Lessons from the Indoor Trainer

It was the third, dark week of February and the wind chills were frigid. We’d been gathering twice a week since early December to ride 90 minutes on Computrainers and the thrill was gone. As I unlocked the studio and turned on the lights, the thermostat read 51 degrees inside. We shivered as we bolted our bikes into place and turned on some music.

I clicked the start button and we began to pedal through a long, gradual warm up. Immediately the grumpy comments stopped and we started to tell the stories that had occurred to us since our last ride. Within a minute or two, we were laughing out loud. Somehow that warm up transformed our moods from, “Why, didn’t I stay in bed?” to “We are lucky to be able to ride strongly together today.”

The course that I had written was another tough one. 40 minutes of broken intervals at sub-threshold. “Comfortably uncomfortable.” Too strong for conversation but at each rest interval we continued with the stories and laughter. Today we talked about everything from photography to brain science to river otters. And as we connected socially, we knocked off one interval at a time.

At the beginning of the ride, the upcoming challenge felt very daunting. But as we rode, we got stronger. Because we had each other, we all finished the ride.

This experience is one that repeats itself over and over in the lives of athletes. The lessons here are many:

• The hardest part is showing up - turn off your rational thinking and just go get that workout done

• Workout friends and workout conversations are the best - seek these people and opportunities

• Completing a hard workout makes the rest of the day better

• Riding partners make hard rides possible, especially on a trainer

In a couple of months, spring will arrive here in Illinois, and we will get out on the trails and roads with the strength of this winter work to push against the headwinds. But right now, it is the laughter that will carry us through the long winter.

Planning for Paris 2024

USAT CEO Rocky Harris and some of our Elite Team USA Paratriathletes at the OPTC last week.

Every visit to the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center is special to me. I have had the privilege to spend many weeks there over the years. Last week’s trip there stands out as extra special. USA Triathlon assembled a working group of four coaches, four athletes, three non-profits and USAT staff to plan for the next Paralympic quad - the four years leading up to the Paris 2024 games.

Deep in thought…considering all options. Photo by Aaron Scheidies

After two and half days, we had evaluated all of our current Tokyo 2020 processes, then thought through everything from youth paratriathlon to creating a national race series. The ideas were impressive and the participation was impassioned and thoughtful. We all left feeling like the meeting was well worth our time and travel. The opportunity to catch up with each other was priceless.

And, it snowed! I didn’t get many pictures, but Pikes Peak was huge and snow-covered during the morning light as I walked into the main building.

Til next year OPTC!

High School Cross Country and the Power of Team

Mud, sweat and forever friendships…high school cross country. Photo by Gry Larsen

Middle school and high school cross country/track were where I started as a coach in the 1990’s. I realized then what an honor it was to be a part of each young athlete’s running journey during this important stage of life. Leaving school coaching to raise a young family was a tough but necessary decision. I missed this age group and their passion and energy. Someday, I hoped to get back to the schools.

My fall schedule opened up this year and there was an opening for an assistant xc boys/girls coach at our local high school. I soon found myself trailing packs of runners from my bike each weekday afternoon and back into the familiar rhythm of Saturday morning meets. After all of my coaching experiences, I wondered if I would still enjoy high school cross country. There are so many reasons that my question was answered with a big yes!

• I get to see the athletes in person each day - something missing from many of my coaching positions.

• I get to work with other coaches who care about this team and each kid on it. Collaboration is what makes coaching fun. Working with others always teaches me new perspectives and skill.

• High school kids are incredible. I know what an honor it is to be a part of their athletic and high school growth and memories. They make me laugh and cry - every day.

Most importantly, cross country is a sport that requires everyone to believe in the mission of the TEAM’s success. Each runner can have individual goals. But when every athlete dedicates their performance to the team and knows that others are doing the same for them, magic happens.