Positive Spin – part two

For this second and final part of the “Positive Spin” blog, I share with you the bio of coach Jennifer Vogel of Velocity Multi Sport (from their web site):

Jennifer has over 15 years experience in endurance sports, both on and off the playing field.  As a triathlon coach and yoga teacher, she inspires passion and leads by example. Her holistic mind/ body approach to training revolves around nutrition, periodized training, cross training, recovery and flexibility to help keep athletes injury free and achieving their goals. An accomplished ultra-marathoner, 10x Ironman triathlete and 2011 & 2013 All American Triathlete, Jennifer is a huge proponent of practicing what you preach. She pulls heavily from her sports and Thai massage background to incorporate a holistic and balanced training program to a sometimes unbalanced sport. She believes in incorporating eastern and western philosophies into triathlon training in order to produce a well-rounded training model.

Jennifer works with all level athletes and has a 100% finish rate for her beginner/intermediate Ironman athletes. Having earned her pro license with an overall amateur win at Challenge AC, she will be racing PRO for the 2015 season.

Perhaps I should also share a little background on Velocity Multi Sport – A scientific approach to coaching (from the “Who We Are” menu tab, same web site):

Velocity a vector quantity which refers to “the rate at which an object changes its position.” Imagine a person moving rapidly – one step forward and one step back – always returning to the original starting position.While this might result in a frenzy of activity, it would result in a Zero velocity. Because the person always returns the original position, the motion would never result in a change of position.

If a person in motion wishes to maximize their velocity, then that person must make every effort to maximize the amount that they are displaced from their original position. Every step must go into moving that person further from where he/she started.

At Velocity Multi Sport we subscribed to a holistic training module in order to attain Maximum Velocity . Our training plans utilize a periodized program in order to create specific stress, recovery and ultimately adaptations to the body and mind. We believe the mind and body are interdependent; changes in one cause changes in the other. The mind/body system has a certain capacity to adapt that varies from person-to-person. We focus on the stress/recovery/ adaptation cycling, by utilizing both Eastern and Western philosophies including but not limited to: Nutrition, PH monitoring, Stress management, Core work, Yoga, Goal setting, as well as aerobic and anaerobic training and triathlon specific skills.

This is not a shameless plug for VMS, I assure you, and the connection to FBA may surprise you.  Velocity Multi Sport is based out of Jacksonville, Florida.  The same Jacksonville mentioned on page 6 of our Winter 2015 Messenger, and the same Jacksonville working to become a League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community.

Here’s the FBA connection:  Velocity Multi Sport strongly encourages their coaches to be multifaceted and give back to the local community not just in the sport of triathlon but however it speaks to them.  For Coach Jen, her project became the 2015 “Put the fun between your legs, Jacksonville. Ride a bike” calendar.

Velocity Multi Sport is proud to be the production team behind the 2015  calendar featuring local athletes stripping down with local bikes to raise funds and awareness for Florida Bicycle Association, a non-for-profit that educates bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists about safely sharing roadways and paths.  The 2015 calendar is a fun, sexy, and unique way to highlight the bikes and women that train on our roads daily.  Calendars are $30 each with $10 of each sale being tax deductible and going directly to FBA.

The calendar is tastefully done and the bios of the athletes/models are inspiring.  They may not be your ‘everyday’ cyclist, but these are real women with real stories who really RIDE.  From ‘Cover Girl’ Kelli Bynum:

“Triathlon saved me.  My husband, Jared C. Bynum, died while training for IMFL 2012.  I committed to competing in IMFL 2013 to finish what he started.  At the time, my only focus was to finish the race for him.  I didn’t realize how healing the journey to that finish would be for me.  I met other women along the way, each striving to traverse 140.6 miles for their own unique reasons.  Fierce, strong, inspirational women.  People ask me all the time why I am still an avid cyclist and triathlete despite losing my husband to the sport.  I simply reply that Jared died doing something he could not live without, and that in the saddle of my bike is where I feel happy and healthy.  It is where I feel ALIVE!!!  I can think of no better way to honor his life and to reward my survival of his loss than by continuing to live and continuing to ride.”

Ok, now the shameless plug:  the calendars will be available, while supplies last, as part of the First Friday party at Open Road Bicycles (Jax Beach).

I personally wish to thank Coach Jen for following through on her project and creating something not only fun, sexy, unique and useful, but in itself an inspiration that each of us, in our own way, can move ourselves further than from where we started; and for Jacksonville, a move from the current culture to become bicycle friendly.  FBA will find a means to put the calendar proceeds towards this Jacksonville goal, and when we do, I will personally submit the Positive Spin form on behalf of VMS.

Velocity indeed, and a great way to start 2015.  Happy New Year!