Lance says….

It’s Not About The Bike and I agree with him (to an extent). 

In 2004 after I did my first triathlon I quickly rushed out and bought a tri bike.  It was the end of the season, it was the only one the shop and it was on sale.  I bought it.  $1100 dollars later, I was the proud owner of a ’04 Trek Equinox 7.  Entry level frame (aluminum), entry level components (Shimano 105), entry level triathlete.  A perfect “fit”!

 7 years later, I’m still rollin’ on the same bike.  It’s been sweat on, snot on and peed on rained on.  Its’ probably seen 20,000 miles!  It has round tubes and not a gram of carbon but ….

 

Body Movin'

Maybe these guys can kick start the New Year!

“The velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted upon by an external force”

Consistency is key when it comes to endurance sports, and I doubt this is what Newton had in mind, but once you get into a nice consistent training pattern, it's tough to break out of it. Consequently, the same can be said about a body at rest…and it’s been a bitch getting my ass off the couch lately.

After two solid months of training, I gotten a bit out of my rhythm.  Between a new assignment at work, a bit of a chest cold and a calendar full of holiday commitments, I’m pretty much writing the last few weeks of December off.

Training Update

 

It's been a while, time for an update.  Training is going well.  I'm 2 months into my 'base' phase.  After a pretty disappointing FTP test in early Oct, I'm slowly climbing back up to where I was last winter.  I tested 242 in Oct, which is 30W higher than…

Product Review – Xtenex Laces

I was originally selected on slowtwich.com to test and review Xtenex Laces.  I was pumped to be picked, it felt like I won the lottery.  I was given three different pair to try.  The x200s, x300 and x400s.  In the past I had used Yanks and Quick Laces so I had something to compare to.

On their website www.xtenex.com they have a Tips section about how to lace your shoes.  I must have missed these tips because at first because getting these laces in was major pain in the ass.  And then I realized that it was advised to put your shoe on and stretch the lace upon install.  I then was amazed at the simplicity and the ability to adjust each knot to create the perfect custom fit.

The Return of Caption Kick-Ass

Captain Kick-Ass was a fellow partier from my college days. Come to think about he could have been a figment of my imagination (college was that rough on me!). Nevertheless, as I recall, Captain Kick-Ass was 6’3”, 250lbs. He had a shaved head with a full goatee. He probably grew up on a farm, bailed hay for fun and swallowed his chew spit. He had a terrible temper and always had beer on his breath. He was loud, obnoxious and if he wanted to, he could flat out beat the snot out of anyone he chose.

Now, flash-forward 6 years, post graduation.  I’m out training with one of my good college buddies who used to treat his body as poorly as I did.

1.21 Gigawatts!

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) – average power during your highest possible effort in a 60-minute race.  Your FTP is used to gauge proper race intensity so you can still run well off the bike.

I created a firestorm of debate on slowtwitch.com last spring by starting the post “25% Increase in FTP!” . While the debate went round and round, I will offer up the following...

Top Shelf Triathlon!?!?!

“Whoa, now wait a minute!  Top Shelf Triathlon!  Who does this guy think he is!  Oh great, just what we need, another pretentious, self-absorbed, egotistical triathlete blogging on and on about himself.” 

Before you judge, let me explain.

How We Did IT - '09 vs '11

Note to self: delete cookies after web search

While there is a direct correlation with the number of Ironman summer’s I’ve had and the number of times my wife and I have conceived a child, that’s not the “it” I’m talking about.  Perhaps another day.  The “it” that I’m referring to is how I qualified for Kona in 2009.

While there are a lot of things that actually go into it, much more than what can be covered in one blog post...here's a summary of my training volumes.

Three's Company

My wife and I are expecting our 3^rd child.  He or she will be here in April!

 “Jack, are you nuts!” - RF

Never trust a guy that drinks Bud 'Heavy' in the off-season!

 “He no nuts, he crazy” – Short Round

Massive Fall Out

Not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Detroit!

Little did I know when I moved to Metro Detroit 10 years ago, there would be such an abundance of mountain biking trails.  Like many other big cities full of concrete, they (we) take our Green Spaces very seriously!

The Massive Fall Out is an annual fall group ride (MTBs) usually consisting of about 100+ riders.  It's very casual, free event  and a great way to get outside and spend the day.  The description of the ride is about 60 miles through 5 different county parks and state recreation areas.  Paved, Dirt, Double Track, Single Track.

The Off Season

Get In My Belly

The off season has been underway now since IMLP.  I typically use the time to unwind and do nothing.  Here’s an example of what “nothing” is to me.

As with many dedicated athletes, loosening the reins on the diet usually comes first.  Unrestricted eating sounds much too humane.  Imagine if Jim Henson wasn’t quite feeling the Cookie Monster that day and instead went with Brownie Monster, Nacho Nightmare or the Pizza Marauder …you can see where this is going (and why I’m not a creator)! 

So Why Ironman Wisconsin?

IMWI, also known as IMoooo due to the bike course through rural Wisconsin dairy country, nerver really appealed to me.  On the North American Ironman circuit, it always seemed that there were several other races I would prefer to do.  So, why Wisconsin?

There is a lot of thought and planning that goes into picking which Ironman race you want to do, at least there should be.  Signing up for an Ironman a year in advance is kinda like 9 months of pregnancy (I’m gonna get slapped for this one!)  But what I mean…

Mmmmoooooo! Ironman Wisconsin

After 4 weeks of deliberation and numerous discussions with my wife,  I’ve signed up for Ironman Wisconsin 2012. 

Game On!

Why I Tri

It’s been 2 months since IMLP.  I’ve recovered from my race and have made numerous attempts to weave aspects other than training and triathlon into my life.  I’ve tried video gaming. I’ve tried reading.  The amount of garbage on TV sickens me!   I’ve even mastered Angry Birds.  I’m all caught up with the stack of magazines in the corner and now I suck at drinking! These are all things that used to occupy my time.  I’ve even tried taking up fishing.   It’s been a fight but I’ve come to the realization that...

25% Increase in FTP – update

After posting this (25% Increase Link) on Slowtwitch, here's an update on how my season went. 

2011 OBJECTIVE:

Top 5 in AG at IMLP

BACKGROUND:  

M34 - 5'9” - 152lbs.  HS Swimmer, turned triathlete, turned marathoner.  1st IM in '07 (IMLP 10:40), 2nd in '09 (IMLOU 9:45) + Kona, 2010 - 2:55 marathon.

APPROACH:

I took a gamble to focus nearly entirely on cycling (my weakness) for my offseason.  I was out of cycling shape and had to...

Ironman Lake Placid 2011 – Race Report

While racing is always exciting, I’ve never been able to convey that excitement in to words.  If you race you get it, here are some details.  If you don’t, I’m sorry and I doubt you’ll make it to the end of this one!

I didn’t sleep great the night before the race, I never do.  It’s usually a very light, busy minded, anxious, toss and turn, can’t wait for morning type sleep.   After tossing and turning...

The Sickness

My name is Corey and I am an addict.  It’s been 4 days since my last workout (IMLP).  Not a day goes by without thinking about my next fix.

I intend on stepping back from Ironman racing to return some balance to my life, but this isn’t gonna be easy.  This sickness runs deep!

Top Shelf Triathlon!?

“Whoa, now wait a minute!  Top Shelf Triathlon!  Who does this guy think he is!  Oh great, just what we need, another pretentious, self-absorbed, egotistical triathlete blogging on and on about himself.” 

Before you judge, let me explain.

Welcome To My Blog

It’s true, it’s true.  I’ve started a blog.  The reasons are numerous so let me begin. 

1^st - to capture the trials and triumphs of my triathlon journey.  I’m married and a father of 2.  I work full time and I do everything in my power to train hard enough to race at the sharp end of the field.  It’s gonna be a wild ride and this is my record of it. 

2^{nd -}  to pay tribute to my sponsors.  Without them I would be lost.  Be it recovery nutrition, tri gear or just the camaraderie of team dynamics and knowing I’m not on my own with all of this.  Expect detailed, honest product reviews.  I’ll give the products I love the same fair shake as the products that I feel could be improved.

3^rd  - to educate and inspire.  Having been at this for 10 years, I’m still learning something every day.  Whether you’re a couch potato looking for change, a weekend warrior hammering out the miles or a veteran athlete wondering where all these young punks who think they know everything came from…I hope you stick around, I might just have something for all of you. 

Bienvenido!