Author: Adam

Categories
2013

Hit a wall? Avoid the couch.

Ryan

If you were to visit my townhouse, you’d probably think it’s a nice place, but nothing all that spectacular.

It serves me well as a low-maintenance base for the moment, but the ceilings stand low, carpet is nearing replacement, most walls are blank and I don’t have surround sound or cable.

I like the quiet, tree-lined street I live on and occasionally wrestle with simple projects to step the house’s game up. But you won’t see it featured in any home-design magazines.

However, the house does boast one undeniably spectacular feature: the couch.

Continue reading “Hit a wall? Avoid the couch.”

Categories
2013

How to be That Guy at the gym

Pumping Iron for You

When I show up to the gym, I’m on a mission: to challenge myself, accomplish goals and complete that day’s workout quickly and efficiently.

My triathlon training incorporates about three strength-training workouts a week, and on these days, I try to spend as little time in the gym as possible. I’m not rude, but I’m not there to socialize. And given my affinity for obscure footwear and ragged, free exercise apparel, combined with facial expressions that say, “I’m about to puke,” or “Aaaaaggghhhh,” not many people stop me to chat.

And even though I’m OK being weird at the gym, this approach isn’t for everyone.

For some, the thought of making a plan and dominating goals may seem like too much work.

Perhaps working smarter, not harder sounds boring, and at the gym you’d rather focus on things like meeting someone, getting huge and hogging the mirror.

Then you – my friend – would be much better suited for the alternative, longer-lasting, less-intense and more vocal workout routine of That Guy.

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Categories
2013

Road map to Ironman AZ: Part 1

British despatch rider

If you’ve been following our #triforles training tweets, you already know we’re going full steam ahead.

And even though the race is still 11 months away, it’s never too early to map the route and jot down smart goals to set us on the right path.

So I laid out the key checkpoints on my road map to Ironman AZ to give a big-picture look at how I plan on dominating my goal: to finish Ironman AZ in 12 hours or less.

Here are the races I’ll be competing in this year:

Continue reading “Road map to Ironman AZ: Part 1”

Categories
2013

“Triathlon swimming made easy”

Or: How I learned to stop fighting and trust the water, with Total Immersion

When I talk to non-triathlon folk about triathlon, the conversation usually goes something like this one, featuring my fictitious friend, Jessie.

Jessie: “Yo, what are the distances, again?”
Me: “For Ironman, its a 2.5-mile swim, 112-mile ride and a 26.2-mile run.”
Jessie: “For real? You’re crazy, man.”
Me: uncomfortable laughter
Jessie: “Yo, I could never do a triathlon.”
Me: “It’s not as bad as you think.”
Jessie: “Like, I guess I’d be ok on the bike and run, you know – but I wouldn’t be able to get through that swim, yo.”
Me: “Dude. That’s what everybody says. And that’s what I thought at first, too. But once you learn the right technique, the swim is the easiest part of the race.”
Jessie: “I don’t know – I just ain’t all that comfortable in the water. And yo – there’s nothing to hang on to out there in the open water. What if I panic or something?”

This gets me riled up because fearing the swim is such a common misconception – and one that I fell for too.

“But if you swim properly, you won’t get tired!” I retort, as Jessie rolls his eyes.

I go on to explain how when I went from fighting and hating the water with every flailing stroke, to swimming silently, efficiently and – most importantly – happily.

Continue reading ““Triathlon swimming made easy””

Categories
2012

Dominate your 2013 New Year’s training resolutions

Ironman AZ finish line

We triathlon-folk love us some goals.

Crossing finish lines, breaking personal records, catching up to that 68-year-old lady who just whizzed by you on the bike – it’s all fuel for the fire.

And with a new year about to begin, our blogs, journals and training plans will fill up quickly with resolutions for 2013.

The passion is great and all, but we need a strategy to help us stick to these goals and make sure they don’t fall by the wayside, like my futile quests to stop biting my nails, become more flexible and eliminate frozen pizzas from my diet (Red Baron, you sir, will be the death of me!).

I’m not going to tell you what New Year’s resolutions to set; only you can do that. But here are some tips to help you approach the process from the right angle and stay on track to dominate 2013.

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