TowPath Bike Clinics

This year, TOWPATH Bike in Pittsford,NY is putting on a series of clinics that can benefit anyone- novice or experienced - All the events take place on Thursdays.  As always, if you have any questions please email me. I can't believe that it is already the end of February...that means spring is right around the Corner!

Winter 2013 Clinics

All clinics are free for everyone. Come out and learn about endurance events from the people who know it best! Pre-registration is only required so we know how much food to buy.

Understanding the Importance of Nutrition

Thursday, March 7 - 7:00pm @ Towpath Bike

Learning what to eat, and when to eat before a race, during a race, 

and post-race. Misconceptions about nutrition. PowerBar Clinic with 

special pricing on all PowerBar products.

Presented by  Deb Iovoli, a Registered Dietitian, licensed in NYS and one of only 400 Certified Specialists in Sports Dietetics and Steve Rosinski, Professional Triathlete- and Practicing Doctor of Optometry

Functional Strength Training

Thursday, March 28 - 6:30pm @ Towpath Bike

Learn about how to functional strength train and how to improve your core muscles, which will enhance your swim, bike and run experience. Enjoy a lively discussion on the benefits of increasing your performance through some "new" techniques that are easy to introduce into your weekly schedule of activity. We will walk through a skill session involving plyometrics, TRX, weight training and stretching.

Presented by Curt Eggers, USA Triathlon National Champion and Mary Eggers, Coach

Run-Injury Prevention

Thursday, April 11 - 7:00pm @ Towpath Bike

Much research has been done as of late on the trend of minimalistic shoe wear, barefoot running and running mechanics. Jennie Hansen, PT, DPT, CSCS of Greater Rochester Physical Therapy in Webster and Gretchen Roman, PT, DPT of Greater Rochester Physical Therapy in Pittsford will present on "Common Running Injuries and Running Video Analysis." Come learn about the top five most common running injuries and how some slight changes to your running mechanics, like increasing your cadence might help increase your overall efficiency and decrease your risk of injury.
Presented by Jennie Hansen and Gretchen Roman

Bike Maintenance

Thursday, April 25 - 7:00pm @ Towpath Bike

Periodic maintenance is critical to ensuring your triathlon bicycle is running at peak performance, This clinic is designed to educate triathletes in some basic maintenance procedures such as cleaning, lubrication, safety checks, race wheel set up, and various basic adjustments to ensure top performance of your bicycle. These procedures are simple and easy to perform; a necessity for triathletes of all levels.

Presented by Brandon Henahan

Pittsford Triathlon / Transition 

Saturday, May 11 - 9:30am @ Pittsford Mendon HS and Thornell Farm Park

Interested in doing a triathlon? Wondering what the Pittsford Triathlon is all about? You will learn about the sport while actually doing portions of the course. We will give you tips on how to lower your transition times and help you through your first triathlon. This clinic is held at the Pittsford Mendon HS pool and Thornell Farm Park in cooperation with the Town of Pittsford Department of Parks and Recreation. Pre-registration required (townofpittsford.org)

Presented by Brian Emelson, Curt Eggers, Bryan Kent, Mike Hoffman & Steve Rosinski

Off-Road Triathlon / Duathlon Clinic

Thursday, May 23 - 5:30pm @ TowPath Bike

This workshop is "geared" towards runners, mountain bikers, or triathletes who are interested in spicing up their training or racing by heading to the trails! After a brief discussion on mountain bikes and trail running shoes, we will explore the local trail systems in this experiential workshop. Bring a mountain bike, helmet, running shoes, and the willingness to get a little dirty!

Presented by Brian Emelson and David Zimmet, and Scott Likly, Owner, TowPath Bike Shop


For more details or to book a spot in a class, send an email tojames@towpathbike.com. There is no limit on class sizes.

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Swim Clinic

Monday, March 11
Monday, March 25
Monday, April 8
7:30-8:30pm @ Brighton High School

Want to improve your speed in the water? Want to improve your stroke technique? Want to become a more efficient swimmer? Total Immersion Swim Coach Kim Bade will be conducting small group swim clinics focused on teaching stoke balance and efficient propulsion techniques. Clinics will include above and under water video recording of athletes followed by stroke analysis and instruction. Classes will be $35 and limited to 5 athletes per date.
To register for a class date - email mhoffma8@gmail.com

Presented by Total Immersion Coach Kim Bade & Mike Hoffman

2013 Race Schedule

After talking with my Wife and Coach Doug Bush, we have decided on a race schedule for 2013. Additionally, after careful consideration,  I have decided to work with Doug Bush from Endurance Factor  for the 2013 season. He has been involved with endurance sports for 20 years as a runner, cyclist, and  triathlete.  As my coach I believe we can achieve big things for the years to come and I look forward to the adventure.  

1.     May 4- Wildflower Triathlon- Lake San Antonio, CA

2.      June 2- Revolution 3 Quassy Half- Middlebury, CT

3.      June 23- Revolution 3 Williamsburg Half - Williamsburg, VA

4.      July 14- Musselman Triathlon- Sprint- Geneva, NY

5.      August 18- Ironman Timberman 70.3- Gilford, NH

6.      September 8- Ironman Muskoka 70.3- Muskoka, Ontario Canada

7.      September 29- Ironman Augusta 70.3- Augusta, GA

8.       November 3- Revolution 3 Florida Half- Venice, FL

  
I am excited for my 1st full year as a Pro especially after 2 top 10 finishes at both Timberman 70.3 and Pocono 70.3 in 2012.  

My biggest supporter, my wife, Chelsea

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to wish everyone a very, Merry Christmas! Hope you were able to enjoy time with your families, eat your fill and celebrate the birth of Jesus! Here in Rochester, NY we woke up to some fresh snow - a nice touch to Christmas morning. 

Finger Lakes Triathlon 2012

Sorry for this being so late in the making but better late than never.....

I once again had the opportunity to race the Finger Lakes Tri  for the 3rd time in my career the 2nd weekend in September.  I always enjoy doing this as it is a huge fundraiser for the  Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center. I did my first Olympic race here a few years back...its amazing to think where I have come since then.  I remember thinking how far a 1500m swim was and then doing a 40k bike and 10k run!  Now to think...I am doing half ironmans and even considering doing an Full Ironman next year.  In college, I wasn't a fan of cross country because it was soo long...or so I thought. We would race 8ks then in the post season would go to 10ks..I could not wait till track where I could run the mile or 3k steeplechase...much shorter events!  Now with all my events lasting 2 hours or more I decided to do the sprint here.  It would be a fun race and I would get to show my support for TowPath Bike out of Pittsford, NY -  I count on them all the time with my bike...and it always runs smoothly.  Thanks Guys!
  I also was excited because a long time friend, Bryan Kent and local sprint specialist Dan Pierce were going to be racing.  I knew Dan as a fast swimmer so I knew I was going to have some fun chasing him down on the bike.  It is always nice doing local races as you can have many friends and family members come out...that can be a challenge when your races are scattered throughout the country so thanks to - Chelsea, Dad, Pam, Steve, Bruno, Robin, Josh, Nate and others who came out to  support me!
   As the race started my game plan was to hit the swim hard but still controlled then rock out on the bike.  The bike course basically goes flat, then up hill. then down hill then some flats...so by hitting it hard in the beginning you can make up a lot of ground.  After the gun when off I tried to stay on Dan's feet but he was swimming like a fish....he managed to get about a minute lead on me after the swim.  I had my wife, dad and others tell me how far back I was when I got out.  I had a smooth transition and started rocking on the bike. After a couple miles on the bike I was able to spot Dan and he was like a carrot for me...I started pushing even harder...a few miles later I was able to pass him and I knew the race was won as I felt great and knew no one was going to touch me on the run.  I kept hammering home and ended up biking the 13.4 miles at 350 watts...pretty happy with that.  After getting back into transition I started on the run and was really able to enjoy it!  The 5k went by pretty quickly and I was able to soak up the applause from the crowd as I was the first finisher of the day.  Overall it was a fun time supporting a great local race on a beautiful day in Canandaigua NY. Thanks to all my sponsors once again for the continued support throughout the season!  This dream of making it as a Professional Triathlete that can compete with the best is becoming more and more real.  Next up is my last race of the season...Ironman Pocono 70.3 in Stroudsburg PA.

A look at the 2012 season so far......Enjoy!!

 

 

A look at the 2012 season so far......Enjoy!!

 

 

Pro Debut--Timberman 70.3 Race Recap

Great venue, great weather and an overall great race....that is how I would describe the 2012 Timberman 70.3.  After scouting out the course 2 weeks before in 97 degree heat, I was excited to be back...and this time to  mornings in the 50's with highs in the 70's.  With water temperature in the mid 70's it was turning into a great weather race for me.  I typically do better in cooler temps as growing up in Rochester, NY- where fall and spring can be brutal and where winter can be beyond brutal - has not adapted me well to high temperatures.  Even though this summer has been a hot one anytime the weather can be cooler I welcome it with open arms. 

This race was also one where I would be racing with some good friends.  I had my training partner Mike Hoffman and fellow friend Matt Curbeau toeing the line as well.  Mike was hoping to qualify for Vegas in the 25-29 AG and Matt was hoping for an Overall Amateur title. 

The weekend started off well with an uneventful ride to New Hampshire where we were fortunate enough to stay at the Dix family lakehouse on Webster Lake.  Thanks so much Dave and Molly! 
Saturday morning Chels and I woke up to rain to meet Matt and his mom at Kitchen Cravings for a great breakfast.  I think Matt took down 3 pancakes, 4 pieces of french toast, eggs, homefries and some fruit...I am probably forgetting something but you get the idea.

      After we filled ourselves we went to Gunstock Mountain Resort for packet pickup and my FIRST pro athlete meeting but first it was to packet pick up. It was exciting to skip the AG line and head right to the Pro packet pickup and flash my Elite card! Right after I went to the meeting...when I first got there it was only Heather Wurtele(the eventual winner!!) and me.  We started chatting it up about the course and little by little the other pros strolled in.  After a pretty uneventful pro meeting(not really different than any other pre-race meeting)  it started to sink in that I would be racing all of these guys the next day.  I was both excited and nervous for the next day!! 

After getting a nice easy run and swim at the race site I got my bike ready for the race.  I wanted to drop the bike off and have one less thing to worry about the rest of the evening (even though I could have brought it in race morning).  Once the bike was all set up with my lucky #7 as my number I headed out with Chels to go watch the new Batman movie....The Dark Night Rises.  Matt Curbeau ended up joining us for the movie as well....I think that Chels and I now have a new pre-race routine with going to the movies!  We ended up going to a movie at St. Anthonys, NYC tri and now Timberman 70.3.  We all enjoyed the movie and  if you have not see it yet I highly recommend it!

Race Day:

 



My beautiful Felt B2 Di2

 

At 3:35 am the alarm went off....after a great night sleep at the Dix lakehouse I woke up to temps in the low 50's and a nice light wind. After eating a good breakfast and driving to the race site I got into transition to set everything up for the day ahead. After putting on my Powerbar Nutrition (Gels, and Ironman Perform lemon lime), getting the Quarq powermeter ready, and everything else I was ready to leave transition to head towards the lake.  

 

 

 

The constant struggle to put on the wetsuit--a 72 degree water temp made my morning!!

A nice pre-race warm-up



 





My beautiful wife Chelsea and I pre-race

 

 

 

 

I had worked hard, ate right, slept right, did my homework for the course now was the fun part...executing my race plan with which coach Dan and I had set out!  This was my first Pro race and I was going to give it everything I had. After the pre-race swim and National Anthem the race was ready to start....

And we are off.....



The swim went out pretty quickly and I did everything I could to jump on feet to those ahead.  I was able to stay in contact for the first 2 buoys then I started to lose them.  After reaching the first turn buoy with a few swimmers still in sight I was blinded by the sun and sighting became especially diffcult.  After making it to the last turn buoy I was engulfed by the 3 woman leaders....they came flying by me but I managed to hop in their slip stream for about 100meters.  The last stretch seemed to last forever but I kept swimming strong and smooth while still trying to stay relaxed.  Just as I reached the beach I was joined by a few other female pros who had started 2 mins behind me.  I ended up getting out of the water in 30:08...a new PR by 22 seconds over Rev3 Quassy....but still a long way from where I need to be....After a decently quick transition I hoped on the bike and started to roll.....

 

My HR after getting onto the bike was pretty high for me...high 160's/low 170's and it didnt help right out of transition was a nice hill.  After about 20-25 mins the HR went down and I finally was starting to get into a rhythym.  I was going pretty well but was not managing to hit my pre-race power.  I just stayed patient and tried to just keep rolling....around mile 18-20 I passed the first male pro then shortly after I passed Heather Wurtele.  She had a nice lead after a great swim and was looking strong on the bike.  Around mile 40, I came up on 3 other males and was able to work by them over the next few miles.   I was happy to be getting into contact with the other male pros at this time....staying patient and starting to produce more power the race was coming together.  I ended up reaching T2 well fueled and hydrated headed out onto the run...overall I was satisfied with the bike but nothing that extraordinary.  Bike split...2:20:17 or 23.96MPH

 

 

 preparing to dismount and enter T2

 

After a little mix up in not trying to find my garmin I was on my way to start the 13.1 mile run. I was feeling pretty good from the start and was looking forward to seeing who I could reel in on the run. At the first turn around on loop 1 of 2, I saw 1 Pro within sight with others pretty far ahead. I still had to stay patient and run my race. I was holding right around 6:00 pace per mile ....by the end of the first loop I was only 14 secs down from the runner in front of me.....

 

 

I ended up passing him about 1 mile into the second lap and started to look up to find others to catch.  I was still feeling decent but was starting to have to dig deeper to hold close to 6 mins pace.  After still churning the whole way to the finish I was unable to catch anyone else.  Overall I was happy with the run as I ran 1:20:32 for the half marathon for a 6:08 pace. 

 

Sporting the new TowPath Bike Visor!!

 

Overall Finish: 9th Male Pro,  4:14:32.  I am pretty happy with this as this race is only my 2nd full half IM as the Rev3 Quassy back in June was my first one where I won the overall Amateur race which allowed me to turn Pro.  I learned a lot from this race and know what things to work on.

 

 

Both of my buddies did really well today as well!

 

Matt Curbeau was 3rd Overall, 1st in his AG with a time of 4:16:56--He Earned his Pro Card by finishing top 3 ...I wish him best of luck as he takes on Ironman 70.3 Worlds in vegas then IM World Champs in Kona shortly after!

 

Mike Hoffman finished 4th in his AG with a 4:31:13 earning him a slot to the 2013 Ironman 70.3 Worlds!

 

 

  Relaxing with my dad post race- Thanks Dad for traveling all over the country and supporting me over the years and for years to come!

 

 

Thanks to my wonderful wife Chelsea for all of the pictures, all of the support and putting up with all of my training.

 

Thanks again to all my sponsors as well!  I am looking forward to the next races ahead....Fingerlakes Sprint tri, Ironman Pocono 70.3 and Rev3 Florida Half to close out the season. 

 

 

Stay safe out there, train smart and enjoy life!







 

Timberman 70.3 Scout Out

This past weekend was a great experience in New Hampshire! I was fortunate enough to be able to go scout out the Timberman 70.3 race course and get some much needed R and R.  I was fortunate enough to have my wife Chelsea with me as well as my friend/training partner Mike Hoffman along for the weekend.  Mike was giving a talk at a conference in Proctor, NH so he came up a little early to join me for the training sessions.  Because of the connections Mike has, we were able to stay with the amazing Dix family at their wondeful lake house on Webster Lake about half hour west of the Timberman Race site.

Pictured below is Webster Lake with the great lake house, boat and nice diving dock....

  We started the weekend early as we left the Rochester  around 2.  After a pretty drive we made it to New Hampshire around 9.  When we got there we met the David and Molly Dix and their 3 kids!  A big thanks to them for everything they did for us this past weekend....they opened up their home and family to us strangers!  (And they have been kind enough to let us use the place again for race weekend!!  Thanks so much!) We ended up watching a little of the olympics - which I have been obsessed with - then headed off to bed.
      Mike and I headed out early on Saturday to scout of the course.  The race site is in beautiful Ellacoya State Park --

After checking out the beach we headed out on our bikes to do the 56 mile course.  I was pleasantly surprised with the course as it provides a mix of rollers, flats and some challenging climbs.  I always try to ride any course I will be racing as I believe it gives me more confidence headed into the race.  I highly recommend doing that as much as you can....in some races however that just isn't possible -like the NYC tri a few weeks back as we biked on the west side highway!  After biking the course I added on another couple hours to get my long ride in for the week. It ended up being a pretty hot and humid  day-- really hoping it isn't going to be like that for race day!! 

After a nice ride I got some good food and relaxed the rest of the day back at the lake house.  It is always enjoyable to relax in a nice lake, eat some food, rehydrate and relax with some good friends and fam.  That night we went to Kathleen's Cottage in Bristol NH and I enjoyed a delicious Reuben - I am a sucker for Reubens! 

The next day Mike and I went on a nice 18 mile run to start the day. It was a very humid morning so once it was over it was an amazing feeling to jump in the lake!  I was pretty beat from the ride and run so took a nice nap and woke up to the smell of some amazing quesadillas!  Thank you Molly!

So to round out the weekend I had a nice open water swim...however as I was about half way done the clouds rolled in and so did the thunderstorms....I got out just in time for the downpour to begin. 

After a great weekend in New Hampshire I was sad to have to return back to reality and the 7 hour drive home!  I am excited and prepared to race the Ironman Timberman 70.3 as my first professional race.  The race numbers are up and I will be #7!  Lucky #7 I hope! 




Once again    thanks again to my family, friends and sponsors for all of the help- this is an exciting journey and I hope to be able to share it with all of you!