Trials of Miles, Miles of Trials
I ran a 4:28 mile in high school. That effort, so it turns out, has become my peak athletic performance. Since then, I have been following a typical trajectory for slowtwitch athletes, increasing race distances with age. In college I ran cross country and track for the University of Delaware. My college career was punctuated with fits of high mileage, injuries (stress fracture, achilles tendonitis), and races that should have gone a lot better than they did. On the roads I ran 16:20 for 5K (5:15 pace) and 27:20 for 5 miles (5:28 pace). So much for high hopes.
After college I moved up yet again, this time to triathlons. My first event was an Olympic distance race (1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run) in Charlotte, NC. But I have enjoyed racing both above and below this level. My best race below was at the Ocean View Triathlon in Norfolk, VA. There I managed to qualify for the US Short Course National Championships. My best effort above this level was at a half-ironman race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) in Menomonie, WI. It took me just over 5 hours to complete this event. In the future I plan to concentrate on long-course races.
My focus races for 2012 are the EagleMan Ironman 70.3 and the ChesapeakeMan Ironman 140.6.
Support Systems
State College, PA is a great place to train for endurance athletes. We have an extensive trail system, mountainous terrain, and hospitable weather (most of the time). The town also provides vibrant support systems for slowtwitch athletes. I am fortunate enough to be Faculty Adviser for the Penn State Triathlon Club, which means I get to train with an endless stream of young people who can motivate me and teach me about the evolving sport of triathlon. The club benefits from the expert advice of professional triathlete Paul Fritzsche. Penn State Aquatics offers a masters swimming program with challenging, coached workouts. The bike shops in town employ knowledgeable and experienced cyclists. The Bicycle Shop (owned by Erik Scott) supports the Penn State Triathlon Club. Although I tend to run alone, logging most of my miles on the Penn State cross country courses, the Nittany Valley Running Club organizes group runs, track meets, and more. There are also first-class facilities for sports medicine. I have spent a fair share of time with the talented people at Penn State Orthopaedics and Nittany Valley Chiropractic.
Gear Bag
• Specialized bikes (triathlon and cyclocross)
• HED race wheels
• Garmin GPS devices
• Xterra wetsuits
• Zoot and Voller uniforms
penn state triathlon club @ lancaster