Quiet on the East Coast

Hometown Population: 5,000
Year Founded: 1804
Stoplight Count: 2 (100% increase since I lived here)
Today's Temperature: 32 degrees
Topography: Rural, State Forest

With three clicks of my Kinvara's, I'm not in Los Angeles anymore. If only for a few days. Took a phone camera along for the workout around town. I love running in this area in the summer - so much green. The winter, less so, but I still pick up on the slow, quiet Colonial feeling of central CT.

More today's workout:

The Start Line/Finish Line

Today's path

A quiet morning at the lake

Site of childhood summers and swimming lessons

Color on an otherwise grey morning

S. Hill House, built in 1840

Stone walls and fences - much of what you see here

Opposite side of the lake

Closed in 2008 but still standing, Marlborough Country Barn

Center of town, flags half mast

New Year's Resolution

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!”” – Jack Kerouac

I think I'd be okay if the world ended today. I feel like I'm on equal footing with the universe for the moment. No major debts owed. No dire words unspoken. Sure, there are places I haven't seen and a long list of to-do's. But all 'n all, I'm good.

But since tomorrow's going to happen ... onto setting a New Years resolution. I don't usually set one, but this goal is something I've been working on for a couple months. And after an inspiring conversation with a friend this week, I'm going to full on label it a resolution.

I'm going to invest myself more in people. Not any particular person or persons. But people in general. I've got such a great opportunity right now having 60-or-so new faces in my daily life - the triathlon team. If I'm going to coach and I'm going to care and I'm going to invest the minutes/hours/days of my life - I'm going to do so with all my heart. For me it doesn't mean being a 'rah rah' person all the time - as athletes, we all know that sometimes tough love and a biting word can send us in the right direction. But I'd be foolish not to seize the chance to do as much good as I can for my teammates.

And beyond my team, I'm trying and will continue to try to tell people how much I care and appreciate them. Sharing the gratefulness, I guess. I'm in the midst of writing my holiday emails -- my lame little version of cards -- and it's not easy to pick pointed and thoughtful words that let my friends know how important they are to me. Sometimes what I write just sounds creepy :) But I'm getting past that - I'd rather my caring be shared than go unsaid, because you never know if you'll ever get the chance to say it again. You just don't.

I'm not sure I'll be able to hit a midpoint next year and measure this goal. It's not quantifiable in miles or miles or pace. I suppose it's up to be to be the judge and jury. And I believe that 'you can always give more'. So that's what I'm going to continue to try to do - invest more, give more, care more. And grow from it all.

Okay enough promises to myself! Off to CT tonight, and will hug my parents by 10am tomorrow morning. Bundling up for what will be a CHILLY 5 days of working out. IronChamps don't take a holiday!

A Small Form Tweak to Make You Faster

"There is no tension in swimming," Coach Jason said last night. We were standing on the deck working with one of the team's intermediate swimmers - a guy who has such potential to be a great three-sport athlete if he would only relax a little.

After Jason reviewed more proper form, I looked down at my teammate and said, "Try this: With the rhythm of your strokes, say this to yourself, 'I am a worthwhile person." (My alma mater, a super-academic haven for masochistic students, has the tongue-in-cheek slogan, "No Matter What You Say Or Do To Me, I'm Still a Worthwhile Person.")

With this advice and Jason's instruction, he laughed and then swam.

For me, Jason's words illustrate such an important part of training - focus and relaxation. You can't fight tension with tension. You end up fighting only yourself. So what is one of the smallest and easiest changes you can make to your form to help you go faster? What relaxation technique can make the hard work easier? Smile.

On Sunday I ran with 11 other Ironteammers down at Venice Beach. I shuttled from group to group so that I could chat with everyone and make sure they felt comfortable. It was a 6-mile run, and at the turnaround point I found one our runners going at it alone. From what I've observed over the past 7 weeks, she's got a ton of promise as a triathlete. She's a competent swimmer, really stronger biker, and a solid runner. But as we ran, she talked about how she doesn't quite have the confidence with her run yet.

So for the last 2.5 miles, we did a little "pain cave" work. I pushed her through two one-mile repeats at a pace below her PR. As we ran, I threw out little pieces of advice - roll your shoulders, remember why you run, etc. I also told her, twice, to smile. Even though I was 1.5 steps in front of her, I immediately heard her breathing change. It was lighter. There was a laugh to it. And if she could lighten up and laugh, it meant she could keep on going at this speedy clip.

The most productive state you can be in while training is relaxed and alert. It's why coaches say that when you run, hold your hands like you are cradling eggs. Don't clench your fists. Same thing with your head - don't clench your jaw. Just smile.

You're not the only one who will benefit from the smiling. At IMCDA '10, there was an enormous amount of course support. While I was on the bike, I told myself, whatever happens out here, I'm going to grin through it. I committed myself to high-fiving every kid I could and waving at all the spectators that cheered me on. Because, maybe somewhere in that crowd, there's a kid who thinks he or she can one day be an Ironman. Or maybe next week sign up for swim lessons. Or ride a bike on the weekend. If they happen to catch my crooked grin and mischievous eyes - the look I have when I'm having a blast - maybe that's the small touch they needed to send them along their journey. Who knows? Not me, for sure. But why not think that?

Perhaps this is cheesy, novelty advice. It has nothing to do with body angle, heart rate or VO2 Max. It's just a smile. But smiles are windows to your head and your heart. And in the end, those are the two most important things that get us to the finish line.

Evolution and Reflection: My TNT Journey

Inevitably when the New Year holiday rolls around, we take at least one last look over our shoulder and review the past 365 days. I've found myself twisting my neck a little farther back and thinking about all of the time I've lived in LA (6+ years) and how my friends, teammates and participants I've made here have shaped me as a person and a coach.

Scrolling through some pictures, I'm surprised to see just how many people I've gotten to work in the TNT community - particularly in the marathon program. With each go-around hovering around 75 people, and with 12 season under my belt ... discounting repeats, I think I've shaken a fair amount of hands and shared a lot of smiles.

I've always been a planner - there is safety in knowing what's coming up and what's on the to-do list. But had you told me in 2006 - when I graduated college - what my life would like in December 2012, I would have wrote you off as mental. Who knew.

As important as it is to know where you are going, it's also important to remember where you came from, who has traveled the trail with you, and who has changed your life. The folks in these photos, among many, many other people, have made me who I am today.

This has been my TNT path - a big part of my adult life.

San Diego Rock 'n Roll 2007
It started with the Summer '07 season. Marathon bug bites. I'm forever infected with desire to run far and free.

Followed the Winter '07 season...
Running and fundraising allowed me to travel Honolulu for my second marathon. By the numbers, this was my worst race. And physically, this was the most painful one. But I returned to the mainland wiser and stronger and still motivated to chase down another finish line and raise more money for the mission.

Became a TNT mentor in '08
Might as well hit up the other non-contiguous state. I broke 4 hours for the first time at the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, AK.

I kept my West Side Team involvement alive by racing the Santa Barbara half marathon the following season (Winter '08-09). No pictures, but a PR that would hold for a couple of years.

The following summer I had my first shot at coaching. And I returned to the San Diego RnR race.
2009 was the year I fell in love with coaching. Wise men say that the things you think about during your free time are what you should be doing with your life, because when you love what you do, it's not work. For me, coaching is never work. It's an expression of love. It's how I "be" and "do" and feel alive.

Unable to kick the TNT addiction, I returned for the winter season in 2009 as an assistant coach
Back to Honolulu! By now, then race had become an annual tradition.

Arizona RnR Marathon in January '10
Track jacket family descends upon the Inspiration Dinner!

Step up to co-head coach the team for the summer '10 season - San Diego, Alaska, Seattle marathons.
I was balancing IM Coeur d'Alene training as well as a 60-hour work week schedule. Little sleep, but unforgettable experiences and lessons.

Big, scary, rewarding leap to solo head coaching for Winter '10 season
We trained for LA Rock 'n Roll, Hawaii and AZ RnR races and completed them all. Forced to step up and lead, and with the help of my assistant coach, Joe, we had a successful season.

At Arizona RnR, Jan '11
Our team had the Top Fundraiser in the Nation. Proud to call her my friend, Lori.

Winter Season '11-'12 - Back to Hawaii!
I took a season off, finally, and then returned to co-coach the group to Santa Barbara Half, Honolulu Full, and Walt Disney World (Half, Full, Goofy) races.

Robert and I at the first leg (half marathon) of the Goofy Challenge
So very memorable to share my love of WDW Marathon weekend with my TNT family.

Summer '12, San Fernando Valley Team
The following season, I took what I felt like was a big risk - I left my home on the West Side and jumped chapters to the San Fernando Valley. It was the best decision I have made in recent memory. The doors that opened for me there, the people I coached and worked with, and the path it led me on (to where I am today) are all irreplaceable.

Life now: an assistant coach on the Ironteam.
9 months, 75 participants, 3 races and 1 goal - find a cure. I haven't left marathon-ing, I've just added two more sports before it! The feeling of belonging here is strong.

I cannot believe so much time has passed since my first season. I've lived so many lives between then and now - many of which I did not expect and some were trial by fire. But all of them have molded me into the coach and friend I am today. And while I, like everyone else, always wants to change things about myself, for the moment I am content and comfortable. And I believe wholly in my heart the best is yet to come.

I Eat A Lot

I ordered two breakfasts today. No shame. My tri friends ask me how I do it.

The Answer:

Certainly I am not the hardest working athlete. This mileage isn't all that high. But I don't log all of the dancing I do around my apartment. And we're only in week 7 of a 38-week season.

The triple order may happen soon enough.

Great week of workouts. Great week of coaching. One more until I'm home for the holidays.

31 Days On ... Slow Your Roll, Kid

"Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time / Breaking all of the rules that would bend / I began to find myself searching / Searching for shelter again and again / against the wind" - Bob Seeger, Against the Wind

"Slow your roll, kid" - the voice inside my head

I wanted to go for a run tonight. Go knock of a handful of hills and see my friends. I had ran this morning already - speed work with one of my teammates at almost my speed work pace. And I usually go after the double-workout days with teeth-knashing determination. But not today.

I gotta slow my roll a bit. I haven't had taken a break from workouts or from come-on-be-brave life in the last 31 days. I've been burning my candle at both ends, logging doubles, and riding a fast and furious wave of energy and motivation. But tonight...I had to shut down tonight.

Everything in my life these days seems to be flaming fast. Perhaps it is the push toward the holiday. Juggling workouts, friends, coaching, work and sleep has been doable, but at the sacrifice of that last one. The important one. The eight hours of recharge I like. This month, it's been 4-5 hrs/night. Not good for brain and body, I admit.

But the thing is, I haven't had a bad workout in these 31 days. Ironman base training + layering in Goofy Challenge mileage has me on the move constantly. I give myself a D+ in sitting still.

But finally, I feel like I'm getting in shape. My runs are consistently sub-8min/mile, even if I throw inclines in. At our team's long bike ride last week, I pushed myself to stick with our lead rider, and my lungs and quads hung in there. And I'm jazzed when I get the chance to log 90-120 mins of exercise on a work day. From it, my brain buzzes constantly.

And that's the rub - my brain is buzzing. I'm wide awake and extra chatty. (Mostly wise ass comments. Yesterday I started to get sick of the sound of my voice). I have the adreneline rush that is egging me on to do what I say, and say what I mean - live life hard and fast and passionately. It's too short not to. Hell, I'm writing on this blog once or twice a day recently. I've never had this much to say!

But this new mindset is not an omni-benevolent gift.

See, at work, I'm in charge of organizing two all-company events. One happened yesterday morning. And though I planned and prepped and executed without a screw up, I had a faceoff with someone that set me off. An HR person (admission: I HATE HR and all it stands for) was slow on the uptake with providing me some info - info that it takes about 5 minutes to collect. Yet, when the deadline loomed and I asked for the four time for it, I got an attitude back at me. And I bristled.

I got so worked up and aggitated that when my boss arrived she took one look at me and asked me what happened. I bit my tongue as much as I could, but eventually spilled it all out. Thankfully, because my boss is awesome, she commiserated, and even said she enjoyed me being unhinged. It was fun for her to watch.

Normally, I'm unfazed by the stress of my job. But the go-go-go that I got going is upsetting that. So, time to shut that down for a beat. Resetting my brain with a night alone, a TV on, and the physical and social stretches I reach for well out of my grasp.

Home. My parent's backyard. Where I get to 'slow' for the holiday.
I gotta slow down now to benefit the time to come. I gotta bury my head in the sand and shutdown for a bit. Last time I rode the energy wave without caution was in my last IM training ... and I crashed. Overtrained. Lost a lot.

This time I'm pulling the reigns back. Trying to find that intensity between All and Nothing. I will, with time and patience, and a nice holiday break.

So with complete moderation, a deep breath, and (still) a tiny voice that says find-those-f'ing-limits-and-break-them, I roll on. Just half a step slower than normal.

Obligatory Holiday Gift Ideas Post

For the endurance athlete in your life, (mom and dad).

Stocking Stuffers:

The Icy Hot Stick - Unlike the balm, you don't have to get your fingers all oily. This stuff works well for mild muscle soreness - calves especially.

Bike Tubes - The flat tire gods are fickle, and have a way with timing their punishment when you are farthest from your car or home.

Reflective Tape: Turn any of your normal clothes into night running gear by adding reflective tape. This version is iron-on.

For Running:

The Quotable Runner: Inspirational words and observations for us to think about as we plod along our training runs.

Smart Wool Socks - I was skeptical that wool socks would be comfortable to run in. But my aunt swears by them and got me a pair. They are amazing! I've done plenty of rainy runs and these have kept my feet warm and fairly dry. No blisters or raw rubbing.

For Swimming:

TYR Goggles - My favorite goggles, the ones I lost, were TYR make-your-own. I made them purple and green in honor of TNT. I'm bummed they are gone. I will probably buy more. Comfortable, non-leaky and good peripheral vision. Highly recommend.

Fun Swim Caps - Happy caps make for happy swimming.

For Biking:

Cycle Shoe Covers - Even though it doesn't get super cold in SoCal, the winter months can bring on frozen toes on some early morning rides. Booties can warm you up a little more.

Tube Belt - I think this one is really neat, but then again, I'm wearing a Smurfs track jacket today. So trust my fashion sense at your own risk. A repurposed bike tube as a belt.

Splurge:

Proform Spin Bike: Replace your trainer with this bad boy. I watched the TDF this year, and almost every commercial break featured this bike. With google maps integrated and the ability to climb and descend 20% ... seems a lot more fun than cranking away on a CyclOps.

The Vitamix 5200 - Epic Recovery Shakes in seconds. But watch your fingers.

Monkey in a Visor (Swim Practice)

The expert at anything was once a beginner. - Helen Hayes

I like to be useful. Helpful. Of value.

Sometimes passively - listening, learning, absorbing, overseeing.
Sometimes actively - directing, advising, contributing, deciding.

However, put me on a swim deck with a list of drills and the responsibility to correct swimmers' techniques? Might as well put a monkey there. A monkey dressed in a visor and TNT jacket and a crooked grin.

I can encourage, sure! I hope I can bring some motivation and humor the participants who are putting in the work. But when it comes to understanding form and technique, I'm in the guppy lane.

It's frustrating, fascinating and very humbling - all things I knew to expect when I signed up for this role. Growing as a coach and as an educator means exposing myself to new material and practicing it. True of almost anything in life.

I'm not a swimmer by trade. If the first leg of a triathlon was something else (pie eating contest?), you wouldn't find me at a pool. But since the swim is included on race day, I practice the discipline. I've swam since my senior year of college, but have never been coached, nor never have had to teach others.

Man, it's tough. Like trying to enforce the rules of a game that you don't quite know how to play. I can analyze a running gait and diagnosis wonky form and function on a runner. And I feel confident speaking about the bio-mechanics of cycling. But swim language is like British-speak to me ... it's almost an English I understand, but just out of my comfort zone of really getting it. Like every fourth word is foreign.

My fellow coaches - saddled with placing the swim monkey to oversee a lane or two - have been amazing. They coach the participants in the pool, and then coach me on how to coach others. They point out hitches in form and then show me how to correct it and tell me how to message it. And then they make me deliver the correction to the participants. Trial by fire.

Monkey in the black jacket and purple t-shirt

I'm learning a lot. I'm floundering as I go. I'm dancing around getting frustrated that I can't master this skill over the course of a week. Just when I have a grasp on one area (ie high elbows, hip rotation, head position), something unfamiliar pops up and back down to monkey-brain I go.

Like anything (say...an Ironman), these skills take time to development. And patience and a passion to want to understand them. I have the latter and am working on the former. We have many folks new to swimming and to triathlons. If they are willing to face the giant learning curve and conquer it, so am I.

Ultimately, if I can coach with empathy and invest myself fully in the progress and experience of the participants ... then, well, it's not the end of the world if my swim education comes along slower than I want.

The monkey to man evolution did take a couple billion years. I hope mine doesn't take as long.