Pay attention to capitalization… I do not capitalize often. VERY, VERY LIMITED number of spots for TriLife IronTeam 2011 are still available. Interview process for applicants is proceeding right now. Ironman Lake Placid will remain “race A” goal. Training starts September 28, 2010.
HalfIron Team 2011 is also filling up fast, so do not procrastinate and start your application process ASAP.
In my never-ending quest to expand my knowledge of endurance sports and activities, I always look out for a sport that injured triathletes may do while healing. Suddenly I was reminded of my childhood’s least-treasured memories (public baths and saunas on the old country) by this tragic news. Two finalists in the World Sauna Championships, Russian Vladimir Ladyzhensky and 5-time Champion, Finn Timo Kaukonen, collapsed after suffering severe burns on their bodies. Vladimir Ladyzhensky died in hospital later. Beside the tragicomedy aspects of this sport, this news reminds all of us about the single-minded pursuit of competitive success and the price some are willing to pay to achieve it, no matter what is the sport or activity or personal definition of success. (Please do not say: “At least he died doing what he loved best.”)
Be very afraid, Ironman Lake Placid bike course at the beginning of the ride can look and be just like Central Park on some Saturday mornings in the summer… moving dense human crowd on wheels with some mad squirrelling. Upload this video – IMLP Jul 26 2009 – bike loop 1 density example 2 – and focus on:
1. finding any free riding space on a road,
2. judging variety of bike handling “skills” and confidence of race participants,
3. noticing frequent blank and shell shocked looks on some athletes faces,
4. law enforcing “efficiency” of race marshalls on motorcycle,
5. TriLife athlete’s (Big Nathan) self-diagnostic signaling to the coach (ignore verbal coaching instructions).
Guide is posted (both high and low resolution versions) to the TriLife website. Thanks to all who contributed time, skills, and bandwidth… karma balance is on your side. Be careful, it is 88 pages of potentially emotional, motivating, dramatic, realistic and fantastic information about athletes on TriLife IronTeam 2010, narrative of their preparations, history of the race and TriLife. Choose different reading if having problems falling asleep.
can find himself mentioned and discussed in the Arts section article of the New York Times. It takes a renaissance man to be such coach… and deservedly Earl Walton gets co-mingled in “Triathlon Training with Chopin” with Chopin, Czerny, and Homer.
Here is one beautiful quote:
“Watch someone who is at home in the water, or comfortable running or biking, and the activity seems perfectly natural; there is no excess movement; nothing is jarring or out of place. It is as if the human body had been made for these activities. A swimmer’s body can plow the waves like some Homeric vessel guided by the gods.
In actuality, though, can anything be more unnatural? Free-style swimming is devised for movement through an alien element. Ordinarily we are not aware of our breathing; in swimming, breathing is the determining factor. The movements of the arms and body are designed so that the mouth can regularly be raised above the water’s surface without disturbing forward thrust. Bicycling is also pretty unnatural: what animal moves by leaning over and moving the feet in tight circles? Watch a beginner — watch me — and the peculiarities are obvious. The beginner demonstrates the unnaturalness of it all, the perversity of the enterprise.
Part of the appeal of watching races is that we see that perversity overcome. The unnatural becomes natural, the difficult turns simple. The motion eventually makes sense. It feels as elegant as it looks. I know this, too, from the piano: is anything less natural than moving individual fingers up and down or arms from side to side to create music?
Practice is partly physical training: teaching the body to feel comfortable with the artifice and its intricacy. Ultimately, the playing must seem effortless; all the tension, the strain, the struggle must be dramatized in the music, not in the body. And when I have practiced enough, I no longer have to be aware of every minute finger motion or position of my elbow. Movements mold themselves into phrases, becoming supple and poised. My body’s once uncoordinated parts cohere; the body can be forgotten.”
You teach them fine nuances of swimming stroke and laboring love of running at their limit but they get swept off the feet by the flashy hotness of road cycling… Another bittersweet racing success for a Lifer that is now going to a church of road cycling – Allyson Kutler wins overall yet another crit in South California riding for Dolce Vita. I am not surprised when she wins ITT’s, after all, cycling time trials and long distance triathlons are “kissing cousins” but crits?!… What happened to “triathletes can’t ride” bromide? I guess some can handle their bikes after all – and here is a lesson to the current and future Lifers: not to avoid our drills-and-skills bike handling training sessions.
Here is update for 2011 70.3 series – some cancellations, couple new events, and some new dates for 2011 .
Ironman 70.3 San Juan, Puerto Rico – Saturday, March 19, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, California – Saturday, April 2, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Galveston, Texas – Sunday, April 10, 2011
Ironman 70.3 New Orleans – Sunday, April 17, 2011
Ironman 70.3 St. Croix – Sunday, May 1, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Mallorca – Saturday, May 14, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Florida – Sunday, May 15, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Hawaii – Saturday, June 4, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Mooseman – Sunday, June 5, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Boise – Saturday, June 11, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Kansas – Sunday, June 12, 2011
Ironman 70.3 Eagleman – Sunday, June 12, 2011
Post-race, don’t they have a very pleasant, relaxed look… with smiles, clean sets of riding kit… but inside they all have burning desire to avoid bike saddles for as long as they can (to be exact, until the next bike session they must coach)… Yes, coaches George and Adam are looking very well after being the rams/mules/oxes/camels/diesel engines (or whatever is a more heroic analogy for beasts of cycling burden that ride through the nights of team RAAM) for seven days. I personally question Adam’s pose as being too “modelish” (Adam – you would not hit a Head Coach, would you?) and also not sure of exact style of George’s hair but I can not question their hard, valiant and dedicated work for Charlie’s Champions RAAM team. Boys – well done! Sadly, it is safe to assume that you did not do open water swim after this photo?
To know more about RAAM team with a great cause, Charlie’s Champions, check their Facebook or go to www.charlieschampions.com.
First congratulation is going to a Lifer who now prays in “another church” – of road cycling racing. Olivia Dillion took a rare double victory last week in Sligo, Ireland – she won both Irish National Time Trial Championships and the Road Race Championship. Prior to becoming an elite bike racer, she was a triathlete. Her cycling talent was transparent during her half ironman training history with us. Unfortunately, she never had a chance to show off her another athletic talent during our “sandbox training” (she used to play on the National Irish Volleyball team).
Earlier in June, in out own local version of ITT and TTT events at the Bear Mountain Seven Lake races, TriLife Racing (composite team of “Big Phil” B., Tim “Do not make nicknames for me” W. and Michael “8 Pack” F. were second overall in the Men’s TTT event beating out almost all (real cycling) teams. Tim W. also took second overall in Cat. 5 ITT race (making that weekend a pleasant SuperBrick for him - with triathlon race, couple road cycling TT’s and other training). Michael F. and “Big Tim” were respectively fourth and fifth in ITT race.
Back to triathlon scene, Tupper Lake races saw its usual TriLife invasion this year. Megan Wiseman took overall half ironman race, with Michelle Mag. and Colleen H. taking age group spots. In the sprint distance, Mike “8 Pack” F. took either second or third overall (something about equipment-based DQ for a person in front), Jac. Lake was first in her age group (speeding to be also the fastest even among the men in her age group 
, and Jim “Fisherman” C. also taking the first in his age group.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Felt Bicycles have announced / initiated a voluntary recall of some Felt Bicycles. Consumers should stop using the recalled Felt Bikes immediately. Potential hazard – fork steer tube can break, causing the rider to lose control, fall and suffer injuries. Felt Bicycles has received seven reports of the bicycle forks breaking. Models affected: 2009 Felt B12, 2009 Felt B16, 2009 Felt S32. These bikes were distributed via bicycle specialty stores nationwide from October 2008 through May 2010. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycles and contact their local Felt Bicycles dealer to receive a free inspection and repair. For additional information, call Felt Bicycles at 866-433-5887, or visit the firm’s website at www.feltracing.com