Slowtwitch discusses the right moves

Slowtwitch is an incredible resource, as many of you know and those who don't should. I have only seen Dan Empfield in the midst of a crowded seminar, but his insight and passion for the sport of triathlon is legendary. Jordan Rapp, whom I know well, admires Dan. And Slowtwitch content is, in a word, excellent. What a simple and compelling way to convey what is going on in the world of triathlon than to show what the type 15 riders are riding, or what the top 10 runners are running in.

Slowtwitch shows Gina Kehr of the US (second fastest US finisher) with the Zoot Ultra TT running shoes.

And Slowtwitch also shows Chrissie Wellington's incredible bike split, sans aero helmet, on her Cervelo P2C.

The Thrills and Spills of Cross Racing: A Gloucester race recap

With the arrival of the brisk air and shortening days of autumn comes a transition point for many of us endurance athletes. Some of us put the bike aside and focus on trail running; others take some much needed rest; a select few refuse to lay down arms and take on the insanity of cyclocross racing.

For the uninitiated, cross racing is a hybrid sport of criterium racing, mountain biking, and, yes, running! Races are generally held in parks and last 45 to 60min. So what’s the big deal? Well, we are talking about racing a bike with skinny tires on tight, off road courses during the fall and winter months that bring rain, wind, and mud. And no, they never cancel races even if it snows; they just shovel the course! These are all-out hammer fest races not for the faint of heart. If you haven’t been to a national level cross race to spectate, do yourself a favor and go.

The New England cross season is historically opened up by the Gloucester cross weekend October 11-12th in Massachusetts as some of the best crossers in the country descend on the North Shore. This year we were blessed to have one of the most temperate and beautiful fall weekends in recent memory for this fun-filled weekend. Having headed up with my wife, Nancy, and son, Caden, after leading the morning indoor cycling sessions at TARGETRAINING, we barely made it to registration for number pickup as we had to work our way through notorious Boston traffic.

After a brief warm up and course preview, I was joined at the starting line with fellow teammates Adam, Justin and Tyler. Unlike most cycling events that we do during the year, cross racing has a call up system based on series and UCI points classification which sets up racers in grid lines much like NASCAR. Not having any points to work with, I was placed last on the start grid, making my task of finishing with in the top 25 a real challenge.

The gun went off and so did the stacked field. No sooner had I clipped into my pedals that I found myself face down on the pavement. Five seconds of racing had rewarded me with a world of hurt as I was knocked down by a fellow racer. The crash was made worse when I looked over my shoulder to see that Tyler had also come to a stop with a broken chain and a disappointing DNF. With Nancy helping me up to my feet and damaged bike in hand, I remounted and began an hour of chasing. When all was said and done, I finished in the top 20 and was ready for an Oktoberfest.

Sunday’s race provided another day of spectacular weather, and the continued bad luck. This time it was in the form of several mechanicals and additional falls but with family and friends on the sidelines it was worth all the efforts. Fortunately for TARGETRAINING, Justin managed a personal best, placing 5th on a fast day of racing.

Newton's -- a running shoe of distinction at TARGETRAINING

Craig Alexander winning Ironman Hawaii in his Newton running shoes.

Our own Tyler Johnson and Mitch West are converts to this incredible technology.

Purchase these and get 50% off a $100 gait analysis from our running experts Tyler Johnson/Dom Gillen. If you end up not buying the shoes because they are not right for you, you may apply the $100 gait analysis to two indoor speed sessions at TARGETRAINING.

No, we do not discount the Newtons. That would make the company unhappy. They are worth full price and we have them in stock.

Again, that is the Craig Alexander to the left. We aren't making this stuff up -- they are great shoes (he did the marathon in 2:45 after cycling 110+ miles pretty fast).

Getting to your goal is winning

Ellen and Phoebe after Ellen's successful completion of her first half marathon. And no, Ol' School, Ellen did not get 2nd. But she's No. 1 to us. (By the way, good stuff David on your second place).

Ellen started training for her half in June under the tutelage of Dom and Tyler. She perservered through what often happens when you train for an event: family stuff, illness, sore muscles, trepidation, and ultimately, the event itself.

Look at that smile. It was worth it.

Westchester Half Marathon Report

With 3 weeks to go before the NYC Marathon, I figured the Westchester Half Marathon - a somewhat boring but fairly challenging 1/2 in White Plains - would provide a good way to get one fast-ish effort in and also give me a glimpse to see how training was going. Turns out it's going pretty well. My goal was to run 1:19-1:20 comfortably...after leading the race for 6.5 miles, I was caught by the eventual winner. I stuck with him for another mile but just didn't have the turnover to keep up. I'm sure all my friends (there were about 10 of us that knew each other out there) that were shouting encouragement on the loop course helped to motivate HIM as well as it did me. I was able to finish strongly though, maintaining the sub-6:10 pace through the finish. I ended up 2nd overall in 1:20:25, which hopefully will make marathon pace seem a whole lot easier.