Coaching

James Adams Coaching Services

I started coaching back in 2005 when my wife and I had moved to Boulder, CO for a short stint. It started out by just helping out a friend get to 2:30 in the marathon (he ran 2:33). It was amazing to remove myself from the performance aspect and put all of my energy and effort towards helping someone else succeed.

Fast forward 12 years and I am now head Cross Country and distance Track coach at local high school and I've had the opportunity to coach individual runners and triathletes of all ages trying to reach their goals. Whether that's a high school runner trying to make varsity, a triathlete trying to qualify for Kona, a runner trying to qualify for Boston or the Olympic trials or a non athlete trying to get into endurance sports - I've had great success with a wide range of athletes and would love to coach you!

Coaching philosophy: I've found that there are four things that help you reach your goals and without all four you are jeopardizing your full potential. I can help with all four:

1. Indivisualized Coaching
2. Mental Approach
3. Recovery
4. Nutrition

The only thing I require is that you are serious about your goals and honest with your feedback.

Email me at jwadams5k at hotmail.com for a free consultation. Prices have a range depending on your sport and goals.

*Local athletes surrounding the Temecula, CA area will have exclusive discounts with local endurance affiliated stores and the option of one-on-one coaching sessions.

Ironman Coeur d'Alene Race Report

3200 miles were driven and 140.6 miles were raced and it will go down as the two best weeks of my life. Granted, I did not qualify for Kona but as many of my friends and team mates have pointed out, the journey is what made the whole experience special, not necessarily the race and it is so true. Even my dream wedding and honeymooning in Australia for two weeks 10 years ago did not compare to the epic road trip I did with my wife and two kids topped off with a "dreamlike" vacation from the vacation in Las Vegas with some amazing people. Wow. Where to begin! Since this is a triathlon blog, I'll stick to the race...

We left Wednesday night to stay in Vegas for a night to avoid the dreaded SoCal traffic. We then headed to Park City, UT the next day to stay with some friends and get a quick glimpse of the beautiful mountain resort town. Thursday we drove to Yellowstone, saw Old Faithful and then drove to Missoula, MT for the night. Between Montana and Yellowstone, we saw some of the most beautiful parts of this country I've ever seen and I've been to every state except five. Breathtaking! Friday we finally arrived in Coeur d'Alene and although it was beautiful it didn't compare to what we just witnessed the day before! The city of Coeur d'Alene seemed like the whole good side of the street/bad side of the street. We were very unimpressed until we got around the resort and Ironman check-in area which was amazing.

Friday and Saturday was very low key. Check in, pre-workouts and getting around were very easy and simple. I was able to spend a lot of time napping, hydrating and staying off my feet. Come Saturday night I felt very rested and very hungry to leave it all out there the next day.

2.4 mile swim: 1:21:02 (2:05/100 yd pace) 141 out of 316 in AG

The day before the race I swam in the lake Coeur d'Alene choppy waters and wasn't so concerned. I've swam many times in Vail lake (local) which is always choppy and over the past month I've swam at La Jolla cove which can also be choppy. Well race day the wind was kicking pretty good. I actually laughed out loud when I saw the lake. We basically had to swim straight into it, make the turn home and then do it again. I told Flanny the day before that if he saw a 1:15 swim split to not be alarmed because I knew it was going to be a slow swim and I was not going to fight through it and potentially ruin my race. It was a "self-seeded" start so I ended up going in the second wave (1:00-1:15) group. There's no delay in between the waves, it's just a rolling start. It was definitely the most violent swim I've been in. Between getting a shiner on my forehead, swam over, and knocked around. I also had trouble siting -- whenever I tried a wave was blocking the buoys. I've learned over the past 4 years of doing triathlons that the best way to get through these kind of swims is to just relax, not force it and actually just smile. So that's what I did. Just took the punches and swam as strong as I could.

I hit the first lap in 36 minutes and was on pace to break 1:15. I was pretty disoriented when I got out of the water to make the turn to go back in. The waves and chop can really make you dizzy. I definitely felt the fatigue going into the current again on the second lap and could tell my pace dropped. I just did my best to get through it and not get overly concerned about it. I knew historically if you swam around 1:15 you still have a shot of a Kona slot. When I saw 1:20 on my Garmin when I came out, I just knew it was time to get to work and figured with my run - a 1:20 wouldn't take me out of the race.

T1: 4:46

First time experiencing the whole Ironman tent changing room. The volunteers were amazing. Got me out of my suit, my bike bag, sun screened me up, went pee #1 of the day and I was on my way.

112 mile bike/4500ft of climbing: 5:42 (AVG 19.6 mph) 46th in AG

The temperature was actually perfect. I went with no arm warmers and felt great. It was the wind that hurt me. It seemed like it continued to pick up momentum as the bike went on. Strong winds for my slender frame really took me out of the race. Based off of the last 8 months of using power, Flanny and I decided 190NP was going to be my magic number to ride a 5:00-5:15 bike split. With all of the intervals, hills, long days, short days etc...we had no doubt that the bike would be a huge advantage for me and I'd be able to run off the bike holding that power and crush this course. Well I held 189NP and rode 5:42 haha. You can check out data HERE. The only variable we couldn't factor in was the wind. I stayed very aero the whole race and did my best to fight through that wind but it just ended up being a day that favored the power riders. The ones that didn't get blown over by the wind on the bike and the ones that could power through the chop in the swim. HOWEVER. I still felt like I was in the race. My biggest maturity in triathlon over the past few years is that I learned times mean nothing in triathlon. There are so many variables in long course that your S,B,R times really don't mean anything nor do they tell the story of the race.

So I just kept eating and drinking, nailing my nutrition plan. I peed three times on the bike and never felt hungry or thirsty. I finally started feeling my efforts for the day right at mile 100. I fought to stay at 190 watts for the last 10 miles which tells me that Flanny's plan was spot on. Hard enough to question whether or not I could run off the bike but no cramping, GI issues or dreading the run. Even coming in at 5:42, I had a feeling that a lot of people's splits were slow so I still didn't throw in the towel, I knew I had work to do!

T2: 3:13

Again, the volunteers were awesome. Found my bag right away, slipped on my shoes, took another pee and off I went!

26.2 mile run/1500ft of climbing: 3:43 (AVG 8:31 pace) 36th in AG

Again, after months of training data - Flanny and I decided that 7:15 pace was going to be the magic number for me. Data found HERE. I got off the bike and that first mile felt a little bit weird. It just took some time to get my running legs off of me. I carried a flask of nutrition and just sipped on it while refueling it at each aid station with whatever sounded good. After the first mile, 7:15's became effortless and I knew I was going to have a good run. I just stayed on top of my nutrition, picked a stronger runner ahead of me in the distance and just worked my way up to them for the pass while staying on my own pace. It's a 2 loop course, basically go through a neighborhood, up the long hill and back x2.

The first lap (1/2 marathon) I was enjoying myself. Smiles, giving some fist bumps to the awesome house parties going on and just clicking off the miles. As I went through the first loop I saw my family, gave them a wave and saw that I clicked off a 1:34 half. Right on pace! Then like almost clock work the next mile I started getting some serious taste fatigue. Everything I tried to eat or drink I just spit it out. I tried drinking a lot of water and eating some pretzels to rinse my palate like I was drinking wine or something but with no such luck! I just gradually started bonking. Whenever I tried to force food down I felt like I wanted to puke. Not because of GI issues but because of the sweet food/taste fatigue I had going on. Everything was just gross. Sweet, salty - didn't matter. So my great pace eventually turned into a slow jog. I just did my best to keep form and stay positive. Those last 6 miles ended up being one of the toughest things I've ever been through. I was so stubborn and refused to walk and just forced myself through it.

Ironman isn't easy. These past several months haven't been easy. So when I arrived to that long finish chute it was almost like my mind just replayed pictures and videos of all of the good and bad in my life leading up to this race. I choked up big time. When you are in a lot of pain you become very vulnerable. With each step and high five I gave heading into the finish I was very proud of myself. Not just of the race but the entire "Kona Journey" that I've been on over the past year. It took every ounce of discipline mentally and physically to get there and even though it hurt that I did not qualify, when I crossed that finish line - that wasn't what was on my mind. My family was there and as I looked at their faces with watery eyes, I looked up into the sky and became an Ironman.


Final Result: 10:55:01, 36th in AG, 161st overall.

Thank you all for the amazing kind words and encouragement; this was truly an experience that I will never forget.

Thanks for reading-

Race Week: Training Log (April 21-27)

It's RACE WEEK! With the job of qualifying for 70.3 World Championships out of the way and IMCDA still two months away, I jumped at the opportunity of racing Wildflower. There's zero pressure to perform well, so what are we going to do? We're going to take risks! Every single 70.3 I've raced has been on a conservative approach - which is smart since I was so new to the sport. With this being my fourth year in triathlon, I think it's time to put on my big boy pants and actually take some risks and race aggressively. There's no doubt that this course can really hurt you if you're too aggressive but I really don't have anything to lose. I'm not tapering or taking this race too seriously. It's all about having fun with team mates and racing harder than I ever have before.

Why risk a blow up when this is my last race heading into the most important race of the season? Well, my confidence is sky high right now. There's no doubt that I'm in the best shape of my life. I've also matured as a triathlete a lot this year and I know what I am capable of. My once hesitant confidence at my chances of qualifying for Kona are now a distant memory. I now believe that as long as I execute come race day at IMCDA, I'll be standing on the podium and collecting my Kona slot. Flanny mentioned that I'm ahead of his expectations with my fitness and I still have two months of solid training to build into the race.

So really, the goal at Wildflower this weekend is to put myself in such a deep/dark place that once I start to suffer at IMCDA, I'll remember the battles that I won at Wildflower.

Here's how last week's training looked like. Work was super busy so I really had to manage my time well and be disciplined on the hour.

Monday: 1 workout

Bike Tempo Session Data HERE:  1:40/ 30 miles / 18.4mph

Flanny’s workout: 1.5-2 hours depending on available time. 2 x 20 minutes @ 70.3 Race Watts on 5 minutes easy. Stay aero as much as possible.

Post workout notes: (in notes) [hr]

Tuesday: 1 workout

Run Track Workout, Data HERE: 1:10 / 8.5 miles

Flanny's Workout:
15 min WU
2 x 2 mile on 2 min rest
(first one I want at 6:30 pace, second one I want at 6:15 pace)
2 x 800 on 1 min rest
(I want both at 6:00 pace.....NO FASTER)
This workout should not be too hard for you.
Easy CD for the remainder of the run.

Post workout notes: (listed in data file). [hr]

Wednesday: 2 workouts

Masters Swim: 90 mins / 4000 yds
500 wup, 4x100 on 1:40, 4x50 on 50
Main set:
5x200 on 3mins
500 pull (buoy/paddles)
5x200 on 3 mins
500 with fins

Post workout notes: I hit all of the 200's between 2:50-55. For not swimming since Friday, this was a really good workout for me - basically 2k at race pace.

Bike Tempo Session DATA HERE: 2hrs / 35 miles / 17.7 mph

Flanny’s workout: 2 hours today with 3 x 20 minutes at your 70.3 race watts on 5 minutes easy riding between efforts.

Post workout notes: (listed in data notes).[hr]

Thursday: 2 workouts

Morning run: 41mins / 4.5 miles / AVG 9:07 pace.

Flanny’s Workout: Easy morning run.

Post workout notes: 5am run's are always hard for me to warm up. Just an easy slow run.

Afternoon run: 1:22 / 10 miles / AVG 8:12 pace.

Flanny’s Workout: Evening Run 1:20 Z2+

Post workout notes: Hit the trails, felt pretty tired after a long day at work but started coming around towards the end. Good double run day, it's been awhile since I've done that.[hr]

Friday: 1 workout

Masters Swim: 90 mins / 4000 yards

700 wup, 10x50 on 50
4x500 @1:35 pace (odds swim, evens paddles)
500 drill (changing every 100)
c/d

Post workout notes: Another early wakeup call as I played golf with some clients for the rest of the day. Starting to love the longer intervals.[hr]

Saturday: 2 workouts

Wetsuit Swim: 31:36 / 2000 yds / AVG 1:34/100 
 
Post workout notes: Was scheduled for a long ride/brick run but woke up to nasty rain and wind so I made a quick call to Flanny and we just swapped Sat/Sun's workouts. I have access to a non-heated pool so I knocked this out and was 3 seconds faster per 100 then I was the week before Oceanside. Good to see some progress.

Tempo Long run, DATA HERE: 1:27 / 11.3 miles / AVG 7:44 pace 

Flanny’s Workout:
30 minutes Z2
30 minutes Z3+
30 Minutes Z2
Relaxed

Post workout notes: (posted in workout notes).6:30's never felt so easy (ok, except in college :)[hr]

Sunday: 2 workouts

Bike ride, DATA HERE. 3:30 / 61 miles / 17.5 mph

Flanny’s workout: Within today's session I want 3 x 30 minutes at Z3 watts with lots of rest between efforts. Stay down and aero for as much of this as possible. We don't need a huge climbing day today so keep it reasonable.

Post workout notes: Notes attached to the power file above.

Brick Run- 20 mins / 2.75 miles/ 7:16 AVG pace. 

Flanny's workout: Easy 20 min run off bike.

Post workout notes: Running is feeling effortless right now.[hr]

Totals (3 swims, 3 rides, 5 runs)
Swim: 10,000 yds /3:32
Bike: 127 miles / 7:09
Run: 37 miles / 5:00
Total hours: 15:41

Hours had to go down a bit this week with it being such a busy week commuting to San Diego 4 out of the 5 days, running a trade show at the convention center for two days and golfing all day Friday. Overall very pleased with the progress and my fitness going into Wildflower.

Wish me luck!!

Here's some more pictures from the weekend, cheers!

[gallery columns="2" ids="2808,2807,2806,2805,2803,2802,2801,2800,2809"]

Weekend in LA

Last weekend was a blast. I took off Friday from work and headed up to get a professional bike fitting from THE man Jim Manton from ERO Sports at the Velo Sports Center aka. The Olympic Training site for the US cycling team.  I literally got fit a stone throw away from the $15M dollar indoor Velo track and was even treated to some Olympians doing some high cadence work on it while Jim worked his magic. Those that don't know Jim's name, he fits the US and Canadian cycling teams, has fit just about every major pro triathlete in the circuit and to my benefit is good friends with Wattie so I was able to afford seeing him without breaking the bank! I went away with not only a better/faster fit but also walked away with a lot of insight of where the future of cycling is going. It was a lot of fun talking with Jim and just the whole experience at the 125 acre "Official Olympic Training site." If you're looking for a fit, I highly recommend going to see him - even if you have to fly far to do it. Thanks to Massi for recommending him to me!

Here's my before/after pics:

[caption id="attachment_2496" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Before[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2495" align="aligncenter" width="300"] After[/caption]

I'm no where close to an expert on bike fit but here are some numbers and a breakdown of some of Jim's thoughts on my old/new fit:

• My old fit likely caused the injuries I've struggled with over the past year (all on my right leg)


• My old fit likely contributed to a lot of the cramping I was getting in races


• Jim recommended 165mm cranks opposed to my 172.5mm cranks


• My new fit includes a 6cm increase in drop


• Reach was extended to 4.5cm

The biggest thing I see is in the before pic I look like your average Joe triathlete and the after pic I actually look like I am racing. My old fit never felt comfortable. Everything always seemed forced and awkward. With the new position Jim mentioned climbing in the bars will be a lot easier, I'm going to be a lot more aero and also get more out of my entire pedal stroke = more watts. Looking forward to 2014!

After the fit, I headed over to fellow friend/team mate Dusty Nabor's house to get ready for a fun weekend that was going to be capped off with his annual Christmas Party. Wattie team mates from all over the country flew in for this one. Why? Because he throws really really good parties. Some of us arrived Friday and he surprised us with a limo and a great dinner/night out in North Hollywood. We ate at Bow & Truss, enjoyed some of the best wine I've ever had including a Justin Isosceles. Amazing!

Woke up the next day with a bit of a headache but still knocked out some yardage in the pool under a misty rain with some awesome team mates. Dusty prepared a great workout for JJ, pro Erin Green (another Flanny athlete) and I. Erin and I were treated to some very fast experienced swimmers in Dusty and JJ. JJ even picked up some things I was doing wrong in my stroke so - I had some good tips/coaching from a dude that hadn't touched the water in months, goes in and crushes the workout! After a great bfast it was onto a 2.5 hr. trainer session in Dusty's training lair room. I had to get a ride in (thanks Flanny!). I just adjusted the volume up to try and drown out all the partying, laughing and fun the rest of my team mates were having. Luckily I had a little bit of company - some gave me sombrero's to wear, some brought gifts of donuts and beer (love my team mates). I was glad when that ride was over. Then it was time to prep the mind, body and soul for some fun that night!

Nacho aka. Ron Schmidt my roommate for the weekend got some rest and naturally started drinking before the festivities. Nacho does not drink water come to find out. Like, seriously doesn't drink any. Just beer and coffee. So awesome/inspiring. We headed to the hotel bar where we saw the man Wattie himself show up with his lovely lady Heather Jackson. The rest is just a blur. Lots. of. fun. Basically laughing/dancing the entire night. Everyone had a permanent smile on their face and I can't thank Dusty enough for an awesome night. After he made a little announcement the team presented Wattie with a year-end gift for all he's done for the team. We gave him a Breitling watch. Baller!

[caption id="attachment_2497" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Wattie & HJ[/caption]

Some more pics from the weekend:



Also got a cool video of the track HERE.

 

[caption id="attachment_2491" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dinner![/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2499" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Trainer time...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2509" align="aligncenter" width="223"] Capped off the weekend with the family at the Seaport Village xmas light boat parade![/caption]

 

 

Betty Designs Review

So this will be my first VLOG (video blog) and I actually enjoyed it. I do a lot of video at my work and it was pretty fun doing one as a "product review." Morgan from Smack Media hooked me up with a sweet Betty Designs Men's Graffiti cycling bib shorts and shirt. I've actually never owned a pair of bib shorts before so I really didn't know what I was missing out on. Now, I don't think I'll ever go back! The kit is a head turner (like all of their designs) and this kit is quickly becoming one of the more comfortable ones I've ever owned.

Every kit I wore this year was Betty Designs. From the Wattie Ink team triathlon kit, cycling kit, jacket, to the Temecual Valley Tri Club kit to The Bike Shop team jersey. All of them had that same Betty Designs "flair" and I couldn't recommend them more. Men, don't be scaaared. Although you may think it's all women's stuff, it's not! Check out the men's selection, such rad gear. I'll admit, I'm bit jealous of the ladies too - so many cool designs.

 

Here's a video I put together that I titled "My Day with Betty" Hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

Be sure to check out their website at: www.bettydesigns.com