Triathlons | The Blog of David Glover

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Tom overcomes at Ironman Lake Placid to PR by 100+ Minutes

Tom overcomes at Ironman Lake Placid to PR by 100+...

My friend and coaching client, Lt Col Tom Impellitteri, USMC, successfully completed Ironman Lake Placid this past weekend, improving his 2009 finish time by more than 100 minutes with significant improvements in all 5 race splits: swim, T1, bike, T2 and run. Wow! What is amazing about his story is not how well he did, but rather how well he overcame three significant adverse situations during his race – any of...

A Taste of Bittersweet after Ironman Coeur d’Alene

A Taste of Bittersweet after Ironman Coeur d’...

To me, the Ironman-distance is an ever changing puzzle waiting to be solved – 1,000 pieces scattered across the table that must be carefully and meticulously assembled over months and months of preparation for a single day of 140.6 miles of racing applied across different temperatures, terrains, wind conditions and scenery. Even after completing Ironman Coeur d’Alene as my 27th race at the distance, “I...

On Trust and the Paradox of Performance

On Trust and the Paradox of Performance...

I have prepared my whole life for Ironman Coeur d'Alene on Sunday – a 140.6-mile odyssey of swimming, biking and running against the clock. I demand of myself nothing less than excellence, as I draw on 39 years of experience, learning and self-analysis. Paradoxically, what happens on race day means both everything and nothing. It means everything because a fast race as an age grouper opens up more doors of possibility...

My Triple-T Race Report

My Triple-T Race Report...

What is Triple-T? Well, according to the race jerseys we wore all weekend, TTT is: 3 days 4 triathlons 140+ miles 1 epic event Essentially, it's an Ironman-distance race broken down into four smaller races completed over a weekend. For me, Triple-T was a solid training event, a stepping-stone to my first big race of the season – Ironman Coeur d’Alene at the end of June. My goal was to race hard,...

Triathlon Training Camp in the Canary Islands

Triathlon Training Camp in the Canary Islands...

Today is day 11 of my trip to Fuerteventura, an island in the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of northwest Africa, to help at German pro triathlete Olaf Sabatschus' triathlon training camp. As you can see from the picture, it's quite nice here and the cool ocean feels wonderful after a long ride and run. I came to Olaf's triathlon training camp for two weeks in March for two reasons: First, I wanted...

Have a Coach. Be a Coach.

Have a Coach. Be a Coach....

My client and friend, Peter O'Dunne (picture at right from Ironman Lake Placid), wants to qualify for Hawaii and, as his triathlon coach, I'm going to help him get there. Like Peter, I also have a coach - pro German triathlete Olaf Sabatschus who coaches me for triathlon. From Olaf's guidance and 20+ years of experience including Ironman wins at Brazil and China, I've learned a tremendous...

Lactate Threshold and Blood Lactate Testing

Lactate Threshold and Blood Lactate Testing...

Last Friday, I was fill in for one of Krista Schultz's blood lactate tests after her client canceled because he was sick. She needed a test subject and I was curious what my power output at Lactate Threshold (LT) was. What is lactate? First, let's start with pyruvate. Pyruvate is a byproduct of anaerobic glycolysis, which is the breakdown of glycogen (or carbohydrate) for energy by the muscles without requiring...

Example Analysis of an Ironman Athlete’s Training Schedule

Example Analysis of an Ironman Athlete’s Tra...

One value that a coach provide even an experienced athlete is objective feedback via a consultation. A friend of a friend of mine (let's call him Jim) is training for Ironman Utah (St. George) on May 1st. Jim's concern is that because of the recent weather we've been having in Maryland that he has not had the opportunity to do enough riding outside. He recalled that when he was training for a previous...

My Road Back to Kona: On Deck for 2010

My Road Back to Kona: On Deck for 2010...

When I raced at the Ironman World Championship in Kona in 2002, I suffered like a dog. I left with no immediate desire to come back. Just a few weeks prior to the race, I had broken the 9-hour mark in an Ironman for the first time at the inaugural Blue Devil Triathlon in Durham, NC. I put everything I had into that race and it left my physically, mentally and emotionally drained. At the time, Kona...

Client Success at Beach2Battleship Ironman

Client Success at Beach2Battleship Ironman...

As a triathlon coach, it's always rewarding to see my clients succeed in their goals. When I sit down and think about what my client Dan Head accomplished at Beach2Battleship on November 7th, I am truly amazed. Beach2Battleship in Wilmington, NC was Dan's first Ironman triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run), and he finished in an amazing time of 10:59. What makes Dan's finish...

Leadership at Mile 23 During an Ironman Run

Leadership at Mile 23 During an Ironman Run...

One of my coaching clients, Peter, shared this story with me about an athlete on the run course of Ironman Arizona last weekend. Like myself, Peter is an advocate of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I continue to be impressed by Peter's ability to notice these small examples of selfless and self-initiated leadership where ever he goes. Here's Peter's story that I'd like...

Lessons Learned from Kona Rookie Bill Beyer

Lessons Learned from Kona Rookie Bill Beyer...

My client Bill Beyer (be sure to read about the Beyer Project) who competed in the Ironman World Championship on October 11 shared some wise and entertaining insights about racing in the ocean and lava fields at Kona: Pre-race: Bring support [family, friends] for the week. When preparing, leave the AC off in the room at night and open the windows. [David's comment: Best way to acclimatize is to arrive Kona...

The Selfishness of Triathlon…or Not?

The Selfishness of Triathlon…or Not?...

Is triathlon a selfish sport…or not? One of my clients who is training for Ironman Arizona on November emailed me the other day regarding his struggle with the "selfishness" of the sport: I have been struggling lately when I realize that the sport we are involved in can be selfish. I train a lot and hence don't give back as often as I should. I took a group of church kids to the Comcast center yesterday...

The Temptation of Just One More Race…

The Temptation of Just One More Race…...

Do you ever feel the temptation towards the end of the triathlon racing season to do just one more race…? I feel the temptation every year. I want to hold on to my summer fitness. I don’t want it to end. I like being “race lean” and sleeping soundly every night after being exhausted by long, hard training days. Not doing one more race means shifting my mindset from “training” to...

How and Why We Get into the Sport of Triathlon

How and Why We Get into the Sport of Triathlon...

As a triathlon coach, I’m always asking my new clients, “So, how and why did you get into the sport of triathlon…?” Everyone has a story and everyone has different reasons for trying the sport (no pun intended). A few of the reasons I’ve heard: I lost a bet. I went out drinking with my friends and we talked each other into it. I saw the Ironman on TV. I used to be a but kept getting injured...

Luray Triathlon: Viewpoint from the Race Director: Race Weekend

Luray Triathlon: Viewpoint from the Race Director:...

This continues my “RACE REPORT” on the Luray Triathlon from the Race Director’s perspective. Please read the “Pre-race” article before you read this one if you haven’t already: CLICK HERE. This question that I both love and hate the most on race weekend: “Are you the race director?” It usually means something has gone wrong and I need to fix it, which in a nutshell describes...

Luray Triathlon: Viewpoint of the Race Director: Pre-Race

Luray Triathlon: Viewpoint of the Race Director: P...

The 4th Annual Luray International and Sprint Triathlons were held at Lake Arrowhead in Luray, VA this past weekend with more than 500 athletes competing each day including 30 athletes who earned a “Luray Double” hand-engraved goblet by successfully finishing both races. Athletes represented 19 different states with 75% coming from Virginia. The youngest competitor was 14 and the oldest was 76. As triathletes,...

Vineman 4th Place: The inner game of Ironman

Vineman 4th Place: The inner game of Ironman...

Vineman Triathlon 20th Anniversary – August 1, 2009 Finish Time: 9:53:38.3 for 4th Overall Swim: 00:57:39.0 T1: 00:02:18.5 Bike: 05:13:44.4 T2: 00:01:27.8 Run: 03:38:28.6 Link to results: CLICK HERE. As I headed out of transition at the start of the 26.2-mile run, race announcer Dave Latourette yelled to me: “You’re 24 minutes back on the leader.” My heart sunk as a surge of disappointment...

My race prediction for Vineman: Indeterminate

My race prediction for Vineman: Indeterminate...

My race prediction for myself at Vineman on August 1st can be summed up as: Indeterminate. This year's race is the 20th Anniversary of the event – the longest running Ironman distance triathlon in the continental U.S. This year will be my 6th time racing the full Ironman distance event (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run). In my five prior races, I have 2 x 1st places finishes (2001, 2007), 2 x 2nd...

Crafting a pre-race plan: Make your pre-race goals your race day reality

Crafting a pre-race plan: Make your pre-race goals...

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower, American President and General My client, LtCol Tom Impellitteri, USMC, is competing in his first Ironman (Ironman USA in Lake Placid, NY) this weekend. I’ve been working with Tom since January this year in his quest to hear the magic words from Mike Reilly, “You are an...

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