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Thousands of triathletes clamor to sign up for races every year, only to spend the next 8, 10, or 12 months trying to figure out how they should actually train. There are countless ways to spend money — and time! — doing things that bring you no closer to realizing your goal of being your best on race day. Endurance Nation is built for the age-group athlete. We put you in control of your training. We connect you with peer athletes around the country & virtually unlimited online resources. And you are supported by two of the best triathlon coaches in the business. All for one low monthly price!

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More than five thousand athletes have trained and raced the Endurance Nation way since 2007. From stay-at-home mothers of four to high-powered executives with insane travel schedules, we have a proven system that will get you from registration day to race day with the support and guidance you need to be your best. Our articles have been featured in Inside Triathlon, Triathlete magazine, Lava magazine, Active.com, Xtri.com, and TriFuel.com.

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2011 Daytona 5K

After an IT Band flare up I had to take 6 weeks off from running and was not sure what my running times would be when I returned. I have now been following the 6 days a week running plan for 9 weeks now.

I have (had) a 5K PR of 21:20 for the last 2 years and I just could not seem to get it lower. I ran the traditional triathlete way of 3-4 runs a week, with a couple days of intervals thrown in and a long run that was more than half my weekly mileage. I was always injured and just attributed it to being 38 and that I would just deal with it. My last 2 races though, I was close to the 20 min. mark but could not quite get there with a 20:31, and 20:40. After the 8 week base period, which I never did before, I added a tempo run in as one of my medium runs. I feel like my run form has improved tremendously and has made running much more enjoyable.

I raced the Daytona 5K this weekend at the Daytona Speedway, an awesome event if you are ever in town for this you have to do it, and came in at 19:39. I was 24th overall out of more than 1000 so it felt great. It was not the placing that felt the best, but the feeling that I was actually making improvements and the accomplishment of a 2011 goal, while still in January, that I was so proud of.

I am a believer now in a slower, not slow, training pace with a structured plan that over time will pay off. It is not an overnight thing when training to make improvements. I am so excited for this tri season and being able to be a little more competitive when I race (hopefully). I have built a base for my run and bike over the winter and as I start to pick up the training for the upcoming season, I feel like I am in better shape than I was at my best last year.

I will continue to update as I move into a heavier training load and get ready for tri season 2011.

Volusia/Flagler Hospice 10K

Sunday was the Volusia/Flagler Hospice 5K and 10K run. Hospice has helped my family with loved ones and I love being able to participate in the race. This was the first year they have added the 10K so I was excited as I am building mileage toward my first marathon in November.

I have a 10K PR of 44:22 so I was hoping to have at least that time. I started off a little fast with a 6:29 1st mile and 6:31 2nd mile so I slowed down a bit. Felt good until the 4 mile mark then started to slow my pace. I was in 3rd place at that point and ended up being passed by 2 people before the finish.

My time was 44:26 so basically the same as in February. This time I won my age group and placed 5th overall. This was my best showing in a race so far so I felt great. I will continue to improve my running over the winter so when triathlon season comes back around, I will be ready to race.

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Tempo Runs and Triathlon Training

This morning was a 5 mile run with 3 mile tempo in the middle. I was running with a fast group and it was a tough morning. I like running with them because it really pushes me. Each mile gets progressively faster. We started with a 7:01, then 6:55. The last mile was a 6:47 pace and proved to be too much for me to hold. I slowed to a manageable 7:20 pace and finished the 3 miles. The last cool down mile was nice and I was ready for it. I feel like the speed work is starting to push my speed up a bit, so it feels good and hurts at the same time.

I feel pretty good about my race this weekend. It is a local sprint triathlon with a 1/2 mile swim, 15 mile bike and a 4 mile beach run. The run on the beach is tough. There is always some soft sand to deal with. I'm hoping to pass a couple of the guys that always seem to edge me out on the run. This is the last local race, so I would like to do really well. I have lots of friends racing this weekend so it should be lots of fun.

I'll put up a report after the race. Happy training to everyone.

First Run In Vibram Five Fingers

I had my first 1.1 mile trail run yesterday in my Vibram Five Fingers and it was great. I actually had fun running. I have been dealing with plantar fasciitis issues as you all know, and since I've tried almost everything that was offered by doctors and therapists, I decided to try the Vibram Five Fingers approach.

My heel is actually a little better than it usually is in the morning and I do have some sore muscles that I never had before, but overall I feel good. The ball on my left foot is a little tender, but not bad.

It felt really good to run through the woods feeling like I had no shoes on. It is definitely a strange feeling, but after a couple minutes, you tend to settle in and feel like a kid for some reason. Even though it was only a mile, I felt like I got a decent workout and I felt like I could run much longer. I was cautious because I know I am suppose to ease into these and also while still having heel pain, I did not want to overdo it.

As of now I love the new shoes. I will continue to post updates as I gain more experience and mileage in the Vibram shoes.

No Florida 70.3 for Me!!

I am having to pull the plug on the Florida 70.3 half ironman race. My plantar fasciitis problems have really hurt my training. My bike and swim is good but I have only run once in 4 weeks and that was at St. Anthony's and my 44 minute 10K time turned into an hour long jog/walk.I love writing my blog so I will continue to update with my regular training progress and report on my sprint races.

I also plan to add more funny posts that relate to my everyday life. Please continue to follow me as I rework my blog. I hope to add many more followers. Thanks again for following.

Daytona Frogman Race Report

I started my weekend on Friday feeling great and ready for my race on Sunday. I was very excited to see where my fitness level was because I have been traing hard and I feel pretty strong. When my wife called me Friday afternoon and said she felt horrible, I was a little concerned (of course for her) that I may pick up some of it before the race. She was sick all night and I took care of the girls, 6 and 14 months. The youngest was the first one to come down with the sickness. I did my best to wash my hands obsessively but something must have gotten through. I started to feel the yuck at 2 a.m. When Saturday morning came around, I was down for the count. I spent all day Saturday feeling horrible. When I weighed myself Friday night I was 193. When I woke up Sunday morning, I still felt sick. I weighed in at 186. I was down 7 lbs from Friday night. Not good. I just tried to eat some toast with peanut butter and drank some water.

This race was to benefit the families of retired and fallen Navy Seals, so the race was started by the Seal parachute team dropping onto the beach right in front of us. Pretty awesome sight and gave a huge shot of adrenaline.

We got lined up on the beach for the start and were a bit delayed while they tried to get the buoys to stay set. They finally started the race and we were off. I felt good getting through the surf and was on my way. I fell behind the lead pack and was fine with that. I just wanted to keep an easy pace to see how my stomach was going to feel. I was doing okay. Water was rough and was tough to sight at times. I was between the lead group and the rest of the men, so no drafting for me. I ended up coming out at 16:42. The course was obviously shortened due to the times that were put up. It was probably more of 1200 yd course. As soon as I hit the beach and started my run to transition, I knew I was going to have a long day. My stomach hurt right away as soon as I started to jog. No problems with transition. Wetsuit off easily and helmet on.

Shoes were on the bike and no problems mounting the bike. It was about 1/4 mile when I strapped in to my shoes, no problems. I did not practice transitions as planned due to being violently ill on Friday and Saturday. It worked out okay. I dropped my chain going over the bridge. My fault, I waited too long to gear down. I put it back on mid bridge and still got over it rather quickly. I Took it easy with the headwinds and tried to reserve my energy for the tailwind portions. Started too lose my steam about half way through the ride due to my stomach funk. I ended up with a bike split of 1:10:01 (21.3 mph) so not too bad after all.

The run felt horrible from start to finish. I stopped sweating at mile 2 and got the goose bumps. Not good. I was intent on finishing, so I slogged through the miles. Every time I started to run, my stomach knotted up and was very painful. I ended walking probably 3 miles of the 10K. I was so disappointed because my run is so much improved. My last open 10K was 44 and change so obviously, I was not happy with an 1:01 10K. I watched the people pass me by on the run that I have beat all winter in the run races and I felt worse with each one. I finally got to the finish line and kept running straight to the bathroom. 10 minutes later I emerged to see my beautiful wife and 2 daughters waiting for me. My oldest said, "Great job Daddy. You finished". That brought a smile to my face for the first time all day.

I am glad I finished the race even though it was probably not the smartest thing to do. I spent the rest of the day in bed and in the bathroom. Good times. After beating myself for a little bit, I focused on the facts that were positive. I had a good swim, and decent bike even though I felt horrible. Transition times were fairly good and I got through them rather quickly. I will take these positives and prepare for St. Anthony's next month. If nothing else, this will keep the fire going to continue training harder for St. Anthony's next month and Florida 70.3 in May. I am taking today off, and getting back into training tomorrow.

Thanks for following.