Fort Lee Nubie Takes On Ironman U.S. Championship

Aug. 6, 2012 - PRLog -- FORT LEE, NJ (8/6/2012) – When Maxim Almenas starting running again last summer after a 25-year hiatus, the 45-year-old never imagined the road would lead to the inaugural Ironman U.S. Championship that is taking place this Aug 11.

The Ironman U.S. Championship, which is produced by Korff Enterprises, organizers of the New York City Triathlon, entails a 2.4 mile swim in the Hudson River, followed by a 112-mile bike race, and ends with a 26.2 mile marathon through the steep hills of Palisades Interstate Park in Fort Lee.

Runners eventually traverse the upper level of the George Washington Bridge (GWB) and cross the finish line at 83rd Street and Riverside Drive in New York City (NYC).  

The career-long journalist, who is currently the guest editor for ParamusPatch.com, first became intrigued by the sport of triathlon after learning the world renowned endurance competition was coming to his hometown of Fort Lee, New Jersey and the NYC metropolitan area for the first time.

While searching for inspirational stories, he stumbled upon North Bergen resident Rich Albom, a multi-Ironman triathlete and coach who overcame a bout with throat cancer and months of chemotherapy to return to the 2003 Ironman World Championship in Kona.    

After attending the 2011 NYC Triathlon to see friend William Sanchez compete in the Olympic distance triathlon, Almenas was hooked.  

“At first, I was just in awe of everyone crossing the finish line despite age or physical challenges,” said Almenas. “But then I realized I needed to feel what these individuals were feeling. I could see it in their eyes.”  

Although the Ironman U.S. Championship sold out within minutes, Almenas was able to register through the “Save and Re-Pave River Road” Ironman Foundation charity program. But the repair of roads for Edgewater and Fort Lee was not enough to inspire him to compete in one of the most arduous endurance competitions on the globe.

Almenas decided to also register with Athletes to End Alzheimer’s--in honor of his grandmother Emma Almenas, who lost her bout to the memory-robbing disease in 2006--to raise $2,500 for Alzheimer’s medical research.

In exchange for registration, Athletes to End Alzheimer’s, which is part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s New York City Chapter, provides new and experienced triathletes the opportunity to train with professional coaches at Asphalt Green Triathlon Club in New York City.  

Through the dedicated guidance of triathlon coach Josh Gold, who has competed in Ironman competitions in Florida, Brazil, Lake Placid, France, Cozumel, and the world championship in Hawaii, Almenas was able to overcome barriers in long distance swimming, cycling and running.

Lifestyle Transformation

But the Ironman requires long hours of training at least six days a week. Almenas decided the only way to immerse himself completely in the sport was to resign from his job at North Jersey Media Group, where he had been a reporter for the Fort Lee Suburbanite, Edgewater View, and Leonia Life newspapers, and start his own triathlon media venture, TriTrekker, LLC.

With help from his friend and fellow video producer Donna Brennan, owner of All Reel Media LLC, Almenas and Brennan partnered to create http://tritrekker.com/_index.php, a website dedicated to the triathlon lifestyle, and the inspirational stories behind the athletes helping to make triathlon one of the fastest growing sports around the globe.

TriTrekker.com also features video interviews with manufacturers of endurance sports products, professional triathletes, coaches, and race organizers. With help from Creative Director Arya Jenkins, future endeavors include a product line of triathlon attire and accessories featuring the new TriTrekker.com logo, nutritional energy bars and more.

To better understand the business side of the sport, Almenas traveled to California in February to attend the 2012 Triathlon America Conference at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego.

He met leaders of the triathlon business community, including Andrew Messick, CEO of World Triathlon Corporation, Dave Alberga, CEO of The Active Network, and Rob Urbach from USA Triathlon, to name a few. (Triathlon America has since changed its name to Triathlon Business International).

As new members of the Fort Lee Regional Chamber of Commerce, Almenas and Brennan registered TriTrekker.com as an official sponsor of the Ironman U.S. Championship.  

From Sprint to Ironman

Six months have passed since Almenas was fitted for his Cervelo P3 at Strictly Bicycles in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He has trained on many of the steep hills he will encounter during the Ironman U.S. Championship, from Palisades Interstate Park to Bear Mountain.

On May 6, he participated in the inaugural Escape to the Palisades Half Marathon. Many of the participants were triathletes training for the Ironman U.S. Championship.  

When the Italian-styled Gran Fondo NYC race came to the Fort Lee area on May 20, Almenas rode with thousands of riders across the GWB into Fort Lee and completed the Medio distance of 61 miles.  

On June 3rd, he competed in his first sprint triathlon, the Great South Bay Triathlon in Long Island, produced by EventPower, the same organizers of the Escape to the Palisades. The race entailed a 750 meter swim, 11 miles on bike, and a 3.1 mile run.  

“It was a tough swim for me because the current was against us and water was choppy,” Almenas said. “I was glad to make it out of the water and get on the bike. But the guys and gals at EventPower put on such a great event, they really made my first triathlon an enjoyable experience.”

His sophomore triathlon effort was the Syracuse Ironman 70.3 on June 24. It entailed a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike race, and 13-mile half marathon. Despite nursing a leg cramp from the night before, he managed to complete race in the time of seven hours, 18 minutes and 14 seconds (7:18:14).

“I thought that swim would never end,” Almenas said. “I took my time in transition. The beautiful trails on the bike took my mind off the pain. I just wanted to complete the race without making the cramp worse.”  

Twist of Fate

After competing in the Syracuse Ironman 70.3, Almenas experienced severe swelling in his left leg that would not go down. The swelling coupled with a very difficult swim during the Syracuse 70.3 forced Almenas to consider dropping out of the Aug 11 Ironman.

After a Doppler test ruled out a blood clot, and the swelling subsided, Almenas had a change a heart.

But a week before the Ironman U.S. Championship, his podiatrist, Dr. Greg Khaimov from Foot and Ankle Center of Fort Lee, confirmed Almenas had Peroneal Insertional Tendonitis, an inflammation of the peroneal tendons in his right foot.

Almenas had two choices, drop out of the race, or wear a soft cast and stay off the foot as much as possible until race day. Almenas chose the latter.

“After training for six months, I can’t just quit,” Almenas said. “I’ve put my wife, my son, and my friends through too much to turn back now. I’m just going to have to take it easy on the foot, make the cutoffs, and listen real close to my body for 15 hours.”
     
To schedule an interview, inquire about sponsorship opportunities, or to contribute triathlon content, send a request to Max@TriTrekker.com or visit TriTrekker.com for more information.

To help Maxim Almenas make his goal of $2,500 to fight Alzheimer’s, go to: http://2012ironman.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.a....