Steve Taylor

Today's Swim Set

2012-01-04T03:52:00.000-08:00

A Group:
300 mixed warm up
Swim 500-400-300-200-100
Paddles/pull buoy 400-30-200-100
200 EZ cool down

B Group:
Warm-up
10 x 100
50 EZ
2 x 4 x 25 kickboard / 4 x 25 mini-sprint
100 cool down

Jeff Mims Finishes His First 50K Trail Run

2011-04-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Finished in 6:36:06. Much better than I thought I would do, and I started 2 minutes behind everyone in dead last place. Crazy story I'll have to tell you sometime. Thanks for everything. It was a great experience. Everything had hoped it would be.

Here are the pics. I actually started last because of going to the bathroom, and then running off without my water bottle b/c the race had just started. I came back and found my wife to get it. Crazy. Did ok overall. I had some trouble wanting to drink my gatorade after a while. I ended up drinking a lot of water, and didn't manage my salt very well. Got cramped in my thighs right behind the knees on the inside of both legs with 1 1/2 miles left.

Goal accomplished. Now its time to go faster. I know I could have had a better race with a good start and getting my nutrition/salt better.

Thanks for your help. Look forward to talking to you soon. By the way, swiftwick 7's merino wool= no blisters.

The Dog Pack Runs Potomac Heritage Trail

2011-04-03T22:46:00.000-07:00

The Dog Pack from L to R: Adam Sotelo, Jack Bourgeois, ST, Kokolulu, Cooper, and Daniel Baldwin.

Dan at the first river crossing.

Adam powering up a hill.

It got pretty technical in some areas.

We just finished a huge climb so Dan and Adam are resting.

Cooper wants up but he can't climb up the rocks.

Adam next to the Potomac, and Jack's huge butt.

SHOCKING BUT TRUE! Adam's feet can cling to walls.

The truth behind trick photography EXPOSED.

Dan is bonking but he is trying not to show it.

Cool bridge crossing near town.

After ~12 miles of trails, we had 3 miles left to run through town.

Adam Sotello Runs First Marathon and Wins AG

2011-04-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

Charles Scott at Rock N Roll----Sub 3 Hour Marathon!!!

2011-01-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Charlie Scott has been in pursuit of a sub-3 hour marathon. I have gotten to know him from some runs in Nashville, and when we did the Grand Canyon R2R2R. I am always interested in helping someone solve the puzzle of how to get faster. So I wasn't particularly surprised when he invited me out to the Phoenix Rock and Roll Marathon to pace him in hopes of that elusive Sub-3.

We previewed the course and spent a lot of time discussing strategy. The plan was for me to join him at Mile 14.

Charlie and ST in the hotel room on race morning.

Part of Charlie's plan was to go out a little more aggressively than in his most recent marathon attempts. We agreed that this would prevent him from having to run a drastic negative split, and he should be able to hold the pace. We left no stone unturned in discussing, nutrition, pacing, even drafting other runners.

ST ready to "go to work."

Charlie's training times were strongly predictive of a sub-3 hour marathon, but his most recent attempts were 3:08 and 3:07. We tweaked a number of items in his race plan, including the more aggressive first half, additional electrolyte intake, advil, and caffiene gels. My role was to be there to make sure he didn't break mentally. In Charlie's words, "you have permission to use profanity, or whatever it takes to make me keep going."

Charlie at Mile 14, on track for the race plan.

I linked up with Charlie's pack and things were smooth sailing from mile 14-18. Around mile 19 I noticed he was slipping off pace just a few seconds per mile. He seemed a little less responsive to the pace and I worried that the fatigue and doubts might be creeping in. The first thing I did was instruct him to take a Roctane GU, which has 37 grams of caffiene plus 125 calories. This provides an almost instanteous energy boost, both mental and physical.

My exact words were, "You are right on track with your plan, but you can't slip off it any more. Do what you came here to do." I had been noticing a few seconds per mile were being eaten up from the ~1 minute and 15 seconds ahead of pace that he was. The runners that Charlie had been pacing with were either accelerating up the road, or were being shelled off the back of the pack. This left Charlie in something of a no-man's land. I was glad I was there to pace him and egg him on.

Shortly thereafter, around mile 21, a group of about 7 runners came upon us. This was the 3 hour pace group. I sternly warned, "This is your salvation. You MUST stay with this group." I ran either ahead or beside, and chastized him whenever more than a 5 foot space opened in front of him. If the rubber band gets stretched canit break, then you are on your own again. We could not allow this to happen happen.

Charlie locked in tight with the 3 hour pace group at Mile 22. It was his "salvation."

Things had been dicey since mile 19, and I knew Charlie was badly suffering. I just reminded him, "this is what you came for." When you are in a race and executing your race plan, expect distress in the later miles. At mile 22 I was still pretty nervous but Charlie was intent on staying locked in tight with the pack. At mile 23 I felt a little better about things. When we hit mile 24 I became confident that he would make the time.

Charlie at the finish line. Finishing time: 2:58:39.

I stayed with Charlie all the way in and across the finish line. I don't think either one of us could believe it...He'd done it! We were both really glad I was there to force-feed him the caffiene GU, and to verbally prod him to stay in contact with the crucial pack. I know this is a very special achievement in the life of a runner and I am very grateful to be asked to help Charlie accomplish this.

Footnote: Charlie is no stranger to extreme adventure. In 2009 he biked the length of Japan in 67 days, riding self-contained and towing his son on a trailer bike. Read about that adventure here. In 2011 he is going to circumnavigate Iceland in the same manner. But in addition to towing his 9 year old son he will also be pulling his 4 year old daughter in a trailer.

Lora Fox BQ's at Thunder Road

2010-12-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

Lora Fox finished out her season of running and triathlon with an AMAZING Boston-Marathon-Qualifying performance at Charlotte's North Carolina Thunder Road Marathon.

Lora Fox F40/44
Chip Time 3:49:04
Gun Time 3:50:57

I have not spoken with her yet to get any of the details because she was reportedly celebrating all night after the epic run. The only details I received were in a text that she had a slight positive split but that she made it with a minute to spare. Go Lora.

Lora Fox has been selected to be on ACME Multisports Racing Team for 2011. She will be racing on a QR Seduza as part of the arrangement.

Dave Stock's Amazing Double-Triple

2010-12-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Triathlon Double-Triple
Completed by David Stock, Age 58

Aug 29 Ironman Louisville 12:59:02
Oct 10 American Triple T North Carolina 11:46:54 (3rd Grand Master)
Nov 6 Ironman Florida 12:50:53
Nov 13 Beach 2 Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon 13:45:51

(A Triple-Double is a basketball term defined here. In this instance Double-Triple refers to two sets of three; three ironmans and American Triple T.)

The achievements of some of my athletes never ceases to amaze me. Ranging from beginners taking huge risks and trying new events....to ultras, irons, and elites. There are so many amazing achievements if you read down my blog. And then someone truly exceptional like David Stock steps up. I profiled him here last year.

One amazing thing about David is that at age 58 he is among the more "senior" athletes I coach. The other athletes on the team say "I just hope to be participating when I am that age," and then David kicks their butt.

Not only that, but David is on a quest to do ten iron distance triathlons, and he is getting close to that number. In part, because he did THREE IRON DISTANCE TRIATHLONS THIS YEAR, namely IM Louisville, IM Florida, and Beach 2 Battleship. Louisville boasts the toughest conditions this side of Kona; the hold it in August....in the South.

Completing the latter two races (IM FL and B2B) was even more significant considering they were only one week apart, in November.

You would think a sane person would use the time between irons to rest and train, but David is so fanatical that he included American Triple T Triathlon in his schedule. In case you haven't heard of this little gem, it consists of 4 triathlons over the course of 2.5 days. The distances increase from a sprint on Friday night, to two olympic distance tris on Saturday, to a half iron on Sunday. It is compared to being equal or more difficult than a Ironman.

It would seem like Dave is getting close to completing his triathlon bucket list. Except somehow I have a feeling he will keep producing new, amazing accomplishments.

Rick Hempel Qualifies for Age Group World Championships

2010-12-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

After doing his first iron distance last year at Beach 2 Battleship, Rick was ready for a change of focus. We talked about it and decided to do only short course races this year (sprint-olympic) along with several shorter running races. The plan paid off; at USAT Age-Group National Championships Rick placed highly enough in his age group to qualify for Team USA in Beijing next year.

Congratulations Rick!

Below are a selection of photos of Rick in action this season.

Liz Rich in Her Ultramarathon Debut at the JFK 50 Miler

2010-12-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

Liz Rich
JFK 50 Miler
November 20, 2010
Washington County, Maryland
8:12 (14th female overall, 6th in her division)

This was Liz's first ultramarathon. She is a very talented runner and very competitive. As such, a 50K (the normal ultramarathon "gateway") would not be enough. She got into the JFK 50 miler which I believe is one of the oldest ultramarthons in the US, started by John F. Kennedy.

Grand Canyon Double Crossing

2010-12-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

This page is an adventure run report from the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R.) This was my second time doing this trip, and I managed to talk some friends into joining me for this little adventure. I talked some friends into coming on this particular adventure. Three other nutcases did the R2R2R, while 10 other people did a loop to the river and back (22 miles.) This write-up is about the longer, 46 mile version.

Photo: This is the crew (from left) Charles Scott, ST, David Bishop, and Hara Hackett.

This picture was taken inside the main lodge at 4am before we started. Hara is drinking coffee. She is mustering a smile which belies the fact that she was so nervous she only slept 1 hour the night before. And she threw up, again from nerves in anticipation of this run.

This pretty sums it up. Part of the appeal of running across (and back) in the Grand Canyon is that it is a very remote area. You can't just call up your friend to come get you. There are no ambulances or even heated buildings to hang out in. You are way out there. Park rangers don't give a shizzle that you are cold, tired, exhausted, bonking, out of food, or lost. You got yourself into this situation, now get yourself out. In fact, the only way to be evacuated from the Grand Canyon is a helicopter ride, purported to cost $10,000.

Photo: After only a few hours or downhill running, Charles is taking a break / taking a picture.

Incidentally I am pointing to the exact spot where Susan and I got engaged exactly 2 years earlier.

David Bishop (on left) and myself just after crossing the Colorado river, about 10 miles into the first crossing

This year Dave Bishop achieved a personal best at Olympic Distance, qualified for World Championships, and ran his first 50K. To top it off he joined us on this run, and proved that he could walk downhill faster than I can run downhill. He was strong all day long and even dropped the rest of the group during the last 1-2 miles of the day.

Pictured (from left) ST, Charlie, and Hara.

This is right before the $hizzle hit the fan, we are about to head up the north rim. Note we are still smiling. The climb up the North Kaibab trail is the most beautiful, and the most treacherous.

This picture was taken just after summiting the North Rim. At this point we are not in the mood to stand around because it was very cold and snowy here. We had just climbed over 6000 feet and had seriously gotten our butts kicked. However, it is important to remember after a long climb is that if you eat a little bit and head back down the descent, you will start feeling much better in a few minutes. Especially after we got below the snow line it got much better.

While on the North Rim, I helped Hara get her Yak Trax on. Hara performed amazingly this day. Although she was the first member of our party to show signs of fatigue, she somehow managed to maintain all the way through the rest of the run without ever falling apart. As we were on our way up the North Rim Hara was talking about stopping in the lodge to warm-up, getting something to eat, or maybe even catching the bus back to the South Rim. I explained to her that there is NOTHING on the North Rim. Nothing is open, there are no people there in the Winter because it is too cold and snowy. The only way back was to turn around.

Like I said Hara managed to maintain, but she also gave us some entertainment every so often. At one water stop, Hara was standing 20 or 30 feet from the three guys when she turned and looked at no one in particular and started having a conversation with...no one. When I realized what was happening I hollered, "Hara! Who are you talking to." She just picked up her CamelBak, walked over to us, and said she was ready to keep going. Mind you, we had 20 miled to go still, including running up the South Rim.

Hara receives a non-plussed, "What the....? Award' for having a conversation with a hallucination.

On the way back I saw this little guy clinging to the side of a tree. I saw his eyes first. I was trying to describe him to Charlie: he is a cross of a squirrel, raccoon, and maybe a cat. Finally I said, "He's a Mr. Peepers." Evidently they are actually called a "Ringtail." I wonder why.

This is the trail on the way back up the South Rim, except when we climbed this trail it was already completely dark. At one point when we were stopped, Charlie suggested we shut the headlamps off and absorb the darkness. I then realized there was enough moonlight that I was able to do most of the final climb with no light. This was very confusing to our friends who were waiting for us as they could only count 3 headlamps.

By this point with only a couple miles left (~1 hour of climbing) Charlie was completely "over it." I knew I could keep his morale up by babbling about whatever delusions happened thorough my hypoxic mind. He later said, "man, you just kept talking." A little while later when I realized Charlie and Hara were not interested in conversation I put my ipod on for the last mile (out of 46 miles.)

Here is a picture of Hara semi-propped up on the trail taking a rest break. She gets mad at me because I think it is funny to take pictures of her when she is totally prostrated, but I would counter that it is because she is such a bad ass and can push herself to the brink of exhaustion.

Of course I will say that in the end the best part of this trip was spending some time with my lovely wife Susan. On the day of the actual run I left before her since she was in the Rim to River group. I was very excited to see her when I returned at 2:30am after 22 hours on the trail, when she greeted me with a "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!" Of course I knew she was just tired from her own run and post-run celebration. The next day we had a romantic breakfast with a canyon view together.

Grand Canyon Rim to River Group

2010-12-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

I was in the group of 4 who did the double crossing of the Grand Canyon (Rim to Rim to Rim or R2R2R.) The other 10 in our party did a ~21 mile run down to the Colorado River / Phantom Ranch and back. I wasn't on this run but my lovely wife Susan was. Here are some pictures from their adventure.

Corrie and Brent in the wee hours of dawn, getting ready to "drop in." These two were a late addition to the trip and I am fairly bummed out that I did not get to spend much time with them.

I love the infamous: "DANGER. Do not attempt to hike from the rim to the river and back in one day" sign. I guess this sign makes it that much more exciting to do so.

The always strong Steven Smithing of Mere Bulles fame.

Becky and Susan.

The guys on the 21 mile route (clockwise from top left:) Jason Haggard, Michael Sharpe, Steven Smithing, Brent, and Kevin Clouse

Suspension bridge river crossing, still a ways down there.

Jolyen and Corrie looking cool crossing the Colorado river.

Photo: It is actually quite warm and comfortable in the canyon, even though it is cold and icy at the rim.

Another view of the Colorado on their way up.

Photo (from left): Corrie, Joleyn, Susan, and Becky.

Happy girls are done with the run before nightfall. (From left): Susan, Joleyn, Corrie.

James Garges at Beach 2 Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon

2010-12-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

I have know James for some time as his daughter Mary has been a long-time friend and client of mine in Nashville. Sometime this summer James contacted me and asked if I would help him prepare for Beach 2 Battleship. He was not sure if he was up for the challenge, but I knew with a smart training strategy and time to prepare he would do well.

James writes:

Hey Stephen,
Had a great race thanks to you. Swim- 1:17, Bike - 6:55, Run- 5:18 for a 13:51. Not bad for an old man. I felt good during the entire race and the nuturition tips you gave me made a real difference. I kept a steady pace on the bike and the wind was not to bad. Pretty cool at the start of the swim, but it warmed up to about 70 on the mid point of the bike. Some headwind, but not that bad. I finished the first half marathon in 2:35 and walked the hills as you suggested. I was able to run steady for the entire second half and didn't leave to much on the course.
It was a great experience and I felt like I really did something when I finished. Your training plan and encouragement made a huge difference. Thanks for all you did to get me ready.
Best regards, Jim

Beach 2 Battleship is near-and-dear to my heart. I prefer non-WTC iron distance triathlons and this one is one of the best out there.

Amazing Stacy Rocks Marine Corps Marathon

2010-11-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while a client comes along who is so talented, I know I am going to mostly stay out of the way and let them perform. Stacy is one such individual. She set a personal best at Boston Marathon and seemed to get faster and faster. Then the good news that she is expecting. So it came has somewhat as a surprise to me that Stacy planned to run Marine Corps Marathon when she was, oh say, seven months pregnant. Again I knew the thing was to tell her to be careful and get out of the way....

Photo: Stacy (on left) and sister after the Marine Corps Marathon.

In Stacy's own words:

Here's a picture of Kerry and I right after we finished the marathon yesterday. It was such a fun sisterly thing to do together and it just went so well. We finished in about 3:45 which I'm thrilled about considering I've run once in 3 months and had to stop about 8 times to go to the bathroom! Literally didn't even make it to the first mile marker without having to stop. Granted, I don't think I've ever been this sore in my life but it was just such a great overall experience. She was so good to suck it up and run with me. Only 2 more months until Caroline is here now! I'm getting so excited.

Not only is Stacy an amazing client, runner, and friend, but she also is married to a really great guy, Charles. Charles is a captain in the army special forces and is currently deployed to Iraq. If you have the opportunity to spare a couple prayers, save one for Charles safety and one for the health of little Caroline.

Stephen Bourgeois at Clearwater Ironman 70.3 World Championship

2010-11-25T19:23:00.000-08:00

Stephen Bourgois, my former training partner and long time friend from Columbia MO recently competed at 70.3 Ironman World Championships in Clearwater, FL. I knew Steve was training hard. We both went to Age Group Worlds in Vancouver 2008, so he knows high-level competition. He was hungry for this one.

Steve said, "I did everything in the plan. Get out there, [bike] like hell, be fresh for the run." The plan worked. "I couldn't even imagine my bike split would be 2:14, I thought It might be 2:25 or 2:30....And the bike made the run."

Steve zealously recounted how intense the handling was on the bike leg. "A guy went down in front of me. I locked up my disk wheel, skidding out of the way, then back on full power again."

The infamous packs were present at Clearwater. My advice to Stephen:

Whenever you go into a championship, race like you mean it. Be aware that people are going to race close, race hard, and officiating often gets a little sparse. Everyone knows the reputation at Clearwater, and Age Group Worlds is the same way.

"A highlight was going into T2 and knowing whether I was going to be able to run or not...I already knew. I could run, there would be no hitch there. And it was because of proper bike training." Steve has been incorporating power-based intervals into his bike training.

He got off the bike and had a strong run of 1:29. A major focus was HR pacing, and staying cool in the moderate heat.

I have amazing respect and admiration for Steve. In his 50's, he continues to get faster and faster. His 4:16 here smokes my half iron PR of 4:23. More over, Steve is steadily working at running 50 marathons / 50 states. He used this trip to nab another marathon-state. Unfortunately both the Philidelphia Marathon and a marathon in Baltimore were both full. So I got on the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club listserv, and found a trail 50K near Baltimore. This was his first 50K, and he got 2nd place!

Photo: Stephen Bourgeois finishing strong.

My Short, Awesome Fall Season

2010-11-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

It has been a relatively short, low key Fall season for me. Now note this would not be a low-key period of racing for a normal athlete. I am talking about my own race results here.

ST's Fall Races
Fall Creek Falls Olympic Distance Tri 3rd place overall
Cedar's of Lebanon Sprint Tri 1st place overall
Stump Jump 50K 13th place overall
Chicago Marathon 3:11
Grand Canyon R2R2R 22 hours

Fall Creek Falls started it off. I was going down with some clients, and I had not done much tri-specific training. We drove down that morning which always adds stress. I would have been good except for some stomach problems. This was my first race in the all-white tri suit. I did not feel like having an "accident." I was grateful for the 3rd place, but there was a late 40's or early 50's masters racer who nipped my time for second. Not cool.

ST on the bike at Cedars of Lebanon Tri.

Crossing the finish line 1st at Cedars of Lebanon.

Next up was Cedars of Lebanon Tri. This is one of my Nashville favorites because it is the first triathlon I attended in TN, and also I am a previous winner. It was some fun and competitive competition, and I felt blessed to have good strength and speed on this day. It was also great racing alongside so many of my clients (see a post below.)

Wife Susan and ST at the Chicago Marathon expo.

Chicago Marathon photos (from top): Feeling good the first half of the marathon; a low point walking in the second half; in Chinatown rallying to jog to the finish.

Chicago Marathon was another story. I had allowed myself to believe that I could run a 2:55 and auto-qualify for New York. This might have been possible, but it congested with too many runners to be able to find my rhythm. Then I pushed to hard to get on pace and I "overcooked the bird." By mile 15 I had lost my motivation and was just trying to keep jogging. I shouldn't complain for running a 3:11, but I have much faster marathons in me.

The best part was running Chicago with my wife Susan and father "The Fergus."

Photo: Rolling out to the Lollipop at Stump Jump.

Stump Jump 50K in Chattanooga is another favorite of mine. It was my first ultra (which I won), and the location of a DNF in 2008. I really enjoy the cool trail running scene in Chatt, and the sponsor of the race Rock/Creek. Again my sub-par fitness was present.

I finished a very respectable 13th overall. I was able to really get in there and do some racing, but was hurting by the end. In a twist of irony I caught the normally dominant Josh Wheeler about a mile from the finish line. I remember years where Josh finished way down in the field, and that he outright won this race in 2008. He laid it on the line on this day and died even worse than the slog I was experiencing.

The final event of the year was not a race. It was the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim (R2R2R.) I will write another post for that amazing adventure.

DH Dash Results, Lora Fox Overall Winner

2010-11-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

Congrats to all the STtrainer athletes who competed in the DH Dash on Sat Nov 6. It was fun working on the organization side of a race this time, and getting to see the fruits of that labor lead to a great experience for all.

10K
Lora Fox 44:47
Jessica Stewart 1:26
Steven Jenkins 1:01

5K
Sharon Kipp 47:53
Aaron Rochelle 41:45
Lara Tucker 48:57
Donna Parker 34:54
Cathy Bruner 40:48
Linda Bain 35:30

Congrats to the two winners of this race:

Scott Bennett 35:05 and Lora Fox 44:40, along with DH Dash chair John Levesque.

Lora Fox has been on quite a tear this year, winning her age group in many local races and now a 1st place overall. And she is not done for the year...she is doing a December marathon. Keep it up Lora.

Photo: Lora and coach ST at Cedars of Lebanon.

One of the things I worked on with Lora is equipment selection and endurance racing style. Lora is kind of a no-nonsense racer, and doesn't worry about "matching." (I on the other hand am a bit of a diva.) She followed my advice to get a lighter weight racing shoe for her upcoming marathon, but I am starting to suspect that Lora is color blind.

While I do appreciate that Lora is wearing the ST team kit Swiftwick sock, and that she is wearing a lightweight trainer on race day...... Well now maybe Lora will have the chance to get some racing apparel that matches. One final piece of good news related to Lora. She recently informed me she will be racing on the ACME Racing Team in 2011. The have picked an excellent representative.

Okay one last picture:

Coach ST and Mayor Karl Dean

I enjoyed the opportunity to meet the the mayor, and thank him for his commitment to Nashville's greenway trails, bike-friendly road ways, and healthy living initiatives. He pointed out that the Richland Creek repair and expansion was officially opening that day. (I live right next to that trail and love it.) Before the race he gave some advice to the runners: "start steady and ease off from there."

All in all it was a great day and a great way to end my time in Nashville.

Stump Jump 50K and 11 Mile Trail Run

2010-10-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Stump Jump 50K and 11 Miler
Sponsored by Rock/Creek Outfitters
Signal Mountain
Chattanooga, TN
Oct 2, 2010

11 Mile
Frank Fay
Amy Koopman

50K
Coach Stephen
Hara Hackett
Becky Sharpe
Kevin Clouise
David Bishop

This is Amy Koopman, an excellent musician and runner. She was training for her first ultra (the 50K here) but wisely shifted to the 11 mile option when she learned she is expecting. Congrats Amy!!!

Amy had on some interesting footwear. I'm glad she didn't race in these, although plenty of other people were.

Why people want to race in aqua socks, vibrams, barefoot is beyond me, so those people get the official "What the...?") Barefoot running discussion here.
Back to my athletes who were now starting to finish (wearing shoes,) Hara Hackett came flying by:

She loves it when I post these post race pictures although I was nice with this one, not like at Land Between the Lakes.

I waited around for a while, listened to some live bluegrass, and soon enough the rest of the STtrainer crew came in for the finish. Roger, Beckey, and Kevin (from left) used some awesome teamwork to get through the 50K.

According to Kevin, "That was harder than an Ironman."

Becky kept spirits high out on the trail, and even bargained with David to get him to finish. This was a great challenge for these guys, and good prep for the Grand Canyon trip we are taking in November together.

The happy STtrainer 50K family.

Just as I was leaving I spotted the namesake of the Stump Jump. This is the plaque that records names of past winners.

I am honored to have made it on to this list of great runners. I didn't quite live up to the 1st place caliber with my run on this day, but it was good to be back out competiting on the trails. This course is special and the Stump Jump is a special race.

Rebecca Collins at Augusta Ironman 70.3

2010-10-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Rebecca trained all summer for this goal....

Rebecca showing off her sleek aero position.

One of the things I really enjoyed about coaching Rebecca this summer is that she always had fun, and always kept a smile handy.

Showing some intense concentration during the run.

Rebecca had an enthusiastic cheering section with her father and husband during the race. They cheered her on at multiple points, and at the end....

they ran beside me playing Eye of the Tiger and blowing that air horn- HILLARIOUS time and much needed after 70.3 miles- I FINISHED!

Rebecca writes:

no clue what time it was and didn't care- very thankful that I finished... not last... and not hurt! God is Good!
Thanks to all for your well wishes, prayers, etc..... I really did appreciate them ALL!!!!

now on to my next goal- what will it be?

PS her time was 6:38 which is not bad for a first half iron, rainy conditions, etc. You did a good job RC!

Success at Nations Triathlon

2010-09-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

Nations Tri

Washington, DC
September 12, 2010

David Bishop M50/54
2:20:25 (personal best at olympic distance)

Last weekend David raced to a personal best at olympic distance, beating his previous best time of 2:24 dating back to 2005. He has been training very hard with intesity sessions to prepare for this race, and USAT Age Group Nationals in 1 week. Go David!

Rev 3 Triathlon

2010-09-13T05:17:00.000-07:00

Revolution 3 Triathlon
Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point Amusement Park)
Sept 12, 2010

I was compelled to come up to sherpa for my triathletes at this race, and some exceptional circumstances allowed me to join them on the trip. I was glad that things worked out that I could join them, because it was a truly awesome trip. Cedar Point has a really fun-looing cadre of roller coasters, and the whole place is on an amazing island in Lake Erie.

The STtrainer contingency at Rev3 Cedar Point (from left): Corrie, Joleyn, Dean, Kevin, Beth, Barry, Sioban. Front row: Becky, coach Stephen.

Pre-race spin with Becky and Joleyn in the beautiful Ohio contryside.
STtrainer Athletes Finishing Times:
Kevin Clouse 5:51
Amanda Parsons 6:03
Barry Smith 6:05
Becky Sharpe 6:16
Joleyn Smithing 6:18 ("and she's really really happy!")
Corrie Logan 6:30
Dean Britt 6:46

Will post some fun pictures over in the coaching blog, but here are the race photos:

Corrie smiling away some pre-race jitters.

Amanda with her cheering patrol--Dad.

A women's wave ready to hit the water.

Dean after a great swim.

Kevin crushing the bike course. Last year at Beach to Battleship he finished last among ~8 team mates. This year he was first among the team with a HUGE personal best time.

Barry running strong with a 6 hour finish in the crosshairs.

Amanda feeling strong (and smiling) on the run course.

Corrie finished the run by repeating this mantra: I love ST. This is fun. I love ST. This is fun.

Corrie was the instigator of this whole trip and inspired a lot of her team-mates to make the goal with her.

Dean Britt with a stong steady finish into the Cedar Point Park.

He beat his estimated finish time by 45 minutes.

Carissa at Heuston Woods

2010-09-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hueston Woods Sprint Triathlon

College Grove, Ohio
Sunday, Aug 29
750m swim / 20k bike / 5k run

Carissa Miller: 1:29:02
swim 12:10 T1 1:19 Bike 45:48 T2 0:38 Run 29:05

Carissa joined the STtrainer team this summer and she has had a super-positive role on the team. She has made the important equipment upgrades (road bike, trisuit) and has worked hard at training. More importantly, she is always smiling which has an infectious effect on other team members.

Carissa's hard work has paid off...she brought home some hardware.

Note: El Gato and El Hempel were both at the race, but I have not been able to find pictures or results for those guys.

Judy Daggett Punches Her Ticket

2010-08-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

[Diclaimer: Judy is a former client of mine and it was coincidence that I was at IM Louisville cheering when she ran past.]

Ironman Louisville
Louisville, KY
8/29/2010

Judy Daggett 11:35 (1st in Age Group and Kona Qualifier)

Photo: Judy in the finishing corrall with a volunteer. Note it is still light out.

Judy writes:

Thank you so much!!! It was great to see your smiling face at the finish! I kept repeating your words you said about mile 18ish..."go get your ticket punched girl"! I was focused and determined to do so! Thanks again and congrats on all the fun new stuff in your life!!! Cheers! Judy

Judy finished in 11:35, and 2nd place in her age group finished at 11:41. Awesome!

Libby Rocks Rocketman

2010-08-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Rocketman Triathlon
Huntsdale, AL
8/29/2010
Olympic Distance

Photo: Libby focused, pushing it on the bike.

swim-36:31 T1-2:39 bike-1:37:50 mph-15.2 T2-3:12 run-1:24:50 pace-13:40 total time-3:45:00

Libby writes:
i finally broke the 14 mph barrier on the bike. i had a great ride and really enjoyed it. my run was not great but i'm happy with it. i ran 2 walked 2 for most of the six miles. i have slacked on the running and i know it. next year my goal is to concentrate on running AND biking so that i can be strong and confident in both areas. thank you for all your time and coaching. i never could have accomplished any of this without you!

This is Libby's second Olympic distance tri this year. She is a diligent worker and stays very focused, year round. It is pleasure to have coached Libby for nearly 2 1/2 years now, and I am proud of her accomplishments. These include the Nashville Half Marathon, Memphis in May, and numerous sprint triathlons. (And she looks good in the red argyles, too!)

Preliminary Pictures from Big Multisport Weekend

2010-08-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

Cedars of Lebanon Triathlon

Ironman Louisville

Lora Fox--Clean Sweep REPOST

2010-08-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

[Edit] Lora Fox just added a 5th race to her amazing streak. She won her age group in the Tomato 5K in East Nashville on Sat August 21.

I don't want to jinx the streak, but Lora Fox has placed in her AG in every race this year.

Me: "Lora, have you placed in 3 races in a row?"
Lora: "That depends. Does Muddy Buddy count?"
Me: "Of course."
Lora: "Then it would be 4 in a row."

Photo: Lora loves training hard, although she balances her training time with a full time position as an attorney and mother of 3 young children. She even plays league soccer and a bit of pick-up tennis.

Although many triathletes in the pack are using high tech tri bikes, Lora is using a Craigslist road bike with first generation carbon fiber.

Complimented with old school clip on aerobars. It doesn't matter, she gets on the bike, rails, then blasts the run.

Lora would be a smart bet for a bike sponsor. Keep training hard, winning, and setting big goals.

Mountain Lakes Triathlon

2010-08-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mountain Lakes Triathlon
Guntersville, AL

August 14, 2010

Barry Smith 1:24
Dean Britt 1:34
Jeff Whitehorn 1:35
Beth March 1:38

Photo: Beth March feeling good about the swim...being done.

Barry finishing a strong bike set to prepare for his best event, the run.

Dean running strong.  He and Barry are preparing for their first half iron at Sandusky.

Jeff Whitehorn finishing his first ever triathlon.  CONGRATS Jeff!

The Heart of Tennessee ("HOT") 100

2010-08-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

HOT 100

Murfreesboro, TN

100 Mile, Metric, shorter distances

I've done several of the organized century rides around Nashville (Harpeth River, Clarksville, HOT) and I can say the HOT is one of the more difficult. The namesake is appropriate. There are hills. And I don't care how you slice it, 100 miles (or 100K) is a long way to ride. Most of these guys are training for a half iron distance, so they also got off the bike and ran.

100 Mile:
Jason Clark

Metric:

Amanda Parsons

Corrie Logan

Kristie Butler

Chase Ledbetter

Erin Kadeg

Walter Harris

Photo: Team before the ride.

Photo: Chase Ledbetter rolling out.

Photo: At a mid-point rest stop.

Photo: Jason Clark was the lone team rider to finish out the 100 mile option. I think this picture accurately portrays the mental status challenges you experience when you push yourself to ride that far. A BIG kudos to you, Jason.

Photo: Amanda and Corrie climbing the big one.

Photo: Some of the team members are medical professionals. Amanda stopped to make sure this man--who was bonking and cramping--would be okay.

Photo: Walter (who took all these pictures) shaking hands with local legend Bruce Gennari.

Two Sports are Better Than None

2010-08-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Staggerwing Duathlon
August 7
Tullahoma, TN

Jason Haggard 3rd AG
Cynthia Kern 1st AG
Walter Harris

This race takes place at a rural airport. The run is partly on the runway and partly on greenways. The bike course overlaps with the Jack and Back course, including one bomber down hill that you have to climb back up.

Jason says, "This was the last race I was going to be doing for a while." Shoulder surgery on Monday. "I was just glad to be racing. I'm not in top shape at all. I'm actually surprised I placed in my age group." He was still able to gesture though. Hopefully the pain meds will cause a reduction in his trash talk, but that is unlikely.

Philip Martindale of Real Design Wheels was there as a spectator. He had ridden from Bellevue, TN to Tullahoma to watch.

Tri Fall Creek Falls

2010-08-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

Fall Creek Falls Triathlon

Fall Creek Falls State Park, TN

August 15, 2010

This was my first time doing this race and actually my first tri of the year. After doing a 9:17 iron distance last fall I have not been motivated by triathlon goals. Most of my focus has been on coaching my athletes, and knocking out the Vermont 100.

Photo: The coach and author, really tired after finishing the race.

The quality that Race Day Events puts into their events was my experience at the race, and I was pleasantly surprised by my results.

Stephen Taylor 2:08 (3rd overall)

Jason Clark 2:49

Cynthia Kern 2:51

Tim Lance 2:56

Michael Paschal 4:10

STtrainter Team (Catherine Dewberry, Ron Crozier, and Terry Walker) 2:51

Photo: An efficient transition area with lots of bikes.

Photo: In case you need help remembering which way to go.

Jason Clark ripping his Olympic distance personal best in a big way.

Photo: Tim Lance, with the best looking arms on the run course.

Michael Paschal, really glad to be doing his first Olympic distance.

Photo: Cynthia Kern, a steady powerhouse.

Photo: Ron Crozier, using this as a tune up race for his first triathlon at Cedars of Lebanon.

Photo: The amazing STtrainer relay triathlon team.

Photo: A couple of ACME stallions strutting post-race.

Javier, Ricardo, and Tiago.

Michael Pashal, really glad to be done with his first Olympic distance. He crossed the finish line with a HUGE smile on his face. You will not find a more steady-tempered triathlete anywhere.

7th Overall; 1st Masters at Yellow Ribbon 5K

2010-08-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

From David Bishop:

Hey Coach! Just wanted to let you know I pulled off a 7th place overall at the Yellow Ribbon 5K out at the Nashville Superspeedway on Friday night and 1st Place for the over 40 crowd. I might have gotten a 6th place overall except for that guy from Kenya showed up. Damn, he was smokin'. A good friday night thanks to your speed workouts. Thank You!

Blake Ryan at Formula One Tri in NY PLUS Youth Triathletes

2010-08-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

I decided this post would end up on my results blog instead of the Coaching Blog, because I have been doing more posts on the Coaching Blog lately.

Photo: Blake Ryan and friend Hannah (Go ATL!) at Music City Triathlon

Blake Ryan is one of the most surprising triathletes I coach. He routinely wins his division ("The Clydes") and demolishes most bike courses. Here are a few words he sent me:

School is done and I went up to NY for the Formula One Tri which was a lot of fun. Completely different from anything I ever done but fun. However I did get 2nd in Clyds and TN was well known.

.....Anyways here are some pics I took of the kids tri that they had there. These kids were cute, especially this little girl with a KTM jersey and a pink bike with a basket. Please show these to the team they will be inspired. If these kids can do a flying dismount so can the rest of the team. (italics added)

Blake

Blake is an absolute joy to have on the team because he displays leadership, a very positive attitude, and an extreme willingness to push himself. He has done something like 4 or 5 half irons and he has pertinent stories to share from all that experience.

Photo: Blake getting ready to CRUSH the Music City Tri bike course.

Photo: Throwing a few fist pumps in the finishing chute.

And here are the pictures from the youth triathon...I have added the commentary.

Photo: Cute kid, really pushing it in the transition. She will go far.

Photo: These little darlin's with the pink bikes and baskets are SO DARN CUTE!

Photo: Another darlin' mastering the banana seat two-foot dismount.

Photo: This young man has a nicer helmet than I have. He's ready for a junior road bike, or at least some slicks instead of those knobby mountain bike tires.

Photo: This young athlete is displaying perfect form for a flying dismount.

Photo: This gentleman would be doing a solid flying dismount, except that he has his chin strap unbuckled, which is an offense punishable up to a DQ. Also he looks like he is finishing just ahead of a little boy on a BMX bike (are those training wheels?) I wonder what kept him on the course so long?

Photo: Wait until you are all the way off the bike before you unbuckle your chin strap.

Photo: And I couldn't bear to pass up sharing the news that Graycin Tomkins (pictured on right, with proud sister and dad) finished her first triathlon at the Hendersonville Kids Triathlon today.

Music City Triathlon July 24

2010-08-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Downtown Nashville and Team Magic hosted the perennial, venerable Music City Triathlon on Sunday July 24. In the second year at the excellent downtown location this race has grown nicely. I think that in a few years this will be one of the biggest Olympic Distance tirathlons in the southeast, maybe in the country. The recent addition of ACME Multisports as title sponsor, and Publix Family Fitness Expo really enhanced the event.

STtrainer athletes results:

Olympic Distance
David Bishop 2:37 (4th AG)
Jonathan Farmer 2:42
Kristy Butler 2:43 (5th AG)
Csaba Toth 2:46
Mary Catherine 2:49
Perry Baker 2:57
Lora Fox 3:04 (2nd AG)
Erin OConnor 3:05 (3rd Beginner Overall)
Amanda Parsons 3:05

Joel Moore 3:10

Becky Sharpe 3:11
Jason Clark 3:13
Rebecca Cain 3:23
Barry Smith 3:29
Lauryn England 3:32
Dean Britt 3:35
Greg Greenwell 3:47

Sprint Distance
Kevin Clouse 1:15 (4th AG)
Blake Ryan 1:17 (2nd Clydesdale)
Cynthia Kern 1:25 (2nd AG)
Tim Lance 1:25
Carissa Miller 1:27
Suzy Djimarian 1:30 (5th AG)
Arlene Brown 1:36 (4th AG)
Tim Warnock 1:37
Erica Uhrlass 1:37
Terry Walker 1:42
Bonnie Titre 1:44 (3rd AG)
Jen Brooks 1:50
Libby Pietrzak 1:54
Michael Paschal 1:59
Aaron Rochelle 2:28

Team
Walter Harris ("Dream Team") 1:14

Photo: Time Lance, Walter Harris, Rebecca C, and Amanda Parsons.

Photo: LayRUN, Walter, and Arrlene.

Photo: Jason, Mary Catherine, and Erin smiling before the race.

Photo: Aaron Rochelle in his first ever tri.

Photo: Cynthia Kern pushing it in the heat.

Photo: Terry "Nut Cup" Walker smiling down 2nd Ave.

Photo: Jonathan Farmer pushing it up the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge.

Photo: Kevin Clouse after nailing the Olympic Distance.

Photo: Tim Warnock, Kevin Clouse, Walter Harris, Suzie D, and Blake Ryan

Vermont 100 Mile Trail Run: Coach Taylor's Race Report

2010-07-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Vermont 100 Trail Run
July 17, 2010
Brownsville, VT
22 hours 26 minutes 23 seconds
44th out of 153 finishers (265 started)

At the finish line the day before it all went down.

This was my first 100 mile run. I've posted a bunch of pictures below with comments. Click below to read more...I hope you enjoy.

Pre-race protocol included a weigh-in so medical personel could determine if you were healthy enough to continue during the race. Weighing in too high or too low will get you a "stand down" or "can not continue."

"115 over 75"

Most all the racers camped the night before the race started at 4am. Here I am trying chillaxing.

The morning of the race, I;m getting suited up and entering race mindset.

Early miles went smoothly. I started slow and kept it that way, eventually holding 12 minute miles through 62 miles.

The sport of ultramarathon began as a horse race (see: "Running Madness") The Vermont 100 is unique in that it is the only remaining 100 mile run that has a horse race run concurrently.

Other crew teams were jealous because of the awesome spread that my awesome wife Susan had ready for me at each handler station. In this picture: PowerBars, GUs, Roctane GU's Bumble Bars, Sport Beans, Raw Food Bars, Spirulina Bar, Clif Blocks, Pringles, bagel, banannas, almonds, Gatorade, Red Bull, water, Thermotabs, Endurolytes, 2 kinds of sunscreen, insect repellent, SportSlick, Chamois Buttr, Voltaren, baby wipes, first aid kit.

....and it was sitting next to a folding chair, stretching pad, towels, and massage stick. I sure looked forward to those handler checkpoints (~10 in all.) The only problem was....

I never got passed while I was running, only when I was sitting down. At this aid station (Mile 62) I had pushed a little too hard and I was hitting a low point. I was about to cry. I just wanted to sit there and fall asleep. Susan was an AWESOME handler. She wouldn't let me fall asleep, and she helped me immensly all day long.

At mile 47 my sister's family came out to cheer me on. In the foreground is my 3 year old niece Tatum.

Notice my generally relaxed disposition at this point in the race. I felt a little tired but mostly good...

....except I was very sweaty. When Tatum hugged me she was grossed out by sweat. Seeing my family there was a huge boost and really motivated me to do well.

My sister Lisa (middle) and her husband Greg. They came out to support me, but that doesn't mean they understand why I run 100 miles.

Maybe this is what my sis was thinking?

At mile 70 I picked up a pacer Julian. He has run several 100 milers, and works as an Economist in Boston. He provided great motivation to keep pushing myself, and was great company while running late in the dark.

Believe it or not this is my best finish picture. When I crossed the line I laid down. Wouldn't you? Getting the finisher medal ribbon around my neck was even a chore.

I couldn't have done this race without the help from Julian my pacer...

And most of all my awesome wife Susan. Thanks honey, I owe you one!

Kevin Clouse: Racing More Than Just Endurance Sports

2010-07-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

One of my triathletes is receiving special recognition in this post. Kevin Clouse is one of the most driven triathletes I coach. He completed an iron distance triathlon at the end of just his second year of triathlon. This year he is working towards qualifying for nationals. And these current goals are after he lost 150 lbs.

Myself and Kevin at the finish line of Beach 2 Battleship iron distance triathlon.

But Kevin is not only "fast" and "driven" at triathlon. He also owns a customized Mustang stock racing car. Here he is "dropping the hammer."

Here are a few more pictures from when we went up to watch him race (drag race his Mustang, that is.)

It was a beautiful night; we had raced McMinnville Triathlon that am.

A few of Kevin's cheering section...these ladies all did a triathlon that morning.

Kevin stopped by our tailgate and paid us a visit between runs.

There was quite a line to sit in the race car at the end of the night.

Cardinal Harbour Half Iron---Age Group Domination

2010-07-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ashly Dewberry: 4:51--1st in M35-39
David Stock: 6:08--1ST in M55-59

(This race is held in part on the Ironman Louisville KY course.)

Photo: Ashly Dewberry (from file.)

Photo: David Stock (from file.)

Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon

2010-07-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon
Chattanooga, TN
July 11, 2010

Catherine Dewberry 2:37
Kristie Butler 2:42
Jonathan Farmer 2:47
Kay Goodrum 2:47
Nancee Kirkman 2:55
Amanda Parsons 2:57
Becky Sharpe 2:59
Joleyn Smithing 3:02
Kevin Clouse 3:03
Corrie Logan 3:09
Greg Greenwell 3:12
Tim Warnock 3:23
Team: Nashville Nasties 3:03

Pre-race dinner: "Which way to the gun show."

Conceal and carry permit.

Joleyn, Amanda, Corrie, Kristie, Coach Stephen, and Becky (kneeling.)

No Way! This guy was wearing a pink tutu during the run.

Perhaps even more wierd: Triswami riding a ACME-Branded Cervelo.

"Between you and me and a fence post, thanks to the training regime you’ve got me on, I took 7 minutes 32 seconds off my previous Olympic distance (Music City 2009) time….see you later.

--Becky

Nate Wangerin Finishes San Juan Solistice 50 Miler

2010-07-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

I have known Nate since 10 years ago, when he was a youngblood college freshan, and I was coaching him to his first triathlon at University of Missouri. Since then he has graduated, started a family with 3 beautiful children, and become the owner of multiple companies.

One thing I have admired about Nate is that even with all his life responsibilities, he continues to take on endurance goals. He works hard, and is a dedicate husband and father; yet he still makes time to take on some hard training. So when he called me up and said he was thinking about doing a 50 miler I knew two things: 1) This would push Nate to the limits of his abilities, and 2) I would do anything I could to help him complete it.

Nate (on right) and I after a training run at The Flat Irons in Boulder, CO.

As an adviser I helped Nate develop a weekly and monthly training template and advised him on nutrition. Then whenever he called me worried about setbacks and challenges, I just reminded him to get plenty of recovery, lots of short east sessions, and focus on knocking out those long runs.

San Juan Solistice
Lake City, CO
Nate Wangerin
13:38 (1st 50 Mile Run Finish)

READ NATE'S RACE REPORT CLICK BELOW

Located 5 hours south west of Denver, hidden from all urban tracks, Lake City, CO was my destination on Friday afternoon. I was driving there to accomplish the goal I set out to complete this year. The San Juan Solstice 50 (SJS 50) is a 50 mile trail running race, considered by many to be the hardest 50 mile running race in the country. This race was my annual physical goal. I have focused on this for months. I have ran miles and miles, ate healthy foods, and abstained from alcohol for the past two weeks. “A long day in the mountains” is how the race director described it to ease my nerves; a long day in the mountains it certainly was.

Nervous - 4:55am – dark, cold, and nervous I stood at the starting line. My plastic rain jacket stuck to my arms, my water bottle made my hand feel like ice, and legs felt like they should still be in bed. Was I ready for this? It was only minutes before the race that I got excited and felt truly ready to undertake the challenge ahead of me. My trail shoes had been cleaned, I was wearing my favorite shorts (a birthday present from my wife) and I had trained for this. The weather was scheduled to be perfect this day and I was ready, ready to run for 50 miles in the high mountains of Colorado. Was I really ready?

First Steps - 5:00am – The gun went off and my GPS watch still wasn’t reading the satellites. I thought, “oh well, I will just hit start and wait until it gets caught-up, at least I would be able to keep time.” The first two miles were on a dirt road leading outside of town. It was definitely up hill but nothing too steep. Nearly 200 other runners trotted around me, chit chatting along the road. I could hear people talk about the last race they did two weeks ago and the races they planned on doing later in the year. I hear about their marathons, 50K trail races, other 50 miles races and old stories of 100 milers. Blisters, stomach aches, cramps – PR’s training secrets, and other successes were typical topics. I nestled in behind a small group of three men that looked fit and fast. “Keep it slow, Nate, you have 50 miles out here today.” The pace felt good and relaxed, probably an 8:00 mile. I felt good, I was confident, bolstered by those around me I was ready for the race.

Stream Crossing – Miles 3-5 – Off the dirt road we started our single track journey up the mountain. We followed a swollen spring stream, criss crossing around it nearly a dozen times. Each time was something different: deep sections, fast running water, or rocks to hop across. At times there were tree logs to walk across (Do I want to risk falling in and being completely wet…Na, I’ll just blast through and have wet feet. After all, I will be here all day, my shoes should dry sometime.” The ascent started to get steep. “Oh shit, was I prepared to climb?” We were reduced to a fast power walk, dragging ourselves up higher and higher as the sun rose higher and higher. There were still shadows everywhere and at mile 5 I twisted my ankle. I rolled my ankle while training a couple of months back and feared this would happen. Now it happened and only at mile 5.

The Real First Hill – Miles 5-10 – With the sun completely up we rounded a corner putting us in a beautiful green valley. I scanned the scene for the trail, hoping to prepare myself for the next few steps. As my eyes followed it, my head tilted further and further back as the winding trail seemed to lead straight up to the sky. I have never been in more awe filled with fear and excitement at the same time about this next physical challenge. This was going to be fun. 10 minutes later…ok, what did I get myself into…this hurts.

When we blasted through the trees I was relieved to see the end of the climb. Up, way up in the distance was the sight of a bare mountain top. A rocky, brown mountain top was an easy target as my steps got shorter and my breathing grew heavier. “What this, we turn left and keep climbing? Wow, the trail seems to never end.

Finally Down Hill – Miles 10-15 – Finally at the summit nothing can be seen for miles accept spots of runners and mountains. The first 50 yards were so steep down hill that I have to keep my hands behind me touching the rocks and ground to keep upright. I thought my pace would be increasing but I think I went slower. Quickly the trail leveled out enough to cruise. A 6:00-7:00 mile pace, lactic acid washed from my legs, I relaxed and blood was flowing. “This is fun again.” The relief caused me to look at my surroundings. I should have packed a camera. In all of my time growing up in Colorado, I have never seen mountains this beautiful. I passed other runners more cautious than I was as I leaped from rock to rock, spinning my legs as fast as I could, letting gravity do all the work.

I approached two slower runners in their own rhythm on a single track section. “Slow down; keep your distance until you can pass.” Just then I found myself horizontal in the air, I twisted my ankle on an exposed root and was falling. I turned to land on my shoulder and back, sliding down the hill 15 feet. “Are you ok?” “Yeah, fine. Thanks for asking.” I got up and limped the next mile. My ankle started to loosen up and I was off and running again, a bit more carefully.

Up Hill Again – Miles 16 – 22 – Through a campground we began our second large climb. The runners that I left the aid station with had been here before. All warned that this climb was worse than the first. We trotted at our casual 8:00-9:00 pace and the trail got steeper. Off the road and onto the trail the grade immediately went up. The grade seemed to be 45 degrees. I was amazed that trails this steep even exist. A few steps in and we were power walking. A few more steps and we were all separated. A few more steps and my hands were on my hips, my lungs burning, my felt legs like logs, and my motivation was flat. I put my set up my iPod and started my “race play list.” Hopefully this would get me into the rhythm I needed to make it to the aid station.

The Divide – Miles 23-32 – Finally made it to the aid station, only three more miles of climbing before 6 miles of rolling hills along the continental divide. People say once you finish the climb you can really move along the divide. I cram down a ham sandwich, re-fill my water bottles and leave with a handful of M & M’s. 3 more miles, 3 more miles, 3 more miles. I chant this to myself as I take step after step higher and higher.

Just like the first summit, this one never seems to end. The mountain seems to grow in front of me teasing us. Blue skies and a hot sun are quickly forgotten as 30-60 MPH winds build a wall in front of us. I was run/walking on the steepest terrain I had climbed, at over 13,000 feet, against that hardest headwind I had ever faced. This truly was the physical and mental challenge I was looking for. Could I finish this? Was it going to prove to be too much?

Finally the summit, I got ready to feel my legs gain strength and start running hard again. What’s this, they still hurt. 6 miles of rolling hills at 13,600 feet, not enough O2 to recover. I stop and look around me. “Wow, nothing but mountains and snow fields as far as I could see. This is the most beautiful scene I have ever laid eyes on. It hurts, but I am glad to be here today.”

I begin to descend, climbing 6 foot snow banks and slide down them. This is pretty cool. I shuffle forward, 9:00-10:00 minute pace. My legs begin to go numb and my breathing becomes more controlled. Shit, glad I brought some TP with me. Long-Slow intensity. This can work.

Found My Rhythm – Miles 33-40 – Rolling for 3 miles, and down hill for 4 miles. I walk every incline and shuffle at a 9:00-10:00 pace every down hill and flat section. The first two miles came after a 10 minute break at the aid station. I shouldn’t have taken that long, my legs felt like crap and I wanted to quit with every step. Suddenly, after a couple of miles my motivation is back, my legs start to feel good and I push faster. Maybe it’s because we are below tree line again, or maybe because I get closer to finishing, maybe something else entirely…I am just glad to be motivated again.

I focus on the next runners off in the distance and slowly real them in. I seem to gain strength with every exhausted runner I pass. As the trail drops lower, steeper, rockier I begin to feel the pain in my knees grow. I gingerly step down the hill, gently placing my feet so I don’t twist my ankle again. “Man this is great!”

Last Big Hill – Miles 40-45 – “How’s it going Nate?” the race director asks me at the aid station. “This is great, tough, but great,” I respond. I stay standing through this aid station stopping only to re-fill my bottles. No way do I want to feel like I did last time. No sitting down this time. I shoot out of the aid station. .5 miles flat before a 4.5 mile climb back up to over 11,000 feet.

Through thick aspen trees the trail begins to go up. Hands on my hips again, breathing labored again, legs numb again, I tell myself that this it is, just one foot in front of the other. My steps are slow but consistent. The sun is high and hot now and my sweat dries quickly on my neck. The trail grows tighter. If it weren’t for the foot prints in the mud and the broken grass and weeds, I may not have found my way.

I look down at my watch for the first time in what seemed like hours, “crap, my batteries died.” I have no idea how long I have been out here. Sometimes it seems like minutes, sometimes it seems like days. The euphoric feeling consuming my head is completely new. Visions of my dad waiting to encourage me further up the trail as it bent around the hill through the thick trees kept me moving. I stop to pee, dark yellow and limited; I need to drink more water. What’s this, my bottles are both empty. I churn forward as the trail levels out.

This Is It – Miles 45-50 – Through the last aid station my bottle are filled and I can taste the finish line. I know I will make it under the cut-off time. My legs drive forward, I duck under fallen trees and hurdle others. I move at what feels like a lightning pace and pass more and more exhausted bodies.

The trail begins to fall and I can now see glimpses of the town when the trees break open. My knees hurt again and I quickly find myself reduced to a hobble. Only a few more miles to go and my knees reduce me walking down the steepest down hill section of the race. I should be flying, I tell my legs to turn over and my knees quickly stop them. On step at a time I make it down.

Only one more mile of flat dirt roads to the town park. I start to “run” again. “Is this trot even considered running.” I suppose that after 50 miles I could crawl and consider it running. I hear the blow horn and race director announcing finishers. “Nate Wangerin from Commerce City, CO, in a time of 13:30, a first time finisher.”

I cross the line, walk to the food table and ask for a beer. “What no beer, I guess I’ll settle for water.”

Team Member Profile: Jen Brooks

2010-07-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

If you talked to Jen Brooks she would attempt to convince you that she has no athletic talent whatsoever. On the contrary she has something much more valuable: A hard work ethic. After a lackluster spring training she joined the STtrainer program to find a higher level of challenge in her training. She has been on a fairly impressive string of events lately:

McMinnville Tri 1:15
Harpeth River Ride 50 Mile Distance (Personal Best)
RC Cola Moon Pie 2:07:34
Seattle Rock N Roll Half Marathon 2:30:55

Jen did all these events in a 4-5 week period!

Old Hickory Triathlon

2010-06-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

Old Hickory Triathon
Hendersonville, TN
June 26, 1010

Kevin Clouse 1:12:30
Jason Farmer 1:13:26
Lora Fox 1:15:57 (age group 3rd place)
Jason Clark 1:17:40
Erin Kadeg 1:18:00 (3rd overall beginner)
Tim Lance 1:18:01
Carissa Miller 1:22:48
Nancee Kerkman 1:29:26
Alex Tolbert 1:32:27
Davey Haggard 1:32:34
Terry Walker 1:36:29
Dean Britt 1:37:20

Chasity at Fitness Competition in Miami

2010-06-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Chasity is one of my clients who dabbles in endurance training for fitness and variety. She attends my abs class, fundamentals of swimming, and *promises* she is going to some more bike and run workouts soon. Last year she did Old Hickory Triathlon with essentially zero triathlon training, but since then she has started to do a little more endurance practice.

So Chasity decided to challenge herself this spring summer with a Fitness Competition. She attended Miss World Fitness in Miami, where she finished 21st out of 70 competitors. What I can tell you is that it is a combination of body building, gymnastics, and choreography. We are all proud of Chasity's performance in Miami, but also looking forward to getting her back into some triathlon practices and maybe even a race soon.

(Update: She has already been asked to be on the cover of Oxygen magazine. We may not see Chas at too many triathlons this year.)

Endorsement from Client

2010-06-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

whew- I did it:) I had alot of fun in my 1st olympic tri! The atmosphere was awsome and it was so much fun visiting with my teammates and cheering them on. I think that was my favorite part:)

I am so glad I did the MIM as my 1st race this year. I can see the areas that need the work... so I am ready focus on those and get stronger, so that by July I will be feeling fabulous and ready for the Music City Triathlon!

Thanks for all your words of encouragement and coaching. I like to be pushed and you do it just enough to motivate me to get better.

David Stock at Hy-Vee Triathlon

2010-06-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hy-Vee Triathlon, June 13, 2010

Des Moines, IA

Olympic Distance Shortened to Sprint Distance Due to Weather

David Stock 1:14:29 (5th in 55-59 AG)

Barry Smith Wins 5K

2010-06-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Blake Ryan at Rock and Roll Man Sprint

2010-06-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Rock N Roll Man Sprint Triathlon
Macon, GA
June 5, 2010
Blake Ryan 1:20:20 (Overall Clydesdale 1st Place)

Team NashLanta Fear Red (Before)

Then June 12 he raced the Muddy Buddy in Atlanta and finished 9th out of 49 in his division. Go Blake!

Michael Paschal at Breezy Point Triathlon

2010-06-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Breezy Point Triathlon
Norfolk, VA
June 6, 2010
1K Swim / 20K Bike / 5K Run

Michael Paschal--2:35:44

Michael had a bit of unfinished business with this triathlon. He attempted it last year but had to bail during the swim. Since then, M has trained with the STtrainer team and has worked very diligently on his swimming.

The best reason to do a triathlon: Michael completed this race with his daughter who lives in VA.

Michael making mince-meat of the swim.

...and glad to be onto the bike and run.

At age 59, Michael is a serious bad-ass.

Finishing strong and smooth on the run.

Tim Warnock at Buster Britton June 12

2010-06-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Buster Britton is another great triathlon put on by Team Magic. This race fit in his schedule as his season opener so Tim Warnock represented Team STtrainer in AL.

Tim Warnock 1:39:39

400y swim / 13 bike / 3 mile run

Harpeth River Ride June 12

2010-06-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

The STtrainer Team rolled out to the Harpeth River Ride. This was soon after our new team kits came in, and everyone was up for a big challenge. Little did we know how much of a challenge this would be. The instructions to the team were:

"Ride farther than you have recently. Ride farther than you ever have. Ride farther than you can imagine." The results were awesome.

It was nice chilling as a team before the ride started.

There were well over 1200 riders in this event. It started at Nissan USA Headquarters which was a welcoming location.

Bonnie and Jen rode the 45 mile option, plus tacked on an extra 5 miles. This was by far the longest ride for either of these two. Congrats gals!

Our Team rolled out together. Here are Beth M, Joleyn, Terry, and David enjoying the early cool weather.

The namesake of the Harpeth River Ride, on the outskirts of Franklin.

I am not always a fan of suburban living, but I will tell you Franklin has been growing on me lately. Here Terry and Susan roll past the roundabout in the center of Franklin.

Rebecca Cain started the ride with the team and also rode with her Husband. Married couples that ride together....wait, how's that go? Nice work on this one Rebecca!

Soon our group had organized into a very nice pace line. I coach these cyclists and actually most of us focus more on triathlon than traditional cycling, so it was nice to get everyone into a new activity of pace line riding. It definitely helped pass the time and made the ride go faster.

Perry and Walter around mile 70. We were starting to feel it by this point. Fortunately as the ride got longer, the aid stations got better. This one had a hippy theme, good music, and lots of needed refreshments.

Disaster struck! Perry had a flat. Fortunately with some quick mechanical skills and generosity of a donated tire, we were able to keep riding.

When the sidewall blows out, no $bill is going to patch it. You need a new tire.

I'm not going to lie. The Harpeth River Ride was harder than I expected. I rode with my cyclists but it kicked my butt. We were all relieved to be getting close to the end of the ride.

It was a hilly and horrifically hot day. But this is exactly the kind of day to go ride 100 miles. I did not even know some of those hills existed in Williamson Co. I mean these were mountains!

One of my favorite sayings is "Make hay when the sun is shining." You can quit or give up when conditions get hard, but you will get the most out of doing the hard work when the time is right. Seeing the farmers baling hay while we rode through picturesque pastures drove the point home.

Barry Smith rode the 100. We waited around for him to finish, he really had to slog it in. His longest ride before this was much shorter, so he really stepped up to get this one done. Go Barry!

McMinnville Triathlon May 29

2010-06-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

This race is the season opener in the Nashville local triathlon calendar, and it is also an excellent beginner's triathlon with a mini-sprint format, time trial start, and pool swim. Team Magic always puts on an excellent race, and ACME Multisport provides excellent expo support. So, with brand new team kits the STtrainer Team decided to turn out in force for this event.

Team Results:

Jason Haggard

Lora Fox

Carl Awh

Joleyn Smithing

Lilly Sharpe

4th overall girl

Frank Fay

Becky Sharpe

Walter Harris

Wesley

Lisa Hill

Bonnie Titre

Trey

Layrun

Chase Ledbetter

Christy

Beth March

Dean Britt

Barry Smith

Terry Walker

Suzy Dimijirian

Jen Brooks

Suzy and Jen fixing swim caps, supressing pre-race jitters. First triathlon for each of these ladies.

Walter, Bonnie, and Beth in the swim queue, getting ready to start.

Jason "Trash Talk" Haggard completing his pre-race warm-up.

The reason you warm-up before a triathlon is so that you can race it like this. Jason had one of the fastest bike splits of the day.

There are no words to describe the feeling I get.....

I never understand why, whenever I go to take a picture of one of my clients on a bike, they immediately take one or both their hands off the handlebars. It is like they do not want to get caught actually holding the bars. This is especially ironic with my newer cyclists, who are not necessarily that confident on the bike to begin with. Nevertheless, here is Suzie who completed her first tri without incident.

Walter dropping the hammer on the bike...

...and run.

Chase displaying the "which way to the gun show" variation of the discussion, above.

One thing that warms my heart is to see team work and camraderie. Here Frank is giving his friend Trey some support (and a cool splash of water on the head.) Trey was the victim of a lawn-mower-launching-rock-into-eye accident, then he was heavily involved in flood clean-up. Kudos to Trey for finishing his first triathlon nontheless.

Barry, Bonnie, and Beth (aliteration not intended) giving Lisa a big whoop and holler in the finishing sprint.

10-year old Lilly displaying the spoils of Age Group First Place.

Dr. Carl Awh finished in 3rd place in his first triathlon. He is in serious danger of "drinking the kool aid" with regards to the sport of triathlon.

2010-06-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Results from Country Music Half Marathon

Thank you so much for all your encouragement and training....patiently and efficiently. And thank you for the Swiftwick socks. We love them! What a tremendous experience! We are grateful for you.
---Jocelyn Kasper, 1st Time Half Marathon

I used better pacing this year and felt much better when I was done. (I think I could have kept going!) My time was 18 minutes better than last year. The workouts you gave me were a big help. Now I'm looking forward to the Chicago Marathon.
---Fergus Taylor, 67 years old (personal best time)

Thanks to you I beat my previous time of 2 hours and 41 minutes by about 12 or 13 minutes! I’m thrilled! Thanks for all you do!
---Jonathan Kasper, 2nd Half Marathon (personal best time)

Early Pics from McMinnville Triathlon

2010-05-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

Trash Talk at the Memorial Criterium

2010-05-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

Memphis in May

2010-05-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Memphis in May Triathlon

Millington, TN

May 23, 2010

Olympic Distance
Amanda Parsons 2:59

David Bishop 2:24 (5th in AG)

Libby Pietrzak 3:57

Corrie Logan 2:59

Greg Greenwell 3:10

Kevin Roddey 3:04

Cynthia Kern 2:55

Joleyn Smithing 3:01 (1st in Div)

Jonathan Farmer 2:45

Rick Hempel 2:27 (6th in AG)

Bert Warren 2:42

Rebecca Collins 3:14

Olympic Distance Team
Kevin Clouse / Walter Harris Team 2:46

SPRINT DISTANCE (May 22)
Kevin Clouse 1:12
Walter Harris 1:31

Greg Greenwell 1:21

David is smiling because he is about to qualify for nationals.

The dynamic duo of K. Clouse and W. Harris. They both did the sprint on Saturday, then teamed up to do a relay on Sunday.

The ladies chatting before the race...

...and mugging for the camera. Its Joleyn, Corrie, Amanda, and Rebecca.

Transition area. The ambiance of Memphis in May is awesome:

2000 racers, pros, and a great party-like atmosphere.

Cynthia Kern, crossing the finish line of her first Olympic Distance Tri.

Team camaraderie. Don't forget to ask Corrie about her trip to the med tent.

Pictures from Muddy Buddy

2010-05-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Music City Runners Club and STtrainer athletes represented well this weekend. Here are a few highlights (thanks to Sonia, Beth, and Melissa for the photos.)

Someone told me Quincy was dressed as a missionary. That didn't seem quite right...then I was thinking an office worker. He and his team-mate were in costume as Mormon evangelists.

Dean and Barry with the owner of Swiftwick Mark Cleveland. Before the race...

....and after.

The real stunner was Kevin in superhero costume with his team-mate. As good as this costume is (it won first place in the costume contest) I still knew it was him from 50 yards away.

Lora Fox's Team Shake and Bake, or Game-Set-Match, whatever they called themselves, podiumed in their division.

Terry and Susan....muddy buddies.

Alfred represented with the Music City Runners shirt, both during the race and after in the Fat Tire beer garden.

This is one of my favorite pictures anyone has ever taken of me. I think the mud actually made me cleaner....below is a video of Ashly and I in the Mud Pit. We went for speed not mud coverage.

Ashly and I had the good fortune to win first overall. Ashly's wife Catherine was on the first place Female team.

Half Iron-Men

2010-05-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Rev 3 Half Iron
Knoxville, TN
May 9, 2010

Perry Baker 5:41

Gulf Coast Triathlon
Florida
May 8, 2010

Richard Tomkins 5:09 "1 minute faster than last year...very pleased given tougher conditions, flood stress, and work.

David Stock 5:35 Same time as last year with 1/3 less time training.

Blake Ryan at the Flying Pig Half Marathon

2010-05-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

Flying Pig Marathon 2010

Half-Marathon

May 2, 2010 in Cincinnati, OH

BLAKE RYAN 2:14 (Personal Best Time)

Stephen Taylor Receives All-American Triathlete Status

2010-05-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Coach Stephen Taylor has been named by USA Triathlon as an All-American ranked triathlete for 2009.He was ranked 86th in the 35-39.

Photo: Taylor racing at World Championships in Vancouver 2008.

3 State 3 Mountain

2010-05-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Fiance Susan and I decided to do 3S3M in Chattanooga for a little "weekend getaway." Travelling to Chatt and getting to the ride start late were both stressful. During a 100 mile bike ride is not the best way to re-connect with your spouse. Here's what we did:

These guys are team "No Whiners" from Michigan. Their team jerseys display pigs and their motto: "FORK MORE PORK." They have been around a long time, I used to ride with them on RAGBRAI.

Fortunately this is not as bad as it looks. Susan was stretching her back at the rest stop. We were both out of shape for this ride so we took it nice and slow.

With a little goofing around, the tension started to lift and we started having fun again.

The ride offered some spectacular views. I imagine the scenery does not get better than this unless you are in Colorado or by the ocean.

These guys were wearing the "3 Feet" jerseys. This refers to the Tennessee law that a vehicle must give a cyclist 3 feet of clearance when passing. Or maybe for safety you should keep 3 feet between yourself and other bike tour riders? In any case, the roads we were on were spacious and uncrowded all day.

At the next stop I saw the most impressive "disrobing through road rash" that I had ever seen. If you notice in this photo, this guy tore the arm off his jersey, and the side/front off his shorts. He is actually covering his johnson with his bike-gloved-hand. I guess you could rate this crash as Full Johnson-Baring. He blew a front tire on a descent, and the rest-they-say-is-history. Gods grace that his worst worries were wrecked bike clothes, road rash, and finding a sag home. He could have hit his head and started writing a self-congratulatory race report on crashing. The guy had ridden another 20 miles to get to this point, before he could get first aid, but they did not have emergency johnson covers here. In this picture he is talking to his girlfriend on the cell phone so she can come pick him and and give additional, you know, first aid.

Finally we made it to the last descent, coming down Lookout Mountain. Awesome! There is no feeling more fun (or more frightening) then flying down a twisty mountain road. I realized something though; my advice on descending is correct. I would slide my butt back on the saddle, take a deep breath, and control my speed with the front and back brake.

Finally we made it to the finish in the impressively unimpressive time of 9:18. We celebrated by eating some Krystal (a ride sponsor,) and being glad to still be engaged.

Pictures of My Athletes at the CMM

2010-04-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Names and Times here.
STtrainer / Swiftwick Beer Aid Station Pictures here.

Coach's Note: Sorry I didn't get more pictures of my athletes. I was busy pouring beer much of the time. But we did have fun. Hope I got a picture of you, and you had a great day.

Like, a million runners getting ready to start on West End. It really threw me for a loop that they started 15 minutes early. That shouldn't be allowed.

Jocelyn Kasper, The Fergus, and Jonathan Kasper, at the race start.

The Brooks Sisters----Hotties!

Kenny Abernathy, lovin it!

Jesus Freak Jack, showing his intensity!

WOAH!!!!!

Ms. Colleen, having a great run.

Jessica and Rosmarie---put your hands in the air!

Nancee K., getting some payback after the Oak Barrel.

The difference is, the rain held off today.

Jocelyn, in the rain, nearing the finish of her first race of any kind. One year ago her husband Jonathan did his first race here, and she said "I could never do that." In this picture here, she appears to be having fun.

Country Music Marathon

2010-04-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

HALF MARATHON

Thressa Stinson 4:39

Jocelyn Kasper 3:43

Jack McClary 3:37

Fergus Taylor 3:18

Wayman Ransom 3:16

Cathy Bruner 3:11

Kenny Abernathy 3:10

Leon Covington 3:10

Chasity Loper 3:03

Mindy Shipley 3:01

Rose Marie Elmore 2:55
Jaime Zuloaga 2:55

Jessica Stewart 2:55

Tiffany Kirkland 2:53

Lisa Dameworth 2:47

Dean Britt 2:43

Julie Hamilton 2:39

Holland Carley 2:35

Jennifer Brooks 2:34

Bonnie Titre 2:34

Melissa Lindmark 2:34

Jonathan Kasper 2:27
Linda Bain 2:27
Steve Johnson 2:25

Beth March 2:24
Colleen Chafatelli 3:23

Joleyn Smithing 2:23

Haaruum Jeyte 2:22

Wes McNeil 2:22

Nancee Kerkman 2:20

Lori Elam 2:19

Tim Lance 2:17

Lora Fox 2:17

Courtney Schoon 2:14

Alex Tolbert 2:05

Erin Kadeg 2:05
Cynthia Kern 2:04

Bob Ross 2:03

Aaron Gauger 2:03

Corrie Logan 2:02

Becky Sharpe 1:59

Kevin Watts 1:59

John Levesque 1:58

Barry Smith 1:54

Shay Gauger 1:50

Carl Awh 1:49

Bill Polk 1:49

Sydney Foster 1:44

Walter Harris 1:44

Erin O’Connor 1:43

Kevin Roddey 1:40

Catherine Dewberry 1:39

Csaba Toth 1:38

Ron Crozier 1:37

Full Marathon

Frank Fay 3:56

Elizabeth Rich 3:30

Suzy Demirjian 3:47*

Jenny McClellan 3:47*

Melanie Yappen 3:29*

Amanda Parsons 3:23*

*(22 mile modified course)

These runners are from Music City Runners and STtrainer groups, along with some of my individual clients.Watching the country Half Marathon was very inspirational yesterday. It is my honor to coach such a great group of individuals.

Jason Haggard at MTSU Tri

2010-04-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Jason Haggard raced at the MTSU Triathlon on April 18. He finished 6th place overall and received first place award for his age group.

For some funny drama on "Trash Talk" and an explanation on what he is doing in this picture, read more here.

Blake, Haaruum, and Bob at Ironman New Orleans 70.3

2010-04-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

Blake Ryan 6:10 (Swim-42:15 / Bike-2:37 / Run-2:43)

Blake with Sister Madonna Buder, a great triathlon icon.

Haaruum Jeyte 7:21 (Swim-1:01 [we will work on that] / Bike-3:38 / Run-2:35)

Haaruum by Lake Ponchatrain, the day before the Half Ironman.

Haaruum's finisher medal.

Haaruum kicking it in on the blue carpet in the French Quarter.

Bob Weber 7:00 (Swim-36:58 / Bike 3:15 / Run-3:00)

Bob mounting the bike ... feeling great.

Bob running on Decatur street...not so great.

Bob kissing his wife after the race.

Team Big Fat Panda, Brooke Mabry, holding Bob's one month old son Hutch, Bob, my wife April, and Joe Mabry.

Ashly Dewberry at Boston Marathon

2010-04-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

Ashly: My time was 2:57. The course was harder than I anticipated. After the hills from miles 17-20 I labored a bit more than I thought I would, but all in all it's a pretty good day.

Me: Was that a PR?

Ashly: Yep.

Purity 5K/10K, Nashville, TN

2010-04-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

W.Harris 21:49 (5K)

Mary Catherine 48:57

Kevin Clouse 50:35 (Previous 10K best 59 minutes!)

Cynthia Kern 53:16

Bonnie Titre 1:04:10

Bonnie writes:

"Has anyone told you lately that you are like the fairy godfather??? I am at mile 5 starting to get tired and I hear this voice and you appear out of nowhere. The words of encouragement came at just the right time!!! I dug deep and finished in 1 hour 4 minutes. A 10:21 pace. I did the 10K in Utah last Novemeber in 1 hour 15 minutes so not bad!!! Thanks for all you do and for appearing out of nowhere and spread running dust!!

ACME Back Door Riders

2010-04-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

ACME Multisports does a group ride every Friday at 4pm from the shop. There is grub and cold beverages to reward you at the end. Note it is an intermediate ride....come prepared! Here is a picture of Rick and Tiago on the ride.

Land Between the Lakes Trail Run

2010-04-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Marathon
Ron Crozier 3:38:04
Susan Howell 6:08:53

60K
Sydney Foster Bush 6:36:25
Hara Hackett [completed 30 miles]

"Ultras are fun."

Music City Runners at Richland Creek 5 Miler

2010-04-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

Richland Creek 5 Mile Run

Nashville, TN

Saturday April 3

Walter Harris 37:12

Bob Ross 39:35

Barry Smith 40:42

Jennifer McClellan 45:08

Daniel Boehm 46:20

Alfred Eller 50:07

Suzy Demirjian 53:50

Bonnie Titre 57:40

Beth March 52:19

Jessica Stewart 1:05:02

Rose Elmore 1:05:20

Cheryl Boehm

Half Marathon Results

2010-03-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

Tom King March 13, 2010

Nashville, TN

Stacy Peters 1:40:49

Charles Peters 1:40:49

Frank Fay 1:36:33
John Levesque 1:50:31
Jennifer Brooks 2:29
Libby Pietrzak 2:33:18

Frank Fay with a strong finish--and a personal best time.

Jen Brooks writes:

"So I've only been training with you a month and I've already run the fastest half-marathon of my entire glorious running career. I finished the Tom King in a blistering 2:29:12 -- an 11:24 mile pace. Hoo! Thank you for making me run up Love Circle all those times!...I've never even finshed a 5K at a sub 12-minute mile pace. And I did it on a) the longest run I've sone so far year."

(Everyone had a personal best time, or very nearly so.)

Tim Talks...

2010-03-17T10:30:00.001-07:00

Tues AM Intensity Run, Tim W stated:

"I just ran the three fastest miles I've ever run."

Training ---> Results.

Music City Runners 3 Mile Timed Run and 1 Mile Timed Walk

2010-03-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

3/8/2010

Centennial Park

Nashville, TN

Timed 3 Mile Run

Barry Smith 22:55

Kevin Watts 23:06

John Levesque 23:07

Jason Haggard 23:08

Walter Harris 23:19

Mary Catherine 23:21

Bob Ross 24:19

Jennie 25:15

Quincy 27:14

Blake 27:29

Alfred Eller 28:17

Cheryl Anderson 30:10

Suzy D. 30:38

Dave Anderson 31:23

Scott Harrison 32:46

Lisa Hill 33:16

Mary Garges 33:41

Tiffany Kirkland 34:06

Bonnie Titre 36:12

Angie 36:12

Jessica 36:29

RoseMarie 36:29

Beth Todd 36:46

Michelle Fay 36:46

Malea 36:55

1 Mile Timed Walk

Beth March 11:23

Wayman 13:59

Cathy Bruner 14:09

Janice Navarro 14:19

Sandra 17:11

Lance 17:11

Frank Fay 17:11

Theresa Tinson 18:20

Rachel Eller 18:20

Kingston Eller 18:20

Leon 18:20

Tammy Barr 18:20

Jody Chetham

"I lost something..."

2010-03-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

One of my runners e-mailed this to me:

"Subject: I lost something....

Down 10 pounds since this summer/fall!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU"

BQ at the New Orleans Marathon

2010-02-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

Sydney Bush Foster runs 3:36, for a BQ and a PR by 5 minutes. Husband Matt ran the half marathon in 1:56.

Frostbite Marathon Feb 13

2010-02-23T08:17:00.001-08:00

Jennifer from Music City Runners sent me this:

The winner finished in 1 hour 10 minutes. He was moving to stay warm since he was in shorts. BRRR! The Music City Runners put in good times as well.

Catherine Fleming 1:52:46

Jennifer McClellan 2:11:15

Suzanne Demirjian 2:41:09

Leon Covington 3:23:00

Wayman Ransom 3:23:02

Not too shabby for coming back from the off-season without much running.

9 year old Lilly at Big Spin

2010-02-21T14:23:00.000-08:00

Lilly rode next to her awesome mom Becky yesterday at Big Spin. She did not do every aspect of the "Darwin-Nietzsche" workout, but she did keep spinning the whole time. She even jumped into the pool to do a little swim transition. I was on the pool deck and noticed she was the only one doing the butterfly stroke during the swim transition.

One thing that is very interesting is that she is on her own, new road bike. Finding road bikes for smaller riders that are both affordable and well-fitting are a challenge. She is riding a Fuji model that is carried at ACME Multisports.

Lilly will not be happy that I said she was 9 years old, because her birthday is today. Happy birthday Lilly.

Hara PR's at Mercedes Marathon

2010-02-14T12:43:00.001-08:00

Hara completed the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL today. She finished with a 3:49, which is ~22 minute personal best time.

So close to that 3:45:59 BQ time..."maybe next time," says Hara. Really big goals take systematic persistence and lots of hard work. Fortunately Hara is stoked with this result. Keep up the great work HH!

BIG SPIN OUT OF CONTROL!

2010-02-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm just saying, Stephen Taylor's Big Spin ROCKS! Excellent workout not just for triathletes, but anyone, especially cyclists, both recreational and competitive. Most of the class time on the bike with complimentary off-bike cross-training thrown in just to mix it up and keep it interesting and fun.

—Les Wooldridge, VP Harpeth Bike Club and Member Harpeth Bicycle Race Team (and he's a REAL cyclist)

These pictures were taken last week during big spin, during a cross training strength segment of the 3 hour class. As you can see, testosterone and estrogen were flowing freely.

Special Forces--Selection Success

2010-02-09T08:15:00.001-08:00

Jonathan Schmidt sent me a brief text message: "I made it through selection hoo yah"

J trained with me for about a year in preparation to enter Air Force Special Forces. Originally he planned to apply for Pararescue Jumper, but he ultimately decided to apply in Combat Control.

Congrats Jonathan!

Photo: In addition to lots of swimming, running, and strength training, I knew some additional mental toughness would be required to get these guys ready. Here Jonathan (left) is doing sit-ups with a rock on his chest in the river. Nick (right) is in the PJ pipeline having currently completed 1 1/2 of 2 years training.

Photo: Unconventional strength training.

Music City Runners First Run

2010-02-09T08:05:00.001-08:00

Big turnout last night for the first group run of the year. When we did an "icebreaker" (an MCR tradition,) it was in the LITERAL sense. Everyone did a "cheer" and introduced themselves, then we set off on the 1-mile loop in Centennial park.

36 runners was the magic number last night. By the time we were done it looked like this out:

And this:

That's right: cold, snow, and dark. It wasn't that bad once you got started, but we are all looking forward to sunny, warm, and dry.

Land Between the Lakes Training Run....in Snow

2010-02-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

It is winter and there aren't a lot of races....so this is the results of a training run. An Epic training run. We had been planning this adventure run for a few weeks, which inadvertently fell during the Great Southern Blizzard of 2010.

With plenty of defectors and a few flip-floppers, the few adventuresome souls were:

Clockwise from top left: Kona George, Boston-bound Stacy and Charles, Ron, myself, and Mashly Dewberry (aka Captain Flip-Flop.)

We weren't even the first ones to hit the snow-covered trails...there were bike tracks in the snow.

The scenery at Land Between the Lakes, Canal Loop Trail is breathtaking. You are running on a large island at the juncture of two powerful bodies of water.

We started at a comfortable social, pace but that didn't last long. Ron let the pace-setting duties mess with his head, and soon Ashly and Ron were long gone.

In the meantime I had a nice run with Kona George, Stacy, and Charles....who coincidentally all had Boston Marathon coats on. Stacy and Charles are entered in the 2010 Boston, whereas George prefers to do races that start with the word "Iron" and end with the word "Hawaii."

We saw some bald eagles.

And I executed a 4th quarter smackdown the last 5 miles.

Approximate distance covered:

Ashly 24

ST 22
Ron 16

Charles 14

Stacy 14

George 11

Mark McKinney BQ's at Phoenix

2010-01-24T15:58:00.003-08:00

Photo: Mark McKinney, center, along with another former client Rob Warren, right. Photo from Facebook.

This race result come about 8 months after I last coached Mr. McKinney, when he raced Gulf Coast Half Iron. Nonetheless I was excited to congratulate him on this great achievement. He writes:

My fitness reached that next level in early 2009 during your training classes (especially mile repeats and bricks). After Gulf Coast, I needed to go back and capture that one elusive running goal that was weighing on my shoulders after a failed attempted in Chicago in 2007. I truly thank you for your training techniques and support you provide to help other people reach their goals. You do not get enough praise for what you do and I wanted to make sure you knew that you did make a difference in me reaching my goals.

Thanks Mark, and have fun at Boston in 2011! See you soon!

Awesome Day at the Zoo Run

2010-01-24T15:58:00.001-08:00

Having done somewhere in the range of 300-400 races in my career, it is not often that one comes along and blows me away. It is even less often when the race is a local 5K. But last night the Nashville Striders' Zoo Run met the above criteria.

First off, the race is in the afternoon, and it is at the Nashville Zoo. You run around the perimeter and then through the actual zoo itself. I like afternoon races because you are wide awake and your body is warm. The only problem leading up to the start was a bit of traffic congestion. Always get to a race early so you don't get snarled up in those distractions, which I did.

Once on the start line, I met a couple of nice runners. A young guy names Colin looked to be the proverbial gazelle. Also lined up near me was Frank Fay, who was shooting for his first sub 21 minute finish. I haven't ran an open 5K in quite a while, so I was reminded what an adrenaline rush they are to get hyped for such a short race, no disrespect to the fun runners I coach.

Once the race was underway I was really feeling good. A bit of training has served me well. I found the terrain to be very manageable: some gravel/dirt roads, a few modest inclines that could barely be called hills. Once you got in among the zoo exhibits, the course required quite a bit of dexterity with the turns. However the pleasant scenery more than makes up for it.

At one point about 2 miles in I looked over and saw one of these:

Woah! That was a surprise. I kept my focus forward and tried to stay on the rivet, because I knew there wasn't much race left. My mile splits were looking good so I really tried to finish strong. The only confusion on the course was the very last 50 yard "dog leg" they put in, which the first place runner and I inadvertently cut off. Fortunately we were widely spaced out, so no DQ's were levied, and all the rest of the runners were sent the correct route. Achieving a better-than expected time (even adjusted for the omitted portion) is always fun, but this race experience only got better.

I always stay and cheer for a while after finishing, so I got to see several of my clients and friends. Then we went into the Zoo building where they were serving a delicious spagetti dinner. The production staff at the Zoo were really on top of things; importantly, they had many serving lines so you got though the lines quickly and with plenty of food. Finally Blackstone Brewery had a beer garden set up. Several very dark beers were consumed while in the very enjoyable company of Diana Bibeau and Elly Foster, president and photographer of the Nashville Striders respectively. Refueling complete.

Prizes for placing are a concern for only a small percentage in any race, but this further illustrates the attention to detail the Striders put into this race: The second place overall swag was a backpack, that included Fed Ex, Swiftwick, and Zoo merchandise, along with a$25 iTunes gift card and a brand new Apple Shuffle. Having often received a useless plaque or trophy--or sometimes even jack squat--for placing, this was what sent the whole experience over the top for me.

So if you haven't already guessed: I give a very high endorsement to this race and plan to run it next year.

Stephen Taylor 17:13
Frank Fay 20:20

Barry Smith 25:03
Nancee Kerkman 25:49
Tim Lance 25:54
Quincy Acklen 27:34
Suzie Demjirjain

Colleen Chafatelli
Jodi Chetham
Rachel Eller
Alfred Eller
Kingston Eller
Susan Howell

*(Some of the above were in the Fun Run and did not receive a chip time)

El Hempel Season Write-Up

2010-01-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

I asked my client Rick Hempel ("El Hempel") to write his reflections on this season and our work together. He wrote a mini-epic. In his own words:

B2B and JFK in 2 Weeks

Don’t look through the top finishers in the Beach to Battleship 140.6 or the JFK 50 miler to find my name. It won’t be there. Nevertheless finishing those two events in the last few weeks has given me a new joy in exercise and personal accomplishment. In 2000, I herniated a disc in my back and ended up with two surgeries to remove fragments compressing my S1 nerve root. I wasn’t sure I would ever run again. I did start back, but with a variety of aches and pains. I developed a core strengthening program with the help of a good friend and triathlete physical therapist that allowed me to continue to work out and at least participate, but I really felt limited in what I could attempt. I doubted that I could participate in the rite of passage for a select few people in our running community who turn 50 and run 50 miles. They are called Running Saints. I even dreamed of doing an Iron Man distance event, but really thought the opportunity had passed me bye.

Then my good friend from medical school, Bill Polk told me about Stephen Taylor who was an endurance trainer and successful triathlete who had helped him get back into regular training. The last time I talked to Bill he had given up on triathlons because of all the inevitable aches and pains of age. I was skeptical at first, but I saw one of Bill’s half ironman times and thought there may be something to this guy.

Bill then had the audacity to challenge me to do a 140.6 triathlon with him. I thought I may have lost my mind, but I cautiously decided to give it a try and find out more about Stephen Taylor. I am a cynical person and a physician to boot, so Steve had his work cut out for him. We spent a good bit of time discussing training philosophy and exercise physiology. The more we talked the more I realized Steve really had some valuable insight into training. He developed a flexible plan that allowed me to work 60 hours a week and still train enough to fulfill my dream. I slowly, but steadily increased my workouts and began to believe that a completion might be possible. I decided to take a trip to Nashville to spend some time with Bill and Stephen. I had a great weekend of exercise and learning and really started to see what it would take to achieve my goal.

I went to Muncie and did a 70.3 triathlon and had a PR by 50 minutes. The plan was really working and I could feel myself getting in better shape with every week of training. I changed my biking strategy, my swim workouts and even altered my running stride to become more efficient. Steve and I talked about nutrition and the psychology of extreme distance events. He even tailored a resistance weight program to compliment my core strengthening plan.

The Beach to Battleship was a great experience and plenty of challenge. Bill and I ran the last half of the marathon together and had a great “suffer fest” that we will never forget. Two weeks later with some excellent recovery advice from Steve, I did the JFK 50 mile trail run along the Appalachian Trail and the Potomac River. When it was finally done I was elated. Although I was extremely tired and very sore from the longest run I had ever completed, I was not injured and ecstatic that I had achieved what just a little over a year ago I thought would never be possible. Over 24 hours of exercise in two days separated by just two weeks. Steve’s insight and encouragement truly had made this a reality.

So even though I’ll be an afterthought in the statistics of both the B2B and JFK, where you’ll find my name buried somewhere in the middle of the pack you should know that my achievement gives me hope for the future and the belief that a regular guy can make great ambitions come true with smart training and the right guidance.

David Stock

2010-01-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

One of the most amazing athletes that I coach is a man named David Stock. I may be coaching a dozen triathletes, and Dave will be in the front of the group even though he is the oldest. He swam in college, but it was only a few years ago when he dived enthusiastically into endurance training and racing. And if you can't tell, he loves challenging athletes in the group who may be much younger than him.

Number of years married? 32 on March 4th

Number of children, Meghan, 29 married to Matt for 7 years w/ Madeline Jayne; Melissa, 25 married to Bryan for 2+ years grandchildren? Madeline Jayne

Number of years in triathlon 6 years, started when I was 53

What did you start triathlon Started doing a relay with a couple of other 50 year olds w/ me doing the swimming portion of the Music City Tri when at Percy Priest lake in 2003

What do you like about triathlon I liked the competitiveness; and feeling when you cross the finish line! Also, the camaraderie and sharing experiences with others; and working out with younger people that help push me to go harder!

What are your goals for triathlon career I would like to complete a total of 10 IMs in the next several years, before I settle in on primarily doing ½ IM and Olympic length. Also, would really like to qualify for Kona!

How do you balance triathlon and life I work out of the house for my job; and have a pretty understanding wife.

What do you like about training with ST group I like the coaching, camaraderie and that most of class is younger and pushes me to something more than what I could do by myself.

What are the benefits of working with a coach. Definitely, can help with technique; hands on; see areas that from his/her training and experience can benefit the triathlete and bring out the best and competitive nature in a person.

Swim--Bike--Run--Equivalent IM for Swim/Bike/Run Year

276680 yd.--3726 mi--1070mi --65.50/33.27/40.85 Through Dec. 2008

322108yd--4305.8mi--1260.1mi --76.26/38.44/48.09 Through Nov. 2009