Saturday, July 25, 2009

Good Deals on Bikes Review

I was looking up some bikes for you and I found a couple of good deal for a good starter bike. This will be good enough for your first couple of triathlons until you get a little more serious. Some of these bikes will be too big for you as you are under 5'3. There are plenty of deals out there, this is just from things that were posted on Craigslist. Most of these bikes are not going to fit you but I wanted you to see what kind of deals there are to be found. This is only two days worth of Craigslist and there are other sites that you can search on. Just as an fyi at 5'2 you will probably need a bike with 36"-42" frame, somewhere in that ballpark.









One of the best deals that I have found. This bike is $675 probably is worth at least twice that including all the gear that it comes with:

The tire repair pack, Look pedals, Digital speedometer, Diadora shoes and cleats, matching Le tour de france water bottles, helmet, gloves and sunglasses will be included if you want to take them.

Pros: Good starter to Advanced bike. No upgrading or spare parts needed.
Cons: Mildly expensive, if you are not sure you are going to keep racing








Like new, rarely used Raleigh. This is a 700 dollar bike for 350 pretty good steal for a bike that has been slightly used.

Pros: Great Deal.
Cons: Will need some updating cost in the future, even though it is race ready











I know this one is a little out of your prices range at $4500 but I feel in love with bike when I found it. I figure I'd put something here for you to dream about.

Pros: Very fast bike, with Easton tubular tires
Cons: No aero bars, alot of lunch money








My bike !! At a $110 this bike is a steal for a first time racer. Will need to update your ride as it will keep you competitive, just not very competitive.

Pros: Cheap Price, Comes with a helmet.
Cons: Will need updating...











This bike is like new, was purchased at 1400+ taxes plus Look KEO Easy pedals retail 79.99. He is asking 1100 obo.

Pros: Fairly good deal and great looking bike
Cons: Mildy expensive for a starter bike







Cheapest starter bike that I found ask $59. Look at all the pink !! For small to medium women, which you will be able to fit on. Looks like a mountain bike that has been turned into a road bike.

Pros: Very cheap, PINK
Cons: Only a starter bike if you get serious you need a new one, PINK






Blackwheel 100m Carbon Wheel for 470. These are very fast tires with only 20 miles on them. You could always get a cheap biker that can be easily upgraded, by added cheap parts as this one.

Pros: Blazing speed
Cons: Will not fit on every bike, not cheap













This is a bike that I posted up for my friend Amanda who rides a Bianchi in Celeste as well. At 850 this bike is a decent deal.

Pros: I already told you its a Bianchi
Cons: No aero bars.


Clicking on any of these pictures will bring you right to the post on Craigslist if you wish to read more information about them. All of these bikes are in the South Florida area and there are about 40-70 new posts for sale everyday. Hope that shed some light on your questions. Leave me a comment if you have questions about anything else.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Race Results

My race in Key Biscayne went really well the other day. Everything went as planned for once in the water, which is a nice change for me. Switch to a different pair of goggles definitely mean a big difference (no leaks). I was less than 30 seconds away from the leader in the male 20-24 and 40-49 age group, leaving the water in about 5th out of about 80+ swimmers. Transition from the swim to bike went very well and I placed in the top 100 there.

Bike is where I had most of my trouble this race. This is due to a couple of factors. First off I got a cheap bike as a Christmas present years ago that realllly need some updating. Riding over the Rickenbacker Causeway was a real battle on this bike as it is way to heavy to climb. I also did not log enough hours before the race on my bike, so I was not as fast as I normally am. I took my Hammer Gel a little too late on the bike making me somewhat sick when I got off to run. All and all though my bike was decent considering the equipment that is at my disposal.

The run was good, I say this because my time was not my fastest splits. Although I did feel great during the run. All my bike/run practice paid off big time. I did not feel as if I had rocks in my calves as I normally do, and felt very in control of my body despite how hard I was pushing myself.

I am still waiting on the pictures to be sent to me as they were not taken with my camera. As soon as I have them in my possession I will post them up for everyone to see.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

TIME TO RACE!!!

Getting all geared up for tomorrow going over my list and checking it twice. Then its off to bed to get some rest for my 4:00 wake up !! I will upload pictures in the next couple of days.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Getting Ready for Race Day

I have been getting both mentally and physically prepared for my race this Sunday !! I will be racing in the Mack Cycle Key Biscayne Triathlon Trilogy #2, at the Miami Marine Stadium. They recently changed the location of the race from Crandon Park to the Miami Marine Stadium. I don't know why they did that but I expect that it will be just a great of a race as the one they always have at Crandon Park. For those of you who live in the South Florida area I am sure that you know about this is race, and if you don't I will tell you. It is the best sprint triathlon in this area!! Amazing views of the water and downtown and the climb up the causeway is absoutely insane. There is such an energy at this race from the volunteers all the way up to the racers. I can not continue to say enough go things about this race, if you live in this area and haven't race the Trilogy yet I highly suggest you do. If for no other reason, there are three races and a bonus race, all of which are on the same course. This is a great advantage as most races differ alittle here and there on the mileage and it is hard to accurately judge your difference in times. If you are interested in racing you can find them at Multirace.com or go directly to the race registration. Feel free to say hi if you see me as I am very hard to miss. I will be the only six foot eight guy out there probably. Always nice to be able to meet my readers !!

A little under a week left and I am in crunch time right now. Watching what I eat, making sure I am getting enough sleep, and trying to get all my workouts in before my last day of recovery. Been very busy with work this week so getting in my workouts has been a little bit of a hassle but I've managed as of yet to get everything done I've set out to do. I have also been riding my bike anywhere I can reasonably take it. This is one of my great workout secrets, as it allows me and easy extra 20-30 miles a week of "working out". I can get almost anywhere on my bike as fast as I can drive, but since im commuting it doesnt really feel as if im working out.

Today: I work part time as a swim coach for a 6-18 year old swim team. So I will ride to practice to today (extra 5 miles) and after swim practice I will swim a 1/4 mile in the pool, proceed to hop on my bike and ride home. As soon as I get home Im going to get on a 4 mile run so that A) I can practice my T2 and B) So that I can log in some miles running as I definately need some extra running before sunday.

Tomorrow I am going for another 3-4 mile run at race pace and I will do alot of streching both before and after. This is so that I can start loosing any muscle that might be tight and I dont get any cramps doing the race.

Friday: I will have an moderately difficult ride to the beach (11.7 miles round trip), do some more stretching on the beach once I get there. Going for about a 1/4 mile open water swim. As I do alot of pool swimming and I like to practice my open water swim a couple of days before to mentally prepare myself. Once I hop out of water practice a fast T1 transition hop on the bike and go home. I also plan to con my girlfriend into giving me a full body massage to get all the extra kinks out that I did get out stretching. She not aware of this yet but see will be soon enough :)

Saturday: REST AND RECOVERY !!! The day before the race I reserve for resting and recovering. I want to be a full strength the next day. Making sure that I don't eat anything that won't sit will the next day at the race. I also start planning out the race in my mind. Reminding myself what my times should look like. Remembering what I am grabbing during my transitions. Packing up all my things the night before as there is no way im going to do it at 4:30 in the morning, thats just asking for trouble. Other than that I might go for an easy ride or fast walk around the block around mid day or in the morning just to keep my body sort of fresh. Day before race though is all about mental work though making sure that my mind will be in the right place on sunday.

Then its off to the races! I will have some one taking many pictures of the race on Sunday, which I will post up so all of you can see. Even more reason to find me at the race, because if you do you picture will probably be on my blog next week. Good luck to all of you who are racing this Sunday and I look forward to see you guys at the race!

Friday, July 10, 2009

New Name On My Blogroll

I not only write a blog about triathlons, I also read many blogs about them as well. In the next couple of days I will be adding many sites to my blogroll as I like to see the new articles posted up on my blogspot everyday so that I may read articles that interest me. My other reasoning for this is so you my readers can be able to find other informative sources on triathlons. Feel free to check out the newest site to my blogroll Everymantri.com They provide news and interviews on endurance events.

List of Important Triathlon Links

I will be compiling a list of important sites for triathlon registration, information, etc... If there are any good sites out that for some reason that I do not know about or you would like to share with everyone please leave a comment with a link and a description.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Advice To My Friend

So I have a friend of mine who used to be a runner before and just now is starting to train for a half-marathon and then hopefully soon there after to complete a full one. She asked me for some advice and I figure rather than just send her an email with the information I would share it so you all can see.


Nutrition

I know one of your biggest concerns is nutrition and it always has been for you from all the weird stuff I always see in your fridge. Certain basic principles that you should stick to and once you get these down then i'll move you into stage two of marathon nutrition. First of all high protein and high carb.... sounds simple right ? Wrong... I know that you are going to be working out like crazy you will need to consume these in very high amount especially protein as they are the fuel for long term running. As far as carbohydrates are concerned you need to take in plenty of these, but the right kind you do not want simple sugar. You want to be taking in long chain carbs as they burn much slower and give you much more energy.

There are several parts of nutrition that I don't really consider "nutrition" although they are part of what you are eating and how you eat. First of and most importantly of all is eating is good, yet you want to make sure what you are intaking is good for you. So feel free to consume food whenever you are hungry and don't limit what you are eating, just limit the bad things that you intake on a daily basis to a minimum (i.e. Beer, Twinkies, Greasy Burgers, etc...). The other thing that is very important to avoid eating very large meals in one sitting as they will sit for too long in your stomach and also will affect your training performance. There is nothing worst than having a stomach full of undigested food and attempting to go on a long run.

Supplementing should be part of your regiment as well. This is primary up to you and how much you are willing to spend and how serious you are willing to get with marathon running. I highly suggest taking a multivitamin/multimineral every morning as now and days it hard to get the daily recommended vitamin and minerals you need from food. I suggest anyone who does endurance events take these as they keep the whole engine that is your body running smoothly. After trying several different types I found that Centrum works the best for me as it is easy on the stomach (my stomach is very picky) and has everything that you need.


Practice What You Preach


I feel like I can never say this enough times, Practice what you preach. Meaning that if come race day you are planning on taking water, food, gels, etc... while you are running long distance that you should plan of doing so while you are practice. So plan on going for a 13 mile run as you would on race day, then plan on leaving water bottle throughout the course and/or run with them on you. This also mean don't try sticking new foods, gels, or anything else in your body when you race, if you do not practice with them on a normal basis. As this my result unfavorably for you.


Now Its Time to Run


Posture: For short distance runner should be running "on their toes". However this is not the case for long distance runners. The proper distance running form is for your heels to make contact with the ground first. Arms should always be at a 90-degree angle and by your side, hand should be as if you are holding small dixie cups of water. Make sure to relax your arms, because as your distance increases your arms will tense up.

Keep a low center of gravity, running low to the ground. Do not waste your energy on running vertical, rather propel yourself forward, there is no need for your feet to have to come very high off the ground.

Always run at a pace that is at least moderate comfortable for you, because if it is not you are wasting too much energy per mile. Running with your mouth open to allow you to breathe easy. Breathe in-in, out-out, in-in, out-out, make this your breathing in sync with you steps.

Your back should also be straight with your chest slightly poking out leading the way, head straight looking forward. It is very important to have "checks" as you go along, to make sure that you body is still in the correct position, so you are not wasting unnecessary energy or causing an injury.


Running:
As a general rule of thumb your mileage should gradually start increasing every week. Although from week-to-week it should not increase more than 10% of the following weeks workout. Roughly about three weeks before the race you should have complete a couple 10-12 miles runs in order to get yourself prepare for running for that long of a duration. In your final week you should taper off enough to recovery, yet not too much that you don't start fresh.

Following is a recommended beginner half marathon training schedule. This schedule assumes you have been running for at least four weeks and can run 30 minutes without stopping before beginning the schedule.



WeekMonTueWedThuFriSatSunTotal
13Rest33Rest4Rest13
23Rest43Rest5Rest15
33Rest43Rest6Rest16
43Rest53Rest8Rest19
53Rest53Rest10Rest21
64Rest54Rest11Rest24
74Rest64Rest12Rest26
84Rest54Rest9Rest22
93Rest43Rest8Rest18
103Rest3Walk 2Rest13.1Rest21.1




11 Marathon Nutrition and Hydration Tips


Remember that saying "You are what you eat"? Well this is very true for endurance events, as you will feel everything you take in be consumed by your body. Below are a couple of very helpful tips that I found on Boston.com

1. Stay hydrated during the race.

A good general guideline is to drink 3 to 6 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes. This averages out to grabbing a cup every other mile. Since the first water stop in a race is often very crowded, skip it and get a drink at the second stop.

2. Even better: Know your sweat rate.

The most accurate method for determining your personal fluid needs is to take a sweat-rate test during your training. Weigh yourself naked before and after a hard one-hour run. Convert the amount of weight lost to ounces to figure out your sweat rate per hour. A loss of one pound means you sweated about 16 ounces of fluid (assuming you didn’t drink any fluids during the run). Going forward, you would try to replenish fluids at a rate of about 16 ounces per hour.

3. Take heat into consideration.

The ideal marathon racing temperature is in the mid-50s, but if the temperature soars into the 70s or 80s on race day as it has in the past, you must drink more. Increase your fluid intake by sipping sports drinks, not just water. The carbs in sports drinks help restock spent energy stores. Most sports drinks will also replace the electrolytes you lose in sweat, helping you avoid hyponatremia (low blood-sodium level caused by excessive water intake).

4. Chase your energy gels with water.

If you take gels with a sports drink you risk putting too much sugar in your gastrointestinal tract at once, which can cause stomach cramps or diarrhea.

5. Develop a race-day nutrition and hydration plan.

When you’re tired and miles from the finish, you can’t always make the best decisions about refueling. Develop a plan ahead of time so you know what and when you’ll eat and drink. Be sure that plan includes drinking and consuming calories within 45 minutes to an hour after the start. If you wait too long, you might become dehydrated or run out of steam early in the race.

6. Pay attention to the color of your urine.

In the days leading up to the marathon you want to stay hydrated — but don’t drink obsessively. If your urine is totally clear, you’re drinking too much. If it looks dark like iced tea, you’re definitely not drinking enough. Pale yellow is ideal.

7. Give your bladder a break.

The morning of the marathon drink about 8 to 16 ounces of fluid to remain hydrated — but stop drinking one hour before the start. This way you’ll avoid pit stops early in the race.

8. Avoid unnecessary meds.

Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium, are part of a group of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). When taken during a long run or race, these drugs can cause nausea, stomach cramping, and diarrhea. Taking too many NSAIDS can also stress the kidneys and impair their ability to function, which can contribute to dehydration or hyponatremia. If you’re battling an achy knee or sore IT band on race day, take acetaminophen, which doesn’t affect the kidneys.

9. Don’t eat anything new.

You know your body best, so in the days leading up to the marathon stick to foods you’ve eaten before and that you know your stomach can easily digest. For some runners that means avoiding high-fiber foods, high-fat foods, and dairy. Eating high-carb foods, such as pasta, rice, and potatoes, will ensure your glycogen stores are stocked for race day, but don’t consume more calories than you normally would.

10. Watch alcohol and caffeine consumption.

Alcohol and caffeine are not nearly as dehydrating as once thought. That said, if you normally avoid alcohol and caffeine, then don’t drink them the night before or the day of the marathon. However, if you’re accustomed to drinking alcohol, one drink the night before a race won’t negatively impact your running. Similarly, if you normally drink coffee before your long runs, then you can drink it before the race.


11. Start your recovery early.

Refueling after the marathon is essential to help your body recover quickly. Eat or drink about 200 or 300 calories of carbohydrates and some protein within an hour of finishing the marathon. The carbs refuel your muscles with glycogen, and the protein will help repair your muscles. Eat a full meal as soon as you are able to continue the recovery process. And remember to slowly drink fluids to rehydrate after you cross the finish line.



One of My Favorite Quotes

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."

- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

Monday, June 22, 2009

Your Know Your A Triathlete When...

  • You usually wake up at 4.00 in the morning but don’t get to work until way after 10:00.
  • Somebody hands you a cup of water and you have to restrain yourself from pouring it over your head.
  • Your car has at least one energy bar wrapper and water bottle on the floor.
  • You have more shoes than you spouse.
  • Cars pass you on the road when you’re driving and you either drop back to get out of draft zone or speed up to attack!
  • You need a photo for a job application and you only have race pictures.
  • You haven’t bought work clothes in two years, yet you own bike shorts made by every manufacturer under the sun and can recite the merits of Coolmax, Supplex, etc. in your sleep!
  • You think there are only 2 seasons in a year; racing season and off-season.
  • You clean your bike more often than your car.
  • Your bike has a name.
  • When asked, how old are you? You answer 35-39.
  • You name your two new puppies Kona and Hawi.
  • You are convinced that if you rest more than one day, your muscles will atrophy, your ultra-fit body will turn into a pile of goo and everyone in your age group will beat you.
  • You bring bottled water to a party so that you’re properly hydrated for the next morning’s long run. Everyone else at the party also brought their own bottled water because you don’t have a social life outside of triathlon. Oh yeah, and they all showed up 7pm and left by 10pm.
If you have any other ones please feel free to share

Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

I know that many of you triathletes out there are practicing there threesomes: Swim, Bike, Run. Many of you cross-train hitting the weights, spinning, etc... Yet with all this many of times transitions get forgotten about. Your T1 and T2 splits are very important to practice as they are part of overall race time. It doesn't matter if you can swim really fast if you get out of the water and take 3:00 minutes getting your socks and shoes on. Therefore practicing your transitions should part of your workouts just like swimming, biking and running are. One minute off your transition time can mean the difference in between 3rd and 1st place.

Transition Checklist
  • Socks
  • Shoes
  • Towel
  • Tri Shorts (Although you should race in what you swim)
  • Race Number
  • Race Belt (I highly suggest one of these, they are very affordable)
  • Safety Pins (To clip on race number if you don't have the belt)
  • Helmet
-Optional
  • Sodium Pills
  • Advil
  • Sports Drink
  • Energy Bars
  • Energy Gel
  • Heart Rate Monitor
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Cycling Gloves

Pre-Race Setup

Once you have been assigned a race number proceed to find the rack in which you will be mounting your bike. Once you have found your rack look to see where the transition for the bike and run will be and place your bike in a place that will make it easy to enter and exit to these areas. You should also look at the other races to decide if the guy/girl next to you will be exiting the water at the same time. It is preferable not be stuck attempting to transition next to someone who is trying to leave at the same time as you. Once you have your spot picked out you must decide how to mount you bike, depending on your seat clearance, the height of the rack, and whether or not you have aero bars. It might be wise to rack you bike with the back of the seat on top of the rack and to drag the bike under or mount you bike aero first and grab the bike and go. The most important factor though will setting up for your transitions is your clothes and whatever else you will be taking with you when you hop on the bike. Attempt to put you things in a neat pile as a matter of courtesy to other racers and so that you know where to find everything when you come out of the water. You should have the things that you need first at the very top of the pile. For example you socks should be above your shoes as you will need them before you need your shoes.


Fast Swim to Bike Transition

So your swim is going great you are just about to get out of the swim exit, so now what ? You may be really excited and ready to bolt out of the water but remember that you have been breathing underwater which is much different then on land. Make sure to mental prepare for this transition by knowing not to come bolting out of the water as this will make your lungs work in overdrive. As you come out of the water and your are running through the transition looking for your rack already have your transition set out in your mind. Remember what you planned to do before you get to the spot where all your stuff is.

Many times in a race I have glanced over to see a fellow racer doing what I like to call the "sock dance". Trying to get your socks on while your feet are wet can be quite a hassle, so if you are running a sprint tri, and you can stand it, just slide on your shoes without sock. Although I recommend make sure you are comfortable with this in workouts first. Avoid at all cost sitting down why attempting to put on your socks and shoes as this will take valuable time away from your transition, and also a great way to get a cramp.

Once you have your helmet on as well as everything else you came to the transition zone for its time to grab your bike. The best way to take your bike out of transition is to grab from the back of the seat and run it out by balancing it. This may be a little difficult at first, yet with some practice becomes fairly easy. Run your bike all the way out to where the mount bike start is, hop on your bike on the go, saddle your feet in and GO!


Bike to Run Transition

The bike/run transition is much easier than the swim/bike transition. Your time here should also be much lower as you should not need as many things as you did in T1. The last couple of miles of the bike you should start gearing your mind towards T2 and what you need to grab or leave from there (i.e. hat, visor, water, gel, change of clothes, food). As stupid as this might sound remember to take that helmet on you have been wearing it soo long on your head that you might of forgotten that it was there. It would not be the first time that I have seen someone running whom had forgotten to take there helmet off.

One of my least favorite things about racing is the bike/run bonk, which normally happens as you get off the bike and attempt to use your feet on land again. It is such a weird sensation and will make your calves feel like they have rocks in them. I don't really have even secret to tell you how to avoid this other than practice, practice, practice. The best way to avoid this is to practice riding your bike then hopping off and running, and eventually with time this will get better. Regardless you will still get this feeling just not as bad, my main suggestion is keep going at a relative decent place, and don't try and push too hard through this. Your body's energy to power output is very low during this stage.


Saturday, June 20, 2009

Lance Armstrong Comeback to Cycling

I don't understand athletes fad about going into to retirement then something hits them and they have a revelation. Then the next year they decide they want to comeback out of retirement. I really really do not understand this concept part of me thinks that athletes do it when they start to fizzle out. Maybe its a way to all of a sudden draw more attention to yourself. Either way Lance is back !!! Lance Armstrong just the other day announced that he will be coming out of retirement. The question rest in my mind has Lance come out of retirement to go on to more Tour De France wins or is he just coming back out to race again. Only time will truly tell. Despite the fact that am a huge Lance Armstrong fan i would like to see someone else get to win some for a change. Either way I just glad he's back to doing what he does best.

Lance Armstrong's Trek Madone 6.9 Livestrong



"One of the first observations Trek’s team liaison Ben Coates tells Cyclingnews about is the number of fellow pro riders that ask to be photographed with Lance Armstrong’s Trek Madone 6.9, complete with Livestrong livery. Astana team mechanic Chris agrees, as he checks the weight of the rig.

"Seven twenty six," says Chris to Silence-Lotto mechanic Steven in Flemish. They then discuss the various aspects of Lance’s bike compared to Matt Lloyd’s Silence-Lotto Canyon, the bike I have just been measuring and photographing for this section of Cyclingnews. It’s a nice exchange between two experienced wrenchers who have seen most of the bike exotica the pro peloton has on offer.

"This is a stock bike, we pulled it right off the line," says Coates. "There’s no special person that builds Lance’s bikes, no special process they go through... Someone went to the back of the factory in Waterloo, Wisconsin and took the bike off the line and painted it up."

We did this bike in less than 10 days - from a twinkle in the designer’s eye to the delivery here in Adelaide," says Coates. "It was really a remarkable feat to pull it together - basically, all we got from Lance was, ‘Maybe think about how long I’ve been retired’.

Where it gets all customised is in the paintjob. The number 1274 represents the number of days Armstrong was retired before making his comeback at the Cancer Council Classic in Adelaide, whilst 27.5 represents the millions of people who have died from the disease in the time since the seven-time Tour de France champion stepped off the podium in Paris after sealing his last Tour crown..."

"...Overall, like Armstrong’s comeback, it’s a machine designed to convey a message, and unlike the statement he’s made in the past, this time it might just be a bit about the bike."

It is about the bike... By Les Clarke CyclingNews.com




Not a bad ride to roll on in after 1274 days of retirement. Looks like such a fierce bike and weighing in at seven twenty six I would die to get my hands on that for a day. It is an amazing looking bike and I hope that we still see many great things coming from him in the future, because he is a legend and desires to continue on as one.






Do you think Lance Armstrong will come back to win it again this year?
Yes
No








Friday, June 19, 2009

Fueling up for race day

Whenever have a long day of training or on race days I always make sure that my body is properly fueled. There are several products which I have personal tested and love. One of which is a product called Hammer Gel.



"For over a decade, Hammer Gel has been the benchmark of concentrated carbohydrate energy, primarily because of what it doesn't contain. Hammer Gel has no added refined, simple sugars and no artificial colors or sweeteners.

Choose either single-serving pouches or the cost-effective jugs for even, reliable energy, not the flash and crash of sugar-loaded products. You get only what's good for you: complex carbohydrates, natural ingredients, and real fruit. The result is a great tasting concentrated fuel source that goes down and digests easier than any other energy gel.

Hammer Gel is versatile as well, you can drink it straight, add it to your water bottle, or combine it with Sustained Energy, HEED, and Perpeteum to create a variety of tasty energy combinations for any length activity, anywhere, anytime."



I have found this product to be amazing when you are half way through running and feel like you are done there is nothing quite like this product. It is almost as if you get a second wind and fuels your muscles and your body to keep on pushing forward. I highly recommend you try this product as it has done wonders for me, and is also used my almost everyone that competes in half and full Ironmans.

Although I will heed you one warning DO NOT try and take this product for the first time come race day. Never try something for the first time race day, whether it be nutrition or a day routine. Changes in your workout plan need to be tested first a couple of time in practice before emulating it in the race. The last thing you need come race day is for this not to still well with you. As taking gel or any type of food on the go is something that needs to mastered in your workouts first. This gel is also kind of thick in texture so you should have some sort of drink to wash it down with after.

Just for what is it worth, apple cinnamon tastes like apple pie filling and I have found it to be the most delicious and easiest to consume. Leave a comment and tell us what you favorite flavor is and why!















For more information check them out at:

www.hammernutrition.com

Preparing For Your Open Water Swim

Worried about how your transition to mass open water starts is going to be? There are a couple of things that come race day you should have practiced and prepared for. One of the most frightening parts of swimming open water is the fact that in most races you will never be able see more than inches underneath you in the water. For most pool swimmers we are used to seeing the bottom of the pool and knowing that it is there. Having the ability to use the bottom of the pool and the lines to keep us straight. One of the best ways to prepare yourself for this open water condition if you can not readily practice in one, is to swimming in a lap pool with your eyes closed for 6 or 7 strokes at a time to get use to swimming straight without the guidance of the bottom of the pool.

How to Guide Yourself Straight in Open Water
In open water swimming you need to be conscience of the fact that you don't have that pool line at the bottom of the pool to guide your way. The last thing you want to do is swim zig-zag in open water because a 1/2 mile swim will very quickly turn into a 3/4 mile swim. This is why i suggest that ever 25 yds in a pool you practice lifting your head out of the water to look in front of you. This can be done using a water polo stroke (freestyle swim with head out of water) or doing a breaststroke pull or two. Then when swimming open water to proceed to left your head out of the water around the same length of time. This will allow you to address the situation ahead of you and allow you to make sure your still on course. Also giving you and out every now and again from the dark water. I have one tactic i like to use all the time. That is to find someone who is swimming the same pace as me and swim parallel with him/her. If they are going straight and in the right direction then so are you. Although i don't highly recommend using just this method, as if the person you are swimming with is swimming the wrong way then so are you.


How to Approach the Mass Start
You need to also be prepare for the mass start which maybe anywhere from 30-1000+ people you may be hopping in the water with. Unless you are very confident about your abilities as an open swimmer I would suggest that you start anywhere from the end to the middle of the pack. Even if you have to wait 10 seconds for everyone to get into the water, being 10 seconds behind is must better then be swallowed up by the pack if you are too slow of a swimmer. In the long run this is saves you time and energy if you swim in a less dense area that you are more comfortable with.

How to Deal with Mid-Race Problems
Sometimes during a race your goggles my fill up with water, you may get panicked, or you may just need to rest some. If that is the case just get you head out of the water and do some breaststroke or backstroke. I found that a quick roll over to your back in order to fix your goggles or some other problem you may have is the quickest and most effective way of fixing a problem mid-race. It is good to practice this in the pool as well, instead of stopping on the edge really fast to fix a problem, try and practice doing while on your back doing a flutter kick. Then roll back over on your side when you are ready to go again.

What to do When Cramping, Panic or Fatigue Happens
Cramps, fatigue and panic do happen sometimes when swimming out in the open water. Since most races you can not reach the bottom normally stop mid race is not a option as you have no place to do so. Most races will allow you to either stop in a shallow spot on the side and/or they will allow you to hold onto one of the lifeguards floatation devices as long as you are not propelled forward. So if fear of finishing is your problem remember while your in there that you have a safety personal that is there to assist you if need be.

My Golden Rule
My number one golden rule when it comes to open water swimming is DO NOT kill yourself the first minute in the water. There is no reason to waste all your energy fighting to get past others if you are not the strongest of swimmers. Take it easy when you get in, it is a race but you don't want to burn yourself out in the first minute then find yourself fight to stay afloat at the very end.

Remember open water swimming is just like pool swimming just without walls as long as you can swim the distance you set out to do you will be fine. Don't get yourself all worked up, take a deep breathe before you get in and swim like you always do, just with a couple extra swimmers.

As I will continue to do, I ask you my fellow triathletes to post comments, ideas, questions, and answers.







Thursday, June 18, 2009

Try 4 Dummies

As the bio says this blog primary geared for newbies to amateurs. Not all of us get paid to workout, so you shouldn't expect to hit the ground running the same way they do. We race to finish, we race to have fun, we race to stay in shape. This blog understands that and is geared towards you weekend warriors. Triathlons are very social places and I would like this blog to be as well. So feel free to leave comments, advice, or just random chit chat. As I would like to have a strong sense of community here.