2014 GATE River Run - USA 15K Championship Race Report!

The first "A Race" of the 2014 schedule is behind me and it did not disappoint! This is my 3rd GATE River Run, in Jacksonville, Florida. This race is, hands-down, my favorite running race. It's the outstanding expo, the amazing course, and the first-rate community support that make this one so special!

The GATE River Run is the largest 15K race in the United States and once again served as the USA 15K Championship with America's top Olympic athletes competing! The course starts at the stadium, the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, runs through the heart of downtown Jacksonville where the race crosses the St. Johns River over the Main Street Bridge, runs through historic San Marco, down Atlantic Blvd to the beautiful and scenic St. Nicolas area, and then crosses the river for the second time over the"Green Monster", the Hart Bridge, and features a one mile downhill to the finish at the stadium.

The Hart Bridge, a.k.a. - The Green Monster

While my training has been going well, I just didn't know if I would be faster, this year. The real hesitation came when I began developing a head cold/sinus infection on Monday afternoon, only a few short days before the race. Being that this was the first "cold" I've had in quite some time, I was duly concerned. So concerned that I actually skipped a few workouts to rest up. (Those knowing me well will understand the gravity of the situation when I'm skipping workouts! LOL!) Fortunately, I w
as feeling better by Thursday and decided to go ahead and do a short, ~3 mile run just to see how my lungs and legs felt. Everything checked out and I thought there might be a chance to make my goal.


My amazing coach, Coach Sandy Holt, of TriAttic (http://www.triattic.com/) was either hedging her bets or trying to motivate me to greatness by telling me, in my race plan:

"Ron - you will have to work for a PR on this one. But you CAN do it! Have fun and race hard!"

I don't know if I was reading between the lines or not, but in my head, that screamed, "Yeah, you probably can't do it!" LOL! So, that is where my head was. However, I was feeling like I was probably over the cold and headed into race weekend with at least a chance.

Just me and 15,500 friends!

Race morning arrived after a night of fitful sleep to reveal PERFECT conditions. It was sunny, mid-50s, and hardly any wind. This allowed for the optimal clothing of a singlet and running shorts without having to be concerned with arm warmers, gloves, etc that another 5 - 10 degrees colder or windy conditions may have dictated.

My coach has me training by heart rate. My 15K was broken up into three 5k "races". No higher than 173 HR for first 5K, no higher than 180 HR for second 5K, and let 'er rip for last 5K!

I wrote my goal heart rates for the 3 segments
of my race on my hand before the race.

After reviewing the Garmin data, I could not WAIT to post my workout for my coach! The data showed my first 5K average of... 173 (!!!) and my second 5K average of... 180!!! That's right, NAILED IT!!! YES!!!

The end result was beating my GOAL of 1:14:30 with a 1:12:28. That's an improvement of ~3:30 over last year, too!

I beat my seeding of 1291 by finishing 1,176/15,500 overall. 98/753 in my 45 - 49 Age Group. 947/7151 out of all Males.

This just reaffirms that I need to keep doing what my coach tells me and the results will follow. I'm also hoping that this is a harbinger of what the rest of this year will be like?!

Just a few of the AMAZING athletes from Tallahassee's Gulf Winds Track Club,
 who also participated in the 2014 Gate River Run!!!

Wrapping Up the USAT 2013-2014 National Challenge Competition!

A couple of months ago, I wrote about the USA Triathlon (USAT) organization's National Challenge Competition. This is the competition that the USAT hosts to keep triathletes motivated and active during the “off-season” by inviting triathlon clubs from around the country to go head-to-head from December to February by logging training miles in all three disciplines.

There are three sessions, Swim (December), Bike (January), and Run (February. During each session everyone trains in all three disciplines, but awards are given for the team and athletes with the most mileage for that month’s discipline and again for the overall competition.

First, I have to say that the competition works as the USAT would hope for me, personally. I do find that I am more motivated to complete my training because it will benefit the club! Evidently, a good number of my fellow Division 1 (The largest division in the competition!) club members felt the same way! I’m happy to report that the team I was on, Gulf Winds Triathletes Team 1 (We were large enough to have two teams this year!), recorded the following finishes:

Swim: 4th Overall with 8,842.09 weighted Swim miles.

Bike: 6th Overall with 14,638.56 weighted Bike miles.

Run: 4th Overall with 10,848.78 weighted Run miles.

And drumroll, please…. Overall: 3rd with 93,619.03 weighted miles.

Again, I think the NCC was great motivation to keep training and I’m happy to report I contributed the following, unweighted miles:

28 Swims: 34.56 miles.

29 Rides (Bike): 560.09 miles.

36 Runs: 204.08 miles.

I am probably most pleased to report that the overall winning athlete of the entire competition was my team’s very own, Chuck Kemeny, with 10,448.20 weighted miles. If you start to ask yourself how someone could put up that many miles, you have to understand that it was done on his way to a Ultraman World Record performance of 21:38:32 at the inaugural Ultraman Florida, February 21 - 23, 2014! 

And… if you’re unfamiliar with what an “Ultraman” is, that’s 6.2 miles swimming, 261.4 miles biking, and 52.4 miles running across three days!!! Just… WOW!

See ya next “off-season”! LOL… “off-season”!!!

Ironmaner? Ironmen? IRONMAN?

While you are likely to find plenty of errors in the grammar I use here (relaxed style common to the blogosphere), I like to think that I have a fair grasp on both grammar and the English language. I am a Certified Master Trainer (Training Manager, Instructional Designer/Developer, and Performance Consultant) and am married to an English major. When in doubt, I am quick to refer to an appropriate "style guide" to help me with whatever topic I am working on.

In writing about triathlons and specifically the Ironman brand, I find there are some very unique challenges and a lack of any solid guidelines. There is no "style guide" for Ironman! So, how do I get it right?

First, let's establish what "Ironman" is. According to Wikipedia, "The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a for-profit corporation, owned by Providence Equity Partners, that organizes, promotes and licenses the Ironman Triathlon, Ironman 70.3, and the 5150 series of triathlon races.[1][2] WTC is also the owner of numerous "Ironman" related trademarks used both in connection with Ironman race series' and in conjunction with various goods and services."

So, with that known, you would think that perusing their own website(s) would provide me with some answers to my questions? Not so. In fact, one can almost find more inconsistencies on their sites than you can on other popular forums! Since WTC is going to be no help, let's just get the questions out there and see what YOU think?

Ironman Participant?
This one is probably the easiest one for most of us. The person competing in an Ironman triathlon is... an Ironman. Right? Well, not if you follow the logic of one poster in the popular Slowtwitch forums. They simply throw out the "agent noun" argument.

Run = Runner. Race = Racer. Marathon = Marathoner. Ironman = Ironmaner?! The best argument against this was put forth as, "By that logic, Lance Armstrong would be a 'cycler' and not a 'cyclist'!" So, should we go with Ironmanist? No, I think we can agree to just stick with "Ironman"?! OK?

Ironman Plural?
This one is more difficult than it sounds. First, we have to decide if we're talking about the competitor or the event! If it's the event, this one seems to be pretty consistently agreed upon. The correct term for having competed in multiple Ironman events would be "Ironmans". "My coach has competed in more Ironmans than I can count!"

My confusion when talking about the competitor, comes from Mike Reilly himself. Mike Reilly, in his 25th year as "The Voice of Ironman" has become almost synonymous with becoming an Ironman finisher. Hearing his voice announce, "(Your Name Here), YOU are an Ironman!!!" I can tell you for a fact that it will be one of the most exciting things I ever hear, should I be fortunate enough to hear it on November 1, 2014! Anyway, at last year's IRONMAN Florida, I repeatedly heard Mike say, "(Name Number 1) and (Name Number 2), YOU are an Ironman!!!" when two people would cross the line together at roughly the same time. NOT, "...YOU are Ironmen!!!" Nope, "Ironman"... applying to both of them. Was it because he's just so used to saying to individuals and THAT is the particular phrasing that people want to hear?

I think the jury is out on this one, but it just feels more natural for me to call that group of Ironman finishers at the bar, a group of "Ironmen"!

Ironman Capitalized?
Looking back at some of my past posts, I've mixed writing "Ironman" and "IRONMAN". In this particular post, I've purposely done it lowercase so as to not taint the jury pool. In days of yore, you would find it written on WTC's site as both lower and uppercase. Viewing it today, the capitalized version is dominant. So... capitalized it shall be from here on out! IRONMAN!

IRONMAN Events?
Last year I did my first "IRONMAN"-branded event, the half-IRONMAN in Augusta, Georgia. Writing about it was my first experience with the inconsistency of IRONMAN. I would find it written, in official publications, as IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta, Ironman Augusta 70.3, 70.3 Ironman Augusta, and even other, more bizarre permutations. In the end, I let the most commonly found phrasing sway me and went with IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta.

Who is an IRONMAN?
No IRONMAN conversation is complete without a discussion (argument) about exactly WHO gets to call themselves an IRONMAN! This will be a short conversation since it seems to be the most contentious online. Here are a couple of the more "fringe" beliefs out there that I, personally, don't subscribe to:

• ONLY the winner of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona has the right to call themselves an IRONMAN.
• ONLY the winner of any IRONMAN-branded competition has the right to call themselves an IRONMAN.

Another fringe belief (in my estimation) is that by participating in ANY IRONMAN-branded event of ANY distance qualifies you to call yourself an IRONMAN.

It is my belief that anyone completing an IRONMAN-branded, 140.6 event, prior to the cutoff, can call themselves an IRONMAN. What about non-IRONMAN-branded events that are still 140.6 events? I'm not sure where I fall on that one.

IRONMAN Branded Clothing and Gear?
It is hard to talk about who can call themselves an IRONMAN without talking about how they display that fact in their clothing and gear. So, who can wear IRONMAN clothing and gear? I say that, as long as it's not "Finisher" gear, anyone who has completed an IRONMAN-branded event of any distance (70.3 or 140.6) can wear the logo and name. I even go a step farther and say anyone who is registered for and training for said event can wear the logo and name. That is because I believe getting to the starting line of an IRONMAN event is an accomplishment in itself! However, you only get the M Dot tattoo if you've completed an IRONMAN-branded, 140.6 event! I'm pretty sure that one is a law?!

OK, enough of my borderline neurotic ramblings on these topics. I'd love to hear what you think about these topics surrounding the IRONMAN name and designation! Sound off in the Comments, please?!

Who Do YOU Run For?

I think that most people who know me well have probably heard me say how I feel that we are truly blessed to be able to do what we do. To have the resources, the freedom, and, most importantly, the health to live an active lifestyle is a blessing that so many do NOT have!

With that in mind, I have found a group out there that is truly amazing and touches so many lives in so many ways that it is hard to put into words. In the short time I have been affiliated with this group, it has touched my heart every day! That group is I Run 4 (IR4).



"After an inspiration from a close friend who was battling bilateral hip dysplasia - Founder Tim Boyle found a whole new inspiration to run." The I Run 4 website (http://www.whoirun4.com) and its companion, the I Run For Michael Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/irunformichael) exist to match runners with an honorary runner (a child or adult with special needs), who they dedicate their workouts to. Yes, don't be put off by the word, "run" in the title. This group is open to anyone participating in any activity. I see lots of people doing any number of activities from snow-shoeing to Crossfit to simply walking, dedicating their workouts to the person they are "running" for!

As the site says, "The mental and emotional encouragement for both runner and honorary runner is proving to be a whole new level of motivation and awareness. Runners are able to find a whole new sense of purpose in their running while sharing who they are running for and bringing awareness to diseases and disabilities of all types."

So, how do you provide this encouragement? Per the site, "Make your honorary runner feel special - they LOVE seeing messages, but they LOVE, LOVE seeing photos too!! Want some ideas?? Here are a few:"

• Upload your photos and message, dedicating your workout to your honorary runner, to your personal Facebook page.
• Upload your photos and message, dedicating your workout to your honorary runner, to the I Run For Michael Facebook page.
• Tag IR4 on Facebook or Twitter (@whodoUrun4) and Instagram using hashtag #IR4.

Other recommendations for encouragement are:

• Write your honorary runners name on your arm for a race.
• Make a special shirt to wear, with their name and IR4 on it.
• Make signs to hold up in pics before/after runs and races.
• Ask their parents something special they like and hold it up in pics. Do they like Barbies? Find a Barbie pin to wear to races and keep a list of every race that pin has run in!
• With permission from the parents, ask if you can send race medals or other race swag to them so they can have mementos!

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the matching process takes time. A lot of time. Right now, I think it takes about 9 - 10 weeks to be matched. About a week after signing up, the official list was released and I was number 2,033 on the match list! However, in one recent weekend, I seem to recall around 90 matches being made. And it appears that the staff are busy making matches nearly every day! So, please don't think the process is being held up for no good reason. If you think about the amount of work to take in the information of those needing a match and looking for a match and then getting those people together, you can understand the reason it takes awhile.

One of the great things about this group is that you don't have to sit idly by while waiting for your match. There are a lot of people that haven't been matched and those needing prayer that can benefit from your efforts on their behalf. In fact, you are encouraged to begin posting, to get into the habit, for the unmatched and those needing prayer while you wait for your match!

So, if you're looking for a whole new world of inspiration for your workouts and the opportunity to be an even bigger inspiration for someone else... please consider visiting the I Run 4 website: http://www.whoirun4.com!

2014: The Mileage!

In 2014, I am scheduled to take part in three Triathlon Sprints, two Half-Ironman Distance Triathlons, an IRONMAN (IRONMAN Florida), a few competitive run races, and a couple of non-competitive bike "rides". I have received a few questions about what kind of "mileage" I'm doing and see a lot of talk about weekly "mileage" out there.






I have an outstanding USAT-certified coach, Sandy Holt of TriAttic (http://www.TriAttic.com), who understands individual abilities, goal setting, tactics, movement analysis, progressive training techniques, and sport psychology. Our focus is never miles for the sake of miles. However, I do understand that "mileage" is something quantifiable in many training plans and something people can more easily compare with their particular plan. For that reason, I'll be sharing my weekly "mileage" here, for you!

The mileage and training posted here will be what I actually do and not simply what was planned. Life does get in the way and I think it's more beneficial to see what I've done than what I should have been doing if all things were perfect. In addition to raw mileage from swimming, biking, and running, I will be including yoga, gym sessions (weights, etc.), and other workouts that I think were an important part of my training!

Enjoy and feel free to message me if you have any questions!

You can jump to the 2014 Mileage page here: http://imronman.blogspot.com/p/2014-mileage.html or simply click the 2014 Mileage tab in the top navigation bar of this blog!

Heart Rate Zone 5, Guaranteed!

I'm guessing that you read the title of this post and expected to come here to find a workout that is going to leave you crying on the side of the road, but that will elevate your performance in every sport? No, nothing quite that beneficial, but I did find something that got me into "heart rate zone 5" (HRZ5) with almost no effort and thought I would share.



First, let's explain "heart rate zone 5" (HRZ5). Heart rate training zones are ranges that define the upper and lower limits of training intensities. The most common scales have 5 zones. Many athletes utilize their heart rate zones as a quantifiable method of guiding their workouts and determining exercise intensity. In the 5-zone scale, zone 5 is the highest. Therefore, going "zone 5" means your heart is working at or near its max.


With the new year, I finally decided that I needed to sit down and formally invite my family to come see me compete in my first IRONMAN in November. My Dad, Stepmom, Mom, and Sister all live several states away, in Kentucky. They have never seen me compete in a triathlon. I think it's quite possible that they've never seen a triathlon at all?! So, I took it upon myself to draft a thoughtful letter inviting them to IRONMAN Florida 2014 with lots of details about what to expect.



A "normal" person would simply shoot off a letter saying, "Hey, wanna come see me do this?", but I think we've established that I'm not "normal"?! In fact, I think one of my previous blog posts focused on my "Type A" tendencies pretty thoroughly! Therefore, a simple letter would not suffice. Instead, I crafted an 8-page "brochure" outlining the entire "IRONMAN weekend" and what spectating an IRONMAN event would be like. Yes, complete with photos, maps of the course, pictures of the condo, meal plans, etc.

OK, getting back to "HRZ5"! In order to put the letter together with the level of detail I thought they might be interested in (or that *I* was interested in), I had to mentally relive every part of IRONMAN Florida 2013, where I had the honor of spectating my first IRONMAN and supporting so many of my dear friends as they completed their first IRONMAN.


Putting that letter together by reliving those pulse-pounding memories was AWESOME! Not only did it allow me to mentally pay tribute to all of the great accomplishments I witnessed last year, it was a chance for me to thoughtfully consider the challenges that I will face to have my chance to experience the same.

• HRZ5 just thinking about what they accomplished!
• HRZ5 just thinking about what I will have to do to prepare!
• HRZ5 visualizing myself crossing that finish line and hearing them announce that I am an IRONMAN!

Are you HRZ5 when you think about your last big race? Are you HRZ5 when you think about your next big race?

The "off season" is definitely over. The workouts and volumes are starting to intensify in preparation for my first Triathlon (Sprint) of the season at the beginning of April. While the workouts may be heating up, the weather hasn't been doing the same. No worries, though, I'll have the memories of last year's races and my goals for this year to keep me warm! Hopefully, you are doing the same. Stay warm, stay safe, and stay healthy out there!

Happy Birthday... to YOU!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday my USAT friends... Happy Birthday to you!

That's right! Today you're a year older! At least where the USAT is concerned! If you compete in a USAT-sanctioned event in 2014, you will fall under the following USAT Competetive Rule:

3.2 Age Group Competition.
a. All age group athletes must participate and compete in the age group division corresponding to the athlete’s age on December 31 of the year of the event.

I actually got to race on my birthday! This little message
garnered LOTS of on-course support and made my special
day even MORE special!

So even though you might think of yourself as your age on race day, you better write your age as of December 31, 2014 on your left calf muscle! That age is the what will determine the age group you are competing in.


Writing that number there is a bigger deal for my wife than it is me. It becomes an even bigger deal when she is writing a number that is one bigger than her actual age. This becomes particularly painful with birthdays later in the year. If you turn 49 on December 29, 2013, you get to rock "50" for the entire race season, even though you won't actually be 50 at any race (Not too many late December races!)!

Don't sweat it! Rock that number! Plato had it figured out all those years ago...

"He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden." -Plato (427-346 B.C.)

So, here's to being calm and happy in 2014! Happy New Year and Happy USAT Birthday, my friends!!!

Happy New Year!!!