This is a very hard blog to write but as they say -- I need to cowboy up! Things today did not go as planned in St.Croix. All week I was feeling positive and the body and mind were good. All my tune-ups went well and on Thursday I went up the Beast(the .7-mile hill of avg. grade of 15%)in 7 minutes, pretty much no problem at 140 HR. I felt rested, and nervous, but ready to roll and I was confident that I had done all the prep I could do to be ready for this test. Race morning was also good with all my gear and nutrition ready to race this very difficult course.
The swim started and I got out to a good start and settled into my pace and felt pretty good and relaxed. I got a good draft from Roger Wacker and another in my group on the way back in. I came out in 32 and change and thought -- "Damn, I thought I could go more like 30 here," but looking at the times and my place (7th) out of the water I was in pretty good shape going into the bike.
Then everything went bad. I started the bike and immediately thought, "Shit, my legs feel like crap!" but I didn't panic, I knew it was a long hard race and my legs surely would come around. The first short loop and into town, Sarah shouted that I was in 4th. OK, my legs feel like shit but I am OK if I get some legs sometime soon, I tried as I might, easier gears, harder gears, standing, etc.... but it was like I had a bad electrical current in my legs that wouldn't allow me to push any power to the pedals. At mile 20 I hit the "Beast," where just a few days ago I went up it pretty easy. Not this time. I was barely able to get up the thing. Over the top and down to the faster section of the course. I stayed in the game and continued to fight to find something. By mile 30 I was actually pushing my hand on my quads to push the pedal down. I was relegated to the small ring and barely able to push 200 w. I was done.
I spun easy to the short loop and cut through --- I really don't think I could of got around the hard side of the island for the last 20 miles. And certainly could not have run. It was like I was bonked after a century. I saw Sarah at the corner of the short loop and said to her, "I have never felt legs on the bike quite like that before." I was able to get to the room barely and now I am processing what exactly happened.
I can't tell you how disappointed and embarrassed I am about this. I knew this quest was going to be hard but I really thought that my training numbers were good and I was ready to perform today. I obviously wasn't. I have had so many people routing for me and supporting me in this quest. I have let you all down today and it really hurts. I even had a good cry as I watching the "Bucket List" on the tube. I have no idea why it went bad today --- which is the most frustrating. Everyone has bad days with bad legs and I --- like everyone has had my fair share of bad days on the race course. There were a couple of incidents in Training were something like this happened to me. A few weeks ago at a practice TT (17 miles) my legs where a bit bad like this and I was very average on the bike. And In Las Vegas I had a day with very little power as well. But everyone has bad training days within a training block. right? Last week, however, I felt great and my power was very strong. I tapered from 20 hrs to 10 hrs to 6 hrs the last 3 weeks and nothing seemed to indicate a problem. Although maybe tapering was the problem? But there was certainly something very wrong today. I don't know whether my heart had anything to do with this but I am scheduled for testing in the next couple of weeks to make sure it had nothing to do with the way I felt today. My gut feeling is that my heart is fine, my breathing and heart felt fine today it was my legs that were the problem.
In any case there is just a couple of choices for me going forward. One, give this whole thing up and forget about racing at this level or fight back and give it more time and another shot at Buffalo Springs. This is not the end..... Buffalo Springs 70.3, here I come. and tonight many drinks
thanks for all the well wishes and I am sorry for today
Jay
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
St. Croix Race Prep
Hydrating Before the Race
It's Friday before Jay's 70.3 at St. Croix where there are 2 slots in his age group for Hawaii. We are staying at the lovely Tamarind Reef in Green Cay Marina, where we did our morning run, followed by an official swim of the swim course, where the waves made us feel "like paperclips in a bath tub." Once done with our morning tune-up, we hit Rowdy Joe's for lunch...so Jay could have his pre-race hydration and the "best fish tacos he's ever had."
Jay Sacking Out on the Beach
The beach at Cane Bay nearby was not bad either. We took the opportunity to chill a bit, catch some rays, and cool off in the water...and then at the nearby Eat Cane Bay bar with some killer Cruzan Rum drinks!
The View of the Northside, St. Croix
The views on the bike course are spectacular. This is a shot of the Northside where the bike course starts out...the only easy part of the whole day, with a downwind curvy section. Today (Saturday) we will really chill, with just one quick trip into town for some needed supplies. I'm sitting out on our patio looking at sailing boats, surf, and the nearby Buck Island (where our snorkeling cruise will take us on Monday).
Here's to wishing Jay good luck!!!! GO JAY! GO JAY! GO JAY!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Ready, Set, Go!
Its been almost exactly 1 year since I was told the horrible news that my heart went bad with an infection and aortic aneurysm. Actually, under a year by about 3 weeks. Today I did my first triathlon since the operation to replace my valve and root with a human homograph. Since the operation, the last 11 and 1/2 months of battling back to this point has been a journey that few people could understand.
Today's race was just a dress rehearsal for next weekends task at the 70.3 race in St. Croix. The Grizzly Triathlon in Missoula MT. is the largest in numbers participating in the state. The competition is really pretty good especially in the younger age groups, The University of Montana regularly competes for the nations best in the collegiate Triathlon championships. There is also a good elite field for a race that offers no prize money. Lindsey Corbin, Ben Hoffman, and Matt Seely are regular participants.
The race went pretty well with just a couple of non-fitness mishaps such as my seat post slipping down about an inch after whacking a pot-hole, blowing through the last turn as the cop was taking a nap as I approached and having to stop and winch up my laces on my shoes on the run. Other than that I was pleased with how I felt. I swam right at 1:20 Pace per 100 for the 1000yd swim. ave 281w on the bike for 20k and ran 22:10 for the 5k run(the run has a wicked .7mile trail hill that I actually walked part of) My finish time of 1:07:55 bested all the age groups 35 and older. and even though my finish time was 57s slower than last year, my time was better since last year they got our lane out a 100 early on the swim. so my swim time of 12:38 did not happen. So without the mishaps that probably cost me 30-40s I was better than last year at this time and that's not bad for a partial heart transplant less than 1yr post! Although I was trying hard to best all the chicks, but Lindsey Corbin is a bit of a stud.
The awards where very nice, and very large Root beer mugs that will certainly hold a full can of Cold smoke beer! By the way the best purchase of the trip was a short fill(not more than 1oz)16oz cans/24 case for 24 bucks! And at the last minute My crazy wife Sarah filled in a spot in the race and did her first Triathlon in 4 yrs and placed 2nd! So 2 mugs for the Marschall/Keller family.
So now its on to St.Croix 70.3. I feel like I have done everything possible to get ready for this race, My goal now is to execute a solid day and see what happens. No matter what the result, the journey to this point has been a positive one.
There has been other great stories from other clones out there. First of all congrats to Mike Fogassey for realizing his dream of getting to Kona! Mike now the hard part starts! Jay Preston had a great race at 70.3 California with a 5th place finish in the 40-44 age group, Jay had the fastest bike split in his group and put together a great day, only x-pros Gordo Byrne, Chris Hauth and a couple others bested him. Jay will be racing at the St. George Ironman in a couple of weeks and he is ready to kill it! Also in the same 70.3 race Adam Weaver had a very solid day placing 10th in the same age group. Adam also bounced back from the 70.3 to run a near pr of 2:59 at the Boston Marathon only 2 weeks post.
Sarah's Post
Well, it’s been quite a busy few weeks, topped off by an age group win for Jay and a 2nd place age group finish for me at the Grizzly Triathlon in Missoula, MT – a studley sprint race featuring the likes of Lyndsay Corbin and Matt Seeley. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day welcoming our first tri of the season – with sparkling snow-capped mountains all around us keeping a cool breeze blowing. Chloe had a blast with her friend Axl (the son of my college friend Cara Nelson) – from Easter egg hunts to swim center silliness.
Now it’s off to St. Croix for Jay’s Half Ironman and Hawaii qualifier – I’m sure he’ll do very well given his recent training and performances. Last weekend, Jay explored warm weather training in the Lake Mead area outside of Las Vegas, while I teamed up with Jenel Duey and Robin Culver to conquer the women’s sport division at Peaks to Prairie. Go Robin’s Team! (Jenel ran 9 mi., I biked 43 mi., and Robin paddled 22). It was just a spontaneous decision for me to join the race and has encouraged me to jump into more events even if I can’t train as well as I’d like for them.
Cale and Chloe have been busy with growing up, soccer, swimming, ballet and the end of Kindergarten for Chloe. She is reading some, smiling a lot, and learning tough lessons about discipline and politeness. Cale walks like a drunken sailor. Jay is doing very well, and we hope with all our hearts that things continue to soar upwards.
Today's race was just a dress rehearsal for next weekends task at the 70.3 race in St. Croix. The Grizzly Triathlon in Missoula MT. is the largest in numbers participating in the state. The competition is really pretty good especially in the younger age groups, The University of Montana regularly competes for the nations best in the collegiate Triathlon championships. There is also a good elite field for a race that offers no prize money. Lindsey Corbin, Ben Hoffman, and Matt Seely are regular participants.
The race went pretty well with just a couple of non-fitness mishaps such as my seat post slipping down about an inch after whacking a pot-hole, blowing through the last turn as the cop was taking a nap as I approached and having to stop and winch up my laces on my shoes on the run. Other than that I was pleased with how I felt. I swam right at 1:20 Pace per 100 for the 1000yd swim. ave 281w on the bike for 20k and ran 22:10 for the 5k run(the run has a wicked .7mile trail hill that I actually walked part of) My finish time of 1:07:55 bested all the age groups 35 and older. and even though my finish time was 57s slower than last year, my time was better since last year they got our lane out a 100 early on the swim. so my swim time of 12:38 did not happen. So without the mishaps that probably cost me 30-40s I was better than last year at this time and that's not bad for a partial heart transplant less than 1yr post! Although I was trying hard to best all the chicks, but Lindsey Corbin is a bit of a stud.
The awards where very nice, and very large Root beer mugs that will certainly hold a full can of Cold smoke beer! By the way the best purchase of the trip was a short fill(not more than 1oz)16oz cans/24 case for 24 bucks! And at the last minute My crazy wife Sarah filled in a spot in the race and did her first Triathlon in 4 yrs and placed 2nd! So 2 mugs for the Marschall/Keller family.
So now its on to St.Croix 70.3. I feel like I have done everything possible to get ready for this race, My goal now is to execute a solid day and see what happens. No matter what the result, the journey to this point has been a positive one.
There has been other great stories from other clones out there. First of all congrats to Mike Fogassey for realizing his dream of getting to Kona! Mike now the hard part starts! Jay Preston had a great race at 70.3 California with a 5th place finish in the 40-44 age group, Jay had the fastest bike split in his group and put together a great day, only x-pros Gordo Byrne, Chris Hauth and a couple others bested him. Jay will be racing at the St. George Ironman in a couple of weeks and he is ready to kill it! Also in the same 70.3 race Adam Weaver had a very solid day placing 10th in the same age group. Adam also bounced back from the 70.3 to run a near pr of 2:59 at the Boston Marathon only 2 weeks post.
Sarah's Post
Well, it’s been quite a busy few weeks, topped off by an age group win for Jay and a 2nd place age group finish for me at the Grizzly Triathlon in Missoula, MT – a studley sprint race featuring the likes of Lyndsay Corbin and Matt Seeley. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day welcoming our first tri of the season – with sparkling snow-capped mountains all around us keeping a cool breeze blowing. Chloe had a blast with her friend Axl (the son of my college friend Cara Nelson) – from Easter egg hunts to swim center silliness.
Now it’s off to St. Croix for Jay’s Half Ironman and Hawaii qualifier – I’m sure he’ll do very well given his recent training and performances. Last weekend, Jay explored warm weather training in the Lake Mead area outside of Las Vegas, while I teamed up with Jenel Duey and Robin Culver to conquer the women’s sport division at Peaks to Prairie. Go Robin’s Team! (Jenel ran 9 mi., I biked 43 mi., and Robin paddled 22). It was just a spontaneous decision for me to join the race and has encouraged me to jump into more events even if I can’t train as well as I’d like for them.
Cale and Chloe have been busy with growing up, soccer, swimming, ballet and the end of Kindergarten for Chloe. She is reading some, smiling a lot, and learning tough lessons about discipline and politeness. Cale walks like a drunken sailor. Jay is doing very well, and we hope with all our hearts that things continue to soar upwards.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Need for Heat!
This past weekend I took a flyer to Las Vegas (actually Henderson) to train for 3 days solo in hot weather. With St. Croix just a couple of weeks away the 40-50degree weather in Billings, made me a bit nervous about dealing with the Caribbean heat of St.Croix. With Allegiant air, Vegas is a cheap and fast place to get to and the training is actually pretty good. I was able to log 14 good hours of work In 2.5 days and got my first sunburn of the year! I even stayed in my Hotel/Henderson area without even a sniff of the Vegas strip, although I really wanted to check out the Pawn Stars shop, maybe next year. It was all good and even though not all the workouts felt super great, I got the work done. The body really needs to acclimate to the heat you know. It was a real challenge to keep up on the fluids and monitor the intensity during training without melting down. The river mountain loop trail(40mile loop) is a great bike trail that loops around the Henderson area and runs close to Lake Meade, I also road out in the Park (lake Meade)and up some great climbs in very desolate desert roads that reminded me of riding in Kona.
descent and back up climb to Calville bay( lake Meade national park)
and at the bottom at the Calville bay the marina in the foreground, I had a snack here and a drink, but no mountian dew
I also did my first open water swim in Lake Meade, which was a bit chilly at 57 degrees, but my new T1 wetsuit and neoprene cap from Desoto did the trick and after some minutes it wasn’t all that bad( warmer than the Snake river!)
The last day I did a hot, hilly 14mile run on the river mountain loop trail and ave, 7:15 pace which was encouraging, then a bit later, in the heat of the day I did another 3hr ride and transition run(90 degrees!). Sunday it was back to Billings and met the Fam at the Peaks to prairie finish at Coulson Park. Sarah and her team of Jenel Duey and Robin Culver won the womens division, congrats! Also a shout out to Paolo Gerbasi for placing 2nd in the Duathlon and all the other clones and friends that did peaks/grizzly races, Sue, Carla, Pat, Ed, Tina, Don, etc… also congrats to clone Mike Fogassey for getting in to the Hawaii Ironman world championships in this years lottery! lots of work ahead mike!
It's great to be back in Billings, although the weather is still pretty wintery here. But that's ok, since now I will be taking a bit of rest after this past 20+hr week and I will ready for this weekend's tune up sprint Tri in Missoula and then the following week its off to St. Croix!
descent and back up climb to Calville bay( lake Meade national park)
and at the bottom at the Calville bay the marina in the foreground, I had a snack here and a drink, but no mountian dew
I also did my first open water swim in Lake Meade, which was a bit chilly at 57 degrees, but my new T1 wetsuit and neoprene cap from Desoto did the trick and after some minutes it wasn’t all that bad( warmer than the Snake river!)
The last day I did a hot, hilly 14mile run on the river mountain loop trail and ave, 7:15 pace which was encouraging, then a bit later, in the heat of the day I did another 3hr ride and transition run(90 degrees!). Sunday it was back to Billings and met the Fam at the Peaks to prairie finish at Coulson Park. Sarah and her team of Jenel Duey and Robin Culver won the womens division, congrats! Also a shout out to Paolo Gerbasi for placing 2nd in the Duathlon and all the other clones and friends that did peaks/grizzly races, Sue, Carla, Pat, Ed, Tina, Don, etc… also congrats to clone Mike Fogassey for getting in to the Hawaii Ironman world championships in this years lottery! lots of work ahead mike!
It's great to be back in Billings, although the weather is still pretty wintery here. But that's ok, since now I will be taking a bit of rest after this past 20+hr week and I will ready for this weekend's tune up sprint Tri in Missoula and then the following week its off to St. Croix!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Powerman/Georgia camp diary
So we arrived in Georgia to very nice weather and went to work right away with a Friday 3 sport day with a run at the river and Sope creek trails of 9miles and a Dynamo masters swim at noon and a spin to Columns driver for 30miles with Angelo from Wilier. Good day perfect weather. Next day it was off to Birmingham for tune up workouts for Powerman and a great funny movie(Hall pass. Race morning it was threatening rain but pretty cool which we were happy about since there has been no heat training in Montana for sure. Team Magic does such a great job of doing races. It was a pleasure to toe the line at a race I have done many times before and I was thrilled to pay homage to Therese and Faye at Team Magic. The course was brutal with a giant 600ft accent in 1mile on both runs! The first run I went out a bit hot and finally settled into my numbers of 145HR. I came in the T1 in 3rd with another guy. On the bike I went again by the numbers and settled into a smooth pace, knowing that a 60k bike and that run again would be very tough in this early season. I was surprised how good I felt on the bike since the outdoor miles in Montana have been limited. I came in the T2 in 3rd place. As I came out on the second run I was passed by the guy that beat me on the first run and I said to myself " see if he blows up and keep him close" well he gaped me pretty good and I was alone in 4th. I decided to shut it down and cruise in feeling good. I was pretty pleased with my 4th place finish and felt much better than I expected to this day. Kevin also did very well placing 7th in his group.
I planned on making this trip a "crash" camp and so on Monday I was off to the N. Georgia Mtns. Since I was not crippled from Powerman, I went to work. I woke up and did some light bodywork at NRG( Patrick and wendy's personal training studio) Patrick and Wendy have been great friends and have taken me in for the week. After bodywork I went to Dynamo masters swim for a quick 3k and then I was off to the mountains where I did 3 gap from Dahlonega(50miles with 4k of climbing).
The first Gap(woody)we used to go up this 5mile climb in 20min today it took me 29min, I tell myself "dont think about the old numbers"
The dreaded sign to" Hog Pen" seven miles of hell--- I passed--- not today with the legs and gear I had.
or the highest point in Georgia--- Brasstown--maybe next time
Sunrise Grocery, we called this the cricket store, this place hasn't changed a bit-- and like 20yrs ago, it was a snickers and a mountain du!
and of course the boiled peanuts
Next my favorite climb "Wolf pen"
In North Georgia there is no doubt on the political lean.
Coming back from Dahlonega I spent the evening with Jon and Jo Adamson in Alpharetta. The fittest older couple on the planet! Jon is an icon and ages up to the 75 age group this year and Jo finished second at nationals in the 60 age group last year. They are great people and great friends for a long time! Thanks to them for putting me up in there great digs.
The next day it was back up to the mountains for another big day. This time I went back to the archives and did the reverse 4 gap from the church(70miles and 6k of climbing) and a 6 mile transition run( the loop) after. The weather was cool so I waited until noon to start so like the old days I finished at dusk. This ride was emotional for me since the start of the ride( the church) was 300yrds away from where one of my best friends in the world fell dead from a heart attack. Dave Freikin
was an amazing guy and someone that I rode this ride with many times(hundreds)I loved him very much and it still pains me to think that he is gone. This quest of mine has him in my heart.
Dave Freidkin's sign, 200yrds from my ride start on Tuesday
I returned to my rent a car at the church and went out for a one loop(6miles) transition run. 44 min. I remember when I did 4 laps of this loop( very hilly) in 36-40min but those days are gone for sure. I was again pleased with getting this done and I have to say that this quest is motivating me beyond what I thought I was capable-- so far-- tomorrow is another day.
On Wed it was an early wake up to a georgia spring T-storm and a masters swim at Westminster with my buddy the "duuude" Bruce Erskine and old clone DJ Fairbanks. Pretty wiped but got r done 3k.
later I treated myself to a massage with my long time therepist Lisa Browning at core bodyworks. We go way back to track practice with Roy Benson. She is the best and her shop space is real cool. Thanks Lisa!
Jeff Galloway and coachjay
At the end of the day I did my first speaking engagement at phidippides in Sandy Springs. Phidippides was my running store of choice in the ATL for all the years I was here. The Store is owned by Olympian and running legend Jeff Galloway. It was great turnout around 25 folks showed up for their weekly run and to listen to my story afterword. What was really great was seeing some of my old clones who showed up for the event. Jeff Lochmandy, Dave Smith, Jim Burt, all where there reliving old times with coachjay's workouts. Tomorrow I do another Talk at the Ansley Phidippides.
Thursday March 31st
Got to sleep in today(8am) and started the day with a yoga class-- boy does my practice need work! then it was off to columns drive for a flat aerobic spin of 30miles, Next its a visit to my Chiro/health healer--Carol Samuels Carol took care of my crazy health as I torched myself in the ATL for years. She knows my body as good as anyone and it was a joy to have her work on me again.
next it was another talk at the other phidipides this time at the ansley location. And again it was a great crowd of 20+ and well received. It feels really good to do these talks and I believe it is helping me stay focused on my goal as well as(hopefully) inspiring others as well.
Friday April 1st
Early wake up today and a 5:30a swim at Dynamo. It was long course meters so that was really nice. I seemed to have lost my mojo a bit and I believe my altitude advantage has diminished since my workouts seem harder the last couple of days, or maybe its due to the 16+ hours of training thus far in the week, hard to say. but I got in 3400m this morning with oodles of 200s.
a bit later it was on to speedwork Dave Scott repeat miles x 6 at columns and I managed to surprise myself on these-- like most of you know sometimes you start out and have doubts you can do something but once you get going and get past that phase of doubt, you sometimes surprise yourself-- 9 miles total. Later this afternoon I made the trek up to "the dude" Bruce Erskine's cabin in Blue Ridge Georgia. Bruce and I go way back to the early 90s and he is a great Triathlete(has won age group nationals) and like myself likes and does many things that most triathletes don't. His cabin is awesome and was the inspiration for me building my cabin in Dahlonega.
The dude's mountain retreat
and the back with the bublin brook
Friday night we went out on the town in Blue Ridge for some very tasty and strong St Bernaird ales at the new Blue Ridge Brewery. We met friends AJ and Cristy and had a bunch of laughes.
Saturday April 2
After a late wake up and a St Bernaird obsorbing waffle house breakfast, it was on to the training of the day. A 67mile ride from Morgantown to the gaps and back. We met our friend Jerve, who lives on the route in Suches. The Duude has not been on the bike much the last 5mo. and recently had torn his groin while skiing in Utah. I did my Dave Scott intervals early on and tried to keep up with Jerve on the many climbs and steep rollers. The ride had 6k of climbing and took nearly 4hrs. I felt pretty good considering the amount of hours I had put in this week. ave 235w for the day.
Jerve and Bruce at the top of Wolf pen gap
And the Duude at the end of a hard, hilly, windy ride
Sunday April 3rd
after a night of college basketball and fairly low key, I woke up in the morning and per Bruce's instructions headed out for a 1hr 40min trail run. This was a great trail to run or mtn bike. I got it done per the Dave Scott's efforts and was very happy to wrap up the week of training with a whopping(for me) 23 hrs of training. Now its celebration time with a night with the band Furthur at the fox theater with the dude!
The trailhead for my long run in North Georgia/TN boarder
An unbelievable show at the fox with further and the set list was a great one. Highlights for me were, time, dear prudence and Terapin. So the week wrapped up with a bang and the
next day wrapped up with a floppy flop swim and easy bodywork at the concourse and on to the airport for a miserable flight(s) home with major delays. but all and all the trip was a success and I was able to get all my work in. I hope this block of training will get me another step closer to my goal. I want to finish this diary blog by thanking, Patrick, Wendy and Ryder Sheehan for letting me stay with them for most of the week. Bruce for some great Blue ridge cabin training and times, Jon and Jo Adamson for a great night of catching up, Angelo, for a Wilier spin to columns,Kevin Welsh for partnering with me for Powerman,Dynamo and Matt Rose for some great swims as well as Westminster masters for a workout. Phidipides and Jeff Gallaway for hosting my motivational talks on weds and thursday. also Peachtree bikes, Jerve, and my wonderful family for the support they always give me with my quest. also my sponsors, The Spoke shop, Time out sports, Wilier, Hammer nutrition, Desoto, Dave Scott, Rotor components, Quark, Billings Clinic, and all of you that have sent nice notes to me along the way. It really helps get me through the next thing.
Jay
I planned on making this trip a "crash" camp and so on Monday I was off to the N. Georgia Mtns. Since I was not crippled from Powerman, I went to work. I woke up and did some light bodywork at NRG( Patrick and wendy's personal training studio) Patrick and Wendy have been great friends and have taken me in for the week. After bodywork I went to Dynamo masters swim for a quick 3k and then I was off to the mountains where I did 3 gap from Dahlonega(50miles with 4k of climbing).
The first Gap(woody)we used to go up this 5mile climb in 20min today it took me 29min, I tell myself "dont think about the old numbers"
The dreaded sign to" Hog Pen" seven miles of hell--- I passed--- not today with the legs and gear I had.
or the highest point in Georgia--- Brasstown--maybe next time
Sunrise Grocery, we called this the cricket store, this place hasn't changed a bit-- and like 20yrs ago, it was a snickers and a mountain du!
and of course the boiled peanuts
Next my favorite climb "Wolf pen"
In North Georgia there is no doubt on the political lean.
Coming back from Dahlonega I spent the evening with Jon and Jo Adamson in Alpharetta. The fittest older couple on the planet! Jon is an icon and ages up to the 75 age group this year and Jo finished second at nationals in the 60 age group last year. They are great people and great friends for a long time! Thanks to them for putting me up in there great digs.
The next day it was back up to the mountains for another big day. This time I went back to the archives and did the reverse 4 gap from the church(70miles and 6k of climbing) and a 6 mile transition run( the loop) after. The weather was cool so I waited until noon to start so like the old days I finished at dusk. This ride was emotional for me since the start of the ride( the church) was 300yrds away from where one of my best friends in the world fell dead from a heart attack. Dave Freikin
was an amazing guy and someone that I rode this ride with many times(hundreds)I loved him very much and it still pains me to think that he is gone. This quest of mine has him in my heart.
Dave Freidkin's sign, 200yrds from my ride start on Tuesday
I returned to my rent a car at the church and went out for a one loop(6miles) transition run. 44 min. I remember when I did 4 laps of this loop( very hilly) in 36-40min but those days are gone for sure. I was again pleased with getting this done and I have to say that this quest is motivating me beyond what I thought I was capable-- so far-- tomorrow is another day.
On Wed it was an early wake up to a georgia spring T-storm and a masters swim at Westminster with my buddy the "duuude" Bruce Erskine and old clone DJ Fairbanks. Pretty wiped but got r done 3k.
later I treated myself to a massage with my long time therepist Lisa Browning at core bodyworks. We go way back to track practice with Roy Benson. She is the best and her shop space is real cool. Thanks Lisa!
Jeff Galloway and coachjay
At the end of the day I did my first speaking engagement at phidippides in Sandy Springs. Phidippides was my running store of choice in the ATL for all the years I was here. The Store is owned by Olympian and running legend Jeff Galloway. It was great turnout around 25 folks showed up for their weekly run and to listen to my story afterword. What was really great was seeing some of my old clones who showed up for the event. Jeff Lochmandy, Dave Smith, Jim Burt, all where there reliving old times with coachjay's workouts. Tomorrow I do another Talk at the Ansley Phidippides.
Thursday March 31st
Got to sleep in today(8am) and started the day with a yoga class-- boy does my practice need work! then it was off to columns drive for a flat aerobic spin of 30miles, Next its a visit to my Chiro/health healer--Carol Samuels Carol took care of my crazy health as I torched myself in the ATL for years. She knows my body as good as anyone and it was a joy to have her work on me again.
next it was another talk at the other phidipides this time at the ansley location. And again it was a great crowd of 20+ and well received. It feels really good to do these talks and I believe it is helping me stay focused on my goal as well as(hopefully) inspiring others as well.
Friday April 1st
Early wake up today and a 5:30a swim at Dynamo. It was long course meters so that was really nice. I seemed to have lost my mojo a bit and I believe my altitude advantage has diminished since my workouts seem harder the last couple of days, or maybe its due to the 16+ hours of training thus far in the week, hard to say. but I got in 3400m this morning with oodles of 200s.
a bit later it was on to speedwork Dave Scott repeat miles x 6 at columns and I managed to surprise myself on these-- like most of you know sometimes you start out and have doubts you can do something but once you get going and get past that phase of doubt, you sometimes surprise yourself-- 9 miles total. Later this afternoon I made the trek up to "the dude" Bruce Erskine's cabin in Blue Ridge Georgia. Bruce and I go way back to the early 90s and he is a great Triathlete(has won age group nationals) and like myself likes and does many things that most triathletes don't. His cabin is awesome and was the inspiration for me building my cabin in Dahlonega.
The dude's mountain retreat
and the back with the bublin brook
Friday night we went out on the town in Blue Ridge for some very tasty and strong St Bernaird ales at the new Blue Ridge Brewery. We met friends AJ and Cristy and had a bunch of laughes.
Saturday April 2
After a late wake up and a St Bernaird obsorbing waffle house breakfast, it was on to the training of the day. A 67mile ride from Morgantown to the gaps and back. We met our friend Jerve, who lives on the route in Suches. The Duude has not been on the bike much the last 5mo. and recently had torn his groin while skiing in Utah. I did my Dave Scott intervals early on and tried to keep up with Jerve on the many climbs and steep rollers. The ride had 6k of climbing and took nearly 4hrs. I felt pretty good considering the amount of hours I had put in this week. ave 235w for the day.
Jerve and Bruce at the top of Wolf pen gap
And the Duude at the end of a hard, hilly, windy ride
Sunday April 3rd
after a night of college basketball and fairly low key, I woke up in the morning and per Bruce's instructions headed out for a 1hr 40min trail run. This was a great trail to run or mtn bike. I got it done per the Dave Scott's efforts and was very happy to wrap up the week of training with a whopping(for me) 23 hrs of training. Now its celebration time with a night with the band Furthur at the fox theater with the dude!
The trailhead for my long run in North Georgia/TN boarder
An unbelievable show at the fox with further and the set list was a great one. Highlights for me were, time, dear prudence and Terapin. So the week wrapped up with a bang and the
next day wrapped up with a floppy flop swim and easy bodywork at the concourse and on to the airport for a miserable flight(s) home with major delays. but all and all the trip was a success and I was able to get all my work in. I hope this block of training will get me another step closer to my goal. I want to finish this diary blog by thanking, Patrick, Wendy and Ryder Sheehan for letting me stay with them for most of the week. Bruce for some great Blue ridge cabin training and times, Jon and Jo Adamson for a great night of catching up, Angelo, for a Wilier spin to columns,Kevin Welsh for partnering with me for Powerman,Dynamo and Matt Rose for some great swims as well as Westminster masters for a workout. Phidipides and Jeff Gallaway for hosting my motivational talks on weds and thursday. also Peachtree bikes, Jerve, and my wonderful family for the support they always give me with my quest. also my sponsors, The Spoke shop, Time out sports, Wilier, Hammer nutrition, Desoto, Dave Scott, Rotor components, Quark, Billings Clinic, and all of you that have sent nice notes to me along the way. It really helps get me through the next thing.
Jay
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sponsors and a trip to the old stomping grounds
This week I will be heading to Atlanta for the Powerman duathlon and a week of training in the old venues I used to develop in the sport of triathlon from 1990-2002. I hope to log in some good miles while in the ATL. I would love to have some company if any of you ATL folks want to join me on some training or just getting together for a beer, give me a shout and let me know. I plan on going to the mountains a couple of times as well as hitting Dynamo pool, and doing some trail running at the river and Kenesaw. I will be giving a couple of talks about coming back from heart surgery and my vision quest at the Sandy Springs Phidippides running shoe store at 6 pm on Weds, March 30, and at the Ansley Mall store on Thursday, March 31, at 6 pm. Come by for a visit and a run!
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.
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.
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