Erik Schlimmer tells the story of how he learned to fastpack the Adirondacks, a grueling 110 miles and 19,000 vertical feet of climbing, in five days with only 11 pounds on his back.
As I write this letter there is a scalding heat wave causing record highs in the Northeast.
Three local athletes take
it to the next level with the help of a coach.
The age-old saying “it’s just like riding a bike” implies that once you’ve learned to ride, it is difficult to forget. But those who aspire to higher levels of cycling will tell you that there is always something more to learn. Just ask John Grenier.
Grenier started riding seriously at the age of 32 and quickly got bit by the racing bug. He performed well in a variety of races, including time trials, road races and criteriums. Over the next few years Grenier kept working hard to improve his skills and performance but got stuck at Category 3 level racing despite his strong natural talent. “I was fairly strong but once we got to the end of the race I was rarely in a position to win or be a factor in the finish,” explains Grenier. “As a 3 I was pretty much pack fodder.”
At the advice of a teammate Grenier hired coach Adam Myerson, a professional cyclist, coach and founder of Cycle Smart Solutions for Cycling.
Myerson customized a program that was in balance with Grenier's lifestyle as an older racer while balancing his commitments as a small business owner (Grenier runs a bike shop, Rainbow Bicycle & Fitness in Auburn, Maine), husband and father. “I didn't need him setting his alarm clock for 4 a.m. so he could get in two hours of training before getting the kids ready for school,” explains Myerson. Instead, Myerson led Grenier through a non-traditional approach of periodization based around his personal restrictions. “We focused on doing a lot of hours in the fall when he had time to do 20 hours per week,” Myerson says. “He gets to the holiday season really, really fit but not race fit.” Grenier can then take a break from training around the holidays when the shop is busy and then build up for early season races in March and April.
Grenier was skeptical in the beginning. “I can remember starting the program and immediately thinking it was too easy,” he says. “I always liked to train hard and I thought easy days were a sign of weakness. Adam had to teach me to put my ego in my back pocket and let weaker riders drop me when it didn't suit my training.” Grenier stuck with the program and the very next season he won his first Category 3 race and accomplished a long held goal of upgrading to a Category 2 racer.
In addition to a more sophisticated training program, Myerson helped Grenier to focus on his personal strengths to select and ride races more strategically. This has led to higher levels of success, and now they are working toward even loftier goals including the Masters Nationals. “He’s a national caliber racer,” Myerson says.
Many serious riders are willing to dedicate lots of time and money to achieve their goals, but Grenier is often surprised that the value of coaching is missed by so many. Grenier explains, “It's funny how a guy will drop $5,000 on a bike without a moments hesitation but will balk at spending a quarter of that on a coach, even when they know for sure that they would get more out of a coach.” For more information on Myerson, visit www.cycle-smart.com.
Jason Gootman, MS, CSCS, a triathlon coach with Tri-Hard, compares the job of a coach to that of a financial planner. “Someone will go to a financial planner and say ‘I want to retire when I’m 50, how do I get there?’ and they help that person map out a way to make that happen.” A coach, he says, helps an athlete map out a plan to accomplish his or her triathlon goals. In Diane Stokes’ case that goal was to finish her first Ironman triathlon. But with her extensive injury history—the task would be more challenging than usual.
Stokes, a 41-year-old from Northborough, Mass., had serious knee and lower back injuries, but had really enjoyed competing in the Patriot Half Ironman in August 2006. After that race she developed a taste for long distance tris and wanted to race a full-distance Ironman. She signed up for Ironman Florida, held in November 2008, and set her goal for 14 hours.
Stokes is also a triathlon coach, but says she called on Gootman in November 2006 to provide an impartial perspective on her training. “It’s easy for me to look at someone else’s training, but it’s very difficult to look at your training objectively,” she says.
To get Stokes to the starting line in one piece Gootman developed a “Keep Diane Healthy Plan.” The three main points of the plan included her continuing to wear orthotics and taking glucosamine/chondroitin, which she felt had helped her in the past. Gootman made rest a priority in Stokes’ plan, and instructed her to avoid running two days in a row. When she did run, Gootman advised her to run on a treadmill or trails and shun hard surfaces.
Stokes admits that working rest days into her training doesn’t come easily, but that’s why she hired Gootman. “I’m a type-A personality, and I like to work out,” she says. “I have a hard time taking a day off, so Jason keeps me honest there.”
And so far, Gootmans’ plan is working. Save for some minor shoulder pain that since dissipated, Stokes is injury-free and looking forward to Ironman Florida. For more information on Tri-Hard Coaching, visit www.trihard.com. For information on Diane Stokes’ training, visit her website and blog at www.fitbricks.com.
