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Doing the 70.3 Ironman and Raising $3,856 for Charity

November 5, 2014 By Danny

I think I should start by saying ‘Wow’!

Just a week prior to the race I announced on this blog that I was doing the Miami 70.3 Ironman and that I wanted to raise $3,000 to honor what would have been my sister’s 30th birthday. I didn’t really expect to hit that goal and I certainly didn’t expect to blow past it with over $3800 raised. So, first and foremost, thank you to everyone who supported this effort, it really is still unbelievable!

So, about that race. Every triathlon starts with swimming, followed by biking, followed by running. The Ironman Triathlon comes to 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running. Yes, miles. Thankfully the Miami Ironman Triathlon was a 70.3 race, or exactly half a traditional Ironman. My race was 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of cycling and 13.1 miles of running. Because I did the half Ironman, I like to call the race the Aluminum Man, as aluminum is one half the atomic weight of iron.

I woke up Sunday morning and, as one does before a big race, set to coloring my hair pink and purple. As a result I forgot a few things: breakfast, the beet juice I planned to drink with breakfast, and my glittery bike helmet. Yeah. That was a problem. Especially because I took an Uber ride to Miami so Jill could get back to sleep after dying my hair. Upon arrival in Miami I had to call my wonderful wife to wake up my two sleeping daughters to drive down to Miami and deliver my multi-colored helmet to me before 7 a.m. Great start.

Somehow it all worked out.

We met, I finished my setup before being moved to the start line and had some time to relax and take in the atmosphere with my lovely ladies and my friend Greg who showed up for sunrise. Before I knew it, my wave was called into the water and I was off. My training did me well here and I finished the swim in 51 minutes, not bad considering how much extra distance I swam on account of the current pushing me out to sea. (Also pretty good considering how awful my first long distance swim was!)

Next up, the bike. We started from Bayfront Park, right by the American Airlines arena and cycled up US-27 all the way to Stirling Road (practically home) and then back again. The wind was strong as I headed out but on the way back to transition, with the wind at my back I practically flew. I averaged 17.2 mph which was excellent for me and the fastest I’ve ever averaged at that distance. A better bike might have increased my speed a few more mph but I was happy.

Finally the run. I’ve been told for a triathlon you need to pace the swim, enjoy the ride and survive the run. I think I might have taken that advice a bit too literally. I survived the run but not much more. As I pulled in from the bike ride I relaxed, I was way ahead of schedule and had PLENTY of time to make my 7 hour goal. I found Jill on the edge of the transition area and she helped me re-color my hair, which was looking rough after hours of swimming and biking and set off on my run. For the first time all day I was aware of the heat and the sun and before I knew it, it was taking a toll.

As I ran I got more and more tired. The sun wore down on me. I took some walking breaks, then I was walking more and more. I think of running a mile in 10 minutes as my over/under. I can sustain 7 minute miles over shorter distances and earlier this year managed to run 13.1 miles with a 9 minute per mile average. My first few miles were around 10 minutes. After the swim and bike though, I would have been thrilled to have kept to a 10 minute pace but I figured I’d be closer to 11 or even 12 minutes per mile. I was over 12. Then there was the I-395 bridge and I had to cross it 4 times, walking more of the uphill each time. The amount of time it took me to complete a mile kept ticking up; 14 minutes, then 16 minutes. My stomach was cramping, I needed energy but anything other than water hurt more than helped. I walked more and more I couldn’t see the finish line but knew it was just around the corner, or the next corner, or the next corner, ack! I eventually found the finished line and managed to run through it and nearly collapsed on the other side.

My goal was to finish in 7 hours. My time was 7:09:47. Just 10 minutes shy of my goal.

Did I forget to mention that I missed my goal time at my first marathon by a mere 14 seconds? This seems to be a trend.

Oh well, I don’t care, I still finished and I survived!

Thank you again to everyone who supported me – your donations, texts and messages of support were appreciated more than you’ll ever know!

Who are the Central Asian People?

September 30, 2010 By Jillian

As the center of the Silk Road, Uzbekistan has a long history of diversity. Not surprising given that traders mingled here for hundreds of years bringing goods from Southeast Asia, China, the Persian Empire, Europe and the Middle East through the region. With their goods of course came people, wives, children, servants and slaves. Then there were the conquerors who ravaged the land looking to cash in on the wealth and—before getting too far into the region’s history—you have probably the most unique melting pot of races, ethnicities and cultures in the ancient world. Uzbekistan was probably the world’s first global society.

Some of that diversity remains today. Populations of Koreans, Chinese, Russians, Persians, Turks, Nomads, Christians, Muslims and Jews live together and although the trading has moved away from silks and spices, the society functions much in the same way. A relatively sizable Jewish population still exists in Bukhara, although more and more move to Israel every year. Sephardic, the population maintains its religious piety, synagogues and community centers still exist. Tashkent even has a few Korean barbecue restaurants and a sizable Western expat population. Mixing the pot a little more, Tashkent’s lingua franca is Russian while in Western Uzbekistan the people mostly speak Karakalpak, a Turkic language.

A look at the people tells the land’s history. The Uzbek people are a complete racial mix, and its unlikely that you can pick out a predominate feature. Their features are mixed: a handful of faces topped with blond hair, seem to shout “Alexander the Great was here,” while most others, with straight black hair and distinctly Asian features are definitely relatives of the nomadic peoples that populated this area. Some look like they belong in India or Pakistan while others just defy profiling. Traditional clothing ranges from highly patterned Asian silks to sparkling velours and square hats that remind us of Turkey and other Islamic states.

Their way of life may be different than our own, but their faces tell the history of the world.

Apartheid

December 30, 2009 By Jillian

To say apartheid was segregation is an understatement. A state-sponsored policy until 1994, apartheid impacted the lives of every South African, black, white or colored. Yes, I said colored. What is a derogatory word, and unpleasant reminder of our past in the United States, is actually a socially accepted means of categorizing people of mixed racial background in South Africa.

Standing in the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg reflecting on the differences between our separate but equal policies and the policies of apartheid I was struck with how significant the impact of apartheid is today in South Africa versus my impressions of segregation’s ongoing impact in the United States. Segregation in America had been over for over 15 years when I was born and in my experience race and racism are not openly discussed in American society today. Perhaps its because we like to pretend it doesn’t exist or that we weren’t a part of it. It’s certainly something we all know goes on, but I can’t think of an example where its socially appropriate to discuss racism outside of an academic context. To be honest, as an American, it makes me uncomfortable to discuss race and racism. It feels wrong and it feels dirty. In South Africa however, 15 years after the end of Apartheid, its rather openly discussed. Thankfully those we’ve met have been very patient with our questions and haven’t taken offense to our naiveté or ignorance. In turn they’ve asked many questions themselves on the perpetuation of racism in America. Our discussions have been frank, mostly focused on the future not the past. Walking through the Apartheid Museum I was struck by the breadth of information that was contained within the museum, but immediately recognized the breadth of what was not contained within the museum. Perhaps thats the issue in any museum, it can’t contain everything, so choosing itself becomes a political process.

So the question is, how does a society make amends and move on after state sponsored segregation and discrimination? Albeit our situation in America was drastically different (we imported slaves, they were dealing with an indigenous population) than South Africa’s, both nations are coping with its consequences today.

The day after the Apartheid museum Danny and I witnessed a young inter-racial couple walking hand and hand in a shopping center. So little attention was paid to them by other shoppers that it surprised ignorant me. Although 2015 will be 50 years since the end of segregation in America, mixed race couples still deal with a few nasty glances in today’s America. Perhaps they do as well in South Africa and I just didn’t notice. Making amends and moving on doesn’t happen easily. Each country has tried to find its way towards healing. Some ways are more successful than others, but neither country will be able to but its discriminatory past completely behind them until we stop seeing people as a race and start seeing them as people.

Race figures prominently in both countries whether we talk about it or not. Obviously generalizing a country on a few days experience isn’t fair, and perhaps even after a few weeks isn’t enough, but we’ll see how things gof. For now all I can say is that we’re going to be exploring some of our uncomfortable boundaries over the next few weeks.

Doing the 70.3 Ironman and Raising $3,856 for Charity

Who are the Central Asian People?

Apartheid

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