Tuesday, June 2, 2009

2009 Season Arrival!

So the season is finally off and running, more than me at least. I started this year off with a return to the Ludlow Sheriff Sprint and a 4th place finish overall. I was happy because it was a faster time than last year with more competition which is always more exciting.

The second race of the year came in duathlon form at the Coast Guard Du on the Cape. This was the first race that I did that didn't involve a swim, which doesn't make much sense for me being a swimmer and all, but it was a learning experience and I think it actually helped my run. 6th place finish overall and a win in the Clydesdale category for the first time ever (thats the fat male category 200+ lbs).

The most recent race was this past weekend again in Ludlow, this time the Boys and Girls Club race. This was a Grand Prix event that the Cyclonauts dominated once again. I was not so happy with this years race as it was almost 90 seconds slower than last year. Not only did I make a wrong turn on the bike course because the Cop was twittering or playing with his Ipod, but I lost my divisional win in the last 3/4 of a mile. The good news is the guy that I lost to goes/went to Springfield College and will be joining the Nauts. He also said he is doing the Chicopee race in August which is something to shoot for for me, knowing that there will be other age group talent there.

For now its time to up the running miles and put together a decent 70.3 at Rev3 this weekend.

Cheers,
Paul

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Quick Update

I ran St. Paddys 10k in Holyoke and im pretty sure i PRed for a 10K as i finished around 43 minutes. Since then I have ran without any issues including an 11 miler 2 weeks ago. My main concern now is my lack of fitness on the bike. Everyone around me is upping the ante and leaving me in the dust. My new GURU Gus is finally built and i think when I get back from Myrtle Beach on Sunday Im going to go out and suffer for at least 50-60 miles.

I swam for the first time yesterday and it felt great to stretch it out in the pool. I am going to try and do that once or twice a week and get a good feel for the water back. Until next time, just keep riding!!

Cheers,
Paul

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Cause for Concern

So its now the middle of March and the St. Paddy's Day 10k in Holyoke is 10 days away. This is a race that suppossed to be a bench mark for my winter run training. Unfortunately I have been sidelined with mild calf issues that have prevented me from putting in the necessary miles to put forth a worthy effort come next weekend.

At this point I am not sure if I am going to run it at all. I NEED to race but at the same time the race that matters most at this point is Rhody 70.3 If I overdue it next weekend it could screw me over for Rhode Island.

On a brighter note, I accepted a position as a physical therapist in Springfield about 4 miles from campus. Once I begin working I will be able to complete many more swim workouts than last year. I realize that most swim leads get swallowed up on the bike or run, but with my bike legs being as strong as they were I normally maintained my position on the bike or made gains. If I put adequate time into my swim (3 days/week) I think I will have a little more to work with come race season. This will also give me time to heal my legs for building necessary base miles for the run.

I will continue to hit the gym at least 3-4 times/week and hopefully eat better in order to get down to race weight come July. I am very excited to see how these next few months pan out. Till next time

Cheers,
Paul

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Second Attempt

This morning I registered for my second attempt at the Kona Ironman World Championships. My first attempt was obviously IMLP 2008, but the goal was moreso to complete the race than qualify. This time around the goal is to qualify.
Ironman announced that the Amica 70.3 Rhode Island race will now have a few Kona slots available. By registering for this race I have a shot at both Ironman and 70.3 World Championships. My only concern is that it is in July and my base isn't where it should be. Time to get to it!

Cheers,
Paul

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

March in like a lion!!

Just when I thought the weather was taking a turn for the better, it goes ahead and dumps 8 inches of snow! Lots to report on over the last month with plenty more excitement to come also.

First and foremost I PASSED MY BOARDS!! I am officially a registered physical therapist in the great state of Massachusetts. The studying has paid off and I am amped to get a job and begin my career as a physical therapist.

On a sadder note, I have no heard from the producers at CBS in regards to my Survivor audition and I assume I wont this go around. That is ok because up next in the auditions is the Amazing Race with Kara. We have talked about it a bunch and think it would be a blast to give it a try.

Skiing lately has been awesome. This past Sunday we headed up to my favorite and first mountain, Bromley. I forgot what a great mountain it is, and furthermore realized its not as big as it was when I was 9 and 10 years old. Regardless its name showed true as we had the Sun all afternoon long with little to no lift lines...BONUS!!

As far as the running goes I have felt great. Last week I put in a total of at least 20 miles and no calf pain! I am continuing to build my base for this years St. Paddys Day 10k in Holyoke. I am hoping to get the jitters out of my system in May at the Sherriff Sprint where I would be defending my win from last year.

A pretty cool thing happened two weeks ago, I got invited to the 2012 Talent ID Invitational Sprint in Lubbock, TX in April. This race is for triathletes ages 18-23 (this year I am 24) and 24-34 year olds whos national rank score was 90 or higher. The idea behind this race is to find talent prospects for the 2012 and 2016. As appealing and awesome this oppurtunity is, its not a reality. With me starting a career and student loans coming in I wouldnt be able to find the time or the money to put together a good race. That just means 1 thing, I have to perform well this year in order to get invited back next year.

That is it for now, until next time (which will hopefully be sooner than a months time) its back to the job hunt and interviews with some runs thrown in for good measure.

Cheers,
Paul

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Back to the Running...FINALLY

Since my return last weekend to the Snowstorm Classics I have been more focused on my building my base for this upcoming season. This was the first time in a few months that I was able to hit 20 miles of running in a week. The calf issue has finally resolved and I was able to log 20.4 miles this past week in 5 days of running. I ran the 10k Snowstorm yesterday with the plan of taking it easy and just getting the miles logged outside as oppossed to the treadmill where the remainder of my miles have been completed.

When it is less than 10 degrees outside it isn't the easiest to back off and run slow. I NEEDED to warm up and as a result I pushed the pace. At the 4 mile mark I was maintaining around 8 minute miles and then the racing bug showed its ugly head and I pushed it. The covered the last 2.2 miles in 16 minutes which put me under 8 minute miles. It felt good and I am not sore today...BONUS! I plan on heading to the gym later today for an easy 2 mile loosen and some weight training. Kara, her fam and I are all heading to Mount Snow tomorrow for some downhill skiing with fresh powder on the ground so I am wicked stoked for that.

In other news my Survivor audition has been completed and delivered to CA.
Studying has been going especially well lately and I am almost excited for my exam.
I swung by Springfield College yesterday after my race to watch (and announce) the meet against NYU. It was a wicked close with both the mens and womens meets coming down to the last relay. They both won the final relay which gave the women a victory and the men a tie. They are having a stellar season and I can't wait to see the culmination. Thats all for now, I will check back soon, perhaps with some pics from Mount Snow.

Cheers,
Paul

Friday, January 9, 2009

Annual Meeting

Tonight is our clubs annual meeting. We eat, we drink, we raffle, and most importantly we welcome new members! My hopes for this year is that we get more guys under the age of 35. We have plenty of middle aged guys that kick some serious tail, so us younger guys need to step it up. If anyone is ever interested in joining please let me know or check out our website at www.springfieldbikeclub.com

Side note, I am looking forward to tomorrow, as I am planning on heading to the Hillman's spin class followed by my return to the Snow Storm Classics. My legs are feeling better and it is time to test them for 3.1 miles outside in the cold. Ahhh nothing better.

Cheers,
Paul

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Happy New Year!

Sorry it has been so long since I have updated. With racing season ending and the offseason taking over, I haven't been motivated to blog. Here is a quick update of days, weeks, and months to come:

Lifting lots of weight - I have been hitting the weights pretty hard for the last 2 months and plan to continue in the weight room through the start of the season.

Run help - My goal in this off season was to lift weights (see previous statement) and work on my run. Due to some December calf issues (body part, not baby cows) I have not been running until yesterday. I hope to get back on track building a solid base of weekday runs followed by the Saturday Snow Storm Classics at Forest Park. When the base is there, the track workouts and hill repeats will follow.

NEW BIKE! - I am looking forward to racing on a new bike this upcoming season. I won a Guru Chrono frame in October and can't wait to be on a new classy whip come May!

Back to Skiing! - I have jumped back into downhill skiing this winter and am totally stoked about it. I had my first run on New Years Day when it was a balmy -12 degrees at the summit of Mt. Snow and a much warmer -7 at the base. It is similiar to riding a bike, as it came back to me fairly easily. Can't wait for more runs!

Big Races in 2009 - I plan on hitting up some big races this season. Provided I register in time I will be racing at the new REV3Tri Half Iron in CT in June, Providence 70.3 in July, and Timberman in August. All three are half irons and the second 2 hold qualifying spots for Clearwater 70.3 World Championships which is the ultimate goal of the season.

Distraction alert!! - On a shot of pure luck, I am hoping to be selected for Survivor!! I am currently working on my audition tape in the hopes of being selected for the cast of season 19 to be filmed this summer. There will always be triathlons, who knows how long survivor will be around for.

Now its time to get back to the books (PT exam is just around the corner)

Cheers,
Paul