Woody's “Not Much of a Race” Race Report
Lake Placid 2013 was a helluva lot of fun – nothing more… nothing less!
I was way under-trained and on the upswing from a very dark and, at times, turbulent 30 (give or take a few) months. Long story – if you really want to know, ask…
Spent crazy amounts of time, over the past 2 years, driving 3 hours to upstate NY, to watch my 17 year old daughter play high school soccer and lacrosse - grab dinner with her, study w/ her when she needed help - hop in the car and drive 3 hours back to Boston. Toss in a few Irish Dance recitals, orchestra concerts, Honor Society events and ballet for good measure. I am confident at some point, she will appreciate the effort 
Got engaged to the most supportive, beautiful and wonderful woman in the world.
Work was busy as hell – but I love what I do!
OS started really well – and I was feeling good about the upcoming season. A dark period hit hard and the training “wheels came off the bus.” While I eventually climbed out, the motivation and desire to train was difficult to resurrect.
I hoped and prayed that muscle memory would help me thru the Adirondacks once again.
Normally, I am a very private person when it comes to my personal life – and yet, for some reason, I felt somewhat comfortable (okay – apprehensive too!) in reaching out to a group of relative strangers, many of which I only know thru a team chat room, to ask how others may have dealt with depression in the past. If you haven’t experienced it, it is impossible to explain. To put this out there, for the world to see was risky and I had no idea what to expect.
The support from EN'ers was simply amazing. I will never be able to thank everyone for their time, efforts, energy, advice and assistance. Please know how much I appreciated hearing from so many of you.
Race week was like most others – got to Lake Placid (one of my favorite places in the world) on Wednesday night. Ventured around town and knocked off registration early Thursday morning. Saw many friends throughout the day. The EN Dinner was a blast – sitting with John & Jess, Chris, Bridget, Colleen & Stefan as well as Jonathan, Josie & Leah. Connecting with Coach P, meeting Coach R and seeing so many great people from the dashboard and past races – it was just incredible. Teri and Stephanie – it was great to see you again (and Teri, given what you went thru in the week leading up to Lake Placid - you are amazing! Kill it in Kona!) Kori and Eric – great to see you kids! (Eric – you have certainly earned your place in heaven, buddy ) Mike G. – great to see you again. Welcome back, Scott. Kim and Dan – thanks for hosting us! Brenda and Steve – THANK YOU for your time, effort and energy in herding us around Lake Placid!! UGH – too many people to list here.
Friday, I attended the 4 Keys program, swam a bit, watched the Weather Channel a gazillion times, did the expo thing, wandered around the oval, did Main Street, played with my transition bags and tinkered with bikes, helping friends with last minute odds & ends. Mid-afternoon, I received a call from Meghan – a WTC employee, asking if I was interested in helping with the start of the Pre-Race Dinner. I was told to show up early and they would explain my role.
Arriving at the Olympic Arena, we were escorted to a table next to the VIP section. The scoreboard above all of us displayed the USA vs. USSR score from 1980. We were surrounded by history! Meghan shared that I would be carrying the 1980 Olympic Torch into the arena – handing it off to Andy Potts, who would then light the cauldron. As a side bar, I was a senior in high school, living in upstate NY, when the 1980 Winter Olympics took place in Lake Placid – and had the honor & pleasure of being outside of the Olympic Arena when the US Hockey Team won the Gold Medal. In the office, I have a large framed photo of the “Miracle on Ice” Team, autographed by each member of the team. And here we were – eating in the building that was host to one of the most spectacular sporting events of the century.
As I understand it, in the village of Lake Placid, officials have a flame from the 1980 Olympic Games that is brought out for special occasions. Was this really a flame from 1980 – or was it urban legend? In the same arena where the” Miracle on Ice” took place, it simply didn’t matter. In my heart and soul, this was the real deal.
Couldn’t hear a blessed thing in the arena, as the acoustics were horrible and the crowd was cheering loudly. Holding the torch, I was told to “GO!” and nudged onto the floor. Running along the boards was magical! Handing the torch off to Andy Potts was an honor. Doing this in the Olympic Arena was AMAZING! Thank you WTC!
Saturday started off with a big breakfast. From there, it was off to register for 2014 (what else would I do on the last Sunday in July??) packing bags & getting my bike to the Speedskating Oval – and back to the house for an early dinner and to bed.
Race day, I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and ate 5 cups of applesauce, protein powder, a bottle of Perform and a banana. Experience has shown that this is difficult to choke down – but things would smooth out in the old stomach over the next 90 minutes.
Parked the car, and attended to a few last minute odds & ends, and made my way to the water. Wasn’t sure what to expect with the new swim format. Jumped in with 1:10 – 1:20 crowd, knowing this might be a stretch. Honestly, at the end of the swim, I failed to see many differences between this year and years past. It was crowded. People were bumping and grinding. It was the start of an Ironman.
Out of the water, I picked a wetsuit peeler and asked them to hold still while I removed the wetsuit. A few years ago, I dropped to the carpet and had a peeler assist me. About 20 miles into the bike, I realized (the hard way) that sand from the beach on the carpet had made its way into the back of my tri shorts when I dropped for assistance. Needless to say, I will NEVER drop onto a sandy carpet again! There is not enough Bag Balm in the world – and while I may lose a few seconds, it is MUCH better than the alternative!
The volunteer support in the transition area (as well as the rest of the course) was GREAT! That said, I am not sure why triathletes tend to all mount their bikes ON the yellow line – can’t some of you move forward 3 feet and make more space to clip-in??
The bike was fair – and about what I expected, given the training under my belt. Saw an EN jersey on the side of the road – and it turned out to be Steve West. He looked exasperated! I stopped to help him get back on board. After reading his report, I am amazed he had the tenacity to continue! I had two flats along the way. Note to self… in the future, do not buy knock-off long valve tubes on-line and based on price only.
I didn’t warm up until the first bike loop was over – and the rain was enough to convince me to take it very, very easy (as if I needed an excuse!) In thinking back, there were several crashes and many athletes with flats. Bottom line – for me, the weather sucked.
I was thrilled to be off the bike – and running out of T2, I got to see Sue and give her a kiss. The next few hours, I decided to mix running and walking – having as much fun as one can have in the midst of a 140.6 mile adventure. I saw several EN folks – and cheered loudly when I could. Saw Chris and Bridget, as well as Kori (who I didn’t recognize at first&hellip
, among many others. You couldn’t swing a dead cat on the course, without hitting someone from Endurance Nation!
In the end, the goal was to cross the finish line with dignity. I thought we might escape the medical tent this year. About 15 minutes later, the medical volunteers thought differently – and I was escorted into the tent, where the docs served up 3 bags of IV with some anti-cramping solution. UGH!
With 30+ years of doing triathlons, and 29 Ironman finishes, it can be difficult to find motivation to train and focus. Life gets in the way from time-to-time. I have done the 20+ hour weeks training. I lived and breathed triathlon in unhealthy ways. In the end, the price I paid was severe – and in retrospect, simply not worth it. Wouda… Couda… Shouda…
I’ve come to realize that I will never get a Kona slot via qualification. You will never see a prize money check being deposited in my checking account. A Race Director will never hand me keys to a car. That said, I continue to try and make this fun, keeping things in perspective. Otherwise, I would go bonkers! At 6’ 4” and 225 lbs., I am designed to play rugby – not be a long-course triathlete!!
IM Lake Placid, to a certain extent, has taken on a life of its own. As I understand it, there were 6-7 athletes who have participated in each of the first 15 IM Lake Placid events – and for some wacky unknown (and stupid?) reason, I am one of them. Word on the street is that 2 of these athletes are not coming back for 2014. This - and 99 cents will get me a cup of coffee, and that’s about it!
A Race Report wouldn’t be complete without thanking those who got us to the finish line. In no particular order: COACH R ‘n P – thanks for putting up with the roller coaster rides and wacked out e-mail messages – you two are amazing and make a great team! SUE – your love and support is amazing and I am blessed to have you in my life. Most importantly - thank you for believing in us, as I couldn’t do this without you. MICHAELA - I hoped you enjoyed the adventure as much as I enjoyed having you in LP. LARRY – you are the brother I never had – thanks for everything!! DOTTIE – thank you for your support and friendship. DAD - it wasn’t the best dance, but we crossed the finish line and got it done. To all of my family and friends who have endured this nonsense year after year – Thanks! And last (but certainly not least), here is a virtual fist bump and high five to all of the EN members and their families who were so invested in this adventure, as well as those who spent time following the race on-line.
Just 347 shopping days until we get to do it all over again!
Comments
First off congrats on the engagement. Sorry to hear about the bout of depression, sounds like you got a handle on it. When I saw you over the weekend, you seemed like the same kind person I met last year.
I had no idea that you did the torch ceremony, wow what an honor.
I remember being T1 with you and for some reason, a newbie decided that you were the best person to ask questions about the race. As you know, I was happy to inform him that he picked the right guy to ask as I told him your creds.
Sounds like you got out of the race what you put in to training (except for maybe the weather, but we can't control that), and finished within three IV bags of where you wanted. I think if you do a few more of these you'll figure it out
While I won't be on the course again next year, I will be cheering you on from the side. Looking forward to screaming your name in 347 days.
Sounds like your having a pretty nice life right now spending all that time with your daughter and enjoying your work ! Congrats on getting engaged...
Thank you for personally calling me immediately after my crash to make sure I was OK and ask if I needed anything. You are part of what makes EN special as you mentioned above....
I think with your 30 year base you could do IMLP in your sleep... Was a pleasure to follow you thru yet another IM and look forward to next year!
Thank you.
Yep, I certainly was exasperated... It was my 3rd flat in 10 minutes and my inflator blew a seal. But ya know what? Your assistance did something special for me that day. It helped carry me thru the day. It helped me remember why I was there and what I had to do. Thank you for taking the time - it really made my day.
At the Welcome Dinner, it was amazing to see you come out onto the rink carrying the Olympic Torch! What a tremendous honor. Certainly has to be one of those things you remember and cherish long after racing fades into obscurity.
Congrats to you Woody - the committed father, Olympic Torch Bearer and Ironman extraordinaire!
Thank you again for your advise, and hope that you are doing well.