article on an athlete I work with

http://livingmagazines.com/Hyde_Park_Living/images/1401/Wimberg/Wimberg.htmlThe endurance athletic next door by Peter Wimberg Lynch 1 Imagine a cold, dark winter morning, it’s 4:30 a.m. and you’re up, on purpose. You might be getting some time in on your bike in the basement or hitting the indoor swimming pool or heading out into the cold to run. By 6 a.m. you’re at the gym for the first of your twice weekly strength training sessions with your personal trainer. You’re willing to put in the time because you have triathlons and marathons from spring to fall and your goals are lofty. What motivates someone to do this? Is it the competition, the idea of staying fit or is there more? Jack Lynch, long-time Hyde Park resident and accomplished endurance athlete, maintains the training schedule noted above. Jack took up endurance sports in 1995, when he was asked by a co-worker to participate in the Morgan’s Triathlon. His co-worker thought Jack would do well, given his fitness from playing racquetball. That co-worker apparently knew talent when he saw it. Eighteen years later, at the age of 70, Jack has become a great example of how staying fit will help you defy aging, how dedication to training will bring results and how those early morning training sessions bring friendship and beauty into everyday life. Jack is a native of Louisville, Kentucky where he was a competitive swimmer at Louisville St. Xavier High School. He’s has been married to his wife Kathie for 43 years. They have one son and two daughters. All are married and have provided Jack and Kathie with five grandchildren. Jack is also one of the owners and Executive Vice President at Sporty’s, the 50 year old company in Clermont County that is the worlds largest supplier of all types of aviation products for pilots. When I first became Jack’s personal trainer at the Cincinnati Sports Club several years ago I asked him about his plans for retirement, and his thought was that as long as he’s healthy and loves what he does, why stop? Having the privilege to work with Jack and get to know him, I’ve come to admire that drive and determination. Jacks preferred running competitions include road races from 5k to full marathons. His triathlon experience includes Olympic Distance Events (about 32 miles of swimming, biking and running) to Half Ironman Events (70.3 miles of the same). A typical training week for Jack includes plenty of weight lifting and plyometrics exercises (lots of jumping), riding his bike twice per week from one to three hours, swimming three days per week from 30 to 60 minutes and running four days per week from 30 minutes to two hours. His total time spent training each week is around 14 hours. And this isn’t just training at a moderate pace. His running, biking and swimming are methodically planned to include plenty of efforts that push his power and heart rate just below - and often well above - race pace for predetermined amounts of time. I know - It’s exhausting just thinking about it. Lynch 1 What does this type of dedication bring in the world of endurance sports? Well, Jack won the Eagleman triathlon, which automatically qualified him for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships back in 2010. He’s also won his age bracket three times at the Chicago Triathlon in addition to winning the Muncie Half Ironman and, with it, the opportunity to compete in the World Championship last September. He’s medaled in too many events all over the Midwest to even mention. The really amazing thing about Jack is he still looks at each season as an opportunity to not only win, but get faster and stronger. He wants to push his training, he wants to re-evaluate his position on the bike, he wants to analyze his swim technique and he hones his diet with a sports nutritionist. He wants to try the latest bike equipment and push his strength training a little more each season. When Jack asks himself if his competition is training more, less or the same, he can pretty well rest assured he’s doing more. Jack also will tell you that while competing is great, you have to enjoy the time training also. This means getting outside early in the morning in January for a run in the snow and enjoying the quiet on the streets. It’s about finding the accomplishment in completing that uphill run on the stretch of Erie Avenue from Roslyn to the District Two Police station. Or completing a series of hill climbing repeats in Ault Park on a spring morning as the sun comes up over the pavilion. Or hitting the outdoor pool at 5:30 a.m. during the summer to train with the other master swimmers. Its also about spending time with friends and training partners like Dr. Dick Dammel and making new friends at events around the country. In this edition of Hyde Park Living where we celebrate staying fit, Jack Lynch is a wonderful example of someone who has found how to continually challenge himself while enjoying every moment from training to racing, all the while inspiring others around him to do the same. 179 Fairfield Avenue. Bellevue, KY 41073. (859) 291-1412. © 2014 Community Publications webmaster@livingmagazines.com