July 9: Baby Smith

What a great Christmas it was sharing the good news of Rachel being pregnant with our families and friends. She is due on July 9th so that puts her about 12 weeks along. The big man upstairs continues to bless Rachel and I time after time. We are very excited for this addition to our family.

The Smith family as a whole is growing quickly. After our baby is born that will make 15 total with spouses and then our children. My brother Mike gets married in 2 weeks and then my other brother and his wife will be having their first baby in May.

We have some catching up to do on the other side with the Gaynors, but I wouldn't be surprised if one or two other little ones make it here by the end of 2011. It's going to be the best year yet!

Oh, and don't think for a moment I won't be as hungry as ever to do my very best at triathlon. If anything it has already provided a ton of motivation. With me missing out on most of last year with my broken collarbone I have a definite chip on my shoulder.

Happy New Year and remember you can't change the past so leave it and move forward to bigger and better things.

Marc Herremans

We have some amazing athletes in triathlon...here is one of them: Marc Herremans

All is very well here in Mancelona. Just living life to the fullest and having fun while doing it. Training is going well and I got out on the xc skiis on thursday again. No soreness like last time so I'm hoping my body has made a quick adjustment to using some of those new muscles. Our jv basketball team I'm helping coach is 1-1. We lost in overtime on Thursday. It was an exciting game and our kids played hard. We lost to a bigger school who has a freshman team and therefore all their players were sophomores. That year makes a difference in a tight game like that. Our kids are starting to come around though. Lots of things to work on, but they are willing to get better.

We're off the Mt. Pleasant today for Susie and Jeremy's graduation and then tommorrow morning we're headed to Auburn for Brody's baptism. It's awesome being back close to family!

Snow!

Well, the snow is officially here with a good foot at least now. For most endurance junkies in Michigan, xc skiing enters the picture come December or so. I have done some classic xc skiing a couple of times, but today was my first time out on skate skiis. I plan to do a few xc ski races this winter and I think I'll focus solely on the skate races. The trails were a bit rough today, but definitely skiable. I have some work to do from a technique standpoint, but I think I did okay for my first time out. I skiied with the Cross Country Ski Shop team out of Grayling and it was a lot of fun. They were very kind to let me tag along and share some tips with me. I am sure I'll be a bit sore tomorrow as xc skiing forces you to use some muscles you don't use so much while swimming, cycling, or running. It's awesome cross training though and will really help me supplement the low cycling volume. 2 - 3 focused trainer sessions per week for 60-75 minutes will be enough to help my cycling still progress. Off to the gaylord pool in the morning for a 5:45AM session. If you live in northern Michigan and are a triathlete you should come join us!

On a side note, I am helping coach high school basketball this year and our team has it's first game on Tuesday. We had two great scrimmages last week so i think we're ready to roll. I'd be shocked if we lose more than a couple of games this year. The kids are really putting in the effort. I just wish they would play year round a bit instead of just during the season. They would be scary good if they played more the rest of the year. Who knows, maybe I can instill that work ethic in some of them.

It's going to be a busy December, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanksgiving Weekend

It's been quite the weekend! For the first time in 5 years we were able to spend Thanksgiving weekend at home in northern Michigan. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. It's a nice break from school and it is filled with lots of good food! Wednesday we had a half day of school so I came home, got in a quick run, had a massage and then it was off the Rachel's grandma's house in Cheboygan. Grandma Gaynor sure can cook. After staying the night up there, I headed out for a nice run along Lake Huron before we ate Thanksgiving dinner #1. It did not disappoint and we were all stuffed to the brim. We left around 1 and headed down to Gaylord to my Dad's parents house. It was full with 25+ people as usual. There was more food and while Rachel resisted I used the excuse that at least some of the food was different so it was all good to eat again right?! Rachel made little dessert turkeys and they were a hit. All the younger kids loved them. Afterwards we headed to my Mom's side of the family for games and dessert. A little pumpkin pie for me. We played the game Imaginif. It was a lot of fun. We headed back to folks' house to hang out for a bit and wait for my brother Ryan to arrive. Him and his wife, Lyndsay, were traveling up from Grand Rapids where she grew up. They had quite the news for us when they arrived...they are having a baby! They walked in and gave us all cards. We were all confused and wondering who in the world gives out cards for Thanksgiving. The card in the envelope had a picture of 3 pumpkins...2 big ones and one little one. It took me a second, but then everyone kind of figured it out at the same time. It was a special moment and our family just keeps growing. My sister Jen has a 4 month old baby that was the center of attention all weekend...never seen such a good baby. I swear he hasn't cried yet. We left and made it back to our place to sleep. It's so much more comfortable in your own bed! Woke up Friday and hit the trainer for a solid 75 minute session and followed that up with a short run and then some TRX work. We headed back over to Gaylord for the day. I took my little brother Daniel, who is 6, to the pool and we did a bit of swimming, and then played on the diving board and water slide. He's a fun little guy to hang out with. The girls all headed to Alaina's wedding shower. She's marrying my brother Mike in January. We had decided a few weeks ago that this would be a good opportunity for a bachelor party since the girls would all be occupied. It was a pretty low key night, but we had a lot of fun visiting the local bars and drinking more than we should have! Always a good night when you get to try some new local beers out. We made it back and hung out with the girls...lots of laughs. Saturday was a very relaxing day of just hanging out and eating more. We watched the Michigan game and the Michigan State game...U of M lost, but State played well and won the Big Ten for the first time in a while. After the game my Dad and brothers and I decided it would be a good idea to go for a walk and then sit for an hour or so out at deer camp in our new blind to see if we could see a few deer before the season ends on Tuesday. We saw 5 deer, but no bucks so we just headed in once it got dark (about 5PM now and it's pitch black out!). Got home to a nice steak dinner and then some catch phrase to end the night. I woke up this morning, got in my long run, and then it was off the church. It's nice to have the rest of the afternoon to relax after long weekend!

Back to reality tomorrow for a few weeks. Christmas will be here before we know it. I'll be stepping it up a notch on the training front, but nothing to intense. I'll try to be more consistent with the blogs.

Planning 2011

Latest Landice blog . Lots more to say about this topic, but it's a start.

Resting Heart Rate

Does your resting heart rate really matter? Go here to an article by my good friend Nick Luciano and decide for yourself.

Not much to report...just that life is good. Training is going well...especially on the run front. Something big has changed in me and I am trying to pinpint it. 6:30 pace and under is the norm now for every single run and it feels like my old 7:00 pace. Whatever it is I'm loving it and it's going to be a BIG 2011.

I am getting excited to start some xc skiing too. I went for a roller ski today with my friend Glen and it was quite the experience. I seemed to pick it up pretty well and am going to try to get in a few more before the snow is officially here.

Gorgeous here today and uncharacteristically warm...almost 60!

Keeping it Simple

New landice blog up here . When in doubt...keep it simple!

EDL 615 Podcast 1

EDL 615 Podcast 1

This is a podcast just to make sure I'm able to do one.

Support System

Newest blog on the landice site HERE.

Very busy as of late. With teaching, coaching, starting my master's program and my own training...it doesn't leave much free time to blog...haha. That's alright though. I'll try to be diligent and post at least once a week still. Life is great here in northern Michigan. I'm actually running the best I ever have. The cycling load is a bit lower right now so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. That and the HILLS.

Really looking forward to a friend's wedding this weekend. Congrats Adam and Carrie. It's going to be a lot of fun catching up with old friends.

If you're done racing for the year I hope you're enjoying your down time. It will be spring again before we know it and you'll be in the thick of training your butt off.

Transition Phase

Check out the newest Landice blog. This week I'm talking about transitioning from one season to the next. Check it out here.

Age Group Nationals

Melissa Mckendry nailed yet another solid performance this past weekend down in Alabama for USAT Age Group Nationals. Melissa is going to shut things down a bit now, but we're already talking about what lies ahead next year and let me tell you Melissa...this was just the beginning. You're going to crush the competition even more next year. If I were a female in the Hampton Roads area I'd be watching out at any local multi-sport event.

Unfortunately, Steve Mckendry, Melissa's husband could not race this past weekend. Steven is a Navy SEAL and had other important things to do for our country. When I think about what some of these guys are doing for our country it makes what I do seem so little. These guys truly are heroes and often put their lives on the line for us. Be safe over there Steven!

Things are going great here. Rachel and I just got back from southern MI for her sister Susie's wedding. It was a lot of fun and it's always inspiring to see true love! These two are a perfect match that's for sure.

On the training/racing front I'm pretty much shut down right now and in what I call my transition phase. I am going to be laying a very solid base this late fall/winter in preparation for a big tri season next year. I have pinpointed some very specific things I need to work on and have been planning a ton. The plan I have in place thus far is going have me ready when I most need it. Lots of hard work, but now I'm more so just enjoying getting out and doing whatever I feel like. With how my season went (6+ weeks off from my broken collerbone) there is no need for a complete 2 week off break like I normally do at season's end. I am going to stay active, just very unstructured. Today I ran with the high school xc kids. It was really fun and I think I'll be joining them on Mondays until their season is over. They have a couple of studs and hopefully this can work both ways...they don't really know how to push themselves and I haven't found anyone here yet to push me on the run front so hopefully it works out well for both of us.

We got to see my sister for her birthday yesterday and her little boy Brody. Having him around is giving Rachel the itch more and more to have one of her own. We shall see!

Thanks for reading.

Barefoot Tri, 1st week of school, & jrmtraining.com

It's been a busy week so I'm just getting around to putting a little something together from last weekend. I raced the Barefoot Tri on Sunday in Traverse City. It was an olympic distance with a 27.5 mile bike. It was a tough bike course, but to my advantage with the hills. This was a pretty small event like most are up here in northern Michigan, but there was still a good 250 people racing. I felt great all day and this was probably my best race I've had all year as far as how I felt in relationship to my fitness level. I have done basically no hard running still since my collarbone incident and to be able to run 6:00 pace off the bike was a good feeling. I can tell all the hills on the bike and run front are starting to really make me strong. My legs felt a lot fresher coming off the bike than normal. It was a lot of fun and once again having family there for support was awesome. My little brother (pic above) is definitely the best cheerleader out there. He's already quite the little athlete himself.

On Labor Day Rachel and I spent the day with her family at her grandpa's cabin. It's a very nice place and we're hoping to get there more frequently now that we're a lot closer. It was nice being able to hang out with Rachel's sisters and all of their husbands.

The first week of school has been great. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous heading into Tuesday. It had been 3 months since I've taught (2 extra weeks b/c of my surgery) and I thought maybe I had forgotten how:) It was also going to be different teaching high school and in a completely different school district. So far everything has been smooth and I really like how things have worked out. The students at Mancelona have been fun to work with and my fellow teachers/staff have made me feel like home. I'm excited about what lies ahead this year on the teaching front.

Lastly, Janda has launched our new coaching website. Go to jrmtraining.com to see more.

Hopefully you are watching college football this afternoon. Go Blue!

Duathlon Worlds

A quick shout out to Melissa and Steven Mckendry for an awesome race in Edinburgh this past weekend at Duathlon Worlds. Melissa came 26th out of 42, while Steven was 26th out of 77...in the world for their age group! These two have been a pleasure to work with and have earned every bit of this. The work ethic of this couple is very impressive. What's even more impressive is how kind they are. It's an honor to be able to work with people like the Mckendrys. Up next...AG Nationals in 3 weeks!

Local training grounds

Here are a few short clips of my ride this morning. Enjoy!

Mr. McGee

I had the privilege of meeting Bobby Mcgee at the USAT clinic this February. He keeps an interesting blog and this week he talks about leaning properly while running. You can check it out here . Proper run mechanics is something Janda and I have been preaching more and more this year to our athletes. So far the results have been very positive. A lot of people don't think run mechanics play a huge role...they do! Run economy (essentially how much oxygen you use/energy you expend at a given pace) is huge for triathlon, especially because you go into the run already a bit fatigued from swimming and cycling. Run economy has a lot to do with proper run mechanics. Anyways, Bobby does a very nice job explaning how to lean while running.

All 3 disciplines of triathlon need to be considered from a technique standpoint. We all know swimming is a highly technical sport. Running is a close 2nd and cycling 3rd in line, but still very important. Cycling seems to not be quite as technical because of the mechanical advantage with using a machine (the bike). If you have good power output you will likely be fast on the bike...assuming your fit is good. At the same time, cycling is the longest leg of a triathlon and if you have poor technique this gets magnified the longer the distance. I am a firm believer that you cannot be too strong/efficient on the bike. The best runners are often the best cyclists too as they run so well because they get off the bike more fresh.

Okay time to get on the bike...wasn't planning on sharing so much...just wanted to send some people to Bobby's blog...it's a good one!

New Zoot Blog

Check out my latest post on the Zoot Ultra team blog .

What a weekend

Well, our little race was a success. We found some things to work on for next year, but overall it was a lot of fun and I think everyone enjoyed their experience. We were very fortunate with the weather. It stormed like crazy Friday evening, but come Saturday morning it was gone and all we had to deal with was some humidity.

With this race being quite small I decided I'd try to race as well if everything went smooth leading up to the race. It did and my father was my co-director and he did a great job running things during the race. I am still no where near top form, but managed to take the overall win in 1:53 (Olympic distance race with a 1k swim). I held back most of the day as I didn't know what to expect. I probably could have pushed the limit a bit more, but all in all it was a good race for my first one back since my crash. I probably would not recommend putting on a race and trying to race it as well. I lucked out, but it was definitely added stress!

10 weeks ago when that happened I thought the day would never come when I'd toe the line again. It was a blast being out there and I will no longer take for granted the opportunity to race. I am going to try to sneak in a few more races before October and then hit some running races this fall. There will be very little off season for me since I already took 6 weeks off this summer. I am already excited to jump into some xc ski races this winter.

I want to send out a big shout out to Jake at Zoot. He supplied our race with a bunch of awesome Zoot stuff and it was hit! We had several people come up to us saying how cool it was that he had so much stuff to give away from Zoot. Thanks Jake! We had other awesome sponsors who supported our race: Gaylord Eye Care, McNamara Insurance, Save-A-Lot, L & R Well Drilling, Baymont Inn & Suites, and Powerbar. They all played a big role in allowing this race to happen. I would like to thank St. Mary's athletic association and the Guardian Gals for supplying volunteers for the race.

We are already looking forward to the race next year. It's going to be bigger and better!

On another note, Timberman 70.3 took place today. Tom Murtagh had about a 30min. PR today! Tom is about as busy of a guy as I know with a wife, three kids and a very busy job. Tom always puts those other things first and I admire that greatly.

My good friend, Joel Myers, had an awesome day at Timberman today as well. It has been fun seeing Joel progress so much this past year and a half. I have spent more time training with Joel than anyone else and I know first hand how hard Joel has worked. This is only the start for him with having big time results.

I will post some more pictures soon along with a couple short flip videos.

Guardian Gals

This morning my father and I had the opportunity to meet with the Guardian Girls at a local coffee shop in Gaylord. It's an excellent group for adolescent girls and women to get involved with. We went and spoke a bit about the upcoming triathlon and 5k this Saturday. It was a lot of fun meeting a few of the people involved with this group and we are very thankful they are going to provide some volunteers for the race. Hopefully a few of them will also come out and participate in the event as well.

It has been a busy week thus far running around doing last minute stuff for the race. It's all good stuff though and it's worth all the effort. I really hope the weather cooperates and gives the racers a gorgeous day.

On the training front I am finally getting close to where I was before I broke my cb. Fitness is progressing in each discipline and I'm really absorbing the workload now. Time to really start getting at it again. Racing this weekend is probably a couple weeks premature, but I'm ready to go at it...just might not be firing on all cylinders like I would normally want. Who knows maybe I'll surprise myself. One thing I'm definitely already noticing is how strong the hills are making me. I haven't ran a flat route yet...until today and it wasn't even completely flat. Running 6:45s was a walk in the park. That may not seem all that special, but when coming back from an injury where you took 7 weeks off from running and basically any training at all...this is a good sign to see again.

Getting ready for school to start after Labor Day...it will be nice being in more of a routine again. seems like forever since I was at school, especially since I took the last 2 weeks of school off this year with my surgery and what not.

So far so good here in Mancelona. It's a lot different and smaller than Virginia Beach, but it's been a nice change. We are really enjoying being able to see family more and just the whole lifestyle. Everyone is so friendly up here too and not so much in a hurry.

Good luck to my good friend Joel Myers is racing up at Timberman this weekend. There will be several JRM athletes racing up there this weekend...including two athletes I coach, Curran and Tom. Timberman is an awesome race and one I planning on for next year. Have fun everyone!

Busy!

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. After we moved two weeks ago from tomorrow it's been pretty much a whirlwind. Every day Rachel and I ask each other where has the time gone? We FINALLY got our internet all situated. I've been going over to the local library the past 2 weeks for internet use and have only had time for the bare minimum. The athletes I'm coaching were getting a bit of the short end fo the stick because of my limited email access. It's all good now though as we are pretty much fully settled in at this point. I won't lie...moving is kind of a pain in the butt. When you're a pretty routine guy, change can be tough. I think I've handled pretty well, though, and have really enjoyed getting out to train in my new "playground." I really did not start triathlon until Rachel and I moved to VA Beach. I knew it was hilly in northern MI, but not THIS hilly. I can hardly find a route that doesn't have me climbing for over half the ride. Nothing beats the rush of cranking up a big hill and then just letting er rip down the other side...talk about a rush! The hills for riding and running are definitely going to make me a stronger athlete. Riding out in the Shanty Creek/Schuss Mtn. area is my favorite so far. It's beautiful back there and you can see for miles at some of the tops of the hills.

The Mark Mellon Memorial Triathlon that my father and I are putting on is next weekend. It's going to be a pretty small event this year, but we look to make it a bit bigger each year hopefully. The town of Gaylord has really come together to help make this event happen. As long as we have all of our ducks in a row come race day, I'm even thinking about jumping in the race. We are working with a company (Runner's Edge) who will be doing all of the timing and essentially running the race. We did all the behind the scenes work to get everything ready. I'm really looking forward to next weekend.

That's about all for now. I should be able to post more on a regular basis now that our internet is working. We're off to Gaylord tonight to watch my little brother's soccer game, catch a swim in Big lake and then dinner with my family. Can't beat that!

Rocketts Landing Tri

Very impressed with Melissa Mckendry's race yesterday. She raced very well coming in 1st in her age group and 9th overall. The conditions down here have been crazy hot and she held it together yesterday in less than optimal conditions. She is coming along very nicely and is going to be ready to rip Duathlon Worlds and Age Group Nationals in September. Way to go Melissa!

Mental Conditioning Part 2 and back to MI

Blog number 2 in the mental conditioning series.

On another note...Rachel and I have decided it's time to head back to Michigan. We both have recently been offered jobs in northern MI and everything is pointing us back there. We have enjoyed our time in VA Beach, but it's just not the place we'd ultimately like to be. For our careers I think we are jumping into better opportunities. It's certainly going to be better for raising a family, which we aren't necessarily starting any time soon, but down the road for sure. For triathlon, things will be a bit different, but really it's just going to be a different approach with the winters being longer. My season will start a bit later, but there are a ton of great triathletes from the northeast, midwest, and Colorado...all places with a lot of snow. The training environment up there is as good as anywhere I've seen with endless miles of cycling without having to deal with traffic or stoplights. There are tons of hills for both cycling and running. Running trails are everywhere. I'll have access to two good pools and probably a hundred different fresh water lakes in the summer. Training partners will be a little hard to come by, but I've always done the majority of my stuff solo anyways. I'll be picking back up the winter sports scene with both downhill and xc skiing...talk about good exercise. Coaching wise this won't change anything since everything we do is online and over the phone. There's a good chance I'll be getting into some coaching at the varsity high school level as well.

All in all, we are very excited about getting back. So few good jobs become available up there and for both of us to get a job in the same area is too hard to pass up. We know that's where we wanted to end up...we just didn't know when exactly it would happen. I'll tell ya though...the good Lord has had a big hand in this and has opened one door after another for us. One example is how I got my job. I was going to be up in Michigan for 4 days last weekend for my brother's bachelor party and to enjoy our hometown festival and hang out with friends and family. I got called early last week about scheduling an interview and it just happened to be I was going to be coming there and we did the interview on Friday. The interview was in the morning and they called me back before the day was over to let me know the job was mine if I wanted. There was a real sense of peace about it all.

So that's about it...we'll be moving in less than 2 weeks. It's a little bittersweet, but we're excited to get back closer to family and a more quiet life. If anyone is looking for a good place to do a summer training camp...come on up...you'll love it up there.

Mental Conditioning

Newest blog up on the Landice site.

Finally!

This probably doesn't really warrant a blog, but I'm pumped! After 5 weeks of no running I was finally able to get out this morning for a short run...no watch, didn't care how far I went...just got out and ran for a bit. I thought for sure it would feel awkward and I'd have a little pain...nope! Things are definitely starting to come back around. People keep telling me I've recovered so fast because I'm young...this is probably true, but at the same time when you're as diligent with your recovery plan as you are your normal training I think you can really come back a lot quicker. I took my 2 weeks of doing nothing, but even then I was making sure I rested a ton and iced my shoulder area often. The last 2 weeks I've seen a huge improvement. I've been on the trainer/spin bike/elliptical every day and then also doing some core/lower body work and hitting the pool to aqua jog and do whatever swimming I could (mostly kicking and balance drills). Range of motion in my shoulder area is getting back to normal...but once again it isn't just by chance. I've been doing little exercises to increase the range and get the strength back.

Now I just need to figure out some races for the fall. It's going to be another 4 weeks probably before I feel like I'm actually in some good shape again. So hopefully by the middle/end of August I can be back out there racing.

I know for a lot of people it's probably not all that big of a deal to be out for 5 weeks, but when something is such a big part of your life that's a long time.

See you out there on the roads, trails, or pool soon.

4 Years Already?

It's crazy how quick these last 4 years have gone. Today is Rachel and I's 4th anniversary. It's funny how it seems like our wedding was forever ago, but at the same time these years have flown by. From the day I met Rachel my life has been on an upward swing...it really has. There is something so special about my wife...positive things just attract to her. Her attitude about, well, everything is almost always good. It's exciting to think about what the big guy upstairs has in store for us next. I must share kind of an embarrasing coincidence...so Rachel gets up this morning about 6 and because I'm kind of a slacker in the summer I tend to lay there in bed for a little while longer. Well, as Rachel was getting ready I thought I'd go ahead and give her a card...kind of set the tone for the day right? She loved the card, but she loved it so much...it was the same one she had gotten me...haha. I always think of us as being on the same page on almost everything, but this was a bit much. Between you and I, I think she went snooping around and found my card and then went out and bought the same one to try and be funny:)

Last little note...we were very fortunate to have an uncle of Rachel film almost our entire wedding day and we went through our stuff and found it last night. It brought back a lot of memories and I have still to this day not been to a more fun party. Every dance had a minimum of 50 people dancing. It was intense!

Thanks for being a great wife Rach. This is only the beginning...

How to Enhance Recovery from an Injury

Here is a follow up to last week's blog on Landice.

Macca and the Raelerts

Awesome write up!

Injuries: They're part of the game

I am now going to be writing weekly articles for Landice Fitness. Landice has awesome treadmills and elliptical machines. They're treadmills are ranked #1 in the world. This week's article can be found here . You can also see it here (on the Zoot blog) if you want to see some pics. It has to do with sports injuries being part of the game and what athletes likely go through and ways to come out the other end better than ever. I'll be following it up next week with the steps you should take once you are cleared to begin exercising again.

WTC Proposed Changes

The WTC (World Triathlon Corporation) has recently put out some proposed changes for next year and beyond. Most of these changes are directly related to professional triathletes, but as we all know this will affect age group triathletes as well. The age groupers "pay the bills," if you will, for WTC. Chrissie Wellington wrote an article about her thoughts on the matter. I think it is awesome she is willing to step up and be vocal about this. I think it's obvious to most who participate in any WTC event that Ironman sanctioned races have become more and more focused on the business side of things. I think this is why races like the Rev3 Series are going to become more and more popular and there will be room for another race company or two to step up similar to the way Rev3 has. I plan on doing one of their events in the near future (possibly even the Cedar Point race in mid September). Their entry fee is less and from what it looks/sounds like they put on one heck of an event. Anyways...I thought this would be an interesting read (Chrissie's...not mine:) for those concerned at all about where our sport is going.

Pics from trip to Michigan

Little brother Daniel and I

Ice cream and the Elk Park
Family minus Chuck & Katie...and the baby inside of Liz:)

Rachel, Susie, Jeremy (soon to be bro-in-law), and I

The bro-in-laws


Rachel practicing motherhood

Tri History

Chris McCormack is one of triathlon's biggest personalities today. He has been writing some good blogs recently about the history of triathlon. Anything I've ever been engrossed in I've been very interested in the history of it. Check out this article and go to Chris's website to see more blogs about the history of triathlon...just awesome!

On a side note, I was at Range of Motions the majority of the day today. Nick put together a clinic today on mental conditioning. I learned a lot and will be able to use some of these things for both my own training/racing and also with my coaching. Thanks Nick.

Man I'm itching to get back out there!

Getting There

Well, it's been a crazy couple of weeks. Rachel and I just got back from being in Michigan for a week. Her sister got married and then we were spending time with family and seeking out various opportunities. I will have some pictures from our trip up soon.

There's nothing like being in northern Michigan during the summer. The weather is perfect...high 70s and sunny almost daily. The scenery is awesome and the lifestyle is so much more laid back.

My collarbone is healing nicely and I plan to start some real exercise next week. It is going to be a rough July getting back in shape, but I think by the end of the summer I should be back in top form. I am fortunate to have my summers off from teaching, but I have been plenty busy with traveling as of late and also my coaching. It was kind of odd, the week after my bike incident happened I picked up a nice crew of athletes. It's almost as if they knew I was going to have lots of free time on my hands. Anyways, it's been a pleasure working with the various athletes that I am.

Speaking of that, this is long overdue with me having very limited internet access while I was away...but I wanted to congratulate Melissa Mckendry on her 6th place overall finish at the Old Point Tidewater International Triathlon. I have also worked with Juliet Adams this year and she was able to take 2nd place overall at the Old Point Sprint Tri. If I told you how little Juliet trained you would not believe it...they key is what you're doing with the time you spend training. She has been a huge asset to me this year with my swimming as she runs Stroke Focus in VA Beach. Carol Cohee up in the Boston area completed the 150 mile Brewery to Brewery ride with over 7,ooo feet of climbing. Talk about a big accomplishment. Lastly, Tad Derrick finished in the top 15 at Old Point Sprint. Tad is fresh out of high school and has a bright future ahead of him.

That's about it for now. I see the doctor on Monday again to see how well I have healed up. I can't wait to get back training and racing.

Thanks for reading.

Well That Wasn't Part of the Plan

I am not sure why some things happen, but I am a big believer that all things do happen for a reason and the big guy in the sky has a plan.

This past Sunday, I crashed on my bike at the Breezy Point triathlon in Norfolk, VA. It was a pretty freak thing and I'm still not sure exactly what happened. As I was coming into t2 it was quite confusing and congested. For some reason there was no dismount line or not one that I saw and there was a line of cones in front of the opening to go into t2 that they hadn't moved yet from the morning. This coupled with me hammering too hard in trying to catch the few guys who had just entered or left t2...next thing I know my front wheel slid out and I'm laying on the ground. I was knocked out for a brief moment as I laid there on my stomach. When I woke up I remember hearing Rachel's voice (thank God she was right there) and then people shouting for an ambulance. When I finally realized what had happened the EMTs were there and tried to get me to roll over...it wasn't happening. I knew something was up as my neck was very sore and my left shoulder/collarbone was all messed up. I was in a good amount of pain, but all I could think about was how mad I was to not finish the race and it set in that there was no way I'd be racing at Eagleman a week later. The ambulance got me to the ER and they got me all situated. It was not the best way to spend a Sunday morning, especially the day before your birthday!

Monday came and I had to see an orthopedic doctor as my fracture was pretty bad. It turned out that I did need surgery to ensure that it would heal properly so that is scheduled for tomorrow. I've never had surgery so I'm a bit nervous, but I've had a few people tell me they know of the doctor I'm working with and that he's very good at what he does.

I don't know why this had to happen, but there is nothing I can do about it at this point besides look forward to getting better so that I can train/race again. I am confident I'll heal fast and be back out there before I know it. It truly is amazing the people that come together to help you out in times like this. I've gotten so many calls/messages/emails from people...some I hardly know at all. I'm very lucky to have so many caring people in my life. Rachel, especially, has been awesome. It's like having your own personal nurse at home. She's been a huge help in helping me feel better. I have already set up a nice little team to help me get healthy again once I am cleared to start doing some PT and light exercise. Balance Massage and Range of Motions are committed to helping me get back to 100%. I'm very thankful to have them on my side. I've been talking with Diane Haupt too about what we can do to get me back quick.

At the end of the day, an injury like this is never easy, but really it's not a big deal at all. There are so many people who have way worse things to deal with. I am very fortunate that my principal at school and colleagues have stepped up and basically told me they don't want me coming back to work until I'm healthy. The end of the school year is Wednesday so I'm basically done. I want to try to get in to see the kids one last time before summer starts, but we'll see how the surgery goes.

I can't express my thanks enough to all of you who have helped me this past week. All of the little messages and phone calls really do help.

I'm already targeting a couple races this fall and planning the training I'll need to do to get back!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend as I know a lot of people have targeted Eagleman in the hampton roads area as a big race and there is also the Hampton sprint and olympic this weekend. I have a few athletes racing and I'm very excited to see how they all do. They've been working hard!

Paparazzi

Not often do I blog twice in one day, but I remembered my students at school talking about this kid who sang the Paparazzi song my Lady Gaga.

Now, sure he does a good job of singing the song...but knowing middle school kids pretty well I'd say it's even more impressive that he's that willing to throw out this performance in front of his peers without holding back at all. Notice all the girls in his class who go from thinking he is pretty geeky to wanting to date him...haha. There are some very talented people in this world...very cool to see this kid so into the moment and confident.

Where would we be without youtube!

Exciting Times Ahead

It's another beautiful day here in Virginia Beach. Rode my bike to the track this morning, did 5 miles worth of work along with some drills, and rode home. Days like this make it hard to ever want to leave this area.

This is always an exciting time of year. Memorial Day always brings a 3.5 day weekend where I can get in some solid training and then relax. Weather is always about perfect. The school year is almost done. I have Breezy Point and Eagleman to race so I can use the fitness I have worked so hard for all winter/spring. We also tend to make a trip home the weekend after Eagleman and this year will be no different as Rachel's sister is getting married. Lots of stuff to be excited about.

It amazes me how much Rachel and I continue to be blessed. Things just keep ticking along and opportunity after opportunity keeps arising. I really think being with Rachel has a lot to do with it all. She brings out the best in me and others. She just attracts positive situations. The Lord dealt me a great hand by bringing her into my life.

Okay, sorry for a bit of gushiness. I hope no one throws up when they read that...haha.

The support I continue to get from both Balance Massage and Range of Motions is second to none. Both of these places are leaders in their respective fields. I know of several people in the Hampton Roads area that have started to work with both of these places and I've heard nothing but positive talk. If you haven't heard of them yet or given them a try check them out to the right of my blog.

Along with that, I have been extremely impressed with the Zoot Ultra team and what they have helped us with. I was a little hesitant early on this year as taking on some sponsors was all new to me and I didn't know what lied in store. Jake and the others associated with the team have taken very good care of us and help us with whatever we need. I just recently received a box of shoes from them and will be wearing their new racers in my upcoming races.

Things on the coaching front have kind of taken off here in the last few weeks. I am very fortunate to work with the athletes I do. They are all hard working, kind people. I can't wait to see how they all do in upcoming races.

I must admit that weekends like this are hard to be away from home. My sister's baby shower was this weekend so the majority of my family was up in Gaylord enjoying each other. We'll be home a few times this summer for various occasions so it's all good! I think it's rare these days for big families to all get along. Somehow ours does and it's a lot of fun whenever we all get together.

Being Memorial Day tomorrow it's important that we all take a step back and remember the reason for this holiday. Thank you to all those who gave their lives and those that continue to fight for our country.

Okay, off to the pool for a short swim. Hopefully, I'll have some good news to share after the next 2 races. Have fun out there at the races and give it your all!

Sharpen the blade and coaching

This last phase of training leading into Eagleman and the first big race of the season is all about sharpening up and doing a good amount of intensity. I was definitely pretty "based out" as I could see my top end speed on the bike/run front was lacking. It's tricky do get your yearly progression correct. If you start in with all the sharpening that will lead you to peaking too early then you will arrive on race day feeling flat. The same can happen if you wait and start sharpening too late. For the most part, even though we do a fair amount of intensity on the cycling front in the winter, the entire winter/spring months are base or strength oriented. This is very Lydiard-like. It does not take much to get your body to peak...usually a good 4 - 6 weeks at most. I have a ways to go still, but can tell my body is craving the higher intensity work.

Having a coach is so important in helping one figure all of this out. Most of the generic online training programs out there will work just fine if you can guarantee an uninterrupted 6 or so months of training without incorporating any races or life circumstances like illness, work, family, weather, etc. I think the number one reason to have a coach is just that, to have someone help you adjust the plan when something comes into play that interrupts that periodization. I tried the whole come up with your own training plan thing and think at times I could do it again if I had to, but why not have another person or better yet an entire team where you can go for feedback about one of the various topics of triathlon. I have been involved in triathlon for 3.5 years now and it has been the hardest sport to figure out. I played pretty much every main stream American sport out there while growing up and triathlon has taken the most effort/focus to try and master (minus golf...I'm getting frustrated just thinking about it!). With there being 3 sports to consider for triathlon you not only have to work on the 3 disciplines separately, but also how they all fit in together.

I have been very privileged to work with Janda these last couple of years. I hope I can bring the same quality to the table for the athletes I work with as he provides his athletes. There are a lot of coaches out there who charge way more than they are worth, but there are also people out there who charge a very affordable rate where you'll get what you pay for if not more. I mean seriously, the people who charge $300-$500+, what more can they possibly be providing for you besides saying you are coached by a big name person who probably coaches some big name pros? Are they doing the race for you? Paying for your race fees or something? Some of these guys/gals are legit. They've spent the time getting the proper education and experience from working with hundreds of athletes who have done well. Others, though, have no business charging what they do. At the end of the day, it comes down to how much time/effort the coach is going to spend to help you reach your goals. Finding someone who you can trust and who has similar beliefs as to how things should be done is crucial when finding the right coach. I have now recommended 3 friends to start working with Janda and I wouldn't have done so if I didn't think he was the absolute best coach for the cost out there. I've researched people all over the country and have yet to find someone doing better work.

3 weeks from Sunday until Eagleman. I'm looking forward to seeing my brother Mike, who is coming down to race with his fiance' Alaina. Mike has a bright future ahead of him in triathlon and whatever else he puts his mind.

Thanks for reading and go out and get some people in your corner to help you achieve your triathlon goals. Call it a coach if you want, or just at least get together with some training partners and share emails or meet up once in a while to share information. Email or ask questions in person to those who have had some success in the sport. I have met very few people in this sport who are too good to help someone out. Lots of nice/giving people in this sport. The learning curve for triathlon is huge...try to close that gap.

Where did the soreness go?

I can't believe things didn't turn out better this past weekend. I did not race any where near what I'm capable of. I was a little sore the day after, but since then I've felt like I didn't even race at all this past weekend let alone a half ironman. Usually, it takes me a solid week before I can get back at it and feel normal again. Oh well...this will be good looking ahead to Eagleman.

The next two weeks will be all about sharpening up and finally getting in some higher intensity running and longer sustained threshold work on the bike. This is going to give me a big boost going into Eagleman. To this point nearly everything has been base work/strength oriented training. Went to swim practice this morning at Virginia Weslayan. The group I swim with is TAC and there is not a better group to swim with in hampton roads that will push you to get better. If you're a triathlete and looking to work hard in the water...you need to get there. It's MWF at 6AM. Two of the fastest swimmers in the area just came back so that will be fun getting our butts kicked by them day after day. I was swimming 1:15 pace or just under for the various sets today and I was only faster than 2 or 3 guys.

I am done not racing to my ability level. This past weekend was a nice wake up call that you can't just turn up to races and do well. You need to be focused and be in attack mode. You can't be complacent in the half ironman distance and below if you want to do well. I did not want it bad enough this past weekend. From now on I'm going to be taking a bit of a different mindset heading into races.

Check out something Janda is working on. Correct run form is crucial. All of his and my athletes are working on improving their run form.

Came across this video of Courtney Atkinson . He was 2nd at the 2nd round of the ITU World Championship Series this past weekend. Pretty cool to have Red Bull as a main sponsor!

Lastly, there is a practice triathlon going on at Final Kick this coming Sunday. What a great way to practice some pacing and transitions before Breezy Point. Give the store a call if you'd like to sign up!

Kinetic Bust

Well, today definitely did not go the way I wanted it to...but the longer I do this sport I realize how little you actually feel 100% on the top of your game. I ended up 5th overall with a time of 4:25, but then found out a got a drafting penalty...haha...and after I made a stink of things regarding the recent Duathlon Nationals. I talked to the head referee, and she tells me I was passed in the first 5 miles of the bike and did not give the guy his 7 meters before I went back around him. I told her I never even saw a draft marshall and I guess the call was made from a bit behind. How can you tell how much room I gave the guy ahead of me then? There was no point in arguing though...serves me right I guess after complaining about drafting so much. I'm just going to chalk this race up to me just having one of those days where you just feel really average and have a hard time getting going. I'm fully confident I will get things turned around in time for Eagleman. Still took a few positives away and had some fun!

Final Kick Gear Swap

If you're in the Hampton Roads area at all on Saturday, Final Kick Sports (located off Great Neck Rd. about a 1/2 mile before Shore Dr.) is having a triathlon gear swap. There is always a lot of good items there to choose from. This is a great way for someone who is just getting into the sport to pick up some quality equipment for a low cost. I brought about 15 items there yesterday...everything was priced $5 or below and there are some items in there that I paid $50+ for. Regardless, it's a fun event and a good way to meet some fellow triathletes. Who knows, maybe you can meet a new training partner. Unfortunately, I can't make it because I'll be up racing at Kinetic. Okay...gotta run. My school is having an activity night so I have to go organize some stuff.

Here We Go

Triathlon season has officially arrived. This weekend I'll be competing in my first tri of the year. The race is at Lake Anna State Park in VA and is called the Kinetic half ironman. It's a really beautiful area and it will be nice to get away for a couple of days. The course should suit me well. I have been feeling quite good with my training as of late and will actually be going into this race a bit rested. When I was planning the races for this year I talked to Janda and we decided that doing a half before Eagleman would be a really good idea. Eagleman has been my big race of the first part of the season for 3 years now. The last two years I've gone into it as my first half of the season. It has worked out pretty well, but my 2nd half ironman of the year is always a bit better. I think it's simply because you get used to that pain again and you also reap a lot of fitness benefits from that first half. It also serves as a nice reality check and allows you to tweak a couple of things with 5 weeks in between races. We chose Kinetic because it has some hills on the bike and run and well, it's tougher than a course like Eagleman or White Lake. This should make Eagleman all the more tolerable. For a smaller event (about 600 people) there will be some very good competition at this race. I'm confident I can be towards the pointy end and contest for the win. I'm still fired up about what went down at Du Nationals so the motivation has been extremely high. To steal a quote from the great Steve Prefontaine, "I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it." Can't wait to get out there and have some fun.

Changing directions...a quick shout out to my mother as it was her birthday yesterday. My mom is an awesome woman. She has always put my 5 siblings and I first no matter what. With mother's day quickly approaching, make sure you do something special for your mom. Thanks for everything mom!

Lastly, check out this interview with Chris Solinski and Simon Bairu (who broke the Canadian 10k record the same night Solinski broke the U.S. record).

New American 10k Record

Wow! Chris Solinski smashed the American 10k record on his first attempt at the distance. Speed is so important to doing well at the longer distances. Love the work ethic of these guys from the midwest. Chris went to Wisconsin and is originally from there. Check out the race here .

Trail run anyone?

Came across this sweet video of Bevan Docherty, one of the best triathletes in the world. He won a silver at the 2004 Olympics and then a bronze at the '08 games. Bevan won the first world championship series race this year for ITU racing. He's definitely one of the toughest guys out there. If this video doesn't make you want to get out for a run then something is wrong.

Okay off for a ride to the track, 4 miles worth of work with Joel, and then ride home. Beautiful day here in Virginia Beach.

DuNats Pics and Jack Daniels

A few pictures from the race last weekend.

I also thought I'd share the newest addition to Thirsty Thursdays on flotrack. Jack Daniels is one of the best running coaches of all time. Here it is.

Duathlon Nationals

Just a quick update on how Duathlon Nationals went. I'll put some pictures up in a couple of days with maybe a little more of a recap. The short of it was I came 2nd in the 25-29 age group and was 13th overall. The overall winner was in my age group so that kind of stunk. He ran like a darn deer (both 5ks=sub 15:30). Ran my fastest 5k ever and it was in the first leg of a duathlon. Biked my ass off and rode by almost everyone in my age group and the one below mine. I then watched about 5 or 6 guys run away from me, most of which I saw blatantly drafting on the bike. I'm getting tired of this happening in these bigger races and yes for some it is hard to avoid at times b/c of the nature of the course, but for others who do not even try to get away and ride their own ride this disgusts me. I guess at the end of the day each of these people know whether or not they deserved their result. Personally, I'd rather be 13th place and know I raced the race on my own effort rather than a higher place off a mostly free bike ride. Sorry for the rant...it's just getting old. You work your butt off to be as versatile a multi-sport athlete as possible and then you get beat by men (boys?) who don't have enough self respect to compete to truly test themselves.

Congrats to a lot of local people who raced very well today. Sam won the 20-24 age group. Joel was 15th I think overall. Todd Bibb had a great race and was right up there in the top few on both the runs. He's going to be scary at duathlon once he gets some more riding under his belt. Jacob Anderson improved on his race from last year in a big way. I know Leslie Fedon had a good one. Tad Derrick and Jeremy Davidson were up there getting after it too. Unfortunately, Denise Woods got a flat on the bike...she seemed in good spirits afterwards regardless of the fact. I saw some other Final Kick jerseys out there and they all looked like they were giving it their all. Next race = Kinetic half ironman on May 8th. Thanks for reading.

Anna Maria Island

Here are some pictures from spring break 2 weeks ago. My family has been going to Anna Maria Island for years...it's a great place to get away for a week. Had to show the picture of my grandpa. There was a band playing quite a few oldies and after a few beers he was up singing and dancing. Never a dull moment with him around! It was really a great trip and I am already looking forward to next year.

Conquer the Canal TT

I did the Conquer the Canal 20k TT today. It was a fun way to get in a solid bike session. I faired pretty well in the Cat 5 race, taking 1st place. I was pretty happy with my power numbers and time, especially going sans race wheels. I was even happier how the half ironman intervals went afterwards...they felt like cake compared to the TT effort. Followed that up with a nice t-run to finish out the morning. I wasn't done yet though. Headed home to get some lunch and then I was off to Range of Motions for a 2 o'clock workout with Nick. We did some new stuff today and it was good, but tough! I am glad word is catching on how good of a thing Nick has going. Coaches and athletes in the area are taking a liking to it. Stopped by Final Kick afterwards to build up a bike and then it was home to my lovely wife who was making some homemade pizza for dinner. She's awesome. Now it's American Gangster on TNT. Another solid training day tomorrow to cap the week.

Life is good.

Dynamic Health Services- Diane Haupt

Many in the Hampton Roards area know of Diane Haupt. She has been the top female triathlete in the area for a while now. Unfortunately, this winter she had a bit of a bike accident and so she'll be sitting most of this season out.

Diane owns Dynamic Health Services in Virginia Beach. It is located inside the Fitness 24-7 Club on Little Neck Rd. Diane is a physical therapist by profession, but does a number of other things. Yesterday I did a lactate threshold test for the run and also gait analysis. Looking at the results...things are looking good for Eagleman. I am very aerobically fit right now. I have some work to do on my top end, but when your focus is long course triathlon it's tough to have both. Both of these things are going to be very beneficial to me as I go on with the season and seasons to come. An LT test is so important because it is really the only true way to see how your body is responding to training. Sure you can go by feel/pace/hr for running, but with the test you know exactly where you stand and therefore what needs to be worked on from a physiological standpoint. The gait analysis is just as important. Running economy is most likely the #1 determinant of long distance running/triathlon. It is essentially how much energy you are using at a given pace. This has everything to do with one's running form. A lot of people do not give enough credit to the importance of run technique. Well, this is going to be changing...especially for triathlon. Bobby McGee spoke at the USAT clinic I attended in Charlotte this winter and he was adamant that run technique needs to be focused on almost as much as swim technique. There is so much free speed out there and it could be a matter of tweaking just some minor technique flaws. I think my run form is decent, but I also know there is room for improvement. With Diane's help and then help from Janda as he'll be able to see the video too...hopefully we can knock off a few seconds a mile. If you live in the area and want to get faster...go see Diane for these services. She provides an excellent service.

Dynamic is where it's at

My coach, and the guy I coach under... Janda Ricci-Munn has some recent blogs/podcasts up over at Landice. Go here to check it out. This stuff has been around for a bit now, but there is more and more proof of the benefits of warming up dynamically as opposed to just static stretching. It's kind of funny, as Nick at Range of Motions just posted his own little video showing a little different way to go about warming up in a dynamic fashion. I think there is a time for static stretching post workout, but that's about it.

Just got a nice sized box from Zoot so I'll have another blog up soon...what a cool company!

PowerBar

My first shipment from Powerbar arrived today. Lots of good stuff!

Range of Motions- what is it?

I have been doing weekly sessions with Nick at Range of Motions now for a solid 3 months. It has been a huge addition to my arsenal. A lot of people have asked me what it is we do. Well, Nick has written a blog giving a great description. Here it is.

Virginia Duathlon

Had a pretty solid start to the multi-sport season today. 3rd overall at the Virginia Duathlon. Above are a couple of pictures and a short flip video my wonderful wife took. Wasn't my best race and made a few mistakes, but not bad considering how early in the year it is. It's a good 10 weeks until Eagleman so lots of time to get where I need to be. Congrats to Sam for taking the win today. He's about as good of an age group duathlete in the country there is. He's definitely been hitting it hard on the bike and run front this winter. Will be fun competing against Sam for years to come. Joel had a good race too coming 5th. Thanks to Janda, super coach. The guy is by far the best coach I've come in contact with. Nick at Range of Motions is keeping me injury free and stronger/more flexible each week. David, with Balance Massage has it going on. I haven't seen a better massage group in the area yet. The therapists there are awesome. Last shout out goes to Jim and Dani at Final Kick. It's a privilege to represent FK. I must say the FK crew definitely handed it to people today with Sam winning and Joel coming 5th as well. Stop and check out Final Kick...they have everything you need for triathlon/running.

Ryan Hall

Very good article about Ryan Hall...go here to check it out.

Range of Motions

A lot of people have been asking me what I do when I go to my weekly session with Nick at Range of Motions. Well, here is a video that gives a glimpse into what we do there. Some of the exercises may look a bit odd, but Nick can explain everyone in detail and it's purpose. I have gotten a lot stronger and more flexible since starting to work with Nick. It is translating well to my swim, bike, run training too!

Triathlon History- Non draft Short Course

I'm always interested in the history of triathlon. Here is a cool blog that Greg Remaly posted recently. It's a good one!

Rachel's Birthday

Well, Rachel turned 24 this past week. We celebrated by going out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. This is one of our favorite places to eat in Virginia Beach and also the first place we went on a date when I first came out to visit Rachel here before we were married. Basically, you go there and eat...but the meal is really just something to pass the time until the cheescake menu is brought out:) It's worth every bite!

Great weekend of training. The weather here is getting better by the day. Felt so good to ride and run outside.

A part of the message at church this morning really hit home..."What is your school bus?" Sounds kind of odd, but there was a story about Nick Saban's (head football coach at Alabama) youth years that went along with it. His father bought a school bus and picked up the local boys for pop warner football practice every afternoon and also for the games. Had Nick's dad not bought that bus there would have been no football for Nick Saban...one of the best coaches out there today.

Everyone has different opportunities put before them in life. Don't be afraid to seize those opportunities and make something of them. Often times these opportunities involve more than just yourself.

One other part that was emphasized today was to not worry about the "stuff." We get caught up with what we have...possessions. At the end of the day do they really matter and make you happy? I'm as guilty as anyone of this. We should really be concerned with things like what's inside of you and how are you impacting others for good. As Rachel sees day in and day out, life on earth can be over so quick and unexpected. It's not worth it to dread all the silly little things. Focus on people and relationships.

That's big time Hunter

Hunter Kemper is the man...awesome videos on his site. This one in particular tells a lot about him as a person. Here is another one.

Landice Treadmill blog contributor

Landice Treadmills have some of the best treadmills out there. I am going to be periodically contributing articles their blog . There is some excellent information on this blog talking about training, racing, nutrition, etc. Hopefully you get a chance to check it out as it's really a great resource for endurance athletes.

March Already?

Hard to believe it's March already. Triathlon season is right around the corner with races in the U.S. happening I think as early as next week (Miami Olympic). I am excited to do my first triathlon of the year (May 8th), but first up I have a couple of duathlons to get after. One the end of this month and then Duathlon Nationals the end of April. Duathlons are a lot of fun, but boy do they hurt!

I did my first outdoor ride of the year today. The last couple of years I've ridden at least a few times during the winter, but because of the poor weather we've had and the fact that I don't mind the trainer and have seen good results from that work it wasn't too disheartening to prolong the outdoor riding. It is time, though, to start getting outside a few times a week in addition to a staple trainer session each week. I was probably a bit ambitious on today's ride going with just water, but because it was just all long, fairly easy riding I figured I'd be good to go. I was fine, but I was super hungry when I got home...nothing a little eggs and bacon couldn't take care of upon my return:)

Speaking of cycling, I did my 2nd power test of the year this past Friday. Joel, Brian, and I met up in Brian's garage and we all pounded it out together. It's a nice bit of extra motivation that can go a long way in helping you get the best out of your testing. Janda actually had the majority of his athletes test this weekend and there were some awesome results. A minimum of 5% power increases for just about everyone (in 6 weeks), with several people close to 10% or above. Bottom line is...the cycling we do works. I was not expecting much since I have been focusing more on my running and only riding about 3-4 hours a week. Those hours were highly structured, but to make the jump I did was not expected at all. My ceiling has definitely been raised...now it's time to start working on raising my lower zones closer and closer to that ceiling. I'm lucky to be working as both an athlete and assistant coach under JRM. The guy is steadily rising to the top as one of the best coaches in the U.S. I really think the work I'm doing at Range of Motions and Balance Massage are working wonders too. It pays to take proper care of your body.

Yesterday, I attended a swim clinic put on by swim guru Juliet Adams. She owns a company called Stroke Focus and does a great job teaching proper swim mechanics. It's always good to refresh yourself on how you're "supposed to" swim. I always learn something new from Juliet...even if it's just a little cue to think about when doing this or that drill.

Spring is right around the corner now as it's looking to be at least 50 if not 60 degrees for the next 10 days...now we're talking. It just brings a sense of life to everything. Lots of people are outside walking, jogging, or riding their bikes. Kids are playing outside. It's not dark when I finish my first workout or BEFORE I start my second one of the day. All good stuff.

Talking about spring, the amount of people on the trails yesterday was awesome. If you ever come to Virginia Beach and are around on the weekend...you should definitely try to swing by Final Kick for a run at 7:30AM on Saturdays. There are groups of all ability levels and the people are all very friendly. There will be people running anywhere from 20+ miles to as little as a couple of miles.

Well, I should have my new Orbea Ordu coming in a week or two. The Zoot team has helped us get the ball rolling with some equipment for the upcoming season and it's exciting to be involved with some great companies. The 3 guys in charge of the team have been very helpful. I just can't wait to get on the Ordu and see what it can do.

Last, but not least, you have to love March if not for anything else that March Madness is here. There is nothing better than the excitement of the tournament basketball games. I'm hoping Michigan State can pull things together in a similar fashion to last year. Kentucky is who I like to win the whole thing. John Wall is ridiculous!

Ok...this is really the last thing...I'm going to try to post a youtube clip to most blogs now. This week's one is a song by Need to Breath. I'm hoping these can inspire at least one person. If it does that it's worth it. There are a lot of people struggling in this world today. If how you've lived your life isn't working all that well...why not try to get a little help from the man upstairs. He's a pretty good dude once you get to know him.