Rob Mericle Jr.
Submitted photo
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Rob Mericle Jr.’s triathlon story began as many do, accepting a challenge. The motivation behind signing up for the Back Mountain Triathlon last August was not to prove a point to himself, but to his family.
“My dad (Robert Mericle Sr.) did the Wilkes-Barre (triathlon) race in 2000 or 2002. The running joke was my dad was the only triathlete in the family, but we decided to even the playing field,” Mericle said.
The event was only meant as a one-time thing for Mericle, who also raced with his sister, Kristen, and her fiancé, Julian. From the swim in Harveys Lake, to the bike loops through Noxen, and the run on Hallowich Road, Mericle had a smile on his face the whole day. He crossed the finish line to the cheers and support of his friends and family. The challenge had been met, but Mericle’s triathlon journey was not yet over.
“I enjoyed the experience but immediately started thinking about pushing harder,” Mericle said.
For most triathletes, the next step after completing an Olympic race is a Half Ironman distance triathlon. Mericle considered this, but chose to take it a step further. He felt that his youth and limited obligations outside of work created the perfect opportunity to train for a full Ironman. This distance triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
The 28-year-old maturely recognized early on that this choice would be met with its own set of challenges.
“I had to sacrifice a lot of things while training to make the quick improvements,” Mericle said.
He cut back on social events, and focused on training and recovery. Ironman Texas is held in April, which means much of Mericle’s training occurred indoors over the Pennsylvania winter. He joined a local swim group at the CYC to work on his endurance in the water where he met Dave Bass, Back Mountain Triathlon race director.
“Most days (Mericle) was the youngest person at the pool,” Bass said. “He committed to the training and made sure to get it done.”
Before long, the day had arrived. Mericle traveled the long distance from NEPA to The Woodlands, Texas, just north of Houston. All of Mericle’s sacrifices and days of indoor training during the winter would culminate on this day, over the next few hours.
“Not every mile had a smile like in the Back Mountain Triathlon,” Mericle recalled. “But most did.”
Mericle cruised through the swim. The windy 2.4-mile, point-to-point swim navigates through Lake Woodlands in a similar way to that Mericle navigated through swimming as a sport. He started swimming at the YMCA on the Dolphins swim team. Ironically, Mericle chose to not continue swimming because he felt his performance was too slow, yet would go on to clock an impressive two minutes per 100 yard pace during his Ironman Texas swim.
“The bike was longer than anticipated,” Mericle said of the next event.
The Ironman Texas bike course is generally flat, which Mericle found favorable due to his time spent training indoors. Both the elevation and the equipment Mericle used at Texas were different from his first race. He climbed over 1,000 feet during the Back Mountain triathlon on a bike borrowed from his father. So in flat Texas, on his own bike and focusing more closely on his own data, the 112 miles seemed to drag on.
Mericle was thrilled when he transitioned off the bike and onto the three-loop marathon run course. He considers the run to be his strongest event. At Wyoming Seminary, Mericle played football, soccer and lacrosse. Each of these sports relies heavily on running. Staying consistent in sports also helped him develop strong mental strength that helped him power through.
“If you make it to the run, you can use willpower to make it to the end,” Mericle said.
Less than eight months after finishing his first triathlon, he crossed the line at Ironman Texas. In that moment Mericle proved the Ironman motto – “Anything is Possible.”
Mericle’s performance in the Lone Star State no doubt holds a strong place in his triathlon career, but to him there’s no place like home for a race.
“It’s so different to have family and friends around you, versus unfamiliar faces everywhere you look at bigger races,” he said. “If I could mash an Ironman distance race in the Back Mountain, that would be the best of both worlds.”
Mericle represents an NEPA athletic success story. What started with a desire to race in a local triathlon with his family turned into much more than that. The Ironman he has become would not be possible without the training he received, the support of family and friends, and the hometown race that started it all.