Question:

Hi, Of course exercise of any kind is always a good idea but I think we’ve found something better.  Nothing works if your metabolism is screwed up. My wife is over 50 also and has tried lots of things over the years including exorcise with no success.  Recently, our company came out with a new enzyme diet drink and everyone we heard from was raving about it so she decided to give if a try.  Guess what?  It works!!!!  It’s a whole food so you can actually live on it, tastes good, gets your metabolism working again and the weight comes off. If you’d like to know more, visit our site at http://www.ecoquest.com/apsna and click on "The Enzyme Diet" link under New Products.  So far, we have others using it now too and everyone is losing weight and eating anything they want!  If you’d like to speak with my wife, Vivian, call us toll free at 888-801-4482.  She’ll be happy to share her experiences with you. Sincerely, Jim Bogul … Leadership Development Bogul Air & Water Purification / 4airfix Hudson, FL 34667 888-801-4482 727-819-2877 fax 208-485-4618 Our Company and Products: http://www.freshairliving.com/bogul (password is "guest") http://www.ecoquest.com/apsna

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?

Response:

What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?  

Response:

What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?

I recently read that treadmills are the most efficient – but that may only be if you plan to do some jogging/running.  If you have access to both, it’s probably better to vary your routine and do both.  If you’re looking to buy something, get what you’ll actually use.  I also use an elliptical with the treadmill and the bike and I avoid the stairmaster because I hate it. I find the treadmill the least boring because I can really vary the speed and incline and do a variety of workouts.  I really don’t like the treadmill, but I like to run and I’m just biding time until it’s safe to go outdoors again. I am just one state east from you, far north, and inbound because the recent warming (above freezing) during the day plus rain has turned our snow into ice.  This means no XC skiing or snowshoeing yet and the only ice skating I like requires a big stick, a puck, and someone to knock over. The temps are in the single digits for the next week or so along with 20 mph winds to make it feel below 0 and there is no real snow predicted.  Get out of the house and drive to the gym unless the roads are really crappy!  Even then, I’m following the plow  If I stay in the house too much I get the ole "cabin fever" which leads to other bad habits like too much snacking, drinking, and sleeping.  Good luck! Jenn

Response:

What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle?

Have you looked into ellipticals? The motion is a cross between cycling and walking. Some come with upper body exercisers too, similar to rowing. You could watch your movies, and by dialing the resistance control the calorie burn rate. p.

Response:

In 1995 when I lost a lot of weight I used an excercise bike for 20 minutes every day, but it wasn’t the plain kind.  It was one of those with a fan for a wheel and the handle bars that moved, too.  That way I got a full-body workout, legs AND arms, and it really worked great. Avonleadragon – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice? For me it’s hard to beat the Nordic Track Pro.  Elliptical trainers cause my foot to fall asleep (ha!) and if you are going to walk or run, you might as well get the correct, breathable clothing for your climate and go outside. Those Nordic Tracks can be had on ebay for under $150 plus shipping.  Look for one that has new looking arm cords… dirt (dust) on the wood doesn’t necessarily mean it’s been used a lot IMO, the "Pro" model represents the best value with standard, straightforward features.  There is a learning curve in getting used to the skiing skill but it is learned by the 3rd session. — Steve (Reply address has been changed to protect the innocent)

We have a ski machine that has poles instead of cords and I love it.  I did 25 minutes on it just about an hour ago and according to http://www.caloriesperhour.com/  I burned 261 calories.  I worked up quite a sweat.  We paid about $100 for it several years ago at Play It Again Sports. I don’t remember having any problems learning to use it. Tonia

Response:

What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?

For me it’s hard to beat the Nordic Track Pro.  Elliptical trainers cause my foot to fall asleep (ha!) and if you are going to walk or run, you might as well get the correct, breathable clothing for your climate and go outside. Those Nordic Tracks can be had on ebay for under $150 plus shipping.  Look for one that has new looking arm cords… dirt (dust) on the wood doesn’t necessarily mean it’s been used a lot IMO, the "Pro" model represents the best value with standard, straightforward features.  There is a learning curve in getting used to the skiing skill but it is learned by the 3rd session. — Steve (Reply address has been changed to protect the innocent)

Response:

What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals?

My personal feeling is that I get a much better workout standing and carrying my own body weight (vs. sitting down) — so I would vote for the treadmill. I love mine (and only fell once in 7 years — and that was this year when I was doing something really stupid on it — so you should be OK if you don’t try to use a Dustbuster to dust behind the treadmill while you’re standing on it and the belt is running Mary M 325-150-145

Response:

I read the ingredient list of the crap that you mentioned, there are mostly soy protein and mostly sugar and other carb sweeteners, plus a bunch of other chemical stuff. Certainly I would stay far away from your junk.

He states his wife has been using this product to lose weight.  If that’s her picture on the website it appears it hasn’t been working for her.  Many in the newsgroup who are in the same age group (50)  seem to be reaping bigger benefits from the old "eat less, exercise more" method. Beverly ps – be sure you delete the spammers website next time <g . – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ingredients: Soy Protein (non-GMO), Rice Syrup Solids, Basmati Rice Bran, Inulin, Fructose, Flaxseed, Safflower Oil Powder, Lecithin, Natural French Vanilla Flavor, Guar Gum, Calcium Amino Acid Chelate**, Natural Flavor, Vegetarian Yeast, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate**, Carrot Powder, Sweet Potato Powder, Stevia, USP Sodium Chloride, Acerola Cherry and Rosehips Extract, Infinity2 Proprietary Enzyme Blend (amylase, protease, CereCalase, Isolase, cellulase, lipase, alpha-galactosidase), GlutaMagAAC (Glutamine-Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate)*, Shiitake Mushroom Powder, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate**, Copper Amino Acid Chelate**, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate**, Iron Amino Acid Chelate**, Sea Kelp, Selenium Amino Acid Complex**, Dunaliella salina Extract, Marigold Extract (lutein), Molybdenum Amino Acid Chelate**, and Chromium Amino Acid/Nicotinate Chelate**. Hi, Of course exercise of any kind is always a good idea but I think we’ve found something better.  Nothing works if your metabolism is screwed up. My wife is over 50 also and has tried lots of things over the years including exorcise with no success.  Recently, our company came out with a new enzyme diet drink and everyone we heard from was raving about it so she decided to give if a try.  Guess what?  It works!!!!  It’s a whole food so you can actually live on it, tastes good, gets your metabolism working again and the weight comes off.

Response:

Hello Beowulf,   I have a treadmill and a stair climber in my home.  We never use the treadmill and I use the stair climber daily.  I can tell you that a lot of folks don’t like the stair climber because it’s not a natural motion like walking is.  My experience is that you burn more calories on a stair climber than a treadmill.  Your going to get different answers from different folks, but I like a stair climber also called a stair master.  I’m able to workout for an hour at a time and get a good sweat going as well.  My calorie counter is usually between 750 to 1000 calories when I finish.   The elliptical exercise equipment is one I’ve never tried, but would like to one day.  To me it’s like a stair climber and a treadmill built in one machine. and looks like it would produce more calories burned compared to a treadmill.   I hope you find what’s best for you and your goals. Paul 300/236/175

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?

Response:

The Elliptical is my favorite and stains my knees allot less then treadmill or bike. — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? Have you looked into ellipticals? The motion is a cross between cycling and walking. Some come with upper body exercisers too, similar to rowing. You could watch your movies, and by dialing the resistance control the calorie burn rate. p.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – At the gym, I use the recumbent bike, treadmill and elliptical.  I switch out the cardio machines just for variety.  For me, the elliptical hurts my knees least, the bike 2nd least and the treadmill the most.  I use the precor elliptical, lifecycle bike and lifestep treadmill.  I walk at an incline of 5-8% on the treadmill, at a speed of 3.3-3.6.  If I walk faster then that, the impact hurts.  I do the bike at level 5-10 on the hill mode. I have some nerve damage in my left knee, so I can’t overwork it. On all of the machines, I make sure that I keep my heart rate in the fat burning 70% range for optimal results.  For my age, that is 121-128 or so. All of the machines I use have the handle bar pulse monitors. — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow

I use the elliptical more when my knee is bothering me or lately because I have a sinus infection and running gives me a major headache.  I can stay steady for at least an hour at level 10-12 (I go up and down every 5 minutes), but going backwards really puts a strain on my quads – though I try to do 2 minutes backward every 10 minutes.  I haven’t been doing much on the bike lately since I like the elliptical more.  I was thinking of getting one of those polar heart monitors since all of the machines where I go can use them.  Only the treadmill has the HR monitor in the handlebar and you can’t or shouldn’t grab it when you’re running 6-7 mph. Walking on the treadmill I’ve been doing a "rolling hills" workout I got from a magazine.  It’s interesting in that you change the incline and speed every 2 minutes mostly staying in the 3.7-3.9 mph range and 5-8% incline. It’s nice on my non-running days when the elliptical is busy, but frustrating nonetheless because I still don’t care for walking and prefer to run . Jenn

Response:

For me it’s hard to beat the Nordic Track Pro. IMO, the "Pro" model represents the best value with standard, straightforward features.  There is a learning curve in getting used to

I agree with this, and so does Consumer Reports.  A NordicTrack is great value for the money: an excellent NordicTrack is less money than a crappy Treadmill, for example.  It folds up, it’s challenging and hard work and great exercise.  I’ve used one for a dozen years.  (I keep trading up models.) I also have a step bench and a whole bunch of videos and DVDs from www.collagevideo.com that I use for cross-training in the winter. At the gym I often do a mini-triathalon on the recumbant bike, Concept II rowing machine and the elliptical cross-trainer on days when I’m not running.  I don’t like the bike or the rowing machine enough to make them my regular exercise, though. Dally

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice? For me it’s hard to beat the Nordic Track Pro. IMO, the "Pro" model represents the best value with standard, straightforward features.  There is a learning curve in getting used to the skiing skill but it is learned by the 3rd session. We have a ski machine that has poles instead of cords and I love it.  I did 25 minutes on it just about an hour ago and according to http://www.caloriesperhour.com/  I burned 261 calories.  I worked up quite a sweat.  We paid about $100 for it several years ago at Play It Again Sports. I don’t remember having any problems learning to use it.

There’s something about that "push off" motion of a skier that satisfies. Ski machines are much like skating or running.  Closer to running than eliptical trainers are, in my opinion. — Steve (Reply address has been changed to protect the innocent

Response:

Ouch!  did you at least get the dust cleaned up before you fell?  :) — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? My personal feeling is that I get a much better workout standing and carrying my own body weight (vs. sitting down) — so I would vote for the treadmill. I love mine (and only fell once in 7 years — and that was this year when I was doing something really stupid on it — so you should be OK if you don’t try to use a Dustbuster to dust behind the treadmill while you’re standing on it and the belt is running Mary M 325-150-145

Response:

I can’t go backwards on the elliptical at all… it kills my knee!  I did it that way when I first started using it a month or so ago, too painful! Maybe if I continue to lose weight and get into better shape, I will be able to do higher impact exercises.  I am content at this point with what I am doing and I do have pretty good work outs. I got DH a lifewise heart rate monitor for xmas and he loves it.  They sell them at Radio Shack. 284/221/199/??? — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – At the gym, I use the recumbent bike, treadmill and elliptical.  I switch out the cardio machines just for variety.  For me, the elliptical hurts my knees least, the bike 2nd least and the treadmill the most.  I use the precor elliptical, lifecycle bike and lifestep treadmill.  I walk at an incline of 5-8% on the treadmill, at a speed of 3.3-3.6.  If I walk faster then that, the impact hurts.  I do the bike at level 5-10 on the hill mode. I have some nerve damage in my left knee, so I can’t overwork it. On all of the machines, I make sure that I keep my heart rate in the fat burning 70% range for optimal results.  For my age, that is 121-128 or so. All of the machines I use have the handle bar pulse monitors. — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow I use the elliptical more when my knee is bothering me or lately because I have a sinus infection and running gives me a major headache.  I can stay steady for at least an hour at level 10-12 (I go up and down every 5 minutes), but going backwards really puts a strain on my quads – though I try to do 2 minutes backward every 10 minutes.  I haven’t been doing much on the bike lately since I like the elliptical more.  I was thinking of getting one of those polar heart monitors since all of the machines where I go can use them.  Only the treadmill has the HR monitor in the handlebar and you can’t or shouldn’t grab it when you’re running 6-7 mph. Walking on the treadmill I’ve been doing a "rolling hills" workout I got from a magazine.  It’s interesting in that you change the incline and speed every 2 minutes mostly staying in the 3.7-3.9 mph range and 5-8% incline. It’s nice on my non-running days when the elliptical is busy, but frustrating nonetheless because I still don’t care for walking and prefer to run . Jenn

Response:

I’m 100% with you there.  I like the elliptical machine a lot and for me it is very low impact.  I bring a nice mix of music and I’m off!  :-) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Elliptical is my favorite and stains my knees allot less then treadmill or bike. — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? Have you looked into ellipticals? The motion is a cross between cycling and walking. Some come with upper body exercisers too, similar to rowing. You could watch your movies, and by dialing the resistance control the calorie burn rate. p.

– jmk in NC

Response:

Which do you enjoy more?  Do you already have a treadmill and/or stationary bike?  If you have them both, I’d say mix it up, otherwise, I would say do whichever you enjoy more.  It’ll be easier to spend more time doing it that way  If you spend more time exercising, it doesn’t matter which burns more calories per hour. What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?  

– jmk in NC

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? My personal feeling is that I get a much better workout standing and carrying my own body weight (vs. sitting down) — so I would vote for the treadmill. I love mine (and only fell once in 7 years — and that was this year when I was doing something really stupid on it — so you should be OK if you don’t try to use a Dustbuster to dust behind the treadmill while you’re standing on it and the belt is running Mary M 325-150-145

LOL Mary!  That beats my leaning forward to read the next setting from my list and sorta just stopping – though the belt was still going.  I have my workouts on paper but apparently I need to rewrite them larger or wear my reading glasses during my workout. Jenn

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? My personal feeling is that I get a much better workout standing and carrying my own body weight (vs. sitting down) — so I would vote for the treadmill. I love mine (and only fell once in 7 years — and that was this year when I was doing something really stupid on it — so you should be OK if you don’t try to use a Dustbuster to dust behind the treadmill while you’re standing on it and the belt is running Mary M 325-150-145

Some types of multi-tasking should never be tried <g   Hope you didn’t hurt yourself. Beverly

Response:

The Elliptical is my favorite and stains my knees allot less then treadmill or bike.

I haven’t come across the knee-staining problem before…. But that is an excellent point. My knees have logged more than enough use/abuse so that they couldn’t handle much more. The circular (or in this case oval) motion involves virtually no shock and, I find, actually helps build them up. pb

Response:

At the gym, I use the recumbent bike, treadmill and elliptical.  I switch out the cardio machines just for variety.  For me, the elliptical hurts my knees least, the bike 2nd least and the treadmill the most.  I use the precor elliptical, lifecycle bike and lifestep treadmill.  I walk at an incline of 5-8% on the treadmill, at a speed of 3.3-3.6.  If I walk faster then that, the impact hurts.  I do the bike at level 5-10 on the hill mode. I have some nerve damage in my left knee, so I can’t overwork it. On all of the machines, I make sure that I keep my heart rate in the fat burning 70% range for optimal results.  For my age, that is 121-128 or so. All of the machines I use have the handle bar pulse monitors. — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Elliptical is my favorite and stains my knees allot less then treadmill or bike. I haven’t come across the knee-staining problem before…. But that is an excellent point. My knees have logged more than enough use/abuse so that they couldn’t handle much more. The circular (or in this case oval) motion involves virtually no shock and, I find, actually helps build them up. pb

Response:

I know it!  DH got me a Rio Sport mp3 player for xmas and I’ve had the best time listening to my music while I work out too! — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m 100% with you there.  I like the elliptical machine a lot and for me it is very low impact.  I bring a nice mix of music and I’m off!  :-) The Elliptical is my favorite and stains my knees allot less then treadmill or bike. — Email me at: perpleglow(AT)comcast.net http://community.webshots.com/user/perpleglow What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? Have you looked into ellipticals? The motion is a cross between cycling and walking. Some come with upper body exercisers too, similar to rowing. You could watch your movies, and by dialing the resistance control the calorie burn rate. p. — jmk in NC

Response:

Treadmills win hands-down at health clubs.  They take up more space and cost more tho.  For bikes try a recumbant model – no pressure on the butt.  Be prepared to spend $$ for a good model of either.  If you have $$ another great choice is an EFX machine (elliptical trainer). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?

Response:

Oh, go away.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Of course exercise of any kind is always a good idea but I think we’ve found something better.  Nothing works if your metabolism is screwed up. My wife is over 50 also and has tried lots of things over the years including exorcise with no success.  Recently, our company came out with a new enzyme diet drink and everyone we heard from was raving about it so she decided to give if a try.  Guess what?  It works!!!!  It’s a whole food so you can actually live on it, tastes good, gets your metabolism working again and the weight comes off. If you’d like to know more, visit our site at

http://www.ecoquest.com/apsna – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – and click on "The Enzyme Diet" link under New Products.  So far, we have others using it now too and everyone is losing weight and eating anything they want!  If you’d like to speak with my wife, Vivian, call us toll free at 888-801-4482.  She’ll be happy to share her experiences with you. Sincerely, Jim Bogul … Leadership Development Bogul Air & Water Purification / 4airfix Hudson, FL 34667 888-801-4482 727-819-2877 fax 208-485-4618 Our Company and Products: http://www.freshairliving.com/bogul (password is "guest") http://www.ecoquest.com/apsna What do you all find has worked best for weight loss, treadmill or exercycle? I gotta get back into wt loss, and during cold winter months I just can not get motivated to exercise outdoors or even drive to the gym. I live in nothern minnesota — very cold for several months.  I figure I can exercise while watching a movie– but treadmill or exercycle? Exercycle takes less concentration (won’t trip and fall off like a treadmill when watching a movie), but I suppose treadmill burns more cals? Of course when weather warms, I love walking and hiking and biking outdoors.  Thoughts? Advice?

Response:

Question:

AAhhhhh, Doug…you value MY opinion?  You like me, you really LIKE me. Seriously, I just wish that I could see the names of posters before I had to click them open to read.  Very time consuming.  The alternative is yes, to killfile certain ones.  And no, I would not killfile you.  You are so helpful. I learn lots about running.  Plus, I usually pick up a new word or two.  You know what they say–try to learn one new word a day. Mary  

Response:

AAhhhhh, Doug…you value MY opinion?

Of course but we don’t always agree. You like me, you really LIKE me.

If closer, I’d be knocking down your door. We could compare AARP cards. We can take a shunpike for the other stuff. Seriously, I just wish that I could see the names of posters before I had to click them open to read.  

This is interesting. Can any of you AOL users(I’m not and never was) tell Mary if there are preference settings such that she can set/tailor to reveal say the subject AND author? Like her, I would go nuts if I had to open every post to see if I wanted to read it.    Plus, I usually pick up a new word or two.  You know what they say–try to learn one new word a day.

You are so nice to overlook/ignore my foibles. Your personal Cockaigne is very close. — Caveat Lector "the further you go outside, the further you go inside" – B. McKibben Doug Freese

Response:

AOL 5.0 (note: versions prior to 5.0 lack killfiles)

You stupid chinck, 5.0 was out 5 years ago! (BTW, no offense meant, I love slanty eyes, and your wimmen are good in the sack too!) "Make no mistake about it! Without humor, freedom would drive you insane." Bill               I am so cool, that sheep count ME before they go to sleep. http://hometown.aol.com/mrrobottow/

Response:

Another question… Does anyone know whether you are able to identify the sender of a message BEFORE you open it in AOL?  I have had different newsreaders in the past (back in the beginning of Internet), where I was able to read only who I wanted to read in newsgroups.

I’m assuming this means you want to establish a specific list of only those people you want to read. Given that, how would you find out about the new and interesting people that come aboard?   FWIW, I typically read by thread and then by poster. If the thread is say HRM’s I typically press delete thread. If I see one of those people whose opinions I value(no, I won’t itemize that list<g) I might look at just that one reply and then hit delete thread. For me, I have found that the fastest way to "keep up." I’m sure I miss those interesting sub threads that originate from say a HRM subject but that is my loss. If people did modify the subject when the thread takes a tangent, it might get more attention.   Killfiles are not what I am asking about.. I am asking about reading responses by name rather than strictly by thread.

I guess if I’m in your killfile you won’t see this. — Caveat Lector "the further you go outside, the further you go inside" – B. McKibben Doug Freese

Response:

Thanks David!! I did not realize he was a troll. I don’t mind letting them starve at all.

JoJo, I am not a troll, but David and a couple of cohorts are bent on telling every newbie around I’m a troll. It goes back to our racing days when I beat him out of his ‘ol lady, and in races too! Much too personal to recount here, but rest assured it’s a grudge thing, not a troll thing. Cheers! "Make no mistake about it! Without humor, freedom would drive you insane." Bill               I am so cool, that sheep count ME before they go to sleep. http://hometown.aol.com/mrrobottow/

Response:

If you would not mind, would you tell me how to add him to my "killfile" Thanks, JoJo

Hello JoJo, I am pretty sure that your newsgroup reader is Outlook Express. To avoid seeing any further posts from a particular poster, you would need to do this: 1, open Outlook Express, 2, highlight the target newsgroup on the left pane, 3, highlight any message that

Question:

hi, i just started training for my first triathlon here in hawaii. i am relatively new to the sport. i am thinking of buying a tri-bike for my first race, and a 1999 cannondale multisport 800 caught my eye. it is the caad3 version in purple. has anyone heard about the pros and cons to this bike? i cannot really afford much in the way of equipment, so at $1400 it seems reasonable. thanks. warren

Response:

you cant afford much, but $1400 seems reasonable? Wow! I had heard that things cost more in hawaii, but I never thought I would hear that $1400 for a bike was reasonable. Kevin  (I still cant get over having spent $1200 for a bike) Mc.

Response:

i guess i should have clarified myself first. i meant reasonable because it is a fully built bike with (from what i was told) good parts. yep, living here is pretty expensive. i apologize for sounding rather extravagant. believe me, after shelling out over a grand on a bike, i will be living off of rice and water for a long time to come. what the heck, don’t we all deserve a little gift for ourselves once in a while? =) aloha, warren – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – you cant afford much, but $1400 seems reasonable? Wow! I had heard that things cost more in hawaii, but I never thought I would hear that $1400 for a bike was reasonable. Kevin  (I still cant get over having spent $1200 for a bike) Mc.

Response:

It is funny to see how many people seem to be fascinated by the Cannondale Multisport. I personnaly thinks it is not worth the price. They have copied the real aero bikes without taking care of the real aspect of aerodynamics (rear wheel cut out…). Just take a look at the time trial bikes used by pros and you will see an aero seat tube with rearwheel cutout or round tube and no aero shape at all. For the price of the cannondale, you can have real tri bikes, nice looking and efficient. The cannondale is not that stiff and light. Olivier hi, i just started training for my first triathlon here in hawaii. i am relatively new to the sport. i am thinking of buying a tri-bike for my first race, and a 1999 cannondale multisport 800 caught my eye. it is the caad3 version in purple. has anyone heard about the pros and cons to this bike? i cannot really afford much in the way of equipment, so at $1400 it seems reasonable. thanks. warren

Response:

i just started training for my first triathlon here in hawaii. i am relatively new to the sport. i am thinking of buying a tri-bike for my first race, and a 1999 cannondale multisport 800 caught my eye. it is the caad3 version in purple. has anyone heard about the pros and cons to this bike? i cannot really afford much in the way of equipment, so at $1400 it seems reasonable. thanks.

Warren, The one word of caution I would offer is to make sure you understand what makes a tri bike a tri bike. I would say that the Cannondale MS800 is not a triathlon bike based on the fact that it has a 75deg seat tube angle (vs. 78deg on a "true" tri bike) and a long head tube/high top tube. The effect of this is that it is more difficult to achived a good aero position. The steeper seat tube angle of a tri bike opend up your hip angle (femur-torso) when using the aerobars and the lower top tube/shorter head tube allows you to get your bars lower in order to flatten your back. You may have a hard time finding a "true" tri bike at the US$1400 price point in HI but have a look for the Scott Waimea (US$1095) or the QR Kilo (w/ Al fork for US$1395) or last year’s TeQuilo (as low as US$1349). These bikes all have geometry that will allow you to achieve a better aero position. The other thing to keep in mind is to make sure that the shop you are dealing with can make sure that you not only get a bike that fits but also that you get into a good position on the bike. Good luck, Dan Rishworth Enduro Sport – Your Multi-Sport Pro Shop 1.800.448.4678 http://www.endurosport.com

Response:

Question:

runners, My question is: what is your average heart rate for a 1) 10K, 2) 1/2 Marathon, and 3) Full Marathon? I’m still trying to figure out my mile paces, and heart rates especially over a longer distance. I’m very new to running and am training for my first marathon. Typically in a triathlon, i’m running 7:45 min miles at a heart rate of 165 bpm over the 10K leg of an Olympic Distance triathlon. I know i need to slow down my heart rate for a longer distance run. any input would be greatly appreciated. thanks, Mike Tri-PT

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – runners, My question is: what is your average heart rate for a 1) 10K, 2) 1/2 Marathon, and 3) Full Marathon? I’m still trying to figure out my mile paces, and heart rates especially over a longer distance. I’m very new to running and am training for my first marathon. Typically in a triathlon, i’m running 7:45 min miles at a heart rate of 165 bpm over the 10K leg of an Olympic Distance triathlon. I know i need to slow down my heart rate for a longer distance run. any input would be greatly appreciated. thanks, Mike Tri-PT

Mike, What your Heart Rate should be is very individualistic. You must first determine your actual MaxHR by testing. Then your trainig zones can be determined. Through training, we try to raise our lactate threshold level so that we can sustain a higher HR for greater lengths of time. What you sould expect yours to be for the 10K portion of a triatholon must be determined by trial tempo runs in your training. Thats why we train and keep logs, so that we can make those decisions with some kind of accuracy. I suggest you read Sally Edwards, book Heart Zone Training, or one of her triathalon books. They can be found at www. hearzone.com or at Amozon books. If you have more specific heart monitor questions, Bill Stainbrook Endurance athlete, physical, educator, coach

Response:

what is your average heart rate for a 1) 10K, 2) 1/2 Marathon, and 3) Full Marathon?

Just so happens that I can give you some up to date info I’ve recently gathered (though never run a Mara):   HMara – 170 bpm average HR   10Km  - 186 bpm average HR I’m male aged 37. Best Max HR I’ve obtained was 192 bpm. That starts to look a bit suspicious in the light of last Saturday’s 10Km. Though I race middle distance track so would *expect* to be able to obtain MHR relatively easily. I’m often getting into the 180’s during track sessions. Those average HR’s were recorded automatically by my Polar Crosstrainer XT. They seem reliable as I was also keeping a visual check during these two recent races. Interestingly the 186 bpm for the 10Km race was rock steady till I started pushing for home with 3 km to go and moved up to 187/188. Make of this info what you will.   Miles

Response:

what is your average heart rate for a 1) 10K, 2) 1/2 Marathon, and 3) Full Marathon?

Here’s another data point: 21.1 km jul/1997, 1h31′11 avg HR 163, pace 4′19 /km 42.2 km aug/1997, 3h47′12 avg HR 153, pace 5′13 /km   20 km sep/1997, 1h27′55 avg HR 163, pace 4′24 /km   20 km sep/1998, 1h31′12 avg HR 159, pace 4′34 /km I’m 32 years, male; rest pulse 55-60, maximum heart rate at least 176 (seems I can’t get it over that whatever I try). During workouts, avg heart rate 141-145 is about 5 min/km (~ 8 min/mile) pace for runs under 10 kilometers, and 147-155 at the same pace for one route of about 16.4 km. Avg bpm for one recent 10 km run at 5′17 (~ 8′27/mile?) pace was about 135. Cheers, Tapio

Response:

Question:

I just want to make everyone aware of the greedy and dishonest treatment I have received from the race director of the IronHorse Triathlon in Springfield, Illinois. First let me give you some background info: I had a confirmed entry to the IronHorse Triathlon but I tore some ligaments in my ankle and knew I was not going to be able to race. Knowing there was a field limit of 900 people I thought I would be a nice guy and inform the Race Director so he could allow someone else to race. I had no intentions of asking for my entry fee back, because I realize they are almost always non-refundable. When I called the RD, I was told they had a waiting list with checks and entry forms already filled out. They thanked me for calling and said they would substitute one of the people on the waiting list for me, accept their entry fee, and to my surprise, refund my entry fee. At this time, I was very pleased  and thought I was dealing with a great RD. While since then, 2 months have passed, I have called the RD 4 times and left messages, and have not received a call back. I even told them I did not care about the money, just please return my phone call and atleast tell me they are  not going to honor their agreement. It is like I said in the beginning, I did not expect to receive my money back,  but since they said they would refund it, it would be nice for them to honor their word, or atleast return my phone call. After all, they received their $85 from the person they put in my place. Just thought everyone would like to know the type of people we have running one of the IM qualifing races. It makes me wonder if they are in it for the money, or the love of the sport. Tom Hyslip

Response:

Tom, The race director for Ironhorse is as far as I know not running the race for making money.  He took over as RD a few years ago when the previous RD decided to step down.  He did it to keep what he felt was a quality event in Springfield IL keep from going under. You may want to try mailing you request if you are not receiving any answer from you phone messages.  The RD may be taking a much deserved break – or he may have skipped the country with you $85 and is now living it up in the Bahamas 8^). Todd Jensen

Response:

Tom This race has been around for a long time and is very well run. I’ve done over a 100 tris all over the country and this one ranks in the top 5. Realize you made a donation to keep the sport alive, suck it up and go on. Terry

Response:

It makes me wonder if they are in it for the money, or the love of the sport. Tom Hyslip

In the words of a not-so-famous movie bimbo, "Why can’t we have BOTH?".  I don’t mind making a few bucks on something I also enjoy. On another note, something you should note about the RST culture,  is that all RD’s are assumed to be kind benevolent folks who sacrifice themselves completely for the good of the sport.  Be prepared for flames!  ; )

Response:

Question:

These are the lessons I would have preferred to learn one at a time. After a good (for me) swim of 28 minutes and a good (for me) transistion, I zipped off on my bike at a good (for me) clip of about 19 mph when POOF went my tire at only 5 miles, almost throwing me down as I turned in following a pass. LESSON LEARNED: If I have a flat the day before a race, change the tire also. An old torn ligament in my thumb made removal of the tire impossible and just adding air didn’t work because the little co2 cartridges sputtered all over, so I got back on the bike and rode the rim for the remaining 20 miles. LESSON LEARNED: Don’t bother even trying, just go on the flat or quit. It was a relief to start running and I felt okay for one whole mile before I realized I had trashed my legs in highest gear on the thump thump thump ride and……. LESSON LEARNED: Save those legs even on full tires. ……one more mile and I understood clearly that my 6 a.m. runs at freezing temperatures were no preparation for 90+ temperatures. LESSON LEARNED: I must get out occasionally in midday and I must convince the powers-that-be to heat up Pennsylvania in May.   My time was 33 minutes slower than two years ago, almost a half hour slower than last year. LESSON LEARNED: Throw away my watch.  What difference does one race make.  Nobody cares and I shouldn’t either. P.S. Although I saw many old friends, I saw no balloons or signs with rst on them and so I failed to make a few new friends.  Next time. Ruth Kazez

Response:

That’s the thing about triathlon, isn’t it Ruth?  Just when you think you are figuring this crazy sport out, you get a flat, the CO2 cartridges don’t work, you ride on your rim and trash your legs, the heat does you in so your run goes to hell and, WHAM!, gotcha again! Isn’t what we do just a barrel of fun, lots better than sitting around and watching the tube? –Tri-Hard (a.k.a. Lee Crumbaugh)

Response:

LESSON LEARNED:  You can have a really crappy race, with flat tires, aching thumbs, and baking asphalt, but if you are as determined as Ruth, you can still finish. Congratulations on your race! Cameron P.S.  I’m posting from my mom’s account, so ignore the above address.

Response:

Question:

Although Speedo Although Speedo is a massive company with World-Wide distribution, each single speedo entinity, ie. Speedo Canada, Speedo USE, is respsonsible for the licesnsing and distribution of certain products, in this case, the triathlon line, inclduding their new race wear line. This is case with their wetsuit. It is made (by contract I’d guess) for Speedo in the UK, and they’re responsible for the distribution and marketing. In speaking with Authentic Fitness Canada, the marketing firm for Speedo in Canada, said that they have no desire to license and market the wetsuit line in North America. However if you really want this suit, I’d reccommend picking up a copy of 220 magazine (UK Edition) and shop the adds in the back, a lot of the shops sell them (for muchos dineros I might add) If you want a good wetsuit, as in the best, check out the new Orca suits, they even come with a guaranty that you’ll take of at least 30 seconds within your first month. Call em @ 604.490.9097 They’ve got em. G.Bullington 604.978.1363 (no e.mail yet)

: The cover of the September 1996 issue of Inside Triathlon has Spencer : Smith wearing a wetsuit with "Speedo Triathlon" on the front.  Is speed : getting into the wetsuit business?

Response:

The cover of the September 1996 issue of Inside Triathlon has Spencer Smith wearing a wetsuit with "Speedo Triathlon" on the front.  Is speed getting into the wetsuit business?

Response:

The cover of the September 1996 issue of Inside Triathlon has Spencer Smith wearing a wetsuit with "Speedo Triathlon" on the front.  Is speed getting into the wetsuit business?

speed is already in the wetsuit business.  Speed-o has this wetsuit available in the UK, and has had a wetsuit there for many years.  Speedo’s team of pro triathletes have the Speedo wetsuit available to them.  Rumor has it, however, that much– or most– of the team is using some other suit. QRman

Response:

Question:

Any advice, ideas on shaving/maintaining my legs without looking like I’ve got bipedal measles?  The rash is more than I can take.

Response:

Any advice, ideas on shaving/maintaining my legs without looking like I’ve got bipedal measles?  The rash is more than I can take.

I thought this was going to be a thread about shaving heads!  It seems to me that the same aero benefits that you can get from shaving your legs on the bike can be achieved for the run by shaving your head.  I certainly think that there is at least a staying cooler type of benefit.  Besides — look at what Mike Pigg has done since he went all the way on shaving. Jeff Mazer (not with a shaved head but close, and probably slower because of what’ left)

Response:

Besides — look at what Mike Pigg has done since he went all the way on shaving.

At the recent (a month?) Surfers Paradise International Triathlon (formerly World Cup Tri. – thanks ITU) they had a special wave for the ‘Be like Mike’   category. Five guys fronted up the day before to get the ‘clean’ head look to compete in the catergory – all 5 did PBs!! Latest issue of Australian Triathlete has a great photo of Mike with the five. Cheers, Tom.

Response:

Wash legs before shaving, don’t let hair get to long before shaving, don’t use disposable razors…they trash my legs.  I haven’t seen a difference between soap and shaving cream but whatever you use make sure its lathered up and wet.

Response:

: Any advice, ideas on shaving/maintaining my legs without looking like I’ve : got bipedal measles?  The rash is more than I can take. Yeah, I know those measles.  However, my girlfriend (most likely sick of that rash) gave me what seems to be the answer.  She told me to try using Pears soap (it is a kind of clear orangy colour). It does not seem to lather very well in our water but it seems to have done the job well.  The other thing is to use a moisturizer on a regular basis.  Three weeks and no rash yet!!                   __o       o                 _ <_      <       swim  +   bike  +   run  =   a good nights sleep

Response:

Question:

I have compared the standard deviations for swim, bike and run times for sprint races.  On this basis, the swim is worth about half as much as the bike and run.

Could you explain this in more detail?  (I’m not a statistician, but I know what a standard deviation is.  You need to take standard deviation into account, but the mean is the more important figure, isn’t it?)  Seems to me that I run 4 times as far in a given time as I can swim in that time.  Why is the swim worth half, rather than one-quarter as much as the run?  And the bike is obviously worth more. Or am I missing something? Indoor tri’s could be great events, but the way they’re run now, they’re just a chance for the bikers to flex their muscles.  (Spoken like a triathlete whose worst leg is the bike, eh?)   – marty — Marty Billingsley

Response:

I have compared the standard deviations for swim, bike and run times for sprint races.  On this basis, the swim is worth about half as much as the bike and run. Our company fitness center sponsers an indoor event, with 20 minutes for each leg.  They double the swim distance before adding the bike and run distances.  After appropriate translations, I determined that this scoring system works about the same way. — Curt Austin          http://www.iac.net/~curta/ Cincinnati, Ohio

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : I was thinking about a short tri of 15 minutes per event with 5 minutes : in between events. Sounds fine to me.  For some reason, all 5 of the ones I know about that were held in Chicago this year were structured as follows: 10 min swim pool 5-10 min transition  (10 min is time to go to a locker, dry & change) 20 min bike (stationary) 5 min transition 15 min run (4 were track, 1 was treadmill) I don’t know why this distribution was chosen.  Your idea of 15-15-15 would still be pretty close to it.

I’ve tried to suggest to the people who run these events — for a couple of years now — that they alter the format.  If you can believe it, the way they score these tri’s are to add up the total distance.  What a crock!!  Not only is the swim ‘way shorter than the bike and run (and the run shorter than the bike), but with the total distances added up, a strong biker could totally skip the swim and still win the event.  And this is a fair competition? Nonsense!! For example, let’s say in a 10-minute swim, person A swims 200m further than person B.  That’s a *lot*, a huge difference in swimming ability.  Now, person B is a slightly better biker than person A and bikes 300m further in 20 minutes.  That’s pretty easy to do!  Assume they’re equal runners.  Person B will win the event, by dint of being a little bit better biker, but a *much* worse swimmer.  That’s unreasonable: he’s obviously not the better triathlete! The Downtown Sports Club in Chicago, who put on the first indoor triathlons in the city (as far as I know), starting about 1986 or 87, used to score them in an interesting way.  First of all, the events were 20 minutes each: no lopsided event here!  If you were the fastest swimmer you got 100 points, 2nd fastest got 98 points, etc.  Same with biking and running.  At the end, the person with the most points won.  One advantage of this was that the event could be held over a period of a week, with people coming in at their convenience to run the race (there wasn’t enough room to hold the event all at once).  It worked out pretty well, and the results seem fair.  (Unlike the results of the indoor tri series that I’ve seen over the past couple of years.) Another way to score these indoor events, where you compete for a certain length of time rather than a distance, would be to calculate a reasonable "fudge factor".  I don’t know that much about biking, but I constantly compare my running and swimming times.  Running is aproximately 4 times faster than swimming (I’ll do repeat 100s (meters) in the pool in 1:25, and interval 400s on the track in 1:25 or thereabouts).  You could take the results of many people’s efforts in a triathlon and calculate a reasonable average fudge factor for both the swim and the run so that the distances are comparable to the bike distance.  Then you’d have a *much* fairer event. I know a few people who boycotted this winter’s indoor triathlon series in Chicago because of the emphasis on biking.  I hope that the folks responsible for putting it on will read this and think about changing the format. Anybody else have suggestions for a fair way of scoring an indoor tri?   – marty — Marty Billingsley

Response:

: I was thinking about a short tri of 15 minutes per event with 5 minutes : in between events. Sounds fine to me.  For some reason, all 5 of the ones I know about that were held in Chicago this year were structured as follows: 10 min swim pool 5-10 min transition  (10 min is time to go to a locker, dry & change) 20 min bike (stationary) 5 min transition 15 min run (4 were track, 1 was treadmill) I don’t know why this distribution was chosen.  Your idea of 15-15-15 would still be pretty close to it.

Response:

: How do you organize an indoor bike race that is fair for everyone? : Do you organize the bike using stationary trainers? : Do you provide rollers or track stands and let people bring their own : bikes?  And if so, how do you track mileage? The best setup I’ve seen is about 8 Windracers set up in series, all hooked up to a central monitor that had little color coded cyclists along with bar graphs of avg. speed, distance, etc. Since the windracers are computerized and adjusted for weight, etc. as part of the program, it was extremely accurate and far for everyone. It only took a second as you got to the bike in the 5 min. transition to punch in your weight and age, etc., and everyone was started by the computer at once. It all worked pretty well.         I’m not sure how they got all the stuff; I think the university already owned them (University of Toronto), and the software in the windracer did the rest. You might want to talk to the people at Windracer, maybe they’ll let you use some for free promo.         Good Luck!         B @ Queen’s University             Kingston, Ontario

Response:

Our club wants to organize some events in conjunction with the athletic facility here at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Members were talking about an intramural swim meet.  This is no problem to organize but we were also interested in organizing an indoor triathlon.  None of us have ever done one before so i have a few questions. I was thinking about a short tri of 15 minutes per event with 5 minutes in between events.  I figure a swimmer can cover 1200 yds (48 lengths of a 25yd pool).  A cyclist at 20 mph can cover 5 miles and a runner at about 6.5 to 7 min miles can cover 2 to 2.5 miles.  On our depressingly small indoor track that comes out to 40 to 50 laps.  So the plan was to use the following formula: swim lengths (~ 48) + bike miles X 10 (~ 50) + laps run (~50)= total score. Does this sound reasonable?   How do you organize an indoor bike race that is fair for everyone? Do you organize the bike using stationary trainers? Do you provide rollers or track stands and let people bring their own bikes?  And if so, how do you track mileage? Any input at all would be greatly appreciated.  Now I really regret not doing the multitude of indoor triathlons that were always advertised around the Chicago area when I lived there.  :( Thanks. — John H. Kwon Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Response:

I was thinking about a short tri of 15 minutes per event with 5 minutes in between events.  I figure a swimmer can cover 1200 yds (48 lengths of a 25yd pool).  A cyclist at 20 mph can cover 5 miles and a runner at about 6.5 to 7 min miles can cover 2 to 2.5 miles.  On our depressingly small indoor track that comes out to 40 to 50 laps.  So the plan was to use the following formula: swim lengths (~ 48) + bike miles X 10 (~ 50) + laps run (~50)= total score. Does this sound reasonable?   How do you organize an indoor bike race that is fair for everyone?

No race can be fair for everyone unless everyone finishes with the same time/place/distance for the same effort.  I would try your format with a few triathletes of varying skill and check the results. Do you organize the bike using stationary trainers? Do you provide rollers or track stands and let people bring their own bikes?  And if so, how do you track mileage?

If you use a stationary trainer, you need some way to calibrate the resistance to make it equal.  Otherwise, some people may have a very low resistance and get a big advantage against the people who set their resistance high. Any input at all would be greatly appreciated.  Now I really regret not doing the multitude of indoor triathlons that were always advertised around the Chicago area when I lived there.  :(

The series I did used the following format: Swim 10 minutes, volunteer counts lengths, swimmer gets credit for next full length if past halfway mark at 10 minutes.  Convert lengths to mileage. Bike 20 minutes on stationary exercise bike.  Use distance from odometer. Over the past three year, three types of indoor bikes were used.  The first year the top people averaged ~45MPH, so the distance was divided in half. The bike was usually the main factor in the final results.  You need to be careful on choosing an indoor bike because some models cannot be calibrated equally. Run 15 minutes on indoor track (sizes from 8 to 13.5 laps per mile), runner gets credit for full lap if past halfway mark at 15 minutes.  Covert laps to miles. Overall place was determined by total distance traveled. Be prepared to sweat! Todd Jensen                                   o AT&T Bell Labs              ___^o_    __o    <| Naperville, IL                      _ <_    _

Response:

Question:

: | : | I hear that Colorado multi sport events are seeing declining numbers.  Is : | this true.   : | : The number of entrants was up this year at the  Boulder Peak : Race.  There were 700 entered 3 days before the race.  About : 600 entered in 1993.   – When the USTS series stopped in Denver; 1985, 86, 87, 88,

     There were ~800 in 85′ and declined to ~600 in 88′.  So,      triathlon in CO really hasn’t enjoyed the growth other      parts of the country have. : The race directors are shooting for 1000 next year. – He’s not going to come close to 1,000 if he doesn’t improve

     the quality of the awards. -RC

Response:

– When the USTS series stopped in Denver; 1985, 86, 87, 88,      There were ~800 in 85′ and declined to ~600 in 88′.  So,      triathlon in CO really hasn’t enjoyed the growth other      parts of the country have.

[no "female numbers" because all I recorded were data for my own results  comparisons] Exact USTS Denver Stats  (these are MALE finishers only):   1985:  631   1986:  862   1987:  604   1988:  485   1989:  Defunct I suspect that the Boulder Peak had about 500 male finishers. BTW, the largest triathlon ever held in Colorado was the 1986 Governor’s Cup.  In that race there were 933 male finishers and about 1200 total racers.  This race was BIG because it had a very short (1/4 mile) open water swim just to attract first timers.  In that race nearly half the entrants were doing their first triathlon! – He’s not going to come close to 1,000 if he doesn’t improve      the quality of the awards.

You don’t really believe that the quality of the awards has a significant effect on race numbers, do you?  I would question any age groupers racing motives if they would skip a race "because I just got a plaque and not a $50 gift certificate". —    LSC (aka Larry Chapman)    (303) 229-3117

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : | : | I hear that Colorado multi sport events are seeing declining numbers.  Is : | this true.   : | : The number of entrants was up this year at the  Boulder Peak : Race.  There were 700 entered 3 days before the race.  About : 600 entered in 1993.   – When the USTS series stopped in Denver; 1985, 86, 87, 88,      There were ~800 in 85′ and declined to ~600 in 88′.  So,      triathlon in CO really hasn’t enjoyed the growth other      parts of the country have. : The race directors are shooting for 1000 next year. – He’s not going to come close to 1,000 if he doesn’t improve      the quality of the awards.

The situation in NM is much worse.  You are hard pressed to find races that exceed 200 competitors– even for the world qualifying racings and the Tri-Fed championships.  The only _big_ one is the Sante Fe Tri (this coming Sunday), but most of the competitors are in the relay competition. This is hard for me to understand since running and cycling (both mtn and road) are absolutely huge sports in the state.  The du-s are actually smaller than the tri-s so lack of swimming doesn’t seem to be much of an argument.    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

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Unoffical Results of Sunday’s race (1.5k/42k/10k): 1) Mike Pigg 2) Bill Braun 3) Scott Molina This race served as the Tri-Fed Rocky Mountain Regional Championship.  Bill Braun was trying for his third consectutive Boulder Peak win, but this year there was a stronger pro field. The pro men started 17 minutes after the pro women, with the first to cross the finish picking up additional prize money. Braun was 4th out of the water, Pigg was back about 1 min. in 6th or 7th.  Braun took the lead in the bike soon after the transition.  Pigg caught Braun at the top of the Lee Hill Rd. Braun and Pigg switched the lead a couple of times, with Pigg finishing the bike with a 10 sec. lead.  The first pro woman was about 1 min ahead of them.  About 3 min. back were 4 men. including Scott Molina.  Pigg managed to increase his lead to nearly 3 minutes by the finish. 1) Pigg   ~1:57:30 2) Braun  ~2:00:20 3) Molina ~2:00:50 The first pro woman finished about 2:01:30 (+17 minutes). Had to leave town before getting women’s results. Anyone have them? Jeff Braun

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Braun) writes:

I hear that Colorado multi sport events are seeing declining numbers.  Is this true.  We seem to be having a banner year here in New England, in particular the Boston area. We just had 600 people at the Baystate triathlon- a local Ironman qualifier with an excellent age group field from all parts of the country, including a whole bunch from Canada, Sorry, can’t help you out with the womens results from your race in Boulder,

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| | I hear that Colorado multi sport events are seeing declining numbers.  Is | this true.  We seem to be having a banner year here in New England, in | particular the Boston area. | | We just had 600 people at the Baystate triathlon- a local Ironman | qualifier with an excellent age group field from all parts of the country, | including a whole bunch from Canada, The number of entrants was up this year at the  Boulder Peak Race.  There were 700 entered 3 days before the race.  About 600 entered in 1993.  The race directors are shooting for 1000 next year. JB

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