Confirmed Schedule for Spring/Summer 2014

I think a little birdie in my ear is telling me something.

I didn't fare well with the UTMB lottery yesterday, so that makes me 0-4 in this year's lotteries.

I think I got the message...that little birdie is telling me to recoup some of that cash this year. You know...all that cash I spent traveling out west three times last year.

Races still abound though, and finally, I can lay out (and pay for) the races that I'll be doing for this year.

Here is the confirmed schedule:

Date	Race	Cost
4-Jan	Watchung Winter Marathon	$25
19-Jan	Batona 50 Miler	$0 (donation)
31-March	Indian Trails 15k	Price TBA
16-May	3 Days At The Fair (48 hours)	$195
24-May	Lower Hudson 100k	$0 (donation)
31-May	Woodstock Triathlon Festival 70.3	$180
7-Jun	RVRR "Train" Run 34.1 miler	Price TBA
15-Jun	Long Branch Triathlon #1	Price TBA
14-Jul	Long Branch Triathlon #2	Price TBA
27-Jul	Escaprment Trail Run	Price TBA
2-Aug	Burning River 100	$222.54
10-Aug	Staten Island Triathlon (Sprint)	$65
17-Aug	War at The Shore Triathlon	Price TBA

Races in red are my "A" races. Races for the autumn will be done in the future.

One of the things I was so sure about was the Atlantic City 140.6, but one look at the price ($575) and I have second thoughts about it. There is a 140.6 in the Adirondacks that goes for only $300, but I'm not sure if I'll opt for that or drop that distance altogether from my race schedule.

There are some "maybes" in this schedule, including the Leatherman's Loop 10k (yet another lottery determined tomorrow), and the Caumsett 50k in March. Other weeks will be filled with hiking Harriman Park and the Presidential Range in New Hampshire, to name a few. One weekend, I also hope to be doing the rear sweep of the North Face Bear Mountain 50k race on the first week of May.

So it's going to be a busy spring. Other than that Atlantic City 140.6 (which I might take out), the prices for the entire spring are actually quite reasonable. The prices that haven't been posted are for shorter races, so I don't expect to pay much for those.

The theme here? How fast can I go in flatter races. I seriously wanted to get in a full Ironman this year to see if I can get under 11 hours again, but the price is making me think otherwise.  I will be bumping up from the Olympic Distance to the 70.3 at the Woodstock Festival. I would love to get a shot at the 20 hour mark at the Burning River 100, and I'm hoping the 48 hour race at the Three Days at the Fair would get me set up for that.

Well that's it in a nutshell.  Let's get to work.

Destination Race in 2014? Go for it!

One of the things I'm always grateful for is the relative ease in which we can travel the world these days. And "vacationing" is a part of that experience. It's just getting out of the same old normal daily routine to explore a part of the world that you've never been too.

Couple that with running and triathlon races, and you can get truly epic trips that you won't ever forget.

Ironman in the UK.

Local races are fine...for "B" races, in my opinion. They are good to get out of the house and test yourself up against the local competition and see how you fare. It's also a great weekend stress reliever and to be with a group of friends that share the same experiences.

"A" races, on the other hand, are a bit different. Local competition is fine, but if you are gearing up to be in the best shape of your life, a larger scope is needed.

I've always loved to test myself against the national competition, and even the international competition, in these "A" races. Being the big fish in a small pond is one thing, but measuring yourself up against the nation and the world? Priceless.

And those "A" races come with an added perk...the ability to get away from your local area and travel to a new area to explore. Ever since I was a hardcore triathlete back in the 90's, the two were forever linked.

My first Ironman race in 1996 was in British Columbia, Canada. Penticton was such a different town than New York City, I was almost overcome with culture shock.

And even though I haven't been to Penticton since 2000, I still hold that town close to my heart.

Ever since then, I've been all over the country to do my "A" races. Half Ironman races in Texas, Florida, California, Maryland, etc. I really can't count them off the top of my head.

The Ironman race in New Zealand in 1999 stands out also. That is a vacation that I will never forget. Someday I would like to go back to New Zealand again, but I'll need a race to do down there so that I can give myself an excuse to go!

My finish at Ironman New Zealand in 1999. More lasting memories than in local races.

And most recently, the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning allowed me to re-visit the beautiful Sierra Nevadas (I did the California Death Ride down there about 15 years ago), visit the High Rockies of Colorado (that is such a fantastic state if you're an outdoors type of person), and visit beautiful Utah for the first time in my life.

In other words, the "getting away" factor of these "A" races is the key to fond memories that I can never forget.

There were some times in my athletic career that I tried to make a local race an "A" race. To this date I couldn't really build up the excitement as compared to preparing for a race in a far off land.

Two years ago, they brought the Ironman to NYC for one year. I just couldn't generate any interest at all!

Even Ironman Lake Placid, which is 5 hours away, doesn't generate much interest. But when they created an Ironman at Mont Tremblant in Canada, I was salivating!

And so, as this year's plans are settling into place, I have one significant lottery left to go before I finalize my schedule (drawing on January 15). And that is the fate of my entry into UTMB in Europe, which is definitely what I would love to get in to. Europe...the last time I was there was about 10 years ago and would love to go there again.

And even if I don't get in to UTMB this year, I have a whole list of "A" races that will do for this year...

...and the entire list doesn't even involve a race in the local area.

The list involves races in Utah, Idaho, Alberta, British Columbia, and Italy. All get-away races. No "A" races in New York, New Jersey, or the surrounding area.

The Tor des Geants in Italy. If you want lasting memories, I'll bet this race will give them to you!

And I love it! To all you athletes out there, I know the money might be tight, or your schedule might not allow much vacation time during the year, but you do need to make sure you enjoy your life, and these running and triathlon vacations are definitely the way to go. Staying local year after year can be quite boring to say the least.

Just one race outside the area each year will definitely reinvigorate your passion for the sport. You can still do the local races, but get out there and explore! You only have one life, and it's a pretty big planet. Get out there!

Cold Weather Tips for Running - Most of You Have Heard This Before...

DNAinfo Magazine called me for an interview on cold weather running.

This should be interesting.

To skip the suspense, if you're properly clothed, you can easily run outside, polar vortex or not.

This isn't Antartica or the northern climes of Canada folks. This is NYC. When this "polar vortex" hit, the temperatures actually didn't go below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

 I don't let a little thing like a polar vortex keep me inside.

This temperature is downright balmy compared to folks living near the Arctic Circle. And those people keep their productive day going even when the temps hit -40 degrees (C or F).

The trick is preparation. Well, you knew winter was coming. That was one warning. In the fall, you should have stocked up on some good winter running clothes to keep the heat in when the cold hits.

Then, you had about 4-5 days of fair warning that this "polar vortex" was going to hit, sending temperatures to single digits. At that point, you should have readied those clothes out for running in those temperatures.

I participated in a marathon this past weekend when the temperature was showing to be only 1 degree Fahrenheit. I was joined with about 100 other runners who were prepared for the bitter cold also.

And we had fun out there!

So how did we run in this without problems?

Well, you keep on hearing this, but you need to dress in layers.  For me, that means 3 layers on top (a thin inner base layer that wicks out water, a thicker middle layer, and a tough, weatherproof outer layer), and 2 layers on the bottom (inner layer being a thick stretchable spandex/polyester combination that wicks water, and a looser outer layer to keep the legs from the cold air).

Extremities HAVE to be covered. There are several ways to go about doing this. For the feet, a thin layer of sock liners followed by a thick pair of socks designed for hikers. Or, for the value conscious, you can wear your thin running socks first, then put a layer of Saran Wrap over that layer, then put a thicker pair of tube socks over the wrap. That should keep the heat in. The downside is that the sweat stays locked up in the wrap, so people with Athlete's Foot might have a problem with this. For the arms, mittens are better than gloves. Having the fingers in one chamber keeps them a lot warmer than having fingers in their own separate chambers. The best thing you can do is put on thin glove liners, then put on the thicker mittens on top to protect your hands.

Lastly, the head. Most of the heat escapes from the head, so that HAS to be covered also. I wear a thin balaclava to cover both the head and neck, and then put a thick wool cap over the balaclava. If it is really cold, like it was this past week, I also put on a pair of ski goggles to protect the eye area from the elements. Although the goggles have a tendency of fogging and icing up, it's quite easy to take them off during the run and clear it out.

So voila! Not one inch of skin is exposed! At this point, the only thing that is keeping you from going outside is your head. At that point, it's up to you to push yourself out that door!

 Arrowhead 135 cyclists in sub zero temps

Hey, if the folks at Arrowhead can run, or bike, or XC ski 135 miles in -20F weather, then you can easily get your 5, or 10, 26.2, or even 50 miles in single digit weather here.

Basic Training Programs for 2014

2014 is here!

So where are we in terms of training? A little lethargic from the holidays? The polar vortex ready to make you disappear without a trace? Or at least keep you indoors?

Well, it's actually time to start training for the 2014 season.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's 4 degrees out there and it's too cold to bike, walk, live, breathe, etc.

Excuses can only get you so far. And I don't tolerate many excuses, and I tolerate NONE when it comes to the weather.

Listen, if you want to make good on your triathlon or running season, the time is NOW to start on your base.

So how to start? And what do I start with?

The first part of building up your base is to start building up your weekly volumes, especially running and swimming. Most people can still run outside in this frigid cold. Oh yeah, you can too!

Again, there are no excuses. Just tell these good runners who do the Arrowhead 135 in the winter that it's too cold to run. You'll get a good laugh in return.

This is normal for one of the coldest ultra races in the world.

The race is in International Falls in Minnesota in January. And they have to carry their own support also. There are no excuses for staying inside. Period.

Athletes in other parts of the country are training outside this winter. Yes, other places might be a bit warmer to train in.

But our weather shouldn't be a disadvantage to us. It can actually be turned into an advantage.

You see, if you can brave the cold inhospitable conditions, you're one tough hombre! You can take just about any punishment. That means that once the spring emerges, you'll already be a force to be reckoned with!


You'll be really kicking some @$$ in your big race, whether it would be triathlon or running.

Starting this Thursday and each Thursday afterwards, I will be scheduling and hosting two or three basic training sessions designed to gear up for a summer triathlon or other "A" race. This will include outside track, or interval sessions on the road if the track is buried in snow, indoor swim sessions (including some basic tips on swim technique), and even some long distance hikes and runs all around the tri-state area.  All this is free. It's not the specific coaching that I normally do to my paid athletes, but it will provide the basics for you to gear up your program toward the summer races.

And who knows? Maybe you'll get some hardware out of it!