Breakthrough Performance Coaching

2011-10-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

October 2011

The 2011 race season is winding down. However, we do have a couple of athletes with big races on their schedules – Arthur Dembro will be racing IMFL on 5 November and Michael Nurok will be racing IM Cozumel on 27 November. Be sure to follow along on race day at: http://ironmanlive.com/ We also have Samantha Capobianco, Peter Heneghan, and Jonathan Steeves running the Marine Corps Marathon on 30 October in Washington, DC. They can be tracked at: http://live.activeresult.com/maptrack/mcm/ Josef Kurtz will be running the Manchester Marathon on 6 November. Go TEAM!

As we begin to think about the 2012 season, we encourage you to compete in some of the Team BPC races. We know that everyone has demanding schedules and may not be able to race on these weekends in these locations. However, please make an effort and let’s have a strong BPC showing at these events. We would love to focus our efforts and rather than having 8 or 10 athletes racing in 4 or 5 different places, let’s get together and race as a team! This is your team!

Here is a list of the 2012 BPC events:

Climb for Life Stairclimb - 4 February 2012

BTT Indoor Time Trial - TBA

Multisport Expo Indoor Time Trial - 31 March 2012

Hyannis Half Marathon - 26 February 2012

Boston Marathon – 16 April 2012

JCC Sprint Triathlon – 13 May 2012

Mooseman 70.3 – 3 June 2012

Cohassett Sprint Triathlon - TBA

Nahant Triathlon – June 2012

Dam Triathlon - 14 July 2012

Ironman USA Lake Placid - 22 July 2012

Pumpkinman Sprint, Aquabike, and Half-Ironman – 8 -9 Sep 2012

Duxbury Beach Sprint – 22 Sep 2012

We would like to highlight some of this summer’s team events and introduce a new segment to our newsletter – the “athlete spotlight”. We are all unique in our own way (that is putting it lightly), but we all share a passion for competing – against others and ourselves. In an effort to foster a better sense of “team”, we will tell your stories.

IMLP Wrap-up

Amazing! Simply Amazing! We had eight teammates out on the course and everyone either PR’ed the course or successfully completed their first IM (with the exception of me).

The day began at 0500 with body marking, one last equipment check, and special needs bags drop off. This is when we got the news that the water temperature was 77 degrees and the swim would be “wetsuit” optional. Those wishing to compete for AG results or to qualify for a Kona slot would not be allowed to wear a wetsuit. We met at the BPC tent and condo for a quick team photo and headed to the water. Everyone made it safely around the swim course and headed out on the bike. The BPC athletes rode well and focused on “staying in their bubble”. The weather was ideal, with sunny skies, light winds, and temperatures in the mid 70’s. It was nice to see so many supporters out on the course - Our support staff is clearly second to none! The run is always such a determining factor in the Ironman. The run is one of our not-so-secret weapons. We prepare diligently for the run and put a primary focus race to ensure that we run to our best ability. I am happy to say that we stuck to that plan! It was so great to see everyone finish so well! Here is how everyone did:

L to R: Jeff C., Marc, Jeff W., Art, and Todd

Marc Capobianco – 10:24:22

Jeffrey Capobianco – 9:58:00

Greg Dardia – 13:17:43

Arthur Dembro – 11:40:51

Chris Duncan – 15:29:16

Todd Kozikowski – 12:02:21

Josef Kurtz – 10:20:19

Michael Nurok – 11:33:27

Ben tearing it up!

Timberman

Mike Monahan, Ben Ryan, and Tony Staceski represented the team up in New Hampshire. This was Ben and Tony’s first half Ironman race and both did fantastically! It is truly amazing how far an athlete can come in less than a year’s time. I have been witness to an incredible amount of desire, grit, and determination. Mike Monahan had one last chance to validate his Kona lottery slot – and did! Congrats boys!

Pumpkinman

Go Cindy!

It was incredible to have so many athletes racing this event. Coach Vin started the weekend off right by racing the sprint event on Saturday and winning his age group. The conditions for the half on Sunday were ideal for racing and we had ten of us out there. Everyone did amazingly! We had 3 half-iron virgins – Cindy Aiena, Jen Hanson, and Mike Landman - and also managed to put 3 athletes on the podium – Tammy Toth, Marc Capobianco, and Jeffrey Capobianco! Congrats to all!

Rich, AKA Hulk Hogan,
you are an Ironman!

Ironman Wisconsin

Rich Hatch and Dave Sek headed out to Madison Wisconsin to take part in Ironman Wisconsin. This course is known on the Ironman circuit for being one of the most challenging. The bike course is very hilly and has very few sections when you can get in a groove and just cruise. You need to constantly be on your game, as the course is loaded with turns. Dave finished 7^th in his age group and missed qualifying for Kona by one spot – we’ll get ‘em at IMUSA Lake Placid! This was Rich’s first IM and he is already looking ahead to the next one!

Athlete Spotlight

L-R: JT, Mike, Amanda, and Kim

Michael Monahan is new to Team BPC, having joined the Team in July of 2011. He is also fairly new to the sport of triathlon, but has hit the ground running. He has completed 8 half-iron distance races and has attempted two Ironman events. Like many of us, Mike is age grouper that loves to get there and challenging himself. He faces all of the same challenges in balancing his training with family life, work, etc. Yadda, yadda, yadda… right?

Wrong! He was forced to drop out of Ironman Couer D’Alene in 2010 at mile 21 of the run. Yes, a mere 5 miles from the finish – 135 of the 140.6 miles done! Why? Mike has a medical condition called Choroderemia that affects his vision. Choroderemia is a degenerative disease that affects his field of vision and his ability to see in low light environments. At mile 21 of the IMCDA course, Mike could not see well enough to finish the race – heartbreaking! Mike’s ability to sight during the swim is compromised by the fact that he sees spots while swimming. He is unable to push the bike to his physical ability because he can’t see well enough (when not racing, he rides almost exclusively on his Computrainer).

We knew that Kona would present some unique challenges for Mike. In addition to the wind, the heat, and the usual Kona brutality, Mike had to contend with issues that simply just don’t affect the rest of us. The ocean swells, the “vision spotting”, a dimly lit changing tent, a dark transition area, the brutally bright sun on the Queen K, and the fact that the sun set around 5:30 – when Mike was just a few miles into the run. He was prepared with flashlights, headlamps, an incredibly supportive family, and an infectious determination to become an Ironman.

I had the good fortune of meeting Mike’s amazingly supportive family on the big Island a few days before the race. A great big “mahalo” to his wife, Kim, and their two children, Amanda and JT, for driving Mike and I up to the bike turnaround in Hawi so that we could experience the infamous crosswinds that have been known to blow athletes across the road or, worse yet, off their bikes. Mike had a great day on October 8^th! He overcame all of the obstacles and came running down Ali’i drive at 11:13pm. It was one of my proudest moments as a coach, for sure! I think back to something Mike wrote in his athlete profile. His number one goal was to have Mike Reilly (the voice of Ironman) call out “Mike Monahan, you are an Ironman”. In doing so, he wanted to illustrate to his children “that life will present them with challenges, and how they handle those challenges will help define who they become”. I was able to witness first hand how Mike handled those challenges and how he has chosen to define himself – as an Ironman and a true inspiration to me and to anyone else that bears witness his story. Congratulations Mike – You are an Ironman!

BPC Newsletter March 2011

2011-03-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

March 2011

This edition of the newsletter was going to be about embracing the winter and making the most of your training. However, March is here and I’ve got to tell you, I am ready for spring! I’ll embrace winter next year. Indoor time trials are jump-starting the cycling season and spring running races are just around the corner. If the past month is any indication of the upcoming race season, it is truly going to be a great year! The Team has posted numerous podium places, PR’s, and good vibes all around.

Swim Clinic I

The clinic will be held at the YMCA in the Charlestown Navy Yard on Sunday, 13 March 2011 from 9-11am. The clinic will focus on stroke mechanics and improving your technique. We will spend some time talking about proper mechanics before getting into the pool. We will use video analysis tools to assess your stroke, prescribe a few focus points and drills, and give you a swim "report card" and DVD of your session. This will provide you with some solid direction to jump-start your swimming. This clinic will be followed by another indoor clinic to further refine your stroke prior to taking your swimming outdoors to work on sighting, drafting, and becoming generally "comfortable" in the open water.

Nutrition For the Endurance Athlete

Have you ever wondered if you getting enough protein, have been confused by the difference between “healthy” and “unhealthy” fats, or can’t figure out why you are no longer losing weight? If so, join us on Wednesday, 16 March 2011 at 7:00pm when Kim Schwabenbuaer, RD, LDN will join us and host a webinar on nutrition for the endurance athlete. There will be time after the presentation for questions; I hope you will join us! Let me know, please.

Kim is a nutritionist, triathlon coach, and professional triathlete. She recently finished Ironman Cozumel in 10:03:59. She was the first female amateur and the 6^th female overall!

Multisport Expo

Here is an excerpt from the Multisport Expo Webpage:

“The Champion System Team Challenge is comprised of the following three competitive events:

The Newton Running Campus Dash (Start: 9AM)
The FastSplits Indoor Bike Time Trial (Start: Multiple heat start times to choose from)
The Relay Team Swim Challenge (Start: 11:45AM)

FORMAT: Register a team in the Champion System Team Challenge and you're registering a team to compete in each of these three events. Your team roster may consist of 4 to 12 members. Each individual event requires 4 members to participate so you can enter the same 4 members in all 3 competitive events or have up to 12 different members participate across all 3 events (i.e. 4 different people in each of the 3 competitive events).”

If you are interested in doing this event (or any part of this event), please let me know. I will put a post in the forum (If you are not in the forum yet, please click the “forum” link on the BPC webpage and create a profile for yourself. There is much to learn and I am certain that everyone has something to contribute!)

Sponsors

At the bottom of the BPC webpage is a list of sponsors and supporters. These are companies and product in which we have great faith. These companies share many of the same visions to which we, at BPC, aspire: promoting a healthy lifestyle, environmental sustainability, excellent customer service, etc. Please patronize these sponsors. Many have discount codes and referral codes, so please click through the link on the BPC webpage. This helps to continue the sponsorship.

RoadID is offering all BPC athletes 20% off for the next 20 days. The discount program will end on 23 March 2011 at midnight.

Click on RoadID icon on the right or at the bottom of the BPC webpage and use the following coupon code:

PC4204625BPC

“We are in a “day and age” when wearing ID is more important than ever. When we talk with First Responders, Emergency Personnel and other members in the medical field and listen to the problems, due to legal complications and restrictions, etc., etc., that they encounter with unidentified patients, and the delays in treatment and complications that result from not being able to contact family members right away; makes you realize the unnecessary risks we take with our life when out there without ID. If someone doesn’t want to wear ID…OK…but, they should at least be willing to do it for the peace of mind it gives their family.” -RoadID

Offseason? What??? (January Newsletter)

2011-01-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

Newsletter January 2011

Winter Training

Offseason? This term has always been a complete misnomer to me. Merriam-Webster defines offseason as “the time during which an athlete is not training or competing.” It is true that we don’t race many of our "traditional” type races in the winter, but this is truly the part of the season that matters most! This is the time of the year that we build our durability; strengthening all of the tendons, ligaments, and minor muscle groups that enable us to remain injury free. This is the time of year that we increase our metabolic efficiency, enabling us to make better use of our fat stores and spare our precious glycogen stores. This is the time of year that we focus on increasing our lactate threshold. Your power and pace at lactate threshold is arguably the best predictor of athletic performance in endurance athletics.

Know that this sport is getting faster every year and what was good enough to win last summer will not even get you on the podium next summer. Make the most of your winter training! You can call it whatever you like… but by all means, use this time to get faster! You will thank yourself come race day!

Fight for Air Stairclimb

http://www.lungusa.org/pledge-events/ma/boston-climb/We need climbers! This is a super fun (?) event for a great cause! The climb takes place up One Boston Place on 5 February 2011 with an after-party at the Bell in Hand Tavern. Vin has created the “Breakthrough Performance Coaching” team. Just follow the link on the BPC website or the image to the right and click “join a team”. Hope to see you there!

Assault on Mt. Hood

What a great event this was! A special thanks goes out to the Melrose Track Club and Brian Slater for putting on a great race. Team BPC had a great turnout and put three teams into the mix. Congrats to everyone that helped to make this a great day!

Upcoming Events

Stay tuned for upcoming clinics. We will be hosting a number of clinics this winter/spring that will focus on improving swim technique, dynamic warm-up exercises, and running form. We will post the dates and locations on the website as they become available. If you have any suggestions or ideas for clinics, please let us know!

Forum

The BPC forum can be accessed via the BPC website. This is an incredible resource and I encourage of you to get in there and take advantage of it. Unlike some other forums, no one will cut you down. This is YOUR team!

Create a user ID (preferably your name, and not “tristud2011” – not because I already have that name, but so that we know who you are). Adding a picture to your profile is much appreciated and helps connect your name with your face for other athletes on the team.

Up until now this resource has gone rather untapped. We have a great team, full of smart athletes that range from the beginner ranks to top age groupers. We all have valuable insights into the sport… What works, what doesn’t, etc. Don’t be afraid to both post and answer questions. We monitor the forum closely to ensure that all information is accurate. Please also click on options and subscribe via email. This will keep us all up to date!

2010-10-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

It is with great pleasure and pride that I introduce the newest coach to Breakthrough Performance Coaching. Vince Miserandino, aka Coach Miz, has been an absolute pleasure to have on the team as an athlete. For those of you that already know him, I don’t have to tell you that his enthusiasm is infectious. He is a gifted athlete that has some incredible accomplishments to his credit. He is a multi-time Ironman and PR’ed by over an hour at this distance in Lake Placid this past summer. He apparently can also excel at the shorter stuff, as he was the 1^st amateur at the Pumpkinman Sprint Triathlon this past September.

Coach Miz on the run at IMLP!

Coach Miz has an exceptional knowledge base and is currently the Chair of the Physical Education Department at St. John’s Preparatory School. He has a master’s degree in physical education, is a certified strength and conditioning coach, crossfit coach, spin instructor, and the list goes on…

I know that Vin will compliment me and challenge me to become a better coach. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to have him as a fellow coach, teammate, and friend!

Race season may be winding for most of us, but there are still some teammates plugging away for 6+hours on the Computrainer preparing for upcoming Ironman races. Barrett Simms will be competing in Ironman Arizona on 21 November 2010. The thought of sitting on a Computrainer for 6+ hours makes me nauseous, but for Barrett it is just another workout! You can track him online at the Ironmanlive website on race day (his bib number is 754).

Don’t forget to check the website for upcoming events and feel free to propose some other events that interest you… After all, it is your team!

Stay tuned for information about a holiday “social” and mark your calendars for the screening of IMWC on 18 December 2010 at 4:00pm. We are still working on a viewing location…

Ten Tenets of Triathlon Transitions

2010-08-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Most of us spend all of our training time attempting to get fitter and faster. We spend countless hours in the pool drilling and perfecting our swim form to gain any advantage possible. We spend our winters, at least here in the Northeast, mind numbingly churning away on our indoor trainers. We focus on our run form: planting our foot directly under our center of mass, keeping a high turnover, maintaining a good forward lean. We are relentless in our pursuit to shave seconds off of our race times from Sprints to Iron distance events. Come race day we give our all out on the course, yet when we enter the transition area it’s like someone called time-out. I see many people walking through transition, talking about the previous leg or what’s to come. Do they not realize that their total time includes transition times?

It can take hundreds of hours in the pool, in the saddle, or at the track just to drop a couple minutes off of your time. What if I told you that you could possibly take that much time, or more, off of your time in just a few short hours? It can be done by focusing on your transitions and practicing moving quickly and efficiently through T1 and T2.

The keys to quick transition times are planning and practice.

1. Arrive early – Sometimes, but not always, transition spots are on a first come, first serve basis. Being on the close end of a row can make quite a difference, especially in a crowded transition area.

2. Orient yourself – The only thing worse than forgetting what level you parked on in the parking garage is not being able to find your bike in transition. Take time before the race to do a physical walk through of the transition area. Walk through from swim to bike as well as from bike to run.

3. Layout – Be organized and set your gear out so that your helmet is upside down on your handlebars, with your glasses/sunglasses on top. When you reach your bike, put on sunglasses, helmet, and immediately fasten your chinstrap (this is one of the most frequent violations – don’t fall victim). You should be able to do this blindfolded.

4. One outfit – Changing clothes, especially when your adrenaline is jacked and you are wet can be a nightmare; wear your tri kit under your wetsuit.

5. Wetsuit strip – Remove your goggles, swim cap, and start stripping your wetsuit, if you will be wearing one, the moment you come out of the water. Do not wait until you are at your bike or until you are at the “wetsuit strippers”.

6. Cycling shoes in pedals – Have your cycling shoes in the pedals with an elastic band around the frame holding your shoe level so that the heels don’t hit the ground. The elastic will break once you begin pedaling. An indoor stationary trainer is an excellent tool for practicing placing your feet in, and taking your feet out, of your cycling shoes.

7. Run, don’t walk – Run through the transition area. Learn to run with your bike and use a cyclo-cross type mount (hold onto the handlebars and jump landing squarely on the seat with your feet on the pedals) as you exit T1. This may sound difficult, but can be mastered quite easily with some practice on a grass field.

8. No socks – There is no doubt this will save time, but you must practice it and know that your shoes are not going to leave your feet a blistered mess. Walking, because your feet are raw, will take you right out of the race.

9. Stretch it out - Prep for run by stretching back and hip flexors, increasing cadence, and take your feet out of the pedals as you approach T2.

10. Speed laces in running shoes – Don’t waste time tying your shoes. Use elastic laces, such as “Yanks” or some type of speed tying system. Put on your running shoes while standing, grab the rest of your gear (visor, gel, etc.) and put it on as you are running out of T2.

Having a plan and being able to execute that plan on race day will have a big impact on your time and how you view your race. Take the time to practice these skills and you will undoubtedly be rewarded.

What moves you?

2009-11-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

Here I sit thinking about all of my internal motivating factors and wonder what motivates others. I know what motivates me, but what motivates you? I started thinking about my everyday heroes. My family tops this list. Anyone who knows me knows my family and understands this. But, the world of endurance athletics is also filled with everyday heroes. Most of us, especially from the Northeast know the Hoyts, the father and son team that have so proudly raced together at everything from local 5K's to the Boston Marathon, to the Ironman. If you haven't seen video of Dick Hoyt towing his son, Rick, who was born a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy (oxygen deprived at birth) in a rubber raft through the Kona bay, you need to. Be warned that you will need Kleenex, quite a moving story! Click here for "I can only Imagine," a tribute to the Hoyts.

This brings me to Jonathan S. Blais, The Blazeman! If you are ever dealt a bum hand, feel like the underdog, or simply lack motivation click of the following video. Let me set the scene for you, if you don't know his remarkable story. Jon was another local and hailed from Seekonk, MA. At the age of 33, while studying for his master's in education, he was diagnosed and given the death sentence of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). He had always been a fan of the Ironman and decided that 2005 would be his last chance. He vowed to do it under his own power and if he couldn't, they would have to roll him across the finish line. He would NOT quit! Well, I will let you watch the rest of the story. I hope for your sake that you have some Kleenex left after watching the Hoyts. The Blazeman is one of my true heroes and I'm sure you'll find his story as moving as I do. Click here for NBC's coverage of the Blazeman at the 2005 Ironman World Championships. The Blazeman lives on. After watching NBC's coverage, Brian Breen, another everyday guy, decided he would get off the couch and compete in the 2006 Ironman World Championships to honor Jon. He finished and rolled himself across the line. Jon was there, but forced to watch while wheelchair bound. RIP Jon "Blazeman" Blais 20 August 1971 - 27 May 2007.

Thanks for reading.

Blog!

2009-10-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking for some time that I should start a blog; here is my first attempt. Bear with me, as I am no writer. I do think that this will give me a fantastic venue in which to share my coaching and racing thoughts. Without even starting, I had writer's block! Just the thought of writing wiped my mind blank, that is, until this past weekend. Suddenly, my mind is a sea of topics and thoughts. I hope that you will find them a worthwhile read... I encourage any comments or feedback.

Thanks for reading!