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. 

*****

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

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

Proud to represent others when I train #HKtris

Proud to be a Skratch Labs taste agent. 

Training for triathlon season is well under way and the first tris are only a few weeks off. 

Good, consistent training means putting in hours in the saddle on the bike, as well as running and swimming. Bike emphasis is key in part because the cycling section is proportionally the longest part of triathlons at every distance. 

The highlight of my cycle training the past two months has been finding some fantastic friends willing to go out on group rides on the weekend. Most of us didn't have a lot or any experience riding in a group, and it has been a fun and sometimes funny experience. Plus, there have been pancakes at the local diner afterward. You can't beat that.

The downside of my cycle training has been the amount of abuse by motorists I've suffered, especially when riding solo. I've been yelled at, had drivers swerve toward me, been sucked into the wind tunnels behind huge trucks that don't slow down at all. Two weeks ago some guys threw a half eaten Entenmann's chocolate doughnut at me from their car; it hit my helmet, spraying crumbs into my hair as it bounced off. 

Today two men in the white pickup truck drove up as I was biking, slowed, leaned out their window and yelled "Nice clothes, FAT ASS!" then sped away. I am no stranger to jibes about my weight, and I put in a few extra miles just for them, because the longer me and my pork belly are out there, the more we can irritate the haters. Moreover, I am proud to wear the kit of Skratch Labs, a sports nutrition company that would select a curvy, middle aged, lesbian mom to represent them two years in a row.

Want to tick off a misogynist jerk this Mothers' Day? I have a suggestion: go to the Skratch (skratchlabs.com) website and check out their products, or go to their Facebook page and just hash tag ‪#‎HKtris4me‬ in the comments. Let them know their choice of representative is one that supports people who might otherwise be uninterested in athletics. 

Here are some of the many groups I represent every time I get on my bike, or put on my running shoes, or stuff myself into a swimsuit. I tri for:

• -Moms
• -Curvy women (and men, for that matter)
• -People who've been afraid they'd get judged if they put on exercise clothes and went outside
• -People who embraced athletics late in life
• -All those who have endlessly struggled with their weight
• -Teachers
• -Students
• -People who work at community colleges
• -The LGBT community
• -Plant lovers/plant killers
• -Anyone who hasn't done the laundry this weekend
• -People who are convinced they are lazy
• -Cat owners
• -People with school debt they haven't paid off
• -Women who had trouble making new friends in their 30's 
• -Swimmers
• -Anyone who has jumped off a raft on a lake in the summer
• -Anyone who has jumped off the back of a boat at the start of a triathlon
• -Adults who have jumped in a pool and swam like a mermaid instead of doing dignified laps
• -Cyclists
• -People who have fallen off their bikes
• -Runners
• -Slow runners
• -Very slow runners
• -Triathletes 
• -People who care about social justice
• -Weirdos
• -Journalists
• -Writers
• -Users of the semicolon
• -People who have been made fun of
• -All those who have set ambitious goals and failed
• -Anyone who has ever wrestled with the crocodile of depression
• -Anyone who has ever been unable to sooth a colicky baby
• -People who have suffered through ugly breakups
• -People who have found "the one" after finding all the ones who were NOT the one
• -People who took a "gap year" before it was cool
• -Boarding school graduates
• -People who have routinely leaned on their siblings for comfort
• -Knitters
• -Anyone who used to speak another language, but has since forgotten all the vocabulary and verb tenses
• -Bad cooks
• -Book lovers
• -Those who can recite all the words to Clue, a Monty Python movie, Top Gun, Back to the Future or The Princess Bride
• -Anyone one who has gone to bed tired and woken up tired

And everyone who was ever afraid to try because they didn't want to fail...