The NYC Marathon draws in such a diverse crowd of individuals. People come from near and far, speaking languages from all around the world. When you’re standing on the Verrazano Bridge, it might appear that everyone is at the NYC Marathon for 1 reason – to run. But when you take a moment to talk to a teammate, a friend or a person you’ve never met before, its amazing to learn that everyone has a different story.

After speaking with Deanna Angello, an Empire Tri Club Member and 10-year NYC resident, we were amazed to learn what sparked her to become a marathon runner, and where she draws her inspiration from!

ETC: Deanna, please tell us about how you got into running & triathlons:

DA: I used to mountain bike and run the obligatory 3 miles a day prior, and was addicted to spin class prior to living in NYC, but never had a desire to run further. I even cycled 400 miles from Raleigh, NC to Washington on my mountain bike (just for the extra challenge)! But with no easy access to trails (when I moved to NYC), I gave up my mountain bike for running shoes and started to train for my first marathon about 10 years ago.

ETC: Was this your first marathon?

DA: No, but my first time racing NYC. I’ve run 3 marathons, including NYC. Previous marathons include Chicago and Anchorage, Alaska. I’ve raced about 10 ½ marathons.

ETC: What was your goal going into this race?

DA: With four NYC marathon deferrals due to a number of injuries in the past (i.e, stress fractures, herniated disk to name a few), my goal for this marathon was to get to the start line healthy, run pain-free, and have fun doing the world’s greatest marathon!

ETC: As a triathlete, did you incorporate cross training into your marathon training? What did a typical training week look like for you?

DA: Past injuries have made me realize the importance of cross-training, specifically strength and interval training. My marathon training focused on this, running 3x a week, including some track workouts.

ETC: Were you raising money for charity or running for a particular cause?

DA: Yes – Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) – represents neurodegenerative diseases, in particular, Frontotemporal Dementia, a rare disease that affects people in their 50 & 60s.

ETC: Please tell us a little about that and what it meant to you?

DA: In 2009, my dad – my mentor and hero – was diagnosed with a terminal illness – Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) at age 65. I attribute my athleticism to my Dad and that is why I will take on a series of athletic endeavors in honor of my Dad. My commitment is to raise $50,000 for The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration(AFTD) to create awareness about FTD, to find effective treatments, and ultimately a cure.

ETC: We heard you ended up going to the medical tent. Can you tell us what happened and if you’re ok?

DA: Shortly after seeing two of my friends in Brooklyn, I started to feel my groin muscle pulling, but I was hoping it was going to go away….unfortunately it didn’t. I continued on, but as I approached my support crew at Mile 18, I knew in my heart that the race I planned to have wasn’t going to happen. My foot had swollen so much that I had to stop to have (Elle) loosen up my laces, as it was very painful. In the Bronx (Mile 20) I was coming to terms with disappointment and made the decision to listen to what my body was screaming at me to do – I told Elle I had to go to the medical tent at mile 21.

ETC: Was there any point in the race where you thought you may not finish?

DA: I know when to push through the pain and I know when stopping is the better option. I never had an issue with my right leg — ever, except for very tight hip flexors, but I did pull my groin muscle on my left leg a few years ago, which ultimately led to the stress fracture in my pelvis. I was out for 7 months after that, and I have athletic goals in 2014 that I can’t afford to be out for!

ETC: What kept you going? Especially after your decision to seek medical help…

DA: There was no way I wasn’t going to finish this race. It was important to me to finish, even if I had to walk, and to make my Dad proud. In the end, I did what I set out to do — finish, raise awareness and funds for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), made my Dad (and Mom) proud, and had fun along the course – especially the last 5 miles that I had to walk.

I may be a girl from Pittsburgh, which will always be my roots, but I did what New Yorkers always do, I persevered, despite the challenges, and figured out how to get it done. I may have been down, but I was never out of the game.

ETC: You must have been thrilled to have finished! Did you celebrate?

DA: Of course, Bloody Mary’s are not only my favorite drink, but also the best recovery drink of choice. I may have had a dozen of buffalo wings for some protein recovery 😉

ETC: Do you think you’ll run another marathon?

DA: Definitely, and next time I will still be on my mission to raise awareness and funds for FTD, but will also plan to go for a PR.

ETC: What’s next on your race calendar?

DA: Right now, I’m taking a break, but the two races I already have scheduled for 2014 are Mont Tremblant 70.3 and NYC Triathlon.

ETC: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

DA: Through my Strong Body, Strong Mind campaign, I’ve completed a trek to Everest Base Camp, and a number of races. Please check out my website. To date, I have raised over $31,000 for AFTD in honor of my Dad and all those fighting FTD. Thank you all for the encouragement and support. I’m very lucky to have such an amazing group of people in my life.

Over the past few months, New York City has been buzzing with runners, eagerly preparing for the ING NYC Marathon. After last years NYC Marathon was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy and the tragic events that happened in Boston earlier this year, runners came together to show strength & solidarity during this years ING NYC Marathon. The Empire Tri Club had a record high of 20 athletes compete in the race!

We had a chance to catch up with Howard Voletsky, a 29 year old Empire Tri Club Member and UES resident, after the race to find out how it went.

ETC:  Howard, please tell us about your athletic background and how you got into running & triathlons:

HV:  I started running about 10 years as a way to spend more time with my Uncle. 5ks turned into 10ks which eventually turned into my love for marathons. I recently started to transition into triathlons and hope to complete an Ironman in 2015.

ETC:  Was this your first marathon?

HV:  No, this was my 10th marathon. I’ve run Chicago (twice), Marine Corps, and New Jersey. This was my 6th time running the NYC Marathon.

ETC:  How did your race this year compare to when you ran the NYC Marathon Previously?

HV:  I ran a 12 min PR (personal record) in relation to my previous best NYC Marathon.

ETC:  What was your goal going into this race? (a particular time? just to finish? to beat a past-race time?)

HV:  My goal at the outset was to run 4hrs but as the summer progressed I set my goal on 4:15. As the race neared I set a goal of running 10:00 min miles the entire race.

ETC:  What did your training look like heading into the marathon?

HV:  I tried to run 3 days a week. Tues/Thurs/Saturday. Tues would generally be a tempo workout (“chat pace”) and Thurs would be a speed workout.  I did many of these runs with the Empire Tri Club in Central Park.  Saturdays would be my long runs which ranged anywhere from 10 miles all the way up to 20 miles.

ETC:  Did you hit the wall? What was the toughest part of the race?

HV:  This year was the first time I really didn’t hit the “wall”. I got a minor cramp around the 25.5 mile marker that caused me to walk for about 15 seconds.

ETC: What was your favorite borough to run through & why?

HV: I enjoy running through Manhattan because I know I get to see my friends/family along the course. The crowds are unbelievable.

ETC:  What was your pacing strategy?

HV:  My strategy was to run a negative split. I wanted to go out running 10:00 miles for the first half then slowly increase it for the second half. I was spot on with the 10:00 min per mile for the first half but was unable to speed up the second half. I did pretty well to maintain the 10 min per mile pace through 21-22 miles.

ETC:  Do you think you’ll run the NYC marathon again?

HV:  I am running the marathon again in 2014. As long as I can get in NYC will always be on my racing calendar.

ETC:  What’s next on your race calendar?

HV:  I plan on taking a break for a few weeks. I will start swimming next week in preparation for my 2014 tri races (NYC Tri and Ironman Timberman 70.3).

<p><strong>Olof Dallner </strong>(35 years old) is an Empire Tri Club member who recently competed in the <strong>ultimate endurance event</strong> – the Quintuple Anvil Ultra Triathlon.  The 12 mile swim, 560 mile bike and 131 mile run is the distance of 5 Ironmans!  But Olof did more than just finish – he won the event, finishing in just under 4 days (a full day ahead of the 5-day cutoff!).<p>We chatted with Olof after his race to learn a little more about his background, what prompted him to sign up for such an event, and what his racing plans are for the future…<p>&nbsp;<p><strong>ETC:  Olof, what is your athletic background? </strong><p>OD:  Mountaineer and alpine climber for almost 20 years, ultra endurance athlete, obstacle racer, triathlete.<p><strong>ETC: Whats do you do for a living?</strong><p>OD:  PhD in Molecular Physiology, currently postdoctoral scientist at Rockefeller University in Genetics/Physiology, researching the genetics of the hormone Leptin and its role in obesity and metabolism.<p><strong>ETC:  Where are you from? </strong><p>OD:  I’m from Stockholm, Sweden but moved to NYC 4 years ago.<p><strong>ETC:  What / when was your first tri?</strong><p>OD:  My first triathlon was an olympic distance triathlon in Virginia last year, and then I raced the Timberman half Ironman distance 2 weeks later.<p><strong>ETC:  Is it true that you’ve never done a single ironman prior to this event?</strong><p>OD:  Yes. I have done only 3-4 triathlons before this, 2 half Ironmans.<p><strong>ETC:   What prompted you to sign up for a Quintuple ironman?</strong><p>OD:  The feeling that I might not be able to finish. I like to take myself outside my comfort zone and signing up for this made me quite uncomfortable.<p><strong>ETC:   While you’re relatively new to tri’s, we know that you have a background in ultra-endurance sports &amp; obstacle races. How do you think that helped you in this race?</strong><p>OD:  That is the crucial part in this race, much more than the number of triathlons I’ve done. For example, being a good brick runner doesn’t matter as much in an event like this when you are going at a slower pace for very long. Knowing how to push yourself for extended periods, during nights, and for days while being sleep deprived is important.<p><strong>ETC:  What was the toughest part of the race for you?</strong><p>OD:  I think it was just before the race and going into the swim actually. Once I got through the swim I felt very confident about the race. For the last 24 hours of biking (the second night) and the entire run we had continuous rain. 62 hours of rain takes energy out of you, but I tend to do pretty good during miserable conditions.<p><strong>ETC:  Was there ever a point where you thought you might quit or didn’t think you could finish?</strong><p>OD:  Yes, that happens to everyone. Your brain tells you it’s time to stop. I’m very used to that though and just talk back to my own brain. It is not real, you can continue. You’re having this weird discussion with yourself. Once I got off the bike I had so much time to the cutoff that I felt very confident I would make it before the 5 day cutoff. My goal was to make it sub 4 days and I managed to just do that.<p><strong>ETC:  Its amazing to finish the race, let alone WIN the race.  Were you “in it to win it”?  Did you go in to the race with the goal or hopes of winning?  Was there competition amongst the athletes?</strong><p>OD:  I didn’t start out with that thought. I was the only one in the field that had not done a multiple ironman before. I was focused on finishing. During the bike I felt like it turned into a race and we were definitely going for it. Once I got off the bike I was about 2 hours ahead and I knew I had a good chance of keeping the lead. During the run there was a couple of fierce moments when we were running 8-9 miles for 8-10 miles, trying to beat each other.<p><strong>ETC:  How many athletes participated / finished?</strong><p>OD:  Total of 9 athletes, 2 did not show, 3 finished within cut off, one finished outside of the cut off, and 3 did not finish.<p><strong>ETC:  Tell us a little about your support crew?  Who was there? How did they help you through the race?</strong><p>OD:  I had my girlfriend Caitlin’s parents there for the first two days, then Caitlin came and she and her mom crewed till the finish. I also had other friends coming in during the race to help out. The different crews were helping each others athletes though, it was a great spirit during the race. I got a lot of help from others. But I can’t stress how important it was that I had Caitlin and her mom there. Crewing like they did is as hard as racing. It was cold and wet and they stayed up only to cater to my needs. I’m so very thankful to have had them there.<p><strong>ETC:  Did you sleep at all during the race?</strong><p>OD:  I slept about 2 hours the first night, 1,5 hours the second night, 2 hours the 3rd night, and 15 minutes the last night. I totaled about 6 hours of sleep in 4 days with some other power naps that I took.<p><strong>ETC:  Do you think you’ll sign up for another?</strong><p>OD:  Haha. Not right now, but I think I will do more ultra triathlons if I get a chance. It’s also about the great people you meet when you do these things. I’m also fairly sure I can do it quite a lot faster if I do it again.<p><strong>ETC:  What’s your next athletic challenge?</strong><p>OD:  I’m going to do New York marathon in November, not really for PR, just enjoying the event. Then I have Worlds Toughest Mudder in NJ in November. A 24 hour obstacle race.</p>

Olof Dallner (35 years old) is an Empire Tri Club member who recently competed in the ultimate endurance event – the Quintuple Anvil Ultra Triathlon.  The 12 mile swim, 560 mile bike and 131 mile run is the distance of 5 Ironmans!  But Olof did more than just finish – he won the event, finishing in just under 4 days (a full day ahead of the 5-day cutoff!).

We chatted with Olof after his race to learn a little more about his background, what prompted him to sign up for such an event, and what his racing plans are for the future…

ETC:  Olof, what is your athletic background?

OD:  Mountaineer and alpine climber for almost 20 years, ultra endurance athlete, obstacle racer, triathlete.

ETC: Whats do you do for a living?

OD:  PhD in Molecular Physiology, currently postdoctoral scientist at Rockefeller University in Genetics/Physiology, researching the genetics of the hormone Leptin and its role in obesity and metabolism.

ETC:  Where are you from?

OD:  I’m from Stockholm, Sweden but moved to NYC 4 years ago.

ETC:  What / when was your first tri?

OD:  My first triathlon was an olympic distance triathlon in Virginia last year, and then I raced the Timberman half Ironman distance 2 weeks later.

ETC:  Is it true that you’ve never done a single ironman prior to this event?

OD:  Yes. I have done only 3-4 triathlons before this, 2 half Ironmans.

ETC:   What prompted you to sign up for a Quintuple ironman?

OD:  The feeling that I might not be able to finish. I like to take myself outside my comfort zone and signing up for this made me quite uncomfortable.

ETC:   While you’re relatively new to tri’s, we know that you have a background in ultra-endurance sports & obstacle races. How do you think that helped you in this race?

OD:  That is the crucial part in this race, much more than the number of triathlons I’ve done. For example, being a good brick runner doesn’t matter as much in an event like this when you are going at a slower pace for very long. Knowing how to push yourself for extended periods, during nights, and for days while being sleep deprived is important.

ETC:  What was the toughest part of the race for you?

OD:  I think it was just before the race and going into the swim actually. Once I got through the swim I felt very confident about the race. For the last 24 hours of biking (the second night) and the entire run we had continuous rain. 62 hours of rain takes energy out of you, but I tend to do pretty good during miserable conditions.

ETC:  Was there ever a point where you thought you might quit or didn’t think you could finish?

OD:  Yes, that happens to everyone. Your brain tells you it’s time to stop. I’m very used to that though and just talk back to my own brain. It is not real, you can continue. You’re having this weird discussion with yourself. Once I got off the bike I had so much time to the cutoff that I felt very confident I would make it before the 5 day cutoff. My goal was to make it sub 4 days and I managed to just do that.

ETC:  Its amazing to finish the race, let alone WIN the race.  Were you “in it to win it”?  Did you go in to the race with the goal or hopes of winning?  Was there competition amongst the athletes?

OD:  I didn’t start out with that thought. I was the only one in the field that had not done a multiple ironman before. I was focused on finishing. During the bike I felt like it turned into a race and we were definitely going for it. Once I got off the bike I was about 2 hours ahead and I knew I had a good chance of keeping the lead. During the run there was a couple of fierce moments when we were running 8-9 miles for 8-10 miles, trying to beat each other.

ETC:  How many athletes participated / finished?

OD:  Total of 9 athletes, 2 did not show, 3 finished within cut off, one finished outside of the cut off, and 3 did not finish.

ETC:  Tell us a little about your support crew?  Who was there? How did they help you through the race?

OD:  I had my girlfriend Caitlin’s parents there for the first two days, then Caitlin came and she and her mom crewed till the finish. I also had other friends coming in during the race to help out. The different crews were helping each others athletes though, it was a great spirit during the race. I got a lot of help from others. But I can’t stress how important it was that I had Caitlin and her mom there. Crewing like they did is as hard as racing. It was cold and wet and they stayed up only to cater to my needs. I’m so very thankful to have had them there.

ETC:  Did you sleep at all during the race?

OD:  I slept about 2 hours the first night, 1,5 hours the second night, 2 hours the 3rd night, and 15 minutes the last night. I totaled about 6 hours of sleep in 4 days with some other power naps that I took.

ETC:  Do you think you’ll sign up for another?

OD:  Haha. Not right now, but I think I will do more ultra triathlons if I get a chance. It’s also about the great people you meet when you do these things. I’m also fairly sure I can do it quite a lot faster if I do it again.

ETC:  What’s your next athletic challenge?

OD:  I’m going to do New York marathon in November, not really for PR, just enjoying the event. Then I have Worlds Toughest Mudder in NJ in November. A 24 hour obstacle race.