Life of an Age-Grouper

February started off very slow. First 10 days I was dealing with a stomach virus which wiped me out, stole some fitness and a bit of my confidence. It then took another week to get my training back on track. February has been my least consistent month of training. I was able to make another breakthrough in the pool and attribute that to the increase in volume. I haven't been as concerned with top end speed as I have been with developing my endurance. I have started to feel like a diesel train as my endurance has been increasing. I have also started to sprinkle in some wetsuit swimming (sleeved). This is the first time since I had reconstructive shoulder surgery that I have had the confidence to swim with one.  I will be the first to admit I was giving away speed with a sleeveless suit but not any more!  I have stretched out my long rides in order to build a bigger engine. I'm finally comfortable and feel like one with my new set up. Since the purchase of the new rig i...

 And I quote , " The full Iron distance is weird.  I'm glad I did it and I'm proud of my accomplishment, but I kind of don't think it is as big a deal as many people make it.  I still prefer the 70.3 distance for 2 reasons:  I can have a better life balance and you can actually race it." Yet here we are about 3 months removed from the completion of your second full distance triathlon, Challenge Roth. If the full distance didn't set fireworks off inside you the first time then why did you decide to toe the line again?    Hahaha, well, I never said I wasn’t going to do another full Iron distance race, I just said I preferred 70.3.   To better explain that previous answer of mine, I was trying to get at the idea that many triathletes feel like you have to complete a 140.6 to be taken seriously which is so misguided in my opinion.   To me, triathlon is all about challenging yourself and having fun doing something you love – it’s that simple. ...

My first taste of ultra running a few months has left me with an insatiable thirst. I cannot get enough of it. I'm constantly seeking out any and all information on ultra running. Thanks to an insane ultra running community for posting up countless inspiring and amazing videos on Youtube. I'm slowly learning about the famous, legendary and iconic races such as Western States and Badwater however, the race that has caught my eye is the Gorge 50k in Oregon. This race has everything that excites me about ultra running; trail running, nature, solitude, scenery, landscapes, vistas, energy. The only drawback is that it's during the Winter, in Oregon....I hate the cold. Let me rephrase that, I hate when it's so cold that I can't feel my toes or fingers. This past weekend I had an opportunity to quench mm thirst taste when Matt and I took our athletes to the Fat Ass 50 for a group run. Since it's the triathlon season is just starting up for most of us we limited our at...

Drip.........Drip.........Drip. The adrenaline started to drip Wednesday morning. I was actually surprised to feel it so early since I had not even started to focus my attention on this race since work had been all consuming. I have to embarrassingly admit that I had done absolutely no research prior to this race which is totally out of character. I had hoped that  Friday night  would have been relaxing. That I would have had some time to myself. That I'd be able to put my feet up and do some research on this course. Instead my wife and I visited Lowes, Home Depot, and at least two other stores looking for tile. After striking out we made a quick stop at the grocery store before heading home to patch some holes with sheet rock. I was finally able to catch my breath when I laid down in bed still ignorant of this race and without having packed a single thing. Potential disaster. Saturday morning  I was awake before my alarm and had a buzz of excitement. I was certa...