|
Richard W. Frank |
|
Triathlon |
|
Upon returning to the states one of my goals was to finish an Ironman distance triathlon. This was a rather lofty goal and one geared towards both keeping me in shape back in the land of Ben and Jerry’s and comfortable chairs as well as giving me another rather impractical goal to reach. This was a lofty goal because 1) I did not really know how to ride a bicycle and 2) I could not swim laps for love or money. Being raised in Los Angeles learning to ride a bicycle was not a right of passage. I learned how to wobble around our parking lot when I was fourteen, but that was it. As for swimming, I once had to swim ten laps in a pool in South Central Los Angeles in order to pass my scuba diving test, but it took at least fifteen minutes and was far less than dignified and involved much flailing and swallowing of water. Nevertheless, one of my goals in Boston was to be able to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles in one day. I joined a swim class at Harvard’s MAC, and I bought my first bike on EBay. The swim class was taught by two competent undergrads in a 3ft wading pool. Perfect! By the end of the semester I learned how to do flip turns without getting lost. It did help that one of the teachers and one of the students ended up getting Rhodes scholarships for the next year. These were brilliant and patient folk. The biking was another matter. Several suggestions I think it important to mention to any aspiring triathlete: Do not try and learn how to a) ride a bike or b) ride a bike with clipless pedals on Commonwealth Ave in Boston...the traffic is not forgiving and the asphalt is haard. On the plus side, biking and running did give me a chance to explore Boston and the surrounding towns from Concord to Plymouth. My dream was delayed several summers. In 2002, I was stuck in summer classes, and my Cannondale Black Lightening was stolen at 3pm in front of Lamont Library one sunny June day. In 2003, I postponed my athletic dream to spend a summer in Brazil writing for Let’s Go. In 2004, I would no be denied. I had made every possible mistake learning to swim, bike, and run, but I had had a huge amount of fun learning. During the 2003-2004 winter, I meticulously laid out my strategy for training and racing. My training season would incorporate shorter races starting in April and peak in Montreal during September at the Esprit Iron Distance Triathlon. The Timberman Half Iron is now the Timberman 70.3, but back in 2004 it had the reputation as being one of the most fun and best run tris out there. The race began on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. I managed to time the race so that my mom and Bill would be in town. They rented a minivan and I managed to talk my girlfriend to take the weekend off work. One of the perks of this sport is that the races are in some of the prettiest parts of the US. A scarce six weeks after completing the Timberman my best friend Dan and I boxed up Aloha and boarded a Greyhound bus to Montreal for the Esprit Triathlon. Dan was my designated photographer and support crew, although truth be told he really went to Montreal for the poutine — a devilishly good mixture of French fries, gravy, and cheese. |
|
© Richard Frank 2007-2008. All rights reserved. |
|
Triathletes are a special breed. In an attempt at gross simplification they can be grouped into two camps: the type A overachievers and those facing a challenge in their life and use triathlon as a means for symbolically overcoming that challenge. Some of my inspirations: Jonathan “Blazeman” Blais who passed away on May 27, 2007. |
|
Using the Aloha for support after the Timberman Half |
|
To make a loooong story short, I finished in 12:35:29. My triathlon career thus reached its peak in the crazy year of 2004. I have not done a triathlon since the Esprit. Part of the reason for this is the financial and temporal constraints that political science has placed on me. Another part is that, for all its benefits, triathlon is a rich man’s sport and a rather tame one at that. If given the choice I would rather spend my scarce resources on a flight to another country than the $500 entry fee to an Ironman race. It also must be said that the dedication to complete the necessary training to finish an Ironman is not easily summoned. Once I had ‘been there, done that’ a lot of the novelty ran off. Nevertheless, given a steady source of income and a lottery shot at Kona nothing would stand in my way of hearing Mike Reilly say ‘Rich Frank you are an Ironman!!’ The feeling of reaching the finish line gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. The video below is a preview of the NBC coverage of the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. It gives a small taste of the Big Show in Kona and the kind of people that are drawn to Ironman. |
|
After the Esprit literally every part of my body hurt, but it was worth every moment. |
|
Back to Personal |