Sam Long’s nickname is “The Big Unit.”
That’s a strange nickname. When I think of units I think of first grade math and storage rental facilities.
“I just rented the big unit at Jimbo’s Self Storage”
To be fair, Sam is six feet and four inches tall so “The Big” certainly fits. And, I suppose, calling him “The Big Guy” or “The Big Dude” isn’t original enough for a 25 year old triathlon rockstar.
I Like This Unit
This morning’s trainer ride (think indoor bike) was accompanied by the voices of Kim, Taren and Sam Long. Kim and Taren produce a podcast called Triathlon Taren and Sam was their most recent guest to be interviewed.
YO YO YO! Pro Triathlete Sam Long’s Keys To Triathlon Success
Although I have been aware of Sam Long for a while, I have not been following him on social media. The truth is that I don’t follow but one or two social media outlets anyway. That is about to change. After listening to the interview I subscribed to Sam’s YouTube channel. I may even go out on a limb and subscribe to his Instagram.
So why Sam Long? Why not follow Jan Frodeno, Anne Haug, Tim O’Donnell, Alistair Brownlee and other triathlon super stars? All those names are well known and the athletes seem very down to earth.
Sam said two things that caught my attention:
His dream is to win Kona, but he made it very clear that this is a long term goal. For a young man of 25, he exhibits patience and wisdom.
Eighty to ninety percent of his training is in zone 2 (relatively easy). We’ve been hearing about the benefits of zone 2 training from coaches and scientists for a while now, but this is the first time I’ve heard an athlete at his level say that. Maybe I just haven’t been listening closely enough, but this certainly endeared him and his philosophy to me.
I Wish That Were On My Resume
Fractured Prune. Best donuts in Surf City, NC.
During the podcast you will hear a brief mention of Sam and a large donut. No details or explanations were given so I wasn’t sure what they meant by “large.” My first thought was that Sam loves donuts like I do. I imagined meeting up with him sometime and the two of us exploring little mom and pop donut shops with interesting names like “Fractured Prune Donuts.”
Or maybe, I thought, the donut comment referred to Sam’s participation in a donut run such as the Krispy Kreme Challenge. I had visions of him throwing down an entire box of Krispy Kremes at mile 1.5 and then throwing up the entire box at mile 2.5.
Is this what a one kg donut looks like?
Later, after listening to the podcast, I learned the source of that donut reference from Sam’s website, samgolong.com. Among a list of very impressive triathlon statistics, he claims that the largest donut he has ever eaten weighed one kilogram. If you are metric illiterate, one kilogram is equivalent to 2.2 pounds which is equal to 35.2 ounces. HOLY CRAP! That’s huge. His sugar high must have been incredible and his post sugar high crash must have been comparable to Zach Galifianakis’ hangover in … “The Hangover.” Of course, I’m assuming he ate that donut in a single sitting.
How much does a typical donut weigh? Four ounces? Six ounces? You could claim a strength workout just by lifting a one kg donut to your face.
And what’s more… one kg is the largest donut he’s eaten. How many 0.9 kg donuts has he eaten? I was so impressed by Sam’s donut eating that I almost forgot he’s a triathlete too.
There is, however, one question of great importance yet to be answered:
Did the donut have sprinkles?
So Sam, if you ever find yourself in either The Four Corners region or The Cape Fear region, look me up and we’ll go out for a zone 2 bike ride and scout out the best donuts in the area.
Until next time…