Reaching New Heights in 2008

I don't usually use the same post on both my personal and business blogs. I hope not to break this self imposed rule often but I thought that everyone could benefit from the message.

Aristotle once said “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought the past few weeks to the coaching profession. Technically this will be my third full year of coaching and although I’m pleased with the progress of Mile High Multisport, I have a greater vision of how I want to coach and develop the business. Each year during this time I ask myself “Why do I coach?”, “What my coaching philosophy will be in the new year for each of my athletes, what areas of improvement I see for myself to become more knowledgeable, what I want to continue doing that worked well last season and what I need to do better in the upcoming year.

As an athlete, I also go through this process when it comes to setting my personal goals. As a youth I played baseball. I used to love the game and am saddened that I don’t see today’s youth out in the parks playing pick up games of ball anymore. I played at a competitive level and my father was “my coach”. It took me many years to realize that he was a very good coach as he taught me not only the fundamentals of the game but the mental aspect that goes along with athletics. One thing he used to always tell me was “see yourself making the play before it happens.” I would envision myself making the plays that the pros made. In short, I envisioned success before it happened.

Every night, my father would take me outside and “drill me”. Perhaps he would tell a different story, but I don’t recall ever saying “no” or “hang on dad, I need to just finish watching this show”. Although it was years ago, I can still remember the “drills” to this day. I wanted to be a baseball player when I grew up. I had a vision that I would play 2nd base for the Chicago Cubs one day. I wanted to be better than anyone else in my town and I worked very hard to accomplish my goal.

As triathletes we need to take a look at how we mentally approach racing and training. I’m often dumb founded when an athlete tells me one week they have this lofty goal and the next week they tell me they are lacking motivation to go train. I believe that the goal itself should be enough motivation to want to train. As I evaluate my clients, and how I want to coach, I’ve been looking at the mental aspect of the sport and evaluating each one of my clients. Some clients require very little motivation while others require a lot.

The approach we take to mental preparation should be part of our goal setting process. Each of us should honestly assess this area. Do you require little motivation and give 100% effort to each of your workouts or are you a “worrier” who often finds excuses to why something didn’t happen. Do you have a mantra that you bring to training and races that helps you keep you focused? If you aren’t sure which type of an athlete you are, ask someone whose opinion you value for an honest assessment. Keep in mind that you may not get the response you want to hear.

It is my belief that mental preparation should be a part of the goal setting process. Your physical ability will only take you so far, it is your mind which defines excellence. The same thing applies to your profession; your intellect will only take you to a certain point. How you interact with others and the mental preparation you take to your job separates mediocrity and excellence. If you have ever wondered about what separates the people on the podium from the people who participate, look no further than your mind. Mentally tough athletes have an inner strength, an inner focus and desire that others lack. They don’t MAKE EXCUSES or justifications on why things happened. The athletes who reach their goals work hard all the time. You don’t hear people on the podium state “they aren’t motivated” “it wasn’t gong to happen” today, “I can’t”, “I couldn’t find time”, “I didn’t feel like getting up at 5:30”, I don’t like riding the trainer”; “I didn’t run outside because it snowed or it was cold”. The mind manifests what it hears. Instead of telling your mind what to not do, tell it what it will do. I’m confident you will find yourself working more efficiently.

I recently picked up a book entitled “Mind Gym, an athlete’s guide to inner excellence” by Gary Mack and David Casstevens. It is a short yet powerful book which every athlete should read. In the book they state “learn to use your mind or your mind will use you. Actions follow our thoughts and images. Don’t look where you don’t want to go”.

As you approach the New Year, make a commitment to be a mentally strong athlete in 2008. Rid your self of all the excuses. There is a huge benefit to the power of positive reinforcement and visualization. See the results from the minds eye. Champions win in their mind first. “See yourself making the play before it actually happens.”

December

The last few weeks have been a bit crazy with Thanksgiving and Family in town. During this time of year it is easy to get throw out of our routines with "other" obligations. Even the most dedicated athletes stray a little during this period of time. I always try and focus on "doing the right thing" during this season and that may mean missing a workout or two to spend time with family or friends that I don't see often enough during the year.

My training has been coming better than expected. I missed a few days this week with a few ribs that were out of place. Not sure how this happened but it could have come from a big pull set on Monday. Once the issue was identified (by one of my athletes who is a PT) she was able to get me fixed.

I went to my first yoga class in a few years yesterday. I was invited by my good friend Scott who has been encouraging me to go for months now. Kathy and I joined 24 hour fitness with the sole purpose of doing more yoga. As athletes we should all focus on improving flexibility while improving balance and mental clarity. I was amazed at the workout I received while doing this. I had swam in the morning and I was sweating chlorine 20 minutes into the class. Right before we began Scott told me not to embarrass him. I'm assuming this meant not falling over in the middle of a pose. A couple times I almost went down.

Kathy is out of town running the Tucson marathon. I didn't do much running with her as she prepared this year and subsequently don't feel as tied to her results as I have with other races. We have always worked together when we have race and this is pretty much a solo effort. Not exactly sure how to describe my feelings. Of course I want her to do well, but I'll be happy when she is finished and we can spend some quality time together. We ares scheduled to spend a lot of time in Steamboat Springs over the holidays and for the first time in years I'm hoping for some much needed snow. We will take the snow shoes and I look forward to getting in some outdoor winter activities then sitting around a fire place, reading and sipping on a cocktail.

The Hawaii Ironman is on tv today and I will be spinning with a few athletes while we watch the broadcast. I've watched the Ironman broadcast for years and typically end up shedding a tear or two when they show the amateurs crossing the finish line. Some of the personal stories have really grabbed at my heart and I hope each year they spend less time focusing on the pros and provide a show which is balanced. A lot of people make sacrifices each year to get to this magical island and some small things could go a long way in enhancing the show. Simple things like giving credit at the end of the show to all competitors who placed in their age group (30 seconds of scrolling names), 5 minutes of the show dedicated to nothing more than people crossing the finish line and some time spent on the days leading up to the race (show the under wear run, dig me beach, lava java as this is were the days before the event take place).

My business has been going well and I'm grateful to have clients who have placed their trust in my services. I've been working extremely hard this season to enhance the image of mile high. Our next step is to bring some more coaches on board. It is my goal to provide a well rounded coaching staff which includes experts in the different fields that touch our clients. I've also been looking at race gear and am close to finalizing a design and company. Selecting race uniforms and design is proving to be a very time consuming and stressful process. I'll be happy when we land on something concrete and begin the order process.

Training

Nothing special about this picture other than it makes me laugh every time I see it. The joy of my daughter and her cat are on other sides of the spectrum.

My training continues to go well. I logged 11 hours last week including a 45 mile bike ride with my wife. The weather in Colorado has been incredible this fall and we took advantage on Friday by riding from Sedalia to Palmer Lake. I was a bit apprehensive about riding for 2 + hours because my back didn't tolerate rides over 1.5 hours this summer. Much to my surprise I had few issues. I've been working on my gluteus muscles and core and this made a big impact on my ability to hold correct form on the bike. After a near high speed crash last spring I have been hesitatnt to descend hills with much speed. Although there were no significant descents or turns on this route I felt more comofortable on the bike and regaind some confidence I lost.

My running is still slow to progress but I'm running longer than I have in recent years. I will continue to be patient and know that my goal at this time of year is to build a strong foundation while teaching my body to burn fuel (fat) efficiently. On Saturday I woke up with an infected right big toe ( I get this from time to time). I usually poke around with a needle to relieve some of the fluid build up and all is good. This time around, the toe was bright red and no matter how much I poked and prodded no drainage. Since I meet some athletes each Sunday to run I elected to proceed as planned. My toe actually hurt less while running than walking. After the run was different. Excruciating pain. I went to Walgreen's and purchased some "outgrow" and it made an immediate impact on the pain. This morning, the toe was much better and I'm convinced I will get in my run tomorrow.

I'm feeling more comfortable in the pool. In past seasons I've made a permanent shift to the "gutter lane" until January or February then I move up a few lanes once I feel my comfortable with any stroke/body modifications I wanted. This year I want to go into race season faster so I'm staying put in my current lane. I seem to do fine on the long slow stuff but when the pace picks up I don't have that next gear. My masters coach has explained that in order to get faster in the water you need to push through some ceilings. At first it won't be comfortable, but in due time you will have a break through in your times. Consistency in the water (3x week) and strength work should help me achieve my goals.

Kathy continues to train for the Tucson marathon. She is running very well and the new weight/core routine is having an impact on our bodies ability to absorb the impact of running. We have never concentrated on running form, but after a recent running lesson from Bobby McGee we are amazed at how much form matters when running. A lot of athletes don't think about form, they just run. If you think about it, most of us can't remember being taught how to run, we just did it. Small changes to arm, head and body position have a dramatic effect on how efficiently you run.

I have one more week of base building then I will re test from week one to see what gains I have made.

Peace!!!

Respecting the History of the Ironman

When Kathy and I began completing triathlons we were fortunate to have some local athletes in the Chicago area share their knowledge with us. Back in the late 80's the sport was just beginning, amateur athletes didn't have coaches. I'm not even sure the professional athletes had coaches. We learned by trial and error. We were fortunate to have a lot of people who gave freely of themselves with the information they had gained. I remember training for my first Ironman and I would ride with a guy by the name of Bill Baldwin (now my son's god father). Bill had completed 3 Ironman's and even had finished Kona. I remember eating Exceed bars and drinking Gatorade because that is what Bill did.

I read a book written by Mike Plant entitled "Iron Will" (Bill suggested this). The book was all about the history of the Iron man. When I read that the very first winner (Gordon Haller) of the race lived in a neighboring town I called him and invited him out to dinner. He brought the original Ironman trophy and I was in complete awe that the I was holding the very first trophy ever awarded to an Ironman athlete.

Some time later, I wrote Mark Allen and asked if he would speak to our local tri club. Mark agreed (for a small fee) and I invited Gordon to attend. What a thrill to listen to a 6 time Ironman Hawaii champion and have the first winner in the room. Mark Allen even signed my poster of the classic dual between he and Dave Scott in 1990. Gordon signed my copy of Ironwill. Mark spoke about that race with Dave and it was amazing to hear what transpired between them on that day. In my opinion, it is the best Ironman race that has ever occurred.

Gordon Haller and Mark Allen

I've often been quoted that a lot of people don't respect the Ironman distance. I've been challenged on several occasions as to the meaning of my statement. When I first completed the Ironman, I believed it was the ultimate one day multisport event. I think there are other races out there now that are harder (Leadville 100 run and MTB races, Lake City 50 mile trail run, some adventure races, swimming across the Long Island Sound just to name a few).

When a person accepts the challenge of the Ironman they need to commit to the training and they need to show respect to the history of the race. You should know who John Collins, Gordon Haller and Tom Warren are. I recently had someone tell me they hated the statement "swim 2.4 miles, ride 112, run 26.2 brag for the rest of your life". I was floored, these are famous words from the founder of the race.

I recently met a young man who lives in my community that is embarking on his first Ironman. He is a history teacher and former college football player at a major football power house. I invited him and his spouse to our local Ironman send off party as I thought it would be a great way for him to meet some of the local athletes, many of whom had completed the Ironman distance. One night at swimming practice I gave him my copy of Iron Will and told him it was required reading. I follow up with him each week to see where he is in the book and I can hear the respect he is gaining for the race by reading the book. It has been a pleasure to give back something to the history of the sport by encouraging others to study the roots of the race.

Since I've coached a number of Ironman athletes I have an innate feeling about how people will fare in their training and on race day. Most of the time my gut is dead on. I already know what he doesn't and how his journey will end. My brother who lives in North Carolina (picture below is of my brother and I on the Helix at IMW 2003)will be completing his first Ironman on the same day. I will be coaching my brother through his journey. I can feel the excitement both of them have for the race and the history of the race. Although the race is 10 months away, I'm already anticipating race day. I'll be back at my perch outside Verona and then on State Street.

The journey to the Ironman start line is the hard part, the race itself is a celebration of all the hard work you have put into getting to the start line. I doff my cap to the athletes who respect the distance and the history of the race. If you have completed an Ironman and haven't read this book, shame on you. Get on Amazon and get yourself a copy immediately.

Don't Think...Just Do.....

My training load has picked up recently. After last season I've committed to be serious about next season and have laid out some goals. I feel like I'm starting all over again, which isn't 100% true as I have years of racing experience and training under my belt.

I'm committed to following the plan I've written out for myself and following some general nutrition guidelines which have worked well for me in the past. The elimination of grains and processed foods has already impacted my energy level. I've considered hiring a coach and have talked with one in particular. I've only used two coaches in my 20 years of racing (one for less than a month) but I keep telling myself that if I want different results I need to train differently. A different perspective may be good for me but I digress........

I've felt a bit sluggish lately in the water. In fact, I feel like I'm swimming with a piano on my ankles. I can't get my hips up and have been falling apart in the middle of sets. Some of this is attributed to the weight lifting I have been doing but the form issues baffle me. I asked Matt Beck, my masters coach to look at me this morning. I moved done 2 lanes from where I normally swim because I had convinced myself I had lost my form and needed to slow down to concentrate. I arrived 20 minutes early to masters and did drill work until the beginning of practice. We started the set and again I felt sluggish. No feel for the water, my arms fatigued and I felt like I was dragging myself through the water. About 20 minutes into class Matt looks at me and asked me if "I think about putting my fork in my mouth when I eat or do I just do it". "I just do it"..... QUIT THINKING AND JUST SWIM..YOU KNOW HOW TO SWIM...NO GO... And with that my issues were solved.
As athletes we tend to over analyze and create issues in our mind. I manifested an issue in my head that wasn't there based on a couple of poor swims. The reality is, poor workouts happen and I coach people on this topic all the time yet I failed to realize it myself. Thus the need to consider someone else to chart my path.........
My mantra for the day became, Don't think, just swim........It was that simple.

The Journey Begins

First of all, Jay, thanks for making me laugh this morning. What a great way to start out the day. Kathy and I went and saw a comedian last night and one of the things he said was "People Don't Laugh Enough".

Official starting weight 168.8. (7:01 a.m.) In the process of downing my salt water drink. UMMMMMM

10/21
12:20 pm.... Have had three drinks and I'm not doing too bad. Have a dull head ache which I had for a day or two last time. Watching football with the cat asleep on my lap. Major snow storm hitting Denver so I'm not feeling the urge to go outside and ride. Stomach starting to growl but I knew the first two days would be the worst. Tomorrow mornings master swim class should be interesting, I'm definitely moving down a lane or two.

4:47 pm... Had/have a massive head ache so decided to go run and then lift weights. Don't ask me the reasoning behind this. I haven't eaten in 24 hours and I have no valid reason for anything I do right now. The running was slow and I felt as I was going to pass out. I thought to myself, I've felt like this in a race before so suck it up. The weights hurt at first but I was surprised I felt better the further I got into the session. Came home, whopped up on the boy in a game of darts and here I sit. Damn, my head hurts. Almost like a hang over head ache. My body is going through detox and it hurts.

10/22

4:42 am 162.2 (-6.6 lbs) Had a massive head ache last evening that wouldn't go away. My wife told me I hadn't drank enough energy concoction drinks. I pounded a double just before bed while watching game 7 of the ALCS and actually slept better than I thought I would. I actually feel pretty good this morning and thought about going to masters swim but with the kids in school I thought I would just drink my salt water flush and get started with work early.

2:46 pm. for a guy who hasn't eaten for almost 48 hours I feel pretty good. As your body rids itself of the toxins you develop a white pasty coating on your tongue. I know, sick... At least you don't have to sit here and feel like you swallowed hair all day long!! When the tongue turns pink again the cleansing is over. The first day was difficult, today not so bad. I even made breakfast and lunches for the kids and didn't once think about sneaking in some food.

10/23

6:30 a.m. 161.2 (7.7lbs). Not feeling too bad this morning. The morning evacuations are the worst. The salt water flush works quickly...........Woke up feeling energized but feel a bit sluggish now. Plan to lift weights and try and run this morning for a few miles. Yesterday I didn't do anything so I felt stiff when I woke up this morning. Besides day one's headache this cleanse has been a lot easier than the first time. My sense of smell is tremendous.

8:21 p.m. Today was probably the easiest of all the days. I should have decided when I started what my goal was. I should know better than this. I feel good and my only complaint is the "drink" is getting stagnant. I switched to lime in the drink from lemon and hopefully my taste buds will be happy. The only difficulty I have is when I open the refrigerator and see food. It has taught me that I can have will power. Staying busy helps keep me focused on not wanting to eat. I eat because I'm board not because I'm hungry. I need to remember this once I end the cleanse.

10/24

Down to 161.0 (-7.8lbs). Felt great waking up this morning. I seem to have more mental clarity. My tongue is starting to turn pink again on the outside which is an indication that I'm on the down side of this fast. I have a busy day ahead of me including a athlete test session, a run and a bike so that should help me focus on not eating. Day 4 and counting.

5pm. It's been 4 days with no food. This is my second cleanse in the last 12 months. I decided that tonight would be my last night. I've accomplished what I wanted to on this cleanse. 1.) lose weight so I may begin a healthier eating habit 2.) follow through on a promise I made myself at the beginning of the year to do one 3 day cleanse each year 3) Remind myself that I eat when I'm board not because I'm hungry. I still will go a day or two with no solid foods. Juice, vegetable soup and perhaps a salad or two for the next few days.

10/25 160.5 (-8.3lbs) And with a mouthful of Cage Free eggs the diet was over. Actually I had some juice and a few nuts last evening to prepare my stomach for what was going to occur in the morning. I feel great, did a spinerval tape this morning with Kathy and lifted weights with Matt after getting the kids off to school. I expect to put half the weight back on but will more vigilant in following a diet based on the paleo principals.

The Master Cleanse Begins Tomorrow

Following is a copy of a blog I put on my athletes page. When I began this process, one of my thoughts was to not duplicate posts on both sites. I want to separate my triathlon life from my business. This is a topic that interests a lot of people so I opted to stray from my own rules. I plan to discuss my day to day experiences on the cleanse on this site. Enjoy and feel free to ask questions.

While conducting year end meetings, a number of you expressed a desire to lose weight and improve strength in the off season. Improving your strength to weight ratio is one of the keys to getting faster. The off season is the perfect time to lose weight since you aren't placing the extra demands on your body that you do during the race season. With Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holidays just around the corner the time to start a diet is now. I've mentioned to many of you "The Master Cleanse Diet" and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes" which Kathy and I have used over the past three years with success. As with any diet, you should consult with your physician before beginning. Do your research and know what you are getting into before beginning. Be committed to your goal as you will find that sticking to a diet can be one of the hardest things you do. Almost everyone I know who has completed a cleanse and improved eating habits has been satisfied with the outcome. I won't lie to you, the cleanse is not easy to do, especially when others are eating around you, but well worth the end results.On Sunday, 10/21 I will begin my second cleanse in the past year. I will follow the guidelines in the book, The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs. A second book How to lose weight, have more energy and be happy by Peter Glickman is another good reference book when completing the cleanse. When I am finished with the cleanse I will begin following the guidelines in the Paleo Diet for athletes written byLoren Cordain and Joe Friel. Kathy and I first completed the Paleo diet in 2004 while preparing for Ironman Canada and have maintained the principles of the diet ever since. When I stray from the principles of the diet I gain weight (grains and processed foods are my downfall).The cleansing diet is fairly simple. Every morning you begin with an internal salt water bathing by drinking a quart of luke warm water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. This drink cleanses the colon track and begins the cleansing process. You don't want to be too far away from facilities for about an hour. For the remainder of the day you drink a concoction which consists of 8 -10 ounces of luke warm water, 2 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon or lime, 2 Tbsp of Grade A or B dark Maple Syrup and 1/10th of Tsp of Cayenne pepper. You have the drink whenever you find yourself getting hungry.Why do the cleanse?
To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body.
To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body .
To eliminate all usable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
To build a healthy blood stream.
To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.
Besides the weight loss , I noticed an improvement in my sense of smell, taste and hearing. I started today at 166 and plan to chronicle my journey through the completion of the process.
Let the journey begin!!!!

October

Most of my training these days is spent in the pool and in the weight room. My goal for the next two months is to improve my efficiencies in the water and improve my overall body strength. I've asked a friend to meet me in the weight room every Tuesday and Thursday morning (add a 3rd day by myself)and so far the accountability of "having to meet someone" is proving beneficial. It has become too easy to stay at home and do some work or answer e-mails. The weight routine for this month is adaption. I'm getting my muscles and ligaments ready for the harder work which will come.

In the pool I have incorporated a lot of drill work. I purchased a snorkel from Finis and have used the aides to allow me to focus on the benefit of each drill. With very little work I have noticed a dramatic improvement in the manner in which I move through the water. The combination of strength training (which includes core work) has already shown benefits in my average 100 pacing and I haven't even worked on speed.

I also plan to bike 2-3 times a week. The weather will dictate what type of riding a do (indoors on the computrainer) or outdoors. My goal is to improving pedaling efficiencies and build base (same as it is most years).

No running this month as I'm still dealing with some side effects from the medication I took. The antibiotics I was on has a side effect of severe muscle cramping. A bunch of the local triathletes play on a kick ball team and while I was running to first the other night both my quads seized on me. I'm off the meds now but the quads still aren't happy. I'm trying to decide what to do next.

Kona is this weekend and we had our annual Kona send off bash for local athletes going to the race. The event was well attended and based on the number of bottles of wine (20) and beer bottles (48) everyone had a good time. This affair is a great way for the local athletes to come together one last time before going into hibernation for the winter.

Why Can't We Be Friends

This morning I woke up before my alarm as I had a lot on my mind. I've had problems sleeping my entire life and when I'm stressed, facing an important decision or some thing critical is going on in my life I tend to have an over active mind when I sleep.

I headed down to the pool and was on deck at 5 am. Masters doesn't begin until 5:30 and with this being "stroke day" I wasn't overly eager to get in the water. I decided to stretch and went outdoors onto the patio and listened to songs on my I-Pod. It was a glorious fall morning in Colorado, the sky was clear, the moon and the stars were bright. I laid on the deck stretching and the old song by War came on "Why Can't We Be Friends". I laid there and thought about a conflict I have going on in my life. I'm fairly confident that Highlands Ranch, Colorado has more coaches per triathlete than anywhere in the USA. Perhaps San Diego has a different ratio but it is close either way. Regardless of the industry, competition brings out the worst in some people. Since becoming a coach I've been shocked at the things I hear about me and my business from others in the triathlon community. I've always attempted to be a good corporate citizen. Prior to becoming a coach I started a local tri club that grew to win several national championships, started races, given free advice, donated my time to various races and spoke for free to different clubs in the area to name a few.

As I stared up at the stars I wondered why certain people have to live in a life filled with conflict and deceptive lies? I've done plenty of stupid things in my life. I've said things I should have said and acted without thinking at times. I'm human, I error. However, I've always taken ownership for my actions. As the stars winked at me from above I pondered my current dilemma. I despise when peoples own personal agendas conflicts with loyalty to a friend. I'm a loyal friend, someone does something to harm a "good" friend of mine and my alliance is to my friend. I think as a society we lack good old fashion loyalty to our friends. I think back to my father who has played cards with the same group of friends for the past 55 years. Every month they travel to a common place to play cards. There are 10 of them and never in my entire life have I heard my father utter a negative thing about one of them. Through illness, death and distance they have remained good and loyal friends. I'm confident that at some point in time someone had to do something that pissed someone off, yet they remain friends. I've been told I expect too much of others and that my expectations are too high. I've thought about this a lot but it is who I am and who I choose to be. If my expectations cause my own sorrow or disappointment I have no one to blame but myself.

The wind began to increase and the air was crisp. I went inside and the smell of the chlorine brought me back to reality. The water offers a wonderful hiding place from the conflicts we experience in life.. No phones, no e-mails..........nothing but the sound of water churning. I didn't swim particularly well today but I was grateful for the hour I had away from my problem. I have many things to be grateful for and need to do a better job of remembering this. A beautiful and talented wife who loves me even with my faults, my children, a wonderful triathlon community (the best in the land if you ask me and I will argue this point until the day I die), a roof over my head, a loving family and the list goes on....

I'm not sure how my current situation will be resolved but I know that I have an impact into how I let this affect me mentally. My wife tells me that there are periods in your life when you need to weed the garden. As a gardener I'm aware that getting rid of the weeds allows for roots to grow deeper and offers an opportunity for the healthier plants to develop and grow. I believe the same process applies with friends and business acquaintances. Life will go on and new friendships will be formed, some friends will become acquaintances and others will develop and grow, but I can't help but think.......Why Can't We All Just Be Friends?????

The Off Season

So with my race season officially over I have moved into my "off season" mentality. My wife laughs at me but I truly believe that your mental focus changes as you progress through the different aspects of a season. I even wrote an article on "mental periodization" http://www.milehighmultisport.com/articles/mentalprep.htm. The article started out as a spoof but I believe there is merit to the content. I've never proven my thoughts in a lab so I won't write a book. I'm not a big fan of a book written about "Nutrition Periodization" as it is my understanding that the "theory" was never tested and is basically common sense eating expanded to make someone think they are an expert on the topic.



I was going to run a leg in the Denver marathon but have contracted Epididymitis which is basically a inflammation of the epididymis. I have an infection of the urinary tract. I thought women only got this but then again I've been told I am the women in my house. The bottom line is that it is very painful and I've been on antibiotics for three weeks. I wasn't supposed to race the Crescent Moon but i didn't listen to the Dr. Foolish move as I was in a lot of pain post race and for several days after. I can only swim which I did 4 times this week. This morning I looked at my friend Scott Messick 2500 yards into the workout and said "say the word breakfast and I'm out of here". We were at the Egg and I within 30 minutes. I followed up breakfast with 9 holes of golf with my son, who is off school today. There is something wrong with paying greens fees and then having your kid say to you "dad you owe me $5". Why I bet against a freshman who made the varsity golf team is something I need to exam. The game seems more fun to me when a little cash is on the line. This is a picture of Nick on his first day of school. They had a tournament........

So my off season has started out on the disabled list with no biking, running or lifting. I can start lifting lightly next week and look forward to gaining back some strength lost during the season. I was asked to write an article by Triathlon Life magazine and look forward to getting my second article published in a major triathlon magazine.

Have a great weekend everyone. Peace

2007 Overview... I guess my career wasn't over

In August of 2004, at age 41 I completed my 4th Ironman in Penticton, British Columbia in a personal best time of 11:19 (21 minutes faster than I completed the race in 1992 at age 29) I finished hand in hand with my wife, a dream come true. My wife quailified for Kona that year and life was good. Six weeks later and 6 days before Ironman Hawaii I was involved in an automobile accident. It wasn't a big accident by any means but I had back injuries which prevented me from running for 2.5 years. To add insult to injury, the insurance carrier for the person who hit me sent out their lead fraud investigator who basically told me I couldn't have been injured in this loss.
I could get in an ocassional swim, bike or run but never could get two consectutive weeks of training under my belt. I sturggled physically and emotionally and was at a loss for who I was. I had always identified myself as a triathlete. I knew some day I would have to retire but I wanted it to be on my own terms. My wife and training partners went on racing and I dreamed of a come back to the sport I love. I had care from some of the top sports medicine Dr.s, PT's, accupuncturists, massage therapist and chiropractors in the Denver/Boulder area. With each visit I dreamed of a great come back that would never materialize. I had resolved to quit and take up hiking. My weight was up and my spirits were down. I began my coaching business, http://www.milehighmultisport.com/ in 2005 and lived vicariously through my athletes successes. I coached my wife to another Kona qualification in 2006 and this time was able to enjoy the event.
On January 1, 2007 I met with Jon Martine a Rolfer & instructor with the Structural School of integration. I expressed to Jon my desire to start running again. We began weekly sessions and some of the discomfort in my back, hip and legs began to disappear. I started going to the club and began a routine of running for 5 minutes and walking for a minute with a heart rate under 135. On one occasion, while running at 4.0 miles per hour and struggling to keep my HR down I noticed a rather plump women on the machine next to me wearing a Tri for The Cure race top running at 6.0 miles per hour. I was determined to stick to my game plan and on Super Bowl Sunday ran 3 miles in 35 minutes. I would run 4 days a week at 2 miles each day for the next month. I continued working with Jon and give him 100% credit for finally getting me on the right course of treatment and healing.

A good friend of mine talked me into running a Shamrock Shuffle race. I complained about the $25 entrance fee, being fat, being slow but was eventually shamed into showing up. With no training weeks over 10 miles I was able to run a 22:10 5 k on a Hilly course. A few weeks later I ran a 21:36 and won my age group at a small race. I immediately signed up for the Mile High Duathlon Series, the EAS 5430 Sprint, Loveland Lake to Lake Aqua bike(just the swim and bike no run)Harbor Lights in Waukegan, Illinois where I grew up, The National Sprint Championship Race (Rattlesnake) and the Swim across the Sound, a 15.5 mile relay swim from Port Jefferson New York to Bridgeport, CT. These are my teammates for the swim.

I ended up 9th in my age group in Boulder, won the Aqua B in Loveland, 7th at the National Sprint race and then for the first time in my career won my age group at Harbor Lights. That's me with Ronald McDonald. Only in Waukegan would you find McDonald's as a sponsor of a triathlon.When I returned to Colorado I signed up two Mile High Multisport relay teams for the Harvest Moon half Ironman. I noticed there was going to be a sprint triathlon (Crescent Moon) held while the half was going on so I signed up for that as well. I swam 1.2 miles and then 40 minutes later was in the first wave of the Sprint. I actually felt better on the second swim and came out of the water in 3rd place. I quickly assumed the lead on the bike and for the first time in my career was at the front of the race. Leading a race is both exciting and scary. There is no backing down when you are in the front and you run scared. It was also very lonely on the course as the Half Ironman participants where still out on the bike. I'm not one for following directions and when I headed out onto the run the course took me in a different direction than I thought we would go. I followed the signs and was extremely happy to see the first aid station. I never race with gadgets so I had no ideal of how much of a lead I had when I saw the 2nd place person after the turn around. I knew that he looked a lot better than I felt. I couldn't help but think of the sign I saw at Ironman Wisconsin the week before..........
I had one long down hill that ended up in some single track in a ravine. When I made the turn into the ravine there was about 3/4 of a mile left. I took a quick glance to my right and no one was on the down hill. At that point I began to feel I might be the first person over the line. As I hit the final stretch I saw my long time racing partner Kevin Reinsch who snapped this photo
What a poser!! As I entered the finishers shoot I was welcomed with all the fan fare of someone winning the race.
I ended up 2nd overall as a racer from the wave behind me was 1:15 seconds faster than me. I won the overall Masters title and received a check for $100. My career earnings after 20 years of racing is now $100. Considering I swam 1.2 miles before the race I was shocked to finish that high in the standings.
All in all a great season considering on January 1 I wasn't running at all. I found that going back to short course racing allows me to have balance in my life I didn't get when I was racing long. I look forward to some base training this winter and to hitting the shorter races again in 2008.

Peace

Why am I doing this?

I have to admit I never thought I would create my own blog. This past weekend, while spectating Ironman Wisconsin, it dawned on me that I have a lot of information to share when it comes to the sport of triathlon. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but having raced since 1998 and running my own coaching business I feel I have a lot to share. My aspiration is that through this site I may be able to enhance someones love of the sport.

When I completed my first Ironman in 1992 I tore the following quote out of a book. The book sits above my computer and the dates of every Ironman my wife and I have completed (10) are written in marker on the side. Belief in your abilities is everything in this world. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

BELIEF is the knowledge that we can do something. It's the inner feeling that what we undertake, we can accomplish. For the most part, all of us have the ability to look at something and know whether or not we can do it. So, in BELIEF there is power: our opportunities become plain; our visions become realities.