Category: Empire Spotlight

“It was always very scary for me to even swim 50m in a pool. Now after a year of training, I realize the importance of mental strength and discipline in triathlons.”

Training for his first triathlon was nerve wracking and seemed daunting. Prior to race day, Sid had never run a competitive race. What got him through it was the assurance in himself that had been built throughout his training with the Beginner Program.

“After listening to some great advice from the club ambassadors and Ali, I just trusted the club’s training plan. I took every opportunity to attend team socials to ask questions and learn more about the sport from my Empire teammates. I also did not skip a training session. I think trusting the process and the work I put in made me confident by the time race day came about.”

The Beginner Program finished and race day came! Sid was pumped to get under way. His entire family traveled to the race site in Montauk, Long Island. He also had the support of his teammates which helped cheer him on to the end.

“The presence of so many Empire teammates was great. It really makes a huge difference when you have such a great support crew.”

When asked about the race itself, Sid shared his positive experience:

“The course was challenging and I exceeded my expectations. I learned a lot about how to pace myself during a race. In terms of nutrition, I did not try anything new during race day. I carried home cooked food to the race site, the same stuff I had been eating during training. That helped my performance. I also learned how important it is to consciously hydrate at regular intervals during the race and not just drink fluids when thirsty. Most importantly, I had a lot of fun during the race, even though it was tough. I hope to carry that feeling into the 2018 season.”

“I want to thank Empire Tri Club and all my teammates for being such a great source of inspiration and for sharing all your knowledge. The club has helped me push myself every day to be a better version of myself. Also, thanks to Saturday group rides, I’m now a fan of donuts/muffins after a long bike ride.”
We think you are pretty inspirational to us Sid! You’ve come so far and worked so hard to overcome your fear in the water. We look forward to seeing you accomplish many more goals this upcoming season.

This past November Jon competed in Ironman Cozumel finishing off his 2017 season. The latter portion of his training was not an easy one. With the race taking place in November, the weather starting to change and others heading into their off-season, Jon had to maintain his focus on that finish line.

“As others wrapped up their season and the weather started to change, I had to remain mentally engaged. It was no easy task when you have to go for a six hour bike ride in 35 degree weather! I’d argue that the mental component is the most challenging for which to train. You never know when or how you’re going to be challenged, but you can count on that challenge always arriving.”

Jon persevered and tackled his biggest obstacles. Race day came and he found himself with no nerves or hesitation and full of excitement.

“I was able to get down to Cozumel a few days before the race to acclimate to the climate as well as train on the course. That went a long way to mentally prepare for and visualize what race day would entail. I absolutely loved the race and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone! The swim was fast (NYC Tri-esq), the bike course was flat with minor headwinds, and the run course was packed with spectators, even late into the race. The energy was high the entire time. I am definitely going to race it again someday.”

Now laying low as we start 2018, Jon will shift gears a bit to focus on his upcoming nuptials this summer to fellow Empire Tri teammate Kim. All the best to this tri couple!

Liz had been intrigued by triathlons for some time. However, coupled with being intimidated by the swim and a lack of bike skills, there was nothing to fuel her desire to pursue the sport. Not until she gave cycling another shot on her hybrid bike.

“I had limited experience biking and had never ridden a road bike. Two years ago, I re-acquainted myself with my hybrid and did some cycling. When I picked up my friend’s road bike and felt how light it was, a light bulb went off: I can ride faster, and keep up with my friends with a road bike. I bought my road bike two weeks later!”

She then entered the lottery for the NYC Triathlon and that’s when her tri life began!

Just a few weeks ago, Liz competed in Ironman Lake Placid 70.3. Race morning, the temperature outside was 38 degrees Farenheit! Albeit the water was 20 degrees warmer, the swimmers would start their race in frosty air conditions. Although she never panicked during her swim, she had trouble getting her breathing under control due to the cold, which also affected her on the bike. When she arrived at transition to start her run, Liz was told that she missed the bike cut-off time and her race was over.

With her tenacity in check she refused to give up on something that she worked so hard to accomplish. While getting her chip cut off she asked if she could continue on to the run. The officials explained that if she continued her time on the course would no longer be recorded. She made peace with that statement and went off on her 13.1 mile run.

“Nothing, prepared me for being told I missed the bike cut-off time at mile 45, and that my race was “officially” over. I would have none of that, I completed the run anyway, and crossed that finish line!!! Technically I DNF’ed, but more importantly, I persevered and finished my race.”

Liz finished her first Ironman 70.3 with a smile! She looks forward to another Half Ironman next June and plans to improve her swim. This should put her in a better position to completing the race in regulation time.

We are so proud to have such an athlete be part of the Empire Tri Club family.

Last month Pete competed in IRONMAN 70.3 Ohio, finishing with a 22-minute Personal Record.  He started training for this race last winter by correcting his swim stroke and developing bike strength and endurance.  “That base paid huge dividends as the weather improved and tri season began.  Ohio 70.3 ended up being the culmination of the whole season for me, where all my training and lessons learned from previous races really came together.”

Pete was set to compete at IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Placid. However, when a visit from his Australian family on race weekend meant backing out of the race, he decided to compete in Ohio 70.3 instead.  We asked him how it was for him on race day:

“I always get butterflies on race day.  But a huge mental benefit was pulling on my Empire kit, which reminded me of my teammates back home and all the support I had from them.  And staying with Empire buddy Cam Smith was especially amazing; the support and encouragement from him and his family (the race was in his hometown) were truly incredible.”

“The Ohio course is known to be fast, but not without its challenges: a bit of a current, headwind, and some deceptive hills on the run.  I decided to just trust my training, race by feel, ignore all the data, and try to have fun on what was a beautiful summer day.  I hydrated and fueled smartly on the bike, hard lessons learned after doing both of those things poorly in previous races.”

Pete found this season to have been incredibly rewarding so far, especially with his new PR!  Although tri season is over for Pete, he will join some of his Empire Tri teammates at both the Chicago and NYC Marathons later this fall. Good luck Pete!

One Sunday in July a few years back, he watched athletes compete in the NYC Triathlon and was impressed with their endurance.  “I thought, wow, all those racers already swam and biked before their run. That takes discipline! I have to do that.”  This past July at the 17th annual NYC Triathlon, Luis finished his second NYC Tri race and managed a 17 minutes personal record.

“I felt confident during race day as I knew I had been training for it.  I think my excitement about participating in the race overshadowed any nerves I might have had about it.  I just tried to focus on each leg at a time.  I found myself thinking back to my training whether it was how to complete my swim stroke or pedal on the bike hills.  I was thinking about my pacing, and how to sustain it.”

“Being part of Empire Tri Club made a significant difference in my training.  I really enjoy working out with my teammates.  Being part of a training group helped me to push harder and stick to a training schedule.  I look forward for the Saturday bike rides with my teammates and learn tricks from them.  It was motivating seeing some improvement each month.  For instance, the bike rides to Piermont and then to Nyack started to feel gradually easier.”

Luis will continue training for the IRONMAN Lake Placid 70.3 this September.  This will be his second 70.3 distance. His goal is a bit different than when he first raced a Half IRONMAN aiming to just finish.  This time around, his goal is to improve his time!

Sam has come a long way from his school days.  He began cycling a few years ago but that wasn’t enough for him.  Needing a new challenge and talking to friends who were triathletes he decided to join Empire Tri Club’s 12-week Beginner Program.  After competing in the program’s Sprint distance triathlon, he caught the “tri-bug” and registered for his first Olympic distance triathlon, the NYC Tri the following year.

Sam’s training has certainly been paying off!  He has set new personal records at each race he’s competed in this year!  All of this hard work got him to the start line for IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman earlier this June.  This is the longest distance triathlon he’s competed in to date and has plans to continue racing longer distance tri’s.  He will be joining his fellow Empire Tri teammates at the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Placid this September.  He also plans to run both the Chicago and New York City marathons this year.

“Sam is an awesome training buddy and a perfect example of what makes being a member of Empire so great.  He is always friendly and disciplined in his training.  Knowing that I’d see his smiling face made our swim, bike, and run workouts fun and something to look forward to.  And I could always count on Sam for extra layers, waffles, spare tires, and CO2 cartridges – he’s a mobile bike shop!” – Pete Lambousis

“Until last year, I hadn’t ridden a bike in almost 2 decades.  I was also a terrible swimmer.  In fact, as a child, I kept failing the beginner swim classes! I hoped that by doing triathlons, I’d get over any fears of swimming in open water.”

“Training for a triathlon is more interesting than just running.  Each day is a different workout.  If I get bored with running, it’s nice to mix it up and do other workouts.  I feel it’s also better on the body and once I started swimming and cycling more, I noticed my running pace had improved.”

Mona ran the Virgin London Marathon this past April and got a personal record by 33 minutes!

“Since joining the team my running pace has improved tremendously.  It’s still not considered fast and I’m always in the back of the group during our group runs.  When I think of how far I’ve come in the last couple of years, it makes me feel confident that in time, I’ll get faster and stronger with swimming and cycling as well.”

Mona is gearing up this summer to complete her first Half IRONMAN at the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Placid in September.

“My main goal is to train as best as I can and just finish.  I will be training all summer and I like that I will be doing it with Empire!”

In March, he competed in his first triathlon of the season the Monterey Gatorade Race for Team Mexico.  He came home with 2nd place AG win!  It took a lot of self-discipline to prepare for the race, working out through the winter months and holiday season!  His willpower didn’t stop there, the race course wasn’t inspiring having to swim in a man-made lake, loops upon loops on the bike and again on the run.  All made worse by the non-stop rain throughout the entire race!

The race is a qualifier for the Mexican National Team.  The top two people in each age group qualify for a slot.  The win gave Harry a trip to this summer’s 2017 World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

His resolute mentality is evident in his coaching:
“Harry always pushes you just beyond your comfort zone. Triathlon training is hard enough, and just when you think you have no more left in you. Harry “suggests” you may have another lap or some more speed to spare…he’s usually right!” – Yael Bartur