Race Update

I know I said no more blogs, but there's a lot to say and 140 character limit just won't cut it. First, race update...

This season got off to an incredibly slow start with 100% of my focus being on SwimSense. However, I have been able to lay down a few decent blocks of training and have finally kicked off the season with two local races: Niantic Sprint Triathlon and the Litchfield Hills Olympic Tri.

Niantic
I finished this race in 2nd place overall and 1st in my age group. The swim was pretty rough from the start - lot's of choppy water and a solid kick to the face quickly got me back into the race zone. I exited the water in 5th place (I would eventually drop to 7th based on some "older" guys squeezing in) and hit transition. The rest of the race was pretty unremarkable....generally I felt strong and controlled throughout. Heading into the run in third place, I was able to pick off the second place fellow by mile 1 but was unable to real in the young and very talented John Babcock (who, I learned later, is being coached by Janda Ricci-Munn).

Litchfield Hills
(sorry, this recap is a bit longer) I was supposed to be in NH this past weekend competing in the Timberman 70.3. However, a few weeks ago, I threw a stone into the woods (would love to say it was HUGE....but it wasn't, and love to say I threw it several hundred yards....but I didn't) and felt a sharp a pain inside my shoulder. After several weeks of no swimming and not getting any better, I went to see my doc. Yup, strained rotator cuff and another sign of no longer being 20 yrs. old and able to engage in strenuous tasks like throwing stones.

With the option presented, I decided to go for a trigger point injection of cortisone. Within three days, I went from not being able to lift my arm (at all) to doing a 600 yard (trial) swim with NO pain. Even with the injury well on its way to being completely healed, I decided to bail on the 70.3 and go for a local Olympic race. This means I am officially not going to the 70.3 Worlds this year (more on that later).

So, Litchfield Hills (and I emphasize the Hills part).... 2nd place overall and 1st in my age group. Just can't seem to find the big "W" in this sport! The race kicked off with the warmest 78 degree swim I have ever experienced. Per the race director's own words, they somehow found some 78 degree water somewhere in the lake. Perhaps, but it was not on the swim course! In a full body wetsuit, I felt like I was about to combust about half way through the (very long) mile course. Even so, I came out of the water in 3rd place and proceeded up the 1/4 mile hill to transition.

About 3 miles into the bike, I found myself leading the race. A great feeling that was quickly changed when the eventual winner of the race, Thomas McWalters, passed me like I was riding on two flats. He was able to put 5 minutes on me by the time the bike ended..to his credit and my clear lack of performance on the bike. Rolling into T2 in 3rd place, I knew I had to bang out a strong 10k to win the race. I immediately went to work on the young Karl Schilling (great kid with lots of potential) and passed him between mile 1 and 2. Holding it steady for the next few miles, I turned the dial all the way up at mile 4. While I was able to take just over a minute back from the leader, it proved to be not enough. I simply gave up too much on the bike.

So far this year, I am happy with the performances (have not been beaten yet in the 35-39 yr. old category) but I am still searching for the top spot.

Races coming up.... Tentativley, Firmman 70.3 and Hammerfest.

Next post: my take on Fina's decision to ban wetsuits from competition. This one's been brewing for a while.

No More Blogging...

I am now a fan of micro-blogging....less time, more thoughts. See you on Twitter.

My Twitter page: http://twitter.com/swimsense

Racing Taking a Back Seat (but not for long )

I missed my third scheduled race of the season this past weekend (Pat Griskus) but the end of missing these races is near. Getting back into racing form has been a bit slower than I expected due to limited training in the early spring and recent competing priorities. One of those competing priorities (that I am happy to have my racing take a back seat to) are my kids and their desire to participate in the sport. Rather than doing Mooseman, we went to the Super Kids Tri in RI.

Super Kids Triathlon

Both Maddie and Luke made the decision in late 2008 to race this tri and the Timberman kids tri (although I understand this has recently been cancelled). The results: they had a great time, Maddie (7 yrs old) won her age group (7-8) and Luke (5 yrs. old) came in 4th in his age group (5-6). Here are some pics from the event:

Business Method Patents - Round Two?

It looks like the Supreme Court is going to go another round on the validity of Business Method Patents. Stay tuned as a decision that is in line with the Bilski case (recent case decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington) could radically change I.P units across corporate America.

What are your thoughts....do business method patents stifle or promote innovation?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/business/02bizcourt.html?_r=1&nl=tech&emc=techa1

Top 21 Rules of Swimming

21 good rules to remember when swimming. These were written by former Olympian, Jerry Heidenreich and copied from http://www.breaststroke.info/21laws.htm.

1. Three of the most important components of swimming are: technique,technique, technique.

2. Strive for optimum, not maximum, performance.

3. Learn to balance, align, and stabilize your body first. Everything else will become easier.

4. Seek the path of least resistance.

5. Find the path of most resistance.

6. To become effortless requires great effort.

7. Listen to the water, feel the water, be one with the water. Swim quietly.

8. The mind leads the body.

9. The harder you work, the harder you can play.

10. Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. What you do in practice will determine what you do in meets.

11. The fastest swimmers are the ones who slow down the least.

12. The fastest you ever travel is when you dive off the block and push off the wall.

13. Slice through the water, don't plow. Make your middle name"streamline".

14. Don't think of pulling the water. Learn to anchor your hands,wrists, and forearms, and hold onto the water. Learn to use your legs for balance and body stabilization.

15. Power is generated from the hips and torso. Use your shoulders for your recovery and to generate additional arm speed.

16. Relax from the inside out.

17. Never look back.

18. Attack your race, attack your opponent.

19. Embrace your opponents. They make you a faster, better swimmer.

20. Use visual and mental imagery of yourself achieving and surpassingyour goals.

21. Swim smart, use your head, and keep your head still.

100% Focused....

....on SwimSense. Working for The Hartford was a great run and I learned a ton. As the founder of the Innovation Lab, I had the opportunity to work on some great projects with some great people (like Gary Plotkin). I also had an all-star team that was the true horsepower behind our innovation engine. The team included:

Steven Fernandes - a guy who never said no. Steven's heart rate never got above 65 and he could wip out a PL/SQL script faster than I can type.

Jay Chin - a pure technologist who always kept us honest on the tech front. I bet he starts his own tech company some day...

Mike Gingrave - don't let him fool you. He may come across as a 5 but he is either a 2 or a 9 but it's yours to figure out which. I have never worked with someone who can simply get the job done without any fuss or frills as well as he can.

Scott Chalfant - hands down one of the smartest people I know. Someday, I am going to start a business with him.

In my most recent position as Assistant Vice-President of Innovation I also had the chance to work with some other great folks like Tom Whiteaker. Tom may not have known it, but he was my mentor for several months on how to start a company. (Now I just need to put all that good knowledge to use). Tom is an extremely knowledgeable corporate venture capitalist and is always willing to share his time.

There are many other great folks I worked with but the folks above are in a chapter of their own.

Off to SwimSense...

Lactate Threshold Training....Works!

Today, I completed a 25 mile time trial on a course that I often test myself on. The results: fastest average MPH of 22.5 (compared with previous best of 21.4) and highest wattage of 236 compared with previous best of 215. To boot, I have not completed a single workout above Steady State effort since February.



The key lies in 20-30% of lactate threshold (or Steady State) training. That is, the point at which the production of lactic acid increase non-linearly and exceeds the bodies ability to remove it. My wife's uncle, Gerry Chester, was a master at leveraging threshold training for his highschool X-Coutry athletes and produced some of the state's (CT) best runners.

So, a few months ago, I decided to give it a try. So far....it seems to be working.