Have you had coffee with me while reading my blog?
Do I buzz in your pocket when I twitter at you as j_hirsch
Did you watch the you tube video (www.stronglikebulltraining.com)
NOW YOU CAN TAKE ME EVERYWHERE AS A PODCAST. Take me running, cycling, wherever. Yep, yours truly is kicking it with a regular spot on Zen Tri with a gig I call “Live From the Pro Rack.” Go to:
http://texafornia.squarespace.com/home/2009/6/29/podcast-death-by-triathlete.html
I got a clear conscious, about the things that I’ve done.” -Bruce Springsteen
I love Americana. I love green hills, cows, american trucks, rust belt towns and traveling to places you don’t go unless you are me (my old hardcore band always ended up in these towns too.) I got Bruce Springsteen on and it just seems right. My man Grant of the CREW was there and would set a run pr on the day. My day got started at 6:30 with a kitten which slept on my neck kissing me. That is pretty much the cutest thing ever.
The race had a 9 am start “because we are lazy and don’t wanna get up early.” I was stoked when I found that out. All races should start so late. I got a great warm up in and started strong. Sadly, I swam like a drunken sailor. Which really pissed me off because I lost the top swimmers. I can handle dead arms, or whatever but it really upsets me when I make a mental error. I was solo for the 1500m and came out 4th. I don’t think most triathletes realize just how key finding the right group of other swimmers really is. T1 was uneventful which is good and I had the fastest transitions which is normal for me.
The ride was a lot like ironman Wisconsin, which is to say awesome. Always something: up, down, left, right. 1400 feet of climbing in 40k, and some wind. I passed 2 guys along the way but one dude would not stay dropped and passed me back. We can into t2 within 20 seconds and saw 2nd place. I had the fastest transition times and 2nd, 3rd, 4th place all left t2 together. We got a split that we were 3 minutes back. A huge hill in the first k dropped one guy. I attacked, then he attacked and at the 2 mile mark we hit this awesome and dam. We got a split to first and while we pulled some time back it was clear he wasn’t gonna be caught. I was getting dropped by an old short course and just lacked pop in my legs and set a tempo of about 6 to 6:30 per mile and cruised in for the last spot on the podium in a time of 2:09 which is pretty respectable for a hard course. Along the way I just tried to enjoy it. The run course was the best 10k in a tri I an remember. Trails in the woods, road, the dam, a huge lush open valley, I kinda didn’t want it to end, well until “the pit” and out and back that’s a down and up.
The awards were stick, tons of give ways, and money which is always welcomed. The trophy is an adorable beaver stuffed animal, which I told the race director would die in horrible ways and I that I would sent photos of its twisted demise to him. Then for podium girls they had tweens for “miss teen Meadville.” My goal was to get them to toss up devil horns when I got my prizes \m/
Pic: Me and tiny kitten with a cute doggie. Oh and the doggie naps with the kitten. How cute is that?
“Don’t say my name.” AFI
This week was gonna be epic. I was gonna bounce back from patriotman and go right into training. I was gonna score huge miles, lots of high output and just kill it. Then the first day came and I was shelled. Then the second, third, fourth day, and still I was cooked. Finally I took a day off. Seriously off. I didn’t some “productive puttering” (check out the Patriotman report on www.xtri.com ) but mostly shut it down. I even napped as the usa beat spain, a fact no spainish rider will forget next year at strong like bull.
This am I felt like the MAN and did a 4k solid swim. I am gonna keep myself in check on the hopes that I am rock ready on sunday for THE DAMN TRI www.thedamtri.com Sometime you have a plan, sometimes you need plan B.
(Pic-click to make bigger: check out one of my fellow new yorkers who needed a Plan B it seems.)
Hey everyone, check out what I am up too…
DISAPPOINTED YOU DIDN’T GET INTO THE NYC MARATHON BY THE LOTTERY?
WE’RE NOT CALLED TEAM CAN FOR NOTHIN’
Join Team Continuum for a guaranteed entry into the 2009 ING New York City Marathon and Free Coaching by20a Top 10 Ironman Pro
MEET US AT A FREE EVENT:
Team Continuum and Coach John Hirsch invite you to Meet and Run
Date: Wednesday, June, 24th Time: 6:30pm
Location: Southwest corner of Columbus Circle (59th St & CPW) entrance to Central Park. In case of rain:, McGees Pub & Restaurant, 240 W 55th St (Broadway & 8th Ave)
We’ll answer questions, hang out, and of course run! Bring people you think would be interested in this great group and its cause. Whether20you are new or advanced, slow or fast, run with us. See you there!
John Hirsch is a Top 10 Ironman finisher, who turned professional in 2004 and started coaching runner and multi-sport athletes that year as well. In 2009 he has two wins, thus far, while racing under the Team Continuum banner. Athletes who run with Team Continuum will be given free coaching, training plans, and have access to group and coached workouts, in the NYC area.
Pro triathlete and coach John Hirsch has joined the fight against cancer by becoming the coach of Team Continuum and asks athletes to join him in demonstrating courage, strength, endurance and determination by participating in marathons. In so doing, they raise awareness and funds to assist cancer patients and their families with everyday non-medical needs to relieve some degree of the stress, strain, and disruption they face while undergoing arduous treatment.
Team Continuum gives cancer patients and their families the “every day cure” of support by filling in the physical and emotional gaps so patients can focus their strength on their treatment. What differentiates Team Continuum from other cancer fundraising organizations is the immediacy of its mission. While the multitude of other organizations and research facilities work diligently toward finding a cure, Team Continuum focuses on making the day-to-day, the here and now, more bearable for cancer patients because every day “today” is the most important day in a cancer patient’s life.
For more information or to register online: www.teamcontinuum.net
“Use to be a hobby, don’t knock me, nod your head like the theme song to Rocky, eat brocille.”- Wu Tang Clan
Last night I passed out at 9. Woke up 9+ hours later and was so stoked, still tired but coming around. My head is ready to get back to work.
I think the hadest part of all this is the constaint exhustion. Like Eskimos have 100 words for snow I have 100 for tired (wasted, nuked, tired, beat, over trained, smashed ect…) It use to be that I would fight the flow, try to do stuff when I was just too tired. Now I know-go with the flow. The flow is the flow of the forces in your life. With experience I now know what I can do post race and what what I can’t both in terms of training and life stuff. Can do: shop for food, wait for cable/internet guy, yoga, walk. Can’t: train for real, write some kind of meaningful legal arguement, be fun to hangout with.
Bad things happen when you fight the flow.
(Pic: Koa Baby Puppy totally feels my tired and is clearly suggesting we nap.)
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“My life is twisted, this is what I do/I do it because its what I like to do. I am on a mission” -Sepultura
It use to be that New England had 1 half. When I took 3rd elite I sat in the baking sun for hours waiting for the awards only to be told that they didn’t have prizes for us and “we were lucky” to even have an elite wave. Some will say they miss the good old days, I say “thank freakin’ god.” Now there are 3 halfs in 13 days, all putting up money. All higher quality races, awesome race productions and stellar courses. In fact it seems there is a never ending stream of races all year long and each race is hustling harder then the next to take care of us. Patriotman with a 140 dollar entry fee but more swag then you can carry seems to have hit a sweet spot in the market. I find industry and tri market stuff interesting, and the changes are fast and furious as this once fringe sport is exploding.
Now onto the day. I got there early put on the new Champion Systems (www.champ-sys.com) race kit we had made for the CREW complete with skulls and sponsors and did my set up, warm up and all that jazz hammering a lot of 53×11 coffee (www.53×11coffee.com). We hit the water at 7, it was 68 degrees so I got to use my Xterra wetsuit (www.xterrawetsuits.com) and I took out the first 100 yards. I was going harder then I can sustain. But I like having the choice of who to follow. I settled behind the perfect feet and felt great. The work I did with Candy Angle at www.caansports.com has paid off right away, I am swimming MUCH faster. The water was dark, the sun glaring and my eyesight isn’t great to start with. I touched the feet inf ront of me and when we excited the water I heard about it. At first I said I was sorry but he didn’t let it go so finally I said “dude, this was the least physical swim ever, stop being a baby, if you don’t wanna be touched stay in the pool.” His reply was “go to hell Hirsch.” At that point this guy, the swim leader and last years winner came around a corner and slid out. I wanted to laugh but before I could I too was hitting the grassy corner like a slip n’ slide. On my ass I was totally cracking up, after all here are the two leaders smack talking each other as they lead the race then they are flat on their asses. That’s how I like my comedy even if the joke is one me. I got up and got to my bike. What isn’t funny is that I heard the other guy cut his foot in the wipe out and dnf-ed. I am sorry about that and wish him a quick recovery, that’s not funny at all and even though we had words I wouldn’t wish that on him and like I tried to explain coming out of the water I don’t have a tickling fetish, I just couldn’t see so good.
Out onto the bike I was flying. (Huge thanks to Profile Designs for shipping me a new fancy Cobra carbon stem to replace the non Profile Design one I broke.) Even when I win races I don’t normally lead the bike so I don’t think I did a good job of arousal control. I was hammering and my Cannondale Slice was only encouraging me since this is my first year on this bike and I just get giddy when I see how fast I am going which in turn further excited me to go harder even if that’s not the smartest move. After the first loop I felt my legs tighten. I really had taken the first lap way too hard and was paying the price for it. I Grabbed a bottle of Heed (www.hammernutrition.com) from the aid stations and tried to consume enough calories to get myself straight but my pace was falling off. One thing that sucks about leading is that you have no idea what’s going on behind you. At mile 54 someone came up on me. At mile 58 (yeah its two miles long, but pretty flat so not a super hard course) we came into t2 and I was a bit behind.
I had the fastest T2 put on my Pumas and quickly caught up and tried to drop the new found leader. No luck, he was for real. He and I ran the first 15k together. For an hour he tried to break each other. At mile 4 we took a short break from smashing each other and chatted at a 6:10 pace. “I am John”, “I am Brian.” Turns out Brian [Parker] is a bad ass. Sub 10 at his first crack at ironman in the flood of IMLP last year with a flat and he is a former serious hockey player. Great I thought if I do beat him he is gonna pull my jersey over my head and punch me in the face! (Kiddng, he seems really nice). He is close to peaking for IMLP this year and I wouldn’t wanna be racing him. Between miles 9-10 he picked it up and I couldn’t match it. I was at sprint effort from miles 10-11 to try to catch up but couldn’t. I was pissed; but helpless. I moved to stalking him hoping he would faultier but he never did. When we entered the camp I had a great view of him winning and realized I had set a nice time of 4:16 for the half which I can’t complain about. I think I am gonna ask Chris Lieto if he wants to form a support group for guys who lead for 3+ hours but lose in sight of the finish.
(Pic: this is where I was when I watched him win)
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This weekend I am doing Patriotman. I did the firdt running of it and had one of my most awesome meltdowns ever. So its part a revenge race for me. Also the race org is top notch and this and all their events kick ass. So since I feel like my form is coming back around post Disney 70.3 I thought it was time to get out there and do what I do, race. My race desire is high after a little break from racing and I feel like I really want to just smash it this weekend. As I do I will be singing this “we have made the future obsolete. What do you want? What do you need? Find a way, when all hope is gone.” I love Slipknot. More then kittens and gummy bears. More then girls and chocolate and fire flies. Seriously, I love Slipknot so. (Though I love Koa more then all those things AND Slipknot. Here is her at the park)
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“Whatever doesn’t kill you leaves a scar.” Manson
I am mostly pro-ish. I train a lot. I log the miles. I got the gear (though some ag folks have sweeter swag, most wheels). I go fast. I travel, I race, I do all that. But damn do I not recover. The taper and recover weeks have become brutal. Just loaded with work. I love my law job, but damn its stressful. I love coaching and writing and all that stuff but if there is one thing that I don’t do like a pro its chillin-the-f*#k-out. I pack my tapers and recovery weeks with so much to do that I look forward training again.
I think you 99.9 percent of age groupers and most pros can relate. You hammer a workout, then hammer a coffee and head to the next thing. Speaking of Hammer, thank god for recoverite, it the only recovery thing I do right and that is because I mix it in a bottle I keep in my kitchen and drink in the shower.
That is one thing I do well in my final taper for ironmans. but the rest of the races I race to and through. I think its not by accident I seem to have my best races then.
So here is the goal, for 72-48 hours before my next big race I am gonna carve out and protect my time the same way I would do for a big training bloc. Or I will try and find out I got night court and an 18 hour work day 
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“I don’t know if I will make it home my friend, but I know I can swim under the Tahian moon.” Porno For Pyros
Man-o-man that was nine insane days of training I just finished up. I think I have undergone a switch mentally this year. It use to be that I would train super hard in the final 3 weeks before ironman. That’s how I got to kona as an age-grouper. Then it was I trained hard in Spain in the early season, hard on the weekend and then again in the final push. Now it seems like every time I turn around I am in the middle of an sick camp or training bloc or some other kind of other worldy hell of my own creating.
Its really awesome to see just how much amazing training I can get in now that I am not a full time lawyer anymore. The exceptional week is becoming the norm. When you shift what is normal you make huge gains, and you stop holding yourself back.
I have been thinking a lot about thinking. The mind is the last part of the body to change. Your arms will learn to swim faster, your legs will run faster long before your mind adjusts to who the new you is. Its amazing when we surprise ourselves. I got lucky twice this year I found myself head to head racing for the win, and twice I didn’t look at my watch. I just ran. When I saw I ran 5:30s on a hilly 5k I was shocked. My mind didn’t know I could do that. So now my mind thinks 40 hours of training is good; it learned that in Spain. So when I stack up a few 35 hour weeks it feels like the norm. Nothing special. The expected. We do what is expected of us for the mot part. That’s why I turned pro in a way. To change the expectations of myself. You expect an age grouper to go 10 hours. You expect a pro to be top 10.
Of course you need to live up to your expectations. The age groups and pro ranks are full of people who are delusional. They expect to be great, but it doesn’t happen. Maybe like everything we have to earn are expectations? Do it, then believe it? I guess that’s why I love training so much. I love the confidence it gives me. I know if I do a half ironman shelled in training at about a 4:30 pace (30/2:30/1:30) I can go faster. I love earning my expectations.
So about the title: I am house sitting my sisters dog Koa for 8 nights. She is named after a Hawaiian word meaning solider, strong and a kind of wood. I love this giant puppy! And promised my sister and Brother In Law some pics so peeps get use to puppy pics. Puppies puppies puppies!
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Hey everyone, check out what I am up too…
DISAPPOINTED YOU DIDN’T GET INTO THE NYC MARATHON BY THE LOTTERY?
WE’RE NOT CALLED TEAM CAN FOR NOTHIN’
Join Team Continuum for a guaranteed entry into the 2009 ING New York City Marathon and Free Coaching by20a Top 10 Ironman Pro
MEET US AT A FREE EVENT:
Team Continuum and Coach John Hirsch invite you to Meet and Run
Date: Wednesday, June, 24th Time: 6:30pm
Location: Southwest corner of Columbus Circle (59th St & CPW) entrance to Central Park. In case of rain:, McGees Pub & Restaurant, 240 W 55th St (Broadway & 8th Ave)
We’ll answer questions, hang out, and of course run! Bring people you think would be interested in this great group and its cause. Whether20you are new or advanced, slow or fast, run with us. See you there!
John Hirsch is a Top 10 Ironman finisher, who turned professional in 2004 and started coaching runner and multi-sport athletes that year as well. In 2009 he has two wins, thus far, while racing under the Team Continuum banner. Athletes who run with Team Continuum will be given free coaching, training plans, and have access to group and coached workouts, in the NYC area.
Pro triathlete and coach John Hirsch has joined the fight against cancer by becoming the coach of Team Continuum and asks athletes to join him in demonstrating courage, strength, endurance and determination by participating in marathons. In so doing, they raise awareness and funds to assist cancer patients and their families with everyday non-medical needs to relieve some degree of the stress, strain, and disruption they face while undergoing arduous treatment.
Team Continuum gives cancer patients and their families the “every day cure” of support by filling in the physical and emotional gaps so patients can focus their strength on their treatment. What differentiates Team Continuum from other cancer fundraising organizations is the immediacy of its mission. While the multitude of other organizations and research facilities work diligently toward finding a cure, Team Continuum focuses on making the day-to-day, the here and now, more bearable for cancer patients because every day “today” is the most important day in a cancer patient’s life.
For more information or to register online: www.teamcontinuum.net
