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.

Williamsburg half marathon

Well, today started my 2010 season. I raced a half marathon in Williamsburg, VA. I wanted to do a different race that I haven't done yet and I have heard good things about this race. The course was definitely challenging, but I enjoyed it. I needed to see exactly where my fitness was and the work I've been doing on the run front is paying off. From what I've heard...this course equates to a good 2-3 minutes faster for almost everyone who goes and does the Shamrock 1/2 marathon in VA beach here in a few weeks. Here is my garmin file: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25788843 . It was a bit long (about .16), so 5:57 pace I think is about a 1:18 flat. Things are looking good for the season and particularly Eagleman, which will be my first key race of the year.

The first picture is of Joel and I. He had a great race too and set a nice PR for him. The finish chute was located inside William and Mary Hall. Rachel got a short video clip of me finishing.

I also wanted to share the song I had running through my head during the race. We heard it at church this morning and it really inspired me. It's amazing how much strength your faith can give you when you draw on it.

Lastly, big ups to Balance Massage and Range of Motions. These two companies have been vital in my early season prep and I'm very thankful for what they've done for me. One of the best things about this sport is the people you meet along the way.

Thanks for reading.

We Are The World

Just a really short blog...check out this really cool and inspirational video . It's always amazing to me how people come together for a good cause.

USAT Clinic- Charlotte

This past weekend I was in Charlotte for the USAT coaching clinic. I drove down Thursday evening with Greg and met up with Kim. John Kenny, swim phenom, joined us as well later in the evening as he was driving down all the way from Philadelphia. All 3 guys made the weekend a fun experience. We learned a lot over the course of the weekend from Bob Seebohar, Bobby McGee, Ian Murray, and Krista Austin. These four are experts in their various fields and it was a treat to listen to them talk. I took away some very good pieces of information that I can use both with my own training/racing and with my athletes. Janda has certainly taught me well as everything we are doing is pretty much spot on. There is always room for growth and improvement though. What I really liked was the dialogue between the various coaches in the room. Someone always has a little different way to look at things and that can open your eyes to certain methods/ideas you may have not otherwise thought of.

Training has been going pretty well. I've had to improvise a bit the last two weekends because of being away to Michigan and then to North Carolina. I don't think I've skipped a beat though really as workouts this week are rolling right along. I am racing a half marathon in Williamsburg this Sunday so it will be nice to see where my run fitness is really at. My Wednesday morning runs with Todd have helped my run come a ways since the end of last season. I'm excited to race again...it's been a while!

Rachel was being a little creepy the other morning and took a short flip video of me while punishing myself on the trainer. My workout room is little, but I open the window up, set up a couple of fans, have my itunes, and some motivational pictures on the wall in front of me. Late in a tough set on the bike...those pictures go a long way.

Valentine's Day Weekend

I've been too busy the last couple of weeks, but really I wouldn't have it any other way. Two weekends ago Rachel and I were up in Michigan visiting family. Rachel was in Cheboygan with her grandma, mother and sisters for a couple of days hanging out and remembering their father who has been in Heaven for the past 10 years. In the meantime I was spending time with my family in Gaylord.

Living in Virginia Beach is great, but one of the things I regret most is not being able to see more of my two youngest siblings. Christina is a freshman in high school and plays on the girls j.v. basketball team (she has now been moved up to varsity for the state tournament). She has been averaging about 20 pts. a game and she was very impressive at the game I watched. She's going to be one of the best players the school has seen I think when it's all said and done. What can I say...she learned from the best;) Actually I'd love to take some credit for her development as an athlete, but she's put in a lot of hard work by herself and with my Dad to get to a high level.

I had a lot of fun hanging out with my younger brothers Mike and Daniel. Daniel is 5 and is in kindergarten. He is so full of energy and hard to keep up with. He's pretty darn strong for a little guy...his favorite thing to do when I'm home is wrestling. My brother Mike is a senior at Saginaw Valley State University and is going to school to teach. Mike has been doing triathlon a bit the last couple of years and is going to be doing Eagleman this year too. Both him and my other brother are engaged to be married. My sister Jen's pregnancy is going well. Please pray for her if you would. I also got to spend some time with my parents. They are both CPAs and are quite busy this time of year so it was nice to catch up on everything that has been going on. Rach and I will see them, Chrissy, and Daniel the first week of April for spring break.

Saturday afternoon I made my way down to Mt. Pleasant, MI with my brother in law Chuck. We were meeting up with our 2 future brother in laws to cook the girls a nice Valentine Dinner. Here are a couple of short flip videos to show a little how the night unfolded. We were at Susie's (Rachel's youngest sister) apartment as the girls were coming from Elizabeth's (oldest sister) wedding shower. We didn't have a lot to work with, but it was a lot of fun.

Wednesday evening bike session

Here is a short video clip of our cycling group working hard this evening. They are killing it!

Power Test

This is a little past due, but here is a video of a power test Joel and I did after our cycling class a few Sundays ago. This test always hurts, but it's a good hurt...especially if improvement occurs. Music may be a bit corny, but what can I say...I'm a big Rocky fan!