Looks Really Do Count! (…sort of)

I mentioned being invited to speak at the HEADstrong Gala at the end of March…. as it turns out, they don’t want me there as a quest speaker, they want me there to honor me with the Nicholas Collelouri Award. I am extremely honored and very much looking forward to this event.

Vince Papale asked me to be a part of a new book project that he and his wife Janet are working on. I think the book will feature cancer success stories or inspirational stories of some kind. Not sure of all of the details, but very excited to be a part of it.

Look for a new video interview with Sergio and me on Philly Health Watch. It should be posted on Thursday March 8th.

Lastly, my Comcast Net Impact feature will debut on Thursday Match 8th and will run repeatedly throughout the month of March. If it is any good, all the credit goes to the show’s producer Neal Slotkin. Check your listings for Net Impact on Comcast Sportsnet.

Stay tuned!

Complete story can be found HERE

ChesapeakeMan Aquabike – Interested in challenging yourself but don’t want to run the marathon? Then the Aquabike is for you! The Aquabike encompasses the 2.4-mile Swim in Hambrooks Bay and the 112 miles of cycling through the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The race finishes at the transition area where the full distance ChesapeakeMan competitors will continue on with the run.

Skipjack 75.2 Triathlon – The Skipjack Triathlon will start at 8:10am with one loop of the 1.2 mile ChesapeakeMan swim course in Hambrooks Bay. After a quick transition (skipping the changing tent) and saddling up for the 64-mile first loop of the ChesapeakeMan bike course, there will be an out and back 10-mile run. The Skipjack Triathlon is the perfect event to end your season or to use as training for a long distance event.

Bugeye Sprint Triathlon – The Bugeye Sprint Triathlon will start at 9:45 am with one 800 yard loop of in Hambrooks Bay. Skip the changing tent and begin the 15 mile first leg of the Ultra and Skipjack bike routes. Transition at Cambridge South Dorchester High School and begin the 3.1 mile out and back run on Egypt Road. The Bugeye Sprint is a fabulous way to conclude a summer of training for your first triathlon, or to have some fun while friends or family are participating in the longer events in the festival.

CLICK FOR MORE AND TO REGISTER.

2012 is starting to come into focus a little more clearly. I may also add the Ocean Drive marathon in March since I will already be in 26.2 mile shape. The spring will bring a number of sprint triathlons. Then of course EagleMan IronMan 70.3 in June. Followed by a few charity/training bike rides to support LIVESTRONG and the American Cancer Society in July and August. Then I will be back in Cambridge again for ChesapeakeMan ultra distance triathlon in September. Before I know it, I am back where I started with NYC again next year.

Add to that my usual support and “working” races such as Avalon Islandman, Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon, SheROX, and it should be another full and rewarding year. Much more to follow! Stay tuned.

More info HERE

Decent swim. Crashed on the bike. Pulled out of the race. Checked into medical tent and was rushed to Dorchester ER in Cambridge MD. Head and neck CT and X-ray were negative. Walked out disappointed with wounded pride and a concussion. I’ll be back. Sorry, no long winded race report this time around. Need to look ahead.

All that being said, and now that a week has passed, I can actually say that I still had a decent time in Cambridge. My family was there. And while it can be even more disappointing when things go wrong in front of loved ones, you realize how deep their love and support is in times like that.

It was also exciting to hang out with friend and first timer Laura Pyott as she realized her ironman dream. I love feeding off of the energy and nervousness of those newbies.

And I also went into the race with a clear(er) head now that I have landed a good job with JPMorgan Chase in Wilmington. Oh and the shower in my building is about 20 yards from my desk making for very accessible noon time runs!

So now I look ahead to the NYC marathon, the Philly half marathon, and a couple of other races I may try to squeeze in there. But first I am off to East Stroudsburg PA for the Pocono Mountain Ironman 70.3 where I will coach and cheer our Team in Training athletes in tomorrow’s race. I’ll try to post some things on the fly.

Have fun, race safe, and thank the volunteers.

Self: You do know you are racing an ironman in 3 days, right?

Other self: Yes, I do recall such event.

Self: And why do you continue to do this again?

Other self: Hmmmm…. I DON’T FRIGGIN KNOW !!!

Self: Have you been training?

Other self: I’m sorry. Could you repeat the question? No, don’t. I heard you (me). Yes and no. I have been training. I have a good base and my health is excellent. The problem is I have been so preoccupied in recent months with my job search that I haven’t had time to do the necessary mental preparation that this race requires. And I may be a tad undertrained.

Self: I see. So what are you going to do about the situation?

Other self: Well, for starters, I landed a good job at JPMorgan Chase and will start on 9/30. So I can at least race without that hanging over my head. So the last couple of days have been a mad scramble to get things ready for the race…. bags packed….. nutrition nailed down….. travel logistics finalized…. etc etc. So now I guess I can close my eyes a little and envision how the next few days will play out.

Self: It sounds like you have a handle on it more so than you realize.

Other self: I guess so. It’s funny but I spend so much time talking other athletes off of their own ledges before a race, I sort of left myself out there and exposed on this one!

Self: You will do fine. Control the things that you can control and give the rest up. Race safe, race smart. Pay attention to your hydration and nutrition. Thank the volunteers and embrace the fact that you are even doing this race. Don’t set the bar too high as the weather forecast doesn’t look great. Just enjoy the day and race for the many people who are struggling or are no longer with us. You’re only goal should be to finish – and be happy.

Other self: Thanks, got it. But do I have to be happy the entire race? Because….. that ain’t reality!!

Self: Shush. You’ll do great. Try to keep people posted. It was nice chatting with you, now give our brain a rest.

For the last several weeks I have had this sad and recurring thought. I guess it’s more of a wish than anything else. I wish I could have a catch with him. I wish I was standing on our front lawn on Malvern Road in Ardmore Pennsylvania throwing a baseball with my dad.

It’s something we did all the time. It seems like we did it every night when I was a kid. In reality we probably did do it any night that I didn’t actually have a baseball game … that he coached. He was a good man, and was loved by many people…

I am recycling something I wrote shortly after he passed …

Up until recently, I had a pretty good understanding of what it meant to be an “Ironman”. I knew they came in all ages, shapes and sizes but after all was said and done, at the end of the day, I knew an ironman to be someone who crossed the finish line after 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running.  And whether you cross that line in 8:30, or 16:59:59, an ironman is an ironman. This definition changed for me in the summer of 2005.

My dad was 82 years old and never competed in a triathlon. My dad had only a very basic understanding of what a triathlon even is. But he knew that I loved the sport, and for that reason, it interested him. He probably hadn’t done any running since his days in WWII. He probably only biked as a kid for transportation and fun. And I’m sure he, like most people, believed that man was not born an amphibious creature and pools were meant for relaxing and cooling off – not for laps. Still, my dad was more of an ironman than I will ever be.

My dad had undergone surgery to remove a tumor in his chest cavity. Surgery itself was successful, but recovery had been a long, rough road. ICU became our base camp for two months.

With each visit to the hospital, I stared at him in amazement. He had his share of ups and downs. Additional procedures were required to handle multiple postoperative complications. Dad did not like hospitals and did not like to be dependent on anyone. So, you can imagine his frustration being in an intensive care unit for so long with all kinds of tubes running in, out, and all around him. He continued to press on. He continued to fight. Even in his times of frailty and weakness, his strength was apparent. He continued to press on even while he was resting. I could feel his determination to get the heck out of that hospital.

Dad fought an amazing fight. But all great fighters and superstars must reach the twilight of their career. It’s a part of the cycle.  Although dad’s will and determination remained as tough as nails until the end, the physical body knew that it was time.  And on Friday, August 5, with a room full of family by his side, dad was finally able to get his rest, and his peace, with the dignity that he deserved. He crossed the eternal finish line. He crossed a finish line with far greater rewards and a much bigger celebration than I’ve ever seen. And I know when it’s my turn to cross that same finish line, dad will be there to lead the cheers of the crowd and bring me home.

I learned more about my dad in those two months than I had in the 45 years that I’d known him. I have always known him to be strong, yet very caring and sensitive. But it wasn’t until recently that I began to fully understand the depths of his strength. I now have a better understanding of the man who earned a Purple Heart in the War, and the man who always remained loyal and committed to family.  I better understand the man who always did everything within his power to provide a safe and happy existence for his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

I saw a man whose credo was the same as that of the ironman – “To fight…to finish”.