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Tribute Tuesday #2 – Pete Amedure
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| Pete Amedure, Coach, Mentor, Motivator and Friend |
Inspirational, motivational, challenging, generous and caring are all the adjectives I would use to describe my personal friend Pete Amedure.
The first time I met Pete I knew I was going to be in trouble of sorts. Scott Bragan and I decided to check out a brick workout he was hosting with a number of the Team in Training athletes he was coaching at the time, and a couple of other triathletes. I walked over to introduce myself and at first I was taken back by this big, burly, broad guy talking with this raspy voice that sounded like he just walked off the Brooklyn Bridge. We didn’t know each other at all, but we proceeded to start our workout on the bike and after allowing Scott and to think we were superior for the first 10 miles he decided to show us who was really in command by zipping past us like we were standing still. I was at first disgusted at myself and then I was in awe of his explosiveness on the bike. I continued to train with Pete and we started to become fast friends. He also started a informal triathlon club he called the A-Train. (A for Amedure and the fact he was from Brooklyn off the A line subway. Get it?)
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| Pete and the A-Train after a difficult Brick |
In 2010, the A-Train club exploded. Why? In all honesty because of Pete. Pete is a spin instructor at L.A Fitness, as well as Certified Personal Trainer, and as he met athletes who were interested in triathlon he added them to an email list. We all worked out and kept adding friends and other athletes to a point where we were hosting workouts of 20-30 people and the email list grew to about 80 members. While anyone can pull people together once, these members kept coming back for long, grueling bike rides, harsh swims, runs that felt like they just wouldn’t end, and of course some difficult brick workouts in the middle of the Florida summers with high heat and humidity. Why did we all come back? One person; Pete. He has a way of motivating and pushing athletes of all levels to their edge without making them feel inferior if they couldn’t keep up. On long rides he would always play shepherd and leader at the same time. If an athlete was having a bad day and just didn’t have it, Pete would double back and have them draft until they were able to catch up with the group. The group adopted the US Military’s motto, “No one left behind” during long rides and soon we were all taking turns as the shepherd in order to allow Pete to have a good workout as well.
Not to say that training is all we do. There have been numerous barbeques, Xmas parties, Greek Easter parties and nights out, but most of those are exceptions to the rule, because when most of us are asked to go out to the bars, or a party or clubbing on a Friday or Saturday night, we decline. We know that 5am comes very quick and we want to be rested because we know Pete is going to bring us to our edge, and sometimes over it. The difference between the other clubs and Pete’s A-Train? We smile and laugh through it and enjoy every minute of it. Pete turned us not only in to athletes, but a family as well. We look out for each other and Pete looks out for us.
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| Pete loves the sauce…well the healthy sauce |
DOB: Sept 13, 1966 – Virgo
POB: Brooklyn, NY
Grew up: Brooklyn, NY
High School: Brooklyn Tech, HS
High School sports: Swimming
College: Brooklyn College (CUNY)
College Sports: DRINKING
When and why did you start competing in triathlon?
2008 – It was a dare, Someone at the gym said HEY, we’re doing a triathlon out at Ft Desoto in two weeks, you should do it with us.
What is one thing you love most about triathlon?
I love the feeling of pushing yourself to the bitter end no matter what. But most of all the camaraderie of triathletes. During my first triathlon I remember during the run, I recall seeing an older couple. They were each in their 60’s and still competing. They crossed during the run, and stopped, gave each other a warm embrace and a kiss. He then said, I’ll be waiting for you at the finish line. It was by far one of the most moving sights I have ever seen in any sport!
What made you start the A-Train?
The A-Train started as just a couple of friends, training together. Luisa, was one of the first A-Trainers, and shortly there after Mike Walker came along. Then in 2010, the A-Train exploded and continues to what/who we are today.
I know you teach spinning, how did you start?
I’ve been a cyclist for years and took spin classes to supplement my workouts.. Then realized how much I loved it. It also drove me crazy when instructors and just felt the need to get certified and teach people how to do it right!
What is the turning point in your life that made you such a leader and want to move people to their successes?
Not to sound cliche, but I read a book, it was called: “Its Not About the Bike” I don’t care about all the other stuff, but that book made me want to change and take charge of my life.
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| Pete during Ironman Haines City 70.3 |
What would you say is your greatest obstacle you ever overcame?
About 10 years ago, I was 270lbs, with high blood pressure, and drank too much. My biggest obstacle, was ME!
What is your greatest victory?
I have to say last May in Haines City FL. Running on a stress fracture, and in in a state of total emotional disarray, there were more than a few times I almost abandoned the race. Coming across the finish line to my waiting friends, A-Trainers and family was the greatest victory.
What are you favorite quotes?
“Victory belongs to those who believe…”
-Lt Col Jimmy Doolittle
-Lt Col Jimmy Doolittle
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AROUND HERE”
– Vince Lombardi
– Vince Lombardi
“Do or Do NOT, there is NO TRY”
-Yoda
-Yoda
So how in the world can you not love this guy?
CARPE VIAM!
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| Nick, Jamie & Pete after Haines City 70.3 |
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| The Goof and Pete |
So here we go!!
It’s January 9th and I have been trying to provide a base now since November 6th. I think I am doing pretty well. I couldn’t swim 600 yards without changing up strokes from freestyle to sidestroke, to breaststroke. Now I can go about 800 yards with strictly freestyle..at least in a pool. Yesterday, January 8th 2011, I ran the Disney Half-Marathon without stopping in 1:59:32. It is not great, but not that this is an excuse, but it was extremely crowded and I was in the very back of the pack. Last week I cycled 40 miles, with a 5K run at the end. I think as far as my endurance factor goes I am a little a head of the game.
Background
Just to give the story as to why. People think I am nuts…why train for an event where you swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles and then run a marathon? It started two years ago. I had been working my ass off 12 -15 hour days including weekends. I was feeling drained and I was due for a physical with a complete blood workup. Dr. Gold basically said I was in horrible shape. My cholesterol was high, my triglycerides were high, my good cholesterol was low, my sugar was high…I am sure the picture was obvious. This was only 3 years after separating for the second time from the military. I couldn’t believe I let myself get so out of shape.
Kim and I were walking around Hyde Park Village about three weeks later and we walked past Lifestyles Family Fitness. There was a poster in the window for a Boot Camp Class. We went in and contracted to use the gym, I enrolled in Boot Camp and Kim hired a personal trainer to get her started again. Well, from the first class I was hooked. They had these teasers prior to the beginning of the real class and it was an intense 35 minutes of cardio, strength training, agility, stability and core exercises. I loved it, coming from a military background where this is what we did everyday. The difference was the emphasis on form and injury reduction. Well, the instructors, Nicole Sturtze, and Zach Thompson were a hell of lot nicer than my drill sergeants. Two days a week for an hour I put 100% effort and sweat-ed profuciously and loved it. One Monday morning, my eyes popped open at 5:30am and I was wide awake. I thought, eh why not go for a run. I ran for four miles and felt like a million dollars. The next day after boot camp I saw a flyer for another class called Punch & Crunch, and thought, eh why not give it a try. Melissa Trinidad was teaching, and I knew she was one of the top trainers at the gym, not to mention she was really cute. Again, I was hooked after the first class. Boxing paired with cardio and core was awesome. Within a month of starting to work out twice a week, I had now more than doubled my workouts to 5 days a week. Monday, I ran or worked out on my own, Tuesday & Thursday was Boot Camp, Wednesday and Saturday was Punch & Crunch, Friday and Sunday I took off. Next, a friend in Boot Camp told me about this Hot Yoga down the street from the gym. I never sweated so much in my life and felt so rejuvenated afterward. Now I was at 6 days a week.
Next came the game changer – Scott Bragan, another Boot Camp friend, started mentioning the Chicago Marathon and how he was doing it for charity. The PKD foundation. Perocystic Kidney Disease. His mother-in-law had a transplant, his wife was diagnosed with it, and his daughter had a 50/50 chance of coming down with it because she carried the gene. My need to help kicked in, so I decided to talk to him about it, and before I knew it we had 10 members of Team Tampa PKD and were starting a plan to fund raise to a goal of $25,000!! With that we also trained together. Two six week sessions of boot camp, combined with Punch & Crunch, and Yoga allowed my first training run, to be 9 miles. I couldn’t believe I was starting to train for a marathon and I could already comfortably run 9 miles. I was jazzed.
Well, Scott also mentioned another activity he did…Triathlons. I had partaken in a couple of triathlons in high school and I enjoyed them, so I thought, what a great way to break up the training for the marathon by swimming and biking and participating in a couple of sprint triathlons as well. I ended up participating in two that summer, the Mease Plant Point and the Top Gun and loved them…well…except for the swim. I just wanted to get that over with.
We did end up raising the 25000 bucks and then some and everyone finished the marathon with decent times, except for me. I ended up injuring myself two weeks before with a herniated disc at L5/S1 and was in recovery during the marathon. I did go to Chicago that weekend and I did take some great pics, and cheer on my team, but I was really bummed. That was October 2009.
Since then I have been in a few more small races, 5Ks and 10Ks, a couple of half-marathons, three more triathlons and have continued to train. I have not missed a boot camp session since then and I feel I am pretty good shape. Last November a friend from a running group I have been running with, the Blue Sharks, told me she did a couple of Full Ironman Triathlons. I was really impressed. She then mentioned she was going to volunteer at the Florida Ironman and asked if I wanted to go. I thought it would be really cool to see all these elite athletes do this incredible event. I went and had an awesome time and got hooked. I was in the transition tent from the Bike to the Run and the Pro-athletes came in and they were systematic and quick. Then the age-groupers came in and some of them were the same as the pros and some of them just took there time, had a break and then continued on to the run. I was enthralled at the amount of people, and all the types of people that were going through this event. Of course the next part is what really hooked me. About 9pm we all decided to hang out at the finish line. Let me preface this by saying the race started at 7 am, so this was 14 hours after the start of the race…Four…teen…..hours! Teresa (the culprit who hooked me into this) said this was the best part of the race because this is the “regular” people finished. The people who had regular jobs, kids, responsibilities that had to fit all this training in apart from that. Coming over the finish line were women and men in excess of 280 pounds, a blind man, a disabled man, men and women in excess of 60 years old, and my favorite a 16 time age grouper that was 76. Yes, that’s right SEVENTY-SIX years old and he came over the finish line before the cut-off of 17 hours. There are those people like myself who do not look there age. There are seventy-six year olds out there whom look fifty or even 60. No…this guy looked the all of seventy-six he was. This is what got me hooked…if they could do it…I definitely could do it.
The plan
I have to mention that I really do not want to be racing for 17 hours. If I finish it in 16 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds…I will be happy that I completed it, but I really do not want to be racing for that long. I found a guy Ben Greenfield who is an awesome athlete and a very knowledgeable athlete whom has developed a plan to get average joes like me through the Ironman with an acceptable amount of training hours that might not completely infringe on my responsibilities. I also have met with a swim coach, my doctor, my chiropractor and a license massage therapist whom is also a bio-mechanics expert and a USAT Level 1 certified trainer. With all this support, I hope to conquer this quest.
At the moment I am doing my own base training right now, with an emphasis on getting comfortable in the saddle of my bike, and becoming relaxed and efficient in the water. Ben’s plan is a 36 week plan, so it does not actually start until the last week in February. I have increased my weekday workouts from an hour to two in order to get my body used to working hard longer, and continue to do boot camp.
Here is to hoping my plan works out, and no injuries or re-injuries will stop me.
Live Strong, Finish Stronger!!!