This will be my 3rd OS but the 2nd one was kind of a bust as far as consistency. Starting this OS with a bum knee so no running and its actually having a some discomfort on the bike so a slow ramp up for me to start.
It's just me and my wife. I'll be heading out to Lake Placid which was my first finish in 2004. Other than that there are a couple early season sprints and and Oly that I want to work in to the schedule. I'm planning on finishing out the season with a 1/2 marathon in September.
Kevin here, checking in from Amherst Massachusetts where everything has been delayed a week by last week's snowstorm-induced power outage and its aftermath. This is my second EN OS, and 2012 will be my third tri season. I've been doing competitive athletics (of any sort) for less than two years, after a lifetime as a sedentary desk jockey. 2012 will be all short-course as I aim to qualify for the USAT Age Group Nationals which are within driving distance in Burlington VT, and which many of my local triathlete friends will be attending.
I age up to 50 next year and am looking forward to a successful season. My run is strong and my swim is improving; my biggest challenge will be racing the bike leg at a much higher intensity (got too comfortable at HIM pace), improving my atrocious bike handling, and avoiding the bike technical problems that plagued me in 2011. The OS will be a good opportunity to get "comfortable" with suffering on the bike. Sharing the suffering with all of you on the November OS crew was very helpful last year; here we go again!
I'm married with a 9th-grade daughter and 7th-grade son. In addition to triathlon, my interests include performing with our local Gilbert & Sullivan light opera company, playing Lord of the Rings Online (and, come December, Star Wars: The Old Republic), practicing Buddhism, cooking vegetarian, listening to progressive metal, and travelling internationally, ideally to warm waters where I can sneak in some scuba diving. I'm fortunate enough to be able to telecommute, which is the only way I could have enough time for everything!
Finally getting around to checking in. I think I'm the lone EN'er in Pittsburgh, PA, where I live with my wife and our two dogs. The Steel City has a growing triathlon community (Pittsburgh Triathlon Club started 3 years ago and we now have over 220 members), so I don't think it will be long until we have a stong group here. I've lived all over the country (DC, San Francisco, New Jersey, Boston, Cincinnati, Milwaukee) and my triathlon focus has ebbed and waned through the moves. Over the past three years I've moved up from Olys to HIM, and will make IMCDA my "A" race and first IM in 2012.
2011 was a big year for me personally. I turned 35, got married to my wonderful and supportive wife and changed jobs, leaving the relative security of a huge conglomerate to join the executive team of a local, fast growing life-sciences company. Needless to say the added responsbility and travel has demanded extra focus and planning to balance work, training, and life outside the Pain Cave. This is my first year in the haus after using the training plans + marathon hack last year.
I'm really excited to join the Nov OS, and look foward to having everyone push me, as my numbers make it clear that I need to suffer more in the OS to make the gains I hope to see.
Checking in here, new to EN and to the November OS. I'm apparently one of only four EN'ers in all of Oregon, and the lone outpost south of Portland so I'm waving hi from the middle of Oregon.
I've been a triathlete since 1986 when my college swim coach made us all do a Sprint tri and I got good and hooked. I've done triathlons every year since except '96 and '99 when my kids were born, around Seattle and now in Oregon. First IM was IMFL in 2006, my 20th year in the sport. Most years I do Sprint, Oly, & HIM distances but have made a deal with hubby and kids to do an IM every 5 years. Unfortunately I've had a bad run of luck with three broken bones in three years (hand, arm, arm). So this year my first goal is not to break anything, especially since I'm signed up for IMCdA .
2011 was kind of a non-triathlon-event year. I got my black belt in March, broke my arm in June, swam across Crater Lake (6.4 m) with my Masters team in August, did a solo trail run around Waldo Lake (24 m) in September, and finally did one sprint triathlon (Lake Tahoe) in late September.
Regular life: 45, married, two kids (12 and 15), two step-kids (29 and 30), 17 animals (chickens, dogs, cats, rabbit, rat). It gets crazy around here! Used to be a computer geek at Microsoft, but now I homeschool the kids. I also coach a high school robotics team (FTC), am a Master's swim coach, triathlon coach, train in karate and teach a karate conditioning class.
I'm here because I'm always looking for new and better ways to do things, especially with a high ROI and that can fit into my busy life. EN has really impressed me so far with the quality of the workouts, professionalism of the coaches, and camaraderie. Usually I'm kind of a lone wolf with my training - I just go off quietly by myself and do the miles. This year I'm training more with a local tri club and here with EN, it's a lot more social than I'm used to, fun!
Jeff Braaten checking in. This will be my third year with EN although the first was half hearted and no racing at all due to many family conflicts. I am an ENT physician in West Texas ( Abilene ). I am married to the same gal I met 33 years ago and have 5 daughters and 1 but soon to be 3 grandkids. Life is generally pretty crazy around our house and work is usually crazy busy.
My biggest problem has always been consistency with workouts. My race results have shown that: in the last few years I have had 6 hour HIM's and sub 5Hr HIM's with podium finishes. Last year was my first year of semi consistency and it worked well for my at IMTX and IM Louisville.
I will be aging up to 55 this year and hope for some good placements at IMTX and IMFL. I will also be doing Texas 70.3 in Galveston and a variety of Olympics mid summer. Biggest issue I am dealing with right now is that I am 3 weeks post op from a cervical fusion surgery and no running until first week of December. That puts me on the bike and an elliptical. Oh well, we'll see how it goes.
I am checking in for my 4th OS with EN. My first one was a solid success with great gains in my FTP and VDOT. The last two though have been tough with a lot of injuries and lack of mojo on my part. Finally feel the urge to lock horns with IM again this year and to really get after it. Will be doing my 9th (Placid) and 10th (Florida) Ironmans this year. Going for the dirty dozen legacy slot at Kona within the next couple of years. In addition to focusing on the usual culprits of VDOT and FTP, I'm going to dedicate my 20-weeks to improved body comp and in particular lipid profile. Also going to work on my swimming proficiency. I have access to a pool pretty readily at work (at a University) so I can get in some fairly frequent sessions. While swimming is generally frowned upon during the OS, my usual IM time of 80-minutes leaves plenty of room for improvement. A solid improvement of 15-minutes in the swim seems doable and worth the time investment.
Hey - Just found this tab - yep, I'm a little slow! I'm working on getting faster though
Ok, Ruth Payne checking in. I am currently living outside Chicago, just north of the city in Evanston, IL with my partner Linda and our two cats (the cats by the way, are LOVING the pain cave - they sleep on the couch as I'm sweating bullets Tues, Thurs and Saturday mornings). I started cycling regularly in 2005 and did my first sprint tri in 2006, followed by an Oly in 2007. Took a few years off (moved, changed careers, etc.) and came back last year with an Oly in CA in April followed by Eagleman in June and my first IM in WI this past September. Loved the training so much that I knew I wanted to keep going and signed up again for IMWI 2012. Will also be at Eagleman again (close to where I grew up and enables me to visit family and race . I would love to improve on my WI time of 13:09 - I had trouble with nutrition on the run. Love the half distance and looking forward to seeing if any improvement happens there - 5:37.
I stumbled upon EN one day in late October while surfing the web and was/am inspired but what I saw/see. I love the intensity and am grateful for the community.
I work at our local athletic club in the membership department, so I am surrounded by lots of great support and have a great place to workout when I need it. Linda is super supportive of my love for all things TRI and she wants to see me go to Kona. Me too. So, that's my ultimate goal - and I see it as a very long term one, but I see it happening.
Comments
Finally getting around to checking in.
This will be my 3rd OS but the 2nd one was kind of a bust as far as consistency. Starting this OS with a bum knee so no running and its actually having a some discomfort on the bike so a slow ramp up for me to start.
It's just me and my wife. I'll be heading out to Lake Placid which was my first finish in 2004. Other than that there are a couple early season sprints and and Oly that I want to work in to the schedule. I'm planning on finishing out the season with a 1/2 marathon in September.
Gordon
I age up to 50 next year and am looking forward to a successful season. My run is strong and my swim is improving; my biggest challenge will be racing the bike leg at a much higher intensity (got too comfortable at HIM pace), improving my atrocious bike handling, and avoiding the bike technical problems that plagued me in 2011. The OS will be a good opportunity to get "comfortable" with suffering on the bike. Sharing the suffering with all of you on the November OS crew was very helpful last year; here we go again!
I'm married with a 9th-grade daughter and 7th-grade son. In addition to triathlon, my interests include performing with our local Gilbert & Sullivan light opera company, playing Lord of the Rings Online (and, come December, Star Wars: The Old Republic), practicing Buddhism, cooking vegetarian, listening to progressive metal, and travelling internationally, ideally to warm waters where I can sneak in some scuba diving. I'm fortunate enough to be able to telecommute, which is the only way I could have enough time for everything!
Kevin
I think I'm the lone EN'er in Pittsburgh, PA, where I live with my wife and our two dogs. The Steel City has a growing triathlon community (Pittsburgh Triathlon Club started 3 years ago and we now have over 220 members), so I don't think it will be long until we have a stong group here.
I've lived all over the country (DC, San Francisco, New Jersey, Boston, Cincinnati, Milwaukee) and my triathlon focus has ebbed and waned through the moves. Over the past three years I've moved up from Olys to HIM, and will make IMCDA my "A" race and first IM in 2012.
2011 was a big year for me personally. I turned 35, got married to my wonderful and supportive wife and changed jobs, leaving the relative security of a huge conglomerate to join the executive team of a local, fast growing life-sciences company. Needless to say the added responsbility and travel has demanded extra focus and planning to balance work, training, and life outside the Pain Cave.
This is my first year in the haus after using the training plans + marathon hack last year.
I'm really excited to join the Nov OS, and look foward to having everyone push me, as my numbers make it clear that I need to suffer more in the OS to make the gains I hope to see.
Checking in here, new to EN and to the November OS. I'm apparently one of only four EN'ers in all of Oregon, and the lone outpost south of Portland so I'm waving hi from the middle of Oregon.
I've been a triathlete since 1986 when my college swim coach made us all do a Sprint tri and I got good and hooked. I've done triathlons every year since except '96 and '99 when my kids were born, around Seattle and now in Oregon. First IM was IMFL in 2006, my 20th year in the sport. Most years I do Sprint, Oly, & HIM distances but have made a deal with hubby and kids to do an IM every 5 years. Unfortunately I've had a bad run of luck with three broken bones in three years (hand, arm, arm). So this year my first goal is not to break anything, especially since I'm signed up for IMCdA .
2011 was kind of a non-triathlon-event year. I got my black belt in March, broke my arm in June, swam across Crater Lake (6.4 m) with my Masters team in August, did a solo trail run around Waldo Lake (24 m) in September, and finally did one sprint triathlon (Lake Tahoe) in late September.
Regular life: 45, married, two kids (12 and 15), two step-kids (29 and 30), 17 animals (chickens, dogs, cats, rabbit, rat). It gets crazy around here! Used to be a computer geek at Microsoft, but now I homeschool the kids. I also coach a high school robotics team (FTC), am a Master's swim coach, triathlon coach, train in karate and teach a karate conditioning class.
I'm here because I'm always looking for new and better ways to do things, especially with a high ROI and that can fit into my busy life. EN has really impressed me so far with the quality of the workouts, professionalism of the coaches, and camaraderie. Usually I'm kind of a lone wolf with my training - I just go off quietly by myself and do the miles. This year I'm training more with a local tri club and here with EN, it's a lot more social than I'm used to, fun!
Jeff Braaten checking in. This will be my third year with EN although the first was half hearted and no racing at all due to many family conflicts. I am an ENT physician in West Texas ( Abilene ). I am married to the same gal I met 33 years ago and have 5 daughters and 1 but soon to be 3 grandkids. Life is generally pretty crazy around our house and work is usually crazy busy.
My biggest problem has always been consistency with workouts. My race results have shown that: in the last few years I have had 6 hour HIM's and sub 5Hr HIM's with podium finishes. Last year was my first year of semi consistency and it worked well for my at IMTX and IM Louisville.
I will be aging up to 55 this year and hope for some good placements at IMTX and IMFL. I will also be doing Texas 70.3 in Galveston and a variety of Olympics mid summer. Biggest issue I am dealing with right now is that I am 3 weeks post op from a cervical fusion surgery and no running until first week of December. That puts me on the bike and an elliptical. Oh well, we'll see how it goes.
Ok, Ruth Payne checking in. I am currently living outside Chicago, just north of the city in Evanston, IL with my partner Linda and our two cats (the cats by the way, are LOVING the pain cave - they sleep on the couch as I'm sweating bullets Tues, Thurs and Saturday mornings). I started cycling regularly in 2005 and did my first sprint tri in 2006, followed by an Oly in 2007. Took a few years off (moved, changed careers, etc.) and came back last year with an Oly in CA in April followed by Eagleman in June and my first IM in WI this past September. Loved the training so much that I knew I wanted to keep going and signed up again for IMWI 2012. Will also be at Eagleman again (close to where I grew up and enables me to visit family and race
I stumbled upon EN one day in late October while surfing the web and was/am inspired but what I saw/see. I love the intensity and am grateful for the community.
I work at our local athletic club in the membership department, so I am surrounded by lots of great support and have a great place to workout when I need it. Linda is super supportive of my love for all things TRI and she wants to see me go to Kona. Me too. So, that's my ultimate goal - and I see it as a very long term one, but I see it happening.
Glad to be here with you all!