the amazing new Tri Kits!
The WTC recently announced that it would not continue with Ironman NYC due to various issues and feedback. A few friends asked my opinion on this and so I felt compelled to do a quick write up.
“Producing an event in a large urban market is complex and challenging. The combination of the ferries, transition in Palisades Interstate Park, and the difficulty for our spectators to watch much of the inaugural race all combined to create an experience that needed substantial improvement. Also, the inability to have amplified sound in Riverside Park after 10 p.m. does not allow us to offer the IRONMAN finish line experience our athletes love.”
Originally from: http://ironman.com/mediacenter/ironman-discontinues-aquadraat-sports-ironman-u.s.-championship#ixzz278CYB0VF
I think that the above statement clearly explains why Ironman can’t take place in the NYC area. I have lived here for a long time and am just amazed they were even able to pull off the 2012 race!
The Expo: It was located on the West Side, a quick skateboard ride from work got me there. It had quite a lot of venders and I enjoyed it. I never go to the opening night dinners at these things as I would rather find my own food sources so I have no opinion on that.
Transition: Was Transition hard to get to? Perhaps. I feel that being a local I have a different perspective on this. I know Pallisades Park very well as it’s where I train. Rather than take the 3AM ferry to transition, I simply hopped in a cab at 5AM having the driver drop me off at the park entrance. I had 2 extra hours of sleep under my belt! That also meant the night before Abbe, Claire and I could have that many more beers.
On Spectating: This was a disaster. $50 per person to get into Pallisades Park top cheer? C’mon. The Manhattan side of things was just the opposite though and anyone could stand along the course and at times people were ON the course and didn’t even know it.
Race Fees: This race was $850 instead of $600. It was even raised to $1200 for the anticipated 2013 event causing an uproar. Once again, I am a bit jaded here as I live in New York. I look at it like this… Last year I raced Ironman Arizona. I paid for Race Fee, Hotel, Airfare, Food, Bike Transport and vacation days from work. All of theses things might have tripled the $850 IMNY fee. Therefore, being that it was a local race for me all I paid for was the entry.
Why wasn’t the race in NYC the whole time: To shut down city streets for upwards of 17 hours is insane. Especially in a race consisting of 2500 people where you might not see a runner for a few minutes, compared to the NYC Marathon and it’s steady stream of 40,000 runners.
A lot of people complained about the course as well and how hard the run was. It’s an Ironman, it’s supposed to be challenging otherwise everyone would do it!
Overall I think it was a great race. The organizers had to tackle some serious urban style obstacles and I think they did a fantastic job. I am sad that there won’t be another IMNY, but am honored to have been able to race in the historic event.
This year’s Harriman Sprint Triathlon marked my 3rd year in the sport, 4th year in running. It is a really fun local race and would be my (triathlon) season closer.
I was rolling up to Harriman with the ‘Dad Posse’ (Jim, Ed and Mike) and we were going to camp there the night before. We got a late start out of ol’ Manhattan Friday night after work and didn’t arrive until maybe 9:30PM. It was a fun drive though as we rode the Ironman NY course and got to reminisce.
Mike had beat us up there and had scouted out a place for us to eat, Rhodes Tavern on Route 17. As we pulled in I noticed an awful lot of motorcycles. Were we going to get in a brawl? Who knew?
We grabbed a table in the dining area and were greeted by cheerful and friendly staff. With a live cover band blasting the likes of Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, mixed with our tasty beers we were a happy gang. I ordered the steamed clams and shrimp, not a recommended pre race meal but I have an iron stomach and Harriman was to be a fun race for me. Ed, on the other hand, had a French Onion Soup and french fries… perhaps his smartest race meal yet.
Back at the camp site by 11PM I was determined to have a fire. You simply cannot say you went camping without a fire! From 11-3AM we sat around the camp fire drinking beers and having a blast! You would never know from the looks of it that we had a triathlon in 4 hours!
Mike woke us at 6AM and it hurt. I was in charge of coffee and I got right to it using my Bucaletti, it was fantastic. After we drank our java and had some bagels we hopped in the car for the 5 minute drive to Welch Lake. It’s very ‘Friday the 13th’ in case you were wondering. The temperature was 60 degrees or so but quickly warming with every passing minute as the sun rose.
Doug and his girlfriend met us at the lake. This was his first triathlon and I have been kind of coaching him through emails so I was excited to see what he was gonna do!
We eventually lined up on the beach and prepared for attack. I was very excited and felt feisty.
The gun went off and I plunged into the soup. no longer do I hold back and wait for the masses to clear. Bring the noise.
My swim went well. My form was not as tight as it could be and I floundered once or twice but overall held a nice pace. The water was crystal clear and felt amazing.
I exited the water and Mike and Ed were right with me!
Up in T1 I got my act together fast. I was excited to get my bike on.
Out on the course I felt pretty strong. Since it was a 15 miler I was pushing all I had. The course is pretty hilly, but manageable. We had some wind and unfortunately is was never at our backs!
Blazing down a straightaway, I wasn’t paying attention to the terrain, head down, and hit a rock. It made that characteristic ‘ding’ noise we know so well. “Damn!” I yelled, thinking maybe it would be okay. It was not. 500 more yards and I was flat.
I pulled over, half thinking I was close enough to the finish I could run my bike in. “Officer!” I yelled to a nearby volunteer cop. “How many miles to the finish?” He told me I had 7 to go, no way am I running it. I got to work changing my tire as streams of bikers passed me.
Ed and Doug rode by at the same time and both yelled, “Baker? No!” I think it took me 20 minutes to change the tire due to the last bead being such a pain to get over the rim. I was pretty proud of myself for actually changing a race wheel.
FUN FACT: In my 3 years of triathlon I have never had a flat during a race.
I kept a positive attitude knowing that this was just a fun race for me. Finally, I was ready to go after using my C02 and assembling my bike again. I took it easy knowing that my front tire was most likely not at the proper pressure it needed to be.
Up ahead there was a rider in distress on the side of the road. As I approached I saw that it was Mike! He looked at me and said, “Baker?” Where did you come from?” I quickly explained my situation as he told me his back wheel had fallen off and he was about to throw in the towel. This was Mike’s second triathlon so I thought we had better get him back on the road. I threw my ride in the grass and jumped over to help. The wheel and chain were in a jumble. We straightened the chain, tweaked the rear derailleur and attempted to set the wheel. It wouldn’t set so I grabbed the front tire and pulled while I had Mike pull the rear wheel. It moved correctly and then with a quick punch on the tire it locked into place.
Mike was pretty psyched. We started riding again and he told me to go so I did. I was jazzed up too so I forgot that I was riding on a bunk wheel. 1-2 Miles further I was in aero crushing it on a rough patch of downhill when I heard a fizz and then my wheel totally flatted again! I maintained control and pulled off to the side of the road.
A few minutes later Mike pulled up in disbelief, “Again!?” I told him I was done. He had said he had called the SAG Wagon to pick him up before I had arrived, so I was expecting a ride soon. He took off and in a few minutes an ambulance came up behind me. “You the guy that called for a ride?” “No, but I’ll take one!”
We took up the rear of the race for the next 5 miles following the last racers.
Back at T2 they were already doing the awards! Jim and Ed both got 3rd AG Awards! Nice work guys! I saw Doug too, who was ecstatic for completing his first triathlon! Congrats Doug!
We wrapped up the day with lunch at Rhodes!
It’s a funny feeling not finishing a race. I wasn’t sore or tired and I had this sense of un fulfillment. I wasn’t disappointed in me, I was just sad that I didn’t get to rocket through a run and cross that Finish. There are always more Battles right around the corner…
I signed up for the Ironman U.S. Championship not really taking into account that it was in the summer. I was more excited to be racing on home turf and didn’t really add up this equation: NYC + August + Ironman = (please fill in the blank).
This being my second Ironman distance I was not stressed out at all and my nerves were pretty good.
The day before the race (a work day for me) was when we needed to check our bikes in. I think I was the only guy in a suit and tie in transition. It was pretty funny looking I think. I also had a bit of a laugh when one of the volunteers checking my run bag gave me some advice. He looked in my Run Bag and saw my sneakers and a hat, nothing else because that’s all I need. He said, “Have you thought about nutrition? You know it’s an important part of the race.” Shut up! You mean, I should be eating things on the run? I immediately called Coach Sonja and scolded her for leaving out this important piece of knowledge. Seriously though, I told him I will be just fine and tied my bag shut.
That night Abbe and Claire came over for our Ironman sleepover party. We started off with some fine cheeses and some exotic beer Claire brought. Abbe then made my new favorite pre-race meal of Cacio e Pepe pasta with a tomato mozzarella salad. While making dinner the gals helped me get my gear bags in check. The whole night was really fun and you would never know I had to do an Ironman the next day! Off to bed by 10:30PM…
RACE DAY!
I woke up at 4:30AM Folgers Style. “Baker, what’s Folgers Style?” I’m so glad you asked, let me explain. You know those Folgers Commercials where people just wake up to the sound and smell of brewing coffee? My new coffee maker has a timer on it (I know, not new technology) and so I could hear and smell it brewing. I love coffee.
The three of us rolled out to grab a cab at 5AM. I had until 6 to get into transition. Did I need to? Not really, but it’s always safe to make sure your bike still has wheels.
Our first cab driver was whack. Put the scene together… we are on a quiet street off Park Avenue at 5 in the morning. Birds are starting to stir, the air is still. I get in the cab and he tells me it’s going to be $50 to go over the GW to the start. I yelled, “What? Turn on your f&^ckin meter man! I’m not paying that much to go over the bridge.” He, in turn, told me to watch my language. I called him an asshole and stormed out of the cab. He mumbled some profanity and then Abbe yelled at him, “Hey, YOU watch YOUR language!” He responded with “No, you watch YOUR language!” Since Abbe hadn’t cursed she clearly had the upper hand.
As I got in a new cab the driver calmly explained that to go to New Jersey there is a flat rate of $50. I looked at the girls and we started laughing. Why didn’t the other driver just tell us that?
We arrived at the entrance to the start at 5:30AM. The girls were not allowed in so they staked out some good cheering locations.
As I started the 2 mile walk down into transition I decided I probably needed to run in order to make it on time. I was cruising down the road when all of a sudden this car rolled up along side of me. How are cars allowed in here I thought? The driver said, “Are you running because you want to run, or do you want a lift to transition?” Hello angel in disguise! I hopped in and he told me he was a volunteer and was running late. We passed like 100 other racers going to the start, why choose me? Where ever you are Warren, thanks for helping out!
Now, with oodles of time to spare in transition I watched an episode of the office on my iPad to kill the time.
After dropping off my various gear bags I wandered over to the ferry line. I started eating my oatmeal and bananas and finished my coffee. In line I bumped into my friend Jim! We chatted for awhile about the race and our goals. (Congrats Jim!) Then, I found Neal. He was really excited and we got all jazzed up talking about the swim. We boarded the 4th (out of 6) ferries and got a seat on the upper deck. It was a sticky morning but the view on the Hudson of the swim course was beautiful.
The way the swim worked was, as a boat docked at the barge racers just filed off. When you reached the lower barge your timing chip activated and you just jumped in and tarted swimming. Imagine penguins just filing one by one into the soup, that’s what it looked like.
As we docked 20 minutes had already passed by. We walked down and after a quick fist bump to Neal my second Ironman race began.
I have never been more excited to start a triathlon swim. My training in the water has been amazing the last 2 months since joining a new pool by my office. I swim at lunch almost every day and because of that I knocked 4 minutes off my mile time! (Jim from ‘Dad Posse’ also taught me a new technique which was instrumental) I started the swim nice and easy. The water was probably the cleanest I have ever experienced in the Hudson.
I got bumped a bit here and there but didn’t get too beat up. One thing that was different about this swim for me was that I drafted off a few fast swimmers. I have never been able to do that before, but with my faster stroke I held on! For me, the swim is the calm before the storm, so I try and enjoy the serenity of the water. On every ‘left breath’ I watched the sun start to rise over Manhattan.
As we neared the end of the swim portion I could feel my heart rate increasing as my excitement grew. My bike was calling my name…
Up on dry land I ran to the wetsuit strippers and skipped over a bunch until I found Susan and Jocelyn! I said hi and they were like, “Lay down Baker, lay down!” Duh. They had me stripped lickety split and I was off. Just then, I heard my name yelled and it was my friend Gio spectating!
Over in T1 I found Neal. He had a fantastic swim! Coincidentally, we both ended up at the bike starting line together too!
SWIM TIME: 54:49 (2.4 Miles)
PLACE: 1584
As we made the ascent out of Palisades Park I tried to stay steady. When we made the turn to go up towards the bridge the crowds got thick and I saw Abbe, Claire and Maria screaming at me! It was awesome. Their cheers helped me manage the steep hill that led out onto the highway.
Once I was on the open course I smiled and yelled, “Wind it up!” I dropped into aero and started increasing my speed. I felt awesome.
The bike course was a double, ‘out and back’ so I basically broke it into 4 (28 Mile) sections. The first ‘out’ portion was fantastic. I even hit 44 MPH on one of the downhills! We were screaming down the hill and it’s really too bad there wasn’t a photographer there because I must have looked like a bat outta hell, all smiles.
The first turn around took FOREVER to appear. It was really a lot farther than I was mentally gauging. Up in the northern part of the course the streets were in pretty poor condition too. I even lost my Clif Bar after I took the first bite because I hit a bump and it went flying!
Remember that crazy fast downhill? Well, we had to go back up it on the return trip, not fun. I was playing the numbers game with my Garmin and I had just hit the 21 MPH Average speed for the course when this hill appeared and knocked me back to 20.4 MPH… not cool. I was diligently drinking my EFS and my UCANN. (they were in separate bottles. Could you imagine how gross that would be to mix them? Vomit City.) I also had my first of many pee ma pants moments. I am very courteous when I pee ma pants and make sure other bikers are a good distance behind so they don’t get sprayed. To anyone unfamiliar, this is a pretty common practice in triathlon. If you stopped on your bike to pee you would easily lose 10 minutes per stop.
Right before the second turnaround (back by the Start) was Special Needs. I screeched to an abrupt stop right in front of my helper. It feels funny going from 3 hours on a bike at 20MPH to a sudden stop. It’s like coming out of warp speed. My bike almost fell over but he was a great volunteer who supported me. I grabbed my fresh EFS bottles and my back-up Clif Bar and was off riding again!
As the 3rd leg of the bike course began the clouds dissipated and the sun was out blasting us. It got real hot real quick. You could feel the heat radiating off of the asphalt and it was kind of slowing me down. I knew things were about to get real and the pain was to start. I had that huge downhill to look forward to and devised a new strategy. To conserve my energy I was going to quickly max out my speed on downhills then coast, resting my legs. I also ate a bit of my Clif Bar which boosted my spirits. It was, after all, past noon and therefore lunchtime.
I peed again to kill the time.
Then, out of nowhere this guy rolls up on me and says, “Hey KE! Good luck. I’m with Runner’s Roost!” I yelled something back and then it dawned on me, he must be from Colorado, the home of Kompetitive Edge, and must be a local racer. I am the NYC faction of KE so I rarely have a moment like this and I was quite excited.
I was not excited when I saw 2 brutal bike crashes. These guys were laid out and in bad shape. I hope they were okay in the end.
A few miles later we finally hit the turnaround point. I yelled out, “Bring it on home boys!” (homage to Led Zeppelin) and got some wind behind me. I knew these last 27 miles were gonna be hard, so I tried to be goofy any way I could. I even did my ‘Scotty from Star Trek’ voice a few times yelling, “Captain, were not going fast enough to make warp speed, give her some more power!” Whatever works right?
It was blazing hot and at the next aid station I grabbed a water on my drive by. I sprayed it all over me and instantly felt great. Duh Baker, your overheating, that’s why you felt crappy. I also peed ma pants again.
For the remainder of the bike my crotch and neck hurt, my legs were sick of riding and ironically, I wanted to run really bad! I cruised into T2 and the spectators were out in force!
BIKE TIME: 5:43:17 (112 Miles)
PLACE: 402
T2 went pretty smooth. I hit up the sunscreen gals (of course) since it was an inferno out there. We had to immediately run up a steep hill to get to the course. It was painful and I tried to keep my heart rate as steady as possible.
Out in the park I made my way towards Mile 1. There wasn’t an aid station there which disappointed me because I was in need of water and potato chips bad. I think it was more like the 1.4 mile mark when it showed up. I poured 4 cups of water on my head, drank 1, ate chips, drank more water, grabbed a cold sponge, stuffed it down my short and kept going. I would repeat that process basically at every aid station in order to stay hydrated, cool, and sane.
The first portion was a 2 loop out and back totaling 14 miles, little did I know it would be hell on Earth.
There is this notorious hill in Palisades Park that bikers know. It is a 1 mile ascent that is grueling on the legs even in the lowest gear. As we rounded the corner I saw that we got to run up it, twice in fact. I said out loud to someone, “You have got to be kidding me!” I slowly ran up, not wanting to waste any leg power as this was only Mile 2. The only good thing about these first miles was that there were periods of shade. The air was still and humid though, like an oven. I was dry by the time I got to each aid station and I tried to just take the race one mile at a time.
At Mile 3.5 we turned around. I tried to be positive but these rolling hills were beating me up bad. I was still doing my ‘systems check’ and trying to figure out what my body needed. I had eaten a ton of chips and pretzels, now I was onto orange slices to try and get my mind in the game since I was starting to wonder if I was going to make it to the end.
I tried to make up time lost going up the big hill by cruising down it at break neck speed. Mission accomplished. I was running at an 8-8:30 pace the first half and wasn’t happy about it.
Back at the turn around by the start I was walking through the aid station hosing myself down and eating more pretzels when I heard someone yell, “Baker, what are you doing walking! Get your ass moving!” It was Gio who was joined by Gallagher! I chuckled and ran over to get some high fives replying, “Guys, it’s a freaking inferno out here!” “We know!” they said as I started up again. Always good to see buddies on the course and this was just the beginning!
Lap two felt a little better, especially since I had the aid stations and the course mapped out in my head.
I saw something slightly disturbing (I wonder if people are writing that about me) on the final return lap. I started to feel really good and strong and was passing people. As I was passing this gal I noticed some wires flopping around. She was listening to an iPod! Totally illegal but I was secretly jealous.
As I was finishing up my second lap of the double out and back I saw my buddy Jim who gave me a high five, then Neal showed up looking great who also hit me with a fiver! Way to go fellas!
Passing the start area and moving onto the final 12 miles felt great. (Sounds silly to get excited to only have 12 miles to run.) The course cleared out a bit and got quiet which was very peaceful. I was listening to the wind in the trees and the birds, knowing that mighty Manhattan would surely bring the noise. 2 factors knocked my mile pace way down right here at mile 14-15. One of them was the monster hill heading up toward the GW Bridge. I know this hill well because I bomb down it on my bike all the time thinking, “Wow, it would suck to have to ride ‘up’ this.” Then, as we entered the North side of the GW we were confronted with maybe 5-10 sets of staircases leading to the pedestrian walkway. Not cool IM Corporation.
As I ran across the flat GW Bridge I looked to the south at my beautiful city and got fired up. My pace increased and I was once again passing people. As I exited the bridge and started moving through the streets I saw Michelle and Tavia right at mile 17 screaming at me! Awesome! Through out the next 9 miles I would see countless friends, so please excuse me if I missed you on my shout outs!
Miles 17-21 happened in a heart beat. Along the flat path I saw Lam at an aid station. I also ran up along side of my Runner’s Roost buddy. I introduced myself and told him that I was part of the East Coast faction of the Kompetitive Edge Team. We had a few chuckles before I took off wishing him a good race.
Next, I caught up with my friend James (the Iron Cowboy) who is attempting to break the world record for most Ironmans raced in a year. I think this was his 15th or something!
I was moving at a sub 8 pace now, but I was exhausted. We were now right next to the river on the running path and I was praying that the cloud cover we had would remain. Then, off to my left across the West Side Highway was this group of super loud spectators making quite a scene. As soon as I saw Claire’s giant foam finger I was like, “Hey, its my crew making all the noise!”
I wound around the course and started heading up towards them. I saw my friend Julianne here who wished me luck! Then, as I approached my gang I saw Abbe, Claire, Erica, Gillian, Kelly, Susan, Bojana, Elyssa, Maria, and Maura! They made a Power Arch and I blasted through it high fiving as I went by! Go Runner Army!
Right after them I entered this out and back zig zag part of the course that was a total mental killer BUT it was great for spectators. I saw my friend Jason here and gave him a sweaty high five.
As I rounded back I was now higher up in the park on a beautiful paved walkway. The whole crew ran up there and was now joined by a second gang of friends… Jeff, Billy, Ali, Todd, Ila, Keenan, Asher, Ilka, and Adelaide! This was a serious cheer force. I was so tired but the support really fired me forward. On the return I passed them one more time (Mile 24 or so) and headed into my final 2 miles. I saw my triathlete friends Michelle (Trilife) and Amanda (Terrier Tri) here who cheered me on.
They made us go up one more hill right at the end. It hurt bad.
As I cruised into the long finishers chute with no one else around me I decided I was going to celebrate a bit on the way down. I slowed up to almost a walk and threw out my arms, big smile on my face! As soon as I crossed the finish my friend Elizabeth was in the Press area (she works for TNT) and she gave me a huge shout out!
RUN TIME: 3:42:13
PLACE: 137
OVERALL TIME: 10:27:47 (a 50 minute PR!)
DIVISION PLACE: 30
Look! There’s my friend Elizabeth taking my picture to the right!
Right after I finished my 2 handlers (as I like to call them) started asking me questions like, “What’s your name? Where do you live? Let me see your eyes, please take off your sunglasses.” Once they saw I was fine they asked what I needed. “Pizza. I saw someone with pizza so just point me in the right direction.” Right before I could make it into the pizza tent the whole crew caught up with me. Abbe gave me a sweaty hug even after I warned her!
The true New Yorker in me came out when I was at the pizza table too as I asked them what restaurant the pizza was from, as if I was going to not eat it.
After my pizza, Abbe, Claire, Maura and I caught a cab over to my place so I could shower. We then went to Brother Jimmy’s and had a few quick pints with Jeff, Ali and Gillian before hightailing it over to watch Neal finish. We caught him right at the end as he was coming through! Awesome work Neal!
Finally, Erica hosted us at her place for beer and pizza for the final celebration. Whew!
—
This, my second Ironman, was an amazing experience. What I learned was that the mind truly IS more powerful then the body. Having done one of these before I mentally knew I could complete it, even with minimal food sources, making it that much more easy. It doesn’t matter how physically fit you are, what matters is that you believe in yourself. If you can do that, then your legs will do the rest.
Thanks to Kompetitive Edge, my sponsor, who provides me with the support needed to accomplish such a race!
Thanks to Sonja, who has trained me in such a way that all of this keeps getting easier!
Thanks to my cheer squad up and down the course, especially Abbe and Claire who hiked around NJ for 3 hours before the race!
Big ups to Neal. You sir, are an Ironman!
…and remember to always have some fun out there no matter how difficult things get.
T’was the night before Ironman and all through the house…
My second Ironman (I’m doing 1 Ironman per year until I die) takes place tomorrow and I am quite excited for a number of reasons.
– You’re on my turf! I wonder if any of these racers even know the 9W gang sign?
– You’re on my turf! I can take a cab to the start which means I get 2.5 more hours of sleep.
– It’s my second Ironman and I have zero stress or worries. I have tried to compare it to running a second marathon for those who just run.
– My training has been pretty good. I started training for the Boston Marathon and Kentucky Derby Marathon in January and haven’t stopped.
– We got hot ass swag bags! They are transition bags with lots of cool secret pockets. I love secret pockets!
– Pre race dinner. Chef Abbe is making my favorite meal and Beer Specialist Claire is brining over beer.
– My bike can time travel.
– You’re on my turf! I train on the course every weekend. I’m really quite sick of it in fact and can’t wait to NOT go to Jersey for a freaking bike ride next month!
– I have an awesome Tri Kit thanks to my sponsor Kompetitive Edge! Thanks guys, I wear the colors proudly!
– My bike helped deploy Curiosity onto Mars then returned home to Earth really fast in order to make the Tri. Assuming my bike’s home is Earth.
– I have friends racing like Neal, who is rocking his first IM and is gonna do awesome! He is going to be done the swim before I take 2 strokes. James, who I have never met but we are triathlete friends on Facebook. He is trying to break a World Record by racing the most Ironmans in one year, pretty BA. Jen and Annemarie and a few others like my pal John I made friends with on the Ferry.
– You’re on my turf! I have the best group of friends ever (from the Runner Army to all my drunk bar crawlers) and they are all going to be out cheering!!!
– Abbe, Erica and Claire will be manning a secret Omelet Station on the bike course for refueling. After 12PM they convert it to a Taco Station.
– You Are On My Turf! We are going to have an awesome after party. Hit me up to find out where!
Godspeed to all racers tomorrow! May you have a fantastic race and remember to enjoy it. I could not think of a better way to spend a Saturday then to do all the things I love… swimming, biking, running and celebrating!
Since returning from my youngest brother’s 4 day bachelor party Coach S has me in a sort of ‘Hell Week’ (or 2) to get me ramped back up. Ironman is in 15 days. I am actually more excited than nervous for it. Do you know why? Home turf bitches!
Speaking of home turf, I took a break Wednesday night to hang with my coworkers and one of them led us to this ultra unknown waterfront bar! It is in Long Island City at the end of a very industrial and desolate stretch of road. As you come to the end of the road, to the left is an auto shop. Next to it is a fence with an opening and a hand made wooden sign that says something like ‘Annabelle’s Yacht Club and Grill.’ Upon entering you find yourself in an open area with 10 picnic tables lining a most scenic waterfront view of mighty Manhattan. The bar is just a window where you order bottled beer or white wine that evidently tastes like apple juice.
Notice how convenient it was to park my Yacht nearby. Disclaimer: Beyond Defeat does not condone drinking and sailing.
The place is definitely rogue ops, but it’s got quite a view. I was told by my coworker that it is a Bulgarian run bar, hence the Bulgarian sausages and Chevapi being served on the lone grill. I totally recommend checking this place out for a spectacular NYC sunset.
Back to ‘Hell Week’… I shaved 4 minutes off my 1 Mile swim time! Wooo hoo! Thanks Jim (from ‘Dad Posse’) for teaching me a new technique!
I think it’s really important to reflect on how you got to certain places in your life.
“You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
You may find yourself in another part of the world
You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife
You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”
Seriously. This morning as I was riding my track bike (which has no brakes or gears and cannot coast) I thought, “Wow, this puppy is so different from my Tri bike!” Then I remembered, track bikes are my roots! If I had never started riding a track bike, I would have never attempted a triathlon!
In case you don’t know my athletic past, there is none! I went to art school people, and am still an artist.
In the year 2000 (say that in the movie preview guy voice) my mountain bike was destroyed by a truck in midtown. I had ridden it like 10 times, it was a graduation gift from my Dad and to help for when I moved to the city.
I was pretty bummed. I was telling my friend Jae (aka Hardy Boy) about the ordeal. He rode track bikes, the most dangerous of al bikes, and suggested I get one since I had such strong legs from playing ice hockey.
I did just that and was propelled into a world of bike riding. Thanks Jae!
I rode NYC streets every day for around 9 years. Then, in 2008 the president of our company told me I needed to run the NYC Marathon.
I did and was propelled into the world of running. Thanks Allen!
In January of 2009, shortly after getting hooked on running my friend Todd told me I needed to do triathlons. “Todd, I can’t swim to save my life!” He agreed to teach me how to swim in order for me to get my triathlon on.
I learned to swim and competed in my first of many triathlons. Thanks Todd!
Looking back, all three were catalysts to each other, the end result being that I became a triathlete. Had my 3 friends not believed in me, and I not believed in myself, I would not be where I am today.
How did you get here?
I wasnt going to race the NYC Triathlon this year because I forgot to sign up in time, but then the lead sponsor Aquaphor offered me a chance to partner with them. I have a hard time resisting a good race.
The night before the race we (Jeff, Ali, Cat, Abbe and I) headed to New Jersey to a huge family party put on by my Uncle’s girlfriend Cassandra. (Great party Cassandra!) My Uncle Bill was retiring to go back to school to get his Ph.D. and this was in celebration of both events. I am really proud of my Uncle Bill for making this decision, it’s very inspiring and so of course, Tri or no, I wasn’t missing the party.
As if that wasn’t good enough, my Grandma was a surprise guest!
So really, going to a party where you have no idea what food you will be eating and how late you will be out is risky business the night before an Olympic Triathlon, but hey, mix it up a little right? Also, family is really important to me.
I was asleep by 11PM. Not bad.
RACE DAY
I woke up at 6-6:30 and had some coffee and checked twitter to see where they where in the ‘heats.’ SIDENOTE: The NYC TRI has like 60 heats and it takes 2 hours for all of them to go. I estimated that I would be going off at 7:30-7:45 AM a full 2 hours after the Pros had started.
Some of you are saying, “Wait, Baker what about transition! How are you going to get your bike shoes in there?” Excellent question. My biggest complaint about the NYC TRI is how transition closes at 5:45AM and you end up waiting around for 2 hours. 2 precious hours where you could be sleeping! There is no way around this. Try sending off 3,000 swimmers down the Hudson at once and it would spell disaster. My solution? When I dropped off my bike the day before I just set up my bike/run gear then! Boom!A few friends were like, “Baker it’s going to rain tonight, your shoes will get wet.” Listen honey, after racing the entire Rev 3 Quassy Olympic in a cold downpour I have become immune to rain. I’m actually really happy about that because I used to be a baby about in-climate weather.
Back to the race.
I took a cab up to 96th Street at 7AM and had oodles of time. While sidelined waiting to go I hung out with my friend Ben. He was doing the race after breaking his toe a few months earlier. Props Ben!
It was now that I ate 2 bananas. These would be the only nutrition I would have aside from half a water bottle full of EFS on the bike. Less is more? I have no idea but it worked.
Soon it was time to line up for the plunge. It was hot out and I was looking forward to a dip in the mighty Hudson. The current was flowing something fierce and I wanted to get in before it reversed. FUN FACT: The Hudson River is not a river, it is a tidal estuary the ebbs and floods daily. Meaning, the current changes direction from North to South daily and vica versa depending on the tides.
As we neared the Start pier I got excited. It’s funny how just 2 years ago I was terrified, and now it’s second nature. In my head I like to say, “The Hudson… she calls…”
As I stood on the edge my group of racers was kind of blah. I looked up and down the line up and yelled, “Come on fellas! Lets have a great race out there!” at which point everyone erupted in cheer. Bravo.
The gun went off and we took the plunge. I started digging in immediately. My goal was to blast through the swim. It did not happen.
I started with great form. My sighting was on point. There weren’t too many people around me but my arms felt like dead weight. Immediately I thought about how much swimming I had been doing the last week and perhaps this was a side product. None the less, the show must go on. I pressed forward and just got it done.
Other setbacks? I have swum the Hudson like 15 times. Never ever have I swam it when it was so dirty. My hand kept hitting drifting trash like styrofoam cups and wood pieces. At one point I ducked underwater and swam under the garbage slick.
There was also this dude that was zig-zaging in from of me and I could NOT get around him. It was like an open water traffic jam. I think I even popped my head up and gave him a, ‘Seriously man?’ Look as we were side by side.
As you exit the swim there is a 400 meter dash to transition. Some people complain but to me, it gets your legs loosened up for the bike. I saw Erica and Lora and gave em a big “Heeeeey!”
As you run along they have this section of shower things along the straightaway you can run through to wash off. This one guy was taking his wetsuit off IN the shower area so people couldn’t pass through. I wanted to pass him a bar of soap or something.
As I approached my bike I had no idea what to expect. Remember, I hadnt been in transition since the day before. Arriving at ‘The Morrighan’ everything looked perfect. Tires full, shoes in tact. Let’s roll!
Speeding out of T1 I saw the gang again and gave them a funny face. Once out on the highway, it was go time. It was kind of congested so I took my time carefully passing people. It wasn’t until about Mile 3 when my legs were in check that I dropped the hammer and started plowing past people.
Thanks Erica for the great shots!
I was riding with 2 guys and we were leap frogging. I was really starting to have fun. One of the guys would pass a group of people and get like 200 meters in from me, then when an opportune time presented itself I would plunge ahead passing him and so forth. We weren’t drafting each other, just kind of flanking each other barreling up the highway. Dig it.
The course is an out and back with some long rollers. As we got up into the Bronx, Riverdale to be exact, I heard, “Yea Baker!!!” It was Sharon cheering everybody! Right on!
It was just past here I got very pissed off. I was on a tear now and in my highest gear, not concerned with saving anything for the run. On a downhill I was coming up on 2 riders and announced, “On your left!” As soon as I said that, and I was going way faster than him, he merged hard left blocking me and I had to slam on my breaks. Not cool at all. I let him go ahead as my heart rate cooled. The minute I warmed up again I jammed past him at top speed, furious.
The second half was even more fun. I don’t know how, but I got Scotty from Star Trek in my head. Every time I was in my fastest gear I would say (out loud mind you, in my own version of a Scottish accent) “Captain, we’ve got to to faster to break warp speed!” This seemed to push me faster in fact. Whatever works right. SO for the remainder of the trip I imagined having a conversation with Scotty and how we were trying to always break warp speed.
Heading back into transition I knew the run was going to be brutal. It was already really hot out and the sun was climbing high.
I immediately set off at a hard pace. I just didn’t care. I also had no Garmin on so I had no idea what speed I was hitting. This is a neat way to race. Not really conducive if you are trying to PR, but it makes the race about feeling, not numbers.
What a ham.
As we ran across 72 Street towards Central Park I was moving quick, but my legs were still wonky. It wasnt until we enter the Park that everything started coming together. I was taking smaller strides at a faster rate and passing a lot of people. To keep myself motivated I was hunting people in my age group.
At the Mile 1 aid station Matt6 was volunteering. I ran up to him yelling, “Bakeeeeeer! I made you the best Cytomax drink ever” We had a laugh before i pressed on. I also met a guy here who knew me from the Fire Island 5K races! Small world!
I think I was happy to have found shade.
Harlem Hill sucked, both of them. When you run Harlem Hill clockwise there are 2 uphills. No fun! Something interesting happened on the way down one of them. I was passing this big meat-heady dude and he said, “No fair, I’m like twice the size of you!” I was so annoyed that he was allowed into the race that I didn’t even know what to say. I felt like shoving him into the bushes… but I didn’t.
Things were real hot on the East Side of the Park. There was zero shade. At Engineers Gate I saw two familiar faces cheering me on, Eissa and Elyssa!
With 1 mile to go I was excited to be done. I had no idea what my pace was, I just kept chasing people. Up along Bethesda Fountain I heard Dani cheering me o then saw my brother Jeff and his fiance Ali! I gave them all high-fives, sweaty high fives! Then, I saw Abbe in the Finish chute!
| Sex/ Age |
Age
Place |
Overall
Place |
Swim 0.9M |
T1 | Bike 24.8M |
T2 | Run 6.2M |
Total Time |
| M34 | 16 | 158 | 24:40 | 4:03 | 1:08:28 | 1:34 | 40:07 | 2:18:49 |
I finished in 2:18 which is 1 minute shy of a PR. Had it not been for my swim I would have bested it, but there will be other battles.
After a few group shots Jeff and Ali departed leaving Abbe, Erica and myself to go get some ice coffee and muffins. What a fun start to the day!
—
Big ups to my sponsor Kompetitive Edge who represent some of the best gear out there (TYR, Quintana Roo, Newton, Oakley) and support me with it! Also big thanks to the race sponsor Aquaphor for giving me the opportunity to race!
If you asked Coach, I don’t think she would agree that me surfing out at Rockaway Beach was on the training program. I did bike after that, so I think she was appeased, especially since she had me queued up for a serious brick on Sunday.
My younger brother Jeff, number 2 out of 6 of the famous Baker Tracy Gang of Brothers, had expressed interest in biking out to Jersey so I invited him along.
We set out at 8:30AM under overcast and cool skies. It was actually perfect. The Sunday morning Manhattan streets were very quiet and we easily made our way up to the epic George Washington Bridge. Once over, I had given him 2 options. Option 1 was to ride 9W straight to State Line while option 2 was to (as I call it) take the low road and blast through Pallisades Park. He chose option 2 as it would be more scenic. It was a good call.
Pallisades Park is a fast ride through a tight windy forest. I liken it to the speeder bike chase scene in Return of the Jedi, minus the lasers. I noticed (as we passed this stealthy looking fellow) that he jumped on my brothers tail and started a draft. Jeff and I were already drafting each other. You know why? Because we are brothers and not total strangers looking for a free ride. No biggie though, I figured we’d pull him along for a few minutes. Then, it got a little out of hand. Not that I mind, but we had a long way to go and I didn’t want us to bonk later. I pretended we needed to stop and look at something and he zipped past. He did, however, say thanks as he departed. That’s cool.
We felt the fury of that last super long hill at the end for sure. Anyone who has ridden the course knows exactly what I’m talking about. Slow, burning, pain.
Out on 9W I asked Jeff what he wanted to do. He seemed fine so instead of doubling back we headed toward State Line.
Next, at State Line we had a conference and yes, we were pushing forward again. This time, as we barreled down State Line Hill we had just committed to the full ride. I love State Line Hill as it’s this long slow descent where things can get a bit hairy. We topped out at 40.3 MPH which made me happy because I had promised Jeff some good speedy attacks.
Once we entered the Piermont and Nyack areas we kind of just enjoyed the scenery. I took him to Runsible Spoon because their muffins are not to b missed. I had their Chocolate Chip Banana one on my mind since the start of the ride. We chilled for a hot second enjoying our snack before heading back.
I had told Jeff that the ride home was fast than the way there with just 2 uphills. He would later yell that I was a liar.
If you think riding down State Line Hill is fun, you should try going up it. They don’t make a gear small enough. This is where all my Colorado friends are shaking their heads going, “Wuss. You have no idea what a hill is.” Indeed! But you, my friends have no idea what pizza is. Or bagels.
Jeff’s chain started popping off as he hit his low gears (note the grease on his face). It looked more like we had been mountain bike riding through some bogs.
We made it back safe and sound. We had traveled 53 miles in 3:15:00 which I think is impressive since he had never done the ride.
We parted ways and I jumped into my running shoes for 30 minutes of pain. Actually, I felt really good running after the bike. I even got yelled at by Coach for running too fast. Who knew?
After a shower I ate like a maniac then met back up with Jeff and his fiance Allison to have some dinner in drinks in remembrance of our father. It was a pretty solid weekend.
Oh, and thanks Kompetitive Edge, my new helmet is here!
