What Are You Planning For?

The holidays are over and it is now time to kick your training into gear. It's time to throw the tree out the door and replace it with your treadmill or bike trainer and get after it!

By now you already have an idea of what you are looking forward to in 2015 and put it on your training calendar. Go ahead and register for these events if you haven't already because most big races are already excepting registration and the rates will go up soon! By committing to your goal now, you make it official that this is what you are planning for.

So once you have registered, you need to get your plan together on how you are going to work towards your goal. There are several online training plans to help get you started but if you are looking to get a more personalized training plan, look into finding a private coach to help you effectively achieve your goal.

You now have your goal, you have registered for your key race(s), and you even have a coach and/or a training plan to help you achieve your goal! Now it's time to get to work!! As I tell my athletes "The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time" so be patient with your training and little by little you will see progress over time. Make this year a great one by getting it started in the right direction to take your training and racing to the next level and you will be celebrating at the Finish Line before you know it! Happy New Year and good luck!

Jefferson College 5K Race Report- DNF

This weekend I was in action at the Jefferson College 5K and after the previous weekends success I was excited to give it another go. I knew I would be going head to head with my Roanoke Valley Elite teammate, Andrew Parkins. I knew he was going very well and even though I wouldn't beat him I knew I would get a workout in trying to hold onto him for as long as I could.

The beginning of the race... all is well.

After we pre-ran the course and chatted with some others at the start line it was time to go. The gun fired and we were off! I immediately tucked in behind Andrew with the first quarter of a mile on a downhill, we were cruising. We took a left over the Memorial Bridge which was a slight uphill and I was still holding on just fine. As we crested the bridge and headed down the other side, Andrew turned up the pace a bit and I was able to sit tight making our way to the turns leading onto the Greenway. Through the first right turn off the bridge I was good, but as we made the second turn I felt a pop in my left hip that sent a shooting pain up my body! I tried to shake it off going into the left turn on the Greenway and it popped again and this time it continued to hurt! I saw my pace slowly deteriorating and Andrew started moving ahead of me. He started yelling for me to pick it up, but I couldn't. I was broken...

The guy behind me caught up to me as I now was a minute slower than before and I tried to hang on to him just to stay in the top three but the pain became unbearable so I had to stop. Eric Fonville came rolling by and asked me how I was doing... I let him know I was OK and cheered him on. He eventually finished up third overall! Way to go Eric! I continued to walk the course as the rest of the runners came by and cheer them on. I had a lot of friends do really well in the race so I was very happy for them so it was still an awesome day to be out there.

I have had trouble with piriformis syndrome in my hip in the past and I knew that I had just jacked it up pretty good again. Now, I have to take some time off from running to let this calm down and hopefully limit my down time since I am planning on doing the Seashore 50K in mid December. I am still able to bike and swim so we shall see how it goes. I have the Star City Half Marathon in a couple of weeks, but depending on my recovery this may just need to be a large group run. Stay tuned...

Greenway Memory Miler Race Report

Yesterday was my first race back after being away from it for five months. I have gotten my training back on track and was ready to see where my fitness was as I prepare for the Seashore 50K in December.

There weather was a brisk sub 40 degree start and as I lined up I didn't know what to expect. My only goal was to treat the race as a tempo run and try to push a consistent pace. It was great to be lined up again and I was reunited with a lot of friends I had not seen all summer. It was a mass start for both the 4 and 10 mile distances and as we started, my Roanoke Valley Elite teammate, Andrew Parkins, immediately set pace at the front with Ed Dickinson hot on his heels. I knew both of them were running the 4 mile race so I let them go and just worked on keeping to my goal.

Andrew Parkins leading us out!

Settling into a comfortable pace.

So as I settled in I was just under my goal pace for the first mile and at the 4 mile race turn around, to my surprise, I was in the lead! Andrew was blistering to the finish of the 4 mile race, which he won, and cheered me on as we passed each other. I continued to keep my pace right at or below my goal all the way to the 10 mile turn around and as I looked for the second placed runner, I passed Eric Fonville well over a quarter mile behind. I passed another group of two runners a little bit behind him so I kept my pace going. At mile seven I saw Andrew cooling down and asked him if he could see anyone behind me. He said I was all alone so I turned my pace down a bit and cruised it in.

A mile to go and headed in for the Win!

It was a great day for Roanoke Valley Elite, with Andrew and I both winning our races. I am very happy with my unexpected result after such a long time off. The next two months will see me in action almost every weekend (see my training/racing calendar below) leading up to the 50K and then I will get started with my preparations for the 2015 season. With such a long time away, it feels good to be back in my element and I hope to have some more successes in the races to come!

First Place Overall!

Andrew and I pull off the
 RV Elite sweep.

Getting to the Core of the Issue

So October is coming to an end and most of us are looking forward to some well earned rest after a season of racing.  The next two months are a time to relax and do some of the things that you have put off... whether it is chores you have put off, activities on your to do list, or spending time doing nothing at all. No matter how you like to recharge mentally and physically it is important to also not forget that there is another race season coming too.

Now is the time to not only evaluate how this year has gone- did you achieve the goals you set for yourself, were there obstacles that you did not see coming or where not able to plan for, or did you do the consistent work needed to be able to do all that you had set out to do. It is also a time to begin looking forward and starting to preparing for next year- what events do I want to do, what type of training do I need to do to prepare, what obstacles will I have to plan around. All of these things are important to begin evaluating in your mind and within the next couple of months really start developing a plan for success. The good news is that it is still very early so you have time to think it through with no pressure.

Now is also the time that you can begin to get a head start on your competition as you transition into a more low key lifestyle during the winter. That head start begins at the core... your core. I can't preach enough on the importance of putting in the work to developing a strong core! As I have said in previous blogs, your core is where your overall body strength is utilized or lost once the real work begins. Below is a simple list of exercises that can be done in sets of 3-5 with reps between 20-50 each set. These can be done on alternating days this winter and as you get stronger you can do more and be well on your way to get 2015 off to a great start!

Core workout #1

• Ab Crunches
• Cross Body Crunches
• Leg Lifts

Core workout #2- with equipment

• Knee Raises 
• Back Extensions 
• Exercise Ball Crunches

These are exercises that I do and have my circuit classes do in some variation as well. You can also go to http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/workout/exercise.html and scroll down to Find Exercises by Body Part and select abs or lower back for even more, complete with descriptions and videos to help you out. 

A New Adventure for Bella

This weekend was yet another great adventure off the beaten path with my new best friend. On Saturday, after a slow start to the day, Bella and I jumped in the car and headed out of town to one of my favorite day hikes of the Blue Ridge Parkway... The Rock Castle Gorge Trail located just off of Rt. 8 near Floyd, VA. I have done this as a hike with several friends and training buddies in the past 15 years but I had never attempted to run parts of it so I was excited to get out on the trail and so was Bella. 

Bella... always ready to run!

An old barn still standing from earlier farmers that lived in the Gorge.

After loading up our gear, we were ready to get started. We began our adventure at the Saddle Overlook parking area off the Parkway and headed down through the pasture were some local cattle were grazing. Bella was so excited to get out and run she hardly even noticed them. During the first three miles we descended from 3500ft down to 1700ft on our way to the Rock Castle Gorge fire road. Once in the woods the trail was challenging at times to run so we did what we could when we could. Once we hit the fire road the running was definitely easier but now we started making our way back up. It was raining on us but we were having such a blast that we didn't even notice. 

Do you see the snake?

The water was amazing today!

As we ran/ hiked our way back up the trail, the views were absolutely spectacular and even though it rained, sometimes poured, we didn't care at all. The sites and sounds of the waterfalls and the remnants of old farm houses made it worth every minute spent in it. We were just so happy to be out on the trails enjoying the scenery and each others company that it made the day a success. At the end of our nearly 11 mile journey we were both soaked and tired but also full of joy. It was a wonderful day of running and hiking and we are looking forward to getting out for our next adventure.

Do you see Bella in this picture?

Here is a picture of the elevation profile from the run/ hike. We lost and gained over three thousand feet in elevation! It was some challenging and steep terrain at times, but a lot of fun as well.

Rock Castle Gorge Elevation Profile

A Great Runners Get-Away

Sometimes its nice just to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and this past weekend that is exactly what I did. I loaded up the car, grabbed my new girl, Bella, and headed out of town to experience something I have never done before but will definitely do again. Through the power of Google I found an awesome little hide away along the Appalachian Trail called the Woods Hole Hostel & Mountain Retreat located a half a mile from the AT. I thought running the Trail was going to be the highlight of the trip but boy-o-boy was I wrong. Woods Hole is run by Neville and Michael, two wonderful people working hard to fulfill a dream of creating a communal living environment for hikers and urban escapees alike and they are doing a wonderful job! The cabin was built in 1880 and Neville's grandparents, Tillie & Roy Wood, purchased the property in 1942 and opened the bunkhouse to hikers in 1986. After her grandmothers passing Neville took over and has been working hard to keep the tradition going. 

I knew this was a different kind of weekend trip as soon as I put my car in four wheel drive to get there because I was unsure of the quality of the road ahead leading me there. As we pulled up to the farmhouse we were excited to jump out and explore. Bella began barking as soon as she saw the goats, chickens, and other dogs roaming around the property. After a quick unload of our gear and some introductions we headed for the Appalachian Trail to explore. 


Saturday we headed out past Big Horse Gap for a run before dinner to see what kind of view we could find. After running for about 25-30 minutes we made it to Big Horse and after another eight minutes we came to a section of the trail that took a hard right down a fire road. I also noticed that if I went left up the old fire road away from the AT I may get rewarded with a view and man was I right!! The view was absolutely spectacular and if you want to see it, you will have to explore it! I loved the views and Bella loved the running so we were both more than happy to continue.

After enjoying an afternoon in the woods we headed back to the Hostel to relax for the evening. I arrived back to my room, showered up and immediately found myself in the kitchen over the stove cooking part of the nights meal. All of us had a part in making sure that we got fed that night and what was amazing about the whole experience was how all of us not only did our part, but carried on conversations like we had known each other for years... sharing stories about hiking, life, or whatever came up. It was absolutely a marvelous experience and big kudos to Micheal and Neville for making it happen.

Making my way into the Kitchen.

Some worked at the table...

and some worked on the stove.

Once we finished dinner, everyone once again pitched in to do their part and help with clean up. After some more good conversations with Micheal and the hikers it was time for bed. There are several options on how you stay so check them all out and see which one suits your needs based on the weather, your finances, and your comfort level. 

The following morning I was awakened by a beautiful sunrise beaming into my window and the wonderful smells of coffee brewing. As I made my way downstairs I grabbed some coffee and jumped right in to do my part of getting breakfast ready for the group prior to the days run. 

Great morning view!!

Great morning conversations at the dinning room table.

So after a great morning at the Farm House and some advice on where to run from Micheal, we headed out to start the days adventure on the AT... this time in the other direction. Once again we were rewarded with a stunning view and a wonderful running loop on parts of the AT and on local fire roads. It was an absolutely rejuvenating weekend experience that allowed me to get away from the distractions of society and spend time with my girl, Bella, and reconnect with the beauty that is all around us. I not only recommend that you put a trip to Woods Hole on your "To Do" list, but you can bet that we will be back on a regular basis! Thank you to Michael for your hospitality, and Neville... can't wait to meet you on our next trip there.

New Beginnings

I have been away from writing, training, and racing for a while after some very hard changes in my personal life this summer. I am now starting to pick up the pieces and begin to move forward with my new routine. I am back to training consistently with my Roanoke Valley Elite teammates and working hard to put my loyal sponsors- TriSports.com, Feetures!, Headsweats, and Hammer Nutrition- back in the spotlight of my fall competition campaign. I also have a new running partner, named Bella that is totally awesome and kicks my ass for the first mile or two of every run! She is awesome and we love running together every day.

Life is hard... we all know this and struggle on a daily basis to keep some sort of sanity and routine about our lives as we march on fighting the good fight in our human existence. No matter what is thrown our way and no matter how hard we get knocked down, it is of utmost importance that we get back up and continue to march on. Do this every day knowing that Jesus has our back and he is encouraging us to keep moving!

So... with all of that being said, I want everyone to know I am back on my feet and running as fast as I can towards a bright new beginning. I do so with a great new girl in my life and a lot of things in the works in the very near future. It's time to get back after it and #DoWork! You will find me in the Pool, on the Bike, or in a pair of Running Shoes so look for me out there and know that I am happy to see you!

Not quite a Runner... Yet!

So this past weekend I got a chance to run the Race for the Cure 5K with fellow Roanoke Valley Elite teammate Andrew Parkins. He has historically been much faster than me but my running has been coming along pretty good over the last two years so I was excited to try to finally hold pace with him. It was a great day for a race and we were joined at the front of the starting line by Colin Munsey and Andrew Holbrook, two more super fast guys! My strategy was to hold on to Parkins for as long as could with the hope of finally breaking into a sub-17 5K.

So the gun goes off and we are rolling! I immediately fall in behind Parkins with Holbrook behind me and Colin watching it all play out in fourth. My thought was to attempt to hang tight early on, knowing that the first mile and a half are the toughest part of the course and if I could just stay close then maybe I could make my goal. During the first mile the two slight up hills didn't seem too awfully bad and I was going well but as we hit the mile marker Parkins looked down at his watch and later told me he thought we were moving a little slow so he picked up the tempo and I worked as hard as I could to stay in tow. Truth be told... I think he was trying to drop me and as we went over the last rise at the mile and half mark I was starting to get a little bit gapped and I knew that my ticket was about to get punched.

So we make it to the two mile marker and by this time Parkins has about 15 seconds on me and now Holbrook rolls by me right after the Fleet Feet water station. I see him moving by but my efforts had left me gassed so I did my best to minimize the damage over the course of the last mile. I did appreciate seeing Mark and Mike on their morning run and their cheering me on helped keep me motivated to finish strong.

As we all hit the line, needless to say I was a little bummed at not making my goal time but still pleased that I was in such great company! My teammate, Andrew Parkins, hit the line in 16:55 for the win then Andrew Holbrook, who is training for Boston and going to tear up, came second and I tailed in for third. This race showed me I still have a lot to learn about how to pace and compete effectively but I am still very honored to be able to rub shoulders with some of the Roanoke Valleys finest runners.

Turn Your Training Up

Top 3 Overall
 

So this past weekend I was supposed to do my first Triathlon of the season but because of a nagging shoulder injury I had to bail and instead opted for the last race in the Triad Duathlon Series on Saturday. This was just fine by me seeing as how the level of competition was guaranteed to be good and I needed to compete in order to defend my Third Place Overall position in the series. I had a good first run, felt good on the bike, and struggled through the second run to end up in 3rd place on the day and thus holding on to my position in the series. So despite a rather mediocre performance I had to be happy on the day.



 

 



Me and Matt
 

 While at the race, I was talking to Glenn Thompson and Matt Sommer about training. Matt mentioned that he needed to develop more power on the bike, but felt that it was difficult at times to gauge because he didn't have a power meter. I then had a very similar conversation with Peter Walton on my training ride on Sunday. This has been a question that seems to come up a lot... "What can you do to work on your power output when you don't have a power meter?" What if I told you that the answer to this question is outside your front door and it wouldn't cost you any extra money to implement?

 

 



During the Winter months and off-season, power development is down in the Weight Room. As you may recall from my previous Weight Training Series, by lifting weights like a weight lifter you force your body to adapt and gain power. During the season, you can do the same thing by Climbing. Just as you can't hide from the squat rack, you can't hide from a mountain. Either you can lift the weight or you can't... Either you can push that gear up the mountain or you can't. It's the same concept but now it is sport specific in order to prepare you for your season of racing.

 



Me and Darren during our Tuesday Mill Mt. repeats.



How much climbing is based on your goals for the season. Most of the time I recommend a long road climbing session (2-4 hours)  on one of your weekend rides and a short (1-2 hours) climbing session during the week. I do this on Tuesdays in order to allow for enough recovery prior to the weekend. These sessions are not easy. I do them at or above Tempo pace with the goal being to spin a gear as much as possible. Just like pushing a heavy weight on the squat rack or leg press, these climbs are all about turning over that gear and keeping it going at a constant rate the whole way up the climb. When you first start, keep your Heart Rate down in order to keep lactate acid from building up too quickly and as you progress you can push harder. These types of climbing workouts are not are not about how fast you can get up the mountain, they are about building power quickly! If you can find someone just as crazy as you to partner up with then you've added another challenge that will push you that much harder. Add this into your weekly routine and after a month I promise you will be amazed at how much stronger you feel on the bike. This added power will help you be faster during the bike leg of your race and be less fatigued during your run section and the only cost is your level of commitment to the workout.

Highs and Lows

Over the last two weeks I have had some good races that have really helped get my season off to a great start. Two weekends ago I placed Fourth Overall and First in my Age Group at Duathlon Regionals in Greensboro, NC behind Glenn Thompson and two Pro Triathletes- Albert Harrison and Mike Starkey. Mike blew by all three of us on the bike section and we were like "who the heck was that?!?" We later found out- it's the same Mike Starkey that won the Beach 2 Battleship Half Iron.

 

 

So after that I was happy to get back in the water to start prepping for my upcoming set of Triathlons that are to include the Chasing Chicken Reverse Tri, Angels Tri , and Smith Mt. Lake Tri over the next two months. Well that may be put on hold AGAIN this year. After my swim workouts on Saturday and Tuesday everything seemed fine, but during Thursdays workout I had to stop due to numbness and weakness in my left hand and shoulder. Immediately Thursday evening I was able to see Dr. Henning at Roanoke Orthopedic to get it checked out and I have an appointment at Balance Wellspace this week to check my alignment. At this point it appears to be a nerve impingement causing the issue and I have to just wait it out. I am able to swim all be it... it definitely feels weird and I am sure it looks just as bad as it feels. I am still day by day on competing in Tri's for now.

After the disappointing week in the water, I really needed a moral booster. I had the RV SPCA Tail Chaser 5K this past weekend and after looking at the race times posted last year was hoping it would be a good speed workout. It didn't disappoint! As I lined up I noticed Joe Cotter seemed really excited and ready to go and sure enough... when the gun fired he took off like he was chasing the bullet! Our first mile was a 5:14 pace and I knew that if he kept that up I was going to have to let him go. Luckily for me he did slowdown... a lot, actually too much so at the turnaround I attacked and instantly had 20 yards on him. I held tempo for the rest of the race beating Joe by 22 seconds and finishing in 17:02 which is a new PR for me and just the pick me up I needed!

 

So my running and biking are coming along nicely and that is very good news. I am a bit frustrated with the shoulder, but will do my best to be patient and see what happens. If it doesn't show improvement this month my plan is to scrap the Triathlon's again for this season and after finishing up Long Course Duathlon Nationals in May and Short Course Duathlon Nationals in July I start my training for the Masters 5K Championship in Syracuse NY in October. So... seeing as how swimming is my weakest link and I have a game plan in place I am still super excited about the rest of the season and, God granting, I have a lot to look forward to!

Shamrock Hill 5K Race Report

This past weekend I took part in the Shamrock Hill 5K which I missed last year so I was happy to see how much I could improve over my previous course time in 2012. My running is well ahead of where I started last season so this was a good first test to officially check my progress.

 

The weather this year has been all over the place to say the least but on this particular day we were fortunate enough to have clear skies and a morning temperature at or near 50 degrees which was awesome, but the wind was gusting at 15-20 miles an hour. I knew that Patrick had won this race last year but he was no where to be found, however the last two second place finishers, Lance McDaniel and Andrew Smith, were so I would definitely have some guys to chase.

 

As the gun fired, immediately the three of us rushed to the front and as we took the turn onto Shenandoah Ave. the wind hit us right in the face! I tucked in behind Andrew to shield myself from the wind and we both settled in to our pace as we watched Lance eased away. For the first mile and a half I was content drafting Andrew but knew I would have to make a move soon. I felt pretty good so I jumped and surged on Andrew as we came to the turns leading into the turn around. I was now redlining and eating the headwind on my own just hoping to create enough separation from Andrew to make him willing to allow me to go on without him but to no avail. As we picked up the tailwind on the way back to the finish line he returned the favor and surged on me and I was not able to hold on.

 

In the end, Lance took first, Andrew was second, and I finished third Overall and first place Masters with times that were a little off from last year definitely due to the wind. Even with the wind, my first 5K of this year was sixteen seconds faster than last year so I am well on my way to hopefully finding some more speed as I get closer to Duathlon Nationals in May.

Northeast Park Duathlon Race Report

After much anticipation, the race season has officially started for me and man what a start! This past weekend I took part in the Northeast Park Duathlon in Gibonsville, NC. I was anxious to see where my fitness level was after a long Winter of training, most of which has been indoors this year due to the cold temperatures and snow. I was also excited to be representing TriSports.com as one of my new sponsors for the 2014 season, as well as Headsweats and Feetures!

 

It was a great morning to race even in February and after talking with Richard Swor, the Race Director, earlier in the week and then seeing some familiar fast guys at the start line, I knew this was not just going to be an easy training race. Right away I saw Albert Harrison and Glen Thompson who are both top ten National and World Duathlon guys and Wes Kessenich who I met last year when he caught me in the bike section of the Bermuda Duathlon. I knew these three alone would make for a fast race but that wasn't all!

 

So the horn blows and we are now off and rolling in the first run leg and I felt good running in between Albert and Glen so I knew I was right where I wanted to be... problem was I was still barely in the top ten! So after the first mile I looked down at my watch to see we were hauling at a sub 5:30 pace and that was just a little more than I wanted to do so I fell back behind Glen but still in front of Wes (knowing he was a fast time trialer). I hit T1 still in the top ten and right behind Glen.

 

I had never raced against Glen, but knew he had raced on the US National Team and placed 6th at Worlds last year. I knew Albert was way faster than me right now, so I decided to focus on chasing Glen rather than worrying about Wes who I knew would be chasing hard behind me. As we made our way out of the park I pushed hard and kept Glen and Robert Maughan, who were battling it out in front of me, in sight for the entire ride. At the halfway point I knew I was ahead of last years pace but I just could not get comfortable on my bike. It may have been the fact that this was the first time I had been on my time trial bike outside since last fall, but either way I continued to push to keep my targets in sight. With about two miles to go, Wes came rolling by me and I was a little bummed but not surprised so I tried my best to stay with him into T2.

 

I remembered last year even though Wes had caught me on the bike, I had beat him in the last run leg of Bermuda so I tried not to panic. Well he was having none of it and took off out of T2 with me in hot pursuit. Needless to say, I did not catch him. He ran a faster second leg to hold me off and take 4th and I rolled in right behind him to take 5th Overall. Man what a great first race with awesome competition! This is just a preview of the speed I will need when Duathlon Nationals come to North Carolina in May. It will make for a great couple of months of racing leading up to it for sure!

Almost Time to Get 2014 Started.

After a long block of Winter training it is almost time get things going for the 2014 racing season. I have been working hard over the last four months to build myself up on a strong foundation that has consisted of the following weekly training:

• Weight Training 3days/ week
• Swimming 3days/ week
• Running 5-6 days/ week
• Cycling 5-6 days/ week

As the 2013 season ended, I started focusing on being more consistent with my running and coming off the Richmond Marathon in November I carried that conditioning into the off-season. I also knew I was going to focus more on triathlon's this year so I had to make sure I was getting a lot of quality time in the pool. With the help of my swim coach, Lindsey Jones, I have seen my times come down and I feel much more at home in the water. This Winter I needed to increase my power on the bike so I have worked my tail off in the gym in an attempt to get the watts I need to be more competitive at the national level on the bike.

Last week was my first time trials in the water for 2014 and my times looked good and I felt strong. I know I have a lot of work to do and Lindsey is really pushing me to do more IM work to be a more rounded swimmer. I don't like it but it is working. As part of my running program, I have been doing a tempo run every Thursday and I was very happy that I was able to hold my current 5k pace comfortably for ten minutes as part of the last workout. This past Saturday was my first timed power test on the bike and although I was fairly pleased with my wattage output, I have a lot of work to do on developing my power endurance. I see a lot of time spent in Scott Moir's garage in my future to make this happen.

I am really excited to get my multi-sport season going to begin representing my sponsors:

Trysports.com- for all of my general needs in all three disciplines. They have a great selection of products and sponsor a team as a way to give back to the comunity that made them.

Hammer Nutrition- this is a company that I have been a part of for a few years now and I truly love their products. If you haven't tried them click the banner on the right to save big on your first order!

Headsweats- I have been using thier products for years and now I get to officially represent them. They are the reason that I now prefer to wear a visor of a hat.

Feetures!- These are by far the best socks on the market and the Elite brand is durable and provides great arch support. As a Fleet Feet mentor/coach I was introduced to Feetures! and these are my socks of choice now.

Rudy Project- I have known Paul Craig of Rudy Project since my days as a cyclist at Virginia Tech and this a brand that I proudly represent. I have used their sunglasses for more than ten years and now also wear thier helmets exclusively. Rudy Project also helped sponsor a fall training video that I had the pleasure of being a part of with Endurance Films as well.

So just like last year I will start off my season with the Triad Duathlon Series in February and March put on by Trivium Racing. This is a great series and the last race is a Regional Duathlon Event so the competition should be more challenging. Being a member of the Roanoke Valley Elite Running Team this year is a big motivator to get faster in the run, so I will also sprinkle in a few local 5k's to help sharpen test myself against the local speedsters. Be sure to check out my calendar at the bottom of my blog page to see where I will be racing next and hopefully I will see you on the course!

Winter Training equals Winner Training

So the Arctic blast is dropping temperatures in the U.S. to lows not seen in years but you still have to train. When the temperature drops, there is no reason for your training to drop as well. There is always a way to get your base training in no matter what the weather is like outside... you just have to be mentally prepared and push on in spite of Mother Nature mocking you. Yes, it is hard, painful, and down right unpleasant at times but that's what makes you a winner! Winners do what others are not willing to do... not because they want to do it, but because they want to win!



Michael Schaffer of Runwell



I have had quite a few conversations over the last two weeks about training and preparing and progress. Even though all of these conversations are in regards to only one aspect of the whole picture, the common thread within them all has to do with a certain mentality. A winner looks at the days workout's and knows they must be done with no regard to what the weather is. If you can learn to cope with the weather and train outside no matter what, then you are already one step ahead of your competition. If you can't get outside, but you are willing to do those miles on the treadmill, or bike trainer anyway, no matter how mind-numbing it may be, then you are one step ahead of your competition.

 

If YOU are willing to do what it takes to be a winner no matter how hard it is today, then tomorrow you will be better for it. It is up to you to fight the voices in your head telling you not to get up early for that 4:30AM workout. It is up to you to do the hard part of the workouts when no one else is around to push you. It is up to you to dance with Mother Nature no matter what. It is up to you to hold yourself accountable and be honest with yourself no matter what you tell your coach or training partner or whoever else it is that you talk about training with. Because at the end of the day... Today is what will make you better tomorrow!

Planning to Win

Welcome to the 2014 race season. You may not have a race for several more months, but what you do now will determine how well you do later. Yes... like everyone else you are working out. You are swimming, running, biking, weight lifting, cross-training or whatever it is you are doing right now in order to prepare. But my question to you is Prepare For What?

 

I talk with a lot of athletes that do a lot of working out and work really hard, but come race day all of their hard work seems to not pay off. The reason in most cases is due to a lack of planning that leads to more purposeful training. All athletes know how to workout, but not a lot of athletes know how to train. There is a difference. Workouts are something that can be done by anyone... Training is a workout that has a purpose not just for that day but is part of a bigger plan set in motion in order to reach a goal. By setting concrete goals for your race season you can then start making real plans on how to achieve that goal. After you make plans now comes the hard part of doing the right work to achieve the goal no matter how hard it may seem. Remember your goal is bigger than just one workout and the pay off will be worth doing the right work no matter how much you dislike it. By sticking to your plan to reach your goal you will be more satisfied with your outcome. I am not saying that you will necessarily even achieve your whole goal, but what I am saying is you will be a much better athlete no matter what the out come is.


Now is the time for you to get your goal on paper, make your plan, and start believing in your ability. The reason why most people never reach their goal is because they don't take the time early on to define it. Even worse, those that do take the time don't take their goals seriously or don't view them as absolutely achievable. Winners can tell you about their goals because it is all they think about... actually obsess about. They love to talk about it- where they are going, how they are going to get there, and what they plan on doing each day along the way. The constant talking about their goals is not so much a cockiness, but a repeated mindset that is done to remind themselves why they are doing all of this hard work in the first place. The same should go for you as well. Set a goal and keep it stuck in your head as more than just a dream, but rather more like a future reality to get excited about. You don't have to have a goal of winning a national championship. It just has to be something that is meaningful to you, such as placing in your age group in a race you enjoyed doing last year.

 

If you are looking for help on putting all of this into play there are tons of books, internet sites, and articles available to help you. Through the power of google and some key word searches you can find just about anything. There are tons of resources available if you are willing to seek them out. I personally use "The Triathlete's Training Bible" by Joe Friel as well as have coaches to help me with my running and swimming. Setting goals is so important you should use any available resources you can in order to try your best to get it right. By getting a goal and sticking with your plan to acheive it you will have a great 2014 season! Watch the video below and then Get After It!

 

Lift Heavy Things (part 3)

Ok... it's time to lift. If you haven't started then now you are behind and it is only the first week of the year. This is the final part of my off-season blog posts on weight training and now its time to talk about how much. During one of my fall runs with some of the guys at Roanoke College and with some of my Roanoke Valley Elite team mates, the topic of lifting came up. There is only one thing that I wanted to stress then and that I cannot stress enough now- lift weights like a weight lifter, not an endurance athlete! Give me a chance to explain.

Remember in my first post I stated that weight training is all about muscle fiber recruitment. In order for your body to be signaled to recruit more muscle to do work, it must be stimulated by something heavy. Not so heavy that it is impossible to move, but heavy enough that there is a need to bring on more muscle for the job.  So what is enough without being too much? When I set multi-sport athletes up to begin lifting, I start them out with five basic movements- bench press, lat pull down, seated row, squat, and leg press. These are all multi-joint movements designed to hit big muscle groups that also do the majority of the work in competition. 

Always begin by doing a warm up set of 15 with very little weight in order to get blood into the muscles you are getting ready to stress. For the first three or four workouts do NO MORE than two sets of no more than ten reps of a weight that is a struggle to get to ten. I begin this way in order to allow your body to adapt to the workload that you are putting your body through without causing soreness. After that, you should move it up to three sets of 6-8 reps on each movement. Remember, your goal is to recruit muscle for the job and this is done at the neuro-muscular level. Weight lifting is not an endurance activity... it is totally done to get a higher level of power output from your muscles to transfer into your endurance activities when you need it. As you work harder in the gym the more of your training efforts will be transferred over and allow you to do more work with less effort in the sports where you need it. I promise, if you stick with it for at least two to three months leading into your season it will pay big gains during your 2014 race season!