tri stuff | tri life

Congratulations to the IM Canada and IM Louisville Finishers

2011-09-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

It's been great to see people posting the experiences at both IM courses over the weekend, particularly seeing write ups and pictures from Louisville. This past Sunday, I went on an 8 mile hike up El Morro Canyon in Laguna Beach.

It didn't occur to me until about a few miles in, but it's been exactly a year since I did my last Ironman, to the date, in Louisville on August 28. I can still remember the different feelings during the race, and the rush of excitement from the highest high.

The hike certainly wasn't an mdot race, but it was just kinda great to reflect on that race a year ago, and everything in between. Clear skies, ocean views, and a good low impact work out. No complaints.

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon 2011 Photo Gallery

2011-06-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

OC Tri 2011 Pictures

2011-06-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a few photos from the OC Triathlon that happened a few weeks ago. Enjoy!

A former Olympian, this man is 70+. Pretty awesome.

Encinitas Triathlon 2011 Pictures

2011-05-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

The night before this race, I looked up the directions, and told myself I would wake up at the crack of dawn to drive down from Orange County. I slept in till about 6am because I was up pretty late. Almost called it off, but was glad I made the drive nonetheless.

The photos results here are a little different from the ones I took before, as I rented a telephoto lens. I'm sure other amateurs experience the same thing. That is, upon looking at the photos, you can actually see a lot of the human element, like facial expressions along with some major depth.

Encinitas is a beautiful beach/surf town in North San Diego County in Southern California.

Transition Catwalk.

Tri Club of San Diego was very well represented at the race.

2XU Compression Tri Suit - these were everywhere.

There it is again.

LAVA Magazine, represent!

The unmistakable look of a "retro" HED decal on the disc.

K-Swiss Blade Light Running Shoe

Smiles.

Was this intentional?

The 2XU Compression Tri Suit, once again!

I didn't think much of this photo at first, but then I realized this person's riding a vintage Raleigh bicycle!

Profile Design Altair 52 Semi Carbon Clincher Review

2011-04-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Intro

After wrapping up a few things at work, I went to the bike maintenance area to install the Altair 52 Semi Carbon Clinchers that were dropped by from a Profile Design sales rep for me and a few of the staff to demo.

I did a quick swap of the cassette and wheels in what seemed like record time, and was on my way home to the trail that funnels to Newport Beach.

A picture of the two wheel sets looking sexy in our studio. Directly pictured is the Altair 80 Full Carbon Clincher

Insight

I squeezed in a ride about an hour 20, so I was able to get a good sense of what this wheel set could do when it comes to riding. The feel of the wheels were undeniably carbon with an aluminum bead and braking surface, thus leading to its name, Semi-Carbon Clincher. The weight of the wheels are listed at 1756 grams without the quick release. A natural well known wheel set in the same class is the Zipp 404. In comparison for comparison's sake, Zipp's 404 clincher wheel set wins by about 100 grams at 1,658. But in terms of value, function, and what you'll get, I think Profile Design's Altair wins without question.

Stiff and lightweight, I really liked how these wheels felt during my ride. The winning point for the Altair 52 Carbon Clincher is its versatility, function, at its price point of only $1698.95. With a 52mm section, it's fast yet considerate enough of potential crosswinds that would affect a rider. Included in the purchase of a Profile Design wheel set are 6 extra spokes, a spoke tool, skewers, valve extenders, and the backing of Profile Design's industry leading customer service.

The Background on Profile Design Wheels

The story on Profile Design Wheels is that they're a product of 2 years of research and development. These wheels are unique to Profile Design, and are proprietary in nature. They were designed using computational fluid dynamic software that calculates the interaction between the wheels and the elements (wind, air, fluid flows). Instead of going with a wheel design and approach that benefits only the top 1% of athletes, Profiles Design factored in real world conditions, and more realistic competitive speeds in its production. What this means is that you don't have to be averaging 26+mph on a 40k TT course to reap the wheels' benefit.

The Altairs are individually hand built, and showcases some high end features, such as high temperature resin, proprietary carbon lay-up, sealed cartridge bearings and bladed spokes with hidden nipples.

Conclusion

The Altair 52 Semi Carbon Clincher is an excellent wheel set for all sorts of purposes - Tuesday night crit, triathlons, training, and TTs. Its number one selling point is that it delivers performance, its craftsmanship is backed by its manufacturer, and in comparison to what is often in the market, it's at a lower price point. The wheel set is on my wish list!

Photos from LA Tri Series #1 at Bonelli Park

2011-04-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is a bit overdue, but after being sick, and sleeping for about 20 hours on and off on Monday, then catching up at work on overdrive, I'm ready to upload some snippety snaps from last Sunday at the LA Tri Series Event #1 at Boneilli Park in San Dimas.

To describe this race, I'd like to go with, "A Southern California new Sunday Americana". Think Raging Waters and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, as this race is held as a series three times a year in San Dimas, CA.

What is this shirt about? Oh, SBR! The stuff works. TriSlide works better than PAM in the long run if you know what I mean --- that is unless your wetsuit was meant to be tossed after one season.

Ladies at the swim start.

The weather was really warming up at the swim exit.

Cool, here's an Orca S3. Gena, who's super funny and keeps us all entertained at the office did a post on the S3. Check it out.

Swimmers emerging one by one from the water.

T1 exit at Bonelli wasn't ideal for photography, so I camped out over at the start of the second bike loop/finish. My lens can't handle the bike leg as well, but once in a while, I'll get a few I really like.

My eyes are typically partial to faster bikes, but an uncontrollable expression to the joy of triathlon captures cake, ice cream cake.

Alright, yeah, I see the dog, and yeah you guys are a doing this tri as a couple thing which is cool. The apparel's pretty rockin and on point, there's also some 2XU calf guard compression action, but check out that race belt! Awesome!

After the race, I stopped by my parents place in the South Bay, had lunch, went home, and that was when the fever started to kick in...

Anyway, looking forward to photographing my roommate and another buddy doing this race next month. LA Tri Series is a good first race in the LA area to start. It's a lake swim and people are pretty relaxed with a good vibe. So if you're still on the fence and are thinking about registering, do it!

2XU Compression Tri Suit

2011-04-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

Compression in a Tri Suit form? You don't say.

2XU came through with its own compression triathlon gear, and so far has been one of our best sellers for the season.

If you're a fan of compression, especially 2XU Compression, it'll be worth your inquiry to visit this product. Designed to reduce muscle oscillation and reduce lactic acid build up, this item will give you the compression edge in competition.

Nutrition - 2nd Surge

2011-04-20T00:22:00.000-07:00

Intro

A new nutrition product came into the warehouse recently - PacificHealth Lab's 2nd Surge. The company behind Accelerade, PacificHealth Lab has been a pioneer in sports nutrition. What makes 2nd Surge special is the fact that it uses all natural ingredients of carbs, protein, caffeine and antioxidants formulated to delay the onset to mind/muscle fatigue during endurance events.

Taste

Awesome. It has a mild consistency, and falls within the mid range of thickness in comparison to GU and PowerBar's gels. Alvin tells me it tastes like candy.

Caffeine

It contains 100mg of caffeine, which, if my memory serves me correctly, is 20mg more than a can of Red Bull, or about double shot of Espresso Clif Shot by Clif.

Nutrition Facts

The Aqua Sphere Phantom

2011-04-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

When you wear a Speedo to do all your Ironman triathlons, you probably mean business, or perhaps your name is likely Faris Al-Sultan. The new Aqua Sphere Phantom was developed with significant amount of feedback by pros Faris Al-Sultan and Terenzo Bozzone, leading to a wetsuit that has three patent pending technologies. I got a chance to preview this suit, and I thought I'd share a few tidbits.

Key Features:

Auto Positioning Sleeve - A 5mm forearm band. This band acts as a visual cue to encourage proper hand and arm rotation. More importantly, it promotes high elbows for good swim form.

Core Power System - more than just a fancy name for new technology. This system is an actual girdle that wraps around your lower back to help stabilize your core while you're swimming. Better stable core = better swim form. This system also helps make the suit a little tighter there to ensure water is kept out.

Reserved Zipper - The zipper is "reversed". Pulling it down zips it up, and zipping up opens up your suit. I like this system better.

Bio-Stretch Zone - The zone that is referred to here is a 1mm that spans from the front of your arm pit down to your lower back resembling the shape of on side of an apple when you slice it from the top. This zone is marked by green paneling. This provides excellent freedom of movement as a result.

Automatic Six-Pack - The suit outlines unabashedly outlines a six pack for you, need I say more?

Rooted in Aqua Sphere's long history in Diving, the suit includes a wrist gusset that makes it virtually leak proof on the cuff.

Yamamoto 39.

With its price point pegged in the mid-$600, this is considered a high end wetsuit that comes with some very intricate features that is unique to the Phantom. It's a very cool suit, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of these on the course.

Nutrition Review - Gu Chocolate Mint

2011-04-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

At the urging of Gena, fellow co-worker at OneTri.com, and awesome triathlete, I sampled a GU Chocolate Mint.

What's it like?

Imagine trekking through a rural village in the Swiss alps. You're hungry, cold, and homeless for the night. It's snowing, and you need shelter. Upon finding a single and desolate house still lit, with the chimney on to boot, a family welcomes you in, and feeds you a glorious meal.

At the conclusion of dinner, they tell about a special and modest dessert that they eat only on special occasions. They decided to make it, as you and your girlfriend have been quite the enchanting guests. They spread the finished product on a sweet biscuit - it looks like chocolate spread.

The both of you take a bite, and you're transported through some of the sweetest life moments. Your first kiss, your first successful bike ride when you were 7, and the first time you make it down a black diamond back in college.

The night wraps up, you go to bed, and you return home back to the States several weeks later. You're unable to find this dessert again, and no one seems to know that you're talking about. After tremendous despair, you find you're able to get it at OneTri.com in the form of Chocolate Mint GU when looking for triathlon gear.

Life is complete.

The facts:

TYR Competitor 9" Short

2011-04-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Last week, I bought a pair of TYR Competitor 9" tri shorts just so I can change things around. I've got in the habit of regularly using tri shorts in my training so I can do a swim bike brick. I'm still just more comfortable running in a regular pair of shorts however.

I bought the 9" inseam version, all black. It's a great looking short, but the magic of this product is the Amp-Pad.

Features:

The pad itself is highly breathable and comfortable. To personally describe the pad, after wearing it on a ride, it's dense, and thin. There's no doubt that it's a tri short, but the pad feels better than two of the chamois I currently have on my other bike shorts. Granted, those other shorts are old, but it's impressive.

The "gripper" on the short are beaded, providing for more comfort around the thighs. The short has a total of three pockets. Two are on each side of the lower thigh, and one is a rear zipper right around the tail bone.

Awesome short. A 7" short is also available. And if you're so inclined, a the Carbon version is available here as well!

Hydrotail Blaze

2011-04-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

Intro

I've noticed there's been a bit more interest in the Hydrotail Blaze, but not too much stuff on the web about it. Here's a post.

Pictured without cages

The Blaze is a new rear hydration system engineered by Beaker Concepts. Its minimalist design is comparably less bulky than quite of few other hydration systems on the market today. The system's best feature are the snap locking design allowing you to adjust its angle after its initial installation with just an allen wrench. With many other systems, once installed, it's in a fixed position, without much other room for additional configuration. If you're so inclined, you can make adjustments while on your ride.

Hydrotail Blaze with Profile Design Stryke Kages

Installation

A few nights ago after work, I finally got around to installing my own Blaze on my bike. Without the detriment (or aide) of any alcoholic beverages, I managed to get the thing installed in about 40 minutes. Installing the unit was quite intuitive, and the illustration on the instruction sheet was all I needed to figure it out.

Installing main piece onto the seat rails

I removed my seat so that I would have enough room to work the rails. But before I was able to easily do this, I had to tape the nuts just so they wouldn't fall off!

I thought I was pretty brilliant here

Securing the enclosure with the snap locking arms - making adjustments

Once I installed the first piece on the rails, everything else fell into place. All I had to do next was pick the cages I wanted, and screw those on - cake.

The tri bike money shot

C02 cartridge and inflator secured in enclosure

Included is a "bullet" for a second C02 if you want. The system also includes straps, so you can strap on tubes or tires. During installation, I noticed the third set of screws on side facing the bottom, allowing you to put on third cage.

The Test

I went out for a ride yesterday, and had no problems with the system. I noticed it was a lot more quiet because I no longer have rattling issues like I did with my previous hydration system. I didn't have to adjust the angling, as it was pretty closed, or even exactly, what I was used to from before.

Verdict

Very cool rear hydration solution. I'd recommend it to anyone considering a rear hydration system. The installation was pretty straight forward. Its design is simple, and it works well with what I want and need.

You can find the Hydrotail Blaze, other Beaker Concepts products, and more at OneTri.com

Profile Design - Wahoo Wetsuit Review

2011-04-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

At IM 70.3 Oceanside, I saw a women's pro come out of the water with a Profile Design Wahoo. I did a second take as I was always under the impression that it's an entry level suit. Being the inquisitive mind I am, I did some research and I wrote a mini review which you can read at my product review blog after the jump.
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Profile Design Wahoo Review!

RacingAwareness[dot]org's Interview with James Walsh

2011-04-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

Talk about great timing. Here's an interview of James Walsh by Racing Awareness. Who knew I photographed someone who'd be the subject of more than one blog? Anyone who's a fan of good beer is a friend of mine. Enjoy.

http://racingawareness.blogspot.com/2011/04/10-questions-with-james-walsh.html

Back to work

2011-04-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

After a long weekend, it's back to work at OneTri.com. I'm feeling inspired to train and to train hard after seeing some pretty amazing feats over the weekend at Oceanside.

Although I made the mistake of having evening coffee (making me stay up till about 4:30am), I got up this morning for some interval training on the bike. To boot, I made breakfast and lunch for the day. I'll let you know if I fall asleep at my desk in about 5 hours.

Back to the grind.

IM 70.3 Oceanside Pictures

2011-04-02T20:18:00.001-07:00

I went down to Oceanside Ironman 70.3 to take some photos and also to support some friends doing the race.

A few members of Newport Coast headed downstairs and to the swim start.

A triathlete warming up in front of TYR banners.

Smiles all around. These AGs are sporting a wide range of wetsuits - Orca, Zoot, Blue Seventy and 2XU.

A spectator waiting for the swim start.

Welcome party and media, waiting.

Here, Andy Potts is wearing a Category 5 as he exits the water first.

The first 2XU Project X:2 Wetsuit coming out of the water.

A triathlete wearing a Blue Seventy Helix. Winner for the biggest smile of the morning.

Coming out of T1.

This rider is sporting Profile Design AquaCell Dual Chamber

Men's pro coming back into transition.

The first rider is far in front.

The first rider back was 2XU athlete Michael Weiss. Here, he's wearing 2XU's compression triathlon apparel - one of the their best selling pieces this season thus far. I can't really tell if it's just the suit or a separate top and bottom though.

Jordan Rapp

Although not technically on the course, he was just a few yards away. I'd say he was moving at about 4 miles per hour.

James Burns

TYR Pro Magali Tisseyre

Why hello Mirinda Carfrae, 2010 Ironman World Champion, is that a Louis Garneau Vorttice Helmet you're wearing?

Kate Major

Here is James Walsh. Matching like this requires concerted effort. Turns out he won his AG, good work!

This person caught my eye because of his resemblance to Joaquin Phoenix when he decided to pursue a rap career a few years ago, all of which turned out to be a hoax.

Looking sharp in the Lazer Tek Top and Bottom.

On the course, people were calling him the "green man".

You might recognize this face if you're a Zoot fan or have seen the catalogs. Or maybe it's probably just us retail folk.

The women's race was really close, as all three women passed me on this hill in what seemed like within a span of 30 seconds.

2XU Compression Tri Suit

Zoot shoes made quite an appearance in Oceanside. An example is the Ultra Race.

Rockin the K-Swiss K-Ruuz.

Because this guy will be google searched, I'll try to appropriately describe him as the 70.3 Oceanside Nacho Libre Ironman; Mexican Wrestler Mask Guy.

Bird's eye view.

I avoided the finish line because it was really packed, so I didn't get any good pictures there, sadly.

Nice wheel sets.

This friendly guy was just hanging out and playing in the water as we were headed to lunch after the race.

Tiring day.

I came home at a reasonable time in the evening, but I was pretty exhausted, so I went to bed after making this post.

K-Swiss K-ONA S

2011-03-31T22:39:00.000-07:00

Fault me for thinking much about anything material, but man, I love my K-Swiss!

These came into the shop for me today, and since I first saw these shoes at Ironman events and around the web, I've fancied a pair for myself. Can you imagine my satisfaction when the first shipment arrived to the warehouse after placing our first order from K-Swiss?

You can call this is my K-Swiss K-Ona review.

Upon coming home from happy hour drinks with a friend of mine, I changed into my running gear and went out the door with these shoes on. 4 miles later, and not without some burping, I returned.

The fit. These shoes were very true to size. I've worn many athletic shoes, and for the major brands, I've always been a 12. For K-Swiss, I'm a 12. Score! As shoe makers since 1966, these guys have experience on their side.

The upper. Breathable and light, the upper had just enough material to where I felt my feet were hugged without being at risk for exposure, or other elements to come in. I don't plan on trail running with these shoes, but I actually like to have my feet protected.

The sole. I'm a mid-foot/fore-foot striker. Wearing these weren't a problem with my running style at all. The type of adjustment I had to make from the Zoot Kalani was somewhat nominal, but there was a slight difference - a 2mm differential. The Zoot Kalani's heel to toe differential is 12mm, whereas the K-Swiss K-Ona is 10mm. This profile encourages encourages mid-foot strikes, representing a more efficient running style. All of the Zoot triathlon shoes with the exception of the Kalani has this 10mm difference between the heel and toe. This differential is great when coming right off the bike.

The support on this shoe is designed for mild to over-pronation.

The feel. Comfortable, supportive, and light. With the weight of the shoe being just a mere 9 oz., I can see myself running races in - in all sorts of distances.

Special Features. Drainage holes. This is a unique feature to triathlon shoes. You'll learn to appreciate this at the aid stations.

I like these shoes, and I'm looking forward to trying out some more K-Swiss run shoes.

See more pictures by clicking on the image below.

Hill Sprints

2011-03-22T23:04:00.001-07:00

I darted out of work slightly earlier than usual to do some hill sprints with a local group called The American Interbanc Triathlon Team. The group is competitive, and does quite well in team competition. Because I already have a few friends in it, it's almost a no brainer that I should just join up. Groups like these are helpful to keep yourself in check to avoid falling into the pitfalls of not training or taking in too much junk food.

As for the workout this evening, I was in for quite the treat to see the Pacific Coast right around Newport Beach around before and around sunset. It's exactly those moments that remind myself of why I like training and why I fell into biking in the first place.

After, a few of us got some dinner and talked trash about people and things - always the excellent past time.

In other news, I'm pretty stoked for the next two weekends down south. This weekend is Superseal, and the following weekend is Oceanside 70.3. I'll be down there both weekends to check out the races and I hope to take some great photos I can post here.

Sights from the 2011 K-Swiss LA Marathon Expo

2011-03-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow, my roommate is running his first full marathon at the K-Swiss LA Marathon. If Ironman Arizona was any indication in the awesome of spectating a race and being able to take excellent pictures, the marathon tomorrow should be no exception. Just to whet my appetite a bit, I decided to drive up to LA for the expo to see if there's anything cool to check out. Quite the bummer was that the pictures didn't come out as well because of the overcast today.

K-Swiss' viral marketing campaign. Normally, I would eat this stuff up, but the fact that it's merely a rip off of Green Man from the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was a bit underwhelming, since I'm such a fan of that show. B for effort.

This was made out of shoes. Almost like building a house out of food, kinda. B+

The ultimate demonstration of "triathlon shoes" or drainage holes. This rep did quite well in showing the water completely come out of the shoe. But I can't deny that this was lost for non triathletes or newer marathon runners when it comes to the hydration stations. At two of the marathons I've done, both in stand only at San Diego, and at Ironman, my feet were sloshed in water. At Ironman, you might also end up peeing on yourself. And THAT is why drainage holes are important!

Caption contest

2XU, you guys are awesome!

Chomps! The most appropriately named product in the nutrition world.

It's Been a While Hasn't it?

2011-03-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Let's just say that I've been busy.

With triathlon season beginning, thought I'd get back into the swing of things with updating this blog.

To start, Mitch, our rep from 2XU was gracious enough to drop by with some amazing looking wetsuits and the rests of the 2011 line. These are now available on OneTri.com I decided to test out my photography skills on the product, and on Mitch, with the exception that I "don't focus too much on this hair." To be honest, I've noticed that my "aging" myself, so I can understand. Haha.

Trisuits and singlets

X:2, V:2, R:1, T:2, and ST:2

Holiday Gift Ideas - It's in the Bag

2010-12-09T22:46:00.001-08:00

What's the best/perfect holiday gift for triathletes? The answer to this might span all sorts of categories, including nutrition, tubes, bikes, apparel, and other accessories.

The more practical gift to give a triathlete or budding triathlete is something of the one size fits all variety. The return/dissatisfaction of the item due to size issues and personal taste is reduced simply out of necessity - 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed! With this in mind, I'd like to show you something pretty amazing from TYR in time for Christmas - the TYR Convoy Collection of bags.

Designed with the traveling athlete in mind, these bags assists in keeping you highly organized and moving. What can be more exciting than a destination race, right?

Dramatic Drumroll...

Convoy Rucksack

In its storage configuration, this bag is no more than the size of a small notepad. Don't be fooled though, this thing opens up into a mid-size rucksack.

In its rucksack form, we were able to fit run shoes, cycling shoes, and an aero helmet right into it, with a bit of room to spare for nutrition, googles, and the like. Although not the ideal bag to carry everything you absolutely need for transition, it acts as a great spare, addition, or barebones race bag when a wetsuit simply isn't necessary.

Here's the bag in its upright and enclosed form. As an admission, it was a bit tricky to get the bag to its factory sealed condition (flat and neat), but we were able to get it somewhat close after 30 seconds. The conclusion is that this bag's a winner, and the transformation factor make this thing so much cooler than you'd expect.

Action Guide: Excellent gift purchase for a triathlete you care about - especially if they already have a fully functioning transition bag they already like. This would make a great personal bag for plane travel, as it fits easily under the seat in front.

Read more here.

Convoy Transition

Looking slightly familiar, the Convoy Transition is a lot of bag. Designed specially for hauling everything you can think of to your next triathlon. What I find amazing about this bag is how intuitive it is. Once you work through the straps and open up the bag, you'll unfold and pop up nets that act as compartments for each leg of the race: the swim, bike, and run. Observe the following:

There was still plenty of room in each of the compartments after stuffing the bare necessities lying around the office. Another amazing feature about this is is the adjustable back to fit your height. With the bag's metal frame and super strong nylon, this bag really is able to withstand quite a bit of thrashing - intention or not.

Action Guide: This is the bag to replace all replaceable transition bags. Yeah, the bag is a tad on the pricey side, being its only real drawback, but it's also the staff's favorite back at the moment hands down.

Want to add it to cart?

Convoy Wheel Luggage
TYR also entered the luggage market with the introduction of two difference sizes of wheel luggage. These rollie bags come in a small and large version.

A great thing about these bags is the fact that they are designed for the traveling athlete, and that you'll have a manufacture backing your lifestyle and pursuit, meaning a sturdy construction, is expandable, and is TYR branded - you'll never have difficulty spotting your bag at the carousel again.

Action Guide: This item is a little more tricky simply because it falls into the realm of the normal person world in the form of a wheeled luggage. As such, I would declare this item as perfect for those who are the most dedicated and hardcore swimmers, the coaches, and TYR fanatics.

Add it to cart here!

Chrissie Wellington's Flat Tire

2010-11-26T01:06:00.000-08:00

With much talk of Ms. Wellington's win at Ironman Arizona in 2010, there was little detail that completely amazed me about it. On the slowtwitch interview, Chrissie explained that her rear tire flatted out just about a mile to go, so she ended up just riding on the rim for the last 7 minutes or so!

Looking back at a photo I took of her bike that night, I can confirm that. Her rear tire was flat, just compare it to the front. Here's the photo from transition:

See more pictures I took at IMAZ 2010 here.

Great Thanksgiving deals at OneTri.com for Black Friday

2010-11-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

We're running one of the best Thanksgiving deals ever by giving you over 50% off on select items with free ground shipping on Black Friday Only! Happy Thanksgiving!

Click here for our latest news letter!

Thoughts on the Ironman Arizona Course

2010-11-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

As a volunteer and spectator this year, I got to see a good portion of the course. It's a lake swim, and a looped course for both the bike and run. Relatively speaking, the course is flat and fast, but what made the course difficult was weather condition. This year, it was cold, windy, and there was rain in the afternoon. Here's my pro/con list about this course from what I can surmise as a spectator. Just to note, if anything seems unfair, I'm probably just partial because my first Ironman was in Louisville.

The Pro

Flat Course

Loops - your family and friends can see you pass multiple times

Close to home if you're in California

Plenty of volunteers

Cons

Tempe isn't as historical as say Louisville is

Loops - although unlikely, you might get bored

Winter desert conditions

Tempe's a small town with not much to see around the expo

Photos from Ironman Arizona 2010

2010-11-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, my roommate and I drove out to Tempe to volunteer at Ironman Arizona so that we can sign up for next year's race in person. I took some nice photos. In the process we also drove out to TriSports only to find that it was closed on Saturday. It was a great trip, and I'm happy to announce that I'm racing next year!

Swim practice. The water was cold as evidenced by this swimmer

Transition bags

Pre race day massage

K-Onas and Blades

Zipp, Speed Weaponry

Beautifully fast

Rack of bikes from Inside Out Sports

Hipster check

As hackneyed as it is, the calm before the storm

I don't know who you are Gary, but you rock!

2,500 bodies in the cold lake

Coming out of transition

Morning sky

All smiles here, because it's going to be a great day

Tri bikes are the norm at Ironman events.

So are race wheels

Looking sharp

Pros are pretty easy to spot.

John Dahlz, first out of the swim.

Chrissie Wellington, the eventual women's winner, 8th overall.

OC TRI CLUB!

K-Swiss stands out from the sea of other tri suits

Amazing

LA Tri

The pack. I saw other photos of them throughout a bit of the run course.

The right atitude

Possibly a hallucination on the race course

Chrissie waltzing through the chute

This term was popularized by a NY Times articles written earlier this year about the growing popularity of the sport amongst middle aged men

Night timer finishers

Waiting

A dramatic finish

Chrissie Wellington's Explains her Withdrawal

2010-10-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

On October 10, 2010, she wrote:

On Saturday I had one of the hardest decisions to make of my life – whether or not to toe the start line of the World Ironman Championships. In the end I didn’t race. But before I try and explain the decision that I made I want to start off with a huge congratulations to the amazing Mirinda Carfrae. Her performance on Saturday was nothing short of remarkable. She truly is a worthy World Champion.

So many thoughts are going through my head at the moment, and it will take time to sift through them all. I’d like to quickly elaborate on how I felt leading into the race and why I took the decision that I did. I started feeling slightly ill on Friday lunchtime, with a sore head and throat. I did my usual three short sessions that day but, on the run particularly, I knew something wasn’t quite right. My legs were like jelly and I was sweating much more than usual. My tired head hit the pillow at 7pm and I woke up several times during the night literally drenched in sweat, my head pounding and feeling like my throat was closing. I got up at 3.45am, had a shower, and went through my pre race routine hoping that I would feel better. But nothing improved. I knew I had to make one of the toughest decisions of my life.

Like all the other athletes, I invest so much time, passion, energy into getting myself in the best possible shape for Kona. I have so much respect for this race, and the toll it can take on your body. It is demanding and brutal, and competing when ill risks greater health problems. Furthermore, I believe I owed it to myself and all the other competitors to be able to give the performance I had trained so hard for. I sought counsel from those closest to me, but mostly tried to listen to my body, and what it was telling me. I said to myself, if I woke up on an ordinary day feeling like this would I train? The honest answer was no. At around 5am the decision was made. There was no going back.

Those that know me will understand how incredibly difficult, frustrating and heart wrenching it was to make that call. Two days later, and although I am starting to feel physically better, I know I made the right decision for me at that particular time. Yes I could sit here feeling sorry for myself, reflecting on what might have been, but ultimately wallowing in self pity doesn’t help me, or anyone else. My heart (and head) are hurting but my spirit is not broken. I will look to the future and all the amazing opportunities it will bring – putting Saturday behind me and moving on to fight another day. This is sport. As I have always said, it has ups and downs. Highs and lows. Yes, i do have a mountain to climb. But it is no different from any other I have faced, and scaled, before.

I want to give my deepest thanks to my amazing family, friends, coach and sponsors who have been with me every step of the way and to everyone around the world who has sent me messages of support and encouragement. I really do appreciate it. And, once again, my heartfelt congratulations to the two incredibly worthy World Champions, Mirinda and Chris, to my fellow GBR ‘top ten’ girls Julie, Rachel and Leanda….and to everyone that crossed that finish line on Saturday.

I am so fortunate to be able to get up each day and swim, bike and run; to have been crowned triple World Champion; to represent this amazing sport and to have opportunities i never could have dreamed of a few years ago. So, no looking back. Only forward. I will spend the coming days with my family and friends, seeing some of this amazing island with a smile on my face and tomorrow will head back to Boulder.

The journey to Kona 2011 begins here and the fire in my belly is already burning.

Aloha

Here is the actual entry on her blog about her decision to not race Ironman this year.

The Zoot Kalani Revisited

2010-10-12T21:02:00.003-07:00

I've decided to revisit my last post about the Zoot Kalani. You can read more about that last one here.

Here are a few pictures from my actual shoe. Note that I've been running in these for some time now, so they're not as clean.

The black material in the center of the shoe is a carbon composite that I've been talking about. It's flexible, and provides great support for me during the run. The material spans from the center up to the big toe.

This is a shot of the liner inside the show. As it designed for sock less wear, odors really hasn't been a problem for me.

What is a drawback about the shoe now that I've had some time to think about it some more? Some people might think that there isn't enough material or stability on the top that wraps about your foot (the top material stretches, sometimes more than people are used to when compared to traditional shoes). I can certainly see this concern, but it hasn't really been a problem for me personally.

OneTri.com's having a Sale

2010-10-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Take advantage of some great stuff at some low prices now that racing's almost over!

80 Year Old Finishes Ironman Hawaii

2010-10-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

Lew Hollander finished first in his age group - the 80+ category with a time of 15 hours 48 minutes and 40 seconds, beating his last year's time by an hour. It was his 21st Ironman. I've got no shame to admit that this 80 year old man kicked my ass. I finished my first this past year in Louisville with a time of 16 hours and 8 minutes.

It's no surprise that Mr. Hollander is well accomplished in his professional career as well. He is a physicist who has worked in atomic weapons testing to micro circuit production.

See more about Lew at his webpage here.

Ironman Hawaii 2010 Results

2010-10-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is just a snapshot from yesterday's Ironman. I decided to extend the list to include some of the more familiar names. The men's top 3 was only separated by a hand full of minutes, showing you just how close the men's race was. For a better list with split times, go to www.Ironman.com

Men's

1 McCormack, Chris 08:10:37
2 Raelert, Andreas 08:12:17
3 Vanhoenacker, Marino 08:13:14
4 Alexander, Craig 08:16:53
5 Tissink, Raynard 08:20:11
6 Bracht, Timo 08:21:00
7 Llanos, Eneko 08:22:02
8 Bockel, Dirk 08:22:59
9 Jacobs, Pete 08:23:26
10 Al-Sultan, Faris 08:24:04
11 Lieto, Chris 08:25:51

Women's

1 Carfrae, Mirinda 08:58:36
2 Steffen, Caroline 09:06:00
3 Dibens, Julie 09:10:04
4 Berasategui, Virginia 09:16:47
5 Joyce, Rachel 09:18:48
6 Thuerig, Karin 09:22:48
7 Van Vlerken, Yvonne 09:23:33
8 Snow, Caitlin 09:26:42
9 Bij De Vaate, Heleen 09:27:02
10 Cave, Leanda 09:27:42
11 Marsh, Amy 09:28:19
12 Corbin, Linsey 09:29:13
13 Major, Kate 09:30:00

Official Statement from Chrissie Wellington's People

2010-10-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

This statement was released from Chrissie's Wellington's representative detailing the withdrawal from the race.

“It is with huge regret and after much soul searching that due to illness Chrissie has announced that she is unable to race. Chrissie started feeling unwell yesterday and attempted to train as normal but without her usual intensity. Chrissie left racking her bike until the last minute and hoped that by this morning her health would have improved sufficiently to start. Chrissie has described this as the hardest decision of her life to date and out of respect for the race and her fellow competitors feels that she should only start if she can compete in the manner that the sport of triathlon has become accustomed to. Chrissie would like to wish everyone an enjoyable and safe race.”

See my other Chrissie Wellington posts here, and here.

Chrissie Wellington Drops out of Ironman Hawaii 2010

2010-10-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Early reports indicate that Chrissie Wellington started feeling ill yesterday, on October 8, 2010, and had hoped to feel better on race day. What started as a simple sore throat in the afternoon turned into a flu-like symtoms the next morning. She decided to withdraw during the last minute at bike transition on race morning. Wellington cited it being one of the hardest decisions in her life, and that out of respect for the race and to other athletes, she chose not to start the because she did not feel comfortable enough that she would be able to finish.

This changes things up for the women's field because Wellington was projected to be the expected favorite, and has been for the past two years. It's unfortunate to not be able to see her clinch another win to keep the streak alive, but I suppose we'll just have to be patient enough to wait another four years for it to happen. If anything, this will only be a gap for her in a long streak of dominance. See my recent Chrissie Wellington post here

Cost Comparison for Triathlon Distances

2010-10-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

Now that I've become much more budget minded, especially in trying to make my dollar stretch when it comes to triathlon expenses, I've decided to see what the comparison is for the different races in terms of cost per mile. All entry fees are based on averages and approximation. Particular Ironman race fees differ.

Sprint

Physical distance

.5 mile swim
15 mile bike
3 mile run

18.5 miles

Cost
$80 average

$4.32/mi

Olympic

Physical distance

1 mile swim
25 mile bike
6 mile run

32 miles

Cost
$140 average

$4.37/mi

Half Ironman

Physical distance

1.2 mile swim
56 mile bike
13.1 mile run

70.1 miles

$225 (as of late 2010)

$3.20/mi

Ironman

Physical distance

2.4 mile swim
112 mile bike
26.2 mile run

140.6 miles

$575 (as of late 2010)

$4.08/mi

I'm surprised that the best bang for your buck is actually a half Ironman when breaking it down mile by mile. No matter the calculation, an Ironman by man book is worth every penny simply because it takes an entire day to complete and has the potential to be so meaningful for every participant to cross the finish line.

The Best Jobs for a Triathlete

2010-10-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Triathlete Magazine showcased the best jobs for a triathlete. Among the occupation and settings were in the US Military, a triathlon store (duh), Active.com, and Google. These are all very legitimate places to work for a triathlete, but I found they neglected some very good ones that are very traditional in terms of types of jobs out there. By no means a definitive or any type of empirically backed study, I present two below:

School Teacher

When meeting people, and talking to them about triathlons, I often hear about their 6th grade teacher doing triathlons and being a yearly competitor in Kona. Could it be that the teaching profession is conducive to elite athletes and their schedules?

Why not?

Once a teacher gets their wings and get into the groove with teaching, their work hours are really just 8 am to 3pm, leaving an extra two hours of daylight for the bike, run, and swim. Summers? You get those too. Three months out of the year can come in handy when doing those high volume weeks, travel to and found triathlons and substantial recovery time.

The pay?

A newbie teaching in California with an advanced degree starts off at about $45,000. Knock the salary all you want, but this is sizable pay for 9 months of work, and lots of free time to train and enjoy life.

Competition in Teaching

Teaching is now becoming a very competitive field as many are held to some draconian standards in terms of standardized testing and benchmarks to meet. There are certainly more credential teachers than there are positions open.

Fire Fighter

The central theme in terms of my criteria for best jobs is time, as illustrated by this profession as well. The downtime as a firefighter is excellent because of the ability to work around the clock - pulling multiple shifts stretches. It's not unheard or uncommon to hear of firefighters getting 2 weeks off every 2 weeks. The ability to train and recover exists and can be exploited to allow for some pretty amazing results. Supplement this with the fact that your job involves physical activity daily, it's a given.

The Pay? The perks?

Pretty generous. Depending on the municipality, county or government, you can live quite comfortably with this public servant's salary. You'll make substantially more than a school teacher, but your pay is attributed to the danger and other stresses that is involved with the job. This is an admirable profession based on its selfless nature.
Competitiveness

The entry into this profession is highly competitive and fairly narrow. More application are filled than there are spots, particularly in some of the most desirable places to live. San Diego is an example. They don't advertise openings simply because it makes hiring so much more difficult. Prospects must check periodically to see if openings are available.

Honorable Mention

The UPS driver

Although free time in this profession isn't as significant as compared to the above, it's still pretty generous when you compare it to jobs earning a similar amount. Many may not know this, but UPS drivers make around $70,000 a year. Its ranks are increasingly educated.

Why?

You get to be outside;
The nature of the job is physically active;
People are happy to see you.

Anybody ever meet a sad UPS driver?

Didn't think so.

2XU and DeSoto Sale

2010-09-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

OneTri.com's having a sale!

Click on the banner below to see the list!

Kaiser Permenente Los Angeles Triathlon

2010-09-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Photo: Rich Cruse

With the LA Triathlon coming up, it seems appropriate to write a bit from my racing experience last year. Here's the snapshot.

The Swim

Set in Venice Beach, the swim is more difficult than average, and can be scary for those not used to ocean water swims with big surf. The running line, half joke, was that people were afraid they would drown during the swim. Sighting the buoys wasn't easy just because you were shifted up and down during the entire course.

The Bike

Point to point bike is exciting, especially if it's through an urban landscape like Los Angeles. You end up going into the city core with a loop back in to make it 25 miles. Not the most scenic, but it's very cool to see the streets of LA closed for the event.

The Run

Downtown has got some hills. If you trained only on flats, you can expect yourself to walk right around Disney Concert Hall where Dudamel conducts the city's world class orchestra.

Logistics

Unfortunately, this can be a nightmare. The event itself has a high price tag. Tack on the fact that you'll have to either shuttle from the finish line to Venice beach where you parked, or shuttle from the finish line to Venice Beach to start your race, you can expect to spend the extra $20 or so on top of your race fees.

This was the first race in which I showed up the day before to drop off my T2 bag. It certainly caused some concern to see all my run stuff just leave like that, but I didn't have any problems during race day.

What about picking up your morning bag after leaving T1?

There were enough volunteers, and they do the best they can, but it took me a while before I was able to get everything I needed to go home.

Good luck on October 3, 2010 everyone!

Yay or Nay?

Of course, especially if you've never done an urban triathlon, or one with a lot of participants. Patience is the key here.

Zoot Kalani

2010-09-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Last night.

I went running.

I got myself a pair of Zoot Kalani - the run shoe designed for pure runners and also as a go-to run shoe for triathletes. As a high mileage trainer, the shoe withstands the weight and stress of someone with a bigger frame like myself. What makes this shoe unique is that it lacks a tongue, unlike traditional running shoes, and it also has a composite carbon sole that spans from the mid foot up to the big toe. You'll notice the asymmetrical lacing that provides for easy in and out. As a result, there's never a need to tie and untie the laces, as if you had Yankz.

Like other triathlon specific shoes, you have the option to go sock less, as the material is designed to dissipate odor and provide the comfort you need during your runs.

How does it stack up to other shoes? Pretty well. Weighing at only 10.5 onces, it's light enough to almost put itself out of a typical high mileage trainer. All my runs with it for the past week, if I were to describe it in one word, comfortable. A lot of it is how the shoe hugs my feet, but it's also attributed to the fact that there's no tongue.

I have a bit of a unique perspective as I've been a Newton Shoe mid-foot/forefoot runner for the past year or so. I was certainly skeptical as to how I would make the transition back into a "regular" shoe. One of the immediate things I noticed in comparison to my Sir Issacs was the fact that it had more bounce in the sole, from the heel up to the fore foot area. It also felt a lot more sturdy, and leads me to believe it'll end up being more durable in the long run. Although Newtons are designed to wear down from the outside in, I couldn't help but think I was getting less for what I was paying to see it wear down a few weeks in.

The bottom line is that I like it, and it's my new favorite product.

Who is this shoe for?
Serious runners who are looking for something different in the feel and design of the shoe;
Triathletes who are fans of Zoot, but looking also to supplement their race day shoe.

The Need for Speed

2010-09-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Post Ironman Louisville 2010

2010-09-03T14:50:00.001-07:00

Getting to the race meant a lot to me.

Getting to the race meant a dramatic shift with direction in my life. Since coming back, I've felt a great sense of renewal and joy - that my life is a product of my will that I can craft with time and purpose.

Within 4 hours after finishing, I was up and out of bed, breaking down my bike and trying to make it to my 7 am flight back west. I asked the cabbie where we can go have some breakfast. His response was White Castle among the other restaurants.

Because I'm a West Coast native and have never had it before, I had him drive us through White Castle. I ordered 2 breakfast sandwiches and a burger, and he ordered a jalapeno burger. On our way to the airport, we discussed cost of living differences between Louisville and Southern California. All of this occurred while my bike was dangling out of his trunk of the crown vic. Oh well.

Suffice it to say, I was still a bit delirious, and only wanted to get home so I can get some rest.

So, after having a week plus to veg out, it also meant carrying around an empty feeling, asking myself, "what's next?" For the past year, I've looked forward to finishing my first Ironman so much that it feels odd no longer doing so. In some ways, it's fair enough to perhaps even classify it as some form of depression. I became aware that this was happening, so I made it a point to do other things to occupy my time.

I've decided to focus more on my career and to pick up something new as a hobby - perhaps something that could include more of the significant other. I've also considered and started eyeballing another Ironman race.

Perhaps Arizona 2011?

Ironman Louisville 2010 - Part 3

2010-09-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Because I left my Garmin and any form of watch or speedometer back in my gear bags in transition, I really had no accurate sense in time, speed or distance. My quads were burning and in pain for going too hard on the first lap, and then going too hard in an attempt to catch up. I'm just glad that highway 1694 wasn't include on the second lap - something I didn't want to go up and out again.

I passed a guy with a Subway sandwich jersey. He looked familiar, and it turns out he was someone who offered a floor pump to me the day before. I think I saw him on the run course hours later with a NYPD jersey. Who knew he was a cop?

Hot Spots

The concept of a hot spot is interesting, and the topic comes up when people are debating the types of pedals they should get for bikes. People are told to avoid Egg beaters and SPDs because you'll end up developing a hot spot during longer rides, and you'll have less of an efficient power transfer - it's true.

I had some Look compatibles, but ended up getting hot spots not only on the balls of my feet, but also on the outer sides because I pronate. This only ever happened once to me during the San Diego Rock n Roll marathon around mile 22 where the sides of my feet were in screaming pain. Apparently, it happens in Ironman races too.

"Downtown Louisville - 33 miles"

Seeing the sign that lead me home wasn't as epic as I had thought, but it was a relief.

This last stretch into T2 wasn't too bad. The only major problem was my feet. I wanted to do something else other than cycle. I pulled into transition, and was off to the tent with a gear bag.

The Marathon

It was good to see the same type of crowd in the tent again - tired, weary, but at it. This time, everyone was a bit more tired. I spent about 18 minutes in the tent drinking cola, perform, changing, and making sure I have all of my run stuff. I was ready to jog this thing.

The first part of the marathon was over a bridge. Crossing over, you're able to see the skyline next to the river where it's a really pretty sight. Also a treat was the new food/fuel options we had on the marathon course. Cookies, chicken broth, fruit, pretzels, PowerBar Perform and water. I hit it all up and was smiling during the course - in the beginning, of course.

The marathon consisted of two laps through the belly of downtown. I was feeling fine until mile 9, right around the first turnaround. This was when I started walking, a lot.

About 12 hours has already elapsed. I spent most of this time just thinking about my time and others either starting their second lap and finishing their first. My mind couldn't actually do it accurately enough, but I was starting to figure the pace I would have to walk at in order to finish before midnight. Math has always been a poor subject of mine.

Mile 15

Desperation was setting in. I may only have 11 miles to go, but my mind was unable to process if I could cover that distance in 4 hours walking. A few people did the math for me, and said that a 16 minute mile pace would get me in before midnight.

Fine, but I was still worried.

As I started my second lap, I see that people were right about the end of the lap going right up to the finish, but not through it. The spectators didn't know who to cheer for, so they cheered for everyone.

At this point of the race, I went through a few running partners to see if they'd be up to do a walk run system. None of them worked out because I wanted to go just a tad bit faster. I was alone again.

The sun had set, it was getting dark fast, and I was given a glow stick.

At mile 20, it was the final turn around point. With only 6 miles to go and about 2 hours left, my mind still kept playing games with me, but I continued walking. Running wasn't really an option anymore simply because it hurt a tremendous amount when I slowed to a walk and jog.

With about 2 miles left, I decided I needed to sprint to the next aide station. People saw me flying, and told me, "Yeah, good job!" Because I was honest, I corrected them and told them I really need to use the John.

Relieved.

1 mile left with about 40 minutes to spare. I could see the patrol car lights guiding us around the block toward the finish. I started jogging with about 5 blocks left.

On the left, and on the ground collapsed, I saw a fit young guy who was knocked out unconscious. Cops rushed toward him to his aide.

I made a final right on a corner and could only make out bright white lights, music, and announcements of people finishing. I picked it up to about a 7:00 mile after spacing myself out so that we could each savor a bit of our glory that summer night. I had the finish chute myself, and ran toward the light.

After 16 hours and 8 minutes, I became an Ironman in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ironman Louisville 2010 - Part 2

2010-09-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

I had the girlfriend give me a wake up call at 4 am my time, and 1 am her's. She was still at a beach house party some friends, so it was quite alright to have her help me out. Chest bump!

I gathered my swim cap, goggles, and timing chip, and was out the door and onto the transition area to do one last look through my bike and the gear bags. Upon getting to my bike, I realized it's bad news all over again - yet another flat, this time on my front wheel. The heat must have got to it.

I took out my gear bags, and swapped out the tube and got it inflated. Now I'm down to one spare tube - no time to make such a big fuss over this, since I still have the foam inflator.

The Swim Start

Louisville's unique in that it implements a time trial start for the swim as opposed to a mass start. Although age groupers get to enter the water 6 at a time at 7 am every 2 seconds, the end time to finish the triathlon is still at midnight, meaning that you may have as little as 16:30 hours to complete it. Get to the start line too late, you may lose up to 30 minutes. Your personal time doesn't start until you enter the water however.

The line snaked around the river like it was a ride at Disneyland. From the distance, we were able to hear the canon go off for the pro's mass start at 6:50 am, and I knew it was just about time we were on our way.

Pretty soon, the line picked up speed, and we were moving to areas where we were able to take a peek at the river. About 15 more minutes of steadily moving, we could see the docks.

"People are running!" some people observed. They were running onto the docks (in an orderly fashion, of course), and jumping into the water. When the time came, it was my turn, where I followed suit, pretended to dry heave a little, put on my goggles and was soon submerged into the Ohio River.

The bulk of the swim was with the current, but the initial 3/4 mile or so was against it. Some people believes this evened things out, but others disagreed.

The swim wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. I was still able to see in the water, and it wasn't as murky as everyone built it up to be. Although it was a time trial start, I still got kicked, and I kicked a few people too. The nature of triathlons I guess.

During the swim, I took my time and mostly just focused on swimming as straight as possible and using my sighting for a frame of reference as to where I was going. This worked, and pretty soon, I was progressing under both bridges during the swim course along the buoys.

I saw what looked like the finish, and I was surprised just how "short" the swim felt. I finished this portion in 1 hour and 43 minutes - right on par with what I thought I would finish - knowing how slow I swim.

Next, I ran into transition to grab my gear bag before racing into the changing tent. This was a make shift locker room, really. I changed out of my 2XU tri suit, and got into my race top and bike shorts for the next leg. I spent about 8 minutes before hopping on my bike.

Surprisingly, I had none of the typical "my legs are going to kill me, I can't start riding" moment like I usually do in shorter distance triathlons. Maybe it's because that I took it so easy during the swim that my legs were well rested.

The Bike

"Don't go hard the first 20 miles, after you can go as hard as you like." This was sage advice from a young lady volunteer who helped me at check-in. I didn't take it, of course and shot off to pass people up so I could hopefully catch up. By the first check point, about 20 miles into the course, I advanced 300 spots. I knew biking was my strong leg, and I wanted to exploit it by having a fast bike split in the neighborhood of 6 hours or less.

The problem was a little highway called KY-1694. Although this stretch was still rolling hills, there were substantial climbs that was challenging. Once I reached the turn around point and got back to the main highway, I knew I went too hard on myself.

When I reached got to the next aide station after 1694, I was dehydrated and my head was pounding. I took some time here to use the john and get fueled up. Next it was to the left and down highway 146. This was when it happened again. I felt the rim on my rear wheel, and I knew I got another flat!

"I'm praying for you." A woman said as she passed by me.

I panicked and was getting frustrated that the goal of getting a reasonably fast bike split may not happen. I decided to use the foam inflator. There were no real instructions, but I've seen it used on youtube, and decided to do the same. At first, I felt it reaching decent PSI, but decided to empty to entire tube to seal up the puncture.

"Crap!"

The foam started leaking, and I could hear that it ruptured the tube. I panicked again, and had no choice but to use my last tube and CO2 cartridge to get it going. I was tired by now, and I pretty much accepted that a fancy bike split would not happen. I spent the next 20 miles trying to play catch up, but was over exerting my legs, and pretty soon, I was starting to be in pain.

About 10 miles before the start of the second lap, it happened again, but this time, really fast. Air rapidly leaked from the rear tire, and it sounded like a huge puncture.

I was sad because I was out of tubes, out of patience, and practically out of steam. The support vehicles came once in awhile, but I didn't know how long it would take before they showed up to where I was. I didn't know what to do, and didn't know how to accept going home not finishing this race after spending so much time, money, and effort thinking and planning for it.

I looked at all the bikes whizzing by on the road, and I wanted to cry.

That one woman's prayers must have been answered because within the next 15 minutes a staff pick-up truck pulled onto the side of the road. I told him I needed some tubes. He said that he didn't have any, but will call SAG. He didn't know how long it will take, since they've been so busy all day.

Shit.

All of a sudden, MY prayers were answered. SAG on motorcycle came and changed by tube for me! Within 2 minutes after his assistance, I was back on the road and riding! I didn't experience another flat after that, but I was exhausted. At this point, I only wanted to complete the bike course and start the marathon - I still had about 50 miles to go.

I made a left onto the start of the second lap, and continued on, attempting to displace my frustration and worries aside. Immediately, I recognize just how lonely it will be. Many others on the course had progressed either onto downtown Louisville for T2 or were well into the second lap.

I was alone, and had lost 1 hour because of flats.

It was going to be a long day.

2010 Louisville Ironman

2010-08-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

After a day of pure resting and eating, I've decide to attempt writing a post about my first Iron distance race experience at Ironman Louisville, 2010. Because it's going to be such a long post, I've decided to break it up into multiple segments, starting with the first below:

Part 1 - Physically Entering the Race

The physical journey started with air travel to the city. My flight was at 1 am, so you can imagine the pure exhaustion I carried upon arrival to Louisville around noon after a layover in Houston before hand.

"What are you carrying inside that thing? A body?" We loaded up the van, and all the cab drivers with crown vics were pretty bummed that they weren't able to get a fair.

People have the most interesting sense of humor, like my cabbie to the motel.

Next was a downtown walk to Galt House to check myself in for the actual competition. During the walk, I was surprised at how close all the hotels were in downtown, and how close it also was to the waterfront where the finish was going to be, and half a mile where the start was going to be. I pat myself on the back lightly enough to avoid breaking my arm for picking a great location and saving some cash in booking a motel down the street.

Yeah, Louisville was everything people said it was going to be. Warm, humid - but I've certainly experience worse. I continued walking and asked a set of Scandinavian twin sisters, and Ironman participants, where check in was.

"Down fourth and to the right" the more assertive one said. I really liked how they made it a point to dress identical as well.

"Thanks."

The energy was obviously in the air. The IM participants and all of those who supported us in any way took over the town. People paraded in their bikes and run gear, so much so that I wasn't embarrassed to walk about town in my compression socks and sandals. This would have been something I couldn't have pulled off in Orange County.

The Check-In

I checked in by going from booth to booth after measuring my weight and hydration level first for an ongoing study by the Ironman scale and weight/body fat monitor sponsor. Within 30 minutes, the actual check in was completed, but I spent another 30 minutes buying some merchandise - a t-shirt, race belt, socks and some bike stuff (tubes and cartridges).

Despite a welcome pasta dinner later that evening, I had late lunch at Qdoba. For the rest of that afternoon, I occupied it by building up my bike to get it ready.

The Dinner

The dinner and mandatory age group meeting was at a convention center. It was buffet style and banquet like tables were set out through the floor. After grabbing a bit of everything, I roved around like it was a cafeteria at the first day in high school, trying to spot some friendly people who were still hopefully in the cool crowd.

The small talk almost always consisted the same several exchanges in points. Where are you from? Your first? How was training? How do you feel? What do you do for a living? Talking to these guys helped calm my nerves a lot about personally feeling under trained. A few admitted that they've never done a marathon, or that the most they ever ran during training was 15 miles.

Overall, the meeting itself was very informative and inspirational. Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman, was there and he was hilarious. There were lots of stories about first timers and many timers, and what it took for them to get to the race.

I went home and knocked out.

The Swim Practice

This was the last official event leading up to the race. It started at 8 am, but didn't wake up till 9 am. I got ready and walked down to the river for a quick dip just to see how it felt. It wasn't as bad as I thought, and is quite comparable to some of the lake swims I've done in Bonelli or in Perris locally - just warmer. All the talk about it being too murky or stinky was overkill on the forums. I was able to see my hands in front of me, and I actually found swimming in the Ohio River pleasant.

Bike and Gear Check-in

My bike was completely built by now, but I haven't been riding it past the parking lot. I set out for a quick spin around several square blocks and a very uncool thing happened - a flat on the rear wheel after hitting some bumpy intersections. I walked my bike back to my motel to fix it despite multiple offers for a floor pump (I couldn't take it because my crack pipe - used fit over the stem was still back at the hotel). I started to panic that I was having this type of issue because I still haven't got around to packing the rest of my transition gear bags yet. I didn't need to worry though, since I still had 5 hours.

I went back to the Ironman store at the Galt, and spent another $40 on tubes and co2 cartridges and a foam inflator just to make sure I had everything I needed. I proceeded with the packing and checked everything into transition.

After, I headed back to my motel where I ate, and sat around waiting the Little League World Series and anything else that was on TV. I wasn't able to fall asleep until midnight, yet my alarm was set for 4 am.

TYR Torque buzz

2010-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Check out the news story:

Competitor Magazine link on TYR Torque - a product carried on OneTri.com

Here's a press release snippet from TYR:

TYR triathletes Chrissie Wellington, Andy Potts and numerous others will wear TYR’s new, Ironman WTC -approved Torque Pro Swimskin at the Ironman World Championships on October 9th, 2010 in Kailua-Kona Hawaii.

Chrissie Wellington is the 3x Ironman World Champion and is coming off a record-setting race at Challenge Roth with a time of 8:19:13 and a win at Ironman 70.3 Timberman where she was first out of the water in the TYR Hurricane Cat 5. Wearing the Female Torque Pro, Wellington hopes to continue her success at the Ironman distance. A win at Kona would mean an un-matched 10-for-10 at ironman distance races for Wellington in her short career.

Andy Potts is the reigning Coeur d’Alene Ironman Champion, and more recently took victories at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Boulder and Ironman 70.3 Timberman. Potts led out of the water at both races. Potts will be outfitted in the Male Torque Pro Swimskin as he looks to improve upon last year’s top ten finish at Kona.

The Torque Series is part of TYR’s new 2011 Triathlon Collection. With two-layer technology, Torque’s inner core and outer shell coating work together to create the most synergic, fast, and repellent swimskin on the market.

TYR Torque Speedsuit - New Product

2010-08-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning was quite the interesting day at work. The boss at the last moment asked a few of us whether we'd be willing to help push a new product that TYR is releasing in time for Kona. We'd be able to help with the original media content for the website, copy, and just about everything else to get the item live on the website for purchase.

I jumped at the opportunity!

The game plan was to meet at a local community pool to get the shots.

Thanks to Gavin, we were able to shoot some amazing above and underwater shots that will go live on the website soon.

Here's a snippet of the finished product and some candid shots.

These were certainly some rough shots with my point and shot, and I'm pretty pumped about the some of the finished product we have to include - you tube media and photographs.

The two suits we showcased were TYR's Torque Pro and Torque Elite. An amazing thing about the Torque Pro is that the material feels sleek when wet - almost like neoprene, but when stretched, you can see a composite knit fabric that makes the suit really fast, yet WTC legal for Ironman competitions, in particular, Kona this October.

As a companion product, the Torque Elite features a razor paper thin material that makes it an ultra light suit - weighing less than 100 grams!

If you read the product descriptions anywhere on the web, it'll describe both product's fabric as being hydrophobic - this means the tendency of water to exclude non polar molecules.

Here are some examples of this characteristic:

If you look closely above, you can actually make out the seam that was constructed so finely that it doesn't even slow the water down.

The Last Two Weeks

2010-08-18T16:21:00.001-07:00

With less than two weeks to go, I'm doing exactly what I hoped would not happen - cram. Although the time I spend for each workout isn't as long, the sheer volume and amount of workouts I've done since Monday is different from how the rest of my typical workout weeks are. This is normal maybe, but it could surely also be an indication that I've been under training.

I've been waking up more sleepy, and I'm eating more than usual. Scary, but life happens right?

Compression

At the store here, a few of the guys brought up the important point that I should get some compression gear for recovery and during the competition itself.

Everybody here swears by these. They lessen fatigue and can assist in recovery. These should be nice to wear on the plane ride back, and if the weather and humidity permits, maybe it wouldn't be too bad to wear during the Ironman.

Training
Last night, I did some simple sets in the pool after a 2500 meter swim the night before. Nothing fancy with some kicking in between. Something I'm looking forward to is probably an open swim either in Corona Del Mar, or at Lake Mission Viejo this weekend. The latter is probably better since I wouldn't be able to wear a wet suit during the race.

In other news, I've gotten the girlfriend into biking, and as such, I've been trying to push the shoes and pedals on to her. This, as I'm sure everyone remembers, is a tricky situation. For someone who has been riding with pedals for a while, it's difficult to understand the big fuss about how hard it is to clip in.

The result?

You guessed it, she fell stationary. I feel awful, and have started to look into Speedplays instead of LOOK just to make it easier. But I think the solution should really only be platforms for a while, because in reality, she's only ever been on a road bike a few times in her life before.

Costs of doing an Ironman

2010-08-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

The costs of doing an Ironman.

Once you've decided to proceed to do an Ironman as your season's triathlon goal, reality sets in, and it'll cost you.

A given is the fact that you'll be training a lot. Any prospective Ironman participant with a family and a full time job can realistically at most spend about 10 - 15 hours solely on training per week if that's not already the case, leaving little time for too much of an extra curricular social life or any other hobbies for an entire year.

Not too bad right? What about the monetary costs?

This particularly hurts, as I'm speaking from first hand experience. The following is what I think I spent thus far just to enter and get to Ironman Louisville.

Entry Fee: $550
Hotel Room (3 nights): $300
Southwest Flight from Orange County: $300
Continental Flight because I realized my arriving flight to Louisville gets in too late for check in: $200
Bike Shipping: $320

Total - $1670

This doesn't include some of the new gear I bought over the year like new shoes race wheels and other accessories.

It wasn't a surprise that when I was looking up my bib number last night, I was certainly one of the younger guys entering the race at 27.

The moral of tonight's post is that you'll be able to cost down on a lot of costs if your races are local, especially if it's an Ironman.

Choices Choices...

2010-08-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

Ever hear of the following paradox?

The more options you have, the less happy you'll be.

In this case, we're talking triathlon products here, of course.

Philosophical debate aside, it appears that the vast number of triathlon products out there would be enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed when trying to keep up in the know. If seasoned triathletes are constantly bombarded by new products and yearly models, I can see how difficult it would be for a newbie undertaking a sport that encompasses three disciplines.

Although it doesn't strike the heart of the paradox, such an abundance of triathlon products can lead to some uninformed or incomplete assessment of facts when purchasing products, leading to an unsatisfied shopping experience or purchase envy for not being able to score the perfect or better deal.

Consider the following questions:

What's the difference between the wetsuits that start at $200, and then jumps to the $300-$500 range?

Do the shorts or top have pockets so that I can put my gels in it?

What's the chamois like on that product? What tri short has the best one?

Which short has the longest inseam?

Will this make me look/go faster?

These are all very common questions, and it's difficult to make proper comparisons when trying to make mental notes, or if you're just unsure what you're looking for in a product.

As a result, OneTri.com has gone live with product comparisons charts organized by various categories. Also included are articles, FAQs, and product videos that would help anyone make a more informed choice. I found this to be very for helpful myself and to those eyeballing certain items.

Enjoy. And yeah, 2XU products are guaranteed to make you look faster!

Monday Morning Start

2010-08-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Woke up at around 5:30 am to cram in an early morning ride with the girlfriend before work. It was her third ride ever on a road bike - a Fuji Newest 2.0. She was still getting used to the shifting, and it was all along a easy nice ride to warm up for the day.

Afterward, the morning seemed to fly by with a lot of work. Before I knew it, it was 3:30, and when I took a "lunch" break for a 6 mile run along Edinger. Not a bad run, but my legs were a little tired from the ride earlier this morning. I kept it in the mid 8s, but was slower than usual for a training run.

For tonight, I'm toying around with the idea of a swim at the gym, but I still want move a few items as well to my new place. My stomach's also been growling, so I better head to Trader Joe's first.

On a side note. A friend who argued a motion on my behalf (I originally wrote it before handing off the case) told me that the judge thought it was well written. Awesome!

Over and out.

Nutrition Review

2010-08-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Cool Mint Chocolate Clif Bar. Some Clif bars are better than others, but this one is my favorite by far. A fair and most accurate comparison of this flavor to another well known food item is the Thin Mint girl scout cookie that gets sold once a year in offices around the nation. Made with organic oats and soybeans, this Clif Bar contains 50mg of natural caffeine from green tea extract that'll help give you a boost during any ride, run, swim or hoops session. The amount is equivalent to about a can of soda or coffee (coffee typically has about 50 - 150mg of caffeine).

If you've never seen, held or ate a clif bar before, the first thing you'll notice is the feel and sound of the wrapper. Because I'm all about sustainability, I made a note of this because Clif Bar has teamed up with TerraCycle to facilitate the donation of .02 for each wrapper to a non-profit of the wrapper collector's choice through the Wrapper Brigade program. The goal of the program is to prevent and decrease energy bar wrappers from going straight to a landfill, and instead be recycled and reused to produce other useful products like the Clif Bar dress a few of us saw at the State Fair! Wish I took a picture of that.

From the up close picture below, you'll notice the texture and appearance of this bar. It has lines of icing, which is made from evaporated cane juice, cocoa butter in addition to other soy products that covers the primary and notable ingredients consisting of ClifPro, Organic rolled oats, and Chocolate Cookies. ClifPro are Clif Bar's very own Soy Rice Crisps. The result is what brownies and mint chocolate chip cookies would taste like if it started doing triathlons, picked up surfing, and rock climbed every other Sunday. Because Clif Bars are a balance in taste and nutrition, these are not only great for the jersey pocket, but also for road trips, breakfast and the earthquake bag (this earthquake bag concept deserves a post in it of itself) that California kids prepare at the start of every school year. The shelf life is about a year out, by far beating out the Twinkie that was mythed to have a shelf life of, forever. Chomp.

Workout of the Day

2010-08-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

1:30 swim
4:00 run

Details to follow

Bike Transportation

2010-08-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

With less than three weeks to go for the Ironman in Louisville, what I've been trying to put off has finally come haunting me down. I've booked the hotel, booked the flight, and even trained for the event in the past year, but haven't really thought about bike transportation.

Although Southwest guarantees one free bag check per flight, there's no real justification to believe that it might extend to a bike as well. I've heard from some that it does, and from some that does not. Two years ago, when returning to San Francisco from San Diego after my bike tour, Virgin America let my bike on for free. The girl who checked my bike in thought it was rather cool I was doing so. It's difficult to say I'll have such luck once again.

Another whole issue is obtaining a bike case. None of my friends seem to have one lying around, and to purchase a high quality one is more than nominal in cost. I'm a firm believer in traveling, and also a great proponent of traveling to do triathlons (something I want to do more of), but I'm not sure if I travel just enough yet to justify purchasing an expensive travel case.

Doing a google search reveals some promising options. Rent A Bike Case comes up as the first result, but it also looks like they're in Canada. I'll probably give them a call during the week just to see what they can do for me. Looking at their website gives me an idea of their rates and what the standard should be about, but this might be the least fun part of preparing for the Ironman. My wheels costs just as much as my bike, so I'm also going to see if there's a case out there that securely fits everything or if I'll need an additional one.

Just to throw another wrench into the madness, I'm supposed to move out of the apartment this morning. Anybody need a fridge?

The Garmin

2010-08-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

You probably heard it before. The beep that occurs at the start of a group run, race or warm up. It's what people in run circles affectionately call a Garmin.

I remember first hearing about the Garmin as a GPS for a car. Yao Ming did a commercial years ago about his own. But using a Garmin for running and biking really worked wonders for me. I bought a Forerunner 305 for myself at the end of last year when I decided to work on my running. With it, I've been able to keep track of all my runs, elevation, heart rate, pace, and bike speed all over layed onto a map that's downloaded to my computer. It's really neat to see a visual of each workout and the progress I've made.

Having one of these kept me honest with running, and was really quite the motivator when it came to workouts. The 10 hour battery life is sufficient, but because I'm doing the Louisville Ironman later this month, I'll only use it for the run leg.

Wouldn't want it to die during the marathon.

Shifting More than Just Gears

2010-08-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

The last biggest day/event in my life occurred at the end of July 2008 when I sat for the California Bar exam in Oakland, California. More than two years later, that will be replaced by the Louisville Ironman on August 29, 2010. The two events are significantly intertwined with respect to my life.

About five years ago just before starting law school, I weighed about 300 pounds. Having been overweight for most of my life, I've accepted it as a way of living. I avoided photographs, mirrors, and stretched out my shirts in an attempt to avoid increasing a shirt size. Public places and parties were questionable, and making an appearance at the gym was more than a chore - it was a reluctant production.

Back in 2005, and 100 pounds overweight - I hardly recognize myself!

I didn't become successful at losing weight until I was in the thick of law school. Being in San Diego, and near Balboa Park, I had easy access to go running or walking with a friend late at night for study breaks. A substantial portion of my weight dropped when I first altered my diet. I ate less fast food, and cooked more meals.

I started running. My first run after years of not running consistently, I was only able to jog a mile. It took more than 15 minutes, and I walked several times. At the end of it, I felt like I had been laboring all day.

It took time, but I lost the weight.
...

I made the decision to be a lawyer in college, and was pretty set on going to law school. I really liked it because I like that way of thinking. I was a philosophy major in undergrad, and it was the natural progression. I knew I wanted to help people with my law degree going in.

Upon graduation, it became a little more apparent that legal jobs across the spectrum were few and far between, particularly those in non profit. I felt so relieved when the firm I was temping at offered me a position after being unemployed and doing odd jobs for the better part of the year.

The work was fine, but the lifestyle was difficult on my body. After having lost the weight, and at this point being a full blown triathlete, I found it difficult to work in an office setting at 12 hour a day stretches - I once overnight-ed three days in a row. Sitting in front of my computer cooped up indoors dampened me, and was making me physically and emotionally sick once again - something I fought so hard through the years to ward off by picking up an active life style and eating better. I found it difficult to be happy to not be able to do something I've really come to love during the weekend - being able to train without disruption. Me and a few of the other first year associates were always on call. The emails and phone calls dictated our physical and social lives.

I won't go into the details, but I took a chance and left my firm without employment lined up. I knew I wanted something different, and I knew I needed to try something else while I still had the chance. I provided my resignation, and told my firm I needed to be able to do more triathlons.

...

About a week ago, I began employment at OneTri.com. I haven't regretted my decision to make the shift. I'm working in an industry that I'm personally involved in - one involving swimming, biking, running, and of course, nutrition aka food. The biggest difference I notice immediately is the mission of my job. Here, I feel like my goal is to promote an active life style that I believe in.

I think this is something I don't want to shift away from for a while.