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Finding my MoJoe

One question I’m often asked is: “Why do you love being a professional triathlete?”   

Normally I’ll give a rehearsed answer about how I love representing myself, my family, and my country in the races.  In some cases I’ll reference how interesting the travel can be if that’s what I think will strike a cord with my audience.  Often saying what people expect to hear is the surest way to avoid a more serious conversation—one which you have neither the time nor the willingness to engage. 

There’s truth in those answers, and that’s why I get away with giving them so often.  Who wouldn’t love getting to race for his/her country at exotic locales all over the world?  Just a few weeks ago I started a race diving headfirst into Tokyo Bay—that alone should be enough to convince anyone this life is awesome, right?  Except for maybe the unfortunate Japanese fisherman, not too many people are afforded the opportunity to test those waters.  I’m a kid from tiny Wildwood Crest, NJ—of course I love seeing the world.  When the answers seem to make sense, why ask for clarification?  

Each day I choose to work towards being a better triathlete and competitor is a day I choose against something else.  Choosing to race in New Zealand, China and Japan this spring has simultaneously meant choosing against a graduation celebration with my family, a close friend’s marriage, and time with a special someone in San Diego.  

The choices I make each day define me, and I wasn’t sure I liked my direction.  I started asking myself, “Am I choosing triathlon results over my relationships?  How are my daily decisions helping me toward my long-term ‘life’ goals?”  I didn’t know the answers to these questions, but I decided the questions were important enough to warrant a total re-evaluation.  I reached out to those I love and trust—my family, my friends, and my coach.  With their help and guidance, I realized the problem wasn’t what I was doing.  The problem was how I was doing it.      

When I graduated Boston College, David McCullough gave some great advice in his commencement address.*  Titled, “The Love of Learning,” the historian’s advice that kept popping into my head was:

Facts alone are never enough. Facts rarely if ever have any soul. In writing or trying to 

understand history [or sport] one may have all manner of "data," and miss the point. One can have all the facts and miss the truth. It can be like the old piano teacher's lament to her student, "I 

hear all the notes, but I hear no music.”  

Triathletes live in a world of results and splits, and I had grown obsessed with the work.  Paces and times preoccupied my thoughts.  I thought if I could just run X:XX pace or bike XX miles/hour I’d get the results I wanted.  After working my butt off to achieve these training goals, I expected the results to automatically follow.  I became so consumed with the facts and data that I forgot the thing that makes for truly great results.  I forgot that great achievements—in sport, in art, in work, and in life—are great because of the spirit and heart that goes into them.  It is something different for every individual, and I needed to reconnect with what “it” was for me.  

I absolutely love some aspects of what I do, and others I don’t.  Of course I don’t love making choices that physically isolate me from my family and friends.  I don’t love training so hard for so many days in a row that I lose the energy to be myself.  What I love, what keeps me making these choices, is my love of learning.  I love learning about myself through my experiences as a professional triathlete, and I’m not finished yet.  I want a spot on the starting line at the 2016 Olympics.

My mission, what makes me feel alive when I’m racing a triathlon, is setting an example to those around me that says, “Decide you want something, and accept that you might fail.  Let the process change you.  It’s about having the courage to continually discover yourself through the struggle.”

This spirit drives me to be a better Joe Maloy.  I’m not going to be a professional triathlete forever, but, for better or for worse, I’m stuck with being Joe Maloy.  It’s who I am during the races, but more importantly it’s who I am during all the other times too.  Maybe that’s what love is all about.  It’s deciding you want something, opening up and accepting that failure and hurt are always possibilities, but then going for it anyway. 

I don’t have it all figured out, but that’s the point.  Later on in McCullough’s address he quoted Abigail Adams, “Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought with ardor and attended with diligence.”  Through these struggles—both personal and professional—I’m learning what success means for me.  The choices I’ve made thus far have allowed me to both fill my life with incredible people and achieve great triathlon results.  These two things do not have to be exclusive.  For me to be at my best, I need both.   

With the continued support of those I love and a whole lot of “ardor,” I’ll continue moving in that direction.  Thinking things through, involving those I love, and working with everything I’ve got will be my recipe for growth.  Of course it won’t be easy—nothing worth achieving ever is.  The process will make me a better brother, son, boyfriend, friend, and example to others.  This will make me a better Joe Maloy.        

*I will neither confirm nor deny any accounts I was not paying attention when the speech was being delivered—let’s just say it’s a good thing we write things down.  Here’s a link to the full text: http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/08/McCullough_BCCommencement08.pdf

Time

It's funny how time can get away from you.

I've been meaning to put something on this blog for much too long, but I'm just getting around to it now.  Why?  I was waiting for the perfect moment.

Today (December 20) is my birthday.  On this day twenty-eight years ago my parents were living in a little house near Sunset Lake in Wildwood Crest, NJ.  The house's exterior walls had gaps to the outside where brisk bay winds regularly blew through the living room, and its electrical wiring should have been condemned.  I remember them telling me stories of relatives advising, "You know, you really shouldn't have a baby until you have this-much money in the bank...blah blah blah."  If they had waited for the "perfect" time to have a baby I might have never been born!

Waiting for things to be perfect only amounts to a more comfortable form of procrastination.  Blowing out the candles on this blog post, my 2014 wish is to do a better job listening to my intuition and seizing the opportunities around me--in both my races and my day-to-day life.

(...And if you're thinking, "Oh no he said it!  Now its not going to come true," you're wrong!  Blog birthday wishes are different than the kinds you make when you wish on a cake.  These wishes still work as long as you end it with a song.)

Tongyeong World Cup

Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon. Paulo Coelho,  The Alchemist

One of my goals heading into the 2014 season was to win a World Cup.  Sure I wanted to win a major race for my country, my federation, my sponsors, my family and my friends--but, come on, I'm selfish!  Most of all I wanted it for myself.  The challenge provided the framework to my daily efforts and thought processes.

I traveled to Tongyeong, South Korea with this goal in mind.  I arrived 5 days early to adjust to the 16-hour time difference and was immediately greeted with some interesting weather.  A typhoon brushing the coastal city the following day made me change my original training plans--my test had begun.

A screenshot of the weather upon my arrival

While it looked pretty intimidating on radar, the storm amounted to little more than a big ol' rainstorm.  Hardened from my winters in both Boston and Wildwood Crest, the storm was no match for me--I even snuck in a run that morning!  Spending the afternoon alternating between reading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (a good read if you're looking for a long-ish novel) and watching the storm was a great way to relax after my San Diego-Tokyo-Busan-Tongyeong travel day.  On a quick aside--Even though it sometimes seems like ages when you're cramped onto a plane, modern travel times absolutely blow my mind.  The speeds are incredible.

Riding out the storm (photo credit to roommate and all-around good guy, Tommy Zaferes)

Sunghee and me

Anyway, the following day the Soul of the World continued it's test.  About 10 minutes into my first bike ride in Korea, my rear derailleur cracked.  While I could have replaced the shifting mechanism alone, a replacement for the derailleur hanger was not so easily found. The piece, which had also broken when the derailleur cracked, was unique to my bike.  There was no way I could get a replacement in time for the Saturday race.  Instead I turned my attention to finding a replacement bike, and in the process I could not have dreamed of meeting more helpful individuals.

Tongyeong is a relatively small fishing town on the southeastern Korean coast, 90 minutes from the nearest city, Busan, and 4-5 hours from the South Korean capitol.  A faint fishing smell lingered in the air wherever you walked, and it just didn't seem like the type of place where I'd easily find a piece unique to my American bike.  I contacted the local organizer for the triathlon, Sunghee Kim, and explained my situation.  She quickly set me up with the event's bike sponsor, Bike MCS.

After a quick look at my bike, the mechanic confirmed my original suspicions.  They did not have necessary parts to complete the repair--my bike was as useless as the "-ay" in "okay."  Together, Sunghee and Bike MCS worked through the challenges and the language barrier to transport a top-notch bike from Seoul for me to use in the race.  This involved considerable effort on their part, and I could not be more grateful for their support.  They had an attitude that was kind of like, "Well, it's not ideal but we're going to figure this out--no matter what."  I immediately liked them.

It can be daunting to need something in an unfamiliar environment, but let this story serve as a first-hand testament to the benevolence of the ITU, Sunghee, and Bike MCS.  Doogy from Bike MCS wouldn't even let me pay for the rental.  Talk about service!


Reassured that I'd finally be on a functioning bike during the race, I was ready to go.    I worked with the mechanics to get comfortable on the Argon 18 rental bike, and I pre-rode the course that Friday to get accustomed to the little differences.  I was a little concerned that the brakes on the bike were wired opposite to what I was used to, but I didn't have many other options!  Sometimes you've just gotta decide to make a situation work for you.

Here's what happened:

The Soul of the World tested me, and I nearly overcame all of the challenges.  But I didn't.  You don't "nearly" win a race--you either do or you don't.  When I fell off the bike, my first thought was, "The hell if I've come all this way to fall off a bike.  I'm going to win this race anyway."  I ran my career-best 10K, but I didn't have any extra gears for the sprint finish and settled for 5th place--6 seconds out of second place and 14 seconds from realizing my pre-race goal.  I still need better focus and better execution.  While close, I'm not there yet.  My experience in Tongyeong proved I'm competitive with some of the world's best triathletes.  My skills need to catch up to my fitness.  Now, as coach Paulo Sousa likes to say, "It's time to keep the (expletive) pressure on."

He's just not wearing an orange shirt

Lifetime Fitness Tempe

I made the decision to travel from Las Vegas to Tempe during a conversation with Coach Paulo during the women's final of the Las Vegas Super Sprint. While Gwen Jorgensen ran away with the race, I turned and told Paulo, "I think I should just go back to San Diego and train this weekend. I can't race again on Sunday. It's going to be my third race in seven days."

Paulo thought for a moment, looked me in the eyes and said, "No, I don't think thats a good idea. Your fitness is still there, and you have a good opportunity to race Sunday in Tempe." Okay, you caught me. Maybe I didn't make the decision... :)

Shortly after the swim start (I'm in second, directly under the orange buoy)

Instead of putting my attention on the challenges ahead of me, I continued to stress about my bike shipment. No matter how hard I tried to remember I had no control of the situation, I could not stop myself from thinking about it. That bike bag contained all the things I need to make a living, and all of a sudden it was gone. My life would have been so much easier if only I had trusted my instincts. I knew it was a bad idea to trust the driver. I knew he didn't know what he was doing. I could have taken a train or taxi. None of these problems would have existed if only I had tusted myself instead of Nirvana Travel Company.

Like the Vegas race, that time was gone. I made a decision and I had to live with that. A few more talks with Paulo and a six-hour drive with Eric from Las Vegas to Tempe were exactly what I needed to calm these unprodutive thoughts. Slowly, I started to feel like myself again. Eric had me laughing with comments like, "Dude, look at all these Joshua Trees. They look like alien plants--like a tree and a cactus that had absolutely no business getting together got bored and were like, 'Eh, why not?'" Naturally, this spurred an intelligent conversation about the duck-billed platypus being "The Joshua Tree" of the animal kingdom. I was starting to "chill."

A Joshua Tree--pretty weird looking, right?

The Duck-Billed Platypus

While I was laughing and occasionally paying attention to the road, Paulo was working behind-the-scenes. My bike wheels were in my bike bag (which was who-knows-where), and I needed something to roll on for Sunday morning's race. I called every bike shop in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area on Friday morning, but they either wouldn't rent wheels or were all sold out for the weekend. Enter the generosity of Bryan Dunn.

Bryan (far-left) finished 2nd in the Sprint Distance race in Tempe

Remember how I told you Paulo was working behind the scenes? Well, he worked his magic and introduced me to Bryan Dunn--a Phoenix-based friend who was willing to help me out with race wheels. I spoke with Bryan on the phone Friday afternoon, and 18 hours later he was lending me $2,000 worth of bike equipment (These aren't your average bicycle wheels and Bryan Dunn isn't your average guy).

After all this coordination, getting to the race was actually a huge relief. For the first time since I left London, I relaxed and just let me be me. I gave the day everything I had, and in this case it was good for second place overall.

Men's and Women's Podium

A great deal of the credit for this result needs to go to all the people who helped make it happen. Paulo kept me focused on the task at hand. My training/travel partners Eric Lagerstorm and Jason Pedersen (Jason rode in a separate car from Vegas to Tempe and was not privy to our intellectual Joshua Tree conversation) motivated me with their focus and kept me relaxed. Bryan Dunn lent me his wheels, and Heather and Trevor Wurtele donated my shoes. Even fellow competitor Jarrod Shoemaker chipped-in and lent me an extra race belt. Who ever said triathlon wasn't a team sport?

Fortunate to have this guy on Team Maloy

 

Las Vegas Super Sprint

Paulo doing his thing during the on-course warm up

Marc Lees, the Las Vegas Super Sprint Race Director, first told me about this race back in April. He said, "Hey, this is an opportunity to race on the strip in Las Vegas. We're building a pool in a parking lot and putting the race on television. You're not going to want to miss it." I was sold.

 

The timing wasn't perfect having raced the London Grand Final four days beforehand--but hey, how often does timing work out the way you want? There was no keeping me out of this race. I flew into San Diego on Monday night, swam and ran on Tuesday, and I drove to Las Vegas after my Wednesday morning workouts.

 

While it's all very exciting, the travel is not without headaches. The ironically named "Nirvana Travel Company" was responsible for transporting me from my London hotel to Heathrow Airport the morning after the race. The coach driver first insisted my bike bag was too large to transport (even though he had a full-sized bus). He and the Nirvana Travel representative on-board promised my bike, along with my teammate Greg Billington's, would be transported in a van following the bus. There was never a van, and I had to pass through customs with only a promise that my bike would be promptly shipped. Then, after promising to air-mail my bike bag to the USA in time for the Vegas Super Sprint, Nirvana Travel again disappointed. Long story short, I'm writing this post 14 days after leaving London, but my bike bag is still in the United Kingdom. Nirvana (noun)- "a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering nor desire..." Nirvana, indeed. More on this later...let's get back to the race.

 

While it seemed circumstances were stacked against me, these are normally the situations where I excel. Back when I was a youth swimmer, I recorded my first-ever "A-Standard" time in my younger brother's suit and goggles (I had forgotten my swim bag at our home 90 minutes away). On another occasion I had one of my best-ever meets during a snowy winter weekend when I had forgotten to pack any type of footwear. I recorded my first triathlon podium was after wearing a borrowed wetsuit during the swim portion (I didn't know an Antarctic current runs along the western-coast of South America).

 

An advantage to being absentminded is you learn to make adjustments when things don't go to plan. I had preformed well under less-than-ideal circumstances before, and I told myself this was another one of those situations. My coach, Paulo Sousa, lent me his bike (which was actually better than mine), and I wore a pair of cycling shoes that my Triathlon Squad training partners Heather and Trevor Wurtele had sent (with love).

 

The race had a morning semifinal and an evening final, but I failed to qualify for the final. In hindsight it would be easy to rationalize this poor performance, but that's not my style. I didn't show up to work, and I was beaten by better athletes on the day.

 

The race left a bitter taste in my mouth. I felt as though I had just typed a twenty page paper and forgotten to hit save. I had written it--so of course it was awesome--but I had no proof of anything I'd written. It was gone. I had blown an opportunity that would not come back.

 

All, however, was not lost. I took the rest of the day off and enjoyed watching my Triathlon Squad teammate Eric Lagerstorm crush the final and finish 2nd overall. I see him work his butt off every day in training, and it was fun to watch him put everything together for a good result. His performance even put a smile on Paulo's face!

Mark Lees and company did a great job putting this race together, and I think I speak for most of the field in saying I can't wait to participate in more of these races every chance I get.

 

London Grand Final

Last weekend I competed in the World Triathlon Seres Grand Final in London, UK. When I set my schedule for the 2013 season, September 15th this was one of the circled dates. Being there was a great accomplishment, but I wasn't in the race to be a participant. I was in London to compete--ready to see how I stacked up against the world's best.

 

Now, "world's best" is a term that gets thrown around an awful lot...

In this case, "world's best" meant the 70 male triathletes who had best proven their talents in 2013, and I was one of them. Mentally and physically I was in a good place, and I thought with a great day I could crack the top-20. I had a good swim through the chilly Serpentine river in downtown London, but a poor first transition cost me a chance at making the lead pack on the bike. I've been practicing my transitions, but sometimes it doesn't go the way you planned. That's life--er, I mean, that's racing. I settled in with a group of 30 or so guys, and we maintained a :30 to :40 gap to the leaders on the bike. While it may not seem like much, in a race this competitive :40 is an eternity. For some perspective, the time gap between my 36th place finish and 20th place was 1:00. It was an additional :47 to 4th place.

Race Start

 

Through the second transition and onto the early parts of the run, I focused on staying within myself. I was confident that some of the guys up the road would come back to me if I stayed patient. Not enough of them did, and I know where I need to improve to become more competitive in 2014. I finished a respectable 36th, but if you know me then you know 36th in the world is about 35 places behind where I want to finish.

Look at the spectators--London Weather!

 

The International Triathlon Union does a fantastic job organizing these races in big cities all over the world. They put on the world's best events, give the races the world's best coverage, and attract the world's best competition. This year I raced in San Diego, Hamburg, and London, and I hope to take part in the entire 7 or 8 race series next season.

 

It's a strange feeling to compete on one of these world-class courses. It's a little ironic that I was biking past and through historical landmarks including Buckingham Palace and the Wellington Arch, yet all my focus was on the other competitors. I remember at one point looking up and seeing Big Ben in the distance, yet the giant clock only reminded me of the time gap to the front guys. While other tourists will leave London with memories of historical tours and photos of the changing of the guard, my London experiences taught me the streets around Buckingham Palace are really slippery when they're wet. Hyde Park also runs slightly uphill from east to west. Appreciate history--but don't be afraid to make your own.

Picture of the course in front of Buckingham Palace (photo from londontown.com)

 

This experience was sweeter because I shared it with those I love. My family has supported me from the beginning, and to have them cheering me on meant a great deal. It was very much their race too.

 

 

Help! I'm Having European Thoughts...

In the time since I've last posted to this blog (which admittedly was far too long ago), I've traveled over 10,000 miles and raced 4 times in 3 different countries. I'll write about my experiences racing the Palamos World Cup, Hamburg World Series, and Tiszjauvaros World Cup (semi-finals and finals) soon, but today I wanted to write about something else.

While I lived in Europe over the past 5 weeks, my typical pre-swim breakfast was a latte with a european-sized packet of sugar* and a croissant (*- While nearly everything else was smaller in Europe, the sugar packets were strangely enormous--three-times the size of their American counterparts!). There was something different about the coffee, but the croissants are what really got me. I convinced myself that the coffee tasted different because I'd just dumbed a massive pouch of sugar into it (an added bonus was I still felt healthy because I had only used one packet of sugar). But the croissants!--they had a sugar glaze which added just the right amount of flavor to the otherwise flaky roll. Sitting at the breakfast bar I'd look at the crescent pastries sparkling in the display case and think, "Wow I can't believe I never discovered these back in the USA. I'm going to keep eating these delicious things when I get home too!"

I'd already eaten the crossaint

Then I came home. On my first morning back in the US, I went to the local coffee shop and placed the order I'd perfected in Europe--only this time I did it speaking English. Just like when I was in Europe, the barista laughed at my goofy accent then fetched a latte and a croissant.

I'd already eaten the crossaint

Now, don't get me wrong it's pretty rare that I have a meal I don't enjoy, but something was different about the Americanized version of my standard European breakfast. The crossaint was twice as big as the ones I had in Europe and it was missing that delicious sugar glaze. My coffee tasted somehow plainer. Was it the sugar? I thought of that and added another packet, but it didn't quite do the trick.

While not completely satisfied, I left the coffee shop satiated and was off to the pool. At the stop lights I cursed that they weren't traffic circles instead, and when I got to the pool I thought how much happier Americans would be on the metric system.

That's right, I said it. I think we should switch to the measurement system that makes sense. If a politician changed everything in the US to the metric system he'd be hated for a few years. FOX News would call him anti-American, and the Tea Party would probably start a campaign to have him deported. Then, slowly, people would begin to love how everything converts so much easier! Eventually public opinion would swing the politician's favor--he'd enjoy a resurgence of popularity not seen since the fall and subsequent rise of Bill Clinton. After he died we'd probably print his face on a commemorative dollar coin for his effort to modernize our systems of measure (yes, we'd be finally be using dollar coins).

This kept happening. I was noticing differences everywhere I went. Some were positive and some were negative. I noticed differences in the way people dressed, in the time people ate their meals, in the things people did for fun, in the types of cars people drove and in the types of fuel the people put in those cars.

I've heard it said that the point of travel is to return home and know the place for the first time. If I hadn't spent the past 5 weeks traveling and racing in Europe I wouldn't have noticed anything unusual about my breakfast that morning--but I did. I traveled outside of my comfort zone, and when I returned to the "familiar" something was different.

I share this little story because I don't think you need to travel thousands of miles or to race a bunch of triathlons to learn more about your surroundings. In a world where so much is standardized, I think it's important to realize that there are different ways to do things. These differences are not necessarily better or worse, but I think the world would be a better place if more people were aware these differences existed.

In both sport and life, one cannot have growth without first being aware of--and somewhat dissatisfied with--one's current situation. There are opportunities everywhere to be better. We can become better consumers, better athletes, and better citizens by realizing the choices we make shape our surroundings. We should start by deciding to make tastier croissants.

 

Edmonton World Cup

This past weekend my travels took me to America's northern brother. Now I certainly love America and most things American, but I want to take this opportunity to thank Canada for getting a couple of things right:

1) Tim Hortons- I still will give a point to Dunkin' Donuts for having better coffee, but the honey flavored timbits at Tim Hortons were on-point. Well done, Canada.

2) The Metric System- I laughed to myself the first time the weatherman announced "a possibility of 2-3 millimeters of rain," but I appreciate the metric system's user-firendly conversion factors.

3) Hockey- Even though Canada's national sport is lacrosse (don't ask...it doesn't make sense to me either), Canadians picked a great sport to embrace. Triathlon is the only sport with tougher athletes.

The Luggage Carousel @ Edmonton's Airport

Dallas Continental Cup

I competed in the Dallas Continental Cup on Saturday, June 1st. I was disappointed with my 4th place finish.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Austin, Texas

 

After spending Monday-Wednesday in Detroit, my schedule left me in a bit of a "grey zone." I had already moved my stuff from San Diego, and I knew I wanted to race in Dallas on June 1st. The question, then, was what I should do in the meantime.

After a gracious invitation from Brandon and Amy Marsh I booked a ticket to Austin, Texas. I had heard great things about Austin, and I was eager to check out the scene. While in Texas, I would race the CapTex Triathlon in downtown Austin on Memorial Day then back it up with the Dallas ITU Continental Cup the following Saturday.

A highlight of my time in Austin was the Barton Springs Pool. This 200+ yard pool is fed from natural springs just outside downtown Austin. The city decided to put four walls around these springs sometime during the 1920s. Instead of building the pool then filling it with water, Barton Springs Pool actually started with the water! There's something I like about that synergy between nature and man--something that says, "We've already got the water, turtles, and fish...let's make this thing a pool so we can swim here too!" It was very cool to swim with the aquatic life and then to look up at downtown Austin's modern skyscrapers.

Those familiar with Austin's "party scene" will note I did not mention 6th Street as my favorite spot in town. I was on my best behavior during this trip! I only took a short drive through the famed "party-section" of town, but I could see myself having an awful lot of fun on that bar-lined boulevard. With the rental car windows down, the pubs' live music called like the famed sirens of Greek Mythology. I kept my seatbelt fastened and contented myself with a drive through.

My race in Austin, the Lifetime Fitness CapTex Triathlon, was Memorial Day morning. The whole course was held in the center of town, and it was very cool to see 3,000 triathletes take over the city's main thoroughfares. Particularly inspiring were the para-triathletes, who were competing for the USAT Paratriathlon National Championship. These guys and girls were physically handicapped in different capacities, but they were out there just the same.

One of the wonderful parts about sport is how it unites people from all different backgrounds and circumstances. We competed together--an inspiring symbol of individuals from all walks of life overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal. I think the sight would have made the Americans we remembered proud.

Below is a journey of my race through photos (photos courtesy of CapTex Tri):

A view of transition before the day began

Leading the way out of the water!

Turning off Congress Ave. during the 40K bike

FUN FACT: The Texas Capitol (building in the background of this shot) is "the largest in gross square footage of all state capitols and is second in total size only to the national capitol in Washington, D.C."* Texas would...

*Source: www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/capitol/texcap.htm

Pretty happy to finish 2nd overall

 

Men's Podium: (left to right) Cam Dye, your boy Joe Maloy, 2013 CapTex Champ Hunter Kemper, and Ben Collins

The race was the second race in the 2013 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Series. Below are the men's top-3 series rankings after the first two stops:

1) Ben Collins- 18.5 points

2) Joe Maloy- 18 points

3) Hunter Kemper- 17.5 points

Finally, to end on a few quick personal notes...

• It was a blast racing with college friends Jeff Benson and John Nicholson. Some days I think we've come a long way from 19 Braemore...and then other days I know we haven't!
• Brandon and Amy Marsh were exceptional hosts. We shared some great laughs, and I cannot thank them enough for their hospitality.
• I'm very happy Triathlon Squad training partner and friend Eric Lagerstorm recovered from some scary heat exhaustion following his 8th place finish. Colin O'Brady and Jenna Besaw were incredibly helpful--they were also great company.
• Thanks to former Boston College swimming teammate Maeve Sloane for making sure I was well connected while in Austin.
• And if you've read this whole post...thank you!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Focusing on the Details

Part 1: Testing at Eastern Michigan University

This past November, Coach Paulo Sousa and I made a decision to work with renowned running specialist Dr. Stephen McGregor. I was not running fast enough to be competitive on the international level, so we decided to collaborate with the Eastern Michigan University guru.

His philosophy towards running improvements can be summed up in this quote from a 2012 interview: "Running faster is a good way to run faster."

I committed to make several trips to EMU for testing, and Drs. McGregor and Sousa committed to evaluating the data and forming an action plan. Normally I hate doctors--but these guys aren't so bad. In fact, I enjoy working with them both.

This is how the sensors show up on the computer!

I visited the lab in November for baseline testing, then returned this past month for my first set of follow-up tests.

Part 2 : A Visit to Zingerman's Deli

When I arrived in Detroit, I made small-talk with a University of Michigan grad-student while waiting around the luggage carousel. The grad student may or may not have been an attractive young woman. (Author's note: When reading, it is good practice to imagine the events as accurately as possible.) She recommended I check out a place called "Zingerman's Deli" in Ann Arbor.

Since it was a short drive from my work at Eastern Michigan University, I went to Zingermann's after my first day of testing. I had been in the lab running for nearly 3 hours, and I deserved a delicious sandwich. I think it's important to enjoy one's hard work whenever possible.

My friend from the airport cautioned the sandwiches were "huuuuuge" and I should just get the regular size, so I ordered a large with a brownie for dessert.

Now, I'm no Guy Fieri. I'm not going to tell you how the flavors interacted or how the ambience set some kind of "deli mood."

I do know a thing or two about gaining a competitive advantage. Zingerman's has built a stellar reputation from using quality ingredients from start to finish. They focus on the details. The staff was friendly--even by those high midwestern standards--and offered samples and advice on nearly every product. While each individual aspect of my visit was unspectacular, the all-around commitment to excellence made for both a spectacular sandwich and experience.

Part 3: Why the heck did I tell those 2 stories?

Zingerman's commitment to excellence has made the Ann Arbor institution a model for other delis around the country. Its success is a reminder that a commitment to doing many little things right can end with big results.

In a strange way, the deli's model for excellence is the same one I'm applying towards my career as a professional triathlete. I focused on the details of my running technique with hopes to improve my times. I went to EMU to visit with Dr. McGregor because Coach Paulo Sousa and I decided he was the best. Day in and day out, I thought (and continue to think) about the details that will make me faster. Just as Zingermann's goes to great lengths to gather the best possible ingredients for their sandwiches, I take that same approach to assembling my team.

Below is a chart representing the amount of oxygen I need to run at different speeds. The blue line indicates my baseline levels which were measured in November, 2012. The green line shows my results from the May, 2013 tests. The data shows I've become 8-9% more efficient while running at current race pace.

Many thanks to Paulo, to Dr. McGregor and his staff, and to the high performance department at USA Triathlon for making these trips possible. Now it's back to work--I still want to go faster!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Black Bear Triathlon

Last weekend's Black Bear Triathlon provided a great opportunity to get back to my roots and support the Mid-Atlantic triathlon community. While my ambitions as a triathlete necessitate a nomadic lifestyle, I still like to think of myself as a hometown-kind of guy. No amount of travel or experience can replace the feelings of being surrounded by family and friends.

I flew from San Diego to Philadelphia on Wednesday--you can't beat the cheap mid-week airfares!--and stayed in Philadelphia with some of my closest friends. With pre-race preparation including a pilgrimage to the "Rocky" statue and a homecoming tour through many of my favorite Manayunk stomping grounds, I was excited for the Sunday morning race.

The car ride to the race was interesting, to say the least. I was traveling with my brother and my dad, two bikes, three sets of wheels, clothing for three, and a trash bag full of drinks and pb&js (duh, you can't have a proper road trip with out gas for both car and passengers). We stuffed ALL of this into a Toyota Corolla.

While I cursed our situation and dreamt of a U-Haul sponsorship, my brother John was determined to make everything work. Somehow, he managed to fit the three of us, along with most of our essential gear, into the car. (Jack, Jeff, Alyssa, and Pete--whats left is still at the 305. One of these days I'll actually move all my stuff out of that place.) A U-Haul may have made for a more comfortable ride, but we did end up getting better gas mileage in the Corolla.

Race morning served a dose of typical spring weather in the mountains--high fifties with a sky that couldn't decide whether it wanted to spit rain or just be foggy. We ended up with a chilly combination of the two. After spending the preceding 5 months in Southern California, I told my brother and dad on the ride to the race, "I forgot weather even did this."

John and I went through our pre-race preparations together-- it's become a ritual for us. We've been warming up and racing together for as long as I can remember. First as age-group swimmers, then through high school in both cross country and swimming meets, in the Plex at Boston College, on the Jersey Shore for lifeguard races, and now for triathlons. Wile the actual routines for the different races were all a bit different (with the lifeguard races maybe including sips from a certain tupperware jug), the magic is in the preparation. There is something about those moments I can't quite put into words--something that says, "Hey, I'm in this with you. We're going to do this together." I'm not sure how you warm-up for being a lawyer in a courtroom, but when the time comes I'll find a way to do that with John, too.

The race setting was stunning--a cool (but not frigid) lake tucked between green mountains, a hilly bike through country roads, and a trail run. Team Philly Pro Tri director Brett Jenner, who seems to have a solutions to every problem I throw his way, lent me a jacket to keep warm in the conditions.

I raced hard from the start and opened a pretty large gap on the field through the 1500m swim. I was racing for the win, and I did not want to beat myself by doing anything stupid. I was conservative on the bike with the slick roads, and then I used my running strength to hold off the rest of the field.

It felt great to give Brett a high-five as I headed down the finish chute, pick-up 100 points for Team Philly Pro Tri in the Team Challenge, and celebrate with my family that evening back in Wildwood Crest.

Mid-Week Super Sprint

On the heels of the San Diego WTS race, local race director Lars Finanger organized a "Super Sprint" triathlon this past Wednesday, April 24.  

The race format was: (1 loop 375m swim, 5-loop 6K Bike, 2-loop 1.5K run)--all twice through.  The whole race was set up in a large parking lot directly across from Fiesta Island (an island park in San Diego where the first-ever triathlon was held).   The motivation behind organizing a super-sprint triathlon was two-fold:

(1) To give triathletes a chance to develop the technical skills which are critical in world-class triathlon events

(2) To give spectators a chance to actually watch the excitement and speed of a short-course, draft-legal triathlon 

Now for a quick side note--I'm uniquely qualified to discuss the importance of these technical skills.  When I first started in triathlons a few years ago I dismissed the technical elements of the sport--including transitions and bike skills--as unimportant.  I saw the sport as a challenge to go as hard as I could, and I was successful with this approach.  It wasn't until last year that I was racing at such a high level that these weaknesses were exposed.  I love focusing on pushing myself, but I love winning even more.  Last year my transitions and technical skills were so bad that I wasn't putting myself in a position to win my races.  

  

My race provided a good opportunity to chart my growth over the past winter.  I've been working on both my transitions and my bike handling, so I was excited to see how it translated to a technical race.  Plus, how often is it that you get to run and dive into the water for a second swim?  The format reminded me of a lifeguard race back on the Jersey Shore.  

There was also some good media coverage there.  Here are links to photo galleries and articles from both Slowtwitch and Triathlete Magazine:  

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/04/news/groff-royle-win-fearless-pro-super-sprint_74488

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Features/2013_Mission_Bay_Super_Sprint_3561.html

Enjoy the race as it unfolded:

Race Start- 18 men qualified for the 6:30pm final

Exit from Swim #1

Working the turn on Bike #1

Run #1 was a critical point in the race--Royle, Vidal, Ivan Vasiliev, and I opened a gap on the rest of the field 

Love this picture of the afternoon sky as I dive in for the second swim.  Just ahead of me are Aaron Royle (Australia) and Laurent Vidal (France)

Exiting up the boat ramp after the second 375m swim

Our group worked together on the second bike to go into the second bike-run transition with a large gap (25-30seconds) on the rest of the field

I took the final run out hard to try to drop Ivan Vasiliev and catch Vidal (who was just ahead).  My heart was willing, but my legs didn't quite follow.  I ended up getting out-sprinted for 3rd place.  I was disappointed to miss the podium by 2 seconds, but I was happy with my race as a whole.  I also received some nice compliments from a few people spectating.  Race announcer and former Ironman World Champion Greg Welch told me he "loved how hard I raced."  

Finally, below is a photo showing a nice compliment from Triathlete Magazine's Aaron Hersh.  He wrote a caption, "While he seemed a bit disappointed to have finished the final run last of the four leaders, Maloy raced brilliantly to make the elite selection and showed a lot of promise."