Question:

What does a Coach do! Going to a party!!! Not that I am a party animal but sometimes you have to and you want too! This past weekend  were the national championship races cyclocross. Unfortunately I could no go and watch, work was pilling up and to stay fit I had to workout too. Saturday afternoon I got a phone call from one of my athletes "cheering in my ear" he won. He won the junior Belgian National title, and if I could come over to party!!!!! That same evening they had a big party to celebrate his championship. A party with lots of soda, healthy food and no smokers! A real party for athletes that is what I like. I have great admiration for the cyclocross sport. Actually as I come to think about it they are the first duathletes ever. Or the first x-terra athletes? They ride hard on their bikes, jump over hurdles, ride in loose sand and run up steps etc etc. Cycling is hard but training for cyclocross is even harder. Just imagine going 1 hour plus anaerobic; ride, run jump climbing up stairs. Just for all of you who want to tri this fun sport! There is a real cyclocross workout in this newsletter (you can use your mountain bike instead of a cyclocross bike).   Have fun!!!!  BIKE WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: FCS 6: This is a specific cyclocross workout: Ride to a nice trail/piece of forest with some hills and loose sand! Look for a hill that is not too long and not too steep, this is your hill! Ride up this hill moderate speed and back down (twice) Ride up this hill in a somewhat harder pace (twice) Ride up this hill in your biggest gear at 50 rpm (twice) go down hard in small gear! – Do this total set twice but start second set when HR is under 130 bpm Ride easy for 10 to 15 minutes after second set. And go back to the same hill for more hard work! Ride to the beginning of the hill, get off the bike (carry your bike) and run up the hill. On top get on bike and ride down fast. Repeat 6 to 8 times! Ride easy for 30 to 60 minutes after second set. Have fun with this workout Workout for the Stationary trainer: FRK 1) Tacx training warm up 120 watt (10′) on 90 rpm). 1′ Left leg  +  1′ Right leg  push  on 80 rpm (140 watt) 1′ Left leg  +  1′ Right leg  pull on 80 rpm (160 watt) 10′  Big gear (220 watt) 50 rpm. 1′ Left leg  +  1′ Right leg  push  on 90 rpm (160 watt) 1′ Left leg  +  1′ Right leg  pull on 90 rpm (140 watt) 10′  Big gear (240 watt) 60 rpm. 10′ cool down easy. More free workouts and much more about training on our website www.stapsport.com

Response:

What does a Coach do! Teach and learn! Yes I learn, everyday I learn. I think that is the most important thing about a coach. Learn from your athletes, hear what they have to say and fit it in. Fit it in the daily routine. A lot of my time as a coach I spend with talking with my athletes. On the phone and true email, talking about training and talking about life. Both should be in balance, total balance. When one is out of balance you can’t perform in either. And that is not what we want. Why did we start out to do this?? We like to be athletes, like the look, like to be strong!! Like to be fit and like to race and go fast. Have a personal victory. I know I like that, the personal victory. I think that is the most beautiful thing about triathlon, we all are winners. We are winners b/c we compeed. We are winners b/c we finish the race and we are winners just to be a triathlete. We have to work hard to be a triathlete. And when you are in balance everything goes even better. You perform well during training, you perform well working and can handle problems better in personal life! This week we will talk about running and running speed. RUNNING FASTER.. AND FASTER The session requires the athlete to run progressively faster as he/she gets progressively more tired. It goes something like this….. [the example times are based on a runner capable of 18.45 for 5000 metres, adjust times accordingly for faster and slower athletes] Warm up, then: run 400 metres at 3 seconds faster than your 5k racing pace; an 18 minute 45 second 5k runner (this speed for 5k probably equates to about 38.30 to 40 minutes for 10k pace depending on endurance fitness) is covering each 400 metres in around 90 seconds, so this 400 metres is aimed at 87 seconds… so far so good…… 400 metres recovery at about one minute per mile slower than race pace for 5k, this gives just 15 seconds slower than the effort 400 metres for your recovery, -just slightly faster than one and three quarter minutes for the 400 metres…..(all the recovery phases are done at this pace, this is important). Click here to read the article and see the workout ITU POWERMAN RACES (PLANNING) ITU POWERMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Question:

does anyone know where i can look up or find a web site that lists a series and/or a list of all the professional races for the 2001 triathlon season. preferably olympic/international distance or up to 1/2IM distance. thanks for any help at all!!! logonwheeler

Response:

The book "Triathlon 2001" by Katherine Williams of the Triathlon Digest has prize money listings worldwide as well as contacts etc that are a great resource for an elite athlete. http://www.triathlonlive.com/headings/tridigest/tridigest.html I’m not sure if you can buy it online yet, as it is pretty new (I’ve only had mine a couple of days – I got it through an ad I placed in it), but try emailing triathlon live editor. Good luck, Joel Filliol www.competitionzone.com Triathlon Coaching and Consulting

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – does anyone know where i can look up or find a web site that lists a series and/or a list of all the professional races for the 2001 triathlon season. preferably olympic/international distance or up to 1/2IM distance. thanks for any help at all!!! logonwheeler

Response:

Logan,  You can find hundreds of triathlons listed (mostly age group but some pro) at http://www.trifind.com/ Good Luck Steve A

Response:

Question:

Well, certified races may indeed be certified for total distance (if the race you refer to was certified), but they don’t have to be certified for waypoints, say the 1K mark in a 5K race.  3:22 for the first K is about 16:50 5K pace.  Possibly you were going this fast in the first K, but I doubt it.  More likely, the first K mark was not in the correct point.  Many races I have run have been very slipshod on at least one or more of the waypoints.  Some, of course, are very accurate, and indeed good race organizers understand the necessity of this and take pride in it. The idea of running a car over the first 1/4 or 1/2 mile is ridiculuous — the error will be too large to give you any valid feedback on pace.  In the end, because you can’t necessarily trust the first K or mile mark, you have to rely on you speedwork training to get the proper start pace. In elite events, usually the first waypoints are quite accurate.  But wasn’t there a recent women’s national (or international) elite triathlon event where the actual distance of the course was 8K when it was supposed to be 10K?

Response:

Well, certified races may indeed be certified for total distance (if the race you refer to was certified), but they don’t have to be certified for waypoints, say the 1K mark in a 5K race.  3:22 for the first K is about 16:50 5K pace.  Possibly you were going this fast in the first K, but I doubt it.

I don’t think this is a dubious figure. In my last 5K I ran 18:55 and the first K in 3:30 (granted, it’s a long 8 secs slower than his) and the second in 3:36. In the first K I was well well within comfortable pace for that distance. So it seems to me that his time is feasible but with a heavy cost at the end. (Such fast starts make me wonder how well I would have done by holding my horses better and running 3,4, or 5 secs under my planned 3:48 pace for the whole thing… In the end my pace turned out to be just 1 sec faster than my PR of 19-flat–ie, 3:47) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – More likely, the first K mark was not in the correct point.  Many races I have run have been very slipshod on at least one or more of the waypoints.  Some, of course, are very accurate, and indeed good race organizers understand the necessity of this and take pride in it. The idea of running a car over the first 1/4 or 1/2 mile is ridiculuous — the error will be too large to give you any valid feedback on pace.  In the end, because you can’t necessarily trust the first K or mile mark, you have to rely on you speedwork training to get the proper start pace. In elite events, usually the first waypoints are quite accurate.  But wasn’t there a recent women’s national (or international) elite triathlon event where the actual distance of the course was 8K when it was supposed to be 10K?

Response:

What to do – you just need to learn from your mistakes and try to correct them the next time!  Starting too fast will cause trouble at the end of a race.

I totally agree – but I_keep_doing_it. I *think* I’m running on pace, and I get the bad news at the 1k split. If only races provided a 200m split right at the start, I’d be better of!! I think I’ve run enough races by now that I should have a better handle on this. It’s quite deceiving for me. I simply feel *too good* at the start of every race.  But you also sound like you expect to set a new PR every race, maybe this race just happened to be on a day that was not one of your peak days! CW

True enough…. but I have been close to a sub-19 5k for 2 months. I have ran a 19:16, 19:15, and 19:13 in the past 5 weeks. The first two were in training, and the last (my PR) was the first 5k of a 10k race two weeks ago. So, I felt confident (and still do) that a sub-19 is on the horizon for me if I work hard, and I look at every 5k race I do these days as a chance to do it. About the "peak days" thing, well – I could have ran a sub-19 if I paced myself correctly. That’s all I can say. It wasn’t an "off day" issue, it was a gun jumping issue for sure. I just have to learn!! Sorry ’bout being so long winded. David (in Ontario) — —  :*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.  "Nunc scio quid sit amor." .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Response:

Well, certified races may indeed be certified for total distance (if the race you refer to was certified), but they don’t have to be certified for waypoints, say the 1K mark in a 5K race.  3:22 for the first K is about 16:50 5K pace.  Possibly you were going this fast in the first K, but I doubt it.

Unfortunately, I do this all the time – sometimes on a grand scale, such as my recent 1:36 first half of a 3:42 marathon. I think my first few km’s in that were in the 4:15 range, yet I was aiming for 5:00/km’s. EVERY race I enter is the same. I seem to be afraid of being too slow or something. I believe the 3:22. The guy who eventually won (15:05) was quite close to me at the 1k split. Of course, at the time I wasn’t aware that he was running 3:01/km. I just knew he was the leader. David (in Ontario) — —  :*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.  "Nunc scio quid sit amor." .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Response:

I agree that it’s very easy to go out way too fast, but you really have to learn from your mistakes. A 3:22 first kilometer is on pace for a 16:50, which is ridiculous. If you can still manage a 19:30 after going out that fast you obviously have a lot of potential. It’s very easy to give in to the excitement and adrenaline at the starting line, but you have to learn how to run your own race, and not follow someone out much faster than would do you any good. You need to have total confidence in your pace, and not worry about anyone around you. It might feel abnormally slow going out at target pace, but you’ll find that your times will improve significantly if you do so. My PR is 18:10 for the 5k, and I’ve never taken the first mile out faster than 5:45. Patience really pays off.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What to do – you just need to learn from your mistakes and try to correct them the next time!  Starting too fast will cause trouble at the end of a race. I totally agree – but I_keep_doing_it. I *think* I’m running on pace, and I get the bad news at the 1k split. If only races provided a 200m split right at the start, I’d be better of!! I think I’ve run enough races by now that I should have a better handle on this. It’s quite deceiving for me. I simply feel *too good* at the start of every race.  But you also sound like you expect to set a new PR every race, maybe this race just happened to be on a day that was not one of your peak days! CW True enough…. but I have been close to a sub-19 5k for 2 months. I have ran a 19:16, 19:15, and 19:13 in the past 5 weeks. The first two were in training, and the last (my PR) was the first 5k of a 10k race two weeks ago. So, I felt confident (and still do) that a sub-19 is on the horizon for me if I work hard, and I look at every 5k race I do these days as a chance to do it. About the "peak days" thing, well – I could have ran a sub-19 if I paced myself correctly. That’s all I can say. It wasn’t an "off day" issue, it was a gun jumping issue for sure. I just have to learn!! Sorry ’bout being so long winded. David (in Ontario) — —  :*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.  "Nunc scio quid sit amor." .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Response:

—snip— The guy who eventually won (15:05) was quite close to me at the 1k split. Of course, at the time I wasn’t aware that he was running 3:01/km. I just knew he was the leader.

Ha David, There you have it.  You do the same thing I do.  You look at the people in front of you at the start and forget about your own pace for a while.  At least that’s what happens to me. BTW  I got edged out by a 12 year old girl in yesterday’s 5k, but instead of over a minute it was less then 15 seconds.  She was pretty far ahead at the turn around, but not that far ahead at the end.  I did manage to pass a lot of other people on the final hill that had been in front of me since before the 1 mile marker.  If I’d run a 22:19 like I did on Saturday, I would have beat the 12 year old.  I’m getting closer to them and the year is not over yet.  ;-) Roger

Response:

I ram a 5k race today, aiming for a sub-19. My PR was 19:13. I ended up running a 19:31. I ran the first km in 3:22, although I planned to run no faster than 3:45/km at any time during the race. Obviously that’s what burned me in the end. It’s funny, I can run a bang-on 4:00km, or a 3:50, or whatever, in *practice*. I have great pacing skills in non-race situations. I DO practice various paces, and feel I know them….. and then this happens. What to do? I have another 5k race in 2 weeks – I’d like to "redeem" myself. David (in Ontario) — —  :*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.  "Nunc scio quid sit amor." .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Response:

I can give you several things: (1)  I’ve had very good luck with the tapering stategy that Seb Coe used at the 1984 Olympics, which can be found on p.376 of "Better Training For Distance Runners."  The idea is to do your last hard workout 5-10 days before a major race, with the remaining workouts be run at race tempo pace with relaxed recovery.  For, me, running a bit over 4:00 for 1500, the normal workout is 4 X 300 in 48 with 3 minutes rest.  You would do, say, 400s at exactly 91 seconds for a 19:00 5K. (2)  Walk (or drive) the course before the race.  Find landmarks for 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile points, and hit those landmarks in your race.  This is very common for elites. (3)  Warmup properly.  Do the same warmup that you would do for track intervals. (4)  Do some tactical training.  For me, 1500s are NOT raced at an even pace. So, I have a 5 X 1000 workout, where the first 2 X 1000 are run with the first lap being run very fast (faster than race pace) and the rest of the rep is being spent just holding on; The last 2 X 1000 are run opposite (very sharp negative splits). Lyndon "Speed kills … it kills anyone who doesn’t have it!" -Brooks Johnson

Response:

What to do – you just need to learn from your mistakes and try to correct them the next time!  Starting too fast will cause trouble at the end of a race.  But you also sound like you expect to set a new PR every race, maybe this race just happened to be on a day that was not one of your peak days! CW

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I ram a 5k race today, aiming for a sub-19. My PR was 19:13. I ended up running a 19:31. I ran the first km in 3:22, although I planned to run no faster than 3:45/km at any time during the race. Obviously that’s what burned me in the end. It’s funny, I can run a bang-on 4:00km, or a 3:50, or whatever, in *practice*. I have great pacing skills in non-race situations. I DO practice various paces, and feel I know them….. and then this happens. What to do? I have another 5k race in 2 weeks – I’d like to "redeem" myself. David (in Ontario) — —  :*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.  "Nunc scio quid sit amor." .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Response:

I ram a 5k race today, aiming for a sub-19. My PR was 19:13. I ended up running a 19:31. I ran the first km in 3:22, although I planned to run no faster than 3:45/km at any time during the race. Obviously that’s what burned me in the end.

Probably, but who knows.  I hardly ever run even splits and when I try I end up running slower. It’s funny, I can run a bang-on 4:00km, or a 3:50, or whatever, in *practice*. I have great pacing skills in non-race situations. I DO practice various paces, and feel I know them….. and then this happens. What to do? I have another 5k race in 2 weeks – I’d like to "redeem" myself.

If you want to run more even you’ve got to force yourself to run so slowly that it "feels" like you’re jogging in the beginning of the race.  Not literally jogging of course, but easy.  Racing is much different from training as you have already discovered.  Adrenaline and competition makes running faster much easier than it otherwise would be and makes that first couple of K feel like nothing.  In a race situation run easier than your sense of pace in the beginning and faster towards the end – this should result in an approximately even pace. -jeff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – David (in Ontario) — —  :*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.  "Nunc scio quid sit amor." .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Response:

Question:

Hi Richard. There are several different distances as you mention. Marty Gaal has written up a page on them which you can find at www.recsporttriathlon.com under "The Distances" I believe. Mike RST webbastard Hi there, I’m wondering if anyone could verify the distances of different triathlons for me (from sprint, Ironman, Olympic (which I think is international), and any others, plus any other differences (i.e. drafting…), and approximate times to finish (top finishes).  Any other general info would be great !! Thanks, Richelle

Before you buy.

Response:

You will find answers to your questions here at rec.sport.triathlon’s frequently asked questions. http://userweb.interactive.net/~troehr/tri-faq.html Larry Kuxhausen http://www.crosstrain.com/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi there, I’m wondering if anyone could verify the distances of different triathlons for me (from sprint, Ironman, Olympic (which I think is international), and any others, plus any other differences (i.e. drafting…), and approximate times to finish (top finishes).  Any other general info would be great !! Thanks, Richelle

Response:

Hi there, I’m wondering if anyone could verify the distances of different triathlons for me (from sprint, Ironman, Olympic (which I think is international), and any others, plus any other differences (i.e. drafting…), and approximate times to finish (top finishes).  Any other general info would be great !! Thanks, Richelle

Response:

Question:

The Bay Area is about the same.  $1.49 is the lowest price I’ve been seeing.  I’m not even sure that price is still good.  $1.54 is more like it.  :(

Alas, you’re held hostage to those high peninsula taxes. Up here in Marin, I can get gas for as low as $1.21. It’s even cheaper over in Vallejo, but that’s too far to drive just to fill up . . . TriathRon

Response:

so does that mean i have to take my hum-v back?

Not necessarily. Send it to me and I’ll dispose of it properly (or give it a good home.)

Response:

Nothing makes me more ill than an SUV and all these minivans parading around town.  99% of which will never be offroad (well ok, the minivans weren’t intended to be) and all the owners which proudly say "well, if I get in a crash I’ll be safer."  Yeah, you’ll likely kill the other guy, but…. Of course that said, I couldn’t even talk my mother out of buying a Honda CRV.  She "feels safer" in it.  Argh. Jason "screw functional, I still want to buy the SLK 230….I’ll worry about a place for the bike later"

        Let’s not EVEN get started on self righteous condemnation of other people’s vehicular choices, especially while crowing about desires for rolling-ego-support-costume-jewelry like an SLK.  Everyone here is a cyclist, and more than a few of us are motorcyclists, for whom a Honda Civic represents more of a threat than an Excursion does to the Civic driver.  In sunny weather, when traveling alone, that Civic, compared to a two-wheel vehicle, is just as unnecessary and self indulgent a choice as an SUV that never leaves the pavement.           We all make our choices, and reap BOTH the benefits and liabilities of those choices.  Some people are willing to max out their credit card for one fill up of gas, and to limit their parking options, to feel safer, or haul more people, or whatever their motives.  At least (most) people in SUV’s acknowledge smaller cars’ right to be on the road, which is more than I can say for the attitude of the average econobox driver toward those of us on two wheels.

Response:

: Yeah, that’s very expensive : Gas in Helsinki,Finland costs about 4.2 for unleaded… It must be December, time for the "what’s the price of gas in your area" thread.  :) Jason "1.49/gal or 38.5 US$/litre in Washington DC for premium"

The Bay Area is about the same.  $1.49 is the lowest price I’ve been seeing.  I’m not even sure that price is still good.  $1.54 is more like it.  :( TriBaby                                     _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "Real triathletes don’t draft." http://www.stanford.edu/~brooksie *New to triathlon?  Check out Hulaman’s Simple TriTips:  http://www.hulaman.com/triathlon/tritips.html    

Response:

ookaayyy……but i’m taking the bike shop out of the back

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – so does that mean i have to take my hum-v back? Not necessarily. Send it to me and I’ll dispose of it properly (or give it a good home.)

Response:

ookaayyy……but i’m taking the bike shop out of the back so does that mean i have to take my hum-v back? Not necessarily. Send it to me and I’ll dispose of it properly (or give it a good home.)

NO problem, just let me know where to send the flatbed to pick it up.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Premium gas here is about 98cNZ/litre or  1.49US/litre or 5.78US/gal …humm, something’s not right and they’re going to increase my income tax by 6% too?! : Yeah, that’s very expensive : Gas in Helsinki,Finland costs about 4.2 for unleaded… It must be December, time for the "what’s the price of gas in your area" thread.  :) Jason "1.49/gal or 38.5 US$/litre in Washington DC for premium" The Bay Area is about the same.  $1.49 is the lowest price I’ve been seeing.  I’m not even sure that price is still good.  $1.54 is more like it.  :(

I love these gas price threads. This past summer, gas around Atlanta dropped to 67 cents per gallon for regular unleaded — no lie!!! My west coast relatives could not believe it. Currently, the cheapest I’ve seen is about $1.07/gal, but it was up to $1.12 a week ago. David / FEY2K – IMCA (remove spaces) at att dot net

Response:

Yeah, that’s very expensive Gas in Helsinki,Finland costs about 4.2 for unleaded… -Christer "That’s why I ride a bike"

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gas prices here in Charlotte are now up to 1.25 – 1.30 for low grade unleaded….. you make a good point.  I heard it costs like 65.00 to fill up an Excursion…. that’s a lot of soccer games !! bd

Response:

I have not only owned a few vehicles (8) but also worked at 2 different dealerships while putting myself through school.  This is one area where I know my stuff, so here a few of my suggestions: Get away from domestic vehicles unless you are buying it new. – Sure, it’s great to support the ‘ole USofA, but from my experience, domestic cars are POS – and once the warranty runs out, forget about it. Minivans are THE best vehicles for hauling stuff and people around in.  If you can drive a minivan and are ok w/ that, by all means, this is the most practical approach. If you like cars, and like the "cool" factor that comes w/ cars, then a minivan is out of the question.  The only exception I might give to this is one of those Dodge caravans – and then, it has to be black and have those stock chrome wheels that Chrysler was specking for a while. I recommend the Audi A-4 or maybe a Volvo.  Both of these are VERY dependable vehicles, and they have a cool factor, as well as some  pnosh. If you are dead-set on an SUV – spring for  a used Mercedes ML320, or a Lexus RX300.  Best values on the market IMO, and are the future of SUV’s. (Smaller, more fuel efficient, good cargo room)  Sure, they are a little more expensive, but you won’t have to worry about them – both companies have an impeccable record for dependability. If you decide that these are just too far out of your reach, the X-terra, for all it’s hype, really isn’t a bad little car.  Nissan has been using that engine for a number of years now, and it shares it’s platform w/ a number of different trucks.  The 4 door truck isn’t bad either…depending on what your needs are. Steer clear of Isuzu and Honda Suv’s unless you are buying a post ‘98 model. And even then, I’d forget about the Honda, it just a re-badged Isuzu for $5k more. Toyota is still the leader of the pack AFA dependability goes.  They are a little more expensive, but they wear so well, if you plan on keeping your car for more than a year or two, it’s probably the way to go.  Their small truck line is great – and if you put a camper shell on the back, can be one of the best vehicles ever for hauling people/stuff.  Their Tundra line is exceptional, sharing it’s V-8 with the Lexus LS400 – creamy smooth on the highway – and all sorts of power off road.  These start around $23k tough, and can get a little pricey.  Forget the RAV4 – it’s a fag car.  (no anti-homosexual aggression intended)  No power, no room – no way.  The newer 4runner is a nice car, but I’d skip it’s predecessor (pre’96) This vehicle still gets mediocre gas mileage, but it has a cool factor that makes up for some of that.  (especially the model w/ the ram-air intake on the hood…grrrr) Of course, Rover makes some nice vehicles – but be sure you keep-up the maintenance on those.  If you fall behind, there can be hell to pay in repair costs.  (And IIRC, you can get a nice little used Land Rover for ~$15k if you look around – these meet all your requirements) Finally – be sure to avoid quirky colors.  Sure, it might look cool now, but black, white, and red hold their re-sale value better.  Also, be sure to get the nicest interior you can find/afford.  Not only will it help the resale value, but it will make your vehicle exponentially nicer for you.  (Read: get the leather pkg!) Good luck in your vehicle endeavor, -phranc

Response:

so does that mean i have to take my hum-v back?

Response:

So, my question to all RSTers out there is this….. what’s the best Tri Mobile out there today??  

        I’m surprised no one else said this yet.  I just got what promises to be a great tri-mobile, a used Toyota T100 4WD pickup.  Unlimited space for stuff – no removing wheels, etc, just put the bike, the bag, whatever, in the back.  After the race, just throw the wet wetsuit, etc., in the bed and when you get home, remove it all and hose out the bed.  I plan to put a cap on it in the spring, and for those races two hours’ drive away, in the middle of nowhere, I can add a mat and a sleeping bag, and I’m ready to go the night before.  It’s helpful in other ways as well; SInce I do almost everything on the house myself, it makes the trips to Home Depot a lot easier.  Friday it will carry home a new furnace (please don’t let it get too cold this week.)  You said 4WD is a requirement; SUVs have it, but still get stuck because they lack real ground clearance to go with it (I know, my last pickup pulled enough SUV’s out of the mud.)  It also comes in handy when you have a big dog who just LOVES mud, swamps, rivers, and other means of rendering oneself unfit to ride home on the seats.

Response:

With people suggesting that suv’s are the go (not you iron pete) but in general maybe the "penis" posts are relevant. These people are trying to compensate for something lacking!!! Stuart – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Let’s see…Excursion? Man, those things are so big that I can’t understand how they can be legal. As for SUV’s in general, it seems like the main part of the SUV that I see is the whole grill encompassing my rear-view mirror while driving. I don’t know if this is true or not, but it seems like a lot more of the drivers of SUV’s have a propensity to tailgate me at 70MPH on a highway then drivers of regular sedans. Anyway, these things came about partly because fuel prices were pretty low. I wonder if this SUV trend will continue with the rising fuel prices. My guess is that as time progresses, you’ll see a lot smaller, more fuel efficient SUV’s on the road in the future if fuel continues to rise. I’ll stick to my Mercury Cougar with the big trunk for my bike…                          |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   IMCAL, IMC Y2K IMC’99: 10:45:03          |        |                 "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

Let’s see…Excursion? Man, those things are so big that I can’t understand how they can be legal. As for SUV’s in general, it seems like the main part of the SUV that I see is the whole grill encompassing my rear-view mirror while driving. I don’t know if this is true or not, but it seems like a lot more of the drivers of SUV’s have a propensity to tailgate me at 70MPH on a highway then drivers of regular sedans. Anyway, these things came about partly because fuel prices were pretty low. I wonder if this SUV trend will continue with the rising fuel prices. My guess is that as time progresses, you’ll see a lot smaller, more fuel efficient SUV’s on the road in the future if fuel continues to rise. I’ll stick to my Mercury Cougar with the big trunk for my bike…                           |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   IMCAL, IMC Y2K IMC’99: 10:45:03          |        |                  "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

I love my ML320 and Infiniti QX4…… sam – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Missed the beginning of this thread, but here’s my 2cUS (or 4cNZ).. I had a mid sized Contour for my bikes and really liked it. I never had a rack and could put two bikes in the truck, safe secure and out of site. Of course it was a little annoying to take both wheels off all the time, but they were clean and safe and didn’t get scratched thanks to my little camp blanket turned bike blanket/bike rag. Sold it and now have a Nissan Premeria wagon.  Awesome!! It handles like a little sports car, but to the point it’s an awesome car for sports people. My fiancee and I almost always have a road and mtn bike each and multisport races mean 2-4 bikes and 1-2 kayaks(18footers). I can’t put our bikes in a fork mount in the back, but I couldn’t do that with my fathers Explorer either, but could in a mini van (I’ve got an 88cm inseam). We have lots of room for our stuff and get great gas mileage. We have a trailer hitch (everyone in NZ has one, even my little sports car does too) and you can get awesome 1-4 bike carriers for your hitch (nicer than ones I’ve seen available in North America).  We added a rook rack to the factory rails and we can now carry 5 bikes and a kayak or two kayaks and three bikes (we’ll trade in the 3 bike hitch for a 4 bike one). What an amazing setup though. Fully loaded we can drive Kiwi roads like we don’t have all the stuff on the roof and hitch. Anyone who’s been here will understand what that means… roads here resemble roller coasters. Too bad wagons are underrated in NA and aren’t as readably available. Oh, yeah, it’s long enough to ‘curl up in’ to sleep like a mini too!  Looks like an Outback wagon so it’s pretty cool. Xterras look cool too so long as you stay away from yellow ones. I screamed when I saw one. Having started all this tri and cycling stuff at 13 and am now 24, I can say that I like my wagon and  way better than the Explorers Dad hauled me around in for years. Cheers, jason So, my question to all RSTers out there is this….. what’s the best Tri Mobile out there today??  Admittedly, Ive been sucked in by the Xterra ads….I’m thinking if I buy an Xterra, I can shave major minutes off my 10k times (grin)… but seriously, does the internal bike rack on those things work??  Anyone have any other ideas on SUV’s etc??  Cherokees, Monterros, Expeditions etc. Jason MacDonald Nova Scotian at heart, now in New Zealand quicky becoming a Kiwi

  km40.vcf

< 1K Download

Response:

Gas prices here in Charlotte are now up to 1.25 – 1.30 for low grade unleaded….. you make a good point.  I heard it costs like 65.00 to fill up an Excursion…. that’s a lot of soccer games !! bd – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Let’s see…Excursion? Man, those things are so big that I can’t understand how they can be legal. As for SUV’s in general, it seems like the main part of the SUV that I see is the whole grill encompassing my rear-view mirror while driving. I don’t know if this is true or not, but it seems like a lot more of the drivers of SUV’s have a propensity to tailgate me at 70MPH on a highway then drivers of regular sedans. Anyway, these things came about partly because fuel prices were pretty low. I wonder if this SUV trend will continue with the rising fuel prices. My guess is that as time progresses, you’ll see a lot smaller, more fuel efficient SUV’s on the road in the future if fuel continues to rise. I’ll stick to my Mercury Cougar with the big trunk for my bike…                          |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   IMCAL, IMC Y2K IMC’99: 10:45:03          |        |                 "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

If you decide to go with something "smaller", you might want to take a look at a Subura Outback.  While I’ve got a wife and a 105 lb dog (that goes everywhere my wife goes), it can get a little snug.  It is a great car.  Our setup includes a roof rack and basketcage (w/strechnet) and allows to get everything for at least a 1 week vacation including the bike.

Response:

Missed the beginning of this thread, but here’s my 2cUS (or 4cNZ).. I had a mid sized Contour for my bikes and really liked it. I never had a rack and could put two bikes in the truck, safe secure and out of site. Of course it was a little annoying to take both wheels off all the time, but they were clean and safe and didn’t get scratched thanks to my little camp blanket turned bike blanket/bike rag. Sold it and now have a Nissan Premeria wagon.  Awesome!! It handles like a little sports car, but to the point it’s an awesome car for sports people. My fiancee and I almost always have a road and mtn bike each and multisport races mean 2-4 bikes and 1-2 kayaks(18footers). I can’t put our bikes in a fork mount in the back, but I couldn’t do that with my fathers Explorer either, but could in a mini van (I’ve got an 88cm inseam). We have lots of room for our stuff and get great gas mileage. We have a trailer hitch (everyone in NZ has one, even my little sports car does too) and you can get awesome 1-4 bike carriers for your hitch (nicer than ones I’ve seen available in North America).  We added a rook rack to the factory rails and we can now carry 5 bikes and a kayak or two kayaks and three bikes (we’ll trade in the 3 bike hitch for a 4 bike one). What an amazing setup though. Fully loaded we can drive Kiwi roads like we don’t have all the stuff on the roof and hitch. Anyone who’s been here will understand what that means… roads here resemble roller coasters. Too bad wagons are underrated in NA and aren’t as readably available. Oh, yeah, it’s long enough to ‘curl up in’ to sleep like a mini too!  Looks like an Outback wagon so it’s pretty cool. Xterras look cool too so long as you stay away from yellow ones. I screamed when I saw one. Having started all this tri and cycling stuff at 13 and am now 24, I can say that I like my wagon and  way better than the Explorers Dad hauled me around in for years. Cheers, jason So, my question to all RSTers out there is this….. what’s the best Tri Mobile out there today??  Admittedly, Ive been sucked in by the Xterra ads….I’m thinking if I buy an Xterra, I can shave major minutes off my 10k times (grin)… but seriously, does the internal bike rack on those things work??  Anyone have any other ideas on SUV’s etc??  Cherokees, Monterros, Expeditions etc.

Jason MacDonald Nova Scotian at heart, now in New Zealand quicky becoming a Kiwi

Response:

<snip Hey Brian,  I know this is not the "cool" aspect but….  I have kept my Chevy Astro van because it’s good on gas but lots of power, 4 individual chairs with the rear bench either foldable or removable…. alll my gear fits including bikes, at least 4 with rear seat removed (remove front wheels)… very comfy and it looks pretty good.  It has dark tinted side windows (not front) and I have changed clothes comfortably at more than one race.  It isn’t 4 whl drive but I’ve had 2 suv’s and the maintenance is not something I care to bother with again….. and as a rule there is more maintenance (both Ford and GM) at least the 4 wheel drive versions. Oh yeah, the price is very reasonable considering what you get including the insurance  The inside features are equal to the Suburbans and Blazers.  Like I said…. the "cool" factor is not up there with a SUV but I wouldn’t go back to them over my van.  They have an incredible amount of room for their size. Allen

Response:

Hi all-

<<<SNIP So, my question to all RSTers out there is this….. what’s the best Tri Mobile out there today??  Admittedly, Ive been sucked in by the Xterra ads….I’m thinking if I buy an Xterra, I can shave major minutes off my 10k times (grin)… but seriously, does the internal bike rack on those things work??  Anyone have any other ideas on SUV’s etc??  Cherokees, Monterros, Expeditions etc. Qualifications – 4 wheel drive, easy bike accessibility, 4 or 6 cylinders, RELIABLE, decent per hour work from the shop (i.e. no Lexus SUVs) ideas on pre-owned rides is welcome….. remember I’m getting married soon. (read – no money) brian "thanks in advance, Im a little depressed today" drake PS – I know the bad guys weren’t triathletes… they left the bike helmet and water bottles….

Brian… Sorry for your loss. I know what it’s like to come out to an empty parking space that you KNOW shouldn’t be empty (Jeep Wrangler, Harley-Davidson FLHS). As for suggestions…Is 4 wheel drive really necessary??? What’s with SUVs anyway? Is it a ‘manly’ station wagon, or what? I’ve got (IMHO) the perfect tri-mobile short of a motorhome. Yes, it’s the dreaded minivan…aaaarrrghhghhh. Well, the ‘Cadillac of minivans’ if you’ve seen ‘Get Shorty". 1995 Olds Silhouette. Dual air, CD changer, cruise control, power everything (including remote side door), leather, each (of 5) rear seats is iondividually removable or capable of folding up like a jumpseat, and it’s tall enough for my bike to stand up without removing the seatpost. It rides like a car (not a truck), has 6 cylinders, and gets great gas mileage. I’ll keep this thing forever. Since the whole country has gone off the deep end for SUVs, people are giving these things away. I bought mine one year old for ~$15K. The sticker was ~$25K. If you’re looking for something to have around for a while, look into the minivans. They are bargains and much more practical and comfortable than any SUV (I’ve driven most of them). cheers, Andrew — Andrew Peabody/Karen Fisher Coconut Grove, FL

Response:

Hi all- Funny thing happened on the way to the office this morning…. as I approached the last known whereabouts of my trusty Honda I noticed something strange… there seemed to be an empty parking space where less than 12 hours before I had last left her….. 1st thought – hmmmm, did I park in a different space last night??  a quick walk around the complex yielded no clues… 2nd thought – maybe I loaned it to someone and forgot… nope, not that either. 3rd thought – could someone have actually taken it without my permission… surely not, this is a ‘nice’ neighborhood Well, my third and final thought was the correct one…. my third most prized possession in the world (behind my fianc

Question:

Enough about this clydesdale stuff.  Has anyone heard anything about the "hairy legs" division?  I know I was top 10 at IMC. P.S. It is possible to complete an Ironman distance race without shaved legs. SNIP

OK, I’ll bite….   Scott has posted earlier about wanting a Clydesdale division at IMC so that he would have a shot at qualifying for Kona. I don’t buy it, nor does it seem like shaved legs are necessary. As a Clydesdale with unshaven legs, I just missed qualifying at IMC last year in 35-39 with a 10:39.  This year, at 40, I planned on qualifying at IMC until I got derailed by an ankle injury (playing basketball — for all you Clydesdales out there, get your height and weight challenged tri-friends out on the court, then see if your size is a disadvantage!!). Oh well, keep on trying guys.  It may not be fair in triathlon to be large, but life ain’t fair….. John Miller Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my employer.

Response:

Enough about this clydesdale stuff.  Has anyone heard anything about the "hairy legs" division?  I know I was top 10 at IMC. P.S. It is possible to complete an Ironman distance race without shaved legs. – Andy "I do not even like to shave my face, why would I want to shave my legs" Tumpowsky – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – seems like IMH may follow suit.  I think Canada, Lake Placid, and Switzerland all have Clydesdales at this point. Scott GFT has always had a Clydesdale division. Same with ALL the race put CFT Sommer Sports. Fred Sommer is a GREAT supporter of the "BIG Boys Club". Check it out you won’t be disappointed. Terry

Response:

Enough about this clydesdale stuff.  Has anyone heard anything about the "hairy legs" division?  I know I was top 10 at IMC. P.S. It is possible to complete an Ironman distance race without shaved legs.

Damn straight, it is.   Heck, I’d never seen so many guys with shaved legs since that Le Cage show in Las Vegas…  <g Mike "Ooooooh, now I’m gonna get it" Tennent "TriBop" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

Response:

seems like IMH may follow suit.  I think Canada, Lake Placid, and Switzerland all have Clydesdales at this point.

Scott GFT has always had a Clydesdale division. Same with ALL the race put CFT Sommer Sports. Fred Sommer is a GREAT supporter of the "BIG Boys Club". Check it out you won’t be disappointed. Terry

Response:

Enough about this clydesdale stuff.  Has anyone heard anything about the "hairy legs" division?  I know I was top 10 at IMC. P.S. It is possible to complete an Ironman distance race without shaved legs. – Andy "I do not even like to shave my face, why would I want to shave my legs" Tumpowsky

OK, I know this was made against ME, Andy!!  Since I don’t have to shave my face that much, I spend that time on my legs!! — Tri Your Hardest!   /O     ___o      o    ~~~~   _ <,_    <|        (*)/ (*)      /           Darrin Bartlett IMC ‘98 11:59.59

Response:

Howdy.  Been lurking here at r.s.t. for, jeepers, months now and want to thank all of you for the wealth of advice, suggestions, tips, tricks, pointers, hints, opinions, knowledge, notions, encouragement, and especially for the WAY positive camaraderie. This is the most well-mannered and on-target newsgroup I’ve ever seen. But let’s talk about me: Did my first tri on May 5, 1998 – the Evanston (Wyoming) Rec Center Tri.  A sprint.  5K run, 12-mile bike, 500-yard swim in a pool, in that order.  This alleviated some swim timing problems as people got spread out on the run and bike and then straggled in to the pool swim. Started raining during the run and then just poured down a hard rain during the bike leg.  Sun finally came out just as I went inside for the swim.  Did the whole thing in 1:21:06.  Got me a fifth in the age group (I’m 49.) and a middle- of-the-pack finish overall.  Young guy, looked like a whippet, won the thing in 58 minutes and some seconds. Had a so-so run, a great bike, and a less than so-so swim.  I can swim a mile easy in my slow but steady way, but this time when I went in the water I was still breathing heavy from my effort on the bike and had to breast-stroke a few laps until I caught ahold of my breath. So intent was I during the whole race that I did not drink anything even though I had water with me on the bike.  Probably shoulda. My second tri was the Spudman Tri, olympic distance, in Burley, Idaho, on July 25.  Another middle-of-the-age group/pack finish in 2:37:34.  Same young whippet who won the Evanston Sprint won this one too in one:fifty-something. The swim was a mile downstream in the Snake River.  Thanks to the current, I did the swim in 20 min.  Usually takes me about 35 min in a pool.  Yessirree, loved that swim. The bike was an out-and-back with rollers but no real hills.  I passed scores of people on the bike.  I ride a $450 GT mountain bike with an aero bar and slick tires, and I find it positively thrilling to pass guys in their twenties who were riding way-cool bikes. Got out on the run quickly after the bike.  Those big muscles where the back of the legs meet the butt were not a’liking it for about a mile or so but after that things smoothed out.  I continued to pass people on the run. This time I over-compensated in the hydration dept.  I drank about half a gallon of straight Gatorade during the bike leg and ended up with terrible dry mouth. I tried a bite of Cliff Bar.  It felt like I’d put ashes in my mouth.  When I started the run, my stomach felt painfully full, but this eased and then disappeared after about a mile of the run. Third and last tri for 1998 was the Vernal Dinosaur Tri in Vernal, Utah, on Aug 8.  Another olympic distance one.  Another middle of the pack finish. Had a terrible swim on this one.  It was the classic didn’t warm up for the swim properly.  The race announcer was counting down from 10 seconds to go when I finally made it to the water. Soon as I started swimming I began hyperventilating.  I had to breast and back stroke to the first buoy.  After that I could breath OK and swam normally.  I was the next to last person out of the lake.  But then my trusty bike saw me through a kinda hilly course and past a few dozen other riders. I didn’t hammer the bike quite so hard this time and had no muscle problems at all going into the run.  Passed several more people on the run.  Felt good at the finish.  Felt strong. Hydration was much better this time.  I used water with just a little Gatorade added.  Still experimenting with this and gels, carbo-bars, etc. All in all I feel great about everything.  Two years ago I was a heavy smoking (unfiltered Camels) couch potato, 50 pounds overweight.  Took me 10 months (Jan- Oct97) to lose the 50 pounds.  Put 3,500 miles on my bike in one year, including long rides at -10 degrees (F) last December here in Wyoming. Didn’t start swimming until Feb98 but that’s coming along. I learned so much.  I feel so good.  Really looking forward to next season. Thanks for the inspiration. Paul Rock   Pinedale, Wyoming Where the skies are not cloudy all day prpi at wyoming dot com "They laughed when I got out of the water, But when I got on the bike … "

Response:

Does anyone know if IMH will have a clydesdale division.  I see IMC and IMUSA are having the "fat boys club"!!  This may be my only chance.

Response:

Scott, Excellent question…Currently there is no Clydesdale Division at IMH…..However, b.there is a group in Indianapolis called TeamClydesdale.  Guy East and friends are working tirelessly on gettting some spots opened up….will it be 1999?  That is the mission but we shall have to wait and see. In the meantime check out the website at www.teamclydesdale.com, talk to race directors and fellow triathletes to keep the momentum going and send Guy an email (the address is on the web page) and find out what you might do to help. Train Well Tom Livingston, Clydesdale and Loyal To The Sport Portland, OR

Response:

Scott, Excellent question…Currently there is no Clydesdale Division at IMH…..However, b.there is a group in Indianapolis called TeamClydesdale.  Guy East and friends are working tirelessly on gettting some spots opened up….will it be 1999?  That is the mission but we shall have to wait and see. In the meantime check out the website at www.teamclydesdale.com, talk to race directors and fellow triathletes to keep the momentum going and send Guy an email (the address is on the web page) and find out what you might do to help. Train Well Tom Livingston, Clydesdale and Loyal To The Sport Portland, OR

Thanks Tom.  The more we show our interest, the greater our chances.  It seems like IMH may follow suit.  I think Canada, Lake Placid, and Switzerland all have Clydesdales at this point.

Response:

Did my first tri on May 5, 1998 – the Evanston (Wyoming) Rec Center Tri.  A sprint.  5K run, 12-mile bike, 500-yard swim in a pool, in that order.  This alleviated some swim timing problems as people got spread out on the run and bike and then straggled in to the pool swim.

Oooooh, I HATE those things. My very first tri had the swim last and I almost drowned. <g It sounds like you had a great first year. Congratulations! Mike Tennent "TriBop" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

Response:

Does anyone know if IMH is having a clydesdale division for 1999.  This may be my only chance of qualifying Scott ‘99 IMC  13:17:47

Response:

Paul, Nice to read your post.  I too, have competed in my first triathlons this summer — in no small part influenced and encouraged by reading RST.  I am preparing for my third and last tri of the summer on Sept. 20.  It is an Oly distance race.  The other two were sprints.  It’s nice to read that you felt OK at this distance.  I was a little worried about doubling the bike and run — though I have been training 7-10 hrs a week all summer. Congratulations on your accomplishments, especially quitting smoking.  I know this is a huge mountain to climb.  Here’s to a good off-season!  I’m hoping to do a 1/2 IM next year.  You? Lance – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Howdy.     Been lurking here at r.s.t. for, jeepers, months now and want to thank all of you for the wealth of advice, suggestions, tips, tricks, pointers, hints, opinions, knowledge, notions, encouragement, and especially for the WAY positive camaraderie. This is the most well-mannered and on-target newsgroup I’ve ever seen. But let’s talk about me: Did my first tri on May 5, 1998 – the Evanston (Wyoming) Rec Center Tri.  A sprint.  5K run, 12-mile bike, 500-yard swim in a pool, in that order.  This alleviated some swim timing problems as people got spread out on the run and bike and then straggled in to the pool swim. Started raining during the run and then just poured down a hard rain during the bike leg.  Sun finally came out just as I went inside for the swim.  Did the whole thing in 1:21:06.  Got me a fifth in the age group (I’m 49.) and a middle- of-the-pack finish overall.  Young guy, looked like a whippet, won the thing in 58 minutes and some seconds. Had a so-so run, a great bike, and a less than so-so swim.  I can swim a mile easy in my slow but steady way, but this time when I went in the water I was still breathing heavy from my effort on the bike and had to breast-stroke a few laps until I caught ahold of my breath. So intent was I during the whole race that I did not drink anything even though I had water with me on the bike.  Probably shoulda. My second tri was the Spudman Tri, olympic distance, in Burley, Idaho, on July 25.  Another middle-of-the-age group/pack finish in 2:37:34.  Same young whippet who won the Evanston Sprint won this one too in one:fifty-something. The swim was a mile downstream in the Snake River.  Thanks to the current, I did the swim in 20 min.  Usually takes me about 35 min in a pool.  Yessirree, loved that swim. The bike was an out-and-back with rollers but no real hills.  I passed scores of people on the bike.     I ride a $450 GT mountain bike with an aero bar and slick tires, and I find it positively thrilling to pass guys in their twenties who were riding way-cool bikes. Got out on the run quickly after the bike.  Those big muscles where the back of the legs meet the butt were not a’liking it for about a mile or so but after that things smoothed out.  I continued to pass people on the run. This time I over-compensated in the hydration dept.  I drank about half a gallon of straight Gatorade during the bike leg and ended up with terrible dry mouth. I tried a bite of Cliff Bar.  It felt like I’d put ashes in my mouth.     When I started the run, my stomach felt painfully full, but this eased and then disappeared after about a mile of the run. Third and last tri for 1998 was the Vernal Dinosaur Tri in Vernal, Utah, on Aug 8.     Another olympic distance one.  Another middle of the pack finish. Had a terrible swim on this one.  It was the classic didn’t warm up for the swim properly.     The race announcer was counting down from 10 seconds to go when I finally made it to the water. Soon as I started swimming I began hyperventilating.  I had to breast and back stroke to the first buoy.  After that I could breath OK and swam normally.  I was the next to last person out of the lake.  But then my trusty bike saw me through a kinda hilly course and past a few dozen other riders. I didn’t hammer the bike quite so hard this time and had no muscle problems at all going into the run.  Passed several more people on the run.  Felt good at the finish.  Felt strong. Hydration was much better this time.  I used water with just a little Gatorade added.  Still experimenting with this and gels, carbo-bars, etc. All in all I feel great about everything.  Two years ago I was a heavy smoking (unfiltered Camels) couch potato, 50 pounds overweight.  Took me 10 months (Jan- Oct97) to lose the 50 pounds.  Put 3,500 miles on my bike in one year, including long rides at -10 degrees (F) last December here in Wyoming. Didn’t start swimming until Feb98 but that’s coming along. I learned so much.  I feel so good.  Really looking forward to next season. Thanks for the inspiration. Paul Rock   Pinedale, Wyoming Where the skies are not cloudy all day prpi at wyoming dot com "They laughed when I got out of the water, But when I got on the bike … "

– | Lance Ball | Anima Sana in Corpore Sano

Response:

Question:

Anyone know of any Cyclocross races or series near Georgia?  Sounds like something i would be intrested in. RoB

Response:

I did one cyclocross race last fall.  I am not sure where you are from, but in SE Michigan there is a five race series put on by Tailwind Enterprises, starting October 4.  In these races, there were two categories – traditional cyclocross and mountain bikes.  I rode in the mountain bike category and had a great time, especially because I did much better in this race than I did at many of the mountain bike races over the summer.  It was fun to be able to ride and run past most of the mountain bikers who kicked my butt all summer.  I think it is great for cross training and great for motivation.  Have Fun!!! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As a complete race junky the thought that race season is over in 6 weeks(for me) I’m starting to worry about what to do this winter.  I like to back off on running in the winter to heal my many pains.  I was just looking at a website for Cyclocross and the sport seems to be a perfect crossover for a triathlete. Lots of riding, a little running, season is our off-season,  drafting not important?  Any info anyone has on sport is appreciated, especially from triathletes who do  Cyclocross in the winter for fun and to keep the competitive juices going Tim Hignett Buaidh No Bas http://members.aol.com/hignett/index.html

Response:

As a complete race junky the thought that race season is over in 6 weeks(for me) I’m starting to worry about what to do this winter.  I like to back off on running in the winter to heal my many pains.  I was just looking at a website for Cyclocross and the sport seems to be a perfect crossover for a triathlete. Lots of riding, a little running, season is our off-season,  drafting not important?  Any info anyone has on sport is appreciated, especially from triathletes who do  Cyclocross in the winter for fun and to keep the competitive juices going Tim Hignett Buaidh No Bas http://members.aol.com/hignett/index.html

Response:

Question:

Nothing wrong.  Your puppy is perfectly normal.  At that age they play hard and then sleep for what seems like forever.  Leslie I have a eleven week old yellow lab and he is constantly taking long naps. He plays for a little while and then sleeps for a few hours.  Is there something wrong?                                                 Thank You,                                                 Shelly

The dog is growing while it is asleep. I have seen the same situation with human puppies. – Steven & Cashew + Memphis + Rocky + Cubby

Response:

My 4 year old Lab still is a sleep more  than he is awake! That is there nature. Eat run sleep. The perfect lab triathlon!   Peter  Australia – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ST I have a eleven week old yellow lab and he is constantly taking long naps. ST He plays for a little while and then sleeps for a few hours.  Is there ST something wrong? ST ST                                             Thank You, ST ST                                             Shelly ST His problem is one that is cured by tincture of time: he is only 11 weeks old! .. nfx v2.7 [C0000] Loyalty: of dog to pack, and of pack to dog.

Response:

Nothing wrong.  Your puppy is perfectly normal.  At that age they play hard and then sleep for what seems like forever.  Leslie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have a eleven week old yellow lab and he is constantly taking long naps. He plays for a little while and then sleeps for a few hours.  Is there something wrong?                                                 Thank You,                                                 Shelly

Response:

ST I have a eleven week old yellow lab and he is constantly taking long naps. ST He plays for a little while and then sleeps for a few hours.  Is there ST something wrong? ST ST                                          Thank You, ST                                                   ST                                          Shelly ST His problem is one that is cured by tincture of time: he is only 11 weeks old! .. nfx v2.7 [C0000] Loyalty: of dog to pack, and of pack to dog.            

Response:

I have a eleven week old yellow lab and he is constantly taking long naps. He plays for a little while and then sleeps for a few hours.  Is there something wrong?                                                 Thank You,                                                 Shelly

Response:

Question:

No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get –<snip–

I regularly keep late hours and must be in class by 7:15am each day.  So am training for me means _early_ training.  I’m just like the rest of you, I love it after the first mile…if I ever get past the front door! As a triathlete, I tend to train alone much of the time, but one thing that used to work for me was a training partner (actually I was on a team in college–lots of training partners).  If all else has failed you, try this.  It’s good motivation and committing to someone that you’ll "be there" might be the ticket. Richard Richard Wagers Parker College of Chiropractic Through education I learn to do by choice what other men do by constraints of fear.                         –Aristotle

Response:

Brian, I’ve been doing the same routine as you for a long time now! but unlike you I have coffee. I log onto the network and surf and read for 1/5 hour or more and then hit the roads with anywhere from 3 to 6 miles or ride 20-30! Glad to hear I’m on the right track! Jeff Andres

Response:

No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

Motivation.  Personally I’m not a very a very motivated person at 6am and so prefer to train in the afternoon or early evening.  However I’ll occassionally train in the AM because I’m motivated to do so because: 1. Its usually a little safer to ride in the morning 2. The tri-club bike ride on a Sunday morning stops at the cake shop that makes     fantastic bluebery muffins and expresso coffee’s 3. Its 6am and my training partner (who woke up with the idea that I’m not     training enough and that I should go on an early morning run with him) is     bashing on the door like a Norse Warrior trying to ransack a castle. 4. The wife wants the car for the day and I have to ride to work. AJ — Simon Haigh, Information Consultant – Web Services Group     BHP Information Technology                                 151-155 King Street Warrawong NSW 2502, AUSTRALIA        

Response:

Here is what I did: When my Wife quit her job to go back to school, I decided to get up with her they we will drive together. The only problem is that she gets up at 6:30. The first month it was hard, I mean morning, lunchtime or evening workout was hard… But I got used to it. It has been now 2 years since we started doing that and I even get uyp early during the week end. WHAT (I heard screaming…) Yes, I sleep in until 8:30 then workout during the week ends. The trade off is that if you had a social life, it’s over since you need 9 hours of sleep… Who is the trigeek who’s got a social life anyway? Social life is during workouts and after races, right? The big advantage is that when you have a race in the morning and you have to wake up at 4am to get there, you sleep only 7 hours instead of 9, and you are used to get to bed early! Of yeah, I forgot… I love that life style. Right now in Seattle, it is in the 80s at lunch time, so I run at 7:00, there is nobody and it is cooler… — fabien "ZeBigFrenchMan" For the joy of Triing

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

Response:

When I do a morning workout I arrive at work about 1-1 1/2 hours early and bike or run from there.  If you don’t have shower facilities at your work this wont work (that is unless your coworkers like the smell of B.O.) Bring something easy to eat after your body cools down, bagels work great!                                     _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / Tri-On The only legal draft should come from hops and barley. WEB (Robert Webster) Waukegan, IL

Response:

No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!?

It is 5:59 am, and I am just finishing up reading RST. On Saturday and Sunday, I always start with reading email and rst before working out at 6:30. Makes it easier to get out of bed, let’s the body wake up. I like OJ instead of coffee, but that gets to do its job too. Try it. Brian Sullivan

Response:

: I know exactly how you feel.  ’Early morning’ for me is anything before : noon.  I set out my gear the night before and put it on immediately after : the first buzzer.  The key for me is ‘absolutely no thinking until I’m out : the door’.  If I think about whether I’d rather sleep or train — sleep : wins until it’s too late to do anything but train.  ;-) Exactly.  However, I’ve had the good fortune for the last year to work 1-10pm.  This lets me get up when I want to (8-9am) and still get in a solid morning of training.  Hard to train after a hard day of work, but not nearly as hard to "work" after a hard morning of training.  ;-) — Jason Mayfield     Arlington, VA http://dufus.westga.edu/~zooropa Sick & Twisted Site of the Day: http://dufus.westga.edu/~zooropa/sick.html "Do or do not, there is no ‘try’"  - Yoda     14 Days Until Ironman Canada

Response:

No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

I am a night person so I have a hell of a time making it to those early morning weekend swims, especially when I do the quick math underneath the flannel sheets and figure out that water temp. < air temp!! About 6 months ago I wanted to start getting some workouts in the morning so I wouldn’t have to back-to-back stuff after work.  I was actually anal retentive enough to sit down and figure out why I never got my fuzzy butt out of bed early enough.   Here’s what I came up with, maybe you fit it here too… 1) Not enough sleep.  We triathletes somehow think we can squeeze all of those training hours in and still do everything that "normal" people do!  This may include family time, tv, hanging out w/ friends, doing errands, etc.  I need a solid 7 hours and I find that after training and doing all of the other stuff, I’m going to bed way too late.  Even midnight is too late to get enough sleep and still squeeze a morning workout in. 2) Caffeine.  I’ve found that I usually consume this great stuff in some form either at dinner, coffee shops or just hanging around in the evening.  I don’t get wired from it (I *don’t* have a problem, really!) but it does keep me from feeling tired when I should be. 3) Late swim workouts.  Our evening pool time is 7-9 and no matter how tired I am before the workout, I find myself bouncing off of the walls for at least a couple of hours afterwards.  Cycling and running don’t have this effect but swimming does.   Since I don’t have a choice of times to swim during the week, I avoid scheduling morning workouts the day after being in the pool.   Happy training, Scott

Response:

|No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout |before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out |the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely |make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, |setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any |"non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself |to get out there in the predawn!? I know exactly how you feel.  ’Early morning’ for me is anything before noon.  I set out my gear the night before and put it on immediately after the first buzzer.  The key for me is ‘absolutely no thinking until I’m out the door’.  If I think about whether I’d rather sleep or train — sleep wins until it’s too late to do anything but train.  ;-) Another trick is to workout twice a day, morning and evening.  I do run or bike in the morning and soccer + swim in the evening, though I usually skip run or bike on soccer days. – Tim Iverson

Response:

No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!? TRI-ed it….LIKED it!

Response:

No matter how many times I set my alarm to get up and fit in a workout before work, about 90% of the time I end up back in bed! Once I get out the door, and onto the trail or into the pool, I feel great, I just rarely make it that far. I’ve tried 2 alarms, moving the alarms across the room, setting the downstairs tv to come on automatically, none of it works! Any "non-morning" triathlets out there have any secrets for "forcing" yourself to get out there in the predawn!?

I hate waking up at 5AM!  But it’s a necessity while training for an Ironman race (need to get those double workouts).  Plus I can’t workout at night because I’m too tired by the time I get home.   My Motivation Tool:  Guilt Trips!  Every time that alarm clock goes off at 5:15AM and I want to skip an 8 mile run, I tell myself that I will live to regret it during the 19th mile of the marathon.  If I don’t finish it’s all because I skipped that run on Tuesday, August 6th (yeah it was a recent guilt trip). Good Luck (plus it always helps getting a good night sleep). Carlos Torres de Navarra Coral Gables, Florida

Response:

Question:

For those of you who liked the coverage and were wondering where to get the Joe Satriani’s newest CD (self titled) has I believe 2 or 3 of the songs on it For those of you who are not farmiliar with his work, just listen to any NBC sports presentation and most likely Joe’s work will be in the background In my opinion NBC alone has made him very rich…..even though all of his CD/albums/tapes have gone over the million dollar mark. Just a little off-to-the-side triathlon info Mark F.

……. album, only, I won’t repeat the title of the particular song here ’cause I find it just a *tad* rude….;) TriBaby — "’Be a terrific innovation if you could get your mind to stretch a little further than the next wise crack." "Y’know, I tried that once, but it didn’t snap back into place." —Katharine Hepburn & Eve Arden in "Stage Door" (1937)    

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For those of you who liked the coverage and were wondering where to get the Joe Satriani’s newest CD (self titled) has I believe 2 or 3 of the songs on it For those of you who are not farmiliar with his work, just listen to any NBC sports presentation and most likely Joe’s work will be in the background In my opinion NBC alone has made him very rich…..even though all of his CD/albums/tapes have gone over the million dollar mark. Just a little off-to-the-side triathlon info Mark F. ……. album, only, I won’t repeat the title of the particular song here ’cause I find it just a *tad* rude….;) TriBaby —

Hmmm,  must be talkin’ about ‘Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver.’

Response:

For those of you who liked the coverage and were wondering where to get the Joe Satriani’s newest CD (self titled) has I believe 2 or 3 of the songs on it In my opinion NBC alone has made him very rich…..even though all of his CD/albums/tapes have gone over the million dollar mark. Mark F.

His album several years ago, Into the great blue dream (I think that’s the title, was excellent. I think he’s from Montreal or somewhere near there. He’s a really cool guitarist and plays alot of instrumental stuff that is well….cool. Headphone type stuff athat’s excellent to drive to. TriDork

Response:

atest album, only, I won’t repeat the title of the particular song here ’cause I find it just a *tad* rude….;) TriBaby

Oh… come on TriBaby….don’t be a baby:-) Say it out loud….you’ll feel much better, I promise. We’re all adults here. Well I like adultery at least. TriDork

Response:

There is, of course, the Joe Satriani web page ( http://www.satriani.com/ ). Amazing guitar playing, but there is a reason why most of his tracks are instrumental. He can’t sing. At all. The tracks where he does sing are best skipped. Satriani is playing in the UK this month. So is the IMH on Eurosport. Yippee

Response:

For those of you who liked the coverage and were wondering where to get the Joe Satriani’s newest CD (self titled) has I believe 2 or 3 of the songs on it For those of you who are not farmiliar with his work, just listen to any NBC sports presentation and most likely Joe’s work will be in the background In my opinion NBC alone has made him very rich…..even though all of his CD/albums/tapes have gone over the million dollar mark. Just a little off-to-the-side triathlon info Mark F.                                                     ___o                                                      `~~               P swimswimswim__^o__ bikebikebike__() /  ()____ R               Z Umass-Dart. // "Don’t take life so seriously L               Z            /   no one gets out alive" D.L.R. E                           A runrunrun /–  runrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrun S                          /  

Response: