Inspiration

Over the weekend I received a post card. Yes, snail mail and the USPS still work. It is not the fact of receiving this small piece of mail, it's the impact it has made on me and the impact I have made on the sender. When I started in triathlon about three years ago, it was by the suggestion of a friend. I tried a local reverse sprint triathlon and was hooked. I've never been the fastest in my age group. I have even nicknamed myself "Last Place Larry". I hoped that the efforts of this ordinary father, husband, and business owner would inspire other to reach for the seemingly impossible.

The sender of the post card thanked me for my support, friendship, and building her confidence prior to her first Ironman 70.3 in Arizona this past October. You need to know, this person is a personal trainer, running coach, and coach for a chapter of Moms in Motion. She has multiple long distance running races in her history including the Boston Marathon. She also has coached her Moms in Motion team for sprint and olympic distance triathlons. How could I, an nonathletic sweaty mess, inspire an already accomplished athlete and personal trainer?

When you start on a path to a goal, people are watching. While you are training, they are watching you. While you prepare, they are watching you. When you achieve your goal, they are celebrating with you. You just don't know it.

In life, we all cast a shadow. Many times we don't know who it is falling on.

Tour de Summer Camps 2018

Dear Friend,

I'm so excited to be hitting the trail again in 2018 for another successful Tour de Summer Camps! I am a member of Temple Kol Tikvah in Woodland HIlls, and I am leading our team to the finish line!

On October 28th, I am going to ride a metric century (62 miles) to raise funds to help ensure that more kids can receive a lifelong connection to Judaism that only Jewish summer camps can provide.

I have set my personal fundraising goal at $5,000 and I need your help to get there!. I am asking for a sponsorship of one dollar per kilometer, a total of $100. Will you please sponsor me? You can use the link below to submit your sponsorship directly or mail me a check made payable to The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

This cause is extremely important to me because every Jewish child should have the ability to go to Jewish summer camp. As children grow up, having a connection to their community and religious identity is important. Jewish summer camp can provide this. My daughter and son attended their first overnight camp this past summer and had an incredible time. Help to make the 2019 summer camp experience a huge success by sponsoring me on this ride today!

I am extremely grateful for your generosity, any sponsorship amount is appreciated. You will receive a letter indicating your donation and all tax information. Also keep in mind that your employer may have a matching gift program, which can double or even triple your donation! Check with your Human Resources department.

When I am out riding the course, I will be thinking of the support you have given me. I cannot reach my goal without you! Please place my link on your Facebook, Twitter or other social network sites. Also forward the link to all of your friends and family that can help me exceed my goal.

Donation Link:   https://www.tourdesummercamps.org/LarryMarks

Thank you for your support!

Larry Marks

Taking Care of Unfinisher Business

This past Saturday, April 1, I found myself walking down the boat ramp at Oceanside harbor to start my second Ironman 70.3 race.  Last year didn't go as planned.  My official time is "did not finish".  I was two minutes and fifteen seconds over the allotted time of eight hours and thirty minutes to finish the course.  Just to remind everyone, an Ironman 70.3 is made up of three events: first is a 1.2 mile swim, second is a 56 mile bike ride, third is running a half marathon, 13.1 miles.  Each participant is given eight hours and thirty minutes to complete the course.  My goal for this second event was to be twenty minutes faster in each of the disciplines which would have me finish with an hour to spare, plenty of time.  So, how did I do?

Swim - Oceanside harbor is like a pool without lane lines.  It is protected and safe.  There are swells and current at the mouth of the harbor if the ocean is turbulent with waves.  This morning there were no waves.  The water was perfect.  I couldn't have had better conditions.  It took me a few hundred yards to find a comfortable stroke and breathing rate.  Once I got my stroke and breathing settled, I kept aiming for the next bouye marker.   I completed the swim in under fifty seven minutes; eighteen minutes faster then last year.  My day has started off great!

Bike - Fifty six miles in the saddle.  The first twenty eight miles are beautiful California coast line, with the Pacific ocean on my left and the green coastal hills on my right.  It is a gorgeous ride.  Then you turn right to enter Camp Pendelton Marine base.  This is home to three major climbs.  The first is short and steep; one mile of 8% grade.  The second is long with up and down rolling road and will lull you into thinking you're not climbing until it's too late.  The third climb will test what you have left in your legs with a long, slow assent.  It's easy to get caught looking at the beautiful coastal California terrain but with both the cross and head winds, my eighty millimeter deep disk wheels catching the winds, and some lower back pain; I had enough to concentrate on then to get lost in the vistas.  Besides this is an active marine base.  They are training with light arms and tanks.  I just wanted to get outta there as fast as possible.  Back at transition in Oceanside harbor, I checked my time it read five hours.  Last year I was at five hours and fifty minutes after the swim and bike portions.  I had completed the bike portion in under four hours!  One more thing to do and I will finish.  I just have to rack my bike and get in my running shoes.

Run - You will think that after swimming and biking a total of 57.2 miles that running a half marathon would be difficult.  Well you are correct!  Over this past year, keeping up on my running has been difficult at best.  Work, family, and other commitments took over my life though out the year.  This would be the most difficult half marathon I have ever run.  The course is two loops and finishes at the Oceanside Pier, one mile away from transition at Oceanside harbor.  My plan was to manage myself though out the run.  I carry a water bottle with me and two emergency energy gels.  I would take water and nutrition from every other aid station on the course.  They say "nothing new on race day" but I am wearing my new running shoes for the first time today.  In the first three miles I had to stop twice to adjust the lacing and tying of my right shoe.  My foot felt swollen in the shoe and I was getting some pain on the right outside part of my right foot.  Finally, I stopped noticing anything with my right foot and shoe, but my running wasn't going so well.  It had become more of a jog/walk then an actual run.  It's hot, I'm hot, I'm taking more nutrition then I realize, I'm taking more water and gatoraide than I thought I would.  Am I going to complete this?

Triathlons will give you a race bib and stickers with your number on them.  You put the stickers on your bike and bike helmet and wear the race bib either on a shirt or a belt.  Also, they will write your race number on your triceps and your age on your calf.  I have always wondered why they want to write my age on my calf.

It's mile 11 of the half marathon and I'm really struggling.  A police officer has jokingly said to me I should run after another participant in front of me as though she has stolen my wallet.  I didn't get the joke.  Shortly after that I am passed by two men who stop their jog about ten feet in front of me.  My head is down and I'm not really focusing on anything, just thinking how much further to the next aid station. 46 and 47.  Why am I seeing this?  Why is it registering?  It's the number on the calves of the two men who just passed me.  They're in front of me.  They're in my age group.  They're in front of me and in my age group!  I have a better pace than they do.  If I can get them behind me, I should be able to keep them there.  I want my place in my age group.  I get my jog going and pass them.  I pass three more men in my age group on my way to the next aid station and mile 12.

With one mile to go, the course takes you back on the Strand and you can see Oceanside Pier and start to visualize where the finish line is.  There are two aid stations left.  The first one is a party, lots of music and cheering.  I start to get emotional.  I have to get control of myself.  I can't run like this.  The second and final aid station is more cheering and more emotion.  Control, I tell myself.  I enter the two hundred yard finishing chute and another wave of emotion.  I can't have my family see me like this.  They are cheering for me at the one hundred yard mark.  I see my son, high five my daughter, and blow a kiss to my wife.  I cross the finish line, arms raised in victory, and turn quickly to check the time: eight hours, six minutes.  I did it!  I'm handed my medal, finishers hat, and a cold bottle of water.  I walk forward to have my picture taken, they take two.  Then turn to walk out and I see my family coming towards me.  I began to sob and collapse onto my wife's shoulder.  She's asking me what's wrong, what's the matter?  All I can say is, "I did it.  I did it.  I fucking did it."

I finished, kind of...

   This past weekend was my first Ironman triathlon event.  It was a 70.3 mile distance and was an amazing experience.  I did finish, kind of .  It depends on who you ask and how you look at it.

     In the athlete guide it states that you have one hour and fifteen minutes from the start of the last wave to complete the swim, five hours and thirty minutes to complete the bike, and eight hours and thirty minutes to complete the run.  I realized on Saturday that this is not logical.  Why would I be given an unfair advantage than those athletes whose start times are after mine.  I was in wave start nineteen and there were twenty three wave groupings.  This did not occur to me until after the race.  No matter what, I knew, for myself, the race was going to be close.

     I finished the swim in one hour and twelve minutes and forty-two seconds.  It was not easy for me by no means.  Many triathletes will finish the one point two mile swim well under one hour.  I am the back of the pack, but that doesn't bother me.  While in transition, getting out of swim gear and into bike gear, I heard the announcer announce the arrival of the final official swimmer.  Crap!  I've got to get moving.  I grab my bike and go.

     I finished the fifty-six mile bike in four hours and eighteen minutes and seven seconds.  At the dismount line I asked an official what was the time.  They answered, "one minute fourteen seconds."  I asked what that meant.  The official said that was the amount of time left for cutoff.  Holy crap!  I just made it.  There were many riders I passed on the last ten miles of the bike who would not be running today.  I felt bad for them, the effort they put in to get to today and the race.  However, I had to get out of my bike gear and into my run gear.  As I left transition I heard some officials talking about time left.  One say to the other there were three hours left.  As I ran to the "run out" banner, I asked an official if I had three hours left.  The official looked at the clock, looked at their watch and said yes.  I can do this!

     I finished the thirteen point one mile run (half marathon) in two hours and forty-five minutes and thirty-nine seconds.  I am not a speedy person, but running is my strongest of the three disciplines in triathlon.  My personal best for this distance is two hours and seven minutes.  I figured if I ran a two hour and thirty minute half marathon I would finish the race and celebrate.  The first lap of the two loop course was easier than the second.  I did walk on the second lap, took water and Gatorade, and ate orange wedges at every aid station.  I knew I had this in the bag.

     Coming down the finish chute first I heard my wife cheering me, then I saw her.  And my kids there with their hands out to give me a high five as I finish.  I fist pump my way across the finish line.  I am greeted by my good friend and his wife, Scott and Chantelle Perrine.  I am given my finisher medal and hat, and immediately get my picture taken.  It was a perfect ending to the race.  Official time DNF.

     DNF stands for Did Not Finish.  My total time for the race was eight hours and thirty two minutes and fifteen seconds, but I only had eight hours and thirty minutes to officially finish from the start of my wave while I floated in the Oceanside harbor waiting for the gun to sound for me.  The bitter cruelty of Ironman is this: once the race starts it becomes difficult to keep track of each competitor and what their individual time is at any given point.  So they set up arbitrary time cutoffs to ensure the end of the race by a certain time.  Looking back, when I asked the official if I had three hours to finish, I actually had two hours and forty minutes based on my wave start.  So, did I finish?  Depends on who you ask.

   

Dead Last

On Sunday August 16th I finished the Hanson Dam Triathlon, Olympic distance, but that's not to say it was awesome.  This was the worst race of my life.  An Olympic distance triathlon consists of a 1500 meter swim followed with a 22 mile bike ride and finished with a 10k (6.2 mile) run.  It was my first triathlon at this distance, my third triathlon overall and it was a challenge from the moment the air horn went off.

1500 meter swim, somehow I forgot all of my pool training: head down, breath every two strokes, relax.  I was a mess.  The sun was coming up and I couldn't spot where I wanted to swim to.  Half way into the first of three 500 meter laps the lifeguards started asking if I was in distress or needed help.  Are you kidding me?  I'm not drowning.  I'm struggling out here.  Finally, somewhere on the last lap I was able to swim as I had trained and I finished and got the hell out of the water.

22 mile bike ride.  This was the best part I felt good throughout the two 11 mile laps.  Somewhere along the first lap I realized I was riding with riders on their second lap.  But that didn't bother me.  I knew I had a second lap to go.

10k run.  On the bike ride I was feeling a pain at the top of my right calf.  After about 200 yards into the run, my right knee started to hurt.  I injured my knee long ago in college, tearing the meniscus.  This pain today wasn't sharp like that, it was more on the side and back of the knee.  Ligaments.  Really, now the ligaments in my right knee are hurting and I have 6 miles to go.  It is hot, aid stations are running short of water and electrolite drinks and I have to deal with a bum wheel.  The run portion became a walk/run.

When I finished, I was greeted by my family and I went immediately to the medical tent.  The race coordinators were already handing out the podium medals.  Do they give one for dead last?

Post Script
The victory does not go to those on the sideline, the critic or naysayer who never try but are quick to comment and advise against.  It is those in the arena who with their effort, sweat, and heart tho beaten and last will rise again and again.  For it is far better to try and fail then to live like poor souls who know neither victory or defeat.

Inspiring and Insprational

Yesterday was the Special Olympics Unified Experience Triathlon.  It was a sprint distance triathlon made up of 750m swim, 11 mile bike, and 5k run.  My unofficial time was 1:50.  I'm ok with it because it was my first open water swim in competition, the bike wasn't my best effort, but once I started running I felt great.  

Seeing the Olymipans from 5 countries competing for pride (this was a non medal event) was amazing.  They had at least a 30 minute head start on me and the other participants.  By the time I was out of the water and back to the transition area, the lead Olympian was leaving for the run.  He did the swim in 11 - 12 minutes where it took me about 23:30  to complete the swim.  Then we had to run up the beach about a tenth of a mile to the bike path and run another tenth of a mile to the transition area.  It was crazy.  

I passed two Olympians on the bike; shouting words of encouragement to them as I went by.  On the run (an out and back course so I could see participants coming back in as I went out to the turn around) I saw a Costa Rican Olympian.  She had a couple of participants with her.  She was grabbing, rubbing one thigh, and I could tell the participants were helping her, encouraging her.  She was hurting.

I get to the turn around and start back, and I start to think I might catch the Costa Rican Olympian.  I see her before the last aid station on the course.  It's about half a mile to the finish line.  She still has the two participants at her side.  The three of them stop at the aid station.  I am approaching, watching.  The first aid attendants and the Olympian speak about her leg.  She waives them off and continues down the run course with her two participant helpers.  

As I catch up to them I hear her name, Anne.  It's Anne of Costa Rica, the Olympian.  I pass the trio and tell Anne she is doing great.  As I continue on I tell everyone I pass that Anne is coming, cheer for Anne.  I am finishing my race, but leaving a trail of support for the real finishers this day, the intellectually challenged young people who make up the Special Olympics. 

This event was a billed as a Unified Experience, non Olympic event.  I bought my way in, but these athletes earned their entry.  This wasn't just another event for me and never was.  I didn't know what to expect for myself other than a personal check to see how I am progressing with triathlon training.  As I walked my bike back to my car, carrying my gear: I couldn't help my feelings of pride and inspiration.  Proud to have competed along side such deserving athletes.  Inspired by the human spirit, will, and determination.

I am looking forward to Saturday when I return to the Special Olympics Unified Experience where I will again compete along side Special Olympics athletes from around the world in a half marathon.

P.S.  Anne of Costa Rica finished a few minutes after me to a throng of cheering fans, supporters, and me.

Not Bragging, Just Saying

I post a lot of my work out and race results on social networks and I get a lot of positive feedback.  I truly appreciate it.  The "likes" and positive comments are a social wave of support  helping to carry me forward.    No matter my individual goal for an event, a cheering crowd can carry me to the finish line.  This social component is enjoyable and reassuring.  I'm never bragging about my accomplishments as there are plenty of people better than me at any sport or activity.  However, as I reach a personal goal I like to say something about the accomplishment.  The countless workouts running, biking, and now swimming, my pre race selfies, post race results, and medal photos tell my story.  

I am a firm believer that sports and competition are one of the best ways to build self esteem, confidence, and personal courage.  There are things I won't do, like throw myself out of a perfectly good airplane.  But there are plenty of other things that I didn't think I could do, and am doing them.  I hope my story will inspire someone to try a race of any distance or discipline.  What you learn about yourself is more than you will find in any book.  I'm not bragging, just saying.