Janda Ricci-Munn

My Favorite Jim Munn Recollection

2011-03-15T20:13:00.002-04:00

I'll never forget the day that my dad returned home, clutching a blood soaked "Mighty-Mac" jacket in his left hand. Although I couldn't have been much older than 6 years of age at the time, I was keenly aware of the significance of what had just transpired. The following comment was posted on the Gloucester Daily Times' comments section that accompanied the following article about my late father. Out of all the accomplishments the man achieved in his lifetime, this one was most likely his most meaningful...

When I was just four years old I was hit by a car on Elm St. I was thrown ten feet, and landed on the ground. I broke many bones, split my head open, my heart stopped, and ultimately was in a coma for three days before waking up and surviving. While I was on the ground, lifeless, A gentleman walking by who witnessed the commotion, ran over and started CPR on me. He kept me alive until the paramedics arrived with the defib. That man who saved my life was Jim Munn. I later became best friends with all three of his kids and spent many days at his house. He was a great man and role model. I owe my life to him. Rest in Peace Jim, thank you for all you have done for me. Heartfelt condolences go out to Lois, Janda, Cory, and Kansas.

~Vinnie Scuderi Jr.

James Andrew Munn

2011-03-14T20:24:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, March 13^th, Jim Munn, writer, coach and political activist, passed away after putting up a courageous six month fight against an incurable case of malignant melanoma. Jim was surrounded by his loved ones at all times during the months, days and hours preceding his death. From the time he was diagnosed with the terminal illness right up until the day that he decided that he was ready to pass on, Jim lived each day to the absolute fullest, and chose to spend his final months celebrating life. The bravery and unwavering positivity that he displayed while facing death head on were typical of the man who was not afraid to fight passionately for what he believed in over the course of 72 years of life well lived.

Jim was born on November 1^st, 1938 in Warren, PA. At an early age, he and his family moved to Erie, PA where Jim spent his boyhood. A great storyteller, Jim would often recount tales of grandiose adventure from those formative years when telling bed-time stories to his own boys. Accounts of escape and evasion exploits up upon the infamous “Devil’s Backbone” ridgeline, full-fledged neighborhood BB gun fights and walking backwards, while blindfolded, over the death defying “skinny bridge,” spurred his young sons’ respective sense of imagination and desire for adventure, much to the chagrin of their mother and even hapless local business owners such as Mac Bell who on more than one occasion were cast as the role of “unwilling participant” in the boys’ overly-adventurous endeavors.

Jim’s enthusiasm for all things adventure related paved the way for his love of activities such as backpacking and mountaineering. He had a particular fascination with Mt. Everest, especially the doomed Mallory and Irvine expedition upon said mountain back in 1924. He was convinced that the men had, in fact, summited before perishing on their descent back down the mountain. He was a voracious reader of mountaineering exploits from around the globe; unfortunately, the same could not be said about his regard for school assigned reading literature and, as such, his parents felt that military high school would be in his best interest.

Whether four years at a military academic institution provided any sort of long lasting discipline for a young man who was not overly-fond of following the rules is still up for debate to this very day, but this much can be said about Jim’s relationship with academics; he did manage to graduate high school and subsequently complete his four-year college degree with a dual major in art and journalism. Post college, his love for both writing and art led him to San Francisco where he quickly immersed himself in the local writing scene. Although he soon made a name for himself with folks like Allen Ginsberg, and seemed poised for a successful career as a writer, Uncle Sam had other plans; draft papers sent him packing for a three year stint in the United States Army.

Upon completion of basic and advanced military training, Jim was assigned to the 503^rd military police division. His unit was deployed during the 1962 “Battle of Oxford” at the University of Mississippi, when riots erupted due the planned admission of an African-American, James Merideth, to the school. The extreme, and often violent racism that Jim saw directed not only towards Merideth, but also towards his fellow African-American soldiers throughout his time in the military, served to strengthen his resolve to fight for the rights of the oppressed and less fortunate. And fight on he did; upon discharge from the Army, he moved to Boston and pursued work as a social worker and member of the Boston Boys & Girls club while also becoming heavily involved in the progressive labor party movement.

In the early 1970s, Jim and his soon-to-be wife, Lois Ricci, moved to Gloucester. Lois, born and raised in Lexington, MA, had spent many a day at the beaches of Gloucester with her family while growing up, and always had a deep admiration for the beautiful city along the coast. The pair took jobs at Gorton’s of Gloucester, and it wasn’t long before Jim began “being Jim” once more; serving as a board member on Gorton’s labor union and advocating for worker’s rights.

By 1979, Jim’s family had expanded to include three boys, all born within a four year timeframe. To support his family, he turned to a trade that he had been involved in since his college years; house painting. Seventy plus hour work weeks were the norm for the father of three who placed his commitment to family and social work ahead of his own well-being. Although health and wellness ranked low on his list of priorities, things began to change when his oldest son, Janda, took up an interest in running at age seven. Despite his two pack-per-day cigarette habit, Jim jumped whole-heartedly at the chance to help his son with his newfound interest in running and quit smoking cold turkey in order to do so. The two logged countless hours of training together, and Jim drew upon his experience as a high school and collegiate runner to help Janda to prepare. In doing so, Jim also went on to run an amazing 2:52 marathon at the age of fifty.

Jim’s passion for running led to his appointment as the O’Maley Middle School cross country coach back in 1987. A little known fact is that the program was actually slated to be cut from the school’s athletic program due to low participation numbers. Former Principal Anthony Marino was kind enough to give Jim a chance to turn the program around however, and within 2 years, “Coach Munn” had done just that; between 1987 and 1989 the program had grown from just 6 annual participants to nearly 60. The road had been paved for what was to come.

Jim continued to serve as the O’Maley Middle School cross country coach, while also accepting the assistant track coach position at Gloucester High School in 1990. When head coach Bob Roland accepted the athletic director’s position in 1994, Jim assumed head coaching responsibilities for the program and racked up a performance record the likes of which have never been seen in Gloucester’s athletic history: 257 wins and just 10 losses between his indoor and outdoor high school track & field squads and nearly 200 consecutive wins as the longtime O’Maley coach. His programs produced numerous state champions, state records, state and class titles and even a national championship title along the way. The 2000 GHS quartet of Ngai Otieno, Shawn Milne, Josh Palazola and Tristan Colangelo not only won the National distance medley relay title during the 2000 U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championship, they set a record that still stands to this day and remain the only team in U.S. history to ever run under 10 minutes for the distance indoors.

Coach Munn’s greatest attribute was his ability to inspire the athletes under his care to believe that they were capable of greatness. “Why not us?” was one of his favorite rhetorical questions. He challenged his athletes to never settle for anything less than their absolute best and to set the bar high. His support for GHS students transcended athletics; he was adamant that art, music, theatre, and vocational studies, along with athletics, all provided tremendous, life shaping opportunities for young people and that their continued support was an absolute necessity that Gloucester had a responsibility to uphold.

Although Jim’s life came to a close this past Sunday morning, his actions, and ideals, will never be forgotten. He took pride in the fact that his opinions, whether expressed via his writing as a journalist for the Gloucester Daily Times, or in front of the school board or athletic director, encouraged debate. Although some may have referred to him as a “socialist,” “communist,” and, at times, even “radical,” the fact of the matter is that he loved his country, his community and his family above all else and that he gave far more than he ever received, financially and materially, at least. Although an adopted son of our proud city, Jim was a true Gloucesterman in every sense of the word. He will be greatly missed but shall forever be remembered for living an honest and meaningful life.

Jim is survived by his sons Janda, Corey and Kansas Ricci-Munn, his daughter-in-law Michelle Carrancho, and by his ex-wife Lois, who cared for him 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in the months preceding his death. Although his family is terribly saddened by the loss, they are proud of all that Jim accomplished with his life and will always cherish the incredible love and support that he provided. As his sons will attest, it was a great privilege and honor to have Jim as a father.

As per Jim’s wishes and those of his family, there are no immediate plans for a memorial service as the family has chosen to deal with their loss privately. In lieu of flowers and cards, the family respectfully asks that well wishers consider making a donation to the Gloucester Fisherman Athletic Association’s Renewal Newell Stadium initiative.

For donation information, please visit the GFAA at: http://www.gloucesterathletics.org/

or the Renewal Newell website at: http://www.gloucesterathletics.com/newell_stadium/

Breaking Point

2011-02-24T19:40:00.001-05:00

It’s been refreshing to return to my roots, athletically speaking, and do nothing more than run. I started my athletic career as a youth runner at just 8 years of age (27 years ago!). Running has, and always will be, my first love. I’ll also admit that it’s been a source of great frustration for me over the years and the primary reason that I took up an interest in bike racing at age 19. Triathlon followed suit just one year later, naturally

I gave up on my dreams of pursuing running to the best of my abilities back in my late teens. In retrospect, I packed things in FAR too early, but hindsight it 20-20 as they say, and I, like so many other young, developing athletes that have come before and after me, failed to embrace the idea of “incremental improvement.” Simply put, my dreams fell victim to my own lack of self-confidence and impatience. Due to short sightedness, I never gave myself a chance to explore the depths of my talent as a runner.

I carry no regrets about the experience however, as it was the lessons learned from that period of my life that spurred my commitment to excellence when I decided to give athletics another serious go in my late 20s. Two Ironman 70.3 world amateur champion titles and a short lived (but respectable) Pro career later, I can honestly say that my shortcomings as a runner were the primary impetus for my near fanatical dedication as a triathlete. Those same formative experiences have also provided me with tremendous insight and compassion for young athletes who find themselves in the same shoes I once wore. Simply put, I can relate to the self confidence issues that some of my younger athletes bring to the table because I once harbored the same insecurities. My “failures” from the past have not only made me a better athlete, they have made me a better coach.

In many ways, I feel as though I have come full circle as an athlete. I had every intention of returning to my beloved sport of triathlon in 2011, that is until we found out in the Fall of 2010 that my father was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. Fast forward 6 moths later: He, along with the rest of my family, is still hanging in there, but with a large number of tumors in his brain, intestines, bones and other tissue, the long-term outlook is bleak. As such, I have zero desire to pursue excellence in 3 distinct athletic disciplines at the moment, but have found great solace in returning to my roots and focusing upon running only… albeit in a fairly recreational manner; 30 – 40 miles of running per week isn’t exactly what I’d consider to be hard-core training after all!

So despite the sad reality that I, along with the rest of my family, currently face these days, I can at least say that I’m having a ball with my running and savoring the emotional outlet that a good, hard run workout can provide. It’s also been interesting to apply what I’ve learned along the way as a triathlete to my run training. One of my staple forms of bike training was long, drawn out pace and interval work over on the local TT course. I found that the mental challenge involved in pushing myself solo for anywhere between 30 minutes to over 3 hours at a variety of race pace efforts made race day much, much easier as a result. Learning how to overcome that little voice that screams “I can’t keep this up any longer!” was something that I practiced over and over again while battling the elements, my power meter and the stop watch between the Spring and Fall months of 2006 – 2009. Although I have no desire to revisit those types of bike sessions at this stage of the game, I still get a kick out of following suit on the run front and enjoy the challenging of “rolling” at threshold pace for as long as possible. Pushing the envelope for mile after mile on an 11 lap to the mile indoor track provides ample time for one to define the uppermost limits of their true will power and ability to persevere in the face of mental and physical hardship. I suppose that, in the end, it’s this fascination with facing one’s breaking point that keeps me coming back for more; even if I never race again, I must admit that life seems dull without that kind of unique ,challenge. The track provides plenty of it, of course, and for that fact, I am grateful.

I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do on the roads this coming Summer and Fall. A few more months of good, solid training are in order of course, but I still have plenty of time to up the ante on the training front and to get myself into good form before stepping back into the arena. With a little luck, perhaps multisport will follow suit once more.

Metabolic Testing & Analysis: Number Crunching

2010-11-08T19:46:00.001-05:00

In this week’s training tip, I will discuss how metabolic testing & analysis allows both coach and athlete to evaluate the various metabolic pathways responsible for aerobic energy production. For the competitive endurance athlete, having a clear cut understanding of exactly “where” your energy is coming from and how much of it you are using at certain paces or power outputs, provides you with a number of substantial advantages. With this data in hand, you can effectively steer your training, and, when necessary, your nutritional practices, in order to optimize your performance on race day, thereby gaining that much coveted “edge” on the competition!

In one of my previous training tips, “Determination of Aerobic Profile” I talked at length about the use of metabolic testing to determine both VO₂max and the percentage of VO₂max at which an athlete’s maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) occurs. MLSS serves as one of the greatest determining factors in an endurance athlete’s performance; all things being equal, the athlete with the fastest pace at MLSS will typically win the vast majority of endurance related events he or she enters… up to a certain point.

For very long events such as the marathon, half ironman (70.3) triathlon or the grueling Ironman triathlon distance, although velocity/power output at MLSS is of critical importance, so too is the athlete’s ability to conserve much needed glycogen stores for the long haul.

We’ve all heard of the terms “bonking” or “hitting the wall” before, and if you’re a hard core fan of endurance racing, you’ve undoubtedly seen it happen to even the world’s best endurance athletes from time to time. In simplistic terms, when an athlete “bonks” they have exhausted their body’s high octane fuel source: muscle glycogen. Muscle glycogen is a substance that is used by the body to provide energy both aerobically (with oxygen) and anaerobically (without oxygen) depending upon the intensity at which the body is operating at. Generally speaking, maximal/near maximal efforts lasting between .01 and 45 seconds, do not require oxygen whereas efforts lasting longer than 45 seconds do. The longer the effort, the greater the role that O₂plays in energy production (for a more comprehensive look at the three metabolic pathways that are responsible for energy production, click here). Regardless, glycogen is utilized by the body at just about every intensity level, even at rest; the harder the athlete “pushes” during a race or training session, the more glycogen the athlete’s body will “burn” to keep up with energy demand. As efforts approach and surpass MLSS speed/power output, a very high percentage of the metabolic energy yield is derived from glycogen metabolism. For the endurance athlete, this is where the numbers game begins.

Depending upon many factors including, but not limited to: gender, body weight/muscle mass, training and nutritional practices, etc. our bodies store somewhere between 2,000 – 2,500 calories worth of glycogen; enough energy to “only” run somewhere between 20 – 25 miles…. but don’t despair! A well trained, competitive marathon runner will run within 15 – 30 seconds per mile pace of their MLSS pace on race day. Assuming proper training & nutritional practices, glycogen stores will not be depleted late in the race thanks to the fact that the body will derive a good deal of its aerobic energy from the metabolism of free fatty acids (fats!) in addition to its glycogen stores. As such, the dreaded “bonk” is avoided and performance does not suffer late in the game.

Through metabolic testing, we are able to actively assess what percentage of energy is being derived via fat and glycogen metabolism. By doing so, we can “steer” an athlete’s training and nutritional practices to optimize the percentage of glycogen they burn at specific paces/power outputs. In my next training tip, I’ll provide two theoretical examples of how we would go about using testing data to steer the training practices of 2 runners gearing up for the marathon and discuss how testing data would shed light on the different approaches we’d have to take with both runners to ensure their respective success on race day. Stay tuned!

Inspired performance: Remembering Jim Munn as he steps down as GHS track coach - Gloucester, MA - Wicked Local Gloucester

2010-11-05T14:18:00.000-04:00

Inspired performance: Remembering Jim Munn as he steps down as GHS track coach - Gloucester, MA - Wicked Local Gloucester

c'est la vie

2010-10-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

Longtime GHS track coach Munn to resign

Introduction to Metabolic Testing & Analysis

2010-09-27T17:47:00.008-04:00

Let’s get right down to it: For the competitive endurance athlete, the number one objective of any training program is to maximize your degree of event specific fitness. This being said, effective training requires both coach and athlete to first and foremost understand the unique physiological and psychological stressors that the athlete will be subjected to during competition. Simply put, if you expect your body, and mind, to be able to perform at a specific effort, for a specific period of time on a specific course while dealing with specific environmental conditions, your training program must fully prepare you to be able tolerate this very specific set of stressors come race day! As any good coach or athlete understands, event specific, or “specialized” training, is an integral part of the annual training progression; without it, peak athletic performance will not be realized. This being said, we can count on the fact that there is one, and only one approach that every athlete must take when preparing for a given competitive event or distance, right?

Wrong.

Although specialized training is in fact a key ingredient in any successful annual training progression, we must dive deeper in order to gain a complete understanding of each athlete’s unique physiology before undertaking the exact training practices that will yield the peak performance that both coach and athlete are striving so hard for. One of the “laws” of training is that in order for training to be effective, it must be individualized. In order to completely individualize an athlete’s training, we must first understand what kind of aerobic “engine” the athlete possesses, just how strong that engine is, and what kind of fuel economy it’s capable of!

Enter Metabolic Testing & Analysis

Metabolic testing is a term that is often mentioned yet quite often misunderstood. When most people hear the term “metabolic” they immediately think of calories, or basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body burns daily, at rest); while metabolic testing can in fact measure an athlete’s BMR, this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as its application is concerned.

In the coming weeks, I will release a series of training tips and vlog posts that will extensively examine the use of metabolic testing & analysis and discuss how its application allows both coach and athlete to attain a thorough understanding of the steps that must be taken over the course of the training progression to ensure that peak performance occurs when it’s needed most. In the coming weeks, I will release a series of training tips and vlog posts that will extensively examine the use of metabolic testing & analysis and discuss how its application allows both coach and athlete to attain a thorough understanding of the steps that must be taken over the course of the training progression to ensure that peak performance occurs when it’s needed most.

I’ve been fortunate enough to team up with Seaside Cycle in Manchester, MA to work on this project. Seaside Cycle recently invested in a New Leaf metabolic testing system, and along with JRM Training, is now offering a wide array of testing services for the cyclist or triathlete looking to maximize their performance potential. This state-of-the-art apparatus, when utilized in conjunction with power (bike) and/or velocity (run) based testing is a surefire way to pinpoint your body’s unique needs as you gear up to approach your event specific training program.

Stay tuned for our next series of vlog posts which will dive deeper into the use of metabolic testing & analysis and how you can best utilize it to maximize your athletic potential in 2010 and beyond.

Wright Lands on Podium at USAT Age Group National Championship

2010-09-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

Looks like wunderkind Steve Wright capped off what has proven to be a break through tri season by placing 3rd in the M18 – 19 division down in Tuscaloosa, AL at the 2010 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship today.

Way to go Steve!

This was Steve’s final race for the 2010 season and as a Jr. competitor. As long as the fire continues to burn brightly, I expect that 2010 will prove to be the tip of the iceberg of what should be a great career for Steve. Keep an eye out for him in 2011

VERY PROUD...

2010-09-19T18:47:00.007-04:00

... of the Syracuse 70.3 crew today.

In my book, it is the performance that matters most, not the placing. As any good athlete knows, you cannot control what the competition does on race day; you can only control your own actions which in turn dictate your performance. This being said, although I love when my athletes land on the podium (which one of them did today as a matter of fact) I love it even more when they NAIL the breakthrough performance we've trained for (which they both did!)

For John Babcock and Keri Boyle, today's Syracuse 70.3 was yet another huge step forward performance wise.

John has already proven himself as one of the most dominant, up and coming triathletes in the NE region this year, having won a slew of events between the sprint and Olympic distance and knocking off some great athletes along the way. Today was a great means of evaluating how much progress he had made since last year on the long course front, and he hit this one out of the park: 4:16, which was good enough for 17th overall, 4th overall age grouper and a HUGE performance PR. To see him run under 1:20 OTB after a strong swim and bike is a great sign indeed, especially since he was running in the 5:4x range through about mile 10 before the wheels started coming off. At just 23, John's best years as a long course athlete are still well in front of him (thankfully, I will no longer be competing by that point!!!) so I'm thrilled with his progress today along with his season in general. If he can keep the fire burning brightly, there is no doubt in my mind that he will blossom into one of the best pro triathletes in the US within the next few years.

Keri was equally impressive. This is a mother of 3(?) who used to be excited about running sub 10 min. pace OTB in sprint triathlons. Today, she gets off and runs 1:38:08 - yeah, that's 7:29/mile pace for 13.1 after swimming 1.2 and biking a HARD 56... If that's not progress, I don't know what is.

I consider this to be Keri's first real year of training so I'm already well aware of the fact that although she is blowing her old 70.3 PRs out of the water by nearly an hour and a half (yes, you heard me right - 90 minutes), she still has A LOT of room for improvement. We typically see the BIG jumps occur after 1 year of solid training (such has been the case with John), so as exciting as this year has been for Keri, she's just getting warmed up for what's in store for next year. Although Keri's AG was SUPER stacked and she fell a bit short of the podium, her performance was good enough for 28th overall and 16th overall amateur. I couldn't be happier :)

Awesome day.

Syracuse 70.3 results

TriROK Benefit!!!

2010-09-16T07:50:00.000-04:00

Pumpkinman & IMWI Wrap Up

2010-09-13T13:55:00.008-04:00

This past weekend was my last trip out into "the field" for a while. Due to the fact that I decided to sit this season out, Michelle and I have been touring all around New England (and Europe!) supporting my athletes whenever possible. Although sitting on the sidelines can be trying at times (I envy the fact that they get to brawl while I feel like a slug sitting on the curb!) it's been a great thrill to watch my crew in action this year, and this past weekend was no exception.

Ironman triathlete/RD Kat Donatello has proven that you don't have to have the numbers "70.3" attached to your venue in order to make it a smashing success. Let's be honest: Triathlon is very much an industry these days; the fact that I am a full time coach is a testament to that fact. Races are a huge part of the triathlon industry, and the WTC (Ironman) is fast becoming a monopoly of sorts. As both coach and athlete, I don't think that's necessarily a good thing, so I'm very happy to support homegrown, down to Earth events such as Pumpkinman.

At the end of the day, a race should be much more than a race - it should be an experience, and if you're anything like me, I don't find stressful experiences to be all that much fun. Pumpkinman is about as stress-less as it gets: An easy drive to and from the venue, a smaller/more manageable field (400+/- athletes on race day), a quiet course, great volunteer and spectator support and arguably THE BEST post race meal (full Thanksgiving dinner!) and awards (cash and great prizes) in the entire NE region.

We owe it all to Kat's vision and her year round dedication to producing one of the best events in the country. Although it's a shame that more people don't know about this race, maybe that's a good thing! :)

Onto the action: I had athletes competing in the sprint (Saturday) and Half Iron (Sunday). For people like Keri Boyle (pictured below, gearing up for her first race as an elite!) a former mid packer turned elite level age group athlete, and John Babcock (another elite) the sprint race served as a tune up for Syracuse 70.3 1 week later. Both Keri and John went on to have great days; Keri took 3rd place in the elite race and John placed 4th in one of the most hotly contested sprint races in NE this year (I will note that all 3 guys that beat John were/are licensed pros!). Donna Furse, on the comeback from a foot injury, managed to win her AG while former body builder turned triathlete Kelli McDonough capped what's been an OUTSTANDING first season of triathlon by turning in yet another solid performance.

Although I was unable to make the race on Saturday, I couldn't be happier with the crew! The bar had been set for Sunday.

Michelle and I made the early morning hike up to S. Berwick, Maine and arrived just in time to watch the elite wave leave shore. Leading the way for team JRM was none-other than the up and coming Nate "Dawg" Buttrick - fresh off a 4:17/AG win at Timberman 3 weeks prior. I knew this day would be a good one for Nate Dawg. In only his 2nd year of triathlon (and what I consider to be his first real year of training!) he's emerged as one of the best long course triathletes in the region. The scary thing is that the kid isn't even close to his potential yet. Along with John Babcock and a couple of other young bucks I coach, Nate is one of those guys that I'll have to watch out for when I return to racing next year! I still have a few tricks up my sleeves though, so I'm confident I'll be able to keep these guys in line.

But I digress...

Nate (pictured below/on his way towards the finish), was joined by Craig Lewin, Greg Guarriello, Melissa Moeckel and Dr. Margot Robinson (aqua bike). All 5 athletes were capable of laying it down yesterday and all 5 athletes did just that. Melissa set a HUGE PR for the distance (2+ hours?!), Greg (seen running behind Nate in the pic below) overcame his work induced lack of training to chalk up a great result and Nate, Craig and Margot all landed on the podium.

For Nate, yesterday's race proved that Timberman was no fluke; his 4:10/2nd place overall finish clearly solidifies his standing as one of the best long course athletes in New England.

Margot powered her way to 2nd place overall in the aqua bike division and showed that she's in good form and ready for her final 2 Ironman length AB races this Fall.

As for Craig, despite being on the comeback trail after 2 years of no racing thanks to a broken knee (hit by a car), yesterday's race was another big step in the right direction. He managed to pick up the M25 - 29 AG win in the process. Craig is still a ways off of top form, but it's coming back and we're getting close to being back to where we left off pre-accident.

I'm still awaiting word from Danielle and Maris out at IMWI but I watched the 2 best friends cross the finish line together last night on Ironman Live. Pretty cool! I'm anxious to hear what they have to say about their respective races.

That's it for now. Next race: Syracuse 70.3! I'll be tracking the action from afar this time around though.

New Website Goes Live!

2010-09-10T11:06:00.004-04:00

JRMTRAINING.COM

Optimal Mindset

2010-09-05T12:57:00.002-04:00

I came across this video the other day and just had to forward it along to a couple my athletes who'll be hitting IMWI next weekend.

Although jumping your rally car 171 feet is pretty much the polar opposite of racing an Ironman, 70.3, marathon or any other form of endurance event for that matter, there is one very powerful parallel to examine here, and that's the driver's state of mind when approaching the performance. Very Zen/Eastern Philosophy-esque if you were to ask me.

It's amazing what can be accomplished when you don't dwell on all the things that could go wrong and instead focus your attention on nothing else but the task at hand and its execution.

:25 - :45 of the video sums it all up.

Form Fit

2010-09-02T10:21:00.001-04:00

In my prior training tip, “When to Say When” I talked about the importance of listening to your body when trying to determine when it’s time to push hard during training or to back off and recover. SO many variables can and will affect your body’s state of readiness/fatigue as you progress with your training plan. Although there is nothing wrong with pushing your body to its limits during training, doing so when you’re too tired, sick or injured is a surefire way to compromise your best laid training plans and to actually set yourself back fitness wise!

Never forget: Fitness is relative. Just because you’ve logged hundreds of miles and pushed yourself through an endless succession of intense training sessions does not mean that you’ll necessarily be ready to perform up to your potential on race day. Case in point: All things being equal, the athlete who can run a 5k at sub 5 min/mile pace would be considered “fitter” than the athlete who can only hold 6 min/mile pace for the distance.

Most, if not all, of my worst athletic performances have occurred when I’ve raced during a state of training and/or stress induced fatigue. This is the number one reason that the vast majority of coaches will agree that an athlete’s best performances will typically occur during the taper (reduced stress load) phase of training, not while in the midst of major training build ups/blocks. As I’ve said time and time again, rest and recovery is 50% of the training equation and this fact must be respected at all times!

There is another factor that we must address when determining appropriate training load though, and that is the relationship between fatigue and form/biomechanical efficiency.

Without going into great detail on the subject, let’s take a look at the notion of running “economy” or “efficiency.” Simply put, the greater your running economy, the less oxygen you require to run at a given speed or pace. Generally speaking, the athlete who requires less oxygen to run at a specific pace for extended periods of time is typically the faster athlete; especially in endurance events such as the marathon where running economy plays a large role in performance potential.

There are many variables that affect a runner’s economy, some of the most prominent being training volume, training frequency and training intensity. However… like any machine, the amount of fuel (or in the case of our bodies, oxygen) consumed in order for work to occur is also, in large part, determined by the biomechanical efficiency of the machine.

The same can be said for our bodies. I’ve already noted some of the biomechanical issues that affect a runner’s performance in many of my prior training tips and vlog posts. We can now clearly define what constitutes sound biomechanics, but even the most biomechanically efficient runner is prone to fatigue once training stress reaches the point of overload.

Biomechanical efficiency is something that has to be practiced. Those of us who learned how to throw a baseball correctly typically received instruction as to how to do so. Our coaches, parents or physical education teachers typically walked us through each step of the movement pattern and then we practiced it over, and over, and over again until the movement pattern became “automated.”

Proper running mechanics are no different; they are something that can be improved upon, or worsened, via your training practices. In my next training post, we’ll take a closer look at the subject of neuromuscular efficiency and talk a little more about the relationship between fatigue and biomechanics. Stay tuned!

2010-08-31T10:29:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Steve Wright for winning the West Kennebunk Sprint Triathlon on Sunday and taking the 2010 Northeast Junior Development Series title in the process!

Day 2

2010-08-22T18:47:00.004-04:00

Just getting home from Timberman 70.3...

Day 2 was a success!

The short of it:

Nate Buttrick paved the way with a 4:17 which allowed him to take home the win in the M30 - 34 age group category and place 17th overall including the pros! Nate was the 6th AGer to cross the line in today's race. And how about the 21 min. PR he set! That's what I'd call a GOOD day!
Joel Myers finally hit it out of the park and went 4:21! This was the BEST long course result of Joel's career so far. His time was good for 4th overall in the M35 - 39 age group category and 26th overall (including pros).
Spencer Tweed was the next man in, securing a respectable 4:34 and 4th place overall finish in the M20 - 24 year old age group category. Now that "Spence" is free from the slave labor he called a day job and can train properly, I'm confident that things will only get a lot better for this hard charging young man!
Craig Lewin finished just one spot behind Spencer and also recorded a 4:34. This is a big rebuilding year for Craig thanks to the broken knee he sustained while training for Clearwater back in '08. It's been a slow road to recovery for Craig, but his baseline form is clearly back and his results continue to improve. Another month or so and he'll be right back to par.
"Working Man" Greg Guariello had a solid day at 4:55. Not bad for a guy who's more or less been living at his office for the past couple of months.
Keri Boyle suffered a bike crash around mile 15 of the ride but was okay. Too bad her bike is not! But tweaked handlebars and shifters be damned... she still climbed back aboard her maimed steed and was able to salvage her race. About 10 min. off our goal time, but still very respectable @ 5:21. I have to give Keri credit for not packing it in. She was primed to go top 5 in her AG today but the crash knocked her out of contention. I won't argue with a 7th overall finish in the W35 - 39 AG or the tenacity that she displayed today though.

So that's a wrap on this year's Mt.Washington Road Race/Timberman 70.3 weekend. Perhaps next year I won't have to sit on the sidelines! Watching everyone tear it up has been a lot of fun but I'm starting to get a bit envious!

Timberman Results

Day 1

2010-08-21T14:54:00.002-04:00

Day 1 of the big weekend is in the books and good news abounds!

Assistant tri coach Dave Smith, now recovered from the broken collarbone and separated shoulder that put a MAJOR damper on his early summer campaign (and chances for 2010 Hawaii qualification) returned to racing out in Michigan and chalked up a victory in a local Olympic distance race. Nice way to get the second half of the season underway!
U-19 athlete Steve Wright continues to roll! Fresh off a set of HUGE PR performances at Jr. Nationals last weekend, Steve rolled into Timberman sprint today and nearly pulled off the overall victory by riding away from the field and then laying down a PR run that saw him hold onto 1st place overall until just 1/4 mile to go in the race! Results HERE. I think that it's safe to say that Steve has now firmly established himself as the top Jr. in all of New England and that he will be a force to be reckoned with on the elite regional, and before long, elite national stage as well. Good things to come...
A little further north, we had PRs across the board at the Mt. Washington Hill Climb as Thom, Freddy and Dan all executed their game plans flawlessly and set PRs in the process!

Day 1 in the books. Michelle and I leave for Gilford, NH DARK and early tomorrow morning to catch the 70.3. With a little luck, the rest of the crew will throw down and I'll have some more good news to report.

En Fuego

2010-08-16T11:11:00.003-04:00

John Babcock wins AGAIN. It was a very tight race with AG super star Chris Thomas, but this time, John managed to come out on top.

Park City Mossman Tri Results

This has definitely been a huge breakout year for John and the good news is that the kid still has PLENTY of room for improvement. I'm looking forward to watching him develop over the course of the next 3 - 5 years as I expect BIG things.

Wright ON!

2010-08-14T20:42:00.005-04:00

Congrats to Steve Wright who had the race of his life out at the U19 National Championship in San Diego today!

A HUGE PR swim followed by a dominating bike split allowed him to move through the field (draft legal mind you!) and exit T2 in 3rd place.

Steve certainly turned some heads today and ended up placing 15th overall by the time the dust had settled. He was also the first finisher from the North East Region in the Men's race.

Just wait until he pulls that run around :)

USAT Elite Jr. Nationals Results

GFT Video Teaser!!!

2010-08-12T11:45:00.000-04:00

2010 Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon Race Recap

2010-08-11T15:23:00.003-04:00

I’ve been training for and competing in triathlons since 1995. Ever since catching the tri “bug” at age 19, it’s been my dream to host a triathlon of our own here in my home town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. That dream came to fruition last year and once again this past Sunday, as my city and I celebrated the 2^nd annual Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon. It was a ton of hard work to pull the race off, but we did it, and enjoyed a spectacular turn out and some tremendous performances by the best pro/elite field to grace the New England sprint triathlon scene this year.

Helping to create and direct a triathlon is one of the most challenging endeavors I have ever faced. Logistically, you must cover all the bases and think of ways to avert all the things that could go wrong before over 800 athletes swim, bike and run throughout the streets of a fairly busy city such as Gloucester. Being a long time athlete myself, my first and foremost concern for the event revolves around safely as the thought of a fellow athlete being injured on our course is something that makes me lose sleep at night. The myriad of emotions that you face leading up to, and following race day leaves you nothing short of exhausted. I often wondered why race directors complained of being sick post race, and now I know (I’m currently dealing with a nasty cold!).

The GFT serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit group I belong to: The Gloucester Fisherman Athletic Association. The GFAA consists of a group of volunteers who pool their collective resources to create events and fund raising drives that raise much needed funds here in Gloucester. These funds are used to offset the athletic “user fees” that our school system must impose upon its student-athletes due to budgetary cuts. The funds are also used to maintain and enhance the athletic fields & facilities that our student-athletes play and compete upon. As a proud graduate of Gloucester High School and someone who benefited tremendously from my experiences as an athlete, I feel that it my obligation to help out the next generation of GHS athletes and saw the creation of the Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon as a chance to do just that.

It was once again a dream come true as I watched hundreds of athletes pour into Gloucester last weekend. Many of them showed up on Saturday to pre-register for the race, and I had the opportunity to lead a training clinic for many of the first timers in attendance who would soon embark on their first triathlon the next morning! I must admit that, due to the combination of fatigue and stress that I had to endure for the weeks leading into this race, I was nearly overtaken with emotion when I first greeted the group and began my talk. Although it may sound a bit corny, I felt incredibly proud of the fact that these people would soon call the GFT their FIRST EVER triathlon. I was also very grateful for their participation as they were directly helping the GFAA in their fund raising efforts by competing in the race.

Michelle and I were up bright (it was actually pitch black at 4:30 a.m.) and early Sunday morning and on the go all day; helping out on the course, running supplies around, directing athletes as they headed out and in on the bike, handing out awards… if you think that competing in a triathlon is hard, try organizing one!

We had some legendary names on hand and the Women’s race was won by none other than the 1995 Hawaii Ironman World Champion, Karen Smyers. Seeing Karen rip through the streets of downtown Gloucester was almost too good to be true. What made it even better was that she was joined by so many other great athletes like former U23 national champ Ethan Brown and about 100 of my friends and acquaintances from around town.

Check out the Gloucester Daily Times’ online edition for a story on the race and all of the great photography and video content that the good people at Good Morning Gloucester provided as well.

Well, that’s a wrap for the 2010 rendition of this year’s GFT. I’m looking forward to next year already!

Janda

What a Weekend

2010-08-09T14:17:00.006-04:00

The Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon has come and gone. More to come ASAP (playing catch up with work today) but check out the awesome coverage that Joey and the rest of the crew at Good Morning Gloucester provided for the 2010 rendition of this year's race!!! Gloucester at it's best!

Time for a quick shout out to the crew:

John Babcock continues to roll. Not only did he win, again, but he shattered Jordan Rapp's course record in the process (by a good 2+ min.) at the Niantic Bay Triathlon

I'll be sure to avoid the races that John enters when I return to racing in 2011 :)

Roll Call at the GFT:

Hands down the most competitive sprint event in the North East region so far this year. I'll let the results/splits speak for them selves

Ladies first:

BIG props to Kerri Boyle! Former mid packer turned elite age grouper. Keri finished as second OVERALL age grouper! She's one year away from being ready for the elite wave and I can't wait to see the day when she joins that group.
Maris DiTolla: Currently training for IMWI. Tired legs be damned... she still laid down a nasty bike split and finished 2nd overall in her AG, just outside of top 3 OA amateur status.
Kat Donatello: Who just last week won the Lowell Olympic distance tri. Today she took 2nd in her AG. Kat's just one month removed from IM Austria yet she's still setting PRs on the short course front.
Kelli "don't call me a body-builder-anymore!" McDonough: Here's an athlete who goes from pro body builder to top AG athlete in 7 months. That's not supposed to happen! Kelli had another PR day and the aerobic engine just keeps getting bigger and bigger!!!
Melissa Moeckel: Training for a 70.3 but still holding her own despite the training related fatigue.

Boys will be Boys:

Props to the comeback kid Craig Lewin who is on the road to recovery after breaking his knee nearly 2 years ago. Craig shared the podium with fellow JRM athlete Jeff Donatello as they took the 2nd and 3rd overall amateur titles. Like Kat, Jeff is just one month removed from IM Austria as well. Looks like the legs are starting to come back around again!
Nate Buttrick and Spencer Tweed: I recommended that they jump into the Pro/Elite field for experience sake and they both held their own. This was nothing more than a tune up race for Timberman 70.3 in weeks time, but they still managed to place 9th and 18th overall respectively. Not too shabby!
Greg "G-Unit" Guarriello: Not quite the day either of us were hoping for, but sometimes, work comes first and Greg has had A LOT of it as of late. (A LOT of) Lost training time + racing don't mix oh so well, but Greg still managed to hold his own and hang in there on a tough day.
A quick shout out to my brother who competed as part of a relay team. No TT bike, basic aero wheels and the fastest bike split of the day. Granted... no swim or run to contend with, but I think that it's safe to say that the kid has talent, and A LOT of it. If you know anything about some of the guys (and girls!) that were in the race on Sunday, you know that out-splitting them, any way you cut it, on the bike is an impressive feat.

Pics and video to come. I'm exhausted from the effort that went into the race but it's a great event and one that is worthy of the sacrifice. I'll do my part to make it bigger and better in 2011 and beyond.

Double Whammy

2010-08-03T21:25:00.005-04:00

It's always fun when the athletes you work with do well... especially when they take home top honors in the same race!

I'm very excited about the fact that both Matt Gentile and Kat Donatello took home the victories at this past weekend's Lowell Olympic Distance race.

Matt had a HUGE breakthrough performance and blew the race wide open on the bike. He bested the field by a large margin here (with 2nd fasted bike split going to fellow JRM athlete, and Kat's husband, Jeff Donatello) and went on to lay down a solid run. This is the performance that I've been waiting for Matt to drop for some time now as he has worked very hard this Spring/Summer and it looks like the hard work is paying off!

Kat, coming off of IM Austria just 1 month ago, took home her 2nd ever overall victory by recording a very well balanced and well executed race. Under instruction to "race aggressively" she went for it from the get-go and took the race by 4 seconds as a result.

Results for the race can be found here.

A great day for sure!

Hopefully more to come this weekend; it's Gloucester Triathlon Race Week!!!

ARMS!

2010-07-22T08:44:00.000-04:00

Mass State Tri

2010-07-18T20:53:00.004-04:00

Looks like we placed 4 in the top 10 OA at the Mass State Tri today with John Babcock taking 1st, Craig (on his way back from injury!) taking 5th, Jr. racer Steve Wright taking 6th, and Spencer taking 9th.

Scott Green placed 2nd overall in the sprint race to wrap up what turned out to be a great day.

Nice way to end the work week :)

Mass State Tri Results

AOL Interview

2010-06-25T15:49:00.001-04:00

Check out the little interview I did with AOL recently:

From Runner to Triathlete - That's Fit

Gait Analysis & Comparison.wmv

2010-06-24T22:46:00.000-04:00

More Core!

2010-06-09T11:31:00.001-04:00

Wet, Wild Weekend

2010-06-07T07:51:00.002-04:00

This past weekend was a busy one for "Team JRM." We had athletes racing all over the East Coast and chalked up a slew of great results.

Two of the big events of the weekend were the Rev3 and Mooseman 70.3 triathlon festivals. I had the pleasure of attending the second event, and spending about 6 hours standing in the pouring rain watching the action with Michelle, as usual, right by my side.

I truly love watching athletes perform so it was a great thrill to see my crew in action and to watch the pro race unfold. Let's just say that I was inspired by watching the race from the sidelines and am already plotting my course of action for the 2011 season.

But that's neither here nor there at the moment as last time I checked, I have hairy legs and haven't touched a bike or gone swimming in about 2 months!

The crew has been doing plenty of both (plus a lot of running of course!) so this weekend was nothing less than a proving ground for the work that they've all been laying down this Winter and Spring.

On Saturday, the Donatellos, who are putting the finishing touches on their IM Austria training, jumped in to the Rev3 Olympic tri as a little tune up for the big day that's now less than 4 weeks out! Despite the huge training block they just laid down, both did VERY well, with Jeff taking 3rd overall and Kat placing high in her AG. I can't wait to watch them compete on the 4th of July! Michelle and I are taking our belated honeymoon on 7/1 and will be incorporating IM Austria into the trip. I could really use a vacation so this will be a lot of fun.

Up in NH, the Mooseman Olympic was unfortunately canceled due to thunder and lightening, so a few of my athletes lost a great opportunity to open the engine up and put their new found fitness to good use. Those who stayed around partook in an abbreviated version of the race: A 17 mile TT followed by a 10k run. Disappointing, but that's how it goes sometimes.

On Sunday, John Babcock kicked things off down in Mystic CT, winning the Mystic Tri by a comfortable margin and smashing the course record in the process. John certainly is getting strong. I probably should have slated him to race at Rev3, but we're focusing upon speed & aerobic power development this Spring/early summer, so all good.

Scott Green had a great race out in Ludlow and came home as 4th male OA. Scott's been working very hard on his running and all of that hard work is most certainly paying off.

Although I didn't have anyone racing the full Rev3 course on Sunday, Margot Robinson, who competes in the Aqua-bike divisions, took to the hills and chalked up an incredible ride. It was hands down her best performance to date and I was very pleased with the power file that I had the privilege to review this morning. We're employing a new weekly training split with her cycling load and let's just say that less is more!

At Mooseman 70.3, I had 4 athletes racing and all of them had solid performances, chalking up PR splits and overall times in the process. I'm VERY excited about the rise of Keri Boyle -In just 6 months, she's gone from a no-training-busy-mom to top AG competitor. I had the pleasure of watching Keri tear through that run course yesterday and she's got the "it" factor that is so often overlooked/undervalued in this sport: That ability to push and push HARD from start to finish. In this day and age of power meters, Garmin GPS units, HRMs, super-tricked-out aero bikes, etc. I often times think that people forget what racing fundamentally boils down to: Going out there and pushing yourself to your mental and physical limits from the time the gun sounds to the time your foot strikes the finish line. Racing is supposed to hurt. Racing, when executed correctly, is not something that I would consider fun (unless you get off on pain and suffering). The fun lies in pushing yourself to your limits, beating back that little voice inside your head that says "I can't!" in the days leading up to the event and during the darkest moments of the event, and fully executing your game plan. Walking away knowing that you gave it all that you had - that's true satisfaction. The frivolous stuff (where you placed, medals, who you beat, etc.) is all secondary to the good fight. I respect people like Keri and any number of the athletes (some of them back of the packers) I watched out there who never quit/never backed down, A LOT more than many of the pros I watched who who packed things in when the going got tough and just mailed their performance in or quit.

Still waiting to hear how things went down South for Joel during his little tune up event for Eagleman next week, but I'm really bummed out about Dave's (my assistant tri coach) bike crash during the race and the broken collarbone that he suffered as a result. We've been working hard as hell all Spring, specifically for Eagleman and a shot at a top AG finish/Kona slot, so this was a huge blow. But... it happens. Dave is young and has a long career in front of him. There will be plenty of races in his future and he's one tough bastard so I know that he will bounce back.

Latest Vlog Post

2010-06-02T21:54:00.001-04:00

High Knee Drill

2010-05-26T17:43:00.001-04:00

Preliminary Results Are In

2010-05-23T15:22:00.003-04:00

It's looking like 1st, 3rd and 15th overall at the Shamrock Duathlon down in CT today with John Babcock setting a new CR?

And...

1st (Keri), 2nd (Donna) and 3rd (Bob) overall up at the Blackbear Du in NH with Keri setting a new CR?

Not too shabby (especially for Donna and Bob with their tired IM legs!!!)

Shamrock results

Weekly Vlog Post

2010-05-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

Free Speed

2010-05-18T11:41:00.003-04:00

The run project continues to net notable results! I met a major objective today by stepping out the door and averaging 6:00/mile pace on one of my standard training loops: An undulating 6.28 mile course that takes me out through Annisquam and back . 37:44 without having to push. Even better: This is only week 5 of the training progression so I'm just getting the ball rolling again (and still toting plenty of extra "chub-chub" around the midsection!) after having not run, or done much else for that matter, for about 6 months.

No knee or SI joint pain to speak of. After 2+ years dealing with that BS EVERY time I headed out to train or race, you could say that it's a major relief. I must have seen about 8 - 10 PTs, MTs, MDs etc. and nothing worked.

Three or four months ago I was ready to hang it all up and never run again. Now I get up and am excited to hit the roads every day!

Although I have no plans to race in 2010, this little side project has been a ton of fun. I'm now cruising at 70.3 race pace in easy training runs and feel better than ever. It's exciting to think about just how much faster I will run on race day if the motivation returns to cut back on work and refocus on racing. Overhauling my run mechanics has made an incredible improvement in my running economy. I used to kill myself to hold 5:45 - 5:55/mile pace in 70.3 events, but that pace is starting to feel like a comfortable steady state effort these days. It'll be exciting to see where things stand a year from now, especially if I decide to hit the circuit again.

Run Analysis

2010-05-12T08:43:00.000-04:00

New Amierican 10k Record

2010-05-02T09:24:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Dave Smith for passing this along!!!

Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon Overview

2010-04-16T21:01:00.001-04:00

Latest Landice Podcast

2010-03-31T08:06:00.000-04:00

Gloucester Fisherman Tri

2010-03-16T11:57:00.001-04:00

First Result of The Tri Season...

2010-03-07T20:50:00.002-05:00

... is in!

Nice job Quinn! Way to kick '10 off!

Desert Triathlon Results

Made My Day

2010-03-05T11:11:00.002-05:00

The Virginia Beach crew tested out this morning.

Three riders, 1 VO2max power test.

7.5 - 11% increase in power (over last test) for all 3 riders, with one coming in @ 6.32 watts/kg for the testing segment.

Incredible.

Having the privilege to work with athletes of this caliber is a true gift.

A.M. Power Test at ClubXcel

2010-01-12T13:15:00.002-05:00

Power Test at ClubXcel (p.m. session)

2010-01-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

January 5th Trainer Class

2010-01-05T10:44:00.003-05:00

Podcast Attempt #1

2009-12-30T21:14:00.001-05:00

Full Circle

2009-12-19T19:50:00.004-05:00

I feel like a kid again.

I stumbled into the world of triathlon back in 1995 thanks to my love for bike riding, which incidentally came about thanks to a short hiatus in my running "career" (I started running back at the age of 8 or 9). My first real steed was a Trek 950, purchased at Seaside Cycle in Manchester, MA. back in the early winter of 1994. Although I possessed little experience when it came to life on 2 wheels, that didn't stop me from getting hooked on MTB, and shortly thereafter, XC racing. One thing led to the next and before I knew it my bike "collection" had expanded to include my beloved MTB and a left over Specialized Allez road bike (steel). A pair of clip on aero bars followed suit and the rest is history; MTB faded away as I took to the roads and pursued life as a triathlete.

Well, 15 years later and just when I thought the novelty of the multisport "lifestyle" had come to an end, I can emphatically state that I feel like I'm 19 years old all over again (as my friend Julie will attest!). I'm having the time of my life blazing the trails on my Gary Fisher Paragon 29er. Be it a solo night ride with my trusty lighting system or a 2 - 3 hour day light ride with my buddy Eric, I just can't get enough saddle time. I can't remember the last time I actually looked forward to riding my bike in 15 - 20 degree weather, but things have changed ever since purchasing the new bike from Seaside this past Spring.

"Training" as of late has been a real blast and I feel like I've been reconnected with the excitement that got me into multisport to begin with. I'm still plotting my course for next year's event calendar, but I'm certain that it's going to include some off road racing as well as my work on the road. There are a few marathon and ultra MTB events that I'm really looking forward to hitting up next Summer. Although it may be a bit of a deviation from the norm to insert them into the mix, I think that the mental stimulation that will accompany training for and competing in them will help me to stay connected with the "fun factor" that's so easy to lose touch with when you get a little too focused with your training for too long.

In the mean time... check out the video below from the Gary Fisher website as he talks about the 29er design. Having spent a lot of time on 26 inch MTB wheels back in the day, I know full well just how much more effective the big wheels are when handing the rugged NE trails. I'm currently on a hard tail, but with a little luck, I'll be able to pick up a Superfly 100 before I start in with the long 5+ hour rides and ultra MTB events this coming Spring and Summer.

I better start saving my pennies :)

In the mean time, looks like we're going to get slammed with a snow storm tonight, so it'll be back to the treadmill and some hard FT work tomorrow. I hope that the trails don't stay too snowy for long though!

The Struggle

2009-12-16T09:29:00.003-05:00

Although "the struggle" to succeed is pretty much behind me now (I've got to admit that I'm pretty damn happy with with the way things stand these days and am more or less fully content across all fronts) I know full well that it's the process of rolling the dice, taking the path less traveled and chasing your dreams that can make life seem both incredibly hard yet incredibly rewarding at the same time. For some, it's the struggle that becomes the addiction... the ultimate high. Aspiring writers, artists, musicians, athletes, coaches, etc. ... they all can relate.

I came across this little gem on Youtube. Cool track by the artist Shing02 that more or less sums up the myriad of emotions that those who aim high and aspire to achieve greatness must deal with on a daily basis.

The Landice L8 Executive Trainer...

2009-12-09T18:18:00.004-05:00

..has arrived and I have already started putting this bad boy to good use! Stay tuned to www.landiceblog.com as I document my treadmill based training this winter and provide training tips to beginners and seasoned vets alike.

Grinding It Out

2009-11-28T09:38:00.003-05:00

Inspiring... Check out this awesome article/video from the NY Times about Wiens before watching the video below. Goes to show that you can lead a "normal" life while competing at a high level.

New Affiliation

2009-11-18T20:05:00.006-05:00

www.landiceblog.com

70.3 World Championship

2009-11-17T11:28:00.003-05:00

Another season has just about come to a close (Susanne Navas: You're my last athlete standing in '09 and IM Cozumel is calling!). Michelle and I headed down to Clearwater late last week to support 8 of my athletes who were all competing at the 70.3 World Championship. Once the dust settled, we had a slew of big PRs. Everyone PR'd for that matter and we even secured a podium finish thanks to Crystal Anthony's efforts; 20th woman (including pros)/8th amateur overall. Not too shabby. Crystal had the fastest bike/run combo of all amateurs and one of the fastest of the day compared to the pros too. Nothing new here, as it was the same case when she went top 10 overall/1st overall amateur at Lake Stevens 70.3 this past August.

Michelle posted a nice little weekend recap if you'd like to read more, but it was a great day all around and I had a great time meeting up with everyone. We snapped some nice group pics that I'll post once they're forwarded my way, but in the meantime, here's a nice shot of Crystal and I at the awards ceremony.
As for me, slowly but surely I'm getting back into shape. The gradual increase in training volume and frequency is helping me to shed the 13 pounds I gained during my 5 weeks "off" after Pumpkinman. I'm 34 at the end of this month, so it's time to get r' done next season and step up to the Ironman distance. I'll be working hard this winter, so that extra "chub-chub" around the mid section will provide some much needed insulation when I'm grinding out my long runs and rides in the midst of the oh-so-fun New England winter!

What does a 1:09 Ironman PR look like???

2009-11-11T19:52:00.006-05:00

Perfect Pacing + Perfect Nutrition & Hydration = Perfect Performance (with a 7 minute OPEN marathon PR in the process!!!)

Nice work Dawn!

Shout out to Dawn's husband Greg for finishing despite losing nearly 2 hours on the bike (double flat) and to Maris DiTolla - sliced tire at mile 4 of the bike and no way to keep the tube/tire inflated as a result. Neutral support was long gone so she had to walk back to T1 only to be told that her day was done as there was nothing anyone could do to help her.

There will be more Ironman events in your future Maris.

Next Stop: Clearwater Florida. I have 8 athletes racing this weekend. I'm looking forward to getting out of NE for a few days.

2009-11-11T19:40:00.002-05:00

How We Roll

2009-11-04T07:21:00.005-05:00

One key to long course success is learning how to put your inhibitions aside, roll the dice and simply "Go For It" on race day. For VA based triathlete Joel Myers, who is Clearwater bound and ready to ROLL, this was his idea of an "inhibition reduction session" as (publicly) demonstrated at the Wicked 10k in Virginia Beach last weekend

2010 Gloucester Triathlon

2009-10-30T10:13:00.002-04:00

Work is in progress on the new and improved Gloucester Triathlon. Race date for next year's event is Sunday, August 8th. Stay tuned for more info and our new website.

www.gloucestertriathlon.com

Back to the Basics

2009-10-28T08:54:00.006-04:00

We're 2.5 weeks out from the Ironman 70.3 World Championships now. I've got a small army of athletes that I'll be accompanying down to Clearwater and am very excited to watch them all compete. It'll be a great time in that I'll be meeting a bunch of these people face to face for the very first time, so the trip promises to be special for a variety of reasons.

Although it's always tough to sit on the sidelines, I can't wait to support my crew and watch them compete. It's a real thrill to see all of the hard work and planning you've laid down over the months come to fruition. I expect some great performances on race day, so stay tuned for post race recaps.

On the personal front, my life is finally starting to settle down and return to normal. 2009 was a very tough year for me given all that Michelle and I faced. No complaints on my end though, as it was nothing but "good" challenges that we had to face along the way:

Fixing up our new house

Helping to launch the VERY successful "Gloucester Tri"

Getting married!

I managed to squeeze some half-way decent training into the mix this year and a couple of noteworthy results, but my focus just wasn't where it needed to be given all the distractions/outside commitments that had to be dealt with between February and October.

Thankfully, the end is now in sight and slowly but surely, I'm building back and getting back in touch with the training focus that allowed me to attain a good deal of athletic success from 2006 - 2008.

I have no regrets about the 2009 season and actually learned a lot about myself along the way. I'm not one of the most talented athletes out there, so in order to hold my own on the pro circuit, I need what amounts to a year-round laser focus when it comes to training and race prep. As someone who's juggling a pretty successful one-man coaching operation, I've come to realize that over-committing myself is something that's easy to do, so I have to plan ahead and be sure to set aside enough "me" time so that I can chalk up the necessary training and recovery time to compete at my best. Lastly, I've learned that in order to operate at full capacity and remain happy, I have to avoid/cut ties with people, and in some cases, athletes, that either require too much "maintenance" or simply bring too much baggage and/or negativity to the table. Although this may sound cold, at the end of the day, the reality of coaching is that it's not a "job" that you never walk away from. Unlike other jobs I've worked in the past, there is no punching out at the end of the day and your "work" stays with you 24/7. Given the fact that I love my job, I have no problem with this, but the only way that I can keep my life in balance and move forward on all fronts is by maintaining healthy relationships with everyone I (closely) interact with on a daily basis and avoiding everyone and anyone who stands to get in the way.

So now that my "house" is nearly in order, it's time to start focusing on the 2010 season. I'm prepping my body for the Ironman focus that lies ahead. At this stage of the game, if I'm going to race on the pro circuit, I am going to focus on the races and distances that will allow me the greatest chance for success. 70.3 has become so competitive these days that losing even 1 minute in the water puts you nearly out of contention for a top 3 overall finish. And now that more and more ITU/Olympic distance specialists are flooding the 70.3 circuit, podium spots are harder to come by. If it's one thing I've found over the years, the longer the race goes, the better I do, so it's time to extend out and see what I'm capable of on the IM circuit.

Wedding Day

2009-10-21T11:56:00.004-04:00

Without a doubt, the best day of my life...

Results Keep Rolling In

2009-09-20T21:06:00.005-04:00

Looks like we had another GREAT day...

Still awaiting official results, but initial reports indicate that Allegra Parisi took the overall amateur title and placed well within the top 10 overall (including pros) at Cancun 70.3

This race is run under brutal conditions, and I hear that temps reached 100+ degrees with HIGH humidity.

If Allegra did in fact take the "W" this would be the 2nd overall amateur 70.3 victory turned in by one of my women so far this year. Couple that fact with the flurry of podium and overall victories that the ladies have been turning in this year, and I think it's safe to say that the "girls" have been showing the guys HOW IT'S DONE in '09! I can't wait for the official results.

In CT, Evan Barry finished 2nd overall at the "hillacious" Nutmeg Half Ironman! This was a great result for Evan and I couldn't be happier with the way he raced (rolling the dice and going for the win vs. playing things conservatively).

Down in VA, Dave Smith and Joel Myers tore it up, going 1st and 4th overall/respectively in a pretty competitive short course event. Dave's power was just through the roof today and he was solid on all 3 fronts. Thing are looking very, very good as we gear up for Clearwater.

Speaking of which, Michelle and I booked our tickets today. We'll have a small army racing in Clearwater Beach this year and I expect GREAT things! I'm really looking forward to supporting everyone and watching the action unfold.

Update on Allegra as soon as results are posted.

9/21 Update: Official Cancun 70.3 results are in and looks like Allegra was actually 2nd overall amateur (a woman in the AG above her beat her out, time wise, by 2 min!) and 8th woman overall including pros. Not too shabby!

PMan

2009-09-13T21:32:00.004-04:00

I'm feeling too lazy to post anything about my race today, so check out Michelle's blog if you'd like the story (and some pics!)

I had a good day, but what I'm super pumped about was the day that a bunch of my athletes had, both at Pumpkinman and across the country!

For starters... Crystal won (again) and is quickly emerging as a tremendous force to be reckoned with here in New England. She LAID IT DOWN on the bike, putting 8 - 10 minutes into her main competition on that leg. Since it was an out and back run course, I had a front row seat to the "C-Rock" show and she most certainly rocked the house.

Dawn and Greg Guarriello had great days, with Dawn taking home a new PR for the Half distance and Greg following suit. One of my newest athletes, Maris DiTolla also landed herself a nice 20 min. PR so that was pretty cool too! I can't wait to see how all three of these athletes do at IMFL in about 2 months time!

Franco Zuccoli took home an AG win at the Pman sprint on Saturday. This was Franco's 2nd AG win this season. Not bad for a former MMA fighter!

Out in New York, Dereck Treadwell placed 2nd overall in the "Toughman" 1/2 IM (and tells me that it was the HARDEST course he's ever taken on).

Dave Smith took 3rd overall in an Olympic distance event down in VA. He's certainly on track for a great performance in Clearwater.

Allegra Parisi was second overall at a sprint tri (tune up for Cancun 70.3 in 1 week's time!!!) in Miami on Saturday.

And last but not least, Quinn Borchard and Scott Hersey had solid races out in CA. Both of these fellas threw up some solid numbers and will be ready to roll at Clearwater as well.

A big "hats off" to RD Kat Donatello for the OUTSTANDING job she did with this year's Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival. If you haven't raced at Pumpkinman, yet, you have MISSED OUT. Full on Thanksgiving Dinner post race? Awesome course? Incredibly helpful volunteers? What more could you ask for? Nice work Kat!

Mayflower Triathlon

2009-09-05T16:03:00.004-04:00

Sometimes, things just don't go your way. This was one of those days... Got lost 3 times on the course while leading the race, the 3rd time being strike #3 (DNF/Walk back to transition after running 1/2 mile in the wrong direction). Usually helps when the RD at least has arrows out there on the run course, but volunteers who know which way to send you always helps as well.

Oh well...

In the end, it's not life and death, so I'll do my best to put today aside and move on. I read an article about a Marine Unit fighting in Afghanistan yesterday that puts days like today into complete perspective. This one is definitely worth a read and will remind you about what some people face on a daily basis and, what they give up. We complain about a bad workout or race while 21 year olds are losing their lives out in some dusty, lonely corner of the Earth.

In happier news, Crystal won!!! I'm very happy for her. Great to watch her continue to improve...

Cape Ann Tri Club

2009-09-04T12:04:00.001-04:00

Thanks to the efforts of Gloucester based triathletes Peter Justice, Joe Borge and Lou Perry, Cape Ann now boasts its very own triathlon club!

The club is in the earliest stages of development, but great things are already happening here. We're looking forward to creating a first rate support network for multisport athletes of all ages and ability levels and hope that you'll join us in this endeavor.

More to come over the course of Fall '09/Winter '10, but stay tuned on the club's developments by checking in on the club website