I was Tagged

Ok, so as a person who is still quite new at this I was surprised and slightly confused about having been tagged. I was tagged last night by a girl named Su. So I will do my best.
My recollection of tag is one from grade school, we had "freeze tag", "tv tag", and one of my favorite's "last one". From those unfamiliar, with Tv tag, it is similar to freeze tag, however to unfreeze you need not be touch by someone else, you need only state the name of a tv show. Doubles are not allowed. Last one was a local game, created on the playground of Irving School, where the last person to touch the fence, became "it". Players ran from fence to fence attempting to avoid being tagged. Eventually number grew so that all the kids in the playground would try to tag the "Last one".
So with that I give you five incredible things about me:
1. at 24 I fell from a roof, suffering a severe injury to my right arm;
2. I was nearly kicked out of law school in at the end of my first year;
3. My first car was a 1976 Chevy Nova, Red, with a straight 6;
4. I have introduced three couples to date who wound up married;
5. In addition to the three earring's I once wore, I had my eyebrow pierced for a period of time.

There you go.

More than an ego bruise

I always speak of the benefits of getting on a mountain bike during the off season, especially for a road racer. This is similar for the need of an Xterra racer to have a road bike for training, and logging in some miles. Mountain biking for the roadie, can help build tremendous skills that will translate into the next season. Handling skills, due to uneven terrain, concentration skills, as you never know what is next.
I have been riding recently with my club at Allaire State Park, in Wall, NJ. For riding this is a technical course, but generally not as difficult as many I have ridden in the past. So with this remember the importance of concentration skills on your mountain bike, as you must react immediately, you cannot relax as you would in aeros.
I set out with the early morning riders who are generally the crank grinders. We were about 8 deep this morning, going out for an hour and then back to pick up the next group. I was feeling quite good considering the cocktails I had with Curly su, and other the evening before.
I was on a narrow single track, and decided that at approximately 15 miles per hour this little bump in the road represented a great spot for a little free styling. Though I have never been much of a BMX type kid, I had seen enough. I brought up the front end and pulled the rear up slightly, again the trial is narrow. I drifted a bit, maybe it was the wine from the day before, who really knows. The sand at Allaire is generally soft for land, it can also swallow a tire. I landed left, and my tire sung into soft sand. My handlebars buckled, and the left side made contact with a tree, snapping the front brake. I saw the ground, I then saw behind me, and wound up about 10 feet from my bike, having made contact with a number of components along the way. My shoe was still clipped in on the left side, and I limped shoeless back to the bike, which looked more like abstract art the way it was laying. The riders behind me, did their best not to run me over, and likely not to laugh. I did later.
I pushed and lightly pedaled back to to lot, licked my wounds and waited for the groups return. I fixed the brake and finished the ride for another 2 hours, but was a bit more cautious. A split second in mountain biking can really change your day! Lesson learned, at least until next week.

Personal Bests!

Congrats to both Susanna (Philly Marathon) and John (5M Turkey Trot) who both had PR this weekend. Look for more info in the results section coming soon! Great Job to both of you, you earned it

Yoga and its multiple benefits

I began utilizing yoga as a part of my weekly workout routine last year. At first I had tried a few classes at a gym of which I was a member. I read about the benefits in various magazines such as triathlete and runners world. I am a convert.

I also happened to be the type of athlete who doesn't stretch as much as he should. As I continue to age, I have realized that yoga has provided me with the supplemental stretching and flexibility training I fail to get on my own. Yoga, helps distance athletes in understanding and controlling their breathing patten, which in turn can put an athlete more in touch and in focus with their heart rate. Yoga builds a surprising amount of strength.

I have been utilizing two DVD's so I can have my yoga practice at home. There are a number of athlete specific yoga, DVD's sold. I like them, for the fact they are less intimidating than class, in that they will generally use terms that are more easily understood. They also tend to focus in on sport specific movements and muscle groups. I have used Flexibility Warrior from Spinnervals, and one from TT University I was excited to see, that Spinnervals is actually coming out with more DVD's this fall.

I incorporate this into my weekly workouts twice a week, in addition to my strength training. I generally find that getting this in first thing in the morning aides my focus, concentration, and helps me recovery from the workout the day prior, and prep my body for that days task. I have found myself to be injury free, and generally recover quicker than I had in the past from such workouts.

Mountain Biking- a great off season adventure.

Mountain biking is a great way for triathletes to get in some fun off season workouts. I actually got my start in multi sports with adventure racing, and moved into Xterra races. For most road racers there are numerous benefit to your road cycling skills which can be gained by mountain biking.

Also for those of us in less forgiving climates, mountain biking provides some shielding from the elements. The bike handling skills you learn in maintaining balance and focus, will prove to be immeasurable once your season beings. Most importantly, it will break the boring hours on a trainer.

The JSTC meets regularly at Allaire State Park. We have several skill groups go out, for rides of about an hour and a half. Though relatively flat, Allarie offers some rollers, small climbs, but loose sandy trails which make handling skills improve immensely. The trails also offer tight single tracks which makes it a great ride for more seasoned riders.

Regardless of your level, find an off road bike, and enjoy some off road riding this fall and winter.

Off Season

Come Fall all northeast athletes have logged lots of miles in the pool, on their saddle and in their shoes, likely having started in January for their first "A" race. Most of us have gone straight for 10 months, with races having started as early as nine months ago. Physically and mentally we all need to take a break from our highly structured training schedule. This is the same reason that rest days into a week of training and training programs follow a three week build one week rest format. An athlete's body and mind also need to take a longer rest phase within their yearly training cycle, to properly recover from the accumulated wear-and-tear of in-season training and racing. The length of this off season is dependent on a number of factors including age, and the distance race you completed last season. Having done an Ironman last season, I had decided to not follow much structure for a few months, because I could barely look at my bike the weeks after.


This transition period is your "off-season." Just as other athletes take a break from their regimen, triathletes, need some down time, too. Pitchers and catchers are off from October until February. This break will give your body a chance to rest and repair following the racing season. By changing gears (slowing down) and trying different activities, you can still maintain a level of fitness without putting the stress of structured training on your body. But don't ignore taking total rest days (no physical activity), as well.
A day or two in a vegetative state (think of how nice a weekend without a long run or ride will be!) is a great way to say, "I care" to your body. Take a vacation that is not surrounded by a race. Find and work on some hobbies you enjoy outside of multi-sport. So, here's my transition period to-do list (can't quite get away from keeping lists), which I share with you in hopes that you too will enjoy an off season and recharge for 2008:

Lose the log and relax! Throw in a day or two or three of complete rest. Do not plan. Stay off the road bike and hit the trails on the mountain bike. Stay off the roads and hit the running trails. Lock up the heart rate monitor and go by feel. Try something different like yoga or Pilate's. Take long walks with the family and dogs. Take the kayaks for an easy paddle. Stay away from the master's swim group and don't count the yardage. Snow shoe, cross country ski. Play a game of tag with the neighborhood kids. Sleep in. Sleep in. Sleep in.
Finally, I try and enjoy tailgating for football games and spending time with the family, and remember how important they are to you and your training.

Tip of the week.

Eat 6 small meals a day!