The Newburyport transplant was riding a strong personal tail wind, powered by a successful job, a sparkling new home and, most importantly, the love and support of his family, which included a son, Christopher, and wife, Kristina, who was expecting their second child shortly.

Herndon figures he was clicking along at 30 mph that day as he hit a downhill stretch on Route 133 toward a railroad bridge in Gloucester. What happened next is far more hazy. To this day, Herndon relies on the accounts of riders behind him to fill in most of the blanks about the landscaping truck that sideswiped him and nearly took his life.

He does remember breaking his hand as he desperately tried to push himself away from the truck, all the while watching his front wheel slip under its double axle. The rest is pretty much a blur.

The broken hip and hand and two torn discs in his back were more tangible reminders. His fellow riders tell him that he did a complete flip in the air before finally coming to a rest in a clump of twisted metal and spokes back on the ground.

Four year's later, it's the kind of back story that would normally make Herndon's entry into this weekend's grueling New York City Triathlon a PR person's dream. Sadly, instead of being the main course in a truly inspirational tale, it's just a footnote.

"At the time, we thought it was the worst thing possible," recalled Herndon, who wound up spending three weeks in Whittier Rehabilitation in Haverhill, not to mention countless frustrating months hobbling with a makeshift crutch while still trying to carry out his duties as a regional vice president with Sun Life in Boston.

"Was I going to be able to keep my job? Were we going to be able to keep my house? There were so many questions," said Herndon. "Now? Well, you realize that those problems were so secondary."

When Herndon attempts to conquer a 1.5K swim in the Hudson River, followed by a 40K bike ride through the Bronx and finally the 10K run in Central Park, it won't be the extensive rehab or his medical dossier that will be foremost in his mind. Instead, it will simply be the name he's inscribed on his registration bracelet.

Long road back

It was just a year ago that Herndon, 46, was gearing up for the very same race, although his 6-foot-4 frame was carrying a far heavier load.

"I was really heavy and hadn't trained at all," he recalls.

Herndon never threatened the lead pack or, for that matter, any pack at all that day. In fact, any water he consumed did not come from the sea of volunteer water stations that littered the course, but were instead bought from local hot dog carts along the way.

"Everyone else had packed up," Herndon said with a sheepish smile. "But I finished. I think I lost eight pounds that day."

It was a struggle that the former college basketball player and competitive mountain bike triathloner in his native Washington never thought he would see. But his injuries, coupled with a blown back from not rehabbing properly after the accident and a fair amount of depression, had left Herndon deep in the Big and Tall section.

"It was very frustrating," said Herndon who ballooned as high as 272. "I had always been a very active person, but from September (of 2002) to March of (2003) I really couldn't do anything at all. It was very frustrating and I got pretty depressed."

Given that history and two years of false starts due to injuries, it appeared that Herndon was finally on the road back to his competitive form last year in New York. After all, he had completed a big time triathlon, a major accomplishment regardless of the time, and back in Newburyport his family was flourishing. He and Kristina had welcomed a daughter, Kate, into the fold shortly after his accident and were expecting a second daughter at the end of the summer.

But just like the day of his accident, both Patrick and Kristina were about to be blind-sided once again, this time with far greater force.

An irreplaceable loss

On Aug. 19 last year, the couple welcomed their third child, a bouncing 9-plus pound daughter named Scout Herndon after the little girl in the literary classic, "To Kill a Mocking Bird."

"She was a big, fat, healthy baby," recalls Herndon.

Inexplicably, two weeks later Scout was gone. To this day, doctors have been unable to pinpoint why just a week after bringing her home, Patrick and Kristina were left to quietly say their good-byes as they held their third child for the final time at Boston's Mass General Hospital.

"To rock your baby until they pass away because there is nothing you can do about it ... that has an impact," said Herndon, his voice trailing off. "It has an impact on everything you do, everything."

"When you hear about someone having the loss of a child, it's a big loss. It's not like grandpa passed away or even losing a parent - as tough as those are. With the loss of a child, it's like there's that little light in the house that went out."

Watching Christopher, 6, who rides his bike along side his dad on his training runs, and Kate, 3, race in and out of the living room of their house on Arthur Welch Drive, it's hard to imagine any lights ever turning off in this household, but the loss is clearly there. From the pictures of Scout that hang on the walls to the memorial garden they have built in the front yard. And yes, to the name written on the registration bracelet Herndon will wear on his wrist this Sunday.

Despite the emotional roller coaster, he continues to ride. A far slimmer and much more fit Herndon will take his spot among the thousands at the starting line in the chilly Hudson River.

Herndon credits his work with personal trainer Kim Zanat Martilla from Newburyport's Personal High Fitness for getting him back in the kind of physical and mental shape where he should not have to worry about buying bottled water along the way.

"You often find that a lot of people who have gone through a big personal tragedy need a goal like a triathlon, something to put their sole mental focus into," said Zanat Martilla, who has been working with Herndon since January using a variety of exercises to mimic the wide array of actions incorporated in a triathlon. "With Patrick, we had to build him from the inside out."

Herndon has lost over 30 pounds with Zanat Martilla. He should be able to greet Kristina, who is expecting their fourth child in another six weeks, Kate and Christopher at the finish line well before the sun goes down.

Herndon, who will compete in the Newburyport triathlon next week, is most concerned with Sunday's final event, the 10K run which will likely be contested in 90-degree temperatures.

"You're coming off of having to spin your legs really fast (during the 40K bike ride) than you have to try to run," explained Herndon, who is hoping to break the three-hour plateau. Regardless of the time, it's a challenge he is clearly looking forward to.

"It's an escape," said Herndon of the rigorous trio of events which often illicit far different reactions from most competitors. "You have to think about what you're doing at the time. You just can't let yourself go. You have to be thinking of where you're at at all times. Pacing is so important, because let's face it, you're dealing with some pain and facing a lot of discomfort. A big part of it all is managing that discomfort."

And while he figures to finish well back in the world class field, when it comes to that particular discipline you can definitely look for Herndon in the lead pack.

Big test in the Big Apple

What: The Nautica New York City Triathlon

When: Sunday, July 16

The schedule: Competitors start with a 1.5K swim in the Hudson River followed by 40K bike ride from Riverside to Central Park before finishing with a 10K run in Central Park.