how can i possibly say that 126 is less than 1? was never good at math, but let me explain...
as i made my final turn down the shoot towards the finish, i heard the announcer and fans cheering. i spotted my family along the side, stretching their hands out for me to slap 'five'. so many emotions came over me and as i passed them, i began to choke up. holding back the tears, i heard the announcer call my name as crossed the finish line.
my family asked why i looked like i was going to break down. was it my achilles? no. was i in pain? yes, but that had nothing to do with the tears of absolute joy i was holding back.
eighteen weeks prior i had no pool, no bike and a torn achilles. as i told people what i was embarking on, most thought that i was crazy to think i could even do it.
my swim/ironman coach gave me the 'shocked' look when i explained that my first triathlon was going to be a 70.3. (i did complete 3 sprint triathlons prior, thankfully). but by the last lesson i had with her, she told me that i should follow all the guidelines, because 'what if i was to place?'. (was concerned about wearing a wetsuit, if lake was too warm, no wetsuit. wetsuit helps you swim)
when we bought our bikes, the shop owner gave me the same look. i never bought a bike before. had a hand-me-down huffy when i was a kid...
dr. singh told me that it would be a long shot to cure the achilles by race day. there wasn't an ounce of pain in my right foot. now my photo and signed bib will be hung on his office wall.
for six hours, as i swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles and then ran 13.1, i thought about those 126 days. all of the sacrifices, the pain, the money, the joys, the barriers broken. and when i saw the finish line with my family cheering, clapping, waving and smiling, i knew that i made it. everyone races for a different reason. i needed to prove to myself, my family, my friends, and the 2 readers i have on this blog, that anything is possible. even when you are knocked down, all you have to do is get back up. it wasn't just me pushing my body past its limits that day, and i owe a debt of gratitude to so many...
to those who were so bored and read this blog - anything is truly possible. i had a dream and believed in it whole-heartedly. whatever you dream about, go out and get it. i thank you for coming along with me. stay tuned, because it is far from over.
to my family - for eighteen weeks i lived part-time in ny and part-time in nj. tucker doesn't handle car rides too well, so knowing that he was completely cared for took such a load off from me. you heard me talk about triathlons and training until you wanted to bust. thank you
to my parents - i'm sure you both would love for me to tell you that i'm hanging up my wetsuit and deflating the bike tires. sorry to say, this is probably just the beginning. don't worry, i won't make you stand around for 6 hours again (will do the next one in 5 and the full will be like 12-13 hours). thank you for raising me to know that belief and action will change the world. i am honored to be your son.
to my friends - your support and faith helped me cross that finish line. whether you will ever understand why someone would do this to their body, i thank you for supporting any and all of my decisions and always telling me that 'you will do it'.
to number one - everyday i get to look up to you and it's wonderful.
to number two - first off, i knew that you wouldn't let me do this alone. because a. i needed you there, and b. i knew you wanted it just as bad. no one will ever be able to take this away from us, and imagine if we weren't just beginners. you brought this idea up a long time ago. i thought you were crazy. honestly, i know that you are truly amazing. this was your second triathlon (the first one you placed in!!!) and i doubt that anyone competing on sunday can say the same thing...
to you - you were there all 126 days. you gave me a bed to rest on, a shower to wash away the stink, a pool to train in and pasta for me to carbo-load. but most importantly, you gave me your heart. the heart that shared in my excitement as each week passed. the heart that was concerned if i was providing my body with enough nutrition. the heart that saw me cry as i dealt with my right foot. the heart that cared for me through all of the pain, holding strong to the notion that this journey was not over, that my foot will heal. the heart that woke me up singing 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming'. the heart that has captured my races and accomplishments on her stolen camera. the heart that stood at the finish line, smiling ear to ear, exposing all of your dimples. and finally, the heart that now wants to become a triathlete. you are truly remarkable...
for 126 days, i trained my body and my mind all for one finish line. the journey has only begun. lake placid 140.6 next july and, god-willing, kona 20??
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
"You have to start somewhere"
Those were the words the announcer said after I crossed the finish line of the 2012 Syracuse Ironman 70.3. The exact line was Brandon O'Connor from Sparta NJ is crossing the finish line, you have to start somewhere. What encouragement for my finish. I knew my times weren't the best, but that was the final nail in the coffin. Oh well, I guess Ill do better next time.
The day started off well, go to transition around 6am, so I had around 55 minutes to set everything up. That was more than enough time. So i laid my bike shoes, Clif shots for the bike out, put my helmet on the bike, laid out my running shoes and the Clif shots for the run and placed my tri-belt with my bib on it down all carefully on a towel. I got my wetsuit out and pulled it up to about my waist (water temp was 75.3, so wetsuit legal, yay!) Then I put sunscreen on my exposed areas of my arms and face. The day was starting off well.
I went down to the water to see the first waves start and to get a practice swim in. With all that done, I was set to go. Finally, at 7:50 my wave was called to start the swim. I expected about a 45 minute swim. I did not get punched or kicked, but I felt like there were a lot of people around and felt like I was in the way at times, but I was racing too. Finally, when I got out to the red buoy, I turned right and headed for the first turn, got ran into twice at this point, because of people not realizing to turn. (Apparently they were not at the meeting which told us that the red buoys meant to turn and the yellow and orange were out and back.) Finally get to the turn on the way back in, and I'm just going on my way. Finally, I get to the shore, stand up and see the clock that tells me I was faster than I expected 42 minutes, great. Then, got my goggles up and wetsuit down. The peelers (strippers) have you lay on your back and tear your suit off you in a second. The swim to transition had to be a good tenth or two tenths of a mile, which is kinda a long run when you are disoriented after getting out of the water.
Transition 1 was pretty seamless, bike out, shoes on, and off I go. Starting on the bike was pretty good, flat then a downhill, then started the steady climb up and up. (We had been told that after the first 12 miles the course was pretty downhill.) So the next bit of the course went like this, hill up, flat, hill up, flat, hill up, turn, hill up, hill up, at this point, I was wondering where that 12 mile mark was. Then I saw a mile marker, 5 miles. Was this some kind of a cruel joke? I have only gone 5 miles to this point. Oh my, how am I gonna make it throughout 51 more miles of this. Finally, after a barrage of hills, a downhill, a very steep downhill. I could use gravity and fly to about 40 or so miles per hour, but I am scared to do that, because I feel like all it would take is a little bump or rock to hit and Im flying off the bike. But at the bottom of every downhill there is a turn or another hill waiting to start. Aid stations were at 15, 25 and 40 miles. I feel like there could have been another one, but that's not for me to judge I guess. Being the idiot that I am, (and here is learned point #1) I only have one water bottle cage on my bike. Bad idea. I need at least one more, so that I can just fly through aid stations and grab water, perform or whatever and just replace what's in the cages, but I have only one, so I get to stop at every aid station to replace the bottles. Oh well, the volunteers are excellent. As soon as you stop, they ask you what you need and want to get you whatever you want. Finally, I see the sign for the no pass zone on the bike, so I know that I am in the last mile of the bike. I feel good at this point. I get to transition and see the clock, the bike took me 3:40, 40 minutes longer than I had wanted it to take, but I would have been happy with a 3:30. Oh well, lets get into transition and get my run on.
Transition 2 went well, got my Vibrams on and my Clif Blocks in one pocket and a Clif shot in the other, although that fell out somewhere before I left transition. I start the run and the first part of the run is paved, then it's rocks, WTF! and not like little pebbles, like landscaping stone. Not so good for Vibrams. I run about 1.5 miles and my body tells me to stop, really?!? I have run 13 miles numerous times, but never after a swim and a 56 mile bike. Ok, so I'll listen, walk, run, walk, run, walk, run...you can see how my run went. Although I do have to say that on the run in the aid stations they have ice cold soaked sponges (possibly the best things ever). By this point its pretty hot in the heat and I just need to stay cool to keep going. Ice, Ice water, water, sponges all dumped on me, kept in tri shirt, put in hat, etc. Basically if there was a place to put it, ice was going there, except in tri shorts, that was too cold. Run course was all big hills and the second loop couldn't get done quick enough. Last mile was running, because, Im not finishing a race walking unless thats the only way I can finish. Crossing the finish line was exciting for about 20 seconds (after getting water and medal) and then I felt a little sick to my stomach. I drank some water, went over to the food at the finish, pizza. Not so good, but carbs, sodium and calories. Oh yeah, and chocolate milk, thanks Team Refuel.
So, what did I learn from Syracuse?
1. 2 water bottle cages on my bike
2. More hills in training running and biking
3. More Bricks
4. Spray sunscreen in transition - got a nice sunburn on my shoulders, neck and knees
5. Run more in vibrams or use different shoes for the run portion
All in all, I had a good day, I plan on doing another and will eventually get to that full that I wanna do.
The day started off well, go to transition around 6am, so I had around 55 minutes to set everything up. That was more than enough time. So i laid my bike shoes, Clif shots for the bike out, put my helmet on the bike, laid out my running shoes and the Clif shots for the run and placed my tri-belt with my bib on it down all carefully on a towel. I got my wetsuit out and pulled it up to about my waist (water temp was 75.3, so wetsuit legal, yay!) Then I put sunscreen on my exposed areas of my arms and face. The day was starting off well.
I went down to the water to see the first waves start and to get a practice swim in. With all that done, I was set to go. Finally, at 7:50 my wave was called to start the swim. I expected about a 45 minute swim. I did not get punched or kicked, but I felt like there were a lot of people around and felt like I was in the way at times, but I was racing too. Finally, when I got out to the red buoy, I turned right and headed for the first turn, got ran into twice at this point, because of people not realizing to turn. (Apparently they were not at the meeting which told us that the red buoys meant to turn and the yellow and orange were out and back.) Finally get to the turn on the way back in, and I'm just going on my way. Finally, I get to the shore, stand up and see the clock that tells me I was faster than I expected 42 minutes, great. Then, got my goggles up and wetsuit down. The peelers (strippers) have you lay on your back and tear your suit off you in a second. The swim to transition had to be a good tenth or two tenths of a mile, which is kinda a long run when you are disoriented after getting out of the water.
Transition 1 was pretty seamless, bike out, shoes on, and off I go. Starting on the bike was pretty good, flat then a downhill, then started the steady climb up and up. (We had been told that after the first 12 miles the course was pretty downhill.) So the next bit of the course went like this, hill up, flat, hill up, flat, hill up, turn, hill up, hill up, at this point, I was wondering where that 12 mile mark was. Then I saw a mile marker, 5 miles. Was this some kind of a cruel joke? I have only gone 5 miles to this point. Oh my, how am I gonna make it throughout 51 more miles of this. Finally, after a barrage of hills, a downhill, a very steep downhill. I could use gravity and fly to about 40 or so miles per hour, but I am scared to do that, because I feel like all it would take is a little bump or rock to hit and Im flying off the bike. But at the bottom of every downhill there is a turn or another hill waiting to start. Aid stations were at 15, 25 and 40 miles. I feel like there could have been another one, but that's not for me to judge I guess. Being the idiot that I am, (and here is learned point #1) I only have one water bottle cage on my bike. Bad idea. I need at least one more, so that I can just fly through aid stations and grab water, perform or whatever and just replace what's in the cages, but I have only one, so I get to stop at every aid station to replace the bottles. Oh well, the volunteers are excellent. As soon as you stop, they ask you what you need and want to get you whatever you want. Finally, I see the sign for the no pass zone on the bike, so I know that I am in the last mile of the bike. I feel good at this point. I get to transition and see the clock, the bike took me 3:40, 40 minutes longer than I had wanted it to take, but I would have been happy with a 3:30. Oh well, lets get into transition and get my run on.
Transition 2 went well, got my Vibrams on and my Clif Blocks in one pocket and a Clif shot in the other, although that fell out somewhere before I left transition. I start the run and the first part of the run is paved, then it's rocks, WTF! and not like little pebbles, like landscaping stone. Not so good for Vibrams. I run about 1.5 miles and my body tells me to stop, really?!? I have run 13 miles numerous times, but never after a swim and a 56 mile bike. Ok, so I'll listen, walk, run, walk, run, walk, run...you can see how my run went. Although I do have to say that on the run in the aid stations they have ice cold soaked sponges (possibly the best things ever). By this point its pretty hot in the heat and I just need to stay cool to keep going. Ice, Ice water, water, sponges all dumped on me, kept in tri shirt, put in hat, etc. Basically if there was a place to put it, ice was going there, except in tri shorts, that was too cold. Run course was all big hills and the second loop couldn't get done quick enough. Last mile was running, because, Im not finishing a race walking unless thats the only way I can finish. Crossing the finish line was exciting for about 20 seconds (after getting water and medal) and then I felt a little sick to my stomach. I drank some water, went over to the food at the finish, pizza. Not so good, but carbs, sodium and calories. Oh yeah, and chocolate milk, thanks Team Refuel.
So, what did I learn from Syracuse?
1. 2 water bottle cages on my bike
2. More hills in training running and biking
3. More Bricks
4. Spray sunscreen in transition - got a nice sunburn on my shoulders, neck and knees
5. Run more in vibrams or use different shoes for the run portion
All in all, I had a good day, I plan on doing another and will eventually get to that full that I wanna do.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
3 days to go!
As the nervousness sets in, I am getting packed and ready to go to Syracuse. Also, yesterday was my last training day before sunday. Rest is a beautiful thing, although I can't say I don't feel guilty about not working out. The guilt is subverted by the fact that I get to sleep in a couple days in a row. But then I get to wake up uber early on sunday. Transition opens at 4:30 and closes at 6:55. Also, getting up to get some nutrition in is much needed.
Yesterday was the last swim in the lake before the event. Ellen decided to have us swim the length of her lake, which is 0.9 miles straight. Which is great, but swimming feels like forever. I never feel like I am getting any closer to the finish. I just keep looking up and seeing the beach at the other side of the lake and thinking, "I am never going to get there." Luckily I did get there and felt great after.
Going to the bike shop today to get my bike tuned up and then I am all set to go to Syracuse. Wish me luck!
Yesterday was the last swim in the lake before the event. Ellen decided to have us swim the length of her lake, which is 0.9 miles straight. Which is great, but swimming feels like forever. I never feel like I am getting any closer to the finish. I just keep looking up and seeing the beach at the other side of the lake and thinking, "I am never going to get there." Luckily I did get there and felt great after.
Going to the bike shop today to get my bike tuned up and then I am all set to go to Syracuse. Wish me luck!
Monday, June 11, 2012
setting goals
a little over a year ago, my brother brandon told me that we should complete an ironman. i laughed at the idea.
a few years ago i started running to get in shape, get beach ready and to have sometime to myself. after a few months, i figured that i might as well run a 5k. i set my sights on our local 5k.
i finished the race in good time and panted as i talked to my family and friends that came to support. left the race thinking that it was fun, maybe i will do it again next year. so, i kept running here and there and figured that if i can run 3 miles, i'm certain i can run 6. so, there i was on race day for my first 10k.
after i completed the 10k, i decided that i should go further (as i think of it now, i feel like forrest gump. - 'when i got to the end of town, i figured i might as well run to the end of the the county...'). therefore, i picked an 18 mile race in lbi, and for a few years ran each of those races, trying to improve on time and technique. it wasn't until we said that we would take this whole running seriously when our goals starting to expand exponentially.
races became serious, training became specific. and we set our sights on becoming marathoners. the casual runner runs. runs for fun, runs for sport. but the marathoner takes running to a whole new level. you abide by certain training regiments and change the way you eat and live. our goal went from 5k to 10k to 13.1 miles to 18 miles to 26.2 miles, quickly. we crossed the finish line in philly and became marathoners. but that wasn't enough.
the more and more we trained for marathons, the more i thought about what brandon said about completing an ironman. i had spent countless hours researching training programs, diets, races, triathletes.
it was becoming crystal clear that we were focusing in on ironman.
we are less than two weeks away from ironman 70.3 in syracuse, ny. we have already decided (well, i know i have) that we are signing up for ironman lake placid in 2013, which will complete this journey, this goal. as i look back on the past year, it's amazing to me how quickly our goals would change and grow. we have pushed ourselves passed every limit, striving to find that limit. and it reminds me of Walt Disney. he wanted everyone to remember, that it 'all started with a mouse'.
our journey started with a 5k....
set your goals high and take it seriously. you might find out that you are capable of extraordinary things!
races became serious, training became specific. and we set our sights on becoming marathoners. the casual runner runs. runs for fun, runs for sport. but the marathoner takes running to a whole new level. you abide by certain training regiments and change the way you eat and live. our goal went from 5k to 10k to 13.1 miles to 18 miles to 26.2 miles, quickly. we crossed the finish line in philly and became marathoners. but that wasn't enough.
the more and more we trained for marathons, the more i thought about what brandon said about completing an ironman. i had spent countless hours researching training programs, diets, races, triathletes.
it was becoming crystal clear that we were focusing in on ironman.
we are less than two weeks away from ironman 70.3 in syracuse, ny. we have already decided (well, i know i have) that we are signing up for ironman lake placid in 2013, which will complete this journey, this goal. as i look back on the past year, it's amazing to me how quickly our goals would change and grow. we have pushed ourselves passed every limit, striving to find that limit. and it reminds me of Walt Disney. he wanted everyone to remember, that it 'all started with a mouse'.
our journey started with a 5k....
set your goals high and take it seriously. you might find out that you are capable of extraordinary things!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
everything changes...
i knew that i was going to experience many changes during my training. was told this by many people who have done it before. they left out a few things though. so here we go...
general appearance
16 weeks ago, i was tipping the scales at 168. i had been losing weight with the marathon training before, but still had my 'guns' (just kidding), but i had some muscle mass. today, i weight 169, and look so much different. most people tell me that i look skinny, some say too skinny, some think i might be sick. i have lost a lot of muscle mass in my upper body, since i'm not able to lift weights as much as i was. my training requires proper rest on certain days, so weight training has been put on hold. my fat butt has become less 'squishier', but, nevertheless, its still fantastic. i understood that i would look different. the other triathletes that i have met look this way, so i figured i would have to join the crowd.
i have had to buy new clothes, since the fatter johnny last purchased clothes. i don't feel weaker, but i can see that i am thinner. plus, you have to eat healthier to keep up with the training. no mcdoubles for this kid...
calorie intake
since i got myself hungry thinking about mcdoubles, i will say that i have greatly enjoyed the nutrition end of ironman training. pretty sure that the average person should consume 2000-2500 calories per day. i was probably always above that, but now, i take in 3500-4000 calories a day. that may seem like a lot, but its necessary. i can tell on hard training days if i didn't eat enough. its fun ordering the left side of the menu.
now i have changed my diet quite a bit. i love candy and sweets and mcdoubles. i haven't eaten any mcdoubles, and i have reduced the candy consumption. i eat much more healthy. more vegetables and fruits. i realized this changed when i was grocery shopping and as i pulled everything out of the cart i remembered that maybe a year or so ago i was in the same store, doing the same thing and an older woman asked me how many kids i had. i was shocked. i don't even feel old enough to have a child. but as she looked in my cart, i understood why she said that. fruit roll ups, snack packs, gushers, fruity pebbles, chocolate syrup, etc. was a little embarrassed, but i love snack packs! those were my staples. guess i grew up some...
checkbook balance
becoming a triathlete is expensive. it's not for the weak of checkbook. with running, you have sneakers, maybe an iPod and that's it. for triathlons, you have a bike, bike shoes, helmet, clips, running sneakers, triathlon tops and bottoms, wetsuit, goggles, pool membership, shakes, powders, energy bars and supplements, entry fees... the list can go on and on. it adds up and adds up quickly. have a good job. whatever you think you might spend, double it! i was broke before, now i am broker.
time management and work
for half ironman training, i train roughly 3 hours a day. thank goodness i don't have a real job! i'm self-employed, and yes, i do work hard for those who know me well and think that all i do is nap and snack. but you have to devote so much time to the training. i am up at 4-5am daily working out. you have to use the time you have so diligently. and it's super hard. life happens and you have to pick and choose what you can do or attend. i don't know how people with real jobs do it. or even if you have a family and kids, i commend you for it.
make sure you tell your work what you are training for. maybe they will give you a little leeway when you are falling asleep at a meeting or walking like you just got done riding a horse. all of my customers know what i am training for and fully support me.
before you know it, race day will be here. use the time you have wisely.
personal life
for me, everything in my personal life changed. now, i have one, haha. a later blog will discuss this further, but i wanted to let you know how much your relationships will change.
because you will be training so much, the loved ones in your life, will be seeing you less. it becomes difficult to preform all of the obligations you had before and the people closest to you will be picking up the slack. make sure you let them know how important and integral they are. make the most of the time you will have with your loved ones.
also, remember that unless your spouse, significant other, or best friend is training with you, talk about something else to those who aren't. thankfully, my brother is training for the same thing, but everyone else in my life is tired of hearing me talk about it. it will engulf you. you wake up thinking about it. you spend countless hours online trying to learn new things. your family and friends just want you. show them some love and talk about the weather, haha.
- i am happy for these changes, well expect for the lighter wallet. becoming a triathlete changes and challenges your life. i needed it.
j
general appearance
16 weeks ago, i was tipping the scales at 168. i had been losing weight with the marathon training before, but still had my 'guns' (just kidding), but i had some muscle mass. today, i weight 169, and look so much different. most people tell me that i look skinny, some say too skinny, some think i might be sick. i have lost a lot of muscle mass in my upper body, since i'm not able to lift weights as much as i was. my training requires proper rest on certain days, so weight training has been put on hold. my fat butt has become less 'squishier', but, nevertheless, its still fantastic. i understood that i would look different. the other triathletes that i have met look this way, so i figured i would have to join the crowd.
i have had to buy new clothes, since the fatter johnny last purchased clothes. i don't feel weaker, but i can see that i am thinner. plus, you have to eat healthier to keep up with the training. no mcdoubles for this kid...
calorie intake
since i got myself hungry thinking about mcdoubles, i will say that i have greatly enjoyed the nutrition end of ironman training. pretty sure that the average person should consume 2000-2500 calories per day. i was probably always above that, but now, i take in 3500-4000 calories a day. that may seem like a lot, but its necessary. i can tell on hard training days if i didn't eat enough. its fun ordering the left side of the menu.
now i have changed my diet quite a bit. i love candy and sweets and mcdoubles. i haven't eaten any mcdoubles, and i have reduced the candy consumption. i eat much more healthy. more vegetables and fruits. i realized this changed when i was grocery shopping and as i pulled everything out of the cart i remembered that maybe a year or so ago i was in the same store, doing the same thing and an older woman asked me how many kids i had. i was shocked. i don't even feel old enough to have a child. but as she looked in my cart, i understood why she said that. fruit roll ups, snack packs, gushers, fruity pebbles, chocolate syrup, etc. was a little embarrassed, but i love snack packs! those were my staples. guess i grew up some...
checkbook balance
becoming a triathlete is expensive. it's not for the weak of checkbook. with running, you have sneakers, maybe an iPod and that's it. for triathlons, you have a bike, bike shoes, helmet, clips, running sneakers, triathlon tops and bottoms, wetsuit, goggles, pool membership, shakes, powders, energy bars and supplements, entry fees... the list can go on and on. it adds up and adds up quickly. have a good job. whatever you think you might spend, double it! i was broke before, now i am broker.
time management and work
for half ironman training, i train roughly 3 hours a day. thank goodness i don't have a real job! i'm self-employed, and yes, i do work hard for those who know me well and think that all i do is nap and snack. but you have to devote so much time to the training. i am up at 4-5am daily working out. you have to use the time you have so diligently. and it's super hard. life happens and you have to pick and choose what you can do or attend. i don't know how people with real jobs do it. or even if you have a family and kids, i commend you for it.
make sure you tell your work what you are training for. maybe they will give you a little leeway when you are falling asleep at a meeting or walking like you just got done riding a horse. all of my customers know what i am training for and fully support me.
before you know it, race day will be here. use the time you have wisely.
personal life
for me, everything in my personal life changed. now, i have one, haha. a later blog will discuss this further, but i wanted to let you know how much your relationships will change.
because you will be training so much, the loved ones in your life, will be seeing you less. it becomes difficult to preform all of the obligations you had before and the people closest to you will be picking up the slack. make sure you let them know how important and integral they are. make the most of the time you will have with your loved ones.
also, remember that unless your spouse, significant other, or best friend is training with you, talk about something else to those who aren't. thankfully, my brother is training for the same thing, but everyone else in my life is tired of hearing me talk about it. it will engulf you. you wake up thinking about it. you spend countless hours online trying to learn new things. your family and friends just want you. show them some love and talk about the weather, haha.
- i am happy for these changes, well expect for the lighter wallet. becoming a triathlete changes and challenges your life. i needed it.
j
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