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 Delaware. I even tried the steeplechase. 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 (don't be too impressed, for that only required a top 10 age group finish). My best race above the Olympic distance was in a half-ironman in Menomonie, WI. It took me just over 5 hours to swim 1 mile, bike 55 miles, and run 12.4 miles. I plan to focus on long course events in the future.
Support Systems
State College, PA is a great place to train. 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 Advisor for the Penn State Triathlon Club, which means I get to interact with young, fit people who can motivate me and teach me about the sport. 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 physical therapists at Penn State Orthopaedics.
Multisport Gear
• Specialized Transition Expert triathlon bike
• Klein Q Carbon Team road bike
• Specialized TriCross Expert cyclocross bike
• HED Jet 6/9 race wheels
• Garmin Foreunner 305 GPS device
• Quintana Roo and Xterra wetsuits
• Zoot and Voller uniforms
2010 Racing Schedule
• Brandywine Valley Duathlon
• Columbia Triathlon
• Jackie Kallal Triathlon
• Happy Valley Triathlon
• Canoe Creek Triathlon
• Delaware Diamondman
Triathlon (Ironman 70.3 race)
• Brierman Triathlon (half
light
race)