Now first let me say that this is absolutely incredible, one might argue it can be described as an epic comeback (having given birth to Cora merely 5 months ago) I would not dispute such an idea, as I am awestruck by her God-given abilities and the humility with which she accepts it. She is, in my opinion, a very talented athlete who succeeds in virtually any sport she attempts.

That said…

I was holding Cora as we were watching friend Monica finish the aforementioned half marathon, when two girls said hi and asked if i was the one pushing the jogging stroller for the race (tougher than it looks…really…sore hamstrings). One of the two said that they saw me as I passed by them towards the beginning of the race. Obviously it was meant as a compliment to me, of which I am grateful. My initial thought, however, was that, yes I may be faster than some, and one day maybe I may even win a race (big maybe)…but the thing that must not be overlooked is the simple fact that those two put their foot on that starting line, ran and finished a half marathon that morning the same as me or Tiff or that guy who won overall with a ridiculous 1:09 time (very fast in case you didn’t know…almost olympic level).

Being a finisher of any endurance event is an incredible thing and I don’t want to ever forget how much it means to just complete the race. For me, no more than 3 years ago, I could almost not even finish a mile run (knee problems), so I know what it means to simply not know if you can even finish. Sometimes I even wonder if those who do win lots of races even remember the simple joy in crossing the finish line…that my friends is the true shame. So know that if you have finished something that you didn’t think you could or would ever do, you’re a hero in my book…

p.s. I’m not dilluted enough to not have thought of the fact that I may be using this rationale to justify getting beat by my wife in almost every race I’ve ever done, but still… and again, I’m not taking away from Tiff’s accomplishments at all…

The next race she did was the Vermillion Harbour Triathlon where she continued in the Wheelie Fun Triathlon Series 09. She had an absolutely killer bike averaging around 22mph, which is fantastic! As she crossed the finish line she hear the announcer say “First Female Now Crossing the Finish Line” and the first thought she had was something along the lines of…Yeah right, they must’ve gotten something wrong…but they hadn’t…and she did indeed win her first triathlon! Here’s the results page for both her race and mine.

Here are a couple of the photos I was able to find on the photos page (here’s a link to the main bulk of the photos…use password “hfpracing”)

We are currently getting ready for the Buckeye Challenge Triathlon in Springfield, OH where, for the first time this year, Tiff and I will be competing in the same race! I am calling it the “Battle Royale”. After Tiff’s showing at Vermillion, I am really getting afraid of getting crushed…but hey, I’m used to getting beat (in races) by my wife. Also of note, Tiff’s bro or Uncle Dale to Cora will be competing in the Half-Iron distance race as well, so we are excited to both see him and cheer him on in his race!

Let’s start the reporting off in reverse order of importance…Me first…

Being my second race of the year, and my first olympic distance, I felt as prepared as I could be given the lower training levels compared to last year. My wave was well after Tiffany’s as she is doing sprint distance this year, so I get to wait around a while until getting my piece of the melee that is triathlon beach starts. I can’t really say much about this race other than that I felt strong the whole way and didn’t overdo any one part. I was excited, however, that my average bike speed for the 24mi was 22.1 mph! The other exciting thing about the race is the photo above, where I actually look like I am running!

Now on to Tiffany’s comeback race!

She will probably say that she didn’t train nearly enough, which is possible, but given the outcome, I’d say she is doing just fine. With a 20.4 mph bike average and a 22:06 5K she took 1st place in her age group by a whopping 6 minutes and 3 seconds!

As far as Cora’s first spectating experience, I’d say that too was a success. Tiffany’s mom, [read: grandma] came with us and the two of them and friend Mike W. hung out together while watching us. Sadly, we have no photos of this as I forgot to pack a camera…I guess she will just have to start racing to get photos at these things…

I realized my slowness was at least partially, in my head. From the start, I decided to compete strong but not go all out. This worked out well for me as I felt strong the whole race and felt I still had a little left at the finish line.

The race started off decently enough with a swim around the Findlay reservoir, which by the way is very clear, crisp water. After a little foot slip up the boat launch ramp, I found my bike and off I went. Shortly into the bike, after passing the fast swimmers, I found myself pacing near one other guy. Every turn, he would pass me and then the next one I would pass him back. As we approached the turn around, I started counting the bikes coming back at me. When i got to 2, we turned hit the turn around! Remember now that the races are all wave starts so people who are faster than me may still be behind, but still, my spirits were high.

Off the bike and into my running shoes, i felt strong and ready to race the 5K. I paced with my bike friend for the first bit until he pulled ahead, sadly for good. A strong kick at the finish completed this first triathlon of the year, and I felt good.

Results: I waited around long enough to find that I had come in 2nd place in my age group (behind my bike friend) and 7th overall, I love smaller races!

This race was just what I needed…I don’t feel so slow!

My official time for the race was: 1:12:41

Click here for the rest of the results, links to photos are also there…

My first race was going to be the Maumee Bay Tri on June 21st, but I’m seriously considering doing the Flag City Tri the weekend before, just to see if I’m really slow right now or if it really is just mental on my part…It’ll be especially interesting as I plan to do the sprint distance if I go, which I haven’t done that distance since the ‘07 season. From what I remember it’s just a pedal-to-the-metal, fast and furious, go as hard as you can for 1 1/2 hrs kinda distance. It may be just what I need.

Yesterday during the sermon, our Pastor told the story of when he was growing up he detested the smell of a certain Bisquick cake his father used to bake. Years later, after the passing of his father, he found himself baking that very cake and being reminded of the fond memories he had. A once mal-odor became a sweet memory through the lense of time and experience. Every once in a while I have a similar olfactory experience and it is one in particular that I found myself dwelling on after church was over.

As I was looking through some bags and random racing/triathlon supply boxes, I found myself looking into the closet of our guest bedroom, which happens to have our wetsuits. Suddenly, I found myself taken back to the last triathlon of the much storied (at least by me) 2008 racing season…the Portage Lakes Triathlon, the last race in the Wheelie Fun Racing Series. The culmination of a season packed with lifetime memories and experiences, excruciatingly painful running courses, seemingly endless uphill bicycle battles, frigid swim courses, that feeling you get as you come into view of the finish line, hearing your name followed by the 4 words “You are an Ironman” and knowing you have earned it. Memories abound as I reminisce about predawn wake ups, race day checklists, pre-visualizing T1 then T2 making sure everything is in its place, shoes here visor there…don’t forget the race number belt. All of this because of a smell…

What was the smell? Like Pastor Malanga’s sermon, it wasn’t the smell of roses, or fresh bread, no this scent has a darker origin…Neoprene and stale lake water. Why does this smell have such power over my memories? Why does the combination of synthetic rubber and highly suspect lake water have such a cogent affect? It isn’t a sweet smell, not particularly inviting at all, but it is the smell that bears the memories of a summer spent training, racing and traveling with my wonderful wife. It was a good summer, one I’m sure to look back upon fondly as I share those memorable moments with friends, family and now…my daughter Cora.

Tiffany and I were talking yesterday afternoon, and I mentioned how that summer could not have been planned better. It was a grueling schedule of training, B-races, A-races, and everything else. It was exhilarating, challenging, painful, but most of all…wicked awesome fun! Tiffany had a suspicion and we later confirmed that during Ironman and all subsequent races, that she was pregnant. She was still able to not only compete in the remaining triathlons we’d planned, but she became the champion of the Wheelie Fun Series…with child… All of this and many more memories are firmly stored in that part of my brain that can be accessed by (among other things) the smell of a man-made rubber-like product aimed at keeping me warm and the strange concoction known as your ordinary off-the-shelf lake water.

As we plan our comparatively meager racing schedule for this year, I find myself still highly affected by the smell that currently resides in the closet of our guest bedroom, to which I’ve returned a few times to make sure those memories are still there. I do not look back with a sense of longing or regret that life has taken its unexpected turns, no those memories deserve so much more. They are a single summer, a collection of events that came together in a way that can never be, nor should ever be, repeated. That smell will forever be known in my own mind as the smell of racing.

Overall/Age Group Results are here…and photos from the day are here…

To the race report:

The Swim: this was officially our first large lake swim (Lake Erie). Even though it got a bit choppy and the waves picked up during the swim, I had fun with this one. Riding the crests and troughs of the water as it surged underneath made for an interesting/challenging swim split.

The Bike: We were told before this race that the bike course was supposedly one of the more difficult ones in the HFP Weelie Fun Triathlon/Duathlon Series…and they were right. The rolling hills were nice, but as we approached the first of 3 bigger decents and resulting climbs, it became apparent that the course designers were not on our side. Going from 45mph on a nice downhill stretch to 4mph is quite the swing and difficult at best. This isn’t to say that the course wasn’t enjoyable, just that it was tough.

The Run: The only part of this race that I would want to change a bit. An out and back course through downtown vermilion and a couple miles to the west of town. It was a bit exposed on the outer portions with traffic still going both ways, so we were relegated to the road’s shoulder which was a little cracked and uneven. There was no lack for aid stations though, and they were ready to hand out whatever you asked for…(Water on my head, then water in my mouth is my motto).

The Results:

Tiff: She won her age group…again…with a time of 2hrs 35mins 39secs

Jeremy: I did not win my age group…again…with a time of 2hrs 32mins

OF NOTE: There is a racing series that we have been partly participating in that consists of 6 races(here and here) and currently Tiffany is winning this series for her age bracket (F25-29). For me…I am actually 5th in my age group out of 44 people, which is the top 11%, so I’m excited about that.

Enough of that…on to the results.

Tiffany and I both finished strong and near where we wanted to be (time-wise). My legs were still a bit soft from Ironman, so my performance suffered a little. My one main goal was to not walk except through water stops (I absolutely cannot drink/eat anything while running), and I was successful there.

Tiffany Overall Time: 4:41:41

Jeremy Overall Time: 4:57:16

Click here to view all results

All said and done, this was a pretty good race, and I would certainly do it again. Next up…Vermillion, OH