Coaching and the Mind/Body Link
Coaching is the art of understanding the body. The body is a beautiful and unique machine that can adapt to whatever stress you put on it, and can also give warnings when too much stress is applied. These warnings can be very confusing to a person who is starting to embark in endurance sports. A good coach can educate you on how to interpret your body's signals so that you can avoid problems in training and racing and realize your goals. Unlike other coaches, I never intend to keep my athletes indefinitely; I teach my athletes for the eventuality of getting to know their body so well that they can coach themselves.
I can give you tips on how to physically prepare for race day as well as help develop strategies that can help your mind *and* body stay positive and hungry through the heat of competition and achieve your goals with minimal injury. And, most importantly, how to use mental rehearsal to expertly deal with problems that might arise during your race so that you can address and solve them as quickly as possible before they get worse so that you can finish at your best.
My training plan is very unique. It combines periodization, Tai Chi, experience, and your personal schedule into a game-winning plan. It is also designed with fun in mind. Tai Chi is important for strengthening your mind/body link. This link will enable you to "listen to your body" and correct your mechanics so that you can avoid injury. I've made chronic injuries like stress fractures and tendonitis disappear without the use of orthotics. It's that strong!
Unlike other coaches, namely those in triathlon who promote expensive gadgets and clothing to "enhance" their training, the only thing that is required in my training is a stopwatch (and that might not even be needed on some training days either). For beginners I do recommend buying a cheap heart rate monitor to that it can help them sense their perceived effort, but I feel that once their sense of "listening to their body" develops and matures, the heart rate monitor can slowly be weaned out of their training.
This link also helps economize your mechanics so that you can go farther or faster than ever with the minimal of energy!
The mind/body link also helps you during a race to avoid dehydration, hypernatremia, and general fatigue on your way to a perfect race!
About Me
I was born in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Staten Island when I was 3. I decided to join the Varsity High School Swim Team in high school. Working hard, I earned 2 Most Improved Swimmer Trophies and qualified for the Scholastic National Swim Meet in Villanova in 1987.
During those high school years, I've always tuned into the Wide World of Sports to see some crazy event called the Ironman Triathlon. Yes, I am one of those people who did watch Julie Moss' agonizing crawl to the finish in 1982. Something definitely stirred within me about trying a race like that. Can I do it?
During sophomore year in college I decided to start running a bit to compliment my fitness. Then one fateful day in 1990 I decided to go to the library to study some of my exams. During a break in my studies, I wondered over to the sports section and pulled out Dave Scott's Triathon Training book. That got me thinking, if I can swim, and I can run a little, all I need to do is ride a little, right? I quickly scanned a local athletic magazine and found a local race right in my back yard, the New York City Triathlon, in Coney Island. It was a 1 mile swim, a 20 mile bike and a 6 mile run. In the 6 months that I trained I followed every little instruction in Mike Scott's book, got out on my old Schwinn bike, and swam and ran as hard as I did in high school. In the 6 months that I worked out I lost 20 pounds and got back to my old high school weight.In August, I finally did my first triathlon. I did it in about 1 hour and 56 minutes. I enjoyed it so much I was addicted
From 1991-1993, I applied myself with as much vigor as with my high school swim days and received my share of age group awards. My first half-Ironman finish happened at the Tupper Lake Tinman; I grabbed 2nd place in my age group at 4 hours and 30 minutes.
With 1994 and 1995 as the guidelines to learn from, along with meditation and mental rehearsal, in 1996 I cut my training a bit, avoided the overtraining and mental burnout, and sensibly trained myself. The result was my first ever Ironman finish at Canada in 10 hours and 36 minutes. The wondrous thing about the year was that I managed to enjoy the training without mental burnout, which enabled me to be the fittest I can be at Ironman Canada. I actually *wanted* to do more after the race.
From 1996-2000 I have received many age group awards, some overall awards, and a couple of wins in triathlon. I also did the Gulf Coast Triathlon half-Ironman in 4 hours and 20 minutes, a pretty fast time for that distance. All this due to having a positive mind and attitude during training and racing.
From 2000 on I started dabbling in ultramarathons and are learning and am continuing to learn the unique training. The training proving to be quite effective, yielding a number of great ultramarathon finishes at the Mountain Masochist 50 Miler and Holiday Lake 50k as well as a great finish at the Vermont 100 Mile Ultramarathon.
Coaching Plans
Access to my Facebook page and Twitter feeds will be given in all plans. Yes, I'm getting quite adept in social media, and is quite effective for me to track your status as well as you track my status from day to day.
All plans will have access to Coach Pete's training calendar. Coach Pete is STILL an active athlete (he's got a couple of 100 mile ultras and a Double Ironman planned in 2011 alone). If you want to train on a specific day on that calendar, Coach Pete can accommodate. You can come on down to where Coach Pete is training free of charge.
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The 4 Week Triathlon/Endurance Plan - $80-100 per month One of the most inexpensive triathlon training plans in the Tri-State Area. - Day-by-day planning as well as helpful advice to get you to your race in prime shape. - Tai Chi inspired methods to improve your mechanics for better efficiency and injury prevention. - Will arrange personal one-on-one sessions at either no additional cost or at a deeply discounted price. Remember, I am a PERSONAL COACH, not an online coach. - From general fitness training to race specific training. - Customize your training to fit around your busy schedule. Cost-saving tips and how to navigate the expensive sport of triathlon with the minimal of costs. You could probably save more money signing up with me than going it alone! - Tips on race day mental preparation, how to address potential problems that might arise in races and how to address them effectively. Minimalist running option. I do believe that running in minimalist footwear works for a lot of people. If you're chronically injured, we can explore ways to see whether the minimalist approach is right for you. |  |
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Marathon, Ultramarathon, and Long Distance Running Training Plan - Hourly basis, no long term contract. $60-$80 per month. For those runners who want to extend their stamina and train for half-marathons, marathons, ultramarathons, and trail races. For marathons and shorter, focus on your speed, and concentrate on your periodization to optimally increase your stamina. For ultramarathons, focus on your running efficiency so that you can run easily for miles and miles without tiring. Minimalist running option. Please see the above triathlon plan for details. |
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Personal Training Plan - Hourly basis, no long term contract. $50 per month.
- Winning combination of weight and core stabilization training inside or outside of the gym. For general fitness and weight loss.
Hourly Coaching Session - Hourly basis, no long term contract. $50 per hour.
- Good if you need specific advice on swimming technique, transition practice, pedalling efficiency, etc.
There is a heavy dose of psychology that is placed into these programs. That is because it takes an effort to train the mind to be a powerful weapon for it to be used in fitness. The mind is the most powerful "muscle" that should be trained above all else. If you can master your mind, your body will easily follow suit.
Please e-mail me at ironpete@ironpete.com or call me at (908) 229-9687.