It’s a New Dawn
2021 Wallis Sands Triathlon
The Wallis Sands Triathlon was supposed to be the fifth triathlon of an action pack triathlon summer, but turned out to be the only triathlon I stepped onto the starting line for. While training for an ironman distance triathlon back in May, I was in a bike accident that overextended my right Achilles tendon. Initially I thought I’d bounce back quickly from the injury. I was so wrong. Two weeks after the accident, I realized the severity of the injury, and I made the decision to spend the summer working remote and recovering at my parents’ home in New Hampshire. New York City is a “hustling” place, and I lost all my “hustle” after that accident. With great support from my parents, my coach Danielle Mack, Access Sports Medicine, and Kate Schwartz Physical Therapy, I was able to make progress every week with my Achilles. Slowly, but surely.
Recovering from the “NYC hustle” by way of aquabiking.
It’s often difficult to be patient with injuries, but it’s so important to take it one week at a time. You can’t think about the registered races you canceled with no refund, you can’t get upset seeing people who are able to run, and you can’t feel sad when there are days the pain feels worse. Mental stress only makes pain worse. Instead, you have to focus on what you can do.
This summer I was able to participate in the aqua bike (swimming and biking) event, which wasn’t so rough on my Achilles tendon. The first aqua bike I did was my first and hopefully last DNF (Did Not Finish) because I missed a turn on the bike. However in the other two aqua bikes I did that summer I placed first and had some of the fastest bike splits overall. Winning those aqua bike races gave me some nice confidence boosts. I had another nice confidence boost later that summer when I got myself a new triathlon bike! I used the money from my insured Iceland triathlon trip to buy it.
When life hands you lemons, get a wicked fast tri bike.
It wasn’t until I met my now girlfriend Kerry that I honestly felt things were going to be okay. I had plenty of physical and mental setbacks this summer because I was worried about my future as both a filmmaker and an endurance athlete. Yet whenever I spent time with Kerry, she always made these pains go away. What happened before Kerry didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered now was the time we’d being sharing now together. I haven’t felt so excited and happy about the future than I do now. If you’re reading this Kerry, thank you for saving me.
Okay back to the nitty gritty recovery training stuff. After a month of no running, I spent the next month gradually running/walking on the track near me. By early August I was able to jog continuously two miles. At the point I felt it was fine to return to the “hustling" city.
My first few weeks in the NYC I ran primarily in Central and Prospect Park and continued to increase my speed and jogging distance. In the city I also took swimming lessons to relearn how to swim front crawl properly. It turned out I had been turning my neck way too much instead of turning my torso to breathe. Sure the lessons were expensive, but now I don’t have as much neck/shoulder pain as I used to. I strongly recommend anyone doing triathlons to get proper swimming instructions.
By September I was ready to do a triathlon! I had two triathlons left that I registered for: a sprint distance triathlon up near my parents in NH called Wallis Sands Triathlon (September 19th) and Ironman Chattanooga in Tennessee (September 26th). There was no way I could do the Ironman in Chattanooga comfortably and be ready for NYC Marathon a few weeks later. Coach Danielle and I felt it was best to focus my time on having a great race at Wallis Sands and not worry about completing an Ironman this year.
Wallis Sands Triathlon is a sprint distance triathlon (1/3 mile swim, 14.5 mile bike, 5K run) located on the NH seacoast. Because I did this same triathlon in 2016, I knew the flat course very well and I really wanted to break my personal record of 1:10:10. “As long as the Achilles holds up,” Coach Danielle said, “go for the PR!” I took the week off before the triathlon so I could have an enjoyable and stress free time prior to the triathlon. The only thing that was a little eventful was that I went to a friend’s wedding the day before the triathlon, which meant eating the veggie option and not staying up too late. The wedding was so much fun. It’s great to have an event or activity to do the day before a race that keeps your mind off the stresses of a race. For some people it might mean reading a book, for others it could be going to a wedding!
I felt really great the morning of race day, I mean really great! I had no aches or worries. My parents and my brother Wyatt came with me to see the race. The weather was perfect Indian summer weather, and there was a beautiful sunrise worth waking up early to. It was a new dawn, one that made me forget the past and helped me focus on being my best self. This race I wanted to do great for the people who helped me so much this summer like my parents and coach Danielle, but most especially Kerry.
Into the rip current!
Then the swim happened. The water temperature was alright at 60°F, but the waves were choppy and there was some rip currents in the water that made it difficult to swim proper strokes. Everything I learned from those swimming lessons I couldn’t really do, and I was just trying to get breaths without taking in saltwater. Accidentally swallowing saltwater often leads to rough cramps on the running leg of the triathlon. In past races I would panic when I swam in rough and cold ocean water. However after passing the first buoy and getting a good swim rhythm, I was thinking about the happy memories I had with Kerry and I no longer worried about the rough conditions. After rounding the halfway point I was swimming with the current and made it quickly back to shore/transition area. With conditions rougher than the 2016 Wallis Sands swim, I finished 8 seconds faster.
Even with a tough headwind, I was able to get some good speed with the new triathlon bike. It’s always nice to know the course ahead of time so you can anticipate the hills and turns. Each time I was in position to pass someone, I was mentally calling out friends and family members to give myself a boost in their honor. Halfway through the course, I was no longer able to pass anyone. I didn’t see anyone ahead of me. “Was I in the lead now?” I thought. I didn’t believe I was in the lead, so I continued to power hard through the rest of the ride and mentally called out those I cared about for a power boost. It wasn’t until I was back in the transition area that I found out who was in the lead…
Heading into a headwind.
Sure enough I was in first place! The last leg of the triathlon, the 5k run, was an in-and-out 1.5 mile run. A volunteer on a bike was following me, which made me feel great. I’ve only ever been that close to the “lead bike” in one other race, and that was in the self supported 2020 Bucks County Marathon last year. In that race, I was able to keep the lead from Mile 13 to Mile 18, but after running out of water I fizzled out at Mile 18 and three people passed me. That marathon was in the past, and there was no way I was going to let anyone pass me when I had the lead this time.
Runnin’ to Momma!
At the 1.5 mile turnaround I could see the racers behind me. After feeling a little bit of a side stitch I kept my 5:50/mile split constant until the last mile when I wanted to make sure I gave everything I had left. This was my race to defend now. I’ve been told to not look back in a race, but when you’re in the lead you have to. When I did I saw no one, which motivated me to run even faster. The Achilles still felt fine after the speed increase, and sooner than I knew it I was at the finish with a new personal record of 1:05:56. A couple seconds later after crossing the finish line, I saw Momma and we gave each other a big hug. We were so happy. I just won a triathlon for the first time.
I wouldn’t say that after all of this I was back to where I was prior to the accident. I was on a different path now, one that was better than anything I could’ve hoped for. If you’re still reading this Kerry, thank you again. I love you.
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life, for me. And I’m feeling good. I’m feeling good.”
