Unleash the Aquabikers

Building a Business that’s Iron- Strong!
Ironman Training for Business Owners and CEO’s
By Chuck Graziano
In July 2010, I competed in my 12th Ironman® Triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike race, 26.2 mile run). In training for each event, it’s become more obvious to me how much those who succeed in business share with those who cross the finish line at Ironman®. Here’s what I mean:
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Notwithstanding New Year’s Resolutions, it’s tough to get off to the right start in January. Here are a few things I find bulletproof for ramping up training and getting stoked for the coming year. They’re simple and in some respects obvious when you look at them individually, but if each is an ingredient to a recipe, then the recipe produces motivation!
As the adage goes, “the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts”. Take all of the above as part of the whole and use all of them to get you to the next level.
Chuck Graziano is the owner of Inspired Performance Multisport and provides training and coaching to endurance athletes of all levels. He is a USA Triathlon level II certified coach, is certified by USA Cycling at level III, is a Training Peaks Level II Coach and is certified as a Level III Alpine Ski Coach. Chuck owned a franchise (The Alternative Board) for 8 years and provided executive coaching for owners, CEOs and managing directors of small businesses in New Jersey. For further information, contact chuck@ipmultisport.com.
Now that the Season’s Winding Down!
By Chuck Graziano, USAT Certified Triathlon Coach
So the days are getting shorter, the mornings cooler, the weekends are wetter; all signs that the “racing season” is coming to its annual conclusion. We have all had varying results from extraordinary to disappointing, but the common thread most of us feel is the vacuum that’s created when our structured training is missing from our daily routine. So, what do we do now? How do we maintain the level of fitness we’ve achieved during the season? How do we fill the void created by the “missing schedule”? These are all natural feelings. In fact, someone coined an acronym to describe what ultra distance athletes go through- PIDS, or Post Ironman Depressive Syndrome.
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For Inside Triathlon
Achieving Your Goal:
It’s more than a New Year’s Resolution!
To many people, goal setting is second nature but it is oftentimes is confused with the kind of thing that isn’t much more than a New Year’s Resolution. When it comes to training and racing, many athletes believe that goal setting is about selecting a target race and either hiring a coach or establishing a training plan to get there.
Goal setting for those who really want to accomplish their mission should be an entire structure onto which a training plan is overlaid. Most multisports athletes have lives outside of their training and racing involving careers, families, hobbies, mortgage payments and so forth. These other spheres of influence are the primary reason why accomplishing your goal requires more than a target race and a training plan. The structure, or plan, you set up is about how to maintain the balance in your life.
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Some Do’s and Don’ts of Early Season Training
by Chuck GrazianoUSA Triathlon Level II Certified CoachUSA Cycling Level III Certified CoachPSIA Level III Certified Alpine Ski Coach
During the early part of the training season, your focus should be on much more than just getting back to training. You should create a broad-brush picture of what your training will look like (your Annual Training Plan) and then set out to accomplish the specific goals you’ve set for this early part of the year. In this article, I give you my take on what your goals should focus on.
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© 2004 by Joe Friel and Chuck Graziano
On a Saturday afternoon in late Fall, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were down to their last play of the game against Navy, who had hopes of defeating the Irish for the first time in 39 years. The score is tied at 24-24; it’s fourth down with five seconds left on the clock. Notre Dame’s field goal kicker, Nicolas Setta – one of the best in college football, is out with an injury and his replacement, D.J. Fitzpatrick, is about to attempt the longest field goal of his career to win the game for the Irish.
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For Inside Triathlon
© 2006 by Joe Friel and Chuck Graziano
Many people believe goal setting is second nature and oftentimes is confused with the kind of thing that isn’t much more than a New Year’s Resolution. When it comes to training and racing, some athletes believe that goal setting is about selecting a target race and either hiring a coach or establishing a training plan to get there.
Goal setting, however, is much more and can be an entire structure onto which a training plan is overlaid. Most Multisports athletes have lives outside of their training and racing, and there are a whole assortment of factors that should be considered when setting up your goals, and the structure that goes with them, outside of your training.
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From Recreational to Elite Level Athletes
By Chuck Graziano, USAT Certified Triathlon Coach
People attracted to endurance sports are hard driving and results oriented. They also share another characteristic: they tend to make the same mistakes in their training! These mistakes oftentimes cost the athlete the very thing that they’re driving for: a peak performance. Being aware of and taking action on these pitfalls can not only improve performance, but might also help avoid injury, overtraining and burnout! Here’s a list of what to avoid in your training.
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