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.  

Oh, S#!t

So, I know it's been a while, but I don't know if I have honestly had any interesting things to put on here.  I'm not sure I do now anyway haha, but I feel like I should post something.

A few weeks ago, I started my training program for the VIA Lehigh Valley Marathon...and then subsequent marathons.  For the first time with marathon training, I have had a running partner for almost every long run and sometimes two.  It makes the miles go by faster, and it keeps me accountable for all those miles and not skipping any, which is always tempting when you start getting tired at the end of a 20 miler. I am following Hal Higdon's Intermediate 2 plan, which seems pretty good, but a little more running than I am used to for training, since prior using Jeff Galloway and having to run 3-4 times per week as opposed to running 5 days per week on this plan. And of course, true to breaking one of the cardinal rules of running (increasing my mileage by over 10% for a week or two and including too many hills with those miles), my achilles started to ache after runs.  Flashback to last year when my brother in law had a partial achilles tear and had to have a PRP injection and rest for like 6 weeks.  So of course, I took it easy and took a lot of aleve, but I feel back in commission and ready to resume training.

So, as most of you know (those that are runners), being a runner doesn't come without shedding some dignity and modesty.  So, for the first time ever, I was doing a training run with one of our friends and had such GI distress that I had to make not just one, but two pitstops.  (Again, sorry about that Jay).  I have never had a problem with my bowels during a run prior to just the past couple weeks, and I hope to return to that soon. I have identified some things, but I have to test to see if they are the problem.  In the meantime, does anyone want some green melon powerade? I will not be drinking that on any runs in the future.  I don't know that thats what the problem is, but I am not taking chances with that anymore.

But, I suppose as I am now training, I will try to post on here more and keep you updated (I know everyone is curious about my bowel habits haha)

the good, the bad and the muddy?!? eagleman 2013

the good

i knew that columbia triathlon puts on a great race.  read the blogs and reviews.  and was thoroughly impressed with the expo, transition areas and finish line.  they even splurged for these sweet bags!

swag!!!

the swim turned out to be wetsuit legal thanks to the tropical storm that rolled up the east coast the day before.  i was able to take a practice swim on saturday morning and learned that you can literally touch the bottom of the river on the entire swim course.  i wouldn't need that, but it certainly was nice to know.  

on race day, my age group started an hour and forty-five behind the pros, so i had plenty of time to warm-up (really, just sat around).  i felt great when we were finally able to start.  a little banging around for the first few hundred yards, but then it opened up a bit.  felt like it was a strong swim and was able to do some dolphin dives as i finished.

the bike course was amazing.  it's flat and i mean, flat.  if you wanted to, you could sit in one gear the entire ride.  roads were pretty smooth and traffic control was superb.

rode 2:39, which i was really happy about.  my last half distance time was 3 hours.  and i think i could have pushed harder, but it was getting hot and wanted to finish with a strong run.  from mile 20 on, i was not passed, and motored by so many.  in the past, its been my bike ride that was sketchy.  this time it was wonderful.

will be getting to the mud part soon...

my plan was to start out slow on the run.  i always hop off the bike and run way, way, way too fast for the first few miles.  checked my watch at mile one 8:54, perfect! and i wish i could go on more about the 'good' part of the run, but it pretty much ended there...

this was part of mile one (you don't want to see the later miles)

the bad

it rained during our travels on friday.  it rained during the expo and bike check-in saturday.  sight-seeing was dampened, haha.  there was localized flooding in cambridge, md.  got me nervous about the swim and bike course.  however, the sun came out on sunday and it turned into the normal hot race everyone talked about.

in my last two half ironman's, i swam 31' and 29' respectively.  therefore, my goal was 28'.  like i said before, the swim felt strong.  but i should have known something was up since my fiance did not yell out my time as i exited the water.  i looked at the clock, but we started so far after, and i'm not good at math. plus, i don't wear a watch (might change that soon).  after i crossed the finish line, i asked roselle for the news.  34'?!? WTF?  honestly i was embarrassed.  swimming is my strength.  later on however, at dinner with teammate ian charles and sami inkinen (overall amateur winner), they both explained to me how slow they went in the water and couldn't believe it either.  it made me feel better, but still not happy.  **google sami inkinen if you don't know of him, he's impressive, to say the least**

the only bad thing i can say about the ride was the mud.  will touch on that in a second.

my goal was to break five hours.  30' swim, 2:40 bike, 1:50 run.  so it was down to the run to check this goal off.  and through my first 4-5 miles, i felt ok.  got my nutrition in as it was getting hotter and hotter.  at the turn around, i sped up.  'here we go'  then at mile eight, my legs formed a strike against me.  my efforts to break it up were futile. the sun seemed hotter.  aid stations got further apart. but, i kept moving forward, with some walking and finished 5:31.  

the mud

i have completed three tough mudders and a few spartan races.  you get completely covered in mud, but you are pretty much expecting it.  the rain turned the transition area into a muddy mess.  i don't practice my transitions in a muddy field and was unsure how to deal with it.  put bike shoes on and run through it? go barefoot and try to wipe off? push or carry the bike?  i through the shoes on, picked up my bike and ran through the mud.  i have never competed in a cyclocross event, but this certainly felt like it.  everyone was covered.  carrying your bike after swimming and after sitting in the aero position for two plus hours is difficult.  even though black betty (my bike) is carbon, it felt like a hundred pounds.

to sum it all up: i did finish, which is always goal numero uno.  i finished faster than my other half irons, good.  had an awesome post-race dinner where i met some incredible people, great!

the hunted

it's like christmas morning...

finally, my 2013 triathlon race season started this past sunday.  i had been looking forward to this race for a few reasons:

1. last year it was my first ever triathlon, and as you know, you never forget your first ;)

2. i am 10x's better than i was last year and wanted to show my coach (she puts on the race) how well i've been doing

3. when i broke my jaw and teeth on may 4th, i figured there would be no way i would be able to race. however, thanks to my dr.'s and oral surgeon, i'm cleared to race, so here we go....

earlier in the week, my coach told me that there were going to be a few fast swimmers racing.  i consider myself to be pretty quick, but when the shot rang out, i think one guy was attached to a boat motor.  i was shocked, but soon calmed down and followed.  it was crystal clear out and the sun made it almost impossible to see the turn-around buoy.  however, i could see the 'motor boat' in front of me, so i used him to sight.

was second out of the water... 7:47 :)

as i made my way to transition, my fiance greeted me and told me that i was second and needed to hurry up.  i asked her how much further ahead was the 'motor boat' and 'damn, he's fast as "crap".  to my surprise, he was still taking off his wetsuit.  he had me by 45 seconds, what is he still doing here?  

 removing my wetsuit quickly, which i didn't know was one of my talents

jim aka "motor boat" couldn't believe that i was out of my swim gear and on the bike in seconds.  to me, this is a race and i'm trying to win, let's talk about this later... out of the water 2nd, onto the bike in 1st.

sexy flo cycling wheelset, huh?

the race is in wayne hills, nj.  the course circles a lake.  there are tight turns, some hills, some downhills, an overall challenging but fun course.  as i started out on the bike, i remembered that jim won this race last year.  he looks like a runner, tall and lean, so i determined that i needed to get a decent lead coming off the bike.  

but as i peddled away from transition, i had this strange revelation... 'i'm leading this race, i'm being hunted'.  have never been in this situation before.  it felt great and scary at the same time.  normally, i'm the hunter, picking off competitors one by one.  plus, my age group always seems to start in one of the last swim waves (25-29), so it's always a chase for me, never a lead.  but here i am, setting the pace and trying to build my lead.  i tried not to think anymore about it and put my head down and just kept peddling.

coming into transition, i was told i had a minute lead on jim.  my fiance told me i needed to win so we could pay for the wedding?!?  however, this race doesn't have a prize purse, but it was encouraging.  i made my way onto the running course, and started to feel water-logged.  it's a sprint distance and normally, i don't need anything.  i took a few sips on the bike, but not enough to feel like i drank a gallon of water.  this feeling stayed with me until the last mile :(  jim caught up to me about halfway into it.  i was sad to hear his footsteps behind me.  we chatted for a bit, but i couldn't keep his pace.

i kept motoring on and made the final turn towards the finish line.  i thought about looking behind me to see if anyone was coming, but it's a quiet neighborhood, i didn't hear anything, and i hate looking back.  i want to stay focused on what's in front of me, never behind.... kind of a life mantra for me, but if i happened to look this time, i would have noticed a speedy runner behind me.  he must have been wearing sound proofing shoes or something.  

therefore, i ended up taking 3rd overall with a time of 54:38.  i am happy with the result, but not satisfied.  i can and will do better...

by the way, the silent yet speedy runner who took 2nd was rocking newtons.  so was the first woman finisher and yours truly.  hat's off to you, newton running shoes!

dude, where's my tooth?

i purchased my RoadID for two reasons...

#1 i had just met craig (crowie) alexander and noticed that he was wearing his at a book signing.  he looked cool, so i wanted to look cool.  i know, a bit childish, but if i was going to imitate anyone, crowie would be it.

#2 my brother-in-law, training partner, co-creator of aluminum boy, best mate, has a heart condition which worries my sister sick when we are out training or racing.  she would love to have a tracking device installed, i'm sure.  don't think he has his yet, but i ordered mine.

here it is...

this is one of the few times that it's ever off.

now, let me tell you about the other time it came off, may 4th, 2013 (may the 4th be with you, haha)

over the past few weeks, my brother-in-law, brandon and our friend jaybird, would meet up for an early morning long-distance run.  they are training for a few marathons, and yours truly for lake placid.  so its awesome having company on those long runs.  hopefully, i can get them to join me on the bike rides, but one step at a time.  anyways, we set out and ran 11.5 miles and i jumped on my bike to do a recovery ride of 50 minutes.  it was an absolutely gorgeous day, and i was flying on the bike.  felt strong and encouraged.  as i came back into town, i typically do a time trial up in my neighborhood.  even though it was a recovery ride, i felt too good not to push.  i made my final turn onto my street, slight downhill, unclipped my left foot and for some reason that is not yet know to me, i grabbed my front brakes... bike stopped on a dime (good brakes), i didn't.  i remember flipping somewhat and the pavement meeting my face.  within seconds, i did what all triathletes do, worried first and foremost about my bike.  then, i started going through each body part - left foot, right foot, left leg/knee, right leg/knee, and so on.  got to my right calf which really hurt (was still clipped in at time of accident), and cupped my chin which was bleeding badly.  as my tongue searched my mouth, i felt that my front tooth is only half missing and my bridge on the right side of my mouth felt 'wrong'.  my neighbors came rushing out, and i quickly took off my RoadID and said to call any of the numbers.  

minutes later, all three of those listed on my bracelet were present and discussing what out plan of action would be.  my fiance, who is a rn, quickly cleaned me up and made all the preparations for us to head to hospital.  she's an absolute saint.  she puts up with all of my training, stinky clothes and complaining about not going fast enough.  and as i think of it now, it's a bit eerie because as i left that morning, i asked her to stay close to her phone.  i leave every morning, very early and never ask that.  but then my sister, who is a pediatrician and brandon who is an urgent care doctor, came and transported me to his facility.  for the first time since medical school, they teamed up and stitched me back together.  

he wasn't working, hence his sweet attire!

i'm a big baby when it comes to needles and stitches and such...

the team, my team, put me back together.  he 'somewhat' guaranteed no scar, but i know the ladies dig scars so i'm not too worried.  i'm a bit more concerned with my teeth, since they are likely to have to come out and fake ones will go in their place.  maybe, i can get some gold teeth, who knows.

having their support and, if needed, on-call medical emergency team, i feel invincible.  yesterday proved that i'm obviously not, but knowing that my team is there, i can do anything.  i love them all more that i will ever be able to explain with words or action.

i will show you this one, if you saw me today, it's much worse! haha

my hair looks pretty go though, thanks Giro helmets

when i received my RoadID, i read the flyer that came with it, describing people's stories about their accidents or whatnot and how they are so thankful for their bracelet.  i was touched but never thought i would have a story like that.  just wanted to look cool like crowie.  but, now i do.  and i would highly suggest that if you are out training, anything could happen.  get yourself one.  of all the triathlon gear, this has to be the cheapest too! i think i have a coupon somewhere too.  

triathlon is not an individual sport.  i may be the one out on the course swimming, biking and running, but i wouldn't be ever able to toe the starting line without my team.  

when 'i think' becomes 'i can'

The Man Who Thinks He Can

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind!

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the strongest or fastest man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!

- Walter D. Wintle

a few years ago, i decided to test my physical boundaries.  'i think i can run a 5k', became 'i can run a 5k'.  then onto a 10k, half-marathon and eventually a full-marathon.  at each stage, i thought that i could go further.  wasn't 100% certain that i could, but kept pushing forward.  now i have set my sights on vegas and/or kona to compete in the ironman world championships.  i know, quite a jump from 5k, but you have to set your sights high.

we are all striving for something. i am on here explaining my journey to become an ironman.  but it can be anything; new job, college degree, better parent, ect., this list can go on forever.  and each journey starts out with an 'i think'.  normally for me, my 'i think's' starts quickly out of the gate.  but eventually, you hit that rough patch.  you lose sight of your objective and start focusing on the negatives.  

'i don't know if i can do this', 

'this is too hard', 

'what was i thinking'  

now its time to search deep within and find a way to get back on track.  this is the part that separates those who can and those who can't.  you can either brush the dirt off and go again or become someone who claims that it can't be done.  

there have been countless times where i wanted to call someone to come pick me up because i thought i was exhausted, wanting the session to be over.  but i kept putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward.  most of the time, i finished stronger than i could have imagined.  other times, i'm crawling up my front porch, but i made it back. (wonder what my neighbors think when they see that?)  and as i sit catching my breath, i start planning my next session that will be harder than this one.

the greatest of athletes, the smartest of smart people and the most driven people all hit the rough patch.  they are faced with the same questions and negativity.  but we know them and forced to learn about them because they turned 'i think' into 'i can'.  they continued pushing forward to meet their goals and aspirations.  keep pushing, continue trying and never forfeit your faith.  turn 'i think' into 'i can' everyday!

-johnny

me? you are sponsoring me?

i know, i know.... it's been awhile.  my apologizes.... (to our 4 readers)

however, i have some very exciting news.  check out...Ironman-Newton Running Tri Team as you read through, scroll down through the names and, whoa, is that johnny little? that's right, i have been selected to join the ironman foundation and newton running triathlon team. it's truly humbling to be part of this select group.  

when i first received the email notification, i was at the y practicing my speed bursts on the treadmill. i was overcome with joy and elation. few tears crept up, but i was sweating like crazy, so, thankfully, no one noticed. made a few calls to my family (didn't read the email in whole, wasn't allowed to say anything until the press release, oops) and as it sank in, as i took in their excitement as well, i started to feel validation.  

6 to 7 days a week, i am awake at 4am and either to the gym or on the bike by 5. most of the world is asleep, and i'm covered in sweat or clicking off the yards in the pool. down a chocolate milk when i finish, clean up and it's off to work. like rinse and repeat, everyday. for many people, this lifestyle would be too difficult, sacrificing too much. they would say it's too early, too cold, too far and i could get hurt. however, i have kept these naysayers and negative thoughts at bay by understanding that:

-if it hurts, it will only make you stronger

-if it requires sacrifice, victory will be that much sweeter

-nothing compares to reaching goals that others said were out of your reach

plus, i'm definitely a morning person. so, after i got home, completely read the email regarding my selection, i felt validated. these early morning training sessions, double-day workouts and constantly having to wash my workout attire are being recognized by not just my closest friends and family members, but also, ironman and newton running. i am a sponsored triathlete. what? i know, it's pretty wild. and beyond newton running, , team sponsors include sugio, shimano, fuelbelt, training peaks, multisports coaching, headsweats, tribike transport, gu energy labs, degree, retül, flo cycling, 110% compression and justin's nut butter. to say that i'm excited would be an understatement.

so very soon, you will see me all deck out in my sponsors attire riding or running. the race and training kit look to be quite bright, so i know you won't miss me. well, actually, i need you to not hit me, haha.

johnny