Friday, May 16, 2014

How I prepared for Ironman Texas


There’re so many topics that I could write about every day. It is impossible to mention everyone who has reached out to me in the last few months. But here is an “average” day of my life how I prepare for an ironman. Ok, not so average, but a good one!

I started the morning at the DC Ranch Village with a tempo run session on the treadmill. It is a challenging workout but sometimes I like to watch TV to distract myself and relax between the sets. I recently realized that it’s a good way to improve my running form as I raise my head to look up (TVs are on the wall) instead of constantly looking down in front of me. And I have the suspicion that it was not the first time that I run next to someone who looked/run like Alan Webb. Maybe it’s not him but still, inspiring.

After I got home I had a quick shower and headed to Cyclologic’s fitting studio. I have spent a couple hours last week with Paraic McGlynn, owner of Cyclologic to analyze my position on the bike. I had to admit that it was the very first time I was professionally fitted on a bike. I had been quite happy with my position for a long time but as I was getting older, muscles have changed and it was time for a change. Although my bike set up was similar than last year, I have changed some parts that made the ride uncomfortable in the last few months. It is amazing how some minor changes can affect your position on the bike. I might write some details about it later, but right now I just want to thank Paraic and Stephen for helping me to find the ideal position and bike set up.


When my bike was all dialed up I visited Wolfgang Oswald at Endurance Rehab. Last week I had some issues with one of my calf’s muscle and Wolfgang was kind enough to offer his help to loosen it up. It makes all the difference in the World to be able to run pain-free and injury-free. Endurance Rehab in Arizona is one of the most popular performance center/PT Therapy among athletes and especially triathletes. They do a great job and I’m very thankful to Wolfgang for his professional care.
Since I was there I made an appointment with their chiropractor, Eric Marcotte. I’ve heard lots of great thing about him and was glad that finally I had the chance to go see him.

Little bit later it was time for another training session. I went to one of my favorite places, Sole Swim Solutions Studio to have a one-on-one technique swim session with Frank Sole. Frank is one of the most knowledgeable technique swim coaches I know; he is working with athletes from beginners to professionals, and very well recognized in the Valley. Working with him in the endless pool made me more relaxed and more self-conscious in the water, and being consistent with dry-land training also made me a stronger athlete.

The fifty minutes workout at Frank’s wore me out and I needed to refuel right away! I went to my favorite restaurant, Pita Jungle, where I ate a big Mediterranean Chicken Salad with lots of chicken. It is the best! The right fueling is one of the most important things in ironman training. So after lunch I stopped by Destination Kona Triathlon Store and picked up some nutrition for my upcoming training and racing. Since I was there I bought a rear bottle cage for my bike while I was exchanging some words with Chris at the store. It’s always fun to hang out at DK!


The day has not finished yet, and I paid a short visit to Bicycle Ranch. The guys have helped me so much in the last couple weeks with my SwiftCarbon Neurogen. There’s always been some little thing that I wanted to check out, clean, replace etc. Markus and Chris were really great in helping me out. Once my bike was ready I felt happy!

Lucy and I finished the day at the ONE monthly meeting. We both really enjoy being part of ONE Multisport. Everyone is friendly and encouraging. There’s always some social program where we can meet and chat and Lucy can win the raffle. J I’m really happy to represent one of the greatest Arizonan tri clubs this year! Thanks John and Cyndi Dean and all the members that make it happen!

Although Ironman Triathlon is an individual sport, as you can see it takes a Professional Team to prepare and perform at my best. I couldn’t do it on my own and I’m especially thankful for my friends, my family and my supporters who help me to reach my goals. It’s really cool to be a professional triathlete, most of the time. But like everybody else we have highs and lows too. Without the amazing people around me I couldn’t get over the lows, the injuries, bad times, the stress, and the pressure of my mostly unstable, performance-related income etc. I really would like to thank everyone who reached out to me in the last few months (you know who you are!) in many different ways and reminded me to follow my dreams and never ever give up!

Also would like to give a big shout out to my sponsors and the team behind my sponsors and partners:
Pita Jungle
SwiftCarbon
Zoot Sports
Destination Kona Triathlon Store
Southwest Realty and Property Management-Arizona
3T Cycling
Ignite Naturals
&
Shimano Cycling
SPIUK
XTERRA WETSUITS
ISM SEAT
Continental
DC Ranch Village and Spa
Sergio Borges X Training
Sole Swim Solutions
Fitletic

Friday, May 2, 2014

Powered By Pita Jungle

I’m very excited to announce my new partnership with Pita Jungle. When I came to Arizona, Pita Jungle was one of the first restaurants that caught my attention. Mediterranean food has always been very close to me, and I like the fun and welcoming environment along with Pita Jungle’s vey unique and creative style. My wife, Lucy and I didn’t go out very often before Pita Jungle, but with Pita Jungle it has been different! We love the selection of healthy foods. The meals are always fresh and nutritious. As a professional triathlete I have to watch what I eat  and make sure I take in enough calories with a fair amount of protein and carbohydrates. Every time I go to Pita Jungle I find it very comforting to know that I can always find a fresh green salad with chicken or salmon in it, or having a cold wrap, or any kind of gyros after a large plate of hummus or any other delicious dish. Most of the meals have the perfect balance of nutritional sources whether I have to recover after a 6-hour bike ride, have to grab something before an afternoon swim session, or go on a run... It was a natural and logical choice when I decided to ask Pita Jungle for a partnership. I couldn’t imagine a better sponsor than my most favorite restaurant in town! Of course, I am so very proud to have Pita Jungle as one of my leading sponsors.


About me:

Jozsef Major is a multiple time Ironman Champion, and a local professional triathlete who specializes in half and full distance Ironman events.
He has twenty-one recent top five finishes in iron distance events out of his thirty eight ironman finishes overall.  He is the 2008 Ironman Arizona Champion and has eight other iron distance wins. Jozsef has qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona seven times.