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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53227340398968521162019-08-14T02:03:20.591-07:00Love the HurtMy journey in Multi-Sport since 2010James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-58472519281517035782018-01-24T09:19:00.003-08:002018-01-24T09:19:53.713-08:00World Record Attempt: Masters 4x800 Relay

The year we won...and set the 4x800 indoor national record which still stands today

One thing I'll never regret in life is my ability to take every opportunity that is presented to me that will make me into a better/stronger version of myself. It's how I make decisions both big and small. Will I come out on the other end better or worse?

Tackling the 2:40 marathon is no doubt a big test of discipline and grit. Going from 10 pounds overweight and out of shape to a sub 2:40 marathon in one year is a very tall task! I've been back at it for 14 weeks now and dropped the 10 pounds, been fairly consistent with workouts and efforts/pace have improved each week.

Now let's flash back to 99...ha.

Back in 1999, four kids from California Baptist University set the national indoor record in the 4x800 meter relay in 7:31 which still stands today. Months later that same team went to the Penn Relays and took on the biggest and fastest schools in the nation and ran 7:19 with a dropped baton. I think we went 1:50 (me), 1:49 (Nate Browne)...dropped baton (was it Nate or Ricky?)....1:47 (Ricky Etheridge), 1:47 (Milton Browne). Pretty solid for a small school out of Riverside, CA.

All four of us are coaches now and somehow the topic of the masters world record 4x800 relay came up last year. We checked out the results and this is what we found:

Division	Performance	Name	Location	Date

35-39	7:55.67	NON-CLUB :
Miles Smith
Michael Schroer
Jason Rhodes
Scott Anderson	Williamsburg, VA	2010-Apr-03

35-39	8:12.33	CLUB: SoCal TC:
Terrance Spann
Bryan Dameworth
Alex Hastings
Brian Sax	Walnut, CA	2010-Apr-16

40-49	7:54.17	NON-CLUB :
John Hinton
Brian Pope
Kevin Paulk
Tony Young	Eugene, OR	2004-Jun-27

40-49	8:09.46	CLUB: Central Park TC:
Neil Fitzgerald
Anselm LeBourne
Chris Potter
Gladstone Jones	New York, NY	2009-Jul-11

That pans out to each of us going about 1:58-59 for the 800 meters.

Nate blew his ACL a few years ago so he is out of the equation but we had another guy we ran with at Cal Baptist, Angel Romero who has stayed in decent shape over the years. We reached out to him and he is in!

So a change of plans. Rather then going after sub 2:40 in the marathon, we are officially going after the 4x800 masters world record! Quite the difference in distances haha...I was a miler/5k guy so the shorter distance definitely suits me better - which I know is why I struggled at the IM distance. I will still tackle the marathon, but am going after this first which - will be great speed to take into eventual marathon training.

Since I'm turning 39 next month, we will have a full year to go sub 2. About 5 years ago when I was training for 70.3's I ran 2:08 on the track so I have no doubt I'll be able to do it once I get some speed work under me. I think the biggest challenge is keeping all 4 of us healthy - especially once we get on the track for speed. I think the initial plan is getting out for some track meets this year, get in shape and then attempt the world record next April 2019 at Mt. Sac Relays once I'm 40.

So I had to restructure my training plan...big time. I'm going to get in 5k shape, then 3200 shape, then mile, 800, etc. Doing it this way to limit the chance of getting injured.

The tentative racing plan for 2018 now looks like this:

March 25: Carlsbad 5000

April: Mt. Sac Relays

July 4: Old Pro's 4th of July 10k

Summer: USA Masters Games / San Diego Twilight Track Meets

July 26: Masters Outdoor National Championships

After taking several years off of "real" racing, I'm excited to lace up the spikes again and get on the track. Masters 4x800 World Record, here we come!
James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-33629357611433739112017-11-30T14:30:00.002-08:002017-11-30T14:30:58.961-08:00Finally feeling good

Disneyland for Thanksgiving with my crew!

There was a few weeks there when I was SLOWLY jogging along around 9 min pace and was seriously wondering if I could do this big goal of mine. I started back over a month ago and didn't think it would take this long to show some signs of progress.

Every run seemed to be the same 8-10 min pace run and none of them felt very good. Then just as I was doubting, I had a few forced day offs - Disneyland for Thanksgiving! Then I started back up again this week and what do you know - the magic is coming back!

So what do you do as a coach/athlete when you see something like this happen? You duplicate it. So I'm going to be going 3 weeks on then 1 week easy/recovery week. Friel really believes in this strategy...I do to a certain extent - however, I don't think there's such thing as a "one plan fits all" kind of approach. Each athlete is SO different and responds to training in their own unique way. Then when you get older, you still need to make adjustments. I have 20+ years of running experience under my belt and I know what works for me but again, making adjustments from the signals my body gives me (not just copying what I have on my training plan) is going to be key in hitting sub 2:40.

So feeling better is coming at just the right time -next week starts my second block of training. Here's how I've split them up:

Block 1
Lose weight/get in shape/consistency - 7 weeks

Block 2
Add speed components, lengthen long runs and raise overall mileage - 10 weeks

Block 3
Marathon specific training - 12 weeks

Race Orange County Marathon - May 6th

You can follow along with my training on Strava!

Thanks for reading!James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-56535768478977164182017-11-16T08:06:00.002-08:002017-11-16T08:17:05.559-08:00Fitness in sight

View from some trails out my front door

Five weeks of fitness in the books. That first month was miserable but I deserve it for neglecting my fitness for so long. I coach adults and high school athletes and I always tell them how miserable those first several weeks are for getting in shape. This was a good taste of my own medicine.

Fitness is sight though. I can feel it coming on and my patience is paying off. I'm also being very diligent with rolling, massage, rest, diet, etc. I'm not waking up incredibly sore and seem to be bouncing back from workouts easier then I have in years. This is also my first time training seriously for something with Hoka's on my feet. I get jokes all the time that they are for old men...Well that's kinda the point! I'm turning 40 in just over a year so I'll take any advantage I can! I can feel noticeable differences in running with Hoka's. That's saying a lot with 20 years of running experience under my belt. Everyone that knows me, knows that I'm very susceptible to injury - all of those years of abuse and hard mileage leaves me very vulnerable to injury. I truly think the Hoka's will be my secret weapon in this goal of mine to break 2:40 in the marathon.

It's very surreal to dive back into the sport of running. Even though I did triathlon for 4-5 years, I really haven't immersed myself into the sport since 2002 when I left my dream of qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the 5000 meters while training/competing for Bob Schul's Olympic Development team in Ohio. Back then I lived and breathed the 5000 meters - reading and watching everything I could...

I'm doing the same thing now, but for the marathon. No, I'm not trying to qualify for the trials! It's just that I'm an all or nothing kind of personality, especially when it comes to athletics. I'm just obsessed with trying to get the most out of my body and this goal is no different.

Olympic Trials, came close...Qualifying for IM 70.3 WC's, check...Qualifying for Kona in my "Kona Journey, nope... Breaking 2:40 in the marathon before I'm 40? TBD!

Thanks for reading.
James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-81254300154071984492017-11-09T12:44:00.000-08:002017-11-09T12:44:05.622-08:00Long Road Back

Being patient is going to be my biggest challenge. The 20 something James thinks he can train and get fit without getting hurt. I've done a good job so far at ignoring those voices and just focusing on the plan I have written out. I guess you do get wiser with age? Still, TBD...

So far mileage has looked like:

Week 1: 17 miles
Week 2: 26 miles
Week 3: 26 miles
Week 4: 26 miles
(all with one day off each week)

I'll be bumping up to 30 next week and just slowly raising mileage with no intensity to 45 miles a week by the end of the year. First week of January will be my first block of two where I will slowly add intensity and continue to build up mileage.

Depending on now the body reacts, if all goes well I plan on maxing out around 100 miles/week, something I haven't done since I was 20! I highly doubt I'll get that high but you never know if I continue to stay disciplined, consistent and healthy.

Just a short three years ago I was backing up a 70.3 triathlon races with low 1:20 half marathons so, although the marathon is a different animal, the idea of going 6:06 pace doesn't seem that all fair fetched. I actually may be changing my marathon debut to the Orange County marathon in May as to make sure to collect on some bets that are in the process of being made...

2:40 or bust!James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-24457568115149080152017-11-03T09:01:00.002-07:002017-11-03T09:08:47.107-07:002:40 before 40

I have this void that I cannot avoid.

For the past several years I've been "forcing" myself back to the sport of triathlon. I enjoyed those 4 years of training/racing so much and I think I was chasing that. It seemed like every time I started getting into a training groove I would run into big life changes and I would put it all on hold for months at a time, get out of shape and do it all over again.

As you can imagine, that became exhausting and frustrating. During these past 3 years...wow, 3 years since I last raced - I have always thought about the idea of doing an open marathon. But not just for fun and games but to actually train for one and RACE it. I've thrown down a decent half marathon of 1:14 about 4 years ago and a bunch of sub 1:10's in regular lactate threshold training runs in college lol (I never even knew that was very fast at the time).

So fast forward to now! I started my own business, our baby girl Juliet is one and after discussing it with Amy - we think now is a good time to go after my new goal of breaking 2:40 in the marathon before I'm 40 years old which gives me 1 year and 4 months to train and accomplish this goal. I always tell my high school team that you have to have big goals to accomplish big things. 2:40 isn't necessarily super fast but for how out of shape I am right now and the little time I have, it really is.

It's not going to be easy. I'm definitely out of shape and have years of abuse on these legs. So lots of aches and pains as I get back to speed...pun? In the past my build up has been pretty aggressive as I think I'm still a young kid chasing dreams. This time, I'm putting on my coaches hat and training myself the same way I would train one of my athletes while incorporating key workouts that I know I respond well to.

I'm 3 weeks in back to training. Just easy 30-45 min runs each day ~20-25 miles a week (you can follow all of my workouts on Strava - link on the left). Mileage will slowly increase each week for the remainder of the year with zero intensity other than occasional runs where I feel good and increase pace a bit. Basically, giving what my body craves, whether that means taking a day off or going a little longer/faster - it's smart that way.

I'm targeting the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon in June. I don't run well in the heat so that's not in my favor with a time goal but it's a local race where I can train and sleep at home during race week which will give me my best shot of doing it in my first attempt. I will have 2 build phases starting in January with some 5k, 10ks and a half marathons leading up to June. I'm excited to race in the local scene again - a lot of familiar names/faces are still racing and I can't wait to line up with them again like old times, with old legs and gray hair slowly starting to show.

So 2:40 before I'm 40. That's 6:06 / mile pace. Back to my first love. Let this new journey begin!

Thanks for reading -James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-13708917788323051422017-04-18T10:51:00.000-07:002017-04-18T10:56:36.970-07:00The Island

Juliet is almost 5 months! It's been SO fun watching her grow and develop. It's also been really eye-opening these past several months learning more about Down Syndrome.

We didn't know much about DS when we found out the day she was born. We were scared for the unknown and all we knew about it were all the "negatives" associated with it. The saddest thing we have learned is that our culture puts Down Syndrome on this island. An island where they want to detect it while in the womb so it gives the parents the option to abort. An island where the "hardships" and "challenges" of DS will take over the rest of your life. Speech problems, physical problems, health problems, developmental problems - it's looked at as such a burden and it's really really sad.

Let me tell you something. The island looks A LOT different than you think. The island is filled with an overwhelming amount of love. Our family has been transformed all because of this amazing girl. This is our fourth child and although our first three got a lot of oohh's and aahh's, nothing compares to the reaction she gets from strangers and friends that meet her. It's like she oozes with this indescribable love; a kind of love that we all seek and she has it radiating from her. We can't get enough of it!

We are finally seeing a shift in the way the world looks at DS. Instead of labeling them with a disability, we are starting to see that if you challenge them like any other kid, they will grow and develop just like any child. It is not scary - see for yourself! CLICK HERE.

We have been blessed with a healthy DS baby. We are fully aware of the road ahead but we also know that every child (and young adult) has it's challenges!

Love you Juliet, we are so lucky to have you in our family!James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-14093762776966588192017-03-22T14:11:00.000-07:002017-03-22T14:40:10.180-07:00Coaching

James Adams Coaching Services

I started coaching back in 2005 when my wife and I had moved to Boulder, CO for a short stint. It started out by just helping out a friend get to 2:30 in the marathon (he ran 2:33). It was amazing to remove myself from the performance aspect and put all of my energy and effort towards helping someone else succeed.

Fast forward 12 years and I am now head Cross Country and distance Track coach at local high school and I've had the opportunity to coach individual runners and triathletes of all ages trying to reach their goals. Whether that's a high school runner trying to make varsity, a triathlete trying to qualify for Kona, a runner trying to qualify for Boston or the Olympic trials or a non athlete trying to get into endurance sports - I've had great success with a wide range of athletes and would love to coach you!

Coaching philosophy: I've found that there are four things that help you reach your goals and without all four you are jeopardizing your full potential. I can help with all four:

1. Indivisualized Coaching
2. Mental Approach
3. Recovery
4. Nutrition

The only thing I require is that you are serious about your goals and honest with your feedback.

Email me at jwadams5k at hotmail.com for a free consultation. Prices have a range depending on your sport and goals.

*Local athletes surrounding the Temecula, CA area will have exclusive discounts with local endurance affiliated stores and the option of one-on-one coaching sessions.James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-7045205455592112782016-12-21T08:21:00.003-08:002016-12-21T08:21:52.333-08:00Foot Injury

Well so much for that marathon training....ha.

I thought I had a pretty conservative build up in my running which included a lot of double runs, rest days and easy running. Volume looked like this the past 9 weeks:

17 miles
18 miles
17 miles
29 miles
sick (2 weeks)
32 miles
39 miles
32 (was going to be 40)

The plan proved wrong as last Saturday, 2 miles into my long run I felt a bite on my left foot, except it wasn't a bug bite. I ended up walking all the way home and about 1/2 mile away from the house I had to have Amy come get me as the pain was over the top.

I thought I may have broken it but after four days of being off of it I don't think it's broken. I actually had a similar injury on the same foot years ago and was looking for that blog. I remember going to the doc and finding out it was actually a soleus injury related. Everything is connected and I think that's the source of the injury as I was just dealing with soleus issues about 6 weeks ago. So I'm just going to take this week off completely from running and swim/ride - which now confuses me even more...

As I mentioned last week, "the plan" was to just run in 2017 to free up as much time as possible for the family while still satisfying my competitive and fitness obsession. My new problem now is that after getting back in the water and on my bike, I forgot how much I enjoy the variety and disciplines. I'm seriously like an 18 year old kid that doesn't know what he wants in life haha. It's also a flashback to 2008 when I decided to get in shape again and train for a marathon, only to deal with injuries for 2 years and finally move over to triathlon. I might be rewinding the same story again.

So we'll see...Whether it's running or triathlon, I'm coming back to race in 2017 and really looking forward to it!

Our baby Juliet is doing really well and so is Amy. Amy, btw - pushed her out in 3 contractions like a #boss and was walking hours later. She's also excited to get back in running shape and start racing again so lots of fun/exciting Adams fitness goals in the house again - can't wait!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Kiddos seeing Santa

Stud

Little break from a 4 mile ride with the older ones!

Matching xmas socks

Our new angel, Juliet

James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-32407670505461940352016-12-12T13:23:00.000-08:002016-12-12T13:23:05.255-08:00Support

My full crew

Wow, what an overwhelming response Amy and I received from our family and friends after last week's post. As hard as it was the first few days, we are completely at peace about Juliet's diagnosis. We cannot wait to raise her with love and even more with the right tools for her to have a great life. DS has had some breakthroughs and Glen Doman has had a lot to do with it. We are quickly becoming a student and will provide our baby girl with the best environment to succeed.

I think she is already on the same page. About 50% of DS babies have heart conditions at birth, she doesn't. Almost all have trouble eating, she doesn't. Most DS newborns feel limp and lack strength, she's already lifting her head up and is strong. I can already tell she is a fighter and having her around the past two weeks has already changed Amy and I for the better. So much LOVE!

The support has also been amazing. Our church and mom's club have been so good to us, providing us with meals the past 2 weeks, offering to take the older kids and so much words of encouragement and love poured out. That's what a community is all about and a big reason why we moved back to Temecula; which by the way, has so many special needs programs - we are truly blessed.

Switching gears now -besides our baby girl, I also changed jobs about 3 months ago which has allowed me to work from home. This has improved my quality of life tenfold. The 2-3 hours of commuting everyday really had an affect on me both personally and athletically. I've basically been very inconsistent and gained a good 10-15 pounds over the past 2 years of no racing. Motivation would come and go and the job/driving demands played a big part of that.

Now that I'm working from home, I've been able to get back to my love of endurance sports. I've lost 7 pounds and am up to running 40 miles/week. Through all of the running - I've also discovered the love that I had for it in my hs/college/post college days. With 4 kids now, I've also noticed how much of a time saver it is to run as opposed to adding swimming and cycling to the mix.

So for 2017 I will focus solely on running. I may jump into a few triathlons but my main focus will be the marathon. I've never run an open marathon (in shape). Qualifying for Boston is definitely a bucket list but I also have some lofty goals with running that I will share as fitness progresses.

Right now it's all about a lot of short double runs to increase mileage safely minimizing injury and I could still lose another 10 pounds to get in marathon "race weight." So when you see me in about 6 months, I am not doing drugs -rather, a running addiction!

I added a Strava widget to the blog, feel free to follow along my fitness progression! Next week I'll share my race schedule. As always, thanks for reading :)James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-12000657646679385672016-12-05T10:36:00.000-08:002016-12-05T10:36:32.208-08:00A Gift

Juliet Faith

Amy and I were blessed with our 4th child, Juliet. She was born with Down Syndrome on Thanksgiving day. Her middle name is Faith. I don't normally get personal or religious in the social media world but I have no doubt that the name we had picked out long ago and the fact that she was born on Thanksgiving day was a gift from God. To be thankful and faithful that she will be healthy and have an amazing impact on others.

Amazing she is. She has brought many people to tears - even without them knowing of her diagnosis. Amy and I found out the next day by a very special pediatrician (whom we'll never forget) and we were brought to tears. Tears of the unknown. 1 out of 700 in the US are born with Down Syndrome - we are quickly finding out that we were one of the lucky ones.

Within one week, I have made drastic changes in my life. I have this new relentless desire to be a better person. Better at everything. I imagine she will do the same to everyone she meets.James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-16942316632638185582016-08-01T13:48:00.003-07:002016-08-01T13:51:21.951-07:00Different ApproachI'm 37 now and it's crazy to think that I've been competing (on and off) in endurance sports for almost 25 years! It's taken me this long to finally realize I've been doing it all wrong. Let me explain...

Bringing up the sun with Wattie Ink Punk!

If you relate my "strategy" in training/racing to playing poker - you could say that I've always been a very aggressive player. I've always taken training and racing so seriously to the point where it hurts me. Over-training, over-racing, over-thinking, caring too much, obsessed, etc. I've never just gone with the flow, put in the work and let the racing take care of itself. I've always put so much mental and physical energy into it which (looking back on it) has really wreaked havoc on my overall performance. Ask those that have trained with me in the past - they would probably say my performances don't always match up with the numbers I put up in training.

Well this time I'm approaching it all differently. I'm going to just put in the work and let my progression happen naturally instead of forcing it like I have in the past. I have such a peace while I'm out training now. I'm not obsessed with numbers, what race I'm going to do next, whether I'm doing too much or too little. It's actually making the sport fun again.

My progression is going slower then I'd like which is expected. I've lost a whopping 1/2 pound - most of that is because I lost like every muscle in my body - so I know I'm losing fat and gaining muscle so I'm cool with that. Right now I'm running 3-4 days/wk and riding 2-3 day/wk. I'm just going through the painful process of working out scar tissue from years of abuse and just dealing with feeling generally horrible in training which is also normal those first few months back.

Waking up early to train definitely has its perks. The smell of summer mornings, hot air balloons rising up into the air and the sun rising up over the beautiful Temecula foothills. It starts the day with a smile and an appreciation that I am still sweating and breathing hard 25 years later.

My son and I watching motorcycles and monster trucks!

Crush & Brew...Yum

James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-49990804800597401272016-07-26T16:02:00.003-07:002016-07-26T16:02:41.967-07:00Grind

Temecula Winery Views :)

Well I'm about three weeks back into consistent training and I'm FINALLY starting to feel good, especially with running. Most of my weekdays consist of an early 5am wake up call so I can squeeze in a ride or run before my busy day starts.

5am is early no matter how you swing it but when you are motivated and excited about the sport again, it's a lot easier to get up. That's why I know this is for real this time. I get excited with every little improvement I'm seeing. Historically, I can usually get back into shape pretty quickly although I am now 37 years old and not in my early 30's the last time I did this (get fat/out of shape). Regardless, I'm only two years removed from being in the best triathlon shape of my life and I really can't wait to toe the line to race again. I'm targeting a little sprint race down in Mission Bay in October to make the comeback complete and then I will build into winter and go big with training to set myself up for a good 2017 season.

In the meantime, I'm really enjoying the summer with friends and family. All Star Game, Monster Trucks, Del Mar Fair, golf, BBQ's, Temecula wineries and of course great beer. Cheers!

The kids and I on MLB network with Harold!

Trying some new brews

Sweet boy Bo

James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-30384742544589207532016-07-18T10:17:00.000-07:002016-07-18T10:17:21.653-07:00Motivation arrives on its own termsWow, started this blog six years ago - so many good memories and I am SO glad I documented all of the good times both in life and sport. I am committing to blog again once/week to document my comeback to the sport - which I have found helps keep the motivation at a high level.

Most of you that follow the blog here (or when it was at Kona Journey) know that I've taken the past two years off of competing. I've had random "comebacks" or big blocks of training only to fall off for months at a time. The motivation would come and go just like the weeks would. I don't blame it on kids or jobs or anything but the desire just wasn't there. I poured my heart & soul into triathlon for a good four years and wouldn't take it back. Sure, it's only triathlon - why so intense? Well, I think it's very healthy for someone to have a passion for something other than work. It makes you feel alive, gives you other goals/accomplishments, camaraderie and the ability to compete - which often times dies after we are all grown up.

Well, looking back on it all being two years wiser...ha - I may have been a little too invested in what I was doing and with such HIGH expectations. Ironman CDA broke my heart, like big time. You put so much time and energy into something and when you fail, it's very hard to deal with. My solution was to walk away because I had zero desire to get in the water, on my bike or lace up ever again. I was done putting so much time into something with little returns. I have always been extremely hard on myself which didn't help my cause, especially with that being my FIRST Ironman.

However, looking back on it all - the journey is what made it all so special and I really miss creating the memories that I now look back on with such a warm heart. Training and competing makes me happy. I'm a happier person when sport is in my life. So what to do? Duuuuh, get back to work!

For me, motivation had to arrive on its own terms. I tried to force the issue many times the past two years with no luck. Well it's back and this time going in - I'm a lot wiser in so many areas both in my mental and training approach. I've had some consistency which I haven't seen in quite some time and I'm already looking at some races that I can start focusing on.

I thought about reaching out to some coaches but I have decided to be self-coached for now. The biggest thing about coaching is everybody is so unique and it takes years for a coach to really understand what works for an athlete so that they perform at their best. I am very aware of what works for me. To start my main focus is to consistently ride and run (very little swimming), lose the 10 pounds I've gained these past two years and slowly work my way into a "serious" training regimen. Summed up:

1. Ride/run consistently
2. Clean up diet
3. Less beer in my life (this will cause outrage with friends)
4. Have fun

I'm really looking forward to coming back to a sport that won my heart (even more then running). As always, thanks for reading and excited to start my new journey.

James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-54672353794444580532015-12-01T15:43:00.003-08:002015-12-01T15:43:52.287-08:00Climbing back into shape

Getting back into shape has been fun and miserable. I still think I'm in this phenomenal shape and I end up getting back from a workout all shaky and wiped out. I'm just taking things slow (literally) until I get my legs and lungs back.

I have to admit though, I've been having fun with it again. For now I'm just riding and running for the next month and then I'll start getting into the water again. Juggling a new business, my career, two kids, a baby and a wife is no joke! I just prioritize each day and do my best to get things done. So lots of climbing, big gear work, trainer work, easy jogs with some pick ups for now. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

San Diego proved perfect weather over the holiday weekend that included a family hike, a ferry and lunch to Coronado and the family hosted at our place. Such a fun weekend, love this time of year.

Me and baby Bo

Thanksgiving!

Coronado is beautiful in every way, cheers!

James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-84438145176189149092015-11-23T09:36:00.000-08:002015-11-23T09:36:57.142-08:00Come BackWow, 52,000 hits to this blog since I started it up back almost exactly five years ago. A lot has happened in those five years!

Getting into triathlon and losing 40 pounds

Having 2 kids!

Getting on inaugural 2012 Wattie Ink Team

Qualifying for Ironman 70.3 World Championships

Writing my "Kona Journey" for LAVA magazine

Racing my first Ironman

Work promotion

Having baby #3

Taking a year off of triathlon

Starting Endurance Camps

Getting back into shape.

So this is the next chapter. After taking a year off of triathlon to focus on baby #3 and to recharge mentally and physically - it's time to get back into shape. I've decided to document my road back through the blog that started it all. I've learned it keeps me extremely motivated, allows me to get my thoughts down and almost act as a life journal and simply, I enjoy writing.

To start, I'm back racing for the best team in triathlon, Wattie Ink.

Click on the picture and "like" the team page

Being associated with this team for the past five years has been such an amazing experience. I've made life long friends and have seen the brand grow in such a big way - so fun to be a part of.

Here's the 2015 roster line-up:

Lots of new faces but I have no doubt that team manager (and my former coach Flanny) put together the best team yet. It's been so cool to see him and Wattie shape this team into what it is today. 2016 is going to be a great year!

As far as training goes, it's all about baby steps right now. For the past year I've just been randomly training. Little bit of swimming and running but mostly biking just to stay in decent shape. I still gained 10 pounds from the inactivity and pretty much let go of all of the great fitness I had for the past five years. That's OK though - since it hasn't been THAT long, I know it will come back fast. It already has, I've already lost the 10 pounds I've gained and looking to build on some fitness for the rest of 2015 and then really start hitting the ground running in 2016.

2016 will mostly be Sprint/Olympic distances with a slight chance of Ironman 70.3 Arizona at the end of the year to qualify for 2017 WC's. I have to admit, it's been REALLY nice to take this time off - I was really burned out. I feel like I've matured in a huge way with the time off and I just look at triathlon with such a different outlook now. With a new head on my shoulders, I'm excited to see what 2016 and beyond have in store for me. Thanks for following along, means a lot :)

James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-51160591827678425042015-07-30T09:16:00.000-07:002015-07-30T09:16:21.271-07:00Endurance Camps

I seem unable to get away from multi-sport! After trying to make a comeback from running, I found myself injured often and remembered why I got into multi-sport in the first place! So I'm back swimming, biking and running again and so far, doing it healthy. No plans of racing quite yet....However, I started a new business. Endurance Camps. I plan on changing the way camps are done throughout the US. Follow along at the blog over there!

Also, like us at:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

If you're a coach and have experience running camps, we are looking for you (paid position)! Please submit your resume at firstname.lastname@example.com

I will continue to update this site occasionally with training and MAYBE a little racing.
James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-9004479818682598722015-05-13T10:25:00.002-07:002015-05-13T10:26:09.386-07:00Baby Steps

Throw back to the Dirt Dog Series

For the past five years, I've dedicated a big part of my life to triathlon. I never thought I would slip back into "out-of-shape James." Multi-sport just becomes who you are, your identity and your lifestyle. Looking back on it, I ask myself what made me completely stop and walk away? I think it was a multitude of things. Burnout, job promotion, accomplishing goals, boredom, time constraints - the list could keep going but I think those are the big ones. It all happened naturally too. After my Ironman, I felt like I did everything I wanted to do in the sport. Sure, I wanted to go to Kona, but after IMCDA I realized I didn't really...As soon as I finished, I felt complete, I felt closure and I all of the sudden didn't care about the result but how much stronger of a person it made me.

It wasn't by plan to stop completely though. I took a few weeks off, swam & ran a few times but it just didn't feel the same. Still tired I thought, wait a few weeks. Eventually I figured it out that I had no more interest in competing at triathlon at a high level (using that term loosely). Fast forward eight months and here we are! Time to see how fast I can get in running now. I'm definitely taking baby steps in getting back in shape. I've been greeted with a ton of scar tissue, calf aches/pains and soreness from years of running and then the past five years of triathlon abuse. I'm being patient though, trying to avoid injury and lose some weight so I can actually start running without an extra 10-15 pounds hitting the pavement.

My coach has me doing a lot of sprints and fartleks to inject some speed back into my legs. Something I haven't seen since my collegiate / post collegiate days. I'm starting to find out that there is some life still in there. And as out of shape I am, I'm still seeing 4 mile tempo runs at 6:20 pace which is no where near I want to be, but right now - ahead of schedule.

I imagine I'll be hitting the track this summer at USATF's all comer's track meets in San Diego. This should be a blast. Just a great chance to get on the track, have some fun and use them as little workouts for the big picture. Fall will be the Dirt Dog Series which is basically the local adult cross country season. I haven't raced these races since I first started getting back into shape, back in 2010, even blogged about them back then HERE. Fun to look back on those old blogs of getting back into shape. It's almost the same story right now as I read them. Calf issues, loosing weight, being upset with results...haha. Some things don't change! The cool thing about this go around is I'm so much more mature now and have such a better head on my shoulders. I was impatient and cared way to much about results and sponsors instead of just living in the moment and progressing mentally and physically as an athlete.

I'm excited for things to come. Bo (baby #3) is due an day now. Track season begins next month. I live in the heart of San Diego. Life is good.
James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-51701645418597422292015-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:002015-05-07T15:00:40.950-07:00I'm back!Wow, what a break this was. My last post was IMCDA in July of last year - can't believe it took me that long to blog again. To be honest, I can't believe I AM blogging again here. I convinced myself that I was done with endurance sports and Love the Hurt. A lot has happened since my last post. I needed a break from it ALL. I got way to wrapped up into triathlon and both my mind and body needed this break. So what have I done this whole time?

1. Sold my Slice, bought an EVO
2. Sold our home in Temecula and live back in San Diego now.
3. Baby #3 is due in 2 weeks!
4. I drank a lot of delicious craft beer.
5. I gained 15 pounds (see #4).
6. I've swam maybe 10 times since IMCDA with half of those within the past few months.
7. My riding habits are sporadic, but when I do ride, I sure love that EVO.
8. My running has been a roller coaster. 1 month off, 1 month on, 2 months off, 1 week on...etc
9. I raced the Ragnar Relay in April.
10. I hired a running coach three weeks ago and am going "all in" to see what I can do in running.

So here I am, back blogging. I shut down "Kona Journey" and transferred all those blogs over here so I apologize for all the pictures missing from basically all of last year. I did go back and insert IMCDA pics though, that one was special to me. I've told a lot of my friends that I am a stronger person from that race. Even though it didn't pan out like I expected, I overcame so much during those 11 hours and now I take that race with me in everyday life. When I feel like something is hard, I fall back on that race. It made me a better man and I am thankful I went through that experience.

Now what? Time to run! Who says you still can't run fast in your 30's?? I love to compete and I happen to be good at running, so why waste that? The long-term goal is to break 2:30 in the marathon. It may come quick, it may take some time but I want to break it as badly as I wanted to break 4 minutes in the mile 12 years ago. It's going to be a gradual build - first thing is to get some speed back on the track. Mile, 5k, 10k most of the rest of this year with maybe a half marathon at the end of the year.

Not going to lie. Getting back into shape sucks. Carrying around this extra weight and trying to get my running legs underneath me without being sore ALL THE TIME is brutal. But I know it's part of the process. It's one of the reasons why I hired my coach. He's big on the mental approach which I love and believe in. I already know how to coach myself and what workouts to do to get me fast but it's so important to introduce new training methodologies and have a coach to hold yourself accountable - which is exactly what he is doing, good stuff.

Well, thanks for reading - I plan on posting each week like I always have. This blog has been so cool to be able to look back on. I got a message months ago that told me my blog helped someone quit drugs and get into triathlon. It absolutely blew my mind. Words are powerful. Be bold and share your story, you never know who it might impact or inspire.

James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-27624518304631240722014-07-09T02:40:00.000-07:002015-05-07T14:14:34.791-07:00Ironman Coeur d'Alene Race Report3200 miles were driven and 140.6 miles were raced and it will go down as the two best weeks of my life. Granted, I did not qualify for Kona but as many of my friends and team mates have pointed out, the journey is what made the whole experience special, not necessarily the race and it is so true. Even my dream wedding and honeymooning in Australia for two weeks 10 years ago did not compare to the epic road trip I did with my wife and two kids topped off with a "dreamlike" vacation from the vacation in Las Vegas with some amazing people. Wow. Where to begin! Since this is a triathlon blog, I'll stick to the race...

We left Wednesday night to stay in Vegas for a night to avoid the dreaded SoCal traffic. We then headed to Park City, UT the next day to stay with some friends and get a quick glimpse of the beautiful mountain resort town. Thursday we drove to Yellowstone, saw Old Faithful and then drove to Missoula, MT for the night. Between Montana and Yellowstone, we saw some of the most beautiful parts of this country I've ever seen and I've been to every state except five. Breathtaking! Friday we finally arrived in Coeur d'Alene and although it was beautiful it didn't compare to what we just witnessed the day before! The city of Coeur d'Alene seemed like the whole good side of the street/bad side of the street. We were very unimpressed until we got around the resort and Ironman check-in area which was amazing.

Friday and Saturday was very low key. Check in, pre-workouts and getting around were very easy and simple. I was able to spend a lot of time napping, hydrating and staying off my feet. Come Saturday night I felt very rested and very hungry to leave it all out there the next day.

2.4 mile swim: 1:21:02 (2:05/100 yd pace) 141 out of 316 in AG

The day before the race I swam in the lake Coeur d'Alene choppy waters and wasn't so concerned. I've swam many times in Vail lake (local) which is always choppy and over the past month I've swam at La Jolla cove which can also be choppy. Well race day the wind was kicking pretty good. I actually laughed out loud when I saw the lake. We basically had to swim straight into it, make the turn home and then do it again. I told Flanny the day before that if he saw a 1:15 swim split to not be alarmed because I knew it was going to be a slow swim and I was not going to fight through it and potentially ruin my race. It was a "self-seeded" start so I ended up going in the second wave (1:00-1:15) group. There's no delay in between the waves, it's just a rolling start. It was definitely the most violent swim I've been in. Between getting a shiner on my forehead, swam over, and knocked around. I also had trouble siting -- whenever I tried a wave was blocking the buoys. I've learned over the past 4 years of doing triathlons that the best way to get through these kind of swims is to just relax, not force it and actually just smile. So that's what I did. Just took the punches and swam as strong as I could.

I hit the first lap in 36 minutes and was on pace to break 1:15. I was pretty disoriented when I got out of the water to make the turn to go back in. The waves and chop can really make you dizzy. I definitely felt the fatigue going into the current again on the second lap and could tell my pace dropped. I just did my best to get through it and not get overly concerned about it. I knew historically if you swam around 1:15 you still have a shot of a Kona slot. When I saw 1:20 on my Garmin when I came out, I just knew it was time to get to work and figured with my run - a 1:20 wouldn't take me out of the race.

T1: 4:46

First time experiencing the whole Ironman tent changing room. The volunteers were amazing. Got me out of my suit, my bike bag, sun screened me up, went pee #1 of the day and I was on my way.

112 mile bike/4500ft of climbing: 5:42 (AVG 19.6 mph) 46th in AG

The temperature was actually perfect. I went with no arm warmers and felt great. It was the wind that hurt me. It seemed like it continued to pick up momentum as the bike went on. Strong winds for my slender frame really took me out of the race. Based off of the last 8 months of using power, Flanny and I decided 190NP was going to be my magic number to ride a 5:00-5:15 bike split. With all of the intervals, hills, long days, short days etc...we had no doubt that the bike would be a huge advantage for me and I'd be able to run off the bike holding that power and crush this course. Well I held 189NP and rode 5:42 haha. You can check out data HERE. The only variable we couldn't factor in was the wind. I stayed very aero the whole race and did my best to fight through that wind but it just ended up being a day that favored the power riders. The ones that didn't get blown over by the wind on the bike and the ones that could power through the chop in the swim. HOWEVER. I still felt like I was in the race. My biggest maturity in triathlon over the past few years is that I learned times mean nothing in triathlon. There are so many variables in long course that your S,B,R times really don't mean anything nor do they tell the story of the race.

So I just kept eating and drinking, nailing my nutrition plan. I peed three times on the bike and never felt hungry or thirsty. I finally started feeling my efforts for the day right at mile 100. I fought to stay at 190 watts for the last 10 miles which tells me that Flanny's plan was spot on. Hard enough to question whether or not I could run off the bike but no cramping, GI issues or dreading the run. Even coming in at 5:42, I had a feeling that a lot of people's splits were slow so I still didn't throw in the towel, I knew I had work to do!

T2: 3:13

Again, the volunteers were awesome. Found my bag right away, slipped on my shoes, took another pee and off I went!

26.2 mile run/1500ft of climbing: 3:43 (AVG 8:31 pace) 36th in AG

Again, after months of training data - Flanny and I decided that 7:15 pace was going to be the magic number for me. Data found HERE. I got off the bike and that first mile felt a little bit weird. It just took some time to get my running legs off of me. I carried a flask of nutrition and just sipped on it while refueling it at each aid station with whatever sounded good. After the first mile, 7:15's became effortless and I knew I was going to have a good run. I just stayed on top of my nutrition, picked a stronger runner ahead of me in the distance and just worked my way up to them for the pass while staying on my own pace. It's a 2 loop course, basically go through a neighborhood, up the long hill and back x2.

The first lap (1/2 marathon) I was enjoying myself. Smiles, giving some fist bumps to the awesome house parties going on and just clicking off the miles. As I went through the first loop I saw my family, gave them a wave and saw that I clicked off a 1:34 half. Right on pace! Then like almost clock work the next mile I started getting some serious taste fatigue. Everything I tried to eat or drink I just spit it out. I tried drinking a lot of water and eating some pretzels to rinse my palate like I was drinking wine or something but with no such luck! I just gradually started bonking. Whenever I tried to force food down I felt like I wanted to puke. Not because of GI issues but because of the sweet food/taste fatigue I had going on. Everything was just gross. Sweet, salty - didn't matter. So my great pace eventually turned into a slow jog. I just did my best to keep form and stay positive. Those last 6 miles ended up being one of the toughest things I've ever been through. I was so stubborn and refused to walk and just forced myself through it.

Ironman isn't easy. These past several months haven't been easy. So when I arrived to that long finish chute it was almost like my mind just replayed pictures and videos of all of the good and bad in my life leading up to this race. I choked up big time. When you are in a lot of pain you become very vulnerable. With each step and high five I gave heading into the finish I was very proud of myself. Not just of the race but the entire "Kona Journey" that I've been on over the past year. It took every ounce of discipline mentally and physically to get there and even though it hurt that I did not qualify, when I crossed that finish line - that wasn't what was on my mind. My family was there and as I looked at their faces with watery eyes, I looked up into the sky and became an Ironman.

Final Result: 10:55:01, 36th in AG, 161st overall.

Thank you all for the amazing kind words and encouragement; this was truly an experience that I will never forget.

Thanks for reading-

James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-35260734191483959232014-06-24T07:08:00.000-07:002014-08-14T09:10:39.846-07:00Final ThoughtsYou always hear people say how fast time flies. Ironman training has been in full effect since January and I can tell you first hand that the time DID NOT fly by. It wasn't easy by any means and these last six months took everything I had both physically and mentally. I'm running on fumes and I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally toe the line and then cross that finish line next week at Ironman Coeur d' Alene. The time discipline I've had to exercise over the past few months has been beyond difficult but I managed to get through it.
Here's my workout totals since January (25 weeks):

Swim: 187,643 yards / Avg: 7,505 yards/week

Bike: 2,825 miles / Avg: 113 miles/week

Run:  563 / Avg: 22.5 miles/week

Average weekly hours training: 12.3 hrs/week

So for your typical Kona qualifier hopeful, this doesn't seem like a lot of volume. However, the quality is what has been important. Juggling family/work life with training hasn't been easy but I go into this race very confident in my abilities and still think I have a shot at qualifying as long as I execute perfectly. So how do I qualify? Well, historically at IMCDA a 9:30-9:45 in the 35-39 AG and/or top 5 will get you the beloved KQ not to mention a spot on the podium. How does that break down for me? I debated whether or not to post this, but I've let you all in on my journey, I may as well put myself out there and share what Flanny and I think I am capable of (as long as everything goes right - which I understand is the hardest thing about Ironman!).

2.4 mile swim goal time: 1:05-1:10 (1:32-1:39 pace). With the rolling start last year, IMCDA saw really fast times. I've done a lot of open water swims leading up and even a 4000 yd straight swim which showed me I'm more than capable of swimming in this timeframe.

112 mile bike: 5:00-5:10 (21-22mph). Course has 6k of climbing which really suits my strengths. Goal is to hold 190 watts (NP). Over the past several months I've held 190-200 watts (NP) for 5-6 hour rides and finished with a solid run with no problem. As long as I can stay true to my plan on the hills and not burn any matches, I should be capable of this kind of ride.

26.2 mile run: 3:10-3:15 (7:15-7:30 pace). So Flanny's magic number for me is 7:15's. As easy as it is on tired legs in training, I've never duplicated it for 26 miles after a long day. As long as I fuel properly and absolutely go beyond my comfort zone - 7:15's should absolutely be possible for me.

Total time ~9:30-9:45

It always comes down to the run in Ironman. Doesn't matter how fast you swim or how well you ride, can you execute a marathon on tired legs? A lot of that comes with your ability to suffer on the run. It can be learned but there is no doubt that the true runners have a huge advantage in Ironman. I'm hoping to utilize it.

Are these high expectations for my first Ironman? Not if you have prepared properly and I believe I have. We'll find out on Sunday! You can track me Bib #174 at Ironman.com

I want to really thank my beautiful wife Amy for really supporting me through this process. It hasn't been easy for her either. I get a lot of credit for being able to juggle all that I do but there's no doubt that she does SO MUCH. She really sacrificed a lot so I could train and fulfill this dream I have had and she never complained once. I am truly lucky to have her and couldn't do any of this or be the man I am without her.

I want to thank Flanny again for EVERYTHING. You can read about it HERE. Also thanks to James Walsh who also played a big part of me being competitive in triathlon.

I want to thank Wattie and all my Wattie Ink teammates for the crazy amount of support, fun and family environment you've given me. #OG

Thanks to Wattie Sponsors: Herbalife, Powerbar, Reynolds, Blueseventy, Spidertech, Rudy Project, ISM, Speedfil, 10 Barrel Brewing, TriBike Transport, 454 Tattoo, Hypoxic, Rev3 and Wildflower.

Thanks to my personal sponsors: The Bike Shop (thanks for everything Rick!), SRM, e21, SportMulti.

And lastly, thanks to all that have followed along on my journey. Whether it be on this site, Kona Journey, at Lava Magazine or years prior to this at Love the Hurt. I've had so many messages, emails and voices of support over the years and I can't thank you enough for it.

TIME TO RACE!

 James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-2386507093982905272014-06-20T01:43:00.000-07:002014-08-14T09:10:39.833-07:00Guest Post II: Coach Robert "Flanny" FlaniganBefore I get to coach Flanny's blog post, I think it's important to try to explain in writing how physically and emotionally hard it was to finally arrive here. In reading Flanny's post I had to fight back tears. He went WAY above and beyond what a typical coach does for you. He held my hand though the thick and thin. Took my calls and texts from different time zones to make sure I was alright. You see, I've never been much of an emotional person. I've always been really grounded and strong (so I thought). Ironman training has changed that in me. It's broken me to pieces, it's forced me to get back on my feet and it's left me standing tall and proud whether I have a good race or not.

There's always been this emotional wall I've put up my whole life. Every ridiculous hard workout Flanny threw at me when I was physically and emotionally drained from training, career and life – slowly broke down that wall. "Why an Ironman?" is the question I've been asked so often leading up to this race. This is why. It's been life changing and turned me into a better man. A man that falls down and gets back on his feet holding a stronger ground day in and day out.

It truly has been a journey that I will never forget.

Guest Blog post: Coach Robert "Flanny" Flanigan, Owner - Central Virgina Endurance and Black Dragon Racing.
www.centralvirginiaendurance.com
www.facebook.com/blackdragonracing.com

With just a few days until the gun fires at the 2014 edition of Ironman Coeur d'Alene I wanted to step back to reflect and comment on the preparation James has put in since the decision to pursue Ironman was made late in 2013.

From the very beginnings of the preparation for this season, one concept was reinforced to James almost every time we spoke. The concept of consistency. The season needed to be looked at as a very long book with each of the pages being individual workouts, each chapter being a cycle (block), and the entire book being the work done to prepare for race day. Success or failure would not be determined by the individual pages of the book, but would be determined by the overall volume of the book. Getting the workouts in day after day, making the right decisions, and being consistent would be the keys to unlocking the physiological adaptations needed to accomplish the goals James had set.

For those familiar with James and his personal situation, consistency would not prove to be as easy as it sounds. As a committed family man, businessperson, and lastly an athlete the life demands took a toll on James throughout the process. This is where the value of the coach-athlete relationship comes into play and makes a huge impact. Coaching is not about training plans. Any educated and intelligent person can eventually throw together workouts and call it a training plan. It's everything else that makes up coaching. Helping an athlete navigate the insanity that can be life while staying on track to achieve peak performance and meet their goals. The preparation period for this race threw everything it had at James ranging from illness and unexpected lows to career advancement and unexpected highs. James and I stayed very closely connected throughout the entire process and were able to course correct when the currents of life tried to push us off course. The result was the consistency I had hoped for and preached since the start. Did we get to fill the book with as many pages as I had hoped or expected? Not really but we did get in all the key parts of each chapter, all the chapters, and the book is now complete. We have indeed seen the adaptations we had hoped we would see leading into his first Ironman.

James will be entering this race in the best form and fitness he has ever been in, injury free, strong, fast, and most importantly with the support of his loving family. I cannot tell you how refreshing it has been to work with someone so fully committed to his family. In this sport I see many people willing to sacrifice so much to succeed and many times those that suffer most are the athlete's family. While the goals James had set for himself were of great importance to him there was no question as to what sacrifices we would make in his preparation. Family always came first and we were all in agreement with that expectation. The sweaty hugs at the finish line will truly be a team celebration as they all took this journey together.

When James gets into those chilly waters at the start, he can do so knowing he is fully prepared to race Ironman and his only job is to execute his race plan, stay dynamic and adjust to the demands of the day, and enjoy the end of a long and rewarding journey. James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-25382255349334602032014-06-05T07:56:00.000-07:002014-08-14T09:10:39.757-07:00Good Days, Bad DaysRight now the bad days are definitely out weighing the good days but I'm trying not to let it get to me. I've accepted the fact that there will be days that I can't train. At first it really brought me down in the dumps. Training has a snowball effect on my brain for some reason. If I miss one day of training I am completely UNmotivated to train the next day (which you think the opposite would happen) and I just get depressed about the sport and convince myself I am out of shape and slow. On the flip side, whenever I have a good session or even better - 2 or 3 workouts in a day (rare lately), I can't wait to get up and train and my confidence is through the roof! Anyone else have this issue? It's been a battle with me over the past month to look at the big picture and not sweat a forced day off and realize that I have a great base under me and it's all about getting sharp and fast for IMCDA.

Deep down inside I know that I'm in great shape and that I'm capable of having a great race. It's going to be all about executing and learning as I go since this is my first IM. I'm really looking forward to traveling with the family and racing. Lately I've been spending maybe 30 minutes a/day with them M-F and it is killing me. I know the end is near and I can't wait to race and then taking a break away from triathlon. That break may be one month to get the house sold/buy another and then build into IM Worlds 70.3 in Canada or that break may be for 15 years so I can focus all of my energy and attention towards my family. I know it'll be possible to balance triathlon and life once I eliminate my long commute but I'm not sure if I want to do that. I may just buy a road bike and be a roadie for awhile, do some cyclocross or maybe see if I can pop a sub 2:30 marathon - who knows.

Here's a summary of last week's training which was pretty light but it was all I could do with such a busy week. I'm just going to post totals - don't think anyone was interested in specific workouts!

Totals (2 swims, 2 rides, 3 runs)
Swim: 6,500 yds /2:17
Bike: 93 miles / 6:04
Run: 26 miles / 4:00
Total hours: 12:20

Questions / Comments always appreciated!
James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-28542669423687687362014-05-30T03:18:00.000-07:002014-08-14T09:10:39.722-07:00Life ChangesYou never know when things in life are going to change. So often you have your whole year planned out to the week (especially as triathletes) and then something happens and you have to make adjustments. In my case, it's going to be major adjustments as I just received a big job promotion. I purposely don't discuss work much on this blog but with my position before I was able to work from home 2-3 days a week and get the job done. Well now my responsibilities have doubled and I manage a team now which requires me to be in the office every day and make the 100 mile commute each day. Needless to say, this has put a damper on my Ironman build and even more so on my family time.

My situation before allowed me the time, sleep and energy I needed to train properly for my best race at IMCDA and ultimately fulfill my dream of qualifying and racing at Kona. I posted on Facebook a few weeks ago that I am devastated about not fulfilling my dreams in triathlon (which are qualifying for Kona and winning a major AG race) but beyond excited about my "real life" dreams which comes along with this promotion that is going to allow me to support my family, travel and live more comfortably. It's also going to mean that we will most likely be moving back to San Diego this summer which is also something we are really excited about. My Facebook post was misinterpreted and a lot of my friends thought I was giving up on the sport completely. That may or may not be the case, I don't know yet and the good news is I don't have to decide it right now. After IMCDA, I will definitely take a break to get my house sold, buy a new one, get settled in aT work and actually spend some time with my family!

Right now I am spending about 1.5 hrs a day M-F with my wife and kids and I HATE it. However, I know it's just a short term run so I am giving it my best in my build towards IMCDA and my family is on board. I've worked way to hard to this point to just put up the white flag and race half-assed. It's taken awhile to make the adjustments to the new work schedule while still getting in some quality hours of training. My targeted 20 hrs/week with adequate sleep and rest has been replaced with 12-16 hr/weeks with little sleep and 100+ miles of commuting each day. Not ideal, but I have to make it work for just another month.

As far as training goes, I feel a little bit like I did in my Ironman 70.3 Worlds build from last year. Just really tired legs, digging deep constantly and mentally challenging. The biggest thing that has suffered is my swim. I'm only able to get in the water two MAYBE three times a week and usually it's swimming alone which is not ideal for me but I'm just trying to limit my loses there. I've been getting in my long rides consistently each week and mileage seems to stay consistent around the 150 mile range. Ideally, that would be 200, but again - making it work. As far as running goes, this is the only sport I feel really good about right now. We've been incorporating a lot of long runs, tempo sessions and brick runs. I actually ran 40 miles last week which is the most I've done in about five years.

So my outlook on my chances at qualifying are now pretty slim. I already knew I had to execute perfectly in order to put myself in position to qualify and everything was on track until my time available to train/sleep changed. The good news now though is there is no pressure to perform. I'll just go to battle and give it everything I have and be content with the result either way. I may surprise myself and pull it off, who knows. I'm starting to learn over my 35 years of being alive to finally take each day by day and minute to minute. I've always been so future focused and failing to live in the moment - to train in the moment and I believe that's helped me.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate all of the support!James Adamshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-88972177013005977372014-05-12T02:08:00.000-07:002014-08-14T09:10:39.532-07:002014 Wildflower 70.3 Race ReportEach sore step I took this week was a welcome reminder of a great race I had at Tri Cal Event's - Wildflower last weekend. It was my first podium at a major 70.3 race and I did it on what many consider the hardest 70.3 on the circuit. Even better, we trained right through this race (other than the last few days leading up) and I still put out more power on the bike and in my opinion a better race than Ironman Oceanside 70.3 which was only a short month before Wildflower. As I mentioned in my last blog, I was going to take some risks in this one - mainly swimming harder and riding aggressively.

After racing Wildflower two years ago, Amy and I brought the kids who; were at the time 2 & 3. Needless to say it was a little stressful, especially when you're tent camping. So this year we decided for me to just go up solo which can get lonely, but as soon as I arrived I was greeted with a beer and my great Wattie Ink team mates. The team has really become a second family to me and it reminds me a lot of when I raced in college. You get to experience the work hard, play hard dynamic together and you become closer because of it.

Friday ended up being in the 100's so we tried to check in and rest as much as possible in hopes that it would cool down the next day. Part of that was going to the new swim start. For those of you that don't know, Lake San Antonio (where the usual swim start is) dried up so they had to move it 2 miles down and add another run/transition. So even though it was still a 70.3 it went like this: 1.2M swim, T1a, 2.2 mile run, T1b, 56 mile bike, T2, 10.9 mile run. I personally thought it favored the strong runners and those quick in transition. The new swim venue was still beautiful but the boat ramp was not. It was a VERY steep grade coming out of the water which for me is when my heart rate is at its highest! Even though it wasn't your typical triathlon, I love what the race director from Tri Cal Events said in the race packet about how the point of a triathlon is the challenge and adventure that comes with it! I feel like the course change totally fit in with the whole novelty of what Wildflower has to offer. You never know what you are going to get in this race with the winds, heat and rambunctious volunteers - I thought it added a lot of character to the race and will go down as one of my favorite race experiences ever! Now, to the race.

Swim: 1.2 miles, 31:52 (AVG 1:30/100yd) - 41st out of the water

It was a standing start so after each wave we had a few minutes to warm up in the now very silty/churned up water. I lined up in the second row, right side which was a direct shot to the first buoy about 200 yards out. The goal was to just go out fairly hard (not sprint) and then RACE the swim. I've always been so concerned about swimming too hard or kicking too much and having it affect my bike and/or race. This time I went in with the confidence that I'm fit enough to recover from a hard swim and still race well. When I raced the mile (1500) in college, the hardest lap was always the 3rd lap. Often times you'd fall asleep until you hear that bell (last) lap. It's easy to lose focus on the race and I've felt the same way with long course swimming. I'd settle in, get too comfortable and then pick it up towards the end sacrificing critical time for a triathlete where swimming is the weakness. So for Wildflower I forced myself to stay "on it" and swim hard the entire way. It worked and I managed to get out of the water in a decent time.

T1a: As soon as you got out of the water you had to go fetch your transition bag from a self made area on a large uphill boat ramp. I found an easy to find spot next to a sign and had no issues. I dried my feet off and put on my first pair of running shoes and headed up the boat ramp and onto the first run course.

Run #1: 2.2 miles, 14:30 (AVG 6:35)

Even though the results show an overall run time, I got all my splits on my Garmin. Flanny and I planned to just cruise through this section. Just get some blood in the legs for the bike and not burn any matches. 6:35's on fresh legs for me is definitely cruise mode and the planned work because I passed a lot of those fish and by the time I made it to T1b I put myself in good position and actually came to a rack filled with bikes!

Bike 56 miles (3k elevation): 2:40 (AVG 20.9mph) 6th fastest bike split in AG
Power file HERE

I can always tell if I'm going to have good legs on the bike within the first few miles. In this case those first few miles are straight uphill at Wildflower. I just stayed patient and under the prescribed 250 watts that Flanny prescribed me for the uphill's and then I went to work. The bike course is exactly like riding in my backyard. Lots of cross winds, beat up roads and some hills. I just did my best to eat a lot, hydrate as much as possible and again "stay on it." About 45 minutes into the course I saw my friend/team mate Dusty Nabor. As soon as I passed him I told him to come with me. Little did I know, he did! After navigating through some traffic and some wind it was time to climb "Nasty Grade." Those nice cross winds go away and you just bake going up this hill. It isn't necessarily a tough hill and for me it was welcoming so I could get out of aero position and stretch out a bit. A few minutes went by and Dusty came up on me and said "what's up man?" Nobody had passed me the whole ride so it startled me a bit. I grinned and was stoked he was right there with me. I asked him what place he thought he was out of the water and he said like 6 or 7. I knew we were in position to podium so we agreed to work together and legally we did so for the last 10 miles which in my opinion are the hardest and there's no doubt we rode harder with each other pushing it.

T2: 1:32

I had a very weird experience of getting to T2 with hardly any bikes! I headed out on the run in 8th place.

Run 10.9 miles: 1:18 (AVG 7:09) 3rd fastest run split
Total 13.1 run (1,500 total elevation) 1:32 (AVG 7:04)
Run file HERE

Those first few miles I was a little worried that I biked too hard. I had a few cramp scares and was putting down as much fluids as I could (I took a bottle with me). Thankfully, about two miles in they went away and I went to work. The whole race my mantra to myself was "Charge" as in charge the course, race the course. On the steep up hills I just did my best to keep my form and keep charging. I passed another guy from my age group on the steepest part of the course and he had enough energy to yell out "Noooo, damn you!" I kept rolling and with about two miles to go I started bonking a bit. I usually rely on cola and Powerbar on the course for calories but they didn't have cola so I started hurting a bit. That last little hill before you hit the downhill was brutal and then once I hit the downhill my whole diaphragm started cramping up. I was ready to be done!

4:50, 5th in AG and 26th overall

My age group had the 1st, 3rd and 5th fastest amateurs in the field so there's no doubt I was up against a tough group. Times are always hard to judge performance (especially on this course- this year) so I tack the day up as a success with getting on the podium. The rest of the day meant drinking 10 Barrel beer with my team mates, going to the Picky Bar party, meeting and hanging out with the man himself Andrew Starykowicz and a lot of other cool pros. It was such a fun weekend and experience. As much as I joke with Dusty about why the heck we do this - every time you race and reflect, you know exactly why.

I'd like to thank my wife and kids who are my biggest fans and support - I seriously couldn't do this sport without her! Thanks to Wattie and HJ for creating such a cool brand and atmosphere around the races.

Thanks to my sponsors: Wattie Ink, SRM, The Bike Shop, Reynolds Cycling, Blueseventy, Herbalife, Powerbar, Rudy Project, ISM, Speedfil, 10 Barrel Brewing, Spidertech, Tribike Transport, Hypoxic and "The one and only" Wildflower!

Shout out to my other team mates on the podium - Heather for a three peat - beyond excited for you, Karin Langer  for getting on the podium on her first long course race since Kona 2012! Chris Lou on the podium and of course our superstar age grouper (soon to be pro) Sarah Barkley for a 2nd place finish! Also father son duo John and Dillon Hollinger both on the podium the next day for the Olympic race. Awesome and talented team mates.

TIME TO BUILD TO IMCDA!

 James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5322734039896852116.post-47687270756554602722014-04-29T07:38:00.000-07:002014-08-14T09:10:39.508-07:00Race Week: Training Log (April 21-27)It's RACE WEEK! With the job of qualifying for 70.3 World Championships out of the way and IMCDA still two months away, I jumped at the opportunity of racing Wildflower. There's zero pressure to perform well, so what are we going to do? We're going to take risks! Every single 70.3 I've raced has been on a conservative approach - which is smart since I was so new to the sport. With this being my fourth year in triathlon, I think it's time to put on my big boy pants and actually take some risks and race aggressively. There's no doubt that this course can really hurt you if you're too aggressive but I really don't have anything to lose. I'm not tapering or taking this race too seriously. It's all about having fun with team mates and racing harder than I ever have before.

Why risk a blow up when this is my last race heading into the most important race of the season? Well, my confidence is sky high right now. There's no doubt that I'm in the best shape of my life. I've also matured as a triathlete a lot this year and I know what I am capable of. My once hesitant confidence at my chances of qualifying for Kona are now a distant memory. I now believe that as long as I execute come race day at IMCDA, I'll be standing on the podium and collecting my Kona slot. Flanny mentioned that I'm ahead of his expectations with my fitness and I still have two months of solid training to build into the race.

So really, the goal at Wildflower this weekend is to put myself in such a deep/dark place that once I start to suffer at IMCDA, I'll remember the battles that I won at Wildflower.

Here's how last week's training looked like. Work was super busy so I really had to manage my time well and be disciplined on the hour.

Monday: 1 workout

Bike Tempo Session Data HERE:  1:40/ 30 miles / 18.4mph

Flanny's workout: 1.5-2 hours depending on available time. 2 x 20 minutes @ 70.3 Race Watts on 5 minutes easy. Stay aero as much as possible.

Post workout notes: (in notes) [hr]

Tuesday: 1 workout

Run Track Workout, Data HERE: 1:10 / 8.5 miles

Flanny's Workout:
15 min WU
2 x 2 mile on 2 min rest
(first one I want at 6:30 pace, second one I want at 6:15 pace)
2 x 800 on 1 min rest
(I want both at 6:00 pace.....NO FASTER)
This workout should not be too hard for you.
Easy CD for the remainder of the run.

Post workout notes: (listed in data file). [hr]

Wednesday: 2 workouts

Masters Swim: 90 mins / 4000 yds
500 wup, 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50 on 50
Main set:
5x200 on 3mins
500 pull (buoy/paddles)
5x200 on 3 mins
500 with fins

Post workout notes: I hit all of the 200's between 2:50-55. For not swimming since Friday, this was a really good workout for me - basically 2k at race pace.

Bike Tempo Session DATA HERE: 2hrs / 35 miles / 17.7 mph

Flanny's workout: 2 hours today with 3 x 20 minutes at your 70.3 race watts on 5 minutes easy riding between efforts.

Post workout notes: (listed in data notes).[hr]

Thursday: 2 workouts

Morning run: 41mins / 4.5 miles / AVG 9:07 pace.

Flanny's Workout: Easy morning run.

Post workout notes: 5am run's are always hard for me to warm up. Just an easy slow run.

Afternoon run: 1:22 / 10 miles / AVG 8:12 pace.

Flanny's Workout: Evening Run 1:20 Z2+

Post workout notes: Hit the trails, felt pretty tired after a long day at work but started coming around towards the end. Good double run day, it's been awhile since I've done that.[hr]

Friday: 1 workout

Masters Swim: 90 mins / 4000 yards

700 wup, 10x50 on 50
4x500 @1:35 pace (odds swim, evens paddles)
500 drill (changing every 100)
c/d

Post workout notes: Another early wakeup call as I played golf with some clients for the rest of the day. Starting to love the longer intervals.[hr]

Saturday: 2 workouts

Wetsuit Swim: 31:36 / 2000 yds / AVG 1:34/100

Post workout notes: Was scheduled for a long ride/brick run but woke up to nasty rain and wind so I made a quick call to Flanny and we just swapped Sat/Sun's workouts. I have access to a non-heated pool so I knocked this out and was 3 seconds faster per 100 then I was the week before Oceanside. Good to see some progress.

Tempo Long run, DATA HERE: 1:27 / 11.3 miles / AVG 7:44 pace

Flanny's Workout:
30 minutes Z2
30 minutes Z3+
30 Minutes Z2
Relaxed

Post workout notes: (posted in workout notes).6:30's never felt so easy (ok, except in college :)[hr]

Sunday: 2 workouts

Bike ride, DATA HERE. 3:30 / 61 miles / 17.5 mph

Flanny's workout: Within today's session I want 3 x 30 minutes at Z3 watts with lots of rest between efforts. Stay down and aero for as much of this as possible. We don't need a huge climbing day today so keep it reasonable.

Post workout notes: Notes attached to the power file above.

Brick Run- 20 mins / 2.75 miles/ 7:16 AVG pace.

Flanny's workout: Easy 20 min run off bike.

Post workout notes: Running is feeling effortless right now.[hr]

Totals (3 swims, 3 rides, 5 runs)
Swim: 10,000 yds /3:32
Bike: 127 miles / 7:09
Run: 37 miles / 5:00
Total hours: 15:41

Hours had to go down a bit this week with it being such a busy week commuting to San Diego 4 out of the 5 days, running a trade show at the convention center for two days and golfing all day Friday. Overall very pleased with the progress and my fitness going into Wildflower.

Wish me luck!!

Here's some more pictures from the weekend, cheers!

[gallery columns="2" ids="2808,2807,2806,2805,2803,2802,2801,2800,2809"]James Adamshttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Day: January 11, 2019
McMaster University Division Of Medicine Welcome
I hope all of you've got enjoyed this experience, and that all the pieces is coming together as we wrap up our Senior Tasks in these last weeks! Tropical medicine deals with the prevention and remedy of tropical illnesses. Laser medicine entails using lasers in the diagnostics or remedy of varied conditions. Occupational medicine 's principal position is the availability of well being recommendation to organizations and individuals to ensure that the very best requirements of health and security at work may be achieved and maintained.
With the Class of 2020, IU College of Medicine launched a new medical training curriculum that higher reflects the modern U.S. healthcare atmosphere and supply fashions, readying college students to practice medicine in a workforce-primarily based, interdisciplinary setting.
Bucking a national development of tight assets for biomedical analysis, IU College of Medicine scientists received a report $302.3 million in research grants and awards in …

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text:
The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope
By L. Paul Bremer III
with Matthew McConnell.
Illustrated. 417 pp. Simon & Schuster. $27.
The most startling moment in "My Year in Iraq," L. Paul Bremer III's memoir from his days as the head of the American occupation, comes near the end, when violent uprisings were sweeping most of the central and southern parts of the country in May 2004. With the whole American enterprise verging on collapse, Bremer decided to secretly ask the Pentagon for tens of thousands of additional American troops -- a request that, as the rest of his book makes clear, was taboo in the White House and Pentagon.
Bremer turned to Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top American commander in Iraq, and asked him what he would do with two more divisions, as many as 40,000 more troops. General Sanchez did not hesitate to answer. "I'd control Baghdad," he said. Bremer then mentioned some other uses for the soldiers, like securing Iraq's borders and protecting its infrastructure, to which General Sanchez replied: "Got those spare troops handy, sir?"
This is a jaw-dropping scene, and probably in ways that Bremer did not intend. To nearly anyone who spent time in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, it was scandalously obvious that the American military, for all its prowess, lacked sufficient numbers of soldiers to bring the country under control. Iraqis knew it. American officers, beneath their breath, often said it. A two-mile drive on the road to Baghdad International Airport, the scene of daily suicide attacks, confirmed it.
Yet for most of the 14 months that Bremer oversaw the occupation, he and his aides, and General Sanchez and his, often seemed the only people in Iraq who refused to acknowledge the anarchy in the streets. Though confronted by the growing guerrilla insurgency and the brazen behavior of armed militias, Bremer and other senior American officials routinely batted down any suggestion that they needed more soldiers.Continue reading the main story
Instead, Bremer and his aides would point to the Iraqi police and army, which, they claimed, totaled 200,000 men by April 2004. Anyone who had had even a passing encounter with Iraqi soldiers or police officers during that time worried that American officials were inflating their numbers and exaggerating their quality. Sure enough, later that month, when Sunni and Shiite guerrillas rose across the country, the Iraqi security services disintegrated and disappeared.
Thanks to Bremer's book, we now know he harbored doubts of his own. He knew, or at least strongly suspected, that the fledging Iraqi security forces weren't up to the job. He just didn't say so in public.
Bremer's concern reflected a broader disquiet: "Coalition forces were spread too thin on the ground," he writes. "During my morning intelligence briefings, I would sometimes picture an understrength fire crew racing from one blaze to another."
What are we to make of such an admission? Bremer evidently believed he was acting courageously in the face of intense pressure from the White House, dead set against any increase in American forces. And indeed his account illustrates what can only be described as the irresponsibility of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other senior military commanders, like Gen. John Abizaid, who, if Bremer is to be believed, brushed aside the concerns of their most senior man on the ground. As early as the fall of 2003, Rumsfeld and others were actually planning to reduce the number of American troops, even as the guerrilla insurgency intensified. Bremer fought valiantly to keep the troops he had, and he deserves no small credit for that.
But Bremer bears a heavy responsibility for keeping silent -- and so does General Sanchez. If we can assume that Bremer's recollection is correct, then General Sanchez' remarks indicate that Baghdad was indeed out of control, that both he and Bremer knew it and that without more troops, it was likely to stay out of control. And so it did, for many months after Bremer and General Sanchez left Iraq. Neither man ever gave a public assessment of the security situation that remotely approached the one Bremer gives here.
By staying silent, Bremer ensured that there would be no public debate on the merits of deploying more American troops. By staying silent, he helped ensure that there would be little public discussion over the condition of the Iraqi security forces, whose quality he doubted. When his request for more troops was ignored, his silence helped ensure that the troops would never come.
Why did he fail to speak out? Bremer doesn't say. For a memoir, this is a remarkably unreflective book. The aides gathered around President Bush are known for their loyalty; Bremer's case seems to be one where fealty to his superiors -- or a desire to keep his job -- overtook the needs of Americans and Iraqis on the ground.
It's debatable, of course, whether 30,000 or 40,000 additional American soldiers would have made much of a difference. After the looting and anarchy that sprang forth when the American military conquered Iraq in March and April of 2003, the situation may have grown beyond the control of any foreign army.
And in fact, American troops eventually did quell the 2004 uprisings. But it took many months and hundreds of dead and wounded soldiers to do so. The violence in Iraq, measured by attacks on Americans and on the Iraqi government, never returned to those early levels. The lawlessness following the American invasion was allowed to metastasize on Bremer's watch, helping to make Iraq the grim and uncertain place it is today: that is, somewhere just short of civil war.
There are fascinating and valuable stretches of this book, apart from Bremer's comments on troop levels. He recounts in detail the drafting of Iraq's interim constitution and the heretofore secret dialogue he carried on with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the Shiite leader, during the tumultuous period that led to free elections and the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty. These are Bremer's principal accomplishments, and he deserves our gratitude for bringing them off.
His account of the confrontation between four leaders of the new Iraq and Saddam Hussein in his prison cell, in the hours after his capture in December 2003, is thrilling to read. "Saddam Hussein," roared Mowaffak al-Rubaie, who had endured torture at the hands of Baath Party goons, "You are cursed by God! You are cursed by God!"
But sadly, it's a measure of Bremer's book that the best parts are those that involve events he writes least about. And this memoir is also emblematic of Bremer's tenure as the chief of the American occupation. For 14 months, he presided over an enterprise that, for all its energy, often seemed more about press conferences staged inside the Green Zone than the dangerous and uncertain reality outside.
"Iraq has before it a path toward a better future," Bremer writes at the end of his book. "It is a future of hope for all Iraqis." Well, yes, but like much of "My Year in Iraq," that is only partly true. The Iraq Bremer built has a functioning government and a framework for a democracy that is now coming into bloom. But the anarchy loosed by the American invasion threatens everything the Americans and Bremer have achieved. Those are the two legacies of Bremer's reign, and we do not yet know which of them will prevail.
'My Year in Iraq,' by L. Paul Bremer III Dexter Filkins is a Baghdad correspondent for The New York Times. He has covered the war in Iraq since it began in March 2003.Continue reading the main story


text:
December 20, 2017
Rachel Hatch
(248) 787-5632
Women's Business Development Center Launches InventIllinois to Help Bring New High Science Products to Market
Program to support women, minority, and veteran researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to enhance their competitiveness for $2.5 billion federal seed funding
CHICAGO – The Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) today announced they will launch a new program, InventIllinois, geared toward early-stage, high-science product development, such as advanced material sciences, biotechnology, cybersecurity, data analytics, health sciences, energy, and more for technology innovators in Illinois.
The program is a new opportunity for researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs – especially those in underserved populations, such as women, minorities and veterans. The WBDC will be collaborating with Invent2026, a nonprofit agency that offers support for applied research, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, to deliver the technological and commercialization expertise. This program will provide the researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs greater access to bring their products from concept to pilot and, ultimately, to the marketplace through a comprehensive curriculum and support services for pursuing federal grants.
"InventIllinois will increase local entrepreneurs' access to seed funds from the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which offers $2.5 billion in federal grants annually for early-stage, high-science product development," said Emilia DiMenco, President and Chief Executive Officer at the WBDC. "The program will help researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs compete for these grants, which are not currently accessed by Illinois at the same rate as other states. Most importantly, through InventIllinois, the WBDC's outreach will increase access to early-stage funding for women, minority, and veteran entrepreneurs and researchers, who are traditionally underrepresented in the SBIR program."
The SBIR program is a highly competitive opportunity designed to increase the ability for researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to compete for grants. Individuals applying for Phase I grants can receive up to $250,000 in funding – a marked advantage over other opportunities that generally require sharing equity for a smaller investment and lower likelihood of funding. SBIR encourages domestic small businesses to engage in research and development that has potential for commercialization in high-science areas. Their mission is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds. Currently, women, minority, and veteran entrepreneurs and researchers are vastly underrepresented in the SBIR funding program – recently accounting for less than 20 percent of SBIR grant recipients.
InventIllinois will help bring innovative technology to the marketplace and bridge the gap in funding opportunities for these underrepresented groups by increasing access to funding, all while making Illinois an even more competitive tech hub.
"Despite our vast accomplishments in Chicago and across the state, Illinois is ranked 16th behind states like California and Massachusetts in developing high-science products that solve business challenges," explained Thomas Day, partner at Invent2026. "Entrepreneurs throughout Illinois are creating high-science technology but are not taking advantage at the same rate as those in other states of federal resources available to take their concepts to the next level and help Illinois compete nationally in this arena."
Illinois is one of 21 states that has been awarded federal funding to solve this problem and bring innovative products to the marketplace. Through this Federal and State Technology (FAST) grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the WBDC will provide commercialization support for entrepreneurs not typically available through traditional incubators, connect aspiring business owners with corporate and government partners, and help move early-stage, high-science concepts to pilot and, ultimately, into the marketplace.
"The FAST program is designed to stimulate economic development and increase access to federal seed grants for underserved researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs," SBA Illinois District Director Robert "Bo" Steiner said. "We look forward to seeing more technology-driven small businesses thrive and effect change throughout Illinois, thanks to support from InventIllinois and the WBDC."
The WBDC is now accepting applications for the inaugural InventIllinois class, which will launch in January 2018. For more information or to apply visit www.wbdc.org/inventillinois/.
About WBDC
Since 1986, the Women's Business Development Center's mission has been to support and accelerate business development and growth, targeting women and servicing other underserved communities and veterans in order to strengthen their participation in and impact on the economy.
About Invent 2026
Invent2026 is a new nonprofit economic development agency serving the Chicago and Midwest regions through the support of applied research, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship. Invent2026 drives value creation from partner laboratories, ensuring that inventions take shape through startups and small businesses, supporting investor-ready deal flow and opportunities for federal acquisitions and mergers and acquisitions for corporate partners.
About FAST
FAST is a competitive grant program designed to strengthen the technological competitiveness of small businesses and improve the participation of small technology firms in the innovation and commercialization of new technology. In FY 2017, $3,000,000 total was appropriated as grants for entities to carry out activities from September 30, 2017 through September 29, 2018. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa are eligible to receive funding for providing services such as outreach and technical assistance in support of the SBIR Programs. Additional information about FAST can be found at www.sbir.gov/about-fast.
About SBIR
The programs represent the nation's largest source of early stage research and development funding for small businesses. The programs are administered by the SBA in collaboration with 11 federal agencies, which collectively supported more than $2.5 billion in federal research and development funding per year. Companies supported by the SBIR programs often generate some of the most important breakthroughs each year in the U.S. Additional information about each program, as well as past and current topics can be found at www.sbir.gov
Women's Business Development Center Joins the Small Business Saturday Coalition for the 10th Annual Small Business Saturday® to Help Support Small Businesses
3 Expert Strategies for Improving Your Personal Brand
See More
By Erik J. Martin, Contributor
Emilia DiMenco with Business Affairs & Consumer Protection Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek
WBDC on NBC: Making A DifferenceSee More


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Smith Gas Liquids Company is a supplier of wholesale propane to retail, industry, and agricultural operations. The company operates throughout the Upper Midwest and Northeastern states. Selling only wholesale propane insures the company is focused only on supplying your operation and you need not worry about conflicting interests.


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During an appearance on Talking Dead, showrunner Scott Gimple confirmed that a major character will not survive to see the second half of season 8. With each new season of The Walking Dead comes the ever-present worry that one's favorite characters may end up dead, whether at the hands of a human antagonist like Negan or at the gnashing teeth of a walker. Season 8 has already seen a few characters meet their maker, but none of those prior losses compare to the next one to come.
Near the end of The Walking Dead's midseason finale, viewers were hit with a surprising twist. While doing his best to distract The Saviors so that his fellow Alexandrians could escape, Carl was bitten by a walker. While Carl (Chandler Riggs) began life on TWD as a tag-along kid who always seemed to both get in the adult characters' way and cause his parents nothing but stress, he eventually matured into a full-on badass in his own right, capable of taking down the undead with the best of them.
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On Talking Dead, Gimple confirmed that - no matter how much fans might not want it to happen - Carl will indeed die as a result of being bitten, and rise as a walker himself if not saved from that fate by a merciful decapitation or destruction of his brain. Gimple said the following: "The bite will play out as zombie bites do on the show." Since Carl wasn't bitten on a limb, there's no hope of him being saved by a quick amputation. Rick Grimes' son is a goner.
While The Walking Dead TV series has never been shy about deviating from its comic book source material, it's safe to say that most fans would never have expected Carl to die. After all, he's still alive as of the most recent issue of the TWD comic, and has become nearly as integral a character to the show as people like his dad Rick and fan favorites Daryl and Michonne.
Killing off Carl will no doubt mark a big dramatic turning point as TWD season 8 moves forward, and the battle between Rick's combined forces and Negan's Saviors continues. Rick damn near lost his mind when Lori died, so one can only imagine what kind of psychological effect losing Carl will have on the former cop. As seen before, a mentally unhinged Rick isn't good for anyone.
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The Walking Dead season 8 returns in 2018.
Source: AMC