Vancouver, Canada (November 11, 2009) - The International Triathlon Union, USA Triathlon, the city of Henderson and Lowery's Multi-sport Races are proud to announce the 2011 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships will be held in Henderson, Nev., USA, on Nov. 5, 2011. 

You either have to really respect Michael Phelps for taking an early stand, or scratch your head as to why the world's fastest swimmer would so obviously sabotage his own chances at victory.

Here's the story in a nutshell at least as reported by the mainstream media.

Today's Washington Post headline and first paragraph of the story says it all:

"Phelps struggles in FINA/Arena World Cup"

"Michael Phelps had the strangest thought as he walked out to the starting blocks Tuesday for his third preliminary race at this FINA/Arena World Cup: He was performing so poorly, it was possible that he might not advance to the meet's finals, something he hadn't done in more than 10 years."

In other words, the star of the Beijing Olympics is having a tough time even making the cut in the early rounds of the World Cup.

Why?

Most insiders know the answer. Unlike many of the other swimmers at the meet Phelps has chosen to compete in the textile, waist-to-knee "jammer" rather than race in the full-bodied high-tech swimsuits that have recently rocked the world of both amatuer and professional swimming by heavily aiding swimmers in smashing both new and long established records.

These newest high-tech suits will be banned from competition as of January 1, 2010.

So Michael Phelps is taking it on the chin by going "old school" a little early.

According to The Washington Post:

"U.S. officials who declined to be identified because they did not wish to appear to be poor sports said it was the suit choice, period, that slowed Phelps.

"I know I'm not in the best shape," Phelps told Swedish television immediately after the race. "I should be in better shape. I'm happy I could get a second swim. The first two races this morning were a little quick."

Phelps said a month ago he wanted to make a statement by ditching his high-tech suit even before the ban went into effect -- though this was probably not exactly the statement he had in mind. He and two other top-ranked men lined up for the 100 free heats wearing jammers, and all posted abysmal times."

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We'll feature one each day. Please note that Ben has an affiliate relationship with many of these companies.

Alright folks, this is officially it. I've had multiple request for a quintessential holiday shopping list for the health nut, fitness enthusiast, multi-sport junkie or fat-loss devotee. Consider this the ultimate answer to your head-scratching hunt for the perfect gift. You've stumbled upon the final solution.

I've tracked down the best deals, the highest-quality products, and the most unique, health-conscious gifts your significant gift-recipient isn't going to get anywhere else - and provided you with a range of options from inexpensive, custom-designed energy bars to gold-standard laboratory performance testing packages.

You'll find everything for the person who just wants to shed a few pounds of fat, to the coveted tools of a top triathlete. So consider the following items the gold-standard for giving the gift of both creativity and health. You can click on any of the items in the list, and they will open in a new window, so you'll always be able to access this list later.

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1. Gymstick Originating in Finland as a popular exercise tool at health clubs and homes, the Gymstick is an incredibly versatile and portable exercise device that can be used for fat loss, lean body toning and beginner to advanced fitness. As you can see from the picture, it is comprised of a flexible fiberglass stick, soft foam hand grip and pair of latex rubber resistance tubes with durable fabric loops at both ends. I use my Gymstick three times per week for 30-45 minutes: once for a core workout, once for a toning workout, and once for a sports performance workout!

Here¹s why I recommend the Gymstick: -It¹s highly portable, making it great for home and travel based workoutsŠ -It is perfect for muscle toning, but also can build strength and enhance sports performanceŠ -By simply twisting the stick, you can instantly increase or decrease resistance -It can be included in a high-calorie burning, metabolism-boosting workout OR a slower, toning and strength-building routines

-Compared to other pieces of home exercise equipment, it is inexpensive and easy-to-use! Each Gymstick includes a stylish fabric cover and carry bag, a GymstickGymstick Workout DVD (incl. 3 workout programs). Just click on Gymstick for the best deal on the internet, which includes FREE shipping to anywhere in the USA.

Ironman Florida has long been known for athletes blatantly drafting (read cheating) on the bike. The course is pancake flat which makes for perfect drafting conditions for those unwilling to abide by the rules.

At this weekend's race an intrepid triathlete mounted a camera on his helmet during the bike portion, and documented some of the more blatant drafting.

Add a bit of appropriate music, and what you end up with is an interesting video that makes a strong case for changing the current rules to a stronger form of drafting enforcement as clearly the current system does not catch all the cheaters.

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Editor's Note:

 The 40th ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, 2009 was a memorable and historic event with the first U.S. race champion since 1982 - Meb Keflezighi and the largest marathon field in the sport's history - 43,741 runners and 43,475 finishers (a 99.4% completion rate). Below is a summary of fast facts for the flagship marathon in 2009:

THE FIELD
All time high number of participants: 43,741 starters, 43,475 finishers
* Number of starters: 43,741
* Number of finishers: 43,475
* Largest number of marathon finishers in running history (previously 38,607 - at 2007 ING NYC Marathon; 4,868 more finishers than in 2007)
* Italy had the highest number of non-U.S. finishers: 3,093
* France was second with total finishers: 2,924
* Total countries represented: 110
* Total states represented: 50 plus DC, Puerto Rico and Guam
* Total finishers from the tri-state area: 12,661
* 102,486 people applied for the ING New York City Marathon 2009.
* Oldest Female Finisher: Yolande Marois, 84, 7:41:04
* Oldest Male Finisher: Peter Harangozo, 88, 7:53:02

PROFESSIONAL RACE SUMMARY
Winners
* Male Open race winner: Meb Keflezighi, USA, 2:09:15, personal record
* Female Open race winner: Derartu Tulu, Ethiopia, 2:28:52
* Male wheelchair race winner: Kurt Fearnley, Australia, 1:35:58
* Female wheelchair race winner: Edith Hunkeler, Switzerland, 1:58:15
* Male hand cycle race winner: Helene Hines, USA, 1:53:51
* Female hand cycle race winner: Dane Pilon, USA, 1:19:48

Achievements
* Meb Keflezighi became the first U.S. man to win the race since Alberto Salazar three-peated in 1982. Keflezighi has now finished in every podium position in New York: champion (2009), runner-up (2004) and third (2005). The two-time Olympian earned $200,000 in prize money and time bonuses.
* Derartu Tulu became the first Ethiopian woman to win New York, and is the only Olympic 10,000m gold medalist (male or female) to win here.
* Ludmila Petrova, 41, competed in her 9th ING NYC Marathon, taking her third podium finish.
* Even with the strongest men's fields ever in New York, six American men finished in the top 10, the best U.S. finish at NYC since 1979.

* Professional women's field had 7 personal bests:
-Buzunesh Deba, Ethiopia, 2:35:54
-Serkalem Biset Abrha, Ethiopia, 2:37:20
-Desiree Ficker, Austin, TX, 2:39:30
-Catha Mullen, New York, NY, 2:43:13
-Christine Ramsey, Baltimore, MD, 2:44:37
-Hirut Mandefro, Ethiopia, 2:47:03
-Rebecca Yau, New York, NY, 2:51:22

* Professional men's field had 8 personal bests:
-Meb Keflezighi, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 2:09:15
-Jorge Torres, Boulder, CO, 2:13:00
-Nick Arciniaga, Rochester Hills, MI, 2:13:46
-Mike Sayenko, Bellevue, WA, 2:16:38
-Allen Wagner, Huntington Valley, PA, 2:17:49
-Max King, Bend, OR, 2:19:11
-Pat Tarpy, Providence, RI, 2:20:43
-Bryan Morseman, Addison, NY, 2:23:50

Athlete Payments
* Prize money totaled $800,000, the largest in race history.

Races within the Race Winners
* Alberto Salazar Award (top American finishers):
-Meb Keflezighi, 2:09:15
-Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 2:32:17
* Mayor's Cup Award: New York Fire Department (team scoring top 10 runners from each team)
* Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge: Allyson Hentel (Manhattan) 3:43:01

Other
* Abebe Bikila Award: Allan Steinfeld
* Lewis Rudin Award (top TFK Fund Raisers):
Male: Drew Swiss, bib 21803, 4:32:33, Armonk, NY
Female: Kathleen Olsen, bib 29612, 4:05:58, Port Washington, NY

CHARITY
* The race charities had over 6,700 runners raise more than $24 million dollars ($24 million - not a typo).

Not only does the race have its own qualifying set of races (just like the Kona Ironman race) but there is also a lottery that fills up every year with triathletes eager to Escape from the "The Rock" in the Bay. 

But that was so 2009.

In 2010 triathlete will have not 1, not 2, but 3 ways to escape from Alcatraz during the summer.

Because of a reshuffling of the the Original Escape from Alcatraz race organizer and the race director an entire new race has just been announced---the inaugural Alcatraz Triathlon is to be held on August 29. 2010 and put on by Tri-California.

The new Alcatraz Triathlon will take place on....and you guessed it...a very similar course.

The official Press Release is below.

But to make matters even more interesting, if you don't like the new race you can also escape from the Rock on Sunday, June 20, 2010 as part of Envirosports Alcatraz XXX Triathlon- The 30th annual ESCAPE FROM THE ROCK.

The race is open to 700 athletes.

The recent Tri-California Press Release:

The new ALCATRAZ Triathlon will become part of the Tri-California Race Series which includes: The AVIA Wildflower Triathlons on April 30-May 2, The San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island on July 9-11, The Triathlon at Pacific Grove Sept 10-12, and Scott Tinley's Triathlon in San Luis Obispo County on October 1-3rd.

Registration for the event is on a first come basis and is expected to sell out quickly. Registration opens November 27th at www.tricalifornia.com . Entry fees $320 for individuals and $160 for relay members until January 1.

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Witness at the scene of the accident report that Scott was conscious and talking after being struck, and that it looked to them like the car accident had potentially broken Scott's collar bone or separated his shoulder with other multiple cuts on his legs and arms.

According to a lawsuit filed in Boulder County District Court, Scott sustained "bodily injuries" and medical expenses because of the illegal U-turn by Ramona Sands.

"Scott, 55, alleges in the suit that he began following Sands' BMW on Boulder's Poplar Avenue, near Broadway, and they both turned onto Wonderland Hill Avenue. While he was behind her, according to the lawsuit, Scott saw Sands slow down or stop several times.

As they approached the intersection of Wonderland Hill and Linden avenues, Sands pulled over to the far right portion of the road behind two parked cars, the lawsuit alleges. At that point, according to Scott, Sands started making a U-turn without signaling.

Scott braked and tried to avoid the car, but crashed into the driver's side," according to the Boulder Daily Camera.

In September Sands plead guilty to careless driving and was ordered to pay Scott restitution.

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We sent our man Ben Greenfield to Jamaica see if he could (in a few short days) do all of the above, and still compete at the WATA Rose Hall Triathlon & Wellness Festival.

The fine folks at the Jamaica Tourist Board graciously paid to send our intrepid reporter to the race in Jamaica, and it seems to see how much fun he could have and still race an International distance triathlon.

You you'll be surprised by what Ben was able to accomplish. Just watch the video below.

And yes we know...somebody had to get this plush assignment, but don't forget...if you like what you see there is always next year's race.

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In other words, unlike his long time rival Jan Ulrich, Armstrong prefers to push a small gear at a higher cadence vs. a big gear in a lower cadence.

Now you would think that what's good enough for Armstrong is good enough for 3X Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington, but in a recent interview with Bicycling.com, Wellington says all that small gear stuff is just a bunch of nonsense.

"I love to push a big gear. It’s a misconception that you need to spin a smaller gear at a higher cadence on the bike. You don’t," Wellington said. "Doing that actually raises your heart rate and makes you more tired, which doesn’t serve you very well in long distance racing. Cranking it down and pushing a bigger gear lets me lower my heart rate. It’s what feels natural to me and enables me to go the fastest I can go," she added."

Wellington also revealed why she never wears an aero helmet when she races: Her head gets too hot.

And why she never goes on very long training rides:

"My longest rides are four and a half, maybe five hours. But more often I do double rides. So you still get the volume, but not at the exclusion of quality. For example, in the morning, I’ll do hill repeats where I’ll warm up and then do a climb anything from 1.5 to 4 kilometers and stick it in the 53/11, get on my aerobars and just grind it up and down for an hour to an hour and a quarter. Then I’ll swim and rest. And later in the day—after my legs are loaded up with lactic acid—I’ll do another two-hour ride with a time trial of 30 to 60 minutes thrown in," she said.

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Editor's Note: Our friend Greg Kolodziejzyk is getting close to realizing his dream of pedaling a human powered boat across the Pacific Ocean. He just uploaded this new video to youtube about his on going efforts to design and build a human powered pedal boat that can cross the from North America to Hawaii.

The video along with his description of the adventure is below:

They call it the Graveyard of the Pacific. Heavy seas and unpredictable weather. A rugged, lonely coastline. Countless ships and sailors taken by its fierce storms and jagged rocks. Westward, nothing to see but North Pacific swells, until Hawaii finally climbs above the horizon. Men have sailed the route for centuries. Now, one man will put his trust in his legs, his heart, and his mind to make a historic journey.

In the battle of the fast and the famous it was actor and now marathon runner Edward Norton who set the fastest mark over the 26.2 mile distance.

The Incredible Hulk star ran the race in a time of 3:48:01.

He beat Alanis Morissette who finished her NYC marathon with a time of 4:28:45.

"Edward completed the run to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, which promotes conservation, education and health services in southern Kenya, and he had the opportunity to train with the warriors in Kenya ahead of the marathon.

He said of his training: "I'm often slower than the Maasai, which is to be expected. But then I see something like a lion print, and then suddenly, amazingly, I'm as fast as they are ." according to IrelandOnline.com

Norton raised nearly $300,000 for his charity.

On Monday Dr. Christopher Thompson stood in the court room with his head bowed having just been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem and other serious criminal charges.

According to the Los Angles Times:

"Prosecutors alleged that on July 4, 2008, Thompson stopped his car after passing the two cyclists and shouting at them to ride single-file. One cyclist ran face-first into the rear windshield of the doctor’s red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose, and leaving his face scarred. The other was sent hurtling to the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder.

A police officer testified that Thompson told him soon after the accident that the cyclists had cursed at him and flipped him off, so he slammed on his brakes “to teach them a lesson."

Thompson is still to be sentenced, but he now faces a possible prison term.

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Who would have thought that the 'finale' Trek Madone Tour de France bike ridden by Lance Armstrong at this year's tour and designed by Damien Hirst would sell for a half a million dollars?

Perhaps it was the fact that the bike is covered in real butterflies that drove up the Sotheby's auction price.

In total Armstrong's formal garage sale raised just about 1.3 million for his foundation according to Armstrong.

"1.3 mil raised for @livestrong!!! So incredibly humbling," Armstrong recently tweeted. "From Damien Hirst's masterpiece Tour de France 'finale' Trek Madone covered in real butterflies, to the KAWS 'Chompers' cycle that I broke my collarbone on in the Vuelta Castilla y Leon, every ride is a treasured piece of personal history that I'm proud to offer up to benefit LIVESTRONG."

Here are the action sale prices of the various Armstrong bikes sold:

Hirst Bike: $500,000
Kenny Scharf TT: $45,000
NARA: $200,000
Shep Fairey: $110,000
KAWS: $160,000
Marc Newsom: $110,000
"Stolen Bike": $130,000

If you want a closer look at the bikes you can download the action catalog HERE.

In more Armstrong news the seven time Tour de France champ also tweeted that his foundation had a great fund raising day at the New York City Marathon.

"Huge thanks to all #LIVESTRONG runners who ran NYC today. Raised more than 850k so far and counting...!!!," Armstrong announced on Twitter.

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But did you know that professional triathlete and exceptional runner Desiree Ficker finished in 10th position with a time of 2:39:30.

Ficker was the second American women in the race and finished just behind 2008 Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet, who crossed the line 6th in 2:32:17.

Ficker was the 2006 runner-up at the Kona Ironman World Championships and has recently switched her focus from triathlon to running.

Her previous personal best at the marathon distance was a time of 2:40:28 set in 2007 at the Austin Marathon.

By finishing tenth in New York,  she earned $500. in prize money.

2009 New York City Marathon results

Professional Men

1. Meb Keflezighi (USA) 2:09:15
2. Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:09:56
3. Januad Gharib (MOR) 2:10:25
4. Ryan Hall (USA) 2:10:36
5. Abderrahime Bouramdane (MOR) 2:12:14
6. Jendrick Ramaala (RSA) 2:12:30
7. Jorge Torres (USA) 2:13:00
8. Nick Arciniaga (USA) 2:13:46
9. Abdi Abdirahman (USA) 2:14:00
10. Jason Lehmkuhle (USA) 2:14:39

Professional Women

1. Derartu Tulu (ETH) 2:28:52
2. Ludmilla Petrova (RUS) 2:29:00
3. Christelle Daunay (FRA) 2:29:16
4. Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 2:29:27
5. Salina Kosgei (KEN) 2:31:53
6. Magdalena Lewy Boulet (USA) 2:32:17
7. Buzunesh Deba (ETH) 2:35:54
8. Serkalem Biset Abrha (ETH) 2:37:20
9. Yuro Kano (JPN) 2:39:05
10. Desiree Ficker (USA) 2:39:30 

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Click HERE to listen.

Join in for the biggest ZenTri episode of the year - The IronBaby self-supported Ironman!  I take you along for the ride as I swim 2.4 miles at a local pool, bike 112 miles around my town, and then finish it off with 26.2 miles of running around my neighborhood. 

That's right, a self-supported Ironman!  It's an amazing experience and I encourage you to try it yourself. This is my third and each is better than the last.

Not only was the race free, we raised over $1200 for charity.  And there was lots of carnage along the way.  I had to get out of the way for guys training to be Navy SEALs, a hellacious front came through on the bike, I wrecked, flatted, and so much more.

Kai biking with me on the run.

I cap off the show with some other great audio.  Not only did I record some night trail running in a lightning storm, I also captured the sounds of backpacking through the national forest with my son and dad.

Here's a link to the official page and race course times.  Enjoy the show and let's see you out there with me next year!

SHOWNOTES:

• Prepping all the gear.
• Course is measured, but using GPS as backup just in case.
• Driving to swim with Emily.
• There should be a Mom App on the iPhone.
• Roxy is angry with us.
• Emily threatens to shove me into a mailbox. She is so sweet!
• Race review with werewolves and Kai.
• Night trail running with friends.
• Backpacking with three generations of studs in the Sam Houston National Forest.
• Grading your races by "Happiness Index".

Chalk marks in driveway to count the 8+ loops of running.

Swam next to the Texas A&M women's swim team.

Roxy joining in on the run.

Just a quick tally of the times for the Ironbaby.  I keep two versions of the time.  One is the official time and includes all the carnage and time delays.  The other is without those issues and better reflects what I'm capable of - a true measure of my own fitness.  It's good to know the second one so I can target it in a normal race.

2.4 mile swim - 1 hour. 1:32 / 100 meter pace.

Transition from pool to bike - 25 minutes. (Had to drive to house).  In a normal Ironman, this would be 10 minutes or less.

112 mile bike - 6:30, including a bike wreck and changing a flat.  Time actually moving was 6:12, an 18 mph avg.  

Transition from bike to run - 10 minutes.

26.2 mile run - 4:55, an 11:16 min/mile pace.  

So, the official time goes down as 13:15.  A massive PR over my last Ironbaby of 15 hours.  And if I was to compare my fitness now to Ironman Wisconsin in 2007, I went 12:42 compared to 12:59 back then.  Nice improvement! 12:42 = 13:15 minus an extra 15 minutes of transition time and 18 minutes of bike wreckage and flat repairing out on the road.

I don't want to get into a whole bunch of "what if's" and "well.....".  You get what you get on race day and you really can't compare two races or even the same race on different days.  Weather and lots of other conditions makes every race a singularity.  Ironman Wisconsin was hillier, but this Ironbaby was like biking in a hurricane. And the previous Ironbaby felt like I was doing a race in Antarctica.

What I do know is I finished this race feeling absolutely amazing, unlike ever before.  It's a real tribute to how some key changes in my diet and training has made an incredible difference.

I'll write up a race report soon with the real dirt!

When asked by Leno how she got ready to bare it all for Playboy Handler quipped:

"I quit drinking for like a day and a half," she said.

"And I worked out -- but I always work out. So it wasn't anything major."

But what does her workout routine entail.

Would you be surprised if it included running.

In a recent story in Women's Health Magazine Handler was asked about her workout routine:

"Okaaay—change of subject. Because you've been so busy, how do you fit in exercise? Right now, I'm pretty motivated. I exercise four or five times a week. I do sprints and work out with my trainer and do Pilates. I like to mix it up so I don't burn out. I've also been seeing a nutritionist, so I'm eating healthy and have tons of energy."

You can watch her appearance that will be broadcast tonight on the Leno Show below:

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