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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Vision Quest
I have put off making this announcement(even though my wife hinted at it in a previous post) because I was awaiting my cardiologist's formal approval. Just last Thursday (Jan. 27), I performed a stress echo for Dr. Scott Sample at Billings Clnic. A stress echo is a test where they look at my heart during and after a near max effort on the treadmill. Dr. Sample was looking at my gradient to see whether it was normal. Without going into the medical details, the test is to assure that I am not at any risk for a electrical misfire that could kill me during exercise. The result was good, my heart gradient was completely normal. The baseline image of my heart was also looking good. So, I have been cleared to do whatever I want to athletically!
Which brings me to my vision quest. Some of you might know of the movie Vision Quest, a 1985 film staring Matthew Modine. Loudine Swain (Modine) takes on the seemingly impossible task of coming down in weight and wrestling the undefeated wrestler from a rival school, "the Shute". His Indian friend calls it his "vision quest." I love the scene where the Shute is training by walking up the stadium stairs with a giant log across his back! Of course, in the end, Swain beats the Shute in the final scene and Swain gets the good looking girl to boot.
My vision quest started last year as I started training for triathlon again seriously. I set some ambitious goals to be at the top of my age group when I turned 50. I thought that I would use 2010 (when I was 48, racing as a 49-year-old) as a lead up to the year 2011 (when I am 49, racing as a 50-year-old). Everything was going according to plan. I had done pretty good in some early races last year including winning my age group at the Rev 3 Olympic distance race in Knoxville.
Then there was a fateful call from Dr. Laura Ford (my cardiologist at the time) in late May of last year. I was at the gym working when she said with a crack in her voice that the news was not good. You can't imagine how news like that goes through you. It was like a knife. It was made worse since I had already been knocked down with one open heart surgery in 2008 and an infection that nearly killed me a year later. I was on a plane the next day to go through that hell once again.
This time the surgery was much more serious, Dr. Patrick McCarthy (my surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago) would tell me later that, when he opened me up, "It was a disaster." I had severe vegetation (infection) all over my replacement cow valve and a huge aneurysm on my aortic root. I received a homograph (human) valve replacement and was on the heart lunge machine for nearly 4 hrs in open heart surgery. Later, my new Cardiologist, Dr.Sample, who had been studying my case, said that they didn't think I was coming back from Chicago. You may recall that Actor John Ritter and, more recently, ambassador Holbrooke died from aortic aneurism ruptures. I am very lucky this did not happen to me.
As I recovered in the hospital for 2 weeks, I was pissed. I had just had enough of being knocked down. I had serious doubts as to whether I could have the strength and the will to fight back again. But as the hospital shrink came into my room and started telling me that I needed psychological help to deal with my situation, I got even angrier! I don't need that help! I don't want any help. I was also a bear to my mom and dad and others (sorry about that) -- I was just very bitter. Then Baby Cale (4 months old) came into my room and smiled at me and laid on my chest. It was then that I found the will and the strength to take one day at a time and fight back to strength once again.
This past year has had many ups and downs and getting back to strength has been even harder than the past episodes, real hard! I was pretty sure that I would not be competitive anymore and would concentrate on other things. I picked up the guitar, I enrolled in Grad school. But it was still nagging me that I had set these goals and I didn't see them through. You see I have always been that way. I set a goal and I try like hell to achieve it. So a month or so ago I sat down with Sarah and we discussed the idea of giving those goals one more shot. I was honest with her and said that I wouldn't try it if I didn't meet a few criteria. First, I would need to reach certain performance markers in training. Second, she would have to be able to put up with the strain it place on our lives (more on that later)and third that the doctors would give me clearance to safely give this a go.
We also discussed why I felt that I had to prove myself through triathlon. My explanation to this question was that Triathlon is what I know best. To be honest, I would rather take on something else, but I know how to do this sport and I have been successful in the past. But there was more, I also want to do some greater good with this quest as well (more on that later).
All three of these points where a yes as of last Thursday. So I am off on this journey. I have some trepidation for sure. To be competitive with what I have in my heart now is a long shot for sure. It's certainly no slam dunk. A long shot to say the least. I am motivated and have my edge back somewhat! The goals, which I hasten to even talk about are simple:
1. Qualify for Kona at St.Croix or Buffalo Springs in May/June 2011 - this has never been done before with what has been done to my heart. Part of my quest is to do so without any special treatment or gifting of a spot.
2. If I get to Kona in October 2011, then podium (finish among the top 5 in my age group).
3. Podium at USAT National Age Group Championships in Vermont in August 2011.
Along the way, I will be participating in other events including:
Pub run 1/2 marathon
Grizzly Triathlon
Powerman Alabama
State TT championships
regional oly championships in Utah
Bozeman 1/2 ironman
Dakota 50 mtn bike race
So there it is. The journey has begun. I toed the starting line at local races in two of the last three weeks. First, I raced in Nordic skiing in the Senior Olympics at bohart ranch in a 5-km skate ski race.
warming up for the senior olympics 5k skate ski
I medaled with a bronze and felt ok with my performance there. Then, last Sunday, I won my age group at the USAT Rocky Mountain Regional Winter Triathlon Championships at Homestake Lodge near Butte, MT. called the Powderhound This involved a 5-km run, 8-km bike and 5-km Nordic ski. Again, I was pleased with my performance although I was pretty conservative (this race has killed me in the past).
I have been diligent in my training, getting at least 10-14 hrs in a week. I would say that my swimming is my best sport right now with the running and biking coming up slowly.
Sarah and I swinging on our bridger lift chair swing(Chloe the photographer)
Like I said before, this quest is going to strain our lives quite a bit. I hate to talk about getting the support from your family because I know from experience that this is half baked. It sounds good to say my family really supports me in this, and it probably makes you feel better about being away from them while training. But I know that triathlon at the top level is a really selfish, self absorbed sport that takes a ton of time and resources away from the ones you love. I get that and I am guilty more than most. This is why I am trying to parley this experience into helping others. To inspire folks that have been knocked down to get back up and to educate heart patients who are experiencing the ups and downs of rehab. I hope to be working with the American Heart Association to give motivational speaking engagements as well as other organizations in an effort to help people cope with the hardship that heart disease causes. I also want to be a voice for organ donation, I am hopeful that I can find out the names of my donors and help get everyone I know and more to become an organ donor; they save lives. I think it would be so very cool to tell the family of my donor that their loved one's heart made it to the finish of the Ironman!
Cale almost walking
I have already talked with a number of athletes who have had valve replacement surgery or have been diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve. Many of them want to know how I came to get the type of surgery I did and what they can expect coming out of it. In fact, I had a nice correspondence with Torbjorn Sindballe the other day. Torbjorn placed third in the Hawaii Ironman in 2007 and was known as an uber biker. He was also born with a Bicuspid aortic valve. In 2008 he felt wrong at the Wildflower race and shortly there after retired from the sport. Like me, his heart was getting larger and it would have been dangerous for him to continue racing. He told me that he has moved on and only exercises for recreation now. He told me that he had difficulty dealing with not being an elite athlete anymore at first but was content now in his new life of parenting and teaching others. Of course I am certainly not the athlete that Torgjorn Sindballe was and at his level only a tiny drop in performance prevents him from competing as a pro. In retrospect, I too might well have made a better choice to put off the surgery and laid lower back in 2007. I may have put off the need for heart surgery the first time. But what's done is done. And, like Torbjorn, I too want to get to that content place without the need to be competitive and spend more time with my kids. I probably would not have even attempted this if my kids where not real young (5 yrs and 1 yr. I know that parenting only gets more intense when they get older and more involved in activities.
I certainly am going to need a lot of help through this journey and there is a lot in motion to help me on my quest. The medical bills for the past few years,and all the costs of doing the sport of triathlon at this level is very costly. Sarah has been very helpful on this part of the puzzle. I will be announcing some of this support as it gets finalized. There is a wide range of media interest in this story as well and I will be posting media clips as they are finished. In fact, Q2(channel 5) here in Billings will be running a story on my quest next week. You can also read a full accounting of the events leading up to my quest by viewing Jay's story in the important documents section of this blog.
In the meantime bring on the Shute!
Coachjay
Which brings me to my vision quest. Some of you might know of the movie Vision Quest, a 1985 film staring Matthew Modine. Loudine Swain (Modine) takes on the seemingly impossible task of coming down in weight and wrestling the undefeated wrestler from a rival school, "the Shute". His Indian friend calls it his "vision quest." I love the scene where the Shute is training by walking up the stadium stairs with a giant log across his back! Of course, in the end, Swain beats the Shute in the final scene and Swain gets the good looking girl to boot.
My vision quest started last year as I started training for triathlon again seriously. I set some ambitious goals to be at the top of my age group when I turned 50. I thought that I would use 2010 (when I was 48, racing as a 49-year-old) as a lead up to the year 2011 (when I am 49, racing as a 50-year-old). Everything was going according to plan. I had done pretty good in some early races last year including winning my age group at the Rev 3 Olympic distance race in Knoxville.
Then there was a fateful call from Dr. Laura Ford (my cardiologist at the time) in late May of last year. I was at the gym working when she said with a crack in her voice that the news was not good. You can't imagine how news like that goes through you. It was like a knife. It was made worse since I had already been knocked down with one open heart surgery in 2008 and an infection that nearly killed me a year later. I was on a plane the next day to go through that hell once again.
This time the surgery was much more serious, Dr. Patrick McCarthy (my surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago) would tell me later that, when he opened me up, "It was a disaster." I had severe vegetation (infection) all over my replacement cow valve and a huge aneurysm on my aortic root. I received a homograph (human) valve replacement and was on the heart lunge machine for nearly 4 hrs in open heart surgery. Later, my new Cardiologist, Dr.Sample, who had been studying my case, said that they didn't think I was coming back from Chicago. You may recall that Actor John Ritter and, more recently, ambassador Holbrooke died from aortic aneurism ruptures. I am very lucky this did not happen to me.
As I recovered in the hospital for 2 weeks, I was pissed. I had just had enough of being knocked down. I had serious doubts as to whether I could have the strength and the will to fight back again. But as the hospital shrink came into my room and started telling me that I needed psychological help to deal with my situation, I got even angrier! I don't need that help! I don't want any help. I was also a bear to my mom and dad and others (sorry about that) -- I was just very bitter. Then Baby Cale (4 months old) came into my room and smiled at me and laid on my chest. It was then that I found the will and the strength to take one day at a time and fight back to strength once again.
This past year has had many ups and downs and getting back to strength has been even harder than the past episodes, real hard! I was pretty sure that I would not be competitive anymore and would concentrate on other things. I picked up the guitar, I enrolled in Grad school. But it was still nagging me that I had set these goals and I didn't see them through. You see I have always been that way. I set a goal and I try like hell to achieve it. So a month or so ago I sat down with Sarah and we discussed the idea of giving those goals one more shot. I was honest with her and said that I wouldn't try it if I didn't meet a few criteria. First, I would need to reach certain performance markers in training. Second, she would have to be able to put up with the strain it place on our lives (more on that later)and third that the doctors would give me clearance to safely give this a go.
We also discussed why I felt that I had to prove myself through triathlon. My explanation to this question was that Triathlon is what I know best. To be honest, I would rather take on something else, but I know how to do this sport and I have been successful in the past. But there was more, I also want to do some greater good with this quest as well (more on that later).
All three of these points where a yes as of last Thursday. So I am off on this journey. I have some trepidation for sure. To be competitive with what I have in my heart now is a long shot for sure. It's certainly no slam dunk. A long shot to say the least. I am motivated and have my edge back somewhat! The goals, which I hasten to even talk about are simple:
1. Qualify for Kona at St.Croix or Buffalo Springs in May/June 2011 - this has never been done before with what has been done to my heart. Part of my quest is to do so without any special treatment or gifting of a spot.
2. If I get to Kona in October 2011, then podium (finish among the top 5 in my age group).
3. Podium at USAT National Age Group Championships in Vermont in August 2011.
Along the way, I will be participating in other events including:
Pub run 1/2 marathon
Grizzly Triathlon
Powerman Alabama
State TT championships
regional oly championships in Utah
Bozeman 1/2 ironman
Dakota 50 mtn bike race
So there it is. The journey has begun. I toed the starting line at local races in two of the last three weeks. First, I raced in Nordic skiing in the Senior Olympics at bohart ranch in a 5-km skate ski race.
warming up for the senior olympics 5k skate ski
I medaled with a bronze and felt ok with my performance there. Then, last Sunday, I won my age group at the USAT Rocky Mountain Regional Winter Triathlon Championships at Homestake Lodge near Butte, MT. called the Powderhound This involved a 5-km run, 8-km bike and 5-km Nordic ski. Again, I was pleased with my performance although I was pretty conservative (this race has killed me in the past).
I have been diligent in my training, getting at least 10-14 hrs in a week. I would say that my swimming is my best sport right now with the running and biking coming up slowly.
Sarah and I swinging on our bridger lift chair swing(Chloe the photographer)
Like I said before, this quest is going to strain our lives quite a bit. I hate to talk about getting the support from your family because I know from experience that this is half baked. It sounds good to say my family really supports me in this, and it probably makes you feel better about being away from them while training. But I know that triathlon at the top level is a really selfish, self absorbed sport that takes a ton of time and resources away from the ones you love. I get that and I am guilty more than most. This is why I am trying to parley this experience into helping others. To inspire folks that have been knocked down to get back up and to educate heart patients who are experiencing the ups and downs of rehab. I hope to be working with the American Heart Association to give motivational speaking engagements as well as other organizations in an effort to help people cope with the hardship that heart disease causes. I also want to be a voice for organ donation, I am hopeful that I can find out the names of my donors and help get everyone I know and more to become an organ donor; they save lives. I think it would be so very cool to tell the family of my donor that their loved one's heart made it to the finish of the Ironman!
Cale almost walking
I have already talked with a number of athletes who have had valve replacement surgery or have been diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve. Many of them want to know how I came to get the type of surgery I did and what they can expect coming out of it. In fact, I had a nice correspondence with Torbjorn Sindballe the other day. Torbjorn placed third in the Hawaii Ironman in 2007 and was known as an uber biker. He was also born with a Bicuspid aortic valve. In 2008 he felt wrong at the Wildflower race and shortly there after retired from the sport. Like me, his heart was getting larger and it would have been dangerous for him to continue racing. He told me that he has moved on and only exercises for recreation now. He told me that he had difficulty dealing with not being an elite athlete anymore at first but was content now in his new life of parenting and teaching others. Of course I am certainly not the athlete that Torgjorn Sindballe was and at his level only a tiny drop in performance prevents him from competing as a pro. In retrospect, I too might well have made a better choice to put off the surgery and laid lower back in 2007. I may have put off the need for heart surgery the first time. But what's done is done. And, like Torbjorn, I too want to get to that content place without the need to be competitive and spend more time with my kids. I probably would not have even attempted this if my kids where not real young (5 yrs and 1 yr. I know that parenting only gets more intense when they get older and more involved in activities.
I certainly am going to need a lot of help through this journey and there is a lot in motion to help me on my quest. The medical bills for the past few years,and all the costs of doing the sport of triathlon at this level is very costly. Sarah has been very helpful on this part of the puzzle. I will be announcing some of this support as it gets finalized. There is a wide range of media interest in this story as well and I will be posting media clips as they are finished. In fact, Q2(channel 5) here in Billings will be running a story on my quest next week. You can also read a full accounting of the events leading up to my quest by viewing Jay's story in the important documents section of this blog.
In the meantime bring on the Shute!
Coachjay
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Kiddos
Jay just gasped when he saw the latest pictures of his lovely darlings, so he asked me to post a few on here. Cale was a glowing picture under the Christmas tree...Chloe was dressed to perfection at the cabin....Cale tries to learn how to play guitar....and Mommy goes snowshoing.
Another week went by without a hitch on CoachJay's training front. Fatigue, irritation, and the predictable factors that go along with hard core training are beginning to set in. Guitar practice is getting the short stick as other things take priority.
We also saw the first week of Windtraining classes in Billings - with a lively turnout - and only one significant indoor cycling crash (A shout out to Dave Groshens - we hope you are OK!).
On the clone front, a BIG congrats to Paolo Gerbassi who qualified for the Boston Marathon at the Phoenix Rock N' Roll Marathon. Also Happy Birthday to Todd Vralsted and sympathies to Maggie Vralsted who suffered her 2nd crash of the year - this time on skis.
This weekend, it's off to the cabin for the Sacajawea 15 km Classic Ski Race for Sarah, the 10 km Skate Race for Jay, and Mighty Mite Ski School at Bridger for Chloe.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Jay's Comeback
Jay has hit the ground running - quite literally - again! This past week he has returned to serious training and is finding some positive results. He is swimming and running well, and is seeking out some ambitious races for this coming season.
When he's not training, he is still very active. Over the past few weeks, we have spent a lot of time in the mountains of Bozeman - snowboarding, nordic skiing, sledding, showshoing, and the like. Jay skinned up Nixon Peak and boarded down a couple of times - working up a nice sweat in zero-degree weather. (I followed with my own skin and ski, but found the snow a bit crusty).
At Bridger Bowl Ski Resort, we have had the opportunity to go together in some serious powder. We climbed up the ridge a few times and found some awesome powder chutes - always a good time - except for the day when Schlosmann's chairlift led to Slushman's revine. In four feet of slush at the ridge, I found myself in a bit of difficulty as I tried to descend on tele's.
When he's not training, he is still very active. Over the past few weeks, we have spent a lot of time in the mountains of Bozeman - snowboarding, nordic skiing, sledding, showshoing, and the like. Jay skinned up Nixon Peak and boarded down a couple of times - working up a nice sweat in zero-degree weather. (I followed with my own skin and ski, but found the snow a bit crusty).
At Bridger Bowl Ski Resort, we have had the opportunity to go together in some serious powder. We climbed up the ridge a few times and found some awesome powder chutes - always a good time - except for the day when Schlosmann's chairlift led to Slushman's revine. In four feet of slush at the ridge, I found myself in a bit of difficulty as I tried to descend on tele's.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
From snowshoeing in Bozeman to cyclocross in Florida
We've had a busy month of escapades, but with an added component of misfortune that turned each adventure slightly awry. Over thanksgiving, my mother, brother and friends from Billings, Sue and Paul, joined our family at our cabin amidst 2 feet of snow. The trip started off fantastically, with a group snowshoe hike up Nixon Peak, and Chloe pitching in the make Grandma Marschall's rolls. We even got a few turns in at Bridger and some strong workouts at the Nordic center. Unfortunately, events turned sour when my brother smashed our snowmobile into a tree. (This occurred after Sue and Paul got their car stuck, the plow truck went down, and our propane heater went on the blink). Luckily, no one was hurt. Unluckily, it required major repairs and will not be ready for at least another month!
For Christmas, we thought we'd throw in a couple of cyclo-cross races in Miami while visiting Jay's folks in Florida. The first race was "Tropical Cyclocross" in Key Biscayne and we both came in 3d in our respective races, male masters and women, although I weathered numerous flats due to my lack of bunny-hopping ability! We also went out to some phenomenal Cuban food, saw the holiday boat parade at Bayside and did some late night Christmas shopping after several Mojitos!
Then it was up to Stuart, FL for in-laws and kid time. Chloe rode her bike almost every single day, played with the neighbor kids, went to the Oceanography Center with her cousin Tyler, played in the surf at Jupiter, and went mountain biking in the jungle at night! Cale continued to progress - exhausting her grandparents to the hilt.
As with Thanksgiving, everything was fine until "disaster" struck - Jay came down with kidney stones and a sore throat, his mom and dad got a stomach bug - and several days were spent with Sarah being the lone survivor to manage the household. Luckily, everyone's health improved for Christmas eve, and we had a wonderful steak house night out and presents in the morning. Jay even ran me into the ground on Christmas day with a 5-mile run followed by a bike ride to Hobe Sound.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
xcross, snowboarding, and guitar playing?
I was talking to our friends Sue and Paul the other day about how many changes I am trying to make in my life. Even Sarah was saying that maybe I am changing too many things. A few weeks ago Sarah bought me an electric Guitar and amp, having no musical background and never having touched an instrument, I have begun taking Guitar lessons! My goal to be be able to play a song for the family in a few months. -- this is way out of my comfort zone and a whole new challenge for sure!. Along with Guitar lessons I decided it was time( after 45yrs) to stop biting my fingernails. part of that motivation was the need to have fingernails to pick the guitar and the other is it is just a gross habit. Then there is getting my masters degree at MSUB starting this spring semester. Why all these changes? well of course my health issues with my multiple Heart surgeries were a main reason. Fighting through this hardship has been brutal, but our thought was to fill the void left from being a competitive endurance athlete with other challenges.
Jay with his new Guitar
It was just last week when at my last cardiologist checkup with Dr.Sample. That it was reveled to me that the group of doctors here in Billings looked at my case after May's revealing echo and came to the conclusion that I would probably not be coming back from surgery in Chicago. As my hair stood on end I realized that how lucky I am to be changing anything. It also makes you cherish your time with your family and take a new focus on every moment you have with them.
The good news is that my checkup went well and my last Echo looked very good. Dr Sample even said I could start exploring higher heart rates while exercising! it was getting quite boring to stay below 130! Unfortunately, He did say that my capacity to perform would never be quite the same, due to the lack of elasticity in my new( or should I say used) Aortic Root. But I was just happy to hear him say at the end of our meeting that quote" you should be pumped". So for training I will continue to be diligent and try to get the most out of my health with what I have been dealt. Where this process will lead I don't know. I certainly enjoy the process and I will continue to try to improve on my fitness all be it with a limited scope and time.
as most of my triathlon clients end or wind down their season I am constantly urging them to explore something other than the Swim, Bike and run world of triathlon. why? well in my 20+ years in and around the sport and having coached over 300+ folks of all levels, I have seen many a triathlete self destruct from the grind or what I call the "Crack pipe".(Look for a new addition to my blog soon, it will be entitled " tales from the crack pipe") In Atlanta all my boys( training partners and mentors, all of which were national caliber age groupers)to a person are out of the sport all together or what I call "in the graveyard." The grind was eventually too much for them and their lives. And with the popularity of the Ironman distance this is even more prevalent.
In 1995, I got on a mountain bike for the first time. I was horrible! I was a bloody mess and found myself over the handle bars many times. But I was laughing and having fun. The off road crowd was so much different from the roadies and triathletes. you wore baggy shorts, drank beer, and talked about everything except training! I was hooked. every fall and winter I would ride mountain bikes, and I was the only triathlete in the group. 10 of the boys would chase each other on a different route every week for a couple of hours, then we would tell lies over burritos and beer!
the result of changing my mode of training was significant. In fact, In 1997 after almost never getting on the road and riding my mountain bike exclusively, I came out in the spring and won Powerman alabama(overall amateur) and Gulf coast 1/2 ironman( overall including the pros). Not only was I refreshed and happy to get back on the road when spring approached, it actually made me stronger and fitter. You can look at many of the mountain bike athletes who go to the road and kick butt. Its just a super hard discipline and makes you incredibly fit and strong-- and by the way its a gas and in no way like training for triathlon!
Coachjay at the Bozeman cross races
Then there is cyclocross-- which I only took up a few years ago. I call it 1 hour of pain! but for some reason its fun. every course is different and every race a challenge. You ride a kinda hybrid road/mountain bike and you are faced with obstacles( like sand pits, wood barriers, stairs,run ups etc..) and you have to jump off the bike and carry your bike over these obstacles. Sarah and I did a number of races this fall here in Montana. they were real fun with a cross between the cycling and mtn bike crowd again no triathletes here! I was forced to not go real hard on these races this fall since I have a HR limitation to that point but in XC racing this is nearly impossible so I was typically getting last in these events. Sarah and I are even doing a couple of more XC races in December as we head to Florida to see my Parents over Xmas. Back to Back races in Miami florida! Should be fun!
Sarah at the Riverfront cross race jumping a barrier
Chloe likes riding her bike at xc races too!
coachjay laughes( or cries?) as he runs across the sand pit in the Bozeman cross races
Cale is not quite ready to join in on the fun!
another example of off season training especially in the colder climates is skate skiing, there is example after example of athletes using xcountry skiing as a discipline that can improver there other sports during the off season, I was amazed when I was in Boston on how the sport of skate skiing transferred over to my fitness on the bike. And as I researched it I found that many other triathletes and cyclists found the same thing. Many of them never touching their bikes during the winter months. Some of my peers like Pierre Lavoie, Michael Hagen come to mind. there where also legends like Greg Lemond who used skate skiing all winter for his off season fitness.
Sarah nordic skiing at Bohart ranch
heading up to Nixon peak from the cabin
so now its winter and I am stoked to get back on the snow and skate! This past weekend it was snow, snow, and more snow as the family trekked up to the cabin to acclimated for our Thanksgiving day week in a couple of days. I was busy plowing the road all weekend as it dumped 2 feet of fluffy powder! It was amazing. Sarah and I tagged teamed on some Nordic skiing at Bohart ranch and Sunday I did a first by skinning up our mountain(Nixon peak)from our cabin on my split board. put the board together and rode down in the deep powder all the while trying to avoid Gatlin and Teddy as they tried to stay in front of me! It was incredible.
at the top of Nixon peak with my split board and my dogs Gatlin and Teddy
and my trip down
from our cabin porch looking out at Bridger bowl and our new lift chair swing from Bridger's old alpine lift! Thanks Brook and Tex!
Chloe practices her Nordic
So its Thanksgiving and Sarah's Mom and brother are coming in from Boston and with our friends Sue and Paul we will head up to the cabin and again I will be in charge of cooking the Tday dinner! Of course we will be running the annual huffin for stuffin 10k that morning, which is a great event and it somewhat justifies your overeating! after the run it will be making the feast, and of course I have to do the whole thing since that fatal day when I cracked on Sarah's Turkey color some 7 years ago.
Then it will be skiing and playing in the snow the rest of the weekend. can't wait.
and finally a clone report: Congrats to Adam Weaver for a Pr performance in Kona with a 9:52, Adam had some issues in the middle section of the run but fought through it and finished strong the last miles of the marathon. I told Adam that you almost never see someone having nutrition issue slow down to a walk and come back to running 7:30miles at the end-- so kudos Adam!. Also Kevin Welsh had a solid day in the Austin with a 4:48 and along with Kevin, Matt Rosetti finished his first 70.3 in 4:47. Also racing in Texas were Carla Cobb and Sue Balter who raced the San Antonio 1/2 marathon and met there goals with solid runs. Also I have added a new clone from Salt Lake city, Jay Preston. Jay raced in Kona this year and hopes to go back and race even better. Look for great things from Jay in 2011!
have a great holiday
coachjay
Jay with his new Guitar
It was just last week when at my last cardiologist checkup with Dr.Sample. That it was reveled to me that the group of doctors here in Billings looked at my case after May's revealing echo and came to the conclusion that I would probably not be coming back from surgery in Chicago. As my hair stood on end I realized that how lucky I am to be changing anything. It also makes you cherish your time with your family and take a new focus on every moment you have with them.
The good news is that my checkup went well and my last Echo looked very good. Dr Sample even said I could start exploring higher heart rates while exercising! it was getting quite boring to stay below 130! Unfortunately, He did say that my capacity to perform would never be quite the same, due to the lack of elasticity in my new( or should I say used) Aortic Root. But I was just happy to hear him say at the end of our meeting that quote" you should be pumped". So for training I will continue to be diligent and try to get the most out of my health with what I have been dealt. Where this process will lead I don't know. I certainly enjoy the process and I will continue to try to improve on my fitness all be it with a limited scope and time.
as most of my triathlon clients end or wind down their season I am constantly urging them to explore something other than the Swim, Bike and run world of triathlon. why? well in my 20+ years in and around the sport and having coached over 300+ folks of all levels, I have seen many a triathlete self destruct from the grind or what I call the "Crack pipe".(Look for a new addition to my blog soon, it will be entitled " tales from the crack pipe") In Atlanta all my boys( training partners and mentors, all of which were national caliber age groupers)to a person are out of the sport all together or what I call "in the graveyard." The grind was eventually too much for them and their lives. And with the popularity of the Ironman distance this is even more prevalent.
In 1995, I got on a mountain bike for the first time. I was horrible! I was a bloody mess and found myself over the handle bars many times. But I was laughing and having fun. The off road crowd was so much different from the roadies and triathletes. you wore baggy shorts, drank beer, and talked about everything except training! I was hooked. every fall and winter I would ride mountain bikes, and I was the only triathlete in the group. 10 of the boys would chase each other on a different route every week for a couple of hours, then we would tell lies over burritos and beer!
the result of changing my mode of training was significant. In fact, In 1997 after almost never getting on the road and riding my mountain bike exclusively, I came out in the spring and won Powerman alabama(overall amateur) and Gulf coast 1/2 ironman( overall including the pros). Not only was I refreshed and happy to get back on the road when spring approached, it actually made me stronger and fitter. You can look at many of the mountain bike athletes who go to the road and kick butt. Its just a super hard discipline and makes you incredibly fit and strong-- and by the way its a gas and in no way like training for triathlon!
Coachjay at the Bozeman cross races
Then there is cyclocross-- which I only took up a few years ago. I call it 1 hour of pain! but for some reason its fun. every course is different and every race a challenge. You ride a kinda hybrid road/mountain bike and you are faced with obstacles( like sand pits, wood barriers, stairs,run ups etc..) and you have to jump off the bike and carry your bike over these obstacles. Sarah and I did a number of races this fall here in Montana. they were real fun with a cross between the cycling and mtn bike crowd again no triathletes here! I was forced to not go real hard on these races this fall since I have a HR limitation to that point but in XC racing this is nearly impossible so I was typically getting last in these events. Sarah and I are even doing a couple of more XC races in December as we head to Florida to see my Parents over Xmas. Back to Back races in Miami florida! Should be fun!
Sarah at the Riverfront cross race jumping a barrier
Chloe likes riding her bike at xc races too!
coachjay laughes( or cries?) as he runs across the sand pit in the Bozeman cross races
Cale is not quite ready to join in on the fun!
another example of off season training especially in the colder climates is skate skiing, there is example after example of athletes using xcountry skiing as a discipline that can improver there other sports during the off season, I was amazed when I was in Boston on how the sport of skate skiing transferred over to my fitness on the bike. And as I researched it I found that many other triathletes and cyclists found the same thing. Many of them never touching their bikes during the winter months. Some of my peers like Pierre Lavoie, Michael Hagen come to mind. there where also legends like Greg Lemond who used skate skiing all winter for his off season fitness.
Sarah nordic skiing at Bohart ranch
heading up to Nixon peak from the cabin
so now its winter and I am stoked to get back on the snow and skate! This past weekend it was snow, snow, and more snow as the family trekked up to the cabin to acclimated for our Thanksgiving day week in a couple of days. I was busy plowing the road all weekend as it dumped 2 feet of fluffy powder! It was amazing. Sarah and I tagged teamed on some Nordic skiing at Bohart ranch and Sunday I did a first by skinning up our mountain(Nixon peak)from our cabin on my split board. put the board together and rode down in the deep powder all the while trying to avoid Gatlin and Teddy as they tried to stay in front of me! It was incredible.
at the top of Nixon peak with my split board and my dogs Gatlin and Teddy
and my trip down
from our cabin porch looking out at Bridger bowl and our new lift chair swing from Bridger's old alpine lift! Thanks Brook and Tex!
Chloe practices her Nordic
So its Thanksgiving and Sarah's Mom and brother are coming in from Boston and with our friends Sue and Paul we will head up to the cabin and again I will be in charge of cooking the Tday dinner! Of course we will be running the annual huffin for stuffin 10k that morning, which is a great event and it somewhat justifies your overeating! after the run it will be making the feast, and of course I have to do the whole thing since that fatal day when I cracked on Sarah's Turkey color some 7 years ago.
Then it will be skiing and playing in the snow the rest of the weekend. can't wait.
and finally a clone report: Congrats to Adam Weaver for a Pr performance in Kona with a 9:52, Adam had some issues in the middle section of the run but fought through it and finished strong the last miles of the marathon. I told Adam that you almost never see someone having nutrition issue slow down to a walk and come back to running 7:30miles at the end-- so kudos Adam!. Also Kevin Welsh had a solid day in the Austin with a 4:48 and along with Kevin, Matt Rosetti finished his first 70.3 in 4:47. Also racing in Texas were Carla Cobb and Sue Balter who raced the San Antonio 1/2 marathon and met there goals with solid runs. Also I have added a new clone from Salt Lake city, Jay Preston. Jay raced in Kona this year and hopes to go back and race even better. Look for great things from Jay in 2011!
have a great holiday
coachjay
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Winter's Coming!
The first swirls of snow hit the ground this week causing Chloe to get on her snowboots and the Saturday group ride to switch to off road officially this week. We dabbled in a few cyclo-cross races this fall, which was majorly fun but also majorly embarassing for me, having no technical ability whatsoever! We raced the Bozeman Pond series and the Billings Cross Weekend hosted magnificently by Rob Newsome.
I've been rigorously working through the fall, with classes back on track, trying to manage mom care and work with training and outdoor fun. The fall here in Montana has been incredibly warm and sunny, making for wonderful noontime runs with my YMCA group - Sarah Berwald, Cecil Pegram, Renee Coppock and Pam Harder. The weekends have also been great for road cycling which I've enjoyed with Maggie Vralsted and the Saturday group ride.
Now looking at the winter months looming ahead, Jay has already put on his Nordic skis once and is looking to hike and ski downhill this weekend. I'm sticking with the weekend long run on the Billings rims for now, but waiting for that huge snowfall which will bring us all out. Chloe's already signed up for Mogul Mites - 10 weeks this winter.
Jay's started guitar and I'm waiting to hear his first song over Thanksgiving - which we will enjoy with Huffing for Stuffing, the Balter-Reitzes, my mother, and my brother. The best part of Turkey Weekend? CoachJay does all the cooking! I can hardly wait for the first glass of wine, sipped while watching him sweat over Grandma's rolls.
I've been rigorously working through the fall, with classes back on track, trying to manage mom care and work with training and outdoor fun. The fall here in Montana has been incredibly warm and sunny, making for wonderful noontime runs with my YMCA group - Sarah Berwald, Cecil Pegram, Renee Coppock and Pam Harder. The weekends have also been great for road cycling which I've enjoyed with Maggie Vralsted and the Saturday group ride.
Now looking at the winter months looming ahead, Jay has already put on his Nordic skis once and is looking to hike and ski downhill this weekend. I'm sticking with the weekend long run on the Billings rims for now, but waiting for that huge snowfall which will bring us all out. Chloe's already signed up for Mogul Mites - 10 weeks this winter.
Jay's started guitar and I'm waiting to hear his first song over Thanksgiving - which we will enjoy with Huffing for Stuffing, the Balter-Reitzes, my mother, and my brother. The best part of Turkey Weekend? CoachJay does all the cooking! I can hardly wait for the first glass of wine, sipped while watching him sweat over Grandma's rolls.
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