Ordinary Marathoner

It takes a lot of effort and planning for an event like Ironman Lake Placid to go off without a hitch. One often overlooked detail is the setup and maintenance of the aid stations.

When my daughter Sam and I volunteered at Aid Station 6, we got a great look at it. Things need to go right – there are a lot of moving parts and details that cannot be overlooked. Luckily, we had the most incredible Aid Station Captain – Rhiannon Berry.

A former participant in the race, she was well aware of the importance of the last run-station on River Road. This station opened up for business in the morning, and stayed open through the late hours of the night. It staffed tens of volunteers in multiple shifts. Not only did Rhiannon lead the functioning of the station, but she did it with energy and flair… for HOURS on end.

She made sure everyone from the fastest pros to the 17-hour “full-experience” age groupers made it through her station safely. She even drew some smiles out of some of them.

The day was very exhausting. But we hope she comes back next year. I think she was born for this. Sam and I are already planning our return to River Road in 2022.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Another poorly kept secret is out… In 2022, Team Ordinary will be making a splash in Chattanooga, TN! Ironman Chattanooga 70.3 is scheduled for May 22nd and many of us will be participating!

We started looking at the 2022 race schedule a while ago and Chattanooga just stood out. As I made the rounds checking in with people, more and more seemed interested. Yes, yes, yes, yes… NO! Ok, maybe…. ok, yes. Oh, we can do a relay? Then Yes! Next thing I know, close to a dozen of us are ready to race next May. It’s going to be an Ordinary Extravaganza!

As for me, I’m ready to switch gears in my own training. Chattanooga is a long ways away, but it’s never too early to get on track. Weight loss has begun. I am making my training schedules more friendly. I still have races this year to attack – the swim in IM Maine 70.3, the virtual Boston Marathon and the Philadelphia Marathon. But my prize will be at the finish line in Tennessee, in my peak-condition with a bunch of teammates by my side.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Ironman weekend in Lake Placid has been a very special time for me the past few years, Covid year excluded. The past three races, I’ve been there as a competitor. This time it would be as a spectator.

The differences between the two were certainly notable. The lack of heightened anticipation, anxiety and responsibility paved the way for what was a rather enjoyable vacation.

Sam and I volunteered at Aid Station 6 – the last run station way out on River Road. We saw athletes of all shapes and sizes with various levels of energy pushing through this monster of a race.

It was an experience she won’t forget, and we’ll be going back to Aid Station 6 next year!

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Call it a badge of honor. Perhaps it’s slightly unsanitary. But can you think of a cooler fashion accessory than the Ironman Wristband? I struggle to come up with one.

At any Ironman-branded race, participants are likely to be given the bracelet (which allows you access to the transition area) at registration. You keep it on through the race and when you finish, you should cut it off. Not me. No way. I keep that sucker on for days.

In this case… 10 days was enough. I snipped it off today and took some pride in my accomplishment.

Even though my finisher photos didn’t give me the Wheaties Box picture I was hoping for, every picture tells a story. This one will not just tell the story of what happened on race day, but it will be one of a series of photos over the years. Races past, races present, and races future. I get to be the one who decides exactly what the next one will be like.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Sometimes the best laid plans… GO EXACTLY THE WAY YOU PLAN THEM!!!

That’s what it took for me to get around 70.3 miles of Geneva, NY at the Ironman Musselman 70.3 . I didn’t feel very enthusiastic about this race. I did the minimum to get ready for the swim. And though I had done a lot of work on the bike, I was coming in very overweight from my past races. And the run? Very underprepared there.

But I had a plan. And lo and behold, the plan worked. We all know #TrainingWorks. But apparently #CoachingWorks, too. And aligned with some luck when it came to the weather and overcoming some very careless mistakes, it was enough to get me to the finish line.

Thank you to everyone who tracked me and wrote supportive messages. I’m sorry I wasn’t as energetic before this race. Some people said they didn’t know I was even racing. But that was intentional on my part. I didn’t give this race the respect it deserves. While I didn’t completely fake it, I did feel a little embarrassed. I still enjoyed race day and finished with a smile on my face… even if I did get the wrong medal.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

There are a lot of good things going on in the Ordinary Marathoner community. Our last podcast with Erin Shepherd and Mike Romans drew great reviews. Racing appears to be returning back to normal, and Team Ordinary members are out crushing them. Our nonprofit is off and running, pun intended, with many great things in store.

Things couldn’t be better in Ordinary Marathoner world.

Which is why it’s a bit difficult for me to cop to coming into my Ironman 70.3 race this weekend entirely undertrained. It was just a few months ago where I hit peak-bike FTP and comfortably ran 11 miles. What happened the last three months? I don’t know… but suddenly it’s race week and I’m feeling very underprepared.

Either way, I’d rather DNF than DNS, so I’ll be at the starting line on Sunday giving it my best.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Today we interview Erin Shepherd and Mike Romans, two Team Ordinary athletes who recently competed in their first Ironman 70.3. Ironman Des Moines 70.3 will go down in history as a challenging race. The weather on race morning posed difficult challenges, a delayed start and a shortened bike course.

This didn’t stop our athletes from putting on courageous performances. In the face of adversity, both went out and did their best. Today we’ll interview them about their experiences in Des Moines. Ever wonder what it’s like to take on your first Ironman branded race? These two will give you a great look at it – from the pre-race jitters to the post-race emotions.

I, for one, can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next. Mike is headed to Wisconsin for another 70.3. After recovering from her stress fracture, Erin will be attacking the Virtual Boston Marathon. We wish the best of luck to both of them!

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Thank you to everyone who reached out with condolences after the passing of my dog, Jake. It meant a lot to me. We are still processing the grief, but a little visit from a moth made things a little easier. Do you believe? I’m still not sure, but some things are really strange.

My trip to Des Moines was excellent. Downtown Des Moines deserves a lot of credit – it’s a great town. The race itself? Well… weather was TOUGH. Really hot and humid leading to race day. Then thunderstorms on race morning. We almost thought they’d cancel, but the weather broke and the race did happen.

They shortened the bike course to 27 miles. Late in the day, the humidity returned, reported at 100%. With all of the mental obstacles from the unknown start combined with the late day heat, anyone crossing the finish on this day certainly earned their medal.

As a coach, I paced nervously watching two of my athletes – Mike Romans and Erin Shepherd – run inspiring races. I am so proud of both of them and will have them on the podcast to discuss their experiences later this week.

Then on the way home I got kidnapped… but that’s another story.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Happy New Garmin Day! Perhaps only one step down from New Bike Day is New Garmin Day. After a 5 year love affair with my Garmin Forerunner 935XT, it was time to let it go. Two snapped bands and a scratched face and it was just time. An early Father’s Day gift later and I’ve upgraded.

Exciting news at the Ordinary Marathoner Foundation’s Running For Autism program! Jonah Papovich, 16, of Pflugerville, TX, has been chosen to be our very first participant! Jonah will be training for his first 5k in the fall with Coach Briana Roehling.

5AM Warrior rides are back in full force. Every day we do a Zwift ride at 5AM (EST) and 6AM (EST). These rides are live-streamed at the Ordinary Marathoner YouTube channel. Come join us and start a good habit!

As I sift through the 600 or so pictures you all so nicely submitted to the Ordinary Marathon, we are about to open ship on the 2022 Ordinary Marathon. We will be using Race Roster as a registration interface. This enhancement will allow you to create a personal fundraising page, join a team, and select either a “26.2 Mile Challenge” or “Set Your Own Goal” race format. As always, all skill levels are welcome!

Lastly, on a sad note, my dog Jake passed away earlier this week. I’ve talked about him on the podcast, especially in the last few months as his condition worsened. It a sad day for us here, but Jake was loved. I’ll miss you, my loyal friend.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.

Is there anything Denny Krahe doesn’t do? He’s the host of the DizRuns podcast, closing in on 1,000 episodes! He’s a multi-time marathoner, a running coach and an author.

And now he’s making his 4th appearance on the Ordinary Marathoner Podcast. If he wasn’t already, this officially makes him “a regular.” We catch up on all the things that have been going since his last appearance, swapping stories about on podcasting, coaching, and what the future has in store.

Looking to improve with a triathlon or running coach? Reach out to Coach Scott at [email protected] and set up a free consultation.

DONATE to our nonprofit, The Ordinary Marathoner Foundation.

Become a Patron and help support the podcast! Check out our Patreon Page.

Join the Official Ordinary Marathoner team at TEAM ORDINARY!

Check out our homepage at www.ordinarymarathoner.com.

Or join the conversation at our Ordinary Marathoners Facebook Discussion Group.

I’ll also follow you back on Twitter if you follow me @OrdMarathoner.