Frank Cardia Completes The Impossible

Frank Cardia has successfully completed a Marathon ( 26.2 miles ) an Ironman ( 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run ) and then another Marathon ( 26.2 miles ) all in 3 days !!!!!





On Saturday Nov 21st at 7am, Phoenix Arizona time, I set out on my first marathon. The marathon course that I was following was the exact same course for the PF Chang Rock and Jock Marathon in Arizona. My brother in law and I had done this course 2 yrs prior in 5hrs and 1 minute. My plan was to come in somewhere around that same time ( 5 hrs ). I didn't want to waste too much energy knowing that I had 2 HUGE days ahead of me still. I paced myself perfect and made sure to hydrate and eat as I been training. There was a little more traffic then I expected and there was alot of time wasted running in and out of 7 11's & gas stations to get Gatorade, etc.... But it all went well and it was great marathon - It took me 5 hrs 14 minutes.



As soon as I got back to my hotel, I jumped in an ice bath for about 15 minutes. I could feel a little tightness starting in my right thigh and around both my knees. I then had to rush down to the race site to drop off my race bags and my bike. I was finally done around 4pm in the afternoon. I went to get some Sushi up by my hotel and then just laid around and relaxed the rest of the day.

Sunday, Nov22nd - I got up around 4am and just kinda laid there for a bit thinking about the day ahead of me and also the next day to come. I remember saying out loud - Frank Cardia, what are you doing ?? You must be crazy !!! At about 4:30am I started getting my stuff ready. I went to grab a quick buttered roll and a Gatorade at the gas station and then off to the race site. Got down there about 5am and got all my gear situated - By 6am I was all ready to go.

The worst thing about Ironman race morning is the nervous energy you get just waiting around for the race to start. At about 6:55am I jumped in the water and just waited there, along with 2500 other triathletes. 7am SHARP - The canon fired.... and we were off.

It took me about 6-8 minutes to finally get my breathing right. And all of a sudden, my right calf cramped up like it has never done before. I couldn't move it that's how painful it was. I was at first a little worried cause I never had this happen to me before. It lasted for a few minutes and of course people behind me are smashing into me and that makes you more and more nervous... And then just as it came...it disappeared. All of a sudden it was gone and it was smooth sailing.

Got out of the water and had a ton of energy left in the tank -- I just kept saying " its gonna be a long day and an even longer day tomorrow ". My plan was to conserve as much energy as I possible could. The worst thing in the world would be to Bonk and have to get off the course.


Jumped on the bike feeling great. The first 60 miles were cake. Then out of nowhere, I start gushing blood from my nose. It wasn't just trickling out - It was pouring out. So I let it bleed for a few minutes and then decided I needed to hit an aid station. I sat there in a chair dripping blood all over the place for about 10-15 minutes. I finally realized it wasn't stopping and all I was doing was wasting time, so I jumped back on the bike and just bled all over myself and the bike.

Finished the bike with dry blood all over me - NASTY !!! Onto the run. The first few miles I couldn't get my legs under me. Finally I met up with a few people running my pace and stayed with them for last 15 miles or so. And then it happened again. At mile 19 I started gushing blood again. This time it was really pouring out. There was no way to avoid it getting all over me. I got extremely light headed and hand to sit down for 20 minutes or so before I felt capable to start running. I again, just kept thinking-- Frank Cardia you must be crazy - Are you nuts ?

Finished in 15hrs and 53 minutes - My worst Ironman time yet ( I have done 5 ) - I wanted to come in around 15hrs, but with all the bleeding and stopping - I was still happy that I finished. I was actually happier that I knew I had gas left in the tank. And I knew tomorrow's marathon was gonna be a real test of my will. I finally got back to my hotel at Midnight and didn't get to bet until 2am.

Got up the next morning at 7am and I couldn't feel my legs or my feet-- They were basically numb with pain. At 8am, I went over to Denny's and had a nice big breakfast and I was miserable thinking I had to do another 26.2 miles today. I headed out to the race start and set off at about 9:30am for my final marathon

Everything was going great and then at about mile 17..... It all started over again. Blood Blood and more Blood !!! I was like a garden hose left running. Blood dripping all over me again. At this point I started seeing the newspaper headings.... Frank Cardia left dead on the side of a road in Scottsdale Arizona. I began to get very very light headed and had to go into a fast food restaurant to clean up and get some real food in me. I was probably in there for 20 minutes but it seemed like an hour. I finished my final marathon in 7hrs and 04 minutes. My 2 toenails fell off, and I bled all over my socks.....I had blisters the size of quarters all over my feet.

It was Nasty !!!!!



But I am alive to talk about it and I live to race another day.

Frank Cardia

Frank Cardia Does 37.5 Miles In Central Park

It was a shivering 42 degrees when I woke race day morning at 6am.. Not your ideal weather to go run 37.5 miles in. But me and my buddy Matt headed into NY City anyway. Now luckily this race didnt start till 8:30 am , so by that time it had warmed up a few degrees already. Normally a Central Park race can attract thousands… BUT not this one.. Not many people looking to torure themselves for 37.5 miles, there was maybe 40 people at this race.

The gun fires and we are off to the races. The race starts with a 1.5 mile out and back, and then you do a 4 mile loop 9X. So we got the first 15 miles or so down with just about no problems… but both of us can feel fatigue is going to start setting in. Matt had just done NYC Marathon 2 weeks prior,, and I had just set my personal best at Ironman Florida 2 weeks prior also… So we were both still a little beaten up.

We get the first 20 under our belt and our time was still on pace to where we wanted it to be. Matt has been experiencing shin splints pretty bad and they just get the best of you when you do something of this magnitude.. So after the 6th loop ( mile 25.5 or so ) he had to call it a day. So now I am stuck doing the last 3 loops ( 12 miles ) all by myself..

Well I can tell you this – THAT WAS NOT FUN AT ALL !!!!! But I made it through and finished the race in 7 hrs and 47 minutes – I was in alot of pain for the next couple of days.. But another race under my belt.

And I live to race another day

Frank Cardia

Frank Cardia Does A 100 Mile Run

by Frank Cardia

That's right..100 miles and no, not on a bike ! Orange Park, Fl. 3/1/08

My plane landed in JacksonvilleAirport around 5pm on Friday February 29th. I got my rental car and made my way towards Orange Park where the race and my hotel were. Made a quick run to Publix to pick up some last minute food for the race and then grabbed some pasta for dinner. To the room and off to bed. Tomorrow is a long day !

I couldn't really sleep that well so I was up at 3:30 am pacing back in forth in my room. I began making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the race ( about 7 of them ). Got all my little snack goodies in my camelback backpack , filled it with Gatorade and off to the race site.
Registration took 5 minutes and before you know it we were all lined up at 6am ready to rock and roll.. Now there were 3 different races that day- there was a 50 miler a 100k ( 62.5 miles )which is what I originally went down there to do.. and then there was the 100 miler.. So here we are, its pitch black and your staring down this tree covered path. Most of the runners had either flash lights in their hands or they had on this flash light head gear that almost looked like they were coal miners.. I had no light I was basically depending on the light from all the other runners AND WERE OFF !

At about mile 2 or so I met up with this guy Joe form Chicago( he and his wife were doing the 50 mile run ) and we were running at the exact same pace so we started talking and hit it off pretty well. Next thing you know we're at mile 10 and we are still talking So we decided to make sure to push each other and run the first 50 together. Which was a huge benefit for mebecause running 50 miles all by yourself can be so so boring and that's when you start asking your self questions like " why am I doing this "?

Now somewhere around mile 40 or so, Joe and I kept joking around saying that I might as well just do the 100 today whats the sense of me doing only 62.5 ? Just do the other 38 miles and bang out the 100 today ! And as I said my plan was only to do the 100k , but then I started really thinking about it and I really did feel good at mile 40 so I decided when I got in at mile 50, I would make my decision for 62.5 or 100 miles. We crossed the 50 mile mark around 11hrs and 10 minutes and Joe had completed his first 50 mile run.. and what a great time too. So I kinda took inventory of how I felt and realized today was my day I GOTTA DO THE 100. So I grabbed Chris, the race director, and told him that I'm Frank Cardia and that I was out for the 100k and put me down as a 100 miler. They explained to me that if I didn't finish the 100 miles they wouldn't give me a 100k belt buckle award but I would get a DNF ( did not finish ) because I was no longer a 100k runner but a 100 miler.. I said " I understand" and filled my camelback with Gatorade and peanut butter and jelly and took off back to the run

Mile 50 to 75 wasn't actually as bad as I thought it would be.. It was the first time that I didn't have anyone to talk to while running - but I did have the IPOD and that 25 miles seemed to fly by I get into the mile 75 aid station at around 10:30pm I have been running since 6am that's a looooooong day. But surprisingly I was still very optimistic about finishing the race within the 24 hrs they give you.

Now mile 75 to 87.5 that was a bitch ! You had to be at 87.5 by 2am or they would take you off the course.. Its about 1:13am and I was near mile 85 and I really started to go into a severe depression.. They had given me flashlight headgear that went dead on me so here I am in the middle of the night, been running for nearly 20 hrs, my feet are bleeding from my toenails,and its pitch black out My IPOD battery had died as wellI had thrown up 2X Had Gatorade and peanut butter puke all over me. NOT A GOOD MOMENT IN MY LIFE So I had been speaking with friends and family members during the run all day, on my cell phone I decided to call my buddy Matt.. He was still up and told me keep calling him, so I did and he really got me through a run couple of minutes, cause I was convinced that I was never gonna make it to the 87.5 aid station by 2am Got off the phone with Matt and began running again.. got there at 1:45am or so.

Mile 87.5 to 100 . I would be sitting here to long typing if I really tried to describe just exactly how brutal that12.5 miles could actually be Every other runner had a pacer there with them ( basically a friend who will run with you in the early morning hours to keep you positive and motivated ) I had no intentions of running for 24hrs that day, so I did not bring a friend. I WAS ALL ALONE !. But having that voice there while your running at 4am really really is a huge help So I decided to do the next best thing and call my sister and brother in law.. They live in Las Vegas which luckily is 3 hrs behind us. So I harassed them a bit at like 4am to hear some encouraging words.

I finally crossed the 100 mile mark at 23hrs and 22 minutes. It was still completely pitch black out.. There was still peoples hanging out at the finish line they all congratulated me and said they never thought I would finish in the allotted 24hrs considering how 80% of people don't complete their first 100 in the 24 hours.. so I was extremely happy and proud that I had finished they gave me my belt buckle and I just fell to the floor I literally couldn't get up to get food or a drink - they had to come over and pretty much help me drink and take my shoes off.. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE FELT THAT TYPE OF PAIN THAT FELT SO GOOD !

Made my way back to the hotel, it was about 6am showered, packed my bag, then hit Denny's for a quick breakfast and then off to the airport and back to NJ.. Looking forward to some real sleep.. That was the longest 24hrs of my life !

BUT I LIVE TO RACE ANOTHER DAY !

Frank Cardia

Frank Cardia Rides His Bike Home From Atlantic City

Frank Cardia does 130 miles on the bike

Ironman Arizona is a little over a month away and up until now I have only done 3 or 4 really long bike rides (75+ miles). And you really should get at least 1 or 2 100+ mile bike rides in before Ironman. Fortunately my wife got comped a free room at the Tropicana and free tickets to see the play Footloose, so I figured it would be a great way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I could get a night out with the Mrs. and then the next day get in my long ride.

So her and I got down there Wed @ 6pm, checked in really fast and then hit a nice dinner. We were at the show ( which sucked ) by 8pm and out of there by 10pm. We did some gambling, won a few bucks, and then headed to bed.

Thursday morning, ate breakfast and then headed out for my trip. The weather was perfect, except for the terrible wind. There must have been 25 mph gusts and at some points ( as I rode close to the ocean ) I nearly was pushed off the bike. It seemed like I had headwinds the whole way home.

I got up into South Toms River and realized that I had a flat tire. I look up and I'm staring at the Beachwood Bike Shop - The timing could not have been more perfect. So rather then use my 1 spare, I figured let me have these guys do it. I still had 90 miles or so back to my house and didn’t want to waste my spare if I didn’t have to. In 2 minutes these guys had me all ready to go ( Big Thanks To The Beachwood Bike Shop )

I then hoped onto 37 East and crossed over the bridge to RT 35 in Seaside Park. Once on RT 35, you literally are riding parallel to the ocean and the wind was beyond vicious. It was like that all the way up till Long Branch, which is about 25 miles or so.

I have done several 100+ mile bike rides and I gotta be honest, EVERY single time I do... I find myself saying to myself "Frank Cardia, are you crazy ?" - You know what I realized this trip ? " YES " and not just me.. ANYONE who does 100+ mile bike rides is crazy. Its amazing the difference in pain doing a 60-80 mile bike ride compared to a 115-130 mile bike ride. It’s a whole different kind of pain.

All ended up well and the trip was a success - And I live to ride another day

Frank Cardia

Frank Cardia Puts Out A HUGE Challenge !!!

Hey good afternoon, this is Frank Cardia and I appreciate you taking a few minutes out of your day to check out this blog. Well just about a year ago I did an Ironman triathlon in Panama City Beach, Florida and then the very next day I flew up to New Jersey and did the NYC Marathon. I have done over 35 different types of triathlons and road races, and they all went off extremely smooth. But these two struck up alot of controversy. It can all be seen at finmanchallenge.com. To sum it all up, basically on my way back into the water to begin my second loop, I heard a lady let out a yell and then noticed a her looking at something in the water. I went over to see what it was and at first I thought it was a fish. I kicked at it and then realized that it was not a fish but a pair of fins. I saw a swim offical sitting about 20-30 feet out on a Seadoo and held it up to let him see it. Long story short , as he was moving in towards me, I was running out towards him. I tossed the fins over to him and was going to do my second loop. He yelled and so I stopped and walkded over by him, and I proceded to explain what just took place.

Now theres hundreds of people on the shore taking pictures during this event. A friend of mine got some pics of me with the fins and me talking to the swim offical and he began to send them to other friends through email. So like an internet brush fire, I was quickly being accused of swimming with fins and cheating the race. Now HERES the ironic part.... I've done the Ironman Triathlon 4 times and this was the WORST swim that I ever had and I mean the WORST by far. Infact it was one of the worst swim times I had in just about any race if you actually broker down my swim time per 100 yards. So at first I was like this is so comical, I'm actually being accused of cheating and yet I had my worse swim time in 3 1/2 years of doing this. You would think, the more you do it the faster you would get, right ?

Second, I did the NYC Marathon,,,,, alot more controversy. People had a tough time believing I actually did it because 1.- its too too grueling on the body to do an Ironman and then the very next morning do a full Marathon. And 2.- Everybody said its impossible to get to the NY area in time to even do the NYC Marathon. Well again, all you gotta do is go to finmanchallenge.com and you'll see exactly how I DID DO IT. And I did the whole thing with a friend of mine. Literally from step one to the very end when we crossed the finish line together in 5hrs 17 minutes.

So what I've done is thrown out a challenge. There are many people that know I did do both events. They know my level of endurance and they know my level of commitment to finishing a race, but there are many that think I didnt do either of these races...( or I should say, they think I cheated them ) and they believe theres no way that I could physically endure the pain of both of these races. So, I figured what better way then do it all over again --- but, ONLY BETTER.

Instead of doing an Ironman then a marathon the very next morning... I'm going to do a full marathon (26.2 miles) on Saturday, then do a Full Ironman ( 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run )on Sunday, and then I'll do another full Marathon (26.2 miles) on Monday. Its going to take place Nov 21st, 22nd and 23rd in Arizona. This way all they nay sayers will realize and understand its not impossible for Frank Cardia to complete an Ironman and then a Marathon and I didnt and wouldnt need to cheat these races. And to make it more intersting...... I will beat my swim time from Ironman in Florida as well.

Trust me I know that there will always be more names on the results page ahead of Frank Cardia. And I am very very clear with everyone, that I am as slow as can be. But for me this hasnt been about speed- Its been about how far I could push myselft. So I am offering the finman challenge to anyone that thinks they could handle it... And if you miss this years challenge, trust me, there are going to be many many more to come.

All my best and train hard

Frank Cardia