Jimmy D 5K 2010

This past weekend several of us did the Jimmy D 5K in New Brunswick.  This race honors a real hero and it benefits a number of good causes, specifically burn victims. We had perfect weather again!

The out and back course is challenging and slightly rolling. The volunteers did an excellent job providing support, blocking the streets and cheering on all of the runners and walkers. There is a good mix of very competitive, average runners and walkers.

This year we had our nephew run in the Kids Fun Run, he did great in the 100 yard dash! It is super well organized and this year the race was paced by firemen on Harleys. The BBQ and picnic afterwards was EXCELLENT!

We had 2 take home some hardware- placing second and third in their age group. One set a new personal record for herself.  The food was great and the atmosphere was a lot of fun!! This is a must run event in central New Jersey and it has the best post-race party in central NJ.  We will definitely do this race again next year.  Results.

In other racing news Solis Athlete Jenn Homa, completed a weekend long event, and now can be forever known as “All That”.  The weekend consisted of a sprint triathlon on Saturday, followed by three individuals races, or swim, bike and run on Sunday.  Jenn was able to garner Age Group podiums in all the weekends races, and we look forward to hearing more from Jenn.  Info on the race, results not yet available.

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Multi-Sport Exercise of the Week – Kettle Bell Swings

The Kettle Bell swing is a full body dynamic exercise.  An athlete will address the bell between their legs, which should be spread slightly more than shoulder width.  Beginning from a squat position, both hands are placed on the ‘horns’ of the kettle bell.  We generally teach participants to slightly push the bell backward then accelerate the hips, inner thighs upward, thus extending the knees.

The arms should track inside and lightly brushing the inside of the thighs.  The arms will remain straight, with a loose grip on the bells as it projects and moves away from the body.  The body then lowers back into the squat to absorb and decelerate the weight.

Cues for movement: open the hips and imagine squeezing the glutes.  This is a lower body lift, there should be no tension in the arms, or low back, these are just guides.

Progressions:  Start with a band, between legs, and then simulate the feel, and progress, with small medicine balls that can be thrown to a partner or against the wall from between legs.

Value to Multi Sport and Endurance Athletes:

This is a great exercise to open and strengthen hips and develop power in your glutes, which are so important to both running and cycling.  All Kettle Bell exercise also assist in their variable resistance, and need for the body to adapt during a lift through multiple planes.  All Kettle bells help to train not merely muscles for athletic performance, but the connective tissues and nervous system surrounding them.

Kettle Bells help athletes develop skills, which may be stated as the acquired ability to consistently and accurately achieve goal acquisition through a variety of conditions.  They also assist in the development of Power Endurance, which is the body’s ability to repetitively produce sub-maximal, powerful movements; the type required in most endurance sports.

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Timberman 2010

Many of the Solis athletes including Head Triathlon Coach Keith Cook, had Timberman on their schedule as their “A” race.  All of the indoor training sessions during the snow covered mornings were building toward this day, this weekend.  Solis had a number of athletes taking their first attempt at a 70.3 race, and this was by far the largest race they had ever raced in.

For Keith the mission was one of redemption and renewal.  Last season, Keith immediately hit the wall on the run, bonking his way toward his slowest run at the 70.3 distance.  Much of this season had at it focus working to prevent the late game cramping and seizing of legs over the final 13.1 miles.  This still met some hurdles, as nutrition and training were tweaked, and Keith took on some of the more challenging half distance races the north east has to offer.

For the Solis Athletes making the first trip, it was mostly about building confidence, and maintaining expectations.  Unlike shorter distances, the half distance, has challenges such as nutrition, mechanical, weather, and the like that can change your day in a way that has little impact on a sprint race.

All of the Solis Athletes and friends traveled to the Lake Winnipesaukee region on Friday, and stay until Monday, thus creating a weekend bonding experience similar to our time in Lake Placid.  We all registered, and disapprovingly toured the WTC branded Expo.   The Expo’s have now become completely homogenized and without flare or flavor.  No longer can you find a deal on gear or equipment, but merely over priced apparel with an “M-Dot” logo, and products exclusively sold by sponsors.[i]

We had dinner and drinks and explore the course.  Lindsay raced the Sprint on Saturday.  Lindsay has battled injuries most of the season that prevent her from running, we worked on drills, form and areas of her racing that would have low impact.  She came away with PR’s in two disciplines, on a challenging Sprint Course.

The mornings were cool in New Hampshire, and a 3:30 wake up is necessary to ensure parking near the park.  We arrived early and all had many stops to the port a johns.  Keith was the first wave of the group, and did not take off until the 12^th of 18 waves.  This lead to nervous anxiety by all team members, as they contemplated the events before them, and visited the rest rooms.

Showers were in the forecast, and the Lake showed signs about mid-way through the swim, as the docile lake showed visible swells.  Solis Athletes were prepared for the 70 degree waters, wearing their sleek and fast Xterra Wetsuits.  The challenging bike course has hills to start and finish, with a long stretch of flatter roadway in the center.  The winds often come into play here however, often sucking power from you before the final climbs.  The winds on this day shifted frequently and honestly had less impact than any of us anticipate.    The light drizzle was enough to keep our core temperatures cool, yet not enough to significantly impact the safety on the roads.  We rode Giant road bikes  provided and serviced by Jason, of Halters Cycles.  Jason was also able to help Pat gain some extra speed on the bike with a set of Zipp 404′s.

The run, basically a two loop flat out and back, with one nasty hill that we first descend, and then climb about a mile from transition/finish.  Keith who’s splits resembled his 2009 results through the run, came out of T2, with a confident smile.  His early rhythm was indicative of his open half style.  Keith completed the redemption run, by negative splitting the course, to his best run split in a 70.3 race. Not only did Keith’s Saucony Kinvara’s look great with Solis Jersey’s,  but the were super light and responsive for the run.

Jenn made an effort to smile throughout the race, finished ahead of our expected pacing, by staying both relaxed and focused after the swim.  Pat was right on pace, and both were able to finish in the chute, with Chrissy Wellington donning their medals for them.

What makes this race so great, was not that in my mind our performances all surpassed our plans and expectations.  The race was great because we shared the experience together.  Our cheering and support of each other through out the weekend.  Our trials and hurdles, of travel that seemed to never end.  Our friends, like Maggie, who grabbed a Clearwater Slot.  Seeing our mentors like Cait Snow, who has provided Keith guidance throughout the year.  Our newest friend and professional spirit leader Rachel, and her affinity toward cow bells, traveled hours, just to share the experience with us.  Also our family’s who traveled and cheered, and who have dealt with our mission toward this race since winter, and supported us throughout.  Triathlon is great, because while an individual sport, it really does take a team.

Now its time to pick next years big race.

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SOLIS to Coach Rutgers First Triathlon Team

After two years of building, and the dedication and efforts of students on campus, Rutgers now has a Triathlon Club Team.  Solis Performance Triathlon Coach Keith Cook, began working with the Rutgers Recreation Department since 2009, and developed an introductory program preparing students alumni and others in the Rutgers Community for a triathlon.

Along the way, we have had a great amount of help and assistance from the triathlon community to share with this group of new comers the excitement of the sport.  With the leadership of some of Keith’s first “graduates” along with other athletes on campus, the goal has now been reached.

Starting in September 2010, when students arrive back on campus, they will have a new offering in the Club Sports category.  Keith was asked and eagerly accepted the opportunity to lead and coach the group.  The goals for the first season will be modest and focused on development and building of the campus community, and fund raising.  We do expect to participate in a number of local and regional events, and know our athletes will be up for the task.

As an alumni of Rutgers, Keith is incredibly excited for a new opportunity to give back to his Alma mater by acting as the club’s  first triathlon coach.

Lessons Learned from Newbies

One of the greatest joys of Triathlon and multi-sport coaching is helping new athletes achieve that which they previously thought impossible.  While I have never had the fortune of coaching a professional athlete, it is hard to believe the joy and excitement could be any greater than that which we receive from seeing our new comers embrace and success in multi sport training.  As Coaches and Trainers in Central New Jersey we have a large number of athletic minded people, who are only just now becoming exposed to the excitement that is multi-sport racing!

Over the past few weeks we have had several coached and affiliated athletes continue to both enjoy and excel in their new disciplines.  First was Rich P., a close friend that this May ran his inaugural 5K.  Having been inspired by watching other Solis Athletes Training, he trained for a Duathlon, choosing the Belmar Tri for Autism, put on by DQ Racing.

While Rich was at a slight disadvantage on the bike, riding a hybrid and racing on it for the first time, his run splits looked like he had been racing for years.

Though most importantly was that Rich came away from the event with the excitement and enthusiasm that will ensure his future participation in Multi Sport.

Another success story is Olyesya M.  Olyesya joined us in our Rutgers Triathlon Training program and has never looked back.  Since her first exposure this February, she has now raced in four triathlons this summer.  With each race, she continues to improve and find new ways to challenge herself.  This past weekend she raced the Steelman Olympic Triathlon in Pa.  she was most excited about this race as her younger sister was coming to watch her for the first time.  Despite the challenges of the race being non-wetsuit legal and a chain malfunction outside of T1, Olyesya rebounded, and persevered.  Her efforts lead to the podium for her age group!  Great Work!

Coaching and training are above all else about passion.  Sharing the passion you have, with someone else.  Sometimes a funny thing happens, and those receiving actually become the givers.  Both Michelle and I were both more inspired and uplifted by the passion and desire of these athletes.  By seeing and sharing their achievements, we were both forever changed.  Something tells me we have Ironman on the horizon for both.  Great Job, and keep racing!

1st Annual Brick-A-Palooza

So the first thing I really need to do is apologize.  With all the preparation and planning, the one thing we failed to do in this event was take pictures.  This event was inspired by our Ithaca friends of the Ithaca Triathlon Club, who ran a similar event on Father Day.  So like any successful Triathlon Coach, I saw something that worked well and was fun, and implemented it.  We are not re-inventing the wheel here.

The premise is simple, we have a set 20 mile loop on the bike leaving from Solis where transition was set up.  Upon return from the bike we run on a course that had a 3.4 mile or 5.7 mile option.  Once back repeat.  Our hope was to plan the course so that it was challenging but not impossible.  Our goal was to come as close as possible to 4 loops, and keep each rep, in a two hour time frame.  The first loop was to begin at 7, and start every two hours after that.  Our hope was that we could create a small time buffer, to allow for bathroom breaks and re-fueling.

We were fortunate to have one of the nicest days Central Jersey has seen in some time.  The temperature was in the mid 80’s but the humidity, was below 80% for once.  Though the afternoon sun still became strong, though we were covered thanks to Sponsor Scape Labs Sun Screen.  This stuff was great.  Went on without any odor, stayed on, and didn’t run into my eyes.  We were also grateful to Infinit Nutrition for taking care of our nutrition during the day.  A 5 Gallon jug was present in transition for refueling and hydration.

Since we had athletes training for a variety of distances, we did not anticipate many completing the journey.  In the end, we had none, but all felt great.  A few of us completed three rounds, and by then the day had just become too long.  We sat in a water and iced filled kiddie pool and had snacks.  All in all a great day.

Special thanks to Michelle for marking the course with chalk on Friday and making great little directional arrows to follow on both the bike and run.  Also thanks to Doug Rice and the Sandy Hookers Triathlon Club, for helping us with transition racks.  And to my mother-in-law Noreen, for not only watching our dogs, but also keeping an eye on transition while our athletes were out on the run.  Even more thanks goes out to Olesya and Katie for coming and helping out and giving moral support through every transition.

Brick-a-palooza will definitly be a staple in our training, and we will build on this as we prep for Ironman Lake Placid in 2012.

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STEELMAN Olympic Triathlon

Solis would like to congratulate Olyesya on her 3rd place finish at the Steelman Olympic Triathlon in PA and thank her for the following race report.

So the day started out all according to plan, got  there early 4:30am, was still pitch black outside, but there were tons of volunteers directing traffic, so very smooth parking, packet pick-up, setting up transition. Must say that this race was extremely well organized and run through and through – all the announcements were loud and clear, and the course was well marked for both the bike and the run, the swim was also very self evident. But enough about the fluff, let’s get to the good stuff!
The water was 80F, so no wetsuit, which threw me in for a surprise. I was in the second wave, started out wide, couldn’t seem to get a good rhythm for quiet some time, the later waves were beginning to catch up with me, definitely felt lack of wetsuit the entire time. But all in all, the swim was not as bad as it could have been, the water was really warm and comfortable, but in all honestly I was happy as hell to be out of it when the time finally came!
The bike, oh the bike, let’s just say this was the most terrible and incredible ride of my life. Right out of transition, there was this huge hill that literally caused me not only to lose my chain, but to also fall still clipped in (onto the grass luckily). I couldn’t get the chain to start up again going so steep uphill so I came back down and rode in circles until it felt right. Then I attacked that hill! By that point I was so angry and full of adrenaline, that I went full out on the bike, and had a really good ride. The course was very hilly actually, the hardest I’ve had so far, but I really enjoyed it – the miles flew!
Going into the run, I was in a fantastic mood, I smiled the entire 6 miles, and didn’t really feel my injury until mile 4, at which point I was already settled into a really good pace, and with some effort was able to maintain it. The run was flat and partially shaded, so that was good as it had started to get hot. Was strong till the finish, mom and sister at the finish line cheering for me like mad! All in all, a fantastic day, one of the best races despite initial challenges, which actually made the finish line that much sweeter!

I would definitely recommend this race to anyone wanting to do an Olympic length triathlon!

Thank you incredibly much for all your help and support!

GO TEAM SOLIS!

70.3 Providence, Rhode Island

This past weekend we traveled to Providence Rhode Island for the Ironman 70.3 race.  I will admit I had some hesitation about this race going in, mostly because of the logistics.  This would be the first point to point race I had done, with makes setting up transitions a bit more unnerving.  While I have raced Ironman races before, where items are stored in bags, the difference was in those races the bags were all kept together, here they were about 45 miles apart.

The other factor that challenges  me, is the ocean swim.  I know, I live in New Jersey and have the opportunity to swim in the ocean regularly.  However, admittedly, it’s not one of my favorites.  There are too many other factors that come into play with an ocean swim.  Dealing with waves, tides and  sighting- they can all become more difficult.

The final hurdle was one which I had not realized until Saturday.  The race started at 6 am, whereas most start at 7am.  This could play a factor not because I am not an early riser, but how would my body respond to other “factors”.

We were also excited for this race, as we had numerous friends racing as well.  Some of our Ithaca friends as well as Jersey Shore folks and Philly Tri friends where there which all made the trip so much more fun.  It has really been amazing how many great people we have met during our endurance training and racing.  Furthermore, I was excited as we had just received our Solis Performance Training racing jersey’s, so this race was the unveiling of them.

So on to the race.  The swim, was nice.  The water temp was pleasant about 70 degrees.  I went with a full suit.  It was a beach start, and while I started a bit wide, I found a groove early and turned in.  I had a guy draft almost the whole race off, me.  Each time, I moved to allow him to move in front, so I could return, he slipped back.  Oh well.  The chop was a bit rough near the turn, and made sighting tough.  My swim, however, felt really straight considering.  I was out of the water in 31 and change, which left me in a nice place into T1.

T1 again had a bit more of a challenge.  A clean transition meant placing all my swim gear back into a bag, to be drive to T2 for me later.  I was out on the roads in no time, and honestly the added chores had a minimal impact.  The bike course was nice for the first 50 miles.  It began flat for the initial 20 or so miles.  Having been the 8^th wave, I passed a number of cyclists from earlier waves, but made a point to keep both my HR and Power low, to conserve for the run.

At about mile 20, we began to see more climbs, most were manageable, but I really began to notice the heat and humidity were rising on the bike.  It is often tough to notice with the wind how hot you are getting.  I took and drank multiple water bottles at the aid stations. The last 5 miles were tough.  Industrial in the city of Providence, and there were a number of pot holes, and debris, as well as tight turns.  One segment looked like a “bike shop grave yard”, with bottles and cages all over the roadway.

I jumped into T2, and was grateful that everything that I needed for the run, was indeed there.  The run course was nice.  There was a large hill that we had to climb and descend twice.  However, it was a nice course.  The only down side was the course seemed to have little shade, and it did get hot!

My first loop was steady and on a nice pace.  I continued as such until about mile 8.  It took a little effort to get up the hill the second time, but I soon after found a rhythm.  Shortly after following the next aid station, I began to hurt.  My legs (inner thighs, and calves) were cramping.  I admittedly laboured for the last few miles, needed to take some walking breaks and stretch, as well as cool down at the aid stations.  From a coaching perspective, I have begun to re-visit my training protocols, to see what and where to best address this.

Much like Madison, Ironman Wisconsin, and this race ended at the steps of the Capital Building.  The crowds and volunteers were incredible.   The best part was being able to sit and spend time with our friends post race, and hear of everyone’s challenges.  Wonderful day and one which we will go back to again!
Results

Photo Album

Lake Placid Training Weekend

A week after traveling to Ithaca, New York to train with friends, Solis moved further north to train on the rugged course that makes up Ironman Lake Placid.  We have participated in camps in the past and decided to merely work with our athletes this weekend instead.  This was sort of the inaugural Solis Lake Placid Training Camp.

We rented a small but comfortable home with lake access for the group.  A total of 8 Solis Athletes came up for the weekend, and ranged from racers participating in sprints to Iron Distance this year.  Having the house really promoted some great team building that can be lost in a hotel.  We shared common space, cooked together, ate together, and really got to know a great deal more about each other as both athletes and people.

While each person’s schedule was somewhat unique, we generally started the day armed with our Xterra Wetsuits for an early morning swim before breakfast.  On Thursday after a long travel to Lake Placid, I was able to get about a mile in Mirror Lake with Solis Athlete Molly.  Then met up with our friend Jim, and did some trail running, which worked out to be about 7 miles.  

Friday, was a bit of a longer swim, using the complete length of the lake for a down and back.  Then we all completed a loop of the bike course (including the out-and-back) followed by another transition and run through the trails. Some chose to just loop around the lake too.  By the days end, we were very thankful for all the  hydration provided by Infinit.  Additionally the sunscreen products from Scape Labs worked incredibly well in the changing climates.

Saturday was a longer day on the bike.  We started without a swim, and many of us went for two loops.  We were able to meet up with friends from the JSTC, and BPC Triathlon.  I got 90 in, before the rain, and a mechanical problem on the bike forced me to bow out.  In hindsight, I am glad I did, as the damage to my frame and cranks could have been serious.  We then followed up with a short run off the bike, in the cooling rains.

Sunday was a long run day, and we started the morning with a 10 mile loop, using River Road.  The group then did a loop swim, and transitioned to a relaxed bike ride to “wake up” our legs again.  Following an hour and a half on the bike, we returned to the run.  We explored some new routes and crushed stone roads, and trails, that made the last 9 miles bearable.

There were many groups of friends from our area in Placid for the weekend, and we had a great time with them, both training and unwinding.  Doug from the Sandy Hookers had several friends in a near by home, and we spent some time relaxing with them as well.  All who attended the weekend, disliked only the idea that we all had to leave.  However, we will return in just a few short weeks, to enjoy the adventure which is Ironman.  Happy Training!

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July 4th Milltown 5K

Each year Milltown, NJ, puts on some of the best festivities for the holiday in our area. Events start with the fishing derby, then the 5K, and tops it off with a 2 hour parade, which for a small town is quite awesome!

We live only about 1 mile from the race start, so we always jog over to get  warmed up.  Most of us in our group had just returned from the Lake Placid training weekend and were excited to get a quick local race in before the holiday festivities began.  Solis had a number of athletes participating.  Plus many other friends we see training. Solis Coach Keith Cook was 5th overall and placed 1st in his age group as well as setting a new PR. Pat S placed 1st in her age group and Julie M. also place 3rd in her age group too. Kristen , Ernie, Andy and Pedro also had excellent running times.

This race is very low key in that there is minimal timing equipment, and parking and registration before the race can be challenging,but  the town does an incredible job. The race makes two sort of intersecting loops, so spectators, get to see you pass one intersection 3 times during the race. The residents line the streets in the neighborhoods, and go out with water, Gatorade, and sprinklers.

While often you hear about residents being resentful for races, this town embraces it. (I am mindful, it makes only a brief impact on their day).

Other Solis Athletes took advantage of the beautiful Holiday weather to race across the tri-state area.   Jenn, was unable to attend this years 5K race because she was hard at work doing the  Owasco-Man Triathlon in up state New York.   Much like the athletes that participated in the 5K, Jenn finished 3rd in her age group.  Lindsay took advantage of a local Sprint Tri, near the  shore to start her weekend off in the right way.  Congrats to all, keep racing!

Photo Album

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