Train Hard. Race Easy. No surprises on race day. By Ari Baum

Train Hard. Race Easy.

It’s a term many of you heard me say or write in the chat repeatedly. It’s one of my pillars for preparing for a race.

There are no surprises on race day. You don’t wake up suddenly fit and race faster than you did in training.

This sport like many others requires persistent and consistent training to not only finish but to podium.

The first race of the season can be a test for your offseason work. It’s an opportunity to see the efforts of what you were doing when no one was around.

For me, the offseason was an opportunity to try some new things to get different results.

Coach Josh Gold designed a new regimen to focus on form and strength training to build some power and endurance.

He put me on a plan to gain more weight than I typically put on in the off season.

If I can run near my top speed 5-10 pounds heavier, imagine what will happen when we shed those pounds.

I committed myself to being more consistent and schedule my workouts like meetings to keep me on track.

This year we had a large group of OPR and JRunners racing both the sprint and International distance triathlon.

There was a familiar feeling among the group as we racked our bikes. Making small talk, sharing race stories and goals for the upcoming season. It felt like a family reunion.

We entered the water expecting a chill up our spine. Instead we were pleasantly surprised with warm water.

Either G-d was with us or the first wave was very nervous .

Everyone had a great day, OPR had its fair share of AG awards. Lenny from the center, Lottie Bildirici, and myself all podiumed.

Looking forward, I am excited to see what the season brings. Whether I podium, finish, or DNF. It will be great experiencing this great sport with our OPR family.