The Howling: Weeks of Mon, Apr 22 to Sun, May 5

The most critical training that folks do is during the first quarter of the year (and throw in December) as they build a capability base that allows one to be ready for the season to get rolling.  As you know, I've never been one to leverage indoor training as mindless "base" efforts, but really workouts to sharpen the sword and, once folks can get outside, start packing on the Endurance volume to be ready for whatever we are racing.  Beginning in early March, taking advantage of outdoor opportunities to convert indoor capability into real performance outside is so exciting to see.

We had some great racing over the past couple weeks, so let's jump in!

HOWLS

Howl out to RJ "The Boogie Man" Boergers who took 3rd M40-49 at the XTERRA NJ Sprint Triathlon missing 2nd by a mere 20 seconds.  RJ has really been coming into his own this season and the cutting in half of the swim course was a bit of a bummer as his swim has come along really nicely this year and that extra distance would have easily pushed him up a step on the podium.

Howl out to Andy "The Hammer" Solomon who raced the Jim Thorpe Marathon.  Andy has been plagued with a calf injury that he has been working on with his PT (Tejal Remaiya) back in NJ.  Prior to the calf problems, Andy was looking at an easy PR, but on race day, had to resort to a walk the aid stations strategy.  Kudos for him to still managing to come in under 4 hours.  Finding a silver lining.  

Howl out to our first IronMan racers of the season -- Jason "Magnum" Smith, Yitzy Sontag, and Josh "Colossus" Hoeft.

I did want to call out Colossus specifically on this one as his PR 9:36 was the fastest ever iron distance performance of any Pack Member.  The 9:36 included a bike crash at Mile 90, where an errant elbow slip off the aero bar at an aid station caused him to crash.  He got up and back on his bike, but it certainly cost him about 15 minutes when you take into consideration having to run uncomfortably for another 3 and half hours after finishing the bike.  I always tell Josh how much I appreciate that, with him, "Youth Ain't Wasted on the Young" as, no matter what, from a training perspective, I throw at him to get him ready for the day, he does it (and sometimes more).  Truly an embodiment of Relentless Forward Motion!

At the Karen Hornbostel Memorial Time Trial (KHMTT), I won M55-59 Cat 4 at Race #05 and #06 on TT bike and also did my second race of #06 with M50-54 Cat 4 where I took 3rd.

NEW PACK MEMBERS

Excited to welcome Nick Gusching to the Rocky Mountain Pack!  He's racing IronMan 70.3 Boulder in a month!

NEW ADDITIONS

Very pleased to announce that both Eric "Charlemagne" Charlebois and Conner " Farm Boy" Franke finally got TT bikes!  They are both thrilled!  Congratulations! :)

VOLUME PODIUM

Howl out to this week's Volume Podium!

1) Andy " The Hammer" Solomon - 14:09 (Readying for the Matt Lubiak AG battle at Jerseyman)

2) Natalie "The Avatar" Pitts - 13:15 (Readying for IronMan 70.3 Morrow Bay)

3) Jimmy "Skeletor" Dion - 11:52 (Just loving training!)

4) Matt "Jiffy" Lubiak - 11:07 (Readying for the Andy Solomon AG battle at Jerseyman)

5) Eric "The Butcher" Gutknecht - 9:33 (Readying for Unbound!)

Do please keep the Wolfpack 2024 Schedule.xlsx (and Training Peaks) up to date with races and events!

UPCOMING RACES

We got some really good stuff coming up on the horizon in a couple of weeks!

In New Jersey, one of my favorite races (because of the 30 Mile Bike Course), Jerseyman Triathlon, where Subs "The Torpedo" Tripathy, Tara" Yes I Can" Corduan, The Hammer, and Jiffy will be racing.  Tara plans to not dump scalding hot coffee on her hand prior to the race and Andy and Matt after beating each other into the group are to beat Allen Lopez! :)

Charlemagne is racing the Bear Olympic Tri in Delaware.

Thomas "The Swede" Andreasson is racing the Lou Fusz Subaru Triathlon in St Louis, Missouri!

In Denver, Adam "The Kaiju" Smith is racing the Colfax Half-Marathon and both Farm Boy and Taylor "Warrior Princess": are in separate Marathon relays where they'll each be PRing their 10K!

Lisa "SheWolf" Rosynsky will be participating in the Ragnar Relay in New England.

The Big One!  The Avatar will be racing IronMan 70.3 Morrow Bay in California!!!!!

NEW PLAYLIST SONG

Here's my new song to add to your playlist to pump you up if you need it -- MXPX -- Let's Ride!

2024 Personal Record (11) and Podium (25) Counter = 36!

PRs

Josh "Colossus" Hoeft (M25-29) 2 - PR: Spring Fever 13.1 / IronMan Texas

Conner "Farm Boy" Franke (M19-25) 2 - PR: Spring Fever 13.1 / IronMan 70.3 Texas

Taylor "Warrior Princess" Veranth (F25-29) 1 - PR: Time Travel (Colorado Springs) 10K

Eli "Lethal Weapon" Madden (M30-34) 1 PR: PR: Time Travel (Colorado Springs) 10K

Matt "Jiffy" Lubiak (M50-54) 1 - PR: NYC 13.1

Jason "Magnum" Smith (M40-44) 1 - PR: Time to Paddy 13.1

Tara "Yes I Can" Corduan (F-50-54) 1 - PR: Murray Todd 13.1

Adam "Kaiju" Smith (M35-39) 1 - PR: That Dam Run 13.1 

Eric "Charlemagne" Charlebois (M45-49) 1 - PR: Myrtle Beach 13.1

PODIUMS

Josh "Colossus" Hoeft (M25-29) 4 - 2nd Overall: Spring Fever 13.1 / 3rd M Cat 4: KHMTT #01 / 3rd M Cat 4: KHMTT #02 /  3rd M Cat 4: KHMTT #03

Conner "Van Wilder" Franke (M19-25) 1 - 3rd AG: Spring Fever 13.1

Jason "Magnum" Smith (M40-44) 1 - PR: 1st AG: Time to Paddy 13.1

Tara "Yes I Can" Corduan (F50-54) 1 - 3rd AG: Murray Todd 13.1

Nat "Legolas" Pitts (F35-39) 1 - 3rd F30-39: That Dam Run 13.1

RJ "The Boogie Man" Boergers (M40-44) 1 - 3rd M40-49: Xterra NJ

Christine Kachinsky (F50-54) 3 - 3rd Overall Female: Polar Prowl 13.1 / 3rd F50-59: That Dam Run 13.1 / 1st AG Spring Fever 13.1

John Bye (M55-59) 13 - 1st AG: Polar Prowl 13.1 / 4th M50-59: That Dam Run 10K / 1st M50+ Cat 4: Frostbite TT / 1st M50-59: Spring Fever 10K / 1st M55-59 Cat 4: KHMTT #01 / 3rd Retro M Cat 4/5: KHMTT #01 / 4th M55-59 Cat 4: KHMTT #02 / 2nd M55-59 Cat 4: KHMTT #03 / 5th Retro M Cat 4/5: KHMTT #03 / 1st M55-59 Cat 4: KHMTT #04 / 1st M55-59 Cat 4: KHMTT #05 / 1st M55-59 Cat 4: KHMTT #06 / 3rd M50-54: KHMTT #06

Relentless Forward Motion