EverymanTri.com

Zen and the Art of Triathlon podcast: Brett chats with Ironman Champ Jordan Rapp

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:06:56 -0600

Brett interview U.S. Ironman Champion Jordan Rapp.

He talks to us for over an hour about triathlon, including how to go pro, training, nutrition, the physics of bike cadence, and more!

Afterwards, I let loose a secret recording of the pro meeting before the Kemah Olympic Triathlon

Listen in to what the race officials tell the pros before the big day.

Are You An Endurance Athlete With Overtraining or Adrenal Fatigue?

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Sun, 12 May 2013 23:33:49 -0600

Recently, a very "beat up" triathlete showed me the results of his saliva testing for hormones.

They were really low. Even cortisol was low. Cortisol is the stress-release hormone we churn out when exercising and living, and when that drops low, it's a real warning sign that you're so beat up that your adrenal glands simply can't keep up with your extreme endurance lifestyle anymore!

So what did I recommend to this triathlete to "take care of his body" and bounce back from overtraining and adrenal fatigue? 1. Eat a ton of really nutrient dense foods. No caloric depletion or "going hungry" for at least 4 weeks. Some of my favorite nutrient dense foods include:

1. Eggs, with the yolk

2. Sea vegetables

3. Organ meats

4. Bone Broth

5. Shellfish

6. Natto

7. Dark Fruits/Veggies

8. Fermented Foods

9. Turmeric/Curries

10. Coldwater Fish

11. Grass-Fed Beef

2. Get rid of items that tend to aggravate the adrenal glands and make fatigue worse. This includes:

1. Banana, dried figs, raisins, dates, oranges, grapefruit (high potassium fruits)

2. Fruit and juice in the morning

3. Refined flour products such as pasta,white rice, bread, pastry and baked goods.

4. High amounts of fructose from honey, syrups, and soft drinks, as well as dried fruits and concentrated fruit juice.

5. Adrenal stimulants such as coffee,tea,black tea,hot chocolate, alcohol, colas, and chocolates.

6. Heated oils and fats, especially vegetable oils

7. Rushed and hectic meals

3. No fasted workouts or intermittent fasting and going "hungry" during workouts. Instead, eat a big breakfast with lots of proteins and fats and don't try to lose lots of weight during workouts, which can be stressful to your body during a state of overtraining or adrenal fatigue.

4. 2-4 weeks of easy, aerobic workouts only (no hard intervals or "monster training sessions), along with some kind of yoga, meditation, or very relaxing movement each morning.

5. Consider using the following supplements:

1. Chinese adaptogenic herbs

2. High electrolyte intake, preferably with liquid trace minerals and/or Himalayan sea salt

3. High dose vitamin D at 35IU per pound of body weight and huge amounts of morning sun exposure

4. Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day

5. Supplementing vitamin E with mixed tocopherols (i.e. from a good fish oil)

6. Taking B-complex supplements that are high in B6 and pantothenic acid, which tend to be depleted during adrenal fatigue

7. Red ginseng at around 6g/day

8. Adding licorice root extract to dietary supplement regimen. 200-400 mg a day of a licorice extract standardized to contain 5 percent glycyrrhizic acid.

Overtraining and adrenal fatigue can significantly affect your performance, your hormones, and even your libido and fertility (which is a serious issue for lots of endurance athletes!).

If this is something that you're interested in or concerned about, and you (or someone you know) is worried about overtraining or adrenal fatigue, you may also be interested in a free hormones video Q&A that I'll be teaching this Tuesday night at 6:30PST.

To get in on the call, to ask your questions now so I can answer them during the Q&A, or to view the replay after the workshop, just go here: http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/?p=13034

Just arrived: UA Toxic Six Running Shoe

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Sun, 12 May 2013 15:57:31 -0600

The trend of very loud and very lite running shoes continues to wash ashore at EveryManTRI with this latest arrival: The Under Armour Toxic Six Running Shoe.

UA says "Calling this running shoe “minimalist” doesn’t do it justice. The ultra-flexible, anatomical Micro G® midsole helps your foot move naturally. A glove-like upper fits perfectly…like you’re wearing nothin"

We have to agree. The shoes are super comfy and featherweight once you slip them on. We havn't tried running in the new shoes yet, but for quick trip around the block (walking the dog) they indeed feel like you are wearing nothing at all.

Great Britain's Jonathan Brownlee wins again in Yokohama Japan

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:31:20 -0600

Yokohama, Japan - Great Britain's Jonathan Brownlee started his season in a now familiar way in Japan, as he led from almost start to finish in an all-round perfect performance at ITU World Triathlon Yokohama.

Just last month Alistair Brownlee made his 2013 ITU debut in San Diego, and blew away the field there despite not being confident of his run form. In Yokohama it was a similar story, except Jonathan had the added complication that his layoff was because of an ankle injury. That made his performance even more impressive, as he showed no signs of weakness on the run, burning off Spain's Javier Gomez and Portugal's Joao Silva over 10km to record his fifth career series win in a time of 1 hour 44 minutes and 59 seconds.

Brownlee was emotional afterwards as he revealed that he thought his entire season would have to be ruled out because of that injury.

"At the start of the year I was told I wouldn't be racing at all this season, so I got a bit emotional towards the end because this year I thought I wouldn't be here at all," he said. "I thought the season was over two months ago." If one thing is becoming clear through the opening rounds of the ITU World Triathlon Series in 2013, it is that the men's swim has been taken to a new level. Hot on the heels of a low 16 minute swim in San Diego, the field was again strung out behind the leaders out of the water in what became the decisive leg of the race.

From the first transition Brownlee, Gomez and Silva positioned themselves safely in a small but powerful lead group of eight and then went to work on the bike, casting aside the slippery conditions to further extend their lead on the chasers.

Meanwhile amongst those to miss the break were Richard Murray (RSA), as he along with most of the field could only watch his podium chances disappear up the road. An early casualty on the bike leg was last year's Yokohama bronze medallist Dmitry Polyanskiy (RUS), the Russian not taking a corner in the tricky conditions and ending up on the pavement and out of the race.

At the front of the race, Ivan Vasiliev, Brownlee and Gomez just kept getting faster and put an average 10 seconds into the closest chase in each lap. It meant that the lead group of eight, that included Marco Van der Stel, Henri Schoeman, Andrew McCartney and Benjamin Shaw, entered T2 one minute and 30 seconds ahead of the next bunch.

Once on to the run an eight man production quickly became a two man show, the only question was who was the leading actor in this show as Brownlee and Gomez bid farewell to the rest of the competitors.

The answer most emphatically was Brownlee as the young Brit simply powered away on the second lap of four on the run. It was his fifth WTS series win, which means he is now equal second in the overall WTS winners list with Gomez. The Spainard held on for silver, followed by Silva whose third consecutive bronze medal was enough for him to hold onto the top spot in the series rankings. Murray ended-up with the second fastest run split of the day to finish fifth, just overtaking fellow South African Henri Schoeman who recorded his best WTS result.

The 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series continues in Madrid, on June 1 and 2.

Click here for full review
Click here for the full rankings

ITU World Triathlon Yokohama - 11 May 2013
Final Results - Elite Men - 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run

1.    Jonathan Brownlee     GBR        01:44:59
2.    Javier Gomez     ESP        01:45:23
3.    Joao Silva     POR        01:46:16
4.    Ivan Vasiliev     RUS        01:46:25
5.    Richard Murray     RSA        01:47:23
6.    Henri Schoeman     RSA        01:47:26
7.    Andrew Mccartney     CAN        01:47:31
8.    Adam Bowden     GBR        01:47:43
9.    David Mcnamee     GBR        01:47:56
10.    Ryan Bailie

Gwen Jorgensen wins ITU World Triathlon Series in Yokohama

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:24:56 -0600

Yokohama, Japan - If San Diego hinted at it, Yokohama has well and truly confirmed the USA's Gwen Jorgensen as the leading contender in 2013, as she took back to back ITU World Triathlon Series titles and the overall series lead in Japan on Saturday.

Conditions played a huge part with constant rain and cooler temperatures making for a treacherous race at times, with numerous crashes on the bike. But it was Jorgensen who reigned supreme, first running down Emma Moffatt (AUS) and Jodie Stimpson (GBR) and then simply flying off into the distance to win by 14 seconds in a time of 1 hour 57 minutes and 5 seconds.

Jorgensen initially stayed back after the first lap of the run, but pulled out another negative split 10km to pull back in the difference in the final lap and said it played out to her race plan.

"I wouldn't say it was a repeat of San Diego, there were different conditions out there today, a choppy swim and the rain on the bike, but it was an exciting race for sure," Jorgensen said. "I just started the run and to be honest I was a little worried those girls really took it out fast and I just tried to focus on my race. I just tried to maintain pace the whole way." In overcast conditions with light rain at the start, Mariko Adachi (JPN) led out the swim, taking Moffatt (AUS) with her as they established a lead of 10 seconds out of the water. Moffatt immediately pushed the pace on the bike, dropping Adachi as Stimpson (GBR) closed quickly, aware of the danger Moffatt would pose should she break away solo.

That urgency soon dissipated however as the chase group caught and formed one group of 13 athletes, with all the favourites in attendance including Jorgensen (USA), Moffatt, Stimpson, Kate McIlroy (NZL), Maaike Caelers (NED) and former junior ITU world champion Kirsten Sweetland (CAN), who was racing her first WTS event in two years.

Caelers, who won bronze in Yokohama in 2012, didn't have a great start to the bike as she took a tumble early on but the brave Dutchwoman quickly remounted though and joined the chase, 30 seconds down on the lead group.

Aside from that crash, not many other major moves happened across the next 25 km with the leaders keeping a gap of between 45 and 55 seconds from a chase group of seven being led by Great Britain's Katie Hewison. But it all quickly changed in the final two laps, just as the chase managed to cut that to about 30 seconds, the rain started to pour and another crash splintered that pack, putting Caelers, Natalie Van Coevorden and Ai Ueda off the back.

But Hewison kept pushing the pace and on the second last lap of the bike leg, bridged to the lead group bringing a few others, including Caelers and Charlotte McShane, with her. It meant that T2 suddenly became busy, with 18 athletes hitting it together.

From there, Stimpson and Vendula Frintova went to the front and were quickly joined by Moffatt. While Frintova dropped, Stimpson and Moffatt kept pushing and for most of the run it looked the podium would be between them. However behind them Jorgensen, Ashleigh Gentle and Caelers started to move through the field.

Halfway through the run it then looked like it was San Diego on repeat, as Jorgensen closed the deficit to six seconds with 5km to run and within another 400m she joined the leaders and then went past them.

The win puts Jorgensen on top of the 2012 ITU World Triathlon series rankings, with three races now completed in the season.

ITU World Triathlon Yokohama - 11 May 2013
Final Results - Elite Women - 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run

1.    Gwen Jorgensen     USA        01:57:05
2.    Emma Moffatt     AUS        01:57:19
3.    Jodie Stimpson     GBR        01:57:20
4.    Ashleigh Gentle     AUS        01:57:52
5.    Maaike Caelers     NED        01:58:29
6.    Vendula Frintova     CZE        01:58:45
7.    Kate Roberts     RSA        01:58:51
8.    Aileen Reid     IRL        01:58:59
9.    Kate Mcilroy     NZL        01:59:07
10.    Charlotte Mcshane     AUS        01:59:23

Photo Credit: Paul Phillips/Competitive Image

Bulu Box vitamin and supplement subscription sample box review

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Sun, 05 May 2013 05:48:39 -0600

Have you ever picked up your race packet and goodie bag and gone through all of those samples? Stash the butt’r, bullfrog and icy-hot sample for later and maybe check out the rest after the race. It’s almost like Christmas for the triathlete. You never know what you will get and sometimes you get a lump of coal, diamond in the rough or nothing at all (with today’s virtual race bags).

If you find yourself jilted by not getting any samples or goodie bag, or wanting more, then there’s an option for you.

Bulu Box (www.BuluBox.com) contacted us here at EMT labs (Kansas City division) to review their novel concept of vitamin and supplement subscription sample box. Basically for $10 per month, you get a sample box shipped to your front door to try out the latest and greatest on the market. When you receive your sample, for the most part the amount of product per shipment exceeds the value of the $10 you paid to get the sample box. Consumers shouldn’t have to worry that they are getting shorted for their money.

When the review sample was peeled open, staring back was a litany of energy supplements in the form of capsules and FRS energy chews, advertisements for deodorants and more. It was reassuring to see items like FRS that is a common player in the energy/nutrition industry for triathlons. We have used them before as a reliable source of supplements.

There might be a little trepidation when it comes to the energy capsules, which seemed to make up a large portion of this shipment. If you come from the stance that the less chemicals you put in your body, the better, these supplements might not be for you. That’s not to say the next shipment may contain more energy or protein bars that may be more appealing. That’s a little of the gamble with Bulu Box.

They do offer exposure to products that most triathletes will never see or experience. You may find that niche company that doesn’t have the horsepower to advertise at a national level, but they can get in with Bulu Box to reach a new customer base. There may be more opportunities to find that little guy amongst the giants that may be just as good, but a little more obscure.

They have 2 options for the Bulu Box. They have the standard Bulu Box that includes a sampling of vitamins and supplements that help in all areas of health. Each box contains 4 to 5 premium samples plus lifestyle extras from time to time. Bulu Box Weight Loss was designed with the specific goal of weight loss in mind. Each box contains 4 to 5 premium weight loss items such as vitamin and supplement samples, fitness gear and healthy eating tools. It’s good to have options, but maybe in the future they could go even further and have the Bulu Box protein bar sampler, recovery powder sampler or energy chews sampler. Maybe a better fit is for consumers to have a little more control over what comes in their monthly sampler box.

For this review, only one sample box was shipped. Unless there’s a sophisticated tracking system, there might be the opportunity for doubling up of samples per month. If you are not interested in a particular sample and get it in another shipment, it might be frustrating to have products you don’t want to use.

In addition to the sample box, they have a entire storefront dedicated to the full size containers or the samples they provide. The theory is that you find a sample you really like, so you order the full size amount through their site. It’s like a try it before you buy it, sample version. They carry some not-so well known brands in addition to items from CLIF Bar, GU and more. It’s not just a wacky supplement site.

Bulu Box is a novel concept. It’s all the fun of samples without the signing up for races. When RD’s are going to virtual race bags to control trash and samples going right into the trash, it’s nice for triathletes to have an option.

The pros and cons of the service almost come to a draw for this reviewer. About one third of the samples in this particular shipment were viable options for what we would use on a daily or race basis. There is a higher risk that a sample shipment may be a bust for the subscriber depending on what they want and expect. But, Bulu Box offers a service that’s pretty rare at the moment and there’s also the opportunity to receive products that people have never heard of and didn’t know existed. There may be that rare gem in a shipment that cures that ache or scratches that itch that no other product would. It’s a bit of a gamble, but we appreciate Bulu Box’s efforts and will monitor their maturation into this market to see how they develop and utilize the potential that sits in front of them.

* Writer’s note - Bulu Box supplied a one-shipment sample box for this review and in no way influenced this review.

Ryan Falkenrath is a married father of two young kids, owner of two dogs and trying to balance life, work and multisport. He writes the blog falkeetriathlon.blogspot.com, Endurance Sports Examiner and runs the Man Vs Triathlon project while participating in multisport events since 2001 from 5k's to Half Ironmans (soon to be Ironman distance in 2013). Contact Ryan at: info@man-versus-triathlon.com or follow him on @TriJayhawkRyan.

Follow on twitter @everymantri or view latest videos onYouTube.

Why I don't ride my bike to work anymore

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:28:01 -0600

I used to commute by bike to work when;

I had a shower in the building I worked in. Now I don't.
I didn't have to deliver children to daycare and pick them up in a timely manor. Now I have kids and daycares are not interested in you being 30 minutes late because of a flat bike tire. Not to mention it might slow you down to ride with the kid carrier to work and back to get the kids home. And, where do you park that gear at work?
I had a reliable work schedule. I now work self-employed and meetings and work can take me anywhere in the Kansas City area. Some routes just are not doable for bike riding and there's not enough hours in the day.

Every ride I have been on, I've had some sort of negative interaction with a motorist. I always ride the curb and try to stay out of the car paths, but inevitably a car driver will honk because the had to slow down on a hill and lose 10 seconds of life, they don't think we should be on the road when there are laws that say you cannot ride your bike on the sidewalk if you exceed a set speed, and overall there's the stigma that a cyclists is just a nuisance.

I didn't have an obligation to go to after work.

I didn't need to take work home.

What sparked these thoughts was an article on Business Insider that speaks about what Americans don't get it when it comes to cycling.

It kind of misses the point when they state, "Workplaces in Copenhagen don't provide showers — and people who live there don't understand why Americans feel they are necessary." The article goes on to explain that personal hygiene is more of an issue in the States, but it's more than showers. More later on why Copenhagen to the US is no comparison.

The workplace is a fierce place and if you have an office job, you are expected to be on time, dressed appropriately, not smell and not have chain grease on your slacks. If you come in disheveled or late from a flat tire or slow bike ride, then you will have plenty of time to cycle while looking for a new job. It feels as if 90% of US employers are more focused on making profits and succeeding instead of contributing to environmental conservation and assisting employees with commuting options. It's a different world and US companies as a majority are not equipped or interested in making cycling to work an option.

Sure, there are hundreds and thousands of "average cyclists" that are not extreme Lance Armstrong wannabes (or whoever took his place after he admitted to doping) that would relish the chance to bike to work every day. But, for those that cannot afford the extra time to commute more than 10 miles (which would take 30 minutes if you averaged 20 mph), it's just not feasible in this day and age of suburban sprawl. We would need to move back into the urban areas to shorten the commutes to gain acceptance on a much larger scale.

I've been pretty lucky as the city I live in tries to incorporate bike lanes on new road projects. But, some of those roads are off by themselves and appear to be more for obtaining federal funding by meeting a minimum number of bike lane-miles. They are not set up in a logical pattern and in no way would they get me from my home to any former places of business without using roads with no bike lanes.

You also have to consider the weather. We range from 20 degrees to over 100 through the year in KC. Copenhagen ranges 28 to 69 degrees. It's easy to bike in the 70's and not be sweaty. Ever bike in the 100's and 80% humidity. Ya, you're not going to be able to wear that shirt at the office after that bike ride.

Commuting to work by bike just is not feasible for a family and in most US cities. The weather is too extreme, there's not enough infrastructure to support safe cycling over long distances (from suburbs to cities) and employers are not ready for sweaty Mr. Lumbergh tracking down rouge TPS reports.

Yes, these are excuses, but they are also realities. It would be a huge undertaking to create a movement to divert millions of dollars of infrastructure funding to create miles and miles of bike lanes just in someplace like Kansas City. Imagine larger markets like New York, LA and more. Governments are not going to do it, and personally I would rather they spend the money on police and firefighters to come get me after I've been hit by a motorist while biking...

Follow on twitter @everymantri or view latest videos onYouTube.

Review: Bag Balm anti-chafing cream keeps you running smoothly

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:23:26 -0600

Who wants bloody nipples and huge blisters on their feet? Everyone has seen that guy (usually a guy) run across the finish line with blood streaming down his shirt from his nipple region. If you have seen him, or been him, then you know that the pain that will ensue for at least the next week is well worth the investment of a product to stop that from happening again.

Ever take a nice warm shower after a half marathon or olympic triathlon only to realize your groin region didn’t get the protection you needed? That raw skin sure feels like a cheese grater is running over it. Stings a little, doesn’t it?

After 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking and 13.1 miles of running or more, most every triathlete can relate to mild blisters or the monster deep blood blisters that take weeks to recover from.

“Hey, Bob, you’re walking kind of funny.”
“Ya, tough triathlon this week gave me some nasty blisters.”
“You know they make stuff to help you avoid those, right?”
“Ya, I know, but I didn’t think of it until after the race when I had to walk my gear and bike back the half mile to my car making the blisters worse.”

Don’t be Bob.

There are plenty of products and salves made specifically for the running and triathlon community. Each product has its own merit and worth, but when Bag Balm (www.bagbalm.com) dropped some product for review, their story catches your attention.

If it will work to soften cow udders, then surely it would work to protect the crotches, nipples and feet of triathletes. Triathletes only abuse their delicate parts for 10 to 15 hours a week and race day every few weeks, whereas cows get their udders abused every day by milking machines. If it works for cows, will it work for people?

The truth is, Bag Balm has found many applicational homes from cow udders, search dog paws, extreme explorers and now athletes. They advertise medicinal properties to not only protect, but help to promote healing of already chafed areas. Bag Balm was put to the test for triathlon training for 3 weeks. Read the review below to help you decide if bag balm is something for you.

It’s awfully cute.
In the store, triathletes will find Bag Balm in a green tin. When shipped for this review, it came in a nice little box and carefully arranged in packing straw inside. It was like opening a stocking stuffer that your mom lovingly wrapped the night before Christmas.

The fact of the matter is that Bag Balm has come in the green tin for over 100 years. They have remained tried and true to the original form and stayed with what has worked for them. It was a little surprising how small the small tins are. Most triathletes that have gone through some severe blisters and chafing cake on the salve. This little container might not provide a long term solution, but Bag Balm does carry different sizes. So if you need a lot or a little, Bag Balm provides solutions.

It’s not the taste, it’s the texture.
When you peel open the tin of Bag Balm, it's reminiscent of carmex in the round container. It smells somewhat similar and appears to be somewhat the same waxy consistency. But, when you dip a finger in for a gob to apply to the sensitive bits, it’s more forgiving than carmex and more pliable.

Bag Balm texture is similar to axle grease. It’s not as runny, but it can be smeared on as much or as little as desired without much effort. Use two fingers for maximum application, or use one for the detailed spots.

When you apply Bag Balm, you will understand why it will stand up to water and sweat. The sticky and greasy nature will adhere to the skin and takes a decent amount of cleaning to remove immediately after application. Washing hands might take more than reciting your ABC’s to provide adequate soaping time. It might take two rounds of hand washing to remove excess from the fingers and hands.

How does it do under pressure?
Bag Balm was smeared in on feet around the arches and toes for test runs, a problem area for this reviewer. It was also added to the groin region liberally to avoid rubbing and chafing for long runs in the cold where paired with friction and sweat, could be a problem area for raw skin post-run.

After speed work, hill work, half marathon racing and 2+ hour runs ranging from indoor treadmills to outside in slightly above freezing weather, Bag Balm does what it says.

It stacked up to the tried and true products used in the past. Toenails remained intact, blisters in problem areas on the bottom of the feet were not an issue and the groin region was successfully protected. Never has a shower been as uneventful after a long run, which is the way it should be.

But what about cleanup?
As mentioned, Bag Balm is rather greasy and sticky. It does take effort to wash off the hands after application, but after working out, it wasn’t as concentrated and therefore wasn’t an issue to shower off as usual. It did not require an inordinate amount of scrubbing, which would negate the benefit of using it during a workout.

After a 2 hour long run or a 1:37 half marathon, this reviewers delicate parts were right as rain.

What’s this going to cost me?

The 1 oz of Bag Balm runs from $4 to $5. You can get the 10 oz monster portion for $9 to $10. That’s a pretty smart investment when it comes to triathletes and their nether regions.

It’s also competitive with the other standard or more well known brands on the market.

Bag Balm might have an advantage in the healing aspect. This reviewer didn’t have any issues before using Bag Balm, so the healing properties are still untested, but they claim to be able help animals and humans alike. After 100 years on the market and still kicking, we can’t imagine that the claim would be false or misleading.

Bag Balm is trying to build more of a following in the people market, and not just the animal market. Don’t pass over them at the pharmacy or supermarket at the skincare aisle. They are a solid alternative to other skin care products for chafing and blistering due to friction. We would even go as far to say they are for the heavy lifters looking for a long term solution for the long haul, perfect for long course triathletes.

Writer’s note - Bag Balm supplied a 1 oz sample of their product for this review and in no way influenced the review.

Follow on twitter @everymantri or view latest videos onYouTube.

Jan Frodeno and Alicia Kaye take the win at St. Anthony’s Triathlon

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:36:47 -0600

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 28, 2013) – Two first-time winners were crowned champions of the 30th Anniversary St. Anthony’s Triathlon on Sunday. Jan Frodeno and Alicia Kaye crossed the finish line on their way to topping one of the largest and best pro fields in the race’s history.

Frodeno, 32, is no stranger to winning, having come in sixth place in the 2012 London Olympics and winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “I was nervous about coming here, especially when it came to the run because that’s not my strong card,” Frodeno of Germany said. “The other guys kept the pressure on.”

Keeping Frodeno on his toes was Ivan Vasiliev of Russia, who came in second place, and Hunter Kemper of Colorado Springs, Colo., who placed third.

Kaye, 30, said that she felt strong throughout the day, but the women also kept the pressure on and she never had a huge lead. “The gap did not change much throughout the race,” Kaye of Clermont, Fla., said. “I can’t describe how it feels; it’s so emotional to win this race.”

Following Kaye were Nicky Samuels of New Zealand in second and Emma Moffatt of Australia in third, who was running her first St. Anthony’s Triathlon and her first 5150.

Also participating in his first Olympic-distance triathlon was former Pittsburgh Steelers player and spring 2011 Dancing With The Stars champion Hines Ward.
With the race being less than two weeks after the bombings in Boston, those events were not far from the athletes mind.

“We’re all part of an endurance family,” said Kemper. “Events like Boston shouldn’t stop anyone from going out and living their dream. We’re here today as a celebration of sport and lifestyle.” Kaye raced with the words, “Boston Strong” marked on her leg in honor of her mother-in-law who has completed 25 Boston Marathons.

A windy morning resulted in the swim course being altered for amateur athletes to ensure the safety of swimmers.

“I thought the water would be a lot calmer,” said Samuels, one of the pros who swam the full course. “I got a little confused out there, but I loved it because I love waves.”

The professional field with more than 90 athletes featured Olympians and World Champions representing a variety of distances from the sport including Ironman and 70.3 racing, to the non-drafting Olympics distance and the ITU.

The first event of the 2013 global 5150 Triathlon Series, St. Anthony’s is an international-distance race (1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run) offering athletes coveted points toward 5150 U.S. Championship qualification. It is the largest international distance triathlon series in the world and the first non-drafting international race series of its kind, offering a competitive platform for professional and age-group athletes.

Known for its scenic course along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, St. Anthony’s
Triathlon attracts hosted a field of approximately 3,500 individuals and 125 relay teams from 44 states and 23 countries. The race weekend includes an extensive event expo and the Meek & Mighty Triathlon, a shorter-distance race for youth ages 7-14 and novice adults. Athletes compete for the professional prize purse in addition to $10,000 in prizes for the top male and female competitors in the Elite Amateur division.   Look for news about St. Anthony’s Triathlon at www.SATriathlon.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/StAnthonysTriathlon.

Photo of the day: We Love Sexy Tri Geeks

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:24:10 -0600

Yes indeed we love tri geeks.

Especially those who take part in the annual Kona Ironman Underpants run.

Every year we do our bit to bring you this fun and sexy run from the big Island that highlights the buff bodies of the world's fastest Iron distance triathletes.

And of course 2012 was no exception.

In case you missed it...you can check out a video of the 2012 Underpants run below.

How to Run like an Olympian: Top 10 excercises to make you Run Faster (Part 7)

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:29:09 -0600

In this part 7 video we show you how to run like an Olympian by teaching how to do well Belly Button Touch. Joanna Zeiger is a former professional triathlete, Olympian and Ironman 70.3 World Champion.

In other words, she's not only crazy fast but she's spent countless hours training and running.

In this seventh video JZ along with her training partner Brandon discuss and demonstrate the Top five exercises for runners and triathletes who want to run faster like an Olympian.

Check it out below.

Nutrition and recovery are important keys to triathlon training and racing

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:43:25 -0600

Sure you have may have heard of the three sports that make up a triathlon; swim, bike and run. But, did you know there are more to it than those 3? They may not be as apparent on race day, but if you ignore them, they can come back to bite you in the butt on race day.

There are many other aspects to a triathlon than the swim, bike and run, but for the sake of this post, we’re going to focus on the two additional most important disciplines of triathlon; nutrition and recovery.

Nutrition is nothing new. Any triathlete that’s be “in country” for a while knows that once you get past the sprint distance, nutrition is a key role between a good day and a DNF. After racing long course endurance events for a length of time, one comes to slowly realize the importance of nutrition during a race and how to apply those lessons.

Your breakfast the day of a race will only go so far for your energy stores, and after your pushing the pace for more than 90 minutes, the carbs that can be easily converted for immediate energy use are severely depleted and without taking in replacements, you’re toast. From an article on PowerBar.com that speaks of training at low levels of glycogen and race at high levels;

“Push the pace, and your reliance on carbs increases. The problem is that while fat stores are available in abundance — you’ve got an estimated 80,000 calories worth on board — your carbohydrate reserves weigh in at a paltry 2,000 calories when you total what’s available from glucose in the bloodstream and glycogen in the muscles and liver. So a single, long exercise session can severely deplete your very limited carbohydrate fuel reserves.

Hence the importance of starting exercise with adequate glycogen stores, taking in carbs during long-duration exercise (more than 60–90 minutes), and replenishing stores in between or after training sessions. Athletes who have “hit the wall” — or “bonked” — know firsthand the price to be paid for running low on muscle glycogen. When this occurs, you are forced to rely on your meager supply of glucose circulating in the bloodstream. Liver glycogen stores can be tapped to resupply blood glucose for a short while, but when that energy reserve runs dry, blood sugar drops — and that’s when you slam into that wall of pain. Your pace slows dramatically, because you’ve switched from relying on fast-burning carbs for muscle power, to much slower-burning fat. Fat simply can’t be metabolized fast enough to support your pace, so you slow down or even stop.”

Ignore nutrition during training and racing, and you’re asking for a world of hurt.

The other discipline that deserves it’s due attention, but not as well known is recovery. Without proper recover your body will break down over time under the duress of training, racing and everyday life. If you do not take the time to properly recover, injuries, fatigue and weakened immune systems will plague your racing and life in general.

There are two prongs to the recovery fork. Athletes need to recover with nutrition AND physical rest for the body.

The Scottish Institute of of Sports published THIS article on recovery nutrition and hydration. “When there is less than eight hours between workouts or events that deplete glycogen stores (stores may be depleted when exercising for 90 minutes or more of high intensity work), the athlete should maximise effective recovery time by consuming a high carbohydrate (CHO) meal or snack within 30 minutes of completing each session.” Not only are you consuming nutrition before and during, you need to continue after workouts and races to allow your body to repair itself.

Don’t also neglect straight fluids. “It is important to note that athletes that are dehydrated will be compromised in their ability to refuel. This should be taken into consideration when planning a recovery strategy to ensure rehydration requirements are also addressed.”

About.com sports an article about physical recovery with rest. “Rest days are critical to sports performance for a variety of reasons. Some are physiological and some are psychological. Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen. For recreational athletes, building in rest days can help maintain a better balance between home, work and fitness goals.”

Whether you are going with active or long-term recovery plan of low intensity workouts and/or planned off days with the appropriate amount of sleep, triathletes that are actively training and racing need rest. If you have been caught up in working out and guilty of not taking much time off, you might find yourself tired, fatigued, often sick and more prone to injuries.

So while you’re planning your swim, bike and run workouts and race schedule, make sure to spend an equitable amount of time looking at nutrition and recovery. You can be the most disciplined triathlete in swim, bike and run, but you may not be reaching your potential on race days or in everyday life due to poor nutrition and recovery.

Build your plan with nutrition and recovery in mind as their own sports. Nutrition needs to be as primary as remembering your swim jammers and bike shoes for workouts. You may be caught up in looking at hours and miles in your training log, but are you building in recovery time as well? Training for 30 hours a week won’t mean much if you’re hurt or sick all of the time.

Follow on twitter @everymantri or view latest videos onYouTube.

Saucony helps Boston Bombing victims with new Lace Medallion

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:22:49 -0600

LEXINGTON, MA (April 23, 2013) − In an effort to inspire runners to honor and support the people most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on April 15, Saucony has created the #BostonStrong Lace Medallion to be offered as a fundraiser for The One Fund Boston. The two-sided medallion features the viral hashtag and unity motto #BostonStrong on one side and a custom-designed, laced-up heart icon on the other.

Runners can obtain the #BostonStrong Lace Medallion for five dollars per pair. For every pair of medallions purchased, Saucony will donate 100% of sales to The One Fund Boston, established by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Consumers can pre-order the #BostonStrong Lace Medallions at saucony.com beginning Wednesday, April 24th. Medallions will be available to ship within three to four weeks.

Consumers are also encouraged to go to onefundboston.org to make a direct donation.

Olympic champ Alistair Brownlee wins Omegawave World Triathlon in San Diego

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:31:19 -0600

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- London 2012 Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain closed with a remarkable 10-kilometer run split to cruise to the elite men's victory at Saturday's Omegawave World Triathlon San Diego at Mission Beach.

After exiting the water second - behind American Tommy Zaferes (Santa Cruz, Calif.) - and pushing the pace for much of the bike, Brownlee took charge of the race on the first lap of the run. The two-time ITU world champion secured the win thanks to a 29 minute, 30 second run split to finish with at time of 1:47:16 on the 1,500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run course.

"I didn't really know what to expect. It was kind of weird; I was standing on the start line thinking it's just good to be back, you know, the nerves of just standing on the start line, that's what I do. That felt pretty good." said Brownless after the race.

Matt Chrabot (Virginia Beach, Va.) finished as the top American and 14th overall to claim his second career USA Triathlon Elite National Championships title - and first since 2009 - with a 14th-place finish in 1:49:23.

"The main thing I wanted to focus on was keeping my nose clean. I'm in good shape but I'm not in great shape, so I couldn't be the animal that I normally am on the bike," said Chrabot.

"Halfway through the run I really noticed the spectators were chanting USA, USA, so I just kind of used that to fuel me through the rest of the race to the finish line. It's my second national title and it feels good," Chrabot added.

Omegawave World Triathlon San Diego
(1,500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run)
1. Alistair Brownlee (GBR), 1:47:16
2. Richard Murray (RSA), 1:47:38
3. Joao Silva (POR), 1:47:52
4. Steffen Justus (GER), 1:48:14
5. Mario Mola (ESP), 1:48:18
6. Adam Bowden (GBR), 1:48:22
7. Dmitry Polyanskiy (RUS), 1:48:28
8. Javier Gomez (ESP), 1:48:38
9. Sven Riederer (SUI), 1:48:47
10. David Mcnamee (GBR), 1:48:54

Julie Moss amoung three other inducted into the Triathlon Hall of Fame

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:30:52 -0600

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Three outstanding multisport athletes who helped define the landscape of triathlon as it is known today were formally inducted into the fifth class of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Thursday at the Bahia Resort Hotel.

Nearly 200 friends, family members and multisport dignitaries gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of age-grouper Missy LeStrange, paratriathlon pioneer Jim MacLaren and the iconic Julie Moss, all of whom have made their mark on the still-growing triathlon community.

"Being the fifth year of our Hall of Fame, what makes it even more magical is the fact that we have so many of the previous inductees in the room, and so much energy and passion for the sport," said Chuck Graziano, chair of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Committee. "It was an amazing night and an amazing experience, and I congratulate those inductees who were here tonight receiving their awards."

The night began with opening remarks from special guest and London Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee, who took the opportunity to look back on his own triathlon career. Brownlee still remembers his introduction to the sport when he was just 8 years old, remarking that Moss' crawl to the finish at the 1982 Ironman also made an impact.

"The girl who always just showed up and got by was being transformed," said Moss of the final 400 meters of her memorable Ironman finish. "I was being transformed into someone who felt like I deserved to be thinking of myself as someone who was good at something."

Moss was introduced by sports broadcaster Jim Lampley, who worked for ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and exuded emotion as he recalled how the event made a lasting impression. "People in edit rooms were blown away," Lampley said. "We knew we had to get it on the air in exactly the right way."

LeStrange, who was honored for her phenomenal success as an age-group athlete, joked that she went to Kona for the Ironman for a vacation. In her career, she competed in 24 Ironman events, winning 14. "Winning was never everything," LeStrange told the audience. "It was always the goal to go out there, do the best you can and always cross the finish line smiling."

Though she may be best known for her Ironman wins, LeStrange shared her experiences from her time served on the USA Triathlon Age-Group Commission and national and world championships. The camaraderie of Team USA is fantastic and this is just about as close I can get to the Olympics and feeling like the Olympics," she said.

Bob Babbitt, inducted into the Hall of Fame last year in San Diego, remembered Jim MacLaren as a man who set out to change perceptions. For MacLaren, "it wasn't about being accepted," Babbitt said. "It was about showing that someone with a prosthetic could do anything."

MacLaren's left leg was amputated below the knee following a 1985 accident, and through his rehabilitation he discovered triathlon and a welcoming community. He finished the 1989 Ironman Hawaii in 10 hours, 42 minutes - a record that stood for 11 years, before a second accident left MacLaren a quadriplegic. He passed away in 2010.

"I would sit in the audience and watch people listen to Jim," said MacLaren's brother John, who accepted the award on his behalf. "I would watch people listen to him tell a story, and they would start to change. People would start to get connected. They would connect to Jim first, and then they'd connect to themselves. It was so impressive to me."

The USA Triathlon Hall of Fame was founded in 2008, and this year's class brings the total number of inductees to 22. Visit usatriathlon.org for more information on the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.

Photo Credit: Missy LeStrange, John MacLaren and Julie Moss. (Paul Phillips/Competitive Image)

Massimo Cigana & Radka Vodickova win inaugural Laguna Lăng Cô – Vietnam Airlines Triathlon

romanmica@gmail.com (Roman Mica) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:34:10 -0600

Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam, 14 April 2013 – Italian Massimo Cigana and Radka Vodickova of the Czech Republic added to their Asian triathlon credentials by becomiinaugural Laguna Lăng Cô – Vietnam Airlines Triathlonng the first male and female Champions at the inaugural Laguna Lăng Cô – Vietnam Airlines Triathlon 2013, each recording sub-three hour race finishes at the new Laguna Lăng Cô integrated resort in central Vietnam.

The pair – both three-time Champions of sister event Laguna Phuket Triathlon – made their experience count against an elite pro field that included two-time Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack of Australia and fellow Australian Ironman veteran Belinda Granger.

Both had to battle hard against the field and also against weather conditions, with the opening 1.8km swim leg proving a challenge in a heavy sea before the 62km bike and 12km run.

Cigano finished with a swim of 00:16:39; a bike of 01:22:49 and run of 00:47:00, for an overall time of 2:28:29. McCormack, was out of the swim nearly two minutes ahead of Cigana but was then overtaken by the Italian bike specialist and pushed further back on the run to finish in second place 11 minutes behind Cigana in an overall time of 02:39:46. His fellow Australian Justin Granger was third in 02:49:49.

In the women’s field, Czech Olympian Vodickova and Granger were neck and neck on the swim and bike courses with Vodickova holding a lead of just 24 seconds as she began the run, a lead she stretched to more than three minutes at the finish line. She won with a swim of 00:16:04; bike of 01:42:10 and run of 00:51:38 for an overall time of 02:52:14. Granger, wife of men’s third-placed Justin Granger, finished six minutes behind her husband in 02:55:30. Phuket-based age grouper Sarah Wheeler of the UK had a magnificent race to finish third woman in 03:16:30 and also win her 35-39 age group.

The inaugural Laguna Lăng Cô – Vietnam Airlines Trithlon saw more than 200 athletes from 28 countries contesting the course in a race which is the sister event of the legendary Laguna Phuket Triathlon, now in its 20th year.