Getting My Head Back In The Game

I'm not sure if it's the barrage of smack talk I've traded with a certain someone over the past month or so, or simply the fact that I'm finally well rested, healed up and feeling strong again, but the fire is definitely returning and I'm looking forward to getting back into the arena. All that EMO B.S. about not caring about competition has fallen by the way side as the season draws nearer and my knee continues to cooperate. Slowly but surely (I will admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the down time by the way) I have gradually shifted from a recreational approach to training towards a full on, high quality routine that's designed to do one thing: Get me ready to race.

Thinking back to where I was about 2 months ago, perspective wise, I'd like to go back and kick my own ass for being such pansy. But, as my smack talking counterpart did point out "being injured screws with your brain" so I guess that I shouldn't be too hard on myself.

Bottom line: I train and race because I like to push myself. I like to see what kind of watts I can produce and sustain. What kind of run I can lay down post bike. How deep I can dig when that little, weakling voice inside my head starts screaming "I want this to end!" Oh yes... and to see how much time I can make up on the super swimmers and world class/well rounded pros who kick my ass in the swim. I also train and race because I like to compete against, and beat, other like-minded athletes. Although I never like to lose, I also don't mind losing to the better man and will always be the first to shake his hand and congratulate him when the dust settles. In the end, I view competition as a healthy thing: Racing other people helps you to race to your full potential.

To me, that's fun, and the process of figuring out how to get my body into peak form so that I can race to the best of my abilities, against others, is what brings me back for more year in, year out.

After my long lay off, I must say that I'm pretty surprised by what I'm laying down at the moment in training. I was once again shocked by the avg./norm power I produced (275/290 respectively) during my latest venture outside: an intensive 40 miler. I just can't get over how easy it feels to hold what was my normal race day power output last year. I'm only riding 3 x per week right now and I'll tell you... every ride, hell, every pedal stroke feels GREAT!

Just started swimming again last week and thanks to all the suspension training I've been laying down this winter, I've been pleasantly surprised by me form in the water as well.

Running: Seems like no matter what I do, my run form is always within about 5% of peak, but I guess that 25 years of running will do that for you.

Anyhoo, that's that. I'm really excited about this next month of training and can't wait to up the ante as I go. I don't think that I'll enter my first race until llate June, but... if I start producing norm watts of 300+ for my 2.5 - 3 hour intensive rides this month, I just may have to toe the line at Rev3 and give my smack talking buddy a good fight!

(p.s. If you scroll down and take a look at the "Cohasset 2008" pic listed here on this blog, you can just make out a sliver of Mr. Smack Talk's head in the background. I forget if we exchanged words that day, but I do recall the fact that he was pretty bummed out that he couldn't race due to a nagging injury. Too bad, as I honestly think that he would have won the race that day...)

Momentum

Slowly but surely, I'm getting back to "that place" where multiple daily training sessions are once again becoming the norm. A couple of months ago, I felt like my days as a competitive triathlete were pretty much over. Funny how your perspective can change so dramatically in such a short period of time; I was flying high after Muskoka 70.3, down in the dumps and hopeless 6 weeks later (feeling like this knee would NEVER heal!) and back at it and looking forward to all that '09 holds in store shortly after New Years.

Knee felt good on today's intensive 9 mile run (executed over hilly terrain) and I'm excited to hit the bike and weight room this afternoon.

Seems like the knee issue was petellofemoral syndrome all along as it's responded VERY positively to the 2 simple exercises I've utilized to get the patella tracking correctly again: nothing more than squeezing a blow up med. ball between my knees (until the adductors are screaming!) and locking the leg out/contracting the quad to help develop the VMO. I wish that the doctors would have recommended this to me back in September, but oh well.

My competitive schedule might have to be pushed back by a month or 2 so that I can prepare correctly and bring the fitness up to par, but surprisingly, I'm pushing watts and paces on my easy days that are either on par or faster than what I was hitting in season. A lot of this has to do with the fact that all of my work is sub threshold right now though, so I credit fresh legs with what I'm seeing. I won't hide the fact that I'm also deriving a lot of "inspiration" from the daily reports, or should I say, taunting, that soon to be short course/TT specialist turned long course triathlete Dean "the machine" Phillips keeps sending my way. I wake up to email based updates that let me know "how easy it was to pump out 2 hours @ 300+ watts" or "how much faster I'm running than last year." I can't just sit there and take that kind of abuse of course, so I have no other option than to prepare to the best of my abilities. I'll have my hands full with this 185 lb.+ monster this season, as I expect to see him lay down some of the fastest bike splits on the 70.3 scene (i.e. I expect a sub 2:10 bike split out of him at Timberman) but... There's nothing better than a good fight, so onward I shall roll!

IM might have to wait until the end of '09 given another BIG personal development that has recently come about for Michelle and I; one that will require a lot of the time and energy I'd need to pump into the IM prep. This being said, it's looking like RI 70.3, Timberman 70.3, Muskoka 70.3 or Pumpkinman, Austin 70.3 and, perhaps, IMAZ to end the year. Throw the new Commonwealth tri series into the mix and Rev3 if I'm ready to roll by early June, and I've got myself a full season.

It's good to be back!

Game On

Training for '09 has officially begun. I was able to build back slowly to 40 miles of running per week over the course of November and December and have inserted suspension training into the mix as well.

I'll be taking more of a "strength" oriented approach with my training this winter as I build towards Ironman this summer. I'm not sure which one I'll hit yet, but I think it's easy to guess which one I'm tentatively targeting given it's proximity to Gloucester.

It's good to be back at it.

Nothing Left To Prove

Although 2008 didn't end quite the way I had hoped it would, the past few months certainly have provided me with a lot of time to think about things.

I'm rolling into 2009 busier than ever on the coaching front. I'm currently working with 32 athletes, many of whom are showing some real promise! I'm very excited to watch my crew in action this year and am expecting some great things. I never lose sight of how lucky I am to do what I do for a living and am at all times driven by my love for the work. I get up every day and do what I've always dreamt of doing. It doesn't get any better than that!

Personally, the forced down time I've taken thanks to the knee injury has allowed me some time to reflect on my own athletic undertakings. The bottom line: I can honestly say that I don't feel as though I have anything left to prove to myself or anyone else now. I think that I finally got that monkey off my back. For far too many years, I was motivated to train and race by a constant feeling of inadequacy. I was trying to make up for lost time and lost opportunities; a high school and collegiate running career that fell short, my first go around with triathlon back in the mid - late 90s - 2001. You name it. I wanted to prove that I could hold my own against the best. So... I set out back out in 2006 with one singular objective: To beat as many people as I could and to ascend the tri ranks as quickly as possible.

Fast forward to 2008: After 2 years of great AG results I turned pro and started racing head to head against the big boys. Although I took my fair share of lumps, I also more than held my own, routinely laying down some of the fastest run and/or bike splits on the 70.3 circuit every time out. Out running Galindez (split wise) at RI 70.3 and out biking guys like Alexander and Cunningham (once again, split wise) at Muskoka 70.3 left me, more than anything... satisfied. I don't care that I "only" came in 6th and 5th overall (respectively) in those races, I had finally proven to myself once and for all that I could at least hang. And for me... that's enough.

At this point in my life, I'm really not interested in flying all over the world to race. I love Gloucester and hate being away. I also hate flying, staying in crappy hotels, eating on the road, and wasting my money paying for all of these things!

In the end, life as a "pro" really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. As a matter of fact, there's no difference between racing pro and age-group. Outside of the occasional comped entry and homestay, you have to deal with the same travel related B.S., the same bad food, the same pre-race stress, etc. The only thing that changes is your position on the bike racks and the fact that you leave shore in the first wave every time out.

Well, at 33, I find that I'm more excited by the thought of having a nice home here in Gloucester; perhaps a place with a small on-site office/testing center and a free room that my athletes can crash in when they come to visit. I'm also interested in making time to pursue other interests that are in no way related to triathlon. Given the nature of my work, I spend almost every waking hour either talking about triathlon, writing about triathlon, or physically preparing to compete in triathlon. For most people, it's their hobby. As a full time coach, it's my job. Like any job, no matter how much you love it, if you don't make time for other things, you're on the fast track to burn out.

I was talking with one of my new athletes the other day, former Pro tennis player and rising tri star (watch out for this guy in '09, he is going to be GOOD) Quinn Borchard, who hails from CA. He was asking me about Ironman. Yes, I've hinted that I plan on hitting at least one Ironman in '09. But this year, I find that I'm motivated to compete for different reasons. When I started in with triathlon back in 1995, I was was motivated to do so because I craved the pure adventure of the sport. I didn't care about sponsorship, beating people, media exposure etc. I just wanted to ride my bike and run. And yes, some things never change: I only swam (and continue to do so!) because it was a necessary evil. Outside of distance swimming in the ocean, I'll NEVER like swimming. It's THE worst and mind numbingly boring. But I digress; I find that I've come full circle.

I'm looking forward to all that 2009 holds in store and a return to my roots. I'm going to pick a handful of the most challenging long course tris I can find (all preferably within driving distance of Gloucester!) next year and have at it, my only motivation being the simple challenge that I'll face by pushing myself on a bunch of rugged courses against good competition.

It's as simple as that.

Happy New Year!

On the Road Again

I'll make it quick...

I'm running again. Knock on wood but it's been 3 weeks of gradual build up and the knee is only getting better and better. Laid down a good 7 miler yesterday with NO pain and only minimal discomfort/tightness.

Looks like this may have been an IT band related issue all along, as I've been stretching the hell out of that bastard with a foam roller before every workout and doing so has made a big difference.

This is good.

Super busy with the Gloucester tri preparations/meetings but that's a good thing. We're really cooking with gas and I'm still in a semi-state of disbelief that we're actually going to have a big time sprint event in the heart of Gloucester in less than 9 months. That'll be a dream come true.

Lots of good stuff happening, but I'll save that post for after the holiday season.

Oh, and Max, if you're reading this: Believe it or not, but the "break" allowed me some time to think more about next year and I agree that it's time. Just have to figure out which race to hit.

Happy Holidays.

Gloucester Tri Headlines GDT

Gloucester to host major triathlon next summer

By: Richard Slate Staff Writer

With Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow and winter officially just around the corner, it may seem hard to think about next summer. But some local athletic organizers and city officials are. That's because Gloucester will host a major triathlon that's being viewed as a showcase for the city that has not held that type of outdoor race in the past.

The Gloucester Triathlon will take place Sunday, Aug. 9. The one-third of a mile swimming portion will take place at Pavilion Beach. A 15-mile bike ride will begin in St. Peter's Square and carry over Western, Essex and Magnolia avenues before returning to the city's center. Finally, a 3.2-mile run will loop twice around downtown Gloucester to cap the event.

"We had a very productive meeting with Mayor Kirk last week," said Gloucester native and professional triathlete Janda Ricci-Munn. "She seemed very supportive. We're working closely with the Gloucester Fishermen Athletic Association and the City Council. There's a lot of logistics to cover, but I'm 100 percent confident in saying that we'll have a race."

The Gloucester Triathlon is the brainchild of Ricci-Munn and Bill Burnett of Cohasset. The two met last summer at the Cohasset Triathlon where Burnett was the race director. After talking with Ricci-Munn, who was competing that day, the pair decided to create an event in Ricci-Munn's beloved hometown of Gloucester.
"I'd been kicking this idea around for 10 years and, after doing the race in Cohasset, I thought Bill did such a tremendous job and I appreciated how well the race was run," Ricci-Munn said.

Ricci-Munn called Cohasset "one of the best short courses I have been to." As it turned out, Burnett was looking to expand his race series from Cohasset and Marlborough to a third Massachusetts community, and Gloucester seemed a perfect fit from the get-go.

"When I saw Janda signed up for Cohasset, I was thrilled to have him there," remembered Burnett. "I talked to him before the race and afterward we exchanged e-mails."

A former All-American swimmer and experienced triathlete himself, Burnett had never been to Gloucester before Ricci-Munn took him on a prospective tour in July.
"I knew immediately that this is an incredible spot for a triathlon," Burnett said. "It's a really good community. It's huge to have him involved, he's so proud of his town. He wants to inspire an active living lifestyle."

"We want to use the downtown setting for spectators and the athletes," Ricci-Munn explained. "Gloucester is a venue like none other. Usually triathlons are held out in the sticks, away from spectators."

Burnett works in sales during the day but his real passion lies in race directing. He's organized the Cohasset Triathlon the past two summers, when 1,000 athletes participated and each paid an $80 entrance fee. Portions of the proceeds from the Gloucester Triathlon will help support the Gloucester Fishermen Athletic Association and the Wellspring House, in conjunction with the Pine Street Inn in Boston.

The Gloucester Fishermen Athletic Association is a nonprofit group that was founded to support Gloucester's public schools, in particular athletics and related activities for the city's youths.

The Pine Street Inn is a nonprofit organization committed to men, women, and children in need of shelter, sustenance, and the basic moral and material supports necessary to lead a dignified and stable life.

Based in Gloucester, Wellspring House works to meet basic human needs and participate in social change through the provision of emergency shelter for families, education, job training, affordable housing and family support programs.

The day of the Gloucester Triathlon is the signature moment, but there will be countless clinics, fund-raisers and beneficial byproducts of hosting the event.
"We want to get beginners involved in the sport," noted Burnett. "The training clinics will show them how to handle it and what to expect."

With so many converging on Cape Ann that weekend, Ricci-Munn sees a great opportunity for Gloucester and neighboring towns to earn some tourism dollars.
"The triathlon will definitely sell out within a month; word of it is already spreading like crazy," Ricci-Munn said. "What I'm hoping is that it will bring a lot of money into the city and generate plenty of money for the Gloucester Fishermen Athletic Association, the Pine Street Inn and Wellspring House."

Burnett said he expects people from Connecticut, New York and throughout the Northeast for the event.

There is a need for volunteers to man spots along the race course and aid stations. Ricci-Munn has friends that surf who have already pledged to help out with the swimming portion of the triathlon. Interested volunteers may also sign up online at http://www.gloucestertri.com/.

Plus, cheering on the athletes is one of the most important duties of the whole day, organizers said.

Richard Slate can be reached at rslate@gloucestertimes.com

ABOUT THE RACE

Information about the Gloucester Triathlon can be found online at gloucestertri.com.
Registration for the event starts at 9 a.m. Monday and a total of between 850 and 1,000 male and female competitors are expected.

Space is limited and registration is available online.

Clearwater 2008

I've returned from the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Championship with mixed emotions.


The good:

• My athletes threw down a slew of PRs for the 70.3 distance and one of them even came away with some hardware (see MAC attack below).


• Michelle and I had a great time spectating, hanging with our friends and making the most of the beautiful Florida weather.
  

The Bad:

• The drafting. Clearwater is labeled as the 70.3 "World Championship." Well yes, I suppose that it is, but I just don't see how the race organizers can feel good about the course they've chosen to contest said event. A true world championship should pit the fittest athletes in the world against each other in an event that truly tests your abilities on the swimming, cycling and running fronts. Clearwater is nothing more than a long course version of an ITU race. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone or placing blame on the athletes, because to be honest, given the course profile, I don't think that there's anyway that you could possibly hope to avoid large pack drafting. The following picture is but a small example of what I'm talking about:

PR Performances

MAC Attack. Mary Ann Clark of California took an AG victory at Wildflower earlier this year and proved that she was a force to be reckoned with. She ended her season with a stellar 4:34:39 performance on Saturday, which was good for 4th place overall in the Women's 35 - 39 category.

Mary Ann looked tremendous from the get-go. She raced aggressively and intelligently. The girl was "in the zone" all day and clearly amped up for this event. I don't think that I've ever seen someone dancing in the swim corral pre race! Goes to show what the right mentality will do for you on race day.

Other PRs:

• Dave Smith of VA went 4:18 on Saturday. A HUGE PR which was good enough for 15th place in the M18 - 24 year old category. Dave is one of my hardest working athletes, and will only continue to improve year in, year out. At 23, he's got time on his side, so watch out for him in '09.


• Evan Barry came home in 4:37; a big PR despite blisters that slowed him on lap 2 of the run. Given Evan's commitment I expect a sub 4:30 out of him right out of the gate next year, unless he kicks his Half IM/70.3 season off with the Rev 3 half that is!
  
• Kelly Carrington, who knocked off a PR at IM Austria earlier this year, bounced back from her recent move to Denver to PR on Saturday with a 5 hour even performance. Not bad for someone who's just getting the ball rolling again on the training front. With some consistent work, I expect big things out of Kelly in '09.
  
• Neo Pro Nick Dufresne capped a very productive '08 season (his first full season as a Pro) with a 4:07 performance on Saturday. Nick finished 2nd overall earlier this year at the Mooseman Half in NH and has improved dramatically this year. Although shin problems (compartment syndrome?) have put a damper on his run training/performances this year, he chalked up some much needed experience by racing in Clearwater.

Frustrating Moments at Clearwater '08:

• Liam O'Connell's flat tire. The boy was ready to roll. He came out of the water in 26 min. low and was spot on through mile 30 of the bike. Shortly there-after he suffered a flat tire that took him 28 min. to fix. Despite his misfortune, he still finished the race. He had a sub 4:10 in the bag this past Saturday and the training to back it up. Official time: 4:41. A real bummer, but all things considered, still a strong performance. Liam will be back with a vengeance in '09 and I am willing to bet he will throw down a low to sub 4 hour day at Clearwater next year should he decide to return.
• Craig Lewin's knee gives out on him. A season of consistent, hard work and dedication all compromised thanks to a reckless driver who T-Boned Craig a few weeks ago. I have to give the kid credit though: He raced with 6 hairline fractures in his jaw and a bum knee that he was only manage to run on twice pre-race day over the course of the past 4 + weeks. Another one of my guys who would have gone sub 4:10 had misfortune not struck. As it stands, he limped his way home to a 4:30 performance. Guts. Watch out for Craig in '09; he finished 2nd overall at the Nutmeg half earlier this year, this being his FIRST year of real training/tri prep.
• Amanda Russell's ITB flares up. Another one of my athletes who was run off the road by a car only a few weeks back. Although her training as of late took a hit as a result, the big block of work she laid down post Muskoka still carried her through the vast majority of Sunday's race until her IT band flared up and almost forced her to abandon the race altogether. A frustrating experience for a girl with such a strong "engine" but she will bounce back and return stronger than ever.
  

So that's a wrap. Everyone is looking forward to some downtime and the upcoming holiday festivities (myself included). It's been a great year but it's time for a bit of a break. Sitting on the sidelines this past weekend made me realize how fortunate I am to do what I do for a living and how lucky I am to be able to live this lifestyle. I've met so many great people along the way and it was a real thrill to see so many of my friends this past weekend. I'm already itching for '09 to roll around, but there's some healing to be done before the hard work begins once again.

Clearwater Here We Come

Time to make the annual pilgrimage back to Clearwater! Sadly, I'll be on the sidelines this time around. But... it's all good. I CAN'T wait to see my crew in action! Stay tuned for race recaps and pics. Weather is looking ideal, so it should make for a great mini-vacation.

In other news... I was inspired by Michellie Jones' annual training approach and have decided to shut things down for a while in order to let this knee fully heal up. Although it's substantially better now, every time I try to run more than 30 minutes over rolling terrain, the inflammation creeps back up on me. And although it pains me to admit it, the pool has only slowed my rate of recovery from the injury :( Hundreds of turns/push offs + extensive kick sets leave the knee noticeably tender after every session. It'll be tough dropping exercise cold turkey for a couple of weeks, especially since I'm FINALLY making progress in the water, but if doing so means I'll be able to REALLY start training again by Thanksgiving, I'll do what I must. I'm not looking forward to the break though, that's for sure.

Upon further research, I'm pretty confident that my nagging injury (nothing serious mind you, just bad enough to keep me from being able to train "full on") is a case of Plica Syndrome. It's similar to PFMS, but the medial discomfort is the major distinction. Whether it's related to the overpronation (which makes sense from a kinetic standpoint) or not is beyond me, but the location of the discomfort is EXACTLY what the linked article is describing. That spot is a bit sore to the touch, especially after training, and feels much better after stretching and a bit of passive recovery. Thinking back, I dealt with this same injury a handful of times both during my early 20s while training for triathlon and during my days as a youth/high school distance runner. Major doses of ibuprofen, ice and complete rest usually cleared it up within a week, but I have to admit that since the injury flared up back in September, I've only allowed myself 2 consecutive days of passive recovery; enough to bring some pronounced improvement, but not enough to kick this thing for good. Bottom line: If I'm not able to train like a PRO, I might as well not even bother training, because 30 minute runs and 2 hour easy spins don't do a thing for my fitness at this stage of the game.

Well, at least I'll be able to relate to my Clearwater athletes now; we'll all be laying around/doing nothing until 12/o1, training wise that is, effective this coming Sunday. I could stand to put on a little "chub-chub" anyway. To be honest, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing Dean Phillips complain about my weight "advantage" every time we climb a hill, so perhaps a 10lb weight gain on my part will help to level the playing field and make him happy on our Sunday long rides.

"It's a Long Way To The Top...

... If you want to rock and roll"

I had one of those days where I asked myself, multiple times, why the hell I even bother. Giving up income, leisure time with family and friends, a comfortable lifestyle; all to pursue a masochistic sport that offers very little in the way of financial reward despite the immense workload that's necessary to even make a name for yourself. The trials and tribulations of trying to morph from a "pro" to a "PRO" triathlete (see Chris Bagg's Blog for an explanation on this one).

As I dragged myself away from yet another ass-whoopin', I mean swim practice, tonight (that saw us cruising through 400s during our warm up segment at 5 min. or under - I can't believe how easy 1:15/100 pace is getting) and pulled out onto rt. 128 to head north towards home, I was greeted by AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to The Top (if you want to rock and roll)" on WBCN.

That song pretty much sums it up.

Back to work in the morning.