Vacation Adventures

Hey guys,

First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a late Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year! I have to apologize for the absence of posts, because I was up in the mountains for a week with my family for a Christmas vacation!

Now, for everyone who lives in a mountainous region, you know how beautiful the scenery is. However, as a 16 year old, I'd actually never seen mountains in person before. Driving in to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where we stayed, was truly a magical experience for me, seeing mountains and hills roll past the car windows, like in a movie. But that wasn't going to compare to what happened later on in the trip. Now, I had brought my oldest bicycle on this trip, a 1987 Trek 1200, which is a very special bike to me. It is an all aluminum frame, with down tube shifters! :) It's a very classic bike, and I love it. Unfortunately, almost all of our trip was freezing cold, icy, snowy, and rainy. But, on one day, it started out in a downpour, but around noon the rain stopped and the sun came out. I decided to take control of the stop in rain to go out and ride, and I told my parents I was going to explore a town about 5 miles away from our hotel, mostly uphill. So, I set out, and was having an absolutely magical ride-picture rock slabs right next to the road with waterfalls coming through holes in the rock, with a large river flowing off to the left side of the road, moving quickly from the recent rain. Then, a tunnel-and on the other side heavily wooded areas with streams running through them in the underbrush. It was absolutely breathtaking.

After making it past all of that beautiful scenery, I reached the town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and was riding around, down the main and back streets, looking for fun things for my family to possibly do there. Then, as I was riding, I saw it-a mountain, rising from the horizon, and going up for a very long time. About halfway up the mountainside, fog and clouds had accumulated, hiding some of the scenery from view, but then the peak of the mountain again looked out from above the mist. I had one thought and one thought only-"I have to climb that mountain." I started riding in the general direction, and as I got close, I stopped on the side of the road and asked a man who sold firewood what mountain it was and how to get there. He told me it was Bluff Mountain and told me how to get to the top, and I set off. Soon, I turned down Bluff Mountain Road, and began my climb. At the bottom of the mountain, the incline isn't bad-just a little up here and there. But as soon as I turned a corner, the road seemed almost straight up. My heart rate shot up to over 200BPM, and I struggled to keep turning the pedals. However, I was able to, and started my trek up the mountain. The roads, to my delight, were in the same format you see watching the Tour when the climb any mountain, but I thought of the Alpe d'Huez personally-with the winding 180 degree turns like this!
The road continued for a very long time, and as I made my way up, up, up farther and farther I began to get very fatigued, having to get off my bike and breathe for some time before I could resume the ride, it was so steep. But I was determined to make it to the summit, and soon I could tell I was close-because as I turned another 180 degrees, up the road I could see the fog I had seen from the bottom! I rode through the mist, climbing higher and higher, and soon the fog began to disperse, and I knew I had climbed out of it. Even so, I still had some time to go, but then, as I struggled up a final stretch, Bluff Mountain Road ended. Looking out past the road, into clouds, I could see I was high above any other mountain and really, anything. I could see the cloud level, but I could also see where the clouds stopped and where the sky began, and I could see for miles. It was absolutely inspiring, beautiful, and extremely meaningful. Because as this whole year comes to a close, that bike ride couldn't have meant more. It meant to me that no matter how much hardship you endure, no matter what you're put up against, no matter how much you struggle, you can find the strength to continue going, even when life knocks you off your bike-you can get back on, and you can ride to be on top of the world. And that's where I was.

Happy training guys, and to all a Happy New Year.

Kinetic InRide Power Meter Review

Hey guys,

So, yesterday was very exciting, cool, and eye-opening to me. I had my first brush with training with a power meter, and it really was an awesome experience. I had a 2 hour trainer ride I needed to do, and I set up the power meter in less than 10 minutes, and it worked right off the bat, giving me a ridiculous window into seeing my effort directly correlate into watts! Here's the review:

Overview:

So, the InRide supports Kinetic by Kurt trainers, but only a select few; the Road Machine, the Rock N' Roll Trainer, and the Pro Trainer. The way to view the power data requires an apple device, either the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5, the iPad 3, the iPad Mini, or 5th generation iPod touches. The app is free in the App Store, and downloads quickly onto your device, and even has a sharing feature once you complete the workout to upload onto training sites, like MapMyFitness, TrainingPeaks, Garmin Connect, and more. In a nutshell, hardware inside the sensor measures speed and cadence at the wheel of your bike, and then translates that data in power using an equation. However, from my research, experience with the product, and other reviews, the meter is very accurate.

Setup

So, this is the completed product. The InRide comes in a small little cardboard cover, and includes the Sensor, Grommet, Magnet, HR Strap, HR Device, and instructions/manual to the power meter. So, with the unboxing process, it all went very quick and easy for me. The instructions are very simple and easy to follow. For those of you with Kinetic trainers, I'm sure you've noticed the little hole on the cylinder part of your flywheel: that was designed for the InRide. The only thing the boxed product lacks is a isopropyl alcohol pad, which is needed to clean the plastic area of the trainer where you will be placing the sensor.

The first few steps are very simple. I have taken pictures of the instruction booklet, as I have already installed the magnet and sensor on my own trainer. To start, you take the rubber grommet, and push it into the hole that is on the cylindrical part of your trainer, right next to the flywheel; and it should be very tight-this holds the magnet. You can use the screwdriver to push the grommet into the trainer, until it is sealed against the lip of the trainer.








Once you've installed the rubber grommet, you need to install the magnet. This is where you need your flat-headed screwdriver, because it is the easiest way to get the magnet installed. Simply snap the magnet to the metal, flat-headed edge of the screwdriver to hold the magnet steady. After you've done this, you maneuver your screwdriver over the hole in the rubber grommet, and carefully remove the screwdriver from the magnet; with the magnet staying in the grommet.









You can push the magnet in with your hand, but it is better to use the rounded part of your screwdriver to push the magnet into the grommet further, making it flush with the edge. This is very crucial that the magnet needs to be flush, otherwise it could spell some problems down the road.












Now, on to installing the sensor. This is also fairly easy, but it is much more critical, as in it is very important to where you place the sensor. First off, you need to get your hands on some isopropyl alcohol, which you can find pretty commonly(I found a cleaning pad in a first aid kit) and clean the area around where you will be placing the sensor, which is just to the left of your flywheel, in that immediate area close to the hole where you've just installed your magnet and grommet.








After you've cleaned the area, allow the alcohol to dry for a few seconds, and then get ready to install your sensor. This is the crucial part, where you have to have good placement in order for your sensor to transmit anything. The sensor must be aligned with the edges of your trainer bracket, and by all means, install the sensor so that the notch in the sensor is aligned with the magnet. This is VERY IMPORTANT, if you want your sensor to actually work.

I practiced placing the sensor before I removed the adhesive, just so I could get a good placement when I was actually placing the sensor. After you've practiced. or are confident in knowing where you need to place the sensor, you remove the adhesive on the back of the sensor, and place the sensor on the spot and press it onto the trainer and hold it for a few seconds firmly, to get a good stick,

This is my completed and installed sensor and magnet, and it took me less than 10 minutes. As soon as I was finished, I got on the trainer and started the configuration-and as it turns out the configuration wasn't as hard as I anticipated, and it took me about 2 minutes, very quick.

Configuration

*Read these pages from left to right, as it is the order of configurations*

So, this is your home page for the app, and the instructions are included in your box or on Kinetic's website. What you do is with your HR strap on, or not, depending on if you like HR data or not, you select Configuration. It is important that you have ensured your iPhone has Bluetooth enabled before starting configuration.

You then see this screen, where you can edit your workout preferences. To add your power meter and HR monitor to your device, you select Add New.

After you select Add New, this pop-up comes up, and you can select either your Watt Meter or HR first, either way works.

When you select inRide Watt Meter, it brings you to this screen, but yours will only say Add New Sensor, mine is already paired, which is why it shows Blue 2 as being On.

Once you select Add New Sensor, it brings you here, and the sensor will be found after a few seconds. Once it pairs, you select Save, and then you return to the Trainer Preferences. From here, you repeat what you've done with the Watt Meter with the HR Monitor.

This screen is similar to the inRide Watt Meter screen, but it has the HR function instead. All of the steps are the same.




The HR monitor has to be on your body in order to pick up, and once it does, it remembers the HR strap.








After pairing your two devices, you move on to the personal information input. Return to the main screen, and then select the Wrench icon in the upper right hand corner.


This brings you to a Config page, and you can input your personal information such as FTP, max HR, and your body facts, i.e. height, weight, etc.

After selecting User Profile, you can input E-mail, select unites, and input height, weight, birthdate, and gender. A cool feature I found was that the app keeps track of your HR zones, as well as your Power Zones, if you know them. Kinetic has a solution for both, with your max HR being 220-your age, and then it has an Auto-Calculate Zones feature that does the math for you, and on the Kinetic website it has a test that determines your FTP(functional threshold power), which, after you find out, has the Auto-Calculator for your power zones.

 When returning to the Config page, you can select Sharing and pair your device with training sites, like those shown here. After you configure where you want to share, you're ready to ride! On the home page, all you have to do is select Get Ready, and it will bring you here. Your HR should be displayed, but power will show n/a. Don't be worried, this is normal! In the upper right hand corner, you see the letter C with an arrow going around it. Select this, and you can do a spindown, which is where you increase your speed slowly from 10mph to 21mph, and then let your trainer wheel coast down to a stop. What this does is it allows the power meter to calibrate and recognize the power and adjust accordingly, ensuring a more accurate ride.

And, finally, you're done! You are ready to ride. Go ahead and press start, and you're off-power data is displayed, as well as cadence, HR, distance, speed, and time. Also, there are multiple data screens you can scroll through. Once you finish and save a workout, you can upload it to any of your shared sites, I sent mine to TrainingPeaks. This is the Workout Details page, where you can view your ride after you've completed it. I averaged close to 200 watts for 2 hours, and it just made me dumbfounded at how pros average over 350 watts for 4+ hours, absolutely ridiculous. But it was a good tool to acquire, one I've been saving up for a long time! It really is a good option for you triathletes on a budget, like me. The inRide only costs $229.99 USD, and although it confines your workouts with power to the trainer, it is well worth it to be able to see power during your trainer rides, which I assume are pretty frequent, due to the cold.

Performance

As I started the ride, the power was not displaying at all, only my HR showed up. After a few minutes of reading some troubleshooting forums and fumbling around with the iPhone, I discovered that the watt meter had been turned off, making sense as to why nothing had been showing. So after that little bump in my set-up, I started my ride, and all of the data started up and worked well. Power was overall pretty consistent in the beginning, and seemed very congruent to my effort. Although, there was a few jumps in the power, going from a small amount to a large amount after a little lag, but nothing extremely significant, and this is typical behavior of a power meter from any company. 

This is the power data from TrainingPeaks, and as you can see, there are a few spikes in power as well as a few dips, but they are not frequent and come back to being consistent quickly. Overall, for my first experience with a power meter, it seemed to do very well and I am very satisfied with its performance, and worth the price.

Overall, I hope this review helps you guys out and has some useful information! Have a great winter season on the trainers! 

Happy training everybody!

The Story Becomes A Story

Hey guys,

Congratulations to all of the athletes on their accomplishments
Jarod Nizen, 16, won with the fastest time in the race's history,
1:05:11. This is an amazing feat in itself, but for Jarod, this was his
first race since a serious bike accident in July of this year. This
event always brings stories of inspiration.

So, today comes with good news! Yesterday, December 1st marked a release of a local newspaper in Bunn, North Carolina, to a community of people who live in Lake Royale, a neighborhood of over 1000 homes. This is the same area that hosted the Lake Royale triathlon, a race I participated and won back in October, where I did a race review here.

But, when I got home from work yesterday, my mom had something to show me. She pulled up the Royale Reporter online and showed me a page that was all about the triathlon. In a collage of other photos, I was in the top left corner, and on this blog is the single picture of the collage. But the caption you see underneath the picture is what was printed in the news! This was very good to hear, because I feel like a few more people have heard my story so far. I think it kind of gives off a inspirational effect, a come-from-the-bottom victory that was lined with obstacles, but can still be achieved. Hopefully that's what other people think when they read it, not just me. That's been one of my goals all along; to be an inspiration to someone, to show them they can accomplish their dreams. I know this doesn't mean that by any means, but it's a start, something I can build off in the future. However, the article did miss one fact-the fact that I broke my wrist prior to starting the run! A crazy turn of events, but still a win and a CR. Very happy and blessed to have returned to racing well, and I am looking forward to a similar 2014!

Happy training everybody!

56 Reasons I Am Thankful For Triathlon

Hey guys,

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and after all of us have sore legs from running various Turkey Trots all over the nation, as well as sore stomachs from all of our Thanksgiving meals, we take a step back from the world of training, nutrition, gear and racing to give thanks for what we all have. Listed below would be my particular reasons I am thankful for triathlon and all that comes with it, and all that is to come. The reason I choose the number 56, is because it is my favorite number, being the bike distance for the Half-Ironman.

1. I am thankful I can train for a sport I love each and every day
2. I am thankful for each and every single person I have ever met from a race, training session or expo, because each and every triathlete is amazing and have a unique story to tell.
3. I am thankful for my career, working at a triathlon store here in North Carolina.
4. I am thankful for the knowledge I have gained from my experiences, and all of the experience it has brought me.
5. I am thankful for my determination in the sport, and the dedication I show each day.
6. I am thankful for my bicycle, one of my best friends.
7. I am thankful for good running shoes, ones that handle high mileage while giving good support and keeping you injury free.
8. I am thankful for swimming shampoo, for keeping the chlorine smell out of your hair.
9. I am thankful for aerodynamic helmets, because, well they do look awesome in action.
10. I am thankful for water, one of the greatest gifts on Earth, getting us through intense workouts.
11. I am thankful for sweat towels, the towels we all have to bring to trainer sessions so we don't drip sweat all over our bicycles.
12. I am thankful for power meters, because when I get to use them I can see my power output
13. I am thankful for cycling chamois pads, for helping us stand being on a tiny saddle for 6+ hours.
14. I am thankful for my Garmin 810, for providing all of my training metrics on the ride, and directing me to long, far-off places through the GPS.
15. I am thankful for cycling jerseys, both summer and winter, for either keeping us cool and vented in the summer or tight and warm during the winter.
16. I am thankful for running gloves, because they keep our hands and fingers warm during a run, a crucial place to keep warm.
17. I am thankful for swim workouts that include a cool down that is less than 400 yards.
18. I am thankful for cycling bibs, because they make you look cool and are pretty comfortable, too.
19. I am thankful for good movies, because they get us through the long winter trainer rides

Matthew Russel, 2013 IM World Championships

20. I am thankful for a good pair of running shorts, specifically this pair-------------------------------->
21. I am thankful for rubber bands, that keep our bike clips held in place when we mount
22. I am thankful for carbon wheels, because they are oh so nice to look at and they sound really intense when you ride with them. Oh yeah, they make you faster too.
23. I am thankful for compression socks for two reasons: the recovery aspect of them, and the fashion boost too: if you wear shorts + compression socks = pants!
24. I am thankful for ice baths-seriously, I take a lot of them. The benefits are worth the pain
25. I am thankful for heart rate monitors, for giving us good feedback of where we are with training and telling us when we're going too hard/too easy
26. I am thankful for good race swag-whether its a finisher medal, a cool T-shirt, a pair of socks-or anything else unique and good to have
27. I am thankful for my Trigger Point foam roller, it is awesome to be able to massage sore muscles after a hard day
28. I am thankful for the clocks on the pool deck; because they may be very difficult to accept how fast they go, but they help us get faster in the water
29. I am thankful for a good pair of sunglasses, which block out the sun, look cool, and don't fog up in the cold.
30. I am thankful for aero bars, because they add so much speed onto your road bike
31. I am thankful for shaved legs-let's be real guys, you all love keeping your legs shaved as much as the girls do!
32. I am thankful for the awesome bodies we as triathletes develop; lean, mean, strong running machines
33. I am thankful for the good nutrition we get to eat in long training sessions; like GU, Chomps, HAMMER Gels, Clif Bars, Bonk Breakers, and and water!(again)
34. I am thankful for the gear we get to race in that makes us look super cool for the day-spandex speedsuit, compression socks, running shoes, and a visor-and then we go out in public wearing that.
35. I am thankful for bike mechanics at races and at shops all over the world. for keeping our bikes working well and going fast, and fixing any last minute issues on race day.
36. I am thankful for all the volunteers we have each year, for all of the time they sacrifice and hard work they do just so us athletes can have a good day.
37. I am thankful for the race directors and people who work behind the scenes of our races that really make them happen, and, without them, we wouldn't be triathletes.
38. I am thankful for bike fitters, for helping us get the most efficient and comfortable position on the bike
39. I am thankful for events that go towards a fundraising cause, so we can help make a difference
40. I am thankful for physical therapists, for helping us get back on our feet after an injury
41. I am thankful for my chiropractor, who realigns me perfectly every time and has solved my hip issues early this year.
42. I am thankful for nutritionists, for their expertise with helping athletes use nutrition to an advantage
43. I am thankful for EMS personnel, who have helped me when I needed it most.
44. I am thankful for surgeons, who performed my surgery very well and healed me
45. I am thankful for the older triathletes, you guys know, in the 70 year old range and higher? True inspirations to all of us younger people
46. I am thankful for where I live, here in central North Carolina that has such a strong running and triathlon base in this area
47. I am thankful that I have never been hit by a car when riding my bike
48. I am thankful that such a growing year where I learned many life lessons
49. I am thankful for my aunt and uncle, who got me a signed picture from Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee
50. I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given and the experience I have gained
51. I am thankful that I have participated in over 50 events and I never plan on quitting
52. I am thankful that I did better running than years before
53. I am thankful that I have been able to visit the places that I have for racing, because money is tight
54. I am thankful that I discovered trail running this year and that it is amazing
55. I am thankful for my mother, who is the most supportive, understanding, and beautiful woman, inside and out, in the whole entire world. I would not be a triathlete without her, and I owe so much of my experiences to her doing, in triathlon and in life. This is why she is number 55, the second most important thing I am thankful for-because there is one more that I am thankful for, more so:
56. I am thankful, for my life. With so many opportunities to die this year, it is a blessing that I am still here; and so for that, I am thankful.

I want to wish everybody a very Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and spent time with their loved ones. Add anything you would like onto this list by commenting with what you're thankful for in triathlon. But now it is time to get up, climb back onto the training schedule, and start to work off those turkey legs ;)

Happy training!

My First Turkey Trot!

Hey guys,

So, first off, Happy Thanksgiving to all who read this blog. It really is a special blessing for me to be able to write out my thoughts here and people actually read them, so thank you. Second, I have to share my first Turkey Trot experience!

So, I signed up for this 5k last-minute for three reasons: 1. See where I'm at in my training, and adjust accordingly, 2. Possibly win a race with a high number of participants, and 3. Justify the Thanksgiving dinner coming up later on.(But that's the reason really anybody anywhere does a Turkey Trot, right?) Regardless, I just wanted to have a solid performance.

Race morning came, and it came cold. 26 degrees was the temperature we got into the air at, and it was not too pleasant. But, it was good running weather, on the bright side! I went running around for a few extra minutes than my typical warm-up, just to stay warm leading up to the start. After stretches, drills, and strides, I made my way up to the front of the line just 5 minutes before the gun. There were quite a few very fast-looking guys up on the line with me, and I knew it was going to be difficult to win, but I stayed hopeful, and readied myself for a battle.

The gun went off, and we jumped out of the starting chute, quickly forming a pack of 5 runners, all running essentially even paces. Moving away from the MASSIVE group of runners(over 800 participants!) we settled in, trading places as we ran through the very hilly course. After mile 1, myself and the another started to distance ourselves from the group of the remaining three runners, and worked our way up a long hill. It seemed to me that I was the stronger on hills out of we two, but I decided against breaking away from him. We hit the turnaround, and, seeing that the three runners we left behind weren't far behind us, picked up our pace. He started to pull away on a descent, but we turned a corner and saw a very large, long hill ahead of us. I stayed with him, and as we neared the crest I could tell I was fading fast, my hamstrings were burning! So, in a last-ditch effort, I surged ahead and attempted to drop him on the very last stretch of the long, slow climb. I made about 2 yards of ground on him, but he responded aggressively as soon as we reached the flat and dropped me, gaining the 2 yards back and adding some distance in between himself and me. So, I did my best to hold on. The final stretch of the race was a extremely steep hill, and I was gone when I reached it-barely a jog, and, as I deserve, was passed by another runner just 60 meters from the line.

So, in conclusion, a 3rd place overall in a 800+ person race sounds good to me! My time ended up being 18:22, somewhat respectable for such a hilly race. But definitely a fun race, and I'm sure I'll do longer Turkey Trots in the future! Does anybody have a specific race they like to do on Thanksgiving? Let me know!

Happy training, and a Happy Thanksgiving!

That College Thing

Hey guys,

As that time of my life comes around, the junior year of high school, I've been, *ahem* "forced" to start looking into colleges that I plan on applying to. Hopefully I'll be able to major in a sports-related field, like physical therapy, kinesiology, or sports sciences. Now, college is a great thing, as you all know, and is most of the time, the key to success later in life. So, no problems with college, right? Well, apart from the selection process(i.e. stress, additional work, recommendations, and overall leaving your home), there is only one problem that relates to us junior triathletes, and that, is scholarships.

There are many conflicting issues with college triathletes, the biggest of which is that triathlon is not an NCAA sport, and so there are no scholarships at all for it. This is a problem for a couple of reasons; first of which being the obvious, and that is triathletes cannot go to college for the sport of triathlon. More often than not, however, a triathlete may receive a scholarship for an individual sport of the three, swimming, cycling, or running, because of a specialty, which almost every triathlete has. While this seems like not so bad of a option, it can ruin a triathlete's training. For example, I know a former college swimmer who was a triathlete at the time she was swimming for her school. In our conversation, she told me that, due to the high-intensity, fierce competition of college single-sport athletes, she was forced under her scholarship agreement to train almost exclusively in the water, and left her almost no free time to train for running and cycling. That is one way a triathlete is put out of commission, and this may be why our sport has not gathered as much popularity as football, basketball, soccer, etc., because one would have no incentive to start in a sport that has no college offers!

Although, club teams are very well established at some colleges. In my immediate area, I have met athletes from the UNCW Triathlon Club, the NCSU Triathlon Club, ECU Triathlon club, and Duke Triathlon Club. All of these colleges have very interested collegiate athletes, and are the base for triathlon exposure in the college life! Tell me, how many of you have heard of collegiate nationals? Because that is a thing, where college triathlon clubs meet to race against each other and for a national championship. It has many races, including a draft legal race and Olympic distance race as well. But a big obstacle to this event, is funding. Many colleges have issues with finding the appropriate funds to be able to travel to the qualifying events and then to the actual championship, which is yet another hurdle that the athletes have to overcome. You all know triathlon is expensive enough, without all the travel!

So the big picture here is that in order for triathlon to get as big as other sports, like it deserves(because, let's be real here guys, triathlon is awesome), then the NCAA needs to make triathlon a collegiate sport! Bottom line, at the end of the day, that's what needs to happen.

Happy training guys!

Speed Workouts

Hey guys,

So, the time for speed is here! As the 2013 season wraps up with a few last IM races, us sprinters are gearing up for the 2014 races. Earlier this week, I headed out to the track to run some fast 100m sprints, and although they put me deep into the pain cave, it was well worth it-running fast is hard to acheive, but I feel like I'm putting in the work to get there(I'm not a fast runner, you guys know that). But hopefully the economy phase of training can help with our fast-twitch muscle fibers and increase our speed!

When I was on the track I made sure to have someone photograph me, because I really want to emphasize on form this year and ensure I have no debilitating injuries and optomize my performance. Good form is, as you guys know, forward lean, midfoot strike, and relaxed arms. So, I was thinking hard about these concepts during my run to ensure a good mental and physical workout, and I felt very good about it. It is just now three days after the track session, and I am just now starting to feel not sore, which is crazy, but also a great way to start the fast phase of training! I'm very excited for getting faster, and I hope everybody here is too! Put in the work and you'll be rewarded with some PR's and some race wins. What are your favorite track workouts/speed sessions to get faster?

Happy training guys!

Garner Running Club

Hey guys,

Quick update! Just two nights ago, on Thursday night at 6:00, I headed out to the Aversboro Bar and Restaurant to run in the first meeting of the Garner Running Club. This is a great initiative in the Garner community and I believe a lot of people can benefit from it. We met under a red tent set up in the parking lot, and we talked for a few minutes leading up to the run. The first meeting was very well organized, with 3, 4, and 5 mile routes with course maps and directions being held out, as well as mini water bottles for the runners afterward. The 6 o'clock starting time rolled around, and when it did, we all set out. There was around 15 runners who showed up to the inaugural meeting, which I was very impressed with, and it seemed like everyone had a good run. Afterwards, the bar accommodated some of its pricing to the night, and will do so for each run meeting.

So, for my followers who live in the Garner area like I do, the club meets at 6:00 every Thursday night in the Aversboro Bar and Restaurant parking lot. This is a great opportunity to meet some new people and to get the social part of running going for Garner! Hope to see you out there soon!

Happy training guys, hope to see you there!

Beach 2 Battleship Ironman Triathlon

 Hey guys,

So, this past weekend I did the volunteer Ironman. We helped take down expo and set up T2 the night before the race, as well as volunteer from 4am race morning to 12:30am the next day, as the last finisher crossed the line. But, this is a big tribute to my mom, who completed her second Half-Ironman at B2B last weekend. She PR'd by about half an hour, despite a very hard bike and a long run! It was a very special day for both of us, because this would be my first year volunteering without  her, as we have done for the past 5 years. But regardless, I love her and was very proud of her. On the right here, I body marked her. This was my first volunteer station of the day.

 Caussin was also able to come up with us, and we were volunteering at the same places all day long. This is a group shot of all of us at T1, on a very chilly morning! Athletes were coming to us for body marking and we were wearing full wetsuits just to try to stay warm, it was ridiculous. Some athletes even refused to let us mark them, they were so cold! I was even skeptical that athletes were going to enter the water, due to the frigid temperatures. But apparently, the water was about 35 degrees warmer than the air at around 5:30, so they were absolutely fine once they started the swim.

After body marking, Caussin and I moved to the Bike Out portion of the race. Caussin was assigned to keeping track of the racers who left T1, and I worked the bike mount area. This year, we did not have a specific bike mount line, athletes could mount their bikes anywhere on the street, it was all fair game. This did create a few traffic jams, but everyone was OK, with no crashes or tipping over. The big problem with the bike mount was that athletes had to descend a curb to get on the street. Many of the athletes did not account for this, and a lot of bottles were ejecting from rear hydration carriers, which could have created nutrition problems down the road. But luckily for them, I take my job as a professional volunteer very seriously, and I grabbed every bottle that fell out and replaced it in the rear bottle cages for the athletes, saving them time and a big headache during the bike portion of the race. My mom came through in good time, and she looked strong. As she mounted and started on her 56 mile ride, I yelled out "Good luck, mom! I love you!" and a big group of spectators gave a collective "awww", which I found funny.

After all 2,160 athletes made it out across my bike mount "line", Caussin and I were good to go. We left T1, and drove down to the finish line. At this point, the first Half-Ironman had finished, and others were following. Caussin and I jumped onto the finish line chute and were responsible for taking off the chips from the athletes legs. We worked there for around a hour, and then got moved to the first run turnaround of the race. This turnaround was crucial for volunteers to be there, because many athletes were very confused at what to do, and without our help, would not have known where to go. This was a lot of fun for us, and we got a lot of very energetic replies from the athletes. This turnaround was only about a mile into the run, so athletes would joke with us about being halfway there already.

 My mom came through looking strong, although when she got off the bike, she did not look good. The bike passed by where the runners were turning around, so I was able to see her come in, and she looked like she was deep in the pain cave. But she was happy when she got to us, and looked like she was having fun. Now, this volunteer station was in the sun, and we were in the heat of the day. Confusingly enough, I got sunburned from spending 3 hours there! I thought I was going to freeze in the morning, but then I'm roasting in the afternoon. I don't get it.

After we got relieved from that volunteer station, we started our way back to the finish line area. We got stopped by a large family looking for the finish line, and so we gave them the grand tour of the area. We walked them down to the finish line arch, and then went on our own to the refreshment/medical tent. This is where I have the most experience, more than any other volunteer at the race. I've worked in refreshments every year since inauguration, and I know it well. I helped the medical tent get set up by providing some ladles for chicken broth and hot cocoa, and set up a system for different types of pizzas to keep them organized and our volunteer services efficient. I taught some volunteers how to cut the oranges and bananas and how to keep the bins of soda and water fresh, as well as where the ice was to keep the beverages cold. I love working refreshments. Once I got my tent under control and working well, my watch said mother should be finishing soon. Caussin and I worked our way to the finish arch, and waited about 10 minutes, and, right on pace, mom came through! She finished in 7:27:34, which she was happy about. She told us all about her race, and then went to get a massage the race provides for free to athletes. Afterwards, we walked her to the hotel she was staying at, and left her to a shower and a nap. Caussin and I, pro volunteers, returned to refreshments.

At around 11:00, some of our friends who were volunteer coordinators and race directors, offered us the chance to go in the VIP hospitality tent. We definitely accepted, and while we were in there, I was able to chat with my friend Matt Wisthoff, a pro triathlete who got 2nd overall in the half, and who lives down in Wilmington. He's a really cool guy, check out his blog at wistystriblog.blogspot.com/. He's a great guy. But, we didn't stay in VIP hospitality for long, because I had a refreshment tent to keep up and running! We got back to the tent and continued to serve the athletes until the clock struck 17:00:00, the cutoff for the full Ironman. Caussin and I took in all the experiences and atmosphere, and then walked back to our hotel where mom was asleep, and passed out. It was an amazing weekend.

If you guys are looking for inspiration or motivation, and have not volunteered at a triathlon, you have to do so! It really is one of the greatest experiences for those purposes, ever. So go help out with a triathlon, and inspire yourself!

Happy training guys!

The Fireworks I Never Had

Hey guys,

So, recently, I went to the North Carolina State Fair with my girlfriend and a group of her friends. To be very brief, the fair wasn't all that great for me, to start out with. First of all, due to my ongoing brain injury, it immediately ruled out riding any fair ride, because all those rides do is make you dizzy, which I am dizzy enough already without the rides. So, as soon as we got there, my group went to the rides. I waited patiently while they had fun, watching the ground to avoid the constant strobe and bright lights of the fairground activities. It wasn't all bad though, I became the guy who stood in line for my friends while they rode other rides, and I held a spot for them! That's the life right there, for real. But we got done with the rides after a few hours, and we got to the real reason I came, for the food. We indulged ourselves on funnel cake, fried oreos, lemonade, and ice cream, a great night. Also, I had a Krispy Kreme burger, a hamburger patty in between two original glazed doughnuts, which was actually phenomenal. It really was good, to be honest.

Now, I thought that was going to be the end of the night. But, as I stood there sipping a three dollar small lemonade(crazy) and standing in the freezing cold(like 60 degrees(crazy)), I heard a loud bang. This was unlike the turkey shoot bangs and the Shoot-Out-The-Star game bang, but a massive, booming bang only one thing can produce at the State Fair-fireworks. I turned around, and over the skyline of the fair tents and ride structures, rose beautiful rockets which exploded into a spiral of white, gold, red, and blue. I watched, mesmerized by these beautiful explosions, and stared into them for a very long time. Only when my girlfriend had been looking at me and asked, "Are you having an emotional connection with these fireworks?"did I know that I was indeed having an emotional connection. These were the fireworks I never got on the unfortunate Fourth of July, the fireworks that I almost died for to not see. I stood there, surrounded by people coming and going, not noticing the fireworks, but I did. I waited for the very last firework to explode, after a fantastic finale of gold and red, blue and green, orange and yellow, white and purple. It was one of the most touching moments of my life, and I am very glad that I was there to experience the fireworks I never had.

So, in the grand scheme of things, when something means a lot to you, you can't let that opportunity pass. I stood there, close to tears, thinking about how far I've come since that day and how lucky I am to be able to go out to the fair and watch these fireworks. It really was a special day, so special I thought to share it with you all.

Happy training, guys.

The Conference Meet- It's Not About the Time

Hey guys,

So today was my last cross country meet of my junior year of high school. I had a great season, and I had a lot of fun. However, one of my best friends, Caussin, is a senior and it was his last cross country meet in his high school career. We are great friends, and I even got him started in triathlons earlier this year. Anyway, today our coach wanted us to do well, and was pushing us to run fast. I wanted to do well for coach, but I also wanted to have one last race with one of my best friends. But remember I'm still coming off of my broken wrist, and have not been running that much recently, so I was pretty unprepared for a high-performance race today.

Regardless, we toed the line, and the gun went off. I stuck to my race strategy, going out slow and then beginning to negative split, but my first mile ended up too fast, due to becoming swept up in the field of athletes as we ran down the hill at WakeMed soccer park 5k course. My first mile was 5:20, about 20 seconds faster than my usual mile one time, but I continued with my plan to increase speed. But, something I did not account for happened, my wrist started to hurt a good deal with each stride, due to the pounding of running. I did my best to push through it, and kept on keeping on, running up the hill and moving into better position. But, as is life, my wrist started to hurt a lot. I started to slow down just before two miles, and had been reduced to a jog as I cradled my arm and watched as my teammates and people I'd passed earlier in the race run by me. I was encouraged to keep going, but there was something more important on my mind than running well: to support my friend. I kept up a slow jog and tried to get my breathing and pain under control, and just calmed down. Shortly after I started jogging, Caussin caught up to me. He ran by me, saying "My homie," and we started to run, side by side, just like the old days of last year, when we would not leave each other's side during a race.

We got to the bottom of the hill, and shared a very sentimental moment. You see, when we used to run workouts at WakeMed, we would say "honey badger," because the honey badger was a pretty intense animal, and didn't care about anything or anyone. By channeling the honey badger, Caussin and I were able to get up the hill a little easier. So when we approached the bottom of the hill, I said "One last honey badger for the road?" He replied "Hell yeah, let's get it," and we started up the hill. As we ran, I tried to pull him up the hill, using hand signals we invented 3 years ago at one of our first cross country races together. We got close to the finish line, and we were very close to breaking the 20 minute barrier. I turned around and yelled at Caussin, saying how long we had and encouraging him to get across the line, and we did! His last race ended up being a 19:55, and we were both happy.

After the race, on our cool-down, he told me "Jarod, when I saw you waiting for me in the woods, I choked up. Like for real, the tears were coming. I love you homie," and it really meant the world to me. He's one of my best friends, and it was my best race of my life.

Guys, you can't be serious about racing all the time, because there are sometimes things that are more important. The feeling I got for helping Caussin out was as great as winning a race, and although everyone asked what happened to my race, I had to respond with "It was one of my best races." It really was a very special day, and I'm very glad that I made this decision. My season was great, and my whole team really was awesome. We had a great year, and I have to say, I'm going to miss our seniors, Caussin especially.

Moral of the story-don't leave your friends behind. Your friends often are your support team, your training partners, your transportation, your cheering section, and everything else, and if you take advantage of them, they'll go away. So take a moment and thank your friends.

Happy training guys!

ECU Pirate Invitational-A PR + A Comeback

Hey guys,

So, over the past few weeks where I have not been blogging(my bad), I was racing a good amount of cross country races around the area, and the day before Tri the Worx Triathlon, I traveled to Mr. Overton's house to run the ECU Pirate Invitational. Yes, you did hear me, Mr. Overton himself, of Overton's, the marine store.

We arrived on-site, which happened to be Mr. Overton's backyard, and were greeted by around 15 other teams starting to set up on the grassy field where the start and finish were supposed to be held. Some of my buddies helped me carry our school tent to our spot, where we set up and then got to warming up. As we ran together, me and some friends discussed our goals for the race: we all wanted to break 18 minutes for the 5k. Not an easy task, by any extend of the goal, but we wanted to perform really well at this big meet. The course was mostly flat except for a big hill you had to climb at the start, again at mile 1, and again finally coming into mile 3. We started to get hyped for a great race.

We were running along, when we heard the gun-the girls went in the first race, and so we were able to watch our friends do extremely well under high pressure conditions, and they really did perform well! The girls ended up getting second overall, in the overall points rankings.

Now, for the guys race. We got up to the line, and they shot the gun. A pack of myself, and  those 4 guys from my school all went out together, trying to stay away from going out too fast and to stay on pace for just below 18 minutes. As we came through the crowd of spectators, we looked great-a pack of 5 Middle Creek runners going by and looking strong. But, as we got closer to mile 1, I realized we weren't going as fast as we needed to in order to break 18. So, I started to pull away from my group. They called me back, saying I was going too fast, but I yelled back "We're off pace!" and kept running. As I ran, I picked off runners ahead of me, and started my race strategy: to negative split. I got closer to mile 3, and I looked at my watch, almost discouraging myself, because I miscalculated and thought I wouldn't make it under the 18 minute mark. But, as I neared the finish line chute, I saw I was still under 18! I gave it all I had left and sprinted in to a 17:40 5k, a PR for me. Also, this had been one of the major runs since my accident. At the end of the day, all that extra effort that went into negative splitting and passing people helped put me in the top 10, finishing 9th in a big field of runners from all over the state. I was very pleased with this, and I am hungry to continue racing and improving very well!

Good luck with all of your winter training guys, because the sun is starting to hide from us.

Happy training!

Lake Royale in Review(My Apologies)

Hey guys,

Like I said, I was going to do my best to get better at updating my triathlon-life, but, I'll go ahead and say it: Life is hard. You can't always stay true to your promises, but hear me out! I've got a good reason for not updating this past week. Long story short, I got broken.

So, last weekend was the Lake Royale triathlon in Louisburg, NC. It is one of the last races of FS Series, and it really is an amazing race, I highly recommend everybody reading this to try it one day, it really is a great, inspirational events, by far one of my favorite triathlons, if not most. It is a sprint, at a 500 meter swim, 15 mile bike, and 5k run, as per usual.

Anyway, I got to the race morning, and, being a 4-year veteran of this race, was shocked at the conditions. It was absolutely gorgeous, with a temperature much, much warmer than previous years and a calm, quiet day. Perfect for racing. Let's break it down:

SWIM:

The swim is a fun kind of point-to-point-to-point swim. We went out to a buoy, turned right, swam to another buoy, and then angled in to the transition area. I have always been successful in this particular swim, and so when they fired the gun, I moved out into open water quickly and confidently. By the time we had turned the first buoy, I had about a 5 second lead, and I opened that gap to roughly 15 seconds by the time we left the water. My sighting and strokes felt strong, and it seemed to be going well. 

T1 and BIKE:

My T1 was absolutely fantastic. I saw real correlation to practicing transitions and then putting them to use during a race, with my T1 time being only 14 seconds, flying fast for this particular transition. Now, onto the bike. First of all, I have to tell you, last year at this same race, I led for about 3 miles, and then, right as I pulled onto the larger roads, where there is a lead car for you to follow, the guy who ended up winning the race last year passed me, and he got the lead car. So, I had the opportunity for a redemption ride here. I left transition with about a 20 second lead, and after the bike ride of my life, I returned to T2 with a 4 and a half minute lead over second position, a massive amount of time for such a short distance. I was able to average 23.1mph for a very hilly bike course, something I was happy about.

T2 and RUN:

Now, here is my explanation for not updating. You see, as I left T2(which was great, by the way, baby powder in your shoes works wonders for slipping them on quickly), there was a 90 degree right turn out of the transition area. The Run Out banner, had been the same as the Swim In chute, so it was wet. As I made the hard turn, I slipped and fell, and hurt my knee. It started bleeding profusely, something I was a little worried about going into this 5k run. As each of my strides fell, I could see a lot of blood going down my right leg. I was thinking to myself, "This is not good, this is affecting my run," and as I thought that, I tried to turn my wrist to glance at my watch to see what I was on pace for. As I did so, my wrist screamed out in pain and did not turn. I immediately had a new concern, as you can tell. However, I just grit my teeth and half-limped my way to a 19:11 5k, something I was satisfied about after the fact.

FINISH:

As I came back to T2, I was greeted by a roaring crowd and some of my friends announcing my first place finish, and a new course record. I came across the line with my hands in the air, and immediately cradled my left hand. As a volunteer removed my chip, she asked "How do you feel?" I responded promptly with "I think my wrist is broken." I was on a lot of adrenaline/endorphins from the race, and so I was laughing and enjoying the win, even as I was put in a sling and told to go to the doctor. But hey, when you love a sport, it's all worth it.

And by the way, I just was able to get my fingers working, so I can type things now. But that is why I haven't written anything lately, and I am sorry.

But that's what is key, guys. Do what you love, even when the going gets tough or painful. Because, in the long run, if you think it's worth it, then it's a wonderful thing you've found, and don't let it go.

Happy training, everybody.

Tri the Worx Triathlon

Hey guys,

 

So, yesterday I raced the Tri the Worx triathlon. This was a very sprint-distance race, a 350 yard swim, 11.4 mile bike, and 5k run. This is a type of home court race for me, because I used to go to this gym and know the area round it very well. I really just wanted to have a race where I could feel out how my body is after the wreck, and this seemed like a good race to do so at.

 

 





Swim:

 

So, this was a quick 350 swim. I had a few minutes to stretch out before the start, but I didn't want to get in the water for as long as possible, because it was very cold outside. The water was somewhat chilly, enough to numb my quads and thighs, which worried me some, but didn't stop me from going hard. I believe my 100yard average came out to somewhere between a 1:02 and 1:05, due to a long run to T1.

 

 

T1:

 

My T1 was really great, I opted not to put on my race belt until the second transition, which turned out to be a fantastic decision, and helped keep my T1 under 30 seconds, which I'm happy about.

 

Bike:

 

My bike was good, but somewhat disappointing to me. It was a moderately hilly course, with a few serious climbs in them. I was running an ENVE wheelset, which I'm sure helped on the hills due to the less weight of a disc and 808, and really handled well. But I feel like I went out too hard and so my time suffered coming back into the transition area, but I was still able to average 23.1mph, something I can be content with on this course. I had a good flying mount and a fantastic flying dismount, and just felt really cool.

 

T2:

 

My T2 was my absolute best EVER. I used baby powder in my flats, something I read about from Hunter Kemper, and my shoes slid on faster than they ever have. I had the fastest T2 by over 15 seconds, which is HUGE for T2, something I was very excited about!

 

 

Run:

 

My run was something I wanted to do well on. The previous day I had run a 17:40 5k, so I knew I could run quick, but I wasn't sure about my speed coming off the bike. However, this was a course I knew well, and I wore a watch for pacing purposes. I hit my marks, and was able to finish much faster than expected! It was a great overall finish, and I was very excited to have come back and raced.

 

 

Overall, I liked this race. I had a lot of support from the volunteers and race directors I knew personally, and was cheered on through every turn of the course, something I am very blessed to have and grateful for. I had an amazing day, met some amazing people, and began to tell my story to other triathletes. So, all in all, I am returning to the sport I love. And I'm glad I am alive to do so.

 

350 Swim: 4:37

T1: 0:23

11.4 Mile Bike: 29:47

T2: 0:19

5k Run(short): 16:24

Finish: 0:51:28

 

 

Happy training guys!

High School, More Problems

Hey guys,

Wow, how long has it been? It's been literally MONTHS. I actually feel bad that I haven't posted anything for a while, I apologize, everyone.

There's so much to catch up on! But, for the sake of reading less, I'll sum up the big thing up in short:

So, basically, I returned to Middle Creek High School as a junior this year, and I was prepared to put this deadlyish summer behind me and get some good grades and have good sports on the side of tri training. So, bottom line, when I got to the first day of school, I realized something was wrong. I wasn't feeling like myself, and when I got to AP English three, I looked at the word verb and had no memory of what it meant or what it was. This wasn't good. So, we went to some neurologists, and they diagnosed me with a traumatic brain injury, note, it's worse than a concussion, and is a result from the impact of my crash back in July. Anyway, this presented a HUGE struggle for school, like, a MASSIVE struggle. My first test in AP English resulted in a score of TWELVE percent. That's 12%. Guys, that's so rough, for real, I'm in trouble. But my school is really great with counselors, and I've been able to talk with them about my options, and they've been helping me through this. I'm having MRI's and EEG's scheduled, and getting evaluated by neurophysiologists, and so we'll see where this whole brain injury goes. But other than that, I'm doing fantastic!

The other day, I ran a 5k PR of 17:40, and then the following day won my first triathlon overall following my crash, something I was very happy about! I feel like I may be coming close to mounting a comeback, but not yet. I'm excited for next year, how about you guys? It's going to be a great winter!

I'll do my best to get this updated more in the future, as things calm down.

Happy training!

The Year So Far

Hey guys,

This is a somewhat sad post. But, it's been on my mind for the longest time, as we lead up to getting my screws removed later on today, actually.

In 2012, I had a successful season. I raced with the FFT triathlon team, and had good results with them. I ran around 12 triathlons that year, racing a lot, and training a lot. I was largely injury free, with a few flare ups in my knee and a sprained ankle, a few bruises and scrapes, but you know, nothing serious. I had a good season, with plenty of top 10 overall finishes and 1 overall win, my first ever. I was rounding out podiums, making friends, and living the dream triathlon lifestyle.  After the 2012 season, I was looking forward to an even better season in 2013, and that just has not been the case. I switched over from FFT to another coach, one who specializes in draft-legal triathlons, the kind they have in the Olympics. Then, hell started to break loose.

Early 2013

So, in January of 2013, I was having a pretty well rounded out life, full of training, something I was and still am completely devoted to, but I was also dating a girl who went to my school, something I had never considered doing, due to my long hours training. It was all going well, I went out and was getting good base mileage in on the bike, and getting back into running and swimming, slowly. The cold and rain that accompanied made those early days very demanding, mentally and physically, to get up out of my warm bed and ride a few hours, but it was always worth it. Around January 10th, I was biking around downtown Raleigh after a hard bike practice of hill repeats mixed in with a long ride. I was on a greenway, headed towards a bike shop to hang out at for the day. I have no idea which greenway I was on, but it was close to Centennial Parkway, right across from the Farmer's Market. So, I was just biking along, and it was one of those cold, icy mornings. I was dressed in my favorite cycling clothes, a Livestrong kit. Livestrong pants and a short sleeved Livestrong jersey, back from the RadioShack team days, a true original. Along with gloves, arm warmers, and a headband, and I was pretty well protected from the cold. I biked along, just enjoying a beautiful morning, and came up on a bridge crossing a creek on the greenway. Not thinking, I maintained speed and rode across the bridge, which made a slight left turn across the creek. The bridge was built out of black wooden planks, which had apparently iced over that night due to the creek water from under the bridge and the frigid conditions of the year. So, I went down. I was going around 23-24mph, cruising across, and as I made the turn to follow the bridge, my front wheel went out from under me so fast that I had no way of even bracing for impact, let along stop the crash from happening. My hip hit the bridge first, followed by my shoulder, then head. All hit hard. REALLY hard. As my head swam from the pain, I looked at my beloved Trek 1200, and saw that it was wedged in the fence that stopped people/bikes from falling into the creek. Concerned more for my bike than myself, I jumped up and eased the Trek out from under the fence, hoping it was OK. It definitely was, not even a scratch. Then, I looked myself over, and could tell my hip was hurt, pretty bad. I thought, "That's going to be a massive bruise." Then, I saw that my Livestrong jersey had been stained the color of the wooden planks I had fallen on! This made me very sad, and I didn't even notice the fact that my shoulder was bleeding pretty well. I suppose the cold made it numb, so I didn't feel much. My head seemed fine though. Wear helmets, guys. Forreal. Anyway, I tried to continue riding, but I couldn't go more than a few feet without my hip screaming in agony. My balance felt off, and it was difficult to stay up. So, I made my way back to the Farmer's Market, where I called my mom and waited for a pick up. She got there, we loaded my bike, and I went home. I didn't think that particular crash would lead to months of recovery and depression, and ultimately lead to the destruction of many relationships and faiths. Anyway, after a few days, my hip still hurt. I was right, there was a HUGE bruise, but that made sense, I told myself. We went to a "doctor" and got my hip checked out. The took an X-ray of my hip, and said I was fine, good to ride, and that nothing was wrong. I don't remember the doctor, but he destroyed the majority of respect I had for doctors. The following weekend, I went out to ride again, and we were just doing cornering skills around a parking lot. I was still feeling off-balance, and on one corner, I overcorrected or did something like that, and crashed once more. This was not anywhere near as bad as the first crash, but it shook me up mentally and told me to take some time off. So, I started resting. A few days here, a few days there, and it seemed to be doing the trick. We were back at school, and it was swim season, so I was doing my best to enjoy that, with my girlfriend, who was on the swim team as well. She took up most of my rest time, but a friend invited me to come and play some flag football with him and his church group one weekday afternoon. I thought, "Hey, I can't usually do that during training, what the heck, sure." So, we went out and I tried my hand at hand-eye coordination games. I was decent, and was good at grabbing flags. It was FLAG football, no one can get hurt, right? Wrong. On the very last play, an adult around age 25 tackled me into the end zone in a scramble for the ball on a fumble, landing full-force on top of me. My ankle twisted under me, and collapsed into the ground. I immediately went into experienced injured athlete mode-I told everyone what to do and when to do it, as fast as possible, even though I was the one hurt. I got a few adults to help me walk to the church, get my foot elevated, and wrapped it in ice. It was another setback, but hey, it would stop me from overtraining when I'm not healthy. But, even when I found out I tore every ligament in my right ankle, I got a boot for it and went to swim practice everyday anyway. It was difficult to swim with a dead ankle, but I managed. At this point, I was about one month past the original crash. Even though I was riding a little bit, my hip flexors started to give me an explicit, excruciating pain with every single step. The best way I can describe it is your main muscle that attaches your leg to your body is trying to burn itself out of your pelvis and just die. It was difficult to walk for many weeks, making school that much harder. So, as I made my way through that, my hip adductors started to react negatively as well. They started to cramp and spasm during class and at home, and gave me the feeling of lead weights running down the inside of my leg. Also, I forgot to mention this, but after the doctors appointment, I had started seeing other doctor's for additional opinions, and I was doing physical therapy almost every day after school. I was "strengthening" my hip flexors, but they were so weak that they could not support me lifting my leg. However, according to the PT, I was showing huge improvement, although I could tell no improvement was being made. That being said, the PT had me get on the treadmill. Immediately after getting on that treadmill, I felt a twinge in my Achilles Tendon. It didn't feel great, so I stopped and left. The next day, my Achilles didn't feel any better, so I went to see another doctor. I was diagnosed with Achilles tendinitis, which put me down for 2 weeks. I didn't like to hear that, but I was going to wait if that meant I would heal. But, after 2 weeks, I had the same/even worse pain in my Achilles. I went back to the doctor, and the same thing was said: 2 weeks, you'll be fine. Guys, doctors say 2 weeks to almost everything. I don't trust that anymore. But, I waited, and again, no results. So, I decided that I would stray from traditional, modern doctors, and go see a chiropractor, who was into holistic methods. As I arrived, he looked at me for one minute, then ordered a vertical pelvic X-ray. What did this X-ray show? A pelvic tilt of 15 degrees, overloading one hip muscle group and overstretching the other. He figured out the past 3 months of hell for me in 5 minutes, while 6 different doctors could not figure it out in the span of 3 months. Which is why I don't like doctors now. But, at least I had an actual source of my pain. Now came the painful rehabilitation of resetting my pelvis, which involved a machine similar to a torture rack in the medieval times. A harness was attached to me, and a powerful machine tugged at the harness, pulling my pelvis back to a neutral position. Very painful, no fun at all. Also, I had laser therapy as well as cupping therapy, and constant readjustments from the chiropractor himself. That all came with additional pain, and did not feel great.

April to Present

This was just as strenuous of a time for me. Although my hips were fixed, there was a ridiculous amount of scar tissue built up from 3 months of living with a tilted pelvis. So, there was definitely still pain, and new pains were surfacing. I got back into the pool for rehab/training, and as I swam, my left shoulder cracked. With each stroke after that, it would crack, and bring a new wave of pain. This quickly forced me out of the pool and back into the PT office. I was diagnosed as having a scapula weakness, and started rehab. This went somewhat better, and although I still have that same problem today, it is much less painful. Also, I was getting very concerned, because as I ran, I was starting to get a pain in my left posterior tibia area, from about midway through the tibia to the ankle joint. I was seeing an Active Release Therapist/Chiropractor, and when I asked him about it, he did some generic tests and diagnosed me with a stress fracture. This was very degrading to me, and I didn't know how much more I could take. But, that was shortly before the Fourth of July Firecracker ride. Then-boom. Near fatal crash, down for a few weeks. That gave me the rest I needed to give my leg, and I was just getting close to being done.

I'm getting pretty emotional as I write this, thinking back on this whole year. It's been depressing, hard, painful, and overall terrible. So I'm going to stop writing soon. As of now, guys, this season is probably over for me. I do not know what the future holds, but it will get better, eventually. I hope. Honestly, I'm leaving out other injuries, just due to the fact that this blog is so long. I give major respect to anyone who read this all the way through. I know that training can get hard on everybody, but for a 15 year old kid, it's been harder on me than anyone else I know.

Happy training guys, and don't ever take advantage of the fact that you can do triathlons without pain, or have had a full recovery from a injury. You should never hate training for a triathlon, because the fact that you can train is a blessing in itself. Train Happy, if I can steal Brook's catch phrase.

Happy training.