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Musselman Reflections by Joella Baker
Every year, the Musselman Triathlon Festival is one of my favorite events to attend. Although I didn't feel as ready for the race this year, I was still excited because we had so many first time athletes heading up. The weekend was a lot of fun with great food, (slow service) but great food, great friends and best of all, a private Mass with Fr. Bob, Fr. Mike and Fr. Ed. I'm pretty sure having Mass in a Gazebo by the lake on
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Starting Back After Surgery by: Joella Baker
People have surgery for so many reasons. Some can be easy and outpatient procedures, others are more intrusive and may require a lot of time in the hospital and physical therapy. Either way, knowing when and how to get back into or perhaps simply start an exercise program is difficult.
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Nutrition Makes All The Difference: How Close Are You?
by: Joella Baker
Last year, Jim Carr, after running a nice race at Erie approached me about his nutrition, specifically his race day nutrition. After reading his email, I simply wrote him back and said, “You’re not even close”. That has now become a “running joke” so to speak among our group. However, the truth is, he wasn’t close. The day, even the week before Erie, he wasn’t getting the balance of nutrition he needed. He wasn’t eating enough calories and especially on race day, he wasn’t even close to where he needed to be with calories and protein and carbs to keep his energy up during 26.2 miles. After discussing some food choices and various strategies, Jim made some changes to his nutrition and we also made some changes to his workouts. In then end, from September to December of last year, Jim dropped 11 minutes off his marathon time and qualified for the Boston Marathon.
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Is Distance That Important? By: Joella Baker
Marathon runners, what is their greatest fear? Getting injured before the race, not hydrating or eating well enough, or something else? For most, the main concern is the distance, 26.2 miles. It's definitely a long way to go, especially if you.re shooting for more than just finishing. However, after all the marathons I've run, I've realized over the years that it's not so much the distance, but more your personal fitness level, overall endurance and ability to withstand a little pain, or sometimes a lot of pain, when you need to. So how do you know if you.re ready for 26.2 miles? Well, everyone dwells on the inevitable 20 mile run. The one run in any beginner training program that let's you know if you.re ready for your race. Your first 20 miler can be overwhelming, scary and downright intimidating. However, don't let it scare you. After all, what does the 20 mile run ultimately accomplish? For the beginner marathoner, one thing, confidence. When it's all said and done, the 20 mile run let's you know that even if you have to walk, you can get through the last 6.2 miles of any marathon. For the experienced marathoner, what does the 20 miler represent, possibly a great training run, but on the other hand, it could represent dread, misery and even injury. So, how do you know if the 20 mile run is something you actually need?
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Triathlon Being Presented as an NCAA Sport by: Joella Baker
One of the discussions this past weekend centered around triathlons and the NCAA. The NCAA was holding their annual conference this past weekend and representatives from USAT were there to present the NCAA with triathlon as an official NCAA sport. Currently under Title 9 regulations, it would be introduced as a woman's sport first. USAT believes the presentation went well and we will soon see triathlon as an NCAA recognized sport.
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