2012 Pumpkinman Half Ironman Aquabike Northeast Regional Championships

These races are just AWESOME and the events are very professionally run and well organized. I’m so thankful that my good friend Ken Johnson introduced me to them. I was living in NYC and attending F.I.T. when the World Trade Center’s were attacked on Sept. 11th, 2001. I eventually graduated from F.I.T. but I’ll never forget 9/11 or the days following it for the rest of my life. I think it’s a day that for many, if not all, changed our lives forever. It’s a day no one will ever forget. Racing on the weekend close to this day for a GREAT cause such as ALS brings a smile to my face and to me is a way of remembering and honoring all who gave their lives for this GREAT country and a way to hopefully find a cure for ALS. I had a wonderful experience racing in the 2012 Pumpkinman Half Ironman Auqabike Northeast Regional Championships and this is because of the event’s AWESOME race director Kat Donetello. I’m was able to switch last minute from the half ironman triathlon into the aquabike half ironman Northeast Regional Championships because of a right Achilles injury. Thanks to this I was able to rest my Achilles and still get in a good workout and then cheer on my teammates who where competing in the full Pumpkinman Half Ironman Triathlon. I had a blast and would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Kat and all those who make this such a GREAT event to race in and watch. My family had a BLAST at being spectators. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. because I live about 2 hours away from South Berwick, ME and I had to be set to leave at 3:30 a.m. The race was going to be starting very early around 7 a.m. so I had to get there and pick up my packet and then get my transition area set up well before 6:30 a.m. I did not mind waking up at this time because I knew what a GREAT event this was and I was looking forward to racing in it and that this was going to be my first ever aquabike event. I got to the race site around 5:30 a.m. and was nicely welcomed by volunteers and workers. I picked up my race packet and set up my transition spot. I was very excited to be racing in my 1st ever aquabike race. Usually I’m very nervous at the beginning of races but I was looking forward to this one because I did not have to run (lol). The run is my weakest leg of the triathlon so this aquabike seemed like it was going to be FUN. I did at times feel bad for not doing the whole half ironman but I knew I needed to rest my right Achilles if I wanted it to heal. It was nice to see many familiar faces and to have some teammates getting their transition areas set for the half ironman race. We talked and wished each other good luck and told a few jokes as usual to try to lighten the nervous mood. I went down to the water and jumped right in so I’d get a fairly good warm-up in. I swam out and back and did some breaststroke as well as backstroke to try to get all of my muscles loose. I was going off in the second wave behind the pro triathletes so I was looking forward to trying to catch the females on the bike. There was a great tribute and then the race meeting. The first wave of pro triathletes was sent off and then 2 minutes behind them the aquabike athletes were sent off. I quickly swam to the front, pushing it hard and tried to stay on the correct line to the buoys in front of me. I felt a little tight at the beginning of the swim but once I got about 200 yards into it I began to find a good rhythm in with my stoke and breathing. I could tell I was gaining on the pro wave and eventually caught some of them in the 2 loop swim course. I exited the water in 1st place in my wave and I think in around 3rd or 4th out of the pro women sent off In front of me. This race has a race within it. It has a good size grass hill that leads the athletes to T1 and there are timing mats at the bottom of it and top at it so everyone gets the time it takes for them to run up it. Then there is an award given to the fastest female and male that runs up it. I believe it’s a pair of nice new running shoes. I remember coming out of the water and just hoping and praying my right Achilles would not hurt running up the hill. I’m HAPPY to say it did not. I did take it easy and just jogged up the hill. Congrats to the winners of the hill. It was definitely steep and the winning times where fast. I had a fairly quick transition passing one of the pro female triathletes sent off in front of me. I mounted my bike, put on my shoes while peddling and started to hammer it. This was the first time I didn’t have to worry about running after the bike so I tried to push it very hard and not leave anything left. I wanted to be exhausted; a good exhausted meaning that I wanted to give it my all out on the bike. I quickly passed the remaining pro female triathletes in front of me. One, Amber Ferreira kept staying with me and we ended up going back and forth for the entire 56 miles. She is just awesome and I was completely impressed with her holding this pace and then knowing she was going to run 13.1 miles after it. I believe she knew I was not competition because my number on my bike showed I was in the aquabike bike. I completed the 1st loop of the bike course and knew there was only one more loop and I told myself now, I’ve got to push it even harder. Shortly into the 2nd loop I felt a pretty bad and sharp pain in my left quad and I looked down and saw a nasty yellow jacket. I quickly brushed it off but it did sting me and it got me good! This really scared me because I had never been stung before and both my parents are deathly allergic to any type of bee/wasp/yellow jacket stings. I remember thinking OMG… What am I going to do? What if I too am allergic to them? I was close to Amber and so I felt I needed to inform someone of what just happened to me in case I did have a bad reaction to the sting. I looked over at her and said I’ve just got stung by a yellow jacket. She was kind and said “Oh no…. Are you o.k.?” and I replied “I think so.” I needed to let someone know what happened in case I had a really bad reaction and well I figured she and I would keep going back and forth on the bike so I told her. I kept looking down at my left quad and looking at the sting spot trying to tell if it was swelling? It seemed to be o.k. but it hurt like hell… LOL… I’ve never been stung before but boy do they hurt and the pain does not go away… It’s bearable but still it hurts. I just kept telling myself only one loop left and then you can get this sting looked at and if you need take some Benadryl. I finished the 56 mile bike in a time of 2:24:41 avg. 23.2 mph and finishing the entire aquabike race in a time of 2:53:51 and winning it overall for both the females and males by a little over 5 minutes. I felt pretty good after crossing the finish line and I felt like I could run too but maybe not that fast (lol). It was a GREAT experience and I enjoyed the entire race. CONGRATS to all those that competed. This event is one of my favorite and one I plan to do as long as possible. The post race entertainment is just AWESOME! The post race turkey dinner is delicious and the awards are GREAT! I enjoyed watching and cheering my teammates on as they crossed the finish line of the half ironman! I’m so PROUD of them! I highly recommend these events to all athletes from beginners to pros. They are very inviting and spectator friendly. The kids even have some nice games set up for them to play. The venue has everything very close so one can easily enjoy the entire race without having to walk too far. It just ROCKS! I’m looking forward to racing at this event in the future. GOOD TIMES!