Triathlon Parents | Race Day, Training, Nutrition, Lifestyle, Gear

The Courage to Start, Again

Burnout. Yep. I’ve got it. After completing 3 Ironman races in 2 years, and following that up with a Fall marathon, I gave myself the green light in October to take some time off from serious training. It wasn’t really that my body needed a break (thankfully), but mentally I needed to remove the constant,...

Hot, Humid, and Humbling

That’s the only way I know how to describe July 19th, my birthday and the day I battled against myself as I competed in IRONMAN Switzerland. With my family camped out race-side, and my friends cheering me on digitally via (an athlete tracker/race tracker/webcam?), I felt unstoppable. Combine that excitement and my adrenaline with...

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage

Sometimes I find that the best business advice doesn’t come from a business source at all. And I also find that the best training advice doesn’t come from your coach or peers. Sometimes it comes from books like Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, a true story about determination, leadership, setbacks, and teamwork. Motivation is a funny...

Prepared Meals: An Effective Time Management Tool

We decided over the weekend to have a meal delivered to our house tonight from a friend’s new catering service. The one word reaction is “wow”, or maybe “awesome”, or “amazing”. The meal from Ciao Chow arrived at our house at 5:45 and I had the family feed, including desert, by 6:30. And packed the...

Will triathlon be a part of life with a baby in the house?

By David Szen — Hang around the sport since 1999 and something odd happens – 15 years go by. Here are the headlines: Triathlon was once the center of my life My wife took up triathlons so she could actually spend time with me I have 50+ races under my belt, including 4Ironman finishes My...

The $500 Workout

Last Saturday, I answered the question “how badly do you want to complete a key workout.” Greg and I participated in the Total 200, a bike ride that left Washington DC and ventured into the rolling terrain of Maryland’s farm country. It was a well-supported ride, and provided diversity from our usual rides. More importantly,...

Yes — WSJ. Ironman branding is Critical. But there’s one other reason

Last week’s WSJ article on Ironman branding caused quite a stir among the triathlon community. I had the article sent to me several times, texted to me, posted on my Facebook page and I even got a v-mail about it. And, I have to admit, the WSJ got it right by saying non-M-dot-races struggle to...

Challenged Athletes Foundation receives recognition for the miracles they deliver every day

Something wonderful has happened between the time I was standing on the edge of a ferry floating a few hundred feet from Alcatraz Island off the shore of San Francisco to last weekend when I was standing on the beach of Lake Anna Virginia. The Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF) has increased its brand recognition amongst many East Coast triathletes. I...

How WSJ got it wrong — it’s not about the gear

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article talking about how triathlon gear has evolved to allow non-athletes to compete in Ironman but using ridiculously expensive bikes and volumes of data to optimize training and performance. The tone of the article makes it seem like people can “buy” their way into finishing an Ironman. Which...

Turning 40 is easier – thanks to USAT

Last weekend I turned 40. For many, it’s a big milestone. For me, it seemed like just another birthday. I’ve always been the youngest among my childhood friends, so I’ve helped them celebrate 40 across the last few years. But when I really think about it, I’I’ve pretty much felt like I was 40 ever...

If a 4-year-old was a triathlete

On Thursday, Sasha will participate in her first “official” running race (The SOME 5k Turkey Trot in DC). Now, let’s be honest, she won’t run 5k – and I would be surprised if she ran 5 blocks. But the goal is to have her participate with us, developing her own love of fitness and sense...

Doubling Up – Time Management

In my previous post, I talked about how Planning is the key to training. Ironman is just as much a mental event as it is a physical one. But, you have to actually DO the training first. In my experience, the only way to pull off successful training is to get creative, and double-up training...

Family Workouts, Jim McDonnell Lake Swim 2013

Plan Your Plan

The first question people typically ask after I say “yea, I’m doing another Ironman”, isn’t Why. It’s How. It’s a really good question. All endurance athletes I know – regardless of whether they’re marathoners, swimmers, triathletes, etc. –seem to struggle with how to get it all done within the confines of 24 hours. Let’s be...

How to Be An Ironman

Triathlon Training With Family/Life/Work Balance 140.6 miles. That’s all it is. You might drive that in an afternoon but for me it’s going to take a half a year or more of intense training. Swimming for 2.4 miles, biking for 112 miles, then a leisurely 26.2 mile marathon jog with every ounce of energy I...