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Fitness

Jun 13
0

Meet the Athlete: Chris Frias

By | Fitness, Meet the Athlete | No Comments

A Throwback Post

Last summer, I published a “Life Stuff” piece on my friend Chris Frias, Cal Poly 10k school record holder and 2016 Olympic Trials marathon competitor. He is currently training to qualify and compete in the 2020 trials. There’s a lot of good insight that comes with such high quality athletic experience. Chris has kindly packaged up a good chunk of it here in this “Meet the Athlete” interview format for you to enjoy. Thank you, Chris!

Current place of residence: Ventura, CA

Best Event (running): 5k/10k

Day job: Manager at Mile 26 Sports

Favorite hobbies (besides running): I love coaching.  I helped out with Buena’s cross country and track teams last year and have been a VYBA (youth basketball) coach the past two years.  I also like hiking and going to the beach.

Favorite non-sport accomplishment: Getting my Master’s degree from Cal Poly.

Current race goal: Sub 14 5k, sub 29 10k, sub 64 half/sub 2:18 marathon

When did you start running? Initially started running to get in shape for basketball my freshman year of high school.  I found out that year I was surprisingly pretty good at it so I decided stick with it. Thankfully I did too, because playing ball at the collegiate level probably wouldn’t have been realistic with my 5’7 frame.

What gets you out the door to go for a run? My dedication and love for the sport along with my strong desire to get better each and every day.  Running has been my passion for the past 14 years now and it will continue to be for the rest of my life.     

Who inspires you and why? My mom is my greatest inspiration.  She battled stage 4 pancreatic cancer for 17 months and never was negative or gave up hope.  She fought until her very last day. He strength, willpower, and bravery are things I truly admired.  

Best athletic encouragement you’ve ever been given:  The best encouragement I’ve been given throughout my running career has always come from Cayla.  She always tells me she’s proud of me after every race no matter the result. I’m usually pretty hard on myself if I’m not running up to my standards, but I can always count on her to give me the positive feedback I need to lift my spirits back up.   

What is your most significant “success” in sport thus far, and what did you learn from it?  Breaking the 10k school record at Cal Poly (which had stood for 31 years) is what I view as my most significant success.  I learned that all the sacrifices I had made leading up to that brief moment in time knowing what I had just accomplished had all been MORE than worth it.  In that moment I found out how much I truly loved the sport.

What is your most significant “failure” or setback in sport thus far, and what did you learn from it?  Last track season I probably had the biggest setback of my running career due to life circumstances.  My times and performances weren’t up to par with my expectations by any means. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally come to the realization that no matter how hard or how smart you may train, sometimes the ups and downs in life will ultimately determine how well you’ll actually perform.  I know things will get better, and therefore my running will improve, but for now I’m just doing all I can to continue to compete at the highest level possible.

Hardest race you’ve ever completed: Completing the marathon at the 2016 Olympic Trials was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life.  It pushed me to my limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had to stop at least 15-20 times to stretch to ease the cramps I was having in virtually every muscle in my body (or at least that’s what it felt like).  There were also times after stopping that I would have to just start walking to keep my momentum going. My ultimate goal was to finish the race so I was determined to cross the line by any means necessary.

Pre-race ritual or superstition: Be done eating at least 3 hours before my race.  And if I eat a sandwich, it’s GOTTA be from Subway.  

Training tips: Consistency in training leads to consistency in racing.  Not much of a secret but a very important concept to understand.  

What are 3 habits that you believe have helped you reach and maintain an elite running lifestyle? I get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, I drink in moderation, and I take care of my body on a daily basis (stretch, roll, etc).

What is the first thing and last thing you do each day? First thing I do is wake up and get ready for my run every morning; the last thing I do is get in bed, watch Netflix, and KO every night.

Pick one:

Dirt, Pavement, Grass, Sand, Treadmill, or Track? Track

Hot or Cold? Cold

Snot rocket, sleeve, or tissue? Sleeve

Solo or group training? Group

Chocolate or cheese? Chocolate

Watch on your left wrist or right? Left

Morning or evening workout? Morning

Hat or visor? Hat

Cheerios or Wheaties? Cheerios

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate

Any other fun facts about you? I’m a fantasy football and basketball NERD.  I spend way too much time doing “research” to try to win in leagues I’m in with friends.  

What is your first thought when then alarm goes off for an early workout or race? Man it’s way too early to be doing this.  

Second thought? Don’t lay in bed any longer or else you’ll never get up!

What is the last thought in your head before the gun at a race? Try to relax.

First thought after the gun? Get out hard and GO!

Any final thoughts on mental game? Positive self-talk can significantly influence performance and can be the difference in having a great race or a poor one.  Negative thoughts can be very detrimental to performance and can ultimately lead to mentally checking out of a race/workout.  I feel like running is about 70% mental and 30% physical. You can be extremely fit yet never perform well in races if you aren’t mentally tough.  

With so many obstacles in my life right now, I’ve found having positive thoughts and positive self-talk to be even more crucial to my success in my training and racing.  I find myself having to use positive self-talk more frequently now than I have in the past to help me keep an honest effort in workouts and in races.    

Nov 06
4

Life Stuff with Mike Shaffer

By | Fitness, Life Stuff, Swimming, Triathlon, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

If you’ve enjoyed reading about how fellow athletes have overcome adversity in this Life Stuff series, you are in for another treat! Mike Shaffer is a lifelong high-performing athlete with an impressive competitive resume in swimming, triathlon, and aquabike. His journey has not been without its share of valleys, though.

In 1994, Mike was nearly killed when he was struck head-on by a drunk driver during a training ride. After hitting the hood and going through the windshield of the Ford Escort, his injuries included a severed left quad, broken right foot, and knees that required reconstruction. In a 2006 interview with USMS Swimmer, Mike recalls that he returned to the pool 3 months after the accident using a one-legged turn and buoy to keep his legs afloat.

From there, he used small, realistic goals in the pool to keep himself motivated and incrementally improving.

“I was determined. I kept setting goals: 40-second 50s today…It refreshed me. I think it helped to light a fire again. Every week I was trying a new challenge.”

The following month, he completed his annual One Hour USMS swim relying almost entirely on his upper body. Another 6 months later (10 months post-accident), Mike completed Ironman Canada, setting a personal best time and a race swim course record of 43 minutes and 54 seconds. During the same season, he was awarded the USA Triathlon Comeback Award as well as gold and silver medals in the FINA Masters World Swimming Championships.

Mike claims a positive outlook and refusal to give up were the key ingredients in his return to competition. “It may take time, but stick with it” he says.

About a decade after his “comeback” into triathlon, Mike was all but forced out of the sport again. In 2004, his doctor told him to ‘stop running now or we can go ahead and schedule your knee replacement surgeries.’ Mike’s triathlon career ended soon after that discussion. However, just a few months later USAT would announce an aquabike pilot program starting in 2005. “It was a perfect transition for me” he recalls.

Mike claims 1st Overall at Aquabike Age Group Nationals in Miami, 2016

Since aquabike’s official launch, “Aquabike Mike” has earned national and world titles in the sport. At the same time, he has remained competitive in the pool where he regularly wins national titles and sets national standards on the way. As someone who has witnessed many of Mike’s training sessions and competitions first-hand, I can say that to observe him in the pool (and ocean) or on a bike is to see a masterpiece being painted. His chosen canvas is the water and the road.

Oct 08
0

Life Stuff with Mariel David

By | Coaching, Fitness, Life Stuff, Triathlon | No Comments

I dig real stories of real people doing real things (hard things). Thanks to my friend Mariel for sharing one of those stories– her “life stuff”– with us. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Mariel since 2013 when she took on Ironman at Arizona (and gave all of her everything, and crossed that finish line!). I could go on, but she tells her story better than I could…

“The Imperfect Athlete” by Mariel David

If you asked me 10 years ago if I would ever find myself being endurance athlete, I would say that you (1) are joking, (2) are crazy, or (3) have lost your marbles. I was a single mom of three – two of which had medical challenges (one being a leukemia patient and another being a special needs child), a working professional putting at least 50 hours per week in the office and traveling around the globe up to 60% of the time, and a student trying to finish her master’s degree. When I received a postcard in the mail advertising a fundraising event for leukemia research, I had no idea how much this event would change my life–it sparked my journey as an endurance athlete.

For years, I found myself busy, slow, emotionally drained, and not looking like the typical triathlete. It’s difficult but it is also through this sport that I found the ‘true’ me – an athlete who will perform with her heart no matter what. I held on to this identity as my children became my inspiration and sources of strength through the years. During a particularly memorable triathlon season, I incorporated one of my daughters – “Rochelle”- my special child who had been terminally ill with multiple needs. It’s amazing what you can do when you run with your heart; I found myself realizing this as we crossed our first finish line together at Rock n Roll Marathon LA in 2014. It was my vision that one day we would be the next “Hoyts”. Unfortunately, that dream will never be realized as she passed in March 2017.

Rochelle’s memory will continue as I race in her memory and in honor of my children. As imperfect as my training schedule is, I will always find my strength through the heart that connects me to them. This is “my why”. I hope inspires those who think that they are too busy, too slow, too fat/skinny, etc. that your someday can be today.

Jul 17
0

Meet the Athlete: Greg

By | Fitness, Fuel, Meet the Athlete | No Comments

Remember when Rebecca graced your screen on the blog back in February? Well, today you get to read about her soon-to-be husband, Greg! Greg is a talented athlete and recent nursing school graduate who landed a job right out of school. Impressed yet? Read on…

Current place of residence: Ventura, CA
Hometown/place of birth: Oxnard, CA
Day job: Nurse
Dream job: Le Mans Prototype driver
Favorite sports or hobbies (besides triathlon): Outrigger paddling, surfing, and cooking.
Best triathlon race leg (swim, bike, run, T1, T2, beer garden): From best to worst… Swim, Bike, beer garden, T1, T2, then the run.
Dream race: Kona 70.3 or Molokai to Maui outrigger race.

Current triathlon goal: To survive and hopefully enjoy my first 70.3 in Tempe, Arizona later this year.
Why do you want to accomplish this? To challenge myself in a way that I never have.

When/how/why did you start triathlon/endurance sports? I’ve never been much of a runner. I’ve always preferred water sports over anything on land but when I moved to Riverside for college I tried to make the best of it. I met my now-fiancee Rebecca and followed her on the bike while she trained for multiple marathons and in doing so I grew to at least tolerate running. In 2014 one of my friends couldn’t attend her half marathon so she offered to transfer her entry to me. After barely finishing that race with 3 days notice, I signed up for my first triathlon in Ventura and got 2nd place! I was surprised to find that I loved the challenge of triathlon and stuck with it.
Favorite accomplishment in sport: Finishing my first Olympic distance triathlon in Malibu


Hardest race and/or workout you’ve ever completed: Paddling from Catalina to Newport Beach.
Most memorable training moment: Feeling like flying while in aero on a training ride along the Santa Ana River trail.

If you had to remove one leg of the triathlon and swap in a new sport, what would you subtract, and what would you add, and why? Probably outrigger paddling in place of running. Except the order would be swim, paddle, bike because I’ve always wanted to finish on the bike.

Best athletic encouragement you’ve ever been given? “I didn’t wake up this early for 2nd place” – My dad
Words of wisdom to someone considering training for their first triathlon: Don’t take it too seriously your first time out. I did, and contemplated selling my wetsuit and bike, until I realized I had gotten 2nd place in my first one.
Something you’ve learned about yourself through triathlon: I was raised with outrigger paddling, which is a very team-oriented sport, so through triathlon I’ve learned that I can rely on myself.
Who inspires you and why? Sebastian Kienle and Jan Frodeno because they’re absolute beasts on the bike and I hope to come close someday.

Race mantra: “I didn’t come this far to only come this far”
Pre-race ritual: Pretend like the race doesn’t bother me… then panic the morning of.
Pre-race pump up jams: I typically don’t listen to anything before a race, not even my gut telling me to go home.

What is the first thing and last thing you do each day? First: breakfast; Last: shower
Favorite type of running shoes:  I don’t think I’ve had anything other than Nike
Dream training camp location: Hawaii
Training tips: Bring extra tubes, because they may explode on you.
Racing pet peeve: Either punching/grabbing at the swim start or cutting me off on the bike.

What motivates you to keep training and competing? Getting fitter and faster. Plus the race atmosphere is really enjoyable.
What motivates you when it’s tough to start/complete a workout/race? Remembering that not everyone gets to do this.

What does “Fuel” mean to you? It’s what allows me to move forward. It powers my body, so I try to put in the best quality ‘Fuel’ that I can, with a couple of cheat days here and there.
Any favorite recipes to share? One of my favorite dips: Goat cheese, pesto, sundried tomato, and pecans. Goes great with pita bread.
What does being “Fit” mean to you? Not feeling winded after climbing three flights of stairs

Pick one:
Long swim, long ride or long run? Long ride
Open water or pool? Open water
Trail or track? Trail
Snot rocket, sleeve, or tissue? Depends on where. If on the bike, snot rocket. Just make sure no one is around you! That’s also one of my pet peeves…
Solo or group training? Everything is better in a group. I’m less likely to turn early.
Chocolate or cheese? Chocolate
Watch on your left wrist or right? Left
Morning or evening workout? Morning
Hat or visor? Hat
Swim cap or no cap? None
Cheerios or Wheaties? Wheaties
Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Tea
Crocs or Birkenstocks? Bare feet