Race morning, a balmy 65 degrees with overcast skies and a bit of wind, gotta love San Fran.  The pre-race announcement from the race director was that even though the water was a bit rough, we would have favorable currents, sweet (need all the swim help I can get).  I jump in the water and am thrilled not to have anyone land on me from behind (one of my biggest fears jumping off the boat with 1,800 others).  The swim is pretty status quo with a foot to the chin and a couple of swimovers.

I get out of the water and start the little over .5 mile run to the bikes.  About halfway there I remember why I had initially wanted to wear sneakers for that part, my feet are killing me, until they go numb.  Oh, the joy of running barefoot.  I get to my bike and I’m pretty excited to try out my new Trek in my first race of the year.  I hop on and it feels great.  I rode my TTX even
though Alcatraz is better suited for road bikes.  I like the way the bike handles and feel that it is light enough for the hills, while being super nice on the flats.  The bike goes well until I get into the park at the halfway point.  At that point of the course the road is very bumpy and all of a sudden
my seat sinks into my frame.  Now this is the second time this has happened to me in a race and you would think that I’d know better, however I guess I was just too cautious when tightening the post as I didn’t want to collapse it in. So, now I look like a circus clown pedaling my bike.  Luckily the remainder of the course is pretty hilly, so I was able to just climb out of my seat.  I’ll chalk it up as another learning experience, luckily not a costly one as it probably would have been much worse if it had happened on one of the steep decents.
I finish up the bike and head out on the run.  Now the weather is perfect for running, overcast and cool.  I really enjoy this run, as you get to cross paths with the pros on their return back on the single track section.  Andy Potts comes flying past first, looking very strong.  The interesting thing
about the first race of the year is that I find it very hard to go into the red zone.  It’s hard to suffer early in the season. However, this is one of the most unique races I’ve ever done and it’s a privilege to be out there.

Results: 3rd 35-39  13th Amateur Overall

With a 2-hour commute into and out of New York city during the workweek, I’ve had to add a little creativity into my schedule in order to try to fit some swimming in. So, on Monday mornings, when my alarm goes off at 4am, I take something additional with me on the metro-north train, rollerblades.

I’ve found the need to add the rollerblades in order to save time, while still getting a decent aerobic workout as part of my commute. The train leaves my station at 4:40am and usually gets to 125th street in New York around 5:35am. I then exit the train with my rollerblades on and make a comical decent down the stairs to the streets below.

Then it’s about 15 blocks of interesting early morning activity until I enter Central Park. Once in the park, it’s a very enjoyable skate down to Columbus Circle, where there is an Equinox, that has a 25 yard pool. I’m usually there around 6am and then can get a quick 30-40 minutes of swimming in. It’s not the ideal workout, but I make it part of my early week schedule and I’m able to still be at my desk by 7:15am.

Cheers,

Chris

Name: Christopher Thomas
Birthdate: January 5, 1972
Birthplace: Bangor, ME
Current Residence: Easton, CT
Occupation: Investment Banking
Years Racing: 6
Favorite Race: Hawaii Ironman

List 5 Top Race Results:
(Year – Race Name – Place (include age group if applicable))
1. 2005 - Eagleman ½ Ironman - 13th Overall 1st Age Group
2. 2004 - Timberman ½ Ironman - 11th Overall 1st Age Group
3. 2004 - Eagleman ½ Ironman - 21st Overall 1st Age Group
4. 2004 NYC Olympic – 5th Overall 1st Age Group
5. 2005 Westchester Olympic – 9th Overall 1st Age Group

Favorite Pre Race Food: Pasta

Favorite Post Race Food: Hamburger and fries

What’s in your MP3 Player?: Best of the 80’s!

Biggest Pet Peeve: There’s just not enough time in the day

What would you do with $100,000 if you won Hawaii?
I would put it towards my kids college education.

Anything else we should know about you?

• I’m the father of three wonderful little boys
• I played Ice Hockey from age 5 – 30.
• My friend Christian McEvoy is going to run across the country this year to raise money for cancer research.