Carl's spotlight feature sheds light on a competitive athlete, that trains and races like a seasoned competitor.

You've described yourself as a "green, but obsessed triathlete". Tell us about that.
Since I'm relatively new at this thing, I still have the fortune of having times that seem to improve with each race. And I'm competitive by nature. However, contrary to my early days of team sports (I played football player in high school and college) triathlons allow me a venue to compete as an individual...competing against myself almost.

What drew you to the sport of triathlons?
I had an interest in triathlons since the early days of the Hawaii Ironman. I seem to migrate toward activities that really challenge you as an individual. As a result, my background was more oriented toward other endurance activities like mountaineering and rock/ice climbing. I finally got my chance to jump into the triathlon scene last year when I took a summer sabbatical from work.

So, while some people take time off from competing, you actually took a summer off from work?
Yes. I trained for and competed in the Swim to Freedom sprint, Mighty Hamptons and Westchester Tris and the NYC Marathon. After the marathon I had an overtraining injury to my knees and based on a recommendation from the folks at WRRC I ended up in Rich Izzo's office. He invited me to join the group on some early season runs in the Rockies...and here I am.

From what we've seen, your training seems to be going well. Specifically, what races do you have lined up for this season?
Since I would like to go long next year I have a mixture of long and short this year as a build up. I'm doing Eagleman in June, then the Norwalk sprint, NYC, Mighty Hamptons, Westchester, and hopefully NYC Marathon again.

How is your training this year different from last summer?
The biggest difference is now I'm training with others. Last year 90% of my training was done solo. This year, in addition to training with the club, I am getting some coaching on my swim technique and will probably do some Masters swimming as well.

As an obsessed triathlete, do you already have plans beyond this season?
I'm planning to get a tri-specific bike for next season and my Ironman attempt. This year, the focus is on getting a professional fit done on my current rig.

Outside of your present interest in the sport of triathlon, what were you doing before, athletically?
I played football and track (quarter mile and high jump) a long time ago. Most recently, I have been more into mountain sports like climbing and skiing.

And outside of triathlons, what do you do professionally?
I'm a management consultant (or as I tell my 6 year old, a doctor for companies) with a concentration on investment banks.

What works for you in terms of balancing work, training and fatherhood?
After having taken last summer off and building a base of fitness and an appreciation for what needs to get done, I have been able to better organize my training to fit in...although it is not easy. The bulk of my weekday training happens real early or real late.