February 2007 Athlete Profile- Mark Misencik

Athlete Of The Month Profile

1. Name : Mark Misencik…the Slovak translation of Misencik is “swims like rock.”  
2. How long have you been training for and racing triathlons? I started thinking about doing a tri back in 2001 after my Achilles’ tendon surgery.  Everything that I read said that cross training was the best way to avoid injury and stay fit.  So I started training for my first tri in 2002 and did the Cleveland sprint tri that summer.
3. What is your favorite aspect of the sport? Since swimming is not my strong event, I like passing people on the bike and run.  Mentally you feel good when you pass someone.  I would prefer to be a good swimmer though.
4. What do you consider your biggest athletic achievement? Tough question.  I never made All American anything (although I made USAT HM in my age group this past year).  Doing Triple T four years in a row is something to hang your hat on and yes, Triple T is harder then doing an ironman.  But coming from a running background, I would say doing the 100th running of the Boston Marathon with my running buddies would top the list.
5. What are your big goals?  Since I’ve been doing something that I said I would never do, racing an ironman, I would love to smell Kona coffee in the morning this fall.
6. What’s your favorite meal?   Anyone at the fall camp knows I have some very strange eating habits.  During training season I eat very strict breakfast and lunch.  For dinner and snack I eat anything that doesn’t move.  No alcohol.  Off season my favorite meal is the Christmas Eve traditional Slovak meatless dinner.  It must be my heritage. 
7. What’s your favorite movie?  What category?  I have a bunch of them.  Right now it’s the mini series “Band of Brothers”. 
8. Any other hobbies? I like to fish and hunt.  I belong to a golf club but I stink at golf.  I love to watch motorcycle road racing.  I also have a garden in the back yard.
9. If you could visit one place this year, where would it be?  See question 5.
10. What’s your favorite workout? That depends on what type of mood I’m in.  I love doing long runs with my wife in zone A.  I love sweating lactic acid doing hill work outs in the metro park.  But if I had to choose only one, it would probably be doing Yasso’s 800’s while I was getting ready for a marathon.
11. Who’s your inspiration? My son Kyle.  He’s had ACL surgery on both knees, getting a nasty staph infection that required a long stay in the hospital after the second surgery.  He also developed a rare eye infection that severely affected his vision.  But he has kept his grades up and manages to get in some swimming, spinning and running.  When ever I feel bad I just think how tough he has had it.           
12. If you could train with one person for a day, who would it be?  My Triple T partner Mike Slabe.  He was a collegiate swimmer, so for me he’s great to swim with.  I’m a better cyclist and runner so I can put the hurt on him when we bike and run.  But the best thing is he knows all the lines to the Seinfeld show.  Hey Baker the jerk store called….
13. What three things would you bring with you if you were to be dropped on a deserted Island (not counting family)? Perpeteum, Endurolytes and coffee.  Next question.
14. Any other words of wisdom? Always have a plan B, wave to people who move over for you and always count the hours when Eric says that he’s going to give you an easy week.

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