Member Spotlight: Benjamin Kessel
Interview and photo by PaFoua Hang
PPTC Member Benjamin Kessel
We are excited to share this interview with one of PPTC’s longstanding members. Benjamin Kessel (“Ben”) is originally from Gramercy/Union Square, and moved to Park Slope when he was five.
In addition to being a runner, Ben is an avid (read: obsessed) triathlete, and loves to train and race! He is currently the proud President of the Brooklyn Tri Club (“BTC”). For work, he manages and owns Priority Fitness (a local fitness studio) and does running and triathlon coaching on the side.
Outside of work and play, Ben is also a big punk rock fan and loves going to shows, and would love to know whether a mosh pit technically counts as cross training. Read on to learn more about Ben (as well as two major races he just ran).
How did you find PPTC and why did you choose this club?
I initially joined PPTC the day after the NYRR Brooklyn Half in 2013 because I saw many PPTC members on the course being friendly and encouraging to other members. I thought that was amazing, and I wanted to be a part of that!
I have been a part of the Club for a few years and I LOVE AGSSS!!! What I like most about PPTC is the community. *Hands down* PPTC embodies world peace as far as I’m concerned. There’s a sentiment circulating throughout the Club that is so supportive, inclusive, and sincere. It’s amazing.
What aspect of the Club are you most active in?
I am the Coach for the Outdoor Strength & Conditioning class with PPTC. The class is designed specifically for runners with the main focus on making runners stronger, fitter, and faster by enhancing their body's mechanics, strength, speed, and agility. The exercises I design are based on a circuit training routine and progress in difficulty during the duration of the class. I start each class with proper muscle activation, balance, and core/general strength, then as the class collectively gets stronger, I increase the speed, power, and dynamics of the exercises.
The goal of the class is to reduce the risk of injury, combat fatigue and breakdown of posture in long runs/races, and reduce recovery time between races/hard workouts. One of the most important aspects of the class is the ability to hang out with the PPTC crew and encourage each other to work hard and feel great! I also hold an indoor season at Priority Fitness during the late Fall to early Spring season. I’m so good at watching other people workout, that it’s literally my profession. Hahaha.
Before we dive into the rest of our usual interview, can you tell us about these two Team USA races you just did in September?
I was fortunate enough to qualify for Team USA for two age group (amateur) World Championships that just happened to be on back-to-back weekends in Europe and within close proximity of each other.
The first race was the ITU (International Triathlon Union) World Championship. The main way to qualify for Team USA and race at the ITU World Championship is by racing in the National Championship the year prior and placing in 18th place or faster within my age group. The distance for this race is called the sprint distance, which is a 750 meter swim, 12 mile bike, followed by a 5K run.
The ITU World Championships was in Lausanne, Switzerland, and it was about an hour of complete pain. It was beautiful. Top athletes from all over the world (in all age group categories) raced, and I don’t think I’ve ever been around that many fit people in my life! This race was also the setting for the ITU Professional World Championship so I was walking among many of the fastest triathletes in the world. It was unreal.
The second race (the following weekend after the ITU World Championship) was the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which took place in Nice, France. I qualified for this race in June by racing a half Ironman (70.3) in Michigan. Each Ironman 70.3 race allocates a certain amount of World Championship slots to each age group. The faster you place in your age group, the higher the ‘dibs’ you get on taking a World Championship slot. There’s no cut-off like for the ITU Worlds where if you get 1 place higher than 18th, you don’t get a chance to take a slot even if the people faster than you decide they don’t want to go. For this race there was a little more flexibility, and I was fortunate enough to get a slot for the World Championship. I put down a respectable time in this race and gladly accepted my slot!
Both races were incredibly beautiful, challenging, and humbling. They were appropriately challenging courses for world championships. ITU Worlds was hilly, technical, and very intense! I loved every second of it and it flew by. Ironman 70.3 Worlds was an epic battle where after an ocean swim you basically bike up a mountain for 25 miles (it’s a Tour de France stage) and then descend down it as fast and safely as possible through winding European roads. It was stunning but exhausting, which at that point you just have to see what your legs still have for the run… which got interesting!!! I wouldn’t say that my performances in these races were anything outstanding but at that point, it didn’t even matter. Being able to race on the same platform as the fastest athletes (pros aside) in the world was such an honor. I learned so much. I found some key points to make me more competitive (because there’s no hiding yourself when you race against the best!) and I loved it.
For those new to triathlon jargon, Ironman is a brand and also a triathlon distance, which consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then a marathon run—it’s pretty tough! Ironman 70.3 is also trademarked by Ironman and the “70.3” refers to the total amount of miles aggregated from all three events in the race, and is half the distance of an Ironman. An Ironman 70.3 is made up of 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and then a half marathon run.
Major congrats on all fronts there! Shifting back to the interview, can you tell us how you started running and what is keeping you going?
I started running as a form of punishment in organized sports as a kid. In college, I started doing long distance running after I quit playing Lacrosse to stay in shape. I love running because it turns everything else off. It’s my meditation, my adversity, and my achievement. When I finish a run, I feel refreshed and ready to take on anything.
What is your best running memory?
I was racing a really brutal/sadistic ultra distance Duathlon (American Zofingen) and I was all by myself running on some trail about 8 or 9 hours into the race. All of a sudden, everything went silent. And then there it was. The exhaustion stripped my mind of everything and it was just me and running. It’s hard to say if that was my “best” memory but it was definitely the most raw connection I’ve had with running.
I guess I could also just say that my best memory was that one time I replayed all of Princess Bride in my head during the run of my first Half Ironman, which got me a good 2 miles of distraction from pain. Haha.
What do you think about or listen to when you run?
I stopped running with earbuds about 7 or 8 years ago when I got into multi-sport racing. I think about my form a lot like which muscles I’m using, my rhythm, timing, and breathing. I also think about nothing and everything!
Not exclusive to running, what is your favorite athletic event, and what is your favorite overall race?
My favorite racing distance is the Olympic distance Triathlon, and my favorite race ever is the USA National Championships for Triathlons. It’s so much fun.
Are you currently training for anything or working towards an athletic goal? If yes, would you mind telling us about your current training cycle?
I want to qualify for the ITU World Championships for the Olympic Distance (twice the distance of Sprint). It’s a bit more competitive and it’s something that intimidated me in the past. I’m currently on the roll down for qualification right now so I am crossing my fingers that I made it. If not, back to Nationals to smash it!
As for this current cycle, I’m going to do a few more small local races before calling it a wrap. I’m going to do a big swim focus in the off-season (it’s my weakest discipline in Triathlon by far), and then try to qualify for World Championships again. I train about 10-14 hours per week. I’m not a big fan of days off, and would rather do active recovery. I imagine that I will cut down a little bit soon for recovery for a few weeks. I’m also racing across America (RAAM) on my bike next year as part of a 4-person team from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD. We will be raising money for pediatric cancer research and I’m really excited to be a part of this.
What is your pre-race ritual—if any—the night before a race and the morning of?
For the most part, I eat oatmeal with peanut butter and jelly before every race. I try to eat pizza the night before a race.
What is your favorite food to eat after a hard race (assuming everything has stabilized internally)?
Pizza. Sometimes I’ll take a frozen pizza (e.g., Amy’s) and fry it on the pan, too. Pretty amazing.
What is your favorite recovery tool or gear?
Oh man. Pandora’s box. I have about 30 recovery tools! I am currently using the Rocktape Mohawk and the Hyperice Hypervolt.
Any advice you would give to other athletes or your younger self?
You can’t cram knowledge for a test, you can’t cram fitness for a race.
Building fitness should accumulate steadily over time. You need to get your training in a rhythm first. Make sure it fits into your lifestyle, your day, and is in line with your fitness level. Sometimes you first have to train to train if you want to ensure that you can do it long term and avoid injury or burnout. See what works for you and what doesn’t. Learning the true difference between easy and hard training days will not only take your training to a new level, it will protect your body in the process.
Anything else you would like your PPTC teammates to know about you?
I’m “that guy” with a tattoo of a cat on his arm (a category I didn’t realize I’d fall into until after I got the tattoo!). I think it’s so funny. I promise it’s not ironic! Ha!