Help me Make-a-Wish come true!

Here we are 4 weeks away from my second 70.3 race.  This one is the Timberman 70.3 in Gilford, NH. Since this is 2 years from my first one, I am a bit nervous.  Up until this point, this race always seemed so far away that, although I was training, it didn't register how close it was.  Now that we are down to the wire, I am worried that I haven't trained enough and I feel like I need to go crazy with training. I think this is the normal feeling, but nonetheless, am worried about the race, and also excited. I will be participating in this race with a number of friends, which will make race day very fun, despite being exhausting.

Regardless of how worried I am about the race, I am able to compete.  There are many people who cannot take part in something like this and may never get the chance.  Which is why I am fundraising for the New Hampshire branch of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.  This organization is great!  If, for some reason, you have no idea what the Make-a-Wish Foundation is about check it out here. If you'd like to donate, please Donate Here. If there is anyone you would like me to specifically race for, please send me a message and I will put their name somewhere on my body, bike, wetsuit, etc. I will try to accommodate picture if people send them as well.

From this point, I will keep you updated more frequently regarding the fundraising process and how much we have raised.

Thanks in Advance!!


Video from Make-a-Wish New Hampshire

shout it from the rooftops...

over the past few years, i have made it an absolute priority to do exactly what i said i was going to do.  it may sound very easy and basic, but it's not.  so many of us have such great goals and aspirations, and they begin to fall the wayside as life rolls on.  not me....

as i prepare to turn 30 this year, i am starting to make a 'to-do' list for the next decade.  (in a future post, i will share the entire '30 for 30') and one of the first things on my list is 'earn my entry into the world championships in kona, hawaii'.

when i first took up the sport of triathlon, i scoured the internet for as much information as possible.  but, most of the time, i sat, teary-eyed, watching youtube videos of the ironman race in kona.  i have thought about it every day since.  even now, when i need some inspiration, i watch the finishers cross that line in kona.  you should check it out, truly amazing.  therefore, as i enter my third year in the sport, my sole objective is to qualify for kona.  how the hell am i going to do this???

this year is shaping up to be extraordinary.  roselle and i are in the final planning stages of our wedding and i am considering a career move.  planning a wedding is, let's just say, interesting.  so we are having two weddings, yup, two.  the first one is a destination wedding in st. maarten, and the local celebration will follow a month later.  once we had the date set, i started my plan of attack for racing/qualifying for kona.  (and this is one of the many reasons why i knew this girl was the girl)  i propositioned this to roselle, 'a week after our destination nuptials, ironman 70.3 st. croix is only a 30 minute plane ride away and would serve a nice start to the honeymoon.'  and she bought it!!!  the race in st. croix is one the few half-ironman distances with qualifying spots for kona.  it is one of the oldest and toughest races on the 70.3 circuit.  check it!  still, the question arises, how the hell am i going to do this???

this is what planning a wedding looks like!

loterie farms nature reserve st. martin (french-side)

where i will have my last supper before the 'beast'

in 2013, i took an hour off my overall half-ironman distance time.  that is quite a bit, but let's face it, my first 70.3 in 2012 wasn't anything special.  but, in early 2013, i did my best to not miss an opportunity to improve.  i certainly made vast improvements, but in order to qualify for a race like kona, i needed to mentally and physically be at a world championship level.  therefore, in the fall of 2013, i enlisted the guidance of scott at go fast get fit, llc and established a route to kona.  honestly, i have never pushed myself harder than i do now.  this winter, i have built a fantastic base and we are now entering the build for st. croix.  it is super exciting and physically draining, and i love it.  so, in future entries i will lay out my race plan for st. croix, workouts and let you in on my mental and physical states.  the data may be boring, but the mental part might be exciting for any psychiatrists or therapists out there...

january totals

swim - 24.1 miles
bike - 425 miles
run - 93.3 miles
strength - 10.25 hours
mental state - pretty good, losing my patience with winter

stay tuned for further updates!

Nothing Fits!

This past weekend, I had a meltdown about my weight.  My clothes all fit tight (which has been slowly happening over the past couple weeks). I haven't even really paid it much mind in the past 2 years. (I haven't had to)

For those of you who don't know, I had lost 60 lbs a few years back after I started running.  I had kept that off and even lost a little more over the past couple years due to all the training.  This year, the perfect storm came together and I have gained some of it back.  First in this process was that the treadmill broke.  I had planned on getting a new one in the fall (obviously didn't happen).  I then waited until January because that is when I was told fitness equipment gets the biggest discounts.  (so far, not true).  The second part of this was that I did 3 full marathons in the fall and I was burned out from running and was happy to take some time off. (Big mistake!) I agree that some time off to let your body heal is good.  However, if you are like me, I run so that I can eat whatever I want. (that doesn't work if you don't run for 6 weeks).  The other reason I took the colder weather off is that I am not running the Disney Marathon this year. I have run the Disney Marathon the past two years and that has kept me running through the winter months.

So, I joined Planet Fitness (until I decided on the treadmill for my house).  I have started to use the Lose It app again.  I hope to be back to "fighting weight" in no time.  We will see how it all goes, but I have to be, because I have a half marathon in march and a half ironman in august.

I have to look at my weight gain in a positive light.  It has made me start tracking foods again and (hopefully) keeping a better diet for myself going forward.  It has made me finally start running again.  And it has made me realize that my weight loss is a thing that I must maintain.  I never want to be as heavy as I was again.  So I have the same goal weight (that I never achieved before) but now it's a little further away.  I will get there and this will be my new starting point.


+20, 30 to goal

the finish line

days before ironman lake placid, i gazed at the finish line.  i dreamt of how i would cross, in all of my glory as the 'voice' called out my name.  on race morning, it was my only goal.  get to that finish line.  i didn't have a certain time to beat or specific split i needed to attain.  crossing that line, knowing that i could cover the 140.6 miles, was it.

the gun fired into the air and it was time.  all the training, the pain, and the sweat i put in for this day was finally here.

swam the 2.4 miles in 1:05

rode the 112 miles 

topped off the day with a marathon

as i made the final turn towards the finish line, i was truly elated.  there it was, what i have dreamed about for so long.  the past 12 hours of pain disappeared as i heard my name and my body crossed that sacred line.  johnny little, you are an ironman!

i met up with my family/support crew, took some photos and wanted to eat something.  as we strolled back to the house, the medal around my neck warranted countless congratulatory comments.  i did my best to explain to my family all of the details from the race (i'm certain they had no idea what i was talking about, but they listened or pretended to listen intently).  we ate, showered and went back to the finish line to cheer on the final finishers.  it was there, where i started to realize what i had just done, what i had just completed.  

as we high-fived the finishers making the final turn, you would see these absolutely spent, tired bodies, completely rejuvenated as they set their eyes upon that finish line.  smiles returned to beaten faces, backs were straightened and feet found their swift steps again.  it's magical to see.  quite unreal how a simple line along the pavement could yield such a reaction. 

the next day, with my legs up for the long ride back home, my sister sent me an email.  

A proud sister's response :)

Ironman

x

Sara Little <sara5581@yahoo.com>	Jul 29
to me

Johnny,
Johnny Little, you are an ironman! Seeing you cross that finish line w your dream becoming a reality and knowing you were crossing for us, your family/support crew, filled my eyes w tears. In that moment I realized why you wanted/needed to do this...you had to do something greater than who you are...you had to make what most people see as impossible, possible. And the amount of strength and courage that took is awe-inspiring. I couldn't have been happier as I smiled through my tears. And in that moment there were a few things I wanted you to know...

Regardless of you crossing that line, I love you-I always have and always will. Regardless of you crossing that line, I'm proud of you-I always have been and always will be. In my eyes, you have always had strength, courage, determination and no matter what life has thrown at you, you NEVER give up! Yesterday didn't make you an ironman. The thing is Johnny, you've been an ironman since the day you were born and I am honored and blessed to be your sister. Thank you for taking me on your journey and no matter how hard it may be at times, I will always be there cheering you on because I BELIEVE in you-I ALWAYS have and ALWAYS will!

Enjoy this moment...you deserve it!

W all my love,
A very proud and impressed big sis


Sent from my iPhone

her 'response' brought me to tears.  see, i left four letters on race morning for my family.  i wanted to express to each of them what they truly meant to me along this journey.  and that was her response.

1. my brother-in-law, training partner and co-creator of aluminum boy, brandon.

2. my sister, 'team manager' and best friend, sara.

3. my mother who has believed in me when so many wouldn't.

4. my fiance, my partner, roselle.

to say i was simply moved by her words would be an understatement.  little does she know that i have read this note just about every day since i first received it.  and in the months that have past since i crossed that finish line, her letter has helped me to understand what i had done.  

don't get me wrong, i was super excited to have become an ironman, but it took some time for it to sink in.  my journey to get to that finish line started out a year earlier when i began in the sport of triathlon.  i started telling friends and family that i will be doing an ironman.  from that i would have to explain what ironman was, and normally was met with 'are you crazy'?  but, i set a goal and had to complete it.  nothing was going to stop me.  then, may 4th, 2013 happened...

for those who have followed this blog before, know that my face met the pavement and i broke some teeth, my jaw and needed stitches on may 4th.  from the moment i sat up on the road, examining my bike, i thought about that finish line.  how am i going to pull this off?  i can't eat whole foods for 4 weeks??  what am i going to do?

as i sat on our couch with my jaw just wired shut, i figured that my goal wouldn't happen this year.  there's always another time, another race...  but, i was angry and frustrated.  if i could have yelled and screamed, i would have.  instead, i spent the night sulking around.  the next morning, roselle asked if i looked over my bike and how bad was it.  i went out to the garage, put the chain back on, tried my best to polish out the scratches and, to my surprise, realized that it wasn't bad at all.  after cleaning it, i brought in inside and set it up on the trainer.  should i ride?  my body felt fine and i worried that if i didn't get right back on the bike, i never would. (to this day, i still think about the crash)  so, i climbed aboard and pedaled away.  within a day or two, i re-wrote my training plan and set course again for lake placid.  running was quite difficult, but doable.  swimming was out of the question.  but, even though i was wired shut, i kept plugging along toward that finish line.

Roselle Delos Santosposted toJohnny Little

June 11 via mobile

reasons why you are already an Ironman in my eyes:

1. not more than a month ago your jaw was wired shut
2. you endured not only my cooking but my cooking in a blender and/or softened
3. sleepless nights in discomfort and pain only to wake up and stick to the training regimen
4. you were back on the saddle, proverbial and literal, after 3 days to overcome the fear that would consume the best of us
5. you moved forward when most would step back

You have 2nd degree burns and priceless experience and knowledge to take onto your next feat. I can't wait to share the moment with you when Mike Reilly says Johnny Little from Sparrowbush, NY in July. May you always remember all the above in the meantime. I love you infinitely.

roselle wrote this to me via facebook and i used #5 as my mantra from that day forward.  any low point in training and even on race day, i repeated that line over and over again. 

it was the journey that brought me to that finish line.  the ups, the downs.   it's truly remarkable what it takes to cross that finish line.  for me, it was an ironman, but that line could be just about anything in life.  and when a bump in the road knocks you off course, just take a moment to right yourself and keep moving forward.  

define your line, then cross it.

racing in canadia, eh?

i decided to race ironman 70.3 muskoka when i heard that ironman would be offering additional spots to the world championship in mont tremblant race next year.  figured it would be my best chance thus far to make it to championships, since i just turned 29 and would be 'aging-up' next year (racing in the 30-34 age group next year, ew... 30).  the race was 6 weeks after lake placid and i figured that i would be in top form.  armed with my new super amazing garmin 910xt (birthday gift from my beautiful lady) and coach scott, who worked the heck out of me, my spot at the championship was waiting for me.

roselle and i decided to make a bit of a long weekend out of the trip, as we try to do with most races.  since it's roughly 9 hours away, we planned on spending a couple days in niagara falls to break up all the driving.

 we be looking good...

took in the sights and sounds of the roaring waters.  journeyed behind the falls and rode on the maid of the mist.  it's beautiful and amazing.  my savvy bride-to-be booked a room through groupon, which was awesome because it came with food and play vouchers.  they were so handy because damn, it's expensive.  i understand that it's a tourist trap, but whoa.  

stunning, eh?

we continued our journey deeper into canadia early saturday morning, arriving just before registration opened.  

once i was all checked in and signed the form for my possible championship spot, we made our way to the lake for a quick swim.  the transition area was directly in front of the host hotel, and the swim start/finish was quite a bit away.  i carefully examined the swim finish and the hill i would have to climb to get to transition.  took a dip in the lake and was surprised at how warm it was.  it had been chilly lately, and i assumed the lake would be cooler.  felt great.

if we have the opportunity, roselle and i prefer to stay at a bed and breakfast.  fortunately, we booked accommodations at the portage inn, which was located about 10 minutes from the race venue and was on the bike course.  i reassembled my bike and rode it down to transition.  da batmobile was ready to go.

race day

the start of the race was 8am, which gave me another hour of sleep/preparation.  not sure why, since they normally start at 7, but it certainly was welcomed.  the weather was a bit chilly, 50 degrees, but it was going to be a perfect day, high was 62-64 and sunny.  it was announced that the swim was wetsuit legal and suggested being that the temp was 65.  i had been nervous about the water temperature since i only have a sleeveless wetsuit.  wished it was warmer, but i figured i would man-up and not panic.  plus, at the start, there were a few girls going without a wetsuit and one guy in a speedo.  these canucks are serious.  

my wave started 24 minutes after the start and besides lake placid, our wave included women 18-29.  normally, i just swimming around a bunch of dudes.  we hit and kick each other a few times and before long, we seemed to spread out.  so, i'm not sure if it was because of the inclusion of the females, but that swim start was vicious.  i was punched, kicked and bitten.  not sure about the last one, but it was crazy.  i consider myself to be a strong swimmer and each time i would try to move up, it seemed like someone was there to kick or hit me.  

as i made the final turn towards the swim finish, i started getting cold.  never had this happen before.  i tried not to panic and made every attempt to warm myself up.  didn't really work, but i kicked harder and tried to finish strong.

swam 31:22, not my best

i climbed the hill to transition and started out on the bike.  it was a stunning course with wonderful views.  i taped the course profile on my front water bottle so i knew where and when all the hills were.  definitely helpful, but holy smokes, they weren't kidding about the hills.  

it was quite technical and you needed all of your gears.  the roads were pretty rough too.  the director stated that the course was pristine, so i was really surprised at how bad they were.  saw a few bad crashes and a lot of road rash.  thankfully, i escaped without any marks, just tired legs.

rode 2:56.  happy with ride, not happy with time

now it was back into transition and out onto the run course.  this is where i normally fall apart.  whether its nutrition or lack of strength, my run splits have never been too good.  in training, i run like a gazelle. well, maybe not, but i haven't been able to produce a run split during a race that reflects my ability.  but i was going to heed the advice of coach scott and also, use my garmin to set my pace.  i've never raced with a garmin before.  it's been the best product for training and improving.  so i built up my legs for the first few miles.  in past races, i would fly out of transition and by the end, would be walking.  this time was to be different.  

the course was, yup you guessed it, hilly.  it seemed that every time you went down a hill an uphill was waiting right around the corner.  but, i kept on chugging along.  tried to be as consistent as possible.  i finally made the turn towards the finish and saw the finishing line tape waiting for me.  i haven't been the overall winner yet, so breaking the tape at the finish line was awesome.  very cool muskoka!  took a final glimpse at my watch, 1:52 for the run.  i took 21 minutes off my best run split prior.  sweet!

as i met up with roselle, she gave me all of my specifics.  '13th out of water' '16th off bike' and '19th after run'.  i was really surprised with my swim, but more surprised with the other two.  usually, i'm dropped on the bike and run by much more than that.  so i'm certainly moving in the right direction, but i didn't earn my spot to the world championships this time.  whammy!  i was hoping for a better ending too...

it was my best time in the 70.3 distance and that was worth celebrating.  

i am the batman

i started the day off a bit nervous.  every time you do something for the first time, it's scary.  you're not sure what to expect.  but as we drove to the race site, i settled down a bit.  'you've completed 3 half-ironmans, this is half of that distance', 'calm down weirdo'.  even though it was a shorter distance, i was a bit concerned on timing.  presently, it's exactly two weeks away from ironman lake placid.  so, i couldn't push too hard, no sense getting hurt, you know?  however, i have a problem with competition. 

my first olympic distance triathlon, orange county triathlon, consisted of 1500 meter swim (just shy of a mile) 40 kilometer bike (24.8 miles) and finishes with a 10 kilometer run (6.2 miles).  

as i made my way through the transition area, my bike, newly named, 'da batmobile', was turning heads and getting cat(woman) calls.  i have noticed that i have quite the popular bike, but i enjoy being unique. insert, 'da batmobile'. it is stealth,  gun-barrel black to match my flo cycling wheel set. and...it. is. sexy.  the boys at action bikes, my local bike shop, dubbed it 'da batmobile' after they put it all back together for me.  perfecto!  now...

da batmobile

while i set up my transition area, numerous competitors asked what kokua meant and also about my sweet race kit.  kokua is a hawaiian word, that translates as 'extending loving, sacrificial help to others for their benefit, not for personal gain...' which led to more questions about our team and my role as an ambassador for the ironman foundation.  it was fantastic having their complete attention as i spoke about all the intricacies of the team.  i've never felt so honored and humbled.  truly thankful for the opportunity to do something great, while completing a dream.

the swim was in the hudson river.  yup, the same river that flows down through nyc, but (i hope) a bit cleaner up north by me.  they labeled each 500 meters on buoys, which is a fantastic idea.  i swam straight and strong.  in and out in 18 minutes, wonderful swim.  game on, let's push...

dang, down to 160lbs

hopped aboard 'da batmobile' and went to work.  the course was quite hilly for the first half, but i loved the climbing.  didn't want to hurt myself too much, but the engine was motoring along, so i kept pedaling along.  the final mile was straight downhill back to the river, which crosses cobblestone patches.  thought i might pee my pants, which is cool in triathlon, but thankfully, made it back in one piece and looked to tackle the run.

sweet race kit right?

the run (which i didn't check the race profile prior) was 3.1 miles uphill, 3.1 miles downhill to the finish.  laced up my newtons and hit the pavement.  making my way uphill, i figured that i would definitely have negative splits on the day, bonus.  i was so happy to see the turnaround.  and then, an angel appeared before me. (whoa, didn't see that coming did you?)  a homeowner was out cheering us on and pulled out a cooler full of ice and water bottles.  it was magical.  i was so hot and prayed for shade and ice water to dump over my head and it appeared before my eyes.  so refreshing that it boosted my final push.

crossed the line 2:29:05, placing second in my age group.  not too bad.  especially, since i wasn't supposed to push too much.  t minus two weeks, 'da batmobile' will ride again in lake placid. 

by the numbers

Lincoln Park Triathlon June 30, 2013

it's a sprint distance triathlon... 500 meter swim, 10 mile bike ride and 3.1 run.  the swim is in the community lake, shallow and warm.  the bike course is flat and fast.  it's not closed to traffic, but the people there always seem to respect bikers.  that's not the case in my town.  the volunteers are everywhere on the course, and emt are on bike cruising the roads as well.  the run is out-and-back on a flat road.  even though the event organizers are friends, i would say the same thing anyways.  well organized, fun and safe race.  applebee's serves lunch at the end too.  it's a perfect race for a first timer.

they cap the entry off at 300 people.  i would say about 1/3 were above average competitors, a 1/3 average and 1/3 newbies.  last year, i started in the bottom third and finished in the middle.  but this year, i would only be satisfied with a win, or at least, top 3 finish.  as roselle and i drove down to the race, she wanted to know: 

1. my race plan

2. how i would deal with less competitive athletes

**i think she's a bit more concerned about me since my accident; and at eagleman, hearing about kessler crashing into an amateur**

race plan

in my super cool aussie accent 'i'm going to swim hard, bike hard, and run hard.  hopefully puke at finish'.  got a laugh, but i was serious.  body felt great and wanted to push.

bottom 1/3

her concern was about etiquette.  if i was going to push 24 mph on bike and the cruisers' weren't, maneuvering through the field could be difficult on second loop.  some spots it was, but 'on your left' followed by 'thank you' certainly works.  last year, i remember hearing that swooshing sound of fancy wheelsets coming, and i would move over.  thanks to the boys at flo cycling, i'm swooshing as i fly by. but race etiquette is learned by experience.  i'm certain i was in the way last year as i was learning the sport.

race time

at the last second, i decided to put on the wetsuit. water temp was 75.  it was legal, and my thought was that i'm quick to get out of it, so it won't hurt me in transition.  they divided the swim into waves by gender and age.  it's 500 meters, so it's an all-out effort.  gun went off and so did i.  before i knew it, i was passing the wave before us (starting 3 minutes ahead) and i was on dry land again.  super fast.

last year's swim 7:38, this year's 4:24 

stripped off the wetsuit and was on the bike in no time.  the bike course is flat and fast with a few turns. there's only one road that you really need to watch for potholes and the like.  i put my head down and pedaled hard.  my bike speed has certainly increased over the past year and i wanted to get to the front asap.  on the second loop, the majority of the competitors were now riding.  when and where i could, i'd turn it up and motor on by.  last year's bike split 28:38, this year's 26:32. sweet!

back into transition, i laced up the newton's.  they fit like a glove with no need for socks.  time saving bonus.

my #1 fan and personal photographer yelled at me to smile as i left transition.

i ran by myself for just about 2 miles.  there were a few older guys (wave 1 was 35-44 male) ahead of me and flying. a few caught me too.  on my way back to the finish, i shouted encouragements to my fellow racers, received a few comments on my sweet kicks and my behind.  i don't get it, but it's not the first time.

last year's 3.1 24:03, this year's 21:49

my overall time was 56:11.  improving by almost 8 minutes off of last year's time.  i took first in my age group, had the 3rd fastest swim time overall, 17th fastest bike overall and 24th fastest run of the day.  however, i didn't vomit at the finish line.  i felt pretty good, so i guess that means i need to push harder next time.