Iron Fit Endurance Triathlon Training on Long Island

Listening to the signs your body is giving to you and being flexible with your training schedule as a result is an important quality to have as an athlete.  All too often athletes see a workout on a schedule and feel that the workout must be done at all costs.  However, sometimes the planned workout for that day should be changed or adjusted.  Workouts are written and laid out in a smart progressive manor that makes sense, but they are by no means “written in stone”.  For example, you may be feeling unusually tired during a bike workout and can’t push the watts that were prescribed, or you feel a tweak in your hamstring during a run workout and need to stop, or you just feel particularly exhausted one day and need to take the day off.  In these circumstances, as a triathlon coach I am thrilled when an athlete reaches out to me so I can adjust the workout and/or week to accommodate the athlete in a way that makes sense.  All too often athletes feel like they “failed” if they didn’t hit the prescribed numbers, or if they couldn’t finish a particular workout, but I always say that’s just part of training!!  Though we may strive to, we cannot have perfect workouts every day!  The athletes who get that and who can be flexible are the ones who will be most successful!  Speaking of success, we have had a VERY successful June so far!!  Here are some of the Iron Fit Endurance race results from the past month!

June 4th and 5th:

Rev 3 Olympic and Rev 3 Half!

We had a blast travelling to Rev3 this year and we had many successes.  It was my first time racing up there and wow was it tough!

Susan Roman, Christa Dwyer, Rafael Tovar, myself and Deepak Chopra raced the Olympic race on Saturday along with Gordon Lewis and John Burgess who raced the Olympic Aquabike that day!  Gordon placed 5th overall in the Aquabike and I was very pleased with my overall win to start off my 19th season of triathlon racing!!

The following day Peter Morandi, Shelley Bache and Scott Janicola raced the half!  I watched the race in the pouring rain while these athletes gutted it out!  Peter matched his best time there, Shelley had a great race leading up to her IM Maryland race this year and Scott had a massive 18-minute PR in prep for his IM Boulder race in August!

That same day was Race Awesome’s “Tri By The Bay”.  Heather Fig placed 2nd in her age group racing with husband Geoff Fig and brother-in-law Peter Blieberg.  They are all racing IM Louisville this year!  Alice Aiello placed 5th in her age group, Bill Vultaggio placed 8th in his age group and the Lam’s were 2nd relay overall!

June 11th and 12th:

Alice Aiello and Irene Lam both raced at the notoriously HOT Eagleman 70.3 where they both did fantastic!!!  Alice fulfilled a lifelong goal finishing her first half ironman in spectacular fashion and Irene had an incredible day as well setting the foundation for her Ironman debut down in Maryland in October!  I was proud of both of them!

That same weekend was the Mighty Montauk Triathlon where Mike Scanlon and Bill Vultaggio both had great races!  Also, the NYRRC 10K where Hilary Topper and her daughter raced.  Hilary will be doing the NYC marathon this fall!  Ernest Martinez was there as well doing another NYRRC races to qualify for the NYC Marathon too!

Erin Miller did her 17th Chesapeake Bay Swim that day.  It’s a 4.4-mile swim that goes under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge starting in Annapolis!

June 18th and 19th

Geoff and Heather Fig raced a “super sprint” out east where Heather placed 2nd overall!  Laura Giardino had her debut race this season at the Tri One On Duathlon while Jose Hernandez started the Riverhead cycling race season on Friday nights.

June 25th and 26th

This past weekend was the Huntington Triathlon where Shayne Lewis placed 3rd in his age group and 11th overall.  Rich Holden and Bill Vultaggio raced in Huntington as well both having great races. 

Susan Roman headed up to Mont-Tremblant for the 70.3.  She had a fantastic race in the heat as prep for Ironman Mont-Tremblant in August!

Shelley Bache also had a great race at the Philly Tri Rock Olympic!

Frank Fiorello has been racing and placing in Florida with a 3rd place in the Heartland Triathlon and a 2nd place in the Siesta Key Duathlon!

Scott Janicola and myself did the “Discover Hudson Valley Bike Ride” yesterday, the 26th.  We did the 100 mile ride which was gorgeous and tough!  Open roads with no traffic and about 7000 ft. of climbing, followed by a 6 mile run on across the bridge on the “rails to trails” trail.  It was an epic day of training!  Hilary Topper and her husband Brian did a shorter route that was also very scenic!

Another great month in the books!  I will be swimming at Hecksher State Park Saturday’s this summer with Bryan Krut of OWS.  It’s a great venue for a swim/bike brick!

Bryan also does a lighthouse swim Wednesday evenings starting in July.  We also have a weekend training trip up in Lake Placid coming up the weekend of July 15th (all are welcome to join us), as well as many other races and group training days on the horizon!

Happy training and racing!

Dee :-)

Training is well under way and the weather seems to be getting better…finally!  Many Iron Fit Endurance athletes have already been competing in races despite the chilly weather and we have many big races coming up including the weekend of June 4^th and 5^th at Rev 3 Quassy where a group of Iron Fit Endurance athletes will be competing in the Olympic Distance race Saturday while others will be competing in the Half Ironman on Sunday.  It’s going to be a great weekend!

Often times athletes ask me about the number of miles they should be running, biking or swimming for their events, and my answer?  “it depends!”  While that answer doesn’t sit well with some athletes it really does depend on the athlete, their schedule, and the amount of volume AND INTENSITY they can handle!  Often times in this sport I see athletes going out and logging mile after mile at the same dull pace or wattage just to get it in.  Then they find themselves tired and stuck at a pace that they can’t improve upon. They ignore the most important factor which is QUALITY of the workouts!  Some of my athletes are logging in a LOT of miles due to the fact that they can handle the quality workouts and recover quickly from those workouts, while some athletes need more recovery.  These athletes can’t produce as many overall weekly miles, but it does not mean that they cannot perform the same or better than the athletes that recover quicker!  It’s easy in this day and age of social media to look at what your friend or training partner is doing and compare yourself to them while second guessing yourself “why didn’t I do a 12 mile run like my friend?”  Instead, focus on completing the quality workouts that you need, such as VO2, Threshold and tempo efforts, with the longer workouts that are necessary for that event (also done at a quality pace or wattage that makes sense for that event) mixed in with days off OR active recovery days, and you will find that you are on the right track!

Here are some of the recent race results from Iron Fit Endurance:

Alice Aiello competed in a wet, chilly Carl Hart Duathlon finishing 7^th in her Age Group!  She’ll be doing Eagleman 70.3 in a few weeks!

Shelley Bache, who will be competing in Quassy half ironman and Ironman Maryland, competed in the 10 Mile Broad Street Run in Philly.

Deepak Chopra and Jackie Lott (pictured below) competed in the Long Island 10K while Susan Roman did the half marathon.

Jackie also competed in the Disney 5K with her husband Tom, then the Disney half marathon that same weekend!

Ernest Martinez has been doing a lot of running races post IMPR 70.3 including the Brooklyn half Marathon this past weekend!

Frank Fiorello is always representing down in sunny Florida where he competed in the Storm Challenge which is a sprint triathlon followed by a 1 mile swim. He's pictured here with two other Long Islanders (now Floridians), Kerri and Kevin Simmons!

Jose Hernandez has a breakthrough performance at the American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon where he placed 3^rd overall with a smoking fast time of 8:38!  It is an accomplishment just to FINISH this event which has 9000ft of climbing on the bike and 3000 ft of climbing on the run!  Placing 3^rd overall with such an incredible overall time was a real treat for Jose and for myself!

John Burgess competed in the Gran Fondo NY that same windy, cold day as AMZOF with Jim Nostrom!

Hilary Topper (Pictured above) competed in the Power of a Woman (you can read her blog).

Donna Morandi also competed in the power of a Woman finishing 3rd in her age group:

The next day was Mini Mightyman Pool Triathlon where Bill Vultaggio finished his first triathlon, Gordon Lewis finished 2nd in his age group and Elijah and Zachary Lam both competed:

Rafael Tovar competed in the South Beach Triathlon!  He’ll be racing the NYC Triathlon as well as IMAC 70.3.

Rob Toedter has been competing in many off-road races including his first XTERRA race at the new Jersey Devil and Mooch Madness Mtn bike races.  He’ll be doing the Bearscat 50 Miler next weekend.  Rob is one of the best Open water swimmers around so it’s great to see him competing in triathlons as well.

Erin Miller competed in the Pinehurst Olympic Distance triathlon in Virginia. She’ll be doing the Rev 3 Poconos half in August as well as a fall marathon.

Kurt LaForest just competed in a chilly, rainy Bassman International Distance where he placed 3^rd in his age group despite not riding or swimming outside leading up the event!  He has a bright future as he trains for a big season ahead!

Many of us will be swimming this weekend with Bryan Kurt of OWS at Hecksher State Park.  OWS does open water swimming at Hecksher as well as by the Fire island Light house throughout the summer!

Also, check out the Iron Fit Endurance calendar for Group Training!

As most people know by now, I decided to come out of Ironman retirement this year and tackle the distance again this November at IM Florida.  I knew I needed a lot of time to build up for this event.  People think I’m nuts when I say this.  I often hear, “you are so fit, you dont need a lot of time!”.  Yes, I am a fit individual.  In the past 5+ years since I retired from the sport I have remained active and fit.  I can jump into an Olympic distance race and do reasonably well, but there is a difference between being FIT and ACTIVE and actually TRAINING!  For the first time in over 5 years I am training and guess what?  It works!  In the back of my head I have wondered if I can get back to, and even exceed, where I was back in 2010.  Im 39 now and I haven’t “trained” in a long time, so this has been an unknown.  So, I got myself back into a training schedule.  I started remembering what it’s like to “suffer” again, which is a necessary component to training.  I started getting back on the bike 4-5 days a week instead of “when I wanted”, and in a few month’s time I’m seeing wattage numbers similar to when I raced pro back in 2010!  It’s magic!  Except it isn’t magic…it’s hard work, and dedication and training SMART!  I see this with the athletes that I coach.  If you are putting in the hard work, and listening to your body, and resting when you need to you WILL see results!!  Seeing result is fun, and rewarding!  So, keep up the hard work. 

Speaking of results, here are some from the past couple of months!

Jose Hernandez, who will be competing in the infamous and grueling event American Zofingen this May, has gotten his running form as good as it’s ever been.  Here he is at the Caumsett 25K where he placed 2nd in the 40-44 age group:

Jose raced again in the Brooklyn Spring Duathlon placing 1^st Overall!

Frank Fiorello, who always represents in the warmer climates raced the Puerto Rico Half Marathon:

Also, Ernest Martinez took on an early season race at the IM Puerto Rico 70.3 posting a PR!  He’ll be competing in Ironman North Carolina (Beach 2 Battleship) in October!

In addition to racing, we had the NY Tri Expo, which was a great success!  Hilary Topper is a true Professional and had the vision for this event just last year.  Hilary and her staff pulled off an incredible event!  I had the opportunity to speak on a few panels, which was a blast.  Matt Dixon gave a spectacular talk as the keynote speaker, and I was honored to introduce Matt Long who received the “I Will” award (named after Matt's I Will Foundation)!  Here are a few pics from the day:

Noah, Jose and I at my booth:

 One of my panels, "Crushing It on The Bike!":

Event Organizer Hilary Topper with Matt Dixon and Matt Long:

Jose crushing the Computrainer Competition (after winning his Duathlon that morning):

John Landino from Death Row Velo (the BEST custom jerseys and gear on the market!):

We have a few races going on this weekend and just like that race season is in full swing! Time flies…

Happy Training and Racing!

Dee

This will be by 19^th year in a row racing triathlon.  Before that I was a competitive swimmer.  Despite having injuries along the way, I haven’t missed a year of competition in the past 28 years!  In my early years as a triathlete I would be a mental wreck when I got an injury.  My world would be rocked knowing that my training would be disturbed.  My confidence in my season would plummet.  I would be devastated.

Over the years, I have learned to take injuries in stride.  I have come to the realization that you WILL get injured at some point if you are an active person.  It is inevitable, and I have learned that it is the way in which you deal with those injuries that makes all the difference in the world. 

I have seen many athletes with nagging injuries who refuse to take the steps necessary to get better.  They are so afraid to stop an activity, that they will justify doing that activity on an injury just to get it done.  Meanwhile, they are hobbling along making the injury worse!  This can be a vicious cycle that can lead to an injury lingering much longer than it needs to.   As a coach, I try to “nip it in the bud” by prescribing rest and when necessary, recommending the injured athlete to the vast network of professionals that I have developed over the years! 

This is what I have learned over the years as an athlete and coach: 

1. Stop and rest!  Most of the time the injury is something minor that will get better after a few days of backing off!  You are better off stopping and resting a bit rather than finishing that run that’s on your schedule!

2. If you find that the injury is not getting better after a few days, see a professional!  That might be an Orthopedic, Podiatrist, Active Release Therapist, Physical Therapist, Massage Therapist, Acupuncturist, etc.  I find that an early diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference in the world!  If rest and rehabilitation is needed, the earlier you can do this and get back to your training the better!  Too many times, I see athletes training on an injury for months before finally get diagnosed. Had they gotten the diagnosis and/or treatment earlier they could have already been past the injury and back to training!  This can literally make or break your season ahead!

3. Don’t panic!  In most cases, if you have an injury that needs rest, there is always some activity you can do to stay fit!  I have been in the situation where I had to rest from running for 8-12 weeks, however, water running; swimming and biking were OK to do.  Staying fit has always helped me to get back to running in no time.  As triathletes, we are lucky to have the ability fall back on the other sports to stay fit!

4. Have faith!  Your season will NOT be ruined from having to take some time off!  Like I said before, it'll all part of being an active individual.  get past it and move on!

5. Silver lining:  In most cases, I have found that having to rest from a particular activity forced me to focus on some other aspects of my fitness which helped in the long run.  That could be a focus on strength when you otherwise do not, a focus on cycling if you cannot run or maybe a big swim focus that gets you stronger in the water!
   

    

   I wanetd to congratulate Jose Hernandez on his fantastic performance on the "Sayville Running Company 10 Mile Run to the Brewery" last month:
   

   

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

   Also, congrats to Frank Fiorello down in Florida with yet another 1st place in his division!  Great way to start out 2016!
   

   

    

   Dont forget to register for the NY Tri Expo!  This is going to be an awesome event held on March 19th at Citi Field.  There will be vendors, workshops, elite Triathlon Coach Matt Dixon will be there as the keynote speaker as well as Matt Long, inspirational speaker, author, athlete and just an incredible person!  I am fortunate to have the opportunity to speak on a few panels at the expo and am looking forward to the day!
   

 I wanted to recognize our November race results, followed by the 2015 Year in Pictures!

Shelley Bache:  Shelley finished her first marathon at the Philadelphia Marathon.  She had a great race which gives her the confidence going into 2016 as she trains for Ironman Maryland!

Jose Hernandez and Shayne Lewis both competed in the “Something Wicked at Cathedral Pines” 6-hour Mtn. bike race (see picture below)!  Shayne crashed and sliced open is leg on his first loop.  He had to go to the hospital where he got 13 stiches and 13 staples!  He recovered nicely, however and is back ready to rock!  Shayne is training for Ironman Maryland this year!  Jose did great, finishing 7 laps (70 Miles!!).

Jose also competed in the Prospect Park Duathlon where he finished first in his age group as well as the first overall in the fat tire Division!

Jackie Lott flew to California to race the “Avengers Weekend”, a 10K Saturday followed by a half marathon Sunday!  She did fantastic in both!  Season best in the 10K, followed by strong half marathon!  Then she jumped into the Philadelphia Half marathon the next weekend and bested her half marathon time from the Avengers weekend!  Jackie is now taking a much needed and deserved recovery period of lighter workouts and reduced running!

Frank Fiorello continued his streak in Florida where he always places in his division!  This is him in the Clermont Sprint Triathlon!

**We have been so fortunate with this mild weather which has enabled us to get in great group workouts like this trail run that even Salty joined in on!

And now, the year in pictures for Iron Fit Endurance!  Thanks to all of my athletes for a GREAT year! 

January:

 Group ride at The Hub!

February indoor Training at "The Warehouse":

 March:  More "Warehouse Sessions" with Peter and Donna Morandi and Hilary Topper's warm weather season kick-off triathlon

APRIL Group Rides:  The ALS Ride for Life and the CWC warrior Ride!

May:  First open water swim and Bear Mountain Trip!

June:  Christa at the Patriot Half and Irene finishing the West Neck swim:

 July:      

Cross Bay Swim with Erin and my kayaker Shayne Lewis: and Susan in the Montauk Sprint that same weekend:

August:

Riverhead Rocks, Hilary at Nationals and Laura Giardino at TOBAY and Christa, Peter and Irene at Timberman:

September:

Me at the Steve Tarpinian Memorial Mighty Hamptons and Susan at IM Augusta 70.3:

October:

Gordon at IM Louisville:

November:

Paulina and Noah at NYC Marathon:

...and Jackie and her son Aaron at the Hershey Half Marathon:

December:

Me after riding in my new SHORTS from Death Row Velo:

Thanks again to everyone who helps to make Iron Fit Endurance a success!  Happy New Year!

Dee

My last Ironman race was back in 2010.  I needed to re-qualify to keep my Pro card, and I did, at Ironman Florida.  My Professional license was good for another 3 years!  I knew I was starting to get burnt out with racing at this point, but I trained for another race because that’s just what I did (I was training for Ironman Wisconsin 2011).  My friend Erin came with me to be my support crew in Wisconsin (Erin, my “lucky charm” also came with me to Ironman Austria, which happened to be my Ironman PR, a 9:38, placing 6^th overall...see pic below).  I was not into my training for Wisconsin...I just didn’t have that “edge” and “focus” that I normally did, but I travelled to the race, because that’s just what I did! 

I started the swim and felt terrible right away.  I even started hyper-ventilating and began unzipping my wetsuit to get some air!  I was panicking!  Then I stopped and did some self-talk, “get a grip Danielle!  You are a Pro and you have been swimming most of your life!!”  That helped me to snap out of it.  I finished the swim, but I exited the water dead last in the Pro field.  I remember heading to transition only to see my bike and no others on the Pro rack!  Part of me just didn’t care while the other part of me was embarrassed…  I hopped on the bike and began the 112 mile journey only to realize that I felt worse than I did in the swim!  I couldn’t hold anywhere near my Ironman wattage.  People were passing me like I was standing still.  Again, I just didn’t care.  I remember thinking, “there is NO WAY I can ride for 112 miles!  I just don’t want to do this!”  I finally decided that I would pull over and abandon the race when I saw my friend Erin, and that’s exactly what I did.  At mile 40, when I finally saw Erin, I pulled over and told her I was DONE.  “Are you sure you want to do this?”   Erin asked?  “Absolutely.”   I said.  I felt zero guilt or remorse over my decision.  In fact, we went back to the finish line to cheer on the other Pro Women in the race.  I left Wisconsin and decided to hang up my “Ironman shoes” for good.  This was a tough decision for me.  This is what I did!  I had been racing seriously at that point for 10 years of my life and I didn’t know what to do without an Ironman race on the horizon!  I still had two years left to race as a Pro, but I was done.  15 Ironman races was it for me.

I never looked back.  I started focusing on building my coaching business, which I love and feel so fortunate to have.  I love the sport, and I am thrilled that I can keep Ironman and the sport of triathlon in my life by helping to coach and motivate others.  In my 18 years in the sport I have learned so much, and I am still learning!  I coach such an amazing and wonderful group of athletes…  I feel SO lucky to be able to do such a thing!  I have truly been blessed in my life. 

Though I gave up racing Ironman, I still continued to race shorter distances at a less-intense level.  I got in training when I could, but certainly not near the same level that I used to train at. Towing the line at a race with the “lack-of-fitness” that I am used to is sometimes nerve-racking for me, but I know that’s just my ego talking, so I go for it anyway.  I just finished my 18^th year in a row racing triathlon.  Some races I win and some I don’t.  I remember telling my life partner, George that I will never again race an Ironman as an amateur.  After racing Pro I just wouldn’t want to race amateur again…BUT as George said to me back then, “you can NEVER SAY NEVER!”

I just turned 39, and I am coming to the realization that in a just few years, breaking 10 hours in an Ironman could be impossible for me…  I have 2-3 years to have the ability to race a PR Ironman.  Also, the more I think about it the more I realize that I’d love to go back to Kona and race to win my age group.  I guess I was short-sighted when I said I would never race Ironman as an amateur again! Back when I raced Kona in the 25-29 year age group, the year before I turned Pro, I placed 2^nd in that age group and 4^th amateur overall (see pics below). How great would it be to come back to race in the 40-44 year age-group and try to get that 1^st place spot!

So, I am officially signed up for Ironman Florida 2016 to try and get that spot to head back to Kona.  Florida is a familiar race for me (I’ve don’t it 4 times and it was my very first Ironman back in 2001).  I’ve always raced well there and I am going back.  I am also signed up for IM Atlantic City 70.3 with a bunch of my athletes and many other Long Island triathletes, it seems!  It should be fun to see familiar faces, and all of the different Long Island tri groups out there on the course.  I’m excited to put in long training rides with my group and to race together down in A.C as well as other races locally!  Event Power always has a great line-up for local races, so I will certainly be at a few of their events!  It also looks like “Race Awesome” has some new events this upcoming season as well!  I’ll also be heading to Mont-Tremblant to cheer on two of my athlete’s race, and get in some great training while I’m at it!

I will approach this Ironman a bit differently….coaching is my number 1 priority.  It is my passion and it must come first, but I am lucky to be able to work and train!  Also, I have fallen in love with surfing and I love boating with George and our dog Salty.  I plan on having a much more “well-rounded” existence than I did back in the day….this is also a priority for me.  It will be interesting to see if I can race at a similar level and have a more well-rounded life.  I think I can and I encourage my athletes to do the same!   

 I am very lucky to have a very supportive family.  George is always 100% behind me, and always has been.  There were many days when I was a Pro that he headed out on his commute to work as I was hopping on my bike or as I headed to Arizona or Florida to train for a few weeks.  He was never anything other than supportive of what I was doing.  My parents and most loyal support crew are also on board and looking forward to it!  They have travelled to and watched 13 of my 15 Ironman races.  Though I raced on the Zoot Team, my parents were a large part of financial support back then.  It was a crucial part of being able to travel and race in a sport where only the top percentage of athletes can actually make a living doing it!  I am looking forward to a great year with Iron Fit Endurance and am excited for whatever lies ahead!  Dee

Gordon Lewis competed in his first Ironman down in Louisville!   Two and a half weeks out from the race, while running in the trails with me, Gordon threw his back out.  It was so bad that we had to completely shut down training!  The week before the race (after seeing Dr. Larry Lembo who treated Gordon) the back was feeling better, but his reoccurring knee injury was giving him trouble as well.  I have to admit that I was nervous. Gordon had been killing it in training and racing this year, and the timing of these injuries was unfortunate.  However, Gordon has been dealing with the knee issues on and off for the past 30 years (after an accident at work) and he was mentally prepared to take on the Ironman! 

Come race day Gordon had a strong swim and bike, but after the bike, in his own words, “I knew I was done.  I ran the marathon on one leg”.  Knowing that he was in major trouble with his knee, Gordon spent the necessary time in transition to wrap the knee and put a brace on to get through the race.  In typical Gordon fashion, he toughed it out and finished his first Ironman!  His family was there to watch and cheer him on.  2016 will be a focus on getting the knee back to working condition as well as racing shorter events to focus on speed before his possible attempt at another Ironman the following year. 

As we all know, each long race is a learning experience that has its share of ups and downs.  I’ve found that the best athletes can learn to adjust and modify the plan when the “downs’ come…Gordon is one of these athletes.

As we all know, the NYC Marathon was this past weekend!  Paulina Ballaban and Noah Lam both competed on Sunday!  Noah has been running better and stronger than I have ever seen him run and while he didn’t do what he had hoped (or what he is ultimately capable of), he had a great race.  Noah came down with something right after the race, so I have to wonder if this is what affected him during the event!  Either way, Noah toughed it out and was able to see his very supportive wife and kids on the course, which is the best part.

Paulina Ballaban finished her very first marathon in amazing fashion!  Paulina was nervous going into the event after traveling and then getting sick during the last crucial weeks before the race.   Because of this Paulina missed some of the last long runs, but I knew that she was in great shape going into the race.  Paulina finished with a sub-5 hour race!  I should note that Paulina stopped to help a fellow competitor that was very sick on the side of the road, because that’s what this nurse does!  Paulina spent at least 10 minutes with this woman to help her out!  That makes Paulina’s finish even more impressive!  Congrats to her!!

In other race news:

Frank Fiorello has been racing down in Florida, where he finished 2^nd in his division at the Longboat Key Triathlon as well as 2^nd in the Marco Island Triathlon.  He’ll be racing again down in Florida this weekend at a draft legal event!

Christa Dwyer, Susan Roman and myself had a great time a few weeks ago doing the “Race for Ridley” 5K.  I don’t usually report about 5K’s, but with this pic, I had too!  Congrats to Christa on a PR too!

Ken Krill has been suffering from hamstring cramps off the bike in his races this year.  After narrowing it down, we figured it was his bike fit.  So he had a bike fit redo from Mike Monastero and finally remedied the cramping problem that he has been having at every event!  He competed in the Cedar Creek Duathlon, besting his time from last year by 4 minutes and finishing 4^th in his age group and the best run he has done off the bike with NO hamstring cramps!

Irene and Noah Lam, along with their two sons competed in the Wildwood Warrior Triathlon.  Irene was one of the few to brave the COLD temps in the morning by opting to do the swim!  here's a pic of their sons during and after the race!

Jackie Lott had a fantastic race at the Hershey Half Marathon, surprising herself!  She is doing the “Avengers weekend” which consists of a 10K Saturday and a Half Marathon Sunday!  Also, good luck to The Lott’s son,Aaron who will be heading to boot camp for the Marines that weekend (pictured below with Jackie after the race)!

We have some more marathons coming up:  Peter Morandi and his wife Donna and Shelley Bache will be running the Philadelphia Marathon on the 22^nd!

Also, Shayne Lewis and Jose Hernandez will be competing in "Something Wicked at Cathedral Pines", a 6-hour Mtn. Bike event on the 21st!

The winter months will be spent doing outside rides when the weather cooperates and group trail runs when the weather starts to get colder.  Winter is also a great time to really focus on strength training, which will be a major focus for IFE athletes.  I am lucky to have help of DPT Susan Roman for her guidance in this matter! 

Here are some pictures from training rides this month.  The first in Head of the Harbor with Chrisa Dwyer and John Burgess and the second is Bear Mtn. with my friend and Iron Fit Endurance athlete Erin Miller!

Happy Training and Racing!

Dee :-)

SEPTEMBER 2015

Triathlon is coming to a close in the North East with just a few races left for Iron Fit Endurance athletes.  I wanted to take some time to THANK the athletes that I am so fortunate to work with!  I truly have a diverse group of athletes and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create a training plan that WORKS for each individual.

I just finished up my 18^th season in a row racing triathlon and I’ve been reflecting on my experiences racing first as an elite amateur triathlete, then a Professional Triathlete and now as a coach.  Throughout my career, I have worked with a variety of coaches…some with very big names and resumes!  However, my most successful years were with my coach that I had a very communicative relationship with…One that I rode with, saw often and communicated with often.  I am thankful that I had that experience because it is that relationship and communication that I strive for with my own athletes.  I want to thank the athletes that put their trust in me and THANK you for making Iron Fit Endurance’s second year a successful one!  October starts year #3 and I can’t wait!

…and now, race results for September!!

September 6th/7^th:

We started off September with “Big George” Triathlon:

Frank Fiorello had a PR in the Olympic distance and finished 2^nd in his division!

 Shayne Lewis finished his first half Ironman distance and placed 3^rd in his age group! (Pictured below): 

September 12^th/13^th:

Erin Miller was the 2^nd Masters finisher in the Patriots Olympic distance! 

Hilary Topper travelled down to Washington DC with the other team she belongs to (The All Women’s Tri Team).  This was the last race of a very long season that started back in March!  She posted her best swim and bike of the season and her highest finish in her age group as well!!  Read about her race HERE…as always Hilary has a great recap!

Hilary is also producing the NYC Tri Expo which will be held at Citi Field March 19^th!  You can pre-register for a discounted fee.  It’s going be a HUGE expo with speakers and vendors that you don’t want to miss!

We had a few athletes who did the Suffolk Half Marathon as a training day:

 Susan Roman and Noah Lam (pictured here...he also PR’d!).

Shayne Lewis (against my better judgement and advisement) ended up pulling off a very strong marathon (yes the week after the half Ironman and with no marathon training runs under his belt!)…he showed me with a great result despite my discouragement...his talent shined through! ;-)

TOUGHMAN:

Brian Clark finished out his season toughing out cramps and bike mechanical issues (a broken spoke) to finish very respectably in the Toughman Half!

John burgess competed in the Auqabike Nationals held at Toughman.  He finished strong and was only a few months out from his hip replacement!  John is very humble and doesn’t ever use this as an excuse, but I think it’s an amazing feat!! 

September 19^th/20^th:

Shelley Bache had a great race in a local sprint (Marsh Creek Triathlon) out in Pennsylvania where she lives. She had a PR by 2 minutes and finished 3^rd in her age group!

MIGHTY HAMPTONS

We had a great weekend at the Mighty Hamptons!  This is my favorite race on the island and this year was even more special being the 1^st Steve Tarpinian Memorial Mighty Hamptons.  It was incredible to be a part of this event, with past winners and legends of triathlon that came back to this event in Steve’s honor.  His family, friends and Event Power did an incredible job making this one a very special event.  I have to say that I kept Steve in my thoughts throughout this entire race.

Ken Krill had a GREAT swim and bike, but had some cramping on the run…he toughed it out and finished strong…We have remedied this issue and he will be ready to ROCK in his next event!

Jackie Lott had a great day and a PR!

Gordon Lewis had a PR and finished 3rd in his age group!  He will be racing IM Louisville next weekend! 

He is pictured here alongside his girlfriend and race support Patty:

I finished first overall, my third win at this race, my first win being 9 years ago!  This was the sweetest of them all given the significance of the day.

 September 26^th/27^th:

Erin Miller was the 1^st Masters finisher down in NC at the 5K “Swim the Loop” (pictured right):

Shelley finished out a long and successful triathlon season at the Quakerman Plus.  Next up:  Philadelphia Marathon!

Susan Roman (pictured below) finished a long triathlon season in her typical fashion…another PR!  I am always amazed with Susan.  This has been my 2^nd season coaching her.  Susan’s focus, attention to detail and prep for races is incredible!  She is an athlete that ALWAYS brings it on race day…Read her recap HERE!

THANK YOU to THE HUB for their INCREDIBLE support of my group this year!

THANK YOU Death Row Velo for making me the BEST jerseys out there!

I have some fun plans for my third season…In the meantime; check my calendar for the weekly group training that you can be a part of!

Thanks and happy training and racing :-)

Dee