The last few weeks of training have been pretty good. I ran the Pub Run 1/2 marathon in Bozeman on the 12th and I have to say I was pretty scared that I would fall on my ass in this thing and lose a bunch of confidence going forward. Fortunately, I did OK and got through the longest sustained effort since Heart surgery last spring. I placed 7th in the 40-49 age group in a time of 1:32. The course was pretty hilly, especially in the beginning and at the end there was snow and ice on a path for over a mile to contend with, so the course was 3-4 min slow.
The weather has also broke so I have been outside! Yippeee! No more computrainer and treadmill! I have started working with Dave Scott on my training and this has inspired me on some really tough sessions. You see, Dave has no sympathy for a tired old triathlete that has had multiple heart surgeries. I contacted Dave for some guidance because I find his philosophy and style a lot like mine, work-minded and relentless in his consistency. He is, however, a lot more detail-orientated in setting workouts. There is a bunch of data to organize for one of Dave's workouts.
This brings me to my list of sponsors so far for 2011's quest. I believe in all these companies and I have been promoting many of them for years now.
Wilier Triestina bikes is a storied bicycle manufacturer with a long history, I was sponsored by Wilier in the late 90s and rode a Wilier to a 46th overall finish in the 1998 Hawaii Ironman. I also rode for Wilier as a pro in the XTERRA off-road triathlon series in 1999. I am very please to be riding the Tri-Crono TT bike and the Cento Uno Di2 road bike for 2011. I will be posting pictures of both rigs with specs once the road bike is completed. Thanks Angelo and Wilier Triestina for your support!!!!
Hammer nutrition is an incredible supporter of triathlon and endurance sports for the age grouper. This and its sound commitment to providing the very best in sports nutrition made Hammer a natural fit for fueling my quest for 2011. Not only this, but Hammer is a Montana company with their head quarters based in Whitefish, MT. Thank you Hammer for your products and support.
The Billings Clinic, a world class hospital which has been instrumental in my progress with my Bicuspid aortic valve and series of illnesses and heart surgeries, has stepped up in so many ways. Some of my clients are doctors at the Clinic which has been awesome for me. The special attention and support my team of doctors at the Clinic have given overtime is very unusual. Dr. Sample, Dr. Gall, Dr. Duey, Dr. Gerbasi, and Dr. Ford have all gone the extra mile with my situation. And now The Billings Clinic Sports Medicine side has supported my vision quest with physiology testing. Becky Abrams and Dr. Willis have taken a special interest in seeing my progress through state of the art sports testing at the Billings Sportsplex.
Becky Abrams lactate tests coachjay on the bike in Feburary.
The Spoke Shop of Billings, MT has been in business for 38 years and, since I moved to Billings 8 yrs ago, it has been my home away from home. In fact, Ed Whitfield at the shop was one of the first guys I met when Sarah was interviewing for her job here. I got the feel from Ed that Billings was a great place to bike, as he sent me out for a tour of rides both on and off road in and around town. Jim Downs and the boys at the shop are the most knowledgeable folks in cycling in town. For all your cycling and Nordic ski needs, the Spoke Shop is the place in Billings to go.
Time Out Sports, like the Spoke Shop, has been a fixture in the Billings active community. Cindy Thompson and her crew take special interest in everyone who walks in the store. Not only does Time Out have all the good gear for running and other active outdoor adventures, they take part in the active community by helping organize and put on events. If you need some new kicks or running apparel, then Timeout sports is the place to go.
Desoto Triathlon gear and I go way back. I met Emilio Desoto back at the 1993 Super Show in Atlanta. I was a brash young triathlete and I asked this guy at the booth(who happened to be Emilio) to sponsor me. He looked at me like, who the hell does this guy think he is. The next time, was at the 1997 World Duathlon Championships in Grenika, Spain. Emilio was rallying Team USA to show as much enthusiasm as the Brazilians. We would race together many times after that and have battled in some big races. Not only is Emilio a fun guy on and off the race course, his gear is the best on the planet. I still wear the tri-suit from that 1997 worlds race(when nobody is looking). The Desoto gear just hugs the body and is the best compression clothing in the industry. And the T1 wetsuits are revolutionary. I am proud to be wearing Desoto gear in 2011.
There is so much to say about legendary triathlete Dave Scott. I am very honored to have him consulting with my training for 2011. I have met and talked to Dave many times over the years. I have done his swim sessions and participated in his track workouts. But I was most impressed with Dave at a Boulder Ironman Camp I put on in 2002. My wife Sarah called him to ask about epic bike and run workouts he would suggest in and around Boulder. I said, "He is not going to call you back. He is Dave Scott." Well, a few hours later as we were out eating, Dave left a, I am not kidding you, 40-min message describing in detail the rides and runs he would do. I thought that was amazing!
I like Dave's style of coaching -- it's a lot like mine. It is also nice that he is fairly close to me in Boulder and his two sons go to school at MSU Bozeman; this lets me have the opportunity to see Dave in person.
I wanted Dave to guide my training because of his physiological background and attention to detail; with my unusual circumstances this will be a critical component. This, along with his legendary toughness, should inspire me to do my very best. So far so good, I am working hard on his workouts and they are hard, and I have to say---I don't want to let "the man" down.
I have been using Q-rings from Rotor bicycle components for nearly 7 years now. I am a believer. Not only do these rings take out the dead spot in the pedal stroke, but, for someone with bad knees like myself, the Q-rings simply take the pain out of pushing over the top of the big ring. Kervin at Rotor is the man and has always been there for me with all my crazy questions and requests to get my bike just right for my old body. I just don't have any of my bikes set up without Rotor rings. And now I have their 3d cranks and q-rings set up on my road bike as well. Rock on Rotor!
Training with Power is a necessity in today's training age. I really depend on this data now more than ever to help me with my return to form. I have used every powermeter on the market, and was one of the first coaches to utilize power with clients in the country. Of all the units out there, I strongly recommend the Quarq power meter. Quarq is based in Spearfish, SD and no power meter is cleaner and more reliable than the Quarq. Their customer service is second to none and with the Quark power meter you can use any wheel set you want without dragging a heavy wheel around. The quark is light and as affordable as any power meter out there. When it comes to training and racing with Power -- go with Quarq and think fast!
My most important support group--- My Girls
My Wife Dr.Sarah Keller: Sarah is a professor at MSUB in Communications and works her tail off. She balances a busy work load with being a great mother to our 2 girls Chloe(5)and Cale(1). She is simply amazing with all she balances in our world. I certainly could not try to comeback to competition without her support and love. She understands what I have gone through and having done the Hawaii Ironman herself, knows how hard this quest is going to be. I can think of no one who knows me better and is able to deal with all my faults. In every way she makes me a better person.
Chloe and Cale Marschall: Our first child Chloe is now almost 6yrs old and is my shining light. She is full of vigour and fun. She rides her bike constantly and has become a great skier, having gone off the top of Bridger Bowl this year. We love to play UFC fighting championships in our living room, however she can't handle my leg scissor submission as of yet. Cale just started walking and her smile is infectious. She tries to get into our UFC fights with Chloe but I bet she is out of our weight class for now. When I was in the Hospital in Chicago, I bonded with Cale a tremendous amount and I am convinced that she gave me the strength to fight back. She is a love child.
No comments:
Post a Comment