On December 31, 2011,
in 2011 has been an interesting year, to say the least. I began the year in great shape, with big racing plans, and was primed for a busy season. This wasn’t to be, unfortunately, as an ankle break in mid-February derailed my racing plans for the year. I did a bit of writing on the topic (I did have a little extra time on my hands) and the following posts pretty much cover the ins and outs of the adventure.
The Dangers of Winter Running – Part I
Plates, screws, and Bone Sutures
Recovery, Rehab, and Thoughts on the ER
Needless to say my training this winter will involve a few more trips to the gym to use the treadmill when the roads might be a little suspect. I don’t need a repeat of this:
Ouch
The downtime this year did, however, give me the chance to be introspective and really look at how I want to be involved in the triathlon community moving forward. I’ve been coaching a handful of athletes for a couple of years and have really enjoyed the time and effort that goes into the process. More to the point, the satisfaction that I get from helping an athlete achieve their goals is more than I could have ever imagined. I also had some time to look back on how I got hooked on triathlons.
How it all Started: How I Became A Runner
From Running to Triathlons
More importantly, I thought more and more about coaching. I took advantage of the… Read the rest
…..or “What a Difference A Year Makes”
It was a nice morning for a December trail race. 20F at the start up in Redding, CT. People that had run this race before were looking forward to the single track, water crossings, and mud. New participants were asking a lot of questions about what they’d gotten themselves into. Much bigger crowd compared to years past. But more on that later.
I wrote about this race last year and I’ve had three good years racing at this event. This year, however, not so much.
I didn’t bother wearing my heart rate monitor, as I was instructed to “not race” by my lovely wife. She has a good point with that bit of instruction: My ankle just isn’t quite up to full ‘blasting through trails’ fitness yet, so I never planned on trying to duplicate my efforts from last year. I felt calm and relaxed as we warmed up, and was content to just “run” it and have a great time. However, it wouldn’t have mattered what my original plans were.
Fitness, or lack there-of, really showed. I never felt good….not even at the beginning. The hills were just crushing. Last year, by the first ‘peel off’ into single track, I was amongst the top 5 runners. This year as we headed into the woods I might have been lucky to be in the top 20. I just never got into a groove. It’s a good thing I didn’t wear… Read the rest
Truth be told, I’d never done an Aquabike event before. So when the race director of an upcoming triathlon sent an email stating that the Aquabike division was being offered, It peaked my interest. This would be my first race this year since breaking my ankle back in February. I’d missed five races (that I’d already registered and paid for) so when this option came along – for a race I’d paid for 8 months ago – I really couldn’t pass it up. A chance to race, in some fashion or another, was quite exciting.
So, a 1.5K swim and a 40K bike. I was psyched. I’d been swimming and cycling quite a bit, but I wasn’t doing a whole lot of speed-work. I was mainly getting out to keep my fitness from going in the crapper while I dealt with physical therapy. But I felt that I could do pretty well – and I really thought that I’d be able to drop the hammer on the bike since I didn’t have to run. I thought back to the relay I did last summer and while I was annoyed, at the time, watching everyone head out on the run while I stood there feeling out of place, I remembered how fun it was to just red-line the bike leg. So off I went.
I had a good swim. I was out of the water in just over 20 minutes and across the chip mat at the… Read the rest
Two of my athletes competed in triathlons / events over the past two weeks. One is returning to triathlons after a 10 year hiatus, and his comeback to age-group racing is moving along nicely. The other athlete is gearing up for Steelhead 70.3 and had a half-marathon in some pretty hot and miserable conditions. I traveled to the triathlon out in Long Island, New York to support one athlete, and had a few conversations with my other athlete – as she lives in the Midwest – to talk about her race and make some changes to her swimming workouts.
I’ve also been working out more on the bike and in the pool. My ankle has been feeling pretty good – my setback at physical therapy has sorted itself out and I’m able to start some jogging again. Anyway, I’ve re-doubled my focus on trying to get back in shape so I can be as ready and fit as possible for an early start to the triathlon season next year. I had some great workouts this week, distances weren’t crazy long, but the intensity is getting up there.
Equally as important, my wife asked me to write a three-part “Multisport 101″ series over on her food and fitness site: JL Goes Vegan.
This series covers the basics for the individual looking to start out and get fit, or take things to the next level. Last week’s post focused on swimming. Tomorrow’s post is on cycling and I’ll wrap… Read the rest
As many of you may have heard, Ironman New York is alive and among us. It’s been deemed the US Championships. Also, as you may have heard, it sold out in less than 15 minutes as soon as registration went live online. I love this sport. Love it. And I’m thrilled that New York City is getting another great triathlon.
This is all good news. But there’s a race here in the New York area that’s my complete fave. It’s held up the Hudson Valley in September. If you haven’t heard of it yet, you need to get familiar with it now. And I mean stat.
The Toughman is a half ironman distance race held in northern Westchester county. It starts and finishes in Croton Point Park, in Croton on Hudson, New York, and is really one amazing race. Why? I’ll tell you why:
Location:
Croton Point Park, along the Hudson River, is an amazing setting for the swim start, transition area, and finish line. It’s a beautiful park, with campgrounds, easy access to mass transit for those coming up from the city and is easy to get to from most any major city in the tri-state area.
Course:
In addition to the park itself, the course is amazing. The swim, in the bay that is naturally created at the park, is mostly free of river current and provides a great location for the swim. More importantly, for those familiar with the Westchester Triathlon, there… Read the rest
I’ve been talking about it for a while….about riding my bike to the train station as part of my daily work commute. As we’re a one vehicle household, my wife JL and I coordinate our schedules so I can be dropped off at the train station to head into Manhattan before she heads off to work herself. Not terrible, but during the morning “rush” in our area, it’s just a hassle. And, c’mon, it’s just the smart thing to do. I walk to the train when I can (it’s only a 15 minute walk) so why not save some time, and fuel, in the process?
I was in no way going to ride my road bike to the station. Nor was I going to ride my TT racing rig (that would just look stupid!) As I was in the basement trying to figure out how to build a commuter bike by cannibalizing an old mountain bike and a slightly used hybrid bike I stumbled on my very first road bike. An aluminum frame Trek with a triple crank-set in front and base / entry level components. Wow, I actually used to ride this thing? Not to be all snooty, but damn.
Okay, I’m off my carbon fiber soap-box.
What a perfect bike to become a commuter rig. The triple crank-set would make the hills to and from the train station easy to deal with (without breaking out into a sweat) and a few additional accessories will… Read the rest
I was out riding this morning, enjoying the fact that I’m able to be out riding after breaking the old ankle. Granted, I’ve been swimming and cycling for a while, but I’m still having that little bit if euphoria every time I get outside on my bike. Sorry, I digress. Anyway, I was out riding this morning, thinking about how quickly, really, this rehab has been going. I then started to think back to the accident itself, the surgery, etc, and realized I was pretty lucky – for a number of reasons – all in all, but more so that I had a great support system at home.
My wife JL was amazing during the whole broken ankle thing. And I’m not just talking about taking me to the ER and then to the Orthopedist. And then for an MRI. And then back to the Orthopedist. And then to the hospital for surgery and getting my prescriptions filled.
I’m talking about having someone at home who understood that this was a major deal for an athlete. She understood that this was going to really be a mental strain on me as well, and did an amazing job of keeping things in perspective. Yes I was fortunate the accident happened in the winter. And I was also fortunate that I could keep swimming almost immediately after the hard cast was taken off post-surgery. But she really kept an eye on me and… Read the rest
Not long ago, I wrote about my racing dilemma this upcoming season. As I am already registered for a few upcoming races, I was contemplating whether or not I should race them in a diminished capacity. By that, I mean do I do the swim and the bike legs of my upcoming triathlons and then withdraw from the race (as I most likely won’t be able to do the run with any mojo what-so-ever)?
A couple people commented on that post, and I was encouraged a bit by what was said. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do – and it would allow me to get out and do something while trying to build my fitness back up.
I’ve been getting in some good swims workouts in lately, and the even better news is that I’ve been getting in some good training rides. Outdoors. Yep, I’ve officially turned the corner and am no longer resigned to spinning away on the bike trainer inside. Paired with the fact that I can get around sans crutches now, my ankle is strong enough that I can go out and ride confidently. Granted, I’m tragically building up my mileage and fitness at this point. This compared to last year when I was already racing and would have had at least one 1/2 marathon under my belt and would be gearing up for a triathlon in just a few weeks. Anyway, I digress.
I haven’t trained heavily this week – save for physical therapy. I did swim….and I did get some time on the bike trainer. Alas, this *#@*&$# ankle is still not letting me get outside and run and jump and play. So, I’ve been reading about other peoples training and, well….while I don’t like being injured, at least I’m reading more!
Okay, enough of the smarmy feel-good stuff. I’m crawling out of my skin. I’m beyond impatient and NEED to be out running. Swimming is great. The bike trainer is great. But I’m not 100%, and I won’t be until my ankle is back to normal. Obvious, I know, but I had to get it out there. I’m going stir crazy and I’m man enough to admit it. So aside from drinking more beer, I’m beginning to become angst-filled. Sort of like week 2 or 3 of a taper.
So, aside from reading a bit more and drinking more beer than usual, I thought I’d cover a couple quick items:
First – I was looking at my site analytics, and was very curious about one of the Google search entries that led someone to my blog:
“Triathlons and the wealthy“
What the heck did I write that caused that search to cause a hit on my site? No idea. Moving on.
Second – I wanted to share a couple of the good posts I’ve… Read the rest
I’m heading off to a USAT Coaching Clinic this upcoming weekend. I thought long and hard about signing up – did I really want to start coaching people? Did I think I could really help somebody become faster, more efficient, and improve? I think I can. While I’ve been self-coached (mostly) for most of my triathlon career, I did swim competitively up into the college ranks. I’ve been coached by a number of individuals, and I’d like to think that I know what to do, what not to do, and how to work with people to get the most out of their time. I’ve trained with a lot of top-flight athletes, a number of whom have qualified for Kona, and know what their time, training, and sacrifices have entailed. All of this information hasn’t gone to waste.
I’ve actually built 1/2 Ironman training plans for a number of individuals. I have to say I really had a good time creating them. I found it fascinating to delve into their previous performances so I could better understand their abilities. I enjoyed working with them to get an idea of what their schedules look like, how much time they could devote to training, and how this all impacted their overall goals. It was actually quite a bit of fun working with them to understand their running and swimming pace so I could formulate speedwork on the track, and targeted swimming workouts.
Building… Read the rest
