Look no further.

Runner's World Magazine put 27 running shoes to the test and video taped the results.

If are curious as to what shoe to buy this year, you may want to check out the recommendations and videos that the magazine offers on their web site.

Click HERE to see the Runner's World wear-tests and reviews the latest shoes to help you find the perfect pair.

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LEXINGTON, MA (February 8, 2010) – At a ceremony held this morning at its brand headquarters, Saucony, Inc. signed 2008 U.S. Olympian and two-time World Championships gold medalist Wallace Spearmon, Jr. to a multi-year endorsement contract. One of the world’s fastest sprinters, Spearmon, Jr. is the winner of three consecutive World Outdoor Championships 200-meter medals (2005, 2007, 2009).

“I’m very excited about competing for the Saucony brand,” said Spearmon, Jr. “The team at Saucony feels like a family, and I know that I’ll enjoy working and racing for them and being a part of that family. What’s really inspiring to me is the brand’s emphasis on performance and innovation, evident in their spikes and their AMP PRO2 training and recovery apparel. We’re a great fit and I’m looking forward to a long and lasting partnership, accomplishing great things together─both on and off the track.”

“At Saucony, our athletes inspire us, make us better,” said Richie Woodworth, president of Saucony. “We’re a competitive company and we want to win. Our partnership with Wallace will help us push innovation and performance higher and faster. He is an incredibly gifted runner and a tremendous individual. His desire to team up with the Saucony Run For Goodsm Foundation to enable more kids to enjoy the benefits of track and field is inspiring to the whole Saucony team."

At today’s event, Spearmon, Jr. presented a Saucony Run For Goodsm Foundation grant in his name to Boston-based Youth Enrichment Services (YES) to support a year-round, inter-neighborhood track and field program that will reach out to more than 1,500 inner-city youth participants. Bryan Van Dorpe, executive director of YES and the program’s track and field coordinator, accepted the “Wallace Spearmon, Jr. Run For Good Foundation” grant of $10,000. Over the length of the contract, the Saucony Run For Good Foundation will continue to award future annual grants in Spearmon, Jr.’s name to nonprofit organizations that support opportunities for at-risk youth to benefit from participating in track and field programs.

“As we begin the long buildup to London in 2012, we’re thrilled to have an athlete with Wallace’s significant history of success and global visibility join our team,” said Woodworth. “His charisma and style, not withstanding his astonishing speed, will enrich us and inspire and build our legion of Saucony followers as we work with Wallace in creating the fastest shoes on the planet.”

For more information visit Soucony's web site.

Editor's Note: Please note that this story is part of our current series of advice columns from the best triathlon coaches in the sport. You can read more useful advice from long time triathlon experts HERE.

"Coach I want to get one of your programs but I can not do the running. Can I ride more to make up for the lack of running?" That is one of the typical questions I get from athletes with running injuries.

My answer is that you can still run but do it in the deep end of the pool with a running vest on.

Many people like to use the elliptical machines but the problem as I see with those is that you do not do much work on the leg recovery. It is almost like a bike workout.

Also many of these have no stride length adjustment and I am just not sold on them. But guess what my wife wants for Christmas. You guess it. She wants an elliptical machine. Go figure.

She was very nice and she showed me how to do it. It was very hard to do. We did not use a vest back then. There were no vests readily available for purchase as there are today. So that is how I learned. I learned without a vest. Needless to say goggles were not optional. I was sinking a lot. The workout was hard. Try it sometime.

The key to deep water running is to maintain proper running form. Keep an upright body position and your leg and arm motion should be similar to running. Flex your ankles during push off. Many people turn deep water running into lap swimming. It is not how many laps you can do. It is about proper running form. If you maintain proper running form you will then maintain you running fitness while you let your injuries heal. Did I say injuries?

Oh yes. Most people that water run are injured. Why else will they submit themselves to such torture? But seriously; if you can somehow integrate water running into a running program you will be so much better off. It is a way to do more running volume without the pounding.

You can read the rest of coach Vargas' water running advice on his blog HERE.

(Craig Alexander races in Boulder, Colorado    File Photo)

Craig Alexander started his 2010 racing season the same way he ended his 2009 race season...by winning.

The returning champion did it again at the Australian Geelong Ironman 70.3 triathlon by winning the 70.3 Ironman race over Leon Griffin in a time of 3:53:1.

But even as the Ironman World Championship is still 8 months away, Alexander has already stamped his dominance on the 2010 racing season.

Click HERE to watch Alexander win the 2009 Ironman World Championship from Kona Hawaii.

"I'm really happy with that," said Alexander. "That was a solid hit-out, especially considering all the travel. I've done a strong block of training these last five or six weeks."

In the women's race it was Switzerland's Caroline Steffen who took the podium by almost 5 minutes over Carrie Lester.

Last year’s winner Sam Warriner of New Zealand just missed the podium and came in fourth for the day.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald:

"Clayton Fettell set a blistering pace in the men's race after emerging from the 1.9km swim in 21:54, over two minutes clear of the chase group which included Alexander, Paul Ambrose, Michael Murphy and Jan Rehula.

Fettel was five minutes ahead after the 90.1 km bike leg.

Alexander overhauled him 11km into the run and Fettel hung on gamely for fifth place.

Griffin admired Alexander's performance."

"Today was always going to come down to a running race," he said. "Craig showed why he's the world champion, he ran away with ease."

Men's Professional Race

1. Craig Alexander (NSW) 3:53:15
2. Leon Griffin (VIC) 3:54:35
3. Tim Berkel (NSW) 3:56:10
4. Peter Schokman (NSW) 3:56:25
5. Clayton Fettell (NSW) 3:56:39

Women's Professional Race Results

1. Caroline Steffen (SWI) 4:14:32
2. Carrie Lester (QLD) 4:19:32
3. Lisa Marangon (NSW) 4:19:49
4. Samantha Warriner (NZ) 4:23:01
5. Nicole Ward (NSW) 4:30:29

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And on this week's up-coming Biggest Loser episode the cast members get all of the inspiration and training they can handle at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Not only do they get to workout like Olympians, but they get to work out with Olympians.

Two members of the U.S. Olympic ski team help take the Biggest Loser cast members through their workout to help them put up some Olympic numbers at the weekly weigh in.

Check out the top ten fun and easy ways to lose weight HERE.

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Check out the video preview below.

With the 2009 triathlon season over and the 2010 triathlon season quickly approaching, joining a triathlon club is one of the best things you can do for camaraderie, triathlon training motivation, new friends in your sport, and help with organizing and planning your workout days and training season.

But unfortunately, some clubs can be a bit stagnant, and may not provide you with exactly what you need. The last thing you want is to be paying membership dues so that you maybe get a jersey with a club name on it, but not much else! So here are my 5 crucial elements that I recommend you look for in a triathlon club.

1. Social Events: Triathlon training is certainly important, and organized swims, bikes, runs and cross-training events are important, but it's also nice to be able to get out and loosen you triathlon training tie with other triathlon club members. Look for social events like bowling nights, skating parties, field trips and other extracurricular activities that take your mind off the grind of training but still allow you to spend quality time with other triathletes.

2. Forum: It is very useful for a triathlon club to have an online forum to interact with other members of the club, to ask questions, to list gear for sale or trade, to post training sessions, or to talk about races and race results. The alternative is a messy e-mail inbox as letters fly back and forth about where the swim is on Thursday night or when the next club meeting might be. Assuming the triathlon club has a website, a forum is a must.

3. Meetings: Another crucial feature of a triathlon club is some form of a structured get-together during which members of a triathlon club can meet and greet, learn about upcoming events, review past events, socialize and maybe even have a guest triathlon expert presentation. Without regularly scheduled meetings (i.e. the second Tuesday of every month), it's easy for a triathlon club to just become another ignored detail in your life.

4. Gear: Your triathlon club definitely needs to be branded. With options to put a logo on everything from cycling jerseys to hats to towels to hoodies to bumper stickers to racing equipment, there's no excuse not to have a way for triathlon club members to wear a brand with pride! This is also a great way to recognize other fellow triathlon club competitors at the races.

5. Clinics: It is important for you to be able to learn about the sport of triathlon outside of the regular triathlon club meetings. Your club should be able to organize tire-changing clinics at a local bike shop, swim clinics at a club member's pool, or run clinics at the track. Continuing education is another good way to socialize and interact with fellow club members while also enhancing your triathlon abilities.

There are a variety of websites such as TriMapper that will allow you to search for local triathlon clubs in your area. Be sure to look for these 5 crucial elements in your search for a triathlon club and you'll be sure to wind up a part of a successful organization!

Ben Greenfield is the Renaissance man of the sport of triathlon.

He's a fast triathlete, a coach, a personal trainer, and much more more.

We recommend that you surf on over to
www.bengreenfieldfitness.com, for more great training advice.

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Say it with me: "Team Radio Shack Trek Speed Concept Time Trial Bike"

Boy, that's a mouth full but here it is. The TT bike that Lance Armstrong will be riding this year.

Is it fast? Time will certainly tell, but for now it looks like a bike that any triathlete would love to take for a spin.

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If you have ever wondered what it would be like to take part in the annual and grueling and crazy hard  3000-mile Race Across America (RAAM) this new video trailer for the movie Bicycle Dreams is good indication.

After watching it you have to wonder why somebody would put themselves through such an extreme bike race in such a short amount of time.

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You've probably heard at least a few of the well documented Chuck Norris facts like:

and

- Contrary to popular belief, the Titanic didn't hit an iceberg. The ship was off course and accidentally ran into Chuck Norris while he was doing the backstroke across the Atlantic.

 and

- Chuck Norris began selling the Total Gym as an ill-fated attempt to make his day-to-day opponents less laughably pathetic.

So we couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Chuck Norris races/raced a triathlon.

If and when he does we bet that:

- When Chuck Norris competes in a triathlon he runs the whole way, even on the water.

and

- When Chuck Norris finishes an Ironman, they don’t say, “Chuck Norris, you are an Ironman”. They say, “Chuck Norris, you are Chuck Norris”.

Those are just two Chuck Norris Triathlon facts to get you started.

We've got a small goodie box (similar to this one) of fine Clif Bar products to send to the person who comes up with the best Chuck Norris triathlon fact this month.

All you have to do is use the comments section below with your best Chuck Norris triathlon fact and we'll do the rest.

Once we have at least ten good ones, we'll take the best Chuck Norris Triathlon facts and build a poll.

You'll be able vote for the best Chuck Norris Triathlon fact, and the person who came up with that fact will get the Clif Bar goodie box.

So let the fun begin....below.

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“Hey Jamie, remember the Phonak pro cycling team?”

“Yeah! Floyd Landis is the man! What a BAMF!”

“Agreed. Well Phonak primarily makes hearing aids, but they have some pretty sick earphones. Wanna test ‘em out?”

“Heck yes I do!”

Unlike last winter when I was still teaching spinning classes a few times per week, I’ve been spending a TON more time listening to music by myself on the bike trainer (and even more once I really ramp up my running) so I thought this would be the perfect piece of new gear to review.

Soon I got a nice surprise in the mail and started putting ‘em through the SwimBikeRun product testing gauntlet.

Introducing the Phonak PFEs.

PFE stands for “perfect fit earphones.”

For such tiny little earphones, they sure promised a lot (a perfect fit and and incredible sound quality – without the distraction of ambient noise) so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  After poking around and finding some pretty impressive reviews, including this one from CNet, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I tried to stay as unbiased as I could and give ‘em a fair shake.

Giving ‘em a good sweat test on the trainer.

FIT/COMFORT TESTING:

Pretty tiny, right? The wires are held back behind your ears by these thin silicone ear guides (little plasticy tubes which can be easily taken off if you want). They are really light and comfortable, but most importantly of all, with the ear guides you don’t have to worry about the earphones jumping out of your ears while you are running. 

Most people use the standard iPod earbuds that came with it, but if you listen to music at all with your iPod while working out, I’m sure you can associate with my frustrations.

I’ve tried everything from wrapping the earbud wires around the sides of my sunglasses to tucking the wires into the sides of my hat to help hold them in my ears. But that doesn’t change the fact that the inside of my ears are not round little circles, but iPod earbuds are. It is no wonder they are such a pain to keep in place. Any mild jostling is going to shake them out.

The PFEs came with a three different sizes of silicone ear tips (small, medium large) and one set of Comply foam tips to help you get the right fit for your ear shape. The foam tips are by far my favorite. Think of the same type of material as earplugs. You smoosh ‘em down, place ‘em in your ears, and they expand, fill in the gaps, block out noise and give AWESOME sound quality. Plus, they basically hold themselves in place from INSIDE your ear. I am loving that. Sure, something expanding inside of your ear does sound pretty uncomfortable, but trust me on this one.

It was pretty hard to hear anything else with these on. I loved that for the sound quality, but for that reason I doubt I’d ever use these while riding my bike outside or in the car. If I’m on the bike and being overtaken by a car, I want to be able to hear it and give them plenty of room before it is right on my wheel, but everyone has different comfort levels with riding.

Okay. Fit and comfort gets an A, but let’s talk about actual sound quality.

AUDIO QUALITY TESTING:

Just by looking at their size, I wasn’t expecting huge sound quality from these little buggers, but I was pleasantly surprised. Songs that I had listened to thousands of times in my car, computer stereo and iPod earbuds (note: none of which are all that fancy, except my Harman Kardon computer speakers) sounded clearer than ever there were even all these background notes and sounds that I had never even noticed before. Some parts sounded like a brand new song, it was pretty crazy.

The one and only part where these earphones fall flat a little is the bass, and unfortunately this failing is pretty obvious. Highs and mids sound amazing, but on hardcore spin fest intervals where I was trying to tear my legs off and blast some beats to keep me pushing hard, the music couldn’t keep up.

Now, it wasn’t awful, and I may not have even noticed if everything else didn’t sound so great, but even at low volume the lack of bass thumb-ability was pretty obvious, even when listening to acoustic stuff. It wasn’t only noticeable when listening to techno or rap either, but for such tiny earphones this is forgivable given how clear everything else sounds.

Sound quality: B+

SIDE NOTES:

The version I tested also has a microphone built in to the wire that is compatible with the iPhone. It was great for taking calls while on the trainer and not having to get up, pause my workout and hope that it is actually someone important. I haven’t tested the microphone quality as much yet, but was pretty impressed with how much it picked up and I didn’t feel like I had to talk awkwardly loud just to be heard over the background noise from my bike trainer. Plus, the microphone button works to pause the music so you don’t have to worry about your sweaty hands all over your iPhone. Happy camper.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

All together, I was pretty impressed with the Phonak PFEs. They definitely have a reason why they are named “perfect fit earphones.” If you spend a good portion of your training time listening to music, these would be a good choice of upgrades from just about anything else that you are plugging in to your MP3 player and sticking in the side of your head.

They aren’t super cheap at $139 for the regular model and $159 with the microphone, but the quality definitely justifies the price. Plus, let’s be honest. I’m sure you have spent a lot more money on more frivolous training gear that barely got any use. Lets just say that after reviewing these over the last two weeks, I’m not sure if I’m ever going to use those junky standard round earbuds from Apple anymore.

If you want to check ‘em out and get your own pair, start here: http://www.audeoworld.com

Disclosure: These earphones were provided to me by Phonak to review. Phonak had no part in contributing to the content of this review.

Editor's Note: Jamie's life has been all about the SwimBikeRun. He is an age group triathlete, embracing both joy and pain and balancing life, sport and fun.

Jamie is a Bostonian, outdoor adventurer, bike commuting advocate and microbrew scientist.

When not reviewing the newest and great gear you can find him at his blog: Swim Bike Run Live HERE.

You probably already guessed this but just to set the record straight...the more you exercise the better your health...the recent research shows.

Paul Williams, A scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has a catalog of more than 100,000 runners and he's come to the conclusion that the while a running some miles per week is good, running a lot of miles per week, is better especially when it come to preventing stroke and heart disease.

"He has produced dozens of scientific and medical papers looking at the effect of running on everything from heart disease and stroke to vision problems and arthritis," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"When I started my study, everybody sort of knew exercise was beneficial. The government was saying you get benefits by walking three or four times a week. My data has shown the more you do, the greater the benefits," Williams said. "I've had people doing 100 miles a week of running, and you could see benefits up to that level."

In other words the more some exercise is great but more is better...much better.

The Chronicle goes on to report that, "The more miles people run, the less likely they are to develop heart disease or have strokes, Williams has found. The health improvements continue up to about 50 miles a week of running, roughly eight hours. Williams, for the record, runs about 35 miles a week."

"Up until recently, the exercise research has pretty much focused on the couch potatoes," Williams said. "We've become fixated on how to get fat people to lose weight. But we shouldn't be pitching the weight loss and exercise thing only to the obese, sedentary people."

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The festivities included an expo that featured products and services from companies that cater to multisport swim, bike and run amatuer athletes along with clinics by experts and professionals triathletes including Craig Alexander, Kristin Armstrong, and Chris Carmichael to name just a few.

The expo also included active participation with a group swim, a group bike ride and even a three and five mile group run that featured Kara Goucher, Adam Goucher, Craig Alexander, Jessi Stensland and Dean Karnaze.

On slowtwitch.com today the reaction to the recent expo is mixed

Jamio writes:

"I went on Saturday. The expo itself was small and kind of boring. You could have easily walked it all in about 30 minutes. The clinics were also weak. The descriptions of the topics never matched up to what was actually said. Chris Carmichael was supposed to talk about how to train effectively when you are "time crunched". Instead, it was 90% on him and Lance and just a passing reference to his new book called the "Time Crunched Cyclist". Others were the same too. Kristen Armstrong stayed on topic though. The speakers were entertaining, but they just didn't talk about what they were supposed to talk about.

It was cool though seeing Crowie, Lieto, Michelli Jones, etc. All super nice people.

For the first year, I guess it was good. I hope they continue to grow each year."

prattzz writes:

"I noticed the same thing at IMLP last year. The expo was pretty limp and the "Jesus" people were really freaking me out. The best part was the ART guys that fixed a muscle in my back. Other than that, the Gatorade swims were cool, but that's about it. I didn't feel the "buzz" in the air."

Tritimmy writes:

"My wife and I went on Saturday also. We got there pretty early on and had a good a laugh as we completed the loop in about 20 minutes flat! We looked at each other and went, "That was it?" I think we need to stay away from the Rock-n-Roll marathon expos.

The Ironman expos are even worse these days. I think we completed the loop at IMCDA this summer in about 10 minutes flat. Let's see....there was the Ironman store, a bike shop, a Ceepo easy up with..."three bikes that aren't released to the public yet, but feel free to gaze at them" and a coffee/pastry cart.

What has happened to the Tri expos? Even some of the sale items this weekend (Specialized junk at the B&L booth) weren't that much of a sale.

Maybe we should stay away from the Rock-n-Roll expos as they are spoiling us! We did have a great conversation with Michellie Jones though, and my wife drooled over Josh Cox a bit. Both great people! We did purchase a kit from the TPT guys who were super cool. Other than that, I wasted my gas!"

You can watch a recap of the Competitor 2010 Sports Endurance Awards (held after the expo) HERE along with a videos from the expo and clinics

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Feb. 2, 2010) - In response to a request from the UCI that radios be banned in all national calendar races, the USCF Board of Trustees met and amended the rule regarding the use of race radios in all USA Cycling sanctioned road and track races. Radios will now be banned in all USA Cycling road and track races.

“I would like to thank the USCF Trustees for moving quickly in response to the request we received from the UCI, said Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling. “Although I think the jury is still out regarding the future of radios in our sport, given the current direction being set by the UCI indicating their intent to phase out radio usage across the board, we all agreed that it was important to make this adjustment now rather than later in the season.”

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If the answer to any of these questions is yes...you are in luck.

Because both Nuun and Erin Baker's Triathlon teams are looking for amatuer athletes.

From Erin Baker's web site:

"Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods, creator of the Official Granola of Ironman, is now accepting applications for its 2010 Triathlon Team. The team will be comprised of U.S. amateur athletes. The team will be sponsored by Kestrel Bicycles and Playtri Coaching Services, with other sponsors being announced as details are finalized.

Team members will fundraise for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in conjunction with the Janus Charity Challenge. All team members will be required to have at least one North American Ironman on their 2010 race schedule to be eligible. Erin Baker's is looking for dedicated athletes who are active in their local triathlon communities and will strive to be effective brand ambassadors for Erin Baker's and team sponsors."

Click HERE to apply.

If you would prefer to apply for the Nuun Blue Seventy team just send an email to: sponsorship@nuun.com.

You could also wash down your cookies with Nuun and apply to both teams.

Good Luck!

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ATLANTA and SAN DIEGO – Feb. 2, 2010 – The American Cancer Society and the Competitor Group, Inc., today announced a new collaboration to empower endurance athletes of all abilities to take a more proactive role in improving their personal health and saving lives from cancer.

The agreement will, for the first time, combine the resources of the nation’s largest health care nonprofit with the endurance sports industry’s leading media and event entertainment company to extend the reach of the American Cancer Society DetermiNation® endurance event program and to strengthen its impact on creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

The American Cancer Society/Competitor Group collaboration will begin with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle™ Marathon & 1/2 Marathon this June, followed by the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago™ 1/2 Marathon in August, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras™ Marathon & 1/2 Marathon in New Orleans in February 2011. All three events will be branded for the benefit of the American Cancer Society.

Additionally, the American Cancer Society will be designated as a preferred charity for Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series events in Denver; Los Angeles; Nashville, Tenn.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Antonio; San Jose, Calif.; and Virginia Beach, Va.

“We are excited to join our DetermiNation program with the Competitor Group’s Rock ‘n’ Roll series to provide an unmatched running experience for athletes of all abilities,” said Alan G. Thorson, M.D., F.A.C.S., national volunteer president, American Cancer Society. “Many people are not aware of the important role that exercise plays in reducing cancer risk – in fact, one-third of all cancer deaths could be prevented with a healthy diet and exercise. By training for and running in a Rock ‘n’ Roll event that benefits the American Cancer Society, people can take one of their most important steps to stay well and reduce cancer risk by being physically active, while helping save lives from cancer.”

Through their participation in the Rock ‘n’ Roll events in Seattle, Chicago and New Orleans, DetermiNation athletes can dedicate their event training and race participation to the only endurance charity program that helps save lives from all forms of cancer. As part of their involvement, these athletes will receive team training, race-weekend VIP amenities, social event opportunities, and much more.

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, which provides a unique, world-class endurance event and rock concert in-one, is a proud supporter of the American Cancer Society and its DetermiNation program,” said Competitor Group President Scott Dickey. “Our goal is to create connections that promote our vision of a healthy, fit world. This is a powerful alliance which will raise significant funds for the American Cancer Society.”

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Series format is an enjoyable experience for race participants and spectators featuring live, local bands playing at every mile along the course to energize the runners. Events conclude with a finish line festival as participants celebrate with their families and friends at a headliner concert. 
The Rock ‘n’ Roll series revolutionized the running industry in 1998, when it incorporated the live music component at each milepost with themed water stations and high school cheerleading squads providing refreshment and motivation along the way.

The DetermiNation program is the American Cancer Society’s powerful and inspiring movement that empowers athletes of all abilities to make their miles more meaningful by dedicating their training and participation in marathons, triathlons, cycling and other endurance events to a lifesaving effort to end cancer.

Begun in Chicago in 1996 and formerly known as Charity Runner, the DetermiNation program expanded nationwide in 2007 and now includes an increasing variety of endurance events and the growing involvement of athletes across the country. 

For more information about how to join the growing American Cancer Society DetermiNation team, visit acsDetermiNation.org. For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, visit www.runrocknroll.com.