Lots going on

The human body definitely surprises you at times. I thought for sure after I took 2 weeks of doing completely nothing that it would take me all of December if not well into January before I started to feel back to normal. Every year after I've taken some down time after my season, the fitness has come back quicker. I feel that taking about 2 weeks off was perfect. I was refreshed mentally and I think that is enough time to shed any fatigue that has been carried after a long season...as well as help any little nagging injury you may have had. I'm not saying I would be able to handle a 4 hour progressive ride or 5 miles worth of intervals at the track right now...but I'm happy with how things are looking heading into 2010 and I'm ready to start hitting it and making some improvements come January. I have some big goals for the year and I think I'm very capable of reaching them if I put in the proper work.

On the swim front I have gotten some help from Juliet Adams. We did some under water video taping and figured out a couple of key things to work on so that I can drop my swim times even more. I've also been working with Steve Harrison a bit and he really knows his stuff. He's looking to hopefully start up a master's program here soon. More on that hopefully soon. The good thing is both of them basically told me the same thing as far as what I need to do to improve. It's a difficult thing to do...change something when you have already had some success doing it your way. The key I think is making small adjustments over time. I think I could probably keep improving a bit if I kept on the way I was, but at some point I need to start swimming with the proper technique. It will be easier down the road and if I ever want to get to the point where I can swim sub 26 for the 70.3 distance this is the only way. Steve made a very interesting comment last week...he said "It's easy to swim bad." Swimming hurts when doing it correctly, but once you adapt the improvements are dramatic.

The cycling has pretty much been the same as the past two seasons. We're just sprinkling in the intensity right now to prep for the real work to begin in January. Lots of VO2 max, threshold, and big gear work. The big gear session I did this week was tough, but man does it do wonders for gaining power. I can't wait to take my cycling to another new level this year. I made some big improvement last year, but don't see why I can't make another jump.

Running is going to be a bit different this winter. I'm going to be doing some more intensity, but also keeping my volume quite high. I'm going to utilize some good group sessions to get the best out of myself. This has already begun as this week I met up with Todd Bibb, a great runner and soon to be great multi-sport athlete. Usually Dai Roberts does this run too and I'm trying to convince Joel to join us eventually too. We did the 10 mile loop this week in under 1:04. For me, that's quite fast for this time of year. I think utilizing group training can really help one improve. The key is finding people to train with who aren't trying to "race" you every time out. Yes, you want to push each other...but it's important to have respect for everyone's agenda as it tends to always be slightly different.

The resistance training is starting to get better. I feel stronger every week and can now actually do a respectable amount of pull-ups. It is sometimes tough getting in all these RT sessions, but it's worth it. This work prevents a lot of injuries and if you get injured later in the season it can really set you back.

I'm very excited for my friend Brian, who has just committed to working with Janda for the 2010 season. I know he is going to be killing it this year. It will be fun this spring since him, Joel and I will all be on a similar timeline as we're doing Eagleman and he's doing Mooseman.

I've been listening to some podcasts from the Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre while doing some of my trainer sessions. If you get a chance...check them out here . Many of them are good, but the two best so far have been the Jack Daniels one and then Tim Noakes. Jack Daniels has been around forever and has worked with a ton of elite runners. He hits on a lot of good points. One key thing I took away from his talk was how an athlete needs to be in a place that they are motivated and love training. For example, if an athlete is at altitude, has a great sports science environment, good medical support, a group to train with, but is unhappy for whatever reason (maybe no family or friends around, not comfortable financially or otherwise) they will not flourish. Athletes also need to enjoy the training they are doing as this goes a long way for longevity in the sport. Noakes' central governor theory is very interesting. I think a lot of it makes sense and is the missing piece to the puzzle for a lot of athletes who already know how to put in the work. These podcasts are a must listen for any endurance athlete or coach.

Our Cycling workshop has been going really well. The people in the class are working hard and motivated to improve. This past week we tested them all. It's going to be fun seeing how much everyone improves.

Rachel and I leave for Michigan on Wednesday. It's been too long since we've been home. I can't wait to hang out with my family. We always have a great time while we're home. I'm most excited to see my little brother open gifts Christmas morning.
Kona viewing this afternoon...4:30 on NBC...don't miss it!

An Amazing Wife

Today's blog entry is devoted to my wife Rachel. For those that know us closely, you know what Rachel has gone through the last 4 years in order for her to get her bachelor's degree. When I married Rachel I knew there was something very special inside of her. She has worked so hard, working 40+ hours a week and attending school full time...not to mention taking care of me (probably the most difficult of all of that). I would not have even dreamed of doing this while going to college. I wouldn't have been able to do it. She just went about her business as her upbeat/kind self and rarely complained. A lot can be accomplished when someone really buckles down and believes they can do something. We have been very blessed since we started our lives together and this is another important stepping stone. I'm not sure who is happier that she is done, her or me? It will be very nice being able to do things on weekends now without having to worry about what test or paper (which I wrote my fair share of btw:) is coming up next. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much longer I'll now be able to put off the whole having children thing. Before now I always had the "Well you need to finish school and then we can think about it." I'm just kidding...for the most part. So congrats babe...you're awesome! I know your Dad is very proud of what you have accomplished.

Back At It

It has felt good to be back training again, although it's really just getting the body moving again. December will be a gradual build up, prepping the body for the real work to begin after the first of the year. I am back doing some resistance training again, by the way of suspension ropes. This is one of the best ways out there for triathletes to incorporate sport specific movements into their resistance/core training. The best thing about these ropes is that you can do the workout anywhere. Every exercise forces you to use your core in one way or another and you are always working those little stabilizer muscles that often times get neglected when doing traditional weight training.

I have another sponsor to add after meeting with Erica from Essential Wellness. This is something I'm very excited about and know it is going to help me raise my triathlon game to a higher level. Erica focuses mainly on manual therapy, but they also have a nutritionist, chiropractor, yoga/psychologist, and more. I will be keeping a journal of how these different sessions are helping me get the most out of my body and mind as the 2010 season progresses. There will be a link to the journal up soon on their website. This is definitely going to be a weapon I have that most age groupers do not!

Joel and I's winter cycling workshop is starting this Wednesday. It's going to be a lot of fun helping these people reach their goals. Unfortunately, we have sold out the first session...but there is room in the 2nd one so if you're in the Hampton Roads area and are interested shoot me an email. Don't get left behind, as the people attending this workshop are going to be flying by the competition in 2010!

I'm also excited to get some really hands on swim coaching next week. I've heard a lot of good things about Juliet Adams and her swim instruction. We're going to be doing some underwater video taping next week and hopefully correcting a few flaws with my swim stroke. Now is the time to do these sort of things so shoot her an email if you're looking to improve your swim: strokefocus@gmail.com

It's hard to believe it's already December. Before long Rachel and I will be home to Michigan for Christmas. I can't wait to get out and x-country ski. I'm excited to see my whole family, but especially my little brother and sister. I like it out here in VA Beach, but I hate not seeing them grow up. No worries though as we are going to see them quite a bit in the next year.

I'm picking up my first 2010 bike build from Final Kick tommorrow. It's always nice seeing the new features and paint schemes of the Cervelo's up close. They are having quite the holiday sales right now so stop by and see them!

Running with the Legends and the Limiting Factor

I have always been very interested in what great athletes from all sports have done in the past. I think a lot can be learned from these athletes. I have been reading "Running with the Legends," by Michael Sandrock and man it's a good one (thanks for the recommendation Janda). It basically tells the condensed life story of 21 of the greatest runners of all time. It is all very interesting, but what I like reading about most is the different training methods these phenoms used. So far, the two who have stuck out the most are Emil Zatopek and Lasse Viren. I have known of these two for a while now, but this book gives some great insight into what kind of people these 2 were and how they trained. I wonder where we'd be today if it weren't for Zatopek. The guy basically started 2 key training principles that are vital to endurance athletes, interval training and tapering. One session that he did often was 20x200, 40x400, and then another 20x200...all with 200 meter jog recoveries. That's kind of taking it to the exreme, but it worked for him and allowed him to be the only athlete ever to win the 5k, 10k, and marathon at the same Olympics (1952). Viren was pretty impressive himself, winning the 5k/10k double in back to back Olympics. He had a special ability to peak for the Olympics. He would often times get beat in races all over the world, but come that Olympic year he was in top form. It talked in the book about Viren doing upwards of 200 miles a week for weeks on end during his base phase. That's incredible. I don't want to give too much about the book away, but this is a must read for any runner/multi-sport athlete.

Changing direction a bit, in running and multi-sport there is so much knowledge out there today about training and racing. Often times I think this can be very overwhelming. I think one of the best things an athlete can do is create or have someone help you create a sound training program and then just STICK with it. I know a lot of people who will change a program a few times a year because they read something somewhere and doubt what they are doing so they change things up. Now, I'm all for spicing things up a bit in training to keep things interesting, but there are key training principles that need to stay constant in one's program. Here is an article written by Janda Ricci-Munn that covers some of these very important concepts. I think this is an excellent article...especially as people are starting to plan for 2010. Enjoy: http://landiceblog.com/?p=105#more-105.

Thanksgiving

Yesterday, Rachel and I joined her sister Katie and husband Chuck to help at a nursing home in Norfolk. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a great experience and we were able to help some people have a very nice Thanksgiving meal. It was quite eye opening and really hit home how fortunate we are and how for granted we take our health. One particular man, probably in his 70s or so, did not have either of his legs and he was up on crutches thanking people and in good spirits...pretty inspiring. Another woman, just a tiny one, asked that people call her Mother something or another and she was playing the piano while some of the others living there sang. Kind of reminded me of the scene on Wedding Singer where the grandma sings a rap song. It was entertaining and they were having fun:) All in all, we walked away giving extra thanks on the day.

Afterwards, we came back to our place and had a dinner of our own. We actually picked up a dinner from Harris Teeter that was pre made and all we had to do was heat everything up. Yes, our mothers and grandmothers would probably be ashamed...but it's tough cooking a big meal for 4 people. It ended up working out great and the food was delicious. A little tradition the girls had while growing up and I know my family did this a few different years too, was to go around the table and each person has to say what they are thankful for. I said I was thankful for how healthy we all were and how, for the most part, all of our extended families have been healthy too. After the meal, Chuck and I watched our oh so sorry Lions get their butts handed to them again...a pretty sad game to watch...kind of like a couple of bad college teams. The girls were planning a winter trip back to Michigan to get together with their sisters, mom, grandma and other family members on their dad's side to celebrate 10 years since their father has passed. I often wish I would have met him as he sounds like he was a pretty remarkable man.

So, that's that, another successful Thanksgiving in the books. It's hard being so far from family at times, but days like yesterday make it a lot easier.

Lucky for me, Rachel works today so I won't be coerced into any black Friday shopping craziness.

JRM Sport Specific Training Services

This is an exciting blog to write about. This has been in the works for a bit now, but now that the '09 season is over it is time to turn this into reality. I have been coached by Janda Ricci-Munn since late summer of 2007. From the time I started working with him until now, I have grown a lot as an athlete and person. Janda has helped me get a lot faster as a triathlete, but he's also taught me a ton about all facets of this sport along the way. It's amazing what you can accomplish when two people (athlete and coach) work hard together. I can say without a doubt that Janda works as hard if not harder than any coach around and he flat out knows his stuff. Any of his athletes/competition would say the same. I would hate to race Janda as tenacious as he is. We've been talking a bit this second half of the season about me possibly joining him and helping him coach some athletes for 2010. I am on board and very excited about what is to come. Janda has a lot in the works as to where this is all going and let me tell you it is going to be BIG. He is not one to sit around and just be content with the success he's had as both an athlete and coach. He wants more and I'm very thankful for an opportunity to help him expand his already excellent coaching services. A new site is being created, but for now check out Janda's current coaching site: www.jandariccimunn.com or blog (link to the right).

If anyone out there is interested in taking their multi-sport game to the next level shoot Janda or myself an email: jrm@jandariccimunn.com or
dmsmith@sbo.hampton.k12.va.us

It amazes me how many coaches out there charge an arm and leg for their coaching services. For what you get, you won't pay less anywhere.

Clearwater Pictures

Get together at Shepherd's with Janda and crew

ITU Clearwater

Stephanie, Joel, Rachel, and I

Not sure how this will work out...I am not big into things like facebook, twitter, my space...heck I don't even have text messaging, but I've been told I should try the blog thing out so here it goes. I'll probably have all of 3 people follow this...haha...who knows.

I am going to cover mostly triathlon related stuff on this blog, but at times I'll dive into other areas of my life.

Clearwater was my last race of the 2009 season. I was a bit disappointed with how things turned out, but it was still a PR for the distance and for about 3.5 hours I was spot on to finish as fast as I thought I could go. Bottom line...I have to get my run better and as a result I will be working on that a ton this winter. I am taking a couple of weeks off to heal the body/mind from a long season. December will be an easy transition month and then it will be back at it hard after the new year. I will try to post at least weekly about what's going on.

Here is a link to a little interview done last winter by my friend Joel Myers that tells you a bit more about me: http://www.finalkick.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69:final-kick-studio-meet-smitty&catid=38:interviews&Itemid=68