Archive for May, 2009

We survivied Lake Placid

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

lakeplacidmovieposterTriLife athletes and coaches are now in the process of integration back into civilized “normal” life.   Lake Placid training camp was rated “relaxing and luxurious fun” by very few (meaning it was hard, just as it was intended to be).  Athletes from IronTeam and other TriLife programs swam, rode, run and ambulated on the Ironman race course, ate through their nutrition protocols, experimented with their race equipment, and tested their motivation, perseverance and crisis management skills.

Adirondacks were the usual – “if you do not like the weather, wait 10 minute…”   We experienced rain and sun and anything in between.  We even stepped in (leftover) snow on Whiteface.  For the record, conditions were very appropriate for training, even Mirror Lake water temperatures reached 58-60 degrees.   Recent winter must had been rough – Ironman Lake Placid bike course roads surfaces deterioratedeven more, forbidding ability to ride on the road shoulder or near it (Cascade Lakes section, uphill rollers after the Jay, certain parts of Hazelton out-and-back, and many sections between Wilmington and Mirror Lake).  As Race Director Jeff Edwards mentioned to us this weekend – “you keep on paying your taxes and I will continue asking authorities to repave the roads…” 

More observations from the camp coming up later.

No one is home

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

lp_athletestrainingsign1Administrative note - TriLife Coaching staff is away at the Lake Placid training camp.   Please be patient if you are trying to communicate with us – both cell phone and e-mail connectivity is less than stellar in the Adirondack mountains and our base camp.

Another useless loss

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

stevelarson_wildflower2001We just lost Steve Larsen, someone I can describe best as renaissance endurance man.  He was very good in very many sports - pro athlete with wins in road cycling, mountain biking, cyclocross, triathlons, XTerra series, etc.  He passed away after collapsing during a running track workout this Tuesday evening.   He was 39, happily married and happy farther of five.

As an old-timer, I remember seeing him appear on a road cycling scene in the 1980′s; he rode for the Motorola (that was the Team) in many international races (including the Giro), was Pearl Izumi guy (any old timers remember those PI catalogs?).   Eventually he switch to MTB during the mountain biking high years (winning the NORBA XC Nationals couple years).  As he matured (aged), he experimented (without any prior running experience) with triathlons in early 2000′s, getting to Kona on his first attempt (finishing ninth there) and almost “re-writing the book” of ironman preparations by winning his first IM – 2001 Ironman USA Lake Placid (he rode 4:33 and finished at 8:33:11, all this without any serious running training - Lake Placid marathon was his longest run ever).

He was awesome in his “let me try my own”, “high intensity only”, way.   He had the right DNA to be good in endurance sports, and he honored his genetic abilities by training and racing with commitment and passion.  And he was one of very few athletes at that level that are able to healthily balance Life (family, friends, work) and Sports (training and high intencity racing) together.

RIP, Steve.

(Please do not comment with “At least he died doing what he loved best…” – I am sure he loved his family more, he loved his even his work more, he loved his friends more, and he loved cycling more than running!  Death is terrible state for everyone involved and banality of comments on when and how it happens do not honor the man.  Just be silent for bit, reflect on Steve’s life and family, and reflect on your own existence.  Coach Ross)