70.3 Calgary Preview

2015 Challenge Knoxville

Man.... This sport is harsh! The highs are so incredibly high but the lows are equally (and painfully) low. I consider myself a fairly level headed person but that last two months have been a true test. So before diving into Knoxville, let's take things back for a minute and reflect on what has gone down since 70.3 Puerto Rico in March.

I grabbed an 8th place finish at Puerto Rico, pressed on some training in Clermont and then took my talents overseas and toed the line at the most competitive race I have ever been a part of in 70.3 Brazil (the Latin American Championship). The goals were high but if I am being completely honest, my perception of my physical abilities and the actuality of the fact were quite different on this first weekend in April. I was still coming into form, building my fitness and ended up suffering my way though a really tough race and placing 15th.

After some crazy travel back to the states, I packed up my life once again and drove cross country for the second time in 4 months; moving myself to the triathlon mecca that is Boulder, Colorado. Because I was on the move for an un-exaggerated 120 hours straight, I didn't have time to throw together a written race recap but if you want the quick low-down of Brazil, here is a little video I did post race.

With a lower than expected Ironman points ranking and a dwindling bank account, Coach Jesse and I decided to pivot and embark on "route B" that we had tentatively mapped out earlier in the year. The original plan was to race 70.3 St. George (another incredibly competitive race, similar to Brazil) but we decided it would be best to forgo St. George, put less pressure on World Championship qualification and go for some confidence building results. And at this point in the year, I really needed something that was going to show I wasn't a rookie-year one hit wonder. So I put my head down and went to work. I relished my new environment and soaked in the fresh, albeit thin, mountain air in preparation for an iconic race on the same day as St. George: Wildflower.

Riding up Carter Lake in Boulder, Colorado.

I grabbed a last minute flight to Cali, quietly confident that I had the fitness banked to be a major factor in the race. But something odd happened when I arrived in that desolate, far off location in the middle of California country hills. I ended up swimming with the main group but once I hit land, something felt very wrong. I was able to get through the 2-mile run from the swim to bike transition but right when I got onto my trusty steed, I immediately knew the day was not going to be mine. There was a clear disconnect between my mind and my body- a feeling I have never had before. Not even in training. This oddity led me to make the decision to pull out of the race after completing the bike and therefore obtaining my first DNF.

I got back to Boulder and had never been so down on myself. I questioned nearly every decision and change I have made recently (and there have been a lot of them!) I knew I had worked hard in training and had seen some good performances there but not being able to put together an accurate reflection on race day was a really tough pill to swallow. And with a much needed mid-season break looming, I itched to give my early season work one last test before a week of near complete rest. So this is where Challenge Knoxville comes into the fold.

Training coming back after Wildflower rolled smoothly and I went into the race physically feeling as prepared as I have for any race in my entire life. But mentally, I felt the pressure. Most of it was personal. Some of it was external. But it was there. So I went back to everything that has worked for me in the past and meticulously accounted for every detail leading into this race. My nutrition, my sleep, my social interaction and the travel were all accounted for and made as seamless as possible. The key was to keep the stress LOW and hanging out with some good friends at the pro-meeting was a perfect way to talk some trash with my buddy AJ and catch up with some other friends.

Hanging with fellow Maverick teammate and Boulder local, Lesley Smith.

Race morning went as smoothly as planned and I hopped in the water ready to lay it all on the course. If that meant 5 hours and 50th place, so be it. I was going to finish this one and go deep into the well. As deep as I could. And I knew if I did that, and the body was able to respond, the result would come.

I had a descent start and was in the main bunch right from the gun. A group of 5 super-elite swimmers took off in the distance and about 400m into the swim, I found myself comfortably cruising through the main bunch. Shortly thereafter, I was on the front of the group, swimming what felt like a much too easy pace but leading the charge completely on my own. I expected some company from AJ after the Michael Phelps-like comments he was throwing around at the pro meeting but he had lost a contact early on and had to spend the whole swim fighting his way back (*so he says!) I exited the water first of the main bunch with a line of athletes right on my heels and mounted my bike ready to put the hammer down.

Exiting the transition area first allowed me to comfortably slip into my shoes and take stock of who exited the swim on my feet. I quickly realized it was a strong group that could put some serious time into the leaders and create substantial separation from the chasers. And after 1 mile into the ride, our group of 5 somehow missed an early turn and went about :60 seconds off course. We quickly realized our mistake, turned around and then got back on track but the 2:00 loss allowed all of the weaker swimmers to merge with our more elite group, creating a huge bike pack that I (along with Chris Leiferman, Derek Garcia and one other) took charge of. We keep the pace high but the 10 or so guys behind us got a free-ride through the technical, hilly and wet 56-mile bike course. The four of us at the front attempted a few breakaways but the pouring rain and hairpin descents continuously brought the group back together. After a nerve-racking final 2 miles with multiple near crashes, I dismounted the bike ready to run.

As soon as we threw on the running shoes, the guys I was riding with took off as if we were about to throw down a 10k. But I know what I'm capable of. And 1:15 pace on an incredibly challenging course was not going to stick for anyone. So I played the patient game and built into the pace. I quickly reeled in two guys and spit them out the back. The hard-nosed veteran Thomas Gerlach was the only one who was able to match my effort and once I bridged up to him around the 1 mile mark, he latched onto my hip. The man was breathing very heavy, very early so I was confident as we got into the hard portions of the course. Around the 5 mile mark, I passed two of the early sprinter's and at this point found myself running in third place. But 9 miles is a long way and Gerlach would not fade... I used my downhill running strength to gap him multiple times but he would somehow, always find his way back to my hip. He tried a few moves but I was able to respond and re-dictate the pace we were going. Around the 10 mile mark, we went through an aid station and screamed down a huge hill. I put in a little surge and got a small :15 lead on him. Just enough to be partially out of sight on the narrow trail back to the finish line.

The next 3 miles I was locked in. I left it all on the course. After all, that was my primary goal for the day. I could have had a 10:00 lead out there and I would have still put myself into a world of pain in that final 5k. Thankfully, that pace was enough to hold off Gerlach and as I entered the final portions of the course, I was able to take a quick glance over my shoulder, realize my comfortable lead and enjoy the finishing shoot.

Two words to describe how I felt after I crossed the line: relief and elation.

1. Relief. I needed this result. Bad. I trained my ass off, threw up huge numbers there and knew I was primed for something like this. Not being able to do it at Wildflower was really challenging. But being able to prove to myself that I can get back to the race-day execution I was known for last year was seriously reassuring. 
2. Elation. This race was a BREAKTHROUGH for me. I dictated the pace on the swim. I took charge and was able to respond to everything on the bike and then threw down the second fastest run split of the day to score my first pro podium. I was, and am, so freaking stoked. 

And although I enjoyed this result and was happy with where I ended up, I am very aware that there are still two spots I need to take down before I can be even partially satisfied. The fire burns for the back half of the year and I couldn't be more excited to give it another shot here in a few weeks.

I want to give a special thanks to all of the Maverick Multisport sponsors and team director Chris for their incredible support. Without their backing, being competitive on this stage would be impossible.

Also a huge thanks to the mastermind behind nearly everything that I do related to this sport, Coach Jesse Kropelnicki. He does more, cares more and believes in me more than I believe in myself sometimes. Having someone like that in your corner certainly does not hurt.

The reason I was most happy about the result was that I could go into this week feeling awesome! I essentially have the entire week off to reset and recalibrate before getting back into training and taking down the back half of the year. The race schedule is still getting solidified but as always, look for me to be jetting around the globe to race the worlds most competitive triathlons.

Thanks for tuning in.

Justin

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And send me a message if you want an awesome deal on a new Cobb saddle (the best out there... comfort= speed)

2015 Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico

Holy crap… 5 months can go by fast! It seems like yesterday I was crossing the finish line at 70.3 Augusta, wrapping up my first season as a pro and reflecting on the amazing results I had all year. Since then, almost everything in my life has changed in one-way or another. I know the majority of you have been following along with my social media posts but for those that have been living under a rock, here are some of the highlights:

·      Jesse Kropelnicki now coaches me at QT2 systems. And I’m all in. Whatever the sensei says, goes!  

·      I drove cross country moving from Iowa City, Iowa to Clermont, Florida

·      I signed with the most elite professional triathlon team in the nation: Maverick Multisport

·      I successfully completed a 17-day intensive training camp with 24 of the fastest triathletes in the nation

·      And I was named the 2014 Rookie of the Year by USA Triathlon

So yes, it’s a whole lot all at once. But I’ve actually come to accept and enjoy the change. It is stressful at times but it keeps me on my toes and is always exciting. Despite all the moving parts, the main reason I made all of these changes was to put myself in the best situation to not only be as fast as possible this year but also lay the foundation for the rest of my career. As a second year professional, it was time to make all of the sacrifices required to compete at the highest level in sport.

With my ducks in a row and some hard work in the bank, I set my sights on the first race of the season: 70.3 San Juan in hot and humid Puerto Rico. Although there was another race on the same day in Mexico that offered a few more world qualification points, the ease of flying from Orlando made it the perfect event to test the waters before the championship races in April and May. So I hopped on a quick flight south on Thursday night and ended up here…

Arriving a few days before the race gave me a really good opportunity to get familiar with the area, feel relaxed and enjoy the island. Friday morning started off perfect with beautiful sunrise and a smooth swim in the Condado Lagoon

Bueno! 

Spirits were sky high after the morning dip and the good vibes continued as my Mom got into town. I always love having her at the races but more than anything, it was just nice to hang out and catch up. I hadn’t seen her for almost 6 months! Too long in my book. 

So we got the good out of the way, now time some bad and even some ugly. That afternoon, I went out for a super easy spin on the bike and got caught in a flash rainstorm that passes through almost every day on the island. You’ll get hours of sun, a half hour storm that comes out of nowhere and then perfect weather the rest of the day. Mix that with some of the most aggressive, inconsiderate and downright violent drivers I have ever encountered and you get a fairly inopportune situation to ride your bicycle.

#fresh

I had an hour ride planned but after about 30 minutes, it was too dangerous with all the traffic and I began to make my way back home. And as I made a turn over some cobble stones… WHAM! Down he goes.

Clean bike, then assess wounds. Priorities.  

I got up gingerly and inspected the damage. Bones and bike parts were all in tact, so I didn’t panic. Some road rash and bruising would be inconvenient and “swollen” wasn’t really the feeling I was going for pre-race, but I knew it wasn’t anything that was going to deter me from getting on that start line. And it didn’t hurt that my mommy was there to take care of me.

Yeah, this did not feel good 

After that traumatizing ride through traffic on Friday, I had no intentions of a repeat disaster Saturday morning so I got out on the roads before sunrise to beat the traffic. I could feel some tenderness in my hip from the fall but all systems were go on my short ride/ run. I made it back home safe, gorged on my carb-loaded breakfast and then met up with a new friend, Maja Stage (fellow professional triathlete from Denmark) to preview the course, go for a swim and hit up the pro meeting. In fact, we ended up doing most of the weekend activities together which was awesome.

I ended up being away from the apartment we were staying at all day on Saturday taking care of pre-race obligations but still tried to keep things on island time and remain relaxed. We ended the day with a rooftop dinner and I went to bed ready to throw down in the morning.

For those of you that know me, you are well aware that I function best on routine. I like to feel settled and sometimes I can get stuck in my ways. But simply repeating what feels comfortable will only get me so far. I need to grow, learn and innovate to get faster. So that means changing a lot of things and following the instructions that coach Krop’s gives me. And those changes started off in full force as I woke up and downed 3 and a ½ cups of applesauce before 4am! My QT2 people know what’s up!

With a belly full of apple goodness, I headed over to the race site to set up transition and make the walk over to the swim start. I have been putting in some serious time in the pool and the goal this year will be front pack swimming. But ripping off times in the pool is one thing and actually doing it on race day is an entirely different beast. So I got in a really solid warm up, hoping to hit the start mid-stride and got ready for the cannon to fire.

The gun went off and I had a very strong start swimming right next to good friend, training partner and fellow QT2 athlete AJ Baucco. Although we were ripping along nicely, we both quickly realized that we had lined up much too far to the left and missed the feet of the two fastest swimmers in the field. We took a slightly less direct line to the first buoy, which resulted in the two of us towing the front pack, swimming side by side, all the way to the swim exit. 

Photo: Jay Prasuhn, Lava Magazine 

I came out of the water in 4^th place and was super excited about the effort, proving my months of hard winter yards did not go to waste. Had I lined up a little bit more to the right, honestly think I could have exited with the leaders (who still only gained :90 seconds on me)

It was nearly an 800-meter run from the swim exit to T1 but I made quick work of it and got to my bike ready to hammer and show off the hard work I put into my cycling. The gas was on full throttle as we rolled out of town, over a few bridges and out to the main highway. I battled back and forth with two guys for the first 10 miles, bridged up to another athlete by mile 15 and around mile 20, the entire field came together to form the front bike pack. This was exactly where I wanted to be… Right in the thick of it. We rode hard for the first half of the bike but I was still well within my limits. Around mile 30, the pace slowed down dramatically as we merged with age groupers for a second lap of the course. It seemed as if everyone was eyeing each other to take charge at the front but no one was really up for the task. Early on, I had initial plans on making a break off the front around mile 40, but with the increasing heat and knowledge of the brutal run that laid ahead, I refrained and stuck in the group. Right at the end, I made a little move with two other athletes which did not put any time on the chasers behind us but it did put me in a good position heading into the second transition as I got off the bike in 5^th place. Still, we were all together and spots 2-10 were up for grabs.

Now, I’ve briefly mentioned the hard work that I have put into my swimming and my cycling and in previous years, I would say the same for my running. But this year, I really backed off on my early season run volume. We did this in an attempt to not only focus on my swimming and cycling but also ensure I am not completely trashed late in the season when it really counts to run fast. So as I quickly transitioned into the run shoes, I could almost immediately tell that the snappy run legs I am use to were simply not going to be there on this day.

Photo: Kate Bruck 

Still, not all hope was lost! I still have been running well and showed glimpses of really solid form including a 1:14 open half marathon in January. Additionally, the run course is arguably one of the most challenging, hilly and hot courses on the entire 70.3 circuit. This thing is no freaking joke. Seriously brutal… So I played the patient game. Biding my time, waiting for people to go out too hard and get spit out the back. And I hung tough. I did not feel good at any point but I never succumbed to a slow jog. I ran as hard as I could, leaving everything out there. I ran the entire half marathon with spots 4, 5 and 6 in striking distance but I just didn’t have that extra gear to go and get them. I ended up crossing the line in 8th place with the plan well executed and it solid way to start off my 2015 campaign. The race was an honest reflection of where I am at with a lot of room for improvement so I was proud of the performance.

This race paid 6-deep and it was a goal of mine to be in the money at the finish. And it certainly did not help that I was only :60 down from that final spot. The good news is I am feeling more confident in my swim and bike than I ever have in my career and I know when I get rolling with my run, it can quickly turn into a lethal weapon. I’m looking forward to getting there very soon.

Another change that I have slowly been able to make is to just letting loose a little bit. I love this sport and I want to do it for a long time. So after getting a 10-minute Puerto Rican ice-sponge bath from the volunteers and getting my body temperature cooled off a little bit, I was able to slip into 24-hour vacation mode. Chips, quac and margaritas did the job nicely. Sugar and salt to rehydrate, right?!

This was my first race as a member of the Maverick Multisport Elite Team and I would absolutely not be able to go after my goals without their backing. Huge thanks to our team director, Chris Hutchens for all the work he puts in. It’s a thankless job and I’m sure he puts up with a lot of headaches. Knowing he is there working hard behind the scenes means a ton.

With that being said, I also want to thank all of the sponsors for providing the BEST gear out there. Argon 18, Enve, Jaybird, Rotor, Infinit Nutrition, Blueseventy, Cobb Cycling, Primal Sport Mud, Sugoi apparel, Catlike helmets and Shimano- I can’t thank you enough.

And I cannot even explain how much I value the support of my coach, Jesse Kropelnicki. Having someone of his caliber in my corner makes me a very confident athlete.

Debrief with Jesse 

That’s it for now! First race of the season in the books. Definitely not a bad place to start. Now, it’s time for some run training, some more Florida sun and then I’m jetting off to 70.3 Brazil for the Latin American Championship in Brasilia.

Looking forward to whatever 2015 brings.

Justin

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And send me a message if you want an awesome deal on a new Cobb saddle (the best out there... comfort= speed)

February Training Day

If you have been following Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you probably have gathered the sense that life down here in Clermont is pretty sweet... I have been giving a few brief looks into my training with pictures and videos but because life is so awesome down here, I wanted to take everyone through a typical day in my new Florida life. So grab a pina colada, sit back and relax. Picture yourself soaking in the Florida rays and leave the training up to me!

7:00am-8:00am: 

• 7:00 alarm (but like a fine tuned machine, I woke up on my own 5 minutes before as usual)
• Roll out of bed, take down my clean clothes that have been hanging on the line outside to dry
• Grab a few rice cakes with almond butter and a banana as I head out the door 
• Drive over to the National Training Center 

8:15am-9:30: 

• Freeze my butt off as I sprint from the locker room, into the 50 degree tundra, clad only in my speedo and jump into the heated pool 
• Hammer through a hard but very strong 5000 yard workout focusing on efforts with paddles, band and pull buoy 

Speedo tan lines are so hot right now

9:45am-11:00am 

• Drive home from the NTC (home being Sara McLarty's house) 
• Big ole' breakfast and a cup of tea to warm up from the hypothermia I almost suffered exiting the pool (yes, Midwestern/ East Coast friends, I have now gone soft) 
• Organize my gear for the rest of the day: map out my cycling route, program a workout into my Garmin, mix up my Infinit bottles, pump up the tires and throw on my cycling kit  

Shaking up my recovery drink post swim. I have a recovery drink after EVERY workout. No matter the duration or intensity. Your body is most receptive to muscle protein synthesis at two points throughout the day: directly post workout and when you sleep. 

11:00am-2:30pm 

• Time for a ride! Today's session was 73 miles in 3.5 hours with some low cadence, :60 hill repeats thrown in there for good measure. 
• Want to geek out on numbers? Check out the ride on Strava here: https://www.strava.com/activities/250019711

2:45pm-3:30pm 

• 7-mile brick run off the bike done as 1-mile steady hard and then cruise the rest of the way. I ran the first mile in 5:13... Better than expected! I'll take it. 
• And if you geeked out on the bike, chances are you want to geek out on run data too. Here you go: https://www.strava.com/activities/250019202/overview

3:30pm-4:30pm 

• Another recovery shake down the hatch. I exclusively use Infinit Repair (use code 'Maverick' for 10% off if you feel like snatching some up yourself). 
• And another rice cake with almond butter, a banana and a handful of raisins as I head back over to the National Training Center for my second visit of the day

4:30pm-5:30pm 

• Hour session in the gym to round out the day's training mostly focusing on "pre-hab" exercises that prevent injury, strengthen the core and improve flexibility. 

5:30pm-6:30pm 

• Stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick up hummus and avocados 
• Make an ENORMOUS salad consisting of raw spinach, cauliflower, carrots, snap peas, yellow squash, white onions, grape tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, beets, roasted turkey and said hummus/ avocados. Mmmmm... 

6:30pm-8:30pm 

• Briefly look over school work, decide to procrastinate and put it off until tomorrow 
• Log my training sessions and analyze some of the data 
• Respond to emails, check in on social media and write up this post! 

9:00pm- Out like a light to do it all over again tomorrow. 

I plan to put up more daily recaps like this in the future so let me know what you think! And feel free to fire away with questions. I'm an open book, so don't be afraid to let me have it. Comment on Facebook, reach out on Twitter or hit me up on Instagram. Also, don't forget to check out my new website justinmetzlertriathlete.com. There is an area on there to submit questions as well. 

Be happy my friends. Life is good. 

Justin

P.S got these made up this week. So. Pro.

Like my Facebook page- Justin Metzler Triathlete 

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Use code MavJustin for 20% off all products at www.blueseventy.com 

Use code MavJustin for $40 off the BSX Multisport device at www.bsxinsight.com/multisport

Use code Maverick for 10% off all regular priced Infinit Nutrition items at www.infinitnutrition.us 

Use code MavJustin15 for 20% off Primal Sport Mud products at www.primalsportmud.com

And send me a message if you want an awesome deal on a new Cobb saddle (the best out there... comfort= speed)

Clermont

Life has its ups and life has its downs. That is what I have learned over the last two weeks. One minute it can feel like you are watching paint dry and the next minute it is flying by at 100 MPH. You can be depressed and feel lost at one moment and then the next day almost instantaneously feel like everything is in perfect balance. Now I don't want to sound bipolar but I have come to realize that personally, my happiness is dictated by my surroundings. And after spending a few weeks hibernating in the Iowa cold and watching my happiness deteriorate as the winter progressed, I realized that a change was necessary not only to help my training but also increase my overall quality of life. So by way of Louisville, KY (and Peachtree City, Georgia) I packed up my life and drove to Clermont, Florida.

Hopefully you got the chance to follow along with some of the festivities in Louisville but for those of you that were out of the loop, I was there for a better part of a week meeting my new Maverick Multisport teammates, having sponsor meetings and picking up my new gear. We had photo shoots, workouts, bike fits, lactate threshold testing and even made some time for a bit of fun. Not only did I end the weekend with a car-full of the latest and greatest triathlon gear but I also left with the motivation to keep pressing on with the hard training that will ensure 2015 is my best year yet. 

With spirits high, I piled up the car and hit the road. I accumulated my yearly dosage of 5-hour trainer rides and -30 degree runs through the ice-latent roads around Iowa City. It was time for sun, warmth and happiness. So after 12 more hours of driving over two days, I arrived here.... 

And I am happy to report, life here is amazing. I love it. Everything has fallen into place exactly how I had imagined, if not better. The new environment has given me that extra notch of motivation needed at the perfect time in the year. I wake up every morning and I can't wait to start training. This attitude has allowed me to set a personal best 1000 swim and 20:00 power effort this week. And I'm hoping for more of the same when I toe the line at a half marathon this weekend. Not to mention I am surrounded by likeminded people who accept me for who I am and understand the dedication required to be the best in the sport. 

And it doesn't hurt that I swim here everyday 

That's all for now. Sorry if I made any of my Midwestern friends jealous. 

Take care, 

Justin 

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Use code MavJustin for $40 off the BSX Multisport edition at www.bsxinsight.com/multisport

Use code Maverick for 10% off all regular priced Infinit Nutrition items at http://www.infinitnutrition.us

Maverick Multisport

Although I made announcements on Facebook and Twitter, I wanted to take a moment to officially recognize my new sponsor for the 2015 triathlon season- Maverick Multisport.

After wrapping up 2014, I put my business-hat on and went to work. I sent emails to almost every company that I believed could potentially result in a mutually beneficial relationship. 9 out of every 10 of those emails never got a response and the ones that did came back with offers that many would find insulting. With the results that I had in my first season as a pro, at the age of 21, I thought sponsors would be fighting hand over foot to sign me up! But boy, was I wrong.... The triathlon sponsorship racket is tricky business.

But for every company that did not have the foresight to realize my potential and get in on the ground floor, there was one guy who believed in me. Chris Hutchens, the director of the Maverick Team, reached out to me right away and we instantly clicked over the phone. I took a few weeks to weigh my options and when it came time to make a decision, Chris would not let me go another direction. He wanted me on his team. And I wanted to be on his team.

So that takes us to today. I'm officially a member of the 6-athlete Maverick Multisport elite team. Next week I am heading down to Louisville for a team camp where I will get acquainted with my teammates, learn about the new gear and promote the heck out of the sponsors.

On the right hand side of this blog, you can see all of the sponsors that I will be supporting this season. Feel free to click on the logo to learn more about each one and consider taking advantage of these wicked discounts:

Infinit Nutrition Code: Maverick which gives customers 10% off all regularly priced items, custom products included

BSX Athletics Code: MavJustin $40 off on the Multi-Sport device ONLY

Blueseventy Code: MavJustin for 20% off 

Primal Sport Mud Code: mavjustin15 for 20% off 

That's all for now but stay tuned for another update about my 2015 race schedule and more details about the camp next week. 

Happy training, 

Justin 

Of all the sports out there, why triathlon?

I've got the height to be a 'baller, the endurance to run up and down the soccer field and surprising hand-eye coordination that makes me a fierce table tennis opponent. But for some reason, triathlon stuck. The fact that 1/5 people can't tell the difference between a marathon and a triathlon is a good indication that triathlon is still a growing sport. So why do the two of us make such a perfect match?

1.) The Routine 

Anybody who spends a modicum of time with me will realize my brain does not function like a normal human being. Thankfully, I'm just below that threshold of having a clinically recognized disorder but there is just enough crazy in there to make me compulsively look for order, structure and routine. Patterns, numbers and progressions makes me tick. But somehow, triathlon allows me to take these characteristics and channel them directly into my training and racing. The routine keeps me level and when I'm in sync with my training plan, all is right in the world. 

2.) The Physiology

Growing up, you would have never taken me for a triathlete. Not a swimmer, not a cyclist, not a runner. A linebacker would have probably been a fine description of my 12 year old physique. But as I stretched out and grew a little facial hair, my true form came into play. 

• I'm tall and it's all in my legs. They are my levers and I take full advantage of them to power my kick in the pool, drive down the pedals and stride out on the track. 
• I'm lean and don't sweat a lot. Hot temperatures usually don't phase me. I don't have too much mass to carry around. Both of these have helped me avoid any serious injury my entire career. 
• I have an engine. I'm a work horse. I can go for hours without stopping. I won't beat you in the 100m dash but I'll kick your ass in the marathon. 

3.) The Identity 

As I was stewing in a world of misdirection and despair as many 13-year old teenagers do, I was heading down a real rough path. I was striving for something to grab onto and to be completely honest, it could have been anything. This was my formative time. Suddenly, I found triathlon and it gave me that something. I was now "the kid who does triathlons." Funny enough, triathlon just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I could have just as easily started collecting Pokemon cards and playing World of Warcraft. Thankfully, that didn't happen. 

COULD HAVE HAPPENED 

4.) The Emotion 

Triathlon offers the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In this racket, you can go from being completely invincible one moment to the scum of the earth in a matter of seconds. When you smash those mile repeats, it's hard to describe the elation. But when you are struggling to make it home on an easy spin the world seems very dark. You feel the pain of pushing yourself to the brink in training but also the light-as-a-feather feeling as you dart through the finishing shoot at a race. Having those great moments and those not so great moments keeps everything in check.

5.) The Struggle 

This shit is hard. I won't lie. Training is tough and most of the work is not enjoyable. I stare at a black line for hours. I torture myself with 5 hour bike sessions on the trainer. I freeze off my extremities running through -20 degree Midwest winters. I don't drink. I rarely go out to eat. I don't have too many friends. I spend a lot of time alone. I sacrifice a whole lot but to be completely frank, I would not have it any other way. I love every single minute. 

Practicing my blue steel look

Feel free to comment away on Facebook and Twitter.... It's great to hear any and all feedback!

Thanks for tuning in, 

Justin

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