Life of an Age-Grouper

Finding my ultra 1.3 Paumonok Pursuit 70k This past weekend the Paumonok Pursuit 70K was another excellent opportunity to learn what is going to take to go long, to find my ultra. I was part of a 5 member team and ran the first leg, 10.75 miles.  This distance certainly is not long by any stretch of the mind but presented an opportunity to learn and to be schooled on the nuances of ultra distance running. What I learned from my 10.75 miles in the trails: 1. Im learning from my mistakes and this time I ran in trail running shoes along with just one pair of socks. The trail shoes allowed for great traction on the undulating terrain that was blanketed with a fresh 3-4 inches of snow.  The effort, form and pace of those that wore running sneakers were truly handicapped.   2. Keep a "clean" distance between you and the runner ahead of you.  At the start of the race everyone was very keen on not giving the runner in front of them any breathing room. As ...

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...

I have had no affinity to run a marathon. However there is a unique allure to ultra distance running. It's somewhat counter intuitive to be attracted to a longer distance when the preceding distance is repulsive. One of several off season goals of mine was to run 20 miles.  I wanted to test my limits and become acquainted with "longer" running distances.  For a majority of my endurance and multisport friends 20 miles is routine.  I have never ran more than 13.5 so my 20 miler was going to be an adventure, I was going to be taking the first step in finding my ultra. I certainly had concerns going into this run; 1. How would my body react after 14 miles? 2. How to effectively pace myself? 3. How to hydrate and fuel during the run 4. How would I mentally coupe with running for 2+ hours 5. What type of clothing should be worn to avoid chafing?  6. How would this impact my triathlon training specifically the bike? I had mapped out several differen...

Philly The close of my triathlon season at Ironman Princeton 70.3 was a cause for celebration.  I headed down to Miami with my wife and finished the season properly.  While on the plane to and from Miami I created a highlight reel of the season and started to think about what was next? What was I going to do with my " off season"? With our first child on its way I had to start making some smart choices. Should I race (triathlon) again in November, December and January . . . only if I wanted an immediate divorce!  So racing triathlon throughout the winter was off the table but, I am carrying a ton of fitness and didn't want to waste it. With a bunch of friends running the Philadelphia Marathon I figured I'd might as well drive down there and support them.  I have always enjoyed cheering people on and giving back to those that had supported me through out the season so, I made the decision . . . I'm headed to Philly as a super fan. Cheering is fun but, racing ...

Princeton was my last triathlon of the year and I wanted to go out with a bang.  Besides a month of barely running, I would say that I had my best lead up to a race and was extremely confident in my fitness.  Between Eagleman 70.3  in June and my taper for this race I squeezed every last drop of fitness from my body. The only thing left to do was to execute on race day. Having a later swim start, 7:56, there was no need to get up extremely early.  I set my alarm for 4:40 a.m. and wanted to be out the door by 5:45 a.m.  I had a great night sleep and awoke feeling fresh and rested.  I started taking in calories at 5:00 a.m.  First I had a smoothie (bananas, spinach, kale and blueberries - 200 calories). I then made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with my toothbrush since I forgot to pack a knife. The PB&J was left untouched until 5:30 a.m. (200 calories).  I also had a pint glass of lemon-lime Nuun (zero calories), to top of the electrolyte...

Reflection on my first Riverhead Rocks Olympic Distance Triathlon This race was put on my calendar to keep the accumulation of race rust to a minimum between Eagleman 70.3 and Princeton 70.3. I had two goals for this race.  First, have a high quality swim. A high quality swim for me was to swim 1:30/100 or faster.  Secondly, I wanted to run for the entire race. I have been dealing with a more than annoying foot issue since Eagleman and have only been able to " run" a few times.  If I could make it through the run with out any major hiccups it would be a huge confidence booster in my prep for Princeton. The bike racks in transition were packed! There were too many bikes sandwhiched together which more than a few people commented on.  There was more than enough room in transition for a few more racks and I don't believe the event sold sold so I'm not sure why this had to be an issue. Despite the often debated topic of swimming in Riverhead we were assured that...

Date: 5/18/13 Race: Harryman Olympic Location: Harriman State Park, NY The Harriman Olympic/Half racecourse is challenging. To start the water is pretty cold, usually around 55 degrees. The bike course is anything but flat which makes it difficult to get into a rhythm. The run course is just as hilly and presents the same problems. On top of all that there is limited fan support and the field is very small which can be mentally daunting. All of these negatives are exactly why I love this race. This race truly tests your athletic abilities. One unique feature about the Harriman Race is that it is self-racking. I actually like self-racking, being able to set up my transition where I desire has its advantages. The down side to self-racking is that if you don't get to transition early enough you’re forced into a less desirable rack. Today’s first objective, rack my bike right next to the main drag out of transition. Objective number two; get a rack that is equidistance fro...

Rumor has it that you are a drummer in a wedding cover band, can you confirm or deny this rumor? Sadly, I must deny this one. Music was, and still is a huge part of my life and for a long time I played drums in a variety of bands. Many of the lessons I learned and habits I picked up from studying music translate well to training, racing and coaching. Last season was not an ideal year for you as an athlete. You had a hell of a time at the Harriman Half. Could you tell us what you learned as athlete from that race as well as a coach? You certainly put that lightly. Harriman was hands down the worst race of my career and I'm ok with admitting that. Everyone is quick to boast about their great races but rarely share their poor results. I truly believe you learn more from the bad races than the good ones. As an athlete I saw the importance of not being overly confident, being able to adapt your race plan and keeping your head on straight when your body is revolting against you. I also ...

As a teacher I have the luxury of long breaks from work.  As a triathlete I can't imagine there being a better job, other than being a professional triathlete of course.  I can't tell you how much I look forward to these breaks because they present me with an opportunity to act like a professional triathlete.  My only concerns during breaks are to eat, sleep and breath triathlon or at least until 4:45 when my wife gets home from work.  The Spring break that just concluded was 10 days long and I wasted no time jumping into my training. Leading up to the break Matt put together one hell of a "staycation" training camp. Each session was new in every sense of the word whether it be a longer distance, longer duration, greater intensity, unique format etc.  I looked forward to every session and to see how I would respond to the new, unique, physical and mental shocks to my body.  Despite having been disappointed about my two prior training sessions before this ...

Yesterday was the first big training session of my "stay-cation training camp". This session was planned for weeks in advance. It included a 56 mile bike, at race pace, followed by a 6 mile run, slightly below race pace. What made this long brick workout special was the fact that it was to be done on the Harriman racecourse. I spent the days leading up to the race planning and preparing. Was my bike in proper working order? Did I have my race kit? What would I use for nutrition and how would I carry it? How hard could I go on the bike and still have a very strong run? I better not mess this one up like I did the last big triple brick I had! Matt and I made it to the park by 9:00 and had our kickstands up by 9:30. We briefly discussed my wattage and the race course before we embarked on this highly anticipated smashfest. The first loop of the course I really payed attention to the lay of the land. I wanted to be able to push harder and intelligently take advantage o...

There have been a few small things bouncing around in my head that I would like to stop thinking about so here's what they are; 1. Triathlete Magazine: Caitlin Snow was on the cover of Triathlete Magazine this month and I was stoked for her (like I actually know her). She receives little to no attention or media coverage so it's only fitting that she finally gets some praise, or so I thought.  The caption to her cover shot reads something along the lines of, top American female finisher at Kona for the past two years.  With that introduction I figured she would have a few pages of shine,  NOPE! She had one page of B.S. interview.  I could have done a better interview than TM.  How can one of the top US females triathletes get such poor recognition and coverage? 2. I gnite Naturals : After blogging about I.N. I reached out to them and shared my blog.  To my surprise they responded.  They asked if they could link my blog on their Twitter feed and ask...

What was the biggest or most embarrassing noob mistake you have made? "What mistakes haven’t I made really? It wasn’t even a noob mistake, well I guess it was. I should have learned this along time ago. It happened to me at the Carl Hart Fall Duathlon, I was having a great race. I had a great first run, first onto the bike, I was coming off the bike in second with a very manageable gap to Brian Wolf, this guy is a fantastic cyclist, a complete monster. I figured if I could get off the bike within 45 seconds I could run him down on the last run.  So I came screaming in off the bike, it was kind of rainy that day, transition area is grass, I hope off my bike, and immediately hit the ground. The bike goes one way and I go the other. It was just a matter of not doing the basics; I didn’t slow down into transition.  I just thought I would save some time and come screaming into transition, hop off the bike and be gone. Slow and steady in that situation always wins the races. ...