Number 134, Rob Kulessa from Toms River NJ..You Are A Lava Man!!

Well I have had a little over 24 hours to digest and evaluate. I finished the 2010 LavaMan in Lavallette NJ in 1:55. Originally I gave myself 3 hours to finish but after running the course a few times I felt 2:15 would be a really good time in.
Ok, let's take it from the top. I showed up at roughly 5:30, an hour and 25 minutes before start time and it seemed like it was nothing. I got there, got body marked, got my time chip, built my transition area, hit the bathroom and while there applied body glide to all sensitive areas (thank God because the Bodyglide truly made a huge difference in my performance). I then sprayed myself with Pam, slid on the wetsuit and headed down to the starting area to get a practicie swim in.
At 6:50 the young guys started and at 6:55AM, my triathlon journey began...
I had it, I really had it. I realized I wasn't racing against anyone but my own limitations and so my pace was really good. I was doing good until I hit the Jellyfish vacation resort and got stung about 13 times causing my left foot to begin to swell (more on that later). I kept on to my Ranger objective, I swallowed a little water here and there and I was out of the water in roughly 13 minutes. Not bad but I know I can do better next time.
My first Tri transition went smooth, I did everything right. As I was running into shallow water I put the goggles up and began to strip off the top part of the wetsuit. As I was stripping the last sleeve, I took off the cap and goggles, put the goggles inside the cap and held them in my hand as I stripped off that sleeve trapping the stuff in my sleeve (Thanks, Beginner Triathlete.com).
Onto the bike. As I was clearing the racks, I took in some nutrition, finished off some hydration and hit the mount line like I almost knew what I was doing instead of the newbie I actually was. I really made good time. I guess all of those days being a pain at Padi's Pedal Power paid off because the bike ran MAGNIFICENTLY!!!! Great Job, Ryan. You are the man!!!!!! The only thing we have to tweak is to see if there is a gear I can power easier from a standing position while holding pedal pace but increasing output. I actually caught people in this stage, it was fun. It was fun watching the top Tri athletes already on their run as I was halfway through with the bike. Coming into the dismount area, I did a great dismount but had some trouble re-racking the bike which cost me time (not like it would have mattered anyway :)). I finally racked the bike, grabbed my final bottle, exited the transition area and now.....
It was Ranger Up time. It was hot, I was getting spent and I still had 3.8 miles to go. It was then I fell into a combination of Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh and Ultra Marathon Man Dan Karno. I meditated and hydrated with Karno's leading principle...just put one foot in front of the other and keep going. It worked! As I got to the run's southern turn around point, I told myself that it was all homeward bound from there and that it was cupcakes and fun from this point. I pushed through and when I made the final turn-around on Ortley Ave, it was clear I was finishing this race. Actually it was never in doubt in my mind but actually making it happen is another thing. I wasn't crazy about the poor footing in the home stretch but crossing that line was AMAZING.
I have crossed a lot of finish lines in my life but none have ever felt as good as crossing the line at Lava Man.
Thanks go to Dr. Aque Alamo (IronMan finisher) for getting me into Tri, Thanks to All Star Sports Academy for the speed, agility, strength and conditioning work, Thanks to my really great friend Daria at Sasso Chiropractic for keeping me healthy to perform, Thanks to Padi's Pedal Power for making sure the bike performed masterfully and thanks to my family and my partner Phil who along with his bride MJ all met me at the finish line. Thanks to Chris and everyone at Jersey Shore Multi-Sport for holding the race and having it an enjoyable experience for this newbie who is now hooked on Tri.

Here We Are!

Well, in 24 hours from now I should be in T2 getting ready to run 3.8 miles to the finish line of my first Triathlon. I must say few things in my life have captured my imagination the way Tri has. The very essence of life and training is found in Tri. It becomes a complete commitment to fitness and well-being. A commitment to never doubt yourself and be all you can be (Yeah, I know Uncle Sam).
I know I haven't posted very often at all so I am going to explain how I got to this point.
Right after my last post somewhere after April 7th I found my old surfing wetsuit and began training in my backyard lagoon. While the water was cold, the suit worked as it should and the training became bearable. While Lava Man only calls for .33 on the swim, I am training at 1/2 mile simply because of the shape and design of my lagoon. It was just easier to swim one end of the lagoon to the other.
The bike was easy, the guys over at Padi's Pedal Power got my bike tuned up and re-fitted to make the road course much more easy and comfortable. I mapped out a 2 lap 14.5 mile course encompassing 2 neighborhoods around my house with most of the course on the scenic Barnegat Bay. I feel I may be able to make up some time on the bike. I was averaging 56 miles a week for this race. Not much but I do feel ready for tomorrow.
The run......ahhhhhh, my old companion. Running back in the 1980's for me was a lifestyle but marriage, kids and running 2 companies took time away and running fell to the wayside. Shame on me for letting that happen. I am back with a vengeance though. Miles upon miles have been run in preparation for this race. I shifted locations and distances to simulate different conditions and I am getting my groove back (although my days of 6:05 miles are long gone, I think).

Taken in it's entirety, Tri is a purely cerebral sport. Your mind has to see your body through the race. Your mind has to be able to read the body for any warning signs and your mind has to devise a strategy to best conquer that course in front of you.

Thanks Coach Aque or putting me in a position to finish my first Tri. From you I learned it ain't about winning, it is about looking good for the photo at the Finish Line. I will see you all at the Finish Line tomorrow morning.

Tri has scooped up another convert.