Christopher Navin

Race Notes: "Look out... SHAAARK!!!" That's what I heard about a dozen times as I ran this 5k race while wearing a full body shark suit! But not only did I have a blast, all the spectators and runners seemed to have an equally amusing time... "Look mom, it's Jaws" "Go Sharkman!" "That's the fastest shark I've ever seen!" "Landshark!" "Oh man, I can't believe I'm being passed by a shark!" ... you name it, I heard it as I coasted along on my comfy New Balance 1223s. But not only did I have a great time, I also ran a solid 7:30min/mile pace! This was a HUGE improvement over last year, when I learned the hard way all the difficulties of running in a full body costume with only a small mesh screen as your only source of sight and oxygen! I nearly overheated and threw up after the finish line last year! This year I was ready and created an extra vent in the shark's mouth to help pull in more oxygen for breathing and it made a huge difference! My result was very rewarding, especially when one runner came up to me after the finish line and said "I just wanted to say congrats man, I can't believe you ran that fast and beat me while wearing that shark costume.... truly impressive!" But the best part was actually before the race started when a man asked if I would pose in a picture with him and his daughter. He told me the reason his daughter was running this year was because she was motivated by seeing me run in a shark costume last year! That was so rewarding... and I was at a total loss of words. Now I just need to learn how to use the shark fins as arms to pickup cups of water at the aid stations so that I can run longer distances! btw, check out the race photos in my profile - they came out quite well...

Race Notes: The biggest triathlon in the world (according to the Guinness Book of World Records), and the biggest bonk of my tri career!!! My swim was ok and improved from years before (even though I was kicked in the face halfway through). The bike leg was SUPER WINDY and my performance was mediocre but I started cramping on the second loop (I didn't drink enough water... or possibly hydrated too much before the race?). Granted, my bike speed increased from the year before, but I was hoping for a little bit more since this is my strongest leg. Coming into T2 I had to make a restroom break to try and settle my stomach cramp and then I gutted out the run quite a bit slower than I had hoped. Nevertheless, I did ok overall, though below my expectations. Next year I'll be back with a vengeance!

Race Notes: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, CHOCOLATE everywhere!!! This race rocked... the weather was nice and cool and I was still in great shape from having done several triathlons and my first marathon this season and surprised even myself with a very strong overall pace from start to finish! But the best part of the race.... because it was sponsored by Hershey's, they had hot chocolate as well as UNLIMITED free samples of virtually every hershey's chocolate product your can imagine! I stuck around at the end of the race talking to friends, and as we were getting ready to leave, the volunteers suggested we help "clean up" by taking as much of the leftovers as we could. And that's how I ended up taking home about 10 lbs of chocolate!!! Sadly, that chocolate stash only lasted about a week or two before I ate it all... so much for staying in shape! :-P