Hi everyone…

I know its been a while since I’ve blogged, but it isn’t because I’ve been sitting around eating bon-bons and watching TV! I’ve been busy, busy, which is awesome when you do what I do…

For instance, last night I had the pleasure and extreme honor of meeting a group of “Team Training New England” mentor coaches at a track in West Hartford, CT.

This was a group of “leader” coaches who are working under the guidance of TTNE head coaches, Lynne Tapper and Janice Cohen.

Janice and Lynne invited me to come and spend some time with these coaches, sharing some of my coaching and training experience and passing on a few tips.  We talked about all facets of running and triathlon including strength training and core training, keeping our pelvis neutral with the right kind of flexibility training, trusting our intuition when determining how “hard” we should go on any particular training day, among many other topics.

We also reviewed a few warm up and functional strength exercises and just generally had a WONDERFUL time sharing a little of ourselves with each other.

As is often the case, I went there hoping to give the coaches something that would be of value to them, and I left having received so much more than I could ever give! How so?

I was so inspired by this great group! They were motivated and excited to learn, and each has faced so many challenges and obstacles on their path of self discovery and growth! They all embody the GREATEST that we have in this great sport! I was truly honored to be there…

If you are in New England, and are interested in doing your first or second triathlon, or just want to be a part of a wonderful group of athletes and people, then check them out!

Lynne and Janice know their stuff - they are among the best coaches I have met in this sport. They give so much of themselves. Without people and coaches like this in our sport, it wouldn’t be what it is, that is for sure.

Congrats ladies! You are doing great things. Keep it up…

For more information on Team Training New England, go here: http://teamtrainingne.com/

On the heels of a very nice and sincere post about some training plans I wrote that some really nice runners used and had some success, the time has finally come for me to get this blog off the ground and in the air!  I’m ready to rock! 

First, if I have raised your curiosity a bit, go to the fitness-for-mommies weblog and read it HERE.

I think these ladies are really onto something! Not about using MY plan per se, but about using A plan, period!

And yes, many…of the athletes (swimmer or biker or runner) that I meet and greet and talk with on a routine basis…..the single factor that very often limits there success is a lack of direction - the lack of a “plan of attack.”

The actual training plan - who wrote it or where it came from is honestly less important than the fact that it IS a plan!

So many athletes are doing the same workouts, the same way, day after day, week after week, and not approaching their training progressively and smartly, and yet expecting different and better results…

If you want to improve, stay injury free, and increase the chance that you will be at your peak fitness and readiness for your most important race or event, then GET A PLAN!  Of course, ideally you will use a plan that is written by someone who’s philosophy you agree with. Do your research, ask questions, and by all means, trust your intuition…

As it relates to this post, I told these ladies that I really appreciated that they took the time to post their feelings about the plan. In a very real way, their words really made me smile!

When I wrote those plans, and even beforehand, when I sat (and sit) here, and ask questions of myself, and read and experiment and try new things and seek a BETTER WAY to train and to improve, I do it for one reason, and that is to see others, LIKE YOU out there reading this, have success in your chosen and most important events, and enhance your life and empower yourselves in so many ways, through that success.  These two ladies, in a very real way, have done more for me through their success and their words of appreciation, than I ever could do for them!  You see, this is why I coach! Their words, feelings, and expression of sincere appreciation and respect, is MORE THAN I could ever ask, and it IS why I do what I do….

Onward and upward…

Make it a great day!