Gasparilla Distance Classic Race – 2012 Results

 

Picture via The Clark Little Collection

Gasparilla Distance Classic Race – 2012 Results

Click here for results <—-

Siesta Key MultiRace.com Triathlon 2011 results & Photos

Siesta Key MultiRace.com Triathlon 2011 results & Photos

Shameless Self-Indulgence!!! 2nd place! BOOM!

=======> CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS <========

Englewood Triathlon 2011 Pictures

Englewood Triathlon 2011 Pictures

—–> CLICK HERE <——

Englewood Triathlon Results 2011

Englewood Triathlon Results 2011

——> Click Here for results <——

Ironman Florida Initial Meeting and Overview

Well last night was my equivalent of the ‘Deer in headlights’ scene.

Deer in Headlights

As our intimate group of approximately 10 people huddled around a couple of glass tables at a country club. Some of us were focused on the words coming out of our EtriCoaches mouth’s and others were in a constant dialogue with the coaches going over details, questions, concerns, etc.

The lengthy overview was a overload to my number crunching senses and by the end, I was somewhat mentally drained from contemplating the sheer distances we are covering. The key I later realized is not too let the numbers overwhelm, but instead to meet each day with vigor and goal achieving confidence. Can 200+ miles of biking and some swimming & running take the wind out of your sails before the ship has left the proverbial harbor. Sure. But doesn’t 60 miles and a 5 mile run sound easier. Alright, don’t answer that.

Seriously though, the amount of respect I had for Ironman & the training required was a good bit. It has now increased twofold. I imagine by the time 5 months have come and gone and I’m neck deep in gulf of mexico waters, the level of respect and confidence I have will be off the charts.

Until then, I sit here shaking in anticipation of my workout today!!!

Here are a couple of motivational videos in case you need them – Similar to; Break Glass in Emergency!

“Without Struggle, there is no progress” ~ Frederick Douglass

2011 FITriathlon on Siesta Key Recap / Story

2011 FITriathlon on Siesta Key Recap / Story

First off, this isn’t going to be comparable to St. Anthony’s Recap. It just isn’t.

FIT triathlon 2011 pic by Sean D

www.sarasotastorm.org pic by Sean D.

About 10 days ago, John LeTourneau called me at work. He never calls me at work. He had a request for me to fulfill… Better yet, he had put my name down on a list and just needed to tell me where to be and what time to be there. I was OK with that, as I was in essence being LeTourneau’d by Mr. LeTourneau. Thats street cred you just can’t buy. To put that in perspective, imagine the Godfather calls you into his office and tells you your gonna do this thing. What are you going to say? No thanks! I can’t! How about Yes Sir!!

From front to back, Tony Welch, Jonathan Moore & John LeTourneau Pic by Sean Dreznin

Thats John LeTourneau cheering - pic by Chris Juall

LeTourneau giving motivation! pic by Chris Juall

So it was, that my name found itself inked in on the line for timing chip dispersal at the Florida International Triathlon. I was to arrive at 4:45AM-5AM and proceed to find the Queen Bee, Ren Shrock.

Siesta Key can be a calm and eerily beautiful place at 4:30AM and this saturday morning is no different. The street lights cast an ominous glow upon the sidewalks and asphalt and set a scene of every hollywood movie’s lonely street. You can see the outlines of trees, but the sky is still covered in night and the only discernable change is the yellow broken stripes in the middle of the road that are appearing and disappearing like a strobe light in my peripheral vision. I literally have to lower the windows and crank some loud rap music to shake the sleepiness from my still REM-cycle-infatuated body. I’m sure the sleepy neighborhood appreciates some good Trick Daddy this morning. Who Wouldn’t? In case your wondering who or what Trick Daddy is or what he sounds like, then by all means, click here. <—–

ROMINE! pic by Jackie Miller

4:45AM and I park at the Beach Resort I manage, which is about 1/2 mile from the actual race site. I load my trusty backpack and hike on over to the Siesta Parking lot which is lit up like the Shuttle Launch with High powered halogens everywhere. It looks like the landing spot for Angels or a going out of business sale for a carpet gallery! I put some tunes on the Ipod for the short walk and blend into the shadows the flourescents are creating on mother natures dark canvas. Singing some Josh Turner (Click Here <—), I lower my vocal volume when up ahead I see a Storm volunteer shirt alone waiting to divert traffic to the grassy lot. Its David Romine and he quickly explains that the county wants the grassy lot full before we start parking in the asphalt main lot. We wish each other a good day volunteering and I’m back on my way to find the elusive Ren.

The Transition Area pic by Sean D

Transition Area Pic by Sean D

5AM and I stumble upon the Transition area’s entrance, where its early yet and so the Storm members I see include Travis Ricks, Tanya Marvin, Mr. LeTourneau in the flesh, Race Director Dave Strehlow and Holly Urfer. We chat it up for a moment, but nothing can keep me from finding my Golden Ring, Ren. I press on and just past the swing sets, I see the pavilion and Ren is there with some familiar faces including; Mark Kowalski and Bryan Hoskinson. Ren tells me to go see Jaclyn Ohman already holding down the valuable chip hardware. I mosey back to the transition area and find Jaclyn waiting patiently. We exchange hellos and chat briefly about what today holds in store. Its a fun setting and slowly but surely, athletes walk up to our tables either confidently blurting out there race numbers expecting the forthcoming timing chip or others who may not have as much triathlon experience and stand silently or meekly get out their race data for us to verify.

Body Marking pic by Jackie Miller

At first we breeze through the competitors as they arrive in 1 minute intervals and soon thereafter, we get Steven and Matt added to our All-Star chip team. When things really pick up, we are rocking and most people get their chips with no problems. The only issue we encountered was Chip Numbers #427 arrived and lo and behold, his chip was not there. Immediately we rounded up the one and only John LeTourneau who headed over to the main pavilion to find the racer data and I’m sure, work on an announcement that like a Chinese tradition, would have brought shame upon our good name. So. Like. William. Shatner. I. Had. A. Plan. I left our table and ventured into the bike rack area, found Rack 420-429 and all I saw was #421, so I hustled back to our table to double check and see if chip #421 was given out. Ironically, I was scoping out some bikes earlier and thought, what turned out to be bike #421, ( A nice, trek concept 7, I believe) was a slick looking ride! So I remembered the rider as well, and as I almost eclipsed the transition entrance I saw the rider of bike #421, and glanced at his ankle chip, which read #427. Problem solved, CSI; Siesta Key! (This is pretty much exactly how the moment went <—– Click there)

Time Chip Table Rockstars! pic by Jackie Miller

The four of us were rocking timing chips like we were the Jabbawockeez on America’s Best Dance Crew. Jaclyn was all about speed, or crunking, Matt was thorough or Popping & Locking, Steve was a wildcard jack-of-all-trades, similar to a breakdance and I was all about Customer Service, which I guess equates to the Usher Glide or the Beiber Slide, either way its pretty cool.

The Beiber Slide - pic by justinbeiberdancing.org

Before we wrap things up, a few late, late stragglers arrive and amidst some tense chaos, they are denied entry to the race. Moments later, an unknown volunteer comes running around the pavilion area leading the tardy participants like a battle charge and they hustle to get their respective things (bikes, helmets, shoes, etc) and make it back to get in the race. Moments later, when they seem satisfied, the Race director had to put the kaibosh down on the late arrivals and end their day. (Ironically, we saw them all on the course for the run, so the good news is they got out there, one way or another! This surely amounts to good PR for the FIT Race, even though racers should always, always, always show up early as you just never know what obstacles, delays or wrong turns await.)

We bid our body marking friends adieu as Travis, Tanya, Hal Hammond and others head off to support other parts of the course and honestly after Hal’s St. Anthony outfit, I’m not sure how many times I will get to write Hal and support in the same sentence. I end up back at the Pavilion and Bryan H informs me I will be spending time with Jaclyn in the woods. I’m not sure what volunteering meant, but it’s looking up! In fact, I am coordinating the runners departure from transition to the woods, through the woods (to grandma’s house <— That's for Jaclyn, she earned it for all her great cheering!) and from the woods to the beach. (Great job by Mary and her CAF supporters as well!)

I grab Jaclyn and we head over to the area on Siesta by the bypass parking area, runners exit the area behind the tennis courts and we stand guard with the line of orange cones and our enthusiasm to guide them into the Siesta jungle that beckons them. This turns out to easily be the best part of the day as runners of all kinds move towards us, like salmon swimming upstream. We get to yell, cheer, uplift and exclaim all kinds of motivational, witty and laughable sayings to them, inlcuding; the aforementioned Grandma's house one liner, which I am not touching. Jaclyn has copyright on that one. We yell, "The hard parts over", "There's shade in the woods", "Your doing it, you are making this happen!", the obligatory, "Good job", "Nice Work", "Way to Go!", but easily my top choice filet mignon of motivation is the genre of cheering. We try Cajun, Hip-Hop, Country Twang, Rasta, but the best and most enjoyable was Southern Baptist Revival with Me as the Preacher and Jaclyn as the Witness, shouting, "Hallelujah" and "WooHoo!". SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHEERING FTW!

Before I know it, the runners are thinning out, the clock is pushing 9:30AM and its about time for me to return to my resort and start my saturday shift placating the vacationers!

I have a cornucopia of pictures from the Expo and the event, so I'll just post them hereafter and let you soak up all the photo goodness!

Nicole Carson & Jackie Miller pic by Jackie Miller

Justina leading the charge! pic by Jackie Miller

This bike costs more then your car. Pic by Sean D.

Chillaxing in B & W. Pic by Sean D.

Can you hear the pain inflicted on these poor soles? Pic by Sean D.

Sea of technicolor Red - Pic by Sean D.

Pic by Sean D.

This is what it feels like I'm carrying in the last 2 miles usually. - Pic by Sean D.

I swing through the finisher zone and congratulate AJ Bautch & Steve Geaux on their respective great finishes! 1st & 2nd places!
With a plateful of pizza, bagels, banana & an oatmeal raisin cookie, I am out of here!

What a great race for the Sarasota Storm, and all sponsors and athletes! I hope you had fun, because I sure as hell did!

Mahalo,
Sean

2011 St. Anthony’s Triathlon Weekend Recap / Story

2011 St. Anthony’s Triathlon Weekend Recap / Story

It’s Saturday morning around 8:45 am. I stagger around making sure I’ve loaded all the necessary items into my duffel bag. Goggles, Swim cap, sunscreen… Check! It’s time to drive from beautiful Island Estates in Clearwater Beach area to St. Petersburg Pier and meet up with the Sarasota Storm Triathlon group and get our swim and St. Anthony’s Expo Groove on!

Winding and snaking my way through construction laden US-19 is not very good for reducing morning anxiety, although I am sure 9:30am on Saturday versus 4:30am on Sunday will offer a stark traffic difference. Soon thereafter, I arrive on 4th Ave N and find day parking a block away from the race. I end up buying a 2-day pass and all my concerns regarding parking are eased. I highly recommend this! Leaving my bike bolted to my truck bed and hoisting my trusty backpack (with the duct taped shoulder strap and salt air corroded zipper) over my shoulders, I was off to meet the SRQ CRU!

Sarasota Storm at the Expo - pic by etricoach

A quick jaunt leads me 1 block West, where I find the group outside the small city of triathlon tents and we exchange hearty hugs, warm smiles & friendly salutations. We set out on some Expo exploration, looking for amazing carbon fiber cutouts resembling cycles and all the latest advances in spandex, water bottles, nip guards (You know who could have used these!) and running technology. Eventually we stumble upon some friends, Steve and Agnese and their tent, “Triathlon Rocks” which it does, and so do they! They are repping their cool swag and I place a request for a nice blue tri-skull shirt.

Triathlon Rocks - pic by Marco Swintz

By now, its pushing 11 am and the sun is getting close to South Florida expectations, with the slight smell of burning flesh in the air, there never seemed a more perfect time to lather on some SPF 30 and cooking oil.

Nip Guards - Pic by Kelevra

We mosey on down to the St. Petersburg Pier enjoying conversation and previous St. Anthony’s experiences and I can confidently say this is one of the enjoyable things about being part of a group like the Sarasota Storm. People who have deep character and understand why you would “choose to voluntarily” swim 9/10 miles, bike 26 miles and run 6.2 miles back to back to back on a day off from work. In essence, DO WORK on a day off of work… They just get it and understand each other and that my friends is worth the price of admission.

Pic by Kelevra

Fast forward to the tiny beach on the edge of the pier and this is where we find ourselves at 11:15am. Everyone stripping down into more comfortable clothes for the swim party that is about to commence. Damn, the waves are choppy! And, I’m pretty sure, by the fact that I can no longer feel my fingers that this water is not 81 degrees. Alright, I made a promise to myself to ease up on the drama, so after having vowed that. The water is chilled but after a few strokes, it feels refreshing!

We swim out to the end of the pier through rolling sheets of forest green waves some filled with seaweed and others just mounds of delicious salinated water. The surge and yaw of the waves makes for a hint of nausea here and there, but mostly just struggling with sighting and maintaining a straight line. Its good practice as historically the swim at St. Anthony’s is prickly to say the least.

As a group we make it to the end of the pier, double back and return to shore no worse for the wear, and in fact, the day is young and its time for the Expo! I have a pocketful of cash and I have wanted to add a Camelbak Podium Chill and a new visor to the arsenal.

Kowalski, Welch & Dreznin throwing SRQ Swagger - pic by sean dreznin

There are so many cool tents here, (interesting social network sidebar) and I meander over to ‘Tri Jungle’ tent and meet Magui (pronounced – Maggie) who tweeted with me just the previous week about this race and implored me to come say Hello, so I did! I find my podium chill water bottle and a sweet nike visor and I make it out without doing too much damage to the wad of sweaty cash in my pocket. I guess i’m saving up for my unconcieved childs college fund or the deep dish ZIPP’s.

I make my way back to the truck, retrieve my Ol’ girl Nikita ( My Black & Yellow Kestrel) and we make our way to Transition to get Nikita tucked in and ready for tomorrows adventure. I find my rack, which is located at the far southwestern corner of transition which I think is pretty cool, I can run around the madness the entire time, versus being jammed into the middle of it. Plus it allows me to tell people ** I am V.I.P. and they have a special section for riders like me. (I feel as if I am the only person laughing right now.)

** It’s the equivalent of stating, “I like being Mentally, Challenged.” versus “I like being Mentally Challenged!” It’s all about punctuation and emphasis! **

Pic by Kelevra

I wearliy glance up to the scorching orange sun and squinting through my polarized oakley’s realize that its pushing 3pm and I am parched and famished. I speak with a few of the ladies from the SRQ CRU and plan to meet up with them later, maybe sit by a pool or grab some dinner, but I can’t stand in the sun, on my feet anymore. Gotta rest up for the big day tomorrow.

After some fun sightseeing around Martin Luther King Dr. in downtown St. Pete thanks to a wrong turn and a missed entrance ramp, I finally find myself at the Marriot on Roosevelt. I reconnect with my Diva’s and literally get to sit in a hotel room while they all shower and get ready for dinner. It was either completely awesome or excruciating. Or both. Or Neither. Anyway, it was fun and after taking a sandalwood shower and finding my inner Ke$ha, I was dressed like a Shmuck to go out with 6 ladies all dressed up. I guess no one was really noticing me anyway, so its all good. In hindsight, it would have been prudent to actually pack some going out clothes instead of 3 pairs of goggles. Lesson Learned.

6 beautiful triathletes and a shmuck! Wear some nice clothes Dreznin!

We headed back to the St. Pete Baywalk area and after perusing the strip for a little bit, we decided on a cool Italian trattoria style diner called Cassis Americano Brasserie, which roughly translates to, “Wow, look at those amazing American Breasts”, or something else entirely. As you can imagine, the food was delicious, the conversation light and fun and the atmosphere just plain awesome! We all paid our bills and headed back out into the perfect spring night for a little more strolling and good times.

I have only made this last part so generic and superfluous to get to the next part! Jackie and Jane, of our evenings group happened upon a Clydesdale just waiting to cart his next patron around the bustling streets and so the ladies were petting him and letting him nibble from their palms and all went well… We meander to the next block and another horse is standing around just chilling in the cool evening breeze. As we walk up, all 7 of us notice the hooves are painted with pink glitter and so the ladies are saying things like, “ooooh, look at HIS pretty hooves” and “Awwww, what cute hooves HE has” I offer that the horse is most likely a girl, having no equestrian knowledge whatsoever and the horses caretaker immediately surrenders a, “Duke’s a Boy… A gelding in fact”.

Duke's a Boy - Pic by Chappy

So to add injury to insult not only have they removed his manhood, they have painted his Hoofs pink and make him cart people around... So Jane and Jackie hustle over and take to Duke, stroking his long face and letting him nibble lightly from their palms and while Jackie is doing this, Duke nibbles a little harder and actually lightly clamps down on her hand. Duke has bitten down on the fleshy area between the thumb and pointer finger and at first Jackie tries to ‘play it cool’ and easily pull her hand away, but as she does that, Duke bites down harder! Jackie squeals that “Duke is biting me” and the caretaker comes over and swats duke on the nose and he releases Jackie from his powerful jaws. Meanwhile all 6 of us are tearing up on the sidewalk laughing so hard! Mackie Jiller strikes again!

pic by Chappy - You can't make this stuff up!

After exhausting ourselves walking the boulevard and satisfying our palates on delicious food, we decided to retire for the evening, the ladies back to the Marriott and I venture back to Clearwater Beach.

Sunday, May 1, Day of the St. Anthony’s Triathlon.

Its 1:15am and I am getting up again to pee. I’m either the reincarnation of Abe Vigoda’s bladder or I should find something else besides water to enjoy before bed.

Its 3am and you guessed it.

Its 4am and… oh hell, I just decide to stay up this time… Whole wheat bagel, peanut butter, multi-vitamin & banana await me as I stutter around my parents house in a manner similar to “The Living Dead”, walking in large slow circles accomplishing very little. About 4:30am, my mind finally comes out of its shell, a little, and helps me to gather my water bottles from the freezer which have been cooling all night and all my packed items, ready to go! After another trip or two to the loo, I hop in the trusty F-150 and make the drive back to St. Petersburg!

I Arrive at the VIP Parking and gather all the items i need for the race, going over each discipline in my mind again and making sure I have each item, for instance, Running, shoes, socks, visor and race bib. Once I feel confident its all packed, I hoist the backup upon my broad shoulders and begin the trek to transition. The overwhelming flow of people migrating towards transition is really cool and since St. Anthony’s is such a historically large participant race, the sea of people seems magnified compared to normal races. I find a seam and merge into the sea.

An ocean of bikes - pic by Coach E - from IM FL 09

A song is actually playing in my mind as I walk down, and here’s a verse;

“Look at this big eyed fish swimming in the sea…
Oh how it dreams he wants to be a bird, swoopin’, divin’ through the breeze…
One day, caught a big old wave up on to the beach, now he’s dead you see…,
Beneath the sea is where a fish should be…”
~ Big Eyed Fish ~ DMB

Eventually I find my bike, #1184 which is an insignificant number, but its mine, and for today, it means the world to me. I spread the weapons in my arsenal out on my gatorade towel and begin the reverse checklist. Thank goodness, its all here…again. I impose a quick request from a neighbor and utilize his bike pump. (I flattened my tires the day before.) I really enjoy how nice everyone is around and in triathlons. In most cases, whatever you might need will be accommodated by neighboring racers or race guides and today is no exception. I gladly answer a couple questions for a confused soul about the new swim parameters and send them on their way.

Feeling as if all is right with the world, I wish my new friends a great race and depart the transition area and head to where the Sarasota Storm & Etricoach tent should be located. I don’t even make it down the path before running into Tanya Marvin and Tony Welch! A little TnT! Tony and Tanya are both much faster then me, but they work hard for their respective gains and deserve the accolades. Competing with them on race day is the equivalent of playing golf with a much better golfer and the perception that your game improves in part to their superior level. It really invigorates me to see them so soon and their confidence fills my cup to the brim as well! We head down the rest of the path and find the rest of our team and I love how they are so excited at 6:15am! They are excited to be there, excited for us and excited to cheer and drink, which sounds fun!

TnT - pic by Chappy

Tony, Tanya & myself head over to the new swim starting area. (Side Note – St. Anthony’s historically has issues with the swim and by issues, I mean the water is either really choppy and a tough swim or there are a large amount of first timers (which is a good thing and an ominous thing as well) and mild conditions become medium to dangerous conditions due to inexperience). Alas, the water looks rough, but it really appears to be all surface wind chop and after John LeTourneau takes a dip, he reports back that the water is awesome! We find a large group of Sarasota Storm members congregating and join up with them. Although the water looks decent, the wind is blowing hard and there is a chill in the air which makes my sleeveless t-shirt seem like a definite wardrobe malfunction.

Swim Start - Pic by Missy Kuck

St. Anthony's Triathlon Swim Course... err... Curse. 2011

Mark Kowalksi meshes in with us and he & I split off to watch the pro athletes get set at the start. It is always, for me, an exhilarating moment to watch the pros get ready, the gun go off and the grace and fury these pros exhibit in attacking the sea, bay, gulf, lake, etc. Today is no different and defending champion Cameron Dye is a favorite, but so is Matty Reed and other stout competitors. On the ladies side, Sarah Haskins is a champ along with Liz Blatchford and Alicia Kaye. The pros cut through the water like a Donzi speedboat and they are out of the water in less time then it takes me to draw a bath. It’s imposing and motivating all at once.

Matty Reed exiting the swim and beginning the run to transition - Pic by Chappy

Slowly, one by one, members of our group peel off and join there waves. Tanya is the first to go, then John L. and Thane is next. Finally, its my time as I see my navy blue cap color beginning to pop up near the back of the chute. All the training you have put in kicks in now. These are the moments you have to be strong of mind and control your breathing and heart rate as rushes of adrenaline and panic are only going to get you out of your zone. I love these moments as the many races have acclimated my rituals into habits and I perform my stretches, breathing and focusing drills and soon thereafter, the MC calls the Clydesdales ages 39 and under to the shoreline. “You have about 3 minutes”… “1 minute, Guys!”… “10, 9, 8… 3,2,1…GO”

Sloshing through the cool wet sands into the murky aqua green waters of the bay, my feet sucking into the terrain with each step, I keep a nice even pace and when I feel the water level reach my chest, Dolphin dive and begin the battle of triathlon swimming.

Click here for an array of pictures from Lara Cerri of Tampybay.com (I love 11,12 & 13).

Seventy Clydesdales swimming in a group is similar to killer whales fighting for position. One whack of a fin or arm can leave a substantial mark, whereas I imagine the pro ladies are akin to a group of tuna, slashing, dancing and sharply cutting up the bays waters!

All the tranquil pool and rough open water training has prepared me for this swim and in reality, its not that bad other then feeling like the main character in Frogger, dodging sideways swimmers and water logged folks falling behind from the waves ahead. The swim consists of mostly gliding and concentrated slicing with the occasional body invading my personal space or the need for a burst to blow by a straggler or even the faster folks from the wave behind us just powering through. In those cases, I have to remind myself that I’m racing my own time and not the random person I’m passing or passing me.

Finally, I make my last right turn at a yellow bouy and turn 60 degrees back towards the shore. This is where the control portion of the swim training takes over, because for me, I always feel the presence of the crowd and want to speed up or exhaust the calm pace I have maintained so far. But before I know it, my peripheral view shows people standing up and I realize that we are nearing the swim exit. (Now you may have heard about St. Anthony’s history with its swims. In 2009, the swim was cancelled due to rough water, in 2010, the swim course was cut in half for the final 2/3 of swimmers as the conditions worsened throughout the mornings waves & this year was no different, although I can’t stress enough that the swim was not bad. At All. Not even a little bit. They should have kept it the original course. Time for me to move on.)

I exit the swim and begin my adjustment to jogging. (Quick reference to above note – Since the swim was changed, the new transition area is 1/2 mile away instead of a stones throw, and jogging a 1/2 mile is no big deal, but barefoot on a concrete sidewalk lined with patrons is not ideal.) T1 time for me 7 minutes + . I jog the full extent of the transition area and find my sweet Nikita raring to go on the rack. I make all the quick changes, shoes, helmet, glasses and lose the goggles and swim cap and grab my girl and we make our way to transition exit. A gallop like sound eminates from this area as numerous people put their shoes on, me included, before exiting transition and still others go barefoot and have there shoes clipped onto the bike already, simply putting there feet into the shoes once they are moving on the bike. Normally this probably works well, but with the infamous cobblestone/brick street outside of transition, it just seems safer to run and mount the bike with shoes on. Maybe next time. Or maybe next time I’ll be cheering and drinking PK’s.

<—- Ask me about PK's.

Fans lining the run course to transition - Pic by Mackie

I thoroughly enjoy the first mile of the bike course at St. Anthony's. It has you exit transition with a sizable crowd around and you get your gait over the brick road. They funnel the riders into a left turn where the bike race basically starts and you pass the Expo area and park and people are relaxing, enjoying the morning sunshine, a band plays in the distance, fans cheer & the smells of the bay and morning dew still fill the air. Its a great moment and I always make sure to soak that in, because the next 25 miles are just a bit less beautiful. Some are even kind of nasty. The course is 1/3 parks and nature, 1/3 hood and 1/3 intersections, sharp turns and orange cones, but most importantly the course is manned by police and they handle traffic flow very well.

Pic by Kathleen Flynn - St Pete Times

At this years race, I partially witnessed a harrowing moment and subsequently felt helpless in ability to do anything. As I was returning, approximately mile 16-17, I heard a thumping sound on my left and quickly glanced over my shoulder to see a rider strike an orange cone and with feet clipped in, vault over the handlebars and meet the road with their face and literally slide on the asphalt. The shear shock of seeing this was surreal and the 2 second moment seemed to take place like a movie scene, in my eyes over 2 minutes, but myself and the 3 riders “not drafting” right behind me all started shouting, ‘MEDICAL!’ to the officer at the corner immediately in front of us. The worst part of that moment is relaying it to my friends after the race and them informing me that Hannah, a friend of ours and Storm team member was involved in an eerily similar crash, and in fact it turned out that it had been her. My heart sank in my chest. The best part of this of story, is that Hannah is a strong chick and she is recovering nicely and will be back kicking ass and taking names very soon. I know I will think of her the next time I think I feel some minor pain and want to whine about it.

We had a couple of riders take various levels of spills and just wanted to take a moment to wish them speedy recoveries. Hannah and Jonathan.

Well, back to the curvy bike course. Cutting a swath through slower riders and getting overtaken by the occasional hoofer is a natural part of this course and its important to abide by the rules of the road, such as not drafting, allowing a pass, after passing returning to the right side of the road, etc, etc… Just in case you forget, the kind folks at St. Anthony’s send out roving motorcycle patrols with referees on them to make sure you are complying, and if you are not, they will not hesitate to smack you upside your head with a time penalty or DQ. By DQ, I mean disqualification and not a Blizzard from Dairy Queen. I find myself really focusing on trying to maintain a flatfooted bottom of the cadence rotation and keeping a smooth rhythm…. you know, the rhythm method!

Before I know it, I’m headed into mile 22 and its time to crank it up a notch and get some blood rushing to the legs and feet and make sure I’m ready to go running! Before I can sing another verse of ‘Gravedigger’ from Dave Matthews, I am back at the Pier stretch of the bike course, funneled into making a right turn and back on the brick road to transition. I dismount, and begin my awkward gallop on bricks, through sand and into grass to find my cubby hole on the bike rack. It is chaos in here, as riders are stumbling over each other and one elder statesman bites it and faceplants into the soft sand while the other guy prodding him along just pushes past him… You stay classy Anchorman! I offer a brief hand to the guy and he defers saying he just needs a minute, but that he’s ok. I press on.

I locate my special girl Nikita and immediately go into Zen like focus. Leave the helmet, grab the visor, take a moment to enjoy the cooling sensation of handfuls of Chammy Butter all up in my crotch. Mmmmm… Thats the stuff. Seriously though, like a pit crew adding 4 new tires and gassing up the ride, its running shoes in place of specialized cycling shoes and a Gu and some water down the gullet and into the tank. Damn, I am feeling really good!

Nikita looks like Secretariat - pic by Finisherpix 2010

A nice pace out of transition leads us out and to the right, while bikers are still breaking off to the left and just beginning there 26 mile trek. I don’t envy them and I’m sure they feel the same way about me. We wind our way down the same concrete path we already traversed earlier that day, this time we get to wear shoes! Yay for us! Just like the bike course, the early part of the run course is my favorite as a nice straight away starts with lots of people… (OMG!! Nicole Carson is screaming at me with a huge smile on her face, GO SEAN GO! PUSH IT!) (Now my straight laced face is ear to ear grin… Thanks Carson!)… and thins out, then breaks left into a second straight away with more people cheering positive stuff and motivational words of encouragement.

One of my favorite pics - pic by chappy i think

A ridiculously fun group is out here motivating everyone through laughter and shenanigans… The Shake n’ Bake crew. Just enjoy the picture and let your imagination do the rest, as no words can logically explain the sheer awesomeness these characters bring to the table.

The Shake n' Bake Gang - pic by ?

After this stretch, you head over a small bridge and then its slogging time as the course snakes throughout a residential area and the sun is doing everything in its power to reach out and beat you down. No matter how fast you run, how well you stay in the shade or how much SPF you invested in, mother nature’s powerful UV’s seek you out and you can see the steam rising off some people heads, like a vehicle stalled out with an overheated radiator. Others partake in walking or hitting the water stations like there Tiki Bars, but my mantra for this Run, is ‘RUN THE RUN’. Last year, I was all over the place, going out reasonably quick only to realize about 1.5 miles in that I wasn’t going to make it very far and started adding in some walking, which quickly became the majority and by the end of the 6 miles, it was tough to even get started running let alone anything more then walking. This year would be different. No options. I made it to Mile 4 before I gave myself a 15 second breather and then back to running. Each additional mile I gave myself an additional 15-20 second breather, just mainly to grab a water, get doused by a friendly neighbor hosing people down and to gather my breathing to a smooth easy pace.

Relating back to the good people of triathlons, one of my favorite parts of this years race, happened just as I was 3 seconds into my 20 second breather on Mile 6. An Under 39, Clydesdale I had played leapfrog with on the Bike for the last 8 miles of the bike course, came up behind me on the run, shouting, “NO, NO, NOPE! Not gonna let you walk, let’s go, Run with me!” I thanked him and said, “You timing is perfect!”, and we continued our run down the final stretch of road before the turn down the finishing chute.

Up ahead, I see Carson and she sees me, and starts yelling Inspiring Words at me, “LET’S GO SEAN”, “FINISH STRONG” and then the entire group of Sarasota Storm are there yelling and screaming and I swear that is easily the best part of the race for me. Last year the sprint for the final Chute run/finish was the best part, but to have a triathlon family cheering right near the finish line takes the cake and gives me all the adrenaline I could ever need. I inform my clydesdale friend, that I plan on kicking in with the turbo boosters at the bend and as I hit that turn for the last 1/4 mile I go 80-90-100 and burn every last ounce of Oxygen in my lungs, literally seeing those little spots as I cross the finish line, reach out for cool towels to throw on my neck and head, a medal, and a bottle of ice cold water!

Finish Line - Pic by finisherpix 2010

Ahhhh, its over just like that.

2:39:04 which destroys last years time of 3:10:22. I am thrilled with this years results and deep down, I know I could have pushed a bit harder on the bike and run, but hindsight is always 20/20.

Anyhow, moments later I spot my little sister Danielle just past the finishing area and I am overwhelmed that she has traveled here to cheer me on and visit with the Sarasota Storm members she met when she did her inaugural race at the Y-Tri put on by the SRQ Storm.

Danielle Dreznin at the Y-Tri- pic by Sean Dreznin

I grab a couple bottles of water and gatorade and begin the short walk to join my cohorts at the tent and cheer for the other people still out on the course battling the stifling heat that just keeps beating down. It’s funny how good the sun and heat feel now that I’ve completed the race and only friends and libations await, no more miles.

Eddie brought the Ammunition to the Gun Show. - Pic by etricoach

Spending some time with everyone else in and around the tent helps me to remove my perspective outside and focus on the faces and emotions of the athletes finishing the race. Even if they look weary, exhausted, overwhelmed or focused, effervescent and joyous, the level of enthusiasm coming from our tent and the members who are now lining the race course gives each runner, jogger and walker (note – we aren’t letting the walkers, walk) the boost they need or the momentum to continue to the nearing finish line!

I have borrowed some pictures that are utilized throughout this recap, and I wanted to thank the Storm members for these photos by mentioning them in the photo captions. Also, if you are named in this recap and don’t want to be, please let me know and I will begrudgingly alter the names to protect the innocent.

Finally, to recap, the St. Anthony’s Triathlon is one of my favorites for the reasons of; Mass, Overload, Seas of people and a great venue with great supporters and police and race protection. The counter arguments I have heard and can sympathize with include, lots of people, cancelled or altered swims and kind of pricey. I’ll leave the judgements up to you.

Would I do St. Anthony’s again. Absolutely! Although next time, I might just be Cabana Boy and drink all weekend while cheering everyone else on! We will see what happens in 2012!

Mahalo,
Sean Dreznin

2011 St. Anthony’s Triathlon Results

Finish Strong!

2011 St. Anthony’s Triathlon Results

Click HERE <—-

Gasparilla 2011 5k, 15k & Becks Challenge results & Photos

Gasparilla 2011 5k, 15k & Becks Challenge results & Photos – CLICK HERE

2011 A1A Marathon Results & Photos – Are Here

2011 A1A Marathon Results & Photos – are HERE!