1. I was born in Germany on an American Army base and was this close to being named after my biological father. Jean Francois is cool if you have a French accent but in America I would have been known as Gene Francis. TY mom.
2. I went to church every Sunday until I was 17 but do not believe in God. I still pray for other from time to time, as I would hate for them to miss out if I was wrong.
3. As much as I love being out and about I will always think the most fun you can have would include: a bottle of wine, comfy cloths, an intelligent woman, some great conversation, an oversized couch, and a great movie.
4. I don’t watch TV at all. Other than football I’m not sure that I’ve seen more then 2 or 3 hours of TV this year. I do love TV shows and movies on DVD. I can use when I’m done with a hard workout and need to veg.
5. In 5th grade I won a young writers award and was one of 8 people from my entire school to get to go the local high school for a week long young writer’s camp. My spelling and grammar skills may have peaked at 11.
6. I’m not a big fan of heights but I am really only scared of electricity.
7. I will always pick a monthly out of town race over a car payment. My dad always told me as long as your car is dependable; it’s about how much you want to pay to look good. But if I had extra money I may indulge myself
8. I do endurance events because it’s the one thing I have found that breaks you down and really gives you a chance to see what you’re made off. Everyone can talk a good game but hours into an adventure, not everyone has what it takes to continue to move forward.
9. My 2 biggest pet peeves are people who are continually late and those who use the word “only” before describing an accomplishment. If you’re a marathoner you can “only” be doing a 5k. If you are new to running you better be damn proud that you’re doing a 5k. Never downplay an accomplishment, if you worked towards a goal and accomplished it be proud.
10. My most memorable moment was when I cut the last out and back, on my first real race. It was a 100k mtn bike ride and every time I even think about not finishing something I remember that day. I rode 57 out of 62 miles and those 5 miles that I didn’t do are the only thing I remember about the entire adventure.
11. As snooty as it may should I do think that I’m better than most people. You would be surprised to know how many people are content with just watching life go by from the couch. I find this unacceptable.
12. I would love to go to cooking, massage, and law school for personal enrichment.
13. If I had a fire and could only grab 2 things, they would be my HRC shot glasses and race medals. Every one of them has a story. Pictures would have been first but I could replace most of them online.
14. People who play the victim disgust me. Sometimes you make bad decisions or life screws you over and I’m ok with that. When you start using it as an excuse for not working at things anymore then I have a problem.
15. I was given the opportunity to repeat the 6th grade after missing too much school from suspensions.
16. I love to read and have read 30 or so books in the last 2 years. I’ve read Ultramarathon man 6 times and my second favorite books are the girl with a dragon tattoo series.
17. You know you’ll get an honest answer from me and be glad I learned the difference between being honest and just being an ass. (Some may argue this one) be warned I am all talk with some things but most of what I say in truly genuine.
18. My biggest accomplishment is my B- in Finite Math. I worked so hard to pass that class I and boy do I hate math.
19. Although I was among the top 5% in my medical classes in the Army Reserves I very quickly learned that I cannot deal with watching other people suffer.
20. I plan most of my travels around Hard Rock Café’s so I can grab a shot glass. The food is horrible and expensive but it gives me a reason to travel and has a great atmosphere.
21. I truly believe you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I will not be friends with you unless you have something to bring to the table. Sounds rude but I really think people should inspire those important to them. This doesn’t mean I will be rude or ignore you as everyone offers something that I can learn.
22. I love movies and enjoy all genres. Yep even the chick flicks/ ok well some of them.
23. I make a conscious effort to make at least 5 people smile a day.
24. I love to try everything and work hard to be as good as I can be. Whether it’s a 50 mile race or seeing how fast I can pass everyone on Farmville. I find something new, research it on the internet, and see how fast I can accomplish the goal. Once I’m happy with the results I move on to the next adventure. A.D.D. at its finest.
25. Probably the only thing in my life I’m not happy about is that I can’t seem to make that last step to quit smoking. I’m fine until I get a couple of beers in me then I start to water at the mouth if I see someone smoking. But I’ve come along way and will keep working at it.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Day I Outran My Garmin
American River 50 mile endurance run 4-10-10
Part 1 Pre race…..
Six weeks after hurting my IT band at the Pemberton 50k I was on my way to Sacramento. I had gone from 60 mile training weeks to a measly two runs of 15 miles or more since my injury occurred. This being my first 50 mile race, I was scared enough. Now I had missed the prime of race training and even wondered if I had any business attempting the race. I knew it would be rough, but I have told enough people along the way that just because something is going to be difficult and may hurt, it’s not a valid reason to DNS. I came off Ironman in November and took a few down weeks. Then starting the last week of December I went through a running phase like I have never seen before. Ten weeks, five marathons, and two 50k’s later I just couldn’t figure out why I was hurt. Well, three weeks at Endurance Rehab and I was back on track. Would I be able to cover the distance? Your guess was a good as mine. So with the encouragement of my friends I was off to see what I was made of.
I left Phoenix Wednesday night around 8 pm. The plan was to take a nap and head out at midnight but after doing the math I realized that put me in LA on a Thursday at 5a.m. This was not an option. You would think I was going on a month trek to Tibet with the amount of clothing I had packed, but I really had no idea what to expect. After 12 hours of driving and a three hour nap I pulled into Auburn, California which is 30 miles east of Sacramento. It kind of scared me a little when I passed three different signs advertising ski resorts on the way to my hotel. This is never a good sign when you’re getting ready to run 50 miles. I checked into the hotel and after my running buddy Mitch showed up, we headed into town for a beer and pizza.
Veggie pizzza rocks
Friday I woke up and decided to take a side trip up to the Hard rock Café in Lake Tahoe. I collect shot glasses from HRC so it was a great way to kill some nervous energy. I had to cut down to interstate 50 through 30 miles of back roads where the average speed limit was 25mph. It was like a rally course with hair pin turns and a 1000 foot high bridge crossing. I may have turned it into a roller coaster adrenaline junkie ride, but will deny everything if any cops come knocking on my door. It was a blast whipping through all the ups and downs until I realized that this is where my run in less than 24 hours would finish. I really started to get scared. I made it back just in time to head to packet pick up and then to our Pasta dinner.
I’m not a big fan of going to the pasta dinners for races as they usually suck. Dick Beardsley was the guest speaker so for $25 I figured it would be worth it.
Dick B telling one of his stories
Well let me tell you, it was. Not only was the food amazing but so was DB’s talk. If you’re not familiar with him, he was the guy just edged out from winning the Boston marathon. The book Duel in the Sun is about that specific race. In two sentences he gained my respect for life. “I can tell you guys all types of reasons why I didn’t but should have won that race. I gave it everything I had and so did Albert Salazar and he beat me.” It was as simple as that and he wasn’t mad or upset about it at all. He also said that no matter what path we choose in life it cannot be changed once it happens. He really wanted us to remember that piece of advice when times got tough out on the course. I was looking for all the motivational stuff I could find just a few hours from race start. After shoveling pasta and cookies in my face we headed back to the hotel. I took a last minute recheck of the supplies, waited for my pacer/moral support Justin to arrive, and yelled at Mitch to get off Facebook; then it was bed time. It was 10:15 and we had a 2:15 wakeup call, but it wasn’t like we were going to get a lot of sleep anyway.
It was so good
At 2:15 the buzzer goes off. I was still thinking of reasons not to race. All I could say to Mitch was “this seemed like a better idea when I signed up for it months ago.” At this point it was obviously too late to back out. This is one of the main reasons I tell everyone I know about any hard races I’m going to do. It is a lot tougher to quit when you know you’ll have to explain it to all your friends. I grabbed my Garmin off the charger and made sure it was fully charged. We packed up the car and headed down to the shuttle. It was a three mile drive and we arrived an hour early. I was late to my first marathon and it will never happen again; on race day you have enough to worry about. A quick nap and we hopped on the bus for the hour ride to the start. After we arrived I had another scary thought, “It just took us over an hour on the freeway to get to the start of the race, and we drove from the finish line.” I hopped off the bus and headed straight for the bathrooms. There was an announcement that the race would start in 15 minutes and we headed down to the start line.
Getting ready to walk down to the start
After a four minute walk to the start line we fished with our prerace good lucks and group pictures. No countdown, no start gun, just a few cheers and we were off. The race starts with a mile run out, and then you hop onto a bike path and double back. The first 15 miles were pretty uneventful. I had planned to walk every fifth mile until we hit the 25 mile point and then play it by ear. I had done my 50k training run this way and it had left me feeling fresh. With less than 700 people in the race it was very hard to stick to my plan at the first walk break. I was four miles into a 50 mile race and had to walk. I was just sure I was going to be in dead last by the time five miles came around and it was time to run again. I continued this plan, walking mile 10 and 15 and it really started to pay off. After walking a 16 minute mile I was fresh enough to run the four miles at a 9-minute pace. I was picking people off pretty quickly and was saving a bunch of energy that I was sure I would need later.
One of the biggest differences between road marathons and ultra marathons is the aid stations. It looks like someone just took a fat kid to the supermarket and set him free. Chips, candy, soda, you name it they had it. During the prerace briefing at the pasta dinner they recommended that we start “grazing” at the very first aid station. It is a lot easier to start taking in fuel at each aid station then try to play catch up after you have depleted your body. So at each station I would grab a PB&J square, a few salty chips and wash it all down with Gatorade. Another piece of advice was to get in and out of the aid stations. Even four minutes at each stop would add up to 40 minutes wasted. So I made a conscious effort to not stop unless I had to refill my camelback.
Around mile 17.5 we encountered our first real climb. I was ready for something new after more than three hours of rolling hills on a bike path. Luckily, the paved path offered a softer option of running on the dirt shoulders. We had gone up a few hills and I had been told there was a decent climb coming up. I wasn’t sure if we had already climbed the hill everyone was talking about until I saw it. It was definitely one you walk up and they had placed motivational signs up the entire climb.
The firt real climb
We continued along the bike path passing Negro Bar at mile 22.4 and onto Beal’s Point at 26.5. This is the first place you can place a drop bag so I was looking forward to getting some new comfy shoes on. This is also the start of the trails and real climbing. I hit the marathon point at 4:35 which is ten or fifteen minutes slower than my training marathon pace, so I was happy. My goal was five miles an hour so it was nice to be ahead of schedule. I changed shoes, grabbed some grub, and looked for my pacer. Justin was going to be there for a few motivational cheap shots but since I had thought the station was closer to 30 miles and projected a time of 6 hours, I just missed him. With AC/DC blasting through the speakers I threw up my devil horns and headed back out onto the course. I had passed Mitch just a few miles back and hoped Justin could at least see him. After almost 30 miles of running just seeing someone you know can give you a much needed boost. At mile 31 I took a walk break and posted my 3rd Facebook update. It was really encouraging to get feedback from my friends. I felt great and was ready to do some work.
I could tell I had logged some miles but for being at the 50k split I felt surprisingly good. After the Granite Bay aid station at mile 32 we were four miles into the real climbing and I was still smiling. Justin was waiting for me at around mile 31 and a quick nod was enough of a boost to keep me going. I saw him a few miles ahead again and gave him the finger. I’m not one to stop and chat but he told me I looked way better than a lot of the people I was passing and to get on it. It was exactly what I needed and I even started to get a little cocky. Next stop would be Buzzards Cove at mile 35.
They had told us to make sure we thanked the volunteers at this aid station. The only way to reach it was by boat and they had to hike the entire aid station up a one mile climb. All just so we could resupply. They even had ice cream cones. They looked so good but I wasn’t going to find out how my tummy would deal with ice cream with 15 more miles to go. I just kept making forward motion.
As I rolled into Horseshoe Bar at mile 38, I was starting to go downhill mentally. I had heard that mile 37 to 42 was mentally the toughest time in a 50 mile run. I just wanted to be finished and the loud drums at the aid station had my head thumping. This, mixed with my calf starting to cramp up, was putting me in a pretty pissy mood. Five minutes out of the aid station I went to step over a root and my calf cramped and I went down. I did catch myself so it wasn’t a full face plant but I did lose all my gear. I figured with as often as I trip, making it 43 miles before my first crash and burn was acceptable. I was mentally in a bad place until about mile 43.5 when I hooked up with a group of 3 or 4 runners. I told them it was a no passing zone as they ran up on me and made sure they knew that they would surely enjoy the view of my butt more than the course. From then on I was known as funny Arizona guy with the nice butt. Eight hours into a run and names really aren’t that important. As we ran, our group kept growing until about seven of us ran single file. Not much talking but a few lead changes and the next 5 miles seemed to just fly by. You kind of just have to shut your brain off and keep moving forward. Every time I started to walk something just made me start running again. The group was a big help in the motivation department. I told them that ultra running is a lot like my adventures as a kid. You set out with a pack and some supplies with only a time and location to end your trip at. Next thing I knew we popped out of the trail at mile 47 and there was Justin standing there cheering us on. As if running 50 miles isn’t enough, they throw 900 feet of climbing at you over the last three miles. A short three miles and I would be done. My Garmin beeped and I looked down to find a dead battery. I had outrun my watch.
Mile 37.5 to 38 is straight up. I saw every plan of attack from walking backwards to zig-zagging. I went with the straight up the gut approach with a few breaks and many curse words. I probably would have just sat down and took a five min break had I not had Justin there to make fun of me. It was a perfect mix of smart ass comments and encouragement.
Mitch came through a little later and stood under the finish line for a good 20 seconds with his arms in the air. I smiled; everyone laughed, and that’s when it really kicked in that I had just run 50 miles. It was an amazing feeling that lasted about 45 seconds. I’ve got a very weird way at looking at things; I’m just a normal guy who had never done anything athletic until high school. I figure that if I can do it then it’s really not that big of a deal. Yes, it was a difficult journey but with a little hard work and determination anyone could run a 50.
I’ll jump on my soap box for a minute and this is my story so I can write whatever I want. I have lots of friends and family that say they live through my adventures and travels. If they just had the time or money they would like to try some of the stuff I do. Well, I felt the same way. Then one day I just did it. I ran a little farther than I had before. I put away a little money to travel somewhere. I decided to live life and make sure I took advantage of the time I have here on earth. It doesn’t have to be an Ironman, marathon, or ultra marathon, but do something with your life. Pick a goal that you have to work towards; something that cannot be accomplished in a day or even a week. If you had one year to live, write down the five things you would just have to do. Now take that list and pick one and just work towards it. It’s going to be difficult and will probably hurt some, but at the end of the day you will know that you accomplished something that most people never will. You picked a goal, worked hard, and accomplished it. I’ve been called an adrenaline junkie or athletically gifted. I’ve also been called quite a few other words that I can’t really repeat on here. What I am is a normal guy who has chosen to live life and push myself. I love the chance to put myself in a position where I am completely broken down and really see what I’m made of. It’s not until you have really suffered and worked hard that you can truly enjoy an accomplishment. Like I said, this is just my opinion and many people are just content sitting on the couch watching TMZ to see what famous people are doing; a complete waste of life in my eyes.
Thank you for all of you who have helped me along the way. I choose to surround myself with people who can help me achieve my goals. You guys have helped me come a long way in the last few years and I hope I can help inspire others to do the same.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The updated bucket list…
Races
Marathons- 26.2 miles
Run with Donna
Flying pig
Fargo
Park city
Mount Lemmon
Mount Desert
Marine Corps
NYC
Flying Monkey
Great Wall Marathon
Catalina Eco
Ultramarathons- more than 26.2
Western States 100
Badwater
Ultraman
JFK 50
Rocky Raccoon
Goofy Challenge
Speed Goat 50k
Tahoe Triple
Ironman Canada
Ironman Lake Placid
Ironman Brazil, South Africa, or Australia
Travel
Australia
Adventure trip to Costa Rica
Egypt
South African safari
Bora Bora
Malta
South Pole
New York and Washington DC
Goals
Run a marathon in every state
Sub 3:30 marathon
Finish a 100 mile run
Visit a majority of the Hard Rock Cafes
Get my MBA, or JD
Make 5 people smile everyday
Make sure I leave this world a better place
Sunday, November 15, 2009
One week from today I going to suffer more than any other time in my life; I’m so excited.
Ironman means something different to every person who steps up to the challenge. Nov 22nd will my second Ironman triathlon; it’s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. All completed in that order and hopefully all in under 13:30:00, you have up to 17 hrs to finish.
Only outside of my triathlon friends do I get the question “why you’d you ever want to do something like that?”. I’m not really sure if I fully know to tell you the truth. It all started in my attempt to be a badass. It sounds funny but I loved the looks people gave me when I told them I had run a half marathon, and then it went to a full marathon, and now Ironman. This got me started in the sport but being a badass isn’t enough to pull you through the tough times during these events. I searched and searched trying to understand why I would put myself through this. The answer I finally found was because “I get to choose to suffer”. I know this sounds funny but there are so many people out there who struggle just to tie their shoes. I’m healthy and damn sure am going to live while I’m here.
As I progress in endurance sports I am learning to enjoy suffering. It’s not that I love the pain; it’s that I know I’m pushing myself farther than most are willing. During my first Ironman, where I was well undertrained, I was ready to quit. I was off my bike walking and a 70 year old lady rode up and told me to get back on my bike and just keep moving forward. Mind you we all race head to head so yes she was 2 seconds from being faster than me. I was too tired to argue and hoped back on. I started talking to her about how the only thing I had been able to do all day was think about why I should quit. I was down and out. I have received two pieces of advice that have really stuck with me in reference to Ironman and one came from her. She said “that’s what makes someone an ironman; ten to seventeen hours of your body telling you to stop but yet you just keep moving forward”. This translated into stop whining and if you truly want to be an ironman just keep moving forward. Just keep on keepn on as Joe Dirt would say.
As for the second piece of advice, it was posted on a local message board in response to a woman who had signed up for Ironman and felt she had not put in enough training. You see ironman sells out a year in advance and is reaching almost six hundred dollars just in your entrance fee. So when you sign up, you’re hoping that in a year you will still have the drive and determination to train and then attempt the race. Some were telling her she had no right being out there if she didn’t put in her time training. Our sport is dominated by type A personalities who can be very elitist at times. You kind of have to be pretty driven to get into this sport. So there it was in two sentences. “I’m going to tell you something that no one in ironman will ever admit. “ANYONE CAN DO AN IRONMAN.” So the question is if anyone can do an Ironman why is it such an accomplishment? The fact is most people will spend their entire lives in their comfort zone. Yes anyone can do it but most wont. Less than 1% of people will ever run a marathon so I can only guess what the numbers are for Ironman.
Yes it is hard, yes it hurts a lot, and yes it very time consuming. It’s expensive, hard on your body, and did I mention it hurts? It is also an accomplishment that will stay with you for the rest of your life. If you really stop and think about it, when was the last time you truly accomplished something difficult? Something that took months of hard work and when you started it, you didn’t know if you could finish. Maybe Ironman isn’t for you but I’m sure if you put a little effort into it you could find something that sparks your interest. This is why I’m excited to spend a day suffering with some of my closest friends.
Only outside of my triathlon friends do I get the question “why you’d you ever want to do something like that?”. I’m not really sure if I fully know to tell you the truth. It all started in my attempt to be a badass. It sounds funny but I loved the looks people gave me when I told them I had run a half marathon, and then it went to a full marathon, and now Ironman. This got me started in the sport but being a badass isn’t enough to pull you through the tough times during these events. I searched and searched trying to understand why I would put myself through this. The answer I finally found was because “I get to choose to suffer”. I know this sounds funny but there are so many people out there who struggle just to tie their shoes. I’m healthy and damn sure am going to live while I’m here.
As I progress in endurance sports I am learning to enjoy suffering. It’s not that I love the pain; it’s that I know I’m pushing myself farther than most are willing. During my first Ironman, where I was well undertrained, I was ready to quit. I was off my bike walking and a 70 year old lady rode up and told me to get back on my bike and just keep moving forward. Mind you we all race head to head so yes she was 2 seconds from being faster than me. I was too tired to argue and hoped back on. I started talking to her about how the only thing I had been able to do all day was think about why I should quit. I was down and out. I have received two pieces of advice that have really stuck with me in reference to Ironman and one came from her. She said “that’s what makes someone an ironman; ten to seventeen hours of your body telling you to stop but yet you just keep moving forward”. This translated into stop whining and if you truly want to be an ironman just keep moving forward. Just keep on keepn on as Joe Dirt would say.
As for the second piece of advice, it was posted on a local message board in response to a woman who had signed up for Ironman and felt she had not put in enough training. You see ironman sells out a year in advance and is reaching almost six hundred dollars just in your entrance fee. So when you sign up, you’re hoping that in a year you will still have the drive and determination to train and then attempt the race. Some were telling her she had no right being out there if she didn’t put in her time training. Our sport is dominated by type A personalities who can be very elitist at times. You kind of have to be pretty driven to get into this sport. So there it was in two sentences. “I’m going to tell you something that no one in ironman will ever admit. “ANYONE CAN DO AN IRONMAN.” So the question is if anyone can do an Ironman why is it such an accomplishment? The fact is most people will spend their entire lives in their comfort zone. Yes anyone can do it but most wont. Less than 1% of people will ever run a marathon so I can only guess what the numbers are for Ironman.
Yes it is hard, yes it hurts a lot, and yes it very time consuming. It’s expensive, hard on your body, and did I mention it hurts? It is also an accomplishment that will stay with you for the rest of your life. If you really stop and think about it, when was the last time you truly accomplished something difficult? Something that took months of hard work and when you started it, you didn’t know if you could finish. Maybe Ironman isn’t for you but I’m sure if you put a little effort into it you could find something that sparks your interest. This is why I’m excited to spend a day suffering with some of my closest friends.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
My First Sub 12-Hour Ironman - A Day as an Ironman Volunteer
From Nov 2008
In April 2008 I completed my first Ironman and only my second triathlon. Yep, I went straight
from Ironman Volunteer to Ironman registration. I figured it would just be crazy to make an
Ironman my first triathlon so I decided to do the Soma ½
as my very first multi-sport event. I came from a running
background, if you can call it that, and made the transition to triathlon this year. I’ve probably done 20 or so races as a runner and to be honest I’ve never paid any attention to the volunteers. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to have them out there, but I would have been just fine grabbing my own water off the aid station table as I ran through.
You always hear this “We couldn’t do it without the volunteers” blah bah blah. Then came my fist Ironman.
In the interest of time I will summarize my first Ironman in April of 2008. Let’s just say that all
13 times I tried to quit ended the same way. A volunteer making some small comment that, for
that few seconds, made me think I could really do it. I did finally finish and I attribute a lot of it
to the people out on the course. It wasn’t anything complicated, just a simple “Hey Eric you can
do it”, or a 65 year old lady on the B-line highway, all by herself, cheering my chubby butt along
as I went by. My defining moment came as I got off my bike midway through the third lap and
was ready to throw in the towel. I was going to grab the next sag wagon and call it a day. It was
so bad I even contemplated just rolling into oncoming traffic. That, you see, would totally work
as an excuse for all the people I had told that I was going to finish an Ironman. So there I am, 20
feet from the sag wagon and my ride home, and this little old lady on the side of the rode told me
I looked “cute” in my spandex shorts. I mean come on…you can’t stop after that. Well, once I
made it to the turnaround I decided that if by some miracle I finished, I would be there in
November to cheer my little heart out. Six months later it was IM AZ and my turn to give back.
I really only remembered a few parts of my own Ironman so I wanted to be out there early. Up at 4am, and out the door; just like I was racing. I was there for the swim start and then ran along the lake to make sure I was able to cheer for “MY” swimmers. Those are the ones who go at least 1:20. I know they must have thought there was some crazy guy screaming on the bridge but I was going to let them know we were here for them. I then made my way over to the Phoenix Triathlon Club aid station on the north side of the lake.
John, Scott’s son Brandon, and a few other PTC members along with two huge trucks were
waiting there for me. John opened the first U-haul truck, which was full of our “props” and I
thought two things. First, what did I get myself into and second. John Lierle has way too much
time on his hands. I mean come on, an entire U-Haul full of “props”? I say, if you need power
tools to put together an aid station you have gone just a little overboard. After receiving our
building permits we got to work and about 20 minutes later I looked around and there were at
least 20 PTC members hard at work. We finished with close to an hour to spare and it was a sight to behold. I even made a comment that if we didn’t win first place I was going to resort to
violence. With about 30 minutes until the first pro came through, I snuck off to get dressed.
We all know that our aid station theme was western and I knew my 15 bucks spent at the
Goodwill would be a hit. I slid on my 46-inch overalls and plaid shirt. Then came the cowboy
hat and finally my pillow. I found someone to help me tie my shoes and I was set. I did not know
it at the time, but it seems the pillow was a little more convincing than planned. I heard a few
comments about how I may have taken the off season a little too seriously. I was ready now.
Bring on the runners! With a few last instructions from John and Mary Knott, I took my place at the #1 aid table. I was the water guy and ready to be a darn good one! I held the cup just so perfect, poised to give it to the first runner who came though. I even cut to the front of the line to make sure I got to give water to the first runner who came through. Then I saw the bike leading the first place male runner. It was game time! I double-checked to ensure my shoes were tied and confirmed my running path was clear so I could run with him and it would be a flawless hand-off. I was finally giving back to my triathlon family. The first place male neared and I took off at the perfect time.
I held his pace so he wouldn’t miss a beat. I extended my arm with pin point accuracy
and...nothing. He didn’t want my water. I’ll tell you one thing, he was lucky to be moving so
fast. By the time I decided if I should trip him or just throw the water at him he was gone.
Whether warranted or not I was offended (not really, OK…some). As many of you will come to
find out, I never claim to be normal. I even pride myself on being a little quirky as my friends put it. It was my day to give back and this guy didn’t even want my water. Well I recovered fast and continued to hand out water for the next few hours. I did get over it but I still wasn’t all that happy when someone passed me by.
Around 5pm I started to get tired, OK, very tired. I had planned to “Go, Go, Go” until the
midnight cutoff but I was running on empty. I sat down in my chair, cheered and did what I
could. The runners were having a hard time with the concept of running between the red
directional tape and the red eight-foot tall cowboy M-Dots, so John moved me to the entrance of
our aid station to direct traffic. So there I was, looking like I weighed 300 pounds, sitting in a
chair on a comforter and telling these super fit athletes they could do it. Then I remembered what a few encouraging words did for me in April. I sprang into action! It was time for me to shine.
A piece of advice for those of you who race Ironman, make sure you wear your bib with your
first name on it during the run in front. When we can personalize your cheer it makes a real
difference. I started with “Good job, you can do it.” Then I found that if you use their name “Hey
John you are looking great!” they would look over and smile. I could see it in their faces, for
those few seconds they were in their happy place. All the pain and thoughts of quitting were
gone. It may have been all in my head, but I really felt that I was personally doing something to
help these racers achieve their goal. This went on for a few hours. “Julie you are smokin!” or
“Jose, man your are looking good!” Even a few offers for a date if they came back and got me
after the race. I ended with a session of letting everyone who went by know that in just a few
hours they would be able to start working on their off season bellies, while rubbing mine own of
course. I left a little after eight both mentally and physically drained. I wanted to stay until it was over but I had nothing left. I was happy and had given back to the people who just six months earlier had helped me get through one of the toughest day’s of my life.
A couple of side notes: Take a second and thank John Lierle and Mary Knott. They put a lot of
time into making sure we took first place as an aid station. I thought Mary was going to be sick
all day, she was so nervous for Dan Beaver who was racing to qualify for Kona. I also bet John
Lierle ran at least a 5k that day. I would also like to thank everybody who was out there. I now
know where the saying “We couldn’t have done it without you” comes from. If you’re not racing
or you have friends or family who want to see what our crazy sport is all about, volunteer
somewhere. It’s your chance to give a little back to our community and some day it might just be
what you need to get you through a tough day. In my very short time on the PTC board I’m
starting to see just how much it takes to put these races on. It was a day I will never forget and I
can only hope that in some small way, with less than 12 hours of my time, I was able to help
someone hear the phrase “YOU ARE IRONMAN!”
13 times I tried to quit ended the same way. A volunteer making some small comment that, for
that few seconds, made me think I could really do it. I did finally finish and I attribute a lot of it
to the people out on the course. It wasn’t anything complicated, just a simple “Hey Eric you can
do it”, or a 65 year old lady on the B-line highway, all by herself, cheering my chubby butt along
as I went by. My defining moment came as I got off my bike midway through the third lap and
was ready to throw in the towel. I was going to grab the next sag wagon and call it a day. It was
so bad I even contemplated just rolling into oncoming traffic. That, you see, would totally work
as an excuse for all the people I had told that I was going to finish an Ironman. So there I am, 20
feet from the sag wagon and my ride home, and this little old lady on the side of the rode told me
I looked “cute” in my spandex shorts. I mean come on…you can’t stop after that. Well, once I
made it to the turnaround I decided that if by some miracle I finished, I would be there in
November to cheer my little heart out. Six months later it was IM AZ and my turn to give back.
I really only remembered a few parts of my own Ironman so I wanted to be out there early. Up at 4am, and out the door; just like I was racing. I was there for the swim start and then ran along the lake to make sure I was able to cheer for “MY” swimmers. Those are the ones who go at least 1:20. I know they must have thought there was some crazy guy screaming on the bridge but I was going to let them know we were here for them. I then made my way over to the Phoenix Triathlon Club aid station on the north side of the lake.
John, Scott’s son Brandon, and a few other PTC members along with two huge trucks were
waiting there for me. John opened the first U-haul truck, which was full of our “props” and I
thought two things. First, what did I get myself into and second. John Lierle has way too much
time on his hands. I mean come on, an entire U-Haul full of “props”? I say, if you need power
tools to put together an aid station you have gone just a little overboard. After receiving our
building permits we got to work and about 20 minutes later I looked around and there were at
least 20 PTC members hard at work. We finished with close to an hour to spare and it was a sight to behold. I even made a comment that if we didn’t win first place I was going to resort to
violence. With about 30 minutes until the first pro came through, I snuck off to get dressed.
We all know that our aid station theme was western and I knew my 15 bucks spent at the
Goodwill would be a hit. I slid on my 46-inch overalls and plaid shirt. Then came the cowboy
hat and finally my pillow. I found someone to help me tie my shoes and I was set. I did not know
it at the time, but it seems the pillow was a little more convincing than planned. I heard a few
comments about how I may have taken the off season a little too seriously. I was ready now.
Bring on the runners! With a few last instructions from John and Mary Knott, I took my place at the #1 aid table. I was the water guy and ready to be a darn good one! I held the cup just so perfect, poised to give it to the first runner who came though. I even cut to the front of the line to make sure I got to give water to the first runner who came through. Then I saw the bike leading the first place male runner. It was game time! I double-checked to ensure my shoes were tied and confirmed my running path was clear so I could run with him and it would be a flawless hand-off. I was finally giving back to my triathlon family. The first place male neared and I took off at the perfect time.
I held his pace so he wouldn’t miss a beat. I extended my arm with pin point accuracy
and...nothing. He didn’t want my water. I’ll tell you one thing, he was lucky to be moving so
fast. By the time I decided if I should trip him or just throw the water at him he was gone.
Whether warranted or not I was offended (not really, OK…some). As many of you will come to
find out, I never claim to be normal. I even pride myself on being a little quirky as my friends put it. It was my day to give back and this guy didn’t even want my water. Well I recovered fast and continued to hand out water for the next few hours. I did get over it but I still wasn’t all that happy when someone passed me by.
Around 5pm I started to get tired, OK, very tired. I had planned to “Go, Go, Go” until the
midnight cutoff but I was running on empty. I sat down in my chair, cheered and did what I
could. The runners were having a hard time with the concept of running between the red
directional tape and the red eight-foot tall cowboy M-Dots, so John moved me to the entrance of
our aid station to direct traffic. So there I was, looking like I weighed 300 pounds, sitting in a
chair on a comforter and telling these super fit athletes they could do it. Then I remembered what a few encouraging words did for me in April. I sprang into action! It was time for me to shine.
A piece of advice for those of you who race Ironman, make sure you wear your bib with your
first name on it during the run in front. When we can personalize your cheer it makes a real
difference. I started with “Good job, you can do it.” Then I found that if you use their name “Hey
John you are looking great!” they would look over and smile. I could see it in their faces, for
those few seconds they were in their happy place. All the pain and thoughts of quitting were
gone. It may have been all in my head, but I really felt that I was personally doing something to
help these racers achieve their goal. This went on for a few hours. “Julie you are smokin!” or
“Jose, man your are looking good!” Even a few offers for a date if they came back and got me
after the race. I ended with a session of letting everyone who went by know that in just a few
hours they would be able to start working on their off season bellies, while rubbing mine own of
course. I left a little after eight both mentally and physically drained. I wanted to stay until it was over but I had nothing left. I was happy and had given back to the people who just six months earlier had helped me get through one of the toughest day’s of my life.
A couple of side notes: Take a second and thank John Lierle and Mary Knott. They put a lot of
time into making sure we took first place as an aid station. I thought Mary was going to be sick
all day, she was so nervous for Dan Beaver who was racing to qualify for Kona. I also bet John
Lierle ran at least a 5k that day. I would also like to thank everybody who was out there. I now
know where the saying “We couldn’t have done it without you” comes from. If you’re not racing
or you have friends or family who want to see what our crazy sport is all about, volunteer
somewhere. It’s your chance to give a little back to our community and some day it might just be
what you need to get you through a tough day. In my very short time on the PTC board I’m
starting to see just how much it takes to put these races on. It was a day I will never forget and I
can only hope that in some small way, with less than 12 hours of my time, I was able to help
someone hear the phrase “YOU ARE IRONMAN!”
Saturday, October 31, 2009
2010’s Vacation Plans
O I love this part. Every few years my buddy Jason and I take a trip. There are not many people you can travel with for a week without wanting to stab them. He also collects HRC shot glasses so it seems to work out. This year I spent a week, three different times, back home in Seattle. It was fun but I’m ready for something big again. I only get to do a big trip every few years. Jason brought up a cruise from Barcelona to Athens by way of Malta. Sounded like a blast but it’s not until Nov and I don’t want to wait. I’ve done some serious planning and price checking and these three lead the way.
Although running with the bulls looked cool I’m thinking with my luck I’ll be the one the bull gets. I found a cruise from Barcelona to France to Italy and back. I know many of you will say boo on a cruise but I enjoy them. I love the home base that moves with us. No lugn bags around and all your food paid up front. We did the U.K., Scotland, Paris, and Amsterdam trip 3 years ago. We also did a 9 day Bahamas and Caribbean cruise 4 years ago. I enjoyed both ways of traveling.
Second we could fly just to Malta for 9 days. I’m not a big sit on the beach for a week kind of traveler. I’m a gogogo and see as much as possible. I can even over plan them at times. It’s something I’ve really had to work on. Nothing scares me more in life then not having a plan. But I’ve come along way and something this tropical could work.
The final one is our HRH east coast run. We would fly into Baltimore and rent a car driving to 12 or so Hard Rock Cafes then a few days in Iceland. I’ve never been to New York or Boston. We would see Niagara Falls and the Smithsonian.
I’m sure it will all change but those are leading the way. I get lots of comments from old friends that say “I wish I could travel like you.” Well then do it. Travel is like having kids. If you wait till you financially ready you’ll never do it. Pick something 9 months out and work at saving for it. These are experiences that can never be taken away from you. Get off your ass!!!
Hard Rock Cafes
HRC as they are known. A restaurant with subpar food but a great atmosphere. Somehow I started collecting shot glasses from their various locations in about 1996. You cannot buy them over the phone or internet, that leaves you EBay or someone physically going to each location. I’ve been to many and most of my vacations are planned around visiting them. Just a quick in and out to get the glass, they are all over the world and it has given me an excuse to travel. It’s not for everyone but it works for me. People bring me back glasses from their travels and just about every glass has a story behind it. Experience the world; don’t just live your whole life in your comfort zone.
Locations I’ve been to.
Amsterdam
Banff Canada
Birmingham U.K.
Cardiff Wales
Dallas TX
Edinburgh Scotland
Edmonton Canada
Hollywood CA
Hollywood FL
Honolulu HI
La Jolla CA
Lake Tahoe NV
Leeds UK
London UK
Las Vegas
Los Angeles CA
Manchester U.K
Nassau Bahamas
Newport Beach CA
Nottingham U.K.
Paris France
Phoenix AZ
Puerto Vallarta Mexico
Sacramento Ca
San Antonio TX
San Diego CA
San Francisco CA
Saun Juan Bahamas
Tijuana Mexico
Vancouver Canada
Whistler Canada
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