Training is accelerating for the 29-year-old triathlete and new Florida transplant as he prepares for his first Ironman race in Lake Placid this summer.

On July 26, Price plans to complete the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile marathon distance run. And as a competitor for one of the race’s multiple charity recievers, Price is raising $5,000 for multiple myeloma research before he competes. He is part of a team of 125 athletes who are raising $800,000 for research into the cancer that affects plasma cells.

Unravel caught up with Price last week:

Unravel: Tell us about your athletic background, and how you got into triathlons.

I have always been active and into sports. I started playing baseball at a young age and at 11, my team won states and went on to the Little League World Series. I got my scuba diving license at 14, and got into rock climbing at the same time.  I played multiple sports in high school including baseball, hockey and tennis. I began skydiving at 16 and had about 400 jumps before retiring from the sport. I started a water polo club while in college. I got into triathlons because of my father. He has always been active with triathlons and marathons, and offered to pay the registration fee for my first race, the Columbia Triathlon in Maryland. After a day or two of recovery, I began to realize how much I enjoyed the challenge and signed up for three more races. Soon after, I became addicted to the sport.

What inspired you to do an Ironman, and why did you choose Lake Placid?

The idea of completing an Ironman didn’t come to me at first. I kept putting it off and downplaying my competitive nature. My old tri-club, the Mid Maryland Triathlon Club, has a huge showing there. Many people race, and just as many people show up to support the club’s racers. I started to realize after a year and a half of training, I might be able to do an Ironman. I wanted to compete on that level and started pushing myself. The best possible place to do my first Ironman, with so much support, would be Lake Placid, New York. So I signed up with a coach, we discussed all options and I decided to register for Ironman Lake Placid. Instead of the regular registration, I decided to take a charity slot. I agreed to raise $5,000 for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

What are you most excited for when it comes to your Ironman?

The obvious answer would be the finish! Of course, the finish and the celebration after the race is going to be emotional. But honestly, I am looking forward to meeting some of the patients who have Multiple Myeloma. I am interested in hearing their stories, meeting their families and seeing the lives I have touched through this race. When I first signed up for the charity, I had no idea what I was getting into. The fundraising and charity aspect has been just as emotional as the training aspect. I can’t wait to see it all come together on race day. It will be an emotional event, for sure.

You recently moved to Florida. When you are not training, what do you like to do and where do you like to hangout?

Honestly, since I moved here in January, I haven’t had much time to find many cool hangout spots. I have been too busy training and focusing on my fundraising efforts that I haven’t had a chance to sight see much. I do enjoy visiting Sarasota and trying new foods. I’m a bit of a foodie, so with that comes trying new restaurants. I also like staying active, so if by chance I have a scheduled rest day on the weekend, I like to go out on the kayaks and spend the day on the water. If it’s not a rest day, then I start my workout at 5 a.m. so I can be on the water by noon. After July 26th, I will have so much free time to explore, and find my favorite places. And soon after, maybe sign up for the 2016 Ironman Florida with a charity slot.

Tell Unravel about your training, what you are doing to prepare and where you like to train.

My training has been increasing since November. My new coach, Jackie Miller, of Sarasota, uses a program that will email me my workout every morning. The day before a workout, I can check my email to mentally and physically prepare for the next day’s workout. It started out with a little 30 minute swim, an hour on the bike and a short 3-mile run. Now, as I am 2 months away from my first Ironman, the training has tripled. During the week, I bike 26 to 35 miles a day, followed by a 50 minute run. In between some of those workouts, I swim about 3500 yards a couple times a week. The weekends — that’s the long workouts. On Saturday, I usually start at 5 a.m., and ride for about five hours and follow that up with an hour run. Then on Sundays, I ride for about 30 miles, and then run 10 or 12 miles. Along with all of the training, is nutrition and eating healthy. That takes a lot of time and preparation as well because it is equally as important for proper recovery and muscle building.

I either swim at the YMCA in Venice, or go to Siesta Key to practice the open water swim. My bike rides are starting to vary, based on the distance. I started out on the Legacy trail, but as my distance increase, I like the Sharky’s ride (Venice, Manasota Key, East Venice, Sarasota, Casey Key) because it changes scenery. I will be making multiple trips up past Tampa for some hills to train on. My runs are usually in my neighborhood for a short run, on the Legacy trail, or through downtown Venice and out on the South Jetty for my longer runs. I love riding and running along the water. It never quite seems like training with that kind of scenery.

How can Unravel readers contribute to the myeloma foundation?

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation has many options. Their website is http://www.themmrf.org/ironman. This website goes directly to the Team for Cures portal. In the purple athlete search field, you can search my name or an athlete on the team, click their name and donate on their page. It is all tax deductible since The MMRF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Their website also has other information on different races that they participate in, along with other events. Multiple Myeloma is very rare and needs money for research. Please consider donating!