RACE REPORT - Escape the Cape - International Distance 2016

Overall Grade = A-

Transition area at the Cape May - Lewes Ferry terminal in Cape May, NJ for the fourth annual Escape the Cape triathlon.
June 12, 2016.

Summary:

Cape May - Lewes Ferry at race start, ETC 2016

Escape the Cape is a DelMo Sports event staged in Cape May, New Jersey, the state's southern most point, early each June. The race, which is in its fourth year, has quickly become a local, and national favorite. It takes inspiration from the popular and challenging Escape from Alcatraz race held in California each year around the same time. Specifically it mimics that race because it starts with participants taking a ferry out in to the open ocean where they jump off the back of the car deck, about a 15 foot drop, to begin their race.

The swim is then followed by a flat (with the exception of one overpass bridge) and scenic bike course, and then a mentally and physically demanding out and back run course that alternates between running over sand dunes and on a paved road parallel to the beach. The race includes both a sprint and international distance. For those unfamiliar with the "international" designation, it is more or less the same as an olympic distance except the run is 5 miles instead of 6.2. This year 1,750 athletes were registered to race. 

I encouraged several friends who are seasoned triathletes to participate in this race based on my experience of it last year, and I don't think they were disappointed, but perhaps not likely to want to sign up for it again. The reason for their hesitance may have to do with the race conditions which were substantially different from 2015 to 2016. This year the weather brought fierce winds, that, combined with seasonal high temperatures, created major difficulties on all three portions of the course.

Last year I gave this event the same A- rating, which it maintains, although for slightly different reasons. 

The race is well organized. It combines exciting physical and mental challenges, excellent course support, and a great location. Although the race director's bro style, providing snarky promo videos and joking asides in the athlete guide and during race meetings can be grinding, some people enjoy it, and, in any case, he runs a tight ship; pun intended. 

Last year I noted that the athlete guide had typos and inconsistencies (for example, about where to line up to get on the ferry). These have now been fixed.  

ETC is a mentally and physically tough race.

Another improvement is the new Delmo Sports Events phone app that allowed spectators real time athlete tracking, course maps and a full athlete guide. Two thumbs up for the app. The race timing company also provided kiosks where athletes could type in their bib numbers and get a printed receipt with all their preliminary timing info. This is an excellent addition. 

On the other hand, the athlete guide still makes no mention of the fact that after the race, to get gear and bike to cars, athletes have to complete a full triathlon, possibly enjoy a beer at Harpoon Henry's, and then bike (tipsy or dehydrated) two miles back to the vineyard parking lot in high heat while carrying all their gear. This is still not safe. 

Last year I noted that the packet pickup area was a bit disorganized. This year it was better, but the t-shirts didn't run true to size (my size large barely fits my petit size 6 wife) and the swag bag contained only a bunch of promos for other gear and events. There wasn't so much as a packet of sun screen in there. They can do better. Also, my shift of race category from age group to Athena didn't get correctly registered in the computer system and that caused errors that later had to be fixed by the timing company. 

But biggest change from 2015 to 2016 was one no race director could fix and that afflicts every triathlon: the weather. 

For a detailed description of how the weather played out, read my race description below; it is followed by a complete rating of each aspect of the event with notes. Enjoy!

My Race

WIND AND WATER

Smiling but a bit wobbly from the swim.

Intense winds kicked up over night. Although wind had been predicted in the weather forecasts, the water had been calm and clear the day before the race. No weather report I saw indicated that the morning wind speeds would be as high as they were (gusting up to 17mph). Even heading out on the ferry in preparation for the race's infamous jump, the height of the waves wasn't obvious. Standing in line getting ready to jump, watching others start, I had no idea what I was in for. 

The minute I hit the water, however, I realized my race plan was out the window. Four and five foot swells were lifting athletes up in the air, dipping them into troughs, slapping into our faces, raining over our heads, rising up out in front of us so the possibility of sighting buoys was obliterated.

I tried to muscle through by putting my head down and finding a steady rhythm, but that was useless. To avoid sucking in water I had to hold my breath and look at what was coming towards me with each stroke. 

Plus, there was no way to get a clear visual of the buoys. I tried to orient myself in relation to the shore, and periodically I treaded water, bobbing around like a cork, straining to catch sight of the yellow buoys spaced at quarter mile intervals. Each time I stopped I saw disoriented swimmers, many of whom were electing not to go around the buoys but instead heading to shore. Others were asking the life guards on skidoos for help or clinging to their paddle boards and kayaks.

Photographer fallen in the water off the hull of the ferry.

Event pictures show that at least one of the photographers who were there to take pictures of the jump actually fell (were blown?) into the water. The Cape May - Lewes Ferry Facebook page had a video of the second group (sprint distance) jumping and it shows just how intense it was.

Once in the water I didn't have time to linger over the decision of whether keep going or just head straight for shore without going around the buoys. I decided I had the ability to complete it if I could keep my head so I got myself organized and pushed through the current and waves. To correct for the incoming tide I had to swim toward open ocean. 

Other than being directed by water support staff to swim between the final two buoys rather than around them, I was able to get through the course. From what I could see, perhaps half to a third of swimmers completed the swim course as intended; the rest were hauled out by life guards or came up at different points along the shore and then jogged down to the swim finish.

I can't speculate about how the swim impacted the fairness and accuracy of race times, although it had to. The bottom line is, you race your race; it wasn't an olympic qualifier, and the swim is the shortest portion of any triathlon. Whatever advantages or disadvantages an individual athlete may have had coming out of the water likely disappeared during the second two portions the race.

THE BIKE

Crappy asphalt makes for tough biking. 

The wind that had made the swim so unpredictable made the bike course equally demanding. To exert steady and consistent effort when half the time you were pushing against a stiff headwind, and the other half you were flying along with the wind at your back, was a challenge.

The quality of the road presented an additional difficulty as the asphalt was like rocky stucco for long stretches, and it was further potholed from winter wear and tear. 

I don't know if the road surface had anything to do with a serious bike accident that occurred. It appeared that two bikers were involved and I think it was on New England Rd, about 5 miles into the loop course. I've since heard other athletes say that it was a head-on collision, which is possible as this stretch of the course has bikers heading both directions. Possibly both cyclists were near the road's center line while passing other athletes, otherwise it's hard to imagine how they would have come in contact, but that's speculation. 

Worried about the bikers in the accident at ETC 2016.

I was on my second loop when I heard bikers saying to slow down because there was an accident ahead. One man and his bike were sprawled in the center of the road and his helmet was off. He was lying on his back and appeared unconscious. There was blood on the road. The second biker had been moved so he was partially on the grass at the edge of the road. They were being assisted by several police officers, but there was no ambulance there yet. It seemed the accident had happened just a few minutes earlier. I couldn't tell if any other racers had fallen or been injured. 

We all slowed way down to get past and encountered the disturbing sight. About 15 minutes later as I came around heading back toward the ferry terminal the situation was the same. The man was in the same position in the middle of the road, though his mangled bike had been taken to the edge . The fact that the police officer hadn't moved him, even though hundreds of bikers were weaving around them, suggested there may have been a neck or spine injury. A few minutes later, heading over the overpass bridge, I saw an ambulance creeping by on the shoulder of the road with its lights going, clearly headed for the accident site. The amount of time it took the ambulance to get to the scene was long, probably more than 20 minutes, which was concerning. 

It wouldn't have made sense for the rest of us to stop and try to help or just pile up on the side of the road to watch the injured people suffer, but it felt difficult to just ride by. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had that accident on their mind for the rest of the race.

THE RUN

Walking over the dunes, but still smiling.

On the last few miles of the bike loop there were many supporters on the course offering encouragement. It made me pick up my pace a little, but as I finished the rigorous ride I felt weak-legged heading through transition for the second time.

The most challenging part of Escape the Cape is the run, not the jump off the boat. For some athletes the jump might be a huge psychological hurdle, but the run is a wicked mental and physical challenge that makes this a true "endurance" race. By the time you get to the run--and this has been true from year to year--the sun is high and the temperatures scorching. Switching back and forth between the sand running and the baking pavement, even with water aid stations, is brutal.

I tried to take a lesson from last year and leave more energy in my legs by not killing myself on the bike, but I might as well have gone flat out because the run was as much a death march as ever. I told myself to find a pace, any pace, and stick to, but after the first mile I knew I didn't have much in the tank. I kept moving forward, but I had to walk. I'd set myself a goal of walking for just a couple of telephone poles before starting back up, but two telephone poles soon turned into three, then four...

Heading into the finish at Escape the Cape 2016.

Because it is an out and back course, as you head out you get to see the haggard faces of everyone who is ahead of you. It is easy to slip into the mindset of: if they are stronger than me, and they look that bad, how the hell am I going to get through this?

I frequently looked at the mantra I'd written on my forearm in black sharpie before the race: "Keep moving forward." Sometimes, when you are really tired, the simplest mantra is the best. I kept having a little conversation in my head:

Self: "Are we still moving forward?"
Me: "Yes."
Self: "Then that's a win!"

I reminded myself to enjoy the journey. After all, I don't get to push myself this hard every day. I said "good job" and offered encouragement to the few runners I managed to pass. I thanked the volunteers and supporters on the course.

I realized I was actually having a good time. My legs felt lighter. I could see the birds and the blue sky. Before long I was headed up the finish shoot. The video my wife took at the end shows me smiling and looking pretty solid all things considered.

I took my hefty finishers' medal and bottle of water, then headed into the ferry terminal to sit in the air conditioned shade for a bit and get hydrated. I was tired, but not dead. I felt happy and accomplished. This particular feeling is impossible to explain to anyone who hasn't pushed their physical limits in an endurance race. It is euphoric.

Race Details

Advice for Future Participants:

• Have a plan, rehearse it many times in your head before race day, then be ready to abandon it (or large parts of it) as soon as you get out there and realize the conditions aren't what you expected. At least having the plan gives your mind something to fall back on when you feel disoriented. 
• Park on the side streets (like Arctic and Adriatic) instead of at the vineyard so you don't have to ride your bike two miles after the race. Just park quietly on race morning to be respectful of the sleeping locals.  
• Stay at the Hotel Icona Diamond Beach in Wildwood if you possibly can. It is an excellent race hotel about 20 minutes away from the race site. 
• Set your alarm clock for registration day because this race fills up immediately. 

---

I am a "Taste Agent" for Skratch Labs for the second year in a row.

Their hydration mix is key to my participation in triathlon and multisport. 

I highly recommend their new orange Energy Chews.

Check them out online. 

RACE REPORT - Hammonton Sprint Triathlon 2016

DQ Events times and/or hosts dozens of multisport events every summer in New Jersey.

Transition area not secured at Hammonton Tri 2016

The Hammonton, New Jersey triathlon (also duathlon and aqua bike) was my first race from DQ Events. My overall impression was that the company does what it can to make triathlon more affordable, which is a great because it can help bring more people into the sport. On the other hand, it means racers must be prepared to go without things they might want or expect.

For example, at most races, you get a number to affix to your bike during the race and it matches the number on your race bib, which is also written on your upper arms. As you leave after the race is over, someone stands at the exit point of the transition area and checks that the number on the bike you are pushing matches the number on your arm. It's a simple security measure to help ensure that equipment--particularly expensive bikes--don't get stolen, but it was absent at this race. DQ didn't provide bike numbers and the transition area was unattended after the race.

Another place where the cut rate vibe came through was in the awards for the winners. There were some fun door prizes given at random, but the actual winners in each category received chintzy metal pins/pendants along with a yellow, oval magnet that is basically a big advertisement for DQ. It has their logo and above it, in small letters "award winner."

There were some other things that felt low rent, like the meager food offerings after the race, but if we take DQ as a "bare bones" kind of racing outfit, the bones themselves were pretty sturdy. The course was well marked, there was an adequate number of volunteers. Duathlon and Aquabike events were offered. The pre-race meeting answered the basic questions. There were enough port-o-potties. I did not see any significant safety hazards.

While waiting to pick up my race packet, I heard much discussion about water quality. A man who was about 25 said he grew up in Hammonton and was doing duathlon because nothing could persuade him to get in that water. I got a parasitic rash from swimming in the lake at Mercer County Park for the NJ State triathlon, in both 2015 and 2013, so water quality is a concern of mine.  The reality is, Jersey's waterways aren't great, and there is a lot of agricultural run-off, particularly in the part of Burlington County where Hammonton is located. Race directors in NJ have the water tested and it must be deemed safe enough for swimming, but that doesn't mean it's crystal clear by any means. Anxious swimmers may prefer calm lakes to swim in, but I am drawn to the ocean swimming races in places like Asbury Park and Long Branch, where water quality is less of an issue. Still, the water portion of this race was so short--just a quarter mile--that I figured the exposure was limited.

My race:

The lake was teaming with tadpoles in the shallows and the water, churned up by many swimmers, contained a lot of vegetation that had to be swatted out of the way during the swim. I got a long piece of water grass wedged under my timing chip and had to take a few seconds to yank it free during the first transition. But the swim was fast and easy.

Patti and I in our nice shirts with our cheap awards magnates. :)

My friend Patti, who is a much stronger athlete than I am and has done this race several times, told me beforehand that the bike course was fast and flat. That's the last time I listen to Patti. There were several overpasses and then some rolling hills. They weren't big hills by any means, but they were hills and my bike speed on the 12 mile course was significantly slower than what I did over the 17 mile course at Jersey Genesis last weekend. The fact that it was very hot probably slowed me down a little, but I blame the hills for most of my slow bike time.

During the bike I had the strange experience of someone passing me and then immediately slowing down to take a drink from her bottle. She did this several times. Why?

I also had someone actually draft behind me for the first time in my life, and saw other people drafting at various points even though it is not permitted under USAT rules. I think when the race feels kind of down style and security is lax overall, maybe it brings out the bad habits in some athletes.

As far as the run goes, by the time I got through my second transition I was starting to feel the heat. Most of the run was shaded, but it was still slow going for me. Like the bike, the run was an out and back course and so as I was approaching the Mile 2 marker, I saw a man heading towards me who was just finishing Mile 1. He saw the Mile 1 sign and was saying: "No way. There's no way that's just one mile!" It was kind of amusing to watch him telling the teenage girl who was directing foot traffic that the course had obviously been measured wrong.

My goal for the day was to complete the race in under an hour and a half, and my time was 1:27, so victory is mine! I also came in 2nd in the Athena division (women over 165lbs), although they initially announced me as 3rd and I had to email the race directors afterwards to get them to correct the mistake. Patti came in 3rd in her age group, so we got to hang out together for the awards and compare notes about the race, which is always great fun.

It was a good race for me. I was satisfied with my performance. But I probably won't put it back on my calendar for next year.

RACE OVERVIEW

Pros:

• Friendly to all skill levels
• Good looking race T-shirts
• Moderate size, good for people who get stressed by mega races
• Properly marked course with volunteers
• Inexpensive compared to other local triathlons

Cons:

• Finishers' medals underwhelming and prizes for age group and category winners were car magnets advertising the DQ racing company
• Post race food adequate, but limited: hoagies, bananas, watermelon, chips ahoy, pretzels and water. 
• Transition area not secured. At. All. 
• Race results were sent quickly, but included at least one error (listed me as third in Athena, even though the person listed as second place finished 5 minutes AFTER me); there is not easy way to contact them via email, so I had to use Facebook. They did respond and fixed the error. 

GRADE = B-

I like a bit more pampering and I wasn't excited about the course, but if you don't want anything fancy, DQ offers a no frills racing option that is safe and affordable. 

---

I'm a "Taste Agent" for Skratch Labs for the second year in a row.

Their hydration mix is key to my participation in triathlon and multisport. 

I highly recommend their new orange Energy Chews.
Check them out online. 

RACE REPORT: Jersey Genesis - 2016

Jersey Genesis Triathlon - 2016 - Transition Area

The 21st running of the Jersey Genesis Triathlon took place on May 21, 2016 in Port Republic, NJ, a place I had no idea existed, but am glad to know about. The town, just slightly north of Atlantic City, and tucked up against the ocean is quiet, leafy and scenic. The race's main venue was Harry Bowen Memorial Park, a large green expanse opposite St. Paul's United Methodist church.

The day was overcast and cool, threatening to rain but the rain held off, which is about the best triathlon racing conditions you can ask for.

I think there were roughly 250-300 entrants between the triathlon, the duathlon and the aquabike. There was also an extremely fun to watch "Bambino Biathlon" for kids that had about 70 participants. The size was healthy but not huge.

Quick race run down:

Water venue for Jersey Genesis Tri

For the first race of the season it meant time to shake off the cobwebs.

On the 750 meter swim I could tell those extra cookies I had back at Christmas were making things a little tighter in the wetsuit, but I finished mid pack and felt fine. The lake was glassy and there were an adequate number of kayakers for support on the water. The temperature was about 68. Nice for early May.

Heading into transition things weren't too hectic, but did have to dodge some piles of goose poop here and there.

The 17 mile bike course was a fast out and back. Even though there were some mild rolling hills, somehow I felt like I was going downhill both ways. I've never had that happen before. Got my highest mph average (18.3) for a race ever and somehow still was able to drink my full bottle of Skratch hydration so I had the energy for the run.

The four mile run included views of ocean marshes, a jog over a narrow bridge, and sightings of the encouraging white spire of St. Paul's which could be seen at various points, pulling us in like a beacon. There were four water stations, manned by enthusiastic youth groups and I felt strong and steady all the way around.

My finish time was good enough for a first place in the Athena category (women 165 lbs and over).

Highlights:

1. Perhaps the biggest highlight for me was that I ran into an old graduate school classmate, Kieth Craig, who was also the one handing out awards. Turns out he was one of the original founders of the race.
2. The guy who sang the national anthem was amazing. Best rendition I've ever heard at a race.  
3. The post race food spread was really good, especially for a small town race. There was a WAFFLE BAR. Yes, fresh made waffles on the spot. Now that's what I'm talking about. Also, there were Tupperware containers of home made brownies, pizza (still warm!), and plenty of the usual fruit, pretzels etc. 

RACE OVERVIEW

Athena Category Winner's Medal

Pros:

• Friendly to all skill levels
• Encouraging and enthusiastic volunteers 
• Good weather (cool and overcast -- my favorite race weather) 
• WAFFLE BAR!!! Great post race food.
• Moderate size, good for people who get stressed by mega races like the ones from CGI and Delmo
• Well marked course with great volunteers
• Race results posted quickly (and emailed within two hours of race finish)
• Transition area relatively secure and staffed correctly

Cons:

Blah race shirt for Jersey Genesis

• No finishers' medals for adult racers. It seems like a small thing, but I keep mine over my desk for inspiration through the training and it's always nice to see something that takes me back to an event. I got one for my Athena win, so that was good, but it would be nice to have them for everybody. 
• The sleeveless t-shirt is kind of bland
• The unusual distance, somewhere between traditional sprint and olympic distance might make it a tough place to start for beginners, though, for me, it was a great way to gauge my overall fitness in preparation for longer races next month (I could put it in both pro and con). 

GRADE = A 

Recommended.

---

I'm a "Taste Agent" for Skratch Labs for the second year in a row.

Their hydration mix is key to my participation in triathlon and multisport. 

I highly recommend their new orange Energy Chews.
Check them out online. 

Do we really need tough love?

Tough love.

Is that what we need?

We all recognize the archetypal drill sergeant from countless movies, the one who pushes the recruits past their limits in the name of "breaking them down" so he can "build them up" again as mighty soldiers. So, too, we are familiar with the athletic coaches--in film and real life--who push their athletes to excel at any cost.
One who comes to mind is the famous Russian American Olympic gymnastics coach, Bela Karolyi, who doled out verbal punishment to tiny teenage girls that would make television viewers wince, but generated many gold medal performances.

Former US Olympic gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi. 

So should we admire and seek out coaches, like Karolyi, the kind who are going to give us a good kick in the pants?

I took some time to research that question this past week. Here's what I found: Coaches who get top performances from their athletes do so by engaging internal motivation rather than supplying it externally through fear of punishment or shame. Of course these coaches get less screen time than the other kind because they aren't as exciting to watch. They are methodical, not volatile.

  

What prompted me to start researching effective coaching strategies in the first place was a video posted to Facebook by a well-known local race director, a younger guy and an athlete himself, with lots of swagger and clear pride in the fact that he has built his own successful race company. In the video he addressed the participants of a large up-coming race. He looked into the camera and said:

"Have you been swimming? If you haven't been swimming, you have a problem...As of right now, some of you haven’t done the work. I think that’s scary and I think it’s a problem. And if you haven’t done the work, you need to seriously consider what you are doing. The fact that you paid for this event and didn’t do the training is a little troubling...You got 30 days. You can get something in, but I have a feeling, if you haven’t gotten it in by now, chances are, you’re not going to get it in. I’m telling you: if you’re not ready, you need to make a big boy and girl decision here." 

He doesn't actually say what the decision is that you need to make, but presumably it is dropping out. He assumes the worst of the 1700+ race participants who might view the video, even though probably only a small portion are not preparing, and those are the ones least likely to be watching his videos. He uses sarcastic terms like "big boys and girls" to suggest, in fact, that we are little children to be scolded, not grown ups working hard to prepare for a race. 

At the end he anticipates failure: "chances are, you're not going to" do it. Can you think of any situation where someone saying "I'm sure you won't bother, but..." and that made you feel like getting out and giving your all? I kept thinking any minute he was going to call everyone maggots and tell us to drop and give him forty.

At no point did he explain that training for an open ocean swim was a matter of safety. He says his name twice, mentions "work" four times, but the word "safety" doesn't get mentioned at all. He ignored the fact that even people who are doing plenty of pool swimming might not feel confident in open water and that they might benefit from attending one of the many open water swim clinics in the area. He didn't post a link (here's one) to such events in order get people motivated to "do the work." 

Maybe it is no surprise that the tag line for the race on his website reads: "One boat. 1750 athletes. Unlimited smack talk." 

Smack talk meaning: "insulting speech, especially when intended to irritate or annoy someone." The term has its origin in massive online gaming platforms, which may explain why it comes across as so male and so juvenile.

Can you imagine any other event being billed this way? 
The Boston Marathon: A great chance to insult other runners! 
The Kentucky Derby: Come see whose horse's dick is biggest! 
The Philadelphia Flower Show: Where everyone else can eat your dirt!

Last year this same race director posted a video reminding people to read the athlete guide before the race, and then posted another video to say that a woman had emailed him to criticize his tone in the first video. His response: "I don't care if you don't like my tone!" He made clear that his approach was a matter of maintaining safety. But he also came across as thin skinned, able to dish it out but not to accept feedback himself. And this year he's back and the issue of safety disappears from the conversation once more. You can argue it is implied, but it isn't there; the emphasis is entirely on people's lack of dedication and their laziness, which he takes pride in calling out and condemning.

I am not the sort of person to be cowed out of a race am looking forward to, but that video did cause me to stop and think. I was interested to see that a few people posted comments to thank him for his tough love, men, mostly. A certain kind of man seems to think being yelled at is good stuff. When I commented to say it might be useful to offer more context for the video, these same men rushed to his defense, telling me I was lucky to have such a great race director, that we all need more people willing to tell it like it is.

There is no research evidence to suggest that calling people lazy increases safety, promotes consistency in training or makes anyone try their best. 

In fact, the articles I found in the Journal of Sports Psychology present a vast body of evidence showing bullying coaches inspire feelings of "isolation, worthlessness, fear, anger and depression" as one article put it.

In another article I found out why I may have had such a strong reaction to the race director's video in the first place. The researcher Katelin Lee writes: "As horrible as it is to be the person receiving the degrading comments, it’s just as hard for the rest of the team that witnesses the abuse. As an athlete watches their teammate be demeaned by the same coach that they are playing for, it begins to ruin the morale of the team as a whole."

We don't need tough love, it turns out, at least not if we are trying to achieve top athletic performance. What we need, and what we come to sport to find, is inspiration.
                                                                         *   *   * 
So what kind of tools actually work to inspire and motivate us? That was what I decided to research next. 

I found that two coaches I have had in my own life demonstrated the exact traits that are known to be most effective in motivating athletes of all skill levels. Externally, the two couldn't have been more different, but in temperament and coaching ability, they had a lot in common. 

First, both exuded genuine hope for the success of their athletes, regardless of overall talent or skill level. They seemed to have an investment in each person's improvement and were flexible in taking into account the athlete's goals and innate abilities. 

Second, both were personally enthusiastic about their sport; you could tell they loved it. Every day they showed up to practice with a spring in their step, even on days when they had the flu or had been through some personal misfortune. In doing so, they showed us how to set our own difficulties aside and use physical activity to transcend--even for a short time--the troubles we faced elsewhere.

Third, they cared as much for the strongest as the weakest among us. As a teacher myself, I know how hard it can be to prevent the strong students from getting bored while keeping the weak ones from giving up. It takes finesse and creativity. These coaches had both.

Fourth, they celebrated progress. If we won a race, great, but the real praise was given out on days when we hit a goal in practice, put in an extra set, didn't give in to pain. The focus was on the process more than outcome.

Finally, they designed challenging workouts and believed we could complete them even when we weren't so sure of ourselves.

  

So what is it like to be coached by someone who inspires and motivates? What does the magic look like on a day to day level?

Ted Hersey
teacher and coach for 49 years at
St. George's School, Newport, RI
1929-2016

Let's start with my high school cross-country coach Mr. Hersey. 

Over the decades of his career, Ted Hersey coached dozens of students who went on to become decorated amateur and pro runners. But I arrived on his team in 1991, after being thrown off of girls' junior varsity soccer for insubordination, and I showed little promise. I was slow and knock-kneed, but we were required to do a sport, so he was stuck with me. He never made me feel that way.

On training days he'd have me, and one other girl--whose leg had been mangled in a motorcycle accident--run with him for three mile "warm ups" while the other groups did five or seven in the same amount of time. For us, three was a challenge. He was in his late 60's and had had a hip replacement that summer, so he was still a bit lame. It was hard to picture him running the Boston Marathon as he had in his youth, but his enthusiasm for running was still there. As we huffed and puffed along, he'd tell us amusing stories like the one about how, when he first became a teacher at our school, he endured a hazing ritual where he had to wear a dress made out of bagels for three days.

Slogging through the mid September sun, I wasn't thinking about the discomfort or my panting breath; I was thinking about the fun of it all, the afternoon stories, the sun and fresh air. Yes, he still made us do wind sprints, sit-ups galore, fartleks and whatnot, but he never criticized me for being last. 

When our school hosted 5k races, he'd set aside a bottle of Gatorade for me at the finish line with a post-it note on top saying "save for Holly" so it would be there when I loped in, even if everyone else had already gone inside to shower. When I hit a 5k personal best, he seemed as happy for me as he was for the kid who set a new course record of sub 15 minutes in the same race.

I was not born to be a runner, but Mr. Hersey, in his generous way, helped me become one. 


Mr. Hersey died four months ago, at the age of 86. He taught and coached at my school for 49 years.

Peter Park Coach of Peddie Masters
swim team in 2014

Fast-forward 20 years and I would meet my next great coach: Peter Park.

As a teenager, Peter had been a record setting swimmer at Peddie School, a prep school in central New Jersey, and then he went on to swim competitively in college. I met him back at Peddie, where he had been asked to coach the team of local adult swimmers. Our training sessions were 5:30-7:30am, twice a week, and 9:30am on Saturdays.

Hauling out of bed to get to practice by 5:30am was hard for all of us, but Peter made it easier. Every morning he'd greet us with a smile, bouncing around on the pool deck in his sneakers as he wrote out the day's sets on the large rolling whiteboard.

There were about 18 of us on the team at the time, some super fasties, a few of us who had been swimmers in our youth but had no experience on a masters team, and a couple of people who hadn't learned to swim until adulthood. Every day he'd have three different level sets planned out, but he didn't emphasize the differences. Instead, he worked to ensure the groups interacted and were cohesive as a team. He'd bring us all out onto the pool deck to do core strength exercises together, or he'd set up drills where we were mixed and given challenges like swimming against bungee cords or with giant sized hand paddles. He emphasized team building, technique, and stamina. 

After a few months, Peter invited the team to participate in a masters swim meet. About half of us were able to go. We each signed up for one or two events. I was the only woman from our team who signed up for the 500 meter freestyle, a ten lap swim. I chose the longer distance because I was looking ahead to triathlon season and thinking about building endurance. I had been working hard in practice. 

Unfortunately, as I shot off the blocks at the starting gun, one side of my goggles peeled off and my right eye was flooded with chlorinated water. I tried to keep it closed and yet swim straight and hard for all ten laps. I finished with a time that was slower than what I'd been doing in practice.

When I got out, Peter was there. I hadn't heard him but I knew he'd been at the edge of the pool cheering me on. He did that for everyone. My head was low. I felt like I'd let the whole team down. But when I voiced my frustrations Peter responded: "You pushed through the setback. I saw you give it 100%, and that was our goal." 

Our goal. That's how he put it. Whatever motivation I supplied he multiplied it by fusing his to mine to form something stronger. I had to do the work, but his faith in me made me try harder. 

Peter was only able to coach the Peddie masters team for one year before he took a different job, and many of us weren't able to keep up the 5:30am sessions, but sometimes when I am in the pool, training on my own now and really trying to push my hardest, I picture him at the end of the lane cheering for me. I see that smile and I push for the wall.

Inspiration, not humiliation. 

Race directors take note. 

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St. George's School Cross Country Team - 1993 - Mr. Hersey is in the back on the right. I'm standing next to him.

Peddie Masters Swim Team - Ocean County YMCA - 2014

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Keep your eyes out for future posts on people who inspire, and ways to find joy and motivation as an average athlete.