Blog - Page 30 of 48 - Athletic Mentors

Landgraff Takes on Back to Back Races at Sylvania Crit

June 16th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

Richard competing earlier in the season

It was a beautiful day on Sunday for the annual Sylvania Cycling Classic in Ohio. Temperatures were in the mid 70′s with a slight breeze from the north which made the short technical course all the harder. About 25 racers lined up for the Masters 35+ race which was spirited from the beginning. Being the only OAM NOW masters racer in attendance and with plans to race the Masters 45+ race immediately following, my race plan was to ride near the front, but try to save as much energy as I could. Well that plan went right out the window about 15 minutes into the 45 minute race as I found myself making a solo attack off the front and hoping that I would get some company for a breakaway. No one followed so I stayed by myself off the front for a couple of laps and then eventually got caught by the field. I continued to ride aggressively and tried to stay near the front as there were some crashes on one of the tight technical corners. As the laps wound down, I realized that being in the top 5-6 going into the last lap was the only way to have a chance at the win. With about 2 laps to go, another rider took off and managed to stay away for the win, albeit by only a couple of bike lengths. I had a good position coming into the final corner and came across the line in 5th place.

A quick water bottle fill up and cool down was all there was time for before the start of the Masters 45+ race. I wondered if this was a mistake to do both races back to back as I struggled a bit in the first few laps but I managed to settle in and actually felt pretty good throughout the race. An early breakaway of two got away with one rider eventually falling back to the group and the initial rider staying away for the win. The small field did not have the willpower or horsepower to chase too hard although the race was hard and fast at times. Similar to the prior race, I positioned myself toward the front in the last few laps and was able to sprint for a 6th place finish. Not too bad for two races back to back on a tough course.

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A Course of Action

June 10th, 2016 by Marie Dershem

Tragedy. Senseless. Horrific. Heartbreaking… there are so many words that help us describe what happened in Kalamazoo a few short days ago. Five cyclists lost their lives and four were severely injured because of one person’s decision to drive recklessly. And we feel devastated, angry, distressed, anxious, deeply saddened, vulnerable and helpless. So many words… but words can only take us so far. We want a course of action. We need to have something to do. We want to support those who have lost loved ones, demand justice for the actions of the man who caused this tragedy, and remember all who have been hit and injured or killed while cycling. The ride of silence just 24 hours after this tragic event was a moving display of care, support, love and remembrance. The fund for the victims’ families has been established and is growing. These are immediate opportunities to give and support and raise awareness. We must grieve the loss, feel the feelings of anger and sadness. But, what about a month from now? A year from now? How does this impact us? What course of action, long term, can we take in response to such tragedy? I believe we can allow this to change us for the better. We can be bitter, or we can make things better. As I ofen tell my children, we can’t prevent bad things from happening to us or those we love. The only thing we can control is our response to it. We can grow bitter hearts and resentment, or we can grow character and resilience So, as we move from our deep sense of grief into a time of response, let’s consider how this can better us and better our community. On the practical side:

When you drive, show patience to cyclists. Give cyclist ample room (5’) when you pass them. Remember that they are more than just cyclists. They are someone’s son or daughter, someone’s brother or sister, someone’s father or mother. However rushed you feel, remember that carelessness is not worth the risk or the 5 seconds you might save. When you drive, vow to never, ever receive or send a text or email while driving. Ever. I hope it goes without saying that it is never acceptable in any way, shape or form to drive under the influence. If you are a cyclist, follow the rules of the road, always. Help to educate your community about cyclist’s right to be on the road and how to keep cyclists safe. Volunteer at a cycling event to help keep participants safe. Be as visible as you can when you ride. Follow that instinct to do something – you’ll find what that thing is for you. On the emotional side:

Events like this remind us how fragile life is. I know it is cliché, but speak your love to your loved ones. Hold close those friends who make your world a better place. Remember that life, good health, and physical activity is a gift. We are blessed to be able to ride. Ride with joy. Ride as a celebration of life and health. Ride with friends and embrace the community cycling has given you provides to us. Let’s vow to keep our priorities straight . . . Live with joy. Ride with gratitude. Love with your whole heart.

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Dirty Kanza 200- An Incredible Adventure and Accomplishment

June 9th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Amy Kimber, Team OAM NOW Cyclist When my husband told me he wanted us to sign up for the Dirty Kanza 200, I said a lot of things like, “you are crazy, no way, why, not a chance, you can do it without me, I won’t be joining you.” Then one Saturday morning in January we set our alarms to wake up early, fired up our laptops, made some coffee, and impatiently waited for registration to open. The event was full in two hours, and we were both in. The event is known for being an ultra-endurance off-road cycling adventure. It was created to be extremely challenging, but possible to complete. Every year the rate of finishers is about 50%. The Flint Hills of Kansas are known for their ruggedness and remoteness. With the exception of three checkpoints where racers can meet up with their support crew, you need to support yourself and carry everything you need. Besides the houses in the towns near the checkpoints I think I saw two houses on the entire course. This is remoteness and ruggedness to the extreme! We did a short 10 mile pre-ride on Friday. The first mile is pavement and then the gravel begins.The course was bone dry, and the gravel was probably 5 inches deep in places. I was concerned about trying to hold a straight line with 1,100 of my closest friends. Overnight some large, somewhat unexpected rainstorms went through. They didn’t hit the entire course, but the first 5 miles now looked completely different. When I lined up Saturday morning for the 6 a.m. start, I was expecting some mud, but I had no idea what I was about to see…

The beginning of a long day and epic adventure

The rollout was slow, and when we made the first turn onto the gravel the road it was unrecognizable. There was a large “river” that didn’t exist the day before, and the dry fields had become large lakes. It took 15 minutes to go about a mile. Then all of the sudden I came to this long muddy stretch that resembled a bicycle war zone. Both sides of the road were lined with hundreds of people, all off of their bikes. At first I had no idea what was going on, until it started to happen to me, chain suck! Mud was getting caught in everyone’s derailleurs and if you didn’t stop pedaling, too much pressure on the chain would shear off the derailleur. I got off my bike and walked into one of the rain made lakes. I was able to clean off the drivetrain enough so that I could ride on. The first section was full of challenging climbs, rocky descents, and mud! There were so many racers out there, you were never alone. This section made me so thankful for my Cannonball Tires! I bet I saw 100 people changing flat tires. I pulled into checkpoint one at mile 48. I got my drivetrain cleaned up, replenished with food and drink, and headed back on the road for section 2.

One of the may reasons Dirty Kanza is not for the faint of heart

The second section was as equally challenging as the first. At this point it was getting very hot. There is hardly a tree on the course, there were no clouds in the sky, and the temperature kept rising. This was when you started to see people laying in ditches under small bushes, searching for any sliver of shade they could find. The river crossings that I was dreading became a lifesaver, cold water! I put my head down and just kept pedaling. At this point I just wanted to make it to the next checkpoint to see my awesome support crew. Checkpoint 2 was at mile 102. Once I made it the stop was a little longer than I was planning for. The heat was so intense and my stomach was starting to turn. I knew it was more important to cool down and hydrate than to worry about a quick transition time. My overall goal was to finish, I did not care how long it took. Section 3 was the longest leg of the day (60 miles). It was also the hottest, and there was a brutal headwind almost the entire time. I was carrying 112 ounces of water, and this would not be nearly enough. The carnage on this leg was worse than the one before. There were racers sitting in ditches, under small bushes, and in rivers. On course support is not allowed, and there are almost no cars on these roads, so every time a big van passed I knew it was on its way to pick up someone abandoning the race. I saw a lot of vans this leg. I ran out of water about 10 long miles from the checkpoint. This was about the time I started to question my sanity (not true, that started around mile 1). I started to wonder if I was going to make it. Everyone around me was out of water, everyone was suffering, and every mile my pace seemed to be slowing. Somehow, I finally made it! Checkpoint 3 was at mile 161. The crowds in the feed zones treat every racer like they are a rock star. The overwhelming support is so motivating. Again, I spent far too long with my support crew, but after what I had just went through it seemed necessary.

Amy en route to a coveted DK finish

All day long I was telling myself that all I had to do was “4” bike rides today. That didn’t seem as overwhelming as 206 miles. It was hard to get back on the bike, but now I only had 45 miles left. I mounted my headlight, and headed off for my 4th and final leg of the day. Thankfully the sun was going down and the temperature was cooling off quickly. This part of the course is by far the least treacherous. The hills are rolling and the roads started to feel more like home. I am a very experienced nighttime gravel road rider so the dark was not a concern. I put my head down, turned over the pedals, and counted down the miles to Emporia. Crossing that finish line was the best feeling I have had in a long time. It was awesome that Eric and I got to finish together. I didn’t have a care in the world about what place I was in, or what my finish time was (16 hours and 52 minutes, rolling average of 15.1 mph), all that mattered was I made it! I was in the 51% that finished the 2016 Dirty Kanza. Overall, I had an amazing experience. I am happy to report that I never had any nagging issues throughout the day. My biggest concerns were saddle issues, hot foot, heat, and cramps. Around mile 180 my saddle started to become uncomfortable, I thought that was to be expected. The cool river crossings kept my feet from feeling awful, and I just took longer breaks at the checkpoints to hydrate and recover from the heat. I had some twinges in my calves and quads, but never a full blown cramp. My upper body felt great, and my long standing back issue was a non-issue today. The last few miles Eric and I talked about how this was a once in lifetime experience. We were glad that we did it, that we were going to be finishers, and that we never needed to do it again! On the car ride home we were already making plans to make next years’ experience even better! I could write an entire blog on the beauty of Kansas, but I will let the pictures talk for themselves.

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5000 Days

May 12th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

By: Brian Reynolds

On August 10th, 2002, I was a 14 year old Otsego High School freshman toeing the start line at the Ready or Not 5k. The race took place at my old stamping grounds in Otsego, Michigan. The Ready or Not was my second 5k during my early running career. I remember being very nervous and excited at the same time. The race was long, hard, and mentally challenging. The race felt more like a half marathon than a 5k.

Brian’s running streak began in 2002 when he was a 14 year old freshman at Otsego high school

Looking back at the Ready or Not race it was the start of my running career and, most of all, the start of my running streak. Everyday since August 10th, 2002 I have not missed a day of running. You may be asking yourself “Why would you run everyday? Are you crazy?” but don’t worry I have not been diagnosed with any mental issues and there is a reason why I choose to run everyday.

When I ran cross country at Otsego I was coached by Steve Long. Coach Long’s training was based on the Paavo method which was a popular training program used at the high school level. One of the most important lessons I learned from the Paavo method was that to be successful you have to work at it EVERYDAY. Coach Long would encouraged his runners to run everyday because it would make us faster and would be a good motivational tool. Coach Long told us that a run would only count if it was at least one mile long and was completed without any breaks. Only a few of us took on this running challenge. I took on the challenge because I wanted to be a great runner. During that cross country season I did not miss a single day of running.

Running everyday without a doubt had made me a better runner so I decided to continue the streak after my cross country season. During high school it was pretty easy to get a run in during the cross country and track seasons. However, during the winter months when I swam competitively it was a little more challenging to get in a run. During the swim season, I would practice for 2 hour after school then go for a 3 mile run at night. There were some days when I ran in -20 ᷾͒deg F wind chill through 2 feet of snow. On a super cold days my face would be so covered up I could barely get enough air to breath through all the layers of clothing covering my month. However, I did not let poor weather conditions become an excuse not to run. If it was not for the running streak, I probably would have missed several days of running due to bad weather, not feeling good, or lack of motivation that day.

Over the years during high school, college, and post-college it has been amazing to see my progress throughout my running career. The one big life lesson I took out of this experience is that to achieve a lifetime goal or dream you have to take it one day at a time. Big dreams are not going to happen overnight. In fact, dreams can take years, decades, or may never happen. To accomplish big goals you have to set attainable short term goals. Within those short term goals you need to set daily goals. For me a daily goal maybe completing a run workout at my goal race pace. When I accomplished those daily goals I was able to accomplish my short term goals. If you continue to accomplish goal after goal after goal then you may eventually reach your big dream. For example, my big dream was to win a marathon. On day 1 of my running streak I was far from being in shape to win or even be able to finish a marathon. However, on day 3,149 I was able to win the 2011 Kalamazoo Marathon.

Brian took home the Kalamazoo Marathon title in 2011, running 2:34:39

To this day I am still running everyday. My running streak is over 5000 days which spans over 13 years. I have been very fortunate so far to keep this streak alive. There has only been one incident where I almost couldn’t run due to a very bad ankle sprain. Let’s just say I ran some of my slowest runs on that sprained ankle. Running has become so ingrained in me that I do not think twice when I go out for a run. Running is part of my life and identity. I do not see myself quitting anytime soon. So with that said I gotta go for a run, thanks for reading!

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After A Year of Resilience Sheikh Claims Second at Strider’s Classic

May 10th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

– By Elaine Sheikh

Strider’s 10 Mile Classic is a race that I’ve wanted to do for a few years now, but have never been able to work into the schedule. This year, it was perfect timing – I’m currently training for the Grand Rapids Half Iron Triathlon and this would give me the opportunity to test my race legs over a longer distance. Before the race started, I chatted with some OAM Now teammates who were doing the 5K. The only other OAM Now athlete doing the 10 miler besides myself was club member Lindsey Lilly. I had never run with her before, so I didn’t know how fast she was!

$Elaine recovered from a pelvic fracture$

Elaine is back running healthy and strong after recovering from a pelvic stress fracture 15 months ago

I was nervous starting this race. Not only was it my first running race of the season, this would be my first running race since I fractured my pelvis 15 months ago. It still feel “tweaky” on a pretty regular basis and I had nightmares of refracturing it when I really put it to the test. Plus, I had completely forgotten how to pace myself for anything that wasn’t a triathlon or bike race! I deployed my usual tact of telling everyone I was out there for a training run. When people don’t think I’m going to race hard, I feel like it takes away a lot of pressure. So, whether or not I plan on racing hard, I will often tell people I just want to enjoy my day. Secretly, I wanted to run under 1:09.

Elaine and Lindsey finish the Striders 10 miler under 70 minutes

As we started, the fastest woman in the pack became obvious. I kept her in my sights the whole first half of the race. It was much hillier than I thought, and a loose gravel mile caused my second mile to be a bit slower than I had anticipated. But, I just kept watching her and didn’t let her pull away. Right before the halfway mark, a man yelled that I was only 20 yards back. This caused my competitor to pick up the pace. I responded, but mile 6 was all uphill and I had been running significantly faster than I had planned on. I was hurting and I started to lose focus as the hills hit me one after another. Just as my breathing was getting completely out of control. At the perfect time, teammate Dave Stebbins, who had been riding back and forth on the course cheering, rolled up. It was pretty obvious that I was flagging pretty hard at that point, but he encouraged me and talked me down so I could get control of my breathing again. Teammates are awesome!

In the end, I never caught the first place female finisher. She crossed the finish line a solid 30 seconds ahead of me. However, I crushed my goal and ran a 1:07:12. Lindsey was the third woman to cross the line at 1:08:27. Way to go Lindsey!

It was a fun day and a great race that I would recommend for anyone looking for a nice spring 5K or 10 miler. I couldn’t be more excited to start another multi-sport season with Team OAM Now!

The result of a year of resilience!

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Bikecation in Southern Michigan

May 4th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Roxane Kippen, Multisport Athlete

Who needs Spring Break sitting around on a beach in Florida, when you can go on a bikecation? It doesn’t appear that “bikecation” is a term that has landed on wikipedia yet, since it gave me results instead for “bisection” when I typed it in the search. So, I will have to tell you a little about my week out of the office and on the trails to explain. Many cyclists head south to Alabama, North Carolina or Southern Indiana early in the spring for a training camp, where they ride all day and enjoy the warmer temps that may not always arrive in Michigan in a timely fashion. Instead of spending 15 hours in the car, packing countless bags and hoping for good weather when I get there, I decided to take a week off for a “staycation” and ride my bike closer to home with a 10 day forecast of nothing but sun and warm temps.

While North Carolina boasts of International Mountain Bike Association Epic Trail Tsali, Southern Indiana has its beloved Brown County and Alabama has Oak Mountain, the lower peninsula of Michigan has some pretty fine trails as well. I have ridden Tsali, Brown County and Oak Mountain, and I would have to say I enjoyed my week here on Michigan trails just as much. Every trail has something different to love and if they were all the same, that would be no fun at all. Let me take you on a brief tour of the trails I visited during my bikecation.

Rounding the final corner at Barry Roubaix to kick off the bikecation!

I started off the first weekend of my journey by racing the Barry Roubaix Killer Gravel Road Race. I logged 36 miles of gravel roads with 3,000 of my closest friends and teammates. After a relatively hard effort during the race, I spent Sunday on a shorter “recovery” ride with friend and former teammate John. We rode the most convenient location, which happened to be the Cannonsburg State Game Area (CSGA) and the Cannonsburg Ski Area (CSA), together a.k.a. “The Combo” or “The Connector”. We avoided the “Up the Gut” climb at the ski area and enjoyed a leisurely pace through the game area and logged 14 miles of mountain biking. I didn’t want to wear myself out on the first day of my bikecation! I had a lot of time in the saddle (and chamois cream) coming up.

It was hard to decide where to go on what day, but I started off on Monday at Yankee Springs Recreation Area in Middleville, MI. The body takes a beating on this trail as there are a lot of rocks and roots and a bit more climbing than the Cannonsburg trails from Sunday. I rode 23 miles solo (two loops) at a Sunday driver pace and took most of the climbs in granny gear; riding by myself I didn’t dare take any chances of sliding off a cliff or wrapping myself around a tree. The temp was close to 80 degrees and the course was extremely dry, loose and sandy, almost as if it were the middle of July already.

A sunny day 2 at Yankee Springs Recreation Area

Three hours in the heat and I felt like day two of bikecation was solid. Fort Custer Recreation Area (The Fort) was the trail of choice on day three. Tuesday conditions were cool but comfortable and made for another great day of riding. XTERRA training buddy Alan and I took on a couple laps at The Fort and logged 17 miles of super cool singletrack and even threw in a twenty- minute brick run after our ride. The Fort was where I feel I really learned to mountain bike. Nearly 10 years ago, I spent countless weekends prepping for my first XTERRA (offroad triathlon) at The Fort. It is still my favorite race venue for XTERRA. It is always hard to tell someone if a trail is technical, because technical could mean many different things. To me, this trail was technical and for me that means rooty, steep switchback climbs that require great focus and balance and some tighter twisty/turny sections. With trail sections call Amusement Park and Grannies Garden and trail features like the Demon Drop and the Trenches, it is definitely a trail with a large variety of riding and it never gets boring.

Wednesday, I met up with long-time mountain biker and teammate Terry Ritter to get a bit of an evaluation on my riding skills at the Potawatomi Trail (Poto) in Pinckney, MI. I also had the opportunity to connect with local rider and fellow XTERRA racer, Heather, for the ride. The trip is just under two hours from Grand Rapids, and I would highly recommend it. I had never ridden the trail before so it was a good test of my trail reading and bike handling “tool box”. My biggest opportunity is to better utilize my momentum. I think Terry suggested/threatened that I need some single speed work to force me to use my momentum more effectively. Thanks, Terry, for your time and knowledge and helping me log another 17.5 miles of trail riding on day four of my bikecation.

Day 4 Poto getting tips from mastermind Terry

Of course, the meteorologist had to get one day wrong out of that 10 days of forecasted sun, and it happened to be on Thursday. The morning was cool and rainy, so I took the opportunity to catch up on some housework and volunteer activities. By the afternoon, things were clearing up to the north so I summoned a couple of my regular XTERRA training partners for a trip to Owasippe Trail. This trail is on a Boy Scout reservation near Whitehall, MI and has some of the most fun singletrack riding in Michigan. It is tough to describe this trail and why I love it so much, but it has some nice smooth areas, some brutal technical climbs with bumpy descents, a couple of long narrow bridge crossings and spectacular views of water and woods all around. The rains left the trail in perfect condition as the sand soaked up the moisture and packed down for a fast trail. We logged 23 fabulous miles and went to a local brewery for a well-earned recovery beverage.

I started to feel my legs squawking at me after the ride at Poto on Wednesday. The climbs were tougher and there were times when I powered a little harder through sections than I had earlier in the week. This was evident each time I ascended a set of stairs in my house. Definitely after the Owasippe ride, my legs had done what they set out to do for the week and I needed a recovery day. Friday I did just that. I recovered, I napped with my cat Asher (the master napper) and I watched Netflix. I did, however, log 4 miles riding to and from Belle Tire when I dropped off and picked up my car for a tire rotation.

Day 6: Recovery

After a full week of riding totaling 36 miles of gravel, 95 miles of singletrack and a 4 mile commute, I headed into the weekend for two more days of training before going back to the cubicle world. I pushed myself through a 5K run at the Striders Classic on Saturday and rounded out Sunday with another 23 miles at The Fort for a total of 118 miles of mountain biking in 8 days. That may be more than I’ve done in a stretch of several months during the season! It is very difficult to pick a favorite trail, but I will have to stick with Owasippe as my #1 and Fort Custer as a close #2.

To check out more information on these trails, click the hyperlinks above that will take you to the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) listing or look them up on the Michigan Mountain Bike Association (MMBA) Trail Guide at http://mmba.org/trail-guide/. If you are worried about getting lost in the woods, you can download the MTB Project app, by IMBA, to your phone and it will show your location as you ride on the trail. Local bike shops can also give you tips on how to find and what to expect of the trails nearby. The mountain bike community welcomes new riders with open arms, so if you’ve been hesitating to give it a try, I highly encourage you to take the leap and check out a local trail.

Final day of a great week!

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How Much Protein Do Endurance Athletes Need?

April 29th, 2016 by Athletic Mentors

Protein supplementation is big business today, with mass food producers jumping on the bandwagon, but how much protein do endurance athletes really need? This is one area about which Athletic Mentors’ clients routinely ask when in training. One thing that folks often forget is that whatever the source, protein = calories, so there’s a trade-off when training.

According to one Vanderbilt University study, endurance athletes do use protein as a source of 5%-10% of total energy expended due to the duration of their training sessions. This protein needs to be replaced as well as protein that is used for tissue repair, thus an elevated level of intake can be beneficial. However, a point exists at which any more protein taken in is no longer beneficial, and exceeding that point means unnecessary calories.

In her book, “Sports Nutrition Guidebook,” author Nancy Clark points out that many athletes eat more protein than they require just through standard meals. That is, a 150-pound recreational athlete who burns 3,000 calories can easily consume 300 – 450 protein calories. This equates to 0.5 to 0.7 grams of protein per pound, which is more than the RDA of 0.4 grams per pound.

Meanwhile, research shows that protein intake exceeding 0.9 gram per pound would offer no further benefit. Clark suggests that adult enduarance athletes aim for an intake of 0.6 – 0.7 gram per pound of body weight.

So, if you’re a 140-pound bike racer, you’d need to consume between 85 – 98 g protein each day.

Low Cal, High Protein Food Choices

In terms of food that have high-protein-to-calorie ratios, leaders include egg whites at 20 grams per 6 egg whites (100 calories); chicken breast at 18 grams per 2 ounces, tuna at 20 grams per 3 oz, haddock at 21 grams per 3 0z and cottage cheese at 15 grams per 1/2 cup. For vegetarians, extra firm tofu nets 12 grams per 4 oz, and Boca burgers net 13 grams per 2.5 oz.

For more information: Check out Nancy Clark’s Book or contact us to schedule a nutritional counseling session with us today!

There’s no Y in Tri: Free Clinics to Help You Meet Your 2015 Tri Goals

April 28th, 2016 by Athletic Mentors

For many, the idea of a triathlon is intriguing, but daunting. There seems to be so much to consider and even more to learn. Stop asking why and start asking when. No one ever got to the finish line without ever lining up at the start, right?

In conjunction with the Grand Rapids Triathlon, Athletic Mentors will present you with all the information you need to get you to the starting line of your first…or next…triathlon and see you all the way to the finish. You won’t want to miss any of these amazing (and FREE) opportunities!

Starting this Saturday, January 17th, you have the opportunity to get the inside scoop on training, nutrition, equipment, racing tips, transitions, and rules from athletes who have been there, and back again (9-10:30am). Following that session, athletes looking to improve their efficiency in the water can learn about swim techniques and training (10:30am-noon). It’s an amazing chance to get an inside look and idea of what you can expect as you begin to train.

Later, on February 28, the clinic returns to offer you the opportunity to really hone in on specific skills and strategies on both the bike and run portions (February 28, 9am-11am). Then, on May 30, just two weeks from the race, you can participate in a Race Day Clinic which will answer all the questions you have about actual race day, from wave information to parking and spectator access.

Finally, one week from race day, June 7, mentors and coaches will take you on a pre-race swim and ride to get you acclimated to the course. This is the perfect opportunity for athletes new to the tri to quell any last minute nerves and take advantage of one last training session and on-course tips from the pros!

These clinics offer an amazing opportunity for the new and returning tri-athlete to learn techniques from the pros. Clinic attendees also get special deals on Athletic Mentors Custom Training Plan and 20% off the video stroke analysis!

All clinics (except pre-race swim and ride) are held at the downtown Grand Rapids YMCA and are completely free! You must register to participate.

To get more details, check out the Grand Rapids Tri site here.

To register for the clinics, click here.

Danielle Nye Makes Team Debut at Striders 5k

April 27th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Danielle Nye, OAM NOW Multisport Athlete Saturday morning was a crisp, sunny day perfect for running the Striders 5k classic. Team OAM NOW had four members at the start line eager to have a fast race on the flat and mostly paved course. This was my first race with other Team OAM NOW multisport athletes. Even though I have been racing sprint triathlons and short distance running races for many years, I am always striving to be faster each year. This year I set a goal for myself to do a sub 20 minute 5k in preparation for the USAT world sprint race in September. Knowing that OAM NOW racers are very strong competitors I knew this would be a great race with teammates pushing me to be my best. Striders 5k was a great season opener to see where I was at in my training for this goal.

Danielle Nye, Roxane Kippen, Paul Raynes, and Bob Shultz took on the Striders 5k last weekend in Grand Rapids

The race took off with a handful of runners trying to make an early break in the field. I was able to keep the lead two ladies in my sight heading out on the course. Worried about starting off too hard, I backed my pace down and settled in behind another runner. We took a turn and had a short section of gravel which was unexpected and slowed my pace down. At the half way turn around I tried to pick up the pace and was hoping for a negative split finish. Once I noticed my Garmin lap alert for mile 2 I knew I needed to push the pace since I had fallen a bit behind on time during the last mile. I turned the last corner to see the finish banner approaching with my Garmin showing 18:58 for time elapsed. As the clock ticked away I knew that my sub 20 minute finish would not happen today. My efforts were for enough though third overall female and first in my age group. Even though I did not meet my goal, I was excited to see improvement in my 5k time. I was also able to cheer on my new teammates and watch them finish the race. Team OAM NOW raced hard and had a strong showing at the 5k. Multisport team captain, Roxane Kippen had a strong race in the women’s field as well and finished as the fifth overall female and first in her age group. Paul Raynes was the second OAM NOW teammate across the finish line. Paul had a great run with that earned him first place in his age group. Bob Schultz came in just behind Paul to capture second place in his age group. Saturday was a great time racing with new teammates, enjoying post-race bagels, and cheering for each other during the awards. I am confident that with continued training with OAM NOW teammates I will meet my 5k goal by September. Strider’s 5k was a great season opener and I look forward many more races this season with my new teammates! The post Danielle Nye Makes Team Debut at Striders 5k appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

Shuler Takes on Heat and Wind for Boston PR!

April 26th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Tammy Shuler, Team OAM NOW multi-sport athlete

The morning of the race started out very hot considering the weather we have had leading up to race day. 70 at the start of my wave and no wind in Hopkinton. The closer we got to Boston it cooled off and a brisk head wind started about mile 8.

Tammy representing OAM NOW in Boston!

The crowds were amazing! Every year there are more spectators. The spectators give out ice and popsicles, that saved my race. The drinks at the aide stations were warm, and not refreshing. People were cramping and dropping out all along the course from the heat.

Tammy completes a challenging Boston Marathon and posts another qualifying time!

Boston is always a challenging race and this year did not disappoint. However, I finished my best Boston in the last 3, with a 3:53:18, 69th in my age group of 650. This was also a qualifying time in my 55-59 age group.

Next for me is the Mittens Challenge which consists of racing the Wisconsin Marathon on May 7 in Kenosha and then the Kalamazoo Marathon on Sunday, May 8th!

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