Tag: endurance training

Phases of Motivation – Part 3

  This is part 3 of my “Phases of Motivation” articles that I began writing after finishing my last Ironman as a professional (click for part 1 and part 2).  It took me almost an entire year to realize what “Phase 3” was, but here it is… The picture above was taken during …

Phases of Motivation – Part 2

  This is a continuation from “Phases of Motivation (part 1).  I continue to reflect on my continuing journey as an athlete.  The photo above is a picture of me getting my transition area ready next to Luke Bell at the Spirit of Racine half-Ironman.  I was definitely lining up …

Phases of Motivation – Part 1

  As I look back on my career, I can pinpoint three major motivators or, rather, “motivational phases.”  Within these phases, I had specific motivators, but these three phases encompass the general focus of that time. Motivation Phase I lasted from my athletic beginnings, 1979 (the first time I remember …

Ironman: the journey is the destination

From 2002 – 2007 I was “all in.” I ate, slept, and breathed Ironman training. I studied the science of nutrition, metabolism, and psychology. I used myself as an n=1 study. I trained hard. I raced hard. I basically gave five years of my life trying to get the most …

Training Tip: the Taper!

We obviously train so that we can get stronger, faster, and fitter.  As you have learned, the way we do this is to stress our bodies and then allow them to recover.  This balance of stress and recovery allows us to adapt and continue improving.  The goal as we lead …

2007 Ironman Florida Race Report

For the past 6 years, I have trained with the hopes of going 1/5/3.  Be on the bike in one hour, less than five hours on the bike and sub-three hours for the run.  And for the past 6 years, I truly believed (and still do) that I am capable …

2007 Ironman Florida Pre-Race Report

After Canada, I took some time to recover and recharge my mental batteries. The time and effort I put in to preparing for IM Canada totally drained me – especially when I didn’t perform as well as I was capable of on race day. I was fortunate enough to be …

2007 Ironman Canada Race Report

My 2007 Ironman Canada race report took a while to write. After the race, I contemplated walking away from Ironman, and it took about one week for me to reflect on my race experiences. Below are the cold hard facts about one day of my life in 2007.  

No pain, no gain

Sport is a fun pastime as well as the training ground to practice for the challenges you will inevitably face in the course of living.   I picked the quote below because of the intimate connection that the journey towards our BIG DEALS plays with all aspects of life. Especially sport. The …

2006 Ironman Florida Race Report

Below is the race report I wrote after my 2006 IM Florida race. I wrote it in part because I needed to document my experience for future reference, but also to motivate my training for the next season. There are lot of interesting insights in the report, especially because it …